Credit: Andreas Neumann Queens of the Stone Age are celebrating the release of their new album, Villains, by encouraging you to visit your local butcher. Select shops across the U.S. are using QotSA-branded paper to wrap up your order.

Participating shops include Cape Seafood in Los Angeles, Salt & Time in Austin, Cochon Butcher in New Orleans, and the Meat Hook in Brooklyn, New York. For the full list, check out Queens' Instagram.

Villains, which features the lead single "The Way You to Do," arrives today. Queens will kick off a North American headlining tour in support of the album September 6 in Port Chester, New York.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes Quang Binh Province to bring a new strong wind of change for the tourism sector. VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

QUANG BINH  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said he hopes Quang Binh Province to bring a new strong wind of change for the tourism sector.

Phuc shared his expectation at a working session with authorities of the central province yesterday.

The PM said that with its advantage of natural conditions and cultural heritage, services and tourism should be the foundation and the road to prosperity for Quang Binh.

Discussing specific solutions for the provinces development, Phuc asked the province to improve its planning quality by seeking advice from foreign experts.

Improving the business climate and capacity of human resources is also necessary, he added.

PM Phuc wants Quang Binh to focus local resources on developing a sustainable tourism management mechanism and building a professional strategy to promote the Phong Nha  Ke Bang National Park and Son oong Cave, which are unique to Quang Binh.

At the session, most participants agreed that Quang Binh has the potential to develop tourism as its spearheaded sector.

A representative from the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism asked the PM to approve the building of a cable car route into the planning of the Phong Nha  Ke Bang National Park. The cable car route is set to span 5.2 kilometres from the Ho Chi Minh road to En Cave.

Others suggested enhancing the tourist link between Quang Binh and a Nang and Thua Thien-Hue, while forming an industrial connection between Quang Binh and the Vung Ang Economic Zone.

Quang Binh has a 116.04km coastal line and a 201.87km border line with Laos. The province is famous for its cave systems, incredible mountain scenery and sprawling beaches. It is home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Phong Nha  Ke Bang National Park and the worlds largest cave Son oong.

PM hails communes efforts

During a visit to the provinces uc Trach Commune, PM Phuc hailed the coastal commune for its achievements in new rural development and recovery from the marine pollution incident last year.

More than two thirds of the population in uc Trach Commune are of working age, mostly earning a living in the fishery and seafood processing industries.

The commune is one of the leading localities in terms of receiving compensation for the marine incident caused by Taiwans Hung Nghiep Formosa steel plant.

During a local working session yesterday, the PM suggested the commune consider switching to other trade sectors, especially tourism and fishery logistics.

According to the PM, the government is interested in building a coastal road in the locality and connecting coastal localities to facilitate socio-economic development and ensure national defence-security.

The leader asked the provincial Party Committee, Peoples Committee and political system to continue upgrading infrastructure and fully tapping fishery processing.

In the first half of this year, the commune contributed nearly VN4.7 billion (US$204,000) to the local budget, or nearly 73 per cent of the estimate. It has only 42 poor households, accounting for 2.26 per cent of the total, and 453 fishing vessels with a total capacity of 155,300 CV, including 229 of more than 90 CV.

It also pushed forward new rural construction at a total cost of over VN34.2 billion, 59 per cent of which was sourced from the local budget. Though recognised as a new-style rural area last year, it is working to continue meeting criteria on cultural and school infrastructure, among others.

He called further attention to compensation for victims of the marine incident in the central region in line with legal regulations and the governments policy.

The commune has so far spent more than VN171 billion ($7.6 million) on compensation for victims of the incident. As many as 182 fishing households are expected to receive nearly VN21 billion in aid.

Earlier the same day, Phuc attended a ceremony to open Nhat Le 2 Bridge to traffic. With a total length of 2,298m, the bridge was built at a total cost of more than VN936 billion.

On the occasion of the 72nd anniversary of August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2), he also visited and presented gifts to heroic Vietnamese mothers.  VNS
HCM CITY  Vaccine coverage against the human papilloma virus (HPV) should be expanded to help reduce new incidences of cervical cancer, experts said at an APEC meeting.

At the APEC Policy Dialogue on HPV and Cervical Cancer, which ended yesterday in HCM City, participants discussed the rolling out of HPV vaccination programmes and future plans and goals for reducing HPV and cervical cancer in APEC economies.

Global studies estimating the potential impact of HPV vaccinations and the cost of delays were also presented.

Cervical cancer is highly preventable with an HPV vaccine and generally curable if diagnosed and treated early, Viet Nams Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Viet Tien said at the meeting.

Despite this, 528,000 new incidences of cervical cancer occurred in 2012 around the world and more than 266,000 people died needlessly from the disease, Tien said.

Nearly 90 per cent of the fatalities were living in low- and middle- income countries and territories, he said, adding that only one in 10 girls in those countries have access to HPV vaccines, compared to nine in 10 girls in high-income countries.

For primary prevention, a pilot programme supported by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) provided HPV vaccines to 6,000 teenagers from 2008 to 2010 in Viet Nam.

However, the current coverage of HPV vaccination in Viet Nam still is low because of the high costs of HPV vaccines, Tien told Viet Nam News on the sidelines of the APEC Policy Dialogue.

More strategies are needed to raise vaccination coverage in Viet Nam, he said, adding a specific agency in charge of buying vaccines would help reduce the cost.

Dr Tran Van Thuan, director of the National Institute for Cancer Control in Ha Noi, said that many countries in the world were using the HPV vaccines in their national programmes on immunisation, which has helped reduce the incidences of cervical cancer.

Each year, 5,600 women die from cervical cancer in Viet Nam, Thuan said.

In Viet Nam, cervical cancer ranks the fourth of the most common cancers and the sixth leading cause of cancer fatalities among women, Tien said.

Professor You-Lin Qiao of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences said that the price of the vaccines were very expensive. In China, vaccines can cost around $100 for one dose, he said.

Assoc Professor Marion Saville, executive director at Victorian Cytology Service Ltd, said that in Australia, the government has funded HPV vaccines for teenage girls since 2007 and for teenage boys since 2013.

Were very lucky that parents can send their kids for vaccinations at no costs through school-based delivery of vaccination, she said.

School-based delivery is good for maximizing uptake but also maximizing equity so that children and teenagers who come from poorer parts of Australia are as likely to be vaccinated as children from the wealthier parts, Saville said.

The vaccination is convenient and affordable in Australia, she said, adding: With that we have very high three-dose completion rate. It is highly cost-effective to prevent cancer through vaccinations.

Vaccination coverage is a good investment. Combined with government efforts and GAVI, getting vaccines to girls between the age of 9 and 12 would help reduce the number of cervix cancer cases in the region, according to Saville.

Dr Lokky Wai, representative of the World Health Organisation Western Pacific Region, said: To increase the rate of vaccine coverage, we need to overcome a number of challenges, besides the high cost of procuring the vaccines.

Proper communication or education about cervical cancer and its causes, safety and effectiveness of HPV vaccines and dispelling rumors or myths about vaccines are challenges that need to be tackled, Wai said.

We also need strong commitments from the highest level of governments to support, promote and mobilize communities to recognize the danger of HPV infections and accept and use the vaccines, he said.

The two vaccines currently available protect against some of the most common types of HPV (16 and 18) which are known to cause at least 70 per cent of cervical cancers.

The vaccines may also offer cross-protection against other less common HPV types which cause cervical cancer. Both vaccines are safe and very effective in preventing infection with HPV16 and 18.

Comprehensive approach

Vaccinations against HPV, however, are not enough, Wai said, adding that to reduce cervical cancer a comprehensive approach is needed.

Provision of regular screening services, proper education about sexual practices, and reduction in smoking prevalence are all issues that need to be resolved to substantially reduce cervical cancer incidences, he said.

Health deputy minister Tien said that Viet Nam had been applying strategies toward eradicating HPV infection and significantly reducing incidences of cervical cancer.

Media campaigns to improve awareness of the prevention and early diagnosis of cervical cancer has been carried out throughout the country, Tien said.

Cervical cancer screening and treatment has been part of the National Strategy on Reproductive Health Care since 2001 and the National Cancer Control Programme since 2008.

A population-based cervical cancer screening programme was implemented in specific regions of the country, using cytology or visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) methods, Tien said.

Clinical guidelines for cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment were approved by Viet Nams Ministry of Health in 2011, and have been updated frequently.

However, like many APEC developing economies, Viet Nam faces financing issues, including the high costs of HPV vaccination, limited access to health services in rural remote areas, lack of cytology laboratories and high quality cytologists, among others, Tien added.

Viet Nam will take advantage of new innovations to provide people primary levels of care and essential health services that are accessible, safe, effective and affordable, he said. VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong meets Chairman of Myanmars Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) Than Htay in Naypyidaw yesterday. VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

Naypyidaw  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met Chairman of Myanmars Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) Than Htay in Naypyidaw yesterday, as part of his State visit to the country.

The Party chief told his guest about the outcomes of his talks with President Htin Kyaw and the agreement between the two countries to establish a comprehensive co-operative partnership, describing it as a new milestone in bilateral ties.

Trong noted that Viet Nam values engagement with the USDP and the partys contributions to Viet Nam  Myanmar ties, which have helped create a foundation for the newly-established partnership.

For his part, Than Htay said the USDP, as a major political party in Myanmar, treasures friendship with the Vietnamese Government and Communist Party for the benefits of the two countries and their people.

Both host and guest agreed to strengthen affiliations between their parties, thus consolidating the political foundation for Viet Nam  Myanmar ties.

On the occasion, Trong invited the USDP leader to visit Viet Nam. In the afternoon, the Party chief left Naypyidaw for Yangon, Myanmars ancient imperial capital and largest city.  VNS
SEOUL  North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said.

The missile launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the South. Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up "almost immediately", said a spokesman for US Pacific Command.

None of the missiles, which were launched near Kittaeryong, had posed a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, the spokesman said.

"The first and third missiles... failed in flight. The second missile launch... appears to have blown up almost immediately," said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham, adding that the launches happened over a span of 30 minutes.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said US President Donald Trump was aware of the launches.

"In regards to activity in North Korea tonight, the president has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation," she said.

The launches came as North Korea state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, "multiple-missile launchers" and howitzers.

Shells hit islands standing in for South Koreas Paekryong and Taeyonphyong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and "wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods", the Korean Central News Agency said.

"Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest," it said.

Advances in missile technology

South Koreas defence ministry said "unidentified projectiles", fired at 6:49am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250km towards the Sea of Japan.

The Norths move was immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

"The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations," the ministry added.

Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese governments top spokesman, told reporters in Tokyo Saturday morning: "We confirmed that no ballistic missiles have fallen onto our countrys territory or EEZ (exclusive economic zone)."

"We confirmed there was no direct impact on our countrys security. Our prime minister told us to remain on high alert and do our best to respond to any situations in order to protect our peoples lives and property."

The North tends to carry out test-firing of missiles or other projectiles -- including those from long-range multiple rocket launchers -- in response to the US-South Korea joint military exercises.

The "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" war games are a largely computer-simulated exercise that runs for two weeks in the South.

In recent weeks the North has threatened to fire a salvo of missiles toward the US Pacific territory of Guam, but has since backed away from the plan and tensions have eased.  AFP
DES MOINES  Coming out of the farm crisis of the 1980s, ethanol production was seen as a way to grow rural economies and add value to the crop farmers were producing.

National Farmers Union leaders are hoping ethanol can once again pull agriculture out of a slump as the farm organization heads to Capitol Hill to lobby for biofuel use and higher ethanol blends.

National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson announced the new initiative Wednesday. The organization hired a full-time lobbyist, Anne Steckel, as biofuel adviser to push the agenda in Washington, D.C.

Its not only about advocating, its about educating, Steckel said on a media conference call Wednesday.

Johnson said they understand it will take a significant effort and some time to change policies toward favoring ethanol, and he anticipates opposition from the oil industry. The auto industry, however, may be on their said as car builders work to build more fuel-efficient engines to meet new regulations, Johnson pointed out.

Ethanol advocates have been pushing government to get behind higher ethanol blends. While 10 percent ethanol is fairly standard at pumps across America, Farmers Union and others are promoting E30 ethanol as an option for more than just flex-fuel vehicles.

Using more ethanol in gasoline and using more corn to make ethanol can help farmers that grow the corn and rural communities that make the ethanol, Johnson said.

Were producing more and more corn and we need to find more and more uses for it, he said.
WATERLOO  A funding crisis is making it difficult for Black Hawk County to keep the Country View care center open.

The Board of Supervisors has learned it may also be difficult to close the county-owned nursing and mental health care facility.

The supervisors met Friday with officials of the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, County Social Services and a representative of the Brighton Consulting Group to discuss what would happen if the board chose to shutter Country View.

Board chairman Frank Magsamen emphasized the discussion was just part of exploring all of the countys options for the financially strapped care center and should not be misconstrued as a step toward closure.

We want to continue to gather information so the board can make a decision on Country View and the services that it provides, Magsamen said. This is strictly fact finding and not a decision-making (meeting) as to what we are going to do with the facility.

Black Hawk County may downsize Country View nursing home WATERLOO  Black Hawk County is considering a plan to downsize its financially struggling Co

But Supervisor Craig White feared even the discussion could further distress Country Views 142 residents and 170 employees.

When this hits the press Im sure were going to see a large number of (workers) quickly jump ship and find a different job, White said.

Country View, one of two remaining county-run nursing homes in the state, has exhausted its fund balance, forcing the county to tap $500,000 of general fund reserves to keep paying the bills. The center is projected to require a $1 million to $1.5 million taxpayer subsidy next year, roughly $11 to $16 for the owner of a $100,000 home.

Should the county choose to close Country View, it would need to give 60 days notice and follow a shutdown protocol provided by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. The county would be responsible for finding suitable placements for all residents and would need to maintain adequate staffing during the transition.

You have to stay open until you have found everybody a home, said Kathy Kieler, an Inspections and Appeals bureau chief.

County discusses Country View reorganization idea WATERLOO  A plan floated to save the financially strapped Country View care center would in

Finding those placements could be difficult, said Jeff Steggerda of Brighton Consulting Group.

While there is an abundance of skilled nursing beds in the Cedar Valley, Country View has many residents with mental health issues who are covered under Medicaid. Conversely, ICF/ID clients bring adequate funding to a new facility, but there are fewer of those beds available statewide.

I believe youre going to have very difficult placement with between 25 to 35 patients, Steggerda said. Ill do a double very difficult to place with about 15, where you could be operating the entire facility for 15 patients for an extended period of time.

Steggerda said Country View is not a typical nursing home due to its excessive number of Medicaid clients and some of the special needs those clients bring.

More than 90 percent of Country Views nursing clients receive Medicaid, a federal program that currently only reimburses about 80 percent of the patient care costs. The average nursing home has about half of its residents covered under Medicaid and can make up losses through patients paying with private insurance or Medicare.

The county has asked for an exception to the Medicaid rules which, if approved, would reduce the current funding gap from 20 percent to just 5 percent of the current cost of care. But theres no guarantee the proposal will get state approval or be accepted by the managed care organization running the states Medicaid program.

Bob Lincoln, director of County Social Services for a region including Black Hawk County, said a 5 percent gap would be more manageable.

Theres no question about the need for a place like Country View and the individuals that need that support, Lincoln said. Its just how we get sustainable funding to continue that.

The supervisors are hoping to reach some decisions about the future of Country View before adopting the fiscal year 2018-19 budget over the winter.
ALTOONA  Democrats running for governor told union members restoring public employee bargaining rights would be a priority for them if elected.

Some of those seeking the endorsement of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL-CIO promised to take executive action to roll back changes made by the GOP-controlled Legislature this year.

Former Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Andy McGuire and former Des Moines school board member Jon Neiderbach promise to take whatever executive action they could to restore public employees bargaining rights.

John Norris warned it likely will take a change in control of the Legislature to return bargaining rights to where they were before the 2017 session.

This is not a 16-month campaign for governor (but) a three-year campaign to get back control of our state, he told about 170 delegates at the Iowa Feds annual convention in Altoona on Thursday.

Others among the candidates, including one Republican and a Libertarian, said they would work with the GOP majority to soften the blow of losing many matters previously subject to bargaining.

And some, like state Sen. Nate Boulton of Des Moines and former Iowa City Mayor Ross Wilburn of Ames, called for expanding union rights. Wilburn called for fair share legislation to allow unions to collect a service fee from non-members covered by union contracts.

Overall, the 10-candidate beauty show was civil. Other than Coralville nurse and union president Cathy Glasson calling former Gov. Terry Branstad and current Gov. Kim Reynolds goofballs, attacks on the current administration were focused on the announcement of $20 million in state tax incentives for Apple earlier Thursday.

Iowa Fed President Ken Sagar said none of the candidates hurt their standing and most helped themselves, perhaps just by getting in front of people who will be involved in the organizations endorsement in April.

We know some of you have favorites, and some of you are curious, he said. Its a long way to go until the election.

All of the candidates for governor were invited. However, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett, likely contenders for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, had scheduling conflicts.

Here are highlights of the candidates remarks:

Boulton, 37, a state senator from Des Moines, has sold himself as the labor candidate in the Democratic field. He received a standing ovation upon entering the ballroom, the only candidate to receive such a welcome. He noted he has been endorsed by 23 labor organizations in the state. He said while there is a difference between having a Democrat and Republican as governor, there also is a difference between having any Democrat and a labor Democrat.

Glasson, 58, a longtime nurse and union president from Coralville, called for Iowans to rise up for a big, bold progressive agenda that included raising Iowas minimum wage to $15 an hour and making it easier for workers to join labor unions. Glasson said she has encountered many Iowans who feel left behind by a rigged economy, are tired of a health care system that cares too little and costs too much and are hungry for a candidate for governor offering a bold vision for the state.

Nobodys better off than 30 or 40 years ago, and thats a problem, she said. Working people in our state are tired of getting beaten up, and thats a fact. They also are tired of elections where they feel they have to choose among candidates who represent the lesser of two evils.

Retired businessman and state agency director Fred Hubbell, 66, emphasized his experience in both the private sector and state government. Hubbell, who noted he was a union member for a couple of years when he worked construction in Des Moines, explained he led Younkers and then Equitable Life Insurance  large businesses, large budgets, lot of employees all across the state  and then was director of the Department of Economic Development overseeing investment in job creation and new technology.

Iowa needs a governor with experience making decision, providing leadership around job creation, job development, economic development, raising incomes, Hubbell said.

He would not give any state money to jobs that dont pay more than the prevailing wage in the county where they are created. He also proposed moving state government jobs out of Des Moines to communities around the state. Why not? Government doesnt all need to be in Des Moines, he said.

People are investing in his campaign because they believe he has the leadership to do the job, Hubbell said, and that I can win because I can put more resource and more people on the ground.

McGuire, the former Democratic state party chairwoman and lieutenant governor candidate, discussed reversing the changes made to the states public employee collective bargaining laws, but also focused on changes to the states worker compensation law, saying the government should not come between a worker and his or her doctor.

McGuire, 61, said Democrats economic message must include rural Iowa and criticized the current administrations approval of tax incentives for big business, like the fertilizer plant in southeast Iowa and a new Apple data center in suburban Des Moines. She said many Iowans are hurting financially.

We have to make sure we remember all of Iowa, and all Iowans. ... Sometimes the economy looks like it favors only some Iowans, McGuire said. We have to make sure everyone is benefiting from a good economy. ... You dont do that by putting a lot of money into a few jobs.

Norris said his campaign is about contesting for power and investing in people and infrastructure needed to improve economic opportunity.

That happens only if Democrats win, the former aide to Sen. Tom Harkin and Gov. Tom Vilsack said. Unless they win, Democrats wont have the opportunity to reverse bad legislation the GOP majority passed this year.

Given what is at stake, Norris, 58, said electing a Democratic governor in 2018 is essential because if we dont win, we dont have a firewall, and we cant start building a better Iowa.

Democrats cant get there if we cant win back votes from rural Iowa, Norris said. We have to provide economic hope and opportunity in rural Iowa as well as the urban centers.

Jon Niederbach, a former state employee, Des Moines school board member and 2014 candidate for state auditor, criticized the Apple incentives, calling tax breaks for huge corporations very wrong when other needs are going unfunded.

We need to stop all the tax breaks, deductions and exclusions and focus on our workforce, Niederbach, 60, said in encouraging more local involvement in economic development efforts rather than a top-down approach.

He called for modernizing K-12 curriculum and delivery methods for education, adopting the integration of services and providing more resources for schools. He also opposed tuition hikes proposed at state universities.

Niederbach said he is a unique candidate who could offer a complete package that would attract independent Iowans and Republicans with his plans to overhaul government to give a voice to the powerless. He said he would fight to restore collective bargaining rights for public employees by using executive powers where possible and by refusing to sign bills or let lawmakers go home until they fix the problems that will cause people to flee to other states.

Wilburn, 52, said hes been fortunate to live in Iowa and to serve the people of Iowa. Now I want to help us become the state we know we can be with opportunities to succeed economically, for better health and education.

Wilburn, a diversity officer and an associate director of community economic development program at Iowa State University, also called for livable wages and benefits for workers, safe workplaces, equal pay for equal work and improving water quality.

The message is simple: Lets be Iowa, he said. Give me a Legislature that will work to reinstate those rights to bargain.

He warned giving tax breaks to corporations such as Apple without requiring immediate investment in Iowa reduces the states ability to support education and other public services.

Others

Jake Porter, 29, said he was probably the only Libertarian to speak to the group, so Im very excited about that.

The problems he sees with state government is the GOP is using the state budget as weapon and to pay for corporate welfare.

And what do members of Legislature and the Governors Office go after? he asked. Domestic violence shelters, mental health facilities, and they cost local government when they do this. That is unacceptable.

We need to have a government that works for all Iowans, he said.

Porter, a business consultant, called for phasing out the state sales tax, which he said would help Iowa businesses attract more customers, especially in border communities.

Its time for a change in the way state government is done, Porter said.

Do we want state government that continues to do these backroom deals that dont involve you, that gives your money to rich corporations and give you the tax bill? he asked. Do we want to Legislature that doesnt actually legislate, but kicks these problems down the road whether it be education, whether it be cannabis oil for children, whether it be restoring voting rights for those who have paid for their crimes?

Steven Ray, 46, of Boone, the only Republican candidate at the event, broke with his party and said he does not support the action taken by the GOP to remove collective bargaining rights for public employees.

Ray, who has worked for nearly three decades in public safety, said he thinks the changes were politically motivated and that he would have vetoed the bill had he been governor.

Ive seen how it has affected our public employees since that (new law) came through, Ray said. They felt like their state government let them down.

Ray said while he supports businesses and capitalism, he also offered criticism of the current Republican administrations approval of tax incentives for large businesses. Ray said the lost revenue could be used to address other areas of need, such as education or mental health care.

Brent Roske, an independent candidate who was born in Minnesota, touted his familys labor credentials and noted other Democrats like Tom Vilsack and Jack Hatch were not native Iowans.

I believe right now government doesnt work as well as it should, he said, telling the group the quickest way to get back on track would be to put policy over process with an independent in the governors office.

Roske, 42, said he would work to reinstate Iowas collective bargaining law and encourage workers who were not in a labor union to join one. Those not yet in a union should be, he said.

He advocated increased funding for education, and spoke in favor of the states effort to bring Apple Inc.s data center to Iowa as a step in the right direction.

We have to start looking at new sectors, he said.

Rod Boshart, Erin Murphy and James Q. Lynch contributed to this story
WATERLOO  An incorrect property description is forcing another vote on the citys plans to sell the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center to a private developer.

Waterloo City Council members are scheduled to hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. Monday in City Hall on a development agreement and sale of the downtown center to Omaha, Neb.-based Leslie Hospitality Co.

Terms of the deal are identical to an agreement approved by council members on a 4-0 vote July 17. The new hearing is required due to a faulty legal description for the property at West Fourth and Commercial streets.

Emails reveal rifts over convention center sale WATERLOO  The Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center sale is still being debated in City 

Leslie Hospitality is the holding company for LK Waterloo, which will buy the 42-year-old convention center for $1; get a $1.05 million city grant to use toward an estimated $6 million in repair and renovation to the building; and receive 15 years of 34 percent tax rebates on the new taxable value created by the renovation.

A separate development agreement approved July 17 provides tax incentives for LK Waterloos $14 million acquisition and renovation of the adjacent Ramada Hotel into a Hotel RL. That agreement does not require another vote.

Councilmen Tom Lind and Steve Schmitt abstained from voting on the original development agreement, stating they did not feel the city had received enough financial information about Leslie Hospitality. Councilman Bruce Jacobs cited a conflict of interest in abstaining from the vote.

Edwin Leslie, the companys president and chief executive officer, held a public meeting Tuesday where he provided copies of his companys and his personal financial records. He provided a bank commitment letter received on a recent project and is still working to secure a bank commitment letter for the Waterloo project, which must be received before closing can occur on the convention center.

Leslie has been critical of what he believed to be unfair treatment beyond the bounds of normal scrutiny by the abstaining councilmen. Some of the concern was based on bankruptcies and lawsuits related to different individuals named Edwin Leslie.

Leslie explained during a public hearing prior to the July 17 vote two of the more than 40 hotel projects hed undertaken had failed due to a business partners conviction on tax evasion. He also noted he successfully sued the Internal Revenue Service over his own taxes in the past.

Schmitt, Lind and Jacobs have defended their requests for information, saying it was their duty to ensure the firm getting such a large city asset and grant had the wherewithal to be successful.

Other scheduled council business this week includes a public hearing on changes to the zoning ordinance that would make it easier for homeowners to get permission to raise chickens and other farm animals in residential areas.

Currently, a resident needs to get a special permit for a hobby farm following a hearing and approval from the Board of Adjustment if they want to raise farm animals in town. The proposed ordinance would allow residents to avoid the Board of Adjustment requirements if they meet certain criteria.

The ordinance would allow property owners with at least 5,000 square feet of fenced back yard to keep up to two small animals  chickens, rabbits, minks, geese, etc.  if their neighbors dont object. The measure would allow property owners to have another small animal for each additional 2,500 square feet of fenced yard up to a maximum of eight animals.
City of Paducah inviting citizens to get involved through boards and commissions
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Staying out of debt is easier said than done, I know. However, its something you can do, and its something you should be practicing everyday. As Christians, we are in this world, but we are
Daniel Penny in The New Yorker:

On October 4, 1936, tens of thousands of Zionists, Socialists, Irish dockworkers, Communists, anarchists, and various outraged residents of Londons East End gathered to prevent Oswald Mosley and his British Union of Fascists from marching through their neighborhood. This clash would eventually be known as the Battle of Cable Street: protesters formed a blockade and beat back some three thousand Fascist Black Shirts and six thousand police officers. To stop the march, the protesters exploded homemade bombs, threw marbles at the feet of police horses, and turned over a burning lorry. They rained down a fusillade of projectiles on the marchers and the police attempting to protect them: rocks, brickbats, shaken-up lemonade bottles, and the contents of chamber pots. Mosley and his men were forced to retreat.

In Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook, published last week by Melville House, the historian Mark Bray presents the Battle of Cable Street as a potent symbol of how to stop Fascism: a strong, unified coalition outnumbered and humiliated Fascists to such an extent that their movement fizzled. For many members of contemporary anti-Fascist groups, the incident remains central to their mythology, a kind of North Star in the fight against Fascism and white supremacy across Europe and, increasingly, the United States. According to Bray, antifa (pronounced an-tee-fah) can variously be described as a kind of ideology, an identity, a tendency or milieu, or an activity of self-defense. Its a leaderless, horizontal movement whose roots lie in various leftist causesCommunism, anarchism, Socialism, anti-racism. The movements profile has surged since antifa activists engaged in a wave of property destruction during Donald Trumps Inaugurationwhen one masked figure famously punched the white supremacist Richard Spencer in the faceand ahead of a planned appearance, in February, by Milo Yiannopoulos at the University of California, Berkeley, which was cancelled. At the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, a number of antifa activists, carrying sticks, blocked entrances to Emancipation Park, where white supremacists planned to gather. Fights broke out; some antifa activists reportedly sprayed chemicals and threw paint-filled balloons. Multiple clergy members credited activists with saving their lives. Fox News reported that a White House petition urging that antifa be labelled a terrorist organization had received more than a hundred thousand signatures.

More here.
Michelle Goldberg in Slate:

Its certainly true that antifa refuses to eschew violence. According to CNNs Jake Tapper, left-wing counterprotesters assaulted at least two journalists in Charlottesville. The riot is our version of the strike, said Anderson, even as he acknowledges a disconnect between some of antifas tactics and its goals. Step one, broken window. Step two, we dont know. Step three, classless and stateless society, he said wryly. I dont think it works like that.

But at a moment when Trumps violence on many sides rhetoric has installed a one-dimensional image of antifa in the wider imagination, Jenkins insists that large-scale standoffs are only part of what the movement doesand not the most important part. Antifa also aims to shame white supremacists, heightening the social cost of involvement with racist organizations. Youve got to be proactive against them when theyre not rolling 500 deep, he said. Thats where doxing comes in. In the wake of Charlottesville, he points out, Unite the Right rallygoers are being identified online, with lasting consequences. One has left college, another has been fired from his job at a Berkeley, California, hot dog stand. These are kids who thought it was funny hassling people online and think they can get away with it in real life, said Jenkins. And then they learn the hard way: Real life is different than online.

More here.
Book looks into 52 cases unsolved murders with ties to South Dakota

Christine Wevik started researching cold cases in South Dakota thinking there were about 30. She found 155.
GUATEMALA CITY, Aug. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Steve Moore, retired music executive and founder of The Shalom Foundation was recognized as a Peace Ambassador by the Ministry of International Affairs on August 25, 2017, in Guatemala City. The prestigious award is presented to citizens or foreigners who have significantly contributed to peace in the Central America nation.

During an official ceremony attended by the First Lady Morales, Moore shared, "I thought I was going to Guatemala to change the lives of others, but it was my life that was changed." Moore was also given the honor to participate in The Rose of Peace Ceremony, a symbolic act of changing a white rose on the Palm of Peace monument which signifies the signing of the ceasefire to end the Guatemalan civil war in 1996.

Moore was honored for his work with The Shalom Foundation, a Franklin, Tennessee based Christian nonprofit focused on providing medical and surgical care to impoverished children living in Guatemala. He first visited Guatemala nearly 20 years ago. Through the years, the organization built homes and schools, sponsored educational programs, installed clean water systems, helped combat chronic malnutrition and much more. The mission shifted to address the significant medical needs of underprivileged children by establishing the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center in 2011, where its focus remains.

The Moore Center, located in Guatemala City, is a 12,000 square-foot modern facility with three operating rooms and 20 inpatient recovery beds. The foundation organizes medical mission teams from across the United States to provide medical care and life-changing surgeries to impoverished children in Guatemala. The Center partners with local doctors and nurses to prescreen patients and provide follow-up care.

"Steve Moore's accomplishments to provide surgery to the children of Guatemala are monumental. The next generation of children will be healthier and more productive than prior generations because of his effort," said Ken Moore, MD., Medical Director of The Shalom Foundation. "No one can put a monetary value on the influence he has had on the Country of Guatemala and its people."

The Moore Center is the only one of its kind in Guatemala. Without it, these children would not have access and would go untreated. Steve Moore questions, "If not us, then who? If not now, then when?" Since its inception, the Moore Center has provided healing and hope to thousands of children and focused its attention on a country where critical medical care is widely unavailable to the 59 percent of the population below the poverty line.

For more information, visit www.theshalomfoundation.org.

Media Contact: Laura McCall

Email: Laura@theshalomfoundation.org

Phone: 615-595-5826

Related Links

The Shalom Foundation

Shalom Foundation Facebook

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SOURCE The Shalom Foundation
Toasting to a deceased loved one is OK to do at weddings, when certain care is given to the toast.
Local American Red Cross volunteers were sent to the Gulf coast to assist in areas affected by Hurricane Harvey.
This image is from the award-winning documentary The Safe Side of the Fence. The documentary will be shown next week at the Regal Aiken Mall 8 and at the Regal Exchange 20 in Augusta.
United States Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. CHRISTOPHER R. KEMP, Defendant - Appellant. No. 15-3309 Decided: August 24, 2017

Before TYMKOVICH, Chief Judge, McKAY and BALDOCK, Circuit Judges.

ORDER AND JUDGMENT*

Defendant Christopher Kemp pled guilty to escaping from custody in violation of 18 U.S.C.  751. While (re)incarcerated and awaiting sentencing, Defendant assaulted a correctional officer with a makeshift knife. Because of this assault, the sentencing court denied Defendant's request for an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction under U.S. Sentencing Guidelines  3E1.1. On appeal, Defendant challenges this denial, arguing that the court committed reversible error because it considered postconviction, presentencing criminal conduct, i.e., assaulting a correctional officer, which was unrelated to the offense of conviction, i.e., escaping from custody. Defendant also raises two issues related to his supervised release conditions.

First, we address the district court's denial of Defendant's request for a reduction for acceptance of responsibility. Under  3E1.1(a) of the Sentencing Guidelines, district courts should decrease a defendant's offense level [i]f the defendant clearly demonstrates acceptance of responsibility for his offense. The Application Notes provide that courts may consider, among other factors, a defendant's voluntary termination or withdrawal from criminal conduct or associations in determining whether the defendant has accepted responsibility. U.S.S.G.  3E1.1(a), cmt. n.1(B).

The guidelines do not, however, qualify that factor to permit consideration of only criminal conduct related to or of the same nature as the offense of conviction. United States v. Prince, 204 F.3d 1021, 1023 (10th Cir. 2000) (affirming the denial of an acceptance-of-responsibility reduction because the defendant stabbed another prisoner while awaiting sentencing). To the contrary, the guidelines do not prohibit a sentencing court from considering, in its discretion, criminal conduct unrelated to the offense of conviction in determining whether a defendant qualifies for an adjustment for acceptance of responsibility under  3E1.1. Id. at 1024; see also United States v. Jordan, 549 F.3d 57, 61 (1st Cir. 2008) (Criminal conduct, whatever its nature, is a powerful indicium of a lack of contrition. Thus, we hold that a district court, in determining the propriety vel non of an acceptance-of-responsibility credit, may consider a defendant's commission of any post-indictment criminal conduct, whether or not it bears a significant connection to, or constitutes a significant continuation of, the offense of conviction.); United States v. Mara, 523 F.3d 1036, 1038 (9th Cir. 2008) (That a defendant's continuing criminal conduct is different in nature, character, or degree from the offense of conviction does not undermine the fact that it is inconsistent with acceptance of responsibility.). Therefore, the district court did not err by considering the postconviction, presentencing assault on a correctional officer. Because Prince controls, we affirm the district court's denial of Defendant's request for a reduction for acceptance of responsibility. Insofar as Defendant challenges the correctness of the holding in Prince, [o]ne panel of this court cannot overrule the judgment of another panel absent en banc consideration or an intervening Supreme Court decision that is contrary to or invalidates our previous analysis. United States v. White, 782 F.3d 1118, 112627 (10th Cir. 2015). There has been no such intervening authority.

Next, Defendant argues that the district court erred when it authorized warrantless searches as a condition of his supervised release because, Defendant asserts, he is not required to register as a sex offender. This, too, is squarely foreclosed by precedent. United States v. Flaugher, 805 F.3d 1249, 1251 (10th Cir. 2015) (rejecting the same challenge to the warrantless-search condition advanced by Defendant), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 35 (2016). Defendant acknowledges as much. (See Appellant's Opening Brief at 28.) Because Flaugher controls, we affirm the district court's decision to impose a warrantless-search condition as part of Defendant's supervised release.

Finally, Defendant argues that his supervised release conditions should be modified to reflect the District of Kansas's standard conditions of supervised release. The District of Kansas had adopted a standing order which provides that all criminal defendants placed on supervised release by any judge of the District of Kansas shall comply with fourteen enumerated conditions of supervised release. At sentencing, the court ordered Mr. Kemp to comply with the standard conditions that have been adopted by this court. (R. Vol. 2 at 48.) Subsequently, however, the court entered a written judgment with thirteen standard conditions of supervised release, which were not quite the same as the conditions listed on the District's standing order, though the discrepancies are minor.

Since filing this appeal, Defendant has been convicted of possession of contrabandi.e., the makeshift knife Defendant used to assault a correctional officerin prison, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1791(a). He has appealed that conviction. In this subsequent case, the court imposed a different set of conditions of supervised release. This set tracks the District of Kansas's current standing order. Unless his conviction for possession of contraband in prison is reversed on appeal, Defendant will serve the two terms of supervision concurrently, and, both parties agree, the more recently imposed conditions of supervised release will control. Defendant requests, however, that the conditions of supervised release in this case be modified to mirror the current standard conditions, as imposed in his most recent conviction. This way, if his recent conviction is affirmed, there will be no confusion as to which set of conditions he must follow. If his recent conviction is reversed, then he will still only need to comply with the court's standard conditions and not the differently worded conditions that the court included in its written judgment without announcing them orally at sentencing in this case. Given the confusion that court's written judgment has already created, we agree that such clarification would be appropriate. We REMAND to the district court to modify Defendant's supervised release conditions in case number 2:14-cr-20131-CM-1 to reflect the District of Kansas's current standard conditions as set forth in Standing Order No. 16-2, unless there is good cause to deviate from the standing order.

Entered for the Court

Monroe G. McKay Circuit Judge
American Airlines Cargo moved two sand tiger sharks and three bonnethead sharks from the US to South America.

The sand tiger sharks were flown from New Yorks JFK airport, while the bonnethead sharks flew from Miami International, all moving to Rio de Janeiro.

All five sharks were headed to their new home at an aquarium in Nova Iguazu, Brazil via two Boeing 777-200 flights.

American worked with Four Star Cargo to ensure the sharks arrived safely and on time.

Said a spokesperson: The sharks presented a unique challenge that the American Airlines Cargo team was happy to take on.

Marine animals can be particularly difficult to transport great distances. In order to ensure their health and safety, the sharks were housed in two special shipping tanks that weighed 2,200 kg and about 2,500 kg, respectively.

While bonnethead sharks are usually between 1-1.2 metres long, sand tiger sharks can range in size between 2-3 metres.

The American Airlines Cargo team worked with the forwarder to ensure the animals had enough space and oxygenated water throughout the shipping process.

Just before takeoff, the shark tanks were carefully sealed and oxygenated to ensure a safe and comfortable journey.

After the tanks were sealed by the customer, the American team placed and strapped them securely onto PMC units, which ensure stability of the tanks during flight and handling. Once prepared, the tanks remained in the cargo facility until right before departure.

Our priority was to make sure that the sharks were safe and, of course, arrived on time in Brazil, said Wayne Zimmerman, director of cargo operations at Miami airport.

Our teams coordinated closely with the customer and worked hard to ensure this unique shipment received all of the special care needed throughout its entire journey.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

Top business headlines: Aug. 25, 2017

Here are the top Alabama business headlines for Friday, August 25, 2017. For more Alabama business news anytime, visit AL.com/business.

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Kelly Poe | kpoe@al.com

Hop City Mural

As Hop City approaches its fifth anniversary in the Magic City, the store has commissioned a mural to celebrate the niche it has carved in Birmingham's craft brew scene.

The mural will cover the store's entire Western wall, featuring a vibrant recreation of Birmingham's industrial district using bright reds, blues and yellows. Sloss Furnace is a centerpiece of the mural, but instead of processing the raw materials of iron as it once did, the mural reimagines the furnaces as processing hops. The logo presented in the rendering above will be slightly smaller in the final version.

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Blue Bell

New Blue Bell flavor

Blue Bell's newest flavor creation is timely.

As today is National Banana Split Day, Blue Bell is releasing Banana Split Sundae Ice Cream. It's available in half gallon and pint size.

Banana Split Sundae is described as banana ice cream mixed with crushed pineapples, maraschino cherries, and chopped roasted almonds, with swirls of strawberry and chocolate sundae sauces.

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Aligon Pharmaceuticals

20 years of Skin Repair Lotion

Starting your career over at age 50 isn't easy.

Ask John Bryan of Helena. It's been 20 years since he formed Aligon Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes Skin Repair Lotion. The skin care product is available at pharmacies in 12 states and online.

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K-mart closings

Sears is closing down 28 more K-Mart locations, the beleaguered retailer announced yesterday.

The latest closures bring the total number of Sears of Kmart stores shutting down this year to 180. The company plans to close 150 more stores by the end of the third quarter of the year.Liquidation sales are currently under way at those locations.

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Leigh Morgan

Higher gas prices coming

As Texas is bracing for Hurricane Harvey, the rest of the Southeast is readying for a different problem: Significantly higher gas prices.

The hurricane has a "high" potential to negatively affect five southern Texas coast old refineries, impacting crude and gasoline inventory levels in the area, according to AAA.

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Paul Gattis | pgattis@al.com

Bridge Street apartments

An Indianapolis-based group is developing luxury apartments at one of Huntsville's premier shopping locations.

Construction is expected to begin within days on Watermark at Bridge Street Town Centre, according to an announcement from Bridge Street.

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William Thornton | wthornton@al.com

Charlemagne Records

Take a walk up the stairs to Birmingham's Charlemagne Record Exchange on 11th Avenue South, and it's also a walk back - in time.

Marian McKay started the business in 1977 with $500 and albums in five peach crates. She's been selling and collecting music long enough to see vinyl eclipsed by the compact disc, and then reborn.

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

Free Internet in Huntsille

Low-income families with students in grades 3-12 in the Huntsville public school system can get free Internet through a program sponsored by T-Mobile. The wireless network operator gave the system $1.2 million this month to get started.

The school system will get up to 6,000 T-Mobile Hot Spots for families to use free "to support learning anywhere and anytime," the system said. To be eligible, a family must be identified under the free/reduced lunch program through the Direct Certification Program of the state education department. Participation is on a first come, first served basis.

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Joe Songer | jsonger@al.com

Outdoor expo

Looking for something to do this weekend? With hunting season and the fall fishing season just around the corner, you may want to check out the Rick & Bubba Outdoor Expo this weekend at the BJCC.

Hundreds of vendors will be showing and selling the latest outdoor gear over the three day event, August 25-27.

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Tara Massouleh | tmassouleh@al.com

Vacationing in Mexico?

The U.S. State Department's updated travel warnings have plenty of tourists concerned that popular Mexican vacation spots such as Cancun, Cozumel and Playa del Carmen may not be safe.

Do the new warnings mean you should cancel your travel plans? Not necessarily, state department officials said, though they do advise caution when traveling to Mexico.

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Julie Bennett

Ivey to run for Governor

Gov. Kay Ivey is running for governor of Alabama.

Ivey filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office on Aug. 18 to form a principal campaign committee, the first step towards running for her own term in office. Nim Frazer, owner of manager of Montgomery-based Industrial Partners, is listed as treasurer with committee members Cathy Randall of Tuscsaloosa, Marilyn Tamplin of Ozark and Phil Hardee of Beatrice.

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Lawrence Specker | lspecker@al.com

Airbus delivery

"We appreciate you giving us this beautiful yellow bird," a Spirit Airlines executive said Friday as Airbus executives handed over the keys to the first A320 jetliner built in Mobile.

Ted Christie, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Spirit, went on to say that the airline has had a special relationship with the manufacturer since it purchased its first A319 13 years ago. The "yellow bird" on display Friday would be the 106th jet in its all-Airbus fleet, he said.

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AP/Brennan Linsley

VW scandal

An engineer at Volkswagen has been sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the automaker's deisel emissions cheating scandal. Read more from USA Today.

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Gene J. Puskar

Avocado prices rising

Avocado prices are skyrocketing. How is that going to affect restaurants who are known for their guacamole? The Street explores. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

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Lee Roop | lroop@al.com

No tainted Alabama beef made it to Taiwan

Taiwan officials said a July inspection of beef exporters showed they did not procure beef from Alabama infected with mad cow disease.

According to Focus Taiwan, Taiwan was responding to a South Korean media report that infected beef from Alabama may have already entered the market there.
Public condemnation of remarks made by Alabama board of education member Ella Bell, D-Montgomery, questioning whether students with special needs could be separated from general education students because special education students' test scores drag down other students' scores, has been swift and wide.

The public outcry came after AL.com columnist Cameron Smith called out Bell for those remarks, made at a June 21 work session. Smith's original column has been shared more than 102,000 times.

Though Bell tried to explain her remarks to AL.com and apologized in a statement issued Thursday evening, the public appears unconvinced, couching Bell's remarks as a throwback to days when children with disabilities were isolated from their non-disabled peers.

A petition on change.org demanding Bell's resignation, started by Bessemer resident Mary Catherine Hanson, has gathered nearly 52,000 signatures from all over the country since being placed online Thursday morning.

Hanson told AL.com she started the petition because "Ms. Bell's statements were shocking. They were antiquated and bigoted and seriously have no place in our school system."

Hanson's two children, now adults, received special education in school, and she now has a grandson with Down Syndrome receiving special education. She said she knows how hard her daughter will have to fight to get her grandson the basic services in school. Though school is going well currently, Hanson asked, "Who knows what challenges we will face with him along the way?"

Disability advocates call out state board at public meeting in Hoover

Attendees at the Alabama Disability Advocacy Program's (ADAP) annual public meeting at the Hoover Public Library on Friday called out Bell and the rest of the state board of education on what they see as a lack of knowledge about special education.

"What kind of training do state board members receive," asked a parent of a child with special needs.

"It doesn't help if you have people in Montgomery that don't even know what inclusion means," one parent said, pointing to the need for state board members to be educated not only about special education law, but about the challenges faced by children in special education in Alabama's public schools.

Inclusion, or mainstreaming, is the educational practice of including students with special needs in general education classes alongside their peers.

One attendee had attended a school for students in special education. "I don't want to see any kid go to a school like that," she said, saying parents historically had been forced to place their children with disabilities in segregated classrooms and schools.

"It definitely needs to be pointed out to the board that civil rights are disability rights," said one attendee who serves on an ADAP panel for people with disabilities.

"The atrocity of what [Bell] said is abhorrent but the board's reaction is equally abhorrent. They should be reacting the same way we are reacting," another parent said. "I'm shaking with what I saw happen."

"They're students first," she added, to loud applause.

Associate ADAP Director Nancy Anderson said the group should seize the opportunity to engage the state board of education in a discussion about special education, something other board members in the video of the June meeting suggested in response to Bell's remarks.

Anderson said, "If you want a discussion, we're here, and we will give you that discussion but we're going to give you that discussion from the perspective of a parent, a family member, even frankly the student."

Attendees agreed to craft a plan to help educate board members, not only at the state level, but also at the local level, and all levels of board members should understand special education, they said.

Some attendees were skeptical the board would even be interested in learning more about special education. "How will we know that they have listened to us," one parent asked.

ADAP Director James Tucker opened the meeting by acknowledging Bell's remarks, saying, "One of the members of our state school board made some comments that, I think, most of us just would not have expected to hear in 2017," Tucker said.

"We have a grave concern, and we know you share that concern, about any segregation of any segment of our society," Tucker told the group of 35 attendees.

One parent said Bell's remarks were an example of the stigma associated with children with disabilities and welcomed the opportunity to have an open discussion with the board.

"We do not need to go backwards to a time when things were done that way," Tucker said, referring to the historical practice of educating students with special needs in separate classrooms.

Tucker said many of the people in the room were educated in segregated classrooms and fought for the rights of children with disabilities to be educated alongside their non-disabled peers.

After the meeting, Tucker said they addressed Bell's remarks first because they knew it would be on the minds of attendees. "It's not very often that a comment from a state official breaks through the din of noise," Tucker said, "and provokes this kind of reaction from such a broad range of individuals: people with disabilities, disability advocates, and the general public."

As to what happens next, Tucker said, "I hope we can translate the frustration that has been expressed here into concrete action steps and that we at ADAP can help our colleagues communicate with the state school board so that we can get their attention and ask them to act and change their behavior and to be leaders for providing services and respecting all students in all systems in the state."

This clarification doesn't quite get to the issue of how backward-looking and wrong it is to think about relegating... Posted by Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program on Thursday, August 24, 2017

Gov. Ivey and state superintendent respond

Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the state board of education by virtue of her position, issued this statement through press secretary Daniel Sparkman today: "Governor Ivey believes strongly that all Alabama students should have access to the best possible educational opportunities and should be treated fairly, with respect and dignity."

When asked if he believes students with special needs drag down test scores, as Bell stated in her remarks, Alabama superintendent Michael Sentance said in an email to AL.com, "I think that all schools are faced with many children with challenges. Some of those challenges are poverty, bias, problems at home, and special needs. I think our schools have to raise the attainment of all children to help them realize their potential. We educate the children that we have, who come through the door into schools and we embrace that opportunity."

Sentance wrote, "I believe that children with such challenges can - and do - learn to their ability."

Sentance added a personal view, writing, "I understood these issues as both of my children as well as several nieces and nephews were diagnosed as having impediments to their learning. Some of these challenges were relatively mild, some were more profound. I have worked with friends and accompanied them at parent conferences to help them with the arcane language and processes of the special education program. This is not just an academic policy issue. It is a deeply personal issue."

Phone call with Bell recorded, posted on Facebook

In this phone call from Thursday morning, publicly posted by Stan McAdams on Facebook, Bell and Dawn McAdams of Springville discussed how test scores impact schools.

When asked what she took away from the conversation, McAdams told AL.com, "I think that [Bell] is uneducated when it comes to the needs of the special needs community. I think she is uneducated in federal and state law. I think upon having that phone conversation with her, she is more interested in race issues than the special needs issue. To me, she would rather segregate a whole group of kids to make a test score look better than to look at the test and make the test better."

At one point in the conversation, when McAdams tried to tell Bell where her son, who has Down Syndrome, goes to school, Bell said to McAdams, "I don't care about your son getting a public education."

That strengthened McAdams resolve to see Bell removed. "I can tell you now," McAdams said, "I will not stop until she is fired. And there is a following behind me that includes nearly 50,000 people that signed that petition."

McAdams plans to attend the next regular board meeting, scheduled for Thurs., Sept. 14 in Montgomery, and said she anticipates many of those who have been upset by Bell's remarks will attend as well.

Ella Posted by Stan Mcadams on Friday, August 25, 2017

National disability groups weigh in, demand retraction

As Smith's column gained traction, national disability groups weighed in through social media.

August 25, 2017 STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO ALABAMA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBER ELLA BELL AND STUDENTS WITH... Posted by Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, Inc. on Friday, August 25, 2017

Edit to post: Please note that while we understand that emotions run high when things like this happen, any comments... Posted by National Down Syndrome Congress on Thursday, August 24, 2017

Birmingham city councilman Jay Roberson joined in, too.

I am very disturbed that we have leadership on the Alabama School Board openly institutionalizing & excluding our special needs students. pic.twitter.com/i2nveCK64P  Jay Roberson (@JRobersonDist7) August 25, 2017

This article was updated 9/10/2017 at 9:50 p.m. to correct board member Ella Bell's quote to Dawn McAdams during their phone conversation.
More than 200 people were sentenced to spend their lives in Alabama prisons last year. But for those given the possibility of parole, just how long is life?

When someone is convicted of a crime warranting a life sentence in Alabama, judges can determine whether the defendant should receive a sentence of life with or without the possibility of parole. If someone is sentenced without that possibility, he or she will face spending the rest of his or her natural life in prison.

If given the possibility of parole, sentences can be much shorter than that. Actually, depending on the crime, an inmate can be eligible for parole consideration after serving just 10 years.

Eddie Cook, assistant executive director of the Alabama Board of Pardon and Paroles, said if a person is convicted of a Class A felony and the crime involved injuring a victim, that person can be considered for parole after serving 15 years or 85 percent of their sentence-- whichever is the lesser of the two. The vote in these cases does not have to be unanimous by the three-member parole board.

If a person is a repeat offender for crimes involving drug or theft charges and is sentenced to life in prison, they will be eligible for parole in just 10 years. The vote in these cases has to be unanimous by the board.

In the 2016 fiscal year, the Alabama Department of Corrections reported 211 people were sentenced to life in prison. That number fell from 2015, when 233 people were given the same sentence. Those numbers reflect inmates with and without the possibility of parole.

Recently, there have been hearings across the state for inmates who were convicted of capital murder as juveniles and sentenced to spend life in prison without parole. A landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2012 states juveniles cannot automatically receive that sentence: Since they are no longer eligible for the death penalty, judges would just have one sentencing option.

Last year, the Supreme Court retroactively applied that law to juveniles who were convicted prior to 2012-- meaning now a judge has the option of re-sentencing those juveniles to life with parole.

An estimated 70 Alabama inmates must now be re-sentenced for their crimes. In these cases, referred to as Miller cases after the name of the Supreme Court case, inmates granted the possibility of parole must serve 30 years before being considered for release.

In the Birmingham division of Jefferson County, 20 inmates were eligible to be re-sentenced. Of those, 13 have been granted life with parole and seven are still pending.

One case in the Bessemer division went back to court earlier this month, and that inmate was re-sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

"We're saying he does have the ability to improve or redeem himself and become a productive part of society," said Ed Tumlin, an attorney for the inmate in the Bessemer case.

According to the ABPP website, released inmates are under the supervision of a parole officer until the end of their sentence date and are often banned from going to the county where the victim or the victim's family lives. At the end of their sentence date, the inmate is granted freedom without restrictions.

"Therefore, in most cases, it is advantageous to the victim and society if the inmate is on parole for a while before reaching the end of sentence," the board's website states.

Parole hearings are held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays starting at 8:00 a.m. The informal hearings are held with an inmate's family or representatives, and the victim's family or representatives. Those on behalf of the inmate speak first to the board and give their reasons why the inmate should be granted parole. Next, the victims and their supporters speak as to why the inmate should not be paroled. The inmate is not present.

State prosecutors have also said the victims of families can be traumatized again if they have to watch an inmate get a chance at parole.

"It would be reprehensible to put victims' families through the ordeal of seeing the person responsible for the deaths of their loved ones allowed to potentially receive a new sentence," then Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange stated last year after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered Alabama to consider giving the chance of parole to six inmates who were juveniles when they killed. "This could have a devastating effect on families who thought they had received closure in cases often going back decades."
United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. REGINALD EUGENE GRIMES, SR., a.k.a. Bro Man, Defendant-Appellant. No. 15-14533, No. 15-14625 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before TJOFLAT, MARCUS and FAY, Circuit Judges.

Reginald Grimes appeals his convictions and concurrent 168-month imprisonment sentences for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin and possession with intent to distribute heroin. First, he argues that the district court violated his Sixth Amendment rights by restricting his cross-examination of Gary Moore regarding Moore's prior conviction and plea agreement. Next, he argues that the district court erred by denying his motion to dismiss the charges against him based on the government's failure to correct perjured testimony before the grand jury and his motion for judgment of acquittal based on perjured testimony at trial. Finally, he argues that the district court erred by applying a firearm enhancement under U.S.S.G.  2D1.1(b)(1) despite a lack of evidence that Grimes possessed a firearm in furtherance of the offense.

I.

We review limitations on the scope of cross-examination for a clear abuse of discretion, but address de novo whether a defendant's Sixth Amendment rights were violated. United States v. Rushin, 844 F.3d 933, 938 (11th Cir. 2016).

A defendant has a right to conduct a cross-examination that exposes the jury to facts sufficient for it to infer a witness's bias. Id. However, trial judges retain wide latitude to impose reasonable limits on cross-examination based on concerns about confusion of the issues or repetitive or marginally relevant interrogation. Id.

Even where a defendant's Sixth Amendment Confrontation Clause rights are violated, the error may be harmless. United States v. Jones, 601 F.3d 1247, 1264 (11th Cir. 2010) (citing Delaware v. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. 673, 684 (1986)). To determine whether the denial of a defendant's opportunity to impeach a witness was harmless, the court analyzes five factors: (1) the importance of the witness's testimony to the prosecutor's case; (2) whether the testimony was cumulative; (3) the presence or absence of evidence corroborating or contradicting the testimony of the witness on material points; (4) the extent of cross-examination otherwise permitted; and (5) the overall strength of the prosecution's case. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. at 684.

The district court did not abuse its discretion by limiting his cross-examination of Gary Moore regarding his prior conviction and plea agreement because that testimony was repetitive and irrelevant. Grimes's Sixth Amendment rights were not harmed by this limitation because the jury had sufficient information to assess Moore's credibility. The jury already heard that Moore was previously convicted for a drug-distribution offense and that he pleaded guilty to that offense in exchange for a lesser sentence. Rushin, 844 F.3d at 938.

The district court also sustained the government's objection to Grimes's attempt to introduce Moore's plea agreement from his prior drug conviction and Grimes's statement that the plea agreement still bound Moore. The district court did not abuse its discretion by finding that the statement was argumentative and that the plea agreement was irrelevant. Neither limitation affected the jury's ability to assess Moore's credibility, because Moore repeatedly admitted that he was cooperating with the government in exchange for a lesser sentence. Moreover, Grimes failed to present an argument that any error was not harmless given the significant impeachment evidence admitted. Van Arsdall, 475 U.S. at 684.

II.

The denial of a motion to dismiss the indictment is reviewed for an abuse of discretion, although the legal sufficiency of the allegations in an indictment is a question of law reviewed de novo. United States v. York, 428 F.3d 1325, 1332 n. 8 (11th Cir. 2005). A defendant alleging an error in the grand jury proceedings must show prejudice by showing that the violation substantially influenced the decision to indict. Id. at 133233.

The denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal is reviewed de novo. United States v. Evans, 473 F.3d 1115, 1118 (11th Cir. 2006). The district court's denial of a motion for judgment of acquittal will be upheld if a reasonable trier of fact could conclude that the evidence establishes the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. United States v. Rodriguez, 218 F.3d 1243, 1244 (11th Cir. 2000). Where properly preserved, the district court's decision on sufficiency of the evidence is not entitled to deference. United States v. Taylor, 972 F.2d 1247, 1250 (11th Cir. 1992). However, we must view the facts and draw all reasonable inferences in the light most favorable to the government. United States v. Hansen, 262 F.3d 1217, 1236 (11th Cir. 2001).

We previously indicated that the possibility that a witness provided false testimony before the grand jury does not automatically vitiate an indictment based on that testimony; to dismiss an indictment, the district court must also find an abuse of the grand jury process such as perjury or government misconduct. United States v. Garate-Vergara, 942 F.2d 1543, 1550 (11th Cir. 1991). Testimony that constitutes perjury must be (1) given under oath or affirmation; (2) false; (3) material; and (4) given with the willful intent to provide false testimony and not as a result of a mistake, confusion, or faulty memory. United States v. Moran, 778 F.3d 942, 981 (11th Cir. 2015) (citing United States v. Dunnigan, 507 U.S. 87, 94 (1993)). Likewise, if the government not only fails to correct materially false testimony at trial, but also affirmatively capitalizes on it, the defendant's due process rights are violated. United States v. Stein, 846 F.3d 1135, 1147 (11th Cir. 2017). To overturn the conviction, the alleged perjury must affect the jury's verdict, meaning that it must be material to the conviction and corrupt the truth-seeking function of the trial process. United States v. Bailey, 123 F.3d 1381, 1396 (11th Cir. 1997).

The district correctly denied Grimes's motion to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that it relied on perjured testimony and his motion for a judgment of acquittal on the same basis, because he presented no evidence of perjury.

III.

For sentencing purposes, possession of a firearm involves a factual finding, which we review for clear error. United States v. Stallings, 463 F.3d 1218, 1220 (11th Cir. 2006).

The Sentencing Guidelines provide that, if a dangerous weapon (including a firearm) was possessed during a drug possession or conspiracy offense, then a defendant's offense level should increase by two levels, unless it is clearly improbable that the weapon was connected to the offense. Id.; U.S.S.G.  2D1.1(b)(1). To justify a firearms enhancement, the government must establish by a preponderance of the evidence either that the firearm was present at the site of the charged conduct or that the defendant possessed a firearm during conduct associated with the offense of conviction. Stallings, 463 F.3d at 1220; U.S.S.G.  2D1.1, comment (n. 11(A)). If the government is successful in meeting this initial burden, then the evidentiary burden shifts to the defendant, who must demonstrate that a connection between the weapon and the offense was clearly improbable. Stallings, 463 F.3d at 1220. In drug-related cases, a proximity between drugs and guns, without more, is sufficient to meet the government's initial burden and create the presumption of a connection between the weapon and the offense. United States v. Carillo-Ayala, 713 F.3d 82, 9192 (11th Cir. 2013). We previously held that the government met this burden by showing that a gun was recovered in the same room as scales, a bag containing cocaine residue, and a large amount of cash. United States v. Hall, 46 F.3d 62, 63 (11th Cir. 1995).

The district court did not clearly err in applying a two-level sentence enhancement based on the use of a firearm in connection with the conspiracy, because the government presented unrefuted evidence that a firearm was present in close proximity to the drugs being trafficked. Moore's testimony at trial established that Hunter's apartment was one of the sites where the heroin in the conspiracy was packaged and distributed, including to Grimes. Suarez's testimony at sentencing established that Moore stored a firearm at the apartment, removed it, Grimes returned it to the apartment, and then gun was eventually found near the heroin when the apartment was searched. Moore's and Suarez's testimony combined established that the firearm was in close proximity to the drugs involved in the conspiracy.

AFFIRMED.

PER CURIAM:
Hurricane Harvey is pounding Texas, bringing damaging winds and life-threatening flooding.

Harvey was a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph at landfall Friday night. It weakened to a Category 1 hurricane with winds of 75 mph on Saturday morning but the main concern now is flooding. Harvey would bring up to 30 inches of rain over the next few days as the storm stalls over the middle Texas coast.

There are ways to get involved and help the victims of this massive storm:

American Red Cross - You can donate directly to the American Red Cross to assist hurricane victims. Minimum online donation is $10. To donate visit redcross.org, call 1- 800-RED CROSS or text the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Salvation Army - Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, go to the donate online or send your contribution, earmarked "Disaster Relief," to The Salvation Army, 10755 Burt St, Omaha, NE 68114.

Catholic Charities USA - Donated funds go to support recovery efforts, including direct assistance, rebuilding and health care services. You can donate here.

Driscoll Children's Hospital - The children's hospital is located in Corpus Christi, one of the cities hardest hit by the storm. Most patients have been moved but the hospital hut help with recovery will be needed. You can donate online at www.driscollchildrens.org.

Samaritan's Purse - Disaster relief units are headed towards the area, according to Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. You can make donations towards their efforts here.

Global Giving, a crowdfunding community, is collecting donations for nonprofit organizations responding to the storm. To donate online, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/harvey. Donors can also text HARVEY to 80100 to donate $10 to GlobalGiving's Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. Message and data rates may apply. Send a check by writing,"Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund" in the memo line and mailing it to GlobalGiving, 1110 Vermont Ave NW, Suite 550, Washington DC, 20005.

Save the Children - Emergency responders from Save the Children are already on the ground in Texas. You can make a donation here.

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief Fund - Send Relief and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief teams are on site. You can make a donation here.

Texas Diaper Bank - Texas Diaper Bank is putting together disaster relief kits for families with young children. You can donate here.

SPCA of Texas - Assist with the care of pets uprooted by the storm with a donation here.

Check the charity before you donate

If you're donating to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, make sure you know where your money is going. The Center for International Disaster Information recommends using sites such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, Charity Watch, or the Better Business Bureau to make sure an organization is legitimate.

Unless otherwise specified, monetary donations are always preferred over materials such as clothing or supplies, which have to be transported and stored.
Former state Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore picked up an endorsement today from one of his former rivals in the U.S. Senate race.

State Sen. Trip Pittman of Montrose endorsed Moore today at a meeting of the state Republican Party at Troy University.

Pittman said candidates get to know those who they compete against.

"You figure out their character and you know who they are and you get a lot more depth into what they represent and what they stand for," Pittman said. "Obviously, Roy Moore is a man of outstanding integrity, of commitment, of faith."

Moore faces Sen. Luther Strange in the Sept. 26 runoff for the Republican nomination for the seat Jeff Sessions left to become attorney general. The winner faces Democratic nominee Doug Jones in December.

Moore led the nine-candidate field in the Aug. 15 primary, with 39 percent of the vote, while Strange ran second with 33 percent. Pittman finished fourth, with 7 percent of the vote.

Moore and Strange briefly shared the stage twice at today's meeting of the state Republican Party executive committee at Troy's Trojan Arena. They shook hands and did not mention each other during their brief comments.

Both staked out some familiar territory, touching on points likely to be revisited often over the next four weeks.

Strange mentioned his endorsement by President Trump during the primary. Strange, who has held the Senate seat since his appointment by former Gov. Robert Bentley in February, said he spoke with Trump for about a half-hour on Friday. He said he also spoke with Vice President Mike Pence.

"I have a personal relationship with the president," Strange said. "He cares very much about Alabama. I couldn't be more proud to have his unconditional endorsement."

Strange said the endorsement matters because he will work to pass Trump's agenda. Strange was asked if he expects any more tweets or public statements from Trump about the campaign or a possible appearance by the president in Alabama.

"I don't know." Strange said. "We'll probably wait until we get a little closer to election day to do something like that. But he's all in and that's a huge help for us."

Strange also touted his record as Alabama's attorney general. That includes joining with other attorneys general in opposing initiatives of President Obama on immigration, environmental regulations and health care.

"My campaign will be about conservative accomplishments, taking on the special interests, delivering results, working with President Trump to get it done," Strange said.

Moore, while not mentioning Strange by name, denounced Strange's support from what he described as the "Washington crowd." A super PAC controlled by the Senate leadership has supported Strange's campaign.

Moore also spoke about his support for Trump's agenda as part of his standard message about recognition of God as the source of the nation's founding principles.

"God has given us a reprieve with the election of Donald Trump," Moore said. "I believe in his agenda. I believe in his direction. But I believe also that he's not part of the Washington crowd. And if we're going to change we need to support an agenda that will take and drain that swamp."

Gov. Kay Ivey spoke at Saturday's event. The keynote speaker was Rick Dearborn, deputy chief of staff for Trump and former chief of staff for Sessions.

Edited at 9:04 a.m. on August 28 to correct spelling of "principles."
This story is a part of Ask Alabama, a weekly interaction with our readers, where you ask the questions, you vote to decide which questions we answer, and then we investigate. This week Grover Kitchens asks: "What is the Black Belt and why is it called that?"

In a follow up email with AL.com,

, a political science professor at Snead State Community college in Boaz, Alabama, said that his students often believed that the term originated because of the large African-American population currently living in that region.

While Kitchens' students are technically wrong, the term has since evolved to take on politically charged meaning, deeply rooted in the civil rights era and the African-American people that have continuously resided in the region since the early 1800s.

"The older meaning of term, dating back to 1820s and 30s, was really about the rich dark soil where people planted cotton and built plantations on, and of course, with that came African-American slavery," said Allen Tullos, a professor of history at Emory University in Atlanta, and author of Alabama Getaway: The Political Imaginary and the Heart of Dixie. "So pretty early on those meanings got combined."



As a consequence of the racial make up the region, which contained more than 50 percent of all slaves in the nation, the term outgrew its early farming roots and expanded with slavery throughout the south. As early as 1901, the year Alabama's Constitution was written, the term had already taken on a deeper meaning, as explained by one of the most prominent African-Americans of the time, Booker T. Washington: "Later, and especially since the war, the term seems to be used wholly in a political sense -- that is, to designate the counties where the black people outnumber the white."



American sociologist Arthur Raper further described the region as around 200 plantation counties "in which over half the population is Negro" lying "in a crescent from Virginia to Texas."

Large numbers of African-Americans migrated north, taking with them the term. Northern cities such as New York and Chicago had neighborhoods that were referred to as the Black belt, according to Richard Wright's 1927 book Black Boy (American Hunger).

Over time, poor farming techniques saw the soil erode down to the limestone base, known as the Selma Chalk, according to Tallos' article on the Black Belt. By the middle of the 20th century, the rich black soil was gone, leaving behind large swathes of poor farmland occupied by descendants of the slaves that once was farmed the land. The original meaning of Black Belt had been lost.

It was then when things in the south began to rapidly change.



"The boll weevil invasion, the collapse of cotton tenancy, the failure to diversify economically, the urban exodus, and the repressive era of Jim Crow all combined to mire the southern Black Belt in a seemingly irreversible decline," wrote Tallos. "What had been one of America's richest and most politically powerful regions became one of its poorest."

Those that remained in the south witnessed how the term fully evolved from a geographical descriptor to one that was used prominently to encapsulate a lot what was being experienced by African-Americans during the Civil Rights era. More recently, it describes a region in economic decline.



"The Alabama Black Belt as a region of insurgent African American aspirations makes a strong claim to take over the meaning of the term from its older and other senses," said Tallos. "The electoral transformation here, however, remains thwarted in efforts to tap the economic resources of this region which generates wealth for a small number of individual landowners."



You can tweet at Grover Kitchens
A Florida resident was killed and three others were injured in a Henry County wreck on Friday, Alabama State Troopers said.

Shannon Marie Sharbuno, 29 of Cocoa, Florida was a passenger in the 2001 Ford Ranger that left Henry County Road 12 and overturned at 9:10 a.m. Troopers said Sharbuno was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected from the vehicle.

The driver and two passengers were also injured in the wreck. The injured were taken to South East Medical Center in Dothan. Sharbuno was pronounced dead at the scene, which is 10 miles east of Headland.

Although troopers are still investigating the wreck, but they believe speeding was a factor. Additional information was not released since the crash is still under investigation.
Roy Moore Party

A supporter takes a photo of the Ten Commandments display at U.S. Senate candidate Roy Moore's campaign party Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

(Julie Bennett)

John Ragosta

By John Ragosta, a fellow at the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, and author of "Wellspring of Liberty: How Virginia's Religious Dissenters Helped to Win the American Revolution & Secured Religious Liberty" and "Religious Freedom: Jefferson's Legacy, America's Creed."

As the good people of Alabama consider the upcoming Senate election -- both the Republican run-off and the general election -- it might be useful to think about the history of church and state in America.

Before the American Revolution, most colonies had an official church. In Virginia, the largest colony, the Anglican Church, headed by the king, was the "official" church. Everyone, whether Anglican, Presbyterian, Baptist, or Quaker, had to pay taxes to support Anglican ministers.

Everyone had to attend Anglican services regularly (or a licensed dissenting meeting house, of which there were very few). Baptist and Presbyterian orphans were often placed in Anglican homes for a moral upbringing.

Then things got bad...

In the 1760s, as dissenting religions grew, the Anglican hierarchy went from discrimination to outright persecution. Dissenting ministers were beat, chased with dogs, shot at. A hornets' nest was thrown into a prayer meeting, a snake (likely a copperhead) into another. Ministers were arrested for disturbing the peace or preaching without a license. (Baptists generally refused to seek a license insisting that their license came from "King Jesus.")

By the time the Revolution started, over half of the Baptist ministers in Virginia had been jailed.

But the war created an opportunity. The state, controlled by Anglican leaders, needed the support of the religious dissenters to win the war, and Presbyterians and Baptists successfully negotiated for religious freedom in return for that support. The result was American religious freedom and the foundation for the First Amendment.

Now to the point: The dissenters who had been discriminated against, persecuted, beaten, chased, and jailed made it very clear that religious freedom required a strict separation of church and state. The government had to stay out of the church, and the church out of government.

Mixing the two "always corrupted, and often ruined one another; as wine and water mingled, turns to vinegar" explained one minister.

Baptist Lewis Lunsford proclaimed "The unlawful cohabitation between Church and State, which has so often been looked upon as holy wedlock, must now suffer a separation and be put forever asunder."

Importantly, evangelicals insisted upon a strict separation for both political and theological reasons.

Politically, they had lived through the abuses resulting from government involvement in choosing a religious winner. Theologically, they believed that any government support for religion, even implicit, interfered with the personal choice sought by God, making it appear that people choose religion "for the loaves and fishes" as Baptist John Leland wryly noted. Subscribing to a creed "established by law" he called "idolatry."

Not only did our evangelical ancestors insist upon a strict separation of church and state, but they were equally clear that religious freedom in America applied to all people, all religions.

Presbyterian warned that if the new Virginia government "have a right to determine the preference between Christianity and the other Systems of Religion..., they may also,... give preference to some favoured sect among Christians," exactly the abuse that they had been fighting against.

Evangelicals proclaimed "let Jews, Mahometans, and Christians of every Denomination injoy religious liberty." Leland proclaimed that "all should be equally free, Jews, Turks, Pagans, and Christians."

What happened when America adopted separation of church and state?

In the free market of ideas, religion flourished, resulting in the Second Great Awakening, an explosion in new churches, Bible societies, benevolent organizations, and the like. The effects can be seen today.

Consider that Germany still collects church taxes, but Sundays find many pews empty. In Italy, crucifixes are in the front of government school classrooms, but religion languishes. England still has an official church and official prayers for the queen, but the churches sit largely unused.

America, with religious freedom for everyone and a strict separation of church and state, has a very vibrant religious community. The "happy influence of Christianity," eighteenth century Presbyterians explained, was "never known ... so effectual ... as when left to its native excellence and evidence to recommend it...free from the intrusive hand of the civil magistrate."

Human nature makes it more difficult to appreciate fully the problems when the government happens to support "your" group. Perhaps it doesn't seem so bad if the government, at least indirectly, supports Christians.

But the eighteenth century evangelicals, our forefathers, understood that this is not only wrong, but it is dangerous.
As the Turaga Nation leader awaits trial, his life-long self-determination and economic movement is now floundering.

Pentecost Island, Vanuatu  In the slums of Vanuatus capital Port Vila, Chief Viraleo Boborenvanua awaits trial on bail.

The middle-aged chief spends his days processing kava root, an intoxicant experiencing an international boom, tending to a small taro plantation and dreaming of a triumphant return to his village of Lavatmengamu  the de-facto capital of the Turaga Nation of which he is the leader.

All of Vanuatu will turn out to greet me, he laughs, prompting smiles from his supporters who have gathered in front of his temporary residence in Port Vila.

In December 2015, police arrested Chief Viraleo and nine other men in Lavatmengamu  a small and isolated settlement located on Vanuatus Pentecost Island  and brought them to the capital to stand trial on charges including burning property in a neighbouring village.

A few days before their arrest, fishermen from that village entered Lavatmangamus coastal territory to harvest sea cucumber from the reef, invoking the chiefs ire.

I summoned them to a meeting and gave them three options: they could either pay a fine to make amends  or they could leave, and be banished from the community. If not, Id be forced to take actions, Viraleo says.

Eyewitnesses told Al Jazeera how villagers, including children and pregnant women, ran into the jungle while their homes burned. Violence of this kind is unusual on the island.

Viraleo doesnt deny the allegations. He simply says his response to the territorial encroachment was legal under kustom law  a traditional form of governance dictated by chiefs, and recognised in Vanuatus constitution.

He believes the charges are politically motivated and designed to halt his controversial movement  a multifaceted lifelong project that has seen him devise an alternative currency  the Tuvatu which is pegged to traditionally valued pigs tusks, invent a script for his native Raga language, and declare his corner of Pentecost the Turaga Nation. But with the removal of Viraleo from its base in Pentecost, his movement, which emerged in 1983 as a response to generations of French and British colonial influence, is now floundering.

The kustom economy: a distant revolution

Northern Pentecost is rarely visited by outsiders. Its one outlet to the world is a grass landing strip visited by two light aircraft each week  if the weather holds.

The south receives more visitors, particularly seasonal day-trippers who come to see its famous land-diving ceremony  a traditional form of bungee jumping.

Lavatmengamu, in the northeast, is particularly remote. Hours from the airstrip, only the sturdiest of vehicles can descend the mud track to the village. Despite being a coastal settlement, accessing Lavatmengamu by boat is challenging, with the shore blocked by reefs and only a handful of entry points.

It is here that Chief Viraleo has pursued a project that aims to harness Pentecosts traditional economy with the objective of ultimately enabling his people to prosper.

Viraleos Tuvatu currency  which has not yet been printed  is pegged to the value of pigs tusks and intends to be a paper representation of Pentecosts traditional economy. It is designed to be exchanged with recognised currencies in Vanuatu and elsewhere in the world.

In Pentecost, and across Vanuatu, the pigs tusk is a traditional symbol of wealth, still widely used as a means of kustom exchange throughout rural communities. Tusks can take 10 years to grow and are recognised to be worth at least 18,000 Vatu (about $150). While many commodities, such as food and clothing, are grown and produced within local communities, tusks are still regularly used to pay for property, school fees, debts, and celebrations, such as weddings. Viraleos hope is that Pentecost Islanders will one day use Tuvatu to buy necessities, such as medicine and basic building materials, from formal economies.

Much of Vanuatu retains a subsistence agricultural lifestyle that generates little recognised wealth. For the hard-working but income-poor citizens of Vanuatu, the Western economic system brought by foreign powers simply doesnt deliver. For many, Viraleos idea of a currency that values a traditional means of exchange in a way that Vanuatus official currency, the Vatu, cannot, has found fertile ground.

READ MORE: Life for Brazils Krenak after Fundao dam collapse

Birth of a dissident

In 2001, in a United Nations indigenous peoples conference in New York, Viraleo first declared his homeland Turaga Nation, catching the attention of Vanuatus government.

Ever since I went to New York  the government have been keeping tabs on me, seeing me as almost a dissident, Viraleo says.

Viraleos agenda has caused some authorities in Port Vila to be nervous. The Reserve Bank of Vanuatu has gone so far as to announce possible legal action against Viraleo, should he begin trading with his currency. His movement bears the hallmarks of a genuine separatist push by promoting its own currency, education system, language and legal framework as a means to fill a perceived governance vacuum across rural Vanuatu.

The government here in Vila only really takes care of 20 percent of the population. It takes care of the 20 percent who are living in town and have jobs, but the 80 percent living in rural areas  they have their local chiefs, but there [is] no central government to take care of them, Viraleo argues.

Hilaire Bule, the spokesman for Prime Minister Charlot Salwai, says Viraleo has little support on Pentecost. If he is acquitted only his village will celebrate his return, Bule says.

While the Constitution recognises kustom law and commerce within Vanuatu, Viraleos Tuvatu has no legitimacy as a genuine form of currency, he says.

A Pentecost Islander whose property was destroyed in the fire, who did not want to give their name for fear of retribution, says some neighbouring villagers fear the chiefs return and are critical of the slave-like devotion he demands of others.

Some of Viraleos co-accused have pleaded guilty and in their defence said they have felt influenced and threatened by the chief, reported Vanuatus Daily Post.

Even so, support for Viraleo is apparent.

Hilda Lini, Vanuatus first female MP and former health minister, is a long-time supporter of Viraleo and the Turaga Nation, and has provided accommodation and legal counsel for his legal struggle. In north Pentecost, Viraleo has inspired devotion. Norris, 18, a student from Laone, a village in Pentecosts far northwest, walked eight hours each day to Lavatmengamu to learn from Viraleo.

Tony Wilson, editor of the Vanuatu Independent weekly newsmagazine, believes Viraleo has polarised the local Vanuatu community, highlighting an old fissure between those who advocate for kustom law verses those who are in favour of the Western system of governance.

WATCH: Hope for Australias indigenous (25:00)

Lavatmengamu falls quiet

With its leader indefinitely awaiting trial in Port Vila, Lavatmengamus activity has ground to a halt, and the village feels almost abandoned.

Its population, once in the hundreds, now only numbers a few dozen. My guide in Levatmangamu says most inhabitants deserted the village after Viraleo and his men were arrested.

Before the incident, scholars from all over Vanuatu came to train at the kustom school and learn from the chief.

Today, Viraleos classroom is empty. On the chalkboard, notes from the last lesson are fading. A kustom bank, reportedly housing billions of Vatu worth of pigs tusks, is closed so long as the chiefs handcrafted timber throne sits empty. And the Tuvatu remains just a dream, rather than the beating heart of a kustom economy.

The chief concedes his movement has lost all momentum as he fights to clear his name. He says since his arrest, all the work that I have been doing in Lavatmengamu has stopped.

Viraleo tells Al Jazeera he will defend himself in court, and is optimistic his acquittal will come soon. But his prosecution seems certain from the governments perspective.

You cannot take revenge  you cannot take national law or kustom law into your own hands. That is what Viraleo was doing, Bule says.

As Viraleos future remains in question, so too does the future of his kustom movement, the Turaga Nation  and his dream of Vanuatu prospering off the back of its traditions.
Day-long fighting triggered as gunmen storm police base in Pulwama town in first major rebel attack in a year.

Srinagar, Indian-administered Kashmir  Four policemen and four paramilitary personnel were killed as rebels stormed a police installation in the southern part of this disputed territory.

The attack began around 4am on Saturday when a group of rebels breached the highly guarded district police base in Pulwama, 35km from Kashmirs main city Srinagar.

Local villagers said they were awoken in the early hours by an intense rattle of gunfire and explosions.

We were sleeping when we heard the gunshots and then there was sound of blasts. We thought it will end but it kept happening again and again, said Abdul Rashid, a resident of Pulwama town. We have never heard such intensity of gunfire.

READ MORE: Indian army kills Kashmir student mistaken for rebel

Officials said rebels made a quick entry into the vast complex, which also houses residential quarters of policemen and their families and managed to barricade themselves inside at least two multistorey buildings.





In the fierce gunfight that ensued, four policemen and four paramilitary personnel were killed as the area reverberated with huge blasts.

Four policemen and four Central Reserve Police Force personnel were killed and four others were injured, Director-General of Police Shesh Paul Vaid told Al Jazeera. We have also recovered the bodies of two unknown militants who look foreign.

The operation is still going on as we are searching the third building to find the body of the third militant, he said.

The families of the policemen were evacuated and there was no hostage situation.

In a statement to local newspapers, the Jaish-e-Mohammad group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The operation to end the assault against the fighters continued throughout the day as hundreds of security forces and army personnel surrounded the area.

The gun battle also sparked protests in Pulwama villages as sympathetic residents threw stones at police and paramilitary soldiers and convoys heading towards the scene of the fight.

The raid comes at a time when the Indian army has launched a major counterinsurgency offensive in southern Kashmir districts, which have emerged as the epicentre of the regions new age rebels.

More than 130 fighters have been killed by the army this year, officials say.

Anti-India sentiment

Saturdays attack is one of the deadliest against Indian security forces in the disputed region where they are battling a resurgent rebellion.

Last year, armed rebels stormed an Indian army base near the frontier town of Uri, killing 18 soldiers.The attack in September last year caused new turbulence in the icy relations between India and Pakistan.

Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for the Indian-administered portion to become independent or merge with Pakistan. Nearly 70,000 people have been killed in the uprising and the ensuing Indian military crackdown.

OPINION: Resistance is a way of life for Kashmiri youth

India maintains roughly 500,000 soldiers in the territory.

Anti-India sentiment runs deep among Kashmirs mostly Muslim population and most support the rebels cause against Indian rule despite a decades-long military crackdown against the armed rebellion.

India has accused Pakistan of arming and training the rebels, an allegation that Pakistan denies.

Armed rebel groups have largely been suppressed by Indian forces in recent years, and public opposition to Indian rule is now principally expressed through street protests.
Senior UNHRC official says the number of people displaced in the country has nearly doubled in six months.

The number of people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo has nearly doubled in the past six months to 3.8 million, according to a UN official.

George Okoth-Obbo, the number two official at the UNs refugee agency (UNHCR), said food and clothing was needed for the 1.4 million in the volatile Kasai region who have fled their homes in violence that has killed more than 3,000 people.

Immediate protection was required, he told AFP news agency on the last day of a three-day visit to the country, in particular for children who are sleeping in conditions that are difficult to imagine.

Egregious violence across the Kasai provinces in #DRCongo displaced thousands. #Unhcr mounting its response along with sister UN agencies. pic.twitter.com/w9BCH6Ch3L  George Okoth-Obbo (@GeorgeOkothObbo) August 26, 2017

In the southeastern province of Tanganyika, clashes between rival groups have also forced thousands to flee, as has the long-running violence in the Kivu region, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO.

READ MORE: Civilians bear the brunt of fresh fighting in DRC

In Kasai, violence erupted last September after the death of a tribal chieftain, known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against the authority of President Joseph Kabilas government in Kinshasa and its local representatives.

The killing sparked violence that has escalated, including alleged violations of human rights such as extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture and the use of child soldiers.

In August, the UN released a report, saying more than 250 people, including 62 children, were killed in Congo from mid-March to mid-June.

The report was based on interviews from 96 refugees who had fled the countrys Kasai provinces into neighbouring Angola.

OPINION: Congo  A dictators dilemma

According to the UNs Okoth-Obbo, about 33,000 Congolese have fled the region for Angola, and the conditions today in Kasai are such that we cannot encourage or promote the return of refugees.

Okoth-Obbo added that the country is also having to cope with the arrival of about 500,000 refugees fleeing fighting in Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic  where about 60,000 people have fled to Congo this year.
Imam of Meccas Grand Mosque condemns those who cause conflict among Muslims in final sermon before annual pilgrimage.

The imam of Meccas Grand Mosque denounced those who cause conflict among Muslims in his final Friday sermon before the annual Hajj pilgrimage, as rifts widen among Gulf neighbours and wars continue across the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia, which hosts and supervises the Hajj, has with other Arab governments imposed sanctions on Qatar and cut all transport links with the country in recent months, accusing it of supporting Iran and backing terrorism  charges Doha denies.

Relations between Shia Muslim-led Iran and predominately Sunni Saudi Arabia are at their worst in years, with each accusing the other of subverting regional security and supporting opposite sides in conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

Anyone who causes conflict and discord among Muslims ignores the blessing of harmony, imitates those who lived in ignorance [before Islam], harms his people and cheats his nation, Sheikh Saleh Mohammed al-Taleb told the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who have flocked to Mecca from around the world to perform the annual pilgrimage next week.

Hajj 2017: Why, when and how?

Worshippers on Friday filled the mosques haram sanctuary, the holiest place in Islam, and spilled into nearby streets, malls, hotel lobbies and garages, listening to the sermon through loudspeakers.

Taleb did not directly refer to the political and military divisions in the Arab world that have killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions more in recent years.

Nearly 90,000 Iranians are expected to attend, after Tehran boycotted Mecca last year following a crush at the pilgrimage in 2015 in which hundreds of people died, many of them Iranians.

Qatar crisis

Saudi officials say over 400 Qatari pilgrims have also arrived through the land border in recent days, but Qatar has accused Saudi Arabia of deliberately making it hard for them.

Saudi Arabia says Qatar is seeking to politicise the ritual for diplomatic gains.

The dispute has defied mediation attempts by the United States and Kuwait.

The Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, which regulates and organises the annual Hajj for Qatari citizens and residents, has said it did not receive responses from its Saudi counterpart on travel logistics or security guarantees.

Saad Sultan al-Abdullah, director of international cooperation at Qatars National Human Rights Commission, expressed concern that Muslims were being prevented from performing their religious duty.

READ MORE: No Hajj for Qataris this year amid Saudi dispute

There should be no mixing between political disputes and Muslims natural and human right to perform their religious duties, he said. Politics and human rights must be separated.

Abdelmajid Mrari, head of the Middle East and North Africa division at the Brussels-based Alliance for Freedom and Dignity, criticised Saudi authorities for mishandling the situation.

Mecca is not owned by any government. Mecca is for all Muslims, Mrari told Al Jazeera over the phone from France.

The Saudi behaviour is a clear violation of Islamic values and norms, as well as all international human rights agreements and conventions.
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. RENE FLORES, Appellant v. CARL C. DANBERG; MIKE DELOY; G. R. JOHNSON, Warden; LINDA VALENTINO; DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS No. 15-2026 Decided: August 24, 2017

Before: CHAGARES, GREENAWAY, JR. and RESTREPO, Circuit Judges Stephen A. Hampton, Esquire [ARGUED], Grady & Hampton, 6 North Bradford Street, Dover, DE 19904, Counsel for Appellant Ryan P. Connell, Esquire [ARGUED], Delaware Department of Justice, 820 North French Street, Carvel Office Building, 6th Floor, Wilmington, DE 19801 Devera B. Scott, Esquire, Office of Attorney General of Delaware, 102 West Water Street, Dover, DE 19904, Counsel for Appellees

OPINION*

Appellant, Rene Flores, alleges employment discrimination and retaliation on the bases that he was denied a promotion to captain by the Delaware Department of Correction (DOC) based on his race and national origin and that appellees thereafter fired him in retaliation for his complaints about the alleged discrimination. Flores appeals from the Memorandum Opinion and Order of the District Court granting appellees' motions for summary judgment, see Flores v. Danberg, 84 F. Supp.3d 340 (D. Del. 2015). For the reasons which follow, we affirm.

I.2

Flores testified that in 1996, while he was a correctional officer for the DOC, he interviewed for and was promoted to corporal. In 2001, he applied for and received a promotion to sergeant, and shortly thereafter, Flores interviewed for and was promoted to lieutenant. Flores subsequently applied for a promotion to staff lieutenant, but another candidate was selected.

Sometime prior to 2009, Flores again interviewed for a vacant staff lieutenant position. Although he was not selected for this position, he filed a grievance challenging the selection process, and appellee former DOC Bureau Chief Mike DeLoy granted relief. Flores was therefore promoted to an open staff lieutenant position with back pay.

In 2010, about a year after he was promoted to staff lieutenant, Flores applied for a vacant captain position. He was not selected, and he filed a grievance challenging the selection process, which grievance was denied by former Deputy Commissioner Thomas Carroll.

In late 2010 or early 2011, another captain position became vacant, and Flores submitted an application and interviewed with a selection panel. The selection panel was made up of three members: Jeanette Christian, a Human Resources representative; Ernest McBroom, a lieutenant who served as a corrections emergency response team (CERT) training coordinator; and, appellee former Deputy Warden Linda Valentino.

Following the interviewing process, the panel unanimously agreed on the top two candidates, and Flores was not one of them. Further, the panel felt that the chosen candidate was clearly the best choice, that his answers during the interview were thoughtful and well presented, and in fact, among the best interviews in the panel's experience.

In April 2011, Valentino, the Panel Chairperson, informed Flores that he was not selected for the position. She suggested to Flores that he had stumbled on interview questions, and Flores responded that he disagreed with that characterization. Shortly thereafter, Flores filed a grievance, and that grievance was denied by DeLoy, who noted, among other things, the high quality of the selection panel. Flores then filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) based on this last promotion denial.

Around the same time that Flores had been informed by Valentino that he was not selected for the vacant captain position, on April 8, 2011 appellee G.R. Johnson, Warden of Sussex Correctional Institution (Sussex), received an external complaint from Ryan Hobbs. Hobbs complained that Flores had illegally accessed Hobbs' criminal history record through the Delaware Criminal Justice Information System (DELJIS) and had used this information to threaten him because Hobbs had been dating Flores' daughter. Consequently, investigations by DOC internal affairs (IA), as well as DELJIS security, were commenced.

An investigating officer reported that Flores allegedly violated DELJIS Directive One: Dissemination of criminal record history and motor vehicle information. The investigation, which included review of the DELJIS summary log, revealed that Flores accessed Hobbs' criminal history record through DELJIS on 16 occasions, and Flores accessed the criminal records of a total of at least 28 persons, most of these individuals searched on multiple occasions. In June 2011, following the DELJIS security investigation, the DELJIS Executive Committee directed Flores to undergo retraining and to re-sign the DELJIS policy. Meanwhile, the DOC continued to conduct its IA investigation.

At a meeting with Warden Johnson in 2012, also attended by a union representative, Flores was specifically asked why he searched each of the names he had searched on DELJIS. Following the meeting, Warden Johnson concluded that Flores grossly abused his DELJIS privileges and that it was evident that he attempted to deceive both the DELJIS and IA investigators. Moreover, the Warden pointed out that Hobbs had lodged an official external complaint alleging that Flores had improperly accessed DELJIS and used that information to threaten him, and the DELJIS summary log revealed that Flores did access Hobbs's records at least 16 times.

In February 2012, Janet Durkee, DOC Director of Human Resources and Development, informed Flores that the DOC was considering dismissing him from employment based on the results of the investigation into his inappropriate and unauthorized use of DELJIS for non-work related purposes. He was informed of the conclusions that he accessed criminal history record information in DELJIS without business-related reasons, that he was dishonest with the DELJIS and IA investigators by misrepresenting his unauthorized searches as work-related, and that he performed non-work-related, unauthorized DELJIS searches while on State time.

Flores met with Commissioner Danberg on March 6, 2012, which meeting was also attended by Warden Johnson, Durkee, and union officials. In reaching his ultimate decision, the Commissioner considered three factors: (1) on numerous occasions Flores accessed the criminal history of Hobbs and his acquaintances; (2) the investigation revealed that Flores accessed the criminal histories of children of DOC employees; and (3) Flores accessed the file of Dr. Earl Bradley and claimed that State Representative John Atkins contacted Flores and asked if Bradley was incarcerated at Sussex.

At the meeting, Flores argued that the DELJIS rules were not well understood, and were frequently violated. He also noted that concern for his daughter influenced him to run some of the searches. While the Commissioner found these arguments persuasive, he concluded that Flores was not being forthright during the investigation or during the meeting. For example, the Commissioner found that although Flores denied running the names of any of Hobbs' associates, when Flores was confronted with the facts revealed by the summary log that he had searched the names of at least two people associated with Hobbs, Flores indicated that they must have had business with the DOC, which the investigation revealed untrue.

Flores also claimed to have searched the children of senior DOC employees at those employees' requests, but those employees had direct access to DELJIS, and they denied ever asking Flores to do such a search. Finally, the Commissioner personally spoke with Representative Atkins, and he denied calling and asking Flores for information regarding Mr. Bradley. Since Commissioner Danberg felt that Flores was not being candid, and he believed that the hallmark of a law enforcement officer was honesty, he determined that dismissal was the appropriate penalty.

Following the termination decision, Flores filed a grievance through the union, but the union ultimately voted not to take any further action. Flores amended his EEOC charge by also alleging a claim of retaliation. On October 15, 2012, Flores' EEOC complaint was denied. He thereafter initiated this lawsuit in the District Court.

II.4

Flores first claims that appellees discriminated against him based on his race and national origin when he was not promoted to the most recent captain position for which he applied (discrimination claim) and that the District Court erred in finding the evidence insufficient to support Flores' claim that appellees' articulated reason for not selecting him for the captain position was a pretext for discrimination. The parties do not dispute that the familiar 3-step burden-shifting inquiry under McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green, 411 U.S. 792, 802-04 (1973), applies to Flores' discrimination claim.

To satisfy the first step of the inquiry, Flores must establish a prima facie case of discrimination in the decision to not promote him to the captain position. To do so, he must show that: (a) he was a member of a protected class; (b) he was qualified for the position to which he applied; (c) he suffered some form of adverse employment action; and (d) the adverse employment action occurred under circumstances that give rise to an inference of unlawful discrimination. See St. Mary's Honor Ctr. v. Hicks, 509 U.S. 502, 506 (1993). If he is able to show a prima facie case of discrimination at step one, the burden of production shifts to appellees at step two to articulate one or more legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for [their] employment decision. Waldron v. SL Indus., Inc., 56 F.3d 491, 494 (3d Cir. 1995). If appellees are able to articulate such a reason, the burden shifts back to Flores at step three, who must demonstrate that appellees' proffered reasons were merely a pretext for intentional discrimination. McDonnell Douglas, 411 U.S. at 804. While the burden of production shifts, the employee always has the ultimate burden of persuasion to prove intentional discrimination. Jones v. Sch. Dist. of Phila., 198 F.3d 403, 410 (3d Cir. 1999).

Applying the McDonnell Douglas framework, we agree with the District Court that Flores failed to provide sufficient evidence from which a reasonable juror could conclude that appellees' legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason was a pretext for intentional discrimination on the part of appellees. Assuming, without deciding, that Flores is able to make out a prima facie case, the burden shifts to appellees, who have proffered a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for denying Flores the promotion. Specifically, appellees presented evidence that the panel unanimously ranked him after the top two candidates for the captain position based on Flores' performance in the interview. For example, not only did Valentino indicate to Flores that he stumbled with responses at his interview, but the interview notes of the panel members reveal that the panel was very impressed with the chosen candidate's answers to the questions, and that Flores rambled in attempting to answer the interview questions. However, at the third step in the inquiry Flores has failed to show sufficient evidence from which a reasonable juror could conclude that appellees' legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason was a pretext for intentional discrimination against Flores based on his race and national origin. Accordingly, the District Court properly granted summary judgment in favor of appellees on Flores' claim of discrimination in violation of Title VII and  1981.

III.

Flores also claims that appellees terminated his employment in retaliation for his complaints of discrimination in violation of Title VII (retaliation claim). As with his discrimination claim, claims alleging retaliation are analyzed under the McDonnell Douglas burden-shifting framework.

To establish a prima facie case of retaliation, Flores is required to show that: (1) he engaged in protected activity; (2) he suffered an adverse employment action; and (3) there was a causal connection between his protected activity and the adverse action. Moore v. City of Phila., 461 F.3d 331, 340-41 (3d Cir. 2006). To satisfy the causation component of a prima facie case, Flores must present evidence that could support the inference of a causal connection between his complaints of discrimination and the termination of his employment. See Farrell v. Planters Lifesavers Co., 206 F.3d 271, 279 (3d Cir. 2000).

If Flores makes out this prima facie claim, the burden shifts to appellees, who must articulate a legitimate, nondiscriminatory reason for terminating his employment, and if they do so, the burden shifts back to Flores to demonstrate that the proffered reasons were merely a pretext and that retaliation was the real reason for the adverse employment action. See Moore, 461 F.3d at 342. Thus, Flores must ultimately prove that appellees' retaliatory animus was the real reason for the termination of his employment. See Farrell, 206 F.3d at 286 (using the term real reason to describe the plaintiff's ultimate burden at the pretext stage). To prove causation at the pretext stage, Flores must show that he would not have been fired but for his protected activity. See Univ. of Tex. Sw. Med. Ctr. v. Nassar, 133 S. Ct. 2517, 2533 (2013); cf. Farrell, 206 F.3d at 286 (distinguishing the test for causation under the prima facie case with that for pretext).

Even assuming, without deciding, that Flores has demonstrated a prima facie case at the first stage of the McDonnell Douglas framework, appellees have provided sufficient evidence supporting the conclusion that Flores was fired based on the beliefs that Flores had committed extensive DELJIS violations, and ultimately, that Flores was not being honest about his DELJIS misuse. As the District Court notes, although Flores was afforded opportunities to explain his conduct, and Danberg maintained that he had been prepared not to terminate Flores, following his meeting with Flores, Danberg ultimately concluded that Flores was not telling the truth and that termination of employment was warranted. Flores has failed to provide sufficient evidence to show that but for his complaint of discrimination he would not have been fired. See Nassar, 133 S. Ct. at 2533.

IV.

Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, we affirm the Order of the District Court granting appellees' summary judgment motions.

FOOTNOTES

. Flores' Amended Complaint alleges claims of discrimination and retaliation pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as well as 42 U.S.C.  1981 and 1983. Having concluded that summary judgment on these federal claims was appropriate, the District Court declined to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over Flores' ancillary state causes of action related to the Delaware Whistleblowers' Protection Act, see 19 Del. C.  1703, and tortious interference with his employment contract, and Flores did not appeal the District Court's decision with regard to his state claims.

. We write exclusively for the parties and therefore set forth only those facts that are necessary to our disposition.

. When Flores was promoted during his career, he often was transferred to different facilities within the DOC.

. The District Court had jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1331, 1343, and 1367. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291. Our review of the District Court's grant of summary judgment is plenary. Seamans v. Temple Univ., 744 F.3d 853, 859 (3d Cir. 2014). A moving party is entitled to summary judgment if there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A dispute about a material fact is genuine only if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). All reasonable inferences must be drawn in favor of the nonmoving party. Prowel v. Wise Bus. Forms, Inc., 579 F.3d 285, 286 (3d Cir. 2009).

. Although appellees argued in the District Court that Flores had failed to satisfy the first step of the McDonnell Douglas framework by making a prima facie case, the Court did not address this argument, and assumed, without deciding, that the first step had been satisfied.

. Some appellate courts have concluded that the but-for causation standard, see Nassar, 133 S. Ct. at 2534, applies only at the pretext stage and does not alter the causation prong of the prima facie stage of the retaliation analysis. See Foster v. Univ. of Maryland-Eastern Shore, 787 F.3d 243, 252 (4th Cir. 2015) ([T]he McDonnell Douglas framework has long demanded proof at the pretext stage that retaliation was a but-for cause of a challenged adverse employment action. Nassar does not alter the legal standard for adjudicating a McDonnell Douglas retaliation claim.); Feist v. La. Dep't of Justice, Office of Atty. Gen., 730 F.3d 450, 454 (5th Cir. 2013) (citing Nassar, 133 S. Ct. at 2533) ( After the employer states its reason, the burden shifts back to the employee to demonstrate that the employer's reason is actually a pretext for retaliation, which the employee accomplishes by showing that the adverse action would not have occurred but for the employer's retaliatory motive ) (internal citations omitted). The Fourth Circuit noted, the burden for establishing causation at the prima facie stage is less onerous than satisfying the causation standard at the pretext stage. Foster, 787 F.3d at 251 (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). Indeed, applying the but-for causation test at the prima facie stage would arguably be tantamount to eliminating the McDonnell Douglas framework in retaliation cases, and [h]ad the Nassar Court intended to retire McDonnell Douglas and set aside 40 years of precedent, it would have spoken plainly and clearly to that effect. Id. In this case, the District Court explicitly applied the but-for causation test at the prima facie stage and found that, although Flores has established the first and second prongs of a prima facie case,  he has not demonstrated that the filing of the EEOC charge was the but for reason for the termination. Flores, 84 F. Supp.3d at 350; see id. (citing Nassar) (The protected activity must be the but-for cause of the defendants' alleged retaliatory action under the causation prong of the prima facie case.). We need not address the causation element of the first stage of the McDonnell Douglas framework, however, since even assuming, arguendo, that Flores can show a prima facie case of retaliation, he is unable to satisfy the third step of the applicable inquiry.

. The District Court also denied Flores' claim of a denial of his 14th Amendment equal protection rights under 42 U.S.C.  1983. See Flores, 84 F. Supp.3d at 351. However, as appellees point out in their brief, Flores fails to specifically pursue this argument in his brief. Therefore, any argument regarding Flores' claim of the denial of equal protection pursuant to  1983 has been waived. See United States v. Menendez, 831 F.3d 155, 175 (3d Cir. 2016) (quoting Travitz v. Ne. Dep't ILGWU Health & Welfare Fund, 13 F.3d 704, 711 (3d Cir. 1994)) (When an issue is not pursued in the argument section of the brief, the appellant has abandoned and waived that issue on appeal.); see also Fed. R. App. P. 28(a)(8) (stating that a party's brief must contain the argument including contentions and the reasons for them, with citations to the authorities and parts of the record on which the appellant relies); John Wyeth & Brother Ltd. v. CIGNA Int'l Corp., 119 F.3d 1070, 1076 n.6 (3d Cir. 1997) ([A]rguments raised in passing , but not squarely argued, are considered waived.). Even if the issue were not waived, we would affirm the District Court's grant of appellees' summary judgment motions on this claim. We have treated  1983 claims similarly to Title VII and  1981 claims, see Stewart v. Rutgers, The State Univ., 120 F.3d 426, 432 (3d Cir. 1997), and to succeed on his equal protection claim under  1983, Flores was required to show [p]roof of racially discriminatory intent or purpose. See Doe v. Lower Merion Sch. Dist., 665 F.3d 524, 543 (3d Cir. 2011) (quoting Antonelli v. New Jersey, 419 F.3d 267, 274 (3d Cir. 2005)). As explained above, Flores is unable to show that discriminatory animus motivated appellees.

RESTREPO, Circuit Judge
Washington, DC  Hobby Lobby, the US-based arts-and-crafts retailer recently fined for buying Iraqi artefacts on the black market, gave $25,000 to organisations based in Israeli settlements  including archaeological groups plundering Palestines cultural heritage.





The payments were made by the Museum of the Bible (MB), Hobby Lobbys non-profit museum set to open in Washington, DC in November.

The information comes from tax documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service, the US body responsible for collecting taxes.

Non-profit organisations are required by law to file these tax forms, which are then made publicly available.

Ahmed Rjoob, director-general of the Palestinian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, told Al Jazeera that Israels theft of Palestines cultural heritage significantly impacts Palestinian social, economic, and cultural sustainability.

Israeli archaeological activities significantly impact the ability of Palestinians to access, use and develop their lands and habitats, he said.

Excavating West Bank artefacts

The MB donated $15,000 to UHLICARE Inc, the non-profit organisation for the University of the Holy Land (UHL), in 2015, the most recent year for which information is available.

UHLs website boasts its location as two minutes away from Jerusalems Old City in East Jerusalem, which Palestinians see as the capital of their presumptive state.

The area has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 war that saw Israel occupy the totality of historic Palestine, including East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, along with the Syrian Golan Heights and Egypts Sinai Peninsula.

The University of the Holy Lands website says it is an internationally accredited, Christian-run, Bible-based graduate school. Universtiy President Stephen Pfann lists Qumran Studies as one of his areas of expertise.

Qumran is the site where the famed Dead Sea Scrolls were found. Its located in the portion of the West Bank called Area C. The Oslo Accords II, signed in 1995, divided the West Bank into three regions, A, B and C, under varying Palestinian and Israeli control.

OPINION: The antiquities looting crisis in the Middle East

Area C, which comprises 61 percent of the West Bank, is under total Israeli control. The scrolls are written in Greek, Aramaic and ancient Hebrew. They have been attributed to various Jewish sects and are estimated to have been written between 400 and 300 BCE.

Their discovery took place in 1946 and 1947, before Israel was founded. Subsequent discoveries took place under the guidance of Jordan, which claimed sovereignty over the West Bank in 1967.

Pfann, who did not respond to requests for comment, appears to continue excavating artefacts in the occupied territories.

Israel has acquired the vast majority of Dead Sea Scrolls, and works with international institutions on studies and further digs. Jordan holds a much smaller portion of the scrolls.

Israel has worked with other nations and museums and archaeological organisations to study and continue excavations in the area. To Rjoob, their stewardship has been used for political purposes.

Political tools

Archaeology has been used by the Israeli occupation as an important tool to [make] legitimate its illegal control over Palestine, utilising ancient biblical tales and sites to inspire Israeli public sentiment, he said.

Furthermore, the intertwining of biblical sites and religious archaeologists draws greater support from Evangelical Christians in the United States, Israels political allies.

Two Christian archaeologists wrote that the January discovery of further artefacts at the 12th Qumran cave proves the scrolls belong to Israel.





The three pieces of evidence presented are: area C was a part of historic Israel, the languages of the scrolls, which do not include Arabic (even though later scrolls from nearby areas do) and Israels care of the artefacts.

The authors, Jeremiah Johnson and Craig Evans, both professors at Christian universities, wrote that their friend and colleague Cary Summers, president of the MB, was present for the discovery.

Summers website is filled with pro-Israel posts, touching on everything from archaeology to culinary issues.

The MB is set to display artefacts from Qumran, occupied East Jerusalems Silwan neighbourhood, which is the site of the controversial City of David, a settler-archaeology site that is displacing native Palestinians.

Whether artefacts are found in area A, B, C or East Jerusalem, international law says the artefacts belong inside Palestine, Rjoob said.

Breaching international law

Rjoob listed various agreements that create customary international law that support Palestines case: UNESCO accords, UN Security Council resolutions and, perhaps most clearly, the 1954 Hague Convention, an international treaty that serves as the framework to protect cultural heritage in times of armed conflict.

According to the first protocol of this convention, those who signed the treaty will prevent the exportation, from a territory occupied by it during an armed conflict, of cultural property.

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Both Israel and Palestine are signatories to this treaty, so in theory, Palestine could sue Israel for breaching this Protocol before the International Court of Justice, Marina Lostal, a professor of international law at The Hague University who specialises in cultural property, told Al Jazeera.

Regarding Hobby Lobbys financial support of the Israeli occupation archaeology, Lostal explained that international law on trafficking of cultural heritage does not include corporations in its framework.

This is not a weakness, per se, as it is for each state to incorporate international law in its domestic system, she said.

The answer may lie in US domestic law, Lostal concluded.





When ownership of an antiquity is vested in a nation, one who removes the antiquity without permission is a thief, and the antiquities are stolen property, Patty Gerstenblith, a distinguished research professor of law at DePaul University, wrote in a 2016 Department of Justice guide to cultural property law.

However, Palestines status is a point of difficulty. While the ruling Palestinian Authority refers to itself as the State of Palestine, and the territory is recognised as such by more than 70 percent of the UNs 193 member states, Israel considers the West Bank and Gaza as disputed territories, and sees Jerusalem as its eternal capital.

The US does not recognise a Palestinian state, although it has spent decades working towards a two-state solution. The Trump administration has retreated from this stance.

Regardless, Rjoob said Palestine has plans to repatriate all artefacts that left Palestine illegally, especially those still seized by the Israeli Occupation through mechanisms of international law.

Archaeological ethics

With international law and decades of US diplomacy pitted against working to remove artefacts from Palestine, why do so many archaeologists work with Israel?

Michael Press  an archaeologist Visiting Scholar at the Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University, with experience working in Israel who tracks archaeology in the area  said its a combination of ideological beliefs and lack of knowledge of international law.

Scholars are not generally aware of the legal issues involved, Press said, and archaeologists who work in Israel tend to be less interested in legal and ethical issues, more conservative politically, and more pro-Israel.

Israels Civil Administration, a governing body in the West Bank, is responsible for issuing permits to conduct digs in the occupied territories, including those enjoyed by Pfann, Summers and any others working at Qumran.

READ MORE: Israeli land claims  Archaeology and ideology

The Civil Administration operates under a notorious lack of transparency. Its directors identity is not publicly available and there is no public list of artefacts from the West Bank in its possession.

Press said the Civil Administration gives permits to theologians and biblical archaeologists with questionable qualifications.

Ghattas Sayej, a Palestinian archaeologist who has worked for both the Palestinian Department of Archaeology and the Civil Administration from 1992 to 1994, said his time working with the governing body was the worst of [my] archaeological career.

The Civil Administrations officers work with impunity and support of the Israeli military, Sayej said, and international law is disregarded. It is a destructive machine and has nothing to do with archaeology. It is a tool to the occupier and the Israeli army to achieve whatever they wish, Sayej added.

Sayej concluded by encouraging archaeologists to consider the implications of their actions.

Support beyond art

The MBs support of settlements extends beyond archaeology. The organisation gave $10,000 in 2015 to Ohr Torah Stone Institute of Israel (OTSI), an educational initiative that allows Jewish people to study Jewish holy texts in a Zionistic, intellectually-stimulating and open environment.

While the MBs tax filings list the organisations address in New York, OTSIs website lists a mailing address in Efrat, a Jewish-only settlement in the West Bank, south of Jerusalem.

Hobby Lobby also cosponsors Passages, a programme that takes Evangelical Christians to Israel and the occupied territories in order to reinforce support for Zionism.

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Passages mimics the Taglight-Birthright programme, which aims to drum up support for Israel among the Jewish diaspora.

Hobby Lobby and the MB did not respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment on their settlement support.

As the MB prepares to open its doors in November, it doesnt appear that cooperation with Israel will decrease.

Press, the scholar who tracks archaeology in Israel, said its long been in the countrys interest to present itself as the steward of biblical history and its association with the Museum of the Bible follows that model.
At least 32 people were killed in riots after a court declared a religious leader guilty of raping two of his followers.

Authorities have arrested hundreds of people and cancelled over 500 trains in north India after at least 32 people were killed in clashes following the conviction of a controversial guru.

A curfew was lifted on Saturday, where rampaging mobs caused havoc in the streets after a court declared Ram Rahim Singh guilty of raping two of his followers.

We have arrested between 600 to 800 people since yesterday. Security forces are carrying out searches of congregation centres belonging to the sect to seize any sharp-edged weapons, canes or batons, senior state official Ram Niwas told DPA news agency.

Security forces patrolled Haryana states Panchkula city.

The town of Panchkula, the main trouble spot, was relatively peaceful and the area was cleared of protesters, said police officer Pradeep Kumar.

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Security forces were put on high alert to ensure there was no repeat of the violence that erupted on Friday afternoon.

Although the curfew was lifted, restrictions on public assembly remained in place.

According to AP news agency, Baldev Raj Mahajan, the Haryana state attorney, said 28 people died in Panchkula and another four in Sirsa.

Haryana police chief BS Sandhu told AFP news agency he feared the death toll would rise as some of the wounded were being treated for serious head injuries.

About 200 were injured, including about 50 police and security personnel, said Sandhu.

Some of the injured didnt come to the hospitals fearing that they could face police action or arrests for involvement in the violence, he said.

Guru bling

The 50-year-old Singh is known as the guru in bling for his penchant for bejewelled costumes and claims to have 60 million loyal followers worldwide.

The rape case was brought against him after an anonymous letter was sent to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 accusing him of repeatedly raping the sender and several other women in the sect.

A judge asked the Central Bureau of Investigations to look into the accusations, but it took years to trace the alleged victims and it was not until 2007 that two women came forward and filed charges.

The conviction on Friday enraged his followers, with many saying they were in a state of shock over the verdict.

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I have been with dear Ram Rahim Singh for around 14 years. I can bet that all the allegations against our guru are false, said Rajkumar, a shopkeeper from Haryana who was undergoing treatment at the hospital.

He cant do any wrong  He works to rid the world of all its troubles, he told AFP, his head heavily bandaged.

Singh enjoys political patronage from several local politicians of the Haryana state government.

His group, Dera Sacha Sauda, has millions of followers.

In a 2014 tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi applauded Dera Sacha Saudas efforts to take part in a campaign to clean up the streets.

The group campaigns for vegetarianism and against drug addiction. Singh describes the group as a social welfare and spiritual organisation.

Singhs sentencing will be announced on Monday.
Storm downgraded to a tropical storm, but threatens US state with torrential rain as it slowly moves inland.

Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday as it slowly moved inland after hitting the US state of Texas with torrential rain and heavy winds.

At least one person has died as a result of the storm, according to the mayor of Rockport, Texas.

The storm is expected to cause massive flooding after battering the coast with 209km-per-hour winds.

Harvey is the strongest storm to hit the US state in more than 50 years.

It is expected to linger for days over Texas and bring more than 100cm of rain to some parts of the southern state.

The mayor of Houston said the city could receive as much as five to 7.5cm of rain an hour into Sunday night.

Parts of the state also experienced tornados spawned by Harvey, causing damage to homes, vehicles and buildings.

The latest forecast storm track has Harvey looping back towards the Gulf of Mexico coast before meandering north again on Tuesday.

Nearly 25cm of rain had already fallen in a few areas in southeastern Texas, the centre said. Flash floods have already hit some areas, the National Weather Service said.

As many as six million people were believed to be in Harveys path, as is the heart of the United States oil-refining operations.

The seaside town of Rockport, 48km north of the city of Corpus Christi, was hit hard.

Several homes had collapsed and many more buildings suffered damage. Roofs had been ripped off some and windows blown in.

Streets were flooded and strewn with power lines and debris. At a recreational vehicle sales lot, a dozen automobile homes were flipped over and one had been blown into the middle of the road.

While thousands fled the expected devastating flooding and destruction, many residents stayed put in imperilled towns and stocked up on food, fuel and sandbags.

It was terrible, resident Joel Valdez, 57, told Reuters news agency. The storm ripped part of the roof from his trailer home. I could feel the whole house move.

Valdez said he stayed through the storm to look after his animals.

I have these miniature donkeys and I dont know where they are, he said, sitting in a Jeep with windows smashed by the storm.

Resident Frank Cook, 56, also stayed through the hurricane.

If you have something left of your house, youre lucky, he said, surveying the damage from his vehicle.

Before the storm hit, Rockports mayor told anyone staying behind to write their names on their arms for identification purposes  in case of death or serious injury.

The coastal city of Port Lavaca, farther north on the coast, had no power and some streets were flooded.

There is so much tree damage and debris that the cost of cleanup will be enormous, Mayor Jack Whitlow said after touring the city earlier Saturday.

The hurricane came ashore near Port Lavaca late on Friday with maximum winds of 209 km/h.

That made it a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, the second-highest category and the most powerful storm in more than a decade to hit the mainland United States.

The streets of Corpus Christi, which has about 320,000 residents, were deserted with billboards twisted and strong winds still blowing.

City authorities asked residents to reduce their use of toilets and faucets because power outages left waste water plants unable to treat sewage.

The city also asked residents to boil water before consumption.
Unprecedented flooding may be the result of this slow-moving tropical cyclone, fed by the overly warm Gulf of Mexico.

What made this hurricane so potentially dangerous?

Longevity, in a word. Hurricane Harvey is forecast to stay in the area for as long as four days. It will decline in wind strength so it will stop being called a hurricane by Sunday, but the wind is not the main story.

Tropical cyclones are classified by wind strength, progressively named depression, storm, and then hurricane as the wind power increases. At all stages, they produce vast amounts of rain. Even if they pass through they can leave 300mm of rain in a few hours.

Harvey isnt moving much at all now so will produce heavy rain in the same place for days on end. Forecast models give the highest figure of about 400mm of rain in Texas Hill Country, west of Austin, and as far away as southwest and central Louisiana. As much as 1,000mm is forecast for the coastal lands east of Harveys centre (the city of Victoria).



More than 450,000 Harvey disaster victims expected to file for aid

These rainfall figures may be on the low side  the city of Victoria has already reported 417mm collected in the last 24 hours.

In Harveys case there has been a lack of steering winds. Consequently Harvey has been travelling at little more than walking pace for several days. That, combined with its close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico, has allowed torrential rain to fall in the same parts of Texas for almost five days.

Why all this talk about storm surge?

Hurricanes are like a hole in the atmosphere. Think of the views as seen from space. In the middle, air pressure is much lower than the atmospheric norm.

Harvey dropped down to below 940mb and this creates an imitation vacuum cleaner. Water tries to fill from below, so effectively a hurricane pulls a dome of water with it. In addition, persistent wind piles up the water on one side of a hurricane, in this case, the eastern side.

The resultant storm surge has already been measured at two metres above normal high tide at Port Lavaca. If you add waves on top of that at high tide, you create a threatening wall of water that is virtually unstoppable.

These are reasons why levees have been built along the southern coasts, but prolonged or repeated water pressure and insufficient maintenance can breach levees. In the case of this part of the Texas coast, there is an outer barrier island with entrances to inner lagoons. The land beyond is naturally low-lying. This is obviously prone to flooding and very slow to drain.

Now that as much of one metre of rain has fallen in the Houston area, the concern is how that rainwater will find its way back into the water table.



Thousands seek shelter from floods after Harvey

Two reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, are used for temporary water storage. These were emptied in advance of Harvey, but they now stand at record levels.

It is a similar story at Buffalo Bayou, which flows from the reservoirs into downtown Houston. Record levels are putting pressure on the earthen dams that are more than 70 years old.

This is why the National Weather Service continues to warn of catastrophic and life threatening flooding in southeastern Texas and southwestern Louisiana.

When will it be over?

The flooding from Harvey is expected to continue for at least another 48 hours. Harvey will track towards the northeast, taking it across the Louisiana border during Wednesday. By the time Harvey crosses the border with Arkansas on Wednesday night it will probably have lost enough energy to be downgraded as a tropical depression.

Harvey will continue to break up during Friday and Saturday, but it could still cause some less serious flooding as far north as Illinois and Indiana.

Where did it come from?

Africa. Most Atlantic hurricanes start with a cluster of thunderstorms in tropical Africa. Just like the system that brought the deadly landslide to Freetown, Sierra Leone. Then, there is a long track across the warm tropical Atlantic waters. As long as water temperatures are above 27C, then when the storm cluster encounters the right atmospheric conditions, it will start to revolve and intensify.



Harvey forces 30,000 people to evacuate in Texas

Harvey did just this and encountered its first land in Barbados a week ago. On August 18, it crossed the island as a tropical storm. It then lost its identity, followed the breeze as a cluster of storms, crossed the Yucatan Peninsula, and emerged into the Gulf of Campeche.

All this time it had been watched by forecasters with an expectation of redevelopment. That is just what happened. The Gulf of Mexico is warm  water temperatures of 29C near Campeche, Mexico and higher off the Texan coast.

Harvey quickly became a tropical storm, then a hurricane. It was steered towards the coast of Texas and strengthened more. The winds in the upper atmosphere were light so didnt tear the hurricane apart.

Although Harvey has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, this has made little difference to its rain-making potential. Its current slow loop over the adjacent waters of the Gulf of Mexico has allowed Harvey to develop more thunderstorms, and to increase the water content of the storm system.

Can Harvey be linked to climate change?

A definitive answer to that question will probably have to wait for months of detailed analysis of Henry, but it seems likely that there is such a link.

IN PICTURES: Harvey causes havoc in Texas

Harvey was the first hurricane to form in that part of the Gulf of Mexico. It did so because the waters of the Gulf of Mexico were exceptionally warm.

Sea surface temperatures were several degrees Celsius above the long-term average. A hurricane will feed off these warm waters, but Harvey had the benefit of warm water all the way down to 300 metres below the surface.

The lack of winds to propel Harvey in the Gulf of is the result of an expansion of the sub-tropical high pressure belt.

This is all consistent with anthropogenic [human-induced] climate change.

To cap it all, the moisture available to storm systems such as Harvey is approximately one third greater because of that climate change.

With files from Wunderground.com
Iraqi troops dislodge ISIL from 70 percent of the city, a stronghold of the armed group, with French artillery support.

Iraqi forces said they have dislodged ISIL from the majority of Tal Afar, a stronghold of the fighters in northwest Iraq.

The offensive on Tal Afar, which lies on the supply route between Syria and the former ISIL group stronghold of Mosul, began on August 20.

Seventy percent of the city has been liberated  God willing, the remaining part will be liberated soon, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said at a news conference on Saturday alongside his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and French Defence Minister Florence Parly, in Baghdad.

France deployed artillery as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group, according to Parly.

READ MORE: The battle for Mosul is almost over. What next?

Iraqi troops liberated the citadel neighbourhood  and raised the Iraqi flag on top of the citadel building, a statement from the Iraqi joint operations command said.

Al Jazeeras Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Erbil, said the soldiers were inching closer to victory as the city is surrounded by Iraqi government forces and allied militia.





The soldiers are in high spirits and they feel that within hours they will be able to take the whole city, he said

But the security forces were surprised they did not face the kind of resistance they expected from ISIL fighters.

One of the reasons of that maybe because the groups back has been broken  the [Iraqi] forces have been surrounding and besieging Tal Afar for months, cutting supply routes.

The city, located 80km west of Mosul, has produced some of ISILs most senior commanders.

Tal Afar experienced cycles of violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims after the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Up to 2,000 fighters remain in the city, according to US and Iraqi military commanders.

The battle has gone much more quickly than expected. Cased on the experience of Mosul, we thought getting to the centre of Tal Afar would be a harder fight, Matthew Glanville, former special adviser to the governor of Anbar province, told Al Jazeera.

That said, ISIL has a history of allowing Iraqi forces in certain urban areas and then counterattacking. So we should look for surprise ISIL offensives, probably on the edge of Tal Afar, to distract and disorient the Iraqi forces.

Civilian suffering

Waves of residents began fleeing the city weeks before the battle started.

Those remaining are threatened with death by ISIL fighters who have held a tight grip on the city since 2014, according to aid organisations and residents who managed to escape.

On Tuesday, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said those who had fled were suffering from dehydration and exhaustion, having lived off unclean water and bread for three to four months.

People arrived at camps for the displaced with wounds from sniper fire and mine explosions.

READ MORE: What life is like for Iraqis fleeing violence in Mosul

The spiritual leader of Iraqs Shia majority has called on doctors to help civilians fleeing clashes.

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani said medical workers should travel to areas around the battle for Tal Afar to help to treat the wounded and treat them as a humanitarian, national and religious duty.

Elsewhere, Iraqi military investigators said on Friday that they have discovered two mass graves near a former ISIL prison outside Mosul that contains the bodies of 500 victims.
American journalist, who has worked with Al Jazeera, was embedded with rebel forces when fighting broke out.

At least 19 people have been killed in South Sudan, including an American freelance journalist, after fighting broke out between government troops and rebel forces in the southern part of the country, rebel leaders and the military said.

Christopher Allen, who worked with various news outlets, including Al Jazeera in the past, was killed in heavy fighting in the town of Kaya in Yei River State on Saturday.

On the ground, about 16 [bodies] have been found around the defensive position of the SPLA including this white man, military spokesman Santo Domic Chol told Reuters news agency, referring to the SPLA national army.

Three government soldiers were also killed, he said.

READ MORE: The work of Christopher Allen

Rebel forces identified the man found as Allen, who had embedded with them for the past week, along with two other journalists.

We are sad for his family. He came here to tell our story, one rebel fighter, who asked not to be named, said.

He added that Allen had been in the middle of the fighting and wearing a jacket marked PRESS.

The US embassy in the country confirmed that Allen had been killed and that his family had been notified.

RIP Christopher Allen. Thankful for all journalists, South Sudanese and expats, dedicated to covering atrocities occurring in . Stay safe https://t.co/cxOWarFEf2  Dominic Lucero (@DominicFLucero) August 26, 2017

After gaining independence from Sudan in 2011, South Sudan descended into war in December 2013, pitting President Salva Kiirs troops against those or rebel leader and former Vice President Riek Machar.

A peace accord was signed in August 2015 and Machar returned to the capital in April last year to share power with Kiir, before the deal fell apart less than three months later and Machar and his supporters fled the capital.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed and more than 3.5 million have been displaced since the conflict began.

The war has created what has been called the worlds fastest-growing refugee crisis and both sides of the conflict have been accused of abuses.
Bangladeshi border guards say troops fired mortars and machine guns at Rohingya civilians trying to escape bloodshed.

Myanmar soldiers opened fire on fleeing Rohingya civilians  mostly women and children  as they attempted to cross the border into Bangladesh and escape surging violence.

On Saturday, an AFP news agency reporter at Bangladeshs Ghumdhum border post counted more than a dozen mortar shells and countless machine-gun rounds fired by Myanmar security forces in nearby hills onto a large group of Rohingya desperately trying to cross.

It was not immediately clear if any were hit, but the civilians scattered to evade the barrage.

They have fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the zero line, Border Guard Bangladeshs (BGB) station chief Manzurul Hassan Khan confirmed.

They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targeting the civilians. They have not consulted with the BGB, he added.

Anita Schug of the European Rohingya Council, speaking from the Swiss city of Solothurn, told Al Jazeera her organisation could verify the report.

We have videos from the ground and we can share them if requested confirming that this news is true, she said.

Burmese military together with the Rakhine extremists armed with knives, swords, machetes and guns are attacking the Rohingya innocent civilians who are not armed at all.

Thousands trapped

Thousands of Rohingya Muslims escaping violence in Myanmar were trapped at the border with Bangladesh as new fighting erupted in restive Rakhine state.

Clashes began on Friday between security forces and Rohingya rebels leaving at least 92 people dead, including 12 soldiers, forcing civilians to flee.

Many Rohingya people are trying to enter the country, but we have a zero tolerance policy  no one will be allowed, Mohammad Ali Hossain, deputy commissioner of Coxs Bazar district near the Myanmar border, told Reuters news agency.

Later on Saturday, Mohammad Nur  a Rohingya leader at an unregistered camp in Coxs Bazar  told the AP news agency by phone he heard about 100,000 Rohingya had gathered along the border to try to enter Bangladesh. That figure could not be confirmed.

Gunfire rang out across the northern part of Rakhine state on Saturday as clashes between the two sides continued.

WATCH: Rohingya  the silent abuse (45:33)

Bangladeshi officials regularly advocate a tough approach to refugees in official interviews, but typically end up letting them through.

An AFP reporter at the scene said hundreds of Rohingya made it across the porous border early on Saturday when border patrols were relaxed because of heavy rain, with some swimming across the Naf river.

An emergency ward doctor said two Rohingya men who had been shot in Myanmar entered Bangladesh and were taken to a hospital.

One of them, aged 25, died hours after he was admitted here, the doctor said on condition of anonymity.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees are already in Bangladesh and 87,000 have arrived since October 2016, after an attack by rebels killed nine security forces and resulted in a major crackdown in Rakhine state.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmars de facto leader, strongly condemned Fridays brutal attacks by terrorists on security forces in Rakhine state.

I would like to commend the members of the police and security forces who have acted with great courage in the face of many challenges, Aung San Suu Kyi said.

The government said it had evacuated officials, teachers, and hundreds of non-Rohingya villagers to army bases and police stations.

The focal point of Fridays unrest was Rathedaung township. The area has seen a heavy build-up of troops in recent weeks, with reports filtering out of killings by shadowy groups, army-blockaded villages, and abuses.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claimed responsibility for Fridays attacks in a Twitter post, but did not mention casualty figures or how many fighters were involved.

ARSA, accusing the Myanmar forces of killings and rape, said on Friday it was taking defensive actions in more than 25 different locations.

READ MORE: Commission urges Myanmar to end Rohingya restrictions

The government has declared the group a terrorist organisation.

Observers worry the latest attacks will prompt an even more aggressive army response and trigger communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhist ethnic Rakhines.

25 Aug attack in N Rakine utmost concern! Violence must stop in Rakhine. Heartfelt sorrow 4 deaths. Beg all sides 2 take restraint! Everyone! Yanghee Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said on Twitter.

The Rohingya Muslims are denied citizenship in Myanmar and are classified as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite claiming roots in the region that go back centuries.

About 1.1 million Rohingya live in Myanmar.

The mistreatment of the Rohingya Muslims, often described as the worlds most persecuted minority, has emerged as Myanmars most contentious human rights issue as it makes a transition from decades of military rule.
US military officials say three North Korean short range ballistic missiles failed, in first known launches since July.

Three North Korea short range ballistic missiles failed on Saturday, a temporary blow to Pyongyangs rapid nuclear and missile expansion, US military officials said.

The US Pacific Command said in a statement that two of North Koreas missiles failed in flight after an unspecified distance, and another appeared to have blown up immediately.

It added that the missile posed no threat to the US territory of Guam, which North Korea had previously warned it would fire missiles towards.

Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said that that the projectiles were fired from North Koreas eastern coast at around 6:49am on Saturday (22:19 GMT on Friday) and flew about 250km, though it did not mention any failures.

OPINION: Should you be worried about North Korea?

South Koreas presidential office held a national security council meeting to discuss the missiles, which are the first known launches since July, when North Korea successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the US mainland when perfected.

The rival Koreas recently saw their always testy relationship worsen after Pyongyang and US President Donald Trump traded warlike threats. Trump warned that he would unleash fire and fury if North Korea continued its threats.





The latest launch comes during an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that North Korea condemns as an invasion rehearsal, and weeks after Pyongyang threatened to fire missiles towards Guam.

Al Jazeeras Step Vaessen, reporting from Seoul, said that investigations were still ongoing to determine exactly what kind of projectile had been launched.

But of course its definitely being seen as a response to this very controversial military exercise happening here in South Korea at the moment, she said.

North Koreas state media earlier on Saturday said that leader Kim Jong-un inspected a special operation forces training of the countrys army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing US-South Korea war games.

Kim reportedly told his troops that they should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency said that the target striking contest involved warplanes, multiple-rocket launchers and self-propelled guns that attacked targets meant to represent South Koreas Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands before special operation combatants landed by surprise on rubber boats.

The border islands have occasionally seen military skirmishes between the rivals, including a North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong in 2010 that left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.
Sanaa air raid that killed 14 civilians, including young children, was a technical mistake, alliance says.

The Saudi-led military coalition took responsibility on Saturday for an air raid conducted a day earlier in Yemens capital Sanaa that killed 14 civilians, including several children.

A technical mistake was behind the accident, said the alliance in a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency.





Colonel Turki al-Malki, the coalition spokesman, said the alliance regrets the collateral damage caused by this involuntary accident and offers its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

The coalition accused Houthis of setting up a command and communications centre in the middle of this residential area to use civilians as human shields.

The attack came just two days after at least 35 people died in a series of attacks on Sanaa and a nearby hotel that rebels also blamed on the coalition.

Fridays air attack that toppled residential blocks in southern Sanaas Faj Attan neighbourhood was the latest in a wave of deadly raids on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the Saudi-led alliance, drawing strong international condemnation.

The area has been controlled by Houthi fighters since 2014.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday condemned the raid as outrageous.

Lynn Maalouf, the Middle East research director of Amnesty International, said the coalition rained down bombs on civilians while they slept.

She called in a statement for the United Nations to take action against Saudi Arabia over the list of civilian facilities struck in deadly air raids over the past two years.

READ MORE: Saudi Arabias war in Yemen a strategic failure

The UN says the alliance was probably also responsible for a July attack on the southwestern Taiz province that killed 20 people, also including children.

In the week from August 17 to August 24, 58 civilians have been killed, including 42 by the Saudi-led coalition, Liz Throssell, UN human rights office spokeswoman, told reporters on Friday in the Swiss city of Geneva.

SAM condemns the airstrikes that target civilians in #Yemen by Arab Coalition airstrikeshttps://t.co/AD847cKt08 pic.twitter.com/EjokYAgVIY  SAM Organization (@SAM4rights) August 26, 2017

The coalition entered Yemens war in 2015 in support of the government against Houthi rebels, who seized Sanaa the previous year after forming a fragile alliance with troops loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The World Health Organization estimates nearly 8,400 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led alliance intervened.

Separately on Saturday, a coalition of civil society groups in Yemen called on the UN to establish an international independent and joint commission for investigating alleged human rights violations and abuses inside the country.

Yemen also faces a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed about 2,000 lives and affected more than a half-million people since late April.
Differences put aside as half-a-million people join major rally against violence following deadly attacks last week.

About 500,000 people have marched in Barcelona in a huge public rejection of violence following a recent deadly attack in the Spanish city, chanting: Im not afraid.

Spains central, regional and local authorities tried to send an image of unity on Saturday by walking behind emergency workers, taxi drivers, police and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the attack on August 17 in Barcelonas Las Ramblas boulevard.

In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI joined a public demonstration, along with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other Spanish and Catalan regional officials.

The lead marchers carried a street-wide banner with black capital letters reading No Tinc Por, which means Im not afraid in the local Catalan language.

READ MORE  Barbaric act  World reacts to Barcelona attack

Medical authorities said on Saturday that 22 people wounded in the attacks are still being treated in hospitals. Six of them remain in critical condition.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group claimed the vehicle attacks in Barcelona and hours later in the coastal town of Cambrils that left 15 dead and more than 120 wounded.

The investigation into the ISIL (also known as ISIS) cell behind the attacks has shown the group planned even more deadly carnage, but accidentally blew up a house in Alcanar where bombs were being built and gas tanks stored.

Eight suspects are dead, two are jailed on preliminary charges, and two more were freed by a judge but will remain under investigation.

In the northeastern town of Ripoll, home for many of the attackers, members of the local Muslim community and other residents gathered on Saturday in a central square to condemn the deadly attacks.

Located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, the town is where most suspects came under the influence of a radical imam, investigators say.
United States Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. ASHRAF MOHAMED, Petitioner v. ATTORNEY GENERAL UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Respondent Nos. 16-1435 Decided: August 24, 2017

Before: VANASKIE, KRAUSE, and RESTREPO, Circuit Judges Clifton S. Elgarten Crowell & Moring 1001 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20004 James E. KellettJared A. Levine [ARGUED] Crowell & Moring 590 Madison Avenue 20th Floor New York, NY 10022 Vahe Mesropyan Crowell & Moring 3 Park Plaza 20th Floor Irvine, CA 92614 Counsel for Petitioner Nancy E. Friedman, Senior Litigation Counsel Justin Markel, Senior Litigation Counsel Benjamin C. Mizer, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gregory A. Pennington, Jr. [ARGUED] Benjamin Zeitlin United States Department of Justice Office of Immigration Litigation P.O. Box 878 Ben Franklin Station Washington, DC 20044 Counsel for Respondent

OPINION*

Ashraf Mohamed, a native and citizen of Guyana, petitions for review of decisions by the Board of Immigration Appeals ordering his removal and denying his motion to reopen proceedings. Although we either lack jurisdiction or find no basis to grant relief on the issues raised in the petition for review of the removal order, we conclude the Board erred in its analysis of the motion to reopen, so we will remand for further proceedings on that motion.

I. Background

Mohamed was born in a small, religious community in Guyana which, he contends, he was forced to flee in 2001 after neighbors attacked and threatened him for being bisexual. He entered the United States using a visa issued in another name and was later detained and placed in removal proceedings. Mohamed, proceeding pro se, reported at a preliminary hearing that gang members in Guyana had caught him with another man, jumped him, and told him that if he did not leave Guyana, they would burn [his] house down with [him] inside. JA 6768. He then submitted a written application for asylum, withholding of removal, and protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), in which he further reported that he was constantly abused and beaten [i]n [his] home town and constantly threaten[ed], including one instance in which he had been beaten so bad [he] almost died. JA 47.

At an individual hearing, the Immigration Judge (IJ) instructed Mohamed: [T]his is your opportunity to talk to me and tell me everything you want me to know about why you should be granted your claim for the protection based on your fear of being persecuted or tortured if you go back to Guyana. JA 12021. Mohamed gave a short statement, again reporting that he left Guyana because after he got caught  having sex with another man, that the man's family  tried to hurt [him], and that [t]he Muslim community  told [him] to leave. JA 121. The IJ asked no follow-up questions, but later issued an oral decision denying Mohamed's applications and ordering his removal to Guyana. She specifically held that Mohamed's application for asylum was untimely filed and he failed to establish any extraordinary circumstance for delay, JA 35; that Mohamed failed to establish he was the victim of past persecution, which would have trigger[ed] a rebuttable presumption of a well-founded fear of future persecution, Lukwago v. Ashcroft, 329 F.3d 157, 174 (3d Cir. 2003) (citing 8 C.F.R.  208.13(b)(1)), because he reported only a single incident of a bad beating and no evidence that he required significant medical attention, JA 36; and that Mohamed did not show the Guyanese government would consent or acquiesce in any future attacks.

Mohamed appealed to the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), which held that the IJ correctly denied asylum as untimely and correctly concluded that Mohamed did not demonstrate injuries severe enough to support a finding of past persecution. However, the BIA said it was nevertheless unable to determine from the record whether Mohamed was likely to be subject to future persecution, so it remanded for the IJ to conduct further fact-finding and legal analysis and directed the IJ to clarify her credibility finding. JA 13. On remand, the case was reassigned to a different IJ, who, without eliciting any additional testimony from Mohamed, issued a decision finding Mohamed to be partially credible on the ground that the testimony he had given at the individual hearing before the original IJ was somewhat unclear and inconsistent. JA 18.

Mohamed again appealed to the BIA, this time raising additional arguments that the IJs violated his due process rights by failing to develop the record, that the credibility finding was erroneous, and that Mohamed's illiteracy presented a circumstance justifying his delay in filing for asylum. AR 680-90. The BIA issued a 1.5page opinion again affirming the removal order and holding that there was no due process violation because the IJ adequately explained the hearing, that Mohamed failed to meet his burden of demonstrating a likelihood of persecution even if he testified credibly, and that it need not revisit its earlier review of the timeliness question. JA 78. With the assistance of pro bono counsel, Mohamed filed a timely motion to reopen removal proceedings, to which he attached a detailed and sworn affidavit providing more details about attacks he suffered in Guyana and his fear of return. The BIA again wrote a 1.5-page opinion denying the motion, holding that Mohamed failed to show that the new evidence sought to be submitted would alter the outcome of this case. JA 2. These timely petitions for review followed and were consolidated before this Court.

II. Discussion

Mohamed now argues that the BIA wrongly concluded he failed to demonstrate past persecution in Guyana, that the BIA should have excused his failure to file for asylum within one year of entry, and that the IJs failed to provide him with procedural due process. In the alternative, he argues that the BIA erred in its analysis of the evidence he submitted in support of his motion to reopen proceedings. The Government counters that jurisdiction is lacking here. We agree that we do not have jurisdiction to consider Mohamed's first two arguments. We therefore begin with a discussion of our jurisdiction over these claims, before moving on to address the merits of Mohamed's arguments as to due process and the motion to reopen.

A. Jurisdiction

The BIA had authority to review Mohamed's appeals and motion to reopen under 8 C.F.R.  1003.1(b)(3) and  1003.2(c). We generally have jurisdiction over petitions for review of BIA orders under 8 U.S.C.  1252(a), but this statute also contains several jurisdiction-stripping provisions that prevent us from reviewing Mohamed's arguments as to the sufficiency of the evidence and the timeliness of his asylum application.

First, Mohamed argues he provided testimony and submissions  sufficient to establish past persecution and raise a presumption of future persecution, and given that the government never rebutted that presumption, the BIA should have concluded the evidence adduced in his hearings was sufficient to establish his claim for withholding of removal. Pet'r's Br. 31. However, because Mohamed was charged as removable under 8 U.S.C.  1182(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) for being convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude, the statute withdraws our jurisdiction to review the removal order unless his petition presents constitutional claims or questions of law. 8 U.S.C.  1252(a)(2)(C);  1252(a)(2)(D). Mohamed asserts he is challenging the IJ's application of a legal standard, and thus presenting an issue preserved for our review, but this argument essentially asks us to review the sufficiency of the disputed evidence he produced in support of his application and conclude that he met his burden of demonstrating past persecution. See Patel v. Att'y Gen., 619 F.3d 230, 233 (3d Cir. 2010). We are without jurisdiction to make this factual assessment. See id.; Green v. Att'y Gen., 694 F.3d 503, 507 (3d Cir. 2012); Alaka v. Att'y Gen. 456 F.3d 88, 103 (3d Cir. 2006).

Second, Mohamed argues that the BIA erred in affirming the IJ's conclusion that he was ineligible for asylum on the basis of his untimely filing and urges us to remand for consideration of whether his illiteracy presents a sufficient circumstance justifying the delay. However, we do not have jurisdiction to consider an issue that was not exhausted before the agency. Lin v. Att'y Gen., 543 F.3d 114, 120 (3d Cir. 2008). Mohamed indicated on his written application for asylum that he would explain in person why he was applying more than one year after entry, JA 50, but he did not do so at his hearing, nor did he challenge the IJ's timeliness analysis on his first appeal. Even if we were to regard Mohamed's mention of the issue on his second appeal as sufficiently presenting the issue for reviewdespite the BIA's conclusion that it was waivedour review of this issue is likewise limited to constitutional claims or questions of law. 8 U.S.C.  1158(a)(3); Sukwanputra v. Gonzales, 434 F.3d 627, 634 (3d Cir. 2006). Mohamed again casts his argument as a legal one by pointing out that the BIA's observation in its first opinion that he did not claim any exceptional circumstances for his delay in filing, JA 12 (emphasis added), appears to impose a higher standard than the extraordinary one required by statute. Compare 8 U.S.C.  1229a(e)(1), with 8 U.S.C.  1158(a)(2)(D), and 8 C.F.R.  208.4(a)(5). However, given that the BIA both stated the correct extraordinary standard earlier in its opinion and relied on the IJ's opinion applying the correct standard, and given that Mohamed provided no evidence to the IJ or BIA capable of satisfying either standard, this claim lacks merit. See Voci v. Gonzales, 409 F.3d 607, 612 (3d Cir. 2005); Tariq v. Keisler, 505 F.3d 650, 656 (7th Cir. 2007). Any reference to the wrong standard is therefore harmless, see Li Hua Yuan v. Att'y Gen., 642 F.3d 420, 427 (3d Cir. 2011), and remand is unnecessary, see NLRB v. WymanGordon Co., 394 U.S. 759, 766 n.6 (1969).

We conclude, however, that we have jurisdiction over Mohamed's remaining arguments, and we will proceed to address our jurisdiction and the merits of these claims below.

B. Due Process

Mohamed petitions for review of his removal order on the basis that the IJ violated his due process rights by failing to question him and develop [his] testimony with respect to any facts that might be dispositive of his claims. Pet'r's Br. 39. We have jurisdiction to consider such a constitutional claim, 8 U.S.C.  1252(a)(2)(D), and our review is plenary, Abdulrahman v. Ashcroft, 330 F.3d 587, 59596 (3d Cir. 2003), but we nevertheless conclude that Mohamed is not entitled to the relief he seeks.

The Fifth Amendment guarantees applicants who are seeking to forestall or terminate removal proceedings an opportunity to be heard at a meaningful time and in a meaningful manner. Dia v. Ashcroft, 353 F.3d 228, 239 (3d Cir. 2003) (quoting Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319, 333 (1976)). We have recognized that this right may be violated when an IJ has deprived a petitioner of the opportunity to make arguments on his behalf through obstructive behavior or intimidation, see Serrano-Alberto v. Att'y Gen., 859 F.3d 208, 22125 (3d Cir. 2017) (discussing cases), and, conversely, that it generally is not violated when an IJ has not obstruct[ed] or denigrate[ed] [the petitioner's] testimony and interjected only to allow [the petitioner] to clarify inconsistent responses or to give him the opportunity to respond in further detail, Abdulrahman, 330 F.3d at 497.

This case presents a close question. Although the Government now points to testimony Mohamed provided at preliminary hearings as proof that he was afforded ample opportunity to testify, we find that argument troubling given that the IJ responded to Mohamed's attempts to provide details of his fear of persecution at those hearings by cutting him off with comments like: Look, sir, I'm not hearing your claim today. This is not the day for me to hear the details of your fear in going back, sir. I'm going to set a hearing date for you to provide those details . But this is not that day. JA 94. In addition, after the BIA remanded for the explicit purpose of clarify[ing] [the] credibility finding and conducting further fact-finding regarding discrimination in Guyana, JA 13, the second IJwithout taking additional testimony or evidence or conducting a hearing at which he could observe Mohamed to make meaningful credibility findingsissued his opinion that included a finding that Mohamed was only partially credible at his original hearing before a different IJ, JA 18. The BIA later glossed over this error by assuming Mohamed's credibility, even though the Board itself thought credibility findings sufficiently important that it had remanded specifically for clarification on that point.

As we have noted, it is difficult for the Board and our Court to evaluate whether an IJ's findings are adequately supported by the evidence if the IJ does not elicit on the record those facts upon which she relies. See Senathirajah v. I.N.S., 157 F.3d 210, 220 (3d Cir. 1998). And as the BIA itself has observed, full examination of an applicant [is] an essential aspect of the asylum adjudication process for reasons related to fairness to the parties and to the integrity of the asylum process itself. Matter of Fefe, 20 I & N Dec. 116, 118 (BIA 1989); see also In re S-M-J-, 21 I. & N. Dec. 722, 72326 (BIA 1997). The importance of that full examination is all the more apparent when considering the difficulties faced by a pro se applicant with little or no reading skills who was forced to seek help from his fellow detainees in a facility where he had already been assaulted, collect evidence and seek testimony while detained, and present his case via videoconference.

Disturbing as we find the circumstances here, however, we cannot say, considering the proceedings as a whole, that they are sufficiently egregious to conclude Mohamed's procedural due process rights were violated. Serrano-Alberto, 859 F.3d at 223. In reaching this conclusion, we note that the IJ assisted Mohamed in ascertaining whether he may be eligible for any forms of relief and then provided him with an unimpeded opportunity to present supporting evidence at an individual hearing, and that Mohamed declined to provide further evidence when answering the Government's questions during that hearing. No doubt there are other steps the IJ could have taken to develop the record more fully, mitigating concerns about the extent of process afforded to Mohamed and facilitating review by both the BIA and this Court, but we have not held that an IJ is constitutionally obligated to affirmatively assist a litigant in developing the record, Serrano-Alberto, 859 F.3d at 224 n.8. Moreover, given our disposition of Mohamed's motion to reopen, to which we now turn, the BIA will have the opportunity to ensure that Mohamed receives the full examination and fair process to which he is entitled on remand.

For all of these reasons, we will deny Mohamed's petition for review of the order of removal.

C. Motion to Reopen

In the alternative, Mohamed argues that the BIA erred in failing to meaningfully consider the evidence he submitted in support of his motion to reopen proceedings and incorrectly concluded the evidence was not sufficiently material. Pt'r's Br. 51. Given the BIA's conclusory review of the motion and evidence submitted in support thereof, we will remand to allow the BIA to conduct a more thorough review and to better articulate its legal conclusions.

A motion to reopen will only be granted if it appears to the Board that evidence sought to be offered is material and was not available and could not have been discovered or presented at the former hearing, 8 C.F.R.  1003.2(c)(1); see also 8 U.S.C.  1229a(c)(7), and we review a denial of such a motion under a deferential abuse-of-discretion standard, I.N.S. v. Doherty, 502 U.S. 314, 323 (1992). The BIA's stated basis for denying the motion in this case was that Mohamed's statement and new evidence submitted in support of reopening would not alter the outcome of this case because this information was already reflected in the Immigration Judge's decision. JA 23. As with the challenges to the removal order discussed above, we lack jurisdiction to review a denial of a motion to reopen, except to the extent that it raises constitutional claims or questions of law, Cruz v. Att'y Gen., 452 F.3d 240, 247 (3d Cir. 2006), but whether the evidence sought to be offered is material, 8 C.F.R.  1003.2(c)(1), is a mixed question of law and fact, and we therefore retain jurisdiction to review Mohamed's challenge to the legal standard of materiality applied by the Board, see Myrie v. Att'y Gen., 855 F.3d 509, 516 (3d Cir. 2017); Yusupov v. Att'y Gen., 650 F.3d 968, 979 (3d Cir. 2011); Kamara v. Att'y Gen., 420 F.3d 202, 211, 213 (3d Cir. 2005).

On the merits, however, the BIA's cursory opinion frustrates our ability to reach any conclusion on this issue. Cruz, 452 F.3d at 248. The BIA has a duty to explicitly consider any  evidence submitted by an applicant that materially bears on his claim, Zheng v. Att'y Gen., 549 F.3d 260, 268 (3d Cir. 2008), and it must provide an indication that it considered such evidence, and if the evidence is rejected, an explanation as to why it was rejected, Zhu v. Att'y Gen., 744 F.3d 268, 272 (3d Cir. 2014); see also Shardar v. Att'y Gen., 503 F.3d 308, 315 (3d Cir. 2007). Here, the BIA has not sufficiently articulated the facts it considered or its reasoning for reaching the conclusion that such facts would not alter the outcome of this case. JA 2. The BIA's opinion describes the submission as presenting new evidence and yet fails to recognize that the affidavit describes many new events and details that were not presented to the IJ and therefore could not be reflected in the Immigration Judge's decision. JA 2-3. Specifically, in addition to describing the incident where Mohamed was beaten after being caught with another man, which he mentioned at his removal hearing, the affidavit describes an event that occurred two nights later in which he was again beaten and threatened, as well as an event in which a group Mohamed describes as the Phantom Squad, a gang of off-duty and former police officers that engage in vigilante justice, by beat[ing] and even kill[ing] bisexual and homosexual people, attacked him and threatened to kill him. JA 59. He avers that these attacks resulted in injuriessome of which are visible and thus verifiablelike scars, broken bones, and memory problems, and he provided more details about his fear of reporting the events to the police in Guyana and his involvement in the gay community since moving to the United States. These details concern facts essential to the claim that the IJ previously said were lacking, like the extent of his past persecution, the severity of his injuries, the involvement of official authorities, and his identity as a Muslim bisexual. JA 39. The BIA opinion does not meaningfully engage with the question of whether the additional testimony about these details would lead an IJ to conclude that Mohamed is likely to be subjected to persecution or torture, and therefore the Board's conclusory review of this issue was an abuse of discretion. See Shardar, 503 F.3d at 31516.

Given our uncertainty about the BIA's analysis, [w]e must give the BIA the opportunity to clarify its opinion. Cruz, 452 F.3d at 248; see also Pareja v. Att'y Gen., 615 F.3d 180, 19697 (3d Cir. 2010). We therefore remand for the BIA, in light of the above-referenced concerns, to provide a more complete review of the motion to reopen and to reconsider whether to exercise is discretion to reopen the proceedings.

III. Conclusion

For the foregoing reasons, we will deny the petition for review of the order of removal, but grant the petition for review of the order denying the motion to reopen and remand to the BIA for proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FOOTNOTES

. To qualify for asylum, Mohamed was required to apply within one year of arriving in the United States, 8 U.S.C.  1158(a)(2)(B), and demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution in Guyana on account of [his]  membership in a particular social group, 8 U.S.C.  1101(a)(42)(A). Asylum applications also constitute simultaneous applications for mandatory withholding of removal, 8 C.F.R.  208.3(b), which does not impose a one-year filing deadline but does require a higher burdena clear probability of persecutionto merit protection. Kaita v. Att'y Gen., 522 F.3d 288, 296 (3d Cir. 2008) (internal quotation marks omitted). Finally, to qualify for CAT protection, Mohamed was required to show that it is more likely than not that he  would be tortured, id. at 300 (internal quotation marks omitted), with the consent or acquiescence of a public official if returned to Guyana, id. (quoting 8 C.F.R.  208.18(a)(1)).

. We express our gratitude to Petitioner's pro bono counsel, Messrs. Elgarten, Kellet, Levine, and Mesropyan of Crowell & Moring for their excellent briefing and argument in this case. Lawyers who act pro bono fulfill the highest service that members of the bar can offer to indigent parties and to the legal profession.

KRAUSE, Circuit Judge
Reports suggest Yingluck may have fled to the Emirati city to escape a case which she believes is politically motivated.

Facing a possible 10-year jail term, former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled the country before a court verdict her supporters say was politically motivated, local media and officials said.

Yinglucks whereabouts were not immediately known on Saturday.

However, anonymous officials told Reuters news agency that she travelled by land to Cambodia then flew to Dubai to join her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra  another exiled former premier whose government, like hers, was toppled in a military coup.

READ MORE: Thailand  Deep divisions remain since 2014 military coup

An official of Yinglucks Pheu Thai party close to the Shinawatra family, meanwhile, told The Associated Press she was no longer in Thailand, without giving further details.

Yingluck, who became Thailands first female prime minister when her party swept elections in 2011, is accused of negligence in overseeing a money-losing rice subsidy programme. She has denied charges as politically motivated.

No-show

A verdict had been expected on Friday, as thousands of Yingluck supporters gathered outside the court and thousands of police stood guard.

But Yingluck never appeared.

A judge read out a statement saying her lawyers had informed the court she could not attend because of an earache.

The judge said the court did not believe the excuse, however, because no official medical verification was provided. He said a warrant would be issued for her arrest and postponed the trial until September 27.

Norrawit Larlaeng, Yinglucks lawyer, confirmed a warrant had been issued, but said he had no details on her whereabouts.

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the military chief who engineered the 2014 overthrow of Yinglucks government, also said he did not know where she was, and the government was looking for her.

If shes not guilty she should stay and fight the case, Prayuth said. If shes not here, what does that tell you? Will she still say that she didnt get justice?

READ MORE: Thailands revolving door elites

The long-awaited decision on Yinglucks fate has rekindled tensions in the divided nation, but the military remains firmly in charge.

The rice subsidies, promised to farmers during the 2011 election, helped Yinglucks party ascend to power. Critics say they were effectively a means of vote-buying, while Yingluck supporters welcomed them.

The rice subsidy plan Yingluck oversaw paid farmers about 50 percent more than they would have made on the world market.

The hope was to drive up prices by stockpiling the grain, but other Asian producers filled the void instead, knocking Thailand from its perch as the worlds leading rice exporter.

The current government, which is still trying to sell off the rice stockpiles, says Yinglucks administration lost as much as $17bn because it could not export at a price commensurate with what it had paid farmers.

If convicted, Yingluck has the right to appeal.
Mourners call for justice after 17-year-old was killed by police during bloodiest week of President Dutertes drug war.

More than 1,000 mourners attended a funeral procession in Manila for a high school student, whose killing last week by anti-drug officers has caused rare public outrage over the countrys war on drugs.

Crowds chanted for justice on Saturday in the Philippine capital in what became one of the biggest protests in the country against President Rodrigo Dutertes anti-drug drive.

Kian Loyd Delos Santos was dragged by plain-clothes policemen to a dark alley in northern Manila, before he was shot in the head and left next to a pigsty, according to witnesses whose accounts appeared to be backed up by CCTV footage.

The death of the 17-year-old has drawn domestic attention to allegations by activists that police have been systematically executing suspected users and dealers, a charge the authorities deny.

I came to support the family. I want justice for Kian and all victims  including my son, Katherine David, 35, whose 21-year-old son was shot dead by police with two other men in January.

READ MORE: Thousands demand end to killings in Dutertes drug war

Mourners carried placards reading, Stop the killings, Police, murderers and Justice for Kian as they marched for about five kilometres from a church near Delos Santos house to the cemetery where he was buried.

The parents and lawyers of Delos Santos filed a murder complaint against the three anti-narcotics policemen on Friday.

Kian was a very good son, Saldy Delos Santos said in a message at the last mass for his son. The entire community knew him as a good person  He was begging for his life They [the killers] probably have no heart.

Huge backlash on war on drugs

Richard Heydarian, political science professor from Manilas De La Salle University, said public anger had exploded because of Delos Santos young age.

This is a second coming of Dutertes war on drugs and what happened this time is not about the killing of a likely innocent person, but were talking about the minor who was killed, and the killing of the minor was caught on CCTV, he told Al Jazeera. That is why you see a huge backlash against the war on drugs.

Public support for the anti-drugs drive had until recently been strong.

The number one concern for people here is not against Duterte himself, but they feel like he is relying on the wrong agent, which is the national police of Philippines to wage this war, said Heydarian.

You cannot wage a holy war with unholy men, so what people want here is to clean up the police force and to make sure that within the police forces there is accountability and discipline.

Reporting from Manila, Al Jazeeras Jamela Alindogan said that there might be a chance that this case, out of the more than 10,000 drug-related killings, would be solved.

It remains to be seen whether this will change the approach of the president when it comes to his so-called war on drugs, she said, or if it even will lead to reform within the police institution in this country.

READ MORE: Philippine police dumping bodies of drug war victims

We march today to bring Kian to his final resting place and to support the call for justice for all victims of Dutertes fascist drug war, said Renato Reyes, secretary-general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation), said in a statement.

Bayan criticised the campaign for corrupting the police force through a system of quotas and financial rewards for police officers.





We call for accountability of the police officers directly involved in the killings as well as accountability of the commander-in-chief who sanctioned the killings, Reyes said.

Bloodiest week

Delos Santos was among more than 90 people killed in the bloodiest week in Dutertes anti-drug war since he took office on June 30, 2016.

The case has highlighted the allegations of abuse by police in the anti-drug war, in which at least 3,500 people have been killed over the last year.

Duterte has assured the public that police officers involved in Delos Santos death would go to jail if found guilty.

If it was really a rubout, they (police officers) have to answer for it. They have to go to jail. Im sorry, he said.

Duterte has vowed in the past to protect the police against legal cases filed against them.
Rights activists decry Trumps reversal of Obama-era decision to allow trans people to openly serve in the US military.

President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum that directs the US military to not accept transgender individuals as recruits and halts the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already under way.

The memo, released by the White House on Friday, laid out in more detail a ban on transgender individuals serving in the US armed forces that Trump announced via Twitter last month.

The announcement reversed a policy shift started under his predecessor, President Barack Obama.

In the memorandum, Trump directed the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to stop using government funds for sex-reassignment procedures unless it is necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun a course of treatment to reassign his or her sex.

The order requires Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to determine in the coming months how to handle transgender individuals currently serving in the military using criteria including military effectiveness and lethality, budget constraints and law.

READ MORE: Race in the US  Americas most persecuted?

A White House official who briefed reporters about the memo declined to specify whether transgender individuals who are currently active in the military could continue to serve based on such criteria.

The official said Trump decided the Obama administration had not identified a sufficient basis for changing what was then long-standing policy on transgender troops.

The memo called on Mattis to submit his plan on how to implement the changes by February 21 of next year.

Nothing less than a purge

Trumps decision appealed to some in his conservative political base while creating uncertainty for thousands of transgender service members, many of whom came out after the Pentagon said in 2016 it would allow transgender people to serve openly.

According to the National Centre for Transgender Equality, there are about 15,000 transgender people currently serving in the US military.

The change drew swift criticism from advocates of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.

The Presidents order to remove transgender service members from the United States armed forces and deny them healthcare is nothing less than a purge, Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, a group dedicated to LGBT equality in the military, said in a statement.

Jennifer Levi, an official at the gay rights group GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders), said that the US military is strongest when all people who are fit to serve have the opportunity to do so.

This unprecedented policy amounts to a purge of qualified, contributing troops, and will serve only to undermine unit cohesion and weaken military readiness.

Others online, including Chelsea Manning, a transgender army private who was jailed for one of the largest leaks of classified documents in US history, also criticised Trumps move, calling it a shameful and hateful.

dumped news, friday evening ?  this isnt about trans people or military, its about normalizing hate  #WeGotThis https://t.co/THBJBdyROA  Chelsea E. Manning (@xychelsea) August 26, 2017

We've said this before and we will fight forever for it:@realDonaldTrump: TRANS PEOPLE ARE NOT A DISRUPTION.https://t.co/DtdjgJF8W2  Women's March  Text WOMENSWAVE to 44310 (@womensmarch) August 25, 2017

Donald Trump just officially signed the order banning transgender folk from the military. Shame on him and shame on America.  Shaun King (@shaunking) August 25, 2017

Salute to all the transgender people in the military and those who have served. We are forever grateful for your service to our nation.  Michael Skolnik (@MichaelSkolnik) August 25, 2017
Training exercises across country come at the heels of new US sanctions and Trumps warning of military action.

Venezuela has kicked off two days of nationwide military drills seen as a deterrent against military intervention by the United States.

Warplanes, tanks, and 200,000 troops of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) were deployed along with 700,000 reserves and civil militia members as the exercises formally launched on Saturday.

The people and the FANB are defending territory and sovereignty, President Nicolas Maduro wrote on Twitter.

Against the belligerent threats of the United States, all Venezuelans between the ages of 18 and 60 are required to contribute to the integral defence of the nation, said an announcement broadcast on state television.

Venezuelas display of military might comes in response to US President Donald Trumps threat of military action two weeks ago and new financial sanctions announced on Friday.

A complete menu of training skills was being offered to allow ordinary Venezuelans to be able to resist in case of a US invasion, as well as an internal subversion from the opposition, Al Jazeeras Lucia Newman said, reporting from Venezuelas largest military academy in Caracas.

READ MORE: Venezuela crisis  All the latest updates

Trump warned on August 11 the US was mulling a range of options to solve Venezuelas political crisis, including a possible military option if necessary.

Top US officials later played down the threat. No military actions are anticipated in the near future, said National Security Advisor HR McMaster on Friday.

But tensions surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first-ever such measures to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle.

Economic war

The sanctions, which Trump signed by executive order, prohibit American financial institutions from providing new money to Venezuela or the state oil company, PDVSA, and could make it harder for Maduro to raise badly needed cash to prevent a debt default.





They also restrict the Venezuelan oil giants US subsidiary, Citgo, from sending dividends back to Venezuela and ban trading in two bonds the government recently issued to circumvent its increasing isolation from Western financial markets.

Maduro decried the US measures during a national address on Friday.

Nobody can use economic and financial measures to impose their political will over a country, he said. Economic war, pressures and blackmail are illegal. They ratify an imperial road of aggression.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said the armed forces support all measures being implemented to counter the financial blockade.

In an address at one of the exercises near the capital Caracas, he told assembled troops the drills were for the defence of the whole country against imperial aggression.

READ MORE: Venezuelas worst economic crisis  What went wrong?

Lopez said the exercises would include rifle practice on Saturday and combat manoeuvres on Sunday.

The US embassy in Caracas advised its citizens in the country to stay away from the military exercises, warning of the risk of action by armed civilian loyalists.

Venezuela was gripped by months of anti-government protests over growing anger against Maduro.

The opposition, who demand new elections, say Maduro is turning the crisis-hit country into a dictatorship.

Maduro says the violence and the economic crisis are a US-backed conspiracy.

Diplomatic tensions increased last month when a legislative superbody called the Constituent Assembly was elected at Maduros behest. It has the power to legislate, bypassing the opposition-controlled congress.
The vast majority of Yemens cholera deaths have occurred in areas controlled by Houthi rebels, largely the result of a blockade and air raids by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition they are fighting, an Al Jazeera investigation reveals.

An analysis of World Health Organization data shows that 1,794 of Yemens 2,003 cholera deaths  90 percent  have occurred in the northern and western governorates that are wholly or largely under the control of Houthi militiamen.

Houthi terrain has seen 84 percent of cholera infections  456,962 out of 542,278 cases. Those infected have more chance of dying in rebel-held areas: 1.1 percent perish in Houthi-held Raymah, compared with 0.2 percent in government-held zones.

Rebel areas, together with parts of southern Yemen, also experience higher rates of hunger and have seen more hospitals and clinics bombed or shuttered since full-scale fighting erupted in March 2015.





Health and human rights experts told Al Jazeera while all factions in Yemens war have caused civilian harm, the coalitions mightier firepower and control of sea and skies have skewed the health crisis into rebel-held terrain.

Dr Homer Venters, director of programmes for the research group Physicians for Human Rights, told Al Jazeera that coalition hits on clinics and sewage works were a Saudi tactic of war that amounted to the weaponisation of disease.

Coalition attacks and a blockade on fuel and other supplies have left civilians in Houthi areas more vulnerable to cholera, and less able to get antibiotics and other life-saving help than those in other parts of the Arab worlds poorest nation, he said.

Aside from the devastation from air strikes on hospitals and clinics, the health emergency in Yemen has been made significantly worse by Saudi restrictions on petrol imports, leaving the remaining health centres without power, Venters said.

READ MORE: UN probes Yemen air raid as death toll rises to 41

Jonathan Kennedy, a Queen Mary University of London scholar, agreed. The concentration of cholera deaths on rebel-held land followed a devastating human-induced collapse of the health and sanitation systems.

Its a pretty good proxy for demonstrating the extent to which the Saudis have destroyed civilian infrastructure in Houthi-controlled areas, not just through bombs but also by the blockade of aid and other supplies, Kennedy told Al Jazeera.

He pointed to coalition attacks on health clinics, such as the August 2016 hit on a hospital in Houthi-held Hajja that killed 19 people. The fourth such attack on a Yemeni hospital backed by Doctors Without Borders (known by its French initials, MSF) led to the aid group pulling staff out of northern Yemen.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), between March 2015 and March 2017, warring parties carried out more than 160 attacks on medical facilities and staff. Some 600 clinics were forced to close from March 2015 to March 2016, the United Nations said.

Closures have disproportionately affected civilians in rebel areas. The latest WHO data from October 2016 shows 37 percent of health facilities in mountainous Sadah have been damaged or destroyed, along with 28 percent in the area around the capital, Sanaa.

The air raids are intensifying. Yemen saw more attacks in the first half of this year than in all of 2016, said the Protection Cluster in Yemen, which works under the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). There were 5,676 attacks in the first half of 2017, up from 3,936 for all 2016.





Researchers faulted neither side, but Riyadhs Western-backed coalition has controlled Yemeni airspace since it joined the fight in March 2015. The United States has conducted some drone hits; the Houthis have no known air force.

Aid ships diverted

Charities also complain of coalition forces blocking commercial and aid ships in the Red Sea. Earlier this year, Save the Children protested that three vessels loaded with antibiotics and medical gear were stopped from unloading at Hudaida port, on a Houthi-controlled coast.

Ships have been diverted to Aden, a southern port that hosts the internationally recognised government and Saudi and Emirati troops, forcing aid teams to truck supplies north across risky battlefronts. Delays of drugs and fuel for hospital generators have affected rebel-held Sanaa and the northwest.

The Norwegian Refugee Council and other charities have urged the coalition, which controls Yemens airspace, to permit flights to the countrys main airport in Houthi-held Sanaa, to receive aid and allow sick and injured Yemenis to fly abroad for treatment.

Yemens 30-month-old civil war pits President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadis Saudi-backed government, which controls south and eastern Yemen, against the Iran-backed Houthis and other rebel groups in a shaky alliance with forces loyal to overthrown President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Saudi officials acknowledge that cholera rates are higher on Houthi turf, but blame Houthi-led fighters for hitting hospitals, halting aid trucks, taxing petrol supplies and failing to cater to the needs of civilians.

Its very clear from those [WHO] statistics that there is significant improvement in the regions followed by the legitimate government, Dr Abdullah al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of Riyadhs King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, told Al Jazeera.

In the Houthi-controlled areas are the highest numbers because of the prevention of getting medical supplies going to the hospitals.

Onlookers agree with the Saudis, in part. Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Houthis of laying banned anti-personnel mines and stopping food and aid bound for residents of besieged Taiz, Yemens third-largest city.

WATCH: UN accuses Saudi, UAE of funding armed groups in Yemen (2:28)

In an interview, Dr Sherin Varkey, deputy envoy to Yemen for the UN agency for children, UNICEF, repeatedly blamed both sides for causing civilian harm, but doubted that coalition actions had significantly exacerbated the cholera crisis.

It has definitely contributed towards the outbreak, but outbreaks like this have multiple factors which contribute to their spread  whether its population density, unhygienic conditions, the crumbling economy or rising levels of malnutrition, Varkey told Al Jazeera.

Aid groups and the UN typically remain neutral in wars and focus on peace talks and protecting civilians.

Other observers, however, have concluded that rebel Kalashnikovs and Soviet-era missiles cause much less damage than the Saudi-led coalitions F-15 fighter jets and 1,000kg, laser-guided Paveway IV bombs.

The Houthis just dont have the military hardware to do the same kind of damage as the Saudi-led coalition, said Kennedy.

Kristine Beckerle, HRWs Yemen researcher, raised similar concerns.

I dont know if its intentional, but if you add the closure of Sanaa airport, the imposition of arbitrary and excessive restrictions on boats at Hudaida port, stopping journalists and human rights groups from going to Houthi-run areas, the bombing of hospitals  the net effect is that civilians in areas under Houthi control suffer, Beckerle told Al Jazeera.

The US and Britain provide arms and logistical assistance to the coalition. A high civilian death toll has caused controversy in Britain. Some US legislators have blasted Riyadh and tried to halt President Donald Trumps $500m arms sales to Saudi in June.

The war has killed more than 10,000 civilians and displaced three million people. There is no a diplomatic or military end in sight. Houthi leaders refuse even to meet the UN peace negotiator for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

Follow James Reinl on Twitter: @jamesreinl
Silk Way West Airlines, a growing cargo operator based in Azerbaijan, and Alaska Airlines on Thursday signed contracts with Boeing for two freighters apiece  but that is where the similarities ended. Silk Way West said it will take two 777-8s, the largest plane available from Boeing (NYSE: BA) and one so modern it isnt []
CNN has reacted very badly to the political rise of President Trump, promulgating fake news and presenting an echo chamber of negative commentary. Now, the struggling news channel appears to be trying to manipulate the ratings.

Even if its not the originator of the Fake News model that now largely defines the MSM, CNN has certainly perfected it. This past week, the situation seemed to rise to a shocking new level with the CNN programs that followed President Trumps prime time address to the nation on Afghanistan on Monday and his 80 minute speech Tuesday night to a campaign-style rally in Phoenix. On Tuesday, for example, CNN host Don Lemon followed Trumps speech with a live appearance by the channels new contributor James Clapper, former director of National Intelligence in the Obama Administration. Putting it rather politely in an article on Wednesday, CNN said that Clapper:

. . . questioned President Donald Trump's fitness for office. I really question his ability to be  his fitness to be  in this office, and I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for it.

Don Lemon

CNN is engaged in a desperate ratings war of attrition with its competitors the Fox News Channel (FNC) and MSNBC. In the new era of Trump, CNN, like MSNBC, has been trying to gain traction by being the go-to source for the Resistance and the Never Trumpers (RINOs who have opposed Trump from the onset of his campaign).

For CNN, the ratings battle has not been going well. On August 1, 2017, A.J. Katz, one of the leading and most objective analysts of the TV news business including the ratings, wrote in TVNewser:

It was a wild month in U.S. politics, and CNN had a tough time keeping up with the competition from a ratings perspective. For July 2017, CNN was minus 48 percent in total prime time viewers, minus 29 percent in total day viewers, minus 48 in the prime-time demo, and minus 28 percent in the total day demo versus July 2016.

Because analysis of TV ratings is both a science and an art aiming at a moving target, CNN put out a spin city news release insisting that it beat MSNBC during the month of July 2017, CNN #2 in Total Day in July Among [Viewers] 25-54.

Adding Fake Ratings to Fake News?

Analyzing the cable news ratings for Monday August 21, the night of President Trumps 9 P.M. E.D.T. speech to the nation  his first address as the commander-in-chief in prime time  I observed a strange anomaly which is being reported here exclusively. First, it should be noted that the viewers of cable news that evening were at least twice as numerous as the typical number for a weekday night because of the major public interest in the presidents address. This benefited all three news channels. The ratings are measured, as they always have been, by the Nielsen Company. Nielsen relies on the channels and networks to provide their schedules, including identifying the programs that aired during a certain time of the day or night.

Screen Shot CNN Monday Aug. 21, 2017 9:14 P.M.

Official Transcript CNN 9-10 P.M. Monday Aug. 21, 2017 confirming the hour credited to AC360 consisted of President Trumps address and Rep. Paul Ryans Town Hall

On Monday, MSNBC and FNC described their programming from 9:01 to 9:27 P.M. E.D.T. (or 9 to 9:30 P.M. in the case of MSNBC) as Pres Address-Afghanistan (FNC) and MSNBC Special Coverage (MSNBC), instead of The Five and The Rachel Maddow Show that normally air at 9 P.M. CNN, however, told Nielsen it was airing Anderson Cooper 360, even though, as with the other channels, President Trump was on CNN during that entire time. This means, in effect, that the ratings surge provided to CNN during that half hour by viewers tuning in to see President Donald J. Trump  ironically CNNs nemesis  will be attributed to the lagging Anderson Cooper program!

Nielsen Ratings Raw Data CNN Prime Time Monday Aug. 21, 2017

Nielsen Ratings Raw Data FNC Prime Time Monday Aug. 21, 2017

Nielsen Ratings Raw Data MSNBC Prime Time Monday Aug. 21, 2017

In addition to the daily ratings, the weekly and monthly ratings will reflect the fake reporting of Coopers show as having generated double its usual ratings.

The previously mentioned television writer, A.J. Katz, was not fooled by CNNs sleight of hand. In his article about Mondays cable news ratings that was published the next day, Katz, without any mention of or comment on the anomaly in Nielsens raw data, correctly described the 9-10 P.M. hour on CNN Monday night as Trump/Ryan. (President Trumps half hour address was followed immediately by a CNN town hall with Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.) Unfortunately, Katzs description is apparently not reflected in the record that counts, the Nielsen Companys tabulation.

Other funny business has reportedly been going on to skew TV ratings lately. On July 6, 2017, a satirically titled article in the Wall Street Journal, In TV Ratings Game, Networks Try to Dissguys Bad Newz from Nielsen, described how the broadcast networks are misspelling the titles of poorly performing episodes of scheduled programs in order to fool the Nielsen company:

That explains the appearance of NBC Nitely News, which apparently aired on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend this year, when a lot of people were away from their TVs. The retitling of NBC Nightly News fooled Nielsens automated system, which listed Nitely as a separate show.

It appears that the growing lack of credibility in the reporting of news these days is not the only questionable practice being foisted on us by the mainstream news media.

Peter Barry Chowka is a widely published author and journalist. He writes most frequently these days for American Thinker. His website is AltMedNews.net. Follow Peter on Twitter.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff - Appellee, v. MATTHEW F. LASSITER, Defendant - Appellant. No. 16-4511 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before WILKINSON, NIEMEYER, and DIAZ, Circuit Judges. Wayne Buchanan Eads, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellant. John Stuart Bruce, United States Attorney, Jennifer P. May-Parker, First Assistant United States Attorney, Phillip A. Rubin, Assistant United States Attorney, Raleigh, North Carolina, for Appellee.

Matthew F. Lassiter pled guilty, without the benefit of a plea agreement, to possession of marijuana, in violation of 21 U.S.C.  844(a) (2012), and possession of a firearm by a felon, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  922(g)(1), 924(a)(2) (2012). The district court imposed a total sentence of 58 months' imprisonment, and Lassiter now appeals. On appeal, he argues that the district court erred in imposing a sentencing enhancement pursuant to U.S. Sentencing Guidelines Manual  2K2.1(b)(6)(B) (2015), and that the sentence imposed is substantively unreasonable. We affirm.

We review the reasonableness of a sentence under a deferential abuse-of-discretion standard. Gall v. United States, 552 U.S. 38, 41 (2007). This entails review of the procedural and substantive reasonableness of the sentence. Id. at 51. Procedural errors include  improperly calculating [ ] the Guidelines range,  failing to consider the  3553(a) factors, selecting a sentence based on clearly erroneous facts, or failing to adequately explain the chosen sentence   United States v. Carter, 564 F.3d 325, 328 (4th Cir. 2009) (quoting Gall, 552 U.S. at 51). Only if the sentence is free of significant procedural error do we review the substantive reasonableness of the sentence, accounting for the totality of the circumstances. Gall, 552 U.S. at 51. Any sentence that is within or below a properly calculated Guidelines range is presumptively reasonable. United States v. White, 810 F.3d 212, 230 (4th Cir.) (internal quotation marks omitted), cert. denied, 136 S. Ct. 1833 (2016).

We conclude that the district court did not plainly err in imposing the sentencing enhancement.* The Sentencing Guidelines provide for a four-level enhancement if a defendant  used or possessed any firearm  in connection with another felony offense. USSG  2K2.1(b)(6)(B). A defendant possesses a firearm in connection with another offense when the firearm had some purpose or effect with respect to the other offense, including if the firearm was present for protection or to embolden the actor. United States v. McKenzie-Gude, 671 F.3d 452, 464 (4th Cir. 2011) (internal quotation marks omitted). However, the requirement is not satisfied if the firearm was present due to mere accident or coincidence. United States v. Jenkins, 566 F.3d 160, 163 (4th Cir. 2009) (internal quotation marks omitted). This enhancement applies in the case of a drug trafficking offense in which a firearm is found in close proximity to drugs, drug-manufacturing materials, or drug paraphernalia. USSG  2K2.1(b)(6)(B) cmt. n.14(B).

The district court found that Lassiter acknowledged that he trafficked in cocaine and marijuana and was carrying 75.2 grams of marijuana, split into three small bags, and an electronic scale on his person at the time of his arrest. This evidence supports the conclusion that Lassiter was engaged in drug trafficking at the time of his arrest. See United States v. Robinson, 627 F.3d 941, 947 (4th Cir. 2010) (noting that digital scales constitute drug paraphernalia); United States v. Meshack, 225 F.3d 556, 570 (5th Cir. 2000) (concluding that 78.3 grams of marijuana, split into multiple small packages, is necessarily consistent with distribution), amended in part on reh'g, 244 F.3d 367 (5th Cir. 2001), overruled on other grounds by United States v. Cotton, 535 U.S. 625 (2002). Furthermore, because police discovered the loaded firearm in the coat Lassiter was wearing, the firearm necessarily has the potential of facilitating another felony offense and thus Section 2K2.1(b)(6) applies. Jenkins, 566 F.3d at 163 (quoting USSG  2K2.1 cmt. n.14(B)).

We also conclude that the district court did not abuse its discretion in imposing a 58-month sentence. In light of Lassiter's history of criminal conduct and recidivism, as well as the circumstances of his crime, the mitigating factors to which he points do not overcome the presumption of reasonableness afforded the district court's within-Guidelines sentence.

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's judgment. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

FOOTNOTES

. Because Lassiter failed to object to the sentencing enhancement below, we review application of the enhancement only for plain error. United States v. Garcia-Lagunas, 835 F.3d 479, 492 (4th Cir. 2016), cert. denied, 137 S. Ct. 713 (2017).

PER CURIAM:
Former Clinton Labor Secretary Robert Reich is calling for Donald Trump's impeachment "as soon as possible." His argument, in a nutshell: Trump is almost as deranged and mentally unstable asRobert Reich.

Here is his initial argument in his own words (from an August 18 blog post):

Lets be clear. There is already enough evidence to impeach Trump on grounds of abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and violation of the emoluments clause of the Constitution. There is already enough evidence of mental impairment to invoke the 25th amendment. I know, Republicans are in control of Congress. But this is no license for Trump to destroy the nation we love. I know, removing Trump would mean having Mike Pence as president. But a principled right-winger is better for America and the world than an unhinged sociopath.

"Abuse of power," "mental impairment," "unhinged sociopath." Well, well. Might we take a moment, then, to do the very unprogressive thing, and apply these same kettle-judging standards to the pot?

"Let's be clear," as Reich would say. There is already enough evidence to commit Robert Reich to an insane asylum on grounds of sociopathic delusions of grandeur and intent to commit geronticide.

Here is how Reich, also a key advisor to President Obama, explained to an enthusiastic group of university students several years ago how an "honest" political candidate would speak "the truth" about health care to a campaign audience:

On health care, look, we have the only health care system in the world that is designed to avoid sick people. That's true, and what I'm going to do is I'm going to try to reorganize it to be more amenable to treating sick people. But that meansyou young healthy people, you're going to have to pay more [for something you neither want nor need]. And by the wayif you're very old, we're not going to give you all that technology and all those drugs for those last couple of years of your life to keep you maybe going for another couple of months -- it's too expensive, so we're going to let you die. [Emphasis added]

If for some reason you have remained essentially confused about the true meaning and nature of progressivism, I draw your attention to the final words of that passage: "it's too expensive, so we're going to let you die."

Who is "we" in that statement? And where does that "we" get the moral authority to commandeer goods and services produced and provided by other citizens (health care) and then decide for a whole population who should be "given" those goods and services and who should be denied them?

Whence derives the authority of that "we" to decide that health care should be forcibly withheld from the old and infirm -- that they should be systematically sent to an early grave against their and their families' wishes -- strictly on the basis of "our" impersonal budget calculus regarding the health care industry "we" have commandeered?

Sadly, the modern world is so immersed in this progressive mindset that even many so-called conservatives seem to have a hard time recognizing the enormity of the evil connoted by such statements.

To describe the mental state indicated by Reich's words on health care as criminal insanity would be charitable. What it is, to state the matter plainly -- that is, without any of our standard progressive euphemisms -- is what the ancient Greeks called the tyrannical soul, tempered only by the innate insecurities of the sniveling bureaucratic mind. That is to say, his words, and the assumptions behind them, indicate the combination of power lust and fundamental hatred for humanity that is born of a soul morally corrupted by irrational fear and a spoiled child's desire to control others.

For a man of this sort to call into question another man's fitness for public office, or to describe that other man as a "clear and present danger," would actually make a great comedy routine, akin to Charles Manson warning his daughter that her new boyfriend seems a little weird -- if we didn't live in an age in which men like Reich were actually taken seriously by the press, quoted as authorities, invited to speak on college campuses, and engaged as advisors to presidents.

In light of the gravity and respect with which such a man's statements are currently treated in the public square, there is nothing funny about the situation at all.

A soapbox preacher for a global death cult, who in a more rational age might easily be dismissed as a slavering lunatic, is now questioning someone else's fitness for office. And many normal people -- your neighbors, coworkers, and friends -- are listening to him soberly as though he speaks with moral authority.

Where has America gone?

Daren Jonescu writes about politics, philosophy, education, and the decline of civilization at http://darenjonescu.com/.
The old Bobby Kennedy saying, Dont get mad, get even, needs to guide the grassroots. Congressional Republicans getting on board President Trumps legislative agenda is imperative. Passing the Presidents big ticket legislative items will cement a new majority. That gives the establishment the chills, a subset of whom are DC-owned Republicans. Those Republicans are the chief reason Trumps legislative agenda is stalled. They need to be primaried into nonexistence. Like the sanctimonious and condescending Jeff Flake. Thats the grassroots goal in 2018: send as many GOP obstructionists packing as possible.

Rep. Mark Meadows, who leads the U.S. House Freedom Caucus, is trying to leverage fear to get Ryan and McConnell off the dime this September. Said Meadows in a Breitbart article from Wednesday:

If Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell cant get the presidents agenda done, I dont know that they get to keep theirs, nor do I know if I get to keep mine. Weve got to deliver. Its critically important we do that in a way that conservatives have long espoused, he said.

Meadows is alluding to the GOP losing its congressional majorities in November 2018. Majorities tagged as Do Nothings are more prone to lose.

Democrats have more Senate seats up for election next year. From Rasmussen Reports, based on an analysis of midterm Senate races from 1914 to 2014: Though 25 of the 33 seats up for election are held by Democrats (and faux independents, King and Sanders), the findings indicate:

If 91% of the Democrats/Democratic-caucusing independents are reelected, that would be 23 out of 25, and if 75% of the Republicans are reelected, that would be six of eight, leading to no net change. [91% and 75% are the average midterm reelect rates for the party out of power and party in power.]

There are intangibles that can skew elections, however. One is the times. Anyone disagree that the nation has entered turbulent, changing times? Two, events, now unforeseen. And, three, base voters motivations and engagement. Turnouts decline in midterms. Base voters have bigger impacts.

Because most districts are drawn to a partys advantage, House Republicans are likely to keep their majority. If the improbable did happen, itll mean base voters chose to sit home. The base includes new arrivals from Trumps election last year. And good luck holding Senate seats without strong base support, too.

Democrats have plenty of problems of their own, indeed. Theyre not raising money. The hard left is effectively driving a leftish party further to the margins. So, in a year -- 2018 -- that would normally be favorable to the out-party, the Democrats may not gain much traction.

Meadows warning to Ryan and McConnell contains a flinch. They need to be put on notice that their leadership jobs are at risk before years end. McConnells job especially. No tax reform and Wall funding legislation this autumn means theyre fired. In business, theyd be booted faster than they could say, The Apprentice.

Okay, so Meadows is in the House, not the Senate. He and his bunch have limited pull Senate side. But the Freedom Caucus has the juice to bring Ryans speakership to an end. Ryans and McConnells fates are entwined. No legislation on the presidents desk mean they both pay. Accomplish or go.

Ted Cruz and other intrepid souls in the Senate need to push McConnell. Insist on a full-court press: dangle carrots, twist arms, strip seniority and committee assignments from recalcitrant senators, among other tactics. Withhold NRSC support and dry up national fundraising for incumbents running for reelection.

Fat chance that McConnell plays tough and gets legislation through? Well, maybe. But even more justification then to oust Mitch before the first snowfall.

Thats the inside game. Out here on the hustings, its about fighting it out with establishment Republicans in as many district and state primaries (and the few caucuses) as able. Its about taking control of state Republican parties and backing candidates who, no bones about it, support the presidents agenda.

If mad isnt turned into action, then mad is as useless as teats on a bull. Its going to take coalescing at the base. Thats Tea Party patriots, conservatives, and Trumpsters cooperating to elect insurgents, like Arizonas Kelli Ward. The Senate Leadership Fund, a McConnell-aligned superpac, just turned its cannons on Ward. Proof positive that the establishment GOP is worried about Flakes prospects.

Theres plenty of overlap among the three factions, but some differences. Many Trump voters are new arrivals. Their strong America First sensibilities are a huge advantage in retaking the nation from a decadent establishment and destructive Democrats and left. They need to be welcomed as critical to building a new, durable majority party.

The nation is at a crossroads. Backtracking the Democrats way makes for a dark end. Need anyone explain how dark, given their actions and instigations in 2017? Whats Antifa but Stalinists in ninja get-ups? Isnt it the Democrats de facto muscle?

Understand the dealignment now occurring in the parties. Its fluid, but establishment elements are coalescing across party lines. McCain, Flake, Graham, Corker, Murkowski, and Collins are joining hands with the Schumer and his ilk. These Democrats and Republicans share globalist aims; differences are in degree. They support trade agreements that disadvantage U.S. workers and manufacturers. Theyre for open borders -- whatever their gibbering about border security.

Establishment Republicans tend to shrink before PC -- then placate it. Paul Ryans CNN townhall was an act of pacifying that networks PC-drenched audiences. Ryan was also cynically positioning himself away from Trump, whom the establishment believes is doomed. (Trumps not; it is.)

DC-owned Republicans favor robust interventionism and nation-building overseas. About the latter, the distance between Democrats and them isnt as wide as it appears. Obama was a pale pastel interventionist during his terms.

As the hard-left labors to pull the Democratic Party further left, most Americans are center-right. The potential exists for an enduring Trump-forged majority coalition teeming with middle class and working Americans. Trumps big legislative initiatives -- lest we forget repeal and replace -- are the cement needed to make a majority.

Even in the teeth of formidable opposition, the president has made the most of executive prerogatives. He hasnt been daunted, and his successes are positioning the Republican Party for a long run as the nations dominant party. He needs GOP pols who will back -- not obstruct -- him on legislation and judicial appointments.

The grassroots aim isnt to punish congressional Republicans next November. Trump cant tolerate Democrat control of either or both chambers.

The plan to get the GOP where it needs to be is short and longer term. Press the existing congressional GOP majorities into action on the presidents agenda. On a parallel track, organize to cull out establishment hacks, replacing them with Trump grassroots loyalists.

Trumps election started the GOPs overhaul. The 2018 midterms provide another opportunity to liberate the party from DC-owned Republicans. Itll take more than a couple of election cycles to remake the party. Call it birth pangs.
All across the South, statues of Confederate heroes are being removed, warehoused, and in some cases destroyed. They are being removed under the false assumption that they are "symbols" of racism. That assumption is based on a grossly simplistic understanding of Southern history.

In a letter of Dec. 27, 1856 to his wife, Robert E. Lee called slavery a "moral and political evil." During his life, he emancipated slaves, created schools for slaves, and aided the passage of slaves to Liberia. In the context of the antebellum South, Lee was decidedly an enlightened individual. It is surprising that his statues are not being preserved to celebrate his moderate views.

It is true that, regardless of his personal views, Lee as commander of the Southern forces was defending slavery. That, however, was not Lee's motivation, nor was it that of Stonewall Jackson, another Southerner of moderate views. Forced to choose between commanding the armies of the North and those of the South (both of which offered him command), Lee chose the South out of loyalty to his home state of Virginia. Lee was a professional military officer who made a principled decision. He was regarded as such by many in the North, including Ulysses S. Grant, to whom he surrendered at Appomattox Court House.

It is important to note that in 1860, only twenty percent of Southerners owned slaves, and only a few thousand large slave-holding plantations existed. The upland South did not fight in defense of slavery, since slavery played a minor role in states such as North Carolina and Tennessee. Large-scale plantations did exist in the Deep South, many of them sites of great cruelty, but these were the exception. Even in the Deep South, a majority of whites owned no slaves.

The current efforts to remove Confederate monuments are not based on historical reality. Instead, they are a political gambit meant to divide Americans and spur support for progressive candidates in advance of the 2018 and 2020 elections. The removal of monuments is designed to bait Southern conservatives by attacking Southerners' pride in their region.

No people can live without a history and a distinctive identity. The idea that everything about the South, and by extension about so many Americans who voted for Donald Trump, is "evil" and must be removed from the public sphere is nothing less than a form of political violence. It is intended to spur an overreaction on the part of Southerners and a counter-reaction among liberals in the North.

In addition, the orchestrated campaign to remove all vestiges of white Southern history is selective and in effect racially motivated. According to Webster's, "racism" is the belief that racial traits are determinative and that one race is superior to another. But what is "race"? It is "a group of individuals who share physical traits" or "a common culture or history." Clearly, heartland Americans, and Southerners in particular, are "racial groups" against whom progressives, and Obama in particular, have repeatedly demonstrated bias. How many of those "counter-protesters" supporting removal of Confederate statues are motivated by animus against a people whom they dislike because of their conservative culture?

It doesn't stop with Confederate monuments. Washington and Jefferson were slaveholders and, according to progressive thinking, must also be expunged from history. So were Presidents Madison, Monroe, Jackson, Tyler, Polk, William Henry Harrison, Benjamin Harrison, Taylor, Johnson, and Grant.

Indeed, most influential persons in the South owned slaves, as did most Northern leaders up until slavery was abolished in the North in the mid-1820s. Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Chief Justice John Marshall, Patrick Henry, and Sen. Steven A. Douglas were all slaveholders, as was General William Tecumseh Sherman. One might also include the American feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, whose family were slave-owners. Slavery was also widely practiced among Native American tribes.

According to the logic of the left, America's entire history before 1830, and in the South before 1860, must be expunged. And it goes farther. Those implicated in the suppression of blacks during the Jim Crow era and beyond are to be erased from our history as well.

That would include Woodrow Wilson, who endorsed segregation and refused to suppress KKK activity in the South, and FDR, who ordered segregation in the military throughout his four terms in office. And there was LBJ, whose congressional record was consistently anti-Civil Rights when it served his interests.

Theodore Roosevelt, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton were all descendants of slaveholding families, as was Obama, whose white ancestors also owned slaves.

The attempt to remove all vestiges of Southern history from the public space is the work of left-wing extremists whose primary motivation is to neutralize Donald Trump. Their targets are selective and politically motivated. It is not Robert E. Lee who offends the left, but Donald J. Trump and the ordinary Americans who voted for him.

As always, the left is intent on power, and the strategy of going after Civil War monuments is simply a means to an end. If the issue were slavery, then the record of slaveholders in the North would have to be erased from the history books as well. But the issue is not slavery; it is politics in the present. The synchronized movement to remove Confederate monuments has been spearheaded by Democratic mayors loyal to the party. This effort has a specific target: the sensibilities of those who voted for Trump in overwhelming numbers. The intent is to divide the electorate and rouse antipathy toward Trump among liberals.

Southerners have a right to preserve their history. It is the basis of their common identity. White Southerners are and always have been decent, hardworking, and well intentioned people, and it is crucial that they retain pride in their past. The attack on their culture is motivated, above all, by an effort to divide Americans in advance of the midterm and presidential elections.

Once again, the left has resorted to the politics of divisiveness based on the demonizing of a particular class of persons, just as it did with "the rich" in previous campaigns, only now the "demons" are an entire race of Americans: white Southerners. This is the politics of hate at its worst, and it's time to reject it, just as we have rejected all forms of racism in the past.

Jeffrey Folks is the author of many books and articles on American culture including Heartland of the Imagination (2011).
This writer along with millions of fellow citizens felt a great sense of relief when President Trump, on Monday, August 21, told us [W]e will no longer use American military might to construct democracies in faraway lands or try to rebuild other countries in our own image. Those days are now over. He also stated, We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists. In making this statement, he was moving away from the nation-building strategy begun in Iraq and Afghanistan under President George W. Bush, but at the same time was reasserting our continued military commitment to Afghanistan and to the region.

Unsurprisingly, Max Boot of the New York Times was quick to note that in brushing aside nation building, the President was on the same page as his predecessor, Pres. Barack H. Obama. Boot quoted Obama who stated in 2011, America, it is time to focus on nation-building here at home. For the leftwing Democrats who are now in control of the Democratic Party leadership, nation-building is a neocolonialist program whereby Western powers, and the U.S. in particular, seeks to establish governmental institutions and local lifestyles in their own image.

Although a nation-building strategy had originally begun during a Republican administration, the Republicans, always concerned about wasteful government spending became alarmed by a report in 2016 by The Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The report stated that approximately $113.1 billion has been appropriated for Afghanistan relief and reconstruction since 2002. In total, the war has cost over $1 trillion, which is around $33,000 per Afghan citizen. More recently, SIGAR found that the U.S. Department of Defense spent roughly $43 million dollars on an ill-conceived compressed natural gas station that should have cost about $500,000. The cost of nation-building rather than an ideological antipathy to nation-building is likely the root of Republican concern about following the nation-building path.

The colonialists (who are imperialists to the Marxist-Leninist mentality) are always imposing -- thats a favorite word -- their political, social, and economic vision of institutional life on other countries with different indigenous visions of what society should look like. How many times have we read that the tribal conflicts within post-colonial Africa are a direct result of determinations by Africas colonizers as to what boundaries the newly independent African countries would have, the conditions under which trade would or would not proceed with the former colonial interloper, and the legacy of cultural distortion and destruction produced by many years of colonial exploitation? The negatives of nation-building are all seen through the eyes of a neo-Marxist mindset.

Likewise, the British and French are often blamed for a similar mentality regarding North Africa and the Middle East after defeating the Ottomans in World War I. By setting up the borders of various countries and determining the readiness of different states for independence, and forcing certain leadership upon the emerging, newly-independent Arab states, and supporting a homeland for the Jews in their ancient homeland, the Western Powers were perceived by many in those new countries as colonialist rather than as a force for good in beleaguered and backward lands.

After 1945, many countries that had formerly been under the control of the Western Powers gradually gained their independence. Yet, the relationship of those developing countries with the West was not only against a background of colonialism, but also within the context of successful nation building in Germany and Japan after WWII. Those two anti-democratic nations transitioned to models of democracy and productivity. They did not become either clones or pawns of the WWII victors. They were so successful that, economically, they became rivals of their conquerors and in some ways surpassed them.

Was this not evidence that active interventionism using the nation-state building concept was positive and effective? The reason we have gone in this direction is because it has been perceived as a practical necessity by many in the military, not because of some intrigue or neocolonialist mentality, as the left would see it. If there is going to be effective military headway, it must be supported by peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, counterterrorism, and counterinsurgency. Reconstruction also involves repairing and restoring pre-existing facilities and services, such as transportation and other infrastructure and government institutions. In addition to building bridges and schools, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Japan have been financing and engineering the construction of a highway joining Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat. James Dobbins of the RAND Corporation notes that Economic, social, and political development, and institutions which protect human rights and provide for the rule of law, are important not only to post-conflict peacebuilding, but to nation-building at any stage of development.

So, while there will continue to be some nation-building operations in Afghanistan, it is clearly the Presidents goal to retrench on those operations, and to emphasize aggressive military actions. Based on Trumps speech, we can expect to see a restoration of rules of engagement that give more options to commanders and soldiers in the field. We can also expect more pressure will be put on Pakistan not to provide safe havens for fleeing Taliban terrorists (actually there are more than 40 terrorist groups identified in Afghanistan). And lastly Indias economic engagement with Afghanistan will also be encouraged and developed. Although we should not expect the nation building or capacity building or state building [synonyms for nation building] to come to a complete halt as it is structurally connected with military success, we can expect a de-emphasis on this modality, as our policy is reformulated to provide a winning strategy.
It can't be easy to be a police officer in Chicago, where the murder rate is like a war zone, and where incitement against cops leads to "social media riots," where cops are fired upon based on false rumors spread on social media.

The horrific murder rate has been largely confined to two gang-infested neighborhoods, but the violence appears to be spreading.

With the City of Chicago nearly insolvent owing to burdensome pension agreements, police are apparently having to prioritize certain crimes over others  for instance, carjacking. Examine the table below, drawn from the Second City Cop website, in particular the bottom line:

That's right: the reported incidents of carjacking have skyrocketed 180%, and arrests have declined 17%. Gee, do you suppose that criminals know they are less likely to be arrested, and so they are offending with greater frequency?



Screen grab of Chicago police dashcam video of shootout with a violent carjacker.

As Rick Moran pointed out yesterday, in Baltimore, the change in police tactics following the riots there has led to a skyrocketing murder rate.

The subtext is unmistakable: authorities would rather avoid riots than prevent murder. What has happened in cities like Baltimore and Chicago is that the tactical deployment of police has drastically changed. Not only have patrols in high-crime areas been reduced, but officers, fearing the consequences of police brutality charges, have voluntarily cut back drastically on routine policing tactics that used to take violent criminals off the street. Yes, but at least there aren't any riots.

No riots  not yet, anyway. But the decline in civil order we are witnessing is spreading, and people with the resources to do so are fleeing those areas. Chicago ought to be haunted by the specter of Detroit.

Hat tip: Peter von Buol
Hillary Clinton is now yammering on about being "creeped out" by Donald Trump "stalking" her on stage during the presidential debates.

She recalls this traumatizing experience in her tell-all book, What Happened, but everyone knows what happened. She lost the same day her campaign manager, Robby Mook, awoke with a "sense of foreboding." (He finally caught on to what was happening around him.)

Hillary's unwavering determination to stay inside her elitist bubble sank her campaign. Nothing seems to have jolted her out of her Trump-bashing reverie. She's still taking shots at him from her sinking ship  as Americans remain anxious over jobs, health care, and the American dream. Those are the things that escaped her notice during the 18-month campaign.

The psychology behind her latest rant is indicative of Hillary casting herself as a professional victim. She was "stalked," "harassed," and even subject to "misogynistic power" and all those other nasty antisocial traits exhibited by opposition voters reduced to a "basket of deplorables" (note ungrammatical pluralization). The media let the gaffe slide along with her track record as an accomplished liar and criminal politician (which has been keeping Judicial Watch busy for years).

Campaign chieftain John Podesta received the most unsalable insight into Hillary's personality from another top aide, Neera Tanden: "Almost no one knows better [than] me that her instincts can be terrible." As bad as Hillary's instincts are, she had a top-flight adviser in her husband, Bill Clinton. Good thing for Trump, she routinely ignored his advice, and her campaign staff members were even overheard mocking and marginalizing him, according to the Associated Press. They did the same thing to American voters.

Now the Democrats are taking the same page out of Hillary's playbook. They are viewing domestic and foreign news through an uncompromising "we hate Donald Trump" prism. They have nothing to offer to improve the lives of Americans. Banging on about a $15.00 minimum wage (another job-killer), offering sanctuary cities to criminals, and refusing to lower taxes isn't going to improve the economic mess left behind by Obama.

The self-proclaimed leftists have proven to be expert at racist rants, destruction of property, and protests stopping traffic (while hindering the lives of people who actually have jobs to report to). They are loud and growing louder.

In the meantime, Trump has managed to prevail over an economy surging ahead with one million new jobs, billions of dollars in regulatory rollback, and a more than 70% decline in Southwest illegal border crossings. This is nothing short of a miracle in light of the obstructionists attempting to hijack him at every turn.

The American people have elected a fighter, not a career politician with an astonishing track record of adding to the population of swamp-dwellers in a town teeming with parasitic swamp inhabitants.
A few days back, I wrote a blog post informing readers of all the new things now considered racist. These included the obvious, like proper grammar, mathematics, green frogs, park benches, etc.

Hopefully, those white persons (this list applies only to whites) who have read it and who wish to become more politically correct will begin making grammatical errors as well as mistakes in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division  not to mention calculus and trigonometry (something I personally abhor). Likewise, if they find themselves at the park, steer away from park benches, and be sure to punch a frog  but only if it is a green frog!

Anyway, in the interest of equality, it is only fair that we issue a similar set of guidelines regarding the relationship between the genders. After all, sexism is just as much of an evil reality in this patriarchy we find ourselves in as is racism. Of course, if we were living in a Muslim country, such problems as racism and sexism would not exist.

This, then, is the new reality:

Effort in class is now sexist.

Ski slopes are now sexist.

"Spooning" in bed with a loved one is now sexist.

Sir Isaac Newton's Principia Matematica, which explains the motion of celestial bodies, is sexist because it is (obviously!) a rape manual.

E=MC2 is now a sexist equation.

The contents of the field of biology are sexist.

Fluid physics is now sexist. I am telling you, you just can't trust those physicists, not with all that mathematics being bandied about.

Using air conditioning is obviously sexist.

Vanderbilt University's own Luis A. Leyva published in the Journal for Research in Mathematics Education his condemnation of mathematics as sexist, not to mention not homosexual enough.

Now, it is important to obey the dictates of those enlightened feminists who have put together these earthshaking discoveries in order to achieve a more egalitarian society. I, for one, confess to having exercised effort in class, thought about vacationing at the ski slopes, and used mathematics to balance my checkbook (a difficult task for me, regardless, as my overdrafts will verify). But that's history for me from now on. I won't even use air conditioning anymore.

Sorry. I meant to write herstory. The point is, now you, too, know what to avoid in order to eliminate all sexist impulses from your life. Obey! Remember that in order to have diversity, we must insist on total (and unquestioning) conformity to the proper ideology.

And keep away from mathematics!

Armando Simon is a retired college professor who lives in San Antonio and is the author of A Cuban from Kansas, The Only Red Star I Liked Was a Starfish, and The U. His books can be obtained at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I saw on the Today Show that politicians from both parties are saying this is a bad signal for those who believe in the rule of law.

President Trump on Friday pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff whose aggressive efforts to hunt down ["hunt down" is an inflammatory expression connoting injustice ed.] and detain undocumented immigrants made him a national symbol of the divisive politics of immigration and earned him a criminal contempt conviction. In a two-paragraph statement, the White House said that Mr. Arpaio gave "years of admirable service to our nation" and called him a "worthy candidate for a presidential pardon." Mr. Trump called Mr. Arpaio "an American patriot" in a tweet later Friday. "He kept Arizona safe!" the president said.

What a joke. Democrats and others who support sanctuary cities are now for the rule of law. They couldn't stand Sheriff Joe because he was a very strict enforcer of the law.

Obama pardoned Oscar Rivera, a terrorist, and many other violent criminals  and we heard little howling about the rule of law.

Bill Clinton pardoned and commuted sentences of terrorists and criminals like Marc Rich (probably because of a large donation from his wife).

The day Democrats and others stop supporting sanctuary cities, we will know they actually support the rule of law. Sheriff Joe was punished strictly because he wouldn't go along with an agenda.

Thomas Lifson adds:

Let's be real: sending an 85-year-old law enforcement officer to prison is a death sentence. I doubt very much that there is a precedent for imprisoning such a person.

And let's take comfort from the fact that Senator Kamala Harris  a lawyer and former A.G. of California, and the Democrats' hope for an identity politics presidential candidate  unmasked herself as a legal ignoramus in the process of opposing a pardon for Sheriff Joe because he has been convicted of a crime.

Joe Arpaio was convicted because he committed a crime. He should not be pardoned. https://t.co/YGvQkK6Kae  Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) August 23, 2017

Senator Harris obviously does not understand the basic nature of a pardon. Or else she is opposed to all pardons.
In Overland, Ohio, Columbus Day will now be known as Indigenous Peoples Day so as not to offend the Native Americans. Anyone who thinks differently must be an extremist.

Maybe some are:

I believe that PETA will be offended because the Indians killed animals for food and clothing.

Environmentalists will be offended because Indians tore down trees.

But most of us are not. We hold mainstream views our country was founded on. And to the rulers of Overland, those are just a lot of extremism.

You know you are an extremist if you believe:

That there are two genders instead of more than thirty.

That people should use facilities that match their body parts.

That prayer should be allowed in public places and schools.

That life begins at conception.

That the climate changes naturally.

That people should have freedom of choice on health care.

That if your name is Robert Lee, that is not offensive.

That mayors and governors should enforce the law.

That borders are important.

That the power and purse belong to the people, not the government.

That there is nothing offensive about the American flag or the National Anthem.

That politicians and others are allowed to speak with Russians and not be accused of collusion.

That every adult has the ability to obtain a photo ID, and that capacity oppresses no one.

That capitalism is the greatest system to reduce poverty and that socialism holds people down.

That freedom for the people is the key to everything.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. ANTONIO P. FONTANA, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-2208 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before: ROGERS, GRIFFIN, and KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judges. COUNSEL ON BRIEF: Kenneth P. Tableman, KENNETH P. TABLEMAN, P.C., Grand Rapids, Michigan, for Appellant. Shane Cralle, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Detroit, Michigan, for Appellee.

OPINION

Following extradition from Canada on twelve federal child-pornography-related charges, defendant Fontana pleaded guilty to four of those charges. He was then sentenced in a proceeding in which the sentencing judge took into account, in applying the applicable sentencing factors under 18 U.S.C.  3553(a), the fact that after Fontana's arrest, investigators discovered videos and images of up to fifty other women, including minors, whom he had also victimized, none of whom were the basis for Fontana's extradition. On appeal, Fontana challenges the district court's consideration of the additional victims, as he did below, as a violation of the U.S.-Canada extradition treaty's specialty requirement that he only be detained, tried, or punished for the crimes for which he was extradited. While an extradited person may defend his criminal prosecution as beyond the scope of the extradition under the specialty theory, Fontana's challenge to his sentence fails here because the treaty does not preclude taking into account activity that is not the basis of the extradition in determining punishment for the crimes on which the extradition was based, at least as long as such consideration did not affect the statutory range of that punishment.

In October 2013, Antonio Fontana lived in Pickering, Ontario. He was in his late 50s, married, with adult children. On the chat website Omegle.com, Fontana posed as a sixteen-year-old boy named Jason, and started talking with a fifteen-year-old minor female living in suburban Detroit (Minor Victim One). Fontana claimed that his computer's camera was brokenso that Minor Victim One could not discern his ageand convinced his victim to take off her shirt. Without the victim's knowledge, he recorded this act, and then used the threat of publishing this recording online to take over her life. He forced her to perform more, increasingly invasive sexual acts, which he recorded and used as additional leverage. He forced her to be in front of her web camera at certain times, to sleep in a certain position so that she was visible to the web camera, and to ask for permission to attend social events. He forced her to convince a frienda fourteen-year-old female (Minor Victim Two)to perform sexual acts for him as well, which he also recorded and then began using to threaten the friend as well. Eventually, Minor Victim One began to suffer from severe depression and tried to cut off contact. In response, Fontana e-mailed Minor Victim One's mother the explicit photos he had taken of her daughter and demanded that his victim get back in touch with him. After this threat was unsuccessful, Fontana e-mailed more explicit photos to the principal of Minor Victim One's school and over eighty members of her church. The mother called the police, who were able to uncover Fontana's true identity through the Internet.

Ontario police arrested Fontana on February 23, 2014. By chance, at the time of his arrest, Fontana was online trying to coerce another minor female into performing sexual acts for him. Fontana was detained in Canada pending extradition. In March 2014, a U.S. grand jury indicted Fontana on twelve counts arising out of his conduct towards Minor Victim One and Minor Victim Two. In June 2015, the Canadian government surrendered Fontana to the United States to stand trial for these crimes, pursuant to the extradition treaty between the two countries. See Treaty on Extradition between the United States of America and Canada, Can.-U.S., 27 UST 983, Dec. 3, 1971 (U.S.-Can. Extradition Treaty). During the indictment and extradition process, investigators seized and analyzed Fontana's computer. The computer was found to have over 1,000 images and multiple videos of additional women and girls, from which investigators determined that Fontana had engaged in similar conduct with at least fifty victims. At the time of Fontana's sentencing, only a handful of these uncharged victims had been identified, but all were minors, and most lived in the United States.

Once in the United States, Fontana pleaded guilty to four of the twelve counts for which he had been indicted: one count of coercing and enticing a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2422(b); one count of producing child pornography, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2251(a); and two counts of using the internet to extort a person, in violation of 18 U.S.C.  875(d).

During sentencing, however, the issue arose as to whether to take into account Fontana's other, uncharged victims. Even without consideration of his uncharged victims, Fontana's net offense level was above the maximum possible under the Sentencing Guidelines, such that the guidelines recommended incarceration for life. Nevertheless, the Government argued that the district court should consider the uncharged victims under the 18 U.S.C  3553(a) factors, apparently in response to Fontana's request for a downward variance outside his Guidelines range.

Fontana objected, arguing that the district court's consideration of the uncharged victims violated a provision of the U.S.-Canada extradition treaty providing that: [a] person extradited under the present treaty shall not be detained, tried or punished in the territory of the requesting state for an offense other than that for which extradition has been granted. U.S.-Can. Extradition Treaty art. 12(1) (emphasis added). This provision of the treaty incorporates what is known as the rule of specialty, which provides that a person who has been brought within the jurisdiction of the court by virtue of proceedings under an extradition treaty, can only be tried for one of the offences described in that treaty, and for the offence with which he is charged in the proceedings for his extradition. United States v. Rauscher, 119 U.S. 407, 430 (1886).

The district court, however, overruled Fontana's objection and held that it could consider his uncharged victims in sentencing him. In reaching this conclusion, the district court relied primarily on an Eighth Circuit case, United States v. Lomeli, 596 F.3d 496, 50203 (8th Cir. 2010), which applied an extradition treaty with Mexico which, like the extradition treaty with Canada at issue in Fontana's case, held that an extradited person could not be detained, tried or punished for a separate crime. In particular, the district court found persuasive Lomeli's reasoning that the traditions and procedures of the receiving nation's courts were relevant for determining the intent of the treaty parties in drafting the extradition treaty, and that [g]iven the long-standing practice of United States courts of considering relevant, uncharged evidence at sentencing, Lomeli, 596 F.3d at 502 (quotation marks omitted), it would be difficult to conclude that Mexico did not intend for an extradited defendant to face sentencing enhancements for uncharged crimes. The district court also considered this circuit's prior precedent in United States v. Garrido-Santana, 360 F.3d 565, 578 (6th Cir. 2004), but ultimately suggested that the case might be distinguishable based on the different treaty language: the U.S.-Dominican Republic treaty provision in Garrido-Santana held only that no [extradited] person shall be tried for a separate offense, while the U.S.-Canada treaty at issue in Fontana's case held that [a] person extradited  shall not be detained, tried, or punished. After concluding that consideration of Fontana's uncharged victims would not violate the rule of specialty, the court presumably considered these victims in Fontana's sentence. Nevertheless, the court did grant Fontana a downward variance and sentenced him to 360 months' incarceration rather than the guidelines recommendation of life. Fontana now appeals.

The district court did not violate the rule of specialty by considering Fontana's other victims in sentencing for the crimes for which he was extradited.

As an initial matter, we reject the Government's suggestion that Fontana lacks standing to make objections to his criminal prosecution on the basis of the treaty provisions incorporating the doctrine of specialty. The seminal case involving the specialty doctrine, the Supreme Court's case of United States v. Rauscher, 119 U.S. 407 (1886), is flatly inconsistent with such a conclusion. In Rauscher, Great Britain surrendered a sailor to the United States pursuant to an extradition treaty with a specialty provision, so that the sailor could stand trial for murder on the high seas. Id. at 409. Once in the United States, however, the sailor was indicted not for murder, but for the separate crime of cruel and unusual punishment. Id. In response, the defendant brought a plea to the jurisdiction of the court, arguing that he could not be indicted for cruel and unusual punishment when he had been extradited for murder. Id. The trial court overruled the defendant's plea, but the Supreme Court held that this was error, articulating the rule that a person who has been brought within the jurisdiction of the court, by virtue of proceedings under an extradition treaty, can only be tried for one of the offences described in that treaty. Id. at 430.

While Rauscher is an old case, it was described with approval in United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. 655, 65960 (1992), and it is still good law: an extradited criminal defendant may not be tried for crimes not the basis for extradition, absent waiver by the treaty partner, when such is the intent of the treaty, and relief under such a treaty obligation can be obtained at the behest of counsel for the defendant in the criminal proceeding. This conclusion is supported by holdings of at least four of our sister circuits. See United States v. Puentes, 50 F.3d 1567, 1572 (11th Cir. 1995); United States v. Andonian, 29 F.3d 1432, 1435 (9th Cir. 1994); United States v. Levy, 905 F.2d 326, 328 n.1 (10th Cir. 1990); United States v. Thirion, 813 F.2d 146, 151 n.5 (8th Cir. 1987).

The Eleventh Circuit's reasoning in Puentes is particularly compelling:

Of course, the rights conferred under the contract ultimately belong to the contracting parties, the signatory nations. This does not mean, however, that provisions of the contract may not confer certain rights under the contract on a non-party who is the object of the contract. See generally Rauscher. We believe that Rauscher clearly confers such a right on the extradited defendant. The extradited individual's rights, however, need not be cast in stone; rather, the individual may enjoy these protections only at the sufferance of the requested nation. The individual's rights are derivative of the rights of the requested nation. We believe that Rauscher demonstrates that even in the absence of a protest from the requested state, an individual extradited pursuant to a treaty has standing to challenge the court's personal jurisdiction under the rule of specialty. The courts which have adopted the contrary holding, in effect, consider the requested state's objection to be a condition precedent to the individual's ability to raise the claim. We believe the Supreme Court's recent opinion in United States v. Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. 655, 112 S. Ct. 2188, 119 L. Ed. 2d 441 (1992) seriously undermines any vitality that approach may have once possessed.

A grand jury indicted Humberto Alvarez-Machain, a citizen and resident of Mexico, for participating in the kidnap and murder of United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent Enrique Camarena-Salazar. Following unsuccessful informal negotiations between the United States and Mexico to obtain Alvarez-Machain's presence in this country, DEA successfully contracted with certain individuals for Alvarez-Machain's forcible kidnap and delivery to the United States. Alvarez-Machain contested the district court's personal jurisdiction over him on the grounds that his abduction violated the extradition treaty between the United States and Mexico. The district court granted his request and ordered his return to Mexico. The court of appeals affirmed the district court. The Supreme Court reversed.

The actual holding of the case is that Alvarez-Machain could not contest the court's jurisdiction over him under the extradition treaty because he was not extradited pursuant to treaty proceedings. See Ker v. Illinois, 119 U.S. 436, 7 S. Ct. 225, 30 L. Ed. 421 (1886). The Court's analysis, however, rejects the premise underlying the cases that require the requested nation to object as a condition precedent to the individual's ability to claim the benefits of the rule of specialty.

In Alvarez-Machain, the Court rejected the Court of Appeals's reasoning that found that the extradition treaty prohibited forcible abduction, but that the abducted individual could only raise the issue if the offended government had formally protested. In rejecting the notion of conditionally self-executing treaty provisions, the Court explained that if the [e]xtradition [t]reaty has the force of law  it would appear that a court must enforce it on behalf of an individual regardless of the offensiveness of the practice of one nation to the other nation. Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. at 667, 112 S. Ct. at 219596, 119 L. Ed. 2d at 454 (emphasis added). Importantly, the Court cited Rauscher in support of this proposition:

In Rauscher, the Court noted that Great Britain had taken the position in other cases that the Webster-Ashburton Treaty included the doctrine of specialty, but no importance was attached to whether or not Great Britain had protested the prosecution of Rauscher for the crime of cruel and unusual punishment as opposed to murder.

Alvarez-Machain, 504 U.S. at 667, 112 S. Ct. at 2195, 119 L. Ed. 2d at 454 (emphasis added). Alvarez-Machain demonstrates the infirmity in the reasoning of those cases which require an affirmative protest by the requested nation in order for the extradited individual to contest personal jurisdiction under the rule of specialty.

We, therefore, hold that an individual extradited pursuant to an extradition treaty has standing under the doctrine of specialty to raise any objections which the requested nation might have asserted. The extradited individual, however, enjoys this right at the sufferance of the requested nation. As a sovereign, the requested nation may waive its right to object to a treaty violation and thereby deny the defendant standing to object to such an action.

Puentes, 50 F.3d at 157475 (footnote omitted). This analysis is correct.

To be sure, a Third Circuit case, on the other hand, has stated that [h]ad [the habeas petitioner] brought suit invoking  the Rule of Specialty, she would lack standing. United States ex rel. Saroop v. Garcia, 109 F.3d 165, 168 (3d Cir. 1997). This was pure dictum, as the court made clear that the petitioner in that case did not invoke the specialty principle. Id. at n.6. Cases cited by the Saroop court in this connection moreover involved foreign government consent to limit the international specialty obligation, e.g., United States v. Riviere, 924 F.2d 1289, 12981301 (3d Cir. 1991), Leighnor v. Turner, 884 F.2d 385, 390 (8th Cir. 1989), or did not involve the principle of specialty at all.

Two other cases sometimes cited for the presence of a circuit split on the issue involved extradition proceedings in the United States and assertions that a foreign state might not comply with its specialty obligations to the United States, not whether a defendant who had been extradited to the United States can rely on United Stateslike Rauscher and Fontanaobligations under the specialty principle. Shapiro v. Ferrandina, 478 F.2d 894, 906 (2d Cir. 1973); Demjanjuk v. Petrovsky, 776 F.2d 571, 584 (6th Cir. 1985), vacated on other grounds, 10 F.3d 338 (6th Cir. 1993). Shapiro, for instance, noted that Rauscher need not necessarily apply in that converse situation. 478 F.2d at 906. Similarly, our decision in Demjanjuk also involved such a converse situation and included language regarding specialty which was in any event clearly dictum. 776 F.2d at 584.

The Government's brief in this case appears to be fishing for a holding that the principle of specialty cannot be raised by criminal defendants, without actually making the argument for our consideration, and without instilling any confidence that the Government would defend such a holding should certiorari be granted. The Government moreover points to no court of appeals that squarely holds that criminal defendants in the United States are without standing to assert the specialty principle. With such a wispy basis for deciding contrary to iconic Supreme Court precedent, there is no reason for this court to continue to preserve the possibility of such an argument.

Accordingly, we proceed to the merits of Fontana's specialty argument. His argument fails because Fontana is being punished quite literally for crimes for which he was extradited. The fact that other crimes he has committed may affect the extent of the punishment for the extradition-based crimes does not in ordinary English mean that he is being punished for the other crimes.

This conclusion is supported by our decision in United States v. Garrido-Santana, 360 F.3d 565, 578 (6th Cir. 2004). In Garrido-Santana, the Dominican Republic surrendered a defendant for possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. Id. at 568. After the extradition, the defendant was also indicted on a charge arising out of his failure to appear at a pre-extradition arraignment, but this charge was later dropped because it was not an offense for which the defendant had been extradited. Id. at 568, 577. Nevertheless, the district court relied on this failure to appear at his arraignment to enhance the defendant's Guidelines calculation, which was the basis of the defendant's specialty challenge. Id. at 568. Garrido claimed that his sentencing enhancement for an uncharged failure-to-appear offense violated the relevant extradition treaty's implicit promise that [the United States] would  not punish [the] defendant for the failure-to-appear offense. Id. at 577. However, we determined that the district court's use of the uncharged offense did not constitute punishment for that conduct so as to violate any implicit proscription against such punishment in the extradition treaty. Id. at 578. In reaching this determination, we relied in part on Witte v. United States, in which the Supreme Court held that use of evidence of related criminal conduct to enhance a defendant's sentence for a separate crime within the authorized statutory limits does not constitute punishment for that conduct within the meaning of the Double Jeopardy Clause. See id. at 57778 (citing Witte v. United States, 515 U.S. 389, 399 (1995)). While we recognized that Witte was a double jeopardy case, we noted that its underlying analytical foundation and, in particular, its conception of punishment is nevertheless instructive. Id. at 578. Applying this reasoning and holding from Garrido-Santana, it is clear that the district court's consideration of Fontana's uncharged but related conduct did not constitute punish[ment] within the meaning of the U.S.-Canada extradition treaty, but only an appropriate consideration in determining the sentence for the crimes for which Fontana was properly extradited. Therefore, as in Garrido-Santana, the consideration of Fontana's uncharged victims in determining his sentence does not violate the rule of specialty.

Also relevant here is the Eighth Circuit's analysis of similar questions of punishment and sentencing in Lomeli, 596 F.3d at 503, and Leighnor, 884 F.2d at 390. As the district court noted, the Lomeli court reasoned that a sentencing enhancement for uncharged crimes did not violate the rule of specialty in that case because traditions and procedures of the receiving nation's courts were relevant for determining the intent of the treaty parties in drafting the extradition treaty, and that [g]iven the long-standing practice of United States courts of considering relevant, uncharged evidence at sentencing, Lomeli, 596 F.3d at 502 (quotation marks omitted), it would be difficult to conclude that Mexico did not intend for an extradited defendant to face sentencing enhancements for uncharged crimes. Similarly, the Leighnor court reasoned that the specialty principle generally prohibits indiscriminate prosecution by the receiving government, such that specialty was not violated when the United States convicted a defendant for only the crimes that were the subject of his indictment but took into account other conduct in making parole decisions. Leighnor, 884 F.2d at 390 (quotation marks and emphasis omitted). The analysis in both cases is correct.

Fontana makes two arguments to resist this conclusion, but neither is persuasive.

First, Fontana argues that this court should not follow Garrido-Santana because Witte, the Supreme Court case upon which it relied, was limited by subsequent Supreme Court decisions. Fontana points to two cases in particular that affected courts' consideration of uncharged facts to enhance a sentence: Apprendi v. New Jersey, 530 U.S. 466 (2000) and Alleyne v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2151 (2013). In Apprendi, the Court held that a jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt a fact that increases the penalty for a crime beyond the statutory maximum. 530 U.S. at 490. Similarly, in Alleyne v. United States, the court held that a jury must find beyond a reasonable doubt any fact that triggers a statutory mandatory minimum sentence. 133 S. Ct. at 2158. Fontana also points to two cases that affected the Guidelines: United States v. Booker, 543 U.S. 220, 245 (2005) and Peugh v. United States, 133 S. Ct. 2072, 2078 (2012). Booker rendered the Guidelines advisory rather than mandatory, 543 U.S. at 245; Peugh held that an ex post facto violation occurs when a defendant is sentenced under Guidelines promulgated after he committed his criminal acts and the new version provides a higher applicable Guidelines sentencing range than the version in place at the time of the offense, 133 S. Ct. at 2078.

Contrary to Fontana's argument, none of the cases he cites affects the reasoning from Witte upon which Garrido-Santana relied. Witte held that using related criminal conduct to enhance a defendant's sentence within the authorized statutory limits does not constitute punishment for double jeopardy purposes. 515 U.S. at 399 (emphasis added). Fontana's sentence was within the authorized statutory limits for his crimes; in fact, his sentence of 360 months in prison was below his guidelines range of life. This alone means that neither Apprendi nor Alleyne affects the relevance of Witte's reasoning as applied to Fontana's case via Garrido-Santana. Booker and Peugh are even less on point.

Fontana also seeks to distinguish the treaty provision at issue in Garrido-Santana from the one in his case. In Garrido-Santana, we considered a provision from the U.S.-Dominican Republic extradition treaty holding that [n]o person shall be tried for any crime or offence other than that for which he was surrendered. 360 F.3d at 577 (citing Convention for the Mutual Extradition of Fugitives from Justice, U.S-Dom. Rep., June 19, 1909, 36 Stat. 2468). Here, the relevant provision from the U.S.-Canada extradition treaty holds that [a] person extradited under the present treaty shall not be detained, tried or punished in the territory of the requesting state for an offense other than that for which extradition has been granted. U.S.-Can. Extradition Treaty art. 12(1) (emphasis added). According to Fontana, the language in these treaties makes them distinguishable, because the U.S.-Dominican Republic treaty lacked an express agreement not to punish the defendant for conduct other than the conduct for which he was extradited.

However, the reasoning of Garrido-Santana forecloses this argument. Although the extradition treaty in Garrido-Santana did not contain the word punishment, the court assumed without deciding that the treaty did contain an implicit promise not to punish the extradited individual for his uncharged crimes. 360 F.3d at 577. We still concluded that the district court's consideration of the defendant's uncharged crime did not constitute punishment under the treaty. Id. Fontana thus cannot distinguish Garrido-Santana, because it addressed the very issue he raises. Furthermore, as noted above, we also find persuasive the Eighth Circuit's analysis in Lomeli, which considered an extradition treaty that does contain the punishment language at issue here, but nevertheless concluded that the doctrine of specialty does not prohibit a district court from considering a defendant's criminal history to determine his advisory Sentencing Guidelines range. See Lomeli, 596 F.3d at 503.

Finally, Fontana moves to file a supplemental pro se brief arguing that his conviction should be reversed and remanded to allow him to present a defense to the jury that one of the victims told him that she was nineteen years old, which he alleges he reasonably believed. We deny Fontana's motion. A defendant must present a single brief, not two. Fed. R. App. P. 31(a); United States v. Montgomery, 592 F. App'x 411, 415 (6th Cir. 2014). This means that we may properly decline to consider pro se claims brought by a defendant represented by counsel on appeal. United States v. Williams, 641 F.3d 758, 770 (6th Cir. 2011). There are no circumstances justifying consideration of Fontana's supplemental brief here. Among other things, Fontana's reasonable-mistake-of-age defense attacks his conviction and not his sentence, and he unequivocally waived any right to appeal his conviction in his plea agreement. Such a waiver is enforceable so long as it was made knowingly and voluntarily, United States v. Toth, 668 F.3d 374, 377 (6th Cir. 2012), as was the case here. At Fontana's plea colloquy, the district court explained the waiver, and Fontana acknowledged that he understood. Furthermore, Fontana's pro se brief does not address why this waiver was not made knowingly and voluntarily, or even address the issue of waiver at all.

For the reasons set forth above, the judgment of the district court is affirmed and Fontana's motion to file a supplemental pro se brief is denied.

ROGERS, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. RONALD C. LEWIS, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-5181 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before: CLAY, ROGERS, and SUTTON, Circuit Judges. COUNSEL ON BRIEF: Roger A. Cox, COX & COX, Fenelton, Pennsylvania, for Appellant. Charles P. Wisdom Jr., Lauren Tanner Bradley, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, Lexington, Kentucky, for Appellee.

OPINION

ROGERS, Circuit Judge. This case presents the question of whether a warrant is required for a police officer, not investigating any wrongdoing, to open the passenger door of a parked truck to ask whether the sleeping occupant of the truck would be able to drive the occupant's intoxicated girlfriend home. Fortunately, the Fourth Amendment does not impose technical prerequisites upon such a natural act of community service.

On an evening in August 2014, local police officer Greg Turner responded to reports that a woman was intoxicated in a Wal-Mart in London, Kentucky. Once inside the Wal-Mart, Turner found the woman, later identified as Carol Lakes. Officer Turner noticed that Lakes's balance was off, she was holding herself up by the buggy, she had trouble keeping her eyes open, and she was nodding off. Once he got closer, Officer Turner further noticed that Lakes's speech was slurred, her eyes red and glassy, and her mouth real dry. Officer Turner concluded that Lakes was clearly under the influence, approached her, and asked her if she was all right. Lakes told Officer Turner that she had been taking pain pills due to some back trouble.

Officer Turner then asked Lakes if she was at the Wal-Mart by herself. Lakes answered that she was at Wal-Mart with her boyfriendlater identified as defendant Ronald Lewiswho was outside in his truck. Officer Turner responded: Well, we'll go see if your boyfriend's all right, talk to him and he can drive you out of here. You can go home. Officer Turner also suggested to Lakes that he would have to arrest her if Lewis could not drive her home. At some point around then, another police officer, Rick Cloyd, arrived at the scene. Lakes told the officers that her boyfriend would in fact be able to drive her home, and led them outside to her boyfriend's truck so that they could check to make sure that he was all right to drive.

The officers approached Lewis's four-door Chevy truck, but, because it was dark outside and the truck's windows were tinted, could not tell whether it was occupied. Officer Turner went around to the front-driver side of the truck, looked through the window, and saw Lewis asleep on the passenger side. Officer Cloyd and Lakes went around to the front-passenger side of the truck.

There is some dispute as to what happened next. Officer Turner later testified that either Officer Cloyd or Lakes opened the front passenger-side door, next to which Lewis was sitting. Lewis testified that it was Officer Cloydand not his girlfriend Lakeswho opened the passenger-side door. For the purposes of this opinion, we adopt the district court's assumption that it was Officer Cloyd who opened the door.

When the door opened, the interior dome light went on, causing Lewis to startle[ ] and d[o] a little jerk. This light enabled Officer Turner to see that Lewis had a clear plastic baggie on his lap. Lewis tossed the baggie over the truck's console onto the back floorboard.

Officer Turner suspected that the baggie contained marijuana. Accordingly, he shined his flashlight onto the baggie on the back floorboard, and observed that it contained like a bluish color stuff in it, which he thought could be marijuana but might also be blue pills. Officer Turner then opened the truck door, inspected the bag more closely, and saw that it did in fact contain pills. Turner asked Lewis about the pills, and Lewis stated that he didn't know nothing about them, and that's all he would say. Lewis appeared to be under the influence as well, based on his slurred speech. Lewis and Lake were then both arrested. The bag of pills was tested and found to contain 493 oxycodone 30 mg tablets and 5 pills of Xanax, the trade name for the controlled substance alprazolam. An additional four Xanax pills were found on Lewis's person.

Lewis was indicted on various charges related to the possession of oxycodone and alprazolam in violation of 18 U.S.C.  841(a)(1), 846. Lewis moved to suppress all evidence seized in his vehicle as the products of an illegal search. The district court, however, denied Lewis's motion. The district court found that, at least until Officer Turner saw the baggie, the officers' sole purpose was to find Lakes a safe ride home, and that the officers were not investigating a crime. Accordingly, the district court concluded that the officers were initially not engaged in traditional law enforcement functions and invoked the community caretaker exception to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement. See United States v. Rohrig, 98 F.3d 1506, 152122 (6th Cir. 1996). The district court further concluded that, once Officer Turner saw Lewis toss the baggie over the back seat, the officers' function changed to the investigation of a crime, such that the community-caretaker exception could not apply from that point forward. However, the district court also held that Lewis's behavior at that point gave Officer Turner probable cause to search the truck under the automobile exception to the warrant requirement. See Smith v. Thornburg, 136 F.3d 1070, 1074 (6th Cir. 1998). In particular, the district court noted Lewis's possession of a clear plastic baggie, his deliberately furtive action of throwing the baggie into the back seat once he saw the officers, his own slurred speech, and his girlfriend's visible intoxication as reasonable grounds for belief that Lewis's truck contained evidence of a crime. Accordingly, the district court held that, based on the community-caretaker and the automobile exceptions to the warrant requirement, there had been no violation of Lewis's Fourth Amendment rights, and so his motion to suppress was denied.

Lewis then pleaded guilty to two of the four counts against himpossession of oxycodone with intent to distribute and possession of alprazolam with intent to distribute, both in violation of 18 U.S.C.  841(a)(1), 846but preserved his right to appeal the denial of his suppression motion. Lewis now exercises that right and appeals to this court. On appeal, Lewis limits his challenge to the opening of the door. But the Fourth Amendment does not preclude the mere opening of the vehicle door in the context of these facts. The police here engaged in a function that was entirely divorced from a criminal investigation, such that the community caretaker exception to the Fourth Amendment applied. Therefore, because [t]he standard of probable cause is peculiarly related to criminal investigations, not routine, noncriminal procedures, South Dakota v. Opperman, 428 U.S. 364, 370 n.5 (1976), Officers Turner and Cloyd did not need a warrant or probable cause for their limited intrusion on Lewis's privacy.

First, the local officers' action here fits within the community-caretaker exception. Officers Turner and Cloyd responded to reports that a woman was intoxicated in a Wal-Mart; observed that she was, in fact, intoxicated to the point of nodding off; and tried to get her out of the store without arresting her by finding her a safe ride home. This case is similar to other cases in which this court has applied the community-caretaker exception. See Rohrig, 98 F.3d at 1522; United States v. Brown, 447 F. App'x 706, 709 (6th Cir. 2012); United States v. Koger, 152 F. App'x 429, 429 (6th Cir. 2005) (per curiam). Most notably, in Rohrig, local police officers responded to complaints of loud music blaring from a private home in the middle of the night and entered the home without a warrant for the limited purpose of locating and abating [the] nuisancean action that this court deemed to fall within the community-caretaker function. 98 F.3d at 150910, 152122. Similarly, in this case, local police officers Turner and Cloyd responded to reports of a visibly intoxicated woman in a Wal-Mart, and approached her boyfriend Lewis solely to determine whether he would be able to drive her home.

Second, there is no evidence that the officers' action was taken with any traditional law-enforcement purpose that would make the community-caretaker exception inapplicable. The community-caretaking exception applies most clearly when the action of the police is totally divorced from the detection, investigation, or acquisition of evidence relating to the violation of a criminal statute, United States v. Brown, 447 F. App'x 706, 709 (6th Cir. 2012) (quoting Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. 433, 441 (1973)). Here, the district court found that the officers' sole purpose was to find Lakes a safe ride home, from which the district court concluded that the officers were not investigating a crime. In the context of a motion to suppress, such a finding can be overturned only if clearly erroneous. Brown, 447 F. App'x at 708 (citing United States v. Blair, 524 F.3d 740, 74748 (6th Cir. 2008)). There was no clear error here: Officer Turner testified as to his and Officer Cloyd's purpose, which the district court clearly found credible; furthermore, there is no evidence in the record to rebut this account of the officers' purpose. Accordingly, this case is similar to Brown, in which this court reasoned that the community-caretaker exception would apply to a police officer's stopping a vehicle because the officer was not seeking to investigate a crime but only to question the driver as to the whereabouts of a missing minor. 447 F. App'x at 710. Furthermore, this case is distinguishable from United States v. Williams, where this court refused to apply the community-caretaking exception for officers who entered a home, ostensibly to investigate claims of a water leak, but also because they had grounds to suspect the home was being used to grow marijuana. 354 F.3d 497, 508 (6th Cir. 2003).

Third, given the community-caretaking nature of the officers' action, any limited intrusion on Lewis's privacy from simply opening the door was reasonable. Lewis was in his car, not his home, which weighs in favor of the reasonableness of any search. As the Supreme Court noted in the case that gave rise to the community-caretaker exception, for the purposes of the Fourth Amendment there is a constitutional difference between houses and cars, because of the ambulatory character of cars and the fact that extensive, and often noncriminal contact with automobiles will bring local officials in plain view of evidence, fruits, or instrumentalities of a crime, or contraband. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. at 439, 442 (quoting Chambers v. Maroney, 399 U.S. 42, 52 (1970)). Accordingly, as this circuit has noted, the community caretaking function articulated in [Dombrowski] has been principally applied to the warrantless searches of automobiles. Taylor v. Mich. Dep't of Nat. Res., 502 F.3d 452, 462 (6th Cir. 2007) (listing cases). The fact that Lewis was in his car also distinguishes this case from the two cases that he cites in arguing that the community-caretaker exception should not apply. See United States v. Washington, 573 F.3d 279, 288 (6th Cir. 2009); Williams, 354 F.3d at 508. In both cases, the court held that the community-caretaker exception did not apply because whatever interest the community had in the intrusion could not overcome the significant privacy interests in the homea concern that is not present in this case.

Furthermore, the officers' intrusion into Lewis's car was minimal, which also weighs in favor of the reasonableness of any search. This is not a case where the police officers conducted a search of the vehicle looking for drugsfor example, by looking in the glove compartment, looking under the seats, opening the trunk, or opening containers in the car. Rather, the officers merely opened the door to check on the apparently sleeping Lewis, which prompted Lewis to throw the baggie containing pills onto the back floorboard of his truck, catching Officer Turner's attention. True, the officers apparently did not knock on the truck window or attempt to speak with Lewis before opening the door, which might have been more respectful of Lewis's privacy. However, as the Fourth Circuit has reasoned, the community-caretaking exception is not limited to the least intrusive means of protecting the public. United States v. Johnson, 410 F.3d 137, 146 (4th Cir. 2005) (citing Dombrowski, 413 U.S. at 447). Given that the officers' opening of Lewis's door was minimally intrusive, any failure to knock or attempt to speak does not make the officers' actions here unreasonable.

On this appeal, Lewis does not challenge the district court's reasoning with respect to the actions of the police after they opened the door and saw Lewis toss the baggie onto the back floorboard. Accordingly, we have no need to review the district court's application of the automobile exception to the subsequent search.

The judgment of the district court is affirmed.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. JIM DAVID, JR., Administrator of the Estate of Deceased James David, Sr., Plaintiff-Appellant, v. CITY OF BELLEVUE, OHIO; SERGEANT JEFFREY MATTER, City of Bellevue; PATROLMAN ERIK LAWSON, City of Bellevue, Defendants-Appellees. No. 16-3754 Decided: August 24, 2017

BEFORE: BOGGS, BATCHELDER, and WHITE, Circuit Judges.

The Estate of Jim David brings this appeal from a grant of summary judgment below to two officers and the City of Bellevue. David was shot and killed when officers approached him at night while he sat on his porch in order to get his side of a complaint by a neighbor. David was holding a gun, and the officers testified that he aimed it at an officer, leading to their opening fire. The Estate put forth evidence and testimony that David never raised his gun and was shot without provoking the officers. Because the Estate has made a showing of a genuine issue of material fact that David had not raised his gun and aimed it at an officer and therefore that David did not pose an imminent threat to the officers' safety, we reverse the district court's grant of summary judgment to the officers.

I

Just after 10 p.m. on September 22, 2010, the City of Bellevue Police Department received a 911 call reporting a dispute and a man brandishing a gun. Sergeant Jeffrey Matter and Patrolman Erik Lawson had just begun their shift and left to investigate and interview the caller at an apartment building on Greenwood Heights Boulevard, a road in Bellevue, Ohio. First Lawson, and later Matter, arrived at the apartment building of the caller, James Armstrong; neither used lights or sirens. Armstrong and several others were on Armstrong's back porch. Armstrong was known to the police as someone who had been an aggressor in a few criminal incidents in the past, and had had several interactions with the police for domestic issues and drugs. Lawson asked him about the situation. Armstrong responded with [p]lenty of expletives, but that there was a guy with a gun and that [he and others] were being threatened. Armstrong elaborated that the man had been eyeballing them from the sidewalk across the street and had proceeded to pull out a pistol and cock the slide to chamber a round. Lawson inquired where the man had gone, and Armstrong pointed to a house visible through the backyards on a residential street that was sixty to one-hundred yards away from Armstrong's back porch. Lawson stated that he saw someone sitting on the porch of the home, asked Armstrong for a description, and was told it was an older guy. Others at Armstrong's residence interjected occasionally in support of Armstrong's narrative. Lawson conveyed the story to Matter and the two decided to approach and speak to the man on the porch. Lawson did not ask Armstrong whether he and the older guy had encountered each other earlier in the evening. At his deposition, Lawson at first denied that Armstrong told him that he and several others had gone to the older guy's home earlier that night to confront him about eyeballing them, but when his recollection was refreshed with his police report, Lawson admitted that Armstrong told him that he, Armstrong, had confronted the older guy at his home on Union Street and that it was when the older guy was at his home that he brandished the gun.

The officers walked through backyards of houses fronting Union Street, which runs perpendicular to Greenwood Heights Boulevard, to reach the man on the porch rather than walk on the streets. They then crossed Union Street to enter the man's lawn. The man's front yard had a large tree on one side and a smaller tree on the other side. They approached in the darkness with weapons drawn and flashlights on. The two were in grey or dark blue uniforms and did not have on their police hats. As they drew closer and walked on the lawn, Lawson and Matter split up to come toward the man from two different directions. Lawson testified that he began to introduce himself: Good evening, sir. I'm Officer Lawson, Bellevue Police Department. I'm responding to. (Matter testified that he could not hear what Lawson said, but he believed that he was introducing himself by the cadence of his voice and kind of the tone.) At this, the manJames David, Sr.rose and walked away from the officer toward his door. Just before David entered his home, Lawson called out to him. David turned around and moved along the porch in the direction of Lawson. The officers testified that they then saw David point a gun at Lawson as he walked. Lawson shouted, Gun, and fired at David; Matter quickly followed suit. The officers fired a total of twenty-four rounds at David: Lawson fired his entire clip and Matter fired eight shots. David was struck at least fifteen times. But he never fired his weapon.

After the shooting, David was slumped next to a chair on the porch. Matter and Lawson confirmed that they were both unharmed, and then Matter radioed dispatch to report the shooting and call for an ambulance. Matter went up to the porch, moved David's gun away from him, and checked David for signs of life. But there were none. Suddenly, Karen David (David's wife) emerged from the homehaving been awakened by the officers shooting her husbandand Matter ordered her back inside. Matter then examined David's gun and reported that it had a round in its chamber and was loaded. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Identification (BCI) arrived and processed the scene. They investigated the incident and in October 2010 determined that the officers had responded with a lawful use of force. The City of Bellevue did not conduct its own investigation and did not discipline Lawson or Matter.

In September of 2012, Karen David brought suit on behalf of the estate of James David, Sr., against the City of Bellevue, its police department, Chief Dennis Brandal, Matter, and Lawson. After two months, Mrs. David filed a notice of voluntary dismissal and the case was dismissed without prejudice. In November 2013, Karen David filed a new complaint. The district court dismissed a number of claims, including all claims against the Bellevue Police Department and Chief Brandal. After amendment, the complaint alleged violations of David's Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights, wrongful death, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The amended complaint also substituted Jim David, Jr., in place of Karen David, as the Administrator of the estate of James David, Sr. After defendants sought summary judgment, the district court granted it with regard to David's Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment claims on the basis of qualified immunity for the officers and held that the city had performed an adequate investigation. With regard to the officers, the district court held that there was no genuine issue of material fact that Lawson had given a warning and that a reasonable officer would have believed himself or his partner under immediate threat in Lawson and Matter's positions. The district court's ruling was timely appealed.

II

A. Legal Framework

We review a district court's grant of summary judgment de novo. Phillips v. Roane County, 534 F.3d 531, 538 (6th Cir. 2008). Summary judgment should be granted where there is no genuine dispute as to any material fact and the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Fed. R. Civ. P. 56(a). A genuine issue of material fact will exist when, assuming the truth of the nonmoving party's evidence and construing all inferences from the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, there is sufficient evidence for a trier of fact to find for that party. Gradisher v. City of Akron, 794 F.3d 574, 582 (6th Cir. 2015).

The essence of a claim under 42 U.S.C.  1983 is a deprivation of a federal right by someone acting under color of law. See Robertson v. Lucas, 753 F.3d 606, 614 (6th Cir. 2014). Government officials acting in a discretionary capacity are entitled to qualified immunity where their actions could reasonably have been thought consistent with the rights they are alleged to have violated. Anderson v. Creighton, 483 U.S. 635, 638 (1987). A city can be liable under  1983 when execution of a government's policy or custom, whether made by its lawmakers or by those whose edicts or acts may fairly be said to represent official policy, inflicts the injury of a constitutional violation. Monell v. Dep't of Soc. Servs., 436 U.S. 658, 694 (1978). In order to demonstrate an illegal policy or custom, a plaintiff must show (1) the existence of an illegal official policy or legislative enactment; (2) that an official with final decision making authority ratified illegal actions; (3) the existence of a policy of inadequate training or supervision; or (4) the existence of a custom of tolerance or acquiescence of federal rights violations. Burgess v. Fischer, 735 F.3d 462, 478 (6th Cir. 2013).

It is undisputed that the right at issue in this casethe right against unreasonable deadly forceis a clearly established constitutional right. Margeson v. White County, 579 F. App'x 466, 471 (6th Cir. 2014) (citing Pearson v. Callahan, 555 U.S. 223 (2009)). Force that is  objectively [un]reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting officers violates a federal right. Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386, 397 (1989). We examine reasonableness at the moment, and not with the 20/20 vision of hindsight. Id. at 396. And we include in our consideration the severity of the crime at issue, whether the suspect poses an immediate threat to the safety of the officers or others, and whether he is actively resisting arrest or attempting to evade arrest by flight. Hayden v. Green, 640 F.3d 150, 153 (6th Cir. 2011) (quoting Smoak v. Hall, 460 F.3d 768, 783 (6th Cir. 2006)).

B. Lawson and Matter

The four main questions to be addressed are (1) whether a sufficient warning was provided (as the district court held); (2) if not, whether a warning was necessary; (3) whether there exists a genuine dispute that David did not pose an imminent threat to the officers; and (4) whether a genuine dispute exists that the officers continued firing after David was incapacitated. We address each question in turn.

1. Whether a warning and identification were provided. As the district court recognized, and Defendants acknowledge, a warning is necessary before the use of deadly force when such a warning is feasible. See Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1, 1112 (1985). The district court found that there was no genuine issue of material fact whether a warning had been provided and so it did not need to reach the question whether a warning was required. The district court noted that testimony from neighbors stating that they did not hear a warning and Matter's testimony that he was unable to understand what Lawson said were not enough to rebut Lawson's testimony or create a genuine issue of fact. It cited Chappell v. City of Cleveland, 585 F.3d 901 (6th Cir. 2009), to support the notion that witnesses' failure to hear a warning is insufficient to rebut testimony that a warning was given and thereby create an issue of fact. The district court's observations were correct. Much like in Chappell, the fact that Matter did not know the exact words that Lawson used in introducing himself may be due to the fact that he was likely  paying attention to other matters, such as establishing whether David was armed. Id. at 914. The same is true of the neighbors, who were either not aware of the incident while it was occurring or were at a significant distance. The panel in Chappell held that any such factual question did not actually raise a genuine dispute of fact with regard to the existence of a warning. Ibid. It follows that here too, there is no genuine dispute of fact with regard to identification and warning. Unfortunately, because the best witness on David's behalf (David himself) cannot provide testimony in this case, our understanding of the encounter will be incomplete at best. But because the only relevant facts regarding the warning are from the testimony of the officers and Lawson's testimony indicates that a warning was given, summary judgment on the claim is appropriate. As a result, we need not reach the question whether any warning should have been given.

2. The threat posed by David. The key fact at issue in this case is whether David had his gun pointed at the officers. If it was indeed the case that David had his gun pointed at the officers, then a reasonable officer would presumably be justified in shooting based on a belief of imminent harm. See, e.g., Garner, 471 at 11. But if there are facts which might indicate otherwise, such as testimony indicating that the position of the body showed that the gunman did not in fact have the gun raised, then a genuine issue of material fact may exist. Brandenburg v. Cureton, 882 F.2d 211, 215 (6th Cir. 1989). Here, the testimony is divided. Both Lawson and Matter testified that David had his gun pointed directly at LawsonLawson described it as proper shooting form. Yet Appellant's expert David Balash provided testimony that contradicted that account. Balash stated in his expert report that, given that there were no bullet strikes to David's forearms, hands, or the gun itself, the pattern of bullet strikes to the body is not consistent with [the] suspect standing, facing out into the yard and pointing a weapon in the direction of one of the officers. He further noted that only two possible bullet strikes could be reasonably attributed to a standing David.

In Brandenburg, this court held that where the question of fact was whether Brandenburg's gun was up or down when police shot him, expert testimony that indicated that his finger was not on the trigger and that questioned whether his arm was lifted to aim a rifle at officers was sufficient to defeat qualified immunity. 882 F.2d at 215. This case presents the same question. The expert acknowledges that two shots were fired while David was standing. The question, then, is whether expert testimony and facts that indicated that David did not have his arm raised with a weapon pointed at the officers are sufficient to defeat qualified immunity. As in Brandenburg, we hold that they are. The facts, taken in the light most favorable to David, show that it is a reasonable conclusion that David did not have his arm raised at Lawson. If that were the case, then the shooting would be unjustified. Accordingly, summary judgment is inappropriate.

This holding does not implicate merely Lawson, who first pulled the trigger, but also removes qualified immunity from Matter as well. It is of no import that Matter shot only after Lawson opened fire. What counts is whether Matter knew that David did not pose a threat. We have held that an officer's opening fireeven if he was unsure who shot first was sufficient to defeat qualified immunity if the victim was not a threat. See Floyd v. City of Detroit, 518 F.3d 398, 408 (6th Cir. 2008). If David's arm was by his sideas the facts construed in the best light for David would indicateMatter's opening fire would also be unjustified and a constitutional violation.

3. Whether officers continued firing after David was no longer a threat. Appellant also argues that the officers continued firing at David after he was no longer a threat, and limiting themselves would have possibly preserved David's life. [I]f police officers are justified in firing at a suspect in order to end a severe threat to public safety, the officers need not stop shooting until the threat has ended. Plumhoff v. Rickard, 134 S. Ct. 2012, 2022 (2014). Appellant claims that the evidence demonstrates that only two bullets struck David while he was standing and the rest struck him while he was kneeling or slumped to the ground. This, Appellant contends, shows that the officers continued to shoot after the threat had ended. In support, Appellant cites Margeson v. White County, 579 F. App'x 466 (6th Cir. 2014), an unreported case where a panel held that officers who shot a man forty-three times, including at least twelve times while he was lying on the ground, were not entitled to qualified immunity. In this case, Lawson testified that he fired initially while David had the gun pointed at him, and then kept firing after David was struck when David swung his arm out toward Matter. But as established above, at the summary-judgment stage, the facts suggest that David did not have his arm raised and gun pointed at Lawson. Given the testimony that demonstrates that most of the bullets hit David while he was slumped over or on the ground, there is a genuine issue of material fact as to whether officers continued firing once David was incapacitated.

Accordingly, the district court's grant of qualified immunity and summary judgment to Lawson and Matter was in error with respect to their shooting David. The case presents a sufficient, material factual dispute that is best resolved by a fact-finder.

C. City of Bellevue

Although we hold that the district court erred in granting summary judgment on the basis of the facts before it, we affirm its holding that the City of Bellevue is immune from suit. As noted by the district court, Bellevue used an independent investigation through the Ohio BCI to look into the circumstances of the case and provided a second review by Chief Brandal to determine whether the officers' response was justifiable. For there to be a claim based on inadequate investigation, as Appellant argues, there must be not only an inadequate investigation in this instance, but also (1) a clear and persistent pattern of violations; (2) notice or constructive notice thereof; (3) tacit approval of unconstitutional conduct so as to constitute deliberate indifference; and (4) a direct causal link to the constitutional deprivation. See Doe v. Claiborne County, 103 F.3d 495, 508 (6th Cir. 1996). Appellant has not demonstrated any such pattern. Appellant instead argues that the investigation should give rise to liability on the basis that it was conducted with no interest in finding the officers at fault so as to not be designed to discover what actually took place. Appellant's Br. 30, 34. Absent evidence of a pattern of violations, there is no demonstration of causation to show that the allegedly inadequate investigation caused the constitutional violation in question here. Appellant cites Wright v. City of Canton, 138 F. Supp. 2d 955 (N.D. Ohio 2001), to support his contention that an inadequate investigation can constitute outright ratification of an unconstitutional action and thereby subject a municipality to liability. But under Supreme Court precedent, plaintiffs must show that  action pursuant to official municipal policy caused their injury. Connick v. Thompson, 563 U.S. 51, 60 (2011) (emphasis added) (quoting Monell, 436 U.S. at 691). An action cannot be pursuant to something that has not yet occurred. Because there can be no causation, even with a constitutional violation by Lawson and Matter, the City of Bellevue is immune from suit in this instance.

III

Because we reverse the district court's dismissal of some of David's federal claims, we also reverse the district court's dismissal of David's state-law claims and remand to permit the district court the opportunity to determine whether to exercise supplemental jurisdiction over these claims given the now-revived federal claims. Veneklase v. Bridgewater Condos, L.C., 670 F.3d 705, 717 (6th Cir. 2012).

For these reasons, we REVERSE the district court's grant of summary judgment below with regard to Officers Lawson and Matter's use of force against David and AFFIRM it with regard to the City of Bellevue and with regard to the warning given by Lawson and Matter.

FOOTNOTES

. Balash observed that two strikes could have occurred while David was standing: one to his abdomen and another to his buttocks. Four other bullet strikes that could plausibly have occurred while David stood were disqualified by Balash because two of them would have had to hit while David had his back to officers (a fact that no one contended happened here) and another two would have required David to have been leaning forward significantly. Balash's report states that these last two bullet wounds track dramatically downward from their entry points and can only mean that Mr. David was leaning forward towards the officers, bent at the waist with his upper body parallel to the porch floor, or he was in a down position and leaning towards the officers. Both of Appellant's experts (Balash and Michael Lyman) state that the police did not testify that David was bending or leaning forward: There was no account by either officer of Mr. David bending forward.; Lawson and Matter never reported  [or] described [David] as leaning forward at the time of the shooting. Lawson testified [Q. S]how me how Mr. David was holding the weapon. A. Leaning forward. But it is unclear whether Lawson meant that David was leaning forward or that the gun was leaning forward. In any event, neither officer testified that David leaned over so far as to be bent at the waist with his upper body parallel to the porch floor, which is what Balash indicated was the position required for a standing David to have received these wounds. Lawson testified that David had the gun at a ninety-degree angle from his torso, a position that cannot be described as proper shooting form if the shooter is bent at the waist parallel to the floor.

. Again, David never fired his weapon.

BOGGS, Circuit Judge.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. WILLIAM ROGER WILKINSON, Defendant-Appellant. No. 16-30078 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before: BYBEE and M. SMITH, Circuit Judges, and DORSEY,** District Judge.

MEMORANDUM*

Following a four-day jury trial, defendant-appellant William Roger Wilkinson received a 130-year sentence after he was convicted on three counts of sexual exploitation of children in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2251(a), one count of possession of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252A(a)(5)(B), and one count of access with the intent to view child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C.  2252A(a)(5)(B). Before trial, the district court denied Wilkinson's motion to suppress evidence obtained under four different search warrants, request for an evidentiary hearing under Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154 (1978), and motion in limine to exclude testimony of the government's expert. And the district court granted the government's motion in limine to admit evidence of uncharged acts of child molestation. Wilkinson appeals those pre-trial decisions and the substantive reasonableness of his sentence. We have jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C.  1291, and we affirm.

1. The search warrants pass constitutional muster.

Wilkinson offers a host of reasons why the district court should have suppressed evidence seized under the warrants to search his home, electronic devices, and truck. We review suppression decisions de novo and the underlying factual findings for clear error. United States v. Rodgers, 656 F.3d 1023, 1026 (9th Cir. 2011). We also review the issuance of a search warrant for clear error, and we give great deference to a magistrate judge's finding of probable cause. United States v. Krupa, 658 F.3d 1174, 1177 (9th Cir. 2011).

a. Residential search warrant

The question for the magistrate judge issuing a search warrant is whether, under the totality-of-the-circumstances set forth in the affidavit, there is a fair probability that contraband or evidence of a crime will be found in a particular place. Illinois v. Gates, 462 U.S. 213, 238 (1983). Interpreting the affidavit in a commonsense[ ] manner and paying great deference to the magistrate's finding of probable cause, as we must, id. at 236 (quotation marks and quoted references omitted), we do not find that the affidavit supporting the search warrant of Wilkinson's home was deficient. The affidavit contains relevant statements from the victim, her mother, and her grandfather that would lead a magistrate judge to reasonably conclude that evidence that Wilkinson sexually abused the victim would be found at the address.

Wilkinson complains that two categories of items listed in the warrant are overbroad: videos and electronic data containing images of minor children. This is a distinction without a difference because law enforcement did not search the electronics or seize any video or electronic data under the residential search warrant; they obtained other warrants to do that. See United States v. Clark, 31 F.3d 831, 836 (9th Cir. 1994) (The remedy for an overbroad search warrant is suppression of the seized evidence. The court need suppress, however, only those items seized pursuant to the invalid portion of a search warrant.).

b. Warrants to search electronics seized from Wilkinson's home

Wilkinson argues that evidence obtained under two warrants to forensically search electronics seized from his home should be suppressed because the warrants are not sufficiently particular. Wilkinson did not provide the district court any authority or analysis to demonstrate why the warrants fail the particularity requirement, nor did he object when the court did not rule on this issue in denying his suppression motion. Because he failed to adequately raise this argument below, we deem it waived. See In re Mercury Interactive Corp. Sec. Litig., 618 F.3d 988, 992 (9th Cir. 2010) (noting that an issue will generally be deemed waived on appeal if not sufficiently raised below).

c. Warrant to search Wilkinson's truck

Wilkinson next contends that the 15-day delay between the seizure of his truck and the warrant to search it was unreasonable. An unreasonable delay between the seizure of a package and obtaining a search warrant may violate the defendant's Fourth Amendment rights. The touchstone is reasonableness. United States v. Sullivan, 797 F.3d 623, 633 (9th Cir. 2015). In determining reasonableness, [w]e must balance the nature and quality of the intrusion on the individual's Fourth Amendment interests against the importance of the governmental interests alleged to justify the intrusion.  Id. (quoting United States v. Place, 462 U.S. 696, 703 (1983)).

The extent of the intrusion on Wilkinson's possessory interest in the truck was minimal given the totality of the circumstances. The government had a legitimate interest in seizing and retaining the truck based on the likelihood that it was evidence of Wilkinson's suspected crimes. The government's course of conduct was reasonable.

Wilkinson has not persuaded us that the warrants to search his home, truck, or electronics fail to satisfy the Fourth Amendment's requirements. We therefore affirm the trial court's decision denying Wilkinson's suppression motion.

2. Wilkinson was not entitled to a Franks hearing.

Wilkinson next argues that the district court erred when it denied his request for an evidentiary hearing under Franks v. Delaware, 438 U.S. 154 (1978), because he made the requisite preliminary showing that false statements were intentionally or recklessly included in the affidavit supporting the forensic search warrants and the statements were necessary to a finding of probable cause. See United States v. Kiser, 716 F.2d 1268, 1271 (9th Cir. 1983). We review de novo a district court's decision not to conduct a Franks hearing. United States v. Napier, 436 F.3d 1133, 1136 (9th Cir. 2006).

Wilkinson claims that three facts in the affidavit about what the victim stated during her social-services interview are deliberately false. But the supporting affidavit contains sufficient factual detail to believe that this evidence would be found on Wilkinson's electronics without the challenged statements, and therefore the challenged statements were not necessary to find probable cause. We thus affirm the trial court's decision denying Wilkinson's request for a Franks hearing.

3. The district court's evidentiary rulings are sound.

Wilkinson appeals from the district court's evidentiary decisions: (1) denying his motion to exclude testimony from a counselor of child victims of sexual abuse regarding delayed disclosure and (2) granting the government's motion to admit testimony by the victim about uncharged acts of child molestation that Wilkinson committed against her.

a. Expert-opinion evidence

A district court's decision to admit expert-opinion testimony, and its finding that evidence is more probative than prejudicial, are reviewed for abuse of discretion. United States v. Gonzales, 307 F.3d 906, 909 (9th Cir. 2002); United States v. LeMay, 260 F.3d 1018, 1024 (9th Cir. 2001). Wilkinson argues that the counselor's testimony should have been excluded under Federal Rule of Evidence 702 because it was neither helpful nor reliable. The district court found that the counselor's testimony would be helpful to the jury, and the record supports that finding. The district court also found that the counselor's testimony was reliable because her opinions were based on sufficient data from her own experience, and the record supports that finding.

b. Uncharged-acts evidence

Wilkinson argues that the victim's testimony about uncharged acts of molestation was neither helpful to the jury nor practically necessary to prove the charges against him, and its probative value was substantially outweighed by its highly prejudicial impact. We have articulated five factors that district courts must evaluate in determining whether to admit evidence of a defendant's prior acts of sexual misconduct. See LeMay, 260 F.3d at 102728. The district court did not abuse its discretion in applying those factors.

We therefore affirm the district court's evidentiary rulings.

4. The district court did not abuse its discretion when sentencing Wilkinson.

Finally, Wilkinson argues that his 130-year sentence is substantively unreasonable because it is longer than necessary to achieve the legitimate goals of sentencing in light of his age and criminal history. When called to review the reasonableness of a sentence imposed, we merely ask [ ] whether the trial court abused its discretion.  United States v. Apodaca, 641 F.3d 1077, 1079 (9th Cir. 2011) (alteration in the original) (quoting Rita v. United States, 551 U.S. 338, 351 (2007)). A substantively reasonable sentence is one that is sufficient, but not greater than necessary to accomplish [18 U.S.C.]  3553(a)(2)'s sentencing goals. United States v. Crowe, 563 F.3d 969, 977 n.16 (9th Cir. 2009) (quotation marks and quoted reference omitted).

The district court carefully evaluated the statutory factors under 18 U.S.C.  3553(a). The record does not support Wilkinson's claim that the district court failed to meaningfully consider his characteristics and history. It fully considered both, but neither was truly remarkable, and both were greatly outweighed by the other factors. Accordingly, the district court did not abuse its discretion when sentencing Wilkinson to a term of 130 years.

Because the district court properly ruled on the pre-trial motions and did not impose a substantively unreasonable sentence, we

AFFIRM.
(ANSA) - Rome, August 25 - Some 40 old, ill or very young Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers are to return to a building near Rome's Termini Station where they were evicted with hundreds of others Saturday, Rome city council said Friday. They will be housed in six rooms there for six months after a deal between the council and the company that owns the building, SEA, sources said. Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) bigwig Luigi Di Maio, the deputy Lower House Speaker, denied claims M5S Rome Mayor Virginia Raggi was neglecting the issue, saying "Virginia is working for the good of Romans".

The Rome council security pointman, Marco Cardilli, said it had been informed of Saturday's eviction "just one day before, on Friday". Meanwhile the leftist pro-squatter Movement for the Struggle for Housing said it would stage a "major" march against evictions in Rome Saturday.

Interior Minister Marco Minniti will not approve any other evictions of squatters in Rome after the controversial eviction of the Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees, the chair of the Senate human rights committee, Luigi Manconi, said Friday.

Manconi and Minniti are members of the ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD).

Clashes in Rome Thursday in which a dozen evicted Eritrean refugees were slightly hurt by police could have been avoided, Italian police chief Franco Gabrielli told the Italian press Friday.

In an interview with La Repubblica daily, Gabrielli defended the controversial police operation but said that an officer caught in a Facebook video saying "break their arms if they throw things" would be punished.

A police union said the controversy over the "mistaken" phrase risks being blown out of proportion.

Police union official Enzo Marco Letizia said the phrase was pronounced in the heat of the moment, far from the refugees, and had "no consequences" for them.

In his La Repubblica interview, Gabrielli said it was not the police's fault that the estimated 400 mainly Eritrean and Ethiopian refugees and asylum seekers had been forced to live in "inhuman conditions", squatting in the empty building next to Rome's Piazza Indipendenza square.

He denied accusations that excessive force was used to clear the square of immigrants who had mostly been removed from the building last Saturday and were camping out there.

According to the Italian media, the immigrants had refused alternative accommodation outside Rome and demanded to be allowed to stay together.

Police used water cannon and truncheons to disperse them after coming under fire with gas tanks thrown from the building in Via Curtatone, bottles and rocks.

Gabriele said the violence could have been avoided if Rome's city administration, under Raggi, had stuck to a road map agreed by the police with former city commissioner Francesco Paolo Tronca two years ago.

"We established a road map with Tronca, but where have the funds gone?", Gabrielli told La Repubblica.

Former Rome urban planning councillor Paolo Berdini told Sky Friday that "we had reached an agreement to put a roof over everyone...we had found 150 million euros" for new homes, but Raggi allegedly blocked the project saying the M5S was against building projects.

"In the meantime they've approved Roma's new stadium," he said.

Berdini resigned several months ago because of disagreements with Raggi.

Centre-right politicians defended the police from criticism they had been heavy-handed while centre-left ones criticised Raggi for alleged inaction and also Interior Minister Minniti for allegedly moving to a harder-line stance on migrants.

Police said the immigrants had been "infiltrated" by leftist-anarchist squattters in the Movement for the Struggle for Housing, who allegedly encouraged them to turn down the offers of alternative housing outside the Italian capital.

Some of the refugees slept in the Rome streets Thursday night while others found shelter at the Baobab migrant centre near Tiburtina rail station. Others slept in the station.

"We wandered all night in various city streets, it was terrible" said Eritrean refugee Lidia.

"With me and my husband there's also our eight-year-old son and I'm pregnant. And tonight's going to be the same thing. The alternative they offered us would have meant splitting up".

NGOs denounced the lack of a response from the city's institutions and authorities.

Luca Blasi, a worker with the humanitarian organisation Intersos, said that after the migrants were dispersed from Piazza Indipendenza, about 60 of the them sought shelter at the Baobab Experience in the Tiburtina neighbourhood, while others continued sleeping on the street. Blasi spoke at a press conference with migrants and representatives from organisations the day after the clashes. "At the moment there's been no response on the part of the institutions," he said.

For the vast majority of the migrants - nearly all of whom are documented refugees from Ethiopia with their papers in order - Blasi said, "Rome is staying quiet".

Other organisations, including UNHCR, Save the Children, and UNICEF have also spoken out, with UNICEF citing "terrified children".

Amnesty International Italy spokesman Riccardo Noury said the clashes were "very serious" both for the number of people involved as well as what he said was excessive use of force.

"This city's authorities must absolutely put a serious reception plan in place," he said.

He said the Italian government "gives protection with one hand and takes away rights with the other".

"No one likes squatting, but the right to a home is part of reception, otherwise one becomes invisible," he said.

During the press conference, migrants told stories of what happened during the clearing of the square. "I asked a police officer if I could look for my identification documents, but he told me we had to leave, that we're mice," said a woman. "You can't compare human beings to animals. They should be ashamed," she said. Another woman said she has been a legal refugee in Italy for 10 years. "We'd been sleeping in the square with our children for five days, they beat us in front of our children, and I'm pregnant," she said, showing bruises on her arm. "Where is the freedom? Where are we to sleep with our children? There's no respect," she said. Other migrants appealed to the Vatican for support. "We call on the pope," they said. "Francis is the whole world's pope, but we haven't had any signs from the Vatican so far. We're asking him to help us".


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United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee, v. KELLY GEARHART, Defendant-Appellant. No. 15-50305 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before: CALLAHAN and OWENS, Circuit Judges, and FABER,** District Judge.

MEMORANDUM*

Defendant Kelly Gearhart appeals from the district court's imposition of a 168-month sentence and a restitution award for his guilty plea convictions for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. As the parties are familiar with the facts, we do not recount them here. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 18 U.S.C.  3742(a) and 28 U.S.C.  1291. We vacate the sentence and remand for resentencing.

1. As the government concedes, it was plain error for the district court to impose a 168-month sentence concurrently on counts 13, 14, and 15 because the maximum sentence for a violation of 18 U.S.C.  1957 (count 15) is 120 months. 18 U.S.C.  1957(b)(1). Accordingly, we vacate the 168-month sentence and remand for the district court to resentence on count 15 within the statutorily allowable range.

2. In addition, Gearhart asserts that the district court failed to rule on numerous factual disputes which affected the ultimate Guidelines calculation. Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 32(i)(3)(B) requires that a court mustfor any disputed portion of the presentence report or other controverted matterrule on the dispute or determine that a ruling is unnecessary either because the matter will not affect sentencing, or because the court will not consider the matter in sentencing[.] We have interpreted this requirement to mean that all Rule 32 findings must be express or explicit. United States v. Doe, 705 F.3d 1134, 1155 (9th Cir. 2013) (internal quotations and citation omitted). But we have also clarified that [t]he purpose and context of [Rule 32] demonstrate that the district court need only address unresolved objections to the presentence report that relate to matters in controversy. United States v. Petri, 731 F.3d 833, 838 (9th Cir. 2013).

A finding that Heritage Oaks Bank and San Luis Trust Bank were aware of the partial reconveyances of lots Gearhart had promised to other investors would impact whether these banks were actual victims of Gearhart's fraud. If Heritage Oaks Bank and San Luis Trust Bank were not victims, Gearhart's Guidelines calculation would change with respect to the total loss amount as well as the enhancement for gross receipt of more than $1 million from financial institutions. Thus, the district court was required to make a specific factual finding as to this matter.

Resolving the exact amounts that each individual investor loaned Gearhart may not materially change the sentencing determination because even if these disputes were resolved in favor of Gearhart, the amount of losses would still result in a Guidelines loss figure in excess of the $7,000,000 threshold. But the scope of the joint undertaking between Gearhart and Miller is directly relevant to whether all of the Hurst investors should be considered victims. Accordingly, we remand for the district court to make a specific factual finding as to the scope of the joint undertaking.

3. The government submitted victim impact letters on behalf of 38 individuals to inform sentencing. It then recommended a procedure for the court to address the letters. Only two of the 38 letters were determined to be from victims for the purposes of sentencing. Nevertheless, during the July 2, 2015, sentencing hearing, the district court stated, I strongly believe that there are hundreds of victims, and that feeling comes from all of these letters that were written where many times each of these individual victims discuss the investors' meetings where over a thousand people are present. It also stated, I was greatly touched by the numerous letters that I'd read from some of the elderly investors[.]

Thus, it appears that the district court did take all of the victim letters into account when determining Gearhart's sentence even though most of those individuals were not found by clear and convincing evidence to be victims of Gearhart's offense. Although [n]o limitation shall be placed on the information concerning the background, character, and conduct of a person convicted of an offense which a court of the United States may receive and consider for the purpose of imposing an appropriate sentence[,] 18 U.S.C.  3661, information from individuals not determined to be victims does not concern the background, character, and conduct of the defendant. Accordingly, the district court erred by considering the victim impact letters of individuals not determined to be victims of Gearhart's offense.

4. Additionally, the district court's unwillingness to spend time calculating restitution awards was a violation of the requirement to determine proximate causation. 18 U.S.C.  3663A(a)(2) states that a victim for restitution purposes means a person directly and proximately harmed as a result of the commission of an offense for which restitution may be ordered[.] Here, the district court did not conduct an inquiry into whether all of the Hurst investors were proximately harmed by Gearhart, and instead required the parties to agree upon a blanket percentage offset. Thus, we remand for the district court to determine whether each victim suffered losses proximately caused by Gearhart, what those losses were, and to award restitution accordingly. Cf. United States v. Hunter, 618 F.3d 1062, 1064 (9th Cir. 2010) (affirming the district court's restitution award because it had a clear legal and factual basis for ordering restitution  for the amount of loss sustained by each victim directly and proximately harmed as a result of th[e] offense).

5. Finally, we deny Gearhart's request for reassignment, as this case does not present the rare and extraordinary circumstances needed to justify relief. Krechman v. County of Riverside, 723 F.3d 1104, 1112 (9th Cir. 2013) (citation omitted).

VACATED AND REMANDED.

FOOTNOTES

. Because we find reversible procedural error, we do not reach the sentence's substantive reasonableness. See, e.g., United States v. Cantrell, 433 F.3d 1269, 1280 (9th Cir. 2006).


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OIL intends to raise the amount through issue of redeemable non-convertible debentures/bonds on private placement basis.

New Delhi: State-run Oil India Ltd (OIL) will seek shareholders' approval to raise Rs 7,000 crore through bonds.

The company has proposed a special resolution at its annual general meeting on September 23, 2017, for raising up to Rs 7000 crore, OIL said in a filing to the BSE.

OIL intends to raise the amount through issue of redeemable non-convertible debentures/bonds on private placement basis from domestic as well as international markets in one or more tranches, the filing said.

The proposal to confirm payment of interim dividend and to declare final dividend for 2016-17 on equity shares of the company is also listed on the agenda of the meeting.

The proposals for appointment of P Chandrasekaran as Director (Exploration & Development) and to adopt financial results for 2017 are also listed on the agenda of the AGM.
United States Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit. ICON HEALTH & FITNESS, INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION, Plaintiff-Appellant v. OCTANE FITNESS, LLC, A MINNESOTA LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY, Defendant-Cross-Appellant 2016-1047 Decided: August 25, 2017

Before NEWMAN, LOURIE, and HUGHES, Circuit Judges. DEANNE MAYNARD, Morrison & Foerster LLP, Wash-ington, DC, argued for plaintiff-appellant. Also represented by MARC A. HEARRON; MICHAEL ALLEN JACOBS, ROBERT JAMES ESPOSITO, San Francisco, CA; LARRY R. LAYCOCK, DAVID R. WRIGHT, Maschoff Brennan Laycock Gilmore Israelsen & Wright, Salt Lake City, UT. RUDOLPH A. TELSCHER JR., Husch Blackwell LLP, St. Louis, MO, argued for defendant-cross-appellant. Also represented by KARA RENEE FUSSNER, DAISY MANNING.

The district court awarded Octane Fitness, LLC attorney fees under 35 U.S.C.  285 after finding the case exceptional. Because the district court did not abuse its discretion in its exceptionality finding or in the amount of the fee award, we affirm.

I

ICON Health & Fitness, Inc. and Octane are competi-tors in the exercise equipment industry. ICON initially filed suit in the Central District of California against Octane and Nellie's Exercise Equipment. ICON alleged that Octane infringed U.S. Patent No. 6,019,710 and both parties infringed U.S. Patent No. 5,104,120. The court determined that the claims against Nellie's were periph-eral to the claims against Octane because Nellie's is merely a distributer of Octane's equipment. J.A. 371. It severed Nellie's as a party and transferred the case to the District of Minnesota. ICON then dismissed its claims against Nellie's.

In May 2009, Octane sent a letter to ICON insisting that it dismiss the '120 patent from the lawsuit and putting it on notice that Octane reserves its rights against Icon for costs required to respond to discovery, review documents and things produced by Icon, or other-wise address Icon's assertion of the '120 patent in this lawsuit. J.A. 344648. Two weeks later, the parties filed a stipulation dismissing with prejudice any and all claims against the other, asserted or unasserted, relating to [the '120 patent]. J.A. 386.

In 2011, the District of Minnesota granted summary judgment of noninfringement in favor of Octane and denied Octane's motion for attorney's fees, applying the framework from Brooks Furniture Mfg., Inc v. Dutailier Int'l, Inc., 393 F.3d 1378, 138182 (Fed. Cir. 2005) (re-quiring clear and convincing evidence of both subjective bad faith and objectively baseless claims). The Supreme Court overruled the Brooks Furniture standard, holding that an exceptional case is simply one that stands out from others with respect to the substantive strength of a party's litigating position  or the unreasonable manner in which the case was litigated, and that the burden of proof is a preponderance of the evidence. Octane Fitness, LLC v. ICON Health & Fitness, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 1749, 1756, 1758 (2014).

On remand, the district court found that this case is exceptional because Icon's litigation position stands out as a particularly and unusually weak case on the merits, J.A. 10, and the case was litigated in a manner that stands out from more routine patent cases, J.A. 17. The court did not award fees for litigation relating to the '120 patent, finding Octane had released the claim under the terms of the stipulation. The court also did not award Octane fees for the appeal and remand proceedings relating to  285 because ICON relied on longstanding Federal Circuit precedent to argue the case was not exceptional under the Brooks Furniture standard. J.A. 24.

ICON appeals the exceptionality finding, and Octane appeals the amount of the fee award. We have jurisdic-tion under 28 U.S.C.  1295(a)(1).

II

We review factual findings underlying an exceptional case determination for clear error, and review the court's determination of whether a case is exceptional for an abuse of discretion. Gaymar Indus., Inc. v. Cincinnati Sub-Zero Prods., Inc., 790 F.3d 1369, 1372 (Fed. Cir. 2015).

ICON argues that because the district court originally found that the lawsuit was not objectively baseless or brought in subjective bad faith, the district court abused its discretion by changing course and finding the case exceptional on remand. We disagree. ICON ignores the significant change in law between the Brooks Furniture framework and the Octane Fitness standard. The district court provided a thorough analysis explaining its conclu-sion that this case is exceptional under Octane Fitness. Because we find no clear error in its factual findings, the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the case exceptional.

The district court began by considering the substantive strength of ICON's litigation position, and found that ICON's claim construction arguments were wholly at odds with the patent text, prosecution history, and inven-tor testimony, and would have resulted in impermissibly broad claims. J.A. 5. On appeal, ICON reargues its claim construction positions to prove that they were reasonable. But during the first appeal, we affirmed the district court's claim constructions and noted that one of ICON's claim construction arguments was without merit. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc. v. Octane Fitness, LLC, 496 F. App'x 57, 62 (Fed. Cir. 2012), rev'd on other grounds, 134 S. Ct. 1749 (2014). Ultimately, the district court did not clearly err by concluding that ICON's position was weak.

The district court next made several factual findings regarding the manner in which ICON litigated the case, including that: 1) ICON initially included Nellie's in the lawsuit in order to increase costs to Octane; 2) ICON failed to show that it performed sufficient pre-suit analysis, and that it likely had scour[ed] its patent portfolio in search of a basis for bringing a lawsuit against Octane, J.A. 14; 3) emails sent by an ICON employee indicated that ICON sued based on an [o]ld patent  that was sitting on the shelf as a way to get royalties from their competitor, J.A. 15; and 4) the non-commercialization of the '710 patent is relevant to whether awarding fees to Octane is necessary to deter Icon from future attempts to extract royalties to which it is not entitled from a competitor who might rather settle a meritless patent infringe-ment suit than pay the high cost to defend it, J.A. 17. Because the district court did not clearly err in these factual findings, it did not abuse its discretion in concluding that the manner of litigation was exceptionally unreasonable. J.A. 17.

Because there is no clear error in its analysis of the totality of the circumstances, the district court's exceptional case determination was well within its discretion.

III

Despite receiving over $1.6 million in attorney's fees, Octane argues in its cross-appeal that the district court erred by not awarding fees relating to litigating the '120 patent and the  285 appellate and remand proceedings. Regarding the '120 patent, we find the parties' stipulation dismissing any and all claims  asserted or unasserted unambiguously dismissed all claims relating to the '120 patent, including a claim for fees under  285. We decline to further examine the minutia of the fee award, as the district court has the discretion to determine the amount of a fee award. Commissioner, INS v. Jean, 496 U.S. 154, 161 (1990). The district court provided a reasonable analysis of the calculation of the fee award and did not abuse its discretion in reaching the final award.

IV

We have considered the remainder of the parties' arguments and find them unpersuasive. Because the district court did not abuse its discretion, the judgment of the district court is affirmed.

AFFIRMED

HUGHES, Circuit Judge.
While expressing his concern over the situation, he mentioned about his recently released flick 'A Gentleman.'

Washington D.C: Seems like Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra has called on some real trouble for himself amidst the violence after verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

While expressing his concern over the situation, he mentioned about his recently released flick 'A Gentleman.'

"To all the people of Haryana , please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove," Sidharth took to Twitter to post.

To all the people of Haryana , please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove  Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) August 25, 2017

In no time, the actor was showered with trolls on the micro-blogging site.

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed him and tweeted, "I thought a couple of my tweets may have been a bit thoughtless when protestors started dying but this takes the bloody cake."

"This was a shameful way of promoting your film. For god sake can you get considerate," said another Twitterer.

"There Are People Dying And All You Care About Is Your Movie?Are You Really That Stupid Or Just Acting?#RamRahimSingh," tweeted a person.

However, the 'Baar Baar Dekho' star later came up with a clarification and said, "To people who are commenting on my morning tweets,they were made before the verdict ! Thoughts n prayers."

Its really sad to see the situation worsen since morning and see people in Punjab and Haryana http://suffer.Love and prayers," he added.

At least 28 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in violence in Haryana's Panchkula city after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicted Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with his alleged involvement in a 2002 rape case.

His supporters had gathered outside the Panchkula court premises; went on a raging rampage, damaging vehicles (cars and buses), pulling down security barriers, attacking media persons, OB vans and public property.
NGO files police complaint against actor for his offensive Twitter post.

Mumbai: Jai Ho Foundation, a city-based non-government organisation (NGO), on Saturday filed a police complaint against senior Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor for sharing an offensive photograph of a child on his Twitter handle. The complaint was filed by Advocate Adil Khatri, who is also the general secretary of the NGO, which works with the marginalised segments of communities on socio-economic and health issues.

When The Asian Age spoke to Mr Khatri, he said, We have filed a complaint with the Mumbai police commissioner, Mumbai cyber cell and the ministry of woman and child development against actor Rishi Kapoor for posting a nude and pornographic image of a child on his Twitter account. He is old enough to understand his responsibility towards society. The picture is offensive and in really bad taste.

An officer from the Mumbai cyber police said, We have received the complaint, but we are yet to take any action on it. He added, In the complaint, we have been requested to immediately register an FIR against actor Rishi Kapoor under relevant sections of the POCSO and IT Act, for posting an indecent, nude and vulgar picture of a minor. Rishi Kapoor has more than 2.6 million followers on Twitter. It means the childs image has circulated to all of them. We dont know who the child in the picture is, but it is offensive, as the child is naked and a headphone has been stuck into his private parts.

This is not the first time that Kapoor has found himself in the midst of a controversy because of his comments on social media. Recently, he posted a tweet against director Anurag Basu for the failure of the film, Jagga Jasoos, and earlier, his Baap Ka Maal comment had raised a controversy.
The terror strike took place at the crack of dawn when the militants entered the police complex in the worst-hit Pulwama district.

CRPF jawans Dhanawade Ravindra and Jaswant Singh who lost their lives in Pulwama encounter on Saturday. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Srinagar: Eight security personnel were killed and half a dozen others wounded on Saturday after a group of heavily armed militants stormed a police base in Jammu and Kashmirs southern Pulwama.

In the ensuing gun battle, two militants were also killed, the officials said. They added that the gun fight was underway as reports last came in.

The bodies of two terrorists were seen lying at the encounter site but one or two more are engaged in a gun battle with the security forces, said a police official.

The UN-designated terrorist group Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) led by fugitive Moulana Masood Azhar claimed responsibility for carrying out the attack.

A man who introduced himself as the JeM spokesman Hassan Shah telephoned Srinagar-based news agency CNS to say our valiant mujahedin stormed the CRPF camp located within the District Police Lines at Pulwama and inflicted casualties upon the armed forces.

He added, The Indian armed forces have suffered huge damage while the mujahedin are giving them a tough time.

The authorities acknowledged it was the deadliest militant attack, so far, this year.

J&Ks Director General of Police, Shesh Paul Vaid said it was a sad day for the security forces combating a nearly three-decade old militancy in the State.

"It was a sad day for us. However, the boys fought bravely and we are only more determined to wipe out militancy from the entire State," he said.

Lt. Gen. JS Sandhu, General officer Commanding of Srinagar-based Chinar (15) Corps, said it was a "fidayeen" (suicide) attack.

Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, said she strongly condemns the killing of the jawans of J&K Police and the CRPF in the predawn attack at Pulwamas District Police Lines (DPL).

Violence of last three decades or more has taken a heavy toll on the people of the State in terms of death and destruction, tearing apart of the social fabric, inflicting massive economic, academic and other losses besides the irreparable loss of human lives, she said in a statement here.

Former Chief Minister and working president of opposition National Conference (NC), Omar Abdullah, tweeted, Very sad. This encounter has had a very high number of security force casualties. Heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.

CRPF Head-Constable Dhanwaday Ravindra Baban of Maharashtra and Constable Jaswant Singh of Haryana and J&K policeman Imitiaz Ahmed Sheikh were killed and six other security personnel injured in the initial militant attack, the police sources said.

Two more CRPF jawans who are yet to be identified were killed later when they were defusing one of the improvised explosive devices planted by the militants inside the DPL.

Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) identified as Rafiq Ahmed Hajam and Muhammad Yusuf Hajam-both residents of Pulwama - who had gone missing after the militants stormed the DPL at 3.40 am and police nursing orderly Amarjit Singh, a resident of J&Ks central district of Budgam, are also among the dead.

Two buildings caught fire during the fighting and one of these was completed destroyed, the sources said.

The official sources said that the DPL on the outskirts of Pulwama town and about 33-km south of here is spread over a 2-km square area and is secured by an 11-feet-high wall.

Apart from the various units of the J&K police including the counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG) and family quarters of the police personnel, the camps of the CRPFs 182 and 183 Battalions are also located inside the DPL.

The Armys 55 Rashtriya Rifles has also set up a camp near the DPL and the entire area falls in high security zone of Pulwama. How the militants managed to breach the security and then make their way into the DPL has come as a shocking-surprise to the authorities. A court of inquiry into the incident is likely to be ordered by the authorities.

The J&K police denied any hostage situation occurred inside the DPL. All the families have been evacuated. There is no hostage situation in the ongoing encounter at the DPL (Pulwama), a brief statement issued to the media by it here said.

However, Union Home Secretary, Rajiv Mehrishi, said that two SPOs got stuck inside a building and it was not known if they were dead or alive.

It is difficult to say whether they are safe or not, but their life is certainly in danger, he told reporters in New Delhi after attending an emergency meeting convened by Home Minister, Rajnath Singh, to discuss the situation arising out of the militant attack.

Mr. Mehrishi said, The terrorists have burnt one building, while the number of terrorists involved has not been accurate enough but they are definitely two to four.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Munir Ahmad Khan said that the identity of the slain militants was being ascertained but added that one who fell first appeared to be a foreign national- most probably a Pakistani.

Hundreds of J&K and CRPF officers and jawans were stationed at the DLP when the militants forced stormed it.

After forcing their entry into the premises, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing and also tossed hand grenades, said a senior police official.

The injured security personnel were first taken to the district hospital where three of them were declared dead on arrival. The others were later admitted to Srinagars 92-Base Army Hospital.

The reinforcements from the J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG), the CRPF and the Army rushed to the area and launched a massive operation to flush out militants, the police sources said.

Mr. Khan said that all security personnel and other staff and their families trapped inside a building at the DPL were evacuated. Reports said that the militants took up positions in two buildings and were engaged in a gun battle by the security forces.

Reports from Pulwama also said that loud explosions were heard amid exchange of gun fire. Two quarters within the premises were soon in flames. But Mr. Khan said that one of the buildings within the DPL caught fire due to an LPG cylinder blast after heavy exchange of fire.

While the encounter was underway, surging crowds clashed with security forces in the Pulwama town. The witnesses said that groups of youth chanting pro-freedom slogans took to the streets at several places in Pulwama and started hurling rocks at the security personnel who retaliated by bursting teargas canisters.

Meanwhile, the gunmen attacked an Army Caspar vehicle with a rifle grenade at Hygam on the outskirts of north-western town of Sopore on Friday night, the official said. No casualties were reported, however.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in north India on Saturday, particularly Haryana.

The Home Secretary said DG Haryana has assured that the situation was under control. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The meeting convened by Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday discussed about the violence post Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's verdict in a 15-year old rape case.

Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said, "Important points on internal security including violence post Ram Rahim Singh's conviction were discussed.

The Home Secretary said DG Haryana has assured that the situation was under control. Mehrishi said situation in Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi was also normal.

The Home Secretary said that the other issue discussed was the ongoing encounter in Pulwama where two to four terrorists are expected to be trapped.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in north India on Saturday, particularly Haryana where violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief claimed 31 lives, officials said.

Top officials, including Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain, gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present at the meeting.

The death toll in the violence that erupted in Haryana after the rape conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has climbed to 31, the Home Ministry said.
Earlier, Haryana Director General of Police (Jails) K P Singh had also denied any special treatment being extended to the convict.

Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15-year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's 'Z-plus' security cover was withdrawn after his conviction in a rape case, Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh Dhesi said here on Saturday.

He also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15-year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday.

"The moment he was arrested yesterday, his 'Z plus' security cover stood automatically withdrawn," Dhesi told a press conference here.

"He is being treated as an ordinary prisoner. It was reported that he was being on air conditioner, there is nothing like that. As far as food is concerned, he is served the same food which other prisoners have," he added.

Besides, the security personnel drawn from the Haryana Police, he was accompanied by his private commandos when he arrived in Panchkula in a carcade from Sirsa to appear before the court. After his conviction, he has been lodged in a jail at Sunaria in Rohtak.

Earlier, Haryana Director General of Police (Jails) K P Singh had also denied any special treatment being extended to the high-profile convict.

"No special treatment is being given to him. He is being treated like any other ordinary prisoner. An ordinary prisoner sleeps on floor and he too is doing the same," the DGP (Jails) told reporters at a separate venue.

He said four jail officials have been deployed near his barrack to monitor his activities. When asked about the challenges the jail authorities may face due to presence of a high-profile prisoner, he said to keep him secure inside jail would no doubt be a challenge.

"That is why we have made an arrangement inside the jail to ensure that no other prisoner harms him. Outside the jail, we have requested the local administration to secure area and have adequate security arrangement," he said.

Asked about the number of visitors the Dera chief would be meeting him in the jail, Singh said every prisoner can give names of five persons whom he wants to meet, and he will also be allowed to meet them only like any other ordinary prisoners.

Paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers outside the Sunaria jail.

Read: Dera violence: DCP suspended, Army in Sirsa ahead of Rahim sentence

Meanwhile, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar asked the people to maintain peace and not to believe rumours. He also said that their endeavour was to ensure that Rohtak district and Sunaria jail remains secure.

A CBI special court at Panchkula convicted the Dera chief on Friday. The court would pronounce the quantum of sentence on August 28.

Immediately after his conviction, followers of the Sirsa based Dera went on rampage and clashed with security personnel in which 31 people died while around 250 injured.
IPS officer Ashok Kumar has been put under suspension with immediate effect, an official order said.

A media personnel walks towards vehicles burning in violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction in Panchkula on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Chandigarh: The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Panchkula was suspended on Saturday by the Haryana government, a day after 36 people died in the district in violence triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

IPS officer Ashok Kumar, DCP Panchkula, has been put under suspension with immediate effect, an official order said.

During the period of suspension, he will report to the office of DGP, Haryana, Panchkula, it said.

Official sources saied the senior police officer was blamed for failing to get prohibitory orders under Section 144 effectively implemented in Panchkula.

The Army has reached Sirsa, the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda, as the sects chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh awaits sentencing in a Rohtak jail for rape.

The Army anticipates more violence Monday, when the sentence will be given by a special CBI court that convicted Ram Rahim of the crime on Friday. Following the conviction Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage that resulted in the death of 31 people.

Sirsa sub-divisional magistrate Paramjit Singh Chahal said the Army has no orders yet to enter the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters, even as defiant followers of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stayed put at the campus.

The Army along with the police and paramilitary forces has put up barricades at entry points of the Dera Sacha Sauda premises.

Chahal said that a high-level meeting between the Army and the state authorities was underway this afternoon.

An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, were present in the sect headquarters.

The Army and district authorities have been appealing through loudspeakers, asking those inside to leave the premises. Fifteen Dera followers have been arrested since last night here, police said.

"We will not spare those who have taken the law in their hands. We will take strict action against then," Inespector General (Hisar) A S Dillo said outside the Dera headquarters.

Sources said the Army was last night provided with a map of the sprawling dera campus, which is spread over nearly 1,000 acres and is a township on its own, with schools, sports village, a hospital and a cinema hall.

Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage yesterday following conviction of Ram Rahim Singh by a CBI court in Panchkula in rape case.

Security forces remained on high alert on Saturday in Panchkula as an uneasy calm prevailed in the district, the epicentre of Friday's violence triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

The violence that claimed 36 lives has left locals in shock and anguish, with many questioning why authorities failed to assess and control the situation on time.

In Panchkula, 30 people died and over 269 were injured after the Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage on Friday. Over 60 police personnel including two IPS officers were also injured. Six people died in Sirsa, the headquarters of Ram Rahims sect Dera Sacha Sauda.

"The situation is tense, but under control now," a senior official said on Saturday.
The rape convict will be lodged in a special cell and an assistant will stay with him throughout.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a helicopter in which he was flown from Panchkula to Rohtak town to lodged in jail on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

Panchkula: Head of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a self-styled godman, has been moved to a prison in Haryana's Rohtak after he was found guilty of raping two women followers in 2002.

The rape convict will be lodged in a special cell and an assistant will stay with him throughout.

Pictures of him being given special treatment were doing the rounds in the media.

On Friday afternoon, he made a dramatic entry into court, driving 250 kilometres from his headquarters in Sirsa, in a bulletproof car, accompanied by a convoy of 200 cars.

After being arrested Ram Rahim Singh was taken to Rohtak by a helicopter. Pictures showed a woman, carrying a bag and luggage, accompanying him.

After his landing in Rohtak, he was taken to a police guest house that served as a makeshift prison. Later in the evening, he was moved to a prison.

All these visuals were enough for one to believe that Ram Rahim is not just any other prisoner. Ram Rahim was getting a VIP treatment despite being convicted for the rape case.

However, Director General of Police (DG) Prisons, on Saturday, in a clarification, said the former is being treated as a normal prisoner, ANI reported.

"The Dera chief has been locked up in a District Jail, Sonaria at Rohtak and is being treated like a normal prisoner according to the Haryana jail manual," Singh further said.

Clarifying on reports of proving Ram Rahim Singh with 'luxurious' items, K P Singh said no RO system or attendants have been provided to him, as it was said in media reports.

Adding, "There is no air conditioner in the cell where he is locked and is also kept under the surveillance of two prisoners as per the jail manual."

At least 31 people were killed and more than 250 were injured in violence in Panchkula and Sirsa after a special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicted Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with his alleged involvement in a 2002 rape case.

Even as the court announced that the quantum of sentence against the self-proclaimed god man will be pronounced on August 28, his supporters who had gathered outside the Panchkula court premises; went on a rampage, damaging vehicles (cars and buses), pulling down security barriers, attacking media persons, OB vans and public property.
The high court asked the state government for details of Ram Rahim Singh's movable and immovable properties

Chandigarh: A day after 31 people were killed and 250 injured in riots by Dera Sacha Sauda supporters following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday rapped the Haryana government for the violence saying, "you let Panchkula burn for political benefits".

The high court asked the state government to provide details of Ram Rahim Singh's movable and immovable properties in Punjab and Haryana before the next hearing on August 29, reported ANI.

Read: Dera violence: DCP suspended, Army in Sirsa ahead of Rahim sentence

The court had on Friday said that that the properties of Ram Rahim Singh should be attached to pay for the losses due to violence.
The Rs 30 crore-project envisaged a handloom park in 10 acres in Chanderi where 4,352 looms have been set up to benefit over 9,000 weavers.

Bhopal: Asias first handloom park proposed at Chanderi in Madhya Pradeshs Ashok Nagar district appears to have been caught in the crossfire of political rivalry between chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Congress prospective CM candidate Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Mr Scindias followers on Saturday threatened to oppose the move by the chief minister to unveil the handloom park, billed as the first-of-its-kind concept in the world, at Chanderi on Sunday.

The handloom park is the brain child of Mr Scindia who got it sanctioned during the previous UPA government at the Centre nine years ago. Mr Scindia has been personally supervising the progress of the project even since it took off.

The chief minister has absolutely no role to play in the entire project. But, he seems to be in a hurry to inaugurate the project even before its completion to take away the credit for it from Mr Scindia, Congress spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedy told this newspaper.

Mr Chaturvedy regretted that Mr Scindia was not even invited for the occasion.

Chanderi, considered the birthplace of the famed Chanderi sari designs, falls under Guna Lok Sabha Lok Sabha constituency currently represented by Mr Scindia.

Mr Scindias followers in Ashok Nagar district declared to protest the scheduled inauguration of the handloom park by chief minister on Sunday democratically.

BJP national vice-president Prabhat Jha however dismissed the criticism of inauguration of the park by Mr Chouhan, saying that it was absolutely right for the chief minister to unveil any project in the state.

The Rs 30 crore-project envisaged a handloom park in 10 acres in Chanderi where 4,352 looms have been set up to benefit over 9,000 weavers.

A trade facilitation centre has been set up in the park to provide the weavers direct link to the market.
The visiting Qatari minister handed over a letter from the Emir of Qatar to PM Modi.

New Delhi: In wake of the ongoing spat between the Saudi Arabia-led bloc and Qatar in west Asia, India on Saturday told Qatar parties should resolve their differences through a process of constructive dialogue and peaceful negotiations.

New Delhi told Doha that peace and security in the Gulf are of import for progress of the region and that terrorism and religious intolerance pose threat to the global peace and order.

The message was conveyed on Saturday during the visit of Qatar foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, who met both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj. Sheikh Al-Thani conveyed Qatars position on its on-going tussle with Saudi Arabia. The visiting Qatari minister handed over a letter from the Emir of Qatar to PM Modi.

Qatar assured India of the continued safety, welfare and well being of the Indian community and briefed the Indian side about new labour laws in Qatar, which favour expatriate workers. India thanked Qatar for contributing significantly to Indias energy security, being the largest supplier of LNG following which Doha too assured New Delhi of continued Qatari support in this regard through uninterrupted energy supplies. At delegation-level talks between Sheikh Al-Thani and Ms Swaraj, bilateral issues, including welfare of Indian workers in Qatar, were discussed.

A few months ago, the Saudi Arabia-led alliance, including Egypt, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen, had severed diplomatic relations with gas-rich Qatar. Travel restrictions on airspace had also been imposed by Saudi Arabia and UAE on flights to and from Qatar. Saudi Arabia has accused Qatar of supporting groups, including some backed by Iran, that aim to destabilise the region.
The God of the Bible has demanded our worship. Others have argued that if God did not demand our worship, that would be wrong of Him. That is because His omnipresence, omniscience, sovereignty, absolute truthfulness, faithfulness, goodness and majesty make Him absolutely worthy of our worship. Not demanding it would be a denial of His own nature. It is telling that our word worship is a contraction of the old English word worthship. Donald Whitney, in his book on spiritual disciplines, has correctly identified a real problem in modern America, Modern man worships his work, works at his play, and plays at his worship. That statement is worth reading over and over again and pondering at length.

Worship is both a duty and a privilege. We should engage in private worship and in public worship. If we do not worship privately, it is highly doubtful if we will worship corporately. In fact some have argued that it is not possible to worship corporately if one has not already worshiped privately. Christianity is not an isolationist religion. When a person is saved, brought into the Kingdom of God, born again, he or she is adopted into Gods family. That is not a position of isolation. Ephesians 2 describes the church as both a body and a household.



It seems to me that my worship will be in direct proportion to how well I see God. The clearer my view of God is, the better I will worship Him. If I get a clear picture of the nature and character of God, I will be moved to worship. I will let the cares and desires of the temporal fade into the background and I will focus more intentionally and more purposefully on the God whom I attempt to worship. If I truly see the depths of my own depravity against the background of a holy and righteous God who created me and bought me back out of rebellion with a terrible and a wonderful price, I cannot help but be moved to authentic worship.



What is true worship? Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24, NASU) Jesus did not repeat Himself just to have something to say. He wanted the Samaritan woman and me and you to get this fact. We must worship God in spirit and in truth. We will only be able to truly worship when the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in us, i.e. when we have been born again. We must also worship in truth. We must worship God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible. Very often we fall into the trap of worshiping a god of our own making. We attempt to worship God as we would like for Him to be. Spirit without Truth is mushy, soft, misguided, and dangerous. Truth without Spirit is dead, cold, ritualistic, and legalistic.



Live throughout the week as an heir of the kingdom, listening for the Masters voice, obeying. Come to church on Sunday, expecting to hear from God, expecting God to display His glory. I think He will.


The central probe agency has taken over from the Bihar Police.

The central probe agency has registered 10 FIRs in the case, which was being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has taken over the probe into the Srijan scam in Bihar, in which government funds worth about Rs 1,000 crore were allegedly diverted to the accounts of a non-government organisation.

The central probe agency has registered 10 FIRs in the case, which was being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police.

The CBI took over the investigation after the Bihar government referred the case to it.

According to rules, the agency re-registers the FIRs of the state police but is free to come out with its conclusion which is summed up in its final report -- a chargesheet or a closure report.

The FIRs have been registered against the late Manorama Devi, Director of Srijan Mahila Vikash Samilti (the NGO), other officials of the organisation and bank officials, sources said.

They said the agency has been directed by the Centre to take over the investigation and necessary documents were received from the Bihar government on Saturday.

The Bihar Police had issued a lookout notice against the secretary of 'Srijan', Priya Kumar and her husband, for allegedly swindling over Rs 950 crore of government money in Bhagalpur.

Priya Kumar is the daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi, the founder of the NGO.

Manorama Devi died early this year after which the NGO was being run by Priya Kumar and Amit Kumar, son of Manorama Devi, state government officials had said.
With Ganapati festival going on in full swing, we list places across India that see some of the best celebrations.

Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi, is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed God, Ganesha (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi, is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed God, Ganesha. It falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhadrapada, usually in August or September.

The familiar chants and the surrounding festivities along with the food and fun are part and parcel of the Ganesha festival apart from the prayers and pujas. Ganesha is revered as the lord who removes obstacles and the one who brings about good luck.

With Ganesh Puja celebrations going on in full swing, ixigo and Wandertrails has come up with a list of a few places to head to, for those who want to soak in the happiness of festivities.

Ganapatipule: Ganesh Chaturthi is a 5-day celebration in the Swayambhu Ganapati Temple, where villagers and pilgrims join actively in a procession honouring Lord Ganesha. It is called 'swayambhu' as it is believed that the idol self-manifested from white sand. A taller idol of Lord Ganesha is placed in an ornate palanquin and is carried on the shoulders of the devotees through the village accompanied by a priest and a drummer.

Major highlight: The celebrations are incomplete without a pradakshina or circumambulation around the hill behind the temple shaped like Ganapati's face.

Mumbai: Mumbai is a spectacle during the days of Ganesh Chaturthi - it is alive with devotional songs, dances and drum beats. Visit Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Samiti Mandal at Wadala to enjoy a darshan of the richest Ganesha in Mumbai. Also, visit Lalbaugcha Raja which is not a shrine but a community organised festival. Huge crowds come to visit Lord Ganesha and at times it takes over 20 hours to reach the idol.

Major highlight: The festival ends with the 'Ganesh Visarjan' where the idols are immersed in the water. The most prominent of immersions occurs on Chowpatty Beach and festivities last till early in the morning.

Pune: The festival is celebrated with much fervour for ten days - it starts with the establishment of idols of Lord Ganesha on the first day to immersion of the Lord's idols on the tenth day. Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati, Guruji Talim, Tulsi Baug Ganpati and the Kesariwada Ganpati are some of most unmissable Ganesh idols in the city.

Major highlight: Pune festival is also held during Ganesh Chaturthi and is mainly emphasized on the celebration of art and culture, song and dance, custom and tradition.

Bangalore: Most popular celebrations happen in Panchamukha Heramba Ganapati Temple, Shri Jambu Ganapati Temple and Ananth Nagar Ganapati Temple. Do not forget to catch the immersion spectacle at Sankey Tank and Ulsoor Lake.

Major highlight: Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava upholds the rich tradition of India's culture and heritage, through magnificent presentations of music, dance, drama and art by some of the finest artists of the country every year.

Hyderabad: One of the most famous festivals in Hyderabad, Ganapathi Navaratri festivities starts on Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and ends on Ananta Chaturdashi day with idol immersion. The famous places where Ganesha idols are established and decorated fascinatingly are Khairatabad, Balapur, Kamalanagar Chaitanyapuri, Durgam Cheruvu, Old City (Gowlipura) and New Nagole.

Major highlight: Devotees immerse the idols of Lord Ganesh on the last day of the festival in the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad. Thousands of people join the procession and fill the whole atmosphere with Lord Ganesha chants.

Goa: Known as 'Chavath' in Konkani, the popular Hindu festival holds a certain special significance in almost all religious cities and villages of Goa. Particularly in the village of Marcela, where this festival is celebrated the most as it is a village known for its wide number of Hindu temples. The artisans from the village are engaged in making many different idols of Lord Ganesh, with varied ideas springing in their creative minds. There are idols made of coconut, bamboo, cane etc.,

Chennai: Celebrations in Chennai might not be on the same scale as Mumbai, but they are a treat to watch nevertheless. Across Chennai, locals set up Ganesh statues and the celebrations and at Marina Beach are a must-see.

Trivandrum: Trivandrum is one of the few places that makes eco-friendly Ganesh idols using clay and milk. Follow the procession from the Ganapati Temple to Shanghumukham Beach and you'll be in awe. Local artists and dancers with a variety of instruments dance throughout the way till the idol is immersed in the sea.
Mr Sisodia was in the city to participate in a round table conference on Governance by People.

Delhi deputy CM Manish Sisodia speaks as freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy and AAP leader Ashwin Mahesh look on during the launch of the AAP Citizen Empowerment programme in in Bengaluru on Saturday. (Photo: PTI)

Bengaluru: Commenting on the violence in Haryana and Punjab following the conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the Central government should be held responsible for the whole mess. Mr Sisodia was in the city to participate in a round table conference on Governance by People.

Making issues out of non-issues is the political strategy which the BJP is following from long. Be it the death of innocent children due to lack of oxygen supply or the recent violation of court order, BJP led governments do not focus on core issues, he said.

I am really worried about the situation prevailing over Haryana, Chandigarh and Punjab. What kind of situation are we having? An inquiry has to be done against those officers who bypassed court order allowing hundreds of cars and people to gather, Mr Sisodia said.

He wanted the Centre to be held responsible and wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. Asked if Presidents Rule should be imposed, Mr Sisodia refused to answer the question, but said that political parties should respect people and constitution.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party launched AAP Citizen Empower-ment (ACE) programme on Saturday, which is aimed at empowering common man.

The ACE platform has its roots in the principles of participatory democracy at ward level. It operates by considering different dimensions which includes involving people, generate awareness, train people to exercises their rights, involve administrative wing to deliver, and fight for citizens rights in case of any apathy, said Prithvi Reddy, partys state president. Citizens will be trained and empowered to use their right, he added.

We wish to commence from the grass root level and we will be contesting at 5,000 wards of 210 urban local bodies, Reddy said.
Three slabs from the building collapsed at a time when 18 labourers were resting inside on the first floor.

Three slabs from the building collapsed at a time when 18 labourers were resting inside on the first floor. (Photo: Mrugesh Bandiwadekar)

Mumbai: A six-storey structure at Saki Nakas Sangharsh Nagar, collapsed during demolition on Saturday evening, leaving several people injured and some trapped under the debris. Three slabs from the building collapsed at a time when 18 labourers were resting inside on the first floor. Some of the labourers managed to jump off the building whereas the others are feared to be buried under the rubble along with two JCBs and one poclain. The Mumbai Fire Brigade has so far managed to rescue three labourers.

The rescued labourers were rushed to the civic-run Rajawadi Hospital, where a 32-year-old was declared dead on arrival. According to the latest information received, a total of six labourers are still trapped under the debris. The rescue operation is still on.

The Krishnanpark building, located in Chandivili, was being demolished by owners Mukesh Builders, as they wanted to convert the commercial building into a residential complex. According to locals, the building had been left unoccupied for the last 12 years. The demolition began from the top, which led to the slabs breaking and falling off, said Santosh Kumar, a resident.

According to police officials, the dead person has been identified as Gurav Mallar, a resident of UP. However, the cops are unable to contact his family, as no one knows his address or phone number. The two others injured have been identified as Bablu Ajij (25), who suffered from minor injuries on his hands and Tirang Pasvan (19), who fractured his leg.

Mr Ajij said, We were resting on the first floor of the building when I realised the building was shaking. I heard the sound of something breaking and immediately started running. I jumped down from the first floor and called out to the others to do the same.

Mr Ajijs boss, the contractor, is unreachable.

Chief fire officer P. Rahangdale said the middle portion of the structure collapsed while the other parts of it were intact, which was posing problems in rescue operations. However, we are trying our best to ensure everyone trapped inside is brought out safe, he said.
According to the Delhi grapevine, a Cabinet reshuffle should take place before Mr Modi leaves for the Brics summit on September 3.

When Manohar Parrikar and Suresh Prabhu were given ministerial berths in the Modi government, there were great expectations from them. Given their educational qualifications  Mr Parrikar is an IIT graduate and Mr Prabhu a chartered accountant  they were given the key ministries of defence and railways in the hope they would deliver on governance. But both failed to live up to expectations. While Mr Prabhu was unable to get a grip on his ministry, Mr Parrikar could not shake off his provincial moorings. The result is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is forced to look for their replacements, which is not an easy task given the talent deficit in the Council of Ministers.

According to the Delhi grapevine, a Cabinet reshuffle should take place before Mr Modi leaves for the Brics summit on September 3. As a result, many ministers have gone into wait-and-watch mode, some are trying to hang on while those outside are lobbying to get in. At least one member of the Union Cabinet  rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who was given additional charge of the urban development ministry after M. Venkaiah Naidus resignation  has taken a pragmatic view in the matter.

Probably realising that urban development is a temporary charge, he has evinced little interest in the ministry. Last week his nameplate was being removed from outside his office. Workers said they were doing so following instructions from the top as the minister was not sure if he would retain this portfolio.

Soon after the five-member bench of the Supreme Court delivered its judgment on the validity of triple talaq last week, mediapersons received a message that Congress leader and leading lawyer Kapil Sibal will respond to the verdict that afternoon. Besides Mr Sibals office, the message was also put out by the All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which had opposed the ban on the ground that the State had no right to interfere in matters of faith.

Since Mr Sibal had represented the AIMPLB in court, its officebearers were keen that his response be given wide publicity. But Mr Sibal surprised everyone when he welcomed the judgment, stating that instant triple talaq is sinful and a dying practice and must be deprecated. Though the AIMPLB members have not said anything publicly, they were grumbling privately that as their lawyer, they had expected Mr Sibal to speak on their behalf. But Mr Sibal, they said, spoke more like a Congress leader as his reaction was in line with that of the party.

Besides wives and sons, it is not unusual for daughters-in-law of senior political leaders to plunge into politics. Some well-known bahus, who were encouraged to pursue a career in politics, include Sheila Dikshit, Mohsina Kidwai and Margaret Alva. Their numbers have swelled over the years as dynastic politics has increasingly become the norm instead of an exception.

For instance, in Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls earlier this year, both the daughters-in-law of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav were centrestage. Former chief minister Akhilesh Yadavs wife Dimple Yadav, who is also a Lok Sabha MP, was a key campaigner while Akhileshs sister-in-law Aparna Yadav, who was a first-time candidate, was also visible and vocal during the election. Now there is a new bahu on the block. Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogis daughter-in-law Richa, who had managed his campaign in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, has emerged as a leader in her own right. She has been touring the state and hitting out at the Raman Singh government, especially on the issue of increasing atrocities against tribal women. Mr Jogis wife Renu and son Amit are already in politics. Richa is the latest entrant.

The BJP and the Congress may be on opposite sides of the political divide, but they have one thing in common: both want to see Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal rendered politically irrelevant. The BJP felt it had attained success in this mission when it swept the recent municipal elections in Delhi, while the Congress was equally upbeat when Mr Kejriwals party came a poor second in the Punjab Assembly elections. While both parties are convinced that Mr Kejriwal has been effectively marginalised, an Independence Day programme of a Delhi school recently proved to be an eye-opener for a Congress leader who was present at the show. As part of the programme, children had come dressed as leading leaders  Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Modi and Mr Kejriwal. While Modi expectedly got a big round of applause, it was Kejriwal who was greeted with the loudest cheers and claps. Needless to say, the Congress leader was dumbfounded.
Beyond legalese, the court has addressed many larger and fundamental philosophical questions.

At the height of the Communist oppression in East Europe in the 1970s, when individual liberties had been entirely crushed in the name of the State, a Polish poet made an impassioned plea for his right to privacy. Instead of the Marxist slogan Workers of this world, you have nothing to lose but your chains!, which was then chanted with tedious and predictable unison, he simply wrote: Workers of this world, leave me alone!

That basic human proclivity to privacy, in areas where neither the State nor non-State actors, or for that matter anybody, has the right to intrude, has been accorded by the Supreme Courts latest judgment the status of a fundamental right, under Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. In doing so, the nine-judge Supreme Court bench overturned a 63-year-old judgment that had refused to recognise privacy as a fundamental right. Echoing the plaintive but powerful plea of the Polish poet, Justice Chandrachud pronounced: Privacy postulates the reservation of a private space for the individual, described in the right to be let alone. The concept is founded on the autonomy of an individual. The ability of an individual to make choices lies at the core of the human personality.

Beyond legalese, the court has addressed many larger and fundamental philosophical questions. In recent times, we see the development of two mutually opposed trends. First, there has been a phenomenal advancement of technologies that have the capacity to intrude in the personal lives of individuals. Second, and precisely for this reason, there is a felt desire in individuals to ensure that, notwithstanding such technologies, their right to privacy is not whittled. Can these opposing trends be reconciled, and if so, what is that modus vivendi?

I dont think any citizen, however evangelical about the protection of personal privacy, is unwilling to part with some aspects of that privacy for his or her own benefit. For instance, if I want a smooth transfer of a tax refund directly to my bank account, I have to give details of that account to the bank.

Similarly, if I am the legitimate beneficiary of certain monetary welfare measures of the government, I will not be averse to cooperating in a system, such as the biometric based Aadhaar, to ensure that such benefits reach me, and are not diverted to someone else, as used to happen rampantly in the past. The Supreme Court has, therefore, said that digital platforms that work towards this end are valid. To quote Justice Chandrachud: In a social welfare State, the government embarks upon programmes which provide benefits to impoverished and marginalised sections of society. There is a vital State interest in ensuring that scarce public resources are not dissipated by the diversion of resources to persons who do not qualify as recipients.

On the other hand, if the information that I voluntarily and in my own interest part with, is misused for mala fide purposes by State authorities, such as for illegal surveillance, I would have strong objections. This would be doubly so if the only reason why this is done is because I do not agree with everything the government does. The issue of privacy then becomes linked to the larger ideological question of the right to dissent in a democracy.

Appropriately, therefore, the Supreme Court said: Criticism and critique lie at the core of democratic governance. Tolerance of dissent is equally a cherished value. The conditions necessary for realising or fulfilling socio-economic rights do not postulate the subversion of political freedom.

Similarly, while discussing the issue of privacy, the Supreme Court has pronounced on several other fundamental issues that are of vital interest to a democratic society, such as the beef ban, abortion rights, sexual orientations, euthanasia, and even  like the wish of the Polish poet  the right to be left alone. On matters like the beef ban, Justice Chelameshwar said: I dont think anybody would like to be told by the State what they should eat or how they should dress On abortion, the court was of the view that a womans freedom of choice whether to bear a child or abort her pregnancy fall in the realm of privacy. On the question of sexual orientation, the court was particularly blunt: That a miniscule fraction of the countrys population constitutes lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgenders is not a sustainable basis to deny the right to privacy.

In fact, broadening this argument, the court made the foundationally important ruling that, The purpose of elevating certain rights to the stature of guaranteed fundamental rights is to insulate their exercise from the disdain of majorities The test of popular acceptance does not furnish a valid basis to disregard rights which are conferred with the sanctity of constitutional protection.

On the right to be left alone, Justice Sanjay K. Kaul made the far-reaching comment that an individual who is no longer desirous of his personal data to be processed or stored should be able to remove it from the system, where it is no longer necessary, relevant, or is incorrect.

Quite clearly, under the awning of pronouncing on the right to privacy, the jurisprudential majesty of the Supreme Court has specifically included a great many other issues that will greatly strengthen the fabric of our democracy.

At the same time, the unanimous judgment has retained the right balance by stating that the State can, for bona fide and transparent reasons in the interests of definable public good, exercise reasonable restrictions on such a right, especially for welfare measures for the poor and deprived, national security and criminal investigations.

However, at rock bottom, citizens now have been given the right to contest unwarranted encroachments on their right to privacy. This is a giant leap forward. Private firms that collate data in an era of Internet and data mining must be on their guard. The government must also expedite its efforts to bring in a robust data protection regime. We live in times when technology has made us both a beneficiary and a victim.

Thanks to this landmark Supreme Court judgment, we are now in a position to distinguish between the two, and fight for our rights to do so.
Regardless of the political impasse, the routes of old should be reopened  at least on humanitarian grounds.

Do not think you are dealing with a part of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar or Gujarat. You are dealing with an area, historically and geographically and in all manner of things, with a certain background. If we bring our local ideas and local prejudices everywhere, we will never consolidate. We have to be men of vision and there has to be a broadminded acceptance of facts in order to integrate really. And real integration comes of the mind and the heart, and not of some clause which you may impose on other people, Jawaharlal Nehru told the Lok Sabha in 1952.

Nehrus statement on Kashmirs uniqueness was apt. Kashmir was indeed the subcontinents bridge to Central Asia. Its maharaja kept up a clandestine correspondence with potentates of the states in that region as well as with Russia. For long, Kashmirs traders and artisans had close and continuous relations with Central Asia. Kashmiri scholar K. Warikoo meticulously recorded that rich history in his book, Central Asia and Kashmir.

Now those memories are being revived. For good reason, Kashmir feels cheated by broken pledges and oppressed by recent moves to dilute whatever little is left of its autonomy. This feeling of political deceit and constitutional oppression is coupled with a growing sense of physical suffocation. All routes are closed  except the one to India. This was not the intention of Indians and Pakistanis when they agreed on a ceasefire in Kashmir on New Years Day in 1949. On Jan 15, 1949, the commanders-in-chief of the Indian and Pakistani armies met under the auspices of the UNs chief military observer, Brigadier Angle, who ably played a mediatory role. He succeeded in getting both sides to restore the communications by road between Srinagar and Rawalpindi, not Muzaffarabad. It was a constructive move. They further agreed to rebuild the necessary bridges. In addition, telephonic liaisons between the two localities will be restored.

One is not aware of the fate of this accord. Sixty years later, in October 2008, Pakistan and India agreed on trade across the Line of Control as a confidence-building measure. Last month, trade suffered a blow when India alleged that heroin was being smuggled in a truck and arrested the driver. Scarcely a day passes without Mumbais papers carrying similar reports from the air and sea customs.

In 2008, Haseeb Drabu rightly pointed out that the accord on cross-LoC trade was incomplete without banking and telecommunications facilities. Heading the team that drafted the flamboyantly titled PDP manifesto Aspirational Agenda (2014), he included the omissions plus more, such as monetisation of the present barter trade and the opening of more trade routes. As finance minister, he has taken no steps in this direction. On Aug 19, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called for opening up of the Kargil area to the outside world as a gateway to Central Asia.

She added, Opening cross-Line-of-Control routes can initiate a process of trade in the region by virtue of which J&K can reclaim its status of a gateway to Central Asia. Further, opening strategic routes such as Kargil-Skardu and Tutuk-Khaplu will help in the peace process.

This wily politician was responding to the public mood, but has not taken one concrete measure in this venture. The mood was well captured by respected journalist Iftikhar Gilani in DNA India (Aug 18): Noted scholar Siddiq Wahid, who had recently travelled to Central Asian countries, said that the region in its sociocultural frame is so akin to Kashmir that he wondered whether Kashmir is in its essence Central or South Asian. Until the early 20th century, the Kashmir valley with its great geostrategic significance was an economic hub, linking South and Central Asia. In fact, Islamic scholar Mir Syed Ali Hamadani who brought the Sufi version of Islam to Kashmir, though originally from Iran, travelled to Kashmir from Tajikistan. He is buried in the Klobe province of the Central Asian Republic.

He went on: Much before the Partition in 1947, Kashmir had already lost its vast linkages, with the Soviet Union blocking Tajikistan and then Chinese conquests of Kashgar and Tibet. The drawing up of LoC along with heavy militarisation dealt another severe blow, completing the cycle of locking the region. Significantly, till this date, raw material for world famous Kashmiri shawls and carpets is imported from these regions and far off Mongolia.

Gilani warned, The abrupt disruption of linkages has created a siege mentality in Kashmir, which, when mixed with political issues, becomes a lethal cocktail. There is a case to break this prison mindset.

Regardless of the political impasse, the routes of old should be reopened  at least on humanitarian grounds.

By arrangement with Dawn
Alexander Vinnik was arrested on money-laundering charges at a Greek hotel in late July.

The increase to a record level shows that although President Donald Trump is trying to improve relations with Moscow, the United States has not shied away from pursuing Russians suspected of cyber crime.

Moscow/San Francisco: When Alexander Vinnik was arrested on money-laundering charges at a Greek hotel in late July, the status of his Jabber secure online messaging account was set to away.

He often takes some time to reply, so at first I didnt think anything of it, said one person who knew the Russian as an administrator of a digital currency exchange which US prosecutors say was used to launder criminal funds. Then when I saw his picture on the news, I knew he would be away for a long time, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The US Justice Department says Vinnik facilitated crimes including computer hacking, fraud and drug trafficking by laundering at least $4 billion through BTC-e -- an exchange used to trade bitcoin and other digital currencies -- since 2011.

The 37-year-old faces up to 55 years in prison if extradited to the United States. He denies the allegations against him, according to Greek media reports, and BTC-e has said he never worked for the exchange. Reuters was unable to reach BTC-e or a lawyer representing Vinnik for comment.

Vinnik is now one of seven Russians arrested or indicted on US cyber crime charges this year. On average, just two Russian cyber criminals were extradited to the United States each year between 2010 and the start of this year, according to a Reuters review of US Justice Department filings, Russian government statements and sources briefed on the matter.

The increase to a record level shows that although President Donald Trump is trying to improve relations with Moscow, the United States has not shied away from pursuing Russians suspected of cyber crime.

The prosecutions coincide with intensified scrutiny of Russian hackers since US intelligence officials determined that Russia interfered in the 2016 US presidential election using cyber warfare methods to help Trump.

The Kremlin has denied accusations it interfered in elections in the United States or elsewhere.
In Haryanas Panchkula, 29 people died and over 250 were injured after the Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage on Friday.

Supporters of the Dera Sacha Sauda vandalised vehicles in Panchkula. Police used water cannon in an attempt to disperse the crowd. (Photo: AP)

Toronto: Canada on Saturday asked its citizens travelling to India to exercise a high degree of caution following widespread violence after the conviction of self- styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Thousands of followers of Ram Rahim, who is the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, went on the rampage on Friday, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in a 2002 rape case.

"Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas," Canadian government issued an advisory.

"Tens of thousands of people have gathered in protest, some of which have become violent. Local authorities have placed Delhi on high alert do to sporadic violence. Various trains through Haryana and the Punjab have been cancelled and road closures and security checks have been imposed", Canada government said in advisory.

"Power supplies, mobile internet and other telecommunication services are restricted in certain areas. If you are in one of the affected areas, limit your movements and monitor local media for the latest information," the advisory said.

In Haryanas Panchkula, 29 people died and over 250 were injured after the Dera Sacha Sauda followers went on a rampage on Friday.

Over 60 police personnel including two IPS officers were also injured. Two people died in Sirsa, the headquarters of Ram Rahims sect Dera Sacha Sauda.
Popularity of Charles plunges as a result of renewed attention on his former wife and their apparently loveless marriage.

In Europe, many media groups have commissioned documentaries, special reports or their own investigations two decades after Princess Diana's death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997. (Photo: AP)

Paris: The 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death has filled magazines, newspapers and television screens in Britain for weeks, but not only there: across Europe, media groups are marking the occasion, underlining her international appeal.

Britain's celebrity press have offered special editions, supplements and reams of news articles picking over the impact of her tragic life and death as well as her relationships with her sons and Prince Charles.

The popularity of Charles, the heir to the British throne, has plunged as a result of the renewed attention on his former wife and their apparently loveless marriage.

In Europe, many media groups have commissioned documentaries, special reports or their own investigations two decades after her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997.

In Austria, public broadcaster ORF will screen several documentaries about the princess this week, including one entitled "Diana -- Forever and Ever", a retrospective of her life inside Buckingham Palace.

"It shows a life inside a golden cage, imprisoned by traditions, and Diana's repeated attempts to break out of this golden cage," ORF's royal expert Lisbeth Bischoff said in a statement to AFP.

On August 31, the anniversary of her death, Radio Vienna will dedicate its entire programming to the princess, led by Austrian journalist and Diana fan Ewald Wurzinger who raised a monument to her in a Vienna park in 2013.

In France, the public channel France 2 will offer a day of programming about her on Sunday which is to include several documentaries and an investigation.

"Twenty years after, it's time to look again at what she brought to the monarchy in spirit and who she was really," said one of the channel's royal experts, Stephane Bern.

He said her enduring appeal was her "tragic destiny" which put her among stars whose early deaths have immortalised them, such as American actresses Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe.

Matthias Gurtler, director of the celebrity weekly Gala, said the magazine had published a special edition on Diana in response to French interest in the British princess.

The attraction for her was linked to her image as a rebel and someone who "broke the rules in a stiff and uptight world," he said.

Still of interest:

In Poland, women's magazine Wysokie Obcasy put Diana on its front page this month.

"We're taking the anniversary very seriously. Poles are still captivated by her," said editor-in-chief Ewa Wieczorek. "Diana's story is a modern-day fairy tale turned legend."

One of Bulgaria's most popular newspapers, 24 Chasa, recently published five pages of stories and a large photo spread about the BBC's new documentary on Lady Diana and her sons.

"Princess Diana's life and the circumstances of her death still interest the public, that's why we wanted to be the first to run a large story," 24 Chasa editor-in-chief Borislav Zumbulev told AFP.

Public broadcaster BNT will also screen the BBC documentary "Diana, 7 days" in which the princes talk about their mother's death.

They have given a series of interviews in the run-up to the death anniversary, including for a separate documentary on Britain's ITV channel, in which they open up about the last time they spoke to their mother and their relationship with her.
Lady Gaga Brought An Emotional, Historic Party To Wrigley Field

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 26, 2017 2:40PM



Lady Gaga takes in the crowd, photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

I've been to many memorable shows at Wrigley Field over the 12 years the ballpark has allowed musical acts to use its off nights to turn the stadium in to a concert venue, but none has been quite like the spectacle and intimacy Lady Gaga brought to town last night. Gaga might have made history by being the first female to headline the venue, but she also made history by being the first to turn it into a club, a cabaret, a piano bar, a coffeehouse, and a Broadway style spectacleall over the course of two hours.

At once point Gaga noted that she thought it was a shame it had taken over 100 years for a woman to headline the joint, and while she felt it was a great honor to be the first she winked, Welcome to the motherf***ing womb!

The show was broken into six thematic acts, which allowed for various costume changes and stage configurations, letting Gaga drastically alter moods without breaking the flow of the overall show. Because of that, her setlist didnt deviate from previous shows on the current Joanne tour. But there was a once-in-a-life feeling that ran throughout the proceedings, driven by Gagas many asides and personal remembrances.

Gaga has spent a lot of time in Chicago over the years, and for a while actually had a place she rented in town, so shes no stranger to town. So when she gave the city a shoutout, the crowd knew it was coming from a personal place, and not just checking off another box on yet another tour stop. And it didn't seem goofy when, in the midst of a particularly emotional rendering of Million Reasons, Gaga paused to say, You know whos my favorite persona thats from Chicago. My little dog Asia.



Lady Gaga performs "Born This Way," photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

Throughout the evening Gaga recognized many family members and friends that had brought her to where she is today. She wished her dad a happy birthday, and we spotted him in the crowd beaming and adorably adorned in a Cubs jersey that read Germanotta across the back.

Gaga also paid tribute to her close friend Sonja Durham, who had recently passed away and some of whose ashes had been scattered in the park earlier that day. Gaga said with a mixture of tears and fond remembrance, So, I am not the first woman to headline Wrigley Field, because my girl Sonja ht the stage just before me.

Gaga kept the comments throughout the evening mostly personal, but a few political moments snuck in. She touched upon the importance of ending gun violence, saying, I dont know why they dont talk about the South Side of Chicago every day in the news, but I pray they do. And she made a few comments about the importance of supporting the LGBTQA community, a portion of her fanbase with whom she has long been a vocal ally. But aside from those few moments, she left current events outside.



Lady Gaga takes a solo turn at the piano in a custom "Lady Gaga" Cubs jersey, photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

And the love was unstoppable once it started rolling. The fourth acts might have been the best example of how quickly Gaga can shift gears and keep the crowd with her. She took a bawdy cabaret take on Come To Mama that segued immediately into a solo piano version of The Edge Of Glory, which had everyone reaching for tissues. But by the time she hit Born This Way right afterward she had everybody dancing, including the security guards.

Through all this I realized that while Gaga was once considered one of the weirdest and artsiest megastars in the music world, the times are such that she now seems pretty normal. What seemed shocking 10 years ago is now pretty mainstream, and I think Gaga deserves a lot of credit for that, in the best of possibly way. At the end of her rendition of Joanne, Gaga said, I love every single thing that made me who I am. It was a simple but powerful statement; a nod to life's triumphs, hardships and failures. And I left thinking she was not only right on, but hoped everyone else leaving the stadium felt the same way about themselves.



Full setlist for Lady Gaga at Wrigley Field, August 25, 2017

Diamond Heart

A-Yo

Poker Face

Perfect Illusion

John Wayne

ScheiAYe

Alejandro

Just Dance

LoveGame

Telephone

Applause

Come to Mama

The Edge of Glory

Born This Way

Angel Down

Joanne

Bad Romance

The Cure

Encore:

Million Reasons
The reported failure of the latest, short-range missiles suggested Pyongyang may have been trialling new technology, officials said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) ast week delayed the Guam strike plan, but warned it could go ahead depending on Washington's next move. (Photo: File)

Seoul: North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said, reviving tensions with Washington after President Donald Trump had said the reclusive nation's leader Kim Jong Un was starting to show some "respect".

The launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the south of the peninsula, which Pyongyang views as highly provocative.

Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up "almost immediately", with none of the weapons posing a threat to either North America or the US territory of Guam, said a spokesman for US Pacific Command.

Lee Il-Woo, an analyst at Korea Defence Network, said the launch represented a "low-level provocative act" carried out in response to the US-South Korea exercises, which are seen by Pyongyang as a rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory.

The joint exercises started Monday at a time of heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, after two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches carried out by North Korea last month apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

The reported failure of the latest, short-range missiles suggested Pyongyang may have been trialling new technology, or using up old weaponry, Lee said.

"The North might have been testing new multiple rocket launchers, or short-range ballistic missiles or firing off decaying age-old ballistic missiles stored in a missile base near the eastern coast, where the projectiles were fired," he said.

"It tends to fire untested missiles or rockets from the coast toward the sea to avoid possible fallouts."

The launches, which took place over a span of 30 minutes, came as North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, "multiple-missile launchers" and howitzers.

Shells hit islands standing in for South Korea's Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and "wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods," the Korean Central News Agency said.

The North bombarded Yeonpyeong island in November 2010 in response to a South Korean live-fire drill near the tense sea border, killing four South Koreans -- two soldiers and two civilians -- and prompting Seoul to return the fire.

"Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest," it said.

- 'Starting to respect' -

North Korea's ICBM launches last month triggered an intense warning by President Donald Trump that Washington could rain "fire and fury" on the North.

Pyongyang then threatened to fire a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam, but later backed away from the plan and tensions had eased.

Trump said Wednesday that Kim Jong-Un was "starting to respect" the United States, hours after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said talks with the nuclear-armed North over its banned weapons programmes might be possible "in the near future".

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said Saturday that Trump was aware of the launches.

"In regards to activity in North Korea tonight, the president has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation," she said.

Neither Japan nor South Korea confirmed Saturday the US military's description of the weapons fired by North Korea's "ballistic missiles".

South Korea's defence ministry said "unidentified projectiles", fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the Sea of Japan.

"They could be ballistic missiles but they could be rockets. We are now analysing," said Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, adding that they did not fly on a "lofted" trajectory.

The North's missiles have alarmed Japan since a Taepodong-1 overflew its territory in 1998. In April 2009, Pyongyang launched a long-range rocket which flew over Japan in what it said was an attempt to put a satellite into orbit, but which was seen by the US, Japan and South Korea as a disguised test of a Taepodong-2.

Under Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology, which it is banned from pursuing under United Nations resolutions that have slapped it with seven sets of sanctions.

"We understand that today's action indicated North Korea consistently continues developing nuclear weapons and missiles. We have to respond firmly," said Onodera.
The ban also prohibits the expansion of any existing joint ventures involving North Koreans in China.

Beijing: China's commerce ministry has banned North Korean nationals from setting up new businesses in the country, enforcing recent UN sanctions as Washington urges Beijing to do more to curb its ally's nuclear ambitions.

The ban, effective immediately, came as Pyongyang launched three short-range missiles on Saturday according to the US military, reviving tensions days after President Donald Trump said the isolated regime was starting to show Washington some "respect".

Beijing has been under pressure from Washington to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival, and the ban is the latest attempt by China to dispel US concerns over its close ties with Pyongyang.

China, which is the recipient of some 90 percent of North Korea's exports, earlier this month said it would suspend its imports of iron, lead and seafood from the country after halting its coal purchases in mid-February.

Under the new measures, North Korean nationals will not be allowed to establish any new company in China, whether it is a joint venture with a Chinese partner or a firm with foreign capital.

The ban also prohibits the expansion of any existing joint ventures involving North Koreans in China, while new Chinese applications to invest in North Korea or to increase existing investments in the country will be rejected, the ministry said.

Businesses established by Pyongyang abroad -- including restaurants and trading companies -- are a crucial source of foreign exchange for the Stalinist regime.

Pyongyang has recently faced a wave of international sanctions over its test-firing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

In addition to sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council this month, Japan and the United States have imposed punitive measures against international firms, including those from China, for doing business with the hermit state.

The measures are aimed at disrupting the flow of cash funding North Korean weapons programmes, which are in violation of United Nations resolutions.

Trump has called on China to play a more active role in convincing North Korea to halt its weapons programme and stop threatening its neighbours and the US.

But China has so far been lukewarm on the idea, preferring to address the issue through long-stalled talks.
The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque.

Kabul: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28 - up from 20 - including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday.

Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 others were wounded in the attack a day earlier that went on for hours.

Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed.

The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.

Security forces had surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police official Mohammed Jamil said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw, Muradi said.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added.

When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasir said.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.
Marias mother submitted to the court that her daughter be handed over to them so that they may be able to persuade her.

In case they succeed in their efforts, Justice Siddiqui noted, it will further endanger the life of the young lady. (Photo: AP)

Islamabad: A 21-year-old Hindu woman who converted to Islam has been allowed by a Pakistani court to live with her Muslim husband after she insisted that she embraced the new faith willingly and refused to go with her parents.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court after hearing the case on Friday also asked the police to provide security to the couple.

The family of Maria, whose Hindu name was Anooshi, had claimed that she had allegedly been kidnapped before being forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man, The Express Tribune reported.

However, Maria recited Arabic prayers in the court to prove her wilful conversion to Islam, reiterating that no one pressured her to change her religion, the report said.

Maria along with her husband Bilawal Ali Bhutto had sought protection from the high court owing to threats for marrying out of their free-will.

When the court asked Maria to meet with her parents, she refused. But on the direction of the court, she met them at the office of personal secretary of the judge for around 40 minutes.

Marias mother submitted to the court that her daughter be handed over to them so that they may be able to persuade her. She also expressed fears that Bhutto may abandon Maria after some time.

In my view, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said, custody of petitioner Maria cannot be handed over to her parents, with an objection that she may be compelled for conversion from Islam to Hinduism.

In case they succeed in their efforts, Justice Siddiqui noted, it will further endanger the life of the young lady.

Pakistan Muslim Leagues (N) member and patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, said that this tendency is merely an effort to enter into the marriage contract which needs the attention of the court as the trend was disrupting the very fibre of the society.

He added that the concept of Karo-Kari (killing the couple for dishonour to family) is alien in the Hindu community and that Marias apprehension of being killed were baseless.

When the court asked if he was ready to take custody of both the petitioners, he replied that only Marias custody be handed over to him for counselling.

Justice Siddiqui concluded in the order that the petitioners may live together while in Islamabad and that local police shall ensure their security.
Foreign office spokesman said that the foreign minister will visit regional countries like China, Russia and Turkey for consultations.

Islamabad: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit the countrys "all-weather ally" China, Russia and Turkey next week for consultations on the new US policy for Afghanistan and South Asia, according to a media report on Saturday. The dates for the trip are being worked out.

Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said on Friday that the foreign minister will visit "regional countries for consultations" but did not provide details of travel.

The Dawn newspaper reported that the decision for the visit was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday, which deliberated on the new US policy.

During the trip, Asif will hold consultations at developing consensus on efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the foreign minister was expected to visit the US for bilateral talks with his counterpart Rex Tillerson, but it was apparently delayed in the wake of Afghan policy announced by US President Donald Trump.

Trump on Tuesday unveiled his Afghan policy and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country. He sternly warned Pakistan against providing safe heavens to militants.
Qatari religious authorities say the Saudi Ministry of Hajj is not cooperating, resulting in no pilgrimage. However, Saudi King Salman has ordered his government to send Saudi aircrafts to bring Qatari pilgrims as his guests and at his own expense.

Doha (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Due to the current crisis between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, this year Qatari Muslims will not be able to perform Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, one of the "pillars" of Islam.

The Qatari Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, which regulates and organises the annual Hajj for Qatari citizens and residents, announced it has not received any response from its Saudi counterpart on travel logistics or security guarantees in the cities of Makkah and Madinah.

The official Qatar News Agency reported on Tuesday that Qatar's religious authorities "did not find any cooperation or positive response from the Ministry of Hajj, which has led to the suspension of the regulatory process for Qatar's pilgrims".

Like other Muslim countries, Qatar has agreements with Saudi Arabia regarding Hajj that specify the number of pilgrims, travel arrangements, place of residence once in Saudi Arabia, and legal protections.

The absence of Qatari pilgrims from this years Hajj is the latest consequence of the decision taken in June by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates to break off diplomatic relations with Qatar, which they accuse of supporting terrorism. This has brought to a halt all movements of people and goods between Qatar and these nations.

Saad Sultan al-Abdullah, director of international cooperation at Qatar's National Human Rights Commission, expressed concern that Muslims were being prevented from performing their religious duty.

"There should be no mixing between political disputes and Muslims' natural and human right to perform their religious duties," he said. "Politics and human rights must be separated."

Last week, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia ordered his government to send Saudi-owned airplanes to bring Qatari pilgrims as his own guests and at his own expense.
His case had great media resonance in Kazakhstan and Russia, but for him "there is no persecution of Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan. He is the first orthodox priest involved in a case under the Law on Religion. Verdicts involving other religious minorities, including Protestants, differ.

Astana (AsiaNews/Fergana)  A district court in Merken (Zhambyl, southern Kazakhstan) on Wednesday acquitted Fr Vladimir Vorontsov, an orthodox priest accused of praying in the mountains.

Vorontsov had been accused of violating the law governing religion, which bans religious activities outside designed places of worship. However, the law does not mention nature. Accordingly, Judge Ayman Akhmetova ruled that Vorontsov had not committed any crime, dropping the case against him.

The case had resonated in Kazakhstan and Russia, where the priest found unequivocal support.

The media coverage had surprised Vorontsov who said, I did not call newspapers. I just told my friends about what happened to me. In his view, there is no persecution of Orthodox Christians in Kazakhstan. My case is unique.

This was the first case involving an orthodox priest prosecuted under the Law on Religion. By contrast, under the same law, members of religious minorities (Protestants, Krishna followers, various Muslim groups) have been fined and arrested for praying private homes.

The law also allows the authorities to suspend the activities of religious associations.

It is rare for the courts to rule in favour of religious associations or individuals accused of violating the Law on Religion, usually after a complaint is filed with the UN Human Rights Committee, even though the charges are not that much different than those in the Vorontsov case.

For example, a Protestant clergyman from the New Life Church in Ust-Kamengorsk (Kazakhstan's East) has been accused of engaging in religious activities outside the church, at a recreation centre where he was with relatives and friends.
by Melani Manel Perera

Cabinet approved compensation for the families of the dead and for those wounded, but not for destroyed property. In June 2014, the radicals from the Bodu Bala Sena group plundered and destroyed properties in three towns in in the southwest of the island. Now locals can hope.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  More than three years after radical Buddhist attacked minority Muslims in southwest Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan government decided to compensate the victims.

The initiative, presented by D.M. Swaminathan, minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Hindu Religious Affairs, was ratified by the cabinet of President Maithripala Sirisena last Tuesday.

The families of the three people killed will receive two million rupees each (US$ 13,000); the 80 people wounded will get 500,000 rupees each (US$ 3,250).

In 2014, a group of Buddhists attacked, plundered and razed Muslim-owned properties in Dharga Nagar, Beruwela and Aluthgama, three predominantly Muslims towns. The violence started on 15 June and went on for two days.

About 10,000 people were forced to flee their homes, 8,000 Muslims and 2,000 Sinhalese. Muslims paid the highest price. The final toll included three dead, 80 wounded, 90 homes, shops, buildings and mosques destroyed or damaged worth millions of Sri Lankan rupees.

The attacks were led by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a Buddhist radical group, in an apparent retaliation against an alleged attack against Venerable Ayagama Samitha Thero.

Once news of the attack spread, BBS leader Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thero gathered his followers and incited radical violence between Sinhalese Buddhists and Muslims.

At the end of the meeting, BBS militants marched into Muslim areas. Muslim-owned properties were targeted, whilst Sinhalese businesses were spared.

The government of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had already decided to rebuild some businesses using the military. But, according to what AsiaNews has learnt, no Muslim has so far received any compensation for damaged property.

"On 15 June, three years ago, I lost everything before my eyes, said Mohomad Hanifa Mohomad Sharook Hajiyaar, a resident in the town of Dharga. One after the other, they burnt everything, house and shop. "

He owned a showroom, which was torched. He remembers that Before they torched my home, radical Sinhalese stole the valuables. I could not do anything against them."

Despite promises, the previous government did not allocate any money for compensation. For this reason, reports that the authorities are going to pay have given locals hope.

"This decision is an important step for the families of the victims and the wounded, Hanifa said. Even though I am not in this group, and I am not entitled to any compensation, I am happy for them."
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Visitors watch the demostration of a welding robot at the World Robot Conference 2017 in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 25, 2017. Over 300 artificial intelligent (AI) specialists and representatives of over 150 robot enterprises attended the conference. (Xinhua/Li Mingfang)

Beijing's robotics industry aims to achieve a revenue of between 12 billion yuan and 15 billion yuan by 2020, according to the ongoing World Robot Conference 2017 which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

At the conference, the Beijing Robotics Industry Innovation and Development Roadmap outlines a two-stage scheme to develop the robotics industry.

Beijing plans to achieve robotics industry revenue of between 12 billion yuan (US$1.8 billion) and 15 billion yuan, develop 10 leading enterprises in the sector and 10 research and development innovation headquarters by 2020.

By 2025, the city looks to achieve a revenue of 60 billion yuan in the industry. Beijing aims to form a top-notch robotics technology collaborative innovation system, develop a world-class artificial intelligence and construct a leading robotics innovation and application base.

Zhang Boxu, director of the Beijing Municipal Committee of Economic and Information Technology, said Beijing will strive to become a leader in robotics innovation with its advantage of scientific research, ecology and policy.

He added that Beijing is speeding up the development of its robotics industry, prioritizing the integrated application of industrial robots and supporting the development of service robots and special robots.


(onephoto/Bigstock.com) (onephoto/Bigstock.com)

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) has closed it migration list to overseas applicants and it will not reopen until 2018, it has been announced.Those who had already submitted an application for state sponsored visas by 23 August and paid the relevant fee by that date will still have their applications processed.Also, people living overseas who have close family ties or a genuine job offer in Canberra or have completed a PhD at an ACT university can still apply for ACT nomination if they meet the criteria.People living in Canberra can apply for ACT 190 nomination as soon as they meet the nomination criteria.'The state sponsorship programme will reopen to overseas applicants in 2018,' said an ACT migration spokesman.The ACT Occupation List, which identifies the skills that are currently in demand in Canberra for migration purposes, was last updated in July 2017. It is set to be re-assessed in February 2018.'The Australian Capital Territory Government is committed to a targeted skilled migration program and can provide advice on ACT nomination criteria, but not on wider immigration issues,' the spokesman explained.'Before lodging an application for nomination, it is recommended that you obtain specific migration advice relevant to your circumstances from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection or a Registered Migration Agent,' he added.The ACT Occupation List is not linked to specific job vacancies and it is not a guarantee of a job in a nominated occupation.'You must be satisfied that there are sufficient employment opportunities in your nominated occupation before you apply for ACT nomination,' the ACT migration website explains.'You will compete for employment vacancies with all people in the labour market as part of a normal selection process. Your success will depend on employer requirements, your relevant skills, your experience and your level of English language ability,' it points out.'New residents generally do not meet the criteria of employers who require citizenship or security clearance,' it adds.Occupations on the current list include architects, nurses, web designers, civil engineers, graphic designers, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physiotherapist, GP, solicitor, hairdressers, chef and motor mechanic.
Authorities investigating a paramilitary Christian sect for child sexual abuse say they looking into whether the New Mexico group brought children into the country illegally. Cibola County Sheriff Tony Mace told The Associated Press Tuesday that investigators found numerous children during a Sunday raid of the armed Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps in remote Fence Lake. During the raid, authorities arrested three sect members in connection with a child abuse and child sex abuse investigation. A former group member was arrested in Truth or Consequences. Sect co-leader Deborah Green was arrested on charges that included failure to report the birth to child abuse and sexual penetration of a minor. Peter Green, also known as Mike Brandon, faces 100 counts of criminal sexual penetration of a child on suspicion of raping a girl at least four times a week from the time she was 7, according to court documents.  The Albuquerque Journal

The Southern Poverty Law Center lists the The Aggressive Christianity Missions Training Corps (also known as the Holy Tribal Nation, the Free Love Ministries, or the Life Force Team) as a hate group. The Christian fundamentalist, Biblicist, theocratic cult was founded in 1981 by James and Deborah Green (sometimes collectively referred to as the Generals; and has a military structure, partially based on the original pattern of the Salvation Army.

An excerpt from their website on the 2015 ruling that made same-sex-marriage legal in all 50 states reads:

The June 26, 2015 decision to make same-sex marriage the law of the land came not from Satan, but from God! WHAT?? Thats right. We have, for years, told you this. We have said time after timeover the yearsthat unless America, and specifically the church, did not REPENT of their evil ways, God would use pink terrorism to: #1call His true people OUT of the Babylonian Jesus churches, and AWAY from the worship of America (which is idolatry); #2seal Satans people in their evil, damnable ways. AS THE FALLOUT from the Pink Stink Sodomite (PSS) bomb settles over this godless America, things are yet to take their final place. Christians and non-compliant non-Christians can still raise HELL! We expect this. This is the whole reasonto get Americans off their lazy behinds and on to the frontlines TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. Fight not against God/His Word, but fight against the evil satanic principalities, powers, the rulers of darkness of this world, and against wicked spirits in high places, i.e., family, church, and state (Eph. 6:12).

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China will host the 9th Annual Summit of BRICS in the southeast Chinas coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian Province on September 3-5, 2017 in its capacity as chair of the influential bloc which is comprised of five countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. [File photo]

China will host the 9th Annual Summit of BRICS in the southeast Chinas coastal city of Xiamen, Fujian Province on September 3-5, 2017 in its capacity as chair of the influential bloc which is comprised of five countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

It is expected that China and India as major countries with great influence in the five-member bloc should boost mutual cooperation, and set a vision for the China-India relations despite ongoing frictions.

The BRICS countries are home to 43 percent of the worlds population with a combined GDP of over US$16 trillion, contributing more than half of global growth. It is hoped this year's summit will produce more practical and concrete cooperation and improve trust and confidence among BRICS nations.

The BRICS countries are seen as an engine of world economic growth. Together, the five countries have been the source of more than half of global growth in the past ten years. As per the words of Chinese President Xi Jinping: "The BRICS countries are the champions of the emerging countries and developing countries.

"BRICS: Stronger partnership for a brighter future" is the theme China has chosen which mirrors the implementation of previous commitments flowing from the past BRICS summits. It is hoped that the Xiamen summit will bring together the leaders of all the five countries.

It is important to note here that on July 28, while meeting with heads of the delegations for the 7th Meeting of BRICS High Representatives for Security Issues, Xi said that BRICS cooperation will usher in its second "golden decade" as long as the five members make joint efforts for closer ties with the spirit of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win.

However, the 9th BRICS summit is taking place over the backdrop of deteriorating China-India relations following the ongoing standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Donglang area of the Sikkim sector of the China-India border, making it the longest stalemate between the two militaries in recent years.

Both China and India are major rising forces among BRICS countries. The two countries are the second and seventh largest world economies, respectively, ranking the second and first in terms of growth rate, and first and third in terms of contribution to world economic growth.

From the Indian perspective, it is expected that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a detailed bilateral discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit to normalize heated relations with China.

The two leaders last met in the BRICS leaders meeting on the sidelines of the G20 meetings in Hamburg on June 7, 2017. They complimented each other's nations roles in furthering the objectives of the BRICS grouping and the fight against terrorism. Modi appreciated the momentum in BRICS under the chairmanship of President Xi and extended his full cooperation for the groupings upcoming 9th summit a success.

On the other hand, President Xi appreciated India's strong resolve against terrorism and the momentum in BRICS introduced under India's chairmanship and through the outcomes of the Goa Summit in 2016. He also appreciated India's success in economic and social development and wished India an even bigger success. This shows that both China and India attach utmost importance to their engagement with BRICS enhancing all-round cooperation with each other.

Undoubtedly, the upcoming 9th BRICS summit will be a great chance for India where its voice will be heard by all countries. It can be said that India needs BRICS more than China does. BRICS has provided a platform for India to become an international rule-maker.

As two big neighboring countries, India and China are the two most vital powers within the BRICS countries. Both countries are now members of basically all international organizations and institutions and significant investors in almost all regions of the world.

Since 2009, India and China have been working closely together within BRICS as it is important for the world's two largest developing countries to speak common voices in the multilateral arena.

More importantly, India can use BRICS to strengthen its relations with the stronger economic actor China, if it wants to attract Chinese investment via the New Development Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. It will also be better for India to maintain its relationship with Russia, Brazil, South Africa and other developing nations through the BRICS mechanism.

It is encouraging to see that, as the holder of the BRICS presidency China has held a series of events this year such as the BRICS Sherpa meeting in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in Beijing, BRICS Media Forum in Beijing, BRICS Seminar on Governance in Quanzhou of Fujian Province, BRICS Youth Forum in Beijing, 7th Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers in Shanghai, 2nd BRICS Film Festival in Chengdu, BRICS Games in Guangzhou, to mention a few, under the BRICS framework and India has actively participated in many of them.

Rabi Sankar Bosu, secretary of New Horizon Radio Listeners' Club, West Bengal, India

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
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At the end of last years presidential campaign, a sufficient number of voters in just the right places elected Donald Trump to go shoot up Washington and fundamentally change the way it operates.

Hes got the shooting part down just fine. But the big change part not so much.

In fact, 30 weeks after he took office, Trump is still shooting wild words and tweets at most anyone who criticizes him, hints at criticizing him or just moves.

Some Trump advocates say You tell em! But some supporters and others who dont like the boastful New Yorker but had hoped he could deliver some necessary fundamental changes are starting to have serious doubts.

The 71-year-old Trump always wants to project strength and power. And he tried to show that in his Afghan speech this week. Theres a reason the real estate mogul did not build or rehab small buildings. And taking on the Washington establishment and the entrenched way it does business is no small task either.

In fact, its a huge, perhaps impossible task because the Congress, the bureaucracy, the lobbyists and especially the media there see their power, influence, job security and incomes threatened by outsider changes to the status quo.

And many of them are quietly seeking to undermine Trumps efforts with slow-walks, steady leaks, passive-aggressive behavior and an astounding media animus thats lowered their public standing beneath even Trumps. This all wounds the rookie president and prompts him to say more counter-productive, even false things.

Most every modern president  George W. Bush, Barack Obama  rides into town vowing to fix the place that includes the nations wealthiest counties that see no need for fixing. That smug arrogance is a theme that profoundly resonates with those of us who dont live among all the monuments, grand edifices and matching egos.

Changing Washington would be a herculean, long-term task for even a savvy, disciplined executive with vision and keen political skills. Which Trump is not.

The really rich guy, lone among the more than 20 men and women who offered themselves as potential presidents in the last cycle, read  perhaps sensed is a better word  the visceral anger and frustration of millions in flyover country. Sporadically attentive to public affairs, these voters had long pleaded, cheered, donated, campaigned and voted for men and women on both sides who promised in so many words to drain the D.C. swamp.

And then didnt.

Trump spoke to and for those angry hopefuls. Theyve waited years for a champion. Theyve been patient so far and partially satisfied with Trumps rhetoric, court and cabinet picks and executive orders, even if some are more executive photo-ops than orders.

His achievements, direct and indirect, have actually been many  Keystone Pipeline, VA reforms, regulation rollbacks, advances against the Islamic State and MS 13, one million-plus new jobs, illegal immigration down, low unemployment despite many re-entering the labor force, soaring mortgage applications, consumer confidence and stock markets, among others.

You might notice that most of his achievements  pulling out of TPP and the Paris Accord, for example  could be done unilaterally by him. As have some negative things like staff turmoil. Things that require teamwork come harder. Take the prolonged disaster that was Obamacare repeal, please.

Its surprising that someone so successful in conceiving, assembling and driving big projects in the real world finds it so difficult to drive legislators of his own party to accomplish big projects in Washington. Yes, legislators are often hypocritical, egotistical, selfish, self-important, small-minded, parochial men and women with the collective motto Ubi Est Mea (Wheres mine?).

But our form of government contains three equal branches for a reason, to deny any of them the power to dominate.

Trumps a great cajoler. Unfortunately, hes an awful convincer. Or a lazy one. One might expect a military prep school graduate to have absorbed some self-discipline. Instead, he indulges in recriminatory tweets about has-been TV hosts on a marginal channel, giving them a ratings boost and making himself seem petty.

He criticizes Democrat leaders, of course. But he bitterly attacks leaders of his own GOP, the ones who preserved the Supreme Court vacancy for him and got his nominee through. The same ones he will need for any hope of legislative successes like tax reform in this crucial first year.

Last weeks White House message was the desperate national need for infrastructure repairs, perhaps a trillion dollars worth. Jobs. Growth. A better country. Trump touted his plan at a news conference. Then he demolished its coverage by indulging in punching back at people who charged his Charlottesville reactions were incomplete, insensitive, even racist.

Boy, Trump sure told them. He has a right to do that, of course. But a need? Those critics now know how to get this president off-message and shooting wildly again.

Remember when campaigning Trump criticized the U.S. intelligence community as incompetent? Guess where these national security leaks emanate?

Remember when Trump criticized Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain, saying the man who survived six years of POW torture was no hero because he got captured? Perhaps that felt good to punch back for some past perceived slight. But to what productive presidential end?

Now, guess who rose from a cancer treatment bed to fly cross-country and cast the deciding Senate vote that killed Trumps oft-promised Obamacare repeal?
A 38-year-old man was charged Friday in the death of Clearwater man who he tied up and robbed.

Robert Miller, 38, charged in death of man he tied up and robbed

Chris Weimer left bound inside apartment for several days died

Weimer and Miller met during drug deal

On Aug. 17, deputies responded to a home at 2426 Persian Drive around 8:14 p.m. where they found the decomposed body of Chris Weimer, 61, who had his hands bound behind his back and a piece of cloth used as a gag on his mouth.

Detectives determined the incident occurred on Aug. 12 when Weimer picked up the suspect, Robert Miller, 38, in the area of San Remo Drive and Gulf to Bay Boulevard to buy crack cocaine. Detectives said Weimer was not known to Miller, and invited Miller back to his home Persian Drive.

Weimer and Miller first stopped at a convenience story to buy beer and then went to Weimer's home. While at the apartment, detectives said Weimer made sexual advances towards Miller, causing Miller to become angry. Miller then struck Weimer in the head with his fist, detectives said.

Miller tied Weimer's hands behind his back and placed a gag around his mouth. He then stole Weimer's car keys, credit cards and other personal belongings. Detectives said Miller left Weimer bound, but conscious and alive inside the apartment during the early morning hours of Aug. 13.

Over the next several days, Miller used Weimer's credit cards to purchase merchandise at various local businesses and pawned the items in Pinellas County.

On August 20, 2017, Clearwater Police officers arrested Miller on a burglary criminal charge and he was transported to the Pinellas County Jail. Miller was interviewed by detectives on Aug. 25 and admitted to robbing Weimer and leaving him bound inside his apartment.

Detectives said Weimer died from being tied up and left on the apartment floor.

Miller is charged with one count of first degree felony murder.

The investigation is still ongoing.
WASHINGTON  In the federal government and in most states, there are consequences when governments deprive Americans of their constitutional right to liberty  through, say, wrongful imprisonment.

So why arent there more meaningful consequences when states deprive Americans of their constitutional right to vote?

Again and again, voter fraud has been shown to be virtually nonexistent. Yet in the name of eradicating this imagined scourge, state officials around the country have been systemically and aggressively disenfranchising American citizens. To prevent a handful of votes from possibly being cast illegally, officials purge thousands of eligible voters from state rolls, toss ballots and pass modern-day poll taxes.

This year alone, at least 99 bills restricting access to registration and voting have been introduced in 31 states, according to New York University School of Laws Brennan Center for Justice.

And this doesnt even capture the full extent of voter-suppression efforts, given that some changes have been done administratively rather than through legislation.

A few states have proved to be especially bad actors.

In the 2016 election, for example, Kansas threw out more than three times as many ballots as any similarly sized state did, according to a recent Associated Press analysis.

Some Kansans ballots were tossed as a result of recent policy changes. But others were eliminated because of a stupid software bug. That is, some people arrived at the polls incorrectly believing they had already legally registered, because the states online registration system had mistakenly told them so. This glitch had been happening for months before the general election, according to emails obtained by the AP.

All this occurred of course under the leadership of Kansas Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, now spearheading President Trumps election integrity commission.

Texas has likewise repeatedly tried to suppress minority (and predominantly Democratic) votes.

On Wednesday, a federal court struck down the states voter ID laws, which the judge determined had been enacted with discriminatory intent  knowingly placing additional burdens on a disproportionate number of Hispanic and African-American voters.

The same court had found the states voter ID law discriminatory in 2014, and Wednesdays ruling determined that a new, watered-down version was no better. While a challenge had been working its way through the judicial system, a discriminatory law was in effect for multiple statewide elections.

Where is the justice for those denied suffrage in Kansas, Texas and other states?

Their elections are effectively tainted, but theyre also over. Nothing to be done about them now.

There should be, though.

If we want state officials to stop erring so often on the side of disenfranchising voters, we need to start punishing them for illegally denying Americans the right to vote, rather than just have courts say, Hey now, dont do that again.

The costs are much too low for public officials who, whether deliberately or mistakenly, disenfranchise Americans.

On very, very rare occasions, if a plaintiff can prove that an election was sufficiently tainted, a judge could order a new election. Also on very, very rare occasions, individuals can be charged with a criminal offense if they can be proved to have intentionally interfered with someones votes.

But for the most part, policies that systemically disenfranchise thousands of voters  and possibly swing election results  go unpunished.

A states bad law or administrative policy gets struck down, and officials are just forced to do things differently in the next election.

In which case, state officials might respond by introducing a new bad law, a la Texas.

One way to change the system would be for courts to more often grant preliminary injunctions against new election laws undergoing a legal challenge.

Once the damage is done you cant really adequately repair it, says Wendy Weiser, director of the Brennan Centers democracy program. Courts could recognize this and err on the side of keeping the status quo, at least temporarily.

This would address only deliberate policy changes, though, not incompetence (as in Kansas software glitch). So why not raise the possible costs to getting things wrong, to change the calculus?

Congress or state legislatures could, for example, pass laws making it easier for state officials to be held liable for monetary damages if they have illegally denied someone their right to vote. Right now these officials likely have qualified immunity from such suits, according to Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California at Berkeley School of Law.

For American citizens, voting is a sacred and constitutionally enshrined right. Its time the country, and those paid to serve the public, actually treat it as such.
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6:30 p.m.

Texas Department of Transportation crews on Saturday afternoon were clearing the debris from the road to keep the intersection with 124 passable.

The work will likely be repeated several times this week as Harvey, a tropical storm by 1 p.m. Saturday, continues to move inland.

"The forecast path keeps it meandering inland off the central Texas coast, and not move back over the Gulf" as the storm was predicted to do earlier this week, said National Weather Service meteorologist Roger Erickson on Saturday. "We are still expecting heavy rains and floods in Southeast Texas."

Rain totals by Friday could range from 10-16 inches in parts of Southeast Texas, Erickson said.

"The storm surge threat is decreasing," he said. "During high tides Sunday morning, there could be 1 to 2 feet of water above ground level in low-lying areas of coastal Southeast Texas."

Most locals stayed home on Saturday as rain bands moved in and tornado warnings were issued for parts of Orange, Hardin and Jasper counties.

1 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey has been downgraded to a tropical storm.

Rainbands continue to move in and out of the region. Most of Southeast Texas is under a flash flood warning until 6 p.m.

Parts of Southeast Texas, including Vidor, Buna, Mauriceville and Bridge City have been under tornado warnings this afternoon.

10 a.m.

Earlier projections that Hurricane Harvey could return to the Gulf of Mexico and land again near Southeast Texas are a little less likely now, according to information from the National Weather Service.

Harvey, which made landfall around 10 p.m. near Rockport as a Category 4 storm, has already weakened to a Category 1 and is expected to continue losing strength until it becomes a tropical storm later today, said Seth Warthen, a meteorologist with NWS Lake Charles.

"For the next several days, it will meander around where it made landfall," Warthen said.



So what does that mean for Southeast Texas?



"Right now, the big story is still going to be rain," Warthen said. "We're expecting five- to 15-inches in Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana."



When that heavy rain will come will depend on Harvey's motivation. Current models show the storm moving Tuesday or Wednesday towards Southeast Texas, heading more toward the north, or simply staying put. Should the system move towards Southeast Texas, rain fall could exceed the current expectations in certain areas.

High chances of rain are expected today through Tuesday in Southeast Texas.



"Some of the rivers around Beaumont are going to rise pretty substantially," Warthen said. "People in flood-prone areas or next to rivers will want to take precautions and keep an eye on warnings for their areas."



Jefferson, Hardin and Orange counties are currently under a tornado watch until 1 p.m. today. A tornado outbreak is not expected, Warthen said, but storms with Harvey's strength produce the conditions from which tornadoes form.




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Hurricane Harvey has not made landfall yet, but the signs of the storm were already apparent in Corpus Christi and across the Gulf Coast Friday morning.

According to the National Weather Service, winds in the area reached 40 mph as of 9 a.m. and rain bands were starting to arrive.

Water levels steadily began to rise Friday morning, with some areas already dealing with the swell.

Flights out of Corpus Christi International Airport were canceled for the rest of the day as of 11 a.m., according to a city news release, and Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority buses will suspend services at 1 p.m.

In a noon-time news conference, Corpus Christi city officials warned residents that their homes may be without power for up to a week.

As the situation worsens on Mustang Island, first responders said they will be unable to respond to the area.

Fire Chief Robert Rocha said firefighters at the station on the island will move inland for their own safety.

A Corpus Christi police spokesperson said officers will respond to calls on the island as long as they can, but will cease if the area is flooded or if wind gusts become to strong.

RELATED: Forecasts, closures and other things to know on Friday about Hurricane Harvey

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

While most residents are making plans to evacuate, the inmates of Nueces County Jail will stay in their cells, Sheriff Jim Kaelin said.

More than 300 inmates will be moved from the annex to the common area of the jail, where they will be safer, Kaelin said.

"It's not the wind I'm worried about," Kaelin said. "It's the flooding."

The jail has enough food and water for about five days, Kaelin said, and they're anticipating the accommodations will be sufficient until the weather is clear.

State Highway 361 in Aransas Pass has been shut down to put up a storm surge wall to reduce the potential flooding damage.

The Port Aransas ferry ceased operations Friday morning at 8 a.m. to begin storm preparations.

There was significant traffic heading north to San Antonio from Corpus Christi Thursday night. Friday morning was no different, as the Texas Department of Transportation tweeted that heavy volume is expected throughout the day on Interstate Highway 37.

More for you Report: Family of 6 feared dead after van swept away in Houston flood waters

Residents who remained in the area only had the morning to stock up on any goods they need. H-E-B announced on Twitter that all Corpus Christi grocery stores would close at 10 a.m. before Harvey hits the region.

Although neighboring cities and counties have issued mandatory evacuations, Corpus Christi and Nueces County only issued a voluntary evacuation order.

Under the direction of Corpus Christi's Emergency Operation Center, buses will continue evacuating residents until about noon.

RELATED: Meteorologist: S.A. area residents should prepare for 'record-setting historic event'

The buses will take any evacuees to San Antonio, where they can register and stay at a shelter until the hurricane subsides. It remains unclear how many citizens have been evacuated to San Antonio Friday morning, but city and county officials plan to release an update later in the day.

The Salvation Army of the Coastal Bend evacuated its sheltered population to Corpus Christi Thursday night. In a Facebook Live video, the center's commanding officer Patrick T. Gesner asked everyone to leave the area.

"I'm telling everyone who could see this message get out," he said. "We're looking at extreme flooding. I implore you to get out."

Text HARVEY to 77453 to receive instant alerts on the massive Texas storm.

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Hurricane Harvey makes landfall on the Texas Coast on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017
Augusta (Ga.) University Health System's $8.8 million loss in the fiscal year ended June 30 was largely due to a lack of physicians to treat patients, according to The Augusta Chronicle.

"We lost a number of faculty last July, and that's what accounted for our poor financial performance," said Medical College of Georgia Dean David Hess, MD, who sits on AU Health System's board, according to the report. He said faculty members left for various reasons such as some were a poor fit for AU Health System.

Officials are focused on recruiting physicians to improve the system's financial picture. AU Health System has 40 new clinicians beginning in September and October and is actively recruiting for 73 additional positions.

AU Health System includes 478-bed Augusta University Medical Center, 154-bed Children's Hospital of Georgia in Augusta and more than 80 outpatient sites.

More articles on healthcare finance:

MD Anderson operating in the black for first time in more than a year

For-profit hospital operators likely to experience weak patient admissions through 2018

Moody's: Canceling bundles would be credit positive for hospitals
The Brewbot bar on the Ormeau Road was still operating this week

Belfast beer-making robot technology firm Brewbot looks set to go under after the taxman filed a petition to wind up the company, it can be revealed.

The firm, whose sole director is founder Chris McClelland, intended selling hundreds of its wood and stainless steel 'smart' beer-making machines across the globe.

But following months of problems, the business, which also operates a Brewbot bar on the Ormeau Road, could now shut down completely.

HMRC is now trying to wind up the company - which trades as Brewbot Ltd - having made an application to the courts.

This week, the bar was still open and trading.

The business has been going through tough times in the last 12 months, with the workforce now largely consisting of just the company's bar staff.

Brewbot had employed several staff, including developers, working on producing the Brewbot system itself.

However, it is understood they are no longer with the company.

Brewbot had operated its head office from the Ormeau Road pub's top floor.

Brewbot began its foray into the global technology industry thanks to crowd-funding.

It raised over 114,000 in one month through Kickstarter.

It also secured 1m from a range of investors as part of a round of seed funding.

And the company also received 82,000 in funding from Invest NI.

It now means it is unlikely those who invested around 2,000 on the crowd-funding platform to get their own Brewbot will ever receive a machine.

Just a small number of Brewbots have been produced, with several having been made upstairs in the bar.

In an update to investors last year, the company said pre-orders for the products had started. However, the unit's costs had sky-rocketed to almost $10,000 (7,800).

"To thank you for waiting we are opening up orders to you first and we're offering 25 units with $5,000 (3,900) off the launch price," the update also said.

Brewbot's concept allows beer brewers to take a lot of the complexities out of the process by using a mobile smartphone app.

The company had previously worked with some major tech talent, including a former employee at Tesla in San Francisco and a senior brewer.

It also linked up with top breweries, including Russian River in the US and the Galway Bay Brewery in the Republic.

Founder Chris McClelland told the Belfast Telegraph he did not wish to comment.

HMRC said that it does not comment on individual cases.
John Bruton believes there will have to be a hard border of sorts, either at the frontier itself or offset from it

Checks on goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic will still have to happen - even if they are not exactly on the border, a former Taoiseach has warned.

John Bruton said even if a hard border was placed miles away, there would still need to be a system of checks between the post-Brexit UK side of the frontier and the EU.

His intervention came a week after a position paper made clear the UK Government did not envisage electronic or other mechanisms.

Mr Bruton is to examine the Republic's changing relationship with the UK in the aftermath of Brexit at the annual Daniel O'Connell summer school at Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, this weekend.

But in an interview ahead of his lecture, the former Fine Gael leader argued: "If the UK envisaged no controls at the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, there would still have to be checks somewhere on goods coming into the European Union.

"Whether the hard border occurs at the border, or 10 or 15 or 50 miles either side of the border, you are still going to have to have a system to check whether goods entering the European Union in Ireland from the UK meet EU standards of safety, meet EU standards of rules of origin, and have paid all the relevant EU tariffs, which in some cases are very high indeed."

Mr Bruton, who was Taoiseach from 1994 to 1997, called on the DUP to spell out in detail the kind of Brexit it wanted, particularly after a majority in Northern Ireland in last year's referendum voted to remain in the EU.

"I think Britain may come to the realisation that Brexit, as they sold it to themselves, isn't feasible," he said.

"But Britain itself would have to come to that conclusion."

Asked about the recent series of position papers from the UK Government, he argued: "They're not about substance, they're about procedure.

"The substance is what level of tariff you're going to charge, will Britain pursue a cheap food policy?"

The onus, he said, was on London to explain how it could reconcile its vision of tariff-free trade between the EU and Britain with World Trade Organisation rules, which state that any trade concessions offered to one trading partner have to be offered to all.

"Until Britain comes up with a way of explaining how their ideas on having access to the EU market can be reconciled with the most favoured nation principles of the WTO, it's very hard for us on the European side to do much work on this," he added.

Mr Bruton said, at its core, Brexit was being used to allow Britain to discover "a new identity. And that's a psychological process rather than an economic one. Britain has got to work out for itself who it wants to be".

He added: "If there are benefits from Brexit, (they) will possibly be concentrated in a small number of urban areas whereas the losses, which will be much, much greater, will be spread throughout the country."
Government must get to work

Well it appears the president of the United States has made us, the American taxpayers, another promise. He will shut down the government if he doesnt get his border wall paid for. This I assume is the wall Mexico was going to pay for.

So instead of the president and our congress actually getting anything done, we now face having somewhere over at least a million government employees being told not to come in to work. How does this get anything accomplished?

Just another example of how to waste our hard-earned taxpayer dollars on a nonfunctioning Republican-led government.

I have a better suggestion, lets change the way this works, and if the president and Congress cannot get their work done in a timely manner, lets not pay them and let hard working government employees actually do their jobs.

By the way the same can be said for our current state government. Perhaps if the governor and state legislators did not get their checks, we might have a budget.

Joel Sigel

Chippewa Falls
South Promenade in Newcastle where pensioner Geoffrey Cartwright was struck by a car

Flowers on South Promenade in Newcastle where pensioner Geoffrey Cartwright was struck by a car

The family of a pensioner who died after being struck by a car as he made his way home from the pub have been left devastated by his loss.

Geoffrey 'Geoff' Cartwright (78) was knocked down just yards from his home on South Promenade in Newcastle, Co Down, on Thursday night.

The great-grandfather had left Macken's Bar with his brother Reggie, who had just arrived for a month-long visit from overseas, when he was struck by a fast-moving car.

His grandson Paul Cartwright said the entire family are in a state of disbelief. "We are all badly shocked," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

Mr Cartwright, a widower who regularly played pool in Macken's, had been walking a few yards behind his brother at the time.

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while unfit and causing death by dangerous driving. The teenager was subsequently released on bail.

Traumatised customers in an adjacent bar witnessed the collision, but could only watch in horror as paramedics desperately tried to save the victim's life.

"I was in the Harbour House Inn and heard the impact, some others witnessed it and were very upset," one customer wrote on social media.

Sinn Fein councillor Willie Clarke expressed his sadness following the incident.

"I knew him my entire life, he was a true gentleman who was liked by everyone," he said.

"It is truly heartbreaking to comprehend this news. The local community has been left in shock."

Mr Clarke said the pensioner's enthusiasm for playing pool ensured that he never felt isolated in his old age.

"It was something he really enjoyed and looked forward to and it was a great way for him to socialise," he added.

"The whole family are devastated, they're in a really bad way - particularly his brother."

The councillor praised the emergency services who "worked tremendously hard" to save Mr Cartwright.

Police have appealed for witnesses to contact them on 101 quoting ref: 1530 of 24/08/17.
Bridge over untroubled water: People take in the warm weather in Potters Field, near Tower Bridge, as the bank holiday weekend approaches

The sun will be out this bank holiday weekend as Britons enjoy predicted highs of 27C (81F) after a wet and cool August.

Most parts of the UK can look forward to some sunshine and warmer temperatures during the long weekend.

Bank Holiday Monday looks set to be the hottest day, with the best of the weather in the southern half of the UK.

Temperatures are forecast to rise from 25C (77F) on Saturday and Sunday to 27C (81F) on Monday.

Revellers heading to Notting Hill Carnival should see summery conditions, Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst said.

He said: "Both days it should be dry with plenty of sunny spells, light winds and feeling warm."

Northern Ireland and Scotland may see outbreaks of light rain and drizzle on Sunday, he added.

Temperatures on Monday will be lower in northern parts, struggling to reach 18C (64F), as wet and windy weather sets in, Mr Dewhurst said.

A fresher feel is forecast from Tuesday onwards, with the wet weather moving south.
The remains of Captain Robert Nairac most likely lie in Ravensdale Forest, Co Louth, the author of a book on the undercover British soldier claims.

Alistair Kerr says Nairac was buried within a 10-mile radius of the field in Ravensdale where he was shot dead by IRA members in May 1977.

This confirms assertions by republicans and the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims Remains that his body wasn't put through a meat processor.

The book raises the possibility that everyone who knew the precise location of the burial site may now be dead.

But it expresses hope that former IRA members gave Boston College researchers information on Nairac's murder and secret burial, which will be disclosed when the oral history archives are eventually opened.

Mr Kerr, a retired British Foreign Office diplomat, says he set out to separate myths from facts in his book Betrayal: The Murder Of Robert Nairac.

He believes it's important to "disentangle the reality of Nairac from the dense thicket of legend and published disinformation" surrounding him.

Mr Kerr says material given to him "exonerates" Nairac from allegations of involvement in murder, including that of IRA member John Francis Green, who was shot dead in Co Monaghan in 1975. "Two reliable sources have shown that he was in Londonderry on that night and that he had been based there for some time before Green's murder," Mr Kerr said.

Earlier this year the Green family said they believed Nairac was involved in the killing, although they bore him no ill will and called for the return of his body.

The book is heavily critical of Colonel Clive Fairweather, an SAS officer in the 1970s who went on to become Scotland's chief inspector of prisons.

It claims he made fatal delays following Nairac's abduction from the car park of the Three Steps Inn in Dromintee, where he had been posing as 'Danny McErlean' from Belfast as he drank with locals.

It is alleged that Colonel Fairweather had loathed Nairac, believing him to be a loose cannon who naively and recklessly went on unauthorised intelligence missions and put others' lives in danger. Fairweather died five years ago, but his friends have strongly denied the claims made about him.

The book addresses claims that Nairac was gay and had an Army lover, but says there is a lack of evidence to support the rumours.

"Unless a credible witness comes out of the shadows and says: 'You are completely wrong, I was Robert Nairac's lover and a good time was had by us both', we shall never know," Mr Kerr said.

The author describes Nairac as "generous, highly principled, deeply religious, outstandingly brave and above all a fantastic friend."

He describes the undercover soldier as a deeply conservative Catholic.

He says assaults "as vicious as those inflicted on his living body" have been made about his character.

"Republicans had a role in this but others who were at the heart of British politics and former Army officers also played a part," the book states.

Mr Kerr added: "If Nairac had been alive now, he would be white-haired. He would be 69 years old.

"This comes as a slight shock since he remains in our collective memory as a vigorous young man."
Families and firms in Northern Ireland who make claims connected to flood damage sustained in recent days could have difficulty finding future insurers or face massive hikes in premiums.

The warning comes as insurance companies gear up to pay out millions of pounds after this week's torrential rain. Industry experts said those lodging a claim for damage to their homes, farms and businesses were likely to get a payout, but they warned that firms could decline to provide them with flood cover in the future or impose a hefty excess on claims.

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Paul Hatty, of J Hatty and Co insurance agency, said homeowners and members of the business community could struggle to find an insurer.

"When someone has had a claim for flooding and is in a known flooding area then it can be hard to get insurance," he said. "Insurers don't want to take a risk on something that is inevitable. They want to deal in unforeseen incidents."

To date 20 families have been rehoused in emergency accommodation after floods in the north west destroyed their homes, while more than 100 people were rescued from cars and houses in counties Tyrone, Londonderry and Donegal after 63% of August's average rainfall fell in nine hours.

Roads and bridges crumbled, cars were washed away and homes and businesses were destroyed in storms that hit the area with a vengeance on Wednesday.

Alliance MLA Trevor Lunn, who ran an insurance brokerage for 25 years, said insurers will pay for damage sustained in the recent deluge but may think twice about providing future flood cover.

"Insurance companies cover the unexpected," he said.

"They may refuse to cover homes and properties in certain areas if there's a liability of flood damage and no remedial action has been taken, or they can impose a substantial excess on water damage claims.

"Households could also get insurance to cover the cost of rebuilding and contents, but insurers could put in exclusions so that they wouldn't have to pay out on flood damage."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Cars washed into the river Faughan in Drumahoe, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire Damage to a road next to the river Faughan in Drumahoe, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA People look at trees and vehicles in the river Faughan in Drumahoe, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Two men look at cars washed into the river Faughan in Drumahoe, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA A collapsed road in the village of Claudy, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Trees and vehicles in the river Faughan in Drumahoe, Londonderry, after heavy rain left a trail of destruction. Niall Carson/PA Wire PA The scene in Claudy after after overnight weather caused major disruption. Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye. The scene in Claudy after after overnight weather caused major disruption. Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye. The scene in Claudy after after overnight weather caused major disruption. Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye. The scene in Claudy after after overnight weather caused major disruption. Photo by Matt Mackey / Press Eye The downpours from the Atlantic Ocean hit Co Donegal before moving across Northern Ireland Heavy rain brings chaos to Northern Ireland Flooding on the main Derry to Buncrana Road at Skeoge Roundabout. Flooding in Galliagh Park, Londonderry. This gentleman evacuated his mother-in-law as fears of water getting into houses after a manhole cover started spewing up water. Flooding on the main Derry to Letterkenny Road. / Facebook

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He added: "But it's up to the individual insurer. If you've been a customer for 20 years and you've claimed once because six centimetres of freak rain fell in one night, then it's likely they will reinsure."

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) said 26 of its properties in the Londonderry area were badly damaged resulting in vulnerable, young and older people having to be rehoused.

Fears are rising that claimants could be left high and dry once damages money is paid out because of reports that some firms will blacklist areas that had previously experienced flooding.

Paul Kavanagh, who heads up McCarthy Insurance Group, one of the largest brokerage companies in Ireland, which also experienced horrendous floods, said this was the case even where flood relief works had been carried out.

"The insurance companies won't admit it, but when flooding happens you are blacklisted," he said. "They won't provide you with flood cover."

But Malcolm Tarling from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) insisted that the "number one priority is to deal with the current claims as soon as possible" to get people back into their homes.

"Just because you've had one flood claim doesn't mean you won't be able to get flood insurance in future," he said.

"The cost of insurance depends on many factors. If you live in a higher risk area - such as by a river that is prone to flooding - then you might pay more anyway. Our advice is to shop around; it should be a competitive market."
One alleged incident involved a shooting in Bonds Street last December

A man arrested during an investigation into violent loyalist paramilitary activity in Londonderry has been released.

The 21-year-old man had been detained in the city by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Branch in connection to a number of terrorism offences, including a shooting incident at a house in the Bonds Street area on the evening of December 20 2016.

The male occupant escaped injury when shots were fired through the window.
A man and woman have escaped injury after shots were fired at their house in the Spelga Park area of Lurgan

Damage caused after shots were fired at a house in the Spelga Park area of Lurgan

Police are investigating reports of shots being fired at a house in Lurgan.

Two shots were reportedly fired at the front door of a house in the Spelga Park area of the town at approximately 12.45am on Saturday.

A man and woman were in the house at the time of the incident. Neither of them was injured, however they were left very badly shaken.

Anyone who may have noticed any suspicious activity in the area is asked to contact Lurgan PSNI on 101, quoting reference 68 26/08/17.
The car in which seven men died is removed from the scene near Clonmany in Donegal in July 2010

The man jailed for one of the worst road crashes in Irish history is challenging a decision by the Republic's Justice Minister to refuse his weekend releases and also his early release.

Shaun Kelly's regime of weekend releases was cancelled in February following reports in newspapers of the shock of relatives of the eight victims at the revelation.

Kelly's legal counsel Micheal P O'Higgins told Ms Justice Mary Faherty that, with a full third remission, Kelly should have been already released in mid-August.

Mr O'Higgins said Kelly, of Hill Road, Ballymagan, Buncrana - now aged 29 - had been jailed in December 2014 for four years with two years suspended.

This, he said, had been doubled a year later by the Court of Appeal to eight years, with four years suspended. Solicitor Niamh Kelly told the court in an affidavit that Kelly's release date, based on a remission rate of one-quarter, was due on December 16 next. Based on a one-third enhanced remission he should have been freed last Friday.

Mr O'Higgins said the Minister for Justice had refused to release Kelly from Loughan House Open Centre, Blacklion, Co Cavan. He was now seeking to quash the minister's decision by way of judicial review.

Kelly is also seeking to quash the minister's order in February revoking his temporary release and seeks an order directing the reconsideration by the minister of his application for enhanced remission.

Mr O'Higgins told the court there was nothing in prison legislation entitling the minister to refuse temporary release on the basis of newspaper coverage and none of the articles indicated any danger to the safety and protection of Kelly by being granted temporary release.

He said Kelly's mother took up her son's case following cancellation of his temporary release and had been told by the Irish Prison Service that his release had led to unprecedented media attention, all of which was negative.

Mr O'Higgins said that in order to qualify for enhanced remission Kelly had engaged in structured activity involving computers, woodwork, art, laundry, horticulture and industrial cleaning. He made seven memorial plaques to be placed on the graves of his friends who lost their lives in the accident.

In his application to the minister for enhanced remission, Kelly stated: "I am truly sorry for my actions and the devastating losses which flowed from them culminating in the ongoing grief of the families of my close friends and my own cousin who lost their lives on that fateful night."

He said he had tried to use his time in prison positively and he believed he had put himself in a position to successfully reintegrate into society, although he would always carry the burden of his actions along with the pain of all concerned.

On July 11, 2010, Kelly was driving a Volkswagen Passat that collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction driven by Hugh Friel, a 66-year-old man on his way home from bingo. He was killed as well as the seven young men who were travelling in the car with Kelly. They were Eamonn McDaid (22); Mark McLaughlin (21); Paul Doherty (19); Ciaran Sweeney (19); PJ McLaughlin (21); James McEleney (23), and Damien McLaughlin (21).

Judge Faherty granted Kelly's legal team leave to judicially challenge the minister's refusal for early enhanced release; leave to quash his decision revoking temporary release, and leave to seek an order directing the minister to reconsider both matters.
In secret, behind locked gates, our Nation's Oldest City dumped a landfill in a lake (Old City Reservoir), while emitting sewage in our rivers and salt marsh. Organized citizens exposed and defeated pollution, racism and cronyism. We elected a new Mayor. We're transforming our City -- advanced citizenship. Ask questions. Make disclosures. Demand answers. Be involved. Expect democracy. Report and expose corruption. Smile! Help enact a St. Augustine National Park and Seashore. We shall overcome!
A man found with a large blade outside Buckingham Palace is being questioned by counter-terror police.

Two officers were injured after tackling the 26-year-old near the Queens official London residence on Friday night.

The suspect was arrested at the scene on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police and has since been further arrested under the Terrorism Act.

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The two policemen received minor injuries to their arms as they arrested the man, after spotting a weapon in his car.

They have since been discharged from hospital, the force said.

The suspect, who stopped his car in a restricted area near a police vehicle on the Mall roundabout shortly after 8.30pm, was also taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

He is now being questioned by detectives from the Metropolitan Polices Counter Terrorism Command at a police station in the capital.

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Police had previously described the weapon as a knife but have now said it is a large bladed weapon.

One woman said her partner had seen the blade and initially thought it was a sword.

The passer-by, who asked not to be named, said: My partner saw a sword, which I didnt see, as well as a policeman with blood on him, looking like his hand or chest was injured.

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The police officer had it in his hand, walking away with it.

It is understood that no members of the Royal Family were in Buckingham Palace at the time.

Detective Superintendent Guy Collings paid tribute to the quick and brave actions of the officers.

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Witness Kiana Williamson told the Press Association: We turned up and there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilians car that had veered towards the police car.

They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back.

I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm although it didnt look severe. He was being tended to by another officer.

The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road. I didnt see the car driving but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eyewitness had said that he had driven towards the police car. The whole encounter lasted around one minute.

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No other people were injured.

Nicole Kyle was walking home when she saw armed police swoop on the scene and quickly put up a cordon.

The 25-year-old consultant said: I was walking toward The Mall and St Jamess Park when I saw police rush down toward the palace in great numbers.

As we got further down The Mall we saw armed police outside a police van, at which point we were able to walk closer to the palace still, where we were eventually stopped by a cordon.

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Scotland Yard has appealed to anyone who saw the incident or who has video footage or pictures to contact them.
The UKs only female giant panda Tian Tian will not be giving birth on Friday, zookeepers have confirmed.

Tian Tians keepers believe she is pregnant but said her breeding cycle is expected to continue into next month.

Correspondence between Edinburgh Zoo and the Scottish Government had suggested the due date could be Friday.

A spokesman for Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo said: We can confirm our female giant panda, Tian Tian, will not be giving birth today.

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Breeding pandas is exceptionally complex and we anticipate that her breeding cycle will continue into September. Were closely monitoring Tian Tian and we will share any news as soon as possible.

Animal welfare campaign group OneKind accused the zoo of putting money ahead of the interest of the pandas.

The charity said: This poor panda cub will never be introduced to the wild and will only ever know a life in captivity.

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To make matters worse, to produce a cub Tian Tian has been subjected to repeated invasive procedures since coming to Edinburgh.

This has not been in the interest of pandas or conservation, and appears instead to be driven by the pursuit of PR and gate fees.

The zoo spokesman said RZSS has supported more than 30 conservation projects to help safeguard the wild population of giant pandas in western China and helped contribute to the reclassification of the giant panda from endangered to vulnerable in the wild.

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The latest panda pregnancy hopes follow repeated attempts over several years to see if the female could produce a cub.

Panda reproduction is a notoriously tricky process, with females only ovulating once a year.

Artificial insemination was attempted for a fifth time after the zoos male panda Yang Guang was unreceptive to natural mating.

Tian Tian (Sweetie) and Yang Guang (Sunshine) are the only giant pandas living in the UK.

The black and white bears arrived on loan from China in December 2011 and are due to remain at Edinburgh Zoo for a decade.

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It was in 2008 that the zoo first announced it was in negotiations to bring a pair of giant pandas to Scotland.

The two were brought to the UK under a historic agreement between the UK and Chinese governments.

The pair, described as a gift from China, were the first giant pandas to reside in the UK for 17 years.

Their arrival marked the culmination of a five-year effort to bring them to Scotland, officials said.
Somalis observe bodies which were brought to and displayed in the capital Mogadishu, Somalia (AP)

Somalia's army chief says civilians, not extremists, were killed in a military operation on Friday that both the US and Somalia said they would investigate.

Ahmed Jimale Gedi told reporters the deaths in Barire village in Lower Shabelle region were the result of suspicion between the two sides. He said he was shocked by the civilian deaths.

The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle said 10 civilians were killed, including three children.

Somalia's government at first said al-Shabab extremists were killed, but later noted civilian casualties.

The US Africa Command has confirmed it supported an operation by the Somali army in the area.

President Donald Trump earlier this year approved expanded operations against the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia, often in support of Somali forces.

AP
South Sudan's civil war has seen tens of thousands of people killed in its four years

The US Embassy in South Sudan confirmed an American man has been killed in the conflict-torn nation.

The man was killed on Saturday morning when opposition rebels attacked the town of Kaya on the Ugandan border, South Sudan army spokesman Colonel Domic Chol Santo told The Associated Press.

He said the man was "caught in the fighting" that also left 15 rebels dead.

The opposition says it is looking into the reports.

The man's body is at the military hospital in South Sudan's capital, Juba, until next of kin are notified.

South Sudan's civil war is well into its fourth year, with tens of thousands of people killed.

AP
Prime ministers from Western Balkan countries have agreed on a road map to deepen their regional economic co-operation as part of the process for joining the European Union.

The agreement was reached at a meeting on Saturday in the Albanian port city of Durres, where Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted his counterparts from Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The meeting was held under tight security at a government beach resort. Police and National Guard troops maintained a heavy presence while a military warship patrolled off the coast.

Mr Rama said the prime ministers agreed on a 115-point plan that would create a "fundamental transformation of the movement of goods, service, capital, qualified employees, to make the region more attractive to investment, flexible in commercial exchange and speed up its economic growth and wellbeing along the road to the EU".

EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn and World Bank vice president Cyril Muller also attended the meeting.

Participants discussed how to implement the 115 items, Mr Hahn said. He noted that even though the commercial exchange of goods between EU member countries and the six Western Balkan nations has doubled in the last decade, bilateral ties in the region have not changed.

"The creation of an economic area is something supporting (their) European aspiration, but that also helps the countries for a better perspective," Mr Hahn said.

"Finally everything is done in the interest of the citizens, improving the living conditions of the citizens."

AP
Derry no14-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture Shipqay Street- Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no18-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no12-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture having funFoyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no13-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture having fun Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no-14-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no11-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture having fun Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no16-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Derry no21-26/8/2017-Trevor McBride picture Shipquay Gate- Foyle Pride Festival parade through Derry(SAT)ending a week of events to celebrate LGBT community etc in the city. parade from Waterside Railway station across the Derry to the Guildhall Square-

Over 1,000 people brought the streets of Londonderry to life with music and dancing to celebrate Foyle Pride in spectacular style on Saturday.

At 2pm a vibrant and colourful sea of people, many holding heart shaped placards and with their faces painted in rainbow colours, left the Waterside railway station, following the route of the 1968 Civil Rights March from Duke Street, along the Craigavon Bridge and towards the city's Guildhall.

As the parade set off, a small group of religious protesters from Bethel Baptist Church standing behind a 'Jesus Saves from Sin' banner tried to preach the word of God through a loud speaker over the din of whistles, cheers and chants of 'Whose rainbow? Our rainbow!'.

The protesters were led by controversial Baptist Pastor Mark Bradfield, who earlier in the week said the protest was an 'act of love' and they were there to 'help save souls'.

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Marchers took little notice of the loud preaching, many of them waving and smiling at protesters, and some exchanging passionate kisses with their partners as they walked past.

A mammoth rainbow coloured flag was carried in the parade and made for a stunning sight as the crowd weaved through the city centre and down Shipquay Street towards a stage outside the city's Guildhall, led by a scooter cavalcade.

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Unlike the Belfast Pride march, the PSNI did not take part in the parade, but had a stand in the Guildhall where uniformed officers posed for photographs, handed out recruitment material and advised parade goers about hate crime.

Eimear Willis, chairperson of Foyle Pride 2017 said that the day 'couldn't have gone better'.

That was the biggest parade that we've had, she said. Not only the biggest and most active and lively, there were so many groups, so many groups and so many youths involved coming with their pals, there were older people there, families and children. Our flag is the biggest flag in Ireland and it takes 150 people to carry it.

It's important for us to march because even in the last couple of weeks we have seen a tirade of hate coming in against the LGBT community. Luckily a lot of us are strong enough to take it all in our stride, but there are people here who aren't as strong.

We need to be out and showing people that there is a support network there, there are listening ears, we are there to hold their hand. Eimear Willis

"If you need a guidance or help and support there are thousands of people there. That is why we are euphoric that we had thousands of people here today because if there is one person who is doubting themselves, or that someone loves them, there are several thousand people there who do, and they would get smothered if everyone wrapped their arms around them. That's the message that we want to get out there.

Sinn Fein Foyle MP Elisha McCallion, who took part in the march, said that it was important to her to 'stand shoulder to shoulder' with LGBT community in their struggle for equality.

We are here to show solidarity to our LGBT community, she said. I think today's event has been absolutely outstanding. I'm delighted with the turnout, fair play to everyone who came out to support us. There is clearly an energy for marriage equality here in the city and it was evident in today's march.

This is about equality. No one should fear equality. There is no one who any better or any worse than anyone else. It is vitally important as an MP and as a constituency as a whole that we stand shoulder to shoulder with any community who are discriminated against.

The Foyle Pride Parade is the main feature of a week-long programme of events celebrating the gay community and the very positive impact they have on the city.

The Pride parade ended with music and dance in the Guildhall Square.
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For Immediate Release, August 25, 2017

Contact: Kieran Suckling, (520) 275-5960

Center for Biological Diversity Statement on Trump's Pardoning of Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio

TUCSON, Ariz. Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity, released this statement tonight on President Trumps executive pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio:

Pardoning Joe Arpaio who refused to obey a court order to cease racial profiling is a disgusting attack on Americas judicial system and civil rights. Doing so on the heels of defending white supremacists in Charlottesville and encouraging police brutality in New York is ethically craven, said Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center for Biological Diversity. Trump is encouraging hatred, racism, violence and division. Hes signaling utter contempt for the constitution, our legal system and everyone threatened by racial discrimination. This is grounds for impeachment.

The Center believes that social, economic and environmental issues are interconnected and that it is necessary to promote and embrace diversity and justice to create the social change needed to protect the environment and all who depend on it. Read the Centers full statement on diversity, equity and inclusion.
Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
Andrew Harrer-Pool/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) -- Six public relations firms with ties to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort or former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn have received subpoenas from special counsel Robert Mueller, ABC News has learned from sources with knowledge of the situation.



The subpoenas relate to the probe Mueller is leading that is investigating Russian interference into the 2016 presidential election and potential Russian collusion with Trump campaign associates.



Manafort has faced scrutiny over past lobbying work done on behalf of the government of Ukraine, ultimately requiring him to register as a foreign agent in July. That month, the FBI executed a search warrant on Manafort's Virginia home.



Flynn was forced to resign as National Security Advisor in February after misleading Trump administration officials about the nature of his pre-inauguration discussions with then-Russian ambassador to the United States Sergey Kislyak. This past spring, federal prosecutors began using a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia to issue subpoenas to collect evidence on Flynn and any potential ties to Russian officials.



Mueller's prosecutors are now using a Washington, D.C. grand jury for matters related to their investigation.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Someone in Ireland is 500,000 richer today as the National Lottery confirmed there was a winner in last night's EuroMillions Plus draw.

Players from Co Meath are being urged to check their tickets as the lucky Quick Pick ticket was sold in JRs First Stop store in Ashbourne Town Centre, Co Meath.
Texas officials are evacuating thousands of inmates from three prisons in Brazoria County south of Houston as nearby Brazos River rises from Hurricane Harvey's heavy rain.

The Department of Criminal Justice says about 4,500 inmates from the Ramsey, Terrell, and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon are being taken by bus to other prisons in east Texas.
Update 5.21pmSix men and two women were killed when their minibus and two lorries crashed on a motorway, leaving three other passengers fighting for their lives.

Among the three people taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries were a five-year-old girl, a man and a woman, Thames Valley Police said.

A fourth person was admitted to hospital with less severe injuries after the collision on the southbound carriageway of the M1 near Newport Pagnell, between junctions 15 and 14.

Some of those on board the minibus were visiting the UK from India.

Update 12.39pm Eight people have died after a motorway crash involving two lorries and a minibus.

Earlier: Several people have died after a motorway crash involving two lorries and a minibus.

Thames Valley Police were called shortly before 3.15am on Saturday to the southbound carriageway of the M1 near Newport Pagnell, between junctions 15 and 14.

The crash involved two lorries and a minibus, which were travelling in the same direction.

It is thought the minibus had travelled from the Nottingham area.

M1 crash: Several people have died and four people injured after a crash involving two lorries & minibus https://t.co/GIf6XihV8a #m1 pic.twitter.com/PFeXfdQ0S9  Daily Express (@Daily_Express) August 26, 2017

Several people were killed and four people were taken to hospital, Thames Valley Police said.

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and are in custody.

Very sad news ! Thoughts with the families & friends ! Stay off the M1 South folks ! #M1 https://t.co/CMtGdGEXnw  Mo Jaffer (@MoJaffer1) August 26, 2017

The motorway is closed southbound between junctions 14 and 15, and motorists are being advised to avoid the area.

Chief Inspector Henry Parsons from the joint operations unit for roads policing, said: "Emergency services are currently on the scene responding to this collision and road closures are in place.

"I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken to officers to please contact us.

"Anyone who has any information which could assist the investigation should call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police inquiry centre on 101 quoting URN 214 of 26/8."

AP
Hurricane Harvey hit his coastal community "right on the nose" and left "widespread devastation", a Texas mayor said.

Rockport mayor Charles C.J. Wax told The Weather Channel on Saturday that some homes and businesses were heavily damaged or even completely destroyed. Schools were also damaged.

He said the emergency response system for the city of about 10,000 people has been hampered by the loss of mobile phone service and other forms of communication.

Harvey made landfall Friday evening as a category four hurricane but has since been downgraded to a category one.

WATCH: Corpus Christi firefighters respond to a major house fire during #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/lZTLqZg8Gt  NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2017

The National Hurricane Centre said the threat in the coming days is sustained rains that could unleash "catastrophic" flooding.

Widespread flooding and wind damage in Rockport Texas this morning. #HurricaneHarvey #txwx pic.twitter.com/I29DIR430B  Ian Shelton (@IanShelton1997) August 26, 2017

The city of Victoria, about 60 miles north of Rockport, had received more than 16 inches of rain by Saturday morning.

Found this sign in our parking lot... it's from North Beach. That's 3 miles away. #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/jMltA8wDgM  Haley Williams (@HaleyRhiannon) August 26, 2017

Harvey came ashore east-northeast of Corpus Christi on Texas' Gulf Coast, with winds in excess of 130 mph.

It was the most powerful hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade.

But wind speeds quickly weakened and by early Saturday Harvey was downgraded. It continues to produce gusts of up to 120 mph and sustained winds of 90 mph.

President Donald Trump commended the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his handling of the hurricane.

In a tweet Saturday morning addressed to FEMA head Brock Long, Trump said: "You are doing a great job - the world is watching! Be safe."

AP
The big cheese of Australian gambling is turning 50 next month, but how will James Packer celebrate such a monumental milestone?

The only son of the late media mogul Kerry Packer is not so fond of big birthday soirees and has a habit of skipping out on his family's, including ex-wife Erica Packer's three-day, VIP-filled 40th bash last week in Aspen, Colorado, and his sister Gretel's intimate 50th celebrations held at Chiswick in eastern Sydney's Woollahra last year.

He also dodged his niece Francesca Packer Barham's 21st when she hired out Luna Park and filled it with several hundred of her nearest and dearest in November 2015.

If marking his previous milestones are anything to go by, it will be another low-key affair. In 1997, a then nearly married Packer spent his 30th having a "quiet dinner ... with just a few of his good friends, given fiance Kate [Fischer's] absence overseas."
Actress Nicole Kidman will be reunited with her 1997 Academy Awards dress when she attends the NGV International's black-tie Dior gala on Saturday night.

Kidman was only confirmed as a guest at the 400-person sit-down dinner late on Saturday afternoon, ending weeks of speculation she would make an appearance.

The gala is being held to raise funds for the fashion department at the gallery, which is staging the House of Dior: Seventy Years of Haute Couture exhibition to celebrate seven decades of the pioneering fashion house.

Kidman wore the chartreuse gown, by then Dior creative director John Galliano, to the Oscars when she was still married to actor Tom Cruise. The dress has been named as one of the greatest Oscars gowns of all time and made Kidman into a style icon.
Brisbanes International Airport is going to be recreated, entirely from Lego bricks, by the airports new artist-in-residence, Ben Craig.

Mr Craig, also known as Ben the Brick Builder, takes colourful Lego bricks very seriously and did not let failing a high school art assignment or having his teacher tell him Lego was not art deter him.

He has since gone on to create many Lego creations, including using more than 20,000 Lego bricks to create a two-metre-high model of Londons St Pancras station and clock tower.

He will now take his Lego art to the Brisbane Airport and will create two large-scale works  a two-metre model showing a day in the life of Brisbane Airports International Terminal and a one-metre detailed aviation model.
A Queensland community legal centre will continue to examine the lawfulness of Adani's Carmichael mega mine after the Federal Court dismissed two bids to stop it from going ahead.

Appeals lodged by the Australian Conservation Foundation and traditional land owner Adrian Burragubba were on Friday dismissed by the Federal Court of Australia.

Wangan and Jagalingou traditional owner Adrian Burragubba's appeal was dismissed on Friday. Credit:Jorge Branco

However, Environmental Defenders Office Queensland chief executive Jo Bragg said it could appeal over the ruling in the High Court of Australia.

Ms Bragg could not confirm if that was the final legal option open to opponents of the Indian mining giant's $22 million project but said: "We're still very much examining all aspects of the project and its lawfulness."
The English officer and soldier who decided the site of Brisbane would be opposite what we today call South Bank Parklands had previously fought against French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte at the epic Battle of Waterloo in 1815.

It was at this battle that Napoleon was finally defeated in Belgium by an alliance of British, Dutch and German forces under the control of the Duke of Wellington.

French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, whose army fought against Lieutenant Henry Miller, the man who decided the site of Brisbane.

Napoleon, one of history's great generals, had been smuggled back from exile from the Mediterranean island of Elba in 1815 to push back the British and Prussian troops.

Napoleon and his troops had crossed from France into Belgium, where they came across resting British, Dutch and German troops.
Disgraced former speaker Telmo Languiller will leave politics at the next state election, setting up a fierce internal Labor fight to replace him.

Mr Languiller announced he would step down as a Victorian MP on Saturday afternoon.

Tarneit MP and former Victorian speaker Telmo Languiller is expected to quit politics. Credit:Jason South

His decision comes after he was forced to resign as speaker in February following an expenses scandal revealed by Fairfax Media.

Mr Languiller charged taxpayers almost $40,000 to live in Queenscliff, at least 80 kilometres from his Tarneit electorate in Melbourne's west.
A 20-year-old man has been bitten on the thigh by a police dog as he was being detained for an alleged robbery in Perth's northern suburbs.

Police said residents of a house in Findon Crescent in Westminster woke at a round 1:00am on Saturday morning to find someone had broken into their home.

The man arrested after a police dog detained him. Credit:WA Police

One of the residents went outside and found a person outside the house, who then fled the scene on foot, with the resident giving chase.

Police were called, and officers in patrol cars and the Police Air Wing swooped in to where the resident had chased the alleged offender.
Bangkok: Thailand's military and Bangkok establishment appear to have finally crushed the Shinawata family which a decade ago spawned the country's most powerful political movement, known as "Red Shirts."

Former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra's failure to turn up in court to hear the verdict at her trial on negligence charges on Friday disappointed and shocked many of her millions of supporters.

Yingluck Shinawatra thanks supporters as she arrives at the Supreme Court for her final statements on August 1. She didn't attend the hearing on Friday. Credit:AP

"Didn't you say you are a democratic warrior who was ready to die on the battlefield? Did you trick me?," asked a prominent "Red-Shirt" media anchor.

But who could blame Thailand's first female prime minister?
Corpus Christi: Texans from the Louisiana border to the Hill Country in the middle of the state awoke to dire warnings of a major natural disaster on Saturday as Hurricane Harvey charged inland, with weather officials downgrading it to a tropical storm but cautioning that the danger was far from over.

Images of downed trees, collapsed buildings and darkened streets began trickling in early in the day, after the storm roared ashore at 10pm Central time on Friday with 180kmh winds - the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Wilma in 2005. But residents of a broad swath of Southeast Texas braced for further damage as weather officials warned of tornadoes, torrential downpours and potentially days of flooding, including in Houston, the nation's fourth largest city.

As of 7am Central time, the centre of the storm was sitting just 35km to the west of the coastal town of Victoria. The slow moving storm was still packing winds of 150kmh, but had weakened into a tropical storm later in the day.

The National Hurricane Centre is warning that though the storm is losing wind speed, its most lethal effects are still yet to come, as its cyclonic action draws moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and dumps it over the next several days, triggering "catastrophic" flooding over a quarter of the massive state.
Seoul: North Korea used a multiple-rocket launcher off its east coast on Saturday to fire three short-range missiles that could strike US military bases deep in South Korea, officials in Seoul said.

The launches were the North's first rocket tests since two intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, were fired last month. By resuming the tests, North Korea defied repeated urgings from the United States and South Korea to stop weapons trials and other provocations to pave the way for dialogue.

The US Pacific Command said that one of the three ballistic missiles had blown up immediately after blast-off, but that two others had travelled about 250km before splashing down.

That would be far enough to reach major South Korean and American military bases, including those near the city of Pyeongtaek, about 100km south of Seoul. The range would also be sufficient to reach Seongju, a South Korean town where the United States has begun installing an advanced missile-defense system known as THAAD.
Seoul: North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast early on Saturday, South Korea and the US military said, as the two allies conducted annual joint military drills that the North denounces as preparation for war.

The US military's Pacific Command said it had detected three short-range ballistic missiles, all of which failed with one of them blowing up almost immediately after launch.

The three missile launches appear to have either failed in flight or exploded almost immediately, the US military said on Friday, adding they had posed no threat to North America or Guam.

"The first and third missiles at 11.49 am and 12.19 pm failed in flight. The second missile launch at 12.07 pm appears to have blown up almost immediately," Pacific Command said, using times at its Hawaii-based headquarters.
Washington: Sebastian Gorka, an outspoken adviser to President Donald Trump, is no longer working at the White House, a senior administration official said on Friday.

The official said the president's chief of staff, John F. Kelly, had telegraphed his lack of interest in keeping Gorka over the past week in internal discussions.

Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president, had been on vacation for at least the last two weeks, with no clear assigned duties to hand to others, the official said.

Gorka, who had advised the president on national security, demonstrated a penchant for controversy during his run in the White House. He memorably declared that "the alpha males are back" as an assertion of the distance between the Obama administration and the current one.
Bucks County schools help Give a Christmas reach local families in need

In its 64-year history, the Give-a-Christmas drive has raised $5.26 million to help thousands of families at the holiday season.
Democrats largely prevail in SJ, but reversals loom in two townships

Democratic incumbents held on to many seats, but GOP challengers made inroads in two large townships
Infosys non-executive chairman Nandan Nilekani said that one of his key priorities at the IT company would be to look for the right CEO, but it cannot be deadline bound.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar may have decided to open 1,000 stores over the next year to sell beauty products, but his flagship stores could have a hard time catching up with Baba Ramdevs booming business. Sri Sri Ravi Shankars stores, Sri Sri Tattva, will sell toothpastes, detergents and soaps. They will aim to take on Baba Ramdevs Patanjali stores and look to claim a share in the growing pie of Indias herbal beauty and wellness products market.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Purnia and would make an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Bihar, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was present at the airport to receive the former.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting Bihar to take stock of the situation, after the death toll mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.

The Prime Minister would make an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Araria, Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj.

In addition to it, he will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other officials in Purnia.

Earlier in the morning Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached to Purnia to receive Prime Minister Modi.

He will undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected area with Nitish and will discuss flood relief schemes.

Later in the day, he will reach Patna and will visit Gahlor, Prakhand- Mohra, Jila districts.

According to officials, the state government will submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister for central assistance.

Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state.

The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal.

Turbulent water of Burhi Gandak is posing a threat to the embankment in Samastipur. The rising water level of Bagmati is spreading in fresh areas of Darbhanga.

Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.

(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.)
COLUMBUS  Patti Stuthman ran a store in the early 2000s, selling shabby chic items for three years before transitioning to a career in health care.

She recently decided to give the artistic entrepreneur dream another shot.

Ive always been very artistic, she said. Very intrigued with anything related to arts."

Stuthman and her husband Todd hosted a pop-up boutique in their home in April featuring their original works alongside four other vendors. It worked out well enough for them to rent what used to be The Tool Shed at 3121 13th St. and turn it into Urban Farm Boutique.

While the Columbus area has its fair share of stores selling antiques and repurposed furniture, Stuthman hopes her business will stand out because of its aesthetic, which she described as a combination of cozy cottage and rustic farmhouse style with a touch of modern flair.

The office desk Stuthman and her husband made is an example of what theyre aiming for. Its made from an old door that was painted pink in a previous life and is now chipped, covered with a glass pane and held up by wooden legs Todd fastened on.

She also has eight other vendors to help fill the 2,000 square feet of retail space.

The Stuthmans, Anna Luckey and Tina Crawford of Norfolk will supply refurbished items. Kelsey Greisen of Platte Center sells womens clothing and Kim Sueper of Lindsay sells childrens clothes. Amy Blaser and Becky Brandenburg, both of Columbus, offer leather earrings and, from Genoa, Tammy Johnson will sell vintage items and Jeremy and Abigail Vetick offer essential oils, a line of paints, coffee mugs and Christian-themed stationary. Mickey Leptak of Columbus has an Etsy corner where customers can buy the components of an Etsy project to take home and assemble.

Along the far wall, in an area she calls The Makery," Stuthman has a chalkboard where she, the vendors and guest artists will hold art classes. Kansas City master calligrapher Gail Nation is already scheduled to teach on Nov. 3-4.

Stuthman said there will be summer art camps for kids next year.

I believe in community over competition, she said. Well bring together different vendors to make a cohesive store.

Stuthman hopes her hometown ties  she was born and raised in Columbus and she and Todd were high school sweethearts  will translate to support for her business. But she views the relationship as a two-way street.

On Thursday, the day before the stores official opening, Urban Farm Boutique will hold a private VIP early shopping event. The $5 admission charge will be donated to Center for Survivors, which is located next door.

Ive always had a heart for Center for Survivors, said Stuthman, whose daughter was member of the organization's youth education group, Revolution.

The event is already sold out at 150 tickets, which will generate $750 for Center for Survivors and its services supporting domestic abuse victims.

Its a win-win because I know there will be 150 people coming through my doors and $750 for Center for Survivors, said Stuthman. I see us doing more and more things like that.

Urban Farm Boutique opens Sept. 1. Business hours will be 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. The business will stay open until 8 p.m. on the first Friday of each month.

To contact Urban Farm Boutique, call 402-276-2217.
If followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh are found involved in causing loss to public and private properties, the damages will be recovered from Dera Sacha Sauda, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled today while noting that the situation had "worsened".

The full bench of the court, which will hear the matter again tomorrow, asked the dera to submit the list of assets and properties which can be attached "in case it is found that they and their followers are reponsible for damaging properties."



The bench comprising Acting Chief Justice SS Saron, justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan took a serious view of the situation that has emerged.

"Whosoever has been instigating and inciting the crowd that has gathered to commit the acts of arson and violence they would be sternly dealt with," it said.

"The damages that are caused to public and private properties shall be recovered from them," the bench observed.

It said it has been reported by some of members of the Bar that they have been informed that police have been running from places where incidents of violence had occurred.

The police ran away on the arrival of paramilitary forces, the bench said it was informed.

"Police officials, if any, who are responsible for this should be taken to task," the court ordered while hearing a PIL.

It directed Advocate General of Haryana Baldev Raj Mahajan to verify this position and submit a report in this regard and in case anybody had run away the name of that officer or official shall be submitted in the court.

It also directed Haryana AG and his Punjab couterpart Atul Nanda to obtain the status report regarding law and order situation from each district and submit it before the court tomorrow.

The bench directed the governments of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh to ensure that peace and law and order are maintained at all costs.

"There shall be no lapse on the part of police officials in performing their duties. Any officers found wanting in performing their duties would be sternly dealt," it ordered.

Earlier, ahead of the Panchkula special CBI court's verdict in the rape case against Ram Rahim, the court had ordered that security forces should not hesitate from using "mighty force" to maintain law and order in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

"Security forces should not shy from using weapons. No mischief monger has the right to disrupt peace, police force must be communicated," said the full bench.

Speaking for the bench, justice Kant made it clear, "we do not want police to be beaten up by them (dera followers) as has been observed in the past in other cases."



At the same time, the court ordered if any politician, minister or social organization indulges in provocative statements, the concerned authorities should immediately register FIR against them and criminal action must be started.

Justice Saron observed that given the circumstances, there could be attempts of self-immolation and such acts cannot be done without any instigation.

Hence the court made it clear, "Instigation is an offence and we would warn each and everyone that if anyone would indulge in such activities, there would be serious consequences."



Additional Solicitor General of India Satya Pal Jain informed the court that 40 more para-military companies have been provided to Haryana by withdrawing some of the companies from Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat.

Advocate General of Haryana then said out of these, 35 companies have reached Haryana.

Appearing for the Chandigarh administration, senior standing counsel RS Rai apprised the court that all 38 entry and exit points of Chandigarh have been sanitized.

The court also told the police that videography should be made at all points and in case of any untoward incident, video recordings should be placed before the court.

(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 government of the United Kingdom has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India in the wake of yesterday's violence in several states of the country following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in connection with a 15-year-old rape case.

"A number of deaths have been reported in violent clashes following the conviction of the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda spiritual organisation; high alerts and a ban on unauthorised gatherings are in place throughout Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh until 30 August 2017," the advisory said.

The advisory also said the British Deputy High Commission and British Council offices in Chandigarh are closed until Monday August 28.

"Due to the possibility of further serious violence; you should avoid large gatherings, follow the advice of the local authorities, monitor local media and keep in touch with your travel company; local road and rail travel may be significantly disrupted during this period," it said.



The Canada government has also issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a sexual exploitation case, saying that tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas

"Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas," the Canadian government said in an advisory.

The authorities in the state of Haryana and at the Centre are also taking appropriate measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place.

Around 53 companies of the paramilitary forces and 50,000 personnel of the Haryana Police have been deployed. In addition, the Army has also been deployed in Sirsa district of Haryana.

The Center has asked the Haryana government to take strict action if anyone tries to break the law.

Curfew has also been imposed in several parts of the country under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Indian decision-makers underestimate China's "daring" and determination to fight. It would not be surprising if they should have such an impression.An editorial in the state-run media outlet Global Times said.

The editorial published in the Chinese edition the daily newspaper says, "It is nearly 70 days since Indian troops trespassed the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary and intruded into Chinese territory. There has been no decisive turn around towards a peaceful resolution of the Sino-Indian confrontation so far."

The Indian Army's actions have demonstrated that it wants to continue to stay on Chinese territory, forcing China to accept its conditions. Chinese state media stated, "India has clearly made a serious error in judging China's strength and determination, that no matter how long its intruding army remains on China's territory, China will only seek diplomatic solutions, and will not resort to military action against India".

"From Indian officials to their intellectual elite, many people think that China's warnings are only "verbal intimidation". The Indian media quoted Indian security officials in early August as saying that China will not risk war, and that 'it is afraid of even a small scale conflict'. This view is quite prevalent in India."

The Global Times editorial stated, "The biggest reason for this misjudgement on the part of New Delhi is that China has not fought a war for nearly 30 years. In any country enjoying peace for a long time, there may be a certain degree of "peace" inertia, so the concerned Indian decision-makers underestimate China's "daring" and determination to fight. It would not be surprising if they should have such an impression."

"But can a (mere) impression be used to underpin such a major decision? China does not want to start a war with India, and even more wants long lasting peace, this is common people's common sense. China hopes to maintain friendly relations with India, at least normal State relations with normal goodwill. But under extreme conditions, every country will opt for war. This extreme state is when it no longer has a (second) choice," it stated.

Blaming India for pushing China towards an extreme state unreasonably and arrogantly, the newspaper stated, "The time when war, no good though it may be, is something that has to be borne (waged) reluctantly (as a duty). India is exactly pushing China towards such an extreme state unreasonably and arrogantly. The Indian army unmistakably intruded into Chinese territory without warning, and then offered to withdraw on its own terms that would undermine China's sovereignty and dignity".

"The PLA (People's Liberation Army) has not yet taken military action with a view to facilitating peaceful withdrawal of the Indian army. But when China determines that India is not going to withdraw peacefully, will it be left with any alternative to using military means to end this confrontation," the daily questions.

"The Indian government and the army must be aware of the risks they are taking. The adventure they are embarked upon is one that is a red light (brazen flouting) of international rules and also completely beyond India's capacity. They are making a fatal mistake, gravely underestimating the risk (inherent) in the situation, and overestimating their own capacity to control the overall situation by putting China under pressure, playing geopolitical games (with the help of) United States, Japan and others," the newspaper reads.

The content and tone of English and Chinese language media of China is different," pointed out Ambassador Saurabh Kumar, who Anchors a project, "India in the Chinese Media" at Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.

"Many Indian officials do not seem to know (realise) that the real danger the Doklam confrontation poses to India by far outweighs the strategic risks to China. They don't appreciate the restraint exercised by the Chinese side in order to leave India with a face saving way out and arrogantly think that China has to find a way out for itself," states the editorial written in the Chinese language edition of Global Times which was translated by Ambassador Kumar.

"In Chinese culture, there is strategic tradition of taking time to strike, it being considered necessary frequently for the stronger side to exercise restraint in the initial stages of friction. Restraint provides the moral cover for the counter-attack; it is also a necessary condition for (enabling) military and psychological preparations for sure victory in battle. Strong restraint shows respect for peace and is definitely not cowardly; the explosion after (exercising) restraint is all the more a thunderbolt," the daily cautions.

"We would like to tell the Modi government that your assessment of the situation is totally wrong, and your misjudgement extremely dangerous. You can go so far as to think that your determination to prevent China from constructing a road in a 'sensitive area' can overwhelm China's determination to drive out intruders from its territory. You do not seem to be aware (of the fact) that it is the strong demand of the entire Chinese society that (our) land (violated/occupied/stood) by intruders be recovered, one which must be carried out (implemented) by the authorities, and that no (combination of) Indian and international forces whatsoever will be able to prevent us (from doing so)," the Chinese daily stated.

"Once the People's Liberation Army counterattacks, it won't be (merely) a "reciprocal counterattack"; (it will be such that) India will not be able to bear its political and economic consequences. Some of the Indian military analyses of (the situation) being advantages to India will be proven to be jokes.

Whether the Sino-Indian border will be rekindled with gunfire after a lapse of a couple of decades and whether India repeats the disastrous policy of 1962, will depend on whether New Delhi awakens (or not)." the editorial in Chinese daily added.
The Central Bureau of India (CBI) on Saturday said it was probing the transaction of money which was received by four shell companies in its ongoing money laundering probe against Delhi Health Minister .

A CBI official said Jain and his wife had shares in the companies, and the money, whose transaction is being probed, was used to buy 200 bighas of land on the city outskirts.

According to the CBI, the land was bought in three Delhi villages namely Auchandi, Karala and Mohammad Mazvi during 2010-2016.

The money came into Akinchan Developers, Indo Metal Impex, Prayas Infosolutions and Mangalyatan Projects in which Satyendra Jain and his wife were shareholders  to buy 200 bighas of land on Delhi's outskirts.

The official said that incomes tax (IT) investigations in 2013 found that Rs 16.38 crore were received by these four shell companies.

"We are yet to get input from where the money came into four shell companies related to the minister and his wife Poonam Jain," the official said.

Sources in the CBI said the land was bought at around Rs 17 crore while shares were worth around Rs 16 crore. The market value of the land is said to be much higher.

The CBI officials said the investigation so far has found that these four Delhi-based shell companies were not doing any business.

The official added that the money transactions were being done with 30 Kolkata-based shell companies illegally by the four Delhi-based shell companies linked to Jain and his wife in which they had a one-third share.

Jain allegedly had control over these shell companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding 1/3rd shares of these firms in his name or in the names of his family members and others.

Though he had resigned from the directorship of three companies in 2013 before contesting the election, his investments in these companies allegedly continued.

Informed sources said that three Kolkata-based contact persons Rajendra Bansal, Jitendra Mishra and Abhishek Chokhani's names also figured in the money trail.

CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said the agency is examining some incriminating documents seized during its raids conducted on Friday at four locations in Delhi including Jain's official residence.

The CBI's move came after it registered a case under charges of Prevention of Corruption Act and abetment charge against Jain, his wife and four of his associates on Thursday.

It has been alleged that Jain, while functioning as a public servant, had amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the extent of Rs 1.62 crore during December 14, 2015, to May 31, 2017.

The CBI in April this year had registered a preliminary inquiry against Jain and others in an alleged money laundering case to the tune of Rs 4.63 crore in 2015-16 and found during its inquiry that Jain and his associates were involved in money laundering through shell companies.

During its investigation, the CBI found that these four Delhi-based companies sold their shares to Kolkata-based companies and then bought them back at a lesser price.

"Jain and his wife could not explain the money trail. Jain's daughter Soumya Jain is a shareholder in their family company J.J. Ideal Estate. This family company did Rs 15 lakh transaction with some of these Kolkata based companies. It also did transactions with Mangalyatan," the official added.
Hearing impairment is already linked to a heightened risk of decline in old age, and a new study suggests that impaired vision may carry the same risk.
Nepals deputy prime minister, Krishna Bahadur Mahara, of the Unified Communist Party of Nepal Maoist, tells Aditi Phadnis that Kathmandu is looking to leverage the economic gains of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
After prolonged discussion of revision of wages, which was pending since June, 2016, and its four major trade unions have finally settled the wage agreement, with the company conceding to a 20 per cent wage hike and other benefits.
Prime Minister undertakes aerial survey of flood affected areas in Bihar; announces immediate relief worth Rs.500 crore Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi undertook an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Bihar today; He took stock of the relief, rehabilitation and compensation measures in detail with the State Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Sushil Modi and senior state officials in Purnea. The Prime Minister assured all possible assistance to the state, He announced immediate assistance worth Rs.500 crore. The Prime Minister assured that a central team will visit the state soon to assess the extent of damage and relief. He directed that insurance companies must dispatch their observers quickly to the flood hit areas to assess the farmers claims related to crop insurance and provide them relief at the earliest.. He also directed the road and surface transport ministry to take effective steps for the repair of roads damaged by the flood. Center will also provide all possible assistance to the state for early restoration of the power infrastructure affected by the flood. Financial assistance worth Rs.2 lakh will be provided to the family of each of the deceased while assistance worth Rs. 50,000 will be provided to the persons who are seriously injured in the flood hit areas. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba have agreed to have a detailed project report prepared at the earliest on the Saptkosi high dam project and Sunkosi storage cum diversion scheme, Both the nations have also agreed to enhance the co-ordination in the areas of water logging and flood control. It will give a boost to flood control measures in the entire region. .

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AKT
German Chancellor warned the UK that it must pay what it owes the European Union as part of Brexit talks, saying its misleading to view the costs as a divorce bill.


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COLUMBUS  Mayor Jim Bulkleys choice for police chief wont have much of a transition.

Hell just have to switch offices.

Bulkley selected longtime Columbus Police Capt. Chuck Sherer to replace former Police Chief William Gumm, who retired in June after 23 years in the position.

I felt Capt. Sherer could roll into this position with the least amount of friction, his advancement would open up internal movement potential within the force, and he has some visions for change that I believe the rank and file will welcome, Bulkley wrote in an email to city council members announcing his selection.

Sherer started his law enforcement career as an officer with Schuyler Police Department in 1979 and was promoted to chief in September 1980 at age 20, making him the youngest police chief in the state at that time, according to his application.

He left the Schuyler department in 1997 for a police captain job in Columbus and has led the patrol division since September 2009.

Sherer was director of the SNARE Drug Task Force for four years and received the Ak-Sar-Ben Law Enforcement Award in 1996. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1978 to 2003, reaching the rank of master sergeant, and graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Bulkley said the police captains ability to provide stability for the local department factored into his decision, as did the opportunity to promote another officer to captain after Sherer becomes chief.

I think thats important, too, the mayor said.

His recommendation will head to the city council Sept. 5 for approval.

About 20 people applied for the police chief position, but only three showed up to take the civil service exam required to advance in the hiring process.

Those three men  Sherer, Columbus Police Sgt. Doug Molczyk and Bruce Ferrell of Elkhorn, a former Omaha police officer and current background investigator, security training manager and part-time Valley police officer  were all strong candidates for the job, Bulkley said.

When it all came down to it, I think we came up with three very qualified candidates, he said.

But it was Sherer who stood out above the others.

I think the transition will be very smooth, Bulkley said.

Sgt. Alan Wilkins will continue to serve as interim police chief until Sherers nomination is approved.
According to a US Defense Intelligence Agency report, Pyongyangs nuclear capabilities and conventional long range missile programmes are gathering momentum at a rapid clip. The report indicated that North Korea has successfully manufactured a miniaturised nuclear warhead that can fit onto its ballistic missiles, including intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The report added that the reclusive state has as many as 60 nuclear weapons, well surpassing previous estimates.
Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has said it's time to bid farewell to US aid in the wake of "exaggerated statements" about the financial help both at local and levels.

"The exaggerated comments being made in the national and discourse regarding the US aid to Pakistan are tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Pakistanis suffering terrorism, poverty and backwardness," Sharif said in a statement on Friday.

He said it was time Islamabad closed the chapter of the US aid by politely saying "thank you" (for the help).

"That's the only way the nation can avert such jibes," Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

The Chief Minister's statement comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump's accusation that Pakistan has been undermining Washington's "war against terror" despite receiving billions of dollars in aid.

"It is time for Pakistan to politely and gratefully close the chapter on the US assistance so that the bilateral relationship can be freed from the shadow of repeated contemptuous taunts.

"Pakistani people craved the opportunity to be treated fairly and honourably and remain committed to contributing to the world peace and prosperity," Sharif said.

He acknowledged the US help in improving Pakistan's health, education and other service delivery areas, but added that no country should see its generosity as a justification to make "unfair accusations and demands of the Pakistani people", the report said.

Meanwhile, there were demonstrations across the country on Friday against Trump's statement.

In Lahore, thousands protested outside the US consulate and staged a sit-in while demanding that Islamabad severe diplomatic ties with Washington and suspend Nato supplies.

They also demanded that Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif cancel his proposed US visit and that India-Afghan transit trade must be closed.
Neuralink, the startup co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has taken steps to sell as much as $100 million in stock to fund the development of technology that connects human brains with computers.


North Korea launched at least three short-range ballistic missiles that landed in the Sea of Japan, South Korean and the US military said on Saturday.

The missiles were launched from the eastern province of Kangwon at 6.49 am and travelled roughly 250 km before plunging into the sea, according to South Korea's joint chiefs of staff, Efe reported.

The US Pacific Command confirmed the launches, adding that "the first and third missiles failed in flight", while the second "appears to have blown up almost immediately".

The statement added that the launches "did not pose a threat to North America" or Guam.

The launch comes as the US and South Korean armies are conducting annual joint military drills known as "Ulchi Freedom Guardian" in South Korea, which began on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether the missiles were short or long range.

South Korea's presidential office has convened a meeting of its National Security Council to discuss the matter.

The launch is the first since a nocturnal test was carried out on July 28, in which an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired into the Sea of Japan, provoking a new round of UN sanctions and rebukes from the community.

North Korea responded by threatening to bomb the waters surrounding the US territory of Guam, which led to one of the most serious escalations in hostile rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang in recent years.

(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.)
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit China, Russia and Turkey for consultations on the United States (US) new South Asia strategy.



However, the schedule for the three-nation tour has not been decided yet.

The National Security Committee took the decision for the visit in a meeting on Thursday, which focuses on the United States new policy for South Asian countries, especially Afghanistan.

"Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif will be visiting regional countries for consultations," the Dawn quoted Foreign Office Spokesman Nafees Zakaria, as saying.

A source has said that Islamabad is trying to mount a diplomatic offensive to muster the support of friendly countries in the face of Trump's allegations that Pakistan was hosting terrorist 'safe havens' on its soil, the Express Tribune reported.

After consulting with three nations, Pakistan will be convening an conference to highlight its contribution towards the war against terrorism and to adopt a new policy which will call a halt to Washington's unending demand to 'do more' on the issue.

Pakistan will also be bringing its objections in front of the United Nations and other forums about the new US Afghan policy.

Meanwhile, Russian President's Envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov said that Pakistan was "a key regional player to negotiate with" and warned that undue pressure on it could "seriously destabilise the region's security situation".

However, Nafees Zakaria underscored that the differences between Pakistan and the US over the new policy did not mean a rupture in ties.

"First of all, we have long-standing relationship with the US. We have worked with the US for a long time. Our areas of cooperation are diverse and multi-dimensional. I would not endorse your views about parting ways. The "difference of opinion" and "misperceptions" could be addressed through dialogue," he added.

Earlier, showing similar sentiments Pakistan's civil and military leadership on Thursday said scapegoating them will not help stabilise the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

In a clear ultimatum to Islamabad, Trump said Pakistan had to change its "double game" policy or face the consequences.
Pretty much everyone prefers a nonstop flightbusiness people, especially. And they are more likely than most to be in a position to afford the premium. But right now, all the money in the world wont get you from Sydney to the Big Apple or UK without a pit stop, because commercial planes just dont have that kind of range.
US President Donald Trump has signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to ban an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgender individuals in the military, a move Democrats said was "cruel" and meant to "hurt and humiliate" American soldiers.

In a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place prior to June2016.

In the memorandum, Trump alleged that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defense Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, 2017.

"In my judgement, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those negative effects," Trump said.

The memorandum has requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, which should be put in place on march 23, 2018.

Last month Trump had announced his decision in this regard on Twitter.

Pentagon Press Secretary Dana White said the Department of Defense has received formal guidance from the White House in reference to transgender personnel serving in the military.

"More information will be forthcoming," she said.

Criticising the decision, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump's memorandum is ordering the Pentagon to hurt and humiliate thousands of Americans who serve in US military with strength and courage.

"Prejudice, not national defense, is behind President Trump's cruel decision to kick transgender troops out of the military," she said.

"A study commissioned by the Department of Defense itself found that the cost of providing medically necessary care for transgender troops would be miniscule. In fact, every year, the Pentagon spends five times more on Viagra than they would for transition-related care," Pelosi said.

"This is a political decision that's more about attacking transgender Americans than keeping us safe. If you doubt the ability of transgender troops to complete their mission, you should do your homework. Transgender troops have served in some of our most elite units and graduated from our premier military academies - preventing them from serving is wrong and it's un-American," said Democratic Congressman Patrick Maloney.

Maloney is the first openly gay member of Congress from New York and a Co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

After 22 years together, he married his husband Randy Florke in June 2014 in Cold Spring, New York where they live with their three children.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler said that military service is a privilege, not a right.

"I'm pleased to see the president putting military readiness first and making sure our defense dollars are spent keeping us safe. With the growing threats from Iran, North Korea, China and others, the US military cannot afford to divert precious defense dollars from our national security," she said.

"Every dollar must be spent investing in new military technology, getting the right equipment for our troops, and making sure we are protected from threats across the globe," Hartzler said.

Last year, former US President Barack Obama had decided to allow transgenders to serve in the US military.

Announcing the decision on June 30, 2016, the then Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had said that the Defense Department and the military need to avail ourselves of all talent possible in order to remain the finest fighting force the world has ever known.

(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.)
Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbour criminals and terrorists. In the past, Pakistan has been a valued partner. Our militaries have worked together against common enemies. The Pakistani people have suffered greatly from terrorism and extremism. We recognise those contributions and those sacrifices.
On a late evening in March, a group of winegrowers wearing black balaclavas forced their way into one of Frances largest wine brokerages and ignited three Molotov cocktails. Within minutes, the business, Passerieux Vergnes Diffusion, was in flames.
A head of research of a Mumbai-based brokerage, who was in the capital a few weeks back, says he met a new kind of investor  hes rich, has investible funds in crores of rupees, but has never bought stocks. Of the 15-16 potential clients he met on the trip, about a dozen had made money in real estate.
Afghan commanders are expecting more support for the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) from the Trump Administration under the new US strategy on Afghanistan.

The military officials also called on the United States to mobilize the Afghan security forces.

"Under its new strategy, the United States should provide heavy weapons to the ANDSF and it should support the Afghan Air Force," Tolo News quoted Major General Amanullah Mobin, Commander of 209 Shaheen Military Corps in Balkh, as saying.

Governor of Badakhshan province Faisal Begzad said Washington should support the Afghan security forces, including the Air Force based on its new strategy.

About 8,400 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan and 3,900 extra troops are expected to be sent to the country under the new policy.

The Afghan officials are hopeful that they would see changes in the war on terror in Afghanistan and in the region with the possible increase of foreign forces.

"Foreign troops have no combat role in the fight against terrorists in Helmand (province), but they are providing advice and air support to us. This support is needed until our security forces become self-reliant," Helmand governor Hayatullah Hayat said.

United States President Donald Trump, on Monday night, unveiled a new U.S. strategy for war in Afghanistan without offering details about changes to troop levels.

Addressing the crowd at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Trump started his speech by sending prayers to sailors who were injured and lost their lives after a collision at seas and said, "We send our thoughts and prayers to the families of our brave sailors who were injured and lost after a tragic collision at sea, as well as to those conducting the search-and-recovery efforts."

"I am here tonight to lay out our path forward in Afghanistan and South Asia. But before I provide the details of our new strategy, I want to say a few words to the service members here with us tonight, to those watching from their posts, and to all Americans listening at home," he added.

President Trump further said that since the founding of America's republic, the country has produced a special class of heroes whose selflessness, courage, and resolve is unmatched in human history.

"American patriots from every generation have given their last breath on the battlefield for our nation and for our freedom. Through their lives, and though their lives were cut short, in their deeds they achieved total immortality. By following the heroic example of those who fought to preserve our republic, we can find the inspiration our country needs to unify, to heal, and to remain one nation, under God. The men and women of our military operate as one team, with one shared mission and one shared sense of purpose. They transcend every line of race, ethnicity, creed, and color to serve together and sacrifice together in absolutely perfect cohesion," Trump said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bengaluru police on Saturday arrested two persons, including a woman, in connection with the rape and murder of a four-year-old girl.

The raped minor succumbed to her injuries today morning at 3 am.

In the course of treatment, it was revealed that the child was repeatedly raped.

The two accused have been arrested and identified as Mallikarjun house owner, who brutally raped the child, and Chabdana, who is said to be close friend of Mallikaju.

In the investigation, the police has found that accused Mallikarjun had illicit relationship with Chandana, while the victim child was residing in the house of Chandana for some time.

Police has registered a case against the two arrested under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) act and is undertaking the investigation further.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached Purnia and would make an aerial survey of the flood affected areas in Bihar, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was present at the airport to receive the former.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting Bihar to take stock of the situation, after the death toll mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.

The Prime Minister would make an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Araria, Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj.

In addition to it, he will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other officials in Purnia.

Earlier in the morning Chief Minister Nitish Kumar reached to Purnia to receive Prime Minister Modi.

He will undertake an aerial survey of the flood affected area with Nitish and will discuss flood relief schemes.

Later in the day, he will reach Patna and will visit Gahlor, Prakhand- Mohra, Jila districts.

According to officials, the state government will submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister for central assistance.

Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state.

The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal.

Turbulent water of Burhi Gandak is posing a threat to the embankment in Samastipur. The rising water level of Bagmati is spreading in fresh areas of Darbhanga.

Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Black Hawk helicopter crashed during drills off the coast of Yemen on Friday. U.S. forces in the region rescued five other troops who were on board the aircraft,which came down some 20 miles south of the Yemeni shore at around 7 p.m. local time on Friday.

Forces are still searching for a missing service member. Washington Post quoted U.S. Central Command statement.

"U.S forces in the region are conducting an ongoing search for one U.S. service member who was aboard the aircraft," the military said in a statement.

An American service member remains missing after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed off the coast of Yemen on Friday in what U.S. military officials are calling a training accident.

It is still unknown what caused the incident but the U.S. military said it will investigate the crash incident.

The Pentagon has conducted more than 80 airstrikes targeting al-Qaida loyalists in Yemen this year from its base near Yemen's port of Mukalla to facilitate an ongoing special operations.

The Yemen branch of al Qaeda is the most active terror network, operating in the country torn by bloody conflict between government forces and Houthi rebels, who took over the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The District Administration and the police have sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) here on Saturday, after violence erupted in the states of Haryana and Punjab, shortly after the verdict convicting Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape on Friday.

In an update to the prevailing unrest, one more person has succumbed to injuries in Sirsa, taking the death toll to three in the district.

In another update, Meerut is also on high alert to tackle violence after the self styled godman's conviction.

340 trains in the Punjab and Haryana region have also been affected for the same.

At least 29 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in violence in Haryana's Panchkula city after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court convicted Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in connection with his alleged involvement in a 2002 rape case.

The Haryana Police on Friday said that the situation in Panchkula district is under control following the ruckus that took place after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court of Panchkula.

The Deputy General of Police (DGP), BS Sandhu, while addressing the media said, "The situation in Panchkula district is under control. The Haryana Police has been successful to control the crowd after the court verdict was announced."

Even as the court announced that the quantum of sentence against the self-proclaimed god man will be pronounced on August 28, his supporters who had gathered outside the Panchkula court premises; went on a raging rampage, damaging vehicles (cars and buses), pulling down security barriers, attacking media persons, OB vans and public property.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After Dera Sacha Sauda's Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh verdict, yesterday, violence erupted by his followers in different states of India, resulting in the death of 29 people, while more than 200 are said to be injured. Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar Dwivedi on Saturday said that house raid was conducted in Rohtak, wherein some explosives were seized.

"The security arrangements at Rohtak are fine. House raid has happened at one place. It was a routine raid. The explosives found at that place have been seized. The police personnel are wary," he told ANI.

He also asserted that the security at the jail is also strict.

"The security at the jail is also strict. We have also put army at requisition. We have asked for 18 army columns which will come to us by the evening. As there are might be chances that the followers will try to meet Rahim. We might also see flag march by army here by the evening," he added.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner also appealed to the people to avoid coming to Rohtak as much as possible.

"We appeal to all people to avoid coming to Rohtak as much as possible. We are not allowing anyone who doesn't have specified and proper answers for their visit to Rohtak," he further said.

Following are other updates related to the case:

- Anand Kumar, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order said that the security at borders have been beefed up due to ongoing Army and Police joint operation in Panchkula.

-In Haryana's Sirsa, Army has gheraoed the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda Headquarters. Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with the Police have surrounded the premises of the headquarters.

-Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

-Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 32 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Police Public Relation Officer Madhur Verma on Saturday informed that section 144 will continue till further order in the capital post violent protests by the Dera Sacha Sauda followers post the organisation's chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction.

He added that these precautionary measures won't affect the normal life.

Madhur Verma said to the press, "We have maintained high alert. No incident reported so far. Section 144 to continue till further order."

However, Verma said that these orders are only meant for miscreants who are there to carry any mischief.

The Delhi PRO further apprised that the senior officers along with reserve force remain mobile in their area and flag marches were also carried out in Delhi.

Meanwhile following developments have taken place in the DSS chief rape case:

- 30 died in Panchkula, 6 in Sirsa, 269 injured.

- 552 people arrested, investigation is underway.

- There are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and are vacating gradually.

- No incident reported in last 24 hours.

- Court will be in Sonaria (jail), Rohtak and arrangements being made.

- 34 cases registered so far by Haryana police in the entire process.

- Notification has been issued to make arrangements for sitting of CBI Court in Sunaria District Jail, Panchkula for pronouncement of quantum of sentence against Ram Rahim Singh.

- However, Haryana DGP B S Sandhu has said that, "Ram Rahim Singh won't be produced in Panchkula".

- Deputy Advocate General Gurdas Singh Salwara was sacked after he was reportedly seen carried luggage of Ram Rahim Singh.

- People have vacated Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram in Bajenka village and the whole premises are being inspected by Police and Army in located in Sirsa district of Haryana.

- We found axes, batons, petrol bombs etc there. All objectionable objects have been seized and Dera has been completely vacated says Kaithal DC.

- Curfew will be relaxed, will assess situation, if everything remains peaceful will lift curfew in coming time says SSP Bhatinda, Punjab.

- Post-mortem of the bodies of deceased is underway; 90 people were admitted last night, no case of bullet injury has been found, says CMO, Civil Hospital, Panchkula.

- Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh chaired a high-level meeting to assess the law and order situation in the state after the violence which erupted post Ram Rahim Verdict.

- Punjab Police and Army conducted a flag march in the Moga district of Punjab.

- Police is in the process of establishing the identity of the 28 dead persons says Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh.

Yesterday, Chief Ministers of Haryana and Punjab - Manohar Lal Khattar and Captain Amarinder Singh issued separate appeals for maintenance of law and order and calm after followers of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeeet Ram Rahim went berserk with grief and anger over his conviction on an alleged rape charge.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and two policemen were injured on Saturday after terrorists attacked District Police Lines in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The injured personnel have been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Zealand opener Martin Guptill, who was in West Indies for the Caribbean Premier League, has flown back home because of an "important family health matter".

The 30-year-old was leading Guyana Amazon Warriors, who are currently standing at the fourth spot in the CPL with only two league games remaining.

Reflecting on the same, Omar Khan, the operations manager of Warriors, said that it was quite disappointing to lose Guptill at this stage of the tournament, but they are looking forward to handle situation without him.

"It's unfortunate and hugely disappointing to lose Martin at this stage of the tournament but we empathise with his situation and he has our full support as he returns home to his family," ESPNcricinfo quoted Omar as saying.

Guptill, who notched up 142 runs in seven innings he played so far in the six-team competition, will be replaced by his recently-retired team-mate Luke Ronchi.

Coming off a stint with Leicestershire in England's T20 competition, Ronchi smashed 429 runs in 14 innings he played for the county side , including three half-centuries, at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 180.25.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
For many people in Pennsylvania, contact with a magisterial district judge is likely the only interaction with the judiciary they will ever have.

But, who are the magisterial district judges and what exactly do they do?

Every day is different, Magisterial District Judge Richard Dougherty said. Theres a little bit of everything. We really are the minor judiciary. We are the lower of the courts in the commonwealth.

In broad terms, magisterial district judges hear and decide lower-level civil and landlord tenant cases, they deal with all traffic citations and nontraffic summary cases and the early proceedings in nearly all criminal cases.

Civil cases cannot exceed $12,000, according to Pennsylvania state court rules.

Magisterial district judges are elected to six year terms. They are not required to be bar certified lawyers, but are required to complete mandatory training at the beginning of their tenure and continuing education throughout their term.

There are 10 magisterial district judges in Cumberland County and each handles cases for a designated geographical area ranging from Magisterial District Judge Anthony Adams on the western side of the county in Shippensburg to Dougherty, whose district includes a portion of the West Shore.

We have a mix of cases through the week, Dougherty said. Traffic, nontraffic, civil, landlord tenant. No day is the same.

For one week every 10 weeks the judges in the county rotate as on-call judge and handle all criminal cases in the county that arise outside of normal business hours.

Magisterial district judges also have the authority to issue arrest and search warrants as well as criminal summons.

Nearly all criminal cases begin at the magisterial district judge level.

Police present the judge with an affidavit of probable cause, and if appropriate, an arrest warrant or criminal summons is issued.

For some people this is the only time they come to a court in their entire lives, Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin said. You want to make sure that they have faith in the system and that the system is going to be fair to them. Im sitting in the middle of the courtroom, and Ive got the rights of society versus the rights of the individual that I have to weigh.  I try to keep those scales in balance as best as I can.

If a warrant is issued, the defendant is brought before the judge for a preliminary arraignment where the defendant is informed what they are charged with, provided information about applying for a public defender and bail is set.

Aside from some of the most serious offenses like murder, magisterial district judges have wide discretion in setting the type or amount of bail.

This can range from releasing the defendant without any monetary conditions to outright denying bail.

Within 21 days, 14 if the defendant is held in prison, a preliminary hearing is to determine if there is enough evidence to move the case forward to the Court of Common Pleas.

The criminal cases, at our level, its a less-stringent burden of proof, Magisterial District Judge Charles Clement said. If you picture the blindfolded scales of justice, its preponderance of evidence for civil cases, but for this its prima facie.

On first blush of the evidence, do we have a crime and do we likely have the perpetrator of the crime, he said. I dont say guilty or not guilty. I say theres a prima facie case, send the case forward.

If there is not enough evidence to move forward, the judge can dismiss the case.

Cases involving a summary offense or certain DUI offenses can also be resolved at the preliminary hearing with the magisterial district judge imposing a penalty.

Roughly 13 percent of all criminal cases in Cumberland County are resolved at the lower court level, compared to less than 1 percent in neighboring Franklin and Perry counties, according to an analysis of court records conducted by The Sentinel.

While criminal cases can be some of the most severe in terms of the behavior that brought the person in front of the judge, they not necessarily the most difficult to decide.

Sometimes landlord-tenant cases are more difficult than criminal cases and some civil cases are more difficult than criminal cases, Magisterial District Judge Charles Clement said. Sometimes a civil case is a bit more intricate.  Landlord-tenant is sometimes more difficult because of the eviction, having to put somebody out.

Clement, Dougherty and Magisterial District Judge Mark Martin pointed to a rise in truancy cases coming across their desks as one of the more difficult aspects of the job.

With truancy cases, theres a lot of pressure because I want to get it right, Martin said. Truancy is symptom that something else is going on in that childs life or the familys life.  Try and peel back the onion and find out what is inhibiting that kid from going to school. Theres always a reason.

Martin said he tries to bring together school officials, family and the student when dealing with a truancy case to better understand what is underlying the missed attendance at school.
Terming the mayhem erupted after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 15-year-old rape case as "unfortunate," Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in-charge Anil Jain on Saturday spurned the reports claiming that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been summoned to Delhi.

"The news is being spread by the media; nobody has been summoned till now. The incident is unfortunate. We are sorry for the loss of life and property, this should not have happened," Jain told the reporters here after attending a meeting with the party chief Amit Shah.

Discussing the law and order situation in the state, Jain defended the Haryana government, saying that it is important to notice that the latter managed the crowd before the conviction of the Dera Chief and even after the unrest broke out, the situation was brought under control within two to three hours.

"But we have even made the Dera chief surrender as per the direction of the High Court, before the verdict and there was no chaos. The conflict erupted after Ram Rahim was held guilty, which shouldn't have happened. It is also important to understand we controlled the situation within two-three hours," he said.

He said that the situation is unfortunate, but the people who died were Dera supporters and no report of locals being killed has been surfaced till now.

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court slammed Haryana Government, for the ongoing unrest in the state, saying that "you let Panchkula burn for political benefits."

The High Court asked the state government for details of the Dera chief's movable and immovable properties in Punjab and Haryana till next hearing that will be held on August 29.

Meanwhile, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said important points on internal security was discussed during the high level meeting called at the Home Minister's residence in the capital, one being violence post Ram Rahim Singh's conviction.

Following are other updates related to the case:

- Anand Kumar, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order said that the security at borders have been beefed up due to ongoing Army and Police joint operation in Panchkula.

-In Haryana's Sirsa, Army has gheraoed the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda Headquarters. Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with the Police have surrounded the premises of the headquarters.

-Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

-Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Haryana Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh Salwara was sacked on Saturday after he reportedly carried the luggage of Dera Sacha Sauda's chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Rahim was moved to a prison in Haryana's Rohtak yesterday as the special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Panchkula found him guilty in a 15-year-old rape case.

After being convicted and arrested, Rahim was taken to Rohtak via helicopter.

After the judgement was announced, thousands of his followers gathered in Panchkula and created ruckus, setting vehicles and public property on fire and clashed with the police and the media persons.

Following are other updates related to the case:

- Anand Kumar, Uttar Pradesh ADG Law and Order said that the security at borders have been beefed up due to ongoing Army and Police joint operation in Panchkula.

-In Haryana's Sirsa, Army has gheraoed the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda Headquarters. Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with the Police have surrounded the premises of the headquarters.

-Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

-Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Minister of State for Law and Justice P.P. Chaudhary on Saturday appealed to all the political parties and their leaders not to politicise the unrest in Haryana which erupted after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was held guilty in rape case.

Talking to ANI, he said, "I appeal to all the political parties to come together at such tense situation. This is not the time to do politics and make any politically motivated statement."

Chaudhary also said that the Central government is making all efforts to control the situation in the state.

"I condemn the violence. No one has the right to take law in his/her hand. I appeal to everyone to maintain peace. If people are not in the favour of verdict they can move to the Supreme Court. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, President Kovind are monitoring the situation and are alert," he added.

He further assured that the situation will come under control soon and culprits will be punished for destroying government properties.

At least 29 people were killed, including two women and a child, and more than 250 injured as violence erupted in Haryana and Punjab after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted in the rape case.

The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on August 28.

Commenting on the unrest in Haryana, Congress senior leader P. Chidambaram cornered Prime Minister Nardendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar for failing to control tense situation in the state triggered after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted in a rape case.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram took a sarcastic note at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and blamed that riots in Sirsa-Panchkula were examples of 'administrative competence' of the saffron party.

"PM Modi's exhortation turned on its head by CM Khattar. Haryana's mantra is 'maximum government, minimum governance'. Gorakhpur hospital deaths, Muzaffarnagar train accident, Sirsa-Panchkula riots are examples of BJP's administrative competence," Chidambaram said in a tweet.

Commenting on the same, the Communist Party of India (CPI) had said that the BJP-led Haryana Government is in particular responsible for the attacks on media personnel, adding they should have anticipated such a huge gathering.

"I disapprove and strongly deplore the violence that has broken out in many parts of Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh. This violence should be controlled. I question the role of the BJP-led State Government of Haryana as they should have anticipated such a huge gathering," CPI leader D. Raja told ANI.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to sack Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for negligence of his duty in stopping the violence in parts of Haryana post the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

Omar took to Twitter and said, "PM Modi should sack his Haryana CM for gross dereliction of duty. The CM had more than enough time to prepare for this eventuality".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
High level meeting at Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence has begun, in the wake of the verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in an alleged rape charge.

Home Secretary, Security Agency (NSA) and Information Bureau Chief Rajiv Jain are also present at the meeting.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 4 storm just hours from making landfall on the Texas coast.

"Harvey has sustained wind speeds of 130 mph (209 kph)," reports CNN, citing the National Hurricane Center.

The heavy rainfall is estimated to be as high as 40 inches in some areas of Texas along the Gulf of Mexico.

Harvey is likely to bring multiple hazards, including heavy rainfall dangerous storm-surge flooding and destructive winds.

The center of the storm is just 45 miles east of Corpus Christi and Harvey has begun its expected slowdown. It is moving to the northwest at just 8 mph, reports said.

Hurricane Harvey is the first major hurricane to hit Texas in nearly nine years, labelled by forecasters as a "life-threatening" storm.

Isolated tornadoes are possible across portions of the middle and upper Texas coast.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials are encouraging residents to pay heed to the directions from the local and state officials.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has requested the activation of 700 National Guard members.

In neighbouring Louisiana, Governor John Bel Edwards signed a state-wide emergency declaration as Southwest Louisiana could see up to 10 inches of rain from the storm, the reports said.

Texas in 2001 witnessed multibillion-dollar disaster caused by the Tropical Storm Allison which brought 40 inches of rain in Houston.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Hurricane Harvey-Category 4 storm struck South Texas late on Friday, knocking down trees, power poles and signs, but forecasters predicted that water levels will still rise as torrential rain and blasting winds would continue over the next few days.

The hurricane made landfall Friday night, with the National Weather Service reporting that a storm surge could reach upwards of 13 feet with winds reaching up to 130 miles per hour and as much as 40 inches of rain by Wednesday.

"The powerful Harvey initially reached land by 11 p.m.between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, with the then-Category 4 storm packing winds of more than 130 miles per hour. As it moved over land, Harvey gradually lost some of its punch and by 6 a.m. was downgraded to a still-dangerous Category 1 hurricane with winds at 90 miles per Hour, the CNN quoted the National Hurricane Center statement, as saying.

Forecasters have said it will be devastating and leave areas "uninhabitable for weeks or months."

President Trump has announced that he had signed a disaster proclamation for Texas, granting the state federal aid as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall.

"At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!" Trump tweeted.

Meanwhile,the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it had summoned 460 National Disaster Medical System staff including doctors and nurses for the storm.

The Centers for Disease Control also said it had prepared two 250-bed Federal Medical Stations in Baton Rouge, La., that could be deployed to other locations.

The storm is Trump's first major natural disaster in office and will be the first major hurricane to hit the U.S. since 2005.

The president is closely monitoring the storm as it approached the U.S.

Harvey has the "highest potential to kill the most amount of people and cause the most amount of damage," said Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has expressed sadness over the violence and terrorist attack in Myanmar wherein 32 people were killed, including 11 Myanmar security personnel.

Expressing the concern over the reports of renewed violence and attacks by terrorists in northern Rakhine State Myanmar, MEA said, "India is seriously concerned by reports of renewed violence and terrorist attacks in northern Rakhine State Myanmar. Such attacks deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms."

"We hope that the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice and we extend our strong support at this challenging moment to the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar," the External Affairs Ministry added.

Earlier, the Myanmar Army chief Min Aung Hlaing said that at least 32 people were killed, including 11 Myanmar security personnel after alleged Rohingya militants attacked remote border posts in Rakhine State.

Rakhine State is home to the Rohingya community of Myanmar, ethnic Muslims, who have long faced persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, especially from the country's Buddhist extremists.

Authorities alleged that an estimated 150 Rohingya insurgents attacked at least 20 police outposts and an Army base, but "soldiers fought back."

"21 militants have been killed in the ongoing battle," Hlaing added.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship and are seen by many in Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan has said it is not parting ways with the United States despite differences in opinion arising after US President Donald Trump's revealed his strategy for Afghanistan.

Responding to a question, Pakistan's Foreign Office spokesperson Nafees Zakria said, "We have long-standing relationship with the US. We have worked with United States for a long time. Our areas of cooperation are diverse and multi-dimensional. I would not endorse your views about parting ways. In International Relations, there can be difference of opinion between two countries, for which there are established channels of communication through which misperceptions can be allayed and differences resolved."

Asserting that Pakistan remains committed to eradicating terrorism from its soil, he said Pakistan has taken action against all terrorists without discrimination.

He said that Pakistan has made enormous successes in fighting back the terrorists.

Mentioning the two aspects of US policy on Afghanistan, Zakaria said one is 'peace and stability' in Afghanistan, on which Pakistan's position is very clear.

"We have the highest stakes in peace within our neighbouring countries; anything that happens in Afghanistan will have a direct bearing on the security and economic prosperity of our country," he added.

Zakaria said Pakistan is sincerely pursuing and participating in all initiatives that are aimed at bringing lasting peace in Afghanistan.

Pakistan is ready to play its effective role in Afghanistan whenever required. We also believe that all initiatives in Afghanistan should be Afghan-owned and Afghan-led. The other element of the policy is regional security.

He further said that the press releases issued after the Cabinet and NSC meetings state that in the over-all regional context, the conflicts in this region are inter-linked, and will have to be resolved for lasting regional peace.

Zakaria also accused India of playing the role of a spoiler and destabilizer in the region and using Afghan soil against Pakistan.

"Pakistan has provided the critical support to the US troops stationed in Afghanistan through its Ground lines of communication (GLOCs) and air-corridor which helped sustain the US mission in Afghanistan. In the past, the US leadership has acknowledged and thanked us for this enabling support to the US mission and it is our hope that the current leadership will also appreciate Pakistan's facilitating role in this regard," he said.

He also noted that Pakistan and its people paid a huge price in terms of loss of lives of over 70,000 citizens including over 6,000 soldiers and security personnel and over 100 billion dollars worth of economic losses.

Earlier, showing similar sentiments Pakistan's civil and military leadership on Thursday said scapegoating them will not help stabilise the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

In a clear ultimatum to Islamabad, Trump said Pakistan had to change its "double game" policy or face the consequences.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson then explained that Washington may revoke Pakistan's major non-NATO ally status as well as possibly cutting military aid and other assistance, if it continues to provide shelter to the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network.

Pakistan said claims of billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad by the U.S. were misleading as they were actually partial reimbursements for part of the cost of ground facilities and use of air corridors by the Washington for its operations in Afghanistan, rather than financial aid or assistance.

The statement came after a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee, presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and finance, the three services chiefs, and the head of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

The U.S. President singled out Pakistan for supporting what he called "agents of chaos".

He added, "We have been paying Pakistan billions of dollars and the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. No partnership can survive if a country is harbouring militants and terrorist to target U.S. service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization and peace.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll has risen to more than 30, after a coordinated militant attack was carried out in Kabul city's Imam Zaman mosque in Afghanistan on Friday.

The sources have confirmed about the death toll and over 80 were wounded in the attack, Tolo News reported.

However, the Afghan Ministry of Public Health has said that more than 20 people were killed and over 35 wounded in the attack.

A blast was followed by gunfire as worshippers gathered for Friday prayers at the mosque in Qala-Najara.

After the suicide blast, gunmen attacked the mosque in Qala-e-Najarha area in Kabul's PD11 on Friday afternoon, the Ministry of Interior confirmed.

"One suicide bomber blew himself up outside Imam Zaman Mosque in PD11," confirmed Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish.

"The attack was carried out by three or four men and one of them blew himself up outside the mosque," Tolo News quoted Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish as saying.

Earlier, he said at least 12 people were killed and 38 were wounded in the attack.

Many explosions were later heard from the area during the clearance operation by the Crisis Response Unit of the Afghan National Police, Tolo News reported.

Ismail Kawoosi, spokesman for Ministry of Public Health, said the number of casualties from the attack may increase.

A fierce gun-battle between security forces and attackers lasted for five hours and the area has been cordoned off by the police.

President Ashraf Ghani, in a statement, condemned the attack and called it a crime against the people of Afghanistan.

The president called on Afghan religious scholars to raise their voice against such violent acts - carried by terrorists, the Presidential Palace said in a statement.
Rajpal Punia, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 33 Division Hisar visited Sirsa on Saturday to take account of the current situation there.

Following the violence that erupted after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape, heavy security forces were deployed to prevent the Dera followers from creating further rampage.

Giving account of the situation , the GOC said, "I'm extremely pleased to see administration, Indian army, and paramilitary working together. I'm especially pleased to see such good coordination and communication among them for conducting the operation in a set direction."

He praised the people of Sirsa and said that "what is more important is that they have maintained peace till now."

Army have 'gheraoed' the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda Headquarters in Sirsa. Army and Rapid Action Force (RAF) along with the Police have surrounded the premises of the headquarters. However, rejecting reports that the military personnel will be going inside Dera, Punia said,

"There may be a misunderstanding, but I will say only one thing- Military is not going inside Dera"

"Maintaining law and order is the priority," he added.

The number of Army column deployed so far is 12 in Panchkula, eight in Sirsa, two in Mansa, and two in Mankot.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
"I was shocked to tell you the truth," Sandy Morrison said of her reaction to receiving the wheelchair. "It was just  a shock, thats all, to see it and actually touch it and know it was mine."
Chief Secretary of Haryana Depinder Singh Dhesi on Saturday said that no special treatment is being provided to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh and added that action will be taken against those personnel who were lenient in their duty during the violence.

"Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim has not been given special treatment in jail. He has been kept like a normal prisoner. In the whole case, if anyone had done any sort of leniency in his duty, then required action will be taken. After 6:30 pm, neither Panchkula nor other parts of Haryana faced any violation of law and order. Law and order is being completely maintained in the entire state," Dhesi told media here.

He added that the number of casualties in the incident, which took place following the pronouncement of the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh verdict, has reached 28 in Panchkula which include 24 men, three women and one child.

"Three deaths have been reported from Sirsa. The number of injured is 250 wherein 50 are police personnel and out of these 101 have been referred to hospitals outside Panchkula. As of now only 61 are under treatment and rest have been discharged. All those injured do not belong to Panchkula," he said.

Dhesi further said that 28 vehicles have been burnt down, which also included government vehicles and two government buildings were also damaged, adding six private shops were also burnt down.

"Under eight different FIRs, around 524 people have been arrested. The owners of the damaged vehicles can file a complaint and the State Government will compensate the entire expense. At the moment there are 101 companies of paramilitary which have been deployed by the State Government in Panchkula and Sirsa. Two cases of sedition have been filed till now," he added.

Meanwhile, pained with the massive upsurge in the city, post conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 1999 rape case, the locals of Panchkula today termed the act of the former's devotees as 'terrorising'.

"What could be more terrorising than this, our own people are carrying such activity and are destructing our own property," said a local told ANI.

Expressing anguish over the destruction of the property, the local further said that the situation is very pathetic and nothing can be more painful than to see the people destructing their own city.

"They (devotees) are attacking the security personnel, vandalizing property and now will ask the government to compensate," he said.

"What preaching they have is clearly visible," he added.

Another local, residing in the area, accused the state government for their negligence, which led to chaos in the city and added that the state government should have let the Indian army take over from the beginning to avoid such situation.

"They should have taken the precautions. They should have taken stern actions beforehand and shouldn't have let the disciplines of Dera enter and gather in the city," she said.

Meanwhile, high level meeting has begun at the Home Minister's residence in the capital. Home Secretary, Security Agency (NSA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief are also present.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has given a nod to Spice Digital Ltd. for processing bill payments under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) as a Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU).

The BBPS through its centralised bill payment system will allow the users to use a single website or outlet to pay all their monthly or repetitive bills such as mobile phone and electricity.

Bill payments is a major component of the retail payment transactions in India, and is characterized by the presence of large number of billers, and aggregators, who provide a variety of payment options to customers.

According to the Digital Payments 2020 report by Google and Boston Consulting Group, non-cash contribution in the consumer payments segment will double to 40 percent.

Since January, 2017 the Bharat bill payment market has grown by nearly 70 times in over six months. According to the same report in this new era of digitisation, India will see digital payments exceed USD 500 billion by 2020 and non-cash transactions exceed cash transactions by 2023.

Spice Digital forayed into FinTech space three years ago. Today, SDL's Spice Money is India's leading India stack based FinTech Company.

In August, 2016 the NPCI launched a pilot project for BBPS with eight BBPS operating unit, Spice Digital being one of the chosen units.

Spice Money received an in-principle approval to set-up as a BBPOU under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 in May 2016.

"BBPS initiative will provide a major push to digital payments as it is a big step forward in formalising the bill payment system in the country. Leveraging on enabling infrastructure, technology and standards of Bill Payment System (BBPS) we are increasing acceptance channels especially physical through an assisted mode," said Saket Agarwal, Global CEO, Spice Digital.

SDL's Spice money is making financial technology even more accessible to the common man. With a vision to bridge the gap of digital divide, Spice Money aims to reach the remotest corner of the nation bringing basic Fintech services like direct money transfer, Mini-ATM, Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AePS), health and vehicle insurance, travel booking and bill payments at every Indian's reach.

"It gives us a great deal of satisfaction that under BBPS we have empowered our 45,000 agent network to offer bill payments of utility comprising of electricity, telecom, DTH, water and gas by giving a convenient O2O experience to the customers", said Saket.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has called on parliament to decide if an inquiry is to be conducted to ascertain who compromised the dignity and honour of the country by agreeing to give blood money to the heirs of three people killed by United States Central Intelligence Agency contractor Raymond Davis in Lahore in 2011.

"God knows from which account the amount had been paid," the Dawn quoted Asif, as saying while responding to a calling-attention notice in the Senate about revelations made by Davis in his book "The Contractor".

Asif said he would support an investigation into the release of Davis if parliament asked for it. He termed the whole incident a matter of embarrassment for the entire nation, as individuals and not institutions appeared to have played a role in freeing Davis.

The sensitive revelations made by Raymond Davis raise questions about the state institutions, the military, the courts and the government and of course the then president of Pakistan," Senator Hafiz Hamdullah said.

He said Davis had reveled in his book how the then US vice president John Kerry, president Asif Ali Zardari, ambassador to the US Hussain Haqqani, Inter-Services Intelligence chief Lt Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha and a court had played a role in his release.

Hamdullah said no clarification has been given so far by those who have been exposed in the book.

Raymond Davis is a former United States Army soldier, private security firm employee, and contractor with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

On January 27, 2011, Davis killed three armed men in Lahore, Pakistan.

The U.S. government argued that he was protected by diplomatic immunity, but Davis was jailed and criminally charged by Pakistani authorities with double murder and Malik was then the interior minister in 2011 when Davis was acquitted of shooting two people in Lahore.

Pakistan freed the CIA contractor after a deal was sealed to pay $2.34 million in "blood money" to the men's families.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, has said the time has finally come to say goodbye to aid from the United States.

His statement comes in the wake of United States making "exaggerated statements at the local and international levels" and President Donald Trump's accusations against Islamabad of harbouring terrorists.

"It is time for Pakistan to politely and gratefully close the chapter on US assistance so that the bilateral relationship can be freed from the shadow of repeated contemptuous taunts," he said.

"The exaggerated comments being made in the national and international discourse regarding US aid to Pakistan are tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Pakistanis suffering from terrorism, poverty and backwardness," the Dawn quoted the chief minister, as saying in a statement. He claimed that Pakistanis had rendered enough sacrifices for achieving the shared objectives of a terror-free and peaceful .

His statement comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump's allegation that Pakistan received billions of dollars in aid but did not act against "terrorist havens" in the country.

He said it's time Islamabad closed the chapter of the US aid by politely saying "thank you" [for the help]. "That's the only way the nation can avert such jibes," he said.

Acknowledging that many countries including the United States had helped the country improve health, education and other service delivery areas in Pakistan,Shahbaz said that no country should see its generosity as a justification to make unfair accusations and demands on the Pakistani people.

Meanwhile, Difa-i-Pakistan Council, Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen and Tanzeem Ittehad-i-Ummat Pakistan held nationwide protest rallies and demonstrations against Trump's threatening statement across the country.

In Lahore, they held protest demonstrations outside the US consulate, staged a sit-in and demanded that Islamabad sever diplomatic ties with Washington and suspend Nato supplies.

They also demanded that the foreign minister should cancel his proposed U.S. visit, and that India-Afghan transit trade must be closed.

"Pakistani people craved the opportunity to be treated fairly and honorably and remain committed to contributing to the peace and prosperity," he said.

"Pakistan has never shied away from advancing our shared objectives as a member of international comity. However, the job of providing for and leading the people of Pakistan out of different challenges falls on Pakistani leaders.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pained with the massive upsurge in the city, post conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a 1999 rape case, the locals of Panchkula on Saturday termed the act of the former's devotees as 'terrorising'.

"What could be more terrorising than this, our own people are carrying such activity and are destructing our own property," said a local told ANI.

Expressing anguish over the destruction of the property, the local further said that the situation is very pathetic and nothing can be more painful than to see the people destructing their own city.

"They (devotees) are attacking the security personnel, vandalizing property and now will ask the government to compensate," he said.

"What preaching they have is clearly visible," he added.

Another local, residing in the area, accused the state government for their negligence, which led to chaos in the city and added that the state government should have let the Indian army take over from the beginning to avoid such situation.

"They should have taken the precautions. They should have taken stern actions beforehand and shouldn't have let the disciplines of Dera enter and gather in the city," she said.

Meanwhile, high level meeting has begun at the Home Minister's residence in the capital. Home Secretary, Security Agency (NSA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief are also present.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday declared an immediate relief of Rs. 500 crore for flood-hit Bihar after undertaking an aerial survey of affected areas.

He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured grievously by the floods.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi. He also reviewed relief and rehabilitation work with them in detail.

He assured both that he would be sending a central team to immediately assess the flood-related loss in the state.

He instructed that in order to assess the claims of farmers' crop insurance; the insurance companies should send their supervisors to the flood-affected areas so that the farmers can be provided relief immediately.

The Road and Transport Ministry has also been directed to take appropriate action to repair all flood-damaged roads and electricity infrastructure in the state.

Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state. The death toll has mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.

To tackle the flood threat, the Indian Prime Minister discussed flood control in the border areas with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in his recent visit to India.

The two also agreed that a detailed project report of Saptakosi high dam project and Sunkoshi storage cum diversion scheme would be prepared soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Bihar today to take a stock of the situation, after the death toll mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.

The Prime Minister would make an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Kishanganj.

In addition to it, he will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other officials in Purnea.

According to officials, the state government will submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister for central assistance.

Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state.

The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal.

Turbulent water of Burhi Gandak is posing a threat to the embankment in Samastipur. The rising water level of Bagmati is spreading in fresh areas of Darbhanga.

Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Miroslav Lajcak,President Elect for the 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic will visit India on August 27.

During the visit, Lajcak will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold talks with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj during his two-day visit.

The 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly will commence from September 12.

In May,the UN General Assembly elected Slovak foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak to be the next president of the 193-member powerful body.

Lajcak, 54, was elected by acclamation as President of 72nd session of UN General Assembly.

Lajcak, who was one of the candidates last year for the position of UN Secretary General, will succeed Fijian diplomat Peter Thomson.

"Thank you @UN General Assembly 4 electing me the next @UN_PGA. Looking fwd to work w/all of you to make this a better place to live in," Lajcak, Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, tweeted following his election.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan, on Saturday succumbed to injuries, taking the death toll of security personnel in Pulwama encounter to two.

Earlier in the day, one policeman residing in the cordoned off building got killed during evacuation process, after terrorists attacked District Police Lines in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Two other CRPF jawans had sustained bullet injuries as unknown militants fired upon the troops of 182 Bn CRPF that was moving out for operation from a nearby family quarters building, early morning.

The injured personnel have been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

According to sources, three terrorists are said to be involved in the attack and have been localized into two blocks.

There is intermittent firing and efforts to evacuate own families are in progress.

Militants also fired an UBGL RD which got blasted in DPL ground, no injuries have been mentioned so far.

The encounter is still underway.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Williams Grove Historical Steam Engine Association will hold its 59th annual steam show next week in Monroe Township. The steam show runs Sunday through Sept. 4 on Steam Engine Hill.

In addition, the 65th annual state plowing contest will be held Aug. 31, followed by the 71st national plowing contest on Sept. 1 to Sept. 2, at the Pennsylvania State Agriculture Center, adjacent to the association grounds. The shows are not affiliated with each other.

Plowing contest

According to Bob Rentzel, plowing contest manager, the state plowing competition will begin with the small plow class at 9 a.m. Thursday. The open class will get under way at noon, and the antique class, featuring tractors made in 1953 or before, will start at 2 p.m.

Bob Miller, president of the Pennsylvania State Contest Plowing Committee, said that in the competition, each tractor plows a plot of land, and the plowmans work is judged according to a set of rules.

Rentzel said the open class, which was started eight or nine years ago, is for any tractor and any plow.

This is something Ive wanted for a long time, said Rentzel, a plowing contest volunteer since 1984. Its a great place to get young people started.

Rentzel said there are currently about 16 participants, but registration is still open.

We have a lot of new plowmen this year, but anyone who wants to plow can still get in the contest, he said.

To register, call Miller at 692-2443.

On Friday, winners from state plowing contests across the United States will gather for the 2017 national competition.

The antique class will begin at 9 a.m., followed by the small plow and reversible classes at noon and the Kverneland Challenge at 4 p.m.

The reversible class is a plow that picks up, swings around, turns over and goes back the same way, Rentzel said. Its a pretty complicated contest. Therere only a couple of guys in that.

Kverneland plows have a much longer bottom, and they pull much easier.

Saturday events will feature the open class at 9 a.m., a juniors match (for children of competing plowmen) at 10:30 a.m., small plow and reversible finals at noon, and the awards ceremony at 4 p.m.

Winners of the national competition will be eligible to compete in the 2018 world contest in Germany.

Miller said there are usually an average of 16 to 20 participants in the state contest, and he expects at least 40 for the national competition. But he believes there would be more interest if people just knew more about plowing competitions. He said people often express an interest in participating after watching a competition.

Its not as big a draw as it was at one time, but we try to get the word out, he said. A lot of people like to see it, and a lot of people would like to try it but find out too late.

The last time both state and national contests were held locally was in 2010. National competition sites rotate, and in 2011, the state event moved to a nearby farm, but it returns to the Williams Grove area this year in order to again accommodate both state and national contests.

Steam show

The steam show will feature a parade of steam engines and tractors each night, as well as flea markets, live bands, horse, truck and tractor pulling competition, and the annual consignment sale, which will feature everything from gas and steam farm tractors to lumber and tires.

Visitors will also be able to ride the Vulcan diesel train, and fresh scrapple and loose sausage will be available at the butcher shop until 7 p.m. each day.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday said that his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar had failed to take enough preventive steps in Panchkula ahead of the verdict against self-styled god man Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

"The fault was in allowing people to gather in Panchkula when the verdict was coming. The state government should have known that there could be a problem. Not enough measures were taken into consideration to curb the situation," Singh said at a press conference.

He added that there were no deaths in Punjab and everything is peaceful now.

"There was no firing or lathicharge in Punjab. I will not allow violence of any form in any sector in Punjab. We condemn the attack and peace will prevail in Punjab as long as I am here. Dera will pay for the damages," he asserted.

Singh lauded the security forces.

The Punjab chief minister had earlier in the day chaired a high-level meeting over the law and order situation in the state.

Meanwhile, former Harayana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said violence had erupted in Haryana after the verdict and asked the state government to resign.

Addressing the media, Hooda said he had never seen such a ruckus in a government and asked the Haryana government to resign on "moral grounds".

B.P. Hooda further said, "If they don't resign then the Centre must impose President's Rule here."

Hooda also said that whatever happened in the past two to three days could have been avoided if the government would have been more alert.

Hooda also said that people have lost faith from this government, adding, "There is no law and order in the state. It feels like that there is no government in Haryana."

On the high court's comment that everybody let Panchkula burn for political gain, Hooda said, "When the high court says this, then it really shows the failure of this government," and that the government should collectively resign.

He also said that people are scared and there is a panic like situation in the state.

Not blaming Rahim's supporters for the ruckus, Congress leader said it is all to be blamed on the state government and kept emphasizing on the fact that the government should resign and president's rule be implemented in the state.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 28 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a sexual exploitation case, saying that tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas

"Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas," the Canadian government said in an advisory.

The authorities in the state of Haryana and at the Centre are also taking appropriate measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place.

Around 53 companies of the paramilitary forces and 50,000 personnel of the Haryana Police have been deployed. In addition, the Army has also been deployed in Sirsa district of Haryana.

The Center has asked the Haryana government to take strict action if anyone tries to break the law.

Curfew has also been imposed in several parts of the country under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Another person succumbed to injuries in Sirsa, taking the death toll to three in the district, in the violence that erupted in the states of Haryana and Punjab, shortly after the verdict convicting Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape on Friday.

In addition to this, 29 people died in the violence in Panchkula, six of them due to bullet injuries.

Section 144 has been imposed in Panchkula where the verdict was delivered. Heavy security forces were deployed in the area as well.

The Haryana Police on Friday said that the situation in Panchkula district is under control following the ruckus that took place after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court of Panchkula.

The Deputy General of Police (DGP), BS Sandhu, while addressing the media said, "The situation in Panchkula district is under control. The Haryana Police has been successful to control the crowd after the court verdict was announced."

In another update, Western Railways have cancelled six trains and partially cancelled two trains in the wake of law and order situation in Punjab and Haryana.

Following are other updates related to the case:

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in Punjab.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Panchkula is completely peaceful at the moment, flag marches conducted: DGP Haryana, BS Sandhu

- Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried creating mischief, case has been registered. We have CCTV footage, probe underway: Madhur Verma, Delhi Police

- Haryana Government had made complete arrangements; the mob was really huge: Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana CM

- Urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required, tweets PM

- PM Modi assures help to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people; confirms Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Directed doctors for best possible treatment: Haryana CM ML Khattar

- Curfew has been imposed in Patiala.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

- Heavy security in place; Rapid Action force also deployed in Bathinda.

- Curfew has been imposed in Punjab's Sangrur and Moga districts.

- High level meeting is called at Home Minister Rajnath Singh's residence today. Home Secy and others senior officials will also be present.

- Almost 250 trains cancelled. All trains going towards Rohtak cancelled for tomorrow: Neeraj Sharma, CPRO, Northern Railway

- Section 144 imposed in Noida and Ghaziabad

- Dera supporters set power sub-station office on fire in Sriganganagar, vehicle at sub-station premises also torched in Rajasthan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In wake of the tense situation in Punjab, Haryana and neighbouring area after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 1999 rape case, a total of 340 trains, in Punjab and Haryana areas, have been cancelled or shortly terminated on Saturday, said the Indian Railways.

"Around 340 trains are affected today, out of which 190 are passengers' trains and rest are mail express. Other than Palwal and Rewari route, all important trains, going or passing from Punjab and Haryana has been cancelled," Neeraj Sharma, Chief Public Relation Officer (CPRO) Northern Railways told ANI.

Sharma said that a total 650 trains will be affected till August 27, out of which 600 are cancelled and remaining 50 will be shortly terminated.

"We have maintained complete liaison with the state government. Our manager M.C. Chauhan had a word with the Chief Secretaries of Haryana and Punjab, based on the information's received from their ends we are regulating the movement of the train," he told ANI.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The family of former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court's July 28 verdict, which disqualified him from holding any office.

On behalf of Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz, sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz and son-in-law Captain Safdar, lawyer Salman Akram Raja filed the review petition on Friday, The Express Tribune has reported.

The five-member bench of the top court had disqualified Sharif from holding any public office for failing to declare a salary which he had not withdrawn as an executive director of a Dubai-based company as an asset when filing his nomination papers in 2013.

The court had directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to file references against the former PM and his children in an accountability court. The court had also ordered that one of the members the bench would also oversee proceedings of the court.

The petitioners have said the final order of the court is 'coram non judice' as the five-member bench did not have jurisdiction in the matter and so claimed that the court's court's directions to NAB are violative of the principle of trichotomy of powers.

The Saudi Arabian government has also expressed its willingness to share information requested by the Joint Investigations Team (JIT) regarding Sharif family's offshore assets.

An official of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior told a JIT member about his government's willingness to share the requested information, The Express Tribune has reported.

The Saudi government is likely to respond to a mutual legal assistance (MLA) request by JIT, which had contacted six countries for mutual legal assistance during its 60-day probe into the financial affairs of the Sharif family.

On July 28 Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif stepped down from his post after the country's Supreme Court disqualified him under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.

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External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday met Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in New Delhi and discussed bilateral relations and welfare of Indian workers in the gas-rich Gulf nation.

"EAM @SushmaSwaraj welcomes Mr. Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Foreign Minister of Qatar on his visit to India," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted along with a picture of the two leaders.

"Bilateral issues, including welfare of Indian workers in Qatar were discussed," he said.

There are around 630,000 expatriate Indians in Qatar, many of whom are blue collar workers in the country's construction sector.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed bilateral relations.

The visit of Sheikh Mohamed assumes much significance as it comes amid the worst diplomatic crisis engulfing GCC in recent times, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt in June announced the snapping of diplomatic ties with Qatar for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and ties with Iran.

Sushma Swaraj had termed that the diplomatic crisis between Qatar and other Gulf nations is an "internal matter" and said that India was mainly concerned about the Indians who may get stranded due to the snapping of diplomatic and transportation links between the countries.

"There is no challenge arising out of this for us. This is an internal matter of GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). Our only concern is about Indians there. We are trying to find out if any Indians are stuck there," Swaraj has said.

In July, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signed a memorandum of understanding on combating financing terrorism with Qatar and said that the U.S. will extend support to Kuwait to find a solution to the ongoing conflict between Qatar and Gulf.

Meanwhile, Qatar has rejected a list of 13 conditions set by four Arab states for lifting sanctions, saying it is neither reasonable nor actionable.

Qatar is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which comprises of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday called on to initiate a probe to identify the miscreants, who vandalised the property after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in 1999 rape case and said that a law need to be enforced to keep a check on all the religious institution of the country.

"The violence is unexplainable. If they are devotees of a truly religious person, why should this violence take place? Either these are violent acts, which should be banned or there is an infiltration. Who are behind the violence, it must be found out," Swamy told ANI.

"But the state government should have put a curfew in the entire Panchkula area and should have let the army handle the situation," he added.

Swamy lauded the courage of the magistrate of the Haryana and Punjab High Court, who passed the order against the Dera chief, without fearing anything.

"I am finding that we are arresting sadhus only for rape, but not for land grabbing, money laundering and so many other activities, where fake sadhus are taking place in the country. It is time to bring a law by which religious institution has to register and file appropriate returns," he said.

Meanwhile, high level meeting has begun at the Home Minister's residence in the capital. Home Secretary, Security Agency (NSA) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Chief are also present.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will also visit New Delhi today.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said he has been briefed by DGP, the situation is peaceful and curfew has been lifted in three districts. He added that the state is on alert for next 48 hrs.

Following are other updates related to the case:

-District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

- Curfew has been imposed in Sangrur, Moga and Patiala district of Punjab. Security stepped up after violent protests by Dera followers in the state.

- Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital and Noida, Ghaziabad and Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh.

- Baghpat District Magistrate directs all schools in the region to remain closed today in Uttar Pradesh. Schools in Noida and Ghaziabad will also remain close today.

- Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

- Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged officials to work round the clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required. He assured to restore normalcy in violence-hit areas.

- Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the state government had made complete arrangements; but the mob was really huge.

- Madhur Verma of Delhi Police confirmed that Dera Sacha Sauda followers tried to create mischief, following which a case has been registered. The police have recovered the CCTV footage, probe is underway.

- Chandigarh DGP Tejinder Singh Luthra confirmed that taking preventive measures, Chandigarh Police detains 81 people.

- Six private commandos of Ram Rahim Singh arrested by Chandigarh Police, weapons and petrol cans seized from them.

- 29 people have lost their lives, and 200 are injured. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar directed doctors for best possible treatment.

- Passengers have been stranded at Bathinda railway station due to curfew imposed in Punjab.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said that the civil war in Syria is "de-facto over."

Israel Shamir, a Russian-Israeli Middle East expert, however, said that the powers like Israel and Saudi might directly intervene in the Syrian conflict.

The implementation of de-escalation zones in Syria and the separation of terrorists from the opposition have allowed the fight against terrorism to intensify, effectively ending the civil war in the country, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said during the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Yaacoub Sarraf at the ongoing ARMY-2017 forum in Kubinka on Wednesday, Sputnik reported.

"That is why there is a possibility that the war, which until now was viewed as a war between proxies would be replaced by direct intervention of Israel and Saudi Arabia," Shamir finally stated.

"There is a danger that some external forces would not agree with the settlement of the Syrian war. Those forces are Saudi Arabia and Israel," Sputnik quoted Shamir as saying.

Syria is in crisis and Saudi Arabia and Israel are worried that this change on the ground could be to the advantage of Iran.

With continuous bombarding of Syria, the Russian Defense Minister, however, stressed that the movement of terrorists from one country to another "cannot continue indefinitely."

"I would like our Western partners. finally to separate the moderate opposition from terrorists and stop rendering assistance across the board," Shoigu said.

.

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All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) leader T T V Dinakaran on Saturday said that all those MLAs supporting him will teach a lesson to those who want to evict party's General Secretary V K Sasikala.

"They (Panneerselvam-Palaniswami faction) cannot buy the MLAs. The MLAs with me want to teach a lesson to those who want to evict General Secretary V K Sasikala," Dinakaran told media in Chennai.

The support for Dinakaran is steadily rising with another AIADMK MLA jumping on board.

Over the last two days, two more MLAs of the AIADMK have pledged support to Dinakaran taking the strength of his camp to 21.

MLA V T Kalaiselvan from Virudhachalam is the latest AIADMK leader to pledge his support to Dinakaran.

The anger within the E Palaniswami (EPS) over its merger with O Panneerselvam (OPS) camp was evident as the MLA publicly chided the Chief Minister for his decision.

Support, as well as strength in the EPS-OPS camp, is dwindling by the day even as the duo struggles to keep its flock together.

In the given scenario, EPS is sure to lose a floor test if asked to prove majority.

While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress have been urging the Tamil Nadu Governor to direct Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy to prove his majority in the House, no decision on the same has been taken yet.

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is expected to return to Tamil Nadu shortly, after which he is likely to ask EPS to take a floor test.

This would be the second time in six months that the State Assembly would witness a floor test if asked by the Governor.

Meanwhile, 19 MLAs backing Dinakaran continue to be lodged at a hotel in Puducherry where they moved into on Friday after vacating a resort.
Government bans import of gold, silver items from South Korea

Published: August 26, 2017

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the Union Commerce Ministry has banned duty free imports of gold, silver items from South Korea.

These restrictions were imposed against the backdrop of sudden surge in imports of precious metals from South Korea, with which India has a free trade agreement (FTA) since January 2010. Now, importers will now have to obtain a license from the DGFT for importing gold and silver from South Korea.

Sudden surge

Under the India-South Korea FTA, India has allowed duty free import of gold and silver items. However, 12.5% countervailing duty was imposed to offset equal level of excise duty on gold and silver jewellery items produced domestically.

After goods and services tax (GST) regime was implemented from 1 July 2017, countervailing duty was abolished as it subsumed excise duty and only 3% GST was imposed on gold. This created a situation where importing gold via South Korea became profitable due to its duty free status with India even as government continued to impose 10% basic customs duty on gold imports from other countries. Between 1 July and 3 August 2017, gold imports from South Korea surged to $339 million against import of only $70.5 million in 2016-17.

Background

India is the worlds second largest gold consumer after China, with consumption of 674 tonnes in 2016. According to the World Gold Council (WGC), Indias gold demand is projected to rise to between 850 tonnes and 950 tonnes by 2020 from an estimated 650-750 tonnes in 2017.

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)

The DGFT is the nodal agency responsible for execution of the import and export Policies of India. It is entrusted with responsibilities for formulating and implementing the foreign trade policy with the main objective of promoting Indias exports.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2017

Topics: DGFT  Directorate General of Foreign Trade  Free trade agreement  Gold Imports  India-South Korea  National  Trade

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United States President Donald Trump has signed a presidential memo banning transgender people from enrolling in the military.

The presidential memorandum also bans the Department of Defense from using its resources to provide medical treatment regimens for transgender individuals currently serving in the military.

"Trump also directed the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant," CNN reported citing a White House official.

Trump's memo instructs Secretary of Defense James Mattis to further explore how to handle transgender people currently serving in the armed forces and orders the Pentagon to stop paying for gender reassignment surgeries, except in cases that are already in progress to "protect the health of an individual."

The White House official who briefed reporters on the memo declined to say whether current transgender troops would be allowed to remain in the military under those policy guidelines.

The memo also requests that the Pentagon develop an implementation plan for the ban by Feb. 21 2018, to be put in place on March 23, 2018, the reports said.

Last month, Trump wrote on Twitter that transgender troops could no longer serve "in any capacity," abruptly announcing to reinstate the ban.

The move reversed an Obama administration policy implemented in July 2016 that allowed transgender people to serve openly in the military.

Trump's transgender ban policy faces intense opposition from top Republican senators, dozens of retired generals and admirals and advocacy groups.

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President Donald Trump's counterterrorism adviser Sebastian Gorka has resigned.

Two administration officials told CNN that an outspoken and combative defender of President Donald Trump's national security agenda, Sebastian Gorka, has left his position as a White House counterterrorism adviser.

Gorka submitted his resignation to retired Gen. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, on Friday, CNN reported a White House official as saying.

The official said it had become clear to Gorka that he would not be allowed to have a meaningful role going forward.

Gorka, a former Breitbart staffer and Steve Bannon ally served as a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump.

His departure comes one week after Bannon left the administration to return to Breitbart, and follows a spate of firings and resignations at the White House.

The news, which came late Friday evening, was widely expected in the West Wing.

Gorka was one of Trump's most prominent cheerleaders, frequently hitting the airwaves to defend the President's policies and public statements.

Gorka's work for Trump goes back as far as 2015; Federal Election Commission filings showed that Gorka was paid $8,000 that October to be a policy consultant for the Trump campaign.

Gorka also was a member of the White House's Strategic Initiatives Group, which he described as a focal point for task forces collaborating with people outside government. His resignation adds to a long list of high-profile departures from the White House, including chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus and press secretary Sean Spicer.

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The Republican National Committee has approved a resolution condemning white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and Nazis, at its summer meeting in Nashville without mentioning President Donald Trump's controversial comments on the Charlottesville violence.

"This has nothing to do with the president," said the resolution's sponsor, Bill Palatucci, the Washington Post quoted an RNC committee man from New Jersey, as saying. "This is the RNC saying that racism and bigotry have no place in America."

The important aspect to be noted is that the resolution makes no mention of Trump or the President Trump's multiple reactions to Charlottesville violence which led to three presidential advisory councils being disbanded as their members resigned in protest.Trump claimed that there is "blame on both sides" for the deadly violence, which attracted widespread bipartisan criticism.

"The racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform," said the resolution of the committee on the final day of a three-day meeting in Nashville, the southern state of Tennessee.

Palatucci, an attorney who served as general counsel to Trump's presidential transition committee, said that he began drafting the resolution August 13, the day after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville ended with the death of a counterprotester.

"The core issue was for us as RNC members to clearly and loudly denounce white supremacists," Palatucci explained. "There can be no hesitation for the Party of Lincoln."

"We recall that the Republican Party was founded in the struggle against slavery and a rejection of the racial beliefs underlying the institution of slavery," the resolution reads.

"The Republican Party subsequently led the fight to assure all human beings have equal standing before the law, promoting instead the foundational idea that each person be judged as an individual on merit and not on the color of skin or other circumstance of birth,"the resolution said.

The decision to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a local public park had sparked a white supremacist rally on August 12 at Charlottesville in Virginia that later turned into violent clashes between rival protesters.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday undertook an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Azamgarh and Ballia districts.

After completing the aerial survey, he distributed relief material to flood-affected victims.

In Ballia, the chief minister visited the home of the parents of Ragini, a student, who was murdered recently to express his condolences.

Ragini, 17, a resident of Bajaha village in Baansdih Road police station area in Ballia district, was on her way to school on August 8 with her sister Siya, when Prince and his three friends stopped them. He allegedly stabbed her, slit her throat and fled the scene.

According to local residents, Prince had been stalking Ragini for several months.

Members of Ragini's family said that before her murder, the matter of stalking had been taken up with Prince's father, and he had then said that he would ask his son to stop doing such activities. They had no inkling that it would take such an ugly turn, they said.

On the complaint of Ragini's father, Jitendra Dubey, the police lodged an FIR against five persons under sections 302, 354, 348 and 345 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Out of the five accused, two were arrested on August 8, while one surrendered on August 24.

Chief Minister Adityanath said that while he was saddened by the murder of Ragini, his government would be taking steps to improve the security of girls and women in the state. He said that the state government would not tolerate any infringement of security of girls and women.

He said that the Security Act would be enforced more stringently to ensure protection of girls and women as well as maintainance of law and order.

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Retired U.S. Army colonel and former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Colonel Lawrence B. Larry Wilkerson, has said the United States might stay for over 50 years in Afghanistan.

Tolo News quoted Wilkerson as saying in an interview that the United States might stay for over 50 years in Afghanistan, because according to its strategic location, Afghanistan is the only place from where the US can take action against Russia and China.

Wilkerson also warned over the possible fight between the and region super-power countries in Afghanistan.

"What we have seen right now is a begging of the new great game that it involves China, it involves Russia, it involve the United States and it involves all those people who get in the way in Central Asia. The United States will probably be in Afghanistan, I have said repeatedly, for the next fifty plus years. Because it is the only place geographically speaking in that region from which the United State with high military power can affect China's .One Belt One Road.," said Wilkerson.

Earlier, United States President Trump, while giving an address at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, a U.S. military base adjacent to the Arlington National Cemetery, proclaimed the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, saying that the objectives will include "obliterating ISIS" and "preventing the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan."

Trump made it clear that he would not announce dates of military operations in advance and went on to say that he would not discuss troop levels or further plans for military activities.

"I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will," Trump said.

Trump further said that to achieve these goals, he would expand the authority for the U.S. to target criminal and terrorist networks in Afghanistan.

He also said, "Afghan will secure and build their own nation and define their own future. We want them to succeed. But we will no longer use the American military to construct democracies in faraway lands or try to rebuild other country in our own image."

Trump further said, "Those days are now over," adding that America will instead work with allies and partners to protect their "shared interests".

Trump also said that a rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan is not feasible, pointing to the lessons the U.S. learned from Iraq.

"The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable," Trump said. "We cannot repeat in Afghanistan the mistake we made in Iraq."

Pointing out to the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan, Trump said, "They are nothing but thugs and criminals and predators and, that's right, losers."

Trump's decision came, when Taliban militants have been resurgent in recent months, posting a series of recent gains against Afghan government forces, which are backed by a US-led coalition of NATO allies.

About 8,400 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan.

The majority of about 6,900 are assigned to the NATO mission to train and advise Afghan security forces alongside approximately 6,000 troops from other NATO countries.

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Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Saturday blasted Washington's new sanctions, saying "today's financial sanctions are the worst aggression towards Venezuela in the last 200 years."

Cuba supported Venezuela and outrightly rejected new economic and financial sanctions imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump on Venezuela amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington.

The U.S. is trying to promote a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, Arreaza said, adding: "We will protect our people and our democracy with all means we have."

Caracas has blasted Washington's new sanctions against Venezuela, following the latest round of restrictions that the Trump administration imposed on the oil-rich country, targeting its energy sector.

Havana condemns these new "unilateral and arbitrary" measures against Venezuela, Xinhua quoted deputy foreign minister Abelardo Moreno as saying.

"Cuba rejects these unjust and illegal sanctions which violate international law against Venezuela and the government led by President Nicolas Maduro," said the statement.The statement, published on the foreign ministry website, added that it's "imperative" to defend the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone signed by all heads of state of the region in 2014.

"Our continent can't forget its own history, we must defend the principles and commitment of that declaration," added the statement.

On Friday, the Trump administration issued an order prohibiting Americans from dealings in new debt and equity issued by the Venezuelan government and by its state oil company, PDVSA.

The White House said that the measures "are carefully calibrated to deny the Maduro dictatorship a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule."

"We don't agree with anything that Maduro is doing," US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said on Friday, calling Venezuela's recently elected Constituent Assembly a "sham.

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On his maiden visit to Andhra Pradesh after assuming the coveted post of the Vice President, Venkaiah Naidu received a rousing welcome by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at Gannavaram Airport on Friday.

The Vice President will be felicitated with a ceremonial parade in Vijaywada, with members of opposition and other dignitaries present to congratulate him.

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After becoming the Vice President of India, Venkaiah Naidu visited his home state Andhra Pradesh for the first time on Saturday, and on the occasion, laid the foundation stone for the Prime Minister Awas Yojna Scheme of Group Housing with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Under the scheme, more than 2,25,000 houses are to be built for people living below poverty line in Andhra Pradesh.

Venkaiah Naidu, who has been the Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs, arrived at Amravati to accept the civic reception by the government of Andhra Pradesh, and received a warm welcome in the home state.

Naidu said that he will never forget the reception he received, and will live up to the standards of Vice President.

"I am a bit sad, as I cannot come and interact freely with you people," he added.

He promised to conduct his office with good principles, and in abidance of Constitution.

"Hard work and discipline are always on top of my agenda," he said.

Saying that he is retired but not tired, the Vice President continued, "I got good opportunities. I had only one desire- to retire at 70 years of age and start social service at my native village. But this opportunity to become VP was unexpected."

He also asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu to work together with Telangana for development of both Telugu states, and make Telugu the administrative language.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu congratulated the newly elected Vice President and said that his "political career of forty years has been spotless".

"Venkaiah becoming vice president is a great opportunity to Telugu people, we are proud of him" the CM said.

Both of them belong to Andhra Pradesh and have been the members of Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

"Both of us became MLAs in 1978," he recalled nostalgically.

Chandrababu Naidu, the President of TDP lauded the Vice President for helping the party during the August crisis.

"Venkaiah helped TDP during august crisis, when NTR-led government was in trouble. During recent bifurcation, he fought for Andhra Pradesh. His efforts yielded benefits to Andhra Pradesh."

Venkaiah Naidu also commented on the separation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh,

"Had Andhra Pradesh been divided in 1972 itself, history would have been different," he said

The Chief Minister also praised the previous work of the former Urban Development Minister for helping the poor of Andhra Pradesh.

"He gave priority to state in housing projects. In his tenure, Andhra Pradesh got three smart cities. His services for Swachchh Bharat are laudable, and he is very much successful in leading urban development ministry."

Venkaiah Naidu, who had recently declared Amaravati as smart city, said, "it should be the best capital city".

The CM continued with the praises for Venkaiah Naidu, "People recognized his services. The procession with lakhs of people proved that. He fought on public issues. His speeches were wonderful. He learnt Hindi to join politics. Venkaiah's oratory skills in Hindi along with Telugu and English are great. He is sincere and disciplined. I am afraid of his punctuality. His Swarna Bharati trust services to public are extra ordinary. Venkaiah's 40 year long political career is spotless, he is role model to all of us. He is down to earth, and never forgot any person came across in his life."

Adding to this, he added that Venkaiah Naidu's strength is his credibility, and has never used even a single harsh word.

Andhra Pradesh State Governor E. S. L Narasimhan also attended the 13th Vice President's welcome at the airport, who then proceeded to greet the people all the way in the convoy.

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Defence of Pakistan Council (DPC) chief Maulana Samiul Haq has clearly admitted that they are the ones fighting the Americans in Afghanistan and the Pakistan Army would not take any action against the Haqqani Network.

"It is not possible that Pakistan will conduct any operation against the Haqqanis," the Dawn quoted Haq, as saying.

"The West has been defaming jihad, equating it with terrorism, but we need to raise a call to jihad, so that our youth is prepared all the time," he said.

"We are fighting the Americans in Afghanistan and those who cannot fight are waging jihad with their words and pens; the whole nation needs to rise up to defeat the West."

Haq slammed US President Donald Trump's recent remarks about Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorist organizations and said that those he was affiliated with "were still fighting the Americans in Afghanistan".

Flanked by the leaders of other DPC component parties, including Jamaat-ud-Dawa, veteran jihadi leader Fazalur Rehman Khalil and PML-Zia MNA Ijazul Haq, the DPC leader said he did not agree with the recent briefing by the ISPR.

Blaming the U.S. for destroying peace in the region and denouncing former president General Pervez Musharraf for siding with the U.S. 'for money', Haq said, "That dictator was a weak man who sided with the US for money and left the whole nation to face terrorism and chaos."

"We do not want any American money; it is not even justified as they have brought unimaginable woes to the Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan," Dawn News quoted Haq, as saying.

Maulana Samiul Haq had close ties to Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.The Defense of Pakistan Council is an umbrella coalition of more than 40 Pakistani Political and Religious parties that advocate conservative policies such as closing NATO supply routes to Afghanistan.

Haq, who is the chief of his own faction of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI-S), also issued a call for 'jihad' to every section of society.

Elaborating about terrorist attacks being carried out in Pakistan by local actors affiliated with religious groups, Haq claimed that no Pakistani was involved in killing innocent people.

At his press conference, the DPC leader reportedly took aim at the recent US policy statement on Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

He alleged that the US was defaming Pakistan for the ills of the Afghan government which, he said, had connived with the CIA and Indian intelligence, killing civilians and security personnel in Pakistan.

Haq and other speakers also blamed the Pakistan government for pursuing a "failed foreign policy'" and demanded that parliament register their protest on the matter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At meeting held on 12 September 2017

MPS announced the resignation of Hitesh Kumar Jain as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer of the company with effect from 12 September 2017. Sunit Malhotra, CFO has been designated as the Compliance officer with effect from 13 September 2017.

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The Desloge Chamber of Commerce has officially announced that long-time city firefighter Kenny Hawkins has been selected to serve as grand marshal for this year's annual Labor Day Parade, which will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 4.

Chamber board of directors member David Shaw explained why Hawkins was selected for the honor.

"At the board of directors meeting in preparation for the Labor Day Picnic we always pick an annual grand marshal. Last year it was the police in general and all the police departments were our grand marshal, but this year we chose Kenny Hawkins because of his long-time service with the fire department and the contributions he's made to the community over all these decades  unselfishly and with little or no compensation for it. I don't think the board could have chosen a better candidate to honor this year."

Hawkins, 71, said he's spent his entire life in the city of Desloge  and never moved farther than a block away from the house where he was raised.

"I was raised in a house that's about a block from where I'm living now," he said. "When I got married I bought a house. I lived off Sixth Street  back then it was called Sixth Street  now it's Ravencrest Street. I bought a house on Seventh Street. If you'da went straight across the alley and up to my grandmother's house, then up four houses, that was it. I played in the neighborhood my whole life. I knew the house before I even looked at it. I bought that in '73 and I've been there since then."

Hawkins has been a member of the Desloge Fire Department since June 1, 1963  a total of just over 54 years  and served as both its assistant fire chief and fire chief.

"I was a junior in high school," he said. "There was a fire out in Cantwell where we lost some kids and their mother come back our senior year and took her senior year with us. That impressed me so much. I thought, if she could do that, I could go do a little more for the community."

Hawkins noted that over a period of 75 years, there have only been a total of seven men who have served as fire chief of the Desloge Fire Department. Of that number, only three of the chiefs are still living  Hawkins, who presently holds the rank of assistant fire chief; Alderman J.D. Hodge; and current Fire Chief Larry Gremminger.

"I served around two or three years as fire chief," Hawkins said. "I had three kids and I said, 'I just gotta quit doing so much there  I need to do more at home. Then I got down to regular fireman. By 2008, I was back up to deputy chief. Now I'm back to assistant chief and I don't want to go any farther. I'll probably retire at that rank.

"My health in the last three years has went down  I've had six bypasses and two strokes," he said. "I got a call a while ago from the doctor and the insurance is going to pay for my knee to be operated on. Fifty-four years on the fire department and I got hurt about two months ago."

Asked why the fire department became such an important part of his life for more than five decades, Hawkins said, "My family has given so much to the community and to the United States. My dad was in service twice. He was out and World War II broke out and he went back in.

"I had an uncle on his side that spent over 30 years in the Army. I've got an uncle on my mom's side that's done the same thing and I've got a brother that spent over 30 years in the Marine Corps. So, when I didn't pass my physical to be drafted, I just kinda said, 'Well, I'm going to try to do something.'

"I was a police officer in this town for a while. I worked it without a radio and without a pistol and used a '67 Chevy pickup truck as my patrol vehicle. I wouldn't do it today, but back then the kids was good. I knew every one of them."

In fact, Hawkins said he knew just about everybody in the city of Desloge because he had worked for a little grocery store for which he delivered groceries.

"I used to just go into people's houses," he said. "I'd have their groceries and I'd set 'em on the table. The meat and the milk went in the refrigerator. I picked the money up and took it back to the store. The house was never locked. No trouble outta anybody, but you know, that's all went by the wayside."

Hawkins has also been a long-time member of the Mineral Area Community Elks Lodge 2583 where he has served in a number of roles, including exalted ruler and, despite his health issues, does his best not to rest on his laurels.

"Last summer I went for a week in Houston, Texas," he said. "I did that, but I've slowed down a lot. I also spend time with my grandson who will soon be 11 years old. He gave me a shirt for Father's Day that said, 'Dads know a lot  Grandpas know everything.'"

And how did Hawkins feel when he learned the news that he'd been selected as grand marshal for this year's Labor Day parade?

"A little apprehensive," he admitted. "I'm doing more talking today than most people have ever heard me talk. I almost didn't get out of school because I wouldn't get up and give a book report in front of my class. I'm not one to get up and toot my own horn. If you ever see me around a fire over at Bismarck or anywhere else, I hold back a little bit. But that's just the way it's always been."

The bottom line for Hawkins, however, is that he believes he won't be representing himself alone in this year's Desloge Labor Day Parade.

"I'm going to be representing all the great firefighters we've had through all the years, past and present," he said. "It isn't just me. It's everybody on the Desloge Fire Department and the guys on the other fire departments around here, too."
Held on 25 August 2017

The Board of DLF at its meeting held on 25 August 2017 approved the execution of execution of the Share Purchase and Shareholders Agreement and other ancillary documents with Reco Diamond (an affiliate of GIC Real Estate, Singapore), promoter group companies namely Rajdhani Investments & Agencies, Buland Consultants and Investments , Sidhant Housing and Development Company (the Sellers) and LF Cyber City Developers (DCCDL).

The transaction entails the selling of 15,96,99,999 Cumulative Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) of DCCDL by the sellers to Reco Diamond.

The Transaction implies an Enterprise Value of Rs. 35,617 crore for DCCDL, translating into equity value of approx Rs. 30,200 crore. Post completion of series of steps as contemplated in the transaction, DLF shall hold 66.66% equity shares (up from 60% on a fully diluted basis earlier) and Reco Diamond shall hold 33.34% equity shares in DCCDL.

The gross proceeds to the sellers from the transaction would be approx Rs. 11,900 crore approximately, which includes secondary sale of equity shares (post conversion of CCPS) to Reco Diamond for Rs 8,900 crore approximately and two buybacks of CCPS by DCCDL for Rs 3,000 crore - out of which one buyback shall be before closing and one shall be 12 months thereafter. The transaction amount shall be subject to customary closing adjustments. The transaction has been structured to make best use of the surplus cash in DCCDL resulting in an efficient capital structure.

A mechanism has been agreed to with the Investor for a potential stake adjustment of upto a maximum of 0.58% of total paid up capital of DCCDL, to be adjusted at three years from closing, if certain terms and conditions of the agreement are not met.

The transaction has customary representations and indemnities; and certain specific indemnities, subject to corporate and shareholder approvals.

The expected post tax consideration in the hands of the Sellers pursuant to the sale and the two tranches of Buyback is expected to be in excess of Rs 10000 crores. A substantial portion of the said amounts will be invested in the Company. The Company will take all required steps to ensure that the Minimum Public Shareholding norms as stipulated in the Listing Regulations are complied with.

The transaction shall be subject to necessary corporate and regulatory approvals.

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With effect from 24 August 2017

SPS International announced that Shikha Jain has resigned as the Whole Time Director of the Company w.e.f. 24 August 2017. Further, she will continue to be on the Board as a Woman Non-Executive Director.

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Three Pakistan Rangers personnel were killed on Saturday in retaliatory firing by Border Security Force (BSF) troopers on the International Border in Jammu district.

The BSF spokesman said on the official Twitter handle of the force, "Yesterday Pakistan sniped at a BSF Jawan while he was standing and drinking water in BOP Budhwar in RS Pura of Jammu.

"BSF retaliated strongly during cross-border firing and shot dead at least three Pakistan Rangers."

Giving details of the incident, BSF sources said Pakistan Rangers resorted to firing on the International Border in Pargwal sector on Saturday.

"Alert BSF troops immediately spotted that the fire was coming from a Pakistan Rangers' tower on the International Border.

"In retaliatory action, three Pakistan Rangers atop the tower were shot down," BSF sources said.

--IANS

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The Union Home Ministry on Saturday said 31 persons were killed in Haryana Dera violence on Friday after a court held Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape.

A ministry statement said 29 deaths occurred in Panchkula and two in Sirsa, where the Dera is headquartered.

At least 250 persons were injured in the widespread mayhem that erupted immediately after the self-proclaimed godman was taken into custody. The injured included 60 policemen.

The statement said the situation in Haryana was "still very tense but under control"

--IANS

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Film: Arjun Reddy; Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga; Cast: Vijay Devarakonda, Shalini Pandey, Rahul Ramakrishna and Sanjay Swaroop; Rating: *****

One can't help but fall in love with "Arjun Reddy", the film as well as the eponymous title role, even though you don't walk out of the cinema hall with a smile. If you fall in the category of the audience that believes cinema is meant to entertain, maybe this is not the film for you. You might as well watch a David Dhawan film.

If you like the kind of cinema that moves you, quite literally shakes you from within, "Arjun Reddy" is for you. By the end of the film, it stirs up an emotional storm deep inside with its raw, intense and honest portrayal of love and suffering.

In the opening shot, we are introduced to Arjun and Preethi, and we're told they are two bodies united by one soul. But theirs is not the kind of love story we are used to, especially Telugu audiences who are used to cheering for 50-plus stars romancing heroines half their age, singing duets in the Alps.

The love in "Arjun Reddy" is pure, unabashedly bold and hard-hitting. It touches the soul in ways it can't be explained. It gives the story a modern-day Devdas twist, while making the overall cinematic experience a journey to remember for a long time.

This is the story of the lead character Arjun Reddy, and yet there isn't a story, a structure to be precise, to follow and anticipate what might happen next. It's the rise, fall and rise of Arjun, and his journey of love and suffering, is nothing short of poetic and heart wrenching.

Writer-director Sandeep Reddy Vanga doesn't make us sympathise with Arjun's character, and that's a relief and achievement by itself. He makes us understand Arjun's love and pain from a very personal and subconscious standpoint, and in doing so, he strikes an emotional chord.

It's not the number of lip-locks or the use of expletives that make "Arjun Reddy" a brave film. What really makes it a brave film and its director, a man with guts, is that it ventures into a space Telugu cinema has dared to enter and I doubt if it will ever. It shows that any story, when told with conviction, will be accepted and celebrated.

Sandeep and Vijay, as director and hero, make the film for what it is, and both have paved the way for a new chapter in Telugu filmdom. If it was "Pellichoopulu" and "Kshanam" last year, it's "Arjun Reddy" in 2017, and these films assure there is light at the end of the tunnel.

As much as the film belongs to Sandeep, who is also its writer, it equally belongs to Vijay Devarakonda, who is the life of "Arjun Reddy". Vijay breathes life into the character and it's impossible to imagine anyone else in his shoes. Be it his passion, love, and rage; he portrays these several layers of his character with unparalleled realism.

Vijay's performance as a college-goer with serious anger issues or as the alcoholic surgeon will leave you in awe of his versatility in pulling off such diverse avatars with ease, as if it was child's play.

Sandeep presents Vijay's character from different perspectives and from each point of view; we get to understand Arjun even better. For Arjun's father, his son's actions are stains on his prestige. For his friends, Arjun's actions show his recklessness and free-spirited attitude. For Preethi, Arjun's actions show his madness and unwillingness to change, which she eventually embraces.

We get to learn more about Arjun - his strengths, his weaknesses and flaws - from every character around him.

"'Arjun Reddya' is not a film; it's an experience that'll stay with you. This is a very personal story of love and suffering, aided by beautiful cinematography and terrific music, particularly the background score.

At 190 minutes, there isn't a single lull moment in the film and it hooks you, quite literally till the end. This is the most original, experimental and daring work to come out Telugu cinema in a long time.

--IANS

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Army and paramilitary forces moved in to get the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Sirsa town in Haryana vacated on Saturday, a day after the sect chief was convicted of rape, sparking large-scale violence by his supporters.

There are still thousands of Dera followers inside the sect headquarters, around 260 km from here, sources said.

Authorities in Haryana have also ordered security forces to crack down on the sect campuses elsewhere in Haryana. Dera followers have been asked to move out.

The Haryana government counsel told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday that there were 36 Dera campuses, known as 'Naam Charcha Ghar' across the state, including the sprawling 800-acre sect headquarters near Sirsa town.

Sources in the government said that two Dera premises in Kurukshetra district had already been sealed by the local authorities after getting these vacated of Dera followers.

Action was being initiated in other districts to get Dera campuses vacated and disperse the sect followers.

On Friday, tens of thousands of supporters of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh went on the rampage in Haryana and Punjab, to vent their anger against the court verdict.

The arson left 31 people, 29 of them in Panchkula town, dead and nearly 250 others injured.

Vehicles and property were also damaged and set on fire by the unruly Dera followers.

The BJP government in Haryana led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is under fire for its inept handling of the situation following the conviction of the sect chief.

The conviction was announced by a CBI special court in Panchkula on Friday.

--IANS

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The West Bengal government on Saturday issued showcause notice to private clinical establishments after a section of their doctors launched a day-long protest here against what they called "a series of relentless violence against doctors and other medical professionals" and complete inaction on the part of the police and administration.

"We have issued showcause notice to the clinical establishments under the West Bengal Clinical Establishments (Registration, Regulation and Transparency) Act, 2017. They have to respond by August 28," Director of Health Services B.R. Satpathi told IANS.

Patients from various districts of the state, who had appointments at leading multi-specialty private hospitals in the city, were inconvenienced as outpatient departments remained shut in most of the private hospitals and nursing homes in response to the cease-work call by the United Doctors Voice of Bengal.

"Against the backdrop of a series of relentless violence against doctors and other medical professionals and to protest complete inaction on the part of police and administration regarding the violence and extortion cases in various medical institutes, we have decided to cease work completely and suspend all non-emergency activity," doctors said.

The cease-work was triggered by alleged threats and intimidation by a patient's kin (at CMRI Hospital) who had refused to pay the hospital bill amounting to Rs 75,000.

The protesting doctors expressed "complete solidarity with their CMRI colleagues".

They, however, assured emergency services and care of admitted patients "would be taken to fullest extent".

But for those like the elderly Giridhari Dutta, a trip to a hospital here proved futile.

"I had an appointment. They told me they can't see patients today. At least they should have informed us a day ago," Dutta said.

The same was true for several others who had come to the city from districts like West Midnapore and Hooghly as well as from neighbouring Bangladesh for treatment.

"This is not right. This is like trade union strike. They are here to offer services. For a few people, everyone has to suffer," a patient's relative said.

People for Better Treatment, a registered society fighting for a better healthcare system, has written to the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) denouncing the move as "both morally and legally wrong".

It wrote: "It (strike) also violates the mandatory provisions of MCI Code of Medical Ethics & Regulations, 2002. More importantly, in response to a recent PIL filed by our organisation against 'doctors' strike' (W.P. Civil No. 253/2012), Supreme Court of India has held that strike by doctors 'may amount to negligence warranting action for misconduct'.

"In fact, apex court also issued categorical direction that in case of doctors' strike, Medical Council of India and other State Medical Councils must be approached to take suitable action against such striking doctors."

It pointed out that a similar strike last week by doctors at Calcutta National Medical College & Hospital (CNMCH) had brought enormous misery on the hapless patients.

"In view of the 'doctors' strike' and the unequivocal direction from the Supreme Court of India as mentioned above, we submit this formal representation to request you to take immediate and exemplary disciplinary action against all striking doctors at private hospitals and CNMCH for their misconduct in accordance to the law," the society added.

--IANS

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Saturday turned out to be the high-point of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival as it witnessed packed sessions by some of the most popular as well as critically-acclaimed authors from India. Sessions by some prominent Bhutanese authors such as Ashi Sonam Choden Dorji were well attended too but it was the likes of Ruskin Bond, Shashi Tharoor and Devdutt Pattanaik who ruled the roost.

The day began with a dance by students from the Royal Academy of Performing Arts who enthralled the visitors. No, there was no loud thumping and hip-hop; instead it was a traditional Bhutanese performance, soaked in silence, mediation and prayer.

This was followed by a jam-packed session titled "Inglorious Empire," in which Congress MP and writer Shashi Tharoor continued his relentless attack on the legacy of the British Raj. The session was based on his latest book "An Era of Darkness," in which Tharoor shows a mirror to the British and challenges all arguments in favour of the British Raj with his research and findings. He maintained that it is important for Indians to "forgive but not forget" the atrocities of the Raj. The session, which was attended by the Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, and Indian Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar, saw Tharoor appealing to the British for an apology for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The second day also saw the release of a book on late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A collection of essays and reflections on Indira Gandhi, the book has been compiled by the Indian National Congress and was released by the Queen Mother. Wangchuck referred to Indira Gandhi as a "lady of great courage, character and determination" and said that she was honoured to release a book on the former Indian Prime Minister, who had inspired her during her early days.

Then there was Devdutt Pattanaik, who took the audience on a spiritual ride down memory lane as he attempted to draw parallels between Hinduism and Buddhism during his session "Seeking the Dharma". Attended primarily by a young audience, Pattanaik, one of India's leading writers on mythology, managed to steal 45-minutes of complete silence as he delivered a well-researched address, accompanied by a power-point presentation.

There was a brief indulgence for the audience as many stepped out of the auditorium to enjoy the beautiful evening in Thimphu but the hall was once again packed shortly before the last session of the day, which saw India's most loved author Ruskin Bond sharing tales of mountain roads with the visitors.

Referring to his visit as "the most memorable trip" he has had so far, Bond shared that he enjoyed walking around Thimphu and was overwhelmed by its surreal beauty.

"I am a very subjective writer and I write on my personal experiences and the people I have known. I am not a very inventive writer. So I had written a lot of books which were autobiographical in nature but now I thought an autobiography was always in the making," he said about his latest book, "Lone Fox Dancing".

He also recited a poem and was greeted with a thunderous applause from the audience.

"If you look at the childhood of many writers, they had a very disturbed childhood. I had a similar one. A lot of my earlier stories were about my childhood but as I grew older, I could understand the pain of others too. And that is how so many books worked out," the Sahitya Akademi winner added.

Throughout the day, visitors were greeted by two humble women, Namita Gokhale and Mita Kapur, who ensured they personally received every visitor who entered the auditorium. Kapur is the producer of Mountain Echoes while Gokhale is its co-director.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, the Mountain Echoes Literary festival is an initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation, in association with India's leading literary consultancy, Siyahi. The festival concludes on Sunday evening.

(Saket Suman's visit to Thimphu is at the invitation of the organisers of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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A man who injured two soldiers in Brussels with a machete and was subsequently shot and killed was carrying a fake firearm and two copies of the Quran, according to a statement by the Belgian prosecutor's office on Saturday.

Authorities were treating Friday night's attack, which saw two soldiers being injured in an assault shortly before 8.30 p.m. on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain in the centre of the capital, as a terror attack, Efe news reported.

Investigators raided the house of the suspect, who after being shot by police was taken to a nearby hospital where he died.

According to the prosecutor's office, the suspect was a 30-year-old Somali who arrived in Belgium in 2004 and had taken Belgian nationality in 2015.

The suspect had not been known to have a terror-related history, according to police.

He had shouted "Allahu Akbar" (Arabic for "God is great") during the attack, witnesses said.

Authorities were treating the attack as an isolated incident and did not change Belgium's terror threat level. The threat is currently at level three, the second highest, which indicates a "serious and real" threat, but not an imminent attack.

In June, authorities foiled a suspected terror attack on the Brussels central station, where a man was shot after causing a small explosion.

In March 2016, 32 people were killed and more than 300 injured in coordinated attacks at Brussels airport and the city's metro.

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel expressed his support for the country's soldiers on Friday night.

"Our security services remain vigilant. We are following the situation closely with the Belgian crisis centre," he said.

--IANS

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Cuba on Saturday rejected new economic and financial sanctions imposed on Venezuela by US President Donald Trump, as tensions between Caracas and Washington continue to grow.

"Havana condemns these new 'unilateral and arbitrary' measures against Venezuela", deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"Cuba rejects these sanctions which violate international law against Venezuela and the government led by President Nicolas Maduro," said Moreno.

The statement by Moreno added that it's "imperative" to defend the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone signed by all heads of state of the region in 2014.

"Our continent can't forget its own history, we must defend the principles and commitment of that declaration," Moreno said.

Venezuela is Cuba's main political ally in the region and its second largest trading partner as Havana receives around 100,000 barrels of oil daily from the former in exchange for medical doctors and other advisers.

The new sanctions, signed on Friday by Trump, will prohibit dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company.

This was the latest round of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Venezuela after the latter held elections to elect the National Constituent Assembly at the end of July.

--IANS

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DEAR ABBY: I understand that a 15-year-old guy writing for relationship advice is shameful and that I'm probably better off not worrying about relationships in the first place, but I'm still gonna try.

I'm in high school, and I'm searching for a relationship with a certain girl. I've known her for eight years, and I always had a little-kid crush on her, but it's evolved over time and we've gotten closer. We used to talk a lot. She was in a relationship then. Even though we had feelings for each other, she stayed loyal to him.

Well, a couple months ago they broke up. As far as I know, she's single, but we don't really talk much anymore. A couple times I've started conversations with her, but they are usually short-lived.

She knows I have feelings for her, but nothing has happened. She's the one I want and now's my opportunity, but I don't want to ruin the small chance I have. I'm afraid she won't be single for long. -- WANTS TO TRY IN OHIO

DEAR WANTS TO TRY: It is not "shameful" to ask for advice. Call her and ask how her summer has been. If you did anything interesting, tell her about it. Then ask her if she's seeing anybody special. If she says no, ask if she'd like to go to a movie, a sporting event or on a hike with you -- depending upon her interests. I can't guarantee it will get you the response you're hoping for, but at least you will know where you -- and she -- stand.

DEAR ABBY: My daughter will turn 6 soon, and she is a lovely, wonderful child. The only thing is, my parents and I have spoiled her a tad.

Holidays have always been celebrated with lots of gifts. I'm starting to worry that perhaps she's becoming too materialistic. What's the proper etiquette for requesting no gifts on her birthday invitations? And how do I respond if they ask why? -- SPOILED IN WASHINGTON

DEAR SPOILED: I don't think it's necessary to state on the invitation "no gifts." There are ways to teach children that there are other, less-fortunate children in this world.

One way would be to volunteer at an organization that serves the underprivileged so your daughter can see for herself how lucky she is. Another would be to do as some other parents do: Mention on the birthday invitation that any gifts will be donated to a cause you and your daughter agree upon. And if you are asked why, be honest and upfront about it.

DEAR ABBY: I feel uncomfortable when people end conversations with "I love you." It creeps me out when a man does it. I always thought those words were reserved for someone you are intimate with, such as a spouse or possibly one's children. Am I wrong to think "I love you" has become meaningless from overuse? Or am I just a weird guy? -- UNCOMFORTABLE IN TEXAS

DEAR UNCOMFORTABLE: It's not uncommon for good friends of both sexes to say "Love you" or "I love you" to each other as well as to extended relatives. In my opinion, it's healthy for people to express their feelings, because there's never too much love. Our world could use more expressions of it, not fewer.

DEAR ABBY: I have a friend, "Charlene," whom I met through a local charity organization. We have many things in common, including the fact that we're both retired, and we enjoy each other's company. Charlene is slim (not skinny), very energetic and fit for her age.

The problem is, it's impossible to share a meal with her. As soon as the food is served, Charlene starts a constant commentary about "how big the portions are" and how she "couldn't possibly eat" what is before her (it doesn't matter how little is on the plate). Often, she DOES actually eat most of her meal. Then the ongoing comments start about how she was such a pig, she won't be able to eat another thing all day.

I don't know if she thinks she's setting a good example (I am not slim), or if she has some psychological issues surrounding food. I am tired of this routine. Is there any way I can ask her to stop without hurting her feelings? -- SICK OF HEARING IT IN IDAHO

DEAR SICK: I can see how sitting through repeat performances of those refrains would get old fast. Of course there's a way to get her to stop. All you have to say is, "You know, when you say that, it prevents me from enjoying MY meal, so please don't do it when you're with me."

DEAR ABBY: I have been selected to attend a symposium in New York that will be attended by one or more members of the British royal family. While I feel no animosity toward the royal family, some of my ancestors died fighting for freedom from English rule during the American Revolution.

I think it would be a grave dishonor to my ancestors to address the royals as "Your Highness" or any other term that suggests they are above me, especially since this gathering will take place on U.S. soil. How can I address them in a way that would be respectful, but would not demean the sacrifices of my ancestors? -- KEN IN OHIO

DEAR KEN: Be polite and gracious. Do not raise the subject of the American Revolution, because I am quite sure they are already well aware of it. To smile and say, "It's nice to meet you," would not dishonor your ancestors or embarrass the sponsors of the symposium, and that's what I recommend you do.

DEAR ABBY: I am the mother of a large family. On Sundays, some of them come over to visit me. Sometimes they'll get into arguments and get really angry.

Because this is happening in my home, what position am I to take? I was told by one of my daughters that I should not allow them to come here anymore. Because I am not involved in the argument, I don't feel I should do that.

I enjoy my daughters visiting me. I don't want to tell them they cannot come to their mother's house. What do you advise? -- MOM OF MANY IN THE WEST

DEAR MOM OF MANY: You're the mother. If your family's heated arguments make you uncomfortable -- and a pitched battle would qualify -- you are within your rights to tell them you prefer they argue elsewhere because it upsets you. I do NOT advise you to exercise the "nuclear option" by banishing them from the premises, because to do so would be an overreaction.

DEAR ABBY: I have been in two relationships. The first was with a girl a couple of years older than I am. We were together for several years before she cheated on me and dumped me. I was crushed. The next girl was a few years younger. She did the same thing after we were together a year.

What am I doing wrong? Fidelity is important to me, and they both knew it from the start. How can I avoid this in the future?

I have never been a controlling person. I was always fine with my girlfriends going out with their friends without me if I couldn't go for some reason. (That's how they ended up meeting the other guys.)

The people in lasting relationships I've seen watch each other like hawks, and never allow their significant other to be in the company of the opposite sex without them. Is this normal? Should I be like them? That seems controlling, but clearly, my "no boundaries" relationship style has backfired on me. -- CHEATED ON IN NEW YORK CITY

DEAR CHEATED ON: Few things can ruin a relationship or a marriage like obsessive jealousy can. Watching one's partner "like a hawk" is stifling. It will eventually drive the person away, as you will see as you continue to observe the couples you have mentioned. Please don't try to change the person you are because YOU are just fine.

I believe that in relationships there has to be a certain amount of responsibility. If someone is mature enough to be involved romantically, that person should be willing to admit if things aren't working out. Being cheated on is painful, and being dumped is equally so. Not every relationship leads to marriage, but rather than sneak around to avoid a frank conversation, it's better to practice the Golden Rule.

DEAR ABBY: I am in a predicament. My therapist is great, but sometimes I think she shares too much. Last time I went, she was running late. When I finally got into her office, she told me the previous patient was nonverbal and had painted her nails during the session. Later in the session, she confided that years ago she had been date raped.

Abby, I am in counseling because my father raped me when I was 15 (I am now 24). Her sharing has me worried because I don't want her telling others what I say or do during counseling. Further, her story of the date rape scared me. She described a situation that is not uncommon for me to be in, and it caused something almost like a flashback in me. I think what she did was insensitive, to say the least.

I have nobody else to ask, so what should I do? I'm getting counseling for free now due to my income, and it took months to get set up with a counselor. Should I report her or accept that this was a mistake and say nothing? If I need to report her, how would I go about doing that? -- CONFLICTED ABOUT IT

DEAR CONFLICTED: You should change therapists because it appears this one has more problems than you do. As to what agency you should report her breach of professional ethics to, contact the state organization that has licensed her to practice.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Ousmane Dembele will be FC Barcelona's new player this season after the club and Borussia Dortmund reached an agreement, the Spanish La Liga giants have officially announced.

According to a FC Barcelona statement on Friday, the deal with the German Bundesliga side included a transfer fee of 105 million euros ($124.7 million) plus add-ons in pursuit of the French forward, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 20-year-old Dembele will arrive on Sunday to undergo a medical on Monday, to sign his five-year contract and to be officially presented, the club said, adding that his buy out clause is set at 400 million euros ($477.25 million).

The France international was born in French town of Vernon and turned professional at the age of 18 with Ligue 1 club Stade Rennais FC.

Dembele scored 10 goals in 49 matches with former German Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund last season, and was third on the list of players with most assists in Europe, reaching 20 in all competitions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After Dera followers indulged in large-scale violence on Friday following their leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case, the Haryana Police on Saturday said the jailed godman will not be brought to Panchkula for the sentencing on Monday.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court judge Jagdeep Singh while convicting the Dera chief in the 2002 rape case and sexual exploitation of two female disciples, said the quantum of punishment for the 50-year-old sect leader would be handed out on August 28.

Ram Rahim was flown in a helicopter, specially arranged by the Haryana government, to Rohtak. He is lodged in the District Jail at Sanoria, about 10 km from Rohtak.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) B S Sandhu told the media here on Saturday that the sect chief would not be brought back to the Panchkula court over security concerns.

"The sentencing will either be done through video conferencing or, if required, the court will be held there (Rohtak prison)," the DGP said, adding that the judge (Jagdeep Singh) will be taken there.

Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi denied that the convicted godman was being provided VIP treatment by the state and the police in prison.

The DGP and Chief Secretary, however, could not explain why a woman, said to be the sect chief's daughter, was allowed to board the helicopter used to transfer the godman to the prison after he was taken into custody.

Panchkula town, adjoining here, where the CBI court announced the verdict, bore the brunt of violence unleashed by thousands of Dera supporters on Friday and resembled a war zone with a trail of 29 deaths, burnt vehicles and properties worth crores damaged or torched.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that it has arrested meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi in connection with a money laundering case.

Qureshi was arrested on Friday night, an ED official said. He will be produced in court on Saturday.

The ED had registered a case against Qureshi in 2016, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged illegal forex dealings and tax evasion.

According to the financial probe agency, Qureshi was being investigated for allegedly remitting funds through hawala channels to Dubai, London and a few other destinations in Europe.

The ED said that during the course of investigation certain facts have emerged that constitute omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high positions in public office in collusion with Qureshi whereby huge amount of illegal money transaction was carried out.

The agency also said that the records collected from the Income Tax department -- BBM (Blackberry Messenger) message has revealed Qureshi took huge amount of money from different persons for obtaining "undue favours from public servants" after exercising his personal influence.

"BBM messages exchanged between Qureshi and the accused persons involved in other criminal cases and also the persons who wanted to seek undue favours from the other investigating agencies of government by getting them off the hook," the ED said.

Thus, he also obtained huge amount of money for providing influence, the agency added.

"The analysis of BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Qureshi and his associates revealed that the Hawala operators were also used to transfer bribe money belonging to government officials to different foreign locations like Paris (France) and UK," the agency said.

The agency also claimed that he extorted crores of rupees from a businessman from Hyderabad, in lieu of the help provided.

"He (Qureshi) was found involved in Hawala transactions through Delhi based Hawala operators and the money was transferred to Dubai and then to Paris, London, US, Hong Kong, Italy and Switzerland," the agency said.

--IANS

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(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 case was filed against actor Rishi Kapoor on Saturday for posting pornographic material on his Twitter account.

Afroz Malik, President of 'Jai Ho Foundation' NGO said: "We would request you to immediately register an FIR against actor Rishi Kapoor under relevant sections of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) and IT Act for posting indecent, nude and vulgar picture of a minor child on his Twitter account @chintskap."

The complaint has been lodged at the Cyber Police station of Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East. Jai Ho Foundation is a Maharashtra based NGO registered under Women and Child Development Department of the state.

On Saturday the veteran actor posted a video where it shows that a little boy spanking a girl and fooling around with another boy.

The statement further reads: "Rishi Kapoor has more than 2.6 Million followers on Twitter account. This means this pornographic image material got circulated to more than 2.6 Million people. There are more than 66 retweets and 476 likes as of now on his this indecent image."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A five-member delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will attend the August 29 all-party meeting convened by the West Bengal government on the Darjeeling issue, and raise the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland during the parleys.

"A five member delegation led by me will attend the meeting and raise the demand for Gorkhaland," GJM Joint Secretary Binay Tamang told IANS oN Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the party was "in favour of a tripartite meeting "between the hills" parties, state and central government to resolve the crisis.

"We hope for a positive outcome of the meeting. The central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both are prepared to help," BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said.

Normal life has been paralysed in the hills covering large areas in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts following the indefinite shutdown called by the GJM since June 12 on the statehood demand.

The Gorkhaland Movement Co-ordination Committee(GMCC) formed later to broadbase the movement by roping in other parties, has also backed the stir which has greatly impacted the hills' three economic mainstays -- tea, timber and tourism.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government would hold talks with "all major political parties" on August 29.

However, the GMCC would meet on Sunday at Kalimpong.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana government on Saturday sacked Deputy Advocate General Gurdas Singh Salwara for carrying self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's bag after he was taken into police custody, an official said on Saturday.

Salwara, who is believed to be a relative of convicted Sacha Sauda Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh, was caught on camera while taking the bag from the godman in the court complex, a government official told IANS.

Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, where the CBI court proclaimed the sect chief guilty, bore the brunt of violence on Friday and resembled a war zone with scores of burnt vehicles and properties damaged or torched.

CBI Special Judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera chief, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002.

The self-styled godman is used to a life of ultra luxury and ostentatious public appearances.

The Dera chief was shifted to a prison near Rohtak town (about 70 km from Delhi) and was lodged in a barrack in the jail. The quantum of punishment would be pronounced in the prison on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Haryana, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, is facing flak from all quarters for going soft on the Dera chief, who had openly supported the BJP in the 2014 elections, and his unruly followers who staged the mayhem in Panchkula.

Sacking of the Deputy Advocate General is the second major head-roll since the violence.

Earlier, the government ordered the suspension of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ashok Kumar, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 2007 batch.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) on Saturday urged the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to consider withdrawal of an advisory with regard to the proposed deportation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.

The Advisory titled 'Identification of illegal migrants and monitoring thereof' was issued on August 8 which emphasises the detection and deportation of illegal migrants from Rakhine State i.e. Rohingyas.

The CHRI, in its statement, said the government's advisory on Rohingya Muslims "runs contrary" to India's constitutional and international commitments.

The CHRI mentioned that India was a state party to Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which upholds the right to life.

"Under the principle of non-refoulement, countries are under obligation not to send back refugees to their country of origin where circumstances of grave human rights violations prevail," CHRI's Director Sanjoy Hazarika said in the statement.

Madhurima Dhanuka, Coordinator, Prison Reforms Programme, CHRI, said that while countries had a right to expel foreigners under international law, to deport someone requires another country to acknowledge his/her citizenship.

"As Myanmar refuses to acknowledge Rohingya Muslims as citizens, it becomes impossible for the Indian government to deport them there, making the advisory infructuous," Dhanuka said.

The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority of Myanmar who live in the western state of Rakhine. They do not find mention in that country's official listing of 135 ethnic communities, and are thus not recognised as citizens by Myanmar.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over the past years Myanmar military forces allegedly in connivance with extremist Buddhist groups have launched major crackdowns on Rohingya Muslims, driving over 74,000 refugees to seek shelter in Bangladesh by February this year.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prominent Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump after he signed a memo instructing the Defence Department to stop accepting transgender people into the armed forces.

The presidential memorandum signed on Friday officially requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, to be put in place on March 23, 2018.

Slamming the move, Democratic US Representative Ami Bera said: "If you wear an American military uniform, you deserve the respect and support of the Commander-in-Chief... Unfortunately, Donald Trump is more comfortable peddling in discrimination and bigotry, and he's shown that he is unable to support our troops."

"Removing these men and women from service or refusing recruits because of who they are goes against every American value they swear to defend," said Bera, who is the longest-serving Indian American currently in the Congress," Bera said in a press release.

The directive, signed on Friday, bars transgender people from enlisting, but instructs Secretary of Defence James Mattis and the Homeland Security "to determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant", according to a White House official.

It ordered the Pentagon to stop paying for gender reassignment surgeries, except in cases that were already in progress to "protect the health of an individual".

California Democrat Ro Khanna tweeted: "Our transgender service members deserve honour and respect. This military ban is anti-trans discrimination and must not be tolerated."

In a tweet, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi said that he hoped that Trump would reconsider the ban.

"I hope the President immediately reconsiders this ban. There is no place for discrimination in our armed forces."

In another tweet, Krishnamoorthi said: "We must never abandon those who have sacrificed so much for their nation. #ProtectTransTroops"

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, termed the ban "downright shameful".

"I stand shoulder to shoulder with the transgender community. This is downright shameful. #TransRightsAreHumanRights," she tweeted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Iraqi security forces on Saturday liberated three neighbourhoods of Tal Afar city from the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The federal police forces and paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units recaptured the neighbourhoods of Qadsiyah Oula, Qadsiyah Thaniyah and al-Rabie, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The latest advance of the federal police brought the number of liberated neighbourhoods to 19, reports Xinhua news agency.

On August 20, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, declared the start of an operation to regain control of Tal Afar and nearby areas from IS militants.

Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, is the last IS stronghold in the province of Nineveh.

The International Organisation for Migration estimates that some 10,000 to 40,000 people are still living in the city.

There were between 1,500 and 2,000 IS militants left in Tal Afar.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Defence Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday unveiled the third line of metro manufacturing facility of the state-run Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) here to ramp up its production to meet the demand for more such cars.

"The third line will enable the company to increase production capacity to 27 cars from 18 per month by augmenting jigs, fixtures and machines," said Jaitley on the occasion.

The BEML has supplied about 1,200 metro cars to metro corporations in New Delhi, Bengaluru and Jaipur and has orders from Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Lucknow to produce for their metro projects.

Earlier in the day, Jaitley visited the defence major's complex at Kolar Gold Fields (KGF) in Bangarapet, about 100 km from here, and rolled out its 180-tonne hydraulic excavator, which was designed and developed in-house as part of the government's "Make in India" initiative.

BEML Chairman and Managing Director Deepak Kumar Hota handed over the first hull of T-72 battle tank variant to the Ordnance Factories Board (OFB) in the presence of the minister.

As an industrial organisation, the OFB functions under the Department of Defence Production.

Jaitley also inspected the various defence products made by the BEML and saw their demonstration.

The minister also rolled out the company's 850-HP diesel-powered crawler bulldozer for the mining industry.

"Our bulldozer BD475-1 is an import substitution to higher capacity dozers being imported by the user industry," said Hota on the occasion.

The 180-tonne hydraulic excavator is also an import substitute for use in mega mines.

"We have collaborated with OFB for various projects to increase our contribution to the armed forces.

"The hull for T-72 tank variants will help reduce import of hulls by OFB due to capacity constraint," added Hota.

Jaitley, who is also the Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, was on a day-long visit to the city for participating in a couple of events, including the launch of state-run Vijaya Bank's 100 digital villages, 100 branches and 100 ATMs offering.

As Defence Minister, Jaitley also launched the production of state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL)-designed Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) here.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
WASHINGTON -- When John Adams wrote into Massachusetts' Constitution a commitment to a "government of laws and not of men," he probably assumed that the rule of law meant the rule of laws, no matter how many laws there might be. He could not have imagined the modern proliferation and complexity of laws, or how subversive this is of the rule of law.

Such a subversion will confront Congress when it reconvenes. Congress is nimble at evading responsibilities but cannot avoid deciding either to repudiate or to tolerate a residue of President Obama's lawlessness, one that most, perhaps all, congressional Democrats and many, perhaps most, Republicans want Obama's successor to continue.

The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) requires insurance companies to insure people with "pre-existing conditions," a locution minted to avoid the awkward candor of saying, in most cases, "people who are already sick." The individual mandate, requiring people to purchase insurance, is one way the ACA subsidizes insurance companies that are mandated to engage in money-losing undertakings.

The subsidy that Congress must confront in September is the ACA requirement that the secretary of health and human services devise a program to compensate insurers for the cost of selling discounted plans to some low-income purchasers. Obama's HHS secretary created a program to disperse billions of dollars to insurers to defray the costs of the low-income purchasers who are more than half the ACA enrollees.

But -- speaking of awkwardness -- although the ACA authorizes a permanent expenditure for this, an authorization is not an appropriation, and Congress has never provided an appropriation. Come September, these payments may dramatize the increasing difficulty of discerning Republican and Democratic differences commensurate with their heated rhetoric. Democrats are untroubled by the payments because progressives believe that unfettered presidents are necessary to surmount the inefficiencies, as progressives see them, inherent in the Framers' great mistake, as progressives see it -- the separation of powers. Republicans, however, have a dilemma: Halting the payments might unleash chaos; continuing them seals Republican complicity in perpetuating the ACA.

The Constitution says: "No money shall be drawn from the treasury, but in consequence of appropriations made by law." Nevertheless, the Obama administration spent the money for the insurance subsidies, breezily arguing that it was being faithful to something higher than the Constitution -- the ACA's text. Or its logic. Or something. Republican members of the House (including Georgia's Tom Price, who now is secretary of HHS) sued to stop the payments. In May 2016, a federal judge said they were right on the merits but stayed the decision to allow the Obama administration to appeal.

Donald Trump has exceeded Obama's executive willfulness, which at least strove for a patina of implausible legality. Last month, Trump said that, absent Republican success in replacing the ACA, he might end the payments "very soon." Clearly, he thinks either spending or not spending unappropriated billions is a presidential prerogative.

The Constitution -- yes, that again -- says that presidents "shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The framers, who were parsimonious with words, perhaps included the adverb for the reason Noah Feldman of Harvard Law School suggests: "The Constitution recognizes that the president can't necessarily enforce every law. But it requires a good faith effort." So, the intent of any non-enforcement matters: Is it to husband scarce enforcement resources? Or is it to vitiate a law?

Trump's unparsimonious dispensing of words has included threats to intentionally cause the ACA to "implode" by halting the unconstitutional disbursement of unappropriated money. Feldman evidently thinks this would be "non-enforcement" in bad faith because the law could no longer function. It is, however, strange to say that dispensing unappropriated funds is faithful "enforcement" of a law just because without the funds the law would collapse.

Were Trump constitutionally punctilious -- entertain the thought -- he would embrace the judge's ruling on behalf of the House members, and, obedient to his oath of office, stop the unconstitutional payments. But chaos might envelop the ACA exchanges and then the wider individual insurance market, causing many millions of Americans severe mental and financial stress. Republicans can say "let the rule of law prevail though the heavens fall," or they can say ...

Enter Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the pertinent committee. He wants Trump to "temporarily" continue the payments "through September," pending "a short-term solution" for stabilizing insurance markets "in 2018." Watch carefully as Alexander copes with a pathology of modern -- meaning, presidential -- government unanticipated by John Adams: laws that subvert the rule of law.
A judge has dismissed the case between actress Sofia Vergara and Nick Loeb over their two frozen embryos in the latest step of the long legal battle between the former couple.

The Louisiana judge said the court had no jurisdiction over the embryos, which were conceived in California, reports dailymail.co.uk.

Despite the fact that Loeb claimed he and Vergara dated and planned their life together in Louisiana and Vergara shot a movie there in 2014, the judge said neither parent had permanent ties to the state.

The judge also said that Loeb most likely only filed in Louisiana because of the state's laws concerning unborn children.

According to court documents, the judge referred to the embryos as "citizens of California" and said that a decision concerning the case could require an evaluation of the embryos' rights.

Vergara and Loeb have been fighting in a nasty and public legal battle for years. Loeb sued Vergara in early 2015 for custody of the female embryos they created together while they were engaged in 2013.

While they were dating, the former couple signed a document saying they both had to consent to implant the embryos in a surrogate. The pair broke up in May 2014.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in Friday's mosque attack in Kabul increased on Saturday to 40 with 90 others injured, the authorities announced.

The toll was confirmed by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) which condemned the attack on the Imam-e-Zaman Mosque and expressed "serious concern" about the increasing number of attacks on civilians and religious places, reports Xinhua news agency.

The attack came when two suicide bombers stormed the Shia mosque during Friday afternoon prayers.

The Islamic State (IS) terror group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Earlier reports said that 13 people, including three police officers, were killed and 38 others injured.

The AIHRC said: "An attack on sacred places and mosques is an atrocious, inhumane and illegal action contrary to all orders of sacred of Islam, international humanitarian laws and our national laws."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Shedding off age-old dogmas, the Kerala's CPI-M government has now decided to raise Rs 25,000 crore from the market to fund major infrastructure projects before the close of current fiscal, a state minister said on Saturday.

Economics professor-turned-state Finance Minister Thomas Issac has decided to lead from the front and now raise money through bonds by entering the capital market and adopting other non-conventional ways to raise funds.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, on the sidelines of a national seminar conducted by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), Issac said he had taken upon himself the task to revamp the structure of the Board, which would now act as the agency to raise funds from the market to meet the infrastructure requirements.

"For any state to progress, the requisite infrastructure has to be there. We the Left have a clear-cut manifesto, which speaks on what we will be doing. This is in no way going to affect our ideology at all, as we are very clear on what we are doing, and there is no shift from what we have been saying," stressed Issac.

Even though the KIIFB came into existence in 1999 under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Act 1999 to manage the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, it was only last year under Issac that a comprehensive modification of the Act was done through an amendment ordinance in August 2016, thus widening its scope.

"KIIFB is now going to give a fillip to the development of the state, as money will be raised from the market not just through bonds but also financial institutions and banks, and there will be our own company which will do that. The capital market is also an option," added Issac.

Finance Secretary K.M. Abraham, who will take over as the new Chief Secretary of the state on Friday, said among the various infrastructure projects that would get funds include an optical fibre project, flyovers and several major new road projects.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un oversaw a Korean People's Army's target-striking contest held to mark the 57th anniversary of Songun, state media reported on Saturday.

A variety of military hardware, including aircraft, missiles launchers and self-propelled howitzers, were used at the event on Friday, a national holiday commemorating the date the country's "military first" Songun policy was adopted, Efe news quoted the Korean Central New Agency as saying (KCNA).

The principle ensures that the military remains North Korea's highest political priority.

Kim kicked off the competition, in which the objective was to hit targets in an operation that simulated the occupation of islands.

According to KCNA, "airplanes which received an order for sortie ceaselessly hit hard the enemy targets" while combatants who "infiltrated by stealth into the islands from underwater, rained fire at the enemy before they did not come to their senses".

Kim expressed "great satisfaction" at the success of the contest, the agency said.

The contest was held one day before Pyongyang launched three short-range ballistic missiles into the Sea of Japan, all of which failed, according to the US.

The launches were conducted as the annual US-South Korea joint military drills, known as "Ulchi Freedom Guardian", were being held in South Korea.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It is the second day of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival and a literary spell has gripped this Bhutanese capital as heavyweight writers engage in discussions and share their perspective on a range of issues.

A warm Saturday morning saw Thimphu come alive in its full spirits as the festival kicked-off quite early. Young students could be spotted on the streets handing out pamphlets of the festival, the only event of its kind in this small Himalayan country. This annual gathering, according to Bhutan's Queen Mother, has greatly impacted the young minds of Thimphu and is eagerly awaited by the local people.

In a veranda, right next to the Royal University of Bhutan auditorium, students from the Royal Academy of Performing Arts enthralled the audience with a spectacular dance performance. No, there is no loud thumping and hip-hop; instead it was a traditional Bhutanese performance, soaked in silence, mediation and prayer. This simple yet refreshing performance kicked-off the day's programme but there was an anticipation of another kind among the younger Bhutanese audience.

Just as the dance performance ended, the audience rushed inside the auditorium to attend one of the most anticipated sessions of this year's programme. It was "Inglorious Empire," where Indian MP and writer Shashi Tharoor continued his relentless attack on the legacy of the British Raj.

A regular face at most literary events in India and abroad, Tharoor has presented the same arguments at a number of venues and there was nothing new that he had to offer. But the audience was different and it was the first time that Tharoor was speaking in Bhutan. He also faced some interesting as well as tough questions. A young student asked him about the "historical amnesia" about Sikkim's inclusion in India while another student questioned him on "the big brother attitude" that India sometimes has towards its neighbours. With wit and a dash of sarcasm, Tharoor's same old responses were welcomed with thunderous applause by the new audience here.

Markus Zusak, the force behind the internationally acclaimed novel "The Book Thief", earlier unravelled the thought processes that help create unconventional characters, stories within stories and best-selling books. In conversation with author Linda Leaming, he led the audiences through his journey as a writer and what inspires him every day. The session saw stimulating conversations on gripping the readers' minds through captivating storytelling techniques. The author also threw light on the rigorous technicalities that went into adapting the book to screen.

There are several other interesting sessions during the day but one that is most anticipated is the launch of the "India's Indira" book by the Queen Mother, who will be in conversation with Shashi Tharoor.

And then finally, it's going to be a treat for Bhutanese readers as India's most-loved author, Ruskin Bond, will address the last session of the day. Titled "Tales of Mountain Roads," it is Bond's first address in Bhutan and the students here are already queuing up the small book shop at the venue to chose from at least a dozen different titles of his that are for sale.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, the Mountain Echoes Literary festival is an initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation, in association with India's leading literary consultancy, Siyahi. The festival concludes on Sunday evening.

(Saket Suman's visit to Thimphu is at the invitation of the organisers of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. He 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 political temperatures shot up suddenly on Saturday as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis made a surprise visit to the home of senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Narayan T. Rane late on Friday night.

Since the past few months, there has been widespread speculation that Rane is likely to desert Congress and join the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Fadnavis's unannounced visit to Rane has fuelled the possibilities that Rane might make his moves sooner than later, much to the discomfiture of the Maharashtra Congress.

Though what transpired between the two leaders was kept under wraps, the significance of their meeting during the ongoing 12-day Ganeshotsav ended up making a loud political statement.

Rane, 65, was handpicked by the late Bal Thackeray as Chief Minister of the erstwhile Shiv Sena-BJP government which ruled the state between 1995-1999. He had replaced Manohar Joshi and was in office February-October 1999.

He was noted for his sharp political acumen, administrative skills and quick decision-making -- traits coveted, but scarce in the BJP.

However, this time the Sena is reportedly upset over the prospects of a dynamic Rane joining the BJP and a resultant political quake that could shake up the uneasy ruling alliance in the state.

Rane, who quit Sena in July 2005 to join the Congress, had met BJP President Amit Shah in Gujarat last April, but had dismissed all rumours that he intended to switch sides after remaining over 12 years with the Grand Old Party.

Sources close to the Maratha strongman from Konkan claim he was peeved after being repeatedly overlooked by the Congress leadership for important responsibilities, though he had the potential to turn the party's political fortunes, at least in Maharashtra.

On the ruling BJP front, the buzz is that Fadnavis may be elevated to the Centre -- which both he and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari have stoutly denied -- to relieve the burden of some cabinet ministers handling multiple portfolios.

In such an eventuality, a major realignment of the political scape is not entirely ruled out, with the Nationalist Congress Party likely to play an important role.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz on Saturday officially launched the election campaign for the NA-120 by-poll seat in Lahore that is being contested by her mother Kulsoom Nawaz.

Maryam left from Jati Umra, residence of Sharif family in Lahore, accompanied by large numbers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters, the Nation daily reported.

She later conducted a meeting with the PML-N local leadership to devise a strategy for the by-poll.

Kulsoom got her nomination papers after the Lahore seat fell vacant post Sharif's disqualification by the Supreme Court on July 28. The by-election is scheduled for September 18.

Sharif's wife was diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this week. She had left for London at a time when nomination papers for the Lahore seat were being scrutinised, but came back after three medical check-ups.

Meanwhile, the former Prime Minister also held a meeting with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Federal Law Minister Zahid Hamid, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and other party members to deliberate upon the by-election.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a Rs 500 crore relief package for Bihar after conducting an aerial survey of the flood-hit regions in the state.

"Announced a package of Rs 500 crore for Bihar," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.

Modi assured "all assistance" to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. He also announced an ex-gratia of Rs two lakh to the kin of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured during the floods.

"A central team would be sent to Bihar to access the losses due to the floods," he said.

Modi along with Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, conducted the survey of Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar and Araria districts of Seemanchal region -- the worst hit.

The aerial survey took nearly 50 minutes as the leaders took stock of the situation, an official of the Bihar disaster management department said.

Following the survey, Modi met top central and state officials along with Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi, at the conference hall of Chunapur airport in Purnea to review aid management.

Earlier, Modi was received by Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi at the Purnea airport.

The death toll due to floods in Bihar stands at 418 in 19 districts.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US National Security Adviser (NSA) has said that no military action plan was currently being considered for Venezuela.

General H.R. McMaster (retd) said at a White House press conference on Friday that the US has no plans to take military action in Venezuela, but that President Donald Trump intended to take advantage of a broader range of "integrated options" in the future, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Any decision will be in conjunction with the partners of the region," he added.

Trump said earlier this month that he would not rule out a "military option" in Venezuela.

McMaster's remarks came after the announcement of a new round of US economic sanctions on the South American country, restricting the Venezuelan government's access to American debt and equity markets.

Earlier on Friday, the White House said in a statement that Trump has signed an executive order prohibiting dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company.

Primarily targeting the Venezuelan government, the US Treasury was issuing general licenses that allow for transactions that would otherwise be prohibited by the executive order.

The executive order also carved out short-term financing for most commercial trade, including the export and import of petroleum, said US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that his government is taking steps to defend the country against the US economic sanctions.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of reports that rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had been extended VIP treatment, the Haryana government on Saturday denied any such favours to the disgraced self-styled godman.

Convicted for rape and criminal intimidation, the Dera chief, according to police sources, was provided an air-conditioned room in the Rohtak District Jail, around 70 km from the national capital.

"From arranging a special helicopter to providing an air-conditioned room and helping in using facilities meant for police officers, the (Manohar Lal) Khattar government is extending all help to the Dera chief even after his conviction in such a serious crime as rape. This is appalling," a police source, who saw some of these things happen on Friday and Saturday, told IANS.

The self-styled godman has been used to a life of ultra luxury and ostentatious public appearances.

A woman, Honeypreet, whom the Dera website describes as his daughter (not real daughter), was allowed to accompany him along with bags and suitcases when Ram Rahim, after being taken into custody was flown in a specially arranged helicopter from the police lines complex in Panchkula.

But Haryana Director General of Police (Prisons) K.P. Singh refuted media reports regarding special facilities being provided to the sect chief in prison.

"The Dera chief is being treated as an ordinary inmate. He has been kept with other prisoners and no separate arrangements have been made for him. He has been allowed to take only clothes as per the jail rules," the DGP told the media in Panchkula.

The DGP added that the sect chief had not been allowed any helpers.

The disgraced self-styled godman has been assigned "Qaidi No. 1997" (prisoner number 1997) tag in the prison.

State's Chief Secretary D.S. Dhesi defended the state government's decision to fly the sect chief to Rohtak on Friday.

"He was transported to District Jail in Rohtak by helicopter due to security concerns. He is being provided same food and facilities and has not been provided an air-conditioned cell. His Z-plus security was withdrawn automatically," Dhesi added.

Even after being taken into custody, the Dera chief was shown full respect by a section of officers instead of being treated like a convicted criminal.

"A couple of senior officers, who tried to take the Dera chief to task and treat him like any other criminal after his conviction, were physically assaulted by his (sect chief's) security personnel.

"One senior officer was slapped and another was pushed in the presence of other top officers. The Haryana Police had to detain his security personnel for some time to take him into its custody following the conviction," the police officer said.

However, DGP B.S. Sandhu denied that any incident like slapping a senior officer took place.

The favours by the Khattar government in Haryana are being linked to the open support for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by the sect chief in the 2014 elections.

Lakhs of his followers are believed to have voted for the BJP. He even went to cast his own vote. The BJP, for the first time, came to power in Haryana on its own in the October 2014 assembly elections.

Panchkula town, adjoining here, where the CBI court announced the sect chief guilty, bore the brunt of the violence on Friday and resembled a war zone with scores of burnt vehicles and properties damaged or torched.

CBI Special Judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera chief, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Perhaps the most astonishing thing about Donald Trump's victory last November was that, according to exit polls, 60 percent of the voters had an unfavorable impression of Trump on the day he was elected president of the United States.

Now, it's remarkable that after all that has happened, Trump's favorable and unfavorable rating -- not his job approval, but whether people hold a favorable or unfavorable view of him -- is virtually the same as it was on election day.

A new Marist poll found that 60 percent of those surveyed have an unfavorable view of the president, versus 34 percent who have a favorable view and six percent who don't know.

In the RealClearPolitics average of all polls on the favorable/unfavorable question, Trump is now at 55.2 percent unfavorable versus 39.6 percent favorable. That is little changed from his average on November 8: 58.5 percent unfavorable, versus 37.5 percent favorable.

Considering all that has gone on in the Trump presidency -- it's too much to recount in a sentence or two -- the stability of the Trump favorable/unfavorable rating is notable.

The other measure, Trump's job approval rating, has fallen since he took office; it was 43.8 percent in the RCP average in his first week in office and is 38.6 percent now. Pollsters and strategists believe the job approval rating -- which Trump of course didn't have before January 20 -- is much more important than personal approval.

"In every model I am familiar with over the past 40 years, job approval has been a more influential predictor than a personal favorable rating and I believe that will be true for President Trump as well," said Bill McInturff, the Republican pollster who, along with Democrat Peter Hart, conducts the Wall Street Journal-NBC poll, in an email exchange. "Long ago, presidents could have some gap between how we perceived them personally, with Carter and Reagan, for example, having stronger personal ratings than job approval at various points. An exception was President Clinton in 1998, who had terrible personal ratings, but high job approval."

Right now, Trump's job approval rating and personal favorability rating are very close, as are the job disapproval rating and personal unfavorable rating. But is that disastrous for the president, or not? There's still what happened last election day to consider.

In another email exchange, David Winston, a pollster who has done extensive work for House Republicans, agreed that job approval is a more important measure than personal approval, but also noted that Trump's polls are hard to interpret.

"Trying to compare Trump numbers with prior presidents at this point is very difficult, particularly given that he started with 60 percent unfavorable on election night," said Winston. "He also had a significant amount of support coming from people who had an unfavorable view of him. Of the people that voted for him, 20 percent had an unfavorable view, according to the exit polls."

Winston's comments suggest that the old way of viewing job approval as the pre-eminent measure of a president's performance might be lacking when it comes to Trump. But if that is true, nobody has come up with a better measure, at least not at the moment.

Even though much of the political reporting and commentary at the moment focuses on Trump's excesses, Bill McInturff also sees something bigger than Trump at work.

"We are at the logical end of a generation of change in American politics," McInturff said. "Political scientists measure polarization by the gap between how the president's party rates a president versus the opposition party. President Clinton was the most polarizing president in polling history, followed by Bush 43, who took over the mantle of 'most polarizing' until replaced by President Obama, with the largest gap now being held by President Trump."

McInturff's conclusion: "President Trump did not begin this trend, but he has become its logical end point. Hence, it's hard to change numbers when 85 percent of your own party likes you and functionally no one does in the other party."

A Trump re-election campaign, if there is one, seems light years away; who knows what will happen between now and then? What is more pressing is what effect Trump's standing will have on the 2018 midterms, where Republican prospects seem very strong in the Senate and far less so in the House. Brad Todd, a Republican strategist who has worked with many congressional candidates, believes there should be a new way of measuring the political climate.

"I think two polarizing presidencies in a row have broken this measuring stick," Todd wrote in an email. "Job approval is more important than personal favorability, but neither is as important as what we call the gas pedal/brake pedal question."

By "gas pedal/brake pedal," Todd referred to whether voters believe Congress should serve as a brake on a president's policy choices or whether lawmakers should offer more help and support to the president.

"In 2010, Obama had high personal favorables, softening job approval, and a really high brake pedal number," Todd wrote. "That led to a landslide against his party in the mid-term. His personal favorability eventually dropped, before rising again in 2018 just as voters were rebuking his chosen successor."

"The question to watch is not what voters think of a president personally, but whether or not they think he needs supervision or not," Todd added.

Trump is a "conundrum," Todd concluded, "because voters see him as a brake pedal on both parties. So it is unclear whether they will put a brake pedal on the brake pedal in the next midterm."

The bottom line is that evaluating Trump's standing is probably more complicated than simply citing a falling job approval number. This is a presidency like no other, and it should be no surprise that measuring it presents new problems.

Byron York is chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner.
After moving the Army to surround the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) near Sirsa town in Haryana, the Army and the Haryana government clarified on Saturday afternoon that the forces had still not entered the sect's headquarters complex.

Major General Rajpal Punia told media in Sirsa that the Army has no immediate plan to enter the Dera campus.

"There is some confusion that the Army is going inside the Dera campus. At the moment there is no such plan," General Punia said.

He said he would be going to the sect headquarters to talk to the Dera management to vacate the campus.

On evacuation of Dera followers from the headquarters, he said: "We will come back to you."

He added that people in Sirsa have maintained peace so far.

Haryana Chief Secretary D.S. Dhesi told media here that the Army had moved in only to "sanitize" the area in the periphery of the Dera headquarters near Sirsa.

"We have appealed to the Dera followers and management to come out of the complex peacefully. No action has been initiated by the Army so far. The Army has only moved to sanitize the area," Dhesi said.

Paramilitary forces were locked in a clash with Dera supporters near the sect headquarters on Friday which left three people dead and seven others injured.

Earlier in the day, Army and paramilitary forces moved in to get the DSS headquarters, eight km from Sirsa town, vacated, a day after the sect chief was convicted of rape, sparking large-scale violence by his supporters.

There are still thousands of Dera followers inside the sect headquarters, around 260 km from here, sources said.

Authorities in Haryana have also ordered security forces to crack down on the sect campuses elsewhere in Haryana. Dera followers have been asked to move out from such campuses.

The Haryana government counsel told the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday that there were 36 Dera campuses, known as 'Naam Charcha Ghar' across the state, including the sprawling 800-acre sect headquarters near Sirsa town.

Sources in the government said that two Dera premises in Kurukshetra district had already been sealed by the local authorities after getting these vacated of Dera followers. Action was being initiated in other districts to get Dera campuses vacated and disperse the sect followers.

On Friday, tens of thousands of supporters of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh went on the rampage in Haryana and Punjab, to vent their anger against the court verdict.

The arson left 31 people dead, 29 in Panchkula town, and nearly 250 others injured.

Vehicles and property were also damaged and set on fire by the unruly Dera followers.

The BJP government in Haryana led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is under fire for its inept handling of the situation following the conviction of the sect chief. The conviction was announced by a CBI special court in Panchkula on Friday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Always regarded as a peaceful second option to adjoining Chandigarh, Haryana's Panchkula town saw its peace shattered by mayhem carried out by thousands of unruly Dera followers on Friday leaving a trail of deaths, over 200 injured and property worth hundreds of crores destroyed.

After a night of uneasy calm with streets deserted, all establishments closed and burnt vehicles strewn all over, Panchkula struggled to get back on its feet on Saturday morning.

The nearly three hours of arson by the marauding Dera supporters, after their sect chief was convicted on Friday for rape and sexual exploitation of two female disciples in 2002, left the town badly scarred. Of the 30 people killed in Friday's violence, 29 were from Panchkula.

"What happened was shocking. Panchkula is such a peaceful city to live in. How could the (Khattar) government allow thousands of people with such criminal tendencies to flock outside our home in the name of devotion towards a criminal. The political leadership, officers and police should be held responsible for this mess," Monica, a housewife from Sector 4, whose house was in the vicinity of the main violence in the town on Friday, said.

Local residents pointed out that Khattar, a former Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) ideologue who became Chief Minister in October 2014 despite no political experience, had failed to take action on the tens of thousands of violent Dera followers who unleashed mayhem in the town.

Entry points to Panchkula from all sides, including the busy main road from Chandigarh, were blocked by security personnel since Friday night due to curfew imposed in Panchkula by the administration.

The Army has also been deployed in Panchkula along with thousands of paramilitary force personnel and Haryana Police.

Several barricades have been put across the town and all its entry and exit points.

So volatile was the situation during Friday's violence that Panchkula's Deputy Commissioner Gauri Prashar Joshi had to climb a wall and jump over pointed iron rails to save her life from the marauding mobs.

Security personnel had to help her escape from the place.

The Haryana Police, which was in the first line of defence against the agitated Dera followers, virtually abandoned their duty and ran to save their lives when the mobs attacked them with stones and sticks.

The mobs set scores of vehicles, including private and government cars, on fire. Police and fire brigade vehicles were also set on fire.

Government buildings and private property were damaged and torched in some places in the vicinity of Sectors 2, 3, 4 and 5.

"It was like a war zone. All we could hear was gunshots, bomb-like sounds and see plumes of black smoke rising from several places in the sky. We never imagined that things would be so bad. We fear venturing out even now," Manmohan Goel, a resident of Sector 6, said.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) B S Sandhu said that all Dera followers had been driven out and Panchkula was "absolutely safe" now.

CBI special court judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera chief, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002.

The sect chief was shifted to a prison near Rohtak town (about 70 km from Delhi).

Panchkula district, adjoining Chandigarh, shares its border with Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh.
Hurricane Harvey has made landfall in Texas as a powerful Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph, the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.

Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to hit the US since Hurricane Charley in 2004, reports CNN.

The storm, after making landfall on Friday night between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, is pounding the Texas coast and its millions of residents with hurricane-force winds knocking down trees, power poles and signs, and with torrential rain deluging streets.

According to the NHC, the centre of the storm had passed over San Jose Island, bringing with it a dangerous and powerful eye wall.

some areas will see as much as 13 feet of storm surge and large, destructive waves.

Harvey could drop as much as 40 inches of rain in some places, and up to 30 inches in others, by August 30.

The combination of wind and water could leave wide swathes of South Texas "uninhabitable for weeks or months", the National Weather Service in Houston said.

Earlier on Friday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency for 30 counties that lie in the storm's path, CNN reported.

Abbott also requested additional federal help with a presidential disaster declaration.

President Donald Trump, who will visit the area next week, has signed a disaster declaration for the state.

Residents were urged to evacuate. A mass exodus from the coast caused extensive traffic jams along the state's highways, while other people boarded up windows and stocked up on food and water ahead of the storm.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Haryana following the violence there that left 31 dead after Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case.

The meeting, held at Rajnath Singh's residence, lasted for over two and a half hours. It was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Rajiv Jain and other Home Ministry officials.

After the meeting, Mehrishi told reporters, "Three issues were discussed during the meeting."

"The Home Minister discussed the law and order situation in Haryana after the court verdict. He also spoke to the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state, who told him that after the verdict the situation in Panchkula and Sirsa were tense, but now it has normalised. In this ongoing situation we can't blame anyone," the Homes Secretary said.

The security of Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan was also discussed at the meeting.

"Punjab and Delhi didn't see as many incidents after the court verdict. But the small incidents that happened here were controlled in time," he said.

At least 31 people died after violence erupted in Haryana's Panchkula town after a CBI court convicted the Dera chief in a rape case.

His supporters went berserk and set ablaze vehicles and damaged properties in Panchkula.

Mehrishi said the Home Minister also discussed the ongoing gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, where three security personnel were killed earlier in the day.

"The other issue discussed was the ongoing encounter in Pulwama...two to four terrorists are still trapped," he said, adding that a house was also set ablaze.

"Two SPOs are there. Not sure whether they are safe. Some danger to their life still exists," Mehrishi added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Republican National Committee has unanimously approved a resolution condemning white supremacists, Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the Nazis, two weeks after President Donald Trump's controversial comments on the Charlottesville violence.

"The racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and other like-minded groups are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform," the resolution said on Friday.

The decision by the city council of Charlottesville, Virginia, to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from a local public park sparked a white supremacist rally on August 12 that later turned into violent clashes between rival protesters.

A 32-year-old woman was killed and 19 others were injured when a car driven by a suspected Nazi supporter plowed into a crowd protesting white supremacism.

Trump has been under widespread bipartisan criticism after claiming there is "blame on both sides" for the deadly violence.

"The racist beliefs of the Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and others are repulsive, evil, and have no fruitful place in the United States," the committee said on the final day of a three-day meeting in Nashville, Tennessee.

Local analysts said the move highlights the level of concern within the party over Trump's comments on the protests against the white supremacists' rally and the impact they could have on the party heading into the 2018 midterm election.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has lashed out at self-proclaimed godmen like Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Asaram Bapu, Nityananda and godwoman Sukhwinder Kaur alias Radhe Maa and has urged the central government to take strict action against all of them.

Rishi took to social media to slam the spiritual leaders after the conviction on Friday of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

"Attach all Dera properties and sell them to compensate the national loss by arson and vandalism. Shame Gurmeet followers. No respect for you," Rishi tweeted.

"Frauds. Blind faith in con people. Government must punish these fraudsters. Sukhwinder Kaur (Radhe Maa), Gurmeet, Asaram, Nityananda. All criminals," he added.

The Union Home Ministry on Saturday said 31 persons were killed in Haryana Dera violence on Friday.

Besides that, a ministry statement said 29 deaths occurred in Panchkula and two in Sirsa, where the Dera is headquartered.

At least 250 persons were injured in the widespread mayhem that erupted immediately after the self-proclaimed godman was taken into custody. The injured included 60 policemen.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) on Saturday demanded that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar be "immediately sacked" for failing to protect the lives of innocent people.

The party also demanded dissolution of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state.

"Despite having knowledge and widespread apprehension of trouble and violence, the BJP government and the Chief Minister of Haryana did not take adequate preventive measures. This serious dereliction of duty by the state government created a situation of complete breakdown of law and order," the CPI-M Politburo said in a statement slamming the state government.

The CPI-M's remarks came a day after 31 people died in the violence that erupted in Haryana's Panchkula town after a CBI court convicted Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Dera chief supporters went berserk and set vehicles ablaze and damaged properties in Panchkula.

Referring to media reports that Khattar and BJP MLAs had visited the "Godman" to seek his blessings, the CPI-M said: "It reflects the sympathetic manner in which the saffron party sought to deal with the situation."

The party also said that this was the third occasion when the BJP-led state government had failed to protect the lives of innocent people and public and private properties.

Citing the Haryana High Court directions to the state government to take all required measures, the CPI-M said that "it had expressed apprehensions due to the state government's track record in the past".

The party said: "Clearly the state government in Haryana has lost its authority to continue."

"The state government and the Chief Minister cannot remain in office. And Chief Minister Khattar must be immediately sacked," the CPI-M said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sebastian Gorka, an outspoken and combative defender of President Donald Trump's national security agenda, has been forced out of his position as a White House counter-terrorism adviser, the media reported,

According to two administrative officials, the news came in on Friday night, reports The New York Times.

Gorka, 46, had been on vacation for at least the last two weeks, the officials said on the condition of anonymity.

The Federalist, a conservative website, published portions of what it called a resignation letter written by Gorka. It quoted him as saying that given which "forces" were on the rise in the White House, the best way for him to support the President was from outside it.

In response, the White House put out an unattributed statement saying that he no longer works in the administration, but that he did not resign.

Gorka's work for Trump goes back as far as 2015; Federal Election Commission filings showed that he was paid $8,000 that October to be a policy consultant for the Trump campaign, reports CNN.

Gorka also was a member of the White House's Strategic Initiatives Group, which he described as a focal point for task forces collaborating with people outside government.

His resignation adds to a long list of high-profile departures from the White House, including chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus and press secretary Sean Spicer.

Gorka has also been a vocal defender of the Trump administration's efforts to temporarily ban travel from some predominantly Muslim countries; he has said violence is a fundamental part of Islam and emanates from the language of the Quran; and his hard-line views on Islam have prompted his critics to accuse him of Islamophobia, reports The New York Times.

He has also been accused of having links to far-right groups in Europe. He is a former editor at Breitbart News, and a friend of Bannon, who has now rejoined the right-wing website as executive chairman.

An American citizen who was born in Britain to Hungarian parents, Gorka made a habit of assailing the news media for its coverage of Trump, insisting that reports of turmoil in the White House had "almost no resemblance to reality".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day ahead of his "grand" anti-BJP rally, RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Saturday appeared calm, confident and sure that hundreds of thousands would participate in the "BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao" rally.

Rebel Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad will attend the rally here, a RJD leader said.

Besides, Congress' C.P. Joshi, NCP's Tarique Anwar, RLD's Choudhary Jayant Singh, CPI's Sudhakar Reddy and former Jharkhand Chief Ministers Hemant Soren of the JMM and Babulal Marandi of the JVM, AIUDF chief Baadruddin Azmal, and leaders from DMK, JD-S and RSP will also attend the rally, the RJD leader said.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati has, however, refused to be part of the rally while Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is abroad.

Lalu Prasad, clad in his usual white cotton vest and lungi, relaxing on a chair at his 10, Circular Road official bungalow, said: "I am sure and certain (of a massive gathering). Where is the question of doubt?.

"Thousands of people, my party leaders, workers, supporters and sympathizers have already started arriving in Patna with drums, traditional music groups to be part of the rally."

He said they have arrived with dry food like 'sattu' and 'chura'. "Unlike other parties, my people are coming with their own arrangement of dry food," he added. "We have also arranged food for them."

Lalu Prasad's younger son Tejashwi Yadav, who has emerged as the new face of the RJD after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance and joined hands with the BJP to form government in July, campaigned vigorously across the state to mobilize his supporters for the rally.

Tejashwi Yadav, who is Leader of Opposition and former Deputy Chief Minister said: "We will expose Nitish Kumar's 'double speak' and his 'opportunistic alliance' with the BJP, in the rally."

Green, the Rashtriya Janata Dal's official colour, appeared to be the colour of the day.

RJD workers, sporting green caps and holding green flags and banners, have put up hundreds of welcome arches and hoardings in green in and around Patna, on all roads leading to the historic Gandhi Maidan, the venue.

People have started arriving to the city since Friday night. But crowds are likely to increase by Saturday evening with RJD leaders using big and small vehicles and trains to ferry their supporters to the rally.

"Lalu's party workers and supporters have literally painted Patna green," a district police official said.

"RJD's green billboards and graffiti are visible everywhere in Patna," said Shakti Yadav, RJD spokesperson.

He said this rally will again prove that Lalu is the "only mass leader" in Bihar and his social support base is still intact.

"Laluji is the only political force in Bihar that can challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party and counter it."

However, there is speculation that with floods affecting major parts of Seemanchal, Koshi and Mithilanchal regions of North Bihar, it would prove a big task for the RJD to mobilise party supporters from there.

Now, all eyes are on the RJD's rally as it is going to be a show of strength by Lalu Prasad.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Technocrat Vishal Sikka, who logged out of software major Infosys on Thursday after quitting as its first non-founder CEO on August 18, denied joining the US IT major Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), said an Indian business news channel on Saturday.

"Reports of me joining HPE are false. Someone is trying keenly to put me in a box," Sikka told CNBC-TV18 in a video interview from the US.

Sikka, 50, remarked in the light of reports that Infosys Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy had written to his advisers that "he (Sikka) was more a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) material than a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) material".

Terming the return of Nandan Nilekani as Infosys' Board Chairman an excellent idea, Sikka said the latter was an extraordinary leader and an iconic man.

"I offered to quit as Executive Vice-Chairman because I felt it was in the best interests of all concerned so that Nilekani could have a free hand. It also meant that the succession process would be complete," he noted.

Accepting Sikka's resignation as CEO, the Infosys Board appointed him as the Executive Vice-Chairman on the same day (August 18) till the new CEO took over by March 31, 2018 and elevated Chief Operating Officer (COO) U.B. Pravin Rao as the interim CEO and Managing Director (MD).

"I wanted to leave Infosys altogether after resigning as CEO last week, but the Board had insisted I stay on for the sake of continuity," he pointed out.

A huge proponent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its application to make a positive difference in the world, Sikka said he was excited to spend more time with his family at his Palo Alto home in the Silicon Valley of California.

Asked if he would agree to Infosys making the investigative report on the acquisition of the Israeli software firm Panaya Inc public, Sikka said it was up to the Board and he would have gone along with its decision.

Infosys acquired the US-based automation technology firm Panaya for $200 million in February 2015 to offer large-scale enterprise software management as a service to its global clients.

The Panaya buyout became a bone of contention between the co-founders and the Board due to alleged irregularities in its deal value and allegations by an anonymous whistleblower that company executives like Sikka had a personal interest in buying it.

One of the charges was that $20 million invested in Panaya before the deal were distributed to the shareholders, a charge Infosys denied claiming it (Panaya) had $18.6 million cash balance when bought.

"Panaya was looked at as an acquisition candidate based on its strategic fit. There was no conflict of interest due to Sikka's association with its investor Hasso Plattner, who was his boss in his previous job at the German software major SAP AG," said Infosys in a statement on February 20.

Though three investigations looked into the claims and found nothing, Murthy kept raising corporate governance issues at the company and asked the Board to consider making the Panaya report public.

"The allegations were baseless, false, wrong. It is a completely nonsensical detour," claimed Sikka in the television interview.

On the hefty severance package paid to Infosys former Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Bansal, Sikka said he had answered questions on it a thousand times.

Declining to share lessons he learnt at Infosys and if he could have done differently, Sikka hoped the outsourcing firm would move forward and get back to its business.

Asked if his being based out of the US and not Bengaluru was a problem, Sikka said as business was outside India, it was a complex balance of spending time, mostly in airplanes.

Admitting that his stint at Infosys from August 1, 2014 was an incredibly challenging job, Sikka said he was proud of the three years he spent in the iconic firm and was overwhelmed by the thousands of emails and communications he received from employees and clients.

(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 situation in Punjab is under control and all the 98 Dera Sacha Sauda centres in the state have been searched by police, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters here a day after the mayhem by Dera supporters in Haryana, Singh said that no major incident or death due to the violence was reported from anywhere in the state.

"No loss of life or firing incident occurred in the state. Seven people belonging to Punjab died in Panchkula," the Chief Minister said.

He said 52 minor incidents were reported since Friday.

Violence by the godman's followers erupted in the region, including Punjab, on Friday soon after a CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, held him guilty of rape and sexual exploitation of two women followers in 2002.

Twenty-eight people died in Panchkula due to the violence, and 250 others were injured.

Vehicles and property were also damaged and set on fire by the unruly Dera followers.

Complimenting the security forces for maintaining law and order, Singh blamed the Haryana government for allowing Dera followers to gather in thousands in Panchkula ahead of the verdict.

"The fault was to allow so many people. You should be prepared that there would be reaction (from the Dera followers) after the verdict," he added.

The Chief Minister said that curfew has been lifted in three towns -- Muktsar, Faridkot and Sangrur, while it would continue in seven towns -- Bathinda, Moga, Ferozepur, Malout, Abohar, Jaitu and Kotkapura.

To control the situation, the government on Friday imposed curfew in six districts.

They were Patiala, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, Faridkot, Bathinda and two sub-divisions Malout in Muktsar Sahib and Abohar in Fazilka district.

No incident of violence was reported from 13 remaining districts of Punjab, the government said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo that effectively bans transgender individuals from joining the military.

The memo bars transgender people from joining military service, but instructs Secretary of Defence James Mattis to explore ways to handle transgender service member already serving up to the Pentagon, Xinhua reported.

It also orders a stop for payment on gender reassignment surgeries.

The move came a month after Trump tweeted that he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military in any capacity.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Anita Dongre has made a name for herself in the fashion world, but there was a time when she faced difficulty in getting a store in a mall in Mumbai. The designer says she comes from a "traditional family where the women were always homemakers" and had to overcome her family's resistance while starting out.

The celebrated designer, who is also a successful entrepreneur courtesy her brand House of Anita Dongre, feels women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges.

"I come from a traditional family where the women... did not have professional careers outside the house. I had to overcome the family's resistance initially, but once they showed their support, there was no looking back," Dongre, based in Mumbai, told IANS in an email interview.

"Women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges today and I hope they find a firm support system and follow their gut as I did," she added.

Dongre founded AND Designs India Limited in 1995, and rebranded it House of Anita Dongre (HOAD) in 2015.

She has stitched together three brands under her label with distinct identities. There is AND with its contemporary western-wear for women line; Global Desi which boasts of boho-chic ensembles; and then there is Anita Dongre label which shines with special curated looks in bridal, couture, pret and menswear.

She is a regular at fashion weeks and wedding exhibitions like the fifth edition of Vogue Wedding Show, which concluded here earlier this month.

Her label took global flight when the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, opted for her creation for a day out in India last year. There's a Bollywood twist to her brand story as well. She has actress Kareena Kapoor Khan as a muse for her brand AND, and got Aditi Rao Hydari for the "Love Notes" campaign of her label too.

The designer has also expanded to foreign shores with two stores in New York.

Talking about foraying into New York, she said: "It has always been my dream to see Indian craftsmanship celebrated on a global platform. It was gratifying to see that happen -- women from different walks of life and fashion experts would walk in and be startled at the degree of expertise that goes into every garment."

"This is what brings me joy. Future plans remain celebrating craftsmanship in the best way we can."

She works closely with artisans in villages, and she says the "purpose of working with the artisans is to bring these indigenous skills into mainstream fashion".

"Our efforts have provided year-long employment to several artisans and weavers who are contributing to collections that are relevant in today's time. Most of them use traditional skills, but we do a design intervention to modernise their output."

"This is the strength of our partnership; I bring the marketplace and design knowledge, and my craftspeople bring in generations of skill -- and we learn from each other."

Dongre lauds the Indian government for attempting to bridge the gap between artisans and designers.

"There is a new wave of sustainability in the industry. Not only does this effort help revive these heritage crafts, they also allow Indian craftsmanship a platform in the world of design," said the designer, pointing out that the efforts "are reviving rural India by bringing in employment".

Work wise, Dongre is currently spending all her time focusing on her brand and her New York stores.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@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.)
A flag march by the Army, 31 confirmed deaths (some from gunshot injuries), a sharp indictment from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and an urgent meeting between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah and party in-charge of Haryana, Anil Jain, only resulted in one concerted message coming out of the BJP: That Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, under whose watch three major law and order lapses happened, leading to large-scale arson and looting, will not be replaced.
Nearly 10 lakh students in 9,500 schools in Uttar Pradesh participated in the general quiz organised across the state today to mark the birth centenary of Jan Sangh stalwart Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

Students of classes 9 and 10 from 213 schools of Lucknow took part in the quiz.

"Students from 213 colleges of Lucknow Mahanagar took part in the quiz competition held today," an official statement issued by the state BJP said.

In Lucknow, at least 13,000 students took part in the written quiz.

"The quiz was held today from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm in which 10 lakh students participated in 9,500 schools," state in-charge of the quiz Subhash Yaduvansh said.

He further said that the quiz could not be held in 16 districts as eight of them are flood-affected and the rest are under imposition of section 144 of CrPC.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were trapped in a building which was stormed by terrorists in a pre-dawn attack in Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir while the attackers were cornered by security forces, the Home Ministry said today.

In a statement, issued after Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the state, the ministry said the terrorists had been cornered in a set of government quarters and action to flush them out was in process.

"The exact number of terrorists is still not known and the two SPOs of Jammu and Kashmir are trapped in the building where the terrorists have been cornered," it said.

The home minister expressed hope that the SPOs would be rescued safely soon.

The meeting, attended by NSA Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and others, reviewed the ongoing encounter in Pulwama.

Mehrishi told reporters that the meeting discussed the Pulwama attack in which two CRPF personnel and one Jammu and Kashmir policeman were killed.

He said it was not yet clear how many terrorists were there--whether two or four terrorists.

The home secretary said there were two SPOs on the sport but their fate is not known immediately.

"Two SPOs were there. We are not sure whether they are safe. Some danger to their lives still exists," he said.

The home minister expressed profound sorrow over the death of a constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and two personnel of the CRPF and expressed condolences to the families.

Militants launched a major pre-dawn attack on a district police complex, triggering a massive gunfight in which one of them died while three others were still holed up after nearly 12 hours.

The compound houses many residential buildings.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Aam Aadmi Party today stoutly defended Satyendar Jain, the Delhi government minister against whom CBI has filed an FIR, rubbishing charges that he amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.

Senior party leaders Ashutosh and Saurabh Bhardwaj lashed out at the central probe agency accusing it of "planting baseless stories" against Jain in the media through unnamed sources.

"The man in question, a senior CBI officer who is behind all this was handpicked by BJP chief Amit Shah. This is part of a larger design to destabilise opposition-led governments across states," Ashutosh claimed in a press conference.

Bhardwaj said Jain has not purchased or sold a single share since he resigned from the directorship of a clutch of companies in 2013, when he decided to enter public life by contesting as an AAP candidate in the assembly polls.

CBI sources today alleged the minister had control over these companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding one-third of shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.

During the questioning, the minister and his wife could not explain Rs 1.62 crore -- approximately one-third of funds received by the companies during 2015-17, the CBI sources claimed.

"CBI is planting a fictitious amount of Rs 1.62 crore as income for Jain. AAP challenges the CBI to substantiate the charge through some solid evidence. It is a lie, they should prove it. It is not a coincidence that CBI acted right after the Bawana polls," Bhardwaj said.

After registering the FIR, the CBI had yesterday carried out searches at Jain's residence, during which the agency managed to "recover Rs 50,000 cash, 52 grams gold, copies of Income Tax returns, election affidavits, inventory of official furniture", Bhardwaj said.

"All these are in any case available on the public domain. Where is the incriminating evidence that CBI is talking about during informal briefings with the media?" he asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA) has demanded that security be provided to the two original complainants in the case against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, who was convicted of rape by a CBI court.

The AIDWA, in a press statement, said that in the wake of the wide-spread violence in Punjab and Haryana, the two women should be given adequate security.

"Both the Centre and the Haryana government have failed miserably in anticipating the violence and in maintaining law and order. AIDWA appeals to all for immediate restoration of peace," the statement said.

A special CBI court in Panchkula convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape of two sadhvis yesterday, in a case that was registered in 2002.

This verdict has sparked off violence and rioting in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, leading to the death of over 30 people and injuries to hundreds.

Congratulating the two women, the AIDWA, the women wing of the CPI(M), said that they had "bravely withstood all pressures, threats and intimidation" which were used to dissuade them from continuing with their struggle.

"The AIDWA has been consistently supporting the victims in their 15-year-long harrowing ordeal. AIDWA demands that the government must give full protection to the victims," the statement said.

Alleging that political parties were in collusion with the Dera chief, the AIDWA said that it was "political patronage" that allowed the self-styled godman to violate laws.

"It is condemnable that various political parties for electoral gains have protected the Dera chief and have deliberately delayed the women's quest for justice," it said.

"It is a matter of record that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had showered praise on the Dera chief to get the votes of his supporters. It is precisely this type of political patronage that has encouraged various so-called godmen to brazenly violate the law of the land with impunity," it added.

The case against the Dera chief was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.

On the basis of the report, a case was registered against him in December 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Doctors and students at AIIMS today strongly deplored the apathy displayed by successive governments towards improving health care delivery systems in the country and pitched for a 'Health for All' concept.

In a convention held at the institute here, the participants resolved to build a powerful movement for achieving 'Health for All'.

Health for All is a wide concept having socio-economic, preventive and curative aspects. Adequate nutrition, safe drinking water and healthy habitat are integral to achieving it.

The recently-stated concept of universal health coverage (UHC) says that it is achieved when "all people receive quality health services that meet their needs without exposing them to financial hardship in paying for them," said Dr Anoop Saraya, Head of Department of Gastroenterology, AIIMS.

The speakers and participants demanded higher budget allocation for health, more and better equipped hospitals in all the areas including remote areas, availability of health personnel including doctors, nurses, technicians and other paramedical staff, availability of medicines and necessary investigations, adequate and fully functional set-up for preventing diseases and strengthening primary health care delivery system.

The convention also opposed privatisation and commercialisation of medical education and health care.

Participants also resolved to undertake and support initiatives to educate the people on the health needs of society, both curative and preventive.

The convention called on all doctors, particularly young doctors and medical students and other health personnel to know the health needs of people, particularly in villages and slums areas, by regular interaction and study of their problems.

They also expressed concern over the recent deaths of children at a hospital in Gorakhpur in UP and criticised the attitude of successive governments at the Centre and state for not taking action to prevent such deaths for over two decades in the region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bhutanese Queen Ashu Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk today praised former prime minister Indira Gandhi, describing her as "a female icon" who showed the world what women are capable of doing if they decide something.

The queen was speaking here at the launch of a book titled "India's Indira: A Centennial Tribute" compiled by the Indian National Congress, comprising articles, essays and photographs of the first woman prime minister of India.

The queen recalled Indira Gandhi for being a powerful woman and a towering personality.

"I still remember her photograph with the then American president Richard Nixon. She wasn't a tall woman, but she was a towering figure.

"Mrs Gandhi was a female icon and she showed it to the world what women are capable of doing if they decide something," the queen said.

Remembering the time when Gandhi came "sitting on a yak along with her father," she said the Gandhi family had been on close friendly terms with the Royal Family of Bhutan.

"I used to admire the white streak of hair she had. Although I was very young, I still wanted that streak of white hair," the queen said.

The book, edited by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, has several photographs of Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru contributed by the royal family.

The book also has a chapter by former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee.

Talking about Gandhi's leadership, Congress leader and politician-writer Shashi Tharoor said when she had become the first female prime minister of India, many had wondered if she was capable of the job.

"But as it turned out, she became a better leader than many who came after her could only hope to be," said Tharoor, who was here to attend the book launch at the ongoing Mountain Echoes Literary Festival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll mounted to 440 in the devastating floods in Bihar where 17.1 million people have been affected in 19 districts, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday announced an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore.

The prime minister conducted an aerial survey of four flood-hit districts of Araria, Kisanganj, Katihar and Purnea. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his Deputy Sushil Kumar Modi accompanied the PM.

The flood waters, however, receded in some places, prompting many to return to their homes. The number of relief camps also dropped to 262, in which 1.65 lakh people were staying, a release by the disaster management department said.

Araria district alone accounted for 95 deaths followed by Sitamarhi 46, Katihar 40, West Champaran 36, East Champaran 32, Darbhanga 30, Madhubani 28, Madhepura 25, Kishanganj 24, Gopalganj 20, Supual 16, Purnea 9, Muzaffarpur 9, Saharsa 8, Khagaria 8, Saran 7, Sheohar 5 and Samastipur 2.

No death was reported from Siwan.

A total of 2.74 lakh people were being served food at 1,114 community kitchens operational in the marooned areas of the state, the release said.

Twenty-eight Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 1,152 personnel with 118 boats are taking part in rescue and relief operations, it said.

Apart from the NDRF, 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force comprising 466 personnel are helping people in the flood-hit areas with 92 boats.

A total of 630 Army personnel in seven teams are assisting in relief and rescue operations with 70 boats, the release added.

The PM arrived at Purnea this morning and conducted an aerial survey of the flood-hit areas. He announced Rs 500 crore as immediate relief for the state besides Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of those who died in the deluge.

The state weather office has forecast rain or thundershower in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea Sunday.
The Palghar police in Maharashtra have arrested three persons for allegedly kidnapping a five-year-old boy.

Mukesh Sakat (20), the main accused, knew the boy's parents, and hatched the plan to kidnap because he wanted money to gain entry into Bollywood, police said.

The kidnappers, however, panicked and abandoned the boy a few hours after taking him away.

Sakat, Mukesh Rajput (19) and Bhavesh Bhoir (19) were nabbed on the intervening night of August 24 and 25, said additional Superintendent of Police Dr Raj Tilak Roshan today. Two other accomplices of Sakat were absconding.

The boy was abducted from near his house in Nalasopara in the district on the afternoon of August 24. Kidnappers called the parents and demanded Rs 6 lakh in ransom, to be handed over at Churchgate in Mumbai.

As police launched a massive search operation in Palghar district, the accused panicked and left the sleeping boy on roadside 'katta' (platform) in Satpati area of Palghar town late at night.

Police found him and reunited him with his parents. Subsequently Sakat, Rajput and Bhoir were nabbed, while a hunt is on for two others involved in the crime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Kraigg Brathwaite's defiant unbeaten century and a fine knock from Shai Hope ensured the West Indies continued their spirited fightback in the second Test against England at Headingley today.

The West Indies were 206 for three in reply to England's first innings 258, a deficit of just 52 runs, at tea on the second day.

Brathwaite was 102 not out and Shai Hope unbeaten on 85.

Their unbroken stand was so far worth 171 runs.

The fourth-wicket duo had come together with West Indies in trouble at 35 for three after James Anderson had dismissed Kyle Hope, Shai's older brother, on his way to brilliant lunch figures of three wickets for 10 runs in 12 overs.

That left Anderson just five shy of becoming the first England bowler to take 500 Test wickets and the sixth overall.

But not even Anderson could make further inroads as Brathwaite and Shai Hope batted through the second session.

Their partnership made England's decision to drop third seamer Toby Roland-Jones look all the more curious.

Roland-Jones had taken 14 wickets in three Tests at an average of under 20 apiece since making his debut in England's preceding 3-1 home series win over South Africa.

But despite those fine figures he was omitted at Headingley, with England recalling the fit-again Chris Woakes, ostensibly in a bid to give the Warwickshire all-rounder game time ahead of the upcoming Ashes tour of Australia.

But Woakes too often bowled short on a Headingley pitch where bowlers have traditionally been rewarded for maintaining a fuller length and at tea he had figures of none for 40 in 11 overs.

The West Indies found runs hard to come by while Anderson was bowling under grey skies.

But after Anderson dismissed nightwatchman Devendra Bishoo, caught behind for his overnight one, and had Kyle Hope (three) well taken at second slip by England captain Joe Root, the tourists hit back when the swing specialist was given a breather.

- Decisions overturned -



========================



Brathwaite and Shai Hope were still in the middle when conditions for batting improved as the sun broke through.

The West Indies resumed on their overnight 19 for one, having produced a much-improved bowling display following a humiliating innings and 209-run defeat at Edgbaston last week that left them 1-0 down in the three-match series.

Brathwaite, who resumed on 13 not out, successfully reviewed lbw decisions on 35 and 46, after first getting an inside edge to Stuart Broad and being outside off stump playing a shot when given out to off-spinner Moeen Ali.

With the very next ball after Ali's appeal was overturned, Brathwaite drove him for six to go to fifty.

After lunch, Shai Hope completed his fifty when he drove Woakes down the ground for his ninth four in 72 balls.

On 60, Shai Hope was hit on the helmet by a bouncer from Ben Stokes.

But he showed no sign of being shaken up.

He was, however, dropped on 72 when Mark Stoneman, back on his heels at short leg, couldn't hold on to a whip off Ali.

In desperation, Root gave the last over before tea to part-time spinner Tom Westley.

Having reached his fifty with a six, Brathwaite went to his hundred with another when he lofted Westley's penultimate ball before the interval high over long-on.

It was a stylish way for the 24-year-old to complete his sixth hundred in 39 Tests off 189 balls, also including 13 fours after over four-and-a-half hours at the crease.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Classes at the government women's college here resumed today after remaining suspended for the past four days due to a student agitation.

The agitation by the students led to removal of the principal which was followed by a strike called by teachers against the "hasty decision" of the government.

"Classes resumed this morning after remaining suspended for the past four days," newly appointed in-charge principal of the college, Geetanjali Andotra told PTI.

She said the college opened for normal academic activities and all the teachers and students attended their classes for the first time after Tuesday.

Andotra replaced Anita Sudan as the principal after the government ordered her attachment on August 23 following widespread protests by students accusing the management of imposing "unnecessary diktats" on dress code and using abusive language and passing of 'lewd remarks'.

"Pending inquiry into the matter, Anita Sudan, Principal, government college for women, Parade, Jammu is hereby attached with Director College Higher Education department with immediate effect," Additional Secretary, higher education department, Mohmmad Ashraf Hakak had said in an order.

The order was passed after the students boycotted their classes for the second day, staged a rally up to the office of Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Rajiv Rajan, and submitted a memorandum demanding removal of the college principal.

While the students welcomed the government decision and returned to the college after two days of protest on August 24, the teaching and non-teaching staff stayed away from work and did not attend classes expressing solidarity with Sudan.

The college teachers' association went on a day-long pen down strike yesterday protesting against the government's decision and accusing it of removing the principal on "flimsy grounds", which affected work in all colleges across Jammu.

Sudan had dismissed the allegations as "wild" and had claimed that she had taken several steps like strict adherence to college uniform and timing on recommendations of the parents of several students after four women went missing in the recent past.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today demanded imposition of president's rule in Haryana and sacking of the M L Khattar government even as it accused both the state and the Centre of being "mute spectators" to arson and violence after the court verdict against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of failing to implement "Raj Dharma" and alleged that he was more interested in protecting and serving the interests of his "close friend" Haryana Chief Minister Khattar.

Singhvi said it is unprecedented that such a situation arose even after prior notice of seven days and both state and central governments have been "mute and impotent spectators" for the last six-seven days.

Prime Minister Modi yesterday strongly condemned the "deeply distressing" violence that swept Haryana and other states after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, and appealed for peace.

"Unfortunately, the prime minister is more interested in protecting and sub serving the interests of his close friend Khattar. Unfortunately, the home minister can do no more than be a mute spectator," Singhvi said.

"This is an inefficient, incompetent, ineffective state Khattar government. It should have been removed a while ago, it must be removed immediately and president's rule imposed. This goes without saying and this is bare minimum. It should happen," he told reporters.

Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also said Khattar should resign on moral grounds, otherwise the Centre should dismiss him and impose president's rule.

He also doubted the casualty figures given by the state government and feared more people had died in the violence that gripped 15 cities of Haryana, including Panchkula, where the special CBI court pronounced the verdict in a rape case against the Dera chief.

He claimed private and public property worth thousands of crores has been destroyed by violent mobs of followers of the Dera chief.

Hooda alleged there was complete breakdown of law and order machinery in the state and said "one feels as if there is no government in Haryana".

"This has happened earlier too, during Jat reservation issue and the Rampal Dera incident and now this incident clearly shows the incompetence of this government and has proved it a failure," he said.

Hooda claimed people have lost faith in this government and "this government should resign on moral grounds and if not, the Centre should dismiss it and impose president's rule".

Singhvi said "strongest, toughest measures" should have been taken by the central government but it has failed to take steps to preserve and implement "Raj Dharma".

"We exhort the prime minister to do his 'Raj Dharma' without fear or favour, firstly by immediately promulgating president's rule, and secondly by immediately removing this incompetent chief minister," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A daily wage worker was today found dead inside a drain near Municipal corporation headquarters here, police said.

The deceased was identified as Bollinkala Veerreddy (47). His body was recovered in the wee hours and sent it to the government general hospital for post mortem, an official attached to two town police station said.

The cause of his death is yet to be ascertained and a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code was registered, the official said.

Police said a probe was on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The death toll in the violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case climbed up to 36 today even as there was no report of fresh violence in Haryana.

State authorities are now trying to ensure that there are no untoward incidents tomorrow or on Monday when the special CBI court judge will be flown to the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for pronouncing the quantum of sentence.

"Thirty six people have died, out of which six casualties are in Sirsa and remaining are in Panchkula," DGP B S Sandhu said this evening.

Thirteen persons from among the 36 deceased have been identified, the police said.

No untoward incident was reported from neighbouring Punjab also as security forces conducted flag marches and kept a tight vigil in the sensitive areas. Curfew was also relaxed at some places where it had been imposed.

Facing flak over the failure to check violence by Dera Sacha Sauda followers, the Haryana government today suspended the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, alleging that a "defective" order by him allowed the crowd build-up in the district.

There was mayhem in Panchkula yesterday as Dera Sacha Sauda supporters went berserk after the sect chief's conviction setting afire vehicles and pelting stones. The violence resulted in nearly 30 deaths in Panchkula itself.

The Haryana goverment was also forced to terminate the services of the state's Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly "accompanying" Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh yesterday after the sect head's conviction.

The opposition stepped up its attack with former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanding the dismissal of Manohar Lal Khattar government for its failure to handle the situation at Panchkula.

Hooda sought the imposition of President's rule in the state.

The Khattar government came under sharp criticism from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which castigated it over the deadly violence, saying it had "surrendered" before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda head for "political considerations".

Meanwhile, as part of the crackdown on Dera centres, security personnel today conducted search operations at congregation centres across Haryana and Punjab and recovered a large number of sticks and sharp-edged objects.

Many Dera centres in Haryana were being sealed and security personnel deployed outside their premises to prevent any untoward incident, officials said.

After yesterday's mahyem, Haryana government claimed that peace had prevailed in the state today.

"Peace is prevailing throughout the state and no incident has occurred anywhere after 6.30 pm yesterday," Chief Secretary D S Dhesi said.

He also informed that 'Z plus' security cover which was given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had been withdrawn the moment he was convicted yesterday.

He termed as incorrect media reports alleging that special treatment was being extended to the Dera chief, who has been lodged in district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak, asserting that he was being treated as an "ordinary prisoner".

All security arrangements have been made for August 28 when the quantum announcement sentence will be announced by the CBI court, Dhesi said.

The High court ordered the Haryana government to make arrangements at district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak for the special CBI court judge to pronounce Dera Sacha Sauda chief's quantum of sentence on Monday.

The court directed that necessary arrangements for security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two staff members should be made.

The high court slammed the Khattar government, observing that it seems that it had "surrendered before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda for political considerations."



The Haryana police, meanwhile, recovered an AK-47 rifle and a Mauser from the vehicle of a Dera follower, and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations, DGP Sandhu said.

As many as 552 persons have been arrested in connection with yesterday's violence and further investigations are underway, the DGP said.

He said the police had made adequate security arrangements and Army presence had been requested to bolster confidence of the people.

"The law-and-order situation is being maintained and constantly monitored in the entire state. As many as 101 companies of paramilitary have been deployed in the state, six columns of the Army have been deployed in Panchkula and four in Sirsa. Curfew has been relaxed in Panchkula and Sirsa," Chief Secretary Dhesi said.

The district administration of Sirsa with the assistance of police, paramilitary and the Army is sanitising and securing the area outside Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

"People inside the Dera want to come out but as the situation is tense, they would be taken out only after the situation normalises," Dhesi added.

He said the mob had burnt 28 vehicles in Panchkula, including some belonging to the government besides setting on fire two government buildings, namely offices of the Income Tax Department and HARTRON yesterday.

In Panchkula, security forces remained on high alert today as an uneasy calm prevailed in the district, which was the epicentre of yesterday's violence.

PUNJAB ALSO SEARCHES DERA CENTRES



Punjab also launched a crackdown on Dera centres, with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh stating that state police offices had visited all the 98 'Naam Sacha Ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera in the state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs.

Punjab has tightened security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Ram Rahim, he said.

Chief Minister Singh said that Punjab remained peaceful and no loss of life was reported from any part of the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A protest planned tomorrow against lynchings and assaults in recent months has been postponed to September 10 in view of prohibitory orders here.

Violence and arson spilled over to the national capital from neighbouring Haryana after self-styled godman Guru Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case yesterday, forcing the Delhi Police to clamp down prohibitory orders till September 8.

The 'Say no to hatred' protest was planned by the campaigners behind the 'Not In My Name' movement. Various events were planned across the city as part of the protest.

"The Notinmyname campaign announces postponement of all events on August 27 due to imposition of Section 144 in few areas. A new date of September 10 has been announced and more people are invited to join in," a statement said.

'Not In My Name' was a country-wide protest held in June following the lynching of 17-year-old Junaid on board a Mathura-bound train. Celebrities, artists, and leaders from Congress, JD(U), AAP and CPI were among those who took part in the protest which was simulatenously held in several places across the country.

"The silence has been broken. A protest initiated in June 2017 by the #NotInMyName campaign spread to 26 cities and towns across India. Thousands of Indians stood up to say NO to hatred and violence in the name of religion and caste. That was a moment of pause.

"The lynchings and assaults on Muslims, Dalits, Adivasis and other minorities have not stopped. We now propose to observe August 27 as a day to categorically #SayNoToHatred. We call for all citizens to stand together until basic minimum guarantees of peace and security are available to all," the campaigners had said while announcing the protest.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hemera/Thinkstock(SEOUL) -- North Korea launched three ballistic missiles on Friday, with two failing in flight and one blowing up at launch, according to an initial assessment.



In a statement, Cmdr. David Benham, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Command, said the missile launches occurred "between 11:49 a.m. and 12:19 p.m. Hawaii time Aug. 25."



"Initial assessment indicates three short-range ballistic missile launches. The first and third missiles at 11:49 a.m. and 12:19 p.m. failed in flight," the statement reads. "The second missile launch at 12:07 p.m. appears to have blown up almost immediately.



The statement continues: "The three launches occurred near Kittaeryong, North Korea. We are working with our Interagency partners on a more detailed assessment and we will provide a public update if warranted. ... We continue to monitor North Korea's actions closely."



In a separate statement, Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense said it was aware of the launch, but it was "determined not to be a threat to Guam or the Marianas."



White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said President Donald Trump has been briefed and is monitoring the situation.



This latest North Korean missile test would be the 12th ballistic missile test this year. North Korea has demonstrated significant advancements in its missile technology this year testing and is on a pace to test more missiles this year than in any previous calendar year.



Their biggest achievements were North Koreas successful launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in July proving they could reach the continental United States.



The two launches in July triggered an international crisis as Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un exchanged in volatile rhetoric.



On Aug. 8, Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen," touching off a war of words between the two governments.



Kim said he would consider sending missiles into the waters off the coast of Guam in "mid-August." Guam is a U.S. island territory that is home to two American military bases.



But, after reviewing those plans, Kim ultimately decided he would watch a little more the foolish and stupid conduct of the Yankees," seeming to walk back an imminent threat to the island and de-escalating tensions on the Peninsula -- at least for now.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Apparently bolstered by two more MLAs joining him, sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran today said his camp is confident that Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao will take a "good decision" on representation by his legislators seeking Chief Minister K Palaniswami's ouster.

"I will work with them (his loyalist MLAs)," he said while describing the governor as a "legal expert".

Noting that his aim was to safeguard the party, he said the group was hopeful that Rao would "take a good decision".

"Justice", for which his loyalists had taken up cudgels against the incumbent regime led by Palaniswami, "will win", he told reporters in Chennai.

Dhinakaran asserted that his loyalist MLAs were staying in Puducherry only to facilitate that.

On Speaker P Dhanapal's notice to his loyalists, Dhinakaran, whose support among ruling MLAs has gone up to 21, said, "We are bound only by truth and God and this is a war between sacrifice and betrayal. None except God can intimidate us."



He said it would not be true if there are any claims that his loyalist MLAs have gone to Puducherry out of fear.

"Nineteen of them have gone there with a passion of sacrifice; to safeguard the party and the whole of India is watching the situation," he said.

"They (19 of his loyalist MLAs) are now in Puducherry with the confidence that Governor Rao would expeditiously fulfil their representation," he said and added that "money" cannot buy his loyalists.

"Only to bring a realisation that the party can be led only by the general secretary, they are there (in Puducherry) and not due to fear of somebody," the AIADMK deputy general secretary said.

AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala is serving a prison term at a Bengaluru jail following her conviction in the disproportionate assets case.

Dhinakaran quipped that he could take just one question as his "throat has not cleared yet" and that doctors had advised him not to talk much for about two to three days.

Adorning sacred beads worn by devotees who visit the holy shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala, he said he would be visiting the temple.

Speaking to reporters at Tirupur near Coimbatore, where he had gone to attend the marriage of a party cadre, he said it was unacceptable to cadres when Palaniswami's camp said that they would oust Sasikala, who had made them ministers and Palaniswami as the chief minister.

He flayed the Palaniswami camp for joining hands with rebel leader O Panneerselvam, who was "responsible" for the party's "Two Leaves' symbol being frozen and had called the government "corrupt".

To a question on the total number of MLAs supporting him, he said, "so far you have seen 21 MLAs openly supporting us."



Noting that there "are many more," supporting him like "sleeper cells," which he had said before, Dhinakaran said the only idea of such "sleeper cell MLAs" was to protect the party and "they will come one by one and you are all going to see this".

"We have started the operation and whatever steps are needed to protect the party, be it surgery or anything else will be done," he said.

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran's confidant Thangatamilselvan told reporters in Puducherry that if the chief minister was not replaced, they would meet President Ram Nath Kovind in this regard.

"We want to strengthen the party and Palaniswami does not have that capability. He does not have the administrative acumen too. If he is not replaced in keeping with our demand we will meet the President in two days and we are planning for that," he said.

To a query on the notice from the Speaker, he claimed "this (notice) is not legally valid and will not bind us and they cannot disqualify us."



This was being done only to "intimidate" MLAs owing allegiance to Dhinakaran, he added.

Last night AIADMK MLA from Vriddhachalam, V T Kalaiselvan had met Dhinakaran and extended support to him, taking the number of rebel MLAs to 21.

Earlier, Aranthangi MLA E Rathinasabapathy had also reportedly expressed his support for Dhinakaran.

The state has witnessed a political crisis ever since the factions led by Palaniswami and former chief minister Panneerselvam merged on Monday last.

In the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs. There is no one representing the RK Nagar constituency in the House, which late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa had represented.

The DMK has 89 seats, Congress eight and IUML one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Senior (SP) leader Ram Govind Chaudhary on Saturday said party chief Akhilesh Yadav has the blessings of his father Mulayam Singh Yadav and difference of opinion between them was "natural" for a democratic party.

Stressing that the party was united, he said that there was "no problem" Shivpal Singh Yadav, who would never leave his nephew.

"The blessings of the SP founder Mulayam Singh Yadav is always with Akhilesh Yadav. Also, there is no problem with Shivpal Singh Yadav. He might say something but how could he leave his nephew," the Leader of the Opposition in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly told reporters in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh.

"The SP is united. Ours is a democratic party, and in such a party difference of opinion is natural," he said when asked about Mulayam's recent statement warning Akhilesh against forming a coalition for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Mulayam was quoted as saying in the media that he was not in favour of any kind of coalition with anyone and if Akhilesh decides to tie-up with any party then he would be forced to take some strict action.

Attacking the Yogi government, Chaudhary said to hide its failures, it was holding the previous government responsible for all the problems.

"Yogi government has failed on all fronts. It has no control over police and administration. The law and order situation has turned worse," he added.
A 10-year-old boy saved the life of his little brother by using the CPR methods he learned while watching Dwayne Johnson's "San Andreas".

Johnson took to social media to praise Jacob O'Connor, after the Detroit-area youngster helped saved his two-year-old brother Dylan from drowning.

"You know there's a little 10-year-old boy out there and his name is Jacob O'Connor. He's a real-life hero. He couldn't find his little two-year-old brother Dylan so he went out back and found little Dylan lying face down in their pool. Jacob pulled him out, remained calm and started administering CPR and chest compressions and saved his little brother's life.

"He learned how to do this by watching this big, brown tattooed guy in his favourite movie 'San Andreas'. Jacob, I'm so proud of you so much so that I've got to meet you. I've got to shake the hands of a real-life hero," Johnson said.

According to Jacob, he remembers an important scene from "San Andreas" where Johnson was doing compression to save a life.

"There was an earthquake, then it caused a tsunami and then there was a daughter that was drowning and he had to get her out and he did the same thing," the 10-year-old told ABC2 .

After saving his brother's life, Jacob will now get a chance to meet the actor on set of his upcoming film "Skyscraper".

"When you come to my sets, it's like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dude because you can eat all the sweets you want and it's all free," Dwayne teased. "Yes, it's free. I'll see you next week buddy."



"Hopefully, your little 2yr old brother, Dylan is well enough to fly because I wanna meet him too. I'll have some very nice people contact your family in the upcoming days to make the arrangements," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the western region at 1715 hrs.

BOM 1 AVI-AIR INDIA-FLIGHT



Mumbai: A Kochi-bound Air India plane, carrying over 150 passengers from here, aborts takeoff at the last minute following a technical problem and was grounded.

BOM 6 MH-DOCTOR COUPLE-ABORTIONS



Solapur: Police arrest a doctor couple for allegedly carrying out illegal abortions at their hospital at Akluj in the district.

BCM 9 BIZ-MH-URBAN BANKS



Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will come up with a law to protect small savers who have deposited up to Rs 1 lakh in urban cooperative banks (UCBs), says a minister.

LGB 1 MH-COURT-MAN



Thane: A court here awards life imprisonment to a 45-year-old man for stabbing to death a married woman in 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top stories from the western region at 2115 hrs.

BOM8 MH-BUILDING COLLAPSE



Mumbai: Portion of a six-storey building collapses in suburban Sakinaka while it is being demolished.

BOM 1 AVI-AIR INDIA-FLIGHT



Mumbai: A Kochi-bound Air India plane, carrying over 150 passengers from Mumbai, aborts takeoff at the last minute following a technical problem and is grounded.

BOM 6 MH-DOCTOR COUPLE-ABORTIONS



Solapur: Police arrest a doctor couple for allegedly carrying out illegal abortions at a hospital at Akluj, Maharashtra.

LGB 1 MH-COURT-MAN



Thane: A court awards life imprisonment to 45-year-old man for stabbing to death a married woman in 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France is to grant a 430-million euro loan to Iraq whose economy has been weakened by low oil prices and its fight against jihadists, a French foreign ministry official said today.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made the announcement during talks in Baghdad with Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al- Abadi and said the USD 512-million would be released before the end of 2017, the official told AFP.

"France was present from the beginning of the battles against Daesh (Islamic State group) and will be present as well during time of peace," said Le Drian, who was accompanied by Defence Minister Florence Parly.

The loan is aimed at helping the war-torn country implement reforms, improve public services and boost the performance of its state enterprises.

Le Drian also handed Abadi an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to visit Paris.

The visit by France's foreign and defence ministers come as Iraqi forces announced the ouster of the Islamic State group from the centre of Tal Afar, one of the jihadists' last remaining stronghold in the north.

The advance, just days into an assault on the strategic town, comes six weeks after Abadi declared victory over IS in second city Mosul, where the jihadist group declared its "caliphate" in 2014.

One the plane to Baghdad, Le Drian said that Iraq now faced the dual challenge of "a war that is coming to an end and the beginning of the stabilisation and reconstruction".

France is a key member of the US-led coalition that has been battling IS in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

French forces have carried out air and artillery strikes in support of Iraqi operations against the jihadists, who have lost much of the swathes of territory they had seized in 2014.

France, which refused to take part in the 2003 American- led invasion that brought down dictator Saddam Hussein, is keen to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq.

The cost of reconstruction has been estimated at between USD 700 billion and USD 1 trillion.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Government Railway Police (GRP) constable allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree here today.

The GRP officials said the constable identified as Lakhi Kant Pramanik (30) was posted at the residence of deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Binod Kumar Mahto.

This morning he allegedly hanged himself from a tree behind the police barrack, the officials said.

Superintendent of Railway police (SRP) HP Janardanan, who immediately reached the spot after getting the information told media persons that prima facie the incident looked like suicide.

However details would emerge only after post-mortem, the SP said adding that the body has been sent to Patliputra Medical College Hospital for autopsy.

Pramanik was a resident of Dhanbad and had joined the GRP only two months ago.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat is expecting a 15 per cent rise in tourist flow into the western state in the current financial year, a top official today said.

"A total of 4.5 crore tourists, 2 per cent of them foreigners, visited Gujarat in the last fiscal (FY2016-17). It is expected that tourist arrivals into the state will be 15 per cent more this fiscal," Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) managing director Jenu Devan said.

He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Declaration of Ahmedabad as India's first world heritage city by UNESCO will help in attracting more international tourists to the state, Devan said.

To a query, Devan said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) has not adversely affected the tourism industry in his state. "We haven't come across any adverse impact of the new tax regime to the Gujarat tourism sector so far.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana government today ordered a search of all congregation centres belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda in the state, a senior official said.

The directive comes a day after widespread violence and arson following the conviction of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case led to at least 30 people being killed and 250 injured.

"We have ordered a search of all 'naam charcha ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera Sacha Sauda wherever located in Haryana," state Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas told PTI.

"We have asked security personnel to conduct searches at all Dera centres thoroughly and seize any weapons found," he added.

The search operation would include the Dera headquarters in Sirsa and the congregation centre in Panchkula, where a CBI court pronounced its judgement against the self-styled godman.

Niwas claimed the situation in the state was under control and added that the Army as well as paramilitary forces were deployed in Sirsa and Panchkula.

According to him, 28 people died during the violence in Panchkula.

"All those who died in Panchkula were rioters. The intention of the rioters was to ransack Panchkula," Niwas said.

He added that 28 vehicles, mostly belonging to the media, were torched by the rioters and 524 persons arrested.

"We have asked the media whose vehicles have been set afire by rioters to get FIRs registered and provide video footage of the violence," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Haryana government today sacked Haryana's deputy advocate general for "accompanying" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's conviction in a rape case.

The state government terminated the services of DAG Gurdas Salwara on the recommendations of Haryana's Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan.

"It is found that yesterday the DAG accompanied the baba," Mahajan said.

He said the DAG was a government servant and was not allowed to practice such things.

"The DAG has relations with the Dera," he claimed.

The action from the AG office came in the wake of a video clip purportedly showing the DAG in lawyer's robes carrying a suitcase of the Dera head after his conviction by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bolstered by two more MLAs joining him, sidelined AIADMK leader T T V Dhinakaran today said his camp was confident that Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao will take a "good decision" on representation given by his legislators seeking Chief Minister K Palaniswami's ouster.

Asserting that his aim was to safeguard the party, he said the group (of his loyalist MLAs) was hopeful that Rao will "take a good decision."



Describing the governor as a "legal expert", Dhinakaran told reporters in Chennai that "justice", for which his loyalists had taken up cudgels against the incumbent dispensation led by Palaniswami, "will win".

"I will work with them (his loyalist MLAs)," the sidelined AIADMK leader said.

On Speaker P Dhanapal's notice to his loyalists, Dhinakaran, whose support from the ruling MLAs has gone up to 21, said, "We are bound only by truth and God and this is a war between sacrifice and betrayal. None except God can intimidate us."



He said it would not be true if there are any claims that his loyalist MLAs have gone to Puducherry out of fear.

"Ninenteen of them have gone there with a passion of sacrifice, to safeguard the party and the whole India is watching the situation," Dhinakaran said.

"They are in Puducherry with the confidence that Governor Rao will expeditiously fulfill their representation," he said, adding money cannot buy his loyalists.

"To bring a realisation that the party can be led only by the general secretary, they are there (Puducherry) and not due to fear of somebody," Dhinakaran said.

AIADMK's interim general secretary V K Sasikala is serving a prison term at a Bengaluru prison following her conviction in a disproportionate assets case.

Adorning sacred beads worn by devotees who visit the holy shrine of Sabarimala in Kerala, Dhinakaran said he will visit the temple.

Meanwhile, Dhinakaran's confidant Thangatamilselvan told reporters in Puducherry that if the chief minister was not replaced, they will meet President Ram Nath Kovind on this issue.

"We want to strengthen the party and Palaniswami does not have that capability. He does not have the administrative acumen too.If he is not replaced, in keeping with our demand, we will meet the President in two days," he said.

To a query on notice from the Assembly Speaker, Thangatamilselvan claimed, "This (notice) is not legally valid and will not bind us and they cannot disqualify us."



He said this was being done only to "intimidate" Dhinakaran's loyalist MLAs.

Last night, AIADMK MLA from Vriddhachalam V T Kalaiselvan met Dhinakaran and extended his support to the sidelined leader, taking the number of rebel MLAs to 21.

Earlier, Aranthangi MLA E Rathinasabapathy had also reportedly expressed his support for Dhinakaran.

The state has witnessed a political crisis ever since the Palaniswami and former chief minister O Panneerselvam's factions merged on Monday.

Of the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 134 MLAs. There is no one representing the R K Nagar constituency in the House from where late AIADMK supremo and former chief minister Jayalalithaa had contested.

The DMK has 89 seats, Congress eight and IUML one.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As many as 80 buses bound for neighboring states were suspended today in view of the violence that erupted yesterday in Haryana and Punjab after the rape conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, a government official said



"Eighty Uttarakhand Roadways buses bound for adjoining states like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan have been suspended to avert any untoward incident," GM (operations) Uttarakhand Roadways Deepak Jain said.

However, buses are plying on Dehradun-Delhi route as of now, he said.

He said the public has been inconvenienced due the suspension of the buses but the decision was taken for their safety in the wake of violence.

Widespread violence and arson erupted in Haryana, and also in Punjab, after a special CBI court yesterday convicted the Dera chief in a rape case. The protesters set ablaze scores of vehicles.

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Tropical storm Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland in 12 years, today made landfall in central Texas coast with winds of 195 kmph, taking aim at the state's oil refining industry and knocking out power in more than a lakh homes.

TheNational Hurricane Centresaid Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor in Texas, the US state where roughly 17 per cent of America's crude oil output and nearly half of the country's refining capacity is located.

Houston, the most populous city in Texas, is home to the country's largest refinery and petrochemical complex.

The storm, a Category 4 hurricane, had maximum sustained winds of 195 kmph, and was forecast to bring "catastrophic flooding due to heavy rainfall and storm surge," it said.

Harvey has impacted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric system, with 104,000 customers without power, according to the corporation's official Twitter account.

It is the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland since 2005. Its effects could linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to 40 inches in some areas.

Millions of residents along the south Texas coast saw hurricane-force winds that uprooted trees and power poles.

They had frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storm's path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.

Airlines cancelled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and other events in Houston and other coastal cities were postponed.

Harvey is likely to stall over Texas, leading to catastrophic flooding.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was "expecting a lot of rain, not too much wind. Let's assume there will be a lot of rain. The rain could come out of the bayou and overcome our capabilities".

Harvey is the first natural disaster faced by the the Donald Trump administration.

Before the landfall, Trump signed a disaster proclamation for Texas, freeing up federal funds for assistance. He tweeted that he had spoken with the governors of Texas and Louisiana and was "here to assist as needed".

Earlier in the day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had asked Trump to preemptively declare Harvey a "major disaster" in order to speed federal aid.

"We can obviously tell already at this stage this is going to be a very major disaster," Abbot said, as more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were activated. "We're going to be dealing with really record-setting flooding in multiple regions."



A Tropical Storm Wind Warning has been issued for much of southeast Texas, including Houston and Galveston.

Highways leading from coastal areas were jammed as authorities issued urgent warnings to hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. Some highways were to be turned into one- way roads to speed the exodus from the storm zone.

The storm is expected to dump up to 89 cm of rain over a four or five-day period in parts of Texas. Satellite images showed the massive storm system extending hundreds of kilometres into the Gulf of Mexico.

It is forecast to be the most powerful hurricane to hit the mainland sinceWilma struck Floridain 2005, and could inflict billions of dollars in damage.

Before Wilma,Hurricane Katrinapummelled New Orleans in the same year, leaving more than 1,800 people dead.

A day before, oil and gas companies scrambled to prepare for Harvey, which developed so quickly in the Gulf of Mexico that many of them didn't have time to respond.

Royal Dutch Shell shut down and evacuated its 22-well Perdido oil and gas hub, the deepest floating oil platform in the world, the company said.

Other major companies, including ExxonMobil and Anadarko, also began scaling back production.

Oil analysts predict it could take more than three weeks for refineries in its path to resume normal operations.

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Residents of Dharani Nagar here faced inconvenience today as thick foam spread from a lake in the locality even as heavy rains lashed the city, throwing normal life out of gear.

Some of the residents of Dharani Nagar said the foam began coming out of the Parigi cheruvu (lake) since last night and that it enveloped some houses in the area. They complained of foul odour and rashes on the skin.

A woman claimed the residents faced a similar problem during the rainy season last year.

Meanwhile, heavy rainfall last night, up to 12 cms in some places, resulted in inundation of several low-lying areas in the city.

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), in a release said, its personnel ensured free flow of rainwater, thus minimising inconvenience to the citizens.

Food packets were provided to residents of inundated areas at Madinaguda and other places, GHMC Commissioner B Janardhan Reddy said.

He said steps have been taken to ensure smooth flow of traffic at important junctions. Also, efforts are being made to repair roads and remove 65 trees that fell on streets.

The civic commissioner held a meeting with officials in view of the meteorology department warning heavy rains during the next two days.

He pulled up some officials as monsoon teams were not seen in action at some localities, the GHMC release said.

Reddy asked officials to supervise works from the corporation's control room in the event of an emergency.

GHMC today launched Any Time Water kiosks in the city. These kiosks will provide water to people at the rate of Re 1 per litre.

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The idea of India would be "incomplete" if Jammu and Kashmir is removed from it, former Union minister Salman Khurshid said today, asserting that the country cannot suffer another division after the 1947 partition.

The former foreign minister made the remarks at a panel discussion -- Why is Kashmir Burning? -- held in the capital, which he said, sought to "objectively discuss" the issues related to the Kashmir conflict and find a way forward.

"India is less about territory and more about an idea. And, that idea essentially includes Jammu and Kashmir. And Jammu and Kashmir minus from India means we will have to redefine India in some form. But the idea of India becomes incomplete if Kashmir is removed from it," Khurshid said.

Former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) A S Dulat concurred with Khurshid, and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech, where he had said that the Kashmir problem cannot be solved "through bullets or abuses", but by embracing its people.

"The Union of India is big enough to accommodate a Muslim majority state within it... And, neither a youth pelting stones in the streets in the Valley nor any person raising a flag is a Pakistani. Those who have raised Pakistani flags have only done it out of frustration," Dulat said.

The former special director of the Intelligence Bureau also cautioned against the idea of "Kashmiri sub-nationalism".

"What is the excitement about Kashmiri sub-nationalism or Punjab or Bengal or Kerala sub-nationalism... I cannot agree more with the idea of India," Dulat said.

During his address, Khurshid, in a veiled attack on the the BJP, also said, "Some people think that the gaps, between what India or Bharatvarsh originally was and what modern India should be, must go."



"It is irrational and somewhat myopic to think, India begins in a certain century and stops in a certain century, and after a while it begins again. And for some people that re-beginning of India is still incomplete because they think something more need to be done," he said.

Khurshid said India for a long period was part of the Mughal Empire and later under the British Empire, and alleged that "there are some people who believe you need to obliterate those period to recognise what India is today".

Elaborating on his Kahshmir conflict point, the former Union minister said, "Kashmir is about an idea. People think it is about territory, it is not about territory, it is about an idea that traces back to Partition."



"And, whenever I have had the chance to speak to Pakistani interlocutors, I have always said to them, your idea of Pakistan, complete or incomplete, as it may be, is of no concern to us. But our idea of of India will remain incomplete.

"You forced us to review our idea of India. We cannot go through another truncation, another partition, another division... We cannot suffer another redefinition. And, redefinition is much more than losing or winning territory. We lost PoK (Pakisatn-occupied Kashmir) and we lost some part to China, but the core of the idea (of India) remains intact," he said.

India as a country is not a physical entity but an idea which includes multitude of languages and culture that we celebrate as a whole, like a bouquet of colourful flowers, Khurshid said.

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India today discussed with Qatar the issue of welfare of its citizens in the Gulf nation in the wake of its lingering disputes with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain.

In wide-ranging talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Qatari counterpart Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, the two sides also deliberated on ways to deepen coopration in areas of energy, trade and investment.

The External Affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said bilateral issues, including welfare of Indian workers in Qatar were discussed in the talks between Swaraj and Al-Thani.

As per estimates, over six lakh Indian nationals are currently working in Qatar.

In June, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain had announced cutting diplomatic ties and closing all connectivity links with Qatar, alleging that it supported terrorism. Qatar had rejected the charges.

In its reaction, India had asked countries in the region to resolve the crisis through constructive dialogue and well- established international principles of mutual respect.

India's ties with Qatar have intensified in the last few years.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani had visited New Delhi in December during which India had expressed keenness to invest in hydrocarbon projects in the Gulf nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Qatari counterpart had also discussed enhancing cooperation in defence and security and agreed on joint action to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing.

Official sources said expanding coperation in sectors such as energy, trade and investment were dicussed in today's meeting.

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Indian cuisine enjoys immense popularity in the UK and contributes in cementing cultural ties between the two countries, British High Commissioner Sir Dominic Asquith has said here.

"It is true if you go around (in the UK) there are such places where you will find one Indian restaurant in every hundred yards on an average," Asquith told PTI.

"And former foreign secretary Robin Cook had described Chicken Tikka as the national dish of Britain. So our culinary bonds go deep and will go on," the British envoy said.

Speaking about Indian foods at British universities, he said his memory of having Indian food was inseparable from his student days at the university.

"In my student days in UK, the only restaurant I could afford was an Indian one. They did not slap any ridiculous charge like pasta-type dishes in Italian restaurants.

"I liked typical Indian dishes since those days which were also much cheaper," he recalled.

About his culinary experiences in this country where he was appointed in 2016, the British High Commissioner said, "The culinary tradition is much better here."



"Being lucky to be in India for two years and savouring foods of different types. Yes we Britons love it," Asquith said on the sidelines of a programme on Thursday.

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Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said that it is time to say goodbye to US aid after President Donald Trump made harsh remarks and "exaggerated statements" about the financial assistance to Islamabad.

Shahbaz's statement comes days after President Trump alleged that Pakistan received billions of dollars in aid but did not act against "terrorist havens" in the country.

Trump lashed out at Pakistan, accusing the country of playing a double game as it accepted American aid but gave safe haven to insurgents who kill Afghan and NATO troops.

"The exaggerated comments being made in the national and international discourse regarding the US aid to Pakistan are tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Pakistanis suffering terrorism, poverty and backwardness," said Shahbaz, the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

In a statement issued yesterday, Shahbaz said it's time Pakistan closed the chapter of the US aid by politely saying "thank you" (for the help), the Dawn reported.

"That's the only way the nation can avert such jibes," he was quoted as saying by the paper.

Shahbaz said that it's time for Pakistan to politely and gratefully close the chapter on the US assistance so that the bilateral relationship can be freed from the shadow of repeated contemptuous taunts.

"Pakistani people craved the opportunity to be treated fairly and honorably and remain committed to contributing to the world peace and prosperity," said Shahbaz, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Over the years many countries including the US had helped Pakistan improve health, education and other service delivery areas for its people and this vital support continued to be welcomed, he acknowledged. But, he said in the same breath, that no country should see its generosity as a justification to make unfair accusations and demands of the Pakistani people.

Meanwhile, several religious groups took out protest rallies and held demonstrations across Pakistan against Trump's threatening statement. In Lahore, demonstrations were held outside the US consulate.

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Taking a dig at NC leader Omar Abdullah for demanding the resignation of Haryana chief minister, Union minister Jitendra Singh today sought to know whether the former J&K chief minister applied the same principle when the Valley was caught in a web of violence during his tenure.

"I think you (media) should remind him (Omar) whether he followed the same principle when he was a chief minister and violence was happening at large scale in the Valley," he told reporters at a function here.

Omar had yesterday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack Haryana CM M L Khattar for "gross dereliction of duty" in the wake of mounting toll in violence following conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a special CBI court in a rape case.

In another tweet today, the National Conference working president said, "Could there be a more damning indictment of Khattar leadership (or lack of any for that matter) & that too from the Hon High Court?".

Reacting to Omar's statement, the Union minister said, "I have heard that one of the former chief ministers (Omar) is asking for resignation etc. So we should not be selective and politicking on an occasion like this".

On an NCC woman cadet from South Kashmir being recently trolled by Facebook users for asking the youths of the Valley to shun stone pelting and azadi campaigns, Singh said the young generation can no more be intimidated.

"It is not possible any more. Youths of Kashmir have come out to be part of India's mainstream journey towards development. It is not a coincidence that nine children qualified for the IITs, 20 for NIIT.

"For last few years, we have seen toppers from Kashmir Valley in the civil service exam. Last year, we had the second rank winner from militancy-infested area of Anantnag. This year, we had the tenth rank winner fromm the state. Their aim is to be part of the global journey of India," he said.

The senior BJP leader also hailed media to bring to the government's notice about a government-run primary school in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district which has allegedly remained closed since August 15.

"Media has done a commendable role by bringing the issue to the public domain," he said.

Singh said the the Zonal Education Officer (ZEO) reached the spot and found that two teachers were absent from duty and action was initiated against them.

"Due to modernisation of schools, this year we have 100 students migrating from government to private schools which is an example of reverse migration.

"On the other hand, we upgraded government schools by providing them modern facilities, including Internet, computer and satellite facilities," he said.

The MoS was in the city to inaugurate a five-day exhibition on 'Sankalp Se Siddhi' based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of building a 'New India' by freeing the country of garbage, poverty, corruption, terrorism, casteism and communalism by 2022.

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Veteran actor Judi Dench said she has no plans to marry again.

The 82-year-old actor, who is currently in a relationship with ex-Jersey farmer David Mills (74), said while she is in love with him, she believes she is too old to get married, reported FemaleFirst.

"He is not going to propose. No, no, no, no, no. Let's just pull ourselves together and be our age!" Dench told Good Housekeeping magazine.

The "Victoria and Abdul" actor said she despises when someone refers to Mills as her "partner" or "boyfriend".

"I don't know what the word is because I don't like the word 'partner'. Partner is something to do with dancing. Partner - horrible word. Friend? No. Boyfriend? No. Chap? Will chap do?" she said.

Dench was married to actor Michael Williams, who passed away from lung cancer in 2001. They have one daughter, actor Flinty Williams (44) together.

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Without our Fifth Column Media, Loretta Lynch and a corrupted FBI, Hillary Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama, would be making license tags in a federal penitentiary





See: Trump pardons former Sheriff Joe Arpaio One thing is certain, unlike many of our law enforcement officers and public servants, Joe Arpaio actually took his oath of office serious and was obedient to our Constitution and laws of the United States!While sanctuary city officials and federal judges are disregarding and violating parts of 8 U.S. Code  1324 - Bringing in and harboring certain aliens , Joe Arpaio refused to go along to get along.The specific parts of the law which Joe refused to violate are:-- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) makes it an offense for any person who -- knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that an alien has come to, entered, or remains in the United States in violation of law, conceals harbors, or shields from detection, or attempts to conceal, harbor, or shield from detection, such alien in any place, including any building or any means of transportation.-- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) makes it an offense for any person who -- encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.-- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(v) expressly makes it an offense to engage in a conspiracy to commit or aid or abet the commission of the foregoing offenses.It is also interesting to note that U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, a Clinton appointee who used her office of public trust as a political weapon and found Joe guilty of contempt, denied Joe Arpaio a trial by jury for the contempt charge Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio convicted of ignoring judges order The only question I have is, when will Attorney General Jeff Sessions have federal Marshalls pay a visit to all public servants in sanctuary cities, and despotic judges, and perp walk them into federal custody for violating parts of 8 U.S. Code  1324?JWK
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today said Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar should be sacked for his government's "complete failure" in controlling the violence following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case.

There has been a "transcended failure of governance", the Congress leader said, a day after a Panchkula court's guilty verdict against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief triggered widespread violence in which 31 people were killed.

The Haryana government's inability to maintain law and order in a situation of predictable chaos was to be blamed, Tharoor said on the sidelines of the Mountain Echoes literary festival here.

"The lack of management of predictable crowd violence, where anyone could see people gathering with weapons in advance of the verdict is the major reason behind what has happened," Tharoor said.

"Ultimately it is the chief minister and his cabinet who are responsible for the law and order situation in the state. It is a complete failure of the government and the CM should be sacked for it," he added.

According to Tharoor, the mob was "clearly preparing" for violence.

"Why wasn't any action taken first under Section 144? Why, for example, were all gatherings not prohibited? Why was there no preventive deployment of armed police on the streets? All of these are such obvious questions to be asked.

"To my mind this has been a transcended failure of governance."



The government of Haryana, he said, was principally responsible for the lack of adequate preventive measures.

"It has also been said that they had actually allowed people to assemble. If so, it is totally condemnable and I hope an investigation is done...," Tharoor said.

The Congress had yesterday called for Khattar's resignation, with party president Sonia Gandhi expressing grave concern over "widespread destruction of public property and senseless attacks".

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The much-hyped report of the law commission on the is unlikely to be submitted to the government this year, a senior panel functionary said today.

The commission was asked by the law ministry in June last year to examine whether can be introduced in India now where all religions have separate personal laws.

When a Supreme Court bench was examining the issue of triple talaq, the law panel had decided to go slow on its report on the common code as it believed that the order will be a guideline to the panel in drafting its recommendations.

The law panel will also ascertain whether the verdict striking down the practice of triple talaq can shed light on what personal law is.

It will seek answers on the issue of religious faith and religious practice in the 400-page order.

The law panel, which advises the government on complex legal issues, will now involve various stakeholders for discussion to complete its report on the common code. It has already received nearly 45,000 written views on the common code.

The commission is at present working on tabulating the responses it has received. A recent fire in its office had delayed the process.

"By early next year, we'll be ready with our report," the functionary said.

The government has already said that it will take the report to an all-party meet it will convene to decide on the future course of action.
Lalu Prasad's mega rally to oust the BJP here on Sunday will see participation from political heavyweights like West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, and will be a major show ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the RJD chief said.

Rebel JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav, who is staring at an expulsion from the party for defying orders, will also be a participant.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi will not be present but senior leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad, C P Joshi and Hanumantha Rao would represent the party, sources said.

According to a list drawn up by the RJD last night, Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and leaders of the NCP, CPI, RLD, JMM, JVM, DMK, Kerala Congress, RSP, AIUDF, NC and JD(S) leaders would share the dais with Lalu Prasad.

Lalu Prasad on Saturday thanked Mamata Banerjee for confirming her participation at the 'BJP bhagao, desh bachao' rally.

"Mamata Didi ko special thanks hain, RJD welcomes her to the rally," Prasad told reporters today.

He said big leaders who cannot make it to the programme are deputing senior leaders of their parties.

The RJD chief said that the rally would be an important event ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha poll in which united opposition would throw the BJP out of power.

Making a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prasad said "The country is witnessing an emergency like situation today. Those not agreeing with him are being harassed by lodging court cases."



The BJP and JD(U), however, took potshots at the RJD rally saying it comes at a time when the state is witnessing massive floods in 19 districts.

The BJP leader and state Health minister Mangal Pandey accused Lalu Prasad and his party of being insensitive towards flood victims whom neither he nor his partymen visited at the time of distress.

State JD(U) chief spokesman Sanjay Singh said, "instead of visiting flood victims, Lalu Prasad is busy showing his face as well as those of his two sons.""August 27 will be counted as a black day in political history of the country," he said attacking the RJD.

Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Aggarwal said that over 6,000 policemen would be deployed for the rally.

He said 64 CCTV cameras, 32 inside Gandhi Maidan and as many outside it, have been installed.

Two big platforms are being erected for tomorrow's event.

The RJD supporters have started arriving here for the rally at the Gandhi Maidan.

Banners, posters and welcome gates were put up by RJD leaders and workers for the event.
A knife-wielding man attacked police officers outside Buckingham Palace in London, prompting Scotland Yard to launch a terror investigation.

A 26-year-old man initially held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and assault on police has now been re- arrested under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said on Saturday.

"At approximately 20:35hrs a man stopped his car in a restricted area near a police vehicle on the Mall roundabout near Spur Road, SW1A. Officers at the Mall spotted a large bladed weapon in his vehicle and went to arrest him. During the course of detaining the man, two male police officers suffered minor injuries to their arm," the Met Police said.

Both injured officers were taken to hospital for treatment and have since been discharged.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries and has now been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"No members of the public at the scene are believed had any interaction with the arrested man. There are no other reported injuries," the Met Police said.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were not in Buckingham Palace at the time.

The 91-year-old monarch is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and other senior members of the royal family are also away during the summer holiday season in the UK.

A Palace spokesperson said the summer opening hours and tours of the Queen's London residence will go ahead on schedule, adding that it will be "business as usual".

Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a sword in the suspect's car.

"My partner saw a sword, which I didn't see, as well as a policeman with blood on him, looking like his hand or chest was injured. The police officer had it in his hand, walking away with it," an eyewitness said.

The man had stopped his car in a "restricted area" when police saw the weapon.

The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area.

Europe is on high alert following a spate of recent terror attacks.

A terror cell launched an attack on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas street last Wednesday, and at a nearby seaside town, leaving 14 people dead.

On Saturday night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers.

He was shot dead at the scene, while two soldiers were not seriously injured.

Britain has also been the scene of a series of terror attacks this year alone.

In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four people.

Khalid Masood then ran into the grounds of the Parliament, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer.

He was shot dead by an armed officer.

A concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester was attacked by a terrorist in May.

Suicide bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the entrance to the concert, leaving 23 dead and 250 injured.

In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and then ran to Borough Market, where they stabbed people.

Eight people were killed and the three terrorists were shot dead by police.

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A man wielding a knife has been shot dead after wounding a soldier in Brussels in an "attempted terrorist murder" while in London counter-terror experts were investigating a similar attack on police near Buckingham Palace.

Belgian prosecutors said the attacker yelled "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) during the assault before being shot by a soldier in the centre of city which has been on high alert since last year's carnage at the airport and on the metro.

Overnight, police raided the suspect's home in Bruges, northwest Belgium, with federal prosecutors opening an investigation into "attempted terrorist murder", a statement said.

During the attack near the Grand Place in central Brussels at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT), the man rushed at several soldiers from behind and struck them with a knife, prompting one of them to open fire.

"The man was hit and died shortly afterwards in hospital from his wounds," the prosecutors' statement said. As well as the knife, police found a replica gun and two copies of the Koran on him.

The assailant was a Belgian national of Somali origin who was born in 1987, authorities confirmed. He arrived in the country in 2004 and was granted Belgian nationality in 2015.

Although not known for any terror-related activities, he had an assault and battery charge on his record from February, the statement said.

Less than two hours later, two British police officers were slightly injured while arresting a man with a large knife outside Buckingham Palace in London.

The 26-year-old attacker, who was initially detained on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting police, was later arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.

"Detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating the incident," police said.

The queen was at her Balmoral residence in Scotland at the time.

The incidents follow vehicle attacks in Spain last week which killed 15 people and were claimed by the Islamic State group, and another stabbing spree in Finland which left two dead and eight wounded.

Much of Europe is on high alert following a string of major attacks over the past two years -- most of which have been claimed by, or blamed on, jihadists.

One of the two soldiers targeted in Brussels was "slightly" wounded, the prosecutors said.

"All our support for our military," tweeted Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel, saying the situation was being closely monitored.

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Maryam Nawaz, the political heir apparent of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has begun campaigning for the Lahore National Assembly seat by-poll which is being contested by her ailing mother.

Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is under treatment for throat cancer in London, will contest the September 17 election for the National Assembly seat despite her ailment.

Maryam, 43, is likely to play a key role in campaigning for the election for the NA-120 seat which felt vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif on July 28 in the Panama Papers case.

Maryam left from Jati Umra, the residence of the Sharif family, in a rally-like procession, the Nation reported.

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters accompanied Maryam. After reaching Model Town, the PML-N local leadership held a meeting regarding the by- elections.

Senior leaders Pervez Malik, Pervaiz Rasheed and the Lahore mayor were present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Maryam stated that the by-poll is a must win for the party. "Victory in NA-120 will be victory of every worker of PML-N," she said.

Sharif's political secretary Senator Dr Asif Karmani said earlier this week that Kulsoom may not be able to participate in election campaign because of her cancer treatmentbut she would contest the election for sure and win it.

The former first lady, in her mid-60s, is being tipped as next prime minister replacing Shahid Khakan Abbasi after winning September 17 by-poll.

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Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today offered prayers at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here.

Deuba, who has been on a four-day visit to India since August 23, his first trip abroad after assuming office in June, arrived here with wife Arzu Rana Deuba, family members and officials.

Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister Kalva Srinivasulu accompanied Deuba during his visit here.

On his arrival at the temple, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the temple management.

He was honoured with a sacred silk cloth, a photo of the presiding deity and 'prasadams' by the temple Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal, sources said.

Deuba said he prayed to Lord Venkateswara to bestow blessings for the progress and prosperity of Nepal.

He said the relationship between India and Nepal has been very cordial as the roots and culture of both countries are almost alike.

In a brief chat with reporters outside the temple, the Nepalese prime minister said that the issue of the standoff between the troops of India and China at Doklam in the Sikkim sector has to be resolved through dialogue.

After offering prayers at the temple, he left for Gaya.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today recalled the herculean task of 'Mountain Man' Dashrath Manjhi, in carving a path through a hillock using a hammer and a chisel, and promised beautification of his native Gehlaur village in Gaya district.

Kumar was speaking at a function after unveiling Manjhi's statue and inaugurating a festival in his name at his native village.

Manjhi was a poor labourer who had carved a path 110 m long, through a hillock using only a hammer and chisel, to shorten the distance between Atri and Wazirganj blocks of Gaya town from 55 km to 15 km.

He had taken 22 years to build the path.

Reaclling his interaction with Dashrath Manjhi in 2006, the CM said "He had come to meet me while I was talking to media after 'Janata Ke Darbar mein Mukhya Mantri programme'.

When I saw him I had vacated my chair for him and urged him to address mediapersons about his rare feat", the CM said.

"Another information about him says that when he was forbidden from carrying a journey by train to Delhi, he walked along the track to the national capital," Kumar said praising the 'Mountain Man's' determination.

The CM said, Manjhi's biography has been included in school textbooks for the future generation to learn a lesson from his determination.

Manjhi passed away on Aug 17, 2007 at the age of 73.

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, former Chief Minister and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) chief Jitan Ram Manjhi, Agriculture minister Prem Kumar and his ministerial colleague in Tourism department Pramod Kumar were also present at today's programme.

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The Trump Administration has ruled out any military action on Venezuela in near future as the US slapped "strong" financial sanctions on the dictatorship in Latin American country.

"In terms of contingency planning and trying to envision what might trigger us to bringing to the President options -- we always look at a broad range of contingencies and how this might evolve in the future," the US National Security Advisor, Lt. Gen. H R McMaster told reporters at a White House conference.

"But, obviously, any decision would be in conjunction with our partners in the region, and no military actions are anticipated in the near future. What the President asked us to do is, he said look how this could evolve in the future, and provide a broad range, as we always do, integrated options for the President," McMaster said in response to a question after the Trump government imposed financial sanctions on Venezuela yesterday.

The US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the executive order signed by Trump demonstrates the US government's condemnation of tyranny and dictatorship in Venezuela.

"The Maduro regime has consistently shown hostility to the rule of law, democratic institutions, and the Venezuelan people," he said.

"This has been a catastrophe for the country. Nicolas Maduro has financed his regime by hollowing out Venezuela through economic mismanagement, corruption, and the assumption of onerous debt," he added.

McMaster said the executive order strongly punishes the Venezuelan regime. "This order demonstrates more clearly than ever that the United States will not allow an illegitimate dictatorship to take hold in the Western Hemisphere at the expense of its people," he asserted.

"Through the President's strong action, the United States will target the means with which the Maduro dictatorship can accumulate debt to enrich its corrupt regime insiders and perpetuate its repressive behaviour," he said.

Only six weeks ago, several million Venezuelans voted overwhelmingly against the Maduro regime's plans to convene a constituent assembly that the people of Venezuela never requested.

The United States and the regional community stood in solidarity with the Venezuelan people and demanded that their voices be heard, he added.

"But Maduro chose to embrace dictatorship over his own people. As a result, a dozen of Venezuela's neighbours gathered in Lima, Peru, and rejected Maduro's actions. President Trump promised strong action if Maduro moved ahead and ignored his people's will. With today's announcement, the President is keeping his promise of strong action and continuing to show strong leadership," McMaster said.

"This executive order does not need to be permanent. The President has said that "a stable and peaceful Venezuela is in the best interest of the entire hemisphere. "We will continue to work with our friends and partners in the international community to support the Venezuelan people until their rights and democracy are fully restored," he said.

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Bangladesh said today it will not allow any more Rohingyas to enter the country which is already hosting about 400,000 Myanmar nationals who have caused "massive" social, economic and environmental problems.

The Foreign Ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka and expressed "serious concern" over the recent happenings, including the new clashes between security forces and Rohingya militants that have killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians - Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine - to flee their homes in the northern Rakhine State.

Rakhine State which is home to more than a million ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims has been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012. The Rohingyas are perceived as illegal immigrants in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

"Bangladesh stressed on the need for respecting the state responsibility to protect its civilian population and urges Myanmar to ensure appropriate protection and shelter for the unarmed civilians especially the vulnerable segments of the population such as women, children and elderly people," Bangladesh's Foreign Office said in a statement.

The statement was issued shortly after Myanmar envoy in Dhaka met Secretary for Asia & Pacific region Mahbub Uz Zaman at foreign ministry to discuss the "evolving situation" in the Rakhine State.

"The Secretary emphasised on addressing the root cause of the protracted problem through a comprehensive and inclusive approach," it said.

Zaman said that thousands of unarmed civilians including women, children and elderly people from the Rakhine State had assembled close to the border and were making attempts to enter Bangladesh.

"He expressed serious concern at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation as Bangladesh already hosts about four hundred thousand Myanmar nationals," it said.

The development came as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today pushed back scores of Rohingyas and halted hundreds of others on the frontiers.

Officials at southeastern Cox's Bazar bordering Rakhine said BGB troops sent back 73 Rohingyas while intensifying their vigil along the 64-kilometre long frontier, a day after 176 ethnic Muslim minority Rohingyas were returned.

"We have sent back 73 more of them today," BGB's Battalion 2 commander Lieutenant Colonel SM Ariful Islam told PTI.

The Rohingyas were returned with a "humane" approach, said Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner Ali Hossain, adding that Bangladesh was unable to offer them refuge as "we are already overburdened with thousands of Rohingyas who caused us massive social, economic and environmental problems".

Police have issued a stern warning against offering assistance to Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar army said today that the death toll from attacks staged by "Rohingya insurgents" yesterday climbed to 89, including 12 members of the security forces.

Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar. According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigrations.

The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.

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Human Rights Watch has prepared a Preemptive Ban on Autonomous Weapons.



There are too many as yet unanswered questions. If a fully autonomous weapon (FAW) kills civilians / non-combatants, who is liable?



More fundamentally:



Can any State (including the U.S.) with a pretense of human rights put machines in charge of life & death decisions over humans?



OTO



If the U.N. imposed limits on such weapons, law abiding nations might do without, thus ceding potential battlefield advantage to the nations that ignored the treaty.



What's the right balance between national defense, and Human Rights Watch concerns?
The Advocates' Association of Western India has condemned the Maharashtra government for accusing a Bombay High Court judge of being biased and seeking transfer of the noise pollution rules matters, and asked the chief justice to take appropriate action in the issue.

Chief Justice Manjula Chellur on August 24 transferred all petitions pertaining to noise pollution rules to another bench following the government's request.

The government had filed an application before the chief justice alleging that Justice A S Oka, who was hearing the petitions, was "harbouring a serious bias against the state machinery in this matter".

While Justice Oka had refused to recuse himself from the case, the chief justice passed an administrative order transferring all the petitions to a special bench of justices Anoop Mohta and G S Kulkarni.

The AAWI passed a resolution after holding an emergency meeting today condemning the state government's move.

"The managing committee strongly condemns the government of Maharashtra's tactic in alleging bias against Justice A S Oka at a point of time where the matter was substantially heard," the resolution passed by AAWI read.

"The committee further condemns the irresponsible, unethical, capricious stand taken by the government of Maharashtra in an ongoing litigation with an intention to malign the image of an upright and judicious judge of the high court," AAWI secretary Viresh Purwant said in the resolution.

The association has requested the HC chief justice to take appropriate action in the matter.

The Bombay Bar Association also called for an Extraordinary General Meeting on August 28 to discuss and pass an appropriate resolution on the matter.

The bench headed by Justice Oka and the state government were at loggerheads on whether an order passed by the high court in 2016 would continue to operate despite an amendment to the Noise Pollution Rules issued this year which said any area/zone would have to be declared as a silence zone by the government.

The order had said that areas not less than 100 meters from hospitals, educational institutions and courts constitute as silence zones and hence, no specific declaration to that effect was necessary.

The government had last week informed the court that pursuant to the amendment, no silence zones exist in the state as of date. The government would now carry out a fresh exercise to identify areas which would be declared as silence zones, it had said.

The state's advocate general Ashutosh Kumbakoni had said by virtue of this amendment, the August 2016 order of the high court cannot be operated.

The bench headed by Justice Oka, however, had expressed its prima facie opinion that its order would continue to operate until the state government filed an application seeking to review the 2016 order and the application was heard and decided.

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North Korea today launched three ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, US military officials said, dispelling President Donald Trump's indication that a deal could be struck with Pyongyang to contain its rapidly expanding nuclear weapons programme.

The US Pacific Command said the missiles appeared to be short-range. The first and second missiles "failed in flight" and the third "appears to have blown up almost immediately".

It said the North American Aerospace Defence Command determined the missile launches did not pose a threat to Guam, which the North previously warned it would target if provoked.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump has been briefed and "we are monitoring the situation."



North Korea last month fired intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, triggering heightened rhetoric from both the sides.

Trump had warned of "fire and fury" and ramped up his rhetoric days later, saying "maybe that statement wasn't tough enough".

But the US president this week indicated that a deal could be struck with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme. His comments had come soon after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the North's regime has demonstrated some level of restraint in recent days, "that we've not seen in the past".

Tillerson had hoped that this could be the beginning of the signal from Pyongyang the US had been looking for.

Today's missiles launches, though failed, reignite the possibility of increasing tensions in the peninsula.

They come during a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea. The two countries say the annual military exercise is defensive but Pyongyang condemns it as hostile, and even as a rehearsal for invasion.

In response to the ICBM launches in July, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on August 5.

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Tens of thousands of Spaniards and foreigners are to stage a defiant march against terror through Barcelona today following last week's deadly vehicle rampages.

Red, yellow and white flowers - the colours of Barcelona - will be distributed to protesters and the slogan for the march will be "no tinc por" -- Catalan for "Not afraid".

The Mediterranean city is in mourning after a van ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas boulevard on August 17, followed hours later by a car attack in the seaside town of Cambrils.

Fifteen were killed in the carnage and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has called on Spaniards to turn out in force to show their "love" and solidarity with Catalonia, where the rampages took place.

King Felipe VI will also attend the march, becoming the first Spanish sovereign to take part in a demonstration since the monarchy was re-established in 1975 after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

Europe has been shaken by a spate of deadly Islamist violence with an increasing number of low-tech attacks using vehicles or knives - sometimes both - as weapons.

Last evening, a man was shot dead in central Brussels after stabbing a soldier while shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) and shortly afterwards another man with a large knife attacked police in London as they tried to arrest him outside Buckingham Palace.

The Spanish premier said yesterday the king would be attending the march to demonstrate "his love for the people of Barcelona, of Cambrils, of Catalonia.

"There, with all of Catalan society and all of Spain... we will once again give a clear message of unity and condemnation of terrorism, and of love for the city of Barcelona," he added.

The warm comments contrast with Rajoy's earlier criticism of Catalan leaders, with whom he has been at loggerheads over their plans to hold an independence referendum on October 1.

But in the aftermath of the attacks, which were claimed by the Islamic State group, he and Catalonia's separatist president Carles Puigdemont made a show of unity. Both will attend the march, which begins at 6:00 pm (local time).

Already on last evening, thousands of people marched against terror in Cambrils, shouting "no tinc por", - as Catalans shouted last week, immediately after the attacks.

Those who tended to the victims last week will be given pride of place at the top of the procession.

They include security forces, emergency workers, residents and shop owners in the Las Ramblas avenue and taxis who took people for free.

People like Montse Rovira, the 53-year old city hall's head of social emergencies, will also march at the head of the procession. Her service helped people who were lost or who couldn't find their loved ones.

Over the following days, she and her colleagues gave families psychological support when they were given terrible news, and also helped others like doctors and firefighters.

"There are a lot of people who are suffering," she said, adding that even psychologists themselves had struggled.

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The Arunachal Pradesh unit of the National People's Party (NPP) today urged the people not to worry over the implementation of the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014.

"The policy will not make any impact on the socio-economic development and change the state's demography. Rather we should stand together to extend our solidarity for the cause of the Tibetans who are fighting for genuine autonomous region within the People's Republic of China," the party said in a statement.

The party in an emergency meeting chaired by state unit president Gicho Kabak, who is also the President of Tibet Support Group of Arunachal Pradesh, appreciate Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju for adopting the Tibetan refugee rehabilitation Policy on humanitarian ground.

The party further appreciated the decision of the state cabinet to implement the policy in the state.

In order to streamline the process of facilities to be given to the Tibetan refugees, the Centre had formalized the Tibetan Rehabilitation Policy 2014 and accordingly directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to implement the same, he said.

The party's spokesman said that the Centre had directed the state government to implement the welfare schemes for the Tibetan refugees and further directed the state governments to extend a 20-year land lease agreement.

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Facing a possible 10-year jail term, former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled the country ahead of a court verdict her supporters say was politically motivated, a senior member of her party said.

Yingluck's whereabouts were not immediately known today, but local media cited anonymous officials as saying she travelled by land to Cambodia then flew to Dubai to join her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra another exiled former premier whose government, like hers, was toppled in a military coup.

An official of Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, who is close to the Shinawatra family, told The Associated Press she was no longer in Thailand. The official gave no other details, and declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Yingluck, who became Thailand's first female prime minister when her party swept elections in 2011, is accused of negligence in overseeing a money-losing rice subsidy program. She has denied charges as politically motivated.

A verdict had been expected yesterday, as thousands of Yingluck supporters gathered outside the court and thousands of police stood guard. But Yingluck never appeared, and a judge read out a statement saying her lawyers had informed the court she could not attend because of an earache.

The judge said the court did not believe the excuse, however, because no official medical verification was provided. He said a warrant would be issued for her arrest and postponed the trial until September 27.

Norrawit Larlaeng, Yingluck's lawyer, confirmed a warrant had been issued, but said he had no details on her whereabouts.

"I was told this morning that she was ill, that she had vertigo, that she felt dizzy, so I requested the postponement ... That's all I have to say."



Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the military chief who engineered the 2014 overthrow of Yingluck's government, also said he did not know where she was, and the government was "looking for her."



"If she's not guilty she should stay and fight the case," Prayuth said. "If she's not here, what does that tell you? Will she still say that she didn't get justice?"



Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said security forces had not allowed Yingluck to leave and are checking possible routes she may have used if she did. He said security officials monitoring Yingluck had not seen her leave her Bangkok home in the last two days.

The trial is the latest chapter in a decadelong struggle by the nation's elite minority to crush the powerful political machine founded by Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup. Thaksin, who has lived in Dubai since fleeing a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated, has studiously avoided commenting on his sister's case, apparently to avoid imperiling it.

Thaksin is a highly polarising figure, and his overthrow triggered years of upheaval and division that has pitted a poor, rural majority in the north that supports the Shinawatras against royalists, the military and their urban backers.

When Yingluck's government proposed an amnesty in 2013 that could have absolved her brother and allowed him to return without being arrested, street protests erupted that eventually led to her government's demise in the 2014 coup.

The junta that seized control of Thailand has since suppressed dissent and banned political gatherings of more than five people. The long-awaited decision on Yingluck's fate has rekindled tensions in the divided nation, but the military remains firmly in charge.

Fearing potential unrest, authorities tried to deter people from turning out yesterday by threatening legal action against anyone planning to help transport Yingluck supporters. Yingluck posted a message on her Facebook page urging followers to stay away, saying she worried about their safety.

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The opposition parties have already concluded that they cannot win 2019 general elections, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said here today.

"In a way, we don't have to worry much about 2019. That's why we can focus on (goals for) 2022. Opposition parties have decided that 'we can't come (to power) in 2019', they are going to Norway or Italy," he said, speaking at a BJP meeting here.

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi chose to visit Norway when the leaders of his party in Gujarat wanted to kick off their campaign for Assembly elections, Madhav claimed.

"Elections are two months away in Gujarat. Gujarat Congress leadership wanted to start campaign on September 1, proposed a big rally, (and) our opposition leader Rahul Gandhi left for Norway," he said.

Congress is not going to gain anything in the Assembly polls in Gujarat this year, in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2018 or in Delhi (Lok Sabha elections) in 2019, he said.

"That's why he is doing 'yatras' to Norway, Italy," the BJP leader quipped.

Mahatma Gandhi's suggestion that the Congress should be dissolved as a political party (post-Independence) is going to be implemented with Rahul Gandhi at the helm, he said.

BJP has the leadership of Narendra Modi to achieve its goal of developed India by 2022, Ram Madhav said.

The NDA government would take along other parties, including even opposition parties like TRS and Trinamool Congress to make the country great, he said.

However, the ruling TRS in Telangana "will have to answer questions from people" and the BJP would go it alone in the state, he added.

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A cleaning up drive has been taken up in the Jadavpur University (JU) campus after an outbreak of fever was reported there.

Jadavpur University Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr A S Verma has assured the teachers that necessary measures would be taken to address their concern about this.

The assurance came after JU chapter of All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA) urged the authorities to take steps following outbreak of fever in the campus.

Some steps had been taken on an immediate basis to address the concern and "the rest will also be taken care of by the staff concerned as I have instructed them," Verma said in a written note yesterday.

University authorities also sent a letter to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on the situation.

When contacted, KMC's member, mayor in council (health), Atin Ghosh, said he visited the campus after receiving the letter from the JU.

"I visited the campus yesterday to oversee the cleaning up operation within the campus and will again go there next week," he said.

To a question, Ghosh said the fever has not been confirmed as dengue.

The letter submitted to the Pro-VC's office by ABUTA said, "Many of our colleagues staying at the Teachers' Quarters have now been severely suffering from dengue. Some of them got hospitalised, but many of them did not find any bed in the hospitals.

"Apart from a good number of individual teachers, there are at least three families in a particular block who are seriously affected," the letter said.

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A 21-year-old Hindu woman who converted to Islam has been allowed by a Pakistani court to live with her Muslim husband after she insisted that she embraced the new faith willingly and refused to go with her parents.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court after hearing the case yesterday also asked the police to provide security to the couple.

The family of Maria, whose Hindu name was Anooshi, had claimed that she had allegedly been kidnapped before being forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man, The Express Tribune reported.

However, Maria recited Arabic prayers in the court to prove her wilful conversion to Islam, reiterating that no one pressured her to change her religion, the report said.

Maria along with her husband Bilawal Ali Bhutto had sought protection from the high court owing to threats for marrying out of their free-will.

When the court asked Maria to meet with her parents, she refused. But on the direction of the court, she met them at the office of personal secretary of the judge for around 40 minutes.

Maria's mother submitted to the court that her daughter be handed over to them so that they may be able to persuade her. She also expressed fears that Bhutto may abandon Maria after some time.

"In my view," Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said, "custody of petitioner Maria cannot be handed over to her parents, with an objection that she may be compelled for conversion from Islam to Hinduism."



In case they succeed in their efforts, Justice Siddiqui noted, it will further endanger the life of the young lady.

Pakistan Muslim League's (N) member and patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, said that "this tendency is merely an effort to enter into the marriage contract" which needs the attention of the court as the trend was disrupting the very fibre of the society.

He added that the concept of "Karo-Kari" (killing the couple for dishonour to family) is alien in the Hindu community and that Maria's apprehension of being killed were baseless.

When the court asked if he was ready to take custody of both the petitioners, he replied that only Maria's custody be handed over to him for counselling.

Justice Siddiqui concluded in the order that the petitioners may live together while in Islamabad and that local police shall ensure their security.

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Pakistan's anti-corruption court today acquitted former president Asif Ali Zardari in an old corruption case in which he was accused of possessing illegal assets.

Zardari's counsel Farooq H Naek requested for acquittal of Zardari and Justice Khalid Mahmood Ranjha National Accountability Bureau (NAB) court accepted it.

He said that the most of the documents presented against Zardari were in photocopies and unacceptable. He also said that most of the witnesses said that they did not remember most of the details as it was an old case.

Finally, the judge quashed the case and acquitted the former president.

The case was launched in 1999 but quashed in 2007 along with five more such cases against Zardari after a political deal between his now slain wife Benazir Bhutto and former dictator Gen Pervez Musharraf.

However, the Supreme Court rejected the deal and consequent amnesty in 2009 and ordered a probe but it could not start a case against Zardari as he enjoyed immunity as president.

The case was again started in 2015 and finally decided in favour of Zardari. It was last of the six corruption cases against Zardari and he has been now acquitted in all of them.

Zardari's daughter Bakhtawar took to social media to celebrate the verdict: "While IK (Imran Khan) and NS (Nawaz Sharif) hide from NAB, my father Asif Ali Zardari's last pending case has just been acquitted. Faced 11+ years without a single conviction".

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Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit the country's "all-weather ally" China, Russia and Turkey next week for consultations on the new US policy for Afghanistan and South Asia, according to a media report today.

The dates for the trip are being worked out.

Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said yesterday that the foreign minister will visit "regional countries for consultations" but did not provide details of travel.

The Dawn newspaper reported that the decision for the visit was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday, which deliberated on the new US policy.

During the trip, Asif will hold consultations at developing consensus on efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the foreign minister was expected to visit the US for bilateral talks with his counterpart Rex Tillerson, but it was apparently delayed in the wake of Afghan policy announced by US President Donald Trump.

Trump on Tuesday unveiled his Afghan policy and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country. He sternly warned Pakistan against providing safe heavens to militants.

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Meditation: A Daoist meditation group will meet at 9 a.m. Sunday at the First Alternative Natural Foods Co-op north store, 2855 NW Grant Ave. in Corvallis.

The event will feature Daoist Quiet Sitting meditation, also known as "Guarding the One." Basic instruction provided; no experience necessary.

Sermon series continues: At its 9:30 a.m. Sunday service, First United Methodist Church, 1165 NW Monroe Ave., Corvallis, will continue its sermon series, "Church Words."

This week the congregation will reflect on the word "sanctuary."

Baha'i devotional gathering: All Things Made New is set for 10 a.m. Sunday at 5006 SW Hollyhock Circle in Corvallis.

Everything is subject to reformation. Over the past century we have seen sciences and arts, industry and invention all advance. Law and ethics are being reconsidered. Present world problems demand new solutions because old ideas and modes of thought are fast becoming obsolete. Today the teachings of religion must be restructured and renewed because some past teachings and traditions can no longer match current needs.

All are welcome to share readings and conversation.

Service in the park: Eastside Christian Church will hold a church service at 10 a.m. Sunday at Monteith Riverpark, 489 Water Ave. NW in Albany.

The event will include a baptism, picnic and games. All are welcome.

ECK Light and Sound Service: Transforming Your Life with Sacred HU is set for 10 a.m. Sunday in the Eckankar Center of Corvallis at 425 SW Madison Ave., downstairs from Starbucks.

People of all faiths are invited to experience and learn more about the sacred sound HU. As Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar, explained, All that we do with the word HU is to sing it with reverence. It represents the love of God for Soul, and we are Soul. HU represents the enormous love that the Creator has for its creation. (HU: The Most Beautiful Prayer).

The service is based on the teachings of Eckankar  The Path of Spiritual Freedom. These teachings are not meant to change anyones beliefs, but to enhance them.

The ECK Center will be open from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday to allow time for fellowship and opportunities to browse complementary information on subjects of interest or to use the lending library. Information: 503-233-1595, Eckankar.org or MiraclesInYourLife.org.

Concert: Westwood Community Church, 23319 Greasy Creek Road near Philomath, will presents its third outdoor concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, featuring Gospel Echoes NW Crossroads Team.

Gospel Echoes NW Crossroads is one of six prison ministry teams throughout the United States and Canada. Regional offices are in Elmira, Ontario; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Tangent. The main office is in Goshen, Indiana. The six teams conduct in-prison Gospel concerts; seminars with topics including Self-Acceptance from a Biblical Perspective, Becoming Godly Leaders and Marriage and Family; and offer freedom rallies. The team combines Gospel music, preaching, teaching and enrolling inmates in Bible study courses.

No admission will be charged, but an offering for Gospel Echoes ministry will be taken. Seating is limited; lawn chairs and blankets are recommended.

Westwood Community Church is at Highway 34 and Greasy Creek Road, about 4 miles up the Alsea Highway from Philomath.

Information: Pastor Raymond Mabee, 541-602-2517.

Becoming Catholic: A "Come and See" event will take place at 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 501 NW 25th St., Corvallis.

Those attending can learn about the possibility of becoming Catholic, and meet others who also are interested. The program will continue to meet at 7 p.m. on subsequent Wednesdays.

Taize: A contemplative ecumenical Taize worship service will take place at 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at the Episcopal Church of the Good Samaritan, 333 NW 35th St. in Corvallis.

The monthly event, sponsored by the Corvallis Taize Ensemble, is open to all, and features singing and prayers. Information: 541-753-7622.
A Pakistani national known as "the Sultan" in the global drug-trafficking network has been arrested in a major joint UK-US operation in London, authorities have announced.

Muhammad Asif Hafeez, who was arrested in London's Regent's Park area, faces extradition to the US.

Hafeez, 58, is alleged to be the head of an organisation spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, that produced and smuggled drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, or crystal meth, and ephedrine.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) in London said it worked with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to investigate Hafeez after he was allegedly identified as the source of large quantities of heroin being smuggled into Kenya from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In New York, officials said Hafeez was arrested based on his participation in drug-trafficking activities involving large, and in some instances multi-tonne, quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine precursor chemicals.

Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The United States plans to seek Hafeez's extradition from the United Kingdom, they said.

"The arrest of Muhammad Asif Hafeez is another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA's priority targets," said DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent- in-Charge Raymond Donovan.

"He has been allegedly linked to a transnational criminal organisation responsible for manufacturing and distributing ton quantities of narcotics. Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide," he said.

Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H Kim said, Hafeez was a "long-time, priority target of the DEA known as the 'Sultan,' trafficked in drugs on a massive and global scale to manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine around the world and into the United States.

Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the US, but were forced to abandon the plan after authorities seized about 18 tonnes of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, Maharashtra.

Hafeez is said to own two properties in London, and spend most of his time in Dubai, the Guardian reported.

He appeared at Westminster magistrates court yesterday for the start of extradition proceedings to the US, it said.

From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez's alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries - until now, the DEA said in a press release.

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Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will tour some "vulnerable" areas in the state to thank people and security forces for ensuring peace despite the tension following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

An official spokesperson said the chief minister will tour areas of Mansa, Maur, Bathinda and Balluana (railway station), before concluding his visit in Malout.

He will be accompanied by senior administrative and police officials, and will assess the damage, if any, on the ground, the spokesperson said.

Chief Minister Singh has already directed officials to make a list of properties damaged in sporadic violence reported yesterday in the state, he said.

The state government will submit the list to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has ordered recovery of compensation from the Dera.

The spokesperson disclosed that during brief telephonic conversations with the Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendents of Police of the affected areas, the chief minister lauded their good work.

He directed the officials to continue to monitor the situation on the ground till normalcy is completely restored and to take all necessary steps to maintain law and order when the court announces the quantum of sentence against Ram Rahim Singh on Monday.

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The Press Club of India today condemned the violence against media persons in Panchkula allegedly by the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who was convicted of rape by a CBI court.

In a statement, the PCI demanded strict action against the miscreants, saying the state government should take urgent steps for the safety and security of journalists.

It also demanded that the television networks be compensated for the losses suffered by them.

Enraged by the verdict, Singh's hysterical followers damaged at least three OB vans of private television channels and severely assaulted journalists covering the violence yesterday.

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Two licensed pistols were recovered here from the relatives of two Punjab Police personnel, who were deployed as security guards to self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim, police said today.

"We are questioning 3-4 relatives of the two guards for carrying weapons despite imposition of section 144 (of CrPC) here," a senior police official, who did not wish to be identified, said.

The officer said police also questioned the two Punjab Police personnel who were wearing civilian uniform and carrying licenced AK-47 each.

The security personnel were on their way back to Punjab to resume their duty.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, the Dera Sacha saida chief was yesterday convicted in a rape case.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today made an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Bihar and announced Rs 500 crore as immediate relief for the state besides Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of those who died in the deluge.

He also said a central team would be sent to the state soon to assess the damage caused by the floods, the PMO said.

He asked the insurance companies to send their personnel urgently to assess the damage to crops so that farmers could get early relief.

The decisions came after the prime minister held a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi here and senior officials of the state government, following his aerial survey.

The meeting was held at Chunapur Airport of Air Force from where the PM later flew back to Delhi.

"After the review, the prime minister promised all possible support to the Bihar government," the PMO said in a statement.

The PM made the aerial survey of four affected districts--Purnea, Katihar, Kisanganj and Araria. The chief minister and his deputy accompanied the PM, official sources said.

The PM was told that though 19 districts are affected by floods, damage in 13 districts including Purnea, Katihar, Kisanganj, Araria due to inundation has been immense, the sources said.

Maximum damage has been caused to water resources department. The PM was told that due to breach of embankments and waterways for irrigation, a loss of about Rs 27,00 crore has been accrued by the department.

Around Rs 2,000 crore is estimated to have been spent in distribution of relief among marooned population of the state, it came out in the meeting.

Among other things, Modi said the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry would take appropriate action with regard to repair of the damaged roads in Bihar.

He said the infrastructure damaged due to the floods would be restored at the earliest with the central help, the statement said.

He announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund for each of those killed and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured, the PMO said.

He also referred to his recent talks with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during which it was decided that a detailed project report would be prepared at the earliest on the Saptkoshi Dam and Sunkoshi Storage-cum-Diversion scheme.

Both nations would also work on flood control in the border areas, which will benefit the region, it added.

The PM assured the state government that the Centre would provide all help to compensate the loss due to floods, the sources said.

As per the latest report, death toll in Bihar has mounted to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.

Earlier this morning, the PM arrived at Chunapur Airport from Delhi. He was welcomed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Modi, Disaster Management Department Minister Dinesh Chand Yadav and Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh among others.

This was the first visit of the PM to Bihar since the JD(U)-BJP coalition government was formed on July 27 after Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance over graft issue.

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The presence of an al-Qaeda linked militant group, headed by Zakir Musa, was not very large in Kashmir as only few people had joined it, a top Army commander said here today, asserting that the situation in the valley was much better than last year.

Musa, who was earlier heading the Hizbul Mujahideen, quit the militant outfit in May and was later appointed the head of the al-Qaeda cell Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind.

"Zakir Musa has talked of Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, but the presence of this group is not very large as of now. There are only some people who have joined them," General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu, told reporters here.

The Army commander was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Delhi Public School here where he inaugurated a computer museum.

He also felicitated an employee for showing courage and helping the security forces in securing the school premises when terrorists entered it on June 25 after attacking a patrol party on the highway. Two terrorists were killed in the operation that lasted over 24 hours.

Lt Gen Sandhu said the Army had increased its operating bases in south Kashmir with an aim to clear the region of militants as part of its 'Operation All Out'.

"Last year, the presence of terrorists in south Kashmir had increased and especially in Shopian, there was a larger presence of terrorists. We had to continue operations against them.

"So, we have opened new operating bases there, at least seven to eight in Shopian. We have also increased operating bases in Pulwama and Kulgam. The aim is to try and clear that area of the presence of terrorists," he said.

He said many local youths had joined the militant ranks in the valley.

"Yes, there have been a number of local boys who have joined the terrorists and I hope that in due course they will start realising that it is not worth it," he said.

The GoC, however, said the situation in Kashmir was much better than last year and the violence levels had reduced to a great extent.

"(The situation is) much better than say few months ago or last year. The situation is improving. There is a lot of normal activity which is going on, business activities, people are doing their normal day to day life (activities). The violence levels have reduced to a great extent," he said.

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The Jammu and Kashmir police today paid floral tributes to its four personnel who were killed in a pre-dawn fidayeen attack by militants on a district police complex in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

Director General of Police S P Vaid led police and other security forces officers in paying homage and last respects to the martyred police personnel and a nursing orderly at the District Police Lines (DPL) in Awantipora today, a police spokesman said here.

He said constable Imtiyaz Ahmad, special police officers (SPOs) Mohammad Yousuf Hajam and Rafiq Ahmad Hajam and nursing orderly Amarjeet Singh gave supreme sacrifice of their lives in the encounter at the DPL in Pulwama.

Besides Vaid, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of victor force of the Army Major General B S Raju, commanding officer 130 Bn CRPF Puneet Kholdar and other senior officers of the police also paid tributes to the slain cops, the spokesman said.

Eight security personnel, including four CRPF men, were killed when militants carried out the suicide attack on the district police complex. Three terrorists were also killed in the gun battle.

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A Qatar Airways flight was diverted to Hyderabad late last night after a crew member showed symptoms of cardiac-related problem.

The Bali-bound aircraft from Doha was carrying 240 passengers and landed around midnight at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport here, airport sources said.

The crew member was rushed to a hospital and is now stated to be stable, they added.

"The flight departed after the crew member was taken to a hospital," sources added.

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Home Minister Rajnath Singh today reviewed the security situation in north India, particularly Haryana where violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief in a rape case has claimed 31 lives, officials said.

Top officials, including Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain, gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present at the meeting.

The home minister was apprised about the steps taken to maintain law and order and restore peace, said an official privy to the development.

While Panchkula and Sirsa were "very tense", the situation in the rest of the state was "tense but under control", the minister is believed to have been told.

The death toll in the violence that erupted in Haryana after the rape conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Singh has climbed to 31, the Home Ministry said.

Curfew has been imposed in several places in Haryana and Punjab while prohibitory orders have been imposed in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, all but two districts of Delhi and one district in Rajasthan following massive violence, an official said.

Apart from Haryana, there were reports of sporadic violence in Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan where police have taken precautionary measures to foil any attempt to disturb peace.

At least 20,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to assist the local police to deal with the law and order situation.

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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting today to review the security situation in the country, particularly Haryana, and was told that the situation in the state was under control, officials said.

A special CBI court in Panchkula yesterday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape, triggering widespread violence that claimed at least 31 lives -- 29 in Panchkula and at least two in Sirsa.

Emerging from the high-level meeting, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the Central government that the situation was under control now.

"Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today. Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday but now the situation has normalised," he told reporters.

Asked whether the Haryana government had failed to control the situation, Mehrishi said, "In an ongoing situation we cannot blame anyone."



Home ministry officials said Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present at the meeting.

The home minister was apprised about the steps taken to maintain law and order and restore peace, said an official privy to the development.

While Panchkula and Sirsa were "very tense", the situation in the rest of the state was "tense but under control", the minister is believed to have been told.

In a statement, the home ministry said the home minister reviewed the internal security and law and order situation in the country in general and in Haryana and adjoining areas and Jammu and Kashmir in particular.

"The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored. The Home Minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana that the law and order situation in Haryana would be kept in control," the statement said



Curfew has been imposed in several places in Haryana and Punjab while prohibitory orders have been imposed in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, all but two districts of Delhi and one district in Rajasthan following massive violence, an official said.

Apart from Haryana, there were reports of sporadic violence yesterday in Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan where police have taken precautionary measures to foil any attempt to disturb peace.

At least 20,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to assist the local police in dealing with the law and order situation.

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A fatal crash near Burnt Woods closed Highway 20 for more than five hours Friday.

The collision, which involved three vehicles, was reported about 12:45 p.m. and resulted in at least one fatality, according to Oregon Department of Transportation spokeswoman Angela Beers Seydel.

Oregon State Police troopers were investigating the crash, but the agency did not provide any additional information on Friday.

The highway was closed in both directions at milepost 29 until about 6 p.m.

Passenger vehicles were detoured around the crash scene via Oregon 180 between Blodgett and Eddyville, but that road cant accommodate large trucks, Seydel said. Big rigs were forced to turn around or wait until the road was cleared.
Organisers of an right-wing rally set for today in San Francisco said they have cancelled the event over fear of a "huge riot," as the nation remains on edge after a recent white nationalist demonstration that ended in bloodshed.

Joey Gibson, leader of the group Patriot Prayer, said yesterday that members had been in contact with police and decided tomorrow's event "seems like a set up."



"It doesn't look safe, a lot of lives are going to be in danger," he said in a Facebook video, adding "In our opinion, it seems it would have been a huge riot."



He blamed local politicians and the media for drumming up fears by "saying that we are white supremacists."



Organisers said they would instead hold a press conference at the liberal city's Alamo Square Park at 2:00 pm (local time).

However, the city's mayor Ed Lee said on Twitter that no permits had been requested or granted for that location.

"Public safety is always our top priority. We are prepared for contingencies and spontaneous events," Lee said.

Another right-wing rally set for Sunday -- a "No to Marxism in America" rally in neighbouring Berkeley -- was up in the air, with organiser Amber Cummings asking people not to come.

Police are nevertheless on watch in both locales, with counter-protests still possible.

The Bay Area events were to have followed racially charged violence earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia at a demonstration called by neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

That rally saw a woman killed after an avowed white supremacist rammed his car into a group of anti-racism counter-protesters.

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Thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims were trying to cross from Myanmar into Bangladesh today, following an attack by Rohingya militants in western Myanmar that left 89 people dead in a dramatic escalation of communal violence that has plagued the region.

The militants launched the attacks overnight Thursday on more than two dozen police and border outposts. The office of Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said military and border police responded to the attacks -- which left 12 security personnel and 77 Rohingya dead -- by launching "clearance operations."



Advocates for the Rohingya on social media have been reporting many army raids on villages, including killings and the burning down of homes. They have also posted videos they say show villagers who have fled to the mountains for safety.

The accounts, from activists who have given generally reliable information in the past, are impossible to independently verify because the government bars journalists and other outsiders from entering the region without permission.

Mohammad Nur, a Rohingya leader at an unregistered camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, told The Associated Press by phone that he had heard that some 1,00,000 Rohingya had gathered along the border to try to enter Bangladesh, but the number could not be confirmed.

Nurul Kabir, a Rohingya man from Buddhist-majority Myanmar, said many Rohingya started fleeing their villages on Thursday morning after Myanmar soldiers and Buddhists started entering their areas.

Kabir said he rescued a 4-year-old boy from a road on his way to the border.

"He was crying, he was alone," he said. "I asked him where are your parents, and he was just crying. I took him and brought him with me."



Roshida Khatun, 40, crossed into Bangladesh this morning along with more than 30 other Rohingya.

Khatun told The Associated Press that she left behind her entire family along the border in Myanmar after she lost track of her whereabouts last night. She said that she and hundreds of others started walking to reach the border after her village was attacked by Myanmar soldiers.

She reached Amtoli, a border village in Bangladesh's Bandarban district, at around 11 am today after a nearly 40- hour journey.

"I have left everything behind," Khatun said. "My husband died 11 years ago, and now I have nobody. I have lost my entire family this time."



She said many others were still waiting to enter Bangladesh. "If they are not allowed in they will die," she said.

Farid Alam, a Bangladeshi who lives in Amtoli village, through which many Rohingya have crossed the border, told the AP today that over last two days, at least 2,000 Rohingya had entered Bangladesh. "The patrol in my area is not that tight often, especially during changing of shifts," he said.

Bangladeshi authorities would not confirm how many Rohingya had entered Bangladesh.

Ali Hossain, a top government official in Cox's Bazar, said yesterday that authorities were on alert in the wake of the new violence in Myanmar.

He said that "Bangladesh is already overburdened" and "is unable to take more Rohingya."



"That's the order we have gotten from the Ministry of Home Affairs," Hossain said. "We have done enough and sheltered hundreds of thousands despite our limited resources."



Nur, the Rohingya leader, said Bangladeshi authorities had asked him and his associates to "discourage" their people in Myanmar from leaving the country.

The UN's International Organization for Migration said recently that around 87,000 Rohingya had crossed the border and entered Bangladesh since last October, when a new string of violence broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

A militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, took responsibility for the Thursday night attacks on more than 25 locations, saying they were in defense of Rohingya communities that had been brutalized by government forces.

Suu Kyi called the attacks "a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine state."



The United States urged authorities to avoid a response that would inflame the tensions.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the attacks underscored the importance of the government implementing recommendations of a commission chaired by former UN chief Kofi Annan, which published its final report on Thursday recommending that the government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya.

The clashes were deadlier than an attack by the militants on three border posts last October that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counterinsurgency operations by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya communities in Rakhine.

Human rights groups accused the army of carrying out massive human rights abuses including killing, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.

The army's abuses fueled further resentment toward the government among the Muslim Rohingya, most of whom are considered by Myanmar's Buddhist majority to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and its rights.

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Russia is seeking to undermine American reputation in Afghanistan and South Asia region, a senior US official has said after Moscow termed President Donald Trump's new strategy for Afghanistan as a 'dead end'.

"Well, I think that Russia's reaction is very predictable. They've been starting some very unhelpful propaganda with regard the US role in Afghanistan. You've probably seen Russian officials trying to claim that the US is supporting ISIS in Afghanistan, which is a fictitious statement," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity was responding to questions on Russian scepticism over Trump's new policy on Afghanistan and South Asia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had told reporters yesterday in Moscow that the new Afghan strategy is a "dead end".

The strategy "puts emphasis on force" he said.

According to the US official, the Russian reaction was predictable.

"Unfortunately, I think the Russians have taken a very tactical view here, and they are seeking to undermine our reputation in the region, and so false information about US objectives," the official said.

Explaining that the Afghan and South Asia strategy is not a military only strategy, the official said that this is a strong, diplomatic, political element, even economic element to the strategy.

"So it's just factually incorrect to say that this is a overly militaristic strategy. But it doesn't surprise me because I think the Russians see themselves as competitors for influence in the region, and so there role has not been particularly helpful over the last several months in Afghanistan," the official said.

According to the official, the US thinks that they are genuinely concerned about Islamic State, and this is driving them to consider the support to the Taliban.

"But I think that's a short-sighted policy as well. So they have not been particularly helpful in terms of supporting what the US is trying to do in the region, which is unfortunate," the official added.

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The Saudi-led Arab military coalition today admitted responsibility for an air strike the previous day in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it as a "technical mistake".

The attack was the latest in a wave of deadly raids on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the coalition, drawing strong international condemnation.

The coalition, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a review of the strike investigators had found "that a technical mistake was behind the accident".

Witnesses and medics in Sanaa said several children were among 14 people killed in yesterday's air strike that toppled residential blocks in Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki had told AFP yesterday that he would "review the information" about the strike.

Today, he said in the statement that the coalition "regrets the collateral damage caused by this involuntary accident and offers its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims".

Yesterday's raid targeted Faj Attan, a residential neighbourhood in the south of the capital that has been controlled since 2014 by Huthi rebels.

The coalition today accused the rebels of "setting up a command and communications centre in the middle of this residential area to use civilians as human shields".

The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday condemned the raid as "outrageous".

Rights group Amnesty International's Middle East research director, Lynn Maalouf, said the coalition "rained down bombs on civilians while they slept".

She called in a statement for the UN to take action against Saudi Arabia over the list of civilian facilities struck in deadly air raids over the past two years.

Mohammed Ahmad, who lived in one of the buildings, said he was among those who had taken nine bodies to a hospital.

"We extracted them one by one from under the rubble," he said.

Diggers worked at the site for hours after the raid as medics and residents searched for the missing.

The coalition entered Yemen's war in 2015 in support of the government against the Iran-backed rebels, who seized Sanaa the previous year after forming a fragile alliance with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 8,400 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led alliance intervened in the Yemen conflict.

Yesterday's raid came two days after at least 35 people died in a series of strikes on Sanaa and a nearby hotel that rebels also blamed on the coalition.

The coalition has come under massive pressure from international organisations including the United Nations over the raids.

The UN has said the coalition was probably responsible for a July attack on the southwestern Taez province that killed 20 people, including children.

"In the week from August 17 to August 24, 58 civilians have been killed, including 42 by the Saudi-led coalition," UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva yesterday.

Yemen, long the poorest country in the Arab world, also faces a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives and affected more than half a million people since late April.

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A section of doctors, affiliated to the United Doctors Voice of Bengal, stayed away from work at out-patients' departments in several private hospitals in the city today to protest the alleged attacks on doctors by outsiders.

Demanding immediate intervention by the police, a spokesman of the association said, "We did not block any OPD. We did not resort to trade unionism, we did not ask our members to stop work, but our members responded by not attending OPDs."



"This is against increasing attacks on members of medical fraternity in the city, vandalisation of properties and refusal to pay bill for medical treatment," he said adding that over 4000 doctors affiliated to the association stayed away from OPDs in around 10 private hospitals.

The ceasework was triggered by alleged intimidation by relatives of a patient at CMRI Hospital last week who had refused to pay the hospital bill amounting to Rs 75,000 for a patient under treatment for one month.

The agitating doctors, however, assured emergency services and claimed care of admitted patients "were not affected".

The protesting doctors expressed "complete solidarity with their CMRI colleagues".

An IMA official said, "We do not support any strike in medical establishments. We support the recent bill introduced by the state government aimed at improving facilities at the private health care sector but we also oppose hooliganism."



Saibal Biswas, a Bangladeshi patient was furious after finding no doctor at an OPD at a private super speciality hospital off E M Bypass and said, "why should patients suffer! I had prior appointment today but as I called my doctor he advised me to come next week."



Members of another patients' family said after running from one private hospital to another, finally they could see a doctor at the third one and doctors can't go on agitation in this way.

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Security has been beefed up in Punjab ahead of pronouncement of quantum of sentence in the rape case against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Ram Rahim Singh on Monday, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said today.

He said no loss of life was reported in any of the minor incidents reported in some parts of Punjab after the Dera chief was convicted by a CBI court at Panchkula in Haryana.

Following the conviction of the sect head yesterday, at least 30 people were killed and 250 injured in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana.

Curfew has been lifted in three districts of Punjab and relaxed in the other areas, Amarinder said, but made it clear there would be no let-up in security in the state till after the pronouncement of quantum of sentence in the case.

He said his government would not allow anyone to spread bad blood in Punjab and if needed, curfew would be reinforced in sensitive areas of the state on Monday.

Asserting that he would personally ensure peace in the state as long as he is in charge, the chief minister said it has been decided that ban on mobile data services would be extended till Tuesday.

Amarinder said police officials had visited all 98 'Naam Charcha Ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera in the state and recovered lathis, pipes, rods, axes and petrol bombs.

Nineteen potential trouble-makers have been taken into preventive custody and the crackdown would continue ahead of the sentencing, he told reporters here, adding that many main leaders of the sect, who may instigate the followers, are being arrested.

Informing the media about the law and order situation in the state in the wake of yesterday's violence at Panchkula after Ram Rahim was convicted of rape by a CBI court, the Punjab chief minister said there had been no trouble anywhere since last night.

According to an official spokesperson security has been beefed up at central and state government offices, railways, other important buildings and public properties for Monday.

Patrolling in sensitive areas has been intensified, more checkpoints have been put in place and round-the-clock checking is in progress, the spokesperson said, adding flag marches were being conducted by paramilitary and police personnel in many areas.

"Dera followers would not be allowed to gather at 'Naam Characha Ghars'. Additional security forces have been deployed in sensitive areas with large number of Dera supporters and patrolling has been strengthened," the spokesperson said.

The Punjab Chief Minister expressed grief on the death of seven persons from Punjab in Panchkula violence, but made it clear that there was no loss of life in any of the minor incidents reported in some parts of the state yesterday.

Citing the data received from Haryana so far, Amarinder said 45 of the people injured in that violence were from Punjab and preparations have been made for cremation of the seven killed in the violence.

The DCs have been authorised to take decisions on enforcement of curfew in their respective districts, keeping in mind the situation on the ground, he said.

The chief minister, who earlier held a review meeting with top administrative and police officials to assess the law and order situation, said that 39 criminal cases have been registered against perpetrators of violence in the state.

Around 52 minor incidents had been reported from parts of the state, with no loss of life or extensive damage anywhere, he said.

Responding to a question, Amarinder said he had directed the officials concerned to make a list of the property damaged in yesterday's violence and his government would submit the same to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has directed that the cost of any such damage be recovered from the Dera.

The Chief Minister, who was planning to visit some of the affected areas of Punjab tomorrow, said Haryana's main fault was its failure to prevent gathering of such a large crowd in Panchkula and condemned attacks on the media during the violence in Panchkula yesterday.

Reacting to Haryana's reported allegation that Punjab did not stop vehicles carrying Dera followers from reaching Panchkula, Amarinder said the Haryana government, at no point in time, approached the Punjab on this issue.

He said there had been no contact between him and Haryana Chief Minister Manihar Lal Khattar although the Punjab DGP had been in regular touch with his counterpart there.

All intelligence inputs received by the Punjab police had been shared with Haryana, the chief minister said.

Amarinder said he had spoken and written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and his government had also taken up the issue of additional safety for Punjab on August 13, giving everyone ample time to ensure fool-proof security.

About political patronage to such Deras, the chief minister said political parties have to take a decision about it at the national level and opined that it did not seem likely that political parties would support the Deras in the future.

To a question on restoration of trains and bus services in the state, he said it would depend on how soon Haryana is able to control the situation since the transportation had to pass through that state.

Punjab had no objection to restoration of bus and train services, Amarinder said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security has been tightened near a Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram here after locals protested violence over the conviction of the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a court in a rape case, police said today.

Condemning violence perpetrated by Dera followers in several places, the protesters staged a demonstration shouting slogans outside the ashram located on Puri-Konark marine drive last evening.

After a large number of people gathered outside the ashram, where some sect members and followers are stated to be residing, armed police personnel in strength were deployed in the area to prevent any flare up, Puri Superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi said.

"Security has been strengthened around the ashram in order to ward off any trouble and law and order problem in the area. Prompt steps have been taken to keep the situation under control," he said.

Stating that a close watch was maintained in the area, the SP said anyone attempting to create disturbances and trouble would be handled with firm hand.

As a precautionary measure, additional security arrangements are also being made in some sensitive localities of the seaside pilgrim town and no form of disturbance would be tolerated, he said.

Personnel from the intelligence wing and police in plain clothes have also been deployed in different areas in and around the town, police said.

Dera followers went on rampage in Haryana, Punjab and parts of Delhi and Rajasthan after a special CBI court in Panchkula yesterday convicted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda sect in a rape case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The JD(U) faction led by Sharad Yadav today said he is following the resolution of the party's national council by attending the RJD rally tomorrow, whereas Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has breached the decision by aligning with the BJP.

Javed Raza, the general secretary of the faction led by rebel Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav, in a statement, said Kumar did not follow the decision of party's national council in April last year, in which he was authorised to make efforts to create an atmosphere of "BJP and RSS-free India".

The fact is that Kumar did not bring up the matter before the supreme bodies of the party before aligning with the BJP and therefore he violated the schedule 10 of the Constitution, Raza said.

He was responding to JD(U) leader K C Tyagi's letter asking Yadav to skip the RJD rally in Patna tomorrow and if he attends it would mean that he has quit the party voluntarily.

Leaders of different parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress' Ghulam Nabi Azad will participate in the RJD's 'BJP bhagao desh bachao' rally here, which its chief Lalu Prasad said would be an important event ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Differences between Kumar and Yadav surfaced after the former snapped ties with the Congress and the RJD, and allied with the BJP to form a new government in Bihar last month.

The Yadav faction has also staked claims over the JD(U)'s poll symbol (arrow) and the offices allotted to the party.

Citing the JD(U)'s national executive meeting in 2015, Raza said it was resolved that Sharad Yadav, then the party's president, may be authorised to expand the model of Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) at national level.

So, Yadav is following the the principles and ethics as well as resolutions of the supreme body of the party, he said.

Sharad Yadav had earlier said he would be attending the RJD rally and leave for Patna tomorrow.

The JD(U)'s Rajya Sabha members had on August 12 removed Sharad Yadav, who opposed the party's decision to ally with the BJP in Bihar, as their leader in the House and replaced him with R C P Singh.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Twelve pair of shoes in boxes having the tricolour design on the covers were recovered from a shop in Almora, with locals speculating they were dispatched by China, police said today.

The shoe boxes with the design of India's national flag were received by a local shop owner, who reported the matter to the police, Almora Superintendent of Police P Renuka Devi told PTI over phone.

Locals speculate that the recovery of the shoe boxes from Almora, which is not very far from the Sino-Inmdia border in Pithoragarh, might be a handiwork of China to insult India, amid the ongoing stand-off at Dokalam.

The consignment was received by the local shop owner from a distributor, named Tamanna Footwear, at Rudrapur in Udhamsingh Nagar district on Thursday, the SP said.

The Rudrapur-based shop owner said, however, he received the consignment from a supplier in Delhi.

"An FIR has been lodged against Tamanna Footwear as the national flag design on the footwear boxes seems intended to hurt Indian sentiments," she said.

The SP said nothing could be definitively said about the origin of the shoes or the boxes.

"Investigations are on and we are trying to ascertain from where the boxes originated," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today expressed surprise over 'non-adherence' of court orders by the BJP government in Haryana and sought the Centre's intervention to check violence there and in nearby states after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief in a rape case.

"Our (AAP) stand is that the court orders should be followed. I am surprised why it has not been done (by the ML Khattar government in Haryana)" he told reporters here.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had yesterday said that losses caused to property due to violence and arson by followers of Ram Rahim Singh would be recovered from Dera Sacha Sauda.

The full bench of the High Court had also directed the Haryana government to use weapon or force, if required, to tackle the situation arising out of the CBI court verdict in the rape case against the dera head.

A full bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court is holding a special hearing today to discuss the law and order situation and other issues related to the violence after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief was convicted of rape.

Sisodia said the central government should also take the responsibility and ask ministers to intervene in the matter.

"It should take responsibility and heads should roll if needed," he added.

Asked if AAP would demand Khattar's resignation, Sisodia said the problem lies in the ideology of BJP which is in power in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states.

He said BJP's ideology has always been to make issues out of non-issues and ignore relevant and actual issues.

"They don't care about supply of oxygen. They don't care about taking proper action in anticipation," he said.

Sisodia also said that merely replacing a Chief Minister would not solve the problem.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Lainey Morse never imagined creating a business empire that stretched from coast to coast  all based on doing yoga with goats.

I still wake up every day and think, Is this real life? said Morse, an Albany-area resident who quit her job to focus on Goat Yoga.

The company, which started in Corvallis, just celebrated its first anniversary, and Morse said she now has licensees in Ravena, New York, Carlisle, Pennsylvania and New Castle, Kentucky.

Im trying to grow slow, like an oak tree, so that its solid, Morse said.

She added that shed stop at as many as 10 Goat Yoga locations in 2017. In the future? I have no idea, Morse said.

Shes in talks with other spots, though none inside Oregon, as she wants to be the sole Goat Yoga provider here.

Other competitors have sprung up since Morse began holding her first classes, but as the originator, shes fielded interviews with huge media outlets as yoga with cute goats has become a phenomenon.

Its definitely spread like wildfire, Morse said. The world is stressed out and it needed a happy distraction. Goat Yoga provides a sense of calm and happiness and laughter.

On Friday, about 30 people gathered for a Goat Yoga session at Hanson Country Inn in Corvallis.

Ana Mallozzi is moving from Portland to New Jersey on Monday, and the activity was on her Oregon bucket list.

I really love animals. I wanted to hang out with goats, explained Mallozzi, as she petted Annie Goatley, the animal featured on Goat Yogas logo.

Jeff White of Seattle practiced poses with various goats serenely invading his personal space bubble. The main reason he came to Corvallis was to visit a friend, but he scheduled the trip around Goat Yoga.

Ive been waiting to do this for nine months, he said. Ive done bunny yoga before, but this is really taking it to the next level.

Goat Yoga originated after Morse connected with Heather Davis, a yoga instructor at Live Well Studio in Corvallis.

Hanson Country Inn is building a barn so Morse can hold sessions year round, rain or shine. Due to high demand, Morse added a second location at Emerson Vinyards outside Monmouth.

Theres also a line of official Goat Yoga apparel.

One big change Morse wants to see is more locals at her classes. I rarely get anyone from Albany or Corvallis, she said.
A 26-year-old sword-wielding man attacked and wounded three police officers outside Buckingham Palace in London before being arrested, prompting Scotland Yard to launch a terror investigation.

The man initially held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police has now been re-arrested under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said today.

"A car deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill near Buckingham Palace. The officers, who were unarmed police constables and from Westminster borough, got out of the van and approached the car, a blue Toyota Prius," the police said.

"As they challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," it said.

"The incident is being treated as terrorism but we will remain open minded while the investigation continues."



During a struggle, three officers sustained injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with tear gas.

Two of the officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later. The third officer did not require hospital treatment.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries and has now been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"The officers acted very quickly to detain him," the Met Police said in an update. "No members of the public at the scene are believed had any interaction with the arrested man. There are no other reported injuries."



Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said officers from the Counter-Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today.

"We believe the man (from Luton in the east of England) was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do - this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time."



"This is a timely reminder that the threat from terrorism in the UK remains severe. The police, together with the security services, are doing everything we can to protect the public," Haydon said, calling on the public to "remain alert."



Earlier, police had revealed details of the attack which took place at around 20:35 hrs (local time) last evening when a man stopped his blue Toyota Prius car in a restricted area near a police vehicle.

The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a sword-like weapon in the suspect's car.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were not in Buckingham Palace at the time.

The 91-year-old monarch is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and other senior members of the royal family are also away during the summer holiday season in the UK.

A Palace spokesperson said the summer opening hours and tours of the Queen's London residence will go ahead on schedule, adding that it will be "business as usual".

Europe is on high alert following a spate of recent terror attacks.

A terror cell launched an attack on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas street last Wednesday, and at a nearby seaside town, leaving 14 people dead.

On Saturday night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers. He was shot dead at the scene, while two soldiers were not seriously injured.

Britain has also been the scene of a series of terror attacks this year alone.

In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four people. He then ran into the grounds of the Parliament, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. He was shot dead by an officer.

A concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester was attacked by a suicide bomber who detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the entrance to the concert, leaving 23 dead.

In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and then ran to Borough Market, where they stabbed people. Eight people were killed and the three terrorists were shot dead by police.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump has pardoned controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted last month of criminal contempt for illegally targeting Hispanic immigrants.

In his first act of presidential clemency, Trump pardoned the deeply-divisive 85-year-old who ignored a federal court order that he stop detaining illegal migrants.

"He kept Arizona safe!" Trump tweeted, calling Arpaio a "patriot."



The move earned immediate scorn from Democrats, some Republicans and rights groups, who accused the Republican billionaire of seeking to divide the country -- which is still reeling from Trump's controversial remarks on racial unrest in Charlottesville.

In a statement, the White House said Arpaio -- who made detainees wear pink underwear and housed them in tented desert camps -- had "more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation."



The former sheriff of Maricopa County, who reveled in his reputation as "America's toughest sheriff," had been due to be sentenced in October.

Arpaio tweeted that he was "incredibly grateful" to Trump, and suggested his conviction was "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!"



According to the White House, as sheriff Arpaio protected "the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration."



Arpaio is "a worthy candidate for a presidential pardon," it added.

Trump had hinted that a pardon was coming during a meandering speech in Arizona earlier this week, when he suggested Arpaio was convicted for "doing his job" and predicted that "he's going to be just fine."



The announcement still came as a shock for many.

Republican Arizona Senator John McCain said officers of the law "should always seek to be beyond reproach" in their commitment to fairly enforce the law.

And he noted that Arpaio "was found guilty of criminal contempt" for illegally profiling Latinos living in Arizona "based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders."



Trump "has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," McCain's statement read.

Arizona's other senator, Republican Jeff Flake, wrote on Twitter: "Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course."



The US constitution offers the president almost unlimited pardon powers.

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol suggested the pardon "gets people used" to the idea of presidential pardons as the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia deepens.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the attacks on the Myanmar security forces by Rohingya militants in the northern Rakhine State and hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Clashes erupted between Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine State after militants attacked border police. The fighting has killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians - Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine - to flee their homes.

Expressing concern over the escalating tensions in the region, Guterres said that he hoped those responsible would be brought to justice.

Guterres termed the attacks as "unacceptable" and reiterated the "importance of addressing the root causes of violence, in particular issues related to identity and citizenship, and reducing inter-communal tensions," his spokesperson said.

"He strongly urges all the communities in Rakhine State to choose the path of peace," spokesperson said in a statement.

It said the forces must protect civilians at all times, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law while taking the necessary measures to curb attacks by criminal elements in the region.

Resident Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien - the top UN humanitarian official in Myanmar - condemned in the strongest terms the series of coordinated attacks.

The Resident Coordinator urged all parties to refrain from violence, protect civilians, restore law and order and resolve issues through dialogue and peaceful means, according to a spokesperson from the UN Office in Geneva.

"The grave events confirmed the significance of the government's commitment to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state for the betterment of all communities," spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said.

Yesterday, the Advisory Commission, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, released a report outlining recommendations for how to overcome political, socio-economic and humanitarian challenges.

Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar. According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigrations.

The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Peter Morgan, the creator of "The Crown" has said that he would not have done the period drama, if crime drama "The Sopranos" had never been made.

The 54-year-old writer said he would love to have a character like Tony Soprano, who could behave in any number of unpredictable ways, but still be true to himself, reported Variety.

"The Sopranos", which aired from 1999 to 2007, revolved around the life of a fictional character, an Italian American mobster called Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini.

"I would not be doing 'The Crown' if 'The Sopranos' had not happened. I was besides myself," Morgan said on the "Remote Controlled" podcast.

He also said that his Elizabeth (played by Claire Foy) is a different kind of character.

"It's her absence of volatility that defines her. She's an unremarkable woman with a remarkable achievement of stability or invisibility.

"These are not the qualities you immediately think of for your protagonist in long-running television. You think, Christ, give me someone who reaches for a gun!" Morgan said.

The second season of "The Crown" premiers December 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India today termed as "factually incorrect" a Chinese official media report claiming that it was planning to impose fresh anti-dumping duties this year on 93 products originating in China, saying they were already in force after decisions over a course of five years.

A report in the state-run China Daily today said that India would this month impose anti-dumping duties on 93 products imported from China.

"Some recent media reports have mentioned that the Government of India is planning to impose anti-dumping duty on 93 products from China. These reports are factually incorrect," the Indian Embassy here said in a statement.

The current situation is that anti-dumping duty is already in force on 93 products from China comprising of chemicals and petrochemicals, products of steel and other metals, fibres and yarn, machinery items, rubber or plastic products, electric and electronic items, consumer goods among others, it said.

The decision to impose anti-dumping duties on these 93 products originating in China were taken over a course of previous five years, it said.

Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday that India should refrain from abusing trade remedy measures, which would disrupt economic cooperation and bilateral trade relations.

According to the ministry, India has launched 212 investigations against Chinese products since 1994 and 93 of them are still in progress.

So far this year, 13 investigations have been initiated, the China Daily quoted the ministry as saying. The report said that India overtook the US in the first half of this year with the most trade remedy investigations against China.

China is paying close attention to trade investigations and hopes India would carry them out in a prudent way based on relevant regulations, Commerce Ministry spokesman Gao Feng was quoted as saying by the Daily.

"China and India are both BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) members with vast cooperation opportunities and should jointly maintain a free and open multilateral trading system," Gao said.

"Instead of resorting to trade remedy measures and disrupting trade orders, the two countries can settle trade disputes through consultation and realise a win-win situation through expanded economic and trade cooperation," he said.

Last month Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman, who took part in the BRICS Commerce Ministers meeting in Shanghai, held "candid" talks with her Chinese counterpart Zhong Shan over the ballooning bilateral trade deficit which had crossed over USD 52 billion.

"The two Ministers exchanged views, in a candid manner, on further development of a strong, balanced and sustainable trade and investment partnership between India and China," the Indian Consulate in Shanghai had said in a statement.

Sitharaman, in particular, sought the assistance of Chinese Commerce Ministry in reducing the trade deficit, facilitating greater market access and for providing a level- playing field for Indian IT, pharmaceuticals and agro products in China, it said.

India's trade deficit with China in 2015-16 swelled to USD 52.68 billion, which according to Indian officials has become unsustainable.
The last date for taxpayers to link their PAN with Aadhaar remains August 31 as the Supreme Court verdict on privacy has no bearing it, according to UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey.

The apex court ruled on Thursday that the right to privacy is a fundamental right, having farreaching impacts on data collection and storage guidelines followed by various agencies, including in large projects like Aadhaar.

"The requirement for Aadhaar being quoted for availing government subsidies, welfare schemes and other benefits will also continue unhindered for now," he told PTI. The biometric identifier is currently required for services ranging from getting subsidised cooking gas to opening bank account and obtaining a new phone number. The government had extended to deadline to link Aadhaar to PAN by a month to August 31.

"Linking of PAN to Aadhaar is mandated by an amendment in the Income-Tax Act. The linking will continue under that act and law. There is no change." He said various deadlines that have been prescribed, be it under provision of Aadhaar Act, Income Tax Act or money laundering rules will have to be adhered to as those laws are valid.

As Thursday's verdict did not talk specifically about Aadhaar, with a five-judge bench set to pronounce judgment on that aspect, Pandey clarified that Aadhaar enrolment will continue unhindered. He added that the Aadhaar Act protects privacy of people as a fundamental right and its provisions provide for safeguarding of personal data and how such data can be used.

"The data will not be shared without the consent of the person. So, there are number of privacy protection provisions inbuilt into the Aadhaar Act itself," he said. He noted that core biometric can never be shared with anyone for any reason whatsoever, except in special circumstances.


Predictably, when the Justice BN Srikrishna committee submitted its report to the law ministry last week advising the government to allow foreign lawyers to represent clients in international arbitrations being held in India, the legal community was in an uproar again. Yet again, we lawyers made it clear that we wanted foreign clients to help finance our BMW's, but not foreign lawyers! While the fault lines are pretty clear, the logic of the situation is not. What's going on?

To start at the very beginning, let's understand the compulsions driving the government. With 3.15 lakh cases awaiting adjudication by Indian courts, we have ourselves a logjam which at current case disposal rates will take 466 years to clear. We haven't enough courts, judges, infrastructure or national will to ramp up radically any time soon. Unless we can find a way out of this logjam, the risks associated with doing business in India will continue to be unacceptable for both foreigners and Indians. The widespread adoption of Arbitration is clearly the way forward.

There is pragmatic wisdom in this. China has shown us the way beyond reasonable doubt. When China opened itself to foreign investment 40 years ago, it had no judicial system to speak off. They had no well-developed concept of a 'legal person' (like a company or a LLP), no concept of a corporate veil between company and shareholder, and no concept of privately owned property, leave alone individual fundamental rights. Joint venture agreements were a nightmare to write and enforce.

Naturally then, any debate about contractual obligations, contractual comfort, risk profiling or liability indemnification between an foreign company and a Chinese one immediately trans-mutated into a debate about the legitimacy of the Chinese company as a corporate entity, to state nothing of the credibility of its balance sheet. So how were foreigners to write a local contract, leave alone resolve disputes under it?

This was by no means the worst of it. Chinese courts were not authorised to interpret the laws of China! China has adopted what is called the principle of legislative interpretation. This is rooted in the idea that those who make the law are in the best position to interpret it. This meant that Chinese courts were empowered to implement the law but not interpret it. It got worse. Courts were not necessarily or even substantially manned by trained legal persons - meaning judges didn't have a law degree - and the rules of procedure were rudimentary. Chinese administrators did not understand the distinction between executive and judicial powers, and they were just as likely to knock on the door and start to settle a dispute between private parties without invitation, like cops do in Punjab.

How did the Chinese fix the problem? In China, as in many other countries, the answer was arbitration. Till 1994, China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission ('CIETAC') handled all disputes with cross-border implications on an exclusive basis. There were till 1994 two separate systems of arbitration in China: one for domestic economic cases and the other for foreign-related cases. In August 1994, the new Arbitration Act of the PRC established a fairly contemporary system of dispute resolution in arbitration, and this applied to both domestic and international arbitration. For all its failings, it worked well enough for China to attract as much foreign investment as it needed.

The point of discussing the way of the dragon is simply this. China had at all times, and still has, severe conceptual problems in the jurisprudential foundation of its legal system. You can't write a legal opinion on a great many corporate issues in China without running into severe difficulties. Yet, the system works well enough for the world to want to make in China or at least buy from the Chinese. Why is this? It's simple. The Chinese are pragmatists: they are fans of the Deng Xiaoping maxim "It doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches mice."

The Chinese don't care about fundamental rights which at the best of times are hard for an individual to enforce. They are far more interested in lubricating the wheels of commerce which requires that commercial disputes be resolved quickly and cheaply. Indians are the opposite. Our judicial system expends incredible energy dissecting the jurisprudential underpinnings of arcane philosophical concepts (Do Indians violate the rights of angry bulls when Tamilians wrestle with them?), but barely focuses on simple things like quickly resolving commercial disputes. This is the heart of the problem with India's judicial system, and its solution. This is why the Government is so sensitive to the fact that unless you can resolve disputes efficiently in India, you can't seriously hope to make in India. Indian lawyers have a problem understanding this.

So what ails us Indian lawyers? For a start, there are the usual short term insecurities of coping with change. Wont letting in foreign lawyers - even if it's only in instalments - mean irresistible competition portending self-annihilation? It won't of course but that doesn't seem obvious to most of us. Singapore and Malaysia have become regional hubs servicing the global arbitration market with remarkable rapidity. Their lawyers are swamped with work because they welcomed everyone to come and use their system. Why would India be different?

India's real problem is the difficulty Indian lawyers have with professional self-definition. What do we Indian lawyers do? We have simply failed to understand that we sell a service product called 'justice'. We don't seem to understand that to be able to sell this service, we have to deliver it at a realistic (and highly predictable) cost to a specific timeline and quality standard. We also don't seem to understand that if we do not have a quality product to sell, the client will settle for the next best option which is swallow pride and settle the dispute for a song. Finally, we need to understand that if we do offer a quality product, we will have the benefit of an expanding market for our service. By that token, at the heart of the Indian judicial tragedy is not that we have a log jammed overworked system that has long ceased to function in any meaningful sense: it is that the service providers operating the system have no idea where our self interest lies.

The author is Managing Partner of the Gurgaon-based corporate law firm N South. His bestselling expose' of the real world of Indian courts "Legal Confidential", released in November 2015.




WikiLeaks recently published a secret report saying the United States' top intelligence agency the CIA has technology to access biometric data through covert operations conducted across the world.

The Office of Technical Services which is a branch within the CIA has a biometric collection system that is provided to liaison services around the world - with the expectation for sharing of the biometric takes collected on the systems, WikiLeaks said in press statement. WikiLeaks called it 'ExpressLane project of the CIA'.



Have CIA spies already stolen #India's national ID card database? #aadhaar #biometric https://t.co/zqJmkaoiw8 #modi WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 25, 2017

According to the report, ExpressLane is a covert information collection tool that is used by the CIA to secretly exfiltrate data collections from such systems provided to liaison services. It is installed and run with the cover of upgrading the biometric software by OTS agents that visit the liaison sites. Liaison officers overseeing this procedure will remain unsuspicious, as the data exfiltration disguises behind a Windows installation splash screen.



The report further said that the core components of the OTS system are based on products from Cross Match, a US company specializing in biometric software for law enforcement and the Intelligence Community. RELEASE: CIA 'Express Lane' system for stealing the biometric databases of its 'partner' agencies around the world. https://t.co/8FefOS2Ljl pic.twitter.com/LPwlAd0Tgr WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) August 24, 2017

Some media reports suggest that Cross Match is the same company which was one of the first suppliers of biometric devices certified by UIDAI for Aadhaar program. Cross Match with its Indian partner Smart Identity Devices Pvt Ltd has enrolled 1.2 million Indian citizens on the Aadhaar database.



Back in 2011, Cross Match had received the Certificate of Approval from the Indian government. It was reported that the Certificate of Approval to Cross Match was issued after completion of all tests required to demonstrate compliance with the quality requirements of UIDAI.

However, WikiLeaks' new revelation suggest that the CIA has the tools and technology to access Aadhaar data. WikiLeaks on Friday tweeted about it and asked: Have CIA spies already stolen India's national ID card database?



According to a report in Times of India, the government officials here in India said that it was not a WikiLeaks "leak" but a report by a website. "The reports do not have any basis in fact. Aadhaar data is safely encrypted and is not accessible to any other agency," the TOI quoted an official as saying.
Sept. 21, 1943  May 30, 2017

Carol passed away peacefully in Denver, Colorado, after a long battle with cancer.

She was born in Astoria to Arthur and Alma (McTimmonds) Wallace.

Carol grew up in Albany, graduating from Albany Union High School with honors and then earning degrees from Oregon State University in Liberal Studies and Anthropology.

While attending OSU, she met David Anderer and they were married on Mary's Peak on Sept. 13, 1969.

Carol's legacy is first and foremost as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.

She was an educator and advocate for the safety and well being of children. She was among the founding members of the 1st Alternative Co-op.

Carol was skilled in many fields including those of editor and technical writer in the field of communications and telephony. She was active in on-line forums and blogs as a fellow cancer patient and survivor, providing inspiration and compassion.

Carol was on a spiritual quest and practiced meditation for 48 years.

She had a great sense of humor and enjoyed singing with the family and in high school choir. She is sorely missed by all who knew and loved her.

Carol was preceded in death by her mother.

Surviving are her father; husband; daughter Emily Della Maggiora and husband Dan of San Carlos, California; son Aaron and wife Christie of Livermore, California; grandchildren Matthew Della Maggiora, Miles, Grant and Aster Anderer; sister Joyce (Wallace/Staten) Attig ofAlbany; and brother James Wallace of Honolulu.

A celebration of life will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday September 2, 2017, at the Albany Eagles Lodge, 127 NW Broadalbin Street in Albany.
Jerry Robert Fisher, 67, of Sweet Home died Friday evening among loved ones after a long battle with dementia. Viewing and Rosary will be 10 a.m. on Saturday Aug. 26 at St. Helen Catholic Church. Funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be 2 p.m. at Gilliland Cemetery. Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling arrangements. www.sweethomefuneral.com.
By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

In case you missed it, Samsung has launched a successor to the doomed Galaxy Note7 phablet. The Galaxy Note8, an enormous 6.3-inch smartphone featuring all the latest Samsung technologies, is coming on September 15 and will be sold in Canada through Bell, Eastlink, Freedom, MTS, Rogers, Sasktel, Telus and Videotron. Off contract price is a whopping $1,200.00! Making this the most expensive Samsung handset in recent memory.

The big question many consumers have is, how safe is the Note8 given its predecessor's battery defects and subsequent $5.3 billion dollar recall. Samsung seems to have addressed this during today's launch.

"Samsung continues to uphold its commitment to lead the industry in battery safety. The Galaxy Note8s battery has undergone our Samsung 8-point battery check," Samsung explained.

"We have been closely working with Samsung to make meaningful advancements in the science of smartphone quality and safety evaluation. As a result, the Galaxy Note8 has successfully completed a rigorous series of device and battery safety compatibility test protocols. We look forward to maintaining our strategic relationship with Samsung to help ensure device safety for all consumers, said Sajed Jesudas, SVP and President, UL International. UL (Underwriters Laboratories), is a global safety science leader and is vouching for Samsung.

In fariness to Samsung, the company did figure out the issue with the afflicted Note7 units which were spontaneoisly combusting at such an alarming rate that got Samsung Note7 devices banned from airplanes, recalled en masse and subsequently discontinued. Samsung even re-released refurbished Note7 (rebranded as the Fan Edition, no kidding)without the battery issues.

This means that the Note8 should be a safe
Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 4:44PM

The HTC U11 is the company's latest attempt at winning over the public

It looks like HTC is in enough trouble to want to consider strategic options. At least thats what a new report from Bloomberg suggests. The Taiwanese company is supposedly looking at its strategic options, which, in business speak, is theyre looking to put the company up for sale because of financial issues. The options HTC is supposedly looking into is spinning off its VR arm or selling off the company itself. According to people familiar with the matter, HTC has supposedly held talks with companies including Alphabet Inc.s Google.

Considered one of the pioneers of Android smartphones, HTC has been struggling in the current mobile market as Samsung and Apple dominate the premium market and its Chinese competitors like OnePlus and Xiaomi introducing budget-friendly yet spec-heavy smartphones. It also doesnt seem to be doing so hot in the virtual reality space. The Vive VR system recently got a US$200 price cut to help improve sales. IDC estimates HTC has sold around 190,000 units in the first quarter of the year, putting it in third behind Samsung (489,000) and Sony (429,000 units) in the same period. Whether this deal pushes through, we cant say yet. HTC and Google have declined to comment on this report.
"People who may not necessarily have had these conversations or expressed their views now feel emboldened to do that, with there being an increase in discussion of the topic at things like barbecues," she said.
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So, for example, if you are collecting unemployment figures and find that the people who reply "unemployed" have an age profile different from the population at large (say twice as many over 65 than in the general population and half as many under 25 than in the general population) you would adjust the weighting of their replies by halving those of the over-65s and doubling those of the under-25s).
A Philomath man died Friday when a truck collided with his Toyota Prius along Highway 20 near Burnt Woods, Oregon State Police officials say.

Charles B. McConnell, 70, died from his injuries at the scene.

According to a report, an eastbound 2017 Dodge Durango crossed the center line at about 12:41 p.m., striking McConnell's westbound Prius. The impact caused the Prius to come to rest on the guard rail. Next, a westbound 1942 Dodge motor home struck the Durango. Robert B. Hardin, 76, and his passenger, Kristi S. Hardin, 74, both of Stamford, Connecticut, were in the Durango.

Robert Hardin was transported by ambulance to Ellmaker State Park and was air transported to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis where he was treated for serious injuries. Kristi Hardin was taken to Good Samaritan, where she was treated for various non-life threatening injuries.

Devon Abbott, 39, and two passengers, James Abbott, 71, and Sheila Abbott, 61, all of Silverton, were in the motor home. They were also transported by ambulance to Good Samaritan, where they were treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The Lincoln and Benton County sheriff's offices, Newport Fire and Rescue, Toledo Fire and Rescue, Philomath Fire and Rescue, Pacific West Ambulance, Life Flight Helicopter Service, and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted at the scene. Investigation into the crash is continuing.
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 ...
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One of the first Volkswagen employees to be sentenced in the Dieselgate scandal has been handed a lengthy prison term by U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox.



As Automotive News reports, Judge Cox sentenced former Volkswagen engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison. The 63-year old will also be forced to pay $200,000 for his role in the emissions cheating scandal which still continues to reverberate today.

Liang was facing a prison sentence of up to five years for conspiracy but he cooperated with the investigation and prosecutors said he provided an insiders perspective of a company that had lost its ethical moorings in pursuit of increased market share and corporate profits.

Despite his cooperation, Judge Cox told Liang he committed a serious crime that involves a massive fraud on the American consumer, which you knew, and you played a role in. As a result, he sentenced Liang to prison for even longer than what prosecutors had originally asked for.

The Judge says he hopes this sentence will send a message to others in the automotive industry, especially those who might be asked to do something illegal for their employers.

Additional Volkswagen employees are in the crosshairs as former executive Oliver Schmidt will be sentenced in December. He faces up to seven years in prison and fines up to $400,000.

Photo Gallery
Land Rover owners love dogs so the company has created a unique promotional video which combines their love of off-roading with mans best friend.



Dubbed Horsepower vs Dog Power, the clip pits the Discovery Sport against a dog sled team headed by national champion Laura Kaariainen.

Since summer isnt the best time for this kind of event, Land Rover traveled to the Vesileppis Ski Tunnel in Finland. The facility features an underground tunnel which is kept at a chilly 28.4F (-2 C) and boasts nearly an inch of snow on the ground. This makes the one kilometer (0.62 mile) long course an ideal place for the Discovery Sport and the dog sled team to square off.

The two groups started in different directions and after a slow start, the dogs managed to pick up speed and maintain a steady pace of around 22 mph (35 km/h). Since pitting dogs against a 286 hp (213 kW) vehicle is inherently unfair, the Discovery Sport was forced to negotiate a set of unique ice obstacles along the way.

In the end, the Discovery Sport came out on top but the company says the dog sled team wasnt far behind.

According to Jaguar Land Rover Lead Engineer for Stability Control Systems, Karl Richards, Snow is one of the most demanding surfaces drivers will encounter during winter around the world and Discovery Sport proved to be as comfortable in these conditions as the dogs.

Videos

Photo Gallery
Manhart Performance has released the first details about its upcoming tuning program for the BMW M5.



Tentatively known as the MH5 800 Concept, the rendering suggests the model will be equipped with a blacked out grille, a ventilated hood, and aftermarket alloy wheels. The super sedan has also been equipped with a front splitter and what appears to be carbon fiber mirror caps. Rounding out the changes are a trunk-mounted spoiler, yellow accents, and a Manhart Performance logo on the hood.

The company declined to detail the tuning program but the name suggest the cars 4.4-liter M TwinPower Turbo V8 engine will be upgraded to produce 800 PS (588 kW). This is an increase of 200 PS (147 kW) and it should enable the car to easily out gun the standard model which rockets from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 3.4 seconds before hitting a limited top speed of up to 305 km/h (189 mph).

Theres no word on when we can expect a production version but the 2018 M5 will be launched next spring and German pricing starts at 117,900 ($140,021).

Photo Gallery
Forget about Sussexs Ghost police cruiser, because this Rolls-Royce Wraith study sits in a league of its own.



Rendered by RainPrisk, the luxury two-door coupe features extended wheel arches on all four corners, an adjustable front apron, blacked-out headlights and grille, and a black exterior.

Another thing that sets this Wraith apart from its tuned siblings is the addition of red and blue police lights in the grille, and under the headlights. Of course, it would have been even cooler if it had a roof-mounted light bar, or at least a visor light bar, and a full police livery.

Back in the real world, the Ghost, along with its derivatives, is no longer taking center stage in the brands lineup, as Rolls-Royce has an entirely new generation of the Phantom out, which is looking to reclaim the crown as the most luxurious car out there.

It carries an evolutionary styling, an entirely new interior design, fitted with new technologies and a bunch of expensive materials, and it rides on an aluminum spaceframe platform that was designed specifically for Rolls-Royce.

PHOTO GALLERY
Toyota has pulled the plug on the Aurion in Australia, following a 11-year production run.



Introduced at the 2006 Melbourne International Motor Show, the Aurion succeeded the Avalon as the brands family sedan, and it was made in over 110,000 units, as well as 70,000 built for export.

It featured a 3.5-liter V6 that the automaker describes as the most advanced and powerful engine ever offered in a Toyota vehicle in Australia, rated at 272PS (268hp) and 336Nm (248lb-ft) of torque, on regular unleaded gasoline.

Graeme Ward, Melbourne-based Chadstone Toyota Dealer Principal, was present at the Altona manufacturing base to take delivery of the final Aurion, finished in Presara while, and met the team that built it.

However, despite the demise of the Toyota Aurion, customers Down Under will not be left without a family sedan badged by the Japanese automaker, as it will be replaced by the new-gen Camry, offered in three specifications: hybrid, petrol, and V6, launching in September, October, and November, respectively.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: TNRD

An open house has been scheduled for Loon Lake property owners who will be repairing structures on Saturday.

The open house, organized by the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, will give owners the opportunity to discuss the challenges and potential solutions of the planning, building and repairing process.

Property owners who have suffered property or structural damage and are planning to rebuild will most benefit from this open house, said Meg Gregory EOC Information Officer in a press release.

Planning and building specialists from Thompson-Nicola Regional District will be in attendance as well as representatives from Interior Health, Canadian Red Cross and United Way.

No appointments are required and the open house is scheduled from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Loon Lake Community Hall.
Photo: Twitter The Barnhartvale Landfill and Yard Waste Depot will reopen effective 8:30 am on Saturday, August 26.

The Barnhartvale Landfill and Yard Waste Depot will reopen effective 8:30 am on Saturday, Aug. 26.]

Kamloops Fire Rescue has advised us that the recent weather and current forecast have reduced the operational risk at the landfill, said Glen Farrow, the Streets and Environment Services Manager.

The landfill was closed on Aug. 5 in accordance with the BC Wildfire Act due to its proximity to the dry, grassy hills.

As operations resume, site staff will continue to implement a fire mitigation plan.

While procedures may be modified to reduce fire risk, service levels will be back to normal tomorrow, Farrow said.
Photo: RCMP Police are asking for help in finding Enderby resident Marlon Parkes.

UPDATE:

RCMP reported on Aug. 26 that Marlon Parkes had been found.

RCMP in Enderby are requesting the public's help in locating a missing resident.

Marlon Parkes, 34, left his residence on Thursday, Aug, 24th and was last seen in the Lake Country area at 10:30 p.m. that evening.

Parkes is described as a six-foot-tall black male, weighing 161 lbs, with brown eyes and long black hair in dreads.

He was last seen wearing a blue T-shirt and plaid shorts and had a small, gray and green bicycle.

Police and family say they are very concerned for Parkes' health and well-being.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Parkes is urged to contact their local police or Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).
Photo: Contributed

The Regional District of Central Okanagan turned 50 this week.

On Aug. 24, 1967, then-Lieut.-Gov. George Randolph Pearkes signed the Letters Patent officially incorporating the regional district. It set the boundary, municipal membership for the City of Kelowna and District of Peachland, and the interim board members for eight electoral areas.

In the time since, much has changed.

With growth, some areas were amalgamated, while others, like Lake Country and West Kelowna have incorporated.

Today, the board has six representatives from Kelowna, two for West Kelowna and one each from Lake Country and Peachland. Residents in the two remaining electoral areas (Central Okanagan East and West) elect their RDCO representatives, and Westbank First Nation appoints a non-voting member.

Regional districts are a form of government unique to B.C.

We have so much to celebrate in the Central Okanagan," said board chair Gail Given. "Our region may have changed with the times, but our regional district remains a cost-effective, efficient and relevant form of local government. And weve had incredible, visionary leadership, from our first chair Wally Bennett, and subsequent chairs Andy Duncan, Jim Stuart, Sharron Simpson and my predecessor and our longest serving chair, Robert Hobson, every elected and appointed regional board member has served with the best interests of the region in mind."

Given praised the regional parks system and Regional Emergency Program as RDCO successes.

"You only have to look to this years flooding and more recently ... wildfires, to see this in action," she said.

We look forward to another half century of service to the citizens in the Central Okanagan.
Madison Erhardt

UPDATE: 7:25 P.M.

Structural firefighters are on the ground tonight actively working to protect buildings and properties from the Philpott Road wildfire. So far, there havent been any reports of structural damage.

Overnight, 25 firefighters with seven trucks from several departments across the Central and South Okanagan will be protecting buildings, snuffing out fires and hotspots, and monitoring the blaze throughout the Joe Rich area.

The evacuation order remains in effect and is not expected to change overnight.

BC Wildfire crews and equipment will also be on the ground throughout the night, fighting the fire and monitoring conditions.

Volunteers have registered 572 evacuees at the Willow Park Church since the fire. Those affected by the Evacuation Order will be able to visit the reception centre again tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

The next scheduled update from the Emergency Operations Centre is anticipated after noon Saturday.

Get the latest information and see a detailed map at www.cordemergency.ca.

ORIGINAL

The B.C. Wildfire Service is continuing to implement a full response to the wildfire that was discovered in the Joe Rich area on Thursday afternoon.

The fire is still zero per cent contained and sits at 400 hectares in size, but wildfire crews are happy with the progress so far.

"We have some good news today. We haven't seen significant growth on the size estimate of the fire since (Thursday) evening," said Justine Hunse, Fire Information Officer for the BC Wildfire Service.

"There has been a lot of smoke kicked up by this fire and the smokey conditions have meant that we haven't been able to send out air tankers and fixed wing skimmers due to visibility, '' Hunse added.

Four helicopters are currently involved in bucketing operations as well as 30 B.C. Wildfire personnel, along with several local fire departments.

"We have seen much lighter winds on the fire compared to yesterday and that definitely has helped with suppression efforts. The fire is still considered to be out of control. The B.C. Wildfire service is implementing a full response which means we are using suppression tactics with the end goal being complete suppression, Hunse added.
Photo: Google Maps

A motorhome collided with a car trapping the driver, just after 2:30 p.m. on Friday.



Chase RCMP received a report of a motor vehicle collision at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Squilax-Anglemont Road in Lee Creek.

A Chevrolet Malibu attempting to turn drove into the path of an eastbound motorhome. The motorhome struck the car trapping its driver inside.

Kamloops Fire and Rescue attended to pull the driver out, who was transported to hospital via air ambulance.

The driver sustained non-life threatening injuries. Two passengers in the car were transported by ground ambulance for treatment of minor injuries.
Photo: CTV Vancouver Island Body found and identified

The body of 25-year-old Euarchol Wanichpan has been found.

Her body was located at SJ Willis School in Victoria on August 22.



Euarchol Wanichpan had last been seen on July 30 and reported missing to the Saanich Police Department on July 31.

Foul play is suspected and police are seeking the publics assistance in determining Euarchols movements between the time she was last seen and her body was discovered.



While investigators currently do not believe the general public is at risk, they continue to gather evidence and pursue a number of investigative leads.



If you have any information, please call the VIIMCU information line at 250-380-6211, or if you wish to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222- TIPS. (8477).
Photo: EOC Areas Rescinds

Evacuations alerts have been rescinded in the village of Clinton and the village of Cache Creek, around the Elephant Hill wildfire.

There have been partial evacuation alert rescinds in Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau) and Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country). There is also a partial Evacuation Order Rescind to an Alert for Blue Sky Country.

More information can be found here.
Photo: RCMP File Photo

A pickup truck collided with a car on Highway 23 just after 3:30 p.m.

A motorist from Quebec was passing unsafely on a two lane highway when it hit a pickup truck that was towing a tent trailer.

The three passengers in the car were transported to the Queen Victoria Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The two occupants in the pick up truck sustained minor injuries.

Charges are pending for the Quebec driver.
Photo: Twitter

UPDATE: 5 p.m.

Harvey spun deeper into Texas and unloaded extraordinary amounts of rain Saturday after the once-fearsome hurricane crashed into vulnerable homes and businesses along the coastline in a blow that killed at least one person and injured up to 14.

Throughout the region between Corpus Christi and Houston, many people feared that toll was only the beginning. Authorities did not know the full scope of damage because weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting into the hardest-hit places. And they dreaded the destruction that was yet to come from a storm that could linger for days and unload more than 40 inches of rain on cities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest.

In the island community of Port Aransas, population 3,800, officials were unable to fully survey the town because of "massive" damage. Police and heavy equipment had only made it into the northernmost street.

"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," said Mayor Charles Bujan, who had called for a mandatory evacuation but did not know how many heeded the order.

Some of the worst damage appeared to be in Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path. The mayor said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

Rockport's roads were a mess of toppled power poles. A trailer blocked much of one major intersection. Wood framing from ripped-apart houses was strewn along Route 35 on the town's southern end.

"We're still in the very infancy stage of getting this recovery started," said Aransas County spokesman Larry Sinclair.

Rockport Mayor Charles "C.J." Wax told The Weather Channel that the city's emergency response system had been hampered by the loss of cellphone service and other forms of communication.

As many as 14 people suffered minor injuries, including slips and falls, scrapes and a broken leg, Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. said.

The lone fatality confirmed so far was a person caught in a fire at home during the storm, Mills said. He did not identify the victim.

UPDATE: Noon

Don't be fooled by Hurricane Harvey's quick, eight-hour transition from a Category 4 monster with sustained winds of 130 mph winds to a Category 1 with 90 mph winds. Experts say the storm's destruction is probably just beginning.

The storm surge  the wall of water pushed inland by the storm  will gradually subside Saturday, but officials are worried about "potentially catastrophic" rainfall that will continue for days, with more than 40 inches and flash flooding possible even well inland, said Eric Blake, a hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Hurricanes almost always lose strength quickly after making landfall and moving away from the warm waters that fuel their winds, Blake said.

Harvey came ashore along the Texas Gulf Coast on Friday night as the most powerful hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade. It was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm by about 1 p.m. Saturday.

But "the hazards don't go away," Blake said.

ORIGINAL: 6:40 a.m.

Hurricane Harvey settled over southeast Texas early Saturday, lashing the state's Gulf Coast with damaging winds and dumping torrents of rain over hundreds of miles of coastline that braced for what forecasters predicted would be life-threatening storm surges  basically walls of water moving inland.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade made landfall Friday night about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. It gradually weakened over the next several hours and the National Hurricane Center said that by 5 a.m. Saturday Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1  still sustaining winds of 90 mph. It had already dumped more than 9 inches of rain in the South Texas city of Victoria and had knocked out power to more than 200,000 customers.

Harvey's approach sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing inland, hoping to escape the wrath of a menacing storm that threatens not only the coast but a wide swath of Texas that is home to oil refineries, chemical plants and dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

No deaths were immediately confirmed in the hours after Harvey's arrival, but officials noted emergency crews couldn't get out in many places due to high winds. Melissa Munguia, deputy emergency management co-ordinator in Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, said early Saturday that it could be hours before crews could fully assess the damage in coastal communities.

Early reports did begin to emerge from Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 people that was directly in Harvey's path when it came ashore. Officials confirmed that the roof of Rockport's high school had partially caved in and that the community's historic downtown saw extensive damage.

Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth told local media outlets that multiple people had been taken to the county's jail for assessment and treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed. KIII-TV reported that 10 people were treated there.
Photo: Kuterra

Critics of open-net fish farms say the escape of Atlantic salmon from a Washington state pen that held 305,000 fish should spur Canada to support a transition to land-based aquaculture because it's already leading the world with the most facilities using that method.

Kuterra, based in the Vancouver Island community of Port McNeill and owned by the Namgis First Nation, is the leading closed-containment Atlantic salmon company in Canada, followed by Sustainable Blue in Dartmouth, N.S.

The First Nation, which received part of its funding from Tides Canada on the basis that it provide open access to its knowledge, has enabled Kuterra to become an industry leader, says Steve Summerfelt of the Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute in Shepherdstown, W. Va.

"All across the globe, people are following Kuterra very closely," he said. "It's been a great project for the whole industry to see the transparency, to see what their performances were, what their challenges were and what worked really well."

He said two Nova Scotia companies have produced salmon on a smaller scale, positioning Canada as a global leader in the industry though investors have taken a wait-and-see approach.

The water recirculating technology to grow salmon has steadily improved over the last three decades, Summerfelt said, adding the system uses less water and draws out waste that's turned into fertilizer instead of being dumped in the ocean.

Bob Chamberlin, chairman of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, said the Washington state spill earlier this week near B.C. waters requires investment by government and industry for more sustainable ways to farm salmon.

"The government's infatuation with open-net cage fish farms means there's not the necessary government support with programs, tax breaks, capital incentives and so on to facilitate the flourishment of the closed-containment industry in Canada," he said.

Jeremy Dunn, spokesman for the BC Salmon Farmers Association, said the Washington spill involved an outdated salmon-farming structure that isn't used in the province, where he said 109 farms exist, though the industry remains controversial.

"Well over 90 per cent of salmon is raised in open net-pens," he said of the global aquaculture business, adding concerns about Atlantic salmon are continually addressed through innovation, adding any escapees are typically killed by predators.
Photo: CTV

Activists are calling for the removal of a statue of Canada's first prime minister from the front of Victoria City Hall.

Debate over Sir John A. Macdonald's legacy has swirled since the Ontario Teachers Association called for removal of Macdonalds name from schools in the province, last week.

Detractors say Macdonald has a darker history as the creator of Canadas residential school system.

The Victoria statue has sat at the steps of City Hall since the 1980s.

I understand for mainstream Canada hes a founding father and hes seen as a historically important figure, but part of the reality is what his policies were to Indigenous people, First Nations activist Bill Stewart told CTV. To a lot of Indigenous people, hes a painful symbol.

But Coun. Geoff Young said: If we start to eliminate recognition of all those leaders, then we would find very quickly that were making efforts to forget our past entirely."

Council is expected to debate the request.

 with files from CTV Vancouver Island
Photo: CTV

After two years apart, an elderly couple has finally been reunited at a Maple Ridge seniors home.

Lorraine and Joe Papp had been living in separate care homes due to their different health needs, but were brought back together at Holyrood Manor this week.

"We're happy now," Lorraine told CTV. "It's the end of our life  we know that, everybody knows that  and we'll be together. That's what counts."

The Papps had been together more than 60 years until 83-year-old Joe's health started to decline.

He was transferred to Holyrood, while Lorraine, 81, was at the Royal Crescent home. They were only a kilometre apart, but due to age and mobility issues, it felt like a world away.

"It's been tiring, very tiring," Lorraine said. "Other than being exhausted, you get a little upset because you're not together. After so many years it's nice to be together."

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: CTV

Activists are calling for the removal of a statue of Canada's first prime minister from the front of Victoria City Hall.

Debate over Sir John A. Macdonald's legacy has swirled since the Ontario Teachers Association called for removal of Macdonalds name from schools in the province, last week.

Detractors say Macdonald has a darker history as the creator of Canadas residential school system.

Read more
Photo: VPD Michael Hans Bopfinger

Vancouver police are warning the public about a convicted sex offender who is unlawfully at large and wanted by law enforcement.

Michael Hans Bopfinger, 42, was on statutory release and living in a Vancouver area halfway house, but on Aug. 25 he failed to return by his curfew time and a Canada-wide warrant was issued for his arrest.

Bopfinger, formerly of Lumby, was handed an 11-year sentence in 2011 for sexual assaults on three Vernon sex trade workers two years earlier.

Bopfinger is described as a white male, 59'', 300 lbs, with a shaved head and blue eyes.

He also has a tattoo on his left upper arm of tribal art and a Powery symbol on his right forearm. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with a black logo, camouflage shorts and black runners.

Anyone spotting Bopfinger or has information regarding his location, is urged to call 911 immediately.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
According to a release by TxDOT Abilene District crew members have been deployed to assist with Harvey response.

20 employees from across the district have been sent out.

The release states that Crew members from Taylor, Mitchell, Nolan, Jones and Haskell Counties, along with the Special Jobs, radio and signal crews, left for the staging facility in San Antonio this afternoon in a convoy consisting of front end loaders, dump trucks, sign trucks, and other equipment necessary for cleanup after the storm.

According to TxDOT once the storm passes, these crews will be dispatched along US 281 from Three Rivers to Falfurrias to aid in cleanup, debris removal, traffic signal and sign repair, radio communications and other jobs as needed.

Depending on the severity of the storm and needed response, the crews will be deployed for at least five days.

.
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MILWAUKEE  Foxconn Technology Group is being enticed to come to Wisconsin with numerous regulatory waivers, raising concerns from environmentalists who are wary of the company's reputation in China, where it has been accused of polluting rivers.



The Taiwan-based company best known for manufacturing Apple products insists that its new plant won't damage the environment. Regulators say they're simply streamlining the process for the company to set up shop, while still policing its activities.



But this being Foxconn's first plant in the U.S., the assurances from the company and its supporters have done little to quell worries about the long-term impacts to wetlands and the state's waterways. Foxconn would be producing liquid crystal display panels, or LCDs, for computers, televisions and other devices.



Making LCDs requires heavy metals such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, zinc and copper, said Peter Adriaens, professor of environmental engineering at the University of Michigan. But companies in China don't have the same disclosure requirements as companies in the U.S. for the materials they use, Adriaens said.



"We know that outside manufacturing plants of Foxconn, rivers are very polluted," he said. Less stringent oversight in China makes it difficult to know for certain if Foxconn is responsible, but, he added: "The correlation is very strong, let's put it that way."



Foxconn told The Associated Press that it is committed to "minimizing the negative impact of our operations on the environment."



"In line with this, we will be implementing measures for our Wisconsin campus in areas, including environmentally friendly product design, carbon emission reduction, process management, energy efficiency and resource management, and supply chain management, among others," the company said in a statement.



The company also said it has "a very good environmental record in China and in all other locations where we do business" and that "as part of our effort to create a sustainable business, we invest in improving our capabilities in processing waste, wastewater, and emissions."



With the help of President Donald Trump, Republican Gov. Scott Walker was instrumental in persuading Foxconn to pick Wisconsin for its plant over several other states. The project, which still needs legislative approval, could have a huge economic impact: Foxconn said it may spend up to $10 billion and eventually hire 13,000 people in exchange for $3 billion in tax credits.



Along with financial incentives, Wisconsin lawmakers are considering allowing Foxconn to discharge materials into wetlands, fill lakebeds to create more land and reroute streams during construction and operation without obtaining permits from state regulators. Under the legislation, Foxconn also wouldn't have to provide an environmental impact statement for the 20 million-square-foot campus it plans to build in southeastern Wisconsin.



Walker's administration has said the waivers would ensure that construction begins in 2020 but that the company would still have to abide by the usual state and federal environmental standards. And for every 1 acre of wetlands that is lost, the legislation would require Foxconn to restore 2 acres of wetlands  more than current law, which stipulates 1.2 acres restored for every acre lost.



The company also would still need a federal Clean Water Act permit to discharge wastewater and would have to abide by air quality and hazardous waste standards through permits.



"The Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers will have oversight throughout the construction process of this facility and during the operation of the facility," said Scott Neitzel, the secretary of the Department of Administration, told lawmakers during a hearing this week.



The state Assembly has approved the financial and environmental proposals, but they still haven't cleared the state Senate, where they could be modified. As things stand, environmentalists warn that the exemptions, while intended to speed up the process, can actually delay the project with lawsuits, said Melissa Scanlan, a Vermont Law School professor and the founder of the Midwest Environmental Advocates.



"If they're looking a speedier way, it would be to follow the permitting process," said Scanlan, who argues that the exemptions violate the state's constitutional "public trust doctrine," which makes legislators and the governor responsible for the state's waters and wetlands.



Adriaens said there are some things the public can expect from the plant.



"There's no such thing as a chemical manufacturing plant or an electronics manufacturing plant that does not create smells or air pollution. There is no such thing. It all depends on their waste-handling equipment," he said. Producing LCD screens will also "generate liquid waste streams."



"What are they going to do with that? We have absolutely no idea," he said.



Todd Richmond in Madison, Wis., contributed to this report
Fight for $15 supporters gather in the Thompson Center in Chicago on Aug. 25, 2017, to protest Gov. Bruce Rauner's decision to veto a bill that would increase the hourly minimum wage in Illinois to $15. (Alexandra Wimley/Chicago Tribune) (Alexandra Wimley/Chicago Tribune)

Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill Friday that would have raised Illinois' minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2022, arguing it would hurt businesses and ultimately reduce jobs.

Advocates for the wage hike had been anticipating a veto by the pro-business Republican governor. The veto kept Illinois from becoming the third state, after California and New York, to adopt a $15 minimum wage.

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Illinois' minimum wage has been $8.25 an hour since 2010. Rauner has previously expressed support for a more modest raise.

The bill would have increased the minimum wage to $9 in January and gradually stepped it up to $15 by 2022. For part-time or seasonal workers under 18 years old, the raise would have been to $12 an hour. To give small businesses time to adjust, the law offered employers with 50 or fewer workers a credit toward their income tax liability that is proportional to the wage increase.

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Lawmakers could attempt to override the veto, but it passed both the House and Senate on May 30 with fewer votes than would be needed. The bill was approved 61-53 in the House and 30-23 in the Senate, and each chamber had two members voting present. A veto override would require 71 votes in the House and 36 in the Senate.

"Knowing this was wrong for Illinois he waited to the last minute and, with this veto, Gov. Rauner showed us once again who he is and what his vision is for Illinois: A permanent low-wage economy, where services and infrastructure are slashed, where workers are deprived of dignity and rights and where corporations call all the shots," SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley said in a statement.

Rauner said in a veto message that "helping low-income families and individuals get out of poverty is a top priority," but that economic evidence suggests such a big wage hike would hurt workers more than help.

He cited a University of Washington study, published earlier this year, on the impact of Seattle raising its minimum wage to $13 an hour, as it steps toward $15. That study found the average low-wage worker lost money as employers faced with higher labor costs reduced hours, put off hiring or laid off people. By that study's measures, the hike would cause Illinois low-wage workers to see a net reduction in earnings of $1,500 per year, Rauner said.

The University of Washington study was criticized by some economists and advocates for methodological problems. Other research has found minimum wage increases lift pay with little or no impact on jobs. Advocates said the minimum wage hike could have increased the pay of 2.3 million people in Illinois.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce, which opposed the bill for being a "job killer," applauded the veto.

"Thanks to the governor's veto of SB 81, Illinois employers can breathe a little easier today," president and CEO Todd Maisch said. "This keeps Illinois in competition with our neighbors by helping to maintain our jobs and to recruit prospective employers."

States and cities have increasingly moved to raise their minimum wages in the absence of federal action on the issue. The federal minimum wage has been $7.25 since 2009.

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Chicago's minimum wage, currently at $11 an hour, is rising to $13 by 2019, and Cook County is one year behind it, though many suburbs have opted out.

Minneapolis recently became the first city in the Midwest to adopt a $15 minimum wage, which it will reach by 2024. But other cities have rolled hikes back. St. Louis, which recently adopted a wage hike to $10 an hour, must lower it to $7.70 to match the state minimum after the passage of a new Missouri law.

Rauner's veto comes as the Service Employees International Union, which is behind the Fight for $15 campaign driving many of the wage laws, plans a voter engagement effort to unseat politicians across the Midwest who don't support labor-friendly priorities like a $15 minimum wage, union rights and universal health care.

"The millions of underpaid workers in this state will remember Rauner taking food off our families' tables when we go to the polls in 2018," Adriana Alvarez, a Chicago McDonald's worker and organizer with the Fight for $15, said in a statement.

aelejalderuiz@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @alexiaer
NEW YORK  Subway customers can finally rest assured that their "footlong" sandwiches will be as long as promised.



A judge last week granted final approval to a settlement of a class-action suit filed against Subway after an Australian teenager in 2013 posted an image of his sandwich on Facebook that was only 11 inches. The image garnered international media attention, with the New York Post writing that it found four out of seven Footlongs it purchased in New York "measured only 11 or 11.5 inches."



A judge had given preliminary approval in October to a settlement between Subway's parent company Doctor's Associates and plaintiffs' attorneys. Final approval was granted Feb. 25.



As part of the settlement, Subway agreed to institute practices for at least four years to ensure its bread is at least 12 inches long. The judge approved $520,000 in attorney fees and $500 for each of the 10 individuals who were representatives of the class, but no monetary claims were awarded to potential members of the class.



"It was difficult to prove monetary damages, because everybody ate the evidence," said Thomas Zimmerman, who was co-lead attorney for the class. Zimmerman said the attorney fees are being split among 10 law firms.



Subway said in a statement that it was pleased the judge found no wrongdoing on its part.



"This allows us to move forward, without distractions, on our goal to provide great tasting sandwiches and salads, made exactly as each guest likes. We have already taken steps to ensure each guest receives the Footlong or six-inch sandwich they order," the statement said.



Lynn Adelman, a judge for the U.S. District Court Eastern District of Wisconsin, wrote in the final approval that the plaintiffs' attorneys realized their claims "were quite weak" after an initial mediation session. Instead of trying to get class certification for monetary damages, he said plaintiffs decided to focus on injunctive relief requiring Doctor's Associates to ensure its sandwiches are at least 12 inches long.



Adelman wrote that the plaintiffs' attorneys learned Subway makes its bread with "dough sticks" that weigh the same when they arrive at stores frozen. The dough is then thawed and stretched before baking, a process that can lead to variability in the size and shape of the resulting bread.



While the dough may have different shapes, it still has the same quantity of ingredients, Adelman wrote. The amount of meat and cheese is also standardized, but it's possible that a shorter bread loaf might lead to a slightly less toppings. For instance, "a sandwich that was -inch shorter than advertised might be missing a few shreds of lettuce or a gram or two of mayonnaise," the judge wrote.



But Adelman also noted that sandwiches are made in front of the customer, who can ask for more toppings.



"Thus, the plaintiffs learned that, as a practical matter, the length of the bread does not affect the quantity of food the customer receives," Adelman wrote.



Still, Subway agreed as part of the settlement to take steps to ensure its bread is at least 12 inches long, including requiring franchisees to "use a tool for measuring bread."

Associated Press
Q: The difference between a coupe and a sedan was explained to me many years ago by an old body and fender guy. When you open the door, there is no window frame. All sedans have window frames, and are generally more solid cars because of this support and the door post. You can have two-door sedans, but not four-door coupes. Also, the rear windows on the coupe, when rolled down with the front windows down, create a complete front-to-back opening. No center post. Hope this helps.

 J.S., Chicago

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A: It has been a long time since collision repair specialists were called body and fender men. It has also been a long time since coupe and sedan were so clearly delineated. Carmakers play it fast and loose with body style terms nowadays. According to the CarMax website: " (T)he coupe car term started to blur as manufacturers greatly diminished or completely removed the rear seat to create a sportier 2+2 body style. This term refers to cars that have a sleek, sloping roofline, two doors, and two functional seats up front, plus two tiny seats in back. More recently, auto manufacturers started to apply the coupe definition to the sporty variants of their sedan lineup. As a result, the coupe term has become more popular with manufacturers, who apply it more loosely. Automakers may also offer both a coupe and sedan using the same model line, like the Honda Civic. The ability to clearly define coupe vehicles has become challenging in recent years as a result." We recall when the B-pillar (the center post between the front and rear doors) disappeared on four-door cars that were called hardtop sedans. Ugh.

Q: Just thought I would chime in on this auto stop feature showing up on so many cars. I don't get the need for this at all. The people I know that have this hate it. If they can disable it, then they do. Friend just got a new Buick two months ago and is already thinking of getting rid of it. I'm interested in a new LaCrosse, but it's on that too. I'll keep what I have for now. What is the real need for this?

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 K.U., Schaumburg, Ill.

A: The need? Improved fuel economy. Car manufactures are using every trick they can think of to extend their CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) numbers. Five years ago, the government set a target fleet average of 54.5 miles per gallon for model year 2015 (the adjusted mpg we see on stickers and trip meters is about 40 mpg). Other tricks include cylinder deactivation when only four of the eight cylinders are required, hybrid technology and more.

Q: When I fill up my motorcycle, I usually get premium gas. If the person before me filled their tank with regular, and I buy only 3 gallons, how much premium gas am I getting if it all comes out of the same hose?

 M.K., Chicago

A: There is roughly one quart of gasoline left in the dispenser's line, so look for gas stations that have separate nozzles for each fuel grade. Or, wait for a pump where someone has just filled with premium. But it is not as bad as you may think. Petroleum industry chemist Tom Wicks told us that one quart of regular grade at 87 octane mixed with premium at 93 octane would only take it down 0.75 to 1 octane number, so you might end up with roughly 92 octane in the tank.

Send questions along with name and town to Motormouth, Rides, Chicago Tribune, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Fourth Floor, Chicago IL 60611 or motormouth.tribune@gmail.com.
Is Gov. Bruce Rauner a leader being unmercifully squeezed by Chicago Machine Democrats?

Or is he just another transactional man, a politician without a core, lost in the winds and beginning to frighten his campaign contributors?

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Lately it's been hard to tell. And that means trouble not only for Rauner but for Illinois Republicans statewide.

Rauner has tried to appease his Democratic critics in a series of clumsy moves. And early this week comes another: He's reported to be ready to sign a controversial sanctuary state bill, protecting immigrants who are here illegally.

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In doing so, Rauner opens a breach on his right political flank.

Actually, it's not a breach. It's more like a gorge, full of angry conservative whispers.

This rift could cost Rauner his re-election and the prospects of Republicans picking up seats in the Illinois House in hopes of curbing the powers of the dark lord, the state's Democratic boss, House Speaker Mike Madigan.

The gorge between the governor and conservatives will only get wider if Rauner signs the so-called sanctuary state bill.

That legislation protects immigrants who are here illegally from federal law enforcement by curbing cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities. It is supported by liberal Democrats, particularly Hispanics, and many of Chicago's big business establishment Republicans who've also backed Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's sanctuary city policies for Chicago.

Supporters of the bill say it's largely symbolic. But if it's only about symbolism, then why is Rauner signing it and risking suburban and downstate voters he'll need in 2018?

"I said this could be the last straw, and every day I'm feeling it worse," state Sen. Kyle McCarter, R-Lebanon, told me in an interview. "And this isn't just the 'right wing' that's angry. These are union members too, loyal union men trying to protect American jobs, and the last thing they need to see is a Republican governor making Illinois a sanctuary state."

McCarter's part of southern Illinois decidedly voted for President Donald Trump, largely on Trump's call to control illegal immigration.

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"In this 15th Congressional District, the president won (with) 70 percent," McCarter said. "And for the governor to go against the president  and make illegal immigrants a priority as we're facing a fiscal crisis in Illinois  it's just not good policy and it's not good politics."

Rauner isn't going to pick up votes of Democrats or Latinos if he signs the sanctuary state bill. On Friday, he vetoed a bill mandating a $15 minimum wage. He won't get love from the left.

But now he's looking squishy to his base, and that's disastrous. It will cost him votes in the suburbs and downstate. And he can't give votes away.

Boss Madigan and his Democrats have all but placed a crown on the head of their endorsed candidate, billionaire J.B. Pritzker, not for Pritzker's charisma, but because he can self-fund an expensive campaign and help Madigan with legislative races.

"If Rauner signs this Sanctuary State thing, and his office said he's going to sign it, then he's complicating the message Republicans will be using in the elections," McCarter said. "We'll have to say, we support the governor on some things and not on others. That's not what you want. That's not a unified message. That's not good politics. And it just makes the state House and Senate races more difficult."

Rauner, of course, has his defenders, and a vigorous champion is Pat Brady, the former Illinois Republican Party chairman and Madigan antagonist who was my guest on an upcoming edition of "The Chicago Way" podcast.

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I wondered aloud if it wouldn't be better for Rauner to just pull the plug and announce he wouldn't seek re-election. Brady said no.

"I fully support him," Brady said. "It's been rough. It's been brutal down there. And he's as tough a guy as I know. He just had a bad couple weeks. And he's fixed it. And as long as they're going to put up J.B. Pritzker, and it looks like they're going to coronate him, we're going to see a Gov. Rauner in a second term."

His bad couple of weeks started off with that disastrous interview with Brett Baier of Fox News, where Rauner avoided specifics on almost every subject and became the subject of ridicule by national pundits.

Recently came Rauner's firing of conservatives he brought on as communications staff from the conservative libertarian think tank, the Illinois Policy Institute.

The controversy was over an earlier IPI cartoon depicting a black child in a classroom and a white politician telling him there was no money for schools.

"Sorry kid, I'm broke," said the white guy, who had plenty of tax increment fund cash, accurately reflecting the politics of public education in Chicago.

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Democrats and their liberal mouthpieces shrieked that it was a racist cartoon and demanded Rauner apologize. Rather than use the opportunity to fight, he panicked. His communications staff issued a response that, "as a white male," Rauner would have nothing more to add.

That wasn't wise, but all the governor had to do was stand up and challenge the race baiters of the left and tell us what minorities in Chicago already know: that for decade upon decade, many minority children have received substandard educations in underperforming schools while being used as political pawns by white machine pols and the rest of the special interests that feed off the public schools.

But Rauner didn't engage. He just twisted in the wind a bit. And that's been his problem lately, the wind.

Listen to "The Chicago Way" podcast here: http://wgnradio.com/category/wgn-plus/thechicagoway/.

jskass@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @John_Kass
A temporary evidence marker covers a bullet casing in the 3200 block of West 60th Street early on Aug. 26, 2017. An UberEats driver was leaving a delivery location when someone shot him in the arm. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

A 32-year-old man dropped off a late-night meal from McDonald's to an UberEats customer in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood when he spotted a man holding what appeared to be a gun.

The driver, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons, was leaving the 3200 block of West 60th Street and was at a stop sign when he saw a man holding a gun just before it was raised, according to the man and Chicago police.

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"He got to pow, pow, pow, pow, pow," he said. "Just steady (expletive) shooting at me. You know what I'm saying? Steady shooting at me, and I'm ducking."

He made a turn on a nearby street and noticed a black Hummer was following him. Soon, he heard more gunshots.

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"They were so close that I could hear the bullet when it come, before it hit the window," the driver said. "It was coming, and it was so scary."

In total, he estimates about 10 bullets were fired at him. He was grazed on his arm where there is a tattoo of the name of the mother of his first child. He was also cut on the side of his face by the glass.

After what seemed like 10 minutes, the person inside the Hummer stopped following him.

He continued driving, zigzagging to his home to throw off anyone who might have been following him.

"I felt like an angel or something," he said. "Because when I was driving, I didn't think of nothing. Like, I was just driving. I didn't think of me getting hit, I didn't think of me getting killed, me getting caught. I didn't think of nothing but me getting away."

He eventually made it to his home where his wife talked him into calling police for help. Paramedics were called to the scene, but he declined to be taken to a hospital.

No one was reported in custody.

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Uber was looking into the incident Saturday afternoon and could not immediately confirm if the man wounded in the shooting was registered with the company, said Andrew Hasbun, a spokesman for Uber.

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Early Saturday, the man who was wounded stood with officers outside of his car. "God, that was like a movie," he said.

The entire back window had been shot out. A large bullet hole was visible in the back of his car. There were four bullet holes visible in his front windshield.

He said the shooter didn't say anything to him, leaving him puzzled about why the shots were fired at his car.

"That (expletive) guy tried to kill me, man," he said. "And he didn't even know me. Like, damn, what the (expletive) I do to you?"

He was glad he was dropping off the food alone. His wife and their children sometime keep him company on the trips. He said he has worked as an UberEats driver for a couple of months, but he hadn't had any major problems until Saturday.

"I'm still going to do UberEats, just not over there anymore," he said. "Like, just downtown."
The Harrison/Stenovich family is celebrating the life of Ted Harrison on Sunday, September 3. The Elko County Fair was Teds favorite event as it was a time when friends and family gathered. If you are in town for Fair Time, please stop by to share your memories of someone who gave us so much to remember. Address: 1601 Flagview Drive, Elko, Nevada. Dinner to be served after service.
A 35-year-old man was shot in the head late on Aug. 25, 2017, at a gas station in the 5900 block of South Morgan Street in the Englewood neighborhoood. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune)

Updated Aug. 28, 2017 10:30 a.m.  Three people were fatally and at least eight other people were wounded in separate attacks during a nine-hour period from late Friday to early Saturday across the city, according to police.

A 16-year-old boy was fatally shot just before 3:50 a.m. Saturday while he was in the 3600 block of West Ohio Street in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the city's West Side, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office and police.

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He was shot in the back, and he had been taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, police said.

He was pronounced dead at 5:25 a.m. He was identified as Theotis Luckett, of the 600 block of North Monticello Avenue, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

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The shooting took place in front of a large brick apartment building. Police did not release any additional details about the shooting.

In a separate attack, 31-year-old Derrick Nabors was fatally shot about 2:15 a.m. Saturday in the Washington Park neighborhood on the South Side, according to police and the medical examiner.

Officers responded to the 6200 block of South King Drive for a call of shots fired and found Nabors on the ground. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nabors lived nearby, in the 6200 block of Indiana Avenue, according to the medical examiner.

About 11:20 p.m. Friday, a 35-year-old man was critically wounded at a gas station in the 5900 block of South Morgan Street in the Englewood neighborhood. People inside a Chrysler 300 pulled up next to the man, got out of the car and opened fire, striking the man in the head, police said.

He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:26 p.m. Saturday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Police are investigating if the shooters took the victim's car. A large pool of what appeared to be blood could be seen next to one of the gas station's pumps.

Antoine Smith was on his way to the gas station to buy cookies when he saw gunshots coming from a car.

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"I started running, getting low," Smith said.

He was among a handful of nearby residents who stopped as officers investigated the shooting.

Other shootings:

 In the Chicago Lawn neighborhood about 2:05 a.m., a 32-year-old man who said he was driving for UberEats was grazed in the arm while he was stopped at a stop sign in the 3200 block of West 60th Street, police said. The shooter was on the sidewalk and opened fire, grazing the driver in the arm. As the 32-year-old was driving away, a black Hummer began following him with someone from the vehicle firing additional shots at him. The driver declined medical attention.

 Two people were wounded during a drive-by shooting just before 1:30 a.m. in the 1400 block of North Talman Avenue in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, police said. The men were standing outside when someone inside a silver car shot at them. A 37-year-old man was shot in the arm and in the chest, and a 34-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and the hand. The older man's condition was stabilized at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and the 34-year-old man's condition was stabilized at Stroger Hospital.

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 In the North Austin neighborhood about 12:35 a.m., a 20-year-old man was in the passenger seat of a car in the 5000 block of West Division Street when someone fired at the car. He was wounded in the neck, and he took himself to West Suburban Medical Center. His condition was stabilized.

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 About 12:10 a.m. Saturday, a 46-year-old man was shot in the right leg during a drive-by shooting in the 300 block of South Albany Avenue in the East Garfield Park neighborhood, police said. He was standing outside when someone inside a passing car shot at him. His condition was stabilized at Mount Sinai Hospital.

 A 24-year-old woman was shot in the left arm about 12:05 a.m. while she was walking in the 6300 block of South Ashland Avenue in the West Englewood neighborhood, police said. She was walking north on Ashland when shooters opened fire. She took herself to St. Bernard Hospital, where her condition was stabilized.

 In the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the city's West Side, someone shot a 22-year-old man as he was getting into a car about 10:45 p.m. in the 3200 block of West Franklin Boulevard, police said. He was shot in both legs, and his condition was stabilized at Stroger Hospital.

 Earlier Friday night, a 35-year-old victim was shot about 6:55 p.m. in the 6900 block of South Prairie Avenue in the Park Manor neighborhood. He was walking on a sidewalk when an assailant who was also on foot pulled a gun and shot him in the left buttock, Chicago police said. The man was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where his condition had stabilized, police said.

Police did not report arrests in any of the shootings.

Check back for updates.
Former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak enters the the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago on Nov. 22, 2016. (Jose M. Osorio / Chicago Tribune)

Lawyers for former Chicago Ald. Edward Vrdolyak accused federal prosecutors Friday of attempting to poison the jury pool in his pending tax-fraud case by inserting "irrelevant and inflammatory" language in the indictment.

The 16-page motion asked U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve to strike any "surplusage" from the indictment  including paragraphs laying out the connection between the charges and the massive settlement with the tobacco companies in the 1990s.

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Vrdolyak attorney Catharine O'Daniel wrote in the filing that the U.S. attorney's office improperly padded the otherwise "straightforward" tax prosecution simply to prejudice Vrdolyak in the media and taint the pool of potential jurors.

"Because the defendant is Edward Vrdolyak, the government has infused the superseding indictment with irrelevant, unnecessary, inflammatory and prejudicial surplusage, included for no purpose other than to suggest all manner of alleged subterfuge and secrecy that besides being irrelevant is also downright false," O'Daniel wrote.

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A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office had no comment Friday on the allegations.

Vrdolyak, 79, has pleaded not guilty to charges filed last year alleging he obstructed an Internal Revenue Service investigation into a secret deal he cut to pocket millions of dollars from the state's record $9.2 billion tobacco settlement without doing any work. The charges carry a maximum of five years in prison on conviction.

According to the indictment, Vrdolyak, who earned the nickname "Fast Eddie" for his ability to work political angles to his own benefit, made a secret deal with other attorneys to collect as much as $65 million from the tobacco litigation.

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The indictment did not make clear how much Vrdolyak actually pocketed, but at his sentencing hearing on a separate fraud scheme in 2010, it was revealed the former alderman had a "guaranteed revenue stream" of $260,000 a year through 2023 from the tobacco litigation.

The charges alleged Vrdolyak hid from the IRS that he was receiving payments from another lawyer who cashed in on the deal, Daniel Soso.

Soso, a former Chicago police officer who once ran for alderman with Vrdolyak's backing, was originally charged alone in May 2015 with failing to pay about $780,000 in taxes related to the settlement money.

According to the motion by Vrdolyak's attorneys, the information included in the indictment about the history of the tobacco settlement is irrelevant to the charges, which do not accuse Vrdolyak of improperly receiving any tobacco settlement-related money.

"There is no reason for the government to include these allegations except to insinuate that Vrdolyak must have been doing something wrong," O'Daniel wrote.

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jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
President Donald Trump crosses the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 23, 2017. (Carolyn Kaster / AP)

With Hurricane Harvey pounding Texas, President Donald Trump is focusing more attention to the potentially catastrophic storm.

Known for live-tweeting news events, Trump waited until midday Friday before firing off a message to inspire public confidence.

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"I have spoken w/ @GovAbbott of Texas and @LouisianaGov Edwards," Trump tweeted just before noon. "Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey developments & here to assist as needed."

That was quickly followed by another tweet showing a photo of Trump getting a briefing on the hurricane from senior aides. More tweets about the storm followed as the day progressed.

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On Friday night, Trump announced he had signed a disaster proclamation at the request of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, to provide immediate federal aid even before the brunt of the hurricane had been felt.

Trump departed the White House on Friday afternoon with first lady Melania Trump for Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, where he was maintaining contact with his homeland security team.

"Just arrived at Camp David where I am closely watching the path and doings of Hurricane Harvey, as it strengthens to a Category 3. BE SAFE!," Trump tweeted Friday afternoon.

Saturday morning, the president again took to Twitter, praising FEMA Administrator Brock Long: "You are doing a great job - the world is watching! Be safe."

He also responded to Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, who Friday morning urged him to stay on top of the hurricane: "@realDonaldTrump #hurricane keep on top of hurricane Harvey dont mke same mistake Pres Bush made w Katrina."

Trump said: ".@ChuckGrassley - got your message loud and clear. We have fantastic people on the ground, got there long before #Harvey. So far, so good!"

He said he's watching from Camp David and praised officials' coordination.

"Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey from Camp David. We are leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great together!"

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In the days leading up to the storm, the White House had exhibited little public urgency over what authorities projected as the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States in a dozen years. The president began Friday morning with his usual stream of tweets about political grievances and settling scores with rivals, this time targeting Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.

"Tennessee not happy!" Trump proclaimed.

But as the president's Friday posts make clear, it was the mood - and fate - of Texans in Harvey's path that is the more pressing matter.

The Lone Star State was braced for a storm whose force the National Hurricane Center described as "astounding." With winds greater than 140 miles per hour, Harvey struck north of Corpus Christi, the most powerful storm in the United States since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Since the federal government's handling of Hurricane Katrina hobbled President George W. Bush's second term, the politics of natural disasters have turbocharged the stakes for presidents, governors and mayors in coastal regions.

For a president who had no prior governing experience, the test is even more pronounced.

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Trump has proposed slashing Federal Emergency Management Agency grant funding to states and municipalities by $667 million. Brock Long, FEMA's director, was confirmed to the position in June after serving as Alabama's emergency management director and working as a private consultant.

At the Department of Homeland Security, Elaine Duke has been serving as acting secretary since John F. Kelly moved to the White House as chief of staff late last month.

Homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert, who had worked in FEMA's legislative division under Bush, emphasized that Trump has been fully briefed on the storm. In their meeting in the Oval Office on Friday morning, he said, Trump was focused on the safety of the up to 4.6 million people in the storm's projected path and ensuring that federal agencies providing support have the resources they need.

White House aides have said Trump will visit Texas next week.

The memories of Katrina's destruction and the Bush administration's failure are vivid in Washington.

For those who served through major storms in the Bush and Obama administrations, the takeaway was clear: It is better to overprepare than to be caught off guard. Even if the federal response goes as well as could be expected, Mother Nature could still wreak significant death and destruction that could redound to the White House.

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"The obvious lesson learned from Katrina is that strong executive involvement and oversight is necessary through the entire process," said Steve Atkiss, who served under Bush as special assistant for operations.

During Katrina, the Category 5 hurricane in 2005 that flooded New Orleans, displaced thousands and killed more than 1,800 in Louisiana and Mississippi. Bush was at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. Though he cut short his vacation to return to Washington after water overwhelmed the levees in New Orleans, the crisis became a metaphor for a struggling administration preoccupied by faraway interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Atkiss said that Bush was fully engaged and that the decision for him to view the destruction from the window of Air Force One, rather than visit the city, was made out of fear that his presence would become a distraction for federal law enforcement.

But Bush's pronouncement that Michael D. Brown, then the head of his administration's emergency-preparedness and response division, had done a "heck of a job" was met with widespread derision.

"Obviously, in hindsight, the optics were not good," Atkiss said.

For the Obama administration, the lessons of Katrina were "really front and center for folks," said Paul Rosen, who served as DHS chief of staff from 2015 to 2017. "I think Katrina was in the back of every emergency manager's mind - FEMA, DHS, state and local - when it comes to disaster preparedness."

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Bossert agreed, saying the experience is seared into the "muscle memory" of those who lived through Katrina.

"We've gotten a lot better as a government," he said.

The former officials said that coordination between the White House and federal agencies is crucial before, during and after a storm or other disaster, such as the BP oil spill off the Gulf Coast in 2010.

The role of the president, they said, is to use the bully pulpit to educate the public, emphasizing the danger but also managing the public reaction. Bush and President Barack Obama often visited the sites of major disasters in the days afterward to offer support - through federal resources and personal empathy to victims.

Trump visited FEMA's headquarters in Washington on Aug. 4, receiving a briefing along with Cabinet members about the hurricane season. "Preparedness is an investment in our future," the president wrote on Twitter after the visit.

In a tweet Thursday urging the public to "remember to #PlanAhead," Trump included a 24-second video compilation of that visit, featuring dramatic music. Some Twitter users criticized the president for promoting a video that focused mostly on him.

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Atkiss, though, said Trump will be well served by several top aides who have experience in dealing with emergency management, including White House deputy chiefs of staff Joseph Hagin, who served in the same role under Bush, and Kirstjen Nielsen, who served as special assistant to Bush for prevention, preparedness and response.

"There's plenty of institutional knowledge and experience and successes and scars," Atkiss said.

For presidents, storm politics go beyond the public's measure of how well their administrations responded to the crisis. They are judged by which communities they visit, how long they spend on the ground and whom they meet.

In April 2011, then-Texas Gov. Rick Perry, R, blasted Obama for declaring Alabama an emergency disaster zone after tornadoes killed 200 while the president did not do the same for Texas when wildfires raged across 2 million acres that month.

Several months later, in September, Obama called Perry to express condolences for even more destructive fires - at a time when the governor was leading polls as the top prospective GOP challenger to Obama's reelection the next year.

In the weeks leading up to the presidential election in 2012, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, R, was attacked by Republicans for embracing Obama's support for federal aid - and a presidential visit - after Hurricane Sandy, which was technically a tropical storm when it made landfall in the United States but caused severe damage in New Jersey and New York.

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Such political concerns are secondary at this point.

"Let's hope this event fizzles and the forecasts are all wrong," Bossert said. "But I don't think that's the right thing to hope for right now. We're executing and we're doing what it takes to save people's lives."

The Washington Post's Terri Rupar contributed to this report.
The Justice Department on May 17, 2017, appointed ex-FBI director Robert Mueller as a special counsel to oversee a federal investigation into potential coordination between Russia and the Trump campaign during the 2016 presidential election. (Evan Vucci / AP)

Lawyers for special counsel Robert Mueller III, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, have issued subpoenas to several prominent Washington lobbying firms as the probe examines the finances of two former Trump campaign advisers, according to people with knowledge of the requests.

The subpoenas asked the firms to answer questions and provide records regarding their interactions with the consulting firms led by Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, and Paul Manafort, former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign, these people said.

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The requests suggest that Mueller's investigators are looking closely at Manafort and Flynn, both of whom face possible legal jeopardy for allegedly failing to disclose that foreign governments or parties may have been the beneficiaries of their consulting and lobbying work, as they seek potential links between Trump's campaign and the Kremlin.

A spokesman for Manafort declined to comment, while a lawyer for Flynn did not respond.

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Two of the subpoenas were issued to Mercury Public Affairs and SGR LLC, according to people familiar with the requests. A handful of other lobbying firms that did similar work have also received subpoenas from Mueller's office in recent days, those individuals said.

A lawyer for SGR LLC confirmed the company received a subpoena. Representatives of Mercury declined to comment, but people close to the company confirmed they also received requests from Mueller's team.

The investigators asked Mercury for information about their public relations work at Manafort's behest for a Brussels-based organization called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which pushed for improved relations between the Ukraine and European countries. The Brussels group primarily advanced the interests of a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party that had been a client of Manafort's before he joined the Trump campaign.

Mercury, which has prominent Republicans among its senior partners, had worked on the Ukraine lobbying project with the Podesta group, led by Anthony Podesta, brother of John Podesta, who led Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Podesta principal Mark Tavlarides declined Friday evening to comment on whether his firm had been contacted by Mueller's team.

The firms involved with the Ukraine project did not initially register as foreign agents at the time, citing legal analyses that indicated they were not required to do so because they were working for a nonprofit and not a foreign political party or government. But in recent months, the Podesta Group and Mercury have filed retroactively, acknowledging that the Ukrainian political party benefited from their efforts.

Mike McKeon, a partner at Mercury, declined to comment on or confirm that his firm received a subpoena. But he said the company took care in asking the Centre about its finances and consulting with lawyers about its duties to file.

"Before we accepted this assignment in 2014, we went through our own due diligence to determine the proper disclosure required under federal law," he said.

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Some of the subpoenas were first reported Friday evening by NBC News.

Investigators have sought information from SGR in relation to work Flynn did for a Dutch company with ties to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, according to people familiar with the request. Flynn's company, the Flynn Intel Group, hired SGR to help handle public affairs work on that contract.

The Flynn Intel Group initially described the project to SGR as promoting a good business climate in Turkey, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Later, under pressure, Flynn filed formal reports indicating that the contract focused on a public affairs campaign to raise concern in the United States about Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania. Erdogan's government blamed Gulen for a failed coup against him and wanted to persuade the United States to extradite Gulen to Turkey. Flynn also acknowledged in his retroactive filings this spring that he had secretly met with two top ministers to Erdogan, including Erdogan's son-in-law, two months before the election, where they had discussed Gulen's extradition.

Eric Lewis, a lawyer for SGR LLC, confirmed that the lobby firm received a subpoena.

"SGR received a request several months ago to be a witness (through a customary witness subpoena that I voluntarily accepted) and provided documents and background regarding its brief project as a subcontractor with Flynn Intel Group, which is fully detailed in public filings," he said.

The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett, Rosalind S. Helderman and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Sean B. Woulfe faces 16 counts of reckless homicide in the crash that killed Lindsey Schmidt and her three young sons. (Will County Sheriff)

A Beecher man charged in a fatal crash that killed a pregnant mother and her three young sons last month has been released from jail on $25,000 bond.

Will County Judge Carla Alessio Policandriotes reduced Sean B. Woulfe's bail from $1 million to $250,000 Friday, 10 percent of which would have to be paid in order to secure his release from the Will County Adult Detention Center while awaiting trial.

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As a condition of his release, Woulfe must surrender his passport and cannot operate a motor vehicle, the judge ordered.

His lawyer George Lenard and four family members who sat together in court on Friday declined comment.

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Woulfe, 25, is charged with 16 counts of reckless homicide in the July 24 collision in rural Beecher that killed 29-year-old Lindsey Schmidt and her three sons, ages 6, 4 and 19 months.

Prosecutors allege that Woulfe was driving east in a 2002 Chevrolet S10 pickup truck at a speed more than 20 mph over the speed limit when he ran a stop sign at Corning Road and Yates Avenue in Beecher and struck a 2014 Subaru Outback carrying a family on its way to a nearby Bible camp.

Schmidt, of Beecher and the driver of the Subaru, and her youngest son were pronounced dead at the scene. The two other boys died later that week at Comer Children's Hospital in Chicago.

Sean B. Woulfe faces 16 counts of reckless homicide in the crash that killed Lindsey Schmidt and her three young sons, Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow and Sheriff Mike Kelley announced at a joint news conference Aug. 22, 2017. (Zak Koeske / Chicago Tribune) (Zak Koeske / Chicago Tribune)

Prosecutors have said Woulfe was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but would not comment on whether he was texting or speaking on his phone at the time of the crash.

He was released from the hospital six days after the crash on July 30, and arrested at his home on Tuesday, following a nearly monthlong investigation. In court, he was in a wheelchair.

If convicted, Woulfe could "realistically" face a maximum of 10 years in prison, state's attorney James Glasgow said.

The class 3 felonies he faces are, however, probationable offenses, Lenard stressed in court Friday while making the case to reduce bail for his client.

He called the initial $1 million bail "excessive" and "oppressive" given the circumstances, and stressed that Woulfe had no prior criminal record, was not a danger to others and was not a flight risk.

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"Just because the unfortunate accident occurred it doesn't mean Mr. Woulfe is going to be a danger to another person or to the community," Lenard said. "This is an individual that shows a lot of remorse and I think the court can take that into consideration."

Lenard said Woulfe, who has a longtime girlfriend but no children, would live with his mother and grandmother if released from custody.

A view of the crash in Beecher, which claimed the lives of four members of the Schmidt family on July 24, 2017. (WGN-TV)

He had taken a job with AT&T shortly before the crash, and was on his way to work when the fatal collision occurred, Lenard said. Woulfe, who attended college but did not graduate, had previously worked for River Valley Metro, a transit agency that operates buses in Kankakee County, and done construction work for an Alsip-based contractor, his lawyer said.

Lenard argued that Woulfe's bail should be reduced because he had not been accused of a violent or intentional act, but rather of speeding and disobeying a traffic control device  something, he said, that many people have done.

Lenard equated the mental anguish he said Woulfe had experienced as a result of the crash to already "living a life of incarceration."

"It affects him, it bothers him, it's something he's always going to have to live with," said Lenard, noting that Woulfe had scheduled an appointment with a psychologist to talk about the crash and the toll it's taken on him.

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Assistant state's attorney Jim Long, who sought to maintain Woulfe's bail at $1 million, rebutted Lenard's remarks.

He acknowledged that Woulfe did not likely pose a flight risk, but argued that he was in fact a danger to the community due to his repeated reckless driving behavior, which he called "very wanton."

Long cited six previous traffic citations or warnings that Woulfe had received since 2008 for various infractions, including a citation for driving 91 mph in a 55 mph zone in Manteno on May 5, 2012, for which he received court supervision.

He said Woulfe's history of speeding was an indication that he had not learned his lesson and was thus not remorseful, as Lenard had argued.

The fatal crash may not be "a crime of violence," Long said, but it was "a violent crime. It had violent results."

Long said data obtained from the vehicle's black box showed that Woulfe was traveling 83 mph in the moments up to and through impact with Schmidt's vehicle, 28 mph above the posted 55-mph speed limit.

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Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

"This is not an accident," he said. "This is a wreck."

Lenard responded by acknowledging that his client, who sat silently beside him during the hearing with his left arm bandaged and his left foot booted, had committed traffic infractions in past.

"We understand that he doesn't have a squeaky clean record," Lenard said, adding that was the reason he sought $250,000 bail and not even lower.

After confirming that Woulfe was licensed and insured at the time of the crash and had no prior criminal history, she sided with Lenard and set bond at $250,000 with a 10 percent option.

Woulfe is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on Sept. 14.

zkoeske@tribpub.com

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Twitter @ZakKoeske
Dina Guinn, the wife of an Army veteran, was near tears as she told a Friday morning crowd about being homeless for six months, with her three children and a sick husband.

But on this day, she celebrated  along with federal, state and local dignitaries  the grand opening of her new home at Hope Manor Joliet.

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Volunteers of America of Illinois, along with a team of public and private financial partners, have built a 67-unit apartment complex for struggling veterans at 1331 Eagle Street in Joliet on an 8-acre site on the former Silver Cross Hospital campus. It is 100 percent occupied.

Joining Guinn in cutting the ribbon were U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville, state Sen. Pat McGuire, D-Joliet, Joliet Mayor Bob O'Dekirk, members of VOA and others involved in the project.

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"I am so honored," Guinn said over and over again. "I love this place. We're not just neighbors. We are here to support everybody. This is my family. I love them. I am so thankful to have a place where I can raise my kids and care for my husband."

The three-story complex, which includes a computer lab, community room and play areas for kids, is the first of its kind in Will County, and the third one built by this faith-based human service organization in Illinois since 2012, said Nancy Hughes Moyer, president and CEO of VOA of IL.

Providing veterans with an "amazing place to live and raise their families as they pursue the American dream that they fought so hard to preserve for the rest of us" is the "least we can do," she said.

"This is what love looks like," said Mike King, national president of VOA, pointing to the structure that stood behind him.

It took "money, passion, caring and legislation" to accomplish this, he said, and the organization is "just getting warmed up."

Grand opening ceremony for Hope Manor Joliet, a 67-unit apartment complex for struggling veterans.

Given that the VOA also provides affordable housing for seniors, "We absolutely have to keep this fire burning," King said, promising there would be more of these housing complexes.

Throughout the speeches the message was one of community effort, working together, overcoming obstacles, and not taking "no" for an answer. But officials also said their work has only just begun.

Senator Durbin lauded the work done so far on the issue, "but it's not good enough," he said.

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"Tonight there will be 40,000 homeless veterans in the U.S. and 950 in Illinois. More needs to be done," he said.

Rep. Foster said Will County has been successful in fighting veteran homelessness.

"Hope Manor is a testament to the work that we can accomplish when we work together," he said. "We need to support those who serve and honor them when they return."

Hope Manor is "perfectly named, because it provides hope, respect and a better life for the men, women and children who are living here," said Sen. McGuire.

The event was attended by several other residents, all of whom were excited to have place to call home.

"This is awesome," said resident Rodolfo DeLaRosa Vasquez, who viewed the ceremony with Pickles, his pet hamster.

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"We're a community. We're family. We look out for each other and pick each other up when someone is down. It's just like in the Army  we leave no soldier behind. We share meals and play cards," said the twice honorably discharged Army reservist who moved in two months ago.

Vasquez had been in transitional housing and said it "feels good to be in a permanent place."

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Dr. Christopher Udovich, chief medical officer at Silver Cross Hospital, said when the hospital moved three miles east to New Lenox, they promised to leave this site "better than it was before."

Today, in addition to Hope Manor, it includes Aunt Martha's Community Health Center and a veteran's outpatient clinic.

Next, he said, they will clear the land for additional development, but gave no specifics.

Moyer said funding and financing was provided by the city of Joliet, Silver Cross, Illinois Housing Development Authority, National Equity Fund/JP Morgan Chase, BMO Harris Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, the Home Depot Foundation, Niagara Bottling, Citi Community Development and VOA.

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Operating revenue for the facility is provided by the Housing Authority of Joliet, Regional Housing Initiative, Chicago Housing Authority and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Artist Christine Leone chats with Vietnam veteran George Hessenthaler, who is featured in one of the many murals she painted in the entrance at Hope Manor, depicting soldiers of all the wars over the years. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown)

Participating in the grand opening ceremonies at Hope Manor Joliet are, from left, Hope Manor resident Nneka Malone, Mike King, national president of Volunteers of America, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, Hope Manor resident Dina Guinn, U.S. Rep. Bill Foster and state Sen. Pat McGuire. (Susan DeMar Lafferty / Daily Southtown )

slafferty@tribpub.com

Twitter @SusanLaff
A July storm washed out a hill and insfrastructure beneath the T-intersection of Preston and Linden avenues in Elgin. The city is in the process of repairing the site and work is expected to take until the end of 2017. (Mike Danahey/Courier-News)

Concrete barricades have been put along the T-intersection of Linden and Preston Avenues, not far from Lords Park in Elgin, as the city takes steps to permanently repair damage at that location which was caused by torrential July rains.

"We've made the intersection a hard closure," Interim Water Director Eric Weiss said.

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The intersection is along the top of a hill. Heavy rains July 11 led to a landslide that exposed a 20-inch water transmission main and deposited a large amount of debris in yards below it. Work will involve reinforcing the hill, repairing the storm sewer, supporting the road and transmission main and removing debris.

At the Wednesday City Council meeting, the Council unanimously moved along an $122,392 agreement with Elgin-based Hampton, Lenzini and Renwick, Inc. for engineering services related to the repair project. The measure will be up for final approval Sept. 13.

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According to a memo for the Wednesday meeting, staff estimates that construction costs will be between $200,000 and $400,000. Staff also is investigating if there is any available Federal Emergency Management Agency funding to assist with the project.

Weiss that that there had been smaller barricades set out to block the intersection from traffic. At least one person contacted staff and City Council members, though, with concerns about drivers being able to move those barricades to drive through the potentially dangerous area, Weiss said.

At the meeting, Council member Terry Gavin mentioned hearing concerns and praised Weiss for acting promptly to work to get the concrete barricades, called Jersey walls, put in place the next day.

Weiss said that two methods are being considered to support the hill. One method would involve installing a sheet pile wall, while the other would use reinforced geogrid fabric to create structural stability. A dry well to contain the overflow from Linden Avenue and to release it at a controlled rate into the ground also is being considered.

Weiss said temporary and permanent easements also would need to be obtained from some residents who live off Chicago Street in order for city workers to access the site and for installation and maintenance of any permanent structures.

This agreement moved along Wednesday is for engineering design of the repairs to the hill, storm sewer, road and transmission main, design of a dry well, assistance during bidding and construction, assistance in land acquisition and landscape design.

"We'll work to have the best solution for permanent stabilization," Weiss said. "The goal is to have this done by the end of the year."

mdanahey@tribpub.com
Using a Gilbert Chemistry set to generate oxygen was a snap. Following directions from the Golden Book of Chemistry, I would mix hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide and collect the bubbles that resulted. To test the oxygen you inserted a glowing splint. If it burst into flames you had made oxygen.

That was my first experience with a manganese compound but not the last. Graduating to a larger home laboratory in my familys basement I acquired the wonderful oxidizer potassium permanganate which one could use as a poor mans substitute for nitrate in making explosives. Those were fun days and it is little wonder why that book was banned in the United States.

But for the average American the metal manganese is no stranger, it is all around us, finding use in high octane gasoline, ordinary batteries, and as an alloying agent for stainless steels. Lets take a look at this versatile element.

The name manganese comes from the Magnesia district of modern Greece where two black minerals were mined. One, said to be male in gender was actually magnetite a simple iron oxide that could be attracted to a magnet (or could be easily magnetized). The second ore, considered a female variety did not attract iron, but could be used to purify the color of glass.

This feminine ore is now known in modern times as pyrolusite or manganese dioxide with chemical symbol MnO2. Because it was used in glassmaking, manganese dioxide was readily available for experiments by alchemists. In the 16th century the German chemist Johann Glauber discovered that manganese dioxide could be converted to a permanganate, a useful laboratory reagent.

A hundred years later, in 1774, Swedish chemist Johan Gottlieb Gahn reduced the dioxide with carbon and isolated the manganese metal, placing it between chromium and iron in the periodic table.

Like iron, manganese is a silvery-gray metal that tarnishes slowly in air and forms rust when combined with water containing dissolved oxygen. It is a hard and very brittle metal and because of this, unlike iron, it is never used alone. It is an element with many oxidation states.

Whereas iron is primarily either ferrous (+2) or ferric (+3), manganese can have all oxidation states from 3 to +7 making many varied compounds. The beautiful purple permanganates mentioned above have states of +7 quite singular among common metals (even considering chromium compounds). The striking colors of rhodochrosite, the state gem of Colorado, is a manganese carbonate having an oxidation value of +2.

Manganese was first used in steelmaking by the British metallurgist Robert Mushet, who, in 1856, introduced the element, into batches of molten steel for the specific purpose of removing excess dissolved oxygen, sulfur, and phosphorus in order to improve its malleability. Because of this, steel production accounts for most manganese demand and nowadays up to 90% of the total mined finds its way into iron alloys, especially low-cost stainless steels of the types used for razor blades.

In practice, the addition of tiny amounts of manganese improves the workability of steel at high temperatures by forming a high-melting sulfide and preventing the formation of a liquid iron sulfide at the grain boundaries. Adding up to 15% manganese increases the tensile strength of steel dramatically and due to this an alloy called Hadford steel found use in military helmets of WWII.

The second largest application for manganese is in aluminum alloys. Aluminium with roughly 1.5% manganese has increased resistance to corrosion. Most aluminum soda cans utilize a manganese component, somehow the element prevents galvanic action along crystal boundaries.

When you fill your car with gasoline you add methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl to the tank. This additive in unleaded gasoline can boost octane ratings and reduce engine knocking and is a replacement for the toxic tetra-ethyl lead compounds. Here the metal has a +1 oxidation state.

The Leclanche dry cell, our standard low cost flashlight battery, invented in 1866, depends upon manganese dioxide to de-polarize the reaction (remove hydrogen) and extent the life of the cell. The same material is also present in alkaline batteries as well. According to Wikipedia, battery production consumes over 230,000 tons of MnO2 a year.

For three years during WWII the United States substituted manganese as a replacement for the critical metal nickel in the 5 cent piece. These pieces are eagerly sought by collectors and can be distinguished from ordinary nickels because they have a mintmark directly over the dome of Monticello on the reverse. It is the only time in US history the Philadelphia mint used a P to identify their stamped coins. If you have a modern Sacagawea dollar it is made from a copper alloy containing 7% manganese.

Scientists today are exploring the possibility of using manganese to give white LEDs a warmer (redder) color producing lamps that look more like natural sunlight or candle flame.

As you can see manganese is a very important element. Too bad the United States has no manganese mines to speak of, most of it is mined in South Africa.
Adam Frisch keeps calm waiting for all ballots to be counted in CD-3
ELKO  U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto stopped by the Elko Fire Interagency Dispatch Center Friday to gain insight into this years fire season that has blackened more than half a million acres in Elko County.

The agency coordinates air and ground firefighting resources with the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada Division of Forestry, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Shoshone-Paiute tribes, the Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Shauna McIntosh-Harris, dispatch center manager, said 519,884 acres have burned during this years fire season, which has seen 123 blazes throughout the district. The dispatch center covers all of Elko County and parts of Lander and Eureka counties.

It is higher than last year, McIntosh-Harris said.

Masto, D-Nev., is a member of the U.S. Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and sits on energy, public lands, forest and mining subcommittees.

She said a concern in Washington, D.C., is funding for federal resources during fire season. To learn more about the staffing and resource needs, Masto asked McIntosh-Harris for a day in the life in the center.

Our concern is a lack of resources, making sure there is enough money in the budget to cover a fire season and all of those agencies, particularly at the federal level, Masto said.

McIntosh-Harris said there is a need for more dispatchers.

Weve had a hard time filling positions, McIntosh-Harris said, explaining that some positions are full time, for six months or during fire season only.

McIntosh-Harris also told Masto the center overall has plenty of support. Were set up pretty well and a good location with our aircraft in the middle of town.

Masto explained the purpose of the tour was to become acquainted with residents and to let them know they can contact her with any questions, concerns or needs.

In Northern Nevada, we want to meet everyone and let them know who we are, Masto said.

Greg Deimel, BLM public affairs officer for the Elko district office, was at the center when Masto stopped by. He said her visit showed her interest in the community.

Its great to inform her about protecting private and public lands, Deimel said.

Mastos itinerary has 17 stops in Nevada including Carlin, Battle Mountain and Winnemucca, meeting local government officials as well as business and community leaders.

Mastos tour continues Monday with plans to stop in Ely at the White Pine County Central Library, and a visit to the Great Basin National Park, Austin, Baker and Eureka. She also plans to attend a presentation by the partners of the Great Basin National Heritage Partnership Area at the Northern Nevada Railway Museum.

Masto is also the special guest speaker at the Roosevelt/Kennedy Dinner Aug. 26 at the Elko Convention Center.
If your precious Southern heritage includes swastikas, you may as well quit reading right here. But odds are astronomically high that it doesnt. The vast majority of Southerners are as repelled by those goons as everybody else.

Rebel flags, in comparison, strike me as merely adolescent. Yee-haw!

Well, its time to grow up.

If that annoys you, answer me this: Since when is Southern history strictly white history, anyway?

Most of these Confederate monuments commemorate not so much the Souths glorious history of slavery and rebellion, but the bloody advent of Jim Crow laws between 1895 and 1925 or thereabouts. A time of race riots  i.e. black citizens massacred by white mobs across the region from Atlanta (1906) to Elaine, Arkansas (1919) to Tulsa (1921)  and of widespread lynching.

A time when the Klan-glorifying epic Birth of a Nation (1915) was screened at the White House for President Woodrow Wilson.

Ironically, rebel soldier statues were a Yankee industry. A factory in Connecticut manufactured the fool things by the hundreds and shipped them south to stand guard facing north on courthouse squares. A pointed reminder of exactly who was in charge. Specifically, the Ku Klux Klan.

There was nothing subtle about it. Photographs of Charlottesvilles equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee being dedicated in 1924 show that many in attendance wore KKK regalia. Contrary to the art critic in the White House, the statues not being destroyed. Plans are to relocate the monument to a park on the outskirts of town  just as Confederate statues taken down at the University of Texas will be placed in a museum, where they belong.

Latter-day Confederate sympathizers who feel the need to genuflect to Fake History can visit them there. (Fake horsemanship, too. I have a friend indignant about the bronze Gen. Lees cruelly over-cranking the bridle, something the real Lee  an excellent rider  would surely never have done.)

But make no mistake: Fake History it is. The treasured myth of the Lost Cause of freedom-loving patriots fighting bravely for self-determination and states rights cant survive even a cursory reading of secessionist documents.

Heres Alexander Stephens, Vice President of the Confederacy, arguing that its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the Negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery  subordination to the superior race  is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first in the history of the world based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.

Nobody talks that way anymore except guys with swastikas. Its no exaggeration to say that the virulent racism they preach was invented precisely to rationalize the evil of slavery. Nevertheless, thats what the Civil War, the bloodiest tragedy in American history, was all about: protecting and defending chattel slavery, a grotesque remnant of human history. Theres nothing to be gained by pretending otherwise.

That said, I think theres also no point in a struggle to tear down every half-forgotten Confederate memorial across the South. The wars over and Jim Crow is gone; millions of Americans now living in the region have little interest in this aged feud. Besides, people have a right to their illusions.

As somebody who had no ancestors living in the United States at the time of the Civil War, maybe thats easy for me to say. However, as an Irish-American who has always thought St. Patricks Day was nonsense (especially the vomiting in the gutters part), Ive no sympathy with tribalized politics of any kind. Certain aspects of everybodys past, their historical identity if you will, are best forgotten. Fighting over symbols gets you nowhere.

Writing in the Guardian, Lincoln biographer Sidney Blumenthal has a good idea. Instead of tearing monuments down, why not build new ones up?

States and localities, he suggests, should establish commissions to build new monuments, statues and memorials, particularly across the South, to commemorate the heroes of the anti-slavery struggle, the unionists during the Civil War, advocates for Reconstruction, foes of Jim Crow and champions of the civil rights movement.

An example of what he means can be found in Arkansas, where I live. Yes, the State Capitol grounds feature the traditional monument to Johnny Reb. But also a striking monument to the Little Rock Nine, a group sculpture depicting the brave African-American students who defied a segregationist mob to enter Little Rock Central High School under the protection of the 101st Airborne in September 1957  Arkansas most historically significant event of the 20th century.

People visit the memorial from far and near. To my knowledge, nobody finds it controversial.

Cemeteries, too, are appropriate places to memorialize the Union and Confederate dead. Meanwhile, if its history and heritage you want, visit Gettysburg, Vicksburg Memorial National Park, or Appomattox Courthouse, among many others. Carefully preserved Civil War battlefields are scattered across the South: real history, and solemn remembrance.
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Foreign writers have signed agreements to publish 38 new titles on China at the Beijing International Book Fair.

Sinologists, professors, doctors, journalists and politicians are among those to successfully pitch their ideas at the book fair on August 23.

"These titles delve deep into Chinese society and life, and they have the potential to be bestselling books to global readers," Xu Baofeng from Chinese Culture Translation and Studies Supports, said.

He added that those books will be eligible for subsidies during the process of publishing.

Forty-six sinologists from 34 countries, who are in Beijing for the week-long Sino-Foreign Literature Translation and Publishing Workshop, witnessed the signing ceremony, together with 12 winners of the Special Book Award of China, and representatives from more than 10 publishing houses.

The 38 titles were selected from 72 candidates, pitched by about a 100 writers, covering topics including philosophy, politics, society, culture, literature and arts in 19 languages.

The deals are part of the Foreigners Writing about China plan. Launched in March, the plan initiated a global brainstorm-like campaign to solicit publishing topics from 150 publishers and 1,000 Sinologists and translators.

It is an innovative way of boosting the appeal of Chinese topics in foreign markets, Xu said.

On Thursday, a second planning conference was held at the fair.
Pop star Ariana Grande is set for a three-stop tour of the Chinese mainland.

The 24-year-old Grammy winner will make her debut in China in Beijing's Wukesong Arena on Saturday, followed by a stop in Shanghai Monday night and then Guangzhou on Wednesday.

As in many other parts of the world, Ariana Grande has managed to build a huge fan base in China. Her last album "Dangerous Woman," which was released last year, went platinum in 48 hours in China, surpassing the sales mark of 1 million copies. Currently, the album is set to achieve a six-time platinum record in China.

The performances in China are part of Grande's "Dangerous Woman" world tour, which became the target of a terrorist attack in Manchester back in May, which left 23 people dead and 250 others injured.

Grande suspended her tour following the incident, before resuming it in June. She returned to Manchester in early June to perform a benefit concert, which helped to raise 23 million dollars for the victims of the attack.

The city of Manchester later named her the first honorary citizen of Manchester.

After the three stops on the Chinese mainland, the "Dangerous Woman" tour will travel to Oceania before looping back to Taipei and Hong Kong.
A veteran visual effects guru was in Beijing on Thursday to share the secrets of how his team made the stunning scenes for "War for the Planet of the Apes".

Anders Langlands, visual effects supervisor at Weta Digital, speaks at a master class in Beijing, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was part of promotional campaign for "War for the Planet of the Apes" set to release in China in mid-September. [Photo/ China.org.cn]

Anders Langlands, the visual effects supervisor at Weta Digital, held a master class in the Chinese capital as part of promotional events for critically acclaimed ape vs human sci-fi action film.

He showed footage from the film and told the audience how the delicate visual effects were achieved, including the eyes, hair and expressions of the orangutans as well as snowflakes, as vivid as the real thing by using motion capture and other technologies.

Langlands has credits in many major blockbusters including "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1," "Clash of the Titans," "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," "Wrath of the Titans" and "Man of Steel." His work on "X-Men: Days of Future Past" earned him a BAFTA nomination, and in 2016 he was nominated for Best Visual Effects at the Academy Awards for his work on "The Martian."

He revealed there were 998 personnel from Weta participating in the post-production of "War for the Planet of the Apes" while their computers' CPU processing time for the visual effects totaled 190 million hours, equal to 5,400 years.

There are 1,440 visual effects shots in "War for the Planet of the Apes", representing 95 percent of the total shots of the movie.

The visual effects guru also complimented the real actors such as the legendary Andy Serkis for their work. "Andy is so incredible, nobody could come close to what he did," he said, "You can't ignore the actor's amazing performance on the big screen though there are so many special effects."

Langlands said the Weta team strived to create images so real that nobody could recognize they were actually special effects.

Chinese director Lu Chuan talks with Anders Langlands at a special effects master class in Beijing, Aug. 24, 2017. [Photo/ China.org.cn]

Among the audience seeking to learn from him were several heavyweight Chinese directors, Lu Chuan ("Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe," "City of Life and Death"), Lu Yang ("Brotherhood of Blades"), Han Yan ("Go Away Mr. Tumor"), Yang Qing ("Chongqing Hot Pot"), Barbara Wong ("Girls"), sci-fi writer Chen Qiufan and another visual effects supervisor Peter G. Travers.

During a discussion, director Lu said he envied the fact foreign filmmakers and special effects people could have the great actors such as Andy Serkis, "In China, such great actors are hard to find. When I was filming 'Chronicles of the Ghostly Tribe,' we also used motion capture technology, and I acted as the monster myself, so that's bad!" His revelation aroused much laughter.

"I talked to Matt Reeves, director of 'War for the Planet of the Apes' and discussed filmmaking issues," Han Yan remembered, "However, when we talked about the special effects issue, he had only one advise -- if you have any difficulties, go to Weta! "

Han followed that advice and his new film project "Animal World" is a collaboration with Weta Digital.

Director Lu Yang also said he learned a lot, "and when I saw 'War for the Planet of the Apes,' I saw many possibilities. Technologies are just tools, the wisdom, creativity and logic of the visual effects creators help make the film look better. "

"War for the Planet of the Apes" is set to debut in China on Sept. 15. It received rave reviews and has grossed US$346.3 million worldwide as of Aug. 20 even before reaching the second largest film market of the world.
Alipay is now available for Chinese Mainland tourists at all 242 Starbucks branches across Malaysia. [Photo: China Plus]

Alipay, the world's largest online and mobile payment platform operated by Ant Financial Services Group ("Ant Financial", "Ant"), is now available for Chinese Mainland tourists at all 242 Starbucks branches across Malaysia.

The company announced that Chinese tourists can find a nearest Starbucks through the in-app Discovery platform, and pay for their drinks in RMB via Alipay. Alipay and Starbucks Malaysia are also launching a marketing campaign to celebrate the partnership together with Chinese consumers.

Starting from August 18 to October 31, a Chinese tourist using Alipay in Starbucks can enjoy 10% off with cap at RMB 5 yuan and free drink size upgrade at the same time once every week. The customer will also receive a 10%-off e-voucher for future use upon completion of the first transaction. Alipay and Starbucks Malaysia fund the campaign jointly.

"Starbucks is one of the most visited merchants by Chinese tourists in many countries. Through Alipay's Discovery platform, we are leading our users to the nearest Starbucks wherever they are in Malaysia. Getting a cup of familiar coffee with a familiar payment method at a random street corner in Malaysia, will make one's journey as relaxed as at home," said Dayong Zhang, General Manager of Alipay Southeast Asia.

"Now you can use Alipay to pay for your favorite Starbucks beverage at all Starbucks store around Malaysia, including 32 Drive-Thru concept stores and 15 stores in the airport. It is so convenient that customers just have to flash their mobile application at the counter without going through money exchanger to get a cup of coffee. We would like to invite all Alipay users to enjoy their favorite cup of Starbucks beverage during their stay in Malaysia," said Sydney Quays, Chief Executive Officer of Berjaya Food Berhad.

Merchants in Malaysia started to accept Alipay in April 2017 and it's now available in over 5,000 merchants, including over 2,100 7-Eleven stores. Types of merchants include restaurants, bars, supermarkets, department stores, and convenience stores.

Chinese mainland is the third largest international visitor market for Malaysia. Over 2.12 million Chinese tourists visited Malaysia in 2016 and a year-on-year increase of 8.3% was seen from the first quarter of 2017.
Abdul Aleem Baig from Pakistan gave himself the Chinese name Yang Guang (Sunshine), which describes his mood when he runs his leather jacket business in China.

On Saturday morning, his booth at the Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan was crowded with buyers trying on clothes or bargaining with him.

Abdul, 28, first came to China five years ago, following his older brother who was doing well in the business. So far, he has been to similar fairs in more than 40 cities and spends 20 days a month in the country.

He is among many foreign merchants seeking their fortune in China through expos, which are more flexible and cheaper than opening stores.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Commerce in June, the scale of Chinese expos remains the largest in 2016, with more than 5,500 fairs staged that year.

"Leather jackets from Pakistan are world-renowned. Muslims eat lots of lamb, so we have lots of sheepskin, and many Chinese makers came to Pakistan for that," Abdul said.

He said a long leather jacket made in Pakistan at his booth would be sold for 2,500 yuan (376 U.S. dollars) while a Chinese-made counterpart of the same quality would be priced at 8,000 to 10,000 yuan.

In China, Abdul makes twice as much compared with in his hometown. "In Pakistan the competition is cut-throat, since leather jackets are everywhere," he said.

Jay Kay from Myanmar made 500,000 yuan a year from his jade business in China. He came to China seven years ago and attends more than 30 expos across the country each year.

"Selling jade is not hard in China. It has so many people who love jade," the 28-year-old said in fluent Chinese, adding that he stays in China for 10 months a year.

Pema Lama took part in 15 fairs during the past two years in China. Trading Buddhist items, such as Thangka painting, he earns 150,000 yuan a year, almost the same with his income in Nepal.

However, his choice to go to China was not just about money.

"I wanted to have my own business, and I did it. I could only work for others in Nepal," he said. "I wish I had come here earlier."

The 45-year-old has also been to India and Italy.

"But the business in China is the best. I don't know why," he said.

David from Mali, who sells tambourines at the Taiyuan expo, said he did exceptionally brisk business at biennial expos in the cities of Kunming and Lanzhou, since "people had waited a long time and desire foreign goods."

"China is very open and friendly; expos are a good example," he said.
A Shanghai court has said it will not uphold a ruling by the Singapore International Arbitration Center over a dispute between a Shanghai-based firm and a Singapore-based company.

The No. 1 Intermediate Court of Shanghai said the Singapore arbitration center violated clauses in the original contract.

Singapore-based Noble Resources International, the seller, and Shanghai Xintai International Trade, the buyer, signed an iron ore purchase contract on Oct. 29, 2014, the court said.

According to the contract, any dispute and claim were to be settled by the Singapore arbitration center, and there had to be three arbitrators.

Noble Resources filed an arbitration request on Jan. 14, 2015, claiming Xintai was liable for violating the contract.

Xintai objected four times to the procedure and make-up of the arbitration court, but the Singapore arbitration center approved the procedure and appointed sole arbitrator. The center ruled in Aug. 2015 that Xintai should pay 1.6 million U.S. dollars in damages to Noble Resources.

In February, Noble Resources brought the result to a Shanghai court, asking for the enforcement of the result, which was opposed by the Shanghai firm.

The Shanghai court said that though it usually agreed with international arbitration, this was the first time it would not uphold such a result.
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China's anti-graft authority Friday published rectifications of units that were examined during the 12th round of inspections on its website.

The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) of the Communist Party of China (CPC) published details of the rectifications of Beijing Normal University, Beihang University, Dalian University of Technology and Zhejiang University, as well as China Railway Corporation and China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation.

All of the examined units will report their rectification progress to the public and subject themselves to supervision by masses from Friday.

The CCDI launched inspections of 29 universities, including China's prestigious Peking and Tsinghua universities, in the first half of this year, and found that the CPC leadership in these institutions had been weakened.

It also re-inspected Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the provinces of Jilin, Yunnan and Shaanxi.

All the units have made rectifications based on the feedback provided by the CCDI in June.

This was the last round of inspections led by 18th CPC Central Committee, according to the CCDI.
Beijing plans to replace coal with clean energy sources in 700 villages on its surrounding flatlands within the year. This would eliminate coal burning from seven of the citys districts including Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai, Shijingshan, Daxing, Tongzhou and Fangshan, according to the Beijing Municipal Commission of Rural Affairs.

As of November 2016, Beijing had replaced coal with clean energy sources for 227,000 rural households in 663 villages, surpassing the target number by 43 percent. Of these households, 198,000 in 574 villages were fitted with electrical energy and 29,000 in 89 villages were provided with natural gas replacements.

In addition, Beijing will also promote clean energy use in 1,400 village committees and public areas as well as in agricultural facilities covering 790,000 square meters.

Air-source heat pumps, ground-source heat pumps and storage electric heaters are currently the three most common electricity-powered heating sources in Beijing. To ensure quality standard, the National Quality Surveillance and Testing Center of Air Conditioning Equipment is responsible for sample testing and giving feedbacks to districts, if there were any problem. Three hundred sets of equipment have been tested so far.

This year Beijing has launched the coal-to-power switch in nine rural towns and three sub-districts, benefiting 46,269 households. After open tendering and field visits, the capital city has selected 23 manufacturers of air-source heat pumps and 11 energy storage companies to contribute to the transition.
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The Hurricane Harvey Friday evening was upgraded to category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 210 km per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Harvey has been intensifying on Friday and is expected to become a major hurricane as it moves toward the Texas Coast in south U.S. According to the National Weather Service, the Houston region could begin seeing the worst of the storm starting Friday night.

The storm system has prompted officials to issue voluntary and mandatory evacuations of some coastal areas, school districts to postpone a return to classes and local governments to brace for life-threatening floods that could last through Monday.

At the behest of Abbott, more than 700 members of the Texas Army and Air National Guards, Texas State Guard and the Texas Military Department have been activated and are positioning themselves throughout the state.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday said in a press conference that President Donald Trump promised to offer federal resources to Texas ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival.

The federal support would be available to help the state assist in preparation, rescue and recovery efforts.

Consulate general of China in Houston issued an emergency warning Friday, asking Chinese citizens in Texas to be prepared as Hurricane Harvey is expected a landfall Friday night.
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A most-wanted fugitive from the United States convicted of violent crime has been repatriated from China to face trial, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Friday.

China transfers fugitive to US police Chinese police hand over fugitive Naquan Ferguson to police from the United States in Guangzhou on Friday. [Photo/ Xinhua]

Early Friday, Chinese police transferred criminal fugitive Naquan Ferguson to their US counterparts at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Ferguson was then escorted to the US to face punishment.

The successful repatriation of the US fugitive was "considered the latest achievement of law enforcement cooperation to hunt down fugitives since two Chinese fugitives were repatriated from the US to face trial in June and August", said a senior official at the ministry who requested that his name not be used.

Two Chinese fugitivesone suspected of rape and the other of fraudwere repatriated from the US to stand trial in China. One was repatriated in June and the other earlier this month.

In September 2011, Ferguson conspired with others to rob a jewelry store in the US state of Connecticut, and in June 2013, he was arrested by police in the United States.

He pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and conspiracy to commit robbery and first-degree larceny and was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison, according to the ministry.

In October 2014, he fled the US to avoid punishment. In May 2015, Interpol issued a red notice on him.

According to the ministry, Ferguson fled to Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in February, and US judicial authorities asked Chinese police to assist in locating, arresting and repatriating him.

According to the ministry, China has stepped up law enforcement cooperation, including intelligence sharing and conducting joint investigations with the US and other countries to hunt down fugitives and confiscate their ill-gotten assets transferred abroad.

"We have captured and repatriated the US fugitive within half a year, which fully reflects that China has adopted a 'zero tolerance' attitude in fighting cross-border crimes," the ministry official said.

"We are willing to cooperate with relevant countries to nab the fugitives and return their illicit assets on the basis of complying with the law, mutual trust, cooperation and win-win situation," he said.

Huang Feng, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, said, "A number of corrupt Chinese fugitives are still at large in the US, and the successful repatriation of the fugitives between China and the US will serve as good examples to deepen and expand their judicial cooperation on locating, arresting and repatriating the fugitives."
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Tian Tian, the only female Chinese giant panda in Britain, is pregnant, and a curb could be born as early as Friday, local media reported in London Thursday.

Tian Tian, a giant panda eats bamboo in the outdoor enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland. [File photo/VCG]

Edinburgh Zoo staff believe giant panda Tian Tian is pregnant, after the release of emails suggesting a cub could be born as early as Friday, said the reports.

Documents released Thursday showed that in late July this year, Tian Tian's pregnancy was "on track" and the mother-to-be is "doing real well."

Scottish government officials and staff at Edinburgh Zoo discussed in late July that Tian Tian was definitely pregnant and that her expected date, at the time, was Aug. 25, according to the reports.

If a cub is born, it would be the first birth of a panda in Britain.

Tian Tian, which means Sweetie in Chinese, was born on Aug. 24, 2003 at the Beijing Zoo in China. She is currently living at Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang, meaning Sunshine in Chinese, are Britain's only pair of pandas. After their arrival, Edinburgh Zoo instantly became one of Scotland's most popular attractions.

Tian Tian has failed to produce a cub despite repeated artificial inseminations since her arrival at Edinburgh Zoo in December 2011.

The decision to go ahead with artificial insemination came after the zoo decided there was now no prospect of Tian Tian and Yang Guang ever mating naturally.

Panda reproduction is very difficult, partly due to the very short breeding window with ovulation occurring only once a year.

The zoo said that a pseudopregnancy, in which female pandas show physiological and behavioral signs of pregnancy without actually being pregnant, is possible. Many female pandas undergo pseudopregnancy and Edinburgh Zoo is using a battery of tests to try to rule it out.
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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has the support of the United States to use all the authorities to monitor Iran's nuclear program, said Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, on Friday.

The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog has true experts and professionals and has a very strong verification program in Iran. However, the agency is not allowed to see the whole picture of Tehran's nuclear program, Haley told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York.

"As good as the IAEA is, it can only be as good as what they are permitted to see," she said.

Iran has publicly declared that they will not allow access to military sites. But the international agreement in 2015 makes no distinction between military and non-military sites, said Haley, who has just returned from a trip to the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

There are also numerous undeclared sites in Iran that have not been inspected yet. That's a problem, she warned.

"I have good confidence in the IAEA, but they are dealing with a country that has a clear history of lying and pursuing covert nuclear programs. We are encouraging the IAEA to use all the authorities they have and pursue every angle possible with the JCPOA (the official name of the 2015 deal). We will support the IAEA in that process," said Haley.

After years of tension with the international community, Iran struck a deal with the five world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in July 2015 on a comprehensive deal, under which Iran agreed to limit its uranium-enrichment activities in return for the lifting of international sanctions.

The IAEA is responsible for the verification of Iran's compliance with the agreement through regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities.

The international agreement is facing serious threats of collapse as tensions mounted between Washington and Tehran recently.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who during his election campaign had called the Iranian nuclear deal a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated," approved new sanctions on Tehran this month for its missile program.

Iran accused Washington of breaching the 2015 agreement. But Washington argued that they were not related to the nuclear deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that his country could pull out of the deal should Washington impose any new sanctions. Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi warned Tuesday that his country could resume production of highly enriched uranium within five days if the 2015 deal is revoked.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the recent deadly terrorist attack on a Shiite Mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul, official IRNA news agency reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi expressed sympathy with the Afghan people, government, and families of the victims.

By the attacks, the terrorists have targeted unity and solidarity of the Afghan nation, Qasemi said, urging Afghan nation and government to keep vigilance against terrorists and their intentions.

At least 40 were killed while 90 others were wounded at the mosque on Friday in Kabul.
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The Somali and U.S. governments have launched investigations into the death of civilians during a joint security operation on a farm in southern Somalia early on Friday.

In separate statements, the U.S. Africa Command (Africom) and the Somali government admitted there were civilian casualties in the operation conducted near Bariire in Lower Shabelle.

"We are aware of the civilian casualty allegations near Bariire, Somalia. We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground," Africom said in a statement issued on Friday night.

Africom, which has in the past conducted counter-terrorism airstrikes against the terror group in Somalia, confirmed that the Somali National Army was conducting an operation in the area with U.S. forces in a supporting role.

"U.S. forces are in Somalia at the request of the government of Somalia and are committed to helping Somali forces neutralize Al-Shabaab and bring stability to the region," it said.

The statement comes after the Somalia military said eight Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the joint security operation.

The military said the SNA carried out an operation against a farm in Bariire with known Al-Shabaab presence.

"Al-Shabaab started shooting at SNA forces after our soldiers entered the farm," SNA General Sheegow (20th Brigade Commander) said.

"The individuals shooting at the SNA soldiers were Al-Shabaab fighters; they were not farmers. We talked to the farmers in the area and instructed them to put their weapons in their homes to avoid confusion."

However, the government later clarified that it appeared there were different security operations that took place in the area that resulted in the death of civilians.

"We also understand that there are civilian casualties in which the government is investigating to find out the truth about this. We urge Somali people to cooperate fully with the government on this matter," said ministry of information said.

Local reports said at least 10 civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed during the raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia.

The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nur Mohamed, said the farmers were killed "one by one" after soldiers stormed the farm in Bariire village early Friday.

The militants have recently increased their attacks against Africa Union and Somali forces especially in Mogadishu and southern Somalia, which have seen a surge of attacks that resulted in the loss of several strategic towns although the militants mainly held those towns briefly.

The AMISOM and Somali forces backed by U.S. military have also increased airstrikes in southern Somalia in the recent past, resulting in the killing of several militants and some defections.
ULAN BATOR - The export of mineral resources is a significant source of export revenues for Mongolia, with copper concentrate, coal, iron ore, gold and oil having a lion's share.

Since 2017, the demand for Mongolian coal has increased dramatically. China is the largest consumer of coal in the world and Mongolia's close neighbor. In the first six months of 2017, Mongolia managed to sell China a record amount of coal.

According to economists, Mongolia exported approximately 25 million tons of "black gold" to China each month.

According to the authorities of Gants mod border checkpoint, in the first six months of this year, Mongolia exported 10.09 million tons of coal to China through the Gashuunsukhait-Gants mod border checkpoints. This result exceeds the volume of coal exports for the same period of last year by 14 percent.

The transportation of coal through the Gants mod border checkpoint for the first six months of last year was more than 10 million tons, while this level was reached in the first 4 months of this year.



"This was facilitated by the increase in supply, related to the increase in demand for coal in China. On the other hand, the technical modernization of the border checkpoint played a role in reducing delays for a technical reason," said the representatives of the Gants mod border checkpoint.

In the future, coal exporters expect that the supply of coal will be stable. As for the main exporter of Mongolia, Tavan Tolgoi plans to increase the volume of its transportation to 11.5 million tons of coal this year.
MINSK  Belarusbank, the largest bank in Belarus, signed a memorandum of understanding with China's UnionPay International (UPI) on financial service cooperation, the press service of the bank said on Friday.

The memorandum is aimed at establishing relations and applying to the services of the UnionPay payment system cardholders in the network of Belarusbank ATMs, retail and service organizations cooperating with the bank in accordance with the acquiring agreements.

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay, focused on the growth and support of UnionPay's global business. In partnership with more than 1500 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 162 countries and regions with issuance in 42 countries and regions.

Belarusbank is actively expanding its cooperation with China's financial institutions in various business areas, said Chairman of the Board of Belarusbank Viktor Ananich.

"Our interest in cooperation on acquiring UnionPay bank payment cards in Belarus is obvious," he added.

The Bank is also ready to continue the dialogue with China's financial community on cooperation in all areas of banking services, Ananich said.

"Fruitful cooperation between us will contribute to further deepening the Belarus-China relations," he said.
BAKU  Azerbaijan intends to increase wine exports to China, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) said on its website Friday.

The issue of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and China in the area of wine trade was discussed at a meeting participated by local winemakers and the trade representative of Azerbaijan in China Teymur Nadiroglu, according to AZPROMO.

During the meeting, the trade representative pointed out that as a wine-producing country, Azerbaijan has a significant potential to increase wine supplies to China.

China's wine import has been showing rapid growth in both volume and value since 2015. China's import market is dominated by French wine, which has a 40 percent market share. Other top performers are Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and the United States, according to Nadiroglu.

With a growing taste for imported wines, the potential for a third-tier, medium-priced market is emerging and is set to grow as demand increases in China, the participants concluded.

Last year, Azerbaijani local companies concluded an agreement with the Chinese side on export of 500,000 bottles of wine to China.

They believed that besides wine, energy, especially alternative sources, tourism and agriculture are major prospects for economic cooperation between the two countries.
The 24th Beijing International Book Fair opens in Beijing on Aug 23, 2017. [Photo/IC]

BEIJING  Despite the exhibition hall's vast size and being filled with hundreds of children, there is no running, screaming or fighting. Instead, the children are all calmly holding pictures books, attentively reading.

The Beijing International Book Fair is now in its 24th year, but the picture book exhibition only started in 2015 and quickly became a hit with parents and children alike.

Liang Dan, 33, cuddles her son at a corner of the fair, reaches for a book, opens it and begins reading softly. Her son's eyes are glued to the drawings.

"I came here alone in 2015, but have brought my son every year since," she says. "There are picture books from all over the world and my son likes them a lot."

Only four years old, Liang's son has read more than 300 picture books.

A book sales report by Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com showed sales of children's literature was the highest among all book categories on the its website in 2016, taking up over 30 percent of the total. Sales of picture books ranked second at 20.2 percent.

A similar report from Dangdang.com, China's major online book retailer, had the same result. Of its 14 billion yuan (about $2 billion) book sales last year, 26.5 percent came from children's literature, another 18.7 percent were from picture books, yearly growth of over 37 percent.

The burgeoning Chinese picture book market has lured publishers from every corner of the globe. This year's fair has attracted more than 2,500 exhibitors from 89 countries and regions, with overseas exhibitors accounting for 58 percent.

It has also set up an "international childhood education hall" for the first time, comprising picture books, illustrations as well as textbooks.

The picture book exhibition displays over 10,000 books in 13 languages, a feast for Chinese parents that attach great importance to early childhood education.

Experience from developed countries showed when the per capita GDP exceeds $5,000, the picture book industry booms. In China, the per capita GDP surpassed $8,000 last year.

Tiia Stranden, a Finnish publisher, came with her peers in Sweden and Denmark, bringing picture books from Northern Europe.

"I know that a lot of our Finnish publishers have their children's picture book copyrights (to China) sold out already. So it's amazing to see how the demand has grown," she told Xinhua. "My experience was that the Chinese publishers are interested in all the titles, so there is demand for a big variety of children's books and picture books."

Li Jia, from Lelequ, a company that specializes in publishing children's books, says Chinese parents were looking for picture books that can help build good emotional intelligence for their children, rather than simply delivering knowledge.

"Everything a child may encounter from making friends in kindergartens, to the topics that parents may find awkward explaining, such as divorce and sex education, are included in the picture books," Li says. "It has become an important communication channel between kids and their parents."

With more imported picture books coming, Chinese publishers are also working to make original Chinese picture books.

According to Li, all of their earliest publications were imported, but now almost 30 percent are Chinese originals, with some even entering overseas markets.

In September last year, Lelequ published a pop-up picture book "Havoc in Heaven," based on the story of the monkey in Chinese classic novel "Journey to the West".

Opening each page unfolds life-like characters depicted in the book, in rich colors and vivid detail. Lelequ wants the book to become an ambassador to introduce traditional Chinese culture to the world.

"The book consists of over 300 parts, each manually pasted, so it is pricy. Our team put a lot of work into the drawing. For instance, the color of the clouds came from the renowned Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes. It is very classic," Li says.

At 329 yuan, the book is indeed expensive. But many Chinese parents believe that the money is worth it.

"I spend thousands of yuan on picture books every year. A picture book that sells at about 100 yuan is acceptable to me, but some books are delicate and innovative, and I will buy it for my son even though it may be costly," Liang says.

A traditional Chinese version of "Havoc in Heaven" is on sale in Taiwan, and English and French versions are under discussion.

"We have published another three-dimensional book 'Chinese Spring Festival,' and its copyright has been sold to many countries. We are very proud," Li says.

Stranden says she had never seen a Chinese picture book in Northern Europe before 2016, but knows one was published in Sweden last year.

"When we promote Finnish literature outside Finland, of course you cannot go only one way. I think with more Finnish picture books getting exported to China, then the other way will also happen," she says.
A branch of the Bank of Communications Ltd in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

BEIJING  The Bank of Communications has announced its first half profit rose at the fastest rate in two years thanks to growth in fee income.

Net profits increased 3.49 percent year-on-year in the first six months to 38.98 billion yuan ($5.9 billion), higher than the 2.5 percent growth rate recorded in the same period a year ago.

Asset value has increased 6.28 percent from early this year to 8.93 trillion yuan by the end of June.

Net interest income declined while net fee and commission income increased. Bank restructuring and overseas business also generated higher profits.

The outstanding bad loan and non-performing loan ratio declined in the first half.

Peng Chun, president of the bank, underscored the importance of risk prevention in the second half of the year, as risks from liquidity, operations and the external environment pose daunting challenges.
Workers build a property project for China Vanke Co in Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province. [Photo provided to China Daily]

China Vanke Co, a leading residential property developer, will switch gears and diversify into new areas to overcome flat growth that appears to have hit a ceiling after years of strong sales.

But stock markets in Shenzhen and Hong Kong shrugged off Vanke's strong first-half results that were announced late on Thursday.

This appears to have prompted the company to announce it is looking at new areas such as development of realty on railway land, alternative forms of urban rail transport, long-term rental apartments, winter vacations, nursing services for the elderly and education.

Yu Liang, Vanke's new chairman. [Photo/China Daily]

Yu Liang, Vanke's former president who recently succeeded founder Wang Shi as chairman, told media in Shenzhen that the company is exploring the "railway-plus-property" model.

The company has already built several project in cooperation with Shenzhen's State-owned metro operator, which is also its largest shareholder.

Yu said Vanke is working with other urban rail operators and high-speed train companies. He said Vanke is also looking at new-energy carmaker BYD's monorail systems.

"BYD approached us because many cities plan to build monorails, but these cities can only offer land, not money," Yu said, but did not disclose other details.

In October 2016, BYD's first monorail opened in Shenzhen. Since then, many other smaller Chinese cities have decided to start such systems in the near future.

Vanke is also confident of finding new growth opportunities in reforms for public-private or mixed ownership in State-owned enterprises.

Vanke itself is a successful example of such reform, and has been invited to explore possibilities of picking up stakes in other SOEs, he said.

But all that, it appears, is yet to be factored in by the markets.

On Friday, Vanke's shares ended just a tad up at 23.20 yuan ($3.48) on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. In Hong Kong, they in fact fell a bit.

In the first half of this year, total sales reached 277.18 billion yuan, up almost 46 percent year-on-year and equal to about 75 percent of its sales last year.

Net profit surged 36.5 percent year-on-year to 7.3 billion yuan, beating Bloomberg's expectation of 6.4 billion yuan.

But realized revenuethat is, sales from deals that have been completedfell nearly 7 percent year-on-year to almost 70 billion yuan.

Zhu Xu, Vanke's board secretary, attributed the revenue fall to the relatively fewer completed projects in the first half. Full-year revenue, however, will likely increase, she said.

Asked if he is concerned about flat growth, Yu said the company is definitely feeling a great deal of pressure.

"The market has golden and silver ages but a bronze phase is also possible, even black iron times (are possible) in the future."

But it is not all gloom and doom, he said, as the country is intent on finding long-term solutions to the problem of inadequate housing for ordinary people.

The thrust is no longer on just restrictions on realty prices. So, there are still opportunities out there in the property market, he said.

Yan Yuejin, research director with E-house China R&D, a property industry information provider, said realty sales will continue to be brisk for years, but diversified investments can help hedge against risks like policy changes and market controls.
An investor checks stock information on his mobile phone in front of an electronic board showing stock information at a brokerage house in Beijing, Feb 16, 2016.[Photo/Agencies]

BEIJING  China's securities regulator will continue to support the mixed ownership reform of State-owned enterprises (SOEs) within its responsibilities in the future, a spokesperson said Friday.

For such reforms of SOEs involving initial public offerings, refinancing or mergers and acquisitions, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) will give full support based on laws and regulations, spokesperson Chang Depeng said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, if reform plans involve capital market issues, the company should "strictly follow securities regulatory laws and regulations and existing supervisory rules," Chang said.

He made the remarks after the CSRC issued a statement supporting the mixed ownership reform of telecom carrier China Unicom as an "exceptional case."

Last week, the company published a plan to introduce new investment mainly by issuing shares to buyers including China Life and Tencent, but soon withdrew all filings with Shanghai Stock Exchange citing "technical reasons." Analysts believed the plan may breach a 20-percent cap for listed companies issuing new non-public shares.

The plan reappeared on the Shanghai bourse website Sunday night, followed by a supportive announcement from CSRC saying it treated the plan as an exceptional case exempted from the stricter refinancing rules effective since February.

Chang reiterated that the China Unicom case carried "great importance as a pilot for deepening reform of centrally administered SOEs."

"The company had made the mixed ownership plan earlier under the instruction of departments including the National Development and Reform Commission before the CSRC adjusted refinancing rules on Feb 17, 2017," he explained.

Mixed ownership reform is believed to be able to raise the efficiency of State-owned capital and improve the vitality, influence and anti-risk capability of SOEs.

China will deepen the mixed ownership reform and seek progress in industries including petroleum, natural gas, railways, telecommunications and defense, according to this year's government work report.
MOMBASA, Kenya  Kenya's Mombasa port on Friday launched three China-aided container scanners to enhance efficiency in cargo clearance.

Speaking during the launch ceremony, John Njiraini, commissioner general of Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), said the newly-installed non-intrusive cargo scanners include two fixed units and a mobile one, which will enhance KRA's capacity to scan all cargo of interest from a risk management perspective.

"Presently we scan about 500 containers every day and expect to increase this to about 750 containers or approximately 30 percent of all cargo with the newly-installed equipment," he said.

Njiraini recalled his visit to China's Shanghai and the port there. "I've seen how they use technology to facilitate customs process. There's no people at the big port and all the work is done automatically," he said, adding that Kenya will continue deepening engagement with China in utilization of customs clearance technology.

The Kenya official also expected the scanners to better facilitate business flow, clamp down on smuggling and thus generate more revenue.

Guo Ce, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, said he hoped the three advanced container scanners could help Mombasa port operate more efficiently and safely, so to drive local economic development and spur Kenya's economic growth.

He said with the two countries' economic cooperation deepening and expanding, areas adjacent to China-driven mega flagship projects are becoming a booming economic belt, where accelerated growth and investment have led to revitalized development in Kenya.

Guo said China's two centenary goals mirror the aspirations of Kenya's Vision 2030, and China will continue economic cooperation with Kenya, with the cargo scanners handover being one demonstration.

"I sincerely believe the project can bring better communications and pass down the Chinese-Kenyan friendship," he said.
A mobile phone user looks at icons of Chinese meal delivery company Ele.me (left), and Chinese online food delivery company Baidu Waimai, the food delivery service of online search giant Baidu, on his smartphone in Shanghai, Aug 24, 2017. [Photo/IC]

SHANGHAI  The takeover of Baidu's food delivery unit by Ele.me, China's largest online catering company, will help consolidate the market, analysts said.

On Thursday, Ele.me announced that it will take over the food delivery business of Baidu, which operates under the Baidu Waimai brand.

Ele.me, backed by e-commerce giant Alibaba, has 260 million users in 2,000 cities in China. It delivers from 1.3 million restaurants and has three million scooter-riding delivery staff. Baidu Waimai has 100 million users and covers 300 cities.

Under the deal, Baidu Waimai will continue to operate under its own brand and management. It will also receive shares of Ele.me. Ele.me will provide support for users, finance, delivery and logistics, the company said.

Zhang Xuhao, CEO of Ele.me, said the deal is financed by Alibaba.

"Ele.me and Baidu Waimai will complement each other with their own advantages," said Zhang.

According to iiMedia, a market research firm, China's online catering business has maintained fast growth since 2011. In 2016, the market size was 166 billion yuan (about $24 billion), up 33 percent year-on-year. The market size is expected to reach 204 billion yuan (about $30 billion) this year.

Ele.me holds 41.7 percent of market share, while its biggest competitor, Meituan Waimai, comes in second with 41 percent. Baidu Waimai is in third place with 13.2 percent, according to multiple industry reports.

In June, Ele.me had 34 million active users, while Meituan had close to 30 million and Baidu Waimai had 17 million users.

The takeover deal will help reshuffle the market and make Ele.me the biggest online caterer in China, said Cao Lei, director of China E-Commerce Research Center.

"Baidu's food delivery business already lags way behind the leading competitors. Baidu's exit from O2O business will help it better focus on its main business of artificial intelligence, search engine and information," he said.

After the deal, many netizens worried that the consolidation will cut competition and reduce hongbao, or coupons, for users.

"When three becomes two, these online caterers will probably not send out free coupons to lure users, but the market will move on," said Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia.

More than 42 percent of food delivery service customers said their orders did not arrive on time, according to a poll conducted by iiMedia.

Online caterers need to cultivate their brands and use technology to ensure efficiency and put the quality of service first, said Chen Liteng, an e-commerce researcher.
TAIYUAN  Abdul Aleem Baig from Pakistan gave himself the Chinese name Yang Guang (Sunshine), which describes his mood when he runs his leather jacket business in China.

On Saturday morning, his booth at the Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan was crowded with buyers trying on clothes or bargaining with him.

Abdul, 28, first came to China five years ago, following his older brother who was doing well in the business. So far, he has been to similar fairs in more than 40 cities and spends 20 days a month in the country.

He is among many foreign merchants seeking their fortune in China through expos, which are more flexible and cheaper than opening stores.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Commerce in June, the scale of Chinese expos remains the largest in 2016, with more than 5,500 fairs staged that year.

"Leather jackets from Pakistan are world-renowned. Muslims eat lots of lamb, so we have lots of sheepskin, and many Chinese makers came to Pakistan for that," Abdul said.

He said a long leather jacket made in Pakistan at his booth would be sold for 2,500 yuan ($376) while a Chinese-made counterpart of the same quality would be priced at 8,000 to 10,000 yuan.

In China, Abdul makes twice as much compared with in his hometown. "In Pakistan the competition is cut-throat, since leather jackets are everywhere," he said.

Jay Kay from Myanmar made 500,000 yuan a year from his jade business in China. He came to China seven years ago and attends more than 30 expos across the country each year.

"Selling jade is not hard in China. It has so many people who love jade," the 28-year-old said in fluent Chinese, adding that he stays in China for 10 months a year.

Pema Lama took part in 15 fairs during the past two years in China. Trading Buddhist items, such as Thangka painting, he earns 150,000 yuan a year, almost the same with his income in Nepal.

However, his choice to go to China was not just about money.

"I wanted to have my own business, and I did it. I could only work for others in Nepal," he said. "I wish I had come here earlier."

The 45-year-old has also been to India and Italy.

"But the business in China is the best. I don't know why," he said.

David from Mali, who sells tambourines at the Taiyuan expo, said he did exceptionally brisk business at biennial expos in the cities of Kunming and Lanzhou, since "people had waited a long time and desire foreign goods."

"China is very open and friendly; expos are a good example," he said.
A woman tries out an Ofo bike at an industry expo in Beijing. [Photo by Zou Hong/For China Daily]

VIENNA  China's station-free bicycle-sharing-system is to be launched in Vienna, capital of Austria, on Sunday, the Beijing-based Chinese bicycle sharing company, Ofo, told Xinhua on Friday.

Found in 2014 as a student project, Ofo was supported by the internet technology and is pushing forward its station-free bicycle-sharing-system, which would allow bike riders to share the Ofo bikes by using app to scan and unlock the bikes, searching the bikes available in the city by their smart phone.

Unlike the traditional bike sharing system, no bike stations are built, commuters could leave the bikes any corners allowed in the city.

The company has launched 8 million bikes worldwide, the major market is still in China, especially in the large cities like Beijing and Shanghai, meanwhile, the company is trying to explore the oversee market.

Ofo told Xinhua, after evaluation, due to conveniences for bike riders in the city, Vienna is chosen as the first city in mainland European countries to initiate the pilot project of the station-free bike-sharing-system.

Two hundred bikes is set to be launched in the second district in the city of Vienna on Sunday. In the testing process, all the sharing of the Ofo bikes are free of charge.

It is not decided yet how many bikes are needed in the city of Vienna, the station-free bike-sharing company is monitoring the pilot project.

However, in the city of Vienna, there is already a running bike sharing system, supported by the government of Vienna. The Vienna city-bike is considered as the strong competitor of Ofo's bike system.

Another Chinese company, Mobike, has launched similar bike-sharing scheme in the West of London and in the northern English city of Manchester.
Visitors watch a robot play piano at the 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing, Aug 24, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING  While few people would associate inanimate objects such robots with having artistic capabilities, the ongoing 2017 World Robot Conference in Beijing is shedding light on their creative abilities.

Dressed in a suit and tie, TeoTronico sits in front of a piano center stage in an exhibition hall, moving its fingers with great accuracy and speed to play a piece from Mozart.

Unlike a human pianist, TeoTronico has 53 "fingers." It is a purpose built pianist robot, created in Italy.

After participating in many concerts, TeoTronico has gained recognition worldwide. It has even faced off with a human pianist in a musical battle.

In addition to playing piano, it can talk, sing and make amusing facial expressions, interact in conversations, and move its head, mouth, eyes, eyelids and eyebrows.

"The robot serves as a musical education assistant, giving some insight for music learners," said Peter Chang, China representative for TeoTronico, who added that they currently don't plan to mass produce the robot pianist.

Chang said the robot performing at the conference is the third generation. The fourth generation, which has the ability to spontaneously compose music, is available in Europe.

"We don't think that robots will replace humans. This robot is intended to cooperate with its human counterparts," he said.

While TeoTronico is busy at displaying its musical talent, Saidaqian is staging an exhibition of its paintings in another area of the conference.

Wearing a peaked cap and glasses, and sporting a handlebar mustache, the 1.55-meter tall artist robot stands in silence, fully devoting to sketching portraits of visitors in black ink.

Saidaqian was created by Shenzhen Academy of Robotics. A user's photo can be sent to the robot's system, it will then begin to draw the portrait, taking around five minutes to complete it.

According to Fang Siwen from the academy, Saidaqian's appearance was designed to resemble the stereotype of foreign street artists. The robot can be used in museums, shopping malls and restaurants to teach drawing or attract customers.

The company has already sold two portrait robots prior to the conference, at a price of around 300,000 yuan ($45,000) each. Customers can also rent a robot for nearly 8,000 yuan per month, said Fang.

If a robot pianist and artist fail to amaze you, how about a robotic arm capable of writing traditional Chinese calligraphy? At a time when humans are slowly forgetting how to write by hand, robots are willing and able to do the job and do it precisely.

A robotic arm called Dobot Magician paints a Chinese couplet with a brush pen and ink, attracting many onlookers. The arm is already well-known in China after its appearance on this year's Spring Festival Gala online broadcast.

However, Dobot Magician's main function is not writing characters, said Xiang Haibing, regional manager of Shenzhen Yuejiang Technology, the robotic arm's creator. "It can also be used in other fields such as 3D printing and laser engraving."

Xiang said that the company has sold more than 5,000 similar robotic arms worldwide. Most of them were purchased by educational institutes to inspire students to be more innovative.

He admitted that anything is possible in the world of robots. In the future, perhaps robots will have self-learning abilities, have their own memories or even ideas.

"So we will have higher demands on artists," Xiang said.

However, human artists are not worried about losing their place to robots.

"Robots cannot replace humans in the arts," said Chen Zhe, a Chinese composer. "The interpretation and creation of music is basically the expression of feelings."

Chen said robots can increase public interest in learning music, but they cannot effectively teach music. As they are based on programmed procedures, they cannot adjust their teaching approach according to students' learning speeds and personal feelings.

"Robots don't have creativity," said Qiu Zhijie, president of the School of Experimental Art at China Central Academy of Fine Arts.

When an artist sees beautiful scenery, he may immediately make a sketch, paint an artwork 20 years later, or just write a poem about what he saw.

"When we see his work, we can recall his experience and be moved by his feelings. The same painting produced by a robot would not touch our heart in the same way," Qiu said.

Qiu is not worried about robots stealing jobs from artists. He said the emergence of photography brought about modern paintings and several of the great painters, for example Vincent Van Gogh.

Jia Xiaoning, a Chinese painter, was interested in the artist robot Saidaqian. After appreciating its work, he said: "The biggest difference between humans and robots is that we have life and emotions."

"Different feelings push people into different states, which will affect what they see, hear and think, and eventually these feelings are shown in their paintings in terms of color and drawing strength," Jia said.

Can an artist's hand be replaced by a robot's touch? "Let's wait and see," Jia said.
A worker hangs ornaments at the Ming Dynasty City Wall Ruins Park under a blue sky in Beijing in March, 2017. LIU PING/CHINA DAILY

China has pledged to cut PM2.5 concentration by at least 15 percent year-on-year in 28 northern cities from October to March to meet smog reduction targets, the top environmental authority said.

A new Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei regional environmental protection bureau will be set up and will begin a trial operation by the end of September to facilitate joint controls, it added.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection released a 143-page action plan on its website on Thursday night, listing detailed targets, controlling measures and punishments. The action plan covers Beijing, Tianjin and 26 other cities in the smog-plagued provinces of Hebei, Shandong, Henan and Shanxi.

Among the 28 cities, Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, will have to meet higher targets. The three cities must cut PM2.5 concentration by 25 percent year-on-year between October and March, and the number of days with severe air pollution are to be cut by 20 percent.

The plan also sets various reduction targets for the rest of the 28 cities based on their current pollution level.

PM2.5, hazardous fine particulate matter with diameter of less than 2.5 microns, has been a major index to measure air pollution in China.

The central government required the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, by the end of 2017, to lower the regional concentration of PM2.5 by 25 percent compared with the 2012 level, and Beijing must lower it to 60 micrograms per cubic meter.

Liu Youbin, an official with the ministry's Publicity Department, said that since 2013, the region has managed to reduce air pollution significantly, but the frequent severe smog in January and February this year has hindered achievement of the 2017 air quality targets.

The concentration of PM2.5 in the first two months of the year increased in these cities, the first time in the past four years.

"It showed that the controls of PM2.5 in autumn and winter are critical to decide whether we can achieve the 2017 targets or not," the action plan says.

Under such pressure, the ministry has issued a package of strict controlling measures, from pollution monitoring and industrial production restrictions to punishment of polluters and government officials who are remiss.

Xie Hongxing, director of the Clean Air Alliance of China, a nonprofit environmental organization, said the control measures adopted in the action plan are "stronger than before".

According to the action plan, all the 327 counties in the 28 cities are required to establish auto-monitoring stations and release data to the public for monitoring. Heavy industries will face tougher production restrictions than ever before.

Some industries producing construction materials like cement, bricks, pottery and plaster tablet will be suspended from production in the heating season, starting in mid-November, and iron production will be halved in Shijiazhuang, Tangshan and Handan, Hebei province, the major domestic iron-making cluster.

Additionally, coal consumption in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei will be cut by 11.2 million metric tons this year, and 3 million households in the 28 cities will use electricity or gas for heating in the coming winter.

The new regional environmental bureau will establish unified plans, issue unified standards and environmental impact assessments and conduct monitoring and law enforcement, the plan says.
Operators of discussion platforms must not manipulate posts for profit

People who run online forums are prohibited from making money by deleting or recommending comments, according to regulations released on Friday by the Office of the Central Leading Group for Cyberspace Affairs.

The rules take effect on Oct 1.

Employees of online platforms should not delete or recommend posts based on subjective opinions about their value or to earn money, the regulations said.

"They are also forbidden from deploying software or hiring people or commercial agencies to spread messages," they said. Forums were urged to operate within the law and according to commercial ethics, and operators were encouraged to shoulder their social responsibility.

Online forums were also asked to improve technology to protect people's personal information. Safety defects and loopholes that create risks should be found and remedied in a timely manner.

The regulations were released in the wake of a number of incidents that sparked public's attention. For example, Baidu Tieba, an online discussion platform, was accused last year of selling users' information from its hemophilia forum to unregulated private hospitals, making it easier for the hospitals to reach potential clients. The accusation triggered heated discussions about information security and the commercial ethics of websites.

The administration said that while online posts and comments have enriched people's lives, phenomena such as the spreading of rumors, the use of vulgar or otherwise uncivilized words and the posting of illegal information have emerged and created disorder.

Such incidents should be controlled and punished, making for a better online environment, it said.

The regulations also ask cyberspace affairs offices at the provincial and regional levels to set up a credit and blacklist system as a way to strengthen management and supervision of online forums.

Liu Deliang, a professor of law at Beijing Normal University, said the regulations should be more detailed and specific. He said they should guide the actions not only of online forums but also the general behavior of internet users.

"I think it's not necessary to set up credit and blacklist systems in provinces and regions, as that will result in different standards and judgments between offices across the country," he said.

In addition to the requirements for forum operators, the regulations said the platforms should check users' information carefully to confirm real identities before allowing people to post and comment.

"Websites should stick to a principle that each user's real name is visible at the website's back end, while users can decide the names they want to use on the front end," the regulations said.

Contact the writers at zhaoxinyinig@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 08/26/2017 page3)
Officers and soldiers help with the relief work of the disaster caused by typhoon Hato in Macao Special Administrative Region, South China, Aug 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

About 1,000 troops from the People's Liberation Army Garrison in Macao were mobilized on Friday to support disaster relief efforts after typhoon Hato struck the Macao Special Administrative Region. This marks the first time the PLA garrison in Macao was deployed on a local mission.

The mobilization came at the request of the Macao SAR government and was approved by the central government in accordance with the Basic Law of the Macao SAR and the Garrison Law of the Macao SAR.

"We give our full support to the SAR government in protecting the lives and properties of Macao people, in a bid to restore normality as soon as possible," Deputy Chief of Staff of the PLA Garrison in Macao Gao Zhijun said on Friday.

The PLA Garrison in Macao said it will make concerted efforts with the SAR government, central government agencies in Macao and Macao compatriots to help protect the lives and property of the Macao compatriots so they can resume their lives and business as soon as possible.

Streets in Macao were piled with smelly garbage after the typhoon flooded much of the city. Local residents fear the garbage will spread disease if it cannot be cleaned up promptly.
KUNMING - Rescuers are searching for six people who went missing after a flood caused by heavy rain in Southwest China's Yunnan province, local authorities said Saturday.

The six, from two households, went missing around 7 pm Friday after their riverside homes in Shizi township, Yanjin county, collapsed in the flood, according to the county publicity office.

Downpours since Thursday have affected nearly 150,000 people in eight counties of Zhaotong city, causing landslides and mudslides.

In Yiliang county, a lake formed after a landslide blocked a river at 5:40 am Friday. More than 2,000 residents living downstream of the lake were evacuated to safety before it burst two hours later.

Disaster relief goods, including tents, quilts, instant food and bottled water, have been sent to the affected area.

Rescue workers are taking care of relocated residents and making plans to repair the lake.
Beijing's food safety watchdog has begun a two-week sanitation inspection of the city's restaurants.

This came after two Beijing branches of a popular hotpot chain was exposed to have operated in unhygienic conditions. Videos taken by hidden cameras showed rats infested the kitchen, a dishwasher was caked with oily food residue, and a worker tried to fix sewage clog with a soup ladle.

The Sichuan Province-based Haidilao hot pot has admitted its management faults in a frank public statement issued Friday, apologizing for the scandal.

In recent years, Haidilao took major Chinese cities by storm by its signature spicy Sichuanese hot pot and excellent service. According to its website, Haidilao is operating in about 60 Chinese cities and has expanded to Los Angeles, Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo,

Beijing Food and Drug Administration said the inspection will target both restaurant chains and canteen suppliers. Business licenses, dishwashers, sanitation equipment, measures to keep off pests and diseases are the focus of the inspection.

The watchdog said it has also ordered Haidilao to open its kitchens to the public in a month and report the overhaul measures. The chain's sanitation ratings will be downgraded.

Haidilao, meanwhile, promised to ensure all its restaurants both in China and abroad maintain good sanitation standards.
The 24th Beijing International Book Fair, which opened on Wednesday, will present over 300,000 books from 89 countries during its five days.Zou Hong / China Daily

'Huge expectations' of country turn world's attention to president's ideas

President Xi Jinping's works are very popular with visitors at the ongoing 24th Beijing International Book Fair.

According to Zhang Fuhai, the president of China International Publishing Group, which runs Foreign Languages Press, the publisher of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, 6.42 million copies of the bookwhich has been published in 21 languages in more than 160 countries and regionshave been distributed so far worldwide.

Reviewers see the book as an important window into China and say that is why it is popular worldwide.

"This is the first time a serving leader of China has made his philosophy, his ideas and his programs available to the international community in (so many) multiple languages," said David Ferguson, a Scottish writer, translator and foreign expert with the publishing group.

"An enormous amount of international attention is being paid to China at the moment. There are huge expectations of China. The world wants to know what to expect of China under the current leadership," Ferguson said, explaining the book's popularity.

Meanwhile, the publisher launched the English and French versions of the president's work Up and Out of Poverty on Wednesday.

The book, originally published in Chinese in 1992, comprises 29 of Xi's speeches and articles written during his posting as Party secretary of the CPC Ningde Prefectural Committee in Fujian province, from 1988-90.

Speaking about the book, Wu Shangzhi, vice-minister of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television, said: "To eradicate poverty and boost development in eastern Fujian, the president devised innovative ideas, mechanisms and methods, and he has shared those in the book.

"The book shows his concern and care for the people there, and his confidence and determination to fight poverty."

Bah Thierno Maadjou, a counselor with the embassy of Guinea in China, said the book offered thoughts, ways and a vision to help his country and other developing countries in fighting poverty.

Meanwhile, Zhang, the director of the publishing group, said: "President Xi's ideas and the summarization of his experience offered a theoretical and political foundation for poverty alleviation in the country, where 55 million people have been lifted from misery, a feat as well as a miracle in human history.

"The theories are an important part of the Chinese governing philosophy and strategy. And, in multiple languages, the book will offer Chinese wisdom and solutions to issues shared by the international community."

Separately, The Governance of China contains a fuller picture of Xi's ideas.

The book, comprising 79 articles and speeches in 18 categories from Nov 15, 2012, to June 13, 2014, is seen as a key read for China watchers.

Milos Balaban, a professor with Charles University in Prague, in the Czech Republic, said at a symposium on the book in 2016 that the publication offered readers a chance to understand the reasons for China's development, especially from a wider historical, political and economic background.

Balaban said the book showed that progress "isn't possible without a sound and complete governing mechanism".

He also said the country's development model offered an example to the Czech Republic as well as other European countries.

He praised the ideas of President Xi, like the economy's "new normal" and the Belt and Road Initiative.

"The ideas and plans will help China achieve its future development goals and cope with challenges, besides helping the world economy, Balaban said.

Also at that symposium, Vojtech Filip, the leader of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, said, "One of President Xi Jinping's great contributions is that he made the new strategic plans and implemented them, leading China into a new phase of development."

Ten such symposiums, as well as 14 book launches, have been held around the world since the book was released in 2014.

Liu Yuhong of the promotion department of Foreign Languages Press said the publisher believes the global success of the book is a result of efforts by co-publishers in different markets and the international branches of Chinese organizations.

Foreign Languages Press works with co-publishers, usually local entities, and has the book translated by native speakers of the targeted market.

Speaking about what impressed him most in the book, Ferguson said it was the Appendix, which offers a profile of Xi under the title Man of the People.

"Often, Chinese political writing is all facts and figures. It is dry and conceptual, and lacks the human element that we value in the West. But the Appendix from Xi's book tells the story of Xi's experiences from his youth as an 'intellectual being re-educated' in rural Shaanxi. This story enables you to ... see Xi as the very down-to-earth person he is in reality," Ferguson said.

In the profile, Xi is quoted as saying: "The people aspire to a decent lifethat is what we are fighting for."
Adventure tourism company DeepFlight Adventures is set to launch a unique travel experience in the Maldives - with trips aboard a specially designed submarine that "flies" underwater. Adam Wright, the company's CEO, explains how it works

Imagine you've chartered a private plane for a sightseeing trip across a vast, unexplored wilderness. However, instead of heading skyward, your pilot looks down and takes you on a dazzling adventure beneath the waves, sweeping and soaring alongside manta rays and sharks.

This is the experience awaiting passengers on an innovative new three-person submarine, the DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S, that will make its tourism debut later this year in the pristine waters around the Maldives.
The New York Times has suggested the three young Hong Kong protesters recently jailed by the city's Court of Appeal for violating the law should be awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Nothing could be more ironic than that.

Joshua Wong Chi-fung, Alex Chow Yong-kang and Nathan Law Kwunchung are not political prisoners, as claimed by their sympathizers, but criminal offenders who violated the law by leading a protest in 2014. In July last year, they were convicted of unlawful assembly by a magistrate who spared them imprisonment. Upon appeal by the secretary of justice, the Court of Appeal sentenced them to between six and eight months' imprisonment on Aug 17 after considering the seriousness of their offenses and circumstances of the case.

"Unlawful assembly" is an offense punishable under the common-law system that originated in the United Kingdom. It was codified and stipulated in Section 18 of Hong Kong's Public Order Ordinance long before the city's return to China in July 1997, and has been retained as it does not violate the Basic Law.

Contrary to the misconception that "unlawful assembly" is an offense against the security of state, it is actually an offense against public order. Western media outlets like the NYT and the local opposition camp might have had a reason to call these convicts "political prisoners" had they committed an offense against the security of state. But what they did was an offense against public order. Therefore, any reference to "political prosecution" or "political prisoners" in this case is an aberration.

Another aberration would be to confuse "unlawful assembly" with a "normal public meeting", which requires the organizers to only submit a notice to police in advance. The Public Order Ordinance classifies "unlawful assembly" together with "riots and similar offenses", and defines it as: "When three or more persons, assembled together, conduct themselves in a disorderly, intimidating, insulting or provocative manner intended or likely to cause any person reasonably to fear that the persons so assembled will commit a breach of the peace, or will by such conduct provoke other persons to commit a breach of the peace, they are an unlawful assembly." It can invite a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison.

By construction of the said definition, if three people are assembled, and two resolve to set upon the third, this is not an unlawful assembly, but if the three resolve to attack a fourth, it is. In the case of Wong and others, hundreds of their fellow protesters were provoked; the situation became much more serious than when only three people were involved.

The hearing revealed the trio had discussed and assessed the risk of pounding the steel gate of the government headquarters for occupation after a public meeting ended on the night of Sept 26, 2014. They were preparing to attack with malicious intentions, and the violence they unleashed left more than 10 security guards injured.

Would such a violent unlawful assembly cause any person to fear that the assembled people had committed themselves to breaking peace or provoked others to do the same? The answer is certainly "yes". And the deterrent punishment handed down by the Court of Appeal to the offenders is still much lighter than the stipulated maximum imprisonment.

In the verdict, judge Wally Yeung Chun-kuen has reaffirmed that doing something against the law in the name of self-proclaimed justice is an offense. Laws should safeguard not only the people who exercise their rights but also those who could be affected by the exercise of those rights.

The Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to be awarded only to those who have done great work for deepening ties between nations, for helping abolish or reduce standing armies and for keeping and promoting peace. By suggesting this award be given to people found guilty of unlawful assembly, breaching peace and violating the public order, NYT is not only insulting the intelligence of the Norwegian Nobel Committee members but also being disrespectful to the memory of the great inventor Alfred Nobel.

The author is a veteran Hong Kong commentator and professor at the Research Center of Hong Kong and Macao Basic Law, Shenzhen University.
Economics tells us people have different kinds of demands, which can be met through the means of market. And sociology tells us people have different types of needs, many of which should be provided by the government, rather than being purchased in the market at high costs.

Yet people tend to forget these simple lessons in today's commercial world ruled by a monster called mindless craze, which if unleashed will lead to not only extravagance and waste, but also all sorts of social and commercial oddities.

Bama county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is a case in point. Tens of thousands of people, many of them suffering from cancer, or chronic diseases such as diabetes or hypertension, visit Bama, the "longevity county", in the hope of curing their diseases, as they believe the fresh air, and local food and water in Bama act like miracle medicines and are the reasons for local residents' unusual longevity.

Many contests have been organizedperhaps inspired by the Japaneseto elect the "hometown of longevity" in China. One can understand that such organizers want to use "scientific" methods to reach a conclusion on the "law of longevity", so as to benefit more people. I've been invited as a member of the jury to judge a couple of such contests. But because assuming there is a law of longevity would be sheer folly, I have politely refused the invitations.

Regretfully, many people see Bama as a "longevity county". The over-commercialization of the county has let loose the monster that is mindless craze. As a result, some simple natural resources from Bama have become "sacred articles" carrying the magic code of longevity.

Some businesspeople, realizing that people's craze can be easily translated into profits, have turned Bama into a lucrative business. There are guides to take the "devout pilgrims" to Bama to squander their money in the hope that every penny they spend will add to their life. History shows that people have lost all their richesand some kings their kingdomsin the quest for longevity, if not immortality.

Even in the classic Journey to West, there are monsters who want just a bite of the monk's flesh in the belief that it will make them immortal.

The pursuit of longevity is not new to Chinese culture. More than 400 million peopleor 25 percent of the total populationin China will be 60 or above in less than 20 years. Perhaps occasional reports on "scientific" research suggesting people's lifespan could increase to 100 years have reignited the pursuit of longevity among Chinese. And Bama has become the means to the success of that pursuit.

Different centenarians have different reasons for their longevity. Some live in relatively clean environment, others have beaten the odds even in polluted cities. Some are vegetarians, others swear by meat and fish. Some follow a healthy lifestyle, while others are heavy smokers and drinkers.

Most of the centenarians in Bama have led a frugal life because it used to be a poor county untouched by modern development till a few years ago. No one knows the secret of longevity of the centenarians in Bama or those in other places. But we know that a long life could be tedious, meaningless and of no use to societyand a short one could be highly meaningful and beneficial to a society, a country, even the world.

A person's pursuit should be to lead a meaningful life.

The author is a columnist for Southern Metropolis Daily. The article first appeared in the newspaper on Wednesday.




Strange are the ways of politics. Even novices learn the tricks of the trade as soon as they assume office. They may not fathom the essence of the body politic, but they master, or are taught to master, the dirty art of realpolitik, geostrategy and all things that make international relations the mess they are today.

US President Donald Trump has brought that into focus. The world sees him as committing one historical blunder after another. But Trump seems to know what he is doing.

One example of his brinkmanship was his speech on Afghanistan a couple of days ago. Pledging to "fight to win" the war in Afghanistan which the United States started 16 years ago, Trump took an unexpected swipe at India. Calling the country a "natural ally", he said: "We appreciate India's important contributions to stability in Afghanistan  But India makes billions of dollars in trade from the US and we want them to help us more with Afghanistan, especially in the area of economic assistance and development."

In one sweeping stroke, Trump linked global cooperation to "rebuild" Afghanistan to the trade imbalance between Washington and New Delhi, about $24 billion last year, introduced an uncomfortable dynamic to US-India ties and calculatedly made Indian leaders feel important in the US' scheme of things.

India's ruling party leaders were not only impressed, they were overjoyed with Trump's denunciation of Pakistan and his accusing it of supporting "terrorists" and "agents of chaos". The Indian Ministry of External Affairs welcomed Trump's promise to tackle the issue of "safe havens" and "cross-border support" for militant factionsespecially because Indian leaders also see Pakistan's hand in themand vowed to continue providing help for the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.

For many experts, however, Trump's surprising detour in his speech didn't come as a surprise considering he is a businessman and his foreign policy until now has been framed in transactional terms. What the experts seem to have missed, as have Indian leaders, is that Trump's speech was not only couched in terms of transactions but also carried a more "meaningful" geostrategic message.

As Afghan ambassador to India Shaida Abdali said earlier this year, India has provided $3 billion in assistance for Afghanistan since the Taliban government was toppled by the US-led coalition forces in 2001, and over the years India, as Afghanistan's biggest regional donor, has built about 4,000 kilometers of roads, dams, hydropower plants and the new parliament building in Kabul. So why does Trump want India to help the US "more with Afghanistan"?

The devil, it is claimed, is in the details. Not this time.

Indian leaders may bask in self-importance that the president of the world's most powerful country wants New Delhi to help it reconstruct Afghanistan. But it is surprising they have not reflected on 200 years of their history under the British rulers, who excelled in the politics of divide and rule. That Trump's "offer" comes at a time when Indian troops are engaged in a standoff with Chinese troops in Donglang for over two months seems to have been lost in their self-aggrandizement.

Have the Indian leaders even thought why Trump wants India to help clear the mess in Afghanistan, which was created by the US in the first place?

It's rather clear, especially because Trump refused to ask China, Afghanistan's giant neighbor to the east and the world's second-largest economy, to help rebuild the war-ravaged country. And even the most biased political observer would admit China's assistance is vital to Afghanistan's reconstruction.

Political wisdom demands that Indian leaders see Trump's "offer" for what it is: to further widen the divide not only between India and Pakistan, which India considers its archenemy, but also between New Delhi and Beijing, so as to cash in on the opportunities, economic and geopolitical, arising out of the regional conflicts that are likely to ensue.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily. oprana@chinadaily.com.cn
Adam Wright stands in front of a couple of his submersible toys. Provided by Deepflight

Adventure tourism company DeepFlight Adventures is set to launch a unique travel experience in the Maldives - with trips aboard a specially designed submarine that "flies" underwater. Adam Wright, the company's CEO, explains how it works

Imagine you've chartered a private plane for a sightseeing trip across a vast, unexplored wilderness. However, instead of heading skyward, your pilot looks down and takes you on a dazzling adventure beneath the waves, sweeping and soaring alongside manta rays and sharks.

This is the experience awaiting passengers on an innovative new three-person submarine, the DeepFlight Super Falcon 3S, that will make its tourism debut later this year in the pristine waters around the Maldives.

Submarines have been used to take holidaymakers into the deep before.

But that experience was more akin to an underwater bus ride, with passengers peering out through small portholes, says Adam Wright, CEO of DeepFlight, a company that designs and manufactures high-performance personal submarines.

"In the Super Falcon 3S, you're able to fly underwater like an airplane and your head is right in the middle of a hemispherical dome - it's a completely immersive experience, but you're not getting wet," says Wright, in an interview from the company's San Francisco headquarters. "You're seeing shipwrecks and kelp, flying with whales and interacting with the environment in a totally different way."
After the Beijing stop, Sister Act will visit other Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, throughout October. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The award-winning musical, Sister Act, which is based on the 1992 comedy film of the same title starring Whoopi Goldberg, opened in Beijing on Aug 18 and will run till Sept 3.

Written by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, Sister Act has original lyrics by Tony Awards nominee Glenn Slater and music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken.

Originally co-produced by Goldberg herself, the musical version of Sister Act premiered in 2006 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California and opened in 2009 at London's West End before being revised for Broadway in 2011.

According to the musical's China touring manager, Yang Jie, who introduced the cast to Beijing's audiences on Aug 18, the musical is on its second tour of Asia, which began in Singapore this May. In 2015, the production kicked off an Asian tour, including a three-week run in Japan, but it didn't come to China.

"The success of our Asian tour in 2015 gave us lots of confidence about this China tour," says Yang, adding that the shows in Guangzhou and Shenzhen between July 26 to Aug 13 were very popular. After the Beijing stop, the musical will visit other Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Hangzhou, throughout October.

"Essentially the musical production retains the film's plot. What makes it different is the music," Yang adds.

Sister Act tells the story of a disco diva in late 1970s Philadelphia, Deloris Van Cartier, who hides out in a convent after witnessing her gangster boyfriend being killed.
Chinese police hand over fugitive Naquan Ferguson to police from the United States in Guangzhou on Friday. LU HANXIN/XINHUA

A most-wanted fugitive from the United States convicted of violent crime has been repatriated from China to face trial, according to the Ministry of Public Security on Friday.

Early Friday, Chinese police transferred criminal fugitive Naquan Ferguson to their US counterparts at Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport. Ferguson was then escorted to the US to face punishment.

The successful repatriation of the US fugitive was "considered the latest achievement of law enforcement cooperation to hunt down fugitives since two Chinese fugitives were repatriated from the US to face trial in June and August", said a senior official at the ministry who requested that his name not be used.

Two Chinese fugitivesone suspected of rape and the other of fraudwere repatriated from the US to stand trial in China. One was repatriated in June and the other earlier this month.

In September 2011, Ferguson conspired with others to rob a jewelry store in the US state of Connecticut, and in June 2013, he was arrested by police in the United States.

He pleaded guilty to possession of firearms and conspiracy to commit robbery and first-degree larceny and was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison, according to the ministry.

In October 2014, he fled the US to avoid punishment. In May 2015, Interpol issued a red notice on him.

According to the ministry, Ferguson fled to Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, in February, and US judicial authorities asked Chinese police to assist in locating, arresting and repatriating him.

According to the ministry, China has stepped up law enforcement cooperation, including intelligence sharing and conducting joint investigations with the US and other countries to hunt down fugitives and confiscate their ill-gotten assets transferred abroad.

"We have captured and repatriated the US fugitive within half a year, which fully reflects that China has adopted a 'zero tolerance' attitude in fighting cross-border crimes," the ministry official said.

"We are willing to cooperate with relevant countries to nab the fugitives and return their illicit assets on the basis of complying with the law, mutual trust, cooperation and win-win situation," he said.

Huang Feng, a law professor at Beijing Normal University, said, "A number of corrupt Chinese fugitives are still at large in the US, and the successful repatriation of the fugitives between China and the US will serve as good examples to deepen and expand their judicial cooperation on locating, arresting and repatriating the fugitives."
Lawyers representing former University of Illinois graduate student Brendt Christensen plan to request that his trial be delayed so they can prepare their defense. Christensen, 28, is charged with kidnapping visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, who remains missing and is presumed dead.

Christensen's trial was set to begin on Sept 12. But Evan Bruno, one of three lawyers representing him, said on Thursday that they plan to file a motion asking the court to push the date back.

Bruno said they needed more time to review the huge amount of evidence received from the government - more than 1,000 pages of police reports from federal and state law-enforcement, along with several terabytes of video.

"We've already got some of the evidence from two weeks ago, but there is a lot more evidence that we have not received yet; they are not ready to be delivered to us," said Bruno, adding that the pretrial hearing set for Monday, when Christensen makes his fourth appearance at the federal courthouse in Urbana, would be very simple and brief.

The US Attorney's Office said it had no objection to the defense's request and agreed that it's to be expected in a case with this amount of evidence, according to Fox News.

"I anticipate the judge will address our motion to continue on Monday, and the government will indicate they don't object to the motion," said Bruno. "Then the judge will reschedule the trial date, maybe one or two months away."

Wang Zhidong, a lawyer representing the Zhang family, said a delay was to be expected.

"That's typical in any case where there is a lot of evidence to go through," Wang said.

Zhang was last seen on June 9.

Zhang Ruinan in New York contributed to this story.
US trade protection measures, including Section 301 of the US Trade Act of 1974, have not only imposed huge costs on consumers in the United States and on the country's economy but have failed to achieve their primary policy aims, according to a report published this week.

Scott Lincicome, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute, surveyed academic literature throughout US history. He examined three periods - the founding of the US to its entry into the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in 1947; the GATT's early years to the creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995; and the current World Trade Organization (WTO) era.

"The surveys show that, contrary to the fashionable rhetoric, American protectionism has repeatedly failed as an economic strategy," Lincicome said.

While many trade specialists and economists agree that US protection measures are costly and ineffective, the fact that the measures produce winners and losers is exploited by politicians, according to Lincicome, an international trade attorney.

He explained that winners are concentrated, with concentrated benefits, while losers are diffuse and have diffuse costs.

"So, there is clearly this area for political gain by President Obama or by President Trump to pursue trade measures for political gain, despite the potential economic cost," Lincicome told China Daily on Thursday.

An analysis by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, which was cited in the study, found that threats of retaliation using Section 301 failed to achieve even partial success more than half the time; and even actual retaliation worked less than 20 percent of the time.

"These outcomes would likely be worse if similar policies were implemented today, owing to increased American integration into the global economy, the proliferation of global supply chains, the rise of other economic powers, and the creation of the WTO," Lincicome wrote in the report.

The US launched a Section 301 investigation against China, targeting technology transfers and intellectual property. Lincicome believes it's far better for the US to go to the WTO, but said it's too early for people to react much.

"I would agree that, in terms of rhetoric, President Trump's rhetoric is easily the most protectionist of any president in the last several decades. On actual policy, the jury is still out," he said.

According to the study, US anti-dumping laws, including measures against Chinese imports, have repeatedly been found not only to hurt US consumers and many large exporters but also to improve only rarely the state of the protected industry. Instead, what often comes in the wake of the protectionism is the bankruptcy of the very firms that lobbied for it.

The report cited the high cost of protectionism in Obama's imposition of "special" safeguard duties on Chinese tire imports from 2009 to 2011. US tariffs imposed $1.1 billion in additional costs on US tire consumers in 2011, and the cost per manufacturing job saved was at least $900,000 that year, it said.

Most tariffs did not benefit US workers but did help foreign producers in countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Mexico, which replaced Chinese imports. The US tariffs also killed 2,351 jobs in retail and other industries.

In response to the US tire tariffs, the Chinese government retaliated against US exporters of chicken parts, costing that industry about $1 billion, according to the study.

Lincicome said the US has struggled in recent years to adapt to economic disruptions driven by automation, innovation or changing consumer tastes, and it's legitimate to discuss policy ideas in response.

"What should not be up for debate, however, is whether protectionism would help to solve the country's current problems," he said. "History is replete with examples of the failure of American protectionism. Unless our policymakers quickly relearn this history, we may be doomed to repeat it."

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
BANGKOK - An arrest warrant was issued on Friday for former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra who failed to appear in court on the judgment day of a rice lawsuit filed against her.

The warrant obliges police to locate and detain the former premier so that she can be brought to justice on Sept 27.

The Supreme Court postponed the reading of the verdict for the criminal case against Yingluck until Sept 27 after her lawyer said the former leader was suffering from Meniere's disease and feeling dizzy and thus was unable to attend.

Nevertheless, judges ruled that they do not believe Yingluck's illness as it was certified by any doctor, according to a public prosecutor attached to the Office of Attorney General.

Yingluck's failure to appear in court prompted the top court to hand out the arrest warrant for her. She faces charges pertaining to the rice subsidy program implemented nationwide years ago.

Some Thai media earlier reported that a car believed to carry Yingluck was seen at the court as her followers were chanting her name to the vehicle and thus it was assumed she was inside, but she did not show up as expected.

Meanwhile, police have not yet confirmed or denied rumors that Yingluck might have secretly fled the country on Wednesday.

But a senior party source of her Puea Thai Party said: "She is definitely no longer here, she is likely in Singapore now", AFP reported.

Yingluck joins her billionaire brother Thaksin in selfimposed exile - a knockout blow to the family and their political ambitions.

The former leader's house in Yothin Pattana area remained quiet with the gate firmly shut early on Friday with a flock of reporters and photographers waiting outside.

Yingluck, who had earlier maintained that she would fight the legal battle till the end, posted on Facebook on Thursday, calling on her supporters not to travel to the court in Chaeng Wattana area to cheer her up.

Probably be sentenced

Yingluck will probably be sentenced to a certain period in prison if found guilty of the charge that she did not do her duty by failing to call off the rice program which caused state losses.

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said that the news of his predecessor's failing to appear in court surprised him and he had instructed police and other authorities to find her and bring her to justice.

Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said some government officials may have helped Yingluck if she decided to flee the country and have Friday's court verdict put off until late next month.

In her final statement made in her defense in court, Yingluck maintained that she had never neglected her duty involving the rice subsidy program carried out by her government.

Xinhua - Afp - Reuters
Lee Jae-yong, Samsung Group heir, leaves after his verdict trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea August 25, 2017. Lee was handed down 5 years jail sentence while prosecutors sought a 12-year in prison. [Photo/Agencies]

Seoul court says Lee paid bribes to seek favor from ex-leader

SEOUL - The heir to the Samsung empire was convicted of bribery and other offenses on Friday and jailed for five years in connection with the scandal that brought down South Korean president Park Geun-hye.

Lee Jae-yong's penalty could leave the vast conglomerate, which includes the world's biggest smartphone maker, rudderless and hamper its ability to make key investment decisions for years.

The vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, 49, arrived at Seoul Central District Court on a justice ministry bus handcuffed, bound with white rope around his jacket, and carrying an envelope of documents.

Lee was found guilty of bribery, perjury and other charges related to payments Samsung made to Park's secret confidante Choi Soon-sil.

In total, $7.9 million was paid in bribes in return for favors including government support for Lee's hereditary succession as leader of Samsung after his father was left bedridden by a heart attack in 2014, the court found.

Lee had denied the charges, with the defense saying that he was not aware of the payments and did not approve them.

But presiding judge Kim Jin-dong said: "He offered bribes in response to strong demands by the president."

His lawyer said on Friday they will appeal the court's decision and said he was confident the ruling would be overturned.

Some of Lee's supporters demonstrating outside the court broke down in tears.

Samsung is by far the biggest of the chaebols, as South Korea's family-controlled conglomerates that dominate Asia's fourth-largest economy are known, with its revenues equivalent to around one-fifth of the country's GDP.

But while the economy is still growing, social and economic frustrations have mounted over the benefits not being equally shared and the demonstrators who mounted giant candlelit protests against Park last year also targeted Lee and other chaebol chiefs.

The verdict could add impetus to new President Moon Jae-in's efforts to fulfill his campaign pledges of chaebol reform.

The family-owned conglomerates have long had murky connections with political authorities in the country, and past trials of their leaders have often ended with light or suspended sentences, with courts citing their contributions to the economy.

Although Lee's penalty is the longest against a sitting chaebol controller, "considering the fact that Lee was found guilty on all the five charges, five years in prison is the minimum sentence the court was able to come up with", said Chung Sun-sup, the head of corporate analysis firm chaebul.com.

Four other top Samsung executives were also convicted, with two jailed for up to four years, and the other pair given suspended terms.

Afp - Ap - Xinhua
Supporters present flowers to former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra upon her arrival at the Thai Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, July 21, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

DUBAI - Thailand's former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled from Thailand to Dubai, US news channel CNN reported Friday.

Yingluck's escape came just two days before a Thai court is due to deliver a verdict over her case of rice subsidies, CNN quoted "a highly-placed source" in Yinluck's Pheu Thai party as saying on Friday.

She allegedly escaped on Aug 23 with her 15-year-old son over Singapore and flew from there directly to Dubai, CNN said.

There was yet no official comment available from the UAE or by the UAE's state media about the CNN report.

In the past, the UAE had been the destination for several politicians seeking refuge.

In 2003, shortly after a US-led coalition toppled the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein, his former Minister of Information Muhammad Al-Sahaf, known as "Baghdad Bob" or "Comical Ali," fled to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan's former prime minister Benazir Bhutto relocated to Dubai after she lost elections in 1997, where she resided with her family until her return to her country in 2007.
Investigators inspect the site of an attack in downtown Brussels, the capital of Belgium, on Aug 25, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

BRUSSELS - A man was shot, and seriously injured, by Belgian soldiers on Friday evening after trying to assault them with a machete in downtown Brussels.

He later died at hospital, according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium, calling him "terrorist".

The incident took place at 8:20 pm local time at Emile Jacqmain Boulevard in downtown Brussels. The man attacked a patrol of two soldiers while shouting "Allah Akbar" twice. The soldiers fired back and shot him.

"We think it is a terrorist attack," the prosecutor said in a statement. The prosecutor's office opened an investigation into "attempted assassination in a terrorist context".

The neutralized man, a Somali born in 1987, is not known for terrorism, according to Brussels prosecutor's office.

"All our support to our military. Our security services remain attentive. We follow the situation closely with the crisis center of Belgium," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Twitter.
SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired three short-range projectiles into its eastern waters amid the ongoing the Republic of Korea-US war game, Seoul's military said Saturday.

The DPRK launched several unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea off the country's northeast region from an area near Gitdaeryong in Gangwon province at about 6:49 am local time (2149 GMT Friday), according to ROK's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Gangwon province borders ROK's northeastern region.

The JCS said the projectiles flew about 250 km, but what the projectiles are was not known immediately.

It said the military authorities of the ROK and the United States were jointly analyzing the test-launches.

According to Yonhap news agency report citing an unknown source, a total of three projectiles were test-launched.

The first and third ones traveled around 250 km, and the second one exploded in the air immediately after taking off.

The test-firings came as the combined forces of the ROK and the United States kicked off their joint annual war game, codenamed Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), on Monday. The war game would last until next Thursday.

The computerized command post military exercise has been denounced by the DPRK as a rehearsal for northward invasion. The scale of this year's war game was smaller than last year's.

The war game was the first large-scale the ROK-US military drill after the DPRK's tests in July of what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), called Hwasong-14.

Tensions de-escalated on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang and Washington stopped trading belligerent rhetoric.

US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury," and the DPRK warned Washington that it could fire intermediate-range ballistic missiles targeting the waters off the US island of Guam in the Pacific.

The DPRK delayed its missile strike plan to see what the US would do next, and Trump praised it as a "wise and well-reasoned" decision.

The DPRK test-firings were immediately reported to the ROK President Moon Jae-in who ordered the convening of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting of the presidential Blue House.

Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor to President Moon, chaired the meeting for about an hour earlier in the day.

Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing that the DPRK projectiles were estimated to have been improved 300-mm multiple rocket launchers, saying the exact details were under study by the military.
home US Atheist group claims Bible promotes violence and racism in letter to Kentucky governor

A Wisconsin-based atheist group has claimed in a letter written to Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin that the Bible is a "hate-filled" book that promotes violence and racism.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which boasts of 29,000 members across the U.S., sent a letter to Bevin on Monday to denounce his suggestion to organize prayer walks and community outreach to help reduce violence in Louisville.

"It should be no surprise that this hate-filled book has spawned hateful ideologies and groups to perpetuate those ideologies. The Ku Klux Klan is and has always been, a Christian group. Klansmen began burning crosses 'to spread the light of Jesus into the countryside.' Hitler was a Roman Catholic and his soldiers wore a religious slogan on their buckle belts (Gott mit uns [God with us])," the letter stated.

The letter, signed by FFRF Co-Presidents Dan Barker and his wife, Annie Laurie Gaylor, also criticized Bevin for suggesting during an Aug. 15 radio show that proper teaching of Biblical virtues in schools would reduce instances of white supremacist violence.

In June, Bevin signed the Bible Literacy bill into law, which allows Kentucky public schools to develop and offer courses that teach about the Bible's role in American history, The Daily Caller reported.

In the Aug. 15 radio interview, the Kentucky governor argued that the Bible should be taught in public schools because it creates a sense of "absolute right and wrong" among students. He suggested that the violent incident in Charlottesville, Virginia stems from the removal of the scriptures from the classrooms.

The FFRF, however, claimed that teaching religion in schools would lead to "increased levels of all manner of societal ills, including: violent crime and homicide, poverty, obesity, teen pregnancy, and infant mortality."

The organization also claimed in the letter that the actions of the Nazis and the KKK were consistent with the teachings of Jesus in the Bible and that the Scriptures endorsed slavery and beatings.

"In terms of violence, no white supremacist thugs could one-up the god of the bible, who regularly commits and orders genocides," the atheist group wrote.

The organization suggested to Bevin that "less religion is a good place to start" if he wants less violence. The group urged the governor to stop using his public office to promote his religion.

Bevin's suggestion to have faith-based volunteers participate in community outreach has been backed by some community leaders, but it drew criticism from some faith leaders, such as Pastor Joe Phelps of Highland Baptist Church, who called it a "political ploy."
Time is running out to grab last-minute groceries at certain stores as Hurricane Harvey sweeps the Gulf Coast area and makes it way toward Houston.

H-E-B will close all Houston-area stores at 9 p.m. Saturday. That includes Joe V's Smart Shop and Mi Tienda locations.
Harvey roared into Texas overnight north of Corpus Christi as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in 56 years, flooding low-lying coastal areas, leaving tens of thousands without power and promising that stragglers who didn't evacuate would wake up to disaster on Saturday.

The Category 4 storm made landfall around 10 p.m., with 130-mph winds that damaged several buildings, including Rockport High School and the local police department, according to preliminary reports. People were thought to be trapped inside multiple facilities, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Department.

Houston, by contrast, initially saw mild rain, and leaders here, worried about "storm fatigue," had a clear message: Hunker down, and don't underestimate the potential for life-threatening floods in the days ahead as the storm stalls.

As local rains intensified Saturday morning, the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for parts of the region, including Harris and parts of Fort Bend, Galveston, Waller and Brazoria counties, until 8:45 a.m.

A possible tornado caused damage to homes and left trees down inside the Sienna Plantation neighborhood overnight, Fort Bend County sheriff's Maj. Chad Norvell said. The roof of one home was torn off and others appeared to be damaged. Downed poles and power lines were also reported in Rosenberg by the police department.



There was reported tornado in Missouri City around 12:50 a.m. and a deputy was apparently blown off the road, according to reports from the National Weather Service.

As of 5 a.m., Hurricane Harvey has been downgraded to Category 1 status as it continued moving slowly inland.

Catastrophic flooding is expected over the next few days due to the heavy rainfall, the National Hurricane Center said.

Harvey's winds have decreased to 85 mph and the hurricane will continue to weaken and is likely to become a tropical storm later Saturday.

It was located about 25 miles southwest of Victoria and moving northwest at 6 mph.

The hurricane is expected to move slowly over southeast Texas for the next couple of days. Forecasters predict more than 40 inches of isolated rainfall in parts of the middle and upper Texas coast through Wednesday.

Hurricane guide: Follow all the latest reports here

Harvey's rapid intensification made it the strongest hurricane to land in Texas since Carla in 1961 brought 175 mph winds and killed 34 people. Corpus Christi  the seat of Nueces County with a population of more than 360,000 people  had not seen a devastating hurricane since Celia in 1970, which came ashore as a Category 3, killed 15 people in South Texas, and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes.

The county was not under a mandatory evacuation order, but tens of thousands had already fled by Friday after officials strongly urged people to leave.

Aransas County officials said Friday night they were stuck in their building and couldn't ascertain damages. "It's over 100 miles an hour outside, I think, and raining like crazy, and there's no way to tell," Emergency Management Chief Deputy John Gutierrez told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

People who remained in Corpus Christi were huddled in dark homes with the wind howling, and they were on their own. By 5 p.m., city police took shelter and stopped responding to emergency calls, the Caller-Times reported.

President Donald Trump signed a disaster declaration for the state of Texas shortly before the storm made landfall.

Trump tweets to Texans: 'Good luck!'

While Houston isn't in the path of hurricane-force winds, Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that the worst could come Sunday. He urged residents not to venture out.

"People are going to have to be very, very patient," he said.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who visited a hurricane shelter in San Antonio, sowed a moment of confusion in an off-the-cuff remark, saying that if he were living in Houston, he'd head north. Local officials immediately scrambled to negate his advice.

"The safest thing is to stay where you are and ride out the storm," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said.

The area will likely miss the dangerous winds and storm surge typical of hurricanes while seeing extreme rains and flooding. But those generally are life-threatening only if residents venture outside into high water, Emmett said.

As the first bands of rain swept across Houston, businesses shut down and workers rushed home early, warned by officials to prepare to stay put for up to a few days. More than 20 Houston-area school districts canceled classes Friday, Monday or both days.

Police Chief Art Acevedo and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said their officers are working 12-hour shifts until further notice.

Fire Chief Samuel Pena said firefighters were working in 24-hour shifts, with more than 1,000 personnel on duty each day. Ambulance crews are especially well-staffed, he added.

Pena said firefighters set up boats and high-water vehicles at strategic points across the city, along with city dump trucks based at fire stations.

Likely to flood: Here are areas you may want to watch out for

Transit agencies placed barricades at underpasses where drivers have drowned in high water in recent floods, Emmett said.

A Metro official said buses were running normally as of 5 p.m. Friday but would be suspended or stopped if needed.

Harris County officials said the area could see tropical storm-force winds of up to 48 mph.

In a worst case, Emmett said, Harvey could move slowly across Houston, back to the Gulf of Mexico, and then return.

"I don't even want to talk about that scenario," he said.

Sandra Ortiz, the spokeswoman for the county flood control district, warned that the double-dip scenario could result in a "devastation" for coastal cities that hasn't been seen in decades.

City officials and the American Red Cross identified potential emergency shelters for flooding victims, including dozens of churches that volunteered to open their doors, Turner said. He asked residents to check on neighbors as stormwaters rise.

When it's raining and flooding, Turner said drivers should stay off the roads whenever possible.

As of Friday night, he said, "People just need to be calm ... and not panic."

Road safety: Know the rules

Galveston saw some flash flooding Friday at key intersections, even as some islanders strolled about snapping photos of roiling surf. About 20,000 cruise passengers destined for Galveston were stuck at sea, with some ships diverting to New Orleans until the threat passes.

Galveston County Judge Mark Henry recommended voluntary evacuations to include all unincorporated low-lying areas in the county, including San Leon, Bacliff, Freddiesville, Old Bayou Vista and Highland Bayou. Bolivar Peninsula, Kemah and Shoreacres are also under a voluntary evacuation.

In Shoreacres, a bayfront town of about 1,600 in southeastern Harris County, Nancy Schnell, who had to rebuild her house after it was flooded with nearly 5 feet of water from Hurricane Ike's storm surge in 2008, said she was staying put.

"We left last time, and I'm glad we did," Schnell said. "But this time, a lot of people are just doing the wait-and-see thing."

About 60 percent of the homes in Shoreacres were flooded during Ike.

In Seabrook, John Huynh wasn't in a hurry or worried. His little fish market on Todville Road near the Clear Lake Channel was thriving Friday afternoon.

"It's good business today," Huynh said during a break at L&A Seafood.

In Kemah on Friday afternoon, traffic was minimal, area restaurants were full, most businesses remained open, and a few residents were expectant but not overly concerned about Harvey.

League City resident D.J. Green was 10 years old during Hurricane Alicia, and as a coastal native, the potential for tumultuous weather is just part of the landscape.

"You prepare, you go through it and there are terrible things that can happen, but that's life," he said.

Kirk Tindall, a Kemah resident since 1975, was staying even as winds began battering his pier.

Tindall wanted to leave, but his wife, Crystal, was intent on staying.

Ike gutted their home, but Crystal Tindall was soured by the Hurricane Rita experience in 2005, when the family spent 18 hours trapped in traffic before ending up in Mississippi.

Still, they'll be keeping an eye on Harvey as it meanders inland and then likely dawdles up the Texas coast, bringing a threat of tornadoes and rain accumulations of 10 to more than 30 inches in some places.

"Given Harvey's slow motion, we're going to have elevated storm surge level possibly for days," said Michael Brennan, a senior specialist for the National Hurricane Center.

More resources: Stay up-to-date on forecasts, transportation, satellite images, water levels and more

Life-threatening storm surges of 6 to 12 feet above ground level from South Padre to Sargent, 5 to 8 feet from Sargent to Jamaica Beach and 2 to 4 feet from Jamaica Beach to High Island and around Galveston Bay were expected.

Tornado watches were issued in Harris, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Chambers and nine other counties to the south and east of Houston, in effect at least until 2 a.m. Saturday.

Flash flood watches covered the following counties: Harris, Fort Bend, Brazoria, Galveston, Montgomery, Waller, Liberty, Grimes, Chambers, Brazos, Colorado, Austin, Washington, Jackson, Burleson and Wharton.

Much of the coastline from Port Aransas to Port O'Connor was under mandatory orders to evacuate.

In Brazoria County, the storm surge was expected to be 5 to 8 feet, prompting evacuation orders Friday afternoon to about 3,000 to 4,000 residents living along the Gulf near Surfside Beach. An emergency shelter opened in Angleton, about 20 miles inland from Surfside Beach.

In Freeport, home to about 12,000 residents on the mainland side of the Intracoastal Waterway, city officials issued a mandatory evacuation for low-lying areas and urged all residents to leave the city.

County Judge Matt Sebesta told all residents to remain vigilant.

"Every storm is different," he said. "Be ready."

The flood threat was enough to chase off Marlena Ruelas, 22, who planned to join her husband at her in-laws' home in Clute, a few miles north of Freeport.

"It's pretty clear people are getting out of town," Ruelas said. "I'm not nervous about it. I don't think it will be a big deal. But we're going to go up there, just to make sure we're safe."

Luis Segoria, 68, planned to ride out the rain as long as he could from his home in Freeport. Standing under a metal carport, knocking back beers with three neighbors, Segoria said he's ready to bail as soon as necessary, but will take his chances for now.

"We've prepared already. We've all of our stuff in the car  blankets, water, food  just in case," Segoria said. "But right now, we don't have anywhere we need to go."

The southern part of Matagorda County was under a voluntary evacuation, and farther south, mandatory orders were issued for Aransas, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Calhoun and Kleberg counties.

Even 175 miles northeast of Harvey, its power was evident. High water already had obstructed roads in Galveston by 3:45 p.m. Friday along 61st Street at Interstate 45; Harborside Drive at Second Street; and Harborside at Interstate 45, according to Houston TranStar.

The Galveston Ferry ceased operations at 6 p.m.

But fears were measured, said Galveston Island Convention & Visitors Bureau Director Meg Winchester.

"We're looking forward to a wonderful Labor Day weekend," she said.

Reporters Mike Snyder, Margaret Kadifa, Ryan Maye Handy, Jacob Carpenter, Keri Blakinger, Brooke Lewis, Dug Begley, Cindy George, St. John Barned-Smith, Shelby Webb, Emily Foxhall, Todd Ackerman, Rebecca Elliott and Andrea Rumbaugh contributed to this report.
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Airlines wrestled with schedule fluctuations, ports halted ship movements and hardware stores rushed to stock up on generators. As Hurricane Harvey continued its slow march toward Texas, Houston-area businesses began feeling the early effects and preparing for a potentially massive fallout.

Wind and storm surge could cause between $1 billion and $2 billion worth of insured property losses for residential and commercial properties, according to an Irvine, Calif.-based CoreLogic analysis. This does not include insured losses related to additional flooding, business interruption or contents since rainfall is projected to last for several days.

The potential for property damages put the real estate market in the early stages of upheaval on Friday.

Home sales scheduled to close early next week were being postponed. Open houses were being canceled, and shoppers were putting their searches on hold.

Amy Bernstein of Bernstein Realty said some lenders don't want to fund loans on Monday, and some sales won't be able to close if the properties aren't covered by flood insurance.

"When the hurricane goes into the Gulf, you can't buy your insurance," she said.

Bernstein said she had a verbal agreement on a house in Meyerland, but the buyer is now waiting until the storm passes to sign the papers.

She expressed concern about what will happen to home values in the neighborhood, as well as in parts of Memorial, Spring Branch and Braeswood Place that were flooded in recent years.

"It seems like those areas are just starting to rebound," she said. "As time has passed, people are having confidence again."

Houstonians with homes had another mindset Friday: keeping the lights on. Northern Tool & Equipment had lines of people outside before opening its Houston-area stores at 8 a.m., said Tim Keener, regional sales manager for Northern.

The Minnesota chain, with six local stores, worked to keep shelves stocked with generators, which along with power cords were top sellers.

Throughout Friday, the company arranged to bring truckloads of products from its distribution center in Arlington to restock the popular $399 generators, Keener said.

"It will do most of what you would want in a storm situation to be able to protect your refrigerated goods, power up any televisions to stay informed about what's going on, run some lights, fans, if there was a power outage," Keener said.

The company is also building its supply of materials needed after the storm. That includes water pumps to handle floodwaters, chain saws for tree removal and tarps to protect structures from the rain.

Walmart activated its emergency operations center. The center is accelerating deliveries of bottled water, prepared foods, flashlights, batteries, fuel containers and other emergency items throughout South Texas.

Kroger is likewise restocking Texas stores with water and emergency supplies. But it's modifying the schedule of 16 area stores that are typically open 24 hours. They will close at 1 a.m. Saturday and reopen at 6 a.m.

H-E-B regional spokeswoman Cyndy Garza-Roberts said the San Antonio-based grocery chain is closing about two dozen stores in the coastal region. It also closed one in Bay City, about 80 miles southwest of Houston.

Target has closed two stores in the coastal area, spokeswoman Erika Winkels said.

It's not just retailers closing up shop. The U.S. Coast Guard shut down multiple ports, including those at Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Freeport and Corpus Christi. It set port condition zulu, which prohibits ships from entering or leaving. Companies are not allowed to unload cargo from ships.

The Coast Guard expects the ports to remain closed for as long as Hurricane Harvey poses a threat.

Many ships left before the ports were closed. Being anchored offshore may be a better option than being tethered to a dock in port, said Niels Aalund, senior vice president of the West Gulf Maritime Association. In ports, he said, ships might break loose and hit docks or other vessels.

Houston's airports remained open Friday, but they had more than 100 flight cancellations between Bush Intercontinental and Hobby, according to FlightAware. The two airports had more than 200 flight delays.

United Airlines said its teams in Houston and other South Texas airports were preparing for Harvey by repositioning aircraft and bringing in additional employees, mainly customer service agents and ramp workers. United had 15 proactive cancellations out of Houston on Friday for regional flights to airports in South Texas due to the storm. It also canceled 25 flights out of South Texas airports and ceased operations at Corpus Christi, McAllen Miller and Valley International.

Southwest Airlines likewise reduced flights at Hobby on Friday and for Saturday. It ceased operations at Corpus Christi and Harlingen.
Oil companies have evacuated personnel from about 15 percent of the manned oil-production platforms and half of the working drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, federal officials said Saturday.

As of 11:30 a.m., Gulf operators reported they have evacuated 112 out of 737 platforms and five of 10 drilling rigs, and one so-called dynamically positioned rig has moved off its drilling site, a precautionary move as the storm swept through the region, according to the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.
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East Houston Regional Medical Center suspended all operations and evacuated its patients Friday morning as Hurricane Harvey barreled closer to the Texas coast.

Other hospitals across the Houston area kept a wary eye on the strengthening storm and began rolling out preliminary emergency measures and stockpiling food, water and medical supplies.

At the University of Texas Medical Branch hospitals, including those in Galveston and League City, nonessential employees were sent home at 3 p.m. and all outpatient clinics were closed. Elective surgeries were also postponed, and 76 patients were discharged early.

LANDFALL: Hurricane Harvey comes ashore near Rockport

UTMB's three main hospital locations across the region remained open and patients needing emergency care were being directed there, but officials said they would be continuing to monitor the deteriorating conditions and make adjustments as needed.

"A decision to evacuate would be based on a threat that would put patient and staff lives in danger," UTMB president Dr. David Callender said in a statement.

Callender said he had confidence the hospital could withstand the impending storm. But, he added, "There is no structure that is completely safe in the face of a very severe hurricane."

In 2008, Hurricane Ike devastated the Galveston medical facility, forcing patient evacuation and a closure that stretched for months. Since then, officials said more than $1 billion in improvements have been made, but the memory loomed large Friday.

Meanwhile, 51 patients at East Houston Medical Center were transferred to other facilities within the HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division network, some as far away as Conroe.

In addition, services at the Bayshore Medical Center 24-hour Emergency Center, also part of the HCA network, were suspended Friday.

FLOOD WATCH: These areas of Houston are most likely to see high water

Both measures were taken to "consolidate resources and for patient safety purposes," the health care network announced in a bulletin.

Patients needing emergency care were being diverted to Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena.

Even there and at its sister hospital, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, it remained unknown what further emergency steps would be needed.

"We have to determine this hour by hour," said Debra Burbridge, spokeswoman for HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division.

Texas Children's Hospital announced Friday afternoon that it was closing all clinics and canceling outpatient procedures Saturday through Monday. The order affects facilities at the Texas Medical Center, The Woodlands and the West Campus.

The community maternal-fetal medicine and obstetrics-gynecology clinics also will be closed through Monday, Texas Children's said.

Other hospitals across the Houston area said they plan to operate as usual through the weekend but they were ready to quickly adjust plans.

HISTORIC HURRICANE: This is what happened the last time a Category 4 hit Texas

At Memorial Hermann Health System, incident command centers have been established to keep an eye on staffing and supplies.

Systemwide, patients who could be discharged safely were being released.

Memorial Hermann outpatient rehabilitation centers will be closed over the weekend, a spokeswoman said. Also on Friday, all patients at Memorial Hermann Orthopedic & Spine Hospital in Bellaire were discharged or sent to the Texas Medical Center hospital, the spokeswoman said.
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The whirring sounds of Shop Vacs and fans could be heard from inside a couple of Cleveland businesses Saturday as the cleanup was underway from Hurricane Harvey's flooding rains.

Around 9 a.m. Saturday, just as the businesses were opening for customers, water began to creep inside of CBS Furniture and O'Reilly's Auto Parts, located in close proximity to each other on Washington Ave. in north Cleveland.

DAMAGE IN ROCKPORT: Get the latest on Harvey

"Once that big downpour came, it all kind of rushed in the store within 10 minutes," said Josh Good of CBS Furniture, located at 502 N. Washington Ave. "We had to wade from the street into the store."

Josh's father, Frank, who started the family-owned business, believes a street drain in front of the store may have contributed to his store's flooding.

"This is a major drainage problem. This drain is the one place all the water had to go," he said. "I wish I had brought up the slab a foot more when I remodeled the store. Now it might be better if we just move to a new location, maybe on the freeway."

With no flood insurance, the Goods are considering ways to cut their losses, possibly by having a flood sale after the storm passes. They are looking on the bright side, thankful that the flooding was limited to their showroom where items are on display and not the warehouse where items for customers are stored.

"Thankfully that other building is on higher ground," Frank said.

VIDEO: Here's proof of why you shouldn't drive on flooded roads

The flooding was much the same at O'Reilly's Auto Parts, 909 N. Washington Ave. Employees arrived at work to find water inside the building, mostly in the storage room.

"It was about an inch or two deep," said Doug Hill of O'Reilly's.

It took about three hours for the four employees on duty to clean up the mess using Shop Vacs, mops and squeegees.

"When I came in, they were still working at it," said Hill.

The business remained open to serve customers once the storefront was cleaned up. However, the storage area still had pools of water in areas by Saturday afternoon.
Shredding paper is a career for James Parker.

Parker, has Allan-Herndon Dudley syndrome, a condition that limits mobility and verbal abilities.

Parker's mother, Renne, knew she wanted James employed, but did not have an idea as to how to accomplish it. She began going to conferences about business development and was inspired by other families.

During a gathering, Parker's grandmother mentioned that he enjoyed using her shredder while at her house. Renee further researched using James's skill as a job.

"The first major inspiration I had was that all people have something to contribute to the community, and all people have value and want to work. For those who can't compete in the regular job market, then we need to help them find their place," Renee said. "Our belief was James had abilities, we just had to discover what they were and how we could create a job around that. We based the job on James's ability to put objects into containers. Now, he puts paper into shredders, that was his skill."

In 2010 Shredding on the Go was launched with the help of Parker's family and friends. The company is a certified disability-owned business that provides confidential and efficient shredding services for business and residential customers. Two years after the business launched, the company began to hire other people with disabilities to help Parker with shredding. Renee serves as a manager for the business.

Parker, 25, graduated from Cypress Creek High School in 2014 and at that point, he and his family had been working for the shredding business for four years.

The shredding business aims to change the community's perception of people with disabilities and set an example for other companies.

Shredding on the Go employs 15 shredders. Majority of the work is done inside of the northwest Houston site of Neurodevelopmental Therapy Services.

Employees are responsible for their own transportation to any shredding job locations. METROLift provides transportation for some of the workers. Shredders earn $7.25 per box of shredding, and the employees are encouraged to shred at least one box per hour.

Amongst providing services for various businesses and community members, the company has grown to assist 25 contract clients, which provides sustainability to the company.

Renee's advice for other parents who are interested in entrepreneurial opportunities for their children who might have disabilities is to dream big and be persistent.

"You find that the systems we have to work in, such as the education and employment, that you get no as answer a lot of the time. I was very proactive in going to conferences that I thought would give me information on how to start a business and opportunities," Renee said. "I encourage parents to investigate, explore, and go to national conferences. Once you start seeing how people are dreaming big for their children, you start dreaming yourself."

Customers for the business include law firms, insurance companies, appraisal companies, and private residences. To date, more than 115, 600 tons of paper have been shredded and more than 3, 600 boxes of paper have been picked up.

Last year Shredding on the Go won the Small Business of the Year Award from the Small Business Development Center at the Lone Star University Park Campus. The business is also an active member of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.

"The beauty of having a business like Shredding on the Go is that it demonstrates what human will can accomplish. This is an inspiration to others in business who struggle day in and day out," said Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce. "It also provides a wonderful dimension of diversity. Our chamber and community can boast being one of the most diverse in terms of diversity of business owners in ethnicity, age and product and service."

Shredding on the Go is committed to empower people with disabilities and change the perspective on hiring people with unique challenges in a variety of fields.

"By hiring us to do shredding, you are hiring people with disabilities to work and that is a really great thing. It is hard for people, especially with significant disabilities, to find employment," Renee said. "We like to refer to our workers as individuals with unique abilities. We want to make sure we are educating the public that a disability is only a part of who they are. It is not the whole person."

Shredding on the Go

713-824-3762

info@shreddingonthego.com

shreddingonthego.com
Much of the earth has been engulfed in nuclear fire. Those turned into mutants by radiation are bent on destruction. Your mission is to break into Bunker 57, the secret government fallout shelter, and locate the antivirus before time runs out.

But first, you have to sign the waiver and pay the $30 fee.
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Tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Harvey damaged more than 50 homes in Fort Bend County, struck a commercial center near Katy and tore through Cypress, while parts of the Houston region evacuated ahead of record river floods and braced for torrential rains.

After a day of relative calm, several inches of rain dumped on already swollen bayous and triggered flooding across the city late Sunday, forcing dozens of water rescues and road closures in the dark of night. City officials were reporting that a female driver died when floodwaters overcame her car but didn't provide any details on what they called an unconfirmed report.

The downpour triggered the National Weather Service's most dire warning  a flash flood emergency for south and southwest Houston, parts of east Fort Bend County and northwest Brazoria County.

Forecasters said Harvey, virtually stalled southeast of San Antonio and downgraded Saturday to a tropical storm, could drift east or head back south, and the difference in paths could mean even higher rainfall totals for Houston, or a relatively calm period.

"This storm is slow-moving, or not moving  it's meandering. We are going to be dealing with it and its remnants for the next 48 to 72 hours," said Jeff Lindner, the county flood control district's meteorologist.

One local forecast estimated between 8 and 10 inches of rain could fall in some parts by Sunday morning.

Hurricane Harvey location

The west and northwest parts of the county, like upper Little Cypress Creek and Mayde Creek near Greenhouse, already had high water and were especially at risk, Lindner said.

NOAA radar shows Hurricane Harvey moving over the coast. A hurricane warning is in effect for the counties shaded in red on the map. Created by Data Journalist Rachael Gleason

Underscoring Harvey's breadth and unpredictability, the twisters happened up to 140 miles away from the center of the downgraded tropical storm.

One in Cypress skipped like a stone on water, leaving a random, broken trail of damage.

Charles Crittenden, 43, stared at the rain from his house in the Lone Oak Village subdivision when a funnel cloud dropped out of the sky and hit his roof, peeling off shingles, plywood, and tar paper.

He yelled "get in the hallway," to his wife, Beth, 51.

"That's where everything went flying," he said, pointing at a muddy patch in his yard. It tossed his ATV and two 500-pound logs into the air.

From the scene: Hurricane Harvey rips roofs off Fort Bend County homes

A tornado also hit Lone Star College and the nearby Berry complex, with an event center and stadium, scattering trees and debris.

Michael Miller, 32, who lives several blocks over, looked out of his house around 4 p.m. and saw stadium seats flying.

"It was huge," he said, as his phone blared yet another tornado warning. "Everything was up in the air."

Across the subdivision, where other homes also had been hit, roofers scaled roof lines, throwing down tarps, plywood and other materials to block the rain.

The weather service logged seven tornadoes, and there were several more probable twisters that were not officially confirmed. Two struck Galveston, Texas City and La Marque on Friday, four hit northwest Harris County between 4 and 5 p.m. Saturday, and one downed trees and ripped up parts of homes in the Missouri City subdivision of Sienna Plantation early Saturday.

That tornado hit around 12:50 a.m.

Water rising: These parts of Houston have received the most rain so far

In Katy, a suspected tornado at about 5:30 a.m. tossed trailers like toys and pushed over a billboard at a boat and RV storage business. "We have two businesses here on the property  or we did," said manager B.J. Prendergast as he surveyed the damage at Boat and Storage and Trailer World of Katy on Interstate 10 near FM 1463.

Prendergast said a bystander told him he saw the twister cross a road and slam into the building.

"And out of nowhere, debris just exploded," Predergast said.

The high winds sheared off the front section of the warehouse like a tin can. A tree branch flew about 500 feet and slammed into the wrought iron fence.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales Gonzalez said on Twitter that four tornadoes touched down in the Cypress area during the 4 p.m. hour, but some of those reports were likely the same twister, other officials said. The weather service confirmed the first tornado touched down at 4 p.m. near Cypress Ranch High School and moved toward Hockley, Waller and Todd Mission.

Some homes suffered "extensive damage" in the Lone Oak Subdivision, and other buildings in Black Horse Ranch; Fry Road at Cypress North Houston Road; and between Tuckerton and West roads also had damage, Gonzales Gonzalez said.

The National Weather Service issued about 70 tornado warnings in the area Saturday.

Harvey's strong winds set in motion smaller vortexes, resulting in frequent but brief tornadoes, which will continue through Monday, said Melissa Huffman, a weather service meteorologist in Houston.

No injuries were reported in the tornadoes, and the lone confirmed fatality from Harvey remained a person who was trapped in a home in Rockport as the storm made landfall Friday night on the coast about 190 miles southeast of Houston, according to Aransas County Judge Burt Mills.

Among the greatest dangers facing the Houston region, the Brazos and Colorado rivers and their tributaries are expected to surpass decades-old records with life-threatening floods in an area swamped just 14 months ago.

Brazoria County officials expect the Brazos to crest at roughly the same level it did in June 2016, when hundreds of residences were flooded, some for nearly two weeks. It all but spared the most populated parts of central and southern Brazoria County  Angleton, Lake Jackson, Freeport  but left residents in more rural areas stranded. Those regions are home to a mix of trailers, dilapidated small houses and larger single-family residences.

Federal projections show the river near Rosharon is expected to reach 51 feet by Monday morning, cresting at about 52.5 feet on Monday night. It was at 26 feet Saturday night, having risen nearly 20 feet in the past day.

State prison officials evacuated about 4,500 inmates by bus from the Ramsey, Terrell and Stringfellow units in Rosharon, sending them to other prisons in East Texas.

Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta told residents along the river to evacuate. Holiday Lakes, a town of 350 households west of Angleton, issued a mandatory evacuation order. About 95 percent of Holiday Lakes households were flooded last year.

"We're just going to do what we can and hope they miss their prediction," Holiday Lakes Mayor Norman Schroeder said.

The San Bernard River in western Brazoria County is also under voluntary orders. The river is expected to hit 34.2 feet  10 feet higher than the previous record  by Thursday.

As the storm briefly quieted Saturday morning, fearful residents recalled the havoc of 2016.

Megan Turney, 60, said she didn't leave her home for 12 days, at one point receiving bread, milk and beer from a neighbor who kayaked about 4 miles. Although her house, a few miles east of the Brazos River, avoided major damage, she could hear efforts to reach residents in flooded homes.

"It sounded like a war zone because everybody was going out with air boats and getting people out of Holiday Lakes," Turney said.

The 2016 flood brought a thick film of mud that caked many homes, along with some unwanted guests, said Martin Schrott, who manages about 40 properties along Mann Lake.

"Last year, I stepped on a damn gator in the water," he said. "I'm not walking around out here at night again."

Disa Schulze, the mayor pro tem of Holiday Lakes, said some residents were able to rebuild using insurance money, but homeowners who skipped insurance plans were just starting to recover, "and now we're fixing to have to start all over again."

Raymond Romo, 55, lost his childhood home in the Rosenberg area last year to the flooding. He bought an RV and had been living in it, parked in what was once the home's driveway.

"Here we are again," he said, eyeing the rising river.

Wharton County urged people to evacuate areas surrounding the Colorado, San Bernard and East Bernard rivers, the latter of which could top the 1960 record by 4 inches. The East and West Mustang creeks near Ganado also are projected to break records.

"If you have flooded in any past flood, this is higher than all of them," the county's emergency management office warned on social media.

In Houston, Greenspoint residents kept a nervous eye on the water coursing through their local bayou, remembering last year's catastrophic flooding.

The low-income neighborhood of aging apartment complexes and charmless business parks south of Bush Intercontinental Airport is just now recovering from the 2016 Tax Day flood that inundated some 2,000 area apartments, some of which still await repair.

Harvey could bring a repeat, residents worried, but at least this storm left them time to prepare  buy food, move cars, clean ditches.

Maurice Lewis, 35, worried mostly about his car as he stood in his apartment's parking lot, watching water course down Greens Bayou.

"I can't even say the feeling, just wishing that it's all going to get over with," said Lewis, who moved from Humble to his second floor Greenspoint apartment two weeks ago.

A mile downstream, Nora Martinez, her 11-year-old son and their neighbor pressed their faces against a chain link fence, estimating how much Greens Bayou could rise before overflowing.

Several feet to go, the 46-year-old mom thought.

"Truth is," Martinez said in Spanish, "I'm not afraid because I'm a woman of faith. I trust the Lord will have mercy on his people."

Minutes later, however, memories of the deluge that displaced many of her neighbors crept back.

"I'm a little scared because I already went through this," Martinez admitted.

Some Houstonians defied recommendations to stay indoors, like a woman dancing through Buffalo Bayou Park, and Jason Hurns, who exercised nearby.

"This is the best time to work out," he said. "Everybody is home, and I am here with the park just for myself."

While areas on the coast near Harvey's landfall have seen about 15 inches of rain, the Houston region had seen 5 to 10 inches through about 4 p.m.

Hundreds of thousands of homes on Texas' Gulf Coast were still without power on Saturday afternoon, while more than 170,000 customers in Houston had their lights back on after Harvey was downgraded, according to transmission companies and the state's grid operator.

United Airlines announced Saturday afternoon that it is suspending flights out of Houston to non-hub airports. That represents about 300 departures.

Officials at the city's two major airports reported more than 500 cancelled flights and dozens of delays.

Southwest Airlines said it is operating about 50 percent of its normal schedule Saturday and Sunday.

Both Southwest and United have travel waivers in place.

Katherine Blunt, Rebecca Elliott, Lindsay Ellis, Emily Foxhall, Mike Glenn, Ryan Maye Handy, John D. Harden, Andrew Kragie, Brooke A. Lewis, Andrea Rumbaugh and Olivia P. Tallet contributed to this report.
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Gulf and East Coast states know what bad hurricanes look like and sometimes, it's required to leave during the worst storms.

Texas is bracing for Hurricane Harvey, which is predicted to make landfall as a Category 3 storm late Friday or early Saturday. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in various Gulf Coast counties and cities, with some evacuees taking refuge in San Antonio.

RELATED: Hurricane Harvey begins making its mark on Texas Gulf Coast

As a result, evacuees can return home and worry whether the food in their fridge is any good to eat anymore.

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

But we've learned a super simple trick that could save you hours in the bathroom with food poisoning.

Thanks to Sheila Pulanco Russell of North Carolina, we've learned that all we have to do is freeze a cup of water, then place a coin on top of the ice when totally frozen, then leave it in the freezer while you're evacuated. Associate Professor Don Mercer of Food Science at University of Guelph suggests that a penny is the best choice of coin because copper pennies are good conductors of heat.

Once you return, check the placement of the coin. If the coin is at the bottom of the cup, that means the ice melted low enough for the coin to drop off and sink to the bottom. If this is the case, the food in the fridge is no longer safe to eat.

RELATED: Here are all the places being evacuated in Texas due to Hurricane Harvey

Of course, the ideal situation is to find the coin exactly where you left it, on top, which means the power wasn't out at all or for a significant amount of time for the ice to melt.

So there you have it. We no longer need to guesstimate to how sour our food got while the power was out.
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Around 4,500 inmates at three Texas prisons are set to be evacuated in light of heavy rain sparked by Hurricane Harvey, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice said.

The Ramsey, Terrell and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon will all be emptied Saturday as the Brazos River continues to rise near the Brazoria County facilities.

HURRICANE HARVEY: Get the latest information, newest photos here

The prisoners will be loaded onto TDCJ buses headed for East Texas prisons, accompanied by corrections officers and other staff who showed up to help with the evacuation.

Now Playing: Hurricane Harvey Update 8-26 11:30am Video: JW Player

The inmates won't be allowed to have visits at their new locations, but they will be able to call home.

More Information ` See More Collapse

In anticipation of the storm, TDCJ activated an emergency command center in Huntsville on Thursday, and it's been in operation round-the-clock since then.

PHOTOS: Readers share their Hurricane Harvey images on social media

Ex-prisoners on supervised release in affected areas were told to report to evacuation addresses, and high-risk parolees were moved to facilities out of the area, TDCJ said in a release.

Additional food and water have been sent to the units expecting an influx of prisoners, and sandbags have been sent to the affected units.

Inmate families may contact TDCJ's 24-hour hotline at (936) 437-4927 or 1-844-476-1289 for information about a specific inmate.

"This is something that we prepare for each year," Executive Director Bryan Collier said. "Our command center is operating around the clock and we stand ready."
Millions of people have moved to Texas since the last hurricane struck the state in 2008 - many from places that don't get hurricanes or even tropical storms - but local officials were equally worried Friday about how longtime residents would respond to the incoming weather.

That's because Hurricane Harvey's impacts likely willbe distinct from those of past hurricanes, with widespread, prolonged flooding posing the greatest risk to the Houston region.

"Yes, this is a hurricane. Yes, this might have some winds for us and there's limited evacuations going on, but this is really a flood event," said Francisco Sanchez, spokesman for the Harris County Office of Emergency Management. "For us, this event begins after landfall, really, because that's when it'll linger. That's when it'll stall, and that's when we'll see some of that deep tropical moisture just circulate over southeast Texas for potentially a few days."

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett echoed Sanchez, encouraging residents to hunker down at home rather than attempting to evacuate and clogging roadways unnecessarily, as happened ahead of Hurricane Rita in 2005.

"This will be a rain event," the judge said, not a wind event. "The safest thing is to stay where you are and ride the storm out."

Kemah resident Brandon LaMora, who stayed home through the last hurricane, Ike, planned to do just that, even as Gov. Greg Abbott irked local officials by saying he would evacuate if he lived in the Houston area.

"With the way Texas weather is, it changes quite often. I'm really not too worried about it," LaMora said. "We're going to get a lot of water."

LaMora, who is 25 and studying for his aircraft maintenance license, said he thought the Houston area's recent flood events had left residents better prepared to withstand Harvey.

"They understand not to drive when the streets are flooded when you can't see the road," he said.

Joffrion Thomas, a stay-at-home-dad from Cypress, was even more relaxed.

"Every time a storm has come by, it hasn't been that bad," said Thomas, 27. "They always try to hype it up, try to scare you. ... I kind of started just trusting in myself and not the news."

Over at the American Red Cross's Houston headquarters, however, division disaster executive Charles Blake urged residents to take precautions.

"We're making sure people understand that they need to pack a kit. They need to have provisions for at least seven days to be able to manage on their own - medicines and toilet paper and water," Blake said. "And then they need to have a communications plan where they can connect with people."

New Houstonian Jill Archibald, who moved here from Boston in March, said she started taking Harvey seriously on Thursday, when forecasts began projecting the storm would become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall Friday.

"I only am nervous because my boyfriend's family went through Katrina, and they said it started kind of similarly," said Archibald, a 26-year-old public relations professional. "It wasn't on anybody's radar to be anything too crazy, and then all of a sudden it unfolded to be worse and worse."

Andrew Kragie contributed to this report.
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The Eureka Heights Brewing Company on 18th St. is offering Houstonians free water ahead of Hurricane Harvey.

Co-owner Casey Motts said one of the brewery's employees was having a hard time finding water in time for Harvey when they realized the answer was right in front of them: massive reverse osmosis water tanks used in the brewing process.

Now, the brewery is offering free water to anyone who can provide a container. Thirsty Houstonians will have to move fast as the brewery closes at 9.

UPDATE: Hurricane Harvey intensifies after becoming Category 3 storm

Motts said if conditions are safe, the brewery may reopen Saturday afternoon. So far, the booze makers have already filled up a five gallon jug and other smaller containers.

Of course, patrons can show up and buy some beer to wait out Harvey too.

Harvey is expected to make landfall in the Lone Star State by 1 a.m. Saturday. The Category 3 hurricane is the first storm of that magnitude to hit Texas in more than a decade.

CONFLICTING ADVICE: Abbott advises Houstonians to evacuate; local officials disagree

Residents of Harris County should expect widespread flooding, rainfall through the weekend and numerous road closures.

Visit Chron.com's Hurricane Harvey to stay updated on the most recent news from the storm.

See how Galveston is preparing for Hurricane Harvey above.
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Greenspoint residents kept a nervous eye on the water coursing through their local bayou Saturday as Tropical Storm Harvey skimmed across the Houston region, releasing waves of rain that triggered memories of last year's catastrophic flooding here.

The low-income neighborhood of aging apartment complexes and charmless business parks south of Bush Intercontinental Airport is just now recovering from the 2016 Tax Day flood that inundated some 2,000 area apartments, some of which still await repair.

Harvey could bring a repeat, residents worried, but at least this storm left them time to prepare  buy food, move cars, clean ditches.

Maurice Lewis, 35, worried mostly about his car as he stood in his apartment complex's parking lot, watching morning rainwater course down Greens Bayou.

"I can't even say the feeling, just wishing that it's all going to get over with," said Lewis, who moved from Humble to his second floor Greenspoint apartment two weeks ago.

A mile downstream, Nora Martinez, her 11-year-old son and their neighbor pressed their faces up against a chain link fence, estimating how much Greens Bayou could rise before overflowing its banks.

Several feet to go, the 46-year-old mom thought, her mind wandering between confidence and fear.

"Truth is," Martinez said in Spanish, "I'm not afraid because I'm a woman of faith. I trust the Lord will have mercy on his people."

Minutes later, however, memories of the deluge that displaced many of her neighbors last year crept back.

"I'm a little scared because I already went through this," Martinez admitted.

Read the full story on our subscriber site, HoustonChronicle.com.
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As of 4 p.m. on Aug. 30, this post is no longer being updated.

CenterPoint serves 2.4 million customers in Houston. Track power outages on CenterPoint's outage tracker. Do not approach downed power lines, call 713-207-2222 to report them.

Areas served by TNMP in Galveston County, Brazoria County and southern Harris County are also reporting mass outages. (Check TNMP's outage tracker.) Report power outages and get updates by calling 888-866-7456.

Lights out? We want to hear from you. Let us know how you are coping: tweet @ryanmhandy; email ryan.handy@chron.com.

4 p.m.: As the sun shines on Houston and streets dry out, thousands of people in Houston are getting their power turned back on.

By Wednesday afternoon, just under 80,000 customers were still reporting outages, according to CenterPoint Energy's tracker. That number has fallen from a high of around 120,000 customers earlier this week.

Things are also improving south of Houston as well, where the number of customers without power has dropped to more than 4,400 form a high of nearly 16,000 early this week.

9:15 a.m. WEDNESDAY: Just under 100,000 CenterPoint customers are without power.

High water is still impacting 40,000 of those customers, making those areas impossible to reach to assess damage or make repairs.

There is still no definite timeline for restoring power to greater Houston -- CenterPoint crews are still assessing damage to their transmission lines, substations and other equipment, in some cases using drones or helicopters to view flooded areas.

10 p.m.: Outages in Houston have dropped to 90,000 customers, according to CenterPoint.

Since Tropical Storm Harvey hit Houston over the week, more than half a million customers have been without power and have had their power restored, CenterPoint said.

North of Houston, the number of customers without power has also decreased -- from around 41,000 without power to around 29,000, according to Entergy, the utility that services the Conroe area.

South of Houston, more than 7,700 customers are without power, according to Texas-New Mexico Power Co.

1 p.m.: Power outages in Houston seem to have flat-lined on Tuesday afternoon at around 100,000 customers still without power. Utility crews are still struggling to reach flooded areas.

And a bit of historical perspective: in 2008, during Hurricane Ike, 2.1 million CenterPoint customers (out of 2.2 million at the time) lost power.

As Houston deals with releases from two reservoirs, Addicks and Barker, CenterPoint is also looking at preemptively shutting down some power stations to spare them some flood damage.

9 a.m.: More than 100,000 customers in the Houston area are still without power on Tuesday morning, with no timeline for having their power restored. That number is down from Monday's high of around 120,000 people.

Texas-New Mexico Power Co., the utility for areas south of Houston and parts of Galveston County, has more than 7,400 customer without power, also down from the the utility's weekend high of around 16,000.

On Monday, Entergy (which serves areas north of Houston around Conroe) reported around 28,000 customers without power.

All utility crews are facing the same challenge: reaching impassable, flooded areas without power. CenterPoint has around 800 people working to restore power, with 100 more expected to arrive Wednesday.
As many as a half-dozen commercial cargo ships have joined four cruise ships waiting for the green light to dock at the Port of Galveston.

Roughly 20,000 cruise ship passengers are stuck at sea, as are commercial ships including roll-on/roll-off carriers, two grain ships and a few bulk carriers, said interim port director Peter Simons Saturday.

"The four cruise ships - two of which were due today - those are everyone's highest priority," he said.

But at least some of the ships' passengers weren't too concerned about the extra time away.

"This is an extra day in paradise," said Vanessa Gurrusquieta, an Itasca resident who said she boarded the cruise in Houston with her husband and six kids.

And even in the wake of the hurricane, it was mostly smooth sailing.

"It's pretty calm," she said. "A little rocking but not much."

Officials shut down the port Friday, leaving thousands of vacationers with no place to land as Hurricane Harvey loomed at sea. The storm also forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close multiple ports along Texas Gulf Coast, including those at Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Freeport and Corpus Christi.

On Saturday morning, the Port of Brownsville reopened. The Brownsville Pilots began guiding ships into the port with a tanker that arrived at 11:45 a.m., said Henry A. de La Garza, spokesman for the Texas State Pilots Association. Pilots are tasked with guiding ships in and out of ports.

At the Port of Corpus Christi, port personnel began assessing the damage Saturday. The resumption of operations following the storm will depend on the severity of damage to the ship channel and port facilities, according to a news release.

Galveston Port officials said Friday that the cruise ships might not be able to dock in Galveston until Tuesday or Wednesday, but Simons said Saturday afternoon that he was "a little more optimistic."

Two of the ships in limbo  Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor  were set to dock Saturday and will stop in New Orleans instead, according to Carnival spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta.

"Guests who wish to terminate their cruise at that point and disembark in New Orleans may do so," de la Huerta said in statement. ""We are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible."

The Carnival Breeze spent the night in Mexico and was slated to leave Saturday for Galveston, although the company did not offer an update on progress Saturday afternoon.

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas was staying behind the storm with plans to return to port Sunday, officials said.

"We're working with the Coast Guard and the pilots and the cruise line to try to minimize the impact of the storm on the cruise ships," Simons said. "We're all really kind of subject at the end of the day to the mercy of the weather."
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz visited the Harris County emergency operations center Friday evening, bringing assurances that the federal government was ready to help in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Cruz said he spoke Friday with President Donald Trump, who beat Cruz for last year's Republican presidential nomination, making jabs at "Lyin' Ted Cruz" and his family members. The senator famously called then-candidate Trump a "serial philander," a "narcissist" and a "pathological liar."

That was all in the past Friday.

"The president made that personal commitment to me that everything that Texas needs in the wake of this storm, we will get," Cruz told reporters.

The senator said the federal government was ready to help when asked, from the U.S. Coast Guard at the Port of Houston to the National Guard available across the state.

Cruz added that his own family would be hunkering down in Houston, as local officials have advised.

"We've got some extra water, some flashlights and batteries and food," he said. "Like many Houstonians, we've been through flooding before."

He said he hopes the disaster brings people together to help one another.

"I'm continually amazed at the unity Texans show," he said. "At other times we have lots of things that can divide us. ... But in the face of natural disaster, Texans come together."
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Hurricane Harvey has strengthened into a Category 4 storm hours before being expected to make landfall.

The surprise boost in wind-speed will make Harvey the first Category 4 hurricane to hit Texas in 56 years.

In 1961, Hurricane Carla smashed into the Texas coast, producing a 10 to 20-foot storm surge in some areas and causing severe damage to Port Arthur and Corpus Christi.

Carla was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in Texas during the 20th century, according to the National Weather Service. The storm caused 46 fatalities and injured 465 people. Today, its damages would have easily exceeded more than $2 billion.

Now Playing: Devastation from Hurricane Beulah, a Category 3 hurricane that made landfall near Brownsville, Texas in 1967. (Video: Onyx Media, LLC via Getty Images) Video: JW Player

MORE DETAILS: Hurricane Harvey intensifies into Category 4 storm

Harvey is expected to make landfall in the Lone Star State early Saturday morning.

Residents of Harris County should expect widespread flooding, rainfall through the weekend and numerous road closures.

Visit Chron.com's Hurricane Harvey page to stay updated on the most recent news from the storm.

See the damage caused by Hurricane Carla in 1961 above.
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SEGUIN  People along the rising rivers and creeks of Guadalupe County are being urged to evacuate as Hurricane Harvey brings increasing rainfall to the area Saturday.

At 9:30 a.m., Guadalupe County Judge Kyle Kutscher issued a voluntary evacuation order for homes and campgrounds along the Guadalupe and San Marcos rivers and Cibolo and Geronimo creeks, the countys office of emergency management posted on its Facebook page.

Now Playing: High winds and heavy rain pours over Victoria, Aug. 25, 2017 as Hurricane Harvey emerges over the Gulf coast. Video: JW Player

We are expecting heavy rainfall for the next few hours, up to 3 inches per hour, the post states.

In downtown Seguin, stop lights were swinging on their lines, cars were swerving slightly to the right or left, and some trees were bending from gusts of wind that reached 52 miles per hour.

We have had a lot of reports of power lines going down, of power outages, and a lot of reports of trees going down in roadways, said Morgan Ash, public information officer for Seguin.

Low-lying streets have been closed off. No city shelters have been opened but that would change if the evacuation becomes mandatory.

Right now were in a holding position, said Bryce Houlton, assistant fire marshall. Were waiting to see how bad its going to be.

Rain from Harvey is expected to fall for several more days as the slow-moving storm meanders across Southeast Texas.

The Guadalupe River at Seguin is still under a foot, leaving nearby homes safe and dry, for now. As of Saturday morning, the flow rate was about 3,200 cubic feet per second, emergency operations officials said. At 5,000 CFS, residents are told to pull their boats out of the water, and 15,000 CFS is flood stage. Emergency management officials said the river is expected to reach 10,000 CFS.

Forecasts say the river will rise to a peak of 9 feet by Sunday afternoon.

Houlton said the voluntary evacuation is more of a heads-up to local residents.

Its a Hey, this is whats going on, stay alert, he said.

They encouraged residents to sign up for the Regional Emergency Alert Network, which sends individuals live updates and alerts through email or text. The link to sign up can be found on the county web page or its Facebook.

If a mandatory evacuation is alerted, Ash said, Saegert Middle School, Geronimo Community Center and Corbett Middle School will serve as shelters.

The main thing is if (residents) know theyre going to flood, we want them to get out while its safe, Ash said.

Harvey, while still a Category 4 hurricane, officially made landfall after 10 p.m. Friday between Port Aransas and Port OConnor on the Texas Coastal Bend.

bgibbons@express-news.net

Twitter: @bgibbs
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AUSTIN -- From a basement bunker in the State Operations Center in Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott warned that another 20 to 30 more inches of rain could fall on already soaked areas of Southeast Texas.

Twenty inches of rain have already fallen in the Corpus Christi area and 16 inches have dropped in the Houston area, Abbott said during a press briefing Saturday.

LATEST: TS Harvey spawns tornadoes across Houston area

Abbott told reporters he could not confirm whether Hurricane Harvey has caused any fatalities after blowing onto land last night, although later in the day one death was confirmed. Officials did not know how many search and rescue missions officials have made, but said responders will have to wait until wind and weather conditions wane.

Hurricane Harvey lost steam early Saturday, dropping from a Category 4 hurricane to Category 1, the least powerful classification, then to a tropical storm Saturday afternoon.

However, the storm is is expected to continue dumping rain on Southeast Texas over the next few days as it crawls further inland, bloating rivers.

In a briefing mid-day Saturday, state official told the governor they were concerned that while Harvey continued to weaken, rainfall rates would still be high. Officials also said they had little confidence in the exact track of the storm beyond a few days.

HEART WARMING: Dog carrying bag of food becomes viral hero of Harvey

Already, 4,500 inmates were being evacuated from the Ramsey, Terrell and Stringfellow units in Rosharon -- 30 miles south of Houston -- due to rising waters on the Brazos River from Hurricane Harvey rainfall, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice announced Saturday.

"I don't know if you can prepare for flooding like this," Attorney General Ken Paxton told the Houston Chronicle Saturday. "Having a storm like this is obviously unheard of."

The state has received at least 350 consumer fraud complaints since Harvey, he said, mostly cases of price gouging for water and gasoline, including one complaint of a business charging $99 for a case of water.

Law enforcement have served cease and desist letters to businesses with the most "outrageous" price gouging, he said, but add he expects more complaints through the coming days.

More than 130 people who fled homes in the storm's path ended up in an Austin community center that has been converted into a shelter. They came from parts east of Corpus Christi, around Victoria and west of Houston, according to Red Cross volunteer Geof Sloan.

READER PHOTOS: See what Hurricane Harvey looks like to the average Houstonian

People seeking refuge in the center ranged from individuals to a family of 16. Another family fled the storm from Edna -- a small town 25 miles northeast from Victoria -- with a five-week old baby in tow, said Geof Sloan, a Red Cross volunteer.

Rows of cots and inflatable mattresses stretched across the gym. A team of boys played in the corner of the facility, tossing a soccer ball at a folded down basketball hoop standing three feet off the ground. Nearly 30 pets were kenneled nearby, including dogs, cats and a few birds.

"We have to realize what these people left behind was sheer tragedy," Abbott said later in the day when visiting people staying at the shelter housed at Austin's Delco Center.

"Some of them had their homes mowed down, some of them will not have a place to return to. They need this time and this place and this food right here," Abbott said after he, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and several area lawmakers served dozens of evacuees dinners of spaghetti, chicken, green beans and cup cakes.

President Donald Trump is expected to tour areas hit by the storm early next week, lawmakers said after the dinner, and said seeing people pull together is emblematic of the state's spirit.

"This is when Texans show the best of themselves, is when our Texas family is in pain and we rally together to take care of our family," said Sen. Kirk Wastson, an Austin Democrat.

Andrea Zelinski covers politics and education for the Chronicle. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Send her tips at andrea.zelinski@chron.com.
Jay Janner/MBO

AUSTIN -- After a night of crippling winds and heavy rain that threatens to flood parts of southeast Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott will offer the public an official update on Hurricane Harvey Saturday afternoon.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall north of Corpus Christi Friday night, smacking into Rockport where the mayor there says homes and businesses were heavily damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, torrential rain has begun flooding roadways.
National Weather Service

AUSTIN -- From a basement bunker in the State Operations Center in Austin, Gov. Greg Abbott warned that another 20 to 30 inches of rain could fall on already soaked areas of Southeast Texas.

Twenty inches of rain have already fallen in the Corpus Christi area and 16 inches have dropped in the Houston area, Abbott said during a press briefing Saturday.
Texas residents preparing for Hurricane Harvey have another place to stock up on supplies -- Sam's Club is waiving membership requirements in response to the impending storm.

Walmart Spokesman Ragan Dickens confirmed multiple locations around Texas would not require their usual membership to shop the wholesale store.
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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Teams of insurance adjusters were mobilized Friday in Texas cities closest to Hurricane Harveys expected path of destruction.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall late Friday evening as a category 4 hurricane. According to AIR Worldwide, the eye of the storm crossed between Port Aransas and Port OConnor, about 30 miles east-northeast of Corpus Christi. Winds at landfall were approximately 130 mph, with hurricane-force winds extending 40 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extending 140 miles from the center.

A second landfall occurred a few hours later north of Rockport, where extensive building damage was reported.

GEICO, Farmers, Travelers, USAA and State Farm reported hundreds of adjusters have been stationed across the state.

A USAA spokesperson said that adjusters pulled from locations nationwide were stationed in San Antonio waiting out the storm.

According to Carrie Bonney, director of Public Relations at Farmers, the insurer has two mobile claims centers located just outside the hurricanes path. She explained that once it is safe to enter the damaged areas, the insurer will begin servicing affected policyholders as well as offering community relief.

We also have hundreds of adjusters prepared to deploy into the damaged areas to start helping customers as soon as possible, said Bonney.

Pat Gee, senior vice president of Claim at Travelers, said they have several mobile claim offices strategically placed in Dallas and Southeast.

Travelers continues to monitor the weather in case of spin-off storms or tornadoes.

We have hundreds of employees already on the ground in local claim offices who can assist customers affected by Hurricane Harvey, said Gee. We are closely monitoring the storm from our National Catastrophe Center to determine where to deploy additional Catastrophe Response teams, who are currently on standby, to handle any potential increase in claim volume.

The insurer also expects it will use drones to survey policyholder roof damage.

As of Friday afternoon, State Farm adjusters arrived in Austin and Dallas for deployment to the coast, according to Chris Pilcic, the insurers Texas media specialist.

Additionally, we have six catastrophe response vehicles that have deployed to Texas  four are staging in Dallas and two in Austin, said Pilcic.

State Farms in-office personnel will reportedly start working catastrophe claims resulting from Harvey as soon as they are reported, he added.

CoreLogic released early estimates of storm surge and wind damage, indicating insured commercial and residential property losses could reach $2 billion. The global information and analytics provider said that this damage estimate does not include damage resulting from flooding, business interruption or contents claims.

Harvey has weakened, according to AIR, to a Category 1 storm. Rainfall from the storm is expected to last several days and the damage resulting from expected catastrophic flooding is still unknown.
AKRON, Ohio -- A 17-year-old boy in police custody died of a gunshot wound to the head while sitting in the back of an Akron police cruiser, a police spokesman and the Summit County Medical Examiner said.

The incident happened about 11 p.m. on 7th Street between Kenmore Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, Akron police Capt. Daniel Zampelli said. Xavier McMullen was later pronounced dead at the scene. An officer found a gun next to McMullen, Zampelli said.

A preliminary investigation indicates that McMullen shot himself, but Zampelli said it's unclear whether the shooting was intentional or an accident.

Officers took him into custody as part of a robbery investigation, Zampelli said.

A man and a woman told police that they were seated in a van on 10th Street about 10 p.m. when three males approached. One of them showed them a gun and demanded money, Zampelli said.

They took property and ran away, he added.

An investigation led investigators to a 7th Street home. The homeowner allowed police inside where they found the three males and took them into custody, Zampelli said. Officers placed the suspects in separate cruisers.

Officers heard a gunshot as they continued their investigation. They rushed to the cruiser where McMullen was seated. The officers opened the door and found him with a fatal gunshot, Zampelli said.

Anthony Criss and Matthew Allen, both 18, are charged with aggravated robbery and were taken to the Summit County Jail.

The Akron Police Detective Bureau, Office of Professional Standards and Summit County Medical Examiner's Office are investigating, Zampelli said.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
Disturbance, Lee Road: At 11:20 a.m. Aug. 21, police were called about a woman who was seen crying as she walked on Lee Road. Police calmed the woman and listened as she told officers that her boyfriend looked through her cell phone and learned that she didn't really want to be with him.

An argument ensued. The woman said her boyfriend then threw her cell phone out of the window of the car in which they were riding. He then stomped on the phone, pushed her out of his car, poured water on her, and drove away.

Police gave the woman a courtesy ride to her Euclid home. The woman told police she would think about pursuing charges.

Shot fired, Forest View Drive: At 9:50 p.m. Aug. 22, a woman called police to report that someone fired a single gunshot through a window at the front of her house.

No one was injured and police were unable to determine a suspect.

Theft, Fairmount Boulevard: At 3:15 p.m. Aug. 21, management at Fairmount Martini Bar, 2448 Fairmount Boulevard, reported that an employee stole a bar check and attempted to cash it at an Aurora Road store. The check was made out for $1,500. The store called the bar about the check and were told not to accept it.

Later, the employee returned to the bar with the check, in pieces, as he had ripped it up. Police charged the man with felony theft.

Disturbance, Ardmore Road: At 7:50 p.m. Aug. 21, police were called to the home of a woman, 49. The woman's granddaughters, ages 16 and 13, were at her house. The granddaughters told police that their mother threatened them with a knife and scissors while they were at their mother's house.

Police spoke with the mother who said that only a verbal argument took place when she tried to take away the girls' cell phones.

Officers learned that the grandmother has custody of the older girl and that a civil case is ongoing while the grandmother seeks to gain custody of the younger girl.

No charges were filed as a result of the Aug. 21 report as there was no evidence of wrongdoing.

OVI, Elbon Road: At 6:35 a.m. Aug. 19, police were called about a man sleeping behind the wheel of a car stopped in the road, its motor running.

Police woke the man, 34. Field sobriety tests revealed that the man was impaired. In the car, police found a cup containing an alcoholic beverage and a marijuana cigar.

The man was charged with OVI, open container and possession of a controlled substance.

Disturbance, Quilliams Road: At 9:35 a.m. Aug. 19, police were called about a disturbance between a mother and her son.

The mother was upset with her son, 18, because of his continued drug use and his failure to begin court-assigned community service work due to an earlier robbery arrest. When the mother told her teen son she would not buy him new shoes or a backpack, the boy became angry and began punching walls about the house.

The mother later feared for her safety and picked up household items and threw some of them at her son.

Police could not determine the aggressor and no charges were filed.

Burglary, Coventry Road: At 9:15 a.m. Aug. 18, police were called to a three-tenant home on a report of a burglary.

The property manager reported that stolen items included a washing machine, dryer, stove and refrigerator taken from the home's basement and garage. In addition, tenants of the house reported stolen items such as tables and clothes.

It is believed that a former third-floor tenant stole the goods. A truck was seen at the house the night before. About six men got out of the truck and put the items into the vehicle. Police are investigating.

Overdose, Noble Road: At 3:30 p.m. Aug. 18, officers responded to a report of a woman on the ground at Gas USA, 2610 Noble Road. Police found the woman seated, leaning against a wall.

The unconscious woman had a slight pulse and was breathing heavily. An emergency crew was called to the scene and used Narcan to revive the woman, who was suspected of having an opiate overdose.

The woman was taken to the hospital, where she spoke with officers. The woman, 24, said she was trying to get home to Mayfield Heights from downtown Cleveland. She told police she hadn't taken opiates, but had mixed two drugs in her possession.

It was learned that the woman is on probation. Her probation officer was informed of the incident.

Aggravated menacing, Nobleshire Road: At 12:35 a.m. Aug. 18, a woman reported that her ex-boyfriend was threatening her.

The woman told officers that the man would not return her car and that he also threatened her family.

While police spoke with the woman, the former boyfriend called. The woman put her cell phone on speaker phone so officers could listen. The man told the woman that she should abort her baby (she is pregnant with his child) or she would be dead. He also said that he would find her wherever she might go.

Police issued a warrant for the man's arrest on an aggravated menacing charge.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
LYNDHURST, Ohio -- Police and the Cleveland FBI are searching for a man who robbed a Lyndhurst bank Friday morning.

The robbery happened just after 11:30 a.m. at Chase Bank on Mayfield Road between Biltmore and Commodore roads, FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said.

A man walked into the bank, waited in line for a teller and then handed the teller a "detailed threatening demand note," Anderson said.

The teller complied with the demand and the man ran out of the bank, Anderson said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Lyndhurst police at 440-473-5116 or the FBI at 216-522-1400. Reward money is available.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
Cloud News

VMworld: Partners Await Pricing, Availability Details For VMware Cloud On AWS

Joseph F. Kovar

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Solution providers attending next week's VMworld conference in Las Vegas will be closely looking at what VMware's strategic relationship with Amazon Web Services means for their businesses.

VMware is expected to provide additional details on VMware Cloud on AWS  including pricing, availability and how the sales process for the offering will work in the channel. The new offering allows VMware software-defined data center workloads to run natively on Amazon Web Services.

VMware Cloud on AWS would allow customers to run applications across VMware vSphere-based private, public and hybrid cloud environments using their existing VMware software and tools for a full range of storage, database, analytics and other services.

[Related: VMware Cloud For AWS: The Tech Groundwork Is Laid, Partners Look At How To Adopt]

Until now, VMware has not provided information related to the availability of the offering, how it will be priced, and how channel partners can take advantage of it. The company could reveal all of that information, in addition to new details about an offering that allows customers to build on-premises AWS-based clouds, partners said.

VMware declined to comment on questions relating to its strategic agreement with AWS.

One major U.S.-based VMware channel partner told CRN under the condition of anonymity that his company has yet to see pricing and availability for VMware Cloud on AWS, but that he is not surprised.

"There are a lot of complexities related to how the offering can be priced and sold," the solution provider said.

The solution provider is also waiting for word on details about an expected plan for infrastructure that will let clients run an AWS cloud on-premises using VMware technology.

"I expect it will run on a Dell EMC hardware stack, because of Dell EMC's ownership of VMware," the solution provider said. "VMware always says it doesn't care which hardware customers use to run its technology. But for this offering, VMware will probably need something designed specifically for running AWS. And Dell EMC will likely be first."

Availability and pricing questions are one thing, but even more important is what the strategic partnership can do for channel partners, said Matt Darlington, senior director of solutions and services at BlueRange Technology, a Morrisville, N.C.-based solution provider which works with both VMware and AWS.

"First, we need to know what's technically possible," Darlington told CRN. "What [problem] a solution can solve is always the top question. If it doesn't solve the customer's problem, it doesn't matter what the cost is."

BlueRange Technology has no vested interest in taking customers to the cloud for the cloud's sake, Darlington said.

"We're looking at the opportunity," he said. "I expect VMware Cloud on AWS to be cost-competitive to running a similar infrastructure in the customers' data centers. This should be a really good offering for partners. But if you are focused on the price, you're not selling your value."
Security News

Mimecast Looks To Push All SMB Sales Through Channel, Readies New Program Launch

Sarah Kuranda

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On the heels of strong partner growth, Mimecast says it is working to move all of its SMB business through the channel and its readying the launch of a refreshed partner program.

Himanshu Patel, director of field and channel marketing, said in an interview with CRN at XChange 2017 in Orlando, Fla. that the company continues to see strong growth in its partner base. He said the company is now in a trial piloting all SMB deals through partners as it looks to move as much of its SMB business through the channel as it can.

Patel said partners are helping the company in the midmarket with many of its deals, as well.

[Related: XChange 2017: 10 Ways One Security VAR Found Success Doing Things Differently]

The move comes as Mimecast overall looks to move more business through the channel in North America. The company does 100 percent of its business through the channel in Australia, Asia-Pacific, and the United Kingdom, with around 70 percent of its business through the channel in North America, as of January.

The company hired former HP Security executive Eli Kalil in late December as senior vice president of global channel sales, a new position for the email security, continuity and archiving vendor to lead its push to the channel.

Patel said Mimecast plans to solidify that channel strategy by the end of the calendar year with the launch of a refreshed, bigger channel program. He said that new program would include a push through two-tier distribution, which he said will also benefit the company's SMB partners.

Michael Goldstein, president and CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based LAN Infotech, said he has definitely seen a shift from Mimecast in regards to SMB partners, like himself, in the last few months. While his business has been a Mimecast MSP partner for a while, he said the company has been reaching out more and passing his business more leads recently.

"It's really good to see them push that way and talk more about the channel," Goldstein said. Goldstein said his business with Mimecast continues to grow, with more than 90 percent of his clients now using the company's solutions.

Goldstein said he thinks the push to move more SMB accounts to the channel will make Mimecast more competitive in the long-run, especially as it goes head-to-head with companies like Sophos, Barracuda, and SonicWall. "I think it definitely makes them more competitive," Goldstein said. "I think they really want to push into the [email security and continuity] space and not leave anything on the table."

Patel said the opportunity for SMB partners to work with Mimecast is particularly ripe as more businesses look to move to Office 365. He said SMB partners could help secure customers' move to Office 365, as well as ensure uptime through business continuity solutions. He said that could be a significant upsell for an SMB partner, leading to more margin.

Patel said that opportunity has only risen in the wake of recent ransomware attacks, including WannaCry and NotPetya, which have put the importance of email security and business continuity solutions front and center for customers.
The monthly payments from the Connecticut Fat Man were called 7,500 boxes of ziti, for the wife of Herb, a top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The $7,500 per month, filtered through a secret account from a lobbyist who pleaded guilty and is the chief witness in a massive federal corruption case, helped keep Herb, Joseph Percoco  Cuomos in-house confidante, enforcer and successful 2010 campaign manager  up to date with the mortgage of his $800,000 South Salem, N.Y. home, federal investigators say.

And for the money, which the Department of Justice believes topped $474,000 over the course of the bribery scheme to help influence the corporate goals of a Maryland-based power company, Lisa Toscano-Percoco, a school teacher, worked between two and 15 hours per month.

Nearly a year after Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr., the son of a high-powered Connecticut Democrat, was arrested in a wide-ranging, multi-part kickback, extortion and conspiracy investigation in New York, his lawyers are trying to get Kelly off the hook on charges that could land him in prison for 20 years.

11 million pieces of evidence

With a flurry of legal briefs, letters and motions in federal court, Kellys legal team is attempting to distance him from Percoco, whom Kelly is accused of bribing over five years. In all, eight men, including a former State University of New York president, await trials for conspiracy, extortion, bribery and other charges.

Federal prosecutors have amassed about 11 million pieces of evidence, including more than 28,400 pages of emails and images from the phone Kelly used as an executive with Competitive Power Ventures Holdings, LLC, (CPV) the company that is building a natural gas-fired power plant in Oxford and has not been linked to the alleged corruption.

A federal judge in New York recently decided to break the case into two trials, with the first, involving Percoco and Kelly, scheduled to begin next January, including the alleged bribes to benefit a nearly identical 650-megawatt CPV natural-gas plant in Orange County, N.Y.

The other trial, including the former SUNY president and Louis P. Ciminelli of Buffalo, whose company was a partner in a now-abandoned plan to rebuild the Stamford railroad station, will start in May.

Requesting details

Daniel M. Gitner, lead attorney for Kelly, claims that Percoco was not a government official during part of the period covered by the charges, and that details of the bribery charges have not been released, undermining defense preparation.

The governments tactic hamstrings the defenses ability to effectively prepare for trial, Gitner wrote in a brief last month. Under the circumstances, Mr. Kelly cannot reasonably be expected to prepare for trial on a gratuity charge without identification of the specific official acts that he allegedly rewarded or the thing(s) of value that functioned as the reward.

The government is not required to disclose at this juncture the way in which it will attempt to provide the charges or the precise manner in which the defendant committed the charged crimes, nor must the government provide a preview of the evidence or legal theories it intends to present at trial, wrote Joon H. Kim, acting United States Attorney.

Federal prosecutors charge that Kelly gave the $7,500 a month to both Percoco and Todd Howe, a lobbyist who once worked for both the New York governor and his father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, for whom the newly opened Tappan Zee Bridge was named. In all, the Percocos received $287,000 from CPV, which gave $474,000 to Howes private company, plus $332,000 to the Washington firm he was associated with at the time, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna.

The government expects that the evidence at trial will establish that the governors election in 2010 transformed Howe, then primarily a federal lobbyist based in Washington, D.C., into a key contact for individuals seeking public funds and other official action from New York State, due to Howes longstanding personal and professional relationships with the governor and other senior officials in the governors administration, Kim wrote recently in one of 313 filings in Kellys case dating back to the September 22, 2016, criminal indictment.

$90,000 a year

Howe once hired Percoco to work for the Andrew Cuomo in 1999, when Cuomo was secretary of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton, according to court documents.

Kellys father, Hartford lawyer Peter G. Kelly, is a former treasurer and finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and was a member of the DNC from 1976 to 1992. He is the founding partner in the firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy.

The younger Kelly allegedly ingratiated himself with Percoco in attempt to win $100 million in support for the natural gas-powered plant in upstate Orange County by hiring Percocos wife for the $90,000 a year low-show job, for which she worked as few as two hours a month. Some of the money was funneled from the electric company to Howe, who a year ago pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, and helped federal prosecutors build their cases against the defendants.

In August 2013, Percoco allegedly succeeded in gaining CPV a reciprocity agreement to purchase emission credits from New York for a New Jersey power plant. Kelly eventually terminated payments after the attempt to gain the $100 million to help in the construction of the Orange County plant failed.

Gitner said that Kelly believed that Howe had received a New York State ethics opinion that allowed for the hiring of Percocos wife to prepare a school-age curriculum on the Wawayanda, N.Y., powered by natural gas derived from the controversial fracking method of using water pressure to open shale-oil reserves.

Gitner also asked prosecutors to provide any details that Percoco used his influence as Gov. Andrew Cuomos executive deputy secretary to benefit CPV. He requested evidence that Howe might have destroyed or altered documents he might have used to deceive Kelly, who was also referred to by Howe and Percoco as Fat Boy.

KDixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
The inability of any one party to prevail or for two parties to agree on any bill, or on a budget for that matter, depends largely upon prevailing disagreements more than upon agreeable ones.

In the case of our own Connecticut legislative bodies, what contributes most to disagreement is the more limited source of in-coming tax dollars due to a downward spiraling State economy.
Great Allegheny Passage improvements coming

The bids were opened Nov. 1 and Adam Eidemiller's was the lower of two bids received. The project will take two weeks starting within the next week.
A brave group of Ugandan schoolchildren have made it their mission to break the taboo around periods in their country.

The teenagers from the remote region of Karamoja dub themselves the Period Club and sing, rap and perform plays about menstrual hygiene in a bid to debunk menstruation myths.

They are also teaching their community to make reusable sanitary pads to help improve women's health - breaking down menstrual taboos and restoring women's dignity, while also getting girls back into school.

The inspiring youngsters used to go to the toilet in the bush and girls often skipped lessons when on their period - but now they are working closely with WaterAid to change that.

These brave Ugandan students are helping transform lives in their community with their WASH Club (water, sanitation and hygiene) - and using drama, music and games to spread the word

The charity has helped improve school life by building latrines and teaching students about the importance of good sanitation and hygiene, as well how to safely manage their periods and make reusable sanitary pads.

The students are now helping transform lives in their community by forming a WASH Club (water, sanitation and hygiene) - using drama, music and games to spread the message.

One in 10 adolescent girls across Africa misses school due to menstruation and then eventually drop out, according to UNESCO.

Oxford University found that absence among girls is 17 per cent higher in Ugandan schools where sanitary pads or puberty education are not provided; equal to nearly three and a half days of school a month.

Student Dennis Lopeot, 14, is passionate about performing songs about menstruation. He said: 'It is good for boys to know about periods too so that they can teach their sisters'

School girls act during a performance to raise awareness of hygiene practices. In Uganda, a staggering 32 million people don't have access to a decent toilet

WASH Club member Ether Longok aged 15 (left) shows Martha Ibilat, aged 11 (right) how to sew together the fabric to make a sanitary towel at school in the Nakapiripirit District

Materials used to make sanitary pads are shown at school. In Uganda, 32 million people don't have access to a decent toilet and women often miss school while on their period

Vivian Akol, aged 15, holds materials used to make sanitary pads at school. In her village, some believe that sitting on rocks would relieve period pain

Sixteen-year-old Esther Longok, 16, a student at secondary school, said: 'Before, when we told our parents to buy us pads, they told us to just use our knickers. Disposable pads are expensive, and when girls didn't know how to make pads they would have to miss school, maybe for three days.

'In our hygiene club, we have learned how to make sanitary pads, and also teach our friends about menstruation. Now things are changing!

There are many myths around menstruation in Karamoja, such as the belief that stepping on groundnuts while on your period would stop them growing, and sitting on rocks would relieve period pain.

Students sing during a performance to raise awareness of hygiene practices. Some students have built latrines at home after learning the importance of good sanitation

Youngsters walk through town during a march to raise awareness of good sanitation. Boys as well as girls have embraced the initiative, making it more normal to talk about periods

Sharon Chelimo, aged 14, holds up a sign during a march to raise awareness of hygiene practices in their town last month - reading 'Wash your hands regularly'

Fellow student Fiona, 15, added: 'In villages, some say that if a girl starts menstruation she is ready to marry.

'It's true that you can bear children but you are not ready to marry because you are still young. I first want to finish my studies, get my job, then marry.'

Boys as well as girls have embraced the initiative, helping end the stigma and making it more normal to talk about periods, bringing change throughout the community.

Student Dennis, 14, is passionate about performing his own songs about menstruation.

Former school pupil and Welthungerhilfe facilitator Ritah Lokol (centre) sits with pupils in class (L-R) Abraham Aleper, aged 18, Dennis Lopeot, aged 14, Esther Longok, aged 15, Beatrice Ajok, aged 15, Fiona Anyakun, aged 15 and Sharon Chelimo aged 14

Esther Longok, aged 15 (right) helps her mother Maritina Akol wash the dishes at her home in Uganda. The teen has been learning to make sanitary pads in her hygiene club

Esther walks to her home in Uganda. One in 10 adolescent girls across Africa misses school due to menstruation and then eventually drop out, according to UNESCO

He said: 'It is good for boys to know about periods too so that they can teach their sisters. In my songs I talk about menstruation and other things.

'Spreading my message about hygiene through songs is good. Here, many people defecate out in the open; if they hear my message, they may dig latrines at home.'

In Uganda, 32 million people don't have access to a decent toilet. Fiona's family built a latrine at home after she learned the importance of good sanitation at school.

Her mother Alice, 62, said: 'I am proud of Fiona. She is the one who told me to construct a latrine and taught us how to make reusable pads. The knowledge that Fiona has brought me is really helping all of us.'
Ivanka Trump's two eldest children are gearing up to head back to school, and the mother-of-three couldn't resist sharing a throwback photo of herself in the classroom.

The 35-year-old, who attended the Chapin School in Manhattan until she was 15, took to Instagram to share a 'Throwback Thursday' picture of herself taking notes at the exclusive all-girls school.

'Feeling those back to school vibes! #TBT,' she captioned the image, which sees her looking at the girl next to her while writing in her notebook.

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Almost fall: Ivanka Trump took to Instagram to share a 'Throwback Thursday' photo of herself as a student at he Chapin School, saying she was 'feeling those back to school vibes'

Back in the day: The 35-year-old attended the exclusive all-girls school in Manhattan until she was 15 years old

Life as a White House senior adviser: Ivanka is pictured with Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta

This fall, Ivanka's six-year-old daughter, Arabella, will be starting first grade while her eldest son, three-year-old Joseph, will be heading back to preschool, and the mom is definitely feeling nostalgic.

Ivanka, who appears to be in her early teens in the photo, is pictured wearing a loose-fitting polo shirt and a pair of headphones on her head.

This fall Ivanka's six-year-old daughter, Arabella, will be starting first grade while her eldest son, three-year-old Joseph, will be heading back to preschool.

Three years ago, Ivanka shared a seventh grade photo of herself with her classmates during a field trip to Boston, Massachusetts.

A few years ago, Ivanka shared this photo of her and her classmates on a seventh grade field trip to Boston, Massachusetts

Gone girl: Ivanka transferred to Choate Rosemary Hall, a co-educational boarding school in Wallingford, Connecticut, when she was in ninth grade. She is pictured in 1998

Although Ivanka appears to look back at her days at Chapin fondly, she has admitted in the past that she despised boarding school life.

President Donald Trump's eldest daughter transferred to Choate Rosemary Hall, a co-educational boarding school located in Wallingford, Connecticut, when she was in the ninth grade.

'I was all of a sudden in the prison of boarding-school life, and all my friends in New York were having fun,' she told Marie Claire in 2007.

Way out: Ivanka, who is pictured back stage at Aanad Jon's fashion show in 1999, started modeling to escape boarding school

Natural phenomenon: Ivanka watched the solar eclipse with her father, President Donald Trump, and her stepmother, Melania, at the White House on Monday

Back to school: Tiffany Trump watched the solar eclipse in Washington, D.C. with her mom, Marla Maples. She started her law school orientation at Georgetown University this week

Ivanka started modeling at 15, and as a teen she covered Seventeen magazine, scored a Tommy Hilfiger ad campaign, and walked the runway for Versace and Thierry Mugler.

However, last October, she told Town & Country that she never wanted to pursue modeling as a career; she just wanted to escape boarding school.

'I had no interest in being a model. I just wanted to get the hell out of Wallingford,' she explained.

After high school, Ivanka attended Georgetown University before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business, her father's alma mater.

Almost time: Ivanka's eldest children, Arabella (right) and Joseph (left) are getting ready to head back to school

Back to work: Ivanka joined her stepmother at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, to watch her father to give a national address, in which he discussed America's war in Afghanistan

While Ivanka and her older brother Donald Trump Jr. graduated from University of Pennsylvania, their younger brother Eric Trump opted to star and finish his college career at Georgetown.

Their college choices clearly affected their 23-year-old half-sister, Tiffany Trump, who started her orientation at Georgetown Law this week, a little over a year after she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tiffany's mother Marla Maples, 53, helped her get settled at the Washington, D.C. campus, and while she was getting ready to start law school, Ivanka was watching Monday's solar eclipse at the White House with their father and stepmother.

Ivanka later joined Trump and First Lady Melania at Fort Myer in Arlington, Virginia, to watch her father to give a national address, in which he discussed America's war in Afghanistan.
Disney's hit show Hannah Montana ended six years ago, but the program's fans have been given a new reason to go gaga over the series' ending all over again after one of the stars shared a major revelation about its final moments.

Actress Emily Osment, 25, who played lead character Miley Stewart's best friend Lilly Truscott, revealed on Twitter that her last shocking words of the show were actually ad-libbed and completely off-script.

In fact, she wasn't supposed to have the last line of the show at all, and fans are thrilled with the new piece of trivia.

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Super shocker! Actress Emily Osment, 25, revealed on Twitter that she ad-libbed the last line of the Hannah Montana finale

Disney daze: In the 2011 finale of the program, Miley Stewart, played by Miley Cyrus, 24, visits Emily's character Lilly an college to say she's leaving stardom to attend college herself

Friendship goals: The dynamic duo share a hug at the news before the final words of the show

Show stealer: Miley says 'I love you so much' and Emily responds with her ad-libbed line, 'I know!'

In the final scene of the five-year long program, teen-turned-pop star Miley Stewart, played by Miley Cyrus, 24, surprised Emily's character Lilly in her dorm room and revealed she's leaving her stardom career behind to go to college with her.

The duo shared an affectionate hug, and Miley told Lilly, 'I love you so much.'

After a beat, Lilly looked up from their hug and in her famously cheery voice responded with: 'I know!'

The two little words wrapped up the entire series centered on Miley Cyrus' character to rest on a note of friendship.

Emily revealed her finale secret on Wednesday while tweeting back to a fan who posted a video on the final scene.

'I ad libbed that so I could have the last line of the whole series,' she cheekily wrote followed by a smirking face and rock and roll hand emoji.

Surprise! Emily revealed her ending ad-lib on Twitter in response to a fan's finale video post

Mad props: This Twitter use applauded Emily's improvisation as the greatest ad lib to date

Can't get enough! Other fans were dying for more details on the duo's relationship post finale

Still crying! Plenty of sad faces followed the heartwarming finale video and Emily's confession

Got em! One user praised Emily's face in the finale hug and ad lib as a job very well done

Shocked with her confession, Twitter users were quick to express their emotional surprise.

'And it is the best ad lib to date,' one fan wrote, followed by crying face emojis.

'My gals getting their happy ending I AM STILL A MESS YEARS LATER,' another user added.

The reminder of the end of the hit show left fans begging for more details on the friendship between the dynamic duo post filming in college.

'I miss Hannah Montana! Bring on the college years! I need to know what's happening with everyone! Are they happy? Still friends?' one fan tweeted.

Some Twitter users were all for Emily's improvisation, applauding her steal of the last spotlight.

Soul sisters: Emily (left) and Miley (right) worked together for five years on the Hannah Montana set (above) and closed the show with a hug and some words of her own

Blonde starlet: The Disney girl continued to shine on the red carpet at premieres such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (above) and on her new show ABC Family's Young & Hungry

Fan friendly: Emily is active on Twitter and Instagram (above) where she revealed her ad lib

'And the upstage hug showin' off on your face,' one girl wrote.

Fans of the show have been clamoring for a reunion, echoing a similar outcry for the cast of High School Musical to come back together. In an age of reboots from Fuller House to Raven's home, a Hannah Montana reunion doesn't seem so unlikely.

Emily may have stolen the last words of the Disney series, but she didn't have to worry about it being her last major role. A couple years following the program's end, she became the star on her own show on ABC Family.

In 2014, Emily joined the show Young & Hungry, now in its fifth season, on which she plays a young food blogger.
A Melbourne woman has written about her harrowing experience with miscarriage to help others understand the emotions and the journey that women may go through.

Elisa Mercuri, 30, found out she was expecting a child with her husband last year and couldn't wait to meet her baby.

Here, in a series of moving diary entries - which she has shared with FEMAIL - she opens up about her heart breaking loss and her hopes for the future.

Elisa Mercuri, 30, (pictured right) found out she was expecting a child with her husband last year and couldn't wait to meet her baby

SUNDAY 31ST JULY 2016

Two positive lines. Our honeymoon baby.

I knew I was pregnant even before I took the test. There was a feeling I never had felt before but it was a good feeling.

My body was changing. I felt tired, my boobs were sore and morning sickness set in.

We started thinking about who our obstetrician would be, which hospital our baby would be born in.

'It made me feel hatred to my body for failing to produce a healthy baby. It made me feel like I was drowning and suffocating with grief,' she wrote

THURSDAY 9TH SEPTEMBER 2016

Nine weeks had past, nine weeks of feeling life grow inside of me and my body changing rapidly.

Nine weeks of picking out names and daydreaming of gender, the future plans we would have for our baby, if it will look like me or my husband and looking forward to holding the baby in our arms.

Our first ultrasound. We were so excited! At nine weeks, a baby's heart and body parts are formed and developing.

But something was wrong. I knew straight away when the obstetrician kept changing the position of the ultrasound probe to see the baby and then needing to do an internal ultrasound. I looked in her eyes and knew.

Our doctor then told us there was no heartbeat and our baby had stopped growing.

Receiving that news my heart sank; it broke; and I couldn't believe it was happening to us to me.

I was in complete shock. I cried, I cried as we left the hospital rooms, I cried all the way home while my husband was driving and then we got to my parents place and I broke down on the floor into a complete mess when I got home.

I have never cried like that in my life before, never longed for a life, my baby, that I was carrying inside me and could now no longer protect.

I felt like a complete failure, to myself and to my husband, my body failed me from doing what any female body was made to do, grow a healthy baby to term.

Elisa and her husband had conceived their baby on their honeymoon last year

Going home and waiting for those next few days to go by with my baby still inside me felt so cruel, I hated my body for what it was doing.

I felt so empty inside. The whole three days I spent it crawled up in a ball in bed crying.

TUESDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2016

The day I will never forget. The day my baby would be removed.

The cruel thing is I had to go through the maternity ward where other women were waiting for their appointments with their huge baby bellies and here I was knowing that it was not going to happen for me.

I was terrified and so sad. I was about to go in for a procedure I never have wanted.

I will never forget the feeling of getting onto that theatre table and crying my eyes out until I was put to sleep.

'I have never cried like that in my life before, never longed for a life, my baby, that I was carrying inside me and could now no longer protect,' she said

But I will also never forget the moment where a male hospital nurse held my hand as I was given the anaesthetic to go under and tried to comfort me with what I was and would be going through.

I woke up in the hospital bed and cried my eyes out even more. My heart was broken and I knew nothing would be able to repair it.

A piece of my heart was forever gone and would never return. My baby was gone and there is nothing I could ever do to bring it back.

THE FOLLOWING TWO WEEKS

The real grieving process was to now set in, the part and process that no one tells you about or prepares you for.

I spent days in my bed, not eating or drinking or showering - just curled up in a ball feeling so empty. There was nothing my husband could do to help me. And there was nothing I could do to help him through his grief of his baby too.

'I was terrified and so sad. I was about to go in for a procedure I never have wanted,' she explained about having to birth her miscarried baby

Nothing I could do to bring our first baby back.

I cried so hard my whole body ached and felt a pain I never knew was possible.

I didn't know how to talk about the loss of our baby, that was the hardest part. And when people did find out they would say "at least it happened earlier on and not later on in the pregnancy" or "it wasn't meant to be" or "you will be able to have another baby", those words hurt the most.

I wanted THAT baby, I never wanted to lose it, and there is definitely no difference in losing a baby earlier on or later on the pregnancy, it's still a baby, our baby.

TWO MONTHS LATER

Over the next weeks and months, I would open up my Facebook to see all the new pregnancy and baby announcements and it killed me inside.

No one tells you that automatically and your body's natural reaction is to be jealous. Not jealous that I wanted their baby but I wanted MY baby.

A reminder that I will never get the chance to hold my baby in my arms, watch our baby grow, take its first steps, go to school, and get married one day. All those hopes and dreams will never happen for our baby.

'Over the next weeks and months, I would open up my Facebook to see all the new pregnancy and baby announcements and it killed me inside,' Elisa said

Miscarriage grief brought so many different feelings with it. It ranged from sadness, to anger to depression.

It had its milestones which I hated, every Tuesday would mark the week that it had gone by that our baby was taken from me.

Every Thursday would be mark the milestone of the week our baby could have been.

It made me feel hatred to my body for failing to produce a healthy baby. It made me feel like I was drowning and suffocating with grief

And April 13th 2017 would have been our baby's due date.

It made me feel hatred to my body for failing to produce a healthy baby. It made me feel like I was drowning and suffocating with grief.

It made me look back on what I could have done to help my baby, maybe it was my fault when I had a big drinking night on our honeymoon before I had that positive test result or it was because I hadn't rested enough.

And it made me feel jealous to any pregnant women that would be around me or talk about their baby or a newborn baby.

And then finally the jealousy made me feel ashamed for feeling that way because I couldn't actually wish my situation on anyone.

SIX MONTHS LATER

No one also told me that it could take many more months to conceive our next baby, every month that went by killed me even more inside when I didn't get any positive pregnancy tests.

It was an emotional roller coaster for us and nothing could be done about it, even with trying to conceive on the right days and doing all the right things there was nothing, absolutely nothing.

'I knew I was pregnant even before I took the test. There was a feeling I never had felt before but it was a good feeling,' she said

During this time you also realise who in your life is most important to you. I had people in my life who I thought would be there for me or us during this hard time and weren't - that was devastating to see.

All I know is that if it wasn't for my amazing husband, my mum and dad and my closest best friends I would never have gotten through this time.

ELEVEN MONTHS LATER

It has taken me eleven months to write this and want to share the story of what happens and the feelings of when someone goes through a miscarriage.

Time does help... but it doesn't cure or heal the heart and soul

Eleven months to semi-realise that it wasn't my fault my body failed and there was nothing I could have done to stop the miscarriage from happening.

Time does help... but it doesn't cure or heal the heart and soul.

And even though now we are expecting our second baby and 32 weeks pregnant there is not a day goes by that I do not think about our first baby and the grief that has come along with it.

It still makes me anxious to this day that something could still go wrong and it's all just a dream of being pregnant a second time around.

My heart will never be whole again but I am so grateful and blessed that we have our miracle rainbow baby growing healthy and strong inside me.

And that I still have my loving husband by my side through it all.
A Texas mailman is celebrating a remarkable milestone that many will never get the chance to reach: He has saved over 1,500 lives by donating a staggering 100 gallons of blood throughout his lifetime.

Every two weeks for the past 32 years, Marcos Perez, from San Antonio, has dedicated two hours of his life donating blood at at the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, giving an average of about 2.5 gallons a year.

As well as wanting to help others, the 57-year-old Air Force veteran has an even more important reason for being so diligent about turning up for the bi-weekly appointments; as a baby, he himself was saved by a blood donation, and knows that all it takes to save a life is one person willing to sacrifice a few hours.

Dedication: Marcos Perez, 57, received a certificate after honoring him for donating 100 gallons of blood over the last 32 years, having visited the hospital every two weeks

A real-life hero: According to a South Texas Blood & Tissue Center employee, the mailman has helped save at least 1,500 lives

Born prematurely, Marcos needed a blood transfusion - so his father's friend of 53 years, a man called Tony Aguilar, saved his life by donating his own blood to the cause.

And after hearing the story when he was a teenager, Marcos set himself a goal of donating blood as many times as it's allowed - 24 times a year.

'He took the time to donate, so he saved my life,' he said of Tony, and his own motivation for donating so much blood.

Marcos and the man who inspired him to help thousands first met four years ago at the hospital where the mailman donates blood, and Tony has since become a father figure to the man he helped save more than five decades ago.

The hospital celebrated Marcos' achievement by giving him a cake and a certificate.

Roger Ruiz, a hospital employee, said to KENS-TV that Marcos is 'what you'd consider an All Star for the blood community here in South Texas,' and that the mailman 'has probably saved patients going through cancer treatments, patients who have been in car accidents, patients who have blood disorders'.

Full-circle: Marcos (pictured with his family) had a life-saving blood transfusion as a baby

A long-awaited meeting: The Air Force veteran got to meet the man who saved his life with a blood donation, Tony Aguilar, four years ago (right)

A life of service: 'If you make time to go eat, you make time to go to the movies, you can make time to come donate," Marcos said

'Its safe to say hes saved over 1,500 lives with his donations,' he added.

Because he donates platelets, which are currently in high-demand for cancer patients, Marcos has been able to donate more often than if he were giving up whole blood or double red blood cells.

He is the fourth person in south Texas to donate 100 gallons of blood.

'Without blood donors, cancer patients or people with blood disorders wouldnt have a fighting chance,' Roger said.

And understanding this better than anyone, Marcos plans to keep donating as much blood as he can.

'If you make time to go eat, you make time to go to the movies, you can make time to come donate," he said. 'Just make some time. Give from the heart. That's what it takes. You gotta give from the heart.'
Tess Holliday's new book will be hitting shelves in just one month, but the first-time author already has two loyal fans she can count on: her sons.

The 32-year-old mom took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to share a series of playful bathroom selfies of her and her one-year-old son, Bowie, after posting a heartwarming snapshot of her 11-year-old son, Rylee, flipping through the pages of her upcoming book, The Not So Subtle Art of Being A Fat Girl.

And the sight of her son reading her book was clearly an emotional experience for the size 22 model, who used five crying face emoji in her caption for the black and white image of her eldest child, writing: 'Looking at photos of himself in his mama's book.'

Having fun: Tess Holliday took to Instagram on Thursday night to share some playful photos of herself and her one-year-old son, Bowie, in the bathroom

Fan club: Earlier in the night, the proud mom posted a photo of her 11-year-old son, Rylee, flipping through the pages of her new book, The Not So Subtle Art of Being A Fat Girl

That night Tess snapped a few photos of her and Bowie while they were in the bathroom together, presumably during his bathtime.

Tess is topless in the photo, and although it is unclear if she is still breastfeeding, the mom was most likely getting him ready for bed.

However, the mom took a few minutes to have some fun with a few Snapchat filters before saying goodnight.

Bowie is balanced on her hip in both photos, and while the first one sees them with sporting dog ears, he and Tess are surrounded by floating hearts in the second.

Heartwarming: The 32-year-old mom posted a sweet photo of Rylee sleeping on her

Dream come true? Tess struck a pose outside of Vogue's office in New York City on Tuesday

Determined: 'I know I'll get a Vogue cover,' Tess said in a new interview with Grazia magazine, which she shared photos of on her Instagram Stories this week

Tess returned to Instagram the next day to share a heartwarming photo of Rylee fast asleep on her chest.

'My oldest son fell asleep on [me] last night, and he rarely does that anymore. I feel grateful that he has a warm bed in a loving, safe home - but for so many youth in LA, that's not a reality,' she wrote.

The social media star, who is an advocate for positive body image and the LGBTQ community, went on to announce that she will be speaking at the Penny Lane Centers' fundraiser for homeless youth in Los Angeles.

'They are one of the few organizations that works specifically with LGBTQ youth with the unique issues they face daily, providing necessities like housing and food, as well as programs that can help them make their dreams a reality,' she explained, while urging her followers to attend the fundraiser on Saturday.

Stunning selfie: Tess also shared a behind-the-scenes photo of herself at a photo shoot

Heading to Vogue? Tess posed for a photo with make-up artist Ashleigh Ciucci at Conde Nast's offices at One World Trade on Tuesday

It has been a busy week for Tess, who was in New York City working and promoting her book, and during her trip she shared a black and white photo of herself posed in front of Vogue's office.

'Today was a bucket list kinda day,' she captioned the image, which shows her wearing a black pinafore-style dress over a white, short-sleeved collared blouse.

Earlier this year, Ashley Graham became the first plus-size model to grace the cover of the Vogue, and Tess strongly believes she will one day be featured in the fashion bible as well.

'I know I will get a Vogue cover,' she told Grazia in an interview featured in this week's issue of the British magazine, and Tess proudly shared a video of Anna Shillinglaw, founder of Milk Management, flipping through the pages of her spread.

All-in-one: Tess is never shy when it comes to making her political opinions clear

Although she had a jam-packed schedule, Tess was happy to report that she was on set modeling again.

The mother-of-two shared a sultry behind-the-scenes photo of herself wearing a black leotard and sky-high gold heels while sitting in a chair backstage.

'It feels good to be back shooting. I'm in my element & ready for what's in store- You guys better be too! #effyourbeautystandards #notsosubtletess,' she captioned the image she posted to Instagram on Tuesday.

Tess kicked off her trip to the city that President Donald Trump calls home by sharing a photo of herself donning a T-shirt that reads: 'Respect women, dump Trump.'

'Going to the home of Ole' Donny & just showing my "respect,"' she captioned the selfie, which snapped at LAX airport before her flight to New York City.
A personal trainer from Omaha, Nebraska, is lending her wedding dress to 12 women, who are all getting married within a year, after offering it up for free on a buy/sell/trade group on Facebook.

Having just celebrated her first wedding anniversary, Dawnetta Heinz was busy packing up read to move to a new home when she spotted her wedding gown, and wondered what she should do with it.

The 22-year-old decided that, rather than keep the gown as some kind of souvenir that was likely never to be worn again, she would try and do something more meaningful with the dress by giving it to another bride in need. Little did she know that one bride would soon become 12.

A special dress: Dawnetta Heinz, 22, will lend her wedding gown to 12 different women over the next year after offering it for free on a Facebook post (pictured)

A very good deed: The personal trainer, overwhelmed with responses to her post, commented asking: 'What would you guys think if we just passed the dress on to the next person?'

After posting about the dress online, Dawnetta was stunned to receive interested inquiries from more than 700 brides-to-be.

'I had so many people messaging me telling me their story, how they couldn't afford it, how they'd have to go to Goodwill,' she told Yahoo Style. 'Then I just commented on the post, "What would you guys think if we just passed the dress on to the next person?"'

Everyone agreed that Dawnetta's idea was genius, joking that it could be like the sisterhood of the traveling dress, referencing the popular movie where four friends share a pair of jeans that magically fits all their different body sizes.

And this dress is just as magical as those jeans, fitting the first bride to wear the dress 'like a glove', needing no alterations of any kind.

The first woman in line, Arianna Pro, also from Omaha, wasn't planning on having a beautiful wedding gown for the special day, preferring to spend the money on her children, but saw the possibility of wearing a fairy tale dress when she came across Dawnetta's post while browsing Facebook.

The first in line: Mother-of-four Arianna Pro, from Omaha, already wore the gown to her vow renewal to her husband of six years

A strong woman: Having been homeless at one point, Dawnetta understands what going through financial woes is like

She wore the dress for her vow renewal ceremony on Wednesday on a yacht in San Francisco. Although she and her husband had already gotten married at a courthouse for six years, they wanted to renew their commitment after losing a son.

'We just needed a little light, a little love,' said the mother-of-four, adding that now that they have the means to do it right, the couple wanted their children to see 'that mommy and daddy love each other still.'

Now Arianna will pack the dress up and send a little light to another bride in need of it.

Dawnetta bought the gown at David's Bridal on sale for less than half the original $1,200 price, after overcoming a difficult past with her husband Jared.

'We were homeless,' she said. 'We sold shakes and were barely getting by, living out of our car. Then we stayed through it, were always faithful to each other.'

Having been through economically challenging times, and now understadning just how many women don't have the means to buy a special dress for their wedding, Dawnetta doesn't plan on storing the dress, and hopes to keep lending it to brides who need it, as long as it holds up after so much wear and dry-cleaning.
The thighs the limit for Kate Moss when it comes to earning power, despite all the hard partying.

The 43-year-old supermodel, who was seen stretching her legs in a pair of thigh-high black fringed boots on a shoot for YSL in Italy, has revealed profits of 3.57million at Kate Moss Ltd, one of the businesses she uses to channel her earnings. Thats up from 478,339 the previous year.

Who says fashion is prejudiced against the middle-aged?

Kate Moss was seen stretching her legs in a pair of thigh-high black fringed boots on a shoot for YSL in Italy

Tracy Ward marks Duke's memorial

Since the Duke of Beauforts death last week, there has been much interest in the identity of the new chatelaine of Badminton House, Gloucestershire.

Would it be his son and heir the Marquess of Worcesters wife, Tracy Ward, or his girlfriend, Georgia Powell?

It was Tracy who was prominent at the Dukes service of thanksgiving at St Michael and All Angels Church, Badminton, yesterday, though shes estranged from husband Harry. Tracy is now Duchess of Beaufort, but has said she wont use the title.

Mourners heard Rose Farquhar, 33, Prince Williams first girlfriend before university, sing a moving rendition of Dame Vera Lynns Well Meet Again.

Roses father is Captain Ian Farquhar, joint Master of the Duke of Beauforts Hunt.

Listening to her sing was Prince Charles who, of course, knows a thing or two about the difficulties of wives and mistresses.

Efforts by the Royal Collection Trust, which looks after the Queens artworks, to persuade plutocrats to open their purses have paid off. Donations to the charity, of which Prince Charles is chairman, soared from 182,000 to 1.75 million over the past year, newly-published accounts reveal.

Last June, the trust hired a team of fundraisers to make high-value asks from the super-rich to help hit ambitious financial targets. Thanks to its benefactors, whom the charity declines to name, total income surged by almost 10 million to 62 million.

Check her out! It's new mum Rosie

What does a supermodel wear for her first public outing since giving birth?

A pair of skinny jeans, if you are Devon-born mannequin Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

The chartered surveyors daughter, 30, who is engaged to hardman actor Jason Statham, 50, gave birth to her first child, Jack, in June.

But, wearing a grey checked blazer and ruby red boots as she ventured out in Hollywood, Rosie looked as if she was ready to stride straight back onto the catwalk.

The chartered surveyors daughter, 30, who is engaged to hardman actor Jason Statham, 50, gave birth to her first child, Jack, in June

Victoria creator Daisy Goodwin reveals arguments with her husband of 28 years, TV executive Marcus Wilford, helped her write the hit ITV period drama.

Im afraid those rows have been the inspiration for depicting the passionate, volatile marriage between Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, she tells me. After all, its about a couple who love each other, but argue all the time. She was a passionate, vibrant, incredibly strong woman who didnt take nonsense from anyone, so, of course, Im thinking of my own life.
The winners of Australia's most innovative and impressive restaurants and bars have been revealed, with the top gong going to a South Australian eatery.

The Australian Gourmet Traveller Awards  held earlier this week at Sydney's newest fine dining establishment Chin Chin  crowned Adelaide's Orana as its Restaurant of the Year.

The win is a major for the state which knocked culinary heavyweights Sydney and Melbourne out of the ring for the first time in 20 years.

Orana took out the top award for it's innovative use of Indigenous ingredients

The Scottish ex-pat chef creates culinary masterpieces unafraid to bridge the cultural divide

The restaurant is the brainchild of chef/owner Jock Zonfrillo  a Scottish ex-pat  whose wholehearted embrace of indigenous flavours has seen him create culinary masterpieces unafraid to bridge the cultural divide.

For interested diners, Orana offers Alkoopina (the name of their long tasting menu).

While the nine-course degustation doesn't come cheap - it's priced at $195 per head - Zonfrillo's creations are breathtakingly spectacular.

The Orana foundation aims to to support the Indigenous food industry

Seafood comes in the form of Spencer Gulf prawn lightly dusted with dehydrated Davidson plum and a touch of salt.

The award-winning restaurant is the brainchild of chef/owner Jock Zonfrillo

Coorong mullet is partnered with native bush honey and green ants, and for dessert-lovers, the peeling bark of the paperback tree gives the classic fool an exciting new twist.

Alongside the super trendy foodie destination, Zonfrillo heads the Orana Foundation, an organisation partly funded by the South Australian government to support the Indigenous food industry.

'The restaurant is just a billboard that promotes the food,' said the award-winning restaurateur.

'Developing the foundation is the crucial next step in preserving Indigenous food knowledge and to sharing that with everyone.

'I aim to give back more than I take.'

THE 2017 GOURMET TRAVELLER RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR WINNERS RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR CHEF OF THE YEAR NEW RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR BEST NEW TALENT REGIONAL RESTAURANT BAR OF THE YEAR MAITRE D' OF THE YEAR WINE LIST OF THE YEAR SOMMELIER OF THE YEAR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO HOSPITALITY Orana, Adelaide Mat Lindsay  Ester, Sydney Fred's, Sydney Josh Niland  Saint Peter, Sydney Igni, Geelong Bar Rochford, Canberra Chris Young  Cafe Di Stasio, Vic Kisume, Melbourne Caitlyn Rees, Fred's, Sydney Ronni Kahn, OzHarvest Advertisement

THE TOP 10 RESTAURANTS OF 2017 1. Orana, South Australia 2. Attica, Victoria 3. Momofuku Seiobo, NSW 4. Brae, Victoria 5. Cutler & Co, Victoria 6. Vue de Monde, Victoria 7. Quay, NSW 8. The Bridge Room, NSW 9. Bennelong, NSW 10. Bentley, NSW Advertisement

Other restaurants taking out the top 10 included reknowned eateries Attica, in Victoria, Momofuku Seiobo, in NSW, and Brae in Victora.

ATTICA

Victoria's Attica is already a rock star of the food world, claiming a spot in this year's World's Best 50 Restaurants list.

The restaurant also draws on the land for inspiration serving up cultural diverse dishes such as a pie flavoured with Vegemite, Goolwa pipis and seaweed butter or for the more adventurous, diced emu with red cabbage is on offer.

MOMOFUKU SEIOBO

Modern restaurant goers will be familiar with Sydney's Momofuku Seiobo. The dining establishment offers the very best in Asian-European fusion.

Serving delicious dishes from an open-plan kitchen, the Barbados-born chef Paul Carmichael wows with culinary creations such as smoky chicken wing meat with crisp jerk chicken skin or Sofrito rice over house-aged wild barramundi.

Clarence River coral crab is roasted in butter in this Instagram snap from Momofuku Seiobo

BRAE

Brae is a contemporary restaurant, set on a hillside on a 30 acre organic farm in Victoria and is spruiked on its website as a 'place to interact with nature and eat from the land'.

Organic principles are employed to produce seasonal vegetables, stone fruits, citrus, nuts, berries and olives for organic extra virgin oil from an established grove of more than 100 trees.

Chickens supply free range eggs, while bees produce honey and assist with pollination.

An ever-changing set menu utilises produce from the restaurant's own vegetable plots and fruit orchards  with recent delights including a dish of milk and honey with mandarin and black truffle and an inventive chicken and truffle sandwich.

Winter peas, sunflower seed praline and Jerusalem artichoke on offer at Brae

CUTLER AND CO

Demonstrating a suitably hipster charm for its Melbourne location, Cutler & Co. Dining Room is located in an old metal works factory in trendy Fitzroy.

Opened in February 2009 by Chef Andrew McConnell, the restaurant is said to 'reflect his passion for exceptional produce and memorable dining experiences' and strike a balance between 'elegance and simplicity'.

The a la carte menu includes dishes such as milk fed veal rack, smoked tongue, macadamia cream and maple, while for dessert you can savour an $18 Chocolate delice.

A newcomer on the restaurant's seasonal Sunday lunch menu was recently a baked meringue with citrus and passionfruit.

Cutler and co's signature chocolate delice

VUE DE MONDE

Located on the 55th floor of Melbourne's iconic Rialto building, this eatery is all about taking your dining experience to new heights  literally!

This classic and quintessentially Australian spot is all about 'theatre' and guests are encouraged to view dining as an 'experience', rather than a necessity.

Owned by celebrity chef Shannon Bennett, Vue De Monde offers diners the chance to enjoy a sophisticated meal while enjoying sweeping views of the city and beyond.

The menu celebrates ingredients on our doorstep, including beautiful, heirloom and organic vegetables and fruits and sustainable, local meat and seafood.

The described themselves as using 'modern culinary techniques' to 'present beautiful food that appeals to all the senses' and is celebrated 'not only for the perception of luxury, but for the honesty and integrity of its presentation'.

Some notable menu items include an emu egg salad, rusty wire oyster with lemon myrtle, red hair kangaroo with muntari berries and simple roasted marshmallows  with a twist!

Barbecued mango with lime and ginger is dished up at Vue de Monde

QUAY

Nestled on the shores of Sydney Harbour, this celebrity hotspot offers diners a five star hospitality experience complete with breathtaking views, fine dining cuisine and a warm, luxury setting.

With Executive Chef Peter Gilmore at the helm, this three-hatted restaurant is no stranger to awards, with the beautiful harbourside restaurant a favourite of foodies around the country.

Surrounded by the iconic Sydney Harbour panorama, diners are sure to enjoy an innovative, memorable and inspiring experience. Pictured is Quay's famous snow egg

The nature-based menu has captured the imagination of critics since it opened, with notable items including the famed snow egg dessert, slow cooked quail with fermented mushroom custard and a congee of black lip abalone, pearl oyster, heart of palm and black vinegar laver.

Surrounded by the iconic Sydney Harbour panorama, diners are sure to enjoy an innovative, memorable and inspiring experience.

Steamed red emperor southern squid, young carrots, green garlic, fermented carrot and shellfish juices

THE BRIDGE ROOM

Located near Circular Quay in Sydney, The Bridge Room has gained glowing reviews from countless Australian food publications.

With menu favourites including Moreton Bay bugs with endive leaves, tamarind, roasted chilli paste, celery salt and also a dish of whipped black sesame, melon, black rice and coconut sugar, the restaurant prizes fresh, quality ingredients over everything else.

The menu is also heavily influenced by owner, Ross and Sunny Lusted's, travels throughout Asia and Europe.

Wagyu shoulder, grilled enoki mushrooms, padron chili, duck, egg cream, horseradish, and grilled seaweed at The Bridge Room

BENNELONG

For those looking for a little Sydney je ne sais quoi, you couldn't go far wrong with Sydney's Bennelong. Located within the iconic Sydney Opera House, with one of Australia's most celebrated chefs, Peter Gilmore, at the helm, the restaurant aims to showcase the most magnificent Australian food and wine. '

Bennelong is all about the provenance of the food we are serving,' executive chef, Peter Gilmore, said.

'The menu is very much crafted in partnership with the farmers, fishermen, breeders and providores from across the land with whom our chefs work together with every day.' Expect delicate portions and delicious food.

Wild Cape York barramundi, hispi cabbage, parsnip, garlic lemon, capers and brown butter at Bennelong

Creative - and highly Instagramable cocktails - at Bennelong

BENTLEY

With a reputation for innovation, Bentley in Sydney's CBD is not to be missed.

Dishes including Wagyu beef brisket grilled over charcoal with mushroom broth and red kale and pork loin and macadamia milk will surprise and delight, while the eclectic list of wines draws food and drinks buffs from around the world.

The restaurant is consistently featured in top Australian restaurant lists, ever since it first opened in 2006.
Advertisement

Once, plastic surgery was taboo.

These days going under the knife is like getting a (very expensive) haircut (with side effects).

And now, a soaring number of patients is letting the world watch their procedures - on Snapchat.

The past two years have seen the rise of the 'Snapchat Surgeon': doctors who livestream their operations on social media to millions of viewers.

At first, the plastic surgery industry dismissed the few accounts as salacious fads which would die out.

They were wrong.

Earlier this year the trend reached such a height among board-certified surgeons that the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) was forced to publish guidelines on how to use social media in the operating theater.

Some medical schools even offer Snapchat lectures for trainee surgeons.

It remains controversial. The most famous account, Dr Miami (or rather, Michael Salzhauer), was recently slammed by the board for rapping, dressing up and fooling around in the OR during operations, forcing him to scale back. Other professionals claim they cannot see how Snapchat benefits anything other than the surgeon's business. And yet, no one can deny it is giving all clinics a promotional boost as plastic surgery enjoys an unprecedented boom.

As the industry grapples with ethical boundaries, Daily Mail Online took a look behind the scenes with Dr Matthew Schulman, the most successful in the field alongside Dr Miami, as he performed a Brazilian butt lift (BBL) on a 25-year-old patient from Queens, New York.

The New York City board-certified surgeon joined the social media platform two years ago.

Before, he had built a name for himself as an expert in the BBL field. But that is now a footnote to his celebrity.

Today, he is pushing five million viewers on his account @nycplasticsurg - and 95 percent of his patients already follow him on Snapchat.

SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO

Behind the filter: Dr Matthew Schulman, a New York City board-certified surgeon who joined Snapchat two years ago, is one of the pioneers in the field. He now teaches student surgeons at Mount Sinai how to use Snapchat in the operating theater

He has 4.5 million viewers on his account @nycplasticsurg - and 95 percent of his patients already follow him on Snapchat

Daily Mail Online went behind the scenes with Dr Schulman and his team to watch him perform - and stream - his signature procedure: the Brazilian butt lift

'I FELT LIKE I KNEW HIM': PATIENT, 25, DESCRIBES WHY SHE APPROACHED THE SNAPCHAT SURGEON TO PERFORM - AND FILM - HER BUTT LIFT

As Henny reached her final year of graduate school last September, she decided she wanted to get a BBL, a specialized procedure which pumps up the buttocks and reduces the size of the waist.

The bubbly 25-year-old from Queens, New York, said she had been thinking about it for years. Finally, she decided she would get it as a graduation present for herself.

I spent months searching for the right person. I had three other consultations before I met Dr Schulman - one of them wasn't even a surgeon. I ran straight out the door when I realized.

Henny, a bubbly 25-year-old from Queens, New York, was already a fan of Dr Schulman's on Snapchat when she decided to become a patient. She said she liked that she already knew him, and her mom felt reassured that she could check up on how she was doing throughout the procedure

'But as soon as I met Dr Schulman, I was sure. He was exactly the same in person as he was on his Snapchat. He knew what he was doing, and Id seen him do it. I felt like I was in safe hands, and he was familiar.

She added that her mother was reassured by the fact that she could watch her during the operation.

'She didn't want me to do it at all. But once I told her I was doing it, she was happy she could watch it.'

And so she booked herself in to go under the knife on July 11, 2017, at 8am - with her family ready at home to watch along.

According to Dr Schulman, that is a typical scenario.

Most of the patients that come to see me now are already actively following me on Snapchat, so theyve already seen me do the surgery that theyre interested in, he explains.

Theyve seen the results, they know my team. So theyre coming in confident, and theyre coming in already having me pre-selected as their surgeon.

It makes for a nice practice where people are coming in that want surgery with me and they already have seen the surgeries.

Every patient starts with a private consult, that does not make it onto Snapchat (I want to be able to answer all the questions without worrying about the person censoring themselves because they dont want it to appear on Snapchat).

The first time fans meet one of the patients-to-be is shortly before the procedure, when Dr Schulman posts some before photos of their body, covering their face and any identifying features they want to obscure, such as tattoos. Dr Schulman then talks the viewers through the procedure, and anything particular about their case.

But before that, during the consultation, he asks them what they are looking for.

According to Dr Schulman, all of his patients bring in the same wish pics from Instagram.

Theyre all 18-inch waist, big tight round butt.

'Yes thats why they call it a wish pic. But thats not realistic and I tell them that from the start.'

IS IT ETHICAL?

The industry has been toying with the issue of ethics for years, and this year it reached a height.

Previously, the ASPS code of ethics prohibited surgeons from promoting their practice for business game, and from doing anything that could put the patient at harm.

But now, the board faces a conundrum: more and more surgeons are seeing the benefits of Snapchat to court patients - there is @bodysculptor in Chicago, @drsejmd in LA, and Dr Schulman in New York. It is also helping to fuel the current trend plastic surgery becoming less taboo.

The ASPS has always offered room for education - and Dr Schulman has capitalized on that. While his Snapchat shows the same procedures, he vociferously promotes an image of himself as 'the educator' in the field

Added to that, they face the issue of the 'Dr Miami effect'. Dr Miami is credited with creating the Snapchat surgery trend. The eponymous surgeon is so prolific he was nominated for a Shorty Award as Snapchatter of the year, but narrowly lost to DJ Khaled. In the last year, his viewership has grown by 150 percent at least, and he is now booked up until 2019. But his style that has won over so many fans is controversial. He dresses up in funny costumes, plays hip hop music, holds up a patient's fat to the camera, and brings in a reel of guests.

Several months ago, the ASPS came out with a set of guidelines. Publishing them with an editorial, the board leaders slammed high profile Snapchat accounts that make light of the practice (and many took this to be a direct dig at Dr Miami).

'I think hes toned it down because hes seen that people he respected were critical of his methods,' Dr Daniel Maman, a board-certified surgeon who does not use Snapchat, told Daily Mail Online.

Dr Maman, of 740 Park Avenue Plastic Surgery, said he can see the benefits of it, but like many in the field he is conflicted.

'Its a double-edged sword. There are some great things and not so great things. It helps to educate the public about our work and spread awareness about the kind of procedures we do - they become more aware of the good and the bad and our field.

'But a lot of people are taking it to a level were it sensationalized everything. That just detracts from the importance of what theyre doing and detracts from patient safety. There is a fine line between trying to please and trying to entertain.

'You wouldnt want your cardiac surgeon changing your heart valve while rapping. One wrong move or inattention can cause severe bodily harm if not death.

'There are certainly surgeons - good ones - that do it in a very tasteful and ethical way. But I think it was very important for the ASPS to come out with guidelines and say that they were extremely critical of some of the behavior.'

Amid the furore, Dr Schulman has taken a clear - and business-savvy - stance: 'it's all about education'.

The ASPS has always offered room for education. A surgeon can promote their practice if their primary focus is to educate aspiring surgeons and the wider public about the practice, to enhance the field.

Dr Schulman's Snapchat is no less salacious and stomach-churning - with butt lifts and breast augmentations galore - and his business is benefiting from his celebrity.

However, he vociferously promotes an image of himself as 'the educator' in the field. Aside from lecturing at Mount Sinai, he has started offering fellowships to fans of his Snapchat, who come to shadow him for one or two days at a time.

'I think its kind of a way to pay it forward,' he says.

INSIDE THE OPERATING THEATER WITH DR SCHULMAN - AND HIS SNAPCHATTING ASSISTANTS

At 7am, the surgical team is quietly setting up the theater; Dr Schulman is buzzing.

'Are we ready guys?' he chimes, powering through the clinic in his black scrubs.

Henny was sedated, then lain on the operating table, hooked up to various IV drips keeping her anesthetized and keeping her heart rate stable. While she was being set up, Dr Schulman stood outside snapping his introduction. He explained to his fans who his patient was (a 25-year-old girl who is not overweight), and what she wants (a heart-shaped butt).

Once inside, he stood over Henny, who was completely covered aside from her midriff. He snapped another intro, showing fans her body, and turning the camera to a screen, which shows her 'before' pictures. He then set the iPhone 6 aside, and started drawing marks on her body where he would be removing fat.

Lights! Camera! Suction: This is a shot of Dr Schulman's operating theater when there is no surgery going on. The set-up is well-oiled, and primed for visitors like fans or media. There is space for at least nine people, with bright lights for shooting

Order of service: A large white board in the corner lists the essentials - the procedure, the timings, and if Snapchat is on

Before: Dr Schulman keeps Henny's before pictures permanently displayed in the room as they morph her body

WHAT IS A BRAZILIAN BUTT LIFT? AND WHY IS IT SO RISKY? A normal butt lift reduces the size of the butt. It is commonly used for formerly overweight people who lost weight. However, a BBL increases the size of the butt, by adding grafted or injected fat. It was created by Ivo Pitanguy, a pioneering Brazilian plastic surgeon, who died in August 2016 aged 90 after carrying the Olympic flame in Rio. HOW IT WORKS: Liposuction to remove fat from abdomen/hips/thighs Fat is 'processed' Fat is injected into buttocks BBL STYLES: Upside-down heart, or 'A-shape': Much smaller waist and larger buttocks towards the bottom Round: emphasis on increasing the size of the butt, not pulling in the waist or thighs DR SCHULMAN'S 'SCOOP LIFT' STYLE: Dr Schulman is one of the three surgeons in the US who has performed thousands of BBLs. He has trademarked his signature style, called the SCOOP Lift. It is a play on the upside-down heart, with small tweaks. He takes out much more fat than other surgeons would normally do, to make a smaller waist, and dedicates more time to contouring the fat around the butt creases to create a smooth transition to the legs. HOW TO PREPARE: Don't smoke (increases infection risk and blood clot risk)

Don't gain weight (when you lose it again, your butt will change) RISK OF DEATH: Higher than most operations - 20 in 100,000 compared with 1 in 100,000. There are two major risk factors that can make a BBL fatal: Blood clots travel to lungs

Accidental injection of fat to blood vessel RECOVERY: Don't work for 10 days Don't sit for 6 weeks Sleep on stomach Final shape will take months or a year to form Advertisement

The set-up is well-oiled, and primed for visitors like fans or media. Everything covered in blue sheets is 'off-limits'. There is space for at least nine people, with bright lights for shooting.

The entire procedure would be three hours long - one hour of liposuction on the back, one on the front, and an hour to re-inject all of that fat into her hips and butt while shaping it into place.

Dr Schulman is relaxed and confident, flanked by an anesthetist, a physician's assistant and a registered nurse. There is also a student in the room, 18-year-old Matt from Chicago, who is an aspiring surgeon and an avid fan of @nycplasticsurg.

'We usually play music in here but I won't today. Stay serious,' Dr Schulman says with a smirk.

STAGE ONE: LIPOSUCTION ON THE FRONT (1 HOUR)

Liposuction is a broad term which refers to the removal of fat from any part of the body - commonly the tummy or the thighs. In a standard liposuction procedure, the fat is then discarded. In a BBL, it is 'processed' then injected back into the body, all into the butt and hips.

There are various ways to perform liposuction. Surgeons can use a 'tumescent fluid', inserting a mixture of salt water, numbing medicine and epinephrine into the body before the fat is removed. This is designed to minimize the amount of bruising afterwards. Other options can involve using a laser-powered cannula or an ultrasound-powered cannula, which emit energy to melt the fat before it is removed.

Dr Schulman does none of that in a BBL. He uses another classic technique: using a power-assisted cannula which vibrates to tunnel into the fibrous tissue and remove the fat.

He makes small incisions around her abdomen, in her belly button and just below her breast line. Then he starts extracting. The cannula makes a buzzing noise as he forcefully pumps the tool back and forth into her body, while feeling around for fatty spots to target.

The cannula is connected by a clear tube to a large plastic jar, and the fat splatters into it. As he moves around her body, Dr Schulman has white cloths to wipe up residue from the incisions. By the end of the process, these cloths are a deep yellowy-red.

He takes out much more fat than other surgeons normally would.

That is a feature of his trademarked signature style, called the SCOOP Lift, which is a play on the upside-down heart shape.

By taking out far more fat, and injecting far more fat, he makes a smaller waist, and has more to 'work with' to contour the butt creases and create a smooth transition to the legs.

There are long stretches of silence, with each of the team pottering away at their work.

Now and again, the registered nurse Jay will pick up the phone from its designated table, and tell Dr Schulman 'let's do another'.

She snaps as he continues plugging away, chatting to the viewers. 'I know her family are watching! It's all going very well,' he effuses.

Jay then puts the phone back down and busies herself with making some notes on the white board as the physician's assistant Tami quietly checks the jar of fat and anesthiologist Dr Douglas Kornreich, a long-time associate of Dr Schulman's, stares at the heart monitor.

At times during the three-hour operation conversation flourishes.

Everything covered in blue sheets is 'off-limits' to Dr Schulman's visitors - either fans or media. Here, he can be seen (top left) holding a power-assisted cannula, which he inserts into the body to extract fat. The cannula is connected by a clear tube to a large plastic jar (bottom left), and the fat splatters into it. Once that jar is full, they switch the tubes to connect to the second jar (next to it)

The cannula makes a buzzing noise as he pumps the tool back and forth in her body, feeling around for fatty spots to target

Now and again, the registered nurse Jay will pick up the phone from its designated table, and tell Dr Schulman 'let's do another'. She snaps as he continues plugging away, chatting to the viewers. 'I know her family are watching!' he says

Dr Schulman pictured during stage one. By the end of the liposuction section on both front and back, both jars were full

The jars fill up with a mixture of fat, bodily fluid and blood, which will gradually separate like oil and water

Once the first jar was full, Tami moved it over and attached the tubes to the second to start filling it up

First hour done: Dr Schulman and his assistant Tami sew up Henny's skin where they made incisions for liposuction

On to stage two: The entire team helps to flip Henny over to liposuction the back then re-inject the fat and contour it

'We're guinea pig sitting for someone at the moment,' Dr Schulman tells Tami as he plunges the suction rod into Henny's back. 'It's cute and stuff but it just doesn't stop pooping. At least a hamster or something just poops in one corner. But this thing just doesn't care.' The room buzzes with musings about rodents and feces as Tami reassesses the fat jars.

Throughout, Dr Schulman is making notes on a blue table sheet, one column showing where he is sucking fat out, another which will show how many injections of fat he makes.

Finally, he determines that they have got the most out of the front. Tami sets the cannula aside and helps Dr Schulman sew up the parts of of Henny's skin where they made the incisions.

STAGE TWO: LIPOSUCTION ON THE BACK AND PROCESSING THE FAT (1 HOUR)

Once flipped over, Dr Schulman takes a snap of Henny's back, with her butt exposed. He then douses her body in antiseptic ointment, and starts the same process: making marks around her back thighs and waist where he will be extracting the fat.

Meanwhile, the fat in the large plastic jar is 'processing'.

This process is arguably the most important aspect of the procedure.

Brazilian butt lifts have a higher death risk than most cosmetic operations - 20 in 100,000 compared with 1 in 100,000.

There are two major risk factors that can make a BBL fatal: a fat embolism (blood clots that travel to the lungs) and accidental injection of fat to blood vessel.

Starting stage two: Dr Schulman takes a snap of Henny's back, with her butt exposed, showing his viewers the 'before' shot

They doused Henny's body in antiseptic ointment, and starts the same process: making marks around her back thighs and waist where he will be extracting the fat

The team watches as Dr Schulman pauses the procedure to capture the half-way point on Snapchat

Dr Schulman, pictured marking the points on Henny's back where he will be extracting the last bout of fat

The BBL connoisseur takes out much more fat than other surgeons normally would. That is a feature of his trademarked signature style, called the SCOOP Lift. By taking out far more fat, and injecting far more fat, he makes a smaller waist, and has more to 'work with' to contour the butt creases and create a smooth transition to the legs

Dr Schulman insists the procedure has little impact on his patients' tattoos. 'I actually think they look better after,' he says

As he moves around her body, Dr Schulman has white cloths to wipe up residue from the incisions. By the end of the process, these cloths are a deep yellowy-red

By the second half of the surgery, another assistant had arrived to help with the surgery - and to take over Snapchat duties

Dr Schulman dismisses both of them as amateur concerns ('if you know what you're doing, that's basically impossible'). But getting the fat right, he agrees, is an art.

Many surgeons use a centrifuge to 'purify' the fat - separating the best fat from blood and bodily fluid. Dr Schulman doesn't; he leaves the fat to separate naturally, like oil and water.

'Less manipulation of the fat, the better it will survive,' he says.

It was easy to see when they had fully separated: there was a bubbly orange mass at the top of the jar, and a clear red liquid at the bottom. Once they reached that point, Tami put a metal bowl underneath the jar which has a tap at its base. She opened the tap and the fluid came gushing out. While many surgeons discard this, there is a growing trend of saving it, since more and more studies show it contains 'microfats', which can be recycled and used in other procedures, such as rhinoplasties (nose jobs).

Throughout, the fat in the large plastic jar is 'processing'. This process is arguably the most important aspect of the procedure. Brazilian butt lifts have a higher death risk than most cosmetic operations - 20 in 100,000 compared with 1 in 100,000. Most deaths are connected to fat embolisms, caused by poorly injected and poorly processed fat. While some surgeons use apparatus to separate the fat from fluid, Dr Schulman leaves it to process naturally

Once the fat was processed, Tami put a metal bowl underneath the jar which has a tap at its base. She opened the tap and the red fluid came gushing out. While many surgeons discard this, there is a growing trend of saving it, since more and more studies show it contains 'microfats', which can be recycled and used in other procedures, such as rhinoplasties (nose jobs)

The useful fat is then splattered into another jar. Some of it will be used in the procedure; the leftovers will be stored

The physician's assistant pours excess fat into a sterilized jar for storage through a funnel

Here, Tami is pictured holding the valuable microfats which came out of the jar with the bodily fluids

STAGE THREE: INJECTING THE FAT (1 HOUR)

Finally, Dr Schulman filled up the tools to inject the fat.

This procedure is delicate, and he has each injection point marked out on her body.

As he goes, he is shaping the butt with his hands, and making a tally of how many injections he has made.

'I do it by a combination of feeling and sight,' he explains to the camera. 'I need to get it in the best shape possible for the fat to settle that way.'

When they're not filming, the team silently moves through the motions of the surgery. Any sign of a camera, Dr Schulman is ready to spout out some facts about butts, fat, surgery, or the recovery process. He matter-of-factly mentions that Henny won't be able to sit for weeks afterwards as her butt takes shape.

Eventually, he reaches a point where he deems her shape complete. Tami picks up the equipment and sets it aside, then the lights dim, a spotlight comes over the table, and she helps Dr Schulman sew up the incision points.

She is then put in a compression suit. Henny said one of the things she liked best about Dr Schulman was his reputation for using effective compression suits, which are designed to hold one's shape after a cosmetic procedure. Once she is in her suit, the entire team flip Henny over onto a specially shaped bed which will hold her shape.

Stage three begins: The team fills up the tools to inject the fat

Dr Schulman injects more fat than most of his competitors to sculpt a fuller heart-shaped butt, he says

The needles are inserted forcefully and the fat injected fast as he pushes against the skin with his left hand

When they're not filming, the team silently moves through the motions of the surgery. Any sign of a camera, Dr Schulman is ready to spout out some facts about butts, fat, surgery, or the recovery process

Snapchat fame aside, Dr Schulman has spent years cultivating a name for himself in the BBL community

It may be the most risky invasive procedure, but fans clamor to watch the procedure at fat splatters on the sheets

'I do it by a combination of feeling and sight,' he explains to the camera. 'I need to get it in the best shape possible for the fat to settle that way'

Some of the fat from the procedure on the sheet as Dr Schulman continues the final leg of the surgery

The physician's assistant captures the final moments of Dr Schulman shaping Henny's butt

As he goes, he is making a tally of how many injections he has made (pictured)

Eventually, he reaches a point where he deems her shape complete. Tami picks up the equipment and sets it aside, then the lights dim, a spotlight comes over the table, and she helps Dr Schulman sew up the incision points

Dr Schulman surveys his work, filming it for viewers, with Henny's 'before' pictures in the background

This is the best it will look for weeks. As she heals, it will look lumpy and bruised. She will not see her final shape for a couple of months

Compression suit: Henny said one of the things she liked best about Dr Schulman was his reputation for using effective compression suits, which are designed to hold one's shape after a cosmetic procedure

Once she is in her suit, the entire team flip Henny over onto a specially shaped bed which will hold her shape

The end result: Dr Schulman's blue record sheet gives an insight into the staggering number of fat injections that goes into creating a BBL
Thousands of patients will be offered cataract surgery under the first national guidelines to end the lottery in treatment.

In a victory for the Mail, the health watchdog will say that patients should be offered help as soon as their quality of life is impaired.

NHS trusts will also be told to abandon the sight tests which mean many are refused surgery until they are nearly blind. And they will be instructed to offer surgery for both eyes at once, rather than only for the one which is worse.

I borrowed cash for life-changing private operation Helen Heraty was told that she could only have cataract surgery on one eye  despite being virtually blind. So the 58-year-old, who runs a boutique hotel in York, had to borrow money from her son to pay for the treatment privately. Her local health trust had told her it would only do her right eye and would wait until her left deteriorated even further. Helen Heraty was told that she could only have cataract surgery on one eye  despite being virtually blind Mrs Heraty, who has seven children aged 12 to 28, said: I couldnt function, it was a very difficult time. It was like looking through a Vaseline-coated lens. One eye was completely gone and the left eye was down to 50 per cent vision. I couldnt drive at night, I could barely drive during the day and I couldnt see colour. Had I been 70 or 80, I wouldnt have been so fussed about it. But I was 55, I knew I was going to be working for a lot of years. She was treated privately at the London Eye Hospital, Harley Street, in December 2014 and opted for a far more high-tech lens than those offered by the NHS, which cost 8,000 an eye. They worked so well she no longer needs glasses to read or see long distances. Advertisement

Officials want to end the shameful postcode lottery which is leading to many sufferers being denied the straightforward 30-minute operations. As many as half of the over-65s have cataracts  some 4.5million adults in England. They occur when the eye becomes cloudy with age.

Yet currently, patients in some areas of the country are four times as likely to be offered corrective surgery than those living elsewhere. This is due to irrational rules set by most NHS trusts which state patients can only have treatment if their sight has deteriorated below a certain level.

Many sufferers have been told they still do not qualify for surgery despite being unable to read without a magnifying glass, drive or recognise friends faces.

The new guidelines from watchdog Nice  due in October  will be a huge victory for the Mail, which has long campaigned against the current unfair system.

Last summer, this paper exposed how three-quarters of hospitals were refusing to carry out surgery unless patients had scored very badly in sight tests. The hospitals were following strict guidelines set by their local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

Nice suggested these rules were based on the hope some patients would die on the waiting list, before they qualified for surgery.

In a victory for the Mail, the health watchdog will say that patients should be offered help as soon as their quality of life is impaired

Yet cataract surgery costs just 750 per eye. The operation lasts between 30 and 40 minutes, and many patients say their lives are transformed as they can regain their independence.

Mike Burdon, chairman of the Nice guideline committee, who is also president of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, which represents eye doctors, said there was no justification for the current system. Im very keen that there should not be a postcode lottery of ophthalmology services across this country, he said.

Once their quality of life has been impacted, then theres no point waiting any longer. The patients quality of life is the key aspect in the decision-making.

Referring to the restrictions imposed by health trusts, he said: The only way it could save money is by hoping some patients die whilst on the cataract list. I dont know if the CCGs are doing this overtly, but thats the only way they can save money. A draft version of the guidelines drawn up by Nice state that for the majority of patients with cataracts it is clearly optimal to offer surgery.

The final version is due on October 24 and charities say that if properly adopted by health trusts, they will lead to thousands of extra cataract operations a year.

The guidelines wont be legally binding, but Mr Burdon said health trusts would come under heavy pressure to follow them.

Caroline Abrahams, director of charity Age UK, said: We are pleased to see this new guidance and hope it will help the thousands of people who are waiting in misery for far too long for cataract operations they badly need. A report by the Royal National Institute for Blind People in 2013 exposed a fourfold variation in the number of cataract operations performed in England.

The lowest rate was in NHS South Reading CCG at 267 operations per 100,000 population  rising to 1,147 operations in NHS Fylde and Wyre, in Lancashire.

Helen Lee, from the RNIB, said: We welcome the Nice cataract guidelines and we urge providers to fully implement them.

Our concern is that, despite the new guidelines, the postcode lottery for treatment may continue if solutions are not found to address the current capacity crisis in ophthalmology. Cataract surgery is highly effective and patients must receive timely treatment based on their clinical need.

NHS bosses have faced criticism for rationing cataract surgery while spending money elsewhere.

From next month, for example, they will pay for a controversial drug to prevent HIV, which will be offered to up to 10,000 high-risk patients such as gay men and sex workers.

Known as Prep, it disables the HIV virus before it can take over the body, although it does not prevent the spread of sexual diseases such as gonorrhoea.

Bed-blocking costs the NHS enough to fund 450,000 cataract operations, while health tourism is estimated to cost up to 2billion a year.

The NHS has also been hit by revolving door scandals in which executives retire for 24 hours before being rehired in the same role.

This will now be ended under new rules from the Department of Health that allow retiring staff back into the same hospital only under exceptional circumstances.
British women are among the most likely in the world to harm their unborn baby by drinking during pregnancy, figures show (Stock image)

British women are among the most likely in the world to harm their unborn baby by drinking during pregnancy, figures show.

A major study found that four times more children in the UK suffer alcohol-related birth defects than the global average.

Britain is seventh out of 195 countries worldwide and sixth in Europe for the proportion of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD)  a series of developmental problems caused by exposure to alcohol in the womb.

The Canadian researchers said the problem was far more common than people thought, mainly because the disabilities caused by FASD have often been attributed to something else.

They found high levels of FASD among people with autism, learning difficulties and growth disorders.

The scientists called for the dangers of alcohol to be reinforced in sex education. And they said screening pregnant women for alcohol could also combat the problem.

Study author Dr Svetlana Popova, of the Canadian Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, said the issue should be a public health priority.

One in every 13 women who drink during pregnancy will have a child with FASD, the study found. It is caused when alcohol drunk by the mother passes through the placenta to the foetus. An unborn child cannot process alcohol, which damages its cells.

Symptoms can include growth problems, cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, problems with hearing and vision, and issues with the liver, kidneys and heart.

The scientists analysed 24 studies from around the world and found that about 32 in every 1,000 Britons have FASD, compared to the global average of eight in 1,000.

How guidelines on drink have changed Pregnant women were once allowed one or two small glasses of wine once or twice a week, under Department of Health advice. But in 2016 Chief Medical Officer Dame Sally Davies said they should abstain completely. Doctors say mothers who drink put their babies at risk of problems such as stunted growth, premature birth, miscarriage and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Research published in January revealed that 28.5 per cent of pregnant women in the UK drink alcohol despite knowing they are expecting. Advertisement

In contrast, the figure is 15 in 1,000 in the US, ten in France and 20 in Germany.

South Africa has the highest proportion of people with FASD, with 111 in 1,000. The other five worst countries are in Europe, including Croatia, with 53 in 1,000, Ireland, with 48, and Italy, with 45.

About half of all pregnancies in Western nations are not planned, meaning women may be unaware they are pregnant and continue to drink. But doctors say abstaining at any point in pregnancy is better than not at all.

Writing in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, Dr Popova said: Efforts should be made to educate all women of childbearing age about the potential detrimental effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on the developing foetus.

She also recommended developing a universal screening protocol to detect problematic drinking before and during pregnancy.

Sandra Butcher, of the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK, said: If you would strap a child into a car seat to protect them in case you might have an accident, this is no different. The best way you can protect your babys developing brain is to avoid alcohol.
Middle-aged Britons are on the brink of a sexual health crisis, experts have warned, after a surge in the number of sexually transmitted infections in the over-45s.

The problem is most pronounced in women over 65  there has been a dramatic 25 per cent increase in the diagnosis of STIs over the past five years.

And the increase among men of the same age is almost 15 per cent, according to the most recent analysis from watchdog Public Health England.

Cases are also rising among those aged between 45 and 64, with an 8.6 per cent increase among men and 6.7 per cent among women. In contrast, cases in the under-45 age bracket have fallen by 8.4 per cent over the same period.

Middle-aged Britons are on the brink of a sexual health crisis, experts have warned, after a surge in the number of sexually transmitted infections in the over-45s

Sexual health specialists say a perfect storm of factors is to blame: older people enjoying a more active love life due to pills such as Viagra, coupled with ignorance about safe sex and a lack of health campaigns aimed directly at them.

As divorce rates rise, so do the number of middle-aged Britons beginning new relationships. More than ten per cent of men and 14 per cent of women aged 50 to 70 report having three or more sexual partners over the past five years.

In total, 418,000 new STIs were diagnosed last year, and 30,000 of those were caught by the over-45s. Experts fear the true number could be even higher than suggested as many in this age group are too embarrassed to seek help  or do not realise they are at risk.

As Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical Officer, warned in her landmark report into mid-life health last year: Better communication is needed to inform older people of the sexual health risks they face.

Here, Britains foremost sexual health experts detail the crucial information middle-aged people need to be aware of  and how to broach what can be a vital, but toe-curling, topic of conversation

Dr Elizabeth Carlin is a consultant in sexual health and HIV medicine and is president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV

Dr Elizabeth Carlin is a consultant in sexual health and HIV medicine and is president of the British Association for Sexual Health and HIV. She says:

Times are changing. Today, its not just teenagers and twentysomethings who are coming through our doors, but more people over 45. Most patients, of course, are shocked when they are told they have an STI. They never expect it to happen to them.

Indeed, many older women admit that STIs hadnt even crossed their mind  the days of them becoming pregnant are over and they hadnt thought to use a condom.

The plain fact is that anyone can get an STI. It doesnt matter if youve got a high-flying job, are married, single or someones grandmother, the risk is still the same if you have sex without a condom or checking someone is STI-free. Many infections dont cause symptoms  the only way to be sure is to be tested.

In fact, many over-45s could do with taking a lesson from the younger generation.

While the vast majority of infections are in young people, rates in this group are falling steadily year on year, and regular sexual health check-ups are seen as the norm.

If they are at risk, middle-aged women should add sexual health testing to their existing screening repertoire of cervical smears and mammograms.

For those who remember testing as invasive and uncomfortable, things have moved on. Nowadays, we can test for a wide variety of bacterial infections with a single urine test in men, and woman are able to self-swab from the genital area.

Examinations are usually only needed for those with symptoms. Ideally, both you and your partner should be tested at the same time.

By all means go to the clinic together, but we recommend separate consultations.

These days, a quick internet search of STI tests reveals a whole host of screening you can have. But its unlikely you will need all the possible options.

Everyone should be screened for the main infections, such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, syphilis and HIV.

Swabs to test for viruses such as herpes may be taken if there are signs or symptoms, but they are not taken routinely, nor are blood tests.

Epidemiologist Dr Gwenda Hughes is head of STI surveillance at Public Health England

Epidemiologist Dr Gwenda Hughes is head of STI surveillance at Public Health England. She says:

Report about the threat of untreatable STIs are not just hype. The main cause for concern is gonorrhoea, which is the second most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK after chlamydia. So-called super-gonorrhoea is a term used to describe strains of the infection that have become highly resistant against one of the antibiotics normally used to treat them. The first outbreak was reported in the UK two years ago, but these were all treated successfully thanks to an alternative antibiotic that is still effective.

The bacteria that cause gonorrhoea are particularly smart  they have evolved to resist nearly all the drugs we have used. And when the drugs we currently use stop working, we will have run out of options.

There have been three reports of gonorrhoea infections abroad  in Japan, France and Spain  that were resistant to almost all drugs. We cant say when these strains might arrive in the UK and become widespread. It could be just a few years. Time is not on our side. This is why safe sex is so important in all age groups  but many people over 45 in particular may not give STIs much thought. Remember that syphilis rates are the highest they have been since the 1950s  and are rising in all age groups.

Dr Anne Connolly, of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare at the Royal College of the Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

Dr Anne Connolly, of the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare at the Royal College of the Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She says:

Few people like using condoms  and women who are post-menopausal often have vaginal dryness that can be aggravated by the use of them.

However, lubricant gels really can help. Avoid anything oil-based, such as Vaseline, as this can weaken latex, rendering it ineffective. Instead, go for water-based gels, and avoid anything scented or perfumed, as this can irritate sensitive and delicate skin.

Whatever do you do, stay away from KY Jelly as this can make the dryness worse. If in any doubt, speak to a pharmacist.

When it comes to STI testing, to be fair to those of us who arent teenagers or in our 20s, it can be a bit of a minefield to try to get advice or an appointment at a GUM clinic.

So much of the funding and services are directed at young people as they do account for the bulk of diagnoses. But it does rather feel as if older people have been forgotten about  and are considered not to have sex. The abortion rate is rising in the over-40s, too.

Another problem is that some people are diagnosed with an STI only once it has gone on to cause complications.

An example of this is pelvic inflammatory disease, caused by untreated chlamydia. This can cause chronic pain, bloating, fever and pain during sex  and can be present sometimes for years before symptoms develop.

This means you may not be able to work out how long youve had it, or who gave it to you.

Lorraine McGinlay is a psychosexual therapist and a spokeswoman for the College of Sexual Therapy and Relationships.

Lorraine McGinlay is a psychosexual therapist and a spokeswoman for the College of Sexual Therapy and Relationships. She says:

Its the conversation that no one wants to have  but its much better to have a sexual health chat long before you actually get intimate. Its a bit like ripping off a plaster  you just have to do it.

Bringing up the issue is not about casting a judgment or aiming a personal slight at your partner. This is about being open, honest and transparent. Any decent partner should respect you for bringing the matter up to protect not only your health, but their own health too.

If your partner refuses to discuss the matter or have a test, you have to ask yourself: Do I really want to have sex with this person?

When approaching the subject, stay calm and keep a matter- of-fact tone, even if you are feeling mortified inside.

You could perhaps say something like: It feels like our relationship is getting quite serious and as part of that were heading towards having sex.

I think its important we discuss our sexual health history, so we can start our sexual relationship with nothing to worry about.

Dont be afraid to stress how important this is to you or suggest getting tested at the same time remind them many infections are symptomless.

And even if they were faithful to their former partner, can they be 100 per cent sure that no one has ever cheated on them?

This is why, for peace of mind, it never hurts to get tested.

Rowan Pelling is editor of monthly adult literary magazine The Amorist

Rowan Pelling is editor of monthly adult literary magazine The Amorist. She is a mother of two and lives in Cambridge. She says:

Who would have thought members of Generation X would grow up to be so sexually irresponsible?

You expect that sort of thing from the baby-boomers, who were young in the Swinging Sixties and free-love Seventies. But my lot were supposed to be risk-averse after growing up in the shadow of AIDS.

Most of my friends entered long-term relationships, having cosy domestic sex for years, until everything started falling apart in mid-life.

The one upside for a newly single middle-aged person after the horrors of separation or divorce is the chance to go a bit wild.

The last thing on most minds is a sexually transmitted infection. In fact, the last time they thought about syphilis was aged 15, when they were studying Henry VIII.

And even if they are anxious about STIs, my peers dont have the vocabulary for it. As a 53-year-old female friend recently confided: Its hard enough to go on a date with a stranger without summoning the courage to ask them, When did you last visit the sexual health clinic? 

Another fiftysomething acquaintance says it is almost impossible to get men of her age to wear a condom. Even the middle-aged daters patron saint Bridget Jones went to bed with two men in the latest movie without taking proper precautions  hence the title, Bridget Joness Baby.

Plenty of people my age have never been to a sexual health clinic for tests and they feel theres stigma attached.

My opinion? Whats more romantic than safeguarding your lovers wellbeing? Embarrassment only lasts a day or two, but some STIs last a lifetime.
Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony out now

Czech Philharmonic Orchestra/Semyon Bychkov Decca

Rating:

Paradoxically, although Tchaikovsky is really popular, a lot of his finest music is little known. That is undeniably true of the so-called Manfred Symphony, which secures from Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic a superb performance in excellent sound, recorded in Prague four months ago.

Its easy to understand why Manfred is neglected. Its not a numbered symphony but left to fend for itself, a perpetual outsider. But of course, Manfred isnt really a symphony at all. Its an extended orchestral rhapsody, loosely based on Byrons now almost equally unknown gothic poem Manfred, from 1817.

Bychkov (above), admits his orchestra had serious reservations about music with which they were entirely unfamiliar

I was in my mid-teens when I first heard Tchaikovskys version at a concert of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under their charismatic, sadly short-lived music director Constantin Silvestri, a musical maverick of real genius, just like Bychkov.

I was so overwhelmed by the glorious tunes and the noisy, over-the-top orchestration, I thought I had been introduced to a great masterpiece that must surely be among Tchaikovskys best-known works.

Not so. Either then or now. In the liner notes, Bychkov, admits his orchestra had serious reservations about music with which they were entirely unfamiliar.

Then, he says, something wonderful happened. They realised what an impressive work it is, and began to play it with love  real love.

Bychkov takes seriously the con moto bit of Tchaikovskys marking andante con moto, and the sweep of the music is irresistible

Just so, and the dramatic recording that has emerged, proves, says Bychkov, that Manfred is actually an opera without words. And one of Tchaikovskys greatest operas at that.

Even in a performance as good as this, Manfred is undeniably uneven. The third movement is captivating, with a central big tune as good as anything even Tchaikovsky ever wrote. Bychkov takes seriously the con moto bit of Tchaikovskys marking andante con moto, and the sweep of the music is irresistible.

But the finale is a bit of a trial. For some reason, Tchaikovsky stuck in a big, fast-paced fugue. Can a fugue really represent a Bacchanalia?, the liner note writer politely enquires. Bychkov thinks it can. Im not so sure.

I was so overwhelmed by the glorious tunes and the noisy, over-the-top orchestration. Above: conductor Semyon Bychkov with singer Renee Fleming

Nor is it easy to prevent the organ-dominated final bars, representing redemption, from sounding corny. Bychkov argues: If you get it right, it really feels like a moment of divine forgiveness and absolution. And whats wrong with redemption?

Fair point. Manfred is a bumpy ride but an exhilarating and treasurable one.





The Great Luciano Pavarotti Sony (3 CDs) out now

Rating:

With the tenth anniversary of Pavarottis death fast approaching next month, Sony has produced a curiosity: a motley, three-CD set ranging from Christmas music to Verdi rarities.

No surprise that its a bit random  Pavarotti recorded almost exclusively for Decca for all of his career. But its a real surprise that two of these three albums are so good.

You can dismiss the Three Tenors At Christmas, recorded in Vienna in 1999 as a yuletide kitschfest. But the 1985 live recording of a summer concert from the Piazza Grande in Pavarottis beloved home town of Modena is first class.

And the 1980 recording of Verdi rarities from La Scala, with Claudio Abbado at the helm, is even better. Though its a bit short-weight, lasting only 43 minutes, even when padded out with two overtures.

To hear Pavarotti singing four so-called alternative arias from lesser-known Verdi operas is a serious treat. Above: the singer in La Traviata in 1965

But to hear Pavarotti singing four so-called alternative arias from lesser-known Verdi operas is a serious treat. All of them were recomposed so leading tenors of the day could show off. And Pavarotti rises to the various challenges brilliantly, especially in the stunning cabaletta from I Due Foscari.

Pavarotti preferred to stick with what he knew. It was Domingo who was always pushing out the boundaries, finishing up singing almost 120 tenor roles in public, and recording nearly 100 of them. On this evidence, Pavarotti too should have taken more risks.

The Modena recital is a delight. Pavarotti is stimulated to give of his best by a noisy, home-town crowd. Above: Pavarotti singing in Hyde Park in 1991

The Modena recital is a delight. Pavarotti is stimulated to give of his best by a noisy, home-town crowd. There are plenty of favourite arias here, along with some Neapolitan songs: well- known ones such as O Sole Mio and Torna A Surriento, plus two almost unknown items by the underrated Cesare Andrea Bixio, who lived on until 1978.

The recital finishes, as usual, with Nessun Dorma. By the end of his career, Pavarotti disliked it, worrying about hitting the top notes dead centre. But here, in his prime, he does, and the audience goes mad. Quite right, too.

This inexpensive set will cost you only about a tenner.
Against 2hrs 50mins

Almeida Theatre, London Until September 30

Rating:

It is not only because it opened hours after a man stabbed and killed two people in a Finnish market, and the day after terrorists mowed dozens down in Barcelona that American Christopher Shinns new play, which begins in the wake of a shoot-out in a Connecticut school, seems so timely.

But also because (shades of Elon Musk) a Silicon Valley billionaire named Luke (an intense and rather priggishly unappealing Ben Whishaw) is going through a spiritual crisis. He believes God has called him to go where theres violence. He calls it being humbled. Others  me  might see it as the arrogant, egomaniacal evangelism of an emotionally crippled man who thinks hes Jesus.

A Silicon Valley billionaire named Luke (Ben Whishaw, above) is going through a spiritual crisis. He believes God has called him to go where theres violence

He gives up his rocket business and follows his call. Starting with the parents of Tom, perpetrator of the school massacre, he sets out to develop new ways of speaking and thinking about violence. A We Need To Talk About Kevin-type investigation, however, this aint. Alas.

For as Luke travels America listening to victims of sexual, physical, corporate violence or oppression, none articulates and all are vaguely the same. Shinn takes it nowhere but in ever decreasing circles. Luke becomes more and more detached while his interviewees increasingly resemble neglected laboratory specimens.

Somewhere buried in all this verbiage is the notion that love can vanquish violence. At least, that is surely the purpose of one of Lukes apostles, a former journalist, Sheila (Amanda Hale), who dutifully tapes all the tedious conversations Luke has with people but is actually waiting for him to clock that she is in love with him and allow himself to reciprocate.

Somewhere buried in all this verbiage is the notion that love can vanquish violence. At least, that is surely the purpose of one of Lukes apostles, a former journalist, Sheila

Its harder to understand what the absurdly camp creative writing professor (a former sex worker) who insists that sex work can be empowering and emancipatory is supposed to contribute. If its satire, it misses.

Alas, neither the brilliant director Ian Rickson nor his fine cast can make Shinns gospel according to Luke more than the sum of its patchily provocative parts.





The Stepmother 2hrs 25mins

Minerva Theatre, Chichester Until September 9

Rating:

Quite why Githa Sowerbys marvellous, fierce and feminist 1924 play has languished unseen and uncelebrated is hard to fathom. The Gateshead playwright is well known for Rutherford And Son, about a granite-hard father grinding down his children, but I had always assumed that was a one-hit wonder.

In this piece, Lois, an orphaned 19-year-old who has unexpectedly inherited a fortune (Charlotte Brontes Jane Eyre meets Isabel Archer from Henry Jamess Portrait Of A Lady) is tricked into marrying Eustace Gaydon, a penniless, useless widower as dishonest and cruel as Jamess Gilbert Osmond, though mercifully nothing like as clever.

Richard Eyres revival is edge-of-your-seat stuff. The play skips rather boldly (and at a slight risk of implausibility) from the moment in which Ophelia Lovibonds Lois is conned to 1924, ten years later.

The play skips rather boldly (and at a slight risk of implausibility) from the moment in which Ophelia Lovibonds Lois (above) is conned to 1924, ten years later

The snivelling domestic doormat has flowered into a stylish woman with a smart, bobbed haircut who runs her own successful, upmarket couture business, having brought up her husbands two girls  a transformation as startling as that within the house, where gas lamps have been electrified and a Victorian darkness is now pierced with light.

But it is not until the eldest, Monica (Eve Ponsonby), falls in love with Cyril, whose father insists on a financial settlement  which Lois agrees to pay but which Eustace claims is not convenient  that she discovers her husband has squandered her entire inheritance. Worse, he has taken out a mortgage on her studios. Were married people. Whats yours is mine, he says. The audience gasped audibly.

Probably not just because of his jaw-dropping shamelessness but because, staggeringly, this financial situation remains the same today. As Sowerbys play points out, this woman has been monstrously exploited and yet remains helpless in the face of her husbands unscrupulousness and incompetence.

Quite why Githa Sowerbys marvellous, fierce and feminist 1924 play has languished unseen and uncelebrated is hard to fathom

Will Keens sweaty, shifty Eustace is loathsome from the start, leaning on the mantelpiece and sucking revoltingly and noisily on his pipe, just as he sucks the life out of those around him. Keens extraordinary achievement is that he manages to become ever more despicable and repellent.

Its time he played Shakespeares villain, Iago.

Evita 2hrs 15mins

Phoenix Theatre, London Until October 14

Rating:

After years of touring, you might think this show would resemble a clapped-out Argentinian dray horse. But this exciting revival reveals Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rices final collaboration  and maybe their best  as fresh as ever.

Emma Hatton is a revelation as Eva Peron, a dirt-poor performer who rises to power from the tango halls. Shes a fireball actress and, curiously, looks just like the young Elaine Paige, who was made a star in the part in 1978. Her famous balcony number, Dont Cry For Me Argentina, is piercingly beautiful.

Kevin Stephen-Jones is a potent, scary Juan Peron. And though I wasnt convinced by Italian super-hunk Gian Marco Schiaretti as Che (below with Hatton), Sarah OConnor, as Perons discarded mistress, delivers Another Suitcase In Another Hall to haunting effect.

Emma Hatton (above) is a revelation as Eva Peron, a dirt-poor performer who rises to power from the tango halls. Shes a fireball actress and looks just like the young Elaine Paige

The great thing about Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwrights production is that it gives us Evitas amazing cult of celebrity without soft-soaping her political abuse of it. With Venezuela sliding into dictatorship, this musical suddenly feels bang on the money.

Robert Gore-Langton
The State

Sun-Wed, Channel 4

Rating:

Lego Masters

Thursday, Channel 4

Rating:

Ambulance

Thursday, BBC1

Rating:

There is no good way to hear a loved one has died. But when you have given up everything at home in pursuit of an ideology that celebrates martyrdom, you are expected to welcome such news without tears and emotion. Allah has merely taken them to paradise.

These pronouncements of joy were among many disturbing scenes in The State, which dramatised the fictional lives of four British extremists as they headed for Syria in 2015.

A scene from The State. Prior to transmission, there were concerns that the production was an apologia for Isis

Initially, the process of radicalisation all looked rather appealing: eating and hugging for the women, and shooting ranges and swimming for the men. True, the women werent allowed out, and the men were told they would die within the year, but everyone still appeared to think that the five-star jihad was a bit of a lark  a holiday camp of sorts before commencing real work.

Among the men, that feeling was reinforced by laddish-style language and behaviour that sat uneasily alongside knowledge of the horror we all know Isis to be. If you know the work of Peter Kosminsky, however, you knew the recruits and the audience were being lulled into a false sense of security.

Prior to transmission, there were concerns that the production was an apologia for Isis, and these early scenes of seeming normality  earnest young idealists having fun prior to the missions that lay ahead  certainly gave that initial impression.

However, Kosminsky is a brilliant writer and director who does not meddle in superficialities. Hes a very serious man. Very serious indeed. So much so that the one smile you might have raised over nearly four hours of The State probably felt like a guilty lapse.

To avoid being pushed into marriage to an undesirable, Shakira (Ony Uhiara), a doctor accompanied by her nine-year-old son, Isaac (Nana Agyeman- Bediako), proposed to another doctor. Alas, he turned out to be gay. Classic, she said.

For a nanosecond it felt like an episode of Friends.

I felt nothing for these people. Its a tough dramatic call: how can you sympathise with characters whose real-life counterparts have followed a dream that is everyone elses nightmare?

Thats not to say that dramatising the experience of young Britons drawn to the Islamic State is a no-go area. The stories of the disillusioned may be worth telling, but the real problem here was a dramatic one.

With no back story as to how or why these people turned to extremism, it was hard to empathise, let alone offer up anything approaching sympathy. It made the key figures one-dimensional stereotypes (and in the case of Shakira, a speechifying mouthpiece) rather than real characters.

Drama relies on an audience understanding motivation; it also begs the question who are we rooting for?

The State delivered an emotionless landscape in which it was impossible to care.

Emotion is something you could not accuse Lego fanatics of being without, and new series Lego Masters set out to find the most enthusiastic and talented Lego builders in the country (yes, you heard right).

As eight pairs compete for the coveted title, they will be judged on their technical skills, creativity and their ability to work as a team. MasterChef it aint.

There is no doubting the incredible feats of engineering, but unlike pots of boiling liquids and rising souffles, Lego is pretty much static. Until it can fill my dishwasher, Ill never see its usefulness.

Uncle and nephew Daniel and Jack went for a toilet and cake theme, taking the instruction to build a chair to dubious heights (or lows, depending on your viewpoint). When you opened up the toilet seat there were even tiny brown bits of Lego for Well, you can guess the rest.

Two couples were eliminated, a moment that proved an emotional one for Jade and Michaela, who were convinced that the whole experience had given them a stronger connection.

They promised to keep building together. The accompanying footage outside the building room looked as if it had been shot through a frosted lens, presumably to reinforce Legos nostalgic appeal. It didnt. It just looked outdated.

BBC1s new offering was Ambulance. Will they never tire of medical series? Centred on the work of the West Midlands Ambulance Service, its very worthy but tells the usual story: blood, guts, tired and overworked NHS, blah, blah, same old, same old.

Just like the Lego people, everyone was so occupied with getting on with the job at hand (as, of course, they have to be), there was little room for any drama that is the lifeblood (or, in this case, death) of the medical genre.

Use the gas, darling, a woman in labour was told. Trust me: if I could have, I would have.
A 'thorough investigation' has been ordered into the dealings of controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi.

On Saturday, he was given five-days' custody, under the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Directorate, by a city court for 'thorough investigation' in a money laundering probe against him and others.

Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj sent the accused to ED custody till August 31 after the probe agency said his custodial interrogation was required to unearth crime proceeds and the money trail and to confront him with documents.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested millionaire meat exporter Moin Qureshi (centre) in connection to a money laundering case, in New Delhi on August 26

While seeking his custody for 14 days, ED's special prosecutor NK Matta told the court that Qureshi was in possession of more evidence in this case and was withholding them, jeopardising the probe.

'Considering the seriousness of the allegations and to enable the ED to complete thorough investigation, ED custody remand of Moin Akhtar Qureshi for five days, that is till August 31, is granted,' the court said.

A 'thorough investigation' has been ordered into the dealings of controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi

The agency told the court that 'the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly `1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case.'

It also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash- 1, owned by DS Anand.

According to the agency, Qureshi was arrested late last night under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as it was alleged that 'he was not cooperating in the probe'.

On Saturday, he was given five-days' custody with the Enforcement Directorate

Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by the agency which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, the agency said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI Director A P Singh has also been named.

The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an Income Tax prosecution complaint, it said.

The ED said its probe has revealed facts which 'constitute omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high positions in the public office in collusion with Qureshi, thereby huge amount of illegal money was found to have been transacted'.
A serving sailor who has undergone gender reassignment surgery and become a woman now faces the sack.

The maritime force has initiated action for her discharge, as females cannot work in India's defence services as soldiers.

The issue has emerged at a time when the armed forces are grappling with complexities related to the induction of women in combat roles, and framing a comprehensive policy to give women wider responsibilities in the services.

The sailor is to be discharged after undergoing gender reassignment

'A few months ago, this sailor decided to change his sex and turn into a woman. He came in contact with some outsiders and underwent an operation on his own, spending his own money to become a woman,' a senior Navy source told Mail Today.

Sex reassignment is a surgical procedure by which a transgender person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble that associated with their identified gender.

The sailor, who is posted at INS Eksila base of the Navy in Visakhapatnam, now wears saris and has grown her hair out while in service.

The sailor, sources said, is satisfied with the Navy's decision to discharge her

'We have recommended her discharge from service and proceedings in this regard have been initiated and she will quit soon,' the source said.

Officials in the Navy said that until the time the sailor is discharged from the force, she has been given lighter responsibilities as women cannot be employed in seafaring duties, since this is not yet permitted in the force.

In May this year, the US government released from prison a former army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act.

Bradley Manning delivered hundreds of thousands of classified documents that he found troubling to WikiLeaks, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

In 2014, Manning, who is transgender, was granted the right to be legally recognised as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning. Sources said the Vizag sailor is attached with the office of the commanding officer of INS Eksila, which falls under the force's eastern naval command.

Indian Navy women contingent march in formation down Rajpath during the full Republic Day dress rehearsal in New Delhi on January 23, 2015

They added that the seaman, who is from the engineering branch of the Navy, told the authorities that he was feeling 'like a woman trapped in a man's body' and that is why he underwent the surgery.

The sailor, sources said, is satisfied with the Navy's decision to discharge her as the rules in the force do not allow women to serve in ranks below the officer cadre.

Mail Today could not reach the woman sailor for her comments. Sources said the sailor was married before the sex change operation but more details are not available.

The Navy Act, which has rules to handle such cases, does not provide for dealing with or punishing such personnel who undergo sex change

Senior Navy sources said recruitment rules for sailors mandate that the candidate appearing for the recruitment has to be a male and, therefore, there is no issue in relieving her from service.

The Navy Act, which has rules to handle such cases, does not provide for dealing with or punishing such personnel who undergo sex change.

Navy sources in Delhi said the case has also been taken up with the ministry of defence as this is an unprecedented situation.

'We have asked the government on the action to be taken by us regarding the sailor as she has spent her own money to change sex,' a Navy source said.

Navy personnel who have worked with the sailor say there is awkwardness while working with her as she had served with them shoulder-to-shoulder in the force.
Bollywood A-listers arrived in all their glory for business magnate Mukesh Ambanis Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

The gala event took place at the business tycoons plush residence on Friday.

Mumbai: Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar with wife Anjali Tendulkar along and Nita Ambani during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai on Friday

Actor Shah Rukh Khan with Anant Ambani during the celebrations

Devotees offer prayers at Lalbaugcha Raja Ganesh idol on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai

Actor Abhishek Bachchan with wife Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and daughter Aaradhya during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai on Friday

Actor Salman Khan also attended the festivities

Actor Aamir Khan with wife Kiran Rao and son Azaad during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations at Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai
The multi-billion pound insurance industry, which ridiculously badges itself as a national success story, is discriminating against millions of loyal customers in the relentless pursuit of new business.

A major probe into the seedy world of insurance by The Mail on Sunday, based on the views of hundreds of readers, shows widespread disillusionment among many former longstanding customers of some of the biggest insurance brands in the country.

Customers who until recently have religiously stuck with their insurer through thick and thin believe their loyalty over the years has been abused.

Our probe, based on the views of hundreds of readers, shows widespread disillusionment among many former longstanding customers of some of the biggest insurance brands

They are angered by the fact that the cover they have or had  typically home or car insurance  is being routinely offered by their insurer to new customers at a far cheaper price.

They are also annoyed that some of the worst offenders are firms marketing themselves as elderly friendly, such as Rias and Saga, which sell cover to the over-50s.

Though a rising number of people are now wise to the anti-loyalty stance adopted by most insurers and either shop around at renewal or bargain with their provider, they remain aghast that companies are not interested in rewarding loyalty.

Some customers  such as Steve Taylor (see box)  now rotate their insurance providers so as to extract the keenest priced premiums.

James Daley, a consumer champion at website Fairer Finance, says our analysis highlights the 'dysfunctionality' of the insurance market and confirms the need for a major overhaul of its practices.

Recent regulatory action, he says, has been directed at encouraging customers to shop around more for insurance. Although welcome, he fears that those customers who remain loyal  either through a sense of duty or inertia  will be discriminated against more than ever.

CASE STUDY 1: I SWITCH TO KEEP MY PREMIUMS DOWN Strategy: Steve Taylor with his Aston Martin DBS and classic Jaguar SS 100 As a management consultant, Steve Taylor saw with his own eyes the money firms waste soliciting new business through the front door  while leaving the back door open for rivals to poach their customers. Steve, now retired, has witnessed staff being incentivised to sell while no encouragement was given to provide an adequate service to loyal customers. The insurance industry, he says, is among the worst in this regard and has failed to learn the lesson that it is far more cost effective to retain rather than recruit customers. It is why Steve, 61, always shops around for car insurance for his three cars  a Jaguar SS 100, an Aston Martin DBS and a Range Rover Vogue SE. Steve, from Orsett in Essex, says: 'I have yet to find an insurer who is prepared to cover my three cars on a single policy. As a result I have three separate policies. 'My approach is to find an acceptable insurer for each vehicle. Then on renewal I invariably switch. In year three, I switch again, usually back to my first insurer, which has all my details, and tends to offer a premium close to what I paid first time around. 'In year four, I revert to the insurer in year two. It is an approach I find works well and keeps costs under control.' For example, with his Range Rover Vogue, Steve was insured with Saga in 2014, then Privilege a year later before going back to Saga last year. On the Aston DBS, he has rotated between insurers Saga, Admiral and Flux. He is currently with Admiral. 'Loyalty just does not pay,' he says.

SOARING COSTS

Insurance costs are on the rise generally, a result of tax hikes (insurance premium tax) and, in the case of car cover, Government changes that have resulted in insurers paying out more for personal injury claims.

Experts state motor premiums are rising on average by between 11 per cent (Association of British Insurers) and 18 per cent (comparison website Confused).

Increases for home cover are gentler, at seven per cent. But these averages hide some shocking rises insurers are trying to pass on to longstanding customers, who are usually elderly.

Dennis Herbert is a retired train driver from Tyseley, Birmingham. Now aged 83, he is proud of the fact that in 65 years of driving he has never made an insurance claim.

For the past 35 years he has tootled around in a Mini Clubman Estate, a car that regularly draws admiration from people in the street who want to buy it.

He says: 'Nobody apart from myself and when it goes in for an MOT has ever put a spanner on it.'

Despite Dennis's exemplary driving record and the fact he drives no more than 250 miles a year  a result of having to care for his wife who is stricken with Alzheimer's  his longstanding insurer LV= took a different view.

In May it quoted him 456 to renew his cover  a jump of nearly 19 per cent on the year before and an increase over two years in excess of 25 per cent.

Annoyed, he rang LV= to see if he could get the quote reduced but it refused to budge. So he went to classic car specialist Lancaster Insurance which offered him equivalent cover for 255.

Pleased with his success, he challenged his home insurer Co-op Insurance when his policy came up for renewal.

Despite being with the Co-op since 1968 when he bought his house, it wanted to increase his premium 19 per cent to 238. Again, when it refused to reduce the quote, he found alternative cover with the Post Office for 197  less than he had paid the Co-op last year.

Dennis says: 'My years of loyalty meant nothing to either Co-op or LV=. Changing providers was a bit daunting at my age, but I was not going to have my finances impaired by inflated insurance premiums.'

EXPLOITING LOYALTY

A number of insurers market themselves as being elderly friendly or catering for a specific profession. But this does not mean customers get a fair deal. Far from it.

Retired police officer Brian Hodgson has always trusted Police Mutual for insurance. It was set up nearly 100 years ago to look after the financial welfare of police officers, serving and retired.

But when he recently received notice of sharp premium increases for both his home and car insurance, he decided enough was enough. Having never made a claim in more than 50 years of being with the insurer, he made enquiries elsewhere and found cheaper cover.

Now aged 82, Brian  from Whickham in Durham  feels as if he has been exploited. 'All the time I thought I was being treated favourably when I was not,' he says. 'Shame on them for failing to reward my loyalty.'

He is not a lone voice. A recent letter in the magazine for members of the National Association of Retired Police Officers raised similar concerns about officers thinking they were getting special deals when they were not. 'Buyer beware,' it warned.

Readers have also complained about big price hikes at over-50s insurers Saga and Rias. John Todman, who has been with Saga for 15 years, was shocked to be told his car insurance premium would increase nearly 52 per cent this month.

When he contacted Saga, he was told the increase was a general rise throughout the insurance industry.

John, from Salisbury in Wiltshire, has now found cover cheaper than he had been paying with Saga. 'It is irksome that 15 years of loyalty counts for nothing,' he says.

Peter Smith, from Broadstairs in Kent, is angry about his treatment at the hands of Rias.

Aged 63, he is proud that he has a longstanding record of no claims on car insurance. When he bought a second car late last year  a Kia Sportage to complement his Kia Magentis  he asked Rias whether it did multi-car discounts.

He was told no. The result was a quote for 993. If he paid monthly, he would have paid an effective surcharge of 24 per cent.

Shocked, he found cover a third of the price from LV=. Then when his Kia Magentis came up for renewal in May, he decided to move away from Rias, again in favour of LV=.

'Rias seemed put out when I upped sticks,' says Peter. 'But it was a no brainer. I now have my two cars insured for a price less than it wanted to cover just my Magentis. Of course, loyalty should be rewarded but it is a word lost on insurers.'

CASE STUDY 2: I'M BETTER OFF AFTER RENEWAL WAS BLOCKED When Pat McLaughlin's car cover came up for renewal last month, he assumed all would be fine. He had built up 11 years of no claims bonuses and had cut his mileage in his Seat Alhambra people carrier from 13,000 to 10,000 a year. All seemed tickety-boo. Yet his insurer, Direct Line, was not interested. It declined him cover. Bewildered, Pat, 66, who has retired after running a successful exhibitions firm, sought an explanation, only to be told that the underwriters 'don't like it'. Bewildered: Pat McLaughlin could not renew Subsequent phone calls got him no further, so he took out cover with A-Plan. Then, when his home insurance, also with Direct Line, on his house in Ringwood, Hampshire, came up for renewal this month, he took great pleasure in moving it, again to A-Plan. 'The nice thing,' he says, 'is that now my wife and I have car and home insurance which costs us 60 a year less than last year.'

WHAT TO DO

Insurers are now required by the regulator to provide policyholders with details of their existing premium when they give a renewal quote. It means customers can see the price hike they face without having to search for old paperwork.

Armed with the renewal notice, all policyholders should then use a comparison website  the likes of Confused and Gocompare  to see if they can find equivalent cover elsewhere at a cheaper price.

If they can  invariably policyholders will  they should go back to their existing insurer and ask if it is prepared to match or slightly undercut the price offered by the cheaper provider. Some firms will relent at this point. If they do not, move away.

This strategy is now employed by many policyholders, including Steve Lewis, a retired 64-year-old management consultant from Alvechurch in Worcestershire.

Steve, married to 59-year-old Jo, shops around for all his main household bills as a matter of course  home and car insurance, car breakdown cover, boiler breakdown insurance and gas and electricity supplier.

'It's simple,' he says. 'When cover comes up for renewal I compare it against rivals to see if I can get the same cheaper.

'I then ring my existing provider and ask whether it will reduce the renewal quote on the basis I am a valued customer.'

It is a strategy that pays off handsomely. After insuring the home with Castle Cover for five years, he moved this year to Legal & General saving 137 in the process  the L&G cover is also slightly better.

After 20 years of car breakdown cover with the RAC, he switched this year to the AA, paying 139 instead of the 191 the RAC wanted. On car insurance he stuck with Castle, but only after getting the original quote reduced from 332 to 290.

Steve says: 'It took me many years to realise a phone call with a threat to move cover  or an actual move  could be so financially rewarding. I hope that with the advent of comparison websites and growing computer literacy fewer of the older generation will be milked dry.'

He would also like all renewal notices to be more transparent. Steve says: 'The letter should state: 'We've reviewed your claims history and length of time with us and this is the lowest quote we can offer.

'Please contact us ONLY if you want to renew your insurance. If you can find a lower quote elsewhere we are sorry to see you go'.'

Has your loyalty been abused by an insurer? Email: jeff.prestridge@mailonsunday.co.uk
Film fans were dealt a recent blow when internet giant Amazon said it was scrapping its DVD rental service LoveFilm By Post.

Here, we assess the best-value ways to watch your favourite movies.

VISIT A CINEMA

There is still no better way to watch a new blockbuster than on the big screen.

Although ticket costs can be prohibitive, there are some great discount deals available.

Odeon, the biggest cinema chain in Britain, is currently offering family tickets where two adults and two children aged 12 or under all pay the same child ticket rate. This means a 10.50 adult ticket can be purchased for just 7.95.

Sundae screening: Independents like the Picture House Cinema in Uckfield offer great value

Those aged 55 or over can also become members of the Odeon Silver Cinema club and watch films during the day with tea and biscuits for just 3.

If you have a Cineworld complex nearby you should consider a Cineworld Unlimited Card. You pay 17.90 a month and can enjoy as many movies as you like.

Those who visit Vue cinemas can enjoy a 'mini mornings' deal on a Saturday or Sunday. Film showings at 10am cost just 2.49.

Cinema chain Curzon offers 'cult' membership for 350 a year that gives the cardholder free entry to all its cinemas nationwide.

Independent gem: Electric Picture Palace in Southwold

Picturehouse, a 23-strong chain, offers those aged 60 or over free membership to the 'silver screen' club. Films shown during the day cost 5.50.

Small independents also offer great value. John Bennett is house director of the Electric Picture Palace in Southwold, Suffolk.

The 70-seater offers an eclectic mix of movies  from black-and-white classics such as Ealing comedy Whisky Galore! and Monsieur Hulot's Holiday to modern hits such as Beauty And The Beast and The Lego Batman Movie.

Tickets cost from 6 though there is an additional membership fee that starts at 3.

Bennett says: 'We try to make the most of the magic of the cinema, turning a trip to the movies into a special night out.

The dynamic of sharing your enjoyment of a film with an audience, especially when there is laughter, cannot be replicated by sitting at home watching a film alone.'

The Electric Picture Palace has an interval in all its movies so the audience can enjoy an ice cream or glass of wine. It also has a musical organ, commissionaire and usherettes.

Special night: John Bennett, of the Electric Picture Palace in Southwold at the organ keys

STREAM OVER THE INTERNET

The internet has transformed the way we watch movies and TV, with streaming and downloading revenue overtaking DVD sales for the first time last year.

Faster internet and technology improvements, such as internet-linked TVs, tablets and laptops used to stream movies, have fuelled the revolution.

Total revenue from digital video was 1.3 billion in Britain last year compared with almost 900 million from the sale of DVDs and Blu-ray.

Online giant Netflix is the market leader with about a quarter of UK households subscribing to the service. Other major players include Amazon and Sky along with Sky's Now TV service.

Alternatives that allow you to stream or download include Apple iTunes, Curzon Home Cinema and Mubi.

It is also worth taking advantage of the online BBC iPlayer service to browse through its movie choices. This service is paid for out of the 147 annual fee households pay for a TV Licence.

The British Film Institute has a BFI Player service with unlimited access to hundreds of movies  many picked by film critic Mark Kermode  for 4.99 a month.

They can be watched on your TV, smartphone or laptop and the contract can be cancelled at any time.

Edward Humphrey, director of digital at the British Film Institute, says: 'We want to offer a diversity of choice, not just mainstream movies that people often associate with streaming services.

'As long as you have a minimum download speed of two megabits per second on your internet at home you should be able to watch films with no problems.'

Those with a poor internet connection  perhaps a result of living in a rural area  may suffer lower speeds during busy times.

This can lead to 'buffering' where frames freeze or the picture goes into pixellation meltdown.

For watching high definition films five megabits a second is often the recommended minimum speed.

Netflix allows you to stream as many films as you like for 5.99 a month  or 7.49 if you want sharper high-definition.

Amazon also offers access to a huge library of movies for 5.99 a month. Those prepared to pay a bit more  7.99  also get access to Prime, its fast one-day delivery service for goods bought through its website.

Now TV sells a Sky Cinema Pass where viewers get access to Sky films for 9.99 a month. Mubi offers a wide range of movies that include world cinema and cult classics for 5.99 a month.

Apple iTunes focuses more on renting or selling individual movies rather than offering a monthly package where you access lots of films. Prices are usually 3.49 to rent  and stream  online or 4.49 for high-definition viewing.

Alternatively you can buy a movie where it is downloaded on to your laptop rather than streamed  but you may have to pay 9.99 for the privilege.

Curzon Home Cinema allows you to stream a wide range of movies. You can rent films to view  paying between 2.20 and 10 each time.

Curzon cinema card members enjoy a 15 per cent price discount. They can also stream up to 12 films for free each month through the Curzon12 service.

Fan: Jemima Codrington uses Cinema Paradiso

RENT FROM A STORE

The LoveFilm By Post DVD rental service will be axed at the end of October. Although marking the end of an era, it does not ring the death knell for DVD rentals.

The main alternative to LoveFilm is Cinema Paradiso. It has categorically ruled out closing, boasting 'we are here for many years to come'.

It also points out that unlike US giant Amazon  which owns LoveFilm  'we are proud of our British roots and we most certainly pay all our UK taxes'.

Cinema Paradiso has more than 90,000 titles in its film library. This means movie fans can enjoy classics, art house and world cinema films on top of blockbusters  providing a level of choice that is not always available from mainstream online providers.

For 6.98 a month subscribers can rent out two movies at a time  up to a maximum of four overall. Its most expensive package is 19.98 a month for which you can get three movies at a time with unlimited borrowing.

Jemima Codrington, 29, from Edinburgh, signed up to Cinema Paradiso two months ago after a friend recommended she watch French film Populaire.

The marketing manager says: 'There is something appealing about curling up on the sofa with a glass of red wine and a DVD to enjoy rather than streaming off a laptop. With streaming there is also the risk of the screen freezing at a crucial part in the film.'

She adds: 'I am a big fan of foreign films. You get a limited choice on streaming services against that available from DVD rentals.'

An alternative is to visit your local library. Struggling to attract bookworms into their premises, an increasing number now rent out movies. Library membership is often free and can enable you to take out films for up to a month.

There is often a charge of 2 a week for this service and you could be hit with a fine  typically 8  if you are late in returning the film. Favourite movies can be booked for free in advance by calling the library, while those in isolated or rural communities who have a library service van that visits the neighbourhood can ask for their favourite DVD choices to be brought along.

There are also a few independent DVD rental outfits that have survived the invasion of the internet.

Among these are 20th Century Flicks in Bristol; The Film Shop in Stoke Newington, North London; TVL Allstar Video in Haverhill, Suffolk; Movieworld in Manchester and Vogue Video in Edinburgh.

These outfits offer more than just a rental service. They provide a movie buff guide on niche films and specialist genres. They will also scour the market for rare, hard-to-find films.

20th Century Flicks charges 2 a week to rent a film  or 4 for three days with new releases. It also offers a postal service for 12 that enables you to rent out up to three films for a fortnight, though this is primarily for locals.

The Film Shop has a 'movie buffs' club that allows unlimited rentals for 15 a month. TVL Allstar Video charges 3.25 a rental  or 5 for two films.
Now is the ideal time to keep the memory of your summer holiday alive by getting your photos printed.

Sales of prints are in sharp decline thanks to the arrival of digital photography. It means cherished photos that were once stored in holiday albums now often only survive as megabytes on a smartphone, files in social media or in folders inside a computer.

According to research by photo shop Jessops, more than 40 per cent of holidaymakers have lost digital photos they wanted to get printed, with broken hardware and accidental deletion the most common explanations.

Picture of happiness: Deborah Reid, on one of her recent trips to Rome, uses Photobox for her prints

Given fewer people now order paper-printed snaps there is also a danger that even if copies of old photos do not get deleted following an accident, they could still be forgotten about and lost if mobiles or computers are subsequently replaced.

It is vital to have an external hard drive to provide a back-up against loss. It is also worth getting favourite holiday moments turned into prints to provide a further guarantee of their survival.

A common excuse for not having copies of digital photo turned into paper snaps is ignorance over how to go about it, but the process is easy, involving no more than a few clicks of a button on a website or phone app.

Payment can be made using a credit or debit card or an online payment facility such as PayPal.

Online pictures can be converted into print from about 5p a snap. It is also possible to have a couple of dozen photos put together into a hardback album for 20.

The more photos you order the cheaper each print becomes. For example, Jessops charges 15p a standard print for orders of less than 100 but this drops to 6p a print if you want more than 500  postage is extra.

Truprint charges 1.99 postage if you order up to 15 snaps but if you want 700 or more it costs 7.99.

With high street companies such as Boots and Jessops it is possible to pop into a shop and order photos in person by handing over a memory card or plugging in a smartphone, camera or laptop.

Deborah Reid, who lives near London Bridge, uses Photobox to print holiday snaps when she comes back from trips abroad. Her most recent travels took her to Rome.

She says: 'Taking photos on my phone is convenient. But when I get home from a holiday I go through the pictures on my laptop and then pick my favourite ones to turn into prints. If they are really good I get them framed  offering a permanent memory of my visit.'

The 26-year-old marketing manager also uses Photobox-owned service Moonpig to turn snaps into postcards to send to family when she is abroad. Moonpig allows photos taken on a mobile to be posted as a card with just a few clicks on the handset.

Moonpig sells postcards in bundles of eight for 6 plus from 65p each for postage. Similar personalised postcard providers include TouchNote and Funky Pigeon.

Steve Cochrane, a director at Jessops, says: 'There has been a seismic shift in the way we share our holiday memories in recent years.

'But nothing triggers nostalgia more than a physical photo you can hold in your hand, put into an album or hang on a wall.'

He says many people post their pictures on social media websites and then delete the original digital snaps, not realising that the online picture is 'compressed'. This means it loses some of its sharpness if you wish to make a paper copy in the future.

Digital snaps can be ordered in a variety of sizes as well as gloss or matt finishes. Pictures can even be printed on to mugs, cushions, calendars, wall art canvases and jigsaw puzzles.
Christopher Bailey, the former Burberry chief executive, has just cashed in 3.1 million of shares out of 10.5 million of options that came to fruition this summer.

It is part of a lucrative pay and perks package for the fashion guru, who received a 440,000 cash allowance last year when his remuneration totalled 3.5 million.

On top of that, he was handed 20,000 of non-cash benefits including a clothing allowance.

Bonanza: Former Burberry chief exec Christopher Bailey with Naomi Campbell

Although he could easily afford to pay full price, he also gets an 80 per cent discount off Burberrys high-priced clothing and accessories.

It means he could buy a reversible Donegal tweed and gabardine trench coat for 379, instead of the 1,895 an ordinary shopper would pay.

All Burberrys senior leadership and board members receive the perk. Ordinary employees receive discretionary discounts. The company says it considers them its most important brand ambassadors.

After tax and commission, Bailey received 1.65 million from the share sale.

A total of more than 680,000 of his options matured this summer, most of them from an award made three years ago, when he was made chief executive, to stop him being poached by a rival.

During his tenure he clashed with shareholders over pay after more than half of the investors refused to support an eye-watering pay package worth up to 27 million.

Bailey stepped aside last month after criticism over performance, but he has retained the role of chief creative officer, which he kept throughout his stewardship of the business.

The 46-year-old has also taken the new position of president.

New chief executive Marco Gobbetti  formerly boss of elite fashion house Celine  will receive similar pay and bonuses to Bailey, although his cash allowance is a far more modest 80,000.
TSB boss Paul Pester believes banks have lost touch with the local communities

It's 8am in St James's Park in Central London and I'm silently quailing as I limber up alongside Paul Pester, the chief executive of TSB bank, before the two of us head off for a morning run.

Pester, who wants to become the white knight of the tarnished banking industry, is not only a bit of a runner, he is a fully-fledged triathlete and a regular surfer.

He looks dauntingly fit, though fortunately, for me, he's carrying a slight injury, so I don't get left behind when we jog beside the lake, admiring the swans and pelicans as I grill him about the banking industry.

The other banks, he says, have learned nothing from the financial crisis: they continue to treat customers with contempt despite having to be bailed out by taxpayers.

They are still overcharging, still keeping customers in the dark about how much they are really paying, and still conniving in family debt problems by lending money irresponsibly.

'From a consumer perspective, nothing has changed. Can I, as a consumer, get a better deal? No. Do I feel the banks are operating on my behalf any more than they were? Probably no.'

'Depressingly, attitudes towards customers have not improved at all, despite the credit crisis,' he says, though he does concede they are safer because the regulators now insist they have a bigger cushion of capital.

Banks, he believes, have lost touch with the local communities they are meant to serve.

'They have lost that connection. You would put 100 of savings into your local high street bank and somehow it ended up supporting derivatives trading or buying sub-prime debt in the US.

When it goes horribly wrong it is taxpayers who pick up the pieces. That's the lesson of the financial crisis.'

Pester was at the epicentre of that crisis. He was running a triathlon in Norfolk when he learned from the television that Spanish bank Santander, then his employer, had taken over Bradford & Bingley, which had succumbed in the turmoil.

The following day he was dispatched to Yorkshire and stayed there for months.

'Bradford & Bingley was in the middle of a run on the bank. Nearly 1 billion went out the door in the first week. We were tracking deposits every hour. To see that amount go out is quite sobering.'

Fit for purpose: Ruth Sunderland joins TSB chief exec Paul Pester, for a morning run in St James Park

Fast forward nearly a decade to the present day and why is it that his fellow bank chief executives persist in treating customers shoddily?

'I don't know, maybe because they have a myriad of issues and it is too easy to lose sight of the customer. They are big and complex institutions.'

In its current incarnation, TSB was spun out of Lloyds in 2014, so despite the venerable name, it is a new bank untarnished by the sins of the credit crunch. So a cynic might point out that it's easy for Pester to act holier than thou. TSB is also launching small business banking next year, so it's in his interests to highlight his rivals' undeniable shortcomings.

Having said that, he certainly talks a good game.

'TSB was set up by a local vicar in Rothwell in Dumfriesshire in 1810. He invented an account where you could save a penny at a time and get 4 per cent interest. Over time people could help themselves out of poverty.

Double dip: Pester is a fully-fledged triathlete and a regular surfer

Banks should be there to help local economies thrive, it should be like It's A Wonderful Life,' he says, referring to the 1946 Frank Capra film starring James Stewart as the boss of a benevolent savings bank.

'With TSB, we were handed 632 Lloyds branches and it was a golden opportunity to say enough is enough, let's build a new bank in the interest of consumers.

'TSB is a simple institution, we do mortgages, loans, credit cards, current accounts and savings, we don't do all the funny stuff.'

He is concerned about a fresh build-up of consumer debt  a worry recently highlighted by the Bank of England. 'Some banks are offering unsecured loans of 50,000  bigger than my first mortgage. We don't do that. There is a bit of common sense needed, I would argue.

'Then there are credit cards offering zero per cent interest if you transfer your balance for around 14 months, then suddenly you go from nothing to 18 or 19 per cent. How do the lenders know people can afford it? Helping people borrow well is key. It is absolutely vital.'

One of his big hobby horses is the fact so few people switch their current accounts. The big lenders lose more account holders to death than to defection, he says.

This inertia is lucrative from their point of view. The banks make 8 billion a year from interest and charges on current accounts and on average, people could save 70 per annum by switching, or 260 a year for those who regularly go overdrawn.

People don't move accounts, he says, because they don't know what they are paying and because it is hard to move with an overdraft.

The solution: itemised bills each month and a 'credit passport' that will allow people to take their borrowings with them.

He says he is depressed because only two per cent of customers switch and the numbers have actually gone down, despite the fact that competition watchdogs spent almost three years investigating the current account market.

'Since they published their report on how to improve competition, it has gone exactly the opposite way. Switching has gone down by 14 per cent so 150,000 fewer customers are moving. I think the Competition and Markets Authority dropped the ball big time and fell right into the hands of the big banks.

'They were arguing that the market didn't need any change, it was all due to consumer inertia. It seems to me crazy that you blame a customer for not getting a good deal for themselves.'

All this campaigning is admirable, but wouldn't he change his tune if he were offered the chance to run one of the big banks? He is widely rumoured to be a candidate to take over from Antonio Horta Osorio at the helm of Lloyds. 'I'm very happy here,' is all he will say.

As well he might be. Pester earned nearly 3.7 million in 2016 including a 2.4 million bonus after a 'fantastic' year.

He modelled pay for staff, including himself, on the John Lewis partnership system, where everyone gets the same percentage bonus. Of course, for him that adds up to a lot more than for an ordinary bank teller.

He lives in Hampstead, North London, but also has a house in Cornwall he visits every three weeks, where he indulges his passion for surfing, along with his sons aged 21 and 23 and his 81-year- old father who still surfs. His mum died of breast cancer in 2005.

The 53-year-old did a degree in physics at Manchester University and a PhD at Oxford.

'I am Doctor Pester, actually. I don't feel I have thrown away my scientific talents by becoming a banker and in any case both my sons are scientists so I have produced two to replace me.'

While doing his PhD, he was sponsored by Texas Instruments and would add a stay in Hawaii on to his study trips to the US. 'I spent a month, three winters in a row, living in a beach hut. Obviously, I was doing my research but surfing all day. When I had to get a job it was a shock.

'I am a member of the Institution of Physics, once you are in you can never leave,' he jokes.

So you can split an atom but you can't fix the banks? 'Exactly. It shouldn't be rocket science, should it?' he says, as he speeds off into the distance.
Young Britons hoping a house price crash will let them buy a home could see their dreams thwarted, leading economists warn.

David Miles, a former member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee and now a professor at London's Imperial College, and colleague James Sefton argue in an influential report that house prices could continue to defy gravity.

The two say home values will carry on rising until the typical property costs 15 times the average income.

Warning: Economist David Miles believes that house prices will defy gravity for generations to come

The figure is already more than five times a first-time buyer's average income, according to Nationwide. London buyers have to find ten times their salary.

Some economists say home values are overinflated and will have to fall at some stage. But Miles believes they can continue rising for several generations, freezing first-timers out of the market.

David Miles believes home values will carry on rising until the typical property costs 15 times the average income

He says this is due in large part to the fact that public transport has barely improved since the Second World War. This means people cannot commute far to get to work.

He argues that the introduction of the Underground in London and buses there and in other cities allowed their populations to grow in the past without pushing up house prices to unaffordable levels.

This was because people could travel in from suburbs. But since there have been no major improvements in transport systems since the 1940s, prices have soared.

'If there was a bullet train that got you from where I live in Somerset to Paddington in 40 minutes, that would transform the market, not just in London but in Somerset. Land and house prices here are very cheap compared with London.'

Miles and Sefton have published a model predicting house price growth over the next 100 years.

'Over the next 50 years the cost of housing relative to wages will rise by about 40 per cent; over the 50 years after that, housing costs double relative to wages,' they predict in the paper, published by the Centre for Economic Policy Research.

Miles says we may all end up renting and owning small stakes in homes through pension funds. He believes prices might not go up so much if people opt to live in flats or if transport gets better again.
A human rights lawyer has revealed the horrifying sexual abuse her mothers boyfriend launched on her when she was just 13.

Kim Fawcett, 29, said she was groomed and raped by Robert Stuart McClelland when she was a teenager.

The 57-year-old, who worked as a truck driver, was arrested and sent to prison for six years in 2004 and placed on the sex offenders register - but only served two years of his sentence.

Kim Fawcett, 29, who has bravely decided to waive her anonymity and tell her story of how she was raped as a teenager

Ms Fawcett said after he raped her for the first time, he 'boasted' about taking her virginity to his colleagues and would pick her up from school so he could carry out sex attacks on her.

After discovering she was pregnant when she was 14, Ms Fawcett said McClelland insisted she had an abortion, despite her questioning if it was something she wanted to do.

She also contracted a sexually transmitted disease.

Ms Fawcett has since been diagnosed with complex post traumatic stress disorder, and, after failing to find the support she needed, she decided to set up a support group for victims of abuse.

Waiving her anonymity to speak to the MailOnline, she revealed that her mother McClelland on an internet dating website after her relationship with her father broke down and they divorced.

She was groomed and raped by Robert Stuart McClelland, a truck driver from Oswestry, Shropshire

McClelland quickly took on the role of the fatherly figure in Ms Fawcetts life, who was 11 at the time, and discouraged her from having a relationship with her father.

She said: When my mum first met him I thought he was really wonderful.

He would tell me that I didnt have to speak to my dad anymore, he was a real father figure to me. He made me laugh, he made me feel special.

He would help me with schoolwork, buy me gifts.he bought me a CD once and I remember thinking I couldnt believe that he had spent 10 on me. Once he bought me the Nelly and Kelly "I do" song and told me it was our song.'

One day, she was sent to go and stay with McClelland at his home in Oswestry, Shropshire.

The lawyer, who was 13 at the time, said: After going out driving together, we went back to his house and he bought me a big bottle of Smirnoff Ice. I started feeling excited and giddy but then really confused and dizzy after drinking it, which I realise now I was drunk.

He asked me to sit on his lap and started touching me. I was really confused as to why he was doing this as I really liked him. I froze still. He kept putting my hands on him and trying to kiss me. I just couldnt move.

She went to stay with him but he then forced himself on her. She said: 'He grabbed me by my wrists and dragged me into his room and it first happened

'Eventually I managed to say that I was going to go to bed. I made it to the stairs to go and sleep in his daughters room. But then he grabbed me by my wrists and dragged me into his room and it first happened.

Ms Fawcett said he then scratched the date of the first rape on a bottle as a sick memento.

She added: Afterwards, he kept saying to me, Are you sure youre a virgin? and would boast about it. I was so ashamed, I thought there must have been something wrong with me. The next day he took me to the truck yard and showed me off to the other truckers and said, Yeah, you were definitely a virgin.

He would do things to me in his truck and no one would stop him. He would pick me up from school, wearing a muscle vest, to rape me and no one would mind. He would often rape me in the quarry, or his van, at my mothers house and at his  anywhere he could.

He would do horrible things to me, like rape me with things he found. He was really rough with me. He would show me porn and tell me to do those things.

He would buy me underwear and outfits. He was my first kiss, my first everything. I believed he was completely in love with me and I was completely dependent on him.

When Ms Fawcett was 14, she began getting pains in her stomach. She went to the doctors and discovered she was three months pregnant.

She said: I was given the cash to have a surgical abortion and went on my own to Manchester to have it. When I was coming around from the anaesthetic, a nurse told me I had STIs and would need to get those checked out. After the abortion, I felt like a part of me had died. I still have a picture of my scan.'

Eventually, one night after she had her abortion, Ms Fawcett spoke to a family friend about it.

When she was 14, she discovered she was pregnant. McClelland told her to have an abortion

She said: I was so sad and I wasnt sure if [the abortion] was something I wanted. When I spoke to her, I was so confused. That night she text me and she said that she thought she knew what was going on but wanted me to tell her. So I did, and she offered to come and get me in the middle of the night.

The reason I decided to tell someone was because when I got pregnant, his attitude towards me completely changed. He told me I had to get rid of the baby, and told me he didnt love me. I became afraid that he was going to kill me. The look in his eyes  I finally realised who he really was.'

The family friend encouraged Ms Fawcett to go to the police and McClelland was arrested.

I just knew if I didnt, he would do it again to more girls, she said.

During a search of his property, the officers found the bottle McClelland had scratched the date on to and the CDs he had purchased for her. They also downloaded the many text messages McClelland had sent to her.

McClelland was then arrested and charged by police in 2003. He was later convicted of indecent assault, sexual intercourse with a girl under 16 and buggery at Chester Crown Court.

During the trial, his defence said Ms Fawcett had been blackmailing him for sex because she was jealous of her own mother.

He claimed Ms Fawcett, who was now 15, said she would tell everyone he was a paedophile if he didnt.

Ms Fawcett said: 'I was 13 and 13-year-olds do not have the capacity to consent to a sexual relationship with their mothers boyfriend.

'He was my mothers partner and was in his late 40s at the time. He knew what he was doing.

Ms Fawcett said: 'I was 13 and 13-year-olds do not have the capacity to consent to a sexual relationship with their mothers boyfriend'

'The effects of child abuse can, without proper support, last a lifetime. For him to then be released just two years in to his sentence shows to me a complete lack of understanding as to the horror of childhood trauma and how we view child abuse as a society. It added to my false belief that it couldn't have been that bad.'

Ms Fawcett was then sent to live with her father, which was extremely difficult due to their already strained relationship.

And when she went on holiday to Crete when she was 16, she was raped again by a bartender.

I just thought that was what men did, she said.

After that sex attack, she was placed in private foster care where she attempted to kill herself.

She later decided to study law and international law at Nottingham University and Utrecht University with an aim to help other people who were abuse victims.

But she found the criminal law element of the course was too difficult following the harrowing abuse she received. Ms Fawcett decided to work as a human rights lawyer instead.

Ms Fawcett went to university and studied law and international law - she now works as a human rights lawyer

After attempting to start a new life for herself in Australia she attempted to kill herself again, leading to her to move to Bristol to be with her friends and support network.

Following her diagnosis, she wanted to seek support but found the waiting list for specialist sexual violence counselling was eight months.

She said: The NHS offered me anti depressants and although all the professionals I dealt with were wonderful and deeply caring and compassionate, I wanted to have some support earlier than that.

'Life to me, was no longer worth living  I did not believe I could get over the waves of despair and blackness I so often felt. The waiting list indicated to me that there must be other people in my position, so I decided to set up a peer support group.

In July, Ms Fawcett founded the Survivors of Abuse and Sexual Violence Bristol group, where victims meet with each other every two weeks to offer support and guidance.

She initially waived her anonymity to speak to the Bristol Post to raise awareness of the group. Since the article was published two weeks ago, the membership has increased from 60 to 130.

She said: Since the abuse, Ive had very low self-esteem and have struggled with suicide and depression. I often feel worthless and disgusting and like I was to blame. I assume people are always thinking "why is she here, she is so awful".

She launched a group to help survivors of sexual abuse in July and hopes support networks will continue to grow and peoples attitudes towards sex offence victims to change

'I dont have a relationship with my parents and I struggle to let people in or understand why they would even want to be I the same room as me. The abuse has also affected my relationships. I dream of having a family of my own, but I am not sure I ever will.

I wanted the group to be a space where women did not have to worry about putting on a brave face or hiding a secret. Where people could come and be exhausted or angry or ashamed, and not have to hide it, but to feel understood and supported.'

Ms Fawcett hopes support networks will continue to grow and peoples attitudes towards sex offence victims to change.

She said: I want to break down the shame that victims feel after being affected by the trauma and help them realise its not their fault and its nothing to be ashamed of.

'That the way they feel is completely normal following on from the horror they went through  they are not weak or pathetic, but trying to adapt and survive following a harrowing and devastating life changing experience.

'I deeply want to change attitudes towards grooming and I think the UK has such a long way to go on this. We so often hold women and girls responsible for their part in sexual violence. It is so poorly understood. We have to change that.'
Mandy Blumenthal, 52, pointed the finger at Jeremy Corbyn for 'giving oxygen' to Jew haters by failing to punish racist outbursts

A Jewish businesswoman whose father was Lord Mayor of Birmingham is leaving Britain, blaming anti-Semitism in politics and the failure of the authorities to enforce the law.

Mandy Blumenthal, 52, pointed the finger at Jeremy Corbyn for 'giving oxygen' to Jew haters by failing to punish racist outbursts from his supporters.

And she claimed anti-Semitic hate crime was being 'swept under the carpet' because the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was not taking enough offenders through the courts.

Ms Blumenthal is searching for property in Israel, and plans to leave within the next 'few years', but would emigrate within weeks if Mr Corbyn became Prime Minister.

She said this is despite feeling 'extremely British', with her father making history as the only commoner ever to be included on an official stamp alongside the Queen.

'I come from such a British family - my father was also a Major in the Army, and ran a POW camp during the war, while my mother was a magistrate,' she told MailOnline.

'We were very much brought up knowing that you have to give back to society, be proud to be British and realise what a fantastic place this was to live in.

Ms Blumenthal says she has always felt 'extremely British', with her father, Harold Blumenthal, serving as Lord Mayor of Birmingham(left in a picture from 1988-89) and her mother, Vivian, acting as a magistrate. They are pictured, right, on their wedding day in 1956

Harold Blumenthal made history in 1991 by becoming the only commoner to be included on an official stamp alongside the Queen in a photo taken two years before. His inclusion on the stamp, made for the Queen's 65th birthday, went on the front page of the New York Times. Mr Blumenthal called it a 'great honour', while the stamp's designer exclaimed, 'how unfortunate!'

'But now hatred against Jews has become legitimised in the political sphere and more and more Jews are getting attacked. I just don't see a future the way things stand.

'I'm not the sort of person who is alarmist, I just get on with life, love partying and going out. I've just heard and seen too much.'

Her comments came as a survey by YouGov for the Campaign Against anti-Semitism found a third of British Jews have considered leaving the UK.

The self-selecting sample of more than 2,000 people found just 59 percent felt welcome in the country.

Many were concerned about attitudes within Labour, with 83% believing the party is too tolerant of anti-Semitism among its MPs, members and supporters.

This compared with 19% for the Conservatives and 36% for the Liberal Democrats.

Ms Blumenthal, pictured in November 2014, is searching for property in Israel, and plans to leave within the next 'few years', but would emigrate within weeks if Mr Corbyn became Prime Minister

Ms Blumenthal, seen in April 2013, left, mentioned a survey which found that 83% of British Jews believe the Labour Party is too tolerant of anti-Semitism among its MPs, members and supporters. Pictured right in 1988-89: Harold and Vivian Blumenthal

Labour's anti-Semitism scandal The Labour Party has long been plagued by accusations of anti-Semitism, which critics say Jeremy Corbyn has done little to deal with. Here are some of the main events from the height of the scandal last year: April 27, 2016 - Naz Shah is suspended after calling on Israel to 'relocate' to America. Jeremy Corbyn was attacked for initially refusing to suspend her from the party whip. April 28 - Ken Livingstone defended Ms Shah on BBC London radio. He claimed Adolf Hitler supported Zionism before he 'went mad and ended up killing six million Jews'. He was suspended an hour later. June 30 - Labour MP Ruth Smeeth leaves the launch of the Labour Party inquiry into anti-Semitism in tears after being verbally abused. Mr Corbyn is criticised for failing to intervene. August - Jeremy Corbyn nominates Shami Chakrabarti for a peerage, just two months after she published Labour's inquiry into anti-Semitism, condemned as a 'whitewash' by Jewish groups. Advertisement

Ms Blumenthal blamed Mr Corbyn for the shocking figure, saying he had allowed senior figures such as Ken Livingstone and Naz Shah to get away with hateful comments.

Last year, campaigners called on the former London mayor to be expelled from the party after he claimed Hitler was a Zionist, but he was suspended instead.

That came after Mrs Shah, MP for Bradford West, was forced to apologise for posting on Facebook that a 'solution for the Israel-Palestine conflict' was to relocate Israel to the US.

Ms Blumenthal, who lives in London, said: 'I'm not saying Corbyn is an anti-Semite but he gives so much ammunition to everybody who is.

'Jew hate has entered the political mainstream.

'A lot of people say Corbyn means well. Personally, I don't think so. He's called Hamas and Hezbollah his friends - organisations that want the annihilation of Jews.'

A Labour spokesman said: 'The Labour Party campaigns against anti-Semitism, and condemns all anti-Semitic abuse.

'That is why Jeremy Corbyn set up the Chakrabarti Inquiry into anti-Semitism.'

Ms Blumenthal said her parents, Harold and Vivian,(pictured at an unknown date) had always taught her about the importance of giving back to her country

Ms Blumenthal, pictured as a baby at an unknown date, said: 'I'm not the sort of person who is alarmist, I just get on with life, love partying and going out'

Ms Blumenthal, who is a director of a property company, also voiced her fears about the rise in reports of anti-Semitic hate crime, which has surged 45 per cent since 2014.

This is despite the CAA survey finding the British public are rejecting prejudice, with a decline since a previous poll in 2015.

According to the poll, 65% of British Jews think the Government does not do enough to protect them, while 52% think the Crown Prosecution Service could do more.

Sizeable minorities thought the police (41%) and the courts (47%), could do more, while only 39% of British Jews felt confident that anti-Semitic hate crime would be prosecuted.

Ms Blumenthal said: 'The attacks are happening more often and many are being pushed under the carpet because of our police and courts system.

'They are being told that they shouldn't go to the media because it will interfere with the judicial process, and then the courts drop it. I don't want to wait until it happens to me.'

Ms Blumenthal blamed Mr Corbyn for the shocking figure, saying he had allowed senior figures such as Ken Livingstone, pictured at a Labour disciplinary hearing in April 2017, and Naz Shah, seen right in Bradford, 2015, to get away with hateful comments

The property business owner, from London, hit out at Mr Corbyn - pictured at a Blackpool community centre in August 2017) for calling Hamas and Hezbollah his 'friends'
Jordan Towers, pictured, targeted teenagers across the country by grooming them on Instagram and other sites using fake profiles

This mugshot shows the moment a paedophile wept after being caught by police after luring dozens of girls as young as 13 for sex.

Jordan Towers targeted teenagers across the country by grooming them on Instagram and other sites using fake profiles.

The 26-year-old admitted 21 charges of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and taking and distributing indecent photographs of a child.

He was jailed for six years by a judge at Guildford Crown Court.

Towers was arrested in February after a 13-year-old girl from Kent reported he had befriended her online using a fake profile and persuaded her to take indecent photographs of herself. When officers searched his mobile phone, they found more than 1,000 vile child pictures.

Officers later found about 60 potential victims aged between 13 and 16 years, mainly by matching their phone numbers with chat logs and linking recovered images with social media user profiles.

It quickly became apparent that Towers was befriending vulnerable teenage girls via Instagram or a teenage dating app called Yellow.

Guildford Crown Court heard how he paid the victims compliments to gain their trust before asking them to send photos or take part in video chat which quickly became sexual in nature.

He became more persistent and once a victim refused to send any more, became aggressive and threatened to distribute the indecent images they had already sent to their friends and family unless they sent more.

Towers also used some of the images he was sent to set up profiles and pose as a teenage girl, sending these images to other victims to encourage them to send similar images back to him.

Some of the victims also reported that they had been contacted by more than one of his user profiles.

Towers, of Portugal Road, Woking, in Surrey, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment plus a further four years on licence and forced to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for life.

Towers was jailed for six years by a judge at Guildford Crown Court, pictured (stock photo)

He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of 170.

The investigation, which was led by Surrey Police, involved interviewing 29 girls across the country, with officers travelling to South Wales, Bristol, Doncaster, Greater Manchester, Essex, Kent and Sussex.

Detective Inspector Martin Goodwin from Surrey Police's Paedophile Online Investigation Team, who led the investigation, said: 'The prison sentence handed to Towers today shows that the internet is not a safe or anonymous place for abusing teenage girls.

He continued: 'Towers manipulated vulnerable teenage girls, persuading them to send indecent photos of themselves by befriending them, gaining their trust and then threatening to blackmail them when they refused.

'He has also used fake profiles to con his victims into believing they were talking to girls their own age. The lengths that Towers went to, to deceive and target his victims is deplorable.

'His offending has had a profoundly devastating impact on not only his victims' lives, but also those of their families.

'Many of the girls we interviewed had thousands of followers on their social media accounts but did not know who many of them were, and were sending indecent photos of themselves.'
President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military, but he appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some already in uniform to remain.

Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authority to decide the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving, and he said that until the Pentagon chief makes that decision, 'no action may be taken against' them.

The Obama administration in June 2016 had changed longstanding policy, declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals. And it set a July 2017 deadline for determining whether transgender people could be allowed to enter the military. Mattis delayed that to January 1, 2018, and Trump has now instructed Mattis to extend it indefinitely.

President Donald Trump is pictured above today departing the White House for a weekend trip to Camp David, in Washington, DC. He has directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender individuals joining the military

Trump gave Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (pictured on August 24) authority to decide the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving

But on the question of what will happen to those transgender individuals who already are serving openly - estimated to number in the low hundreds - Trump seemed to leave wiggle room for exceptions. A White House official who briefed reporters on the presidential order would not say whether Trump would permit any exceptions.

That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Mattis has been directed to take a number of factors into consideration in determining how to deal with transgender individuals already serving.

Those factors are to include broad measures such as 'military effectiveness,' budgetary constraints and 'unit cohesion,' as well as other factors Mattis deems 'relevant.'

In this July 26, 2017 file photo, people with the Human Rights Campaign hold up 'equality flags' during an event on Capitol Hill in Washington, in support of transgender members of the military

It was not clear whether that means it is possible for Mattis to come to the conclusion that some transgender troops should be allowed to remain.

Trump gave Mattis six months to come up with a policy on those currently serving, and he must implement it by March 23, 2018, the official said.

In a tweet last month, Trump said the federal government 'will not accept or allow' transgender individuals to serve 'in any capacity' in the military.

The White House official on Friday said Trump also directed Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medications, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition. That policy is to be written within six months and implemented by March 23.

In his directive to Mattis, Trump said he found that his predecessor's transgender policy was flawed.

'In my judgment, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude' that ending the longstanding ban on transgender service would not 'hinder military effectiveness and lethality' and be disrupting in the ranks, he wrote.

The Pentagon had little to say on the subject Friday. Dana W. White, the main spokeswoman for Mattis, issued a two-sentence statement saying Mattis had received White House guidance on transgender policy, adding, 'More information will be forthcoming.'

Only one year ago, in June 2016, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that transgender individuals could serve openly for the first time. Prior to that, most transgender people in the military had been forced to keep their status secret to avoid being discharged; Trump's order appears to have returned the military to that same situation.

Since Carter's policy change, some troops - possibly a couple hundred - have openly declared their status as transgender individuals.

Carter also had given the military services until July 1 of this year to present plans for allowing transgender individuals to join the military. Shortly before that date, Mattis extended the study period to the end of this year. And shortly after that, Trump went to Twitter to announce a total ban, without having used the customary interagency policy process.

Protest: On July 26, 2017, after a series of tweets by President Donald Trump, which proposed to ban transgender people from military service, thousands of New Yorkers took the streets in opposition

At the time of Trump's tweet, the Pentagon was not prepared to change its policy. A flurry of White House meetings ensued, with participation by representatives of the Defense Department, to translate Trump's announcement into guidance that could be implemented and would stand up to expected legal challenges.

Just last week, Mattis suggested he was open to the possibility of allowing some transgender troops to remain in uniform.

'The policy is going to address whether or not transgenders can serve under what conditions, what medical support they require, how much time would they be perhaps non-deployable, leaving others to pick up their share of everything,' he said Aug. 14.

Estimates of the number of transgender troops in the service vary widely. A Rand Corp. study said roughly 2,500 transgender personnel may be serving in active duty, and 1,500 in the reserves. It estimated only 30 to 130 active-duty troops out of a force of 1.3 million would seek transition-related health care each year. Costs could be $2.4 million to $8.4 million, it estimated.

Transgender former US Air Force member Vanessa Sheridan poses for a photo after talking with reporters in Chicago, Illinois on July 26, 2017

Among those who have cheered Trump's tweet, Elaine Donnelly said the president is halting 'a massive social experiment.'

'Expensive, lifelong hormone treatments and irreversible surgeries associated with gender dysphoria would negatively affect personal deployability and mission readiness, without resolving underlying psychological problems, including high risks of suicide,' said Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., an Army combat veteran, said the Pentagon should not exclude people based on gender status.

'If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve - no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation,' she said Thursday. 'Anything else is not just discriminatory, it is disruptive to our military and it is counterproductive to our national security.'
President Donald Trump is likely to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program sometime next week, according to media reports on Friday.

The act is an Obama-era policy that protects nearly 600,000 immigrants who were brought into the country illegally by their parents and are known as 'Dreamers'.

Trump's decision on whether to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy could be announced as early as next week, reported ABC News, citing multiple sources.

This comes as the President is under fire for pardoning Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio after he was convicted of contempt for targeting people he believed were illegal immigrants for arrest.

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President Donald Trump (pictured on the White House lawn August 23) is likely to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program sometime next week, according to media reports on Friday

Trump's decision on whether to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, policy could be announced as early as next week, reported ABC News, citing multiple sources. Pictured a protester holds a sign to rally against Trump's potential repealing of DACA

He pardoned the 85-year-old on Friday night citing his long history of public service.

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

He was supposed to face up to six months in prison.

Trump also controversially signed an executive order earlier Friday banning transgendered individuals from enlisting in the armed forces - reversing yet another Obama initiative.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed the program with senior White House officials on Thursday, and the Department of Homeland Security sent the White House a recommendation on what to do earlier this week, according to NBC.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters on Friday that the program continues to be under review.

Trump, who infamously referred to Mexican immigrants as 'rapists and criminals', pledged on the election campaign trail to scrap all of former President Barack Obama's executive orders on immigration, including DACA.

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez said it would be a 'moral disgrace' to end the DACA policy.

'America is the only country these DREAMers call home, and they don't deserve to be thrown back in the shadows,' Perez said in a statement.

This comes as the President (pictured August 22 in Phoenix, Arizona) is under fire for pardoning Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio after he was convicted of contempt for targeting people he believed were illegal immigrants for arrest

The act is an Obama-era policy that protects nearly 600,000 immigrants who were brought into the country illegally by their parents and are known as 'Dreamers'. Pictured on August 15 dozens of immigration advocates and attend a rally outside Trump Tower in New York

Attorney General Jeff Sessions discussed the program with senior White House officials on Thursday, and the Department of Homeland Security sent the White House a recommendation on what to do earlier this week, according to NBC. Pictured on August 15 dozens of immigration advocates and attend a rally outside Trump Tower in New York

Earlier this year in an interview with ABC News Trump said the program's beneficiaries 'shouldn't be very worried. I do have a big heart. We're going to take care of everybody.'

And last week a number of reports showed that Ivanka and Jared Kushner pushed the president to allow 'dreamers' to stay without deportation.

This might have been part of an effort to sway Democrat lawmakers to approve funding for the president's border wall.

McClatchy reported that the group of White House officials have suggested using so-called 'Dreamers' as a bargaining chip, in order to check off some of the president's campaign promises on immigration, including the wall, additional detention facilities, an E-verify system for employers and cuts to legal immigration.

However, such a move would break another campaign promise, as candidate Donald Trump had pledged to supporters last August to 'immediately terminate President Obama's two illegal executive amnesties,' including DACA.

Last week a number of reports showed that Ivanka and Jared Kushner pushed the president to allow 'dreamers' to stay without deportation

But now with much of Trump's agenda sputtering on Capitol Hill, the first daughter and her husband have formed an alliance with new Chief of Staff John Kelly in support of this plan.

Ten Republican state attorneys general in June urged the Trump administration to rescind the DACA program going forward, while noting that the government did not have to revoke permits that had already been issued.

If the federal government did not withdraw DACA by September 5, the attorneys general said they would file a legal challenge to the program in a Texas federal court.

The ten who signed the letter represent the states of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Nebraska, Arkansas, South Carolina, Idaho, Tennessee, West Virginia and Kansas.

A larger coalition of 26 Republican attorneys general had challenged the Obama-era policy covering illegal immigrant parents, known as DAPA, that had been blocked by the courts before it took effect.

The Department of Homeland Security rescinded that policy earlier this month.
Bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland has been accused of ruining towns and villages by banning rivals from reopening many of the branches it has closed.

The taxpayer-backed lender has scrapped 695 RBS and NatWest branches in the last five years in a desperate attempt to cut costs and end nearly a decade of losses.

It has left many towns with no banks  blighting their high streets, forcing shopkeepers to travel miles to make deposits, and denying elderly customers a service.

Bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland has been accused of ruining towns and villages by banning rivals from reopening many of the branches it has closed

Now the Mail can reveal that when RBS shuts a branch but keeps an outside cash machine there, it includes a clause in the premises sale details which forbids another bank or building society from opening in the space.

RBS said that restrictions are applied to one in five closed branches, meaning as many as 139 may have been affected.

Rivals Barclays, HSBC and Lloyds all told the Mail they have no such requirement.

The Mail found details of 21 former RBS and NatWest branches for sale on the internet where a cash machine was left in place.

In every case, a notice made clear that the property was being sold subject to restrictions which prohibited certain uses. As well as forbidding sex shops, pubs and gun stores, it also bans businesses involved with money lending and banks or building societies.

Of the 21 bank branches shut, seven were the last bank in town, depriving people of the only place they could go for services.

It means that in rural settlements such as Sedbergh in Cumbria, as well as shutting the final option, RBS made it much harder for anyone else to open.

Few high street buildings are suited to housing a branch, so when a former one moves out it is likely to be the most obvious place for another bank to open.

Axed, last free cash machine in 20 miles Furious residents of a seaside town are accusing Lloyds Bank of damaging their community after it removed the only free cash machine in 20 miles. The closure of the last bank in Lynton, north Devon, has dealt a major blow to its once-thriving tourism trade and driven visitors away, locals say. In the busy summer months, the cashpoint gave out 400,000 a fortnight to thousands of people drawn to the villages gift shops and tea rooms. The closure of the last bank in Lynton, north Devon, has dealt a major blow to its once-thriving tourism trade and driven visitors away, locals say However, foreign visitors are unable to use Post Offices for withdrawals because non-UK cards are not accepted. Traders say impulse purchases in their shops have dwindled. Susan Bingham, of the Lynton visitor centre, said: Were reliably informed that the ATM issued 400,000 per fortnight in peak season. Much of that went to local shops, hotels, cafes and visitor attractions. Lloyds refused to confirm how much the Lynton branch distributed. But a spokesman said many customers now rely less on cash and more on cards and online banking. Advertisement

Ian Millward of advice group Candid Money said: This just looks like spite, with RBS saying theyre going to move away from local communities and then prevent anybody else from stepping in and taking the hole theyve left.

An old NatWest branch is a perfect space for another branch to go in. It just seems deeply unreasonable. Although most lenders are cutting back, some are keen to open new branches.

On Tuesday, the Mail told how ten branches a week were shutting across Britain in 2017. An RBS spokesman said: When we retain an ATM we have to apply criteria so that staff can access and service the ATM safely.

Almost every struggling business which was put in the hands of the RBS rescue unit was mistreated, a leaked report revealed last night.

The banks global restructuring group (GRG) was set up to help firms struggling with debts. But it was accused of deliberately wrecking companies during the financial crisis, to shore up its own ailing balance sheet.

GRG was accused of massive overcharging, imposing unnecessary fees and asset-stripping  claims RBS has always denied.

Now, a leaked study commissioned by the Financial Conduct Authority shows that 92 per cent of viable businesses which ended up in the GRG were hit by inappropriate action at the bank.

At its peak, the unit handled 16,000 companies  meaning thousands of entrepreneurs and family owners will have been affected by these mistakes.

Only 10 per cent of businesses which landed in the GRG ever made it out and back into the main part of RBS.

An RBS spokesman said: We could have done better for some customers in GRG.
Prince Harry is thought to have taken his girlfriend Meghan Markle on a romantic trip to the Victoria Falls in Zambia, one of the seven 'natural wonders' of the world.

The fifth in line to the throne is said to be ending a three-week holiday to Africa by visiting what many consider an idyllic honeymoon destination.

The couple have been in Botswana since early August, where they celebrated Meghan's 36th birthday.

Romantic: Prince Harry (right) is thought to have taken his girlfriend Meghan Markle (left) on a trip to the Victoria Falls in Zambia, one of the seven 'natural wonders' of the world

After enjoying a barbecue party at a friend's ranch, they headed to the Okavango Delta in Botswana, travelling around by mokoro, a type of shallow wooden canoe propelled through the swampland by pole.

The pair shunned luxury safari lodges in favour of fly camping, which involved setting up their tents in areas off the beaten track, with only the prince's taxpayer-funded police protection officers for company.

According to several local newspapers, the 32-year-old prince and his US-born girlfriend crossed over from Botswana via a small border post in recent days.

Prince Harry and his girlfriend Meghan Markle kissed at the polo sparking rumours they are to become engaged soon

Now the couple, who have been dating for just over a year, are said to be at Victoria Falls. The waterfall straddles Zambia and Zimbabwe, on the Zambezi river, and is one of the largest in the world, plunging 354ft.

Security officers and government officials in Zambia were 'put on alert' to expect the prince and his guest.

Harry, who was keen to keep his visit as low key as possible, is due back in UK next week to mark the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death.
Horrifying CCTV footage has emerged of the chilling moment tourists fled as a van that killed 13 innocent people sped down Las Ramblas on a deadly terror mission last week.

Tourists, holidaymakers and locals were enjoying a sunny afternoon at around 5pm British time when panic set in on 17 August.

New video shows people, including children, running for cover before a zigzagging, speeding white van is seen speeding past the top of the frame.

Spanish authorities named the driver of the Fiat van as Younes Abouyaaquob.

The footage shows the terrorist on his deadly mission to plow down the city's famed Las Ramblas promenade, killing 13 pedestrians and injuring 120 others.

He was shot dead by armed police on Monday evening after a vineyard owner in the town of Subirats, named as Citizen X, alerted police to a man driving at speed across his land.

Abouyaaquob's death brings to an end the worst terror attack on Spanish soil in 13 years, as police say all 12 member of the cell which carried it out are either dead or arrested.

Tourists, holidaymakers and locals were enjoying a sunny afternoon at around 5pm British time when panic set in on 17 August. The video shows people, including children, running for cover before a zigzagging, speeding white van is seen speeding past the top of the frame

Seven-year-old Julian Cadman, a dual British-Australian national, became separated from his mother in the massacre and was killed in the attack.

After his death, a family statement said: 'Julian was a much-loved and adored member of our family. As he was enjoying the sights of Barcelona with his mother, Julian was sadly taken from us.

'He was so energetic, funny and cheeky, always bringing a smile to our faces. We are so blessed to have had him in our lives and will remember his smiles and hold his memory dear to our hearts.'

His Filipina mother, known as Jom, was badly injured in the rampage and is believed to still be in hospital.
With its elegant decor and soft lighting, the ambience in The Club lounge, at Las Vegas International Airport, is usually serene. On August 2, however, passengers waiting to board Virgin Atlantics afternoon flight to London Gatwick were disturbed by an extraordinary scene.

Emerging stealthily into the room, plainclothes FBI officers approached a young, scruffily dressed British man, who had been sampling the complimentary refreshments and amusing himself by posting sardonic messages on Twitter.

They were from the agencys Cyber Crime Unit, and told him he was suspected of various serious offences, arrested him, snapped his wrists in handcuffs, and marched him off to be interrogated.

Marcus Hutchins had been hailed a hero after thwarting a devastating virus that had spread to 150 countries and some 300,000 computers

News-conscious observers of this drama might have recognised the startled prisoner. For three months earlier, Marcus Hutchins, a 23-year-old computer genius employed to fight internet crime, had been hailed a hero after thwarting a devastating virus that had spread to 150 countries and some 300,000 computers.

Operating alone from his gadget-cluttered bedroom, at his parents home in the North Devon resort of Ilfracombe, he had stumbled upon a kill switch that halted the so-called WannaCry epidemic dead in its tracks.

Since the shadowy hackers who created the virus (thought to be from Russia or North Korea) had demanded a ransom of 460 per infected machine to remove it, they might have raked in millions but for his timely intervention.

Moreover, as dozens of NHS trusts were targeted, forcing them to shut down their IT systems and cancel operations, Hutchins was credited with sparing countless people from suffering, and possibly saving lives.

An unconventional, freewheeling young man, Hutchins was a very reluctant hero.

With commendable modesty, he claimed his noble deed owed more to luck than judgment, and admitted that, by tampering with the virus, he might actually have made it worse.

Nonetheless, among the so-called white hats  the hacking fraternity whose mission is to seek and destroy malicious software, or malware  he is revered like a rock-star, as he discovered on his 12-day trip to Las Vegas.

Hutchins had travelled there, in late July, to attend the annual DefCon computer security conference, which began 25 years ago, as a low-key gathering for nerdish techies, but has grown into an ultra-cool global happening, a sort of Glastonbury for geeks.

He was among 25,000 people who flocked to this raucous hackers summer camp staged in the glitzy Caesars Palace casino hotel  all cheering as keynote speakers downed neat alcohol shots and ace hackers demonstrated their ability to break into everything from car locks to Apple watches.

The Lamborghini Hutchins rented while on a 12-day trip to Las Vegas

In the most bizarre and alarming stunt, a computerised voting machine widely used in U.S elections was hacked into, then reprogrammed to become a glorified jukebox playing the Rick Astley song Never Gonna Give You Up.

As the mop-haired Hutchins sauntered around the conference centre, in his torn jeans and T-shirt, admirers clamoured to have selfies taken with him.

For the young Devonian, however, the conference was something of a sideline.

Having ventured abroad for the first time only last year, he had planned a thrill-packed holiday around the event.

He stayed, with seven friends, in a sumptuous 1,445 a night mansion, just off the famous Strip, boasting the biggest private swimming pool in Las Vegas.

Hutchins filmed himself reclining in the pool; rented various high-performance cars, including an orange Lamborghini; and regaled his 106,000 Twitter followers with messages about his drunken partying, expensive lobster dinner, and Grand Canyon helicopter tour . . . blithely unaware that his every move was being monitored by the FBI. He also mentioned visiting a shooting range, where he fired a machine gun at a target bearing the face of Osama Bin Laden  something that would come back to haunt him after his arrest.

The events following his detention were Kafka-esque, according to friends. Denied access to a lawyer for 48 hours, he was first taken for questioning at Nevadas forbidding Henderson Detention Centre.

Then, when friends discovered his whereabouts, he was whisked away again, apparently to an FBI field office.

His father, Desmond Hutchins, a senior social services manager, and mother Janet, a hospital nurse, only realised something was wrong when he failed to arrive at Gatwick.

We still dont really know where they held him, or what went on. It has been a complete nightmare, his brother Cameron, 21, told us this week, at the family home  a Victorian townhouse close to Ilfracombes historic Tunnels Beaches, where Hutchins liked to wind down after working for hours, alone in his garret.

Hutchins at the firing range

It was only when Hutchins was paraded before a Las Vegas court in a yellow prison jumpsuit embossed with the word detainee two days later on August 4, that the reasons behind his detention emerged.

Incredibly, the heroic scourge of the NHS virus, who toils obsessively round the clock to fight cyber-crime on behalf of his Los Angeles-based employer, Kryptos Logic, and is thought to receive a handsome six-figure salary, stood accused of attempting to sell a malevolent virus of his own making.

Marketed under the name Kronos on the dark web, the corner of the internet that can only be accessed by those with special expertise, it infects computer browsers, capturing usernames and passwords without leaving any obvious clues to its presence.

When the unsuspecting user visits a trusted location such as a banking website, their personal details are replicated and sent to the Kronos operators machine.

This type of malware is known as a Trojan, because it infiltrates systems disguised as legitimate software, like a digital version of the mythological Trojan horse.

Kronos is said to have been used to attempt to attack banks in Britain, and elsewhere  though internet security experts doubt it was very effective.

Along with an alleged accomplice  who is not named in the indictment  Hutchins, known by his online alias, MalwareTech, is accused of taking part in a conspiracy to create and sell Kronos between July 2014 and July 2015. He faces six charges alleging he invented the virus, advertised it on a notorious dark web marketplace called AlphaBay and sold it for $2,000 in digital currency, all in violation of the U.S. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The trial, scheduled to begin on October 23, will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the FBI investigators are based. Curiously, no victims are mentioned in the indictment.

Hutchins is being prosecuted under the same law used against the British hacker Gary McKinnon, who breached the security defences of 97 U.S military and NASA computers  supposedly while hunting for evidence of UFOs  but successfully fought extradition after it was revealed that he suffered from Aspergers syndrome. His cause was championed by the Daily Mail.

As McKinnon discovered, the law carries draconian penalties.

If Hutchins is found guilty (and the conviction rate in these cases is about 90 per cent) he could face a maximum of 40 years in prison.

However, it is more likely that he would be jailed for between one and three years.

If Hutchins is found guilty (and the conviction rate in these cases is about 90 per cent) he could face a maximum of 40 years in prison

The FBI claims to have uncovered the plot during a two-year investigation which resulted in AlphaBay being shut down. Prosecutor Dan Cowhig told the Las Vegas court that Hutchins had admitted under questioning being the author of the Kronos code, and also indicated that he sold it. His alleged co-conspirator is said to have advertised it by posting a video on the dark net.

Mr Cowhig said Hutchins was heard to complain about the money he had received from the scam during conversations with the mysterious accomplice, records of which the FBI claim to have obtained.

Extraordinarily, the prosecutor argued that Hutchins  who strongly denies the accusations  should remain in custody pending his trial, on the grounds that he was a danger to the public, because he had fired a gun at the aforementioned shooting range.

The judge rejected this argument and granted him bail with a surety of $30,000 which was raised by his supporters.

He is now staying in a luxurious Airbnb apartment, in the Venice Beach area of California, complete with gym, pool, and rooftop barbecue pit. But he is only allowed out of the apartment for four hours a week, and complains that he is bored and lonely.

Last Sunday his mother flew out to bolster his spirits.

Ive spoken to him on the phone and hes feeling better about things now, said his brother.

But the whole thing is ridiculous. Is it really likely that someone who has spent his whole life fighting computer crime would do something like this?

It seems a valid question.

So could this young computer whizz, who has built his reputation on ethical hacking, really have been leading a shadowy double-life as a black hat, as criminal hackers are known?

Hutchins arrives at US Federal Courthouse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on August 14

Or is he the victim of a gross injustice?

Like Gary McKinnon, and many other freakishly gifted technology experts, Hutchins is certainly an unusual character.

He taught himself computer coding, and was excluded temporarily from his comprehensive school after teachers claimed he hacked into its IT system, causing it to crash  which he denies. It meant he was banned from using the school computer while studying for his IT GCSE, and made to sit the exam using a pen and paper, as a result of which he failed.

Disgruntled with the education system, he decided against going to university.

Instead, he worked alone in his bedroom before his expertise came to the attention of internet security company Kryptos Logic, which offered him a job. He took it on condition that he could remain in his beloved Devon.

His Las Vegas trip notwithstanding, Hutchins claims to loathe big cities, and his only other known hobby is surfing.

In his teens, he was a member of Woolacombe Surf Life Saving Club, whose organiser Tracy Lark remembers him as a nice natured guy from a very good family and, like others who know him, is convinced of his innocence.

At all events, if Hutchins was a covert criminal, as alleged, he was a very naive one.

If he had masterminded the Kronos virus, surely he would have been aware of the risks of travelling to the United States?

Particularly to a conference widely known as a magnet for law enforcement agents eager to appraise themselves of the latest hacking techniques. As DefCons founder, Jeff Moss, once put it: If youre a criminal, you dont go where all the feds and good guys are going.

Then there are the lenient terms of his bail, which hardly suggest he is considered an arch-criminal and a major security threat.

Hutchins claims to loathe big cities, and his only other known hobby is surfing

Though his internet access was briefly removed, he is now allowed to use his computer, and is giving his Twitter followers a bleakly humorous running commentary about his plight.

He has blogged about his attempts to learn to cook, and problems such as having no clothes, and no proof of identity.

Amazon has closed his account and wants him to send proof of his address by fax, he says, adding incredulously: In 2017 nobody under the age of 80 uses fax.

However, as we have discovered, there are more compelling reasons to believe that Hutchins stands wrongly accused.

Our inquiries reveal that the Kronos virus was being marketed on a notorious Russian underground web forum as early as June 10, 2014  a month before the period covered by the indictment.

Stranger still, on July 13, 2014, as the malware began to appear extensively on hacking sites, Hutchins tweeted: Anyone got a Kronos sample?

This begs a rather obvious question: why would he be trying to obtain the virus if he was its evil architect?

According to British cyber-security expert Gavin Millard, it just doesnt add up.

He believes Hutchins might simply have posed as the author of Kronos while researching it to gain intelligence  a tactic frequently used by white-hats fighting computer crime.

An alternative explanation could be that Hutchins research  which he published to highlight vulnerabilities in internet banking security  was hijacked for criminal purposes, or weaponised to use industry jargon. Hutchins has complained about this happening to him in the past.

Most of the authors of malware are Russian, says Mr Millard. The most successful have made millions of dollars. They are not experienced, respected security agents like Hutchins, with a 100,000-a-year job.

Quite so. But why might Hutchins, of all people, have been targeted? Supporters suggest U.S. government security agencies might have turned against the 23-year-old Briton because he embarrassed them by stamping out the WannaCry virus after they had lost control of it.

Another twist, drawing the British authorities into this murky story, came this week. The Sunday Times claimed our spy agency GCHQ knew Hutchins was under FBI surveillance before he flew to Las Vegas, yet failed to warn him that he was liable to be arrested.

This was despite the fact that Hutchins had rescued our health service, and had recently been working closely with the UKs National Cyber Security Centre.

Given the political fall-out from the McKinnon affair, the suspicion is that British authorities abandoned Hutchins to his fate to avoid another protracted extradition battle with the U.S.

True or not, the irony is that his prosecution will seriously hamper the war on internet crime.

For as Tor Ekeland, a U.S. defence lawyer who specialises in computer technology cases, points out, the authorities rely on brilliant young mavericks such as Hutchins to help them root out rogue operators.

But after the man who averted a global internet meltdown has been treated in this manner, he says: who in their right mind would help the government out? All you are going to do is draw attention to yourself.

I think using this really blunt instrument to dive in and get this young computer talent is a terrible exercise of prosecutorial discretion, he said, arguing that, even if he had been found to have crossed the boundaries of criminality, his good work ought to have been considered, and he should have been freed with a warning.

Many would agree, among them thousands of grateful NHS patients. We cannot predict the trials outcome, of course.

Yet whether or not Marcus Hutchins is proved innocent, the Americans  and the British spymasters who complied with them  might come to regret turning this quirky Devonian from heroic hacker to villain.
Chapman wrote on Facebook that despite the trial, he would continue to attend right-wing rallies

He earned the moniker after a video of him beating protesters went viral

Chapman was arrested and charged after he reportedly beat anti-Trump protesters with a stick and doused them with pepper spray

Kyle Chapman (pictured), known on the internet as 'Based Stickman,' was sent to jail on Thursday

An 'alt-right' Internet figure known on social media for violently clashing with protesters at a pro-Trump rally in Berkeley earlier this year has been jailed.

Kyle Chapman, who goes by the online pseudonym 'Based Stickman,' was charged with 'possession of an illegal weapon' after authorities reported that he was seen beating people with a stick and dousing others with pepper spray on March 4.

His bail was set at $135,000.

During the arraignment in the Oakland courtroom, Alameda County Judge Mark McCannon told Chapman that the allegations caused him 'concern,' and ordered him to stay away from the college campus.

'You are to have no weapons of any kind - sticks, knives, pepper spray,' the East Bay Express reported the judge also telling Chapman.

The Express noted that nearly a dozen officers were present at the California courtroom in order to maintain order in case protesters or supporters of Chapman wanted to cause a disruption.

Chapman, 41, earned the 'Based Stickman' moniker after footage uploaded to YouTube went viral showing him club protesters at Berkeley with a wooden weapon.

Before the hearing commenced, requests for comment were rebuffed by Chapman as he made his way to the courtroom, accusing reporters of writing 'hi pieces' against him.

Chapman went on to blame 'commies' and 'international domestic terrorists' for recent violent confrontations at right-wing demonstrations across the country.

Chapman was arrested and charged after he reportedly beat anti-Trump protesters with a stick and doused them with pepper sray

Chapman earned the pseudonym after a video allegedly showing him beating protesters went viral

This isn't Chapman's first brush with the law.

Before becoming the so-called 'poster boy for the alt-right,' Chapman was arrested on a litany of of different offenses, including second-degree robbery, grand theft, and illegal possession of a firearm.

Before Friday's court case, the right-wing twice-convicted felon wrote on social media that he would not stop attending rallies in the bay-area despite his current circumstances.

'If found guilty, with prior enhancements Im looking a good chunk of time,' Chapman wrote Facebook.

'Regardless, I will be attending the SF and Berekley (sic) rallies. Never surrender.'
The man accused of killing six pedestrians while ploughing through crowds in a speeding car was released on bail just days before the rampage.

Dimitrious Gargasoulas, 26, told a judge he was a police informant, according to justice sources, and was set free despite having skipped bail in the past, The Herald Sun reported.

Six days later Gargasoulas allegedly drove a stolen car onto footpaths in Melbourne's central business district, killing six pedestrians and injuring dozens on January 20.

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Dimitrious Gargasoulas (pictured) told a judge he was a police informant and was set free despite having skipped bail in the past

Police sources have denied that Gargasoulas (pictured) was a registered police informant

Gargasoulas (pictured) was arrested for car theft and dangerous driving when he appeared in court

Bail justice Christos Pantelios' decision to grant bail was largely based on the claims Gargasoulas was an informant.

Police sources have denied Gargasoulas was an informer, but have not made an official statement.

'Victoria Police is conducting a critical incident review into this incident for the Coroner. As the matter is before the court it would be inappropriate to comment further,' a police spokesperson said.

The January 14 out-of-sessions court hearing at St Kilda police station saw Gargasoulas released despite a history of skipping bail.

A bail justice released Gargasoulas just six days before his alleged rampage through Melbourne's central business district (pictured)

Gargasoulas is now facing six charges of homicide over the deadly attack (pictured is a pram knocked over by the car)

Gargasoulas (pictured) told the judge he was a snitch, and that information led to him being released on bail

He had been arrested over multiple offences including car theft and dangerous driving and had a warrant out after failing to attend court in 2014.

Police opposed the granting of bail but Mr Pantelios - now represented by a public relations firm - released him.

Gargasoulas has been charged with six counts of homicide and faces 29 charges of attempted murder over the rampage.

Six people were killed and more than 30 injured in the January 20 rampage (pictured) in Melbourne

Gargasoulas (pictured) has a history of drug abuse, violence and mental issues, and had ranted on social media in the weeks leading up to the incident

He has a history of drug abuse, violence and mental issues, and had ranted on social media in the weeks leading up to the incident.

Gargasoulas allegedly stabbed his brother before stealing a red Holden Commodore and doing donuts in the middle of Melbourne's central business district.

He then allegedly drove the car down several packed footpaths, running over more than 30 pedestrians.
Weaker: Carling says drinkers have not been misled

'It's good, but its not quite Carling, according to the advertising slogan.

As it turns out, its not as good as it says it is on the label.

The company behind the lager has dodged a 50 million tax bill because the drink is weaker than advertised.

Carling is marketed in Britain at 4 per cent alcohol strength, but brewers Molson Coors have admitted it is weaker for tax reasons. Court documents reveal the lager has been made to a strength of about 3.7 per cent for the past five years.

But Molson Coors did not change the strength recorded on Carling labels to prevent drinkers from demanding a slice of the saving, tribunal documents said. The brewer insists customers have not been misled and its labelling was entirely consistent with the law.

The details emerged in a tax tribunal brought against the beer makers by HMRC over an alleged unpaid multi-million-pound duty bill.

The brewers won the case at the Royal Courts of Justice in London by revealing it changed its flagship British lagers alcohol content in September 2012. The admission was made in a tribunal in March before the brewing firm won on appeal, industry magazine The Grocer reported.

The company is one of many beer giants who have cut alcohol content to lower tax duty bills in recent years.

Philip Rutherford, vice-president of tax for Molson Coors Europe, told the hearing that the brewer had cut the tax it owed by lowering the alcohol content. The tribunal papers also revealed how tests were carried out on a range of strengths from just below 4 per cent to 3.7 per cent in an attempt to establish the level at which there might be a negative reaction, it was reported.

Carling's marketing director Martin Coyle said drinkers even preferred the weaker lager

The brewers marketing director Martin Coyle said drinkers even preferred the weaker lager.

The tribunal papers said: (Mr Rutherford) said a key driver for the decision not to change the labelled abv was to protect Molson Coors cost base saving as many of its customers would demand a slice of the saving.

Despite the brewers successful appeal, the court made several recordings of fact  including that the firm did not change the alcohol content on the label so it could make the savings without alerting drinkers.

In other cases, Heineken has reduced the strength of John Smiths Bitter from 3.8 to 3.4 per cent. Strongbow cider has gone from 5.3 to 5 per cent, while lagers Stella Artois, Cobra, Budweiser and Carlsberg Export all have fallen from 5 to 4.8 per cent.

Carling said: Due to their natural ingredients, all beers are permitted to have a slight variation between the finished product and the alcohol content stated on the label. For most beers, the allowed variation is 0.5 per cent.
Tony Blair was accused of interfering with Brexit yesterday after it emerged that he will meet Jean-Claude Juncker in Brussels as crunch negotiations are taking place.

The confidential meeting between the former Labour leader and the Brussels chief will be held at the European Commission's headquarters next week in close proximity to the ongoing discussions.

Mr Blair's decision to hold the meeting with his 'good friend' will raise eyebrows after he recently claimed that the Brexit vote could be reversed.

The meeting next Thursday is likely to coincide with the end of the third round of talks, when Brexit Secretary David Davis will tie up discussions with the EU's negotiator Michel Barnier.

Raising eyebrows: A confidential meeting between former Labour leader Tony Blair (left) and Brussels chief Jean-Claude Juncker (right) will be held at the European Commission's headquarters next week in close proximity to the ongoing discussions

It will be the second time that Mr Blair has met the former Luxembourg prime minister this year, while the pair also met in January 2016, several months before the referendum.

UKIP MEP Nigel Farage said: 'Blair's interference and desire to sell out our country never stops. The Remainiac-in-chief has no position or power any more, only delusions.'

EU officials however rebutted concerns over the timing of the meeting as a 'conspiracy theory' but refused to rule out that they would discuss Brexit.

Instead, they said that a 'broad range of issues' would form part of the discussions including 'issues of current European economics and politics'.

UKIP MEP Nigel Farage (pictured) said: 'Blair's interference and desire to sell out our country never stops. The Remainiac-in-chief has no position or power any more, only delusions'

'They are good friends, they've known each other for a very long time,' a European Commission spokesman added. The president is in constant and regular contact not only with the current leadersbut of course also with his peers from the previous times.'

The meeting comes after Mr Blair was photographed holidaying with Joseph Muscat, the Maltese prime minister who has said Brexit 'will not happen'.

The former British prime minister and his wife Cherie joined the island's leader and his wife Michelle for the meeting in Valletta earlier this month.

Boris Johnson has made fun of Theresa May's decision to hold an election  saying it had not gone 'entirely to plan'.

While on a visit to Libya, the Foreign Secretary suggested she had not been 'ready' when she called June's snap poll.

He used the electoral disaster endured by the Tories as a 'lesson' to Libya's prime minister Fayez al-Sarraj about rushing to the polls earlier this week.
A grandmother bus driver was sexually assaulted by two drunk men while she tried to merge onto a busy Queensland highway.

The 52-year-old woman was driving a Helensvale tavern courtesy bus when James Bozzoli, 25, and Sean McIvor, 25, 'pinned' her to the seat while they drunkenly sexually assaulted her, Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

Sean McIvor (pictured) and James Bozzoli were sentenced to jail after sexually abusing a grandmother who was driving them home on Australia Day

The two men admitted they touched the woman's breasts, crotch and bottom while she was driving them home from the Saltwater Creek Hotel on Australia Day this year, a Southport Magistrates Court heard.

The men continued to sexually assault the woman until she forced them out of the bus when she pulled over at a pizza shop.

Crown prosecutor Kathleen Christopherson said the violation of the woman was 'highly sexually charged', the publication reported.

'She was a very soft target and they put her safety at risk,' she said.

'She was trapped, in a vulnerable situation, driving a vehicle at high speeds and not able to push them away.'

The two men were sentenced to six months jail with a suspended sentence for two years and made to pay $1,000 each in compensation to the 52-year-old victim.
Two of the main organizers of the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month reportedly planned the demonstration from Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, it was learned on Friday.

Richard Spencer, the head of the white nationalist National Policy Institute, and a colleague at the same think tank, Evan McLaren, were spotted at the hotel in early August, according to The New York Times.

During the evening of August 5, McLaren tweeted: 'First visit to Trump Hotel [with] Richard Spencer Observed [British far-right politician] Nigel Farage and [Trump aide] Stephen Miller.'

'Place to be,' McLaren wrote in his tweet.

When McLaren was contacted by the Times reporter asking for comment, he told her that he was 'too busy planning a rally' in Charlottesville.

Richard Spencer (left), the head of the white nationalist National Policy Institute, and a colleague, Evan McLaren (right), reportedly planned the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville while staying at Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC

The two men were spotted at the hotel on the evening of August 5. When McLaren was contacted by a New York Times reporter asking for comment, he replied that he was 'too busy planning a rally' in Charlottesville

That rally turned out to be the one where white nationalists clashed with anti-fascist protesters.

One alleged white nationalist drove his car into a crowd of protesters, killing one and injuring almost two dozen.

The clashes and the violence shocked the nation.

President Donald Trump's reaction to the events, whereby he condemned 'both sides' while noting that there are 'very fine people' among white nationalists and white supremacists, sparked another outcry.

Trump's response alienated key figures of his administration.

Gary Cohn, the president's top economic adviser, drafted a letter of resignation over the administration's weak response to the Charlottesville clashes, but decided to stay on the job, the Times reported on Friday.

Cohn spoke publicly about the controversy for the first time in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper, saying the administration needed to clearly reject hate groups.

McLaren was at the hotel the same night he spotted far-right British politician Nigel Farage (left) and White House aide Stephen Miller (right)

During the evening of August 5, McLaren tweeted: 'First visit to Trump Hotel [with] Richard Spencer Observed [British far-right politician] Nigel Farage and [Trump aide] Stephen Miller'

He said there was no equivalence between white supremacists or neo-Nazis and those who protest inequality.

'I believe this administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities,' the former Goldman Sachs president told the newspaper.

'Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK,' he added.

Cohn stood nearby during an impromptu Trump Tower news conference as the president insisted there were 'very fine people on both sides' in Charlottesville.

Cohn considered resigning over Trump's response, both newspapers reported, citing sources.

Cohn went so far as to draft a resignation letter, the Times reported, citing two people familiar with the document.

Cohn said he felt 'compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks' and came under intense pressure to quit over Trump's reaction to the incident but decided against it.

'As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting "Jews will not replace us" to cause this Jew to leave his job,' he said, referring to chants by neo-Nazis in Charlottesville.

'I feel deep empathy for all who have been targeted by these hate groups. We must all unite together against them.'
Pelvic mesh patients in too much agony to have sex were told by their doctors to just have anal sex instead, a Senate inquiry heard.

The startling advice stunned even experienced doctors who investigated the controversial surgery and warned of its serious complications.

'I'm truly shocked a colleague would say that to a woman. I am aghast. I feel awful,' urogynaecologist Michelle Atherton told the inquiry on Friday.

Pelvic mesh patients outside court for a 700-person class action lawsuit against manufacturer Johnson & Johnson

The faulty implants are also the subject of a Senate inquiry instigated by Derryn Hinch

The medical expert who wrote one of the first research papers on the devices was asked by Senator Derryn Hinch if the advice made patients feel betrayed.

Inquiry chair Senator Rachel Siewert said patients 'repeatedly' relayed the advice to the panel during the ongoing hearings, accord to WAToday.

The mesh technology is also the subject of a class action lawsuit against manufacturer Johnson & Johnson by 700 Australian women.

The Australian-invented implants were designed to treat prolapse and incontinence but caused a global scandal with thousands of patients affected.

The Australian class action comes after more than 100,000 women started legal action in the US and similar moves were taken in the UK and Canada

Senator Hinch said told parliament it was 'one of the greatest medical scandals and abuses of mothers in Australia's history' and compared it to the infamous drug Thalidomide.

Numerous women testified to the harrowing complications of the surgery, which was dropped from sale in 2012, that made death seem preferable.

The hearing heard 90 per cent of patients were not warned of the serious possible complications and many were not even aware until after surgery that it had been fitted - and some not even until years later.

Women told the inquiry their doctors refused to refer them to specialists and refused to believe their complications were linked to the mesh.

'Women who have gone for consultations have been scoffed at, mocked, humiliated and disregarded by some of their doctors,' Australian Pelvic Mesh Support Group founder Caz Chisholm and director Stella Channing said.

Stella Channing suffered from pelvic organ prolapse in her late 40s after having three children, and had the mesh inserted between her vagina and rectum

Sydney grandmother Louise King had the surgery in 2006 and was left in such chronic pain she couldn't have sex with her husband

'These comments are a total invalidation of a woman's lived experience. This demonstrates how the health system silences, shames and blames the victims.'

More than 150,000 women were fitted with the device in Australia, including 30,000 with the most problematic transvaginal variety.

Ms Channing suffered from pelvic organ prolapse in her late 40s after having three children, and had the mesh inserted between her vagina and rectum.

But just a week after her eight-day hospital stay, the mesh already began to fall apart and put her in unbearable pain and gave her ischaemic attacks, or 'mini strokes'.

She had to quit her job and was often unable to leave the house due to the intense pain, which made her contemplate suicide.

Many women including Carina Anderson (pictured) and Ms King have suffered life-altering side effects from the mesh

'Many now live in excruciating pain, suffering terrible side effects that impact all aspects of their lives,' Shine Lawyers attorney Rebecca Jancauskas said

Sydney grandmother Louise King had the surgery in 2006 and was left in such chronic pain she couldn't have sex with her husband.

'I couldn't climb stairs, I couldn't drive, I couldn't get out of bed some days,' she said.

Jan Hawkins, 60, said she had to retire from her job as a primary school teacher after she developed severe complications from an implant she had inserted in 2007.

'It's like sandpaper inside you that every now and then rears its ugly head and pokes through organs and walls, which affects nerves and how they function,'she said.

'It's a terrible thing that rubs and creates a cheese grater effect.'

The Australian-invented implants were designed to treat prolapse and incontinence but caused a global scandal with thousands of patients affected

The three women are part of a 700-person class action launched last month alleging devastating complications after surgery.

'Many now live in excruciating pain, suffering terrible side effects that impact all aspects of their lives,' Shine Lawyers attorney Rebecca Jancauskas said.

'This class action is about righting the wrong against these women, who will suffer pain and complications for the rest of their lives,' she said.

The Australian class action comes after more than 100,000 women started legal action in the US and similar moves were taken in the UK and Canada.
President Donald Trump has granted a pardon to controversial former Arizona sheriff and political ally Joe Arpaio less than a month after he was convicted of criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling.

Trump signed the pardon for the 85-year-old Arpaio on Friday night citing his long history of public service.

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

President Donald Trump has pardoned controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (above) who was convicted of federal contempt earlier this year

The former sheriff was facing up to six months in prison after he admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order.

But he said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

Earlier in the week, critics of the retired sheriff said a pardon would remove the last chance at holding Arpaio legally accountable for a long history of misconduct during his 24 years as metro Phoenix's top law enforcer.

Trump said in the statement pardoning Arpaio: 'Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service

'Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.'

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.'

Arpaio, who lost a bid for re-election in Arizonas Maricopa County in November after 24 years in office, was known for his crackdown on undocumented immigrants and investigating unfounded Trump-supported claims questioning former President Barack Obamas citizenship.

Before Trump granted the pardon, the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the court injunction against Arpaio, said it would be 'a presidential endorsement of racism.'

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted on July 31 by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

Arpaio admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order but said his behavior did not meet a criminal standard.

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016 (above), was convicted by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who ruled he willfully violated 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally

He said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

Arpaio had been scheduled to be sentenced on October 5 and faced a fine and maximum sentence of six months in jail.

His controversial tenure as sheriff brought Arpaio national headlines for massive roundups of suspected illegal immigrants and for the way he ran the Maricopa County jail.

He reinstated chain gangs, made inmates wear uniforms that were pink or old-fashioned black and white stripes and forbade them coffee, salt and pepper.

On his official Twitter account, Arpaio thanked Trump and denounced his conviction as a 'political witch hunt' by 'Obama holdovers'.

'Thank you @realDonaldTrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!' he tweeted on Friday.

'I am humbled and incredibly grateful to President Trump. I look fwd to putting this chapter behind me and helping to #MAGA.

'I also thank my loyal supporters, who stood shoulder to shoulder w/ me in this fight, and throughout my career.'

The sheriff also took the opportunity to solicit donations to help pay off his legal debts.

The mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, condemned Trump's decision to pardon Arpaio.

'Joe Arpaio illegally targeted and terrorized Latino families,' Stanton, a Democrat, tweeted on Friday.

The mayor of Phoenix, Greg Stanton, condemned Trump's decision to pardon Arpaio

'Our community voted him out of power. Donald Trump can't change that.

Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil right, Stanton said.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio targeted and terrorized Latino families because of the color of their skin.

He was ordered by a federal judge to stop and he refused. He received a fair trial and a justifiable conviction, and theres nothing the President can do to change that awful legacy and the stain he has left on our community.

This is not a proud day for Phoenix, but Im proud that our city is moving on and moving forward from the divisiveness that defined the Arpaio era.

Donald Trump can ignore the rule of law, but it was our voters who removed Joe Arpaio from power.
A Sydney escort has opened up about Australia's sex industry and revealed that the modern day sex worker is more than likely also a professional.

Samantha X, who resides in Bondi and runs her own escort agency, says as the public in today's society are more accepting of sex workers, there's a fresh appeal for career focused, hard-working women.

'I see and hear a lot of women sick of the merry-go-round of dating, sick of feeling used and sick of never getting the work/family life balance right, plus struggling to stay on top of their finances.

'They come to me intrigued, curious and wanting to get their power back. This industry has never been about sex, its about power,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Samantha X (pictured) says as the public in today's society becomes more accepting of sex workers, there's a fresh appeal for career focused, hard-working women

Samantha X says that times are changing, citing that call girls and sex industry workers are given more of a voice in media in addition to the laws which support her business.

She says it is a way women can feel empowered and gain control back in their lives, especially in instances when they've just come out of a relationship but it's common for these women to be also involved in another occupation.

The benefits of escorting are many, she says, but often beyond financial.

'Benefits of escorting is empowerment, meeting and sending time with interesting, successful and kind men, the money but most of all the flexibility.

'You can make in a few hours what you can make in a week in a normal job.

Samantha X says however that she does not want to glamourise escorting as everything comes at a cost.

'Relationships become tricky and some women fear misguided judgment,' she said.

In modern times there are many variations of an escort with different expectations and limitations.

The Sydney escort opened up about Australia's sex industry and revealed that the modern day sex worker is more than likely also a professional

She says it is a way women can feel empowered and gain control back in their lives, especially in instances when they've just come out of a relationship

Samantha X worked as a journalist until making the change to a high-class escort, and now is an acclaimed author behind multiple books including Hooked: Secrets Of A High-Class Escort.

Following its release she was overwhelmed with messages of support from women around the world.

She said women would tell them it gave them a prompt to take back control of their bodies.

Her second book Back On Top also was focused around empowerment, however that wasn't the intention.

The book is now regarded as a guide for women on how to leave toxic relationships after Samantha X went through her own abusive relationship.

Following the release of her first book she was overwhelmed with messages of support from women around the world

She's learnt a myriad of lessons through over the last six years in the industry but isn't shy in confessing her most common request within her agency is for mature and curvy women.

For women wanting to give it a go Samantha X urges them to think very carefully before diving in.

'This industry is addictive. The hours, the money, the thrill. It will be hard to go back to a normal nine to five after tasting the flexibility and freedom escorting gives you.'
A Labour councillor who spoke up in support of an MP effectively sacked by Jeremy Corbyn has been deselected.

Amina Lone went on TV to say that Sarah Champion was being treated as a 'scapegoat' after she was forced to resign for saying the UK had a 'problem' with British Pakistanis abusing white girls.

This week Miss Lone was told she would not be able to stand again as councillor for Hulme in Manchester amid claims she was too 'outspoken'.

The Labour leadership at the council said the decision not to reselect her had been taken because she had a poor attendance and campaigning record.

Amina Lone (right) went on TV to say that Sarah Champion (left) was being treated as a 'scapegoat'

But the punishment will add to concerns that moderates who speak out against Mr Corbyn are being silenced.

Miss Champion quit as shadow women and equalities minister last week. The Labour leader told her she would be sacked from the Shadow Cabinet if she refused to resign over her controversial article in The Sun five days before.

The article came after 17 men were convicted of forcing girls in Newcastle upon Tyne to have sex. Miss Champion, MP for Rotherham, has campaigned for years about organised sexual abuse in her constituency where at least 1,400 children were exploited.

After Miss Champion's resignation, Miss Lone went on BBC2's Newsnight to say: 'I think she's been punished and used as a scapegoat because as a politician she's an easy target.' She later wrote on Twitter: 'I grew up in a Muslim community where these attitudes were common. 'White girls are easy', 'Nobody cares about them', 'They are just slags', 'Their parents don't look after them properly' etc were/are still said today. I hear it regularly.

'Sarah Champion was talking about a particular type of grooming which is carried by men because of their cultural/religious practices. Obviously not all men.

'She is not a racist but a brave woman speaking out about a politically awkward issue. Labour, bury your heads as much as you like in the black and white purist world you push. The chickens will come home to roost.'

Miss Lone, who has been a councillor in Manchester for seven years, has been barred from standing again in next year's local elections.

In a letter to the party, a former local party chairman has called it 'one straw too many' and said it brought 'shame to the Manchester Labour party'. Drew Walsh said: 'Councillors who do not fit in and comply are sidelined or worse still, removed from the council.'

Miss Lone told the Manchester Evening News that her 'outspoken' campaigning on gender equality in the Muslim community may have fuelled the decision.

She said her de-selection was the result of a faction 'looking to curry favour and get rid of an outspoken woman', adding: 'It is sad that a minority within tarnish the work of so many decent Labour people.

The Labour councillor who spoke up in support of an MP effectively sacked by Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been deselected

'It is curious this action has been taken at a time when I am loudly championing gender equality within faith communities.'

Usually sitting councillors are automatically allowed to stand again, but earlier this summer Miss Lone was ordered to face an interview on the grounds that her campaign and council attendance records were not good enough.

She was not re-selected despite a letter of support from council leader Sir Richard Leese, and also lost a subsequent appeal. A fellow female councillor who went through the same process, again due to issues with her campaign record, was re-selected.

A Labour spokesman said: 'The process for selecting local government candidates is clear and outlined in the party's rulebook.

'We conduct a fair and rigorous appeals process with members from outside the area. The decisions made are based on evidence provided.'
Senior White House aide Sebastian Gorka has reportedly offered his letter of resignation to President Donald Trump.

After nearly eight months serving in the White House, Gorka cited his reason for leaving mainly on 'forces' who are turning the President away from his campaign promise of 'Making America Great Again.'

'[G]iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House,' The Federalist reported Gorka's letter as stating on Friday.

Sebastian Gorka (pictured), whose title was special assistant to the President, resigns

'As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the Peoples House,' he adds.

The White House, however, denied that Gorka had quit, but noted that he was no longer working for the administration.

'Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House,' a press statement released by a Trump spokesperson said.

The unflappable Englishman was seen in many quarters as the President's most ardent defender, going on a litany of news outlets both in the US and UK to answer questions on behalf of the Trump administration.

But that all seemed to be tampered by Friday's news, with Gorka expressing disappointment in the direction of the Trump administration, lamenting specifically about renewed American efforts in Afghanistan.

'Regrettably, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will Make America Great Again, have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week,' Gorka wrote.

Gorka wrote in his resignation letter that he decided to leave after 'forces' inside the White House who do not support the Make America Great Again agenda are 'ascendant'. Trump is seen above on Friday

'The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost.'

'Just as worrying, when discussing our future actions in the region, the speech listed operational objectives without ever defining the strategic victory conditions we are fighting for.

'This omission should seriously disturb any national security professional, and any American who is unsatisfied with the last 16 years of disastrous policy decisions which have led to thousands of Americans killed and trillions of taxpayer dollars spent in ways that have not brought security or victory,' Gorka added.

The resignation comes just one week after chief strategist Steve Bannon (pictured) was ousted from the White House

Steve Bannon, the President's former chief political strategist, invited Gorka into the Trump universe from Breitbart News, which Bannon led before entering into politics during the 2016 presidential campaign.

During his stint in the White House, Gorka focused mostly on national security policy including rising fundamentalism in the Middle East and and combating Chinas economic warfare.

He also absorbed a barrage of sustained criticism, with Jewish publication The Forward reporting that Gorka currently has ties to a Nazi organization based in his family's home country of Hungary.

Gorka vehemently denies the accusations.

'This was more or less going to be a done deal when Bannon submitted his resignation,' an unnamed source close to the White House told The Federalist.

'Not because he didnt have a protector, but because there is no point in having your life ruined every day if youre not going to get much accomplished.'
Two organizers have canceled their alt-right rallies around the San Francisco area over fears their events would be met with violence from counter-protesters.

Both a 'freedom' and a 'No to Marxism in Berkeley' rally were abruptly called off on Friday ahead of their planned demonstrations on Saturday.

Group Patriot Prayer said it would hold a news conference instead to explain what its leader Joey Gibson called the failure of officials to keep their attendees safe.

Gibson was planning on joining Amber Cummings, a transgender woman who supports President Trump, who was hosting a 'No to Marxism in Berkeley' rally.

Cummings pleaded for no one to go to her rally because she feared there would be violence and admitted she was scared for her own safety.

Joey Gibson (left), of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, and Amber Cummings (right), a transgender woman who supports President Trump, both canceled their Saturday alt-right rallies in the San Francisco area on Friday

Cummings pleaded for no one to go to her rally because she feared there would be violence and admitted she was scared for her own safety (pictured)

Cummings said that because of 'violet threats' and 'past history of police being ordered to stand down at prior rallies' she would cancel her event, reported the SF Gate.

She added: 'This rally will take place, but it will be me alone attending, no one else please.

'In the event I am hurt or killed attending this rally, I ask you to please not retaliate on each other as a result of my injuries. Let my life be the last one lost.'

Although Gibson and Cummings have publicly announced they would no longer hold their alt-right rallies, the San Francisco mayor said he didn't trust them.

Mayor Ed Lee said Friday night that despite organizers saying it's called off, they have not canceled the event in writing so the city is proceeding as though it's still happening.

Lee said: 'We don't trust this group. I never have from the beginning.'

Cummings (pictured) said that because of 'violet threats' and 'past history of police being ordered to stand down at prior rallies' she would cancel her rally

Gibson (pictured at another protest) said he would hold a news conference instead to explain the failure of police and elected officials to keep his rally attendees safe

Lee also urged people not to show up at the news conference the group plans to hold instead of the rally, but said police would be there and at the rally site.

Gibson had said the rhetoric of Lee and other San Francisco leaders prompted the decision to replace the rally at Crissy Field with the news conference at Alamo Park.

Gibson has said his group disavows racism and hatred.

The anti-Trump organization By Any Means Necessary, which has sometimes supported violent tactics, had vowed to shut down Cummings' rally even before it gained new prominence with the cancellation of the Saturday event.

The civic leaders are on edge following the August 12 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, that turned deadly.

Deirdre Hussey, spokeswoman for Lee, had no comment on the cancellation.
An iconic statue of Captain James Cook was attacked by vandals along with two other monuments early on Saturday morning.

Police have set up crime scenes in Sydney's Hyde Park after statues of Cook, Governor Lachlan Macquarie and Queen Victoria were sprayed with political slogans.

The Archibald Memorial Fountain, and ANZAC Memorial were also believed to be damaged, but clean-up crews had removed most of the graffiti by 12pm.

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An iconic statue of Captain James Cook (pictured) was attacked by vandals along with two other monuments early on Saturday morning

A statue of former NSW governor Lachlan Macquarie (pictured) was also targeted by vandals

The statue (pictured) was spray-painted with political slogans referring to the debate over the date of Australia Day

Images of a male police believe might be able to assist with inquiries into the malicious damage of a number of public monuments in Sydney's CBD have been released

The vandalism spree follows fierce public debate about whether inscriptions on statues of Cook should be changed because they celebrate the Englishman's 'discovery' of Australia and ignore Aborigines' occupation of the land prior to that.

Police are investigating 'a number of incidents of malicious damage' in the park, believed to have happened between 2am and 3am on Saturday.

'Three crime scenes have been established throughout the park and inquiries are continuing,' said a spokeswoman.

The words 'change the date' and 'no pride in genocide' were spray-painted on the Captain Cook statue, with similar words scrawled on that of Lachlan Macquarie.

The statue of Queen Victoria was defaced with the words 'F***ing bow down'.

Images of a male police believe might be able to assist with inquiries into the malicious damage of a number of public monuments in Sydney's CBD have been released

NSW Police have released CCTV footage and images of a male they wish to speak to about the incident.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a full face beard, wearing black sunglasses, a khaki-coloured jacket with a red shirt or scarf underneath, black track pants and brown boots.

Indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant, who called for the inscription on the statue to be changed, has spoken out about the vandalism, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

'That's appalling. It's vandalism. If we can't have this conversation in a country, democratically and respectfully, then it is just disgraceful,' he said.

'People who do that, they actually reflect badly, not just on themselves, but if they actually care about indigenous people and our cause, they are the ones who damage us.'

A statue of Queen Victoria (pictured) was painted with the words 'F***ing bow down' early on Saturday morning

Clean-up crews were on the scene shortly before noon on Saturday morning to remove the paint (pictured)

The graffiti attack comes just days after Grant called for the inscription on the Cook statue to be changed.

'The inscription that Cook "Discovered this territory 1770" maintains a damaging myth, a belief in the superiority of white Christendom that devastated Indigenous peoples everywhere,' he wrote in an opinion column for the ABC.

But Malcolm Turnbull, weighing into the debate on Friday, said Grant was 'dead wrong'.

The Archibald Memorial Fountain, and ANZAC Memorial were also believed to be damaged, but clean-up crews had removed most of the graffiti by 12pm (pictured)

The graffiti (pictured) attack comes just days after indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant called for the inscription on the Cook statue be changed

'All of those statues (pictured), all of those monuments, are part of our history and we should respect them and preserve them,'

The prime minister said the vast majority of Australians would share his horror at the thought of 'rewriting history' by editing the inscriptions on statues.

'All of those statues, all of those monuments, are part of our history and we should respect them and preserve them,' he told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio.

'By all means, put up other monuments, put up other signs and sites that explain our history.'

He denounced such a 'Stalinist exercise' of trying to white out or obliterate parts of Australia's history.

'You don't rewrite history by editing stuff out. If you want to write a new chapter of our history, if you want to challenge assumptions in the past, by all means do so,' he said.

The graffiti attack comes just days after indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant (pictured) called for the inscription on the Cook statue - saying he 'discovered' the territory in 1770 - be changed

Calls to pull down a number of Sydney monuments honouring key figures in Australian history have been slammed as 'taliban-like'

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said the council was also cleaning up graffiti that appeared overnight in Martin Place and Macquarie Street.

'Sites affected include the Archibald Memorial Fountain, ANZAC Memorial and statues including the Captain James Cook statue,' she told AAP.

'NSW Police have completed forensic work and City cleaning crews have commenced work to remove the unlawful graffiti.'

Statues of Captain Cook and Arthur Phillip have come under scrutiny because of their association with the 'discovering' of Australia.

But suggestions to remove the monuments have been met with resistance from Shooters and Fishers MP Robert Borsak, who labelled the idea as 'Taliban-like'.

Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine, suggested a continued push to rectify history to a 'Stalinist approach'

Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine suggested a continued push to rectify history was a 'Stalinist approach'.

'What's going to be next? Are they going to tear down the Anzac memorials in every municipal park in Australia?' Mr Borsak asked the The Daily Telegraph.

Stan Grant's comments will be submitted to Mayor Clover Moore for consideration.

'The Lord Mayor has referred Stan Grant's comments to the City of Sydney's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory panel for their consideration and advice,' Ms Moore's spokesman said.

Yet several public figures have spoken out regarding the suggestions to edit or remove the iconic landmarks.

The idea was brought to public attention when indigenous ABC journalist Stan Grant hit out at the wording chosen on the base of Cook's statue which says the British explorer 'discovered this territory in 1770.'

'The City of Sydney should focus on working for its ratepayers and not rewriting history,' Local Government Minister Gabrielle Upton said.

Liberal Upper House MP Peter Phelps said men such as Cook and Phillip should be lauded as icons.

'Attempts to rewrite our public history for the sake of political correctness  which is what these activist want to do  is little better than Stalin erasing his political opponent from photographs.'

Mr Mundine was in agreement who instead suggested for a different approach, erecting monuments to indigenous people.

'All this nonsense about changing things  we cannot look back at history with our modern minds otherwise we would have to tear down the pyramids because they were built by slaves,' said Mr Mundine.
A U.S. federal appeals court on Friday threw out a class-action settlement intended to resolve claims that the Subway sandwich chain deceived customers by selling 'Footlong' subs that were less than a foot long.

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago called the settlement 'utterly worthless,' even as it rewarded the customers' lawyers for convincing Subway it was better to make the case go away than fight.

'A class action that seeks only worthless benefits for the class and yields only fees for class counsel is no better than a racket and should be dismissed out of hand,' Circuit Judge Diane Sykes wrote for a three-judge panel. 'That's an apt description of this case.'

In January 2013 Australian Matt Corby posted this picture of a Subway sandwich on Facebook with a ruler on top showing the sandwich barely stretched 11 inches. The photo went viral and led to a class-action lawsuit

Subway has more than 44,000 locations worldwide, and is operated by Doctor's Associates Inc. The company and its lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Lawyers at DeNittis Osefchen and Zimmerman Law Offices, which represented the customers, did not immediately respond to similar requests.

The litigation began after Australian teenager Matt Corby in January 2013 posted a Facebook photo showing a Footlong sandwich he bought was only 11 inches long, not 12.

A settlement approved by a Wisconsin federal judge in February 2016 required Subway to adopt quality control measures, consistent with 'the realities of baking bread', to ensure that its six- and 12-inch sandwiches were that length.

But a prominent class-action critic, Ted Frank, said this merely codified practices Subway adopted soon after Corby's photo went viral.

He said it made no sense to award $520,000 to the customers' lawyers, plus $5,000 of 'incentive' awards to 10 plaintiffs, for settling.

Subway has more than 44,000 locations worldwide, and is operated by Doctor's Associates Inc

The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago called the settlement 'utterly worthless'. A Subway branch is pictured above

Subway has acknowledged that the 'media frenzy' helped drive its decision to settle.

But Sykes noted that 'short' sandwiches contained no less food by weight, and that even now some sandwiches might be shorter than advertised.

'The settlement acknowledges as much when it says that uniformity in bread length is impossible due to the natural variability of the bread-baking process,' Sykes wrote.

'Contempt as a remedy to enforce a worthless settlement is itself worthless,' she added. 'Zero plus zero equals zero.'

The 7th Circuit has jurisdiction in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Frank said he hoped courts elsewhere will apply its lessons.

'This is exactly the opinion we were hoping for,' Frank said in an interview. 'It affirms the principle that when attorneys bring class actions to benefit only themselves, it's an abuse of the system, and courts should not tolerate it.'
Joshua Cobin (pictured), 29, was arrested for aggravated assault against police

Authorities in Arizona say they have arrested a man who was filmed being shot in the groin with a rubber bullet during an anti-Donald Trump protest this week after he allegedly kicked a tear gas canister at officers.

Phoenix law enforcement officials say that 29-year-old Joshua Cobin was placed under arrest after being charged on three counts of aggravated assault on police and one count of unlawful assembly.

Protests turned into skirmishes with police in Phoenix on Tuesday, as authorities attempted to disperse crowds gathered outside his rally with tear gas.

In one wince-inducing moment screened on CBS5 and captured on Twitter, Cobin - clad in a gas mask - kicked a canister of tear gas back at police.

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Anti-Trump protester Joshua Cobi was filmed kicking a tear gas canister towards police after a Trump rally in Phoenix on Tuesday

Newsreaders said he had been hit by a rubber bullet as he collapsed in agony, and was later helped to his feet and taken away by a friend

Police officials say Cobin admitted to the incident on social media before his arrest and posted pictures of it online

Seconds later a cloud of dust mushroomed up from his groin and he doubled up in agony.

'A guy just got shot with a rubber bullet,' remarked one host, as the other lapsed into a pained silence. It has since emerged the man was hit with a tear gas canister.

'So... er... yeah, the officers are not, are not messing around at all,' the host stuttered as the stricken protester was dragged away by an ally.

Police officials say Cobin admitted to the incident on social media before his arrest and posted pictures of it online.

In a Facebook post he wrote: 'Thanks for all the kind words, what a crazy night last night! My hand feels a lot better..and for EVERYONE who asked, my nuts are fine lol, the cops missed by a few inches so I have a nasty baseball size bruise there.'

Protester kicks tear gas back at police. Police shoot him with a rubber bullet on live TV. VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/5qyHDZlpNF  Tim Ring (@timringTV) August 23, 2017

Cobin was placed under arrest after being charged on three counts of aggravated assault on police and one count of unlawful assembly

Arrested: Cobin is pictured in a Twitter photo protesting about Trump

The violent scenes came after police tried to disperse crowds of anti-Trump protesters with tear gas following the rally. The anti-Trump crowd were vastly outnumbered by Trump fans

Police fired pepper spray to disperse protesters outside a rally by U.S. President Donald Trump in Phoenix, Arizona

Cobin, according to a police report, was 'generally unruly and clearly refusing to disperse and refusing to do so in an unlawful manner.'

Police also claim Cobin was 'engaging in conduct constituting a riot' before he was caught on security cameras kicking a smoking canister toward the line of officers.

He was just one of many caught up in the post-rally violence, as cops used nonlethal methods to disperse crowds who had thrown rocks and bottles at them.

Police have not given an estimate of the number of protesters, but Arizona media said there were several thousand

Four people were arrested during the protest, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams later said during a news conference

The unrest broke out after Trump swung through the city for a rally designed to fire up his base - which it did, his fans vastly outnumbering anti-Trump protesters.

Supporters and opponents alike gathered in the 107-degree heat, but it was only after the rally that violence broke out.

Police say that protesters threw water bottles and rocks at their lines, causing them to respond in kind with tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets and pepper balls.

Clouds of the gas filled the night air as the president's supporters began leaving the downtown Phoenix Convention Center.

At around 11.20pm, Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said that three people had been arrested on charges related to the protest.

She added that one person was arrested on an unrelated warrant, and that two officers were treated for heat exhaustion.

Police say that protesters threw water bottles and rocks at their lines, causing them to respond in kind with tear gas

A contingent of protesters stayed behind after the clash with police had ended. Their numbers were small.

Trump beat Hillary Clinton in Nevada by a tenuous 3.5 percentage points last year, and is now polling 7 points lower there than his election total.

So his visit on Tuesday was apparently an attempt to boost that falling number.




During talks with his South African counterpart on August 24th, General Ty showed his delight at the sound friendship between Vietnam and South Africa through exchanges of high-level delegations and coordination at international organisations and multilateral forums.

He said that Vietnam treasures its friendship with South Africa and values the effective cooperation with its parliament over the years.

He affirmed that Vietnams NA backs the fostering of ties between Vietnam and South Africa, while creating a favourable legal framework to strengthen the bilateral economic and trade partnership.

On the occasion, he also conveyed an invitation to visit Vietnam from NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan to Speaker of South Africas Parliament Baleke Mbete.

For his part, Tsenoli affirmed that the parliament of South Africa is willing to share experience with Vietnam in legislation, supervision and settlement of voters requests, thus bolstering bilateral cooperation in other fields such as economy, trade, culture and tourism.

He said he hope the parliaments of both sides will work to boost two-way trade to match economic and trade cooperation potential.

At the talks, the two sides agreed to increase delegation exchanges to share experience in legislation, supervision and law enforcement as well as collaboration among NA committees.

The two parliaments will strengthen coordination and monitoring over the implementation of agreements reached between the two governments, ministries and sectors.

The same day, NA Vice Chairman Ty met General Secretary of the South Africa Communist Party (SACP) Blade Nzimande, who pledged to work hard to bolster solidarity between the two parties and peoples, considering the ties an important political foundation for economic, trade and development cooperation development.

Ty thanked South Africa and the SACP for supporting Vietnam in its past struggle for national liberation and the current national construction.

The two sides also discussed measures to deepen solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two parties for stronger ties between the two States, parliaments and peoples./.
A grieving mother who was flying across the U.S. to bury her son was handed a heartwarming note by a flight attendant.

Tricia Belstra, 48, lost her son Kyle, 25, earlier this month when he committed suicide after breaking up with his high school girlfriend.

Belstra, of Thornton, Colorado, was flying to Indiana to attend Kyle's funeral when she received a message of support from a flight attendant who she told her story.

A portion of the letter read: 'This is your story and you owe it to yourself and your son to make sure that you survive this.

'You'll come out of this a stronger person and I'll be rooting for you the whole time.'

Tricia Belstra, 48, was flying from Colorado to Indiana to bury her son Kyle, 25. The young man had committed suicide after breaking up with his girlfriend on August 13. Pictured: Belstra and Kyle at his graduation

Belstra ended up telling her story to a flight attendant. She later received a supportive note from the crew member about suicide (pictured)

Belstra was flying to Indiana after her son Kyle, a Walmart manager, killed himself in his girlfriend's bedroom in New Hampshire.

The mother said she spent most of the flight feeling sick, overwhelmed and shaky and spent the plane ride with a sick bag between her knees.

During the flight, she was served by a young male flight attendant who poured her drinks and asked her what was wrong.

Through tears, Belstra told him she was flying for her son's funeral, which was set to take place the following day.

As Belstra stepped off the South West flight, the crew member handed her a napkin with a note scrawled on it, which made her burst into tears.

It read: 'In 2004, my family lost my older brother. As traumatic as it still is for me, I can't even pretend to truly know the pain you feel as a mother.

'I did, however, watch my mother's grieving process (a process that will never end).

'Firstly, being a mother is about giving birth to new life as a promise to the future.

'Your mission doesn't end now - your son's life is bigger than his death and always will be.'

Belstra said she read the note as she stood in the terminal and burst into tears

A portion of the letter read: 'This is your story and you owe it to yourself and your son to make sure that you survive this. You'll come out of this a stronger person and I'll be rooting for you the whole time'

The note continued: 'My mom struggled desperately chasing a far away goal of somehow lessening the pain. As she has realized now, the pain hardly lessens.

'Don't expend your energy trying to chase this. Instead, go all out finding opportunities to experience joy. Visit family, get closer to those you've lost touch with, travel.

'This is your story and you owe it to yourself and your son to make sure that you survive this. Do not pressure yourself.'

On the back, it continued: 'This world is full of people who do truly care about you, even if it doesn't feel that way.

'I won't stop thinking about you anytime soon or how you're doing or what you're up to.

'You'll come out of this a stronger person and I'll be rooting for you the whole time.'

The day after receiving the note, Belstra buried Kyle and held the napkin with her throughout the funeral

Belstra said: 'When I got into the terminal I opened it and I read it and just burst into tears because it was so beautiful.

'For a young man like that to take the time to write that, it just went to my heart.

'I think it was an amazing thing to do. It was heartfelt and so loving and caring and to think of him writing that made me feel so warm at that horrible time.'

The day after receiving the note, Belstra buried Kyle and held the napkin with her throughout the funeral.

Belstra added: 'He had so much potential. He made friends with everybody. He didn't have an enemy out there. He was a great kid.'

Belstra said of her son Kyle: 'He had so much potential. He made friends with everybody. He didn't have an enemy out there. He was a great kid'

She also showed it to the priest who directed the service and asked him to bless the flight attendant, whose identity she does not know.

The mom, who also has a daughter, Joana, has now had it laminated and says she'll keep it forever.

'It went a long way,' she said.

'I don't know who this flight attendant is and I don't want to out him if he doesn't want to come out.

'I just want him to know that what he did was appreciated.'
A Houston resident confronted a man who apparently was trying to profit off the disaster preparations underway in Texas on Friday by selling water to Texans getting ready for Hurricane Harvey at more than two times what he paid for it.

A man who identified himself as Marcus Griffin live streamed the encounter on Facebook.

Im going to show you why nobody has any water, an angry Griffin says as he narrates the video, which shows scenes from a Houston-area parking lot.

The camera then shows a red pickup truck whose trunk is loaded with about 20 cases of bottled water.

Look at this, Griffin said. In a time of crisis, they buy up all the water and now theyre selling it at 500 percent higher than the markup.

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A Houston resident confronted a man who apparently was trying to profit off the disaster preparations underway in Texas on Friday by selling water to Texans getting ready for Hurricane Harvey at more than two times what he paid for it

The vendor was accused of buying up dozens of cases of bottled water and then selling it at a substantial markup

People are struggling for water, struggling for water, and now theyre marking the price up.

Griffin then approaches a man who is holding up a sign that says WATER.

Sir, you know its illegal, right? Griffin says to the man.

Its a time of crisis and youre buying up all the water and selling it this high.

The man dismisses Griffins suggestion, saying: How do you know what I buy it for?

A man who identified himself as Marcus Griffin live streamed the encounter on Facebook

You definitely didnt buy it for what youre selling it, Griffin replies.

You marked it up like 500 percent. This waters like three dollars. Thats why nobody can find water. Its because of people like you who are trying to profit off a crisis.

You should be ashamed of yourself!

The two men then exchange a series of insults and profanities.

The practice of price gouging during times of natural disasters is common.

In November 2012, the state governments of New York and New Jersey launched a number of investigations against local business establishments who were accused of raising prices for goods and services during and after Hurricane Sandy.

In Paterson, New Jersey, one gas station was accused by the state of increasing the price of gasoline by $2.05 per gallon, or 59 percent, in the immediate aftermath of Sandy, according to CNN.

Other gas stations also faced complaints from motorists after they hiked prices by between 17 percent and 34 percent.

During the storm, many gas stations in New York and New Jersey went out of service and fuel shortages forced authorities to institute rationing.

Texas Attorney Generals office issued a warning on Thursday urging locals to be vigilant in spotting vendors who are engaged in price gouging, according to Texas Public Radio.

The states consumer protection division says that whenever a governor has issued a disaster proclamation, it is illegal to significantly hike prices on items of necessity such as fuel, food, or medicine.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of disaster for 30 counties in the Lone Star State.

They include Aransas, Austin, Bee, Calhoun, Chambers, Colorado, Brazoria, DeWitt, Fayette, Fort Bend, Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Harris, Jackson, Jefferson, Jim Wells, Karnes, Kleberg, Lavaca, Liberty, Live Oak, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio, Victoria, Waller, Wharton and Wilson Counties.
A judge dismissed the case between Nick Loeb and Sofia Vergara over their two frozen embryos in the latest step of the long legal battle between the ex-couple.

The Louisiana judge said the court had no jurisdiction over the embryos, which were conceived in California.

Despite the fact that Loeb, 41, claimed he and Vergara, 45, dated and planned their life together in Louisiana and Vergara shot a movie there in 2014, the judge said neither parent had permanent ties to the state, TMZ reported.

The judge also said that Loeb most likely only filed in Louisiana because of the state's laws concerning unborn children.

According to court documents, the judge referred to the embryos as 'citizens of California' and said that a decision concerning the case could require an evaluation of the embryos' rights.

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A Louisiana judge dismissed the case between Sofia Vergara, 45, (left) and Nick Loeb, 41, (right) over their two frozen embryos in the latest step of the long legal battle between the ex-couple. The exes have been fighting in a nasty and public legal battle since early 2015

The exes have been fighting in a nasty and public legal battle for years. Loeb sued Vergara in early 2015 for custody of the female embryos they created together while they were engaged in 2013.

While they were dating, the former couple signed a document saying they both had to consent to implant the embryos in a surrogate.

The pair broke up in May 2014. Loeb wants to see the frozen embryos, which he has named Emma and Isabella, grow to term and become his daughters while Vergara, who is now married to Joe Manganiello, wants to see them remain frozen.

Loeb dropped his case in 2016 a day before another one was filed by an unknown third party in Louisiana representing the embryos as plaintiffs.

After the Louisiana dismissal, it is uncertain if Loeb plans to refile another lawsuit.

Loeb (pictured last September) and Vergara created two frozen embryos while they were engaged in 2013. By May 2014, they had broken up. Loeb wants to see the frozen embryos, which he has named Emma and Isabella, grow to term and become his daughters

Vergara, (pictured in June) who is now married to Joe Manganiello, wants to see the embryos remain frozen

In July, Vergara filed a motion in Los Angeles to use her ex fiance's deposition from a previous lawsuit in her court order to ensure her frozen embryos are not carried to term.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com in July showed that Vergara claimed her ex's deposition from the 2015 case is relevant to her court order to prohibit him from suing again for the embryos.

Vergara said there is evidence that includes WhatsApp messages showing the businessman's intent in deciding to drop his lawsuit.

She revealed Loeb made several admissions during his deposition that are important, including statements that called into question his pro-life views.

Under Exhibit A, she included a story from Page Six that quoted Loeb who said he refused to name the two ex-girlfriends who had abortions in the past.

Loeb has cited his pro-life stance in his reasoning to have his 'daughters' born in his public statements.

He filed a motion to strike, and cited the anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) statute to block this testimony from being used in this case.

Loeb was grilled about his sex life and previous relationships in the days before he dropped the lawsuit against his ex.

Loeb claimed his private sexual history is at risk if the discovery is allowed in this case. Vergara said this is nonsense considering this case involves the same parties and the documents would be covered with the same level of confidentiality.

She said Loeb wishes to unfairly conceal the testimony and has resorted to outlandish arguments such as the contention the sealed discovery is somehow irrelevant.

The case has garnered the interest of pro-life groups because it called into question the rights of the embryos created at ART Reproductive Center in Beverly Hills.

Vergara has a 24-year-old son, Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara, from a previous relationship. She married Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello in a lavish Palm Beach ceremony in November 2015. Vergara (left) and Manganiello (right) are pictured in February

A case was filed against Vergara in December of 2016 by a third party in Louisiana where IVF embryos are considered 'juridical persons' with rights, including the right to life.

The plaintiffs were listed as the embryos who Loeb has named Emma and Isabella. The lawsuit claimed the actress was depriving them of inheritance by blocking them from being born.

Vergara and her lawyer have accused Loeb of trying to keep himself in the public eye by drawing attention to the case. He wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times in 2015 that argued if a woman has a right to chose to carry a pregnancy to term, a man should have the same rights when it comes to an IVF embryo.

The actress responded on Good Morning America: 'This shouldn't be out there for people to give their opinion. There's nothing to talk about, there's papers signed.'

Vergara has a 24-year-old son, Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara, from a previous relationship. She married Magic Mike actor Joe Manganiello in a lavish Palm Beach ceremony in November 2015.
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Texas has been left reeling by 'catastrophic' flooding and 'widespread devastation' on Saturday in the wake of Hurricane Harvey after the monstrous storm slammed into the state leaving at least one person dead and another 14 injured.

Eight million residents have been warned the worst is yet to come, as hundreds of thousands of shell-shocked Texans on the Gulf Coast began to pick up the pieces after Harvey destroyed homes and businesses, left several injured and the state facing a clean-up bill of $40billion.

Texas utility companies said more than 338,000 were without power and the coastal town of Rockport, 30 miles north of Corpus Christi was hardest hit as the storm - which has weakened to a tropical storm with winds of 70mph - settled over southeast Texas.

It will sit over the Lone Star State well into next week pounding hundreds of miles of coastline with life-threatening storm surges, causing deadly walls of water to move inland.

Governor Greg Abbot warned Texans to stay away from rising water, noting that currents can be swifter than they appear.

'Turn around, dont drown. Dont risk your life,' he said at a news conference Saturday afternoon. 'The most important thing all Texans can do is to put your life and the protection of your life first and foremost.'

With streets flooded and strewn with power lines and debris, authorities warned the storm's most destructive powers were just beginning. Rainfall that will continue for days could dump more than five feet of water and inundate many communities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

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A mobile park is destroyed after Hurricane Harvey landed in the Coast Bend area on Saturday in Port Aransas, Texas

Texas has been left reeling by Harvey after the monstrous storm slammed into the state Friday evening as a Category Four hurricane. Pictured: Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives after she remained behind when Hurricane Harvey swept through Rockport

More than 20 inches of rain fell and another 30 more could be expected. Pctured: Jennifer Bryant looks over the debris from her family business, Bryant's Auto Sales, destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Katy, Texas

Texas utility companies said more than 300,000 were without power and the seaside town of Rockport, 30 miles north of Corpus Christi was hardest hit as the storm. Pictured: A contractor walks over fallen debris from Hurricane Harvey on Saturday in Missouri City, Texas

Eight million residents have been warned the worst is yet to come as the state faces a clean-up bill of $40billion. Pictured: Terry Smith stands in the kitchen as Henry McKay sleeps in the apartment where the ceiling collapse when Hurricane Harvey hit on August 26, 2017 in Rockport, Texas

The storm will sit over the Lone Star State well into next week pounding hundreds of miles of coastline with life-threatening storm surges, causing deadly walls of water to move inland. Pictured: A destroyed apartment complex is seen after Hurricane Harvey passed through on August 26, 2017 in Rockport

Authorities have warned that the storm's most destructive powers are just beginning. Pictured: Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham after Hurricane Harvey destroyed her apartment in Rockport

Billy and Donna Raney climb over the wreckage of whats left of their apartment after Hurricane Harvey destroyed it in Rockport

Dogs are left tied up and abandoned (left and right) on properties off US Route 77 in the eye of the storm on Saturday in Victoria, Texas. The dogs were untied and taken to safety by the DailyMail.com photographer

The latest satellite images from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (above) showed Hurricane Harvey moving into the Texas mainland at two mph

By dawn, more than 20 inches of rain had fallen in Corpus Christi and 16 inches of rain had fallen in Houston. In a press conferences, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said another 20 to 30 more inches of rain could fall and that 'dramatic flooding' remained the biggest concern. A disaster declaration has been made for 50 counties.

The hurricane made landfall around 10pm local time between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, as waves flooded onto roads, roofs were sent flying into the air and residents in the storm's path were told to label themselves in case they died.

As of Saturday morning at least 14 people have been injured after the roof of a single story senior housing complex collapsed - but the extent of the injuries are unknown.

The mayor of Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path, said his community took a blow 'right on the nose' that left 'widespread devastation,' including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

One person in Rockport was confirmed dead Saturday afternoon as a result of a house fire in the storm's first fatality. Officials say there are likely more victims as an estimated 5,000 residents remained during the hurricane.

Mayor Charles 'CJ' Wax told The Weather Channel that the city's emergency response system had been hampered by the loss of cellphone service and other forms of communication.

Ahead of the storm, residents were told to head north to cities such as San Antonio, which is a federally and state-designated evacuation center.

Texas state parks are open to hurricane evacuees to camp for free and 12 campgrounds and RV parks were made available for Hurricane Harvey evacuees. Some have even headed east to evacuation centers in Louisiana.

All seven counties on the Texas coast from Corpus Christi to the western end of Galveston Island were under mandatory evacuations from low-lying areas. Four counties ordered full evacuations and warned there was no guarantee of rescue for those choosing to stay behind.

A truck is flipped over after Hurricane Harvey landed in the Coast Bend area on Saturday, in Port Aransas, Texas. It is unclear if the dog lying in the car is dead or injured

Business owner and resident Carlos Lopez assesses damage from Hurricane Harvey after arriving at his electronics repair shop in Rockport, Texas

Children sleep in a hotel lobby waiting out Hurricane Harvey in Victoria, Texas, on Saturday

As of Saturday morning at least 14 people have been injured after the roof of a single story senior housing complex collapsed - but the extent of the injuries are unknown. Pictured: A store sits damaged after Hurricane Harvey ripped through Rockport, Texas, on Saturday

A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people that may need help Saturday

Sarah Mamud helps her nephew Noah Mamud, five, cross a flooded bridge over Clear Creek in League City, Texas, on Saturday

Valerie Brown and her dog walk through a flooded area after leaving the apartment that she rode out Hurricane Harvey in in Rockport

People walk through flooded streets as the effects of Hurricane Harvey are seen on Saturday in Galveston, Texas

Happy Newman (background left), Tammy Newman, and their dog wait at a shelter after Hurricane Harvey landed in the Coast Bend area on Saturday in Port Aransas, Texas

A satellite maps warns the areas that need to watch for flash flooding (green), tornados (red), and severe thunderstorms (yellow)

POOR DOG LEFT CHAINED UP TO TELEPHONE POLE DURING HARVEY AS FLOOD WATERS RISE AROUND HIM WITH NO OWNER IN SIGHT By Keith Griffith for DailyMail.com A dog was been spotted chained up and abandoned as flood waters from Hurricane Harvey rose around it. Photographs taken on Saturday show the dog chained to a telephone pole in Victoria, Texas, where as much as 10 inches of rain have inundated the area in the past 24 hours. The county remains under a flash flood warning, and Texas officials have warned repeatedly against leaving pets and livestock tied up in the elements. The dog was freed by the DailyMail.com photographer when it became apparent that the owner had abandoned it and it was in imminent danger of drowning. Nearby in Victoria, another dog was seen chained to a tree outside a mobile home in a puddle of water, also seemingly abandoned. A dog was found tied up and abandoned on a property off US Route 77 in Victoria, Texas on Saturday. A passerby freed the animal when it became apparent that the owner had abandoned it and it was in imminent danger of drowning In Roman Forest, Texas, about 150 miles north of Victoria, the police chief minced no words when it came to animal abusers. 'I promise you, that I will hold anyone accountable that unlawfully restrains their dog in extreme weather conditions,' Chief Stephen Carlisle said in a statement on Friday. 'Dogs are your family members too.' Carlisle pointed out there is a specific state law that prohibits leaving a dog tied up outside in any extreme weather conditions, including under a hurricane or tropical storm warning. 'Please do not keep your family members tied to a rope or chain' the police department in Montgomery County said on Facebook. 'It is against the law to keep a dog on a chain during extreme weather conditions.' Victoria County, where the dogs were spotted abandoned, was directly in the path of Harvey's harshest weather, and has seen six to 10 inches of rain in the past 24 hours. The area is under flood warning and is expected to see continued rain and thunderstorms throughout the night. Advertisement

President Donald Trump signed a disaster proclamation from the Camp David retreat and tweeted on Saturday morning that the government was 'closely monitoring' the storm.

'We are leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great together!' he wrote

To Texas Senator Chuck Grassley he tweeted: '[G]ot your message loud and clear. We have fantastic people on the ground, got there long before #Harvey. So far, so good!'

Governor Abbott warned that Hurricane Harvey would be 'a major disaster' before the storm barreled into the state with violent winds and massive rainfall, all on top of storm surges up to 13 feet.

Harvey is the strongest storm to hit the US in 12 years and the National Weather Service warned that this was the 'start of many difficult days to come'.

Despite the storm's weekend, forecasters say that Harvey's impact will be devastating and leave areas 'uninhabitable for weeks or months'.

The insured property losses from Hurricane Harvey were estimated to cost between $1billion and $2billion from wind and storm damage, according to CoreLogic.

Jessica Campbell (left) hugs Jonathan Fitzgerald (right) on Saturday after riding out Hurricane Harvey in an apartment in Rockport, Texas

Daisy Graham reacts to the news that a friend of hers may still be in an apartment that was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Rockport

Lee Guerrero tries to kick open a door of an apartment after hearing his friends say they were hiding in the shower stall and were okay after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the apartment in Rockport

Miguel Debernardis cleans up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Saturday in Katy, Texas

By dawn, nearly 20 inches of rain had fallen in some places. By storm's end, more than 40 inches of rain is expected to fall. Pictured: A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey passed through on August 26, 2017 in Rockport

A Shell gas station sits destroyed on Saturday in Refugio, Texas, a city about 43 miles north of Corpus Christi

Mobile homes are destroyed at an RV park after Hurricane Harvey landed in the Coast Bend area on Saturday in Port Aransas, Texas

Several homes, businesses and schools in Rockport were severely damaged. Pictured (left and right): A laundromat's machines sit exposed in the elements after the building collapsed when Hurricane Harvey ripped through Rockport, Texas

Buildings collapsed and more than 300,000 were left without power as the storm made landfall around 10pm local time. Pictured (left and right): A burnt out house and cars that caught fire are seen in Corpus Christi on Saturday

President Donald Trump signed a disaster proclamation from the Camp David retreat and wrote to Texas Senator Chuck Grassley on Saturday morning: 'We have fantastic people on the ground, got there long before #Harvey. So far, so good!' (above)

Trump tweeted that the administration was closely monitoring the storm from the Camp David retreat and that federal funds would be allocated to help residents in the storm's aftermath (above)

HARVEY STRANDS 20,000 PASSENGERS IN GULF ON FOUR CRUISE SHIPS AFTER GALVESTON PORT CLOSES By Reuters and Keith Griffith for DailyMail.com Cruise ships carrying an estimated 20,000 passengers were stranded in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday as Hurricane Harvey left the Port of Galveston closed. Carnival said that three of its ships were unable to return to Galveston as scheduled and that two of them would be forced to divert instead to New Orleans, where they would resupply. The cruise line said passengers could get off the two diverted ships, the Freedom and the Valor, in New Orleans, but advised against that in a statement posted on its Facebook page. 'Given the severity and projected path of the storm along with potential challenges guests may encounter attempting to travel back to Galveston independently, we are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible,' Carnival said. The Carnival Breeze (pictured in a file photo) is extending its stay in Cozumel, while two other Carnival ships are diverting to the Port of New Orleans A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said. The next scheduled cruises on all three ships will be shortened and customers will receive refunds, the company said. 'We will continue to remain in close contact with port officials regarding their plans to re-open once the storm has passed,' spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta said. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean International said that its Liberty of the Seas cruise ship had departed Cozumel, Mexico on time on Friday and was still scheduled to return to Galveston on Sunday. 'However, we will return to Galveston only when it is safe to do so,' Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said. The port's interim director, Peter Simons, told the Houston Chronicle newspaper that officials there were still trying to determine if ships could safely return on Sunday. 'We're working with the cruise lines, the Coast Guard and the pilots to see what can be done to bring the cruise ships in as quickly but as safely as possible,' Simons said. Galveston is a major cruise embarkation port, with an estimated 1.73million passengers annually. Advertisement

Daybreak revealed downed lamp posts and tree limbs and roof tiles torn off buildings. The city's marina was nearly unscathed, save an awning ripped from a restaurant entrance and a wooden garbage bin uprooted and thrown.

Along Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, motorists had to stop under bridges to avoid driving in whiteout conditions.

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Harvey grew rapidly, accelerating from a Category One early Friday morning to a Category Four by evening. Its transformation from an ordinary storm to a life-threatening behemoth took only 56 hours, an incredibly fast

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the US in 12 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

Before the storm arrived, property owners raced to nail plywood over windows and fill sandbags. Steady traffic filled the highways leaving Corpus Christi, but there were no apparent jams. In Houston, where mass evacuations can include changing major highways to a one-way vehicle flow, authorities left traffic patterns unchanged.



Terry Smith (left) stands with Barry Skipper (right) as the last winds of Hurricane Harvey pass through on Saturdaday in Rockport

First responder Ty Wilson gets some rest and a meal on Saturday in a building near the Freeman Expo Hall as Hurricane Harvey passes through San Antonio

American Red Cross volunteers assemble beds for a shelter setup at a Holiday Inn after Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Corpus Christi

Antonio Barron (left) and his girlfriend, Melissa Rocha (right), walk through the street during a downpour from Hurricane Harvey on Saturday in Palacios, Texas

A trailer overturned and objects strewen about in the wake of Hurricane Harvey on Saturday in Aransas Pass, Texas

The threat of 'catastrophic' flooding in the Lone Star State will persist into next week (Pictured, left,a car lies submerged in Corpus Christi on Saturday, and right, a tractor-trailer is blown over on US Highway 59 in Inez, Texas, just outside the eye of the storm on Saturday)

An apparent tornado ripped through Katy, Texas, causing damage to several buildings. Pictured: A collapsed Denny's restaurant

Scientists warned that Harvey could also spawn tornadoes such as one that appears to have ripped through Katy (above), a city west of Houston

Flash flood warnings continue to be in effect as Hurricane Harvey pounds Port Lavaca, Texas, one of the city's under mandatory evacuations

Powerful winds swept through Port Lavaca,including a six-foot surge that has stayed at that height since 2am Saturday

Destruction continued to spread on Saturday as homes crumpled and were subjected to massive flooding (pictured, Victoria, Texas)

More than 338,000 customers were without power as of 10am ET, on the Texas Gulf Coast, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said, amid reports of downed power lines and trees

Governor Abbot said a press conference on Saturday that it would likely be several days before those who lost power got it back because wind speeds have to reduce before power can be restored.

Relief has begun to pour in from other states. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo deployed aircraft, vessels, and Airmen from the 106th Rescue Wing of the New York Air National Guard to help the Hurricane Harvey response in Texas and Louisiana.

'As Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate the Gulf Coast, I am deploying emergency personnel and equipment to help mitigate damage and aid in the recovery effort,' Governor Cuomo said. ''New Yorkers first-hand know the damage Mother Nature can cause, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Louisiana and Texas as they brace for Hurricane Harvey.'

The governor's comments reference Hurricane Sandy, which struck the Atlantic coast in October 2012. In New York City, almost all road tunnels entering Manhattan were flooded as was the New York City subway system, Large parts of the city lost electricity for days and hundreds of homes were damaged by flooding or fire.

Economic losses were estimated to be roughly $19billion with an approximate $32.8billion required for restoration across the state.

Already more than nine inches of rain have fallen in south Texas (Pictured, a traffic signal lies at an intersection in Corpus Christi on Saturday)

By storm's end, more than $40billion worth of damage is expected to be left behind (Pictured, a garage's walls collapse by the winds of Hurricane Harvey)

A power generator container tips in front of a hospital on the Corpus Christi shoreline

Trees were knocked over by the massive winds as torrential rains swept Corpus Christi (pictured)

Rain is blown past palm trees as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall in Corpus Christi. An estimated 40 inches of rain is expected to fall by the storm's end

In this NOAA handout image, a satellite captures Hurricane Harvey making landfall shortly after 8.00pm local time on Friday

Harvey (right) is on course to make landfall as the strongest storm since the devastating Katrina 12 years ago (left)

The storm had sustained winds of 130mph on Friday evening when it made landfall on the Texas coast

Further tragedy struck when police were called to scene of a shooting in Corpus Christi during the middle of the hurricane, with a victim in serious condition

Further tragedy struck when police were called to scene of a shooting in Corpus Christi during the middle of the hurricane.

Corpus Christi police responded to a shooting incident at 7100 Ficus Court around midnight local time when a homeowner shot an intruder.

As the storm hit, people took to social media to capture the force of nature, posting videos of trees being bent by the wind and buildings flying away.

Some were briefly aghast after Jeff Piotrowski, a storm chaser, posted video that abruptly cut off leaving viewers wondering if he was killed by a collapsing building.

Piotrowski live streamed himself on Periscope as he and his partners sat through 130mph wind gusts in Rockport, Texas. As Harvey's eye reached the Texas coast, Piotrowski remained in the area and filmed the effects of the hurricane.

At one point, Piotrowski said that a 'car wash'-like structure collapsed and that the roof of the building in which his car was parked was also in danger of collapsing.

'There's total destruction here outside my window,' Piotrowski said, his voice rising as he dramatically describes the effects of the devastation around him.

'There's zero visibility,' he said in one Periscope video. 'I see walls and debris now flying through the air.'

Piotrowski described 'roofs being ripped off' and 'high beams splitting.'
A suspicious fire burned down a whole shopping centre, destroying up to 15 shops including the suburb's biggest doctor's surgery.

The fire tore through Civic Centre on the corner of Wirraway Parade and Corsair Avenue in the Brisbane suburb of Inala early Saturday morning.

Police declared the area a crime scene and said they were treating the blaze as suspicious until proven otherwise.

A suspicious fire burned down a whole shopping centre, destroying up to 15 shops including the suburb's biggest doctor's surgery

The fire tore through Civic Centre on the corner of Wirraway Parade and Corsair Avenue in the Brisbane suburb of Inala early Saturday morning

Police declared the area a crime scene and said they were treating the blaze as suspicious until proven otherwise

The fire was believed to have started in a chemist and spread throughout the centre with much of the roof collapsing and the whole block sealed off.

It took 50 firefighters battling the blaze for hours to get it under control and the blackened building was still smouldering on Saturday afternoon.

Medical Centre owner Michael Ho wasn't aware of the fire until he got off a plane at 8am and read his text messages.

'We have lost everything. Luckily we will have patient files as we are fully computerised, so we will have back up,' he told the Brisbane Times.

The fire was believed to have started in a chemist and spread throughout the centre with much of the roof collapsing and the whole block sealed off

It took 50 firefighters battling the blaze for hours to get it under control

The blackened building was still smouldering on Saturday afternoon

Firefighters spray the building on Saturday morning trying to extinguish spot fires

Dr Ho said the centre was completely destroyed and staff were looking for a new location to resume treating patients within two weeks.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, whose electorate includes Inala, stopped by to see the devastated area.

'This is the heart of Inala really, this is where everyone comes and does their shopping, this is where everyone comes to meet, so of course it's a tragedy,' she said.

No one was reported injured or killed in the fire.

Dozens of firefighters battled all morning to bring it under control
Arpaio was convicted last month of criminal contempt for profiling Latinos

Hurricane Harvey is a Category 4 storm and is set to land in Texas and Louisiana

Arizona Senator John McCain said pardon undermines Trump's claim that he respects the law

Ex-Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (pictured) was pardoned by Trump on Friday

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum slammed President Donald Trump on Friday after he pardoned controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio as a Category 4 storm barreled toward Texas.

Trump was initially lambasted by Democrats who accused the President of using his executive power to absolve one of the country's most polarizing figures as Hurricane Harvey was set to hit the Gulf Coast.

'Donald Trump just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nations most notorious agent of racism and bigotry, during a natural disaster that could hurt millions. That's not presidential, that's a coward,' Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez said in a statement.

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Arpaio was convicted last month of criminal contempt after he was found guilty of profiling Latinos

'Sheriff Arpaio used racial profiling to tear apart immigrant families and devastate Latino communities. At the same time, he failed to investigate hundreds of crimes, including dozens of reported child molestations,' he added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused the President of 'using the cover of the storm' to pardon Arpaio, 85, who was recently convicted of criminal contempt for unlawfully profiling Latinos.

'As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David,' Schumer wrote in a series of tweets.

'The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny. So sad, so weak,' he added.

Trump signed an executive order earlier Friday banning transgendered individuals from enlisting in the armed forces, reversing an initiative began by his predecessor Barack Obama.

Strengthening hurricane now has winds of 130mph as residents in its path are told to write their social security number on their arm

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused trump of using the 'cover of the storm' to pardon Arpio

While members of Trump's own party slammed him for the decision, including Senator John McCain (R-AZ), who claimed that the President was undermining the rule of law

The President hinted earlier this week during a campaign rally that he was planning on pardoning Arpaio, telling an audience gathered at the Phoenix Convention Center that: "You know what, I'll make a prediction... I think he's going to be just fine.'

Critics from the President's own party also joined in to voice their displeasure, with Senator John McCain (R-AZ) accusing the president of undermining the rule of law.

'@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law,' McCain posted to Twitter.

Apaio earlier Friday thanked the President for the pardon, claiming in a tweet that the conviction was the result of an Obama era 'witch hunt.'

'Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!'

Trump's announcement came on Friday evening as most media turned to cover Hurricane Harvey, which is predicted to cause devastating damage to the southern coast.

Friday also saw the resignation of top presidential aid Sebastian Gorka. The White House, however, implied that Gorka was fired from his position.

'Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House,' a Trump administration press release stated.
Former Auburn deputy mayor council Salim Mehajer made the most of new bail conditions by jetting off to Los Angeles this week.

But the controversial property developer and habitual Instagram user, 31, may have revealed more than he wants people to know in his latest post, a shot of his passport and his open laptop in his first class plane seat.

In the photograph, Mehajer's email inbox is visible on the computer, complete with names of some of his contacts and some details of their exchanges.

Salim Mehajer shared a cryptic photo to Instagram (pictured) showing his passport and emails on his open laptop

The photo showed email correspondence between Mr Mehajer and Ian Lazar (pictured) with Mr Lazar giving Mr Mehajer some words of support

Mr Mehajer (pictured) is facing fraud charges for allegedly forging Australian Electoral Commission enrolments and fabricating addresses for friends and family

Mr Mehajer caption this photo 'get rich it's the solution to every problem' however one emails shown in the photo appeared to be investment advise

Seated in row 1C, the photo captioned 'work, work, work ... then Travel (sic) and then repeat' shows an open laptop with an email on the screen displaying the correspondence between Mr Mehajer and accused fraudster, Ian Lazar.

Mr Lazar offered his support to Mr Mehajer, whose companies owe almost $100 million to creditors but have $32,000 in the bank according to Sydney Morning Herald.

'Focus on the bigger picture not this rubbish,' the email from Mr Lazar read, who is facing criminal charges including fraud.

'People don't care if it's true or not.

'I know I have been where you are but worse.

'They want you to spend time and money fighting rubbish.'

Mr Lazar told Mr Mehajer in the email 'they want you to spend time and money fighting rubbish'

Greg Huxley, who has run a number of money lending enterprises including Hard Money Loans, also appeared to correspond with Mr Mehajer,

Mr Huxley previously had his mandatory bankruptcy period extended for deliberately providing false or misleading information to his trustee while managing a corporation while bankrupt, the publication reported.

Mr Mehajer and Mr Huxley's fathers were both jailed for fraud.

Peter Huxley was jailed for 20 years in 1970 for defrauding Rural Bank of $5.2 million while Mohamad Mehajer spent three-and-a-half years behind bars for conspiring to cheat and defraud the National Australia Bank of more than $3 million.

Another email shown in the photo is from Prestige Australian Financial Services with a subject line saying 'one time offer, find out where smart money is investing and why'.

Mr Mehajer, who famously got married to his now ex-wife Aysha in a lavish $35 million wedding in 2015, put his four-story Lidcombe mansion up for lease, with advertised rent of $2,950 a week.

A return Delta flight from Sydney to Los Angeles in row 1C starts from $7,700.

Mehajer is facing fraud charges for allegedly forging Australian Electoral Commission enrolments and fabricating addresses for friends and family leaving him on strict bail conditions restraining him from leaving the country.
Police in Corpus Christi, Texas reported late Friday that a man was shot during an alleged burglary just as a Category 4 hurricane made landfall nearby.

The Corpus Christi Police Department tweeted late Friday that a homeowner shot [an] intruder at 7100 Ficus Court.

Police reported that the victim was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound and was coherent when medics took him.

The timing could not have possibly been worse since the city and the entire state are just beginning to grapple with what some say could be one of the worst natural disasters ever.

Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast on Friday as a Category 4 storm, bringing life-threatening winds and the likelihood of catastrophic flooding as the most powerful storm in over a decade hit the mainland United States.

Police in Corpus Christi, Texas reported late Friday that a man was shot during an alleged burglary just as a Category 4 hurricane made landfall nearby. The above image shows a man unrelated to the shooting walking along the Corpus Christi boardwalk on Friday

Police reported that the victim was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound and was coherent when medics took him

The hurricane made landfall northeast of Corpus Christi around 10pm local time with maximum winds of 130 miles per hour.

The storm is expected to move slowly over the Texas and Louisiana coasts for days, with forecasts for storm surges of up to 13 feet and over 3 feet of rain.

As many as 6 million people were believed to be in Harveys path, as is the heart of Americas oil refining operations.

The storms impact on refineries has already pushed up gasoline prices while the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lifted some rules on gasoline to reduce shortages.

Fueled by the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Harvey became the first Category 4 hurricane to wallop the United States since Charley in 2004 and the first to hit Texas since Carla in 1961.

About 30 miles from Corpus Christi and moving northwest, Harvey caused scattered power outages both on the coast near Galveston and 100 miles inland.

In Corpus Christi, a city of 320,000 under voluntary evacuation, strengthening winds buffeted the few trucks and cars that continued to circulate on the streets.

The storm toppled wooden roadwork signs and littered the streets with pieces of palm trees as white caps rocked sailboats in their docks.
An incredibly heart-wrenching video showcases candid admissions from Queensland police as officers reveal how they told family and friends they are gay.

Policelink Commander and Programs Group Superintendent David Tucker opened up as the camera rolled in an emotional revelation depicting when he confirmed his daughters suspicions and told her he was gay.

'My eldest daughter rang me up one day and said 'Dad, I have a question to ask you,' and I said 'Oh yeah, OK',' he shared.

Policelink Commander and Programs Group Superintendent David Tucker (pictured) opened up to share when he confirmed his daughter's suspicions and told her he was gay

North Queensland Child Protection Investigation Unit plain clothes Constable Michelle Harris (pictured) thought that the revelation she was a lesbian would make others value her less

'She said, 'Are you gay?' To which I then burst into tears.'

The veteran police force officer was 40-years-old when he succumbed to his internal feelings after living as a straight man and decided 'gay life might be the way to go'.

In the 10-minute video a number of police staff share valuable insight into facing the challenges of dealing with their sexuality.

North Queensland Child Protection Investigation Unit plain clothes Constable Michelle Harris thought that the revelation she was a lesbian would make others value her less.

She confesses through tears at one stage she began to contemplate suicide as she struggled to find her place in the world.

Constable Martina Winkworth said she started to take an interest in female-based activities

'I started to be more comfortable within myself and also with the concept that your sexual orientation and/or your gender identity doesn't define you,' she said.

She has since learnt that despite being a 'proud' lesbian her sexual orientation does not define her.

Plain Clothes Senior Constable Jasmine said when she was honest with herself and accepting of her path, she told her sister who straight away didn't view her any differently.

Constable Martina Winkworth said she started to take an interest in female-based activities and at 38-years-old travelled back to the U.K where she met her wife.

It was with the help of her understanding that Constable Winkworth was able to identify that she may want to investigate transitioning to a woman.
Labour MP Jess Phillips in her Parliamentary office

A Labour MP says she has hit 'peak block, peak mute' on Twitter, receiving hundreds of death and rape threats a day for her attack on 'brocalists'.

Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, called left-leaning men the 'absolute worst sexists' two weeks ago, as she hit out at claims Jeremy Corbyn helped lead the fight for women's equality.

In an interview with the Times today, she said the statements had led to hundreds of death and rape threats.

She said her Twitter feed was full of: 'men telling me I didn't understand sexism, that I deserved it, that I was fat, ugly, that I was probably on my period.'

Ms Phillips, who lives in a flat in South London with her husband and their two children, admitted she had filtered the word 'rape' from her feed.

She added that the fight against sexism in her own party was harder, because 'brocialists' would counter her by talking about women that they love, who happen to support leader Mr Corbyn.

The interview follows her comments attacking the inner-circle around Mr Corbyn, after she criticised him for failing to appoint women to top positions.

Ms Phillips has been an outspoken critic of Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, saying he has not appointed enough women to the top positions

Ms Phillips last week at the Edinburgh International Book Festival where she spoke about sexism in the Labour party

She described how a leading Guardian journalist lectured her on how the party's former deputy leader Harriet Harman 'was not that great for women' and Mr Corbyn had done more for the cause.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival she said the reporter - who she refused to name - said Mr Corbyn had 'always voted the right way'.

The reporter is rumoured to be Jeremy Corbyn's chief aide Seumas Milne, although he denied it.

According to The Times, she added in a sarcastic tone she said: 'So yeah, Jeremy Corbyn better for women than Harriet Harman, obviously.

'I remember him in all those meetings, there with his banners for [equality]'.

The MP said that men on the left talk about being feminists but fail to recognise the achievements of women.

Ms Philips revealed that a Guardian reporter lectured her on how Labour's former deputy leader Harriet Harman (pictured) was not that good for women

She said: 'When they close their eyes at night and think of amazing people who have changed the world, it's always some white dude that pops into their head.'

Since being elected to Parliament in 2015, Ms Phillips has made a name for herself as being a prominent campaigner on women's rights.

She campaigned against the tampon tax, and made history last year when she read out the names of the 10 women murdered in Britain in a year.

And she told the festival how she is abused on Twitter by 'dunderheided Neanderthals'.

She said that after the murder of her friend and colleague Jo Cox, she reported all the death threats she got online to West Midlands police.

But she told how she refuses to let the sick threats she receives online cow her, and that she think ' f*** it, I am still going to buy milk from the corner shop'.




The event also celebrated the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic ties and 40 years since the two countries signed their Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, and is part of the Thanh Hoa-Houaphan Friendship Culture Week, held in the central province from August 21st-25th.

Chairman of the local Peoples Committee Nguyen Dinh Xung said that over the past five decades, the relationship between the two provinces has grown remarkably.

Cooperation activities in culture, education and health and delegation exchanges have been held regularly. Thanh Hoa has to date helped train 538 Lao students at its universities.

The two sides have also coordinated in joint patrols and border marker planting.

In 2016, they signed a new cooperation deal, with Thanh Hoa pledging to provide USD8 million to build several infrastructure facilities in the Lao province from 2016-2020.

Thanh Hoa and Houaphan provinces share a 192km border./.
Shocking footage has emerged of French police hauling seen boozed-up Brits off of a plane bound for Ibiza.

The clip was filmed aboard a Ryanair flight from a UK airport to the Spanish party island, before the pilot set the plane down at Bordeaux Airport.

A witness told MailOnline that one of the men became angry when a flight attendant refused to serve them any more.

'One of the guys wanted to buy something extra and was a but rude  the flight attendant as ignoring him.

The clip was filmed aboard a Ryanair flight from a UK airport to the Spanish party island, before the pilot set the plane down at Bordeaux Airport

A witness told MailOnline that one of the men became angry when a flight attendant refused to serve them any more

'He went on demanding and grabbed her by the arm asking to serve him.'

The shocked witness watched on as other members of the group began arguing with staff.

'The cabin crew stopped the service and called the pilot. Police came into the plane to take the guys off.'

The police officers escorted the men off the plane and onto the airport tarmac where they continued to be rowdy

A scuffle seemingly breaks out between the men and the police before the situation is brought under control again

But the loutish behaviour didn't end when officers escorted the men off the plane.

The witness added: 'One bald guy was very unhappy about this as he was not involved in the argument.

'He was very drunk and very big.'

A scuffle between the man and police then proceeds on the airport tarmac, while passengers on the plane watch on.

A Bordeaux airport source told Mail Online: 'The plane was diverted to Bordeaux because of security problems on board.

'Police were waiting for the flight when it landed, and arrests were made on board.

'Unruly passengers were removed, and they caused further problems as they were being escorted away.

'The incident is still being investigated [and] could lead to criminal charges.'

The witness added: 'One bald guy was very unhappy about this as he was not involved in the argument'

A spokesman for Ryanair told MailOnline: 'This flight from London Stansted to Ibiza (25 Aug) diverted to Bordeaux after a number of passengers became disruptive inflight.

'The aircraft landed normally and the passengers were removed and detained by police upon arrival, before the aircraft continued to Ibiza.

'We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority. This is now a matter for local police.

'This is exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am.

'It's incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventative measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights.'
Advertisers are moving away from using pictures of white and straight couples for fear of offending gay people or being accused of homophobia.

Marketing departments are promoting diversity in their campaigns to 'prevent perceived discrimination', a survey of 500 companies has revealed.

A third of advertisers said they had used fewer white models and straight couples in the last year.

Ikea used a picture of a gay couple to promote their 'all homes are created equal' campaign

Adverts that have featured gay couples include Ikea's 'all homes are created equal' that showed two men cuddled up together.

Lloyds ran a 'he said yes' campaign and Tiffany, the jeweller, also launched an advert featuring a same-sex marriage proposal.

Dove, which is owned by the Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever, recently featured 32 women ranging in age from 11 to 71 from more than 15 countries, including Iran, Indonesia, Germany and Brazil for its 'real beauty' campaign.

The study by Shutterstock and reported by The Times found half of marketing departments had increased their use of racially diverse pictures over the past year and third increased their use of gay couples.

The overwhelming majority that used images of gay couples or 'non-traditional' families said they did so even if it did not fit with their brand.

Half said they were using fewer white people because they no longer represented 'modern society'.

The 2011 census found 87.2 per cent of the population is white, 2 per cent mixed race, 6.9 per cent Asian and 3 per cent black. Less than 1 per cent identified themselves as 'other'.

However since then there has been significant migration to the UK. Last year net migration from outside the EU was 175,000.

A recent advert by Lloyds Bank featured a same-sex couple's proposal (pictured)

Unilever's Dove Real Beauty campaign showcased 32 women, aged 11 to 71, from 15 countries

This is a marked change by an industry that, until recently, was accused of not having enough minority groups in adverts.

As recently as 2010 only 5 per cent of TV adverts contained someone from an ethnic minority.

Keren Sachs, content development director of Shutterstock, said: 'The people chosen to represent campaigns have an obvious and visual impact on public life. This appears to be changing.

'Marketers are now being more inclusive through their choice of images. Our research shows that marketers in the UK are shifting their attitudes and selecting images, primarily to represent modern-day society.'

Trevor Phillips, former chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, added: 'Businesses have to appeal to minorities but also the white population, who think it's peculiar if they see an ad that doesn't have minorities in it and looks like they are being sold something from the 1950s.'
South Australian university students are revolting against a crackdown on drinking games and banning of beer bongs.

Students living on campus at Flinders University say they feel 'constantly under surveillance' and have slammed tutors for treating them like children.

'There's been a massive change in the past 12 months, and I'm not eager to stay next year - we're not 13-years-old and don't need to be dibber-dobbed on,' one second-year student told The Advertiser.

Flinders University students are revolting against a crackdown on drinking games and banning of beer bongs (stock image)

The South Australian campus houses 561 students, aged from 17 to 40, who are all banned from taking part in any alcoholic drinking games.

Students found to be breaking the strict drinking rules face a loss of privileges and further punishment from university authorities.

Flinders Living residential hall principal James Atkinson said the rules were not meant to sap the fun out of the students university lifestyle.

'Yes, there is a punitive element but what we're trying to do is to get students to stop and reflect on their behaviours and to think about what it means to drink responsibly,' Mr Atkinson told the publication.

'It's our aim to foster a culture of personal and group responsibility which doesn't prevent students from consuming alcohol in a socially-acceptable manner,' he said.

The university has reprimanded two students in the past and slapped them with drinking bans.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Flinders University, but they declined to comment.
Malcolm Turnbull has condemned a 'cowardly' act of vandalism against three statues in Sydney and compared it to the behaviour of Joseph Stalin.

The Prime Minister said the defacement of monuments to Captain James Cook and Governor Lachlan Macquarie on Saturday both 'denied' and 'obliterated' Australia's history.

In a Facebook post he called the graffiti of the statues 'deeply disturbing' and said that he hoped the police 'swiftly find those responsible and bring them to justice'.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) condemned a 'cowardly' act of vandalism against three statues in Sydney and compared it to the actions of Joseph Stalin

It comes after three statues, including one of Captain James Cook (pictured), were attacked by vandals in Sydney on Saturday morning

'This is what Stalin did. When he fell out with his henchmen he didn't just execute them, they were removed from all official photographs,' Mr Turnbull wrote.

'They became non-persons, banished not just from life's mortal coil but from memory and history itself.'

'Tearing down of defacing statues of our colonial era explorers and governors is not much better than that.'

Mr Turnbull said that the statues remained important because they gave a perspective of the time in which they were erected.

'We do not adopt every inscription on every statue or monument - it is a voice at a point in time,' he wrote.

'Is the next step of this new totalitarianism to burn the 19th century histories of Australia as well, or should their yellowing pages be simply overwritten in crude graffiti condemning their long dead authors?'

The Prime Minister used a Facebook post to call the graffiti of the statues 'deeply disturbing' and said he hoped the police 'swiftly find those responsible and bring them to justice'

Mr Turnbull used the post (pictured) to state that such statues were important because they gave a perspective of the time in which they were erected

It comes after police set up crime scenes in Sydney's Hyde Park Saturday morning when statues of Cook, Governor Macquarie and Queen Victoria were sprayed with political slogans.

The Archibald Memorial Fountain and ANZAC Memorial were also believed to be damaged, however clean-up crews had removed most of the graffiti by 12pm.

Acknowledging the history the statues presented, the Prime Minister also emphasised that the monuments tell 'one version of events'.

'After all contention and controversy enliven history... Yes, there are many dark chapters of injustice, hardship and cruelty,' Mr Turnbull wrote.

'But we do not advance the clear eyed telling of the truth as we see it today, by trying to obliterate the reality of the different perspectives of times past.'

A statue of former NSW governor Lachlan Macquarie (pictured) was also targeted by vandals

The statue (pictured) was spray-painted with political slogans referring to the debate over the date of Australia Day

The graffiti included the words 'change the date' and 'no pride in genocide' in spray-paint on the Captain Cook statue and similar words on that of Lachlan Macquarie.

The statue of Queen Victoria was defaced with the words 'F***ing bow down'.

The vandalism spree follows fierce public debate about whether inscriptions on statues of Cook should be changed because they celebrate the Englishman's 'discovery' of Australia and ignore Aborigines' occupation of the land prior to that.

Police are investigating 'a number of incidents of malicious damage' in the park, believed to have happened between 2am and 3am on Saturday.

'Three crime scenes have been established throughout the park and inquiries are continuing,' a spokeswoman said.

Images of a male (pictured) have been released with police hoping he might be able to assist them with inquiries into the malicious damage of the public monuments

The man (pictured) is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a full face beard and was wearing a khaki-coloured jacket, black track pants and brown boots

NSW Police released CCTV footage and images of a male they wish to speak to about the incident.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a full face beard, wearing black sunglasses, a khaki-coloured jacket with a red shirt or scarf underneath, black track pants and brown boots.

Indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant, who called for the inscription on the statue to be changed, has spoken out about the vandalism, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.

'That's appalling. It's vandalism. If we can't have this conversation in a country, democratically and respectfully, then it is just disgraceful,' he said.

'People who do that, they actually reflect badly, not just on themselves, but if they actually care about indigenous people and our cause, they are the ones who damage us.'

A statue of Queen Victoria (pictured) was painted with the words 'F***ing bow down' early on Saturday morning

Clean-up crews were on the scene shortly before noon on Saturday to remove the paint (pictured)

The graffiti attack comes just days after Grant called for the inscription on the Cook statue to be changed.

'The inscription that Cook 'Discovered this territory 1770' maintains a damaging myth, a belief in the superiority of white Christendom that devastated Indigenous peoples everywhere,' he wrote in an opinion column for the ABC.

His comments have reportedly been submitted to Mayor Clover Moore for consideration.

'The Lord Mayor has referred Stan Grant's comments to the City of Sydney's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory panel for their consideration and advice,' Ms Moore's spokesman said.

The Archibald Memorial Fountain and ANZAC Memorial were also believed to be damaged

The graffiti (pictured) attack comes just days after indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant called for the inscription on the Cook statue be changed

Mr Turnbull called for the preservation of the statues, saying: 'We do not adopt every inscription on every statue or monument - it is a voice at a point in time'

Prime Minister Turnbull also weighed in on the debate on Friday, saying Grant was 'dead wrong'.

'All of those statues, all of those monuments, are part of our history and we should respect them and preserve them,' he told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio.

'By all means, put up other monuments, put up other signs and sites that explain our history.'

A City of Sydney spokeswoman said the council was also cleaning up graffiti that appeared overnight in Martin Place and Macquarie Street.

'Sites affected include the Archibald Memorial Fountain, ANZAC Memorial and statues including the Captain James Cook statue,' she told AAP.

'NSW Police have completed forensic work and city cleaning crews have commenced work to remove the unlawful graffiti.'

The graffiti attack comes just days after indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant (pictured) called for the inscription on the Cook statue - stating the explorer had 'discovered' the territory in 1770 - to be changed

Calls to pull down a number of Sydney monuments honouring key figures in Australian history have also been slammed as 'taliban-like'

Suggestions to remove the monuments had been met with resistance from Shooters and Fishers MP Robert Borsak, who labelled the idea as 'Taliban-like'.

While Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine suggested a continued push to rectify history was a 'Stalinist approach'.

'All this nonsense about changing things  we cannot look back at history with our modern minds otherwise we would have to tear down the pyramids because they were built by slaves,' said Mr Mundine.

'Attempts to rewrite our public history for the sake of political correctness  which is what these activist want to do  is little better than Stalin erasing his political opponent from photographs.'

Mr Mundine was in agreement who instead suggested for a different approach, erecting monuments to indigenous people.

Aboriginal leader Warren Mundine (pictured), also suggested the continued push to rectify history would be a 'Stalinist approach'
Thousands of bargain-hunters left queuing for Lidl's 3.33-a-bottle prosecco deal were left fizzing with anger after many of its stores sold out in minutes.

The deal offered by the discount supermarket chain over the August Bank Holiday weekend saw punters flock to the chain's outlets early this morning.

Shoppers were forced to queue to enter stores across the country to get their hands on a case of Allini Prosecco for 20, which works out at just 3.33 a bottle.

Photographs were posted on social media showing patient customers queuing as the sun rises.

Thousands of bargain-hunters (pictured in Grimsby) in left queuing for Lidl's 3.33-a-bottle prosecco deal were left fizzing with anger after many of its stores sold out in minutes

The deal offered by the discount supermarket chain over the August Bank Holiday weekend saw punters flock to the chain's outlets early this morning (pictured: South Shields Lidl)

A photograph from a Lidl supermarket in Newcastle shows crowds waiting to buy a case of cheap prosecco

On its website, Lidl describes the flavour of the wine (pictured) as a 'fresh, pear-scented fruit' and claim it is 'highly moreish'

The discount will only last two days, on August 26 and 27. The bubbly usually costs 5.79 a bottle.

On its website, Lidl describes the wine as a 'fresh, pear-scented fruit and highly moreish'.

The tasting notes go on to say: 'Very versatile, either on its own or with food.

'This has the clean, pear drop aromas characteristic of good Prosecco and is light, crisp and fresh on the palate.

'A little drier than some Proseccos and very moreish.'

Brits are drinking more Prosecco than ever before - and there's no sign that our love affair with the Italian sparkling wine is ever going to end.

Last year supermarket sales leapt by 34 per cent to 356million, and we drank an amazing 40million litres of the stuff.

But it's not just the drink itself we can't get enough of. Shops and online stores are increasingly filled with Prosecco paraphernalia  everything from alcohol-filled foods to bubbly-themed clothes and homeware.

Photographs were posted on social media showing patient customers queuing as the sun rises (shown in Stowmarket, Suffolk)

The scene in Cardiff, Wales as families prepare for a mad dash with trollies at the ready
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has defended his actions after passing out drunk in Parliament in 2009 and missing critical votes on the Rudd government's global financial crisis spending bills.

On Friday Malcolm Turnbull led a scathing attack on Mr Abbott , who he knew was asleep in his office and unable to be roused after a boozy dinner with colleagues.

'It's clearly not acceptable or admirable in any way,' Mr Turnbull told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio.

But Mr Abbott has responded in a robust fashion, suggesting his misdemeanor was easily rectified, something that could not be said for the former government's expenditure.

Tony Abbott (pictured) admitted he 'passed out drunk' and missed a crucial parliamentary vote

Malcolm Turnbull slammed the former prime minister for drinking 'quite a few bottles of wine'

'I was sober in the morning. But our country is still dealing with the debt and debt hangover of the former Labor government's spending binge,' he told 2UE radio on Saturday.

'That's what we should be focused on, not the fact that Peter Costello, Kevin Andrews and I had three or four bottles of wine over dinner.'

When questioned over his drinking habits, he revealed that the reason he maintains such good physical health was so he could indulge in 'food and drink to excess'.

'I don't think that anyone has ever accused me of not being a knockabout Aussie,' he added.

Then-Labor treasurer Wayne Swan also weighed in on Mr Abbott, saying his recklessness knew no bounds.

Mr Abbott laughed off his night in the members-only dining room in early 2009 when 'quite a few bottles of wine were consumed' between three MPs.

'There was one famous occasion when Peter Costello, Kevin Andrews and I hung out rather a long time here,' he will say in an upcoming episode of the ABC television series The House.

'I think quite a few bottles of wine were consumed by the three of us. Peter was close to leaving at that stage, and I think all of us were in a mellow and reflective mood, so the reflections went on for longer, and later, than they should have.'

Mr Abbott, who was a member of Mr Turnbull's then- shadow ministry, admitted he slept through several divisions.

When questioned over his drinking habits, Mr Abbott revealed that the reason he maintains such good physical health was so he could indulge in 'food and drink to excess'

The Prime Minister (pictured) told Neil Mitchell on 3AW radio Friday morning 'it's clearly not acceptable or admirable in any way'

Malcolm Turnbull knew Mr Abbott (pictured) was asleep in his office and unable to be roused after a boozy dinner with colleagues in 2009, but there was nothing he could do

'The impact was rather greater than it should have been. I think I famously slept through several divisions,' Mr Abbott revealed

At the time he had dismissed questions about whether he was drunk as 'impertinent'. 'I lay down, and the next thing I knew it was the morning,' he said.

The former prime minister confessed he fell asleep after a night of heavy drinking while he should have voted on Kevin Rudd's Global Financial Crisis bailout measures back in 2009.

Mr Abbott shared the story on The House with Annabel Crabb  a series which takes viewers behind the scenes at Parliament House.

The leader of the opposition at the time, Mr Abbott remembered it was the night the then-Rudd government was trying to bring in measures to deal with the GFC.

He said the three men were in a 'mellow and reflective mood' and the drinks lasted longer than they should have.

Mr Abbott shared his story on The House with Annabel Crabb (pictured together)  a series which takes viewers behind the scenes at Parliament House

In the episode due to air on TV on September 5, Ms Crabb (pictured) described Mr Abbott as the only MP who was 'reckless enough to smuggle me in' to the Members Only dining room at Parliament

'The impact was rather greater than it should have been. I think I famously slept through several divisions,' Mr Abbott said.

'It was a late night sitting, against all OH&S rules as you can imagine. I lay down, and the next thing I knew it was morning.'

Mr Turnbull said Mr Abbott missed an important vote and while he was disappointed in his colleague he'd moved on.

'I can't remember anyone else missing a vote because they were too drunk to get into the chamber,' he said on Friday.

'But the fact is Tony has fessed up to it, he knows it was an error or whatever, he's acknowledged it and that's good.'

Mr Swan said Mr Abbott was self-indulgent in sleeping through a vote on policy at a time of economic crisis.

'He slept through some of the most important votes in the Australian Parliament in over 50 or 60 years,' he told reporters in Brisbane.

'When the jobs of Australians were on the line, Tony Abbott didn't care. His recklessness knows no bounds.'

Ms Crabb described Mr Abbott as the only MP who was 'reckless enough to smuggle me in' to the Members Only dining room at Parliament.

The episode is due to air on television on September 5.
Amir Khan's estranged wife has praised Conor McGregor for his devotion to his long-term partner in a sly dig at her own husband.

Faryal Makhdoom Khan posted a tweet that included a quote from the mixed martial arts superstar explaining how he'd been with his girlfriend Dee Devlin for eight years when they used to live on unemployment benefits.

Above the quote, Faryal wrote: 'Love this. I really respect men who respect their women despite how famous they get.'

It comes weeks after an astonishing public spat between Faryal and Khan when the boxer announced his marriage split on Twitter and both accused the other of cheating.

Khan also accused his American wife of having an affair with heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua.

Amir Khan's estranged wife has praised Conor McGregor for his devotion to his long-term partner in a sly dig at her own husband

Khan hit out at his wife, writing: 'Left my family and friends for this Faryal. I'm not hurt but another fighter. I'm making it public. You getting the divorce #Golddigger.'

But Faryal hit back minutes later, claiming her husband left his family because they had 'robbed' him and telling him to 'stop making false things up'.

Branding him a '30-year-old baby', she went on to accuse him of sleeping with prostitutes and being a bad role model.

Joshua laughed off Khan's claims, posting the music video from pop star Shaggy's It Wasn't Me online, and saying he had never met Faryal.

Khan later apologised to Joshua and said there was 'no truth' to his claims.

The couple, who married in 2013, claim Khan was sent screenshots of 'fake' messages purportedly sent between Joshua and Faryal which he initially believed to be real.

Khan, who is worth 23million, apologised after receiving a letter from Joshua's legal team demanding an apology for the allegations.

After Joshua wrote 'apology accepted', Khan tweeted him directly saying: 'Glad all is cleared up and all lies. I got angry like any man would. No truth to it. Good to know. All the best.'

It comes weeks after an astonishing public spat between Faryal and Khan when the boxer announced his marriage split on Twitter and both accused the other of cheating

Khan accused his American wife of having an affair with heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua

The very public spat came at the end of a turbulent few months for the couple, who married in a lavish New York ceremony in 2013 and have a three-year-old daughter, Lamaisah, together.

Problems began last year when Khan's family said his wife, an American model, dressed improperly for a Muslim woman.

She accused them of verbal and physical abuse, but in a TV interview Khan's parents called his wife an 'evil woman', while his sister claimed Faryal had prevented the family from seeing Lamaisah.

The couple were then hit by further drama when a sex tape of Khan performing a sex act on a webcam while chatting with a model was leaked to a US porn site.

'BOXING WILL BE OVER' IF MCGREGOR WINS, SAYS KHAN Amir Khan fears 'boxing will be over' if Conor McGregor defeats Floyd Mayweather tonight. Khan is wary of the wider consequences should McGregor secure what would be the unlikeliest of wins on his professional boxing debut against the fighter widely regarded as the finest of the modern era. His concern is that so may of boxing's followers will thereafter be seduced by MMA, and that McGregor's and the UFC's present popularity also serves as 'a warning' to the sport he has dedicated his life to. 'If McGregor wins, boxing is over,' the 30-year-old said. 'Disaster, big time. 'It should be a warning to boxing. There are a lot of titles out there. Amir Khan fears 'boxing will be over' if Conor McGregor wins in Vegas tonight 'It gives more people an opportunity for a title. (But in) UFC there is only one champion which makes it harder for them. The way boxing is going is fine. (But) it is a warning that you must step your game up. 'I can't see (McGregor) winning though. To have this fight will take whichever sport to a different level. 'It is going to be a good fight for the first couple of rounds but I see Mayweather getting a stoppage. This could be Mayweather's chance to finish his career on a high against a big name. 'He's fighting a guy who hasn't had a fight: people are forgetting that. They know his MMA career is good. It will be exciting for a couple of rounds then Mayweather will walk through him. 'It's a good fight, it's a money fight. It's going to make a lot of money and boxing is a business.' Advertisement




Murderer Tracie Andrews has been pictured leaving a hotel with her new husband 21 years after knifing her first fiance to death.

The bride, now 48, stabbed Lee Harvey, 25, more than 40 times in 1996 and hours later blamed a road rage attack by 'a fat man with staring eyes' who never existed.

The murderer, who was later jailed for 14 years and released in 2012, has walked down the aisle with divorcee Phil Goldsworthy, 56, at a hotel in Redruth, Cornwall, today.

Andrews changed her name to Jenna Stephens and dyed her blonde hair black after leaving jail and met her bouncer husband when she started behind the bar in the pub where he worked.

The bride, now 48 (right), stabbed Lee Harvey, 25, more than 40 times in 1996 and hours later blamed a road rage attack by 'a fat man with staring eyes' who never existed. She is pictured with her new husband Paul Goldsworthy

Mr Goldsworth knows all about her past and is 'smitten' with the former hairdresser, who had a history of violence towards her boyfriends before she murdered Mr Harvey in a country lane outside Birmingham in 1996

The couple chose the four-star Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, which is described as a Georgian mansion offering 'an unashamedly lavish wedding in sumptuous surrounds'

For 3,000-plus couples get married can enjoy an sumptuous three course wedding breakfast for up to 250 guests, canapes, Pimms or sparkling wine and the honeymoon suite on the night including breakfast

Mr Goldsworth knows all about her past and is 'smitten' with the former hairdresser, who had a history of violence towards her boyfriends before she murdered Mr Harvey in a country lane outside Birmingham in 1996.

The couple chose the four-star Penventon Park Hotel in Redruth, which is described as a Georgian mansion offering 'an unashamedly lavish wedding in sumptuous surrounds'.

For 3,000-plus couples get married can enjoy an sumptuous three course wedding breakfast for up to 250 guests, canapes, Pimms or sparkling wine and the honeymoon suite on the night including breakfast.

Ahead of today's wedding the notorious 'road-rage' killer donned a racy policewoman outfit for her hen do.

Tracie Andrews, 48, has married her new lover Phil Goldsworthy, 52, today (pictured together previously) - 21 years after she knifed her first fiance to death

Battered and bruised: Andrews presented herself as a victim during her tearful press conference in 1996 (left) but was convicted of murder and released from jail in 2012 where she changed her name and hair colour (right)

Vicious attack: Barmaid Tracie Andrews, 46, became one of Britain's most notorious female killers after she stabbed her fiance Lee Harvey, 25, to death on the side of a quiet country road in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, in December 1996. She claimed he was killed by a motorist

She was spotted in June as a policewoman wearing a short skirt, suspenders and a lapel badge reading 'WPC Pleasure'.

Andrews and a friend, also dressed as a policewoman, hoisted up their skirts and stroked each other whenever men wolf-whistled at them, it was reported.

She was also said to have 'jiggled' her breasts and kissed strangers while celebrating with six friends at the Butlin's holiday resort in Minehead, Somerset.

After Saturday's celebration, the convicted killer, who lives under a new identity, stepped out for the second night of the 1980s-themed weekend wearing a daring leather and lace catwoman outfit.

Andrews, who now goes by the name Jenna Stephens, was said to have staggered home in the early hours before nursing a hangover.

A reveller at the Butlin's event said: 'She knows no shame - she thought it was hilarious to dress as a copper.

The newleyweds married at the Penventon Hotel in Redruth, Cornwall, this afternoon

Furious argument: Andrews stabbed bus driver Mr Harvey more than 42 times with a pen knife in 1996

'She didn't spare a thought for Lee's family. The lads swooning over her would be shocked to learn her true identity.'

Her antics were a bitter blow for Lee Harvey's daughter Danielle, who used to live with Andrews before she murdered her father in a country lane in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, in 1996 after an argument.

Danielle says she can't believe Andrews was celebrating her hen party on Father's Day.

The 25-year-old told MailOnline: 'I saw that she was back in the paper and I'm absolutely disgusted. And that it was published on Father's Day is awful timing.

'It's made me feel sick to my stomach to be honest.'

Danielle, a mother-of-five, from Birmingham, has been slowly rebuilding her life since losing her dad 21 years ago.

The family refuses to speak about Andrews as they think she revels in it and don't want to give her wedding to new love, bouncer Phil Goldsworthy, anymore publicity.

Andrews gained notoriety as one of Britain's most infamous female killers after she stabbed bus driver Mr Harvey dozens of times and slashed his throat, leaving him to bleed to death in a country lane.

She then concocted a story that he had been killed by 'a fat man with staring eyes' in a road rage attack.

Andrews even appeared on television clutching the hand of Mr Harvey's mother Maureen as she made an emotional appeal for help to catch the killer.

But she was eventually charged with murder, and her trial was told there was compelling forensic evidence which showed she had killed her fiance with a Swiss Army-type pen knife following an argument.

Neighbours at the couple's home in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, said they frequently heard shouting, and the jury was told Andrews had also violently attacked former boyfriends.

She was jailed for life, with a recommendation that she serve a minimum of 14 years before she would be considered for parole.

Almost two years later she confessed to killing Mr Harvey, but insisted she was acting in self-defence.

After her release from Askham Grange Prison near York, Andrews moved to a southern coastal town - which cannot be named for legal reasons.

Tracie Andrews delivered an 'Oscar-winning performance' in deception at a police press conference just hours after murdering fiance Lee Harvey in a frenzied attack, a new documentary claims.

Andrews, 46, a former part-time model, became one of Britain's most notorious female killers after she stabbed her partner Lee Harvey, 25, 42 times on the side of a road in Alvechurch, Worcestershire, in December 1996.

Just 36 hours after the killing, Andrews, then 27, appeared alongside Mr Harvey's parents - holding his mother's hand - at an emotional press conference and described how she had tried to help her fiance after he had been murdered by a 'large man with staring eyes' after a high-speed car chase on a quiet country road.

Body language expert Cliff Lansley, who used to train staff at the US Department of Homeland Security, reveals on tonight's episode of Investigation Discovery show Faking It: Tears Of A Crime how Andrews gave away six separate signs of deception during the conference as she said the following eight words: 'I just tried to stop the bleeding, really.'

Tracie Andrews, who served 14 years in prison for stabbing lover Lee Harvey 42 times, has been branded 'disgusting' by her victim's daughter Danielle (above) for celebrating her hen do in a policewoman's outfit on Father's Day

Danielle, pictured with her father, used to live with Andrews, before she stabbed him to death in a country lane in Alvechurch, Worcs, in 1996 after an argument

Jailed: Andrews, 46, was later convicted of murder at Birmingham Crown Court in July 1997

Andrews said her fiance had been murdered by a 'large man with staring eyes' after a high-speed car chase on a quiet country road - but it was her

The killer's blood-splattered New Look jumper worn on the night she killed her fiancee
A man who allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted two youngschoolgirls in NSW is believed to be a Central Coast father-of-three.

Troy Stephen Johnson, 31, was reportedly arrested Friday after allegedly dressing in a camouflage suit and using a secret lair to sexually assault a 12-year-old girl in Narara in May.

He is also alleged to have raped an 11-year-old girl, who was known to Johnson according to The Daily Telegraph, in a separate incident.

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The man (pictured left) arrested Friday in high-vis gear is believed to be Johnson (right) a Central Coast father-of-three

The arrest was made as part of a three-month investigation, after officers were able to link the two attacks thanks to detailed description provided by the 12-year-old victim.

'Obviously she is relieved that an offender has been arrested, and it is an obvious comfort to her,' Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett said Saturday.

'I also want to acknowledge the bravery of the victim. She has been absolutely exceptional with the detail that she has been able to provide the investigation.'

Detectives from the State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad arrested the man during a 'very well planned' vehicle stop at Lake Haven at about 9.30pm on Friday.

A Woongarrah home was searched following the arrest, with officers reportedly seizing a camouflage suit, hunting knives, boots, cable ties and a mask.

Police will reportedly allege they also found a rape kit inside the man's garage.

The 31-year-old man (pictured Friday night) allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl as she walked to school

The man has been charged with 13 offences including stalking, intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical or mental harm, kidnapping and child sex offences.

Police previously said they believed the man involved in the attacks wore the camouflage suit to carry out a 'hunter fantasy'.

After several interviews with the two young victims, detectives said the man had been wearing a dark camouflage coloured top and pants with fake leaves attached to it, along with a matching mask, gloves and backpack.

A photo of a person in a similar suit was posted on one of Johnson's family members social media pages, while his own account also featured hunting pictures.

It is alleged the man behind the attacks dragged the 12-year-old girl into the bushland of his lair, bound her with cable ties and raped her before she was able to escape and alarm teachers at her school.

Police said there is a 'possibility further victims might come forward' following the arrest and are alleging the sexual assaults took place between late 2016 and early 2017.

The man (pictured) allegedly dragged the girl into the bushland to a 'lair' to rape her before she was able to escape and alarm teachers at her school

The Ghillie suit worn by the man during the attacks is usually worn by military snipers trying to stay hidden for hours on end but can be bought easily at army surplus stores.

Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett said in July a lot of effort went into wearing the Ghillie suit.

'The offender went to a fair amount of trouble to wear that particular outfit, obviously wanting to disguise his identity,' she said.

'As you can imagine, it has been a difficult process, particularly for the younger girl, who has bravely relived the incident over and over to help us.'

A number of items were seized during a search of a Woongarrah home (pictured), including camofaluge gear allegedly worn during the attacks

The 12-year-old girl previously told police the man was wearing a camouflage suit similar to what is pictured

It is believed a lair was used by the man while he allegedly attacked the 12-year-old girl while dressed in a leafy 'Ghillie' suit.

The lair, located by police between Reeves St and Carrington St, Narara, was hidden out of sight from a nearby walking path that many students, including the 12-year-old girl, took to get to school.

The hidden lair was littered with rubbish alongside a plastic orange chair, old tyres and a make-shift tent made out of a large draped sheet.

NSW Police said on Saturday the man suffered a medical episode shortly after being arrested and was taken to Wyong Hospital for treatment.

The 31-year-old was refused bail and remains in hospital under police guard where he is expected to face Wyong Local Court Sunday.

Officers also reportedly seized hunting knives (pictured), boots, cable ties and a mask during their search

The creepy lair (pictured) was allegedly used by the man when he attacked the 12-year-old girl
Remains dug up by authorities earlier this month have been positively identified through dental records as Chase Massner  the Iraq War veteran who went missing on March 26, 2014.

The Cobb County Medical Examiner's office discovered leftover bones and other remains August 1 in the backyard of suspect James Bradshaw Clement's former residence at 555 Farmbrook Trail in Kennesaw, Georgia,WGCL-TV Atlanta reports.

Cobb spokeswoman officer Alicia Chilton initially said in a news release the medical examiners were unsure whether the rotted remains that were sniffed out by dogs belonged to an animal or a human.

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The Cobb County Medical Examiner's office has positively identified remains found buried behind a home in Kennesaw in early August as Chase Massner

Remains belonging to Massner were found buried behind a home once owned by Brad Clement, the man accused of concealing Massner's dead body

The remains were identified through dental records from the Department of Defense

Officials initially did not know whether the bones belonged to a human or an animal

'The remains have been removed from the backyard of the residence, and the medical examiner and detectives are now working to identify the remains,' Chilton announced a few weeks back.

Clement, 31, who was a friend of Massner's, is believed to be the last person to have contact with him the night he disappeared for good.

Massner reportedly left work at a QuikTrip convenience shop in the area that day, and was picked up by Clement at a nearby Arby's restaurant, Clement told police after the discovery.

Clement said he was consoling Massner and keeping him company after he revealed to him he and his wife had been dealing with marital issues.

James Bradshaw Clement was charged with concealing a death

Clement initially ran from authorities after they found the remains belonging to Massner

Massner allegedly stayed at his place that night and walked out the next day without explanation on where he was headed.

Following the discovery of Massner's remains, Clement fled the neighborhood, but was arrested in Dekalb County two weeks ago.

Clement has been charged with concealing a death, a crime he told police he planned to turn himself in for but changed his mind, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Massner disappeared for good March 26, 2014

He previously denied allegations against him since the case opened up.

It's unclear whether Massner's wife at the time had any contact with him the day of his disappearance. Her name has not been released.

Clement told police Massner was having marital problems when he came to stay the night at his place

It's unclear whether Massner's wife at the time had any contact with him the day of his disappearance

Mother to the Army vet, Stephanie Cadena, expressed grievances and frustration regarding the drawn-out search in an interview with the news station.

'I'm in no way an expert, but to a mother just wanting to lay her son to rest, this is incomprehensible,' Cadena said of the three year-long process.

'Now we can begin to plan a proper funeral for Chase, our son, husband and father,' Cadena, added. 'The next step is to prosecute the man being charged in this case!'

Clement has since been jailed in DeKalb County while further investigation is underway.
They agreed that the bilateral relations have developed well and lifted to a new height after the historic visit made by former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, in 2015.

To date, both Vietnam and UNESCO have implemented many targets of their Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation effectively.





At the meeting, the two sides discussed cooperation potential and priority goals in the fields of education, culture, science, information and communications.

Trung, who is Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasised the importance of UNESCO in implementing the 2030 sustainable development goals, adding that Vietnam and the organisation could share their ideas and experience to serve sustainable socio-economic development.

Irina Bokova affirmed Vietnam has made important contributions to the organisation and spoke highly of the countrys role as a bridge for intensified relations between ASEAN and UNESCO.

On the same day, the UNESCO Director General visited Bai Dinh pagoda in the northern province of Ninh Binh, which is located in the Trang An landscape complex - a UNESCO-recognised Cultural and Natural World Heritage site.

In a meeting with provincial leaders, she appreciated the localitys policies and efforts to preserve and promote the value of the heritage site.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova is on an official visit to Vietnam from August 24th-27th./.
Concerns are growing for the welfare of a Northern Territory couple after the pair jumped into crocodile-infested waters to escape from a police roadblock.

Raphael Woodhouse, 25, and Caitlyn Munnich, 19, fled officers when they were pulled over on the Arnhem Highway at 12.30am on Saturday.

The pair were last seen at the Bird Billabong in the Mary River as chasing officers gave up their pursuit when their safety became in danger near the water in the dark.

Police believe this couple (pictured) may have jumped into a crocodile-infested river in NT

Raphael Woodhouse, 25, announced that Caitlyn Munnich, 19, his partner was pregnant in July

A Northern Territory police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the couple still remained missing and investigations onto their whereabouts were ongoing.

'The man is known to police and that their vehicle was stopped for a random drug and alcohol test,' the spokesperson said.

However, the couple refused to stop, forcing police to give chase.

Territory Duty Superintendent James O'Brien said the pair were last seen at Bird Billabong in the Mary River.

'We believe the pair may have jumped into the Mary River and hold grave concerns for their welfare,' he said.

'The Mary River system is full of salt water crocodiles and we are hoping that these people have made it to safety.'

Concerns are especially grave for Ms Munnich who is believed to be pregnant with Mr Woodhouse's child.

The pair in an undated photo which was posted on their social media page recently

Mr Woodhouse made the announcement of his partner's pregnancy on his Facebook page last month adding that he was stoked in becoming a father again.

'Too excited to hold it in for any longer but we both thought we'd let everyone know that my partner Caitlyn, is pregnant!

'We're expecting a baby next year I'm going to be a dad again.

'So stoked! Things could not get any better for us right now,' he said in the post.

The pair are both of Indigenous descent and have dark hair.

Ms Munnich is about 160cm while her partner is about 175cm tall and medium build.
France's president has warned Poland is isolating itself within the European Union and that its people deserve better.

President Macron said the Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party  a nationalist and Eurosceptic government  is causing Warsaw to move in the opposite direction of the rest of Europe.

Poland dismissed the accusations, branding Macron inexperienced and arrogant.

'Europe is a region created on the basis of values, a relationship with democracy and public freedoms which Poland is today in conflict with,' said President Macron.

Poland dismissed the accusations, branding Macron (left) inexperienced and arrogant. 'I advise the president that he should be more conciliatory ... Perhaps his arrogant comments are a result of a lack of experience', said Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo (right)

French President Emmanuel Macron, center, his wife Brigitte, left and Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev pose during a welcome ceremony and prior their meeting, at the Euxinograd residence outside Varna, Bulgaria.

He said Poland's unwillingness to budge on the EU's revised directive on 'posted' workers  cheap labourers from eastern countries who are posted temporarily to more affluent nations  is a mistake that leads to unfair competition.

The French president added: 'In no way will the decision by a country that has decided to isolate itself in the workings of Europe jeopardize the finding of an ambitious compromise.'

In a scathing attack that could worse relations with the Western Powers and EU Commission and Poland, he said the Polish people deserved better.

Poland's Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, right, talks with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw

Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, pictured right with UK Prime Minister Theresa May, said former banker Macron, 39, lacked political experience and accused him of undermining the EU

Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo, left with Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, said former banker Macron, 39, lacked political experience and accused him of undermining the EU

'Poland is not defining Europe's future today and nor will it define the Europe of tomorrow,' Macron said at a joint press conference with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in the Black Sea resort city of Varna

In response, Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said former banker Macron, 39, lacked political experience and accused him of undermining the EU.

'I advise the president that he should be more conciliatory ... Perhaps his arrogant comments are a result of a lack of experience,' Szydlo said.

'I advise the president that he should focus on the affairs of his own country. Perhaps he may be able to achieve the same economic results and the same level of security for citizens as those guaranteed by Poland.'

Ms Szydlo's comments were an indirect reference to the Polish government's refusal to accept migrants from the Middle East who are considered a threat to national security.

The Polish Foreign Ministry has urgently summoned the French charge daffaires to express 'the Polish government's indignation' about Macron's 'arrogant words'.

It quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Magierowski as saying Poland 'expects that France will abandon language that is divisive and which damages the unity of the EU'.
A British holidaymaker has been rushed to hospital after plunging from a third-floor balcony in Ibiza.

It comes just weeks after a fellow Brit, Londoner Carl Shepherd, fell to his death earlier this month.

In the latest incident the 20-year-old, who has not been named, was rushed to hospital around 5.30am this morning, conscious but with a head wound.

Local reports said he had been drinking before he fell.

The incident happened at the Bossa Mar Apartments in Playa d'en Bossa (pictured)

The incident happened at the Bossa Mar Apartments in Playa d'en Bossa, near to the Jet Apartments where Mr Shepherd, 28, died in the early hours of August 14 after falling asleep on a third-floor ledge.

Friends and family paid tribute to the electrician dad-of-one last week, describing him as a 'warm and charismatic man', as it emerged he was a cousin of British actress Aletha Shepherd who works between Hollywood and London.

The Bossa Mar Apartments are virtually on sandy Bora Bora beach and belong to the Jet group which owns the Jet Apartments.

It comes just weeks after a fellow Brit, Londoner Carl Shepherd, fell to his death earlier this month

Mr Shepherd died after falling asleep on a third-floor ledge at the Jet Apartments (pictured)

In a separate incident on August 6 Callum Marriott, 26, from Clipstone, Nottinghamshire, died after plunging onto the floor of an inside patio from the fourth-floor of a building called the Tanit building in nearby San Antonio.

He had just enjoyed his last night out on the holiday island with friends and was due to catch a plane home later the same day.

Investigators said afterwards they believed he may have been trying to get into his fourth-floor apartment when he fell in the early hours after leaving his friends and returning early only to find he didn't have keys to get in.

Charlie Simpkin, 20, a workmate at Mansfield Citroen where Mr Marriott worked as a technician, said in a moving tribute: 'There aren't words to describe him. He was just golden. He was like a brother to me. He was really bubbly, he loved life, his music and his cars.'

And a 27-year-old Irishman was badly hurt last month after hitting his head on the bottom of his swimming pool at his two-star hotel in San Antonio when he miscalculated the depth and dived into the shallow end.
A rally was held in New York by those who wish to see the removal of a statue of Christopher Columbus from where it has stood since the 1800's.

The statue is currently under review by a special task force implemented by Mayor Bill de Blasio designed to remove 'symbols of hate' in New York City.

Friday night, demonstrators took to Columbus Circle where the statue is prominently displayed in a busy round-about at the base of Central Park, carrying signs that read: 'Columbus didn't discover America he invaded it.'

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Demonstrators gathered in New York's Columbus Circle to call on the city to remove a statue of Christopher Columbus from where it has stood since the 1800's

The statue was offered as a gift to New York by the city's Italian community in 1892

Christopher Columbus statue sits in Columbus Circle at the base of Central Park

Another sign called the statue 'A tribute to racism and genocide.'

Poll Do you think the statue of Christopher Columbus is a 'symbol of hate'? Yes No Do you think the statue of Christopher Columbus is a 'symbol of hate'? Yes 642 votes

No 5676 votes Now share your opinion





Columbus has been hailed in American-lore as discovering the new world on his expedition in 1492 on behalf on the Spanish empire.

But critics note his cruel treatment of the native inhabitants of the Caribbean and South America and his active participation in the slave trade.

Mayor de Blasio's call for reviews of various historical figures comes after the deadly events in Charlotesville, Virginia earlier this month where a rally was held to protest the removal of a Confederate statue.

The rally turned deadly when a car plowed into a group of demonstrators, killing 34-year-old Heather Heyer, who was protesting white supremacists.

On Friday morning at City Hall, there was another rally, this time for the Columbus statue to stay put.

'It's Columbus today and who knows who will be on this secret list tomorrow,' Staten Island Councilmen Joe Borelli said Thursday, according to CBS New York. 'This is an unfortunate chapter in New York City's history.'

Comedian Joe Piscopo also spoke out about leaving the historical monument right where it is at the rally attended by politicians, individuals and community groups.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio is weighing decision on whether to remove statue of Italian explorer Christopher Columbus

'The one iconic symbol for Italian-Americans was Christopher Columbus. He's flawed, we're all flawed  hey, I'm flawed. Does that mean I'm not gonna get a rest stop named after me on the Jersey Turnpike?' he said. 'Stop the political correctness. The political correctness is killing us.'

The statue was offered as a gift to New York by the city's Italian community in 1892, and groups such as the NYPD Columbia Association, which includes thousands of Italian American police officers, are fighting to keep the statue in place.

It's not just Columbus who is under siege.

A New York statue of Peter Stuyvesant has also become a target of ire, following the call for the removal of the statue of Christopher Columbus.

After Mayor Bill DeBlasio said he would erase all 'symbols of hate' in the city a Jewish activist group is calling for the removal of the Peter Stuyvesant statue in Manhattan and all traces of the Dutch governor and director general of the colony of New Netherland, which would later be named New York by the English.

'Peter Stuyvesant was an extreme racist who targeted Jews and other minorities including Catholics and energetically tried to prohibit them from settling in then New Amsterdam,' said Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, the head of the Shurat HaDin-Israel Law Center told the New York Post.

'New York, of all American cities, which boasts such important Jewish history and claims such a present day vibrant Jewish community, should take the lead in denouncing Stuyvesant's bigotry.'

As a prominent New York historical figure, removing traces of Stuyvesant could prove a daunting task.

There's Stuyvesant High School, the most prestigious of the public schools, which arguably accepts only the brightest students in the city.

The Peter Stuyvesant statue has become the newest target in the war on statues as a Jewish group wants to see it removed along with other Stuyvesant references in New York City

Mayor Bill deBlasio's assertion that he would remove all 'symbols of hate' has provoked an avalanche of attacks on historical monuments in New York

Then there is the issue of the entire Brooklyn neighborhood called Bedford-Stuyvesant.

The statue of the man himself sits in Stuyvesant Town, a large cluster of private residential buildings that some would consider a New York neighborhood unto itself.

According to the New York Post, Stuyvesant, who had previously fount to allow the Jewish people who he described as 'deceitful,' 'very repugnant' and 'blasphemous' to settle after orders from the Dutch West India Company.

If New York stops using Peter Stuyvesant's name, what happens to Bed-Stuy

The premiere public high school in New York City is named after Peter Stuyvesant

Darshan-Leitner suggests a name swap, replacing the name of Stuyvesant with that of Asher Levy, one of the first Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam.

A spokesman for the New Netherlands Institute, says the idea is 'ridiculous' and argues the 'treasonous' Confederates being taken down is entirely different.

'This was about customs in the 17th century,' said the spokesman, arguing that Stuyvesant opposed any religion outside of his own church to maintain social cohesion and due to ignorant ideas about disease,' the spokesman told the Post.

'They should talk about the history, but not start removing statues.'
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The owner of a controversial Brooklyn bar says she's not going to take down or cover up the feature of a 'bullet-damaged' wall on her property after some residents accused her of racial insensitivity.

Becca Brennan, the 31-year-old owner of Summerhill, a 'boozy sandwich shop' in the Crown Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York, spoke with angry locals for the first time on Thursday since a press release for the restaurant mentioned 'bullet holes' -- really just a damaged wall -- as part of its authentic appeal.

'Im sorry I have a sense of humor,' Brennan told the heated crowd. 'I was more trying to focus on the fact that I was keeping the integrity of this one hundred-year-old building, and trying not to cover up the history of my neighborhood and that corner.'

Becca Brennan (pictured), the 31-year-old owner of the controversial Brooklyn bar Summerhill, told residents on Thursday that she's not going to take down or cover up the feature of a 'bullet-damaged' wall on her property

This is the first time Brennan (left) spoke with locals since a July press release for the restaurant mentioned 'bullet holes' -- really just a damaged wall -- as part of its authentic appeal

The meeting, organized by local district leader Geoffrey Davis, comes after protests erupted in the restaurant in July amid Brennan's decision to feature the wall, sell wine in 40 ounce bottles and suggest she might wrap beverages in paper bags.

Dozens met up outside Summerhill to speak out against the 'bar's commodification of stereotypes that only serve to hurt the community.'

The area has been rapidly gentrifying in recent years and the owner - Canadian former corporate lawyer Becca Brennan - has been accused of racism for trading on the neighborhood's African American roots.

Protesters gathered outside Summerhill in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, in July to protest against its 'racist' use of symbols of the area's troubled past to brand itself. One such feature was a fake 'bullet-riddled wall'

User Ang Low said: '#whitepeople move to hood, make fun of our struggle.. #ImDone @ALSHARPTON_REV @EaterNY @Gothamist "fake gun holes" #summerhill ..Smh #bk.' The supposed bullet-riddled wall is pictured in his post

The area has been rapidly gentrifying in recent years before Canadian former corporate lawyer Becca Brennan opened the bar

One protester address the crowd outside the bar which was opened by a Canadian former corporate tax lawyer

Brennan, wasn't in attendance for the protest but did release a statement admitting that some of her ideas are 'insensitive'.

As part of the bar's opening publicity, Summerhill issued a press release in July featuring a mixed drink next to a damaged wall described as 'bullet hole-ridden' and was supposedly part of a 'rumored backroom illegal gun shop' in the past.

'Yes, that bullet hole-ridden wall was originally there and, yes, we're keeping it,' it read.

The 'bullet-hole ridden wall' is actually a fake. It was originally damaged and Brennan decided to make a feature out of it -- a decision she later admitted was 'cheeky'.

Another of the bar's gimmicks is to sell rose wine in 40 ounce bottles, which Brennan even suggested could come in paper bags.

However, such features have not gone down well with many of the local population.

One protester told the Daily News in July: 'People from my culture used to sit on the corner and drink, and theyre trying to profitize that. And that is their marketing. Its not cheeky. Its offensive.'

Customers are pictured on the bar's Instagram with a bottle of the Forty Ounce Rose . The owner even suggested the bottles could come in paper bags

The owner posted an Instagram photo of the 40 ounce wine bottle on the bicycle of one of her barmaids

Gothamist asked for clarification on the symbolism, to which Brennan said in an email: 'I'm not an authority so don't feel comfortable commenting on anything other than my businessa new bar and restaurant that locals (/my neighbors) seem to really enjoy and appreciate.'

Brennan hails from Toronto, Canada, and attended New York University and worked as corporate tax attorney for Bristol-Myers Squibb before moving to Crown Heights two years ago.

Natherlene Bolden, a founding member of the Crown Heights Tenants Union and resident of the neighborhood since 1978, voiced her criticism of the establishment.

'Actions speak louder than words,' said the 55-year-old.

'You are making money off of... negative aspects in our community which, you know, you're happy when these things go on because you can make money off of it.'

'And it's like you're not thinking about the black people or the long-term residents in the community. Or maybe you are thinking about them but they don't matter.'

Brennan released a statement to the initial backlash in July saying that she planned to 'talk to (her) neighbors about positive ways we can more involved, including with other local small businesses, artist and charities.'

It said: 'I deeply apologize for any offense that my recent comments might have caused.

'I did not intend to be insensitive to anyone in the neighborhood, and I am sorry that my words caused pain. I made light of serious issues and that was wrong.'

Owner Becca Brennan posted a statement justifying to the Instagram account and insist that she will do more to listen to the local community

Protest gathered outside the bar on Saturday after posting signs that read 'This is what gentrification looks like'

Outside the bar, police were said to have threatened to shut the July protest down if too many people convened in the area and weren't peaceful

But the sentiment was already cosigned by people on social media who also voiced their disdain with the restaurant's publicity stunt.

User Ang Low said: '#whitepeople move to hood, make fun of our struggle.. #ImDone @ALSHARPTON_REV @EaterNY @Gothamist "fake gun holes" #summerhill ..Smh #bk.'

'Boycott Summerhill BK. Blatant racism. Trash. Go write a 1 star Yelp review,' added Joanna Reynolds, posting a link to the shop's yelp page.

On Instagram, Shanaya Amoy commented: 'Get out. We don't want you in our community. You are a culture vulture and you are not welcomed here. Your business will fail because you have disrespected the entire community. No one wants you here and we will not stop protecting until you shut down and go back to wherever you came from.'

'This was even more of an insult by not seeing the wrongs in what you have done . No apology no nothing . You and anyone else who dares to support this place is disgusting,' added another user.

One commented on Brennan's absence from the protest and said: 'YOU COULDNT EVEN SHOW YOUR FACE TODAY THATS WEAKNESS. WE WILL BE BACK.'

Summerhill also took a hit on Yelp, with many leaving one star reviews along with messages for the owner.

Thersea S said: 'Awful. The owner should be ashamed of exploiting the past violence of this area. Can't wait to see this business close.'
Deciding on a college isn't easy for high school seniors, but imagine that times four. That was the case for the Ciacciarellas quadruplets from Naugatuck, Connecticut.

Michael, Vincent, Sofia and Anna moved into Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, on Wednesday.

The Ciacciarellas were the first quadruplets born at Yale-New Haven Hospital 18 years ago. Next week, they become the first set to attend classes at Quinnipiac.

'They originally had no intention to go to school together or stay in Connecticut,' said their mother Anne Cicciarella. 'But as they were finalizing their decision, they went to an accepted students' day there, and that changed everything. Two years of tours and visiting changed in the last 19 days of the process.'

(From left to right) Anne and Mike Ciacciarella, and their children Sofia, Anna, Michael and Vincent Ciacciarella, of Naugatuck, Connecticut, celebrate the quadruplets' high school graduation in June

The Ciacciarellas will become the first set of quadruplets to attend classes at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut (pictured)

While the four siblings will be attending the same college, they'll be following separate paths.

Michael is majoring in civil engineering. Vincent wants to be a news anchor. Sofia is on a pre-veterinary track. And Anna wants to work for a non-profit.

About 10 miles down Interstate 91, quadruplets Aaron, Nick, Zach and Nigel Wade are preparing to begin their freshman year at Yale. Parents Darrin and Kim Wade drove a stuffed SUV from their home in Liberty Township, Ohio, last week to help move their sons, who had flown to Connecticut the week before.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 512 sets of quadruplets were born in the country in 1999.

Jeremy Simon, a spokesman for the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, which tracks college demographics, could not say how many quadruplets attended the same school each year.

Yale had another set in 2010. And quadruplets have been admitted in recent years to Duquesne, Randolph-Macon, Virginia Tech, Iona and Baylor.

'But the odds of having two sets at schools about nine miles apart, I can tell you that's about as rare as a (total) solar eclipse,' Simon said.

The Wade quadruplets, Aaron, Nick, Zach and Nigel (pictured), will be attending college at Yale in New Haven, Connecticut, about nine miles away from the Ciacciarellas

They will be the second set of quadruplets to attend Yale (pictured)

The Ciacciarella quadruplets and Wade brothers applied to more than 50 schools per set, their parents said.

Sophia was the first Ciacciarella to decide in April that Quinnipiac was where she wanted to go, and her siblings followed suit. Each received a partial academic scholarship, and the school also is giving them their standard $2,000 per student sibling discount.

'There was a little sibling pressure, but I don't think a lot,' said Vincent. 'Once I stepped on campus and saw what they had to offer, I realized it was a good fit for me, too.'

Darrin Wade said his sons, who were all accepted to Harvard and other top schools, had the choice of going their separate ways. But he said a generous financial aid package and logistics made Yale a good fit for all of them.

'There was a five-hour radius from our house that we told them we would be responsible for things like getting them down there and back,' he said. 'But five hours and one minute and they were on their own if they were going to split up.'

The Ciacciarella quadruplets (pictured) and Wade brothers applied to more than 50 schools per set, their parents said

Both families said their children are independent and they don't expect their quadruplets to spend a lot of time hanging out with their siblings. All of them insisted on living in separate dorms or residential colleges and each is pursuing a different career path.

'I know that I'll be meeting hundreds of new people, but I also know Anna will be, like, a five-minute walk from me if I ever need to go to her for anything, so that's really cool,' Sophia Ciacciarella said.

The Wades said they've told their sons to check in on each other at least once a week.

'But they are there to do their own thing,' Darrin Wade said. 'They just happen to have the same last name and the same mom and dad.'

The parents say they expect to experience a period of adjustment as they head back to an empty nest. Kim Wade said she and her husband recently went on their first canoe trip without the boys and are looking forward to a schedule no longer filled with sporting events and music recitals.

'Am I going to cry? Definitely,' she said. 'But not because I want them back home, just because it's an emotional time.'
It's one of only six properties in London that can boast a lake in its grounds  and Grade II listed Rush Grove House was also once bought by the Admiralty as a grace- and-favour home for one of the Royal Marines most decorated officers. But, incredibly, just five years ago the Georgian mansion in Woolwich, South-East London, was derelict.

Now, thanks to the intervention of a property developer with a special interest in the arts, it has been restored to its former glory, and has even become something of a star of the screen  both large and small.

Rush Grove House was chosen to play the West End gallery of J. M. W. Turner in director Mike Leighs 2014 biopic of the famous British artist, which starred Timothy Spall  and the property was also a location for the smash-hit 2013 TV detective drama The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher.

Classical lines: Rush Grove House. The smaller wing on the left, with a conservatory, abuts the larger wing on the right

Developer Gary Halkyard is now selling the mansion, which has been divided into two. The six-bedroom wing is on the market at 2.85 million, while the four-bedroom wing is for sale at 1.95 million.

The property was built in 1816 and purchased in 1855 by the Admiralty to be the home of General Sir Anthony Blaxland Stransham, a veteran of the Greek War of Independence and First Opium War, who was commandant of the Royal Marine Barracks in Woolwichs Frances Street.

Rush Grove House was used as the home of subsequent commandants of the barracks and other high-ranking military figures until it was sold by the Admiralty in 1986 to private owners, who used it as a ten-bedroom family home.

At a glance Price: 2.85m and 1.95m Location: Woolwich, SE London Bedrooms: 6 and 4 Unique features: Starred as J. M. W. Turners gallery in 2014 biopic and appeared in 2013 TV series The Suspicions Of Mr Whicher; Grade II listed and has its own lake. Advertisement

They moved out some years before Mr Halkyard  a patron of the Barbican, Dance Umbrella, English National Ballet and Sadlers Wells  bought it in 2012, hence its poor state. Ive been developing property for 38 years and Im particularly passionate about period property  preserving our heritage, as well as creating great homes, he says.

I first heard about Rush Grove House through an architect friend who sent me details of the property. It ticked many boxes; Rush Grove House has period charm in buckets and its setting is highly unusual for a London property. Its also located in Woolwich, which is undergoing rapid transformation and will benefit from Crossrail.

The propertys brush with film and TV fame came before Mr Halkyard got to work restoring it.

He explains: Location scouts first identified Rush Grove House as the ideal location for Mr Turner and brought it to Mike Leighs attention. He came down to see it himself and I walked around the lake with him, telling him about the property and its history. As soon as he saw the house, he fell in love with it and the rest is history.

Brush with fame: Left is Timothy Spall as Turner in the 2014 biopic. Right is a portrait of Turner

Once on site, it didnt take long to transform Rush Grove House into Turners 18th Century Queen Anne Street Gallery.

Mr Halkyard says: The crew were at Rush Grove House for 15 weeks and also used it as a base to do other shoots, due to the off-street parking and security for their vehicles and generators.

The previous family had flocked wallpaper and pink carpets. The director asked to rip out the carpets to reveal the floorboard beneath, which he aged to give a period look. In fact, the floorboards were aged so well that, when I applied for planning permission, the conservation team thought they were the originals. The film crew painted the walls in period colours and made candle marks as there would have been in Mr Turners day. I was so inspired by some of the changes made for the film, that it informed some of the interior design decisions at the house.

During the ensuing renovation, 14 tons of household waste that had been illegally dumped in the grounds had to be removed.

The house had suffered from neglect and looting of some of its original features, says Mr Halkyard. There was much to be done; the roof needed replacing and I restored its magnificent sweeping staircase, sash windows and shutters, and intricate door frames. The fireplaces had been pilfered, so I replaced those and installed hardwood and marble flooring.
Australian airport chiefs and several Government officials have warned a new plan to ID all domestic passengers could lead to further terrorist attacks.

Following last month's alleged Islamic terrorist plot to bring down an airliner leaving Sydney, fears that elongated queues as a result of the ID checks will leave travellers a prime target for terrorist attacks.

Next month airport bosses will meet to discuss an independent review of airport safety across Australia, where it is believed they will raise their growing concerns, The Herald Sun reported.

Australian airport chiefs have thrown caution to the wind after suggesting a new plan to ID all domestic passengers could lead to further terrorist attacks

Following last month's alleged Islamic terrorist plot to bring down an airliner leaving Sydney, fears that elongated queues as a result of the ID checks will leave travellers a prime target for terrorist attacks

The proposed scheme would see expensive scanners rolled out which would check all passengers identity but industry experts have suggested would-be terrorists would not be deterred by the added security check.

There is also the added issue that not all passengers would have the required ID of either driver's licence or a passport.

Airport chiefs believe a more viable option would be high-tech bag scanners, currently used in several other countries, which would ensure all baggage is safe and fit to travel.

The U.S. are the latest nation to review their security systems following revelations a Sydney terror cell shipped components for a bomb from Turkey to Australia on a commercial cargo plane.

In a bid to reassure Australians, Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester said the Australian Government works alongside security agencies and international partners to constantly review aviation security risk.

'The Office of Transport Security works with overseas airports and airlines to address adverse findings and security gaps where necessary,' Mr Chester said.

Airport chiefs believe a more viable option would be high-tech bag scanners, currently used in several other countries, which would ensure all baggage is safe and fit to travel

In a bid to reassure Australians, Federal Transport Minister Darren Chester said the Australian Government works alongside security agencies and international partners to constantly review aviation security risk

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has suggested Australia are vulnerable to Islamic State's operations in the Philippines as foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria head to the southern city of Marawi

Mr Chester also revealed 2015 restrictions placed upon cargo arriving from Syria, Egypt, Bangladesh, Yemen and Somalia.

But security measures are becoming a cause for concern for the Government, as one insider suggested worry over security measures at airports in nearby Asian countries which are often used as a last stop before arriving in Australia.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has suggested Australia are vulnerable to Islamic State's operations in the Philippines as foreign fighters returning from Iraq and Syria head to the southern city of Marawi.
Boxer Amir Khan and his estranged wife Faryal Makhdoom have turned to an Islamic sharia law expert in a last-ditch attempt to save their troubled marriage.

Pir Shaami posted a picture of him and the Bolton fighter saying Khan had invited him to his house for a Special Dawat (dinner) and to 'make dua for the forgiveness of his shortcomings'.

In Islam 'making dua' means asking Allah for forgiveness by carrying out a set of specific steps.

The spiritual leader said Khan had 'made a firm intention to abide by the laws of Islam.'

It comes weeks after an astonishing public spat between Faryal and Khan when the boxer announced his marriage split on Twitter and both accused the other of cheating.

Khan also accused his American wife of having an affair with heavyweight rival Anthony Joshua.

Pir Shaami posted a picture of him and the Bolton fighter on August 15 saying Khan had invited him to his house for a Special Dawat (dinner) and to 'make dua for the forgiveness of his shortcomings'

The spiritual leader said Khan had 'made a firm intention to abide by the laws of Islam'

The boxer was said to have told him the relationship was unhealthy during the meeting on August 15 but the spiritual leader urged him to be patient and ride it out, The Sun reported.

He said the couple should stop their public bickering and try to resolve their differences.

Faryal, an American model, had asked to meet the spiritual leader alone but he refused to unless she was accompanied by a man.

She later tweeted and then deleted: 'I respect and trust Shaykh Saqib Shaami as much as Amir does.

'He has not been biased previously and will do justice.

'I also respect Shaykh Saqib Shaami's Islamic position of not meeting women to stop spreading false rumours on social media'.

A family friend of the Khans told the newspaper: 'To Amir he explained what the rights of women are, what his wrongdoings were and why he should seek forgiveness.

'To Faryal he has said she has equal share to blame for deterioration of relations and that she has been wrong too.'

Amir Khan's estranged wife has praised Conor McGregor for his devotion to his long-term partner in a sly dig at her own husband

It comes weeks after an astonishing public spat between Faryal and Khan when the boxer announced his marriage split on Twitter and both accused the other of cheating

But despite the meeting the couple's very public spat showed no signs of abating.

Earlier today Faryal praised Conor McGregor for his devotion to his long-term partner in a sly dig at her own husband.

She posted a tweet that included a quote from the mixed martial arts superstar explaining how he'd been with his girlfriend Dee Devlin for eight years when they used to live on unemployment benefits.

Above the quote, Faryal wrote: 'Love this. I really respect men who respect their women despite how famous they get.'

In a series of extraordinary tweets earlier this month Khan announced on social he and his wife Faryal were splitting up.

He also accuses her of cheating on him with fellow boxer Anthony Joshua - a claim he later apologised for after admitting there was 'no truth' to his claims.
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Tens of thousands of protesters today united on the streets of Barcelona in a show of defiance as they declared to terrorists: 'We are not afraid!'

The King of Spain, Felipe VI and the country's prime minister Mariano Rajoy were among those marching just metres away from the scene of the horrific vehicle attack on Las Ramblas earlier this month which left 14 dead and more than 100 injured.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the atrocity - which was Spain's deadliest in more than a decade - as well as another in Cambrils that used vehicles and knives.

Barcelona mayor Ada Colau called for citizens across the country to join in the protests, with a banner bearing the slogan 'No tinc por!' - which means 'we are not afraid' - held at the front of the march in the capital

The march was led by protesters holding a banner reading 'no tinc por' which means 'we are not afraid' in the local Catalan language

Spain's prime minister Mariano Rajoy, left, is greeted by King Felipe, pictured right, before taking part in the march of unity

Spain's King Felipe, centre, prime minister Mariano Rajoy, third left, and Catalonia regional president Carles Puigdemont, fourth from right, and other politicians take part in the march

Pictured left: King Felipe istens to a young Muslim during the march. Pictured right: The King greets representatives of the police and medical services who were assisting in the recent terror attacks

Barcelona mayor Ada Colau called for citizens across the country to join in the protests, while in the capital a banner was held with the slogan 'no tinc por!' - which means 'we are not afraid'.

It was carried by representatives of the emergency services who attended the aftermath of the attacks, together with residents, hoteliers who took in victims and their families, taxi drivers and shop owners.

During the huge demonstration today the people of Barcelona were accompanied by the presidents of all the other 17 autonomous Spanish communities, mayors, top representatives of the main political parties and members of social and trade union organisations.

Hundreds of volunteers also distributed red, yellow and white flowers, colours that represent the cross of Sant Jordi which is a symbol of Barcelona.

A woman holds a sign reading 'no to Islamophobia' during the march condemning this month's attacks

During the huge demonstration today the people of Barcelona were accompanied by the presidents of all the other 17 autonomous Spanish communities, mayors, top representatives of the main political parties

A Spanish Government spokesman said before the march: 'This act will pay tribute to the victims and be used as a display of unity to mourn the victims and of the desire to do away with senseless terrorism'

The slogan of the march - which is in the local Catalan language - has grown from a spontaneous civic answer that the government and Spain's political class have unanimously embraced.

A Spanish Government spokesman said before the march: 'This act will pay tribute to the victims and be used as a display of unity to mourn the victims and of the desire to do away with senseless terrorism.'

'The government urges all those Spanish people that are able to attend this demonstration, but at any event they will be represented by the various State authorities, in order to show that the people of Spain are united to combat this barbarism in their values of democracy, liberty and human rights.'

It was carried by representatives of the emergency services who attended the aftermath of the attacks, together with residents, hoteliers who took in victims and their families, taxi drivers and shop owners

The slogan of the march 'no tinc por' - which is in the local Catalan language and means 'we are not afraid' - has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to the violence

'After the terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils, the general public responded with a cry of protest that was charged with courage and emotion: 'No tinc por' (I am not afraid).

'A clamour from a loving, welcoming city. This Saturday, we will be out on the street once more, in freedom and calling for peace,' said a spokesman.

An online book of condolences has been set up which has already received tens of thousands of comments from wellwishers.

Traffic was restricted in the area from two hours before the 6pm start and safety tips were issued by the emergency services, including the police.
Reporter: What did Papua New Guinea do to ensure food security in your country?

Mr. Mawe Bacchi Gonapa: Food security is a real situation in PNG. Although we grow a lot of food, its not being accessed by the population. We have a population of 7.2 million, and out of that, 85% is involved in subsistence farming, and food security is very very important to us.

And so we, the government of PNG, has got a national food security policy which is aligned with big goals, which are called sustainable development goals, and also aligned to the FAO framework of food security, that we want our population to be food secured.

So we have a national food security policy in place, which is also aligned to the national government plan which is called PNG 2050, so it is a very very important policy. We have now developed, have come up with a new policy which can run from 2017.

We have a national policy of food security, and so whatever outcomes that come from this meeting, especially the multi-action plan, we will extract what is important, and feature it, have it in our national food security plan and then try to implement some of the activities.

So we are aligned with APEC multi-action plan, we want to improve our farming practices which are responsive to climate change, and our people should grow a lot of food. And over time we want to see a very sustainable community that grows food, when we have the effects of climate change becoming very very real to our people.

Reporter: I know APEC member economies focus on applying advanced technology in agriculture. As a delegate, you hear so many ideas on applying advanced technology in agriculture. Can you tell me some of the contents of the discussions on this issue, and can you tell me in Papua New Guinea what did your country apply in advanced technology in agriculture?

Mr. Mawe Bacchi Gonapa: Well its a real challenge to use the advanced technology, or what you call climate smart agriculture, because our farmers are all rural based, you know, subsistence, so it is a real challenge for the government to adopt some climate smart technologies from our economies, especially learning experience from Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines... all the economies that have smart technologies.

These are technologies that our farmers, we will encourage them to use. So there are a number of initiatives or strategies that we will try to follow or pursue so that our farmers have the access to those technologies.

One way of doing it is to get the technology into the country through pilot projects, what are called collaborative projects, through our government or through our private sector research organisation, through our research currently known as national agriculture, we want to pilot  get the farmers to use the technology, especially like getting the information on the weather patterns, when is the right time to plant, and with the farming techniques  conservation and using drought tolerant varieties of crops or livestock species that will perform very well under the climate change conditions.

So for us its new, we want to have access and we want to allow or invite our colleague economies to come and share their best practices and experience with us.

Reporter: What do you hope Papua New Guinea will do, after finishing this meeting in Vietnam?

Mr. Mawe Bacchi Gonapa: After learning from this experience, our immediate role now, what we will do quickly is to have a work plan, because we need to prepare to host a food security week next year and that is in March.

And so we will be now organising and mobilising our technical team and policy team, even our government officials in the agriculture ministry to work together, to come up with a plan for the food security year.

For instance, we need to have the plan for the food security week, and other meetings, high level meetings, starting as of now, after this, until 2018 when we have the leaders meeting in November 2018.

Reporter: I know that APEC 2018 will be organized in Papua New Guinea. So, what did Papua New Guinea learn from this meeting in Vietnam?

Mr. Mawe Bacchi Gonapa: We have learned a lot from Vietnam. We have learned a lot in terms of what Vietnamese government is doing in the preparation of the food security week and I know the APEC summit in 2018, PNG will learn a lot from the experiences here with Vietnam, and how it is organizing the meetings, how much resources its committed into organizing the meetings, the budgets, the logistics, and getting participants from all the economies to come to Vietnam for the leader's meetings and all the technical meetings, so we're learning a lot from our colleague, from Vietnam.

Reporter: What are your ideas on Vietnam, such as on the people and tourism of Vietnam?

Mr. Mawe Bacchi Gonapa: By staying here for a week I've learned that Vietnam has got a lot of things that we will learn, in tourism, in agriculture, in farming techniques, the experts that they have to develop farming system, because we see the production of crops and livestock is at a very advanced stage, and so in terms of food security, I believe Vietnam is not a real problem.

And I think that with the population, I realise that there is more than 90 million population, and nobody is going hungry  maybe a small population is hungry  but everybody is well fed and they look healthy, so for us we want to learn a lot from the experiences of Vietnam, and use it for Papua New Guinea./.

Reporter: Thank you very much!
Three British rowers attempting a record 1,200-mile voyage across the raging seas of the Arctic Ocean are stranded on a remote volcanic island after being battered by fierce storms.

The trio, part of a six-man crew, were forced to land on the tiny island of Jan Mayen, just 340 miles from their destination on Iceland.

The Polar Row team, including British double Olympic gold medallist Alex Gregory, had endured freezing temperatures and almost constant soaking in their fibreglass boat, which has neither an outboard motor nor sails.

Nightmare: The Polar Row team (pictured) had endured freezing temperatures and almost constant soaking in their fibreglass boat, which has neither an outboard motor nor sails

Having landed on the island, the three Britons and another rower refused to continue because of safety fears. Only the boat's Icelandic skipper and an American crewman wanted to keep going.

It is understood the stranded crew may not be evacuated from the 144 square mile island until next week but are being looked after by an 18-strong Norwegian military contingent based there.

Last night the Maritime & Coastguard Agency confirmed it had received an SOS.

Gregory, 33, a father-of-three who won rowing gold medals at the London and Rio Games, wrote on Twitter: 'I truly believed I wouldn't see land, my family or anything again.'

British double Olympic gold medallist Alex Gregory (pictured) was one of the crew who refused to go on after 'thinking heavily about my children' upon reaching Jan Mayen island

Stranded: The expedition set off on July 20 from Tromso, Norway

The team was being led by Icelandic athlete Fiann Paul, and also featured Gregory, fellow Britons Sam Vye and Danny Longman, and Americans Tyler Carnevale and Carlo Facchino. The expedition set off on July 20 from Tromso, Norway.

Gregory posted an emotional video message on Twitter after arriving on Jan Mayen on August 19, in which he described how the crew had been taken in by Norwegian military personnel who had 'saved our lives'.

A post on the expedition's Facebook page, from August 18, said the crew had a 'phenomenally tough 72 hours'. It quoted Gregory saying: 'We never seem to be getting very far, nothing changes. I've never been so wet and cold. It's seeping into my bones, there is absolutely no escape from it. I have to wait for land. It's getting worse though, the colder I get, the more I have to work during my shift, the sweatier I get, the wetter I get, the colder I get.'

Two days earlier he had written of 'a grey, cold, damp, dangerous and pretty miserable existence'. On Friday, he told The Mail on Sunday by email: 'Thinking heavily about my three young children I made the decision my journey would end on Jan Mayen. This was a personal decision, one that was also agreed to by three other crew members.

The team was led by Icelandic athlete Fiann Paul, and also featured Gregory, fellow Britons Sam Vye and Danny Longman (above), and Americans Tyler Carnevale and Carlo Facchino

'As it happens we were also the least experienced ocean rowers out of the six of us. Fiann Paul and Carlo, who are both extremely experienced and confident, were committed to continuing the journey to Iceland.'

He said there were no arguments and that 'Fiann as captain completely understands our decision and respects our decision. The differences of opinions have come through the individual's perception and confidence in personal safety and ability to continue the expedition. We all continue to support Fiann in his challenge of finishing the expedition to Iceland'. It is not known if Paul and Facchino will carry on with fresh rowers.

Yesterday a Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are assisting three British men who have sought refuge on the Norwegian island of Jan Mayen following a rowing expedition and remain in contact with Norwegian authorities.'

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency said: 'The UK Coastguard received a call from the rowers but as there was no threat to life, no search and rescue was required. The Coastguard contacted the rowers' UK shore support team and informed the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.'

The crew were attempting to smash a number of world records to raise funds to build a school in the Himalayas. They were aiming to be the first to row the ocean from south to north, as well as being the fastest and largest team to row in the Arctic. They were also conducting research.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for a machete attack on a group of soldiers in Brussels last night.

The terror group claimed a 30-year-old man who was shot dead at the scene of the attack, which left a soldier injured, was acting on its behalf.

Authorities have described it as an 'attempted terrorist murder'.

Police and a soldier are seen watching over the man who attacked troops in Brussels

A statement by ISIS propaganda outlet Amaq claimed: 'The perpetrator of the stabbing operation in Brussels is one of the soldiers of the Islamic State, and he carried out the operation in response to appeals to target countries of the (US-led) coalition'.

The statement, which did not name the man - who security services said was from Somalia - cited a 'security source'.

Witnesses said the attacker was shouting 'Allahu Akbar', which means 'God is great'.

Emergency services are believed to have attempted to resuscitate the attacker but he died at the scene in Brussels

Police have secured downtown Brussels after the man - a 30-year-old Somalian - was shot by soldiers

The scene on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain was yesterday flooded with police and cordons are in place, according to pictures from the scene.

The man rushed at several soldiers from behind and struck them with a knife, prompting one of them to open fire.

'The man was hit and died shortly afterwards in hospital from his wounds,' the prosecutors' statement said. As well as the knife, police found a replica gun and two copies of the Koran on him.

Although not known for any terror-related activities, he had an assault and battery charge on his record from February, the statement said.

It happened just metres from a street where ISIS jihadis had called for vehicle attacks and police arrested a suspected bomber in a shopping mall.

'There was an attack against a soldier in Brussels,' federal police told AFP. 'Soldiers at the scene responded.'

A chilling post on the Telegram app called for terror fanatics to mow down pedestrians on nearby Rue Neuve - which is considered to be the second most popular shopping street in the city.

Just days ago jihadis called for attacks on a street only yards away. Pictured: The scene in Brussels after the attack

Police officers, including one armed with a rifle, stand guard at the scene. Belgium's anti-crisis centre said soldiers 'neutralised' the man and the situation is 'under control'

Police simply said 'soldiers at the scene responded' after the attack

On the same street a man wearing a fake suicide belt triggered a bomb alert last year after acting suspiciously near the City 2 Shopping Centre.

A Brussels police spokesman said at the time: 'The man was arrested, but it turned out that his suicide belt was fake. It contained salt and biscuits.'

The attack came a year after 35 people were killed and 340 injured when ISIS terrorists blew up Brussels Airport and a train station in the city.

In June a man with possible ISIS sympathies was shot dead before he could detonate a suitcase bomb in the city's Central train station.

The latest attack was also just a week after jihadists ploughed through crowds on a popular street in Barcelona, killing 13 and injuring 130 last Thursday.

Police and soldiers can still be seen in the area

The country's prime minister Charles Michel tweeted: 'All our support is with our soldiers. Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely.' Pictured: The scene in Brussels

Tonight's incident happened just metres from a street where ISIS jihadis had called for vehicle attacks in a chilling post on the Telegram app, pictured

A spokeswoman for the Belgian prosecution service said: 'With the identity that we currently have it is a 30-year-old man who is not known for terrorist activities'

After witnessing today's atrocity, Ryan MacDonald wrote on Twitter: 'Sound of gunshot, heavy police presence outside on Boulevard Emile Jacqmain, Brussels.'

Another said: 'Heard two bangs and loads of sirens in Brussels, anyone know what's happening?'

A spokeswoman for the Belgian prosecution service said: 'With the identity that we currently have it is a 30-year-old man who is not known for terrorist activities.'

The country's prime minister Charles Michel also tweeted: 'All our support is with our soldiers. Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely.'
Republican congressional leaders openly castigated President Donald Trump over the weekend for his decision to pardon controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio who was found guilty of criminal contempt after illegally targeting Latinos.

House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized him through an aide on Saturday.

'The speaker does not agree with the decision,' Ryan's spokesperson, Doug Andres, told The Wall Street Journal.

Earlier on Friday, Arizona Senator John McCain lashed out at the president accusing Trump of undermining the rule of law in his statement.

'@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law,' McCain posted to Twitter.

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House Speaker Paul Ryan criticized the President's action, saying through a spokesperson that he 'does not agree with the decision' (Pictured: Ryan, August 23, 2017)

Republican Senator John McCain joined dozens of others to slam Trump's decision to pardon Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio (McCain is pictured in July)

In a statement posted on Twitter, McCain accused the President of undermining the rule of law in his decision

Roger Stone, a close personal friend of the president and former adviser to his presidential campaign had a harsh response to McCain's statement

'Law-enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States. We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon,' he added.

On Friday night Trump tweeted his decision to pardon Arpaio, citing his long history of public service.

Roger Stone, a close personal friend of the president and former adviser to his presidential campaign had a harsh response to McCain's statement.

On Saturday Stone tweeted: 'Karma about to get you @SenJohnMcCain and you will burn in hell for all eternity.'

Stone is known for his harsh demeanor and abrasive criticisms of people he does not see eye-to-eye with politically.

McCain is currently undergoing treatment against an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma - so Stone's tweet will likely be met with fury from the Senator's friends and family.

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally. Arpaio and Trump are pictured together in January 2016 during the presidential campaign

On Friday night Trump tweeted his decision to pardon Arpaio, citing his long history of public service

Trump tweeted out the news that he had decided to pardon the the 85-year-old Friday night, writing: 'Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service.

'Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.

'Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.'

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

The former sheriff was facing up to six months in prison after he admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order.

But he said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

In his statement McCain recognizes Trump's authority to issue a pardon, but says it was the wrong decision because Arpaio 'has shown no remorse for his actions.'

The full statement reads: 'No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold.

'Mr Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders.

'The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.'

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused trump of using the 'cover of the storm' to pardon Arpaio

His condemnation of the president's decision came as dozens of politicians from across the aisle spoke out against the pardon.

Trump was initially lambasted by Democrats who accused the President of using his executive power to absolve one of the country's most polarizing figures as Hurricane Harvey was set to hit the Gulf Coast.

'Donald Trump just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nations most notorious agent of racism and bigotry, during a natural disaster that could hurt millions. That's not presidential, that's a coward,' Chairman of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez said in a statement.

'Sheriff Arpaio used racial profiling to tear apart immigrant families and devastate Latino communities. At the same time, he failed to investigate hundreds of crimes, including dozens of reported child molestations,' he added.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused the President of 'using the cover of the storm' to pardon Arpaio, 85, who was recently convicted of criminal contempt for unlawfully profiling Latinos.

'As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David,' Schumer wrote in a series of tweets.

'The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny. So sad, so weak,' he added.

Joe Arpaio for his part thanked the President, saying that his conviction was the result of an Obama era 'witch hunt'

Apaio earlier Friday thanked the President for the pardon, claiming in a tweet that the conviction was the result of an Obama era 'witch hunt.'

'Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!'

Trump's announcement came on Friday evening as most media turned to cover Hurricane Harvey, which is predicted to cause devastating damage to the southern coast.

Friday also saw the President sign a controversial executive order earlier Friday banning transgendered individuals from enlisting in the armed forces - reversing yet another Obama initiative.
A United States citizen working in South Sudan as a freelance journalist was among 19 people killed on Saturday during fighting between government troops and rebels in Yei River state, the rebels and the military said.

Christopher Allen, who worked for various news outlets, was killed in heavy fighting in the town of Kaya. South Sudan has been convulsed by conflict since late 2013, pitting President Salva Kiir's troops against those of rebel leader Riek Machar.

'On the ground, about 16 (bodies) have been found around the defensive position of the SPLA including this white man,' Santo Domic Chol, a military spokesman said. Three government soldiers were also killed, he said.

'He came here to tell our story,' rebel fighters mourned the loss of journalist Christopher Allen who was killed in the fighting in South Sudan

The rebels identified him as Allen, who had been embedded with them for the past week.

'We are sad for his family. He came here to tell our story,' said one rebel who knew Allen. He asked not to be named but said Allen had been in the middle of the fighting and wearing a jacket marked PRESS.

Chol said the rebels had attacked an army base in Kaya but they were repulsed after an hour-long fight.

The U.S. government did not respond immediately when Reuters sought comment.

The country spiraled into civil war, with fighting along ethnic lines, after Kiir sacked Machar in late 2013.

A peace accord was signed in August 2015 and Machar returned to the capital in April last year to share power with Kiir, before the deal fell apart less than three months later and Machar and his supporters fled the capital.

The conflict has forced about 4 million people to flee their homes. Uganda currently hosts more than a million South Sudanese refugees, while over 330,000 have fled to neighbouring Ethiopia.
The founder of the brand Serena Rees, left, with a model at an Agent Provocateur show

It sounds like a scene from a corny comedy film  1 million worth of 'gender fluid' designer knickers, bras and other underwear being stripped from the back of a lorry under the nose of its 'sleeping' driver.

But it left no one laughing at Les Girls Les Boys  the new firm targeted by the audacious heist.

The brand  promoted by Hollywood A-lister Sienna Miller  was all set to launch its exclusive range of 'bed to street' fashion wear for men and women alike on Friday.

But following the theft, described by a source close to the company as a 'targeted crime', supplies of many items in the range will be in short supply for the UK market  making the stolen stock doubly 'hot'.

The Great Knicker Rip-Off was staged last weekend when an unmarked articulated lorry bearing 3 million worth of stock was making its way from the Stuttgart factory of German underwear giant Triumph International to an LGLB warehouse near Leeds.

After reaching his legal driving hours limit, the driver pulled over for the night at an industrial estate in Barnsley, South Yorkshire  only 25 miles from his ultimate destination  to sleep in the cab.

The next morning, he told his bosses at a third-party hauliers, he woke to find the back of the curtain-sided lorry had been slashed open and a third of the stock  some 12,000 items of clothing  removed.

He claimed he might have been 'gassed' with some kind of sleeping drug so heard nothing of the robbery.

Some 12,000 items of the 'bed to street' range were stolen in the raid. - which a source close to the company described as a 'targeted crime'

It is understood that while many stores such as Harvey Nichols and outlets in the US have already received their stock, some stores or online customers in the UK may be disappointed

'There were a number of odd things about this heist,' said the source. 'For a start, they hadn't just blindly cleared out the whole truck  there were certain items targeted, including those already worn by actress Sienna Miller and Lady Mary Charteris.

'We're also wondering how on earth this particular lorry was chosen when it had no markings? And the thieves would have needed a decent-sized truck to hold the haul.'

It is understood that while many stores such as Harvey Nichols and outlets in the US have already received their stock, some stores or online customers in the UK may be disappointed.

The source said: 'This is a massive setback and means quite a bit of stock won't be available for UK customers when we launch, but we'll replace them as soon as we can.'

LGLB is owned by former model and lingerie tycoon Serena Rees, who founded Agent Provocateur in 1994 with her then husband Joseph Corre, son of punk icons Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren.

The company was bought by a private equity firm for 60 million in 2007 following the couple's divorce, so the launch of the LGLB label has been hotly anticipated.

An LGLB spokesman said: 'We are shocked by this. We hadn't realised the masses of celebrity endorsements on social media would lead to a robbery. We will launch on Friday as planned.'

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: 'We are investigating the theft and will try to locate the stolen stock.

'The fact that the items were not yet on the market will help us track them down.'
A matador was tossed around the ring like a rag doll after he was impaled in the armpit by a bull's horn.

Sergio Flores was unable to free himself after the shocking attack during a tournament in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

He was struck under the arm by the rampaging 500kg bull just seconds after the beast was let loose in the ring and charged towards his cloak whilst he was kneeling.

Matador Sergio Flores was tossed around the ring like a rag doll after he was impaled in the armpit by a bull's horn

Flores was carried several feet after the horn penetrated his armpit and was thrown into the air several times, still attached to the bull.

The video, posted by NTR Toros on its Facebook site, shows how the angry beast shakes the bullfighter violently before he is eventually thrown loose on to the floor. During the attack, the bull's horns also injured his other arm.

Helpers are seen rushing to his aid and he is carried to the bullring's operating theatre writhing in agony.

At first, medics thought he had been pierced in the throat but later confirmed he suffered three very serious puncture wounds which had caused substantial damage.

Flores was then rushed to the city's hospital where is condition is believed to be serious though doctors have reserved their prognosis.
The National Trust is sitting on investments worth more than 1 billion while pleading for donations and raising rents for tenants by up to 10,000 per cent, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Despite the conservation charitys vast financial reserves, it is running a series of multi-million-pound appeals to raise funds for restoration projects.

The astonishing portfolio of investments in commodities, bonds, hedge funds and property is guarded by half a dozen leading fund managers.

Trust Chief Dame Helen Ghosh (pictured), who has been in the post for five years announced last month that she will be stepping down next year

Revelations about the charitys enormous investment pool come after it told hundreds of leasehold tenants they faced ground rent increases of up to 10,000 per cent. One 87-year-old was told his rent would leap from 148 to 15,000 a year.

The rent row is the latest in a series of controversies that have hit the 122-year guardian of Britains heritage. Earlier this month, it was forced into an embarrassing U-turn after banning volunteers from meeting the public if they refused to wear gay pride rainbow badges.

According to the National Trusts most recent accounts, in the year to February 28, 2016, the total value of non-pension investments was 1,008 million. It received 522 million in income in the same period, including 51 million left in wills and 178 million in membership income. The charity spent 540 million in the same 12 months with a dozen staff earning six-figure salaries.

The National Trust Headquarters in Wiltshire. Earlier this month the Trust was forced into an embarrassing U-turn after banning volunteers from meeting the public if they refused to wear gay pride rainbow badges

Under-fire National Trust Director General Dame Helen Ghosh, who has been in the post for five years, announced last month that she would be stepping down next year.

Despite the investments portfolio, the charity is appealing for donations for a number of vital restoration projects. It is running a Protect Special Places appeal, saying it needs to look after buildings damaged by damp, as well as coastlines hit by erosion. It is also asking for cash to support a 5.4 million project to repair the roof of The Vyne, a Tudor palace in Hampshire.

The Trust said: Around 80 per cent of investments are held in restricted funds, meaning they can only be spent on specific places or purposes. The charity also has to keep a proportion of funds as general reserves This is good governance.

It added that it would consider forgoing ground rent increases where it considered leaseholders had been misled.

The Tenants Association of the National Trust said: Its disappointing for our members to read that 1 billion is squirreled away while their rents continue to increase to stratospheric levels.
Swiss officials have tonight called off a search for eight people missing since a huge landslide struck near the border with Italy,

Rescue workers believe those not accounted for were buried under millions of tons of rock.

The small village of Bondo was partly buried on Wednesday under metres of collapsing mountain, and regional police said they were expecting more rock and mudslides in the area.

The small village of Bondo was partly buried on Wednesday under metres of collapsing mountain

Lieutenant Andrea Mittner of the Grisons Canton Police said: 'We have done everything we could to search for these eight people'

The missing, all hikers, are two Austrians, four Germans and two Swiss.

'We have done everything we could to search for these eight people,' lieutenant Andrea Mittner of the Grisons canton police told a news conference broadcast on Swiss television.

'We used helicopters, dogs and rescue teams and we still did not find anybody. We have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that we will not find anybody.'

After police warned about the risk of more slides, a geologist flew over the site in a helicopter early on Saturday to inspect the 3,369-metre Piz Cengalo mountain.

It happened at the village of Bondo, close to the Swiss border with Italy, on Wednesday, and police tonight called off the search for eight missing hikers

A rescue helicopter hovers over the Swiss village of Bondo after the landslide, which left eight people missing

Experts have said melting permafrost due to high temperatures was one likely factor in the disaster, but the impact of changes in the mountain's structure over thousands of years appeared to have played a bigger role.

Police are investigating the circumstances of the tragedy to determine if anybody was at fault.

Bondo community leaders said they had sought to make the area as safe as possible, introducing flood-control improvements following a smaller landslide in 2011 and warnings about the unstable terrain.

'What happened fills us with deep regret, but I think we have done everything humanly possible,' mayor Anna Giacometti told state TV in an interview broadcast on Saturday.

Mayor Anna Giacometti told state TV said: 'What happened fills us with deep regret, but I think we have done everything humanly possible'
One in 25 medical staff at some NHS hospitals could be infected with a 'hidden' form of tuberculosis, it has emerged.

Scientists from Public Health England screened 469 clinical staff at one hospital trust in the north of England after two became ill with the contagious lung infection. They found that 128 had latent TB, where the bug is dormant but can become infectious at any time. Most hailed from India and the Philippines, where infection rates are high.

Scientists said the rate of latent infection at the trust equated to four per cent  one in 25  of its 3,000-strong medical workforce.

Risk: Scientists from Public Health England screened 469 staff at one hospital trust in the north of England (file pic) after two became ill with the contagious lung infection

Dr Onkar Sahota, chairman of the London Assembly health committee, said: 'This is probably the same story up and down the country.

'If these staff become infectious then they are a risk to patients.'

All the affected workers were offered treatment, the journal Occupational Medicine reported.

Public Health England said no patients had been infected by the two sick workers and that there was no immediate risk from latent infection.

Dormant: 128 had latent TB where the bug (file pic) can become infectious at any time

It refused to name the hospital trust, saying this would put at risk the pair's patient confidentiality. They have been in the UK for at least ten years.

But Joyce Robins, of Patient Concern, said: 'Public Health England needs to be more forthcoming. These staff are dealing with sick people daily.'

The UK has about 6,000 cases of TB a year, one of the highest rates in Western Europe.
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Charles Emery 82 (above) along with brothers Thomas Emery, 80, and 78-year-old Edwin Emery are suspects in the 2009 disappearance of 10-year-old Lindsey Baum

Police with cadaver dogs moved in early Saturday to a ramshackle property connected to the alleged penny loafer pervert brothers whose depraved preying on children has shocked the nation.

Led by members of the federal Internet Crimes Against Children task force, cops and their K-9s began scouring some 14 acres of land overlooking picturesque Oakland Bay, an arm of the Puget Sound.

They are searching for bodies which may have been buried there by four brothers, three of whom are now in jail awaiting trial. The fourth, who owned the property in Shelton, Washington, died in October last year.

Its a massive task. We dont know for sure that bodies are buried there  and if there are, we dont know where they are, said one cop involved in the search.

Brothers Charles, Thomas, and Edwin Emery were arrested last week and each charged with two counts of possessing child pornography.

Charles, 82, who is suffering from dementia, was taken from his nursing home. Thomas, 80, and Edwin, 78, were arrested at their home in the Meridian section of Seattle.

Cops believe they may be linked to the disappearance of 10-year-old Lindsey Baum, who vanished in 2009 while walking home from a friends home in McCleary, Washington, and possibly other cases of missing children.

Saturdays search was centered on a tiny moss covered house on the side of a busy highway in Shelton, on the west side of the Puget Sound, a half-hour drive from McCleary. It was owned by the Emerys older brother, Donald, who died last year aged 85.

Charles is understood to have lived at the home part-time.

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A cadaver search team are pictured on the property of the former home of Donald Emery in Shelton, Washington on August 26

Authorities are using cadaver dogs to search the property. Cops and their K-9s began scouring some 14 acres of land overlooking picturesque Oakland Bay, an arm of the Puget Sound

The dogs are searching for bodies which may have been buried there by four brothers, three of whom are now in jail awaiting trial. The fourth, who owned the property in Shelton, Washington, died in October last year

Brothers Charles, Thomas, and Edwin Emery were arrested last week and each charged with two counts of possessing child pornography. K9s search the property above Saturday

Cops believe the three brothers may be linked to the disappearance of 10-year-old Lindsey Baum, who vanished in 2009 while walking home from a friends home in McCleary, Washington, and possibly other missing children. A member of the cadaver search team is seen above

Saturdays search was centered on a tiny moss covered house on the side of a busy highway in Shelton, on the west side of the Puget Sound, a half-hour drive from McCleary

Capt. Mike Edwards of the Internet Crimes Against Children task force told DailyMail.com the search at the Shelton home could go on for weeks.

Capt. Mike Edwards of the Internet Crimes Against Children task force told DailyMail.com the search at the Shelton home could go on for weeks.

'We have something like 14 acres to cover and it's not like it's all flat. It is hilly and wooded and difficult going,' he said

He stressed there is nothing definite linking the Emery brothers to any missing child. 'But if we thought there was zero chance of finding anything there we would not be searching there,' he added.

Police found masses of pornography in the Shelton home, just as they did when they raided the brothers' house in Seattle. They also discovered a flyer about the Baum case.

The Shelton house, which Donald Emery bought in 1968, is in a filthy condition. Up to a dozen rotting cars are parked on land behind it.

Police cadaver dogs began a grim search on Saturday of the secluded 14-acre waterfront property once owned by the the Emerys older brother, Donald, who died last year aged 85

Up to a dozen rotting cars are parked on land behind the lake house on Oakland Bay, an arm of the Puget Sound. The house, which Donald Emery bought in 1968, is in a filthy condition

A flyer about the Baum case was found inside the Shelton home, where Charles Emery, 82, a former janitor at Seattle Children's Hospital, lived part-time with his brother Donald, who died last October. She disappeared while on a 10-minute walk home from a friend's house

Donald is the only one of the four brothers who married, although it ended in divorce. None of the brothers had children.

Many of the items describe satanic sacrifices of children. The house is full of written documentation that may or may not be connected to various crimes, Mason Countys Chief Crime Deputy Ryan Spurling told DailyMail.com.

There is so much evidence that has to be processed. Then we have to determine what it all means and whether it is connected to other crimes.

Shelton is in Mason County, Washington, although the investigation is being led by officers from Seattle, a two-hour drive away.

Ten-year-old Lindsey went missing in 2009 in McCleary, Washington, just a half hour from the ramshackle property that cops searched with cadaver dogs on Saturday

The dilapidated house is on the west side of the Puget Sound, a half-hour drive from McCleary. Police expanded their search here after a search of the brothers' Seattle home turned up a sickening trove of child porn and kids' penny loafers

Among the items discovered in the Seattle house were thousands of images of minor female children both clothed and nude and engaged in sexually explicit conduct and lascivious display, according to a criminal complaint filed in court in the city.

Lindsey disappeared in 2009 while on a walk near her home

Police also found several miniature vodka bottles. One of them contained the initials of the brothers great-niece with the inscription that her first half ounce of liquor came from this bottle.

Also discovered were: dozens of pairs of childrens shoes, most of which are penny loafer style shoes with pennies inserted in the front of the shoes; several pairs of minor female children style underwear containing stains and indicia of use; childrens socks; dozens of books and articles related to child homicide, child sexual assault, and missing and murdered female child victims to include both local and national cases, according to the complaint.

Of note, law enforcement discovered a pink childs hat partially buried next to a burned handwritten letter (similar to those letters discovered in prior searches in which the sexual abuse and homicide of female children was contained) in a dirt crawl space, the complaint states.

Cops were alerted to the horrific contents of the Seattle house by a niece of the brothers who had been appointed legal guardian to Charles Emery as she is his closest healthy relative. She was trying to get Charless property in order.

That then led cops to the home in Shelton where the brothers could more easily have taken victims without risk of being seen.

The three brother's primary home in Seattle was searched extensively earlier this week. Police say they discovered an immense collection of child pornography, girls' clothing and disturbing writings about raping and murdering children inside the cluttered home

Officers who arrived on the Seattle property reportedly found it crammed 'floor to ceiling' with a staggering trove of child pornography, including photographs, videos and related materials

The niece told police that she had been molested by at least two of brothers when she was a child as had her mother.

She said that before the abuse Charles made her dress in penny loafer shoes and socks similar to those found in the house.

The niece told cops she had burned some of the material before she realized just how awful it was.

But on August 9 she took several large trash bags full of child porn and clothing to the cops. The images were so disturbing that Seattle Detective Daniel Conine would only describe two of them in detail in the complaint.

One of them, Conine said, was a full-frontal picture of a girl estimated to be between 8 and 10, wearing only pink and orange hairpins, with an electric drill in her hands.

The image is designed to look like the cover of a magazine, and the word Builders is headlined at the top of the photos, wrote Conine. The words Put yourself in the hands of these absolutely astonishing and gifted builders. These tireless workers will build a castle of joy for you, are printed along the photograph.

The second picture of a naked girl appeared to come from a now-defunct website called vestalgirls.com.

A hand-written manifesto detailing 'ritualistic and satanic sacrifices' of young girls was also discovered, along with descriptions of how the girls should always wear penny loafers before their murders

Its very clear that these three individuals have an obsession with young female children, Capt. Mike Edwards of the Seattle Police Department told reporters Monday. Theyve had this obsession for most if not all of their lives and in some cases acted out on that obsession against family members.

Neighbors in Seattle considered the three men who lived there as harmless. They said they would regularly see Charles walking up and down their street looking for his truck, which, due to his befuddled state of mind, he believed had been stolen.

I would see him regularly, probably once a month, said one neighbor, who declined to give her name. He would always ask if I had seen his truck because it had been stolen again.

I understand his relatives had taken it because he clearly wasnt fit to drive.

What upsets me more than anything else is that I thought he and his brothers were just harmless old men  and I think I have a pretty good creep radar,  added the woman.

Nothing about them raised my alarm.

But a man who lived on the street in the Meridian section of the city as a child, told DailyMail.com that he remembered the brothers often asking local children if they could take their pictures.

Two vintage cars, a dilapidated World War II-era Packard Super Eight convertible and a tan-colored Model A Ford built around 1930, without an engine, were towed from the Seattle houses garage on Wednesday. A third car was removed on Thursday.

A Packard Super Eight was towed from the Seattle home and is set to be searched for DNA evidence

A a tan-colored Model A Ford built around 1930, without an engine, was also towed from the Seattle house's garage on Wednesday. Cops have been combing through the house in the Meridian section of Seattle for two weeks

It is understood the vehicles will be searched for DNA evidence. Thomas and Edwin Emery both insisted they never went inside the garage where many incriminating items were discovered.

Edwin, the youngest of the Emery brothers, told detectives he was the only one who used a computer and he often downloaded child porn for his brothers. He was investigated in 2013 after taking a computer to Office Depot for repair. Workers there discovered 20 images of child porn and reported it to police.

However, cops said there was not enough evidence at the time to gain a conviction against him so he was not prosecuted. None of the brothers have any criminal record.

During interviews, police say both Thomas and Edwin Emery remained nonchalant and relatively unconcerned about the serious nature of the investigation.

Edwin, cops say, confirmed that he is sexually attracted to females who are at the beginning of puberty, and usually around the age of 12.

Thomas denied having any sexual interest in children, or anybody for that matter.

When asked why his brother had said he regularly gave him pornographic pictures, Thomas said Edwin must have misunderstood him, because he was asking for information about model houses.

Anyone with information about the Emery brothers case please contact MARTIN.GOULD@DAILYMAIL.COM
Ambassador Nguyen Kim Doanh speaking at the event (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Le Quy Quynh summarized the achievements Vietnam has made in more than 30 years of innovation and international integration.

He emphasized that Vietnam is now an open and dynamic economy with a stable GDP growth rate of 6.4% over the past 15 years; people's lives have been improved dramatically.

Vietnam is a friend and a reliable partner of more than 180 countries. It is also a dynamic, responsible member of regional and world organizations, and a favourite destination for investors and international visitors.

In terms of Vietnam  Malaysia relations, the Ambassador said that in the past 45 years, the relations between the two countries have developed strongly and the two sides have established strategic partnership in 2015.

The cooperation between the two countries has been strengthened and expanded in a wide range of fields ranging from politics, security, economics, labour and education, to tourism. The two countries are focusing on implementing the two-year Action Plan (2017-2019) to realize the signed strategic partnership agreement.

Mr. Le Quy Quynh said that in the coming period, Vietnam and Malaysia have many opportunities to bring the bilateral relations to new heights. As members of the ASEAN bloc, Vietnam and Malaysia will continue to work together to fully cooperate and realize the targets of the ASEAN Community and effectively cooperate on regional and international forums for peace, stability and development in the region, as well as throughout the world.

At the event, Malaysian Minister of Industry, Plantation and Commodities Mah Siew Keong congratulated Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ambassador on the occasion of the National Day, and hoped that the relations between the two countries will continue to develop more strongly in the future.

* On the same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Tanzania celebrated the 72nd National Day of Vietnam and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Tanzania's capital Dar es Salaam.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania Nguyen Kim Doanh introduced the process of establishment and development of ASEAN.

In its 50 years of development, ASEAN has become a dynamic, united and indispensable partner of the international community.

At present, ASEAN has become the sixth largest economy in the world with a common market of more than 600 million people. In 2016, ASEANs GDP reached USD2,600 billion and the blocs economic growth reached 4.6%.

The Ambassador also highlighted the proud achievements of the Vietnamese people during the 72 years of struggle for independence, freedom, development and protection of Vietnam today.

Vietnam and Tanzania have good traditional relations, and are intensifying cooperation in many fields such as economics, trade, investment and tourism.

During the visit to Tanzania by President Truong Tan Sang in March 2016 and the visit to Vietnam by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment and the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of Tanzania, the two countries have signed various agreements to realize cooperative projects.

At the event, Tanzanias Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment Charles John Poul Mwijage said that he had just visited Vietnam last July and early August, and he was impressed by Vietnams development.

He wants his country to learn a lot from Vietnam in economic development and national construction. Tanzania always regards Vietnam as a reliable partner in the Southeast Asian region and will promote the comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam.

The Minister wishes the Vietnamese Embassy in Tanzania to excellently fulfil its mission in order to be an important bridge for the development of the bilateral relations.

At the ceremony, delegates enjoyed special dishes and photos of Vietnam./.
An ally and former adviser to President Donald Trump is threatening cancer-stricken Senator John McCain with eternal damnation on Saturday after the Arizona Republican criticized the controversial decision to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

'Karma about to get you, @SenJohnMcCain and you will burn in hell for all eternity,' Roger Stone tweeted on Saturday.

McCain lashed out at Trump's pardoning of Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff who was found guilty of criminal contempt after illegally targeting Latinos.

The 80-year-old Republican Senator accused the president of undermining the rule of law in his statement.

'@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law,' McCain posted to Twitter.

On Friday night Trump tweeted his decision to pardon Arpaio, citing his long history of public service.

Roger Stone (left), an ally and former adviser to President Donald Trump, is threatening cancer-stricken Senator John McCain (right) with eternal damnation on Saturday after the Arizona Republican criticized the controversial decision to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio

In a statement posted on Twitter, McCain accused the President of undermining the rule of law in his decision

'Karma about to get you, @SenJohnMcCain and you will burn in hell for all eternity,' Stone tweeted on Saturday

Stone is known for his harsh demeanor and abrasive criticisms of people he does not see eye-to-eye with politically.

Stone's tweet will likely be met with fury from the senator's friends and family, particularly since McCain is currently undergoing treatment of an aggressive form of brain cancer called glioblastoma.

Trump tweeted out the news that he had decided to pardon the the 85-year-old Friday night, writing: 'Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service.

'Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.

'Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.'

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally. Arpaio and Trump are pictured together in January 2016 during the presidential campaign

On Friday night Trump tweeted his decision to pardon Arpaio, citing his long history of public service

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted by a judge who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

The former sheriff was facing up to six months in prison after he admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order.

But he said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

In his statement McCain recognizes Trump's authority to issue a pardon, but says it was the wrong decision because Arpaio 'has shown no remorse for his actions.'

The full statement reads: 'No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold.

'Mr Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders.

'The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.'
Theresa May has reportedly chosen Friday August 30th 2019 as the day she will step down from 10 Downing Street

Number 10 has dismissed claims Theresa May is going to quit as Prime Minister as 'peak silly season'.

Their denial comes amid reports the PM had selected a date - Friday, August 30 2019 - as when she would step down.

Mrs May has launched a major charm offensive to win back the support of her MPs - and the public - to avoid an awkward leadership challenge.

After inviting a group of 15 Tories to her official Chequers country residence for prosecco and chocolates, a report surfaced that she was giving herself a deadline of two years to complete Brexit negotiations.

But today a spokesman for the Prime Minister told MailOnline the claims were rubbish.

Already more than a dozen Conservative politicians are said to have pledged to sign a letter calling for Mrs May to step down - although that falls far short of the 48 signatures needed to trigger a new leadership vote.

One Tory MP said: 'It's clear she won't lead us into another election and will be gone by September 2019.

'She invited MPs to Chequers to ensure there isn't a leadership contest in the meantime.

'Giving the dogs a stroke is better than giving them a kick, I suppose.'

It earlier emerged that Brexit secretary David Davis is set to provoke a huge row with Brussels by calling a halt to negotiations on Britain's divorce bill unless the EU provides a legal basis for its hefty demands.

It comes amid a major charm offensive by Mrs May in a bid to win the support of her MPs and avoid an awkward leadership challenge. The Prime Minister has been inviting groups of 15 Tories to her official Chequers country residence

The European Commission's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has warned that Britain must be ready to set out what it is willing to pay when the next round of talks begin on Monday in Brussels.

But Mr Davis will snub his request and refuse further discussions on the demand, thought to be for around 74billion, until the EU shows the legal justification for it.

As tensions between the two sides escalated, Brussels accused Britai of 'magical thinking' over Brexit and suggested ministers were willing to use the Northern Ireland peace process as a bargaining chip in negotiations.

Possible contenders? Boris Johnson and Phillip Hammond - is not clear if they are at Chequers

The EU has warned that Brexit talks will be paralysed unless Britain puts forward details of out how it thinks the divorce bill should be worked out.

Mr Barnier is under orders from the 27 remaining EU countries that discussions on a future trade deal with Britain cannot begin until 'sufficient progress' is made on the bill, the rights of EU citizens living in the UK and Northern Ireland.

However, British officials believe Brussels will be forced into a climbdown as they think EU leaders will face a backlash from European businesses if they attempt to stall trade talks.

A Whitehall source said: 'It's not just British businesses that want certainty. Firms in Germany, France and across Europe will be lobbying their governments to get on with working towards a trade deal.'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who said recently that Brussels should 'go whistle' over the divorce bill, told Radio 4's Today programme that Britain will meet its legal obligations to the bloc but will pay 'not a penny more, not a penny less' than it has to.

One EU official said there was a risk that Brexit talks could completely break down if progress is not made on agreeing the bill sooner rather than later.

The official said: 'During the last round we made no progress. The UK recognised they have financial obligations but did not engage in identification of what these will be.'
Toby Jennings, a professor at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, was suspended after a September video surfaced of him saying Black Lives Matter activists 'should be hung'

An African-American professor at a Christian university has been suspended after making a shocking comment regarding Black Lives Matter activists.

Toby Jennings apologized on Friday after his remarks during a faith-based discussion last September at Grand Canyon University in Arizona resurfaced last week.

Jennings was speaking of social justice and remarked that some Black Lives Matter activists 'should be hung', which drew audible gasps from the audience.

Although the professor was reportedly given a verbal warning right after the lecture, organizations recently brought the issue to the school, promoting his suspension.

The panel was videotaped and Jennings was asked by an audience member what were his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement an hour into the talk.

Jennings responded: 'You have folks that participate in it on one side that are very thoughtful about the matter and then on the other side, you have people on the opposite side of that who frankly should be hung.'

He continued: 'Yes, I did say that on video. They are saying things that are not helpful to any way, shape or form of human dignity or flourishing.

'That is not helpful to any conversation. That kind of rhetoric is not helpful to any conversation. And thats what I mean by they should be hung.'

Local members of Black Lives Matter and the NAACP went to the private Christian university with their complaints when the clip was shared on social media recently.

Grand Canyon University said a member of the College of Theology told Jennings his statements were offensive but the matter wasn't pushed further, reported Fox News.

Jennings made the shocking comment at a panel for the private Arizona Christian university last September (pictured)

Brian Mueller, the university president, said Jennings was suspended for the upcoming semester but doesn't believe the incident should reflect poorly on the school.

He said to the news station: 'Yes, it was wrong, but it is an isolated incident and it does not represent who our faculty is and it does not represent who our students are.'

Grand Canyon University added in a statement: 'As we continue our investigation, we will interview students who have attended this professors classes and students and guests who attended the forum to gain their perspective on this professor and this incident and why it was not brought to the attention of University executives sooner.'

Back Lives Matter and the NAACP complained to the school, prompting Jennings' suspension for the upcoming semester. He apologized for his comments on Friday

However, some community members think Jennings' suspension is not enough.

Pastor Warren Stewart Jr. said on Facebook: 'My heart is broken, not because GCU is our enemy, but they claim to be our brothers and sisters.

'Brothers and sisters please stop avoiding talking about ways racism.. makes us uncomfortable.'


Andrew Godsen was just 14 when he vanished after skiving from school in Doncaster and getting on a train to London

A distraught father says he believes his son was kidnapped by a paedophile gang as the tenth anniversary of his disappearance approaches.

Andrew Godsen was just 14 when he vanished after skiving from school in Doncaster and getting on a train to London.

He was last seen at King's Cross Station on September 14, 2007, having withdrawn 200 from his bank account and packed his bag.

Andrew's father Kevin now believes crucial leads - including his fear that a child sex ring was involved in his abduction - were not followed up.

Instead, he told the Sunday People, they fixated on accusing him of being involved, meaning crucial time was lost.

Kevin, 51, said: 'Its one of the horrifying thoughts that goes through your head even though you dont want it there.

'I feel that he was going to something and, somewhere along the line, he fell foul of somebody.'

Happier times: Kevin Gosden (centre) pictured with daughter Charlotte and son Kevin, who has been missing for nearly a decade

Kevin said that police fixated on accusing him of involvement in Andrew's disappearance, driving him into a deep depression

He said he was also driven to the point that he attempted to kill himself, and was in no mental state to properly raise his daughter Charlotte, now 26.

The father said: 'But because of my mental state after Andrew disappeared I was unable to be the dad I wanted to be while Charlotte was still at home.'

Andrew has been missing for nearly 10 years after getting on a train from Doncaster to London

Kevin and wife Glenys thought their son had headed to London to 'broaden his horizons' and indulge his passion for visiting museums.

The Gosdens were both working as speech therapists when Andrew disappeared.

Kevin gave up work because he couldn't 'think straight' and has struggled with depression ever since.

Andrew, who was predicted straight A*s in his GCSEs, had been earmarked for the government's Gifted and Talented scheme, which aims to stretch top students.

He disappeared eight days into the new school term and was last seen on grainy CCTV footage leaving King's Cross station - the only confirmed sighting of him.

In behaviour completely out of character, he had pretended to leave for McAuley Catholic High School as normal, returning home to get changed and then get a train to London.
The bosses of some of Britains best-known companies would have faced the humiliation of being named and shamed under the Prime Ministers new proposals to tackle boardroom excess if they had been in force over the past three years.

Leading firms including Centrica, the owner of British Gas, and oil giant BP are among those that would have fallen foul of Theresa Mays plan to publish a register of companies where more than a fifth of shareholders have protested against executive pay.

A Mail on Sunday investigation reveals that a string of business leaders have been taking home huge packages, regardless of shareholder revolts and falls in their share price.

Although the executives have not broken any laws, shareholders have baulked at the lavish payouts showered upon them, especially when they have been accompanied by poor performance.

Cha-ching: Big money given to a series of bosses for not-so-big share price growth

Sir Martin Sorrell, the 72-year-old founder and chief executive of advertising giant WPP, is a regular target of shareholder revolts, though to no effect. More than a fifth of investors voted against his pay package at the media groups annual meeting this year.

He earned 48 million in 2016, which astonishingly was a pay cut from the 70 million he made the previous year.

As part of his generous deal, he receives enviable perks that in the past included 274,000 to fly his wife, Lady Cristiana Falcone Sorrell, around the world with him on business trips. He subsequently repaid that sum.

Sir Martin turned a small wire basket-maker, Wire and Plastic Products, which he bought in 1985, into the largest advertising and marketing services group in the world.

But shares in WPP fell more than ten per cent in a single day last week after it warned sales were slowing, and they are down by almost 20 per cent in the past year.

Frustratingly for investors, they cannot veto pay at WPP  or indeed at other companies. They only have a so-called binding vote on pay policy every three years. At that point, they can force a company to ditch its pay plans for executives if more than 50 per cent of shareholders oppose them.

WPP boss Sir Martin Sorrell earned 48 million last year. In the past, Sir Martin has enjoyed perks including 274,000 a year to fly his wife around the world with him on business trips

But in other years, shareholder votes are merely advisory, meaning that company boards are free to ignore them.

Stefan Stern, of the High Pay Centre, says: The only vote that counts is the binding one every three years. Boards ought to take notice at other times, but some dont. We have a systemic problem with excessive boardroom pay.

Because investors are wary of publicly upsetting large firms, protest votes of more than 50 per cent are extremely rare.

Another company that has suffered a serious backlash is British Gas-owner Centrica. Customers who have seen their bills rise would no doubt heartily endorse shareholders indignation at the sums awarded to Iain Conn, Centricas 54-year-old chief executive.

Mr Conn, who earned 4.1 million last year, lives in a 2.7 million Buckinghamshire mansion with seven bedrooms and a 100,000 pool. He also bought the 1.3 million house next door, according to reports.

A third of investors revolted against a golden hello for Mr Conn in 2015, worth up to 2.7 million. Campaigners also condemned a 1 million pay rise he was awarded this year, saying one in ten British households is in fuel poverty. The companys share price has fallen by 17 per cent in year.

Nearly two-fifths of investors in drugs giant AstraZeneca voted against a 13.4 million package awarded to its chief executive Pascal Soriot (pictured), who fended off a takeover bid from US pharmaceuticals group Pfizer in 2014, promising shareholders a raft of exciting new drugs that would boost the share price

John Fallon, 55, chief executive of publisher Pearson, the former owner of the Financial Times, would also have been a candidate for the list of shame, after almost two-thirds of investors rejected his latest pay deal

Bob Dudley, the American boss of BP, who was brought in to clean up the company after the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010, saw almost 60 per cent of votes were cast against his 14 million package for 2015

John Fallon, 55, chief executive of publisher Pearson, the former owner of the Financial Times, would also have been a candidate for the list of shame, after almost two-thirds of investors rejected his latest pay deal.

Iain Conn, boss of Centrica

He received a 20 per cent pay rise last year to 1.5 million, despite the company posting a record 2.6 billion loss and suffering a collapse in its share price.

Bob Dudley, the American boss of BP, who was brought in to clean up the company after the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster in 2010, saw almost 60 per cent of votes were cast against his 14 million package for 2015. His pay had gone up 20 per cent compared with the previous year, despite the fact the oil giant had posted its biggest ever loss of 4.5 billion. Following the furore, Dudley had to make do last year with just 9.3 million. BP shares have barely budged in the seven years since he was appointed.

Nearly two-fifths of investors in drugs giant AstraZeneca voted against a 13.4 million package awarded to its chief executive Pascal Soriot, who fended off a takeover bid from US pharmaceuticals group Pfizer in 2014, promising shareholders a raft of exciting new drugs that would boost the share price.

But despite Soriots optimism, the shares have gone nowhere. In April 2014, Astra shares were worth 46 each. Today they trade at 45.50.

Conn earned 4.1 million last year and lives in a 2.7 million Buckinghamshire mansion with seven bedrooms and a 100,000 pool. He also bought the 1.3 million house next door, according to reports

Several of the firms told The Mail on Sunday that they had responded to investor criticism, and in many cases had made changes to pay as a result.

Pearson said it spoke regularly with investors to make sure its pay policy was in the best long-term interests of the company.
A veteran hospital boss who clashed with his trust over the handling of a NHS sex ring has revealed how he was forced out of his job in the wake of the scandal.

Sir Leonard Fenwick, the health services longest-serving chief executive, claims he was sacked after 52 years when he was hit with trumped-up bullying charges.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Sir Leonard bitterly refuted the allegations  and said it was no coincidence moves to oust him began after details emerged of the Carry On-style sex ring.

Sir Leonard wanted to sack two married senior consultants who used code words such as cappuccino and Marmite to organise trysts with female staff in consulting rooms adjacent to where patients waited for treatment.

Sir Leonard Fenwick, the health services longest-serving chief executive, claims he was sacked after 52 years when he was hit with trumped-up bullying charges

But some members of the board thought the men should be allowed to keep their jobs at his Newcastle hospital. From the moment Sir Leonard refused to back down, he said the writing was on the wall.

His stance on the matter, he said, was a contributory factor in his own eventual dismissal, adding that he was treated appallingly.

Sir Leonard said: There were both senior and junior staff involved in structured, untoward sexual activity on hospital premises. They were setting up meetings when they were meant to be dealing with patients.

If you are lining up sexual activity when there are patients on the couch, when you are meant to be focusing on their clinical needs but are focusing on something else, I simply drew the line at that.

Its not a matter of morality. This wasnt slipping away into a quiet part of the hospital or even off-site. This was, for a good part, in busy patient areas. You have got to lead by example.

By rights, Sir Leonards last day at work should have been marked with glowing speeches. Bold, plain-spoken and, above all, passionate about patient care, Sir Leonard always enjoyed a reputation for getting things done.

In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, Sir Leonard bitterly refuted the allegations  and said it was no coincidence moves to oust him began after details emerged of the Carry On-style sex ring

He championed change and pioneering treatment that saw Newcastles hospitals garner international renown and played a pivotal role in organising the UKs first successful infant heart transplant.

Yet Sir Leonard recalls how on January 10 this year  just months after he first clashed with the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chairman Kingsley Smith over the sex ring  his exceptional career was brought to an ignominious close.

For three decades, he had been chief executive of Newcastles hospitals but he now found himself being pushed out of the door on extended leave.

He was ordered to surrender the keys to his office in the citys Freeman Hospital. The hospital was his life work; he helped plan it, he was its first general manager  at just 30  when it opened in September 1977, and its wards were as familiar to him as his own home. After filling two bin bags with personal effects, he was escorted out of the building. By any standards it was a humiliating end.

Still bewildered, he asks: Why was this guy with 52 years service, and an unblemished record, suddenly crashed out the door?

He was accused of gross misconduct and finally sacked in June this year. But the allegations against him  said to involve bullying, among other things  were, he says, trumped up. The real reason for his removal, he claims, was that, at 70, his face no longer fitted.

That, though, would hardly explain his undignified exit.

It seems his strident views, uncompromising manner and failure to toe the line had finally caught up with him. Not that he regrets a thing.

The sex ring, which he believes played a part in his downfall, existed at Newcastles Royal Victoria Infirmary for four years. In the hundreds of emails exchanged, going for a cappuccino meant intercourse and there were obscure references to spreading Marmite.

Sir Leonard became aware of its existence in early 2016. He learned that one woman was known as the Madam and that there were fears that attempts were being made to ensnare other staff members. He was in no doubt the two consultants had to be summarily dismissed  but the trust board stated his wishes would not be met.

While the junior staff and non-medical employees resigned, the two consultants held on.

Sir Leonard claims the lacklustre disciplinary proceedings against them were effectively a foregone conclusion: the board had already decided they would keep their jobs.

Believing the proceedings were not professionally handled, Sir Leonard said he cut across the board to commission an independent legal report into the process, which, when published, was critical of its handling. His unilateral action did not go down well with the board, he says, and the mood music absolutely changed.

But he claims the vast majority of doctors, nurses and other staff in the trust supported him. In the event, the two consultants left voluntarily. They have work in the North East. I have no work in the North East, says Sir Leonard. My career is over. They [the trust board] have destroyed my good name.

The sex ring, which he believes played a part in his downfall, existed at Newcastles Royal Victoria Infirmary for four years

Following a board meeting in December, Sir Leonard listened to a scolding statement which said that the trust needed a new chief executive with different skills and abilities. It said that staff were scared for their jobs; there had been bullying allegations and widespread loss of trust among doctors.

I have discussed the matter with a lot of healthcare staff since and none of them would agree with that, says Sir Leonard. If I was the rotten soul they described, I would have fallen foul of the unions. But they had no problem with me.

The trust has accused him publicly of inappropriate behaviour but wont go into details. Sir Leonard says he too cannot divulge too much because it will compromise my legal position.

At his spacious but modest bungalow in Newcastle, the city where he was born and bred, Sir Leonard stressed he was a 12 hours a day, seven days a week man who hadnt taken a proper holiday in 17 years. In truth, not even his detractors would doubt his commitment. He joined the NHS as a management trainee aged 18 in 1965 and rapidly worked through the ranks.

Then and now, he viewed his role as a kind of shop-floor manager, in touch with all levels of his workforce, from consultants to cleaners.

By his own admission he could be abrasive, just as he had a reputation as a risk-taker rather than a box-ticker. But Im a chief executive running an organisation with a 1 billion turnover, nearly 14,000 employees  and I cant raise my voice or flash my eyes?

Railing against the NHSs risk-averse culture, he says: There is a diminishing confidence in the NHS  we are losing the dynamics of risk. Theres a great deal of professional self-preservation now.

He says the NHS is now laden with the burden of bureaucracy. Thirty years ago, though, it was still possible to achieve results without having to fight through a bureaucratic jungle.

In 1987, Sir Leonard was the driving force behind the countrys first successful infant heart transplant.

Kaylee Davidson was five months old and dying from heart failure. Two previous deaths nationally had led to a moratorium on complex infant heart surgery, but her desperate parents pleaded with Newcastle doctors to operate.

Sir Leonard recalls: She was very bonny: tiny, but absolutely beautiful. The medics were saying, Weve got to do it, weve got to do it. 

The operation got the go-ahead after Sir Leonard persuaded then local health authority chairman Arthur Taylor to meet with then junior Health Minister Kenneth Clarke in a London pub. Mr Clarke gave his permission in a note which read simply: Arthur, tell them to get on with it, Ken.

The operation was a success, and within weeks the Freeman Hospital was designated a national centre for paediatric heart transplant surgery.

It is a measure of his standing that following his departure in January he was inundated with letters of support, including one from Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

And Newcastle MP Nick Brown said: Sir Leonard has been a strong voice for the interests of patients and has built the hospital trust into the internationally renowned institution it is. He has my strong support and backing.

Since his dismissal, Sir Leonard has thrown himself into his work as chairman of Newcastles Freemen of the City. I am still disappointed by what happened, he says. But I have a strong sense of civic pride and life goes on.

A hospital trust spokeswoman said: The trust refutes any suggestion that the hearing, its outcome or Sir Leonard Fenwicks alleged views about it, played any part in the subsequent dismissal of Sir Leonard Fenwick for gross misconduct.

Sir Leonard was dismissed for gross misconduct after allegations of inappropriate behaviour, inappropriate use of resources, and range of governance issues were proven.
David Davis has been told by EU negotiators to 'dream on' if he thinks he can strike a trade deal with Brussels before agreeing to fork out billions of pounds for the divorce.

With tensions escalating between the Brexit Secretary and the EU ahead of the third round of talks tomorrow, the negotiators last night also warned Mr Davis to tone down his bellicose language or risk derailing the entire process.

Responding to a bullish demand from Mr Davis for our future trading relationship to be put on the table now, a senior source close to the Brussels negotiations told The Mail on Sunday this weekend: 'David Davis can dream on if he thinks EU negotiators will be bullied into discussing the outlines of a future relationship before divorce arrangements are in place.'

Hard talk: Mr Davis (left, with the European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier) was warned to tone down his bellicose language or risk derailing the entire process

The European Commission's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, is refusing to accede to Mr Davis's demand until agreement has been reached on the divorce bill  the EU wants Britain to pay up to 70 billion as the price for leaving  the border arrangements in Northern Ireland and the post-Brexit rights of EU citizens in the UK.

Mr Barnier will announce in October whether 'sufficient progress' has been made on the issues to allow trade talks to start. But with both sides appearing to be digging in and the clock ticking towards our exit in March 2019, EU sources now put the chances of striking a deal with Britain at 'not much better than 50-50'.

Mr Barnier's team have been unimpressed by the batch of Brexit position papers released by the UK Government over the past fortnight that set out our goals for the negotiations, believing that their main purpose is to attempt to resolve bitter Cabinet splits over 'soft' and 'hard' Brexit. Mr Davis's aides counter by saying Mr Barnier needs to be 'more flexible' in his approach and demonstrate more 'imagination' in order to drive the talks forward.

The Brexit Secretary said he would rebuff EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier (pictured centre left during the July round of talks) and his demand to agree a figure as a condition for the start of trade talks over the winter

His aides also insist that the position papers, which set out how the UK would leave the Customs Union after a two-to-three-year transition period, keep an invisible border with Northern Ireland and leave the 'direct' jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice, have 'demonstrated the UK's pragmatic approach to negotiations'.

The round of negotiations being opened by Mr Davis and Mr Barnier tomorrow will last until Thursday.

A UK Government source said yesterday: 'This round of negotiations will act as a stepping stone to more substantial talks in September. The UK has been working diligently to inform the talks in the past weeks. Both sides must be flexible and willing to compromise when it comes to solving areas where we disagree.

'As the EU itself has said, the clock is ticking so neither side should drag its feet.'

But the EU source said: 'We are adamant that we will stick to the sequencing timetable which has already been agreed with David Davis: the rights of citizens and the financial settlement must be negotiated, along with further progress on Northern Ireland, before any discussions about our future trade relationship. These UK discussion papers are vague and seem to be designed for the domestic negotiations in the British Cabinet.

Mr Barnier tweeted a reminder this week that 'settling accounts' was among the EU's demands before talks could begin on the future trading relationship

'They try to replicate existing arrangements and cherry-pick the most agreeable aspects of EU co-operation without accepting any additional obligations'.

Pro-EU campaigners last night accused Ministers of a 'shameful attempt' to 'erase history' by demanding that all Government Brexit documents are slapped with a ban on publication.

Labour MP Chris Bryant, a supporter of 'soft' Brexit pressure group Open Britain, said that buried in the UK's position paper on confidentiality it made clear that officials would be restricted from disclosing information about the process.

He said: 'After years of complaining about the EU's lack of transparency, this smells like a shameful attempt by Ministers to dodge scrutiny and erase history before it's even happened.'

May turning to Japanese for business boost

Theresa May will fly to Tokyo this week to pave the way for trade deals  and reassure Japanese businesses about their future in post-Brexit Britain.

The PM is to hold talks with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, as she steps up the Government's efforts to prepare for the commercial realities of leaving the EU.

Downing Street says Mrs May, who will travel with more than a dozen business leaders including CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn, will 'showcase the strength of British business and the shared confidence in the UK-Japan economic relationship as we leave the EU'.

The public courting of Tokyo reflects the increasingly intensive diplomatic dialogue behind the scenes to persuade Japanese businesses not to abandon the UK for EU countries after Brexit.

Upon becoming Prime Minister last year, Mrs May met with Carlos Ghosn, head of the Nissan car group, in Downing Street.

Shortly afterwards, he received a private written assurance that the company would continue to enjoy the same trading conditions after Brexit.

Determined: Theresa May will fly to Tokyo this week to pave the way for trade deals  and reassure Japanese businesses about their future in post-Brexit Britain

Japan is a key trading partner, possessing the world's third-largest economy after the US and China, and employs more than 140,000 British workers through its companies' UK operations.

But Mrs May has faced criticism in the country for her declaration earlier this year that 'no deal' from Brussels over Brexit would be better than a 'bad deal'.

Chancellor Philip Hammond, who has been fighting inside Cabinet for a 'soft' Brexit that retains customs and trading ties with the EU for an extended transitional period, has admitted that Japan's financial sector has concerns about Britain's exit.

He said he had sought to reassure them that London was striving to guarantee them 'maximum possible access' to EU markets, and to reassure them about the 'challenges and opportunities' presented.

But last night, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable poured scorn on Mrs May's trip, describing it as 'a modest delegation with a lot to be modest about'. He said: 'Many Japanese companies invested in the UK as a gateway to the rest of the EU. They've been let down by this Government's choice of a damaging Brexit outside the single market and customs union. Theresa May is now having to go cap in hand to beg them to carry on investing here.

'The Japanese government and business community have made it very clear they're much more interested in talking to the EU about future trade and investment than to Brexit Britain'.

Labour MP Ian Murray added: 'Theresa May's decision to leave the customs union and the single market is spooking big overseas investors in this country, including those from Japan. So it's no wonder she's flying halfway around the world to ask them to stay on bended knee.'
Never mind popping pills, researchers may have found a far more straight-forward way of relieving pain ... swearing.

Yelling rude words can actually raise tolerance to pain, according to a study in which volunteers underwent increasing discomfort.

Those who swore were able to stand the pain for almost twice as long as those who remained polite.

Swearing on exposure to pain has long been seen in Britain as an expected form of behaviour.

Yelling rude words can actually raise tolerance to pain, accordig to a new study in which volunteers underwent increasing discomfort

So the researchers  from the universities of Keele and Central Lancashire  used not only UK volunteers, but also people from Japan where swearing is rarely seen as a culturally acceptable response to discomfort.

They were all asked to put their non-dominant hand in ice-cold water.

One half were told to repeatedly use a swear word, either in English or Japanese, while the others used non-swear words.

The British cursers were able to keep their hands in the water for 78.8 seconds, compared with 45.7 seconds for those using the neutral word.

The Japanese swearers survived for 55.6 seconds, while the non-swearers managed only 25.4 seconds.

'Individuals from both Japanese and British cultures were more tolerant of the painful stimulus when swearing  this was not expected,' said the researchers in the Scandinavian Journal of Pain.

They added: 'Swearing could be encouraged as an intervention to help people cope with acute painful stimuli.'

One theory is that swearing stimulates the fight-or-flight response to threats, causing body changes including increased heart rate and tensed muscles  pain sensations are dulled as part of this response.

Another is that swearing increases levels of emotion which, animal studies have suggested, can in turn reduce the sensation of pain.
A vice-chancellor at a university that has cut dozens of jobs has spent tens of thousands of pounds on international business travel  some of it with a colleague who was his lover.

New analysis reveals that Bill Rammell, of Bedfordshire University, racked up nearly 44,000 on first or business-class air fares over three years, including flights to a conference in Miami.

The revelations will add to the growing clamour over the pay and perks of the leaders of the UKs universities as students face rising tuition fees and debt.

Former Labour Education Minister Mr Rammell, 57, came under fire after it emerged he had travelled to China and Miami with Helen Bailey.

The 49-year had been promoted from a 60,000-a-year head of performing arts to become a 100,000-a-year executive dean just before they began their relationship.

Bill Rammell, 57, pictured, came under fire after it emerged he had travelled to China and Miami with Helen Bailey

Married Mr Rammell, whose annual salary is 230,000, admitted his affair with Professor Bailey in October 2013.

However, he said their relationship had begun soon after her promotion, so had not influenced her appointment.

It emerged the pair jetted off together on four trips to China and one to Miami in 2013 and 2014 along with a third member of staff  at a total cost of more than 30,000.

Documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday show that Mr Rammells business-class Virgin Atlantic flights to the three-day Miami Going Global university conference in April 2014 cost 3,977 and his bill at the Riviera South Beach hotel added up to 586.65. The total travel cost for three people was 9,959.

Another participant in the Going Global conference, which was hosted by the British Council and included poolside and beach parties and a cruise on a yacht, was Wendy Purcell, the former vice-chancellor of Plymouth University.

Married Mr Rammell, pictured right, whose annual salary is 230,000, admitted his affair with Professor Bailey, pictured left, in October 2013

She flew business class at a cost of more than 3,500 and stayed at the luxury boutique Shore Club Hotel, a favourite haunt of celebrities such as Naomi Campbell and Robert De Niro.

Another high spender on international travel is Bangor Universitys vice-chancellor John Hughes, who has spent nearly 30,000 in first or business-class air fares since 2013.

The Mail on Sunday revealed earlier this month that Prof Hughes lives in a house bought for him by the university for 475,000. The property has also undergone renovations costing a further 267,000.

Other universities that have splashed out on business and first-class travel include Middlesex, Sheffield and Warwick, which racked up 45,000 in the 2015-16 academic year alone.

There has been growing disquiet over fat cat university bosses enjoying salaries of up to 450,000 a year while enjoying lavish perks.

One of his trips was in Miami's South Beach. Documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday show that Mr Rammells business-class Virgin Atlantic flights to the three-day Miami Going Global university conference in April 2014 cost 3,977 and his hotel bill added up to 586.65

Universities forked out more than 2.2 million on luxury flights for their vice-chancellors between 2013 and last summer, according to figures obtained by the University and College Union (UCU).

Last week, The Mail on Sunday disclosed that vice-chancellors are living rent-free in lavish properties worth more than 60 million in total while universities are raising tuition fees to 9,250.

The UCU said: Vice-chancellors have spent years holding down staff while seeing their pay rocket and enjoying first-class travel. The lack of embarrassment at this largesse only enhances the view that there is one rule for those at the top and one for the rest.

Universities UK said: It is necessary for university leaders to regularly travel overseas to forge international links and to promote their universities.

Bedfordshire University said it had imposed no compulsory redundancies and the staffs international travel brought significant income and benefits to the university.

It added that Mr Rammell travelled business class.
We all have a stake in the success of our biggest companies. As customers, we use their products and services every day.

They provide a livelihood and economic security to millions of British workers. The billions of pounds they pay in taxes help to fund the public services on which we all rely.

Alongside our vibrant small and medium-sized enterprises, they form the backbone of our economy.

At their best, they provide a model for others to emulate; investing in the skills of their workforce, innovating to succeed internationally and looking after the interests of their employees and investors.

On the attack: Under Theresa May's planned reforms, if one in five shareholders complains about fat cat pay deals, they will be named in a public register  with the risk that investors will take their money elsewhere

But too often in recent years, we have also seen another, unacceptable, face of capitalism.

A minority of firms are falling short of the high standards we expect of them. Some have deliberately broken rules that are designed to protect their workers.

Others have ignored the concerns of their shareholders by awarding pay rises to bosses that far outstrip the companys performance.

Most business leaders I speak to abhor this kind of behaviour. They know that when firms listen to their workers and are responsive to their shareholders, they can see the benefits on the bottom line.

The problem comes when a small minority of executives narrowly put their own short-term interests first.

Our future success as a nation, and the security and prosperity of every family in every part of the UK, depends on our economy thriving in the years ahead. That future success is undermined by the excesses and irresponsibility of a few.

When big businesses are brought into disrepute, public trust in an open, free-enterprise economy is weakened. It is bad for individual workers and companies, but also damages the social fabric of our country. It emboldens those on the far Left who hate to see business succeed.

We may have thought the arguments for a market economy had been won, but there are now some who today advocate sky-high taxes and state control of industry. This old-fashioned ideology has ruined the economy of every country that has tried it.

In Britain, its moderated form led us to economic chaos and stagnation in the 1970s. Today, its full-blooded version has produced the tragic waste of potential we now see playing out in Venezuela.

That is why it has never been more important for those who believe in free societies, free trade and a responsible and well-regulated market economy to speak up.

When I first became Prime Minister, I said that it was vital that we tackled abuses and excess in the boardroom, to restore public confidence in big business.

The package of measures we will publish this week will help to do just that.

A simple principle runs throughout our proposals: workers and shareholders should have a bigger say and a louder voice in the running of the companies in which they invest their labour and capital.

A minority of firms are falling short of the high standards we expect of them. Some have deliberately broken rules that are designed to protect their workers

What we are proposing makes sense for businesses. If you want to know how well a firm is doing, go and ask those on the shopfloor. The best companies know this, and take their employees view seriously.

So an important part of our proposals will be to ensure that those voices are properly heard in the boardroom.

Listed companies will choose the best way to do this in their businesses  but we will set an expectation that they should have in place either an employee advisory panel, or a dedicated board member, or an employee representative on their board.

The view of investors  large and small  on executive pay should be taken seriously.

So by the end of the year, the names of those firms that have faced a shareholder revolt over salaries and bonuses will be published on a new public register.

This will put pressure on companies, because potential investors will be able to see quickly and easily which of them want to give their bosses rewards that their existing shareholders think are not deserved.

It means real transparency  and it will also allow the would-be investors to take their money elsewhere if they consider a pay policy to be unacceptable.

And this is not the end of the road. We will monitor closely how business reacts to these measures, and the others that we will announce later this week.

If we do not see sufficient progress, we reserve the right to take further steps.

These reforms are good for business and good for workers  because everyone has an interest in firms being incentivised to take the right long-term decisions.

The economic opportunities for Britain over the next few years are great. The UK is forging a new, deep and special partnership with the European Union, and setting out to strike new trade deals around the world.

I want to see our businesses, large and small, that make up our diverse economy seize those opportunities in the years ahead.

But the economy we build must be one that truly works for everyone, not just a privileged few.

The measures we will set out this week to improve how companies operate will help ensure that British businesses can thrive in the future, and that all of us  customers, workers and shareholders  share in the benefits.
A terror suspect deliberately drove at police outside Buckingham Palace then attacked three unarmed officers with a 4ft sword, it was revealed yesterday.

Before launching his assault just after 8.30pm on Friday, the 26-year-old man repeatedly screamed Allahu Akbar.

Watched by horrified tourists, the brave officers managed to wrestle him to the ground in front of the Palace gates.

He was finally restrained after being sprayed with CS gas. Two of the PCs suffered cuts to their hands during the struggle.

(1) The suspects blue Toyota Prius (highlighted top right with boot open) swerves around the Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace at about 8.33pm on Friday. (2) Deliberately heading for a parked police van, like the one right, the car smashes through cones and skids to a halt as three unarmed PCs scramble out raising the alarm and sending the Palace into lockdown. (3) As they approach, the driver reaches into the front passenger footwell of his car for a 4ft sword, which he brandishes as he repeatedly shouts: Allahu Akbar. Using CS gas, they successfully wrestle him to the ground  but two officers are cut

They were later taken to hospital by ambulance but their injuries were described as minor.

Neither the Queen, who is on holiday at Balmoral Castle, nor any other members of the Royal Family were in residence at the time.

It is believed the attacker, from Luton, who is thought to be of Bangladeshi origin, was a lone wolf, although police will examine possible links to terror groups.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested under the Terrorism Act and is being held at a Central London police station.

Security sources said he did not feature in any active investigations, while other sources said he had previously suffered mental health problems.

The incident began when the knifeman, who wore a light-coloured T-shirt and jeans, drove around the Victoria Memorial in front of the Palace.

Swerving his blue Toyota Prius into traffic cones separating his lane from a restricted area, he seemed destined for a collision with a marked police van. But at the last moment he skidded to a halt in front of it.

Lockdown: Police cordon off Buckingham Palace in the wake of the attack

As three unarmed PCs jumped out and approached the Toyota, the suspect reached for a sword in the footwell.

Emma Bell, 28, a broker from Fulham, West London, saw three or four police offices dragging him from the scene and pinning him to ground at the side of the road.

There was blood on his shirt and blood on his face, she told The Mail on Sunday. He looked normal; average height, average build, clean shaven. He wasnt moving when he was on the ground; it looked as if he was unconscious.

Another witness, Kiana Williamson, said: We turned up and there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilians car that had veered towards the police.

More police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back. Another witness said: My partner saw a swordas well as a policeman with blood on him, looking like his hand or chest was injured. The police officer had the sword in his hand, walking away with it. She said that tourists ran away from the scene.

The police didnt just run up to the car. There was some shouting prior to this, I couldnt tell you what. I was a bit panicked, then I went to the small crowd as this seemed the safest place to be, on the memorial.

A taxi driver at the scene added: I asked an officer if he got away, and he said that there was only one attacker and two coppers got whacked on their hands.

The attack happened just hours after a 30-year-old Somalian man was shot dead in Brussels following a machete attack on a group of soldiers. Because of its symbolic value, a Buckingham Palace atrocity would represent a major coup for Islamic State and extremists inspired by their barbarity.

Metropolitan Police revealed how the man had deliberately driven at a police van parked near the Mall roundabout in front of the palace, before stopping in front of the vehicle

Earlier on Friday, police urged people to be extra vigilant over the Bank Holiday weekend amid an increased risk of terrorism.

Last week The Mail on Sunday disclosed that Special Forces solders driving specially adapted civilian vehicles will patrol Britains streets to thwart an IS atrocity over the long weekend. Security sources said elite troops will mingle with revellers and tourists at sites considered most at risk.

Fridays terror attack was the fourth in London alone since March, when 52-year-old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, killing four, before ramming into the perimeter fence of the Palace of Westminster and fatally stabbing an unarmed policeman.

On June 3, eight people were killed and many others were injured in an attack on London Bridge and Borough Market.

A few weeks later, a van was driven into worshippers near a mosque in Finsbury Park. Yesterday, Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of these officers who quickly brought this incident under control.

Their vigilance, courage and the swiftness of their response demonstrates how our officers are protecting the public at this time.

He said police were carrying out searches in the Luton area adding: While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do  this will be determined during the course of the investigation  it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time.

Eyewitnesses revealed how the hero officers wrestled the man to the ground and received hand injuries. Both have been discharged from hospital

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan hailed the police response as heroic and professional and thanked officers for ensuring that not a single member of the public was injured.

He added: Terrorists who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life will never succeed. London stands more united than ever.

Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation that represents rank-and-file officers, said: As always my thoughts go out to my colleagues who, without fear or favour, put themselves in harms way to keep the public safe.

But he added: Id have liked to have seen them have Taser, then they could have dealt with it differently, but we are not an armed services. Im wholly opposed to that.

Kevin Hurley, a former Detective Chief Superintendent in the Met and ex-Police and Crime Commissioner, said: They need sidearms to protect us the public in our streets and shopping centres. When are we going to get real in this country? He could have chopped their heads off.

The Buckingham Palace attacker is the latest in a long line of terror suspects to come from Luton.

Banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun (ALM) was long active in the Bedfordshire town, a quarter of whose 217,000 residents are Muslim, and many of the groups members have been jailed while other local jihadis have been killed or have travelled to Syria.

Westminster Bridge murderer Khalid Masood was put under surveillance by MI5 while he lived in Luton because of his interest in ALM and its notorious hate preacher leader Anjem Choudary.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested under the Terrorism Act and is being held at a Central London police station

Earlier this year, five men were jailed for drumming up support for Islamic State after an undercover policeman infiltrated their meetings in Luton, with one of the extremists recorded talking about 40 trucks driving down Oxford Street full of explosives.

One of them was the brother of Luton delivery driver Junead Khan, who was last year jailed for plotting to kill US soldiers outside an air base.

A family of 12 from Luton all travelled to Syria in 2015 to join Islamic State.

Four jihadis from Luton were locked up in 2013 over a plan to bomb a Territorial Army HQ by driving a remote control car packed with explosives under its gate.

Councillor Hazel Simmons, leader of Luton Borough Council, said yesterday: We are shocked by last nights events and will do everything in our power to help the police investigation.

We are talking with Lutons community leaders... Luton will stand united in harmony and in opposition to terrorism at this time.

Additional reporting: Padraic Flanagan, Simon Murphy and Ned Donovan
When legendary French chef, Michel Roux, 76, announced he and his son, Alain, were opening a new restaurant, it caused a ripple of excitement among foodies.

But Roux at Skindles, as it will be known, will be very different from the familys signature three-Michelin-starred establishment, The Waterside Inn, at Bray in Berkshire.

For a start, the restaurant is within the site of a new residential development, Taplow Riverside, being built by Berkeley.

Top chefs: Alain, left, and Michel Roux

The scheme on the bank of the Thames near the village of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, will mark the first time Michel Roux has been associated with a residential project.

I knew the location. Its a beautiful part of the world and will be a superb development and wonderful for the community, he says.

Roux at Skindles is in an enviable waterfront spot and will offer a dining room and bar. It is named after a famous hotel that stood on the site and, in its heyday, was visited by Princess Margaret, Winston Churchill and The Rolling Stones.

Its the latest example of a shift towards combining residential sites with restaurants. Developers are increasingly seeing fine dining as a means to attract not just buyers but higher-spending visitors. A quality restaurant brings a valuable element to the perception of a new development, says Andrew Saunders-Davies, director of Berkeley. It offers residents a lifestyle choice.

The residential aspect of Taplow Riverside comprises 139 homes in 17 hectares of land between the Thames and Jubilee rivers. Properties come in a mix of new-build houses, apartments and renovated heritage buildings.

Roux at Skindles is within the site of new residential development Taplow Riverside (pictured)

Prices for a two-bedroom flat start at 650,000, and five-bedroom houses from 1.85million. The prime properties are the four-bedroom, waterfront villas, priced from 2.25million.

City centre mixed-use projects often stray towards the chains when it comes to dining, but, with foodie culture on the rise, some developers are trying to keep things independent.

City & Country specialises in conversions of heritage buildings and has three locally owned establishments at its Bristol site, The General, a former hospital (city andcountry.co.uk).

Michelin-starred Italian, Casamia, first opened in nearby Westbury-on-Trym, but moved into The General last year. Also on the premises is a tapas restaurant and pizzeria. The restaurants have put The General and the area on the map, not only as the smart new address in Bristol, but also as an exciting food destination, says Helen Moore, of City & Country. A Michelin-recognised name like Casamia has a certain cachet.

Conversion properties at The General, which is Grade II-listed, start from 525,000 for two bedrooms, with a limited number of new-build apartments priced from 745,000 for three bedrooms.

ON THE MARKET... with restaurants in Suffolk: The old boatyard at Woodbridge has been transformed into Deben Wharf with shops, a museum and 15 two to three-bedroom homes. The Chandlery will offer a bar and restaurant. From 375,000 Savills.co.uk, 01473 234 800. In London: Overlooking Tower Bridge, One Tower Bridge offers one to three-bedroom apartments. Restaurants include the Ivy brasserie; The Coal Shed and Rosas Thai Cafe. From 1.45million, Berkeleygroup.co.uk, 020 3627 0564. In Edinburgh: New Waverley, a large regeneration between the Royal Mile and Waverley Station, will deliver up to 244 apartments, as well as shops, offices, four hotels, bars and restaurants. TBA. Newwaverley.com, 0131 220 4160. Advertisement

Similarly, when The Wykeland Group designed the masterplan of the renovated Fruit Market in Hull, it made a conscious decision to invite local restaurateurs to apply for spaces there.

The development on Hulls waterfront, will have 101 homes plus restaurants, shops and workspaces.

Were trying to create an urban village, says Dominic Gibbons, of Wykeland. We wanted to achieve a different atmosphere. So, we targeted independent, regional restaurants.

Dining options include a gourmet tapas restaurant, a bistro and fine dining Indian restaurant Tapasya. Other offerings are an artisan chocolatier and patisserie, and Yorkshires first gin bar and distillery.

The mix of apartments and townhouses is being sold through Beal Homes (beal-homes.co.uk).

A further 14 apartments are also available in converted character buildings with ten more in the pipeline. There is room for another 80 new homes on an adjacent site.

Its all about making the development a place people want to be, says Gibbons.
It's estimated that four million British people have a direct family link with King Edward III, including, apparently, EastEnders' Danny Dyer (according to a recent episode of the BBC's Who Do You Think You Are?).

Personally, I think I have more of a connection with William the Conqueror.

He sailed with his army from Normandy in 1066 and defeated King Harold at the Battle of Hastings.

Perfect base: The impressive Chateau d'Audrieu hotel is just a 30-minute drive from Bayeux

I nurture an inner Norman. Whenever I visit Normandy I immediately feel as if Ive come home, especially if I'm staying in the William the Conqueror-like environs of a Relais et Chateau hotel.

The Chateau d'Audrieu is more of a manor house than a castle, but there used to be a proper castle here because this was once the home of William de Percy, William the Conquerors personal chef.

I wasn't aware medieval kings bothered about what they ate: if they felt peckish I imagined that someone would roast an ox.

But apparently not; Percy was the Middle Ages' answer to Jamie Oliver.

Audrieu is about 30 minutes' drive from Bayeux.

It's an unwritten rule that if you're ever less than an hour from Bayeux, you have to visit the Tapestry.

Not a tapestry, of course, but an embroidery, but no matter how many times Ive seen it, it always amazes me.

It's incredible it has managed to survive the best part of a 1,000 years in good shape although it had some dodgy moments: during the French Revolution someone decided to use the tapestry as a tarpaulin to cover a cart.

Does anybody else think it's odd that the Tapestry is in Normandy when really it should be in the UK?

This is where it was probably embroidered and it's about the Battle of Hastings, after all.

Must see: Bayeux's famed embroidery, depicting the Battle of Hastings, has survived the better part of 1,000 years

If the Greeks ever get the Elgin Marbles back, we should make a pitch for the Tapestry.

The Chateau d'Audrieu has its own tragic link with history.

In the immediate aftermath of D-Day, 23 Canadian infantrymen and two British soldiers were summarily executed in the grounds of the hotel which had been taken over by the Germany army.

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Bayeux should have been taken on D-Day, but a successful landing in Normandy in June 1944 was only half the battle.

The Allies, depending on tanks to make progress inland, found the high, thick hedges of Normandy made it hard going.

At Tilly-sur-Seulles, a few miles from Audrieu, there was a ferocious tank battle which continued for days with possession of the town changing more than 20 times.

A lavish refurbishment of the Chateau has been capped with a new treehouse and deck that offers dreamy views over the lush Norman countryside.

Accommodation fit for a king  if William had lived in this sort of comfort, he probably wouldnt have bothered about conquering England
The British have adored Majorca for many years, with Agatha Christie an early convert.

In 1932 she discovered the island's sensational coast after finding the capital, Palma, was full.

She told that story through her character Parker Pyne in Problem At Pollensa Bay.

Hot-spot: Park Hyatt's new hillside hotel has opened near Canyamel on Majorca's east coast

Yet in the decades since, have we, the Germans and other European visitors, come to love L'illa de la Calma  the island of calm  too much? I used to think so.

Before my two recent visits, I felt popularity had purged the island of its character and left it like a squeezed-out Soller orange.

But there's a hot wind of change blowing, and proud old Majorca is stirring.

Smart designer hotels, and restaurants honouring local cuisine and wine, sprang up in the 2000s  many on the west coast, a swift drive from Palma using new tunnels under the mountains.

Is it now the turn of the island's less-favoured eastern part?

There was a glimpse of its rising status recently in BBC's The Night Manager. The lavish hideaway of Hugh Lauries villainous character was actually La Fortaleza Estate in Puerto Pollensa  an area that could easily pass for Monaco or Antibes.

A sign of the faith the big upmarket hotel chains have in the island is the new Park Hyatt Majorca, as splendid on its hillside as a Palatine Hill palace.

Yet the company's first luxury resort in Europe fits perfectly into the community of Canyamel, faithful to the traditional architecture we'd seen in villages and farmhouses on our drive from the airport.

I'd like to think that such sensitive and intelligent schemes, with nothing over three storeys, may mark the formal end of the age of the standard seaside box hotel, a dreary feature in Mediterranean destinations since the 1960s.

The hotel's grounds, abundant with holm oaks, vertical cypresses, olive trees and fragrant herbs, blend into the enfolding landscape.

Book lovers: The hotel boasts an elegant, high-ceilinged library and complimentary cava

We made our early evening base in the elegant, high-ceilinged library, its shelves full of English language books to leaf through as we enjoyed our complimentary cava and pondered the dining options in the hotel's three restaurants.

The hotel is proof, too, that you don't need a seafront location to succeed.

We could see the coast, less than a mile away, from our balcony. It was a short stroll there, to Platja de Canyamel.

TRAVEL FACTS Inspiring Travel Company (inspiringtravelcompany.co.uk, 01244 355527) offers seven nights' B&B at Park Hyatt Majorca from 1,065pp, including return flights and transfers. Advertisement

As well as the standard deal of sea, sand and sun-lounging, there was something new.

A nature trail led back from the beach, with helpful signs identifying resident birds and that ghost from the British countryside, the elm. It thrives here.

As if to press home the point that the rewards of a changing Majorca are in its quieter attractions, we were drawn to something wonderful on a hillside, a 15-minute walk away.

It strangely mirrored our hotel, as venerable and weathered as the Park Hyatt was fresh and polished.

Claper des Gegants is a 3,000-year-old settlement, its stones recently freed from under a fairy-tale thicket.

On each visit we were alone, save for a nightingale singing seductively from the bushes.
The latest campaign for her purse line, Pop & Suki, was set in the '90s.

Yet on Friday, Suki Waterhouse took it back 30 years earlier, when she was seen wearing a vintage-like polka dot dress in LA.

The 25-year-old beauty later drove off in a 1960's classic Alfa Romeo Spider.

Taking it back! On Friday, Suki Waterhouse, 25, was seen wearing a vintage-like polka dot dress in LA

Suki kept her dress casual by adding a pair of white and green sneakers to her ensemble.

The London-born beauty accessorized with layered necklaces, shades, a ring and a colorful scarf headband.

The model-turned actress wore her medium-length, blonde hair down. For make-up, she opted for a low-key, natural look.

Clean: Suki wore her medium-length, blonde hair down. For make-up, she opted for a low-key, natural look

Since she was 16, the face of brands such as Redken as been gracing the covers and editorials of magazines like British Vogue and Elle.

Suki has also graced the runway of Balenciaga and Burberry, and was previously the Mercier Muse for Laura Mercier make-up products.

In addition to her modeling talents, Suki has successfully crossed over into acting. Her first big role came as Bethany in Love, Rosie, followed by 2015's Insurgent.

Bye! The model-turned actress later drove off in a 1960's classic Alfa Romeo Spider

In September of last year, the Billionaire Boys Club star dipped into the world of fashion entrepreneurship.

She, along with pal Poppy Jamie and company CEO Leo Seigal, created a celebrity-favorite line of bags, Pop & Suki.

In an interview with W Magazine, the talented starlet gave a glimpse of her upcoming collection, and the design behind the marketing campaign.

'Before we release our Fall collection in September (which is definitely a slightly more mature and elevated development for us design-wise), we really wanted to fulfill our nostalgic Clueless dream of doing a '90s-inspired Back-To-School style collection, with custom leather notebooks, fluffy pink leather pencils, pink leather pens and cute paper notebooks,' she began.

'I take work very seriously but my work wear has to have sass. There's nothing wrong with whipping out your pink fluffy pencil in the classroom or the boardroom,' concluded Suki.
Georgia Love and Lee Elliott found love on last year's run of The Bachelorette.

And the pair put on a particularly amorous display, in the plumber's Instagram snap shared to the site on Friday.

Having revealed they were moments away from boarding a flight to Italy for a romantic getaway, could an engagement be on the cards?

Engagement on the cards? The Bachelorette's Georgia Love, 27, and Lee Elliott, 36, put on an amorous display, in Lee's Instagram post on Friday, prior to boarding a flight to Italy for a romantic getaway

Taking to Instagram, Lee, 36, shared a photo standing outside the International Departures terminal, with Georgia, 27.

Lee, wrapping one arm around his reality TV girlfriend, cut a casual figure in a khaki sweater, skinny leg jeans and white sneakers.

Georgia showed off her figure in a plunging black top, a biker-style jacket, skinny leg jeans and black ankle boots.

Headed for the aisle? Hinting at an impending engagement, Lee captioned the post: 'Buona notte Australia! Buongiorno Italia!' alongside numerous hash-tags

Online chatter: One fan was quick to suggest a possible engagement for the lovebirds, commenting underneath the photo: 'What a perfect place to put a ring on it'

Hinting at an impending engagement, Lee captioned the post: 'Buona notte Australia! Buongiorno Italia!' alongside numerous hash-tags.

One fan was quick to suggest a possible engagement for the lovebirds, commenting underneath the photo: 'What a perfect place to put a ring on it.'

The post came shortly before Lee took to Instagram again, this time gushing over Georgia, as the pair celebrate their one-year anniversary.

Gushing: The post came shortly before Lee took to Instagram again, this time gushing over Georgia, as the pair celebrate their one-year anniversary. A photo of the couple during last year's grand finale episode of The Bachelorette, was captioned in part: '1 year ago today you stood across from me with that infectious smile of yours'

Lee continued: 'And those eyes I get lost in each and every time I look into them and told me what I had been longing to hear you say...that you had fallen so madly in love with me!'

A photo of the couple during last year's grand finale episode of The Bachelorette, was captioned: '1 year ago today you stood across from me with that infectious smile of yours.

'And those eyes I get lost in each and every time I look into them and told me what I had been longing to hear you say...that you had fallen so madly in love with me!

'One year on and I still love hearing you say that just as much as I did that night!

Love story: Lee and Georgia found love on last year's reality TV dating series, The Bachelorette

'We've had one hell of a ride! The highest of highs and unfortunately the lowest of lows but everything we've done, we've done together side by side!

'In the past year I've managed to fall more in love with you and could not be more excited for the next 50-60!

Concluding with a joke, Lee asked of the suit worn in the finale episode: 'But in all our time together there's still one thing I just need to know? Seriously, did my ass look big in that!?'
Beyonce's fans have accused Taylor Swift of copying the super star's iconic music video Lemonade.

The devotees pointed out on social media that the teaser video for Swift's new single Look What You made Me Do has striking similarities to Beyonce's Lemonade videos and performances.

One fan tweeted side-by-side screengrabs of the Look What You Made Me Do teaser and the video from Lemonade, captioning it: 'Lemonade and Minute Maid'.

Too close for comfort: Beyonce's fans have lashed out at Taylor Swift for copying Lemonade; (pictured 2009)

Another fan added: 'Taylor Swift wanna be Beyonce so bad.'

In one shot from the teaser, Swift, 27, wears a black leotard and fishnet tights while leading a group of male dancers wearing similar garb.

Beyonce, 35, wears a similar outfit for her performance of Formation featuring uniformed backup dancers during the 2017 Superbowl.

The Formation music video has a shot of Beyonce standing in front of a group of men, while the video for Sorry features Serena Williams and herself in black leotards.

Copy cat: The devotees pointed out the teaser video for Swift's new single Look What You made Me Do has close similarities to Beyonce's Lemonade performances

Strike a pose? A social media user shared a side-by-side shot of the star's videos for comparison

'Girl bye': A fan reacted to the similarities on Twitter

Backlash: Fans took to Twitter to announce their dismay over the similarities

Meanwhile, Taylor's own fans were slamming her for taking a new direction with the fiery tone of the new single.

The song, which was unveiled on Thursday night after the star's notable absence from the spotlight, has been widely received as a musical jab at her celebrity nemeses, among them Katy Perry, Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian.

Twitter users took to the micro-blogging site in droves to slam the ditty, with one writing to the star: 'You lost me with this new song. I miss the old Taylor.'

Copy cat: Fans thought the clip from the teaser resembled the Sorry video featuring Serena Williams as they both feature black leotards and fishnet stockings

'I really don't like the new Taylor Swift song,' posted another disappointed fan. The chorus is so beige and trashy.'

Pointing to the song's feud theme, a third stated: 'Taylor Swift won't stop bringing up her thing with Kanye [because] it's the only thing keeping her relevant.'

And the timing of the track's release - directly clashing with Katy's rumoured Taylor diss track Swish Swish was also noted by a few, with one accusing the pop star of pulling a 'predictable' manoeuvre.

Cover girl: Taylor released her first single in two years titled Look What You Made Me Do on Thursday night as it seemingly addresses a leaked phone call

Reviews: Music fans took to Twitter to express their reviews of the single upon its release

However, amid the chorus of voices insisting that the song 'sucks' a number of faithful fans welcomed Taylor back to the charts with enthusiastically open arms.

The blonde beauty's actress pal Ruby Rose led the wave, breathlessly tweeting 'Omg OH MY GOD' as she shared a screenshot of the single.

'I gotta say it's one of the best singles dropped this year. Congratulations, @taylorswift13,' wrote one impressed fan.

'Just listened to @taylorswift13 new song and love it! So happy that my fave is back,' stated a second devotee to the chart-topping star.

Spotlight: Taylor had been laying low over the past several months, ahead of the track's release

Naysayers: The new pop track received a number of negative reviews, even from die-hard fans

While one fan deemed the track 'everything', another said of the catchy song's detractors: 'Haters are already trying to find new ways to drag Taylor Swift for a song written about haters.'

On Friday, Taylor took to her Twitter to announce that the full Joseph Kahn-directed video will premiere exclusively at the MTV Video Music Awards, to be held in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Katy Perry, who is thought to be one of the targets in Taylor's track, famously referenced Mean Girls, when she tweeted in 2014: 'Watch out for the Regina George in sheeps clothing.'

And three years later, Taylor appears to have responded in the slickest of ways, as a fan has noticed that the track on her new single This Is What You Made Me Do uses an identical beat to that heard in the 2004 movie's Halloween scene.

Taking aim? Taylor's track is thought to take aim at a small number of her celebrity nemeses

Happy campers: Amid the sea of detractors were fans who were thrilled with the new release

However, it appears that jabs could already have been fired back from Team Perry, as Nicki Minaj - who appears alongside Katy on the track Swish Swish, largely accepted as a dig at Taylor - cryptically tweeted on Thursday: 'N***a sit down. Be humble.'

Late Thursday night, Twitter user @tkylemac took to the micro-blogging site to point out: 'Taylor was once called "Regina George in sheep's clothing" and her new song uses the beat from this scene in Mean Girls.'

He then shared a brief video of Rachel McAdams' Regina dancing away in a Playboy Bunny outfit ahead of welcoming friends into her home for a Halloween bash.

In a bid to reinforce his theory, @tkylemac followed up with an image comparing the soundwaves of both audio tracks, showing their striking similarities.

Hitting back: Taylor appears to have hit back at a jab Katy Perry aimed at her back in 2014 in the most subtle of ways on her newly-released single

Shot: Back in 2014, Katy used a Mean Girls reference to apparently take a veiled shot at Taylor

On the same day that Taylor released her single, rapper Nicki appeared to fire back at the star - whose track is thought to reference Katy, as well as Kanye West and his wife Kim Kardashian - when she shared her 'be humble' tweet.

In the single, Taylor makes a thinly veiled reference to the controversial video call she received from rapper Kanye West in 2015.

The 40-year old rapper's conversation with Taylor was released by the outspoken rapper's wife, socialite Kim, as damning proof that she was well aware of his intention to refer to her in a track on his latest album, The Life Of Pablo.

And Taylor, 27, appears to have addressed the leaked call in lyrics to her first single in two years, Look What You Made Me Do, released on on Thursday night.

Moment of discovery: On Thursday night, a Twitter user pointed out the similarities between Taylor's new single and a track used in Mean Girls' Halloween party scene

One of the more eyebrow-raising parts of the track comes during the bridge of the song when a phone rings.

A voicemail by Taylor herself then could be heard saying: 'I'm sorry the old Taylor cant come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead!'

Last year Kim released a video recording of the phone conversation on Snapchat, where Taylor was heard describing the name check in Kanye's album track Famous as 'a compliment.'

The drama began when Kanye rapped about considering having sex with her, before claiming her had her blessing for the lyric.

What do you Mean, Girl? Twitter users speculated that Nicki Minaj had waded in, as she shared a cryptic tweet in the wake of the release of Taylor's new single

Collaboration: Nicki appears alongside Katy in the video for her new dance single Swish Swish

Thinly-veiled: The track has been widely speculated to be a thinly-veiled jab at nemesis Taylor

The offending song contained the words: I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b*tch famous.'

Afterwards Swifts team released a statement claiming: 'Kanye did not call for approval, but to ask Taylor to release his single Famous on her Twitter account.

'She declined and cautioned him about releasing a song with such a strong misogynistic message. Taylor was never made aware of the actual lyric, "I made that b**ch famous".'

As if the new single wasn't for her Swifties, the blonde beauty also released images for the three versions of magazine covers for her upcoming album Reputation on the same night.

Feud: Last year Kim Kardashian released a now notorious video of a conversation between Kanye West and Taylor, as the couple are pictured together in April 2016

uh-oh: Their clash came when Kanye rapped about considering having sex with her in his song Famous, before claiming her had her blessing for the lyric.

The two covers will be available at Target stores exclusively when the album is released on November 10 and will each come with a copy of the album.

There are two versions of the publication as Volume 1 was shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot while Volume 2 was done by Benny Horne.

Each cover has the look and feel of a modern day art magazine and features a clutter of words which seem to indicate the contents of the pages.

Among the exciting promises featured on the cover include: 'poetry and paintings', 'handwritten lyrics', 'fashion portraits', and 'behind the scenes video shoot photography.'

Leggy lady: The two covers will be available at Target stores exclusively when the album is released on November 10 and will each come with a copy of the album

Making her move? Taylor appeared to be arriving aboard a private plane in Los Angeles on Thursday

On the Volume 1 cover, she could be seen wearing a black long-sleeved sweater mini dress with her signature blonde locks dishevelled.

In the other Taylor rocks a chic Marc Jacobs camouflage military jacket as she peers over her shoulder.

It was an exciting night as Taylor's latest single Look What You Made Me Do was released along with a lyric video created by Odd and produced by Taylor and longtime collaborator Joseph Kahn.

The three-and-a-half minute clip includes plenty of snake imagery which Taylor has been teasing on social media over the past few days.

Gratitude: On Thursday, the members of Right Said Fred took to Twitter to thank Taylor for sampling their 1990s hit I'm Too Sexy on her track

Slithering: Taylor's latest single Look What You Made Me Do was released along with a lyric video created by Odd and produced by Taylor and longtime collaborator Joseph Kahn

Interesting: The three-and-a-half minute clip includes plenty of snake imagery which Taylor has been teasing on social media over the past few days

Stunning: The lyric music video comes ahead of the actual music video which is set to be shown on Good Morning America on Friday morning

No doubt the lyrics will be analysed by fans as they include biting remarks including: 'The world moves on, another day, another drama, drama. But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma.'

It was a big news day for the highly-anticipated album as Reputation will have 15 tracks according to iTunes.

Swift also teased an upcoming tour by featuring a portal on her website in order for followers to sign up to be on the wait list for verified fan tickets.

Good Morning America also announced that a sneak peek for her new music video will be aired on the program Friday morning.

Coming soon: Reputation will be released on November 10
She's the 'villain' who made a dramatic exit from The Bachelor this week after calling her fellow contestants 'fake b**ches'.

And on Friday, Jen Hawke switched gears and took aim at Matty J, calling him a 'douche' in an interview on KIIS FM's Kyle and Jackie O Show.

But now former boyfriend of the 28-year-old and past Bachelorette contestant Jake Ellis has slammed her comments and come to Matty's defence.

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Bros code: On Friday, Jake Ellis slammed Jen Hawke's comments claiming Matty J was a 'douche'

'I consider Matty one of my really good friends so to hear that, I don't like hearing that because I don't think that's true at all,' said Jake to Yahoo Be.

'All the boys we're still very close, we have a big group chat and all of that kind of stuff.'

During an explosive interview with the radio duo on Friday morning, the busty brunette said she wasn't into Matty and called him a 'douche'.

Not impressed: 'I consider Matty one of my really good friends so to hear that, I don't like hearing that because I don't think that's true at all'

'I just wasn't really into Matty, he's just a bit of a douche,' she said.

'I really lost respect for him for the way he handled the whole Leah/Simone situation and I really don't like the fact that he sent Michelle home - she's the biggest catch in that house and he didn't even give her a date!'

Not one to hold back, Jen also revealed why she would never dare to lock lips with Matty during her time on the show, saying: 'How many girls has he made out with now, six?'

Not into him: 'I just wasn't really into Matty, he's just a bit of a douche'

Too good for him? 'I would never degrade myself to make out with a guy who was making out with a girl six hours earlier, no thank you'

'I would never degrade myself to make out with a guy who was making out with a girl six hours earlier, no thank you,'

On Thursday night's episode, Jen was reduced to tears after she was slammed by the other contestants for throwing Lisa Carlton 'under the bus' after telling Matty the blonde model thought he was only there to raise his social status.

'I just want to go. The house, it's full of b*tches that are 100% fake. I would not trust them as far as I can throw them. I want to go,' she complained to a producer.

'I'm so over these b**ches. I just want to go home. I'm so above Mean Girls,' she bawled.
Anna Richardson (pictured with her partner Sue Perkins) has opened up about finding out she was infertile

Presenter Anna Richardson has revealed her shock at finding out she was infertile while making a television programme  and that the director 'phoned the office' before telling her.

The Naked Attraction host, 46, who is in a long-term relationship with former Great British Bake Off presenter Sue Perkins, said she still cannot 'get over' how the crushing news was handled.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival, she explained that she had agreed to have fertility tests in 2008 as part of Channel 4 series The Sex Education Show.

However, when the doctor broke the news to her that she was 'completely infertile', she learnt that her director  who was pregnant  had already 'phoned the office' to tell them the results.

Miss Richardson, who at the time was in a relationship with film director Charles Martin, said the experience was an example of presenters making themselves 'very vulnerable'.

She told her audience in Edinburgh: 'I have a story about a show I did a few years ago called The Sex Education Show, which I loved but as a part of it my producer said to me, 'We want to do something about fertility, so would you be prepared to have your fertility tested?'

'I thought, 'F*** it, I'm in my 30s, I've got tonnes of eggs, I'm fine'. And off we went to this fertility clinic. My director at the time was pregnant and she went in to speak to the doctors and I was stood outside for ages and ages with the crew.

'I knew something was going on. Eventually the doctor appeared and said, 'Can I have a word with you?'

And she took me to one side and she said, 'I'm really sorry but you've got nothing. You're completely infertile'.

'And the thing that I still cannot get over is that my director had phoned the office and told them before I had got the news that I couldn't have children.'

The Naked Attraction host, 46, said she still cannot 'get over' how the crushing news was handled

Miss Richardson's distress can be seen on the programme, when fertility guru Zita West speaks to her.

On it, the expert tells her: 'The results have come back and they are lower-than-average...the quality of the eggs will be changing and the reserve will be diminishing.' Miss Richardson then says she was not expecting to be told she has 'low fertility' at the age of 37.

The Sex Education Show was intended to improve the nation's knowledge of sexual issues, and ran for five series from 2008 to 2011.

More recently the presenter has hosted controversial naked dating show Naked Attraction and has been dating comedian Miss Perkins, 47, since 2013.

Both women have spoken of their shared desire to adopt in the future.

Miss Richardson told the Daily Mail in 2015: 'I think because I'm 45 now I'm thinking long and hard about fostering and adopting. It would be nice to create a little unit.'
Paris Hilton strolled hand-in-hand with her boyfriend Chris Zylka on her way inside LAX Airport's terminal B in Los Angeles on Friday.

The globetrotting 36-year-old and her 32-year-old actor beau continued their considerable carbon footprint by jetting back to Spain for one of her DJ gigs.

For the 16-hour flight, the Sorry Not Sorry video vixen took the plunge in a Barbie-pink chiffon maxi-dress and toted a grey carry-on bag.

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'Bye LA!' Paris Hilton strolled hand-in-hand with her boyfriend Chris Zylka on her way inside LAX Airport's terminal B in Los Angeles on Friday

Peace! The globetrotting 36-year-old and her 32-year-old actor beau continued their considerable carbon footprint by jetting back to Spain for one of her DJ gigs

Style over comfort: For the 16-hour flight, the Sorry Not Sorry video vixen took the plunge in a Barbie-pink chiffon maxi-dress and toted a grey carry-on bag

Hilton attempted incognito under large sunglasses with a grey sunhat over her signature blonde hair extensions.

Meanwhile, the Leftovers heartthrob flaunted his tattooed sleeves (including 'Paris' on his left forearm) in a baggy T-shirt, dark shredded skinny jeans, and matching sneakers.

The socialite began dating Zylka (born Settlemire) last year, but they only went public with their relationship in February.

'It [makes] me so happy to have Chris by my side,' Paris told MailOnline last week.

Happy: Hilton attempted incognito under large sunglasses with a grey sunhat over her signature blonde hair extensions

Branded: Meanwhile, the Leftovers heartthrob flaunted his tattooed sleeves (including 'Paris' on his left forearm) in a baggy T-shirt, dark shredded skinny jeans, and matching sneakers

'It [makes] me so happy to have Chris by my side': The socialite began dating Zylka (born Settlemire) last year, but they only went public with their relationship in February

'He loves kids just like I do...I can't wait to have my own child one day and how special that feeling would be.'

Hilton's departure came hours after she flaunted her 'two-story doggy mansion that has air conditioning, heating, designer furniture, and a chandelier.'

The hotel heiress houses her pooches in a two-story white Italian-style residence complete with a tile roof and wrought iron railings on an upper outdoor balcony.

There's a staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper floor that has a wrought-iron balustrade and the interior is decorated with bright pink paint and features a chandelier.

'Loves it!' Hilton's departure came hours after she flaunted her 'two-story doggy mansion that has air conditioning, heating, designer furniture, and a chandelier'

A life of luxury: The hotel heiress houses her pooches in a two-story white Italian-style residence complete with a tile roof and wrought iron railings on an upper outdoor balcony

Champagne wishes: There's a staircase leading from the ground floor to the upper floor that has a wrought-iron balustrade and a matching chandelier

The property looks to stand about 12ft high, also has several windows and outdoor light fixtures.

Inside the privileged pups have beds, feeding stations, and their own personal fenced-in lawn complete with a tree for their toilet needs.

Paris has a weakness for small breed dogs like pomeranians, mini-pinschers, teacup yorkies and chihuahuas; as well as cats and ferrets.

Pretty in pink: The property looks to stand about 12ft high, also has several windows and outdoor light fixtures

Candid: Inside the privileged pups have beds, feeding stations, and their own personal fenced-in lawn complete with a tree for their toilet needs

The gangs all here! Paris has a weakness for small breed dogs like pomeranians, mini-pinschers, teacup yorkies and chihuahuas; as well as cats and ferrets

The Simple Life alum will next man the decks at Sunday night's closing party for her Foam and Diamonds residency at Ibiza hotspot Amnesia.

The former reality star and the University of Toledo alum will then fly to Nevada to attend Burning Man, which runs Sunday-September 4 in Black Rock Desert.

'Counting down the days till I'm back on the Playa!' Hilton - who boasts 30.7M social media followers - wrote on Instagram.

Grand finale: The Simple Life alum will next man the decks at Sunday night's closing party for her Foam and Diamonds residency at Ibiza hotspot Amnesia

'Counting down the days till I'm back on the Playa!' The former reality star and the University of Toledo alum will then fly to Nevada to attend Burning Man, which runs Sunday-September 4 in Black Rock Desert

Record? But Cash Money Records has yet to put out the blonde celebutante's second album, which was supposed to include her singles - Crazy, Come Alive, and High Off My Love (pictured Monday)

'Can't wait to get back to the happiest place on Earth! #BurningMan See you next week on the playa!'

But Cash Money Records has yet to put out the blonde celebutante's second album, which was supposed to include her singles - Crazy, Come Alive, and High Off My Love.

Meanwhile, Zylka will next play Chuck Harris in the sixties nun drama Novitiate, which screens September 7 at the Toronto Film Festival before hitting US theaters October 27.
The total amount of funds that have already been allocated for carrying out road works in Ukraine in 2017 exceeded UAH 20 billion, while the length of repaired roads exceeds 750 kilometers, Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has said.

In addition, he said patch work has been done on 40,000 km of roads.

According to the information and communications department of the secretariat of the Cabinet of Ministers, the prime minister noted this year all the work has begun on time, in April, whereas last year the first road tenders were held only in August.

"Every week we inspect the work in the regions, check the progress of repair works, their quality, open the restored sections of roads. And we pay special attention to the construction of new highways," Groysman said.

According to him, one of these projects is the Lviv-Odesa road through Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsia, Mykolaiv and Kherson, which will connect the western border of Ukraine with the ports on the Black Sea and become a powerful component of Ukraine's transit opportunities. According to the head of government, work on the facility has already been started, in three or four years Ukraine will receive a new road of European quality.
He may have been in training as he returned to his role of Batman.

But Ben Affleck enjoyed the respite as he was seen grabbing fast food in Los Angeles on Friday.

The Justice League actor, 45, sported a casual ensemble as he went through the Jack In The Box drive-thru without his new beau Lindsay Shookus.

Grab and go: Ben Affleck, 45, was seen grabbing fast food in Los Angeles on Friday

The duo enjoyed a holiday in the Big Apple together last week as they were spotted arriving at the Ritz-Carlton hotel.

The couple went public with their relationship in early July.

Ben also has a home in Los Angeles to be close to his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, 45, and their three children Violet, 11, Seraphina, eight, and Samuel, five.

Diet schmiet: The Justice League actor sported a casual ensemble as he went through the Jack In The Box drive-thru

Respite: Ben is enjoying time off from training for Batman

The former Hollywood golden couple announced their split in 2015 after 10 years together, but did not officially file for divorce until 2017.

Despite their split, Ben and Jennifer have remained on good terms and recently celebrated his 45th birthday as a family on August 15.

The actor was joined by his kids for a dinner at LA hotspot Barton G, before he jetted back to New York to be with Lindsay.

Big Apple holiday: The duo enjoyed a holiday in the Big Apple together last week as they were spotted arriving at the Ritz-Carlton hotel

Ben continues to be one of the busiest stars in Hollywood.

He will next be seen as Batman/Bruce Wayne in Justice League on November 17, as well as having The Batman in pre-production, along with Thirst, a drama about the global water crisis.

Ben is also an executive producer on Showtime TV series City On A Hill, set in Boston in the early 1990s when corruption and racism was rife.
Angry fans were sent into a frenzy when Stephen Bear hinted he could be rekindling his romance with Charlotte Crosby.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner hinted that their relationship could be back on when he shared a picture of Charlotte, both 27, on Instagram on Friday.

Alongside the snap, he wrote on social media: 'No relationships perfect but I wanna do my best to keep this girl with me forever. She's my best friend.'

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'Playing us all for fools': Stephen Bear (pictured on This Morning) hinted he is rekindling his romance with his ex girlfriend Charlotte Crosby

Accompanying the caption, Bear shared a split picture of two make-up free selfies which showcase the blonde bombshell's natural beauty in her full glory.

Fresh suggestions the passionate lovebirds have put romance on the cards comes after the pair were said to have made up before breaking up again.

MailOnline has approached Stephen Bear's representatives for comments.

However, a number of fans flooded the Instagram post claiming they are 'confused' with one fan remarking the drama-fuelled break up changing 'every six hours'.

Must be love? The Celebrity Big Brother winner revealed their relationship could be back on when he shared a picture of Charlotte, both 27, on Instagram on Friday

Angry: Fans were sent into a frenzy when Stephen Bear hinted he could be rekindling his romance with Charlotte Crosby on Instagram

One person wrote: 'I'm just really confused.' Others followed suit, asking: 'What is going on? Confused.'

Some followers, however, proved less trusting of the pair as they claimed the split was simply a publicity stunt. 'Playing us all for fools,' one person wrote. Another added: 'Oh for god's sake.'

Another fan commented: 'What a joke! Toxic as hell!'

Party animal: Just hours after ditching Charlotte Crosby, Stephen Bear was spotted partying with a group of swimsuit-clad girls during his Las Vegas holiday

On Thursday Stephen 'dumped' Charlotte, just 24-hours after she broke down on live television following ex-boyfriend Gary 'Gaz' Beadle's news that he is expecting his first child.

And The Sun reports the duo could lose thousands, as Charlotte reportedly wants to close their joint business ventures, including a clothing line.

A source told The Sun: 'They have thousands of pounds of stock ready to sell, but now it'll go to waste as neither of them want to promote it, or if they do, they won't do it well,' says an insider.

All over: Stephen reportedly dumped Charlotte without her knowing, just 24-hours after she broke down on live television discussing her ex Gaz Beadle's baby news

'Their relationship was a key part of the brand  they posted loads of photos of themselves wearing the jumpers, they had the phone cases. But now they're not together, that's not going to happen.'

A representative for Charlotte denied the claims.

The divisive TV personality, 27, confirmed his separation from Charlotte - who he started dating in February while filming reality show Just Tattoo Of Us - in Twitter post on Thursday afternoon.

Addressing his 294,000 followers, he wrote: 'Sadly me and Charlotte have split up. We have had a good run but we wasn't right for each other (sic).'

Finished: The divisive TV personality confirmed his separation from Charlotte in an emotional Twitter post on Thursday afternoon

Single: Charlotte had previously announced she and Bear had split last week, but took back her claims just hours later claiming she had been a 'drunken d**k'

Bear is currently in Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather vs Conor McGregor fight and reportedly did not speak to Charlotte about breaking up, instead 'dumping' her on Twitter after reportedly being upset reading reports that she had partied with Jeremy McConnell whilst in Ireland for her make-up launch.

A source told The Sun: 'Charlotte literally had no idea Stephen thought their relationship was in a bad way.

'She logged onto Twitter and saw his message, she's in pieces and can't believe her fairytale ending has been shattered.'

Proving that he was still in good spirits after the split, Bear was seen out partying with a host of girls during his Las Vegas holiday.

Upset: Bear reportedly 'dumped' Jeremy on Twitter after reportedly being upset by reports that she had partied with Jeremy McConnell whilst in Ireland for her make-up launch

Costly: News of their split is said to be costing former Geordie Shore star Charlotte 'thousands of pounds', after setting up a clothing company titled His and Hers with Bear that they will no longer pursue

Former flames: Bear and Charlotte started dating in February 2017 while filming reality show Just Tattoo Of Us and have been inseparable ever since

'It's a hard time': Days earlier Charlotte broke down in floods of tears on live TV as she thanked fans for their support with ex Gaz Beadle's baby news...after losing his baby 16 months ago

Charlotte and Bear have a famously tumultuous relationship, which culminated in another split just last week.

Charlotte made the announcement in an emotional Snapchat video on Wednesday, but just hours later claimed she had been a 'drunken d**k' and insisted they were still together.

Bear's confirmation of the split comes after Charlotte broke down on live TV following the sudden news that her ex boyfriend Gaz Beadle is set to become a father... just 16 months after she lost his baby through an ectopic pregnancy.

The make up and break up came just before Gaz announced he is expecting his first child with girlfriend Emma McVey.

On Thursday Charlotte burst into tears on Ireland AM, when presenters Alan Hughes and Sinead Desmond asked the former Geordie Shore starlet, 27, how she was feeling.

The fragile reality star was in floods of tears, having earlier thanked fans for their support during what she branded 'a hard time' - also alluding to the troubles she had with boyfriend Bear (who has since jetted off on a lads' holiday).

Jetting off: Bear is heading to Vegas and announced on Snapchat: ' I'm going to watch the boxing. It's going to be wicked. Sorry for everyone at home, I suppose... noooot!'

Getting emotional: She also mentioned her troublesome relationship with current boyfriend Stephen Bear, leaving host Alan to comfort her

Brave face: She said, through her tears 'Honestly I get so overwhelmed by all the support, it's just so amazing. I've gotten so many nice messages over the past couple of days

Happy news: Her post comes a day after her ex Gary 'Gaz' Beadle announced he is expecting a baby with his girlfriend Emma McVey with a sweet snap on Instagram
When it comes to former topless waitresses Simone Ormesher and Leah Costa, it appears that old habits really do die hard.

Having spent weeks competing for Matty J's affection on The Bachelor, the pair looked to be at it again on Friday night, with their target being yet another reality TV star.

During Maxim magazine's sixth birthday party in Sydney, both women were spotted getting very flirty with former Bachelorette star Courtney Dober.

Back at it! The Bachelor's former topless waitresses Simone Ormesher (L) and Leah Costa (R) appeared to be competing for the affection of Courtney Dober on Friday night

The Bachelor rejects made their presence known at the boozy event, with Simone and Leah joined by the likes of Jen Hawke, Elora Murger and Monica Brown.

From the get-go, the show rivals, who are both former adult entertainers, appeared to have their sights set on lovable hunk Courtney.

While the stars were holding court in one of the Double Bay establishment's booths, the Georgia Love reject sauntered over and promptly took a seat.

He was seen smiling and chatting to UK born Simone, who exposed her infamous cleavage in a plunging red gown.

Sights set! At Maxim magazine's sixth birthday party in Sydney, Bachelorette alum Courtney (L) took a seat near Simone, who wore a cleavage-bearing red gown

Sparks! During their flirty exchange, the beauty appeared to take a fancy to Courtney ruffling her hair, with sparks flying as the pair exchanged longing glances

During their flirty exchange, the beauty appeared to take a fancy to Courtney ruffling her hair, with sparks flying as the pair exchanged longing glances.

But Leah, who outed Simone's topless waitress past to Matty J, was later seen sharing a private moment with the in-demand Bachelorette star.

They stood on the dance-floor, seen engaging in a very cute conversation, seemingly unable to take their eyes off one another.

Look out Simone! But Leah, who ousted Simone's topless waitress past to Matty J, was later seen sharing a private moment with the in-demand Bachelorette star

Dare to stare! They stood on the dance-floor, seen engaging in a very cute conversation, seemingly unable to take their eyes off one another

So close! Courtney played it smooth, leaning-in to whisper something to the beauty, who turned so they were mere millimeters away from locking-lips

Courtney played it smooth, leaning-in to whisper something to the beauty.

Around the same time, a post on Leah's Instagram raised more questions, with the reality star's sharing an intimate, blurry selfie.

The remainder of the night appeared to play-out like a game of highschool gossip, with the bachelorettes often seen giggling and pointing at the hunk.
She just returned back from a trip to Hamilton Island with best pal Francessa Packer, 22, on Friday.

And hours later, Roxy Jacenko seemed to be needing a little more vacation time before heading back to her Bondi abode.

Bringing along husband Oliver Curtis, 32, and her two children Pixie, 6, and Hunter, 3, the 37-year-old spent the night at Sydney's luxurious Park Hyatt hotel.

Another trip! On Friday, Roxy Jacenko seemed to be needing a little more vacation time before heading back to her Bondi abode

'Back home and time for a staycation at @parkhyattsydney with my favs,' captioned Roxy during their Friday night dinner.

Dressed in a casual ensemble, Roxy donned an all black look.

Copying his mum, Hunter who was seen struggling to smile, was seen in a zipped up black hoodie.

Fuel: The family headed to breakfast at the hotel before heading out for the day

Stylish: Wearing a plain white $570 Gucci t-shirt, Roxi teamed her look with a pair of blue skinny jeans

With toys and a hairbrush in front of her, the six-year-old hair accessory entrepreneur completed her casual look with a navy bow on top of her slicked back ballerina bun.

On Saturday, the young family were spotted having some breakfast at the hotel before venturing out around Darling Harbour.

Wearing a plain white $570 Gucci T-shirt, Roxy teamed her look with a pair of blue skinny jeans.

Full day ahead: On Saturday, the young family were spotted having some breakfast at the hotel before venturing out around Darling Harbour

Running free! Hunter and Pixie seemed to be enjoying their family day out in the sun around the Sydney Harbour

Off to see some animals: Quickly returning back to the hotel to rug up, Roxy posted a picture on Pixie's Instagram that revealed the family were heading off to Taronga Zoo

All posing with the peace sign, it is believed Oliver, who was missing from the picture was behind the camera.

Quickly returning back to the hotel to rug up, Roxy posted a picture on Pixie's Instagram that revealed the family were heading off to Taronga Zoo.

Earlier in the week, Private Sydney reported Roxy was overheard asking for rival newspaper The Daily Telegraph to 'read about myself' on board a flight to Hamilton Island with Francesca Packer.

Private Sydney, who were seated down in economy class, were said to have overheard matters of business up in the echelons, where Roxy was seated.
She got the first rose on this season of The Bachelor, but was eliminated weeks later.

Now, Michelle Paxton, 32, has explained why her chemistry with Matty J, 30 quickly faded.

'I need a bit of a stronger man,' the Police Officer told Popsugar on Saturday.

Not her type! Michelle Paxton, 32, has explained why her chemistry with Matty J, 30 quickly faded on The Bachelor, revealing she needs a 'stronger man'

After looking promising early on, Michelle never earned a single date with the hunky Marketing Manager.

She admitted to the publication that although sparks flew during their initial conversations, they quickly devolved to 'just friends.'

The beauty praised Matty's nice-guy antics, but insisted: 'he doesn't exactly have the personality that I want for a relationship.'

'I need a bit of a stronger man, so to speak!' she offered with a smile.

'He doesn't exactly have the personality that I want for a relationship': The Police Officer admitted that although sparks flew early on, they quickly devolved to 'just friends'

'So yeah, for me he was a bit vanilla and I needed something more than that...'

Unable to let him down gently, Michelle concluded: '...I need someone who pulls me up in life and is willing to challenge me on what I say.'

The reality star believed that her conversations with Matty never really reached a meaningful level.

'He was a bit vanilla': The reality star believed that her conversations with Matty never really reached a meaningful level

Earlier this week, she gave more details about what she looks for in a man, claiming series alum Richie Strahan is far 'more attractive' to her.

Speaking with NW magazine, she said: 'Im a bit more attracted to Richie, physically. I have a thing for redheads, I dont know why, like, Ron Weasley'.

Now that Richie's relationship with Alex Nation is over, the South Australian added: 'Its meant to be  this is what happens!'
They found love on last year's season of The Bachelorette Australia.

And on Friday, Georgia Love, 27, and Lee Elliott took to social media to reveal they were off for a romantic trip to Italy.

Stopping over in Singapore, in a surprise twist, the 36-year-old plumber had previously arranged Georgia and himself to stay at the same hotel they filmed the finale in, exactly one year ago.

Surprise! On Saturday, Lee Elliott surprised girlfriend Georgia Love by taking her back to the same hotel they filmed the finale in one year ago

'Best surprise EVER!!! Lee has brought me to the hotel in Singapore where we filmed the finale!!!' captioned Georgia on Instagram Stories.

Wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black singlet stop, the TV journalist looked as if she was in a state of shock.

But the gestures didn't end there for the lucky pair, who went up to her hotel room to find the hotel had left a display of hearts, swans and photos from their past year together.

Had no idea: 'Best surprise EVER!!! Lee has brought me to the hotel in Singapore where we filmed the finale!!!'

Taking it in: Wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans and a black singlet stop, the TV journalist looked as if she was in a state of shock

Another surprise: But the gestures didn't end there for the lucky pair, who went up to her hotel room to find the hotel had left a display of hearts, swans and photos from their past year together

Beautifully folding a pair of swans with pink frangipani's all around them, the couple's bed also saw a cut-out of the number '1' with greyscale photos of the pair.

The pictures showcased were from a number of different events including the Logie Awards that were held earlier in the year.

Going the extra mile, the Sofitel Singapore staff also cut out coloured pictures of Georgia and Lee into heart shapes and attached them to pieces of string.

Their love: Beautifully folding a pair of swans with pink frangipani's all around them, the couple's bed also saw a cut-out of the number '1' with greyscale photos of the pair

One year on: Going the extra mile, the Sofitel Singapore staff also cut out coloured pictures of Georgia and Lee into heart shapes and attached them to pieces of string

Going the extra mile: Ensuring they had thought of everything, the creative hotel employees also stuck on congratulatory messages on top of the couples in-house slippers

Research: One of the shots was from Georgia's Instagram account back in June when she posed with Lee for Red Nose Day

One of the shots was from Georgia's Instagram account back in June when she posed with Lee for Red Nose Day.

And ensuring they had thought of everything, the creative hotel employees also stuck on congratulatory messages on top of the couples in-house slippers.

Taking to Instagram before take-off, Lee wrote a long love letter to Georgia on Instagram.

Head over heals: Taking to Instagram before take-off, Lee wrote a long love letter to Georgia on Instagram

'1 year ago today you stood across from me with that infectious smile of yours and those eyes I get lost in each and every time I look into them and told me what I had been longing to hear you say....that you had fallen so madly in love with me!' he gushed.

'One year on and i still love hearing you say that just as much as i did that night! We've had one hell of a ride! The highest of highs and unfortunately the lowest of lows but everything we've done, we've done side by side!

Continuing on, the reality love winner ended with his signature donkey pun - the first thing he ever said to Georgia.
Michelle Bridges and partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, were invited to train a group of 30-50 inmates at Silverwater jail in Sydney's West.

And during an appearance on The Morning Show earlier this week, the mother-of-one recalled the hilarious moment a prisoner misunderstood her pep talk.

Making reference to building arm muscles with the word guns, the 46-year-old told co-hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies: '(She said) Don't say anything to me about guns, love!'

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'Don't say anything to me about guns, love!' Michelle Bridges, 46, recalled the hilarious moment an inmate misunderstood her pep talk, as she and partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, 41, visited Silverwater jail

Recalling the lighthearted moment with the inmate, Michelle said on-air: 'It was actually quite a funny moment. We decided to do the workout first to kind of decompress everyone and then we sat down and talked to them.

'In my head, I kept saying "Don't say anything inappropriate!". I was like, "Come on girls, these guns aren't going to build up on their own!"'

Sharing the unexpected response from the inmate, Michelle went on to say: '(She said) Don't say anything to me about guns, love!'

Setting the scene: Recalling the lighthearted moment with the inmate, Michelle said on-air: 'It was actually quite a funny moment. We decided to do the workout first to kind of decompress everyone and then we sat down and talked to them'

Hilarious: 'In my head, I kept saying "Don't say anything inappropriate!". I was like, "Come on girls, these guns aren't going to build up on their own!"' Sharing the unexpected response from the inmate, Michelle went on to say: '(She said) Don't say anything to me about guns, love!'

Michelle and partner Steve 'Commando' Willis, 41, appeared on the Channel Seven morning program, to discuss their recent visit to Silverwater Correctional Complex in Sydney's west.

The couple were approached to train a group of 30-50 female inmates in a Biggest Loser-type program.

Michelle and Steve, who welcomed a child together, son Axel in December 2015, remain passionate in helping to transform people's lives through health and fitness.

Expert tip: Speaking to Body+Soul recently, Michelle said that an important aspect of getting fit is making sure you sort out your mental state: 'Sometimes that choice comes down to the circles you move in, and sometimes you need to cut away from those circles'

Speaking to Body+Soul recently, Michelle said that an important aspect of getting fit is making sure you sort out your mental state.

'Sometimes that choice comes down to the circles you move in, and sometimes you need to cut away from those circles,' she said.

'As hard as that may seem if you're friends are continually pulling you into a place that your gut instinct is telling you this is really not serving me well, then it might be time to reevaluate who you are hanging out with.'

Since ending her role as a trainer on Channel Ten's The Biggest Loser, Michelle has gone on to become a Medibank Private ambassador where she promotes public health campaigns.

New chapter: Michelle and Steve called time on their role as trainers on Channel Ten's reality series The Biggest Loser
She'll be walking one of the biggest runways of the year in just a few months.

So it's no wonder Romee Strijd had such a big smile on her face as she arrived to a fitting for the upcoming Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York on Friday.

The 22-year-old made sure to flash her envy-inducing torso as she stepped out in a boho chic crop top.

Top of the crops! Romee Strijd made sure to flash her envy-inducing torso as she stepped out in a boho chic crop top in New York on Friday

Romee topped the seventies-inspired look off with a pair of dark blue jeans and had a purse slung across her body.

She glammed the look up with an array of golden jewelry, and made sure to protect her vision with a pair of tortoise Sunday Somewhere sunglasses.

Her beach blonde locks were swept over her head and her naturally radiant complexion looked to have been topped off with minimal amounts of makeup.

Romee is already gearing up for the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show set to take place in December at a yet-to-be-disclosed location.

Added extras: Romee topped the seventies-inspired look off with a pair of dark blue jeans and had a purse slung across her body

If you've got it! The model, who shielded her eyes from the bright sun with some Sunday Somewhere shades, clearly works hard to maintain her figure

The model clearly works hard to maintain her figure.

Speaking with Glamour last year, Romee said it's helpful to have a workout buddy.

The star said of exercising with fellow model Jasmine Tookes: 'Sometimes, when I don't feel like working out, she'll push me to go, and the same can be said the other way around!

'It also helps to plan a fun breakfast or lunch after a workout as something to look forward to.'
The Bachelor's Alex Nation confirmed her split with Richie Strahan by moving on with Maegan Luxa.

And former co-star Olena Khamula revealed to Daily Mail Australia last Wednesday that she was surprised to hear the turn of events.

'I thought no, this isn't right,' the model admitted, going on to say she 'never got an inkling' during her time in the mansion, that Alex was bisexual or a lesbian.

'I thought, this isn't right': The Bachelor's Olena Khamula told Daily Mail Australia she 'never got an inkling' Alex Nation was bisexual or a lesbian, during her time in the mansion

Olena told Daily Mail Australia: 'I don't know how I feel about that.

'It was a major shock because I just came back from Greece and I thought no, this isn't right. Is this Alex?

'But you know if she's happy, (then) why not. I never picked up on it. I never got an inkling she was bi or lesbian or anything like that,' Olena continued.

Back from Greece: 'It was a major shock because I just came back from Greece and I thought no, this isn't right. Is this Alex?' Olena told Daily Mail Australia

Perspective: Olena however insisted that as long as Alex is happy, that's all that matters: 'But you know if she's happy, (then) why not. I never picked up on it. I never got an inkling she was bi or lesbian or anything like that'

Alex's new relationship with former cook Maegan, 31, was revealed last week when pictures emerged of the pair kissing.

The news came as a shock to fans, given that Alex, 26, had remained silent about her relationship with former Bachelor star Richie Strahan, 32.

According to New Idea, Richie was left in the dark about Alex's newfound love with Maegan, prior to the reports emerging.

New flame: Alex's new relationship with former cook Maegan Luxa (pictured), 31, was revealed last week when pictures emerged of the pair kissing

Shock revelations: The news came as a shock to fans, given that Alex, 26, had remained silent about her relationship with former Bachelor star Richie Strahan, 32

'Richie knows nothing at all about this,' a friend told the magazine.

'Right now, confronting him with this news seems way too difficult and the last thing she wants to do is hurt Richie.'

The publication claimed that Alex had split with Richie about six months ago, implying they were not together during appearances the two made at events in May.

Candid: Alex broke her silence on her relationship with Maegan when she spoke candidly about the new romance on her radio show 88.3 Southern FM

Opening up: 'I think if you have a connection with someone you can't - people can't help who they connect with,' she stated

Alex broke her silence on her relationship with Maegan when she spoke candidly about the new romance on her radio show 88.3 Southern FM.

'I think if you have a connection with someone you can't - people can't help who they connect with,' she stated.

'We should celebrate love between people whether it is male, male and female or women and female,' she added.

Alex and Richie found love last year on The Bachelor.
She's been enjoying a 'staycation' this weekend, 20 minutes from her Bondi home.

And on Saturday, Roxy Jacenko, 37, was spotted heading out on a day trip to Taronga Zoo.

Spending the day with husband Oliver Curtis, 32, and their two children Pixie, 6, and Hunter, 3, the PR maven was also joined by chicken heiress Jess Ingham and her toddler.

Family fun day! And on Saturday, Roxy Jacenko, 37, and her family were spotted heading out on a day trip to Taronga Zoo

Walking along the zoo pathway, Roxy wore a plain white $570 Gucci T-shirt.

Donning a casual look, the mother-of-two teamed her designer shirt with blue skinny jeans.

Swapping her heels for her family day out, Roxy completed her look with classic white sneakers.

Stylish: Donning a casual look, the mum-of-two teamed her designer $570 Gucci shirt with blue skinny jeans

The brood: Spending the day with husband Oliver Curtis, 32, and their two children Pixie, 6, and Hunter, 3, the PR maven was also joined by chicken heiress Jess Ingham and her toddler

Keeping comfortable: Oliver also donned a casual look for the family outing

Doing it his way: With no apparent alliances or business deals with any sportswear brands, the recently released father was seen in a Nike jacket and Adidas shoes

Oliver, who recently served a 12-month sentence for insider trading, also donned a casual look for the family outing.

With no apparent alliances or business deals with any sportswear brands, the recently released father was seen in a Nike jacket and Adidas shoes.

Continuing his streamlined yet co-branded look, Oliver was also seen in plain black shorts and a black cap.

Monochrome: Continuing his streamlined yet co-branded look, Oliver was also seen in plain black shorts and a black cap

Friends: The recently reunited family was also joined by Ingham chicken heiress Jessica Ingham

Roar! Speaking to Daily Mail Australia , Roxy revealed the tigers seemed to be a crowd favourite

On Instagram earlier in the day, Roxy revealed Pixie's get-up was from Seed Heritage.

And in the post, Roxy also ensured to plug her six-year-old entrepreneur daughter's hair accessory range as well.

Carried around most of the day by Oliver, Hunter kept warm in a green jumper and cargo pants.

Designer: Walking along the zoo pathway, Roxy wore a plain white $570 Gucci T-shirt

Fan favourite: 'We went to enjoy the whole zoo but the new Sumatran Tiger enclosure was a highlight of the afternoon'

Filled with glee! Pixie was excitedly photographed running towards an enclosure

Straying away from his sisters bow empire, Hunter strolled around with a cardboard tiger headband that he picked up from the zoo.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Roxy revealed the tigers seemed to be a crowd favourite.

'We went to enjoy the whole zoo but the new Sumatran Tiger enclosure was a highlight of the afternoon,' said Roxy.

Views: Packing in a lot of sightseeing, the kids were also spotted paying a visit to the giraffes

Family affair: The grand-daughter of the late poultry billionaire brought along her toddler for the outing as well

And excited by the tigers they were with Pixie photographed running towards an enclosure.

Packing in a lot of sightseeing, the kids were also spotted paying a visit to the giraffes.

With their backs to the camera, Roxy captioned; 'Hanging with the giraffes today at @tarongazoo.'

Long-term friends: Although not present on the family day out, earlier in the year while Oliver was still serving his time, Roxy was seen lunching with Alex who's known as a crime gang associate

Mini tiger: Straying away from his sisters bow empire, Hunter strolled around with a cardboard tiger headband that he picked up from the zoo

The recently reunited family was also joined by Ingham chicken heiress Jessica Ingham.

The grand-daughter of the late poultry billionaire brought along her toddler for the outing as well.

And other than their long term friendship, the pair have another common similarity with Jessica's husband Alex Marcis also having spent time in prison for drug and gun-related charges.

Time to go: But it was only so long before the brood got exhausted after their long day in the sun

His one job: Taking charge of Hunter's whereabouts very seriously, Oliver continued to carry his young son

Although not present on the family day out, earlier in the year while Oliver was still serving his time, Roxy was seen lunching with Alex who's known as a crime gang associate.

But it was only so long before the brood got exhausted after their long day in the sun.

Seen exciting the animal home, Roxy used one hand to wave goodbye to the zoo while carrying coats and jackets in the other.

Taking charge of Hunter's whereabouts very seriously, Oliver continued to carry his young son.

And the family didn't leave empty handed, with stuffed a crocodile, colourful caterpillar and a goodie bag also spotted.

Did some shopping: And the family didn't leave empty handed, with stuffed a crocodile, colourful caterpillar and a goodie bag also spotted
Prime Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Groysman has announced his intention to increase funding for the program of partial compensation of the cost of Ukrainian agricultural machinery to UAH 1 billion in 2018.

According to the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers, the government program to receive a 20% reimbursement for the cost of agricultural machinery and equipment of Ukrainian production should be an effective mechanism of aid to both farmers who will try to upgrade their equipment and producers specializing in agricultural machinery building.

According to the government, first deals under the program will be formalized in the near future.

"This year UAH 550 million has been allocated for the program of partial compensation of the cost of agricultural equipment. This is only the beginning of a large-scale program to support national producers of agricultural machinery. Next year the initiative will be continued and funding will be increased. The amount of financing rill rise to UAH 1 billion," the prime minister said.

Groysman stressed he is interested in the fact that Ukrainian plants produce competitive goods and expand their production, while Ukrainians have jobs.
Her ex-husband Len Wiseman was spotted partying with stunning actress Lyssa Roberts at a Hollywood nightclub earlier this week.

But Kate Beckinsale appeared to cast her ex-partner of 10 years from her mind as she touched down at JFK Airport in New York on Friday.

Nailing jetsetter chic, the 44-year-old actress looked typically chic in leopard-print co-ords and vertiginous heels as she strode through arrivals.

Jetsetter: Kate Beckinsale appeared to cast her ex-partner of 10 years from her mind as she touched down at JFK Airport in New York on Friday

The stunning Pearl Harbor actress kept her make-up natural, choosing a simple, matte base, rosy cheeks and subtle pink pout.

She styled her glossy dark brown tresses in voluminous loose waves, and finished her look with a berry red manicure and dark sunnies.

Just a day earlier Kate enjoyed dinner at Craig's restaurant - while ex-husband Len was nearby at new hotspot Poppy with actress Lyssal Roberts - who caught the eye in a racy red bralet.

Night on the town: Kate's outing comes after her ex-husband Len Wiseman was seen heading to new West Hollywood hot-spot Poppy Nightclub with stunning actress Lyssa Roberts on Thursday night

Chic: The 44-year-old actress looked typically chic in leopard-print co-ords and vertiginous heels as she strode through arrivals

Natureal beauty: The stunning Pearl Harbor actress kept her make-up natural, choosing a simple, matte base, rosy cheeks and subtle pink pout

The pair were among a number of familiar faces who made their way to Poppy Nightclub on Thursday, including Kourtney Kardashian, who arrived with her new boyfriend Younes Bendjima.

Kate's outing came after it emerged her brief fling with her much younger beau Matt had fizzled out.

The aspiring actor had been just three years older than Kate's only child, daughter Lily, 18, whose dad is Hollywood star Michael Sheen.

A source told Us Weekly: 'They went on a couple of fun dates. It fizzled out weeks ago. She's happily single and has a lot going on.'

Mane attraction: She styled her glossy dark brown tresses in voluminous loose waves, and finished her look with a berry red manicure and dark sunnies

Taking centre-stage: The snap-happy star shared this sultry selfie from her bed after arriving home

The fling came after Kate split from director husband Len Wiseman. She was married to the filmmaker for 11 years before they called it quits in 2015.

Kate was previously in a long-term relationship with Michael from 1995 to 2003.

And as her daughter Lily heads off to university, Kate has opened up about living alone for the first time in decades.

Painting the town red: Lyssa opted to cover up in just a skimpy red bra

The ex factor: Len was previously married to actress Kate Beckinsale for 11 years before they called it quits in 2015, divorcing the following year

'It's incredibly exciting and scary,' she told The Mirror. 'But then, I quite like being scared. I've lived under a structure of school terms for a long time.

'Now I have this open landscape which I haven't had since I was 22. Separating is really hard, but it's really important.

'It's the time when you are really called on to be an adult, and the most adult thing you can do is let your children go.'

Free and single: Kate, pictured on August 7, split from director husband Len Wiseman in 2015 after an 11-year marriage
Chloe Khan has revealed that she has been forced to pull out of attending this weekend's Notting Hill Carnival after receiving acid attack threats on Twitter.

The former Celebrity Big Brother star, 26, told OK! that she had planned to put in an appearance at the annual west London street celebration, which takes on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday, until she was hit with the menacing messages.

She told the publication's online outlet: 'I really wanted to go to Carnival but I'm scared of having acid thrown at me... Someone told me on Twitter that there's gonna be guys there throwing acid at girls.

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Axed plans: Chloe Khan has revealed that she's pulled out of attending this year's Notting Hill Carnival after receiving acid attack threats on Twitter

'And then I got some DMs [direct messages] threatening me saying they were gonna get me with acid if I go. So now I'm just gonna avoid it completely.'

The X Factor reject's revelation comes weeks after she admitted she woke up during surgery during her second nose job and was left with horrific side effects.

And Chloe boldly shared a post-surgery snap that demonstrated the extent of her injuries on her Instagram story recently.

Big celebration: The west London street celebration attracts up to a million revellers every August Bank Holiday weekend

Revelation: The former Celebrity Big Brother said that somebody first revealed to her on Twitter that somebody planned to throw acid at girls during the annual gathering

Threatened: She then went on to reveal that she was contacted via direct messages on the micro-blogging site to be threatened with an attack

In the image, the raven-haired reality star is seen with a bloody, taped-up nose and swollen, dark eyes that look difficult to even open.

The tape, coupled with an array of pads covering her septum and upper lip area, render the reality TV star difficult to recognise.

Her post comes after the glamour model revealed the devastating side effects of her recent nose job on This Morning.

Detailing the problems sustained by the operation, Chloe emotionally divulged: 'I can't breathe or smell through my nose anymore.'

Change of plans: In response to the threats, Chloe decided to nix her plans to attend Carnival

All by my selfie: Chloe is noted for posting scantily-clad selfies to her Instagram account

Nip and tuck: She often flaunts her curves, most of which have been obtained through surgery

Explaining that she's spent an incredible 100k on overall surgery, Chloe admitted she thought she had done thorough research before committing to a new surgeon for her additional nose job - after she was unhappy with the results of her first one.

'My first nose surgery was on Harley Street, a British surgeon, conservative and minimal. He didn't want it to look freakish but I wanted it to be small. They wouldnt do what I wanted,' she said, her reason for deciding against returning to them.

She then stalked the surgeon for her second nose job for 'two years' on Instagram, and travelled to Ukraine to get it done.

But she was left more than disappointed with the results, slamming the surgeon as she said: 'I woke up during surgery. It was a disaster from the get go.

Horrific: Chloe recently revealed she has been left unable to breathe or smell through her nose

Life-changing: Chloe said she also has to tape up her nose for up to 20 hours a day

Peachy! She recently revealed the results of a recent Brazilian butt lift during a sunny getaway

'I have to tape it 20 hours a day with a roll of medical tape,' she revealed angrily. 'It looks okay because it's the morning right now, but in three hours it will look worse'.

'I feel embarrassed to talk about it, and it's stupid, I wake up with nose bleeds, I can't smell perfume.. but it's a vanity thing', she admitted.

Chloe soared to fame on The X Factor in 2010 before she was unceremoniously booted off the show amid allegations she had taken cocaine.

Seven years after her shock taste of stardom, the Wakefield-born beauty became a self-made millionaire due to her lucrative webcam business atop her later appearance on CBB which catapulted her back in the limelight.

Past loves: The X Factor reject has previously dated Ex On The Beach star Ashley Cain

Steamy: She also got steamy with Stephen Bear when they appeared on Celebrity Big Brother

Meanwhile, on the romance side of things, Chloe has previously dated Ex On The Beach star Ashley Cain and Celebrity Big Brother's Stephen Bear.

She was previously married to Mohammad Imran Khan, who insisted they were still 'best friends.'

Last year, Mohammad used her official account to explain the situation, revealing: 'There is a lot of speculation and bad press about Chloe's private and family life.

'It's very sad for me to see that yet again supposed friends of Chloe's are selling stories on her to make a bit of money at her expense.'

He continued: 'Myself and Chloe were married years ago, it ended very amicably and we remain the best of friends.
Following her stint on Love Island's third series, she has been making the most of the opportunities that have come her way.

But Jessica Shears' reputation for promoting products via social media and hosting personal appearances for her new found fan base came back to haunt her, as she revealed she ended up in A&E following a boozy night out.

The reality star, 24, announced via Twitter that she was forced to go to hospital after being a 'clutz', but was soon subject to being ridiculed online.

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Harsh: Jessica Shears, 24, found herself ridiculed by fans on Twitter, after revealing she was heading to A&E following a night out

Jess tweeted that she was 'off to A&E' on Friday night and was inundated with comments by fans, with many sharing their concerns over the starlet and sending her their well wishes.

Many questioned the reason behind the brunette bombshell's visit, with Jess suggesting she had taken a stumble in a second tweet while replying to one user.

She posted a crying laughing emoji and claimed: 'Standard night out literally such a clutz.'

However, some couldn't resist poking fun at the Love Island beauty, while others accused her of 'looking for attention'.

Smitten: The brunette bombshell rose to prominence on the third series of Love Island alongside her co-star boyfriend Dom Lever

'Off to A&E': Jessica had revealed she needed to pay a visit to the hospital following a boozy night out on Friday

'Literally such a clutz': She suggested she had injured herself, but played down the severity of her injury by referring to it as a 'standard night out'

Many appeared to refer to a tweet shared by Jess and her boyfriend Dom Lever following their return to the UK from the ITV2 dating series. They had taken a trip to Manchester together, informing their followers on Twitter: 'You may see us wondering around the city but no meet and greets planned x'

At the time, the couple faced a slew of backlash branding them 'desperate' and 'fame hungry', while others were left clearly amused by the tweet.

Responding to Jess' post about her A&E visit, one follower joked: 'No meet and greet planned though.'

Another shared the same sentiment, as they tweeted in response: 'Meet and greet?!'

Concerned: Many fans were left worried over Jess' tweet and were quick to ask the starlet if she is ok

Backlash: Others, however, couldn't resist mocking the beauty, as they referenced her famous 'no meet and greets planned' tweet posted back in July

Others appeared to hit out at Jess for posting about her injury, one follower penned: 'It can't be that bad if you've got the time to write about it on Twitter first.'

Another said: 'No offence but why do you feel the need to [tell] everybody?'

Jess' latest social media post comes after she recently shocked fans by debuting a brand new look that saw her ditch her usually dark tresses for a striking platinum blonde bob cut.

The model had sported the look to support her Love Island co-star Kem Cetinay at his BoohooMAN launch in London and told fans she was 'feeling like Barbie' after sharing a slew of racy topless shots of her donning the wig to her Instagram page.

Beauty: Jess' latest social media post comes after she shocked fans by debuting a brand new look that saw her ditch her usually dark tresses for a striking platinum blonde bob cut

Jess rose to prominence on the third series of Love Island where fans saw her strike up a romance with boyfriend Dom Lever.

Her late arrival had caused a stir as Jess 'stole' her beau from Montana Brown who he had already coupled up with. From her first date with Dom, she and the muscular hunk clicked and haven't looked back since.

Despite their romance being plagued by rumours Jess had got intimate with fellow islander Mike Thalassitis on her early exit from the villa - something which they both deny - she and Dom have gone on to build on their relationship.

Loved-up: She is currently dating her co-star beau Dom and the pair's romance appears to be going from strength to strength, with Jess referring to the pair as a 'married couple'

So much so, that Jess has referred to the couple - who boast matching tattoos that include a tribute to Love Island and each other's initial on their arm - as a 'married couple' in an interview with Fabulous magazine.

Speaking of her bedroom antics with beau Dom, Jess claimed: 'We haven't even had the chance to be that wild yet to be honest - we're always really tired.

'We're a bit boring, like a married couple,' she remarked.

Although, she did concede that when the pair do eventually get hot and heavy with each other between the sheets, Dom is more than a match for her sexually.

'Dom is the best sex I've ever had,' she insisted, before adding: 'I may not have been his first, but I'd better be his last.'
She's one of the most popular new faces in the modelling world.

And on Saturday, Winnie Harlow brought her unique brand of glamour to Australia as she walked the red carpet at Melbourne's National Gallery of Victoria at the Dior Gala Ball held in conjunction with The House of Dior exhibition.

The 23-year-old looked stunning in an inky-blue lace gown that showcased her slender figure.

Flawless: Winnie Harlow brought her unique brand of glamour to Australia as she walked the red carpet at the National Gallery of Victoria at the Dior Gala Ball in Melbourne

The beauty accessorised in a black leather beret, a choker, and a necklace.

The event was attended by a string of Australian A-listers, including Nicole Kidman.

Nicole opted for a stunning pale grey and dirty pink gown featuring a multitude of sheer layers and dainty, super-sheer straps.

Looking good! The beauty accessorised in a black leather beret, a choker, and a necklace

WAG Jesinta Campbell attended in a semi-sheer floral gown, as did fellow WAGs Nadia Bartel and Bec Judd.

The Bachelor's Snezana Markoski and Sam Wood also showed to add some more glamour to the event.

Hollywood star Elizabeth Olsen also attended in an elegant navy blue ensemble.

Spectacular: The 23-year-old looked stunning in an inky-blue lace gown that showcased her slender figure

Winnie first shot to fame on the 21st season of America's Next Top Model.

She's since appeared in a number of high-profile music videos, including Eminem's 'Guts Over Fear' and Beyonce's 'Lemonade.'

The model, who suffers from vitiligo, has also become an outspoken voice on the subject of the skin condition.

Claim to fame: Winnie first shot to fame on the 21st season of America's Next Top Model
John Corbett has revealed that if it wasn't for him nagging his former co-star Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 may never have happened.

The sequel to the 2002 smash hit finally made it to screens in 2016, with a lot of help from John, he tells Sydney Confidential.

The 56-year-old told the publication: 'I was the one who kept pounding her to do number two.'

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What a nag! John Corbett has revealed that if it wasn't for him nagging his former co-star Nia Vardalos, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 may never have happened

The 56-year-old said: 'I was the one who kept pounding her to do number two.'

John went on to reveal that he is now working on convincing the actress slash writer/director to make a third film in the franchise.

'(Convincing Nia make the second film) took me a decade, so hopefully it'll only take five years this time!' he added.

John played Ian Miller in the film, the man who rescues lovelorn Toula (played by Nia) from a life of loneliness.

It's one of his best known roles, but the actor is perhaps just as recognisable for his role as the beloved Aidan Shaw on the hit HBO series Sex And The City.

A hand: The sequel to the 2002 smash hit finally made it to screens in 2016, with a lot of help from John, he tells Sydney Confidential

Third round? John went on to reveal that he is now working on convincing the actress slash writer/director to make a third film in the franchise

Earlier this week, John bad news for those who wanted his character to end up with the show's lead, Carrie Bradshaw.

Fans who are 'Team Aidan' will be disappointed to learn that even the actor believes that Carrie and her Lothario love interest Mr Big, played by Chris Noth, were destined to be together.

Role: The actor is perhaps just as recognisable for his role as the beloved Aidan Shaw on the hit HBO series Sex And The City.

John told Australian breakfast program Today on Tuesday: 'I always knew how it was going to end. It made sense to me because New York is the fifth character in this show.

'Carrie needed to end up with New York. Mr Big is New York. And it sort of made sense to me'.

Aidan and Carrie had an epic but ill-fated romance on the show, suffering through two splits, an affair and a broken engagement before revisiting their old chemistry by sharing a stolen kiss in the second Sex And the City film.

Soulmates: Earlier this week, John admitted he believes that Carrie and her Lothario love interest Mr Big, played by Chris Noth, were destined to be together

The Northern Exposure star did go on to admit there will always be die hard romantics who hoped that Carrie and Aidan might live happily ever after.

He added: 'I still kind of have my legion of fans out there they were Team Aidan. They were cheering for me.'
He sealed a third-place finish during Celebrity Big Brother's season finale on Friday night, behind runner-up Amelia Lily and surprise winner Sarah Harding.

And as Sam Thompson, 25, returned to his London home after a month away on Saturday, his big sister Louise, 27, was on hand to capture the moment on camera.

Made In Chelsea beauty Louise shared an Instagram Story of herself hugging her sibling as he entered the gates, captioning the images: 'Happiest moment ever!'

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Home! Louise Thompson shared an Instagram Story of herself excitedly greeting her brother Sam as he returned home on Saturday, following a month-long stint on Celebrity Big Brother

Showing that they had much to catch up on during his weeks away, Louise shared a shot of her brother standing inside the home discussing interesting subject matter.

'Sam talking about his girl farts in the Big Brother house,' she wrote next to the snapshot, which showed him standing solo as he chatted away.

In the Big Brother house, things got quite dramatic for Sam, whose fling with fellow contestant Amelia came to an end last week, when he admitted that he was unsure if he was ready for a serious romance.

Triumphant: The handsome 24-year-old was shown triumphantly fist-pumping on his return

Interesting topic: Louise added some interesting captions to images of her younger sibling

And when he exited the famous Hertfordshire compound, he admitted to host Emma Willis that he 'regretted' asking Amelia out.

His sister Louise waded into the conversation about his romantic life while he was on the show, revealing that she would be devastated if he started dating someone other than ex Tiffany Watson.

Speaking to BANG Showbiz, Louise said: 'It was pretty hard when she and Sam split purely because me and her are really good friends and I couldn't bear for my brother to be with anyone else. But that's very selfish of me.'

She offered further insight into Sam and Tiffany's failed romance: 'They're both lovely people and they're both really happy so I think maybe they've each other too young.

Big sis: During Sam's time in the house, Louise weighed in with her opinions on his love life

Ex Factor: On the show, the hunk enjoyed a brief fling with former X Factor star Amelia Lily

Former flame: However, Louise said that she would be devastated if her brother started dating someone other than his ex Tiffany Watson, with whom he's pictured in February 2016

'They're too young to get married or to move in together so I think they just need a little bit of time apart.

'My brother - obviously we live together - he can be a bit of a juvenile at times. He needs to grow up a bit and be a bit more independent and then hopefully they can rekindle things.'

At the time that Sam was in the house, Tiffany herself confessed that it 'hurt' to see him flirting with Amelia while starring on the Channel 5 reality series.

The MIC beauty took aim at her ex-boyfriend's new love interest, as she told OK! magazine: 'I didn't think she was his type.'

Three is the magic number: Sam placed third during Friday night's Celebrity Big Brother finale

It takes two, baby: Amelia landed the runner-up position in the hotly contested season finale
Nicole Kidman has been critically acclaimed for her outstanding performances in films over the years.

But the 50-year-old has revealed that she would rather be a hands-on mother to her daughters Faith Margaret, six, and Sunday Rose, nine, than become director.

Speaking to Stellar, the actress said that she has tinkered with the idea of sitting behind the camera, but that her priority is to raise her young daughters, with whom she shares with musician husband Keith Urban.

'I'm more than happy to walk away from career things': Nicole Kidman has revealed that she would rather be a hands-on mother to her daughters Faith Margaret, six, and Sunday Rose, nine, than become director

'As much as I can go do a role for a month, I can't go and make a film for 18 months where I'm the director; that workload is just too massive with my little girls,' she said.

'I'm more than happy to walk away from certain career things that I know I probably won't get the opportunity ever to do, so that I can be their mother... Im also so proud to be mothering them and I dont want to miss that,' she said.

Nicole said doesn't want to miss out on being a hands'on mother.

'You know, Sunny [daughter Sunday Rose] came in recently with a tick in her head and I yanked the tick out of her head. And the idea of somebody else doing that would be just devastating to me,' she said.

A mother's love: The actress said that she has tinkered with the idea of sitting behind the camera, but that her priority is to raise her young daughters, with whom she shares with musician husband Keith Urban

Happy together: Nicole and Kieth have been married for the past 11 years

'Or, you know, during a thunderstorm when Fifi [daughter Faith] is scared of thunder, I don't want anybody else taking care of her or comforting her  I want to do that.'

This comes as the actress made a grand homecoming entrance at the turned heads on the red carpet of the Dior gala ball for the The House of Dior exhibition, on Saturday evening.

The family who fly together, stay together: The actress revealed that she recently removed a tick from Sunday's head and that she comforted Faith during a thunder storm

Nicole opted for a stunning pale grey and dirty pink gown featuring a multitude of sheer layers and dainty, super-sheer straps.

The dress featured an asymmetrical neckline in a semi-sweetheart shape and was cinched at the waist with a black skinny belt that hung down loose.

The blonde beauty was joined by a host of celebrities including Jessica Gomes, Jesinta Franklin and American actress Elizabeth Olsen for the fashion event.
She hoped that appearing on Celebrity Big Brother would kick-start the next chapter of her career.

And Sarah Harding has certainly made positive steps towards doing that, having taken home the CBB crown in Friday night's finale.

It's already reported that she is being accosted by several publishers to pen a tell-all memoir about her life to date - from her childhood, to her pop career, her battle with depression and alcohol, and her alleged falling out with bandmate Cheryl.

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She's got a Whole Lotta History! Sarah Harding to unveil details of THAT 'feud' with Cheryl 'in tell-all autobiography charting everything up to her Celebrity Big Brother win'

Sources have told the Daily Star that the Call The Shots songstress, 35, will delve deeper into the tidbits she shared while in the CBB house about her fall out with her Girls Aloud co-stars.

'Her autobiography will chart everything up to her stint in the house. Then she can start afresh with her life,' the source said.

Leaving CBB as the winner was 'a dream come true' Sarah said, telling host of the show Emma afterwards that 'I wanted to show everyone at home that I'm just a normal girl.'

Although she's on good terms with Nadine Coyle (who stood by her pal with supportive tweets throughout this summer's CBB right until Friday night's finale) Sarah has reportedly not spoken to Cheryl for years - something she spoke about briefly to housemate Jemma Lucy in her first few days on the Channel 5 surveillance show.

The old days: It's already reported that Sarah is being accosted by several publishers to pen a tell-all memoir about her life to date - from her childhood, to her pop career, her battle with depression and alcohol and her alleged falling out with bandmate Cheryl [pictured in 2005]

'You guys are the best!' Nadine Coyle - who has a new single out next month - shared her elation and gratitude on Twitter as Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah Harding was crowned Celebrity Big Brother winner

It was reported that Cheryl unfollowed Sarah from Twitter when it was announced she was entering CBB, although this was alleged to simply be because 'Cheryl uses Instagram more that Twitter'.

Sarah talked about Cheryl on more than one occasion during her month in the CBB compound - but only when asked by her housemates.

She called Cheryl 'savvy' after she was asked by Amelia about her current desire to remain private, following the birth of her son Bear with One Direction's Liam Payne.

'She tries to be [private]. She just knows how to work it when she wants to. When she wants to be seen she is, and when she doesnt, she makes sure she isnt. Like with the whole baby thing, she just plans things meticulously. Shes savvy, Id give her that,' she said.

Tell all: Sources have told the Daily Star that the Call The Shots songstress, 35, will delve deeper into the tidbits she shared while in the CBB house about her fall out with her Girls Aloud co-stars

Fall out? It was reported that Cheryl unfollowed Sarah from Twitter when it was announced she was entering CBB, although this was alleged to simply be because 'Cheryl uses Instagram more that Twitter'

Sarah also hinted that she has burnt bridges with one particular member of the former girl group; and her friend Michelle Vince confirmed to New! magazine while she was still in the house that she was referencing Nicola Roberts.

However, Michelle put it into context, saying: 'She didn't mean anything by that, but she wasn't as close to Nicola as she was the other girls. There's been no fall-out.'

Nicola refused to comment when asked about Sarah's CBB stint, telling an interviewer outright last week 'I don't want to talk about that'.

Kimberley Walsh did touch upon the situation in her column for Hello! magazine, however - expressing concern for her bandmate when she first went onto the show.

Bad blood? Sarah talked about Cheryl on more than one occasion during her month in the CBB compound - but only when asked by her housemates. She called Cheryl 'savvy' after she was asked by Amelia about her current desire to remain private, following the birth of her son Bear with One Direction's Liam Payne

Impressed: Kimberley gushed of her pal (pictured together in 2010) saying, 'I think she's really brave to put herself out there like that as it's a lot of pressure and such an intense environment to be in'

The mother-of-two, 35, voiced her worries for the fragile star: 'I've managed to watch a couple of episodes and it's actually really bizarre seeing someone you know so well in there.

'I think she's really brave to put herself out there like that as it's a lot of pressure and such an intense environment to be in.'

However, Sarah endured a rollercoaster of a time on the show - biting Amelia's leg after a boozy night in the house, kissing Jemma Lucy on multiple occasions, getting involved in screaming matches with the likes of Paul Danan and drinking heavily despite a past of alcoholism, before breaking down in tears in the Diary Room.

Addressing her emotional episodes, her bandmate also confessed that Sarah can often become 'overwhelmed', and expressed her worries for her welfare in the house.

Drifting apart: Sarah told her housemates she only spoke to three of her former band mates and her friend Michelle Vince confirmed to New! magazine it was Nicola who she had lost contact with

Thrilled for her: Nadine's elation, when Emma Willis announced that Sarah, 35, had beat Amelia Lily, 22, to the crown, was clear

She continued: 'Sarah can sometimes be easily overwhelmed so I really hope she's OK in there and enjoys the experience.'

Sarah swept the votes on Friday when she won the show with a 35 per cent majority.

Nadine tweeted her excitement for her pal, posting to Twitter ahead of the show 'SARAH!!!!!! I really hope she wins!!' and 'Good luck!!!!!!!!!!'

She also typed a plea to fans, writing: 'The support from you guys will mean the world to her!!'

A friend indeed: Nadine lept to her Girls Aloud bandmate Sarah's defense after both her CBB housemates and the public seemingly turned against her

Controversial: The Girls Aloud star has divided viewers of Celebrity Big Brother with her antics in the house

Leaping to her defense: Northern Irish songstress Nadine had been taking to Twitter to back her pal up, insisting that if she were in the house 'No one would DARE utter a bad word about her'

Nadine's elation, when Emma Willis announced that Sarah had beat Amelia Lily to the crown, was clear.

'SARAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!! Yaaaaasahhhhhhhhhhheeeeszssssssss!!!' was her reaction.

In a final thanks to fans for voting, she wrote: 'You guys are the best!!!!!!!!!!!!'

Nadine has been a staunch supporter of Sarah's turn in the CBB house over the past month, leaping to her defense after both her CBB housemates and the public seemingly turned against her halfway through the process.

Sarah's fellow contestants had started criticising her drinking and calling her out on her romance with Chad Johnson.

Fractured: Girls Aloud [pictured in 2009 - from left to right - Nadine, Cheryl, Nicola, Sarah and Kimberley] have not been the closest of pals since they disbanded for good in 2013

Winner: Sarah took the crown on the CBB finale, despite booing from the crowds and a lack of public support from her former bandmates

But Northern Irish songstress Nadine wasn't having any of it, insisting that if she were in the house, 'No one would DARE utter a bad word about her.'

On Thursday, Nadine fired off a string of tweets in support of Sarah, sharing some 'inside info' about her close friend.

She said: '[Sarah] is a very natural being. She swells on her feelings and acts of them. It is what makes her so unique.'
They were plagued by rumors of relationship issues from the very start.

And now sources close to Bachelor stars Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi - who announced their split on Friday - say the breakup was a long time coming.

'Their friends knew the relationship wouldn't last,' a source told People.

'It was a mismatch from the start. She's super fun, bubbly and outgoing and he's more of a serious personality and more introverted. She would try to bring him out of his shell, but he's just not as comfortable in big groups.' they added.

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'It was a mismatch from the start.' Friends of Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi say they knew the couple wouldn't make it after becoming engaged on The Bachelor finale in March

The insider goes on to say that the decision to split wasn't an overnight decision and the duo are amicable.

They added that there was no drama or 'last straw' but that after living together in Los Angeles over the last few months their relationship just 'wasn't what was needed for them to get married'.

Nick and Vanessa announced on Friday that they have ended their engagement just five months after viewers watched their big proposal.

'She's super fun, bubbly and outgoing and he's more of a serious personality and more introverted' friends say of the reality star couple

Nick got down on one knee presenting Vanessa with a Neil Lane 3.75-carat ring in the finale episode which aired in March. However, the couple had been plagued by rumors that they weren't getting along in recent months.

'It's with a great amount of heartbreak for the both us as we have decided to end our engagement,' the duo told E! News in a joint statement.

'We gave this relationship our all and we are saddened that we did not get the fairytale ending we hoped for.

It's over: Nick and Vanessa announced the end of their engagement on Friday. They are pictured together in LA on July 27

'We will continue to be there for each other no matter what. This hasn't been an easy decision, however, as we part ways, we do so with lots of love and admiration for each other.'

Special education teacher Vanessa, 29, was said to be struggling with life in Los Angeles after she relocated from her native Montreal to be with Nick, 36.

In a joint statement the couple said: 'We gave this relationship our all'. Vanessa shared this snap of Nick on her Instagram on August 15

Short-lived: It's been only 5 months since their proposal episode aired on ABC in March

Last month the struggling couple put on a show of unity, posing on the red carpet at the Clayton and Ellen Kershaw's Ping Pong 4 Purpose charity bash.

Around the same time there were reports from an eyewitness that they 'looked miserable' on a flight to Los Angeles after celebrating the wedding of friends Evan Bass and Carly Waddell in Mexico.

'They didn't exchange five words the entire flight. They were angled completely away from each other,' the onlooker said.

Adding fuel to the fire, Nick was spotted having lunch with former Bachelor in Paradise costar Ashley Iaconetti last month with Vanessa nowhere to be seen.

Ashley has also been romantically linked to season 20 Bachelor star, Ben Higgins, after he ended his engagement to Lauren Bushnell in recent months.

Weighty decision: The source also explained that Viall and Grimaldi's break up 'wasn't an overnight decision' and that the pair are on 'amicable' terms right now

The brunette beauty, who was known for her emotional displays on the reality franchise, was pictured on Thursday night at an event in LA curiously hiding her left hand.

In April Nick and Vanessa spoke out after rumors they were not getting along.

Nick told KTLA Morning News that there were 'challenges' with his new fiancee.

'Vanessa and I have never really pretended, even since After the Final Rose, of trying to be that perfect couple,' Nick said.

'Vanessa and I have never really pretended, even since After the Final Rose, of trying to be that perfect couple,' Nick has said previously when asked about rumors of romance trouble

'We've been pretty up front of the challenges that come with meeting in Bachelor world  it's not the ideal experience.'

Vanessa also said that they'd tried to be 'realistic' about their relationship.

'We're very optimistic about the future but it's just we are very realistic about real life,' she added.

The Canadian beauty supported Nick when he competed on season 24 of Dancing With The Stars earlier this year.

Immediately after the Bachelor finale aired on ABC, die-hard fans of the series were quick to criticize the duo for their awkward interactions and lack of chemistry on the show and aftershow.

Their special moment: Nick got down on one knee, presenting Vanessa with a Neil Lane 3.75-carat ring, in the finale episode shot in Finland and which aired in March

They looked gleefully happy when they appeared on Good Morning America after the finale aired, with Nick telling hosts 'It's a good feeling to be engaged, to have Vanessa and to have this kind of chapter in my life come to an end,

'It's been a long time for me in Bachelor world' he added.

Nick first appeared as a contestant on The Bachelorette in 2014 and was one of the final two suitors vying for Andi Dorfman's affections.

He was also unlucky in love when he appeared on the third season of Bachelor In Paradise before then starring in the Bachelor for season 21.
They're illustrious for their glamorous lifestyles, but it was a very different story on the TOWIE set on Saturday morning.

Stepping out on Essex soil for another day of filming, the likes of Megan McKenna and Chloe Meadows swapped their typically glossy settings for a day on the water as they took part in a rafting session.

Despite typically being preened to perfection, the 24-year-old donned a pair of black leggings and a grey hoodie as she tried her hand at the water sport, which appeared to end with quite the splash.

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Making a splash! Stepping out on Essex soil for another day of filming, TOWIE stars, including Megan McKenna and Chloe Meadows, swapped their typically glossy settings for a day on the water as they took part in a rafting session

The reality star looked less than impressed as she hopped on board the vessel, flanked by her excitable co-stars.

And things appeared to get a little too raucous on the inflatable as images show members of the cast tumbling into the murky waters.

Seemingly unable to accept her wet fate, Megan is spotted shrieking before plummeting into the river alongside the likes of Chloe Meadows, Amber Turner and Courtney Green.

Whoops! Things looked to go downhill fast during their rafting session, as the girls tumbled into the murky waters

Smiling for now! The girls [From left: Megan, Courtney Green, Chloe and Amber Turner] appeared in high spirits ahead of the water sport

The rural setting is certainly a stark contrast to the show's usual filming hotspots, with the series being synonymous with scenes shot in lavish Essex bars and restaurants.

The girls were also joined by show newcomers Jack Rigden and Jordan Brooks, who appeared to take great pleasure in the ladies' mucky morning.

The duo have been introduced to the show as family friends of Megan's.

She's not happy! Wet Megan struggled to shake off her upset as they posed for a group snap after the session

Newbies: The girls were also joined by show newcomers Jack Rigden [L] and Jordan Brooks [R], who appeared to take great pleasure in the ladies' mucky morning

Meanwhile, the day out came shortly after Megan was pictured putting on a far more glamorous display as she filmed scenes in her native county on Thursday.

Sporting a polished style, the former Celebrity Big Brother star - who reconciled with boyfriend Pete Wicks earlier this year - slipped into form-fitting leather trousers and a stylish peplum shirt, layered beneath a chic knitted jumper.

TOWIE will return for its 21st season in September.

Down and dirty: The rural setting was certainly a stark contrast to the show's usual filming hotspots

Coming soon! TOWIE is expected to return for its 21st season in September




Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko will present the project of completing the Podilsko-Voskresensky bridge to investors at an investment forum in Germany, Kyiv City State Administration has reported.

"I'm going to Germany in September to present the project at the investment forum and finish the bridge in two or three years. This is one of my key tasks at the post," the mayor said.

Asked about the subway to Troyeschyna, Klitschko on the air of the Newsone TV Channel noted that it is possible to launch the metro line to Troyeschyna only by building the Podilsko-Voskresensky bridge.

"When I took office as a mayor, I was very surprised to learn that the documents for the bridge construction are dated 1979. In other words, in two years there will be 40 years since the start of construction of this bridge. I set the task to myself in two years to mark the opening [of the bridge], at least the automobile road between the left and right banks," the mayor said.

According to Klitschko, huge amount of money is needed for the construction of the bridge and the launch of the metro, about EUR400 million. The mayor also noted Germany had already issued EUR200,000 for an expert assessment of the state of the bridge, which German specialists presented in April.
Her divorce from ex-husband Romain Zago was finalized on August 17.

And on Friday, Joanna Krupa took her mind off of the split when she attended a pal's birthday dinner in West Hollywood.

The gathering was held at Catch LA, a popular restaurant known for its celebrity diners.

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Girls' night: On Friday, Joanna Krupa, 39, attended a pal's birthday dinner in West Hollywood

The Polish beauty chose a mauve color, spaghetti strap dress.

Joanna accessorized simply, choosing a ring, red bracelet and flesh-toned clutch.

The blonde stunner wore her long locks down, slightly straight and tousled. The blue-eyed beauty accentuated her eyes with shadow and lashes.

Great choice: The Polish beauty chose a mauve color, spaghetti strap dress

Keeping her fans updated: Joanna shared her girls' outing on Instagram stories

Joanna shared her girls' outing on Instagram stories.

The former Real Housewives of Miami star took selfie videos with her pals and posed for a group photo with the ladies.

The women enjoyed dinner at a large booth, and were treated to cake in honor of birthday girl Traci.

All together now: The former Real Housewives of Miami star took selfie videos with her pals and posed for a group photo with the ladies

Sweet! The women enjoyed dinner at a large booth, and were treated to cake in honor of birthday girl Traci

Two Thursdays ago on August 17, Joanna and ex-husband Romain Zago split after four years of marriage.

The duo, who were together 10 years and starred on the Miami Housewives edition, appeared to end things on a good note.

Following their finalized divorce, Romain and Joanna grabbed dinner together in Miami Beach. The former couple do not have children, but Romain can see the dogs shared between them.

Neither asked for alimony.
Katie Price has revealed she is divorcing third husband Kieran Hayler, after he admitted having a year-long affair with their children's nanny.

The former glamour model, 39, who forgave Kieran after he admitted affairs with her close friends Jane Poutney and Chrissy Thomas in 2014, told The Sun she had caught the ex stripper sending intimate emails to their nanny Nikki Brown.

She said: 'I was gutted. For a year I was basically paying her to f*** my husband.

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Shock split: Katie Price has revealed she is divorcing third husband Kieran Hayler, after he admitted having a year-long affair with their children's nanny

End of the fairytale: The former glamour model, 39, who forgave Kieran after he admitted affairs with her close friends Jane Poutney and Chrissy Thomas in 2014, told The Sun she had caught the ex stripper sending intimate emails to their nanny Nikki Brown

'They had sex everywhere except in our bedroom, they even did it in the kids bathroom.'

Katie, who has been married to Kieran for more than four years said she had cried and screamed 'like a lunatic' as her husband confessed.

She said: 'When I confronted him he denied it at first, even when I said shed admitted it. I was crying, asking, How could you do this to me again?

But Katie revealed that seconds after he admitted his third affair, Kieran had accused her of cheating by sending texts to other men behind his back.

She said she had but it was merely as a 'self-defence mechanism' as she suspected her was sleeping around.

Minutes after the news broke of the divorce, a distraught Katie tweeted a series of broken heart emoticons.

Heartbreak: Minutes after the news broke of the divorce, a distraught Katie tweeted a series of broken heart emoticons

Unhappy ending: Katie and Kieran had shared this holiday selfie only days before the split was announced

Loved up:Katie said: 'I was gutted. For a year I was basically paying her to f*** my husband'

The couple share two children, son Jett, four and daughter Bunny, three. Katie is also mother to Harvey, 15, with Dwight Yorke and Junior, 12 and Princess,10 with Peter Andre.

This will be Katie's third divorce, she was previously married to Peter Andre from 2005 to 2009 and Alex Reid from 2010-2011.

Katie and Kieran married in the Bahamas in January 2013, just five weeks after they first met, and when Katie was pregnant with Jett.

The former couple met through Katie's best friends Gary Cockerill and Phil Turner

Turbulent: She added: 'They had sex everywhere except in our bedroom, they even did it in the kids bathroom'

Look of love: Katie, who has been married to Kieran for more than four years said she had cried and screamed 'like a lunatic' as her husband confessed

Following their beach wedding they headed to Weston-Super-Mare in March to bless their wedding and welcomed Jett five months later.

The couple's seemingly sturdy marriage was rocked to its core in 2014 when Katie discovered Kieran and Jane becoming intimate on a sun-lounger during a group holiday to Cape Verde - after which she knocked out her rival's tooth.

Katie and Jane had known each other for 20 years when the 10-month affair came to light, and the latter was even maid of honour at Katie's weddings to Alex Reid and Kieran.

After Katie rumbled the pair's affair, which started when she was heavily pregnant with Jett and in hospital, and made Kieran undergo a lie detector test, she took to Twitter to announce she was divorcing him.

Days before she had revealed she was six-months pregnant with daughter Bunny.

Couldn't make it work: The couple's seemingly sturdy marriage was rocked to its core in 2014 when Katie discovered Kieran and Jane becoming intimate on a sun-lounger during a group holiday to Cape Verde - after which she knocked out her rival's tooth

She later made the shocking revelation that Kieran had bedded another close friend, former glamour model Chrissy Thomas, who Katie had known since she was 18.

The affair revelations continued as Katie detailed in her autobiography Love, Lipstick and Lies that Kieran used to meet Jane in a carpark for unprotected sex and that the pair had romped in her horse stables after she held a onesie themed New Year's party.

After initially announcing she was leaving her third husband via Twitter, Katie had a change of heart after she revealed Kieran was a sex addict who was hooked on the thrill and was seeking professional help for his addiction.

She also she would have left the plasterer turned farmer if she hadn't been pregnant.

Puckering up: She later made the shocking revelation that Kieran had bedded another close friend, former glamour model Chrissy Thomas, who Katie had known since she was 18

Candid: The affair revelations continued as Katie detailed in her autobiography Love, Lipstick and Lies that Kieran used to meet Jane in a carpark for unprotected sex and that the pair had romped in her horse stables after she held a onesie themed New Year's party

Despite a therapist initially branding Kieran 'untreatable' and then barring the couple from touching one another for two months, Kieran said the therapy helped him conquer his demons.

Last year he shocked fans when he unveiled a giant tattoo tribute to his wife, depicting her as an underwear-clad angel in the leg inking.

He told OK magazine: 'The pain I went through was nothing compared to the pain Kate went through when I cheated on her.'

Kieran chose a snap of Katie taken at the launch of her ASDA lingerie lane in 2008 as his inspiration, but decided to add wings as he sees her as his 'guardian angel'.

He explained: 'After all the issues that have gone on between me and Kate, I wanted to portray her as a guardian angel.

'She has helped me through my troubles and I wanted to show her that I think she is an angel to me. Its like shes always looking over me.

Public outburst: After initially announcing she was leaving her third husband, Katie had a change of heart after she revealed Kieran was a sex addict who was hooked on the thrill and was seeking professional help for his addiction.

Affair: Kieran cheated on Katie with her best friend Jane Poutney (Jane pictured next to Katie at a premiere months before the affair was made public)

Unforgivable; In May Kieran appeared on the show alongside Katie's Loose Women colleagues and their partners, and admitted he 'will never be cured' before tenderly kissing the forgiving wife

Although Katie vowed that she would 'forgive but never forget' and regularly sent her husband photos of Jane to remind him of the hurt and pain he had caused her.

In May Kieran appeared on the show alongside Katie's Loose Women colleagues and their partners, and admitted he 'will never be cured' before tenderly kissing the forgiving wife.

The embattled husband, announced that having sought therapy for his compulsions he now 'does not crave it', with Katie admitting it is now her 'on him'.

Back in February Katie said 'I trust him and for our wedding anniversary this year, I always said 'I never forgive, I never forget', I have actually said to him 'I now forgive you, I do forget' because I got to a point where I don't have to worry about him. He's changed so much, he's proven himself and the best I could do is stay with him.

Tribute: Last year Kieran shocked fans when he unveiled a giant tattoo tribute to his wife, depicting her as an underwear-clad angel in the leg inking saying she had 'saved him'

'There was lots of other things that went on, to the point where one of my friends he was texting on social media, so this week he's gone on Instagram, which for us is a big step. Since he got caught, he had to come off everything, him and the therapist [agreed it], because on these sites people can direct message you, anybody can, so he's back on that [now].

'I'm smiling now because everyone said, 'Leave him, leave him'. It's easier to walk away but it takes a strong person to stay. And I did stay ... It's alright people saying 'well make a go of it', but you have to make an effort.'

The pair had also recently renewed their wedding vows.

Cheeky: Earlier this month she joked about 'not having her wedding rings on' in a racy Instagram video

A TIMELINE OF KATIE PRICE'S TURBULENT LOVE-LIFE 1996-98: Katie, then a surgery-free 18-year-old glamour model hooks up with Gladiators star Warren Furman. They get engaged but split in 1998. 1998-2000: Katie moves onto Another Level singer Dane Bowers. The pair date for two years but endure an acrimonious break-up. Katie admitted having an abortion during their relationship and called him 'the love of my life' 2000-2001: After Dane Katie starts seeing footballer Dwight Yorke after meeting him in a London club. During their romance Katie falls pregnant with son Harvey, although Dwight initially refuses to acknowledge the baby is his. 2001: While pregnant with Harvey Katie beds Pop Idol finalist Gareth Gates, then 17, taking his virginity. She said afterwards 'I just wanted to be loved' 2002: After Harvey's birth in May 2002, she hooks up with Matt Peacock who went on to be briefly wed to Jodie Marsh 2003-2004: Katie gets into a relationship with Scott Sullivan, who coincidentally shares the same birthday as her. He proposes with a diamond ring on a teddy bear's paw and she accepts but she is about to enter the I'm A Celebrity jungle 2004-2009: Katie falls madly in love with Peter Andre and the pair get married in 2006. The pair will welcome two children Junior, 12 and Princess Tiaamii before they split in 2009 2009-2011: Admitting she was on the 'rebound' Katie starts dating cage fighter Alex Reid a mere eight weeks after her split from Pete. Following a whirlwind romance the pair wed in Las Vegas in January 2010 but the marriage falls apart less than a year later 2011: Katie enjoys a brief fling with rugby ace Danny Cipriani 2011-2012; Katie falls for Argentinian model Leandro Penna after meeting him at Elton John's Oscars party in LA. Revealing she bedded him on the first night, the pair went on to get engaged before they split in 2012 2012: Katie meets part-time stripper and plasterer Kieran Hayler, who is nine years her junior. The pair exchange vows a mere five weeks later when Katie is already pregnant with the couple's first son Jett 2014; Katie takes to Twitter to announce the couple are divorcing after she found out about Kieran's affairs with her friends Jane Poutney and Chrissy Thomas. She later reconciles with him 2017: Katie announces the pair will divorce Advertisement

Although putting on a brave face, Katie had been dropping hints that all was not well within the couple's marriage.

Earlier this month she joked about 'not having her wedding rings on' in a racy Instagram video

She went on to say: 'I'm not girlfriend material, I'm wifey material but well, we won't comment on that...'

After her cheeky live video, Katie headed onto the Loose Women panel where she appeared to make a dig at her ex for cheating on her with two of her best friends.

Speaking about infidelity she announced: 'Once a cheat, always a cheat'.

Katie made the comment about cheating while discussing how important it is to have a 'spark' in a relationship.

'When you're in love you shouldn't be complacent. All my relationships ended despite having the spark. I want a happy home, not an eggshell home,' she said.

'For some people it's all about sex, but it's not. I think once a cheat always a cheat,' she added.

Trouble in paradise: Later in the day following the live stream incident Katie appeared to make a sly dig at Kieran's deceitful past as she declared on Loose Women: 'Once a cheat, always a cheat'

Keeping up appearances: Katie showed no signs of marital distress as she made a confident appearance on Wednesday's edition of Loose Women, but didn't have her wedding ring on

Things appeared to be rocky when she flirted up a storm with Love Island 's Chris Hughes when she came face to face with him on Loose Women earlier this month.

And Katie reportedly continued her flirty antics by sending a series of 'inappropriate' private messages on Twitter.

Chris later told Closer magazine: 'She's a little bit full on! She's funny, but interesting. She tried to message me on Twitter a little bit, but I just didn't reply.'

Katie and Chris first met on ITV's Loose Women shortly after the Love Island star left the famous villa.

Pucker up!Things appeared to be rocky when she flirted up a storm with Love Island 's Chris Hughes when she came face to face with him on Loose Women earlier this month and reportedly continued the flirtatious exchange via Twitter DMs

Flirting up a storm with the hunk, the mother-of-five seemed to have ignored warnings from both her husband and Chris' girlfriend Olivia Attwood, leaving Coleen Nolan to intervene.

As Coleen repeatedly told Katie 'you're married!' the former glamour model brazenly announced: 'If I wasn't married you would be my type on paper, 100 percent to a tee!

She added 'It's like 'will I be able to pull again?'' before swiftly adding 'not that I want to!'

'But she's [Olivia] got you, lucky girl! And I'm married!'

Unable to resist flirting some more, Katie added: 'He thought I was 31, but I'm 39... and I'm a MILF!'

But the former Page 3 girl laughed off the comments, and even hit back at a video warning from her husband Kieran.

Rumour has it:Katie and Kieran were also alleged to have recently gone through a rocky patch after she was discovered sending a series of flirty texts to DJ Tom Zanetti

The former stripper sent in a strict message to his wife as he begged her to be on her best behaviour and encouraged her to think about the vow renewal that was aired on Monday's episode of their reality show.

But Katie laughed off his pleas, shooting back: 'Reality TV is filmed in advance, we renewed our vows months ago, not last week!'

Katie and Kieran were also alleged to have recently gone through a rocky patch after she was discovered sending a series of flirty texts to DJ Tom Zanetti.

Tough times: Katie and Kieran were also alleged to have recently gone through a rocky patch after she was discovered sending a series of flirty texts to DJ Tom Zanetti

The couple were seen packing on the PDA in recent days amid reports Katie was deliberately pushing Kieran 'to the brink' so that he will quit their marriage - meaning she can cash in on a series of post-divorce interviews and magazine deals.

'It's becoming clear Katie's increasingly unhappy in her marriage and is looking for a get -out clause to end things without appearing like the bad one,' a source told Closer magazine.

'She seems to be pushing Kieran to the brink so that he'll leave her and she can then ride the wave of being the poor victim left at home with five kids to look after,' the source added.

'Chilling back at the villa': Kieran did his best to dispel the split rumours on social media, sharing a shot of him cuddling Katie while she laid in his lap

Family affair: The couple had put on a defiant display as split rumours circulated

Katie and Geordie Shore star Scotty T also set tongues wagging after they were pictured leaving a hotel in Newcastle last October.

Scotty rubbished the claims the pair had hooked up, insisting he only drove her to a salon so she could top up her tan.

'She's genuinely just my pal. I literally took her for a sunbed at my friend's salon and that was it,' he told Radio Aire while rehearsing for an appearance in new panto Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.

But Scotty then said the fact that Katie was married 'wouldn't stop' her sleeping with him.

'She's a lovely girl, I've not seen her recently but I would get in touch with her,' she told The Sun.

'She's fit! You can write that! Write that I think she's fit and I totally would s**g her.'

Former loves: Katie enjoyed a short-lived marriage to cage fighter Alex Reid, which ended in 2011 after 11 months

In the past: Katie was previously married to Peter Andre from 2005 till 2009 - after they met in the I'm A Celebrity! jungle

Engagement: Katie was engaged to Argentinian model Leandro Penna who she met at Elton John's Oscars party in 2011 but split at the end of 2012
Southampton's defender Maya Yoshida became the first Japanese player to play 100 Premier League games

Japan defender Maya Yoshida signed a new three-year contract with Southampton on Thursday that ties him to the Premier League club until 2020.

Yoshida has been an important part of the club's progress since he arrived at St Mary's in 2012 and the new deal is a reward for his contribution.

Last season, the 28-year-old became the first Japanese player to play 100 Premier League games.

"We are extremely pleased to have reached a new agreement with Maya, who is a vital part of our squad, not only on the pitch, but off it," Southampton vice chairman Les Reed said.

"Maya is a player who has taken great strides in his game during his time with us, and his influence was felt particularly last season.

"He formed outstanding partnerships with both Virgil van Dijk and Jack Stephens, helping the team reach the League Cup final.

"Maya is an excellent example for any young professional to follow and it was important to ensure that we extended our commitment with him."

Since joining from Dutch club VVV-Venlo, Yoshida has grown to relish life in England and he had no qualms about extending his stay.

"There was no reason to leave the club. I have been here for five years. In that time, I have had difficult moments, good moments - everything," he said.

"I feel like it's my home and I'm very happy to continue my journey with Southampton. It's a new chapter for my career."
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Accused of heresy by Islamist extremists and targeted by the authorities, members of Algeria's tiny Ahmadi community say they have been forced to go underground to worship.

Abderahmane, a 42-year-old trader from Kabylie in northern Algeria, joined the reformist Islamic movement after years as an ultra-conservative Salafist.

People he once called friends reported him to the local imam, who publicly denounced him as an unbeliever.

The imam went on to urge worshippers not to let their children play with Ahmadi children.

"My sister's engagement was cancelled because her fiance was told I was an unbeliever," Abderahmane said, still wearing a well-trimmed beard, a long cotton shirt, and three-quarter-length trousers -- the garb of his former life as a Salafist.

Founded in late 19th-century India, the Ahmadiyya movement follows the teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, an Indian Muslim they believe to be the long-awaited Islamic messiah.

It is anathema to traditional Islamic thinking, and Ahmadis living in many Muslim-majority countries have faced persecution and physical violence.

While Ahmadis consider themselves to be Muslims, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation -- of which Algeria is a member -- declared in 1973 that the movement was not linked to the Muslim faith.

Nonetheless, the faith's strong missionary drive has gained it an estimated 10 million members in 190 countries around the world.

The movement didn't begin spreading in Algeria until 2007, when an Ahmadi satellite television channel reached the north African country.

After that, they worshipped freely, if discreetly, for a decade. Few in Algeria had even heard of Ahmadism until last year, when the government crackdown began.

- 'Israeli plot' claim -

Ahmadis believe Indian Muslim Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was the long-awaited Islamic messiah

Ahmadi leader Mohamed Fali, a 44-year-old shopkeeper, was arrested in June 2016 along with his deputy, shortly after applying to register a charity. Police searched their homes and confiscated their passports.

Since then, Fadi says 286 out of Algeria's roughly two thousand Ahmadis have been arrested. All but three have been handed jail terms, ranging from a three-month suspended sentence to four years. The other three received fines.

Most were convicted of breaking right to assembly laws -- but their lawyers say they have been persecuted simply for their faith.

Islam is the state religion in Algeria, where Sunni Muslims make up the majority.

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by law, but preachers and places of worship must be licensed by the government. The Ahmadis have never applied for such a status, believing they would face certain rejection.

In July, Algeria's Religious Affairs Minister Mohamed Aissa told journalists the Ahmadis were involved in a plot by Israel -- where the community are allowed to worship openly, with a big mosque in the city of Haifa and a television channel -- to destabilise the country.

The minister at first agreed but later declined to talk to AFP.

Sirine Rached, an Amnesty International researcher, said the accusations were "baseless" and accused the Algerian government of a crackdown that is unprecedented in the wider region.

"As far as we know this persecution of the Ahmadis in Algeria is a unique situation in the Maghreb," she said.

- Praying in secret -

Algerian Ahmadis are fearful of harassment by Islamists and the authorities

Fearful of harassment by Islamists or the authorities, Algeria's Ahmadis meet to worship at each others' homes -- including Fali's house in Tipasa, west of Algiers.

Around 20 prayed in the large living room, adorned only with an imposing portrait of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad.

Fali began proceedings with the Islamic confession of faith, and he emphasised that the Koran was the Ahmadis' holy book.

The worshippers -- among them engineers, doctors and students -- refused to give their full names or be filmed.

All of them said they have gone through a crisis, questions and doubts, to which Ahmadism had provided the answers.

"As a modern woman, I can say that Ahmadism has brought me closer to God," said lawyer Nadia, 49.

Their creed teaches non-violence, and also advocates the separation of state and religion -- a vision disputed by Islamists, particularly the ultra-conservative Wahhabist version of Islam exported by Saudi Arabia.

"The debate should not be about Ahmadism but about freedom of worship," said Hamid, one of the group.

Fali, who is awaiting trial on charges ranging from "unauthorised collection of donations" to "offending the Prophet", said the Algerian media had "distorted the practices of the Ahmadis and tried to portray them as non-Muslims".

The campaign against the group is political, he said, pinning the blame on Wahhabists and the Saudi establishment.

Salah Dabouz, the movement's lawyer, agreed.

"The Ahmadis threaten their ideology by advocating secularism and non-violence in the name of Islam," he said.
Yu Pingan, a 36-year-old from Shanghai who uses the alias "GoldSun," was arrested earlier this week after he flew into Los Angeles airport for a conference, according to CNN

The FBI has charged a Chinese national with using malicious software widely linked to a devastating hack of government databases that saw the personal information of millions of federal workers and contractors stolen.

Yu Pingan, a 36-year-old from Shanghai who uses the alias "GoldSun," was arrested earlier this week after he flew into Los Angeles airport for a conference, according to CNN.

Court papers do not specifically mention the 2015 hacking of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) that affected 20 million personnel records including sensitive personal data in some cases gathered from background checks.

But an investigator accused Yu of distributing the "rarely-used Sakula malware" against several US companies between 2012 and 2014 -- the same software that numerous internet security blogs, citing an FBI advisory made available to private firms, have linked to the subsequent OPM breach.

Then national intelligence director James Clapper called Beijing "the leading suspect" in the cyber attack.

According to the investigator's affidavit, "seized communications show that Yu was warned that he could get in trouble for supplying malicious software and, in particular, that he could get in trouble with the FBI for his involvement in compromising US computer networks."

It was the second high-profile arrest of an alleged hacker in the United States this month after British computer security researcher Marcus Hutchins was held on charges of creating malware to attack banks.
North Korea may be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapon test, South Korean officials have warned.

Seoul's National Intelligence Service (NIS) told South Korean lawmakers at a closed door parliamentary session that it has detected signs of the secretive state preparing for another nuclear test at its Punggye-ri underground test site.

Kim Byung-kee, a lawmaker of South Korea's ruling Democratic Party (DP) said the NIS reported North Korea 'has completed its preparation to carry out a nuclear test at Tunnel 2 and Tunnel 3 of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site.'

He added the NIS had evidence to suggest Tunnel 4 was being readied for more construction work.

North Korea may be preparing for its sixth nuclear weapon test, South Korean officials have warned

Meanwhile the despotic state has continued to test a variety of missiles, the US military has said.

It fired three short range ballistic missiles which revived tensions with Washington after President Donald Trump had said Pyongyang was starting to show some 'respect'.

The launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the south of the peninsula, which the North views as highly provocative.

Following an initial US assessment saying that two of the missiles had 'failed in flight', a spokesman for the US Pacific Command later said the two weapons had not failed but 'flew approximately 250 kilometres (155 miles) in a northeastern direction'.

One of the three missiles blew up 'almost immediately', with none of the weapons posing a threat to either North America or the US territory of Guam, the spokesman said.

North Korea has previously conducted dozens of missile test. Pictured: The launch of a surface-to-surface medium long-range ballistic missile Pukguksong-2 at an undisclosed location

Lee Il-Woo, an analyst at Korea Defence Network, said the launches represented a 'low-level provocative act' carried out in response to the US-South Korea exercises, which are seen by Pyongyang as a rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory.

The joint exercises started on Monday at a time of heightened tensions between Pyongyang and Washington, after two successful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches carried out by North Korea last month apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

Analyst Yang Uk at the Korea Defence and Security Forum told AFP the latest launches by Pyongyang were 'carefully calibrated... to avoid revving up tensions too high beyond its control'.

The launches, which took place over a span of 30 minutes, came as North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, 'multiple-missile launchers' and howitzers.

A North Korea Scud-B missile (C) is displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum on Saturday in South Korea

A North Korea Scud-B missile (C) is displayed at the Korea War Memorial Museum in Seoul, South Korea, after ballistic missiles were launched into the East Sea

Neither Japan nor South Korea confirmed the US military's description of the weapons fired by North Korea as 'ballistic missiles'.

South Korea's defence ministry said 'unidentified projectiles', fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres towards the Sea of Japan.

'They could be ballistic missiles but they could be rockets. We are now analysing,' said Japan's Defence Minister Itsunori Onodera, adding that they did not fly on a 'lofted' trajectory.

Under Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology in violation of UN resolutions, and it has been penalised by seven sets of sanctions.

Trump has called on China to play a more active role to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival.

Under Kim Jong-un, Pyongyang has made rapid strides in its ballistic missile technology in violation of UN resolutions
Controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio (R) -- who endorsed Donald Trump during his presidential campaign last year -- earned a pardon on Friday

US President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had been convicted last month of criminal contempt for illegally targeting Hispanic immigrants.

In his first act of presidential clemency, Trump pardoned the deeply divisive 85-year-old Arpaio, who ignored a federal court order that he stop detaining illegal migrants.

"He kept Arizona safe!" Trump tweeted, calling Arpaio a "patriot."

The move earned immediate scorn from Democrats and rights groups, who accused the Republican billionaire -- still reeling from the fallout over his remarks on unrest in Charlottesville -- of seeking to divide the country.

In a statement, the White House said Arpaio -- who made detainees wear pink underwear and housed them in tented desert camps -- had "more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation."

The former sheriff of Maricopa County, who reveled in his reputation as "America's toughest sheriff," had been due to be sentenced in October.

Trump foreshadowed the announcement during a meandering speech in Arizona earlier this week, when he suggested Arpaio was convicted for "doing his job."

"You know what, I'll make a prediction: I think he's going to be just fine," Trump said.

"I won't do it tonight because I don't want to cause any controversy. But Sheriff Joe should feel good."

Arpaio tweeted that he was "incredibly grateful" to Trump, and suggested his conviction was "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!"

He also asked supporters to donate to his legal defense fund.

- 'Worthy' of a pardon, or a 'bigot'? -

Trump has made appeals to the far-right, refusing to condemn white supremacists while targeting migrants who came across the southern border.

"Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the White House said in a statement.

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation, he is a worthy candidate for a presidential pardon."

The announcement still came as a shock for many.

"Joe Arpaio is a bigot who targeted the Hispanic community for years. He should have served his time," said Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a leading civil rights group, expressed outrage.

"With his pardon of Arpaio, Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing," said the ACLU's deputy legal director Cecillia Wang.

"Once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts. His pardon of Arpaio is a presidential endorsement of racism."

UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic rights advocacy group in the country, decried the pardon as "obscene."

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio was the instigator of racial profiling and made official a policy of harassment and abuse based on the color of ones skin in Maricopa County," said UnidosUS president Janet Murguia.

"And tonight, president Trump gave the blessing of his administration to pursue those disgraceful and unlawful policies in every state and locality in the land."

The US constitution offers the president almost unlimited pardon powers.

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol suggested the pardon "gets people used" to the idea of presidential pardons as the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia deepens.
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In perhaps the most American form of haute couture - the National Rifle Association put on a concealed carry fashion show.

From purses to gun holsters, attendees of the gun ownership and self-defense convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were treated to what the NRA said was the first-ever show of its kind.

Models displayed offerings from roughly 30 companies on Friday night, such as Femme Fatale and Man-Pack, whose products include corset holders and shoulder bags designed for quick gun access.

Ahead of the event NRA spokesman Jason Brown said: 'It's going to be really, really interesting to see all of these different products up on stage and modeled by people.'

Amanda Suffecool conceptualized the fashion show and the NRA worked with her to host it at the NRA Carry Guard Expo.

This is the first time the NRA had hosted such an event.

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In perhaps the most American form of haute couture - the National Rifle Association put on a concealed carry fashion show

From purses to gun holsters, attendees of the gun ownership and self-defense convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were treated to what the NRA said was the first-ever show of its kind

Models displayed offerings from roughly 30 companies on Friday night, such as Femme Fatale and Man-Pack, whose products include corset holders and shoulder bags designed for quick gun access

And at the end of the show, gun-toting attendees voted for their three favorite products.

The organization has been promoting the event for months, and last week posted a press release on their blog that said: 'The Fashion Show will showcase the Expos top concealed carry products and demonstrate the features and benefits to an audience of firearm enthusiasts and industry media.

'Both male and female models will walk the runway, showcasing products ranging from conventional pistol holsters and accessories to concealed carry purses, bags, and much more.'

The release also warned that only 'approved' members of media organizations would receive credentials to cover the expo, suggesting that certain news groups would not be let in.

The NRA, apolitically powerful gun rights group that regularly tussles with lawmakers over gun control, says nearly 16 million Americans are licensed to carry concealed firearms.

At the end of the show, gun-toting attendees voted for their three favorite products. The organization has been promoting the event for months, and last week posted a press release on their blog to hype it up even more

The release also warned that only 'approved' members of media organizations would receive credentials to cover the expo, suggesting that certain news groups would not be let in

The NRA, apolitically powerful gun rights group that regularly tussles with lawmakers over gun control, says nearly 16 million Americans are licensed to carry concealed firearms

Unlike annual meetings which are reserved for members, the three-day convention is described as more of an educational opportunity for the general public

The controversial group insists that the country is safer when more people carry guns, despite schools of evidence suggesting otherwise.

Unlike annual meetings which are reserved for members, the three-day convention is described as more of an educational opportunity for the general public.

'It's kind of this full, comprehensive look of what it means to be able to defend yourself,' Brown said.

In addition to the fashion show, the weekend event has plans for a concert and dozens of workshops, such as one on how to stop life-threatening bleeding.

'We're going to pull out all the stops,' Brown said, to help people make informed decisions about guns and self-defense.

The NRA came under fire in recent months after releasing a series of videos that some believe use violence-inciting language and images.

The organization is using the hashtags #counterresistance and #clenchedfistoftruth to go along with the videos which use terms such as 'shot across the bow' and threatens media and political 'elites'.

The terms, critics have said, suggest anyone opposing their views are enemy combatants.

'The times are burning and the media elites have been caught holding the match,' NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch says in one video aired on NRATV - the lobby's web video sight.

It also shows footage of people fighting police, breaking storefront glass and burning the American flag to bring home their message.

A gun-toting Fabio look-alike walks the runway at Friday night's showcase and displays a 'fasionable' gun holster designed specifically for quick access

The NRA came under fire in recent months after releasing a series of videos that some believe use violence-inciting language and images. Pictured above a model showcases a hand-gun cover

The NRA posted a press release on its blog about the showcase, which reads: 'Both male and female models will walk the runway, showcasing products ranging from conventional pistol holsters and accessories to concealed carry purses, bags, and much more'

She later specifically threatens the New York times, saying: 'We've had it with your narratives, your propaganda, your fake news.

'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.

'And we've had it with your tone-deaf assertion that you are in any way truth or fact-based journalism.

'Consider this the shot across your proverbial bow. In short, we're coming for you.'

Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, said the tone and language is 'overwrought rhetoric' that, viewed by the wrong person, could lead to violence. The kicker on one of the videos - 'We're coming for you' - is straight out of the movies, she said, and 'that phrase means that violence is imminent and we will perpetrate it.'

The NRA is taking a page from the Trump playbook.

This friction between the gun lobby and the media isn't new.

But critics of the NRA contend the organization is relying on the 'fake news' mantra started by Trump to whip up its followers after a dip in gun sales that has taken place since Trump succeeded President Barack Obama, who favored stricter gun-control laws.

A model is pictured showcasing two different options for gun-friendly corsets that can be worn under someone's clothing and easily hidden from people around the wearer

In addition to the fashion show, the weekend event has plans for a concert and dozens of workshops, such as one on how to stop life-threatening bleeding. People at the showcase are pictured watching intently

Some gun owners have cheered the videos and said they give voice to conservatives weary of media attacks on Trump; others say the videos stray from the NRA's original mission and that the NRA is inviting violence.

Joe Plenzler, a Marine veteran who served overseas and sometimes had reporters accompanying his unit, joined two other veterans in writing an opinion piece for The Daily Beast criticizing the videos.

'The NRA props up the Second Amendment by undermining and vilifying the protections afforded in the First, and paints everyone who may disagree with the current administration, our country's justice system, or the NRA's partisan political position with a very dark and unjust broad brush,' Plenzler wrote with Marine veterans Craig Tucker and Kyleanne Hunter.

Plenzler, who has since dropped his NRA membership, said he was disturbed by the videos.

'Lately, it seems like they've gone well out of the bounds of any sort of sane responsible behavior,' he explained.

'If you want to advocate for the Second Amendment, which I unapologetically believe in, that's fine,' he said. 'But I think at the point where you are going to demonize half the American population in a recruitment effort to get more members, I've got a big problem with that.'
Security forces were put on high alert to ensure there was no repeat of the violence that erupted Friday afternoon, minutes after a special court pronounced the self-styled guru guilty of raping two of his followers

Hundreds of troops Saturday patrolled a northern Indian city hit by deadly clashes that killed at least 30 people after thousands protested a court's decision to convict a controversial spiritual leader of rape.

The army was deployed in Haryana state's Panchkula city after tens of thousands of followers of guru Ram Rahim Singh went on an angry rampage, attacking television vans and setting fire to dozens of private vehicles.

Security forces were put on high alert to ensure there was no repeat of the violence that erupted Friday afternoon, minutes after a special court pronounced the self-styled guru guilty of raping two of his followers.

Mobile phone services were disrupted in some parts of Haryana and neighbouring Punjab state, where authorities had earlier imposed a curfew following the clashes.

Although the curfew was lifted Saturday, restrictions on public assembly remained in place.

Scorch marks from items set on fire are seen on a road in Panchkula a day after followers of the controversial guru went on a rampage over his rape conviction

Haryana police chief B.S. Sandhu told AFP Saturday at least 30 people had died with the toll likely to rise as some of the wounded were being treated for serious head injuries.

"The toll within the state is at least 30 dead and around 200 injured including about 50 police and security personnel," said Sandhu.

"Some of the injured didn't come to the hospitals fearing that they could face police action or arrests for involvement in the violence," he said.

Official sources told AFP earlier that at least 32 people had died, with most of the fatalities caused by gun shots.

The 50-year-old Singh is known as the "guru in bling" for his penchant for bejewelled costumes and claims to have 60 million loyal followers worldwide.

The rape case was brought against him after an anonymous letter was sent to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 accusing him of repeatedly raping the sender and several other women in the sect.

A judge asked the Central Bureau of Investigations to look into the accusations, but it took years to trace the alleged victims and it was not until 2007 that two women came forward and filed charges.

Some 200,000 members of Singh's sect had gathered in Panchkula in a show of support for the guru a day ahead of the verdict.

The conviction enraged his followers, with many saying they were in a state of shock over the verdict.

"I have been with dear Ram Rahim Singh for around 14 years. I can bet that all the allegations against our guru are false," said Rajkumar, a shopkeeper from Haryana who was undergoing treatment at the hospital.

"He can't do any wrong... He works to rid the world of all its troubles," he told AFP, his head heavily bandaged.

Singh's sentencing will be announced on Monday.
Rebel groups have fought since 1989 in Indian Kashmir, demanding independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan, and tens of thousands -- mostly civilians -- have been killed

A day-long gun battle Saturday left at least 10 dead in Indian-administered Kashmir as militants stormed a police facility in a pre-dawn attack, authorities said.

The militants, believed to be three in number, detonated grenades and fired automatic assault rifles to gain entry to the police headquarters in southern Pulwama district which also houses families of some officers, director general of police S.P. Vaid said.

One police officer was killed in the initial assault, while three paramilitary troops were injured and evacuated to a nearby hospital, he said.

"Three more police officers and four CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) soldiers were killed later during the attack," Vaid told AFP.

Two attackers were killed and government forces were searching for the third attacker, believed to be holed up in the compound, he said.

All the families in the compound were evacuated and the militants had taken no hostages, police said in an earlier statement.

Authorities cut off mobile internet services in the district to prevent residents from organising anti-India protests as a tactic to help the militants escape.

In recent months, residents, sometimes entire villages, have increasingly hit the streets and thrown stones at soldiers when rebels are trapped in military cordons to help them escape.

Security forces fired tear gas to disperse demonstrators after sporadic protests broke out close to the police facility, an officer told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Government forces have stepped up counterinsurgency operations since the start of the year and have killed at least 136 rebels, including most of the top commanders of rebel groups operating in the disputed territory.

Kashmir has been divided between Indian and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947. Both claim the territory in full.

Rebel groups have for decades fought the more than 500,000 Indian soldiers deployed in the restive territory, demanding independence or a merger of the former Himalayan kingdom with Pakistan.

Tens of thousands, mostly civilians, have died in the fighting.
The Ukrainian-Lithuanian draft "Marshal Plan" project for Ukraine has been presented in European institutions and will be studied by the European Commission (EC), Head of the Ukrainian Mission to the EU Mykola Tochytsky has said.

"This plan has been presented at European institutions and the European Commission took this seriously enough. Given the fact the Ukrainian-Lithuanian plan has been recently transferred, the European Commission will study this proposal and see how they can participate in this," he told Interfax-Ukraine.

According to the official, the draft document provides for the issue of EUR5 billion annually to support reforms in Ukraine.

"What we are going to end up with, I mean the EU, because I can only talk here about the EU, how the EU will take part in this - this is subject to a further study, but I think in a month or a month and a half we will have some vision," Tochytsky said.
The killing of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos last week triggered rare protests against Duterte's controversial but popular campaign to eradicate drugs, with critics saying it highlighted rampant rights abuses by police enforcing the crackdown

Thousands of Filipinos Saturday called for an end to extrajudicial killings as the funeral of a boy killed by police turned into the largest single demonstration yet against President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal drug war.

The killing of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos last week triggered rare protests against Duterte's controversial but popular campaign to eradicate drugs, with critics saying it highlighted rampant rights abuses by police enforcing the crackdown.

Since Duterte's term began 14 months ago, police have reported killing 3,500 people in anti-drug operations, with thousands more murdered over drug-related crimes and in unexplained circumstances.

Duterte and his drug war are backed by a large majority of Filipinos fed up with high crime and a slow-moving judicial system, according to national polls.

But Delos Santos's murder has dominated the media and sparked public outrage.

After his family held a wake for him at home, around 3,000 people including his classmates, neighbours, nuns, priests and human rights activists marched under cloudy skies to protest his killing

Police said the teenager was a drug courier who fired at them while resisting arrest. However CCTV footage emerged of two policemen dragging the unarmed boy away moments before he was killed.

After his family held a wake for him at home, around 3,000 people including his classmates, neighbours, nuns, priests and human rights activists marched under cloudy skies to protest his killing, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

"Kian is the name and face of the truth. We must not allow the truth to die with Kian's murder," said Father Robert Reyes, one of several Catholic priests who celebrated a church mass for the boy on Saturday.

Duterte, who had controversially drawn parallels between his drug campaign to Hitler's extermination of Jews and vowed to protect police from prosecution, has promised to bring the boy's killers to justice.

The slow-moving procession snaked through narrow streets as participants, many wearing black ribbons, carried posters that read "Stop Killing the Poor", "Justice for Kian", and "Rehabilitation not Persecution".

The cortege stopped briefly for prayers outside a police station where the three officers who had arrested the boy were deployed. They have since been suspended.

Following their claims of Delos Santos being involved in the drugs trade, police told a public enquiry on Thursday that they only read about his alleged narcotics activity on "social media" after his death.

A police autopsy also concluded the boy was fatally shot in the head twice as he lay prone on the ground.

Amnesty International alleged in a report released in February that Philippine police shot dead defenceless people, fabricated evidence, paid assassins to murder drug addicts, and stole from those they killed or the victims' relatives.

It also said police were being paid by their superiors to kill drug suspects, and documented victims as young as eight years old.
This file picture taken on July 09, 2017 shows employees at an e-commerce site's offices in the Iranian capital Tehran

Iranians were joined by two ministers Saturday in protesting after Apple removed popular apps from its store, a move the American company says was made to comply with US sanctions.

"Today, respecting consumers' rights is a basic principle which Apple has not followed," Information and Communication Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi tweeted, promising to "legally pursue" the case.

"IT should be used for making human life better and comfortable not a tool for discrimination between countries," he wrote.

Jahromi said later Saturday on Instagram that he and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif were working together to address the issue.

The hashtag #StopRemovingIranianApps has been trending on Iranian social media for several days, after Apple removed at least 10 of the country's most popular apps from its online store.

Those now missing include Amazon-style shopping apps Digikala and Bamilo, ride-hailing apps Snapp and Tap30, discount store Takhfifan and a brunch delivery service called Delion.

"We are unable to include your app on the App Store," a message sent to some of those companies reportedly said.

"Under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute, or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries."

The United States lifted some sanctions on Iran, particularly in the aviation sector, under a 2015 nuclear deal that saw Tehran limit its atomic programme.

But American individuals and companies are still barred from doing any business with Iranians because of much older and non-nuclear related sanctions on the Islamic republic.

- 'On the right track' -

"There are removed apps which did not have financial transactions, and due to sanctions, some of them were registered in countries other than Iran too," Azari Jahromi tweeted.

"The US does not sanction our weak points. They sanction our points of strength... This should make us country officials support this field," he said in a video published on the government's website.

"The recent action by the US shows we are on the right track... because they fear us and are removing these (apps)".

Some Iranian apps in the same category of those that have been removed are still available on the app store.

Iran's youthful and well-connected population own some 40 million smart phones, six million of them iPhones, the government-owned Iran Daily newspaper reported.

"Apple has not provided any clear answers to our messages," the daily on Saturday quoted Mehdi Taghizadeh, vice chairman at Delion, as saying.

More than 4,500 Iranian netizens have signed an online petition urging Apple chief executive Tim Cook "to recognise our rights as Apple customers".

"I've always been an Apple user, but despite preferring them... I'm now going to switch to Android," a user going by the name Xerexes wrote on Twitter.

"Technology is best when it brings people together. We shouldn't limit or keep others from using and developing it!" tweeted Ferial Govashiri, who used to work as a personal assistant to former US president Barack Obama and is now at Netflix.

Owners of devices that run on Android can still download Iranian apps from the online store for Google, also an American company, but they are still unable to use paid apps in the country.
Iraqi forces advance through Tal Afar's Al-Wahda district during an operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group on August 24, 2017

Iraqi forces battling to drive the Islamic State group from its Tal Afar bastion said Saturday they had recaptured the city centre and raised the country's flag atop its Ottoman-era citadel.

"Units of the Counter-Terrorism Service liberated the Citadel and Basatin districts and raised the Iraqi flag on top of the citadel," operation commander General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement.

The CTS and federal police units had converged on the city centre from the south and west, said General Yarallah.

Clashes were ongoing on the northern outskirts and Iraqi forces were dealing with the final pockets of resistance inside the city, he added.

Saturday's advance puts Iraqi forces on the verge of recapturing Tal Afar only six days after they launched an offensive to take back one of the last IS strongholds in the country.

It follows weeks of Iraqi and US-led coalition air strikes.

Tal Afar is located 70 kilometres (40 miles) west of Mosul, where the jihadist group declared its "caliphate" in 2014 before being ousted from the city in July.

Iraqi forces on Saturday also seized three northern districts of Tal Afar and the Al-Rabia neighbourhood west of the citadel, a day after taking the Al-Talia district to the south.

Tal Afar, which had 200,000 residents until IS captured it in a 2014 offensive, is on a strategic road that linked IS-held territories in Syria with Mosul.

Once Tal Afar is retaken, Baghdad is expected to launch a new offensive on Hawija, 300 kilometres north of Baghdad.

IS also present in the vast western province of Anbar, where it controls several zones along the Syrian border with war-ravaged Syria, including the Al-Qaim area.

The jihadist group has lost much of the territory it controlled and thousands of its fighters have been killed.
Iraqi forces advance through Tal Afar's Al-Wahda district during an operation to retake the city from the Islamic State group on August 24, 2017

Iraqi forces have driven the Islamic State from central Tal Afar and its historic citadel, they said Saturday, placing them on the verge of fully recapturing one of the last IS strongholds in the country.

The advance, just days into an assault on the strategic town, comes six weeks after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the jihadists in second city Mosul, where the jihadist group declared its "caliphate" in 2014.

"Units of the Counter-Terrorism Service liberated the Citadel and Basatin districts and raised the Iraqi flag on top of the citadel," operation commander General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement.

The CTS and federal police units had also seized three northern districts and the Al-Rabia neighbourhood west of the citadel, a day after taking the district of Al-Talia to the south.

Clashes were ongoing on the northern outskirts and Iraqi forces were dealing with final pockets of jihadists inside the city, Yarallah said.

Government troops and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition, backed by a US-led coalition against IS, launched the assault on Sunday after weeks of coalition and Iraqi air strikes.

Tal Afar sits on a strategic route between IS-controlled territories in Syria and Mosul, 70 kilometres (40 miles) further east.

Government troops and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition, backed by a US-led coalition against IS, launched the assault on Sunday after weeks of coalition and Iraqi air strikes

Progress there has been far more rapid than in Mosul, Iraq's second city, which fell to Iraqi forces in July after a gruelling nine-month battle.

Officials have said they hope to announce victory in Tal Afar by Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday set to start in Iraq on September 2.

- Obstacle course -

Most of Tal Afar's 200,000 residents, the majority of them Shiite Turkmens whose beliefs are anathema to the Sunni hardliners of IS, fled as the jihadists arrived.

Pro-government forces faced an obstacle course of roads blocked with earth embankments and strategically-parked trucks, as well as sniper fire and mortar shelling.

Troops also said they discovered a network of underground tunnels used by the jihadists to launch attacks behind lines of already conquered territory, or to escape.

The International Organization for Migration said "thousands of civilians" had fled Tal Afar since the offensive began.

A displaced Iraqi woman, who fled the fight between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group in Tal Afar, sits inside a tent at the Badush camp, 150 kilometres southeast of Tal Afar, on August 25, 2017

Those who flee through desert areas face soaring temperatures for long periods, putting them at risk of dehydration, said Viren Falcao of the Danish Refugee Council.

Once Tal Afar is retaken, Baghdad is expected to launch a new offensive on Hawija, 300 kilometres north of Baghdad.

IS is also present in the vast western province of Anbar, where it controls several zones along the Syrian border with war-ravaged Syria, including the Al-Qaim area.

The jihadist group has lost much of the territory it controlled and thousands of its fighters have been killed.

The foreign and defence ministers of France visited Baghdad Saturday to affirm their country's support in the fight against IS.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly, who arrived in the Iraqi capital on Friday evening, were scheduled to meet Abadi.

French forces have carried out air and artillery strikes in support of Iraqi operations.

"As long as our common enemy has not been eradicated, France will continue to take part" in the campaign, Parly said.
Jordan shares a border of more than 370 kilometres (230 miles) with Syria, where over 330,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since its conflict broke out in 2011

Jordan has said its relations with the Syrian regime are heading in the "right direction" and looked forward to a reopening of the border crossings with its war-torn neighbour.

"Our relations with the Syrian state and regime are going in the right direction," government spokesman Mohamed Momani said on television on Friday night.

Momani highlighted the "stability" of the situation in southern Syria, across the border from Jordan.

The government spokesman, who is also state minister for information, said his remarks were "a very important message that everyone should hear".

A ceasefire brokered by the United States, Russia and Jordan in the southern Syrian provinces of Daraa, Quneitra and Suweida has largely held since it entered into force July 9.

Russia and Iran, the Syrian regime's main allies, and rebel-backer Turkey agreed in May to create four safe zones in Syria in a deal aimed at bringing a lasting truce.

Their negotiations are parallel to UN-sponsored talks.

Moscow believes the "de-escalation zone" in southern Syria can only be put in place with the agreement of the United States and Jordan.

"The ceasefire is holding, and we hope there will soon be additional measures to consolidate stability and security in Syria," said Momani.

"If the current situation continues and southern Syria stabilises, it would allow for the reopening of the crossing points between the two states," he added.

Jordan is one of the few Arab countries not to have closed its embassy in Damascus, and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Amman also remains open.

The kingdom shares a border of more than 370 kilometres (230 miles) with Syria, where over 330,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since its conflict broke out in 2011.

The economy of Jordan, a country devoid of natural resources, has been severely affected by the closure of borders with Iraq and Syria, which are both at war.

The United Nations says Jordan is hosting more than 650,000 Syrian refugees, while the kingdom puts their actual number at 1.4 million.
A displaced Iraqi woman, who fled the fight between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group in Tal Afar, sits inside a tent at the Badush camp, 150 kilometres southeast of Tal Afar

Badush camp, set up for civilians who escaped the Tal Afar battle between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group, stands almost empty but for a handful of displaced residents, doctors and guards.

The rows of tents erected for the displaced from the northern Iraqi city remain virtually empty.

Iraqi authorities and aid groups set up the camp, 150 kilometres (95 miles) southeast of Tal Afar, to host those displaced from the last major battle in the northern province of Nineveh.

Army, police and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition launched an offensive on August 20 to seize the city, having ousted IS from Iraq's second city Mosul in July.

On the sixth day of the operation, Iraqi forces announced Saturday the recapture of central Tal Afar and its historic Ottoman-era citadel, placing them on the verge of fully retaking one of the last IS strongholds in the country.

General Jabar Mustafa Hassun, from a committee dealing with the displaced, said civilians had been arriving at the camp -- but that was before the launch of the battle.

Tal Afar had 200,000 residents before the jihadist group seized it in July.

In the weeks prior to the offensive on Tal Afar, up to 90,000 people were still in the city 70 kilometres west of Mosul, according to Hassun.

The United Nations said this week that around 30,000 civilians were still trapped in the fighting.

Hassun said that "10 days ago, 4,000 to 6,000 civilians were arriving each day in the camps", but that number had fallen to "150 or 200 a day, sometimes just 50".

The displaced from Tal Afar apparently left in different directions, some of them arriving in Badush but then passing through and carrying on to other camps.

He estimated only around 160 families are left in Tal Afar, most of them the families of IS fighters.

During the fight for Mosul, the outflow of displaced people far exceeded predictions by aid groups, unlike in the case of Tal Afar which has seen no such mass exodus.

Issa Hassan, 72, was seated in a tent held erect by four poles, sheltering from the blistering sun.

Displaced Iraqis who fled the fight between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group in Tal Afar sit inside a tent at Badush camp, 150 kilometres southeast of Tal Afar

The white-bearded man said he arrived this week from Al-Khan, a village near Tal Afar where he had taken refuge two years ago.

"I originally come from the Al-Jazeera district of Tal Afar," said Hassan, who had sent his four wives ahead of him to a camp near Mosul before selling his herd of goats and heading off.

A doctor at the camp, Omar Amer of an NGO called Dary, said he had spent the past two weeks at the camp.

"At first, we had families arriving, about 150 people each day," some of them suffering from malnutrition and others with injuries from explosions," he said.

"The number has gone down. We hear that other displaced people are on their way... We're ready, we're waiting."
In new regulations published Friday, the Cyberspace Administration of China said all social networking sites and discussion forums must "check the real identity" of their users before they can post online content and comments

China has ordered the country's internet platforms to verify users' true identity before letting them post online content, the latest step by authorities to tighten policing of the web.

All social networking sites and discussion forums must "check the real identity" of their users before they can post online content and comments, under new regulations published Friday by the Cyberspace Administration of China.

The platforms will also have to strengthen their oversight over all published information, deleting all illegal content while also alerting authorities to the postings.

The new guidelines take effect October 1.

China already had laws requiring companies to verify a user's identity but it was applied in a fragmented and incomplete way.

But forcing online posters to identify themselves -- which will probably require scanning a government-issued ID as proof of identity -- makes it much more difficult to post online anonymously.

China already tightly controls the internet aggressively blocking sites of which it disapproves and curbing politically sensitive online commentary, such as on criticism of the government.

The new regulation was adopted as part of a cybersecurity law that took effect in June, which bans internet users from publishing a wide variety of information.

That covers anything that damages "national honour", "disturbs economic or social order" or is aimed at "overthrowing the socialist system".

The law also requires online platforms to get a licence to post news reports or commentary about the government, economy, military, foreign affairs, and social issues.

Since 2013, China has imposed prison sentences on users whose messages are deemed "defamatory".

But new restrictive measures have multiplied in recent months, ahead of the Communist Party's autumn congress during which President Xi Jinping is expected to be re-elected.

China has enforced new rules on what is permissible content, with content such as celebrity gossip blogs and online video streaming sites hit by the regulations.

The authorities have also stepped up efforts to clamp down on virtual private networks (VPN), software that allows people to circumvent the Great Firewall.
China, which is the recipient of some 90 percent of North Korea's exports, earlier this month said it would suspend its imports of iron, lead and seafood from the country after halting its coal purchases in mid-February

China's commerce ministry has banned North Korean nationals from setting up new businesses in the country, enforcing recent UN sanctions as Washington urges Beijing to do more to curb its ally's nuclear ambitions.

The ban, effective immediately, came as Pyongyang launched three short-range missiles on Saturday according to the US military, reviving tensions days after President Donald Trump said the isolated regime was starting to show Washington some "respect".

Beijing has been under pressure from Washington to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival, and the ban is the latest attempt by China to dispel US concerns over its close ties with Pyongyang.

China, which is the recipient of some 90 percent of North Korea's exports, earlier this month said it would suspend its imports of iron, lead and seafood from the country after halting its coal purchases in mid-February.

Under the new measures, North Korean nationals will not be allowed to establish any new company in China, whether it is a joint venture with a Chinese partner or a firm with foreign capital.

The ban also prohibits the expansion of any existing joint ventures involving North Koreans in China, while new Chinese applications to invest in North Korea or to increase existing investments in the country will be rejected, the ministry said.

Businesses established by Pyongyang abroad -- including restaurants and trading companies -- are a crucial source of foreign exchange for the Stalinist regime.

Pyongyang has recently faced a wave of international sanctions over its test-firing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

In addition to sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council this month, Japan and the United States have imposed punitive measures against international firms, including those from China, for doing business with the hermit state.

The measures are aimed at disrupting the flow of cash funding North Korean weapons programmes, which are in violation of United Nations resolutions.

Trump has called on China to play a more active role in convincing North Korea to halt its weapons programme and stop threatening its neighbours and the US.

But China has so far been lukewarm on the idea, preferring to address the issue through long-stalled talks.
The current Qatar crisis has now lasted more than two months and as yet mediation efforts by Kuwait, the United States and Western Europe have failed to resolve the issue

Qatar said Saturday that Turkey has arrested five people in connection with the alleged hack of Doha's state news agency, an incident which sparked the current Gulf political crisis.

The arrests were announced by Qatar's most senior legal figure, Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri.

"Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago," he said in comments published by the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

"Five people were arrested and they are being investigated. The prosecutors in Qatar are working with the Turkish authorities to follow the case."

The nationality of the suspects was not given.

The alleged hack of the QNA website took place on May 24, attributing explosive political remarks to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The remarks covered sensitive regional political subjects such as Iran, Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Israel and the United States.

Less than a fortnight later, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar over its ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups.

Qatar denies the charges and says Sheikh Tamim did not make the statements, but that the website was hacked.

Doha called in the FBI to help with the hacking investigation and has accused the UAE of being behind the cyber-attack.

The UAE has denied the claims.

The current Gulf crisis has now lasted more than two months and as yet mediation efforts by Kuwait, the United States and Western Europe have failed to resolve the issue.
Yemenis stand in protest on August 26, 2017 amid the debris of a house in Sanaa hit in an air strike the previous day

The Saudi-led Arab military coalition on Saturday admitted responsibility for an air strike the previous day in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it as a "technical mistake".

The attack was the latest in a wave of deadly raids on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the coalition, drawing strong international condemnation.

The coalition, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a review of the strike investigators had found "that a technical mistake was behind the accident".

A Yemeni girl on August 26, 2017 holds a poster of a family killed in an air strike the previous day on a residential district of Sanaa

Witnesses and medics in Sanaa said several children were among 14 people killed in Friday's air strike that toppled residential blocks in Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki had told AFP on Friday that he would "review the information" about the strike.

On Saturday, he said in the statement that the coalition "regrets the collateral damage caused by this involuntary accident and offers its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims".

Friday's raid targeted Faj Attan, a residential neighbourhood in the south of the capital that has been controlled since 2014 by Huthi rebels.

The coalition on Saturday accused the rebels of "setting up a command and communications centre in the middle of this residential area to use civilians as human shields".

Yemenis protest on August 26, 2017 amid the debris of a Sanaa house hit in an air strike the previous day

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday condemned the raid as "outrageous".

Rights group Amnesty International's Middle East research director, Lynn Maalouf, said the coalition "rained down bombs on civilians while they slept".

She called in a statement for the UN to take action against Saudi Arabia over the list of civilian facilities struck in deadly air raids over the past two years.

Mohammed Ahmad, who lived in one of the buildings, said he was among those who had taken nine bodies to a hospital.

"We extracted them one by one from under the rubble," he said.

Diggers worked at the site for hours after the raid as medics and residents searched for the missing.

- International pressure -

The coalition entered Yemen's war in 2015 in support of the government against the Iran-backed rebels, who seized Sanaa the previous year after forming a fragile alliance with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 8,400 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led alliance intervened in the Yemen conflict.

Friday's raid came two days after at least 35 people died in a series of strikes on Sanaa and a nearby hotel that rebels also blamed on the coalition.

The coalition has come under massive pressure from international organisations including the United Nations over the raids.

The UN has said the coalition was probably responsible for a July attack on the southwestern Taez province that killed 20 people, including children.

"In the week from August 17 to August 24, 58 civilians have been killed, including 42 by the Saudi-led coalition," UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

Yemen, long the poorest country in the Arab world, also faces a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives and affected more than half a million people since late April.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv has stated the draft national budget for 2018 would be presented on September 15, and at present the ministries have already agreed on its balance.

"At the moment the budget has been coordinated with the ministries, a joint meeting of the president of Ukraine, the prime minister, the head of the Verkhovna Rada and representatives of the factions has been held so that we could submit the budget on time on September 15, 2017," he said at the Economic Forum "Supporting the Economic Development of Ukraine: Cooperation between the Government and the Diaspora" in Kyiv.

According to Kubiv, within the budget it is planned to select ten priorities, among which there is carrying out reforms, however it will be possible to speak in detail about the priorities of the draft national budget after its coordination.
Pakistani former president and co-chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari (C) was acquitted on August 26 of corruption allegations involving Swiss banks dating back to the 1990s

A Pakistani court Saturday acquitted former president Asif Ali Zardari in a major corruption case that dogged him for almost two decades, his lawyer said.

Zardari, who left office in 2013, faced corruption allegations involving Swiss banks dating back to the 1990s.

He was accused along with his late wife, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, of laundering $12 million of illegal kickbacks.

"An accountability court today acquitted Asif Zardari in a case filed against him in 1998 accusing him of making and maintaining assets beyond his known sources of income," lawyer Farooq H. Naik told AFP.

He said the court, which has held hearings in Lahore and Rawalpindi since 1998, recorded statements from more than 40 witnesses.

"It has now become abundantly clear that the allegations against my client were fake and there were no solid grouds for filing a baseless case against him 19 years ago," Naik said.

Zardari has spent time behind bars on charges ranging from corruption to murder.

Little-known at the time of his arranged marriage into the Bhutto dynasty in 1987, he carved out a powerful position for himself, serving as a government minister in his wife's two administrations.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is coping with the arrival of about 500,000 refugees fleeing fighting in Rwanda, South Sudan, the Central African Republic and Burundi

The number of people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly in the volatile Kasai region, has nearly doubled in the past six months to 3.8 million, a United Nations official said Saturday.

George Okoth-Obbo, the number two official at the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), said food and clothing was needed for the 1.4 million in Kasai who have fled their homes in violence that has killed more than 3,000 people.

"Immediate protection" was required, he told AFP on the last day of a three-day visit to the country, in particular for children "who are sleeping in conditions that are difficult to imagine".

In the southeastern province of Tanganyika, clashes between Bantus and Pygmies have also forced thousands to flee, as has the long-running violence in the Kivu region, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO.

In Kasai, violence erupted last September after the death of a tribal chieftain, known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against the authority of President Joseph Kabila's regime in Kinshasa and its local representatives.

The killing sparked violence that has escalated, including alleged violations of human rights such as extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture and the use of child soldiers.

In addition, about 33,000 Congolese have fled Kasai for Angola, and "the conditions today in Kasai are such that we cannot encourage or promote the return of refugees," Okoth-Obbo said.

At the same time, the country is also having to cope with the arrival of about 500,000 refugees fleeing fighting in Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic -- where about 60,000 people have fled to DR Congo this year, he said.
Palestinians attend the screening of "10 Years" at the Samer Cinema in Gaza City on August 26, 2017

Several hundred Gazans went to the cinema on Saturday for the first time in more than 30 years, albeit for one night only.

The long-abandoned Samer Cinema in Gaza City, the oldest in the strip but closed for decades, hosted a special screening of a film about Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

About 300 people of both sexes attended, with men and women not segregated by gender and despite the lack of air conditioning on a hot and humid evening.

The Islamist Hamas group has ruled Gaza for 10 years and there are currently no functioning cinemas in the Palestinian territory where two million people live in cramped conditions under an Israeli blockade.

Ghada Salmi, an organiser, told AFP the one-night showing was "symbolic" of wider efforts "to bring back the idea of cinema to Gaza".

Jawdat abu Ramadan, a member of the audience, said he wanted to see a permanent cinema in Gaza.

"We need to live like humans, with cinemas, public spaces and parks," he said.

The Samer Cinema was built in 1944 but shut in the 1960s.

The enclave's remaining cinemas closed in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

There was a fire at one cinema in 1987 which was widely thought to have been the work of Islamists who consider cinema ungodly.

"The rest of the cinemas were scared to show films after that," Salmi said.

Ironically, according to French historian Jean-Pierre Filiu's 2012 history of Gaza, the Muslim Brotherhood's Gaza branch -- from which Hamas sprang -- held its founding conference at the Samer on the Islamic new year in 1946.

"Ten Years", the feature-length film screened on Saturday, was made in Gaza with volunteer actors and tells the story of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Salmi said it does not focus on the wider politics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, instead telling a human story.

Saturday's showing went ahead with the approval of Hamas.

Nermin Ziara, who appeared in the film, said she wanted to see a cinema open as "society needs to develop through films and documentaries".

Ziara said she did not think the Islamist rulers should or would block such moves.

"I don't think there is a problem with opening a cinema with Hamas as it is a place of art," she told AFP.

"We as Palestinians need to have a large space for art."

In May, a rare festival showcased films focusing on human rights issues, with outdoor screenings at Gaza City's port.

Other films have occasionally been shown in rented halls.

Gaza is still recovering from the last of three wars with Israel in 2014, when more than 2,000 Palestinians were killed and much of the strip was devastated.

Seventy-four people died on the Israeli side, most of them soldiers.
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Accused of assaulting a young model in a Johannesburg hotel, the wife of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe is a fiery character with political ambitions who describes herself as the "mother of the nation" and whose scoldings of top figures in her husband's government earned her the nickname "Dr. Stop It."

Grace Mugabe returned to Zimbabwe on Sunday after South Africa granted diplomatic immunity despite calls for her prosecution in the alleged attack on Aug. 13, though a group representing the young woman has gone to court in the hope of complicating any attempt by Mugabe to return to South Africa.

The impact of the scandal on Zimbabwe's first lady, whose political maneuvers have stirred speculation that she wants to succeed her 93-year-old husband, has yet to be determined. State-run media have been largely silent about her recent troubles.

Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, addresses party supporters at a ZANU PF Rally in Chinhoyi in this Saturday July 29, 2017 photo. Accused of assaulting a woman in a Johannesburg hotel, the wife of Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, is a fiery character with outsized political ambitions who describes herself as the "mother of the nation" and whose scoldings of top figures in her husband's government earned her the nickname, "Dr Stop It." (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

"For Grace, the surprise was probably to the extent to which some people were trying to hold her accountable. She is not used to that," said Alex Rusero, a political analyst in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare. He said her supporters likely will not be swayed by the scandal even if rivals try to use it against her, and that "if anything, she will be back on the campaign trail" claiming she was targeted in South Africa by old enemies of her husband.

Grace Mugabe has not appeared at any official events since returning to Harare, though she could join her husband Friday at a scheduled appearance at an agricultural show in the capital, or when he presides over the funeral of an independence war veteran on Saturday.

Long before 20-year-old Gabriella Engels claimed that Grace Mugabe whipped her with an extension cord at a luxury Johannesburg hotel, the first lady's reputation for combative behavior was so pronounced that her husband, a shrewd and sometimes ruthless operator in power since independence from white minority rule in 1980, once described her as "fireworks."

In 2009, the first lady escaped charges through diplomatic immunity after allegedly assaulting a British journalist who tried to photograph her while she was shopping in Hong Kong.

She campaigned successfully for the ouster of Vice President Joice Mujuru in 2014 as factions in Zimbabwe's ruling ZANU-PF party jostled for influence in anticipation of the eventual end of the elderly president's rule.

Grace Mugabe also scolded presidential spokesman George Charamba at a rally last month ahead of next year's election, accusing him of using his hold on state media to attack politicians aligned with her support base.

"You cannot separate the president from his wife. That can't happen," the 52-year-old first lady said. She wagged a finger at Charamba, who stood still, sheepish and nodding.

President Robert Mugabe plucked his second wife from the secretarial staff decades ago, and she has since become head of the ruling party's women's league. She recently publicly challenged her husband to name a successor, a taboo topic in a country where critics of the president have sometimes been sidelined, jailed or, according to human rights activists, beaten and abducted.

At the same time, the first lady has lashed out at anyone perceived to be undermining her husband.

On one occasion, Grace Mugabe all but threatened lawmaker Fortune Chasi when he was a deputy justice minister, accusing him of frustrating her efforts to obtain more land near a farm she owns. The area has gold reserves, and some villagers there pan for gold.

"I might have a small fist but when it comes to fighting I will put stones inside to enlarge it, or even put on gloves to make it bigger. Do not doubt my capabilities," she said at the time.

Police later stormed the land, burned houses and ordered dozens of people occupying the area to leave. The villagers remained after a court said police acted illegally. In April, police again raided the area to force an eviction and arrested some residents.

Despite an often abrasive manner, Grace Mugabe's commanding presence and charity work have won support from some Zimbabweans.

The president, an intimidating figure in his own right, seems to know better than to defy his wife. At a ruling party congress in 2014, she passed a note asking him to end a long-winded speech.

"Even at home that's what she does to me, so I have to listen," Mugabe said as he left the podium.

Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, addresses party supporters at a ZANU PF Rally in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe, in this Saturday July 29, 2017 photo. Accused of assaulting a woman in a Johannesburg hotel, the wife of Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, is a fiery character with outsized political ambitions who describes herself as the "mother of the nation" and whose scoldings of top figures in her husband's government earned her the nickname, "Dr Stop It." (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)

Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, summons Presidential Spokesperson, George Charamba, left, at a ZANU PF Rally in Chinhoyi in this Saturday July 29, 2017 photo. Accused of assaulting a woman in a Johannesburg hotel, the wife of Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, is a fiery character with outsized political ambitions who describes herself as the "mother of the nation" and whose scoldings of top figures in her husband's government earned her the nickname, "Dr Stop It." (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi)
NEW YORK (AP) - American rabbis critical of President Donald Trump will not try to organize a conference call with him for the Jewish High Holy Days in protest of his response to a white nationalist rally in Virginia.

The conference call for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur was a tradition under President Barack Obama, but was never planned under Trump. Rabbis representing liberal and centrist branches of American Judaism said they would not attempt to plan any such call tied to the holidays next month.

Trump denounced bigotry at the march in Charlottesville, Virginia, but also said "very fine people" were on "both sides" of the demonstrations, which drew neo-Nazis, white nationalists, members of the Ku Klux Klan and counterprotesters. One woman was killed when an alleged white nationalist drove his car into a group of counterprotesters.

"The president's words have given succor to those who advocate anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia," the rabbis said Wednesday in announcing their decision.

A White House official said the administration has planned "its own traditions to observe the High Holidays and other important days in the Jewish faith" and would announce details in the weeks ahead.

The protest came from the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, which represent the liberal Reform movement; the Rabbinical Assembly, which represents the centrist Conservative movement; and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association.

The Rabbinical Council of America, which represents modern Orthodox rabbis, had joined the presidential holiday call in the past but did not sign this week's announcement.

Rabbi Mark Dratch, executive vice president of the group, said, "We respect the office of the presidency and believe it is more effective to address questions and concerns directly with the White House."

The council had issued a statement soon after the violence in Charlottesville criticizing Trump's remarks as a "failing of moral leadership" that "fans the flames of intolerance."

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Associated Press writer Catherine Lucey in Washington contributed to this report.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The evidence seemed compelling: a broken chalice, a blood-soaked rag and a single hair on a lifeless body in what prosecutors described as a gruesome human sacrifice to Satan.

It was enough for a jury to convict Jeffrey Dewayne Clark and Garr Keith Hardin at the height of the satanic abuse scare of the 1980s and 1990s, sending them to a Kentucky prison for more than 20 years. But since their 1995 trial, DNA evidence has shown the hair didn't belong to Hardin, and the blood wasn't from a sacrificial ritual but from Hardin cutting himself on the chalice's jagged edge.

On Thursday, Kentucky's highest court vacated Clark and Hardin's convictions and ordered a new trial.

"This is such a glorious day," said Vickie Howser, Hardin's sister. "After 22 years, it is so about time for him to have a decent life. They took his life away from him for something he did not do."

Hardin's attorney, Larry Simon, said he expects Meade County prosecutors to try the men a second time. Meade County Commonwealth's Attorney David Williams did not return a call seeking comment.

"We hope this decision will persuade Commonwealth's Attorney David Williams to realize that this case was based on nothing more than far reaching conjecture that has now been completely discredited by DNA evidence and should be dismissed once and for all," said Linda Smith, Clark's attorney and the supervising attorney for the Kentucky Innocence Project.

Just after midnight on April 2, 1992, Rhonda Sue Warford left her home in Louisville and never returned. Authorities found her body three days later about 50 miles away in Meade County. She had been stabbed multiple times "following a close-range, violent struggle" according to the medical examiner.

Warford was dating Hardin at the time, and Clark was one of Hardin's close friends. Warford's mother told police she believed all three were involved in satanism.

During the trial, prosecutors said Hardin and Clark were devil worshippers and they killed Warford as part of a satanic ritual. To support this theory, they showed the jury a broken chalice and blood-soaked rag found in Hardin's bedroom. They said the blood came from an animal that Hardin had sacrificed. And Detective Mark Handy testified that Hardin had told him he "got tired of looking at animals and began to want to do human sacrifices."

The only evidence prosecutors had tying Hardin to the scene was a single hair found on Warford's sweatpants that an expert testified "matched" Hardin. But the science behind that analysis has since been discredited, and DNA analysis years later showed the hair did not come from Hardin.

Also, DNA analysis showed the blood in the rag was Hardin's blood, not an animal that had been sacrificed to Satan. Plus, it was later revealed that Handy "testified falsely under oath" in another trial that resulted in the false murder conviction of another man, who was not exonerated until 2009.

Prosecutors have pointed out that Hardin later confessed to the murder in hearing before the parole board and Clark has confessed to helping Hardin move the body. But the Supreme Court ruled those confessions had little merit because they were "insincere and contrived admissions, which are induced solely by the yearning to be free."

Justice Laurance VanMeter was the lone dissenter in the 6-1 ruling. He wrote that the new evidence is not enough to meet the standard required for a new trial. Under that standard, the new evidence would "with reasonable certainty, have changed the verdict or that it would probably change the result."

Attempts to reach Clark or his relatives were unsuccessful.

Since Hardin's release from prison, Howser said he has been living with her and working as a carpenter. She said he even attended church with her.

"He can tell you the Bible, front and back," she said. "That's a lot more than I could ever do."
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Environmental groups being sued by the developer of the Dakota Access oil pipeline say the lawsuit is an attack on free speech and an effort to punish supporters of American Indian tribes that oppose the project over fears of environmental harm.

Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace, BankTrack and Earth First, alleging they disseminated false and misleading information about the project, interfered with its construction and damaged the company's reputation and finances through illegal acts.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in North Dakota cites "a pattern of criminal activity and a campaign of misinformation for purposes of increasing donations and advancing their political or business agendas," and seeks damages that could approach $1 billion.

BankTrack called the allegations "outrageous" and maintained it did nothing wrong in informing the public and commercial banks about the potential impact of the $3.8 billion pipeline to move North Dakota oil to a distribution point in Illinois. It also denied it benefited financially from its efforts.

"BankTrack considers the lawsuit an attempt ... to silence civil society organizations, and to curb their crucial role in helping to foster business conduct globally that protects the environment, recognizes the rights and interests of all stakeholders, and respects human rights," the group said in a statement.

Greenpeace attorney Tom Wetterer said the lawsuit was meritless, "harassment by corporate bullies" and an effort "to silence free speech."

Michael Bowe, one of the company's attorneys, countered that the response by Greenpeace "was not to defend the truth of its challenged statements, but to attack the lawyers who exposed those statements as false."

"Our laws hold accountable those who intentionally make demonstrably false statements, and there is no special exception for Greenpeace," Bowe said.

Earth First did not reply to Associated Press requests for comment.

Earthjustice, whose attorneys are representing the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in a federal lawsuit that aims to shut down the pipeline, isn't a defendant in the lawsuit but is mentioned throughout as being part of a vast network of groups and people who allegedly conspired against the pipeline.

Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen said the lawsuit is "nothing more than an attack on all those who stood up for the tribe in this historic fight, packaged as a legal claim."

ETP said the company "has an obligation to its shareholders, partners, stakeholders and all those negatively impacted by the violence and destruction intentionally incited by the defendants to file this lawsuit."

The 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline began operating June 1, after months of delays caused by legal wrangling and on-the-ground protests. Police made 761 arrests in North Dakota between August and February.

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Follow Blake Nicholson on Twitter at: http://twitter/com/NicholsonBlake
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday formally introduced a new $4 billion bridge named for his late father that will carry 50 million cars a year across the Hudson River in the New York City suburbs.

A host of dignitaries attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) bridge, which links suburban Westchester and Rockland counties along the New York State Thruway north of New York City.

The Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge , a project launched by the state Thruway Authority in 2013 after decades of political squabbling, will replace the Tappan Zee Bridge, a critical link in the Northeast U.S. highway system.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, and Armando "Chick" Galella cross a span of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Galella also participated in the opening ceremonies of the original Tappan Zee Bridge in 1995. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"Today, my father does smile down on us," Andrew Cuomo said. Mario Cuomo served three terms as governor, from 1983 to 1994, and died in 2015.

One span of the bridge will open to westbound traffic Friday night, signaling near-completion of a project to replace the 62-year-old Tappan Zee that has served as the poster child for America's crumbling infrastructure.

The second span is scheduled for completion in the spring - a milestone aimed at improving the ride for Manhattan commuters and truckers looking to skirt the traffic-choked city 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the south.

The Democraticgovernor, speaking at the ceremony, recalled an experience familiar to many Tappan Zee drivers - steel plates that shifted beneath traffic, providing unnerving glimpses through road cracks of the chasm below.

Cuomo said he'd envisioned escape scenarios in case he ended up in the water: "'Do I take off the seatbelt? Do I open the window?' I had one of those special tools with the hammer and the seatbelt cutter.

"I think it traumatized an entire generation," he said.

Those in attendance included 96-year-old World War II veteran Armando "Chick" Galella, of Sleepy Hollow, who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor. Galella drove in the inaugural procession when the Tappan Zee opened in 1955; he was a trailblazer again on Thursday, when Cuomo took him for a ceremonial spin on the new bridge in a yellow 1950s Corvette.

Eventually, the Thruway Authority will give away parts of the old bridge's deck and its moveable barrier system. Eight counties have requested some of the 150 deck panels to be salvaged for reuse in other bridges.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the The Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Matilda Cuomo, wife of the former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo, greets people during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, named after her husband, in the middle of the bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, left, speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, on a span of the new bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, on a span of the new bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, right, and Armando "Chick" Galella cross a span of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, in a 1955 Corvette near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. Galella also participated in the opening ceremonies of the original Tappan Zee Bridge in 1955. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, on a span of the new bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, on a span of the new bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

Construction workers watch a ribbon cutting ceremony from an uncompleted section of the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across on side of the new Hudson River span. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, third from right, cuts a ribbon along with other guests during a ceremony for the Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, called the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, on a span of the new bridge near Tarrytown, N.Y., Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017. The event was held a day before vehicles start rolling across the massive new Hudson River span. Cuomo and a host of other dignitaries attended Thursday's ceremony for the 3-mile long bridge, which is being named after Cuomo's late father. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Police and civic leaders in the cradle of America's free speech movement will struggle to balance liberty of expression with safeguards against violence as demonstrators with varying political viewpoints travel to the San Francisco Bay Area for dueling rallies throughout the weekend.

On Saturday, a politically conservative group called Patriot Prayer will host a "freedom rally" near the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, over the vociferous objections of San Francisco's Mayor Ed Lee and other Democratic leaders who say the group invites hate. On Sunday, a transsexual supporter of President Donald Trump plans a "No to Marxism in America" event in a downtown city park in nearby Berkeley.

Opponents will mobilize too, including clowns and drag queens as well as an anti-Trump organization that has sometimes supported violent tactics.

File - In this April 27, 2017 file photo, a demonstrator guards the speakers area during a rally for free speech in Berkeley, Calif. Northern California police and civic leaders are hoping for calm, but bracing for violence this weekend when hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators of all stripes flock to the San Francisco Bay Area for dueling political rallies. Law enforcement officials in San Francisco and Berkeley, California are grappling with protecting free speech rights while preventing the type of violence that occurred this month in Charlottesville, Virginia. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

The challenge for law enforcement comes after an Aug. 12 rally of white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia that turned deadly, killing one counter-protester and two state troopers. Police in both California cities traditionally have given demonstrators a wide berth, even when rallies in recent years turned violent as protesters from both the left and the right have punched people, destroyed property and engaged in violence.

But the deaths and injuries in Charlottesville have police, civic leaders and civil rights groups in the San Francisco area and across the United States rethinking how to respond to hate speech and how to manage competing protests.

The American Civil Liberties Union said it will no longer represent hate groups that demonstrate with weapons after it was criticized for persuading a judge to let the Charlottesville protest go forward. In Boston last weekend, police successfully separated tens of thousands of people shouting anti-Nazi and anti-KKK slogans who showed up to protest a much smaller conservative "free speech" rally - but drawing some complaints that the speakers didn't get to be heard.

"We're in an interesting situation no question about it, where the Bay Area, known for its protection of speech is also known for how much it deplores discrimination and hate speech," said Julie Nice, a constitutional law professor at the University of San Francisco School of Law.

She said police are in a tough spot because they are constitutionally obligated to protect even hateful speech until the point that speech crosses the line into violence.

In the San Francisco area, protesters this weekend will face more restrictions and beefed-up police powers than in the past. The Berkeley City Council has expanded the authority of police to confiscate eggs, sticks and other perceived weapons, a position defended by Berkeley's mayor despite the politically liberal city's reputation as the birthplace of the free speech movement and a bastion of tolerance.

Mayor Jesse Arreguin said this week he is tired of his city being targeted by people who show up in military wear and support positions that he calls anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, and anti-gay.

"We have gone above and beyond to facilitate the right for all voices to be heard. What we don't stand for is violence, what we don't stand for is vandalism and we don't stand for thuggery," he said. "What we don't tolerate is people using the concept of freedom of speech to commit violence."

Student activism was born during the 1960s free-speech movement at Berkeley, when thousands of students at the university there mobilized to demand that the school drop its ban on political activism. More recently, the University of California at Berkeley has come under criticism for what some have characterized as suppression of unpopular views.

In February, officials at the University of California at Berkeley were forced to cancel a talk by right-wing provocateur and Trump supporter Milo Yiannopoulos after black-clad protesters hurled smoke bombs and sparked a huge bonfire.

Amber Cummings, who is organizing the rally against Marxism, said racists and hate groups are not invited to her Sunday event. But the anti-Trump group By Any Means Necessary has vowed to shut down the Berkeley rally and authorities worry the two sides could clash.

In San Francisco, the park service issued a permit for the Portland, Oregon-based Patriot Prayer gathering, but banned more than two dozen items, including guns, helmets and tiki torches. They're also working on a plan to keep rally-goers and opponents separated at Crissy Field.

San Francisco cannot block the event because the park is on federal land. But Mayor Ed Lee has urged people to stay away.

"I ask that people avoid going to Crissy Field and engaging with members of Patriot Prayer because that is precisely what they wish us to do and I don't want to dignify their message of hate and their mission of division in our city of love of compassion," Lee told a Wednesday news conference.

Joey Gibson said he organized Patriot Prayer after Trump supporters were beaten in San Jose, California last summer during a campaign stop. He pushed back at Lee and other political opponents, saying that his group doesn't harbor racist views and that hate groups aren't welcome, although his events have attracted violence and white nationalists.

"Right now we have an issue of tolerance. It's not just skin color or gender, I'm talking about tolerance of speech," said Gibson, who is Japanese-American. "We believe that someone is an enemy because they think differently or they voted for someone different."

One of the featured speakers is Kyle Chapman, a right-wing organizer who faces a charge of illegal possession of a baton he was seen swinging at counter-protesters during a chaotic rally for Trump in Berkeley earlier this year.

Officials from both Berkeley and San Francisco urged opponents to attend separate events scheduled at the same time as the politically conservative gatherings on Saturday and Sunday. A drag queen troupe has scheduled its own rally to promote "love and peace" in San Francisco's Castro neighborhood Saturday afternoon.

Yet, there are calls by counter protesters for people to join them in force at Crissy Field to "send a message that hate has no safe space" in the city.

Nearly two dozen political protests in California have turned violent since December 2015, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

Dealing with that violence is a "thankless job" for law enforcement, said Brian Levin, the center's director, adding that he supports Berkeley's new get-tough approach.

"They get criticized for cracking down," he said, "or they get criticized for doing nothing."

FILE - In this Feb. 1, 2017 file photo, a fire set by demonstrators protesting a scheduled speaking appearance by Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos burns on Sproul Plaza on the University of California, Berkeley campus. Northern California police and civic leaders are hoping for calm, but bracing for violence this weekend when hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators of all stripes flock to the San Francisco Bay Area for dueling political rallies. Law enforcement officials in San Francisco and Berkeley, California are grappling with protecting free speech rights while preventing the type of violence that occurred this month in Charlottesville, Virginia. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)

File - In this May 1, 2001 file photo, a couple looks at an educational marker beneath some trees at Crissy Field with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background in San Francisco. Crissy Field is the site of a rally Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, by the conservative group Patriot Prayer. Northern California police and civic leaders are hoping for calm, but bracing for violence this weekend when hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators of all stripes flock to the San Francisco Bay Area for dueling political rallies. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

File - In this May 10, 2017, file photo, protesters stage outside of the offices of Sen. Dianne Feinstein in San Francisco. Northern California police and civic leaders are hoping for calm, but bracing for violence this weekend when hundreds, possibly thousands, of demonstrators of all stripes flock to the San Francisco Bay Area for dueling political rallies. Law enforcement officials in San Francisco and Berkeley, California are grappling with protecting free speech rights while preventing the type of violence that occurred this month in Charlottesville, Va. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
LONDON (AP) - Before all of the drama that characterized Prince Charles and Princess Diana's relationship - the estrangement, divorce and her tragic death 20 years ago this month - there was the fairytale wedding. The lavish ceremony in London's St. Paul's Cathedral was watched by hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Some 36 years after its original publication, and to coincide with the release of restored original footage , The Associated Press is making available correspondent Hugh Mulligan's report on the wedding. It was first published on July 29, 1981:

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FILE - This is a July 29, 1981 file photo of the carriage carrying the Prince and Princess of Wales on its way from St. Paul's Cathedral to Buckingham Palace after the royal wedding in London. Thirty-six years after Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, The Associated Press has restored original footage from the wedding and is making it available to the public on YouTube. (AP Photo/File)

The royal wedding as witnessed from the pews of St. Paul's today was just as Prince Charles wanted it to be: "a marvelous musical and emotional experience."

The bridegroom didn't spend half the time in tears, as he had predicted in a wedding eve interview. In fact, he smiled through much of the ceremony, except when the massed choirs sang "Let all the people praise thee, O God" he brushed as his eyes several times as if wiping away tears.

But his voice was manly and robust when he answered, "I will," to the marital vows administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Lady Diana Spencer's responses were more frail but quite audible in Sir Christopher Wren's magnificent cathedral, where at the archbishop's words "I pronounce that they be man and wife together" she was transformed into the Princess of Wales.

It was all a splendid royal and ecclesiastical spectacle of trumpet blasts and surging choirs, even if at one point the bride stumbled over her spouse's four Christian names, and he left out the word "worldly" in promising her all his goods.

The assembled heads of state, crowned heads of Europe and honored guests like first lady Nancy Reagan, all joined in the singing of the hymns, as did the wedding couple. The Queen of Tonga cooled the brow of her husband the King by majestically beating a large rattan fan in time to the music.

Leaving the high altar after the 80-minute ceremony, the princess' father, the Earl Spencer seemed to lean heavily on the arm of an usher as if worn out or emotionally drained by it all.

The earl, who suffered a stroke two years ago, also got the seating arrangements mixed up after the newlyweds had signed the register, and did a little switching act with the Queen Mother.

He was helped into the carriage with the queen, but went off waving and smiling down Ludgate Hill to the post-noon wedding breakfast.

The five bridesmaids, down to 5-year-old Clementine Hambro, one of the new princess' former kindergarten charges, had quite a time turning and gathering in the bride's 25-foot long train.

But they handled it with aplomb. And very pretty little maids they were, too, not "eight as ugly girls as you could wish to see," as Lady Somerset sniffed when the future Edward VII was the last Prince of Wales to marry 118 years ago.

Those of us in the hired morning suits found that the grey topper made an excellent desk, even if it was a bit difficult to take notes in nylon gloves.

Of course this wouldn't qualify as a royal media event if lenses, film canisters and other shrapnel didn't come cascading down from the scaffolding where the photographers lurked.

An explosion of fallen camera gear during the Archbishop of Canterbury's address turned the plumed and helmeted head of the leader of Her Majesty's Honorable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms.

And speaking of turned heads, Prince Philip for some reason did turn and gaze about when the Archbishop, Rt. Rev. Robert Runcie asked if either the bride or bridge groom knew of any impediment to the marriage.

Outside, subway stations near the route were packed. Newspaper boys did a brisk trade.

Most papers poured out greetings. "Diana, This Is Your Day," bannered the conservative Daily Express. Even the staid Financial Times, which normally displays major business news on its first page, carried the wedding as its main story of the day under the headline, "A Right Royal Street Party."

The Communist Party's Morning Star devoted a page to wedding coverage, with the headline "For Richer and Richer."

FILE - This is a July 29 1981 file photo of Prince Charles as he speaks with Princess of Wales during their wedding ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral n London. Thirty-six years after Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, The Associated Press has restored original footage from the wedding and is making it available to the public on YouTube.(AP Photo/File)

FILE - This is a July 29, 1981 file photo of Prince Charles and his bride Diana, Princess of Wales, as walk down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral at the end of their wedding ceremony in London. Thirty-six years after Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, The Associated Press has restored original footage from the wedding and is making it available to the public on YouTube. (AP Photo/File)

FILE - This is a July 29, 1981 file photo of Prince Charles and his bride Diana, Princess of Wales, during their wedding ceremony in St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The bride's maids and the groom's brothers Prince Andrew, top left, and Prince Edwards, top right, march behind them. Thirty-six years after Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, The Associated Press has restored original footage from the wedding and is making it available to the public on YouTube. (AP Photo/File)
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko has held a meeting with Defense Minister of Lithuania Raimundas Karoblis, Defense Minister of Latvia Raimonds Bergmanis, Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik and Defense Minister of Montenegro Predrag Boskovic in Kyiv.

According to the presidential press service, the sides "discussed a wide range of issues of development of relations in the military-technical sphere and strengthening the defense capabilities of our country in the face of opposing Russian aggression."

Poroshenko expressed gratitude to the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Montenegro for resolute support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

"The participation of your countries alongside with the Ukrainian military units in the military parade on the occasion of the Independence Day is an important demonstration of our unity and solidarity in the face of common challenges," the head of state said.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - Samsung heir Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of South Korea's most successful business group, was sentenced Friday to five years prison for offering bribes and other crimes.

Lee, 49, was groomed to lead the conglomerate that was founded by his grandfather and became such a dominating force in South Korea that it's mockingly called "Republic of Samsung" by the public.

He took a higher profile role at the world's largest maker of smartphones, television sets and microchips that power consumer electronics after his father suffered a heart attack in 2014 and was poised to cement control. Instead, at the end of last year Lee was implicated in a massive political scandal that culminated in President Park Geun-hye's ouster.

South Korean protesters sit near the banner with a picture of Lee Jae-yong, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, near the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. A court will rule Friday in a bribery case against the billionaire heir to the Samsung empire that fed public anger leading to the ouster of Park Geun-hye as South Korea's president. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

The court said he was guilty of offering bribes to the former president and her close friend Choi Soon-sil to facilitate a smooth handover of power at Samsung, which is a publicly traded company. Park and Choi are also on trial. A Samsung lawyer said the guilty verdict would be appealed.

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HAS LEE LOST HIS HOLD ON SAMSUNG?

It's almost a rite of passage for the bosses of family-controlled South Korean conglomerates known as chaebol to go to prison for white collar crimes only to later make a comeback. Some were pardoned and others got sentences reduced on appeal.

Lee's own father was twice convicted for tax evasion but received a special presidential pardon so he could help South Korea win its bid to host the Winter Olympics for the first time.

But the princeling's case may be different because the public is increasingly unwilling to indulge the double standards long enjoyed by families who were lionized a generation ago for helping to turn South Korea into a manufacturing powerhouse.

The ousted Park's replacement as president, Moon Jae-in, was elected on hopes his administration would end cozy ties between government and business and end the emperor-like rule of chaebol families.

"It's an entirely different world now," said Park Sang-in, a professor at Seoul National University. "The public's perception of the problems at chaebol and the need to reform chaebol has significantly changed."

Perceptions of Lee's business competency have also been damaged by the trial. To insist on his innocence, he gave testimony that made him appear clueless and not in charge.

"He was stumbling, stammering, unsure of the basic functions of his own company and its offices," said Geoffrey Cain, the author of an upcoming book on Samsung.

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HOW HAS THE PUBLIC REACTED?

Many expected Lee would get a prison sentence because the judiciary has been criticized for past leniency toward major white collar crime. Lee's sentence is among the longest prison terms ever handed out in South Korea to a member of a prominent business family. Usually they get suspended sentences or pardons.

Civic groups said sentencing Lee to prison time was a meaningful step toward justice. But others thought the punishment was too light.

"I think the court should have accepted prosecutors' request for 12 years in prison," said Choi Sukun, a 37-year-old teacher in Seoul. "Given the gravity of the case, I think the ruling is too generous."

Business lobby groups, while refraining from openly criticizing the verdict, expressed concerns that Lee's absence from the helm of Samsung would take a toll on the South Korean economy, given Samsung accounts for about one fifth of the nation's exports.

"Samsung Electronics represents South Korea as a global company so we are deeply worried about the fallout from his long absence," said a spokesman at the Korea Employers Federation, a pro-business lobby group. "It will be a disaster not just to an individual company but to the nation's economy."

But South Korea's presidential office took the verdict as a step forward, issuing an unusual commentary on a court ruling. "We hope that it would pave the way to end persistent government-business collusion," a presidential spokesman said, according to Yonhap.

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IS SAMSUNG'S FUTURE IN JEOPARDY?

Samsung Electronics, the crown jewel of the Samsung group, has reported record profits despite Lee's arrest in February and a damaging recall for Galaxy Note 7 phones that were prone to battery fires.

The financial success was largely thanks to events set in motion by Lee's father in the 1990s. The elder Lee made the decision to break into the memory chip industry and followed up with massive and risky investments that rivals could not match every year.

Those investments are paying off. Samsung, the world's largest maker of memory chips for servers, mobile devices and computers, was the biggest beneficiary of supply constraints and explosive demand for mobile devices that pushed up prices. The boom in the memory chip industry is expected to last a couple of years.

Longer term, however, some analysts see risks for Samsung and its flagship Samsung Electronics.

"South Korea's chaebol system is similar to monarchy," said Park, the Seoul National University professor. "In the monarchy system, you need a king."

There is also potential for a destabilizing family feud over inheritance when the elder Lee dies.

"Samsung was in the middle of change and that has stopped," said Park Ju-gun, chief executive at CEO Score, a private corporate watchdog. "That is a big risk."

But one tech analyst in the U.S., Carolina Milanesi of Creative Strategies, doubts the imprisonment will knock the company off its perch as the world's leading maker of smartphones. That's because key decisions about Samsung's smartphones are already being made by DJ Koh, who will remain in his role as president of the company's mobile division.

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AP Technology Writer Michael Liedtke contributed to this report from San Francisco.

A protester holds banners reading "Out, Lee Jae-yong," right, near the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. A South Korean court has sentenced the billionaire Samsung heir to five years in prison for bribery and other crimes that fed public anger leading to the ouster of Park Geun-hye as South Korea's president. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
PANCHKULA, India (AP) - The Latest on the rape trial of an Indian sect leader (all times local):

3:50 p.m.

A prosecution lawyer says a flamboyant guru who was convicted of rape in northern India will be taken to jail until his sentence is announced on Monday.

An Indian policeman puts on a bullet proof vest as he joins others on a road leading to a court in Panchkula, India, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Several north Indian cities were under a security lock down Friday as a court was expected to issue a verdict in a rape case involving a man who calls himself Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, the flamboyant leader of a quasi-religious sect. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)

H.P.S. Verma says Ram Rahim SIngh was found guilty of raping two women followers at his ashram in 2002. He says he'll be taken to the central jail in the town of Rohtak.

The verdict has sparked fears of violence by tens of thousands of his supporters who had gathered outside the courthouse in the town of Panchkula.

Shortly after the verdict was announced, the restive crowd attacked journalists and media vans that were parked outside the court, breaking windshields.

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3:30 p.m.

A court in north India has convicted a flamboyant guru of raping two of his followers.

Prosecution lawyer H.P.S. Verma said Friday the guru, who calls himself Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, has been found guilty in the 15-year-old case.

Tens of thousands of supporters who had been waiting for hours near the court shouted in anger after the ruling was announced in Panchkula town.

More than 15,000 police and paramilitary soldiers were posted in and around the court where the guru appeared before a judge, as Panchkula administrators feared an outbreak of violence.

The court will announce a sentence on Monday.
ELMIRA, N.Y. (AP) - A 17-year-old Pennsylvania girl accused of abandoning her infant daughter in a plastic bag left in the backyard of a New York home has been indicted on attempted murder and other charges.

The Chemung County prosecutor says Harriette Hoyt, of Sayre, Pennsylvania, was arraigned Thursday on charges that also include reckless endangerment and abandonment of a child.

Authorities say the teen was visiting friends in Elmira on Aug. 5 when she left her 8-month-old baby in a garbage bag placed near bushes. The baby wasn't discovered until three days later by neighbors checking out animal-like sounds.

The child spent 10 days recovering in a Rochester hospital before being placed in foster care.

Hoyt remains in jail. Public advocate attorney John Brennan says his office continues to review the evidence.
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) - A judge has denied a request for documents that would provide insight on why nearly all requests for use of temporary foreign labor on Guam under the H-2B visa program have been rejected by the federal government.

The Pacific Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2xz7lMm ) the Guam Contractors Association and 11 other businesses have filed a lawsuit against the visa rejections. A majority of the plaintiffs say the move has caused them to lose their skilled workers under the H-2B visa program and delayed ongoing construction projects and military buildup contracts. They don't believe the local labor pool is large enough to fill in the job positions.

Attorney Jennifer Davis, who represents the plaintiffs, says the judge can chose to dismiss the lawsuit or motion for class certification.
PITCAIRN, Pa. (AP) - Police say a Pittsburgh-area woman left her five children alone so she could drive her fugitive boyfriend across the state to avoid arrest.

Thirty-four-year-old Tiffany Jackson, of Pitcairn, is wanted on charges including child endangerment and hindering apprehension.

Pitcairn police say Jackson left her children behind when she drove her boyfriend to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Police say they range in age from 9 months to 16 years old.

Police say they had tried several times to find Jackson's boyfriend at her house. They say they have body camera video of her being told he's wanted by police on assault and other charges.

Online court records don't list an attorney for Jackson, who was not in custody Friday.
CLEVELAND (AP) - E-commerce giant Amazon plans to build a massive warehouse outside Cleveland on the site of a closed shopping mall.

The Plain Dealer reports (http://bit.ly/2wN51UA ) Amazon finalized a lease deal Thursday to build an 855,000-square-foot (79,431-sq. meter) warehouse in North Randall, a village of just over 1,000 people.

The newspaper reports Amazon will create more than 2,000 full-time jobs. Construction costs are estimated at $177 million.

Randall Park Mall was billed as the world's largest indoor mall when it opened in 1976. It closed in 2009 after years of decline.

The state hasn't announced any financial assistance for the project. An Amazon warehouse in Columbus that employs 4,500 people received job-creation tax credits.

Starting hourly rates at Amazon warehouses have varied from $11.50 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to $13.75 in Seattle.

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Information from: The Plain Dealer, http://www.cleveland.com
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A Chinese national has been charged in California with distributing a type of computer malware that has been linked to attacks on U.S. businesses and to the theft of personnel records of millions of U.S. government employees, authorities said.

Defendant Yu Pingan, 36, knew the rare malware known as "Sakula" would be used to hack U.S. companies, the FBI said in court documents obtained Friday.

The malware has also been linked to hacks at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management in 2014 and 2015, when hackers accessed massive amounts of information from security clearance forms of federal workers and contractors.

The court filing against Yu does not specifically mention those hacks. U.S. officials have said the Chinese government is responsible for those breaches.

Asked about the arrest of Yu, Hua Chunying, a Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman in Beijing, said at a regular briefing that she was unaware of the situation.

But, she added, "China has a clear and consistent position in fighting against all kinds of cybercrimes. Also, we will proactively protect the legitimate rights and interest of overseas Chinese nationals."

Yu worked with unidentified co-conspirators in China to "acquire and use malicious software tools, some of which were rare variants previously unidentified by the FBI and information security community,'" the criminal complaint said.

Yu, a native of Shanghai, was arrested Monday night at Los Angeles International Airport and is due back in court next month. His attorney, Michael Berg, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The software was used to target companies based in Massachusetts, Arizona, San Diego and Los Angeles from 2012 to 2014, federal officials said.

An FBI agent wrote in an affidavit that "the novelty and rarity of this malware is evidence that only a small group of hackers knew of it and that they were working together."

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Follow Michael Balsamo on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeBalsamo1 .
PHOENIX (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump pardoning former Phoenix metro sheriff Joe Arpaio (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona is voicing his displeasure at President Donald Trump's pardon of the former Phoenix metro area sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols.

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2013, file photo, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks at a news conference at the Sheriff's headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. President Donald Trump has pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio following his conviction for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case. The White House announced the move Friday night, Aug. 25, 2017, saying the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

Arpaio was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

McCain says in a statement that "no one is above the law" and "sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold."

By pardoning Arpaio, McCain says it undermines Trump's claim for the respect of rule of law.

He also says Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

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7:40 p.m.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona congressman Andy Biggs are supporting the presidential pardon of former metro Phoenix sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Ducey says Arpaio "deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career in law enforcement and public office."

He says Trump's pardon "has brought finality to this chapter in Arizona's history."

Ducey adds that Arpaio is his friend and now the 85-year-old ex-lawman can move on and enjoy his retirement with his wife and family.

Biggs says he applauds Trump for pardoning Arpaio and adds that "America owes Sheriff Arpaio a debt of gratitude and not the injustice of a political witch hunt."

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7:35 p.m.

Some top members of the American Civil Liberties Union are voicing their displeasure over the pardon of ex-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio by President Donald Trump.

Cecillia Wang, an attorney who helped press the racial profiling case against Arpaio, says Trump's pardon "is a presidential endorsement of racism."

She says Trump "has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts."

ACLU of Arizona Executive Director Alessandra Soler says "the racist practices that Arpaio implemented and Trump foolishly admires are illegal and immoral and no pardon will ever change that reality."

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7:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted about his pardon of the former sheriff of the Phoenix metro area, who was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols.

Ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

Trump tweeted that he was "pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!"

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7 p.m.

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo calls the presidential pardon of former sheriff Joe Arpaio "a travesty" and says the board has to look at ways of recouping taxpayer money, likely through lawsuits.

Arpaio's criminal case sprang from the profiling lawsuit that ultimately discredited Arpaio's immigration patrols and is expected to cost taxpayers $92 million by next summer.

Gallardo, a longtime Arpaio critic, says county taxpayers continue to foot the bill for the former sheriff's illegal behavior.

He says Arpaio should not be allowed to walk away from his civil liability and he should reimburse county taxpayers.

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6:55 p.m.

The Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus says President Donald Trump's pardon of former Phoenix metro sheriff Joe Arpaio "is yet another display of disrespect to the Latino community in Arizona."

In a statement, caucus members say Arapio abused his position of authority during his 24 years as Maricopa County's sheriff "to drive a personal agenda that promoted racism."

They add that "no amount of time will erase Arpaio's hateful harassment and the fear he instilled in our community, and no one should be above the law."

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6:35 p.m.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says the presidential pardon of the metro area's former sheriff "is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County."

He says it's especially a slap in the face of the Latino community and those ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio "victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights."

In a statement, Stanton says Arpaio received "a fair trial and a justifiable conviction" and there's nothing President Donald Trump can do "to change that awful legacy and the stain he has left on our community."

Stanton says it's not a proud day for Phoenix and "the city is moving on and moving forward from the divisiveness that defined the Arpaio era."

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6:20 p.m.

The chair of the Democratic National Committee says President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a "free pass."

DNC Chair Tom Perez says in a statement that "prejudice doesn't deserve a pardon" and that Trump "just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nation's most notorious agent of racism and bigotry."

He said Friday that Trump's decision to issue the pardon just as a dangerous hurricane is bearing down on Texas is "not presidential, that's a coward."

Perez was assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights when he handled the Justice Department's 2012 lawsuit against Arpaio for racially profiling Latino residents in the Phoenix area.

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6:25 p.m.

Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio tells The Associated Press that he appreciates Donald Trump pardoning him after his recent federal conviction and says he'll always stand by the president.

Arpaio talked to the AP by phone while he was eating dinner at an Italian restaurant on Friday. He says he is thankful for the work his legal team did in securing the pardon. He plans to discuss his case more next week.

He said he learned of the pardon after the papers absolving the conviction were mailed to one of his lawyers.

He also said he's not ruling out a return to the political arena. Arpaio says he's going to be "very active."

Arpaio was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols. He was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

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5 p.m.

President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, the retired Arizona lawman who was convicted for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.

The White House said the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon.

The action came several days after Trump, at a rally in downtown Phoenix, strongly hinted that he intended to issue a pardon.

Arpaio became linked to Trump during the campaign for their hardline immigration views.

He was convicted of a misdemeanor for intentionally defying a judge's order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Both politicians questioned the authenticity of then-President Barack Obama's birth certificate and have a similar history in sparring with judges.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28 - up from 20 - including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday. Meanwhile, hundreds took part in the burial of two dozen victims in the mosque compound.

Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot dead by Afghan security forces, according to police. Kabul hospital chief Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 people were wounded in the attack that went on for hours.

The Interior Ministry said four of the dead were police.

Afghan boys are seen inside a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Hundreds of family members, relatives and local people participated in the burial of about two dozen victims inside the mosque compound Saturday.

Sayed Jan Agha, 34, lost his mother and an aunt in the attack. He said that he tried several times to get into the mosque and rescue his mother and other relatives, but security forces prevented him.

"My mother was martyred while she was trying to come down from the second floor, she was shot right at the stairs," said Agha.

Agha said his aunt called him and asked for help while she was bleeding, but no one could help her while the battle was going on between the attackers and security forces and she died from her wounds, he said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

The U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement condemned the attack. It said at least two attackers wearing police uniforms stormed the mosque while several hundred worshippers, including many women and children, attended Friday prayers. One assailant detonated his suicide vest outside the mosque, while another continued inside, indiscriminately killing and wounding people, the statement said.

"This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shi'a community at worship has no possible justification," said Toby Lanzer, the U.N. Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA. "Such attacks directed against congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes."

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions before the four attackers were killed.

The Islamic State said in a statement that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.

Security forces surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasiri added.

When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasiri said.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.

An Afghan police officer stands guard on a bullet ridden wall at a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Shoes of victims of an attack are gathered inside a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan men are seen inside a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan men are seen inside a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan men prepare graves for victims of an attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed a packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan men are seen inside a Shiite mosque where gunmen attacked during Friday prayers, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Militants stormed the packed Shiite mosque during Friday prayers in an attack killing worshippers, an official said. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)
BRUSSELS (AP) - Belgian prosecutors have opened an "attempted terrorist murder" probe after a knife-wielding man assaulted three soldiers and was shot dead by troops in Brussels.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Saturday that the man was known to police for assault charges, but had no previous terror-related offenses.

The suspect allegedly attacked the soldiers from behind with a knife in central Brussels Friday evening while shouting "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great."

Police secure the scene in downtown Brussels after a reported attack on Belgian Army soldiers on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Belgium's anti-terror crisis center says soldiers have "neutralized" a man in downtown Brussels, amid media reports that the man may have been shot after attacking troops with a knife. (AP Photo/Sylvain Plazy)

The statement said he was shot twice, and that two soldiers received superficial wounds. The man was also carrying a fake firearm and two copies of the Quran, the Muslim holy book.

The statement said he was around 30 years old and a Belgian national of Somali origin. Authorities searched his home overnight in the city of Bruges, around 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Brussels. Prosecutors declined to provide further details.

Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people at the main Brussels airport and a subway station on March 22, 2016.

Soldiers and extra police have been deployed at public buildings and around large gatherings ever since.

Friday's incident happened in an area with many bars and restaurants and not far from the Grand Place historic square, a major tourist attraction.

In a separate statement Saturday, the Brussels city prosecutor's office said it had opened a use of force inquiry into the suspect's shooting, a standard procedure when security forces discharge their weapons.

It said the soldiers were probably justified in shooting the suspect.

"Initial findings from the inquiry show that the soldiers twice opened fire on the suspect after he stabbed them with the knife. These shots came, therefore, in the context of legitimate defense in line with the (troops') rules of engagement," the city prosecutors said.

The prosecutors said they would make a final ruling once the results of an autopsy on the suspect and ballistic tests are known.

Police secure a scene in downtown Brussels after a reported knife attack on Belgian Army soldiers on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Belgium's anti-terror crisis center says soldiers have "neutralized" a man in downtown Brussels, amid media reports that the man may have been shot after attacking troops with a knife. (AP Photo/Sylvain Plazy)
Kyiv will support Moldova initiative to deprive so called Russian peacekeepers of grounds for staying in Transdniestria

Ukraine will support the initiative of Moldova to deprive the so called Russian peacekeeping mission in the unrecognized Transdniestrian Moldovan Republic of grounds for staying in the Moldovan territory, People's Deputy of Ukraine (the Bloc of Petro Poroshenko faction) Iryna Friz has stated.

"Ukraine will support the initiative of the Republic of Moldova to deprive the so called Russian peacemaking mission in Transdniestria of the grounds for staying in the Moldovan territory. I emphasize once again: we must use all international mechanisms to ensure that the Russian military occupation contingent is completely withdrawn from Moldova," the MP wrote on her Facebook page.

She also welcomed the statement of Permanent Representative of the Republic of Moldova to the UN Victor Moraru and noted Ukraine is ready to provide full support to the Moldovan partners.
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Just a couple of weeks into her appointment, the new Iranian vice president's decision to abandon her fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador is raising questions among women in the Islamic Republic - especially after she said President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the traditional women's garment.

Although Laaya Joneidi typically used to wear a hijab - the headscarf that is mandated by law in today's Iran - and a long coat with pants, her switch to the more conservative chador serves as a political statement in and of itself in the Islamic Republic.

And coming after Rouhani failed to nominate any women to serve as ministers in his Cabinet, some are questioning the moderate cleric's campaign promise to bring more women into the government.

In this Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, photo, two Iranian women make their way in a square while one of them wears the chador in downtown Tehran, Iran. She is just a couple of weeks into her appointment as new Iranian vice president but Laaya Joneidi's decision to abandon her headscarf and fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador is raising questions among women in the Islamic Republic _ especially after she said that President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the more conservative Muslim women's garment. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

"Not only could Rouhani not appoint a woman minister, but also he could not appoint a vice president who does not wear the chador either and forced her to wear the chador," tweeted Hamid Mashayekhi Rad, an Islamic seminary student and activist.

The controversy began when a government website posted a photograph of Joneidi, who earned a doctorate from Harvard in comparative law and international commercial arbitration, wearing the long black chador, exposing only her face. Social media exploded with posts referring to her as a "chadori."

The controversy only grew after Joneidi, one of two female vice presidents in Rouhani's new government, gave an interview to the reformist daily newspaper Sharq.

"Mr. Rouhani, because of the protocol of the Cabinet, asked me to wear the chador," she told the newspaper. "I respected his demand."

The criticism then found a target in Rouhani, whose re-election campaign promised women spots in his 18-minister Cabinet. The cleric had no women ministers in his first term, and when he announced appointees for his second term, earlier in August, there were again no women among his picks.

The following day, Rouhani named two women as vice presidents, including Joneidi.

"Mr. Rouhani, based on which law or your protocol forced Laaya Joneidi to wear the chador?" tweeted Amene Shirafkan, a journalist who works at "Zanan-Emrooz" or "Today's Women" magazine.

The chador controversy underscores the unwritten protocol rules for those in public office and government in Iran - rules that also affect men. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif famously wore a goatee before entering Rouhani's government, but later grew the full beard common for those in power.

The chador has a long history in Iranian politics. The sisters of Shah Reza Pahlavi famously tossed theirs away in public in the 1930s, before it was outlawed. In the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women who took to the streets to rally in support of the clerics embraced the chador. After the revolution installed the clerics in power, the hijab became law.

In theory, women not wearing the chador are to wear baggy clothes and coats as to not accentuate their form.

However, in Tehran today, some fashionable young women wear tighter clothes with a scarf loosely covering their head, technically meeting the requirements of the law while drawing the ire of conservatives. Morality police enforce the government-mandated Islamic dress code, while others have protested the requirement on social media.

Women in government find it tougher to resist the demand to wear the chador.

Masoumeh Ebtekar famously gave up her style for a chador when she became a vice president under former President Mohammad Khatami in 1997. In 2000, a lawmaker threatened to beat Elaheh Koulaii, a hijab-wearing lawmaker from Tehran, if she didn't wear a chador. She stood her ground and refused.

Soroush Farhadian, a Tehran-based political analyst who backs reformists, says that not wearing a chador remains a taboo in Iranian politics. By asking Joneidi to wear one, Rouhani was trying to avoid a confrontation with hard-liners, he said.

"The taboo was broken by Koulaii in the parliament, but it is not broken at the government level yet," Farhadian said.

Two Iranian women cross a street while wearing the chador, a head-to-toe garment, in downtown Tehran, Iran. She is just a couple of weeks into her appointment as new Iranian vice president but Laaya Joneidi's decision to abandon her headscarf and fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador is raising questions among women in the Islamic Republic _ especially after she said that President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the more conservative Muslim women's garment. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, photo, Iranian women cross a street while one of them wears the "chador" in downtown Tehran, Iran. She is just a couple of weeks into her appointment as new Iranian vice president but Laaya Joneidi's decision to abandon her headscarf and fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador is raising questions among women in the Islamic Republic _ especially after she said that President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the more conservative Muslim women's garment. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

In this Thursday, Aug. 24, 2017, photo, a woman crosses a street while wearing the chador in downtown Tehran, Iran. She is just a couple of weeks into her appointment as new Iranian vice president but Laaya Joneidi's decision to abandon her headscarf and fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador is raising questions among women in the Islamic Republic _ especially after she said that President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the more conservative Muslim women's garment. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
DURRES, Albania (AP) - Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries on Saturday agreed on a road map to deepen their regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union.

The agreement was reached at a meeting in the Albanian port city of Durres, where Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama hosted his counterparts from Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Macedonia and Montenegro.

The meeting was held under tight security at a government beach resort. Police and National Guard troops maintained a heavy presence while a military warship patrolled off the coast.

European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, second left, chats with Serbia's Prime minister Ana Brnabic, second right during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina

Rama said the prime ministers agreed on a 115-point plan that would create a "fundamental transformation of the movement of goods, service, capital, qualified employees to make the region more attractive to investment, flexible in commercial exchange and speed up its economic growth and wellbeing along the road to the EU."

EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn and World Bank Vice President Cyril Muller also attended the meeting.

Participants discussed how to implement the 115 items, Hahn said. He noted that even though the commercial exchange of goods between EU member countries and the six Western Balkan nations has doubled in the last decade to a value of 46 billion Euros $54 billion), bilateral ties in the region have not changed.

"The creation of an economic area is something supporting (their) European aspiration, but that also helps the countries for a better perspective," Hahn said. "Finally everything is done in the interest of the citizens, improving the living conditions of the citizens."

The leaders gathered in Italy last month for an official EU summit that focused on boosting economic growth through stronger inter-regional relations. All are at different stages of EU integration. The EU's official enlargement process is on hold until 2019.

Hahn also warned Albanians and citizens of other Balkan countries not to apply for asylum in EU member countries, saying such actions were "detrimental" to the places residents want to leave.

"It shows the country is not yet mature for the EU," he said.

Rama agreed that "asylum was no option" for Albanians who were going to Western Europe "for a better living, a job."

Hahn also praised Macedonia and Serbia for resolving recent diplomatic friction "so fast that there was no time to get involved; there was no need to get involved."

Serbia withdrew its entire diplomatic staff from Macedonia last Sunday, accusing its neighbor of planning unspecified "very offensive acts" against Serb interests. Macedonia denied any impropriety, adding that it hadn't spied on and didn't plan to spy on Serbia.

The embassy staff resumed regular consular activities in Macedonia Friday after Serbia's president and Macedonia's prime minister agreed to work together to improve bilateral relations.

___

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From left to right, World Bank Vice President Cyril Muller, Macedonia's Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, Bosnia Hercegovina's Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic, The European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, Serbia's Prime minister Ana Brnabic, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, Montenegrin Prime Minister Dusko Markovic, and Kosovo's Prime Minister Isa Mustafa, pose for a group photo at an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of Tirana, Albania, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama , right, welcomes Isa Mustafa Prime Minister of Kosovo during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama , right, welcomes his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama , right, welcomes Prime Minister of Montenegro Dusko Markovic during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama , left, welcomes Serbia's Prime minister Ana Brnabic during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama , right, welcomes Bosnia and Hercegovina's counterpart Denis Zvizdic during an an informal meeting of Western Balkans countries in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina

European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn speaks during a news conference next to Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, right, in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana on Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, right, and European Union's enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn, walk before the start of a news conference in the Albanian port city of Durres, 33 kilometers (20 miles) west of the Tirana, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Prime ministers from Western Balkans countries have gathered for an informal meeting to discuss deepening regional economic cooperation as part of the process for joining the European Union. (AP Photo/Hektor Pustina)
DUNEDIN, New Zealand (AP) - Flyhalf Beauden Barrett scored a try with two minutes remaining to give the All Blacks a 35-29 win over the Wallabies on Saturday, allowing them to retain the Bledisloe Cup in a classic rugby test.

Barrett finished with two tries and 20 points as New Zealand overcame a 17-0 deficit after only 15 minutes, then came back after twice losing the lead in the last 10 minutes for an extraordinary victory.

Australia started as massive underdogs after last weekend's 54-34 loss in Sydney but produced one of the greatest turnarounds in rugby history to go within a fraction of an historic upset.

New Zealand flyhalf Beauden Barrett, left, is congratulated by his brother Scott after scoring the match winning try against Australia during their Bledisloe Cup rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The All Blacks defeated the Wallabies 35-29. (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP)

Australia snatched late leads with tries to scrumhalf Will Genia and center Kurtley Beale but on both occasions New Zealand instantly bounced back with tries of its own.

The Wallabies rocked the All Blacks with three early tries, including one from an intercept inside the first minute to fullback Israel Folau. Captain Michael Hooper in the 11th minute and flyhalf Bernard Folau, in the 15th, added tries which stunned the All Blacks in Dunedin's indoor stadium.

The match started late after the Wallabies complained their buildup had been affected by a floodlight failure.

New Zealand clawed its way back with tries to winger Rieko Ioane - his sixth in as many tests - and to scrumhalf Aaron Smith to go to halftime only three points behind at 17-14.

The All Blacks finally gained the lead for the first time with Barrett's first try in the 60th minute, edging ahead 21-17. But that was only the beginning of a dizzy finish in which five tries were scored in 20 minutes and the lead changed hands four times.

Genia reclaimed the lead in the 66th with a try that put the Wallabies ahead 22-21.

Departing fullback Ben Smith immediately scored to give the All Blacks a 28-22 lead in what seemed likely to be the last act of the match.

But the Wallabies came back again with a try to Beale and led 29-28.

With only three minutes left, the All Blacks regained possession from the kickoff and scrumhalf T.J. Perenara, flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and captain Kieran Read combined to create the winning try for Barrett.

All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said his players had showed huge character to come back repeatedly, extending their hold on the Bledisloe Cup into a 15th year.

"It was a great test match," Hansen said. "Anyone who paid money to watch it should have loved it.

"Our set piece was really good and our scrum was what allowed us to get back in the game."

Read said the All Blacks had stayed calm and struck at the right moment.

"That's what the Bledisloe Cup is about, two great nations playing their hearts out," he said. "We had to dig deep. Those are the games which hinge on certain moments and I guess we had one at the end there."

The Wallabies showed great improvement on their performance last weekend when they were beaten by eight tries to four and by a record score.

They more than patched the wholes in their defense. They revitalized their defensive game and gave the All Blacks few opportunities, though the teams eventually finished with five tries apiece.

The Wallabies' attack was also enormously improved and their performance is likely to have lifted some of the gloom that has hung over Australian rugby after the poor performance of their Super Rugby teams this season and a series of administrative crises.

"It was close to a fantastic performance," Hooper said. "We were fully confident to come down here and win.

"New Zealand was too good tonight and the pressure they applied both sides of halftime was fantastic."

Folau set the tone for the Wallabies' performance with his try after little more than 40 seconds, swooping on a pass by All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie and dashing 65 meters to score.

Hooper broke the defense from a lineout in the 11th minute and Genia, Australia's inspiration, made a try for Foley four minutes later.

New Zealand's scrum gave them a huge advantage in the middle stages of the game but the hosts made too many handling errors to fully capitalize. They had three tries disallowed, to winger Ioane, fullback Smith and lock Brodie Retallick, but remained composed and closed the gap with Aaron Smith's try on the tick of halftime.

Barrett scored from a simple short side movement from a scrum in the 60th, giving the All Blacks a narrow lead and setting in motion the thrilling finale.

Genia made a brilliant individual break for his try, beating Ardie Savea and McKenzie, but Foley missed a vital conversion. Foley managed only two of six shots at goal, hitting the post on three occasions.

Smith, playing his last test of the season, scored the game's best try after the All Blacks had held the ball through 22 phases in the 70th minute.

After Beale's try, the All Blacks seemed down and out but again found the capacity to rebound, instantly making the winning try for Barrett.

New Zealand captain Kieran Read holds the Bledisloe Cup aloft after they defeated Australia 35-29 in their rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP)

New Zealand flyhalf Beauden Barrett celebrates after scoring the match winning try against Australia during their Bledisloe Cup rugby test in Dunedin, New Zealand, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The All Blacks defeated the Wallabies 35-29. (Brett Phibbs/New Zealand Herald via AP)
LONDON (AP) - The shock came late on a summer evening: After an idyllic Mediterranean holiday, Princess Diana had been in a car crash in Paris. Her boyfriend was dead; she was hospitalized, condition unclear.

She died a few hours later on Aug. 31, 1997, plunging Britain into grief that lingers to this day. Twenty years later, the memory of Diana - a youthful mother cut down, leaving two children behind - remains vital, her influence still felt.

Time has blurred the memories, but people around the world still remember Diana as a young bride, so taken with Prince Charles, and as a glamorous trendsetter dancing at the White House with John Travolta. She was the fun-loving mom taking her two boys on amusement park rides, and the tireless charity worker who reached out to AIDS patients when they were shunned by much of society.

FILE - In this Monday, Nov. 2, 1987 file photo, Britain's Diana, the Princess of Wales, is pictured during an evening reception given by the West German President Richard von Weizsacker in honour of the British Royal guests in the Godesberg Redoute in Bonn, Germany. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Herman Knippertz, File)

The sons Diana left behind - Prince William, now 35, and Prince Harry, 32 - are playing increasingly important roles in Britain's national life as the public focuses on the next generation of royals, sometimes at the expense of William and Harry's father, Prince Charles.

"Her essential legacy is her children and the fact is that they have become known more as her children than as his, in the sense that the charity work they are doing resonates with what she was doing - difficult issues like mental health, just like she took on AIDS," Diana biographer Andrew Morton said. "So she has a living legacy."

Morton's 1992 book about Diana revealed the depth of her despair: her struggle with a serious eating disorder, attempts at self-harm, and what he calls the "deep unhappiness" of her union with Charles, which ended in a bitter divorce in 1996.

It was supposed to be so different. Charles was heir to the throne, and Diana's entry into the royal family meant she was likely to become queen one day.

Theirs was perhaps a common story of infidelity and broken vows, but played out on an uncommonly public stage. Each used TV interviews and books by favored authors as megaphones in their bids for public sympathy.

Charles, with his somewhat stiff demeanor and unapproachable public persona, could never compete with Diana's doe-eyed appeal, especially when she famously complained there had always been "three people in this marriage" - an arch reference to Camilla Parker Bowles, who would marry Charles eight years after Diana's sudden death.

Many saw Diana as a young mother wronged by a privileged older husband's refusal to give up his lifelong mistress - even though the princess admitted to affairs of her own.

Refusing to fit the Windsor mold, she sought new ways to cope with fabulous wealth, worldwide fame, and sky-high expectations. She reached out and actually touched AIDS patients - a taboo at the time - and travelled to former combat zones to highlight the dangers land mines posed to civilians.

Many felt they could relate to her when she recounted her own battles with bulimia and talked openly of her disappointment and loneliness.

Some remember her for bringing a refreshing informality to the royal family - for example, taking young William and Harry in 1993 to Thorpe Park, a popular amusement center near London where they squealed and screamed along with everyone else on the water rides.

Carol Meredith, a nurse who recently visited the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park with her husband, said that in the past senior royals would have had the amusement park cleared so they could enjoy it without mingling with the public.

Today, she said, the royals aren't like that.

"Diana changed that," she said. "When she used to take her kids to Thorpe Park, she enjoyed being with everybody else and doing the same as everybody else. She changed what you think of the royal family."

Meredith's husband, Andrew, said Diana was different from other royals.

"They were a little bit staid," he said. "They were a little bit, you know, 'We are the royalty, here to be seen but not to be spoken to or touched.' At least with Diana, you felt as if she was touchable. She was within reach."

The difference between the two approaches - and the depth of the public's affection for Diana - crystallized in the days after her death, when tens of thousands of mourners paid tribute to Diana by placing flowers outside London's Kensington Palace, where she had lived.

Queen Elizabeth II was on vacation in Scotland at the time of the accident, and she remained there for several days. She declined to lower the flag atop Buckingham Palace to half-staff, citing protocol, as rare public anger mounted against the monarch.

Elizabeth seemed, publicly at least, unmoved by Diana's death, even as the prime minister - media-savvy Tony Blair - coined a memorable phrase in describing Diana as "the people's princess."

The queen eventually relented and came to London to pay her respects. The royal family then took steps to regain public favor, in part by adopting the more people-friendly approach Diana had used.

Chloe Dyson, a secondary school teacher also visiting Hyde Park, said Diana remains an "inspirational figure" two decades after her death.

"She still obviously has a strong image in the British psyche," Dyson said, adding that Diana's accessible approach brought her closer to the British people than other royals.

"People felt they could identify with her," Dyson said, remembering the impact of Diana's charitable endeavors, including visits to hospitals and homeless shelters. "She was doing good work."

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Associated Press writer Leonore Schick contributed to this report.

FILE - In this July 29, 1981 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer are shown at their wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this June 22, 1982 file photo Britain's Prince Charles, and his wife Princess Diana look at their newborn son Prince William, as they leave St. Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - In this June 1, 1989 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana and their sons, Princes William, right, and Harry begin a cycle ride around the island of Tresco, one of the Scilly Isles, England. The royal family was vacationing in the islands, located off the southwest tip of Britain. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 19, 1995 file photo, from left, Princess Diana, her sons Prince Harry and Prince William and Prince Charles, from left, watch a veteran's parade during the 50th anniversary of VJ Day commemorations in London. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - In this Thursday July 17, 1997 file photo, Britain's Princess Diana rides a personal watercraft with her son Prince Harry, steering, in Saint Tropez, on the French Riviera, where she is spending a few days holidaying. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)

FILE - This Nov. 7, 1985 file photo shows Britain's Prince Charles with his wife Princess Diana in front of Lodge Canberra, Australia. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this July 30, 1992 file photo, Britain's Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, right, meets actor Tom Cruise and his co-star wife actress Nicole Kidman at the Charity Premiere of the film Far and Away in London's West End. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Martin Cleaver, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 29, 1985 file photo, Pope John Paul II and Diana, Princess of Wales, are seen on occasion of the private audience at the Vatican with her husband Prince Charles. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Ron Bell, File)

FILE - This Thursday, Dec. 21 1995 file photo shows the London newspapers front page headlines. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Martin Cleaver, File)

FILE - In this April 24, 1991 file photo, Britain's Princess Diana, the Princess of Wales, hugs and plays with an HIV positive baby in Faban Hostel, San Paulo, on the second day of her visit to Brazil. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Dave Caulkin, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, June 18, 1997 file photo, Mother Teresa, left, says goodbye to Britain's Princess Diana after receiving a visit from her in New York. Princess Diana met privately for 40 minutes with Mother Teresa at The Missionaries of Charity in the South Bronx section of New York. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

FILE - In this Monday, March 17, 1997 file photo, South African President Nelson Mandela, left, shows the way to Princess Diana, during a meeting in Cape Town. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Sasa Kralj, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday, January 14, 1997 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, talks to amputees at the Neves Bendinha Orthopedic Workshop in the outskirts of Luanda, Angola. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Joao Silva, File)

FILE- In this Monday, June 2, 1997 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, arrives at Christie's Auction house in London to attend a private viewing and reception in aid of AIDS Crisis Trust and The Royal Marsden Hospital Cancer Fund. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Jacqueline Arzt, File)

FILE - In this Tuesday Sept. 24, 1996 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, arrives for dinner in Washington. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Denis Paquin, File)

FILE- In this Tuesday, June 17, 1997 file photo, Princess Diana arrives at the Red Cross in Washington where she was scheduled to meet with American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole to discuss land-mines. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Doug Mills, File)

FILE- In this Friday, Aug. 22, 1997 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, and her companion Dodi Fayed, walk on a pontoon in the French Riviera resort of St. Tropez. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Patrick Bar-Nice Matin, File)

FILE - In this Sunday July 20, 1997 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales on the quay of the residence of Mohamed Al Fayed in Saint Tropez, French Riviera, where she spends a few days holidaying. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)

FILE- In this early Sunday, Aug. 31, 1997 file photo, police services prepare to take away the car in which Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, died in Paris, in a car crash that also killed her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and the chauffeur. The crash happened shortly after midnight in a tunnel along the Seine River at the Pont de l Alma bridge, while paparazzi on motorcycles were following her car. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

FILE- In this Saturday, Sept. 6, 1997 file photo, Britain's Prince Charles, Prince Harry, Earl Charles Spencer, Prince William and Prince Philip, from left, stand as the coffin bearing the body of Princess Diana is taken into Westminster Abbey in London. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/John Gaps III, Pool, File)

FILE - This is an aerial view showing the large pile of flowers at the gates of Kensington Palace in London, as the crowds continue to arrive to pay their respects to the late Princess Diana, in this Thursday, Sept. 4, 1997 file photo. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Adrian Dennis, File)

FILE- In this Aug. 9, 1987 file photo, Britain's Princess Diana of Wales smiles as she sits with her sons, Princes Harry, front, and William, on the steps of the Royal Palace on the island of Mallorca, Spain, where the British Royal family is on holiday with the Spanish King Juan Carlos and his family. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

FILE - In this November, 1995 file photo, Britain's Diana, Princess of Wales, is shown. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo/Eduardo Di Baia, File)

FILE - In this 1980 file photo, Lady Diana Spencer, 21, Prince Charles's girlfriend, is pictured at the Kindergarten in St. Georges Square, Pimlico, London, where she works as a teacher. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the "people's princess." (AP Photo, File)
TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency is reporting that the Qatari ambassador to Iran is back on the job, ignoring the demands of Arab nations who are trying to isolate the energy-rich country.

ISNA reported that Ambassador Ali Hamad Alsulaiti arrived in Tehran on Friday and began working Saturday morning.

Qatar pulled its ambassador to Iran in early 2016 in a show of solidarity after attacks on two Saudi Arabian diplomatic posts in Iran following the Saudi execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

The diplomatic crisis began June 5, when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties to Qatar alleging it was funding extremists and is too close to Iran.

Qatar and Iran share a massive offshore natural gas field that requires communication between the countries.
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) - Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigeria's Borno state in the past week, residents said.

Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigeria's government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be "crushed."

Boko Haram fighters entered villages in the Nganzai area on Wednesday, slitting throats and using guns to kill at least 15 people while injuring two others, said Modu Jialta, a member of a local self-defense group. The attackers also burned homes.

Residents weren't able to get to the bodies for burial until Friday, Jialta said.

Suspected Boko Haram fighters also attacked in the Guzamala local council area on Wednesday, killing 12 people and injuring at least four, said Mai Abatcha Monguno, the commander of the council's citizen defense forces.

Northern Borno state is the birthplace and stronghold of Boko Haram. Bunu Bukar, secretary of the hunters' association there, said more government support and better equipment is needed to combat the extremists.

Boko Haram's eight-year insurgency has displaced millions in Nigeria and neighboring countries and killed more than 20,000 people.

In a speech to the nation on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to "reinforce and reinvigorate the fight" against Boko Haram, which he accused of "attempting a new series of attacks on soft targets."
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - A Filipino teenager at the center of the latest outcry against the president's bloody crackdown against illegal drugs was buried Saturday, with mourners turning his funeral into a protest against thousands of drug killings.

Hundreds of mourners and left-wing activists carried placards that read "Stop killing the poor" and "Justice for Kian" during a kilometers-long (miles-long) funeral march before Kian Loyd delos Santos was interred at a public cemetery in the Manila metropolis.

The 17-year-old student, who wanted to become a police officer, was one of more than 80 drug and crime suspects who were killed in purported gunbattles with police over three days this month in the bloodiest few days of President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug campaign. The killings sparked alarm and official investigations.

Roman Catholic priest Fr. Robert Reyes shouts slogans at police officers as they watch the funeral for slain Kian Loyd delos Santos, a 17-year-old Grade 11 student Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in suburban Caloocan city, north of Manila, Philippines. Murder complaints were filed Friday against Philippine police officers in connection with the killing of a teenager that has sparked an outcry against the president's anti-drug crackdown, which has left thousands dead. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

During a funeral Mass at a church, Roman Catholic Bishop Pablo David urged authorities to "stop the killings and start the healing."

The Rev. Flaviano Villanueva said that the slain student had become a symbol, and that his death and burial had "burst open the sleeping hearts and consciences of the Filipino people."

"This is proof that the country itself is screaming enough is enough, and we should end these killings," he said.

Murder and torture complaints were filed Friday against three police officers and their commander in the Aug. 16 shooting death of delos Santos in suburban Caloocan city.

"The thousands who lined up the streets and joined the funeral march of Kian delos Santos is a strong protest against Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and the poor," left-wing leader Renato Reyes said. "The people are saying, 'Enough!'"

Police say delos Santos was a drug dealer who opened fire with a pistol during a raid. His family, however, says he was mercilessly killed by police as he was pleading for his life.

During a televised Senate hearing this past week, Commission on Human Rights Chairman Chito Gascon expressed astonishment at police claims that most of the more than 3,200 drug suspects they have gunned down since the crackdown began last year fought back, prompting law enforcers to shoot them.

Aside from those deaths, more than 2,000 others have died in drug-related killings, including attacks by motorcycle-riding masked gunmen, who human rights groups allege are policemen in disguise or their civilian hit men. Police deny such claims.

Delos Santos's grieving parents and some neighbors have pointed to a village security camera video that shows a man, who they say was delos Santos, being held by both arms and dragged away from near his home shortly before he was shot in a dark, muddy alley near a canal. They said the video showing him in police custody belies the police claim that he tried to escape and that he had a pistol with him.

Police officers linked to the killing acknowledged in the Senate hearing that they were the ones in the video, but said the man they were dragging away was a civilian informant who was trying to hide his face from villagers out of fear.

Duterte has expressed extraordinary support for police enforcing his crackdown, promising to pardon them if they are convicted to keep them out of jail. Amid the growing outcry, however, he ordered the arrest of the policemen linked to the killing of delos Santos and ordered an investigation.

"The president has clearly stated that the war against drugs is not a license to break the law," presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said. "This incident, however, would not deter the administration from the task of reducing criminality and illegal drugs."

"The campaign against illegal drugs would continue," Abella said.
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) - Thousands of ethnic Rohingya Muslims were trying to cross from Myanmar into Bangladesh on Saturday, following an attack by Rohingya militants in western Myanmar that left 89 people dead in a dramatic escalation of communal violence that has plagued the region.

The militants launched the attacks overnight Thursday on more than two dozen police and border outposts. The office of Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said military and border police responded to the attacks - which left 12 security personnel and 77 Rohingya dead - by launching "clearance operations."

Advocates for the Rohingya on social media have been reporting many army raids on villages, including killings and the burning down of homes. They have also posted videos they say show villagers who have fled to the mountains for safety.

In this image made from video, a man lying on a bed with a bandaged hand is cared for in a hospital in Buthidaung township, Myanmar, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Ethnic Rohingya militants armed with guns and machetes attacked Myanmar security forces at several police and border outposts overnight in a troubled western state, has left a number of people dead according to police. (DVB via AP)

The accounts, from activists who have given generally reliable information in the past, are impossible to independently verify because the government bars journalists and other outsiders from entering the region without permission.

Mohammad Nur, a Rohingya leader at an unregistered camp in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district, told The Associated Press by phone that he had heard that some 100,000 Rohingya had gathered along the border to try to enter Bangladesh, but the number could not be confirmed.

Nurul Kabir, a Rohingya man from Buddhist-majority Myanmar, said many Rohingya started fleeing their villages on Thursday morning after Myanmar soldiers and Buddhists started entering their areas.

Kabir said he rescued a 4-year-old boy from a road on his way to the border.

"He was crying, he was alone," he said. "I asked him where are your parents, and he was just crying. I took him and brought him with me."

Roshida Khatun, 40, crossed into Bangladesh on Saturday morning along with more than 30 other Rohingya.

Khatun told The Associated Press that she left behind her entire family along the border in Myanmar after she lost track of her whereabouts on Friday night. She said that she and hundreds of others started walking to reach the border after her village was attacked by Myanmar soldiers.

She reached Amtoli, a border village in Bangladesh's Bandarban district, at around 11 a.m. Saturday after a nearly 40-hour journey.

"I have left everything behind," Khatun said. "My husband died 11 years ago, and now I have nobody. I have lost my entire family this time."

She said many others were still waiting to enter Bangladesh. "If they are not allowed in they will die," she said.

Farid Alam, a Bangladeshi who lives in Amtoli village, through which many Rohingya have crossed the border, told the AP on Saturday that over last two days, at least 2,000 Rohingya had entered Bangladesh. "The patrol in my area is not that tight often, especially during changing of shifts," he said.

Bangladeshi authorities would not confirm how many Rohingya had entered Bangladesh.

Ali Hossain, a top government official in Cox's Bazar, said Friday that authorities were on alert in the wake of the new violence in Myanmar.

He said that "Bangladesh is already overburdened" and "is unable to take more Rohingya."

"That's the order we have gotten from the Ministry of Home Affairs," Hossain said. "We have done enough and sheltered hundreds of thousands despite our limited resources."

Nur, the Rohingya leader, said Bangladeshi authorities had asked him and his associates to "discourage" their people in Myanmar from leaving the country.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said recently that around 87,000 Rohingya had crossed the border and entered Bangladesh since last October, when a new string of violence broke out in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

A militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, took responsibility for the Thursday night attacks on more than 25 locations, saying they were in defense of Rohingya communities that had been brutalized by government forces.

Suu Kyi called the attacks "a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine state."

The United States urged authorities to avoid a response that would inflame the tensions. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the attacks underscored the importance of the government implementing recommendations of a commission chaired by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, which published its final report on Thursday recommending that the government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya.

The clashes were deadlier than an attack by the militants on three border posts last October that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counterinsurgency operations by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya communities in Rakhine. Human rights groups accused the army of carrying out massive human rights abuses including killing, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.

The army's abuses fueled further resentment toward the government among the Muslim Rohingya, most of whom are considered by Myanmar's Buddhist majority to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and its rights.

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Alam reported from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
MILL CREEK, W.Va. (AP) - A coal miner who died on the job in West Virginia was the brother of one the 12 killed in the Sago Mine disaster of 2006.

The Charleston Gazette-Mail reports that authorities identified the miner found dead Friday as Owen Mark Jones, a fire boss at the Pleasant Hill Mine. The surface mine is located near Mill Creek, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Charleston.

Jones' brother, Jesse, was among those killed when an explosion ripped through the Sago Mine, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Mill Creek. The brothers had worked together at the same mines for 17 years.

FILE - In this Jan 8, 2006 file photo, twelve black ribbons are tied on the perimeter fence of the Sago Mine in Tallmansville, W.Va., in memory of the 12 coal miners who died here after a mine explosion. A coal miner who died on the job in West Virginia was the brother of one the 12 killed in the Sago Mine disaster of 2006. Authorities identified the miner found dead Friday, Aug. 25, 2017 as Owen Mark Jones, a fire boss at the Pleasant Hill Mine. The surface mine is located near Mill Creek, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) east of Charleston. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

On the day of the 2006 explosion, Owen Jones headed a second crew that followed his brother's group into the Sago Mine. His crew was about 10 minutes behind the others because they needed to switch to a larger vehicle, and they made it back out.

Jones was among the men who tried to reach the 13 trapped miners, only one of whom survived.

"It was like watching your brother falling off a cliff and not being able to do anything about it," he said at the time.

Jones later returned to work at Sago, but ultimately asked for a transfer.

"Every single noise, you jump," he said. "You're on edge all of the time."

Jones, whose great-grandfather also died in a mine explosion, said at the time that the pay was the main reason he returned to coal mining despite the dangers.

"My wife and kids don't want me to ever go back, but what are you supposed to do? You either work in the woods around here or in the coal mines or you work for Hardee's or McDonald's or something like that, and then you don't make enough money to live," he said.

Jones, 51, is survived his wife, two children and five grandchildren.

Gov. Jim Justice's office called the death "especially heartbreaking" because "this family has been devastated twice in the last 11 years by losing loved ones in the mines."

The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration confirmed the fatality Friday at the Carter Roag Coal Co. mine. No other information about the circumstances of Jones' death was immediately released. Carter Roag is owned by Metinvest, a mining and metals firm headquartered in Ukraine.

The federal agency said it's the sixth coal mining death in West Virginia this year, up from three killed on the job last year. Twelve coal miners have been killed nationwide so far this year, up from eight in 2016.

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Information from: The Charleston Gazette-Mail, http://wvgazettemail.com.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The aspiring artist was 17 when he took pencil to paper in 1954 and sketched a stunningly mirror-like image of himself as a student at England's Bradford School of Art.

In the 63 years since, David Hockney has become world famous, not for self-portraits, but for colorful painted landscapes, portraits of others and brilliant photo collages of everything from backyard swimming pools to scenic desert vistas.

Lesser known are the literally hundreds of self-portraits he also made over the years, many tucked away privately, seemingly to simply remind him of the changes time has wrought upon his appearance. Those changes are documented colorfully, and oftentimes humorously, in the exhibition "Happy Birthday, Mr. Hockney," which opened at Los Angeles' J. Paul Getty Museum earlier this summer in honor of Hockney's 80th birthday. It runs until Nov. 26.

In this Wednesday, June 21, 2017 photo Alexandria Sivak, a senior communications specialist from J. Paul Getty Trust, reads a brief description of David Hockney's self-portraits in the exhibition hall at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The aspiring artist was 17 when he took pencil to paper in 1954 and sketched out a stunningly mirror-like image of himself as a student at England's Bradford School of Art. In the 63 years since, David Hockney has become world famous not for self-portraits but colorful painted landscapes and brilliant photo collages of everything from backyard swimming pools to scenic desert vistas. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Along with a study of the artist's changing appearance, visitors will also see one of Hockney's most brilliant photographic works, 1986's "Pearblossom Highway." The rarely displayed collage of 700 photos of California's high desert is one of more than a dozen Hockney collages on display.

When the museum decided it wanted to do something to mark Hockney's birthday last month - "a little tip of the hat," says Julian Brooks, the museum's senior curator of drawings - taking "Pearblossom" out of storage and putting it before the public was a no-brainer.

But officials also wanted a little something more for Hockney, who Brooks notes has all but been a neighbor of the museum since moving to Los Angeles in the 1960s.

London's Tate Britain museum had already mounted a traveling Hockney retrospective earlier this year, however. It's currently at Paris' Pompidou Centre and will move to New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art in November, and Getty officials didn't want to copy that.

"So we thought is there anything else we could do to show the passage of time that would be fun and interesting, and the self-portraits seemed like a natural idea," Brooks said during a recent walk through of the exhibition.

To museum officials' delight, the artist thought it was a great idea too. Hockney, who has homes in Los Angeles and his native England, opened up his personal archives and those of his foundation, letting Getty curator of photographs, Virginia Heckert, pick and choose.

Although he hasn't publicly discussed the Getty exhibition, he's visited and is said to be charmed.

"I have the vanity of an artist. I want my work to be seen. But I don't necessarily have to be seen," he told the Tate in a brief interview for its exhibition.

Hockney brings that same playful attitude to the most recent of the self-portraits displayed, a series created on his iPad in 2012 in which Brooks notes the artist seems intent on showing his grumpy-old-man side. In one image, he strikes a snarling, "Get off my lawn" pose. In another, he glares at his audience. In still another, he seems to look up in surprise at the person sketching him.

In a watercolor from 2003, the artist is dressed in a black shirt, tan pants and bright red suspenders and appears lost in concentration as he paints himself.

Taken together, the works show Hockney aging from dark-haired teenager in 1954 to man about town with dyed-blond locks and snappy clothes to gray-and-white-haired older gentleman. He holds a hand cupped to an ear in one, reflecting the hearing loss he's suffered as he's aged.

The collages, meanwhile, reveal Hockney's acclaimed skill in creating painting-like images by assembling dozens of photographs taken of the same area, capturing one moment after another, then putting them all together.

One of the artist's most recognizable such works is his colorful depiction of the Pearblossom Highway in Southern California's Antelope Valley.

Visiting the highway 31 years ago when it was a rural two-lane road, Hockney spent nine days photographing every single image connected to it: blue desert sky, pavement, cactus, street signs, even trash. He assembled the 700 photographs into one stunningly colorful collage more closely resembling a painting than a picture.

"These are not click snapshots," said Heckert, Getty's photo curator. "He's really working to create the image and to kind of imbue it with light, with time, with his own presence."
BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Stephen King is retaliating against President Donald Trump for blocking him on Twitter.

In a post late Thursday, the Maine horror author said he would block Trump from seeing the upcoming movie "It" or the currently showing television series "Mr. Mercedes," both based on his books.

King's tweet says "No clowns for you, Donald. Go float yourself."

FILE - In this June 1, 2017 file photo, author Stephen King speaks at Book Expo America, Thursday, June 1, 2017, in New York. King is retaliating against President Donald Trump for blocking him on Twitter. In a post late Thursday, Aug. 24, the Maine horror author said he would block Trump from seeing the upcoming movie "It" or the currently showing television series "Mr. Mercedes," both based on his books. King's tweet says "No clowns for you, Donald. Go float yourself." (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The movie "It" is about a group of children who confront their fears while confronting the evil balloon-carrying clown, Pennywise. The movie is due out next month.

"Mr. Mercedes" is about a killer who drives a stolen Mercedes into a crowd. The series began airing earlier this month on the Audience network.

King was blocked by the president this summer. He has a long history of being critical of Trump.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - A radio executive in Venezuela says two stations that included critical coverage of the government have been shut down after their broadcast licenses were not renewed.

Enza Carbone is president of the country's Radio Chamber. Carbone said Friday night in a statement that the National Telecommunications Commission did not renew the stations' licenses and ordered them to cease transmitting.

The closures came less than 48 hours after the commission ordered cable providers to remove the signal of Colombian TV stations Caracol and RCN.

Militia members disembark from a vehicle during a military drill in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. President Nicolas Maduro ordered military exercises in response to President Donald Trump's warning of possible military action to resolve the country's crisis. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

President Nicolas Maduro had sharply criticized foreign news coverage of the country and singled out Colombian media among other outlets.

Venezuela has been wracked by months of political crisis. Maduro's government has ordered two days of military exercises beginning Saturday in response to sanctions imposed by Washington.

A militia member shouts slogans during a speech by Gen. Carlos Leal Telleria, commander of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Militia, in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. President Nicolas Maduro ordered military exercises in response to President Donald Trump's warning of possible military action to resolve the country's crisis. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Soldiers break ranks after standing in formation behind Adm. Remigio Ceballos, chief of staff of the Venezuelan Armed Forces Strategic Operational Command, during a press conference to provide details of military drills that are being prepared in response to President Donald Trump's warning of possible military action, at Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Militia members line up to return rifles and receive back their IDs after a military drill in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. President Nicolas Maduro ordered military exercises in response to President Donald Trump's warning of possible military action to resolve the country's crisis. The U.S. government on Friday announced sweeping financial sanctions on Venezuela, ratcheting up tensions between the two countries. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

A soldier listens to Admiral Remigio Ceballos, Chief of Staff of Venezuela's Armed Forces Strategic Operational Command, during a press conference to provide details of military exercises called by President Nicolas Maduro after President Trump spoke of a "military option" to resolve the country's political crisis in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)

Militia members receive military instructions in Fort Tiuna, Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. President Nicolas Maduro ordered military exercises in response to President Donald Trump's warning of possible military action to resolve the country's crisis. The U.S. government on Friday announced sweeping financial sanctions on Venezuela, ratcheting up tensions between the two countries. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan)
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) - The Latest on the anti-violence rally in Barcelona (all times local):

6:45 p.m.

A street-wide white banner with black letters reading "No Tinc Por" -"I'm not afraid" in Catalan- is making its way down one of Barcelona's main street in a massive march against violence.

People holding signs reading "Best answer is peace" participate in a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Emergency workers, taxis drivers, police, firefighters, business owners and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the deadly attacks on Aug. 17-18 are leading the march for peace on Saturday.

Spain's central, regional and local authorities are trying to send an image of unity by walking behind the emergency workers. In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI has joined a public demonstration.

Still, some citizens are whistling their displeasure as authorities pass by and banners are criticizing the king's role in promoting military exports to Saudi Arabia.

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6:25 p.m.

Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau says people must "overflow" the streets of the city in a march aimed at showing a "brave" and "diverse" response to violence.

A tweet sent Saturday by Barcelona city hall declared "we are an open, welcoming city of peace. Today we take to the streets again with the cry 'I'm not afraid.'"

The violent attacks last week by an extremist Islamic cell hit Barcelona's cultural heart and the nearby coastal town of Cambrils. Ten of 15 people who were killed were foreigners - and another 120 people were injured.

Barcelona is under tight security Saturday. Authorities have asked people use public transportation for the march.

Hundreds of volunteers are handing out roses from the local florists' association - 50,000 of them red, 10,000 yellow and 10,000 white - the colors in the city's seal.

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3 p.m.

Thousands of people are expected to flood the streets of Barcelona to reject violence after the deadly attacks on Aug. 17-18 that killed 15 people and wounded over 120.

The Islamic State group claimed the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils that used vehicles and knives, Spain's deadliest in more than a decade. Eight suspects are dead, two are jailed under preliminary charges and two more remain under investigation.

The slogan of the march - "I'm not afraid" in the local Catalan language- has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to the violence into a slogan that the government and Spain's political class have unanimously embraced.

Taxi drivers, emergency workers and ordinary citizens who helped the wounded are leading the march, followed by King Felipe VI, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other officials.

Spain's King Felipe, centre, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left and Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont, right, take part in a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Spain's King Felipe, centre, Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left and Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont, right, take part in a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Spain's King Felipe, centre takes part in a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A group of people representing Civil society lead a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Spain's King Felipe, centre prepares to take part with Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, left, in a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A group of people representing Civil society lead a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. banner reads 'I am not afraid' in the Catalan language. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A group of young women hold signs in Spanish reading "We're Muslim, not terrorists", "Not in my name", "Islam is peace" and "Terrorism has no religion" during a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A group of young women hold signs in Spanish reading "We're Muslim, not terrorists", "Not in my name", "Islam is peace" and "Terrorism has no religion" during a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, right, shakes hands with Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont before the start of a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A banner reading 'Best answer is peace' is held up as people wait for the start of a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A man holds a sign with the words "We are not afraid" in the local Catalan language during a demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Aug. 17-18 in Barcelona and Cambrils that also left more than 120 injured. Eight suspects are dead and four more under investigation, two of them in jail.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Authorities say a police officer in South Carolina fired his gun at a suspect as officers tried to arrest him.

Dorchester County Sheriff's Maj. Tony Phinney said 26-year-old Justin Drayton may have been wounded by the officer, but has not been found since the shooting around 3:35 p.m. Friday in a North Charleston neighborhood.

Phinney did not say in a news release why the officer fired at Drayton. The officer wasn't identified.

Authorities say Drayton was wanted in Charleston County, North Charleston and Summerville on a number of charges, including first-degree burglary and unlawful conduct toward a child.

The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting.
HAGNATA, Guam (AP) - A U.S. military live-fire training range is being built on Guam to support the relocation of Marines.

The Pacific Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2wHXt6z ) Black Construction Corp. was awarded a $78 million contract on Friday.

The complex will be built in Andersen Air Force Base on a patch of land that the community says is one of the last pristine places on Guam.

It will be near a wildlife refuge and will require part of the refuge to be closed when the range is in use.

Sabina Perez, spokeswoman of a group against the complex, says the military seems to be rushing to get its projects started.

Guam resident Alissa Eclavea says it seems convenient that the contract award is happening soon after North Korea's threats to fire missiles near Guam.
WOODVILLE, Ga. (AP) - A Georgia sheriff's deputy has shot and killed a man following a traffic stop and foot chase.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it happened Friday in Woodville. The agency says preliminary information indicates the deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 47-year-old Charles David Robinson.

Robinson then ran from the scene and the deputy, whose name was not released, pursued him on foot.

An altercation between the two occurred and during the fight, the deputy shot Robinson.

Authorities say Robinson was transported to St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The GBI says the deputy was treated at an Athens hospital for unspecified injuries and released.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Secret Service is warning residents of the nation's capital that they may hear bursts of live gunfire Saturday and early Sunday morning as the agency tests a detection system.

The Secret Service says the gunfire is part of calibration for a system that indicates the source and direction of gunshots. A statement from the Secret Service says the system "provides real time detection and geolocation of gunshots fired within proximity of protected sites."

As part of the test, multiple rounds will be fired from various weapons in three-shot increments. Several streets in Washington will also be closed, around the White House and the Naval Observatory, the home of the vice president.
President Donald Trump has exercised his pardon power for the first time, using it to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. A look at the president's unique power:

WHERE DOES THE PRESIDENT'S PARDON POWER COME FROM?

Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 of the Constitution says: "The President ... shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment." The president's power can only be used to pardon someone for a federal crime, not a state one.

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2013, file photo, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks at a news conference at the Sheriff's headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. President Donald Trump has pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio following his conviction for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case. The White House announced the move Friday night, Aug. 25, 2017, saying the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)

HOW DOES THE PARDON PROCESS USUALLY WORK?

Someone who has been convicted of a federal crime and wants to be pardoned makes a request for a pardon to the Justice Department's Office of the Pardon Attorney, which assists the president in exercising his pardon power. Department rules tell pardon seekers to wait at least five years after their conviction or their release from prison, whichever is later, before filing a pardon application.

It's then up to the pardon office to make a recommendation about whether a pardon is warranted. The office looks at such factors as how the person has acted following their conviction, the seriousness of the offense and the extent to which the person has accepted responsibility for their crime. Prosecutors in the office that handled the case are asked to weigh in. The pardon office's report and recommendation gets forwarded to the deputy attorney general, who adds his or her recommendation. That information is then forwarded to the White House for a decision.

WHAT MAKES ARPAIO'S PARDON UNUSUAL?

Arpaio's pardon apparently didn't go through the Office of the Pardon Attorney. It also took place before he was sentenced. Arpaio was convicted July 31 of misdemeanor contempt of court for intentionally defying a 2011 court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. He had been set to be sentenced Oct. 5 and faced up to six months in jail. The fact that Arpaio was pardoned for a misdemeanor offense, which carries a penalty of less than a year in jail, is also unusual. Generally those seeking presidential pardon have been convicted of felonies.

WHO ELSE MIGHT TRUMP PARDON?

Arpaio's is Trump's first pardon, but hundreds of other people also want his help. According to Justice Department statistics , as of Aug. 7 Trump had 376 requests for pardons pending and 1,508 requests for commutation, a reduction of a prison sentence a person is currently serving.

It's not unusual for presidents to ultimately use their power to help hundreds. During his time in office President Barack Obama granted 212 pardons and commuted the sentences of approximately 1,700 people, including about 300 drug offenders he pardoned on his last day in office and Chelsea Manning, the transgender Army intelligence officer convicted of leaking more than 700,000 U.S. documents. President George W. Bush pardoned 189 people and commuted 11 sentences.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told a rally at a Glasgow brewery that many people in the city do not live to see their 60th birthday.

He spoke to a crowd of around 250 people at Drygate in the east end which is known for its poverty and low life expectancy

The event was targeted at younger voters who might frequent the brewery, known for its craft beers.

Jeremy Corbyn spoke at an event targeted at younger voters

'This is a movement for people fighting for change across this country.' - @kezdugdale at Drygate Brewery #ForTheMany pic.twitter.com/EtfWIEbnMd  Scottish Labour (@ScottishLabour) August 24, 2017

He said: Theres a million people living in poverty. Theres 260,000 children in Scotland living in poverty.

Theres health inequality in this great city of Glasgow which means for every mile you go eastwards from the centre your life expectancy falls and falls and falls.

Many people in Glasgow dont live to see their 60th birthday. Why? Poverty, bad housing, health and inequality all those issues. Its the worst figure for may parts of the whole of the country.

Do you deal with that by just seeing it as a statistic or something to put in a PHD thesis or something to just reflect upon or do you see it as a challenge to all of us?

In Glasgow with @KezDugdale. There are 150k households on waiting lists for housing in Scotland. Labour will build the homes families need. pic.twitter.com/i5dwI5S3d5  Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) August 24, 2017

He was joined at the brewery by Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale who earlier joined him on a tour of a former school in the east end which is being redeveloped as offices and a community space.

Ms Dugdale joked about the location of the evening event and revealed Mr Corbyn is to target marginal seats during his tour.

She said: They said it couldnt be done, they said it was impossible, but tonight weve proven it, Labour can organise a piss-up in a brewery.

Im delighted to welcome Jeremy to Glasgow. He is going to spend the next three days touring Scotland, 18 marginal seats across five days in total because thats his commitment to making sure we can win here again in the weeks and months ahead so we can get the Tories out of office.

Great morning with @jeremycorbyn in Govan hearing about amazing work of local community groups - see https://t.co/fEscJcyjfa for more pic.twitter.com/bvPa1jiBOA  Kezia Dugdale (@kezdugdale) August 24, 2017

Earlier in the day Mr Corbyn said the SNP failed to use its powers to mitigate austerity and argued his party would tackle third-world levels of poverty in parts of Scotland. He said if Labour gained power it would ensure Scotland is funded the way it should be.

He added: The SNP government has the powers if it wants to use them to mitigate the effects of austerity, they chose not to. This ward where we are standing now has a very low life expectancy, lower in many cities than what we choose to call the third world.

Its not right and we deal with these things with a public commitment to invest in decent housing, opportunities for young people and good-quality jobs.

SNP MSP Joan McAlpine, who convenes Holyroods Europe Committee said: Jeremy Corbyn and Kezia Dugdales claims about being on the side of those in work are utterly bogus if they persist in backing the Tories plans to leave the European single market. Instead, they should follow common sense and reverse their position.

They have a chance today to lay out a different approach and to back the SNPs sensible proposals for the UK to remain within the single market, protecting jobs, incomes, living standards and investment.
Tropical Storm Harvey has intensified into a hurricane and forecasters said it would become a major hurricane to hit the middle Texas coastline.

Sustained winds reached 80mph more than a day before landfall was expected late on Friday between Port OConnor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile stretch of coastline about 70 miles north-east of Corpus Christi.

Forecasters said a life-threatening storm surge along with rains and wind were likely as Harvey was intensifying faster than previously forecast.

Mayor Joe McComb talks about storm surge in the Corpus Christi (Gabe Hernandez/AP)

A major hurricane means winds greater than 110mph.

As of midday on Thursday, Harvey was about 340 miles south-east of Corpus Christi, moving to the north-northwest at about 10mph.

Once Harvey makes landfall, it is possible the storm could then just stall inland for as many as three days, exacerbating the threat of flooding brought by tropical downpours, the National Hurricane Centre said.

Some forecasts indicated rain totals over several days extending into next week could exceed 24in.

Harvey would be the first major hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in September 2008 brought winds of 110mph to the Galveston and Houston areas and left damage costing 22 billion dollars (17 billion).

Numerous cities were shipping in sandbags, extra water and other items ahead of the storm.

In South Padre Island, Dave Evans took advantage of the free sandbags, noting he and his fiance live in an older house prone to flooding.

The master bedroom floods every time the rain gets very strong. I think our home is below sea level, Mr Evans told The Brownsville Herald.

Shoppers pass empty shelves along the bottled water aisle in a Houston grocery store

Alex Garcia, of Corpus Christi, was buying bottled water, bread and other basics in Sugar Land, a Houston suburb, after dropping his daughter off at college in Houston.

The beer distributor salesman said grocery items were likely to be more available in Houston than back home, where he said shops were crazy.

Well be selling lots of beer, he laughed.

While a seawall offers some protection, it floods in Corpus all the time, he said.Mr Garcias house is about three miles from the bay.

Windows are boarded up in Corpus Christi

Harvey is looking like its going to just meander around the area, National Weather Service meteorologist Penny Zabel said. Its going to hang out for a few days, and thats why were looking at such high rainfall amounts.

Texas governor Greg Abbott has ordered the State Operations Centre to elevate its readiness level, making state resources available for possible rescue and recovery actions.

Mr Abbott also pre-emptively declared a state of disaster for 30 counties on or near the coast, to speed deployment of state resources to any areas affected.

Nearly all of the states 367-mile coast was under a hurricane or tropical storm warning or watch as of Thursday.
US president Donald Trumps response to clashes between white supremacists and protesters in Charlottesville was totally wrong, Boris Johnson has said.

The Foreign Secretary condemned Mr Trump for failing to make a clear and fast distinction between fascists and anti-facists after the violence in the Virginian city.

He said the offer of a state visit was still on the table for Mr Trump, as an invitation had been issued by the Queen, which he hinted was likely to take place next year.

US president Donald Trump (AP/Carolyn Kaster)

Questioned about Charlottesville, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I think he got it totally wrong and I thought it was a great shame that he failed to make a clear and fast distinction, which we all are able to make, between fascists and anti-fascists, between Nazis and anti-Nazis.

Prime Minister Theresa May has also criticised Mr Trumps comments while Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said that a state visit for Mr Trump would not be a priority if Labour was in power, after previously suggesting such a visit should be scrapped until Mr Trump abandoned his ban on nationals from several Muslim countries.

Violence broke out in Charlottesville when far-right extremists gathered to protest against the removal of a statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee. Activist Heather Heyer, 32, died when a car crashed into a group of anti-fascists demonstrating against the rally.

Mr Trump initially prompted anger when he claimed there was blame on many sides for the violence.
Centurion Ben Stokes and record-equalling captain Joe Root took advantage of dismal West Indian catching but England were still dismissed for 258 on day one of the second Investec Test thanks to a bowling display of pace, pride and purpose.

The Windies grassed four regulation chances at Headingley, which came at a combined cost of 142, but still vastly exceeded expectations having seen their very worthiness as tourists called into question in the wake of last weeks lame capitulation in the day/night Test at Edgbaston.

Stokes made a devil-may-care 100, with Roots 59 equalling AB de Villiers world record of half-centuries in 12 consecutive Tests, but the pair should have gone for just nine and eight respectively.

Ben Stokes celebrates after reaching his century (Nigel French/PA)

A newly-focused Kemar Roach and the recalled Shannon Gabriel took four wickets each, exposing familiar frailties in Englands top order, but saw much of their hard work tossed to the turf by Kieran Powell and Kraigg Brathwaite in the slips.

Gabriel himself followed with a shocker at mid-on and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich joined in late on, but by then Englands tail was already in free-fall.

Roooooootttt! He has scored 50s in his last 12 Tests. See how he got there: https://t.co/fRy3qejQmq pic.twitter.com/WqeltO4BlD  England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2017

Stokes boundary-laden ton  with 68 coming in fours  proved the frenetic centre-piece of the innings while Root continued a relentlessly reliable scoring streak which dates back to Dhaka last October.

That only three of those have been converted into hundreds is a well-known point of concern to Root but Englands real issue as they approach an Ashes winter is the glaring and repeated inability to fill positions at opener, number three and number five.

Mark Stoneman, Tom Westley and Dawid Malan all failed their latest auditions, contributing 30 between them against opponents who were considered impossibly easy pickings after their meltdown in Birmingham.

Mo goes! Caught at point off Roach for 22. https://t.co/fRy3qe2eXQ pic.twitter.com/yhSezEQOEB  England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2017

Root eagerly announced his intention to bat first after winning the toss under bright skies at his home ground and was surely imagining better than 61 for three at lunch.

But that was the least the West Indies deserved thanks to a tone-setting burst from Roach and Gabriel. Alastair Cook faced more than 400 balls for his 243 last time out but was first man down here, nicking Gabriel for 11 to continue a modest record in Yorkshire.

England are two down as Westley goes lbw to Roach. LIVE: https://t.co/fj9iNi6t9u pic.twitter.com/4QZklsYE50  England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2017

That brought together Stoneman and Westley, two Test newcomers who emphatically failed to advance their fragile credentials for an Ashes spot this winter.

Westley made three, a tally which still flattered him, before Roach slammed a fast, full delivery into his back pad to win an lbw so clear the batsmen did not even raise the prospect of a referral with his partner.

Stoneman at least threatened to find his feet, facing 47 balls for his 19, but a loose drive and an inside edge to Dowrich was an unedifying way to go.

Stoneman departs and England are three down. LIVE: https://t.co/fRy3qe2eXQ pic.twitter.com/25euGwBXDw  England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2017

Had Powell gathered the simplest of slip catches to add the prize scalp of Root the scoreboard would have read 44 for four but somehow the ball squirmed free and the skipper ticked along to 24 by the break.

Malan imploded early in the third over of the afternoon, cannoning Jason Holder inelegantly into off stump, but Root moved serenely towards his special 50  bringing it up by slashing Devendra Bishoo to the ropes.

If his celebration was muted given the significance, his frustration at getting out to the same bowler soon after was anything but. An ill-conceived paddle sweep looped to slip and he flailed his bat several times during an angry walk to the pavilion.

Woakes goes and England are all out for 258. LIVE: https://t.co/fRy3qe2eXQ pic.twitter.com/Q4I8QxE5Ir  England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2017

By then Stokes had already been dropped by Brathwaite on nine, the fielder not only shelling the shoulder-high chance but also diverting it to the boundary for good measure.

Initially, at least, the all-rounder batted frantically, mixing mis-hits and body blows with some muscular boundaries. He did not really look in control until he reached 50 with a brutal strike through extra cover but thereafter he unfurled a highlights reel of swivel pulls, sweeps and drives threaded between fielders.

He was still two short of his sixth Test hundred when he clubbed Roach straight to mid-on, where Gabriel fumbled an easy catch embarrassingly. Stokes reached three figures off the very next ball but did not go further as Gabriel made amends by finding the outside edge.

Moeen Ali (22) and Chris Woakes (23) made brisk contributions but the lower order were dealt with professionally, Dowrichs drop of Stuart Broad notwithstanding.
Author Hilary Mantel has attacked the princess myth surrounding the late Diana, Princess of Wales, five days before the twentieth anniversary of her death.

Writing in The Guardian, Mantel criticised the mystical realm in which royal people exist, and said there was no bar on saying what you like about the late princess, in defiance of the evidence.

Using an example from the recent Channel 4 documentary, Diana In Her Own Words, Mantel said the interviews were trailed as revealing a princess who is candid and uninhibited, but actually showed her as self-conscious and recalcitrant.

Hilary Mantel

She continued: Squirming, twitching, avoiding the cameras eye, she describes herself hopefully as a rebel, on the grounds that she liked to do the opposite of everyone else.

You want to veil the lens and explain: that is reaction, not rebellion. Throwing a tantrum when thwarted doesnt make you a free spirit. Rolling your eyes and shrugging doesnt prove you are brave.

And because people say trust me, it doesnt means theyll keep your secrets.

Diana, Princess of Wales

The Wolf Hall novelist previously caused a furious reaction in a 2013 lecture, when she dismissed the Duchess of Cambridge as a plastic princess, whose only purpose is to breed.

In Saturdays Guardian article, Mantel also said the young Dianas rise to public affection came at a time when the comparable female role models were old and their cupboards were bare of food and love.

She said: A Queen who, even at Dianas death, was reluctant to descend from the cold north, and a prime minister formerly known as Maggie Thatcher, Milk Snatcher.

Diana died alongside Dodi Fayed in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

In a television interview last month Dianas sons, the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry, gave a warm account of their ordinary mother, but said it would be the final time they would talk about her in public.
Lewis Hamilton was third fastest in final practice as Ferrari threw down the gauntlet for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen posted the quickest lap of the weekend to finish 0.197 seconds clear of his team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, who heads Hamilton by 14 points in the title race, was just one thousandth of a second faster than Hamilton to set up a potentially thrilling qualifying session in the Ardennes.

The fast-sweeping nature of the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit had been expected to play to Mercedes strengths, and so it proved on Friday with a dominant Hamilton topping the time sheets.

But Ferraris pace on Saturday morning suggested they could be in a position to take on Hamilton, who will match Michael Schumachers all-time pole record if he is quickest in qualifying.

Max Verstappen, cheered on by a large army of Dutch supporters who have made the short journey across the Belgian border, was fourth quickest, albeit more than one second adrift of Raikkonens best time.

Valtteri Bottas was fifth for Mercedes, 1.3 seconds slower than Raikkonen, with Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo sixth.

British driver Jolyon Palmer is one of only two drivers yet to score a single point this season, but he has enjoyed a strong weekend thus far.

The 26-year-old Englishman was seventh in final practice, half-a-second quicker than his Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg.

Fernando Alonso was 10th for McLaren, while his team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne, who will serve a whopping 65-place grid penalty following a series of engine penalties, was 14th.
Great Britains Chris Froome extended his La Vuelta lead with a show of strength on Saturdays eighth stage to Xorret de Cati.

Frances Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) won the 199-kilometres route from Hellin for his first Grand Tour stage win.

Three-time Tour de France winner Froome (Team Sky) finished 14th on the stage, one minute 27 seconds behind, as his overall advantage climbed to almost half a minute.

Great Britain's Chris Froome has extended his La Vuelta lead

Clasificacion de la etapa en Xorret de Cati:

1. Alaphilippe

2. Polanc a 0:02

3. Majka a 0:02

4. Pauwels a 0:26

5. Oliveira a 0:28 pic.twitter.com/B6DyORgTVf  La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 26, 2017

Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) was a place ahead of the Briton as the Spaniard and Froome finished 15 seconds ahead of the general classification contenders.

Froome now leads his nearest rival, Colombias Esteban Chaves (Orica-Scott), by 28 seconds ahead of Sundays ninth stage to Cumbre del Sol, which is expected to be one for the sprinters.

Froome is seeking to become only the third person to win the Tour-Vuelta double in the same year and the first since 1978. The Tour of Spain was moved from April to its present post-Tour position in 1995.

The day began with Warren Barguil, who won two stages and the King of the Mountains prize at Julys Tour de France, being sent home by Team Sunweb for a refusal to obey team orders.

Barguil had been in 13th place, one ahead of designated leader Wilco Kelderman, who lost time without support of the Frenchman on Fridays seventh stage.

As Majka and Alaphilippe engaged in a duel for the stage win up the days final climb, the Alto Xorret de Cati, Froome accelerated from the group of favourites behind them.

Only Contador, more than three minutes behind at the start of the day, could stick with Froome on the steep gradients as the Team Sky leader forged on.

That's an emphatic ride from @chrisfroome on stage eight. Finishing alongside Contador. He extends his lead slightly in the process #LV2017 pic.twitter.com/em7vUKIExM  INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) August 26, 2017

Alaphilippe won the three-rider sprint ahead of Slovenias Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates) and Polands Rafal Majka (Bora-hansgrohe) to claim the stage.

Behind them Froome and Contador pressed on.

Froome has three times finished runner-up in the race but he is continuing to make gains which could be crucial in two weeks time.
Hundreds of thousands of peace marchers flooded the heart of Barcelona on Saturday shouting Im not afraid- a public rejection of violence following terror attacks that killed 15 people.

Emergency workers, taxis drivers, police and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the August 17 attack in the citys famed Las Ramblas boulevard led the march.

They carried a street-wide banner with black capital letters reading No Tinc Por, which means Im not afraid in the local Catalan language.

A demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people in Spain (Francisco Seco/AP)

The phrase has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to violence into a slogan that Spains entire political class has unanimously embraced.

Spains central, regional and local authorities tried to send an image of unity Saturday by walking behind emergency workers, despite earlier criticism that national and regional authorities had not shared information about the attackers well enough with each other.

In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI joined a public demonstration, along with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other Spanish and Catalan regional officials.

Spain's King Felipe takes part in the demonstration

Barcelona police said some 500,000 people showed up to the march.

The Islamic State group has claimed the vehicle attacks in Barcelona and hours later in the coastal town of Cambrils that left 15 dead and over 120 wounded.

The investigation into the Islamic extremist cell behind the attacks has shown that the group planned even more deadly carnage but accidently blew up a house in Alcanar where explosives were being built and gas tanks were being stored.

People stand by flowers, messages and candles on Barcelona's Las Ramblas promenade

Eight suspects are dead, two are jailed under preliminary charges of terrorism and homicide and two more were freed by a judge but will remain under investigation.

Medical authorities said that 22 people wounded in the attacks are still being treated in hospitals. Six of them remain in critical condition.

In the north-eastern town of Ripoll, home for many of the attackers, members of the local Muslim community and other residents gathered in a central square to condemn the deadly attacks. Located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, the town is where most suspects came under the influence of a radical imam, investigators say.

Night falls following the demonstration condemning the attacks that killed 15 people last week

The sister of two of the alleged extremists gave an emotional speech thanking her neighbours for the support shown to Muslim families in Ripoll.

We share the same grief and the (need) for an understanding of what happened, said Hafida Oukabir, whose younger brother Moussa was shot dead by police in Cambrils and whose elder brother Driss is under custody facing terrorism charges. We must all work together to stop this from ever happening again.

Her sobbing speech was met with applause.
Andy Murray has pulled out of the US Open after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The world number two struggled through Wimbledon with the problem, losing in the quarter-finals to Sam Querrey, but his prospects for Flushing Meadows had looked positive when he travelled to New York last weekend.

.@andy_murray has withdrawn from the #USOpen due to a hip injury. Get well soon! pic.twitter.com/06DGENQiAE  US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 26, 2017

However, after a week of practice Murray has decided he is not fit enough to do himself justice.

Andy Murray has pulled out of the US Open through injury

The Scot, who looked close to tears, said: I did pretty much everything I could to get myself ready here, took a number of weeks off after Wimbledon, spoke to a lot of hip specialists, tried resting, rehabbing to get myself ready here and was practising okay the last few days but its too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately thats what I was here to try and do, so unfortunately I wont be playing this year.

Murray headed to the press conference room after practising with Frenchman Lucas Pouille and it was apparent on court that he was still limping.

Murray: "It's too sore for me to win the tournament and ultimately that's what I was here to try and do."  Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) August 26, 2017

Plans to talk to his team and decide in the next couple of days what to do and whether to follow Djokovic and Stan in shutting down season  Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) August 26, 2017

The 30-year-old must now decide what to do moving forward and whether to follow Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Kei Nishikori, who have all brought their seasons to an early end because of injury.

Murray said he would make a decision in the next couple of days, with surgery an option he may now consider.

He has been reluctant to go into detail about the injury, saying at Wimbledon it was something that had affected him on and off for a number of years but never to the extent of this summers flare-up.

Practice for Andy Murray. Definitely still a slight limp pic.twitter.com/uAndyDkwmr  Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) August 26, 2017

Murray said: I certainly wouldnt have been hurting myself more by trying to play. It was more a question of whether it would settle down in time. I kind of ran out of time.

I have never had to take any time off because of my hip before so we were hoping that by taking a few weeks off and resting and rehabbing and really reducing the load that I was putting through it, that I would be okay by the time the US Open came around but unfortunately thats not been the case.

I spoke to a number of specialists about it to get the best advice possible. Obviously when you speak to a lot, there is different views and opinions on what the best thing to do is moving forward and thats a decision Ill need to take now.

Ill sit down and decide with my team in the next couple of days, for sure.

Murray, who will miss a slam for the first time since the French Open in 2013, said: If I get myself fit and healthy, there is no reason why I cant (come back at the same level). I have been practising here and been competitive in practice when Im not moving close to how I can when Im healthy.

I want to be back on court as soon as I can. If it means that I can play before the end of the year, then thats what I would love to do. I miss competing and Ill try to get myself back on court as soon as I can.

But obviously Ill need to make the correct decision and really think it through these next couple of days with my team.

Murrays withdrawal means a reshuffling of the mens draw, with fifth seed Marin Cilic taking over the number two slot and an opening match against American Tennys Sandgren.
By John Lloyd

Aug 25 (Reuters) - Emmanuel Macron, president of France with all the glory that commands, has had a wretchedly brief honeymoon. Elected in May with some 67 percent of the vote, he promised to respect and address the "anger, the anxiety and the doubts" which many had expressed, and pledged to "recreate the links between Europe and its peoples."

Since that heady night, he has been plunged from the heights of hope into the apparently eternal hard facts of French political life. His stellar approval ratings descended rapidly from 64 percent in June to an anemic 37 percent earlier this week. Polls are volatile things, but its likely this reflects tougher verities than seasonal fluctuation on the part of the French electorate.

Macrons capture of two thirds of the electorate was made when the voters were forced to choose, in the second round of voting, between Macron, a centrist offering something to left and right, and a hard rightist, Marine Le Pen of the National Front. Her performance in a decisive TV debate with him was described as "better suited to an after-dinner boozy get-together" than the pose of a future president.

His majority was not all for him, but - apart from Le Pens own supporters, a substantial 34 percent of voters - mostly against her. In the first debate, the majority of the 10 candidates present called for some form of protection from globalization, and expressed a degree of aversion to the European Union. Their attitudes to Macrons frank embrace of the EU, globalization and a revived Franco-German leadership of a more integrated EU varied from skepticism to disgust. He can convince the milder skeptics - but only by producing results. These will take pain to achieve, and he is the man who must inflict it.

Frances military has already felt this pain. Macron, underlining that he was now "the boss," announced an 850m euro ($980m) cut in the armed forces budget, prompting the immediate resignation last month of General Pierre de Villiers, the militarys head - who told Macron there was "no fat left. You are cutting into muscle." De Villiers said he resigned because he "was no longer able to guarantee the robust defense force" he believed was necessary to protect France.

The general has gone and the defense cuts stay - for now at least. Other cuts didnt. A reduction of five euros a month to a housing benefit announced in July was quickly scrapped; the cut would have had the biggest effect on the poorest in society. Promised tax cuts have also been postponed - a move justified by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who had described France as sitting on "a debt volcano."

Macrons new party, "En Marche!," dominates the parliament but has few experienced politicians. The leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon, a powerful orator, has had the best of parliamentary debates - though his party, France Insoumise (France Unbowed), has a mere 17 seats in the National Assembly. During the debate on the housing cut, he displayed a bag of discount groceries costing five euros - white bread, pasta, canned vegetables - a dramatic show of what poverty means in the worlds foodiest country.

France, which saw inequalities in income and wealth grow relatively rapidly in the past few years, is still a country where equality is regarded as an important social good, even if more honored in the breach than the observance. Macron has cut hard against this culture; when the political season begins again in the next few weeks, his plans to liberalize the labor market will meet the force of the unions. The most powerful, the Confederation Generale du Travail, has already declared war. The others are more cautious but, backed by Melenchon and the rest of the left and capitalizing on the fall in presidential popularity, they may pull off a September of protests that would see leftists, far rightists and unions all - separately or together - testing the presidents reforms on the streets.

Macron, and the world which welcomed him, now grasp the enormity of the task he has set himself - and the national interests he must serve even as he proclaims the need for a more integrated Europe. At the center of the European Union debate remains a stubborn contradiction. The push to integrate in order to better control the euro currency and align national economic policies will meet the desire of most citizens to hold to account their own politicians, those they have elected and understand. It is that power of national accountability that Europeans - along with millions of Americans - increasingly want to keep.

Nationalism is much more than the ideology of the far right. As the scholar Andrew Michta writes, it is a set of ideological assumptions, an "idea of sovereignty that grows from the sense of belonging to a nation." As such, it is much more than the defeat of far right-parties. It is the still potent force with which the EU must wrestle, and which presently has the better of its ideal of "ever closer union."

The larger question, which Donald Trumps victory and presidency puts on the global agenda, is whether or not the swing away from global ideals and practices to a defensive nationalism can remain broadly liberal and civic. Or does it contain a powerful charge of resentment and anger, directed largely at elites, judged to have betrayed their first duty - that of looking after their own people first?

Italy is Europes present weather vane. A London Times reporter wrote this week that violence and hostility to migrants has grown "as Italians adjust to the likelihood that many tens of thousands of the newcomers will be staying permanently. The countrys tolerance is waning, its politics being reshaped." Its neighbors, including France and Austria, have closed their borders; Italy has become a pressure cooker, with liberals and leftists defensive, the far right and populists on the electoral rampage.

Trump seems unlikely to lead the revolution he promised. Columnist Ezra Klein wrote this week that the president has been surrounded by generals who neutralize his tweets, take care of the details he doesnt care to know and leave him to posture, "happy - even eager - to be both operationally and ideologically marginalized." But his presidency has shown that theres a vast, politically active constituency of the disaffected and marginalized. Macron, the liberal centrist, must contend with similar forces. The survival of liberal internationalism, in the U.S. and Europe, will define politics in the coming years. (Reporting by John Lloyd)
By Brendan Pierson

Aug 25 (Reuters) - New York state prosecutors on Friday charged radical Jamaican Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal with seeking to recruit people to join Islamic State.

El-Faisal, 53, was arrested the same day in Jamaica, and New York authorities will seek to have him extradited to face charges in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to a U.S. law enforcement source.

El-Faisal, born Trevor William Forrest in St. James, Jamaica, was previously convicted in the United Kingdom in 2003 of soliciting murder and imprisoned. He was deported to Jamaica in 2007 after being released.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Friday that el-Faisal used lectures, a website and videos to incite followers to join Islamic State, which is designated a terrorist organization by U.S. authorities.

"A charismatic leader, the defendants rhetoric has been cited by several convicted or suspected terrorists in New York, London, and beyond," Vance said in a statement.

Friday's indictment follows a year-long investigation by the New York Police Department's intelligence bureau and the Manhattan District Attorneys offices counter-terrorism program, according to the announcement from Vance's office.

Prosecutors said that beginning in December 2016, el-Faisal began communicating remotely from Jamaica with an undercover NYPD officer. He urged the officer to view Islamic State propaganda materials online, and offered to help him travel to the Middle East to fight for the organization, prosecutors said.

NYPD members ultimately did travel to the Middle East, and once they arrived, el-Faisal put them in touch with a contact in Raqqa, Syria, according to prosecutors.

El-Faisal is charged with soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)
By Benjamin Cooper

SYDNEY, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Thousands of people rallied for marriage equality in Australia's second-biggest city of Melbourne on Saturday ahead of a postal survey on same-sex marriage which could lead to its legalisation.

Australia is one of the only developed English-speaking countries not to have legalised same-sex marriage, despite strong popular support and the backing of a majority of lawmakers.

Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, of the opposition Labor Party, called on the conservative Liberal Party-led government to do more to ensure the debate did not turn ugly ahead of the postal survey next month.

"I'm particularly calling on the prime minister of Australia to speak out against any bile or hate speech that we might see in this campaign," he told the rally.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week urged supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage to show mutual respect as their campaigns turned increasingly vitriolic.

Rally organiser Anthony Wallace from activist group Equal Love said 15,000 people attended the event, making it one of the largest gay rights rallies in Australian history. Police declined to estimate the size of the crowd.

The rally is an annual event, which this year began and ended at the Victorian State Library, where a mass same-sex wedding ceremony was held.

Australians will vote over several weeks from mid-September in the non-compulsory postal ballot on whether to legalise same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage is supported by 61 percent of Australians, a 2016 Gallup opinion poll showed, but the issue has fractured the Turnbull government and damaged his standing with voters, now at a six-month low. (Reporting by Benjamin Cooper; Editing by Stephen Coates)
By Thaier Al-Sudani and Kawa Omar

TAL AFAR, Iraq, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Iraqi forces raised the national flag on Saturday in the heart of Tal Afar, Islamic State's stronghold in the country's northwest, and said they were poised to take full control of the city after a week-long offensive.

Tal Afar is the latest objective in the U.S.-backed war on the jihadist group following the recapture in July of Mosul, where it declared its self-proclaimed caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Tal Afar was cut off from the rest of IS-held territory in June and the campaign to recapture it started on Aug. 20, when up to 2,000 militants were believed to be defending it against around 50,000 attackers, according to western military sources.

"Tal Afar city is about to fall completely into the hands of our forces, only five percent remains" under Islamic State control, an Iraqi military spokesman told Reuters.

Elite forces had liberated the heart of the city "and raised the national flag on top of the citadel building," a statement from the Iraqi joint operations command said.

Much of the Ottoman-era building was destroyed by the militants in 2014.

Such a quick collapse of Islamic State in the city, which has been a breeding ground for jihadist groups, would confirm Iraqi military reports that the militants lack command and control structures west of Mosul.

A Reuters visuals team in Tal Afar said fighting had eased on Saturday, with just occasional artillery rounds heard. There was no sign of civilians in two neighborhoods it visited.

"God willing, the remaining part will be liberated soon," Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said earlier at a news conference with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, and French Defence Minister Florence Parly, in Baghdad.

CYCLES OF SECTARIAN VIOLENCE

Iraqi security forces had retaken 27 out of 29 neighborhoods in Tal Afar by Saturday evening but in two neighborhoods on the northeast side, fighting was continuing, a statement from the Iraqi joint operations command said.

Several villages north of Tal Afar have yet to be retaken, the statement said.

The city, which had a pre-war population of about 200,000, lies on the supply route between Syria and Mosul, 80 km (50 miles) to the east.

It experienced cycles of sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, and has produced some of Islamic State's most senior commanders.

Mosul's collapse effectively marked the end of Islamic State's "caliphate", but the group remains in control of territory on both sides of the Syrian-Iraqi border, and of Hawija, a city between Mosul and Baghdad that Iraqi officials said would be the next target.

The group is also retreating in Syria, where it is facing two separate offensives, one backed by the U.S. and the other by Russia and Iran.

The number of civilians believed to have remained in Tal Afar at the start of the offensive was estimated at between 10,000 and 20,000 by the U.S. military.

Tens of thousands of people are believed to have fled in the weeks before the battle started. Those remaining were threatened with death by the militants, according to aid organisations and residents who managed to leave. On Tuesday, U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said residents were arriving at refugee camps starving and with wounds from sniper fire and mine explosions.

Residents who fled Tal Afar seven days ago told Reuters on Saturday they had been surviving on bread and dirty water.

"I lost 25kg in the last three months," said Hajji Abu Mohammad, who escaped last Saturday with his wife and five children. (Writing by Maher Chmaytelli. Additional reporting by Raya Jalabi.; Editing by Andrew Bolton)
CAIRO, Aug 26 (Reuters) - A senior commander in al Shabaab, Somalia's al Qaeda-affiliated Islamist rebels, was killed last month in a U.S. airstrike, the group said on Saturday in an online statement.

Somalia said at the time that its military and allied foreign troops had killed the man identified as Ali Moahmed Hussein or Ali Jabal, believed responsible for several bombings.

It did not disclose the nationality of the foreign troops, but American soldiers have in the past taken part in such raids.

"The cowardly American enemy planes tried to strike him. The first missed him and the second hit, making him a martyr," said the al Qaeda statement circulated on social media.

Somalia said last month that Ali Jabal's death would "reduce al Shabaab's ability to conduct senseless acts of violence against the people of Somalia, its East African neighbours, and the international community."

The insurgents have carried out frequent attacks in the capital Mogadishu as they bid to topple Somalia's Western-backed government and drive out African Union peacekeeping troops.

Somalia has been at war since 1991, when clan-based warlords overthrew dictator Siad Barre and then turned on each other.

(Reporting by Ali Abdelatty, Writing by Stephen Kalin; editing by Ralph Boulton)
Six people were arrested today in connection with Thursday's attack on two army soldiers at Uttrampulam in Kilinochchi.

Two soldiers attached to the Murugandi Army Camp in Kilinochchi were returning home when they were ambushed and later attacked with a sharp instrument near the Uttrampulam market on Thursday by a group of youngsters.

The two soldiers were admitted to the Kilinochchi hospital with stab injuries. (By Romesh Madushanka)

Video by Gobi Ranjan
The Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) yesterday said that President Maithripala Sirisena had promised to provide a final solution to the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine (SAITM) issue on Monday.

Addressing the media at the Presidential Secretariat premises following a discussion with President Sirisena on the SAITM issue, GMOA Secretary Dr. Haritha Aluthge said that overall discussion was a success.

We have forwarded a request to the President to issue a gazette ordering the suspension of student admissions and the degree awarding at the SAITM. It is also necessary to gazette the minimum standards of medicine, he added.

He said that President Sirisena had also assured them to provide the governments stance on the SAITM through the Attorney General to the Supreme Court where a hearing was taking place with regard to this issue. He said that the Attorney General had agreed to abide with the President's decision on the matter.

He was of the view that this assurance given to them by the President was a great achievement of the anti-SAITM forces in the country, including the GMOA.

Meanwhile, he said it was significant that Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne, who was present during the discussion, had kept silent right throughout.

Earlier, we held several discussions with President Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and they all turned out to be futile due to the interference of several forces. We hope that it would not happen this time, he added.

It was reported that representatives of the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC), Higher Education Ministry, Health Ministry, University Grants Commission (UGC), deans of state universities and several teachers were also present at the discussion. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)

Video by Buddhi
The riots over the weekend in Panchkula, Haryana and Punjab over the sentencing of Gurmeet Ram Rahim have left at least 30 dead and hundreds injured. The crowds had begun to gather days before the verdict, providing authorities with sufficient warning of their intentions, yet there were insufficient preparations. A gathering of lakhs of supporters of any supposed godman is a sign of trouble, as is well known, yet these omniscient signs were ignored.

Earlier incidents of violence following the arrests of flourishing cult exploiters like Rampal in 2014, Ram Vriksh Yadav in 2016 and Asaram Bapu in 2013 are well-documented.

It took the courts to issue strictures which made the state government wake up from its slumber and act.

It was anticipated even by the common man, living in Panchkula, that violence would be on the cards, as soon as the verdict is announced, but famed leaders in political circles and their equally competent IAS and IPS advisors, refused to even consider such thoughts. Hence the authorities wasted time and thus were compelled to react to situations, rather than launch planned and prepared contingencies.

In just one hour of rioting, more than 25 people were dead and hundreds injured. The police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), deployed in the region, lost control over the situation within an hour and the Army was out.

An analysis would indicate a complete failure and lack of intent at every level of the state machinery.

The state had forces made available, whereas it should have been the reverse, where masses were prevented from entering the region. A clear sign of reacting, not anticipating.

This was the state machinery's first major blunder, which they have attempted to defend. Intelligence inputs on large movement of population would have been known, assessing its impact a part of the routine, but ignoring it, another major blunder.

Permitting a 200-vehicle convoy of the accused to traverse the streets of the state, halting regularly at every dera, with live coverage on TV, whipping up passion amongst supporters, is criminal negligence and permitting it, another major blunder.

While the nation is screaming for Khattar as the chief minister of Haryana to resign, why have voices not been raised against the top lobby of the IAS and IPS of the state, who are actually responsible on ground for law and order, to resign, be sacked and charged with dereliction of duty.

They should have done their homework, war gamed options, prepared contingencies and made their recommendations to the Chief Minister to accept.

The state chief secretary is not a file pusher, but the individual responsible, alongside his home secretary, for ensuring the security and safety of the state and its population. They are expected to be the two most senior and capable civil servants of the state, with complete control over all agencies within the state.

They control the intelligence as also the law and order machinery and hence are responsible. If the state has failed, it is because they failed in their assessment of the situation, demands for additional forces and preparing security forces to face the violence. The IPS lobby, which should have anticipated trouble and deployed forces to contain the violence also needs to be questioned. A politician takes decision based on recommendations of his chief advisors. His failure is due to collective failure of the state machinery.

The Jat agitation and the resultant Parkash Singh probe panel report last year had recommended action against state police personnel and suggested changes in the functioning of the state police and civil administration. It is evident that no action was taken and the report, like others before it, is gathering dust as the next inquiry commission would prove. It was again the Army which came to the rescue of the state and was instrumental in restoring order.

Is there something amiss in our organisation structures, and in training and equipping such forces that the state runs for Army assistance at the drop of a hat?

Why do states maintain such massive police forces, when at the first instance they rush for central assistance? Reports of police turning tail and running away from the mobs was witnessed in the Jat agitation last year and again this year.

If this is their level of training and confidence, then is such expenditure warranted? Or is it because they are left to fend for themselves, while their officers are secure in their headquarters. The centre had pushed in hundreds of CAPF contingents, yet they failed to control the mobs.

Is there something amiss in our organisation structures, and in training and equipping such forces that the state runs for Army assistance at the drop of a hat?

Alternatively, is it a failure of planning, anticipation, positioning, tactics and deployment, where the right forces were unavailable in sufficient numbers at the right time and place. If this was the case, then it is the state's top hierarchy which should be held responsible, not those deployed. If they failed to act decisively or lacked sufficient equipment, then it is lack of training and procurement, again the responsibility of the officer cadre of the state.

Unless those heading the law and order machinery are pulled up and questioned, held accountable and sacked, failures and laxity would become a norm. Politicians are easy targets, whereas those actually responsible are ignored.

The Army is always there, the instrument of last resort which cannot fail, irrespective of mobs and violence. However, rushing it at the first instance of a crisis belies mass expenditure on central forces.

If the Army can succeed, whereas other similar armed central police forces cannot, then we lack training and motivated manpower.

That an Army column headed by a young major could contain a situation, while a collection of forces under multiple director generals of police seems to have failed is a sad reflection on the quality of leadership of our central forces.

Hundreds of CAPF are available and it is the Army which is tasked to take over the deras - this too is a sad reflection of why the central government maintains hundreds of CAPF battalions.

Has the government lost faith in its CAPF? If it has, then the time has come for them to be commanded by the Army. This serious state of affairs must be rectified forthwith or the nation will remain burdened with poor quality police, officered by an incompetent IPS cadre, backed by equally incompetent IAS.

The public cannot accept such failures every time. There must be accountability and responsibility. Those in power must be sacked for failing.

Simultaneously, at the central level, measures must be put in place to enhance capability, leadership and functional efficiency of CAPFs.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo that effectively bans transgender individuals from joining the military.

The memo bars transgender people from joining military service, but instructs Secretary of Defense James Mattis to explore ways to handle transgender service member already serving up to the Pentagon.

It also orders a stop for payment on gender reassignment surgeries.

The move came a month after Trump tweeted that he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military in any capacity.
A man accused of firing a gun during the white nationalist Unite the Right rally on Aug. 12 has been charged with discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.

Richard Wilson Preston, 52, was arrested Saturday and is currently in the custody of the Baltimore County Detention Center in Towson, Maryland. Charlottesville police said in a news release Saturday that Preston fired the gun in the 100 block of West Market Street, which is a corner of Emancipation Park, where the rally was held.

In addition to Prestons arrest, Daniel Patrick Borden, 18, has been charged with malicious wounding related to an aggravated assault near the Market Street Parking Garage on Aug. 12. He was arrested on Friday and is currently in the custody of the Hamilton County Criminal Justice Center in Cincinnati.

Related to that same assault, Alex Michael Ramos, 33, also has been charged with malicious wounding. Ramos is currently wanted by the Charlottesville police and has a last known address in Marietta, Georgia.

Police and city officials did not reply to multiple requests for confirmation that Borden and Ramos charges are related to the beating of Deandre Harris in the Market Street Parking Garage.

The rally, scheduled to begin at noon Aug. 12, fell quickly into chaos as white nationalist groups entered the park hours earlier. An unlawful assembly was declared after ralliers and counter-protesters clashed.

Later that afternoon, area resident Heather Heyer was killed near the corner of Fourth and Water streets after a car drove into a group of counter-protesters. James Alex Fields Jr., of Ohio, was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder, among other offenses. Police on Saturday said they have now identified 35 victims of the car attack.

In a video taken Aug. 12 by a legal observer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia, a white man is seen at the corner of First Street North and Market Street, just outside Emancipation Park, pointing a gun and then firing it once toward a black man who had used a spray can as a torch, then putting the gun in his pocket, turning and walking away.

Police and city officials did not reply to multiple requests for confirmation that the man in the video is Preston.

The ACLU of Virginia said it noticed the specific content of the video on Aug. 16, when a legal observer uploaded it to the groups Dropbox account.

Letters provided by the ACLU of Virginia show that staff sent the video to the FBI on Aug. 17 and then to Charlottesville and state police on Aug. 20.

Our decision to release the video of this significant event is consistent with our regular calls for law enforcement to release body-camera video that depicts any incident of public concern, a Saturday statement from the ACLU of Virginia said.

Virginia State Police troopers can be seen in the background of the video, standing behind barricades on First Street North. Police did not move as the man who fired the gun walked with a group of rally attendees farther west down Market Street.

Corinne Geller, spokeswoman for the state police, confirmed that state troopers can be seen in the video, but said that, from where they were standing, none of the troopers witnessed the incident.

Nor did they hear the single shot being fired because it was muffled by the loud volume of the crowd yelling and chanting, drums and music, she said. Had any one of our troopers witnessed that incident, they would have immediately acted, just as they did for the other four arrests made during the weekend.

Charlottesville police did not respond to additional questions regarding the video by press time.

According to the city police news release, authorities are continuing to investigate the vehicle attack. Fields has been charged with second-degree murder, five counts of malicious wounding, three counts of aggravated malicious wounding and one count of felony hit and run in relation to the incident. Additional charges could be filed as the investigation progresses, police said.

Any relevant information about the Aug. 12 rally and violence can be sent to city police at cvillerally@charlottesville.org.
A retired University of Virginia police officer pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter Friday in the shooting death of his son last November.

Donald Short, 85, originally was charged with second-degree murder, but he entered an Alford plea on Friday to the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter as part of a plea agreement.

In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but does acknowledge that the prosecution likely has enough evidence to secure a guilty verdict at trial.

Family and friends filled a row of seats in Albemarle County Circuit Court as they watched Short stand before a judge three days before his case was set for a jury trial. Short shot his 47-year-old son, Matthew, twice when he would not stop beating his brother Edward. Matthew died at the hospital three days later.

Based on evidence from the police reports, 911 calls, psychiatric reports and witness interviews, the prosecution argued that, although his son Matthew did present a threat, Short used excessive force, according to Deputy Commonwealths Attorney Darby Lowe.

At about 10:45 p.m. Nov. 9, Short called 911 from his home and told police, My son just went berserk and to protect myself I shot him, Lowe said in court. When police showed up at the scene, Short met them at the front door and officers could see Matthew Short lying right inside.

As Edward attempted to render aid to his brother, Matthew was quickly transported to the UVa Medical Center. He was treated for two gunshot wounds  one in the leg and another in his abdomen, Lowe said. He died on Nov. 12.

Both Matthew and Edward lived at home with their parents, but Short told police that Matthew suffered from mental-health issues and drug addiction. He told police, Matthew often loses control and goes into violent rages, according to Lowes statement of the facts. On Nov. 9, Short said Matthew had been acting very aggressively that day.

Later that night, Short said Matthew picked a fight with Edward, which turned into a brawl. While Edward grabbed his brother around the neck and tried to bring him down to the ground, Short pulled out his .38-caliber pistol  which he told police he had recently started carrying in his pocket because he feared for his familys safety  and shot Matthew.

When Albemarle police detectives asked Short what was going through his mind as he pulled the trigger, Short told them, That I would subdue him to the point where he wouldnt be able to hurt Eddie or me  that was the result I was looking for  I didnt think anything beyond that, according to the prosecution.

After he shot his son, Short told the detectives he felt destroyed and shattered.

In its investigation, the prosecution looked at numerous psychiatric records for Matthew, as well as previous calls for law enforcement assistance. On Dec. 12, 2014, police responded to the home after Matthew assaulted Edward. Again on Feb. 20, 2015, police responded to the home when Matthew had attempted to assault Edward. On that occasion, Matthew agreed to go to the UVa hospital for a crisis evaluation.

Just a couple of weeks prior to Nov. 9, Short had begun carrying his pistol with him as a result of his sons erratic and aggressive behavior. And, a plane ticket had been purchased for Matthew to fly to California on Nov. 11  just two days after the shooting  to visit his other brother and possibly start a new life in a new state, Lowe said.

At the basis of the agreement, Lowe said it was clear that Short felt his son presented a threat of imminent bodily harm to himself or Edward but that the shooting was still unlawful. Citing Shorts interviews with police, Lowe said he aimed his pistol at Matthews leg in an effort to subdue but not kill him, Lowe said.

It is the commonwealths conclusion that the facts, evidence and law do not fairly or reasonably support finding Donald Short guilty for the second-degree murder of his son Matthew Short, Lowe said in court.

But, because Matthew was not armed at the time of the shooting, nor were there any weapons within his reach, Lowe said Matthews death was still unlawful. Stating that the agreement reflects the extraordinary circumstances and legal complexity of the case, Lowe said it was a fair conclusion.

It provides accountability for Donald Shorts action to unlawfully take the life of his son Matthew Short, Lowe said. It speaks clearly for Matthew Short while acknowledging his mental illness. And it properly acknowledges the fear, threats, violence and strain experienced by those who loved Matthew most.

Accepting the plea agreement, Judge Cheryl Higgins ordered a pre-sentencing report, which will look at Shorts background and any prior criminal history to determine the best sentencing guidelines. A conviction of involuntary manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 10 years, according to state code.

The prosecution also filed a motion to nolle prosequi Shorts other two charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony  meaning the commonwealth will no longer pursue the charges.

While Short is still free on bond, his attorney, Denise Lunsford, asked Higgins to remove the restriction that he must wear an electronic monitoring device on his ankle. Citing her clients wishes to be allowed to interact with people and socialize, Lunsford said his psychologist agreed that he should be allowed to leave the house without a monitoring device.

Higgins agreed to take Short off home electronic incarceration.

Short is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on Dec. 5.
Members of Showing Up for Racial Justice and other anti-racism groups are again demanding that all charges be dropped against protesters from the July 8 Ku Klux Klan rally and that the lawsuit against moving the citys Confederate statues be dismissed.

On Friday, members of SURJ gathered in front of the Charlottesville General District courthouse, criticizing the citys handling of the Aug. 12 white nationalist rally, particularly the citys inability to prevent the violence that left one woman dead and at least 30 others injured.

We tried, SURJ member Mimi Arbeit said. Charlottesville community members have been working for months to address the growing threat of white supremacist violence in our city.

They have used multiple strategies  from directly confronting local white supremacists themselves, to marching in the streets, to presenting evidence at City Council  trying to stop the Aug. 12 Unite the Right march on Charlottesville terrorist attack from occurring, she said.

Continuing developments related to violence in Charlottesville News related to the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally that ended in the deaths of three people and injuries to at least 30 others.

The group demanded that all charges be dropped against activist Veronica Fitzhugh  who currently faces misdemeanor assault charges related to confrontations at multiple demonstrations  that all charges be dropped against the 22 people arrested during the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan rally on July 8 and that all charges be dropped against the three people arrested at Mondays raucous City Council meeting.

Another member of SURJ, who only wanted to be identified as Nelson, demanded that the lawsuit challenging the citys decision to move the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee be terminated and the statues be removed immediately. A court injunction is in effect in the lawsuit, and the next hearing is set for Sept. 1.
Charlottesvilles chief spokeswoman rebutted some of a leaked City Council memos more damaging claims on Friday.

According to the document, prepared in advance of a closed-session council meeting on personnel matters, councilors requested the hiring of crisis communications firm Powell/Tate and asked for more press briefings ahead of the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally.

Powell/Tate, which was hired for the July 8 Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan rally, was sought again by the council in recognition of the difficulties and failures of the staff to communicate to the public about July 8, the document said.

On Aug. 10, Miriam Dickler, the citys director of communications, tried to stop the hiring and also did not communicate with the firm on Aug. 12, according to the memorandum.

Leaked memo shows councilors grilled city manager on rally response failures on Thursday City Manager Maurice Jones says City Council has not discussed "the possibility of my termination or that of the police chief with him.

She said she would not work with them on August 12 because she would be too busy with the public information officers under her command, the document said. She said that she had enough experience handling crises.

On Friday, Dickler said she was, in fact, in touch with Powell/Tate on Aug. 11 and 12.

I communicated with Powell/Tate on Aug. 12, she said. They received all of my emails and I spoke with them a couple times when they would call.

Councilors considered police response to rallies to be inadequate in memo The document also raises questions about the police response to a rally held by the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Justice Park on July 8.

Memo: Public housing areas left unprotected on Aug. 12 City Councilor Kathy Galvin and PHARs Bradon Collins say requests for an increased police presence were ignored.

In an email sent by Mayor Mike Signer to City Manager Maurice Jones, Signer said Dickler stated that she would not communicate with [Powell/Tate] on Saturday, stated that she would rather have a positive Daily Progress story than a positive USA Today one (as if the two are mutually exclusive), stated that this whole thing should somehow be Councils responsibility (though we only received talking points, after a weeks delay, last night), stated that the only message that she was prepared to off on 8/12 was about public safety, offered no specifics about being able to pitch or develop any other stories, stated that she is an expert on crisis communications and did not need help, and admitted that July 8 did not go well, but offered no suggestions of what could have been done differently.

Signer said Dickler bordered on insubordination, as her reaction contradicted both Jones consent to a PR firm and councils clear desire for one.

... And was exhausting for me to deal with, as the typical response from anyone being offered special expertise help in an unusual situation (such as when I bring in outside counsel in my professional job, for instance), is to welcome the assistance, he said in the memo.

State law allows Confederate monument removal, Va. attorney general says Virginia is debating whether a 1998 statute restricting the movement of war memorials is retroactive or only affects war memorials constructed after 1998.

Continuing developments related to violence in Charlottesville News related to the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally that ended in the deaths of three people and injuries to at least 30 others.

He also said it helped explain the remarkable passivity from our communications shop in recent weeks, despite urgent pressing from nearly every councilor for more proactive, creative, and energetic communications.

Signer did not respond to requests for comment by press time.

Dickler said the communications team did send out news releases and updated social media events on Aug. 12.

We did have a pretty good team working that day, she said.

Dickler declined to make any additional comments on the memo.

The memo states that the city did not provide information until a news conference was held with Gov. Terry McAuliffe at 6 p.m. Aug. 12, meaning that during a day of incredibly tragic events, the city was silent.

In an Aug. 11 email from Dickler directed to the media, she said the city would email updates and they also recommended following the city polices Facebook page and Charlottesville Twitter accounts for the latest updates.

This information will be the official statements/updates for the city, city [police] and [Virginia State Police], so no need to contact me to verify what you see posted through those channels, Dickler said in the email.

The Daily Progress received at least six email updates on Aug. 12. The city Twitter account made more than 25 tweets or retweets from the @CvilleCityHall account. There were no Facebook posts made from the citys official Facebook account. The polices Facebook page had 20 posts on Aug. 12.

The memo said that on Aug. 7 Jones made repeated assurances to councilors that daily press briefings would be provided to the public regarding Aug. 12, and that those did not happen. Councilors also asked for a Q&A session for the public before Aug. 12, which also did not happen.

Councilors further asked that a single major news conference happen where Jones, Police Chief Al Thomas and City Attorney Craig Brown discussed the planning, policing and legal issues, as well as protocol surrounding any use of tear gas, as well as the reason for the use of body armor and the deployment of the Virginia State Police and the National Guard. This also did not occur.

Jones did not respond to request for an additional comment by press time.
Heather Heyer Foundation launched by mother, law group

The Heather Heyer Foundation was launched Saturday by her mother, Susan Bro, and the Miller Law Group, where Heyer had worked as a paralegal since 2012.

Heather often said, If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention, Bro, the nonprofit foundations co-director, said in a statement. We established this foundation to further her mission of social justice by supporting others who are as passionate about public service as Heather was.

Heyer was killed when a car slammed into a group of pedestrians on the Downtown Mall, hours after the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally had largely disintegrated. As of Saturday, Charlottesville police said they had identified 35 victims in the crash. James A. Fields Jr. faces a second-degree murder charge in the case, among other charges.

The foundation also established a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to individuals passionate about positive social change. Scholarships will be awarded to those seeking a degree or certification in, but not limited to, law, paralegal studies, social work, social justice and education.

To learn more or make a donation, go to heatherheyerfoundation.com. Donations also can be mailed to Heather Heyer Foundation, c/o Stifel, 1759 Worth Park, Charlottesville, VA 22911.

Help sought in Aug. 12 helicopter crash investigation

The National Transportation Safety Board and Virginia State Police investigation into the Aug. 12 helicopter crash that killed Lt. H. Jay Cullen and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates involves actual reconstruction of the helicopter to identify the exact cause.

The public can help, according to state police.

Investigators are asking residents in the area of Old Farm Road in Albemarle County to not discard any unusual objects or debris  no matter how large or small  found in or around their properties. Those who find or have found any such objects are asked to call #77 on a cellphone or (434) 352-7128.

In a Saturday statement, state police also extended its sincere appreciation to the Old Farm Road neighborhood and the Albemarle County Ivy Fire Rescue Station for their compassion and support of state police.

Neo-Nazis gather at Va. shopping center where leader died

WASHINGTON  A small group of neo-Nazis gathered outside an Arlington shopping center Friday to commemorate the 50th anniversary of an American Nazi leader's assassination, The Washington Post reported.

The neo-Nazis who appeared in Arlington are members of New Order, a successor to the American Nazi Party, whose founder, George Lincoln Rockwell, was shot to death at the Dominion Hills shopping center on Aug. 25, 1967.

Martin Kerr, New Order's chief of staff and attendee of the recent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, said most of those who attended the commemoration live in the Washington area, although one came from Wisconsin to pay tribute to Rockwell.

Kerr scoffed at any suggestion that it was inappropriate.

Theres lots of things in society that offend and disgust me. That's part of living in a diverse society. You have to put up with it, he said.

Richmond statue of Stuart splattered with pine tar

RICHMOND  The statue of Confederate Gen. J.E.B. Stuart on Monument Avenue in Richmond was vandalized either late Friday night or early Saturday.

Richmond police said it appeared two cans of pine tar had been dumped on the statue. A contractor hired to clean the statue said the tar will come off.

Police said they have increased patrols in the area.
(Photo/NASA)

HOUSTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Consulate general of China in Houston issued an emergency warning Friday, asking Chinese citizens in Texas to be prepared as Hurricane Harvey is expected a landfall Friday night.

Hurricane Harvey has intensified into a powerful category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds reaching 120 mph (193.11 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Friday

Published on its official website, the warning urged all Chinese including students and tourists in the coastal area of Texas to take precautious measures.

According to the consulate, people need to prepare food, water, medicine and other necessary goods at home. Personal belongings and IDs should be securely stored. Furthermore, people are recommended to closely follow the weather forecast and orders issued by local government.

Consulate General of China will provide any necessary help to people in need, said the Consulate general.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday said in a press conference in Austin that President Donald Trump promised to offer federal resources to Texas ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival.

The federal support would be available to help the state assist in preparation, rescue and recovery efforts.

The storm system has prompted officials to issue voluntary and mandatory evacuations of some coastal areas, school districts to postpone a return to classes and local governments to brace for life-threatening floods that could last through Monday.
It seems that a brouhaha (a word derived from French) has stirred in Germany over deputy finance minister Jens Spahns complaint about bearded young men supposedly hanging out in chic Berlin and refusing to mingle with "normal Germans." Calling them elitist hipsters, he claims they speak English as a kind of code, so that those normal Germans cant understand them. Mr. Spahns grievance has only subjected him to ridicule (from the Latin ridiculum).
The recent events in Charlottesville do not, and should not, determine the reputation of this wonderful community.

I have lived in the Central Virginia area for over 10 years and have visited area businesses on many occasions with nothing but positive impressions.

If you want to know about the people of this community, visit the University of Virginia Medical Center. This is the perfect example of its people. You will encounter every conceivable race, color, creed, religion and extremely professional and compassionate individuals.

I have visited the UVa hospital on many occasions and have engaged the staff, on every level, in conversations about their jobs and love of the community.

It has saddened me that Charlottesville has been identified as the focal point of racism and violence. This could not be further from the truth. The politicians and media need to focus on the truth and their responsibility to the American people and, specifically, to the people of Charlottesville.

William C. Walker, Culpeper County
Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua was on a visit to China called on the Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi on August 22. The entire gambit of bilateral relations, regional, global issues, as well as the situation in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, were discussed.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China's continuing and firm support to Pakistan and vowed to further strengthen the all weather strategic cooperative friendship with Pakistan. He lauded Pakistan's contributions and great sacrifices made in the fight against terrorism, adding that the international community should fully recognize these efforts.

The Foreign Secretary, while underlining the importance of Pakistan-China friendship, reiterated Pakistan's support to China on all issues of its core interest. She said that the recent visit of Vice Premier Wang Yang on the occasion of 70th independence anniversary of Pakistan, had further solidified the time tested friendship between Pakistan and China.

Pakistan and China agreed to continue close consultations on efforts for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan and underscored the importance of the Trilateral Afghanistan-China-Pakistan Foreign Minister's meeting.

Source: the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing, China
(Photo/CGTN)

China is shaping up to be a world leader in the data policy area, which is expected to help the country boost its IT industry and compete globally, said the top executive of BSA-the Software Alliance, the world's leading software industry trade group.

Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of the Software Alliance, said as there is no international consensus on the issue of data distribution, it would be beneficial for the industry if China takes on a leadership role.

"Big data technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence  none of these things are possible unless data can move 'round in the world," she said. "China's IT industry has experienced impressive growth in recent years. And I think this is the moment for China to be a leader in this area."

Operating in more than 60 countries globally, the US-headquartered alliance pioneered compliance programs to promote legal software use and foster public polices for technology innovation. Working with governments and public stakeholders globally, its policy team supports companies dealing with digital issues, including data privacy, data security and intellectual property.

Having operated in China for 20 years, the alliance said it would work with the nation in digital trade, security policy and intellectual property issues, aiming to create an environment in which all companies can compete equally.

According to Espinel, there is a need for deeper big data cooperation globally, as it will help set up a system to collectively benefit from the data economy and prevent cybercrime and protect privacy, as well.

"My suggestion for China is to try to be as global as possible. It would be really helpful that China can bring in as much expertise from other parts of the world to get a global perspective in data research and application."

The Expo Center during the opening of the Big Data Expo, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China, May 26, 2017. (Photo/Xinhua)

Big data technology is playing an increasingly significant role in boosting global economic growth. It is expected that big data technology will boost global GDP by more than two percent year-on-year through 2020, Bai Chunli, president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said during the China International Big Data Industry Expo in Guiyang, Guizhou Province, earlier this year.

"Big data technologies will involve various disciplines and industries. We should establish an international big data innovation organization, working together on setting regulations, research and development and the application of the new technologies," Bai said.

In 2016, China's core industry in the big-data sector attained a market value of 16.8 billion yuan (about 2.5 billion US dollars), a 45-percent increase from 2015, according to a recent survey by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. And the country is expected to grow big data industry sales to one trillion yuan by 2020.

The rapidly growing sector also means new challenges for the protection of confidential data and privacy.

Espinel said Chinese companies need not only appropriate regulations and policies to enable a better privacy environment but also to strengthen their awareness of cybersecurity.

She cited a study conducted by the association did previously, which said 57 percent of the surveyed chief information officers admitted that they did not do audits of company networks and have no idea of what is on the networks.
(File photo)

SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired three short-range projectiles into its eastern waters, Seoul's military said Saturday.

The DPRK launched several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off the country's northeast region from an area near Gitdaeryong in Gangwon province at about 6:49 a.m. local time (2149 GMT Friday), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Gangwon province borders South Korea's northeastern region.

The JCS said the projectiles flew about 250 km, but what the projectiles are was not immediately known. It said the military authorities of South Korea and the United States were jointly analyzing the test-firings.

According to Yonhap news agency report citing an unknown source, a total of three projectiles were test-launched.

The first and third projectiles traveled 200 km, and the second one exploded in the air immediately after taking off.

The test-firings were immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in who ordered the convening of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting of the presidential Blue House.

Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor to President Moon, chaired the meeting for about an hour earlier in the day.
Bengaluru: Encouraging the notion of a cashless economy, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said that large amounts of cash flowing in the economy have their own curses, most importantly being the factor that crime, corruption and terrorism thrive on.

"India is a cash user society. There are both economic and social costs involved in excessive use of cash. Cash has anonymity; ownership is not identified easily. While users are under risk, state suffers in terms of tax non-compliance. Crime, corruption and terrorism flourish on cash," said Jaitley, while speaking at the inauguration of Vijaya Bank's '100 digital villages, 100 branches, 100ATMs' initiative.

"The banking sector is undergoing a major change, with the advent of technology. There will soon be a time when banking will be a part of smartphones. However, transforming into a developed economy from a developing one would mean taking up the path of a cashless economy," he added.

Citing the impacts of the November 8 demonetisation drive, Jaitley noted that the move has led to the eradication of anonymity of ownership of cash, adding that it is bringing the economy more towards digitization. Further, he stated that with this move in place, there has been an expansion of the tax base.

Backing the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Jaitley said that the new tax regime will expand the base of indirect tax, as the temptation and possibility of cash dealings gets eliminated due to lack of benefit from input credit. This, Jaitley opined, is a self-correcting mechanism.

With the completion of three years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Jaitley said 300 million more people were included in the financial sector.

"When the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana was flagged off, 42 percent of Indians did not have a bank account. Three years after this, 300 million more people have been added to the financial sector. The next step is to identify the beneficiaries of such welfare schemes. The spread of financial inclusion and digitisation to the rural sector should be natural," he said.

"Incentivisation was necessary to financial inclusion. When bank accounts were opened, RuPay cards were provided to account holders. This will not only empower digitization, but will also help break the myth that the poor will not be able to tune themselves to technology, as cash is neither beneficial to an individual nor the country, as it is an insecure mode of payment. We must further popularise features similar to the RuPay card," said Jaitley.
New Delhi: Subscribers of retirement fund body Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) heading for foreign postings can now apply online for certificate of coverage (CoC) to avoid deductions for social security cover abroad.

The EPFO has done away with the manual application for the CoC by its subscribers who have been posted abroad by their employers, a senior EPFO official said. The online facility for applying for CoC was started earlier this month as part of the governments Digital India initiative, the official said.

The CoC is required for all those employees going abroad for assignments or posting done by their employers. It helps EPFO subscribers to avoid deductions from their pay on account of mandatory social cover provided to workers under the legal framework of the country where they are posted.

The EPFO had issued 20,022 CoCs to its subscribers during 2016-17. At present, India has social security agreement with 18 countriesNetherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Luxembourg, France, South Korea, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Austria, Finland, Japan, Canada, Australia, Norway, Singapore and Hungary.

The social security agreement provides for detachment, totalisation and portability. Under the detachment clause, the employees of one country deputed by their employers to other country for short-term assignments are exempted from social security contributions up to a period of 60 months.

The international workers of these countries posted in India are not required to make mandatory contribution towards social security schemes run by the EPFO in India. Employees from these countries need to produce the CoC stating that they are covered under such social schemes in their country and get exemption from contribution to EPFO schemes.

Similar privilege is enjoyed by Indian employees posted in these 18 countries with whom it has signed social security agreements. However, there are a large number of countries with whom India has not inked any social security agreements. Therefore, workers from these countries are required to subscribe to EPFO schemes and sometime they make such mandatory contributions in their country as well.
Mumbai: US' premier spy agency, the CIA, is deploying tools provided by technology firm Cross Match Technologies for cyber spying that, as a result, may have compromised India's vast Aadhaar data bank, according to a report in The Times of India. So far, the Unique Identification Authority of India, that issues these biometric-based cards, has allotted Aadhaar to around 115 crore Indians.

Cross Match Technologies is a US-based technology solutions firm that provides support to the CIA. Interestingly, CMT also shares its biometric solutions with the UIDAI, nodal agency for Aadhaar. According to the report, CMT's this common thread gives a further push to the claims of possible data leakage.

Officials concerned in India have vociferously denied any such data theft by any agency in the world, the report further said. The news comes in just days after India's apex court overwhelmingly ruled in favour of privacy rights. The latest judgement that overruled top court's earlier stands on the issue has once again ignited debate around right to privacy, gay sex and food choices.

On Thursday, WikiLeaks published a release on its Twitter handle that claimed CIA uses a secret 'Express Lane' program to steal biometric data of its partner agencies. According to the WikiLeaks, that claims to have accessed the secret documents of Express Lane project, the CIA conducts cyber operations against liaison services.

RELEASE: CIA 'Express Lane' system for stealing the biometric databases of its 'partner' agencies around the world. https://t.co/8FefOS2Ljl pic.twitter.com/LPwlAd0Tgr

This is not the first time that a report about Aadhaar data theft has surfaced. Earlier this month, the government had revealed it has deactivated more than 81 lakh Aadhaar cards suspecting them of being fake. In July, reports said more than a million Aadhaar card data were compromised in Jharkhand due to a programming error that occurred on state's social security website.

In the past as well, similar breaches had occurred in the eastern Indian state that had exposed personal data details of family of M S Dhoni, who was then the captain of the Indian cricket team. Uncovering of any such sensitive data diffuses personal details as name, address, Aadhaar and bank account numbers.
Mumbai: The Supreme Courts ruling that individual privacy is a fundamental right has shaken up the premises of the Aadhaar Act, the effect of which can be felt on the Aadhaar-PAN linkage.

In a bid to check tax evasion, the Finance Ministry had mandated the linkage of the 12-digit unique number with PAN to file income tax returns. The deadline for doing so is August 31. With the deadline looming around the corner, the Supreme Courts order has left taxpayers in confusion.

SCs landmark judgement on privacy however raised a number of questions regarding the validity of Aadhaar and its linkage with various other entities in our lives like government subsidies and services, including filing I-T returns.

Moreover, this discussion about Aadhaar, privacy and personal data has once again raised questions about the safety of our biometric details. Data breaches have happened in the past as far as Aadhaar is concerned. This has put citizens in a conflict whether they should or should not quote their Aadhaar details for everything from gas to income tax.

However, the CEO of UIDAI Ajay Bhushan Pandey clarified on Thursday that the deadline of August 31 for PAN-Aadhaar linking will remain. The Supreme Court judgement has not said anything about the Aadhaar Act, so the Aadhaar Act is a valid Act passed by the Parliament (and) is the law of the land", Pandey said.

The Aadhaar Act further specifies that the government may mandate the quoting of the unique number for availing a host of government subsidies and services. According to Pandey, this will continue.

Therefore to enable the smooth processing of tax returns, one must ensure their Aadhaar and Pan are linked by August 31. However, if one wants to wait till the apex body takes a call on the Aadhaar Act, they may face certain tax ramifications.
Lutein which is found in avocados, is a pigment commonly found in fruits and vegetables that accumulates in the blood, eye and brain and may act as an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant. (Photo: Pixabay)

Washington: Consuming one avocado daily may significantly improve the working memory and problem-solving skills in older adults, a study claims.

In the study, 40 healthy adults aged 50 and over, who ate one fresh avocado a day for six months, experienced a 25 per cent increase in lutein levels in their eyes and improved cognitive function.

Lutein is a pigment commonly found in fruits and vegetables that accumulates in the blood, eye and brain and may act as an anti-inflammatory agent and antioxidant.

Researchers from Tufts University in the US monitored gradual growth in the amount of lutein in the eyes and progressive improvement in cognition skills as measured by tests designed to evaluate memory, processing speed and attention levels.

In contrast, the control group which did not eat avocados experienced fewer improvements in cognitive health during the study period.

"The study suggests that the monounsaturated fats, fibre, lutein and other bioactives make avocados particularly effective at enriching neural lutein levels, which may provide benefits for not only eye health, but for brain health," said Elizabeth Johnson, from Tufts University.

"The results of this new research reveal that lutein levels in the eye more than doubled in subjects that consumed fresh avocados, compared to a supplement," said Johnson, lead investigator of the study published in the journal Nutrients.

These findings are based on the consumption of one whole avocado each day (369 microgrammes lutein).

Additional research is needed to determine whether the results could be replicated with consumption of the recognised serving size of one-third of an avocado per day, researchers said.
When healthy, our microbiomes look alike, but when stressed each one of us has our own microbial snowflake (Photo: Pixabay)

Washington DC: The bacterial communities that live inside everyone are quite similar and stable during happy times, but when stress enters the equation, those communities can react differently in every person, finds a recent study.

Researchers from Oregon State University in Corvallis, U.S. suggested that has key implications for a more personalised approach to antibiotic therapy, management of chronic diseases and other aspects of medical care.

"When microbiologists have looked at how microbiomes - a microorganism, especially a bacterium causing disease or fermentation - change when their hosts are stressed from any number of factors - -temperature, smoking, diabetes, for example -- they've tended to assume directional and predictive changes in the community," said corresponding author Rebecca Vega Thurber.

It turns out that this observation also applies to perturbed microbiotas of humans and animals.

Lead author Jesse Zaneveld of the University of Washington-Bothell collaborated with Vega Thurber and her student, Ryan McMinds, to survey the literature on microbial changes caused by perturbation.

"When healthy, our microbiomes look alike, but when stressed each one of us has our own microbial snowflake," she said.

The team explained that when two people put under the same stress, and their microbiomes will respond in different ways - that's a very important facet to consider for managing approaches to personalized medicine.

Stressors like antibiotics or diabetes can cause different people's microbiomes to react in very different ways.

Humans and animals are filled with symbiotic communities of micro-organisms that often fill key roles in normal physiological function and also influence susceptibility to disease.

Predicting how these communities of organisms respond to perturbations -- anything that alters the systems' function -- is one of microbiologists' essential challenges.

Studies of microbiome dynamics have typically looked for patterns that shift microbiomes from a healthy stable state to a dysbiotic stable state; dysbiosis refers to the microbial communities being out of their natural balance, which can result in the interruption of basic biological functions for the host person or animal.

The findings are published in journal of Nature Microbiology.
Moin Akhtar Qureshi was arrested late on Friday night in New Delhi after he was called for questioning in the case. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe against him and others, was sent to ED custody till August 31 by a Delhi court on Saturday.

The order was passed by Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj after the ED sought his custody for 14 days to interrogate him.

Qureshi was arrested late on Friday night in New Delhi after he was called for questioning in the case.

The meat exporter has been arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Qureshi has been questioned multiple times in the past by the agency which is probing him after it had registered two FIRs under the PMLA.

In the latest FIR against him in 2017, former CBI Director A P Singh has also been named.

The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was booked by the ED in 2015, based on an Income Tax prosecution complaint.

The meat exporter is facing investigation by the I-T department and the CBI for alleged tax evasion, money laundering and corruption among others.
The 600-yr-old antique idol recovered from AP based business man after he tried to sell it at Kulsumpura on Thursday

Hyderabad: The Commissioners Taskforce nabbed an AP-based businessman who was trying to sell a 600-year-old antique idol in Kulsumpura. Police said the idol belonging to the Sri Krishna Devaraya period was worth Rs 1 crore in the international market. Police identified the arrested man as Neelakanti Venkateswara Rao.

Police said that one Srinivas Rao from Vizianagaram district informed Venkateswara Rao that he had an antique idol on Dwara Palakudu (Ashtadhatu) belonging to the 15th century and asked him to sell it and offered a 40 per cent commission.

Venkateswara Rao searched for buyers at Vijayawada, Vizianagaram and other areas in AP but could not find one. Later, he decided to sell the idol in Hyderabad.

About three months ago, he came to Hyderabad along with the idol and stayed at his friends house in Nagole and started searching for customers.

After some days he kept the idol at his friends house and went back to Vijayawada, police said.

On Thursday he came back to Hyderabad, took the idol from his friends house and came to Kulsumpura to sell it. Receiving information about this, taskforce sleuths nabbed him and recovered the idol.

Inquiries revealed that the idol belongs to the Sri Krishnadevaraya dynasty and is worth around Rs 1 crore in the international market, taskforce DCP B. Limba Reddy said. The idol and the suspect were handed over to Kulsumpura police.
BENGALURU: In a searing indictment of the plight of children from the poorer strata of society who come from broken homes and are preyed on by men with little conscience, a five-year-old girl, was brutally raped by a 33-year-old daily wage worker a few days ago in Balaji Nagar in Thalaghattapura, and died during treatment at St. Johns Hospital in the early hours of Saturday.

The child victim was allegedly tortured, beaten up and not given proper food by her primary care-giver, a 45-year-old woman, Chandana, a domestic servant, and friend of the victim's mother, a sex worker. Chandana was taking care of the five year old over the last two months after the child's 21-year-old mother had abandoned her.

The accused, Mallikarjun, a friend of Chandana, visited her regularly and often touched the victim inappropriately. Some days ago when Chandana was out at work, Mallikarjun entered her house, raped the girl and fled the spot.

The girl complained of stomach ache and was taken to various private clinics by the victim's mother and Chandana. The two women told the doctors that the child was feeling sick because of low haemoglobin count. On August 16, doctors at Vijayashree Hospital briefed her mother about the sexual assault and she filed a POCSO complaint at the Talaghattapura police station on August 17. Both Mallikarjun and Chandana were arrested the next day and are in judicial custody.

The child was shifted to St. John's Hospital on August 17. She first responded to treatment, but on Friday night her condition worsened and she died on Saturday.

DCP (South) Dr S.D. Sharanappa said that the exact day of the incident was not known as the victim could not recall it when her statement was video-recorded. She named Mallikarjun and confirmed that he was touching her inappropriately. The DCP denied media reports that the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital denied treatment to the victim.

A police source said that the victim and her mother moved from Kodagu to Bengaluru three months ago after the victim's father died. The mother is working as a domestic help at a number of homes.
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Jorg G. Bucherer, representing the third generation of the Bucherer family at the helm of the company, attended the inauguration of the boutique:  It fills me with pride and joy to be able to continue my familys legacy around the world while also honoring that same heritage here at home.  CEO Sascha Moeri was thoroughly pleased with the result:  As a Swiss watch manufacturer that has a very deep connection to Lucerne, opening our new boutique here is a very special and unique event.  Li Bingbing, Global Brand Ambassador of Carl F. Bucherer, traveled to Lucerne for the inauguration and spent a week getting to know the city and enjoying the region.





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The snatchers approached her from behind and grabbed her three tola gold chain and sped away (Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Bike borne chain-snatchers robbed three women a day before Ganesh Chaturthi in different areas under Rachakonda Commissionerate and looted around five tolas of gold. The snatchers succeeded in two locations but failed in the third one.

Police said in P&T colony in Saroornagar police station limits, Vijayalakshmi, 39, was returning home after purchasing vegetables. The snatchers approached her from behind and grabbed her three tola gold chain and sped away. In the other incident in Vaishalinagar in Champapet under Saroornagar police station, R. Lakshmi, 50, was robbed while she was on way home from the vegetable market.

Police susupects the snatchers in two cases to be the same as both the incidents happened within two hours and the spots were just two kilometers apart.
Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a helicopter in which he was flown from Panchkula to Rohtak town to lodged in jail on Friday. (Photo: Youtube Screengrab | Chankesh Rao)

Sirsa: Haryana Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh Salwara was on Saturday sacked after he reportedly carried luggage of Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Ram Rahim Singh.

Ram Rahim Singh, a self-styled godman, was moved to a prison in Haryana's Rohtak after he was found guilty of raping two women followers in 2002.

The rape convict will be lodged in a special cell and an assistant will stay with him throughout.

Pictures of him being given special treatment were doing the rounds in the media.

On Friday afternoon, he made a dramatic entry into court, driving 250 kilometres from his headquarters in Sirsa, in a bulletproof car, accompanied by a convoy of 200 cars.

After being arrested Ram Rahim Singh was taken to Rohtak by a helicopter. Pictures showed a woman, carrying a bag and luggage, accompanying him.
Cross firing was going on in Pulwama till last reports came in. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Srinagar: Two policemen were killed at District Police Lines building in Pulwama on Saturday where an encounter is underway.

One policeman was killed at the DPL building fighting terrorists, the other succumbed to his injuries at a hospital, according to ANI.

Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and two policemen were also injured in a predawn militant attack.

The injured personnel have been taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

According to ANI, terrorists have been localised into two blocks.

Efforts are on to evacuate people and intermittent firing on.

The militants opened fire on DPL Pulwama at around 4:30 am, a police official said.

He said the security forces retaliated and cross firing was going on till last reports came in.

Extra forces have been rushed to the area, he added.
Cross firing was going on in Pulwama till last reports came in. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Srinagar: One of the three heavily armed militants who stormed the District Police Lines (DPL) of the Jammu and Kashmir police in southern Pulwama towns on Saturday morning has been killed in a fierce gun battle, which is underway within the premises.

Earlier two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and a Jammu and Kashmir police man were killed and six others were injured in the pre-dawn fidayeen attack at the DPL, 32-km south of in Srinagar.

Inspector General of Police (Kashmir range) Munir Ahmad Khan said that the identity of the slain militant is being ascertained, but added that he appeared to be a foreign national-most probably a Pakistani.

Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) has claimed the responsibility for carrying out the attack. A man who introduced himself as the JeM spokesman Hassan Shah telephoned Srinagar-based news agency CNS to say our valiant Mujahideen stormed the CRPF camp located within the District Police Lines at Pulwama and inflicted casualties upon the armed forces. He added, The Indian armed forces have suffered huge damage while the mujahideen are giving them a tough time.

The officials said that three of the nine security personnel injured in the initial militant attack and subsequent exchange of fire succumbed in hospital or while being shifted there.

Hundreds of Jammu and Kashmir and CRPF officers and jawans were stationed at the DLP when the militants forced their entry into it at 4.30 am.

After forcing their entry into the premises, the terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing and also tossed hand grenades, said a senior police official. The injured security personnel have been admitted to Srinagars 92-Base Army Hospital.

The reinforcements from the J&K polices counterinsurgency Special Operations Group (SOG), the CRPF and the Army rushed to the area and launched a massive operation to flush out militants, the police sources said.

Khan said that all security personnel and other staff and their families trapped inside a building at the DPL were evacuated.

The police denied a hostage situation has occurred at the scene of fighting.

All the families have been evacuated. There is no hostage situation in the ongoing encounter at the DPL (Pulwama), a brief statement issued to the media by the Jammu and Kashmir police said.

Reports said that the militants took up positions in two buildings and were engaged in a gun battle by the security forces.

Reports from Pulwama also said that loud explosions were heard amid exchange of gun fire. Two quarters within the premises were in flames as reports last came in. But Khan said that one of the buildings within the DPL caught fire due to a cylinder blast after heavy exchange of fire.

While the encounter was underway, surging crowds clashed with security forces in the Pulwama town. The witnesses said that groups of youth chanting pro-freedom slogans took to the streets at several places in Pulwama and started hurling rocks at the security personnel who retaliated by bursting teargas canisters.

Meanwhile, the gunmen attacked an Army Caspar vehicle with a rifle grenade at Hygam on the outskirts of north-western town of Sopore on Friday night, the official said. No casualties were reported, however.
AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran said all those MLAs supporting him will teach a lesson to those who want to evict party's General Secretary VK Sasikala. (Photo:

Chennai: All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham (AIADMK) leader TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday said all those MLAs supporting him will teach a lesson to those who want to evict party's General Secretary VK Sasikala.

"They (EPS-OPS faction) cannot buy the MLAs. The MLAs with me want to teach a lesson to those who want to evict General Secretary VK Sasikala," Dhinakaran told media.

The support for Dhinakaran is steadily rising with another AIADMK MLA jumping on board.

Over the last two days, two more MLAs of the AIADMK have pledged support to Dhinakaran taking the strength of his camp to 21.

MLA VT Kalaiselvan from Virudhachalam is the latest AIADMK leader to pledge his support to Dhinakaran.

The anger within the EPS over its merger with O Panneerselvam camp was evident as the MLA publicly chided the Chief Minister for his decision.

Support as well as strength in the Edappadi Palanisamy-Panneerselvam camp is dwindling by the day even as the duo struggles to keep its flock together.

In the given scenario, Palanisamy is sure to lose a floor test if asked to prove majority.

While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress have been urging the Tamil Nadu Governor to direct Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy to prove his majority in the House, no decision on the same has been taken yet.

Governor C Vidyasagar Rao is expected to return to Tamil Nadu shortly, after which he is likely to ask Palanisamy to take a floor test.

This would be the second time in six months that the State Assembly would witness a floor test if asked by the Governor.

Meanwhile, 19 MLAs backing Dhinakaran continue to be lodged at a hotel in Puducherry where they moved into on Friday after vacating a resort.
Haryana Chief Secretary D S Dhesi also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15-year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Chandigarh: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's 'Z-plus' security cover was withdrawn after his conviction in a rape case, Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh Dhesi said here on Saturday.

He also denied any special treatment being given to the Dera chief in a Rohtak jail after being held guilty in a 15-year-old rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday.

"The moment he was arrested yesterday, his 'Z plus' security cover stood automatically withdrawn," Dhesi told a press conference here.

"He is being treated as an ordinary prisoner. It was reported that he was being on air conditioner, there is nothing like that. As far as food is concerned, he is served the same food which other prisoners have," he added.

Besides, the security personnel drawn from the Haryana Police, he was accompanied by his private commandos when he arrived in Panchkula in a carcade from Sirsa to appear before the court. After his conviction, he has been lodged in a jail at Sunaria in Rohtak.

Earlier, Haryana Director General of Police (Jails) K P Singh had also denied any special treatment being extended to the high-profile convict.

"No special treatment is being given to him. He is being treated like any other ordinary prisoner. An ordinary prisoner sleeps on floor and he too is doing the same," the DGP (Jails) told reporters at a separate venue.

He said four jail officials have been deployed near his barrack to monitor his activities. When asked about the challenges the jail authorities may face due to presence of a high-profile prisoner, he said to keep him secure inside jail would no doubt be a challenge.

"That is why we have made an arrangement inside the jail to ensure that no other prisoner harms him. Outside the jail, we have requested the local administration to secure area and have adequate security arrangement," he said.

Asked about the number of visitors the Dera chief would be meeting him in the jail, Singh said every prisoner can give names of five persons whom he wants to meet, and he will also be allowed to meet them only like any other ordinary prisoners.

Paramilitary forces have been deployed in large numbers outside the Sunaria jail.

Read: Dera violence: DCP suspended, Army in Sirsa ahead of Rahim sentence

Meanwhile, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar asked the people to maintain peace and not to believe rumours. He also said that their endeavour was to ensure that Rohtak district and Sunaria jail remains secure.

A CBI special court at Panchkula convicted the Dera chief on Friday. The court would pronounce the quantum of sentence on August 28.

Immediately after his conviction, followers of the Sirsa based Dera went on rampage and clashed with security personnel in which 31 people died while around 250 injured.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that 1.04 crore saris would be distributed among women older than 18 who hold white ration cards. The saris will be distributed free for three days from September 18 ahead of the Bathukamma festivities.

Mr Rao said this decision would benefit women from poorer sections besides weavers, after reviewing the scheme with officials at Pragathi Bhavan.

Officials have identified 1,04,57,610 beneficiaries who will be eligible for the scheme.

Mr Rao said the saris were being purchased from powerloom and handloom sectors to support the weavers and workers.

All those possessing ration cards as on August 1 are eligible to avail the benefit. In case a beneficiary cannot come to the distribution centre for any reason, her family members can take it on her behalf by showing ID card like Aadhaar or EPIC.

People in Telangana celebrate Bathukamma and Dasara cutting across religious and caste lines. This is a state festival. Bathukamma festival is an integral part of Telangana life and culture. This festival is a symbol of family relationships. The state government has decided to distribute saris on this occasion to enable people to celebrate the festival with more enthusiasm. We have distributed clothes to Muslims on Id-ul-Fitr and Christians on Christmas. For Bathukamma festival, we have decided to gift saris to all poor women, he said.

The plight of workers dependent on handloom and powerloom sectors is pathetic. Due to lack of work, some workers have even committed suicide. The government is trying to change this situation. We are purchasing saris from them, as it would provide jobs. This would create employment, which in turn gives confidence, he said.

Chief Secretary S.P. Singh held a video conference with collectors to work out the modalities.
According to the norms, the agency re-registers the FIRs of the state police but is free to come out with its conclusion which is summed up in its final report - a charge sheet or a closure report.

New Delhi: The CBI has taken over the probe into the Srijan scam in Bihar, in which government funds worth about Rs 1,000 crore were allegedly diverted to the accounts of a non-government organisation. The Central probe agency has registered 10 FIRs in the case, which was being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police.

The CBI took over the investigation after the Bihar government referred the case to it. According to the norms, the agency re-registers the FIRs of the state police but is free to come out with its conclusion which is summed up in its final report - a charge sheet or a closure report.

The FIRs have been registered against Manorama Devi, director of Srijan Mahila Vikash Samilti (the NGO), other officials of the organisation and bank officials, sources said.

They said the agency has received the reference from the Centre to take over the investigation and necessary documents have been received from the Bihar government. The Bihar Police had issued a lookout notice against the secretary of Srijan, Priya Kumar and her husband for allegedly swindling over `950 crore of government money in Bhagalpur.

Priya Kumar is the daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi, the founder of the NGO.

Manorama Devi died early this year after which the NGO was being run by Priya Kumar and Amit Kumar, son of Manorama Devi, state government officials had said.
HYDERABAD: G. Adarsh, a Class 6 student, collapsed at the Delhi Public School, Nadergul, as he was climbing the stairs to reach his classroom on the second floor and died at a hospital on Saturday.

Doctors said it was a case of heart attack. Police said he had won the third position in an inter-school singing competition held at DPS, Mahindra Hills. The 60 students of DPS Nadergul, who participated in the event, returned to the school after school hours at 3.45 pm.

Adarsh informed his friend that he will return with his school bag but he collapsed as he was taking the stairs. Guards alerted the school officials who rushed him to Amma Hospital nearby after alerting his parents. He was shifted to an ambulance midway and the student reached the hospital with a very low pulse.

A hospital official said the student had started responding to treatment. He was then shifted to Kamineni Hospital for better treatment.

Incident filmed on CCTV: School

At Kamineni Hospital, doctors tried to revive him but he was dead by then. Doctors said he could have died of a heart attack

Mr Balath Raj, administrative officer of DPS, Nadergul, dismissed repor-ts that Adarshs parents had not been informed, and that the student was taken to the hospital on a two-wheeler.

We have CCTV footage to show the sequence of even-ts. We have asked the police to confirm after watching the footage, he said.

He said the school officials had tried administering first aid on Adarsh as soon as he collapsed. This is Adarshs second year in the school. Adarsh's father G. Ravinder, a farmer, has signed papers to donate his son's eyes to LV Prasad Eye Hospital.

Based on a complaint from Mr Ravinder, the Adibhatla police has registered a case of suspicious death. We are verifying all angles. Based on the evidence, we will proceed,said Adibhatla inspector R. Govinda Reddy Sai.
New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday ruled out the possibility of sacking Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar despite his failure to contain the violence in the state following the conviction and arrest of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday.

Pressure was being mounted on the saffron central leadership in the wake of the violence unleashed by the cult leaders supporters which left 36 dead and several injured.

In a meeting chaired by the BJP chief Amit Shah with BJP general secretary Haryana state unit Dr Anil Jain and senior leader Kailash Vijaivargiya, it has been decided that Mr Khattar will not be removed or summoned to Delhi for any clarifications.

The decision was taken as removing Mr Khattar would have provided a major political handle to the Opposition, particularly Congress in the state.

The Prime Minister has made it clear that the party must not buckle under pressure to replace the Chief Minister, a senior party official claimed.

Mr Khattar, a first-time MLA whose selection for the post of Chief Minister had raised many eyebrows in the party had earlier been accused of messing up things during the arrest of Baba Rampal and the Jat agitation.

After these two incidents when the Khattar administration came under fire, demands were raised from within the BJP to replace him. However, the top brass of the party rejected the demands.

It was also learnt that a section in the party warned that replacing Mr Khattar could open up a can of worms since almost all the top saffron leadership including Chief Ministers were close to the cult leader. In fact Gurmeet Ram Rahim was also invited Delhi to attend a function organised by the Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari.

Gurmeet Ram Rahims Dera Sacha Sauda with a strength of nearly one crore followers, mainly Dalit Sikhs, spread across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan was being wooed by the BJP before the 2014 general elections, sources said.

Before the 2014 elections, the cult had openly announced their support for the BJP.

Top BJP leaders ranging from Ms Vasundhara Raje, Kailash Vijayvargiya, Manoj Tiwari and Mr Khattar and a number of BJP Haryana ministers have been known to be close to the godman.
An 82-year-old man from Kafr El-Sheikh governorate died of acute circulatory failure while in hospital

Egypt's health ministry said Saturday that an Egyptian pilgrim died of natural causes during the annual hajj season in Saudi Arabia, raising the number of Egyptians who died of natural causes to nine, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

An 82-year-old man from Kafr El-Sheikh governorate died of acute circulatory failure while in hospital.

On Friday, two women in their sixties died of heart failure and circulatory failure.

Deaths from heat exhaustion, fatigue and other natural causes are a common occurrence among pilgrims on the hajj in Saudi Arabia.

Last year, 43 Egyptians died of natural causes during the pilgrimage.

Saudi authorities say more than two million Muslims are expected to participate in this year's hajj, which starts next week.

More than 1.4 million Muslims have so far arrived in the kingdom.

Around 80,000 Egyptian pilgrims are expected to perform the hajj this year, Egyptian officials said.

All Muslims who are able are required to complete the pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.

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Hussainsagar lake overflows as the flood gates of the lake were opened due to heavy rains on Saturday. (Photo: DC)

Hyderabad: Creating a panic among people, the Hussainsagar lake swelled up in the early hours of Saturday due to the heavy rains. The Hussainsagar lake crossed the full tank level at 513.53 feet, leading to sudden increase in water level by a big margin of over 2 feet.

Officials said that the inflow was at a staggering level of 3,200 Cusecs from the five major drainages at Kukatpally, Malkapur, Picket, Panjagutta and Begumpet, which bring in water from across 244 square kilometre.

Though the water level dipped to 513.51 feet by Saturday evening, it was still above the prescribed limit of 513.41 feet.

Officials from irrigation department of GHMC said that all the major lakes in the city are overflowing. The lakes in Lingampally, Kukatpally, Tirumalgiri, Bala Nagar and Malkajgiri are full. The authorities have put these areas on alert as the lakes have been flowing into roads.

They, however, stated that there was no reason to panic as the inflow to Hussainsagar lake has fallen to 500 Cusecs on Saturday night.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan chats with finance minister Thomas Isaac during the inauguration of the seminar on opportunities and challenges in public infrastructure financing in Thiruvannathapuram on Saturday. SEBI board member G. Mahalingam is also seen. (Photo: A.V. MUZAFAR)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Additional chief secretary and Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board CEO Dr K.M. Abraham claimed that land acquisition was the only thing that stands in the way of the success of the KIIFB experiment.

But Dr Abraham seems not to have reckoned with the investors instinct for self preservation, especially of those from foreign shores. With the state government categorically ruling out investor-pleasing measures like user fee or toll, the Rs 50,000 crore mountain of investment that finance minister Dr Thomas Isaac has set as the target for KIIFB in the next five years now looks like a tortuous climb.

Mr Sanjeev Kaushik, the CEO and managing director of India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited, gave Isaac and Abraham a reality check. These foreign lenders come in expecting 9-18 per cent returns. No infrastructure project in the country can provide such a return, he said. Mr Kaushik was here to take part in the seminar organised by KIIFB on Opportunities and Challenges in Public infrastructure Financing here on Saturday. This leaves the KIIFB in a highly vulnerable situation as nearly 60 per cent of its projects are socially relevant ones like roads or cathlabs or schools or irrigation canals that belong to the zero return category.

It is not as if there is no capital itching to fly in. In fact, investors are waiting for a call with their money bags at the ready. Mr Prakash Rao, the executive director of National investment and Infrastructure Fund, spoke of sovereign wealth funds, the safety net money that rich countries especially in the Gulf have accumulated over the years thanks to favourable global trends. He said that sovereign wealth funds would swell to $50 trillion by 2050.

But these countries, like Saudi Arabia, have shown to be highly risk averse. They are looking only at assets that show a clear revenue flow, Mr Rao said. They will not fly into a blind pool of equity, is how Mr Kaushik put it.

Mr S Krishnan, Tamil Nadus planning principal secretary, suggested pay-for-use measures. Increasing prosperity drives demand as well as a willingness to pay, he reasoned. Mr Kaushik recommended the charging of user fee for infrastructure projects like airports and inland waterways. The LDF government has ruled out such politically sensitive measures but will be transferring a portion of motor vehicles tax and the whole of petroleum cess to the KIIFB kitty. There was also the suggestion that the state government, or at a later stage the KIIFB, could sell or monetise its stake in existing infrastructure projects where a cash flow has already been established, and channel the money into greenfield projects from which investors keep a distance. For instance, it would mean selling the states stake in the commercially viable Nedumbassery airport and use the money to promote a greenfield venture like the construction of, say, a light metro.

Foreign funds are costly, too. The landed cost of funds from multilateral lending agencies, because of the hedging that has to be done, is considerably higher, at 9.5 per cent, Mr Kaushik said. He said that India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited had to decline $300 million and $450 million from JICA and ADB recently as they had become uncompetitive.

Another issue is the shorter tenure of many of the financial instruments that the KIIFB is banking on like Alternative Investment Funds and Infrastructure Investment Trust (InVIT). Generally they have a tenure of three to five years, and at the most seven. This, when we are speaking about projects that have a gestation period of 15 to 30 years, said lawyer Somasekhar Sundareshan.

Such a grim prognosis prompted Prof Sushil Khanna of IIM (Calcutta) to wonder aloud whether there were no investors willing to lend at lower cost. KIIFB is about investing in social projects, and to expect returns of over 20 percent would be too much, Mr Khanna said. Prof Sris Chatterji of Fordham University referred to impact investing. It is about investing in areas that have significant social impact. Prof Chatterji said that there was an emerging class of investors who care for social impact along with financial returns. Somasekhar Sundareshan. He cited LifeSpring, a joint venture between impact investor Acumen and Hindustan Latex Ltd hat had created a string of small-sized hospitals across the state, as an example.
Bengaluru: The conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has taken a toll on his ashram in the city. The management employees have locked the ashram and gone away.

Ram Rahim had an ashram, 'Dhan Dhan Satguru Tera Hi Aasra', in the city, which was being run by four to five people. Since the judgement by a CBI court on Friday, the staff has locked the ashram and reportedly left for Haryana, their home state.

The ashram was being run for a few years in Rukmani Nagar in Peenya at a hall built on 60x40 ft plot. Though the 'Messenger of God' has very less number of devotees in the city, the ashram was set up mainly for those followers who have migrated to Bengaluru and are working here.

"Very few people in the city are his followers and Ram Rahim visited this ashram occasionally. He had no local followers and all were from Haryana and neighbouring states," the source said.

To avoid any untoward incidents after the judgement, DCP (North) Dr Chetan Singh Rathor had deployed two policemen at the ashram. But no untoward incident was reported till the staff left the ashram, following which the security was withdrawn.
Chennai: Expelled AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday harped on his sleeper cells in the ruling party and insisted these MLAs would come out in his support at the right time even as the tally of his legislators now went up from 19 to 21. More are on their way, he told reporters at Chennai and repeated the assertion later at Tiruppur.

While expressing confidence that Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao would take the right decision on the individual letters given by his 19 MLAs informing him that CM Edappadi K. Palaiswami had lost their confidence and he should be replaced, TTV said, These legislators are fighting for the protection of the party as well as the government. I am fighting along with them.

While CM Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam are themselves refraining from responding to the TTV broadside, two MPs from the ruling party have come out with their guns blasting at the Family.

While CM Palaniswami and his deputy O. Panneerselvam are themselves refraining from responding to the TTV broadside, two MPs from the ruling party have come out with their guns blasting at the Family. TTV is a blackmail party. He does not have much support. He can do nothing to hurt our government, said Tiruchi MP P. Kumar.

Cuddalore MP Arunmozhithevan sat along with three party legislators from the district to address a crowded press conference at hometown and allege that political brokers from TTV were trying to lure party MLAs with offers of money, cabinet posts or party positions. None of us will go to him; on the other hand, those with him now will soon realise their folly and come back to the mother camp for strengthening the party and the government of Amma , said Thevan.

Whos TTV to order these appointments and expulsions in our party? Hes been expelled by Amma long ago. He can launch his own party now and make all the appointments and expulsions he desires, he said, while lambasting Dhivakaran for proposing Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal for the CMs post replacing EPS. They are playing the dangerous game of caste politics, which Amma had always shunned, Thevan said.

Daring TTV to carry out a public survey on Sasikalas public acceptance as leader, he said, Even TTV knows she does not have peoples support as he himself kept her pictures out of his campaign posters during the RK Nagar by-election.
Hyderabad: TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday told his party leaders that the TRS will bag 15 of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state in 2019 general elections.

Mr Rao told them that the MIM will retain its Hyderabad seat while Union labour minister Bandaru Dattatreya will face a tough fight from the TRS in Secunderabad LS constituency to retain it.

According to a survey conducted for the TRS, the Congress which bagged two LS seats and the TD that had won one seat in 2014 elections, will be washed out.

Disclosing the results of the survey for Lok Sabha seats, Mr Rao reminded his party leaders that a similar survey conducted for Assembly seats a few days ago had revealed that the TRS will bag 101 of the 119 seats in the state, whenever elections are held.

The TRS president convened the partys plenary preparatory meeting at his camp office Pragati Bhavan on Saturday evening that was attended by all senior leaders, MLAs, MLCs and MPS.

The CM indicated that a fresh delimitation of Assembly segments would be commissioned this year after Parliament passes an Amendment increasing the number of Assembly seats from the 119 at present to 153.

He told the party leaders to be ready to convey their opinions to Delimitation Commission that will be constituted for this purpose.

The TRS chief also asked all legislators, ministers and party units right from village-level to the state-level to do Sramadan and earn money for the TRS annual plenary and public meeting slated in April.

He said he would also do Sramadan like earlier. Mr Rao had once done Sramadan and earned funds for the party when the TRS was in the Opposition.

Incidentally, this will be for the first time the party plenary and public meeting will not be held at the same location.

The plenary will be held in Hyderabad on April 21 to elect the party president while the public meeting will be held in Warangal on April 27. Mr Rao has told the party leaders that they need to mobilise 15 to 20 lakh people for the public meeting in Warangal.

Senior leader and home minister Nayani Narasimha Reddy has been appointed as Returning Officer for the election of party president for which nominations would be received from April 16 to 18.
Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu waves at his public reception at Amaravati as Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan look on. (Photo:DC)

Vijayawada: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said the state's development could have been beyond expectations if the bifurcation were done in 1972 during Jai Andhra Movement.

He said injustice was done to AP during bifurcation and that he fought for justice as he could not digest injustice being done to a region.

Speaking at a civic reception organised by the AP government, Mr Venkaiah Naidu he said although he had retired from politics, he was not tired of politics.

He hoped the Telugu states CMs would work in collaboration for the development of states and that the Opposition parties would be constructive. He said the felicitations accorded to him would help him remember his responsibilities and duties, while upholding the respect of the Telugus.
Hyderabad: BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav on Saturday said the party would fight the 2019 elections by itself to bag most Lok Sabha seats from the state and win a majority in the Assembly. He ruled out striking any alliances or seat adjustments with any political party.

Mr Madhav was addressing BJP workers as part of the nationwide campaign Sankalp se Siddhi announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his In-dependence Day address.

Mr Madhav and Union minister Nitin Gadkari have been deputed by the BJP central committee to address the party cadre in the state.

Mr Madhav said Sankalp se Siddhi was aimed at achieving specific objectives like eradication of corruption by 2022 and was not focused on electoral gains.

We will see the country without corruption, without terrorism and without any bias to any single community, caste or religion, he said.

Criticising AICC vice-president Rahul Gan-dhi for leaving for Norway, Mr Madhav said his frequent foreign trips were an indication that the Congress would not win the forthcoming state polls.

Pointing to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao extending support to Mr Modis initiatives on demonetisation and GST, Mr Madhav said it was a healthy sign in a demo-cracy and a good trend where an Opposition party cooperates with the Centre much before BJP CMs have reacted.

Taking on the MIM, he said the party had not shed its communal colour. MIM leaders always speak in support of terrorists, he alleged. He said the BJP would fight against these sections and parties supporting communal elements.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday told party legislators that he will ensure the TRS victory in more than 100 Assembly segments. Legislators need not worry about their re-election and should concentrate on people centric issues, he said

He was addressing the TRS Legislature Party, comprising MLAs, MLCs and MPs, at Telangana Bhavan on appointment of committees at the village, mandal and district levels for effective implementation of the special incentive of Rs 4,000 per acre per year to be provided by the government from next year.

Mr Rao asked legislators to ensure that ground level mechanisms were in place by appointing committees consisting of farmers for effective implementation of the scheme.

He also asked the legislators to focus on the new scheme of cleansing revenue records which will start on September 1 and be implemented in two phases up to the year end. Stay in your constituencies till the cleansing of records is done. Dont come to Hyderabad, he told the legislators.

Mr Rao said cleansing of revenue records which were free of disputes would be taken up in the first phase. He asked them to involve farmers belonging to all parties and not make it a TRS affair.

He said both revenue record cleansing and providing special assistance to farmers would bring a revolution across the state.

He told them to leave the partys electoral prospects to him as he was confident that the TRS would bag a minimum of 100 of the 119 Assembly seats in the state. It is my responsibility to get all of you re-elected. You concentrate on the people and their problems, Mr Rao said.
The Haryana government flouted high court directions, permitting lakhs of unruly elements to gather and hold large parts of North India at their mercy as the region descended into medieval-style chaos on Friday when lakhs of followers of the Haryana-based fraud godman Ram Rahim Singh of the Dera Sacha Sauda cult went on the rampage following his conviction for rape by a CBI court in Panchkula on the outskirts of Chandigarh. As many as 31 rioting cultists died in firing by the security forces and more than 300 sustained injuries. But Haryana Police watched passively as private buildings, vehicles on roads and media vans and personnel were attacked. Railway property was burned and attacked as far afield as Delhi.

Haryana and adjoining Punjab have been under a security lockdown since Friday morning. Section 144, which prevents the congregation of more than five persons at a time, has been clamped on parts of western UP and the national capital region, including Delhi, fearing the further spread of violence as the sentencing of Ram Rahim is to be done on Monday.

Fridays shaming episode, if comparisons can be made, leaves in the shade the 2007 events in Rawalpindi when armed followers of the Lal Masjid or the Red Mosque wreaked havoc on Pakistans most important garrison town. Political parties have historically pandered to the cult-gurus in North India as the latter have very large followings which can be converted into votebanks. The BJP has been especially solicitous of Ram Rahim, with Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar going to pay obeisance to him with his whole Cabinet after he, an RSS outsider, was chosen to head the state government by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally.

The PM also praised the fake godman for showing enthusiasm for the Swachchh Bharat campaign, unmindful of the fact that he had allegations of rape, murder and enforcing castration against him.

The Haryana government comprehensively failed in taking even the first steps to maintain law and order. It disregarded the injunction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take preventive steps to stop the godmans followers from gathering in huge numbers when the verdict was to be read out. After the Friday chaos the High Court was constrained to describe Ram Rahim being taken to jail as political surrender.

Two of the sadhvis who refused to be cowed down and doggedly pursued their rape case for over a decade, are to be admired, as are the CBI trial court judge and the high court judges for staying tough.

The Khattar government deserves to be dismissed for making a mockery of law and order. Haryana needs a spell of Presidents rule.
Triple talaq is not legal anymore, but this is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and can often leave a woman married according to her and divorced according to her husband.

The question now is how far will the government go in heading to the call of the judiciary. Was the judiciary trying to call out the PM and test him on his professed commitment to the empowerment of Muslim women?

There is much confusion in the public domain on exactly what the judgment of the Supreme Court on triple talaq means. Is triple talaq unconstitutional? It is illegal? Is it sinful? Or is it all of these? For a Muslim woman, these questions are meaningless, what she needs to know is can her husband pronounce triple talaq and instantly make her homeless and divorced?

The answer to that is a resounding no. Three judges of the Supreme Court have said it is illegal. The confusion arose from the judgment of Justice Khehar and Justice Nazir, who take the view that triple talaq is recognised by Islam and hence protected by the right to freedom of religion. This is a surprising conclusion but metrically, it is not the law of the land. Justice Kehar does record that Islam considers it sinful and in that light he directs the government to enact a law abolishing it within a period of six months and has injuncted Muslim men from giving triple talaq for that period. We will discuss this later, for now let us analyse the judgments of all five judges.

The most significant judgment is that of Justice Rohinton Nariman and Justice U.U. Lalit. They have been harbingers of the future by saying that the sharia law, which is now part of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, codified law can be challenged on the ground that it violates fundamental rights. They have held that triple talaq is manifestly arbitrary. Its arbitrariness lies in the fact that a wife can be turned out of the house after having invested time and emotion and after having borne children by one stroke of a pen and sometimes by WhatsApp or by uttering the words talaq, talaq, talaq. This they say is plainly unconstitutional. In doing so, the judges have made all family laws, which are codified, open to challenge on constitutional grounds of discrimination based on sex. They also held that the law permitting triple talaq is not protected by the right to religion, since the community itself says that it is a sinful practice.

Justice Kurian says, What is bad in theology, cannot be good in law and therefore holds triple talaq unlawful. That makes it three judges who take the view that triple talaq is unlawful. Then comes the judgment of Justice Khehar and Justice Abdul Nazeer. Theirs is a positively regressive judgment for it holds that not only is triple talaq part of Islam, but that it is also protected by the right to freedom of relation, since all personal laws are protected by right to religion. The CJI therefore washes his hands off the whole issue, throwing the ball in the court of Parliament, leaving it to the government to enact legislation. Since this is a minority view, it is not the law of the land. There is something intensely political about this judgment, which should not surprise us.

Firstly, the issue itself began as a political issue  a call by the ruling party for the abolition of triple talaq. It was a call that was in fact addressed to the judiciary as they knew that petitions were pending in court challenging it. To what extent did this call of the PM (as recently as on Independence Day) affect the judgment of the minority it is difficult to say, but to deny its impact is foolish. The question now is how far will the government go in heading to this call of the judiciary. Was the judiciary trying to call out the PM and test him on his professed commitment to the empowerment of Muslim women? Perhaps. Was the government using the courts to do its work for them, being worried about the political fallout of passing such as law by losing the Muslim vote? Perhaps. What is strange is that the government has already announced that it will not pass such a law for reasons unexplained.

There is a need for a statutory law on divorce for Muslim women since only one of the three forms of talaq was under challenge and the other two, which are also pronounced unilaterally but after an attempt as reconciliation remain to be tested for their validity. (Thethree forms of talaq: Talaq-e-Ahsan; Talaq Hasan (proper) and Talaq-e-Biddat. While first two forms are revocable within 90 days,Talaq-e-Biddat is irrevocable.) On the other hand, Muslim women have to file for divorce by approaching a court of law under the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act, 1939, on grounds such as cruelty and desertion. If Muslim women can access a civil secular court for a divorce, why should Muslim men be allowed a unilateral divorce? Perhaps the unworkability of striking down all three forms of divorce is what made the court stop short of declaring all three forms unconstitutional as being/manifestly arbitrary. Justice U.U. Lalit asked the Attorney-General, What if we strike down all three forms? To that his answer was:

You do it and we will bring a law. One wonders where the commitment of the Attorney General to bring a law went after the judgment.

There are too many unanswered questions. One thing is certain, triple talaq is not legal anymore and any woman whose husband pronounces it can claim that she is still a married woman, but this is an unsatisfactory state of affairs and can often leave a woman married according to her and divorced according to her husband, who can claim that he gave her a talaq ahsan. Its is time to enact a statutory, gender neutral law on Muslim divorce.

Read: Historic ruling a victim of votebank politics?

Shayara Bano, 36

She was married to Rizwan Ahmed in Allahabad, UP, in the year 2000. Shayara was at her parents house in Uttarakhand when her husband gave her triple talaq in October 2015. Thereafter, she approached the Supreme Court.

Victims plea

She urged the SC to declare the practice, which also includes nikah halala and polygamy, unconstitutional and illegal. She also sought framing of a strict law to deal with such cases.

Aafreen Rehman, 28

Aafreen, a postgraduate from Jaipur, met Syed Ashar Ali Warsi through a matrimonial portal, and subsequently got married in 2014. Her husband sent her divorce through a speed post as her in-laws asked her to leave the house.

Victims plea

She sought to abolish the triple talaq practice and direction to the government to make a stringent law. She said just after three months of her marriage, her in-laws started harassing her for dowry. She also accused them of domestic violence.

Ishrat Jahan, 31

A resident of Howra, Ishrat married her husband, Murtaza, in 2002. She alleged he always wanted a son, and though they had a son in 2014, he still divorced her in 2015 through a phone call from Dubai. She alleged he married another woman in Dubai.

Victims plea

Ishrat sought to get back her three daughters and son from her husband. She also asked for maintenance for their upbringing. She requested the court to declare the practice illegal.

Atiya, Sabri 28

Atiya married her husband Wajid Ali in 2012. The mother of two was given divorce through a letter in January. She was also hospitalised after her in-laws allegedly poisoned her.

Victims plea

She challenged the divorce in the Supreme Court, saying it violated her fundamental right. She said she hoped the court would listen to the agony of all the victims of the archaic practice.
Shoukry's three-country tour will start with Berlin, where he will meet German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel to discuss a number of regional issues, including the Middle East peace process

Egypts Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry will head to Berlin Sunday as part of a three-country tour to bolster bilateral ties, state news agency MENA reported Saturday.

Shoukry will spend a few hours in Germany where he will meet German counterpart Sigmar Gabriel to discuss a number of regional issues, including the Libyan crisis and the Middle East peace process.

The Egyptian foreign minister will then head to Belarus to meet with President Alexander Lukashenko and deliver a handwritten letter from President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to Lukashenko.

Shoukry will also meet with Belaruss foreign and trade ministers.

On 29 August, Shoukry will head to Bucharest to hand a letter from El-Sisi to Romanias President Klaus Iohannis.

The letter will stress Egypts keenness to bolster and develop its ties with Romania, especially in light of celebrating 110 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2016.

During the visit, Shoukry will sign three memorandums of understanding with Romanian officials regarding cooperation in the field of tourism, creating a mechanism for political dialogue between the two countries, and a mutual visa waiver to diplomatic passport holders from both countries.

Shoukry will also be a guest of honour in the annual meeting of Romanian ambassadors, where he is scheduled to give a speech.



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After the Supreme Courts historic judgment on triple talaq, when the haunting eyes of Shah Bano were being compared with Shayara Bano looking joyous and relieved, certain Twitter handles were predicting how Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expanded his support base to the nearly 90-million strong Muslim women of the country. And they might well be proved right.

Mr Modi is being hailed by his devoted supporters as the next social reformer after Raja Rammohan Roy, who had rallied against the centuries old Sati system and campaigned for widow remarriage in the 19th century.

And in political circles, more than the social implications of the apex courts verdict, its immediate political impact is being discussed, especially since the next Lok Sabha elections are less than two yeas away and the ruling BJP is already in election mode. The BJP and its supporters will sell the verdict as part of Mr Modis efforts to carve out a New India.

During the Uttar Pradesh elections, at off-the-record briefings there was lots of talk of how the BJP will get the support of Muslim women as the issue of triple talaq had erupted then and the party was going with the women. After the Assembly election verdict, many BJP leaders were heard saying how the party had managed to make inroads in the community, which was perceived to be anti-BJP and managed to win in Muslim-dominated constituencies, all thanks to the communitys womenfolk.

Blamed by political opponents for being anti-Muslim and playing the Hindutva card, BJP strategists consciously pitched the triple talaq issue as that of gender equality and gender justice and not about any faith or religion.

Seconds after news channels started beaming the Supreme Courts verdict, social media was buzzing with how Mr Modi and the BJP under Amit Shah have provided justice to Muslim women, who till now were victims of Islamic fundamentalism and appeasement politics. In his Independence Day speech too, Mr Modi said that the entire nation supports Muslim women battling the practise of triple talaq.

Though the BJP had been maintaining that the issue should not be politicised, comparisons were made between the Shah Bano case of the Eighties and that of Shayara Bano, divorced through triple talaq via Speed Post and the main petitioner in the triple talaq case. Saffron party supporters were bashing Congress, whose leader and the then PM Rajiv Gandhi brought a legislation to overturn the Supreme Courts judgment in Shah Banos case, restricting maintenance paid by the husband till iddat period only.

Cautious response from the BJPs opponents, including principle Opposition party, the Congress, are indication enough that the BJP has managed to score a point. In fact, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, whose core votebank includes Muslims, preferred not to react to the verdict at all.

In Bengal, the BJP has been trying to gain ground by highlighting the appeasement politics of the TMC government, which has been blaming the BJP for playing the communal card.

The verdict has also unsettled regional players, mainly SP, BSP and RJD, whose poll numbers largely depend on the Muslim vote bank. Regional parties had mostly kept away from the national debate on the issue.

The BJP, which had suffered because of the communal tag, has also been highlighting its efforts of inclusiveness and its slogan of development for all appeasement for none. And with the triple talaq verdict, the saffron strategists say, the party has acted on it. And its gains will be visible in the crucial electoral battle of 2019.

Assembly elections in key states, including Gujarat, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh are scheduled before 2019. Though polarisation does play a role in these states, the Muslim women of these states may well be getting ready to press the button with the kamal sign next to it. Because this time they may not follow the man in house but the man who stood by them, even if it was under the saffron flag.
About 15 years ago, the newspaper I was editing carried the transcript of a conversation between Salman Khan and Aishwarya Rai. This had been published also by another English daily. Its reporter J. Dey (who was later murdered) had sourced it from the Mumbai police.

The transcript carried a mention of Preity Zinta in a vulgar comment on her by Salman. Zinta was offended and filed a defamation case against me.

The case carried on for a few years till she dropped it. However, what was interesting was that the police claimed that they had not done the phone-tapping. The voices were clearly those of the actors and so the tape was authentic. So who had tapped them?

We still dont know. There are many other instances like this. Like the Tata tapes, about 20 years ago, in which an English daily claimed that the corporate organisation was being forced to pay extortion money to separatists in Assam. The private conversations of Nusli Wadia, Keshub Mahindra, Gen. Sam Manekshaw and Ratan Tata were recorded and leaked. By whom? We dont know.

All of these instances show that surveillance of Indian citizens by the government happens illegally without authorisation or supervision. Though these crimes became public, no official was charged with wrongdoing for the illegal surveillance.

Even the scale of legal surveillance in India is very large. A recent right to information application filed by A newspaper showed that the Union home secretary approved 10,000 phone taps a month. What is all this data being collected for? We are not told.

We do not have the safeguards and checks like other democracies. In the United States, the police must show evidence to a judge who has to authorise phone tapping, and that also is done with rigid conditions. That is lacking in India.

The lobbyist Niira Radias phones were tapped for months, and then, criminally, the conversations were leaked to the press. Even if there was no suggestion of a crime, people were smeared.

In India, the government can tap citizens and then deny it has done so, as in the cases mentioned above. Because of a lack of institutional process, the government has no control over the material gathered in surveillance, even if it is gathered legally (like in the Radia tapes). And there is no accountability.

This is the background to the judgment by the Supreme Court on the right to privacy. I have not got an Aadhaar card because I know the history of surveillance in India. Why should the government force me to hand over my biometric details to it? It is absurd.

As proof of identity, I have already a passport, a drivers licence, a PAN card, my landline telephone bill, my electricity bill, the documents of my house, and my voter identity card.

These are all valid forms of identity issued by the government. How many other things does it want from me and why? I have received noticed from Airtel and HDFC bank that my mobile phone and my bank account must be linked to Aadhaar. There are horror stories of children in school being forced to get Aadhaar before they are allowed to appear for exams.

Aadhaar has already been made compulsory for filing tax returns (I filed mine early to avoid this silly rule).

The governments supporters argue that if one has nothing to hide why resist registering under Aadhaar? My answer is that I dont want to because the governments safeguards are weak.

If the issue is that linking Aadhaar with bank accounts and PAN numbers can catch tax thieves better then I object. The civilised form of democracy assumes that people are innocent. Forcing everyone to link their biometric identity to their finances assumes everyone is guilty. This is unacceptable to me.

On April 8, 2014, Narendra Modi was campaigning in Bengaluru for the general election. He said he would scrap Aadhaar after winning.

Attacking Nandan Nilekani (who came up with the idea of Aadhaar) Mr Modi said: I want to ask him what crime you have committed that the Supreme Court had to rap your Aadhaar project?

Mr Modi added: For the first time, I want to tell publicly. I asked several questions on Aadhaar project. I asked them questions relating to illegal migrants and national security. They (the UPA government) did not have any answer.

From his position Mr Modi has totally reversed himself and forcing Aadhaar even on those who do not want it. Should he not explain why this reversal has happened? Of course he will not.

I met someone from an intelligence agency a few days ago. He said that there was a file on me which would have many details, much of which was gathered illegally. There must be thousands if not lakhs of such people the government is illegally spying on. Why should we enable this criminal activity by volunteering our details?

We must not, and the Supreme Court judgment has given hope that this compulsory enrolment of Aadhaar, linking our biometric identity to all aspects of our lives, will be stopped.
The historic ruling on Thursday, pushing India into a more just, equal and fair world,must be enthusiastically hailed by all. Thank you, CJI J.S. Khehar and eight other erudite colleagues, who unanimously freed India from the shackles of control and repression. Once again our judiciary has stepped in... and stepped up, to save us from an oppressive atmosphere. For that, citizens shall remain eternally grateful. While I dont want to be a damp squib and question the euphoria, a certain distance needs to be maintained to give us, the ordinary folks, the required time and space for reflection and absorption of what privacy as a fundamental right, actually means.

On a morning, when most newspaper headlines were gloating and crowing over the ruling, there were also a few bleats and blimps worth noting. Forget Amit Shahs petulant rant in his blog blaming the Congress for India not having a robust privacy law for decades. Forget the rather puerile efforts of political parties to appropriate the ruling and convert it into a win for their individual parties. This is not another BJP vs Congress dangal. It is a major victory for the people of India. We have run three legs of the 400 metre privacy relay very impressively. But the last and crucial leg remains.

I read a straightforward, no frills account of Neha Dhupia a day later, where she recounts being filmed by a co-passenger while she slept soundly on a flight. She also talked about random fans pulling her arms and demanding selfies. She is not the only known person at the receiving end of such attacks on her privacy. What does someone like her do? Her co-passenger happened to be a woman and Neha was upfront enough to take away the phone and delete the video. Not everyone is Neha. For most working women, an aggressive invasion of their privacy on a daily basis is an inescapable fact of life. They cant fight it effectively, without acquiring Nehas spirit and calling out the sadists. In India, we dont really know the difference between a private life forget private space, and the broader idea of privacy. Women are not entitled to a private life.

A woman who seeks it or  heaven help her  demands it, is considered forward, and asked why she needs a private life in the first place! What is she hiding? A married woman surrenders her rights to even a modicum of privacy when she sets foot in her marital home. I have heard enraged in-laws suspecting the brides character for not sharing her various codes and passwords  the ones needed to unlock her phone, access her bank lockers, operate her ATM account, not to forget her Facebook and other social media platforms. They say in sanctimonious terms, In our family, we dont believe in keeping secrets. What that actually means is that they want to openly pry and spy on their daughter-in-law.

The wider implications of the ruling have been thoroughly and comprehensively documented by legal luminaries and opinionated pundits from various disciplines. For me, the line that most impressed is this one: Criticism and critique lie at the core of democratic governance. Tolerance of dissent is equally a cherished value. Fantastic! Take that, you self-styled rakhshaks of our collective conscience. The point is, do these goons even know such a crucial-to-democracy ruling has been passed? I doubt it. And their political bosses will make sure the message doesnt go out, either. Which means, the lynchings, murders, kidnappings, threats and disappearances of those who dare to dissent, will continue. The lumpen dont care about this precious fundamental right, nor do they respect it. They are aware the worst than can happen is a short jail term if they violate it. Bas. Aur kuch nahi. They will continue to stalk, rape and blackmail victims. Simply because they can! How many villagers are know what took place on August 23, 2017? How many will act on it?

Most Indians believe there is no such thing as too much intrusion in the lives of citizens. I am hoping the dreaded Aadhaar card is declared optional. While it has its uses, it is also an instrument of control and manipulation. Citizens are not entirely aware of its far-reaching implications. Most uneducated Indians regard the Aadhaar card as some sort of insurance against official harassment. It could be the exact opposite! Personal freedoms and personal rights are given enormous importance in more developed countries. India is getting there. We need a frank and free discourse to educate those who cannot read this vital ruling in the right context, and may think of it as a rich mans privilege. Whether it is a debate on the virtues and pitfalls of the Aadhaar card or the long-term impact of privacy as a fundamental right, we cannot afford to exclude the vast majority of rural Indians, struggling to keep body and soul together in these very challenging times.

Thursdays ruling permits the government to collate data if it is done for national security or for effective distribution of scare national resources, food and other essential items. The validity of Aadhaar will be examined by a three-member bench. This is an overdue examination. For 63 years, Indians have meekly accepted an outdated, regressive way of life. Lets whole- heartedly congratulate the nine-judge bench headed by CJI J.S. Khehar, for saving us from an existence defined by indignity and emotional bondage.
The early pioneers of Android phones and a major player in the smartphone business, HTC has been facing tough competition from top rivals Apple and Samsung, and also from budget players Xiaomi and OnePlus.

Is HTC in trouble? The Taiwanese company is presently looking around for a buyer, according to some online media reports.

Taiwanese tech company HTC, famous for its smartphones and the recent entrance into the VR world with Vive, is probably passing through rough waters. According to a report from Bloomberg, the company is looking for strategic options, which means it is putting itself up for sale sighting financial issues. Recently, the company spun off its VR arm as a separate business, and now it seems that HTC is now planning to sell the entire company out. There are reports stating that Google could be an interested party.

HTC has been steadily falling since a few years. The early pioneers of Android phones and a major player in the smartphone business, HTC has been facing tough competition from top rivals Apple and Samsung, and also from budget players Xiaomi and OnePlus.

Since venturing into the VR segment, HTC was looking better. However, a recent price cut of almost $200 to their VIVE headsets for a sales boost, things dont look good. HTC went down to the third place in the VR market this Q1, placing it behind Samsung and Sony.

Sources in the industry state that Google could opt for the company for VR reasons, similar to hoe Facebook acquired Oculus for the VR push. Samsung could also jump onto the bandwagon, since the company is presently banking on Oculus for their VR future. Having their own in-house VR platform, Samsung could rub shoulders in the VR market with Facebook, Apple, Microsoft and Google.

For now, neither HTC or the other companies have commented on the matter.

(Via CNET)

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The incident comes with Britain and much of Europe on high alert following a string of major attacks over the past two years (Photo: Twitter)

London: A man arrested under the Terrorism Act after deliberately driving at police outside Queen Elizabeth II's Buckingham Palace residence in London had a "four-foot sword" in his car, police said on Saturday.

Upon being challenged by officers, the 26-year-old attacker "reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," the police statement said.

"The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu akbar (God is greatest), was incapacitated with CS spray".

The assailant stopped his car near a police vehicle in a restricted area outside the world famous palace at around 8:35pm (1935 GMT) Friday, according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

Three unarmed officers were injured during the course of detaining the man, two of them requiring hospital treatment.

Initially arrested on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm and assaulting police, he was later arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Originally from Luton -- a city 30 miles (50 km) north of London -- the assailant was then taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries before being taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today," Dean Haydon, the police head of counter-terrorism, said in the statement.

"We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage," he added.

The incident comes with Britain and much of Europe on high alert following a string of major attacks over the past two years -- most of which have been claimed by jihadists -- and hours after a knife attack on soldiers in Brussels.

In Britain alone a total of 35 people have been killed in three attacks in London and Manchester since March.

Two of those involved a vehicle ploughing into pedestrians.

The other attack was a bombing in May at a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in Manchester which killed 22 people including children.
Beijing: China's commerce ministry has banned North Korean nationals from setting up new businesses in the country, enforcing recent UN sanctions as Washington urges Beijing to do more to curb its ally's nuclear ambitions.

The ban, effective immediately, came as Pyongyang launched three short-range missiles on Saturday according to the US military, reviving tensions days after President Donald Trump said the isolated regime was starting to show Washington some "respect".

Beijing has been under pressure from Washington to rein in its neighbour, which relies heavily on the Asian giant for its economic survival, and the ban is the latest attempt by China to dispel US concerns over its close ties with Pyongyang.

China, which is the recipient of some 90 percent of North Korea's exports, earlier this month said it would suspend its imports of iron, lead and seafood from the country after halting its coal purchases in mid-February.

Under the new measures, North Korean nationals will not be allowed to establish any new company in China, whether it is a joint venture with a Chinese partner or a firm with foreign capital.

The ban also prohibits the expansion of any existing joint ventures involving North Koreans in China, while new Chinese applications to invest in North Korea or to increase existing investments in the country will be rejected, the ministry said.

Businesses established by Pyongyang abroad -- including restaurants and trading companies -- are a crucial source of foreign exchange for the Stalinist regime.

Pyongyang has recently faced a wave of international sanctions over its test-firing of two intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) last month that apparently brought most of the United States into range for the first time.

In addition to sanctions adopted by the United Nations Security Council this month, Japan and the United States have imposed punitive measures against international firms, including those from China, for doing business with the hermit state.

The measures are aimed at disrupting the flow of cash funding North Korean weapons programmes, which are in violation of United Nations resolutions.

Trump has called on China to play a more active role in convincing North Korea to halt its weapons programme and stop threatening its neighbours and the US.

But China has so far been lukewarm on the idea, preferring to address the issue through long-stalled talks.
Islamabad: Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday filed a second review petition against his disqualification and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) references in the Supreme Court.

The petition urged apex court to quash July 28 judgment in Panama leaks case. In his first review petition, Nawaz Sharif had challenged the five-member benchs verdict which brought a premature end to his premiership.

Nawaz Sharif, in the new petition, stated that though FZE company was not mentioned in petitions filed against him yet he was disqualified over not withdrawing salary from the company.

The petitioner further pledged that law did not allow monitoring of trail courts proceedings and stated that order of completing probe against Sharif family within six months would affect proceedings.

On July 28 this year, countrys top court had ousted Nawaz Sharif in Panama leaks case and had instructed the accountability watchdog to file references against Sharif family.

Also on Saturday, Sharifs daughter Maryam Nawaz officially launched the election campaign of NA-120 Lahore by-poll that is being contested by her mother Kulsoom Nawaz.

Maryam Nawaz said that the local bodies representatives will make Nawaz Sharif PM for the fourth time.

She said NA-120 by-poll was an election of every workers victory, therefore, we need to win it.

Meanwhile on Saturday, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) gave deadline of August 31 to its Lahore and Rawalpindi officers regarding references against Sharif family.

NAB has got record from all the relevant departments for investigation however, its Executive Board will formally give approval to file references against the Sharif family.

Supreme Court had directed NAB to prepare three references in which one was regarding Al-Azizia Steel Mill while the other two were about London flats and 16 offshore companies held by the Sharif family.
Kabul: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28 - up from 20 - including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday.

Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 others were wounded in the attack a day earlier that went on for hours.

Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed.

The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.

Security forces had surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police official Mohammed Jamil said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw, Muradi said.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added.

When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasir said.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.
Eight security personnel and three fidayeen (suicide) militants, were killed on Saturday in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in recent months.

In a pre-dawn attack, at least three heavily-armed fidayeen, believed to be foreign mercenaries, stormed the district police lines (DPL) in southern Pulwama district around 4.15 am, where hundreds of police personnel and their families reside.

After forcing their way into the DPL premises, the militants resorted to indiscriminate firing and threw grenades in which two policemen and a CRPF trooper were killed and several others injured, police said.

Security forces had to evacuate nearly 50 families of policemen from the residential quarters inside the complex, which delayed the operation.

After evacuating nearly 150 people, the security forces engaged the militants, who were hiding in huge concrete buildings.

Two SPOs (special police officers) who were inside the buildings were killed by the militants. Two CRPF personnel were killed when they were defusing one of the improvised explosive devices planted by the militants, sources said.

State Police Chief Shesh Pal Vaid said the bodies of two militants have been recovered from the encounter site and body of one more militant is expected to be under the debris. He refuted the possibility of a security lapse that could be responsible for the attack, explaining that you cant prevent (an attack) if somebody is ready to die.

Officials said the camp was targeted to inflict high casualties on policemen and their families.

The complex, that has been attacked, is situated in a high-security area and close to the Deputy Commissioner and SSP office on Shopian-Pulwama highway.
The two policeman previously knew the businessman, investigations revealed

Cairo prosecutors ordered detained for four days Saturday a police officer and a lower-ranking policeman charged with helping a businessman accused of fraud to escape custody, Al-Arabic Ahram website reported.

Businessman Ahmed Abdel-Latif was ordered detained for four days at Matariya Police Station for fraud estimated at EGP 28 million.

Prosecution investigations revealed that during a detention renewal session Abdel-Latif asked the two policemen to take him to the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation to finish some papers, where he fled.

Investigations also revealed a previous relationship between the two policemen and the fugitive businessman, and that the two policemen agreed on helping the businessman to escape.

In May, a police officer was charged with forging a prison record to cover the escape of another detained businessman, also accused of fraud.

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North Korea today launched three ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, US military officials said, dispelling President Donald Trump's indication that a deal could be struck with Pyongyang to contain its rapidly expanding nuclear weapons programme.



The US Pacific Command said the missiles appeared to be short-range. The first and second missiles "failed in flight" and the third "appears to have blown up almost immediately".



It said the North American Aerospace Defence Command determined the missile launches did not pose a threat to Guam, which the North previously warned it would target if provoked.



White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump has been briefed and "we are monitoring the situation."



North Korea last month fired intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, triggering heightened rhetoric from both the sides.



Trump had warned of "fire and fury" and ramped up his rhetoric days later, saying "maybe that statement wasn't tough enough".



But the US president this week indicated that a deal could be struck with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme. His comments had come soon after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the North's regime has demonstrated some level of restraint in recent days, "that we've not seen in the past".



Tillerson had hoped that this could be the beginning of the signal from Pyongyang the US had been looking for.



Today's missiles launches, though failed, reignite the possibility of increasing tensions in the peninsula.



They come during a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea. The two countries say the annual military exercise is defensive but Pyongyang condemns it as hostile, and even as a rehearsal for invasion.



In response to the ICBM launches in July, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on August 5.
The Congress called for the resignation of Haryana chief minister M L Khattar, with party president Sonia Gandhi expressing grave concern over the violence in the state.



The Congress president appealed for peace, while vice- president Rahul Gandhi stressed that violence and brutality had no place in society.



"@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his party's interests. @mlkhattar must resign," the party said on Twitter.



At least 30 people were killed and 250 injured today in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda.



In a statement here, the Congress president said several people including children had died in the violence, and "there was widespread destruction of public property and senseless attacks" on the media.



She appealed to the people to maintain peace.



She also spoke with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and asked the government of Haryana and the Chandigarh administration to ensure the safety of all citizens.



Rahul Gandhi, who left for Norway earlier today, condemned the "rampage and lawlessness" in Haryana and appealed for the restoration of peace.



"Violence and brutality have no place in our society. Condemn the rampage and lawlessness in Haryana and appeal to restore peace and tranquillity," he said on Twitter.



His tweet came a few hours after he left for Oslo, where he is expected to meet and interact with political and business leaders.



"Rule of law is a pillar of democracy, let's respect it but govt must allow accurate reporting by media to ensure transparency & accountability," he tweeted later in the night.



Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "Reckless violence, deaths & destruction in Haryana proves complete breakdown of law & order. Time for CM Haryana to own responsibility & quit (sic)."



Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also appealed for peace but said the government should have been prepared.



"The priority now is to restore law and order, peace and harmony. I appeal to the people of Haryana to maintain calm and ensure there is no loss of life or damage to property," he told reporters after violence broke out in Panchkula and other parts of the state in the wake of the conviction in the 2002 rape case.



Hooda said it was not the time for a blame-game but said the government should have been prepared and steps taken in advance to ensure law and order.



He said Haryana had already suffered because of the "laxity" and "weakness" of the government during earlier agitations.



In another tweet, Congress party said, "In @PMOIndia #NewIndia there is no accountability. @mlkhattar too has his job secure despite failure."



With this tweet, the party attached the link to an article titled 'Job Security in Modi Cabinet is at an All Time High'.





"Anyone who says PM Modi is not doing his bit to combat unemployment need looks no further than his Cabinet, where job security is at an all time high! Recognising the endemic mismatch of skills to portfolios in the BJP, the PM has adopted a zero-tolerance policy to resignations," it said in the article.
A Qatar Airways passenger jet (Qr 964 DOH-DPS) made an emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here at Shamshabad on Saturday morning, when its co-pilot suddenly fell ill on the 14 hours long Doha to Denpasar flight. There were 240 passengers plus crew on the flight at the time of the incident.



According to airport authorities, the co pilot with name Andre Dinu (34) a Romanian by nationality has complained severe pain in heart and lungs. At around the five minutes after midnight the flight made a medical emergency landing at the RGIA. While the Airport doctors attended to him immediately after landing, around 01.20 have they rushed him to Apollo hospital. The hospital has so far made no comment on the condition of his health but it said that his condition was critical.



Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is said to have made an alternative arrangements for the stranded passengers to reach their destinations. The passengers heaved a sigh of relief as they safely landed at the RGIA even as the co- pilot fell severely ill during the flight.
Russia is seeking to undermine American reputation in Afghanistan and South Asia region, a senior US official has said after Moscow termed President Donald Trump's new strategy for Afghanistan as a 'dead end'.



"Well, I think that Russia's reaction is very predictable. They've been starting some very unhelpful propaganda with regard the US role in Afghanistan. You've probably seen Russian officials trying to claim that the US is supporting ISIS in Afghanistan, which is a fictitious statement," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.



The official, speaking on condition of anonymity was responding to questions on Russian scepticism over Trump's new policy on Afghanistan and South Asia.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had told reporters yesterday in Moscow that the new Afghan strategy is a "dead end".



The strategy "puts emphasis on force" he said.



According to the US official, the Russian reaction was predictable.



"Unfortunately, I think the Russians have taken a very tactical view here, and they are seeking to undermine our reputation in the region, and so false information about US objectives," the official said.



Explaining that the Afghan and South Asia strategy is not a military only strategy, the official said that this is a strong, diplomatic, political element, even economic element to the strategy.



"So it's just factually incorrect to say that this is an overly militaristic strategy. But it doesn't surprise me because I think the Russians see themselves as competitors for influence in the region, and so there role has not been particularly helpful over the last several months in Afghanistan," the official said.



According to the official, the US thinks that they are genuinely concerned about Islamic State, and this is driving them to consider the support to the Taliban.



"But I think that's a short-sighted policy as well. So they have not been particularly helpful in terms of supporting what the US is trying to do in the region, which is unfortunate," the official added.






The tourist confessed to assaulting the manager earlier this month in Marsa Alam and was subsequently arrested

An Egyptian judge in Hurghada Court ordered Saturday an Italian tourist detained for a further 15 days pending investigations into his beating an Egyptian hotel manager to death in the Red Sea resort of Marsa Alam earlier this month.

The assault took place after the hotel manager warned the tourist, who was standing with his two children, to leave an off-limits construction area in the hotel, resulting in a heated argument, the tourism ministry said in a statement at the time of the incident.

The tourist confessed to assaulting the manager and was subsequently arrested.

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No special treatment was being extended to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who has been kept in Rohtak's Sunaria jail after his conviction in a rape case, Haryana DGP (Jails) K P Singh said today.



Four officials were on duty near his barrack in the jail to monitor his activities, the official said, a day after the self-styled godman was convicted of rape by a special CBI court in Panchkula.



"No special treatment is being given to him. He is being treated like any other ordinary prisoner. An ordinary prisoner sleeps on floor and he, too, is doing the same," Singh said today.



Every prisoner can give the names of any five persons he wants to meet. Gurmeet would be given the same facility, like any other inmate, he said.



Jail officials would comply with whatever directions were given by the court after the quantum of sentence was pronounced on Monday, he added.



Keeping a high profile prisoner secure inside the jail is no doubt a challenge, he said in response to a question.



"That's why inside the jail we have made arrangements to ensure that no other prisoner harms him for any reason. Outside jail, we have already requested the local administration to secure the area and make adequate security arrangements."



Paramilitary forces have been deployed in strength outside the Sunaria jail as part of foolproof security measures.



Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Atul Kumar said today that their endeavour is to ensure that Rohtak district and Sunaria jail remain secure.



"Through the media, I want to appeal to the people not to believe in rumours," he said.



Violence broke out immediately after the announcement of the verdict with followers of the Sirsa-based sect going on the rampage and clashing with security personnel. At least 30 people were killed and 250 injured.
A Pakistani national known as "the Sultan" in the global drug-trafficking network has been arrested in a major joint UK-US operation in London, authorities have announced.



Muhammad Asif Hafeez, who was arrested in London's Regent's Park area, faces extradition to the US.



Hafeez, 58, is alleged to be the head of an organisation spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, that produced and smuggled drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, or crystal meth, and ephedrine.



The National Crime Agency (NCA) in London said it worked with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to investigate Hafeez after he was allegedly identified as the source of large quantities of heroin being smuggled into Kenya from Pakistan and Afghanistan.



In New York, officials said Hafeez was arrested based on his participation in drug-trafficking activities involving large, and in some instances multi-tonne, quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine precursor chemicals.



Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.



The United States plans to seek Hafeez's extradition from the United Kingdom, they said.



"The arrest of Muhammad Asif Hafeez is another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA's priority targets," said DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent- in-Charge Raymond Donovan.



"He has been allegedly linked to a transnational criminal organisation responsible for manufacturing and distributing ton quantities of narcotics. Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide," he said.



Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H Kim said, Hafeez was a "long-time, priority target of the DEA known as the 'Sultan,' trafficked in drugs on a massive and global scale to manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine around the world and into the United States.



Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the US, but were forced to abandon the plan after authorities seized about 18 tonnes of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, Maharashtra.



Hafeez is said to own two properties in London, and spend most of his time in Dubai, the Guardian reported.



He appeared at Westminster magistrates court yesterday for the start of extradition proceedings to the US, it said.



From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez's alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries  until now, the DEA said in a press release.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the security situation in Haryana and other states, including Delhi, following the violence erupted after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.



Singh instructed officials to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. While there were no reports of violence, another challenge is staring at state administration and security forces on Monday when the court pronounced the quantum of sentence in the case.



Sources said all measures are being taken to ensure that there is no repeat of Friday's violence in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi. At least 35 people were killed in Haryana while a large number of people were injured in violence and arson.



There were reports of re-grouping of Dera members but forces are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure law and order.



Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the Director General of Haryana Police had promised the Centre that the situation was under control now.



"Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today. Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday but now the situation has normalised," Mehrishi told reporters.



To a question whether the Haryana government had failed to control the situation, he said, "In an ongoing situation, we cannot blame anyone."



At the meeting, Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present.



Sources said the Home Minister was informed about the genesis of the issue and the steps taken to maintain law and order and restore peace. Singh was told that Panchkula and Sirsa were "very tense", the situation in the rest of Haryana was "tense but under control".



"The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored. The Home Minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana that the law and order situation in Haryana would be kept in control," a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) statement said.


US President Donald Trump has pardoned controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted last month of criminal contempt for illegally targeting Hispanic immigrants.



In his first act of presidential clemency, Trump pardoned the deeply-divisive 85-year-old who ignored a federal court order that he stop detaining illegal migrants.



"He kept Arizona safe!" Trump tweeted, calling Arpaio a "patriot."



The move earned immediate scorn from Democrats, some Republicans and rights groups, who accused the Republican billionaire of seeking to divide the country -- which is still reeling from Trump's controversial remarks on racial unrest in Charlottesville.



In a statement, the White House said Arpaio -- who made detainees wear pink underwear and housed them in tented desert camps -- had "more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation."



The former sheriff of Maricopa County, who revelled in his reputation as "America's toughest sheriff," had been due to be sentenced in October.



Arpaio tweeted that he was "incredibly grateful" to Trump, and suggested his conviction was "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!"



According to the White House, as sheriff Arpaio protected "the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration."



Arpaio is "a worthy candidate for a presidential pardon," it added.



Trump had hinted that a pardon was coming during a meandering speech in Arizona earlier this week when he suggested Arpaio was convicted for "doing his job" and predicted that "he's going to be just fine."



The announcement still came as a shock to many.



Republican Arizona Senator John McCain said officers of the law "should always seek to be beyond reproach" in their commitment to fairly enforce the law.



And he noted that Arpaio "was found guilty of criminal contempt" for illegally profiling Latinos living in Arizona "based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders."



Trump "has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," McCain's statement read.



Arizona's other senator, Republican Jeff Flake, wrote on Twitter: "Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course."



The US Constitution offers the president almost unlimited pardon powers.



Conservative commentator Bill Kristol suggested the pardon "gets people used" to the idea of presidential pardons as the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia deepens.
Egypt condemned on Saturday the attack by militant group Daesh on a mosque in the Afghani capital Kabul on Friday, which killed 20 people and injured 50, state-run news agency MENA reported.

The Egyptian foreign ministry expressed Egypts condolences to the families of the victims and said that it stands by the government and people of Afghanistan against terrorism.

A suicide bomber detonated explosives at the gate of a Shia mosque in the Afghani capital as other militants stormed the building during Friday prayers, according to Reuters.

Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack on Friday night.

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The Haryana government today sacked Haryana's deputy advocate general for "accompanying" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's conviction in a rape case.



The state government terminated the services of DAG Gurdas Salwara on the recommendations of Haryana's Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan.



"It is found that yesterday the DAG accompanied the baba," Mahajan said.



He said the DAG was a government servant and was not allowed to practice such things.



"The DAG has relations with the Dera," he claimed.



The action from the AG office came in the wake of a video clip purportedly showing the DAG in lawyer's robes carrying a suitcase of the Dera head after his conviction by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday.
At a time when devastating floods have claimed over 700 lives in parts of the country, Union minister Uma Bharti today made a strong pitch for desilting and interlinking of rivers to combat the problem in the long run.



In view of the floods in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Water Resources Minister Bharti urged the two northeastern states to agree for the Middle Siang project, which she said, will tackle the calamity as well as solve their water woes.



"The flood situation is being witnessed this year also in states where the calamity was not reported earlier. And states which reported floods in the past, the situation there has deteriorated," she told reporters here.



The minister said such a situation has emerged mainly because of accumulation of silt in huge quantities in rivers, particularly the Ganga and its tributaries.



"These rivers need to be de-silted. River interlinking is quite important using monsoon water," she added.



On the Middle Siang, Bharti said she will pursue the two state governments to agree on realising the project that would be able to produce 9,600 megawatts of power, besides being helpful in controlling floods caused by trans-boundary river Brahmaputra.



The minister said the "big problem" in taking forward the project has been the rumour that entire Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will be "underwater if the dam bursts".



"But I want to assure the people, we have all the reports of the world which suggest that there is no such threat looming. The project will rather help to deal with the flooding effectively," she added.



She further said that her ministry is focusing more on making preparations before the period when flooding happens than managing it after the crisis occurs.



"I myself will visit the entire flood-prone areas after 15 days to figure out what preparations to do in view of possible flood situation," she added.



Till yesterday, the devastating floods this year had claimed 418, 156, 90, and 72 lives in Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.


The Punjab and Haryana High Court today ordered the Haryana government to make necessary arrangements for the special CBI judge to be flown to the Rohtak district jail, where rape-convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is lodged, for hearing on the quantum of sentence against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief on Monday.



The high court asked the state government to make arrangements for security and safe transport by air of the judicial officer and two staff members.



Special CBI judge Jagdeep Singh, while holding the Sirsa-based Dera chief guilty of raping two female followers more than 15 years ago, had yesterday said the quantum of sentence would be pronounced on August 28.



After the conviction in Panchkula, the self-styled godman was flown to Rohtak as his followers went on a rampage in the town and many others parts of Haryana and Punjab. Thirty-two people were killed and over 250 injured in the violence.



The high court today notified the district jail in Sunaria in Rohtak "as a place of sitting of CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula for the purpose of hearing on the quantum of sentence and pronouncement of the sentence in respect of the case titled as CBI versus Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh."



"For the above purpose suitable accommodation for court room etc in the district jail Rohtak in Sunaria shall be provided and also arrangement be made for the lawyers and parties to have an easy access to the courtroom," a high court notification said.


The BJP today ruled out removal of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who is under attack for the violence by followers of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh following his conviction in a rape case.



Defending the state government, BJP general secretary Anil Jain, the party in-charge for Haryana affairs, told reporters that death of people and damage to property were unfortunate but claimed that the government controlled the situation within three hours with "minimum possible damage".



He said the 31 people killed in the violence were members of the "unruly mob" which defied law and order.



With opposition parties attacking the government for allowing a huge congregation of Singh's followers in Panchkula as the order was pronounced yesterday, Jain said the situation would have been worse had action been taken against the assembling crowd before he appeared in court yesterday.



"There is no such consideration," he said when asked if the party was considering removal of Khattar, who had also faced criticism for his government's handling of the Jat agitation for resevration.



"The priority of the government was to ensure that the court's order (ensuring Singh's presence) is executed. This 'baba' has huge following and getting him to court peacefully and then sending him to jail after his conviction was a big task which it did. He has most fanatic followers," Jain said.



Violence could have been worse if the government had used force before Singh arrived in the court, he said, adding that it might have resulted in the self-styled godman not presenting himself before court.



"We did not want any confrontation before he arrived in the court," he said, blaming "circumstances and unruly mob" for the violence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis support for Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has remained unflinching despite his administrative record leaving everyone red in the face.



Through a lot of crises that Khattar has waded through, many BJP leaders have wondered why the prime minister has stuck with him.

Even during the present crisis, Modi has decided, in consultation with party chief Amit Shah, that Khattar must not be replaced immediately though his exit in the future is not ruled out.

Incidentally, Shah is no admirer of Khattars political skills. However, it is not the first time that Khattar has faced such criticism.

His government has been slammed for mishandling the Jat agitation in 2016 and the violence at Sant Rampals ashram in Hissar in 2014, as soon as he became the chief minister.

Modis support for Khattar has remained steadfast throughout. Khattars tenure as chief minister has seen his Cabinet colleagues question him often and many BJP leaders raise doubts about his political ability to handle a crisis. But Khattar has managed to plough on.

Like Modi, Khattar did not have any legislative or administrative experience before he became the chief minister. Also, like Modi, Khattar contested the Assembly elections for the first time from in Karnal and went on to become the chief minister.

When Modi chose Khattar after the BJP came to power in Haryana for the first time, it was supposedly intended to keep other claimants - Captain Abhimanyu, Krishanpal Gurjar and Ram Bilas Sharma - at bay and also to help consolidate non-Jats votes.

Khattar, who belongs to the Punjabi community in the Jat-dominated politics of Haryana, became the first non-Jat chief minister in 18 years. His family migrated from Pakistan and settled in Rohtak after Partition.

Many BJP leaders, however, thought that it was the result of a friendship that got cemented over the decades.

When Modi was made BJP in-charge of Haryana in 1996 (after he was asked to stay away from Gujarat), Khattar was RSS organising secretary looking after the state. They have shared room and meals.
A man armed with a knife was detained outside London's Buckingham Palace Friday evening, and two police officers were injured while arresting him, police said.

The Metropolitan Police force says two officers suffered minor injuries while detaining the suspect, who is being held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting police.

Police said the officers did not require hospital treatment. No other injuries were reported.

A large number of police vehicles could be seen in the Mall, the wide road outside the palace.

Buckingham Palace is one of London's main tourist attractions, and the London home of Queen Elizabeth II. The queen, however, usually spends August in Scotland at her Balmoral estate with family members

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The district administration has decided to give a relaxation in the curfew from 6 AM to 11 AM tomorrow after no violence was reported by Dera followers in the area today, a state government official said.



"We will relax the curfew in and around the Dera headquarters here from 6 Am to 11 AM tomorrow so that people can purchase essential goods," a senior government official said this evening.



The official said shops will be allowed to open during the curfew relaxation period.



The district administration had imposed a curfew on the villages in the vicinity of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters, which is situated here, in view of the rape case judgment against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Saturday.



Petrol pumps, banks, shops were closed in the area in view of the curfew.



Dera followers had started pouring in at the headquarters here in run-up to the verdict but the sprawling campus is now witnessing a steady exodus of the devotees.

Tension had gripped the locals yesterday as the frenzied followers of the sect asserted they were in for the long haul and ready to go to any extent to avenge their spiritual leader's conviction.



But today, several devotees made their way out, first in small groups, and as the day progressed, in larger numbers.



The local police, which had been urging those inside to vacate the sprawling premises through loudspeakers, said they were expecting the premises to empty out soon.



"Earlier they were leaving in some small groups but now they are streaming out in bigger groups. We are expecting the Dera premises to be vacated in a few more hours," said a senior police officer.



A Dera follower, who left the headquarters along with his companions from Rajasthan, said his faith was intact in Ram Rahim and claimed he had done nothing wrong.
Mysuru-Kodagu MP Prathap Simha demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah should drop Bengaluru Urban Development Minister K J George from the cabinet, following the charges of destruction of evidence in the death of DySP M K Ganapathi.

He hoped that the Supreme Court would shortly hand over the case to the CBI to probe. He was speaking at a district-level BJP working committee meeting at Ambedkar Bhavan in Madikeri on Saturday.

If the chief minister respects law of the land, then he should drop George from the cabinet. Owning moral responsibility, George should his tender resignation and allow the probe into the incident in a transparent manner, said Simha.

A conspiracy was chalked to bury Ganapathis case. A report by the forensic science laboratory, submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department, notes that crucial evidence such as mobile call record details, messages and even some files stored in a hard drive and a pen drive belonging to the officer have been erased. Fingerprints from the fan were also not probed into. In the wake of the destruction of evidence, it is a murder, he charged.

Further, he said that neither the state government nor the CID has denied the reports. The suspicion raised by the family members of the late DySP has been proved.

BJP Kodagu in-charge Udaykumar Shetty said that the BJP workers should strengthen the party at booth-level. An action plan should be prepared in the next two months to create awareness on the central-government sponsored development programs. BJP district unit president B B Bharathish was present.
With a view to popularise and boost sales of coconut products, the district administration has decided to set up Coco-huts on State and National highways.

With lakhs of devotees expected to attend the Mahamasthakabhisheka at Shravanabelagola in February 2018, the initiative may benefit growers. The objective of the district administration is to provide a wider market for coconut products. Hence, Coco-huts similar to Cafe Coffee Day are being planned on highways to attract people.

The project is being planned in association with the Coconut Development Board, Tourism department and other departments. Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri told DH that there is great demand for tender coconuts and copras grown in Arsikere and Channarayapatna taluks. Coco-huts would be set up on the Bengaluru-Mangaluru national highway near Hirisave on an experimental basis, she said.

The DC explained that the shops would be built of coir and coconut fronds, measuring 30x40 feet dimension. Priority will be given for sales of tender coconuts and it would be scientifically processed and packed. Necessary technical help would be provided from the departments concerned.

Tender coconuts are healthy. As there is no proper marketing strategy and branding, the farmers are not getting a good price. Hence, Coco-huts will be set up in Arsikere and Channarayapatna taluks to increase sales. Later, steps will be taken to sell coconuts, copra and coir products directly to the consumers, Sindhuri said.

Mahamasthakabhisheka Mahotsava Special Officer Varaprasad Reddy said that the Coir Board is designing the Coco-huts. The estimated cost of a shop is Rs 2.5 lakh and the Coconut Development Board has been requested to provide the funds. If everything goes well, the project would be implemented within two months, he said.
The Dera Sacha Sauda's Bengaluru ashram has been locked up since Friday, soon after the controversial godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was convicted of rape in Haryana.



Not a single devotee turned up at the ashram, at Vinayak Nagar 2nd Main near Nagasandra on Tumakuru Road, North Bengaluru, on Saturday. Just two constables attached to the Peenya police station have been guarding the ashram. They were deployed on Friday morning to avert any untoward incident.

Local residents told DH that around 15 devotees had gathered at the ashram on Friday evening. "They looked crestfallen and were consoling each other," a resident said.

The ashram is housed in a three-storey building on a 1,200-square foot site. It was constructed by Singh's devotees. The self-styled godman visited the place three times and once arrived with a large posse of security guards, according to residents. The ashram has a prayer hall on the third floor.

Annegowda, a retired regional fire officer who lives in the locality, said: Every Sunday, 15-20 devotees would come here, sing Bhajans and prayer to Ram Rahim Singh. Five years ago, the ashram organised a blood donation camp but there were no social activities thereafter." He added that the devotees were peaceful and created no disturbance.

Another resident said the ashram was guarded by two men every day who also stayed there. But since Friday, they are not to be seen and the main door is also locked, the resident added.

A police constable posted at the ashram said: We came here on the instructions of our superiors. But locating the ashram was not easy. When we finally arrived here, only a few devotees were present and everyone was quiet."
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), a rights group, on Saturday asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to withdraw an advisory on deportation of Rohingya Muslims to Myanmar.

The MHA had said that states have powers to identify and deport Rohingyas who had illegally entered India while noting that infiltration from Rakhine state of Myanmar in the recent years has become a burden on the limited resources of the country.

Under the principle of non-refoulement, countries are under obligation not to send back refugees to their country of origin should circumstances of grave human rights violations prevail, there, said CHRI director Sanjoy Hazarika said.

CHRI coordinator (Prison Reforms Programme) Madhurima Dhanuka said, As Myanmar refuses to acknowledge Rohingya Muslims as citizens, it becomes impossible for the Indian government to deport them there, making the advisory infructuous.
A five-year-old girl, sexually assaulted and tortured for about two months, died early on Saturday morning.

Police have arrested Chandana (45) and her lover Mallikarjun (30), both residents of Talaghattapura in southern Bengaluru, in connection with the case.

The girl was the only daughter of a woman from Kodagu, working in Bengaluru as a domestic help. The woman was widowed a couple of years ago.

With no one at home to take care of the child when she went to work, the woman would leave her daughter with Chandana, a neighbour.



Hungry and afraid



Chandana would deprive the child of food and brutally thrash her for defecating inside the house. She would also threaten her with dire consequences every time she cried out for her mother, police said.

Police said Chandanas lover Mallikarjun, who frequented her house, had sexually assaulted the girl.

The ordeal continued until mid-August when the girl started falling ill. Chandana then called up the mother and said she wouldnt be able to take care of the child any more.

The worried mother took the girl to Rajarajeshwari Hospital on Mysuru Road, and then shifted her to Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health Hospital in Jayanagar, where her condition remained critical.

Not fed properly for months, the girl had become anaemic and developed ulcers in her stomach which led to bleeding, police said.

Opens up in anguish

The girl was shifted to Vijayashree Hospital in Gottigere, Bannerghatta Road, on August 16.

There, the child mustered courage to tell her mother and the doctors about how she had been sexually assaulted by Mallikarjun at Chandanas house.

The girl told her mother he had threatened her not to tell anyone about the assault. Doctors at Vijayashree Hospital informed the police about the girls plight.

Police rushed to the hospital and took a statement from her. On August 17, they registered a case and arrested Chandana and Mallikarjun, booking them under sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Indian Penal Code. A magistrate remanded them in judicial custody.
Egypts upcoming school year will start on 23 September, the education ministry announced on Saturday.

The timetable for the 2017/18 academic year was set on Saturday at a meeting of the High Board of Pre-college Education and education minister Tarik Shawky.

In August, Shawky announced that starting the upcoming school year, the ministry will be cancelling the Primary Education Certificate as part of a plan to reform the nation's primary education system.

Students will no longer receive a certificate when they complete the sixth year of primary school, and will only receive a diploma upon completing high school.

Egypt's primary school stage lasts six years and is followed by a three-year preparatory stage, after which students begin their Thanaweya Amma (senior high school) education.

The ministry recently announced that starting the 2018/19 school year, high school students will be graded on a Grade Point Average (GPA) system instead of the current system where they are graded solely on end-of-year exams.

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The Board of Infosys, Indias second largest IT services company, has appointed the executive recruitment firm Egon Zehnder to identify a right candidate for the post of CEO & MD.

The decision comes after the newly appointed non-executive chairman of Infosys Nandan Nilekani took charge on Friday.

The move is part of Nilekanis immediate goal of bringing stability to the company, which was rattled by the resignation of Vishal Sikka as CEO & MD last week.

Creating a long-term governance structure and build a business strategy for growth of the company will be prime on his agenda, Nilekani said.

We will be looking at talent both inside and outside the company as well as Infosys alumni. We need a candidate who can lead the global company, is proficient in technology and helps company in cultural transformation, Nilekani told reporters.

Nilekani, who chaired his maiden board meeting after taking over the charge, said he would align with the stakeholders and take forward the desired goals.

Stating that there is no time limit on his stay in the company, he said he would remain on the board as long as it is necessary.

Egon Zehnder will work with the Nominations and Remunerations Committee (NRC) to review and identify the right candidate. Additionally, the NRC will deliberate on the long-term governance structure of the Board and present its recommendations at the meeting of the Board in October, Nilekani said.

In recent days there has been considerable discussion of the relationship between the Board of Directors of Infosys Limited and N R Narayana Murthy who established the culture and ethos of Infosys, especially its culture of adhering to high corporate governance standards, Nilekani said.

The Board believes it to be unfortunate that various differences of opinion have arisen between Murthy and the Board in the recent past. The Board wishes to express that it was not its intention to cause Murthy or any other affected person any personal distress or anguish while stating its point of view, he added.

Nilekani also said that he has full support of the board of the company.
The CBI registered a case against Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain in connection with the allegations of illegal transaction of Rs 16.41 crore through four companies associated with him.

Besides the minister, his wife Poonam and associates Ajeet Prasad Jain, Vaibhav Jain, Sunil Kumar Jain and Ankush Jain are also named in the FIR. Four companies  Prayas Info Solution, Akinchan Developers, Managalyatan Projects and Indo Metal Impex Pvt Ltd  also figure in the FIR registered on Friday.

The AAP charged the CBI with registering a completely false case against Jain at the behest of the BJP-led government at the Centre in a desperate bid to divert attention from the shameless violence in Haryana.

The CBI has no evidence against Jain and it is allowing itself to be misused as a political weapon of the central government, which has been leaking same old and false information to defame him and his family, it said.

The CBI, in April, had started a preliminary enquiry against Jain, which has now been converted into a regular case. It has been alleged that the minister, while functioning as a public servant, has amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income to the extent of Rs 1.62 crore during the period 14 February 2015 to 31 May 2017. His wife and associates have reportedly abetted the commission of the said offence, the CBI statement said.

During the preliminary enquiry, the CBI claimed it had found that Jain and his associates were involved in money laundering to the tune of Rs 4.63 crore through shell companies based in Delhi during 2015-16.
The Supreme Court slapped a fine of Rs 10 lakh each on two persons for filing a motivated petition challenging the practice of the incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI) recommending the name of his successor to the President.

A bench of Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice D Y Chandrachud said the imposition of the fine on Swami Om and Mukesh Jain was needed to people from filing such pleas.

Justice Dipak Misra was recently recommended for appointment as the CJI. He is set to take charge on August 28.

The bench said it was of the view that the petition is purely a publicity stunt which needs to be deprecated in an unequivocal manner.

The petitioners, who did not say anything in their plea against the CJI-designate, said the process of recommending the name of the successor by the incumbent CJI is against the spirit of Constitution.

The apex court asked the petitioners to pay the fine within a month. The amount will be sent to the Prime Ministers National Relief Fund.
Congress leader Prof B K Chandrashekar on Saturday accused the Centre of tapping the phones of Congress leaders in Karnataka.



The Centre is using a mobile company to tap the phones of Congress leaders. I learned about this from the mobile company. They asked me to inform our party president G Parameshwara about this, said Chandrashekhar, who is also the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president.



Prof Chandrashekhar also defended the recent C-fore survey, which predicted a Congress victory in the 2018 Assembly election. This organisation has been conducting surveys for the past 14 years. One should not unnecessarily cast aspersions on the survey, he said.



BJP has lost agenda



The BJP has lost direction. Their leaders have stopped communicating among themselves. Their Mission 150 has come to a halt. The BJP does not have any agenda ahead of the election. (BJP national president) Amit Shah came here and left. I think Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has to come here, he quipped.



The BJP is unable to digest the Congress governments performance, especially the farm loan waiver and the fight it is putting up in the Mahadayi river dispute, he added.




Sri Shankara Cancer Foundation will launch a community oncology initiative in Gowribidnur and Chintamani taluks of Chikkaballapur district. The outreach programme will be inaugurated in the Hosur hobli in Gowribidnur on Sunday by Justice N Kumar.

Villagers diagnosed with cancerwill be given free treatment by the foundation at its hospital in Bengaluru.

The foundation was earlier supposed to carry out this five-year epidemiological study through teleoncology network in Ramanagaram district in coordination with the Department of Health and Family Welfare. But due to logistical issues, the department asked the foundation to carry out the study in another district.
State Congress president G Parameshwara is embarking on a campaign to cover all the 66,000 polling booths in Karnataka in an effort to strengthen the party.



Param Nadige Booth Mattada Kadege (Parameshwaras walk towards the booth) will be launched in Hubballi-Dharwad on Sunday.



He will speak to booth-level Congress workers on the achievements of the state government and the failures of the BJP-led Union government, according to a statement issued by his office.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Congress general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, KPCC working presidents, Dinesh Gundu Rao and S R Patil, KPCC campaign committee chairman D K Shivakumar and other leaders will join the campaign in the first week of September. The party also plans to launch another campaign called Mane Manege Congress (Congress in every household) in September, the statement added. It also highlighted Parameshwaras role in bringing the Congress to power in 2013.



At a press conference at the KPCC office, Parameshwara targeted BJP state president B S Yeddyurappa who has invited Dalits for lunch at his Dollars Colony house on Monday.



We will see whether he serves hotel food or home-made food, he said in an obvious reference to an incident a few months ago when Yeddyurappa and other BJP politicians purportedly ate hotel-made food at the house of a Dalit.



For Yeddyurappa, inviting Dalits for lunch is a big achievement. He didnt invite them when he was the chief minister, said Parameshwara, who belongs to the community.




There was excitement, mixed with creativity and fun at the South Zone preliminaries of the Deccan Herald Metrolife Fashion show, season seven, presented by TRENDS.

Mount Carmel College walked away with the top honours for their simple and minimalist collection. The girls showcased white saris with golden detailing, followed by white saris with flower prints, aimed at the modern day Maharani.

Runners up

The second prize was bagged by T John College that presented a line aimed at bringing out the beauty of Kerala.

The third prize went to Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology. The grey and black collection reminded one of a slightly dystopian world where drapes and innovative silhouettes combined to create eclectic outfits.

The fourth prize went to Surana College for a line inspired by Sufism. Ornate jewellery blended with elegant white and gold costumes and full skirts and drapes.

The fifth place went to The Oxford College of Science. Huge gowns in pastel coloured fabrics were embellished with enormous flowery designs in white satin while men had quirky cuts and brighter colors.

Judges

The competition was judged by Sushruthi Krishna, first runner up at Miss India 2016, actor and model Vishnuraj S Menon, fashion designer Riya Kodali and Sandalwood actor Sharmiela Mandre.

Keeping the crowd entertained were dance performances by teams from NMKRV College for Women, Jain University and Vogue Institute of Fashion Technology.

The winners of this zone will meet the North Zone Preliminary winners in the grand finale, which will be held on September 2 at Dayanand Sagar Institutions, Kumaraswamy Layout.
Government medical and nursing colleges will soon have simulators to train nurses in critical care.



Developed by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Centre for Product Design and Management and commissioned by the Karnataka Knowledge Commission (KKC), four prototypes of simulator manikins  a model of the human body  to train nurses in handling medical emergencies, diagnosis and post-operative care are ready.



The simulators will serve as a model to train nurses on how to respond to various medical scenarios and recognise clinical complications, especially cardiac cases, without having to wait for the situation to arise in real patients.



Prof B Gurumoorthy of IISc and principal investigator of the project told DH that the testing of the prototypes has been done at Bangalore Medical College & Research Institute and St Johns Medical College Hospital. Further testing will be done at Narayana Hrudayalaya and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health.



A startup is in place to commercially manufacture the manikins, replete with dilating pupils, vital monitors, ventilator, surgical drains and virtual syringe pump. The production will start soon after the department of medical education gives its nod. The state government has earmarked Rs 5 crore for the project in the 2017-18 state budget.



Imported manikin simulators are very expensive and cost Rs 1 crore and above minus import duty. The indigenously manufactured simulators cost within a bandwidth of Rs 15 and Rs 18 lakh.



Manikins can be modulated to simulate different medical conditions. The custom group has to give us the requirement and the configuration can be done within three weeks, Gurumoorthy said. In first the phase, an order of 30 manikin simulators is expected.



KKC member secretary Mukund K Rao said heart surgeon Dr Devi Shetty proposed the project idea to the commission in 2015. Dr Shetty and Prof Gurumoorthy, presented a joint detailed proposal to the commission, following which, space scientist K Kasturirangan, who heads KKC, referred the proposal to an experts review committee.



Rao said the tests on the simulators have come out well and the product is ready for commercial launch.



* Simulator manikins  a model of the human body  to train nurses handle medical emergencies



* Simulators developed indigenously for the first time, at one-fifth the cost of imported products



* Manikins can be modulated to simulate different medical conditions.



* To be deployed in government medical and nursing colleges soon
Fatima Bakery in Richmond Town has hosted generations of people living in the city. It has been a paradise for school children around the area for its meaty delights.

With a wide range of cakes and savouries, the bakery is famous for their beef rolls, mutton samosas and kheema puffs.

The bakery, which turned 60 this Independence Day, is now managed by V F David. With a host of schools like Baldwin Boys, Cathedral, Baldwin Girls in the vicinity, and their nominal prices, they have a steady flow of customers.

I normally have my lunch at around 4 pm, the retail business is a very busy one, says David

When asked how the name Fatima came to be, David says it was the touring statue of Lady Fatima that inspired his father to give the name.

In the year 1957, the Statue of Lady Fatima of Portugal was touring the world and made its way to Bengaluru. After seeing it, my father was so inspired that he named the bakery as Fatima Bakery.

The bakery not only caters to people from the surrounding areas but has also had a number of high profile customers over the years.

Former police commissioners like Khader Ali, Albert Manoraj and A Nizamuddin were all our customers and even had accounts with us. Bengaluru Development Minister K J George was also a regular to our bakery since his Youth Congress days. He used to visit Best Motors opposite our place and then come over with his family to pick up groceries from here.

Now, this landmarks fate hangs in the balance, with BMRCL looking to set up the Vellara Junction Metro station.

Relocating will obviously be hard. We have made a name for ourselves being situated here for the past 60 years. We still havent heard from the authorities, but we have started looking for places just in case, said an emotional David.
A farmer was killed in a crocodile attack in River Krishna waters near Halingali village of the taluk on Friday.



The deceased has been identified as Dharmanna Jinnappa Khanagonda (45).



He had ventured into the river to change the dysfunctional footvalve of a irrigation pump. The crocodile attacked him and dragged him into the river. The body of the farmer was yet to be traced.



He is survived by wife and two daughters.




15 Bollywood Actors Who Have No Upcoming Films In Their Kitty
The story of John Neville has reminded me that the lay-out of Dundalk, especially along the Castletown Estuary, might have been very different today if all the plans for the laying of railway lines in Dundalk had been followed.

Maureen Wilson's article indicates that the original Dundalk Western Railway Company (established in 1836) had planned to run a line from the Quay, about where the present Spirit Store licensed premises stands, up along the river to Castletown to meet the Junction Railway and then on westwards into Monaghan.

That, however, was not the only planned line through the town that was altered. Maureen Wilson's article, which appeared in the Tempest Annual of 1975-76, states --- The Dundalk and Enniskillen Company (which was formed out of the original Western Company) had selected Dairy Hill (near the Point Road-Red Barns Road Junction) as their terminus. Sir John Macneill stating that it would be most convenient as trucks could be loaded direct from rail to ship, but the business men of the town objected as they felt that it was too far away from the town centre.

A deputation was appointed to go to London to ask the directors to reconsider the siting of the terminus and it was then agreed that it should be at the Butter Crane (off Quay Street).

The Company, however, was unable to procure that site and, instead, Lord Roden sold them the present Barrack Street site (where the County Hall is now built), which was then described as five/six acres of sloblands.'

Another railway line that was never laid which Maureen Wilson also mentions, was one planned to run from the Square to Blackrock ---'In 1856 a new railway company had entered the field when the Dundalk and Blackrock Railway applied to the Grand Jury for permission to cross the Avenue Road by level crossing.

Their application was granted but this was just another project which did not materialize.'
North Korea early Saturday fired several short-range projectiles into the sea off its east coast from Kangwon province, South Korea's military said.

The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles flew northeast for about 250 km into the sea. The firings may have been part of a military training exercise, the military said.

The launch was the first by the North since it test-fired a missile on July 28 that could have been designed to reach 10,000 km, putting parts of the U.S. mainland within reach.

Some information for this report came from Reuters.


The chief of the Russian military's branch for protection from chemical weapons says his troops have dismantled two chemical weapons facilities in areas freed from militants in Syria.

Maj. Gen. Igor Kirillov didn't name the locations, saying only that Russia will provide the data to the international chemical weapons watchdog OPCW.


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Premier Li Keqiang said it is crucial to implement policies that support scientific innovation and truly benefit scientists and technologists.

At the State Council executive meeting on Aug 23, he received a briefing about incentives in place for scientific researchers and reform of sci-tech projects funds management.

The Premier said these measures were needed to support innovation-driven development.

The day before, he made a similar statement while visiting the Ministry of Science and Technology, saying that the reform of sci-tech research systems and preferential policies must be firmly implemented. The barriers to implementing the policies must be removed, he said.

China is pressing ahead with reform of sci-tech fund management and has issued incentive measures, to encourage the innovative spirit of sci-tech workers, Premier Li said.

However, he added that, more efforts were still needed to close loopholes, and make these policies deliver more dividends to sci-tech workers.

Premier Li said some enterprises have formed teams for mass entrepreneurship and innovation to produce customized products and distribute income based on sales, profits, and shares.

These practices can be promoted elsewhere, the Premier said.

He also urged all departments to enhance cooperation and coordination to ensure the implementation of every measure related to innovation and entrepreneurship.
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Among the various forms of online advertising today are ads that aim to get people to install mobile apps. According to security firm DataVisor, the app install advertising marketplace is being regularly attacked by fraudsters, to the tune of approximately $300 million per year.

DataVisors new The Underworld of App Install Advertising report discovered that on average, premium ad networks had app install fraud rates of less one percent, while non-premium advertising network had a fraud rate of just over five percent.

As to why premium ad networks have lower rates of app install fraud than non-premium networks, Ting-Fang Yen, Director of Research at DataVisor, told eSecurityPlanet that it is because premium ad network dont usually broker out their traffic to other channels. They either advertise on their own sites or only partner with reputable publishers they know, she said.

The report is based on data collected from the DataVisor Global Intelligence Network, which analyzed 140 million app installs and 11 billion user events between January through May of 2017. Among the high-level findings in the report is that fraudsters arent just simply downloading the apps, they are also using various technique to simulate the same activities as real users.

We were surprised to see how much fraudsters are faking in-app activities and retention behavior, Yen said.

Yen noted that the vast majority of fraudulent installs generated at least one in-app event. She added that 29 percent of fraudulent installs have Day 2 retention events and 18 percent have Day 7 retention events.

This means that fraudsters are becoming much more sophisticated. They are moving beyond just installs to go after the bigger payouts from cost-per-engagement (CPE) campaigns, Yen said.

Remediation

There are multiple things that Ad networks can and should be doing to help limit the risk app install fraud. Yen said that common ways to detect fraud is to use heuristics such as device identification, IP filtering, or click-to-install-time anomalies to distinguish fake installs from genuine users.

She suggest that Ad networks should examine the quality of their traffic sources (especially new ones), and inspect activities both at install time and post-install. In addition, Ad networks should periodically review publishers and partner with those that are reputable and/or have established anti-fraud policies and technologies.?

Fraudsters are constantly exploring new ways to take advantage of loopholes and avoid detection, Yen said. This dynamic nature of fraud means that advertisers must remain vigilant and select the right partners and targeting criteria for each campaign they run.

She also recommends the use of advanced fraud detection solutions that can adapt to constantly changing attack patterns by utilizing modern machine learning techniques. ?

As fraudsters become increasingly sophisticated at faking installs, we expect more advertisers to adopt cost-per-engagement user acquisition models to avoid fraudulent traffic, Yen said.

Yen noted that she also expect to see the fraud rates in each ad network to change dramatically, over the course of the next year.

Fraud is dynamic, and fraudsters are always on the look out for vulnerable points of entry, she said. If an ad network scrutinizes their traffic and deploys anti-fraud solutions, fraudsters will move to another channel that is less vigilant about traffic quality.

Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eSecurityPlanet and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.
Hi

Just wondered if anyone had any pointers on finding out how job experience can be compared to qualifications? My husband has over 20 years maintenance/electronics/mechanical experience ranging from avionics in the Royal Airforce, working in the renewable sectors on wind turbines (power electronics/high voltage power distribution), oil and gas sector (downhole camera technology)He also has experience on Marine navigation equipment, HGV licensed with ADR certificate. Pretty multiskilled lol



Obviously the Royal Airforce and being avionics trained was all done in the RAF (where he started at age 16) and everything else has been on job training and gaining experience on the job. Finding it difficult to find any information on how experience can equate to qualifications to find out eligibility for entry?



Would really appreciate any info



Thanks in advance

Jo
Hang on chief...... the advice given was terrible - please don't fall into the trap of hearing what you wanted to hear (as validation to go ahead with what you were thinking to do).



What I would say however, is that education is extremely complex and is already a fairly saturated market (even to the point of hearing adverts of amazing schools and then realizing that they are not yet built and subject to KHDA approval!!!)



There is an inordinate amount of bureaucracy here, so anything you want to achieve, is made much harder by red tape and jobsworths......



If, however you are referring to nursery as in garden centers - nope not a clue (i can't see the wood for the trees) but I'd imagine that also would have its own complications (ie the seasons here are hot, hotter and chuffing hell my face is melting)



Everything above said though - if you have a solid business plan, experience of the region, and are happy to take the plunge, continue to ask here - contrary to what the dude above said, the members here are pretty awesome, experienced, and know what they are talking about.........



Good luck!
Hello, my name is Sergio and I am a Brazilian currently residing in Italy where I have just completed my masters degree. I am know by ancestry I can get citizenship in Italy as my great grandfather was Italian, and I would like to obtain my citizenship also.



I am currently working on the translations/legalization of all the documents and have been doing so for some months but those who've been through this process will know it takes some time to arrange all this in Brazil... It's taking a lot of time, but the end seems near.



However my study visa will expire in November, but I would like to stay here to finish this process of getting my citizenship.



I'm finding that while applying for the citizenship I can get a permisso to stay here temporarily. Does anyone know how does this work exactly? I have read up on it, and it says you need to go to the police office and there you do the application for the permisso to stay while doing the application.



However, since all of my documents are at this moment being translated/legalized by notary in Brazil, I don't have them here in Italy right now.



Would I already be needing them in the first stage of the application or could I apply for a residence permit to get time to finish my application and then hand them in after when they are finally ready / translated / legalized? I don't think the couple of months I have left on my study visa right now is going to be enough the speed it is going right now, so I'm worried.



Looking forward to hearing from you, thank you very much for any responses/indications I might receive.



Sergio
AUSTIN  People fleeing Hurricane Harvey will not be asked about their immigration status at storm shelters, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said during a press briefing at the state operations center Friday.

Our main focus here, in a situation like this, is the safety and security and the protection of life. Were going to do everything we can to make sure everybody is safe, he said.

Harvey, a category 3 hurricane, is expected to make landfall Friday evening and dump rain across the coast and inland until early next week. State officials, on a call this morning with Abbott, warned Friday that life threatening, devastating and record flooding is expected.

After speaking with President Donald Trump about the storm Thursday, Abbott on Friday morning sent him a letter requesting a presidential disaster declaration that would provide financial assistance to affected areas.

Granting this request will provide Texans the additional resources needed to protect themselves, their property and rebuild their lives if necessary after Hurricane Harvey, Abbott said.

The state has already spent more than $9 million preparing for the hurricane, a sum that does not include costs expended at the local or private level. You can expected the cost is going to be far higher than that, Abbott said.

Officials could not provide the number of residents estimated to have already evacuated or those who remain in the more than two dozen areas where mandatory evacuation orders are in place.

Shelters set up in San Antonio, and other inland cities, have the capacity to hold about 41,000 people, officials said on the call.

Abbott urged Texans who live in the affected areas to strongly consider evacuating. If you have the ability to evacuate and go somewhere else for a little while, it would be good, he said, but added that its up to local officials to make the call about whether to issue mandatory evacuation orders.

I can be suggestive of what I would do. If I were living in the Houston region... I would decide to head to areas north of there, he said.

Dozens of state officials and representatives from FEMA and the military are camped out in the state operations center, two floors below ground at the Texas Department of Public Safety, to manage storm response.

AMorris@express-news.net
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Hurricane Harvey will hit San Antonios electrical grid, but only a few power generation resources will be impacted, according to the citys power utility.

Downed trees and flooding could hamper restoration efforts, CPS Energy spokesman John Moreno said.

We do expect Harvey to impact our service area. We have taken action to be as prepared as possible. Our emergency crews have been assigned and trucks have been outfitting with additional supplies in preparation for power outages.

Moreno added that CPS is waiting to see Harveys impact on San Antonio before it sends crews to the Gulf Coast, which is bearing the brunt of the hurricanes force.

While San Antonio is not expected to have widespread water shutoffs because of Harvey, residents can best prepare by filling their own containers instead of buying bottled water.

Grocery stores in the city have seen a run on bottled water as Harvey approached. The storm is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain over parts of San Antonio through the weekend, which will likely lead to widespread flooding.

The San Antonio Water System relies on a network of roughly 200 groundwater wells across the city, SAWS spokeswoman Anne Hayden said. It also can draw on the more than 100,000 acre-feet stored in an Aquifer Storage and Recovery system in South Bexar County. An acre-foot is 325,851 gallons.

We do not believe there will be major outages, SAWS spokeswoman Anne Hayden said Friday, though she added that theres no way to be sure flooding wont affect water service.

The majority of our water sources are deep underground, and our equipment is redundant so we have multiple lines, multiple pumps and multiple sources, she said. The equipment that is above ground is built to withstand this kind of weather.

Still, water main breaks can happen even in good weather. A broken main on the South Side left 5,000 people without water for most of the day Wednesday until SAWS restored service.

Rather than buying costly and polluting bottled water, residents can prepare for Harvey by filling reusable bottles, pitchers, buckets and bathtubs, Hayden said.

The storm will affect the citys municipally owned utilities in other, less obvious ways.

Due to Harvey, two South Texas wind farms CPS buys power from will be shut down to protect the equipment. The wind turbines can provide 180 total megawatts, or enough power for 36,000 Texas homes at peak demand.

CPS spokesman Jonathan Tijerina said other than the affected wind farms, all CPS power generation units will be available to meet demand, which he added is past the peak August time period.

The South Texas Nuclear Project Electric Generating Station  a 2,700-megawatt nuclear power plan in Matagorda County that provides more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity to CPS  is monitoring Harvey, which became a Category 4 hurricane Friday evening.

Winds at the South Texas Project are estimated at 40 and 50 miles per hour, said spokesman Buddy Eller. He added that the nuclear reactors will be shut down only if hurricane-force winds above 73 miles per hour are recorded.

We dont want folks out checking systems and equipment in those types of conditions, Eller said. The second reason is  if you have wind speeds of that nature youre probably going to have some issues with your transmission grid infrastructure. So there wouldnt be any place to send the power to.

The power plant has 200 to 250 employees who will remain on site throughout the storm, Eller said.

Voter Guide: What to know for the midterm election Your guide to the Texas and San Antonio races and candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot.

For SAWS, the most pressing issues could be flood-related sewer spills as floodwater infiltrates sewer lines, especially through holes in manhole covers. When that happens, raw sewage mixed with stormwater can flow from sewer lines into creeks.

Areas such as Holbrook Road near Salado Creek on the East Side and Chappie James Way near Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland  notorious for frequent sewage spills  are vulnerable this weekend, Hayden said.

The usual places will probably be a problem, she said. Well do everything we can, but we cant send people down into creek beds while theres a flood.

SAWS is upgrading its sewer system to reduce sewage spills under a 10-year, $1.1 billion agreement with federal regulators in 2013.

rdruzin@express-news.net, @druz_journo

bgibbons@express-news.net, @bgibbs
Theres a cult in the kitchen these days, and its ranks have spread to San Antonio.

If, by some odd chance, you havent yet heard of the Instant Pot programmable pressure cooker, its only a matter of time before a proselytizing neighbor comes knocking. The gadget is an unlikely idol: It was designed in Canada by a team of engineers, not cooks. It has virtually no marketing budget and is primarily sold online.

Plus, its a pressure cooker, for crying out loud. Could there be a less sexy kitchen device?

But its fans are legion. Thanks to a word-of-mouth following built largely through social media and food blogs, Instant Pot sold 215,000 units  some $14.8 million in sales  in a single day during Amazon.coms Prime Day promotion in June 2016. It would return to be the top-selling item in Canada and the U.S. in 2017.

Cibolo resident Candace Nugent was among those who added an Instant Pot  many followers simply refer to it by the initials IP  to their digital shopping carts this year. In the two months since, the enthusiastic home cook  she describes herself as a little bit nerdy in the kitchen  has worked out a recipe for pork ribs that goes from frozen raw meat to piping hot dinner in 22 minutes.

Thats what I love about the IP. Im in business and work 50 hours a week, but I love to cook. I wish I had gone into culinary school instead, she said. I would have paid double for that thing. I want to know how I can do laundry in it now.

While it cant (yet) sort lights and darks, the IP can be programmed to operate like a rice cooker, yogurt maker, steamer, slow cooker and more in addition to its signature pressure cooking duties. The suite of functions is particularly well suited to shaving considerable time from long-simmered Texas staples such as chili, menudo and pinto beans  all of which are included in this weeks batch of recipes.

Amy Main of San Antonio fell hard for the appliance thanks to that versatility.

I used it immediately to make hard boiled eggs. They peeled like a dream, she said. If I could only use it for eggs, it would be worth it.

Main has moved well beyond eggs. Mac and cheese, chili, chicken Marsala, one-pot pasta Bolognese and dozens of other dishes are now in her regular rotation. Oh, and did we mention she now owns three Instant Pots? The second unit was for extra cooking capacity, the third was for new features on a higher-end model.

I made my entire Thanksgiving dinner last year in Instant Pots. Turkey breast, mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls  I raised the dough on the yogurt setting  deviled eggs and pumpkin caramel cheesecake, Main said. It seems gimmicky. But it is now something I can't live without. It has brought joy back to cooking for me.

Aaron Fields also counts himself among the IPs many acolytes. Fields, Nugent and Main are all members of Instant Pot Community, a Facebook group maintained by the manufacturer with more than 626,000 converts. The site is effectively a crowd-sourced, tested and critiqued cookbook, and one that many users have come to rely on more than any printed page. Instant Pot also has a free mobile app with several hundred recipes, and scores of bloggers publish new dishes daily.

I bought an Instant Pot cookbook when I bought the Instant Pot, and I havent even opened it, Fields said. There are so many good recipes out there, and its so easy. Theres almost like a review system built into the recipes.

Fields is partial to a mac and cheese recipe that cooks in four minutes, but Indian, Italian and other global fare  he recently made a 5-pound Hawaiian-style Kalua pork roast  is in his repertoire.

And hes identified another advantage nearly anyone in San Antonio can appreciate as the hazy days of August wear on: When its 100 degrees Id rather not heat up the kitchen, he said. I think we turn our stove on a lot less now, and our electric bill has gone down.

Nugents tastes generally remain regional. Shes studied many of the popular recipes circulating widely online, but often adapts them to her familys preferences.

The IP app has a lot of fancy stuff in there, Nugent said. Maybe its the Texan in me. Im more of a Southern cook. Sometimes I tend to remove all that fancy schmancy.

That isnt to say she likes her food simple. Nugent, a reformed Crock-Pot adherent, has tricked out her IP with a slew of accessories. A steaming rack is included with many models, but divided containers, egg trays, loaf pans and more are available. She hasnt touched her Crock-Pot since, but is quick to admit the IPs shortcomings.

Its going to make things easier for you if you understand how the machine works. I feel like theres a learning curve for this device. Theres no learning curve for the Crock Pot, she said. If you dont have some patience, the IP is not for you.

PStephen@express-news.net

Twitter: @pjbites

Instagram: @pjstephen
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Thomas Evans lived in a dorm like any student for his first three weeks at the helm of the University of the Incarnate Word, waiting for his new home north of campus to be ready and his wife to drive down from Montana with their two sons and two dogs.

During his stay at Watson Lofts Residence Hall, the universitys 10th president had much to consider and even more to prepare for.

Evans had just spent five years as president of Carroll College, a small Catholic school in Helena, Montana. Now he was responsible for overseeing UIW, a sprawling and complex institution that, besides its main campus in San Antonio, includes graduate schools, a new medical school and international campuses and study centers.

Taking stock of his new responsibilities, he said, has been akin to drinking from the fire hose.

Moreover, Evans faces the challenge of establishing himself at a university that for three decades was run  and reinvented  by one president, Lou Agnese. Late last year, Agnese was removed from office and subsequently retired. He was named president emeritus in December.

I do feel like I have very big shoes to fill, said Evans, 46. But Im grateful that theyre big shoes.

Despite the pressures, moving to San Antonio was a welcome homecoming for Evans, who spent his early childhood in Amarillo. His mother taught French and English language learner classes at Amarillo College, where her students were largely refugees from Southeast Asia. Evans absorbed the language and academics sitting in on the classes, and also listened attentively when his father, a Russian translator for the Air Force who became a Fulbright scholar, told stories of his international travels.

By the time Evans was in high school, his family had moved to Austin. As a sophomore at St. Stephens Episcopal School, he spent more than a year in Osaka, Japan through a study abroad program, living with a family that spoke no English and immersing himself in the culture. The experience inspired him to major in Japanese at Georgetown University, with a minor in theology, spending more time in Japan, at Keio University in Tokyo. He obtained his masters in Asian studies from the University of Texas at Austin, where he also would earn a doctorate.

Evans early interest in studying abroad might have informed his priorities as an educator and administrator. When he joined the staff of St. Edwards University in Austin in 1995, he worked his way up from admissions counselor responsible for the San Antonio area to direct its graduate admissions and center for academic progress. He became the universitys dean for graduate and adult services, then the associate vice president of global services.

In that role, Evans was responsible for building the foundation of a host of new international studies programs. He began extensive travels abroad, visiting with educational institutions in Bahrain, France, the United Kingdom, China, Japan and in South America. The work was grueling. Evans estimated that at one point he spent 60 percent of his time outside the United States. On some nights, he and St. Edwards president, George Martin, would go to bed at 3 a.m., four hours before they were expected to meet with their hosts.

Martin credited Evans with the strong partnerships the university now has in Japan, Latin America and Europe.

Evans said he grew to appreciate the ambiguity and uncertainty of being on unfamiliar terrain, something he believes students need to experience.

Students today, when they graduate, we may be preparing them for jobs that dont yet exist, he said.

After 16 years, Evans left St. Edwards for the presidency at Carroll, a college with an enrollment of just under 1,500 students. There he led a $45 million fundraising campaign that enabled extensive renovations of existing buildings on campus and the addition of a new apartment building, chapel and student activities center.

It was a period of rapid growth, Evans said, not unlike the transformation UIW has undergone.

Jim Hardwick, vice president of student life at Carroll, said he was struck by the importance Evans placed on making himself accessible to students and engaging with alumni and the broader Helena community. Evans often opened his home to students and alumni for dinners, and he made an effort to meet with city leaders and businesses, Hardwick said.

Evans also brought a level of humanity to his role that is rare among college presidents, Hardwick said, recalling a meeting between Evans and the grieving parents of a diabetic student who had caught the flu and died in a residence hall. He said he was struck by the compassion Evans showed, listening and affirming how their son would be missed.

He walked the parents through their own grief to help them understand that we as a college grieved with them, as well as for them, Hardwick said.

Evans said the University of the Incarnate Word combines many things that are personally important to him  a Catholic mission, an emphasis on international programming and a main campus in his home state. He plans to familiarize himself with the university community but his travel schedule also is packed until Thanksgiving, he said.

Its really a dream institution for me, Evans said.

His biggest priorities are threefold: reemphasize the universitys core mission of service, strengthen the schools various academic disciplines and extend the universitys international reach.

Evans said he wants to find ways for the university to partner with institutions across the city, offering the School of Osteopathic Medicines partnership with Southside Independent School District as an example. By spring, Evans wants to initiate a strategic vision. The hope, he said, is to meet the needs of UIWs core San Antonio campus while also affirming the universitys global reach.

It really is a balancing act, he said.

On Thursday, Evans spent the day helping incoming freshmen get settled in advance of the first day of classes this week. Dressed in a red polo shirt, he walked under arches of balloons to greet students in the universitys new student center, which has its grand opening set for Monday  weather permitting.

He helped load towers of belongings into large red carts, which he then navigated up an elevator to the upper floors of the Agnese-Sosa Living Learning Center, the dorm named after his predecessor.

Earlier in the morning, Evans spent time checking in students who were as new to the university as he was. He asked where they were from, if they had met their roommates yet, what they planned to study.

Wheres home for you? Evans asked one young woman.

McAllen, Texas, she replied.

Now, its here, Evans said.

lcaruba@express-news.net
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Tornadoes spawned by Hurricane Harvey damaged more than 50 homes in Fort Bend County, struck a commercial center near Katy and tore through Cypress, while parts of the Houston region evacuated ahead of record river floods and braced for torrential rains.

After a day of relative calm, several inches of rain dumped on already swollen bayous and triggered flooding across the city late Sunday, forcing dozens of water rescues and road closures in the dark of night. City officials were reporting that a female driver died when floodwaters overcame her car but didn't provide any details on what they called an unconfirmed report.

The downpour triggered the National Weather Service's most dire warning  a flash flood emergency for south and southwest Houston, parts of east Fort Bend County and northwest Brazoria County.

Forecasters said Harvey, virtually stalled southeast of San Antonio and downgraded Saturday to a tropical storm, could drift east or head back south, and the difference in paths could mean even higher rainfall totals for Houston, or a relatively calm period.

"This storm is slow-moving, or not moving  it's meandering. We are going to be dealing with it and its remnants for the next 48 to 72 hours," said Jeff Lindner, the county flood control district's meteorologist.

One local forecast estimated between 8 and 10 inches of rain could fall in some parts by Sunday morning.

Hurricane Harvey location

The west and northwest parts of the county, like upper Little Cypress Creek and Mayde Creek near Greenhouse, already had high water and were especially at risk, Lindner said.

Underscoring Harvey's breadth and unpredictability, the twisters happened up to 140 miles away from the center of the downgraded tropical storm.

One in Cypress skipped like a stone on water, leaving a random, broken trail of damage.

Charles Crittenden, 43, stared at the rain from his house in the Lone Oak Village subdivision when a funnel cloud dropped out of the sky and hit his roof, peeling off shingles, plywood, and tar paper.

He yelled "get in the hallway," to his wife, Beth, 51.

"That's where everything went flying," he said, pointing at a muddy patch in his yard. It tossed his ATV and two 500-pound logs into the air.

From the scene: Hurricane Harvey rips roofs off Fort Bend County homes

A tornado also hit Lone Star College and the nearby Berry complex, with an event center and stadium, scattering trees and debris.

Michael Miller, 32, who lives several blocks over, looked out of his house around 4 p.m. and saw stadium seats flying.

"It was huge," he said, as his phone blared yet another tornado warning. "Everything was up in the air."

Across the subdivision, where other homes also had been hit, roofers scaled roof lines, throwing down tarps, plywood and other materials to block the rain.

The weather service logged seven tornadoes, and there were several more probable twisters that were not officially confirmed. Two struck Galveston, Texas City and La Marque on Friday, four hit northwest Harris County between 4 and 5 p.m. Saturday, and one downed trees and ripped up parts of homes in the Missouri City subdivision of Sienna Plantation early Saturday.

That tornado hit around 12:50 a.m.

Water rising: These parts of Houston have received the most rain so far

In Katy, a suspected tornado at about 5:30 a.m. tossed trailers like toys and pushed over a billboard at a boat and RV storage business. "We have two businesses here on the property  or we did," said manager B.J. Prendergast as he surveyed the damage at Boat and Storage and Trailer World of Katy on Interstate 10 near FM 1463.

Prendergast said a bystander told him he saw the twister cross a road and slam into the building.

"And out of nowhere, debris just exploded," Predergast said.

The high winds sheared off the front section of the warehouse like a tin can. A tree branch flew about 500 feet and slammed into the wrought iron fence.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales Gonzalez said on Twitter that four tornadoes touched down in the Cypress area during the 4 p.m. hour, but some of those reports were likely the same twister, other officials said. The weather service confirmed the first tornado touched down at 4 p.m. near Cypress Ranch High School and moved toward Hockley, Waller and Todd Mission.

Some homes suffered "extensive damage" in the Lone Oak Subdivision, and other buildings in Black Horse Ranch; Fry Road at Cypress North Houston Road; and between Tuckerton and West roads also had damage, Gonzales Gonzalez said.

The National Weather Service issued about 70 tornado warnings in the area Saturday.

Harvey's strong winds set in motion smaller vortexes, resulting in frequent but brief tornadoes, which will continue through Monday, said Melissa Huffman, a weather service meteorologist in Houston.

No injuries were reported in the tornadoes, and the lone confirmed fatality from Harvey remained a person who was trapped in a home in Rockport as the storm made landfall Friday night on the coast about 190 miles southeast of Houston, according to Aransas County Judge Burt Mills.

Among the greatest dangers facing the Houston region, the Brazos and Colorado rivers and their tributaries are expected to surpass decades-old records with life-threatening floods in an area swamped just 14 months ago.

Brazoria County officials expect the Brazos to crest at roughly the same level it did in June 2016, when hundreds of residences were flooded, some for nearly two weeks. It all but spared the most populated parts of central and southern Brazoria County  Angleton, Lake Jackson, Freeport  but left residents in more rural areas stranded. Those regions are home to a mix of trailers, dilapidated small houses and larger single-family residences.

Federal projections show the river near Rosharon is expected to reach 51 feet by Monday morning, cresting at about 52.5 feet on Monday night. It was at 26 feet Saturday night, having risen nearly 20 feet in the past day.

State prison officials evacuated about 4,500 inmates by bus from the Ramsey, Terrell and Stringfellow units in Rosharon, sending them to other prisons in East Texas.

Brazoria County Judge Matt Sebesta told residents along the river to evacuate. Holiday Lakes, a town of 350 households west of Angleton, issued a mandatory evacuation order. About 95 percent of Holiday Lakes households were flooded last year.

"We're just going to do what we can and hope they miss their prediction," Holiday Lakes Mayor Norman Schroeder said.

The San Bernard River in western Brazoria County is also under voluntary orders. The river is expected to hit 34.2 feet  10 feet higher than the previous record  by Thursday.

As the storm briefly quieted Saturday morning, fearful residents recalled the havoc of 2016.

Megan Turney, 60, said she didn't leave her home for 12 days, at one point receiving bread, milk and beer from a neighbor who kayaked about 4 miles. Although her house, a few miles east of the Brazos River, avoided major damage, she could hear efforts to reach residents in flooded homes.

"It sounded like a war zone because everybody was going out with air boats and getting people out of Holiday Lakes," Turney said.

The 2016 flood brought a thick film of mud that caked many homes, along with some unwanted guests, said Martin Schrott, who manages about 40 properties along Mann Lake.

"Last year, I stepped on a damn gator in the water," he said. "I'm not walking around out here at night again."

Disa Schulze, the mayor pro tem of Holiday Lakes, said some residents were able to rebuild using insurance money, but homeowners who skipped insurance plans were just starting to recover, "and now we're fixing to have to start all over again."

Raymond Romo, 55, lost his childhood home in the Rosenberg area last year to the flooding. He bought an RV and had been living in it, parked in what was once the home's driveway.

"Here we are again," he said, eyeing the rising river.

Wharton County urged people to evacuate areas surrounding the Colorado, San Bernard and East Bernard rivers, the latter of which could top the 1960 record by 4 inches. The East and West Mustang creeks near Ganado also are projected to break records.

"If you have flooded in any past flood, this is higher than all of them," the county's emergency management office warned on social media.

In Houston, Greenspoint residents kept a nervous eye on the water coursing through their local bayou, remembering last year's catastrophic flooding.

The low-income neighborhood of aging apartment complexes and charmless business parks south of Bush Intercontinental Airport is just now recovering from the 2016 Tax Day flood that inundated some 2,000 area apartments, some of which still await repair.

Harvey could bring a repeat, residents worried, but at least this storm left them time to prepare  buy food, move cars, clean ditches.

Maurice Lewis, 35, worried mostly about his car as he stood in his apartment's parking lot, watching water course down Greens Bayou.

"I can't even say the feeling, just wishing that it's all going to get over with," said Lewis, who moved from Humble to his second floor Greenspoint apartment two weeks ago.

A mile downstream, Nora Martinez, her 11-year-old son and their neighbor pressed their faces against a chain link fence, estimating how much Greens Bayou could rise before overflowing.

Several feet to go, the 46-year-old mom thought.

"Truth is," Martinez said in Spanish, "I'm not afraid because I'm a woman of faith. I trust the Lord will have mercy on his people."

Minutes later, however, memories of the deluge that displaced many of her neighbors crept back.

"I'm a little scared because I already went through this," Martinez admitted.

Some Houstonians defied recommendations to stay indoors, like a woman dancing through Buffalo Bayou Park, and Jason Hurns, who exercised nearby.

"This is the best time to work out," he said. "Everybody is home, and I am here with the park just for myself."

While areas on the coast near Harvey's landfall have seen about 15 inches of rain, the Houston region had seen 5 to 10 inches through about 4 p.m.

Hundreds of thousands of homes on Texas' Gulf Coast were still without power on Saturday afternoon, while more than 170,000 customers in Houston had their lights back on after Harvey was downgraded, according to transmission companies and the state's grid operator.

United Airlines announced Saturday afternoon that it is suspending flights out of Houston to non-hub airports. That represents about 300 departures.

Officials at the city's two major airports reported more than 500 cancelled flights and dozens of delays.

Southwest Airlines said it is operating about 50 percent of its normal schedule Saturday and Sunday.

Both Southwest and United have travel waivers in place.

Katherine Blunt, Rebecca Elliott, Lindsay Ellis, Emily Foxhall, Mike Glenn, Ryan Maye Handy, John D. Harden, Andrew Kragie, Brooke A. Lewis, Andrea Rumbaugh and Olivia P. Tallet contributed to this report.
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AUSTIN  Gov. Greg Abbott added Bexar County and 19 others to a state disaster declaration Saturday in response to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Although the storm weakened to a tropical storm by mid-afternoon, Abbott warned about the potential for dramatic flooding in the coming days and urged residents to remain vigilant.

Put your life and the protection of your life first and foremost, he said in a press conference at the Austin-based state operations center, two levels underground.

Harvey pummeled the Coastal Bend area last night, downing power lands, uprooting trees and leading to flood damage, but Abbott said Saturday he could not confirm any fatalities. The state will be working with local officials over the coming days to get that information.

Buses have already made more than 100 trips transporting evacuees from coastal towns inland and 228 buses are available to continue the effort, Abbott said. On Friday, Abbott waived the states hotel occupancy tax for all evacuees and first responders.

Abbott said evacuees he met at a shelter in San Antonio Friday had a sense of relief.

They were happy to be alive and they were at peace in that regard, he said.

The biggest threat remains the rain, which Harvey continues to dump across coastal areas and inland. The stretch between Corpus Christi and flood-prone Houston could see an additional 20 to 30 inches of rain, Abbott said.

Now Playing: The Coast Guard assessed damage and offered search and rescue assisitance during an overflight from Port Aransas to Port O'Connor, Texas, Aug. 26, 2017. The Coast Guard is working closely with all local and state emergency operation centers to manage Coast Guard storm operations. Video: San Antonio Express-News

The storm has so far led to more than 338,000 power outages, but due to high wind speeds in the area, it may be days before all the outages can be addressed, Abbott said.

After addressing reporters, Abbott appeared before dozens of state, federal and military officials coordinating a response to Harvey from the basement of the Department of Public Safety building and thanked them for the work.

I want you to know what a difference you are making in the lives of your fellow Texans, he said into a microphone.

The storm is expected to last into the middle of the week, though officials said Saturday the exact path is difficult to know.

Right now, forecasts show Harvey will move toward San Antonio before doubling back Sunday morning and pressing north through Thursday.
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A century ago, soldiers from Texas and Oklahoma gathered at Camp Travis near Fort Sam Houston on their way to the battlefields of World War I.

The spiritual descendants of those troops, who served in the 90th Infantry Division, placed battle ribbons on a flag of that unit in a ceremony Friday at Fort Sam.

After the U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917, the nation mobilized 2 million troops to fight overseas.

Draftees from Texas and Oklahoma were organized into the 90th Infantry Division, a unit with a shoulder patch bearing the initials of both states, T-O.

In France, the T-O birthed the units nickname, the Tough Hombres.

The unit served as a pivot for major attacks in World War I and fought in World War II, the Gulf War and the Iraq War.

Troops from the modern-day descendant of the unit, the 90th Sustainment Brigade from Arkansas, attended the ceremony in doughboy garb as Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan placed a battle ribbon on the units flag.

Vernon N. Schmidt, 91, who traveled from Fresno, California, to attend the ceremony, also placed a battle ribbon on the 90th Division flag. Schmidt fought in the unit during WWII and was involved in the liberation of German concentration camps.

He said he knew nothing about the units history in World War I when he joined. The only thing he knew about the units heritage was the nickname. The rest he learned in battle.

We were told immediately we were Tough Hombres, Schmidt said.

jlawrence@express-news.net
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As now Tropical Storm Harvey hovers over South Texas, San Antonio officials were warning residents to stay alert for potentially life-threatening flooding.

We dont want anyone in San Antonio to let their guard down, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said as Harvey moved farther inland Saturday afternoon.

Harvey, the previous Category 4 hurricane that was downgraded to a high-end tropical storm Saturday afternoon, was expected to slowly deteriorate now that its inland, NWS meteorologist Jason Runyen said.

Still, its expected to bring heavy rainfall through at least Wednesday with the possibility of catastrophic flooding east of Interstate 35 and south of Interstate 10, he said.

This storm may last for days and days and days, Runyen said.

In his career, he said, he has never seen a storm that was accompanied by such a prolonged risk of flooding.

Most parts of the San Antonio metro area were windy but light rain was intermittent. Nevertheless, forecasters warned the city still was expected to get between 5 and 10 inches of rain over the next few days. And parts of Bexar County could get anywhere from 4 to 15 inches, according to a map released by the NWS. The eastern part of the county is likely to get more rain.

A flash flood watch and a tropical storm warning are in place for Bexar County, while there is a wind advisory for much of the Hill Country, Runyen said.

To the north and east of San Antonio, there were more problems.

In downtown Seguin, traffic was sparse, with most businesses shuttered. But that didnt stop two area residents from making the most of the inclement weather.

Bryan Stuckey and Beth Greenblum had bellied up to the bar at Playoff's Sports Bar and Grill, one of the few establishments open during Hurricane Harveys tour through town. Their attention was split between screens airing Texas in the Little League World Series and the BYU vs. Portland State game.

Our power went out at 2 p.m., so we rushed over here, Stuckey said.

The two didn't expect electricity to be restored at their Lake Placid home any time soon, so they booked a room at the nearby Park Plaza Hotel. Neither was too worried about potential damage to their house.

I've been around the Guadalupe River all my life. It's almost like you get used to it flooding, Greenblum said. You don't have anything in your house you wouldnt be willing to walk down and throw in the river yourself.

Playoff's co-owner Sonia Cowan didn't expect a busy night, but felt it was important to open as a refuge to those affected by the storm.

There are a lot of people without power out there, she said. Were opening for them.

A few miles away, Juan and Isabel Flores had chores of their own to take care of as the storm wore on. The couple live feet from the Guadalupe River's edge, and have endured decades of flooding at their waterfront home. But it wasn't the house they were worried about.

Inside, Isabel, who preaches at the House of Prayer in Geronimo, was on the phone checking on the safety of her congregants.

Meanwhile, Juan was getting soaked outside their home on Deer Slayer Drive, nailing down a life-sized metal sculpture of a horse. It previously had been located closer to the river, and Isabel wasn't about to let the mighty steed and its apocalyptic symbology get washed downstream by a few inches of rain.

The reason I bought the horse is because the book of revelations talks about a white horse, she said. It represents overcoming and victory by the believers in Christ. My husband wasnt too much into it, but I think its an important reminder.

Meanwhile, wind gusts picked up in Schertz where some leaf-splattered streets were scattered with splintered tree limbs and branches. Steady rain showers and wind-blown tree canopies sounded like the rush of waterfalls throughout the day.

A metal construction fence lay twisted on the ground beside Samuel Clemens High School on Elbel Road. A portion of a wooden fence was knocked down along Savannah Drive winding into Selma and a police SUV was parked in the middle of FM 1103, parallel to a backyard fence flattened not far from the road in Cibolo. Pop-up streams ran down dry creek beds and grassy culverts in the area.

Traffic was light along the neighborhoods, where a few residents ventured outside to inspect damage from the storm.

In New Braunfels, no residents had been evacuated as of 6 p.m. but 268 coastal folks were sheltered at Churchill Middle School.

There were nine low water crossings that were closed in the area; no roads had been closed in Comal County as of Saturday night.

Back in San Antonio, Nirenberg said the city was sheltering about 1,100 evacuees. The region has also accepted 350 medical transfers of patients from hospitals affected by the storm, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said.

I think were going to see an increase in medical transfers, Wolff said, especially if the storm does significant damage to Houston, which was still uncertain late Saturday.

Some eight roads in San Antonio were closed due to high water, but that number could increase.

Expect that number to go up as rain really begins to enter this area, Nirenberg said.

Donations of food, clothing and pet food are being accepted at the San Antonio Food Bank, the only place that is accepting donations, Nirenberg said.

Local authorities also are sheltering pets at Freeman Coliseum. Around 120 animals are being cared for now, with capacity for around 50 more, Wolff said.

School districts in Bexar County will meet today to decide whether classes will be canceled Monday, the first day of school for many districts.

City facilities, including libraries, will remain closed today, Nirenberg said. Most area attractions, including the San Antonio Zoo, SeaWorld, Aquatica San Antonio, Splashtown and Fiesta Texas, also were closed.

bgibbons@express-news.net
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Of the more than 1,000 coastal residents seeking refuge at San Antonio shelters from Hurricane Harveys wrath, many were grateful to have a cot to sleep on, fresh towels and three meals a day, but still anxious to get home, assess damage and get on with their lives.

Andrew Caudill, who is homeless, had been staying at a Salvation Army facility in Corpus Christi until officials told residents there that it was mandatory for us to get on the bus and come here. Since then, he and a friend have been staying at a shelter on San Antonios Southwest Side.

Theyre doing real good over there. They gave us stuff to eat, and a bed and everything. Theyve got TVs going now, Caudill said as he waited for a VIA bus to ride for free so he and his friend could take a break Saturday from the shelter filled with hundreds of displaced people.

Weve been stranded and its kind of noisy in there. We want to get out for awhile, he said.

The city, working with the American Red Cross and other entities, has opened three shelters, housing about 1,100 hurricane evacuees as of Saturday evening. The Emergency Operations Center has a plan in place to house thousands of evacuees if the need arises as a result of damage to homes that has occurred already, or widespread flash flooding or downstream river flooding that still could develop.

Were staffed to ride the storm out, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward said.

Evacuees needing shelter should report to the evacuation intake center at 200 Gembler Road, northeast of the AT&T Center off of Interstate 35, about two miles east of downtown. There, they can report any special needs such as medication or health issues.

Other evacuees have checked into motels or turned to local friends or family members. Corpus Christi resident Ryan Horton, 25, said he and many others didnt take Harvey seriously at first, but was persuaded by family to seek shelter for his two children, ages 9 months and 6 years.

They basically put something in my mind about my kids. The reason I evacuated was for my family, said Horton who came to a motel here.

He was anxious to get home and clean up and repair any damage to his house, even though it may take days for Corpus Christi officials to declare the city safe to return.

Im feeling really good. Im just ready to get back, he said.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg visited with residents at a South Side evacuation shelter Saturday and thanked San Antonians for stepping up for more than a week now, volunteering at shelters and donating food, blankets, towels, socks and other high-necessity items. The mood of evacuees seemed upbeat, he said.

Everybodys in as good of spirits as they could be. A lot of them dont have homes to go back to when the storms over, but they know theyre being taken care of here in San Antonio, Nirenberg said. Weve got an outpouring of support here.

One evacuee, Michael Jordan, 19, left the Good Samaritan homeless shelter in Corpus Christi and rode a train to San Antonio. Jordan said he liked being close to the beach, but had never experienced a hurricane before, having grown up in the Midwest, and might prefer to live inland, pursuing his goal of becoming a welder.

I may stay in San Antonio. Im safe here, he said.

Jose Luis Fuentes, 60, had left his apartment in downtown Corpus Christi at the direction of his landlord, but was worried about his mother, who was at a hospital on the coast recovering from a knee fracture. Fuentes, a lifelong Corpus Christi resident, compared Harvey to Hurricane Celia, which in the 1970s claimed 27 lives and cause nearly $1 billion in damage.

Celia was the worst storm. But we dont know. This ones not done yet, Fuentes said.

Kenneth Hawkins, another longtime Corpus Christi resident who no longer drives, at 76, also survived Celia and thought as he read news about Harvey intensifying that he should catch a bus to San Antonio.

When I read in the news about it building up, I thought, I dont want to go through that again, said Hawkins, who chatted with Nirenberg and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro as they visited the shelter.

His only complaint was of boredom and not having television.

I like to watch football games, said Hawkins, a retired math teacher.

Meanwhile, the parking lot at the American Red Cross volunteer intake center on the East Side was overflowing Saturday morning as hundreds of people showed up for training to work at shelters. Still, the organization is in need of more, longtime volunteer Gretchen Roufs said.

We always urgently need volunteers, she said, noting that the shelters need to be staffed 24 hours a day. When people are troubled and youre not, it just makes your heart full to be able to help people out. It might just be giving a little kid a hug.

Volunteers learned how to lay out cots in a shelter, greet the evacuees and help those with disabilities. After taking the volunteer class Saturday morning, friends Holly Clifford and Jeff Olivares waited in line to be assigned to shelters.

I have nothing else to do this weekend. I definitely need to help out since I can, Olivares said. However long they need us, as long as it takes.

Staff Writer Richard Webner contributed to this story.
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CORPUS CHRISTI  Hurricane Harvey roared into Texas overnight north of this city as the most powerful hurricane to strike Texas in 56 years, flooding low-lying coastal areas, leaving tens of thousands of people without power and promising that stragglers who didnt evacuate would wake up to disaster today.

San Antonio welcomed hundreds of coastal residents, opening shelters and preparing for the worst: high winds reaching as high as 60 mph and as much as 12 inches of rain in some areas over the weekend.

Harvey spun into a Category 4 storm Friday evening, packing 130-mph winds after beginning the day at Category 1, an unusually rapid intensification. It was the strongest to land in Texas since Carla in 1961 brought 175-mph winds and killed 34 people.

Corpus Christi  the seat of Nueces County, with a population of more than 360,000 people  had not seen a devastating hurricane since Celia in 1970, which came ashore as a Category 3, killed 15 people in South Texas and destroyed nearly 9,000 homes.

The county was not under a mandatory evacuation order, but tens of thousands had already fled by Friday after officials strongly urged people to leave.

The outer eyewall crossed Rockport in Aransas County about 7:20 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, and officially made landfall about 10 p.m.

At 8:10 p.m., Aransas County officials said they were stuck in their building and couldnt ascertain damages.

Its over 100 miles an hour outside, I think, and raining like crazy, and theres no way to tell, Emergency Management Chief Deputy John Gutierrez told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

People who remained in Corpus Christi were huddled in dark homes with the wind howling, and they were on their own. By 5 p.m., city police took shelter and stopped responding to emergency calls, the Caller-Times reported.

Not since Celia in 1970 had a storms path aimed so squarely at the city and its surroundings. Old-timers recalled that Celia developed much like Harvey and took 27 lives  including the 15 in Texas  causing some $930 million in damages.

President Donald Trump announced on Twitter about 25 minutes after the storm came ashore that he had signed a disaster declaration for Texas; Gov. Greg Abbott had made the request early Friday afternoon.

While Houston wasnt in the path of hurricane-force winds, Mayor Sylvester Turner warned that today might seem mild and that the worst could come Sunday. He urged people not to venture out then.

People are going to have to be very, very patient, he said.

Abbott, who visited a hurricane shelter in San Antonio, sowed a moment of confusion in an off-the-cuff remark, saying that if he were living in Houston, hed head north. Local officials immediately scrambled to negate his advice.

The safest thing is to stay where you are and ride out the storm, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said.

Corpus Christi stopped short of a mandatory evacuation, but officials used the most dramatic terms possible to get all residents to, as Mayor Joe McComb said, Get out of Dodge.

If you understand what water can do when its rising fast and moving, it can be deadly, McComb said at a noon news conference. So I would encourage you to avoid all those low-lying areas, dont try to go through it. You may think you can get through it, but you may not.

The storm built quickly, from a loosely organized tropical depression Wednesday night to one of the most ominous systems in local memory by Friday morning. City and county officials mobilized quickly.

The whole country is watching us. There are prayers being offered to our community from all across the country, but it is also going to spotlight the amount of preparation that has gone into events such as this, McComb said.

By Thursday night, restaurants along the Corpus Christi Marina and out toward the shore had shuttered, with owners knowing they couldnt jeopardize staff by taking them from families to report to work.

Meanwhile, most flights out of Corpus Christi International Airport were canceled until Monday.

At the city evacuation hub, Incident Commander Lisa Oliver said Friday that more than 1,000 people had been evacuated since Thursday night.

By Friday afternoon, gas stations, restaurants, supermarkets and other businesses were shuttered. Winds toppled standing road signs and sent garbage cans flying. Water had already made some roads impassable.

Nueces County Judge Samuel Neal said he was most fearful of the flooding, as the storm was expected to linger once it made landfall. But he entreated residents to realize that with the projected wind speeds, widespread power outages were almost a given.

One of the things that you get when you get old is experience, he said. In 1970, Hurricane Celia blew through here, and I want to tell the people of this community that the greatest asset that they can have for the next three or four days is patience, because this storm is not going to play out overnight.

In fact, he said, AEP Texas, the local power provider, advised that once the lights flickered off they would likely stay off for three to seven days as crews worked through difficult conditions to restore service.

Fry those wieners today and eat them for the next three days, he said only half-jokingly. Seriously, this is a time for us to come together, take a deep breath, let people do their jobs, and well get the city and the county back as quickly as we can.

Neal said he had gotten calls from U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, with both pledging full federal support through Harvey and its aftermath. The Federal Emergency Management Agency was already on its way, he said.

Its serious, Neal said. Anybody whos seen this storm out in the Gulf can tell its a big one. ... Its the rain event that bothers me most.  If it lasts like they say its going to last, (the rain) is going to cause an immense amount of flooding.

RELATED: Flooding in Houston:

Now Playing: Residents of Houston sent in footage of their flooding streets. Video: San Antonio Express-News

The Texas State Guard had already mobilized at the Nueces County fairgrounds, Neal said, adding that Abbott had 700 Texas National Guard troops ready to be deployed.

Houston Chronicle Staff Writers John D. Harden and Andrew Kragie contributed to this report.

lbrezosky@express-news.net
Joe Arpaio must have been awaiting an early-morning presidential tweet that would pardon him for violating laws and court orders and for racially profiling Latinos, among his many other sins.

Instead, the pardon came by night as the nation was bracing for a hurricane. Wrapped in White House officialness that defied the shame, the pardon was yet another defining moment in President Donald Trumps racist legacy.

If Trump thought wed be too busy to notice, he was wrong. The resistance can multitask.

Before being unseated in November, the media-addicted Arpaio was all bravado, instructing deputies to enforce federal immigration laws  illegally; target people who looked like immigrants and detain them  illegally; and violate constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.

Arpaio was a poster child for lawlessness. He masked his overreach in law-and-order rhetoric, knowing it was fueling Arizonas anti-Latino, anti-immigrant movements, contagions that spread to voter ID laws, redistricting that sought to limit the rights of minority voters, even legislation that banned ethnic studies.

Similar hate surfaced in neo-Nazi, KKK and white supremacist rallies that have come out to protect statuary that glorifies the Confederacy and its central tenet: human slavery.

And like Trump, Arpaio propagated the lie that former President Barack Obama was born in Kenya.

As sheriff, he was a manifestation of all this bile while failing to tend to the real responsibilities of his own office. You have to hand it to him, his approach was inventive.

While failing to investigate violent sex crimes, for example, he jailed inmates in tents in 120-degree temperatures, making them wear pink underwear and serving them greenish baloney.

He banned coffee, limited movies to Lassie and Old Yeller and overcharged inmates for phone calls and commodities, illegally diverting that revenue from inmate educational efforts.

In the late 1990s, he established male and female chain gangs. Amnesty International spoke up. Meanwhile, the sheriff racked up expensive lawsuits for his county to try to fend off.

One came from a former employee assigned to investigate fellow employees suspected of leaking information to the media.

Arpaio kept the Justice Department, the FBI and even his own county attorneys office busy.

In one case, his officers were accused of killing an inmate and covering it up. Arpaio called the countys insurer gutless for its $8.25 million settlement. In another, federal prosecutors found that guards used pepper spray and restraint chairs on inmates in behavior described as unprovoked and unjustified.

Arpaios management was sloppy, too. The jails striped uniforms, done for media attention or his own amusement, cost more than standard ones.

An auditor found that he lost $650,000 in potential annual savings for not taking advantage of early payment schedules to vendors. His department failed vehicle inventories. It lost records and other equipment.

His immigration posse  in which he deputized thousands of residents, some armed  harassed Latinos. Its members wore uniforms, carried badges and handcuffs, and were described as overgrown adolescents living a dilettantes fantasy.

In July, Arpaio was found guilty of defying a court order to stop racially profiling Latinos, motorists who were being pulled over and detained for immigration authorities. His defiance was called flagrant and willful. Sentencing was scheduled in early October, and he faced a potential sentence of six months.

You can respect the rule of law or you can pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Esquire magazine wrote before the pardon. You cannot do both.

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said the presidential pardon will not be a dog whistle to the so-called alt right and white supremacists, but a bull horn.

Nothing will undo the damage, she added.

Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva compared the pardoning to coddling racist, hateful groups and individuals.

But Cecillia Wang, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, might have delivered the most pointed assessment, calling a pardon of Arpaio an official presidential endorsement of racism.

eayala@express-news.net
Hero of Mollywood's first musical hit 'Thiramala' shares his Hollywood stint, directing Prem Nazir and more
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If theres one thing you can count on during stormy weather, its a proper hurricane party. And this one comes with a custom cocktail built in.

Specials on the Harvey Wallbanger, be it loyal reproductions of the quintessential 70s libation or sophisticated updates, could be found at a number of San Antonio bars Friday.

The drink is essentially a frat party screwdriver with a dab of European sophistication from the herbaceous Italian liqueur Galliano. Matt Collette, beverage director for Piatti at the Quarry, dubbed his updated version the Harvey Squallbanger, swapping the OJ for orange bitters, lemon juice and a float of extra dry prosecco.

The Harvey Wallbanger also is being featured at Cured in The Pearl and Krauses Biergarten + Cafe in New Braunfels.

Other bars feeling celebratory Friday according to their Facebook pages were The Gold Bar on South Flores, which posted on its Facebook page that it is open until they flood or run out of booze, and Chisme on the St. Marys Strip, which was holding a Hurricane Harvey Watch Party all weekend with hand-crafted hurricanes.

Bexar Pub, a mostly outdoor downtown pub, on Friday said it planned to open at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday for hard Harvey partying, offering 16-ounce hurricanes.

Those hoping to go to a bar to catch Saturdays UFC match between Floyd Mayweather and Connor McGregor might face some trouble with that, as several bars have canceled plans to show the fight in fear that not enough customers would show up to justify the price of buying rights to the broadcast.

Justin Vitek, co-owner of Hills & Dales explained that promoters charge an upfront fee based on a bars capacity  not actual viewership. As of Friday, he still planned to show the fight.

Other food businesses were being more cautious and somber. The New Braunfels Farmers Market, The Pearl Farmers and the Alamo Quarry Market farmers market all announced they would be closed all weekend.

Signature, Inspired by Chef Andrew Weissman, contacted those with reservations this weekend and posted that the restaurant would be closed Saturday and Sunday. And Mixtli chef and co-owner Diego Galicia indicated on his personal Facebook page the Olmos Park restaurant would close Saturday.

Angelica Cortez, bakery manager of Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia, which famously never closes, claimed they couldnt close the restaurant for the hurricane even if they wanted to; no one knows where the keys are.

According to Cortez, the only time the restaurant ever closed was during her grandfathers funeral in 1984. All of the employees wanted to pay their respects and be there, so the San Antonio Police Department volunteered to come over and watch over the property during the funeral, she said.

Now Playing: Don Gardner, vice president of restaurant facilities for BJs Restaurants Inc. in Huntington Beach, Calif., was stocking up on about $2,500 in plastic sheeting, gas cans, duct tape and other supplies from the Home Depot 527 Fair Ave. on Thursday night. Gardner, who flew into San Antonio earlier Thursday, was driving the supplies to the companys bar, BJs Restaurant Brewhouse in Corpus Christi, to lock everything down before Hurricane Harvey hit landfall. Video: San Antonio Express-News

cblount@express-news.net
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Editor's note: This story originally published in a 2017 series honoring the 300th anniversary of San Antonio.



A man named Bill Bannister registered at the Town House motel on Loop 410 on Memorial Day 1979.

The next morning, May 29, using a high-powered rifle fitted with a scope, that man fired a shot that would be heard around the world. It killed U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr.  the first federal judge to be assassinated in the country.

Years later, the trial of Charles V. Harrelson revealed that Bill Bannister was a pseudonym Harrelson used to help track the judge, who was shot in the back outside his Alamo Heights townhome  less than 2 miles from the motel  as he was leaving for work.

Then-FBI Director William Webster dispatched dozens of agents to San Antonio for a massive investigation that resulted in Harrelson and four others being charged in connection with Woods assassination  a killing still etched in the citys lore.

It was the crime of the century, in San Antonio for sure, said local defense lawyer Alan Brown, who represented people who were rounded up during the investigation but never charged in the murder. It was the first time someone assassinated a sitting federal judge. It was such an iconoclastic case, because it was believed a federal judge could not be touched.

It was a big deal to a lot of people, concurred lawyer Charles Campion, who defended Harrelsons wife, Jo Ann Harrelson, the woman who bought the murder weapon.

On Express-News.com: Judge Sarah Garrahan-Moulder, who helped prosecute hit man Charles Harrelson in San Antonio, dies at 84

The sensational case resulted in a book, Dirty Dealings, by the late journalist Gary Cartwright, television crime dramas and a mention at Las Vegas Mob Museum.

In real life, it highlighted the criminal acts of those accused in Woods killing  a drug lord, an actors father and some of their relatives. But it also spotlighted allegations that federal investigators and prosecutors treaded on constitutional rights such as attorney-client and marital privilege and the secret recording of private conversations.

It also resulted in a group of lawyers and businessmen bankrolling a $100,000 reward, which became instrumental in solving the case. The reward was eventually paid out to a handful of people who included a horrible creton bankrobber who shared a jail cell with Charles Harrelson, a woman who delivered the $250,000 payout for the hit to Harrelson, and a kid who found a piece of the murder rifle in a creek bed, said Sam Millsap, who chaired the reward committee.

It was a big deal; there was a lot of interest in the case, said Millsap, who later served as Bexar County district attorney. Someone could have done a movie not only on the case, but on the people who got the reward.

Bill Thompson, HP staff / Houston Chronicle

The case

According to newspaper stories citing trial testimony, a drug trafficker and flamboyant gambler originally from El Paso, Jamiel Jimmy Chagra, paid Harrelson $250,000 to kill Wood because Chagra feared a trial and sentencing by Maximum John. Wood earned the moniker for his reputation of giving tough sentences to drug traffickers.

Chagra was a prolific marijuana smuggler and spent his ill-gotten fortune on casinos in Las Vegas, where he moved in 1978. Harrelson, a card gambling felon and accused hit man with ties to organized crime, was the father of actor Woody Harrelson and met Jimmy Chagra in Vegas in 1979 after being paroled in an unrelated murder case.

Charles Harrelson was a master at creating alibis, screens and layers between him and his crimes, according to retired federal prosecutor Ray Jahn, who with his wife, LeRoy Jahn, prosecuted Harrelson and his co-defendants.

He was very good at what he did, Ray Jahn said.

According to the Jahns, Harrelson offered to kill people suspected of killing Jimmys older brother, attorney Lee Chagra, who was murdered in his El Paso law office two days before Christmas in 1978.

Thats not the problem I have, Ray Jahn quoted Jimmy Chagra as telling Harrelson.

Chagra asked Harrelson if Wood could be bribed. Harrelson reported back that Wood could not be corrupted but had to be killed.

It was the day after (Memorial) Day, the day Chagras trial was to start, Ray Jahn said. Harrelson thought that was the day he had to kill the judge.

But unknown to Harrelson, the trial had been postponed, Ray Jahn said.

Jimmy was upset about that because he thought it put him under suspicion right away, Ray Jahn said.

Full-court press

But Chagra and Harrelson werent immediate suspects, and it took thousands of man-hours before they were identified as such. By the time the first indictments came down in April 1982, the FBI had conducted more than 30,000 interviews and collected more than 500,000 pieces of information. The investigation cost more than $11 million, at the time the most extensive investigation in the bureaus history.

The pressure (to solve the murder) was on us, Ray Jahn said. There was a lot of internal pressure.

Tips poured in. Bikers and other street toughs were dragged in on hold-over charges.

A lot of the early investigation went off on some tangents, and they rounded up some Bandidos, lawyer Campion said. They shook down everybody in South Texas.

The FBI hauled in just about anyone if agents believed that they had information, and the agency threw the book at them to make them talk.

They werent taking no for an answer, defense lawyer Brown said. They did a full-court press. They pulled out all the stops. Consequently, they got a bunch of bad stories, a bunch of bad information.

Eventually, the evidence pointed to Harrelson, in particular a taped conversation Chagra had with another brother who was a lawyer, Joe Chagra, in Leavenworth federal prison about the assassination. The government indicted Harrelson, the Chagra brothers, Jo Ann Harrelson and Jimmy Chagras wife, Elizabeth, who delivered the $250,000 payoff for Charles Harrelson.

By the time the trial came around in 1983, Jimmy Chagras case had been severed from his co-defendants and Joe Chagra had taken a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to the conspiracy to murder Wood. He also agreed to testify against all co-defendants except his brother.

The trial for the Harrelsons and Elizabeth Chagra took place in the newly named John H. Wood Jr. courthouse  over objections from defense lawyers. Adding further to their indignation, the trial was presided over by then-federal Judge William Sessions, who was a pallbearer at Woods funeral and delivered a eulogy, Campion said.

The defense sought a change of venue, but the requests were denied. They also argued, unsuccessfully, that incriminating recorded conversations should not have been allowed because they were covered by attorney-client privilege or by spousal privilege.

The case was unique in that the courts all the way up the line blessed the decisions below, Campion said of appeals that followed.

At trial, the Jahns put on a parade of star witnesses that included Harrelsons cellmate and Joe Chagra, both of whom had been told by Harrelson that he carried out the hit.

Joe Chagra testified that the first mention of having Wood murdered came in the judges courtroom in April 1979, after Jimmy Chagra lost a motion to remove Wood from his drug case.

Jimmy told me he was never going to get a fair trial and asked if I thought he should try having Judge Wood killed, Joe Chagra testified, according to newspaper stories at the time. I told him he should.

Jimmy Chagra broached the matter again in early May 1979 as the brothers walked on the lawn of Jimmys Las Vegas home, Joe Chagra testified.

Joe Chagra also testified that Jimmy Chagra later told him he had hired Harrelson to kill the judge and that Harrelson himself told Joe Chagra that he had carried out the hit, according to the newspaper stories.

The trial for Jimmy Chagra, meanwhile, was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, and his lawyer, former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, dealt the government a defeat. Without Joe Chagras testimony, Jimmy Chagra was acquitted of murder and conspiracy to murder but convicted of lesser obstruction of justice and drug charges.

It was just incredible, said Millsap, the former district attorney. You cant imagine the shock when Jimmy Chagra was acquitted.

In an unsuccessful effort to try to free his wife early from her 30-year sentence, Chagra later admitted to his role in the conspiracy to murder Wood and agreed to testify against people who had tried to kill James Kerr, a federal prosecutor who had initially obtained drug-trafficking indictments against Jimmy Chagra and battled repeatedly in court with Lee Chagra.

He gave us details that only he knew, Ray Jahn said.

Jimmy Chagra was sentenced to 30 years for his original drug-trafficking charges, plus 10 years for the lesser charges he was convicted of when he was tried for the Wood murder. Harrelson was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus five years, while Jo Ann Harrelson got a combined 25 years for obstruction of justice.

Joe Chagra ended up serving 6 years of his 10-year sentence, and he died in a car crash in El Paso in 1996 after his release.

Elizabeth Chagra died in prison of ovarian cancer in September 1997 at age 43. Harrelson, 69, died of a heart attack in March 2007 in a federal maximum-security prison in Colorado.

Jimmy Chagra was released from federal prison in 2003 and entered the witness-protection program. After marrying his third wife, he died of cancer in July 2008 while living in Mesa, Arizona, under the name James Madrid, several news outlets reported. He was 63.

Reflections

In a recent interview with the San Antonio Express-News, Joe Chagras widow, now known as Patty Chagra Russell, defended her husband, saying the prison recording showed that Jimmy Chagra was a bully toward her husband.

Not wanting to put his family through a trial, Joe pleaded guilty to something he didnt do, Chagra Russell said.

He wasnt a criminal; he was a nice person, she added. He believed in the law. He believed in the justice system, but it didnt do right by him.

Do I feel like he got robbed? Yes, Chagra Russell continued. But Im sure the Wood family feels like they were robbed, too. This is not a happy story for anybody. Everybody got hurt in this. It was a tragedy.

She couldnt speak to Jimmy Chagras crimes or conduct, saying, we werent close.

In a series of videotaped interviews after his release from prison, Chagra told Las Vegas author Jack Sheehan that his prosecution was the result of a beef Wood had against his older brother Lee.

Judge Wood hated my brother Lee so much that he wanted a Chagra any way he could get him, Chagra said, according to a clip of the interviews posted on the internet.

But in the interviews, Chagra described himself as a megalomaniac.

I mean I had so much money, so much power, Chagra said. As a matter of fact, when I got arrested, I thought I could buy Judge Wood off, and I tried through a family member by offering $5 million or $10 million. But the judge could not be corrupted.

Chagra told Sheehan that he offered to plead guilty  to having Judge Wood murdered, if theyd release my wife. They said no. They tortured her for no (reason). She died of ovarian cancer in prison because she wouldnt testify against me.

But when reminded that he nonetheless confessed to bankrolling the judges killing, Chagra replied: Well, I said I did it to get paroled, so Ill stick to that story right now.

He added: Personally, I dont know if Charlie Harrelson killed Judge Wood or not.

GContreras@express-news.net

Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Though I have lived in the San Antonio area for 10 years and have seen my share of Alamo re-enactments, I never thought I would be traveling to England to see another one.

Nevertheless, on June 22, I jetted across the Big Pond to Weston Park, Weston-Under-Lizard in Staffordshire, England, to attend Mfest 300, a festival hosted by local Masonic Lodge Musket Pike & Drum 9906. What made this lodge unique is that it was comprised entirely of historical re-enactors, who were commemorating the 300th year of Freemasonry in England with a staging of the Battle of the Alamo.

The Alamo connection to the lodge was that at least four Alamo defenders  Davy Crockett, James Bowie, William Barret Travis and Almaron Dickinson  were Masons, as was Mexican Gen. Santa Anna.

As the lone person from the Lone Star State, I was in the unique position of representing all of Texas at the event. The only other person from the states participating in the re-enactment was my old friend Jerry Laing from Southern California. We had participated in the official 1986 Alamo Sesquicentennial re-enactments in San Antonio and at Alamo Village in Brackettville, site of John Waynes movie set for his film The Alamo. Laing and I were also in three Alamo-related movies together, including the IMAX film Alamo, The Price Of Freedom, the made-for-TV movie Gone To Texas with Sam Elliott and the 2004 Disney film The Alamo. When we stepped across the grounds of Weston Park and saw a wall of dingy white canvas tents stretching as far as the eye could see  with the walls of the mock-up Alamo in the distance  we felt like we had come home.

In spite of the forecast calling for damp weather, the Remember the Alamo battle re-enactments (one on Saturday afternoon, one Sunday afternoon) went off splendidly. Though a light rain did fall on again, off again, it was not enough to dampen the spirits or enthusiasm of the participants, who managed to keep their powder dry. Event organizers Jeni Pearce, Andrew Dinley, Paul Barrass and Terence Boniface were able to draw together nearly 1,000 costumed participants with an impressive train of 14 cannons; their efforts made history come alive again for the throng of receptive festivalgoers. The re-enactors themselves worked together like one big family, and it was a pleasure to be among them for four days of drilling and rehearsing for the battle and four nights of breeze-shooting around smoky campfires.

While I was observing and photographing the battle from the Mexican camp, Jerry Laing, as Capt. Forsyth, was directing fire from the walls of the Alamo.

I was privileged to participate in this re-enactment, and very much appreciate the opportunity, he said. How could anyone pass it up? Not only was it the largest Alamo re-enactment in history (not counting the movies), it was, by far, the best Alamo re-enactment I have ever participated in, and the best re-enactment Ive ever seen. Lots of action, incessant cannon and musket fire, smoke and frenzied battle cries. We really felt in the moment. Folks in the U.K. will be talking about it for years to come.

With the battle over, the Texians and Mexicans honored each other with a black powder salute. Though the Alamo battle was a one off, the re-enactors wont have to wait long to put their Texian attire and carefully researched Mexican uniforms to use again. A re-creation of the Battle of San Jacinto is being planned for 2018.

Ned Huthmacher is the author of the novel One Domingo Morning, The Story Of Alamo Joe and songwriter of the CD Outside The Alamo. He has been an Alamo buff for 56 years and lives in New Braunfels.

Coming Sunday: The crime of the century.
The future of a three-year Charles Sturt University degree offered at Muresk is uncertain, after the State government announced it would cease supporting the course. Meanwhile a new two-year associate degree has been announced for Curtin University, with parts of the degree to be run out of the Muresk Campus.
A study has found almost half of British people have ''very limited'' free time.

Free time wasted

Research conducted by vape retailer ElectricTobacconist, has discovered 43 per cent of people feel time escapes them and they never have enough hours in the day to enjoy some quality me time.

And among the 43 per cent of people 38 per cent suffer stress as a result of not being up to tick their errands of their to do list.

The founder of the company, Pascal Culverhouse, said: ''Clearly, free time is seriously limited for many adults in 2017, and this is having some pretty negative effects - not only in terms of people's mental health, but for some it is actually impacting on their general health, which is definitely a concern.

''Taking time out of your day for yourself is obviously really important - but for some, it can be very difficult to find the time to do so. Those who live with housemates, partners or their families could try to share out tasks like household chores, cooking and paying utility bills or doing the food shopping, to make it equal and free up time outside of work.''

Although a vast majority of people believe they do not have any free time, 39 per cent of people feel their spare moments are eaten up by undertaking household chores, while 26 per cent have extended their working day.
G-III Apparel, manufacturer and distributor of apparel and accessories under licensed brands, owned brands and private label brands, is partnering with Amlon Capital to produce and market women's and men's apparel and accessories pursuant to a long term license for DKNY and Donna Karan in the People's Republic of China including Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan.The joint venture, of which G-III Apparel Group will own 49 per cent and Fred Gehring's investment fund Amlon Capital BV, the balance, will be funded with $25 million of equity that will be used to strengthen the DKNY and Donna Karan brands and accelerate growth of the business in the region. As of January 1, 2018, this joint venture will be the exclusive seller of the brands in the territory.

G-III Apparel, manufacturer and distributor of apparel and accessories under licensed brands, owned brands and private label brands, is partnering with Amlon Capital to produce and market women's and men's apparel and accessories pursuant to a long term license for DKNY and Donna Karan in the People's Republic of China including Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan.#

Fred Gehring, former Tommy Hilfiger chairman and chief executive officer and former PVH vice chairman, will be chairman of the joint venture and Steve Shen, former chief executive officer of Tommy Hilfiger China, will be the chief executive officer of the joint venture.Morris Goldfarb, chairman and chief executive officer of G-III, said, "In our industry, Fred has no peer and his tenure at Tommy Hilfiger and PVH is a testament to that. He is a great partner with us on the Karl Lagerfeld brand. We are excited to extend this strong partnership and work with him and his team on growing the DKNY and Donna Karan brands in China. Steve's track record in China is outstanding. We are looking forward to collaborating with these accomplished retail industry veterans to aggressively grow our business in the greater China region, which is a major strategic opportunity for us."Gehring commented, "DKNY and Donna Karan are truly global iconic fashion designer brands. There are only a few brands with similar authenticity and standing. I am excited to extend my partnership with G-III to invest and grow the business with these brands in China. My long-term business partner Steve Shen, who successfully built Esprit and then Tommy Hilfiger in China, will lead the business for us. He did an amazing job for Esprit and Tommy Hilfiger and I am confident that he will be equally successful with the DKNY and Donna Karan brands."Shen added, "There is huge growth potential for the DKNY and Donna Karan brands in China. I look forward to working with Fred and his partners at Amlon again and to be joining forces with Morris and G-III on this exciting opportunity." (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
For the second quarter of fiscal 2018, American clothing brand and retailer Guess has reported 5 per cent increase in the revenue to $574 million. Total net revenue for the second quarter of fiscal 2018 increased 5.3 per cent to $573.7 million, compared to $545.0 million in the prior-year quarter. In constant currency, net revenue increased by 4.9 per cent.

The company recorded adjusted net earnings of $16.1 million, 30.4 per cent increase compared to $12.3 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Adjusted diluted earnings per share increased 26.7 per cent to $0.19, compared to $0.15 for the prior-year quarter.

"We are pleased to report that our adjusted second quarter results finished above the high-end of our expectations for operating margin and earnings per share. Overall, the company revenues increased 5 per cent, and operating profit grew 49 per cent compared to last years second quarter," said Victor Herrero, chief executive officer.

"We continue to see the results of our efforts in Europe and Asia, where our revenues were up 20 per cent and 17 per cent, respectively, mainly driven by new store openings, wholesale growth and positive comp sales. We are also encouraged by the trends in operating margins for these two regions, as they expanded in the quarter relative to last year. In the Americas Retail, as our performance and the business environment remains soft, we continue to focus on shrinking our footprint and profitability improvements," added Herrero.

GAAP operating earnings for the second quarter of 2018 increased 49.2 per cent to $23.2 million (including a $0.8 million favourable currency translation impact), compared to $15.6 million in the prior-year quarter. For the second quarter of 2018, adjusted operating earnings increased 52.3 per cent to $24.5 million, compared to $16.1 million in the same prior-year quarter. Adjusted operating margin was 4.3 per cent.

Total net revenue for the first six months of fiscal 2018 increased 3.9% to $1.03 billion, compared to $993.8 million in the prior-year period. In constant currency, net revenue increased by 4.5%. The Company recorded GAAP net loss of $6.1 million, compared to GAAP net earnings of $7.1 million for the six months ended July 30, 2016.

"We have now increased revenues for four consecutive quarters and we expect consolidated revenues to continue to increase despite store closures in North America. In Europe and Asia, we have seen not only strong double digits growth for several consecutive quarters but also continuing margin expansion. We have achieved meaningful cost reductions, especially in our supply chain. We are accelerating the reduction of our footprint in the US, which currently represents less than 36 per cent of our global sales. And finally we are significantly increasing the adjusted guidance for fiscal 2018 and are now expecting to grow top-line, adjusted operating margin and adjusted earnings per share compared to last year," concluded Herrero. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
United Airlines is partnering with three world-class design and apparel companies  Brooks Brothers, Tracy Reese and Carhartt  to inspire and create a new line of uniforms for the carrier's more than 70,000 front-line employees. United will also partner with TUMI, the leading international brand of premium travel, business and lifestyle accessories.United will partner with TUMI to be the official luggage provider for all 24,000 flight attendants.

United Airlines is partnering with three world-class design and apparel companies  Brooks Brothers, Tracy Reese and Carhartt  to inspire and create a new line of uniforms for the carrier's more than 70,000 front-line employees. United will also partner with TUMI, the leading international brand of premium travel, business and lifestyle accessories.#

"The partners we've selected uniquely match what our employees asked for in a uniforms programme  style, comfort and durability," said Kate Gebo, senior vice president of global customer service delivery and chief customer officer of United. "We recognised early on that this would not be a 'one size fits all' solution  front-line employees perform vastly different roles and deserve a uniform that meets their specific needs, created by leaders in the apparel business. Our United family is excited to see how these trusted and innovative brands will deliver world-class uniforms in close collaboration with our employees."Committed to a best-in-class uniforms programme, earlier this year the airline started what will be a multi-year process to ensure the proper amount of time for collaboration among employees, labour leadership and the partner brands as well as ample time to test uniforms before finalising designs and materials. Working closely with labour leadership for all front-line teams, employee feedback will be used to inform every aspect of the design process, which will be followed by multiple thorough wear tests with employees to ensure optimal comfort and functionality of designs and materials. The process is structured to deliver comfortable, durable and fashionable uniforms that United's talented aviation professionals will feel proud to wear while performing their varied roles.Based on employee feedback from focus groups, open houses and surveys, United identified a variety of distinct brands to meet the needs of employees and help deliver the company's next-generation uniform programme. Over the last several months, Tracy Reese and representatives from Brooks Brothers and Carhartt met with employees at all of United's US domestic hub locations. United anticipates rolling out new uniforms in 2020."Brooks Brothers is proud to partner with United on this exciting initiative. We, like United, have a passion for quality, innovation and a shared commitment to create a uniform programme that United's employees will be proud to wear," Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and CEO, Brooks Brothers, said."Carhartt was founded to serve railroad engineers with durable workwear designed to exceed their rugged requirements. Four generations later, our family-owned business still outfits hardworking people around the world. This new partnership is an incredible opportunity to outfit the men and women of United Airlines, who take on the harshest elements every day," Mark Valade, chairman and CEO, Carhartt, said. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
British Wool has announced the acquisition of the wool handling operations of Kent Wool Growers (KWG) based Ashford, Kent. British Wool will continue to operate from the existing depot in Ashford and to market wool on producers behalf returning the true market value for their wool. KWG is a farmer owned co-operative, that offers a range of farming services.

KWG has provided a wool handling service to British Wool on a sub-contract basis for many years.

The recent opening of the new British Wool collection centre in Ropley, Hampshire, has brought the Ashford operation under their ownership and control. This further emphasizes British Wools ongoing commitment to providing a quality, reliable and effective service to all producers in South East England.

British Wool is a non-profit making organisation, returning to producers the market price for their wool, less its own costs. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Cambodia Garment Training Institute (CGTI) has completed training the first batch of 43 workers from three garment factories. They are now working as assistant supervisors and team leaders in the textile industry of Cambodia. Their training took place in July this year. Nearly 1 million people are associated with the garment industry in Cambodia.

CGTI has tied up with Singapore-based fashion institute TaF.tc International for training the workers. For the first three years, the local people will obtain training from Singaporean trainers, who then will head the training programme, said a Cambodian leading daily quoting Andrew Tey, director of CGTI.

At present, CGTI will focus on training the supervisors and shop floor team leaders. The professional diploma courses for university graduates will begin from September. Further, the institute is also planning to introduce courses for middle level managers.

The Cambodia Garment Training Institute (CGTI) has completed training the first batch of 43 workers from three garment factories. They are now working as assistant supervisors and team leaders in the textile industry of Cambodia. Their training took place in July this year. Nearly 1 million people are associated with the garment industry in Cambodia.#

"We have to understand the needs of the industry. I think that right now Cambodia lacks a soft training institute, so thats why GMAC is here to provide the members needs and to help them as the factories need to improve the productivity together with the rise of wages," said Tey.

CGTI was built by the Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia with a soft loan from the French Development Agency (AFD). CGTI was officially inaugurated in August this year. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. Indias commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

Uzbek minister of foreign trade Elyor Ganiev and minister of foreign affairs Abdulaziz Kamilov held detailed discussions with Sitharaman on deepening trade and economic ties between India and Uzbekistan in a bilateral meeting held in New Delhi this week.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

During the meeting, Sitharaman expressed happiness on formation of an Uzbek India Trading House at Delhi as a Joint Venture Company. She suggested setting up and activation of a private industry led Joint Business Council to develop and enhance business relations at all levels including investments, trade in goods and services, according to an official statement.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

She expressed the hope that if the draft agreement under negotiation between India-CIS Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Uzbek Chamber of Commerce is quickly finalised and the Joint Business Council commences work, then it would be a very positive development for enhancing bilateral economic and trade relations.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

During the discussion, Sitharaman requested Ganiev to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan which are comparatively higher especially on fabrics and madeups (up to 30 per cent), reduction in higher MFN duty on readymade garment products which is 31.1 per cent and simplifying the procedure for registration and certification.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

Ganiev informed that Uzbek Government was seriously working to liberalise and simplify various procedures, systems and norms and expressed the hope that most of difficulties faced by (Indian) exporters would get resolved shortly.

The Government of India has requested Uzbekistan to consider reduction of import tariff imposed by Uzbekistan, especially on fabrics and madeups. India's commerce and industries minister Nirmala Sitharaman also urged the visiting Uzbek ministers to reduce duty on readymade garments and to simplify the procedure for registration and certification.#

Both sides underlined the high importance of transport and logistics infrastructure for strengthening bilateral trade ties. The Indian side requested Uzbekistan to become member of multilateral INSTC Agreement which would facilitate increased international transit cargo traffic through Iran. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
To promote sustainable water consumption practices in Pakistani textile units, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) and the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) recently held a seminar in Lahore as part of events leading to World Water Week, starting on August 27 in Stockholm with the theme water and waste: reduce and reuse.Wayward patterns of resource consumption are leading to environmental degradation and leaving a bigger carbon footprint.

To promote sustainable water consumption practices in Pakistani textile units, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) and the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) recently held a seminar in Lahore as part of events leading to World Water Week, starting on August 27 in Stockholm with the theme 'water and waste: reduce and reuse'.#

The event was part of an ongoing project called International Labour and Environmental Standards (ILES) Application in Pakistans SMEs, funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by WWF-Pakistan and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), according to a WWF-Pakistan press release.With Pakistan being declared a water-stressed country, its primary focus should be on strategically developing the industrial sector, especially increasing the efficiency of the textile sector with small water footprints and high added value, Hammad Naqi Khan, WWF-Pakistan director general said.APTMA secretary general Anis-ul-Haq said the textile industries should invest more in water-efficient technologies that lead to zero discharge of hazardous waste and rain water harvesting techniques. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 1, 2017 / Prophecy Development Corp. ("Prophecy" or the "Company") (TSX: PCY, OTC PINK: PRPCF, FSE: 1P2N) announces that it intends to increase the size of the private placement (the "Placement") previously announced for $3,108,000 on August 25, 2017, now to a maximum of $5,757,360.

The Placement will now involve the issuance of up to 888,000 units (the "Units") and up to 900,000 special warrants (the "Special Warrants") including any finder's fees to be paid in Units and Special Warrants. The Units and Special Warrants will be sold for a price of $3.50 each.

Each Unit will consist of one Common share in the capital of the Company (a "Share") and one half of one Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to acquire an additional Share at a price of $4.00 per Share for a period of three years from the date of issuance.

Each Special Warrant will be exercisable for one Unit at no additional cost to the holder provided TSX and shareholder approval for the issuance of the Units underlying the Special Warrants is obtained at a general meeting of shareholders to be called within 60 days after the closing of the Placement. John Lee, Executive Chairman of the Company, beneficially holds an aggregate of 1,058,081 Prophecy Shares (i.e. 19.63% of the Company's currently issued and outstanding shares) and has agreed to vote all of his shares in favor of approving the issuance of the up to 900,000 Units underlying the Special Warrants.

The gross proceeds from the sale of the Special Warrants will be deposited into an escrow account to be held "in trust" pending TSX and shareholder approval. On the first business day following receipt of TSX and shareholder approval, each Special Warrant will automatically be exercised to acquire one Unit. If TSX and shareholder approval are not obtained, all of the funds held in escrow will be returned to the subscribers of the Special Warrants.

Mr. Lee will personally subscribe for $350,000, being the equivalent of 100,000 Units of the Placement.

All securities issued in connection with the Placement will be subject to a minimum hold period of four months plus one day from the Placement closing date. Finder's fees may be payable in certain instances in connection with the Placement.

The Placement and payment of any finder's fees are subject to the approval of the TSX and other customary closing conditions.

The Company further announces that pursuant to the terms of the Company's share-based compensation plan as amended, which was approved by shareholders at the Company's annual general meeting of shareholders held on June 2, 2016 and amended on June 13, 2017, it has granted in aggregate, 167,000 incentive stock options (the "Options"), to various directors, officers and consultants of the Company. The Options are exercisable at a price of $3.50 per Common share for a term of five years expiring on September 1, 2022 and vest at 12.5% per quarter for the first two years following the date of grant.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. The Company aims to provide exposure and leverage to rising vanadium prices by defining and adding attributable vanadium resources in the ground in politically safe jurisdictions.

Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

PROPHECY DEVELOPMENT CORP.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

"JOHN LEE"

Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecydev.com

www.prophecydev.com

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding Prophecy's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Prophecy's forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

SOURCE: Prophecy Development Corp.
IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2017 / Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces a securities class action lawsuit against Rayonier Advanced Materials Inc. ("Rayonier" or the "Company") (NYSE: RYAM). Investors, who purchased or otherwise acquired Rayonier shares from October 29, 2014 through August 19, 2015, inclusive (the "Class Period"), are encouraged to contact the Firm in advance of the October 16, 2017 lead plaintiff motion deadline.

If you purchased Rayonier shares 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 choose to take no action and remain a passive class member as well.

According to the Complaint, throughout the Class Period, Rayonier issued materially false and misleading statements, and/or failed to disclose adverse information. Specifically, despite the Company's claims during the Class Period that in 2015 Rayonier "will be able to maintain or increase [its] share of volume at each of [its] top 10 customers," since 2013, one of its top three customers, Eastman Chemical Company ("Eastman"), had been informing Rayonier of its competitors' pricing and had requested that Rayonier respond to declines in market pricing. This led to a protracted dispute between Rayonier and Eastman over the "meet and release" provision of their agreement.

On August 18, 2015, the Company told investors that the Company filed an action against Eastman regarding its "chemical cellulose specialty products contract with Eastman." On August 19, 2015, Rayonier issued a press release further explaining the dispute with Eastman, stating that the language in the contract at issue involved the "meet or release" provisions of the agreement, which allowed Eastman to obtain "third party offers that meet the requirements of the Supply Agreement for similar cellulose specialties products, and would require [Rayonier] to either meet such price or release the volume, thereby allowing Eastman to purchase the volume from the third party." The release also stated that on August 12, 2017, Eastman filed an action against the Company regarding the same "meet or release" provisions in their contract. When this news was announced, shares of Rayonier fell in value materially, which caused investors harm according to the Complaint.

If you wish to learn more about this lawsuit, or if you have any questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esq., a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone at (949) 419-3834 , or by e-mail at joon@khanglaw.com.

This press release may constitute 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


WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The ire over President Donald Trump's reported use of foul language while referring to immigrants last week is fomenting in the United States and abroad with hundreds converging on Times Square to protest racism, and Nicaragua joining the international chorus of criticism against Trump.



'Why are we having all these people from sh*thole countries come here,?' Trump was quoted as saying in a meeting with senators and House members last Thursday about immigration reform.



The office of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega said in a statement that Trump's apparent reference to impoverished African, Central American and Caribbean countries was 'racist, disrespectful and humiliating.'



Nicaragua joins the ranks of Botswana, El Salvador, Ghana, Haiti, Nigeria, the 15-nation Caribbean Community, the African Union and the African Group of UN ambassadors who have slammed the derogatory term.



Hundreds of protesters carrying Haitian flags and signs held a demonstration in Times Square Monday in protest against Trump's racist remarks.



New York City's Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio was among politicians who joined the rally against racism marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day.



'We are a country built by immigrants and we will not stand by as Donald Trump denigrates the people who come to this country,' he said on Twitter before attending the rally.



Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, who was in the Oval Office when Trump addressed 23 members of Congress, insisted that the President made the remark, and said other offensive things.



Trump replied that he was 'totally misrepresented' by Durbin, and said the allegation was hurting efforts to strike a deal to protect so-called Dreamer immigrants.



Mitt Romney, A vocal critic of Trump, criticized his controversial comment. An immigrant's 'nation of origin is as irrelevant as their race,' he wrote on Twitter.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Nawazuddin Siddiqui has mentioned in his interviews that he watched James Bond movies to get into his character for the film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz. After sitting through the absolutely meaningless film, you wonder just where does the similarity lies. Certainly not in the trigger-happy gun in his hand  that bit is Gangs of Wasseypur part three. Perhaps, its those steamy scenes with the actresses, who are more smoking hot than the gun  Bidita Bag and Shraddha Das  and there are plenty of those. Not that they match for the kissing scenes in James Bond films, which proved to be too hot to handle for Pahlaj Nihalani in the last installment of the franchise.

But then, who goes for a Nawazuddin movie for the steamy scenes, vulgar language and violence? Ever since Nawazuddin played the title role in Manjhi - The Mountain Man in 2015, he has been given heavyweight films to carry all by himself on his talented shoulders. Babumoshai Bandookbaaz (the title is as pretentious as the film) is his third such film after Raman Raghav 2.0 and Haraamkhor.

Are these script choices, along with the forgettable Munna Michael, really good enough for Nawazuddin?

Raman Raghav 2.0 may fall into the same category of cinema that has previously explored his ability to play characters with a dark side, and had some shades of the sunglasses-wearing, confident romancer in Gangs of Wasseypur. However, Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, directed by Kushan Nandy, is obsessed with copying the mindless killings of Gangs rather than providing a cohesive story.

Every character in the film, including the women, is more unscrupulous than the next. Nawazuddin plays Babu, a contract killer. He finds himself pitted against a younger contract killer, Banke (Jatin Goswami), who is assigned to kill the same targets.

Lust is as prevalent as gunpowder dust in these hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh. Whether it the wife of a local politician who flirts away at parties before the amused eyes of her husband, or Bankes girlfriend (Shraddha Das) who is Babus raunchy wife, Fulwa (Bidita Bag) or Jiji (Divya Dutta) who dirty-talks and is ready to do it in the fields, the women are as one-dimensional and dark as the men. The only redeeming character is the cop with a dozen children, played with natural ease by the pleasant looking Bhagwan Tiwari.

Surrounded by these characters, Nawazuddin is always in his element. However, his performance in the film does not match up to his portrayal of the ever-pleasing subordinate in Lunch Box or the sincere but comical Pakistani journalist Chand Nawab in Bajrangi Bhaijaan. It does not come close to his shameless baddie in Badlapur, his hard-nosed cop in Raees, or even his funny detective, who would constantly banter Sridevi in Mom.

Nawazuddin is no doubt one of the actors who is best equipped to can carry a film on his shoulders without the star baggage. This is an actor who can prove his worth with just a two-minute long scene, such as his appearance in New York. The scene where he describes his torture at the hands of the Americans owes its poignancy not to the dialogues, but to Nawazuddin's slight pauses and the pain in his eyes, which was not limited to tears alone. Of noteworthy mention is also the small part he played in Peepli Live; his portrayal of a journalist is far more memorable than an entire two-hour long film like Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, filled aimlessly with bullets and sex.

In this story of rampant treachery, it is Nawazuddin the actor who suffers the biggest betrayal. His real strength lies in his give-and-take with his co-actors on screen. There is something more magnetic about him when he shares the frame with Irrfan Khan, Shah Rukh or Sridevi. His humour seems more improvised than scripted, and hence, raw and delightful. For example, the way he reacts to a painting or the way he sings the Shammi Kapoor song 'Chaahe Mujhe Koi Junglee Kahe' in Mom. In Lunchbox, he could have easily outweighed Irrfans presence, but he remained controlled and was thus the perfect foil for Irrfan. This is also true of him with Shahrukh in Raees, every time they shared the frame. The pleasure of watching Nawazuddin simply reacting to moments with a touch of that characteristic eccentricity doubles in the presence of another prominent actor.

This spontaneous persona is missing in Babumoshai Bandukbaaz, which was clearly made to encash on Nawazuddins image as an actor who can brighten up the screen even in the darkest of moments. The film, with its pointless plot, only highlights Nawazuddins bad script choices. Hopefully, he will wisen up and let go of the carrot that once enticed the Zubeida lead actor Manoj Bajpai the desire to be a star.

Then perhaps, James Bond will also learn a thing or two from Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Rani Mukerji has been sent a legal notice by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for allegedly illegally altering her Juhu bungalow. The concerned members of the BMC had tried to examine the house a week ago but were not allowed to do so, according to an official's statement in a Mid-Day report.

Prashant Gaikwad, the assistant civic commissioner of the K-West ward, which had received the complaint from several activists confirmed the development.

The notice had been issued under Section 488 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, which grants BMC the right to inspect land.

As per the records of the municipal body, Mukerji had been granted a commencement certificate to modify her KrishnaRam bungalow in 2014.

However, even after the expiration of the certificate, dated November 2015, construction work is still in progress at the premises.

Rani Mukerji's spokesperson denied the news and told Mid-Day that the certificate has been renewed over the years, and that the ongoing construction falls under the guidelines of the BMC. Activists have expressed fears over a possible alliance between the corporation and the alleged culprits, since no action has been taken by the body, yet.

Nikitesh Chaubal, activist and chairman of Aamhi Jagrut Mumbaikar, claims that the certificate has not been renewed and the construction has been going on in violation of BMC regulations, states the same report.
Editor's note: This is the first in a two-part series about the rising incidence of murders, which offers a perspective from the point of view of cops, who have their own theories on why such homicides are on the rise.

What can explain the uptick in murders in India despite data on homicides that says they are on the decline?

Sometimes relegated to the inside pages of your newspaper, murders have become almost as routine as the splat of the broadsheet itself landing at your doorstep.

Could the numbers be waning because they reflect the decrease in gang wars and bandit bloodbaths? Voyeurism draws readers easily to the fast-paced, blood-pounding thrillers of gang clashes and the art and daring displayed in supari killings. These are now fewer than the days when the D-company ran amok in Mumbai.

The motives for the murders are shifting, sometimes to less than frivolous in many cases. But in all these cases, the murderers have a common intensity that drives them to take the extreme step  for jealousy, hatred, dowry demands, religious hatred, unrequited love  a progression of crimes such as stalking, harassment of women and a host of other reasons that did not require the snapping away of a human life.

While experts are already calling it disturbing, there is an outcry for more policing. This raises the question if keeping law and order will help or whether the real answer lies in buffing up trained detective units who will bust crimes and ensure convictions for murderers.

Over the last two weeks, as many as 20 murders have taken place across India, mostly in the northern and eastern parts with motives ranging from dowry demands to failed love affairs to arguments over career moves. In one such case, Ragini, a 17-year-old teenager from Ballia town in eastern Uttar Pradesh, was brutally murdered by Prince Tiwari, son of the village head, Kripa Shankar Tiwari, because Prince resented Raginis efforts to be an air hostess and shift to a bigger city.

Worse, the murder happened a month after a similar murder, for similar reasons, happened on the outskirts of Delhi where Riya Gautam was stabbed to death by her friend Mohammad Adil over her decision to become an air-hostess. These are similar trends of male dominance and anger emerging out of the womans decision to shift to a bigger city, possibly leaving the boy behind, says Nupur Prasad, DCP (Shahdara) of Delhi Police.

Those tracking such murders claim the reluctance of the cops to turn a complaint into a first information report (FIR) often helps the accused turn bold, bolder. That, unfortunately, is true to some extent. The cops do not agree, they counter it by saying if every complaint is turned into a FIR, then all police stations clubbed together in India would fail. An FIR can be a stern warning, but those hell bent on committing a crime, are always found to be extremely determined, says Prasad.

There are other issues as well. Barring rare occasions, India totally lacks both community outrage and surge police deployments, helping murderers easily add to their season of senseless slaughters. There are many factors  anger, helplessness, aspiration and unemployment being some of them  that have combined to produce the current homicide spree that began in mid-2015, the cops continue to remain flummoxed in their attempts to unpack the causes.

Riya Gautam was killed in broad daylight on a sweltering afternoon, bystanders waiting for the cops to arrive, losing vital time as she bled to death from as many as eight wounds inflicted by Adil. The silence of people is equally worrying, it shows anyone can kill anyone, anytime. She would have been saved if rushed to the hospital, says Ashish, Gautams brother. Sahadra, a sleepy neighbourhood on the outskirts of the Indian capital, is now joining a growing list of cities and towns in India betting that a better police station can lead to better policing, and in turn, avoid deathly crimes.

Seasoned corporate honcho Angarai Angrarian says murders are on the upswing in India because there is a growing divide between the people who live in buildings and work in offices and those who live around such luxuries. Riyas aspiration to be an air-hostess was a luxury Adil could not afford, he was angered thinking he would lose her. Murders do not sink into hearts anymore, people read such news and move on. No one reacts, says Angrarian.

The cops say when cities are reeling from high homicide rates, its easy to find skeptics. They argue Indians, by nature, rarely make the police feel more comfortable. It takes a lot more than guts or courage to make people want to go talk to the police. It is not happening in India, and it will never happen. People either live in a gated community and feel happy and safe and then get rattled when murders take place next door, says Vishal Garg, additional commissioner, Kolkata Police.

Garg says it's difficult for the cops to shut down public facilities, and push more police in public places. It never works, you cannot work with No Loitering signs, you cannot shut down a place forever because a crime took place. Vigil, only vigil must go up. People should not wait for the police but react instantly  like taking the victim to the nearest hospital, help us identify the attacker.

Many stay away because of legalities in such cases.

Last year, the Supreme Court approved the guidelines issued by the Centre for instant medical treatment of accident victims and protection of Good Samaritans at the hands of the police or any other authority. A study by the SaveLIFE Foundation said the decision of the apex court will greatly change the attitude of bystanders in assisting victims  accidents or otherwise  and result in saving many more lives, at least 50 percent.

But murders are different from road accidents.

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) says an estimated 88 people were murdered daily in India in 2016, the figure likely to increase in 2017. The numbers, said NCRB, are from FIRs lodged for the deaths, the ones where no FIRs are lodged could be double the official figures.

Cops list greed, personal vendetta, anger, distress, property dispute, and lunacy as the four prime reasons for such murders because over time a relationship is formed, there is a fear of being cut off.

Gated communities are not the answer, those living outside it develop hatred for the ones in high rises. Aspirational values often cause distress, a boy hates losing his girl to a big city, an estranged husband wants to return to his wife, a low salaried worker demands cash from his in-laws, says Sanjay Saxena, JCP (Crime), Mumbai.

Saxena says murders always alarm society, sending signals for course correction. But, claims Saxena, very few react in India. There is a clear divide between the public and police.

Indians love to live behind a thick sheet of plexiglass, happy using some extra locks on their main door. They refuse to believe the cities continue to remain a dangerous place, say documentary filmmakers Ishani and Ashish Dutta.

The couple cite the April 2017 arrest of Balamurugan Shanmugam, an engineer who stabbed to death his mother, and and was caught attempting suicide at Mamallapuram. Shanmugam confessed to killing his mother and sister because he felt he too would die of cardiac arrest and that his mother and sister would struggle to live.

Now this is another white collar murder where the motive is bizarre, theres loads of lunacy involved, says Ashish. It would have not happened if Shanmugam was comfortable with his friends, neighbours and relatives, and confident nothing would happen to his family even if he dies. This is a society issue, a malice.

Neighbours of the family in the Saidapet residential complex were quoted saying Shanmugam was an introvert, never opened up to anyone. It is the balance between access to comfortable life and safety that cops across India are trying to strike, and redefine the country's public safety architecture. And whether their efforts are actually improving police-community relations or lowering crime is a hard question, even for supporters of the approach.

Everyone forms an opinion about the murder overnight and that first impression stays for long, no one is keen to dig deep, says filmmaker Arindam Sil, whose movie Dhananjoy on the brutal rape and murder of Hetal Parekh in South Kolkata in 1990 by Dhananjoy Chatterjee, the watchman of her apartment complex, opened to mixed reactions.

Sil says doubts remain in murders, especially in those cases which are not resolved; in India it ranges between 55 to 65 percent of all cases recorded by the NCRB. As a result, killers assume impunity, and in many cases, the cops continue to retreat. The cops  claim many  are now less aggressive which, in turn, emboldens the criminals. The Homicide Monitor data said in 2016 that the most violent places in India are not mega-cities, but mid-sized cities of between one and three million people.

However, the only good news emerging from this gloom is that in some pockets in India, residents, far from being resigned, are outraged. This week, residents in a Delhi neighbourhood alerted the cops after they suspected a 34 year-old had killed his seven-year-old daughter from an earlier marriage to get re-married.

Dharamvir, who had lost his wife to Hepatitis B in June, 2017, had fallen in love with another woman, who promised to marry him only if he did not saddle her with the care of the three children. Dharamvir roped in his nephew Sanjay to kill his kids and make them look like natural deaths. A rate of Rs 30,000 was fixed for each murder.

Neighbours alerted the cops on 11 August 2017 when Dharamvir was preparing to secretly cremate his daughter Tanisha. An autopsy on the body revealed she had been strangled to death.

MN Tiwari, DCP (Outer) told reporters the arrests happened only because of the neighbours. It helped us; that at least is a start.

Even if it looked like a drop in Indias urban bloodshed.

The concluding part will take a look at the psychological side of the murders and explore reasons for rise in such homicides in homes across India.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that it has arrested meat exporter Moin Qureshi in connection with a money laundering case.

Qureshi was arrested on Friday night, an ED official said. He will be produced in court on Saturday.

The ED had registered a case against Qureshi in 2016, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged illegal forex dealings and tax evasion.

Qureshi was being probed for allegedly remitting funds through hawala channels to Dubai, London and a few other destinations in Europe.
Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha would attend the 29 August all party meeting convened by the West Bengal government on the Darjeeling issue, and raise the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland during the parleys, a senior party leader said on Friday.

"We will attend the meeting and raise the demand for Gorkhaland there," GJM Vice President Kalyan Dewan told IANS after the party's emergency central committee session in Darjeeling.

The GJM central committee held its session a short while after the Gorkhaland Movement Co-ordination Committee met during the day and decided to attend the all party meeting provided the state government gave it a fresh letter of invitation for the talks.

The GMCC is a platform formed by the pro-Gorkhaland parties to decide the course of the ongoing movement for the separate state.

"Some parties in the GMCC have got invitation letter from the state government for the meeting, and some have not. So we need another letter from the state government inviting the GMCC", said GJM Joint Secretary Binay Tamang.

The GMCC would hold another meeting on 27 August to take the final call on attending the meeting after going through the state government letter.

The GMCC also decided to continue the ongoing indefinite shutdown in the north Bengal hills. A decision about whether to continue with the shutdown would be taken depending the outcome of the 29 August meeting, a GJM source said.

Normal life has been paralysed in the hills covering large areas in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts following the indefinite shutdown called by the GJM since 12 June on the statehood demand.

The GMCC formed later to broadbase the movement by roping in other parties, have also backed the stir which has greatly impacted the hills' three economic mainstays  tea, timber and tourism.

Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government would hold talks with "all major political parties" on 29 August.
Chandigarh: A day after large-scale violence broke out over the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, authorities in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday relaxed curfew in some towns to enable the residents to buy essential and eatable items.

In Punjab, curfew was relaxed in Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town.

In Haryana's Fatehabad town, the army was deployed to assist the paramilitary and police personnel in maintaining law and order.

The situation in Haryana's Sirsa, the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, 260 km from here, was tense as over one lakh followers were still camping there.

"The army has been asking the followers to vacate the Dera premise voluntarily. Over 2,000 followers have left but still nearly one lakh people are stationed there," a senior police official told IANS here.

To control the situation, the Punjab government on Friday imposed curfew in six districts.

They were Patiala, Sangrur, Ferozepur, Mansa, Faridkot, Bathinda and two sub-divisions Malout in Muktsar Sahib and Abohar in Fazilka district.

No incident was reported from 13 remaining districts of Punjab, the government said.

It said 50 minor incidents were reported on Friday in nine districts after a CBI special court held the Dera chief guilty of rape and sexual exploitation of two female disciples in 2002.

However, no loss of life or firing incident occurred in Punjab.
Jaipur: Police patrolled the streets in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district where miscreants on Friday torched government buildings and a vehicle following the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim in Haryana.

"Five persons involved in arson were arrested on Friday night. The situation is under control now but the force is on alert, ADG Law and Order NRK Reddy told PTI on Saturday.

Many followers of the Dera chief live in Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts in the state.

The attackers had on Friday set afire a government vehicle and two buildings including a labour court.

The IG Bikaner range is camping in Sriganganagar to keep an eye on the situation.

The SP, Sriganganagar, Harendra Kumar said that additional policemen have been deployed in sensitive areas.

Meanwhile, the north western railway has cancelled 33 trains including Sriganganagar-Bhatinda, Jodhpur-Abohar among others due to the law and order situation in Haryana, according to the NWR spokesperson.
New Delhi: Union home minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting on Saturday to review the security situation in the country, particularly Haryana, and was told that the situation in the state was under control, officials said.

A special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape, triggering widespread violence that claimed at least 31 lives - 29 in Panchkula and at least two in Sirsa.

Emerging from the high-level meeting, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the Central government that the situation was under control now.

"Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today (Saturday). Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday (Friday) but now the situation has normalised," he told reporters.

Asked whether the Haryana government had failed to control the situation, Mehrishi said, "In an ongoing situation we cannot blame anyone."

Home ministry officials said Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present at the meeting.

The home minister was apprised about the steps taken to maintain law and order and restore peace, said an official privy to the development.

While Panchkula and Sirsa were "very tense", the situation in the rest of the state was "tense but under control", the minister is believed to have been told.

In a statement, the home ministry said the home minister reviewed the internal security and law and order situation in the country in general, in Haryana and adjoining areas, and Jammu and Kashmir in particular.

"The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored. The home minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana that the law and order situation in Haryana would be kept in control," the statement said

Curfew has been imposed in several places in Haryana and Punjab while prohibitory orders have been imposed in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, all but two districts of Delhi and one district in Rajasthan following massive violence, an official said.

Apart from Haryana, there were reports of sporadic violence on Friday in Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan where police have taken precautionary measures to foil any attempt to disturb peace.

At least 20,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to assist the local police in dealing with the law and order situation.

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Evil doesn't rise in one day. It grows around us like a malignant disease, whose symptoms ignorant and selfish societies ignore till it is too late.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim, like Asumal (Asaram Bapu), Sukhvinder (Radhe Maa) and many others, is yet another instance of a society breeding evil in its own backyard, rearing it on its superstitions, greed, fear and opportunism. The Baba is a product of the Indian mindset that is easily swayed by the cocktail of religion, faith, money, power and celebrity endorsement. He was birthed and raised by the polluted Indian ecosystem.

How did this Baba, convicted of rape and facing charges of murder, become such a powerful menace? The answer is simple: he could offer everything Indians need. For his followers and fans, he was a one-stop solution to their problems, a veritable Santa Claus who could give them everything they wish, aspire for without too much effort or wait.

In India, Baba-dom is like a ponzi scheme. It thrives on the simple formula of everybody trying to benefit at the cost of others down the multi-level chain. Babas benefit from the fear, superstition and blind faith of the followers, disciples benefit from the influence and power of the Baba, and politicians, the ones expected to stop this rotten chain, benefit from it by using the Baba and his captive base for electoral gains.

Ordinary bhakts are essentially fools. They erroneously believe one man has the power and ability to shape the lives of millions, not knowing that our lives are mostly shaped by individual choices, decisions, compromises and efforts. They gravitate towards these fake godmen  and politicians  believing they have the power to give them what they crave or desire with a swish of their magic wands. This could be anything -- job, marriage, child, money, protection, cure for a malady or just some psychological release from the everyday pains and problems of lives. Like dummies sucked into ponzi schemes, they get swayed by stories of beneficiaries of the "miracles and kindness" of these fake Babas and become part of this business of faith, adding, thus, a few more tiers to these multi-level marketing frauds.

As Firstpost had argued earlier, a majority of these Babas/Maas are either service-providers, brokers, networkers or heads of crony clubs that serve each other's interests. Some are more subtle; instead of material desires, they sell yogic postures, natural remedies for ailments ranging from homosexuality to cancer, or peace of mind through lifestyle-mantras masquerading as spiritual wisdom. A rare few, like Rajneesh, offer everything under the sun -- from sambhog (sex) to samadhi (enlightenment/nirvana/peace).

Politicians, celebrities and people with influence lead the gullible masses into the waiting traps of these Babas. For these fake godmen, they act as Pied Pipers and recruiters by giving them moral and social legitimacy with their public embrace of these incarnations of evil.

Consider for instance Ram Rahim's case. Every Indian politician of some significance, including the prime minister, either had a history of publicly praising him or genuflecting at his feet, prostrating in his Dera for votes and other favours. Soon after winning the 2014 polls, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar went to his Dera with a large retinue of legislators and ministers to seek the Baba's blessings. What message does the poor, hapless, uneducated Indian get when politicians and celebrities endorse these cheats and criminals? Obviously, they get influenced by their power and crave to become part of the symbiotic ecosystem, where everybody leeches on everybody.

Unfortunately, when people in positions of power get buried under the burden of gratitude to these traders and brokers masquerading as purveyors of faith, the masses pay a huge price. The Haryana chief minister was indebted to the Dera for publicly supporting the BJP in 2014. There was no chance in heaven or hell he would have bitten the hand that fed him votes in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Khattar has paid his personal and party's debt to the Dera. But, he has the blood of the people killed by Dera followers on his hands. He is guilty of selling his soul to the devil, not once but thrice.

But, Khattar isn't the only one to be blamed. Everybody who endorsed the Baba, everybody who turned a blind eye to allegations of rape, sexual exploitation, murder against him, is equally guilty. By thronging to his Dera, seeking his blessings, falling at his feet, in spite of his dubious past, they not only gave him a clean chit, the verdict of not guilty but also emboldened him by manifesting that morality is nothing, what sells in the market place of bhakti is greed and fear.

Over the past few years, many Babas and Matas have fallen like rotten fruits in autumn. Asaram is in jail on charges of rape and sexual exploitation. Rampal of Hisar is behind bars because of allegations of criminality. A few months ago, Mumbai's Radhe Maa was called out for being a fake fairy manipulated by her patrons. Yet, Indians continue to get swayed by these frauds.

This is primarily because a country that lacks critical thinking, scientific temper, quality education (as against degrees earned by rote learning) and is easily swayed by anything fed to them in the name of religion and faith was made to order for Babas and Maas. Money-grubbing, sex-obsessed, land-grabbing, networkers, blackmailers and criminals mushroom in every corner, wearing saffron robes, claiming sainthood, selling themselves as Maa, Bapu and messengers of God. Each one of them finds hundreds of followers.

As I have argued earlier, taking advantage of our mindset, they run a make-a-wish-and-pay-for-it enterprise. They turn religion into an industry where devotion becomes a euphemism for greed, backroom wheeling and dealing among bhakts a pretext for satsang, and offering to the deity a subterfuge for bribe.

Indians breed these snakes in their bosom. They have only themselves to blame when those they call Ram, Rahim, Insaan, Bapu and Maa turn out to be messengers of evil.
While Dera Sacha Sauda supporters waited with bated breath for the CBI court's verdict in the 2002 rape case against Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday, it must have also caused sleepless nights for several political parties. Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have all sought Ram Rahim's "blessings" one time or another. Which perhaps explains why politicians kept their lips sealed tight when the verdict was announced, and only reluctantly condemned the ghastly violence that followed in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

But, what does a self-styled godman have to do with politics in the region? It turns out, quite a lot.

Ram Rahim has long claimed claimed to be apolitical, a stance which was defenestrated in 2007 when the DSS launched its political affairs wing. The objective of the PAW was basically to direct the crores of Dera followers to vote for a certain candidate or party in the elections. Ram Rahim claims to have over five crore followers, mostly based in Punjab and Haryana. And this is a big deal for political parties, considering the Dera followers vote as a block, as this report on Hindustan Times explains. And it may also explain why Ram Rahim's support alone may swing election results one way or the other.

The BJP, Congress, SAD and INLD have all flocked to the Dera headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana, to meet Ram Rahim and ask for his support. In 2007, for the first time, DSS extended its support to Congress as it felt the then SAD-BJP government was attacking its followers, according to an India Today report.

Ram Rahim's son Jasmeet is married to the daughter of senior Congress leader Harminder Singh Jassi, a former MLA from Punjab. However, despite Ram Rahim's support, Congress lost the Punjab Assembly elections that year.

Ahead of the verdict on Friday, several Congress MLAs in Punjab remained mum, reported The Tribune. Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said law and order will be maintained at any cost, while refusing to mention anything about the case or the verdict. Even Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi did not comment on the CBI court's decision.

If the Congress was red-faced, the BJP had it even worse. In 2014, the Dera chief officially extended his support to BJP in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, resulting in BJP victories in both. After the win, 19 out of 47 BJP MLAs in Haryana, including state party chief Subhash Barala, went to pay their obeisance to Ram Rahim, for helping them clinch the polls on their own for the first time, according to The Indian Express.

Haryana Assembly Speaker Kanwar Lal Gujjar was one of the first visitors in 2014. When asked about his comments on the verdict on Friday, he said, "We are not the only ones who go to the Dera. Other political leaders also go. As politicians, we go to meet many people; how do we know if any one of them would later be proved guilty of wrongdoing?"

Many of them implied that it was fine for them to associate themselves with the Dera Sacha Sauda and Ram Rahim before the conviction. Ram Rahim has extensively held a strong position in the states' politics, so much so that Haryana education minister Ram Vilas Sharma donated Rs 51 lakh from the education department's discretionary quota "to promote sports" within the Dera, according to the India Today report.

Barely 10 days before the verdict, Sharma visited Ram Rahim to celebrate his birthday on 15 August.

But in all this hullabaloo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence was the most conspicuous. And why wouldn't it be? An observant Twitter user points it out.

#RamRahimSingh & his cult was cultivated as a vote bank. Look who is full of praise for him. No surprises here. pic.twitter.com/CNnned2BW3  SamSays (@samjawed65) August 25, 2017

Modi has praised Ram Rahim in the past, once at Sirsa rally for the ahead of Haryana Assembly elections in 2014, and in a tweet in October 2014 for helping with the Clean India campaign.

In fact, the only BJP leader who spoke anything about the verdict was MP Sakshi Maharaj, who said, "Who is right? Crores of people who see God in Ram Rahim, or that girl who filed a complaint? Accusing a noble soul like Ram Rahim. Ram Rahim is a simple man so he is being harassed," according to News18.

BJP MP Subramaniam Swamy tweeted, "A new threat to Sadhus: Politicians and ashramites wanting to grab Ashram wealth by sending the Swamijis to jail", without mentioning Ram Rahim.

Ram Rahim has always had a strong political clout. According to The Tribune, a study of constituencies conducted by Delhi's Centre for Study of Developing Societies indicated that Dera supporters followed Ram Rahim's diktat to vote for BJP, irrespective of the candidate, in the 2014 Haryana Assembly elections. This shows how important the DSS' role is in forwarding its and the saffron party's agenda.

The Dera chief has also been blamed for a party's loss. In 2014, INLD leader Abhay Chautela openly blamed Ram Rahim following the latter's refusal to support INLD. "The Dera chief is the reason for our defeat (in the elections). Until 13 October (when Ram Rahim announced support to the BJP), we were number one in the race, but the scenario changed later, reported Hindustan Times. "The baba that blocked the INLD's path to power will not escape. One baba (Rampal) has gone behind bars, and the other (Ram Rahim) will join him."

Little did anybody know how true Chautela's curse would turn out.

Reactions to the violence

Reactions from political leaders have all focussed on the Panchkula violence, but rarely on the verdict itself.

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that the cult headed by the self-styled godman could hold the state to ransom solely because the BJP-led government in Haryana was "in cahoots" with it.

Vice-President of India Venkaiah Naidu responded an entire day after violence and arson damaged life and public property.

Congress called for the resignation of Khattar, with Sonia Gandhi expressing concern over the violence in the state. In a statement in New Delhi, the Congress president said several people including children had died in the violence, and "there was widespread destruction of public property and senseless attacks" on the media.

Rahul Gandhi, who left for Norway earlier on Friday, condemned the "rampage and lawlessness" in Haryana and appealed for the restoration of peace. "Violence and brutality have no place in our society. Condemn the rampage and lawlessness in Haryana and appeal to restore peace and tranquillity," he said on Twitter.

The CPI, too, on Saturday sought Khattar's resignation, saying the BJP government in the state has "horribly failed" to deal with the violence following Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case. "This is Khattar's second failure. He had earlier failed to maintain law and order during the Jat reservation stir," CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy said.

Ultimately it came to the Punjab and Haryana High Court to slam Khattar for "protecting and extending political patronage" to Ram Rahim. The court also asked the state to register a case against those who instigated the widespread violence by Dera followers after the sect leader was convicted of rape.
Puri: Security has been tightened near a Dera Sacha Sauda ashram in Puri, Odisha after locals protested violence over the conviction of the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a court in a 2002 rape case, police said on Saturday.

Condemning violence perpetrated by Dera followers in several places, the protesters staged a demonstration shouting slogans outside the ashram located on Puri-Konark marine drive on Friday evening.

After a large number of people gathered outside the ashram, where some sect members and followers are stated to be residing, armed police personnel in strength were deployed in the area to prevent any flare up, Puri Superintendent of Police (SP) Sarthak Sarangi said.

"Security has been strengthened around the ashram in order to ward off any trouble and law and order problem in the area. Prompt steps have been taken to keep the situation under control," he said.

Stating that a close watch was maintained in the area, the SP said anyone attempting to create disturbances and trouble would be handled with firm hand.

As a precautionary measure, additional security arrangements are also being made in some sensitive localities of the seaside pilgrim town and no form of disturbance would be tolerated, he said.

Personnel from the intelligence wing and police in plain clothes have also been deployed in different areas in and around the town, police said.

Dera followers went on a rampage in Haryana, Punjab and parts of Delhi and Rajasthan after a special CBI court in Panchkula on Friday convicted Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda sect in a rape case.
Allahabad: In the backdrop of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case, religious leaders in Allahabad on Saturday called for a crackdown on "money-launderers masquerading as godmen".

"Incidents like these send across a very strong message about India and its spiritual heritage. We have long demanded that the government investigate and act against godmen whose empires may have undergone a meteoric rise," President of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Swami Narendra Giri told reporters in Allahabad.

The Parishad is the apex body of 'Akharas' - monastic orders comprising Naga ascetics which were set up by the Adi Sankara in the eighth century.

Giri said, "Many money launderers are masquerading as godmen. They belong to no religious tradition, mutt, or akhara. People with big money become followers of these so-called cult leaders with the intention to get their black wealth converted into white".

"The Parishad will be holding its next meeting on 10 September. On the agenda will be a resolution against such fake godmen and preparation of a list of such charlatans which will be later sent to the government", he added.

Giri criticised the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana for its failure to keep law and order under control after the verdict against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief which was followed by large-scale violence and arson by followers of the cult.

He also condemned the statement issued by religious leader turned politician Sakshi Maharaj in favour of the convicted godman and asked the BJP MP from Unnao to apologise for the same.

In a separate interaction with newsmen, Devi Prasad, chief priest of the renowned Sharda Devi Temple at Maihar in the neigbouring state of Madhya Pradesh, hailed the court verdict against the Dera chief.

"No crisis has befallen upon the devotees of Ram and Rahim. It is people indulging in misdeeds while pretending to be holy who are finding themselves in trouble. Those who hoodwink gullible people in the name of religion and faith must be ready to face similar consequences," he said.

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Amaravati: Vice-president M Venkaiah Naidu Saturday condemned as "unacceptable", the large-scale violence in Punjab and Haryana triggered by the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

He also said "some people" incited violence in the name of religion, language or region and the challenge to rid the country of discrimination and inequalities remained. "Some people incite violence in the name of caste, religion, language and region. They provoke people into acts of violence. Such acts are not acceptable in a democracy," Naidu noted, referring to the widespread violence that led to the death of over 30 people in Haryana.

Parts of Punjab also saw violence and arson after the conviction of Ram Rahim by a CBI court in Panchkula.

Naidu was speaking at a civic reception hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government here this afternoon. "It's a shame for anyone in a free India, great India, a cultural India with a great heritage, if social discrimination still continues. "We have to rid India of such discrimination and social inequalities. This is a challenge before us," he said.

India could claim to be a developed country only when hunger, illiteracy, corruption, inequalities are eliminated, he added.

Governor ESL Narasimhan, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, civil aviation minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, minister of state YS Chowdary, and Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao were present at the function, among others.
New Delhi: The Congress party on Saturday demanded President's Rule in Haryana and the sacking of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's "failure" to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi in a press conference said the death toll figures reported "seems to be false, and it's higher". He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to "save his friend Khattar".

"You are seeing a naked dance of absolute violence, riots on the street," Singhvi said on the violence that took place in Haryana on Friday.

Singhvi said there was a failure on the part of the Centre as well state government, adding that the 'nikammi sarkar' (useless government) should be suspended."

"It is unprecedented that a situation like this came with a notice of seven days, but both the Haryana and the central governments remained mute, impotent spectators," Singhvi said.
The calculation was probably quite simple. By the time of the next General Elections, the people would have forgotten any violence perpetrated by Dera Sacha Sauda adherents however, the sect would still be able to mobilise the votes of lakhs of devotees.

Other calculations would also have plugged. Media outrage would not last for more than a few days. The Centre would not dismiss the state government. There was no Opposition worth the name to channel any public anger.

Those sort of calculations would explain the failure of the Haryana government to prevent the arming, assembly, and violence by votaries of the Baba (Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh 'Insan') who heads the Dera Sacha Sauda. At least 29 people have been killed as a result.

The chief minister kept talking of devotion and devotees, not of the deaths of people, the arson, or the mayhem. His government had allowed Dera mobilisation despite warnings by courts and the media. His ministers then blamed the media, which was also attacked by Ram Rahim's followers, for going to the mob.

Sad irony

The sad fact is that such calculations may not have been off the mark. Public memory is notoriously short and issues in the media tend to remain in focus only for a limited period of time.

Given the intensity of the public anger on Friday, some heads will probably roll over the next few days. How highly placed those heads will be, depends on how long the intensity of public anger is sustained. However high those heads might be, the ruling party will not lose power in Haryana.

If such cynical calculations are to succeed, a comfortable stay will be ensured in whichever jail the head of the Dera will be kept, despite the fact that he has now been convicted of rape and is said to have been responsible for other heinous crimes. His comfortable stay will be a critical factor if the government expects those lakhs of votes the Dera can mobilise.

Indefensible

Such cynical calculations and deal-making for en masse vote mobilisation are plainly wrong. Such deals compromise the impartiality of governments formed on the basis of their support, and allow such dubious figures to function like warlords, running criminal operations and networks without fear of government departments like the police.

However, that's not all. The horrible irony is that politicians who are meant to show leadership and vision seem to depend on such dubious persons to mobilise large scale support for them, even though such godmen and other similar figures probably do not actually make much difference.

Although the Dera and other such mass movements (the Dera is registered as an NGO) make high-stakes political deals, the irony is that they can only help the electoral prospects of a party or leader that has a substantial measure of support anyway.

Although the man convicted on Friday had given crucial support to the Congress in the 2007 Punjab elections, his efforts to repeat that in 2012 apparently failed. By 2014, when there was already a Modi wave, the Dera switched support to the BJP for the Lok Sabha elections and then for the Haryana Assembly elections the same year. Again, the Baba failed to make much difference to the BJP's efforts to win Assembly elections in Delhi or in Bihar.

By the people

The bottom line is that such cynical calculations will continue unless ordinary individual citizens  the nobodies with no axe to grind in murky deal-making  take a stand and insist on accountability. When push comes to shove, democracy is only a word. It remains on paper unless the government is held accountable.

Thursday's brilliant and erudite judgment of Justice DY Chandrachud on the right to privacy recounted a famous anecdote from the history of the US. A woman stopped Benjamin Franklin, a founding father of the US on the street to ask what kind of government he had given them. His reply was crisp: 'A republic - if you can keep it'.

Let us cherish and uphold what our founding fathers designed for us  a system of impartiality and accountability that ensures justice and rights for the weak and powerless.
Chandigarh: After Dera Sacha Sauda followers indulged in large-scale violence on Friday following their leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case, the Haryana Police on Saturday said the jailed godman will not be brought to Panchkula for the sentencing on Monday.

CBI court judge Jagdeep Singh while convicting the Dera chief in the 2002 rape case and sexual exploitation of two female disciples, said the quantum of punishment for the 50-year-old sect leader would be handed out on 28 August.

Ram Rahim was flown in a helicopter, specially arranged by the Haryana government, to Rohtak. He is lodged in the District Jail at Sanoria, about 10 kilometres from Rohtak.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu told the media in Chandigarh on Saturday that the sect chief would not be brought back to the Panchkula court over security concerns.

"The sentencing will either be done through video conferencing or, if required, the court will be held there (Rohtak prison)," the DGP said, adding that the judge (Jagdeep Singh) will be taken to Rohtak.

Haryana chief secretary DS Dhesi denied that the convicted godman was being provided VIP treatment by the state and the police in prison.

The DGP and chief secretary, however, could not explain why a woman, said to be the sect chief's daughter, was allowed to board the helicopter used to transfer the godman to the prison after he was taken into custody.

Panchkula town, adjoining Chandigarh, where the CBI court announced the verdict, bore the brunt of violence unleashed by thousands of Dera supporters on Friday and resembled a war zone with a trail of 29 deaths, burnt vehicles and properties worth crores damaged or torched.

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Thimphu: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's failure to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

Tharoor said Khattar should be sacked if he doesn't resign in the wake of large-scale violence in his state that left 31 persons dead and 250 injured on Friday.

"Ultimately it is the chief minister and his cabinet who are responsible for law and order in their state. It is complete failure of the Khattar government and he should be sacked", Tharoor said.

"Where was Haryana government? How could they allow people to gather? Everybody could see that they were preparing for violence then why didn't the Haryana government impose Section 144 (of the CrPC) and control the situation. The management failed and the buck has to stop somewhere. Enough is enough", Tharoor said.

Tharoor told mediapersons in Thimphu on the sidelines of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, that Khattar has "completely failed and if he was not sacked it would send out a very bad message".

"You have a chief minister who has failed to maintain law and order..., there have been so many deaths, and if he is allowed to remain in his seat it will not augur well for our country," he said.

Earlier, he addressed a session titled "Inglorious Empire" at Royal University of Bhutan as a part of the ongoing literature festival.

After a CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula town on Friday held the Dera chief guilty of rape and sexual exploitation, his followers went berserk setting ablaze vehicles and damaging properties. Following which, the security forces opened fire to control the mob.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday will hold a high level meeting to review the security situation in Haryana following the violence there that left 30 dead after Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case.

Rajnath Singh will meet National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Rajiv Jain and other Home Ministry officials at his residence here at 11 a.m.

After a CBI court's verdict on Friday, the Dera supporters went berserk setting ablaze vehicles and damaging properties in Haryana's Panchkula town. Following which, the security forces opened fire to control the mob.

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The Haryana government on Saturday ordered a search of all congregation centres belonging to the

Dera Sacha Sauda in the state, a senior official said.

The directive comes a day after widespread violence and arson following the conviction of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case led to at least 30 people being killed and 250 injured.

"We have ordered a search of all 'naam charcha ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera Sacha Sauda wherever located in Haryana," state Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas told PTI.

"We have asked security personnel to conduct searches at all Dera centres thoroughly and seize any weapons found," he added.

The search operation would include the Dera headquarters in Sirsa and the congregation centre in Panchkula, where a CBI court pronounced its judgement against the self-styled godman.

Niwas claimed the situation in the state was under control and added that the Army as well as paramilitary forces were deployed in Sirsa and Panchkula.

According to him, 28 people died during the violence in Panchkula. "All those who died in Panchkula were rioters. The intention of the rioters was to ransack Panchkula," Niwas said.

He added that 28 vehicles, mostly belonging to the media, were torched by the rioters and 524 persons arrested. "We have asked the media whose vehicles have been set afire by rioters to get FIRs registered and provide video footage of the violence," he said
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police chief SP Vaid asserted that there was "no security lapse" in the 'fidayeen' (suicide) attack on a district police complex in south Kashmir's Pulwama on Saturday, in which eight security personnel were killed.

"You cannot prevent (an attack) if somebody is ready to die," he told reporters.

He said the militants had taken shelter in the family quarters of the complex.

"The security forces together evacuated everybody from those blocks and in the process, we have suffered some casualties, but the terrorists have been eliminated," he said.

The terror strike took place at the crack of dawn when the militants, believed to be foreign mercenaries, entered the police complex in the worst-hit Pulwama district, 25 km.

Three terrorists have been killed.

Among the security personnel killed, four were from the CRPF, one was a constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police and three were Special Police Officers working with the state police.

Asked whether the security forces were ready to tackle such challenges in the future, the director general of police (DGP) said, "We are alert and we will take care of that."

The police chief was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a wreath-laying ceremony for two CRPF jawans, constable Jaswant Singh, a resident of Haryana, and head constable Dhanawade Ravindra Baban, a resident of Maharashtra.
Jammu: A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was seriously injured in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers in Arnia area along the International Border (IB) in this district on Friday.

"At about 1145 hours, BSF Constable KK Appa Rao received bullet injury in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers", a BSF officer said.

He was discharging his duties at an observation post in Arnia sub-sector here along the IB, he said.

"He was immediately evacuated to Jammu for medical treatment. His condition is stable", the officer said.

Significantly, on 17 July, the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers had held a commandant-level flag meeting in Samba sector along the IB and "committed" themselves to maintaining peace.

In the flag meeting, the two sides had agreed to re-energise instant communication between field commanders, whenever required, to resolve petty matters, a BSF official had said.

"They committed to each other to maintain peace and tranquility at the International Border", the official had added.

Two days back, senior army commanders of India and Pakistan also held a flag meeting on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector in J&K and agreed to institute mechanisms for durable peace and tranquility on the border.

The year 2017 has seen a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan.

Till 1 August, there were 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army while in 2016, the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year, according to the Army figures.
Plumes of smoke blew from two residential compounds inside the District Police Lines (DPL) on Saturday morning as the forces came under fire from multiple locations, after three heavily-armed militants, members of a Fidayeen squad, launched a deadly counter-attack in the midst of a major offensive against them in south Kashmir by raiding a sprawling police complex in the town in Pulwama district.

The fidayeen attack carried out by militant outfit Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) according to a local news agency, has left 11 people dead, including four CRPF soldiers, four Jammu and Kashmir Kashmir policemen and three militants.

The attack began pre-dawn at around 4:30 am when the militants managed to breach the defence of the police installation and secured positions inside multi-story buildings sparking an intense gunfight. The militants, police sources said, entered the premises from the rear side.

"The attack occurred at around 4.30 am when the fidayeen fired indiscriminately and barged into the DPL complex at Pulwama," Rajesh Yadav, CRPF spokesman at Srinagar said.

"When they entered the complex they fired indiscriminately, everyone knew something was wrong," a policeman who lives inside one of the buildings and jumped from the second story of the building told Firstpost, "They knocked on the doors but no one opened them up."

The militants after entering the residential complex fired indiscriminately sending shock waves inside the complex.

As the firing continued massive protests erupted in the area. Hundreds of youth took to streets and pelted stones at the forces. The army had to chase the protesters for hours before they disappeared. The main town of Pulwama wore a deserted look as all the entry and exit points of the town were sealed.

The attack comes two months after security forces foiled two similar suicide attacks in Sumbal area in North Kashmirs Bandipora district.

As the police started evacuating dozens of police families, who were trapped inside the family quarters, a policeman was also hit and died after some time. Kashmir zone, Inspector General of Police, Muneer Khan said the families were safely evacuated and there was no hostage situation.

Two SPOs were trapped in one of the buildings and were in constant touch with the police rescuers but the communication broke after some time and they were found dead later.

"There is one dead body lying in front of a block, the fire also came from two buildings that mean three terrorists were involved in the attack," Jammu and Kashmir DGP SP Vaid said.

The suicide attack comes at a time when security forces have launched an all out offensive against the militants killing more than 60 in since January this year only in south Kashmir.

Intelligence agencies believe the group, which carried out the attack, might have infiltrated recently from across the LoC. The JeM is infamous for carrying suicide attacks in Kashmir valley, most of them have been reported from the LoC in Kashmir. The outfit also carried a suicide attack on an Indian Army base that left 19 people dead in Uri last year.

Since last year the group has carried out many attacks on the LoC. Earlier this year in April three Indian Army personnel, including a captain, were killed and four others injured when Jaish militants attacked an army camp at Panjgaon in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

JeM's signature was found in many attacks on army bases at Mohra and Tangdhar in north Kashmir, at Kathua and Samba in Jammu region, and at Pathankot air base in Punjab.

"The life of a Jaish militant, after entering the Valley, is less than 10 days. So they prefer to carry out attacks as soon they arrive. But since last year we have seen multiple attacks carried by the outfit on the LoC that is because of their inability to move beyond LoC and in the hinter land," a police official said.

JeM was founded by Maulana Masood Azhar, a fiery orator, in January 2000 after his release in Taliban-governed Kandahar, Afghanistan, from Jammu's Kot Balwal jail in exchange for passengers of hijacked IC-814 Indian Airlines plane. Azhar was arrested in Srinagar in 1994 on charges of terrorism.

The DGP said the militants entered the family quarters of the district police lines, they took shelter in family blocks and started firing from multiple locations.

We will clear the area by evening. The operation is in the last leg, Vaid said.
In the villages of Balod district in Chattisgarh, you'll come across groups of women wearing maroon berets; they're neither from the Army, nor are they part of a paramilitary force. They are housewives-turned-'commandos', and the beret is the only 'uniform' they sport.

This group of women commandos was formed in 2015 to fight local crime and social evils such as domestic violence and drug addiction by activist and Padma Shri awardee Samshad Begum.

The then superintendent of police in Balod, Arif Hussain Sheikh played an important role in community policing and in empowering these women by giving them the designation of special police officers (SPO) in mid-2016. He personally selected 10 women from each ward of every village to be named SPO and equipped them with a whistle and a beret.

The impact of this initiative was such that not a single person in Balod has been caught drinking outside liquor vends or gambling in the open since then.

We are commandos. Women commandos, said Lata Devi Sahu. Women commandos dont fight terrorism or Naxalism. We fight social evils.

She said it is a good departure from being just housewives. Now, we take some time out from doing household chores to contribute to the well-being of society, Sahu told Firstpost.

Everyday schedule

Sahu's family lives in a 800 sq ft home. She starts her day at 5 am, prepares breakfast and lunch and helps her children get ready for school. Her son is 18 and daughter, a Class 12 student, is 16. Her husband is a farmer and also runs a small business in tent-houses and videography. After finishing the household chores, she helps her husband on the farm, and sits with other women commandos to discuss the days strategy.

She said she became a commando when she saw the increasing number of incidents of domestic violence and sexual abuse. I soon realised that it was because of liquor and drugs. I thought (we must) end the menace and called for the cooperation and support of all women in my locality.

That settled, she gathered about 200 women of Khapri village in Balod and organised a programme to talk of issues to take up to fight. It was not easy to convince them. I faced some backlash, including attacks on my character. But I did not let those affect me. Today, every single girl and women here wants to become a woman commando, she said.

But back then, at the start, the biggest challenge was to learn how to talk to strange men  in the police, and in positions of power in society.

I had no formal training in policing. None of us have. My first challenge was to turn my husband around. Then the rest of the men of the village, says Lata. Alcohol is at the root of every problem be it eve teasing, molestation or domestic violence.

True to her word, Sahu started her work as woman commando by weaning her husband from alcohol.

"We call a meeting of all women commandos on the 26th of every month and share details of work done during the entire month, she said. I can say with some satisfaction that progress has been made. The crime rate in Balod has fallen and there are fewer incidents of crimes against women.

She spoke of a rape accused who was allowed to roam free by the khap. Brought to the notice of a woman commando, she raised it with the district police chief. "The accused had molested a minor girl twice, and he was out there roaming free after paying a fine of Rs 30,000 to the khap. This was not at all acceptable to us," Sahu said.

There are 20-25 women commandos in every block of the district. It is a volunteer-group. None of them are paid to work.

The women commandos patrol their jurisdictions every evening between 7 pm and11 pm.

"The only objective of a woman commando is to rid society of crime and drugs. We also promote girls' education," Sahu said. "Change comes from inside; inside a human being, inside a community.

A 15,000-strong force

At this point of time, there are more than 15,000 women commandos in Balod district. They fight social evils and Naxalism. They have been designated special police officers to boost their morale, said Sheikh.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has lauded the work of women commandos on more than one occasion. Balod district collector Dr Saransh Mittal said he is happy to see women in all the villages of Balod speaking in one voice against social evils.

"I am very happy to see all these women fighting social evils. This is the first district in India where women have taken up an initiative and made it a success with their hard work," he said.

How successful has the band of women commandos been? Current district police chief Deepak Jha said he could not comment on this off hand, but acknowledged the difference they have made. We have not yet calculated the impact. Personally speaking, women policing is the best kind of community policing. And yes, cases of domestic violence have come down, he said.

There is a lone liquor vend in Sahu's village but it is outside the residential boundary. If a man is caught drinking in public, he is warned. If he repeats the crime, the case goes to the police.

Liquor-related violence has definitely dipped in the village, and that has contributed to overall happiness, said Dinesh Sahu, Latas husband.

 With inputs from Hitesh Sharma, Chhattisgarh ; all photos/videos courtesy Kishor Kumar Sahu



The writer is a Chhattisgarh-based independent reporter and a member of 101Reporters.com, a pan-India network of grassroots reporters
Lucknow: More than 25 lakh people living in 25 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been affected by floods this year, the state government said on Saturday.

"To help 25.29 lakh people in the 25 flood-affected districts of Uttar Pradesh, the state government has established 984 'chowkis' (posts), of which 440 are located in flood-affected areas. To ensure medical treatment of the people in these areas, 458 static medical teams and 303 mobile medical teams have been formed," Uttar Pradesh health minister Sidhartha Nath Singh told reporters.

The minister also informed that as floodwaters recede, the mobile medical teams will establish camps in different villages, and provide medical facilities to the needy.

The districts which have been hit by floods include Sitapur, Ghazipur, Kushinagar, Lakhimpur Khiri, Bahraich, Gonda, Shrawasti, Balrampur, Gorakhpur, Santkabirnagar, Farrukhabad, Bijnor, Basti, Barabanki, Faizabad, Badaun, Siddharthanagar, Azamgarh, Maharajganj, Deoria, Pilibhit, and Ballia.

"Adequate medicines are available for the flood-affected districts. Arrangements have also been made for storage of medicines related to diarrhoea, fever, skin problems and also anti-venom injections. So far more that 79 lakh chlorine tablets have been distributed, more than 15 lakh ORS packets have been distributed. Apart from this bleaching powder and DDT have also been sent to flood-affected areas," Singh said.

He also asked officials to coordinate with the animal husbandry department for vaccination of animals, and ensure that diseases are not spread because of animals.
Rohtak: Ten companies of paramilitary forces were Saturday deployed in Haryana's Rohtak district, and 18 columns of the army requisitioned as Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is lodged in a jail here after his conviction by a CBI court in a rape case.

"As many as 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the district. 18 columns of the Army have been requisitioned, and these would soon reach the district and carry out flag march," Rohtak deputy commissioner Atul Kumar said.

A paramilitary company comprises around 100 troops, while an army column consists of 80-100 soldiers.

Check posts have been set up at borders of the district, and duty magistrate has also been deputed, he said. "People do not have any reason to be afraid as stringent security measures have been taken," he said.

The Dera head is lodged in Sunaria Jail as an "ordinary inmate", he said.

The situation in the district was "completely under control," he said, adding, police was fully prepared to tackle any situation. Appealing to people not to enter the district without any specific and urgent reason, he said checking of every person who enters Rohtak was being carried out in several places.

If during checking, any person fails to produce proof of identity or specify reason for visiting the district, then he would be taken into custody, Kumar said.

Police have so far taken seven persons into custody, he added. He said prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), prohibiting assembly of five or more persons, and carrying of firearms and other weapons, were already in place in the district.

The administration has also directed all gram panchayats in the district to deploy youth to carry out night vigil for maintenance of peace and law and order in their villages, he said.

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Editor's note: Up to 13 September, when the Man Booker Prize 2017 shortlist will be announced, Firstpost will be reviewing all 13 books on the longlist. This is your guide to the Booker contenders, and which ones you should read.

There lurks a sense of unease in the majestic landscape of Sebastian Barry's Days Without End. The air is charged with violence and fear, the smell of blood and death hangs heavy over the valleys. Yet there is an innocence and pureness of thought guiding the narrative, men making the best of cards they are dealt with. Sometimes questioning their fate, oftentimes just going along. Surviving.

Following The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty (1998), The Secret Scripture (2008) and The Temporary Gentleman (2014), Barry's latest is a fine addition to his ambitious undertaking of telling the story of an Irish family, the McNultys, across many time frames and places. Over the years, Barry has firmed his reputation as a historical fiction writer with his sprawling narratives. The Secret Scripture, along with his A Long Long Way (2005; part of a similar fictional project which follows another Irish family, the Dunnes), has been nominated for the Booker Prize previously.

His seventh novel, Days Without End, follows Thomas McNulty, an Irish immigrant who ends up in America to escape the Great Famine. His family has perished, and at the age of 13 he flees in a ship with people so hungry "they might eat each other in the holds." Arriving in Missouri by way of Quebec in the early 1850s, still starving, he stumbles upon John Cole. A friendship of a lifetime is forged as the two set out on their fever dream of an American exploration. "Two wood-shavings of humanity in a rough world."

In a mining town, they dress up in womens clothing and dance in a saloon for 50 a night. McNulty discovers his comfort in dressing as a lady and his love for Cole. But puberty catches up with them and at 17, with their feminine looks gone, they sign up for the army.

With army comes the carnage. Charged with clearing the West of the Indians, the two participate in massacres. Here Barry's talents come to the fore as he paints vivid descriptions of their journey across the lawless continent, ending in murder. McNulty's humor gives way to contemplation and fear but he doesn't flinch in the battleground, which he owes to his final years in Ireland and his long journey across the continents, always shadowed by death.

Barry fills the pages with the sensibility of a poet. McNulty's narration is lively and unflinching, masterfully walking the tight rope between a story of love and a gritty tale of survival. During the war, the two share the bond of lovers and resolve to start a family with an adopted Indian girl. Back as civilians, McNulty once again embraces his desire to dress up as a woman as they return to the theater. But seasons turn and the Civil War spreading across the country. The two find themselves back in the army but with something to lose this time, a future they never hoped for.

The novel hinges of relationships. McNulty and Cole's relationship as the comrade in arms in open and inseparable lovers in secret. Their relationship to the young Sioux girl they have adopted, Winona. And the primal desire to keep her safe at all costs. The brotherhood among their fellow soldiers, an array of characters dwelling in shades of gray. None innocent and yet often compelling in their honesty and naivety.

The story is littered with characters, simple and complex, driven by desires and instincts as alien worlds collide into one another in the making of America. Forced immigration and national identities haunt men as they desperately cling the hope of better tomorrow as they are pushed to the limits of human endurance.

Barry tackles his grand narrative with lyrical prose and breathtaking beauty. Even the most mundane events are transformed into exquisite reading, with scenes painted so well they linger in the imagination for a long while. There are times though when the plot seems less believable, and the drama is generated using deus ex machina, but those instances are few and quite tolerable in the larger scheme of things.

A mans memory might have only a hundred clear days in it and he has lived thousands. Cant do much about that. We have our store of days and we spend them like forgetful drunkards, McNulty muses at one point, summing up much of the character of the novel. There are good days, there are bad days. There are triumphs, there are heartbreak. Life and death. Old makes way for the new. Days go by.
There is sadness in the air in Kashmir. Cafes, restaurants, offices, colleges and even marketplaces are abuzz about the possible scrapping of Article 35A, or the Jammu and Kashmir State Subjects Law, which defines permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir and prevents non-locals from buying or owning property in the state.

The clamour is growing: If the law is struck down by the Supreme Court, there will be a rebellion and Kashmir will erupt like never before. It may be an uprising that's beyond the control of the state apparatus and its cost may be too much for Jammu and Kashmir or New Delhi to bear.

Abdul Gaffar is a shopkeeper near Poloview in Srinagar. He says the political fallout of the article's abrogation is beyond anyone's imagination. In a recent hearing of the case in the apex court, the Centre refused to file a counter-affidavit and the state government is also struggling to build a strong case, leading many to fear defeat is imminent.

"It will be the end of us and our identity," said Gaffar, who is in his mid-60s says with a frown. "But why we could not see it coming and why did our state government not build a strong enough case?"

Jahangir Iqbal Ganie, Jammu and Kashmir's advocate general, told a newspaper that three petitions have challenged the article in the Supreme Court, but in the two other petitions, no notice was issued to the state government.

The issue has also triggered an unlikely camaraderie. Perhaps for the first time in decades, political parties cutting across the political spectrum in the Valley are on the same page: They all want to preserve Article 35A.

"There would be a mass uprising in which people will die. Then, slowly and steadily, Kashmir will become Palestine, where we will be left fighting for a single bucket of water. Life will become an everyday fight for survival," said Amir Abbas, resident of Srinagar's Lal Bazar said.

"If the law is struck down, there will chaos on the streets and Kashmir will burn," said Ajaz Ahmad Rahi, a resident of Rajbagh area of Srinagar. "Within the first few years itself, Kashmiris will sell their land like never before, as big companies would come in and offer prices unlike anything people could have imagined."

Most people believe this is the Centre's design to change the demographic character of the Muslim majority state. As the case nears its next date of hearing in the Supreme Court, a sense of dread has seeped in.

Nasir Sogami, a senior National Conference leader, said any move to abrogate Article 35A will have huge ramifications on the ground, because everyone, including people from the political parties, are on same page. "This article was included in the Constitution to save our land rights, and those who did it were not naive. Abrogating it now would have far-reaching implications, even worse than the months of unrest. Without making any specific guesses, I can say it would have huge ramifications for all of us," Sogami said.

Shakeel Qalander, an industrialist based in Srinagar, said there is apprehension among people that outsiders may purchase land and throw the natives out. "We are not a rich state. When you will have so much capital flowing, people will sell land. It has become a political issue now, but it's actually a threat to our existence, not just to the people of the Valley but those in Jammu and in Ladakh too," he said.

The BJP, which has long advocated the abrogation of the law, is also feeling the heat in Jammu, after National Conference working president Omar Abdullah started a campaign to make people aware of the issue. "What BJP and RSS is telling people in Jammu is that it will be a Hindu majority state if Article 35A is struck down. But that's not the reality," said Anand Kumar, a social activist from Jammu.

"In fact, minorities in India like Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, who are facing hardships in other states, will be the first ones to move to Jammu and Kashmir. And they won't settle in Kashmir but to Jammu and areas close to it," he added.

"Let us say, hypothetically, a million people buy land and property in Jammu, Samba and other districts. That will change the demographic character of the Jammu region as well. The Hindu majority demography will change in months. The Muslims of India will be the first ones to come and settle here," Qalander added.

In case the article is struck down, there is a likely to be a political shakeup in the state. The People's Democratic Party (PDP) insiders say Mehbooba Mufti could resign, but fears of other leaders from her party aligning with the BJP has been giving the chief minister sleepless nights.

The Centre has already received reports from the various agencies in the Valley about the possible fallout on the streets if Article 35A is struck down. What has been written in those reports may portray an exaggerated ground reality. But will New Delhi ignore the warning shots?
Prem Pal (45) swears by the innocence of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim and the noble objectives of the Sirsa-headquartered ashram.

A scheduled caste by birth, Pal is now settled in a village near Sonepat. He hawks chaat on a cart. He has been a member of the Dera Sacha Sauda since the last 10 years. A decade ago, he was enunciated (given a mantra), and has since been a devout follower.

Pal claims he was attracted towards the ashram because it practices and promotes a casteless and classless structure. "I visited the Dera eight years ago for satsang (religious discourse). Once there, we were all brothers. There was no caste discrimination, Pal asserts mixing chaat in paper bowl.

What brought Pal to the ashram has also brought millions of others here since 2007, when Gurmeet Ram Rahim abolished caste structure from the Dera and introduced a new nomenclature 'Insaan' that replaced all surnames. He issued a list of 47 rules, which made sure people from the lowest castes in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and other states join the ashram.

Pal was one of about two dozen villagers who got associated with the ashram. Over 20 out of these two dozen belonged to the lowest strata of society.

Insiders say Gurmeet Ram Rahim's guru Shah Satnamji, who headed Dera Sacha Sauda for around three decades before handing over the baton to him in 1990, had over a million followers. But Satnamji didn't have separate hostels for male and female ascetics, and he also didn't bring in a casteless or classless structure. He was content with cultivating the land belonging to the Dera, running a community kitchen for his followers, and prescribing the meditation mantra to them.

The meditation mantra  sat purkh akal murat sabd srupi Ram (loosely translated into truthful, formless Ram)  has continued to be the same, but everything else has changed  right from the Dera's structure, its construction of schools, colleges and hospitals, market complexes, a cinema hall, hotels, restaurants, canteens, confectionaries, agro-processing industries, MSG-brand goods and their stores, canteens and social service.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim has continued to call Dera followers premis (compassionate people), but has also created a classless community of followers. This structure is what makes the Dera an attractive place in contrast to the villages and towns where caste-based discrimination is still prevalent.

In the past, Gurmeet Ram Rahim's followers either voted for the Congress or Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). But in the 2014 Assembly polls in Haryana, they swung in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This happened partly because Gurmeet Ram Rahim issued an appeal in favour of the saffron party.

And this social profile of the Dera followers is precisely the reason why Manohar Lal Khattar government is cagey about acting against the supporters, while the central government and BJP top brass also have found no fault with the state government's handling of the situation. This was also the reason why the Khattar government allowed a build-up of Dera followers in Panchkula, where the verdict on a rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim was to be pronounced on Friday.

Instead of taking on the Dera followers and forcibly evacuating them from Panchkula and Sirsa, Khattar has instead blamed the violence on intrusion of anti-social elements among the Dera followers. He said in a statement on Friday morning that some anti-social elements, mixed with the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda, disrupted the peace and resorted to violence after the CBI court returned a guilty verdict.

Ironically, this is exactly what the Dera Sacha Sauda has also said. Dera chairperson Vipsana Insan, who many believe is in line for taking over from Gurmeet Ram Rahim as head of the ashram, said on Saturday in a video message that anti-social elements indulged in arson and damaged public property. Read the two statements in conjunction and it will no leave no doubt that there is complete convergence between the two. The state government has also continued to bestow VIP treatment on the Dera head.

It may be morally wrong for Khattar government to be soft on Dera hoodlums. It may also mark governance deficit on its part. But politically, it is not such an undeliberated, thoughtless decision  at least not for the BJP. The party, it seems, has preferred to face the charge of law and order failure then risking support of the neo-BJP supporters. It has continued to indulge the Dera followers and the ashram head.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court and Mayawati are not wrong when they accuse the Khattar government of surrendering before the Dera followers. The latter, in fact, has called it "surrender for politics of vote". For once, she is not off the mark.

Click here for LIVE updates on Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's sentencing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Bihar on Saturday to monitor the flood-affected districts is likely to deflate Lalu Prasad Yadavs anti-Bharatiya Janata Party war cry. It also marks the beginning of new political equations in the state, with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the prime minister, enemies-turned-friends, on one side and all parties opposed to them on the other.

While on the face of it this would be about the floods in the state, the political implication of Modi's visit is likely to be much deeper. The visit happens a day before Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasads much-publicised anti-BJP rally on Sunday. He is expected to flaunt his political muscle in the rally besides making a bid for unity among all non-BJP parties.

It has already showed signs of being a flop show with Congress chief and vice-president giving it a miss. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati is not participating in it either.

What makes leaders of non-BJP parties skip Lalus show?

According to party sources, Sonia Gandhi wont be able to attend the rally due to health reasons, and has asked senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and CP Joshi to attend the meet.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has left for Norway on an invitation of the Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs, where he would meet political and business leaders at Oslo.

On the other hand, the absence of Mayawati would be a big disappointment for Lalu.

"BSP has clearly told the RJD that it will share the dais with any regional or national party only when it is decided beforehand on how many seats will go to which party in the secular alliance... Before finalising any secular programme, the policy and principle of seat sharing should be decided first as the life of an alliance is dependent on it and all should get respectable number of seats, Mayawati had reasoned, while clarifying her stand on not to participate in the Sunday rally.

A CPM source said that it would be inappropriate for the party not to participate as it doesnt want to play politics when Bihar is submerged under water due to heavy floods.

Apparently, it seems that the BJP Bhagao rally would turn into a damp squib, as leaders of many of the non-BJP parties would not like to be seen with Lalu due to the corruption charges against him and his family. On some pretext or the other, they have distanced themselves.

Modi-Nitish bonhomie

Much before Nitish Kumar severed ties with RJD and Congress, Modi and Nitish were seen wearing saffron turbans and chatting with each other during the 350th Prakash Parv in January.

Even when Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was a part of the grand-alliance, he supported Modis surgical strike and demonetisation move.

The Bihar chief minister almost made it clear that the 2019 General Election to Lok Sabha would be a repeat show as Modi had already emerged as an 'unchallenged leader'. "Modiji se muqabla karne ki kshamta kisi mein nahi hai (Nobody has the capability to challenge Modi), Nitish had remarked.

The prime minister after reaching Purnea on Saturday, will be joined by Nitish. Both will visit various flood-affected regions submerged under water.

With Modi and Nitish sharing the dais for the first time since the new-found friendship between the two, it would be interesting to watch how the public receives them. This will be Modis first visit to Bihar, after Nitish joined the National Democratic Alliance fold.

PM-CM impact

Another aspect that cannot be ignored in terms of Centre-State relationship  as BJP is both at the Centre and in Bihar as an ally  is the Nitish-government getting financial assistance from the centre to combat post-flood crisis.

There has been a paradigm shift in Bihar politics from the days of Lalu Prasad Yadav. People have seen development under Nitish Kumar and now they would reject Lalus anti-Modi rant, especially when the state is facing severe floods. People of Bihar would appreciate a helping hand from the prime minister rather than attending Lalus rally to listen to him abusing Modi and Nitish Kumar. Weve witnessed the corruption-ridden regime of Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi, Mrityunjay Kumar Singh, a Patna-based entrepreneur, said.

Now, as both the leaders enjoy mass appeal and support, their combined reach is likely to dent the BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao (Banish BJP, save country) rally in Patnas historical Gandhi Maidan on 27 August, which is being touted as a major opposition show of unity.

Dr Prashant Das, a professor in Lausanne, Switzerland, who hails from Patna and has witnessed previous regimes with Lalu and his wife Rabri Devi as chief ministers of Bihar, told Firstpost, Prime minister Modi aligning with Nitish Kumar should be seen as the Centre aligning with Bihar; and a confluence of two strong, well-intentioned political leaders. Itll help Bihar in terms of development.
IANS

Offering fresh insight into latest global trends and revealing its strategy for the country's dynamic mobile landscape, Samsung Electronics on Friday showcased its latest technologies for the Indian smartphone market.

The second 'Samsung Mobile Solution Forum 2017' (SMSF) showcased a new image sensor "ISOCELL" and upcoming technologies for mobile camera.

"ISOCELL" is named after the company's own image sensor technology that allows high-colour fidelity and good image quality even with smaller pixels.

"India is witnessing an extraordinary digital communication revolution with growth prospects never seen before and Samsung is thrilled to catalyse this change by providing total technology solutions to its customers," Haejin Park, vice president and head of Device Solutions in Southeast Asia, Samsung Electronics, told reporters here.

The company's semiconductor solution included a 'Near Field Communication' (NFC) mobile payment solution, touch-controller supporting force home key feature, 'LPDDR4-based' mobile DRAM and 'T5' portable solid state drive (SSD).

"Samsung continues to recognise the opportunities that India brings," the company said.

Over 200 industry professionals attended the forum.
tech2 News Staff

Vivo on Friday added the "Y69" to its Y line-up of smartphones at Rs 14,990.

In terms of camera specifications, "Y69" features a 13 MP rear camera with "Live Photo" feature.

The 16 MP "moonlight" selfie camera comes with f/2.0 aperture and "group selfie" mode.

"We are pleased to introduce the "Y69" in the Y series and are confident that its premium design and superior camera features will offer great value to customers at an ideal price point," said Kenny Zeng, CMO, Vivo India, in a statement.

The device has 5.5-inch HD IPS (1280 x 720 pixels) display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top.

It is powered by 1.5 GHz Octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processor, coupled with a 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage.

It has dual SIM card slots and a separate micro SD card slot to expand storage to up to 256 GB.

"Y69", powered by a 3,000mAh battery, runs Vivo's custom "Funtouch" OS 3.2, based on the Android 7.0 operating system.

The device will retail in "Champagne Gold" and "Matte Black" colours starting 1 September on e-commerce sites Amazon and Flipkart and will also be available in retail stores.

Vivo is also expected to launch Vivo V7 Plus in September. The company released the trailer recently and the smartphone is expected to be the successor of currently available Vivo V5 Plus model.

With the Vivo V7 Plus we expect Vivo to take things up a notch by adding a chipset that uses the new Qualcomm 660 (or 630) platform inside. Add to this the usual 4 GB RAM and an improved Full HD display and we could have something special if the company decides to add a dual camera at the back and the front.

Even if that does not happen, the Snapdragon 660 should be enough for Vivo to take the competition head on.

The front-facing dual cameras too could see an improvement and could cement Vivo's position in the selfie camera smartphone space.

With inputs from IANS
tech2 News Staff

WhatsApp for Business is yet to officially launch, but it is only a matter of time. WhatsApp has even come on record and announced that it will start the service in India soon and that India would play a crucial role in the earlier days. In the latest update on the WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp beta for Android is supporting Verified Business accounts, which will see a green tick mark beside the profile.

According to the FAQ page on WhatsApp, "If you see a green badge next to a contact's name, it means that WhatsApp has confirmed the phone number of this contact belongs to a business account."

The new update lets businesses set working hours. If you call a business account and they are not available, you will get an 'away' message. Businesses can also manage their automatic messages and customers can block businesses which they do not want to be contacted by.

In case you have a business's phone number saved in your address book, the name you will see is the name you have saved in your address book. Else you will see the name that the business has chosen for itself.

According to WABetaInfo, the WhatsApp business verification feature is limited to a small number of businesses participating in the pilot program. "When a business status changes (when a business becomes verified by WhatsApp), you will be notified in the chat through yellow messages (like a security code of contact changes)," says WABetaInfo.

Last we heard, the messaging giant is even tying up with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to enable in-app UPI payments. A report by the Times of India stated that this is the first time that the NCPI have granted a mobile app to enter into multi-bank partnerships for digital payments. NPCI had confirmed that Whatsapp had received a nod from the payment institution. "We have permitted multi-bank partnership as Whatsapp did not want all transactions routed via one bank when payment loads are high. They are now talking actively to leading banks now," AP Hota of NPCI had said.

A recent beta version of WhatsApp tagged as version 2.17.285 apart from adding additional features also seems to have connected its new Business service as WABetaInfo found out.

The post details how the new release brings users closer to the service being updated. The source estimates that WhatsApp for Business could be active in about 4 months from now.
Dhaka: Bangladesh said on Saturday it will not allow any more Rohingyas to enter the country which is already hosting about 400,000 Myanmar nationals who have caused "massive" social, economic and environmental problems.

The foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka and expressed "serious concern" over the recent happenings, including the new clashes between security forces and Rohingya militants that have killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians  Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine  to flee their homes in the northern Rakhine State.

Rakhine State which is home to more than a million ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims has been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012. The Rohingyas are perceived as illegal immigrants in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

"Bangladesh stressed on the need for respecting the state responsibility to protect its civilian population and urges Myanmar to ensure appropriate protection and shelter for the unarmed civilians especially the vulnerable segments of the population such as women, children and elderly people," Bangladesh's Foreign Office said in a statement.

The statement was issued shortly after Myanmar envoy in Dhaka met Secretary for Asia and Pacific region Mahbub Uz Zaman at the foreign ministry to discuss the "evolving situation" in the Rakhine State.

"The Secretary emphasised on addressing the root cause of the protracted problem through a comprehensive and inclusive approach," it said.

Zaman said that thousands of unarmed civilians including women, children and elderly people from the Rakhine State had assembled close to the border and were making attempts to enter Bangladesh.

"He expressed serious concern at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation as Bangladesh already hosts about four hundred thousand Myanmar nationals," it said.

The development came as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Saturday pushed back scores of Rohingyas and halted hundreds of others on the frontiers.

Officials at southeastern Cox's Bazar bordering Rakhine said BGB troops sent back 73 Rohingyas while intensifying their vigil along the 64-kilometre long frontier, a day after 176 ethnic Muslim minority Rohingyas were returned.

"We have sent back 73 more of them today (Saturday)," BGB's Battalion 2 commander Lieutenant Colonel SM Ariful Islam told PTI.

The Rohingyas were returned with a "humane" approach, said Coxs Bazar deputy commissioner Ali Hossain, adding that Bangladesh was unable to offer them refuge as "we are already overburdened with thousands of Rohingyas who caused us massive social, economic and environmental problems".

Police have issued a stern warning against offering assistance to Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar army said on Saturday that the death toll from attacks staged by "Rohingya insurgents" on Friday climbed to 89, including 12 members of the security forces.

Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar. According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigration.

The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.
Spain: Tens of thousands of Spaniards and foreigners are to stage a defiant march against terror through Barcelona on Saturday following last week's deadly vehicle rampages.

The Mediterranean city is in mourning after a van ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas boulevard on 17 August, followed hours later by a car attack in the seaside town of Cambrils.

Fifteen were killed in the carnage, and Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy has called on Spaniards to turn out in force to show their "love" and solidarity with Catalonia where the rampages took place.

King Felipe VI will also attend the march, becoming the first Spanish sovereign to take part in a demonstration since the monarchy was re-established in 1975 after the death of dictator Francisco Franco.

Europe has been shaken by a spate of deadly Islamist violence with an increasing number of low-tech attacks using vehicles, as weapons, or knives.

On Friday evening, a man was shot dead in central Brussels after stabbing a soldier while shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest) and shortly afterwards another man with a large knife attacked police in London as they tried to arrest him outside Buckingham Palace.

Love for Barcelona

The Spanish premier said Friday the king would be attending the march to demonstrate "his love for the people of Barcelona, of Cambrils, of Catalonia".

"There, with all of Catalan society and all of Spain ... we will once again give a clear message of unity and condemnation of terrorism, and of love for the city of Barcelona," he added.

The warm comments contrast with Rajoy's earlier criticism of Catalan leaders, with whom he has been at loggerheads over their plans to hold an independence referendum on 1 October.

But in the aftermath of the attacks which were claimed by the Islamic State group, he and Catalonia's separatist president Carles Puigdemont made a show of unity, and both will attend the march which begins at 6.00 pm.

Already on Friday evening, thousands of people marched against terror in Cambrils, shouting "no tinc por", which means "not afraid" in Catalan  as defiantly shouted by locals last week after the attacks.

The slogan of the Barcelona demonstration will also be "no tinc por."

Those who tended to the victims last week will be given pride of place at the top of the procession.

These include security forces, emergency workers, residents and shop owners in the Las Ramblas avenue and taxis who took people for free.

People like Montse Rovira, the city hall's head of social emergencies who helped people who were lost or who couldn't find their loved ones.

Over the following days, she and her colleagues gave families psychological support when they were given terrible news, and also helped others like doctors and firefighters.

"There are a lot of people who are suffering," she said, adding that even psychologists themselves had struggled.

For her, the march will help "recognise the work of people who have been on the front line."

Ode to peace

Saray Gomez, an 18-year-old who works at a flower stall right next to where the van ended its murderous rampage, said it was important "to give a message of unity and peace."

"And it's important to distinguish between Islam and jihadists, because Muslims are the first to be affected."

Thousands of red, yellow and white flowers  the colours of Barcelona  will be distributed to protesters.

The march will end at Plaza de Catalunya near Las Ramblas where two cellists will play "Cant dels ocells" (Song of the birds), a traditional Catalan melody which has become a symbol of peace.

In 1961, late composer Pau Casals had played it at the White House in a rejection of the Franco regime.
Yaounde: Fifteen people were shot dead in an overnight attack in north Cameroon, blamed on Boko Haram Islamists, a security source said on Saturday.

The attack happened in the town of Gakara close to the Nigerian border, the security source in the region said.

"Boko Haram shot 15 people dead... and kidnapped eight people three of whom were returned on Friday," added the source, who wished to remain anonymous.

A total of 35 houses were torched in the attack which happened around 11 pm (2200 GMT) according to a local vigilante group member.

"There were many of them," said the source.

Gakara is just a kilometre (half mile) from the Nigerian border town of Kerawa where the Boko Haram Islamists have long been in control.

The eight-year conflict by the Sunni jihadist group aimed at establishing a hard-line Islamic Caliphate in Nigeria has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced 2.6 million, creating one of world's major humanitarian catastrophes.

The violence has spilt into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Beijing: China's navy has held a rare live- fire drill in the Indian Ocean to improve its fleet's performance under real combat circumstance, state media reported on Friday.

A Chinese naval formation consisting of the destroyer Changchun, guided-missile frigate Jingzhou and supply vessel Chaohu conducted the drill in the waters of the western Indian Ocean, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The fleet carried out strikes against "enemy" surface ships and completed transverse replenishment of fuel and drinking water during an exercise that lasted for several days, the report said without disclosing the exact location.

The drill is aimed at improving the ships' performance under real combat circumstances, said Chen Denan, chief of staff of the Chinese fleet.

The fleet is on a half-year friendship visit to Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania and has conducted joint exercises with foreign navies from 10 countries since it started its voyage on 23 April , the report said.

Since the standoff with India at Doklam in the Sikkim section, China has been flexing its military muscle by holding several publicised live-fire exercises in Tibet.

This is the first-time in recent years, the Chinese navy has conducted the naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise followed the recent Malabar Naval exercises held in the Indian Ocean by the navies of India, the US and Japan. China, which has been ramping up its naval power to enhance its global reach, recently operationalised its first overseas logistics naval base at Djibouti at the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean and signed a 99 year lease to acquire the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.

China has also acquired the strategic Gwadar port in Pakistan which is being linked to China's Xinjiang province through the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor traversing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Washington: US president Donald Trump on Friday pardoned controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted last month of criminal contempt for illegally targeting Hispanic immigrants.

In his first act of presidential clemency, Trump pardoned the deeply-divisive 85-year-old who ignored a federal court order that he stop detaining illegal migrants.

"He kept Arizona safe!" Trump tweeted, calling Arpaio a "patriot."

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

The move earned immediate scorn from Democrats, some Republicans and rights groups, who accused the Republican billionaire of seeking to divide the country - which is still reeling from Trump's controversial remarks on racial unrest in Charlottesville.

In a statement, the White House said Arpaio  who made detainees wear pink underwear and housed them in tented desert camps  had "more than fifty years of admirable service to our nation."

Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!  Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) August 26, 2017

The former sheriff of Maricopa County, who reveled in his reputation as "America's toughest sheriff," had been due to be sentenced in October.

Arpaio tweeted that he was "incredibly grateful" to Trump, and suggested his conviction was "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!"

He also asked supporters to donate to his legal defense fund.

'Worthy of pardon'

According to the White House, sheriff Arpaio protected "the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration."

Arpaio is "a worthy candidate for a presidential pardon," it added.

Trump had hinted that a pardon was coming during a meandering speech in Arizona earlier this week, when he suggested Arpaio was convicted for "doing his job" and predicted that "he's going to be just fine."

The announcement still came as a shock for many.

Republican Arizona Senator John McCain said officers of the law "should always seek to be beyond reproach" in their commitment to fairly enforce the law.

And he noted that Arpaio "was found guilty of criminal contempt" for illegally profiling Latinos living in Arizona "based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders."

Trump "has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," McCain's statement read.

Arizona's other senator, Republican Jeff Flake, wrote on Twitter: "Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course."

'Presidential endorsement of racism'

Others were more forceful in their denunciations.

"Joe Arpaio is a bigot who targeted the Hispanic community for years. He should have served his time," said Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro.

The American Civil Liberties Union, a leading civil rights group, expressed outrage.

"With his pardon of Arpaio, Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing," said the ACLU's deputy legal director Cecillia Wang.

"Once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts.

"His pardon of Arpaio is a presidential endorsement of racism."

UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic rights advocacy group in the country, decried the pardon as "obscene."

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio was the instigator of racial profiling and made official a policy of harassment and abuse based on the color of one's skin in Maricopa County," said UnidosUS president Janet Murguia.

"And tonight, president Trump gave the blessing of his administration to pursue those disgraceful and unlawful policies in every state and locality in the land."

The US constitution offers the president almost unlimited pardon powers.

Conservative commentator Bill Kristol suggested the pardon "gets people used" to the idea of presidential pardons as the FBI investigation into the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia deepens.
Washington: President Donald Trump has reversed an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgenders in the US military, a decision Democrats said was "cruel" and meant to "hurt and humiliate" the soldiers.

Trump on Friday formally signed a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, directing the Secretary of Defence, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place before June 2016.

Trump alleged in the memo that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defence Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after 1 July this year.

"In my judgement, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those negative effects," Trump said.

The memo requests the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by 21 February, 2018, which should be put in place on 23 March, 2018.

Last month, Trump had announced his decision to ban transgender men and women from US military on Twitter.

Pentagon press secretary Dana White said the Department of Defence has received formal guidance from the White House in reference to transgender personnel serving in the military.

"More information will be forthcoming," she said.

Criticising the decision, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump's memorandum is ordering the Pentagon to "hurt and humiliate thousands of Americans who serve in US military with strength and courage".

"Prejudice, not national defence, is behind President Trump's cruel decision to kick transgender troops out of the military," she said.

"A study commissioned by the Department of Defence itself found that the cost of providing medically necessary care for transgender troops would be miniscule. In fact, every year, the Pentagon spends five times more on Viagra than they would for transition-related care," Pelosi said.

Democratic Congressman Patrick Maloney said: "This is a political decision that's more about attacking transgender Americans than keeping us safe. If you doubt the ability of transgender troops to complete their mission, you should do your homework. Transgender troops have served in some of our most elite units and graduated from our premier military academies - preventing them from serving is wrong and it's un-American."

Maloney is the first openly gay member of Congress from New York and a co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus. After being together for 22 years, he married Randy Florke in June 2014 in New York, where they live with their three children.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler said that military service is a privilege, not a right.

"I'm pleased to see the president putting military readiness first and making sure our defence dollars are spent keeping us safe. With the growing threats from Iran, North Korea, China and others, the US military cannot afford to divert precious defence dollars from our national security," she said.

"Every dollar must be spent investing in new military technology, getting the right equipment for our troops, and making sure we are protected from threats across the globe," Hartzler said.

Last year, Obama decided to allow transgenders to serve in the US military. Announcing the decision in June 2016, then defence secretary Ashton Carter said the Defence Department and the military need to avail ourselves of all talent possible in order to remain the finest fighting force the world has ever known.
A monster storm, threatening to flatten coastal cities of Texas has spread panic among hundreds and thousands of Americans and tourists. Many are fleeing from the impending path of the hurricane while others are hoarding up essentials that would come in handy if Hurricane Harvey runs amock as feared.

Thus, when on arrival in Houston, news that a humongous amount of rainfall  from a staggering 381mm to an incredible 889 mm  was expected, courtesy Hurricane Harvey, it was met with unbridled curiosity: How would this state of Texas handle this Category 3 hurricane? And, importantly how was the state primed to manage this epic deluge.

Back home, in Bengaluru, the state government had confessed that they were grossly unprepared for the massive rains and that nobody could have managed that quantum of rainwater. So much so, high profile start-up ventures localities like Koramangala were reduced to resemble low-lying slums.

Even in July 2016, a mere 90 mm of rain flooded Bengauru leading to the BBMP claiming that they would spend crores of rupees in an attempt to clear storm water rains. But the work has remained largely incomplete even after a year, leading to the massive floods this year too.

Thus Texas approach on a war-footing to the potential disaster was most impressive and an absolute eye-opener for someone coming from Bengaluru, a city seemingly abandoned to fate.

A day before Texas Governor Greg Abbot declared a state of disaster in 30 counties, we drove down the Blue Water Highway through Galveston and surrounding areas that would take a huge chunk of the hit. Six counties were declared mandatory evacuation zones while others were deemed voluntary evacuation zones.

The mayor of one of the counties where evacuation was mandatory, asked all people to get out and stay elsewhere with friends, relatives or whoever.

"Im not going to risk the lives of my firemen and police just because you want to ride out the storm," he thundered. "They too have friends and relatives. So dont be stubborn. Take your pets and go. I cant endanger the lives of my men to try and save you."

Another mayor, Corpus Christis Mayor Joe McComb was upbeat. Game on, he said. "We're looking forward to having a very good positive result from this storm. We'll get through this, we'll be better for it because the community has been pulling together."

Meanwhile the Texas Military Department has deployed about 700 members of the State Guard and National Guard around the coastal region. Black Hawk and Lakota helicopter crews were put on standby for search and rescue, while ground teams with high-clearance vehicles prepared to make incursions into flooded communities after the storm.

The Red Cross was mobilising staff from across the country and sending them to Texas, where it is helping to man dozens of shelters along the Gulf Coast.

Elsewhere, 250 buses and 75 ambulances were dispatched to Corpus Christi which was in the eye of the storm. A Catastrophic flood warning was issued and those without transport were asked to assemble at bus stops for free evacuation.

University classes were cancelled and schools declared holiday on Friday.

But these were only elementary precautions. The real movement was at the citizen level where it seemed everyone knew the drill and thus moved with alarming haste and purpose. Major highways leading out of the hurricane-prone areas were jammed with people fleeing to safer zones. Galveston, a pleasure island where we went on a cruise before the alert was sounded, emptied itself in a jiffy, with thousands of pleasure, sun, sea and fun seekers making a beeline to abandon the place.

By now the winds had further picked up, from 176 kms per hour to 200 kmph and the Hurricane alert was upgraded from Category 2 to 3 (Hurricanes are categorized from 1 to 5 depending on wind speeds, with 120kmph for Category 1 to speeds of over 248kmph for category 5).

This triggered a run on bottled water, huge water cans, petrol, batteries, torches and food. Entire shop shelves were emptied in major supermarkets while long queues were formed at petrol stations.

In Houston  Sugarland, Katy, Woodlands and elsewhere highly visible measuring scales stood out in low-lying areas, including road underpasses, to alert road users of the depth of water. These scales were marked all the way up to 13 feet to caution road users of rising water levels.

The National Hurricane Centre issued a recommendation for building individual emergency kits. These included water at one gallon per person per day, 3-day supply of non-perishable food, battery powered radio, flashlight, first-aid kit, whistle for signal to help, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation, cell phone with chargers and backup battery, pet food, cash, important documents, medicines, clothing, blankets, chlorine bleach, paper cups, plates, canned food with can opener, paper, pencil, toys, maps, match box in waterproof container, etc.

Sand bags were made available everywhere. Importantly the Bayous that catch the water and later drain them to the rivers and sea via the Buffalo Bayou are primed to do their work. Bengaluru had a similar systemits self-balancing tanks and lakes. But greedy politicians, land developers and bureaucrats ensured that the link was snapped and the tanks and lakes were encroached upon; hence the excessive flooding for even 90 mm of rains.

Meanwhile, its bayous notwithstanding, forecasters warn that Harvey will deliver historic amounts of rain  leading to mind-boggling accumulations of water. Flooding is likely in and around Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city and the headquarters of the United States oil and gas industry.

"Rivers and tributaries may overwhelmingly overflow their banks in many places with deep moving water. Small streams, creeks, canals, and ditches may become raging rivers. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed," the National Weather Service cautioned in an advisory.

Yes, looks like Texas will take a hit. But if the state can prime itself so fast and so thoroughly for water dumps in excess of 800mm, there is no reason why Bengaluru or other Indian cities cannot activate an action plan to handle 1/10 of that gargantuan volume of water. Is anyone out there listening?
Washington: Prominent Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump after he signed a memo instructing the Defence Department to stop accepting transgender people into the armed forces.

The presidential memorandum signed on Friday officially requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by 21 February, 2018, to be put in place on 23 March, 2018.

Slamming the move, Democratic US representative Ami Bera said: "If you wear an American military uniform, you deserve the respect and support of the Commander-in-Chief...Unfortunately, Donald Trump is more comfortable peddling in discrimination and bigotry, and he's shown that he is unable to support our troops."

"Removing these men and women from service or refusing recruits because of who they are goes against every American value they swear to defend," said Bera, who is the longest-serving Indian American currently in the Congress," Bera said in a press release.

The directive, signed on Friday, bars transgender people from enlisting, but instructs Secretary of Defence James Mattis and the Homeland Security "to determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant", according to a White House official.

It ordered the Pentagon to stop paying for gender reassignment surgeries, except in cases that were already in progress to "protect the health of an individual".

California Democrat Ro Khanna tweeted: "Our transgender service members deserve honour and respect. This military ban is anti-trans discrimination and must not be tolerated."

Our transgender service members deserve honor and respect. This military ban is anti-trans discrimination and must not be tolerated.  Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) August 25, 2017

In a tweet, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi said that he hoped that Trump would reconsider the ban. "I hope the President immediately reconsiders this ban. There is no place for discrimination in our armed forces."

I hope the President immediately reconsiders this ban. There is no place for discrimination in our armed forces https://t.co/6zLmUvSUX5  Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) August 25, 2017

In another tweet, Krishnamoorthi said: "We must never abandon those who have sacrificed so much for their nation. #ProtectTransTroops"

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, termed the ban "downright shameful".

"I stand shoulder to shoulder with the transgender community. This is downright shameful. #TransRightsAreHumanRights," she tweeted.
Kabul: Militants stormed a packed Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers, in an attack that lasted for hours and ended with at least 20 worshippers killed and another 50 seriously wounded, many of them children, an official said.

Two of the assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

The death toll of 20 was expected to rise because many of the victims were seriously wounded, said Mohammad Salim Rasouli, chief of Kabul's hospitals.

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, Islamic State also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.

In southern Kandahar province Friday, Afghan security forces repulsed a Taliban attack on an outpost overnight, according to provincial police chief's spokesman, Zia Durrani. Four members of the security forces died in the exchange and another seven were wounded, he said.

Durrani said the Taliban sustained heavy casualties. There was no immediate comment from the militants.

Elsewhere, provincial deputy police chief Nisar Ahmad Abdul Rahimzai said Afghan security forces recaptured a district in eastern Paktia province from the insurgents.

The summer fighting season in Afghanistan has seen relentless Taliban attacks as the insurgents battle to expand their footprint.

On Thursday, General John Nicholson, the top US general in Afghanistan, and Hugo Llorens, the U.S. Embassy's special charge d'affaires, told reporters in Kabul that the new US strategy was a promise to Afghans that together they would defeat terrorism and prevent terrorist groups from establishing safe havens.

Nicholson vowed to defeat both the Islamic State group affiliate and the remnants of al-Qaida, and he had the following message to the Taliban: "Stop fighting against your countrymen. Stop killing innocent civilians. Stop bringing hardship and misery to the Afghan people. Lay down your arms and join Afghan society. Help build a better future for this country and your own children".

President Donald Trump had announced the new plans for Afghanistan on Monday. While he did not give specifics, senior U.S. officials have said that he might send up to 3,900 more troops, with some deployments beginning almost immediately.
Kabul: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28  up from 20  including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday. Meanwhile, hundreds took part in the burial of two dozen victims in the mosque compound.

Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot dead by Afghan security forces, according to police. Kabul hospital chief Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 people were wounded in the attack that went on for hours.

The interior ministry said four of the dead were police.

Hundreds of family members, relatives, and local people participated in the burial of about two dozen victims inside the mosque compound Saturday.

Sayed Jan Agha, 34, lost his mother and an aunt in the attack. He said that he tried several times to get into the mosque and rescue his mother and other relatives, but security forces prevented him.

"My mother was martyred while she was trying to come down from the second floor, she was shot right at the stairs," said Agha.

Agha said his aunt called him and asked for help while she was bleeding, but no one could help her while the battle was going on between the attackers and security forces and she died from her wounds, he said.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in a statement condemned the attack. It said at least two attackers wearing police uniforms stormed the mosque while several hundred worshippers, including many women and children, attended Friday prayers. One assailant detonated his suicide vest outside the mosque, while another continued inside, indiscriminately killing and wounding people, the statement said.

"This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shi'a community at worship has no possible justification," said Toby Lanzer, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA. "Such attacks directed against congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes."

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions before the four attackers were killed.

The Islamic State said in a statement that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.

Security forces surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasiri added.

When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasiri said.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.
Myanmar: Gun shots rang out across northern Rakhine state on Saturday afternoon as clashes continued between suspected Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces, officials said, a day after fighting killed 89 people and forced civilians to flee remote villages.

The state has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Hundreds of men from the persecuted Muslim group appear to have organised under the banner of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which claims to be leading the insurgency that has scorched the area since October 2016.

Three village officials were killed overnight near the town of Maungdaw, according to the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi  Myanmar's de facto leader.

Hours later residents in Maungdaw, which is close to the Bangladesh border, ran for safety as a local administration office came under attack by militants.

"Our situation is urgent," Myint Kyaing, a Maungdaw administrative officer told AFP on Saturday afternoon before hanging up the phone.

Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists armed themselves with knives and sticks as tension soared in a town that has repeatedly been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012.

As panic spread, scores of Hindu villagers fled from surrounding villages to Maungdaw after rumours they were also a target for the militants.

"There is no security in the villages," Buthon, a Hindu man in Maungdaw told AFP.

Other villagers sought shelter in monasteries.

Friday's clashes left 12 security officials and 77 militants dead according to Suu Kyi's ofice  the highest declared single day toll since fighting broke out last year.

Hundreds of militants ambushed police posts in the early hours of Friday, some carrying guns and using homemade explosives, Myanmar's military said.

The focal point of Friday's unrest was Rathedaung township.

The area has seen a heavy build-up of Myanmar troops in recent weeks, with reports filtering out of killings by shadowy groups, army-blockaded villages and abuses.

The government has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a terrorist organisation.

Myanmar says the group is headed by Rohingya jihadists who were trained abroad, but it is unclear how large the network is.

Deadly attacks in October 2016 by the militants sparked a military response that left scores dead and forced some 87,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.

The UN believes the military crackdown may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

The army denies the allegations which included killings of civilians and mass rape.
Kathmandu: Former Nepali Prime Minister and CPN-UML Chairman K.P. Sharma Oli on Friday termed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deubas activities and the statements during his ongoing India visit as "disgraceful".

Talking to journalists in Kathmandu on Friday before heading to Thailand for a health check-up, the opposition leader a strident critic of Premier Deuba said "Deuba raised the issue of Constitution's acceptability out of context on a foreign land. Who was he trying to please by such remarks?"

During a joint press conference on Thursday, Deuba told Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that efforts to amend the Constitution were underway.

"He is the Prime Minister, he took the oath of office and secrecy from the same Constitution. He was elected the Prime Minister under the same Constitution," he was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post.

The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) Chairman said that Deuba, who is in India on a five-day visit, made a mockery of the decision taken by lawmakers of Nepal regarding the Constitution amendment.

Earlier on Monday, the much-awaited Constitution amendment bill which was brought to address key demands of the agitating Madhes-centric parties failed to muster the required two-thirds majority in the Legislature-Parliament.

Out of 553 lawmakers, 347 lawmakers voted in favour of the bill, 48 short of the two-thirds majority required to pass the bill.

Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" whose Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) is an ally in the coalition government headed by Deuba also took exception to the remarks made by the Nepal Premier during his India visit.
In a previous article, I laid out the bear case against Altria Group (NYSE: MO). Today, let's take a look at some ways the tobacco titan's stock could trend higher in the coming years.

Less harmful products

As the number of people who smoke continues to decline, the tobacco industry has turned its focus toward new products that are believed to have fewer health risks. One such product that shows particular promise is Philip Morris International's (NYSE: PM) iQOS system.

The iQOS is an electric device that heats -- but does not burn -- a new type of cigarette called a Marlboro HeatStick. Instead of smoke, it produces a nicotine-containing vapor. Philip Morris says that this vapor is less dangerous than traditional cigarette smoke, and that the iQOS creates a more enjoyable experience for smokers than existing e-cigarettes.

Altria already has a deal in place with Philip Morris that gives it exclusive distribution rights to the iQOS in the U.S. Altria hopes Philip Morris can get approval for iQOS from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration sometime in the next year or so, at which time Altria will begin marketing the product in the United States.

I should note, though, that if reduced-risk products like iQOS catch on in the U.S., shipments of traditional smokable cigarettes are likely to drop precipitously. In fact, when Philip Morris launched iQOS in Japan last April, the product quickly cannibalized about a third of its own cigarette portfolio in the country. Fortunately for Philip Morris, many of the smokers who switched to iQOS came from its cheaper brands, thereby boosting the company's overall revenue. Moreover, if iQOS earns a modified risk tobacco product designation from the FDA, it could rapidly take market share from rival products that cannot make such a claim.

Philip Morris plans to make iQOS available in more than 30 countries by the end of 2017. The U.S. could follow soon after -- if iQOS receives FDA approval -- thereby providing Altria with an important new product line and a potentially significant revenue growth driver.

Altria gets acquired

Recent consolidation in the U.S. tobacco industry may make Altria's days as an independent entity numbered. While Altria remains the market share leader, its No. 2 and No. 3 rivals combined when Reynolds American (NYSE: RAI) acquired Lorillard in 2015. Reynolds American then agreed to be acquired by international giant British American Tobacco (NYSE: BTI) earlier this year in a deal that will form the world's largest publicly traded tobacco company.

Ever since British American and Reynolds American agreed to merge, rumors have swirled that Philip Morris and Altria would recombine in order to match their rival's newfound global scale. In fact, Wells Fargo analyst Bonnie Herzog places the odds of a deal at 70%.

For this to occur, Philip Morris, as the larger company, would likely acquire Altria. The buyout price would need to include a significant premium to Altria's current stock price in order to entice investors to approve the deal. An offer in the $77 to $80 range could be well received by shareholders and would give investors who buy Altria's shares today gains of roughly 20% to 25%. Of course, a deal might not take place, and speculating on acquisitions can be a dangerous investment strategy. So, Fools who decide to invest in Altria should do so only if they're comfortable owning the company in its current form.

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The Latest on President Donald Trump pardoning former Phoenix metro sheriff Joe Arpaio (all times local):

7:55 p.m.

U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona is voicing his displeasure at President Donald Trump's pardon of the former Phoenix metro area sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols.

Arpaio was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

McCain says in a statement that "no one is above the law" and "sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold."

By pardoning Arpaio, McCain says it undermines Trump's claim for the respect of rule of law.

He also says Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

______

7:40 p.m.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Arizona congressman Andy Biggs are supporting the presidential pardon of former metro Phoenix sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Ducey says Arpaio "deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career in law enforcement and public office."

He says Trump's pardon "has brought finality to this chapter in Arizona's history."

Ducey adds that Arpaio is his friend and now the 85-year-old ex-lawman can move on and enjoy his retirement with his wife and family.

Biggs says he applauds Trump for pardoning Arpaio and adds that "America owes Sheriff Arpaio a debt of gratitude and not the injustice of a political witch hunt."

____

7:35 p.m.

Some top members of the American Civil Liberties Union are voicing their displeasure over the pardon of ex-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio by President Donald Trump.

Cecillia Wang, an attorney who helped press the racial profiling case against Arpaio, says Trump's pardon "is a presidential endorsement of racism."

She says Trump "has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts."

ACLU of Arizona Executive Director Alessandra Soler says "the racist practices that Arpaio implemented and Trump foolishly admires are illegal and immoral and no pardon will ever change that reality."

____

7:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted about his pardon of the former sheriff of the Phoenix metro area, who was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols.

Ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

Trump tweeted that he was "pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!"

_____

7 p.m.

Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo calls the presidential pardon of former sheriff Joe Arpaio "a travesty" and says the board has to look at ways of recouping taxpayer money, likely through lawsuits.

Arpaio's criminal case sprang from the profiling lawsuit that ultimately discredited Arpaio's immigration patrols and is expected to cost taxpayers $92 million by next summer.

Gallardo, a longtime Arpaio critic, says county taxpayers continue to foot the bill for the former sheriff's illegal behavior.

He says Arpaio should not be allowed to walk away from his civil liability and he should reimburse county taxpayers.

____

6:55 p.m.

The Arizona Latino Legislative Caucus says President Donald Trump's pardon of former Phoenix metro sheriff Joe Arpaio "is yet another display of disrespect to the Latino community in Arizona."

In a statement, caucus members say Arapio abused his position of authority during his 24 years as Maricopa County's sheriff "to drive a personal agenda that promoted racism."

They add that "no amount of time will erase Arpaio's hateful harassment and the fear he instilled in our community, and no one should be above the law."

______

6:35 p.m.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says the presidential pardon of the metro area's former sheriff "is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County."

He says it's especially a slap in the face of the Latino community and those ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio "victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights."

In a statement, Stanton says Arpaio received "a fair trial and a justifiable conviction" and there's nothing President Donald Trump can do "to change that awful legacy and the stain he has left on our community."

Stanton says it's not a proud day for Phoenix and "the city is moving on and moving forward from the divisiveness that defined the Arpaio era."

____

6:20 p.m.

The chair of the Democratic National Committee says President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is a "free pass."

DNC Chair Tom Perez says in a statement that "prejudice doesn't deserve a pardon" and that Trump "just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nation's most notorious agent of racism and bigotry."

He said Friday that Trump's decision to issue the pardon just as a dangerous hurricane is bearing down on Texas is "not presidential, that's a coward."

Perez was assistant U.S. attorney general for civil rights when he handled the Justice Department's 2012 lawsuit against Arpaio for racially profiling Latino residents in the Phoenix area.

_____

6:25 p.m.

Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio tells The Associated Press that he appreciates Donald Trump pardoning him after his recent federal conviction and says he'll always stand by the president.

Arpaio talked to the AP by phone while he was eating dinner at an Italian restaurant on Friday. He says he is thankful for the work his legal team did in securing the pardon. He plans to discuss his case more next week.

He said he learned of the pardon after the papers absolving the conviction were mailed to one of his lawyers.

He also said he's not ruling out a return to the political arena. Arpaio says he's going to be "very active."

Arpaio was convicted of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge for defying a judge's orders that he stop conducting immigration patrols. He was facing the prospect of jail time at his sentencing in October.

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5 p.m.

President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, the retired Arizona lawman who was convicted for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case.

The White House said the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon.

The action came several days after Trump, at a rally in downtown Phoenix, strongly hinted that he intended to issue a pardon.

Arpaio became linked to Trump during the campaign for their hardline immigration views.

He was convicted of a misdemeanor for intentionally defying a judge's order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

Both politicians questioned the authenticity of then-President Barack Obama's birth certificate and have a similar history in sparring with judges.
Authorities have shut down two radio stations that aired critical coverage of President Nicolas Maduro's government by refusing to renew their licenses, a broadcast executive announced, as the country staged military exercises in defiance of Washington and new U.S. sanctions.

Enza Carbone, president of the country's Radio Chamber, said late Friday in a statement that the National Telecommunications Commission did not renew the stations' permits when they expired and ordered them to cease transmitting.

The National Media Workers' Union accused the government of taking "arbitrary" action and violating freedom of expression.

The closures came less than 48 hours after the commission ordered cable providers to remove the signal of Colombian TV stations Caracol and RCN. Maduro had sharply criticized foreign news coverage of the country and its months-long political crisis.

About 900,000 people, including soldiers and members of civilian militias, were expected to take part in the two days of martial drills over the weekend. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez inaugurated the exercises Saturday at a National Guard facility in eastern Caracas where dozens of snipers practiced their aim.

Washington accuses Maduro of imposing a dictatorship after the recent installation of an all-powerful constitutional assembly that has targeted political opponents and taken over lawmaking powers from the opposition-controlled congress. In remarks earlier this month, President Donald Trump would not rule out a "military option" for Venezuela.

Critics call the assembly's creation a blatant, authoritarian power grab, while Maduro allies argue it offers a way out of the country's political and economic crisis.

"To greater democracy in Venezuela, the empire responds with more aggression," Padrino Lopez said, promising that the armed forces will support the government in standing up to the sanctions announced the previous day by Washington.

The sweeping penalties, which Trump signed by executive order, prohibit U.S. financial institutions from providing new money to Venezuela's government or the state oil company, PDVSA. They ban trading in two bonds the government recently issued to circumvent its increasing isolation from Western financial markets.

They also restrict PDVSA's U.S. subsidiary, Citgo, from sending dividends back to Venezuela  a move that Maduro said would lead to the "virtual closure" of a company responsible for thousands of American jobs.

The president vowed to prosecute for treason opponents he accused of being behind the sanctions, pointing a finger in particular at Julio Borges, the president of Venezuela's congress, as the purported "mastermind" of the financial and economic "blockade."

Communication Minister Ernesto Villegas called on Venezuelans to be "understanding" in the face of the sanctions, which he said amount to a "declaration of economic war."

"Nobody should believe that there is any corner where one can be safe from an aggression of this magnitude," Villegas said in remarks at the Foreign Ministry.

The oil-rich South American nation is already suffering from three-digit inflation, shortages of foods and basic goods and a severe recession, with the International Monetary Fund estimating that the economy could shrink by 12 percent this year.

Also Saturday, opposition lawmaker Delsa Zolorzano confirmed that a detained judge was provisionally released after more than a month in custody.

Angel Zerpa was among 33 jurists appointed by congress to replace the government-stacked Supreme Court in July, a move that was blocked as Maduro vowed to arrest them all.

At least eight of the appointees have fled the country, but Zerpa was arrested in Caracas.

He was transferred Friday to a hospital to be treated for health problems due to a hunger strike and is required to check in with the courts every week.
North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast early on Saturday, South Korea and the U.S. military said, as the two allies conducted annual joint military drills that the North denounces as preparation for war.

The U.S. military's Pacific Command said it had detected three short-range ballistic missiles, fired over a 20 minute period.

One appeared to have blown up almost immediately while two flew about 250 km (155 miles) in a northeasterly direction, Pacific Command said, revising an earlier assessment that two of the missiles had failed in flight.

The test came just days after senior U.S. officials praised North Korea and leader Kim Jong Un for showing restraint in not firing any missiles since late July.

The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were launched from the North's eastern Kangwon province into the sea.

Later on Saturday, the South Korean Presidential Blue House said the North may have fired an upgraded 300-mm caliber multiple rocket launcher but the military was still analyzing the precise details of the projectiles.

Pacific Command said the missiles did not pose a threat to the U.S. mainland or to the Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korea had threatened earlier this month to surround in a "sea of fire".

Tensions had eased somewhat since a harsh exchange of words between Pyongyang and Washington after U.S. President Donald Trump had warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he would face "fire and fury" if he threatened the United States.

North Korea's last missile test on July 28 was for an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to fly 10,000 km (6,200 miles). That would put parts of the U.S. mainland within reach and prompted heated exchanges that raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missiles did not reach its territory or exclusive economic zone and did not pose a threat to Japan's safety.

MILITARY DRILLS

The South Korean and U.S. militaries are in the midst of the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills involving computer simulations of a war to test readiness and run until Aug. 31.

The region where the missiles were launched, Kittaeryong, is a known military test site frequently used by the North for short-range missile drills, said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

"So rather than a newly developed missile, it looks to be short range missiles they fired as part of their summer exercise and also in response to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill," he said.

The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with the North because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North routinely says it will never give up its weapons programs, saying they are necessary to counter perceived U.S. hostility.

Washington has repeatedly urged China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

China's commerce ministry late on Friday banned North Korean individuals and enterprises from doing new business in China, in line with United Nations Security Council sanctions passed earlier this month.

TRUMP BRIEFED

The White House said Trump had been briefed about the latest missiles but did not immediately have further comment.

The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment about the Saturday launches. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier this week credited the North with showing restraint by not launching a missile since the July ICBM test.

Tillerson had said he hoped that the lack of missile launches or other provocative acts by Pyongyang could mean a path could be opening for dialogue "sometime in the near future."

Trump also expressed optimism earlier this week about a possible improvement in relations. "I respect the fact that he is starting to respect us," Trump said of Kim.

North Korea's state media reported on Saturday that Kim had guided a contest of amphibious landing and aerial strike by its army against targets modeled after South Korean islands near the sea border on the west coast.

The official KCNA news agency quoted Kim as telling its Army that it "should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea."

A new poster on a North Korean propaganda website on Saturday showed a missile dealing "a retaliatory strike of justice" against the U.S. mainland, threatening to "wipe out the United States, the source of evil, without a trace."

On Wednesday, Kim ordered the production of more rocket engines and missile warheads during a visit to a facility associated with North Korea's ballistic missile program.

Diagrams and what appeared to be missile parts shown in photographs published in the North's state media suggested Pyongyang was pressing ahead with building a longer-range ballistic missile that could potentially reach any part of the U.S. mainland including Washington.

(Reporting by Jack Kim and Phil Stewart. Additional reporting by Ju-min Park in Seoul, Nobuhiro Kubo and Tim Kelly in Tokyo, Christian Shepherd in Beijing and David Brunnstrom and Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Michael Perry)
Everyone knows you cant run for governor of Ohio and head up an agency of the United States government at the same time. Then why is Richard Cordray, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), doing just that?

It was recently reported that a state judge in Ohio by the name of Bill ONeill was asked by a friend of Cordrays if he would stay out of the race for governor if Cordray became an official candidate. This is a campaign maneuver thats regularly employed in order to mitigate headaches in an upcoming race. In this case, Cordray is trying to limit the number of primary challengers he would face in the upcoming Democrat primary election next spring.

This is an outrage and another example of a liberal elitist who thinks the law doesnt apply to him. Engaging in this type of political activity is a clear violation of the Hatch Act and the allegations should be investigated by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel without delay.

The CFPB was created because of the disastrous Dodd-Frank law and specializes in job-killing regulations. Congress should place it on the ash heap of history or drastically reform it so that the agency can be forever defunded.

According to the Special Counsels Guide to the Hatch Act for Federal Employees, a covered employee: May not be a candidate for nomination or election to public office in a partisan election and may not use his or her official authority or influence to interfere with or affect the result of an election.

Im glad to see that the Republican Governors Association has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for relevant documents. RGA should be prepared to file a FOIA lawsuit if the CFPB doesnt comply in a timely manner.

Hardworking American taxpayers -- including the millions of Ohioans who fall into this category -- should demand that Cordray come clean and resign or state publicly that he wont be a candidate.

President Trump could also fire him if he believes that Cordray is playing politics on taxpayer time.

Its not surprising that Cordray thinks hes above the law since the agency he leads was set up in exactly that fashion.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is not subject to traditional congressional oversight and is currently being threatened with contempt of Congress for not fully complying with committee subpoenas.

It was a Nancy Pelosi-led Congress that structured CFPBs budget so its not subject to the congressional appropriations process.

The CFPB was created because of the disastrous Dodd-Frank law and specializes in job-killing regulations. Congress should place it on the ash heap of history or drastically reform it so that the agency can be forever defunded.

Regardless of his campaign timetable, Cordrays five-year term ends in July 2018 and he ought to be remembered as the first and last director of this agency that exists to stifle American economic growth.

At the end of the day, Dodd-Frank and the CFPB were Obama-era mistakes and along with ObamaCare, big reasons why Republicans won control of Congress after the 2010 midterm elections.

Cordray is likely delaying his resignation so that he can continue to draw his nice taxpayer-funded salary as long as possible, since he would become an unemployed full-time candidate once he comes out of the shadows and starts running officially.

The Democratic candidates already running for the Ohio governors mansion should turn up the heat on Cordray and tell him that he cant have it both ways.

When Richard Cordray does finally return to Ohio, he might be surprised by what he finds.

President Donald Trump carried the Buckeye State by a whopping eight points running against the anemic Obama economy that Cordray himself helped create.

Make no mistake about it -- the Ohio voters who helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency fully understand this fact.
President Trumps pardon Friday night of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Arizona leaves me disappointed and exhausted by yet another action the occupant of the White House has taken to insult and degrade the entire Hispanic community. The presidents many anti-Hispanic words and deeds show how little he thinks of an entire group of fine and hardworking people.

Arpaio, who was sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, was convicted in July of criminal contempt for failing to obey a judges order to end traffic patrols that allegedly targeted immigrants based solely on suspicion of their illegal immigration status. He was to have been sentenced Oct. 5 and could have received up to six months in jail. He said he did nothing wrong.

I am a proud American citizen who has lived in this great country since 1972, and also proud to have been born in Mexico.

I have also been a proud Republican since becoming a U.S. citizen and was honored to serve as treasurer of the United States from 2001 to 2003  the first immigrant to hold that post  under the great Republican President George W. Bush.

Arpaio epitomizes the absolute worst enemy of the Hispanic community. In his self-proclaimed desire to uphold the law, he broke it and was found guilty. The president has it wrong; the sheriff didnt get convicted for doing his job; he got convicted for racially profiling Latinos.

I was disappointed when Donald Trump started his presidential campaign by calling Mexicans rapists, drug dealers, and criminals. Since then, he has talked unrelentingly and cavalierly about building a great, beautiful wall between Mexico and the United States, and has repeatedly made the absurd claim that Mexico would pay for the wall. Yet now he is asking Congress to pay for it.

Our president also threatens again and again to end the North American Free Trade Agreement, which expanded trade between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Instead of building bridges to our neighbors, he wants to erect a barrier to wall off our entire southern border.

And during the presidential campaign, Trump wrongly stated that a judge couldnt be fair to him because the judge was Mexican  even though the judge was born in Indiana, to Mexican immigrant parents who became American citizens.

For 16 years, presidents of the United States have attended the White House Cinco de Mayo celebration, a holiday marking the Mexican Armys victory over French forces in a battle in 1862. But President Trump did not care enough to bother to attend.

The list of anti-Hispanic actions goes on and on and on.

During the presidential campaign, my disbelief in what Trump was saying turned to disappointment and in turn to anger. His constant hurling of insults at my community left me no choice but to vote for his opponent.

I dont feel I deserted the Republican Party. I feel that my great party, founded by Abraham Lincoln, was hijacked by Donald Trump.

Voting against Trump and for Hillary Clinton was an act of conscience. How could I look my children and my grandchild in the eyes and excuse Trumps repugnant behavior toward women, toward people with disabilities, and toward the Mexican community as just campaign rhetoric?

Once our electoral college (not the voters) gave Trump the presidency, I wrote an op-ed to wish him well. For the benefit of our wonderful country I hoped and prayed he would prove all of us who voted against him to be wrong; sadly, he has not done so.

And now on the heels of his most disgraceful performance as president after the tragedy in Charlottesville  equating Nazis and members of the Ku Klux Klan with those who opposed them  the president has pardoned the criminally convicted Sheriff Arpaio.

Arpaio epitomizes the absolute worst enemy of the Hispanic community. In his self-proclaimed desire to uphold the law, he broke it and was found guilty. The president has it wrong; the sheriff didnt get convicted for doing his job; he got convicted for racially profiling Latinos.

Arpaio made everyone who looks like me fear the police. Now, the presidents pardoning of the disgraced sheriff will ensure that many more Hispanics vote against the Republican Party, and send more Republican candidates down to defeat at the polls  just as Arpaio was defeated when he ran for re-election.

Most of my Latino Republican friends remain silent; many even voted for Donald Trump. I do not judge them, even though they put party ahead of principles and ahead of their community.

A handful Hispanics I know even went to work for the Trump administration, because they said we needed someone at the table.

Well, I was privileged to be at the table with the compassionate conservative President George W. Bush; he listened to us, so no wonder he received 44 percent of the Latino vote.

It pains me to wonder how Latinos can sit at the table of President Trump right now, where it is clear to me that they have not been listened to. I cannot imagine what kind of conversations take place at that table, if any, and how they must feel with every passing day, as it only gets worse for our community.

To paraphrase the writer and poet Ella Wheeler Wilcox, to sin by silence when one should protest makes you both complicit and a coward. I will not be silent as Hispanics in this country are under unprecedented attack by our president.
Saturday is Womens Equality Day, marking passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution that gave women the right to vote. Yet today, women are far from equally represented in corporate leadership ranks.

Only 6 percent of Fortune 500 chief executive officers are women and most Americans dont expect this to change anytime soon. In fact, according to a new study by the Rockefeller Foundation, one in four Americans believe we are more likely to achieve human time travel than gender parity in the C-suite by 2025.

However, studies consistently show that having more women in leadership is good for business and that firms with more women in senior positions are, on the whole, more profitable.

Recent research from Wake Forest University School of Business even demonstrated that female CEOs, chief financial officers and board members serve as an effective bulwark against accounting scandals, fraud and other Securities and Exchange Commission violations.

Without a doubt, the continuing disparity between men and women in top corporate jobs results from a complex set of social and economic factors. It will require the commitment of policymakers and community and business leaders to fully rectify.

However, as we mark both the beginning of a new school year and Womens Equality Day, it is important to reflect on the role that business schools should play to help more women reach leadership positions.

Business schools help build the skills and networks that people need to break into leadership roles, opening doors that were previously closed. Unfortunately, across the board, business schools continue to enroll more men than women in their programs offering master of business administration degrees. Thats something we can change.

In my years serving on the board of the Forte Foundation  an organization that works with companies, schools and prospective students to encourage women to pursue the MBA and ultimately expand their career opportunities in business  Ive had opportunities to connect directly with companies. I heard about their desire to grow their female talent pipeline for leadership roles and I learned about the typical factors that kept women from pursuing an MBA .

There are myriad reasons women dont enroll in business school in equal numbers to men. For one, even though MBA programs are an investment with huge returns, many women believe that they will have fewer lucrative leadership opportunities in the future. They dont want to risk walking away from a salary to take that gamble.

Additionally, most business schools recommend working for a few years before pursuing an MBA. As a result, the decisions to start a family or take on other care-giving responsibilities  which continue to fall disproportionally on women  make pursuing a full-time graduate degree a difficult choice for women in their late 20s and early 30s.

This problem is further compounded by the fact that the longer prospective students put off the decision to take graduate school admission tests, the less likely they are to follow through.

Nationally, the number of women enrolling in business school has grown in the past few years, reaching a historic high. In fact, at Simon Business School at the University of Rochester, our student body is between 35 and 40 percent female. We know from firsthand experience that small changes can make a big difference in recruiting top-flight female students.

Two actions are key.

First, many students shy away from pursuing an MBA because they are not aware of the support available to them. The most important thing we, as business schools, can do is to clearly communicate our commitment to providing our students the financial assistance, flexibility, individual mentorship and academic support they need to successfully complete an MBA program.

Second, while full-time MBA programs are the most common, part-time and executive programs can offer the flexibility and timing that may work for women with a wider range of lifestyles and financial and family commitments. Educating prospective students about these options is critical.

We should encourage students  men and women alike  to take the Graduate Management Admission Test early, to keep their options open. The test is used by many business schools.

And we should make prospective students aware that support is available to them in completing an MBA. By speaking to their concerns, we can help more women see the benefits of pursuing a graduate degree in business, and do our part to help achieve gender equality.
President Trump stood up for justice and for enforcement of our immigration laws when he courageously granted a pardon Friday to Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Despite knowing he would face criticism, the president did what was right.

Arpaio was convicted by a federal judge in July of criminal contempt after being charged with violating a court order that attempted to prevent suspected illegal immigrants from being targeted by the sheriffs traffic patrols. The sheriff acknowledged continuing the patrols, but said that targeting was not the focus.

Arpaios conviction arose out of a lawsuit wrongfully accusing the sheriffs office of violating the rights of Hispanics, allegedly using racial profiling tactics to identify people for traffic stops, and detaining convicts based only on the suspicion that they were illegal immigrants. Arpaio denied all wrongdoing.

I sat in the courtroom through Arpaios trial and concluded that he was wrongfully convicted. As a former law enforcement officer myself and former executive director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, I know that Arpaio was dedicated to protecting the public he served and that his highest priority was keeping his community safe.

Hearing testimony during Arpaios trial, I realized that any reasonable person who was there to pass judgment on this honest law-abiding man  who gave his life to the rule of law  could never have found him guilty on the evidence presented.

However, the only one who could pass judgment on the former sheriff was U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, because Arpaio was denied his right to a jury trial under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The judges verdict convicting Arpaio was a travesty of justice.

Arpaio's critics have claimed for a long time that he is a racist and biased against Hispanics. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

Under his command, the Maricopa County Sheriffs Office boasted the highest percentage of Hispanic deputies, detention officers and staff in the state of Arizona. Moreover, he promoted more Hispanic officers to command positions than any other law enforcement agency in the state.

On top of this, Arpaio has two grandchildren who are of Hispanic descent. To say he is biased again his own family members is absurd. Labeling him a racist for enforcing U.S. immigration law is a tired, exhausted, left-wing strategy that fails time and time again.

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump said that he would be the voice for law enforcement officers everywhere and always fight to protect them when they protected the public.

President Trump held true to his promise by using his presidential pardon for Arpaio to set an important precedent: judges should interpret law and not try to rewrite it. And good men like Arpaio should not be prosecuted, persecuted and punished for doing their jobs.

President Trump recognized that Sheriff Arpaio was doing his job, following the law, and protecting the people of Maricopa County  which includes Phoenix  by punishing criminals to the fullest extent, under the laws on the books.

Arpaio was first elected as sheriff in Maricopa County 1992. He maintained that position for 24 years, receiving the honor of being the longest-serving sheriff ever been elected in the county.

In June, the National Center for Police Defense, which I now head, delivered 40,000 petitions to the U.S. Department of Justice urging it to drop charges against the sheriff.

Arpaios case has been politically motivated from the beginning, when the Obama administrations Department of Justice filed misdemeanor charges against him a mere two weeks before the election, contributing to Arpaios loss in his reelection bid.

The Department of Justice typically refrains from taking legal action against an elected official so close to an election in order to avoid influencing the outcome.

Arpaio is now 85-years-old and has over 55 years of experience serving in law enforcement. He knows the limits of his power, and for 55 years stayed within those limits, while keeping the bad guys off the streets and the good people of his community safe. Thats how he earned the title of Americas Toughest Sheriff.

By pardoning the wrongly convicted former sheriff, President Trump has shown he stands with the law-abiding people of our great country, who have the right to live in peace and safety. And the president has shown he stands against criminals, including those who have crossed our borders illegally.

The author leads The National Center for Police Defense (NCPD) a non-profit dedicated to helping law enforcement officers who have been charged with a crime while following, to the best of their ability, the training and knowledge that they have been taught to use, by their departments. His charity supported former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's legal defense.
President Trump granted a pardon to Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., on Friday.

Arpaio, 85, was recently found guilty of criminal contempt for defying a judge's order to stop traffic patrols that allegedly targeted immigrants.

He had been charged with misdemeanor contempt of court for allegedly willfully defying a judges order in 2011 and prolonging his patrols for another 17 months.

Arpaio acknowledged extending the patrols, but insisted it wasn't intentional, blaming one of his former attorneys for not properly explaining the importance of the court order and brushing off the conviction as a "petty crime."

He was expected to be sentenced on Oct. 5 and faced up to six months in jail if convicted.

"Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now 85 years old, and after more than 50 years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon," the White House said in a statement.

"I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio," the president tweeted on Friday night. "He kept Arizona safe!"

Arpaio thanked Trump in an earlier tweet, saying that his conviction was the result of a "political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department."

Known for his controversial takes on many issues, including his "birther" campaign against former President Barack Obama and for housing inmates in desert tent camps, Arpaio is best known for his approach to battling illegal immigration. In 2009 he claimed to have arrested 30,000 illegal immigrants since starting his efforts in 2005.

At a rally in Phoenix, on Tuesday, the president asked supporters in the crowd if Arpaio was convicted for doing his job?

The crowd cheered.

He should have had a jury, but Ill make a prediction: Hell be just fine, Trump said. But I wont do it tonight, because I dont want to cause any controversy.

"Well see what happens," Arpaio said amid discussion of the pardon.

[I]t doesnt matter because Im still going to support him as long as he is the president of the United States because thats the way I am," Arpaio said. "I dont desert for political reasons. Ill stick with him.

But Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who has had a public feud with Trump in recent weeks, was unsupportive of the move.

"Regarding the Arpaio pardon," Flake wrote on Twitter. "I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course."

During the presidential campaign, Arpaio showered Trump with support. Trump, meanwhile, has invoked Arpaio's name in his calls for tougher immigration enforcement and used some of the same immigration rhetoric and advocated for tactics that made the former Arizona lawman a national name a decade earlier.

Arpaio appeared for Trump at rallies in Iowa, Nevada and Arizona, including a huge gathering in the affluent Phoenix suburb where the sheriff lives. Arpaio also gave a speech at the Republican National Convention in which he said Trump would prevent immigrants from sneaking into the country.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan opposes President Trump's pardoning of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an aide said Saturday, joining Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain in criticizing the decision.

"The speaker does not agree with this decision, said Doug Andres, a spokesman for Ryan. Law enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States. We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon."

Trump on Friday spared Arpaio, from the Phoenix area, the prospect of serving jail time in granting the first presidential pardon of his turbulent tenure, wiping away the lawman's recent federal conviction stemming from his immigration patrols that focused on Latinos.

The president has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions, McCain said after the Friday pardon announcement.

The pardon has received support from other Arizona Republicans, including Rep. Trent Franks, who said the ex-lawman is a patriot.

In his last days, (President) Obama commuted the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning -- a treasonous intelligence analyst who shared a trove of intelligence with the infamous Wikileaks, Franks, R-Ariz., said Saturday in a statement to Fox News.

While no one can dispute Manning acted to undermine our country's national security, Joe Arpaio has spent a lifetime trying to maintain it.  It is easy to discern that Arpaio is a patriot, while Manning is a traitor.

Beyond McCain and Ryan, top congressional Republicans -- including frequent Trump target Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, of Kentucky -- have yet to issue public statements on the pardoning.

However, top congressional Democrats seized on the pardoning in their continuing efforts to throttle Trumps presidency and lay ground work for the 2018 congressional races and the 2020 White House contest.

"Were sick to our stomach. Donald Trump just pardoned Joe Arpaio, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a fundraising letter Saturday.

Anne Kirkpatrick, a former prosecutor trying to unseat Arizona GOP Rep. Martha McSally, late Friday night said Arpaio instituted racist police policies and attacked Republicans for not opposing the pardon.

Those who remain silent are complicit, the Arizona Democrat said in a fundraising letter.

The White House said Friday that the 85-year-old Arpaio was a "worthy candidate" for the pardon, citing his "life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration."

Trump granted the pardon less than a month after a judge found Arpaio -- the sheriff of Arizonas Maricopa County until losing re-election last year -- guilty of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge in a trial that was prosecuted by the president's own Justice Department.

"Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights," said Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton, a Democrat.

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Arpaio should be given credit for his crime-fighting efforts and allowed to "move on" and enjoy his retirement.

Arpaio earned a national reputation by taking aggressive action to arrest immigrants in the country illegally. But years of legal issues and related costs took a toll on his political power at home, and he was handily defeated by a Democrat in the 2016 election.

Arpaio defied court orders that he stop the patrols.

Trump issued the pardon seven months after taking office, though it is not unprecedented for a president to issue a pardon in their first year in office.

George H. W. Bush granted clemency after seven months in office, said Jeffrey Crouch, a professor of politics at American University who wrote a book on presidential pardons.

President Bill Clinton ignited a major controversy on his final day in office with a last-minute pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of a major Democratic fundraiser.

Fox News Mike Emanuel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sebastian Gorka, fresh off his departure from being a national security aide to President Trump, says he will likely take a post-White House role at the populist Breitbart News.

During an appearance on the Breitbart News Saturday radio show on SiriusXM, Gorka acknowledged Friday being in negotiations with the outlet, saying he had a great talk with Steve Bannon, executive chairman of Breitbart News.

Speaking to Breitbarts Matt Boyle, Gorka said: I will be working with Steve, with you, with the Breitbart crew.

Bannon, Trumps former senior counselor, left the White House a week ago and rejoined Breitbart. At the time, Bannon said he planned to go to war for Trump against his opponents -- on Capitol Hill, in the media, and in corporate America.

Gorka, who served as a deputy assistant at the White House, suggested he, too, plans to take a combative role at the outlet.

Breaking the back of the fake conservatives and destroying the left-wings attempted monopoly of what it means to be America today  thats what Ill be working on with you, Matt, and with that great team at Breitbart, he said.

TRUMP AIDE SEBASTIAN GORKA DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE POST

There are conflicting accounts of Gorkas exit from the White House.

Gorka, an ally of Bannons who worked as a national security editor at Breitbart before joining the White House, reiterated during Saturdays show that he resigned over frustration with other factions of White House staffers.

But a White House official implied Friday he was fired. Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House, the official said.

Breitbart confirmed it is talking with Gorka about a new role.

Breitbart is currently in negotiations with Dr. Gorka regarding his support for the website, as well as collaboration on a joint venture that would embody a Jacksonian national security vision, it said on its site Friday.
The possible need to give hurricane relief funds to Texas could be an X-factor for Congress as it hustles to pass spending bills before October and avoid a government shutdown -- and the kind of political struggles that Republicans faced with 2012s Superstorm Sandy.

Congress is on recess until after Labor Day and will have less than four weeks upon its return to pass 12 spending bills to keep the government fully operational past Sept. 30. Their passage is already overdue. And negotiations could be complicated by the need to draft another, seperate bill to provide potentially billions in Hurricane Harvey relief money.

Trump has already made the spending-bill situation more complicated, by again suggesting last week that hed veto any spending resolution that doesnt include money for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.

In addition, Congress must also agree to increase the federal debt ceiling or default on its financial obligation. The situation has pitted the administration against fiscal conservatives in Congress.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reiterated Friday that he wants Congress to raise the debt limit by the end of the month, as conservative lawmakers argue theres no plan to offset a debt-ceiling increase with spending cuts.

In January 2013, the GOP-led House approved a special spending bill to help rebuild the Eastern seaboard and New York City, lashed the previous October by hurricaine-like Superstorm Sandy.

However, the bill passed with the support of just 49 Republicans, which as a result required yeah votes from 179 of 180 House Democrats.

The vote was noteworthy because then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, held it despite deep opposition from the super-majority of his own party.

The Sandy request was in essence a 13th spending bill, sometimes called a supplemental appropriations bill, was destine to drive up the deficit.

The storm was exceptionally expensive, which was why many Republicans demanded offsets to the primary $60 billion supplemental request to keep the federal deficit from exploding.

With Harvey, nobody knows for certain whether there will be federal need to cough up a supplemental spending bill to help Texas recover. However, the states congressional delegation wields a lot of clout.

Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn is the second-most-powerful member of the Senate. And three Texas Republicans lead House Appropriations subcommittees, which control the federal purse strings. They are Reps. John Carter, Kay Granger and John Culberson.

The question is how bad the storm will be and how much the recovery will cost. The answers could take weeks -- just about the time the House and Senate are trying to address funding the entire federal government and avoiding a debt crisis.
President Trumps promise to drain the swamp didnt play too well in a place where nearly a fifth of the working population has a job with the federal government.

This is Virginias 10th Congressional District  and Trump lost it by nearly 10 percent.

Democrats now see the districts House seat as a prime pick-up opportunity in next years midterms, after incumbent Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock managed to win re-election in 2016.

I think that Virginia 10 is definitely a seat that we can take, Kimberly Adams, a longtime educator and Democratic hopeful, told Fox News. There has been more activity in this district than ever before.

The Northern Virginia districts proximity to the Capitol is something that will cast a long shadow on this contest, according to another Democratic hopeful, Army veteran Dan Helmer.

Our district will be the first to feel it if our government continues to fail in the same way its been failing in America recently, Helmer told Fox News.

IOWA DEMS HOPE ANTI-TRUMP SENTIMENT WILL HELP THEM WIN GOP HOUSE SEAT

Helmer is one of dozens of military veterans being recruited to run as Democratic candidates across the country ahead of the 2018 midterms, in which Democratic leaders are hoping to flip the House.

This is about having a patriot, whos put service before self, who is going to be able to go and talk about what Barbara Comstock has done, Helmer said. About how shes been part of the broken, attack, polarization politics that have dominated our country.

Comstocks relationship with the commander-in-chief is complicated.

The two-term incumbent called candidate Trump vile in October 2016 and said she wouldnt vote for him.

She also voted against the GOPs ObamaCare replacement bill in the House in the spring.

Still, Democratic challengers are seeking to convince constituents that Comstock is too cozy with Trump.

She tried to distance herself from Trump the candidate, Adams said. And I think we saw, since Trump has been in office, she has voted more than 90 percent of the time lock step with the president.

That health care vote in the spring motivated at least one

Republican to attempt a primary challenge of Comstock.

Shak Hill, an Air Force veteran and financial planner, said his family recently lost insurance coverage because of ObamaCare. Now, hes mounting a campaign because he sees her vote against the American Health Care Act as a betrayal of conservative constituents.

She has lied to us, Hill told Fox News. Our family lost our insurance and my wife has a pre-existing condition. Shes a cancer survivor. So when Barbara voted to keep ObamaCare, it was a moral failure.

In a written statement, Comstock listed improving health care solutions as one of her priorities after the August recess. Tackling the opioid epidemic and the areas MS-13 gang problem are also mentioned in the statement.

Comstock cancelled a scheduled interview with Fox News ahead of a visit to the district.


Many people laugh at scams. We see an email from a mysterious stranger thats full of odd phrases and terrible misspellings, and we instantly share it on social media. The Prince of Nigeria wants to send me bars and bars of gold! we write, adding a laughing emoji. Should I take it?

But not all scams are so easy to spot. Scammers get more sinister every day, and they use real-sounding email addresses, personal data, well-phrased letters and actual corporate logos to lure their victims. The savviest con artists work remotely, coaxing money out of people theyve never met.

Related: Click here to learn more about a convincing tech support scam that people are falling for.

In this era of rampant data theft and cybercrime, its more important than ever to be aware of swindlers stories, because the effects can be felt for months or years. Most cons want to score fast money, but youll want to protect all your information from fraud, not just your credit numbers and bank accounts.

Related: Click here to learn just how many people have been targeted by telephone scams. (The percentage is shocking.)

Here are some common scams and ways to defend yourself against them. Youll want to share this know-how with family members and friends on social media. Its so easy to be taken by the swindlers.

1. Job scam

Some people joke about being between jobs, but theres nothing funny about unemployment. Looking for a new job is stressful, and as the weeks turn into months, you may jump at any opportunity, no matter how dubious or grim.

Scammers know this, and they prey on desperate people. They send emails with headings like Your Resume or Work From Home Job. At first, these sound like exciting opportunities. Can you really make $1,200 a week sitting on your couch?

Employment scams are common, and you dont have to be jobless to find their offers enticing. Many of their targets are people who are unemployed or underpaid and eager for a change of pace. No matter what the location or time of year, scammers find needy victims with bills to pay.

This year, Ive noticed a rise in two different types of job-related scams that look very convincing if you dont know how to watch out for them.

Mailed Check: In this scam, you apply for a job and get a response. Your potential employer mails a check thats made out to you for $500 or so. (That should be a red flag. Why would they pay you before you start working? Reputable companies don't do that.) Then the scammers call or email you to say the mailed check was a mistake, and would you wire the funds back to them? If you fall for it, their bad check won't cover the funds. The money will come out of your bank account.

Upfront Fees: Some fake companies will require an activation fee, or even upfront costs for training and materials. If youre dying for work, you might convince yourself that this is normal because you need to spend money to make money. Dont rationalize. Legitimate employers should not require fees.

2. Vacation scam

Many Americans get morose about vacations. They dont have much time off; travel is expensive and complicated; and theyll only return to mountains of unfinished work. Why bother?

So when you receive an email about an all-expenses-paid vacation package to Hawaii, you may do a double-take. Did you win some sweepstakes? Have you truly been randomly selected? Is this hotel handing out astonishing promotions?

Yes, its possible to win a vacation, but if you dont remember entering a contest, run an online check. If youve never heard of the company offering you round-trip flights and luxury resorts, be skeptical. In this case, scammers may call you or email you or post a vacation package on Facebook and then ask for personal data, like a credit card number, to hold the reservation.

Never give this information away unless you know for a fact that the company is legitimate. Vacations are healthy and life-affirming, but they are best handled on your own or through a respected travel agency.

Related: Click here on how to use public Wi-Fi and not get hacked.

3. Concert and theater scams

Similar to vacation scams, these start with someone contacting you, or by you responding to an ad that you see online. The scammers say they're selling tickets for a hot show or a band you've been following for years. They excitedly tell you about the venue and the great value you're getting, because theyve discounted the price.

When they ask you to wire money or submit credit card information, you may not even know its a hoax. But tickets can be reproduced easily with the right gear. It may not be until youre turned away at the event that you discover the tickets were fake and you got taken.

4. Moving scam

Late summer is one of the busiest times of year to move into a new home. Whether youre a student switching apartments or a parent moving to a better school district, youll probably find yourself migrating on a sunny weekend in August.

Fake moving companies may call you, or drop you an email, or leave a flyer on your doorstep. In the ugliest situations, the company will verbally quote a number, move you into your new home and then demand far more money than you expected. There are some cases of movers packing all your worldly possessions into a truck and then driving off with it.

Related: Click here for two other scams that are popular on Craigslist.

Do not fall for this scam. Most moving companies will offer to come to your home to see how much furniture theyll need to move. They will give you a written estimate. They are bonded and have insurance. You get the point.

Here's how to stay safe: Check the Better Business Bureau  BBB.org  to see if the moving company is a reputable business.

Then have the movers come to your house and give you a final estimate before you move.

5. Owed money scam

Everybody loves automatic payments, because they save time writing checks or looking up charges. But as the years wear on, you may have forgotten to pay up. Cards expire, payments fail to go through and we forget about them. We may even miscalculate our taxes, resulting in a bill and monthly fine.

So when we receive a letter in the mail marked Urgent: Payment Requested, we often think weve done something wrong. Did you forget to pay a cable bill in 2007, and should you send a check for $72.89 now? The information is so specific, why should you doubt the sender? The last thing you want is a collections agency on your tail, so why not just pay the fee and get it over with?

In this case, you should make sure the collector is real. It is perfectly reasonable to receive a letter from a collection agency, especially if youve moved a lot or are forgetful about paperwork. But before you send any money, spend a few minutes to see if the company is legit.

Speaking of money, there is one legitimate way you may get money back that you totally forgot about.

Bonus: No scam! Find your unclaimed money

Right now, there's an estimated $41.7 billion in government unclaimed property programs, and some of that unclaimed money could be yours. Maybe you forgot to get that deposit back from the electric utility when you rented your first apartment. Or an insurance company may have issued you a refund on a policy but couldn't find you. Or you might have been enrolled in a pension plan that was discontinued.

In addition to utility refunds and insurance payments, unclaimed property includes abandoned savings or checking accounts, stocks, uncashed dividends or payroll checks, refunds, traveler's checks, trust distributions, unredeemed money orders or gift certificates (in some states), annuities, certificates of deposit, customer overpayments, mineral royalty payments and contents of safe deposit boxes. Whew!

Click here for 7 ways to find and collect your unclaimed money.

How else can you protect yourself from thieves? Be sure to listen to or download my podcasts, or click here to find it on your local radio station. You can listen to the Kim Komando Show on your phone, tablet or computer. From buying advice to digital life issues, click here for my free podcasts.

Learn about all the latest technology on the Kim Komando Show, the nation's largest weekend radio talk show. Kim takes calls and dispenses advice on today's digital lifestyle, from smartphones and tablets to online privacy and data hacks. For her daily tips, free newsletters and more, visit her website at Komando.com.
Facebook and Instagram users reported trouble accessing the two social media platforms Saturday morning, according to reports.

Facebook acknowledged the problem in a statement to Fox News.

Earlier today, a technical issue caused some people to have trouble accessing Facebook services, a spokesman said. We quickly investigated and have been restoring service for everyone. Were sorry for any inconvenience.

Facebook users complained they could not access page mailboxes, upload images, and posting updates, on both the mobile and web versions, The Verge reported.

Some users received messages saying that there was a temporary problem with this post, or an issue with a URL, and to try again in a few minutes, the website reported.

Other users were greeted with a message that Facebook is down for required maintenance.

DownDetector, a website that tracks on-line outages, reported a spike in reported problems at 8 a.m. Saturday with regard to Facebook, the Miami Herald reported.

DownDetector maps indicated the outage affected users worldwide.

Other websites and apps impacted appeared to be Instagram and Facebook Messenger, the paper reported.
Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm after thrashing southern Texas, bringing heavy rain and widespread devastation in its wake.

The National Hurricane Center said on Twitter on Saturday afternoon that extremely serious flooding was possible throughout the state.

High howling winds, downed power lines and intense flooding hit the Lone Star State in one of the strongest storms to slam into Texas in a decade.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said upwards of 20 inches of rain had hit the Corpus Christi area, which was in the path of the storm, and an additional 20 to 30 inches were expected elsewhere. He said 13,000 military members were activated.

Abbott told reporters that there are concerns over fatalities, however he could not comment or confirm reports until more information was available.

A disaster declaration was issued for 50 counties.

In Rockport, a small community on the coast, the storm brought in torrential rain and stinging win. While emergency crews were out early assessing the damage, Rockports mayor told the Weather Channel that his community was hit right on the nose and left widespread devastation.

The citys fire chief, Steve Sims, told Fox News described Harvey as almost deafening as it approached. It was unbelievable, he said of the damage Harvey caused.

By midday Saturday, some 338,000 customers along the Texas coast were without power, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas reported. In Houston, more than 21,000 people were without power.

Francisco Sanchez, a spokesman for Homeland Security & Emergency Management, warned that while Harvey was no longer a hurricane, Texas was not out of the woods yet.

Harvey hit Texas as a Category 4 storm late Friday night packing 130 mph winds. It made a second landfall about three hours later before it was downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. After the winds dropped under 73 mph, it was downgraded to a tropical storm.

A massive fire destroyed at least three homes on Bolivar Peninsula late Friday night, according to 12 News Now.

At least 15,000 people aboard three Carnival Cruise Line ships scheduled to return to Galveston this weekend were delayed or detoured due to the hurricane. The Port of Galveston was closed on Friday.

A statement from the Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line said the Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor were at sea and would remain a safe distance from the hurricane. Petroleum companies evacuated personnel from 86 Gulf of Mexico platforms, according to the Oil & Gas Journal.

A tornado touched down in the Katy, Texas, area, just west of Houston, uprooting trees and tearing apart the Trailer World dealership.

Its shocking, BJ, who manages the business, said to Fox News. The office is gone. The front gates are gone. Thank God nobody was here.

Debris was strewn across many roadways in the area, with some roadways under 16 inches to 30 inches of water.

The insured property losses from Hurricane Harvey were estimated to cost between $1 billion and $2 billion from wind and storm damage, according to CoreLogic.

Hospitals as far as Austin, Texas, had evacuated patients ahead of Harvey, FOX7 Austin reported. The city also canceled two big concerts  Coldplay and Mary J. Blige, as well as the first day of school on Monday.

McKeon said the hospital had emergency plans in place and had been working with the city on communications and worst-case scenario preps. Some hospitals on the coast, meanwhile, have been evacuating patients, FOX7 Austin reported.

Early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump praised the response of emergency personnel.

Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey from Camp David. We are leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great together! he tweeted.

HURRICANE HARVEY: BEWARE OF ALLIGATORS

Olga Mendez, who remembers riding out storms as a young girl, waited to board a bus with her husband and their young daughter.

"My mom never leaves," Mendez told the paper. "We would just hide in the closet or the tub. But we know it's important to get out now."

When Tropical Storm Allison hit Houston in 2001, it was the most expensive storm in the states history. Floodwaters destroyed research projects and the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world, lost about $2 billion in damage.

Harvey has been fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters.

To put the hurricanes strength in perspective, superstorm Sandy, which wasnt formally called a major hurricane and still devastated New York and New Jersey in 2012, didnt have the high winds like Hurricane Harvey and lost tropical status by the time it hit land.

THE WEEK IN PICTURES

FEMA stands ready to support state, local and tribal officials as they prepare for Hurricane Harvey, Brock Long of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said in a statement. I encourage residents who will be affected to follow directions from their local officials. Know your threats, heed the warnings, and if youre in the path of the storm, ensure your family is prepared for possible prolonged disruptions to normal services.

Fox News' Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A car crashed into a New Jersey home and it was all caught on camera.

The basement of the Rivera home of Woodlynne, Camden County, looks as if a small bomb went off. The water heater, pipes, vents, wiring are all a tangled mess and the homeowner can barely contain himself.

"This guy came out of nowhere coming from the street on this side, plowed right through the gate and into my basement," homeowner Albertico Rivera said.

It was 9 a.m. Monday morning when their security camera captured the crash.

The driver--identified in police records as 37-year-old Angel Moreno--driving a Jeep baring Pennsylvania plates--told police he was late for an appointment, driving fast and lost control. The image of the car in the house was captured by SkyFOX Monday.

The Riveras are forced to live in a hotel.

Click here to read more from FOX29.
Drones will be monitoring weekend traffic conditions at the New York State Fair for the first time.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this week that state-of-the-art drone technology will help the state police and Department of Transportation better monitor traffic and parking lot capacity at the Empire Expo Center near Syracuse.

The drones will operate under Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, with a range of about 1 mile (1.61 kilometers).

The Democratic governor says drone research, development and manufacturing are part of a larger initiative to boost economic growth in central New York.

The State Fair began Wednesday and runs through Sept. 4.
A Georgia sheriff's deputy has shot and killed a man following a traffic stop and foot chase.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says it happened Friday in Woodville. The agency says preliminary information indicates the deputy stopped a vehicle driven by 47-year-old Charles David Robinson.

Robinson then ran from the scene and the deputy, whose name was not released, pursued him on foot.

An altercation between the two occurred and during the fight, the deputy shot Robinson.

Authorities say Robinson was transported to St. Mary's Good Samaritan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The GBI says the deputy was treated at an Athens hospital for unspecified injuries and released.
"Fido" may not be topping the list of popular names for your puppy in 2017, but as folks spend their Saturdays celebrating National Dog Day, it seemed a fitting time to note that we may have Honest Abe to thank for the name's past popularity - and enduring legacy.

As president-elect, Lincoln and his family were preparing for their transition into the White House following his election in 1860, but came to the conclusion that one member of their family would not be making the trip from Springfield, Illinois: their mixed-breed, floppy-eared dog, Fido.

Lincoln was well-known for his love of animals of all kinds. He is said to have rescued a litter of kittens during the Civil War after learning their mother had died, and even took time out from a cabinet meeting to issue an order of reprieve for a Thanksgiving turkey at his son Tads request, according to the National Parks Service.

However, Lincolns habit of treating Fido like a member of the family -something that wasn't quite as traditional at that time - didn't sit well with his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as she prepared for the family's transition into their luxurious new home.

At the familys home in Springfield, Lincoln would allow Fido to do things like climb on the furniture (including a luxurious horsehair sofa) and track mud into the house, according to the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Given Fidos rambunctious behavior, Mrs. Lincoln concluded that "the public will not tolerate a dog, even the presidents dog, if that animal soils the White House carpets, or damages the heritage furniture in that mansion."

The Lincolns were also said to be concerned that Fido might not appreciate the loud noises during the long train ride that awaited them, so they decided to leave Fido to be cared for by a local carpenter in their home state, John Eddy Roll, and his two sons, Frank and John.

According to the White House Historical Association, Lincoln gave the Roll family Fido's favorite horsehair sofa to make him a little more comfortable, and instructed the Roll boys to let Fido inside the house whenever he scratched at the front door, never scold Fido for entering the house with muddy paws, and feed him if he came to the dinner table.

Some historians believe that it was Fido Lincoln who inspired so many others to adopt the name for their furry friends. "Fido" is a Latin word that means "I trust," according to Oxford Dictionaries.

After President Lincolns assassination, Fido attended both the funeral procession, where he was apparently instantly recognized, and appeared at the family home comforting well-wishers. Fidos portrait, now a part of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, was taken after the presidents death.

Psychologist and dog expert Stanley Coren notes that while both the president and his pooch would suffer tragic fates (Lincoln shot by an assassin, Fido stabbed by a drunk), they are forever united by their legacies. "In the same way that Lincoln became the symbol of common men everywhere who love democracy," Coren wrote, "Fido, or at least his name, goes on as a symbol of common dogs everywhere."
As Hurricane Harvey made landfall late Friday, many eyes in Texas and beyond were upon William "Brock" Long, the man appointed by President Donald Trump to head FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Many were also watching Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, as emergencies on the scale of Harvey require communication and coordination between state and federal agencies.

Harvey, a Category 4 hurricane with sustained winds of 130 mph, could become one of the most powerful storms to hit Texas in more than a decade.

Long, a former FEMA regional manager who also once headed Alabamas emergency management operation, is an experienced civil servant known for a steady hand in mitigating natural disasters.

At a White House briefing Friday, Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert expressed full confidence in Long, calling him the top of the top.

Ive known Administrator Long now for 15 years. We couldnt have picked a finer leader. Hes had state director experience. Hes had FEMA experience. Hes absolutely the top of the top, Bossert told reporters.

Unlike some of his predecessors at FEMA, Long has been involved in disaster relief for most of his career. In 1999 he was a statewide planner at Georgias Emergency Management Agency, then in 2001 became a regional manager at FEMA under President George W. Bush.

After four years at FEMA, Long became director of Alabamas Emergency Management Agency, where he guided efforts to relieve areas affected by tornadoes and a BP oil spill.

His successful directorship in Alabama drew bipartisan praise. Barry Scanlon, a former senior FEMA official under President Clinton, said Long is well-respected among people working in disaster relief.

"He's got the relationships throughout emergency management, throughout the states," Scanlon told NPR. "He has the respect of the people who do this every day, which is vitally important."

Perhaps it is not surprising that Longs nomination by Trump to become FEMA director met with little resistance. The Senate confirmed his nomination in June by a 95-4 vote.

"The combination of his work for FEMA, state emergency management, and the private sector makes Brock Long well suited for this nomination by the president, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said in June. Because of his experience, Brock understands it is the work done before a storm that saves lives.

Long is one of the few Trump appointees who has been celebrated by environmentalists who see danger in not responding to climate change, New York magazine reported.

The FEMA chief also came out in support of cutting federal government coverage for flood-prone homes so that local authorities could take responsibility, Bloomberg reported.

But while Long remains an important figure in containing Hurricane Harvey, Texans were also looking to Abbott, a first-term Republican who took office in January 2015.

Abbott received some help from the White House on Friday, when President Trump declared Texas a disaster area. The move helps provide Texas with federal funding for emergency response efforts.

Abbott, meanwhile, activated around 700 National Guard members shortly before Harvey made a landfall. In a statement, he assured Texans that all levels of government were working together to mitigate the effects of the hurricane.

According to the National Hurricane Center, floodwaters resulting from Hurricane Harvey could reach as high as 12 feet above ground level along the Gulf Coast of Texas and around 3 feet of rain could fall in the most-affected areas.

The National Weather Service Forecast Office in Corpus Christi warned that the hurricanes impact could range from structural damage to sturdy buildings to complete destruction of mobile homes.

Locations may be uninhabitable for weeks or months, it added.

It was clear as Harvey made landfall that both FEMAs Long and Gov. Abbott had plenty of work ahead of them.
Price gouging by Texas merchants in the path of Hurricane Harvey has drawn the attention of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said Saturday that his office is looking into such cases.

Weve already found one big retailer that was charging $42 for a case of water, Paxton told Fox & Friends. Another, a gas station $99 for a case of water.

"Well be dealing with those people as we find them, he said.

Paxton didn't identify the culprits.

Paxton issued a warning about price gouging Friday as the hurricane approached the Texas coast.

Texas law prohibits businesses from charging exorbitant prices for gasoline, food, water, clothing and lodging during declared disasters.

Paxtons office received at least 75 consumer complaints related to Hurricane Harvey-related price gouging from Thursday through Friday afternoon, the Houston Chronicle reported Friday.

One of the complaints accused a convenience store of charging $7 per bottle for drinking water, the paper reported.

John McGovern, who lives near Houston, went to an electronics store in Cypress to buy a USB phone charger when he saw a 24-pack of Dasani water going for nearly $43, the Chronicle reported. By comparison, a two-hour Amazon delivery service is selling a 24-pack of Aquafina for less than $5.

"Nobody that I saw had touched it," McGovern told the paper.

He said the water seemed out of place.

Anytime catastrophic storms hit Texas, we witness the courage of our first responders and the generosity of neighbors coming together to help their fellow Texans," Paxton said in warning against price gouging. "Unfortunately, in the wake of the damage from storms and flooding, we also see bad actors taking advantage of victims and their circumstances."

He cautioned Texans to be "extremely cautious with people who may offer to help residents with rebuilding or repairs."
Robert E. Lee never fought a battle in Ohio during the Civil War. But he's part of one now.

A roadside marker honoring the Confederate general has swept a small city into the heated conflict over Confederate monuments, in the aftermath of the deadly violence triggered by a white supremacist rally this month called to protest the planned removal of a Lee statue in his home state.

"It's going on all over the country," said Larry Etter, shutting down his riding mower to chat. "Half the people didn't even know it was here. But now little Franklin, Ohio, is in it because of what happened in Virginia."

A movement in recent years to remove Confederate monuments and flags from public places as symbols of national division and black oppression has accelerated since the Aug. 12 rally in which a counter-protester was killed by a car driven into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It brought sudden attention to Franklin's 90-year-old rock marker, depicting Lee astride his horse, Traveller, and situated aside the "Dixie Highway," a roads network running from Miami to Michigan. Local news stories, an online petition and demonstrations raised debate over its continued display.

Franklin Township officials declared the monument wouldn't be moved. Then they announced they learned it was on property now controlled by the city of Franklin. A Franklin official then said the city wanted to give it back to Franklin Township.

The confusion seemed understandable since the monument  too small to be easily noticed by passing motorists and lacking a parking area  hadn't been in the news since someone accidentally drove into it in 1981.

By the morning of Aug. 17, when President Donald Trump made a series of tweets bemoaning the loss of history from the removal of "our beautiful statues and monuments," the Lee marker had been gone for hours, removed by workers overnight.

Residents were outraged, calling it tampering with history. The mainly blue-collar city of nearly 12,000 people was Trump country in the 2016 election, and residents echoed him.

"If every time someone says something like that is offensive and you take it down, where does history go?" asked Jo Ann Powell, who owns the Take-A-Look hair salon across the road from the monument site. "I think they're (city officials) falling into the trap."

At a heated meeting Aug. 21, City Manager Sonny Lewis stood by the decision.

"Call me a coward if you want to," Lewis told an overflow audience. "I would rather be called a coward than be standing up there two days later lighting candles at the memorial for somebody who's gotten hurt or killed."

Besides potentially drawing violent protests, the monument could have been defaced, as has happened to Confederate monuments elsewhere, officials said.

At a meeting three days later, township officials said they want to return the monument to public view, but aren't sure where yet.

Dan Darragh, a longtime Franklin journalist and historic preservationist, said he never heard any complaints about the monument before.

According to local history, a Franklin businessman with Southern roots admired Lee and supported the monument, dedicated "in loving memory" of Lee by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Otherwise, the region's closest tie to Lee might be nearby Dayton's native Martin Sheen's portrayal of him in the 1993 movie "Gettysburg."

University of Cincinnati history professor Christopher Phillips said a Confederate monument in a small Northern city reflects feelings more complex than North vs. South. Besides its demographics  Franklin's population is about 95 percent white  it's an area where many people feel left behind economically and distrustful of Washington.

Phillips said the passions aroused by such monuments are more about current political realities than historical figures and events.

"I think the Franklin monument is a perfect example of this, because it stands so apart from the war narrative," Phillips said.

At least 20 Franklin natives died in the Civil War, some fighting Lee-led troops in battles such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

Darragh recalled little local interest in the dedication a few years ago at Woodhill Cemetery of a historical marker honoring contributions to the Union effort.

"All of the sudden, people are concerned about history," he said with a smile.

Etter has been cutting grass around the marker site for five decades, and he's volunteered to put it on his property nearby. He said he's not a fan of waving Confederate flags around, but believes the monument should be displayed again.

"That's history," Etter said.

___

Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

For some of his other recent stories: https://apnews.com/search/dan%20and%20sewell
A second death has been confirmed in Texas in connection with Hurricane Harvey.

The medical examiner's office in Harris County said one person had died in flooding. The fatality was an elderly woman who was killed as she drove through flooded streets on Houston's west side Saturday night, a Houston police officer said.

"It appeared that her vehicle went into high water and she drowned as a result,'' said Sgt. Colin Howard of the Houston police department. The victim was not immediately identified.

Previously, Rockport Mayor Charles Wax said one person had died there in a house fire as the hurricane came ashore Friday night. Aransas County Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. told the Austin American-Statesman that 12 to 14 other people were injured.

"Its pretty sickening," Mills told the paper. "Lots of emotions are involved when you see your community destroyed like this, but well bounce back."

Harvey came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, packing winds of 130 miles per hour. It weakened overnight to a Category 1 and then to a tropical storm. By 4 p.m. local time Saturday, its maximum sustained winds had fallen to about 65 mph. The storm was centered about 60 miles southeast of San Antonio. It was moving north at 2 mph, the hurricane center said.



Long after the system came ashore, weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting into many of the hardest-hit places.



In the island community of Port Aransas, population 3,800, officials were unable to fully survey the town because of "massive" damage. Police and heavy equipment had only made it into the northernmost street. Mayor Charles Bujan had few other details.



"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," he said.

By dawn, nearly 300,000 consumers were without power in the coastal region, and nearly 20 inches of rain had fallen in some places.

But officials warned Saturday that the worst may be yet to come, as rainfall forecast continue for days could dump more than 40 inches of water and inundate many communities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

Strong storms rolled into Houston around midday, dropping at least ten inches of rainfall. Residents rushed to flee the rising waters as rivers and tributaries threatened to reach record flood stages.

"Were out of here, Susan McDaniel told Fox News while filling up on gas at a Shell station on the outskirt of the city. She said she and her family would ride out the storm in Dallas. "Houston always floods. Its not a guessing game. Its a fact. The kids have Monday off from school so why not head to Dallas?"

But Houston resident Jonathan Henri told Fox News he was still on the fence about leaving.

"It didnt seem too bad at first," he said. "My wife and I were joking about it but clearly its getting worse. Were pretty lazy though. Well probably stick around."

The Wharton County Office of Emergency Management warned that the Colorado River will enter its major flood stage Sunday before creating at 50 feet on Tuesday.

"If you have flooded in any past flood, this is higher than all of them," the office said on social media.

Some of the worst damage appeared to be in Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path. The mayor said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

Rockport's roads were a mess of toppled power poles. A trailer blocked much of one major intersection. Pieces of 100-year-old oak trees impeded the slow passage of emergency vehicles. Wood framing from ripped-apart houses was strewn along Route 35 on the town's southern end.



Harvey's relentless wind tore the metal sides off the high school gym and twisted the steel door frame of its auditorium. The windows of some police vehicles had been blown out.



About 10 people were taken to the county jail for treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed, television station KIII reported.

In the storm's immediate aftermath, the Coast Guard sent two helicopters to try to rescue the crews of three tugboats reported in distress in a channel near Port Aransas. And about 4,500 inmates were evacuated from three state prisons in Brazoria County south of Houston because the nearby Brazos River was rising.

In Katy, just west of Houston, a tornado uprooted trees and tore apart a tralier dealership.

"Its shocking, the dealership's manager, who gave his name only as BJ told Fox News. "The office is gone. The front gates are gone. Thank God nobody was here."

Key oil and gas facilities along the Texas Gulf Coast were temporarily shut down as Harvey pounded the region with torrential rain and high winds, virtually assuring gasoline prices will rise in the storm's aftermath.

Even before the Harvey made landfall late Friday, dozens of oil and gas platforms had been evacuated, at least three refineries had closed and at least two petrochemical plants had suspended operations.

How soon they reopen depends on the severity of flooding and the resumption of power to the areas.

Harvey also continued to take a toll on U.S. air travel Saturday, with more than 960 flight cancellations as of mid-day, according to FlightAware. A ground stop was lifted at Houston's two major airports, but more than 340 flights to and from the city had been canceled as of Saturday afternoon.

At least 15,000 people aboard three Carnival Cruise Line ships scheduled to return to Galveston this weekend were delayed or detoured due to the hurricane. The Port of Galveston was closed on Friday.

A statement from the Miami-based Carnival Cruise Line said the Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor were at sea and would remain a safe distance from the hurricane.

The hurricane posed the first major emergency management test of President Donald Trump's administration.



Trump met with his Cabinet and other senior administration officials to discuss the federal response to the damage and flooding, the White House said Saturday in a statement.



The president held a video conference from Camp David in which he instructed relevant departments and agencies to "stay fully engaged and positioned to support his number one priority of saving lives," the statement said.



Trump, who on Friday signed a federal disaster declaration for coastal counties, also reminded department heads that the full impact of the storm will not be apparent for days. On Twitter, he commended the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his handling of the disaster.

In Corpus Christi, the major city closest to the storm's center, wind whipped palm trees and stinging sheets of horizontal rain slapped against hotels and office buildings along the seawall as the storm made landfall.

Daybreak revealed downed lamp posts and tree limbs and roof tiles torn off buildings. The city's marina was nearly unscathed, save an awning ripped from a restaurant entrance and a wooden garbage bin uprooted and thrown.

Along Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, motorists had to stop under bridges to avoid driving in whiteout conditions.

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Harvey grew rapidly, accelerating from a Category 1 early Friday morning to a Category 4 by evening. Its transformation from an ordinary storm to a life-threatening behemoth took only 56 hours, an incredibly fast intensification.

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

The storm's approach sent tens of thousands of people fleeing inland. Families who escaped Rockport were worried about neighbors and whether their homes are still standing.

Johanna Cochran was panicking over whether her house or the McDonald's where she works survived the storm. She and her boyfriend evacuated to a San Antonio shelter.

Another Rockport resident, Pamela Montes, said she knew many people who stayed behind because "no one felt like it was going to hit."

Just hours before the projected landfall, the governor and Houston leaders issued conflicting statements on evacuation.

Gov. Greg Abbott urged more people to flee, but Houston authorities recommended no widespread evacuations, citing greater danger in having people on roads that could flood and the fact that the hurricane was not taking direct aim at the city.

The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Hurricane Charley in August 2004 in Florida. Superstorm Sandy, which pummeled New York and New Jersey in 2012, never had the high winds and had lost tropical status by the time it struck. But it was devastating without formally being called a major hurricane.

Harvey is the first significant hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in September 2008 brought winds of 110 mph to the Galveston and Houston areas, inflicting $22 billion in damage.

Fox News' Barnini Chakraborty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Belgian soldiers shot and killed a man who attacked them with a knife in the center of Brussels Friday evening in what authorities described as a terror attack.

Esther Natus, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor's office, confirmed the assailant twice shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," as he ran at the soldiers on the Boulevard Emile Jacquin, a major street not far from the Belgian capital's main Grand Place tourist attraction.

"We do consider it a terror attack," said Natus, who declined to identify the man or confirm whether he was known to police.

Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said three soldiers came under attack and one had been hospitalized.

Belgian state broadcaster RTBF described the suspect as a Somali man of around 30 years of age. The report added that the suspect was not previously known to Belgian authorities.

Belgium's anti-terror crisis center said in a tweet late Friday that the "situation is under control."

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel also tweeted that "all our support is with our soldiers. Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely."

A man who lives near where the incident took place told the Associated Press he saw the attacker lying in the street in the aftermath.

"I live right in front of the station. It was already blocked by police at the scene and there was a man lying on the ground. The police said he had been shot by soldiers," said Thomas da Silva Rosa, a public affairs consultant.

"He was lying on the ground, appeared dead," he told AP.

Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people in attacks March 22, 2016, on Brussels' main airport and subway system.

Soldiers and extra police have been deployed at public buildings and around large gatherings for more than a year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ecuador's congress is clearing the way for Vice President Jorge Glas to be investigated for allegedly taking bribes from Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

The unanimous vote Friday by the legislature makes Glas the highest-ranking official in Ecuador to be investigated for receiving some of the $33 million Odebrecht has admitted to paying Ecuadorean officials in exchange for contracts.

Glas has denied any wrongdoing even while criticizing President Lenin Moreno for betraying the legacy of former President Rafael Correa. To clear his name Glas had asked lawmakers to green light the investigation.

The nation's top prosecutor said they have numerous indications of Glas' ties to corruption including a recently-surfaced audio recording in which an executive at Odebrecht and an Ecuadorean official discuss alleged bribe requests made by the vice president.
North Korea fired three short-range missiles on Saturday -- all successful -- despite earlier reports suggesting failure, according to the U.S. military.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles fired from the North's eastern coast flew about 155 miles. It said South Korea and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launch and didn't immediately provide more details.

According to earlier reports, U.S. Pacific Command spokesman and Cmdr. David Benham suggested two North Korean missiles "failed in flight" while the third one had "blown up almost immediately."

The U.S. Pacific Command has since revised its evaluation of the missile launch, now reporting no missile failures -- in line with the South Korean military assessment.

Benham said the missiles did not pose a threat to North America or U.S. military facilities on the U.S. territory of Guam. Earlier this month, North Korea created a tense standoff with the United States by threatening to lob some of its missiles toward Guam.

South Korea's presidential office held a National Security Council meeting to discuss the missiles, which are the first known launches since July, when the North successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.

The White House said President Donald Trump -- who has warned he would unleash "fire and fury" if the North continued its threats -- was briefed on the latest North Korean activity and "we are monitoring the situation."

The launch came five days after U.S. and South Korean forces began annual military exercises that the North claims are a rehearsal for war. Tensions on the peninsula generally ratchet up during the late summer maneuvers and a series of larger exercises held each spring.

Before the latest missile launches were confirmed, North Korean state media said that dictator Kim Jong Un inspected a special operation forces training of the country's army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries' western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing U.S.-South Korea war games.

Kim reportedly told his troops that they "should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea."

The Korean Central News Agency said that the "target striking contest" involved war planes, multiple-rocket launchers and self-propelled guns that attacked targets meant to represent South Korea's Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands before special operation combatants "landed by surprise" on rubber boats.

The border islands have occasionally seen military skirmishes between the rivals, including a North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong in 2010 that left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.

North Korea had not launched any missiles since the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution imposing new sanctions against the rogue nation Aug. 5. Earlier this week, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson trumpeted the lack of "missile launches or provocative acts" by the North since the resolution was passed.

"I am pleased to see that the regime in Pyongyang has certainly demonstrated some level of restraint that weve not seen in the past," Tillerson said at the time.

At a campaign-style rally Tuesday in Phoenix, President Trump told the crowd that "I respect the fact that I believe [Kim Jong Un] is starting to respect us. I respect that fact very much."

On Wednesday, North Korean state media released photos appearing to show the designs of one or possibly two new missiles hanging on a wall behind Kim while he visited a plant that makes solid-fuel engines for the country's ballistic-missile program.

In response to North Korea's expanding nuclear weapons program, South Korea has been moving to strengthen its own capabilities, planning talks with the United States on raising the warhead limits on its missiles and taking steps to place additional launchers to a U.S. anti-missile defense system in the country's southeast.

South Korea has also been testing new missiles of its own, including the 497 mile-range Hyunmoo-2. Although the missile has not been operationally deployed yet, it is considered a key component to the so-called "kill chain" pre-emptive strike capability the South is pursuing to cope with the North's growing nuclear and missile threat.

Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis, Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
An American freelance journalist was killed Saturday when he was caught in the fighting between rebels and government troops in war-torn South Sudan, according to reports.

The U.S. embassy confirmed the death of Christopher Allen and said his family had been notified. His body was taken to the military hospital in South Sudan's capital, Juba.

His age and hometown were not immediately released.

Allen, who worked for various news outlets, was killed in heavy fighting in the town of Kaya, Reuters reported.

We are sad for his family. He came here to tell our story , said one rebel who knew Allen, according to Reuters.

The rebel asked not to be named but said Allen had been in the middle of the fighting and wearing a jacket marked PRESS, Reuters reported.

South Sudan army spokesman Col. Domic Chol Santo told The Associated Press that Allen was killed Saturday morning when opposition rebels attacked Kaya near the Ugandan border.

He was "caught in the fighting" that also left 15 rebels dead, the army spokesman said.

Opposition spokesman William Gatjiath Deng said Allen and two other journalists had spent two weeks with rebel forces in Bazi, near Kaya, and were in the barracks there when South Sudanese troops attacked.

Allen was shot dead, and two opposition fighters were killed, Deng said. He said the other journalists were still with opposition forces Saturday night and may have returned to Uganda.

South Sudan's civil war is well into its fourth year, with tens of thousands of people killed. The fighting, often along ethnic lines, defies peace deals and unilateral cease-fires.

Millions of people have fled the oil-rich but impoverished East African nation, creating what has been called the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis. More than a million have fled across the border into Uganda, while fighting has flared in the border area.

The international community has struggled to find ways to end the conflict. Late last year, a U.S.-led attempt to have the U.N. Security Council impose an arms embargo on South Sudan failed with insufficient support. Both sides in the civil war have been accused of abuses.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The wife of prominent Belarusian opposition figure Nikolai Statkevich says he has been sent to jail for 15 days after being seized by police in the capital.

Marina Adamovich said Statkevich, a former presidential candidate, was detained midday Saturday in the capital of Minsk. He had been sentenced in absentia about two weeks ago on charges of organizing a demonstration in July against the massive military exercises that are planned for next month with Russia.

Statkevich has repeatedly been jailed in connection with protests against the authoritarian government of President Alexander Lukashenko. He spent five years in prison for a demonstration against the 2010 presidential election results, in which Statkevich was a candidate.
A crash involving two trucks and a minibus killed at least eight people and injured four others on a British highway Saturday.

The crash occurred on the M1 near Milton Keynes, a town in southern England. Police said the drivers of the two trucks were arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. One of the men was also suspected of driving over the alcohol limit.

The vehicles involved in the crash were all traveling in the same direction. Those killed and injured were all believed to be in the minibus.

BRITISH SPY BEHIND TRUMP DOSSIER ORDERED TO GIVE DEPOSITION IN BUZZFEED SUIT

The four injured, including one child, were taken to the hospital and were believed to have serious or life-threatening injuries, according to The Sun.

Brett Smith, a witness of the crash, told The Sun he helped rescue a young girl confined in the minibus.

"A family has been destroyed. I held a little girl by her arms, trapped inside a vehicle, for a good hour or so with the emergency services and the fire service trying to help Smith said.

"Im walking home with a blanket that the ambulance service provided me to stay warm because the little girl has got my jacket to keep herself safe.

LONDON POLICE ARREST MAN WITH FOUR-FOOT SWORD NEAR BUCKINGHAM PALACE YELLLING ALLAHU AKBAR

Emergency services warned the crash could cause delays ahead of this weekends travels.

"Emergency services are continuing to work at the scene and road closures remain in place, Henry Parsons, the chief inspector from Thames Valley Polices Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing, stated. We are aware there are a number of large scale events taking place this weekend and this closure is likely to have a significant impact on traffic disruption, so please allow extra time for your journey.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
German authorities have banned the most influential internet website of Antifa  the country's militant left -- in the wake of violence that occured last month outside the G20 summit in Hamburg.

In an unprecedented move against violent left-wing extremism, Germanys Interior Ministry informed the owners of the left-wing site about the crackdown Friday, the Local reported.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere claimed the website helped incite the violence in Hamburg and warned of serious consequences of left-wing radicalism, the New York Times reported.

The prelude to the G-20 summit in Hamburg was not the only time that violent actions and attacks on infrastructural facilities were mobilized on linksunten.indymedia, the minister said, identifying the website.

He also said the site tried to legitimize violence against police officers, which he described as an expression of an attitude that tramples human dignity.

This is absolutely unacceptable and incompatible with our liberal democratic order, he added.

According to the Local, Germanys internal spy agency once described the website, which has operated since 2008, as the most important platform for violent left-wing extremism in Germany. For years it has been providing a forum for people to publish first-hand reports on left-wing crimes.

The platform has been used to coordinate actions against various causes  as the sites forum allowed people to post anonymously  and played a key role in organizing the riots in Hamburg, the report said.

Local police said at the time that the militants set up street barricades, looted supermarkets, torched cars and attacked police officers with Molotov cocktails, iron rods, and slingshots.

The violent clashes between the Antifa and police led to around 476 police officers being injured, while around 186 demonstrators were arrested and 225 were temporarily detained.

The Interior Ministry said the website was shut down because it goes directly against the law in both its aims and actions, Spiegel reported.

The police, meanwhile, searched the properties connected to the owners of the radical website in the German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. At the moment several premises are being searched, said Thomas Strobl, the states interior minister.

This step marks a major blow against the extreme left in Germany, he added.

The computers and other evidence have reportedly been seized, although no arrests in connection to the investigation have been made.

Following the announced closure, the extremist website now directs visitors to a what to do article calling the governments move an authoritarian crackdown.

It also urges people to spread revolutionary material and ideas everywhere and come up with alternative ways to communicate with each other and the general public in times of intensifying state censorship and control.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
London police interrogated a man Saturday who had been detained near Buckingham Palace while driving with a four-foot sword in his car and shouting Allahu Akbar.

Officers said they saw the weapon in the mans car Friday night when he deliberately drove at a police van near Queen Elizabeth II's London residence, one of the city's top tourist attractions.

"Uniformed officers then confronted the driver of the vehicle and during that confrontation the driver reached for a four-foot sword" in the car, Dean Haydon, commander of the Metropolitan Police counterterrorism branch, said.

The suspect repeatedly shouted "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is great" in Arabic, Haydon said.

The man was being held on suspicion of assaulting police and has since been arrested.

The Metropolitan Police force said three London police officers were slightly injured while arresting the unidentified 26-year-old man from the Luton area, according to a press release. British counterterrorism police were questioning the man Saturday, officials confirmed.

DUTCH POLICE ARREST MAN PLANNING TERRORIST ATTACK ON CONCERT BY AMERICAN ROCK BAND

The police said they were treating the incident as terrorism but would remain open minded while the investigation continues, according to the press release.

Haydon said: We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do -- this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time.

The suspect was taken to the hospital for minor injuries. No one besides him and the police officers were injured.

British media reported no members of the royal family were in the Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident.

Buckingham Palace did not immediately comment and directed all questions to London police. It said tours of the parts of the palace that are open to the public in summer were unaffected Saturday and it would be business as usual, according to the BBC.

Kiana Williamson, a witness of the incident, told the BBC: We turned up and there was one police van and one car; there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car. They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting; more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back.

"I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm, although it didn't look severe. He was being tended to by another officer.

BELGIAN PROSECUTORS OPEN TERROR PROBE OVER KNIFE ATTACK

"The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road," Williamson said.

Last year, a man convicted of murder climbed a palace wall and was detained on the grounds while the queen was at her residence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Italian police are investigating the suspected gang rape of a Polish tourist and the savage beating of her partner on Italy's popular Rimini beach.

Italian news reports said the man passed out after being beaten on the head and robbed and his partner was repeatedly raped by four men early Saturday on a secluded stretch of beach in the Adriatic town on Italy's eastern coast.

Media reports said the 26-year-old Poles were hospitalized with injuries. Passers-by called police after seeing the couple, bloodied and dazed, on the beach.

It wasn't immediately clear if any suspects had been detained.
ALL SAINTS (PG)

3 STARS

Thanks to a strong story and leading man, this is an inspiring faith-based film based on a unique effort by a rookie Anglican priest and a group of Burmese refugees.

It works because instead of preaching, the film slowly unwinds the real-life tale of how priest Michael Spurlock (John Corbett) turned a failing church into a working farm.

Along the way, he and those who joined him saved the church, fed the refugees and saw the institution grow to become a mission church that still thrives today.

Corbett is convincing as the first-time priest whos initially tasked with shutting down and selling the church and its property.

But when the Burmese refugees discover it and start showing up on Sundays, the priest warmly welcomes them and discovers that many of them are farmers.

Soon enough, hes moving forward with a plan to raise crops on land adjacent to the church to pay its mortgage, feed the refugees and nourish the souls of all involved.

It helps that the veteran Corbett makes the priest a relatable character, one who worries and doubts even as he plows forward.

Director Steve Gomer is enough of a veteran to simply and surely move the story along, smart enough not to rely on the compelling tale instead of lots of Hollywood glitz.

Its a moving film, made even more powerful by photos and details of the real-life priest and members of the congregation as the credits roll.

Rated PG for thematic elements. 108 min. Playing locally at Regal Fredericksburg 14.
Not long after I graduated high school, I went to one of the leaders of my church with an idea. I wanted to start a ministry called Daughters Without Dads. You see, there had been a large number of divorces over the previous years resulting in many of the little girls being left without a father in their life.

Having been through the same experience, I knew how difficult it was to not have a fathers love and support. My idea was to create a group where the strong Christian men of the church could go on outings with these familiesnever alone and always supervisedso that the girls could see an example of a Godly man.

I excitedly went to one of the elders with my idea. Unfortunately, I left the meeting disappointed and discouraged.

This particular gentleman thought my idea was wonderful, but instead of giving me his blessing to move forward, I was told that I needed to wait until I had the covering of a husbandhe can lead the ministry and you can help. I responded, What if it is Gods plan that I never get married? Does that mean that I can never serve in leadership in the church?

I shouldn't have been surprised at his response. My own mother had lamented for years of feeling like our church considered her less-than or not complete because she was a single woman.

While not all churches are as overt with this sentiment, many send the unintentional message that singleness is a stage of life to be passed through as quickly as possible. We do this by the amount of emphasis we place on family ministry and by the lack of time we spend talking about singleness and dating.

Since 2014, single adults have outnumbered married adults in the United States. By not making the effort to include them in our churches, we are excluding a huge portion of the population.

It was the Apostle Pauls opinion that it was better for a person to remain single so that they would be free from anxieties. In his first letter to the church at Corinth he writes, The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided (1 Corinthians 7:32-34).

According to Paul, a single person is better able to serve in ministry because they are not distracted by the needs of their families. So how can we help singles flourish in our churches? Amy Jackson shares the following steps in a recent Christianity Today article titled Why We Need Single Women Leaders.

Get to know singles as individuals. Theres a whole range of reasons why people are single and how they feel about their singleness. Ask questions rather than assume.

Invite them to your celebrations. If youre going to the Fourth of July fireworks, throwing a birthday party or hosting Thanksgiving, invite a single person along.

Refuse to offer platitudes. God doesnt promise marriage to everyone, but He does promise His presence. Stop yourself from saying things like, Gods got someone for you, and You just need to wait on Gods timing.

Encourage good boundaries. To whatever degree you can influence your church culture, encourage people in ministry to be allowed rest, vacation and good boundaries. This is critical if we want to see singles succeed in ministry and stick around for the long haul.

Sponsor, invite and validate their ministry. Because there often isnt a clear path to ministry for singles, the need people to help clear the way for them. Invite them to teach at your ministry event, validate their gifts publicly, or sponsor them when your church is looking to fill key ministry roles.

As someone who is currently trying to balance family life and ministry, I agree with the Apostle Pauls sentiments. It would have been much easier to serve the church when I was single.

Instead of the discouragement I received, I pray that todays passionate, dedicated single Christians find the support and validation they need to fulfill God's calling on their lives.
If it werent for the car accident earlier this summer, Korean War veterans Jim Cunningham and Don McIntyre would never have found each other again.

God was in it from the get-go, said Cunningham, 86, a Spotsylvania County resident.

The two met up for coffee last weekend at the Warrenton home of McIntyres daughter. It was the first time theyd seen each other in 63 years.

In 1953, Cunningham and McIntyre, who were 23 and 20 at the time, served together with Marine Aircraft Group 12 at airfield K-6 in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. They were in the motor transport poolCunningham was a dispatcher and McIntyre was a driver. Their job was to collect downed aircraft from all over the country and take the wreckage to Inchon, where it would be shipped to Japan to be rebuilt.

Their tour lasted 14 months and when it was over they went their separate ways. Theyd talked about starting a trucking company together, but life got in the way. McIntyre got a job driving a truck, married the truck owners daughter and then bought the business. Cunningham joined the Air Force, retired from the service in 1972 and became a Baptist preacher.

Half a century passed. But Cunningham kept looking for his friend.

Im not computer-literate, he said. I knew he was in the moving business, so I kept looking for his trucks.

One day in July, he decided that he wanted to plant some sweet corn. He borrowed a corn planter from a friend and started to drive it home, but he unintentionally hit a car that was parked on the right side of State Route 208.

Virginia State Trooper Greg Finch responded to the accident. It was a hot day and he invited Cunningham to come and sit in his car while he wrote up the citation.

We got to talking. It took him an hour and 15 minutes to write up the ticket, Cunningham said.

During the conversation, Cunningham mentioned that hed served in Korea.

I told him I had a real good friend in Korea and I was still looking for him, Cunningham said. I told him his name was Don McIntyre. He said, I know Don McIntyre! 

Finch told Cunningham that his father lived one mile down the road from a Don McIntyre in Bath, N.Y.

I said, Its probably not the same Don,  Cunningham said. He said, Let me call my Dad. 

Finch called his father and his father called McIntyre to ask if he knew a Jim Cunningham. The first thing McIntyre said was, Of course I know Jim!

The two talked on the phone.

I asked him, Do you still have blond hair and a crew cut?  McIntyre said.

Cunningham does still have the crew cut, but its white now.

So the two arranged to meet at the Warrenton home of McIntyres daughter. McIntyres wife accompanied him on the trip from their New York home.

Ive been on pins and needles since I got the word he was coming, said Cunningham, a widower and father of a daughter and two sons. My family dont want me to drive, but I told them I was driving an hour to see Don.

McIntyre said he was anxious to get to Virginia to see his old friend and worried that Cunningham wouldnt recognize him.

But I guess I havent changed that much, he joked.

Both the men enlisted in the Marine Corps as soon as they were old enough, because the Korean War was going on and they thought it was their duty to serve.

We live in a country with a lot of problems, but it is the best country in the world, Cunningham said. Whatever we have to do to defend it, we should do.

In Korea, they were stationed 50 miles behind battle lines, so they didnt see any fighting, but they saw the resultsaircraft blown apart by bombs with wings, tail sections and engines blasted in different directions.

We went up and gathered the pieces, Cunningham said. We were supporting the war effort and sometimes we were in great danger. One time we collected an airplane on the 38th parallel and the North Koreans were watching every move we made.

They hauled everything from cases of beer to the 20-ton International TD-24 bulldozer, navigating rough roads and treacherous mountain passes. One challenge McIntyre remembered was trying to transport aircraft down a road lined with Korean red pine trees, which hold a special status in the country.

We had to jockey the wings in and out to not hit the trees, he said. It was a $100 fine if you hit those trees. Do you remember that, Jim?

Oh, Lord, yes, Cunningham replied.

Both men said that Korea was a good experience for them.

Im glad I did it, McIntyre said. I hope I made a difference.

Cunningham said he remembers standing outside in late July 1953, after the armistice was signed, and seeing the flash of the last bomb of the Korean War go off. He worries that the bombs will start again.

God forbid we have to go to war again, he said. If we do, so many innocent people are going to die.

Now that theyve found each other, Cunningham and McIntyre said they plan to stay in touch. Cunningham is planning to visit McIntyre in New York later this year.

He remembers when he saw McIntyre for the first time back in 1953.

I saw him walking across the parking lot and I thought, I dont know whether Im going to like that guy, he said. I was not a Christian at that point. I was as lost as a goose in a hailstorm. I would just look at you and decide I wasnt going to like you. But when I met him, I knew I loved him. I knew he was gonna be one of my best friends.
DEMOCRATS, reveling in President Donald Trumps plummeting popularity and the Republican Partys civil wars, are looking forward to September. Except for one thing: the rollout of Hillary Clintons next book, right after Labor Day.

Clinton has promised to let my guard down in the book, What Happened, explaining her shocking loss to Trump in November. She has already offered up several explanations, blaming Russian interference, former FBI Director James Comey, and misogyny, while also acknowledging tactical errors by her campaign.

Many Washington Democrats, though unwilling to criticize her in public, wish shed move on, as Minnesota Sen. Al Franken has put it. They fear that her complaints help Trump make his case that the controversies surrounding him flow from the Democrats bitterness about their 2016 loss.

They prefer the approach taken by Al Gore after his equally controversial loss in 2000. Gore didnt really criticize the administration of President George W. Bush for almost two years, even though he, like Clinton, won the popular vote while losing in the Electoral College. (Gore lost when the Supreme Court stopped a vote recount in Florida.) Gore went on to start a new career, winning a Nobel Prize and an Academy Award for his work on climate change.

Associates hoped Clinton would also find a way to make a different contribution, perhaps as a university president or foundation head. There have even been suggestions that she move overseas for a couple of years.

Clinton could make a contribution speaking out selectively on important issues, drawing on her wealth of experience.

But she remains haunted by her defeat. The gist of her message next month, based on her public statements and accounts of private conversations from people whove talked to her, will be: I accept the blame for what happened, but the bigger problems were Russian meddling, Comeys on-again, off-again handling of the Federal Bureau of Investigations probe of her private email server, the Democratic Party, and maybe even some of her own campaign staffers.

The Clintons, associates say, are convinced that the election was stolen. They may be right; well find out soon enough whether theres proof that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia. If investigations by congressional committees and special counsel Robert Mueller turn up new facts, thatll provide a better basis for analyzing the impact.

But Clinton is the wrong messenger. She just comes across as a sore loser.

Or, as Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer told the Washington Post last month: When you lose to somebody who has 40 percent popularity, you dont blame other thingsComey, Russiayou blame yourself.

She could take a lesson from another prominent Democrat, one who has kept a relatively low profile since January. Thats former President Barack Obama, who has mostly resisted the temptation to strike back at repeated Trump cheap shots. Today, surveys of voters have found, hes the most popular American politician. Some Democrats want him to take on Trump a bit more, and are pleased hell be out campaigning for a few Democrats this fall.

By contrast, Clinton has moved from being an admired former New York senator and secretary of state to becoming a divisive and unpopular figure. In last months Bloomberg national poll, 58 percent of respondents rated her unfavorably compared to 39 percent who gave her favorable marks. More than one in five people who voted for her in November now regard her unfavorably. That was even worse than Trumps standing in the same poll.

Indeed, the only figure with higher negatives in the survey, which was conducted by the Iowa polling firm Selzer & Co., was her old nemesis, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Weather apps are a lot of things: interesting, innovative, informative. But are they accurate?

Some, it seems, are set up for optimism, which we swallow up whole. But how accurate can forecasts ever be?

What a challenging time we are having in Ryedale. Rain just keeps spoiling the plan. We are snatching bits here and there.

See also: Read more from our Arable Farmer Focus writers

Barley is finally all in. Most was flat and some was really flat. Picking the right day to get the crop to flow has been interesting. Orwell has been the pick at 9t/ha.

All oilseed rape has also been combined, at last. Late-drilled Aquila really surprised us with an astounding 4.4t/ha, given that we were thinking of knocking it up in spring. Elgar managed 5.43t/ha, looking fantastic all season.

A field of Extrovert pulled 5t/ha out of the bag despite pigeon damage. It would seem the dry, hot and bright June did the trick.

The pod sealer Mesh, applied on 20 June, has been worth its weight in gold, given the hail, rain and wind the crops have had to endure.

As we all know, this time of year really can test people and organisations.

When things go wrong, we are often too close to the coalface to make rational and smart decisions. Claas Eastern in Sinderby really do put themselves out. When the Lexion or Scorpion hit the stops, they can, and do, move heaven and earth to get them back moving.

Taking customer service to another level is dryer manufacturer Perry of Oakley. A chain and flight conveyor snapped at 8pm one night. After contacting Perry that night, a chain and flight was made and dispatched. The conveyor was running 36 hours later.

This sort of thing does happen quite a lot in farming circles, but consider the offending machine was 23 years old and all that was needed was the serial number. I was astounded.

Recently we had an HSE inspection. It really concentrates the mind on the risks and dangers we face within agriculture. As we all race against the weather and time, if you can, stop and think.

Richard Wainwright farms 510ha in Ryedale, on the southern edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. With soil types ranging from heavy clay loam to limestone brash, the family partnership grows winter wheat, winter barley, oilseed rape, spring beans and rotational grass leys. The farm also runs a large beef fattening unit.
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Resources DonationYou can donate resources to get Contribution. If you quit the alliance, all the resources you donate and donated items at Storehouse will be cleared. Thus, sometimes Alliance Resource will be a minus. Crystal and Gem can be donated when city hall reaches the required level. You can check donation history at Member-Ranking.DonationYou can ask for help and get soldiers donated by allies. You can click Chat and then click the third button to check the result and Help information of allies.StorehouseSome items in game can only be donated to Storehouse. Then allies can exchange for them with Contribution. Sometimes new items will be available at Storehouse after updates.StorehouseShopYou can use Contribution here to exchange for items. Some valuable items such as Advanced Teleport Fragment and Hero EXP are available.Alliance ShopOptions for leader and members of higher Rank1. Skill Tree: It works on all the alliance members. Only the leader and Rank 2 members can choose to upgrade the trees.2. Alli Upgrade: Alliance can be upgraded to recruit more members, unlock better Shop items at lower price.3. Settings:Open Recruitment: when you open it, other lords will apply for the alliance and join it directly.City Hall Level Requirement: to improve the efficiency of recruiting members you want, you can set the requirement for city hall level.You can purchase temporary buffs by clicking the three gray buttons at the top right corner on Hero page.TypesThere are two kinds of heroes in game: Magic ATK and Physical ATK. Heroes with Magical ATK are recommended to battle with magical units. This can greatly increase force and buffs.Hero levelThere are many ways to upgrade heros level.1. Kill monsters or visit Rock of Age2. Get Hero EXP items from online reward, Secret Treasure, and packages.EquipmentEquipment can be used to increase Hero Star Rating. You can get equipment by: 1. Killing monsters 2. Forging inside City. When hero reaches the highest star rating, you have to upgrade heros level first.SkillsDifferent heroes have different skills. Books are needed to upgrade skills. There are many kinds of books, including Book of Order, Book of Darkness, Book of Templar, and Book of Nature.SpecialtySpecialty point is needed to upgrade Specialty. The point can be received by upgrading Hero Star Rating.TroopsUnits with a star symbol are recommended for the current hero. You can click Autofill to add units quickly. Since units in the three middle slots are vulnerable to attack, it is suggested that melee units are added in these slots.*Rose Mage*Skill1. Polymorph: Turns enemy unit into a sheep. This sheep can't attack and will return to it's normal form if it takes damage. This skill may fail to work on higher level units.2. Flame Strike: Single target damage. This skill deals more damage at higher levels.3. Wrath of the Dragon: Deals massive damage to all enemy units. This skill deals more damage at higher levels.Book: Book of Order*Phoenix Knight*Skill1. Steadfast Defense: Increases defense for all allied units and provides an additional counter-attack each round. This skill is more effective at higher levels.2. Focused Strike: Deals single target damage, decreases targeted unit's defense for 2 rounds. This skill is more effective at higher levels.3. Rise From the Ashes: Summons a majestic Phoenix to fight for you. The number of Phoenixes summoned is determined by the death toll of allied troops. The level of the Phoenix is determined by the level of this skill.Book: Book of Order*Panda Warrior*Skill1. Stasis Seal: Seal an enemy for two rounds. Sealed units can't make an action or be attacked. This skill may fail to work on higher level units.2. Haze: Target enemy's attack will have a greater chance of missing for 2 rounds3. Drunken Fist: Deals massive damage to up to 3 target enemiesBook: Book of Nature*Druid*Skill1. Summon Grizzly: Summons bears to fight for you. The number of bears is determined by the Lord's total attack force and skill level determines the level of summoned bears.2. Starfire: Attack a single target and has a chance to stun it for one round3. Rampant Growth: Deals damage and ensnares the area around the enemy unit for 1 round. Ensnared units can attack, but can't moveBook: Book of Nature*Archangel*Skill1. Blinding Art: Blinds enemy units for 2 rounds. Blinded units can't move; but taking damage will remove the Blind. May fail to affect higher level units.2. Purifying Smite: Single target damage. This skill deals double damage to dark-type units. This skill deals more damage at higher levels.3. Holy Light: Heals all allied units, even reviving dead ones. This spell has no effect on dark-type units. This heal is more effective at higher levels.Book: Book of Templar*Lafia Priest*Skill1. Divine Strength: Enhance attack of all the allied units for 2 rounds. This skill is more effective at higher skill levels.2. Restoration: Heals all the allied units for two rounds. Dark-type units can't be healed with this spell. This skill gives more HP at higher levels.3. Holy Nova: Heals all the allied units, damages all enemy units and does double-damage to enemys summoned units. This skill is more effective at higher levels.Book: Book of Templar*Necromancer*Skill1. Bloodthirsty Covenant: Give friendly forces the Vampirism ability for two rounds. Upgrade skill level to strengthen the granted Vampirism.2. Crippling Strike: Single target damage that lowers morale for two rounds. This skill's damage and morale reduction are increased at higher skill levels.3. Warrior Reanimation: Summon a group of 3 Skeletal Warriors. The total number of Skeletons is determined by the number of killed units of both sides in battle. The level of the summoned units is determined by the level of the skill.Book: Book of Darkness*Barbarian*Skill1. Toughened Skin: Reduce damage taken by all allied units.2. Axe of Wrath: Has a chance to deal double damage when attacking a single enemy unit. Upgrade the skill to increase damage and the chance of activating the skill3. Fury: Lowers the defense of all the allied units in exchange for greater damage. Units also receive an additional counter-attack against the enemys counter-attack.Book: Book of Darkness
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
A 25-year-old Corvallis man was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison less time served after pleading guilty in Benton County Circuit Court to a charge of sexual abuse in the second degree.

Jacob Robert Smith was indicted by a grand jury in April on charges of first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree unlawful sexual penetration in connection with an August 2013 incident involving a 13-year-old girl. Those charges  both Measure 11 offenses with 75-month presumptive sentences  were dropped after Smith agreed to plead guilty to sex abuse 2 in a deal negotiated with prosecutors.

It was the second time Smith faced charges for the same crime. Smith was initially charged in October 2013, but the case was dropped after the victims parents refused to cooperate with the prosecution.

Under the plea agreement approved by Judge Matthew Donohue, Smith will get credit for nearly six months he spent in jail while awaiting trial, first on the original charges and then in the revived case. He is also eligible to receive additional time off his sentence for good behavior, meaning he could end up serving less than 18 months in state prison.

He must also register as a sex offender and submit to three years of post-prison supervision after his release.

In court on Friday, Benton County Chief Deputy District Attorney Ryan Joslin said Smith never had accepted responsibility for his actions and noted that the plea deal was contingent on an apology.

Smith, who appeared in court shackled at the hands and feet and wearing a striped jail jumpsuit, stood before the judge and said, Im sorry to (the victim) for what happened.

The victim was not in the courtroom.

Clark Willes, Smiths defense attorney, declined to comment after the hearing.
People may be surprised this weekend to find colorfully decorated pianos placed throughout Corvallis, all of them ready to be played.

The pianos mark the return of Play Corvallis, Play, a program started by real estate broker Lee Eckroth to encourage music, art and creativity in the community.

It's the fourth year for Play Corvallis, Play, but this year's event is affiliated with a new festival. In previous years, it was affiliated with the Corvallis Imagination Music and Arts festival, but that event has been discontinued because of the toll it took on organizers and volunteers, Eckroth said.

Eckroth wanted to see Play Corvallis, Play continue, and so he connected with the Corvallis Fall Festival.

The pianos and the festival are a perfect match, says Christine Hackenbruck, executive director of the Fall Festival.

"Once he came to us, my board just jumped on it, because it just seems like a really good fit for us," Hackenbruck said. "We're big into community art, so we wanted to keep that going."

Eckroth agrees: "Play Corvallis, Play becoming part of the Fall Festival is incredible and we so appreciate the Fall Festival for adopting the program."

Eckroth dates the genesis of Play Corvallis, Play to a family vacation: "My family and I were vacationing in Boston during the summer of 2013 and had an awesome experience watching others enjoy simply playing outside on theme-decorated pianos. We thought this might be a great idea for Corvallis."

The 10 pianos will be available for people to play daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Sept. 12, as a precursor to the 45th Fall Festival, which is scheduled for Sept. 23 and 24.

People familiar with the different Play Corvallis, Play themed pianos may recognize some returning favorites from last year, including the Chalkboard, the Baby Grand, the Fire, the Beaver Believer, the Underwater, and the AIS, a piano decorated by students from Ashbrook Independent School.

Friday morning, volunteer movers dropped off the pianos in the same popular locations as last summer. Two of the pianos are in Riverfront Commemorative Park, one near the fountain and the other by Flat Tail Brewing. The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library hosts a piano, along with the downtown American Dream Pizza, Block 15 Brewing, Starbucks on Madison Avenue, The Arts Center plaza, Starker Arts Park, and Oregon State University's Student Experience Center.

It's fun to have pianos out where people can just go play, sit and enjoy the art or listen to others perform, Hackenbruck said.

"Personally, I just love seeing them every summer. It kind of turns into a scavenger hunt, at least, with me and my own kids. We like to try and take pictures with all of the different pianos," she said.

The plans are to continue the collaboration between Play Corvallis, Play and the Fall Festival.

"It's exciting to seeing the program move forward under their leadership into the future," Eckroth added.
Buhari Calls On Protesters In London Who Asked Him To #ResumeOrResign To Also Come Back To Nigeria

kacylee at 26-08-2017 10:19 AM (5 years ago) (f)

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on protesters in London who asked him to #ResumeOrResign to also come back (to Nigeria) and join us.



Some Nigerians had staged a protest at Abuja House, London between 5pm on Friday, August 18 and 9am on Saturday, August 19, 2017.

President Muhammadu Buhari has called on protesters in London who asked him to #ResumeOrResign to also come back (to Nigeria) and join us.Some Nigerians had staged a protest at Abuja House, London between 5pm on Friday, August 18 and 9am on Saturday, August 19, 2017.

The president returned to the country August 19 at 4.36pm.

The president returned to the country August 19 at 4.36pm. Quote I am very happy with the national prayers that cut across religions and ethnicity; people were praying.



In fact, some groups in London came and sang the national anthem and asked that I should go back home. Indeed, I have come back home. I hope those who went there are not stuck there. (I hope) they will come back and join us.



Those that are stuck there with the Brexit, I hope they have weighed the implications that it wont affect them, including those that have property there.



Those who are not paying tax here; I hope when they sell their property there, they will bring some of the money here. We need it very badly here, Buhari said. Buhari said.

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 26-08-2017 10:19 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Mykie010 at 26-08-2017 10:51 AM (5 years ago)

(m) This man can never change,u are lucky u didn't spend another day there,otherwise they would have u on their head and bring u home Posted: at 26-08-2017 10:51 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac This man can never change,u are lucky u didn't spend another day there,otherwise they would have u on their head and bring u home Reply

pricklong at 26-08-2017 10:53 AM (5 years ago)

(m) BUHARI GET MOUTH OOOOO Posted: at 26-08-2017 10:53 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac BUHARI GET MOUTH OOOOO Reply

freethinker at 26-08-2017 11:52 AM (5 years ago)

(m) DEVIL CAN NEVER BE A SAINT! Posted: at 26-08-2017 11:52 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac DEVIL CAN NEVER BE A SAINT! Reply

angesco at 26-08-2017 11:58 AM (5 years ago)

(f) Typical comment from someone bought up in the BARRACKS.



He has QUICKLY FORGOTTEN those who VOTED him into POWER!



Nigerians in DISPORA are HARDWORKING and SAVING Nigeria from DROWNING.



Maybe the QUEEN of ENGLAND will be admitted into LUTH for a headache.



Posted: at 26-08-2017 11:58 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Typical comment from someone bought up in the BARRACKS.He has QUICKLY FORGOTTEN those who VOTED him into POWER!Nigerians in DISPORA are HARDWORKING and SAVING Nigeria from DROWNING.Maybe the QUEEN of ENGLAND will be admitted into LUTH for a headache. Reply

proly at 26-08-2017 12:10 PM (5 years ago)

(f) Mtchewww Posted: at 26-08-2017 12:10 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Mtchewww Reply

Twise400 at 26-08-2017 12:15 PM (5 years ago)

(m) he promised 2 make Nigeria a better place during election,, he sud fulfill his promises and dey will all return,, bcos dey all tra

velled wirh dere hard earned money Posted: at 26-08-2017 12:15 PM (5 years ago) | Newbie he promised 2 make Nigeria a better place during election,, he sud fulfill his promises and dey will all return,, bcos dey all travelled wirh dere hard earned money Reply

james987 at 26-08-2017 05:14 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Stupid talks.. he promised to make 1$ = 1naira under 3months,instead he made history. helped to hype the dollar rate to nearly 1000naira to 1 dollar under few months.. he promised to build coal mine for the easterners where is it? Every year the budget run in trillions where are those funds? Millions of dollars recovered including assets where those monies and assets? Many are just waiting till 2019.. Enough talks without vision. What a cluess Government. Posted: at 26-08-2017 05:14 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Stupid talks.. he promised to make 1$ = 1naira under 3months,instead he made history. helped to hype the dollar rate to nearly 1000naira to 1 dollar under few months.. he promised to build coal mine for the easterners where is it? Every year the budget run in trillions where are those funds? Millions of dollars recovered including assets where those monies and assets? Many are just waiting till 2019.. Enough talks without vision. What a cluess Government. Reply

gogoman at 26-08-2017 07:37 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Quote from: freethinker on 26-08-2017 11:52 AM DEVIL CAN NEVER BE A SAINT!





HOW HIM BE DEVIL? GIVE ME ONE REASON OR U JUST BE MUMU Posted: at 26-08-2017 07:37 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero HOW HIM BE DEVIL? GIVE ME ONE REASON OR U JUST BE MUMU Reply

jacklyn111 at 26-08-2017 10:04 PM (5 years ago)

(f) Very intelligent and wise response! Stupid people, most of them have not touched Nigeria soil for the past 10 years! Posted: at 26-08-2017 10:04 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Very intelligent and wise response! Stupid people, most of them have not touched Nigeria soil for the past 10 years! Reply

kayveetee at 26-08-2017 11:01 PM (5 years ago)

(m) True talk, mik them come back home mik we suffer the CHANGE together... Posted: at 26-08-2017 11:01 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac True talk, mik them come back home mik we suffer the CHANGE together... Reply

mjyabah2 at 26-08-2017 11:10 PM (5 years ago)

(m) This man could be as unrepentant as the devil himself. Those who came to London to chase you home have long returned to Nigeria. Those who joined hands to chase you home from your lopsided "Vitamin taking" location abroad were true Nigerians who love the country more than u do. Those you are asking to come home are those who have built hospitals, Health Centers, Water supply and bought "I pass my neighbor" for their elderly parents and relative in the country u govern. Those u are making the mockery of are the people whose hard work and sweat have sustained lives in a country whose citizens have little or nothing to write home about. You cannot be laughing and joking about such issue that caused the nation a huge embarrassment in the international arena. Please Buhari, grow up and find some strength to design means of tackling the problems facing the people you govern, leave the jabs alone. Because an adage says that "a man does not chase rat while his house burns". It is okay to express some sense of humor but in all seriousness, what you went through during the 104 days in London and what an average Nigerian is going through right now does not call for your untimely jokes. Get Nigeria on the right track, make Nigeria great again, then and only then can we be ready for your jokes. Posted: at 26-08-2017 11:10 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac This man could be as unrepentant as the devil himself. Those who came to London to chase you home have long returned to Nigeria. Those who joined hands to chase you home from your lopsided "Vitamin taking" location abroad were true Nigerians who love the country more than u do. Those you are asking to come home are those who have built hospitals, Health Centers, Water supply and bought "I pass my neighbor" for their elderly parents and relative in the country u govern. Those u are making the mockery of are the people whose hard work and sweat have sustained lives in a country whose citizens have little or nothing to write home about. You cannot be laughing and joking about such issue that caused the nation a huge embarrassment in the international arena. Please Buhari, grow up and find some strength to design means of tackling the problems facing the people you govern, leave the jabs alone. Because an adage says that "a man does not chase rat while his house burns". It is okay to express some sense of humor but in all seriousness, what you went through during the 104 days in London and what an average Nigerian is going through right now does not call for your untimely jokes. Get Nigeria on the right track, make Nigeria great again, then and only then can we be ready for your jokes. Reply

Deprince3 at 27-08-2017 06:13 AM (5 years ago)

(m) THEY COME HOME AND DO WHAT WITH YOU , ARE THEY HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE. Posted: at 27-08-2017 06:13 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming THEY COME HOME AND DO WHAT WITH YOU , ARE THEY HOLDING PUBLIC OFFICE. Reply

tegonwa at 27-08-2017 09:17 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Very Funny.At Least We Have A President With Good Sense Of Humour And A Government That Is Not Responding To Humour.Nawaa O! Posted: at 27-08-2017 09:17 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Very Funny.At Least We Have A President With Good Sense Of Humour And A Government That Is Not Responding To Humour.Nawaa O! Reply

chizzyG at 27-08-2017 11:15 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Foolish man.Tribalism and Nepotism are what's killing Nigeria,if not you won't still be the President by now and talking that rubbish in the name of humour Posted: at 27-08-2017 11:15 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Foolish man.Tribalism and Nepotism are what's killing Nigeria,if not you won't still be the President by now and talking that rubbish in the name of humour Reply
Overall, dont let the bhoot mislead you, nothing bhootiya about this story. Had the makers tried to push the envelope, the idea could have been outstanding for a bhootiya comedy.
#World University Games Chuncheong named host of 2027 World University Games The South Korean central region of Chungcheong was named the host of the 2027 Summer World University Games on Saturday, bringing the biennial event to the country for the fourth t...

#first lady First lady visits home of Cambodian child with heart disease First lady Kim Keon-hee visited the home of a Cambodian child with a heart disease Saturday and comforted the family, urging them not to give up under any circumstances, the presid...
Military Strikes Continue Against ISIS in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Aug. 26, 2017  U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 39 strikes consisting of 37 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 29 strikes consisting of 37 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, three strikes destroyed two ISIS well heads and an ISIS check point.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, two strikes destroyed four ISIS oil stills and a well head.

-- Near Raqqah, 24 strikes engaged 15 ISIS tactical units; destroyed 20 fighting positions, two logistics nodes, two command and control nodes, a vehicle bomb, an ISIS unmanned aerial system, a vehicle, and an ISIS headquarters; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Strikes in Iraq, Earlier Strikes

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 10 strikes consisting of 65 engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Al Qaim, a strike destroyed an ISIS-held building.

-- Near Bayji two strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle and a staging area.

-- Near Tal Afar, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units; destroyed 17 fighting positions, 10 vehicles, eight anti-air systems, six ISIS-held buildings, six medium machine guns, six mortar systems, four rocket-propelled grenades, three weapons caches, two recoilless rifles, a heavy machine gun, and a vehicle-borne-bomb facility; damaged two supply routes; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

Officials also announced details today from 55 strikes consisting of 127 engagements conducted Aug. 20-24 in Syria and Iraq for which the information was not yet available in time for yesterday's report:

-- On Aug. 20 near Tal Afar, Iraq, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- On Aug. 21 near Tal Afar, Iraq, a strike suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- On Aug. 24 near Al Shadaddi, Syria, four strikes engaged three ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle, and a logistics node.

-- On Aug. 24 near Raqqah, Syria, 41 strikes engaged 33 ISIS tactical units and destroyed 33 fighting positions, an ISIS headquarters, three vehicles, a roadside bomb, an anti-air artillery system, and a command and control node.

-- On Aug. 24 near Al Huwayjah, Iraq, a strike destroyed 15 ISIS oil equipment items and five pieces of engineering equipment.

-- On Aug. 24 near Al Qaim, Iraq, a strike destroyed an ISIS staging area.

-- On Aug. 24 near Kisik, Iraq, two strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed two fighting positions, a vehicle-borne bomb and a rocket-propelled grenade; and suppressed an ISIS tactical unit.

-- On Aug. 24 near Tal Afar, Iraq, four strikes engaged an ISIS tactical unit; destroyed 25 vehicles, eight fighting positions, a weapons cache, three medium machine guns, two mortar systems, two front-end loaders, a vehicle-borne bomb, and an excavator; damaged two supply routes; and suppressed two ISIS tactical units.

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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Venezuela begins war games after US sanctions, threat from Trump

France 24 update : 2017-08-26

Venezuela kicks off two days of military drills on Saturday in response to US President Donald Trump's threat of military action and newly announced sanctions on the crisis-stricken nation.

Trump warned on August 11 that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela, "including a possible military option if necessary."

His Vice President Mike Pence later played down the threat, insisting that Washington was prioritizing a diplomatic solution and economic sanctions.

National security advisor HR McMaster followed suit, saying "no military actions are anticipated in the near future."

But tension only surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first-ever sanctions to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle.

The measures ban trade in new bonds issued by the Venezuelan government or its cash-cow oil company, PDVSA.

That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default.

Venezuela called the measures the "worst aggression" yet.

"We will protect our people and the people of the republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, are going to stand up," said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

Trump's threat of military force has bolstered Maduro's oft-repeated claim that Washington is plotting to topple him and wants to grab control of Venezuela's oil -- the largest proven reserves in the world.

Maduro is under international pressure over his handling of an economic and political crisis.

The socialist president is resisting opposition calls for early elections to replace him.

The center right-led opposition and international powers including the US say he is turning Venezuela into a dictatorship.

Maduro's opponents accuse military police and pro-Maduro militia of beating and killing anti-government protesters.

Protest clashes have left 125 people dead so far this year, according to prosecutors.

Maduro says the violence and the economic crisis are a US-backed conspiracy.

Military loyalty

Maduro, the political heir to the late Hugo Chavez, has managed to hang onto power through it all, despite food shortages and social upheaval.

His grip is largely thanks to the support of the military, which holds vast powers in his government, including over food distribution.

The opposition has repeatedly called on the army to abandon Maduro -- so far to no avail.

He has only faced low-level dissent, such as from the two rebel officers who staged a raid on an army base this month.

On Thursday, the president issued a stern warning to the armed forces not to break ranks.

"We must be clear, especially for the youth in the military, that we must close ranks within the homeland -- that this is no time for any fissures and that those with doubts should leave the armed forces immediately," he said in a speech to the top military brass.

"You are with Trump and the imperialists, or you are with the Bolivarian national armed forces and the homeland," he added. "Never before has Venezuela been threatened in such a way."

Maduro's critics accuse him of coopting the military with top cabinet posts, as well as hijacking state institutions, such as by installing a new constituent assembly packed with loyalists.

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'Soft' and 'Hard' Power of China's Naval Diplomacy

Sputnik News

15:06 26.08.2017(updated 15:08 26.08.2017)

China's naval hospital ship Peace Ark is currently on its sixth "harmonious mission" to a number of developing countries, providing free medical services to its citizens. A Russian political analyst explains to Sputnik China why this years mission is receiving particular attention.

This year, Peace Ark will visit eight countries during its 150-day journey. However two particular stops of the hospital vessel make this mission different to the previous trips: Sri Lanka and Djibouti are its two important stops along Chinas 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. Besides, on August 1, the Chinese military inaugurated its first overseas naval facility in Djibouti.

"It is highly possible that the Peace Ark will not berth at the military facility, as the docks have yet to be built. And that makes more sense, given the missions purpose is for the ship to be easily accessed by the local population at a civilian port. Nevertheless, sending the Peace Ark less than a month after the inauguration sends the unmistakable signal that the PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navys presence in Djibouti is about making positive contributions to the world," Mathieu Ducastel, deputy director of the Asia and China program at the European Council on Foreign Relations wrote in his article for South China Morning Post.

Is Washington Ready to Recognize China as Another 'Great Power'?

"The Peace Arks Djibouti mission shows that the PLA wants to be taken seriously as a credible actor in humanitarian missions," the expert added.

"The presence of the Peace Ark in Djibouti is a reminder that the PLA Navy is also trying to invest in soft power to gain support from local populations for Chinas global ambitions," Mathieu Ducastel said.

Alexei Maslov, head of the School for Oriental Studies at the Russian Higher School of Economics University however argued with the European expert.

"This is not quite an accurate assertion, as the 'soft power' or 'soft investments' are usually used to exert certain pressure on local business environment or on local ruling political elites," he told Sputnik China.

"The presence of the Navy here is more of a reminder of China's 'hard' power. For decades, China had been betting on 'soft power' and it was working at first. However Beijing had been constantly criticized, by American experts amongst others, for its inability to defend its achievements militarily," Alexei Maslov said.

Hence, he added, China wants to demonstrate to its potential partners that it has in its possession all the means necessary to unite all the countries, which are willing to cooperate with it, under its military umbrella.

Mathieu Ducastel also suggested that "Chinas naval diplomacy will continue to be an important element of the countrys effort to give substance to the new Maritime Silk Road."

"Concretely, the project is about ensuring secure and fast shipping along sea lanes that already exist, but where traffic will intensify. Hence direct investment, including often through mergers and acquisitions, focus on port infrastructure, shipping and logistics companies," he wrote.

Meanwhile, Alexei Maslov told Sputnik that China is planning to noticeably expand its network of naval bases, mostly in the Indian Ocean and in the Middle East.

China, he said, tries to long lease, notably exclusively, naval bases. The Djibouti facility comes as a first step in this effort. It is essential for strengthening China's maritime security and for safeguarding of its cargo.

"With the distant missions of its naval hospitals, China wants others to get used to its presence in various regions and to demonstrate that it is a naval or a military naval power, which has not been previously acknowledged," he told Sputnik.

This is however happening against a very serious naval confrontation between China and the US, he noted.

"It is very important to China to be able to support its fleet and have the means for its operations as far as possible off its own shores and as close as possible to the US. And this is the main purpose of its ships long-distance missions," Maslov concluded.

 Sputnik

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Unstoppable: Russia's New APC Can Swim 60 Kilometers, Fire in Amphibious Mode

Sputnik News

14:24 26.08.2017(updated 15:07 26.08.2017) 0 1253111

Visitors of the ARMY-2017 military show outside Moscow got their first detailed look at the Bumerang, Russia's new amphibious wheeled armored personnel carrier. Military officials and experts spoke to Izvestia about the technical requirements for the new vehicle, and how it's expected to integrate into Russia's Naval Infantry.

This week, patrons of the third ARMY-2017 International Military-Technical Forum got a unique opportunity to finally see Bumerang up close and in action. Previously seen only from a distance during parades on Red Square, the military show saw the new APC perform a dynamic exhibition, showing off its combat and maneuvering capabilities.

The Bumerang is capable of swimming independently for dozens of kilometers and hitting land-based targets from the water using its complement of onboard weapons. Furthermore, in accordance with the tactical and technical requirements for the vehicle demanded by the Russian Navy, the Bumerang must be fully compatible with Russia's latest high-speed hovercraft and landing ships.

Military experts expect the Bumerang to become a universal combat platform, capable of solving a wide range of military tasks. This is line with Russian armored vehicle makers' broader doctrine of modular vehicle design, designed with cross-compatibility, interchangeability, and wide configurability in mind. In the Navy, the Bumerang's missions will include amphibious troop landing, fire support and ground engagement.

Speaking to Russia's Izvestia newspaper, Admiral Vladimir Korolev, commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, confirmed that developers have been presented with the technical characteristics for Bumerangs to be used by the Naval Infantry. The Navy expects the machine to be capable of independently overcoming not only small water obstacles, but have over-the-horizon landing and assault capability (i.e. the ability to swim from over 60 km from the coast). Furthermore, the Bumerang must be able to be deployed aboard Russia's fleet of landing hovercraft.

This APC Packs a Punch: Russia's Newest Troop Carrier to Feature More Firepower

Both in amphibious mode and from aboard landing craft, the Bumerang must also be able to fire using all of its onboard weapons systems against coastal targets.

"An amphibious version of the Bumerang APC is being tested," Alexander Krasovitsky, general director of the Military-Industrial Company, the developer of the vehicle, told Izvestia on the sidelines of ARMY-2017. "The exact form of the vehicle is still being finalized according to the customer's requirements, so it's too early to speak in more detail about its capabilities," Krasovitsky added.

Presently, Russia's Naval Infantry is fitted out with the BTR-82A, the latest version of the BTR-80 APC, and with the 2S31 Vena 120-mm amphibious self-propelled artillery system.

Vadim Kozyulin, military expert and professor at the Academy of Military Sciences, pointed out that the Navy's plans also include the construction of a series of new large Lavina amphibious assault ships. These ships will be able to deliver up to 60 light armored vehicles to shore, dropping them off either via their bow door, with the help of speedy smaller landers. With this in mind, it's only logical that the Bumerang be fully compatible with the Lavina.

Ultimately, the Naval Infantry version of the Bumerang is expected to provide the Navy not only with a reliable seaworthy transport, but an advanced combat platform with superior firepower capabilities over its predecessor.

The Bumerang is one of several new combat platforms developed by Russian armored vehicle companies over the last few years. The APC's front-engine design is meant to protect the vehicle's crew and complement of troops from enemy bullets, grenades, and improvised explosive devices. This arrangement also provides for a safer and more convenient exit from the vehicle via its rear door.

The Bumerang's amphibious capabilities are provided by its sealed armored hull design, together with two rear-mounted jet propellers placed behind the vehicle's wheels. They provide the 20-ton APC with a maximum speed of about 6.5 knots (at least 12 km/h) over the water.

Unlike its BTR-82A predecessor, the Bumerang does not have fixed weapons, but rather can be fitted with a variety of remote combat modules with weapons whose calibers range from 12.7 mm to 125 mm. Several configurations include the Kornet anti-tank missile system, with autocannons, heavy and light machine guns and turrets, and other arrangements available. This universality allows the Bumerang to be adaptable to the needs of any branch of the Russian military, including the Army, the National Guard and the Naval Infantry.

Testing of the base model of the Bumerang is expected to wrap up later this year.

 Sputnik

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US to Stop Issuing Visas to Citizens From 3 African Countries, Cambodia

August 25, 2017 1:02 PM Salem Solomon

The United States plans to stop issuing visas to citizens from four countries that it says aren't accepting deported citizens.

The list includes three African countries - Eritrea, Guinea and Sierra Leone - as well as Cambodia. The U.S. has suspended visas twice before under previous administrations in efforts to push deportations forward.

Last week, the Department of Homeland Security notified the Department of State that the four countries are refusing to accept or are unreasonably delaying the acceptance of nationals deemed to be in the United States illegally, a violation of section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Now, the State Department is evaluating how to implement the order.

In the past, visa suspensions have targeted diplomats and government officials. How many people this suspension will affect has not yet been determined.

"We follow a standard process to implement a visa suspension as expeditiously as possible in the manner the secretary determines most appropriate under the circumstances to achieve the desired goal. That process includes internal discussions with, and official notification to, affected countries," a State Department official said in an email to VOA.

Targeted countries react

Mamady Conde, Guinea's ambassador to the United States, told VOA's French to Africa service by phone that his office has not yet received an official notification, and he learned of the news through the media. He said 75 Guineans have been deported, but he did not specify in what time period. He added that about 2,000 Guineans live in the United States illegally.

Bockarie Kortu Stevens, Sierra Leone's ambassador to the U.S., said his country has cooperated with all deportation orders. Since January, he said, two charter flights operated by the United States have returned 30 to 40 Sierra Leonean nationals.

"They put them together with [deportees from] other countries, and then they take them to Sierra Leone, and we have been cooperating with them," Stevens told VOA.

Sierra Leonean embassy officials said they go to holding cells to interview people slated for deportation to confirm their nationalities.

"Once they've been identified as bona fide Sierra Leoneans, we issue the relevant travel documents, and it's up to the United States authorities to affect the deportations," Stevens said.

He rejected the notion that many or most Sierra Leoneans are in the United States illegally. According to the State Department, 46 Sierra Leoneans have received deportation orders this year, including 22 criminal deportations. Most deportees have committed drug crimes, Stevens said.

"Of course, like with any society, you have people who want to bend the rules. So, those who bend the rules, they face the consequences," he said. "But the majority of Sierra Leoneans are law abiding, and many of them who came here as a result of the war are fully integrated into an American society."

According to Census data, about 49,000 Sierra Leoneans live in the United States.

Khieu Sopheak, Cambodia's spokesperson for the interior ministry, told VOA's Khmer service that his government has written to the U.S. to discuss deportation and visa restriction issues with U.S. officials. He said deportations separate families because some deportees have lived in the U.S. for many years.

"Some deportees have wives and children. Even though [they] are not American, they still have houses and families, and it [is] like taking them away from their families," Khieu said on Friday afternoon. "We are only requesting for a negotiation."

Eritrean officials in Washington, D.C., and Asmara did not respond to interview requests from VOA's Tigrigna service.

Cracking down on violent crime

So far this year, the U.S. has ordered the deportations of 117 Eritreans, 88 Guineans and 27 Cambodians, according to State Department figures.

But that's just a fraction of the total deportation orders issued, including more than 28,000 Mexicans who have received deportation orders.

Cracking down on illegal immigration was a signature issue of Donald Trump's campaign and is now of his administration. By instituting visa suspensions, the United States hopes to deport individuals convicted of violent crimes.

Most foreign nationals designated for deportation or issued a removal order, however, were not convicted of criminal offenses, and most criminal deportees are nonviolent.

In 2015, more than 60 percent of foreign nationals removed for criminal offenses committed immigration, dangerous drug or traffic offense crimes, according to Homeland Security figures.

Idrissa Fall and Vicheika Kann contributed to this report

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S. Korea to Launch 5 Reconnaissance Satellites by 2023

KBS World Radio

25 August 2017

The South Korean military plans to launch five reconnaissance satellites into orbit by 2023 to strengthen surveillance of North Korea. Under a revised military satellite development plan by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), contractors for the reconnaissance satellites will be chosen within the year. The plan would add a layer of defense to the countrys three-pillar defense capacity consisting of the Kill Chain preemptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense(KAMD) system and the Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation(KMPR) plan.

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Much progress made in redesign of Arak reactor: AEOI official

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Aug 25, IRNA  A senior Iranian official on Friday said much progress has been made in redesigning Arak Heavy Water Reactor.

Much progress made in redesign of Arak reactor: AEOI official

'The first phase of operation for redesigning Arak heavy water reactor, which has been renamed 'Khandab', has already been finished and approved by the foreign observers from China and the US and we have entered the second phase,' Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

He predicted that the redesigning process of the reactor be completed in the next three to four years in a joint cooperation with Chinese companies.

Kamalvandi also said there is good cooperation with Russia for building new reactors. He voiced hope for completion of the second Russian made reactor in Iran in the next seven years.

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US presses IAEA to request inspections of Iranian military sites

Iran Press TV

Sat Aug 26, 2017 6:21AM

The United States has called on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to request access to Iranian military sites, in what is regarded as an attempt by the US to undermine a multilateral nuclear deal with Iran.

Speaking at a news conference in New York on Friday, US Ambassador to the United Nations (UN) Nikki Haley said the IAEA had to use every possibility there was under the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six other countries.

We are encouraging the IAEA to use all the authorities they have and to pursue every angle possible with the JCPOA, and we will continue to support the IAEA in that process, she said, using an acronym to refer to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is known.

The IAEA is tasked with monitoring Iranian compliance with the deal, a basically technical matter that falls within the agencys area of expertise. The IAEA has consistently verified that Iran is in compliance since the deal started being implemented in January 2016.

The US is a party to the JCPOA, which was negotiated under former US president Barack Obama. But the administration of US President Donald Trump, which took over in January this year, has been opposed to the accord and is believed to be looking for a way to potentially withdraw from it.

Apparently toward that end, Trump has ordered a review of the deal and has assigned a team of his confidantes to provide him with options other than certifying Iranian compliance to the Congress, which is a US contractual commitment necessary for the Congress to continue withholding nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.

Haley had earlier traveled to Vienna, where the IAEA is headquartered, as part of the Trump administrations review of the deal. There, she met with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano.

In her Friday remarks, and attempting to make her case for IAEA access to Iranian military sites, she accused Iran of past covert nuclear work. This is while when the JCPOA was implemented, the international nuclear agency permanently closed a file looking into such allegations against Iran, meaning that any such suspicions had been dispelled.

Undermining the deal

On Tuesday, Haley had claimed she was traveling to the Austrian capital to ask questions, not to push the IAEA to do anything. She openly contradicted herself with her Friday comments.

Her visit has been generally viewed as part of the Trump administration attempts to seek a pretext to potentially withdraw from the deal, which the US president has long disliked.

Iran has complained about such political pressure being exerted by the US on the IAEA, which has purely technical responsibilities with regards to the JCPOA.

In a Wednesday letter to the IAEA chief, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that the objectives of Haleys visit were not in conformity with the terms of the JCPOA and UN Security Resolution 2231 regarding the agencys independence and the protection of sensitive information that Iran relays to the agency.

Resolution 2231 was adopted on July 20, 2015 to endorse the nuclear deal, itself reached between Iran and the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany on July 14, 2015.

Regrettably, the international community views this visit and its stated purpose of pressing the Agency, as an overt and aggressive attempt by a permanent member of the Security Council  which is openly hostile toward the JCPOA and determined to undermine and destroy it  to put pressure on the Agency, he wrote.

Such activities, Zarif said, would undermine the independence and the credibility of the Agencys work.

Separately on Wednesday, Zarif said in an interview that the IAEA should not allow questions to be raised about its independence and status in connection with the JCPOA in the international arena.

On Thursday, Irans Permanent Mission to the IAEA also warned in a statement against any illegal pressure on the UN nuclear agency.

Iran warns against any "illegal" US pressure on the UN nuclear agency following a meeting between the US ambassador and the IAEA head in Vienna.

The Trump administration has twice certified Irans compliance with the deal. US media reports said Trump agreed to those certifications only reluctantly.

The Islamic Republic has been in contact with the European and other parties to the JCPOA to prevent US non-performance but has said it is ready for any scenario.

Unlike the US, the European parties to the deal and Russia and China have never raised any complaints about the deal and have stressed full commitment to it.

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Russian forces destroy 2 chemical arms bases in Syria: Official

Iran Press TV

Fri Aug 25, 2017 5:22PM

The head of the Russian military's branch for protection from chemical weapons says his forces have managed to dismantle two chemical weapons facilities in the formerly militant-held areas in war-torn Syria.

Major General Igor Kirillov said on Friday that Moscow will provide the data to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), without elaborating on the exact location of the facilities that were destroyed this month.

The two bases were the last out of the 27 chemical weapons sites in Syria, Russian media reported.

The Syrian government turned over its entire chemical stockpile under a deal negotiated by Russia and the US back in 2013.

The OPCW oversaw the operations to remove the chemical arsenal from Syria and destroy it.

Fridays development raises doubts about the West claims that the Syrian army is in possession of chemical weapons.

On April 4, an alleged gas attack hit the town of Khan Shaykhun in Syrias Idlib Province, killing more than 80 people.

The Western countries rushed to hold Damascus responsible for the incident, with the US launching a missile attack against Shayrat Airbase in Syrias Homs Province on April 7.

Washington claimed that the air field targeted in the missile raid was the origin of the April 4 purported chemical attack.

Syria rejected the accusations, saying that militants, not pro-Damascus forces, were using chemical arms.

Also on Friday, the head of the Russian General Staff's Main Department estimated that over 9,000 Daesh terrorists and more than 15,000 militants of the al-Nusra Front group, recently renaming itself Fateh al-Sham, were operating in Syria.

Lieutenant General Igor Korobov said that the Daesh elements mainly active in Syrias central and eastern parts.

He further noted that the Nusra Front terrorists were operating in the provinces of Idlib, Homs, Quneitra and Daraa as well as the suburb of the Eastern Ghouta region.

Over the past few months, Daesh has retreated from much of the territory under its control amid sweeping gains made by Syrian army soldiers and allied fighters against the terror outfit.

Russia has been conducting air raids against Daesh and other terrorist groups in the Middle Eastern country at the Damascus governments request since September 2015.

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Virginia M. Adkins has been located and is safe, according to Devin Taylor, an investigator with the sheriffs office.

Original story:

The Pittsylvania County Sheriffs Office is searching for a 78-year-old woman who may suffer from dementia, authorities said Saturday morning.

Virginia M. Adkins was reported missing when she did not arrive to pick up a family member while traveling to Danville early Saturday morning, Devin Taylor, an investigator with the sheriffs office, wrote in a news release.

Taylor said Adkins may have dementia.

She was last known to drive a a royal blue 2002 Cadillac Deville with a Virginia license plate of JPT-1435.

Adkins is described as 5-foot-3 and weighs 130 pounds.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pittsylvania County Sheriff's Office at (434) 432-7931.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Aug 25, 2017) - GoldQuest Mining Corp. ("GoldQuest" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:GQC) (FRANKFURT:M1W) (BERLIN:M1W) is pleased to announce the filing of the Company's financials for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and provide an exploitation concession update.

Q2 2017 HIGHLIGHTS

The Company has filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) the unaudited financial statements and management discussion and analysis for the period ended June 30, 2017. The highlights during the first half of 2017 include:

A strong, deleverage balance sheet showing C$25.7M in treasury (as at June 30, 2017);

A strategic 15% equity investment by Agnico Eagle (C$22,860,000);

Key senior advisory appointments including the former Canadian Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, Mr. Georges Boisse; and,

A new polymetallic discovery at Cachimbo in the Tireo Exploration drilling program (refer to news releases dated January 10, June 6, July 13 and August 10, 2017).

EXPLOITATION CONCESSION UPDATE

On August 25, 2017, the Ministry of Energy and Mines in the Dominican Republic posted a news release on the Ministry's website (available at https://www.mem.gob.do) stating that no new exploitation concessions will be granted over the next 90-day period as well as suspended requests for any new exploration concessions for the next six months. The press release states that this resolution does not affect existing exploitation and exploration concessions.

The Company expects that this may affect the timing of the exploitation concession it has applied for covering the Romero deposits. The Company does not expect that this resolution will affect any of GoldQuest's existing exploration concessions nor does it expect that it will in any way limit the on-going drilling and other exploration activities which are currently being carried out. GoldQuest is near the maximum allowable number of hectares for exploration concessions under Dominican Law and therefore does not have any plans to apply for further areas over the next six months.

The Company continues to work with the Ministry and its advisors towards the exploitation concession application covering the Romero deposits, and continues to provide information to the Ministry, as requested.

Exploration activities are continuing with the previously announced drilling at the Company's 2017 discovery at Cachimbo, the induced polarization program, and the soil sampling campaign along the Cachimbo mineralization trend.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES

Announces that Bill Fisher, Executive Chairman, and Patrick Michaels, Director, will be attending both the Beaver Creek Precious Metals Summit (September 18 - 20, 2017) and the Denver Gold Show (September 24 -26, 2017) to update investors on the progress being made in both exploration and development activities.

About GoldQuest

GoldQuest is a Canadian based mineral exploration company with projects in the Dominican Republic. GoldQuest is traded on the TSXV under the symbol GQC and in Frankfurt/Berlin with symbol M1W. The Company is well funded to carry out the exploration programs reported on in this release and to advance the development of its Romero gold/copper discovery, also located in the Tireo Formation of the Dominican Republic.

Forwardlooking statements:

Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are forwardlooking information that involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Forwardlooking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the Dominican government's resolution on postponement of new mining concessions and the impact on the Company, the results of the drill program and the interpretation of the results of the drill program, further drilling, the timing of drilling and assay results, and the Company's plans and exploration programs for its mineral properties, including the timing of such plans and programs. In certain cases, forwardlooking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "has proven", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "potential", "likelihood", "appears", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "at least", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved".

Forwardlooking 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 the forwardlooking statements. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to uncertainties inherent in drill results and the estimation of mineral resources; commodity prices; changes in general economic conditions; market sentiment; currency exchange rates; the Company's ability to continue as a going concern; the Company's ability to raise funds through equity financings; risks inherent in mineral exploration; risks related to operations in foreign countries including future amendments to the mining laws and regulations; future prices of metals; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals; government regulation of mining operations; environmental risks; title disputes or claims; limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of litigation. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could affect the Company and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forwardlooking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forwardlooking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, do not place undue reliance on forwardlooking statements. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forwardlooking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. Forwardlooking statements are based on assumptions that the Company believes to be reasonable, including expectations regarding mineral exploration and development costs; expected trends in mineral prices and currency exchange rates; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral resource estimates; that the Company's activities will be in accordance with the Company's public statements and stated goals; that there will be no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that all required approvals will be obtained and that there will be no significant disruptions affecting the Company or its properties.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCwire) - This press release replaces the press release disseminated August 25, 2017 at 7:35PM ET. The corrected press release is below:

Prophecy to Acquire Mountain of Gold Project in Madagascar

Vancouver, British Columbia, August 25, 2017  Prophecy Development Corp. (Prophecy or the Company) (TSX:PCY, OTCPK:PRPCF, Frankfurt:1P2N) has entered into a binding letter agreement (the Letter Agreement) with an arms-length party (the Seller) to acquire the Dabolava gold project located in the Republic of Madagascar (the Dabolava Project).









Transaction Summary

Under the Letter Agreement, Prophecy will acquire 6 mining claims covering 375 sq km and other assets, which together constitute the Dabolava Project, by paying Seller the following:

(a) upon transaction closing $1,000,000;

(b) on the 1-year anniversary of the closing date, $1,000,000;

(c) on the 2-year anniversary of the closing date, $1,000,000;

(d) on Prophecy obtaining its first Dabolava Project mining license, $2,000,000; and

(e) for every troy-ounce of gold reserve that is compliant with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) from the Dabolava Project by the dates to be agreed to in a definitive agreement to be executed, a one-time payment of $2 per troy-ounce shall be paid to the Seller. This payment is subject to a minimum cumulative discovery of 1 million ounces.

Dabolava Project Summary

The Dabolava Project is located approximately 200 km west-southwest of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar and is accessed via 400 km of paved highways, a portion of which traverses the property. The Dabolava Project is located 140 km west of the town of Antsirabe that hosts an airport and residents with mining experience. Gold has been mined at the Dabolava Project since 1900 and continues to be mined on a very limited scale.

The Dabolava Project covers 375 sq km in 6 permits and consists of several mineralized areas, the most explored being Dabolava East, Takadora, Mountain of Gold and Anjoma. The exploration included airborne geophysical surveys covering 553 sq km, approximately 27 sq km of ground magnetometer survey, 40.4 line km of IP surveys, and 11,349 soil samples. The work was carried out from 2004 to 2008 by Pan African Mining Corp. (PAF) with Sprott Asset Management as a shareholder. PAF only completed 11,863 meters of diamond drilling (97 diamond drill holes) mostly focused on the Dabolava East area before it was acquired by the Seller in 2008, which is a major coal mining company for approximately $157 million in cash. The Dabolava Project has been placed on care and maintenance since late 2008.

In the Dabolava East, Takadora and Mountain of Gold mineralized areas, the gold occurs in silicified dilational features within a broad ductile shear zone that cuts a tonalite-granodiorite orthogneiss host rock. The zones of mineralized dilational features range from 1 to 15 m in drilled width.

Ajoma is a metasediment-hosted bulk-tonnage prospect, where the gold is associated with a post-metamorphism hydrothermal stock work where small quartz veinlets contain disseminated gold between the metamorphic foliations.

Dabolava East (300meter by 300meter)

The Dabolava East mineralized area is approximately 300m x 300 m based on mapping and soil samples. Numerous gold mineralization intersections from 33 diamond drill holes (5,204 m of total drilling) indicated a zone of 1 and 15 m wide (drilled width) between 30 to 70 m depth from surface. The known vertical extension is approximately 50 m and is open at depth and to the surface. Prophecy intends to commission a preliminary economic assessment on Dabolava East and potentially fast track Dabolava East through the permitting process.

Drilling highlights:

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True DE-D-07-035 574757 7827338 323 -47 86.9 98.2 11.4 9.5 12.0 including 88.1 88.6 0.5 0.4 177.0 including 96.4 98.2 1.8 1.5 21.2 DE-D-011 574746 7827333 322 -47 86.3 91.8 5.5 Unk 50.8 including 88.3 90.8 2.5 Unk 106.1 and 97.2 97.6 0.4 Unk 8.7 DE-D-004 574663 7827454 143 -44 44.9 49.4 4.5 Unk 2.0 and 127.1 131.4 4.3 Unk 10.5 including 128.2 128.4 0.2 Unk 139.0 DE-D-023 574774 7827347 344 -45 83.6 91.9 8.3 Unk 14.7 including 83.6 84.8 1.2 Unk 51.5 including 87.5 88.9 1.4 Unk 40.5 DE-D-012 574737 7827489 152 -45 103.7 104.8 1.1 Unk 20.6 DE-D-006 574709 7827459 155 -45 25.7 42.9 17.2 Unk 4.0 including 25.7 26.6 0.9 Unk 13.8 including 30.5 36.2 5.7 Unk 5.1 including 41.3 42.9 1.6 Unk 17.1 DE-D-07-039 574777 7827346 320 -45 86.9 92.9 6.0 5.0 12.4 including 86.9 88.9 2.1 1.7 24.0 DE-D-07-037 574702 7827378 320 -45 80.5 83.3 2.8 2.3 5.1 including 82.8 83.3 0.5 0.4 25.7 DE-D-08-049 574651 7827374 0 -45 41.0 43.2 2.2 Unk 14.2 including 41.0 41.4 0.4 Unk 31.8 including 42.5 43.2 0.7 Unk 26.8 DE-D-016 574772 7827475 165 -55 56.0 61.6 5.6 Unk 9.5 DE-D-017 574792 7827395 343 -55 83.5 84.5 1.0 Unk 7.6 DE-D-08-050 574733 7827360 0 -45 36.4 36.8 0.4 Unk 23.0 DE-D-08-048 574669 7827376 0 -45 75.6 76.0 0.5 Unk 10.0 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

These assay results were previously disclosed by PAF in its May 11, 2005, November 6, 2006, April 25, 2007 and September 11, 2007 news releases. There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Drilling, sampling, and assay methods and information are described in the news releases and considered acceptable. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).

Takodara (1,500 meter x 200 meter)

The Takodara mineralized area is approximately 1,500 m x 200 m in size based on mapping and soil samples. Gold mineralization was encountered in 15 diamond drill holes (2,029 m total drilling) from 40 to 60 m depth. The vertical extent of the mineralization to surface and at depth have not yet been tested. Drill holes DE-D-001, DE-D-003, DE-07-033 and DE-D-08-063 were drilled approximately 150 meters apart along the strike, with no other drill holes in between. Prophecy intends to conduct infill drilling and expansion drilling to test the length and depth of the mineralization.

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True DE-D-001 575668 7828539 353 -45 57.3 58.2 0.9 Unk 32.3 including 57.8 58.2 0.5 Unk 61.9 DE-D-003 575921 7828572 338 -45 51.0 52.0 1.0 Unk 12.2 including 51.0 51.5 0.5 Unk 22.4 DE-D-07-033 576029 7828665 180 -45 86.3 88.4 2.1 1.1 28.7 DE-D-08-063 575537 7828495 350 -45 66.9 67.8 0.9 Unk 13.2 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

The assay results for drill holes DE-D-001, DE-D-003 and DE-D-07-033 were previously disclosed by PAF in its May 11, 2005 and September 11, 2007 news releases. There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Drilling, sampling, and assay methods and information are described in the news releases and considered acceptable. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Mountain of Gold (8,500 meter x 2,000 meter)

The Mountain of Gold mineralized area is approximately 8,500 m x 2,000 m in size based on mapping and soil samples. Gold mineralization was found in 20 diamond drill holes (1,191 m) that tested the southeast corner of the area from 10 to 40 m at depth from surface. The vertical extent of mineralization to the surface and to depth is unknown and 95% of the mineralized area has yet to be drilled.

Given the large area of Mountain of Gold, Prophecy intends to review the geophysical, soil sampling, trenching and old workings information to model the mineralization internally to prioritize a number of well qualified drill locations.

Drilling highlights:

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True ADK-B-001 568312 7835063 190 -50 15.1 15.4 0.4 Unk 4.1 and 15.4 15.7 0.3 Unk 26.9 ADK-D-011 568574 7833814 0 -90 20.3 20.6 0.3 Unk 7.1 ADK-D-007 568530 7835192 200 -45 46.8 47.8 1.0 Unk 5.3 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

Sampling highlights:

Sample Number Coordinates Sample Type Sampled Area Au (g/t) Easting Northing S-01317 566157 7835561 Grab rock 71.6 S-02544 564174 7836543 Channel along QV 2 x 50cm 26.1 S-01318 563132 7834767 Grab 40cm x 20cm 25.6 G4303 562151 7835819 Grab rock 21.5 S-02084 563587 7836459 Grab 20 x 40cm 18.8 S-01649 565785 7836142 Grab 40 x 10cm 14.65 S-01898 563653 7834720 Panel 1m x 1m 14.3 S-01818 566093 7832995 Panel 1 x 0.2m 11.75 S-02461 561834 7836748 Grab 30 x 50 cm 9.64 S-12452 558737 7837190 Channel 5cm x 50cm 9.11 S-12456 564150 7836461 Channel 1m x 2cm 9.08 S-01456 562767 7836406 Panel 1m x 1m 8.15 S-11187 567184 7835580 Channel 10cm x 1m 7.84 S-02131 565768 7833380 Grab 20 x 40 cm 7.28 S-12451 558737 7837190 Grab 30 x 20 cm 7.01 S-02523 564424 7836432 Channel 1cm x 30cm 6.93 S-01309 559470 7832075 Panel 1m x 1m 6.85 S-07244 561932 7834782 Panel 1m x 1m 6.57 S-01204 560799 7834413 Channel 1m x 10cm 6.46 S-01230 563903 7836416 Panel 1m x 1m 6.22 S-11173 567559 7835791 Grab 20cm x 30cm 5.96 S-01944 566625 7829509 Grab 0.15 x 0.2cm 5.94 BT024 568540 7835155 Grab rock 5.88 S-04721 568139 7835006 Panel 1.5m x 1m 5.85 S-01874 566292 7835516 Panel 1m x 1m 5.25 S-02321 568834 7835000 Grab 20cm x 30 cm 5.08 S-01758 567657 7835467 Panel 1m x 0,5m 5.04

There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. The drilling, sampling, and assay methods are considered acceptable by Prophecy. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Anjoma (2,000 m x 250 m)

For the metasediment-hosted prospects, the gold is associated with a post-metamorphism hydrothermal stock work where small quartz veinlets contain disseminated gold between the metamorphic foliations.

The Anjoma bulk-tonnage prospect has estimated dimensions of 2,000 m long and 250 m wide based on 95 soil samples. Depth is unknown.

Prophecy intends to review the geophysical and rock sample data then drill test Anjoma as a potential bulk-tonnage disseminated near-surface gold prospect.

Anjoma rock sample assay highlights:

Sample Number Coordinates (1) Sample Type Sampled Area Au (g/t) Easting Northing S-02222 601555 7824429 Grab 20cm x 50cm 42.90 S-03123 600227 7829619 Grab 20cm x 40cm 40.00 S-03129 596768 7820527 Channel 5cm x 50cm 33.20 S-03120 596819 7820733 Grab 20cm x 40cm 26.20 S-02252 601118 7824403 Grab 20cm x 30cm 19.45 S-03118 596838 7820732 Grab 20cm x 40cm 9.85 S-03130 596764 7820526 Channel 5cm x 50cm 6.33 S-02106 602002 7823822 Panel 1m x 50cm 5.18 M-6 599627 7827488 Grab Rock 4.62 S-02205 601726 7824237 Grab 20cm x 40cm 4.50 S-02118 601989 7827722 Grab 30cm x 40cm 4.21 S-02109 602005 7823924 Grab 30cm x 40cm 4.20 S-02204 601730 7824224 Grab 20cm x 50cm 4.07 S-03155 595033 7823804 Grab 30cm x 20cm 3.27 S-02207 601949 7823957 Grab 30cm x 50cm 3.20 S-03124 600233 7829613 Grab 20cm x 40cm 3.05 S-03087 600228 7829624 Channel 8cm x 60cm 2.90 S-02211 601799 7824205 Grab 30cm x 40cm 2.81 S-03073 600235 7829605 Grab 15cm x 20cm 2.50 S-03071 598671 7825750 Panel 1m x 50cm 2.33 S-03122 600221 7829642 Grab 20cm x 40cm 1.80 S-02202 601828 7824521 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.76 S-03131 596790 7820525 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.69 S-03133 596737 7820531 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.66 S-03085 600209 7829652 Channel 8cm x 60cm 1.58 S-03152 594937 7823789 Grab 20cm x 30cm 1.40 S-02956 596660 7822774 Channel 3cm x 50cm 1.16 S-03084 596787 7820768 Grab 20cm x 40cm 1.16 S-03145 594845 7823794 Grab 30cm x 20cm 1.09 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection

A description of sampling and analytical methods is not known. The following description is based on review of internal reports. Samples were obtained using a hand pick by chipping rock randomly over the sampled area to obtain a representative sample of approximately 2 kg size. Samples were placed in plastic bags and identification information placed on the bag. A chain of custody was used to document sample possession. There is not sufficient information to determine whether sampling factors exist that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. The raw samples were initially prepared by crushing to -2 mm and splitting a representative sample for assay at Pan Africans laboratory located in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Assays were performed by the ALS Chemex, Johannesburg South Africa laboratory using fire assay with an atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (some with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) finish) for gold and aqua regia digestion with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for a 34-element suite. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Further Details Regarding the Proposed Transaction

The proposed transaction is subject to Prophecy being satisfied with the results of its due diligence inquiries into the Dabolava project.

The Seller and Prophecy have agreed to replace the Letter Agreement by entering into a more comprehensive definitive agreement by November 30, 2017.

The Letter Agreement includes a break-fee provision and a commitment by the Seller to not solicit, pursue or negotiate alternative offers with other parties for the Dabolava Project.

John Lee, Prophecys Executive Chairman comments:

Prior work on Dabolava had shown over 10 km of gold-bearing trends highlighted by quartz gold drill intercepts of over 100g/t Au. Both Dabolavas size and grade are on similar to Terrax Minerals recent Yellowknife City Gold Discovery.

In addition to Dabolava East, Takadora, Mountain of Gold and Anjoma, the large 375 sq km land package contains several other prospective areas with extensive artisanal historic mine workings that warrant consideration for exploration.

While the project development is at an early stage, there are promising signs that Prophecy is embarking on a very unique district-scale gold project that draws very few modern and historical comparisons.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release was reviewed and approved by Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, who is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and is not independent of the Company in that most of his income is derived from the Company. Mr. Kravits serves as its Qualified Person and General Mining Manager.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that is engaged in developing mining and energy projects in Mongolia, Bolivia and Canada. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.

Prophecy Development Corp.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

JOHN LEE

Executive Chairman

For more information about Prophecy, please contact Investor Relations:

+1.888.513.6286

ir@prophecydev.com

www.prophecydev.com

Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect managements expectations regarding Prophecys business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These estimates and assumptions are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and other uncertainties and contingencies, many of which, with respect to future events, are subject to change and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by Prophecy. In making forward-looking statements as may be included in this news release, Prophecy has made several assumptions that it believes are appropriate, including, but not limited to assumptions that it will complete its due diligence on the Dabolava Project to its satisfaction; that it, together with the Seller, will negotiate and enter into a binding definitive agreement with respect to Prophecy's acquisition of the Dabolava Project by the aforementioned deadline; that all other conditions precedent to the acquisition are successfully satisfied or waived; that it will complete its acquisition of the Dabolava Project. Prophecy cannot assure you that any of these assumptions will prove to be correct.

Numerous factors could cause Prophecys actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including the following risks and uncertainties, which are discussed in greater detail under the heading Risk Factors in Prophecys most recent Management Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form as filed on SEDAR and posted on Prophecys website: Prophecys history of net losses and lack of foreseeable cash flow; exploration, development and production risks, including risks related to the development of Prophecys mineral properties; the suitability of the Dabolova Project considering Prophecy's economic condition and otherwise.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Prophecys forward-looking statements. Prophecy believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although Prophecy has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Prophecy undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.

Source: Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX:PCY, OTC Pink:PRPCF, FWB:1P2N)

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Copyright  2017 Filing Services Canada Inc.
Improved management of the nearly $1B portfolio of IT investments

Greater agency oversight of IT services and more transparent rates

Greater ability to leverage the states economy of scale in purchasing IT

A unified IT workforce nearly 1,700 members strong

Rapid deployment of new agency solutions based on 75-day sprints

Increased use of new shared enterprise applications for common capabilities

Increased percentage of citizen and business interactions that are mobile enabled

Illinois CISO Kirk Lonbom

A Cyber-Risk Management Framework and process to enable the ongoing assessment of risk. Information security is all about reducing risk to an acceptable level, and absent assessment of risk, security investments will be inefficient and ad hoc. Dollars are not unlimited, and we must focus on the highest risks. We are executing with that framework and risk assessment methodology now.

Establishing a Cyber Resiliency Program to ensure we can both protect and recover from adverse cyber-events. We have developed and are executing a robust program that focuses first on the business through business impact assessments and the development of resiliency, contingency and disaster recovery plans. We must assume that bad things will happen, so a focus on resiliency is critical. The Cyber Resiliency Program is now in the execution stage, and we are involving agency executives from start to finish to ensure they understand and guide the protection of their critical functions.

Our Security Operations Center (SOC) is now in operation, and we are already reducing the impacts of cyberattacks through proactive monitoring and rapid response. We are continuing to mature the SOC and ramping up resources. We are focusing on automation wherever possible, and utilizing technologies to detect threats, effectively manage incidents and even integrate threat intelligence into the process through mouse-clicks, and not lengthy and ineffective manual research.

The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT), has responsibility for the information technology functions of agencies under the jurisdiction of the Illinois governor. DoITs mission is to empower the state of Illinois through high-value, customer-centric technology by delivering best-in-class innovation to client agencies fostering collaboration and empowering employees to provide better services to residents, businesses and visitors.DoIT delivers statewide information technology and telecommunication services and innovation to state government agencies, boards and commissions as well as policy and standards development, life cycle investment planning, enterprise solutions, privacy and security management, and leads the nation in smart state initiatives.DoIT provides improved, more rapidly available innovative solutions at an industry-efficient price/investment point. This includes but is not limited to:Kirk Lonbom is the chief information security officer for the state of Illinois, leading a statewide transformative cybersecurity strategy for the newly established Illinois Department of Innovation Technology. Appointed as state CISO in 2015, Lonbom is providing leadership and oversight in the strategic planning, execution and assessment of all statewide information and cybersecurity strategies, policies, procedures and guiding practices to be implemented by all state agencies under the governor. Lonbom began his career as a police officer, ultimately specializing in criminal intelligence focusing on organized criminal groups and terrorism. Lonbom has previously served as assistant deputy director and deputy chief information officer for the Illinois State Police and chief information officer for the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.About two years ago I was contacted by Kirk Lonbom when he first became Illinois cybersecurity leader. He asked me to comment on his personally written internal action plan for the first 100 days in his new role. While I didnt see any sensitive information regarding incidents or internal cyberchallenges, I saw enough of his initial plan to be impressed. I will even go as far as to say it was the best initial cyberapproach I have seen for a new state or local government CISO in the past three years.What struck me the most was the research, understanding, and breadth and depth of security knowledge that we discussed. Lonbom brought a wealth of experience with him, but more than that he had clearly done his homework. He knew he was in for a very big challenge. Pulling from what he saw was the best of what state, local and federal governments had to offer, he definitely worked hard.And now, when I saw recent media coverage, I jumped at the opportunity to interview him about developments over the past two years, and most specifically about the State of Illinois 2017-2019 Cybersecurity Strategy . So heres my exclusive interview with Illinois CISO Kirk Lonbom.Kirk Lonbom (KL): From a big-picture perspective, we are very proud to have established a culture of cyber-risk ownership with our business leaders. During our first few months of this journey, we spent significant time meeting with state agency directors and other executives regarding the cyberthreat and the potential impact on our ability to deliver critical services to our citizens. We worked hard to ensure our business leaders understood that cybersecurity is a business issue, and not an IT issue. For the state of Illinois, it is a life, health and safety issue; should certain systems fail, there is a true risk of lives being affected. Im proud to say our executives have a much clearer understanding, and we continue to nurture these relationships. We have had incredible support from the governor as well, so the proverbial "tone from the top" is well-established in Illinois.On a more day-to-day perspective, were proud of the team weve built working toward a common vision. The team extends beyond our Division of Information Security and into all areas of our agency. We have established application development groups that focus on secure development, a cross-agency group to develop protective but realistic information security policies and standards, and a team to help guide overall security engineering. We remind our staff of what we are protecting, and that translates into protecting the citizens of the state.KL: The development of the strategy was a pretty comprehensive process. Our initial approach was a straight-forward one-page view of what was then the current state, the desired state (defined as outcomes) and the gaps. We established an Executive Committee for Cybersecurity composed of key state leadership including our Director of Public Safety, Emergency Management Director, the Adjutant General of the National Guard, the Illinois State Police and others. This group served as a steering committee for the strategy, which helped us maintain a focus on the criticality of protecting the most essential business and information of the state.We were fortunate to have been awarded a Policy Academy for State Cybersecurity by the National Governors Association (NGA), and our focus was on the development of the strategy and cybersecurity governance. The NGA brought us together with other states to share ideas and learn from those before us, and also led strategy meetings with our stakeholders during in-state meetings.State agency chief information officers and information security personnel brought a great deal to the table, but we ensured input from the business as well. I think the end result is a comprehensive, protective and inclusive strategy. The process further nurtured our relationships, including agency leadership as well as our counterparts across the country.KL: The State of Illinois Cybersecurity Strategy is a public document, and can be reviewed online . The intended audience is wide. First, the strategy ensures our stakeholders know that the governor and our agency are focused on protecting them. These stakeholders include our citizens who entrust us with their personal information, our agencies which provide critical services to our citizens which rely on information technology, and members of our General Assembly, many of whom have shown incredible support toward a cybersecure Illinois.Our audience also includes the information technology professionals who support the state to ensure we remain focused on cybersecurity across all aspects of information technology service delivery. Our staff who focus on cybersecurity day in and day out also know where we are headed, so there is no confusion regarding our direction. We also believe our audience includes state and national partners, and sends a clear and distinct signal that Illinois is not only focused on a cybersecure Illinois, but a cybersecure nation.KL: We think one of the strengths of the strategy is its ability to communicate the right message to the right stakeholder. For example, simply by opening the first page, readers can clearly recognize Governor Rauners commitment to cybersecurity. The message from Secretary Hardik Bhatt communicates the direction through the identification of our five goals. Through the description of the threat, readers can quickly identify the importance of cybersecurity to them individually. It is so critical that we all recognize that the threat is real, and applies to all of us.Through the Strategic Vision and Outcomes, our executives and our legislators can quickly see the whys. Ensuring focus on outcomes, and not just output, is a key to any successful strategy. For those who want to know what are you going to do about it? the Goals, Objectives and Action Plans make it abundantly clear what is important, and at a high-level, just how we are going to make it happen.KL: During our first year, our critical initiatives were establishing programs that are sustainable and scalable across our enterprise. We have oversight and direction for cybersecurity across 63 agencies, boards and commissions comprised of approximately 50,000 employees and countless lines of business, ranging from public safety to financial to health care. It is crucial that we establish the foundational programs that provide for continual improvement and risk reduction.Our three key focus items are;It is aggressive. The strategy identifies where we need to go based on our current state of capability, maturity and the threat landscape. We are already checking many of the boxes, and have initiatives in-progress which address all the goals. Action plans have been prioritized, but clearly, we have a lot of work to do.I am somewhat of a driven person, and often impatient, as we know the cyberthreat is real and continuing to become more complex. I often have to remind myself that information and cyber ecurity is a journey, not a destination. There is no perfect security. While we will all strive for perfection, we must recognize that our focus needs to be on continual improvement and ongoing risk reduction.Will we finish everything in the strategy by Jan. 1, 2020? I think we will have completed many initiatives and improvements driven by the action plans. But we dont consider the strategy to be a "one-and-done" document. Its our first of many versions that will guide us toward a more cybersecure Illinois.KL: I would like to ensure that credit due is given to those who really made this happen. From the governor through the secretary to our business executives, agency chief information officers and information security and other IT staff, the strategy is their work. We have had tremendous support from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), the National Governors Association (NGA), the chief information security officers from other states across the nation and very importantly, the dedicated staff of the DoIT Division of Information Security. They did this. Im just lucky to be able to write about it.I urge readers to take a look at what Illinois is doing, both with cybersecurity and in many other technology and innovation areas highlighted at their website . Their leadership team, starting with State CIO Hardik Bhatt , is very impressive. Most of all, I see Illinois aggressively moving forward in areas ranging from legacy systems to cutting-edge Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
From online services like Netflix and Facebook, to chatbots on our phones and in our homes like Siri and Alexa, we are beginning to interact with artificial intelligence (AI) on a near daily basis. AI is the programming or training of a computer to do tasks typically reserved for human intelligence, whether it is recommending which movie to watch next or answering technical questions. Soon, AI will permeate the ways we interact with our government, too. From small cities in the US to countries like Japan, government agencies are looking to AI to improve citizen services.While the potential future use cases of AI in government remain bounded by government resources and the limits of both human creativity and trust in government, the most obvious and immediately beneficial opportunities are those where AI can reduce administrative burdens, help resolve resource allocation problems, and take on significantly complex tasks.For many systemic reasons, government has much room from improvement when it comes to technological advancement, and AI will not solve those problems. In addition, there is hype around many modern tools, while most government offices are still trying to reach more basic modern operating standards. Nevertheless, there is benefit in preparing for the inevitable future, and making technology investments to keep pace with trends in how citizens prefer to engage with service providers. Governments can start thinking about implementing AI by learning from previous government transformation efforts and AI implementations in the private sector.Six strategies can help governments start off on the right foot with AI:AI should not be implemented in government just because it is a new, exciting technology. Government officials should be equipped to solve problems impacting their work, and AI should be offered as one tool in a toolkit to solve a given problem. The question should not be how will we use AI to solve a problem, but what problem are we trying to solve, why, and how will we solve it? If AI is the best means to achieve that goal, then it can be applied, otherwise it should not be forced. If AI is the right tool, it cannot be a single touch-point for citizens. McKinsey recommends agencies consider a citizens end-to-end journey through a process. They report in their Putting Citizens First study that organizations that manage the entire customer journey from start to finish achieve higher levels of satisfaction and are more effective at delivery. Government offices can consider where and when AI can be a touchpoint, and what other technologies or human interaction touchpoints might be required in the citizens journey. In keeping with customer centricity, the technology also must be inclusive, with awareness for generational, educational, income, and language differences.Citizen input and support for AI implementations will be essential. Governments should enable a genuine participatory, grassroots approach to both demystify AI as well as offer sessions for citizens to create an agenda for AI while addressing any potential concerns, suggests Russon Gilman. Wallach agrees: There needs to be a conversation in society about AI  to educate everyone from citizens to policymakers so that they truly understand how it works and its tradeoffs. With that level of education, citizens can then offer other ways to be engaged with AI, and even help co-create ethics and privacy rules for use of their data. When it comes to building and deploying AI platforms, user feedback is essential both from citizens and government employee users. Onda recommends designing systems to provide the right level of insight, depending upon individual user preferences.Adding the benefits of AI to government systems should not require building the systems from scratch. Though much evolution in AI has come from early government research, governments can also take advantages of the advances businesses and developers are making in AI. IT analyst firm IDC predicts that by 2018, 75 percent of new business software will include AI features. Nonprofits and research institutions offer the public access to world-class research and new releases of open-source machine intelligence programs allow users to inexpensively scale their use of AI. Implementations do not have to start only for entirely new programs or datasets either. One place to start would be integrating AI into existing platforms, like 311 and SeeClickFix, where there is existing data and engagement.Many agencies will not be at the level of data management necessary for AI applications, and many may be lacking the significant amount of data needed to train and start using AI. But as government offices improve their data collection and management, best practices about the type of data that will be used and collected will be critical for future use with AI. Collecting and aggregating the right type of data is critical for success, says Onda. Governments must think about the type of data they need, when the data expires (it has a shelf life), and how the data will be aggregated to provide context for a specific individual. Citizens must be able to trust the systems they are interacting with and know where their data is going. Governments should be very transparent about the data collected and give citizens the choice to opt in when personal data will be used. There may be fewer privacy concerns if the only data being used is already provided to the government by citizens (such as IRS data). The privacy concerns become relevant when citizens have not provided consent or external datasets get mixed with government sources, explains Eaves. Data use also becomes concerning when the data is inaccurate. This can lead to a cascading effect as the data travels. Transparency isnt enough if the data is already off, explains Russon Gilman, because the algorithms and learning systems can be hidden, so the stakes are very high for democratic governance and ensuring equity in the public sector.AI is susceptible to bias because of how it is programmed and/or trained, or if the data inputs are already corrupted. A best practice for lessening bias is to involve multidisciplinary and diverse teams, in addition to ethicists, in all AI efforts. In addition, Matt Chessen, an AI researcher with the US Department of State, has recommended a new public policy profession that specializes in machine learning and data science ethics. Governments can also leverage the work of groups of technologists who have come together to create common sets of ethics for AI, such as the Asilomar AI Principles and the Partnership on AI. Given the ethical issues surrounding AI and continuing developments in machine learning techniques, AI should not be tasked with making critical government decisions about citizens. For example, the use of a risk-scoring system used in criminal sentencing and similar AI applications in the criminal justice system were found to be biased, with drastic repercussions for the citizens sentenced. These types of use cases should be avoided. Companies like Google and Microsoft are actively trying to improve machine learning models to prevent or correct bias, and have internal ethics boards that consider new algorithms  government offices should uphold a similar practice. Until machine learning techniques improve, though, AI should only be used for analysis and process improvement, not decision support, and human oversight should remain prevalent.Research highly varies in determining the threat of AI to jobs over the next two decades  from 9 to 47 percent  according to the 2016 White House report on automation and the economy. In some cases, AI may instead lead to increased and new employment directly and indirectly related to AI development and supervision. While job loss is a legitimate concern for civil servants, and blue and white collar workers alike as the technology evolves, early research has found that AI works best in collaboration with humans. Any efforts to incorporate AI in the government should be approached as ways to augment human work, not to cut headcount. Governments should also update fair labor practices in preparation for potential changes in workplaces where AI systems are in place.With these strategies, governments can approach the use of AI in citizen services with a focus on building trust, learning from the past, and improving citizen engagement through citizen-centric goals and solutions.
(TNS)  More than a half-dozen commercial cargo ships have joined four cruise ships in a logjam at the Port of Galveston, waiting to get the green light to port.More than 20,000 cruise ship passengers are stuck at sea in the ships, along with commercial ships including roll-on/roll-off carriers, two grain ships and a few bulk carriers, said interim port director Peter Simons Saturday."The four cruise ships  two of which were due today  those are everyone's highest priority," he said.Officials shut down the port Friday, leaving thousands of vacationers with no place to land as Hurricane Harvey loomed at sea. The storm also forced the U.S. Coast Guard to close multiple ports along Texas Gulf Coast, including those at Houston, Galveston, Texas City, Freeport and Corpus Christi.On Saturday morning, the Port of Brownsville reopened. The Brownsville Pilots began guiding ships into the port with a tanker that arrived at 11:45 a.m., said Henry A. de La Garza, spokesman for the Texas State Pilots Association. Pilots are tasked with guiding ships in and out of ports.At the Port of Corpus Christi, port personnel began assessing the damage Saturday. The resumption of operations following the storm will depend on the severity of damage to the ship channel and port facilities, according to a news release.Galveston Port officials said Friday that the cruise ships might not be able to dock in Galveston until Tuesday or Wednesday, but Simons said Saturday afternoon that he was "a little more optimistic."Two of the ships in limbo  Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor  were set to dock Saturday and will stop in New Orleans instead, according to Carnival spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta."Guests who wish to terminate their cruise at that point and disembark in New Orleans may do so," de la Huerta said in statement. ""We are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible."The Carnival Breeze spent the night in Mexico and was slated to leave Saturday for Galveston, although the company did not offer an update on progress Saturday afternoon.Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas was staying behind the storm with plans to return to port Sunday, officials said."We're working with the Coast Guard and the pilots and the cruise line to try to minimize the impact of the storm on the cruise ships," Simons said. "We're all really kind of subject at the end of the day to the mercy of the weather."2017 the Houston ChronicleVisit the Houston Chronicle at www.chron.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(TNS) - This story will be updated as major developments unfold.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked President Trump to issue a major disaster declaration Friday for areas of the state in the path of Hurricane Harvey.This is going to be a very major disaster, Abbott said in a news conference broadcast by multiple outlets. If you are in the areas between the Corpus Christi area and the Houston area, especially in low-lying areas, you need to strongly consider evacuating.Harvey is headed like a battering ram toward the Texas coast and was upgraded late Friday to a Category 4 hurricane  a crushing storm that blows off roofs, snaps trees and blocks roads, leaving reconstruction costs in the billions  as of Friday morning.The region could be dealing with flood conditions for up to two weeks, Abbott said. The hope in strongly urging people to evacuate, even from areas that are not subject to mandatory evacuation, is to avoid a scenario like Houston saw in 1989 the week after Tropical Storm Allison hit the Texas and Louisiana coastline.We are using terms like devastating and catastrophic in association with this storm, said Greg Waller, a service coordination hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.The storm had been upgraded to Category 2 just after midnight. Winds had increased to 110 mph by early Friday and by Friday afternoon had reached Category 3 strength. Category 3 comes with winds of 111-129 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.Reconstruction costs could reach $39.6 billion, according to CoreLogic, a global property information, analytics and data solutions provider, which released data showing that 232,721 homes along the Texas coast are at potential risk of storm surge damage at Category 3. Corpus Christi has 34,802 homes potentially at risk, with a reconstruction cost of nearly $6.2 billion, while Beaumont-Port Arthur has 75,567 homes, with a reconstruction cost of nearly $12.1 billion.Abbott said at this early stage, state spending on storm relief efforts is at $9 million, but he said he expects that number to climb substantially.Before 8 a.m., Harvey was still 140 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and 145 southeast of Port OConnor, with the outer bands making first landfall. Harvey is moving toward the mid-Gulf Coast at 10 mph, but Waller said it should slow and stall as the eye gets closer to landfall, sometime late Friday night or early Saturday morning.Landfall was predicted along the central Texas coast, between Port OConnor and Matagorda Bay, according to The Associated Press. That stretch of coastline spans about 30 miles, roughly 70 miles northeast of Corpus Christi.Areas along the coast could receive more than 30 inches of rain over the next week, which would lead to widespread flooding and power outages, according to National Weather Service estimates.Corpus Christi officials in a news conference Friday urged residents to stay patient  electricity in some areas could be out 3-7 days, Nueces County Judge Loyd Neal said.The greatest asset that [residents] can have is patience, because this storm is not going to play out overnight, Neal said. Forty-eight hours is going to seem like an eternity without power. Please be patient. ... Fry those wieners today and eat them for the next three days.People throughout the region posted on social media Thursday and Friday about empty shelves at area grocery stores. Many gas stations ran out of gas or were shuttered in preparation for the storm. As far north as Lufkin, residents had already bought out all the bread and water.Residents left notes for Harvey on the wood or cardboard they used to cover windows before they left town.Go home, Harvey, youre drunk, read Corpus Christi resident Brittany Fowlers sign on her homes front door.President Trump said on Twitter that he had been in contact with Abbott about the storm and that the federal government was monitoring the situation.Predicting the worstWeather forecasters are predicting the worst.You will remember this storm for the rest of your life, Waller said.Southwest Airlines, which flies in and out of Dallas Love Field, issued a travel advisory for the weekend. A flight from Corpus Christi set to arrive at Love Field at 9 a.m. Friday was the last Southwest flight out of the city sitting in the direct path of the storm.Southwest had canceled about 120 flights systemwide as of Friday morning, but more are expected as Harvey gets closer to the coast. Southwest customers flying to, through or from Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, Harlingen or San Antonio can rebook or fly standby for no added charges on flights originally scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, if rebooked within 14 days from their original date.American Airlines officials are also monitoring the storm, but because they do not offer many flights to Houston, they are not anticipating much impact to their weekend flight schedule. The airline is offering passengers the chance to rebook flights today through Sunday, online for no change fee, for tickets purchased before Thursday and for flights scheduled to, through or from airports in Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, Lake Charles, McAllen or San Antonio.That wide radius of airports underscores the massive threat of flooding to nearly the entire swath of the state of Texas east of Interstate 35. Waller said widespread areas of the state could see 15-25 inches of rain through Tuesday or Wednesday, while isolated areas, including parts of the Houston area, could see 35 inches or more.After this storm moves inland 30-60 miles, it appears its just going to sit down for a while, Waller said. And even cut off from its moisture source, flash flooding and river flooding is a massive threat here. Monday morning the storm will be roughly in the same spot it was in Saturday morning. It appears it will move off the coast Monday night or Tuesday morning and be above the Houston area Tuesday night, Wednesday morning.Mandatory evacuation of counties expected to be severely impacted by the storm began Thursday and the list continued to expand Friday. The City of Port Aransas was the first to issue a mandatory evacuation and was followed by Calhoun and San Patricio Counties early Thursday afternoon.Local responseThe Red Cross of North Texas has sent six 18-wheelers full of shelter kits and feeding kits to staging areas outside the anticipated impact area, where they will wait until first responders have declared those areas safe for recovery efforts to begin.Six more trucks will leave the warehouses off Interstate 20 and New York Avenue in Arlington today. Two will head to San Antonio, two are bound to Victoria, and two more were still being loaded at 11 a.m. Friday. Each shelter kit has all the supplies needed to shelter 816 people per kit, while the feeding kits have all the peripheral supplies to go along with mobile kitchens, once those are set up, said Dan Halyburton, a Red Cross spokesman.This is the biggest mobilization of volunteers in Texas that I have seen in my nine years with the Red Cross, Halyburton said.In Fort Worth, critically ill infants from Driscoll Childrens Hospital in Corpus Christi were evacuated to Cook Childrens Medical Center Thursday evening, Cook spokeswoman Kim Brown said. The babies require ventilators, which means any power outage could put them at risk.Area animal shelters had already taken in 30-50 animals from the coast and were ready to accept more if necessary, said Diane Covey, Fort Worth city animal shelter spokeswoman.Two to three local game wardens will be on their way south, as will seven local MedStar personnel, who will be bringing an AMBUS mobile hospital unit with them.The following evacuations were ordered as of Friday morning, according to Star-Telegram partner WFAA-TV:Aransas CountyMandatory evacuation: Cities of Aransas Pass, RockportBee CountyVoluntary evacuationBrazoria CountyMandatory evacuation for coastal communities along the Gulf side of the Intracoastal Waterway, including Surfside, Sargent and Palacios beginning at 8 a.m. Friday. The evacuation is due to a 6-10 foot storm surge. Voluntary evacuation for low-lying coastal areas inland of the Intracoastal Waterway.Calhoun CountyMandatory evacuationCameron CountyVoluntary evacuation of RVs in County ParksVoluntary evacuation of City of South Padre IslandChambers CountyVoluntary evacuation of: Smith Point, Cedar PointGalveston CountyVoluntary evacuation for residents of Bolivar peninsula, effective Friday 8 a.m.Harris CountyVoluntary evacuation: City of Seabrook by noon FridayJackson CountyVoluntary evacuationMatagorda CountyMandatory evacuation for parts of the countyNueces CountyCity of Corpus Christi: evacuation encouraged but not mandatory. Mandatory evacuation for Port Aransas and Ingleside. Assisted evacuations take place between 8 a.m. and noon Friday.Refugio CountyMandatory evacuationSan Patricio CountyMandatory evacuationVictoria CountyMandatory evacuationMatthew Martinez: 817-390-7667, @MCTinez8172017 the Fort Worth Star-TelegramVisit the Fort Worth Star-Telegram at www.star-telegram.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Sue Hartman, information technology director for the city of Richmond, Calif., believes that a public Wi-Fi initiative is key to improving the quality of life for underserved city residents.Through a partnership with a literacy program, officials hope to not only provide a means of access to the Internet, but also an education on the value of the digital tools.
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Sergio Perez on Friday joined Nico Hulkenberg in condemning the driving style of Haas racer Kevin Magnussen.

Hulkenberg and Magnussen famously fell out in Hungary amid the "suck my b-lls" affair, and at Spa-Francorchamps Perez admitted his fury after the Dane apparently swerved into him during practice.

Mexican Perez said he thinks Magnussen is "dirty" and brought up the issue in the FIA driver briefing.

"He just said that he didn't do anything," said Perez, "but we've seen Kevin react like this a few times.

"At the speeds we drive, it's not good as you could cause a big accident," the Force India driver told Ekstra Bladet newspaper.

"That's why I brought it up with Charlie (Whiting) and hopefully he remembers it because it's too late once there's a big accident," Perez added.

(GMM)
Niki Lauda says he has little sympathy amid the situation facing Fernando Alonso.

Recently, the likes of Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber have said they feel sorry for the Spaniard, who has struggled since 2015 with McLaren-Honda rather than raced at the front where he really belongs.

But when asked what advice he has for Alonso, F1 legend and Mercedes team chairman Niki Lauda said: "Nothing at all.

"He's where he is because he wanted to make a lot of money at McLaren."

It is expected Alonso will commit to a team only for 2018, so as to leave his options open for 2019 and beyond.

Mercedes, for instance, will have a key vacancy in 2019, as Lewis Hamilton's contract is expiring.

"2019 is still far away -- I'm not worried," Lauda told Speed Week.

"We will soon be able to say something about 2018. Personally, I'm very satisfied with Bottas. I think our lineup is the strongest, because together Vettel and Raikkonen are weaker and Verstappen and Ricciardo are less stable," he added.

Lauda also denied that Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel have been targeted by Mercedes for the future.

"Verstappen is waiting for a top car and is disappointed now, but he must fulfil his contract," he said.

"Vettel will stay with Ferrari," Lauda added. "So it's not an issue for us."

(GMM)
British team Williams is making a bid to sign Fernando Alonso for 2018, according to multiple media reports.

After three years of struggling with McLaren-Honda, the Spanish driver is openly assessing his limited options for next season.

But McLaren is making clear it wants to keep him.

"We will do everything we can to keep Fernando," said managing director Jonathan Neale.

Alonso's options actually appear limited, with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull apparently having no vacancies.

Renault is one option for the 36-year-old, but another may now be emerging - Williams.

"Auto Motor und Sport call it a rumour, but at Auto Bild Motorsport we know that Williams and Alonso are on the brink of a sensation," the German publication said.

"The two sides have been talking for some time."

He would presumably take Felipe Massa's place, as Williams is yet to commit to the veteran Brazilian for 2018.

"There's no reason not to go for another year if the package is right," Massa said at Spa. "But I'm completely relaxed, no matter what happens."

An Alonso-Williams collaboration makes sense, as the British team is eyeing a return to regular podium places, considering deepening its relationship with Mercedes, and looking to keep sponsor Martini happy with an experienced driver.

And sources report that Lance Stroll's billionaire father Lawrence is also keen on Alonso joining Williams, as his 18-year-old son could learn a lot from the two-time champion.

Auto Bild claims: "Lawrence Stroll is willing to pay Alonso's EUR 25 million salary personally, as he wants the best driving instructor and development aid for his son.

"Stroll even plans to take over the Williams team, having already invested at least EUR 40 million," the report added.

McLaren could replace Alonso with 17-year-old British youngster Lando Norris, who has reportedly already begun a series of private F1 tests.

"McLaren is letting him drive at every opportunity," an insider said.

Finally, another option for Alonso may be Force India.

"We would be the ideal team for him," said sporting director Otmar Szafnauer.

(GMM)
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The worst fears of flooding are starting to be realized with Harvey as it unloads some of the most extreme rainfall Houston and other parts of Southeast Texas has ever witnessed. And much more rain is still to come.

"Catastrophic flooding in the Houston metropolitan area is expected to worsen," the National Weather Service said Sunday morning.

One to two feet of rain has already fallen with some locations nearing 30 inches.

"I know for a fact this is the worst flood Houston has ever experienced," Patrick Blood, National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Houston Chronicle.

The Weather Service office in Houston reported 24.1 inches of rain in 24 hours as of 7 a.m. Sunday morning and said this August had become the wettest month in recorded history due to the storm.

It added the "majority" of rivers and bayous around Houston were at record levels.

"Volume-wise, this has liked reached the rainfall that fell during Allison in June 2001, and it continues to rain," said the Weather Service office in College Park, Maryland, responsible for rainfall forecasts.

The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center is calling for an additional 15-25 inches of rain over the middle and upper Texas coas, including the Houston area, during the next several days, with isolated amounts possibly reaching 40 inches.

A relentless band of heavy rain sat nearly stationary over Houston and its surrounding suburbs Saturday night. By Sunday morning, the effects of hour after hour of drenching rainfall started to take their toll, with widespread reports of high water on roadways.

At least five deaths have already been blamed on the storm, and over 1000 water rescues have taken place in the Houston area as of Sunday morning. Local officials are pleading with the general public to not travel and to make sure they access their roof if the water rises too high in their homes rather than shelter in their attic.

Some of the worst flooding is happening on the southeast side of the city near Houston Hobby International Airport, resulting in the airport closing early Sunday morning. Upwards of 2 feet of rain has fallen here, making it extremely hard for first responders to keep up with the growing onslaught of rescue requests.

Unfortunately, the forecast doesn't get any better for Houston. Harvey will continue to sit in a nearly stationary position on Sunday, keeping the Houston area under heavy rain bands of 2-4 inches-plus per hour.

The NWS in Houston is not mincing its words about the danger of this unprecedented situation. The office issued multiple flash flood emergencies, shattering the precedent for issuance of such warnings locally.

Perhaps even more frightening, computer model forecasts are showing the very real possibility that Harvey will move back over the Gulf of Mexico early next week and make a second landfall near Houston on Wednesday.

In addition to the heavy rain, the strong line of thunderstorms spawned more than a dozen tornadoes across the region, adding to the list of hazards brought on by Harvey. In fact, the National Weather Service in Houston said Sunday night it issued more tornado warnings on both Friday and Saturday than on any single day on record.

This storm is unfortunately breaking all the wrong precedents. Things will only continue to get worse over the next 24-48 hours as more areas of the region receive overwhelming amounts of water with nowhere for it to go.

Washington Post News Service (DC)

Updated at 8:25 a.m.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas  Authorities say rescue attempts continue in Houston for those stranded inside flooded homes and submerged vehicles in the wake of Harvey.

The Houston Chronicle reports that hundreds of calls have been fielded for water rescues as of early Sunday, including Houston police officials who evacuated two apartment complexes and rescued more than 50 children.

Meanwhile, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Sunday continued urging residents via Twitter to "shelter in place" and stay off rain-swollen roadways.

Gonzalez actively used Twitter overnight to field assistance for those trapped inside water-soaked homes, attics and vehicles. Those appealing for assistance or being steered to help via Gonzalez's Twitter feed included a person suffering "cardiac-arrest," and a woman who posted: "I have 2 children with me and tge,water is swallowing us up. Please send help."

Gonzalez at one point appealed for calm and patience, saying officials were "trying to make it to everyone as best we can."

Turner's official Twitter account said "911 services at capacity. If u can shelter in place do so, a few inches in your home is not imminent danger. Only call if in imminent danger."

VICTORIA, Texas A least three people have died since Hurricane Harvey came ashore in south Texas Friday night as a powerful Category 4 storm, drenching low-lying areas, tearing roofs off buildings and leaving more than 300,000 homes and businesses without power.

Roy Laird, assistant fire chief with the Rockport Volunteer Fire Department, said three people were dead in Aransas County. Emergency responders continued to search the debris of collapsed buildings, overturned trailers, broken power poles and uprooted trees.

The danger was not over. Even as Harvey weakened to a tropical storm with 70 mph winds, weather officials warned residents across Texas to expect severe flooding, life-threatening storm surges and tornadoes.

This is just the beginning, said Jeff Evans, a National Weather Service meteorologist in the Houston-Galveston office. We could see catastrophic flooding for a lot of people, historic flooding for parts of Texas. Were looking at measuring rainfall not in inches, but in feet.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said at a news conference Saturday that there had already been about 20 inches of rain in Corpus Christi and about 16 inches of rain in Houston. Our primary concern remains dramatic flooding, he said. Biggest concern is the possibility of between 20 and 30 more inches of rain.

It was the first Category 4 hurricane to hit the United States since Hurricane Charley struck Florida in 2004, and the first to hit Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961.

The eye of the storm landed about 10 p.m. Friday near Rockport, a small fishing city about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, with 130 mph winds uprooting trees, tossing boats onto roads and demolishing homes and businesses.

Its about what you would expect if a Category 4 hurricane entered your front door, said Rockport Mayor Charles C.J. Wax, who left the city for safety in San Antonio.

Severe weather made it impossible for emergency assessment teams to venture into the city overnight, Wax said. Yet already officials had heard that the local high school had been damaged and the wall of a hotel had collapsed.

In Victoria, a city of 62,000 people about 30 miles from the coast in southeast Texas, heavy rains pounded sideways Saturday morning as ferocious winds lashed the city.

The streets were empty of cars and littered with downed trees and power lines. Several gas station overhangs had collapsed and fallen on top of the pumps. Water began to pool on neighborhood streets.

At a Red Cross shelter, more than 300 residents huddled inside, slumped on cots as they awaited news about the storm.

What makes Harvey so potentially dangerous, even as it weakens, is that it will linger in the area, meteorologists say.

Typically, a hurricane comes in and pulls inland, but this is moving slowly, and its expected to stall, wobble and maybe loop back to where it came in, Evans said.

As Harvey approached Friday, a hurricane warning was in effect along a wide stretch of coastline from Port Mansfield to Sargent, spanning a region that in which about 4 million people live. An additional 12 million, many in the major cities of Houston and San Antonio, were under a tropical storm warning.

On Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned that some areas could get as much as 40 inches of rain  about the amount of rainfall many Texas coastal towns get in a year.

It urged residents not to return to evacuated areas until hazardous winds weaken and floodwaters recede.

Across the coast, some residents ventured out Saturday morning to check on family and friends. Its like a little ghost town, Eddie Canales, 69, said as he drove his car across Corpus Christi  past broken fences, toppled trees and dark traffic lights  to check on his uncle and cousins.

Theres very little traffic. All the Whataburgers are closed  every single one of them.

The winds had calmed, and there was little floodwater, Canales said. With his house intact, his main concern was when power would be restored. Without it, he could not boil water.

Everything seems to be getting back to normal, Canales said. If electrical power comes back, Ill be prepared. If not, Ill have to move further inland.

Not long after the storm slammed onto shore between Port Aransas and Port OConnor, there were news reports of damage.

At least 10 people were treated for injuries at a local jail in Rockport after the roof of a senior citizens complex collapsed, local media reported.

Part of a local high school also collapsed, and a portion of the exterior of a hotel peeled off in the heavy winds, KXAN reported.

People are trapped inside at least one collapsed building, Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth told KIII. We cant get rescue teams to them right now.

Shortly after midnight, the storm came ashore along the northeastern shore of Copano Bay and downgraded at that point to a Category 3 storm, the National Weather Service reported.

Before Harvey, the most recent major hurricane to hit the U.S. was Wilma, a Category 3 storm in Florida in October 2005, two months after Hurricane Katrina.

(EDITORS: BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Historically, slow-moving tropical storms and hurricanes have caused some of Texas most severe flooding. In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison hovered above the Houston area for days, dumping up to 30 inches of rain  as much as 80 percent of the areas average annual rainfall over some neighborhoods.

The last hurricane to hit the Texas coast  Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm that wreaked havoc after making landfall in Galveston in 2008  killed at least 37 people and resulted in more than $30 billion in damage.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Hurricane Harvey poses the first major test of emergency response for the Trump administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agencys new administrator, Brock Long, who was confirmed in June.

Trump plans to travel to Texas next week, homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said. Federal officials had significantly improved their ability to respond to natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina caused widespread flooding in New Orleans in 2005, and the president seemed determined to provide help to Texas.

(EDITORS: STORY CAN END HERE)

In some parts of Texas, residents were bombarded with contradictory advice from state and local officials as the storm approached.

On Friday afternoon, Gov. Abbott urged residents of low-lying and coastal areas prone to flooding  including parts of Houston  to leave their homes.

What you dont know and what nobody else knows right now is the magnitude of flooding that will be coming, the governor said.

Shortly afterward, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner reminded residents that city officials had not issued an evacuation order and urged them to stay in place, noting that residents fleeing Hurricane Rita in 2005 had caused major traffic chaos.

Please think twice before trying to leave Houston en masse, he said on Twitter. No evacuation orders have been issued for the city.

With Houston forecast to get to 20 inches of rainfall, officials there were readying evacuation boats and high-water rescue vehicles.

For days, Houstons Office of Emergency Management has urged residents to stockpile enough water, food and medication for five to seven days, secure anything that could be picked up by strong winds and park vehicles off the streets.

The impact of the hurricane is likely to be felt in neighboring Louisiana, and Gov. John Bel Edwards Thursday declared a state of emergency Thursday for the entire state.

Just a few inches of rain could cause severe problems in New Orleans, which is still recovering from flooding after thunderstorms this month overwhelmed the citys drainage system.

On Friday, Mayor Mitch Landrieu warned residents to prepare for 5 to 10 inches of rain. Yet New Orleans officials did not advise residents to leave, urging them instead to prepare to take shelter and stock up with at least three days worth of supplies.



(Jarvie, a special correspondent, reported from Atlanta.)



2017 Los Angeles Times

Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.



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Haiti - FLASH : Fire at the Salomon market, considerable damage





Late Friday afternoon, a fire broke out at Salomon market, Port-au-Prince.



Provisional results: 12 small houses have been burned and the material damage is considerable. No loss of life has been reported for the moment, but several people have been burned, some of them seriously according to testimonies.



The intervention teams of the Haitian National Police and of the Town Hall of Port-au-Prince, accompanied by civil protection officers and police officers, as well as residents, were able to limit the fire while the Firefighters was waited...



Max Rudolph Saint-Albin, the Minister of the Interior and the Mayor of Port-au-Prince, Youri Chevry, visited the operations site. The mayor deplored the lack of a fire-fighting structure in Port-au-Prince. "We asked the firefighters of the commune of Carrefour for help, which unfortunately could not intervene [...]" congratulating the spirit of initiative and solidarity of the people, who with the purchase of water truckscame to the end of the disaster with buckets of water. A population that still does not understand why the fire departments did not intervene in time, despite their calls for help...



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Cholera : Last lawsuit against the UN rejected





On Thursday, the latest lawsuit against the United Nations over the cholera epidemic in Haiti was rejected by a federal judge, who confirmed the organization's assertion of diplomatic immunity.



In an order filed in the Brooklyn District District Court, Justice Sandra L. Townes stated that the Brooklyn trial, which accused the United Nations of responsibility because the cholera was introduced into Haiti by UUnited Nations peacekeepers from Nepal seven years ago, had been dismissed for "lack of subject-matter jurisdiction".



Let's recall that over a year ago, a federal court of appeal in New York rejected the only other class-action lawsuit seeking compensation for Haitians from the United Nations over the cholera epidemic. That ruling also held that the United Nations could not be sued in United States courts.



The dismissal of the Brooklyn case appeared to dash any hope by Haitian victims of the epidemic for financial compensation from the United Nations in an American court judgment.



The lead attorney for Haitian James F. Haggerty, expressed disappointment for the referral but said he was "certainly likely" he would appeal "We firmly believe the U.S. legal system eventually bends toward justice," declared Mr. Haggerty.



United Nations officials did not comment on the reference. But they had previously expressed their confidence in the argument that immunity would prevail. Under the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, the organization is entitled to immunity from every form of legal process" except when it has "expressly waived its immunity".



Mr. Haggerty unsuccessfully argued that the United Nations had already recognized the responsibility for negligence through its peacekeeping operations, which he said was a waiver of immunity in the cholera disaster https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18376-haiti-cholera-the-untouchable-un-recognizes-its-moral-responsibility.html



The dismissal of the Brooklyn lawsuit "puts the onus back on the U.N. to decide whether it stands for impunity or accountability," declared Beatrice Lindstrom, a lawyer at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti, adding "The U.N. pledged to provide justice out of court, but in a year has done nothing but put in place a near-empty trust fund https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20204-haiti-cholera-funding-failure-for-the-$400m-un-funds.html "Until Guterres delivers on the promises made to Haiti [...] victims will have to keep fighting and the U.N.s moral standing will continue to plummet."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : 2 dead and over 20 injured in frontal collision on RN2





On Friday afternoon on National #2 at La Colline, a bus from Les Cayes collided with a van, loaded with passengers and bags of charcoal from Port-au-Prince. The accident occurred when the truck suddenly deported to avoid a motorcyclist and found itself on the trajectory of the bus, without being able to avoid the shock, witnesses said.



Two people died and more than 20 wounded, including several in critical condition according to the National Police of Haiti (PNH), who intervened quickly at the scene of the accident.



Some of the injured, including those in critical condition, were rushed to the Martissant Doctors Without Borders Center while others were taken to a Gressier hospital, which proved incapable of treating some of the injured, which had to be rerouted to another Medical Center.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - NOTICE : Power outage scheduled





Due to maintenance work on the 69 kV transmission line, the Electricity of Haiti (EDH) informs the general public and in particular customers that power outage is scheduled for Sunday, August 27, 2017, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Commune of Petion-ville, the Commune of Kenscoff, the Downtoan of Port-au-Prince, the Commune of Carrefour, the Commune of Gressier and that of Leogane.



In order to provide a quality service to the population, works to change conductors crumbled in Delmas 33 (Street Jean-Baptiste), the replacement of transformers in the Plant of Carrefour, the change of two broken concrete poles at Oswald Durand Street, and some pruning work at Juvenat, justify this planned cut.



The EDH, aware of the disadvantage that this indispensable work will represent for its clientele calls for the collaboration of all with a view to their realization in the best conditions and in the time allowed.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





A container caught fire

Thursday evening, a 40-foot container, owned a security agency, caught fire in Canape Vert. A safety perimeter has been established and the fire fought and mastered informs us the Directorate of Civil Protection.



Insufficient health budget

On Friday in the context of the analysis of the draft budget for 2017/2018, Marie Greta Roy Clement, the Minister of Public Health, complained to the members of the Commission "Economie et Finances" about a budget allocated to her ministry of 6.14 billion Gourdes clearly insufficient to meet the health needs of the population.



Health : 18 Haitians scholars in Cuba

Thursday, a group of 18 Haitian students selected to study in the health sector arrived at the Medical Sciences University of Santiago de Cuba, 10 scholars in medical, 3 in health technologies, 3 in technical specialties, 1 in General surgery and 1 in cardiology.



A candidate disqualified in Miss Haiti

The Miss Haiti Committee informs the general public and the press in particular that the candidate Wheytnie Alexandre was disqualified of the contest Miss Haiti 2017. After an emergency, she had to leave the country for more than two weeks. The Committee was required to terminate Wheytnie's participation, in accordance with the regulations, for non-availability at various stages of the competition. The Committee wishes Wheytnie Alexandre success in her future projects.



Deputy Descollines, launches his political party

The Deputy of Mirebalais, Abel Descollines, launches his political party called the "Movement of the visionaries of the Central Plateau"...



D-10 : The Ministry of Education takes stock with its partners

On Friday, a meeting was held on the actions planned for the start of the school year 2017 with the Technical and Financial Partners and the NGOs in the UNICEF office. The Ministry took stock with the PTFs on its action plan for the start of the school year and the possible contribution envisaged by each actor.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Rum set to break 1 billion barrier

By Jo Gilbert

Hot on the heels of gin, rum is the latest spirit set to reach sales of 1 billion later this year.

Craft cocktails have been pushing up sales of artisanal spirits over the last few years.

And helped along no doubt by the Notting Hill Carnival descending on the capital this weekend, rum enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that rum will soon be worth 1 billion to the UK economy.

The prediction comes from the WSTAs newly released annual Spirits Report, which shows that in 2016, Brits bought almost 34 million bottles of rum worth 960 million and is likely to hit the 1 billion mark later this year.

In the last five years, UK rum has seen sales increase 15% by volume and 32% by value.

The latest increase in sales comes from the UKs growing appetite for rum and the increasing number of brands on the market, the WSTA said.

In 2006, there were around 50 rum brandsavailble in the UK, compared to the 150 on sale in 2016.

Growth can also be attributed to the revival of Tiki bars, popular for tropical rum-based cocktails such as the Mai Tai.

Although gin has grown more rapidly overall, rum sold more by volume in pubs, bars and restaurants in 2016.

Total spirit sales last year amounted to more than 10bn, with nearly half of UK drinkers  around 24 million people  choosing to drink spirits, up 8% on 2015, according to WSTA figures.

The number of British rum brands is also growing, with English Spirit Distillerys Old Salt Rum, Spirit Masters Glorious Revolution White Rum and Dark Matters Distillers Spiced Rum to name but a few already in the market.

Flavoured and spiced rum remains the fastest growing category, with spiced rum increasing its share of the off-trade rum market from 25% to 34% over the past year.

Golden rum is also seeing strong growth in the off-trade  13% by both volume and value.

Speaking of the growing number of rum brands being produced in the UK in recent years, WSTA CEO Miles Beale said, As we have seen a rapid growth in the number of distilleries in the UK, a new wave of UK spirit makers are turning their hand to rum production, and once again called on the government to support UK spirit makers by freezing excise duty until Budget 2018.

Currently, 78% of an averaged priced bottle of rum is made up of tax.










Does the Saltchuk initiative put Matsons terminal expansion at risk?

by Michael Hansen, Hawaii Shippers Council, August 25, 2017

Matson Inc. issued on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, a press release, Matson signs contracts for a total of six new and upgraded cranes for Honolulu terminal, announcing that they will undertake a $60 million upgrade for their Honolulu Terminal at Piers 51B, 52 and 53, Sand Island, Honolulu Harbor.

These improvements are necessary to accommodate Matsons four newbuild containerships  two Aloha Class 3,600 TEU cellular containerships from Philly Shipyard Inc. and two Kanaloa Class combination container and Roll-on / Roll-off (Con/Ro) ships (each with a capacity of 2750 TEU and 500 autos) from General Dynamics NASSCO shipbuilding yard in San Diego  to be delivered between late 2018 and mid 2020.

The newbuild ships will have a greater breadth and an additional row of containers athwartships than Matsons largest existing ships. Matsons existing container gantry cranes at their Honolulu Terminal wont be able to reach containers in the outboard side necessitating new cranes.

Matson contracted with Paceco Corporation of Hayward, California, to provide three new cranes and refurbish three existing cranes. The three new cranes will be constructed under license by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (MES) Logistics Systems in Japan and delivered fully assembled to Matsons Sand Island terminal on a foreign flag heavy lift ship. MES will also upgrade three existing cranes.

In their press release, Matson stated, [The new gantry cranes] . . . . . will be equipped with fiber-optic cabling, enabling faster and more accurate communication of data used in Matson's container tracking system. However, its not clear whether Matsons new cranes will incorporate Pacecos latest technology that facilitates driverless operation, eliminating the most costly stevedore labor position, the gantry crane operators. Stevedores and wharf clerks in Hawaii, Alaska and on the Pacific Coast (Washington, Oregon & California) are represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU).

The most interesting aspect of the announcement is the statement, The investments are part of a broader $60 million terminal expansion and modernization program Matson is undertaking to prepare its operational hub in Hawaii . . . . .. The expansion of Matsons Honolulu terminal is a reference to the terminal at Pier 51A Sand Island currently occupied by Pasha Hawaii Transport Line LLC (Pasha Hawaii) for its container operations.

A key feature of the Hawaii State Department of Transportation (HIDOT) Harbors Division planning for the past 20 years is the relocation of the second-tier carrier in the domestic Hawaii trade  currently Pasha Hawaii  from Pier 51A to the new container terminal to be constructed at the site of the former Kapalama Military Reservation (KMR), which has evolved into the Kapalama Container Terminal (KCT) project. That would be followed by Matsons expansion of their Honolulu Terminal on Sand Island to incorporate the Pier 51A area.

Despite this long term planning, Pasha Hawaii has reportedly not entered into a firm contract with HIDOT Harbors for KCT, leaving the facility available for Saltchuk Resources Inc. to propose a new entrant container shipping service utilizing KCT and four new containerships to be constructed by Philly Shipyard Inc. The Saltchuk service would be operated by its subsidiary TOTE, Inc. d.b.a., TOTE Maritime.

As assignment of KCT is an essential requirement for Saltchuks proposal, the fate of their proposal is really subject to a HIDDOT Harbors decision, which will be to some important dimension, political.

It should be expected that Matson will weigh in with HIDOT and the State administration on the side of Pasha Hawaii to be assigned KCT for the following reasons:

Matson will wish to retain the less experienced container service operator, Pasha Hawaii, in the trade as opposed to Saltchuk / TOTE. This correlates with Matsons original arrangement when they purchased Horizon Lines Inc. in 2015 from its creditors and secondarily choose to sell Horizons Hawaii service to Pasha Hawaii to avoid antitrust considerations. As a result of the Horizon acquisition, Matson obtained Horizons Alaska service.

Matson will want to avoid overtonnaging and a period of intense competition that would result from Saltchuk / TOTE actually entering the Hawaii trade with Pasha Hawaii continuing to operate a competing service.

Matson will want to preserve the ability to expand their terminal on Sand Island to occupy the Pier 51A area, which means having Pasha Hawaii to relocate to KCT.

Key excerpts:
A PROPERTY developer from Lower Shiplake has been named runner-up in a photography competition.

Oli Andersons picture of a frosty Temple Island taken at sunrise earned him a 250 voucher for House of Fraser.

The prize also included a 500 charitable donation, for which he nominated Harpsden Pre-School, which his nephews attended.

Romans estate agents, which has a branch in Hart Street, Henley, launched the competition in June as a way of showcasing the best the area has to offer.

Mr Anderson, 36, says the picture was the result of his girlfriend, Annabella, persuading him to get up early and go for a walk with her.

He said: My girlfriend and I got up at 6am , parked up by Bremont and walked down the river to Temple Island and waited for the sun to come up. The picture was taken during the last cold snap  the car thermometer said -8c, but it was well worth it.

Mr Anderson captured the image using a Sony A7R Mark II camera on a tripod and said it was probably only the third photograph he had taken with it.

He sent the picture to the Henley Standard and it was published on the letters page. It later appeared in the Daily Telegraph as part of its monthly travel competition.

When Romans launched the competition Annabella encouraged him to submit the photograph, which carried the caption Temple Island on a chilly winters morning.

The competition was won by Mick Vogel with a photo called Poppy field at Widbrook Common taken in Cookham, while Paul Williams came third with Horseshoe Golden Sunset taken near Yateley.

The online winner, with 1,038 votes, was Lizzie Barry with an image of a path leading through Ockwells Park in Maidenhead called Walking around always captures the imagination and takes you away from everyday life.

Richard Wagstaff, sales manager at Romans Henley, said: The judges had to make some very tough decisions to in order to pick the top three  they were extremely ruthless but in the end were very happy with the winners.

The winning photos are all very different yet they all highlight the beauty of the area. We are really lucky to live in such a stunning area, with a great mixture of urban districts and rural woodland, as demonstrated by our four winners.

You can view the winning photos and the rest of the entries at romans.co.uk/thelocalpicture
A proposed drug injection centre in the heart of Dublin will serve coffee and have a "chill-out" area for users after they shoot up.

The details have been released by the Health Service Executive (HSE), which hopes to open the controversial centre as soon as possible.

The HSE is seeking tenders for the medically-supervised facility and hopes to award the contract by November.

The Government has given the HSE 750,000 to set up the centre which is expected to cost 1.5m a year to run. Its location has yet to be decided.

It is estimated there are 400 drug users injecting in laneways around the city centre.

According to the HSE, there were 25 deaths among people injecting in public places in the two years to 2014.

The planned centre has divided opinion.

Among those against it is Independent city council member Mannix Flynn who said it "will be catastrophic for the city".

According to the HSE, the centre will have an intake area for 10 to 15 people to prevent "on-street congregation" of people waiting to use the facility.

"House rules" will include no dealing and no sharing of needles while resuscitation equipment will provide emergency care in cases of overdoses and adverse reactions.

Security

The centre will also have a "chill-out" area where people can relax and be monitored after they inject themselves.

The HSE tender states that the area should be equipped with a coffee and tea machine and comfortable chairs.

There will also be a minimum of three clinical rooms for medical and crisis interventions, counselling and referrals to social services and housing.

Nurses and security staff will be on duty at all times while a doctor will be present at least five days a week.

The centre will be open at various times between 6am and 10pm each day to "meet the needs of most injectors".

The HSE states that a key element to its success will be a demonstration of consultation and ongoing engagement with local stakeholders.

However, Cllr Flynn said: "This is only prolonging the misery of those who want treatment and detox. They don't want another place to shoot up.

"A centre like this should require planning permission. There has been no proper debate around it. It is the wrong approach. There is no substitute for proper treatment centres."

Cllr Flynn said the centre will lead to more anti-social behaviour on the streets.

Tony Duffin, of the Ana Liffey Drug Project, has long been campaigning for the centre.

He recently said it will reduce overdose deaths and the spread of diseases, and connect drug users with treatment services.
A judge has granted legal aid to a man charged with conspiracy to murder a Dublin man.

Gardai objected to legal aid being granted to Gary Gleeson (33), of Muskerry Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10, on the grounds he may have received a 46,000 insurance payout.

He and co-defendant Stephen Dunne (38), of Meile an Ri Drive, Lucan, Co Dublin, are charged with conspiring to murder Michael Frazer at a location within the State between July 28 and August 7 this year.

Both men also have two charges under the Firearms Act for possession of a semi-automatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition with intent to endanger life at the Naas Road, Crumlin, on August 7.

The pair, who were arrested by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB), could face possible further charges.

They were remanded in custody at their first hearing on August 14.

Mr Gleeson appeared again before Judge Kathryn Hutton at Cloverhill District Court yesterday for a decision on whether he was entitled to legal aid.

Assets

That issue had been deferred after a judge was told that a statement of Mr Gleeson's assets included a 4,000 Rolex watch and an Audi car, believed to be worth 14,000.

Det Gda Val Russell had said previously that checks were carried out in relation to Mr Gleeson's financial situation.

When the case resumed yesterday, he said that a statement of the defendant's means appeared to have an omission in relation to a 46,000 insurance settlement Mr Gleeson allegedly received in July. A Criminal Assets Bureau investigation was ongoing, he added.

He did not have anyone in court yesterday to back this up.

Defence counsel Aoife O'Halloran asked for legal aid to be granted. She said her client, who remains in custody, was unable to dispose of assets or fund his defence.

She also submitted that the source of the garda's information was not before the court and the evidence was hearsay.

Judge Hutton said that as gardai did not have documentary evidence, she was granting legal aid.

The accused was further remanded in custody to appear again in four weeks.

Legal aid had been granted earlier to the co-defendant, who is due back in court next week.
The case against a man charged with the murder of father-of-three Dermot Byrne has been further adjourned for prosecutors to prepare a book of evidence.

Anthony Walsh (29) was remanded in custody again when he appeared at Cloverhill District Court yesterday morning via video-link.

Mr Byrne (54) was found beaten and dying by the side of a Swords street in July.

Judge Kathryn Hutton remanded the accused in custody, to appear in court again on September 20.

It was Mr Walsh's third court appearance since he was arrested and charged last month.

Arrested

The accused, of no fixed address but from Glencullen in south Dublin, is charged with murdering Mr Byrne at North Street, Swords, on July 16.

On his first court appearance on July 21, Garda Killian Leydon said Mr Walsh was arrested at 4.45pm the previous day outside St James's Hospital.

He was taken to Swords Garda Station and made no reply to the charge after caution.

Mr Byrne was found naked and with serious injuries by a passer-by at the steps of Fingal Community College on North Street, Swords, at around 3am.

He had a faint pulse when the emergency crews arrived, but died in the ambulance while being treated.

Mr Byrne was director of a wholesale bicycle company and a married father-of-three.
The son of a former government minister has been arrested by gardai investigating a multimillion euro drugs bust linked to the Kinahan cartel.

The north Dublin man, who is in his early 40s, was arrested by the force's elite Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) as part of a major probe into the activities of the notorious mob.

He was still being held in custody last night at Finglas Garda Station where he was questioned about his suspected role in the importation of vast amounts of drugs for the cartel.

The university-educated company director is suspected of setting up a Leinster-based "front company" for the cartel.

"This company is suspected of being set up as a cover for facilitating the importation of drugs by the cartel," a senior source revealed last night.

The massive drugs seizure, which gardai have been investigating for a number of months, has already seen three men charged before the courts and more arrests are expected.

The minister's son has no previous convictions but became a suspect in the investigation after a lengthy intelligence gathering exercise by specialist detectives.

Crackdown

His father was a high-profile and controversial politician who served in the Dail for a number of years.

The former minister is not being investigated for links to the Kinahan cartel or the massive drugs bust.

"This highly significant arrest is just the latest in the crackdown by gardai against the cartel," a senior source said last night.

"This individual was not actually caught in possession of the drugs but is suspected of being central in the plot to bring the haul into the country," the source added.

Just hours after the company director was arrested, Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll outlined at a media briefing some of the major successes gardai have had in their battle against organised crime in recent times.

Mr O'Driscoll said that, since March 2015, the DOCB had seized some 60 firearms along with 2,800 rounds of ammunition, 3.4m in cash and drugs valued at 100m.

This year alone the bureau had seized three assault rifles, six semi-automatic pistols, 10 revolvers and two shotguns.

He also revealed that officers had saved the lives of 30 people since the deadly Hutch/Kinahan feud broke out.

It is expected that an additional 117 officers will be appointed to special crime operations.

Mr O'Driscoll referred to the recent double murder in Ballymun, which is not linked to the Hutch/Kinahan feud, as a reason why the force needs extra capacity to deal with the gangland threat.
Dr Eva Orsmond has revealed she was moved to tears after witnessing deprivation and poverty in Ireland while filming a new RTE documentary.

In Ireland's Health Divide, which will be broadcast as part of RTE's new autumn schedule, she examines how where you were born and raised impacts on your life expectancy.

During the course of filming she met mothers who were struggling to not only feed their children healthily, but to feed them at all.

"I haven't seen Ireland's deprivation and poverty," she said.

"I have only seen this part, the southside of Dublin, the more affluent and middle-class side.

"I come from Finland and it's not that everyone in Finland is rich, but we don't have poverty as such because we have a very good social security and a very good education [system].

"Education is really the base of everything we do in life because we can draw energy from that."

Struggling

Dr Eva who, during her time as an Operation Transformation expert, was known for her no-nonsense attitude to healthy eating, met women in Limerick who were really struggling.

"I was seeing areas where mothers were buying bad quality food because that was all they felt they could afford," she said.

"You can say healthy eating is not that expensive, but if you have a lot going on in your life and everyday life is challenged with your housing maybe being a little bit substandard, or you might experience domestic violence or a chronic illness, really it's very difficult to draw the energy to prioritise healthy eating. You are literally just trying to keep that child alive."

She was also shocked by the statistics of life expectancy of children from different areas.

"The gap between areas is quite horrendous," she said.

"A child born in an affluent area will live six years longer than a child born in a deprived area. A child born in a deprived area is twice as likely to be obese and three times more likely to get cancer."
SERVICES

HICKORY TREE UNION CHURCH: Bluff City, Tenn., 2297 Hickory Tree Rd. Aug. 27, 10 a.m.: Homecoming services, speaker Joe Hensley, special singing featuring Charles Field and Peggy Trivette, everyone welcome.

REVIVALS

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH: Chilhowie, Va., 136 Railroad Ave. Aug. 27-30, 7 p.m. nightly: Revival, guest speaker Rev. Danny B. Belcher, everyone welcome.

NEW GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Tenn., 3055 West State St. Aug. 27, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., Aug. 28-31, 7 p.m. nightly: Revival, guest speaker Bro. Dale Vance, everyone welcome, 423-652-2938.

SINGINGS

CREEKSIDE HOUSE OF PRAYER: Bristol, Tenn., 381 Glenwood Rd. Aug. 26, 7 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2, everyone welcome, 713-498-1191.

ANCHOR INDEPENDENT BAPTIST CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 608 W. Mary Street. Aug. 27, 6 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Faithful 2, everyone welcome, 713-498-1191.

GLENWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH: Hiltons, Va., 2524 McMurray Hollow Rd. Aug. 27, 6 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Cause One, everyone welcome.

WATAUGA CHAPEL: Abingdon, Va., Watauga Rd. Route 677. Aug. 27, 6:30-7:30 p.m.: Gospel singing featuring Green Spring Men, everyone welcome.

COMMUNITY

ST. LUKE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Bristol, Va., 105 North St. Aug. 26, 7-10 a.m.: Pancake breakfast, includes sausage, coffee, juice, cost is donations, everyone welcome, 276-669-2441.

SANDLICK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Birchleaf, Va., 159 Olney Levada Rd. Aug. 27, 6 p.m.: Movie night The Case for Christ, admission free along with popcorn, everyone welcome, 276-865-4463.

RICHLANDS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH: Richlands, Va., 1301 2nd St. parking lot. Sept. 9, 8 p.m.: Movie night featuring Babe, outdoors games prior to movie, snacks popcorn, ice cream, candies, bonfire smores, everyone welcome, 276-964-9465.

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Richlands, Va., 402 Suffolk Avenue. Sept. 10, 12:30 p.m. after morning worship: Block Party picnic style lunch, inflatable houses, snow cones, special appreciation for first responders and veterans, everyone welcome, 276-964-4311.

FIRST CHURCH OF GOD: Bristol, Tenn. 301 Georgia Avenue, corner Georgia Avenue & East State Street. Sept.16, 4:30-7 p.m.: State Street Fish Fry, fish, coleslaw, hushpuppies, fries, soup beans, drink, plus homemade desserts, dine with us so we can feed others. Cost $10 full fish dinner, $8 small fish dinner, rain or shine, 423-956-2720.

FIRST BROAD STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Kingsport, Tenn., 101 East Church Circle. To volunteer two hours any day Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Marlene Hudson, 423-817-8332. To help with food: Bob Smith, 423-246-3966. Clothing and other donations can be brought to Single Vision or taken to Shades of Grace.

FAIRVIEW UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: Jonesborough, Tenn., 878 Highway 81 North. Third Saturday each month, 7-10 a.m.: Country breakfast, bacon, fresh ground sausage, eggs, pancakes, gravy, biscuits and more. Donations welcome, located 5 miles from downtown Jonesborough going toward Fall Branch.

SHAKESVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST: Bristol, Va., 262 Kingmill Pike: Connecting People with God, volunteers are needed to donate 2 hours a week, donate plastic grocery bags.

ST. THOMAS CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 124 E. Main Street. Second Wednesday of each month, 6:45 p.m.: Taize service, everyone welcome, 276-628-3606.

YARD SALE

PENTECOSTAL CHURCH: Abingdon, Va., 17535 Jeb Stuart Highway off Exit 19 toward Damascus: Yard Sale, second Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Name brand childrens and maternity clothes, plus tons of good quality baby equipment. Proceeds benefit the Mayan malnourished children of Guatemala, and children in our orphanage and those in our orphans at home program. www.safehomesforchildren.org.

HOW TO SUBMIT

News and calendar items for the Religion section should be emailed only to features@bristolnews.com with Religion Calendar in the subject line or sent by mail to Religion Editor, Bristol Herald Courier, and P.O. Box 606, Bristol, VA 24203. Mailed items must be typewritten. Deadline is noon Monday. Please include the complete address of event location, name and telephone number of a contact person. If you have questions, contact Dorothy Hurt at 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com. The service is free.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Members of the Bristol Tennessee Fire Department gathered at the Bluff City Highway Fire Station on Friday to celebrate accreditation from the Commission on Fire Accreditation International.

Less than 1 percent of fire departments in the United States have achieved CFAI accreditation and Bristols designation makes it the fifth department in Tennessee to do so, according to Fire Chief Bob Barnes.

CFAI provides the only accreditation program for fire service organizations in the world and helps organizations examine their past and current service levels and measure their performance against industry best practices. It also enables fire departments to come up with a five-year strategic plan.

The process is tough, Barnes said. Its a huge accomplishment and its noteworthy for the entire city because the Fire Department has to do what they are supposed to do in order for us to be accredited.

Bristol Tennessee Mayor Jack Young said the accreditation adds value to the entire region.

It makes me feel better as a citizen that our Fire Department is among the top in the nation, Young said. It gives me more confidence in the skill level of the Bristol Tennessee Fire Department. It tells me that we are as safe as we can be and the Fire Department is better prepared to handle any emergency that could arise.

There are more than 29,000 fire departments in the U.S. and only 239 have the accreditation. The other departments in Tennessee with the designation are: Alcoa, Brentwood, Kingsport, and Maryville.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  When Johnny F. Royston Jr. entered a Sullivan County courtroom Friday, he looked at the mother of the man hes accused of killing and mouthed three words: Im so sorry.

Royston is charged with second-degree murder in the July 8 shooting death of 44-year-old Rowdy Yates, his roommate, who was found with a gunshot wound to the head in the 500 block of Eaton Private Drive, just outside the Bristol city limits. Royston led police on a 70-hour manhunt across the region before being caught.

He appeared in Sullivan County General Sessions Court Friday morning for a preliminary hearing. Judge J. Klyne Lauderback bound the case over to criminal court in Blountville, where Royston is scheduled to appear before a grand jury Oct. 6.

Royston faces charges of second-degree murder, drug possession, evading arrest, driving on a suspended license, due care, driving left of center, stop sign violation and reckless endangerment.

At the preliminary hearing, testimony by law enforcement provided a clearer picture of the events surrounding Yates death.

Mark Christian, a detective with the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office who is leading the investigation, said Royston provided the following account of that night, but then refused to sign the statement saying its true:

The night Yates died, he was with Royston, two women and at least one other man.

In the hours before Yates death, Royston said he had unspecified things stolen from him, and he believed Yates had taken them. Royston apparently said that it needed to end tonight and that Yates needed to man up.

Later on, Yates disappeared, and Royston found him using a flashlight near a camper. Royston believed Yates was checking on the things he stole from Royston.

Christian said Royston had a .38 snub-nosed revolver, and he fired a shot in the air, commanding Yates to give him his belongings. Yates said he didnt take anything, and Royston then fired another shot in the air.

Then, Christian testified, Royston told police that Yates grabbed his arm while his finger was on the trigger and the gun went off. Yates fell to the ground, he said.

One of the witnesses told police that Royston told him where he put the gun. It was found in a ditch described by the witness, Christian said.

Roystons attorney, Ilya Berenshteyn, asked Christian if Royston told him he was still under the influence of drugs during his initial questioning. Christian said no.

Royston is scheduled to have a separate hearing Oct. 10 for his evading arrest charge because the prosecution was not prepared, according to Mike Filetti, the Sullivan County assistant district attorney assigned to the case.
A few decades ago, Louis Perna II wanted see the country and figured the best way to behold it would be by foot.
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BRISTOL, Tenn.  Two elected officials and a Bluff City resident were arraigned in Sullivan County General Sessions Court today on election law violations.

Bluff City Alderman John Harrison, Sullivan County Commissioner Sherry Grubb and Brook Morrell, Grubb's niece, were each served with criminal summonses by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation on Friday.

The three Bluff City residents were charged with misdemeanors, which can involve a $50 fine and a sentence of up to 30 days in jail. Their next hearing will be on Oct. 11.

Harrison was booked into the Sullivan County jail on Friday on charges of domestic assault and domestic vandalism. He was released that night. He will be arraigned on those charges on Sept. 6.

Harrison was also served with three temporary orders of protection today that were filed by family members.

A Bluff City alderman, a Sullivan County commissioner and the commissioners niece were each charged Friday with an election law violation.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation served Bluff City Alderman John R. Harrison, 54; Sullivan County Commissioner Sherry Grubb, 58; and Grubbs niece, Brook A. Morrell, 29, with criminal summonses.

The three Bluff City residents were charged with misdemeanors, which Sullivan County District Attorney General Barry Staubus said can involve a sentence of up to 30 days in jail.

On June 19, Staubus asked the TBI to investigate reports of election law violations during the May 16 municipal election in Bluff City. The case eventually went to the grand jury, but it referred charges to General Sessions Court, Staubus said.

Bluff City Town Hall was a designated polling place, according to criminal affidavits. In compliance with state law and prior to the elections, Sullivan County Administrator of Elections Jason Booher marked the required 100-foot boundary around the Town Hall and instructed that signs be placed at the entry door, prohibiting certain activities from occurring in the area inside the boundary, the affidavit states.

From May 18-July 10, Booher was contacted by telephone and in person by concerned citizens who reported illegal entry into the polling place by people who were prohibited to enter by state law, the affidavit states.

Booher then reported the allegations to Staubus.

TBI agents identified Harrison, Grubb and Morrell as having entered the polling place. All three submitted signed statements admitting they entered during election hours for reasons other than to cast a ballot or lawfully assist another qualified voter in doing so, the affidavit states.

The mission of the Sullivan County Election Commission is to conduct honest, fair and accurate elections, Booher said in a written statement Friday. In doing so, we are dedicated to not only following state and federal law, but doing so in a manner that is transparent and maintains the public trust.

Booher said state law requires his office to report allegations of criminal behavior to the district attorney. He added that allegations of illegal activity regarding actions of people not associated with conducting the election were reported to the office.

There have been no allegations questioning the manner in which the election was conducted or that the certified results of the election were not accurate, Booher said.

Grubb admitted to entering the polling place, but she told the Bristol Herald Courier Friday that she was visiting her sister, who works at the site.

Grubb recalled speaking with the TBI and knew the incident was under investigation, but said Friday she was surprised a charge was filed.

The law is the law, Grubb said. Its in the judges hands.

Grubb said she felt some people in Bluff City were trying to cause trouble.

Morrell had gone to the polling station to take lunch to her mother, Grubbs sister, she said.

The TBI served Harrison while he was already in custody on charges of domestic assault and domestic vandalism. Hes being held at the Sullivan County jail in Blountville, where no bond had been set Friday afternoon.

BLUFF CITY, Tenn.  An investigation by special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has resulted in three Bluff City residents, including a town alderman and a county commissioner, being charged with violating an election law.

On June 19, at the request of 2nd District Attorney General Barry Staubus, TBI special agents began investigating reports of election law violations that occurred during the May 2017 municipal election in Bluff City, according to a news release from the TBI.

During the course of the investigation, agents said they determined that Bluff City Alderman John R. Harrison, Sullivan County Commissioner Sherry Grubb, and Grubb's niece, Brooke Morrell, entered a polling place during voting hours for reasons other than casting a vote or assisting another voter, the release states.

This week, a criminal summons was issued charging Harrison, Grubb, and Morrell with one count of election law violation. On Friday, all three individuals were served on those charges.

Grubb admitted to entering the polling place, but said it was an innocent visit when she went to ask her sister a question. Her sister was working at the polling place, she said.

Jason Booher, Sullivan County's administrator of the elections, issued the following statement:

"The mission of the Sullivan County Election Commission is to conduct honest, fair, and accurate elections. In doing so we are dedicated to not only following state and federal law, but doing so in a manner that is transparent and maintains the public trust. State law requires that we report allegations of criminal behavior to the office of the District Attorney. In adherence to state law, allegations of illegal activity regarding the actions of individuals not associated with conducting the election were reported to the office of the District Attorney following the May 16, 2017 Bluff City Municipal Election. There have been no allegations questioning the manner in which the election was conducted or that the certified results of the election were not accurate. Questions pertaining to the criminal investigation should be referred to the office of the District Attorney."
Maryland cross country: Hubs' Stine, Leopards girls each finish second

North Hagerstown sophomore Lauren Stine had the top performance by a Washington County athlete, placing second in the Class 3A girls race.
LINCOLNTON  A Lincoln County teen faces sexual assault charges in connection to the sexual assault of a 5-year-old, according to a Lincoln County Sheriffs Office press release.

Detective Dan Renn, of the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office, charged Hunter Wayne McNeely, 18, of Vale, with one felony count each of statutory sexual offense of a child and indecent liberties with a child, according to the release.

The incident was reported to authorities July 21, according to the release.

McNeely confessed Thursday to inappropriately touching the male victim and was arrested after an interview with LCSO, where he appeared in front of a magistrate, according to the release.

McNeely is held in the Harven A. Crouse Detention Center under a $30,000 secured bond.

His first appearance in Lincoln County District Court was Friday.
Every so often in our political discourse comes a moment that presents elected officials with a crystal clear choice between right and wrong, something that rises far above the usual partisan differences on education, taxes, or health care.

North Carolina now faces one of those moments in the wake of the march in Charlottesville by torch-carrying neo-Nazis and white supremacists chanting racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic slogans and the troubling reaction to the protest by the president of the United States.

The marchers were rallying around a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the event has prompted protests around the county about the existence of similar confederate statues on public property, from university campuses to courthouses to town squares.

North Carolina has hundreds of the memorials and this is not the first time there has been debate about whether they should remain on public land, maintained and paid for by all North Carolinians.

The last time we had the debate was two years ago, after the massacre of parishioners at an African-American church in Charleston by avowed white supremacist Dylan Roof.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley responded to the unspeakable tragedy by demanding the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds and though a few lawmakers there balked at first, the General Assembly voted to remove it.

North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory drew national praise at the same time for declaring the state of North Carolina would no longer offer special license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag but the General Assembly ignored his request for a law banning the plates and they are still being sold today.

Also in 2015, after the murders in the Charleston church, the General Assembly passed a bill that McCrory signed that banned the state and local governments from removing monuments without permission from the N.C. Historical Commission.

Local governments that were allowed to erect the monuments but are now not allowed to take them down.

Governor Roy Cooper wants that law repealed in the wake of the Charlottesville white supremacy demonstration and he is exploring removing the confederate monuments from state property at the same time.

Many Republicans havent said much about Coopers proposal, though Senator Tommy Tucker believes the Civil War was about tariffs not slavery and wants the monuments to stay. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger wrote recently that he would be hesitant to repeal the 2015 law and that a decision to remove the confederate monuments would not be wise.

Some folks on the Right are passionately defending the confederate monuments, like the memorial on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill known as Silent Sam, echoing Tuckers claims about the Civil War and claiming that the statue at UNC and others across the state honoring the Confederate cause are about heritage, not hate or slavery or white supremacy.

But that is simply not true and it is not an opinion. The vast majority of the monuments were not built right after the war, but 60 and 70 years later as part of the push to enact and enforce Jim Crow laws to rob African-Americans of the basic human rights they gained during Reconstruction.

Historians and journalists alike have pointed out the speech by industrialist Julian Carr at the dedication ceremony of the Silent Sam statue as evidence of that. Carr said that he at one point horse-whipped a negro wench until her skirts hung in shreds, because upon the streets of this quiet village she had publicly insulted and maligned a Southern lady.

He described the incident as a pleasing duty.

Sorry, there is no heritage there. Its all hate. And maybe most remarkably, the accounts of the statue dedication dont mention any outrage or protest about Carrs horrific remarks.

Most people celebrating knew why they were there and what the memorial was honoring. And they still do.

Berger and Tucker and the rest of the legislative leadership need to read Carrs remarks and then ask themselves what exactly there is to be hesitant about.

Silent Sam and the rest of the confederate monuments need to come down. They do not belong on public property owned and maintained and honored by the people of North Carolina.

The outrage in Charlottesville has renewed the focus again on the history of slavery and lynchings and Jim Crow and we cannot look away this time and hope people move on.

The General Assembly is meeting in special session this week and next month too. Imagine the message North Carolina and its leaders could send to the rest of the country if they repealed the 2015 law this week or next month in a bipartisan vote and demanded the state remove confederate monuments from public property.

African-Americans whose ancestors were slaves and the rest of us who are appalled at our history have walked by the monuments long enough entering the courthouse or city hall or the UNC campus where Julian Carr spewed his racist views.

It is time for our elected officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, to respond to this moment, this crossroads in our history and do the moral and just thing. It is time for a clear statement that there are not too sides now, that slavery and white supremacy and bigotry are always wrong and so are the monuments that honor them.

Then lets get back to our fierce debates about Medicaid, education, environmental policy, even the boundaries of legislative district lines. That is our system after all.

But lets make an important statement about who we are as people first.

Chris Fitzsimon is the founder and executive director of N.C. Policy Watch.
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Bhopal , Indore: A three-member inter-state female gang specializing in stealing chains from women by diverting their attention has been nabbed by the Indore crime branch. Their male accomplice, who used to drive them around in a car has also been nabbed.

DIG Harinarayanchari Mishra said that they have recovered 25 chains worth around Rs 15 lakhs from them. The gang has been operating for the past 10 years and have struck in neighbouring Rajasthan and Maharashtra also. The gang used to be especially active during the festive season, when women wear jewellery. They have admitted to over 70 cases of chain theft in the past one year the DIG said.

The modus-operandi of the gang was to target places were there were a large number of women  like busy market places, religious and social gatherings, fairs etc. Wearing good clothes to match the occasion, the gang members used to identify the target and then follow her till they found a suitable moment. While one of them stood behind her, the other distracted her attention, while the third cut the chain with a sharp cutter. More often than not the chain fell on the ground, which they picked up and vanished before the target could realize that she had been robbed.

Showing how meticulous their planning was, the police found a list of upcoming social and religious functions which they were planning to target in Madhya Pradesh and other state. They always kept spare clothes in the car which they used to change into if needed.

Those arrested are Rukmani Shakte (30) resident of Bhim Nagar, Sonam Shakte (20) resident of Bhim Nagar and the gang leader Sarita Hatavle (35) resident of Mamta Nagar and their driver Subhash Pal (35) Mamta Nagar. Rukmani and Soman are sisters-in-law. Police said they are trying to trace the jeweler who used to purchase their stolen goods and book him also
After a CBI court in Panchkula held self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in a rape case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers, violence erupted across the states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, killing at least 28 people and injuring 250 others.

Hailing the verdict, Bollywood actors Farhan Akhtar, Anupam Kher, Raveena Tandon, among others have praised the courts judgement against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.

To all those on the rampage and all those allowing it to continue, please try and imagine what the victims must feel seeing the violence in support of their rapist...I assume that you, his followers, were taught the meaning and value of compassion... Please end the violence. Please allow the police to do their job. Please allow the law of the land to take its course, Farhan posted.

Kher tweeted, Violence is what #GurmeetRamRahimSingh seems to have taught his followers. This is nonsense and government needs to use full force to stop it now.

Violence is what #GurmeetRamRahimSingh seems to have taught his followers. This is nonsense & Govt. needs to use full force to STOP it NOW.  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) August 25, 2017

Raveena wrote, The way the followers are reacting, rioting, itself proves what the cult was all about... Saddened to see such shameful goons on the loose.

The way the followers are reacting,rioting,itself proves what the cult was all about...saddened to see such shameful goons on the loose . https://t.co/HndVy2CjXB  Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) August 25, 2017

Actor Bhumi Pednekar tweeted, I hope my friends and family are all safe in Chandigarh. Its a very sad state of affairs. Be safe.

I hope my friends and family are all safe in Chandigarh.Its a very sad state of affairs.Be safe   bhumi pednekar (@psbhumi) August 25, 2017

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta said, Thanks to our judiciary democracy lives on. #Pride. He also condemned the violence that followed. Why should violent mobs still be called followers? What happened to terrorists? Or is that term reserved?, he wrote.

Why should violent mobs still be called 'followers'? What happened to 'terrorists'? Or is that term reserved?  Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) August 26, 2017

Stand-up comedian-actor Vir Das posted, I hope he stays in jail long enough to see every one of his nutjob followers lose enthusiasm, go back to life, and forget about him. The nation has to address the fact that we are addicted to blind servitude and worship. Gurus, politicians, will always use it against us.

1. Arrest MSG.

2. Arrest his violent followers.

3. Put them all in the same jail.

4. Film it weekly.

5. Show it to his other followers.  Vir Das (@thevirdas) August 26, 2017

Music composer Salim Merchant tweeted, Im sure the Guru taught the importance of peace in this world. Reports from Punjab and Haryana are devastating. #RamRahimVerdict

I'm sure the 'Guru' taught the importance of Peace in this world. Reports of Punjab & Haryana are devastating. #RamRahimVerdict  salim merchant (@salim_merchant) August 25, 2017

Anubhav Sinha said he was surprised by the violence against the arrest of a convicted rapist.

Hundreds of Thousands of us so violently protest against the arrest of a convicted rapist. Is this who we are?  Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) August 25, 2017

Hundreds of Thousands of us so violently protest against the arrest of a convicted rapist. Is this who we are?  Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) August 25, 2017

Can you hear the silence from all Govts.? They need a fall guy now. Who will it be? #RamRahimVerdict  Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) August 25, 2017

Actor Amyra Dastur tweeted, A big win for the people, especially the daughters of India #RamRahimVerdict. But cant believe the poor measures that have been taken to prevent such a horrific mob outburst from happening!

VJ-actor Rannvijay Singha, who hails from Punjab, said, Punjab and Haryana High Court orders attachment of entire property of #DeraSachaSauda to compensate for the damage. But what about the lives lost?

Punjab&Haryana High Court orders attachment of entire property of #DeraSachaSauda to compensate for the damage.But Wat about the lives lost?  Rannvijay singha (@RannvijaySingha) August 25, 2017

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Bollywood actor Richa Chadha, who will soon be seen in Fukrey 2, has decided to welcome Lord Ganesha in an eco-friendly manner this Ganesh Chaturthi.

Richa recently visited the centre of Tree Ganesha in Mumbai. It is an initiative by Dattadri Kothur, who started the concept of building Ganesha idols made of material which dissolves into becoming a tree one can plant.

This unique initiative is one of its kind that help support and further the idea of the festivities while also giving importance to saving the environment. Richa and Dattadri built an idol at the workshop as a part of the activity.

Speaking about the initiative, Richa said, Im happy to be supporting this. This initiative is something I have heard of in the past but this is the first time I have been part of something like this. I think its high time we stopped polluting the environment in the name of festivities and be careful as soon it would be too late. It saddens me to see such state of the beaches, roads during Ganesh festivities when burnt crackers, dirty beaches are the outcome of the Visarjan. So I think Tree Ganesha is a perfect solution that helps not only save the environment but also add value to the environment by planting trees.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
1. The Invitation (2015)

Should you accept an invitation from an ex? After watching this creepy psychological thriller, you certainly wont. Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his partner Kira are invited for dinner by his ex-wife and her new husband. Everyone seems to be getting along  until Will begins to finds things suspiciously strange. And as more wine is poured, a slow lurking menace begins to make its presence felt.

2. The Salesman (2016)

Rana (Taraneh Alidoosti) and Emad (Shahab Hosseini) move out of their apartment and find a place, only to learn it belonged to a prostitute. One evening, Emad comes home to find Rana lying in a pool of blood in the shower.

3. The Lobster (2015)

According to the rules of the city, single folks are arrested and transferred to the hotel, where they are forced to find a mate in 45 days or else are transformed into animals and released into the woods. Davids wife has left him for another man and he is sent to the hotel. But when he escapes and falls in love with a loner, all hell breaks loose.

4. Taxi (2015)

Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, convicted in 2010 for anti-Islamic propaganda, makes a road film in Tehran with him in the drivers seat. Taxi documents the inhumanity as well as the comically humane side that people living in Tehran encounter on a daily basis.

5. The End of the Tour (2015)

The film tells the story of David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg), a Rolling Stone reporter, who interviews famous writer David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) on his book tour in Minneapolis. Over five days of interviews, we see the men discuss a variety of subjects, dig into plenty of junk food, have several laughs and some tough ego clashes.

From HT Brunch, August 27, 2017

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch
The Haryana government on Saturday sacked Haryanas deputy advocate general for accompanying Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh after the Dera Sacha Sauda chiefs conviction in a rape case.

The state government terminated the services of DAG Gurdas Salwara on the recommendations of Haryanas advocate general Baldev Raj Mahajan.

It is found that yesterday (Friday) the DAG accompanied the baba, Mahajan said.

He said the DAG was a government servant and was not allowed to practice such things.

The DAG has relations with the Dera, he claimed.

The action from the AG office came in the wake of a video clip purportedly showing the DAG in lawyers robes carrying a suitcase of the Dera head after his conviction by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday.
Surender Kaur is unable to withdraw money from banks or ATMs for her daily household needs for the last two days while Manjeet Singh is not able to get fuel for his motorbike as petrol pumps are closed after authorities clamped strict restrictions in Sirsa.

Normal life in Sirsa, which is the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has come to a standstill after curfew-like restrictions were imposed to prevent any untoward incident following the large scale violence by the followers of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted by CBI court in a 15-year-old rape case.

For the last two days, I am unable to buy essential items for my household as I have ran out of money and also banks and ATMs are closed. Authorities should ensure that essential facilities are open so that people wont have to face any problem, said Kaur, whose house is about four km away from the Dera headquarters.

Rajesh Kumar, who runs a hotel in the vicinity of the sect headquarters, said, there are been huge shortage of vegetables and essential items. We are only providing accommodation to our guests and no food since Thursday night.

Milk supply has also been affected adversely in several areas as the agitated followers set a milk plant on fire, located near the sect headquarters.

After the CBI court in Panchkula pronounced the Dera Sacha Sauda chief guilty in the rape case, followers went violent and set a milk plant on fire, police said, adding that flames were doused within a few hours.

Schools, colleges, cinema halls, petrol pumps have been shut as a precautionary measure. Authorities have imposed curfew in areas, which are in the vicinity of the Dera headquarters, on Thursday. People have been asked to stay indoors in the wake of violent protest by Dera followers last evening.

Two companies of Army from Hisar district, ten companies of paramilitary forces  the CRPF and the BSF, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and several companies of Haryana police have been deployed to maintain law and order in Sirsa district.

Inspector General (Hisar range) A S Dillion said that police have been monitoring the situation in and around Dera headquarters.

Shimla goes without milk, dairy products

Supply of milk and dairy products to this Himachal Pradesh hill station was hit on Saturday following curfew and prohibitory orders in neighbouring Punjab and Haryana.

No packaged milk and dairy products coming from Punjab was supplied to any shop, hotel or commercial establishment, a milk supplier in Shimla said.

He said the daily supply of bread was also hit as majority of it also came from Punjab.

Reports said there was no supply of milk and dairy products in Solan, Baddi, Parwanoo, Kasauli and Chail towns as well.

Shimlas daily consumption of milk is around 50,000 litres, most of which is supplied by Punjabs milk cooperative Milkfed. The cooperative also supplies milk and dairy products like butter, ghee, cottage cheese and curd under the brand name Verka.

Shimla has a population of more than 200,000 people. According to tourism industry representatives, it receives around 50,000 tourists every wRam Rahim convicted of rape, violence ensues: How Haryanas Khattar govt failed the Dera testeekend.
When, some 20 years ago, I began research on a book on Indias journey since Independence, I quickly learned that history as it actually unfolded could be quite different from history as it was later represented. In the 1990s, as the country belatedly liberalised its economy, it was said that Jawaharlal Nehru, and Nehru alone, had kept Indian entrepreneurs in chains by imposing a system of State control over them. However, I found that when, in the 1950s, the Planning Commission consulted a panel of 24 independent economists on the model of development being proposed, 23 endorsed it.

Even more surprising was the discovery that Indias leading industrialists had eagerly embraced State planning. In the late 1940s, GD Birla, JRD Tata et al authored a document, known as the Bombay Plan, which argued that economic growth in a poor country like India required the State to exercise a considerable measure of intervention and control. These capitalists went so far as to claim that the distinction between capitalism and socialism has lost much of its significance from a practical standpoint. As they put it: In our view, no economic organization can function effectively or possess lasting qualities unless it accepts as its basis a judicious combination of the principles associated with each school of thought.

Independent Indias economic history was more complex than was being represented; and so also its political history. When I began working on my book, the Valley of Kashmir was in the grip of a major insurgency. The flight of the Pandits had made Kashmir a burning question of national politics. In 1998, India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons, bringing the question of Kashmir to international attention. Books and articles were pouring off the press describing Kashmir as the oldest and most worrying of all the problems the Indian nation-state had to face. They informed us that for a full 50 years, ever since Independence, the dispute over the Valley had festered and lingered.

That the Kashmir problem was both serious and long-standing was true. But, as I soon found, the Naga problem was as intense, and even older. It began even before Independence and Partition when, in 1946, a group of educated Nagas claimed sovereignty for the areas they lived in. The journal they published was significantly called The Naga Nation. Once the British left these hills, said the newly-formed Naga National Council (NNC), it should be replaced by a government of the Nagas, for the Nagas, by the Nagas.

Some members of the NNC wanted full and total sovereignty. Others wanted autonomy within the Indian Union. The radicals won the argument, and launched an armed struggle for independence, which provoked fierce reprisals from the State. Through the 1950s the Naga Hills witnessed bitter and bloody battles between insurgents of the NNC and the Indian Army. Hundreds of lives were lost, many of civilians unconnected with either rebels or government.

In 1956, the Naga issue was the subject of extended debate in the Lok Sabha, where the most eloquent interventions came from an MP named Rishang Keishing. Keishing was a Tangkhul Naga by birth, born and raised in the hills of the erstwhile princely state of Manipur. A socialist by conviction, he had cut his political teeth by struggling for representative government in his home state. Manipur was then ruled by bureaucrats from Delhi; in 1954, Keishing organised a major satyagraha demanding that they be replaced by an elected assembly instead.

Two years later, Keishing spoke several times in the Lok Sabha in favour of an honourable truce between Naga insurgents and the Indian state. He chastised Prime Minister Nehru for not meeting a delegation of Naga citizens who had recently visited Delhi. And he came down hard on the violence committed by soldiers in uniform. The Army men, he remarked, have shown an utter disregard for the sentiments of the local Nagas, for, they have tried to terrify them by carrying the naked corpses of the Nagas killed by them. At the same time, he did not spare the rebels either, for they had terrorised villagers who did not support them, while assassinating Naga leaders who did not approve of violence.

Unlike the partisans of either side, Keishing saw clearly that excessive force had been used by both sides. Who can boast of an untarnished record?, he asked: Who can dare fling the first stone and assert that they are not sinners? I ask this of the hostile Nagas as well as of the Government. He recommended an immediate declaration of general amnesty, because the continuation of hostilities means the ruins of innocent citizens.

In later years, Keishing himself served four terms as chief minister of Manipur, a striking achievement, since the states political system is dominated by the Meiteis of the Imphal valley. He died last week, aged 96. Unfortunately, the obituaries, while paying attention to the posts he held and the elections he won, did not mention his remarkable and still relevant interventions on the question of Nagaland.

For 20 years now, an uneasy truce has prevailed between what is now the dominant Naga outfit, the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, and the Government of India. But no resolution has been possible, because each side insists on seeing itself as blameless. However, as Rishang Keishing pointed out, neither the rebels nor the State can boast of an unvarnished record. Neither can fling the first stone. An acknowledgement of mutual responsibility, an admission of ones own crimes and mistakes, is therefore a precondition for peace with honour in Nagaland  and, I might add, in Manipur and Kashmir too.

Ramachandra Guhas books include Gandhi Before India

Twitter: @Ram_Guha

The views expressed are personal

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Should Indias railway minister Suresh Prabhu have apologised for the two train derailments that occurred in quick succession in Uttar Pradesh, instead of just tweeting it has caused me deep anguish?

Should Britain apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919?

Should people say sorry for keeping someone waiting for five minutes? Should you say sorry if you laugh out loud at a joke that others find mildly offensive?

My answer is yes to all of the above, though some may disagree.

With the world increasingly facing up to its past and apologising to peoples and countries they have wronged, the role of apology and reparation in the personal, social and political spaces has evolved.

People are making news either for apologising all over the place or for stubbornly refusing to do so.

But what do we mean when we say sorry? It would seem that we may mean anything from remedial expressions of regret to sarcastic intimations of blame, write psychologists Daniela Kramer-Moore and Michael Moore in the journal ETC: A Review of General Semantics.

Just like people, apologies are widely different. Here are 10 different types of sorry, and a look at what each really means.

Superfluous: My apology to a parrot I inadvertently startled on its perch outside my window falls into this category. These are apologies made instinctively without any remorse. It holds no value for either the person saying it or the person (or in this case, parrot) its being said to.

Public relations: People often say sorry for things they said or did because of the reaction it evoked rather than out of a sense of remorse or regret. This is saying sorry out of expediency. People on social and popular media, where views and opinions are shared with millions within seconds, often resort to this type of apology.

Sarcastic: This is the face-saving apology that prefaces a really rude remark or insult. The tone and context make it obvious that it is not an apology. You think someone is being stupid, so you say, Im sorry, but you are just being an idiot.

Political: This is an apology that isnt an apology at all but is meant to look like one. The sentence usually includes an if, indicating that the person doesnt really think an apology is necessary. So when you say, Im sorry if the sentiments I expressed earlier hurt certain people, youre really saying, I dont think I did anything wrong, but if you think I did, well then Im sorry you feel that way.

Appeasement: This allows you to control the other persons reaction and defuse an unpleasant situation. You apologise not because you made a mistake but because you dont want the other person to create a scene. Such an apology doesnt resolve the issue itself, and may in fact lead to the formation of a vicious cycle.

Avoidant: People use this to avoid acknowledging something they dont want to admit having done. So by simply saying, Im sorry about what happened, you avoid addressing a grave mistake or error of judgment that you made.

Parasitic: This type of apology usually includes a but and is typically added to soften the blow in a statement likely to annoy or upset the recipient, such as a note from your mobile service provider: We are sorry for the inconvenience caused but we cannot refund the charges for services you claim were provided without your consent. Uff!

Politeness: Some people over-apologise as a way of gaining approval. These are typically people who are over-anxious to be liked and also avoid conflict. This apology usually means, Im a nice person and Im not a threat to you, so lets all be friends.

Guilt: This is more about assuaging your own sins of commission or omission than acknowledging the wrong done to someone else. Its a bit like Don Corleone going a priest every Sunday to confess his sins, before going back to business as usual.

Empathic: This is the consummate apology, when you are empathising with the other person and expressing regret for a hurt. The apology must be voluntary and not demanded or sought through emotional blackmail. Such apologies are transformative and have the power to resolve conflict and bring people together.

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Uttarakhand Police is keeping a strict watch on activities of nearly 20,000 followers of Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted by a Haryana court on Friday in a rape case.

Police stepped up vigil on Saturday following alerts from intelligence agencies about presence of Dera followers in Udhamsingh Nagar, Haridwar and Dehradun districts.

Notably, violent protests erupted in Haryana on Friday after the court convicted the self-styled godman of raping two women.

According to police record, strength of Ram Rahims followers in Uttarakhand is around 20, 000 and half of them come from Udhamsingh Nagar district.

We are keeping close watch on the movements of Dera supporters in the state. Around 150-200 followers had gone to express their solidarity with their spiritual leader in Chandigarh but they have returned home, ADG law and order Ashok Kumar said.

We are also watchful for people coming from Haryana border areas. Although situation is normal in the state but police is on guards for any eventuality as announcement of punishment for Dera leader by the Chandigarh court will be done on August 28, said Kumar.

Kumar said any supporter of trying to take law in their hands will be dealt strictly by law enforcements agency.

He also asked district police chiefs of three districts to keep a watch round the clock in pockets where concentration of Dera supporters is high and deal firmly with those who try to create law and order problem.

CM asks officials to step up vigilance along interstate borders

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat directed officials to ensure that police force remains alert on all interstate border areas following the large scale violence perpetrated by the Dera Sachha Sauda chiefs supporters in Haryana.

Rawat got the feedback on the security situation from chief secretary S Ramaswamy and Director General of Police Anil Raturi. At a meeting called hours after the violence and arson spread in Haryana on Friday, he also gave the top officials necessary instructions.

Rawat directed magistrates and police chiefs of districts having the interstate borders to step up vigilance. Any laxity on the law and order front would not be tolerated, an official statement quoted the chief minister as telling the authorities.

Officials were also directed to patiently deal with any untoward situation, in case such a situation arises, and resolve it in a peaceful manner.
A day after miscreants damaged two buses in northeast Delhis Jyoti Nagar following the Ram Rahim verdict, Delhi Police arrested 10 suspects identified with the help of CCTV footage.

They have been booked under stringent sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) before being sent to jail. We have booked the suspects for attempt to murder, rioting and damaging public property. Petrol bottles and motorcycles used in the crime have been recovered from them, said Ravindra Yadav, joint CP (eastern range).

Police said attempt to murder charges were pressed against them as they threw bottles filled with petrol on two running DTC buses, thus threatening the lives of all the passengers. Fortunately, the bus drivers managed to stop the bus in time and let the passengers out safely.

The suspects, who are followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahims Dera Sacha Sauda and live in northeast Delhi, were captured by a CCTV camera when they were fleeing after torching a bus and damaging two others. The polices decision to circulate the footage through social media and mainstream media helped identify and arrest them.

The city, meanwhile, remained calm through Saturday. Madhur Verma, Delhi Police spokesperson said not even one PCR call in connection with the Ram Rahim verdict was received after 9 pm on Friday.

Vehicles stuck in a massive traffic jam at Delhi-Gurugram border on Saturday. Delhi and Haryana Police are on high alert due to the Dera Sacha Sauda violence. (PTI)

He said prohibitory orders will continue to remain in force in 11 districts of the city where CrPC section 144 was imposed on Friday. The prohibition is likely to be in place at least till Monday when the sentence against the self-proclaimed godman will be announced in the rape case.

We want to assure the general public that they are free to go on with their lives. The prohibitory orders are only for miscreants, said the officer.

Sources said police have received inputs that some followers of Ram Rahim may try to enter the city in Haryana Roadways buses and the police on the borders are keeping a watch out for them.

Meanwhile, buses operated between Delhi and satellite cities in neighbouring states by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) are going to remain suspended till Monday.

All bus services to NCR cities like Gurgaon, Bahadurgarh, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad have been stalled till Monday for security reasons following the conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim, DTC spokesperson Sanjay Saxena said.

Delhi police personnel check vehicles in New on Saturday. (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

After Rahims conviction on Friday, his supporters torched at least two DTC buses at Loni crossing. Following this, the corporation had suspended all bus service to NCR cities, a directive which is set to continue for two days.

However, the night bus service within the city has been resumed from Saturday, Saxena said. Around 40 of DTC night service buses run in the city 9 pm onwards.

When asked about the Delhi-Lahore bus service, he said the DTC is yet to receive the directive from the Ministry of Home Affairs on whether the bus would leave the Capital on Monday. The bus service leaves the city on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Operations of the Delhi Metro remained normal on Saturday and it is going to remain so on Sunday as well, Metro officials said.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday said that the Central Bureau of Investigation had registered a false case against Delhi health minister Satyendar Jain and his family and failed to recover anything. A CBI team had conducted searches at his residence on Friday.

The AAP leaders said the premier investigating agency was allowing itself to be misused as a political weapon of the ruling BJP at the Centre.

Addressing reporters, senior leader Ashutosh said the action was initiated to divert attention from the alleged failure of the Haryana government in handling the violence related to the Ram Rahim verdict.

The AAP categorically states that the Modi government has unleashed all its agencies on the AAP, the Delhi government, MLAs and ministers to settle scores for the BJPs humiliating defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, Ashutosh said.

Party spokesperson and Greater Kailash legislator Saurabh Bhardwaj said the CBI has no evidence against Jain and it is allowing itself to be misused as a political weapon of the central government, which has been leaking same old and false information against the minister to defame him and his family.

The fact is that despite a year-old propaganda, the CBI has miserably failed in gathering any evidence against Mr. Jain. Despite having spent around nine hours at the residence of Satyendar Jain on Friday, all that the CBI recovered was Rs 50,000 cash, 52 grams gold, copies of income tax returns, election affidavits, a copy of the petition filed in the high court and inventory of the official furniture, Bhardwaj said.

The term recovery of incriminating documents, as being claimed by the CBI to justify its raids, has fallen flat this time, he added.

The Delhi BJP, however, described the allegations of the AAP a result of frustration over the case filed against their leader.

The case has been filed by the CBI after investigations of hawala transactions allegations. Only a frustrated person and organisation will go to the extent of calling the FIR against Jain a ploy to divert attention from the Haryana and Punjab violence. Its time the AAP leaders show maturity, Delhi BJP vice-president Rajiv Babbar said.
Days after Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari laid the foundation stone for infrastructure projects to decongest the busy Dhaula Kuan road, the city administration too has buckled up and has started focusing on reducing vehicles on the stretch.

In a two-pronged strategy, the Delhi transport department has started impounding illegal buses plying from the Dhaula Kuan bus stop while the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has redesigned its bus routes. We have impounded 110 illegal buses from Dhaula Kuan. Majority of these buses have Rajasthans registration and were bound for Jaipur, a transport official.

The move comes after Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal held a series of meetings to decongest the Capital. Dhaula Kuan is the first out of the five major traffic bottlenecks that are being decongested on an immediate basis.

The department has deputed three teams on the spot for this purpose. Besides, operators of these buses are selling tickets to passengers through online booking services which also is a violation of the Motor Vehicles Act, officials said.

A study by the traffic police revealed that the Dhaula Kuan bus stand was the primary source of traffic snarls as buses, both legal and illegal, used to stop there in an unorganized manner. At a later stage, authorities will have to shift the bus stand to a different location.

The DTC is changing as many as 11 bus routes to stop buses from piling up. We have already begun action on this. From August 21, four bus routes  588, 588A, 783 and RL-75 - have been re-routed to the ring road directly via the Thimayya Park circle. Under phase one of this project, we had earlier re-routed at least four other buses, a DTC official said.

The five corridors that are being decongested under phase one are Aurobindo Chowk to Andheria More, Neela Gumbad to Badarpur Flyover, 11 Murti to Dhaula Kuan, Chirag Delhi Crossing to Savitri Flyover, Dhaula Kuan flyover to Gurgaon flyover Sanjay T-point. These are a part of the 28 most congested stretches identified by the traffic police.

The larger plan, however, includes revamping 77 corridors in total which have been categorised as A, B and C types on the basis of volume of road users and visibility of corridors.

On August 14, Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari announced a slew of projects to decongest Delhi and Gurgaon. Gadkari had promised that by 2019, the stretch between Dhaula Kuan to IGI airport  one of the most congested in Delhi  will see a major turnaround.

The Rs 270-crore project will clear the bottleneck at the junction of station road with NH8 in front of the Dhaula Kuan Metro station. As per NHAIs plan, this junction will be made signal-free. The highways authority will build a flyover on the right carriageway for the traffic moving from Gurgaon to Delhi. A U-turn will also be provided.

On the station road a vehicular underpass is being constructed for facilitating smooth movement of defence personnel. Besides, two foot over bridges with escalators will also be constructed for facilitate pedestrian movement and bus bays will also be made. Work for the project is likely to begin in October.

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Angry that her liberal outlook towards life was hurting his familys honour, a man allegedly murdered his sister-in-law and chopped off her head and hands in outer Delhis Rohini on Friday night.

The man then wrapped the severed head and hands, and the knife used to commit the crime, in the womans saree before throwing the bundle in a tempo that was passing by. The body parts are yet to be recovered even as the alleged killer, identified as Rama Shankar (35), surrendered before the police on Saturday afternoon.

Rama Shankar said that he did not want to hide his crime as he felt that he did the right thing. He bore extreme hatred towards the woman, said an interrogator. The womans husband was unaware of the murder even though he too objected to her bold lifestyle, he added.

A native of Uttar Pradesh, the 31-year-old victim, Kalawati, lived with her family in Rohinis Vijay Vihar. Her family comprised her husband Fuggi Lal, a daughter aged 16, a 14-year-old son and her brother-in-laws family. The two brothers drove e-rickshaws, while Kalawati worked in a manufacturing unit for plastic products in the neighbourhood.

According to Rishi Pal, DCP (Rohini), the two brothers were opposed to Kalawatis lifestyle. The womans elder brother-in-law would even suspect her of having illicit affairs, said the DCP.

Rama Shankar.

According to interrogators, Shankars suspicion arose from Kalawatis lack of hesitation in speaking to other men. The two brothers would also object to her sense of dressing and the fact that she returned home later than they would have liked. This resulted in frequent quarrels in the household, said an investigator.

Shankar told the police that Kalawati would insist that there was nothing wrong in the way she dressed up as the world was changing and that her timings of returning home depended on her work. Shankar, however, would not buy her explanations and despised her for hurting the familys reputation and honour. He said he feared her behaviour would have an impact on her daughter too.

So, Shankar allegedly planned to kill her. When Kalawatis husband was away at work on Friday evening, police said, Shankar talked her into accompanying him to an abandoned park in Prahlad Vihar. He told her that he wanted to discuss with her the possibility of her returning back to her native village.

But in the park, Shankar stabbed her to death. He then chopped off Kalawatis neck. He also mutilated her body and cut off her hands from her wrists. The brutality of the murder showed the amount of hatred he harboured towards the woman, said the DCP.

Shankar then allegedly wrapped the chopped body parts in her saree and walked out of the park, leaving her headless body amid the bushes. He told the police that he later threw the bundle in a tempo that was passing by.

Kalawatis husband, meanwhile, approached the police around 1.30 pm on Saturday after he failed to locate his wife, despite searching in the neighbourhood.

Even as the police were filing a missing report, Shankar called the police control room and confessed about killing Kalawati. Before the police could set out to trace him, he walked into Vijay Vihar police station and confessed to the murder, said the DCP.

He later also led the police to the spot where Kalawatis headless body was lying. Police said the woman was not sexually assaulted.
Noida principal secretary (housing and urban planning) Mukul Singhal has ordered an inquiry into the financial details of Amrapali group.

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority had earlier asked the CEO of Greater Noida authority to undertake an inquiry into the financial matters of the group.

Noida authority in a meeting last week with senior officials of the state had called for action against Amrapali group under RERA Act.

We have asked the Greater Noida authority to do an official inquiry into the financial status of Amrapali group. The government is very clear that every possible measure will be taken to solve the issues of distressed buyers. The inquiry was ordered four days back, said Mukul Singhal.

CEO Noida Authority, Amit Mohan Prasad, said that they were trying every possible method to come to the aid of distressed homebuyers.

We have asked the principal secretaries of industries and housing to book Amrapali group under RERA act. Principal secretary (housing) is the person who can decide on RERA Act, said Amit Mohan Prasad.

The RERA Act was constituted to bring clarity and fair practices to protect the rights of buyers and to impose penalties on builders at fault. Each state and Union Territory will have its own regulator and set of rules to govern the functioning of the regulator, according to RERA.

The authorities have been asked to use every possible law and provisions to ensure benefit of buyers, added Singhal.

The officials said that the authority is not convinced that Amrapali group was actually trying to arrange funds.

There are projects which can be completed in few months time if the group wants to. The directors of Amrapali have been saying that they are arranging funds to start construction, but their acts suggest the otherwise, added Prasad.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath too has asked authorities to make sure that strict action is taken against builders who are cheating buyers.

The state government has taken the issue of builders and buyers seriously. There are strict instructions from the CM to protect the interest of buyers. The recent meeting with the senior officials took place on the instructions of the CM only, said Mohan.

Amrapali Group officials however said they had nothing to hide.

We have already submitted all required details of our finances. We are aware about the RERA inquiry and there is nothing to hide from our side. They have already asked us everything and we have told them the reality, said Shiv Priya, director, Amrapali.

The Amrapali Group had in 2009 launched Amrapali Dream Valley project with a total of 47 towers in Sector Tech Zone-4. Of 12,000 dwelling units, around 8,000 flats have already been sold but the builder has completed only 40% of the construction work.

Homebuyers have claimed that they have already paid almost 80% of the total flat cost, but the builder is yet to finish even 60% construction.
A 25-year-old man shot dead his colleague from Myanmar on Thursday for allegedly introducing him to smoking that led him to getting throat cancer later.

The accused, identified as Mustakeem Ahmad, a cook at a west Delhi restaurant, was arrested on Friday.

Ahmad has told his interrogators that he was allegedly so consumed with hate towards the victim that he purchased a pistol and practised firing to ensure that he did not miss his target.

The victim, 25-year-old Inayat, had been working as a cook at a restaurant in Uttam Nagar for the last 18 months. Ahmad too had been offered a chefs job at the restaurant that was owned by Ahmads brother-in-law.

Though Ahmad and Inayat were friends at the workplace, Inayat was reportedly better at his job and well-behaved and soon became the favourite of the restaurant owner, said Shibesh Singh, DCP (southwest). This frustrated Ahmad and he developed an enmity against Inayat.

In the meantime, Ahmad began smoking cigarettes and took to marijuana, allegedly under the influence of Inayat. In the course of time, Ahmad developed throat infection, forcing him to consult a doctor. Ahmad has claimed that the doctor told him he had developed throat cancer due to excessive smoking, said the DCP.

Ahmad later blamed Inayat for getting him addicted to smoking that later led to his cancer. Amid all this, Ahmads work quality deteriorated and he was removed from his job.

A frustrated Ahmad then went back to his native village in Amroha in Uttar Pradesh and procured a countrymade pistol and some cartridges. He first practised firing in his village, before returning to Delhi a few days ago, said the DCP.

Ahmad first visited the restaurant on Thursday morning and asked his brother-in-law to sack Inayat. But his brother-in-law refused to do so.

He was carrying his loaded pistol to the restaurantad had planned to kill Inayat if he failed to get him fired from the job. That is what eventually happened. Ahmad ended up picking a fight with Inayat. He later shot at him in the middle of the argument, said an investigator.

Inayat was later rushed to a hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries. Ahmad fled the murder spot, said police.

A police team soon launched a technical surveillance on Ahmad. Later, an informer told police on Friday that Ahmad was set to visit a relative in Uttam Nagar to take some money before fleeing the city. A police team laid a trap and nabbed him after a chase.
In a first-of-its-kind development, principal of a private school in central Delhi has been suspended after intervention by the Delhi assemblys petitions committee. The panel had received several complaints against the principal.

Sources said the committee had been pursuing the matter for a while and had summoned the directorate of education officials over a series of complaints against Sandhya Bindal, the principal of Ramjas School, Anand Parbat.

The department informed the committee on Friday that the school management has acted against the principal.

The committee had received several complaints from aggrieved parents against the principal. It ranged from mental harassment, bad behaviour and fee refund. The education department officials were summoned and asked to look into the complaints. On Friday, secretary (education) and education director informed the committee that the principal has been removed, a member of the committee said.

Sources in the directorate of education (DOE) said they had formed a committee to conduct an inspection of the school and submitted the recommendation to the schools management committee.

We had received complaints from the parents. An inquiry was conducted to look into the allegations by parents and the committee gave its recommendation to the school management committee. We had recommended that action should be taken against the principal, a source said.

The source said that final action was taken by the school as the DOE cannot directly interfere in the matters of a private unaided school.

The final decision of suspension was taken by the schools management. We had only recommended that action should be taken but what should be the action is decided by the school, the source said.

Devesh Gupta, chairperson of the management committee, said that based on the recommendation of the DOE they suspended the principal. Now a show-cause notice will be issued to her and an inquiry conducted to take a final call on the issue. Natural justice says we need to give the principal a chance to defend herself, he said.

The principal Sandhya Bindal said that the action against her are motivated as she had refused to misuse the school funds as allegedly asked by the management committee.

The committee wanted me to misuse the money which I refused. They also wanted me to make appointments by flouting rules but I did not do that. Thats why they are after me she alleged.

Bindal alleged that the case has become politically motivated. There are so many schools in Delhi but why is the privilege committee interested so much in this case. Even the issue of fee hike actually concerns the management committee because the principal doesnt increase fee, the committee does, she said.
Leakage of aviation turbine fuel (ATF) created scare at the Delhi airport on Saturday evening and led to the closure of one of the three runways for over half an hour.

Initially everyone was puzzled as at the same time, something foreign particle hit a pole at the boundary wall of airport, triggering the intrusion alarm around 4:30 pm. The periphery intrusion detection system (PIDS) has been installed on the airports boundary.

A team of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was immediately rushed to check the area. Investigation revealed that it appeared that a cargo flight was getting ready for take-off to Kabul. During the process, part of the second engine on the right side had separated, said an airport source.

After the incident, the flight returned to bay with six crew members. Runway 11/29, which is the largest of the three runways, was closed from 4:45pm to 5:20 pm.

Further investigation revealed that a section separator (circular in shape) came off the engine and speedily rolled away towards perimeter wall, which is approximately 300 metres away.

After knocking down a perimeter electric pole, it hit the perimeter wall, causing slight damage to it. As the part also hit the left wing of the aircraft, fuel started leaking.

The flight had a consignment of tobacco. Fire tenders were rushed to the spot to control any damage. The flight was brought back and parked at the bay and fuel leakage stopped.

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The Punjab and Haryana high court criticised the Manohar Lal Khattar government on Saturday for politically surrendering to the Dera Sacha Sauda, whose supporters ran riot across two states to protest against their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction. The clashes left 31 people dead and injured 200 others. (Live updates)

Hearing a public interest litigation on the law and order situation, the HC observed the Panchkula deputy commissioner of police, who was suspended on Saturday morning, was being made a scapegoat and sought a deeper probe into the shoddy security arrangements that failed to control the mobs.

This was a political surrender to lure vote banksthey were outsiders, you allowed them to enter and stay, said the three-judge bench.

The court also criticised the chief minister, who alleged late on Friday that anti-social elements and miscreants were behind the violence. If the CM came to know in a day about anti-social elements, why couldnt you prevent their entry for the last seven days? The next hearing in the case is on Tuesday, a day after the sentence is pronounced against the Dera chief.

The courts strong observations amid mounting attacks on the government for letting nearly 200,000 supporters of the flashy and controversial leader gather in Panchkula, where a CBI court convicted Singh on Friday for raping two women 15 years ago.

Minutes after the conviction was announced in a highly-guarded courtroom, hysterical followers burnt down offices, vehicles and railway stations and turned Panchkula into a virtual war zone. Visuals showed outnumbered police officials fleeing with the security arrangement in disarray as masked men streamed into neighbourhoods and attacked journalists. Forces responded with tear gas shells, batons and finally, firing.

The high court noted these developments, as well as media reports. The judges were told that a glitch in orders imposing section 144 led to restrictions on the entry of people with weapons, and not on large gatherings themselves. We want to know who the political person was who gave these orders, the court said.

On Saturday as the violence spread from Punjab and Haryana to Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the high court had ruled that the Dera would pay for any damages and sought a list of its properties. The court on Saturday asked deputy commissioners across Haryana to submits lists of the Deras movable and immovable properties, its bank accounts and incomes.

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An Air India flight from Srinagar was forced to return to the airport on Saturday after developing a technical snag mid-air. Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah was also onboard.

The flight from Srinagar to Jammu had to return to Srinagar after developing a technical snag, officials at the airport said. They said the flight developed a snag mid-air.

Abdullah tweeted, Not my day to travel. Now my @airindiain flight has turned back from overhead Pulwama after taking off from Srinagar.

Not my day to travel. Now my @airindiain flight has turned back from overhead Pulwama after taking off from Srinagar. https://t.co/Aiki9e3ZKK  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) August 26, 2017

He said he would never fly by the airline on the sector as too many technical issues keep cropping up.

Serve(s) me right for boarding a 28 year old plane. Never using Air India on this sector again. Too many technical issues keep cropping up, he said.

Earlier, Abdullah was to travel to Surankote in Jammu region via Mughal Road, but he had to cancel his travel plan because of a fidayeen attack in Pulwama.

Militant attack on the District Police Lines Pulwama, an hour before I was going to drive through the area has forced a major change of plans.

I was looking forward to using the Mughal road to cross Pir Ki Galli & start my tour from Surankote. Will now fly to Jammu & start from there, he said in a series of tweets.

He said there was a time not long ago when he wouldnt think twice about an impromptu drive through the four districts of South Kashmir but it wasnt possible any longer.
Her story begins like any other ordinary womans, burdened with the responsibility of five children after the sudden death of her husband in 1991. But life took a far from ordinary turn for Manorama Devi. In the next 20 years, she established a formidable network of powerful friends and played with crores of government funds, illegally diverted into the account of her NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti (henceforth Srijan).

Sixty-five-year-old Manorama Devi died in February this year, but her name is at the epicentre of an almost Rs 1,000 crore scam in Bihar.

Read more: Srijan scam in 10 points

RJD chief Lalu Prasad has been attacking the Nitish Kumar government as the NDA was in power for a major part of the scam period (2004-13). Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi was the finance minister of Bihar from 2005 to 2013. Lalu has also been relentlessly tweeting photographs of Manorama Devi at various functions with NDA leaders including BJP minister Giriraj Singh, Shahnawaz Hussain, Sushil Kumar Modi and chief minister Nitish Kumar. The RJD wants the resignation of both Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi and a CBI probe monitored by the Supreme Court. Kumar ordered a CBI probe on August 17.

The Srijan scam is likely to dominate the RJDs BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao rally, scheduled for August 27, which will have leaders from other parties also.

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Manorama Devis rise to power began after her husband Avadhesh Kumars death in 1991 (he was a principal scientist at the erstwhile Indian Lac Research Institute in Ranchi). Although originally from Mithila Deep village in Madhubani, she, along with her three sons and two daughters, returned to Sabour in Bhagalpur, where her father had worked.

In 1996, she set up Srijan, a registered society for women in small income-generating activities such as stitching, making bindis, incense sticks, sattu etc.

Initially, she had a few sewing machines for stitching petticoats and blouses and worked out of a rented house. Gradually, she started developing contacts. She wanted to increase the membership of her organisation.

Manorama Devi, sitting in the centre, with her family members. (HT file photo.)

The turning point came in 2003 when KP Ramaiah, who was then the district magistrate of Bhagalpur, announced a scheme for 50% subsidy to women for the purchase of sewing machines. Srijan purchased 1000 machines from a vendor and all the women who got them became Srijan members.

In 2003 she got over 24,000 square feet land on 30 years lease for a paltry sum of Rs 2400, said a police official. The land, adjacent to the block office, was marked for the office of her cooperative society and to start banking operations for her self-help groups (SHGs) in Sabour. But it was not exactly a bank as it was not affiliated to the central cooperative bank of Bhagalpur. Srijans aura was such that many people in the area thought of it as a genuine bank.

Now, police probe has revealed that the contract for a building initially meant for an Integrated Rural Development Project (IRDP) programme was also under Srijans control even before 2003, said an official of the investigating wing.

KP Ramaiah supported Srijans various cooperative activities. He directed all the block development officers, rural development and panchayat members to put deposits with Srijan.

With government patronage, Srijans growth continued over the years. From an NGO that required grants to a coop society bank offering loans to needy SHG members to having bank accounts in nationalised banks dealing with big government funds, Srijans fortunes rose sky-high, but no one ever questioned its meteoric rise. Especially because Srijans programmes and schemes were endorsed by whos who of politics and the bureaucracy.

MODUS OPERANDI

The scandal broke when a few cheques of the Bhagalpur district administration were dishonoured citing lack of funds in the government account. The Bhagalpur police lodged the first FIR in the Srijan fund transfer scam on August 7 after a cheque of Rs 17.70 crore of the urban development department bounced due to lack of funds in the account. The following day, two more cases involving over Rs 350 crore surfaced. District magistrate Adesh Titarmare ordered an inquiry and reported the matter to the higher-ups.

Apparently, it was the failure of Srijan to replenish the principal amount in the departments account on time that may have blown the lid off the scam.

The modus operandi was simple but daring. In connivance with bank and government officials, money that should have been in the governments bank account was diverted to Srijans account. As the core banking network could not be tampered with (it could not show the money in the NGOs account), specially-designed software was used to generate doctored e-statements of the bank to be used in the government files.

Pass books of members of Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahayog Samiti Ltd. (Arun Kumar/HT Photo.)

Jitendra Singh Gangwar, IG, Economic Offences Unit, who was entrusted with the initial probe, said that the whole exercise seemed to be meticulously planned with the tacit understanding of officials in the administration and banks. The idea was to embezzle the huge interest accruing from the fund transfers, while quickly transferring the funds back to the government account whenever a government cheque arrived. There were informers in the bank who would alert Srijan when government cheques were put into the bank.

This way, no cheques would bounce; no one would get suspicious.

Gangwar said the laptop (with the customised software installed in it), printer and pen drives were recovered from one Bansidhar Jha, a computer operator who worked for Srijan for a salary of Rs 20,000 a month. So far, over 18 persons have been arrested. Mahesh Mandal, one of the accused, who worked in Bhagalpur collectorate, died in judicial custody.

Bhagalpur SSP Manoj Kumar admitted that initially it was tough to unravel the modus operandi, as custodians of government funds were involved in the racket.

According to sources, vital signs about the scam were routinely ignored. In Saharsa, the government account had been left with just Rs 2 crore in 2014, while the special land acquisition officer had issued a cheque worth Rs 153 crore. Three days later, Rs 151 crore arrived in the account through Srijan. Once the fund arrived, the matter was not taken forward, said a water resource development official.

MONEY LOST

Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh has directed all districts to update their accounts. Some of the departments claimed to have reconciled their principal amount. But that isnt the only matter under the scanner. A member of the initial probe team admitted that the bigger issue was to find out how long the government funds had remained out of the official accounts, what had happened to the interest and who benefited from these funds.

The scam has now spread beyond Bhagalpur. Fraudulent fund transfers have also been detected in Saharsa and Banka districts. FIRs have been lodged. Police sources said that more districts could come under its ambit, as irregularities had been going on for years. The money trail could lead back to government officers, bank executives, politicians.

DESERTED HOMES

As long as she was alive, the wily and unscrupulous Manorama Devi kept the scam going smoothly. But after her death, differences cropped up in the family, and people who had taken loans illegally from the NGO began to default in payment. The NGO began feeling the financial pinch, and had difficulties in timely replenishment of government money.

The palatial house of Manorama Devi, located in the Ishakchak locality of Bhagalpur, is locked with two caretakers inside. Neither claims to know the whereabouts of Amit Kumar and Priya (son and daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi).

I have been here for just a month and dont know for how long I have to stay here, said Mukesh Kumar, 28, who earlier worked at Srijans Sabour office.

Another house barely 50 feet away, is also locked with a security guard outside. Three cars parked outside are covered with a layer of dust now, as they have clearly not been driven for a while.

But the dust is still to settle on the gigantic Srijan scam.

CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE: STORIES OF WOMEN WHO INVESTED MONEY WITH SRIJAN

Anuska Devi, 55, had planned carefully for her two daughters, Sony and Pooja. Both are studying in intermediate at Sabour College.

She had plans to get them married after their graduation.

She saved ~20,000 in a fixed deposit in Srijan Mahila Vikas SS Limited in 2013 to get double the amount by 2020.

She is not even aware that the organisation where she deposited her money is under investigation and that she might never get her money back. Wasnt that a government bank? she asked, showing her fixed deposit paper wrapped in polythene. The money will be due in 2020. Maybe I will get the money then, she said.

Many women in her village, Farka, two km from Sabour block office, became members of Srijans self-help groups.

Srijan virtually operated like a chit fund company from premises close to the block office to give an impression to gullible village women that it was part of the government. There were photographs of Manorama Devi with top officials at the entrance of the Srijan office to bolster her credibility.

Villagers recall that Manorama Devis brother-in-law Sunil was initially very active in drawing women to the self-help groups (SHGs) on the pretext that it could fetch them income as well as loans with small deposits.

I started with a ~30 a month deposit in 2003 and gradually increased it to Rs 200, said Sushma Devi, chairman of one SHG. The group also got loans on its total deposits at an interest of Rs 1.50 per Rs 100 per month. The loan amount would be distributed among those who needed it or it would be equally distributed among all.

Over 500 such groups of 10-12 members operated under Srijan. Each group had a chairman, secretary and treasurer. However, the passbooks and deposit receipts did not mention the word bank anywhere though the office, now locked and guarded by security men, had the look and feel of a bank with a workforce of 80 people.

Many women, who took loans recently and are waiting for the due date to deposit the interest and premium, risk big losses. I have received more than what I deposited. If required, I will return the money, said Guriya Devi, 25, afraid of police action on the depositors.

Usha Devi, 35, said, We used to get loans when needed. After her [Manorama Devis] death, things deteriorated. We went to the Srijan office after we got to know about the problem but returned as the office was locked.

Usha Devi asked if anyone knew the whereabouts of Priya didi (the daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi ). Both Priya and Amit, who ran the Srijan affairs after Manorama Devis death, have vanished after the scam broke. The villagers remain oblivious of how the scam reached crores, with the help of the government agencies.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) killed at least three Pakistani Rangers in retaliatory firing in two separate places along the Indo-Pakistan international border on Saturday.

BSF Jammu Frontier IG Ram Awtar told Hindustan Times over phone that the BSF eliminated a ranger at an area opposite to Arnia of RS Pura sector in Jammu district, where Pakistani forces opened sniper firing on Friday, injuring constable KK Apparao.

Two Rangers were eliminated opposite Dewra village in Sunderbani in a separate retaliatory fire, the IG added.

The Pakistani Rangers sniped Apparao when he was drinking water in BOP Budhwar in RS Pura of Jammu district, said another BSF officer.

A bullet was lodged above the jawans ear. He was operated upon last night and his condition is stated to be stable.

The rangers resumed unprovoked firing on Saturday afternoon firing four 51mm and two 81/82 mm mortars. Two mortars exploded in Dewra village in Sunderbani.

The BSF retaliated, killing two rangers, the officer added.

He said the Pakistani forces also resorted to unprovoked firing in Pargwal area of Jammu region around 2.50pm, prompting the BSF to retaliate.

There is no de-escalation in unprovoked firing from across the border even as the BSF and the Pakistan Rangers had committed themselves to maintaining peace at a commandant-level flag meeting in Samba sector on July 17.

In the flag meeting, the two sides had agreed to re- energise instant communication between field commanders, whenever required, to resolve petty matters, a BSF official had said.

They committed to each other to maintain peace and tranquillity at the international border, the official had added.

Three days ago, senior army commanders of India and Pakistan also held a flag meeting on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector in J&K and agreed to institute mechanisms for durable peace and tranquillity on the border.

There has been a sharp increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan this year.

Pakistani forces since May had stepped up ceasefire violation along the LoC at Pir Panjal range in Rajouri and Poonch districts. Now they have opened another front in Jammu district.

Till August 1, there were 285 ceasefire violations by the Pakistani army while the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year in 2016, according to an Indian army data

Eleven people, including nine soldiers, were killed and 18 injured in ceasefire violations by Pakistani army in July alone.

There were 83 ceasefire violations, one attack on border action team (BAT) and two infiltration bids from the Pakistani side in June in which four people, including three jawans, were killed and 12 injured.

In May, there were 79 ceasefire violations, according to officials.

Minister of state for home affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir visited Chamliyal outpost in Ramgarh area of Samba sector on Thursday to take stock of the prevailing border security scenario.

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Patna The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered an FIR against Bhagalpur based-NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti, in connection with the alleged transfer of funds to accounts of the non-government organisation.

Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti director Manorma Devi, since dead, has been named in the FIR along with present and former Bank of Baroda managers at Saharsa and Bhagalpur branches, respectively, as well the then cashier and head assistant of land acquisition office, Saharsa.

The accused have been booked under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation, and criminal breach of trust along with forgery of valuable security for cheating, and using as genuine forged documents under Sections 120-B, 406, 409, 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The CBI began the investigation in the Srijan scam on Thursday.

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had on August 18 recommended the CBI to probe into the Srijan scam, after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad accused him of murdering democracy in Bihar.

Prasad had also alleged of a foul play behind the delay in CBIs investigation into the Srijan scam, in addition to accusing Kumar of destroying all the evidence.

Meanwhile, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi called his predecessor and Lalu Prasads son Tejashwi Yadavs protests in the assembly premises demanding the formers resignation in connection with the Srijan scam as shameful.

The scam worth around Rs 1300 crore took place between 2007 and 2013, when Modi was the finance minister though the government says Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti was authorised to transfer funds in 2003 when RJD chief Lalu Prasads wife, Rabri Devi, was the chief minister.

Nitish Kumar decided to hand over the case to the central agency after a high-level review meeting with chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh, director general of police PK Thakur, principal secretary (home) Amir Subhani and inspector general of police (IG), economic offence unit (EOU), Jitendra Singh Gangwar, who was sent to Bhagalpur to inquire into the matter.

Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti is accused of embezzling crores of money from different accounts of district administration with the alleged connivance of government officials and bank staff on the pretext of several welfare schemes.

An initial probe by the economic offences unit (EOU) and special investigating team of Bihar police revealed involvement of nationalised banks, government officials and employees in the fraudulent withdrawal of government funds in three districts of Bhagalpur, Banka and Saharsa. The EOU and SIT have registered 11 FIRs have been filed and 18 people arrested in the scam do far.

(With inputs from agencies)
Chhattisgarh BJP leader Harish Verma who was arrested after the death of nearly 300 cows at his cow shelters routinely sold dead cattle to butchers and traded in their skin and bones, according to police.

The states Gau Sewa Ayog (official body for bovine welfare) levelled this allegation against Verma in its complaint to the police.

The Gau Sewa Ayogs allegation was found to be true, Durg inspector general of police Deepanshu Kabra told HT on Saturday. Some of the accused have given statements that dead cows were sold to butchers. Details will come out soon, said Kabra.

Verma, whom the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suspended after his arrest on August 18, is linked to three cow shelters where cattle deaths, allegedly of starvation and lack of medicines, were reported.

He ran the Shagun Goshala (cow shelter) in Durg district; his wife, Laxmi Verma, operated the Phulchandra Goshala in adjoining Bemetara district; and his relative, M Narayanan, was in charge of Mayuri Goshala, also in Bemetara, said police. All three cow shelters functioned with funding from the Gau Sewa Ayog.

Verma, who is in police custody, has been charged under sections 4 and 6 of Chhattisgarh Agricultural Cattle Preservation Act -2004, Section 11 of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and Section 409 of Indian Penal Code.

Verma, vice-president of Jamul Nagar Nigam (civic body), came under the scanner after nearly 200 cows died this month at Shagun Goshala cow shelter in Rajpur village. Officials spotted nearly 40 carcasses, but villagers alleged that many dead cows had been clandestinely buried or disposed of, said police.

Police have registered three separate FIRs against the operators of the three cowsheds and are on the lookout for seven others accused in the cases.

According to the FIRs lodged on the complaint of the Gau Sewa Ayog, Mayuri Goshala (established in June 2015) has so far received grant of Rs 22.64 lakh, Phulchandra Goshala (established in 2014) has got Rs 50 lakh, and Shagun Goshala has received Rs 93 lakh since 2011.

The Gau Sewa Ayog has alleged that the money was not used in the cow shelters. Police are looking into allegations that cows were deliberately starved and allowed to die. Verma has claimed cows died at his Shagun Goshala in a wall collapse.
After Dera followers indulged in large-scale violence on Friday following their leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction in a rape case, the Haryana Police on Saturday said the jailed godman will not be brought to Panchkula for the sentencing on Monday. (Live updates)

CBI court judge Jagdeep Singh while convicting the Dera chief in the 2002 rape case and sexual exploitation of two female disciples, said the quantum of punishment for the 50-year-old sect leader would be handed out on August 28.

Ram Rahim was flown in a helicopter, specially arranged by the Haryana government, to Rohtak. He is lodged in the District Jail at Sanoria, about 10 km from Rohtak.

Haryana director general of police (DGP) BS Sandhu told the media in Chandigarh on Saturday that the sect chief would not be brought back to the Panchkula court over security concerns.

The sentencing will either be done through video conferencing or, if required, the court will be held there (Rohtak prison), the DGP said, adding that the judge (Jagdeep Singh) will be taken there.

Haryana chief secretary DS Dhesi denied that the convicted godman was being provided VIP treatment by the state and the police in prison.

The DGP and chief secretary, however, could not explain why a woman, said to be the sect chiefs daughter, was allowed to board the helicopter used to transfer the godman to the prison after he was taken into custody.

Panchkula town, adjoining here, where the CBI court announced the verdict, bore the brunt of violence unleashed by thousands of Dera supporters on Friday and resembled a war zone with a trail of 29 deaths, burnt vehicles and properties worth crores damaged or torched.
The political class apparent silence on the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case and the ensuing violence appeared to hint towards the religious sects political clout.

Both the BJP and the Congress have sought favours from the Dera chief from time to time in the run up to elections.

While political leaders have remained mum on the court verdict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi have condemned violence by Dera followers and appealed for peace.

Based at Sirsa in Haryana, the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda are mainly Dalits but also include Sikhs, Muslims and Christians.

Though the Dera claims to be apolitical, it started a political affairs wing (PAW) in 2007 to advice its followers on whom to vote for. The Deras call to its followers  which it claims run into crores  to support a particular party changes the poll outcome in many seats of Haryana and Punjab as they vote as a block.

For several years, the Dera chief had dabbled in vote-bank politics and helped different parties in a strategic manner.

But his steady drift towards the BJP started in 2014 with the sect backing the saffron party in that years Lok Sabha and Haryana assembly elections. The sect even supported the BJP during the 2015 Delhi assembly polls.

While campaigning in the Haryana assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Dera chief in a public rally at Sirsa on October 11, 2014. He followed it up with a tweet on October 30, 2014 lauding the Dera chief for his efforts in the Clean India campaign.

As recent as on Thursday, Haryana education minister Ram Bilas Sharma defended the buildup of Dera followers in Panchkula , calling them simple and peace-loving people. On Friday, BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj questioned the CBI courts decision and called the Dera chief a noble soul.

Ahead of this years assembly elections in Punjab, the Dera had officially announced its support to the SAD-BJP combine. However, the Congress swept the polls and regained power after 10 years. This was the second time since 2007 that a party supported by Dera had lost Punjab polls.

In the 2007 assembly elections in Punjab, the Dera had asked its followers to vote for the Congress. This was a departure from the past as the Dera till then was traditionally anti-Congress and had supported individual candidates based on merit.

The reason for extending support to the Congress was the alleged repression of the Dera and its followers by the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and other Sikh groups after Ram Rahim posed in a dress that made him look like the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

In the 2012 Punjab polls, the Dera did not support any party despite Captain Amarinder Singh seeking blessings from Ram Rahim. However, buzz in political circles later suggested that Dera had supported the Akali Dal candidates.

A relative of Dera chief, Harminder Singh Jassi, has been a Congress legislator from Punjab.

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A 56-acre parcel of land owned by the Dera Sacha Sauda in Telanganas Nalgonda district has triggered a controversy with local villagers asking the government to take possession of the property.

The Dera Sacha Sauda acquired the land at Veliminedu village of Chityal block in Nalgonda district, abutting the Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway in 2008. It soon constructed a huge compound wall and erected boards with the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs photos, appealing to the people to take his blessings.

But soon after news of his conviction on rape charges and widespread violence by his supporters reached the area, local villagers contacted revenue officials and said no one knew what happened inside the fortified compound, except that cars were seen entering and exiting the property.

Villagers say 15 out of the 56 acres was land allotted to the landless. We made a representation to the revenue authorities to take possession of the entire land, since the so-called Baba was convicted by the court, and distribute it among the landless people, said Seenu, a local resident.

The value of the land, according to current market prices, will be not less than Rs 50 crore, said B Ramesh, a local reporter of a vernacular television channel.

The government has ordered revenue officials to visit the area and conduct a survey. Chityal tehsildar Vishalakshi told HT that she had visited the spot and inspected the records. As per the records, there is a piece of around 7.5 acres of assigned land. However, we would do a resurvey to find out the actual extent of the assigned land. As of now, we have not taken over this piece of land, because of the court decree. We shall report the matter to the government and act according to the directions, she said.

The property is being taken care of a realtor Shyamlal, who claims to be an ardent devotee of Baba. I, along with some other followers of Dera sect, pooled funds and bought the land in 2008. It was registered in the name of Dera Sacha Sauda trust and our names have been mentioned in the documents as the trustees. It is just a farm land as of now and we are growing vegetables, pulses and other crops here, We are planning to construct an ashram here, where Satsang programmes are conducted regularly to spread spirituality among the people, Shyamlal told HT.

He admitted that a part of the land was assigned land, but it was only nine acres and not 15 acres. When we bought it, we were not aware that it was assigned land. We represented to the government to regularise the land and we are ready to pay whatever price it decides, he said.

Shyamlal, who originally belongs to Haryana, settled in Hyderabad along with his family. I became the disciple of Baba Ram Rahim in 2000 and since then, I have been spreading his message, he said.

Singh had never come to the Ashram land at Veliminedu. He came to Hyderabad several times in the past, including 2016, to deliver spiritual Satsang speeches. But he has no ashram in Hyderabad or elsewhere in Telangana or Andhra, Shyamlal said.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi late Friday night in connection with a money laundering probe against him and others.

Qureshi will be presented in a Delhi court on Saturday.

The billionaire has been questioned multiple times in the past by the agency after it registered two FIRs under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

He had been under probe since 2015 when the ED filed a case against him alleging illegal dealings in foreign exchange and using hawala channels for routing money to London, Dubai and other places.

The meat exporter had come under the EDs radar in 2011 after the income tax began probing him for dodging taxes. Suspected to be one of the biggest tax evaders in India, Qureshi allegedly has close ties to a former CBI director. His proximity to several high profile leaders of the UPA and NDA has also emerged during the investigation.

After humble beginnings in Uttar Pradesh with a slaughterhouse, Qureshi acquired several businesses in the 1990s and established his company AMQ Agri which is one of the largest meat exporters in the country.
Two doctors of BRD Medical College Hospital in Gorakhpur, including Dr Kafeel Khan, who was in charge of the encephalitis ward, have been suspended in connection with the death of children there earlier this month.

Dr Khan, in charge of the 100-bed AES ward, and Dr Satish, in charge of anaesthesia, have been suspended after the state governments approval, medical college principal Dr PK Singh said.

The probe committee headed by chief secretary Rajive Kumar had recommended initiating criminal action against the then principal of the medical college, Dr Satish, Dr Khan and M/s Pushpa Sales Pvt Ltd.

With this, seven persons have been suspended following the deaths of over 60 children in the state-run hospital due to alleged lack of oxygen supply.

Besides the then principal, Dr Rajiv Kumar Mishra, three employees of the hospital and a pharmacist have also been suspended, Dr Singh said.

Earlier this week, an FIR was filed against nine persons including Dr Khan, Dr Mishra, his wife Dr Purnima Shukla, and the proprietors of M/s Pushpa Sales Pvt Ltd on the charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide and under relevant provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act.

Soon after the deaths of children were reported, Dr Khan was removed from the post of nodal officer of the AES ward.
Till last month, they were proud members of Indias only Nepali language satellite channel. But now, 150 employees of the All Bharatiya Nepali Network (ABN Network) are worried about meeting daily expenses after the West Bengal government sealed its offices and shut the channel down.

They say the police regularly call them in for questioning and they face financial hardships, all because the state government thinks the channel favoured protesters demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland.

The administration sealed the corporate and production offices of the Siliguri-based channel on the night of July 22 on charges of spreading hatred between communities and causing disharmony. This came a day after the channel broadcast a Khukuri rally organised by pro-Gorkhaland supporters on Facebook.

The Khukuri (a traditional Nepali /Gorkhali knife) rally was one of several across the Darjeeling hills that have been paralysed for more than two months by protests asking for a separate state.

Police say they shut the channel down on complaints that it violated prohibitory orders and telecast footage that fanned hatred in the Darjeeling hills.

Our action was based on the FIR lodged against the channel by the Darjeeling district information and culture department, said Niraj Kumar Singh, police commissioner of Siliguri.

But the channel dismissed the charges and alleged that the state government was muzzling press freedom. They also point out that a magisterial order restraining the channel from broadcasting news related to Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts was issued a day after the shut down. The order has since been extended.

In the interim, employees are without salary and say people who are based outside Siliguri are the worst hit.

Sunil Singh, a cameraman, said that he lived in Siliguri in a rented house with his ailing parents, wife and one-year-old daughter. I am facing difficulty to meet the medicinal expenses of my parents and to run the familythe fear of losing my job always haunts me, he told HT.

Rashmi Pakhrin a news anchor, joined the channel about two years ago, leaving her job in a private company. We are in dark about what is happening and if the channel would start functioning againour career is at stake.

We intended nothing but to be a neutral mirror of society. Well be back soon, said channels chief MD Bijay Chamling.

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Banudas Sonawane is an angry man: Angry that his eldest daughter, a 19-year-old, joined a hospitality course without his permission. Angry that the girl, Anita, didnt call home often enough while she was at the two-month long residential courseeven though he had given her a paid up SIM card. Angry that the job she was offered after the course was, in his eyes, low in status. Angry that a government job did not come her way.

Most of all, Sonawane is angry by an apparent correlation between girls who get jobs and love marriages.

Father of five girls and one boy (the youngest), Sonawane drives a truck for a living and is pretty sure of what is going on in the country.

One of my relatives daughter got a job in the police, he said. She went off to train to be a constable. The next thing we heard was that she had got married in court. Her parents are shattered and their neighbours dont talk to them any more. His wife and 19-year-old daughter bent their heads as they sat quietly in the two-room dwelling in an Aurangabad slum near the rail tracks.

Yet, Sonawane is ambitious for his daughter. Anything can happen in life, so of course women must be able to stand on their feet and be independent, he said. But he was just as clear: His daughter would not be a waitress in a restaurant. If she got a job as a captain or in a government hotel, it would be a different matter, he said. Since she hadnt, it was better for her to study and complete her graduation.

Anita Banudas Sonawane didnt seem to have much of a say in the matter. The job she had turned down came with a salary of Rs 7,000 a month. Banta nahin, (not viable), she shrugged. It would be better for her to look for a government job once she completed her graduationas her father wanted her to do. If she had failed her class 12, then she would have had to work, said the father. Now she has a choice, she can study and get a better job. What sort of a father would I be if I just sent her to get a job without a proper education?

Anita said she had never really left home until she joined the two-month course run by the Pace Hospitality Training Centre on the outskirts of Aurangabad. The institute is one of 100 in 16 states and across 45 cities run by the Pratham Institute. For the hospitality trade, Pratham has 22 centres across the country. Last year, 9,000 men and women were trained in various aspects of food and beverage, housekeeping and food production.

Within the hospitality trade, there is reasonably high demand for skilled women employees. Both girls and boys need a lot of training in the softer areas, but girls tend to be better, said Anita Rajan, chief operating officer, Tata Strive, the Tatas CSR (corporate social responsibility) arm that focuses on skilling Indias youth. But with the girls you have to involve their parents. Its the parents who have a lot of problems, especially if the place of work is far away.

When they do travel out of the village, the girls tend to travel in groups. Usha Shihare, 19, the daughter of a farm labourer, left her village in the north-eastern Maharashtra district of Gondia, 650 km away, with seven other girls to work in an Aurangabad hotel. To go back home, she must take travel by bus to the district headquarters, 14 hours and then hop on to a connecting transport to her village. When my grandmother passed away a year ago, I could not make it back in time for her cremation, she said. Its not worth it to work for such a low salary so far from home. I wish I could get a job near my village, but there are no hotels there.

It took a village to let young women acquire new skills

The hospitality sectorhotels, aviation, tours and travelsreflects a 5-10% increase in hiring intent, according to the 2017 India Skills Report. In terms of gender diversity, 26.26% of all employees in this sector are female, according to the same report. Average gender diversity for all trades, according to the same report, is 71% men to 29% women.

Part of the problem in recruiting women is a mindset problem. There are a lot of openings at the entry level but huge barriers to entry. Theres the issue of mobilityif the job is not near her home, then where will she live? If hotels dont provide hostel accommodation, getting one on rent is tough. Landlords dont want to keep single women because of the perceived burden of ensuring safety for them, said Medha Uniyal, programme director, Pratham Institute.

Many of the girls who join, like Anita Sonawane who signed up while her father was out of town on work, brave parental opposition. Aspiration is very high, said Rajesh Thokale, Pratham Institutes programme director. But the challenges they face in coming out of the villages are enormous.

It took a village to decide to send its girls to learn skills that would enable them to get jobs.

At Sulibanjan village (population 3,000), a stones throw away from Khultabad, the final resting place of Aurangzeb, once emperor of India, the woman sarpanch, Mehrunissa Syed Ashraf Ali, explained: The parents were worried; their daughters had never left home. So we held meetings with the people from the institute and they explained to us why it was important to teach our daughters a skill.

Earlier, the girls would study till grade VII and then be married off. Now they have a choice. We have seen that the institute has a very good atmosphere and it is safe to send our girls there, said Ali.

That Indian women have been falling off the employment map for several years now is both well known and cause for concern. In rural India, female labour force participation, or FLFP, fell from 49% in 1993-94 to 35.8% in 2011-12. It fell in urban India too, from 23.7% in 1993-94 to 20.5% in 2011-12, according to this World Bank April 2017 report.

The single largest drop from jobs, about 53%, has occurred in the 15-24-year-old age group, the World Bank report found.

If you were to look for a silver lining, it is here. Indias girls have finally caught up with the educational achievement of boys particularly at the secondary and high school levels. Sustained efforts by governments and NGOs have bridged the education gap and if fewer young girls are working, it is quite simply because they are studying.

The bad news is that it only explains part of the decline that occurred across all age groups. The World Bank report pins an actual figure: 62% of women in rural India who quit jobs did it for reasons other than education. In urban India, 28% quit for reasons other than attending school. (Read part 1, part 2 and part 3 of IndiaSpends nationwide investigation on why women are falling off the employment map).

95% of women trained receive job offers, not everyone accepts

The Pace Hospitality Training Centre at Nandrabad village, 23 km north-west of Aurangabad and on the route to the famous Ellora caves, recruited 960 young men and women from nearby districts, including Ahmednagar, Yavatmal, Nashik, Dhule and Beed last year. Almost all came from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Sarika and Sunil Vithal came here after their parents were killed in a road accident while on their way to a wedding. While Sunil had been working at a local dhaba, Sarika found work as a daily wage labourer in the fields owned by other people. Both are now enrolled at Pace, learning the ropes of housekeeping.

Nearly 30% of students at Pace are women, and unlike the men who pay Rs 16,000, they pay a subsidised fee of Rs 2,000 including boarding and lodging, uniforms and training material. If the men cant afford to pay Rs 16,000 upfront, they can apply to pay in installments. The Vithal siblings fee has been waived.

Aurangabad is a bustling town made famous for once ordering 150 Mercedes Benz in a single transaction. No Mercedes are in evidence on the streets; instead women whizz by a replica Statue of Liberty on their two-wheelers, arms and face carefully covered to avoid getting tanned under an unrelenting sun. Tuition centres like Bansods classes, the synonym of success, and hotels jostle for space with hardware and paint shops.

At the end of Paces two-month course, which includes basic English, computer training, grooming standards, interview preparation and other soft skills, 95% received jobs offers.

Not everyone accepted. Sometimes the job is in a big city and parents are reluctant to send their daughters so far away, said Saurabh Deshpande, Pratham Institutes academic headhospitality training. More than the girls, you often have to convince their parents.

Sometimes the job is in a big city and parents are reluctant to send their daughters so far away, said Saurabh Deshpande, Pratham Institutes academic headhospitality training. More than the girls, you often have to convince their parents.

Chef Swati Shinde, an assistant food-production trainer, had no such problems. As a single mother to a five-year-old son, she knew she had to get a job to survive-just as her mother had worked after her fathers death. Yet, her choice to train as a chef is unusual for most women tend to opt for housekeeping or food and beverage.

Being a chef is hard physical labour and not all women can do it, said Shinde who after a seven month job at Cream n Crunch cafe now works at Pace, teaching other men and women to be a chef. Its a job that gives her a place to stay while her mother, Ashabai Shinde, takes care of her son who studies in grade I at Sant Gyaneshwar School in Ranjangaon, a district of Aurangabad.

When you have to work, you do everything, said Ashabai. I had to do it all, construction sites, washing utensils and clothes, whatever it took to bring up my daughters after their father died.

Swati was married soon after she completed grade VIII in school. Her husband though wealthy was a drunkard who beat Swati like a mad man, said Ashabai.

In no time, Swati was back home with a newborn son and hasnt looked back. She managed to complete her schooling cutting vegetables and peeling garlic for madams who worked and had no time to cut them. Then last year she heard about the hospitality training course and thought, why ever not?

Today, Swati said, she earns enough for her mother to lead a retired lifeshe owns her own place and rents out a part that gives her an income to take care of her personal expenses.

Meanwhile, Swati has started a BA programme. One should be educated, she said. But, shes clear that she wants to continue as chef. I am learning a lot. Facing a class has given me a lot of confidence, she said. Ever since she joined in June this year, she has not had a single girl student. But the boys have no problems taking instructions from her, she said. Everybody respects me.

Growing up, Swati dreamed of becoming a doctor. But this line has given me a skill that nobody can take away, even if I lose this job, she said.

Shes still dreaming. One day she will have her own cafe in which she will serve her favourite thing to make, pizza. In my village nobody likes it. But I think it will be popular in Aurangabad.

This is the fourth of a series of stories investigating why Indian women are dropping out of the workplace. You can read the first part here, the second part here and the third part here.

(Namita Bhandare is a Delhi-based journalist who writes frequently on gender issues confronting India)

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A clerical glitch by the Haryana government was likely responsible for the widespread violence after the rape conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh that left 31 people dead. (Live updates)

Two prohibitory orders were issued ahead of the verdict in Panchkula, one on August 18 and another on August 22. But neither of them barred the assembly of five or more people and only restricted people from carrying weapons.

This allowed a massive build-up of supporters of the flashy leader that swelled to about 200,000 on the morning of the conviction on Friday. This mob went on a rampage minutes after the conviction was announced in the afternoon, damaging government offices and torching vehicles.

..There is a clerical mistake in the order dated 22.08.2017 regarding prohibition of assembly of five or more persons in the area of Panchkula, the state advocate general BR Mahajan told the court on August 24, the day a fresh order was passed.

But the August 24 order, issued a day before the verdict, was violated with impunity and proved to be no use as authorities failed to even evacuate followers from heart of city, which later became the epicenter of the violence.

Experts said if the order had been rectified on August 22, when the number of followers was around 20,000, the violence could have been contained.

The mistake came to light after the high court took up a public interest litigation (PIL) on August 24 and asked Haryana to produce a copy of orders by the end of day to ascertain how the crowd swelled despite prohibitory orders against assembly.

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Police in Assams Dhemaji district seized 43 heads of deer with antlers besides other animal body parts from two persons from Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday .

The haul, believed to be one of the biggest in years, included heads and skins of two clouded leopards, a bear head and skin, a wild goat head with antlers, four otter skins, a hornbill beak and bones of different animals weighing 800 grams.

Prashant Dhanda, divisional forest officer of Dhemaji, said police seized the illegal consignment stashed inside a Maruti car in Simen Chapori town.

The car was being driven from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradeshs Siang district to state capital Itanagar.

Pasighat, about 250km east of Itanagar, is connected by road via Assam.

The two men detained with the animal body parts. (HT Photo)

The two men detained with the animal body parts were identified as Tabang Paro, 47, from Kaying village, and Taber Siram, 38, from Komsing village -- both in Siang district.

Police handed over the two men to us after booking them under relevant sections of the Wildlife Protection Act. We have informed senior forest officials of Arunachal Pradesh about the seizure and asked them to conduct a thorough investigation into the illicit trade, Dhanda said.

Police have taken custody of the two Arunachal men for three days. One of them, Siram, claimed he had taken a lift in the car after missing an Arunachal Pradesh state transport bus to Itanagar.

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India on Saturday raised serious concerns over the report of renewed violence and attacks in Myanmar and extended its strong support to the Myanmarese government at this challenging moment.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, India is seriously concerned by reports of renewed violence and attacks by terrorists in northern Rakhine State of Myanmar. We are deeply saddened at the loss of lives among members of the Myanmar security forces.

Such attacks deserve to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. We hope that the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice and we extend our strong support at this challenging moment to the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, Kumar said.

At least 89 people, including a dozen security forces, were killed as Rohingya militants besieged border posts in northern Rakhine State.
Admitting that lack of job creation is plaguing the country, Niti Aayogs outgoing vice-chairman Arvind Panagariya said the industry needs to chip in with more well-paid and formal sector jobs.

I find it paradoxical when industry captains come and ask the government what it is doing for job creation, Panagariya told Hindustan Times in an interview.

We certainly need a change of mindset on part of our industrialists.

According to Panagariya, industries have over the years chosen to invest in capital-intensive sectors instead of labour-intensive ones, which has compounded the problem.

The 64-year-old said under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the chairman of the government think tank, the industry-government relationship is undergoing a major change as the old system of industrialists currying firm-specific favours has been replaced by a partnership regime.

Last week, the Aayog had organised a meeting of over 200 young CEOs with Prime Minister Modi, during which they shared ideas on how the private sector could partner with the government to enable innovation, job creation and income enhancement.

Under the programme Champions of Change, the think tank organised two-day roundtables with young CEOs and entrepreneurs for two consecutive weeks to generate concrete suggestions that would lead to policy tweaks, legislative changes and further the partnership model.

The Aayog has been tasked by the Prime Ministers Office with compiling the suggestions and distilling them into workable solutions for implementation.

Panagariya stressed the need to create an ecosystem welcoming labour intensive industries.

The think tank on Thursday released its Three Year Action Agenda for 2017-20, in which it called for a need to focus on higher education and greater skills for increasing employability.

An assessment of 1,50,000 engineering graduates in 2016 found that only 18% of engineers were employable in the software services sector in a functional role, only 41% in non-functional business process outsourcing and only 4% in software engineering start-ups.

The governments strategy on improving higher education should focus on autonomous governance and transparency, and outcomes are critical components of a vibrant and successful higher education sector, the agenda said.

Panagariya, who resigned last month to return to academics in the US, said the lack of good jobs is a bigger problem than unemployment.

His views were echoed in the agenda which noted under-employment and therefore low-wage employment rather than unemployment is the key challenge facing India today.

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The Law Commission of India, tasked with examining whether the time is ripe for bringing in a uniform civil code in the country, could take up to a year to submit its report to the government, top sources in the commission told HT.

The commission has time until August 2018 to wrap up its report. We will do it before that, a senior commission official who did not want to be named, said.

A member of the team working on the code said the commission would require months to examine the issue and come up with comprehensive recommendations.

The commission was set up in September 2015 for a period of three years.

After the Supreme Courts verdict on instant triple talaq, it was widely perceived that the commission will submit its report soon, paving the way for the BJP-led government to begin the legislative process for bringing uniformity in personal laws.

The uniform civil code has been a long-standing poll promise and ideological position of the BJP. The law ministry had in June 2016 sent a reference to the commission asking it for an in-depth examination of matters in relation to the Uniform Civil Code.

Officials said the commission received as many as 40,000 recommendations from members of the public, NGOs, experts, religious groups and political parties after it sought suggestions in October.

It (uniform code) is a very wide subject. The court considered only instant triple talaq We want to present a report that is acceptable to all stakeholders, the official said.

The commission had put on hold the process of tabulating responses, with petitioner Shayara Banos appeal against instant triple talaq (or talaq-e-biddat) pending in the Supreme Court. After the courts majority judgment on Tuesday, the commission will resume the process.

We will resume the tabulation of responses and study the Supreme Courts judgment abolishing instant talaq. It is a voluminous judgment. We will have to study the courts observations on personal law, a senior law commission official said.

A fire in the law commissions new office in New Delhi on July 24 will add to the delay, sources said. Officials confirmed that the fire has possibly delayed things by a month or so.

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The Madras High Court has turned down the request of a transgender person to retake a constable recruitment test, stating that allowing her to participate in the test under the womens category was a concession in itself.

In the selection process held earlier, the petitioner said she had failed to complete a test within the prescribed time after tumbling accidentally.

The petitioner has already been given a concession of participating in the running race along with women candidates. Therefore another concession to redo the running test cannot be granted, Justice S M Subramaniam said in his order.

The petitioner submitted that she got certificate as transgender from Coimbatore Medical College Hospital last year. Later a gazette notification was issued changing her name.

In February this year, she applied for recruitment of Grade-II police constables in transgender category.

She cleared the written test, physical examination and other physical endurance tests like long jump and 400 meters running.

But while participating in the 100 meters running test, she accidentally fell down and failed to complete the test within the prescribed time, following which she was disqualified, against which she moved the High Court.
The Narendra Modi government plans to strengthen the Tri-Service Command in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to expand Indias military reach in the Bay of Bengal and counterbalance growing Chinese ambitions in the region.

The joint command of the army, air force and navy was set up in the countrys southeastern islands during the previous NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee 16 years ago.

South Block sources said work started to add military teeth to the command that has its headquarters in Port Blair and it could be placed under the proposed permanent Chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee (COSC).

With Beijing getting aggressive in the South China Sea, India has decided to secure its backyard by building military capacities from North Andaman to Car Nicobar islands for safeguarding strategic sea lanes and maritime territory.

Indian interests are located strategically on the mouth of the Malacca Straits. This gateway to the Far East is an 850km channel and it carries 40% of the worlds freight trade as more than 94,000 merchant ships cross this portal each year to and from China, South Korea and Japan.

But Malacca is a chokepoint, narrowing down to a mere 2.8km south of Singapore.

India plans to augment its military capacities and safeguard its interests in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean with better and bigger runways at naval air stations in North Andamans Shibpur and at Campbell bay in Great Nicobar.

These will be extended from the current 3,000 feet to 10,000 feet to accommodate fighter jets and bigger planes such as the navys Boeing P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft. These airstrips will be kitted out with ammunition dumps too.

The airfields are currently used for Dornier aircraft and Mi-17 helicopters. The expansion will allow the Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft to land on and take-off from these airstrips.

In the long run, civilian traffic can also use these airfields.

The defence ministry is understood to have started the process of acquiring land for building a reinforced and bigger command in Port Blair.

It will have extended jetties along the harbour for mooring aircraft carriers and large warships. A naval ammunition depot is also proposed for replenishing the navys ships during contingencies.

The Car Nicobar air force base will get more teeth as well, with an extended capacity to hold fighter squadrons for a month and beyond.

The naval units at INS Kardip in Kamorta Islands, south of Car Nicobar, are being upgraded for warships.

At present, the station provides logistics support and has wharf for small ships.

The southernmost station, INS Baaz at Campbell Bay that is barely 150km from Indonesias Banda Aceh, is getting an extended airstrip of 6,000 feet. Plans are afoot to dredge the bay for bigger warships and rig the place with a robust radar network.

Campbell Bay will be a major military hub to prevent terrorist and pirate attacks on vessels crossing the vulnerable Malacca Straits.

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The BJP on Sunday ruled out removal of Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who is under attack for the violence by followers of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh following his conviction in a rape case.

Defending the state government, BJP general secretary Anil Jain, the party in-charge for Haryana affairs, told reporters that death of people and damage to property were unfortunate but claimed that the government controlled the situation within three hours with minimum possible damage.

He said the 31 people killed in the violence were members of the unruly mob which defied law and order.

With opposition parties attacking the government for allowing a huge congregation of Singhs followers in Panchkula as the order was pronounced yesterday, Jain said the situation would have been worse had action been taken against the assembling crowd before he appeared in court yesterday.

There is no such consideration, he said when asked if the party was considering removal of Khattar, who had also faced criticism for his governments handling of the Jat agitation for resevration.

The priority of the government was to ensure that the courts order (ensuring Singhs presence) is executed. This baba has huge following and getting him to court peacefully and then sending him to jail after his conviction was a big task which it did. He has most fanatic followers, Jain said.

Violence could have been worse if the government had used force before Singh arrived in the court, he said, adding that it might have resulted in the self-styled godman not presenting himself before court.

We did not want any confrontation before he arrived in the court, he said, blaming circumstances and unruly mob for the violence.
Pressure mounted on the BJP to remove Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar even as the ruling party put up a brave face on Saturday, maintaining that his government handled the situation meticulously and there was no question of his ouster.

At least 31 people were killed in police firing in Haryana on Friday after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs followers went on the rampage following his conviction in two rape cases by a CBI court. Opposition parties demanded Khattars removal, with former Haryana CM and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanding the imposition of Presidents Rule in the state.

BJP general secretary in-charge of Haryana, Anil Jain, however, told reporters on Saturday evening that there was no truth in the speculation about the Haryana chief ministers removal.

As far as the violence that erupted in Panchkula is concerned, I can say that there were no lapses on the part of the government. Rather, the government handled it very meticulously, Jain said. He said the deaths of people and damage to property were unfortunate but the government controlled the situation within three hours with minimum possible damage.

We were anticipating violence even before Dera chief moved out of his ashram. But it was contained and we managed to quell the pre-arrest violence. The state government has made all attempts to ensure that the event will go peacefully but by looking at fanatic followers some trouble was expected, Jain said.

There is no such consideration, he said when asked if the party was considering his removal.

BJP sources, however, told HT that although Khattar might be safe as of today, the party leadership was getting increasingly disenchanted with his handling of the administration that has been courting one controversy after another. Top party leaders are watching the situation in Haryana closely and a decision on whether there is a need for a change of guard will be taken at an appropriate time, said sources.

Former CM Hooda asked the BJP-led Haryana government to resign on moral grounds. BSP chief Mayawati accused the BJP government of providing patronage to violent followers of the cult as it did when the then UP government allowed kar sewaks to demolish the Babri Masjid.

The Khattar government should be immediately dismissed for its absolute laxity and involvement leading to large-scale violence after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief on rape charges, Mayawati said in a statement in Lucknow. The CPI and the CPI(M) also demanded the dismissal of the Khattar government for dereliction of duty.

The BJPs ideological mentor, the RSS, too, has given the party a carte blanche to take a call on Khattars continuation. Sources in the RSS said while state unit representatives have reached out to Dera supporters to maintain calm ahead of Mondays sentencing, the Sangh will not interfere in any decision taken by the party leadership against Khattar, a veteran RSS swayamsevak.

The Sangh will let the party brass take a call. They will not oppose any decision, even though Khattar has been a former pracharak, a source told HT.

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A Qatar Airways flight made an emergency landing at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad in the early Saturday after one of its pilots suffered a heart attack.

The flight (QR 964 DOH-DPS) was flying from Doha to Denspar airport in the Indonesian capital of Bali. There were 240 passengers in the flight apart from the crew.

According to airport sources, Andre Dinu (34), a Romanian national and one of the two pilots, complained of severe pain in heart and lungs, as the flight was passing through the sub-continent at around midnight. Immediately, the other pilot consulted the RGIA air traffic control for permission for emergency landing.

At around 12.05 am, the flight made an emergency landing at the RGIA. Doctors attended to Dinu immediately after landing and after finding his condition critical, they immediately rushed him to the Apollo Hospitals in Jubilee Hills at around 1.20 am. His condition is said to be stable.

Qatar Airways made alternative arrangements for the stranded passengers to reach their destination. The flight left for Denspar at around 03.03 hours, an airport spokesman told HT.

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The Prime Minister is of the nation and not the BJP, the Punjab and Haryana high court remarked on Saturday as riots engulfed two states after controversial godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape.

The court made the stinging observation as the Centre and Haryana government came under scrutiny for administrative lapses after at least 31 people were killed and property worth millions of rupees were damaged in riots that broke out on Friday when the Dera Sacha Sauda sect chief was convicted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence and appealed for peace.

Instances of violence are deeply distressing. Strongly condemn violence urge everyone to maintain peace, he tweeted.

But the court termed the Centres response to the violence only a knee-jerk reaction.

Why do you (the Centre) treat the region as colonies? asked a full bench of acting chief justice SS Saron and justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan.

National integrity is above parties. Are we one nation or a party nation? the court responded after additional solicitor general Satya Pal Jain argued that such violence had happened in states ruled by other parties.

It also criticised the BJP government in Haryana for politically surrendering to the Dera Sacha Sauda, which claims to have 50 million followers across northern India and is understood to wield considerable political clout.

This was a political surrender to lure vote banks  they were outsiders, you allowed them to enter and stay, said the three-judge bench.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been drawing flak for letting nearly 200,000 followers of the controversial but influential spiritual leader to gather in Panchkula before a CBI court in the township held him guilty of raping two women 15 years ago.

These people ran riot once the judgment was pronounced  clashing with security forces, and burning and damaging property and cars.

Khattar admitted lapses and said his government made arrangements but the mob was too big. He also blamed miscreants in the crowd for the violence.

But the court was not convinced with his comments. If the CM came to know in a day about antisocial elements, why couldnt you prevent their entry over the past seven days?

The state government suspended on Saturday the Panchkula deputy commissioner of police for the lapses.

The high court observed that the officer was made a scapegoat and sought an investigation into the shoddy security arrangements that failed to control the rampaging mobs.

The security arrangements were in tatters as masked men streamed into neighbourhoods with sticks and stones, forcing to outnumbered policemen to retreat. Forces responded with tear gas shells, batons and finally, firing.

As the violence spread from Punjab and Haryana to Rajasthan, New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, the high court ruled that the Dera would pay damages and sought a list of its properties.

The court asked deputy commissioners in Haryana to submit lists of Deras movable and immovable assets, its bank accounts and incomes. Dera properties across Haryana were sealed on Saturday.

From schools to shampoos and hair-oil to hospitals, the self-styled guru runs an empire under the brand name MSG. Often called the guru of bling for his flamboyant lifestyle, the Dera chief who studied up to Class 10 runs 11 schools and two colleges, including a management institute.

The Dera also has factories for confectionery products in its 800-acre headquarters on the outskirts of Sirsa in Haryana.

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A day after the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape, police sealed his properties in various parts of Haryana and seized weapons and combustible materials such as petrol.

The BJP government in the state on Saturday came under severe criticism from Punjab and Haryana high court for politically surrendering to the quasi-religious sect, whose followers ran riot across two states to protest against Singhs conviction.

The clashes left 34 people dead and injured 200 others. The controversial godman, also known as guru in bling for his penchant for flashy clothes and jewellery, were found guilty of raping two of his female followers in 2002.

The Deras nam charcha ghars (congregation centres), a resthouse and other properties were raided in Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Panipat.

Similar raids were also conducted in Mansa district in neighbouring Punjab.

Police were assisted by army in carrying out the raids, which were conducted following a government order, sources said.

In Kaithal, police with the help of army sealed five congregation centres and a prayer centre. They recovered about 200 litres of petrol, sharp-edged weapons, sticks and empty bottles.

Kaithal police also seized a luxury bus from a rest house of the Dera, frequented by its 50-year-old flamboyant chief.

In Kurukshetra, the police sealed nine congregation centres after conducting searches. Police sources said 2000 sticks and canes, sharp weapons and kerosene oil were recovered from there.

Talking to HT, Kurukshetra SP Abhishek Garg said 11 people were also detained.

Among the properties sealed was a congregation centre on the outskirt of Kurukshetra where the Deera head had a stopover on his way to the special CBI court at Panchkula on Friday. Some sticks were recovered from the centre.

In Karnal, the police sealed 10 congregation centres after finding sticks and petrol during searches there.

Karnal SP Jashandeep Singh Randhawa said 15 people were rounded up for planning to damage public properties in Indri and Gharaunda towns of the district.

In Panipat, police took control of nine congregation centres and recovered stones and sharp weapons from there. Two people were detained.

Dera followers were, however, tight-lipped over the development and even refused to reveal their identity.

In Mansa , a police team led by additional director general of police, special task force (STF), Harpreet Sidhu searched various Dera centres in the district, where section 144 has been clamped, prohibiting gathering of more than four people.

Two columns of army were deployed in Mansa. They carried out flag march in the morning.

The ADGP said many Dera followers had already vacated the premises following polices order.

Mansa SSP Parambir Singh Parmar said no weapon or any objectionable item was found during the search operation in the Dera premises.

We have not received any order to seal the premises in Mansa, the SSP added.

No untoward incident has been reported from across the district since Saturday morning.

A few people had gathered to torch a sewa kendra in Budhlada, but local villagers thwarted their attempt, police sources said.

(With inputs from HT Correspondent, Mansa )

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Slovak minister of foreign and European affairs Miroslav Lajcak will visit India from Sunday ahead of the 72nd UN General Assembly session which he will preside over.

Lajcak will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hold talks with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj during his two-day visit.

The UN General Assembly had in May elected Lajcak as the next President of the 193-member body.

Lajcak, 54, nominated for the position, was elected by acclamation as the next President of the 72nd UN General Assembly (UNGA). The 72nd session of the General Assembly will commence from September 12.

Lajcak, who was one of the candidates last year for the position of UN Secretary General, succeeds Fijian diplomat Peter Thomson.

According to information available on Slovakias foreign ministry website, Lajcak had hosted a reception last week for the ambassador of India on the occasion of the end of his diplomatic tenure in Slovakia.

At the reception, Lajcak noted the growing role of India on the global stage and said the two nations can cooperate not just bilaterally but also within international organisations including the United Nations.

During his meeting with Ambassador of India Param Jit Mann, Lajcak had noted that Slovakias relations with India were friendly, problem-free and also free of pending issues that could hamper their future development.

Lajcak, while speaking after his election as the president of the UNGA, had vowed to work to move forward the process of reform of the Security Council, saying member states feel the time is up for transforming the UN organ into a 21st century body.

By far, the most widely mentioned UN reform topic is the reform of the UN Security Council, Lajcak had said.

He had said there was a high degree of accord that the time is up to transform the Security Council into a 21st century body.

I intend to work closely and consult widely with you on how to push forward agreement our leaders made at the 2005 World Summit, he added.
PATNA/PURNIA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore for flood ravaged Bihar.

Modi made the announcement after an aerial survey of flood affected Araria, Purnia, Katihar and Kishanganj districts in northeast Bihar and review of relief and rehabilitation schemes with chief minister Nitish Kumar and Bihar government officers at Purnia, 368 km east of Patna.

The Prime Minister hinted that the relief amount would be increased after assessment of the damage later in New Delhi. He said a central government team would soon visit the state to assess the damage.

Modi also directed insurance companies to send their supervisors to the affected areas for assessment of the crop insurance claims of flood-hit farmers.

Modi said the Union ministry of road transport and highways had also been directed to take necessary steps for repair of roads damaged in the deluge. The Union government would also help in restoration of electricity infrastructure in the affected areas of Bihar, he added.

Modi also announced payment of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of those killed and Rs 50,000 to the injured in the floods from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund.

Earlier, Modi arrived at Chunapur airbase, Purnia, by a special aircraft. He was received at by Kumar and deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Soon after his arrival, Modi, along with Kumar, left for aerial survey of the flood affected districts. After a 50-minute aerial survey, Modi discussed flood relief schemes with the chief minister and Bihar government officers at the Chunapur airbase conference hall.

Meanwhile, the toll in Bihar flood mounted to 418 on Friday, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.

The flood waters, however, have receded in some places, prompting many to return to their homes. The number of relief camps also dropped to 368 from 624, in which 1.59 lakh people were staying, a release by the disaster management department said.

Araria district alone accounted for 87 deaths followed by Sitamarhi 43, Katihar 40, West Champaran 36, East Champaran 32, Madhubani 28, Darbhanga 26, Kishanganj 24, Madhepura 22, Gopalganj 20, Supaul 16, Purnia nine, Saharsa eight; Khagaria, Saran and Muzaffarpur seven each, Sheohar four and Samastipur two. No deaths were reported from Siwan district, it said.

A total of 3.54 lakh people had food in 1,403 community kitchens operational in the flooded areas of the state, the release said.

A total of 28 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 1,152 personnel with 118 boats are taking part in rescue and relief operations, it said.

Apart from NDRF, 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force comprising 466 personnel are helping people in the flood-hit areas with the help of 92 boats.

A total of 630 Army personnel in seven teams are assisting in relief and rescue operations with 70 boats, the release added.

(With agency inputs)

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BLURB

The Prime Minister hinted that the relief amount would be increased after assessment of the damage later in New Delhi. He said a central government team would soon visit the state to assess the damage
The Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana underestimated the situation ahead of a verdict in a rape trial against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, allowing a massive build-up of his supporters in Panchkula.

The error of judgement was evident after a CBI court convicted the 50-year-old sect leader on Friday and his angry followers ran amok. At least 30 people got killed in police action, vehicles and public property were set ablaze and the violence spread to New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh as well.

Police say stopping the people from massing in Panchkula could have led to a pre-verdict confrontation and created an ugly situation.

But it appears the administration followed instructions from the political executive to handle with kid gloves the influx of tens of thousands of supporters of a vote-bank shepherd.

The flamboyant spiritual leader, who has scripted and starred in his own films, is sought out during state and parliamentary elections as he claims to command a near-devotional following of 50 million people.

The BJP is said to have benefitted during the 2014 general elections from the Deras generosity in terms of its large support base.

No political party wants to antagonise the Dera because of its substantial vote bank. BJP ministers have been speaking in a rather sympathetic tone and tenor for the Dera, said a retired official who did not wish to be named.

Despite knowing that the Dera head is facing serious criminal charges, there has been no attempt by the ruling party politicians to distance themselves from the sect. The build-up was allowed with a view to tacitly pressurise the CBI court. What do images of ministers prostrating before the Dera chief suggest? he asked.

Besides, the government seems to have had no plan to handle the post-verdict situation.

Security personnel walk past a vehicle set afire in violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction in Panchkula. (PTI Photo)

Priority should have been accorded to a formula for evacuating the nearly 200,000 followers from Panchkula once the verdict is delivered.

The Dera chief appealed from peace and asked his followers to exercise restraint in a video message on Thursday. Other than that, the government did little to engage the sects leadership to persuade the people to remain calm.

If the government was exercising patience, it should have held its nerve till the end.

The Punjab and Haryana high court had virtually given police and paramilitary forces a free hand to go after troublemakers. That allows any trigger-happy trooper a carte blanche.

Now it seems obstructing the entry of Dera followers to Panchkula by sealing the city would have been a better option rather than opening fire to kill people, a police officer said.

The governments image took a severe beating from the deaths, clashes and arson. And this is second time in two years.

The government appears to have learnt no lesson from its gaffes during the Jat stir for reservation in jobs and education in February 2016. At least 30 people died in violence that rocked Rohtak and parts of Haryana.

Former top police officer Prakash Singh, who headed a single-member inquiry committee, said in his report that law-enforcers had become used to disputes being resolved at the eleventh hour by politicians. And use of force was frowned upon by the establishment.

A change in the mindset of the state police in dealing with law and order situations is essential, the report advised.

Mistakes

1. Allowing Dera supporters to swamp Panchkula before the verdict

2. No government plan for post-verdict evacuation of supporters

3. Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula was turned into a temporary jail, but administration didnt corral Dera supporters inside it under preventive detention

4. No effort, before the high court intervened on Thursday, was made to persuade the followers to vacate Panchkula

5. Apart from bureaucratic dialogue with the Dera management, there was no political will to put pressure on the sect to restrain its supporters.
The UK and Canada issued on Friday a safety advisory for its citizens travelling to India, saying possibility of further serious violence may be expected after the conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

Thousands of followers of Ram Rahim, who is the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, went on the rampage on Friday, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in a 2002 rape case.

The advisory issued by the UK government asked the India-bound travelers follow the advice of the local authorities, monitor local media and keep in touch with your travel company.

The British Deputy High Commission and British Council offices in Chandigarh are closed until on Monday August 28, due to the possibility of further serious violence. Local road and rail travel may be significantly disrupted during this period, the advisory said.

Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas, said an advisory issued by the Canadian government.

Incidents of violence were reported in parts of the states of Haryana (particularly in Sirsa and Panchkula), and Punjab, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
In the backdrop of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction in a rape case, religious leaders in Allahabad on Saturday called for a crackdown on money-launderers masquerading as godmen.

Incidents like these send across a very strong message about India and its spiritual heritage. We have long demanded that the government investigate and act against godmen whose empires may have undergone a meteoric rise, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad, Swami Narendra Giri told reporters here.

The Parishad is the apex body of Akharas - monastic orders comprising Naga ascetics which were set up by the Adi Sankara in the eighth century.

Giri said, Many money launderers are masquerading as godmen. They belong to no religious tradition, mutt, or akhara. People with big money become followers of these so- called cult leaders with the intention to get their black wealth converted into white.

The Parishad will be holding its next meeting on September 10. On the agenda will be a resolution against such fake godmen and preparation of a list of such charlatans which will be later sent to the government, he added.

Giri criticised the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana for its failure to keep law and order under control after the verdict against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief which was followed by large-scale violence and arson by followers of the cult.

He also condemned the statement issued by religious leader turned politician Sakshi Maharaj in favour of the convicted godman and asked the BJP MP from Unnao to apologise for the same.

In a separate interaction with newsmen, Devi Prasad, chief priest of the renowned Sharda Devi Temple at Maihar in the neigboring state of Madhya Pradesh, hailed the court verdict against the Dera chief.

No crisis has befallen upon the devotees of Ram and Rahim. It is people indulging in misdeeds while pretending to be holy who are finding themselves in trouble. Those who hoodwink gullible people in the name of religion and faith must be ready to face similar consequences, he said.
Rebel Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav arrived in Patna on Saturday to attend a proposed RJD rally the day after, defying his partys call to stay away from the anti-BJP show.

The former JD (U) national president and Rajya Sabha members participation in the rally would likely to invite the wrath of the party headed by Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. The two are engaged in a bitter fight over the control of the party after Kumar snapped ties with the RJD and the Congress, and allied with the BJP to form a new government in Bihar last month.

Yadav and his supporters, earlier this week, approached the Election Commission, claiming they were the real JD (U) that enjoyed the support of most of its workers and office-bearers.

They also staked claims over the JD(U)s poll symbol (arrow) and the offices allotted to the party.

The JD(U) sources said Yadav could be axed from the party in the event of him taking part in the rally convened by former Bihar chief minister and RJD chief Lalu Prasad in a bid to put up a united opposition front against Prime Minister Narendra Modis BJP.

There is no way that he can save his party membership now, said JD (U)s principal spokesperson, K C Tyagi. We feel sorry for him.

Yadav, however, justified his attendance. I dont have to say anything on the JD(U) plan of action (against me). This is a rally of the Grand Alliance and I have come to participate in the GA rally. The rally is in the interest of Bihar and the nation, he said.

Leaders of different political parties, including West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, SP president Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Ghulam Nabi Azad are expected to participate in the RJDs BJP bhagao desh bachao rally.

Yadav has been maintaining that the people of the state had given its mandate to the GA comprising the JD (U), RJD and the Congress, stitched before the 2015 assembly elections.

Since Kumar left the alliance, Yadav has been claiming that he represents the real JD(U), while the Bihar chief minister only heads the sarkari (JD(U).

In a last ditch attempt to prevent its founding president from attending the rally and avert a split in the party, the JD (U) made an emotional appeal to Yadav urging him not to join the opposition camp.

The party hoped good sense would prevail and by desisting from attending the rally, he (Yadav) would set new standards.

You were invited to express your views at the partys national executive in Patna. Instead of putting your views at the party forum, you organised parallel anti-party activities. Your presence in the RJD rally, would not only be against high moral standards set by you, but it would be deemed that you have voluntarily decided to leave the party, Tyagi said in a letter addressed to Yadav on Friday.

Replying to Tyagis letter, Javed Raza, a JD(U) general secretary who was recently removed from his post, said Yadav faction was attending the RJD rally in accordance with a resolution of the partys national council in April last year.

The national council had authorised Kumar to create an atmosphere of BJP and RSS-free India.

The Yadav-led JD(U) group claimed by joining hands with the BJP, Kumar defied the resolution.

Meanwhile, JD (U) sources said the party would also likely to use provisions of the 10th schedule of the Constitution to seek disqualification of Yadav from the Rajya Sabha.

As per the provisions, an elected member of the house, who has not been elected as a candidate set up by a political party, joins any political party after his election, or if he voluntarily gives up his membership of the political party, if any, by which he was set up as a candidate for election as such member, in those circumstances, a member is disqualified as a member of the house.

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The killer duo was branded as the Billa-Ranga of Mumbai, after the men who murdered teenaged siblings Geeta and Sanjay Chopra in 1978 in Delhi. Known as Javed-Rahim, they were noted history sheeters and had spread a reign of terror in Mumbai during the late Eighties. Javed Khan, who had escaped from Thane jail, facilitated his crony Abdul Rahims flight from Aurangabad jail. Both of them had taken refuge in Mumbai. Tales of their cruelty include raping a wife in front of the husband and then slaughtering the husband in front of the distraught wife.

The Mumbai police had already spread a dragnet for them but were unable to catch them. In those days, the khabri or police informer would often provide false leads to the police and make a quick buck. The policemen of the Eighties had a lot of self-respect and pride in their service. They had lost hope of catching the duo but they still didnt want to have two dangerous fugitives loose in the city.

One night in August in 1989, the police control room received a tip-off that Javed and Rahim were holed up in a chawl at Maneklal Estate in Ghatkopar West in the north eastern suburbs of Mumbai. The information was relayed to the Ghatkopar police station and immediately a sub-inspector and three constables were sent to scour the shanties of Maneklal Estate.

The officer chose to check the zigzag bylanes of the chawls while the constables went door to door knocking and looking for the notorious duo. Suddenly, one constable hit pay dirt. Javed, by now aware of the police raid, came out of hiding and confronted the policeman. He whipped out a sword and struck the constable on his arm, causing a deep gash. He also managed to inflict injury on the second constable. Their screams of pain alerted the sub-inspector who rushed to the spot, only to be attacked by Javeds friend Rahim. This was an era when criminals actually peed in their pants at the sight of a khaki uniform -- which is why the policemen werent expecting an assault. They were caught totally off guard.

Fazed and upstaged, the wounded police team was staring death in the face -- they could see that Javed had a gun. In a reflex action, the sub-inspector unholstered his service revolver and fired at them. He kept firing until he finished all the six bullets in his revolver. Javed and Rahim collapsed.

Police investigating the spot of encounter of Jitu Yadav who worked with the Bunty Pande gang at Waghbil Naka, Mumbai, in 2008 (Photo: Praful Gangurde / HT)

Two things became history after that. Javed and Rahim became a lesson for all the other wannabe criminals who were polishing their kattas or country-made hand guns. And of course the nondescript sub-inspector, Pradeep Sharma, started his innings as an encounter specialist in the Mumbai police. To date, he has killed the maximum number of gangsters, drug peddlers, and even Pakistani nationals from the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group. Sharma is credited with killing over 112 gangsters in a span of 17 years between 1989 to 2006. He was suspended and subsequently dismissed three years after the controversial Lakhan Bhaiyya encounter in November 2006. Ram Narayan Gupta alias Lakhan Bhaiyya (considered to be mafia don Chhota Rajans close aide) was killed in 2006 in a fake encounter by 13 policemen of DN Nagar police station. Pradeep Sharma was in jail for almost four years between 2009 to 2013 until the trial court acquitted him of all charges in the case (though 13 other cops were convicted and given life imprisonment).

Back in the police force

Last week, Pradeep Sharma once again made headlines when he was reinstated into the police force.

Ironically my husband was never indicted for 111 encounter killings that he was involved in and had to spent time in jail for an encounter he never did, says Swikriti Sharma, sitting in the living room of her sixth floor flat in the Andheri suburbs after her husbands reinstatement earlier this month.

However, Sharma does not want to talk about his encounters.

Cop Daya Nayak, an encounter specialist, was a protege of Pradeep Sharma. (Photo: Vikas Khot / HT)

Why cant you focus on my other accomplishments? I have arrested over 1,200 hardened criminals, detected several intricate cases, and reformed over two dozen hardcore convicts and rehabilitated them in the mainstream, Sharma says. Then in a candid moment he says, Do you know, it was I who discovered and transformed a humble waiter into a famous cop like Daya Nayak? Nayak became Sharmas most famous protege. Nayak was the only encounter specialist who shot to fame due to his association with Sharma. Otherwise encounters were the mainstay of the officers from the famous 1983 batch of Maharashtra state police officers.

Officers like Praful Bhosale, Vijay Salaskar, Ravindra Angre, Aslam Momin and of course Pradeep Sharma belonged to this batch. After a years training at the Nashik Police Training School, they joined the force in 1984. That was the year when Dawood made a hasty, unplanned escape from Mumbai and when Bombay was hurtling towards a Sicily-like reputation with the mafia completely out of control.

The batch of 1983 is dubbed as the killer batch of the Maharashtra police.

They have all been in violent skirmishes with underworld gangsters from various gangs including Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Rajan, Arun Gawli and Amar Naik. Between themselves they were responsible for eliminating over 500 gangsters in police encounters or extra-judicial killings.

Before the Nineties, encounters were far and few -- like when police officer Ishaq Bagwan bumped off Manohar Surve in 1982 or sub-inspector Rajendra Katdhare killed Rama Naik in 1987 or sub-inspector Emmanuel Amolik killed Mehmood Kalia in 1987. There were apocryphal reports that Dawood was instrumental in all these encounters and that he officially got rid of his rivals through police action.

However, after the Nineties and especially after the serial blasts of 1993 which became the Mumbai mafias Anno Domini, encounters became the norm. Soon after the former police commissioner, RD Tyagi took over in 1995, he instructed the crime branch and zonal deputy commissioners to make a list of 10 wanted criminals from each zone and complete their cases.

In fact, the then DCP Satyapal Singh (who became Mumbai police chief later) and DCP Param Bir Singh, the current Thane police commissioner, reportedly formed encounter squads with officers from the 1983 batch including Bhosale, Salaskar and Sharma at the helm.

Emboldened by the official decree and empowered by their immediate bosses, the trio went all out against the Mumbai mafia. Pitched battles were fought on the streets of Mumbai.

Killer instincts

It is wrong to call us the killer batch. We were officers with killer instincts. Those were the times when the underworld was at its peak. Our seniors knew that only aggressive policing could rein in the mafia, explains an encounter specialist who retired as assistant commissioner of police (ACP).

However, Sharma feels that the batch had a uniform strategy of taking on the underworld because of their mentor, Arvind Inamdar, who opted for retirement in 2000 and has the distinction of having been transferred 29 times in 35 years. Inamdar had a totally unconventional and pragmatic approach to policing which he instilled in the entire batch, explains Sharma.

The gangs were almost decimated by the encounter specialists. The score card led with the names of big hits like gangsters Sada Pawle, Amar Naik and others. Arun Gawli, the only gangster from Mumbai who had not escaped India, was so terrified that he decided to join politics. The Dawood gang actually stopped recruitment of hitmen. Abu Salem went globe-trotting and abandoned the perpetration of reckless killings in Mumbai. Ashwin Naik took refuge in an obscure hideout in New Delhi.

The encounter specialists became power centres of their own and began calling the shots. Eventually the race for getting the maximum head count, created animus within the group, each one accusing other of favouring a particular gang. But that is another story.

They got aligned with politicians and senior police officers for their vested interests. Some of the encounter specialists amassed disproportionate assets, while others parked their ill-gotten wealth in philanthropist activities.

Slowly, these cops were becoming even more powerful than their bosses. But with all the major gangs cut to size, the encounter specialists soon became expendable.

Angre and Momin were dismissed, Bhosale was suspended for the mishandling of a particular case. Nayak was ostracised. Sharma was suspended and later dismissed and jailed. He was thrown in along with the same criminals he had once arrested.

I died several deaths in jail every day. But I decided that instead of wallowing in self-pity I would bounce back and prove my innocence, Sharma said.

Soon after his acquittal in 2013, Sharma launched a security firm by the name of Urban Hawk Security Services at Andheri. Today it is one of the most sought-after security firms in the city. Despite his reinstatement into the Mumbai police force, Sharma has not shut it down but instead handed it over to his daughters to look after. This is my survival kit after I retire in 2020, he says.

After his reinstatement, Sharma has joined the Thane police anti-extortion cell and wants to use his well-oiled khabri network for flushing out the sleeper cells of terrorists in and around Mumbai.

But his final plans include writing a tell-all book on the Mumbai underworld.

While unabated gang wars in the mafia in the Eighties gave birth to the rise of encounter specialists of the Mumbai police, the sociology of crime itself has undergone a sea change in the 21st century. With most of their foot soldiers decimated through police encounter killings and stringent laws like the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act (MCOCA), the big bosses of the Mumbai underworld were forced to diversify and look for other modes of revenue generation.

With the heads of the four big mafia groups languishing behind bars  Arun Gawli convicted for killing a Shiv Sena leader; Abu Salem convicted for his role in the serial blasts of 1993, Ashwin Naik for various extortion cases and Chhota Rajan in Tihar jail enjoying his well-earned retirement -- the mafia scene is completely cold in Mumbai.

Arun Gawli was convicted for killing a Shiv Sena leader in 2012. He eventually joined politics. (Photo: Rajanish Kakade / HT)

The Underworld in the Mumbai of today

While the Eighties and Nineties were characterised by supari killings, extortion, the flesh trade, dance bar protection rackets, the 21st century is all about real estate and Bollywood.

Chhota Rajan still manages to pull strings in Mumbai but not with the same vigour that he did while in his heyday and Chhota Shakeel has free control over his fledgling gang empire in the city but with riders. Currently, a late entrant to the scene, Ravi Poojari, the killer of lawyer Shahid Azmi, is the only ganglord who somehow has managed to stick it out.

Over 500 million square feet of construction activities is in full swing between Andheri and Dahisar. These properties cannot be acquired, developed or constructed without the appropriate use of muscle. The businessmen need the underworld and vice versa. So the mafia will never starve for money, disclosed a senior officer from the crime branch.

S Hussain Zaidi is the author of Black Friday, Dongri to Dubai: Six Decades of the Mumbai Mafia, Byculla to Bangkok and My Name is Abu Salem
The Punjab and Haryana high court indicted the Haryana government on Saturday for failing to control violence after the rape conviction of an influential godman, adding to calls for the chief minister to take responsibility for clashes that singed five states and claimed 34 lives.

A three-judge bench of the high court made several scathing observations, taking apart the governments defence for not reining in Dera Sacha Sauda followers, who ran riot on Friday to protest against their flamboyant chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction for raping two women 15 years ago.

This was a political surrender to lure vote banks, the court observed, asking the state why it couldnt stop 200,000 followers of the sect from gathering in Panchkula despite prohibitory orders.

The death toll rose to 34 on Saturday as the Haryana government sacked its deputy attorney general and suspended a senior police officer in charge of security at Panchkula, where a CBI court convicted the Dera chief on Friday afternoon. Twenty eight of the deaths were reported from Panchkula and six from Sirsa, the headquarters of the sect.

But the court wasnt impressed and even criticised the Centre, terming its response as only a knee-jerk reaction.

The PM is of the nation and not of the BJP. National integrity is above parties. Are we one nation or a party nation? asked the bench of acting chief justice SS Saron and justices Surya Kant and Avneesh Jhingan.

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar is facing criticism for failing to check the violence, a virtual repeat of the shoddy security arrangements during the Jat community protests for quotas last year in which nearly 30 people died.

Khattar is already under fire for his governments handling of a stalking case of a woman, allegedly by the state BJP chiefs son.

On Friday, minutes after Singh was convicted, his hysterical supporters clashed with security forces, burnt down buildings, vehicles and railway stations. The violence singed even Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Outnumbered in many places, policemen were seen fleeing from mobs that armed with sticks and stones.

Singhs sentence will be pronounced on Monday and the special CBI judge is being flown to a jail in Rohtak, where the controversial godman is currently lodged. The courts observations came on a public interest litigation, whose next hearing is on Tuesday.

Security forces sealed scores of Dera congregation centres in Punjab and Haryana, detaining many people and recovering petrol and sticks in huge quantities. Police were assisted by army in carrying out the raids, conducted after a government order, sources said. More than 550 people were arrested across the two states and more than 70 FIRs registered.

In Kaithal, police sealed five congregation centres and a prayer centre. They recovered about 200 litres of petrol, sharp-edged weapons, sticks and empty bottles. Kaithal police also seized a luxury bus from a rest house of the Dera, frequented by its 50-year-old flamboyant chief.

In Kurukshetra, the police sealed nine congregation centres after conducting searches. Police sources said 2000 sticks and canes, sharp weapons and kerosene oil were recovered from there.

Late on Friday evening, Khattar admitted lapses and said his government made arrangements but the mob was too big. He also blamed miscreants in the crowd for the violence.

But the court was not convinced with his comments. If the CM came to know in a day about antisocial elements, why couldnt you prevent their entry over the past seven days? The HC has already ordered the Dera to pay for all damages and sought a list of its movable, immovable properties, bank accounts and incomes.

From schools to shampoos and hair-oil to hospitals, the guru runs an empire under the brand name MSG. Often called the guru of bling for his flamboyant lifestyle, the Dera chief who studied up to Class 10 runs 11 schools and two colleges, including a management institute. The Dera also has factories for confectionery products in its 800-acre headquarters on the outskirts of Sirsa in Haryana.
Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh faces the prospects of harsher punishment on Monday as he has been separately convicted of raping two women, thus making him a repeat offender.

When Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special judge Jagdeep Singh decides on the quantum of punishment on August 28, the sentencing will be for two convictions.

Legal experts say in this scenario, the judge, at the time of deciding the quantum of punishment, has the option of pronouncing Ram Rahims sentencing for two separate crimes consecutively or concurrently.

In case of two separate complainants and separate charges, where the accused has been held guilty of a crime as heinous as rape, the judge is well within his rights to rule that both the sentences will run consecutively and not concurrently, said senior counsel and former secretary of Supreme Court Bar Association Ashok Arora.

Both the CBI and defence lawyers confirmed to Hindustan Times that separate charges of raping two women were framed against the Dera head at the beginning of trial.

Ram Rahim has been held guilty separately of raping both the women and it was pronounced separately as well by the court, said HPS Verma, the CBI counsel in the case.

Senior advocate SK Garg Narwana, who appeared for the Dera chief, also confirmed the separate conviction.

The CBI had filed a single FIR in the case. Legal experts added that ideally, the CBI should have filed two separate charge sheets in the case. However, Section 219 of Criminal Procedure Code provides that the trial against the same accused for up to three offences within the span of one year can be held jointly.

But the charges should be framed separately, leading to conclusion of trial on separately charges. And if the accused is convicted on the both the charges, the judge can rule that sentences on both the charges will run consecutively, said Manoj Chaudhary, former chief prosecutor of Delhi government.

The maximum punishment for rape is life imprisonment and when its duration is not specified, the accused can be released after 20 years behind bars.

But the judge can specify in the order that life imprisonment in a particular case will mean the convict spends his whole life in jail. Chaudhary added that since in this case, the accused has been convicted of two separate charges of rape, the CBI can ask the judge to put him behind bars for life. Or the CBI can also demand that his sentences should run consecutively, he clarified. A CBI spokesman refused to comment as to what kind of sentence the agency would seek for the Dera head.

The CBI had registered the FIR in the case following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana high court after an anonymous letter was written to the chief justice and other dignitaries complaining about sexual exploitation of women followers of the Dera head. The FIR was registered on charges of rape and criminal intimidation. The CBI investigators had to make strenuous efforts to make the two complainants depose before the magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code to make their statements admissible as evidence before court.

Sources said not only CBI investigators but also lawyers of the agency conducting trial were under tremendous pressure to withdraw from the case.
In post-demonetisation Bengal, loose change can cause untold misery as Nakul Roy, a daily labourer from Raniswar of Dumka district in Jharkhand, discovered recently. On Thursday in Suri town of neighbouring Birbhum district of Bengal, where he came for treatment of his ailing sister, Roy had to run around for more than four hours under the sun to convert coins worth Rs 300 into currency notes, since the doctor refused to accept the fees in Rs 10 coins that he offered.

Ashok Roy, the physician, refused to accept the coins and even allegedly kept the prescription with him till Roy paid him in currency notes. Roy alleged that he told the doctor he did not have notes, but he did not budge.

Read: Demonetisation fallout: In Bihars Vaishali, traders allege banks refusing to accept coins

The doctor refused to hand me the prescription till I paid him in notes. I visited branches of banks and even approached administrative officials but got help from nowhere, Nakul Roy told the media.

File photo of a retired person getting paid in coins from a bank in Jalandhar in December 2016. (HT Photo)

The poor man went on a currency note hunt throughout the town but none obliged him. He went to banks, administrative offices, shops and even the local police station. He started from the doctors chamber around 11:30 am and returned after 3 pm, sweating it out unsuccessfully on the streets of the town.

During the four hours that he spent running around, Roys sister, Urmila, who was suffering from fever, had to wait outside the chamber of the doctor. The thoroughly exhausted man, still clutching the bag of coins, sat beside his sister and waited for the doctor who still had the prescription with him.

Read: Rumours about fake 10-rupee coins add to demonetisation woes

The physician came out a couple of hours later and found the duo waiting outside his chamber. The sight moved him. He handed over the prescription and asked Roy to go home without accepting fees.

The doctor, however, denied refusing to hand over the prescription. Since the man is very poor, I did not take any fee from him. I did not keep the prescription with me, claimed Ashok Roy.

On Thursday morning, Roy travelled around 50 km from his residence in Raniswar village of Dumka district in Jharkhand to Suri.

Read: Bank robbery: Why 3 Delhi thieves stole only coins from Syndicate Bank branch

Since demonetisation a few districts of Bengal, like some other states, are facing a surfeit of coins. It is believed that after the note-ban decision, Reserve Bank of India issued a large number of coins in the market. Many traders are stuck with bagfuls of coins that none is willing to accept. Recently traders of bakery products blocked roads in Keshpur area of West Midnapore to highlight the problems triggered by the flood of coins.

D N Thakur, manager of state-owned United Bank of India, the lead bank of the district, admitted the problem of plenty. We are telling all the banks to take coins, but not everybody is listening.

I dont know what transpired. But I if a doctor holds back a prescription it is not desirable. There is also no any problem in taking the coins. We will look into the matter, remarked Debasish Debangshi, secretary of the Birbhum district unit of Indian Medical Association.
In the light of some past incidents that embarrassed the community of seers, Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishadthe apex body of Hindu Sants in India has decided to be more careful than ever while choosing candidates for Sanyas Diksha. Now aspiring seers will have to furnish their family details and educational background if they want to enter the fold of Naga Sadhu also in the 2019 Ardh Kumbh Mela.

The Juna Akhara was the first to start verification of the details provided by aspiring sadhus in Kumbh Mela in 2013. The Juna Akhara had to withdraw the much coveted title of Mahamandaleshwar from Radhe Maa after controversies surrounding her deepened. Likewise, the title of Mahamandaleshwar was also withdrawn from Sachin Dutta Sachidanand by Niranjani Akhara after some controversies surrounding his professional life and business surfaced. His ordination ceremony was held in Allahabad on the occasion of Guru Purnima in 2015.

In order to avoid these controversies in future, the akharas will do the background check of all the candidates wanting to be Sanyasi or Naga Sadhu in the Ardh Kumbh Mela. Only learned Sanskrit scholars will be allowed to enter the sect. Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad president Swami Narendragiri said besides having a good family, cultural and educational background the candidates having a good knowledge of Vedas and Sanskrit would be given Sansyas Diksha.

Thousands of sadhus arrive from all parts of India to take Sanyas Diksha from any of the 13 akharas in Kumbh and Ardh Kumbh Mela. They perform extreme rituals like staying only on water for 24 hours and reciting Gayatri Mantra for at least 24 lakh times. After passing different stages, they get Sanyas or Naga Sadhu diksha.
A public interest litigation (PIL) petition challenging the Uttar Pradesh government order by which all madarsas in the state were asked to submit reports of Independence Day celebrations has been filed before the Allahabad high court.

Navab Mahboob of Allahabad filed the petition, saying that the registrar, UP Madarsa Shiksha Parishad, issued a circular on August 8, 2017, directing all the madarsas of UP to submit a report along with photos and videos of Independence Day celebrations. The petitioner said the order was discriminatory and illegal.

The petitioner contended though Independence Day is celebrated in all the educational institutions of the state, only madarsas were directed to photograph and video record the Independence Day celebrations. This order by the state authorities was arbitrary, the petitioner said.

The petitioner has contended that such an order to madarsas, because of their religious background, is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India which guarantees the Right to Equality.

The matter is likely to come up for hearing next week.

Madarsas, or Islamic schools, in Uttar Pradesh were ordered to compulsorily observe the Independence Day this year and make videos of the celebrations, a move which was criticised for raising doubts on the integrity of those running madarsas and its students.

The circular directed all madarsas to hoist the tricolour and sing the national anthem at 8am. The flag hoisting was asked to be followed by a speech on the importance of the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by freedom fighters. The students were asked to pay tributes to freedom fighters on the occasion.
Sir Sundar Lal (SSL) Hospital here has introduced karate-cum-yoga classes for the MBBS, BAMS and BDS students with the aim of keeping the would-be doctors fit and improving their resilience to remain cool during adverse conditions.

SSL Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (IMS-BHU), is the first institute in the state to start such a programme.

A brainchild of SSL chief medical superintendent Dr OP Upadhyay, Dr Cool, Dr Strong, the sessions has already completed a month and received rave reviews from students.

So far, it was twiceTuesday and Friday a week for one hour. But now it will be a daily pre sunset activity except Sunday. Post Karate session, professors and doctors discuss moral stories about life and time of legendary figures such as missile man Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, BHU founder Mahamana Pt Madan Mohan Malaviya among others.

Maintaining cool is very crucial for a doctor while managing patients and handling their attendants. So we have decided to train our students as Dr Cool, Dr Strong, Dr Upadhyaya told HT.

In present scenario, a doctor needs to be strong enough to protect himself in case of any attack on him or her during duty hours by attendants of patients, Dr Upadhyaya added.

Dr Royana Singh, coordinator of Dr Cool, Dr Strong, played a crucial role in motivating students to join the karate session as some of them were a bit reluctant.

Initially, I was a bit unwilling. But Prof Dr Royana Singh motivated me to join the training on hostel premises. Initially, I felt tired but now I enjoy it. It keeps me fresh and fit, said a student Shreshtha Singh.

Another student, Manya, also appreciated the move. It has boosted my confidence. Now I feel that I can defend myself, she said.

Prof Singh said: The training is completely free. Best karate and wellness expert have been roped in. This is for all students of medical sciences from previous year to final year.

She and Dr Kiran Giri of Pharmacology department also join the karate session daily evening.

Trainer Amit Upadhyay said, Karate training improves concentration, body fitness, flexibility and also boosts efficiency. It also increases confidence level and keeps one cool and calm which is must for a doctor while delivering his/ her duties.

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With chief minister Yogi Adityanath and his two deputies Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma likely to be certainties for three of the four Vidhan Parishad seats slated to go to poll on September 15, minister of state for transport Swatantra Dev Singh and the Yogi governments only Muslim face Mohsin Raza seem to be in the race for the remaining seat.

Though five ministers need to be elected to the UP legislature before September 19, when the Yogi government completes six months in office, election has been announced for only four upper house seats.

The axe is bound to fall on one of the five ministers though there are 13 vacancies in the Yogi Adityanath ministry.

There have been reports that the party leadership may like to shift minister of state (independent charge) Swatantradev Singh, a backward class organisational hand who belongs to the drought-prone Bundelkhand region, to an important position in the party. The move may be aimed at stepping up preparations for 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Minister of state for science and technology, Waqf and Haj Mohsin Razas strongest point is that he is the only Muslim face of the Yogi government. If the Yogi government pushes the BJPs Hindutva agenda further in the coming days, the leadership may not like to see his exit.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah, during his visit to the state capital last month, had categorically said Yogi and Maurya (both Lok Sabha MPs) will stay in Lucknow.

Deputy chief minister Sharma has been a close confidant of the party bosses.

The BJP leadership is likely to take a final call before closing of nominations on September 5.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath, a five-term MP from Gorakhpur, has been a popular Hindutva leader. He is considered capable of ensuring his nominees election from the Gorakhpur Lok Sabha seat in the by-poll to be held once he resigns from Parliament.

Though there have been reports of discontent in BJP ranks against his government, the BJP leadership is likely to back him and may allow him a free hand in the coming days as the chief minister is yet to complete six months in office and needs time to show results.

Mauryas continuation as deputy chief minister will also mean his quitting the Phoolpur Lok Sabha seat. The BJP leadership needs a clear strategy to ensure victory in the by-poll there amid speculation that once the seata is vacated, BSP chief Mayawati may get an opportunity to reach the Lok Sabha as a joint opposition candidate.

Read more| UP Legislative council polls: Four seats, five contenders!

Alternatively, Maurya may be accommodated in the union ministry or be allowed to continue as the state BJP president, giving up his ministerial role under the partys one man, one post policy. But Shahs assertion to the contrary make this only a distant possibility.

A former Lucknow mayor, Sharma was elevated to deputy chief ministers post for his proximity to top party bosses. As BJP vice president and organisational incharge for Gujarat, Sharma has been in close touch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and consistently sends a report (about whatever he does) to the PMO. His contribution in formulation of the Yogi governments key policies, including policy for transfer of teachers, has evoked a good response. His work indicates his continuation for now.

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The probe report on Gorakhpurs BRD Medical College Hospital tragedy has brought the focus back on the corruption maze the UPs healthcare system is entangled in.

More importantly it has revived the issue of private practice by government doctors, which is rampant despite being banned.

The probe report submitted by the chief secretary to the chief minister has indicted Dr Kafeel Khan of hiding facts from the district authorities and acting against the Indian Medical Council Act. He has also been charged with running a private clinic in Gorakhpur, despite being in government job.

The magisterial probe and the inquiry by the Indian Medical Association had also indicted Kafeel and others on private practice charge.

While private practice has been banned as per the service rules, doctors have been running hospitals in the name of their wives or relatives.

In Gorakhpur, where patients from many neighbouring districts, as well as Nepal, come for treatment, private practice is quite rampant.

BANNED FIRST IN 1970s

The private practice was first banned in UP in 1970s. Since then the doctors had been pursuing politicians to allow it. They got success too but soon after it were banned again under pressure from the civil society representatives.

I can remember that at least five times private practice was allowed and banned since 1972. At present it is banned, said Dr SD Pandey, former head of the plastic surgery department at King Georges Medical University.

Over a dozen doctors of KGMU are facing court case for doing private practice.

Some of them have retired while a few also took voluntary retirement.

A senior faculty member, who was charged with doing private practice and owning a private hospital in Lucknow, has appointed three retired teachers from KGMU, who had at some point of time conducted probe against him.

An investigation by the local intelligence unit also caught KGMU doctors doing private practice, but the report was put under the wraps.

THE MODUS OPERANDI

Doctors working at government hospitals get non-practicing allowance between 8,000 and  15,000, while the salaries start at around 60,000.

The decent perks, however, doesnt stop many government doctors from indulging in private practice.

In fact, some government doctors have tie-ups with private hospitals where they refer cases, citing lack of infrastructure at government hospitals.

A few doctors operate patients at these private hospitals before or after their duty hours at government hospitals, said an official.

A doctor in Lucknows Dr Ram Manohar Lohia hospital was booked recently after a youth he operated upon at a private hospital died during operation.

Now, he is facing probe and a police case, said an official.

For hardly 15% or 20% doctors of the government hospital, the entire fraternity is being blamed for doing private practice, said Dr Sachin Vaish, former general secretary of the Provincial Medical Services Association, the body of government doctors.

The government needs to take strict action and weed out such elements, he said.

Read more: How Gorakhpur has always grappled with healthcare infrastructure problems

BLAME IT ON OFFICIALS TOO

The probe in the BRD Medical College tragedy has recommended action only against those who were working on campus and not anyone from the medical education department in the state capital.

If those working at BRD Medical College are guilty those sitting in Lucknow in medical education department too are. Action should have been taken against them as well, said a government doctor.

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Taking forward the centres proposal, the Yogi Adityanath government is likely to hold the International Ramayana Conclave in Uttar Pradesh in January. The six-day event will be spread across locations in Lucknow, Ayodhya and Chitrakoot.

The central government had planned to organise the conclave in December 2016 in Ayodhya, before the UP assembly polls. However, the proposal was shelved and the event could not be held at the time.

Now, with the BJP in power in UP, the state government is expected to go ahead with the conclave, although the dates are still to be finalised.

Teams from Indonesias Bali province, Thailand, Myanmar, Surinam, Fiji, Sri Lanka, Cambodia and other countries will participate in the mega event that will showcase the famous Ramlilas of India. These will include the oldest and grandest Ramlila of Ramnagar in Varanasi - the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -, the famous Assamese Ramlila, and some of those performed in South India.

Taking forward its objective of promoting religious tourism in the state, the Yogi government has decided to go ahead with the International Ramayana Conclave, said an official of the tourism department.

Religious tourism can be the states mainstay. But earlier (read during the regime of the previous govt), people (read officials) even avoided taking the name of Ayodhya, as it was considered communal, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had said at a recent event organised by the tourism department.

To promote tourism in the state, the CM has also talked about connecting all tourist destinations with a helicopter service. Ten defunct airstrips are likely to be revived as part of that initiative.

The state government also proposed tourism projects, especially religious, worth Rs 2,000 crore to the centre.

The Ramayana, Krishna and Buddhist circuit projects are on the Yogi governments priority list.

For its part, the union government has selected 12 cities across the country for its prestigious Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spirituality Augmentation Drive (Prasad). Two of these - Varanasi and Mathura - fall in Uttar Pradesh.
Police have arrested five people so far and detained ten others in Adauli village of Nai Mandi area in Bulandshahar district after a clash between members of two communities over an alleged incident of cow slaughter on Friday.

Heavy police force has been deployed in the village to prevent further clashes. The Uttar Pradesh police brass has deputed circle officer Alok Singh to pitch camp in the village to monitor the situation.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Bulandshahar Muniraj claimed that situation is under control and peaceful. He said that five people from both sides have been arrested and ten others taken into custody for interrogation. Two men were arrested on Friday and three on Saturday.

The SSP told HT that three cases have been registered for cow slaughter, stone pelting and damaging two mosques in the village. Police are also conducting raids to nab the other accused.

Read more: Violence by cow vigilantes increased in India in 2016: US report

The trouble began on Friday morning when a few villagers began a protest after spotting the remains of a cow on the fringes of the village. Police arrived at the spot soon and returned after sending some piece of meat for a test and burying the carcass. Cow slaughter is illegal in Uttar Pradesh.

A group of villagers mostly youngsters went on rampage after the police returned and allegedly damaged two mosques in the village. Members of both community pelted stones at each other and the situation was controlled after police arrived in the village.

The village with a population of over 10 thousand is situated on Bulandshahar-Anupshahar road. Village pradhan Suresh Kumar said the incident was unfortunate and has appealed to the villagers to maintain peace.
UP cabinet minister for women and family welfare Rita Bahuguna Joshi on Friday sought feedback from girls on her governments anti-Romeo drive aimed at curbing molestation of women in the state.

Addressing students during the investiture ceremony at Avadh Girls Degree College, she asked the girls to give an honest feedback on the functioning of the anti-Romeo squad in the state. She also recalled her father HM Bahugunas role in establishing the college.

Prof Rita Bahuguna Joshi praised the college authorities for inculcating leadership skills in students by providing them a platform to hold posts of responsibility.

She also planted a sapling as part of the tree plantation drive initiated by the Eco-restoration Club of the college.

The minister formally inducted the newly-elected members of the students council by presenting them badges, after which the council members took oath. The oath-taking ceremony was followed by the dean R Watals address to the students.

Student council president Mariyam Abbas addressed the students council while president of the managing committee Z Viccajee congratulated the newly-inducted members. Dignitaries present at the ceremony were Prof Nishi Pandey and principal U Chaturvedi along with the members of the managing committee.

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Young Indians are looking to study abroad for better prospects and opportunities.In fact, picking a country to study in is one of the most important decisions and needs to be taken with caution.

The 2016 Indian Students Mobility Report stated that just about 85% of international student mobility from India had been accounted for by the top five education destinations, viz. the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.

Gurinder Bhatti, chairman and managing director, ESS Global shares some tips that prospective students should keep in mind to avoid any mistakes while applying to the international university of their choice:

- Not being sure of what one wants - First and foremost, it is important to determine what a student wants to pursue based on their aptitude, and stick to that decision. Many students tend to get confused when it comes to choosing a subject to pursue and choosing a university.

While the appeal of an Ivy League or premier institution can certainly look good on a resume, it is advisable to choose the subject rather than the college as the students future depends on it. It is better to avoid getting overwhelmed by the possibility of not getting into a world famous university. Instead, focus on how the chosen subject can help your career in the long run.

-Insufficient research - Not having the right information or inadequate research about the chosen subject or university can lead to more misunderstanding and/or miscommunication, which can further result in rejection of the students application. It is important to prepare a list of questions, which can help students resolve any queries or doubts with the concerned parties before applying for studying in a foreign institution.

-Falsifying credentials on the application - Although most student are aware of the implications that such activities can cause, there are still some who tend to falsify or modify their qualifications in order to get into their dream university; without realizing that it is a serious offence. Fudging ones information while filing an application to study abroad should be avoided at all costs as it can ruin any reliable credibility the applicant may have, and possibly bar them from studying in a foreign country.

-Missing out on valuable information from experienced students - Prior to filling the application form, individuals should make it a priority to interact with the student council or international student helpdesk at the institution of higher education they are applying to.

It is important to stay au courant of latest updates on this front, and then decide where to go for higher studies. (Shutterstock)

Doing so can help them gain valuable insight on the university culture, and how one can integrate themselves with other students. Some colleges also offer the option of interacting with existing international students that can help prospective scholars be well prepared if and when they are selected for admission.

-Financial management - Any Indian student hoping to pursue their higher studies in an overseas destination has to consider the financial aspects that this decision can lead to; and so, they need to be absolutely sure before making their final decision.

Therefore, it is important to discuss all possibilities regarding student loan, tuition fees, and miscellaneous expenses with parents, guidance counselors and the university where the student is applying to. This can also help students in determining what their financial standing is regarding the course they wish to pursue, and how they can finance their studies without any hassle.

-Unawareness about the right procedures for obtaining visa - Due to constant socio-economic changes and policy reforms across the world, many countries have had to modify their immigration and visa procedures, leading to wide ranging effects on those who wish to study overseas.

While some countries like Canada have student-friendly visa procedures, recent reforms in the US and the UK related to immigration policies has made it significantly difficult for students to pursue education there. Thus, it is important to stay au courant of latest updates on this front, and then decide where to go for higher studies.

Nowadays, some education consultancy firms have begun to offer unique services that can help students who wish to study abroad. As the number of students opting for higher education continues to rise in India, it is encouraging to see that such growth enablers are helping students to succeed in life by simplifying the entire application process for them.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more.
Mumbais most celebrated festival, Ganesh Chaturthi, began on Friday accompanied by heavy rain. Moderate showers continued on Saturday.

The weather bureau predicted moderate to heavy rain for Sunday and heavy to very heavy rain between Monday and Tuesday.

A cyclonic circulation over central parts of the country has led to the formation of a strong pressure gradient over the Konkan coast. There has been a rise in wind speed and moisture incursions, said KS Hosalikar, deputy director general, western region, India Meteorological Department (IMD). From Monday onwards, this weather system is likely to move closer to the state, which will pave the way for heavy to very heavy rain along the Konkan coast, including Mumbai, and isolated locations across north central Maharastra, Vidarbha and Marathwada.

Till 8.30am on Saturday, Mumbai recorded 1824mm rain since the beginning of the monsoon, which was 11mm short of the average till August 26.

Between 8.30am on Friday and 8.30am on Saturday, Santacruz weather station  representative of the suburbs  recorded 90mm rain while Colaba  representative of south Mumbai  recorded 39mm rain. On Saturday, Santacruz and Colaba recorded 22.8mm and 20mm rain between 8.30am and 5.30pm.

According to rainfall data from the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research, Ghatkopar recorded the maximum rain in the city on Saturday at 101.8mm.

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In yet another sign of senior Congress leader Narayan Ranes possible induction into the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), chief minister Devendra Fadnavis visited his house on the occasion of Ganeshotsav festivities on Friday night.

Ranes son and Congress legislator, Nitesh, tweeted a photograph of Fadnavis with his father and him at their home.

However, senior party leaders told HT that any such induction was not on cards this week or any time soon.

Speaking with reporters at his residence on the issue, Rane indicated that a change was on the lines, but did not spell out his plans. He said, Lord Ganesha has always been kind to me and has given whatever I have asked for, though in different forms. Very soon we will come to know the form for this time.

Ranes remarks and Fadnavis visit comes ahead of the party president Amit Shahs visit to the city on Sunday.

There has been speculation that Rane will join the BJP this week when party president Shah is in the city.

BJP sources said that Ranes induction can help the party expand its base in Konkan, the only region where the BJP is weak now. And, it could add a heavyweight Maratha leader to the BJPs fold.

Ranes induction may help us in Konkan and he was useful during the Maratha agitation. But, his induction will not be solely on BJPs conditions and he is unlikely to get what he wants, that is tickets for himself and his sons. Our top party leadership looks down on dynasty politics and it was difficult for even senior BJP leaders to get tickets for their kin in 2014 polls, said a senior BJP leader.

Ranes induction will also further alienate the Shiv Sena, since Rane, a former chief minister and Sena rebel, has had an ongoing feud with the Thackerays. The chief minister may not want trouble on that front also, so soon.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and former chief minister Sushil Kumar Shinde just a day earlier on Thursday had claimed Rane would not leave the Congress. Many leaders have left Congress when it was out of power and eventually returned back when the party came back to power. But Rane will not do the same. He will not leave the Congress party, Shinde told reporters, expressing faith in Rane, who is allegedly unhappy with the party leadership for not considering him for the post of state Congress unit chief.

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The sessions court on Thursday refused to grant bail to Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap, who was arrested in connection with the Ghatkopar building collapse on July 25.

This came after a civic body report revealed that Shitap had carried out unauthorised work on Siddhi Sai building, which weakened it. In his bail plea, Shitap claimed that political rivals implicated him in the case.

Shitap claimed that he had appointed contractors to conduct a structural audit of the building in 2015 and found that repairs were needed urgently. He blamed residents for not cooperating with the repairs, saying the building was dilapidated.

However, the prosecution objected to his plea, saying his role in the collapse had been established.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which conducted an inquiry into the case, blamed Shitap for the loss of life and property. A report submitted to civic chief Ajoy Mehta on Wednesday recommended strict action against Shitap, accusing him of disregard for law and greed to grab public land.

Residents had accused Shitap of making alterations to the building for commercial purposes in 2009 and constructing a hospital on its ground floor. They said he planned to convert the hospital into a guest house and the renovations he carried out weakened the building, leading to its collapse.

Shitaps wife, Swati, had contested the BMC elections on a Shiv Sena ticket.

Parksite police registered a criminal case against Shitap. Others were booked under sections 304 (causing death by negligence), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.
Three men were arrested after the Amboli and Dahanu police raided a mephedrone (MD) manufacturing unit in Palghar on Friday night. Police seized 900 grams of ready-made MD worth Rs18 lakh and equipment and chemicals collectively worth Rs41.02 lakh.

The racket came to light after the Amboli police nabbed Nadeem Nasir Shaikh, 29, from Citi Mall in Andheri (West) on August 21 and recovered 1 kg of MD worth Rs20 lakh from him.

We questioned Shaikh to determine where he had obtained the drugs from. Based on this information, we raided the manufacturing unit in Bamanwadi, Dahanu, said Paramjit Singh Dahiya, deputy commissioner of police, zone 9.

Of the accused, Sanyal Bane alias Sunny, 33, is a Dahanu resident and a science graduate. He was involved in the manufacturing process as he knew what chemical components could be used to make MD. He, Anwar Gafoor Chowdhary, 37, and Sultan Ahmed Abdul Rauf, 41, started manufacturing the drug five months ago. Rauf has a case of extortion registered against him at the Manor police station in Palghar. Chowdhary is a realtor and has a fabric business.

Police said the unit was in a residential area near a field, which belongs to Chowdharys friend. She and her children lived in the room adjacent to the one the drug was being made in. Police found a 50-m-long pipe in the room, which released smoke into the field.

We found Rs65,000 in cash and large quantities of raw materials and chemicals including acetone, hydrochrolic acid, aluminum chloride, sulphuric acid and plastic soda. These seized materials would have been used to create 65 kg of MD worth Rs13 crore, said Manjunath Singe, superintendent of police, Palghar.

The accused would manufacture the drug between midnight and 6 am, so no one would notice the smoke. They have produced at least 6 kg to 7 kg of the drug so far, said an officer.

The group would buy chemicals from Gujarat and store them in desolate huts in Palghar and the outskirts of Mumbai to evade police detection.They would transport the raw materials to pharma unites, where the drug was manufactured, added Singe.

Rauf would meet Shaikh, whose name had cropped up as a supplier, at the Dahanu railway station and give him the drug. Shaikh would sell small quantities to peddlers across Mumbai. He acted as a supplier at least thrice, said police. The accused have been remanded in police custody till September 1. Police are now trying to trace the source of these chemicals to determine who headed the operations.
Soon, individuals and organisations could be allowed to manage schools and earn a profit from their services. Currently, only public trusts and government and charitable organisations run schools. However, a proposal from the state school education department to the state cabinet could change this.

The cabinet, however, decided to only let firms formed under section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013  to promote arts, commerce, science, education, religion or charity  to establish and manage schools.

The state government is now seeking amendments to Maharashtra Self-financed Schools (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2012, to implement its decision. Such a move will require the approval of the state legislature.

According to an official at the department, the move is aimed at promoting competition among schools and enhancing the quality of primary and secondary education. Schools are unable to hike fees owing to the states restrictions. Many of the budget primary schools are not performing well, he said.

The decision comes after parents protests against Maharashtra schools decision to hike fees. The state school education department set up a nine-member expert panel to probe their complaints and iron out flaws in the Maharashtra Educational Institutions Fee Act, 2011.

The state also relaxed a key infrastructural norm for setting up schools. In urban areas, schools can now be set up on a 500-sq-m plot, reduced from the earlier requirement of a one-acre plot. Organisations can also register their schools online throughout the years.

The official said that while the department wanted all the companies registered under the Companies Act to be able to run schools, the political leadership decided to restrict the policy change to those registered under section 8 of the act. The cabinet felt that such a move would invite backlash, with many accusing the government of trying to commodify school education, he said.

However, some activists said the decision will lead to privatisation of school education. By introducing corporations to the education sector, the government is trying to absolve itself of its responsibility of providing education to children. Besides, the corporations will focus more on producing employees for industries, rather than students with a social sense, said Nadeem Rasoul, zonal education secretary, Students Islamic Organisation of India.

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A man was killed after an unidentified speeding vehicle in Goregaon (East) knocked him off his bike on the Western Express Highway early on Thursday. Vanrai police officers said they were investigating the incident.

The accident took place around 5 am, when Kurar resident Ketan Patel was riding his motorbike near Hub Mall. A vehicle knocked him off his bike from behind, said an officer, who did not wish to be identified.

The accused fled while Patel was lying on the ground. Passersby called the police control room and took him to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, said Jyotsna Rasam, senior inspector, Vanrai police.

Police said they were in the process of checking CCTV camera footage, however, they have not yet been able to identify if the vehicle was a car or truck.

They have registered a case of rash and negligent driving and causing death against the unidentified motorist. No arrests have been made yet.
Govandi police arrested a 25-year-old for raping and molesting a three-year-old girl in Chembur on Wednesday

Police said the girl was playing alone in the building around 8 pm when the accused, Sachin Devkate, picked her up and took her to his flat.

Devkate then forced himself on to her, said an officer, who did not wish to be identified.

The incident came to light when the girls mother started looking for her and found her adjusting her clothes. On realising something was amiss, she confronted Devkate, who fled. She then called her relatives and told them what had happened.

The girls parents approached the Govandi police, who filed a case and formed teams to trace the accused.

We had recovered a photo of the accused from his flat and circulated it among our informers. He had left his phone behind so we examined his call data, added the officer.

After 12 hours, Devkate was found sleeping inside an autorickshaw near Amar Theatre.

He was brought to the police station and booked under sections 376 (rape) and 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4, 8 and 12 under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012. He was produced in court on Friday and remanded in police custody.
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The metropolitan magistrate court has granted bail to a contractor who was booked for allegedly cheating Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) of Rs114.76 crore, only on the condition that he deposited 10% of the defrauded amount.

The court warned Mahdoom Bahrudeen if he caused any delay in the trial, the amount would be forfeited.

To prevent delays in trials, the order may set a precedent in cases related to economic offences.

The prosecution has accused Behrudeen, director of NaftoGaz India Pvt Ltd, of misrepresentation while obtaining a contract from ONGC. The estimated cost of the project was Rs740.02 crore.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is probing the case, claimed that the company misrepresented itself during the bidding process. The company secured the contract and got unlawful gain owing to false representation and forged documents. It did not complete the work as per the terms and condition of the contract, the agency said.

According to the CBI, after finding the discrepancy in the project, ONGC discontinued the contract and by the time, it incurred an expenditure of Rs 255.24 crore, including Rs 234.36 crore which was paid to NaftoGaz. It received possession of physical assets amounting to Rs 59.72 crore supplied by the contractor. It also forfeited bank guarantee of Rs 80.76 crore. NaftoGaz India Pvt Ltd thus caused a loss of Rs 114.76 crore to ONGC, said the CBI.

ONGC lodged a complaint with the CBI in 2014. The central agency filed a charge sheet last month and a summons to the accused was issued.

The accused were formally arrested after the charge sheet was filed.

On Monday, they argued that as they were not arrested in the past three years, they should be granted bail.

The investigating agency opposed the plea, on the ground that offence was of economic nature. It also said that the accused may also tamper with evidence and even flee the country.

The court however debunked the objection and observed that It was a settled principle of law that if the accused had not been arrested during the course of investigation and if he appears before the court on his own, they were entitled for bail.

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Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjis bungalow, Krishnaram in Juhu, is the latest to come under the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporations (BMC) scanner. Civic officials from the K/west ward (Andheri and Juhu) said they received complaints about illegal work being carried out in the bungalow from Nikhitesh Chaubey, chairman of NGO Aamhi Jagrut Mumbaikar and activist Ganesh Kusumulu.

The BMC plans to carry out an inspection on August 30, with police protection, said sources.

Following complaints, officials had sent the owners a notice under section 488 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC), which permits them to enter a building or private property for inspection. The K/west ward received complaints that the work being carried out was allegedly in violation of plans submitted to the BMCs building proposal department. We served the owners a notice, which permits us to inspect the premises. However, they did not allow us to enter about 10 days ago, said a civic official.

Mukherjis media representative, however, denied the allegations. At the outset, I wish to state that Mrs Mukherji is an upstanding citizen of the country and the allegations of illegal construction at her bungalow are completely baseless, read the spokespersons written statement to the media.

The BMC gave the ground-plus-one bungalow a commencement certificate (CC) in 2014, permitting owners to make additions and alterations. Chaubey, however, alleged that the CC has expired. The height of the basement is being increased in violation of the plan submitted. The CC has not been renewed, but work is still ongoing. The bungalow falls under the coastal regulation zone, but the owners have not sought a no-objection certificate from the authorities, he said.

Yes, the commencement certificate was first sought in 2014. But, it has been revalidated every year, which the BMC can confirm. The height of the bungalow is the same as that in the approved plans submitted to the building proposal department while obtaining the CC. I trust this puts any ambiguity regarding the construction of the property to rest. The BMC has been extremely professional in all matters, read the spokespersons statement. He added that the notice received on July 3 was replied to the next day.

A CC can be renewed every year after paying the civic body a certain fee, officials said.
In the coming months, residents in Ghaziabad will be able to get ample supply of generic medicines. The district health department has sent a proposal for opening of such stores at the MMG government hospital and four block-level community health centres in Loni, Dasna, Murad Nagar and Modi Nagar.

The officials said the district has only two generic medicine stores in Ghaziabad city and need more such outlets to cater to the large number of patients who arrive at government hospitals. According to official statistics, nearly 1,93,027 patients on an average, visited government hospitals in 2017 till date.

The proposals have been forwarded to the state administration to get us the five generic medicines dispensing centres. The facility at the MMG hospital will cater to the in-patients of MMG and also to those admitted to the womens hospital in the same complex. The generic medicines are affordable and will be of help to patients visiting the government hospitals. We expect that the facilities to be operational by the year-end, said Dr NK Gupta, chief medical officer, Ghaziabad.

Apart from making the provision for better availability of generic medicines, the state government has also asked the Ghaziabad health department to send a list of essential medicines available with them at present.

We have nearly 150-200 types of essential medicines available with us. The state government wants that each hospital should have 400 types of essential medicines stocked for patients. We have forwarded a list to the state officials and the additional medicines will also arrive soon, Dr Gupta said.

Apart from the out-patient department, the three hospitals and community health centres in the districts also cater to over 7,100 patients each month. The average per month was around 6,800 during 2016.

The officials said the number of OPD and IPD (in-patients) has been rising every year, hence, the need to get proper supply of medicines available for different treatments.

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Recently I had a bout of an unpleasant complaint called Menieres Disease. The symptoms are unfortunate as well as unpleasant because they include severe vertigo, which makes a victim look as though he/she is drunk  lurching about the place and even falling down. The vertigo can be brought on by reading, particularly reading, and by looking at television screens. So I found myself doing a lot of listening. That has prompted me to write about the pleasure of listening quietly in todays noisy world.

First of all what did I listen to? As a school boy I enjoyed Charles Dickens but in my adulthood I found I was too impatient to persevere with his lengthy prolix novels. So with plenty of time on my hands I decided to have another go at two of them, this time of course listening to them rather than reading them. I listened to a reading, called an audio book, of the entire story of David Copperfield, which contains some of Dickens best known characters, David himself searching for a home, Micawber, always in debt but always optimistic about finding a way out of it supported by his long-suffering wife, and there is of course the repulsive, miserly, hypocrite Uriah Heap.

Encouraged by my enjoyment of David Copperfield, I turned to the Pickwick Papers. I heard a BBC Radio drama recording of the comic adventures of that irrepressible gentleman. Then I listened to the renowned BBC foreign correspondent, the late Charles Wheelers radio documentary about national service. I was reminded, sometimes uncomfortably, sometimes with amusement, of the two years I spent in the British Army. I listened to poetry too; and of course music.

I always listen to the news on radio but I spent more time doing that when Menieres Disease struck me because I couldnt read newspapers. I heard wonderfully weird radio programmes too, including one about beards in which I heard the presenter having his beard trimmed.

Whenever I talk to students of journalism in India about radio I am told Its dead. Killed by television. As the presenter of a radio programme broadcast in Britain I know thats certainly not true there. Here, for some reason, I have never been able to understand, while the government has lost control over television it retains a monopoly over radio news. Of course there is always the opportunity in India to make excellent radio programmes that are not news or current affairs, but unfortunately the private sector broadcasters have not taken up that opportunity. All India Radio does make some excellent documentaries but they are difficult to find because so little effort is made to publicise them.

Having got my gripe about radio in India over, I want to return to the charm of listening. There are, in my view, three reasons why listening is special. The first is that listeners have to create their own pictures. Thats why broadcasters say the pictures are better on radio, and why the former head of BBC Radio, Liz Forgan, once said to me, Radio has a great future provided you dont start putting pictures to it. That is a temptation in these days of digital radio.

Creating ones own pictures requires concentration and imagination. Because they are listeners own pictures and because creating them needs effort they stick more firmly in the mind than pictures which are provided for them.

That is the second reason why listening has a special quality. The third is that listening is usually a solitary occupation which makes it peculiarly intimate. Radio broadcasters can give listeners the impression that they are speaking to them individually. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sometimes achieves that impression in his Maan Ki Baat broadcasts. I assume that is why he has chosen radio as the medium for those broadcasts.

I first learnt to love listening when I was a small child and my mother used to read to me. I didnt need Menieres Disease to remind me of the special pleasure it gives but listening did mean I felt no deprivation when I couldnt read or watch the television. It meant more than that. It meant I could spend my time well.

The views expressed are personal
There is something fundamental that has changed with Fridays developments in Haryana for the BJP.

To restore the faith of citizens in the state, and to regain their own credibility, PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah need to take a tough call and ask the state CM Manohar Lal Khattar to go. Even though they have reportedly decided to stick to the CM for now, the BJP needs to see in this crisis a chance to reinvent its reputation in the state. And that can only happen if it thinks out of the box.

Beyond Khattar

Let us first return to the basics.

Two failures of the Haryana government stand out- the failure to impose Section 144 in Panchkula, thus allowing Dera supporters to congregate in the run up to the verdict with weapons; and the failure to anticipate and then control the aggression, violence, vandalism of the supporters after Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction.

This has led to deaths, destruction, devastation and generated a climate of fear across parts of Haryana, Punjab and Delhi.

The fact that there was such mob violence in support of a convicted rapist tells its own story. But what is of relevance here is that the a section of society - organised, defiant, armed, belligerent - confronted the state. And for a while at least, it won by destroying the states monopoly over force and causing lawlessness and fear.

Now, even the Punjab and Haryana High Court has directly told the government it allowed the city to burn for political gains.

Given that the Khattar government failed - in the not-so-distant past - to control the Jat agitation, which paralysed the state and its neighbours, what is obvious is there is a pattern of criminal incompetence: criminal because no other word can describe the states abdication of its duty to protect life.

No one - and not even the most ardent of supporters of the party - can, in good faith, now defend Khattars record. His exit should have been the most natural outcome of this anarchy.

By Saturday afternoon however, reports indicated that BJP has in fact decided to repose his faith in the man - and let him continue in office. Various explanations have been put forward justifying the decision.

The official spin is that the situation was actually well managed and the violence could have been a lot worse - this is very difficult to accept, for it does not answer the simple question of why they were allowed to congregate in the first place and cause such havoc. The unofficial explanation is that resignation would now mean handing the opposition a victory - in fact, resignation and a tactical retreat would have given the BJP the moral high ground and an opportunity to begin on a clean slate.

Even if the BJP has asked Khattar to stay for now and ensure no violence occurs on Monday, when the sentence will be declared in the case, it can only be a stop-gap measure. As a signal of repentance to citizens - and yes what happened requires public acknowledgment in some form - and electoral considerations of the Lok Sabha and Haryana assembly polls in 2019, the party needs to look beyond Khattar.

After Khattar, who?

One of the reasons the BJP is reluctant to shift Khattar is also because of the paucity of choices. If he is indeed asked to go, who are the potential leaders BJP can pick? Here is a quick - indicative but not comprehensive - list of 5 names, why some should not even be considered and why others fall short. But there is a surprising fifth name may be the most appropriate.

1. Subhash Barala is the state unit chief - and should, by virtue of the office, be an obvious contender for the Chief Ministership. But his son Vikas, was only recently charged and arrested in the stalking case against Varnika Kundu. The state chief was accused of using personal and political influence to dilute the case. Appointing him is out of question, and he is lucky to save his own job. He is also Jat- which does not work in BJPs caste matrix for reasons explained below.

2. Captain Abhimanyu is seen as a relatively competent administrator, but is not seen as spotless - in a state where anti corruption was an important theme in the BJP campaign and Khattars USP has been his integrity. He is also a Jat. In Haryanas polity, Jats have been the traditionally dominant political caste. But BJP succeeded in the 2014 assembly polls by stitching together a broad non-Jat coalition in the state. This is line with its strategy elsewhere too of carving out alliances of non dominant castes. Making a Jat CM could potentially alienate non Jat communities.

There are other state ministers but fail on either integrity, administrative competence, political skill or the social background test.

3. Chaudhary Birender Singh is a union cabinet minister. He is experienced. But two factors weigh against Singh. He is a Jat. Singh also happens to be an import from the Congress, and spent 42 long years in the party. He, in fact, joined BJP only after the partys Lok Sabha victory. Appointing someone like him would be unpalatable to the Sangh as well as the BJP cadre. Accommodating someone at the centre is easy. But handing over a state to someone who is new to the party is not so easy. That is why even someone as popular and strong as Himanta Biswa Sarma was made Deputy CM in Assam. The only Congress import who is a BJP CM today is N Biren Singh in Manipur - and that worked because BJP did not have either an organisation or a pool of strong leaders there.

4. Rao Inderjit Singh - he is a minister at the centre; and a non-Jat. But he too is a Congress import right before the 2014 elections.

5. Sushma Swaraj: Due to her national profile, role in Parliament, and years in Delhi, many forget that Sushma Swaraj is from Haryana.

Indeed, Swaraj began her political career from the state and became a cabinet minister for labour and employment at the age of 25 back in 1977, in the Janata Party government in Haryana. Swaraj then became the president of the Janata Party in the state. She was again the education minister in the state between 1987 and 1990.

There are four major reasons why she may actually be PM Narendra Modis best bet.

Why Sushma works

First, the crisis in Haryana is so grave that BJP needs someone with a national stature who can, from Day 1, establish writ and authority. All accounts from the External Affairs Ministry suggest that Swaraj has a remarkably sharp mind who understands both politics and governance. She can - potentially - manage the bureaucracy, a skill Khattar sorely lacked, and manage the politics, which is turning against the BJP very rapidly in the state.

Two, it will also portray both Modi and the BJP as extremely serious in tackling the situation in the state. That Modi would put one of the most senior leaders of the party to counter violence on the streets will show how he is willing to correct his own errors in judgement (Khattar was the PMs pick) and put the best out there - irrespective of any past rivalry - to achieve the larger goal of restoring order and governance. Haryana is an important state - because of its location, economy, and political weight that has far surpassed its population strength and it needs deft handling. It will also give Khattar a face-saver, for he would be replaced not by a junior but someone much higher up in the league.

Three, Swaraj - because of her stature again - is not seen as enmeshed in the caste matrix of the state, or the factional struggles of the party. This means no one will oppose her and will in fact rally around her. This will also help project her as above the petty battles that mark the political landscape and could help the BJP broaden its constituency.

Four, Swarajs appointment will help repair the partys image as a patriarchal, misogynist outfit. Given that the support on the streets was for a convicted rapist, and only recently, BJP was seen as attempting to protect a stalker, Swaraj would reach out to women - a constituency the BJP has been cultivating in recent elections as a separate constituency.

There are three possible impediments to her selection.

The first is her equation with the PM. It is an open secret in Delhi before 2014 that Swaraj, close to L K Advani, was opposed to Modis elevation as the partys PM face; that as the leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha, she harboured her own ambitions; and that Modi was uncomfortable with her. But top sources - in the party and the government - have told HT that the Modi-Swaraj equation today is far smoother than is publicly believed. Swaraj has kept a low profile as minister, worked efficiently in key areas, not tried to steal the limelight, and reconciled to her role and the PMs leadership. Modi has appreciated the shift in attitude, given her space and appreciated her work publicly. The clear hierarchy now means that the equations are more settled.

The second impediment is that her exit from the centre will leave a gap in an anyway weak cabinet. Contrary to conventional wisdom again, Swaraj is an important minister - and is deeply involved in framing key foreign policy issues, particularly the neighbourhood. But a big cabinet reshuffle is due. And given the PM, NSA and Foreign Secretarys powerful roles in the foreign policy process, her exit can be managed as another minister picks the baton.

And finally, her health - she has just gone through a kidney transplant - is a potential concern. But sources who work closely with Swaraj in MEA say that she has recovered, is fully engaged with work, meets people and reads files carefully through the day - including late at night, and can travel - as she did recently to Nepal.

Haryana is burning. And it has the potential to burn the BJP with it. Prime Minister Narendra Modi needs to think out of the box and act. He does not have to look far. It is time to send his colleague in South Block back to where she started her political life. Chandigarh beckons.

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The statistics released by the Maharashtra higher education board states that colleges in Pune division continue to operate without the certification from National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), the autonomous body which accredits higher education institutions (HEIs) in India and forms accreditation framework designed to promote transparency in the assessment process.

Earlier, Maharashtra governor Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao had stated that it is mandatory for colleges to have NAAC accreditation. He said that the colleges who still do not have the said certification will be shut down within two years and their permanent affiliation will be cancelled.

Once a college gets approval from the government, it has to wait for almost five years to get permanent affiliation. After this, they are given a two-year window to apply and attain NAAC certification. If the colleges fail to do so, ideally the affiliated university should begin the process of de-affiliation, said VR More, joint director, higher education.

Citing the reason, More said, Varsitys soft stand and delay in de-affiliating a college could be an argument for lack of initiative from institutions to get the certification process carried out. The University under which colleges are registered has the authority to cancel their affiliation if they do not comply with the rules of getting NAAC accreditation. But, as this could be a disadvantage for the existing students in the college, the university usually gives a grace period of four years to the college, for these students to graduate.

Meanwhile, the colleges in Maharashtra remain unfazed with 1,782 out of 2,909 total colleges running without NAAC accreditation. And, Pune stands at the second position in terms of low index of NAAC certification with 285 out of 470 colleges without the councils stamp of approval. Nagpur, with only 150 out of 535 colleges with the certification is leading the list.

Most of the aided colleges have applied for NAAC following the pressure from authorities. A total of 158 aided colleges from a total of 167, and 27 non-aided colleges out a total of 303, have received the NAAC certification. This clearly shows that it is the non-aided colleges that have a higher incidence of not applying for NAAC, he said.
Army and paramilitary forces moved in to get the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Sirsa town in Haryana vacated on Saturday, a day after the sect chief was convicted of rape, sparking large-scale violence by his supporters. There are still thousands of Dera followers inside the sect headquarters, around 260 km from here, sources said. Security forces continue to remain on high alert as an uneasy calm prevailed in Panchkula, the epicentre of Fridays violence triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Here are the highlights of the day after dera chiefs conviction:

5: 30pm: Haryana government law officer Gurdas Singh Salwara, who was caught holding luggage of Dera Sacha Sauda head, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh outside Panchkula trial court sacked by government. He was deputy advocate general with states advocate general office.

4: 48 pm: Looking after my own state. The situation is peaceful here, but will take no chances, says Amarinder Singh.

Fault was in allowing people to gather in #Panchkula when the verdict was coming; should have known that there could be a problem: Punjab CM pic.twitter.com/hDLde8Mfa2  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

4: 45 pm: Amarinder Singh says: Peace in Punjab as long as I am there.

4: 40 pm: Dera will pay for damages, says CM Amarinder Singh and adds were on top of the situation.

4: 37 pm: Will not allow violence of any form from any sect in Punjab: CM Amarinder Singh

4: 24 pm: Punjab CM lauds security forces. Happy with the forces, says the CM.

I will not allow violence of any form from any sect in Punjab: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/Gtdm6nNKpC  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

4: 23 pm: The government did its job: Amarinder Singh

4: 22 pm: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh begins press conference, says situation under control.

4: 21 pm: Rajnath reviews security, told Haryana situation under control. Emerging from the high-level meeting, Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the central government that the situation was under control now.

4: 20 pm: 90 people admitted on Friday night, says CMO, Panchkula civil hospital

17 casualties,post-mortem underway; 90 ppl were admitted last night, no case of bullet injury:CMO, Civil Hospital,Panchkula #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/xYlNXXJfwH  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

4: 17 pm: Civil hospital doctors say death toll in Sirsa rises to 4 with 2 more deaths reported on Saturday.

4: 13 pm: Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh chaired a high-level meeting over law and order situation in the state

#Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh chaired a high-level meeting over law and order situation in the state #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/DROntUFMyY  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

3:05 pm: The CPI has sought the resignation of Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, saying the BJP government in the state has horribly failed to deal with the violence. CPI general secretary S Sudhakar Reddy also demanded tough measures by the Centre to bring the situation back to normal in Punjab and Haryana.

3: 52 pm: The Press Club of India has condemned the violence against media persons in Panchkula. In a statement, the PCI demanded strict action against the miscreants, saying the state government should take urgent steps for the safety and security of journalists.It also demanded that the television news networks be compensated for the losses suffered by them.

3:51 pm: Punjab Police and army conducted flag march in Moga

#RamRahimVerdict Punjab Police and Army conducted flag march in Punjab's Moga pic.twitter.com/i0DGbLQU0r  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

3: 40 pm: Punjab chief minister to address a press conference at 4.30 PM in Chandigarh.

3: 35 pm: Police search dera premises in Mansa, appeal for peace. Section 144 is already imposed in the area. We have not ordered the dera followers to vacate the premises. Most of the followers have already left the premises, said ADGP. Mansa SSP confirmed that no weapons or any objectionable item was found during the search operation in the dera premises.

Followers of Dera Sacha Sauda waiting for transport to head to their respective villages in Bathinda on Saturday. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

3:29 pm: Found axes, batons, petrol bombs at a dera in Kaithal

We found axes, batons, petrol bombs etc there. All objectionable objects seized&Dera has been completely vacated: Kaithal DC #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Lp1wAVgDVH  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

3: 04 pm: Curfew relaxed in Patiala from 3 PM to 6 PM, except Rajpura. Relaxation on Sunday from 8 AM to 10 AM.

2: 46 pm: After moving the army to surround the headquarters of the Dera Sacha Sauda near Sirsa town in Haryana, the army and the Haryana government clarified on Saturday afternoon that the forces had still not entered the sects headquarters complex. Major General Rajpal Punia told media in Sirsa that the army has no immediate plan to enter the Dera campus.

There is some confusion that the Army is going inside the Dera campus. At the moment there is no such plan, General Punia said.

2: 38 pm: Former Haryana chief minister BS Hooda: Haryana govt must resign on moral grounds

(State)Govt must resign on moral grounds. If it doesn't,Centre must impose President's Rule here: BS Hooda, Former Haryana CM #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/3qKirXZnYG  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

2:29 pm: The BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Saturday called on to initiate a probe to identify the miscreants, who vandalised the property after conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in rape case and said law needs to be enforced to keep a check on all the religious institution of the country. The violence is unexplainable. If they are devotees of a truly religious person, why should this violence take place? Either these are violent acts, which should be banned or there is an infiltration. Who are behind the violence, it must be found out, Swamy told ANI.

2:26 pm: The moment Ram Rahim was arrested, his Z-plus security stood automatically withdrawn: Haryana chief secretary Depinder Singh to ANI

#RamRahimSingh is being treated and given food in the same manner as other prisoners get: Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh Dhesi  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

2:22 pm: All 28 killed in Panchkula were outsiders. No city resident killed or injured in violence: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu

2:09 pm: The Delhi Transport Corporation has cancelled its services to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh after multiple incidents of arson and violence following the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

2:07 pm: Two cases of sedition registered against dera supporters who went on a and damaged public property in Panchkula, Haryana.

1: 57pm: People who died were dera supporters. 36 dera ashrams have been sealed. The dera at Sirsa is being vacated: Haryana BJP in-charge Anil Jain

No one has been summoned: Haryana BJP in-charge Anil Jain on reports of CM ML Khattar being summoned to Delhi. pic.twitter.com/2tgR5SBYaa  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

1: 53 pm: Sources in the government said two dera premises in Kurukshetra district sealed by the local authorities after getting these vacated of Dera followers.

District administration and police sealed two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra, today. #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/bPziK7YdNd  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

1:52 pm: The Congress party on Saturday demanded Presidents rule in Haryana and the sacking of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his governments failure to stop the widespread violence. Senior Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi in a press conference said the death toll figures reported seems to be false, and its higher. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to save his friend Khattar. You are seeing a naked dance of absolute violence, riots on the street, Singhvi said on the violence that took place in Haryana on Friday.

1:17 pm: The Haryana government on Saturday ordered a search of all congregation centres belonging to the Dera Sacha Sauda in the state, a senior official said.We have ordered a search of all naam charcha ghars (congregation centres) of the Dera Sacha Sauda wherever located in Haryana, state additional chief secretary (home) Ram Niwas told PTI.

1:07 pm: Punjab and Haryana high court to Khattar-led Haryana government: It was a political surrender to lure your vote bank

12:55 pm: Curfew reimposed in Faridkot till 5 pm.

12:26 pm: Army and paramilitary forces move in to get the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters vacated near Sirsa town in Haryana.

12:23 pm: Dera Sirsa chief in CBI court Panchkula on August 25. (Video courtesy: babushahi.com)

12:22 pm: Kurukshetra police seal nine congregation centres of the Dera Sacha Sauda in the district, evicting the followers, and seize over 2,500 lathis and other sharp-edged weapons during a search operation.

12:18 pm: The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India following the conviction of Ram Rahim, saying tensions remain high in Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas.

12:17 pm: High-level meeting at Union home ministers residence begins.

12:06 pm: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has slammed Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his governments failure to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.

12:01 pm: The deputy commissioner of police (DCP) in Panchkula was suspended by the Haryana government. IPS officer Ashok Kumar, DCP Panchkula, has been put under suspension with immediate effect, an official order said.

11:44 am: Authorities in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday relaxed curfew in some towns to enable the residents to buy essential and eatable items. In Punjab, curfew was relaxed in Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town.
People living at Sector 3 in Panchkula had a reason to feel safe even when Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda followers were adding up by the hour before the CBI court verdict on Friday.

The armys Western Command headquarters at Chandimandir is just minutes away. Much closer than it is to our home, two kilometres away in Chandigarh.

But within minutes of the CBI court holding sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape, we could see a cloud of dark smoke over Panchkula and heard gunshots from our rooftop.

In no time, friends and acquaintances living in nearby sectors started sending videos and pictures with one of them of a blood-stained man lying outside a house.

And this all bore an eerie resemblance to what I saw last year when Rohtak burned in the wake of the Jat quota riots.

This time, it was happening closer home, in the posh suburb of Chandigarh that houses most of Haryana government offices and officers. The Rohtak mayhem was a scene out of medieval times. Right from the toll plaza at the entry of the town to schools, shops, hospitals and homes, there was a method to the way the rampaging mobs targeted non-Jats and their properties. It was only after the protests had turned violent on February 18 that the Manohar Lal Khattar government requisitioned the army.

People reacting during violence in Panchkula. (REUTERS)

The deployment, the government had then claimed, was hampered for a day as protesters had laid siege to highways and the first batch of troops had to be flown in by Indian Air Force choppers. The troops had then carried placards of Army written in bold red letters while holding a flag march in Rohtak on February 20! The arson and rioting had continued till next day and then Haryana DGP Yash Pal Singhal had told journalists that people who are protesting are also residents of Haryana. There is no provision in law to give a free hand to the Army. Army is deployed in a state for the aid of civil administration. It is not deployed to kill people.

Having learnt his lessons from handling of the Jat agitation last year, the Haryana CM had already sounded the Centre early on and the Army was kept on standby in Panchkula. But it took over only after some Haryana cops were seen abandoning their posts and paramilitary forces were outnumbered by the protesters.

The Rohtak police had then blamed a video of Jat students being allegedly beaten up by some cops going viral on social media on February 18 and flash mobs coming from villages in tractors, cars and vans with rods and petrol bombs after setting fuel stations on fire. So the Haryana government had banned mobile internet a day before the verdict. In hindsight, the government would know a peaceful gathering  as one of Khattars key ministers Ram Bilas Sharma described it a day before the verdict  does not need internet to go unruly. All it took was a war cry from the followers.

Like in Rohtak, the state intelligence agencies had warned of violence in Panchkula but the signals were ignored. The followers walked into Panchkula holding bags, passing police check posts. They were not stopped nor checked. If the Khattar government had excuses for letting Rohtak burn, it now has an apology. The CM has admitted to lapses in handling the Dera situation. While another commission of inquiry will be formed to look into the lapses and loss of life and property will be quantified, there is also a psychological cost to the rioting. The OPD (outpatient department) of psychiatry department at PGI, Rohtak, had reported cases of post-traumatic stress disorder after the violence. People came complaining of severe anxiety, fear, flashbacks and nightmares days after riots ended. Another year and another town in Haryana has been left with similar scars.

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Security forces, including the army, asked an estimated one lakh followers of Dera Sacha Sauda to vacate the controversial sects headquarters in Haryanas Sirsa on Saturday, a day after violence over the conviction of its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case singed the state and left 31 people dead. (Live updates)

Union home minister Rajnath Singh also held a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Haryana. Officials said Singh met the national security advisor Ajit Doval, home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain and ministry officials at his residence in Delhi.

The home ministry described the situation Panchkula and Sirsa as very tense but under control.

Lakhs of followers of the 50-year-old cult leader went on the rampage in Panchkula, where a CBI court convicted Singh in the 15-year-old case, and other places of Haryana -- setting vehicles on fire, damaging residential and business properties and waging pitched battles with security forces.

A video tweeted by news agency ANI showed army, rapid action force and police personnel moving on foot and on vehicles along a road, purportedly towards the Dera premises, as authorities intensified a crackdown on the cult leaders followers, a day after largescle violence left at least 31 people dead across Haryana.

Sirsa sub-divisional magistrate Paramjit Singh Chahal, however, said the army has not been given orders so far to enter the Dera headquarters.

There is still no order for the army to enter the campus. They are only ensuring enforcement, he said.

Two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda were sealed in Haryanas Kurukshetra on Saturday and several cult members were detained as part of the crack down, officials said.

Defiant followers of the self-styled godman stayed put despite appeals by the army and authorities since Friday to vacate the premises.

The army, which had put up barricades at entry points of the Dera premises following the violence, was mulling its options, said a senior official, who did not wish to be named.

We will not spare those who have taken the law in their hands. We will take strict action against then, Hisar range inspector general AS Dillo said outside the Dera premises

The sect members at the presmises include women and children.

Sources said the army has been provided with the map of the sprawling dera campus, which is spread over nearly 1,000 acres and is a township on its own, with schools, sports village, hospital and cinema hall.

Dera followers had arrived in droves ahead of the CBI special court verdict.

The quantum of sentence against the self-styled godman, who enjoys z-category security, will be pronounced on August 28.

Two of the civilian deaths on Friday were reported from Sirsa, where the cult has its sprawling headquarters. Most of the deaths were due to firing by police to control the rampaging mobs.

In Sirsa, police detained 15 Dera followers since Friday night even as the authorities appealed to over one lakh supporters still present in the sect headquarters to vacate the premises, superintendent of police Ashwin Shenvi said.

The 15 are among more than 1,000 supporters detained on charges of arson and destruction of public property.

The law and order situation is under control as there has been no report of violence since last night, a senior police officer said.

Two companies of army and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in the town and residents asked to stay indoors.

Meanehile, authorities in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday relaxed curfew in some towns to enable residents to buy essentials.

In Punjab, curfew was relaxed in Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town.

In Haryanas Fatehabad town, the Army was deployed to assist the paramilitary and police personnel in maintaining law and order.

A spokesman for the sect urged supporters to remain calm.

I just want to request everyone to maintain peace at the moment, said Dilawar Insan. We will explore what legal options are available to us.

The sect claims to have about 50 million followers and campaigns for vegetarianism and against drug addiction.

After his conviction, Gurmeet Singh was lodged in a make-shift jail at Sunaria in Rohtak amid tight security.

After reports of the Dera chief being given special treatment surfaced, the director general of police (prisons) said Singh is being treated as a normal prisoner.

The Dera chief has been locked up in the district jail... is being treated like a normal prisoner according to the Haryana jail manual, KP Singh said.
If you love spotting wildlife, and want a digital detox, head to national parks. With this scenic but low-key backdrop, fall is prime time for in-depth exploration. National parks slow down during the fall. Crowds thin as children return to school. Temperatures drop from hot to cool. And colourful displays of fall foliage blaze across mountain ranges and lofty plateaus as temperatures become comfortable.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Gateway cities: Phoenix, 360 kilometers away, or Las Vegas, 435 kilometers away

Adventurers, grab your hiking poles. Mild temperatures along the Colorado River from September through November make autumn an excellent time for exploring the depths of Grand Canyon National Park. Visit the North Rim on the lofty Kaibab Plateau where you can hike trails that are lined with golden-leaved aspen trees. Facilities on the North Rim, which is 425 kilometers east of Las Vegas, close seasonally in mid-October.

Take a break from the trails and soak in culture at the Grand Canyon Music Festival, which closes out summer with classical music performances. The Celebration of Art soon follows, with resident artists painting the scene for a week, followed by a four-month exhibition in Kolb Studio.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Gateway city: Boston, Massachusetts, 440 kilometers away

Scenic driving is the big draw in autumn at Acadia. The 43-kilometer Park Loop Road, which swings past the rugged Maine coast, was designed to complement the natural landscape and offers many great views. From September through mid-October, orange, red and yellow leaves make this a great scenic drive. Pull over at Jordan Pond House for popovers and tea.

Adventurous hikers can scramble up iron rungs on the Precipice and Jordan Cliffs trails, which reopen in late summer. These ladder trails close in mid-March for nesting peregrine falcons.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Gateway city: Charlotte, North Carolina, 265 kilometers away

How best to describe the Great Smokies in fall? Magical comes to mind, especially after a hike down the Sugarland Mountain Trail. From its trailhead near Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park, this 19-kilometer path drops through three types of forest - spruce-fir, northern hardwood and cove hardwood. Depending on altitude and the time of year, leaves along the trail shimmer with the hues of autumn.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Gateway city: Denver, 112 kilometers away

When it comes to memorable love songs, the bugle call of the bull elk is hard to beat. From September through mid-October in the meadows of Rocky Mountain National Park, these 315-kilogram beasts display their antlers and sound their mating calls.

In the fall, aspens turn golden-yellow, and the tundra shines with copper hues. The park is extremely crowded at this time of year. Park officials may restrict access in specific areas when needed. Avoid congestion by arriving early or late in the day and visiting on weekdays.

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In many parts of the country, its a time for celebrations, joy, family, and prayer. Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Vinayaka Chavithi, is a popular Hindu festival celebrated in honour of the elephant-headed God, Ganesha. It falls on the fourth day of the Hindu month Bhadrapada, usually in August or September. The familiar chants and the surrounding festivities along with the food and fun are part and parcel of the Ganesha festival apart from the prayers and pujas. Many Bollywood celebrities too bring home Ganesha idols.

As the festival is in full swing, ixigo and Wandertrails has come up with a list of a few places to head to, for those who want to soak in the happiness of festivities.

1) Ganapatipule: Ganesh Chaturthi is a 5-day celebration at the Swayambhu Ganapati Temple in Ganapatipule (Maharashtra), where villagers and pilgrims join actively in a procession honouring Lord Ganesha. It is called swayambhu as it is believed that the idol self-manifested from white sand. A taller idol of Lord Ganesha is placed in an ornate palanquin and is carried on the shoulders of the devotees through the village accompanied by a priest and a drummer.

# Major Highlight: The celebrations are incomplete without a pradakshina or circumambulation around the hill behind the temple shaped like Ganapatis face.

2) Mumbai: Mumbai is a spectacle during the days of Ganesh Chaturthi - it is alive with devotional songs, dances and drum beats. Visit Goud Saraswat Brahmin (GSB) Samiti Mandal at Wadala to enjoy a darshan of the richest Ganesha in Mumbai. Also, visit Lalbaugcha Raja which is not a shrine but a community organised festival. Huge crowds come to visit Lord Ganesha and at times it takes over 20 hours to reach the idol.

Daily prayers are held at Ganpati pandals. (HT file )

# Major Highlight: The festival ends with the Ganesh Visarjan where the idols are immersed in the water. The most prominent of immersions occurs on Chowpatty Beach and festivities last till early in the morning.

3) Pune: The festival is celebrated with much fervour for ten days - it starts with the establishment of idols of Lord Ganesha on the first day to immersion of the Lords idols on the tenth day. Kasba Ganpati, Tambdi Jogeshwari Ganpati, Guruji Talim, Tulsi Baug Ganpati and the Kesariwada Ganpati are some of most unmissable Ganesh idols in the city.

# Major Highlight: Pune festival is also held during Ganesh Chaturthi and is all about the celebration of art and culture, song and dance, custom and tradition.

4) Bangalore: Most popular celebrations happen in Panchamukha Heramba Ganapati Temple, Shri Jambu Ganapati Temple and Ananth Nagar Ganapati Temple. Do not forget to catch the immersion spectacle at Sankey Tank and Ulsoor Lake.

# Major Highlight: Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava upholds the rich tradition of Indias culture and heritage, through magnificent presentations of music, dance, drama and art by some of the finest artists of the country every year.

Ganesh Chaturthi ends with a visarjan where the idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed in water. (HT file)

5) Hyderabad: One of the most famous festivals in Hyderabad, Ganapathi Navaratri festivities starts on Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and ends on Ananta Chaturdashi day with idol immersion. The famous places where Ganesha idols are established and decorated fascinatingly are Khairatabad, Balapur, Kamalanagar Chaitanyapuri, Durgam Cheruvu, Old City (Gowlipura) and New Nagole.

# Major Highlight: Devotees immerse the idols of Lord Ganesh on the last day of the festival in the Hussain Sagar Lake in Hyderabad. Thousands of people join the procession and fill the whole atmosphere with Lord Ganesha chants.

6) Goa: Known as Chavath in Konkani, the popular Hindu festival holds a certain special significance in almost all religious cities and villages of Goa. Particularly in the village of Marcela, where this festival is celebrated the most as it is a village known for its wide number of Hindu temples. The artisans from the village are engaged in making many different idols of Lord Ganesh, with varied ideas springing in their creative minds. There are idols made of coconut, bamboo, cane etc.

7) Chennai: Celebrations in Chennai might not be on the same scale as Mumbai, but they are a treat to watch nevertheless. Across Chennai, locals set up Ganesh statues and the celebrations and at Marina Beach are a must-see.

8) Trivandrum: Trivandrum is one of the few places that makes eco-friendly Ganesh idols using clay and milk. Follow the procession from the Ganapati Temple to Shanghumukham Beach and youll be in awe. Local artists and dancers with a variety of instruments dance throughout the way till the idol is immersed in the sea.

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Victims of the latest attack on Shia Muslims in Afghanistan directed their anger squarely at the government, accusing it of failing to protect them despite repeated attacks.

Suicide bombers and gunmen, some dressed in police uniforms, attacked a mosque in Kabul during prayers on Friday, killing more than 40 people and wounding more than 100, according to mosque leaders.

Many of the victims were women trapped on the mosques second floor.

The United Nations put the preliminary toll at 20 civilians killed and more than 30 wounded, while the interior ministry said 28 people died and 50 were wounded.

At least 30 victims were buried on Saturday on the grounds of the same mosque as hundreds of family members, friends and other mourners gathered under bullet-marked buildings.

People perform prayers for one of the victims of Friday's attack at a Shia mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2017. (Reuters)

Inside the mosque itself, blood was spattered everywhere and the walls were burned and scarred.

The government does not care about us, said Akhtar Hussain as he attended the funeral of a relative. What should we expect from a government that has never tried to protect us?

Islamic State-affiliated militants claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in a number of deadly assaults on Afghanistans Shia population.

Sectarian violence has been relatively rare in Afghanistan but since 2015, Islamic State militants have helped escalate fears by killing scores of Shias at mosques, public gatherings and elsewhere.

Fridays attack was the sixth attack on Shia mosques so far this year, with Islamic State claiming responsibility for half of them, according to the UN.

This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shia community at worship has no possible justification, Toby Lanzer, acting head of the UN mission in Afghanistan, said in a statement.

Such attacks directed against congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes.

Afghans walk inside a Shia mosque after Friday's attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2017. (Reuters)

The attacks often take political overtones as members of the Shia minority complain that the government ignores their needs.

This attack could have been avoided, said Abdul Razaq Sakha, a leader at the mosque. Our government is guilty in this regard.

After past pleas for more protection, the government assigned one policeman to help guard the mosque, he said.

That policeman died alongside a private guard when the attackers stormed the gates.

Mourners who gathered on Saturday said the government should help provide security, otherwise they would take the matter into their own hands.

A police check point is very close to our mosque but they did not act until terrorists killed and wounded dozens of people, said Mohammad Jahfar Rezaee, whose aunt died in the attack.

The government is deaf so we have to defend ourselves at any cost.
A knife-wielding man was shot dead on Friday after wounding a soldier in the centre of Brussels, in what Belgian authorities called a terrorist attack.

The man, who prosecutors said yelled Allahu akbar (God is greatest) during the assault, was shot by soldiers on a street in the city which has been on high alert since terrorist attacks on its metro and airport last year.

We believe that it is a terrorist attack, said a prosecutors office spokeswoman, who added the attacker is dead.

Belgian media reported that the assailant was of Somali origin and about 30 years old.

The same evening, in London two police officers were slightly injured arresting a man with a large knife outside Buckingham Palace but there were no immediate indications of a terror link.

The incidents come after attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Spain last week killed 15 people and a knifemans stabbing spree in Finland left two dead and eight wounded.

One of the two soldiers targeted in Brussels was slightly wounded, according to federal prosecutors, who have opened a terror probe of the attack.

All our support for our military, tweeted Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. Our security services remain attentive, we are monitoring the situation closely with the Crisis Center, he added.

City mayor Philippe Close told reporters the incident was the work of a lone individual.

I heard yelling and straight away two shots, a witness named Yohan told AFP, who did not wish to give his surname.

As he approached, he said he saw a soldier bleeding from his hand and a man on the ground, who had a beard and was wearing a hood.

The attack took place shortly after 8:00 pm (18:00 GMT) on a boulevard in the centre of Brussels, near the Grand Place central square, one of the sensitive areas of the capital where armed soldiers patrol because of the terrorist threat in Belgium.

Troops on streets

Soldiers have been deployed at railway stations and landmark buildings in Brussels since the Paris terror attacks in 2015, when a link to the Belgian capital was first established.

Their presence has been reinforced since suicide bombers struck Zavantem Airport and the Maalbeek metro station near the EU quarter of Brussels in March 2016, killing 32 people and wounding hundreds more.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were carried out by the same Brussels-based cell behind the November 2015 suicide bombings and shootings in Paris which left 130 dead.

In June a man who tried to bomb a Brussels train station was shot dead by a soldier.

Belgian authorities identified the man in that incident as a 36-year-old Moroccan national with the initials O.Z., while local media named him as Oussama Zariouh.

No one was injured in the foiled attack at Brussels Central station but officials said the consequences could have been severe had the bomb, full of nails and gas canisters, detonated properly.

The man shouted Allahu Akbar during the attack and prosecutors said he had sympathies for IS.

Police found explosive materials in a June raid on the home of the suspect in Molenbeek, a Brussels district which has been linked to recent deadly terror plots in France and Belgium.

Belgian soldiers and police have repeatedly been the target of attacks in recent months.

In August last year, an Algerian living in Belgium attacked two policemen in front of the police station in Charleroi shouting Allah Akbar and wounding them in the face and neck before he was killed. IS claimed responsibility for that attack.

A month later, two policemen were stabbed in Molenbeek but without injury due to their bullet-proof vests.

The attacker was of Maghrebian origin but without any clear link to the Islamist movement, according to the Brussels prosecutors office.

In October, two police officers were wounded by a knife-wielding man in Schaerbeek.
The 20th anniversary of Princess Dianas death has filled magazines, newspapers and television screens in Britain for weeks, but not only there: across Europe, media groups are marking the occasion, underlining her international appeal.

Britains celebrity press have offered special editions, supplements and reams of news articles picking over the impact of her tragic life and death as well as her relationships with her sons and Prince Charles.

The popularity of Charles, the heir to the British throne, has plunged as a result of the renewed attention on his former wife and their apparently loveless marriage.

In Europe, many media groups have commissioned documentaries, special reports or their own investigations two decades after her death in a Paris car crash on August 31, 1997.

In Austria, public broadcaster ORF will screen several documentaries about the princess this week, including one entitled Diana -- Forever and Ever, a retrospective of her life inside Buckingham Palace.

It shows a life inside a golden cage, imprisoned by traditions, and Dianas repeated attempts to break out of this golden cage, ORFs royal expert Lisbeth Bischoff said in a statement to AFP.

On August 31, the anniversary of her death, Radio Vienna will dedicate its entire programming to the princess, led by Austrian journalist and Diana fan Ewald Wurzinger who raised a monument to her in a Vienna park in 2013.

In France, the public channel France 2 will offer a day of programming about her on Sunday which is to include several documentaries and an investigation.

Twenty years after, its time to look again at what she brought to the monarchy in spirit and who she was really, said one of the channels royal experts, Stephane Bern.

He said her enduring appeal was her tragic destiny which put her among stars whose early deaths have immortalised them, such as American actresses Grace Kelly or Marilyn Monroe.

Matthias Gurtler, director of the celebrity weekly Gala, said the magazine had published a special edition on Diana in response to French interest in the British princess.

The attraction for her was linked to her image as a rebel and someone who broke the rules in a stiff and uptight world, he said.

Still of interest

In Poland, womens magazine Wysokie Obcasy put Diana on its front page this month.

Were taking the anniversary very seriously. Poles are still captivated by her, said editor-in-chief Ewa Wieczorek. Dianas story is a modern-day fairy tale turned legend.

One of Bulgarias most popular newspapers, 24 Chasa, recently published five pages of stories and a large photo spread about the BBCs new documentary on Lady Diana and her sons.

Princess Dianas life and the circumstances of her death still interest the public, thats why we wanted to be the first to run a large story, 24 Chasa editor-in-chief Borislav Zumbulev told AFP.

Public broadcaster BNT will also screen the BBC documentary Diana, 7 days in which the princes talk about their mothers death.

They have given a series of interviews in the run-up to the death anniversary, including for a separate documentary on Britains ITV channel, in which they open up about the last time they spoke to their mother and their relationship with her.
Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas coast on Friday as a Category 4 storm with winds of up to 130 miles per hour, the most powerful storm in over a decade to hit the mainland United States.

The hurricane made landfall between Port Aransas and Port OConnor around 10 p.m. CDT (0300 GMT) and is expected to dump over 3 feet (90 cm) of rain along the Texas coast and parts of Louisiana as it lingers for days.

While thousands fled the expected devastating flooding and destruction, many residents defied mandatory evacuation orders and stocked up on food, fuel and sandbags.

Were suggesting if people are going to stay here, mark their arm with a Sharpie pen with their name and Social Security number, Rockport Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios told reporters Friday, according to media reports. We hate to talk about things like that. Its not something we like to do but its the reality. People dont listen.

As many as 5.8 million people were believed to be in the storms path, as well as the heart of Americas oil refining operations. The storms impact on refineries has already pushed up gasoline prices.

As a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Harvey could uproot trees, destroy homes and disrupt utilities for days. It is the first major hurricane to hit the mainland United States since Hurricane Wilma struck Florida in 2005.

Donald Trump, facing the first large-scale natural disaster of his presidency, said on Twitter he signed a disaster proclamation which unleashes the full force of government help shortly before Harvey made landfall.

In Corpus Christi, a city of 320,000 under voluntary evacuation, strengthening winds buffeted the few trucks and cars that continued to circulate on the streets. The storm toppled wooden roadwork signs and littered the streets with pieces of palm trees as white caps rocked sailboats in their docks.

About 85 miles (137 km) north in Victoria, Mayor Paul Polasek told CNN he estimated that 60 percent to 65 percent of the towns 65,000 residents defied the mandatory evacuation order.

Jose Rengel, a 47-year-old who works in construction, said he was one of the few people in Jamaica Beach in Galveston that did not heed a voluntary evacuation order.

All the shops are empty, he said as the sky turned black and rain fell. Its like a tornado went in and swept everything up.

With the hurricane bearing down on the Texas coast, at least three cruise ships operated by Carnival Corp with thousands of passengers aboard were forced to change their plans to sail for the Port of Galveston. Two of them headed New Orleans to pick up fresh supplies, while the third delayed its departure from Cozumel, Mexico.

The NHCs latest tracking model shows the storm sitting southwest of Houston for more than a day, giving the nations fourth most populous city a double dose of rain and wind.

Life-threatening and devastating flooding expected near the coast due to heavy rainfall and storm surge, the NHC said.

Louisiana and Texas declared states of disaster, authorizing the use of state resources to prepare.

The city of Houston warned residents of flooding from close to 20 inches (60 cm) of rain over several days.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner advised city residents not to leave en masse, saying no evacuation orders have been issued for the city. Chaotic traffic from a rushed evacuation in 2005 with Hurricane Rita proved tragic. Calm and care! he said in a tweet.

Gasoline prices spike

Gasoline stations on the south Texas coast were running out of fuel as thousands of residents fled the region. US gasoline prices spiked as the storm shut down 22 percent of Gulf of Mexico oil production, according to the US government.

At a Willis, Texas, station, about 50 miles (77 km) north of Houston, Corey Martinez, 40, was heading to Dallas from his Corpus Christi home.

It has been pretty stressful. Were just trying to get ahead of the storm, he said. Weve never been through a hurricane before.

More than 45 percent of the countrys refining capacity is along the US Gulf Coast, and nearly a fifth of the nations crude oil is produced offshore. Ports from Corpus Christi to Texas City, Texas, were closed to incoming vessels and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Anadarko Petroleum Corp, Exxon Mobil Corp and others have evacuated staff from offshore oil and gas platforms.

Concern that Harvey could cause shortages in fuel supply drove benchmark gasoline prices to their highest in four months, before profit taking pulled back prices. Meanwhile, US gasoline margins hit their strongest levels in five years for this time of year.

The US government said it would make emergency stockpiles of crude available if needed to plug disruptions. It has regularly used them to dampen the impact of previous storms on energy supplies.
Prominent Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump after he signed a memo instructing the Defence Department to stop accepting transgender people into the armed forces.

The presidential memorandum signed on Friday officially requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, to be put in place on March 23, 2018.

Slamming the move, Democratic US Representative Ami Bera said: If you wear an American military uniform, you deserve the respect and support of the Commander-in-Chief... Unfortunately, Donald Trump is more comfortable peddling in discrimination and bigotry, and hes shown that he is unable to support our troops.

Removing these men and women from service or refusing recruits because of who they are goes against every American value they swear to defend, said Bera, who is the longest-serving Indian American currently in the Congress, Bera said in a press release.

The directive, signed on Friday, bars transgender people from enlisting, but instructs Secretary of Defence James Mattis and the Homeland Security to determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant, according to a White House official.

It ordered the Pentagon to stop paying for gender reassignment surgeries, except in cases that were already in progress to protect the health of an individual.

California Democrat Ro Khanna tweeted: Our transgender service members deserve honour and respect. This military ban is anti-trans discrimination and must not be tolerated.

In a tweet, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi said that he hoped that Trump would reconsider the ban.

I hope the President immediately reconsiders this ban. There is no place for discrimination in our armed forces.

I hope the President immediately reconsiders this ban. There is no place for discrimination in our armed forces https://t.co/6zLmUvSUX5  Raja Krishnamoorthi (@CongressmanRaja) August 25, 2017

In another tweet, Krishnamoorthi said: We must never abandon those who have sacrificed so much for their nation. #ProtectTransTroops

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington, termed the ban downright shameful.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with the transgender community. This is downright shameful. #TransRightsAreHumanRights, she tweeted.
More than a thousand mourners attended a funeral procession in the Philippines capital Manila on Saturday for a high school student, whose killing last week by anti-drugs officers has caused rare public outrage about the countrys war on drugs.

Kian Loyd delos Santos was dragged by plain-clothes policemen to a dark, trash-filled alley in northern Manila, before he was shot in the head and left next to a pigsty, according to witnesses whose accounts appeared to be backed up by CCTV footage.

The death of the 17-year old has drawn huge domestic attention to allegations by activists that police have been systematically executing suspected users and dealers, a charge the authorities deny.

I came to support the family. I want justice for Kian and all victims - including my son, Katherine David, 35, whose 21-year old son was shot dead by police with two other men in January.

Mourners, some of them wearing white shirts displaying the words Justice for Kian, held flowers and small flags, and placards denouncing the killing, as the procession including vans and motorbikes moved out of delos Santos home in Caloocan city.

Delos Santos flower-draped coffin passed slowly through narrow streets on a flat-bed truck with two black and red coloured tarpaulins containing the words Run, Kian, Run and Stop the killings displayed on each side.

The cortege made a brief stop in front of police precinct where three police officers involved in the killing of Delos Santos were assigned before proceeding to the church.

The parents and lawyers of delos Santos filed a murder complaint against the three anti-narcotics policemen on Friday.

If accepted, the complaint would follow at least two cases filed last year against police over President Rodrigo Dutertes war on drugs, which has killed thousands of Filipinos, outraged human rights groups and alarmed Western governments.

We march today to bring Kian to his final resting place and to support the call for justice for all victims of Dutertes fascist drug war, said Renato Reyes, secretary general of left-wing activist group Bayan (Nation), said in a statement.

We call for accountability of the police officers directly involved in the killings as well as accountability of the commander-in-chief who sanctioned the killings, Reyes said.

A member of Rise Up, a Manila-based coalition of church-related groups opposing the drug war, told Reuters that families of about 20 victims joined the procession.

David believes the response to Kians killing marks a turning point in opposite to the drug war.

Theres been a big change. Before, police could kill and nobody paid attention. Now people are starting to show support and sympathy, she said.
Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigerias Borno state in the past week, residents said.

Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigerias government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be crushed.

Boko Haram fighters entered villages in the Nganzai area on Wednesday, slitting throats and using guns to kill at least 15 people while injuring two others, said Modu Jialta, a member of a local self-defense group. The attackers also burned homes.

Residents werent able to get to the bodies for burial until Friday, Jialta said.

Suspected Boko Haram fighters also attacked in the Guzamala local council area on Wednesday, killing 12 people and injuring at least four, said Mai Abatcha Monguno, the commander of the councils citizen defense forces.

Northern Borno state is the birthplace and stronghold of Boko Haram. Bunu Bukar, secretary of the hunters association there, said more government support and better equipment is needed to combat the extremists.

Boko Harams eight-year insurgency has displaced millions in Nigeria and neighboring countries and killed more than 20,000 people.

In a speech to the nation on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to reinforce and reinvigorate the fight against Boko Haram, which he accused of attempting a new series of attacks on soft targets.
Bangladesh said on Saturday it will not allow any more Rohingyas to enter the country which is already hosting about 400,000 Myanmar nationals who have caused massive social, economic and environmental problems.

The Foreign Ministry summoned the Myanmar envoy in Dhaka and expressed serious concern over the recent happenings, including the new clashes between security forces and Rohingya militants that have killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians - Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine - to flee their homes in the northern Rakhine State.

Rakhine State which is home to more than a million ethnic minority Rohingya Muslims has been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012. The Rohingyas are perceived as illegal immigrants in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Bangladesh stressed on the need for respecting the state responsibility to protect its civilian population and urges Myanmar to ensure appropriate protection and shelter for the unarmed civilians especially the vulnerable segments of the population such as women, children and elderly people, Bangladeshs Foreign Office said in a statement.

The statement was issued shortly after Myanmar envoy in Dhaka met Secretary for Asia & Pacific region Mahbub Uz Zaman at foreign ministry to discuss the evolving situation in the Rakhine State.

The Secretary emphasised on addressing the root cause of the protracted problem through a comprehensive and inclusive approach, it said.

Zaman said that thousands of unarmed civilians including women, children and elderly people from the Rakhine State had assembled close to the border and were making attempts to enter Bangladesh.

He expressed serious concern at the possibility of recurrence of such a situation as Bangladesh already hosts about four hundred thousand Myanmar nationals, it said.

The development came as Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today pushed back scores of Rohingyas and halted hundreds of others on the frontiers.

Officials at southeastern Coxs Bazar bordering Rakhine said BGB troops sent back 73 Rohingyas while intensifying their vigil along the 64-kilometre long frontier, a day after 176 ethnic Muslim minority Rohingyas were returned.

We have sent back 73 more of them today, BGBs Battalion 2 commander Lieutenant Colonel SM Ariful Islam told PTI.

The Rohingyas were returned with a humane approach, said Coxs Bazar deputy commissioner Ali Hossain, adding that Bangladesh was unable to offer them refuge as we are already overburdened with thousands of Rohingyas who caused us massive social, economic and environmental problems.

Police have issued a stern warning against offering assistance to Rohingyas.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar army said today that the death toll from attacks staged by Rohingya insurgents yesterday climbed to 89, including 12 members of the security forces.

Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar. According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigrations.

The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.
A 21-year-old Hindu woman who converted to Islam has been allowed by a Pakistani court to live with her Muslim husband after she insisted that she embraced the new faith willingly and refused to go with her parents.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court after hearing the case on Friday also asked the police to provide security to the couple.

The family of Maria, whose Hindu name was Anooshi, had claimed that she had allegedly been kidnapped before being forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man, The Express Tribune reported.

However, Maria recited Arabic prayers in the court to prove her wilful conversion to Islam, reiterating that no one pressured her to change her religion, the report said.

Maria along with her husband Bilawal Ali Bhutto had sought protection from the high court owing to threats for marrying out of their free-will.

When the court asked Maria to meet with her parents, she refused. But on the direction of the court, she met them at the office of personal secretary of the judge for around 40 minutes.

Marias mother submitted to the court that her daughter be handed over to them so that they may be able to persuade her. She also expressed fears that Bhutto may abandon Maria after some time.

In my view, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said, custody of petitioner Maria cannot be handed over to her parents, with an objection that she may be compelled for conversion from Islam to Hinduism.

In case they succeed in their efforts, Justice Siddiqui noted, it will further endanger the life of the young lady.

Pakistan Muslim Leagues (N) member and patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, said that this tendency is merely an effort to enter into the marriage contract which needs the attention of the court as the trend was disrupting the very fibre of the society.

He added that the concept of Karo-Kari (killing the couple for dishonour to family) is alien in the Hindu community and that Marias apprehension of being killed were baseless.

When the court asked if he was ready to take custody of both the petitioners, he replied that only Marias custody be handed over to him for counselling.

Justice Siddiqui concluded in the order that the petitioners may live together while in Islamabad and that local police shall ensure their security.
Several hundred Gazans will be able to go to the cinema on Saturday for the first time in more than 30 years, albeit for one night only.

The Samer Cinema in Gaza City, the oldest in the strip but closed for decades, will host a special screening of a film about Palestinians in Israeli prisons.

The Islamist Hamas has ruled Gaza for 10 years and there are currently no functioning cinemas in the Palestinian territory where two million people live in cramped conditions under an Israeli blockade.

Ghada Salmi, an organiser, told AFP the one-night showing was symbolic of wider efforts to bring back the idea of cinema to Gaza.

The movie theatre was built in 1944 but shut in the 1960s.

The enclaves remaining cinemas closed in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising.

There was a fire at one cinema in 1987 which was widely thought to have been the work of Islamists who consider cinema ungodly.

The rest of the cinemas were scared to show films after that, Salmi said.

Ironically, according to French historian Jean-Pierre Filius 2012 history of Gaza, the Muslim Brotherhoods Gaza branch -- from which Hamas sprang -- held its founding conference at the Samer on the Islamic new year in 1946.

Saturdays film, 10 Years, tells the story of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Salmi said it does not focus on the wider politics, instead telling a human story.

The showing has the approval of Hamas.

Salmi said the screening, at which men and women are not expected to be separated, is a one-off, but she was hopeful it could lead to something wider in the future.

In May, a rare festival showcased films focusing on human rights issues. Those screenings took place outdoors at Gaza Citys port.

Other films have occasionally been shown in rented halls.

Gaza is still recovering from the last of three wars with Israel in 2014, when more than 2,000 Palestinians were killed and much of the strip was devastated.

Seventy-four people died on the Israeli side, most of them soldiers.
A number of countries, ranging from the UK to Indonesia, have advised their citizens to exercise caution while travelling in north India after the widespread violence that followed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction in a 2002 rape case.

Britain revised its travel advisory on India after thousands of followers of Ram Rahim went on the rampage on Friday, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations.

The British deputy high commission and British Council offices in Chandigarh were closed until August 28 due to the possibility of further serious violence, the Foreign Offices advisory said. Chandigarh was the scene of several clashes on Friday.

The violence and clashes, which claimed 31 lives, were widely reported by the British media, featuring at the top of prime time news bulletins on Friday night. The revised advisory noted that a number of deaths have been reported in violent clashes following Ram Rahims conviction.

The US had issued a security message for its citizens even before the verdict in Ram Rahims case, warning of the possibility of violence.

The advisory from the Australian foreign ministry said incidents of violence had been reported from parts of Haryana and Punjab states and Chandigarh and high alerts were in place in these areas until August 30.

The advisories of the UK, the US and Australia asked their citizens to avoid large gatherings and follow the advice of local authorities. They also noted that a ban on unauthorised gatherings were in place in Chandigarh, Haryana and Punjab.

The US advisory warned that local road and rail travel may be significantly disrupted while the Australian advisory pointed out that mobile internet services in Chandigarh had been suspended.

The advisory from Canada, which has a large number of citizens of Punjabi origin, said that tensions remain high in Punjab and Haryana and various other areas while local authorities had placed Delhi on high alert do to sporadic violence.

Power supplies, mobile internet and other telecommunication services are restricted in certain areas. If you are in one of the affected areas, limit your movements and monitor local media for the latest information, it added.

An advisory from Indonesia asked its citizens in India to increase awareness and keep an eye on the development of the security situation and to avoid, temporarily, areas with potential targets of acts of violence.

The foreign ministry of the Maldives said it was closely monitoring the situation in Punjab, where there are an unspecified number of Maldivian students. It said on Twitter that had ascertained that all the students were safe and staying indoors.

All #Maldives students studying at LPU and PCTE in Punjab are safe and staying indoors @MDVinIND @MDVForeign https://t.co/xOfzAfUdaA  Maldives in India (@MDVinIND) August 25, 2017

Most of the countries noted there had been no change in their nationwide advisories for India but asked their citizens to exercise a high degree of caution. The advisories also listed several potential challenges in India, including terrorism and risk of Zika virus transmission.

However, the UK advisory noted most visits to India by more than 800,000 British nationals every year are trouble-free.
The Saudi-led Arab military coalition on Saturday admitted responsibility for an air strike the previous day in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it as a technical mistake.

The attack was the latest in a wave of deadly raids on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the coalition, drawing strong international condemnation.

The coalition, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a review of the strike investigators had found that a technical mistake was behind the accident.

Witnesses and medics in Sanaa said several children were among 14 people killed in Fridays air strike that toppled residential blocks in Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki had told AFP on Friday that he would review the information about the strike.

On Saturday, he said in the statement that the coalition regrets the collateral damage caused by this involuntary accident and offers its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

Fridays raid targeted Faj Attan, a residential neighbourhood in the south of the capital that has been controlled since 2014 by Huthi rebels.

The coalition on Saturday accused the rebels of setting up a command and communications centre in the middle of this residential area to use civilians as human shields.

The International Committee of the Red Cross on Friday condemned the raid as outrageous.

Rights group Amnesty Internationals Middle East research director, Lynn Maalouf, said the coalition rained down bombs on civilians while they slept.

She called in a statement for the UN to take action against Saudi Arabia over the list of civilian facilities struck in deadly air raids over the past two years.

Mohammed Ahmad, who lived in one of the buildings, said he was among those who had taken nine bodies to a hospital.

We extracted them one by one from under the rubble, he said.

Diggers worked at the site for hours after the raid as medics and residents searched for the missing.

- International pressure -

The coalition entered Yemens war in 2015 in support of the government against the Iran-backed rebels, who seized Sanaa the previous year after forming a fragile alliance with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 8,400 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led alliance intervened in the Yemen conflict.

Fridays raid came two days after at least 35 people died in a series of strikes on Sanaa and a nearby hotel that rebels also blamed on the coalition.

The coalition has come under massive pressure from international organisations including the United Nations over the raids.

The UN has said the coalition was probably responsible for a July attack on the southwestern Taez province that killed 20 people, including children.

In the week from August 17 to August 24, 58 civilians have been killed, including 42 by the Saudi-led coalition, UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva on Friday.

Yemen, long the poorest country in the Arab world, also faces a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives and affected more than half a million people since late April.
Half of the estimated 20,000 people trapped in Syrias northern city of Raqqa are children, an official with the U.N. childrens agency said Friday, describing the traumatizing experiences of children who recently fled the rule of Islamic State group militants as absolutely staggering.

Fran Equiza spoke to The Associated Press in Damascus following a visit to three camps in northern Syria where he met displaced children from Raqqa and Deir el-Zour, both held by the IS.

I was completely overwhelmed, he said. There are 10,000 children trapped in Raqqa in extremely dire conditions. No electricity, no water, probably very little food ... and the battle almost every day.

Raqqa is the self-proclaimed capital of the so-called Islamic State in Syria. U.S.-backed Syrian fighters are bearing down on the city from all sides and as the fighting intensifies, thousands of civilians are finding it increasingly hard to escape the city, which is facing constant shelling by the U.S.-led coalition and allied Syrian Democratic Forces. IS militants have placed mines around the city.

The level of suffering, losing friends, relatives, family of these children is absolutely staggering, he said.

Equiza appealed to all sides to allow for safe passage and respect civilians, especially the children (who) have no responsibility whatsoever.

He warned that the situation is about to get worse, as more people flee from the IS-held eastern province of Deir el-Zour where the Syrian military and allied militiamen are on the offensive against IS.

We need support in order to be able to provide these children the rights they are entitled, Equiza said.
Thailands generals could hardly have planned it better.

The flight of ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra before a court verdict for negligence leaves the populist movement that has dominated Thai politics for a generation leaderless and in despair.

It also means Yingluck doesnt become a martyr, as she could have done if she had been jailed over the costly rice subsidy scheme, or get let off lightly, which could have raised awkward questions over why the military overthrew her in 2014.

What it doesnt do is eliminate the Shinawatras power base: the largely poor and provincial Thais who have had the numbers to deliver them victory in every election since 2001 despite the best efforts of pro-army and deeply royalist conservatives.

Yingluck fled just before a court verdict on her criminal negligence trial over a multi-billion dollar scheme to help poor farmers, sources within her Puea Thai Party said.

They said she had gone to Dubai to join her brother Thaksin Shinawatra, the self-made billionaire and family patriarch who was overthrown as prime minister in 2006 and fled to escape a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated.

Neither Thaksin or Yingluck could be reached for comment.

The party has no true leader right now. Without Yingluck the party is headless, said one senior Puea Thai Party member, who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media. It doesnt have a figurehead that the people love.

Figurehead

Yingluck, 50, had been banned from politics for five years by the junta in 2015, but could have rallied support for her party at elections the army has promised for next year.

That would have been harder if she had been sentenced over the estimated $8 billion losses on the rice scheme, but jail would have made her a rallying point with glamorous star power at home and abroad.

Her departure meant she would not become Thailands version of neighbouring Myanmars once long-detained Aung San Suu Kyi.

This will embolden the military government because they did not have to put her in jail, said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, the director of the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University.

Government spokesman Weerachon Sukhontapatipak declined to comment on the case or the implications of Yinglucks absence.

There was no evidence the junta had been aware Yingluck might have intended to skip bail, but suspicions circulated among her supporters that her departure was very convenient for the military government.

She was closely monitored by authorities. It isnt possible that she left the country without help, said Thanawut Wichaidit, of the red-shirt United Front For Democracy Against Dictatorship political movement that supports the Shinawatras, without offering any proof.

The crowds of supporters bearing roses and bunches of rice at Yinglucks previous court appearances had shown her enduring support despite crackdowns on dissent since the coup.

In the red-shirt heartlands of Thailands rural northeast, the mood was sombre. Yingluck supporters sympathised with her for fleeing, but didnt know who could replace her.

Yingluck took over despite being a political novice after Thaksin fled into exile and succeeded through personal charm and charisma - as well as his distant backing. There are no obvious candidates now.

I dont have the skill, Yinglucks older sister, Monthathip Kovitcharoenkul, 58, a businesswoman who had been talked about as a potential candidate, told reporters.

Power base

The constituency the Shinawatras represented has not disappeared, however. That potentially complicates the militarys plans for an election even with a new constitution that entrenches the power of the generals for years to come.

Electoral numbers show the poorer, aspiring parts of Thai society have more votes than backers of the entrenched elite and its yellow shirt followers.

The majority Shinawatra-supporting northeastern and northern regions alone account for more than 45% of Thailands population, according to the most recent official data. They accounted for less than 12% of the economy.

If they field a dog as a candidate in the northeast it would win a seat in the election, said Wassawan Ken-kla, 40, a local leader in northeastern Udon Thani.

After Yinglucks flight, poor, rural voters who had benefited from Shinawatra policies may become even more sympathetic, said Paul Chambers, a lecturer at Naresuan University in northern Thailand. Other Puea Thai leaders will soon emerge, he said.

Even without the party, the red shirt movement said it would carry on. It played a pivotal role in backing both the Puea Thai Party and Thaksins former party, Thai Rak Thai, which was dissolved in 2007.

We will vote for any party that supports us and is on the side of democracy, Thanawut, the red shirt activist, said.
The Trump administration will not shy away from taking tougher steps if required to convince Pakistani leaders that it is in their interest to crackdown on terrorist groups, a senior US official said.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reporters, said the administration thinks that not having a timeline for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will refrain Pakistan from doing the hedging it has previously done.

We think their continued support to some of these groups is because theres so much uncertainty about the US commitment to the region, the official said when asked about Pakistans response to the new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

President Donald Trump laid out his South Asia policy on Tuesday, reversing his stand on a hasty withdrawal of troops.

He warned Pakistan of consequences if it continues to provide safe havens to terrorists and sought an enhanced role for India to end Americas longest war and bring peace in the war-torn country.

The administration official said the new Afghanistan strategy was a departure from how the US previously dealt with Pakistan.

This administration will not shy away from some more tougher steps if they have to, to try to convince Pakistani leaders that its in their own interest to crack down on these groups, a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.

We will take up our issues, sensitive issues with Pakistani privates, so Im not going to get into great detail on the actual tool that the US will employ with the strategy on Pakistan, the official said.

While Pakistan is an important partner, for achieving our priorities in the region it also must take decisive action against militant and terrorist groups that are a threat to US interests and the region more broadly, the official asserted.

The official said Pakistan has much to gain by partnering the US in the region. But it also has much to lose if it fails to take adequate steps to counter terrorist groups.

It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate fully that it is willing to assist the US in its core counterterrorism goals in the region, the official said.

Responding to questions, the official said Trump was determined to not allow terrorists exists in the region, but did not say if it meant those across the Afghan border in Pakistan.

I would simply say that the president made clear that hes not gonna allow terrorist haven to exist anywhere and hes going to give to all the tools that are necessary to our troops to be able to fight the enemy, the official said.
In a rare public criticism of President Donald Trumps equivalence on the Charlottesville clashes, his chief economic adviser Gary Cohn said this administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning white nationalist groups.

Cohn, who is Jewish, had felt distressed by Trumps saying that there were very fine people among the white nationalists who had marched in Charlottesville chanting Jews will not replace us.

Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK, Cohn told Financial Times. I believe this administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities.

He confirmed he had been under tremendous pressure both to resign and remain. He chose to stay because I feel a duty to fulfil my commitment to work on behalf of the American people.

But, he added, I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks.

Cohn has conveyed his feeling to Trump as well.

Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is also Jewish, had come under similar pressure but he chose to defend Trump, saying: The president in no way, shape or form believes that neo-Nazi and other hate groups who endorse violence are equivalent to groups that demonstrate in peaceful and lawful ways.

Trumps remarks have led to the shutting down of two advisory councils appointed by him on business and economy, forced by resignations from its members, most of whom were Americas top CEOs.
Qatar said Saturday that Turkey has arrested five people in connection with the alleged hack of Dohas state news agency, an incident which sparked the current Gulf political crisis.

The arrests were announced by Qatars most senior legal figure, Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri.

Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago, he said in comments published by the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

Five people were arrested and they are being investigated. The prosecutors in Qatar are working with the Turkish authorities to follow the case.

The nationality of the suspects was not given.

The alleged hack of the QNA website took place on May 24, attributing explosive political remarks to Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The remarks covered sensitive regional political subjects such as Iran, Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Israel and the United States.

Less than a fortnight later, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar over its ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups.

Qatar denies the charges and says Sheikh Tamim did not make the statements, but that the website was hacked.

Doha called in the FBI to help with the hacking investigation and has accused the UAE of being behind the cyber-attack.

The UAE has denied the claims.

The current Gulf crisis has now lasted more than two months and as yet mediation efforts by Kuwait, the United States and Western Europe have failed to resolve the issue.
Sebastian Gorka, a controversial adviser to President Donald Trump known for his bombastic defence of the administration and who argued Islam was an inherently violent religion, has been ousted in yet another personnel shake-up at the White House.

His position in the administration had always been tenuous and his departure had been speculated about for months, but it had become imminent after the departure last week of his friend and principal ally in the White House, Steve Bannon, the former chief strategist.

Gorkas role had come under the scanner of the new chief of staff, John Kelly, as he set about fixing a chaotic White House. Though he carried the designation of deputy adviser to Trump and described himself as a national security expert, he was not a member of the presidents national security team and didnt have a clearly defined role at all.

Gorka joined a growing list of former Trump staffers, all senior level appointees, such as national security adviser Michael Flynn, deputy chief of staff Katie Walsh, press secretary Sean Spicer, chief of staff Reince Priebus and two communications directors Michael Dubke and Anthony Scaramucci.

The Federalist, a conservative news publication, said Gorka had resigned and carried what it said was his resignation letter. But a White House official said, Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House.

Gorka wrote in the letter cited by The Federalist, (G)iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA (Trumps campaign slogan, Make America Great Again) promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House. As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr President, is from outside the Peoples House.

He did not specify who he meant were part of the ascendant group, but he seemed to be implying the globalists, the faction opposed to the America First nationalists, who were led by Bannon and of which Gorka was a leading member. The rival group is understood to be made up of Trumps daughter and son-in-law Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, and chief economic adviser Gary Cohn.

Regrettably, Gorka continued, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will Make America Great Again, have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week

The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost

Conservatives have used the phrase radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism to set themselves apart from the Obama administration which had argued terrorists do not speak for all Muslims, and their acts must not tar the entire community, which, in effect, feels alienated as a result.

Gorka has long argued that Islam is at the root of terrorists who are Muslims, and not, as most experts agree, a combination of factors such as poverty, lack of education, bad governance, lack of opportunity, access to radicalisation. This is the famous approach that says it is all so nuanced and complicated, Gorka told The Washington Post in February. This is what I completely jettison.

He went on to say, Anybody who downplays the role of religious ideology...they are deleting reality to fit their own world, he said.

Gorka, who was born to Hungarian parents in Britain, was said to have had links to hard-right groups in Europe.

He joined the Trump campaign in 2015 and the administration in January 2017.
Gun shots rang out across northern Rakhine State on Saturday afternoon as clashes continued between suspected Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces, officials said, a day after fighting killed 89 people and forced civilians to flee remote villages.

The state has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist- majority Myanmar.

Hundreds of men from the persecuted Muslim group appear to have organised under the banner of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), which claims to be leading the insurgency that has scorched the area since October last year.

Three village officials were killed overnight near the town of Maungdaw, according to the office of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi -- Myanmars de facto leader.

Hours later residents in Maungdaw, which is close to the Bangladesh border, ran for safety as a local administration office came under attack by militants.

Our situation is urgent, Myint Kyaing, a Maungdaw administrative officer told AFP on Saturday afternoon before hanging up the phone.

Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists armed themselves with knives and sticks as tension soared in a town that has repeatedly been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012.

As panic spread, scores of Hindu villagers fled from surrounding villages to Maungdaw after rumours they were also a target for the militants.

There is no security in the villages, Buthon, a Hindu man in Maungdaw told AFP.

Other villagers sought shelter in monasteries.

Fridays clashes left 12 security officials and 77 militants dead according to Suu Kyis ofice -- the highest declared single day toll since fighting broke out last year.

Hundreds of militants amubushed police posts in the early hours of Friday, some carrying guns and using homemade explosives, Myanmars military said.

The focal point of Fridays unrest was Rathedaung township.

The area has seen a heavy build-up of Myanmar troops in recent weeks, with reports filtering out of killings by shadowy groups, army-blockaded villages and abuses.

The government has declared the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) a terrorist organisation.

Myanmar says the group is headed by Rohingya jihadists who were trained abroad but it is unclear how large the network is.

Deadly attacks in October 2016 by the militants sparked a military response that left scores dead and forced some 87,000 people to flee to Bangladesh.(AFP) AMS
Julio Cortez/Chronicle

AUSTIN -- As promised, Attorney General Ken Paxton appealed what he called an "outrageous" federal court decision tossing out the state's new voter ID law.

In a 25-page filing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Friday, the Republican attorney general argued the state complied with the court's call to fix to the state's voter ID law, which the court found to be discriminatory. But the a U.S. district court judge out of Corpus Christi on Wednesday struck down the law anyway, issuing an injunction permanently barring implementation of the law.
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One of the longest-running musical acts in show business may be over.

Chuck E. Cheese's is phasing out its iconic animatronic band, the larger-than-life ensemble that has performed at the kid-friendly pizza chain for decades, in a bid to become more parent-friendly.

An early phase remodeling of Chuck E. Cheese's restaurants in San Antonio and Kansas City, Mo., includes "a calmer, more inviting" environment, a focus on food and a live stage show. The animatronic band, however, seems to have lost its gig.

"We removed the animatronics in seven locations," said Christelle Dupont, a spokeswoman for the chain based in the Dallas suburb of Irving. "We're testing to see how those remodeled locations do and what parents and kids like and what's resonating with them."

Dupont said the animatronic band will be removed in successive remodels but declined to say when.

Chuck E. Cheese's has 512 corporate-owned restaurants in the U.S. Launched as separate animatronic bands in competing pizza chains more than 40 years ago, the current Chuck E. Cheese's lineup - known as Munch's Make Believe Band - is the result of a 1984 merger between ShowBiz Pizza Place and Chuck E. Cheese's Pizza Time Theatre, which had filed for bankruptcy.

The combined restaurant chain soldiered on under the Chuck E. Cheese's banner, while the ShowBiz band - the Rock-afire Explosion - was phased out and its performers cannibalized to keep the Chuck E. Cheese's-led band going.

These days, an animatronic Chuck E. Cheese performs as a solo act at most locations, Dupont said.

For some purists, the original Rock-afire Explosion was the height of animatronic bands, inspiring a cult following that manifested itself in animated message boards, musical revivals and a 2008 documentary.

"They are the greatest animatronic rock 'n' roll band in the world," said Aaron Fechter, the Orlando, Fla., engineer who created them.

The Rock-afire Explosion included such characters as Billy Bob Brockali, a banjo-playing bear; Mitzi Mozzarella, a mouse chanteuse; and Fatz Geronimo, a gorilla keyboardist and frontman. In addition to designing the characters, Fechter also voiced several of them.

When the chains merged, he kept his copyright but relinquished the "electronically animated soft sculptures," which continued to perform for the rechristened Chuck E. Cheese's for several years.

Then, he said, his creations were repurposed to become characters in the Chuck E. Cheese's band.

"To this day, a lot of my characters are still out there performing with Chuck E. Cheese masks and costumes and voices," Fechter said. "But not very well because they're beat up, they're badly programmed and their showmanship is terrible. It's an abomination."
WASHINGTON - Americans retreated from buying homes in July as sales sank to their lowest level of the year.

The National Association of Realtors said this past week that sales of existing homes fell 1.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.44 million. Despite the second straight monthly drop, sales are 2.1 percent higher than a year ago. But purchases are starting to slow as fewer properties are coming onto the market.

The real estate market is grappling with the consequences of a persistent shortage of homes for sale despite strong demand from would-be buyers. The decline in listings has driven up prices and made many homes unaffordable: Prices are rising faster than the wages of potential buyers despite a solid job market.

"For more than two years now, inventory has been has been contracting, pushing the housing market into an inventory crisis," said Svenja Gudell, chief economist at the real estate firm Zillow.

The number of existing homes listed for sale has plunged 9 percent over the past 12 months to 1.92 million. In the meantime, the median sales price has risen 6.2 percent to $258,300 - more than double the pace of growth in average hourly earnings.

The lack of homes on the market is also causing properties to sell more quickly. The average number of days on the market was 30 in July, compared with 36 a year ago.

In July, sales plummeted 14.5 percent in the Northeast and fell 5.3 percent in the Midwest. But buying picked up 2.2 percent in the South and 5 percent in the West.

Homeowners are increasingly staying put rather than moving. The average tenure of someone selling their home in July was 8.28 years, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. The real estate data company says that average period of ownership was the highest recorded for figures dating to 2000.

California and New England are where homeowners have remained the longest before selling. Many of these markets are pricey or have experienced major jumps in home values in recent years.
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WASHINGTON - Google once had Barack Obama's ear, served as a revolving door for White House staff and saw its political agenda advance. In Donald Trump's Washington, some conservatives say it's gotten so powerful it should be regulated like a public utility.

Google is not alone in a fall from grace. Tech companies - including Facebook and Amazon.com - that were previously lauded as innovators are facing increased scrutiny over their size, their hiring practices and whether online news feeds skew liberal.

"The mood in Washington, at least on the right side of the aisle, is more critical of companies like Google and Amazon," said Fred Campbell, a former Republican FCC aide and director of Tech Knowledge, which promotes market-based policies.

The shift in tone comes as Congress and the Trump administration consider changing tax, energy and immigration policies important to Silicon Valley. A regulation that protects data flows is already slated for gutting by the Federal Communications Commission, and, in Congress, a law has been proposed that would bring internet companies under a privacy regulator. Another would increase legal liability for website operators as a way to combat online sex trafficking.

Meanwhile, tech's made no secret of its distaste for Trump policies. Alphabet's Google, Apple and Facebook issued critical statements after the president proposed a ban on transgender people in the military, stepped away from the Paris climate accords and issued a ban on travel from majority Muslim nations.

The Aug. 12 street violence in Charlottesville, Va., provoked another rift. After the president said "both sides" shared blame for the fighting, Apple CEO Tim Cook told his staff he disagreed with Trump. So many executives, including Intel CEO Brian Krzanich, quit White House advisory councils in protest that Trump ended up disbanding them.

Amid the turmoil, Trump unloaded on Amazon, tweeting that the company is hurting other retailers, and causing shares in the online retailer to fall.

"Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!" Trump said in the tweet.

It was the latest conservative broadside on the technology companies over their size, influence and promotion of social policies on immigration, transgender rights and other matters.

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, challenged tech and broadband executives to appear next month as his committee considers undoing the Obama-era net neutrality rules that Silicon Valley backs. In what could be interpreted as a snub, executives didn't respond to the invitation by the deadline. It has been extended.

"Republicans have always been fine with most of tech, because Republicans have usually defaulted pro-business," said Bruce Mehlman, a Republican lobbyist and former Commerce Department official said in an interview. "This is less about any one issue and more about the new populist wing of the Republican Party - populism is suspicious of bigness, and the biggest companies now are tech."

In this atmosphere, public-policy asteroids can strike suddenly and dent tech's image in the capital. Google dismissed James Damore, an engineer who wrote about gender differences and said the company had a "left bias" that silenced dissenters. Washington noticed.

"The mistreatment of conservatives and libertarians by tech monopolies is a civil rights issue," Rep. Dana Rohrabacher said in a tweet. The California Republican is concerned tech giants may be excluding top talent for political reasons, said his spokesman, Ken Grubbs.

Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted an op-ed that Damore wrote in the Wall Street Journal about his firing, in which he called Google "ideologically driven and intolerant of scientific debate and reasoned argument."

Fox News's Tucker Carlson said Damore's dismissal showed Google couldn't be trusted, for instance, in ways its algorithms determine where to rank fake news when returning search results.

"Google should be regulated like the public utility it is, to make sure it doesn't further distort the free flow of information to the rest of us," Carlson said on show.

Amazon has become a target at least in part because of its size. The company with about 30 percent of all U.S. e-commerce drew criticism from Trump that had started on the campaign trail when Trump said in February 2016: "Believe me, if I become president, do they have problems." Trump's also objected to coverage by the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Updated as of Saturday, 2:00 p.m.

If your Hurricane Tropical Storm Harvey survival plan included seeking shelter in one of Houston's great drinking and dining spots, you'll want to make alternate plans.

PLAN AHEAD: Harvey forces some Houston grocers to close Saturday

Several establishments were closing early Friday through Sunday as a precaution to protect employees and patrons. Some have already decided to shut down entirely for the weekend to be in the clear.

It was one more reason to stock up on food, and take the storm seriously. Riding it out with home cooking is what most people are doing, but lulls in the rain on Saturday afternoon were making some think about venturing out of doors.

Some local favorites were opening their doors, like chef Ronnie Killen's concepts Killen's STQ, Killen's Steakhouse, Killen's Burgers and Killen's Barbecue. Management said Saturday that they would stay open, weather permitting.

Flying Saucer Draught Emporium's downtown and Sugar Land locations were open for business on Saturday.

Pinkerton's Barbecue owner Grant Pinkerton made himself some new fans on Friday after posting a photo from his Heights locations touting barbecue, liquor and air conditioning.

The Houston Food Finder website was keeping an updated list of area eateries that would remain open over the weekend, along with special deals for patrons that make it out.

For some residents it's a chance to finally try restaurants that might have been harder to get into during better weather conditions.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Hurricane Harvey downgraded further, spawns tornadoes

Of course it's of utmost importance to not get stuck out in flooding if it can be avoided. Exercise caution if you do decide to visit your favorite bars and restaurants and call ahead if there are any questions.

Don't get stuck in high water for a margarita and nachos, Houston.

For the latest, see rolling updates of our ongoing Hurricane Harvey coverage.




AUSTIN - University of Texas System regents on Friday tapped Dr. Peter Pisters, a surgeon and administrator who spent 20 years at MD Anderson Cancer Center before leaving three years ago to head the pre-eminent academic health system in his native Canada, as the next president of the elite Houston hospital.

The regents voted unanimously to select Pisters, president of University Health Network in Ontario, a system of four major hospitals affiliated with the University of Toronto and funded by the government under a single-payer model. He was chosen from among four finalists regents interviewed behind closed doors.

"MD Anderson needs steady leadership, and Dr. Pisters will provide that," Paul Foster, chairman of the regents, said after the vote. "He has a great demeanor and great vision. He knows where's he's going and where he'll take the institution."

The regents' voted Pisters the "sole finalist" for the MD Anderson presidency. Under state law, the selection cannot be finalized for at least 21 days.

Pisters, 57, said late Friday that he is thankful and excited to return to Houston and MD Anderson. "I eagerly await the opportunity to return to the world's leading cancer center to work with veteran and new colleagues alike as we commit to preventing cancer at a population level and curing it at the personalized level," he said in a statement.

At MD Anderson, Pisters most recently was vice president of the institution's regional care system. He came to the cancer center in 1994, from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, as an instructor in the department of surgical oncology and rose up the ranks to become clinical consultant for its Center for Global Oncology and then medical director of its regional care centers.

He will be tasked with bringing MD Anderson out of fiscal and cultural crises and navigating the complexities of a changing health care landscape. He succeeds Dr. Ronald DePinho, who resigned in March after years of tumult and more recently mounting financial losses that led to the slashing of roughly 1,000 jobs.

MD Anderson's interim president, Dr. Marshall Hicks, called the selection of Pisters "an important milestone in the institution's 76-year history."

"We've worked diligently and strategically in past months to create the strongest institution possible for our next leader," Hicks wrote in an internal email. "We look forward to welcoming Dr. Pisters back to MD Anderson and working closely together to continue our momentum in Making Cancer History," a reference to the hospital's marketing slogan.

'Dark horse' selection

The selection was described as a surprise by MD Anderson insiders and national academic leaders. Pisters' name was not on lists of rumored candidates that circulated locally and nationally, said sources in both worlds, a number of whom used the term "dark horse."

The selection nevertheless received initial positive reviews from many observers, all of whom said Pisters is well regarded at MD Anderson and in cancer care and research circles. One described Pisters as hardworking and non-glitzy, "seemingly a 180-degree change from DePinho." A number of others using similar language said he may just be the right person for the job.

"I think he's an inspired choice," said Dr. Larry Kaiser, president of the Temple University Health System in Philadelphia and former president of the UT Health Science Center in Houston. "Pisters' experience running a huge system, with multiple hospitals with a lot of moving parts, will serve him well at MD Anderson, where he obviously knows the turf. I think he'll definitely be a stabilizing influence."

Leonard Zwelling, a retired former MD Anderson vice president and frequent critic, wrote in his MD Anderson-focused blog that Pisters is "an excellent choice" whose experience in Canada "suggests he is more than capable of hitting the ground running at an institution he knows well."

Dr. Ray Greenberg, the system's executive vice chancellor for health affairs and the chair of the search committee, praised Pisters' experience in the clinic - his surgical specialty is pancreatic cancer and soft-tissue sarcomas - and his style of leadership. He said the latter resonated with regents and should go over well at MD Anderson, where many faculty chafed at what they perceived as top-down decision making under DePinho.

"Dr. Pisters is very humble, a true public servant," said Greenberg. "He's accomplished but he doesn't wear it on his sleeve."

Greenberg added that "there's no question his experience heading University Health Network in Canada was a big plus in today's changing health care environment." He said MD Anderson should particularly benefit from Pisters' ability to "compare and contrast the American and Canadian health care systems."

43 candidates on list

He is an enthusiast for universal health care, according to a 2014 article in a UHN internal publication.

"Pisters is immensely proud of 'one of the most magnificent social contracts in the world, the right for universal health care at the primary level and for sophisticated services, and that we have buy-in across all segments of Canadian society,' " the article said.

Pisters is a native of St. Catharines, Ontario, who came to the United States after medical school at the University of Western Ontario because no surgical oncology training programs existed in Canada at the time. He trained in general surgery at New York University and in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering.

The search committee considered 43 candidates before winnowing its list down to Pisters and three other finalists, all in roughly two months, which a number of academic observers called the fastest they had ever seen. Greenberg said the committee was "impatient to identify top candidates as fast as possible, not wanting the cancer center to hang in limbo waiting for someone to be named."

Greenberg said no timetable has yet been determined, but he hopes Pisters can start by the end of the year.

Pisters' wife is a thoracic medical oncologist who also served on the faculty at MD Anderson. The couple have three grown children, the youngest still in college.
Months before Amazon announced it would be shelling out $13.7 billion for Whole Foods, the grocery chain made a surprise announcement of its own: It would begin lowering its prices.

The April announcement was born of necessity. Whole Foods was experiencing the longest sales slump since going public in 1992, and investors had begun pressuring the company to rethink its strategy.

The high-end grocer has long resisted lowering its prices, which has earned it the nickname "whole paycheck." The few times it has, analysts say results have been spotty, sending profit margins lower without driving up volume.

"The reductions have, quite honestly, been haphazard and they've done very little to change peoples' perception of the company," said Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData Retail in New York. "This has been a perennial problem for Whole Foods with no good solution."

Until now, he says. This week, Amazon - which plans to finalize its takeover on Monday - announced that its first course of business would be to immediately slash prices on key groceries, including bananas, avocados and eggs. (Jeff Bezos, the founder and chief executive of Amazon, owns The Washington Post.)

"We're determined to make healthy and organic food affordable for everyone," Jeff Wilke, chief executive of Amazon Worldwide Consumer, said this week. "We will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market's long-held commitment to the highest standards."

It was an obvious move, analysts said, but also a symbolic one. Whole Foods has had a complicated relationship with its prices - executives have long maintained that they charge a premium because they sell superior products to those of their competitors - even as consumer and investors have been outspoken about company's premiums in a famously low-margin business. Back in November, chief executive John Mackey had told investors that he was "not participating in a race to the bottom" by cutting prices.

But the high prices have also allowed Whole Foods to enjoy higher profit margins than its competitors. In the most recent quarter, for example, it had a profit margin of 2.9 percent, compared to 0.8 percent at Kroger and 2.4 percent at Costco. (Two years ago, however, Whole Foods had a profit margin of 4.2 percent.)

The prospect of declining profit margins is less of a problem, analysts say, for a technology giant like Amazon,making it possible for Seattle-based company to double down in way Whole Foods couldn't on its own. "The difference is, Amazon doesn't really care about its margins very much - and neither do its investors," Saunders said. "Longer term, they know Amazon's deep cuts will lead to more shoppers."

The company plans to begin selling Whole Foods' private-label brands through its website, was well as its AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry and Prime Now programs, beginning Monday.

But the challenge, some say, will be preserving Whole Foods' high-end image while lowering its prices and making its products widely available.

"That's the thorny problem Amazon faces: How do you become a low-priced supermarket and still retain that cachet?" said Jeffery Inman, a marketing professor at University of Pittsburgh and president of the Society of Consumer Psychology. "They've got to figure out how to toe that line."

A year ago, Whole Foods opened its first lower-priced concept with a smaller store footprint called 365 by Whole Foods, to help the company's "price image." Initial tests had been successful, executives said. The company also said it planned to cut $300 million in costs, in part by rethinking its labor scheduling technology.

"You have to be price relevant, and nobody wants to feel like they're being cheated," John Mackey, co-founder and chief executive of Whole Foods, said in a call with analysts in February. "And so does Whole Foods need to be the cheapest or least expensive retailer out there? No. But we also can't have too big of a gap, or people will feel like we're trying to take advantage of them."

But even closing that gap, as Amazon plans, may not be enough to turn things around overnight, analysts say.

"Everyone thinks the sky is going to fall Monday because Whole Foods is lowering its prices on milk and eggs," said Michelle Grant, head of retailing at Euromonitor International, a London-based market research firm. "But people have their own routines and habits. It's a very competitive market.

"How many eggs are you really going to eat?" she said. "Just because it's cheap doesn't mean you're going to hoard milk and avocados."
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK - On a Big Bend family camping trip long, long ago, a 10-year-old kid I vaguely remember woke before everybody else, laced up his U.S. Keds and in the cool of the morning started walking down a Chisos Basin trail toward the Window. He told no one.

He walked for maybe half an hour, mesmerized by the rocky v-shaped formation framing the clear blue sky just ahead, just ahead. When he realized the Window wasn't just ahead, he turned around and headed back, only to encounter a few minutes later a grim-faced park ranger and, following closely behind, his mother, near tears. She had no doubt a bear or a mountain lion had dragged her wayward son into the brush and devoured him for breakfast.

The three of them walked back to the camp site, the ranger lecturing firmly about what could happen to a kid who wandered off alone. All these years later, he can see his two flat-topped younger brothers sitting on a cot, smirking. This time, it was big brother in trouble, not them.

I had no idea that years earlier a young U.S. customs inspector named Everett E. Townsend had felt the same fascination, the same mesmerizing attraction. A cowboy who grew up near Wharton, a Texas Ranger and a deputy U.S. marshal in borderlands Texas before age 23, Townsend was tracking stolen mules when he ventured into the Chisos Mountains on the last day of August 1894. Decades later he recalled that what he discovered that day made him "see God as he had never seen Him before."

'Agua Pronto'

The young lawman vowed to find a way to preserve and protect the Big Bend area as best he could, and nearly 40 years later he got his chance. In 1932, after three terms as Brewster County sheriff (see the July 7 column), the people of far West Texas elected him state representative. In Austin in the spring of 1933, the old cowboy managed to corral enough mulish lawmakers in the midst of the Depression to pass a bill establishing Texas Canyons State Park; amazingly, Gov. Miriam "Ma" Ferguson signed his bill into law. During a special session later that year, he successfully passed legislation changing the name to Big Bend State Park and expanded its holdings to more than 100,000 acres.

Townsend pushed to bring in young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps to develop the park, but the U.S. Army, the CCC's overseer, objected, citing the lack of roads and water in the rough, semi-arid desert country. In April 1934, he led an expedition of six local men into the mountains to find water, reminding his companions that they needed to work quickly or the CCC and reluctant army officials would pass them by. When they at last broke through in the Chisos Basin and water began bubbling up from the hard, dry ground, the men called the well "Agua Pronto" (quick water).

The CCC built roads and trails and cabins that still stand, but Townsend wasn't finished. He importuned Congressman R.E. Thomason of El Paso and U.S. Sen. Tom Connally of Texas to establish a national park. Thomason scoffed. He told Townsend he was damn sure nothing in West Texas was worth national park status.

Father of the park

What's more, the congressman said, he had no interest in visiting the area. A blizzard of letters, calls and telegrams from Townsend's friends changed his mind. "Tell Townsend for God's sake to call off his dogs, and I'll come and look at your old park," he told a mutual friend in Alpine.

The visit had its desired effect. On March 1, 1935, Connally and Thomason sponsored companion legislation establishing Big Bend National Park. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the bill into law, and the park became reality on Sept. 5, 1943, after additional private lands were deeded to the federal government. In a ceremony at then-Sul Ross State College, Townsend was lauded as "the father of Big Bend National Park."

Townsend died in 1948 at age 77, his lifelong dream fulfilled. Almost.

Having lived on both sides of the border, he envisioned an international park, well aware that the Sierra del Carmen range on the Mexican side was arguably more spectacular than Big Bend. The park would be una zona libre, a free park where visitors from two American nations would be free from customs and immigration regulations as long as they stayed within park boundaries. The idea still has its adherents, even though it seems even more distant these days than when Townsend was alive.

The second-highest peak in the Chisos Mountains is called Townsend Point, in honor of the man's effort over decades to preserve one of the last wild places in America. It took me nearly as many decades, at long last, to complete my abortive Window trek.

A passing fantasy

Trudging along the rocky Window Trail a couple of Saturdays ago - alone this time, too - clouds rolled in and thunder echoed off towering canyon walls. Ribbons of green accented the red rock during this unusually wet August. The last quarter-mile or so of the 5.5-mile-long trail follows a clear mountain stream. Clumps of yellow butterflies fluttered atop shallow pools and small cascades. At the Window, the water poured out of its polished stone channel and dropped straight down to the desert floor 220 feet below.

It was quiet and beautiful and a little scary at the Window. I hung back and tried to peer over the edge without getting too close.

Hiking back uphill to the Chisos Basin Campground, hot and sweaty, my water bottle empty and my legs feeling the burn, I indulged a passing fantasy, one that can never be. I wanted to call home to Waco and hear a familiar voice answer. "Hey, Mom," I'd say. "Remember when we went on that Big Bend trip and you had to send the ranger after me? Remember? Well, guess what..."
A group of men relaxed Friday around a wrought iron patio table beneath Highway 59 as it flies over Almeda in the Third Ward.

Austin Lee Stevens, a lifelong Houstonian, has seen his share of floods. He doesn't deem Hurricane Harvey  now a Category 4 storm expected to make landfall early Saturday -- worth fretting over.

"We plan to stay here," Stevens said. "We're going to smoke weed and play dominoes."

Stevens and the other 40 or so people who stay in tents under the overpass plan to ride out other biggest storm to hit Texas in a decade uncovered and exposed to the winds and 15 to 25 inches of rain expected to drench the middle and upper Texas coast.

"My mom always said not to worry about what you can't control," Stevens said. "I'm leaving it up to God. So why should I be worrying?"

Harvey's here: The hurricane hits Texas, brings rain

Though social services are available, there are a number of homeless who refuse to take shelter from the storm.

"It's an all-hands-on-deck situation," said Special Assistant to the Mayor for Homeless Initiatives Marc Eichenbaum. "Homeless outreach teams have been out for days informing our unsheltered homeless individuals about the weather and offering them immediate placements in shelters."

The population: Homelessness down slightly in Houston area since 2016

Fortunately, Eichenbaum said, there has been a 70 percent drop in the numbers of unsheltered homeless since the city's homeless initiative began in 2011.

"Even though there are less individuals on the street, it's still a big challenge," Eichenbaum said. "These are the times we're thankful that the unsheltered homeless population has been reduced."

In addition to the Houston Police Department's and Harris County Sheriff's Office teams, regular first responders have been venturing out since Harvey's destructive potential was discovered, Eichenbaum said.

Public encampments: Court temporarily blocks Houston from enforcing ban on homeless camps

The Coalition for the Homeless  which is working with the city on coordinating the preparation of sheltered for homeless individuals  released a list of shelters Friday that were immediately available for those without cover.

"Our women and family shelters are at capacity," said Star of Hope's Scott Arthur. "The men's shelters have a little bit of room and we're referring any other inquiries to our community partners."

A 40-year-old man who gave his name as Bill Gates said some police officers came to inform them that shelters were available. SOme of the women went to the shelters, he said.

Gates was born and raised in the Fourth Ward  only a mile or so from the intersection of Almeda and Cleburne.

"I've been here a long time," Gates said. "I've seen every storm and I'm still here. I know we're going to make it through this one too."
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Hurricane Harvey brought record rainfall to Houston and flash floods all over East Texas.

Since landfall, rainfall amounts have totaled between 15 and 40 inches around the city, according to the National Weather Service.

Here were the region's rainfall totals, as of 4 p.m. Tuesday:

HOUSTON

-- Friday: 0.39 in.

-- Saturday: 8.37 in.

-- Sunday: 16.7 in.

-- Monday: 5.80 in.

-- Total: 31.26 in.

*Wettest second day and third day in recorded history

HOUSTON HOBBY

-- Friday: 1.41 in.

-- Saturday: 12.07 in.

-- Sunday: 10.99 in.

-- Monday: 7.69 in.

-- Total: 32.16 in.

*Wettest 2 day and 3 day total in recorded history

GALVESTON

-- Friday: 2.8 in.

-- Saturday: 4.12 in.

-- Sunday: 3.49 in.

-- Monday: 11.88 in.

-- Total: 22.29 in.

COLLEGE STATION

-- Friday: 0.12 in.

-- Saturday: 4.86 in.

-- Sunday: 7.45 in.

-- Monday: 4.18 in.

-- Total: 16.07 in.

ANGLETON

-- Friday: 7.1 in.

-- Saturday: 2.12 in.

-- Sunday: 3.05 in.

-- Monday: 3.71 in.

-- Total: 15.98 in.

FREEPORT

-- Friday: 1.97 in.

-- Saturday: 4.85 in.

-- Sunday: Missing data

-- Monday: 2.63 in.

-- Total (excluding Sunday): 9.45 in.

RICHMOND

-- Friday: 6.68 in.

-- Saturday: 11:03 in.

-- Sunday: Missing data

-- Monday: 4.06

-- Total (excluding Sunday): 21.77 in.

LIBERTY

-- Friday: 11.2 in.

-- Saturday: 17.9 in.

-- Sunday: Missing data

-- Monday: 8.04 in.

-- Total (excluding Sunday): 48.02 in.

Chron.com has reported that many school districts have closed and some coastal areas like Calhoun and Matagorda counties have been ordered to evacuate.

The severe weather has the possibility of lasting through early to mid next week now that Harvey is expected to head back into the Gulf of Mexico, restrengthen and return inland.

Take a look at the map below or through the gallery above to see which areas have received the most rainfall.

***

Rachael Gleason contributed to this report.
U.S. President Donald Trump had words of encouragement for Texans before he stepped onto Marine One on the White House lawn on Friday: "Good luck."

"Good luck to everybody. They're gonna be safe. Good luck to everybody. Good luck."

EVACUATE: Abbott advises Houstonians to evacuate; local officials disagree

Trump took the helicopter to Camp David in Maryland, where he tweeted that he's "closely watching the path and doings of Hurricane Harvey, as it strengthens to a Category 3. BE SAFE!"

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Hurricane Harvey is the first major natural disaster to hit the United States under Trump's presidency.

Thomas Bossert, assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, told reporters in a White House briefing on Friday that Trump is prepared to help Americans through the hurricane.

"This is right up President Trump's alley. His entire focus is to make America great again," Bossert told reporters. "The president is worried about the 4.6 million people in Texas that will be affected by this."

TRAPPED: 20,000 stuck at sea in cruise ships as Galveston hunkers down for Hurricane Harvey

The White House released an official statement shortly after Bossert spoke that said, "This storm will likely be very destructive for several days. The President encourages people in the path of this dangerous storm to heed the advice and orders of their local and State officials. The Presidents highest priority is the safety of the public and of first responders."

Hurricane Harvey was updated to a Category 3 on Friday, with winds reaching up to 125 miles per hour. Forecasters said the Houston area could see the worst parts of the storm starting Friday evening. Officials have issued voluntary and mandatory evacuations along coastal areas in Texas.
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MOGADISHU, Somalia - Ten civilians, including three children, were killed in a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia, a deputy governor said Friday, as the U.S. military confirmed it supported a counter-terror operation in the area and said it would look into the allegations.

The deaths raise questions about growing U.S. military involvement in the Horn of Africa nation after President Donald Trump approved expanded operations against the al-Qaida-linked extremist group al-Shabab, often in support of Somali forces.

The farmers were killed "one by one" after soldiers stormed into Barire village early Friday, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nur Mohamed, told reporters in the capital, Mogadishu, as victims' bloodied bodies were on display.

Somalia's information ministry at first said al-Shabab extremists were killed but later noted "civilian casualties," adding that it appeared more than one security operation had taken place.

Three children 8 to 10 and a woman were among the dead, the deputy governor said. Their blanket-wrapped bodies were laid out in a grassy courtyard. Bodies of civilians, especially those killed in misdirected attacks, often are taken from remote areas to Mogadishu to draw media attention.

"These local farmers were attacked by foreign troops while looking after their crops," Mohamed told reporters. "The troops could have arrested them because they were unarmed but instead shot them one by one mercilessly."

The U.S. Africa Command confirmed that U.S. forces were supporting the Somalia National Army while it conducted an operation in the area but gave no details.

"We are aware of the civilian casualty allegations near Barire, Somalia. We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground," the U.S. said in a statement.

Somalia's information ministry at first said the raid killed eight al-Shabab fighters and that the extremists began shooting at Somali forces, adding that "no civilians were harmed or killed." A later, corrected statement said "it appears that there were different security operations" in the area.

Al-Shabab, the deadliest Islamic extremist group in Africa, holds vast areas of rural Somalia after being chased out of major cities in recent years by a multinational African Union force and Somali forces. The group continues to threaten the fragile central government and carry out deadly attacks in neighboring countries, notably Kenya.

Earlier this year, Trump approved expanded military operations against al-Shabab, including more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.

The U.S. and Somalia in recent weeks said strikes have killed al-Shabab leaders responsible for planning and executing deadly attacks in Mogadishu, where high-profile areas such as hotels and military checkpoints are often targeted with deadly bombings.
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WASHINGTON  With the wind and sea rising from Hurricane Harvey, authorities from Austin to the White House said Friday they were ready for the monster storm barreling into the Texas coast.

But as they planned ahead for a lumbering storm that could wreak havoc for days, they kept in mind one of the most colossal public safety failures of modern times: Katrina, the hurricane that devastated New Orleans 12 years ago.

"It's not just what's on my mind," said White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert, who served as deputy homeland security advisor to President George W. Bush. "It's on the minds of all the emergency managers in our community, especially those in Texas and Louisiana. That experience is still in their memory, in their experience, in their muscle memory, and what we've done is gotten a lot better as a government."

Katrina was also on the mind of one of the Senate's most senior Republicans, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who warned President Donald Trump on Twitter not to "make "the same mistake Pres Bush made w Katrina."

Trump, for his part, took to Twitter to urge residents in the path of the storm to "#PlanAhead." He also provided links to government preparedness agencies and video of him meeting with officials of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

FEMA administrator Brock Long made a pitch for preparedness on ABC's "Good Morning America," warning people to heed evacuation warnings on the coast. "I'm afraid that people may not be taking this storm seriously," he said. "That window to evacuate is coming to a close."

In a Chronicle interview, deputy FEMA administrator David Grant said that the tempest's rapid escalation from tropical storm to category 3 hurricane might catch some residents unawares of the approaching danger.

"I'm not sure if everyone living along the entire coast of Texas and Louisiana paid as much attention to it," Grant said.

Even as officials sought to reassure residents in southeast Texas about the government's preparedness, they emphasized the importance of individual responsibility and planning.

"I would say this," Bossert said. "You never want to plan for the federal government to swoop in and provide everything you need, when you need it, just in time, right?"

Although Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's request for federal disaster declaration was still pending Friday afternoon, federal officials said they were not waiting to send aid.

FEMA officials said they were taking advantage of post-Katrina rules that have allowed them to pre-position truckloads of supplies around Texas, including 96,000 liters of water and more than 300,000 meals. They have also trucked in large quantities of blankets, tarps, cots and generators.

"Every storm is different," Grant said. "We, of course, try to learn from every disaster, whether it's Katrina, Ike, Gustav or any other disaster, we will always try to learn from that and get better."

For now, most of the supplies needed for Hurricane Harvey have been staged inland to avoid direct damage from the storm. One concern is that the slow-moving nature of the hurricane could cause ongoing rain and flooding that hinders reponders' ability to bring supplies to battered coastal communities.

Republican U.S. Sen. Blake Farenthold, who represents Corpus Christi, warned on CNN Friday that in some cases rescuers might not be able to reach affected areas until weather conditions clear.

"Which means folks are going to have to make do with the supplies they have on hand," Farenthold said.

Grant acknowledged that torrential rains and continued flooding as the storm settles over the region could slow FEMA's response. "That could inhibit, it won't prevent, but it could inhibit our ability to get in there and help," he said.

Long told Congress earlier this month that FEMA's disaster relief fund, which currently stands $3.3 billion, is enough to get through the summer, "absent a new catastrophic disaster." With Congress returning to work after Labor Day, officials anticipate that any catastrophic expenses resulting from Harvey could be appropriated in short order.

For Trump, facing his first major civil emergency as president, one of the most important lessons of Katrina might be how quickly a natural disaster can become political, much as Bush's lackluster response to the devastation in New Orleans tarnished his presidency.

Although Trump took off Friday for the official presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, his aides emphasized that he can monitor events and communicate with officials just as well from the mountain compound. "It is just as well-resourced as the White House," Bossert said.

The White House noted that Trump received briefings from Bossert and Long, along with Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke and Chief of Staff John Kelly. He also spoke with Abbott and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

In a White House statement as he left for Camp David, Trump reinforced the importance of heeding the advice of state and local authorities, a message that was echoed by Texas U.S. Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.

Said Bossert: "Now is not the time to lose faith in your government institutions."
As we write this, the entire Texas coast is hunkering down from Hurricane Harvey, and hoping to avoid the wrath of a natural disaster. But for Texas Republicans, a political disaster of their own making already has struck. In just the past couple of weeks, they've suffered a trifecta of setbacks.

On Aug. 15, a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court in San Antonio ruled that the Legislature's most recent attempt at drawing boundaries for congressional districts violated the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act by intentionally discriminating against minorities. It ordered that District 27, represented by Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, and District 35, represented by Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, be redone.

Then on Aug. 23, U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, ruled that the latest incarnation of the state's voter ID law - Senate Bill 5 - still doesn't pass constitutional muster because the law was drafted with the intent of discriminating against Texas's Latino and African-American citizens. It is comparable to a "poll tax" on minorities, she said.

The final blow was struck on Aug. 24. The same three-judge panel in San Antonio ordered lawmakers to redraw nine legislative districts in four counties - Bell, Dallas, Nueces, and Tarrant - due to "intentional discrimination" by race. Further, the Court ordered that both the congressional and state House boundaries be redrawn in time for the 2018 midterm elections and gave Attorney General Ken Paxton three days to decide if the state will do the job. If not, the Court will undertake the remedies itself.

The struggle between state officials and the courts began in 2011 when the GOP-led Legislature drew new congressional and Texas House district maps following the 2010 Census, and shortly thereafter passed one of the most restrictive voter ID laws in the country. Over the past six years, the Legislature has written and rewritten these laws only to have each iteration overturned by federal courts. Four losses for redistricting; five injunctions against voter ID. As of 2015, the state had spent at least $8 million litigating this string of losses.

Despite the dismal record, Paxton rushed to file an appeal of the latest rulings. He is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the redistricting decision and to issue an injunction exempting Texas from having to produce a new map for the midterm elections. Given the unequivocal judgment of intentional discrimination in of all of these rulings, continuing to appeal is a risky proposition. Judge Ramos implied that the state's history of discrimination may justify renewed federal supervision of its voting laws, a requirement that hasn't existed since 2013 when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the preclearance provisions of the Voting Rights Act. Texas has proven that we're in need of oversight.

The legislators who drew these maps may tell themselves that the purpose was purely partisan, that they were trying to prevent Democrats from winning any elections, which is perfectly legal according to past rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. And they may declare that the voter ID law is to protect the integrity of the election process, despite the fact that in-person voter fraud is essentially non-existent. But these positions get harder and harder to defend after losing so many legal challenges.

We have no reason to think that legislators who voted for these laws hold bigotry in their hearts, but we can clearly see bigotry in their actions. That's what "intentional discrimination" means. Nor do we have any reason to believe that the zeal with which Paxton and Gov. Greg Abbott continue to appeal these rulings suggests an intent to discriminate against Latino and African-American Texans. What we can know is that too much money has been wasted defending the indefensible, and that these laws do significant damage to the state's reputation and future prosperity. Texas continues to lead the nation in population growth, and in the last census, Latinos and African-Americans contributed nearly 90 percent of that growth. We believe it is in our state's best interest to give up the appeals and follow the courts' rulings in promoting fair and equitable elections for all of our citizens.

In the longer term, the Legislature should consider establishing an independent commission to draw district boundaries. A dozen states have already taken that route, establishing panels with varying degrees of autonomy from their legislatures. Creating truly competitive districts in which candidates must defend their positions is the best way to ensure that voters have real choices. It is also likely to cost taxpayers a lot less in legal fees.
A Bucyrus resident was arrested Friday night on drug charges by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Authorities said Samantha D. Dennis, 36, was arrested on charges of delivery of a controlled substance, felony  methamphetamine; unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, failure to register a motor vehicle and having no insurance.

Dennis was taken to the Texas County Jail.

Clarence L. Hall, 25, of Houston, was arrested on a Texas County Sheriffs Department warrant on driving while revoked charge, a felony. He was held at the Texas County Jail.
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Taipei, Aug. 26 (CNA) China Airlines staff on Saturday accompanied two angry passengers to the baggage area at Taoyuan Airport to search for their cat, after it went missing from a checked baggage cart before being loaded onto a flight on Aug. 21. This is the second time in less than four months the carrier has mishandled a passenger's pet.
ROME  Last year, during a wave of deadly political protests in Ethiopia, the government blocked more than 15 media websites and the smartphone chat application WhatsApp. Sites promoting freedom of expression and LGBTQ+ rights, as well as those offering censorship-circumvention tools, such as Tor and Psiphon , were also suppressed.

All of this was uncovered through the use of software called ooniprobe, which is designed to measure networks and detect Internet censorship. Ooniprobe was developed more than five years ago by the Tor-supported Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), with which I work, in order to boost transparency, accountability, and oversight of Internet censorship. The software is free and open source, meaning that anyone can use it. And, indeed, tens of thousands of ooniprobe users from more than 190 countries have already done just that.

Those users have contributed to the collection of millions of network measurements, all of which are published on OONI Explorer , arguably the largest publicly available resource on Internet censorship. Thanks to their use of ooniprobe, we uncovered the extent of last years wave of censorship in Ethiopia, as well as details of many other cases of censorship elsewhere in the world.

In Uganda, local groups used ooniprobe during last years general election, when the government blocked social media. Ooniprobes network-measurement data not only confirmed the governments action; it also uncovered which sites were blocked and the different methods used by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to implement censorship.

Ooniprobe also came in handy in Malaysia in 2015. Facing accusations that he had transferred nearly $700 million from the state investment fund 1MDB to his personal bank accounts, Prime Minister Najib Razak attempted to block news outlets and blogs that reported on the scandal. It was ooniprobes network-measurement software that enabled Malaysian civil-society groups to collect data that serve as evidence of the blocking.

Of course, censorship is not always carried out to protect the politically powerful; it can also be used to reinforce social and cultural norms. In Indonesia, for example, low social tolerance for homosexuality may have played a role in the blocking of numerous LGBTQ+ websites, even though the country does not officially restrict LGBTQ+ rights. Similar factors may have influenced efforts to block sites perceived as overly critical of Islam.

In Thailand, ISPs have, in the last three years, blocked access to a number of sites that are perceived to be offensive toward the countrys royal family. But, here, there is a legal justification: Thailands strict prohibition against lese-majeste protects the royal familys most senior members from insult or threat. Other cases of legally justified Internet censorship include the blocking of sexually explicit websites in countries where pornography is prohibited.

Then there are cases where the motivation for censorship is unclear. Why, for example, has an online dating site been blocked in Malaysia? In some countries, ISPs appear to be censoring sites at their own discretion. According to ooniprobe data, multiple Thai ISPs simultaneously blocked access to different types of websites  from news outlets to Wikileaks to pornography  indicating that they likely received vague orders from authorities.

Before ooniprobe, such censorship was difficult to detect, leading to a lack of accountability, with governments and ISPs often denying any and all involvement. Even in cases where governments announce official lists of blocked sites, they may leave some targets off. Likewise, ISPs may not always comply with official orders to lift blocks. Vimeo and Reddit, for example, were recently found to be blocked in some networks in Indonesia, even though the official ban on those sites was lifted more than two years ago.

With ooniprobe, users are not only able to expose Internet censorship; they can also acquire substantial detail about how, when, where, and by whom the censorship is being implemented. OONIs Web-Connectivity Test, for example, is designed to examine whether access to websites is blocked through DNS tampering, TCP/IP blocking, or a transparent HTTP proxy.

Other ooniprobe tests are designed to examine the accessibility of chat apps  namely, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook Messenger  within networks, as well as that of censorship-circumvention tools, such as Tor, Psiphon, and Lantern. OONI also provides software tests that uncover the presence of systems (middle boxes) that could potentially be responsible for censorship or surveillance.

The depth of OONI data supports much-needed accountability and oversight. Lawyers can use OONI data to assess the legality of Internet censorship in their countries, and potentially introduce it as evidence in court cases. Journalists, researchers, and human-rights defenders can use the data to inform their work as well. And censorship-circumvention projects like Tor can use OONI findings on emergent censorship events to shape their tools and strategies.

OONI data can help enrich public discourse about the legality, necessity, and proportionality of Internet censorship. That makes it a critical tool for safeguarding human rights on the Internet and beyond.
By Emily Parker

One of the great things about America is that if you dont like the government, you have the right to speak out against it. Since President Donald Trump took office in January, ordinary citizens have been voicing dissent on the internet and in the streets. Recently, an extraordinary request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) threatened to make people increasingly afraid to exercise that right.

The DOJ tried to compel an internet hosting company, DreamHost, to hand over information about everyone who visited disruptj20.org, a DreamHost customer web site that helped organize Trump inauguration protests. DreamHost fought back, arguing that complying with the request would require handing over 1.3 million IP addresses, as well as contact information, content of emails, and photographs of thousands of people. While the Trump inauguration protests were largely peaceful, some protestors were violent and destructive. But the DOJ request was not limited to rioters. It could also affect people who casually visited a protest web site, perhaps simply to learn more about what was happening.

On Tuesday, DreamHost wrote that the DOJ modified its request to exclude unpublished media, HTTP access and error logs. Visitors IP addresses would be largely safe, the company said. (The government, for its part, said it values and respects the First Amendment right of all Americans and that its original warrant was focused on evidence about a premeditated riot.) DreamHost called the development a huge win for internet privacy, but also noted that the fight is not over.

Why was the original DOJ request so alarming? Mark Rumold, an attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which is working with DreamHost on the case, said that this kind of information seizure usually would be limited to a site dedicated to criminal activity, like child pornography or drug sales. What was unusual about the DreamHost case, Rumold said in an email, is that the targeted website is not dedicated to a criminal enterprise, but to engaging in the core of what the First Amendment is designed to protect: associating, communicating, learning and engaging with like-minded political protesters and in organizing protests and dissent.

DreamHost challenged the DOJ on the constitutionality of its warrant. In a blog post called We Fight for the Users, DreamHost explained that law enforcement regularly approaches the company to ask for information about customers who might be the target of criminal investigations. But the DOJ went too far. DreamHost was protesting because, it wrote, Internet users have a reasonable expectation that they will not get swept up in criminal investigations simply by exercising their right to political speech against the government.

In making this overly broad request, the DOJ took a page from the playbook of authoritarian governments. It may seem far-fetched to compare the United States to China, for example, where political protest sites arent even be allowed to exist. But blocking Web sites is only one way to crack down on dissent. Authoritarian governments use the threat of surveillance - and possible subsequent legal action - to create an atmosphere of fear and caution. Expressing your viewpoint or organizing for activism online is a good way to get on the official radar. Sometimes, its just not worth the trouble. Citizens self-censorship helps authoritarian governments keep the Web in check.

Self-censorship may not appear to be much of an issue in the United States, where a brief glance at Twitter will expose you to a flood of anti-Trump commentary. Street protests are popping up regularly, with the help of social media. Americans dont seem particularly afraid of expressing themselves, or of mobilizing for action. But that could change. America is very divided and the atmosphere is tense. If protests were to escalate, its not hard to imagine the Trump administration putting more pressure on internet companies to reveal information about people associated with demonstrations.

Political activists are not likely to be deterred by such information requests, even if they were overly broad. But ordinary citizens, those that dont consider themselvesdissidents, might balk. The internet is where all kinds of people come together to express grievances and coordinate action. How many Americans would think twice about visiting a protest site if they knew that the hosting company might have to hand over information about them? Would people still want to express their views on social media if it meant exposing themselves to a potential investigation? Complaining wont solve anything anyway, they might figure, so its not worth the risk.

EFFs Rumold had predicted that DreamHost would likely have to turn over some information from the site, after the DOJs warrant was substantially narrowed and protections were put in place to protect innocent users. While the DOJ has indeed narrowed its request, DreamHost is not resting on its laurels. The company says that much of the DOJs original demand remains in place, and it will be addressing its concerns in a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

No matter what happens at the hearing, the story shouldnt end there. Internet companies should continue to speak out about overly broad government requests, and the media and public must remain vigilant. Americans should not take internet freedom for granted.




iciHaiti - Justice : Tabling in the Senate of the Bill on Consumer Protection





The Active Solidarity to the Struggle of Haitians Consumers (Solidarite Active a la Lutte des Consommateurs Haitiens - SALCONH), an organization of Civil Society welcomes the tablingto the office of the Senate of the Bill on Consumer Protection.



SALCONH strongly encourages parliamentarians to bring their support for its adoption both in the Senate and the Lower House in order to provide Haitian consumers with an indispensable tool for the defense of their rights.



Otherwise it takes note of circular 101-3 of the BRH asking banks and credit card companies to carry out their operations both in Haiti and abroad exclusively in gourdes from December 2017 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21803-haiti-flash-changes-in-credit-card-transactions.html . Courageous initiative of the Governor who participates in an attempt to conserve and protect an element of national identity, the national currency, the gourde.



IH/ iciHaiti


















North Korea mocks Trump's 'weird, ego-driven' tweetsShortly after Donald Trump claimed North Korea was starting to respect us, the regime shot back by criticising the President's Twitter habits.In a post published by the state-run KCNA news agency, the North Korean government accused Mr Trump of posting "weird articles of his ego-driven thoughts in his Twitter" and "spout[ing] rubbish to make his assistants have a hard time.Mr Trump has tweeted numerous times about North Korea, at one point admonishing them for behaving very badly.North Korea has just launched another missile, the President tweeted in July. Does this guy have anything better to do with his life?North Korea would later go on to test yet another missile, and eventually develop the capacity to fit nuclear warheads onto intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of hitting the US.In August, the regime threatened to cover the US territory of Guam in "enveloping fire, leading to a tense standoff between the two countries. Pyongyang later retracted its threat on Guam, but warned that the decision could change "if the Yankees persist in their extremely dangerous reckless actions.
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British mums-to-be are among the most likely in the world to drink during pregnancy and harm their unborn baby as a result, new research finds.

The study, conducted by the Canadian Institute of Mental Health Policy and Research, found that four times more children in the UK suffer alchohol-related birth defects than the global average.

For the proportion of children with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), Britain came seventh out of 195 countries and sixth in Europe.

As such, the Canadian scientists have called for the dangers of alcohol to be reinforced in sex education and suggest that screening pregnant women for alcohol could help to combat the problem.

The studys author, Dr Svetlana Popova, said the issue should be considered a public health priority.

The research also found that one in every 13 women who drink during pregnancy will go on to have a child with FASD, which is caused when alcohol drunk by the mother passes through the placenta to the foetus. As an unborn child is unable to process alcohol, it damages their cells.

Symptoms of FASD include learning difficulties, issues with hearing and vision, cerebral palsy, and problems with the liver, kidneys and heart.

The positive birth movement Show all 5 1 /5 The positive birth movement The positive birth movement Nahomie Hann from Canada had a "traumatic" first birth Epanouie Within by Nahomie Hann Photography The positive birth movement Hann advises parents-to-be: "Reach out. Talk. Listen. Educate yourself." Epanouie Within by Nahomie Hann Photography The positive birth movement Epanouie Within by Nahomie Hann Photography The positive birth movement "I remember a lot of people feeling the need to tell me about stitches, tearing and episiotomies. This was my biggest fear both times while pregnant and it made me so anxious," says Megan Porter who lives in Falkirk. The positive birth movement Megan has two children a three-year-old and a two-week-old.

After analysing 24 global studies, the scientists discovered that 32 in every 1,000 Britons have FASD, compared to the global average of eight in 1,000.

In comparison, the figure is 15 in 1,000 in the US, 10 in France and 20 in Germany.

Meanwhile, South Africa was found to have the highest proportion of people with FASD, with 111 in 1,000.

With many mothers blaming binge-drinking in the first few months when they do not realise they are expecting, doctors say that abstaining at any point is better than not at all.

If you would strap a child into a car seat to protect them in case you might have an accident, this is no difference, said Sandra Butcher, of the National Organisation for Foetal Alcohol Syndrome UK.

The best way you can protect your babys developing brain is to avoid alcohol.
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A bank holiday weekend, the last of the summer. Will the weather hold fair or are we talking the usual deluge? Are we keeping our fingers crossed and having some friends or family round for a barbecue or planning what might be the last picnic on the beach for the year? Or are we staying safe indoors, with a picnic on the dining table or grilling in the kitchen?

Whatever your choices, here are some wines for every eventuality, rain or shine, which can be found on most high streets and none of which will break the bank.

A good robust red to match barbecued meats such as grilled lamb or almost any type of sausage is Anda, (7.99 Waitrose.com) a newly released, surprisingly rich and spicy tempranillo-syrah blend from Andalucia in Spains deep south, otherwise mostly known for sherry. Most reds from this area are dark, heavy wines from sunburnt grapes that dont travel well but Anda retains a freshness by the vineyards being at high altitude. And terrific value for the price.

Waitrose also have a good offer on an excellent, lighter cherry-flavoured, floral scented red from southern France, ideal for chilling with tuna or salmon steaks or butterflied chicken, the Villa Blanche Pinot Noir (7.19 until 29 August; normally 8.99 Waitrose.com)

If the weather holds relatively fair, a personal choice for barbecues and picnics, particularly if there is seafood involved, has to be an iced rose  see my still and sparkling selection here and some from Provence here  but also check out the juicy, full flavoured Monferrato Chiaretto (8.50 Marksandspencer.co.uk) made from the Barbera grape, or the very typical southern French blend of grenache and syrah A La Mode (7 Morrisons.com; two for 12 until 12 September): light, spicy, very dry and refreshing; a great party rose.

Finally, two lively, sparkly whites for all occasions: grenache blanc is mostly found in Rhone Valley white blends, but gets the single varietal treatment in the rather unsubtly labelled Grenache Blanc (7.99 Coop.co.uk) from South African combine KWV: this is instantly appealing, with really vibrant, tangy flavours of lemons, grapefruit and some green herbs  also excellent for parties. Another single varietal slightly more suited to the dinner table is the beguiling work of Languedoc winemaker Catherine Delauney  who excels in high quality, budget wines  the Les Jamelles Pinot Gris (10.99 Majestic.co.uk; or 8.99 as part of mixed six purchase), a spicy and smoky, lychee-flavoured, fulsome white that would be perfect for almost any fish, outdoors or in and, perhaps with a hint of autumn to come, some roast pork.
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The Bosnian Serb army camped on the hills surrounding the city may be long gone, but Sarajevos multi-ethnic way of life remains besieged. During the Dayton Peace Conference in 1995, US peace negotiator Richard Holbrooke, while poring over a virtual map of Bosnia, looked up and quipped, Theres nothing but mountains here.

Thats Bosnia, replied Slobodan Milosevic and Momir Bulatovic, the presidents of Serbia and Montenegro, both of whom were complicit in the grievous collapse of Yugoslavia.

This obscure anecdote stuck in my mind while travelling through the country. Spectacular mountains dominate the terrain between Mostar and Sarajevo, part of the Dinaric Alps mountain range, which spans from Italy down through the Balkans, ending in Albania.

Filmmaker Ado Hasanovic recalls violence that befell his community when he was a child (Georgia Robson)

Places of worship serve as poignant reminders of Bosnias ethno-religious mix. The rural skyline is pricked by the minarets, Byzantine domes, and the spires of Catholic churches, a permanent testimony to the mixed communities which largely vanished after the war.

The road to Sarajevo meanders around the infinite hills, guided by the turquoise Neretva River, which glints in the waning afternoon sun. We arrived in Sarajevo around midnight in the westernmost part of the city. The sprawling metropolis of Novi Grad, or the New Town, is the industrial heart of Sarajevo. The 1970s concrete tower blocks and high-rise buildings are an immediate reminder of Bosnias communist past. The industrious hinterland and commercial centre soon give way to the iconic old town with its terracotta rooftops which mounted the hills overlooking the city. When daylight comes the scars of the past are revealed. Despite the citys rejuvenation and extensive rebuilding over the past two decades, bullet holes are still visible in the apartment blocks, shops and walls along the infamous sniper alley, a street which civilians living in the besieged city crossed at their peril under Serbian sniper fire. Such images came both to define this conflict and shame the international community for its inaction.

Blasts from the past: Communist-era blocks bear the scars of war

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a microcosm of the former Yugoslavia; this is because it contains a sizeable Serbian and Croatian population alongside its Bosniak, or Muslim, majority. As rampant nationalism stoked ethnic war, it was the multi-ethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina which paid the greatest price for the fall of Yugoslavia.

I didnt expect war to come to our lives. I was eating pizza with my friends from university when the first shell fell in the old area of Sarajevo, says Armina Pijalovic  Arna for short  over a baklava in her apartment not far from the city centre. We knew that war was happening around us, we thought that negotiations would succeed to keep peace here, adds the 49-year-old who currently works as a guide for Sarajevo Funky Tours.

The city had the most to lose from an ethnic war, arguably the most of any city in the former Yugoslavia. To many of its residents, this was abundantly clear in 1992 as a nationalist fervour had engulfed the Balkans once again. The 1990 elections, the first multi-party general elections held in Bosnia since the advent of communism and the death of Josip Broz Tito, split the country along ethnic lines. This was even the case in Sarajevo which, in 1991, had a relatively mixed population: 50 per cent Bosniak Muslim, 25 per cent Serb, 6 per cent Croat, and 13 per cent self-declared Yugoslav.

On 5 April 1992 around 50,000 to 100,000 Sarajevans of all ethnic groups took to the streets in what was a desperate cry for peace as war enveloped Bosnia, in defiance of nationalism and separatism. We called a peaceful demonstration, our enemies did not see it that way, says Arna, who took part, outside the Bosnian Parliament building, back in her student days. Bosnian Serb sniper fire from the Holiday Inn overlooking the parliament square dispersed the protesters, killing six people.

A suffocating siege of the city was ignited: almost four years of death and unadulterated daily misery. Another 4,000 civilians would die during the siege. The Holiday Inn, used as the Bosnian Serb headquarters of Radovan Karadzic before the war, has now been rebranded, the Hotel Holiday. It stands as a bizarre bright yellow obelisk, a pariah hanging over Bosnian parliament.

Memorial fountain for children killed during the Siege of Sarajevo (Georgia Robson)

Sarajevo resembles an organic memorial; a living and breathing tribute to the victims of the siege. Children play in a park on Tito Street just yards away from a fountain built in the memory of children killed by artillery fire in that very park 20 years earlier. The market square, where residents come to buy and sell fruit, vegetables bread and meat, is overlooked by a giant red glass wall with the names of the 68 people killed in the market bombing of 1994, which shocked the world into action. The streets of Sarajevo are covered with concrete scars caused by the impact of mortar shells, which are now filled with red resin. These Sarajevo roses mark fatal mortar explosions. I was surprised by the willingness of Sarjevans to talk to us about the traumas of war.

My childhood was really difficult, says Ado Hasanovic. I didnt know what was normal life, that you sleep in a normal bed, that you have water and that you could brush your teeth, go to work and eat normal meals. The 31-year-old, a filmmaker originally from Srebrenica, says he was aged six when the Serbs arrived on 9 May 1992.

They came to my village and they caught 74 people and they killed them. My father stayed in Srebrenica until 1995. He survived the death march because he did no go to the UN Dutch camp because he did not believe [they would help], like the other 12,000 to 15,000 people who travelled over the mountains. Only 6,000 of the people survived. The fall of Srebrenica, a supposed UN safe haven, to the Bosnian Serb army remains the biggest instance of genocide in Europe since the Second World War.

The remains of a Serbian military bunker in East Sarajevo (Georgia Robson)

In Sarajevo the legacy of centuries of population-mixing meant that intermarriage is common. My mum is Orthodox [Serb] but my father is a Muslim says Sandra Ahmedovic. The 26-year-old works at War Childhood Museum in the city. They [the Bosnian Serbs] were shooting at us and shooting at her, it was hard for her to understand that. Throughout the course of the 20th century, war has come and gone from Sarajevo but the citys identity has never changed. Time and time again Sarajevo has stood as a symbol of hope against xenophobia and racial and religious persecution.

In 1941, amid fierce ethnic conflict that would repeat itself 50 years later, the Resolution of the Sarajevo Muslims, condemned the persecution of the Serbs by the Nazi backed Ustase in Croatia and called for the protection of all Bosnians, regardless of their ethnic identity. This spirit of magnanimity was at work in the April 1992 protests; 25 years on it is once again appreciable despite the lingering trauma of war.

All people who declare themselves Serbs or Croats, and Bosniaks, they are all Bosnians. All citizens in Bosnia and Herzegovina are Bosnians What is your religion? It doesnt matter, you should be proud we have a history here, this is Bosnia and Herzegovina, says Ado. The spirit of Sarajevo, encapsulated in the words of Arna, Ado and Sandra, suggests that a multi-ethnic Bosnia, where faith, ancient genealogy and political rhetoric are all marginal, could have been possible.

The city is finding itself after the turmoil experienced in the 1990s

But Bosnias demography has been artificially redrawn creating contiguous areas of virtual ethnic homogeneity. This is the product of a war in which ethnic cleansing was a strategic military objective. Vast swathes of Bosnia and Herzegovina are now distinctively, Muslim, Serb or Croat, undermining the concept of a Bosnian national identity. Republika Srpska, one of the two constitutional entities within Bosnia and Herzegovina, magnetised the Serb diaspora after the war. More than half a million of the ethnic Serbs who lived in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and in Croatia, many of whom were war refugees, settled in the new state. The world often forgets that the Croatian government forcibly expelled up to 200,000 Serbs who had attempted to form a Serb state within Croatia, the self-styled Republic of Serbian Krajina. A journey into East Sarajevo, into the Republika Sprska entity, gives a sense of the segregative effect of the recent conflict.

Signs are in Cyrillic, Serbian flags fly on poles and buildings; it is as though Serbia proper begins in eastern Sarajevo. On the eve of the war there were around 92,000 Serbs in the central parts of the city. According to the 2013 census, fewer than a combined 10,500 remain in the municipalities of Centar, Novi Grad, Novo Sarajevo and Stari Grad. The new city of East Sarajevo, in Republika Sprska, is home to almost 60,000 Serbs; the combined population of Bosniaks, Croats and other ethnicities is less than 4,000. It was difficult for the Serbs who stayed in Sarajevo to be trusted by Bosnian Muslims because in the mountains [around Sarajevo] there were Serbs killing everybody: Serb, Croat, Muslim, says Ado.

Milorad Dodic, the current president of Republika Sprska, openly favours the secession of Republika Sprska from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has pushed for a referendum on the issue. The secession of the Bosnian Serb entity would violate the terms of the Dayton Agreement, which established the political constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The case for secession has been strengthened after Kosovos declaration of independence from Serbia in 2008 because of the large Albanian majority there. If Republika Sprska was to secede from Bosnia, and either declare independence or look for Serbia to absorb it, it would pose a substantial threat to peace in the region while creating diplomatic headache for the international community.

Many observers, in Bosnia and the international community, forcefully argue that the Bosnian Serb entity was the product of genocide; this was undeniably the case in Srebrenica. What is clear, however, is that independence and international recognition of that independence for Republika Sprska or even its annexation by Serbia, would constitute a tacit acceptance of a state founded upon ethnic cleansing. But in a region where the population maps have been decisively redrawn in the past 20 years to create artificial ethnic homogeneity, critics of Bosnian Serb independence could well be fighting a losing battle.

The former Holiday Inn overlooks the Bosnian parliament

A visit to Sarajevo, a vibrant, liberal, secular and relatively cosmopolitan city, will inevitably fail to reflect the attitudes and the realities of the country at large. The very character and composition of the city is unique. In rural Bosnia, the persecution of Muslims and the flagrant disregard of Christian Europe towards their plight, and the influx of crusading Mujahedeen fighters 20 years ago sowed the seeds of radical Islamism.

According to Der Spiegel more than 300 Bosnians, predominantly from small rural villages, have gone to fight for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, one of the largest numbers of jihadist fighters from Europe relative to population. Unemployment in Bosnia currently at 25.6 per cent, youth unemployment is a staggering 67.6 per cent, the worst in the world according to data published by the World Bank. Perhaps the greatest issue facing Bosnia, certainly in Sarajevo, is retaining its educated young people, who are seeking greater employment opportunities abroad. These economic and social problems, which all ethnic leaders all agree on, are the new and most pressing issues facing Bosnia and Herzegovinas political leadership.

The War Childhood Museum tells the stories of children in wartime (Georgia Robson)

Before my companion and I leave Sarajevo, Arna takes us to the top of her apartment building in the centre of the city. Her panoramic view of the city is blocked by a new apartment block, she says, built in the decade after the war. Arna adds it used to be possible to see the Catholic Cathedral, the Orthodox Cathedral, and the central Ferhadija Mosque all from the roof of her building. Sarajevo is where East meets West; where Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian pasts collide; its even been called the Jerusalem of Europe.

It seems that violence and siege are the price of earning such a comparison. In the former Yugoslavia, religion is predominantly used as a marker of ethnicity, but religious differences do not account for what happened here. For Serbs and Croats, religion has been a historically integral part of their national identity. Croatias national identity was shaped by its Austro-Hungarian, essentially European, outlook of which Catholicism was a big part. Serbias Orthodox Christianity defined its people against their Ottoman occupiers, which it freed itself from in the early 19th century. Bosniaks are the same southern Slavs who converted to Islam during Ottoman rule in Bosnia.

While we cannot neglect these vital components of historical national identity, these three constituent ethnicities of Bosnia have shared the same homeland. They are all Bosnians. It is this Bosnian national sentiment, regardless of ethnic national identity or religious faith, which is being cultivated in Sarajevo today. And it must continue to be to build peace and a better future for Bosnia. But in an ethnically cleansed state, where ethnic homogeneity has been artificially imposed by war in most of the country, Sarajevo is once again surrounded; the odds stacked against it.
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A Black Hawk helicopter has crashed off the southern coast of Yemen during a US military training exercise, leaving one service member missing, officials said.

Five others were rescued, according to a statement from US Central Command. Officials said the incident was under investigation.

Asked if the crash was linked to a special forces raid, Central Command officials said: This was a routine training event specifically for US military personnel.

Recommended Saudi Arabia led air strike kills 14 including six children in Yemen

They added: Training events such as this are routinely held by US forces within a theatre of operations in order to maintain their proficiency within the operating environment.

Commanders deemed this location appropriate and safe for a routine training event, considering both the operational environment and weather conditions at the time.

Yemen is the Arab world's poorest country and is engulfed in a civil war.

The conflict pits Shia rebels known as Houthis and their allies against a Saudi-led coalition which backs the country's internationally recognised government.

The US has provided targeting and logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition, which faces criticism over the killing of civilians by airstrikes.

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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. 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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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Yemen is also home to what the US considers the most dangerous branch of the al Qaeda terror network.

US special forces backed by Emirati troops launched a raid in Yemen in January shortly after Donald Trump took office.

It was criticised after a US Navy SEAL and 30 other people, including women, children and an estimated 14 militants died in the raid.

Associated Press
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Active duty transgender troops have spoken out against Donald Trump's ban against their service in the US military.

They say a policy change that puts them at risk of being removed and indefinitely bars transgender people from enlisting in the military is a step backward for civil rights that will promote inequality in the armed forces.

On 25 August Mr Trump extended the ban on transgender people joining the military but gave the Pentagon the authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving, leaving some room for interpretation.

Recommended Trump officially directs Pentagon to ban transgender recruits

It appeared that the ban still allowed some transgender people who already are in uniform to continue serving.

Army Captain Jennifer Sims said Mr Trump's comments are contradictory.

Ms Sims is based in Germany and is taking pills to prepare for her transition surgery.

She pointed out that the Commander in Chief just praised the military for its tolerance when he told veterans in Nevada on 23 August that those in uniform come from all walks of life and are united by shared values and a shared sense of duty.

The three million-member US military also largely mirrors the demographics and trends of American society as a whole, according to the Pew Research Center.

Mr Trump also denounced prejudice, bigotry, and hate in the wake of violence that erupted at a rally organised by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia at a speech in front of thousands of soldiers at Army Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, in Arlington, Virginia.

The ban, Ms Sims said, is "going to create this situation where there is a complete inequality in how transgender troops are treated."

Elaine Donnelly is president of the Center for Military Readiness, which has opposed allowing LGBT community to serve as well as being against having certain position open to female servicemebers.

Ms Donnelly said in a statement that allowing transgender people to serve is not the military's problem because "the armed forces are not just another equal opportunity employer.

 US sailors will not be judged on whether they are transgender, admiral says

The militarys limited funds, she added, should not be used to indulge transgender demands.

However, many have argued the exact opposite. The military is an equal opportunity employer just like any other federal government agency or department.

Transgender people have been allowed to serve openly in the military since June 2016, when President Barack Obama signed an order allowing for it.

Mr Trump, in a series of tweets on 26 July, announced that he planned to end that policy.

The government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military, he tweeted, contending that their service entailed tremendous medical costs and disruption.

A 2016 study by the RAND Corporation however estimated it would cost the military $2.4 million to $8.4 million a year to provide gender transition-related coverage, only an increase of 0.04 percent to 0.13 percent in health care spending for active duty members.

Researchers estimated 29 to 129 active duty service members annually would seek such treatment.

Meanwhile, it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to discharge thousands of transgender personnel, according to a study released this month by the Palm Center, an independent research institute.

The official 25 August policy appears to be less rigid than the complete ban which Mr Trump tweeted out, however.

The new guidance puts a stop to recruitment of transgender individuals and prohibits the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgery, except in cases where its deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition, according to a government official not authorised by the White House to speak on the matter but who is familiar with the language.

But, it would give Defence Secretary James Mattis six months to determine under what circumstances those active duty soldiers who are openly transgender might be permitted to continue serving.

Attorney Jennifer Levi of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), said that current policy requires equal treatment of transgender service members, including that they are subject to the same standards of deployment as other soldiers.

GLAAD and a partner organisation filed suit in August 2017 in US District Court in Washington DC on behalf of five transgender service members with nearly 60 years of combined military service.

They had hoped to get a swift court decision on Mr Trumps 26 July tweet that could prevent a ban from taking effect.

Any special or different rule for transgender soldiers is discrimination, plain and simple, she said. It also harms the military and, ultimately, the safety of our nation.

Mr Trump has argued that the military should not pay for medical care for transgender service members to transition to another gender and also argued that makes them unfit for deployment and a harm to the unit in which they serve.

Several service members have said that is not true.

 Transgender military ban: Late night hosts take on Trump

According to the policy adopted under the Obama administration, commanders have the discretion to decide when to allow transgender troops to start their treatment to transition to a different gender to ensure that it does not disrupt operations. Commanders can also decide whether a person undergoing treatment is still fit to be deployed.

Army Captain Jennifer Peace, a transgender woman based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, said that she deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 while transitioning and that there are other transgender troops serving there now.

The numbers on transitioning or transgender troops vary, primarily because no on asks the question, said several service members.

Being transgender had had absolutely no impact on my fitness for duty, Ms Peace said.

There should be no transgender standard  there should be an Army standard. If I can make the Army standard, I should be able to serve, Ms Peace noted.

Many health reasons can delay deployment including pregnancy, knee or gall bladder operations, and laser eye surgery.

Soldiers may also reschedule their treatments if they see it could have a negative effect on their unit.

If the military will not or cannot pay for their medical care, many transgender troops say they will find a way to cover the costs otherwise.

Navy Lieutenant Commander Blake Dremann, president of trans advocacy group SPARTA, said he is telling concerned service members to wait for any legal challenges to play out and continue to succeed, show them were not an issue.

Which we havent been, so I dont understand, said Mr Dremann.

Agencies contributed to this report.
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A man detained outside Buckingham Palace in an incident where three police officers were injured reached for a 4ft sword while shouting Allahu Akbar, Scotland Yard has said.

The suspect, who is being questioned by counter-terror detectives, is accused of attacking police outside the Queens official residence on Friday night.

Police are treating the attack as an act of terrorism and believe the culprit was acting alone, but said they are keeping an open mind over his motives.

Scotland Yard said the incident started shortly after 8.30pm, when a blue Toyota Prius deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill.

As police officers challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a 4ft sword, which was in the front passenger footwell, a spokesperson added.

The officers acted very quickly to detain him. During a struggle the three officers sustained minor injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with CS spray.

It is understood that no members of the royal family were in Buckingham Palace at the time, with the incident sparking a large evacuation around the palace, St Jamess Park and The Mall.

 Police officers injured in knifeman arrest outside Buckingham Palace

A witness, Kiana Williamson, said she saw a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back, she added.

I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm although it didn't look severe.

He was being tended to by another officer. The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road.

A 26-year-old man from the Luton area, who has not been named, was taken into custody at central London police station.

He has been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police, as well as under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Three unarmed officers, from the local Westminster force, were injured during the struggle to detain the suspect.

Two officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later, while the third did not require hospital treatment.

Police said the suspect had been arrested on suspicion of GBH and assaulting a police officer (PA)

Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets counter terrorism command, paid tribute to their bravery and professionalism.

Their vigilance, courage and the swiftness of their response demonstrates how our officers are protecting the public at this time, he added.

Recommended Britain faces higher threat as Isis loses fights in Syria and Iraq

Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today.

We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage.

While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do - this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time.

Commander Haydon said the incident was a timely reminder that the national terror threat level remains at severe, meaning further attacks are considered highly likely in the UK.

He added: The police, together with the security services, are doing everything we can to protect the public and we already have an enhanced policing plan over the bank holiday weekend to keep the public safe.

We continue to urge the public to be alert but not alarmed and report anything suspicious.

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, thanked the police officers at the scene for their heroic and professional response and ensuring no members of the public were injured.

Belgian police and soldiers at the scene where a man attacked soldiers with a knife in Brussels on 25 August (Reuters)

It is important we are all alert but not alarmed, he added.

Terrorists who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life will never succeed. London stands more united than ever.

Friday nights incident came almost exactly an hour after a man attacked three soldiers with a knife in central Brussels in another suspected terror attack.

Belgian troops shot the man, who was also shouting Allahu Akbar, and he later died in hospital.

Europe remains on high alert following a string of Isis-related attacks that have killed more than 340 victims in western Europe since 2014.

Four terror attacks have hit the UK so far this year, in Westminster, Manchester, London Bridge and Finsbury Park, which was not Islamist related.

Isis has been intensifying calls for terror attacks on the countries bombing its territories as part of the US-led coalition, issuing detailed advice on carrying out stabbings, vehicle rammings and making explosives.

Some of the deadliest attacks, including those in Paris in November and 2015 and Brussels bombings in March 2016, have been directly orchestrated by Isis, but others have been launched by extremists inspired by the groups propaganda.

Investigators continue to examine possible links between a cell of terrorists that launched the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils earlier this month, with an Isis documents discovered at their bomb factory in Alcanar.

London Bridge Terror Attack Show all 16 1 /16 London Bridge Terror Attack London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police Officers outside the Barrowboy and Banker Public House on Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed Police talk to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Armed police on Borough High Street as police deal with a 'major incident' at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services near the scene of the incident Screengrab London Bridge Terror Attack People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency services arrive at the scene near Borough market at London Bridge Carl Court/Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Emergency personnel on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police sniffer dogs on London Bridge as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge PA London Bridge Terror Attack A second helicopter lands on London Bridge as police are responding to three incidents in the capital, amid reports that a vehicle collided with pedestrians on London Bridge, Scotland Yard said. Officers are dealing with reports of stabbings in Borough Market, where armed officers attended and shots were fired. They are also at an incident in the Vauxhall area PA London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London REUTERS London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack A police officer escorts members of the public to safety at London Bridge Getty Images London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters London Bridge Terror Attack Police attend to an incident near London Bridge in London, Britain Reuters

The house, where the volatile explosive TATP was being made alongside a stockpile of gas canisters to be used in vehicle bombs, was accidentally blown up the night before the attacks were launched.

Police said the two rammings that left 15 victims dead were rudimentary versions of the horror originally planned by the group led by a Moroccan imam with extremist links.

Isis has been releasing a steady stream of propaganda calling for terror attacks in the West, and is known to be advising followers on how to evade security services in the lead-up to atrocities.

It has not claimed responsibility for the alleged attempt outside Buckingham Palace, but the method of using a vehicle to ram targets before launching an attack with a knife closely matches the group's instructions to extremists.

Officials including security minister Ben Wallace have warned that the threat is increasing as Isis loses territory in Iraq and Syria, with the group turning to attacks as a means of maintaining momentum and publicity.

I think the threat is still increasing, partly driven by the fact Isis is collapsing in Syria and people are either unable to get out there to fight for Isis and so they look to do something at home, or also because people have come back and tried to inspire people with their stories and tales of the caliphate, Mr Wallace said last week, echoing concerns raised by analysts across Europe.

Police are urging anyone who witnessed Fridays incident or has any information to contact a confidential hotline on 0800 789 321.
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Police are hunting two men suspected of carrying out a "harrowing" acid attack on two people in Northamptonshire.

A 23-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were taken to hospital with minor burns after the men sprayed them with a noxious substance as they walked across a zebra crossing in Daventry.

The men, carrying a machete, pulled up alongside the victims on a moped in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to police.

Police are testing the substance used in the attack, but believe it to be acid, after the man suffered burns to his forehead and the woman to her legs.

The driver of the moped was said to be wearing grey joggers, trainers, a cream hoodie and a white helmet, while the passenger was white, with dark hair and was wearing dark clothing.

Det Chief Inspector Louise Hemingway of Northamptonshire Police called on the public to be "vigilant" and urged anyone with information to come forward.

"This was an extremely harrowing incident for the two victims who were making their way home after a night out," she said.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images

"We would urge people to be extremely vigilant to this type of incident which, as evidence suggests, is becoming increasingly common in this country.

"We are appealing for anyone who has information to contact us. We are particularly keen to trace a moped which was seen in London Road at 12.45am as well as in other parts of the town centre around the time of this attack."

It comes after the Home Secretary suggested acid attack convictions could soon carry life sentences.

Public concern over acid attacks has been growing following a spate of assaults across the country, including five that took place in just 90 minutes in London.

Amber Rudd warned an overhaul of current guidelines would ensure those who used noxious liquids as a weapon feel the full force of the law.

Anyone with information should call 101, quoting incident 53 of August 26, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
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Six men and two women are dead and four others have been taken to hospital after a crash on the M1, Thames Valley Police has said.

The crash, involving two lorries and a minibus from the Nottingham area, happened near the town of Newport Pagnell, in Buckinghamshire, at about 3.15am.

All eight victims were travelling in the minibus as were the four injured passengers, one of whom was a five-year-old girl.

A police spokesperson said: Six men and two women sadly died at the scene.

A woman, a man and a five-year-old girl who were also travelling in the minibus were taken to hospital, where they all remain with serious, life-threatening injuries.

He added that another woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Officers are working to inform the loved ones of those who died and specially trained liaison officers are supporting them.

Some of those involved were visiting the UK from India, and we are working to keep the families abroad informed.

Images posted online suggested the crash took place near an exit ramp, and showed the wrecked minibus had been almost totally flattened in the collision.

The cabs of the HGVs were also smashed.

Both lorry drivers have been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and remain in custody, police said.

One, a 31-year-old from Worcestershire, is also suspected of driving while over the alcohol limit. The other man is 53 and from Stoke on Trent.

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 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

One of the lorries belonged to the mail courier company FedEx.

In a statement to The Independent, FedEx said: We are aware of the tragic accident that occurred last night on the M1 motorway junction 14 in the UK with a FedEx truck involved.

Our deepest thoughts and concerns are with all of those involved.

Safety is of the utmost importance to FedEx, and we are cooperating fully with authorities but have no further information at this time.

Thames Valley Police said all three vehicles were travelling in the same direction, and that the minibus was believed to have come from the Nottingham area.

The motorway has re-opened southbound between Northampton and Milton Keynes.

Recommended Two dead in Dorset plane crash

Chief Inspector Henry Parsons, of the Joint Operations Unit for Roads Policing, said: I would appeal to anyone who witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken to officers to please contact us.

Anyone who has any information which could assist the investigation should call the 24-hour Thames Valley Police enquiry centre on 101, quoting URN 203 of 26/8.

The second HGV belonged to AIM Logistics.

The companys director, Ismail Elmagdoub, said: We would like to express our deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones and also those whom have been injured at this very sad time.

Road safety and compliance is of the utmost importance to AIM Logistics and we are continuing to assist the police as much as possible with their inquiries.
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Scotlands third-largest NHS trust is appealing for patients not to attend hospital unless it is essential amid an ongoing cyber attack.

Operations and appointments have been cancelled by NHS Lanarkshire and people are being warned they could be turned away, but a spokesperson insisted there were no concerns around emergency treatments.

It is the second time the trust has been affected by malware within months, having been one of the worst-affected trusts during the global WannaCry ransomware attack in May.

Officials did not confirm the type of virus affecting systems but announced IT difficulties affecting hospitals and GP practices starting on Friday afternoon.

"We have detected some incidences of malware, chief executive Calum Campbell said.

"We took immediate action to prevent this spreading while we carried out further investigations.

"We are now putting in place a solution from our IT security provider.

"While the issue is being resolved our staff have been working hard to minimise the impact on patients and we apologise to anyone who has been affected."

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 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

The trust is responsible for the care of more than 650,000 people living in North and South Lanarkshire in Scotland, running three general hospitals and numerous GP surgeries, dentists, pharmacists and other services.

As of Saturday morning, the trust described the entire IT system as down and put out an emergency phone number for staff to use over the bank holiday weekend.

Dr Jane Burns, medical director for NHS Lanarkshires acute division, asked patients not to attend hospitals unless it is essential.

"If you do turn up at A&E and do not require emergency care you may be sent away from the department or you may experience a lengthy wait, she added.

"Emergency care will still be provided for those who do require to be seen."

The health board's estate includes Hairmyres Hospital in East Kilbride, Monklands Hospital in Airdrie and Wishaw General Hospital.

Staff unable to use email systems or access appointments have been directing the public to the NHS Lanarkshire Facebook page for further information

The cyber attack appears to be more isolated than the global WannaCry attack in May, which hit NHS trusts across the UK and sparked urgent reviews of outdated systems, protections and staff training after equipment was disabled, patients turned away and ambulances diverted.

WannaCry, which affected more than 150 countries, spread through outdated Microsoft Windows software and caused automated messages appear on thousands of computers telling users their data had been encrypted and would be released in exchange for a Bitcoin payment.

 Cyber attack hit 200,000 victims across 150 countries, says Europol chief

The unprecedented cyber attack is not believed to have directly targeted the NHS, but Britains health service has previously been hit by viruses and The Independent revealed that Isis-linked hackers compromised some NHS websites last year.

Ben Gummer, the former cabinet office minister who lost his seat in May, warned at the time that large quantities of sensitive data held by the NHS was a target.

No longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, cyber attacks are a reality and they are happening now, he said in October.

Recommended Hackers target Irish energy networks amid threat to UK infrastructure

Our adversaries are varied: organised criminal groups, hactivists, untrained teenagers and foreign states.

Attacks can cause economic damage, erode public trust in online services and by enabling fraud do real harm to individuals, their property and their privacy.

Analysts have sounded intensifying warnings over the threat posed by cyber attacks targeting critical infrastructure, like public health, electricity, water supplies, telecommunications, banking and transport.

Irish energy networks were targeted by hackers in a spear phishing attack last month, while the Houses of Parliament in Westminster and Scottish Parliament have also been hit.

A recent report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) warned of the growing threat of cyber attacks and threats to the Wests use of satellites in space.

Enemies could take out military and civilian communications and navigation systems, the report said, or target the UKs economy and crucial IT infrastructure causing chaos and panic, it said.

In any major future conflict, an important part of the battle will be threats to the UKs critical national infrastructure from hostile cyber operations, RUSIs report concluded.

The cyber threat spectrum is not only relevant to defence but to government as a whole, especially to critical national infrastructure and the broader economy.
With fewer and fewer young people being raised on farms, several Nebraska agricultural boards and councils are again bringing back a program designed to increase agricultural awareness with Nebraska youth and their families.

The Ag Sack Lunch program provides a free lunch and an agriculture-focused learning experience to fourth-graders who come to Lincoln each year to tour the state capitol building as part of their educational curriculum. While they eat their lunch, students hear a presentation about the crops and livestock species that are raised in Nebraska and the important role agriculture plays in Nebraskas economy.

Since the inaugural offering during the 2010-2011 school year, nearly 35,000 student have participated in the Ag Sack Lunch program. It is sponsored by the Nebraska Soybean Board, the Nebraska Pork Producers Association, the Nebraska Corn Board and the Nebraska Beef Council.

The sack lunches consist of Nebraska-produced food items to help students appreciate where their food comes from. They also receive card games called Crazy Soybean and Old Corn Maid, which include ag facts, to take home to play with their families and friends.

Fewer young people are being raised on farms, and the Ag Sack Lunch program does a great job of connecting these fourth-graders to agriculture. Its important students understand the importance of ag and where their food comes from, Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of the Nebraska Corn Board, said in a released statement. Teachers like the program as well. We continue to hear from them how much their students learn while they enjoy their sack lunches.

Each year, over 20,000 fourth-graders visit the State Capitol Building in Lincoln as part of their curriculum. The Ag Sack Lunch Program ties into these visits by inviting teachers to participate in the free program, which educates youth on how their food is grown and produced.

Each 20 minute presentation teaches students about the importance of agriculture to the states economy. Presenters are Ag Ambassadors, which consist of University of Nebraska-Lincoln students trained specifically to conduct these lunchtime sessions.

Pam Schrader, who teaches at Lincoln Christian, said it was a fun treat to have a lunch provided and the information was really good. The kids played card games when we got back to the room. Love those cards and the info on them.

Karolyn Roby, a teacher at Adams Elementary in Omaha, said I love this presentation every year. The kids love the lunch and it must be tasty because they always eat it all. Thank you for a wonderful program.

Ag Sack Lunch invitations have been sent to fourth-grade teachers at 660 elementary schools in 44 eastern Nebraska counties. Reservations for the 2017-2018 school year are limited to 5,000 students on a first-come, first-served basis.

With spots filling up quickly, teachers are urged to sign up as soon as possibleeven if their state capitol tour dates have not been finalized yet.

Reservations can be placed online at agsacklunchprogram.com. For more information, call Karen Brokaw at 402-432-2299.
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Spending on drug and alcohol support services across England has been slashed over the past four years, The Independent can reveal, as death and ill-health linked to substance abuse soars to record levels.

Exclusive figures show that local councils have had to reduce budgets by tens of millions of pounds since 2013, which experts say is creating a vicious cycle that is leaving the needs of seriously vulnerable addicts unmet.

Freedom of Information figures show that the 118 councils that replied are spending a total of 452m on alcohol and drug misuse strategies from public health grants this year, compared with 535m in 2013/14  a cut of 15.5 per cent.

It comes at a time when drug-related deaths across England and Wales are at a record high, with figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showing that 3,744 people were fatally poisoned by drugs in 2016  70 more than the previous year and the highest number since comparable statistics began in 1993.

Hospitals are seeing more than one million admissions relating to alcohol each year, with a review published by Public Health England late last year reporting that alcohol is now the leading risk factor for ill-health, early mortality and disability among 15 to 49-year-olds.

The new figures, obtained by leading addiction firm UK Addiction Treatment (UKAT), have fuelled growing concern over the Governments decision to remove ring-fenced budgets for drug and alcohol treatment in 2012, which saw responsibility for public health passed onto local councils, equating to a real terms cut to local authority budgets.

The Local Government Association (LGA), which comprises local authorities in England and Wales, warned that while councils were committed to tackling substance misuse and providing drug users with adequate support and treatment, cuts to the public health grant were seriously undermining their efforts.

Julie Cooper MP, the Shadow Health Minister, told The Independent the cuts were incredibly short-sighted and would hit the most vulnerable, as well as driving up the demand on an already overstretched NHS.

The Governments cuts to public health budgets are incredibly short-sighted and will hit some of the most vulnerable in our society. Prevention ought to be at the heart of the Governments health strategy but instead they are reducing services that are there to keep people well and out of hospital, she said.

Cutting support for drug and alcohol treatments will put increasing pressure on our already overstretched NHS and will just push these problems off into the future.

A recent report published by the Governments own Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) found that deepening of socio-economic deprivation since the financial crisis of 2008 and lack of access to mainstream mental and physical health services was driving drug-related deaths.

It said policy changes since the Coalition government came into power in 2010 had affected drug users, with the highest rate of deaths coming in areas of Britain that have also experienced the greatest reductions in funding for local authority services and benefits for working age adults.

The figures reveal that Manchester, a city currently gripped by a Spice epidemic, spent 11.9m (or almost 30 per cent) of its public health grant on substance misuse in 2013/14, but is this year spending just shy of 8.5m  only 16 per cent of the total grant.

Lancashire County Council allocated 34 per cent of its budget to drug and alcohol support four years ago, but is now spending 24 per cent, while Kent County Council is now spending 8.2m on tackling substance misuse  3.3m less than it did in 2013 and the lowest amount in the last four years, despite a population increase of around 55,000 people over the same period.

In all, the data shows that while 25 per cent of the grant was spent on drugs and alcohol strategies during 2013/14, this has fallen to 17 per cent in the current financial year  indicating a projected real-terms cash cut of 105.1m in the services across all 152 unitary and upper tier councils in England.

At the 2015 Spending Review, the Government announced a 3.9 per cent real-terms cut in public health funding over the next five years, which drug and alcohol support services fear will exacerbate the countrys drug and alcohol dependency issues, placing further strain on the already stretched emergency services.

Eytan Alexander, Founder of UKAT, said the removal of the protected drug and alcohol treatment budget was a catalyst for disaster and has left councils having to spin even more plates but with access to smaller funds, warning that this would mount more pressure on already stretched emergency services.

Recommended The Government needs to accept that their war on drugs has failed

What our Freedom of Information Requests reveal is that since the Government made the decision to remove the protected drug and alcohol treatment budget, councils have been forced into spinning even more plates with even less money, Mr Alexander said.

This decision was, without a doubt, a catalyst for disaster. Slashing budgets on substance misuse is a false economy as it simply piles the pressure on our already stretched emergency services. The alarming correlation between the real-term cut to Council budgets and the rise in drug-related deaths needs to be addressed and this vicious cycle needs to end.

Paul Hayes, chief executive of Collective Voice, which represents the largest voluntary sector providers of drug and alcohol treatment in the UK, said providers were finding it increasingly difficult to meet the demand, and warned that the true cuts to funding are even higher than the FOI figures suggest.

From our point of view, its gone down by even more than 15 per cent, but its variable across the country. Our estimates are based on the changes in contract value between 2013, when there was protected funding, and now  which is about 25 to 30 per cent. Its incredibly difficult to get accurate numbers, but nobody disputes that theres been a huge reduction in the amount available, he said.

Public Health England and the Governments key advisors both say the most important thing to prevent drug-related deaths is to get people in treatment, so these reductions in investments are putting lives at risk. Its deeply troubling that there isnt enough money in the system to deliver the Governments very sensible aspirations.

Were finding that services are not able to reach out and engage those who are most at risk but who arent voluntarily coming into treatment. Theres an awful lot of unmet need, and the system at the moment isnt able to reach out and deal with those people.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, the LGA Community Wellbeing Board chairman, said: Councils are committed to ensuring drug users get the right support and treatment, and spend more on drug and alcohol treatment than in any other area of public health. This year alone, councils will spend more than 700m on tackling substance misuse.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

However, cuts to the public health grant given by central government to local authorities are seriously undermining this vital work.

A Department of Health spokesperson said: Local authorities are best placed to make choices about services for their community which is why decisions about public health spending sit with them. To help, we are giving them 16bn over the current spending period to deliver these services.

Figures show drug abuse and alcohol consumption are falling, but we will not be complacent. We have shown that we are willing to take tough action to protect the publics health  as the first country in Europe to legislate for standardised packaging of cigarettes, by introducing a comprehensive Drugs Strategy and in publishing a world-leading childhood obesity plan.

For support with drug and alcohol issues, visit UKATs website or call 0808 250 3801.
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Labour would consider implementing a federal government structure if it won power in Westminster, Jeremy Corbyn has said.

The party's leader said his government would look at "all options around devolution" if he became Prime Minister and would look at handing more powers to English regions as well as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The party's Scottish leader Kezia Dugdale has previously proposed radical constitutional reforms that would lead to replace the House of Lords with an elected federal senate.

The reforms, seen as an alternative to independence, were overwhelmingly supported at Scottish Labour's conference in February.

Mr Corbyn was asked about the proposal as he visited Glasgow with Ms Dugdale earlier this week, as part of a five-day campaigning tour of marginal constituencies.

"We are going to be looking at all options around devolution, about powers that are currently held in Brussels going to the nations and regions of England," he told STV. "We'll also be looking at the future structure of an upper chamber, of what the House of Lords will look like in a democratic Britain, and obviously we'll look at devolution in that context."

Pressed on whether federalism was an option, he said: "Everything is on the table."

In its manifesto ahead of the snap General Election in June, Labour pledged to establish a constitutional convention to advise on reforming "the way Britain works at a fundamental level".

It said: "The convention will look at extending democracy locally, regionally and nationally, considering the option of a more federalised country."

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty

During the Scotland trip, Mr Corbyn also said he backed powers from devolved policy areas such as agriculture and fishing returning going to devolved nations when they return from the EU.

It comes after Theresa May's government was accused of an unashamed "power grab" in its Brexit Repeal Bill.

Scotland's First Minister and Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones this week joined forces to reject the legislation, which would initially transfer EU responsibilities in devolved areas to Westminster.

Mr Corbyn said: "We absolutely agree on the importance of those powers going to Scotland and Wales, and to English regions for that matter."
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A Libyan military band greeted Boris Johnson with a rendition of the British national anthem, but the Foreign Secretary might be forgiven if he failed to recognise it.

The brass band struggled through God Save the Queen as troops welcomed Mr Johnson to the troubled city of Benghazi.

Their faltering performance inadvertently provided a moment of levity ahead of talks between the Foreign Secretary and Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army.

Mr Johnson's reaction to the rendition was not caught on camera, but the band was widely mocked after footage was posted on social media.

Historian Niall Ferguson joked the performance "wonderfully captures the spirit" of Mr Johnson, who has himself been accused of embarrassing Britain on the world stage.

The MP arrived in the Libyan city earlier this week, where he urged the country's leaders to restore peace and stability.

He said a secure and stable Libya was "firmly in the UK interests" and would be better equipped to deal with the threat from terrorism and the challenge of migration.

The head of Libya's unity government issued a warning this week that Europe faced a growing risk from terrorists unless it did more to help his country stem the massive tide of illegal migrants.

Boris Johnson's reaction to the brass band was not documented, but may have been something like this (PA)

Earlier this week Mr Johnson announced more than 9 million of UK funding to help stabilise Libya and tackle the threat of terrorism and people-trafficking.

Libya has been riven by unrest and division since the 2011 ousting of Muammar Gaddafi.

This was the first visit to Benghazi by a government minister since 2011 and the first time that the Foreign Secretary had met Field Marshall Heftar.
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A Texas mayor reportedly told residents who did not evacuate before Hurricane Harvey hit to write their social security numbers on their arms.

As the southern state braced for the storm, Patrick Rios, mayor of the small city of Rockport, which was thought to be directly in the storm's path, said people should leave the coastal community or make themselves easily identifiable.

Were suggesting if people are going to stay here, mark their arm with a Sharpie pen with their name and social security number, Mr Rios told a press conference. We hate to talk about things like that. It's not something we like to do but its the reality, people dont listen.

Five cities, including Rockport, and seven counties issued mandatory evacuations ahead of the storm, while several other areas issued voluntary evacuations.

Harvey made landfall in Rockport after quickly gathering force above the Gulf of Mexico. It hit the coast as a category four storm, with maximum winds of 130mph.

According to initial reports by KIII-TV, 10 people were treated in Rockport after the storm hit.

Several people were taken to the countys prison for assessment and treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed, Rockport city manager Kevin Carruth said.

He added that the city courthouse has sustained major damage and a cargo trailer had rolled into the building. Rockports historic downtown area was also been heavily damaged, he said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. 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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Rockport volunteer fire department spokeswoman Gillian Cox told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times that the roof of Rockports high school had partly collapsed.

But she said social media posts that the school has disappeared were inaccurate.

The storm is forecast to head towards Houston, which is vulnerable to flooding.

Both Texas and Louisiana declared a state of emergency. Harvey is the first major hurricane to hit the US in 12 years.
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Hurricane Harvey has made landfall, stalling over the Texas coast and expected to cause "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding".

The National Weather Service's National Hurricane Centre also predicted up to 40 inches (102 cm) of rainfall in some areas on the southeast coast.

The hurricane hit Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with winds of up to 130 mph (209 kmh), but it has been downgraded to a Category 1 with sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kmh).

Despite the downgrade, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long called it a "deadly inland event" as the storm progressed through the night.

The major damage to schools, public buildings, and several homes has been worst in and around Rockport, Texas, a community of about 10,000 people just northeast of Corpus Christi.

Emergency personnel - including local and state authorities - in the coastal community say theres broad damage to buildings.

Rockport Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Sims told ABC News that early on 26 August that firefighters were taking cover at the citys fire station, where they have been forced to wait for conditions to improve to respond to 25 to 30 emergency calls.

"As soon as the weather permits us, the winds get anywhere reasonable. We have been working on lists trying to prioritise the calls that we have waiting."

Residents of coastal cities and seven counties were urged to evacuate, but Rockport Mayor pro tem Patrick Rios warned: "if people are going to stay here, [they should] mark their arm with a Sharpie pen with their name and Social Security number."

"We hate to talk about things like that...It's not something we like to do but its the reality, people dont listen," he said to ABC News.

In the afternoon of 26 August, Texas Governor Greg Abbott added 20 counties to the state's disaster declaration.

He pledged "all available resources" to the affected counties for search and rescue efforts as well as other matters.

There have been 338,000 power outages along the coast reported.

The mayor of Port Aransas, Texas Charles Bujan reported that a local trailer park experienced "100 per cent loss" according to the mayor, but it remains unclear if all the reported deaths are from the park.

The mayor of Rockport CJ Wax reported that one person has been killed, trapped in his home during a fire sparked by the storm. He was found early morning on 26 August by firemen.

The US Coast Guard has been continuously responding to distress calls from tugboats and other boats along the coast near Corpus Christie. They have dispatched at least two helicopter crews for assistance.

 Hurricane Harvey seen approaching Texas from space

The Texas Military Department had deployed approximately 700 members of the State Guard and National Guard to the coastal region just ahead of the storm as well.

By mid-morning the hurricane had been downgraded to a Category 1, but rain and high winds continued to pummel the coast as the storm stalled over the area.

Despite the downgrade, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long called it a "deadly inland event" as the storm progressed through the night.

Texas officials have evacuated thousands of inmates from prisons due to flooding from Hurricane Harvey.

Prisons in Brazoria County south of Houston, Texas is in particular danger as nearby Brazos River rises.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) says about 4,500 inmates from the Ramsey, Terrell, and Stringfellow Units in Rosharon are being taken by bus to other prisons in east Texas. They are being accompanied by additional police officers and prison staff to assist with the evacuation.

Additional food and water has been delivered to the prisons receiving the displaced inmates.

TDCJ has also set up an emergency command center for the storm, which has been and will continue to operate 24 hours a day for the duration of the state of emergency period.

It also said in a statement that former prisoners out on conditional releaase were given instruction to report specified evacuation addresses. "High-risk parolees" were moved to facilities outside of the flood zone as well.
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One person has been killed in a house fire as Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, it has been confirmed.

Rockport mayor Charles J. Wax said in a news conference on Saturday that the victim was found after the storm passed inland.

He did not provide additional information about the victim.

Elsewhere, Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan has heard from local police that the Pioneer Trailer Park in the town experienced a "100-percent loss".

There have also been prolonged mobile and phone signal outages in the area.

Search and rescue efforts are underway, but are hampered by large debris and continued winds and rain.

"We had to send heavy maintenance equipment in before the police to clear the highway," Mr Bujan told a local news station.

Residents of several coastal cities and seven counties had been strongly urged to evacuate inland, however at least 5,000 residents stayed in the area.

Mr Bujan also said: "No one should consider returning or visiting Port Aransas until further notice."

Earlier, the US Coast Guard had been dispatched to answer distress calls from tugboat near Port Aransas. Two helicopter crews were dispatched to the Corpus Christi area as well.

The Texas Military Department had deployed approximately 700 members of the State Guard and National Guard to the coastal region just ahead of the storm as well.

Harvey made landfall late on the night of 25 August as a Category 4 hurricane with winds up to 130 mph (209 kmh). The National Weather Service's National Hurricane Center said rainfall is expected to be around 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm) but could reach up to 40 inches (102 cm) in some areas.

By mid-morning the hurricane had been downgraded to a Category 1, but rain and high winds continued to pummel the coast as the storm stalled over the area.

Despite the downgrade, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long called it a "deadly inland event" as the storm progressed through the night.

The major damage to schools, public building, and several homes seems to be in and around Rockport, Texas, a community of about 10,000 people just northeast of Corpus Christi.
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Winds of up to 130mph have battered the Texas coast as the fiercest storm in over a decade lashes the US mainland, threatening devastating flooding.

Hurricane Harvey reached land north-east of Corpus Christi at around 10pm local time (4am BST) after thousands of people fled their homes on the Gulf Coast to escape the Category 4 storm.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott had warned the monster weather system would trigger "a very major disaster" and drew fearful comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest to ever strike the US.

Harvey is expected to move slowly over the Texas and Louisiana coast for days, with forecasters predicting sea level surges of up to 13ft (4m) and more than 3ft (90cm) of rain.

The town of Rockport appeared to be one of the hardest hit, hours after its mayor told anyone who chose not to evacuate to write their names on their arms for identification in case of death or injury.

A high school, a hotel, an elderly housing complex and other buildings suffered structural damage, according to emergency services and local media. Some were being used as shelters.

A power generator tips in the wind in front ofChristusSpohnHospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, as Hurricane Harvey hits (CourtneySacco/Corpus Christi Caller-Times via AP) (Courtney Sacco/Corpus Christi Caller-Times via AP)

"Right now we're still hunkered down and can't go anywhere," said Steve Sims, Rockport's volunteer fire chief.

"We've heard rumours of 1,000 different things. We can't confirm anything because we haven't seen anything. We know we've got a lot of problems, but we don't know what yet."

Mr Sims said power, internet and most mobile phone service was down in the town of 10,000 people, about two thirds of whom fled. Elderly people and nursing home residents were among the first to be evacuated.

As many as six million people are believed to be in Harvey's path, as are oil refineries, chemical plants and the dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

The storm's impact on refineries has already pushed up gasoline prices while the US Environmental Protection Agency lifted some rules on gasoline to reduce shortages.

Donald Trump, facing the first large-scale natural disaster of his presidency, said on Twitter he had signed a disaster proclamation which "unleashes the full force of government help" shortly before Harvey made landfall.

A motorist drives through heavy rain before the approaching Hurricane Harvey hits Corpus Christi (AFP/Getty Images)

Fuelled by the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Harvey became the first Category 4 hurricane to lash the United States since Charley in 2004 and the first to hit Texas since Carla in 1961.

About 30 miles (45 km) from Corpus Christi and moving north-west, Harvey caused scattered power outages both on the coast near Galveston and 100 miles (160 km) inland.

"In the dark, internet out, ham radio not working. Is anybody out there? Alone trying not to be scared," Donna McClure, of Corpus Christi, tweeted as the storm made landfall.

While thousands fled the expected devastating flooding and destruction, many residents stayed put in imperilled towns and stocked up on food, fuel and sandbags, drawing the ire of authorities.

"We're suggesting if people are going to stay here, mark their arm with a Sharpie pen with their name and social security number," interim Rockport mayor Patrick Rios told reporters before it hit.

He added: "We hate to talk about things like that. It's not something we like to do but it's the reality. People don't listen."

A NASA handout shows an image taken from the International Space Station of Hurricane Harvey approaching Texas (EPA)

As a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Harvey could uproot trees, destroy homes and disrupt utilities for days. It is the first major hurricane, of Category 3 or more, to hit the mainland US since Wilma struck Florida in 2005.

Harvey's size and strength also dredged up memories of Katrina, the 2005 hurricane that made a direct hit on New Orleans as a Category 3 storm, causing levees and flood walls to fail in dozens of places.

About 1,800 died in the disaster made worse by a slow government emergency response.

Corpus Christi, a city of 320,000, was under voluntary evacuation for Harvey. As the storm churned toward land, high winds rocked the few remaining cars circulating, littered streets palm tree debris and rocked sailboats in their docks.

CraigUggen, 57, drives through waters as Hurricane Harvey comes ashore in Corpus Christi (Reuters)

Jose Rengel, a 47-year-old who works in construction, said he was one of the few people in Jamaica Beach in Galveston that did not heed a voluntary evacuation order.

"All the shops are empty," he said as the sky turned black and rain poured. "It's like a tornado went in and swept everything up."

With the hurricane lashing the Texas coast, at least three cruise ships operated by Carnival Corp with thousands of passengers aboard were forced to change their plans to sail for the Port of Galveston.

Two of them headed New Orleans to pick up fresh supplies, while the third delayed its departure from Cozumel, Mexico.

Louisiana and Texas declared states of disaster, authorising the use of state resources to prepare.

The National Hurricane Centre's latest tracking model shows the storm sitting south-west of Houston for more than a day, giving the nation's fourth most populous city a double dose of rain and wind.

The city's authorities warned residents of flooding from close to 20 inches (60 cm) of rain over several days.

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

Petrol stations on the south Texas coast were running out of fuel as residents fled the region. US gas prices spiked as the storm shut down 22 per cent of Gulf of Mexico oil production, according to the US government.

More than 45 per cent of the country's refining capacity is along the Gulf Coast, and nearly a fifth of the nation's crude oil is produced offshore.

Ports from Corpus Christi to Texas City were closed to incoming vessels and Shell, Anadarko, Exxon Mobil and others have evacuated staff from offshore oil and gas platforms.
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A mysterious and elusive Amazonian monkey has been spotted in the wild for the first time in 80 years.

The Vanzolini bald-faced saki has shaggy black hair and distinctive golden legs and was first documented in 1936.

A team which undertook an expedition to the rainforest in Brazil in 1956 encountered only dead monkeys, meaning Laura Marsh, director of the Global Conservation Institute, was the first to see one alive in eight decades, during a recent trek.

The saki expert told National Geographic: "I was trembling and so excited I could barely take a picture."

Dr Marsh organised her "Houseboat Amazon" team to document the biodiversity in the region near Brazil's border with Perubut with a special focus on finding the Vanzolini saki.

They accomplished the mission on the fourth day, National Geographic reported.

It was spotted running among the trees on all fours. Lacking the prehensile tail of other monkeys, it moves more like a cat, Dr Marsh told the site.
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North Korea fired three short-range missiles into the sea , South Korea and the US said, as the pair conducted their annual military drills.

While the partnership says the exercises help them defend themselves, the isolationist state has long claimed they are preparations for launching nuclear war.

The US military's Pacific Command said it detected three short-range ballistic missiles, fired over a 20 minute period.

Two of the Norths missiles flew about 250km (155 miles) off the countrys east coast, the US military said, while one appeared to explode almost immediately. It was initially thought all of the missiles had failed.

North Korea threatened to surround the American territory of Guam with a sea of fire earlier this month, but Pacific Command said neither the US mainland or the island was threatened by the most recent launch.

The act of aggression follows a period of relative calm between the US and the North, with senior American officials praising the communist country for showing restraint by not firing any missiles since the end of July.

North Korea's last missile test on 28 July was for an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to fly 10,000 km (6,200 miles). That would put parts of the US mainland within reach and prompted heated exchanges that raised fears of a new conflict on the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles fired on Saturday were launched from the North's eastern Kangwon province into the sea.

Later, the South Korean Presidential Blue House said the North may have fired an upgraded 300-mm calibre multiple rocket launcher, but the military was still analysing the precise details of the projectiles.

 Mark Steel: The upsides of burning in a nuclear holocaust from North Korea

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missiles did not reach its territory or exclusive economic zone and did not pose a threat to Japan's safety.

The White House said Donald Trump had been briefed about the latest missiles but did not immediately have further comment.

The launches came within days of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praising the North with showing restraint by not launching a missile since the July ICBM test.

He said that a path could be opening for dialogue sometime in the near future.

Mr Trump also expressed optimism earlier this week about a possible improvement in relations. I respect the fact that he is starting to respect us, Mr Trump said of Kim Jong-Un.

North Korea's state media reported on Saturday that Mr Kim had guided a contest of amphibious landing and aerial strike by its army against targets modelled after South Korean islands near the sea border on the west coast.

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

The official KCNA news agency quoted Mr Kim as telling its Army that it should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea.

Within hours of the launch a new poster on a North Korean propaganda website showed a missile dealing a retaliatory strike of justice against the US mainland, threatening to wipe out the United States, the source of evil, without a trace.

Mr Kim ordered the production of more rocket engines and missile warheads during a visit to a facility associated with North Korea's ballistic missile programme.

Diagrams and what appeared to be missile parts shown in photographs published in the North's state media suggested Pyongyang was pressing ahead with building a longer-range ballistic missile that could potentially reach any part of the US mainland including Washington.

Reuters contributed to this report
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Thailands former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who was facing up to ten years in prison if convicted for charges of negligence, has fled to Dubai, according to senior members of her party.

The politician reportedly flew to Dubai where her brother, another former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a prison sentence for corruption.

She had pleaded not guilty to the charge, which relates to a rice-buying policy she implemented after becoming the countrys first female Prime Minister in 2011.

We heard that she went to Cambodia and then Singapore from where she flew to Dubai. She has arrived safely and is there now, said a senior member of the Puea Thai Pary speaking anonymously to Reuters.

Up to 3,000 supporters gathered outside the court in Bangkok on Friday where Ms Yingluck was due to hear a verdict in the negligence trial against her.

After the 50-year-old failed to show up at the appointed hour, the court issued a statement saying she had cited a health problem as the reason for the no-show.

The court did not accept her excuse as a valid reason and moved the verdict to 27 September before issuing a warrant for the arrest of the former Prime Minister. Her bail money was also confiscated.

Deputy national police chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul said police had no record of Ms Yingluck, 50, leaving the country and were following developments closely.

Immigration police have said they will arrest her on the spot if they find her in the country.

National police spokesman Dechnarong Suticharnbancha said police are still investigating reports that Ms Yingluck had fled Thailand - a country with a long border.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the government should not comment on Ms Yinglucks case and her whereabouts.

Its a matter for police to proceed with the arrest warrant, Mr Wissanu told reporters, adding that her whereabouts will be clear soon.

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 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just 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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. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

Overthrown by a military coup in 2014 after just three years as Prime Minister, Ms Yingluck was facing up to ten years in prison if found guilty.

The rice subsidy programme, introduced in 2011, pledged to pay farmers far in excess of the market rate for their crop, but ended up costing the country billions.

Critics said that while it pleased rural voters, it wasted 8 billion of public funds while damaging exports and leaving the government with huge stockpiles of rice it was unable to sell without making a loss.

Ms Yingluck's former commerce minister was jailed for 42 years this week in a related case.

The Shinawatra family have dominated Thai politics for years, with parties led or backed by them winning every general election since 2001.

The wealthy family enjoys strong support among poorer voters in rural areas but has been accused of nepotism and corruption by the Bangkok-based establishment.

Thaksin was Prime Minister from 2001-2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup.

He fled to Dubai before he was convicted in his absence of having used his position to increase his personal wealth.

Ms Yingluck is the youngest of the nine children with a background in business and campaigned on a populist platform of poverty eradication and corporate income tax reduction, winning by a landslide in 2011.

She was forced from office by the Constitutional Court of Thailand following mass protests against her government and months of political unrest.

In 2016, she pledged to see her trial through and said she had never considered leaving the country.

Ms Yingluck's no-show was a big surprise to most people in Thailand, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University, told CNN.

The way that she had fought, it had looked like she was willing to go through with (the trial).

Mr Thitinan added that Ms Yingluck's decision to skip the verdict hearing will have emboldened the military government.

They would not have wanted to put her in jail, in this scenario, (but her failure to turn up for the verdict) puts her on the back foot and gives them an edge.

Additional reporting by Reuters
Today

American Red Cross blood drive, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Bakers, Fremont. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

HomeStore, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., 701 E. Dodge St., Fremont. The HomeStore sells donated items at discounted prices. Proceeds support the mission of Fremont Area Habitat for Humanity.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

American Red Cross blood drive, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Fremont Mall. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

20th Annual Barbecue and Quilt Auction, 10 a.m., Calvin Crest Camp Conference & Retreat Center, 2870 County Road 13, Fremont. Quilts will be on display at 10 a.m. The barbecue lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. The cost is $10 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-9. A silent auction is planned from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The live quilt auction starts at 1 p.m. in the air-conditioned Proett Center on the camp grounds. Live online bidding will be available at www.proxibid.com/calvincrest.

Storytime, 11-11:30 a.m., Keene Memorial Library auditorium, 1030 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous womens heart to heart group, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous open meeting, 7:30 p.m., United Faith Church, 218 W. Gardiner St., Valley.

Narcotics Anonymous Lie Is Dead Group, 8 p.m., Care Corps, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Sunday

Fremont Rotary Club Fly-in Breakfast, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Fremont Municipal Airport, 1203 W. 23rd St. Boy Scout Troop 104 will be serving pancakes, sausages, juice and coffee. Tickets are $5 and may be purchased in advance from any Rotarian or by calling 402-727-2610. Tickets also may be purchased at the gate. All proceeds will be used to fund area youth activities.

Alcoholics Anonymous Happy Sober Sunday Group, 9 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Seekers of Serenity Group, 10:30 a.m., Care Corps, 723 N. Broad St., Fremont.

Dance featuring live music by The Pretenders, 3-6 p.m., Izaak Walton Club House, Fremont. The event will feature classic music from the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Those attending may bring their own snacks/drinks. The bar will be open. Admission is $10 per person.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous Point of Freedom Group, 7 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Education Building, west of the church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Enter through the rear door.

Alcoholics Anonymous Sunday speaker, 7:30 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Monday

TOPS Club (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), 9 a.m., First United Methodist Church, 850 N. Broad St., Fremont. Weigh-ins begin at 8 a.m. Visitors (preteens, teens and adults  male and female) are welcome. The first meeting is free. For more information, call Janet Bloemker at 402-721-8952.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 10 a.m., Chapter 5 Club, 136 N. Main St., Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, noon, Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

American Red Cross blood drive, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Veterans Country Club, 1581 Yutan Road, Yutan. To schedule an appointment, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 800-733-2767.

Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, 5:15 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.

Narcotics Anonymous basic text study, 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Education Building, west of the church, 1440 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Enter through the rear door.

Prairie Piecemakers, 6:30 p.m., Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1544 E. Military Ave., Fremont. Members meet at 6:30 p.m. for refreshments and the meeting starts at 7 p.m. Guests are always welcome. The program will be Gone to the Dogs presented by Carol Elmore of Manhattan, Kansas.

Celebrate Recovery, 7-9 p.m., Sanctuary Church, 1640 W. Military Ave., Fremont. Childcare is available.

Celebrate Recovery, 7 p.m., Fremont Church of the Nazarene, 960 Johnson Road.

Fibromyalgia Support Group, 7 p.m., Health Park Plaza Conference Room 5, Fremont.

Alcoholics Anonymous 12x12 meeting, 8 p.m., Chapter 5 Club, Fremont.
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A man who attacked soldiers in Brussels with a knife was shouting Allahu Akbar, prosecutors have confirmed.

A spokesperson for the Belgian federal prosecutors office said the suspected terrorist was a Belgian citizen of Somali origin born in 1987.

He attacked three soldiers patrolling in the central Boulevard Emile Jacqmain shortly before 8.30pm local time (7.30pm BST) on Friday.

The man rushed towards the soldiers and attacks them from behind with a knife, whilst shouting Allahu Akbar, a spokesperson said.

One of the soldiers opened fire and hit the man twice. The man later died in the hospital as a result of his injuries.

The man was in the possession of a firearm replica and two Quran books. Two of the soldiers where lightly injured.

Belgian police and soldiers at the scene where a man attacked soldiers with a knife in Brussels on 25 August (Reuters)

The federal prosecutors office has handed the investigation to a specialist anti-terrorist judge and the case has been classed as attempted terrorist murder.

Thomas da Silva Rosa, who lives near where the attacker struck, said he saw the man lying in the street.

The station was already blocked by police at the scene and there was a man lying on the ground, he said.

The police said he had been shot by soldiers. He was lying on the ground, appeared dead.

The attacker was not named but officials said he was of Somali origin and arrived in Belgium in 2004, becoming a citizen two years ago.

The attacker is not known for terrorist activities, but for one fact of assault and battery in February 2017, a spokesperson added.

Police searched his home in Bruges overnight as the investigation into his motives and any possible network continues.

Belgian police and soldiers at the scene where a man attacked soldiers with a knife in Brussels on 25 August (Reuters)

The attack, which came just an hour before two police officers were attacked outside Buckingham Palace in London, follows a series of similar assaults across Europe.

Soldiers and police have repeatedly been targeted by lone extremists in France, Belgium and Germany, using weapons including knives, machetes, a hammer and a car filled with homemade explosives.

Isis has been intensifying calls for terror attacks on the countries bombing it as part of the US-led coalition, issuing detailed advice on carrying out stabbings, vehicle rammings and making explosives.

Officials, including security minister Ben Wallace, have warned that the threat is increasing as Isis loses territory in Iraq and Syria, with the group turning to attacks as a means of maintaining momentum and publicity.

I think the threat is still increasing, partly driven by the fact Isis is collapsing in Syria and people are either unable to get out there to fight for Isis and so they look to do something at home, or also because people have come back and tried to inspire people with their stories and tales of the caliphate, Mr Wallace said last week, echoing concerns raised by analysts across Europe.

In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Show all 30 1 /30 In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man carries an injured person in Brussels Airport, after explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Travellers get to their feet in a smoke filled terminal at Brussels Airport after explosions In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man is wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A man speaks on a mobile phone in Brussels Airport, after the explosions ripped through the departure hall In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Belgian police officers detain a man at the Gare du Midi train station in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A police officer stands guard as people are evacuated from Brussels airport, after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People stand near Brussels airport after being evacuated following explosions that rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Crew and passengers are evacuated from Zaventem Bruxelles International Airport after an attack in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers gather near Brussels airport in Zaventem, following its evacuation after blasts rocked the main terminal of Brussels airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Two women wounded in Brussels Airport in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers and airport staff are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Broken windows seen at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People are evacuated from the scene after two explosions were heard at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Brussels Airport after evacuation In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People leave the airport area after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Passengers comfort each other as they are evacuated from the terminal building after explosions at Brussels Airport in Zaventem In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People react as they walk away from Brussels airport after explosions rocked the facility in Brussels In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services attend the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Injured people at the scene at Brussels Airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport People wait outside of the Zaventem airport after two explosions were heard PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Brussels Airport In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A view of the scene after the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Emergency services at the scene of explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels Reuters In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport The view of the Brussels airport after the explosion PA In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport Smoke is seen at Brussels airport in Brussels AP In pictures: Terror attacks at Brussels airport A photo shows cars on a blocked highway near Zaventem, Brussels National airport, after two explosions rocked the main hall of Brussels Airport Getty Images

Brussels was the location of the first Isis-linked attack in Europe, where a militant killed four people at the Jewish Museum of Belgium in May 2014.

The city has since been hit by a series of bombings that killed 32 people at Brussels Airport and a Metro station in March 2016, a machete attack on police officers in October last year and an attempted bombing at Brussels Central Station in June.

The Belgian capital is considered one of the major hubs of jihadi activity and radicalisation in Europe and was the home of most members of the Isis super cell behind the November 2015 Paris attacks and Brussels bombings.

According to estimates, Belgium has produced the highest number of Isis members per capita in the EU, seeing hundreds of extremists travel to Iraq and Syria since the founding of the so-called Islamic State in 2014.

Charles Michel, the Belgian Prime Minister, said he was following the situation closely after Fridays attack.

All our support is with our soldiers, he wrote on Twitter. Our security services remain on alert.

Soldiers and extra police have been deployed at public buildings and around large gatherings in Belgium for more than a year, amid heightened security across Europe.
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An Isis recruit has become the unlikely face of a wave of Spanish Twitter memes after releasing a video threatening Spain with more violence in the wake of the Barcelona attacks that killed 15 people.

The video, circulated last week by the extremist group, showed a young Spanish-speaking extremist threatening to wage war on the country.

But Twitter users have responded by flooding the site with memes of the man, pasting his face on bullfighters and dubbing over the video with rap music.

One widely-circulated post shows the bearded man as a Youtube blogger asking for viewers to like and subscribe to his channel.

Another sees him rapping along to a reggaeton track dubbed the "official ISIS remix."

"When you see me, I know youre trembling," the fighter raps in a version of Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunnys hit "Tu No Metes Cabra".

Another showed him saying "An authentic paella is made WITHOUT seafood", following last year's Spanish backlash to British chef Jamie Oliver attempting to make an authentic version of the rice dish using mussels and chorizo.

Spanish media, citing police sources, claimed the fighter in the video is 22-year-old Muhammad Yasin Ahram Perez, who was born in Cordoba and moved to Syria in 2014 to join Isis with his mother and brothers.

The original video saw him threaten to avenge Muslims killed in the Spanish Inquisition in the 15th century, and rebuild "Al Andalus", the medieval Muslim territory which occupied most of modern Spain and Portugal.

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 memes have been praised as a sign of the resilience of the Spanish people, after being subjected to two devastating attacks on 17 and 18 August.

Isis claimed responsibility for the attacks which saw jihadists plough a van into crowds on Barcelona's Las Ramblas - its most famous avenue - and then later assault the Catalan seaside resort of Cambrils.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Ukraine, once home to thousands of Soviet nuclear ICBMs, continues to produce missiles today as it faces a Russian-backed insurgency in the countries east. Another Cold War remnant in Ukraine appears to be spycraft, which allowed the country to trick and capture two North Korean spies.

Authorities in Ukraine told CNN that the North Koreans sought "ballistic missiles, missile systems, missile construction, spacecraft engines, solar batteries, fast-emptying fuel tanks, mobile launch containers, powder accumulators and military government standards," to bring home to Pyongyang, according to CNN.

The specific plans the spies thought they were capturing showed schematics for the SS-24 Scalpel intercontinental ballistic missile, a Soviet-designed missile that can carry 10 independently targetable warheads across vast distances. Such a weapon would be a massive improvement over North Korea's current fledgling ICBM fleet.

But the designs photographed by the North Koreans were fake, and moments after the cameras flashed authorities broke into the room and detained them. The spies are now serving eight years in prison.

Ukraine may have released the footage to CNN after a report from the International Institute of Strategic Studies alleged that North Koreans had somehow obtained rocket engine designs from Ukraine. Ukraine has strongly pushed back on that accusation, and other missile experts have since disputed it.

Read more:

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Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2017. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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The words of Benjamin Disraeli echo down the ages. In 1872, the fourth year of William Gladstones first government, Disraeli invited Manchester Conservatives to consider the Liberal Cabinet: You behold a range of exhausted volcanoes. Not a flame flickers on a single pallid crest.

All governments seem tired eventually, but Theresa Mays prematurely reached the exhausted volcano phase when it lost its majority in June. It seemed that she was bound to be replaced as Prime Minister, but when the Conservative Party surveyed the Cabinet for alternatives, not a flame flickered on a single pallid crest.

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, still seemed a broken man after his failure to take the crown dashed from his head by Michael Gove a year before. David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, had impressed with his pragmatic approach to the most difficult brief, but that is not exactly a flame and he was still another failed leadership candidate from a previous contest. Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, was too much of a Remainer and in any case he is no Krakatoa either.

So she stayed by inertia and the Conservative Party put off the decision about how it would fend off the threat of Corbynism until after the great big unknown of Brexit, now just 19 months away.

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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of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will 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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. 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But journalism abhors a vacuum, which is why the speculation about Jacob Rees-Mogg, the MP for North East Somerset, took on a life of its own over the summer. It would be unusual for someone who has held no frontbench post to succeed to the leadership of a major party, but after Jeremy Corbyns rise it would be unwise to rule it out.

Of course, Labour was in opposition when it chose Corbyn, whereas the Conservatives will probably change leader while still in government. Even so, the old assumptions cannot be relied on. No wonder there is a hint of panic in Matthew Parriss column in The Times today, in which he calls for all parties to return to giving their MPs the final choice of who should lead them. He does not trust the 150,000 Tory party members to resist the lure of Moggmania.

One of the most interesting things that happened this week, therefore, was that Boris Johnson gave an interview to the BBC Radio 4 Today programme. This is not notable in itself, but what was interesting was the Foreign Secretarys tone. He was calm and bluster-free. He discussed Libya and Syria as if he knew what he was talking about. He made the surprising point that there may be several transition periods applying to different aspects of our relationship with the EU after Brexit, which disarmed Mishal Husains line of questioning. And he was clear that President Trumps comments on Charlottesville were totally wrong because he failed to make a distinction between fascists and anti-fascists.

The only point on which Johnson was evidently evasive was when he was asked about counting students in the immigration figures. He was very pro students, he said, and there is no limit on the numbers, but he wouldnt say whether he thought they should be included in the immigration statistics. That will have done him no harm at all on the liberal wing of the party. Perhaps a flame flickers on this particular pallid crest after all.

 Boris Johnson thanks Australian Foreign Minister for compression tights

It's something I found surprising. I thought Johnson was coming to terms with never being prime minister, having discovered, when Gove denounced him, that he lacked that last necessary bit of confidence in himself. The Alan Johnson or Chuka Umunna flaw, if you like. And maybe the new subdued Johnson is one who is reconciled to an elder stately role rather than the top job. But I doubt it.

Johnsons stock has fallen since the referendum, with the public and with party members. But Corbyn showed, among Labour Party members in 2015 and among the wider public in the general election, that these standings can change quickly. That could apply to a new challenger, too, whether it is Rees-Mogg or someone else.

Politics changes so fast that someone could erupt from the ministerial ranks with all the suddenness of the Rees-Mogg phenomenon, but such a candidate has yet to be identified. The best prospect is Ruth Davidson, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, who has the energy of a toddler on a sugar rush, as Ayesha Hazarika, the comic who used to work for Harriet Harman, put it. But she is a member of the wrong parliament, and if she could be smuggled into the House of Commons at a by-election she would face the special resentment MPs reserve for their fellows who arrived more recently.

It is of course pointless to speculate about the next Tory leader while we do not even know if Theresa May will see Brexit through. So lets speculate. Having thought that Johnson was finished, I now wonder if this particular volcano is still active.
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If Donald Trump had read this anecdote from a book by a former British Army Officer, the Afghan strategy he laid out on Monday might have been different.

In 2011, an American general in Helmand a province in southern Afghanistan  brought together a group of village elders to win them over to the coalition cause. After the elders voiced their concerns, it was time for him to respond. He stood up and said: Over the last thirty years, Afghanistan has been plagued by terrorists and Mujahedin... I am here to clear them from the country.

At this point the mood in the room changed and a frenzied chatter broke out. Why?

Many of the village elders, the very people the general was so keen to win over, were the ex-Mujahedin. A similar ignorance of local dynamics was on display again in Trumps speech.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

There were at least two clear changes in the new Trump strategy for Afghanistan. First, Trump put all tact aside and rebuked Pakistan in the most stinging terms, saying the US would no longer allow it to provide a safe havens for terrorists. The second change was a surprising call for India to do more in Afghanistan. On this he said, ...we want [India] to help us more with Afghanistan.

President Trump may not have realised this, but these two policies directly contradict each other. In fact, applying both policies in the same strategy shows a dangerous lack of awareness of why Pakistan has been playing both sides by supporting Nato while simultaneously harbouring militant groups, including the Talibans powerful Haqqani network.

A key reason Pakistan harbours Afghan terrorists is to protect itself from India. The two nuclear-powered neighbours have been in three major wars since independence and their relationship is perpetually charged. Some see instability in Afghanistan as creating an essential space to retreat and regroup if the more powerful Indian Army attacks.

Pakistan is also wary of Indian influence in Afghanistan military or otherwise  because it could leave them exposed on two borders. So, asking India to increase its involvement in Afghanistan was about the best way of making sure Pakistan continues its policy of abetting terrorists. It amounts to calling for calm while also setting the house on fire.

 Trump spiritual adviser: When you oppose Trump, you are "fighting against the hand of god"

There were two other problems with this approach of talking to both Pakistan and India. First, Pakistan is a recalcitrant yet critical ally in the War on Terror and critical Nato supply routes go through the country. Pakistani leaders must have been left fuming when Trump asked their nuclear nemesis to intervene in their backyard.

Antagonising it may backfire, because what Islamabad is likely to do now is grow even closer to China. China is already planning to spend $55bn as part of a new infrastructure project and its growing military partnership is underlined by a Pentagon report suggesting it wants to open a military base in Pakistan. The speech threatens to push Pakistan further into Chinas arms.

Finally, calling on India to do more simply will not work. India does not share a border with Afghanistan and their relationship is quite sour. They signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement in 2011, but India has sometimes refused to even schedule bilateral meetings; it feels the current president, Ashraf Ghani, has been too close to Pakistan for its taste. If India had the will to do more in Afghanistan, it would have already done so. Its a game India has chosen not to play and Trumps invitation will not change that.

So, calling for India to do more in Afghanistan was an error with high costs and no benefits. It angered Pakistan and is unlikely to move India into action. Clausewitz, the Prussian general and military thinker once said: The supreme, the most far-reaching act of judgement that the statesman and commander have to make is to establishthe kind of war on which they are embarking. Trump does not seem to know the war he is fighting. The US and its allies will pay a steep price for his ignorance.

Abhishek Parajuli is a Clarendon Scholar of Politics at Oxford and a Peter Martin Fellow at the FT
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How does Her Majesty Queen Camilla sound to you? Legally there is a strong case that the former Camilla Parker-Bowles will automatically assume that title when the crown passes to her husband, who will, we assume, become His Majesty King Charles III. (He also has the option of being George VII, but well leave that there for now).

There will be no referendum on the subject; nor reality TV style competition between Charles and Camilla and William (half a Spencer, after all) and Kate about whod make a better monarchical couple with a phone poll (whatever Channel 4s amusing The Windsors comedy might fantasise) and no debate in Parliament on the issue.

It will, unless discreet moves are made soon, simply just happen  the title of queen goes to the wife of a king. When Charles grandfather became His Majesty George VI, his wife became Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (later HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother).

Technically you could argue that Camilla is right now the Princess of Wales, but no-one seems inclined to push that point very far. Besides, the King can call his missus whatever he wants, provided his ministers, or prospective ministers, dont raise objections.

That might be tricky. It is up to the Prime Minister to tell him what to do; unlike some of her colleagues she has no experience of extra-marital larks.

 Royal Family: Who has been the busiest in 2017?

The anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, raises the awkward subject again, but it is just as well. There is still a substantial body of opinion in the country that she (i.e. Camilla) and Charles behaviour indirectly caused the death of the much loved princess, and the public will never be reconciled to the idea of HM Queen Camilla. Indeed there is even a small but stubborn group, not least the father of Dodi Fayed, who sincerely believe that she was murdered in some sort of plot by the establishment to get rid of her before she married a Muslim.

The point, though, is this: those that care little about the monarchy or are actively republican probably arent much bothered about the Queen Camilla issue; but those who are monarchists tend to be very emotive and divided about the issue. To put it at its simplest: the old biddies who buy all those royal tea towels, keep the newspaper royal baby picture supplements and take their tea in coronation mugs represent Charles and the monarchys core support  and they dont want Queen Camilla. That is the inconvenient political fact.

These kinds of complicating factors last cropped up in the example of Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson in 1936. The kings prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, told him that the British people and the Commonwealth (including the opposition Labour Party) werent up for an American divorcee, with two ex-husbands still living, as Queen of England and Empress of India.

Edward was gently hustled out of the door by making him choose between crown and love. Famously, and fortunately, he chose love: by the time the public and Parliament got to debate the issue (with Winston Churchill a romantic and gallant supporter of Edward and Wallis Simpson) it was too late.

Before that there was another famous former Prince of Wales, George IV, who had constitutional-marital issues: George locked his consort, Queen Caroline, who he, by then, despised, out of Westminster Abbey to prevent her being crowned back in the rollicking 1820s.

Coming back to the current situation, it would be more embarrassing, after all, if there were some great public backlash after the event of crowning and Camilla had to be somehow relieved of the title after riots on the streets, or the modern equivalent  a Twitterstorm and rolling news coverage of the great controversy.

Not, of course, that modern Britain cares so much about the monarchy any more  in itself something of a mixed blessing for the Prince of Wales as he contemplates his future reign, which will inevitably be on the short side and marked by potential huge economic and social upheavals after Brexit.

In his mothers time there has been a huge loosening of some of the medieval mystique that still clings around the institution. When she was crowned in 1953 there was an uncomfortably large proportion of her subjects who believed that she had not been born in the normal way of a human baby but had somehow emerged form a royal bubble, or otherwise immaculately created.

We are not so far distant from the days when people thought that a touch from royalty could heal the disease known as scrofula. Maybe thats why there are so many royal visits to the sick and hospitals even today.

Charles is also likely to see Australia and maybe some other of his realms and possessions beyond the seas substitute him with a president as head of state. He might not even be king of Scotland for very long. Poundbury, his toytown sustainable village as it was once derided, will probably stick with him, though.

Queen Camilla, in truth, might not bring the monarchy down (the final revenge of Diana) but she would make it that much less consensual, and thats not a good thing. So Charles needs to watch his step rather more than he did in the first seven decades of his life; but they say old habits die hard

I think the short answer, if I were one of the future kings ministers or one of those royal flunkies who makes sure that everyone else stands up whenever one of them walks into a room (absurdly), is that Id skip the Her Majesty Queen Camilla bit as a risk not really worth taking, all things considered.

Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather Show all 11 1 /11 Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather Charles_1.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781437The Duchess of Co.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781424The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781334The Duchess of Co.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781330The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781312The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781255The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781214The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781200The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781553The Prince of Wal.jpg PA Expect reign: Prince Charles reads the weather IN29781455The Duchess of Co.jpg PA

Id find some way (there always is one) of leaving her with the title of HRH Duchess of Cornwall, which people are more used to and wouldnt add to the many other gripes and moans that Charles will have to endure. After all, he will have a very hard act to follow, and the media will do what the media tend to do to people in public life: knock them around a bit.

He may turn out to be a nice old king, maybe in the manner of King Edward VII, who followed a much loved and very traditional long reign. He might, like his great grandfather, do something to improve Britains relations with its continental neighbours, or try to.

There is of course the odd coincidence that Camillas great grandma Alice Keppel was the long-term mistress of Edward VII, Charles great-great-granddad. Yet Britain, and England, has had good kings and queens, bad ones and all stages in between, and with very little political effect either way.

Only Charles I and Edward VIII stood out as duds with real or potential willingness to change the way we were governed, and they were dealt with by the political classes in the manner appropriate for their respective times (civil war and regicide for the 1660s; heavy hints, exile and a substantial personal allowance in the 1930s).

Its unlikely, despite his well-known personality flaws, that the Prince of Wales would turn out to be as big a failure as those two. Still, for what it is worth, and politically and constitutionally it isnt that much, Charles would be wise to be cautious in his approach to defying public opinion, including about his wife, and will need to curb his enthusiasm for speaking out on even superficially politicised passions such as architecture and the environment.

As we see from Grenfell and the Paris Climate Change Treaty, for examples, these can inflame opinions as readily as anything else. He should spend more time with his paintings and in his greenhouses and, as I believe has been the case lately, staying out of the glare of Dianas posthumous limelight picking mushrooms with Camilla at Balmoral. Wise.
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Yet another American City will reluctantly play host to a gathering of the right at the weekend.

This time its San Francisco, one of the birthplaces of American counterculture, a hippie Mecca during the 1960s, and a modern centre of liberal activism where Donald Trump polled just 9 per cent.

I doubt the symbolism of planting a flag in the middle of that will have been lost on Patriot Prayer, the events organiser.

Its founder, Joey Gibson, has recently publicly sought to disavow the extreme right wingers that were a notable presence at his earlier events.

The Southern Poverty Law Centre, which tracks hate groups, has highlighted the groups unlovely history, accusing him of trolling the Northwest with a series of rallies designed to provoke violence and populated with extremists.

It did note his apparent change of approach but Mr Gibson would hardly be the first extremist to present a Janus face to the media. San Franciscos mayor Ed Lee certainly thinks that's what he's doing, calling the event shameful and accusing the group of trying to incite violence.

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

Rallies like his, the one in Boston that preceded it, together with the blatantly neo-Nazi event in Charlottesville, Virginia, that saw the death of a counter-protestor, have sparked an intense debate in the US. Where should the line be drawn between free speech and hate speech? What should the limits be in a country that, in many ways, serves as an example to the world by enshrining the right to free speech in its constitution.

The American Civil Liberties Union, often the bete noir of the right, has caused considerable controversy by taking a stand in favour of the right wing protestors in Charlottesville. While it condemned racism in all its forms, the ACLU of Virginia still argued all sides should have been allowed permits to demonstrate.

Democracy will be better and stronger for engaging and hearing divergent views, it wrote. Racism and bigotry will not be eradicated if we merely force them underground.

African Americans, and Jews, might question that given the chants that were heard and the New York Times recently ran a piece by attorney and academic K-Sue Park arguing for a rethink on its part.

For marginalized communities, the power of expression is impoverished for reasons that have little to do with the First Amendment. Numerous other factors in the public sphere chill their voices but amplify others, she opined. Others including the alt right. Or rather, the extreme right. Lets tell it like it is.

She argued that a well-funded machinery ready to harass journalists and academics has arisen in the space beyond First Amendment litigation.

If you challenge hateful speech, gird yourself for death threats and for your family to be harassed.

 Donald Trump challenges, and cherry-picks, coverage of his Charlottesville statements at rally

When it comes to the First Amendment, she was saying the right is trying to have its cake and eat it and that the ACLU's support of it in Charlottesville was misplaced.

However, Conor Frierdersdorf, writing for The Atlantic, criticised what he described as liberal groups trying to restrict free speech. He argued that a broad reading of the First Amendment is still the framework that best protects ethnic and religious minority groups.

He maintained that marginalized groups  street activists, Muslim immigrants, Black Lives Matter protesters  would suffer particularly at this very moment if the faction of progressives who want to limit free speech got their way.

His best point was that, with an authoritarian President in the White House, one who regularly attacks the media, there is a real danger that any moves to restrict free speech, in an effort to combat hate speech, could ultimately hurt liberals the most.

We in the UK have laws designed to combat hate speech. But they provide a salutary lesson. Having established the principle, we very nearly went too far.

 Hundreds gather for Charlottesville vigil

Consider the Public Order Act which stated that a person is guilty of an offence if he uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. At issue was the word insulting. It was only removed after a high profile campaign involving the comedian Rowan Atkinson, gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, and one David Davis, now Brexit Secretary, among others, in the wake of incidents such as the arrest of a critic of scientology, and a student who made a joke. Theresa Mays Home Office eventually accepted a change to the wording that removed the word insulting.

That should come as a relief to some of the largely right wing Brexiteers who have been filling up my Twitter feed with witless abuse recently, in response to an admittedly provocative piece by myself that was aimed squarely at the rhetoric of their leaders.

If you threaten someone, its a little different. That is an assault on their free speech, and there is a strong case for legal redress against those that do so.

However, the best way to combat hate speech is still, as the ACLU suggested, to expose it to the market place of ideas where, at the moment, it doesnt appear to be doing too well. The Boston demonstration by the right saw a couple of hundred people gathering in a gazebo being opposed by a crowd of 45,000 plus. Point to them.

The owner of the Boston Red Sox, John Henry, subsequently talked about renaming Yawkey Way, home of the team's historic ball park, named after his predecessor Tom Yawkey, who has been justifiably accused of being a racist. The Charlottesville protests have also sparked a debate about whether more confederate statues should come down.

A backlash against some of the hatred, poison and bile we have seen, seems to be underway. A correction, if you like, in the marketplace of ideas in favour of more enlightened views. Led, encouragingly, by the young.

It is the visibility and the behaviour of the alt/extreme right that has sparked it.

 Jeff Sessions: The Charlottesville car attack could be a "hate crime"

In that, the US may be further along than we are in Britain, although both nations have a long, long way to go. I'm not underestimating the danger we still face.

But here clever, and cynical, politicians, and political actors, have been less open about their views, choosing instead to rely on dog whistles.

As such, they have largely managed to retain a veneer of respectability that they dont deserve. They receive less challenge from the media than they ought to get as a result.

We haven't seen anything quite like the odious Nick Griffin's brief, and disastrous, appearance on Question Time when the BNP was at its zenith. Our own alt right often seems to get a pass.

So America, with its first amendment, might have the right of this one.

In the meantime, heres wishing the counter protestors in San Francisco all the best. Stay safe.
Milk prices are set to rise in Europe as the continent faces a shortage of milk, cream and butter by Christmas, the head of one of the worlds biggest dairy companies has said.

Global milk prices, which are up about 28pc from 12 months ago after producers cut output, have stabilized in recent months but Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Danish-based dairy co-operative Arla Foods, said world milk stocks were very low.

There has been a scarcity of milk in the whole world after the very low prices last year, he told Reuters.

There is a big lack of fat, cream and butter products everywhere in Europe. It will not at all be possible to meet demand up to Christmas. It is those forces that are dragging up the prices significantly, Tuborgh said.

Milk prices rallied earlier this year after European producers cut output last year following the scrapping of EU milk quotas in 2015, which had led to a sharp fall in prices.

Arla, a co-operative owned by 12,500 farmers in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, the UK, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, said on Friday it would increase the price it pays for milk from its farmer owners for a third consecutive month in September, by one (euro) cent per kilo to 38.3 (euro) cents per kilo, and could raise it again before the end of the year.

After that we might increase it one more time this year, but that is a bit uncertain, he said.

The coming spring season in New Zealand will be key to further price moves in the global milk market, analysts have said.

In the first half of this year, Arla increased the price it paid its farmer-owners by 19pc.

I think weve already had the main part of the price increases well see this year, Tuborgh said.

He predicted that milk production would catch up next year and grow by 2-3pc.

STRONG GROWTH IN ASIA AND AFRICA

Arla, the worlds seventh-largest dairy company in terms of turnover, continues to expand outside of its main North European markets.

Sales from outside Europe grew by 10pc in the first half of this year to 792m, or 16pc of total revenue, it said.

Sales to Asia jumped 36pc from a year earlier while sales to sub-Saharan Africa rose 32pc.

"I would have been satisfied with growth rates of around 20pc, and I think that that is probably a more viable level long term," Tuborgh said.
Ireland needs to develop its own space agency, an international space studies programme in Cork has urged. Ireland has more than 30 companies which contribute to the space market in the areas of electronics, software and propulsion, precision engineering and advanced materials.

The call for an agency was among the recommendations of a roadmap for the future of the space industry in Ireland.

Expand Close Innovation junior minister John Halligan with Niall Smith, Cork Institute of Technology, and Jan Woerner, director general of the European Space Agency, at Blackrock Observatory in Cork / Facebook

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Whatsapp Innovation junior minister John Halligan with Niall Smith, Cork Institute of Technology, and Jan Woerner, director general of the European Space Agency, at Blackrock Observatory in Cork

The 110 participants on the programme, which took place over a nine-week period, produced a report 'A Roadmap for Emerging Space States' (ARESS) which it launched yesterday.

Along with providing a blueprint for Ireland to build and expand space sector capacity, the report also looks at why nations would want to pursue involvement in space, and addresses what it sees are the downsides of not developing the sector.

Among the key recommendations are that Ireland establish a national space agency to develop policy for the country and coordinate the Irish space sector in line with strategic goals.

The ARESS report also recommends that Ireland join the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space and other international bodies.

By not being a member of such organisations Ireland may be hindering its space sector development in the medium to long term by impeding or diminishing international cooperation or technology transfer programmes. Other recommendations include increasing investment in space-related science, technology, engineering, and math education, and the creation of greater incentives for people to participate in space science and engineering programmes.

The report also suggests encouraging strategically focused private industry to engage in space-related activities that promote Irish technologies and economic growth.

The publication of the report comes after Ireland recently increased its commitment to the European Space Agency (ESA) to 90m for the 2016-2020 period, as an investment in growing space-related industries in Ireland.

According to a spokesperson for the programme, the ARESS report is crucial to help chart the way forward for Irish industries to get involved in the global space industry.

Ireland has been a member state of the ESA since 1975, with the primary focus of developing Irish businesses for the global space industry and ensuring economic and societal benefits.

Enterprise Ireland co-ordinates Ireland's industrial and research participation in the ESA.
A US federal judge in Detroit sentenced former engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison yesterday for his role in Volkswagen's scheme to sell diesel cars that generated more pollution than US clean air rules allowed.

US District Court Judge Sean Cox also ordered Liang to pay a $200,000 (168,000) fine, 10 times the amount sought by federal prosecutors. Cox said he hoped the prison sentence and fine would deter other car industry engineers and executives from similar schemes to deceive regulators and consumers.

Liang was part of a long-term conspiracy that perpetrated a "stunning fraud on the American consumer", Cox said, as the defendant's family looked on in the courtroom. "This is a very serious and troubling crime against our economic system."

Liang pleaded guilty earlier this year to misleading regulators, and had cooperated with US law enforcement officials.

Prosecutors last week recommended that Liang (63) receive a three-year prison sentence, reflecting credit for his months of cooperation with the US investigation of Volkswagen's diesel emissions fraud.

Liang could have received a five-year prison term under federal sentencing guidelines. Liang's lawyers had asked for a sentence of home detention and community service. Liang can appeal the sentence, Cox said.

VW pleaded guilty in March to three felony charges under an agreement with prosecutors to resolve the US criminal probe of the company itself. It agreed to spend as much as $25bn in the US States to resolve claims from owners and regulators and offered to buy back about 500,000 vehicles. (Reuters)
Cargill, one of the largest global agricultural companies, has joined Bill Gates and other business giants to invest in a nascent technology to make meat from self-producing animal cells amid rising consumer demand for protein thats less reliant on feed, land and water.

Memphis Meats, which produces beef, chicken and duck directly from animal cells without raising and slaughtering livestock or poultry, raised $17m from investors including Cargill, Gates and billionaire Richard Branson, according to a statement on Tuesday on the San Francisco-based startups website.

The fundraising round was led by venture-capital firm DFJ, which has previously backed several social-minded retail startups.

Im thrilled to have invested in Memphis Meats, Mr Branson said in an email in response to questions from Bloomberg News. I believe that in 30 years or so we will no longer need to kill any animals and that all meat will either be clean or plant-based, taste the same and also be much healthier for everyone.

Mr Branson suggested in March that New Zealands dairy farmers replace cows with cannabis.

This is the latest move by an agricultural giant to respond to consumers, especially millennials, who are rapidly leaving their mark on the US food world.

Thats happening through surging demand for organic products, increasing focus on food thats considered sustainable and greater attention on animal treatment.

Big poultry and livestock processors have started to take up alternatives to traditional meat.

The world loves to eat meat, and it is core to many of our cultures and traditions, Uma Valeti, co-founder and chief executive officer of Memphis Meats, said in the statement. The way conventional meat is produced today creates challenges for the environment, animal welfare and human health. These are problems that everyone wants to solve.

To date, Memphis Meats has raised $22m, signalling a commitment to the clean-meat movement, the company said.

Cargill has taken an equity position in Memphis Meats first series of funding, Sonya Roberts, the president of growth ventures at Cargill Protein, said in an email, without disclosing the investment amount.
The walls that once kept the Norman town of Clonmel safe from the native Irish may be long gone, but the preserved West Gate that divides O'Connell Street and Irishtown has inspired a documentary maker to embark on a project that's steeped in local heritage.

The walls that once kept the Norman town of Clonmel safe from the native Irish may be long gone, but the preserved West Gate that divides O'Connell Street and Irishtown has inspired a documentary maker to embark on a project that's steeped in local heritage.

"Having grown up in Irishtown, I've got to know people in their 90s with incredibly interesting stories that form an important social history of the place," Eimear King said. "It struck me that if we don't record these stories for posterity now, we're at risk of losing them forever. I also want to get young people involved so that they can connect with their heritage."

As the new school term begins, Ms King will visit two primary schools and help pupils chart their local history in fun ways by recreating Irishtown in the video game Minecraft, doing art projects, and learning from older residents about what life was like growing up in the old days.

"Kids walk up and down this street every day, but I'm not sure they know much about it," she said. "I want to instil a love of the place in the younger generation.

"Local townspeople are a wealth of knowledge. When I hear about some of the characters that lived before, I can almost see the man who once went around lighting street lamps; or the woman who stood proprietorially at the door of her boarding house.

"The scene today is very different. The population is much more culturally diverse and this needs to be reflected too. It's about looking at our town then and now, so we can appreciate who we are and where we've come from."

The project will culminate in an exhibition at the County Museum as part of next year's Bealtaine Festival in May.
The future of Garda-based drama 'Red Rock' has been left in doubt after TV3 confirmed they were putting the show on a production hiatus

The future of Garda-based drama 'Red Rock' has been left in doubt after TV3 confirmed they were putting the show on a production hiatus.

The programme, which stars Denise McCormick and Cathy Belton, was originally meant to return next month, but will now not air until January.

The 'Red Rock' team must also shortly vacate its set at the old Player Wills cigarette factory site in Dublin as its lease is coming to an end.

Yesterday evening, the production company released a statement saying: "'Red Rock' is on hold... for now."

It added that "the good news" was that the 23 commissioned and filmed episodes were the "most epic we've ever made" and were "ready to go".

They went on to say that the bad news was that "due to rescheduling you're going to have to wait until 2018" to see them.

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They finished the statement saying: "We've got a lot more stories we want to tell you from this Dublin seaside town and we're determined to keep on telling them. Rock on."

'Red Rock' first aired in January 2015. The show was developed in the wake of TV3 losing the rights to 'Emmerdale' and 'Coronation Street' to rival station UTV Ireland.

However, those soaps returned to TV3 in 2016.

'Red Rock' is currently one of Ireland's most successful television exports, having sold the rights to Amazon Prime and the BBC.

The news comes ahead of TV3's autumn launch which will take place in the National Concert Hall next week.
Doctor Eva Orsmond has revealed she was moved to tears after witnessing deprivation and poverty in Ireland while filming a new RTE documentary.

In Irelands Health Divide, which will be broadcast as part of RTE's new autumn schedule she examines how where you are born and raised impacts your life expectancy.

In the course of filming the documentary she met mothers who were struggling to not only to feed their children healthily, but to feed them at all.

"I havent seen Ireland's deprivation and poverty," she tells Independent.ie "I have only seen this part, the south side of Dublin, the more affluent and middle class side.

Expand Close Dr Eva Orsmonde was the OT doctor until 2013. Photo: RTE / Facebook

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"I'm coming from Finland and it's not that everyone in Finland is rich but we don't have poverty as such because we have a very good social security and a very good education [system].

"Education is really the base of everything we do in life because we can draw energy from that."

Dr Eva, who as a former Operation Transformation expert was known for her no-nonsense attitude to healthy eating, met women in Limerick who were really struggling.

"Here I was seeing areas where mothers were buying bad quality food because that was all they felt they could afford," she reveals.

"You can say healthy eating is not that expensive, but if you have a lot going on in your life and every day life is challenged with your housing maybe being a little bit substandard or you might experience domestic violence or a chronic illness, really it's very difficult to draw the energy to prioritise healthy eating and healthy living.

"You are literally just trying to keep that child alive, or yourself alive."

She is shocked by the statistics around life expectancy for children from different areas.

"The gap between areas is quite horrendous," she explains. "A child born in an affluent area will live six years longer than a child born in a deprived area. Six years is a lot. A child born in a deprived area is twice as likely to be obese and three times more likely to get cancer. Only one per cent will go to third level education.

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"How are we going to change this vicious circle if we're not getting these children in further education and getting role models in those areas which are deprived?"

Dr Eva found the experience emotionally affecting.

"I have to say I was driving home from Limerick and I'd say to myself, 'I will never complain again'," she reveals.

"I was really moved and really having tears in my eyes about the whole situation. As you know I am known to be quite quick to judge and expect people to be strong and cop on. And there is so much work to be done which I didn't even realise existed. We need to think about walking in their shoes."

Recent reports suggesting Dr Eva is moving to Portugal are inaccurate, she says, as she is opening a clinic in Portugal and possibly doing some television work, but she is not completely abandoning Ireland.

"How could I leave this wonderful craic and my clinics?" she laughs. "I'm starting a clinic and it's very exciting but I'm not leaving Ireland altogether. I'm basically in the process of selling my house and getting a smaller base that is easier to manage."

She says she is hoping to spend two thirds of her time in Portugal, where her mother is based, and one third in Ireland.

"I'm not going so don't start the celebrations just yet!" she laughs.
A businessman will appear in court on Sunday morning charged in connection with the discovery of 1.2m in cash, believed to belong to the Kinahan crime cartel.

The man, aged in his 50s, was arrested by gardai during a routine checkpoint carried out in Carlow on Friday as part of Operation Thor.

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Gardai stopped the car shortly before 8pm at Ballyvergal.

During the course of a search, Gardai discovered a large quantity of cash, amounting to approximately 1.2 million, a garda spokeswoman said.

The man was arrested on suspicion of committing an offence under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010.

This evening gardai confirmed that the man is scheduled to appear before a special sitting of Kilkenny District Court on Sunday morning charged in connection with the incident.

Detectives believe the cash seized belonged to the Kinahan crime cartel and was the proceeds of drug trafficking.

The cash was packaged to send to gang members based in Spain.

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Independent.ie can reveal that it was a random checkpoint rather than a targeted operation. Gardai had no prior knowledge or intelligence that this man was travelling with that sum of cash in his car or that he was connected to the Kinahan cartel.

A senior source said: "This was an incredible find because it was so random and unexpected. It is a significant blow against money laundering."

The man is currently detained under the provisions of section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, as amended at Carlow Garda Station.
A man jailed for a car crash that killed eight people in Co Donegal seven years ago has asked the High Court to direct his release from prison on the grounds he was due one-third enhanced remission.

In February this year, following reports in the Irish Independent and other newspapers which revealed the shock of relatives of the eight victims at Shaun Kelly's temporary release to work on his family's farm, his regime of weekend releases was cancelled.

Yesterday, Micheal P O'Higgins SC, counsel for Kelly, of Hill Road, Ballymagan, Buncrana, told Ms Justice Mary Faherty that, with a full third remission, Kelly should have been already released in mid-August.

Mr O'Higgins, who appeared with barrister Karl Monahan, said Mr Kelly, now aged 29, had been jailed in December 2014 for four years with two years suspended. This, he said, had been doubled a year later by the Court of Appeal to eight years with four years suspended.

On July 11, 2010, Kelly was driving a Volkswagen Passat which collided with a car travelling in the opposite direction driven by Hugh Friel, a 66-year-old man on his way home from bingo. Seven young men who were travelling in the car with Kelly were all killed. Their ages ranged from 19 to 23.

Solicitor Niamh Kelly, of Michael J Staines and Company, told the court in an affidavit that Kelly's release date, based on a remission rate of one-quarter, was due on December 16 next. Based on a one-third enhanced remission he should have been freed last Friday.

Mr O'Higgins said the Minister for Justice had refused to release Kelly from Loughan House Open Centre, Blacklion, Co Cavan. He was now seeking to quash the minister's decision by way of judicial review.

Kelly is also seeking to quash the minister's order of February last revoking his temporary release following media coverage with pictures of him working on the family farm. Kelly also seeks an order directing the reconsideration by the minister of his application for enhanced remission.

What was described as a Media Book opened to the court outlined headlines in the various newspapers that covered Kelly's temporary release including: 'Secret day release for driver who killed eight' (The Herald) and 'Anger as man jailed for killing eight released' (Irish Examiner).

Mr O'Higgins told the court there was nothing in prison legislation entitling the minister to refuse temporary release on the basis of newspaper coverage and none of the articles indicated any danger to the safety and protection of Kelly by being granted temporary release.

In his application to the minister for enhanced remission, Kelly stated: "I am truly sorry for my actions and the devastating losses which flowed from them culminating in the ongoing grief of the families of my close friends and my own cousin who lost their lives on that fateful night."

Judge Faherty granted Kelly's legal team leave to judicially challenge the minister's refusal for early enhanced release, leave to quash his decision revoking temporary release, and leave to seek an order directing the minister to reconsider both matters.
THE son of a former government minister has been arrested by gardai investigating a multi-million euro drugs bust linked to the Kinahan cartel.

The north Dublin man, who is in his early 40s, was arrested by the force's elite Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) as part of a major probe into the activities of the notorious cartel.

He was still being held in custody last night at Finglas Garda Station where he was questioned about his suspected role in the importation of vast amounts of drugs for the cartel.

The university-educated company director is suspected of setting up a Leinster-based "front company" for the cartel.

"This company is suspected of being set up as a cover for facilitating the importation of drugs by the cartel," a senior source revealed.

The massive drugs seizure, which gardai have been investigating for a number of months, has already seen three men charged before the courts and more arrests are expected.

The minister's son has no previous convictions but became a suspect in the investigation after a lengthy intelligence gathering exercise by specialist detectives.

Crackdown

His father was a high-profile and controversial politician who served in the Dail for a number of years.

The former minister is not being investigated for links to the Kinahan cartel or the massive drugs bust.

"This highly significant arrest is just the latest in the crackdown by gardai against the cartel," a senior source said last night.

"This individual was not actually caught in possession of the drugs but is suspected of being central in the plot to bring the haul into the country," the source added.

Just hours after the company director was arrested, Assistant Commissioner John O'Driscoll outlined at a media briefing some of the major successes gardai have had in their battle against organised crime in recent times.

Mr O'Driscoll said that, since March 2015, the DOCB had seized some 60 firearms along with 2,800 rounds of ammunition, 3.4m in cash and drugs valued at 100m.

This year alone the bureau had seized three assault rifles, six semi-automatic pistols, 10 revolvers and two shotguns.

He also revealed that officers had saved the lives of 30 people since the deadly Hutch/Kinahan feud broke out.

It is expected that an additional 117 officers will be appointed to special crime operations.

Mr O'Driscoll referred to the recent double murder in Ballymun, which is not linked to the Hutch/Kinahan feud, as a reason why the force needs extra capacity to deal with the gangland threat.
Health authorities have reported 213 cases of mumps to date this year  more than a quarter in the 15-24 age group. The mumps virus can be spread from person to person by coughs and sneezes. (stock image)

Parents have been warned about the ongoing threat of mumps outbreaks, particularly among teenagers and young adults, as they return to school and college.

Health authorities have reported 213 cases of mumps to date this year - more than a quarter in the 15-24 age group.

The mumps virus can be spread from person to person by coughs and sneezes.

It causes acute viral illness with fever, headache and painful swollen glands. Symptoms are usually mild but can cause discomfort and include swollen cheeks or jaw, fever, headache and a general feeling of being unwell.

In some cases it can have more serious consequences and can cause inflammation of the testicles, ovaries or pancreas while leading to viral meningitis or deafness.

Dr Alf Nicholson, paediatrician at Temple Street children's hospital in Dublin, said thousands of children born between 2000 to 2003 in Ireland were not given the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine.

This was because the vaccine was the subject of unfounded scares about its safety.

"The uptake of the vaccine fell to under 50pc around that time. There were around 65,000 births in Ireland.

"They are now in their teens and if they have not received the vaccine since are vulnerable to infection," he said.

Dr Jack Lambert, infectious disease specialist at the Mater Hospital, also pointed to the risks of infection among children and young people who are not vaccinated.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre said the 213 cases of mumps to date this year compares with 379 during the same period last year. However, the continuing high numbers shows the spread of infection is still not under full control.

There were 12 cases of mumps this year in the under fives and 43 among the 5-14 age group.

Cases were also recorded among people in their thirties, forties, fifties and also among the over 65s.

The HSE spokeswoman said the MMR vaccine is recommended to prevent mumps.

"Two doses should be given, the first at 12 months and the second at age four to five," she said.

"Any older individuals who have missed their two doses are recommended to obtain the vaccine from their GP or student health service, in the case of university or college students."

The vaccine can dramatically reduce the risk although some people with mumps had received all the necessary course of jabs.

Dr Nicholson said the children's hospital is continuing to see children with forms of chickenpox.

He called on the HSE to make the vaccine to protect against chickenpox part of the routine vaccination schedule.

There have been at least 86 patients hospitalised with chickenpox so far this year.

It is usually mild and clears up in a week or so.

But it can be dangerous for some people, such as pregnant women, newborns and people with a weakened immune system.

Chickenpox is caused by a virus that spreads very easily to people who haven't had it before.

If someone is infected they will usually become immune for life.

The infection is spread in the fluid found in chickenpox blisters and the droplets in the coughs or sneezes of someone with the infection.

It is possible to catch chickenpox from contaminated surfaces or objects such as toys or bedding. It can also be passed on by touching chickenpox blisters or the shingles rash.

How to spot the symptoms of mumps

Headache.

Joint pain.

Feeling sick.

Dry mouth.

Mild abdominal pain.

Feeling tired.

Loss of appetite.

A high temperature (fever) of 38C (100.4F)

The symptoms usually develop 14 to 25 days after becoming infected with the mumps virus.

The average incubation period is around 17 days.

Swelling of the parotid glands is the most common symptom of mumps.

The parotid glands are a pair of glands responsible for producing saliva.

They are located in either side of the face, just below your ears.

If infected stay away from school, college or work until five days after you first developed symptoms.

Wash hands regularly, using soap and water.

Always use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze, and throw the tissue in a bin immediately afterwards

If the symptoms do not improve after seven days, or suddenly worsen, contact a GP for advice on what the next step should be.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau are greeted by Canadian Ambassador to Ireland Kevin Vickers at Dublin Airport. Photo: Arthur Carron

The Canadian Ambassador to Ireland believes his official residence in Dublin is being haunted by the ghost of Padraig Pearse.

Kevin Vickers, who made headlines when he rugby tackled a protestor to the ground during a Easter Rising commemoration service, thinks the spirit of the 1916 leader lives on in the elegant setting of Glanmire House.

The ambassador describes hearing unusual bangs, laboured breathing and heavy footsteps in the residence's halls, in a recent social media post.

Ghosts. I never believed in ghosts. Until I arrived here," he said.

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Mr Vickers is not easily spooked. He was hailed as a hero in 2014 when, in his role as Sergeant-at-Arms, he shot dead a gunman who had opened fire in the Canadian parliament building in Ottowa.

When he moved into his Irish home in Ranelagh in 2015 Vickers heard rumours that Pearse had once lived there.

After extensive research he discovered documents signed by Pearse to lease the grounds between 1908 and 1912.

I wonder if it is he who walks the hallways of this residence," Vickers writes.

Some evenings he or she seems agitated. Then days go by and all is quiet," he said.

The evening before writing the post he was watching TV "when all of sudden I heard a heavy chain fall on the floor in the dining room. I immediately went there and there was nothing on the floor".

According to the BBC, Vickers maid Anna is sometimes nervous to go upstairs.

Vickers says that is anyone doubts the validity of this story, you are welcome to come and stay a night or two here."

He has no plans to exorcise Pearses ghost out of respect to the Irish people.

I have joked with the Papal Nuncio that I could get us both kicked out of Ireland if I got him-to perform an exorcism, he said.

Vickers had a 30-year career with the Canadian Mounties and in 2006 was appointed Sergeant-at-Arms in Canada's House of Commons.
Part of the lower Lough Erne at Killadeas, Co Fermanagh

An Irish woman has died after falling from a boat moored on the shores of Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh.

Police received reports shortly after 2.30am on Saturday to say that a man and a woman had entered the water at the Round 'O' Jetty in Enniskillen.

A full search was carried out and the pair were recovered from the water. According to the Belfast Telegraph first aid was carried out at the scene before they were transported to the South West Acute Hospital.

The 49-year-old woman was pronounced dead a short time later.

The is continuing to receive treatment and a police enquiries are ongoing into the incident.

Ulster Unionist MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Rosemary Barton sent her sympathies to the womans family.

I extend my deepest sympathy to the family of the lady who died earlier this morning as the result of a boating tragedy at the Round O jetty in Enniskillen, said Mrs Barton.

It is very sad that something like this should happen on what should be a fun time for families over the bank holiday weekend.

I also commend the member of the public who raised the alert and the emergency services who reacted so swiftly to try to save lives during this incident.

She added: I appeal to everyone, whether they are boating or travelling on our roads, to be always mindful of how simple accidents can happen.

PSNI Inspector Keith Hicks also sent his condolences to the dead womans family and said that a post mortem is expected to be carried out.

Local police would extend their sympathies to the family and would offer thanks to all of the agencies involved in the operation.

It is the second drowning tragedy to hit the lake this year.

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In April mother-of-two Luna McKinney (35), died after an accident on Lough Erne at Devenish Island, near Enniskillen.

Ms McKinney, who was originally from China, was checking on ropes attached to the boat when she fell into the water.

Her husband Stephen, who was alerted by the sound of the splash, dived in to try to rescue her.

When he couldn't locate her in the dark, he contacted emergency services.

The couple were living in Convoy, Co Donegal.
The family of young boy kidnapped and taken to Egypt say they feel forgotten by Irish politicians, eight years after he was taken.

Faris Daniel Heeney was dressed as a girl and smuggled out of Ireland by an uncle in July 2009.

The boy, who is now 10, is being raised by his father Amir Ismaeil in Egypt.

Because the Arabic country isnt signed up to the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction there is no legal framework for getting Faris back.

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The family, from Clonsilla in West Dublin, have made repeated calls on ministers to intervene in the case and make representations to their Egyptian counterparts in the case.

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And this month his maternal grandmother Marian Heeney wrote to eight TDs who travelled to Egypt earlier this year as part of a cross party delegation to examine the case of another Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa.

Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail was joined by Green party Leader Eamon Ryan, Labour party leader Brendan Howlin, Darragh O'Brien (FF), Eoin O Broin (SF), Colm Brophy (FG), Paul Murphy (Solidarity) and Noel Grealish (ind)

However she told Independent.ie that some of the deputies responded to say they "werent aware of this incident". This is despite extensive coverage about the case across websites, newspapers and broadcasters over the last four years.

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Mrs Heeney said: It is awful what is happening to that other lad Ibrahim Halawa over there. However we cant help but feel forgotten and abandoned in all of this.

They are making such a fuss and that is fair but when we wrote to them the only response we received was that they were not aware of the incident.

Mrs Heeney added: Its a nightmare. He was kidnapped on his mothers birthday and that was on July 27. Its been eight years now and it is especially difficult this time of year.

Mrs Heeneys daughter Norma had been in a two-year relationship with Faris's father, Amir Ismaeil, when they both worked in a Dublin hospital.

After it ended, Norma allowed Faris to have a sleepover in her father's home in Dublin in July 2009. But when she went to collect him the next day, she was told he was in Egypt.

Ismaeil's brother, Moustafa, had smuggled him out of Ireland having dressed him as a girl. Moustafa was later sentenced to six years in an Irish prison for abduction and served four years. Amir was on bail in Ireland on a sex attack charge but they fled Ireland. Norma, Marian and other family members have visited Faris in Egypt but they are not allowed to take him back.

They can speak to him intermittently on Skype and are learning Arabic so they can communicate better in future. However they say that they ache to hug him.

Independent.ie contacted all eight TDs who travelled to Egypt in January.

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A spokesperson for Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail said that when he led a parliamentary delegation to Egypt in January 2017, the purpose of that visit was to discuss parliamentary relations and to raise the case of Ibrahim Halawa, who is on trial in Egypt since August 2013.

"It is important to state that the Ceann Comhairle was not at that time aware of the case of Faris Daniel Heeney. In fact, he did not receive any correspondence about the case until August 2017. Since being contacted by Faris family, the Ceann Comhairle has indicated that he is prepared to meet with the family and he has also contacted the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade on the matter."

Dublin South West TD Colm Brophy said: "I wasn't aware of the case but I would be happy to raise it with our own Department of Foreign Affairs and the Egyptian authorites. There was no instructions at all given by Foreign Affairs or anybody else in relation to it."

The remaining six TDs did not respond to the query.

Marian Heeney said she also contacted three departments about the case.

A spokesman for the Department of Justice said the Department of Foreign Affairs is the lead department on this and as such was not in a position to comment.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs said former Minister Frances Fitzgerald "met the family some years ago and, while sympathising with their situation, was clear that the matter was outside of her remit".

Independent.ie has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs for a comment.

Last week Minister Simon Coveney said he sent a personal message of solidarity to Irishman Ibrahim Halawa as he marks four years in jail.

The 21-year-old was incarcerated after being detained during Muslim Brotherhood protests in Cairo in 2013.

Mr Coveney marked the jail-time anniversary by urging Mr Halawa to stay strong.

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He said he wanted to reaffirm his determination and that of the Government to secure his release.

"I am sending a personal message to Ibrahim Halawa today expressing solidarity with him, encouraging him to stay strong and hopeful, and renewing the Government's promise to him that we will continue to do everything possible to ensure that he is able to return home as soon as possible."
Three copies of the same permit seized by gardai. Picture: @GardaTraffic

Despite having no disability these drivers still thought they could get away with parking for free or using someone else's permit.

However, they were soon stopped in their tracks before being slapped with fines and court summonses.

When Sgt Peter Woods launched Operation Enable last February he was keen to have an online campaign to match the on-street offensive.

Here are some of the best posts from Operation Enable:

1. 'Convertible to a fine'

When this Porsche driver couldn't find a spot to park in, in Dublin City centre on a warm day they simply pulled into the nearest disabled bay.

Gardai were quick to spot the infringement and issue a fine. They also didn't miss an opportunity to for a pun.

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2. Spot the fakes!

Following a tip-off gardai from DMR traffic travelled to a home in West Dublin where they found three copies of the same permit being used on different cars.

The first was legitimate but the other two were convincing copies. All three were seized and a court appearance will follow.

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3. 'L' driver hasn't learned his lesson

Learning how to drive can be difficult and this 'L' driver learned the hard way when he parked in a disabled bay.

They were slapped with an 80 fine and a fixed charge notice was issued.

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4. 'Laziness is not a disability'

We have all done it! Stepped out of the car, stuck on the hazard lights and run into the shop to buy a litre of milk.

This Dublin taxi driver took it one step too far though when he blocked a disabled spot, and half the road. He, too, was slapped with an 80 fine and a fixed charge notice.

This prompted @GardaTraffic to write: "Laziness is not a disability."

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5. Someone else's disabled permit

Despite six months of a high-profile campaign some drivers just aren't learning their lesson.

Last week @GardaTraffic posted this image of a Toyota Yaris parked in a disabled spot on Stephen Street Lower. The driver was using someone else's permit. This was seized and the driver will now be brought before court.

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6. Heuston... we have a problem

Operation Enable has proven a huge success across the capital and gardai from other parts of the city and the country have now adopted it.

The Community Policing Unit in Kilmainham detected a number of offences by taxi drivers using disabled bays at Heuston station.
Almost 60pc of childcare providers have signed up to the Government's affordable childcare scheme a week before it is due to kick in.

The latest figures show that 2,626 of the country's 4,500 providers have registered.

Children Minister Katherine Zappone insisted the numbers that have signed up is "very positive" as many providers have yet to reopen after the summer break.

Registrations by creches and other childcare providers rose by 70pc in the past week and Department of Children officials believe they will see more sign up over the next week and into September.

The affordable childcare scheme subsidies will be paid from next Friday. A universal subsidy of up to 80 a month for children aged between six months and three years aims to help with the childcare costs of around 33,000 children.

Ms Zappone said that there has been almost 400,000 page visits at the dedicated website www.affordablechildcare.ie.

She said the "preliminary figures" for registration of providers "are very encouraging as we take the first big step to changing one of the most expensive childcare systems in the world into the best".

Ms Zappone said Government officials "are working hard to ensure that the changes are being rolled out efficiently".

Earlier this week the Irish Independent reported that Ms Zappone is demanding a significant increase in funding for her Department in the Budget and wants to increase targeted childcare support payments for families with incomes up to 47,000.

It is understood she has asked the Department of Finance for a total budget of 1.6bn next year, up from 1.3bn in 2017. This could put her on a collision course with Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe as the amount sought is equal to the total funds available for new spending and tax cuts next year.
Senior Garda bosses are resisting proposals being considered by the new policing commission to split the area of security and intelligence from the force.

Garda management met over two days this week with members of the commission set up to examine the future of the force, which is being led by former Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole.

The meetings took place in Garda Headquarters just weeks after Ms O'Toole cast doubt over the quality of applicants that applied for the position of Garda Commissioner, currently held by Noirin O'Sullivan.

It's understood Ms O'Toole and her colleagues met with senior civilians and assistant commissioners, during which the following two questions were posed for discussion:

Do you think crime and security should be disengaged from An Garda Siochana and for a separate intelligence agency to be set up?

What is your vision for the modern day policing structure?

However, sources have revealed that a number of senior officers expressed considerable opposition to the idea of splitting up the force and creating a separate intelligence agency similar to the FBI in the US or MI5 in the UK.

A number of government ministers have previously floated the idea as a means of bringing Ireland in line with other countries.

Ireland is one of the few countries in Western Europe that has one body responsible for both security and policing.

"Certainly a view was expressed at senior level that this would not be a favourable to take," one source noted.

Ms O'Toole herself recently suggested that splitting up the force may not be the best outcome of the root-and-branch review.

Speaking in Glenties last month, Ms O'Toole said the two-way structure has been problematic.

"We have separated it for many years and we have had some real breakdowns in communications in the policing services and the civil policing. I know from practical experience, there is no bright line between terrorism and ordinary crime. They often intersect," Ms O'Toole said.

The root-and-branch review is due to be completed in September 2018. It's understood Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is not in favour of an interim report being published.

Ms O'Sullivan, who is due to return from her five-week holiday on September 5, has already meet with the commission.

It was revealed last week that Ms O'Sullivan was turned down for a specialist post in Europol.

Her decision to apply for the job - halfway during her tenure as commissioner - has led to criticism within political circles.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar played down the decision by Ms O'Sullivan to seek an exit from the force.

"I think that anyone in any position in any walk of life is entitled to apply for a promotion.

"I think it's a good thing that people seek promotions and apply for promotions and the fact that they may not get it should not affect or undermine their authority in any way," Mr Varadkar said.
The opposition and advocacy groups have expressed concern after a minister claimed that the new public services card is now mandatory for those who wish to receive social welfare payments.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty was accused of causing confusion last night after she claimed that the card is "mandatory" but "not compulsory".

She was speaking after a report emerged of welfare recipients being turned down for public services because they do not hold the card in their possession.

"Let's be very clear. Nobody is required by law to have a card. So therefore it isn't compulsory," Ms Doherty told Newstalk.

"But for my department it's mandatory and I know people might say I'm splitting hairs, but actually because of the high value of the public services that the department [provides], we give out over 20bn every year, and actually it wasn't brought in by this Government, the legislation was brought in in 2005 - so 12 years this has been in the process," she added.

In one case highlighted in the media, a pensioner is reported to be owed thousands of euro but has refused to register for the card.

Age Action Ireland yesterday expressed concern about the Government's approach.

"We would be very concerned if this new requirement for the card leads to more older people losing their entitlements and we would urge the department to ensure no one is penalised because they do not have a public services card."

Fianna Fail's Social Protection spokesperson Willie O'Dea accused the Government of trying to introduce a mandatory card "through the back door".
A family in Donegal were watching television in their living room when flood waters burst the doors of their home, destroying their property and leaving the parents and their four children homeless.

Gerard and Lisa Gallagher of Pairc an Grianan, Burnfoot, were one of the 17 families left without a home following Tuesday's catastrophic rain and flooding.

They were enjoying a Tuesday evening inside watching television when the river beside them began to overflow.

The family have flood gates in place but they provided little defence against the rising waters.

"We were just watching TV one minute, then the next we saw the water coming in through the doors. I couldn't believe it," Mr Gallagher told the Irish Independent.

"We have flood gates that are about 4ft high, but they were no good at all. When the

water came in it reached as far as my waist."

As the rain continued, the estate's sewer system overflowed, resulting in raw sewage flowing into their home.

Nearby oil tankers were dislodged in the flooding and also seeped into the Gallaghers' home.

"The smell was absolutely atrocious," Mr Gallagher said.

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"The oil tankers from the neighbouring houses had also fallen, which caused the contents to also enter our home".

Watching water engulf their home was deeply traumatic and resulted in one of the Gallagher children having a panic attack.

"My children were petrified and my 11-year-old boy, who is terrified of water, had a panic attack once we got him out."

Since the disaster, the Gallaghers have been placed in a local B&B.

But it is little comfort for a family who have lost everything. "We've nothing now, everything is gone," Mr Gallagher said. "There wasn't time to save anything because it happened so quickly. Our daughter, who is doing her Junior Cert next year, also lost all of her school books. It's so tragic and we haven't been able to sleep a wink since it happened.

"I had to bring my five-year-old boy to the doctor yesterday and it broke my heart when he told her that he had no home."

The family, who lived in a council house, said they have been flooded 12 times since they first moved in 15 years ago.

"It's all down to bad planning by the council. These homes should have never been built here and I'd love to know who got permission to develop them," Mr Gallagher said.

"I hope the Government are true to their word when they said they will provide relief to all the families affected by this flooding.

"We're just happy that we didn't lose our lives," he said.
At the time of writing, another 'status yellow' weather warning is being issued for Donegal, and as you read this article, Hurricane Harvey will be making landfall in the Gulf Coast of America.

Weather events that once occurred on a Biblical time-frame are now being seen every year.

The basic science behind climate change is no longer disputed. As our atmosphere warms it can carry more water and at the same time dry out the land. We are seeing that happening in Europe, where the incidence of extreme rainfall events has increased 31pc at the same time that drought conditions have spread in the Mediterranean.

There is more uncertainty when it comes to predicting what will happen in particular countries. However, our best climate brains in Maynooth University are predicting with increasing confidence that we will similarly see more extreme winter rainfall events in the north and west of the country and more summer drought conditions in the east and south-east.

It is not all bad news - by 2050 we can expect half the number of frosty nights and some 35 additional growing days each year. Even then, farmers will have to deal with a whole range of new problems as they manage not just flooded or scorched fields but also new pests and invasive species.

What are we going to do about it? We could start by having an open debate about what the implications are for everyone. The Citizens' Assembly can start that ball rolling. It has been asked to consider how Ireland could become a leader on climate action and will consider that question next month.

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The Government has also established a new National Dialogue on Climate Action. That dialogue process should be connected with the new National Planning Framework. Rather than the Government telling people what to do, we could go to every community and listen to how local people think we can protect ourselves.

Met Eireann needs to also start its its part in the process. The environmental community is increasingly furious that this organisation still seems to be sitting on the climate fence.

The OPW also has a key role to play, not just in deploying sandbags and emergency flood protection measures, but also planning long term for what we have to do. I am not sure if the 500 Donegal homes flooded this week were part of the 70,000 houses that the OPW has estimated are at risk. Its website, www.floods.ie, is meant to give an indication of high-risk flood areas but it is of limited help because it is in an often impenetrable scientific format.

The OPW also has to help the householder when it comes to dealing with the insurance companies. We need to make sure that they are not exaggerating and over-charging for the risks that are involved. The insurance industry was one of the first to raise the alarm bells about climate change. In the long run, some areas along the coast and along rivers are going to have to be moved away from, while in other areas we will have to spend a lot of money to hold the waters back.

How we make those choices won't be easy but we should start by agreeing that we will work with the evolving environment, rather than trying to fight nature at every turn. Trying to dredge and wall in every river won't work.

It will be far better to manage our river basin systems. That will mean using traditional flood plains where storm waters always lay and which should never have been built upon. It means rewarding farming, forestry and urban design which helps soaks up heavy downpours.

We have been used to dealing with some of the wettest conditions in the world but that expertise is now out of date.

To quote Martin Brody in 'Jaws': "We're gonna need a bigger boat."
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John Downing Opinion New British prime minister Rishi Sunaks succession proves an important milestone in British political inclusivity

There is an old saying in British politics that goes: The right looks for converts while the left seeks out traitors. It comes to mind when one reflects upon the election of Rishi Sunak as the UKs first non-white prime minister in a party traditionally seen as most opposed to mass immigration and the dilution of national identity via multiculturalism.
In a hot and stuffy room on the 19th floor of one of Toronto's fanciest hotels, a self-conscious few were attempting a sweaty type of nonchalance as they gathered at the fringes of a reception given by the Irish Ambassador to Canada. Their mission - a selfie with the new Taoiseach.

Just as eager as any of them was Kal Penn - a Hollywood actor of some note, who plays White House press secretary Seth Wright in the hit Netflix political drama, 'Designated Survivor' - and the son of Indian immigrant parents.

Just two days before, Penn had resigned from Trump's committee on the Arts and Humanities in protest over the US president's response to the alt-right Charlottesville protests, later describing the president as a "tiny fingered vulgarian who loves to tweet crazy things as his way of getting policy done".

This time, it was the actor's turn to be star-struck, however, as he posed for a picture alongside Leo Varadkar, tweeting that it had been good to meet him and correctly spelling 'Taoiseach' - albeit with a four-leaf clover emoji.

For Varadkar, the invitation from Canadian premier Justin Trudeau had happened to chime with a holiday in Chicago with his partner Matt Barrett and he requested a tour of the 'soft' border between Canada and the US.

By any measure, it was a successful trip on the ground - with a positive reception everywhere from the Montreal Pride parade to a stiff business breakfast organised by the Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise Ireland in Toronto.

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"The trip would stand on its own merit," said a spokesperson afterwards.

Key had been the meeting with Toronto Dominion bank - which had been about to announce its plans to move its post-Brexit EU hub to Ireland anyway, she conceded - but she said "facetime with the prime minister was hugely beneficial".

Back home, however, Varadkar's exploits were not without controversy, with broadcaster George Hook accusing him of "swanning around Canada" thanks to the photographs of the Montreal Pride parade - and pro-life supporters furious at reports that he had discussed the issue of abortion with the leader of a country with one of the most liberal regimes in the world.

It was interesting to note that Varadkar probably looked least comfortable at both of these junctures than he did at any other point of his official tour - being more aware than anyone of the potential pitfalls therein.

His visit to the border post near Niagara Falls was politically astute given that he will stand almost alone in asserting the interests of the island of Ireland in the Brexit negotiations. Two border guards gave him the full tour and he watched a sniffer dog locate a planted stash of hash - patting him on the head for his efforts.

But it was to the international press that Varadkar clarified his remarks about being a Taoiseach for those who "get up early".

"It's a metaphor," he told the 'Canadian Globe and Mail'. "It refers to people who get up early, work hard, pay their taxes and obey the law. They've taken a hit in the last few years.

"They pay too much in taxes. Too much."

For keen Budget watchers, the trip to Canada may have been worth it for this illuminating sentence alone.
I was pleased to read Dan O'Brien's debunking of your regular contributor Padraig Neary's theory of finite economic growth (Irish Independent, August 24). Mr Neary has submitted well written letters on the theme of peak demand, suggesting growth opportunities will taper off in future.

He paints a picture of a dystopian future where mass unemployment and social unrest will arise with technological advances. Like Dan, I disagree. We have simply no idea what future advances will be made, even in the short term, how they will create new demand and job opportunities, how they will introduce innovative products and services, how they will change lifestyles etc.

For instance, this month marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Nobody could have envisaged back 10 short years ago that we would have this vast 'apps' ecosystem that would make the internet so portable, accessible and multi-functional. I can watch TV, there's an app for that, I can bank online, there's an app for that, I can turn on the heat in my house, there's an app for that too.

Mr Neary's proposition is that we have reached peak demand, but that ignores two critical factors - innovation and fractional reserve banking. Mankind's innovative capabilities will always dream up something new, useful and must-have.

Fractional reserve banking will ensure money supply expands to meet the new demand. Of course there will be dislocation when old technologies and related jobs disappear, it was always thus. Also, fractional reserve banking has its own inherent dangers as we experienced back in 2008-13 when imprudent lending, poor oversight, mass hubris and hyperbole brought the world to its financial knees. Again, it was always thus.

No, Padraig, there will be growth in the future and you can put that up there with life's other certainties of death and taxes! What is more concerning is the accelerating concentration of wealth in the hands of so few and the dogma of the 'free market' being the panacea for all ills. Now there is something to get exercised about.

Frank Buckley

Tullamore, Co Offaly

Trump's soldiers can soothe fears

It has been noted that so far in the tenure of his presidency of the United States, Donald Trump has rarely been out of the headlines. The subject matter of these front-page stories changes at a blinding pace in keeping with the speed of Mr Trump's attention span. The powers that be desperately seek a reason for this flightiness.

Mr Trump's biography tells us that he was sent at the tender age of 13 to a military academy where he excelled at leadership and sports. He went on to gain national celebrity as an innovative property dealer with a penchant for naming his ever more grandiose properties after himself.

He then achieved ultimate celebrity in being voted president of the United States. Many wondered why, as a successful property magnate, he would bother to digress in this fashion, but they have since realised the power the position affords him to promote himself.

The firing of Steve Bannon leaves Mr Trump sitting pretty, with no less than three generals as his closest staff. Think back to the 13-year-old boy, fourth born of five siblings, already feeling a little neglected, sent alone to a military academy; a sense of abandonment would be a natural reaction. However, he adapted well to his new surroundings and went on to success.

Mr Trump clearly has acceptance issues. It's not surprising that his pubertal embracing of military life would give him an affinity with its personnel, serving as they did as surrogate parents. Mr Trump feels safe with his generals in a way he did not with his civilian staff who he suspected of constantly plotting to oust him. He is a sad figure in many ways, hurt in his psyche and constantly needing attention. Maybe now that he has his soldiers by his side he will feel confident enough to get on with the job he was elected to do.

Miriam Clune

Dublin 1

Teachers' pay calls for courage

As a teacher going into my sixth year, can I say that I completely agree with your editorial 'Pay structures must reflect basic fairness', (Irish Independent, August 24). Furthermore, may I commend the decision to give prominent front-page space to the same issue. Teachers hired within days of each other are paid in a discriminatory fashion for doing the same work, and currently there are three different pay scales depending on when you joined the profession. The question remains, has the minister the courage to act now that his junior minster has spoken up?

Stephen O'Hara

Ballincollig, Co Cork

Ireland still has an ace to play

There's a lot that I agree with in Harry Charalambou's letter (Irish Independent, August 24) - ie, "The UK wants to have its cake and eat it - it wants full trading access to the EU countries, but it does not want to give free access to the UK to Johnny Foreigner".

Contrary to what many predicted ("In short, the anti-EU Brits will get a better hearing from the Germans than the pro-EU Italians. [...] I suspect that after lots of shouting and roaring, the Brits will get a trade deal with the EU not unlike Norway's" - David McWilliams, Irish Independent, July 7, 2016), not only did the UK not get a better hearing from Germany than Italy, but even India is not in a hurry to sign a trade deal with the UK - and now they demand the UK makes concessions on immigration from India.

However, Mr Charalambou is incorrect when he writes that "the former Eastern European countries now in the EU will continue to be net recipients of its largesse for years to come". The Eurostat data for 2005 - their first full year in the EU - show that per head, Greece received 351 of EU subsidies, Ireland 271, Portugal 226, Poland 48, and the Czech Republic 17. Also, as admitted by German EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger, 86c out of each euro that Poland gets in subsidies returns to Germany (for V4, that number is 1.25) - so it's more the largesse of Germany benefiting from the EU enlargement (Eastern Europe is also Germany's biggest export market).

Last but not least, these countries will soon be net payers to the EU budget (Poland was a net contributor last year). I'm quite sympathetic to the Brexiteers - however, did they consider that while in the EU, Britain could threaten it with Brexit unless they get some concessions? What can they threaten it with now - that they'd leave the EU, or that by losing the UK's market, the EU risks losing 3pc of its GDP - while the UK risks losing 13pc?

That is not all - if push comes to shove, Ireland can start playing the 'democratic vote' trump card (55.77pc of people in Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU, and I suspect more of them would vote against having a Border with the Republic).

Grzegorz Kolodziej

Bray, Co Wicklow
Ballymascanlon violinist Jennifer Murphy returns home from Canada to give a concert with the RTE Concert Orchestra in the John Field Room at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, this evening, Tuesday August 22.

The 28 year old has been living in Toronto, Canada for the past three years, where she is a Rebanks Family Fellow at the Royal Conservatory of Music.

'Since being here, I have had many opportunities to perform as a soloist and chamber musician all over Canada,' she says. 'I just returned from the Music by the Sea festival in B.C., where I played concerts with some of Canada's foremost musicians.'

Jennifer, whose mother is Setanta choir director Una Murphy, began playing the violin when she was just six or seven years of age. Her teachers included Sharon Treacy, Catherine Dooley and Patricia Treacy.

She was a member of the Cross Border Orchestra for almost ten years and was orchestra leader for their concerts in famous venues such as Carnegie Hall, New York and the Boston Symphony Hall.

She moved to London to study at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and attained her Master of Arts in violin Performance from the Royal Academy of Music in June 2014.

She moved to Canada to study at The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she recently received her Artistic Diploma.

During her time there, she was one of what the school called 'seven extraordinary concert artists' from around the world accepted into its prestigious Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program, for artists on the cusp of a professional career.

Last summer she was invited to perform as a Fellowship Artist at the Music by the Sea Festival in British Columbia.

Looking back on the past year, Jennifer said: 'The highlight of my time in Toronto was a concerto performance in April of this year in Koerner Hall, which is one of the most beautiful venues I've ever had the privilege of playing in. I was the soloist for a performance of the Korngold Violin Concerto with Bramwell Tovey conducting the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. Maestro Tovey is the music director of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and he actually won a Grammy award for his recording of the Korngold Concerto so it was a real honour for me to work with him.'

Her time in Canada sees her building on her reputation as an exciting young classical performer, who has performed throughout Europe and North America, including appearances at London's Barbican Centre, The Banff Centre, Canada and The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto.

For this evening's concert in the John Field Room, she will be accompanied by the Toronto based pianist Qiao Yi Miao.

The programme includes Brahms' Sonata No. 2 in A major, Op.100, 'Much Ado About Nothing' by Korngold, and Schumann's Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op.121.

'After my concert in the John Field Room, I will be returning to Toronto to record some music in Koerner Hall,' said Jennifer. 'Then I have some exciting concerts coming up both in Canada and at home in Ireland over the next year, including a performance in Dundalk with the RTE Concert Orchestra in February 2018.'

Jennifer plays a beautiful Chanot violin, dated 1836, kindly on loan from The Royal Conservatory of Music, and is generously supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.
On Saturday night I headed for Vincie's Inn On The Park where a rather special surprise 21st birthday party was taking place for Dean Crawley from Woodview Park and there to make sure he had a fantastic night was his mum Sinead, dad David and Elizabeth McCabe from Beechmount Drive, nanny Moira McCabe from Cedarwood Park and girlfriend Siobhan McCartney from Saltown and big collection of relations and friends.

Dean is a builder by trade but is also a huge fan of Irish country music and would be described as one of Nathan Carter's biggest male fans in the country and had absolutely no idea the party was on, he thought he was just going out for a quiet drink with his parents, only to find a 'crazy gang' waiting to celebrate with him.

I wasn't too long in the door when I met up with Oisin Litchfield from Beechmount Drive who was sitting having a laugh with his mum Caroline and friends Danny English and Christina McCabe both from Beechmount Drive who told me they are good mates with, and wanted to wish a very happy birthday to Deano!

Heading for an adjacent table I then had the pleasure of talking to Mary Ashmore and Ann Ashmore from Woodview Park who wanted to wish their neighbour a very happy birthday and assured me it was going to be a fantastic night for sure.

After this I met up with aunties Mary Finnegan from Readypenny and Bernadette Halpenny from Haggardstown who is also Dean's godmother and they were with Larry O'Connor from Tallanstown who were in great form and ready to party the night away with the birthday boy.

Making my way over to another table I then had the pleasure of meeting up with Dean's granny Moira McCabe from Cedarwood Park who was looking forward to a good night of celebrations and I was told on the last time she was out, was partying with the best of them till 6.00am!

Moira was enjoying the company of aunty Aisling McCabe from Cedarwood Park, Stephen Cooney from Cedarwood Park who was with Nicole Crosby from Farndreg and aunty Maeve Gorham from Ashbrook who tried to tell me it was going to be a quiet celebration, as if Maeve, as if!

Seated close by were a group of cousins who included Bonnie Bray from Louth Village, Gav Finnegan from Drumcondrath, Sarah Finnegan from Darver and Annmarie Finnegan from Tallanstown who were already making it a party to remember and had been long before Dean had arrived.

They were also sitting with aunty Delores Crawley from Louth Village who wanted to wish Dean all the best on his 21st and said she was with her daughter Bonnie and brother Kevin Crawley from Castlebellingham.

Finally, before I departed I managed a quick word with Shane Finnegan from Readypenny and Damien Crawley from Dromiskin who wanted to wish their cousin all the best on his big night and they were there to make sure he did!
Water supplies to households across a number of estates are likely to be affected as the flushing of water mains gets under way over the next few weeks.

Irish Water announced that the process began on Monday and will continue until September 4th.

In a statement, the company said: 'Irish Water wish to advise that flushing of the watermain network will be carried out in the Bay Estate Area of Dundalk from 8.30am on the 21st August 2017 until 6.00pm on the 4th September 2017. This may result in reduced pressure and discoloration in this area.

The areas affected will be Bay Estate, Greenwood Drive and Brookwood Lawns. Irish Water wish to apologise for any inconvenience caused.'

The company were also carrying out repairs to a burst watermain on the Dublin Road yesterday, with disruption/low pressure to the water supply on the R132 between the entrance into the Fairways Hotel to Sextons Pub, and disruption to the water supply at Gort Na Mara housing estate and Flanagan's garage.
My name is Shunxi Yang. Earlier this year I was awarded a Masters in International Entrepreneurship Management from University of Limerick (UL) and I now live in Dundalk.

But under the terms of my visa I will soon have to leave a country that I have grown to love.

Many know me as 'Casey', a name I gave myself because some people find my Chinese name too difficult to pronounce. It's not that hard though the phonetic pronunciation is Soon She! My friends call me Sx - or Shunxi.

I adopted Casey because it could be a name either for a girl or a boy in U.S.A. and to me it signifies a flexible and open-minded person with a belief that anything is possible.

I was unaware that it is a very common Irish name and indeed there are many Caseys around Dundalk as it is a popular local surname. Many thousands of Chinese students have lived in Dundalk in recent years and attended DKIT.

But how many people in Dundalk really know anything about us, apart from seeing us walking to college every day or shopping in supermarkets? We are here to study, learn about Ireland and improve our English.

I am originally from Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, which is also the hometown of pandas. I am one of a family of two girls, my mother is called Guangzhen Wang.

I've lived in Ireland for more than two and a half years I love this country. I was fortunate to make many friends in Dundalk and Limerick. Most of all I enjoy the natural views and wonderful scenery. Moreover, Irish people are generally very friendly to people from other nations.

The most important thing for me is that Ireland is more like my second homeland rather than a country that I came to as a student. I was lucky enough to live with a kind family near the Navvy Bank where I enjoy the changing landscape and the beautiful Cooley Mountains.

I love working with my hands particularly origami folding and designing with straw, a skill I learned recently on a course at Sliabh Gullion Forest Park.

I arrived in Limerick at the age of 26 to study business in Kemmy Business School in University of Limerick (UL) in 2016. I had no contacts but I ended up learning a lot about life and making lots of friends. Last but not least, I found out that what I really want in Ireland is a career in is project management (PM).

I learned how to dance in Limerick, I joined Enactus UL, a charity organisation for colleges in Ireland and I helped organise a festival for new Chinese students at UL. It was great fun time for me, making new friends and enjoying parties and trips.

However I am heartbroken that I will have to leave this country within a few months. The reason is that although I have lived and studied here, spending a great deal of money in the process, the terms of my visa mean that I must leave Ireland by December.

I have invested a lot of money in my education. There was 20,000 on my tuition fees and over 7,000 in DKIT in 2015 as a foundation student; and around 2,500 on academic English studying in UL and 12,000 for the master course. I was awarded the Kemmy Business School Scholarship, 1,500, for my masters year. A great amount of money and a lot of effort but sadly the terms of my visa mean I must now leave the country I love.

I am very attached to Ireland, speak good English, and believe that my qualifications as a business entrepreneur would be a valuable asset to an Irish company.

Without exaggeration I think Irish people I know are really open-minded, respectful and care about others. Not to say of course that China, my country, is not as good or as bad as some people might think.

In my opinion, my experience of Ireland is more like a love story. I became a better person only because I made a right decision to follow my dreams and come here at the right time in my twenties, to find myself, to explore and get along with others in the world.

To cut a long story short, Ireland helps me to be a better and happier person. Now, I want to repay the positive influences by developing my business ideas and employing Irish people.

I believe on-line business is the way of the future. Every small town and village in Ireland buy products around the world, some of the goods coming from warehouses in China and delivered by couriers or the postman to homes around Dundalk. But that is just one of my dreams.

My visa will expire in under four months time. My current visa stamp 1G, which allows me legally work in Ireland either as a part-time or full-time employee is useless because a serious employer won't take me on if they know that I must leave the country by the end of the year.

Also I currently cannot register my own business in this lovely country under the terms of my visa.

I can of course remain if I decide to do a PhD, but this is expensive and involves significant preparations. My ambition is to make my life in Ireland, to find an employer who needs a Chinese person with fluent English or set up my own business, having learned so much here. Ireland, my second homeland, is the cradle of all my dreams and plans after all'.

You can contact Shunxi Yang by emailing: annecampbell@argus.ie, or call the Argus at 042 9334632.
One of Dundalk's best-known traditional musicians, and CCE Dhun Dealgan member, has been awarded a top accolade at the Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann in Ennis.

Padraig Donlon, who also works for Louth County Council, was awarded the fleadh's 'Ard Ollamh' at a gala dinner in County Clare last week in recognition of his outstanding and ongoing contribution to Irish traditional music in Dundalk and the wider area.

Padraig, who was joined by his wife of 30 years, Irish dancing teacher Valerie Leech and the couple's four children for the special event, told the Argus he was honoured and humbled by the award and also by the fact that so many of his contemporaries attended the special dinner at Treacy's Hotel.

He said: 'I really appreciate this award and I am honoured and humbled by it'. Padraig revealed that he became aware that he had been selected for the Ard Ollamh award in December last year when it was announced, without his foreknowledge, at a fleadh-related meeting he was at.

'Ever since then, it has been in the back of my mind, but it was getting closer and closer to the date and I found myself writing down a few words at 4pm on the day of the event. I felt honoured to be in the company at the dinner, along with my family'.

And there was an added bonus for Padraig as some of his council colleagues, who had travelled to Ennis ahead of Drogheda's hosting of the fleadh next year, were on hand to congratulate him and council CEO Joan Martin made a presentation to him to mark his achievement.

A native of Longford who has been living in Dundalk for more than three decades, Padraig is a multiple All Ireland Fleadh winner on pipes and whistle, along with an All Ireland trio title to add to five All Ireland senior ceili band medals.

He is a founder-member of the widely respected Tain Ceili Band which won three All-Ireland titles in a row from 1998.

He is the Leinster representative to the Ard Comhairle of Comhaltas and is involved in organising and adjudicating at Fleadhanna Ceoil all over Ireland, Britain and America.

Padraig was a key player in organising the Leinster Fleadh in Longford rececntly, where his daughter Fionnuala won the senior harp title and was also a member of the winning senior trio.

As a member of CCE Dhun Dealgan, Padraig has taught and promoted music to hundreds of young people in the Dundalk area and a number of his students have won All-Ireland titles on pipes.

He was a member of Comhaltas tour groups, bringing Irish music to audiences all over Europe, North America, Asia and Africa, and has performed at three World Expos.
A woman (centre), holds a banner that reads Today I sing for voices you dared to silence: We are not afraid at a march in Barcelona after the attacks

A Bray man working in Barcelona has described the sorrow and shock in the city following the terror events of last week.

'I was one of the lucky ones to be in the safety of my own home and not out on the streets as it happened,' said the man, who asked not to be named.

He lives within a minute or two walking distance from Las Ramblas, where a van driver ploughed into pedestrians, killing 13 people last Thursday.

'My first reaction was one of sorrow. I was shocked and disturbed. Incidents such as these so called "terror attacks" or wars on foreign or home soil, natural disasters we read about them in the news, on social media, in the papers, and we see them on television. It can't prepare you for the disgust, fear, terror, horror that you feel when this kind of thing is right in front of you.

'It was immediately followed by concern and worry. Thoughts went through my head like "oh no, I hope that nobody that I know was hurt or killed" "will it happen again?" "is it safe to go outside?" "I better contact my family and friends to let them know that I'm ok". I remember many people telling me that it wasn't safe to go outside, and not to go to work that day. That wasn't an option as far I'm concerned. We must stand up to these kind of hateful acts and show them that we are not afraid.'

He said that the atmosphere in the immediate aftermath of the attack was fear. 'People were running to wherever they could to find safety and cover. People were afraid for their lives, yet at the same time completely concerned for the unfortunate ones who were injured or lost their lives that day.'

A regular bar customer of his walked off the metro and out into the street at the very moment of the incident. He described being confused, seeing hundreds of people running around and not knowing what was happening.

'After realising that there was an immediate danger and hearing what was happening from the crowd, he ran. He told me he felt scared, horrified and disgusted,' said the Bray man.

'In the hours following the attack, the city became very quiet, almost to a standstill,' he said.

'Barcelona is such a bustling, active city. It was a very different place that evening. I'd never seen it like that before, but that is to be expected. The general atmosphere that evening was one of despondency, hopelessness, fear. It is said that the objective of these kind of attacks, other than the desire to cause pain and suffering and death by a militant, extreme, misguided sociopathic minority, is to strike fear and terror into the minds of the masses. I can also tell you that on that evening, those responsible achieved that goal.'

Morale has lifted since the day and night of the attack.

'People are angry, defiant and determined not to allow fear and hatred to take over. This may be due to many factors, but I would say that in particular Barcelona's strong sense of community and a large influx of messages from outside of the city espousing compassion and fellowship, solidarity against these hateful sort of acts have contributed.'

Thousands of people attended a rally the following day to pay their respect. The atmosphere was sombre but hopeful.

'A contingent of pro-fascist campaigners showed up at the rally, attempting to spread hateful anti-Islam messages, but were shouted down and escorted away by the police,' said the Bray man. 'Barcelona is massively multi-cultural, and has a huge, largely integrated Muslim community and I think that people's positive actions during the rally that day is evidence of this accepting multi-cultural nature.

'I work with two men from Pakistan, one Indian and one Moroccan all of Islamic faith, along with Catalan, British, Canadian, Argentine, Venezuelan, Irish nationals and even a lady that is raised in Sweden but of Ethiopian descent,' he said. 'The Muslims among us condemned the acts of the attackers. As I mentioned before, people are determined not to allow fear and hatred take over. One of the messages that has almost become a rallying cry against this is "No tinc por!", which is Catalan for "I'm not afraid".'

Catalonia, and in particular the city of Barcelona, already has a strong police presence so it's difficult to tell if security has been increased. 'I always feel safe in the knowledge that I am never too far from a police officer or station,' said the Bray man.

'There is a slight nervousness in the air every time a siren can be heard. We feel and think things like "has there been another attack?" and "what's happened now?" It should be noted that there has been a larger appreciation for the police since the attack. At the rally, people stopped to applaud the forces that were present, and thank them for their work. Many of them had worked through the night and into the next day.

'On the night of the attack, there was an exclusion zone set up in the direct area. Both myself and my colleague, another Bray native, live very close to the exclusion zone,in fact, a matter of metres.

'On the night, when we walked home from work, after leaving my colleague I had to be escorted through the exclusion zone along with close to 30 others by the police. There were many police officers and bomberos (the local fire service) working around the clock to restore order and ensure the safety.'
Louth Rose Aoife Heffron spoke of her 'shock, pride, and incredible sense of honour' at reaching the televised finals of the Rose of Tralee.

The 27-year-old Dundalk woman was among the first 18 Roses to be interviewed live on stage by Daithi O'Se.

But her path to the world famous stage wasn't guaranteed, as not all contestants who travelled to Tralee made it through to the live interviews.

The Louth Rose only found out on Saturday morning last that she had been selected.

'It was exciting, but sombre as well,' she said. 'Because you are making sure everyone is OK.

'But we just have to enjoy ourselves as Rose sisters.'

Having enjoyed an action packed week touring with the Roses across the country, Aoife said she was 'thrilled, but shocked' to have been chosen firstly as the Louth Rose, and then selected on Saturday for the tv interviews.

'I have to say I am in a lot of shock, but I am incredibly honoured, and incredibly proud that Louth is represented again on stage.'

'I think this is the third year in a row that Louth have made it on stage, and I am very proud to be following in the footsteps of Megan and Jenny, the past Louth Roses, and to be on stage with Daithi.'

Speaking as she prepared for the show, Aoife added: 'Shock, pride and an incredible sense of honour would be the main things I am feeling right now'

She was delighted to be supported in the dome by a wide circle of family and friends as she took to the stage.

Aoife was among a number of Irish and international contestants, including Roses from Hong Kong, Melbourne and Kentucky interviewed last night. The remaining 14 will take to the stage tonight (Tuesday), when the 58th Rose of Tralee will be named.
The monthly meeting of the North Eastern Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society will be held in the Kilkerley Community Centre on Saturday, September 2nd from 10am to 3pm.

The Irish Patchwork Society was founded in 1981. Today, The IPS consists of 8 branches around the country with over 600 members.

The North Eastern Branch of the Irish Patchwork Society has been running for a number of years.

The workshop is titled 'Beading Christmas Bauble' and the cost is 5. All visitors welcome.
Hannah Doyle who recently cut off her lovely long hair to raise funds for the Jack and Jill Foundation with her Nana Mary and her Mam Johanna

Dundalk girl Hannah Doyle, who got her beautiful hair cut to donate to the Little Princess Trust to make wigs for children who suffer hair loss through illness, has also raised thousands of euro for the Jack and Jill charity.

Hannah, from Glenwood, was delighted with her gorgeous new hairstyle, by Christina Martin at the Justin Casey salon, and thrilled that her tresses will now be sent to the UK-based charity, that also helps children in Ireland.

In addition to donating her hair, Hannah has also raised more than 1,500 for the Jack and Jill Foundation, thanks to donations from the public and a fundraiser in Drogheda pub Nolan's, that was organised on Friday by her gran, Mary Cunningham.

The Friary student's mum, Johanna Cunningham Doyle, said her daughter was excited about getting her hair cut and thanked the staff at Justin Casey's for their care.

And Johanna is delighted that the fundraising campaign has taken off, after the story appeared in the Argus. She said: 'Even before the fundraiser in Nolan's, she had raised 1,500 and it seemed like everyone was getting behind her and it started to really take off. We were delighted that Nolan's offered to hold the fundraising night on Friday'.

And even Johanna's colleagues at Oxigen got behind her, with staff from the firm's regional offices making donations and the company's owners also making a generous contribution. While she's pleased with the fact that the money is going to such a worthy cause, young Hannah remains a little bemused by all the fuss, even when she was interviewed by Gerry Kelly on LMFM last week. She told her mum: 'It's just a haircut!' Donations can be made on the everyday heroes website, search Hannah's hair donation.
CRYSTAL LAKE | Nearly a dozen fire trucks from Hancock, Kossuth and Winnebago counties led by the Crystal Lake Volunteer Fire Department filed down State Street Saturday morning in a processional honoring the life of a fallen comrade.

Jeffrey Alan Fischer, 57, of Crystal Lake died on Aug. 11 at Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt.

Friends we are gathered here today to pay homage and honor to Jeff, Fish, whatever name you called him by, said the Rev. Paula Hemann, who was also Fischers niece. He was our friend, he was our brother, he was our uncle  but his life was important and obviously important to a lot of people because thats why youre all here today.

More than 100 mourners, including family, friends and community members, gathered at Kluver Community Center in Crystal Lake Saturday for the celebration of life for Fischer, or Fish to many.

Fischer, the son of the late Vivian and Stoffer Dusty Fischer, was born on May 5, 1960, in Iowa City. He was raised on a farm near Crystal Lake, and he attended Woden-Crystal Lake Schools where he graduated in 1978.

He loved living here in Crystal Lake, Iowa, Hemann said. He loved it, and he didnt want to go anywhere else.

In high school, Fischer began working at the Woden Locker. He then worked at Kiefer Built in Kanawha and Winnebago in Forest City, which is where he worked for the past 18 years.

He enjoyed Rocky Creek Campground, hunting, fishing, boating, playing pool and spending time with family and friends, which Hemann said was the most important thing to Fischer.

She spoke about his kind and fun-loving personality that attracted people to him.

I know Jeff did all he could to make someone feel welcomed, accepted and included, she said. You felt like you belonged.

At a point in the service, Hemann called upon those in attendance to share stories about Fischer, and when no one responded, she told a couple. One from her childhood and another from her visit with him in the hospital.

Giving people another chance to speak to Fischer's friendship, she asked, "How many of you guys had a good time when you were with him? Nearly every hand went up.

Of equal importance to Fischer was his years of service as a member of the Crystal Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

He was very proud of the fact that he was a fireman, Hemann said. You all need to know that meant a lot to him, a great deal.

Fischer joined the fire department in October 1985.

Crystal Lake Fire Chief Mark Rogers said Fischer was a good friend and great guy who is sadly missed but never forgotten.

Fischers fire gear, as well as other mementos commemorating his service, lined tables at the front of the room. A photograph, candles and flowers were also there.

His family sat to the left of the podium, while his fellow firefighters sat in four rows to the right of the podium wearing red Crystal Lake Volunteer Fire Department shirts, and when it came time for Fischers final call, which included the ringing of a bell, they stood and some saluted.

The service concluded with Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Fischer was buried at Crystal Lake Cemetery following a processional through town led by lighted fire trucks from Crystal Lake, Woden, Lakota, Lake Mills, Britt and Kanawha.
Moneymore are proud to be the first estate in Drogheda to be chosen to represent County Louth in the Pride of Place competition and that pride shone through last Wednesday as houses throughout the estate were festooned in bunting and crowds gathered in the Marquee to welcome the judges to the area.

The Pride of Place awards have been running since 2003 and features communities from every city, town and county in the island of Ireland.

It is now widely regarded as the country's most prestigious community event and Moneymore will be hoping to replicate the success of Louth in last year's competition when Clogherhead won the 'Island and Coastal Communities' category.

Moneymore is representing Louth under the 'Housing Estate' category.

Just how much the nomination means to the local area was evident throughout the judging process last week.

'The nomination has given everyone such a boost and we're all so proud,' said Tina Kearney, manager of the Moneymore Childcare Centre.

Marie Russell, the Chairperson of Moneymore Community House, agreed and said being included in the competition meant so much to everyone in Moneymore.

'It's like an Oscar to me, it really is and if we win we win and we don't we'll wish whoever does the very best of luck. It means so much just to get the nomination, we've all worked so hard over the years and worked together always. Myself and Tina have never had a cross word in all the years we've worked together.'

As part of their time in Moneymore, the judges paid a visit to the Cable Project, a garda diversionary scheme which helps to steer young people out of the courts system and encourages them to engage in positive supports.

The project provides an alternative for young people in the area to antisocial behavior and crime. This scheme has been in operation successfully for a number of years and is coordinated by Allen O'Donoghue. Allen explained how in addition to tackling antisocial behaviour, the centre also tries to help young people develop leadership skills, get involved in their own community and develop positive relationships with adults.

Sophia, a former attendee spoke about her positive experience at the centre and how she then returned to do her college work placement here.

The judges also visited the Connect Family Resource Centre who provide services, support and training to a diverse group of people including lone parents, early school leavers, Travellers and non-Irish nationals. They provide courses which range from pottery, crochet, nutrition to parenting programmes as well as the 'Food Cloud' scheme.
Increasing loutish and aggressive behaviour of passengers on flights has led to Ryanair calling for a two-drink maximum to be served in airports to any passenger

I'm usually one to take Ryanair proposals with a degree of caution and ask first, 'as a customer, how much will this cost me?' but I was impressed with their stance on the issue of intoxication in airports and on planes and their attempts to try and deal with the issue.

It doesn't appear that Ireland is one of the problem areas for this but the airline has called for a two-drink maximum to be served in airports to any passenger.

The reason for this is increasing loutish and aggressive behaviour of passengers on flights, who insist on causing at best a nuisance and at worst very real danger to themselves and others while in the sky.

I thought the Panorama documentary on this was excellent and really highlighted the boozy antics of many while travelling and the fact that alcohol seems to be available at every turn.

There really seems to be minimum regulations on this and airport bars can freely sell drink after drink to travellers who then leave and become the airline's problem once they commence their journey.

A sort of unfortunate acceptance of this drinking culture has crept in when it comes to certain holiday destinations - those perceived as 'party central' so therefore, to some the idea of getting trollied en route seems like a perfectly acceptable thing to do.

However, it is the poor airline staff and fellow passengers who have to put up with the consequences.

That documentary detailed incidents where drunken passengers have threatened to open the doors mid-flight and enter the cockpit. This goes way beyond being a bit rude or drinking too much.

If alcohol is the common denominator in so many of these incidents then it's about time that the suggestions of airlines are taken seriously - for everyone's sake.

If the type of worrying drunken behaviour was displayed by someone in a bar or restaurant, then other customers can either remove themselves or report it to the police.

However, up in the sky those options do not apply so it is left to the cabin crew and sometimes, fellow passengers to deal with threats and violent behaviour.

Unfortunately there will always be people who do not consider others and choose not to be responsible for their actions and it is because of them that tighter restrictions must be considered.
Jigsaw North Fingal in Balbriggan is backing the national epic cycle event known as the Giro D'Jigsaw.

This three day, eight stage, 470km charity cycle tour of Ireland is taking place from Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1 to raise vital funds to support young people with their mental health.

Each cyclist will experience life like a cycle pro, starting their journey from the rugged coastline of the Wild Atlantic Way in Galway to the gorgeous coast of the Irish Sea along Ireland's Ancient East and back again.

The Giro will visit six of the 13 Jigsaw Hubs en route, including the Hub on George's Square, Balbriggan on day two, Saturday, September 30 between 10am and 11am.

The challenge aims to raise over 50,000 to support Jigsaw's work improving the lives of young people experiencing mental health difficulties. There is a target of 750 per participating cyclist, one of which will be David Creed, Project Manager for Jigsaw in Balbriggan.
North Fingal Sinn Fein Cllr Malachy Quinn has called upon Minister for Education Richard Bruton to tackle the continuing raising costs of the return to school, on an annual basis the costs of parents of school going children are raising & this was highlighted recently by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

A recent survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions has revealed that parents are feeling more pressure to cover rising back to school costs and feel it will impact other areas within the household. The survey found that 25% of families feel back-to-school costs will have a negative impact on their household bill, with a further 29% getting into debt to cover the costs. Cllr Quinn said; 'As a parent of three children, with two attending national school. I am only too aware of the financial pressures of a return to school. 'Parents are facing into some of the most expensive months of the year with back to school costs coming up fast. The scrambling and saving begins in the hope of having the money to send children back to school this September without having to cut basic school supplies. '72% of parents with school-going children feel the back-to-school costs will be a financial burden. The average back to school cost for a single primary school child is 1,048 and 1,401 for a child in secondary school.' He said: 'Richard Bruton must push his and all other relevant departments to scale back these ever-increasing costs.'
The class of 2017 at Skerries Community College has produced some of the best Leaving Certificate results the school has seen in years, according to principal Caroline Clarke.

Out of the 168 students who sat the Leaving Certificate exams, 20 of the students achieved over 500 points while a further 12 students achieved over 550 points.

One student, Cathal Mills, was one of the lucky 13 students in the whole country who achieved top marks with 625 points.

Ms Clarke had huge praise for the school's top achiever.

'The world is Cathal's oyster and we are so proud and absolutely delighted for him. He wants to pursue a career in Accountancy,' she said.

She said the results for the Irish exam were 'astonishing' with 21 students achieving H1s and H2s in the subject while over 24 students achieved H1s and H2s in Maths.

'The Irish, Maths, Geography and Physics results our students achieved were absolutely brilliant,' said Ms Clarke.

'We are absolutely thrilled with all of our students results and we have seen some of the best results the school has seen in years,' she said.

She said the new marking system will encourage more students to take on Maths at the Higher Level as they now receive CAO points for an E grade.

'The new marking system will give students a bit more confidence in taking Maths at the higher level as more will benefit from the additional points,' she said.

'Maths is always a very difficult course with a lot of work in it so hopefully more and more students will take it on now.'

Ms Clarke commended the school's teachers and acknowledged the support of the parents in Skerries. She added: 'I want to congratulate each and every one of our students. Right across the board the results were very strong and all of our students are very, very happy. I am delighted for them and I want to commend the teachers here who put in so much work with them and acknowledge the support of the parents.'
A Swords man has come up with an idea that could attract more tourists to the town and cause heads to turn.

Maurice Coglan has admired a spectacular Yew tree stump in St Colmcille's graveyard for many years and has come up with an idea to have it carved into a sculpture.

The tree stump, which is over ten foot tall, is believed to be over 1,000 years old and while the tree was growing, a gravestone became embedded into the side of it.

'I would suggest perhaps having it sculptured into St Colmcille as it's based in St Colmcille's graveyard but if people have other ideas that would be great too,' Maurice told the Fingal Independent.

He said there is a magnificent tree sculpture in St Anne's Park in Raheny where UK tree sculpture Tommy Craggs transformed the large Monterey Cypress tree into a ten foot sculpture celebrating the wildlife in the area.

The Monterey Cypress tree in the park had to be cut down for health and safety reasons, but rather than waste the iconic tree, Dublin City Council got in touch with Mr Craggs to ensure it didn't go to waste.

The feature piece, which has a large swan, a badger and owls carved into the wood, has been turning heads on the Clontarf Road ever since.

'Most of the Irish Yew tree had to be cut down after it was damaged in a storm several years ago but the stump is still quite impressive,' said Maurice.

'It would be wonderful if something could be sculpted into it and it would be a huge tourist attraction as it can be seen from the road. It could be a real head turner,' explained Maurice.

He said he contacted sculpture Richie Clarke from Mullingar who would be interested in taking on the challenge.

But, he said, it would cost in the region of 10,000 to complete the sculpture.

'Perhaps some fundraising within the community could be done to make this a reality?,' he asked.

'It is something I would love to see happen and want to put the suggestion out there.'
A quarter of all money raised by court poor boxes across Ireland last year was handed over in Kerry's district courts.

Figures from the Courts Service show 1,533,610 went to charities nationally in lieu of fines or convictions for mostly minor offences

Almost a quarter of this came from Kerry where 394,080 was paid in District 17 which covers courts in Tralee, Killarney, Listowel, Dingle, Kenmare, Cahersiveen and Killorglin.

The next highest figure - 165,983 - was paid in the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin while a further 93,875 was paid to poor boxes in other District Courts across the Dublin metropolitan area.

The option of a court poor box payment in lieu of a conviction is at the discretion of the judge - in the case of Kerry, Judge James O'Connor - as is the amount a defendant is ordered to pay.

As well as public order offences, the poor box is sometimes used for first time offenders charged with minor offences such as minor road traffic offences and drug offences.

"When combined with the Probation of Offenders Act, it provides an option where some financial penalty is considered merited but a conviction and fine are not," the Courts Service has explained.

The practice is predominantly used by the district courts which deal with criminal offences of a less serious nature than other jurisdictions and the individual amounts can vary substantially, depending on a person's ability to pay, other penalties imposed and the nature of the offence.

In Kerry last year, the money collected was distributed between over 60 charities - a large number of which are agencies working internationally.

24 Kerry based charities - including the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre; Kerry Parents and Friends; Tralee International Resource Centre and the Killarney Asylum Seekers Initiative - received funding.
Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aintree Resources Inc. (TSX-Venture:AIN.H) (the Company or Aintree), a Capital Pool Company (CPC) listed on the NEX board of the TSX Venture Exchange (the TSXV), is pleased to announce the filing of a filing statement (the Filing Statement) to use the Tonopah Project as its listing property for a CPC qualifying transaction (QT). The Filing Statement dated August 24, 2017 was filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.



Aintree was notified by a letter dated August 9, 2017 from the TSXV that the Companys proposed QT involving the Tonopah Property had been conditionally accepted by the TSXV. Completion of the QT approval process is subject to a number of conditions, principal among these conditions is the filing of a final Filing Statement and the completion of a concurrent financing to raise a minimum gross proceed of $1,000,000. Final acceptance of the QT by the TSXV will allow the Company to be classified as a Tier 2 Mining Issuer on the TSXV.

Private Placement Financing

As part of its CPC QT Aintree intends to complete a non-brokered private placement of up to 4,800,000 units in the capital of the Company (the Units) at a price of $0.25 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $1,200,000 (the Offering). The terms of this financing, which was first announced in Aintrees June 5, 2017 press release, has now been amended to include a share purchase warrant as of the date of the Filing Statement. Each Unit in the Offering will include one common share in the capital of the Company (the Share) plus one share purchase warrant exercisable into a Share at $0.35 per Share for a period of two years from the closing of the Offering. Finders fees, if applicable, will be payable in accordance with TSXV policies.

Closing of the Offering is subject to receipt of all necessary corporate and regulatory approvals, including the TSXVs final acceptance of the Aintree CPC QT. All securities issued in connection with the Offering will be subject to a hold period of four months plus a day from the date of issuance. The proceeds of the Offering will be used to settle Company debts and ordinary course payables, fund bonding obligations, consulting fees and expenditures, including additional technical study and drilling, arising in connection with the Tonopah Project, and for general working capital purposes.

The Tonopah Project

The Tonopah Project is an advanced stage gold exploration/evaluation project located on the prolific Walker Lane Trend of Western Nevada approximately 20 miles north and east of Tonopah, Nevada. A total of 284,469 feet of drilling in 637 reverse circulation and core holes have been completed since 1980 on the Tonopah Project and project area by a number of companies. Details concerning the Tonopah Project can be found in the NI 43-101 Technical Report on Mineral Exploration Results for the Tonopah Project, dated July 31, 2017, prepared by Gustavson Associates of Lakewood, Colorado (the Technical Report) and filed on SEDAR under the company profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com on August 2, 2017.

Investor Cautions

Completion of the Aintree CPC QT is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to the successful completion of the concurrent Offering and the final acceptance by the TSXV. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Filing Statement, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a CPC should be considered highly speculative.

The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

On behalf of the Aintree Resources Inc.,

James Hesketh

James Hesketh

President & CEO

Forward-Looking Information: This press release contains forward-looking information. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, statements regarding the completion of a CPC QT and the TSXV final acceptance required for the CPC QT, and the completion of the Offering and the subsequent use of the proceeds, are forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, the Company being unable to satisfy the TSXVs requirements to complete the CPC QT, the inability to secure sufficient subscriptions to complete the Offering, and amendments to the recommended work program in the Technical Report. Forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is provided and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws and TSXV policies, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, except as required under the securities laws and stock exchange policies applicable to the Company. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

THIS PRESS RELEASE, REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE CANADIAN LAWS, IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES, AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL ANY OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN IN THE UNITED STATES. THESE SECURITIES HAVE NOT BEEN AND WILL NOT BE REGISTERED UNDER THE UNITED STATES SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS, AND MAY NOT BE OFFERED OR SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO, OR FOR THE BENEFIT OR ACCOUNT OF, U.S. PERSONS UNLESS REGISTERED OR EXEMPT THEREFROM.
As Kerry Leaving Certificate students mull over their CAO offers, they can take heart that the majority of third level students are now highly optimistic about their future job prospects.

A new survey by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU), has examined the attitudes and concerns of 474 third level students and 539 parents of college-going students.

In all 75 per cent of students expect to find work in Ireland when they finish third level, compared with just 39 per cent in 2011 at the height of the economic recession.

Less than a third of students expect to have to emigrate to find work, compared with a huge 75 per cent in 2011.

Meanwhile, only 10 per cent of students now say they will actively look for a job overseas - down significantly from 32 per cent six years ago.

Over two thirds of students say they are looking forward to a bright future in Ireland - compared with just 21 per cent in 2011.

While confidence levels have improved hugely and the outlook is largely optimistic, students continue to struggle to cope with the pressure of third level costs with two thirds saying financial worries are negatively impacting their overall college experience.

Almost six in 10 students say that finance and debt is their biggest concern.

"It's great to see that the optimism for the future of our younger generation is back," said Chairperson of the Chapter 23 Credit Unions of Kerry and West Limerick Helen Courtney Power.

"However one thing very clear from the survey is the day to day reality of coping with the cost of third level education, with a large number reporting how negatively it impacts on their college experience,"

"Many students find that they have to work and skip lectures just to make ends meet."
A 10k walk to raise funds for the Irish Wheelchair Association will take place on this Sunday, August 27, starting and finishing at the IWA day / resource centre at Ballygologue Road. All the money raised from the event will be donated to the Listowel branch of the association.

This is where they need your help. In the coming days you may be approached to sponsor a walker or you might like to become more involved and fill a sponsorship card of your own. Or you may prefer to make a donation at your own discretion at a time that suits you best. Whatever you do, it'll help further the development of the IWA's services in Listowel.

IWA facilities include assisted living services, resource and outreach services, motoring services that support people in gaining increased independence and mobility, sport and recreational opportunities, housing, holidays, and the provision of specialised wheelchairs.

On behalf of the Listowel Branch of the IWA and its members, Jacqueline Barrett-Madigan thanked everyone who supported the local branch down through the years. "Without your support, as a branch, they could not function and would not exist," she said.

Volunteers can get involved in a number of different ways that support activities within the IWA. There's nothing more rewarding than volunteering your time for someone else.

For further information contact Jackie at 086 395 3387.
Gardai have arrested a 42 year old man for questioning about the murder of a young Tralee mother of three whose body was found with head injuries in a flat in Cork city five months ago.

Detectives arrested the man, a native of Charleville in North Cork, at an address in Farranree in Cork city and brought him to Mayfield Garda Station for questioning about the death of Nicola Collins.

The body of Ms Collins, a native of St Brendans Park in Tralee but resident at Clashduv Road in Togher on Cork, was found in an upstairs flat at Popham's Road, Farranree on Cork's Northside on March 27 last.

The man was previously arrested for questioning about assault causing harm to Ms Collins but was released without charge and gardai began preparing a file on the matter for the DPP.

It's understood that Tuesday's arrest at midday comes after gardai received new information arising from results of a post-mortem examination and toxicology tests on the body of Ms Collins.

The man is currently being questioned at Mayfield Garda Station where he is being detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardai hold suspects for 24 hours.

Ms Collins was found with serious injuries when the emergency services were called to the flat over a convenience store on Popham's Road in Farranree in Cork at around 3.30am on March 27.

The emergency services had been alerted by a man who was living in the flat and they attended to Ms Collins but they were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gardai upgraded their inquiry to a murder investigation after a post-mortem.
Prolonging the tourist season in south Kerry and curbing outward migration will be discussed at this year's Daniel O'Connell Summer School which takes place from Friday, August 25 to Saturday 26 in Cahersiveen.

Among the keynote speakers will be former Taoiseach John Bruton, MEP Sean Kelly, and Kerry County Council CEO Moira Murrell, as they celebrate the legacy, life and contribution of Daniel O'Connell through a cross-section of debate on matters cultural and historical with a particular emphasis on social and economic issues affecting south Kerry.

Dr Brendan O'Keeffe has produced extensive research in this field and he outlined the diversity which the O'Connell Summer School brings to topics of international and local interest. Making south Kerry attractive so that it can retain more people will be discussed, as will the need to diversify the economic base in the region.

"A lot of tourists pass through the area but don't stay so we need to look at ways of prolonging the tourist's stay and also the tourist season itself. We need more public sector investment in terms of connectivity, broadband and support for indigenous enterprise. When you look at the likes of FEXCO, it proves it's possible to do business in rural Ireland. We also need more support for entrepreneurs already working in the region," Dr O'Keeffe said.

He praised the Trojan work of local voluntary groups, saying that more support for community development is vital as they offer the kind of social support for people that is provided by governments in most other countries.

"There is far too much red tape around what community and voluntary groups have to contend with. They need more support from central government through increases in the LEADER programme and also in autonomy so they can be more flexible and innovative," he added.

Recent turbulence in the US caused by statues with links to slavery has also brought Daniel O'Connell's legacy into sharper focus given that he was a leading campaigner against slavery. O'Connell was the 20th century's foremost humanitarian and Dr O'Keeffe described him as someone who supported campaigns for equality, human rights and democracy throughout the world.

"It's very relevant when we see what's happening today in the US that a Kerry man was such an advocate for civil rights and citizenship for African Americans. It's only right and fitting that we should celebrate his life and look at his relevance in today's world from his native place in Caherdaniel," he said

"The organising committee of this summer school is a hardworking one and helps to create an event that is very reflective attracting a high calibre of speakers," he added

For more information on this year's summer school, contact Mary O'Connor at 0872805702 or e-mail maryoconnorderrynane2@gmail.com.
If a hard Brexit comes to pass and forces the loss of Britain as a landbridge, Roll-On Roll-Off traffic at Rosslare Europort will be crucial.

Urging the government to step investment in major upgrades to access routes to the port, Deputy James Browne says Brexit, one way or another, will have a significant impact on transport supply chains right across Ireland.

'Rosslare Europort stands to see increased traffic volumes as it will be one of the few available transport options for Ireland to export and import perishable goods to and from the continent. However, access roads into and out of the port are already below standard,' he said.

'Heavy traffic on the roundabouts outside Wexford town is indicative of the county's infrastructural deficit. It's vital that access routes from Dublin and the West are prioritised, and with traffic volumes expected to grow, these upgrades must be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

'Transport Infrastructure Ireland has already highlighted the need for a third lane on the N11/M11 to address the growing congestion problem. It also claimed that any delay in investment would constrain growth and hinder productivity.'

Deputy Browne said that despite this, we haven't seen the Government come forward with any plan to invest in Rosslare Europort to help the facility deal with the fallout from Brexit.

'The government needs to seriously up its game when it comes to investing in transport infrastructure. Failure to do so will only lead to increased hardship for Wexford commuters and will damage the economy in the wider south-east,'he said.

meanwhile, a Tipperary councillor is calling for a joint meeting with councillors from Wexford and New Ross to discuss establishing a new motorway link connecting Limerick to Rosslare Eurport.

Cllr Eddie O'Meara says there should be a renewed push to ensure that the N24 connecting Limerick to Waterford is upgraded to a motorway bypassing Tipperary town.

He said it's just as important to get the route upgraded from Tipperary town to Rosslare, as it is from Limerick to Tipperary town, due to the potential chaos emanating from Brexit.

'If you exit through Dublin port, you'll have to go through the British zone, and back into the Eurozone,' said Cllr O'Meara.

'Whereas if you exit through Rosslare to Le Havre, or Cherbourg, you're still within the Eurozone, so you have no customs. It's vitally important for exports, and common sense would say that's the way to go.'

He said there should be a joint meeting with colleagues in Piltown Municipal District, New Ross, and Wexford, to explore the possibility of a joint delegation to government concerning the route.
Ivan Yates is taking over the airwaves having landed two major jobs in Newstalk and on TV3 in the space of one week.

The Enniscorthy man will present Newstalk's three hour drivetime slot from Monday, September 4, the radio station has announced, and is set to join Matt Cooper in fronting what was Tonight with Vincent Browne on TV3.

A national newspaper highlighted at the weekend how Yates and Matt Cooper will take over from Vincent Browne on the latter's iconic TV3 political talk show. The show broadcasts four nights a week on TV3. Cooper and Yates will host two shows a week together, and one each separately. Meanwhile Newstalk said Mr Yates, a former Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry from 1994 to 1997, will 'bring his own unique style' to a opinion-led programme weekdays.

Chris Donoghue and Sarah McInerney, who have presented the slot since a major revamp of the Newstalk schedule last September, were said by the Communicorp-owned station to be 'in discussions' about other roles. Newstalk managing editor Patricia Monahan said Yates is one of Ireland's foremost commentators and noted his long history with the station.

This included two stints in the breakfast slot, where he presented alongside Mr Donoghue.

'His brand of straight talking, opinion-led commentary will provide an engaging forum for listeners,' Ms Monahan said.

After a break of nine months, the County Wexford man returned to the station in April to host a two-hour show on a Sunday morning. His new weekday slot will pit the former owner of Celtic Bookmakers against RTE's Mary Wilson and Today FM's Matt Cooper. The latest figures from the Joint National Listenership Research show that Ms Wilson's show has 238,000 listeners, while Mr Cooper's has 131,000 and Newstalk Drive has 130,000.
'Are you going to The Stores tonight to celebrate?' 73-year-old Leaving student Denis North was asked by one of his classmates as he waited to collect his results at Kennedy College in New Ross.

'I won't be let in because I'll be overage,' the witty New Ross man joked back.

Denis from Brandon Park, New Ross, achieved the equivalent of C results in Honours English and Geography, having previously received an A1 in History and a good result in pass Maths.

He said: 'I'm happy with my results. I was 57 years out of education. I did the old Inter Cert in 1960. I took a wee break, so it was great to be in a classroom again.'

Having studied for his Maths and History exams on his own, Denis took the brave decision to return to the classroom and enjoyed every minute of it! The mature student said he hopes to study Irish at the school, beginning next month, depending on whether his health holds up. 'I have a big check up in September so I'll have to see how that goes. I put two years work into these subjects. It was the first time I went into a classroom since 1960 to study and it was great. I had great craic and thoroughly enjoyed it.'

Denis preferred studying in the classroom over studying at home and said he got 'more or less' what he was hoping for in his results. A former youth worker, he retired aged 63 after his section was closed and immediately started doing courses in computers. This led him to do a VEC course at New Ross Vocational College where Jim O'Connor encouraged him to go back and do his Leaving Cert.

Principal Sue Barrett described Denis as an inspiration to the students.

`We are all delighted for him. It's wonderful to see him do so extremely well. He gave his all to the subjects. He wants to continue his education and isn't that wonderful. He is to be admired and it is a wonderful example to see a man aged 73 who wants to be in a classroom and who wants to study and learn when he doesn't have to.'
A new car sharing service has been launched in Wexford town and plans are under way to roll out the operation to other towns across the county.

GoCar, in partnership with Irish Rail, has launched its car sharing service in Wexford with the first GoCar base situated at O'Hanrahan train station.

The company says the move comes in response to the success of the car sharing initiative in Dublin and Cork, which has seen increased demand from local residents and businesses for a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to car ownership.

Wexford residents can book GoCar vehicles online or via the app for as little as an hour at a time.

The car is then unlocked using either a GoCard or a phone with the GoCar app with the keys located inside the vehicle.

Car sharing rates start from 8 per hour, with 50km of driving included on each trip and users benefit from no fuel, insurance or city parking charges. Since it was launched in 2008, over 11,000 drivers have signed up to GoCar, and it now offers over 240 vehicles across 170 locations.

Go Car says that with pay-as-you-go pricing and no subscription charges, car sharing is ideal for people who need occasional access to a car but don't necessarily want to own one - it is also an effective transport option for families who require a second car from time to time.

Car sharing reduces car dependency, congestion, noise and air pollution, and frees up land traditionally used for parking spaces. GoCar is seeking approval from Wexford County Council to further extend its bases across the county, offering increased access for residents and businesses to car sharing. The company hopes to see expansion of Wexford GoCar bases ahead of European Mobility Week this September, during which the EU is encouraging local authorities to launch and promote permanent measures to enabled bike and car sharing.

'With GoCar planning to double the number of vehicles available in Ireland this year, we are calling on Wexford residents to let us know where exactly they would like to see car sharing spaces so we can make car sharing accessible to as many people as possible,' said GoCar Managing Director Colm Brady. For anyone who is interested in requesting a GoCar base near their workplace or home, they can visit GoCar.ie/Locations.
A pioneering social farming scheme is to be rolled out in County Wexford, offering activities to people as a form of support service.

It will provide social, educational, therapeutic and rehabilitative opportunities for a wide range of people who need support to contribute to the positive social fabric required for society to be truly inclusive.

Participants include people with intellectual, physical, mental disabilities, older people, those with addictions and in need of rehabilitation and those with sensory and financial difficulties.

Tom Bermingham, from Wexford Local Development, which is overseeing the project in the county, said those taking part will benefit from the value of physical work, learning new skills and reconnecting with food, nature and rural life.

He said social faming is widely practiced by farmers in many parts of Europe and is part of a mainstream social or community inclusion activity in some countries.

Mr Bermingham recently attended the national launch of the scheme by Agriculture Minister Michael Creed on the farm of Michael and Siobhan Heslin at Gortlettragh near Mohill, County Leitrim. The Heslin family farm hosts nine participants, many with mental health issues, on their 55-acre farm each week.

As a farm diversification tool, social farming offers the opportunity to enhance the rural economy through the development of a multifunctional service role on farms such as Heslin's, helping to combat the effects of rural isolation as well as offering a solution to some of Ireland's health and social care needs.

Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food & The Marine, a national Social Farming Support Office has been established by Leitrim Local Development company to provide coordination, support and training services to four regional hubs, with the South East region (Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny, East Cork & South Tipperary) led by Waterford Leader Partnership in close cooperation with Wexford Local Development

Each regional hub has now engaged the services of a Development Officer to facilitate the roll-out of the service across the country. John Evoy has responsibility for Wexford and the South East region.

The concept of Social Farming dovetails well with the objectives of both the LEADER & SICAP Programmes currently being delivered by Wexford Local Development.

'Thanks to the work of the Social Farming Network to date, there is now an awareness and knowledge of the concept and potential of social farming among farmers, social service providers and statutory services in the South East,' said Mr Bermingham. Wexford Local Development said it was delighted that funding is maintained for continuing to build the structures and networks required to ensure sustainability of the service in to the future. Any farmers in Co Wexford who would like to discuss the potential for becoming 'social farmers' are encouraged to contact John Evoy by email: john.evoy@wlp.ie or Tom Bermingham at Wexford Local Development: email tbermingham@wld.ie or call John on 087 2311061. Further information is available at www.socialfarmingacrossborders.org
Dallas, TX, Aug. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa, the industrys largest community management company, donates up to $50,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief through their national nonprofit organization, Associa Cares. The funds will be earmarked to assist communities and individuals that may be impacted by Hurricane Harvey as well as the Red Cross.



Hurricane Harvey has the potential to become the biggest hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in more than a decade and has already evolved into a Category 3 storm. It is forecasted to produce up to 35 inches of rain over parts of Texas, with winds up to 125 mph, and sea levels possibly reaching as high as 12 feet. With the threat of flooding near the Texas and Louisiana coasts, Associa is prepared to help.



Hurricane Harvey could be the most intense storm to hit the U.S. in more than 12 years, noted Andrew Fortin, Associa Cares president. The potential for flooding and wind damage are significant. We want to let the communities and residents in South Texas and along the Gulf Coast know that we stand ready to assist as they face the challenges ahead.



Associa Cares is a national nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization created to assist families and communities in crisis as a result of natural and man-made disasters. Through donations raised from Associa employees and at fundraising events across the country, Associa Cares is able to provide necessary goods and services to the families affected by these types of tragedies.



With more than 180 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.



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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/610d0304-918f-4e63-8d6f-fedf4bb163da

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3de44b1-a635-4ba8-9042-73d7fe9868ba
Tears of joy welled up in Kennedy College student Joan Quigley's eyes as she screamed 'I passed' in the school hallway, before hugging her parents and classmates.

The emotion of Leaving Cert morning cannot be overstated and in corridors and rooms, in toilets and in car back seats across the district, students carefully opened their white envelopes in anticipation - and, in some cases, in sheer dread - of the results printed inside.

For Joan this was one of the most important days of her life.

'I am so happy. I worked so hard for this. All I can say to anyone is, don't stress it, it will all work out in the end,'

Joan said she studied all fifth and sixth year and was delighted with her results, particularly in English and Art. 'I did very well,' she said with a beaming, proud smile, adding that she plans to study Hospitality in Waterford. Reflecting on her time in the school, Joan said: 'It's lovely. It's the best school for anyone with the students and the teachers they have here, who are lovely.'

As the rain poured down in torrents, students like Kyra Kelly found solace in their results. The Kennedy College student was delighted with her results, particularly in Maths. The Rosbercon woman plans to study Horticulture at Kennedy College, starting next month.

Wyomi Griffith said she was really nervous going into the school that morning, especially about the higher Home Economics paper, but was delighted with her results.

'I will miss the energy here and all the teachers and the pupils.'

Campile woman Rebecca O'Connor said she was relieved to get her results and plans to study Arts with a view to teaching.

Principal Suzanne Barrett said she was happy with how the papers were marked.

'The biggest confusion is the new marking system,' she said, adding that all eyes were on the CAO points due out four days later.

She said students are encouraged to sit higher level papers as they are awarded points so long as they get more than 30 per cent.

The new points system replaces the alphabetic system previously in place, and has fewer bands. Where the old system had 14 grade bands, the new marking system has eight bands: H1 (100 points), H2 (88 points), H3 (77 points), H4 (66 points), H5 (56 points), H6 (46 points), H7 (37 points) and H8 (zero points). In Ordinary Level the points are O1 (56 points), O2 (46 points), O3 (37 points), O4 (28 points), O5 (20 points) and O6 (12 points). The LCVP categories are Distinction (66 points), Merit (46 points) and Pass (28 points).

At New Ross CBS, Mateusz Kolodziejczyk said he was a little anxious arriving in his school doors that morning. Originally from Poland, Mateusz completed most of his schooling in New Ross. He achieved a fantastic 545 points and hopes to study Science at Trinity College, Dublin.

He said he will miss his old school. 'It's a good school with a nice atmosphere and everyone knows each other. I will miss the people.'

Charlie Giese from Terrerath said he was very happy with his results. 'It's a big relief,' he said, smiling. Charlie plans to study Physics in Dublin. He said he will miss the school camaraderie.

Ryan Tracey said he felt confident going in to collect his results and was delighted that he got enough for his course in Social Care at Waterford College of Further Education. He said he will miss the school. 'It has a really good atmosphere.'

Principal Pat Rossiter said the 37 students did very well. 'I am very happy and pleased for the students. They were a hard working bunch. The only bemusement is that we are no longer looking at A1 or A2s, we are looking at H1s and H2s. It's a more amenable system. In the past students were trying to get from A2 to A1. This is making life a little easier.

'Those who got higher grades had to work very hard for them. The students justified everything we did for them. They all contributed in an immense way to the tone of the school.'

Mr Rossiter said even if pupils are disappointed with their results, 'there is no door closed today'.

At Our Lady of Lourdes, Jenny Nowak couldn't contain her excitement as she arrived into the principal's office, having said a prayer at the church next door.

When asked by this reporter what was getting her so emotional, she replied: 'What's the matter? My whole life is in here!'

Screams of excitement could be heard from the school hall moments later as she discovered she had enough points for her Travel and Tourism course.

Her classmate Shannon Mernagh said she did better than she thought she would and plans to study Business Studies at Waterford IT.

Emma Connick said she was fearful of her Geography results, but was thrilled when she opened her envelope.

'I will miss the school, the teachers and the atmosphere,' she said, as her mother Mary Wall wept tears of joy and relief beside her.

Principal Toni Ormond said she was very pleased with the 63 students' results, saying they reflected the hard work put in over the past two years.

At St Mary's Kate Dowling from Graiguenamanagh said she was delighted with her results, especially in Honours Irish. She said she thoroughly enjoyed her time at St Mary's. 'I'll miss being with my friends and I really liked my year.'

Deirdre Donohoe from The Rower said she was nervous about her Maths and Biology results, but was thrilled with how she fared. 'I set a goal for my exams and I achieved it.'

She plans to study Psychology at Trinity. Deirdre said she will miss her group of friends and the cups of tea and chats they enjoyed at lunch in the school canteen.

Michelle Doherty, from Glenmore, said she was delighted with how well she did in Maths, adding that she plans to study Law and French.

Fellow Glenmore woman Cecilia Roche said she couldn't wait to open her results. She plans to study Music at Cork IT. Cecilia said she will miss the school. 'I have a really good group of friends and there were good vibes.'

Kate Murphy from St Mullins said she was shaking with fear going in to collect her papers.

'It's all over with now so I'm calm. I was surprised and very pleased with how my Maths and English results went.'

Kate plans to study PE and Irish teaching in Cork.

'I'll miss it here. All my friends are here. I've grown up with these people over six years so it will be a bit challenging.'

Grace McDonald from Graiguenamanagh said she was fine until she got to the archway going into the school, then panic set in.

She was happy with her results, especially Maths, and plans to study teaching at St Pat's. Chloe McDonald from the Bannow-Ballymitty area said she was surprised by how well she fared in English and plans to study Business in WIT.

Aoife Molloy from Oldcourt said she was very nervous picking up her envelope. Having evaluated her mock results she had high expectations going into the office for her envelope and understandably was not disappointed by her 601 points. 'I was really surprised and happy with English, Irish and French. I'm going to take a year off because I didn't have a lot of time to research courses as I was so busy this past year studying for my Leaving Cert. I will really miss it here.'

Principal John Michael Murphy said 113 students sat their exams at the school, adding that he was very happy with the results. There were some excellent results into the 600s. Mr Porter said the results come down to people meeting their level of ability.

'Some students went home today and felt disappointed that they won't get their offer and they may get it on Monday. I am anxious about how the new marking system will work out.'

At Good Counsel College, Billy Wickham was in his work gear picking up his results. Capping off a great year, one which saw his senior school rugby team win the McMullen trophy in March - a first in the school's history - Billy got enough points to study Agricultural Science at UCD.

The Cloughbawn man, who is working at Quad Attack, said he was happy with how his Maths Paper I and Biology papers went.

Deputy principal Aidan O'Brien said Billy was an excellent school prefect, who made a significant contribution to school life through sport and other endeavours. He said: 'We would like to think that somewhere in the future guys like Billy will have happy memories of their time here and that they will always have an interest in the place.'

Mr O'Brien said the new marking system should see points go up for some courses.

130 students sat their final exams in the school. Among them was Shane Fogarty, from Clonroche, who said he got what he wanted and plans to study Arts and Maths in Galway. 'I enjoyed my six years here, and will miss the friends I made and the staff.'

Among the 59 Ramsgrange Community School students sitting their Leaving Cert were friends Aine Whelan, Evelyn Barry and Jane Ryan, who had their hearts set on primary school teaching since childhood. The girls jumped for joy together when they got their results, and will go on to study in Dublin.

Acting principal Tracey Edwards said she recalls one of the girls telling her in her applying to register for the school how she wanted to be a primary school teacher.

Ms Edwards said: 'These are students who were very focused on what course they wanted from an early age. We had a very, very positive morning and the all round results were excellent. The students were absolutely thrilled with their results and their hard work paid off.'

Ms Edwards said students will be more inclined towards studying higher-level Maths as they accrue points once they get over 30 per cent.
Wicklow TD Pat Casey is calling for a reduction of the current Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) ceiling to 60,000.

He said that the Fianna Fail party is seeking a reduction from the current level of 150,000 which would assist many struggling Wicklow farming families who depend on this scheme.

'It is our view that the current BPS payment ceiling should be reduced to 60,000 from the current 150,000 level. In 2016, BPS data showed that over 99 per cent of Irish farmers received a payment of under 60,000. This policy position will ensure that future CAP monies protect farmers on small hectares with entitlements. This follows the 10 per cent cut in pillar 1 direct payments under the 2014-2020 CAP and the threat of funding cuts should Britain leave the EU,' he said.

Deputy Casey said that latest Teagasc figures reveal how vitally important CAP payments are for sustaining farm enterprises and the rural economy and outlined that 75 per cent of farm income currently derives from direct payments.

'In Wicklow there are many farm families who are struggling because the payment to small land owners is not enough to support them,' he said.

'This is forcing Wicklow farmers to hold two sometimes three jobs which is damaging the farm and family life. This reform will allow Government to provide additional supports to these hard pressed and hard working families,' he added.
Angling projects in Wicklow could be in line for funding under a new initiative.

Last Wednesday the Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) announced funding of 2 million for angling projects and conservation initiatives. The funding call, which consists of three separate funding streams, will help ensure that Ireland's fish stocks and angling infrastructure are protected and enhanced into the future.

The Inland Fisheries Ireland Funding Call 2017 is made up of the following funds: Salmon Conservation Fund to a maximum of 500,000; Midland Fisheries Fund of 50,000 and National Strategy for Angling Development Fund (NSAD) 1,500,000

Minister Sean Kyne, said: 'As Minister with responsibility for Inland Fisheries, I have ensured that significant funding under the National Strategy for Angling Development was available from my Department in 2017 to help Inland Fisheries Ireland develop a wide ranging investment initiative. I welcome the fact that the funding programme is rooted in Community led actions and I support Inland Fisheries Ireland in its enhancement plans. I also want to encourage angling bodies, community groups and local authorities to take up the funding opportunity and meet the development challenge at local, regional and national level.'

Inland Fisheries Ireland is inviting applications from Wicklow and nationwide for funding for projects across a number of areas from fisheries habitat enhancement and sustainable development works to marketing and promotional projects for angling. Applications are invited from groups, associations, clubs, local authorities or other appropriate bodies looking to improve Ireland's fisheries resource.

Dr Ciaran Byrne, CEO of Inland Fisheries Ireland said: 'This announcement sees Inland Fisheries Ireland make over 2 million available to communities in Wicklow and nationwide, for projects which will help contribute to an accessible and sustainable world class inland fisheries and sea angling resource for all. We want to ensure that we continue to invest in conservation, while also developing our angling offering in Ireland.

'While the National Strategy for Angling Development funding stream focuses on improving angling access with a view to attracting more domestic and overseas anglers to the pursuit, the Salmon Conservation Fund and Midland Fisheries Fund re-invest the contributions of anglers into valuable initiatives which a view to promoting the recovery of salmon stocks and habitats and supporting sustainable development works in the Midlands respectively."

The closing date for applications to Inland Fisheries Ireland's 2017 Funding Call is Friday, October 13. For more information and to apply, visit www.fisheriesireland.ie/funding.
The 27th annual Parnell Summer School at Avondale House, which explored the theme of Crime, Punishment and Justice, came to a very successful conclusion last Thursday.

The summer school was officially opened on Sunday, August 13, by Mr Justice Richard Humphreys.

In his opening remarks, Mr Justice Humphreys, speaking in personal capacity as a judge of the High Court, outlined how he believed justice in Ireland might be improved.

Reflecting on the right to a hearing within a reasonable time, he outlined that: 'A hearing within a reasonable time is only possible if there are enough judges, relative to the amount of litigation being undertaken, to allow capacity in the system to deal with all cases and appeals promptly'.

Outlining the provisions of Article 36 of the Constitution, Mr Justice Humphreys noted that it provides that the number of judges is set by the Oireachtas and questioned the number of judges in Ireland.

'One has to respectfully ask is Ireland living up to the requirement of having enough judges to allow all hearings to take place within a reasonable time? Unfortunately, I have to suggest not.

'There are at present 163 judges to cover a population of 4.8 million people, or only 34 judges per million people. That puts Ireland firmly in the bottom layer of the international league table and rock bottom of the European league table.

The average number of professional judges in European countries is 700% of the Irish figure per capita.

'Ireland's exceptionally weak position in terms of number of judges per capita seems to have passed under the radar of public consciousness.

Mr Humphreys expressed the view that one had to put inadequate number of judges in the context of a significantly increased work-load of litigation, outlining that the number of legal actions commenced in the High Court had doubled since 1999/2000.

'The real losers from the lack of an adequate number of judges are parties to litigation, and in that regard the State is the biggest loser of all from inadequate numbers of judges.'

In closing, Justice Humphreys hoped that his comments would be seen in the spirit of a healthy dialogue.

'These remarks are not intended as criticism of anybody but rather as a consciousness-raising exercise. My hope is that if it is more generally appreciated that Ireland is languishing at the bottom of the league table in terms of judicial manpower levels, that may contribute to a more informed and factually-based approach to redressing the problem.

'I hope that the other branches of government will take these remarks in the constructive spirit I intend and that there can be a beneficial dialogue between the judiciary more broadly and the legislature and executive so as to ensure that the common goal of creating the infrastructure necessary to promote justice can be achieved.'

Over the five days of the school politicians, policy-makers, academics, writers and historians, had lively and informed debates addressing both the history of, and contemporary issues in, crime, punishment and justice.

The focus of Monday's lectures was the history of Irish political prisoners, turning points in the Irish Panel policy and a discussion on prison policy today. Padraic Kenney of Indiana University examined common strategies of Irish political prisoners across more than a century in his lecture 'A prisoner must reverse their whole system: Irish Political Prisoners from the Fenians to the Troubles'.

This was followed by a panel discussion on current prison policy with Fiona Ni Chinneide of the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Dr Cormac Behan from the University of Sheffield, Dr Niall Muldoon, Ombudsman for Children and Deputy James Lawless, Fianna Fail spokesperson for Science, Technology and Research.

Ms Ni Chinneide challenged the use of isolation in places of penal detention in Ireland while Dr Behan spoke about prisoner enfranchisement and penal politics. Dr Muldoon discussed how detaining children and young people in any capacity is wrong. Spokesperson for Science, Technology and Research.

Deputy Lawless looked at a range of areas from the robustness of due process and sentencing policy to increasing powers of search and detention and the implications of the recent Jobstown trials with their implications for social media and political comment.

On Tuesday, the central focus of the school was an historical perspective with the annual Parnell Lecture, delivered by Dr Carla King, who re-examined the role of Michael Davitt with the Special Commission on Parnellism and Crime, which reported in 1890.

In her lecture she examined Davitt's role in relation to the commission, which included evidence gathering, briefing counsel, involvement in establishing that letters published by The Times seeking to incriminate Parnell in sympathy for crime were forgeries, questioning witnesses and appearing for the defence.

Dr Gillian O'Brien of the Liverpool John Moores University spoke about Clan na Gael and the brutal murder of Dr PH Cronin, a respected Irish doctor in Chicago, which was a direct result of evidence given at the Parnell Commission in London. The sensational story behind the murder and the trial tarnished the reputation of both the Chicago police and the judiciary and shook the foundations of Irish American republicanism.

The historical perspective continued on Wednesday with an emphasis on capital punishment, mental health and incarceration and justice and the Irish Revolution. Prof Ian O'Donnell of UCD spoke about capital punishment and clemency, which was based on his forthcoming book 'Justice, Mercy, and Caprice: Clemency and the Death Penalty in Ireland'.

Dr Fiachra Byrne (UCD) explored the emergence of the psychological child in Ireland during the 1960s in custodial institutions such as industrial schools and reformatories in his lecture 'Straightening Crooked Souls: Psychology and Children in Custody in Ireland during the 1960s.' Gabriel Doherty of UCC spoke about political prisoners in Ireland between 1877 and 1920 and examined the public evolution of policy regarding the treatment of such prisioners.

Dr Brian Hughes of Maynooth University focused on 'Crimes against the nation? Deviance and punishment in revolutionary Ireland' discussing the nature of, and motivation for, civilian defiance of IRA demands and Dail Eireann edicts. It will also assess the attempts of militant revolutionaries to discourage, stifle, and punish defiance within local populations.

The final day of the school featured two lectures and a discussion panel. Dr Vicky Conway of DCU delivered a lecture entitled 'Guarding the Border: Policing in a Time of Conflict'. She drew on extensive oral history interviews with retired members of An Garda Siochana and spoke about the experiences of those who policed the border with Northern Ireland during the 1970s and 1980s. She also discussed the range of tasks and issues which the conflict presented for gardai, whilst also considered how unprepared the organisation was for this challenge.

The panel discussion on Transitional Justice and Northern Ireland featured Claire Hanna of the SDLP, Professor Monica McWilliams and RTE Primetime reporter Barry Cummins. Ms Hanna gave a political perspective on transitional justice, including some context on the latest rounds of talks and 'legacy' within them, including the latest iterations of the structures initially proposed in Eames-Bradley. Professor McWilliams of the University of Ulster focused on her work in transitional justice in relation to the issues of Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration of former combatants using her experience of her involvement in the implementation of the 1998 peace agreement.

Mr Cummins spoke about the great successes the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains have had in finding bodies of some of the Disappeared from the discovery of the body of Danny McIlhone in Co. Wicklow in 2008, to finding body of Seamus Ruddy in France this year.

The final lecture was given by Prof Phil Scraton of Queen's University. His lecture 'Justice for the 96': Researching Truth, Delivering Justice in the Aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster' reflected on research conducted over three decades into the context, circumstances and aftermath of the Hillsborough Disaster.
North Korea early this morning fired several short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast from its eastern Kangwon province, South Korea's military said.

The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles flew in a northeasterly direction for about 250km into the sea.

Cmdr David Benham, a spokesman for the US Pacific Command, said two of the rockets failed in flight while a third blew up almost immediately after launch.

Japan's NHK broadcast said the projectiles did not appear to be objects that could threaten Japan's safety.

The launch is the first by the North since it test-fired a missile on July 28 that could have been designed to reach 10,000km, putting the US mainland within reach.

The launch comes amid an easing of tension after weeks of harsh exchange of threats between North Korea and the US after the North's leader Kim Jong-Un threatened to fire missiles close to the US Pacific territory of Guam.
HOUSTON, Aug. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greenfields Petroleum Corporation (the "Company" or "Greenfields") (TSX VENTURE:GNF), an independent exploration and production company with producing assets in Azerbaijan, announces its financial results and operating highlights for the second quarter of 2017. Selected financial and operational information is set out below and should be read in conjunction with the Company's complete financial statements as of and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, with the notes thereto and related managements discussion and analysis (MD&A), which can be found on Greenfields' website at www.Greenfields-Petroleum.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Except as otherwise indicated, all dollar amounts referenced herein are expressed in United States dollars.



Second Quarter 2017 Financial Results and Operating Highlights

Bahar Energy Limiteds ( BEL ) entitlement sales volumes averaged 674 bbl/d for crude oil and 17,120 mcf/d for natural gas or 3,527 boe/d in the second quarter 2017 and 691 bbl/d and 17,207 mcf/d or 3,559 boe/d year-to-date 2017. As compared to the same quarter in 2016, average entitlement sales volumes decreased 13% for oil, increased 18% for natural gas and increased 10% for boe/d, while year-to-date average entitlement volumes for oil decreased 17%, increased 22% for natural gas and increased 12% for boe/d.



) entitlement sales volumes averaged 674 bbl/d for crude oil and 17,120 mcf/d for natural gas or 3,527 boe/d in the second quarter 2017 and 691 bbl/d and 17,207 mcf/d or 3,559 boe/d year-to-date 2017. As compared to the same quarter in 2016, average entitlement sales volumes decreased 13% for oil, increased 18% for natural gas and increased 10% for boe/d, while year-to-date average entitlement volumes for oil decreased 17%, increased 22% for natural gas and increased 12% for boe/d. For the second quarter and year-to-date 2017, BEL realized an average oil price of $41.96 and $44.70, respectively, per barrel. This reflects an increase from $39.56 and $34.28, respectively, per barrel for the same periods in 2016. BEL realized a natural gas price of $2.69 per mcf for the second quarter 2017 and $3.32 per mcf year-to-date compared to $3.96 per mcf for the same periods in 2016. The gas price was contractually fixed at $3.96 price and renegotiated to a new 5-year term at $2.69 per mcf effective April 1, 2017.



For the second quarter and year-to-date 2017, the Company realized a net loss of $3.1 million and $4.5 million, respectively, which represents a loss per share (basic and diluted) of $0.02 and $0.03, respectively. In comparison, for the same periods in 2016, the Company realized a net loss of $2.6 million and $6.2 million, respectively, with a loss per share (basic and diluted) of $0.12 and $0.28, respectively.



On May 12, 2017, the Company completed a non-brokered private placement of 2,398,630 common shares of the Company at a price of CAD$0.20 per share (USD$0.146) for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $350 thousand. Also, on June 27, 2017, the Company completed a brokered private placement of 18,258,201 common shares of the Company at a price of CAD$0.20 per share (USD$0.148) for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $2.7 million.



On March 3, 2017, Bahar Energy Operating Company ( BEOC ) signed an amendment to the gas sales agreement (the  Amended GSA ) for the sale of non-associated natural gas produced under the ERDPSA with SOCAR, which took effect April 1, 2017. Please see the Companys press release dated May 26, 2017 for further details on the Amended GSA.



) signed an amendment to the gas sales agreement (the  ) for the sale of non-associated natural gas produced under the ERDPSA with SOCAR, which took effect April 1, 2017. Please see the Companys press release dated May 26, 2017 for further details on the Amended GSA. On April 19, 2017, BEL and SOCAR signed a protocol in respect of the carry of certain costs and related issues (the Protocol) which addresses the shortfall by SOA in funding its 20% share of project expenditures incurred under the ERDPSA since April 2014. In accordance with the Protocol, which is effective April 19, 2017, SOAs 20% share of project expenditures will be funded from SOAs entitlement share of profit petroleum revenues and revenues generated from the sale of SOCARs compensatory petroleum. Any funding deficiencies in SOAs cash call payments will be borne by BEL and added to the outstanding Carry 1 balance which will subsequently be reimbursed in accordance with the terms of the ERDPSA through payment of SOAs share of cost recovery petroleum revenues to BEL.

Operating Highlights and Plans

Gross production volumes produced from the ERDPSA averaged 783 bbl/d for crude oil, 20.1 mmcf/d for natural gas or 4,133 boe/d for the second quarter 2017. Production was impacted by the slower pace of executing scheduled workovers and lower than expected post-workover production results.



During the second quarter 2017, operating expenses were ten percent below budget while capital expenditures were significantly under budget as a result of capital projects being reduced in scope or delayed.



In the Gum Deniz Oil Field, BEOC completed three capital and eight service workovers during the second quarter 2017. In the Bahar Gas Field, two capital workovers were completed during the same period. Two additional workovers were initiated and are expected to be completed in the third quarter 2017.



During the remainder of 2017 and in 2018, BEOC plans to reactivate production from the southern area of Gum Deniz Field by refurbishing platforms 409 and 412 and installing Electric Submersible Pumps (ESP) in seven wells. Initial production from this area is expected to commence in late August 2017 with the installation in well GD414. Two more installations are expected follow in September and October. The refurbishment of the second platform is expected to be ready at about year end, so ESP installation in four additional wells is expected to begin in late December and continue into January 2018.



In the second quarter 2017, BEOC continued progress on several construction projects including platform refurbishment, causeway structure reinforcement and processing facility improvements.



The dynamic reservoir model simulation studies continued for both the Bahar and Gum Deniz fields and are expected to be completed in fourth quarter 2017. The results of these simulation studies will enable a more thorough evaluation of development options in the Bahar and Gum Deniz fields. The studies have confirmed more than 50 additional well recompletions to extend the field producing life. Additionally, the studies have identified secondary recovery potential in both the Gum Deniz and Bahar fields. A new plan of development will follow the completion of the studies.



For the remainder of 2017, BEOC will focus on increasing gas production from the Bahar Gas Field through a series of recompletions of existing wells to improve project cash flows; and reactivating oil production from South Gum Deniz. Additionally, BEOC is continuing programs to further reduce field operating costs while maintaining health, safety and environmental standards.

Selected Financial Information

Revenues and operating results in the Selected Financial Information have been adjusted to reflect the Companys share of BEL. Upon the closing of the acquisition of Baghlan Group Limiteds 66.67% interest in BEL on August 9, 2016 (the Baghlan Acquisition), BEL became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company and the Company began consolidating 100% of the revenues and operating results from BEL on a going forward basis. Financial information for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 presented in the tables below have been adjusted to include the Companys 33.33% share of petroleum, natural gas and transportation revenues from BEL and do not include Baghlan Group Limiteds 66.67% interest in BEL for such periods. Prior to the Baghlan Acquisition, the Companys share of BEL revenues was included in the income or loss on Investment in Joint Venture under the equity method of accounting. The combined financial and operating results have been presented only for comparative purposes and do not reflect proper accounting practices under GAAP for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016.

Greenfields Petroleum Corporation

(US$000s,except as noted) Three months ended

June 30 Six months ended

June 30 2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial Revenues 6,818 2,973 16,056 5,773 Net (loss) income (3,129 ) (2,551 ) (4,497 ) (6,153 ) Per share, basic and diluted ($0.02 ) ($0.12 ) ($0.03 ) ($0.28 ) Capital Items Cash and cash equivalents 2,173 428 Total Assets 201,174 97,778 Working capital (1) (47,136 ) (10,351 ) Convertible debt and Shareholders equity 138,439 52,377

(1) Working capital at June 30, 2017 include short term loans related party and other short term loans. The Company expects to further restructure these short term loans through a combination of long term debt financing and equity.

Bahar Energy Limited

Companys share (US$000s, except as noted) Three months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial Revenues 6,818 8,095 6,818 2,698 Operating Average Entitlement Sales Volumes (2) Oil and condensate (bbl/d) 674 779 674 260 Natural gas (mcf/d) 17,120 14,503 17,120 4,534 Barrel oil equivalent (boe/d) 3,527 3,196 3,527 1,065 % of gross production

volumes (3)



87



%



89



% Average Oil Price Oil price ($/bbl) $ 42.89 $ 40.52 $ 42.89 $ 40.52 Net realization price ($/bbl) $ 41.97 $ 39.56 $ 41.97 $ 39.56 Brent oil price ($/bbl) $ 49.52 $ 45.57 $ 49.52 $ 45.57 Natural gas price ($/mcf) $ 2.69 $ 3.96 $ 2.69 $ 3.96





Companys share (US$000s, except as noted) Six months ended June 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Financial Revenues 16,056 15,494 16,056 5,164 Operating Average Entitlement Sales Volumes (2) Oil and condensate (bbl/d) 691 833 691 278 Natural gas (mcf/d) 17,207 14,066 17,207 4,688 Barrel oil equivalent (boe/d) 3,559 3,177 3,559 1,059 % of gross production

volumes (3)



85



%



86



% Average Oil Price Oil price ($/bbl) $ 45.65 $ 35.18 $ 48.65 $ 35.18 Net realization price ($/bbl) $ 44.70 $ 34.28 $ 44.70 $ 34.28 Brent oil price ($/bbl) $ 51.56 $ 39.80 $ 51.56 $ 39.80 Natural gas price ($/mcf) $ 3.32 $ 3.96 $ 3.32 $ 3.96

(2) Daily volumes represent the Companys share of the entitlement sales volumes of the contractor parties to the ERDPSA net of compensatory petroleum and the governments share of profit petroleum. Compensatory petroleum represents 10% of gross production from the ERDPSA and continues to be delivered to SOCAR at no charge, until specific cumulative petroleum and natural gas production milestones are attained. Daily entitlement sales volumes for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 include the Companys 33.33% share of BEL entitlement sales volumes and 100% of BELs entitlement for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017.

(3) Represents the percentage of BEL entitlement sales volumes relative to gross production volumes from the ERDPSA.

About Greenfields Petroleum Corporation

Greenfields is a junior oil and natural gas company focused on the development and production of proven oil and gas reserves principally in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Company plans to expand its oil and gas assets through further farm-ins, and acquisitions of Production Sharing Agreements from foreign governments containing previously discovered but under-developed international oil and gas fields, also known as greenfields. More information about the Company may be obtained on the Greenfields website at www.greenfields-petroleum.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release includes forward-looking statements concerning, but not limited to: operational and development plans of the Company and of BEL; the completion of workovers and anticipated timing thereof; the completion of reactivations and the anticipated timing thereof; the Protocol and the expectations in relation thereto; the Bahar and Gum Deniz field studies and the expectations in relation thereto; production; and programs initiated by BEOC. In addition, the use of any of the words initial, scheduled, can, will, prior to, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, future, continue, may, expect, plan and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, expectations and assumptions concerning the success of optimization and efficiency improvement projects, the availability of capital, current legislation and regulatory regimes, receipt of required regulatory approval, the success of future drilling and development activities, the performance of existing wells, the performance of new wells, general economic conditions, availability of required equipment and services, weather conditions and prevailing commodity prices. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.

Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties most of which are beyond the control of Greenfields. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results, performance or achievements could vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These risks include, but are not limited to, risks associated with the oil and gas industry in general (e.g., operational risks in development, exploration and production; delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures; the uncertainty of reserve estimates; the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, costs and expenses; and health, safety, political and environmental risks), commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry and uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. Additional risk factors can be found under the heading "Risk Factors" in Greenfields Annual Information Form and similar headings in the MD&A which may be viewed on www.sedar.com .

The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and Greenfields undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. The Companys forward-looking information is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement.

Abbreviations

bbls barrels mcf thousand cubic feet bbls/d barrels per day mmcf million cubic feet boe barrels of oil equivalent mcf/d thousand cubic feet per day boe/d barrels of oil equivalent per day mmcf/d million cubic feet per day mcm million cubic meters



Notes to Oil and Gas Disclosures

Barrels of Oil Equivalent or boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. The volumes disclosed in this press release under the headings Second Quarter 2017 Financial Results and Operating Highlights, Operating Highlights and Plans and Selected Financial Information use a 6mcf: 1boe, as such is typically used in oil and gas reporting and is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. The Company uses a 6mcf: 1boe ratio to calculate its share of entitlement sales from the Bahar project for its financial reporting and reserves disclosure.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
A UK politician has apologised for a social media joke which sparked accusations that he was making light of prostitution.

Labout MP John Woodcock made the quip on Friday evening in response to a tweet from BBC presenter Nina Warhurst expressing her astonishment at being charged 12.60 (13.61) for two beers and a packet of crisps in a London bar.

Mr Woodcock responded: "To be fair, I've paid that much in Barrow, but it does come with a hand job."

The comment sparked a number of outraged responses on Twitter, including from one Labour member who branded it "awful".

Mr Woodcock also revealed that he was also contacted by fellow Labour MP Sarah Champion, a prominent campaigner against sexual exploitation, who asked him to take the post down.

After deleting the tweet, Mr Woodcock issued an apology about what he described as "a throwaway and not very original joke about the steep prices in London bars".

He said: "I should just have kept my lame sense of humour to myself anyway, but on reflection I definitely shouldn't have made a casual reference to a sexual service which could have implied I was flippant about the damage done by the sex trade in the UK.

"I am sorry, I definitely did not mean to disrespect anyone."

Mr Woodcock's apology did not please some Twitter users, with one going under the name The Cat posting: "Yes it was a lame joke but everybody makes those and don't apologise, neither should you!"
Police outside Buckingham Palace in London last night after the attack. Photo: Lauren Hurley/PA

A man armed with a knife was arrested outside Buckingham Palace last night, leaving two police officers injured, Scotland Yard said.

The suspect is being held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police after being stopped in possession of the weapon at around 8.35pm on The Mall in central London.

One witness described seeing the man wrestled from a car by police having apparently driven his vehicle towards them.

Kiana Williamson said: "We turned up and there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

"They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back.

"I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm although it didn't look severe.

"He was being tended to by another officer. The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road.

"I didn't see the car driving but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eye witness had said that he had driven towards the police car."

The whole encounter lasted around one minute, she added.

The Metropolitan Police said it was too early to know whether the incident was terror-related.

Two male officers suffered "minor injuries" to their arms during the arrest, according to the force.

The London Ambulance Service attended to treat the injured men but they were not taken to hospital.

No other people were injured.

Armed police patrolled the entrances to the palace where several police cars and at least two ambulances could be seen.

People filed out of the affected area, saying they had been directed to leave.

Meanwhile, Belgian soldiers shot dead a man in the centre of Brussels yesterday evening after he came at them with a knife shouting "Allahu Akbar (God is great)", in a case authorities are treating as a terrorist attack.

The man, a 30-year-old Belgian of Somali origin, died after being rushed to hospital. The soldiers were not seriously hurt in the attack; one had a facial wound and the other's hand was wounded.

Prosecutors said the man, who was not known for terrorist activities, had twice shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack, which occurred at around 8.15pm local time just outside the city's central pedestrian zone while the soldiers were on patrol.

The case passed from local to federal prosecutors, who typically handle terrorist cases. A spokeswoman for the prosecution service said they were treating the case as one of attempted terrorist murder.

Brussels mayor Philip Close said the alert status, already just one off the maximum level, had not been increased.

"Initial indications are ... that it is an isolated attack, a single person," Mr Close said beside a street blocked by police.

Soldiers routinely patrol the streets of the Belgian capital due to a heightened security alert level after Islamist shooting and bomb attacks in Paris in 2015 and Brussels in 2016.

In June, troops shot dead a suspected suicide bomber at Brussels' central train station.
Laaya Joneidi, left, and assistant to the president on citizenship rights, Shahindokht Molaverdi, right, attend a cabinet meeting (Iranian Presidency Office via AP)

The new Iranian vice president has abandoned her usual fashion style for the all-encompassing black chador.

The move has raised questions among women in the Islamic Republic, especially after she said President Hassan Rouhani personally asked her to wear the traditional women's garment.

Although Laaya Joneidi typically used to wear a hijab, the headscarf that is mandated by law in Iran, and a long coat with trousers, her switch to the more conservative chador serves as a political statement in the Islamic Republic.

Coming after Mr Rouhani failed to nominate any women to serve as ministers in his Cabinet, some are questioning the moderate cleric's campaign promise to bring more women into the government.

"Not only could Rouhani not appoint a woman minister, but also he could not appoint a vice president who does not wear the chador either and forced her to wear the chador," tweeted Hamid Mashayekhi Rad, an Islamic seminary student and activist.

The controversy began when a government website posted a photograph of Ms Joneidi, who earned a doctorate from Harvard in comparative law and international commercial arbitration, wearing the long black chador, exposing only her face.

Social media exploded with posts referring to her as a "chadori".

The controversy only grew after Ms Joneidi, one of two female vice presidents in Mr Rouhani's new government, gave an interview to the reformist daily newspaper Sharq.

"Mr Rouhani, because of the protocol of the Cabinet, asked me to wear the chador," she told the newspaper. "I respected his demand."

The criticism then found a target in Mr Rouhani, whose re-election campaign promised women places in his 18-minister Cabinet.

The cleric had no women ministers in his first term, and when he announced appointees for his second term, earlier in August, there were again no women.

The following day, Mr Rouhani named two women as vice presidents, including Ms Joneidi.

"Mr Rouhani, based on which law or your protocol forced Laaya Joneidi to wear the chador?" tweeted Amene Shirafkan, a journalist who works at Zanan-Emrooz or Today's Women, magazine.

The chador controversy underscores the unwritten protocol rules for those in public office and government in Iran - rules that also affect men.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif famously wore a goatee beard before entering Mr Rouhani's government, but later grew the full beard common for those in power.

The chador has a long history in Iranian politics.

The sisters of Shah Reza Pahlavi famously threw theirs away in public in the 1930s, before it was outlawed.

In the 1979 Islamic Revolution, women who took to the streets to rally in support of the clerics embraced the chador. After the revolution installed the clerics in power, the hijab became law.

In theory, women not wearing the chador are to wear baggy clothes and coats so as to not accentuate their form.

However, in Tehran today, some fashionable young women wear tighter clothes with a scarf loosely covering their head, technically meeting the requirements of the law while drawing the ire of conservatives.

Morality police enforce the government-mandated Islamic dress code, while others have protested against the requirement on social media.

Women in government find it tougher to resist the demand to wear the chador.

Masoumeh Ebtekar famously gave up her style for a chador when she became a vice president under former president Mohammad Khatami in 1997.

In 2000, an MP threatened to beat Elaheh Koulaii, a hijab-wearing lawmaker from Tehran, if she did not wear a chador. She stood her ground and refused.

Soroush Farhadian, a Tehran-based political analyst who backs reformists, said that not wearing a chador remains a taboo in Iranian politics.

By asking Ms Joneidi to wear one, Mr Rouhani was trying to avoid a confrontation with hard-liners, he said.

"The taboo was broken by Koulaii in the parliament, but it is not broken at the government level yet," Farhadian said.

AP
You know that meme where the dog's engulfed by flames pretending everything's fine? That's kind of what it was like living in America for the past three months. But after travelling across six states this summer, I soon learned there's no point pretending any more.

Each state provided a different insight into life in America under the new US president.

A road sign in San Ysidro, California has the words F*ck you Trump spray-painted across the bottom. San Ysidro is right beside the Mexican border and has a 92pc hispanic population. With all the presidents talk of building walls to keep out immigrants, the animosity is understandable.

Trump voodoo dolls can be bought on the streets of downtown New Orleans for $5. I laughed when I saw their little carrot-coloured faces, but the lady behind the stall wasnt so amused. You see, people in San Ysidro and downtown New Orleans have one thing in common: how they feel discriminated against. Sadly, I witnessed some of this discrimination first-hand.

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New Orleans is a tiny democratic patch in the largely republican state of Louisiana. Just five miles outside the city is a very different demographic, however. Confederate flags draped across porches, Trump dollar bills stuck on kitchen walls, and for some reason, people constantly warn you about going into the city.

The birthplace of jazz is a 15-minute drive away and these people were acting as if it were more dangerous than downtown Damascus. And then the penny dropped. You be careful in the city now, lot of blacks in there, one woman shouted as I left her home. The other white people advising me to exercise caution werent so blunt, but I soon realised what their problem with New Orleans was.

Another Louisiana native told me he voted for Trump solely because he vowed to build a wall to keep Mexicans out. "He promised us a wall, so I promised myself I'd vote for him," the dad-of-two said. He added that he hadn't been into New Orleans in five years as it was too dangerous, but hoped Trump might make things in the US safer. "Trump's doing a good job, he don't pretend to be anything he's not."

Expand Close A Trump dollar bill on the kitchen wall of a man's house in St Bernard, Louisiana / Facebook

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The strange thing is these republican people were some of the friendliest Ive ever met. They showered me with doughnuts and cans of Coke and invited me into their homes without hesitation. But then again, you always judge a person by how nice they are to the waiter, or in this case, people of a different race. Obviously not all republicans have this attitude towards different ethnicities, but after the events in Charlottesville and the support shown for Trumps anti-immigrant agenda, parts of America are a lot more racist than I could have imagined in 2017.

I spent most of the summer based in Arizona, another republican state. After my first weekend there I made a conscious decision not to talk about Trump on nights out. A colleague made the mistake of doing that in an Irish bar on our first night, and the pro-Trump guy beside her wasnt too impressed. It wasnt just a bit of harmless political banter though. She disagreed with some of Trumps opinions and this man acted as if she physically assaulted his mother in front of him. He became enraged when she said the president of the United States shouldnt talk about grabbing women by the pussy. You cant judge a man on what he said in the past, he argued. Well, actually pal, you can. Trump is saying sexist things in the present and will continue to do so long into the future, so women can judge away.

Some people get a right old laugh about Trump and his bizarre comments. I used to find his fake news outbursts funny, but I dont any more. My US colleagues all worked in journalism and every day in the newsroom something outrageous would flash up on CNN about Trump. There was the Comey testimony, Donald Jnr tweeting about meeting the Russians, and then his dad went and banned transgender people from the military. But as all this was going on in the background while we worked, nobody said anything. Whats the first rule about Trump club? You dont talk about Trump club.

There are four groups of people in America at the moment:

1. Those who choose to ignore the fact hes their president, pretending it didnt happen.

2. The angry protesters who are furious he was elected.

3. The staunch republicans who hail Trump as their god.

4. The silent voters who wont admit they voted, and who are now privately thinking what have we done.

Ive lived in America twice before and loved it, but this time the atmosphere was different. This time I was happy to come home. We take a lot for granted in Ireland. Our healthcare system is far from perfect, but its a lot better than Americas, where they leave you to die on the streets if you dont have insurance.

My friend and I came across a homeless woman one day who managed to get stuck behind the seat at a bus shelter in Phoenix. She was crying with the pain and people just kept walking by. There was brown stuff all over the seat, as if her bowels had burst open. We called emergency services and when they arrived, we asked if she would be taken to the hospital. We cant do that, she probably doesnt have insurance and it would be considered kidnapping, one officer said.

My friend replied If you leave her shell die. His response? This isnt Europe, things are different here, and therell be one less homeless person on the streets if she does.

Expand Close Emergency services tend to the homeless woman who was stuck in between the seat and bus shelter / Facebook

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That kind of attitude sums up America under Trump for me. Racists, homophobes, sexists and those with a complete disregard for morality all believe they can speak up and be heard now. And why? Because if the president of the United States can say such things, why cant they? Trump didn't make these people that way, but his refusal to condemn hatred and blatant bigotry has enabled some of the animosity that's been bubbling underneath America's surface to come to the fore.

I feel sorry for the many Americans hurting over how things are unfolding in their country. Its still a bit surreal that Donald Trump was actually elected president. I left America on the same day as the Charlottesville protests, and right around the time Trump was threatening North Korea with "fire and fury". As I boarded my flight back to Dublin I couldnt help but think, God bless America, and God bless the world.
From Congress to newsrooms to social media, impeachment fever has taken hold. Various reasons have been put forward for removing Donald Trump from office, ranging from alleged "collusion" with Russians to his response to Charlottesville. One poll shows support for impeachment as high as 40pc. 'Newsweek' ran a headline proclaiming 'Trump is just six Senate votes away from impeachment', and 'Slate' has a running feature called 'Today's Impeach-O-Meter.'

While such talk may be therapeutic for those still suffering post-election stress disorder, it is a dangerous course that could fundamentally alter the US's constitutional and political systems. Even if one were to agree with the litany of complaints against Trump, the only thing worse than Trump continuing in office would be his removal from it.

There is a mechanism under which a head of government can be removed mid-term. Parliamentary systems, like Great Britain's, allow for "no confidence" motions to remove prime ministers. Parliament can pass a resolution stating "That this house has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government". But it's doubtful the members of Congress calling for Trump's impeachment would relish a parliamentary approach: When such a vote succeeds, the prime minister isn't necessarily the only politician to go.

If the existing members of parliament can't form a new government in 14 days, the entire legislative body is dissolved pending a general election. That's leaving aside the fact Trump is still more popular than Congress as a whole: In the Real Clear Politics polling average, his job approval rating is less than 40pc, while Congress's wallows at around 15pc.

The US constitution's framers were certainly familiar with votes of no confidence, but despite their general aim to limit the authority of the presidency, they opted for a different course. They saw a danger in presidents being impeached due to shifts in political support and insulated presidents from removal by limiting the basis for impeachment and demanding a high vote threshold for removal. The House of Representatives would have to impeach and the Senate convict (by two-thirds vote) based on "treason, bribery, or other high crimes or misdemeanours."

The framers were wise in this regard. Consider Representative Steve Cohen's statement, in the wake of Charlottesville, explaining why he supports impeachment: "If the president can't recognise the difference between these domestic terrorists and the people who oppose their anti-American attitudes, then he cannot defend us."

Cohen doesn't articulate a high crime or misdemeanour, let alone prove one. He appears willing to impeach Trump because the president is viewed as insufficiently opposed to far-right or racist groups. If that were the standard, any member of an opposition party could cite unacceptable views as the basis for removal from office. Cohen's reasoning is no better than that of former congressman Kerry Bentivolio, who was quoted in 2013 telling a constituent that if he "could write a bill" to impeach then president Barack Obama, "it would be a dream come true".

Though clearly farcical, the suggestion by 'USA Today's' Jill Lawrence that "Trump is doing an excellent impression of a president who desperately wishes to be impeached" - that his comportment in office is some sort of thinly veiled cry for help - obscures the gravity of what's at stake.

Lowering the standard would fundamentally alter the presidency, potentially setting up future presidents to face impeachment inquiries or even removal whenever the political winds shifted against them.

Especially alarming is the argument that, "Yes, Trump could be impeached for pro-Nazi talk." This week, the 'Daily Beast's' Michael Tomasky evaluated the impeachment of Andrew Johnson to demonstrate why some experts believe presidents can be impeached over purely "political disagreements". Johnson was a thoroughly obnoxious president who took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He was opposed by the radical Republicans in Congress who sought to extend voting rights to freed slaves and limit the political power of former Confederates. Johnson was impeached by the House, but spared conviction (by one vote) in the Senate, which recognised that however valid opposition to the president was, in the end it amounted to a political disagreement. Had he been removed, it would have been an abuse of Congress's power; and while abuses can happen, they remain abuse.

As the last lead counsel in an impeachment case - I defended US District Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 - even the theoretical revival of Johnson's impeachment is chilling: There is no clear way to defend against having insufficient values. Tomasky quotes constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein, who floats the possibility a president might be impeached for views demonstrated to be "sabotaging, not defending the Constitution - including its separation of powers, due process, and equal protection - by applauding the ideas or actions of tyrants from his bully pulpit."

But imagine what could happen if that were true. Any presidential remark deemed objectionable could be characterised as "sabotaging" constitutional values. Rather than requiring unconstitutional acts, we would impeach for unconstitutional thoughts.

This can seem weirdly incongruous, given the other presidential impeachment: Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath about something relatively trivial; many view Trump as opposing fundamental US values. But Clinton deserved impeachment because he lied under oath.

I was one of the experts who testified before Congress during Clinton's impeachment hearings and, despite voting for Clinton, I maintained that perjury clearly fell within the standard regardless of the subject. Presidents don't get to lie under oath any more than Congress gets to choose impeachment standards depending on the president. While this may be frustrating and inconvenient, there is no proof Trump has committed any crime or otherwise impeachable offence.

Impeaching a president on the grounds of high contempt or misbehaviours would leave the presidency weakened. We shouldn't count on making the presidency great again if we add a no confidence option to impeachment. ( The Washington Post )
US President Donald Trump is now openly attacking the GOP leaders of both the House and the Senate.

In tweets on Thursday morning, he blamed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for having failed to replace Obamacare, and he said both Mr McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan created the current debt ceiling mess by using the wrong tactics.

I requested that Mitch M & Paul R tie the Debt Ceiling legislation into the popular V.A. Bill (which just passed) for easy approval. They didnt do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy  now a mess!

The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed! That should NEVER have happened!

The tweets lay bare tensions that both the White House and Mr McConnells office have sought to play down in recent days, after an extensive New York Times piece detailed a strained relationship between the president and the GOP Senate leader, including Mr Trump berating Mr McConnell in a phone call two weeks ago.

Although Mr Trump has been known to attack pretty much anybody and this could just as soon blow over, the tweets suggest a looming showdown between Mr Trump and his own party in Congress if it doesnt deliver on his agenda to his satisfaction. Congressional Republicans should be very worried. Mr Trump could tear them apart  and hes already starting to do so.

Despite Mr Trumps broad and unprecedented unpopularity early in his presidency, he retains a pretty strong hold on his base, with around 75 to 80pc still approving of him. There are signs his hold on that base is cracking, but the vast majority of Republicans remain loyal and are following Mr Trumps lead.

Whats more, a growing body of polling evidence suggests real peril in Republicans being seen as failing or undermining Mr Trump.

A new George Washington University poll released shortly before Mr Trumps tweets showed 59pc of Republicans say their member of Congress has not been supportive enough of the president. Another 29pc say their support has been about right, and just 4pc  one in 25 Republicans  say their member has been too supportive.

Many of these Republican voters, of course, come from districts held by Democrats, which would explain a large chunk of the not supportive enough group. But its clear there is significantly more concern about a lack of support for Mr Trump than too much support.

In that way, Mr Trump is already tilling fertile soil by attacking the likes of Mr McConnell, Mr Ryan and senators Jeff Flake and Dean Heller. A strong majority of the GOP base thinks their party hasnt done enough to help Mr Trump, and now Mr Trump is blasting that message far and wide.

That holds true for specific senators as well as the party. The limited polling we have on individual members suggest those who have tangled with Mr Trump have paid a steep price in their personal image ratings.

A poll from Democratic-leaning automated pollster Public Policy Polling (PPP) this month showed a grim state of affairs for Mr Heller, who initially opposed the GOP health care bill and drew Mr Trumps ire before eventually supporting a later version. The poll showed him with a brutal 22pc approval rating in Nevada, compared to 55pc who disapproved.

Ditto the other vulnerable Republican senator up for re-election in 2018, Mr Flake, a more vocal Trump critic than Mr Heller. Around the same time, PPP had him at just 18pc approval in Arizona versus 62pc disapproval. Again, brutal. The reason? Trump voters are almost completely deserting him, with just 22pc approving of him and 63pc disapproving.

PPP has also now released data on Mr McConnell, whom Mr Trump has been needling for weeks. His ratings have plummeted thanks to Trump voters, too. Fully 66pc of Trump voters say they disapprove of him, driving up his overall disapproval rating to 74pc. Just 18pc approve.

If those numbers are even close to reality, it suggests Republicans are at significant risk of alienating the base if they dont fall in line behind Mr Trump and/or succeed for him. Both Mr Flake and Mr Heller now face primary challenges, and seeing how those races poll going forward is going to be extremely telling.
US President Donald Trump on Friday granted a pardon to controversial former Arizona lawman and political ally Joe Arpaio less than a month after he was convicted of criminal contempt in a case involving racial profiling.

"Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," said a White House statement announcing Arpaio's pardon, the first of Trump's administration.

Arpaio, 85, the self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in America" lost a bid for re-election in Arizona's Maricopa County in November after 24 years in office.

He is known for his crackdown on undocumented immigrants and investigating unfounded Trump-supported claims questioning former President Barack Obama's citizenship.

"I have to thank the president for what he has done, thats for sure," Arpaio told Reuters in a brief telephone interview from his Arizona home. "He's a big supporter of law enforcement."

Arpaio said his lawyer was sent a copy of the pardon on Friday afternoon and he planned a press conference to discuss what he said were new details in the case. He declined to say if he would run again for sheriff.

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"Im not going away," added Arpaio.

Arpaio told Reuters that he would reveal more about the case on Monday or Tuesday and detail the real story behind the case that brought him to trial. He has long maintained that the prosecution by the administration under President Barack Obama was political, aimed at helping oust him from office.

He said his attorney delivered the good news the same day as his wifes birthday, adding he came over to give my wife a birthday gift and it was a pretty good one, said Arpaio, alluding to the pardon, as he was about to leave for her celebration dinner.

Civil rights advocates slammed Trump's decision as an endorsement of racist and unlawful immigration policies.

"Once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and that have been struck down by the courts," said American Civil Liberties Union Deputy Legal Director Cecillia Wang, who sought the court injunction against Arpaio.

The pardon sent "a dangerous message that a law enforcement officer who abused his position of power and defied a court order can simply be excused by a president who himself clearly does not respect the law", Vanita Gupta, president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and former head of the U.S. Justice Department's civil rights division, said in a statement.

Alejandra Gomez, co-executive director of Living United for Change in Arizona (LUCHA), said: President Trump pardoned a terrorist tonight. Joe Arpaio intentionally terrorized immigrant communities across Arizona for decades and traumatized an entire generation of Arizonans...

"The only proper place for him is in a jail cell, Gomez said in a statement.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said it was "disheartening that he set the bar so very low for his first pardon... The ex-sheriff is a self-aggrandizing braggart who promoted racist law enforcement practices and cost taxpayers millions, and that is a reason they did not reelect him.

"After the racism and hate in Charlottesville, our country needs to come together and heal. But that healing will not come from a president who only exploits divisions and fears," Leahy said in a statement.

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted on July 31 by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

Arpaio admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order but said his behavior did not meet a criminal standard. He said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

Arpaio had been scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5 and faced a fine and maximum sentence of six months in jail.

his controversial tenure as sheriff brought Arpaio national headlines for massive roundups of suspected illegal immigrants and for the way he ran the Maricopa County jail.

He reinstated chain gangs, made inmates wear uniforms that were pink or old-fashioned black and white stripes and forbade them coffee, salt and pepper.

Critics said as sheriff Arpaio spent too much time courting publicity and not enough on basic policing. The East Valley Times newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize for a 2009 series showing that arrests in the county had dropped while many violent crimes were not investigated and response call times had increased.
Luis Perez watches waves crash again a jetty in Galveston, Texas as Hurricane Harvey intensifies in the Gulf of Mexico (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

A power generator tips in in front of Texas' CHRISTUS (Courtney Sacco /Corpus Christi Caller-Times via AP)

Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 and is due to hit the southern US coastline late tonight or in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned that Harvey was "rapidly intensifying".

Wind speeds of up to 110mph are expected, with experts fearing it could be the worst storm to hit the mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for several cities on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Expand Close Hillary Lebeb walks along the seawall in Galveston, Texas as Hurricane Harvey intensifies in the Gulf of Mexico Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Harvey is forecast to be a major hurricane when it makes landfall along the middle Texas coastline. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) / Facebook

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"My urgent message to my fellow Texans is that if you live in a region where evacuation has been ordered, you need to heed that advice and get out of harm's way while you can," Texas Gov Greg Abbott said in a televised address.

He issued disaster declarations in 30 counties, saying the preemptive move would allow the state "to quickly deploy resources for the emergency response effort."

Forecasters also warned of a "life-threatening" storm surge as heavy rain was predicted along with the high winds. There could be as much as 30 inches of rain in some areas.

"With this system's intensity and slow motion, it is the worst of both worlds," John Tharp, a forecaster with Weather Decision Technologies in Norman, Oklahoma, told Reuters.

"There will be major impacts along the coast and inland with periods of prolonged rain."

In Louisiana, New Orleans is bracing itself for heavy flooding.

Expand Close This satellite image provided by NASA on Thursday / Facebook

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The storm is expect to hover over the city for many days.

An emergency declaration has been issued for the entire state and hundreds of boats were made available for potential rescues.

Carnival Corp said on Friday that three of its cruise ships are unable to return to the Port of Galveston, Texas, which is closed ahead of Hurricane Harvey.

Two of the ships, the Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Valor, will head for New Orleans where they will pick up fresh supplies. Passengers will have the option of disembarking there, but Carnival advised them to not do so and said the ships will return to Galveston as soon as feasible.

A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said.

The next scheduled cruises on all three ships will be shortened and customers will receive refunds, the company said.

"We will continue to remain in close contact with port officials regarding their plans to re-open once the storm has passed," spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta said.

With additional reporting from Reuters
North Korea has fired several rockets into the sea, in a continuation of its rapid nuclear and missile expansion, prompting South Korea to press ahead with military drills involving US troops that have angered Pyongyang.

The US Pacific Command revised its initial assessment that the first and third short-range missiles failed on Saturday during flight, to say they flew about 155 miles.

It said that the second missile appears to have blown up immediately and that none posed a threat to the US territory of Guam, towards which the North had previously warned it would fire missiles.

South Korea's presidential office and military said North Korea fired "several" projectiles in what was presumed to be a test of its 300-millimetre rocket artillery system.

Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean military official who is now an analyst at Seoul's Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said that South Korean assessment does not necessarily contradict the US evaluation that the launches involved ballistic missiles.

North Korea's large artillery rockets blur the boundaries between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they create their own thrust and are guided during delivery, Mr Kim said.

The presidential office in Seoul said the US and South Korean militaries will proceed with their war games "even more thoroughly" in response to the launch.

They are the first known missile firings since July, when the North successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the US mainland when perfected.

The White House said that President Donald Trump, who has warned that he would unleash "fire and fury" if the North continued its threats, was briefed on the latest North Korean activity and "we are monitoring the situation".

The rival Koreas recently saw their always testy relationship get worse after Mr Trump traded warlike threats.

Saturday's launch comes during an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that the North condemns as an invasion rehearsal, and weeks after Pyongyang threatened to lob missiles toward Guam.

North Korea had moved back from the threat to lob missiles towards Guam, but there had been concerns that hostility will flare up again during the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian drills between the allies that run until August 31.

North Korea's state media on Saturday said that leader Kim Jong Un inspected a special operation forces training of the country's army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries' western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing US-South Korea war games.

Kim reportedly told his troops that they "should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea".

AP
NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 25, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC (KSF) and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until October 23, 2017 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA), if they purchased the Companys American Depository Shares (ADSs) and/or shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange between November 15, 2016 and August 2, 2017, inclusive (the Class Period). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.



What You May Do

If you purchased ADSs or shares of Teva Pharmaceutical and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email (lewis.kahn@ksfcounsel.com), or visit http://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-teva/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by October 23, 2017.

About the Lawsuit

Teva Pharmaceutical and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On August 3, 2017, Teva disclosed the recording of a goodwill impairment charge of $6.1 billion for Q2 2017 related to the acquisition of Actavis Generics as a result of poor performance in its U.S. generics sector, as well as lower overall expected poor performance due to increased competition and delays in product launches.

On this news, the price of Teva Pharmaceuticals shares plummeted.

About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC

KSF, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana.

To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com.
Yingluck Shinawatra is believed to have flown to Dubai to join her brother Thaksin (AP)

Thailand's former prime minister, facing a possible 10-year jail term in a court case her supporters say was politically motivated, has fled the country, a top member of her party said.

Yingluck Shinawatra 's whereabouts were not immediately known, but local media cited anonymous officials as saying she travelled by land to Cambodia, then flew to Dubai to join her brother, former Manchester City FC owner Thaksin Shinawatra - another exiled former premier whose government, like hers, was toppled in a military coup.

A senior member of Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, who is close to the Shinawatra family, said she was no longer in Thailand.

The official gave no other details, and declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Ms Yingluck, who became Thailand's first female prime minister when her party swept to election victory in 2011, is accused of negligence in overseeing a money-losing rice subsidy programme. She has denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

A verdict had been expected on Friday, as thousands of Yingluck supporters gathered outside the court in Bangkok and thousands of police stood guard.

But Ms Yingluck never appeared and a judge read out a statement saying her lawyers had informed the court she could not attend because of an earache.

The judge said the court did not believe the excuse because no official medical verification was provided. He said a warrant would be issued for her arrest and postponed the trial until September 27.

Ms Yingluck's lawyer Norrawit Larlaeng confirmed a warrant had been issued, but said he had no details on her whereabouts.

"I was told this morning that she was ill, that she had vertigo, that she felt dizzy, so I requested the postponement ... that's all I have to say," he said.

Prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the military chief who engineered the 2014 overthrow of Ms Yingluck's government, said the government was "looking for her".

"If she's not guilty she should stay and fight the case," Mr Prayuth said.

"If she's not here, what does that tell you? Will she still say that she didn't get justice?"

Defence minister Prawit Wongsuwan said security forces had not allowed Ms Yingluck to leave and were checking possible routes she may have used.

He said security officials monitoring Ms Yingluck had not seen her leave her Bangkok home in the last two days.

The trial is the latest chapter in a decade-long struggle by the nation's elite minority to crush the powerful political machine founded by Ms Yingluck's brother Thaksin, who was toppled in a 2006 coup.

Mr Thaksin, who has lived in Dubai since fleeing a corruption conviction he also says was politically motivated, has studiously avoided commenting on his sister's case, apparently to avoid imperilling it.

Mr Thaksin is a highly polarising figure and his overthrow triggered years of upheaval and division that has pitted a poor, rural majority in the north that supports the Shinawatras against royalists, the military and their urban backers.

When Ms Yingluck's government proposed an amnesty in 2013 that could have absolved her brother and allowed him to return without being arrested, street protests erupted that eventually led to her government's demise in the 2014 coup.

The junta that seized control of Thailand has since suppressed dissent and banned political gatherings of more than five people.

The long-awaited decision on Ms Yingluck's fate has rekindled tensions in the divided nation, but the military remains firmly in charge.

Fearing potential unrest, authorities tried to deter people from turning out on Friday by threatening legal action against anyone planning to help transport Yingluck supporters.

Ms Yingluck posted a message on her Facebook page urging followers to stay away, saying she feared for their safety.

"We're here to give her moral support because she truly cared and helped us out," said Prawit Pongkunnut, a rice farmer from the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima.

The rice subsidies, promised to farmers during the 2011 election, helped Ms Yingluck's party ascend to power, but critics say they were effectively a means of vote-buying.

AP
People stand around a memorial tribute of flowers and messages on Barcelona's historic Las Ramblas

A man holds a sign with the words We are not afraid in the local Catalan language during a rally in Barcelona

Hundreds of thousands of peace marchers flooded the heart of Barcelona on Saturday shouting "I'm not afraid"- a public rejection of violence following terror attacks that killed 15 people.

Emergency workers, taxis drivers, police and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the August 17 attack in the city's famed Las Ramblas boulevard led the march.

They carried a street-wide banner with black capital letters reading "No Tinc Por," which means "I'm not afraid" in the local Catalan language.

The phrase has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to violence into a slogan that Spain's entire political class has unanimously embraced.

Spain's central, regional and local authorities tried to send an image of unity Saturday by walking behind emergency workers, despite earlier criticism that national and regional authorities had not shared information about the attackers well enough with each other.

In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI joined a public demonstration, along with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other Spanish and Catalan regional officials.

Barcelona police said some 500,000 people showed up to the march.

The Islamic State group has claimed the vehicle attacks in Barcelona and hours later in the coastal town of Cambrils that left 15 dead and over 120 wounded.

The investigation into the Islamic extremist cell behind the attacks has shown that the group planned even more deadly carnage but accidently blew up a house in Alcanar where explosives were being built and gas tanks were being stored.

Eight suspects are dead, two are jailed under preliminary charges of terrorism and homicide and two more were freed by a judge but will remain under investigation.

Medical authorities said that 22 people wounded in the attacks are still being treated in hospitals. Six of them remain in critical condition.

In the north-eastern town of Ripoll, home for many of the attackers, members of the local Muslim community and other residents gathered in a central square to condemn the deadly attacks. Located at the foothills of the Pyrenees, the town is where most suspects came under the influence of a radical imam, investigators say.

The sister of two of the alleged extremists gave an emotional speech thanking her neighbours for the support shown to Muslim families in Ripoll.

"We share the same grief and the (need) for an understanding of what happened," said Hafida Oukabir, whose younger brother Moussa was shot dead by police in Cambrils and whose elder brother Driss is under custody facing terrorism charges.

"We must all work together to stop this from ever happening again."

Her sobbing speech was met with applause.

AP
Donald Trump has directed the Pentagon to extend indefinitely a ban on transgender people joining the US military, but appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some already in uniform to remain.

The president gave defence secretary Jim Mattis authority to decide the matter of openly transgender individuals already serving and said that until the Pentagon chief made that decision "no action may be taken against" them.

The Obama administration changed the long-standing policy in June 2016 , declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals, and set a July 2017 deadline for determining whether transgender people could be allowed to enter the military.

Mr Mattis had delayed that to January 1 2018, but Mr Trump has now instructed him to extend it indefinitely.

But Mr Trump seemed to leave wiggle room for exceptions on transgender individuals already serving openly - thought to be in the low hundreds.

A White House official who briefed reporters on the presidential order would not say whether Mr Trump would permit any exceptions.

The official said Mr Mattis has been directed to take a number of factors into consideration in determining how to deal with transgender individuals already serving.

Those factors are to include broad measures such as "military effectiveness", budgetary constraints and "unit cohesion", as well as other factors Mr Mattis deems "relevant".

It was not clear whether that means it is possible for Mr Mattis to come to the conclusion that some transgender troops should be allowed to remain.

Mr Trump gave Mr Mattis six months to come up with a policy on those currently serving, and he must implement it by March 23 2018, the official said.

In a tweet last month, Mr Trump said the government "will not accept or allow" transgender individuals to serve "in any capacity" in the military.

The White House official said Mr Trump also directed Mr Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medication, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition.

That policy is to be written within six months and implemented by March 23.

In his directive to Mr Mattis, Mr Trump said he found that his predecessor's transgender policy was flawed.

"In my judgment, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude" that ending the long-standing ban on transgender service would not "hinder military effectiveness and lethality" and be disrupting in the ranks, he wrote.

The Pentagon had little to say on the subject on Friday.

Dana White, the main spokeswoman for Mr Mattis, issued a two-sentence statement saying he had received White House guidance on transgender policy, adding, "More information will be forthcoming."

Just last week, Mr Mattis suggested he was open to the possibility of allowing some transgender troops to remain in uniform.

"The policy is going to address whether or not transgenders can serve under what conditions, what medical support they require, how much time would they be perhaps non-deployable, leaving others to pick up their share of everything," he said on August 14.

Among those who have cheered Trump's tweet was Elaine Donnelly, president of the Centre for Military Readiness, who said he was halting "a massive social experiment".

"Expensive, lifelong hormone treatments and irreversible surgeries associated with gender dysphoria would negatively affect personal deployability and mission readiness, without resolving underlying psychological problems, including high risks of suicide," she said.

But Senator Tammy Duckworth, an army combat veteran, said the Pentagon should not exclude people based on gender status.

"If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve - no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation," she said.

"Anything else is not just discriminatory, it is disruptive to our military and it is counter-productive to our national security."

AP
Despite predictions of a "red wave" rolling throughout the country  one in which Republican political candidates would cruise to victory up and down the ballot on the strength of nationwide frustration with crime, inflation and dissatisfaction with the Biden administration  Tuesday's midterm election delivered more of the same for many Rhode Islanders. In addition to Democratic victories in all the major statewide races, voters in North Kingstown, Narragansett and South Kingstown skewed overwhelmingly blue in General Assembly races and all local school boards and town council races. With the results of Tuesday's midterm election all but finalized pending a few outstanding mail-in ballots and certification, it appears local boards of government in Southern Rhode Island towns will see a large number of familiar faces. With that in mind, do you believe your local town and school committee seats are held by the best representatives available in your town? Why or why not? Let us know in this week's poll question below.

You voted:
Un combatant ISIS care ameninta Spania, ridiculizat online 25.08.2017

25.08.2017 Un combatant ISIS care ameninta Spania, ridiculizat online Un combatant al organizatiei teroriste Statul Islamic a devenit tinta ridiculizarii pe retelele de socializare, in Spania, dupa ce a amenintat tara cu noi atacuri, dupa cele de saptamana trecuta, din Catalonia, relateaza



Un combatant ISIS care ameninta Spania, ridiculizat online

Un combatant al organizatiei teroriste Statul Islamic a devenit tinta ridiculizarii pe retelele de socializare, in Spania, dupa ce a amenintat tara cu noi atacuri, dupa cele de saptamana trecuta, din Catalonia, relateaza Reuters.

Un combatant ISIS care ameninta Spania, ridiculizat online

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NEW YORK, Aug. 26, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Envision Healthcare Corporation (Envision or the Company) (NYSE:EVHC) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court, Middle District of Tennessee, and docketed under 17-cv-01112, is on behalf of a class consisting of investors who purchased or otherwise acquired Envision securities, seeking to recover compensable damages caused by defendants violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.



If you are a shareholder who purchased Envision securities between March 2, 2015 and July 21, 2017, both dates inclusive, you have until October 3, 2017 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com. To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased.

[Click here to join this class action]

Envision Healthcare Corporation provides health care services. The Hospital offers surgery, pharmacy, medical imaging, emergency care, and other related health care services. Envision Healthcare serves patients in the United States. At all relevant times, EmCare Holdings, Inc. (EmCare) has been one of the Companys primary operating subsidiaries.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) EmCare routinely arranged for patients who sought treatment at in-network facilities to be treated by out-of-network physicians; (ii) EmCare accordingly billed these patients at higher rates than if the patients had received treatment from in-network physicians; (iii) the Companys statements attributing EmCares Class Period growth to other factors were therefore false and/or misleading; (iv) Envisions EmCare revenues were likely to be unsustainable after the foregoing conduct came to light; and (v) as a result of the foregoing, Envisions public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On July 24, 2017, The New York Times reported that hospitals associated with Envisions subsidiary EmCare were disproportionately likely to engage in surprise billing, in which patients who sought treatment at in-network facilities were treated by out-of-network physicians and subsequently billed at higher rates.

On this news, Envisions share price fell $2.33, or 3.72%, to close at $60.28 on July 24, 2017.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Florida, and Los Angeles, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com
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Will the US Strike North Korea?

.



BEIJING  Donald Trump is running out of patience with North Korea. Using heated language unusual for a US president, Trump recently warned that if Pyongyang threatens to attack the United States again, the US will respond with fire and fury like the world has never seen.

Whatever action Trump decides to take, he must recognize that the stakes  not just for the Korean Peninsula, but also for Americas relationship with China  could not be higher.

North Koreas two latest intercontinental ballistic missile tests, carried out last month, suggest that the country now has the capability to hit the continental US. The US Defense Intelligence Agency has concluded that North Korea may well have already developed a miniaturized nuclear warhead that could be delivered on such a missile. Experts from Johns Hopkins University anticipate a sixth nuclear test at any moment.

The United Nations Security Council has now unanimously passed the harshest sanctions yet against North Korea, in the hope of pressuring the small country to renounce its nuclear-weapons program.

The resolution bans North Korean exports of coal, iron, iron ore, lead, lead ore, and seafood products, which together account for one third of the countrys already meager annual export revenue of $3 billion. It also prohibits countries from issuing new permits to North Korean workers abroad, whose wages, it is suspected, help fund nuclear and missile programs.

So far, however, the sanctions do not seem to be having the intended effect. North Korea has threatened to retaliate against the US thousands of times over  including by striking the US territory of Guam in the western Pacific  and reiterated its vow to never give up its nuclear arsenal.

Similarly, at the just-concluded ASEAN Regional Forum in Manila, North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho asserted that the North would not participate in negotiations on its nuclear and missile programs unless the US abandons its hostile policy.

The US has taken a similarly stubborn line. In a recent Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Susan Thornton articulated the administrations belief that talks would not get North Korea to abandon its nuclear-weapons program, even if they brought much-needed economic concessions. We will not, she added, negotiate our way to talks.

Instead, the US has been working hard to tighten the screws on Pyongyang, by reinforcing its international isolation. The Trump administration attempted to convince the Philippines to exclude North Korea from the ASEAN forum, and is pushing Myanmar to suspend its military ties with the country.

The US has been more successful in pressuring Australia, the European Union, Japan, and other US allies to strengthen unilateral sanctions on the North. According to Federica Mogherini, the EUs High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the EU is considering additional measures, including further reductions in trade and financial exchanges. Japans government has decided to expand a re-entry ban for North Korean officials, and widen the scope of its asset-freeze program for entities and individuals connected to the countrys nuclear and missile development.

But the US is unlikely to put all of its eggs in the sanctions basket. Already, the Department of Defense announced that US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford and US Pacific Command Chief Harry Harris had spoken by phone with South Koreas top military official, General Lee Sun-jin, to discuss military-response options to the launch. Moreover, US, Japanese, and South Korean forces have conducted several joint drills involving B-1B bombers and other strategic assets. The message is clear: the US is ready to fight, should it come to that.

Of course, avoiding such a fight is still the worlds best bet  a fact that even the turbulent Trump administration seems to recognize. But that will require cooperation from China, which the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to alienate.

As North Koreas main trading partner, China has substantial leverage over the country. Chinas suspension of North Korean coal imports alone  part of its obligations under the Security Council resolution  will reduce the Norths export earnings by an estimated $400 million this year (while also costing China a pretty penny).

But China has serious reservations about Americas North Korea policy. For example, China adamantly opposes the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile system in South Korea, claiming that it undermines Chinas own security.

Moreover, China condemns secondary sanctions placed by the US on Chinese companies and individuals found to have illicit dealings with North Korea as assaults on its sovereignty. Yet the Senates leading Democrat, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, is ready to double down on this approach, calling for the suspension of direct investment from China.

And that is not the only way the US Congress is antagonizing China. The 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, passed by the US House of Representatives last month, includes demands for the US government to strengthen military ties with Taiwan, with US Navy ships calling in at Taiwans ports.

Last April, Senator John McCain said that North Korea is presenting the US with a Cuban Missile Crisis in slow motion. It is an apt analogy, but it gets one thing wrong: there is no longer anything slow about the situation. Trumps administration had better catch up.
The conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan, has unleashed a horror of violence in the state of Haryana and this fire is unlikely to douse soon as the quantum of the sentence is to be announced on Monday.

Reuters

Gurmeet Ram Rahim who has 'followers' in almost all political parties, was indeed difficult accused to get convicted and the time of 15 years taken in this case to convict him speaks volumes of his influence on the system.

But despite him being so powerful, some people fought the battle battling mountains of odds, confronting them and at the end, their efforts paid dividends.

Therefore, here are those five people who kept fighting their battle and managed to topple to Goliath threatening their very existence.

1. The rape victims who filed complaint

We all know our system, society and even judiciary which is supposed to sympathize with the victim treat them. They literally have nowhere to go. But these two brave women who kept their courage, patience and trust unscathed from the odds and kept fighting until their victory. The two women deserve kudos.

2. Slain journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati

He did what a journalist should have done- reported the truth. But he paid the price of telling the truth. Chhatrapati, who was the editor of a Haryana daily Poora Sach, was shot at point blank range after he published the explosive letter sent to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in his newspaper in 2002 by the victims.

In September that year, the Punjab and Haryana high court took suo-moto cognizance of the letter, which had caught enough attention by now.

Reuters

On October 24, the 53-year-old editor was shot four times by two men on a bike. He fought for 28 days in hospital Delhi before succumbing. The men were alleged to be Dera followers. Before he died on November 21, Chhatrapati named Singh behind the act.

3. Anshul, the son of the slain journalist

Anshul, the son of the slain journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati had nowhere to go then in 2002 when his father was murdered. He was just 21. But he kept fighting for his fathers sacrifice for truth.

After the verdict, Anshul said, "justice delayed but done". He also hoped that the two more murder cases pending in the Panchkula's special CBI court against Dera Chief which include his fathers case as well would meet the similar fate.

4. Jagdeep Singh, the Judge

Though the Judge didnt do any struggle to bring Dera chief to book and he just took his decision on the basis of facts and proofs presented before him. But the Judge knew that chaos will get unleashed if he convicted him.

But despite knowing that Jagdeep Singh didnt bow down and played the usual judicial game of extending the trial and nailed Dera chiefs fate without giving a second thought for consequences.

The centre has asked the Haryana government to increase the security of Judge Jagdeep Singh and members of his family.
The security forces have taken control over the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa town of Haryana. According to reports, the army, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and the police entered Dera headquarters a day after sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape, sparking large-scale violence by his followers.

ap

The Army along with the police and paramilitary forces has put up barricades at entry points of the Dera Sacha Sauda HQ. However, they've not received the go-ahead to vacate the premises.

"There is still no order for the Army to enter the campus. They are only ensuring enforcement of curfew in the area," said Sirsa sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Paramjit Singh Chahal.

ap

Over one lakh followers are reportedly still camped at the headquarters to protest against Friday's verdict in spite of repeated exhortations by security forces and district officials.

"The Army has been asking the followers to vacate the Dera premise voluntarily. Over 2,000 followers have left but still nearly one lakh people are stationed there," a senior police official said earlier in the day.

Police also sealed nine congregation centres of the Dera Sacha Sauda in Kurukshetra district, evicting the followers, and seized over 2,500 lathis and other sharp-edged weapons during a search operation there.

ap

After evicting Dera followers, security personnel have been deployed outside the Dera Sacha Sauda's congregation centres to prevent any untoward incident.

Meanwhile, security forces remained on high alert in Panchkula as an uneasy calm prevailed in the district. The violence that claimed 31 lives and injured over 250 others has left locals in shock and anguish, with many questioning why the authorities failed to assess and control the situation in time.

ap

"We have been living in a state of terror. Yesterday and over the past few days we have been wondering if this is Panchkula or a city in some war-torn country," a youth, who resides here, said while recalling the ordeal.
NASA released a series called the "Images Of Change" which reveal how our world has changed over the past 30 years.

The series is a set of satellite images that shows everything from island building to flooding to urbanization, and the effects climate change has had one each.

It's an unfortunate fact that the phenomenon is depleting nature at an alarming rate. The gripping photo series shows the current state our planet is in, take a look:

1. Mount Pinatubo, Philippines, erupted 26 years ago

Before

NASA/Images of Change

After

NASA/ Images of Change

"In the 2017 image (right), green near the summit indicates forest regrowth, and pink stretches streaming from the mountain show scars from fast-moving floods of volcanic ash and water. Called lahars, these floods affected more people than the eruption itself and continue to be hazardous."

2. Arctic sea-ice coverage hits record low

Before

NASA/Images of Change

After

NASA/Images of change

"The 2016 minimum was tied for the second-lowest on record. At the rate were observing this decline, said NASA scientist Joey Comiso, its very likely that the Arctics summer sea ice will completely disappear within this "

Before

NASA/Images of change



After

NASA/Images of change

More than 48 hours of nonstop monsoon rain caused severe flooding in southern Sri Lanka in late May 2017.

4. Glaciers recede worldwide

Before

NASA/Images of change

After

NASA/Images of Change

"Many of the worlds glaciers are losing mass and receding, such as those in Chiles Southern Patagonia Icefield (SPI). However, one of SPIs glaciers, the Bruggen Glacier (also known as the Pio XI Glacier), is advancing for no clear reason."

5. Antarctica's Pine Island Glacier calves iceberg

Before

NASA/Images of Change

After

NASA/Images of Change

Another block of ice, roughly a mile (one to two kilometers) long, has broken off Antarcticas Pine Island Glacier and floated into the adjacent bay. The glacier is estimated to deliver some 19 cubic miles (79 cubic kilometers) of ice to the bay each year.
Queens residents are alarmed over a Sunnyside condo lobby's hateful, bizarre decorative choices, which include a swastika, a shrine to the confederacy, and photographs of Hitler and Stalin in the lobby, as well as two 10-foot tall figures of Uncle Sam greeting neighbors outside.

On Wednesday morning, Queens City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer led a rally in front of the 47-55 39th Place apartment building, where he urged the NYPD to investigate the building's property manager, who is believed to be behind both the lobby display and a larger campaign of harassment against minority tenants.

"I see and have had them tell me personally how afraid they are, and they're literally unable to speak out for fear of retaliation from this man, so we as a community have to speak out for them," Van Bramer told Gothamist. "If you put it all togetherthe images in the lobby with the fear I've been told firsthand by people who live thereyou realize there's something much larger going on."

"This lobby is a hate crime, Van Bramer told CBS 2.

As first reported by NY1, the controversial displays are allegedly the work of property manager and condo board leader Neal Milano. In addition to the menacing decorations, the building's directory inexplicably includes the names of well-known Nazis Rudolf Hess and Josef Mengel, as well as the names of hip hop stars and former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. And according to people who live in the building, Milano has a reputation for harassing tenants, and for placing pro-Trump bumper stickers on the doors of those who cross him.

"As a brown person, the interior really scares me, and makes me really fearful of walking around the neighborhood," one longtime neighbor of the condo, who would not provide his name for fear of retribution, told Gothamist. "That row of houses is very integrated, very brown, but it only takes one bad apple with a gun."

The neighbor says he's lived in Sunnyside for nearly two decades, and first grew anxious about the area after a crop of pro-Trump bumper stickers appeared in the neighborhood after the election. He's especially nervous now, he admits, in light of "the current political climate."

Unnamed sources who live in the building also told ABC-7 minorities have long been the focus of Milano's tormenting. They say that he's regularly posted notices in the lobby about residents' nonwhite visitors, including "a six-foot-four Middle Eastern person of interest" and "a male visitor who is Asian."

"That's not patriotism," one tenant of the condo, who was also too afraid of Milano to give her name, told the Post. "He does it to sock it to the Muslims and the foreigners. Who wants to come into the building and see all that nonsense?"

"Were supposed to feel safe and secure where we live, and at the moment, we dont because we all feel bullied by this individual, another building resident said to Pix11.

Attempts to reach Milano were unsuccessful, and his attorney, Jacob Laufer, did not return a request for comment. In an interview with the NY Post, Laufer denied the bizarre building directory was the work of his client, and said the condo board approved the decorations.

The murals were put up with the approval of the board of managers," Jacob Laufer told the Post. "[Critics] can run for the board and if they succeed in becoming members of the board, then they can, I guess, do otherwise."

"In Sunnyside Queens, New York City, 2017, the level of fear that exists in that building has no end," Van Bramer countered. "With all that's happening in our country, its even more disturbing to see pro-Nazi posters and messages of hate intended to provoke fear in these tenants. I won't tolerate it. "

UPDATE: The Anti-Defamation League condemned the "divisive, offensive, and hateful imagery" on Wednesday afternoon.

"New Yorkers must be able to feel safe and welcome in their homes free of hostility and intimidation," ADL New York Regional Director Evan R. Bernstein said in a statement. "Adorning an apartment building lobby with such imagery sends a disturbing message of intimidation to tenants, potential tenants and the community at large. Our communities, homes and neighborhoods should be inclusive and welcomingnot plastered with instantly recognizable symbols of racism or hate which only threaten to intimidate and isolate."


Home I Have No More Patience for Trump Supporters



In Arizona, Trump came right up to the edge of inciting you to riot and you rode along with him.



By Charles P. Pierce August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - At least, old Ted Agnew had the late William Safire writing his stuff for him. "Nattering nabobs of negativism." "Pusillanimous pussyfooters." I mean, that's the top-shelf brand right there. It's an honor to have such invective thrown in your direction. Ol' Ted broke new ground in only two areastaking cheap-ass bribes in the office of the vice president and attacking the media. Instead, 45 years later, we get this mendacious litany of sixth-grade sneering . So the -- and I mean truly dishonest people in the media and the fake media, they make up stories. They have no sources in many cases. They say "a source says" -- there is no such thing. But they don't report the facts. Just like they don't want to report that I spoke out forcefully against hatred, bigotry and violence and strongly condemned the neo-Nazis, the White Supremacists, and the KKK. (APPLAUSE) I openly called for unity, healing and love, and they know it because they were all there. So what I did -- (APPLAUSE) So what I did is I thought, I'd take just a second, and I'm really doing this more than anything else, because you know where my heart is, OK? (APPLAUSE) I'm really doing this to show you how damned dishonest these people are. And then, You know why? Because they are very dishonest people. So I said, racism is evil. Now they only choose, you know, like a half a sentence here or there and then they just go on this long rampage, or they put on these real lightweights all around a table that nobody ever heard of, and they all say what a bad guy I am. But, I mean do you ever see anything -- and then you wonder why CNN is doing relatively poorly in the ratings. Because they're putting like seven people all negative on Trump. And they fired Jeffrey Lord, poor Jeffrey. Jeffrey Lord. I guess he was getting a little fed up, and he was probably fighting back a little bit too hard. They said, we've better get out of here; we can't have that.And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold true as Americans. Now let me ask you, can it be any better than that, in all fairness? And you know I mention that, but to the best of my knowledge when there was a big problem, Barack Obama never said it took place because of radical Islamic terrorists, he never said that, right. And, finally, the full Schickelgruber: And -- and I say it, and you know, we're all pros. We're all, like, we have a certain sense. We're smart people. These are truly dishonest people. And not all of them. Not all of them. You have some very good reporters. You have some very fair journalists. But for the most part, honestly, these are really, really dishonest people, and they're bad people. And I really think they don't like our country. I really believe that. And I don't believe they're going to change, and that's why I do this. If they would change, I would never say it. The only people giving a platform to these hate groups is the media itself, and the fake newsThese are sick people. You know the thing I don't understand? You would think -- you would think they'd want to make our country great again, and I honestly believe they don't. I honestly believe it. If you want to discover the source of the division in our country, look no further than the fake news and the crooked media... Before we get to the other stuff, and there was lots of other stuff, I'd like to address myself to those people represented by the parenthetical notation (Applause) in the above transcript, those people who waited for hours in 105-degree heat so that they could have the G-spot of their irrationality properly stroked for them. You're all suckers. You're dim and you're ignorant and you can't even feel yourself sliding toward something that will surprise even you with its fundamental ugliness, something that everybody who can see past the veil of their emotions can see as plain as a church by daylight, to borrow a phrase from that Willie Shakespeare fella. The problem, of course, is that you, in your pathetic desire to be loved by a guy who wouldn't have 15 seconds for you on the street, are dragging the rest of us toward that end, too. A guy basically went mad, right there on the stage in front of you, and you cheered and booed right on cue because you're sheep and because he directed his insanity at all the scapegoats that your favorite radio and TV personalities have been creating for you over the past three decades. Especially, I guess, people like me who practice the craft of journalism in a country that honors that craft in its most essential founding documents. The President of the United States came right up to the edge of inciting you to riot and you rode along with him. You're on his team, by god. Are you good people? I keep hearing that you are, but let's go back to Tuesday night's transcripts and see what we find. One vote away. One vote away. We were one vote away. Think of it, seven years the Republicans -- and again, you have some great senators, but we were one vote away from repealing it. (CROWD CHANTING) But, you know, they all said, Mr. President, your speech was so good last night, please, please, Mr. President don't mention any names. So I won't. I won't. No I won't vote -- one vote away, I will not mention any names. Very presidential, isn't' it? Very presidential. And nobody wants me to talk about your other senator, who's weak on borders, weak on crime, so I won't talk about him. Right there, in the passive-aggressive fashion of the true moral coward, he made a bobo out of a former POW who currently is undergoing treatment for what is likely a terminal brain cancer. And you chanted and cheered. Do good people chant and cheer a rhetorical assault on a dying man of respect and honor? No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Your Free Daily Newsletter I have no more patience, and I had very little to start with. I don't care why you're anxious. I don't care for anybody's interpretation of why you voted for this abomination of a politician, and why you cheer him now, because any explanation not rooted in the nastier bits of basic human spleen is worthless. I don't want any politicians who seek to appeal to the more benign manifestations of your condition because there's no way to separate those from all the rest of the hate and fear and stupidity. (And, for my colleagues in the Vance-Arnade-Zito school of Trump Whispering, here's a hint: They hate you, too.) I don't care why you sat out in a roasting pan since 5 a.m. Tuesday morning to whistle and cheer and stomp your feet for a scared, dangerous little man who tells you that your every bloody fantasy about your enemies is the height of patriotism. You are now the declared adversaries of what I do for a living, and your idol is a danger to the country and so are you. Own it. Deal with it. And, for the love of god, and for the sake of the rest of us who live in this country, do better at being citizens. As to the rest, I might have been a little groggy, but I thought I heard him say he was going to shut down the government unless Congress gives him money for his stupid wall that Mexico was supposed to finance. I thought I heard him tell that evil racist gossoon, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, to count on a pardon down the line somewhere. And, I swear to god, I thought I heard him call the Democrats in the Congress communists. Wait. What? It's all they're good at. It's all they're good at. That's all they do. On healthcare, they have 48 Democrats. We got no votes. We got no votes. And it would have been great healthcare. And by the way, would have been great healthcare for Arizona. Would have been great. So the Democrats have no ideas, no policy, no vision for the country other than total socialism and maybe, frankly, a step beyond socialism from what I'm seeing. (BOOING) Thought so. (Also, note to all the Purity Police who think people like Joy Reid are "red-baiting" when they mention that Russian ratfcking helped decide the last presidential election. That bit right at the end there? That's actual red-baiting. Please take notes. I don't want to have to go over this again.) It was a deadening, numbing 77 minutes. (If there's one modern orator he most resembles, it's Fidel Castro.) The abiding feelings that I took away from this carnival of the Id were twofold: first, that this jefe manque is on the verge of sending people infinitely better than he is to die in a war he doesn't understand, and second, and probably most important, this is a president* who is scared to death. He's frightened of the responsibilities of his office, of the mounting unpopularity of both himself and his policies, and of the hounds baying at the frontiers of his shady past and shadier present. He's terrified, and he should be. He's desperately shoring up the bubble that his ovine followers helped him build to insulate him from the truth and from empirical reality. Come to this house. Be one of us. This article was first published by Esquire - See also - 'We're not racists': Private militias bring uncertainty and weapons to protests Post-Charlottesville And Phoenix, Do You Still Believe Trumps Muslim Ban Isnt Racist? Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. 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
CIA Fears Trumps Chief Cant Resist the Impulse to be Political

By Steve Benen

August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - The Central Intelligence Agency is supposed to be an apolitical agency. Its director is supposed to serve the publics interest, not those of any party or president. Its critical to the CIAs mission that the agency steer clear of partisan disputes, and be recognized  by policymakers and the public alike  as an independent intelligence agency.

But with Donald Trump in the White House, even the most basic functions of the American government have a tendency to be  different.

The New York Times reported a couple of weeks ago that the presidents CIA chief, former Kansas Congressman Mike Pompeo, is perhaps the most openly political spy chief in a generation  and one of President Trumps favorite cabinet members. Trump has turned to the CIA director as an adviser on all kinds of issues unrelated to Pompeos duties, including the health care debate.

Overnight, the Washington Post took this quite a bit further, reporting that some CIA officials arent sure they can fully trust their own CIA director because of his apparent loyalties to his ally in the Oval Office.

As CIA director, Mike Pompeo has taken a special interest in an agency unit that is closely tied to the investigation into possible collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, requiring the Counterintelligence Mission Center to report directly to him. Officials at the center have, in turn, kept a watchful eye on Pompeo, who has repeatedly played down Russias interference in the 2016 election and demonstrated a willingness to engage in political skirmishes for President Trump. Current and former officials said that the arrangement has been a source of apprehension among the CIAs upper ranks and that they could not recall a time in the agencys history when a director faced a comparable conflict.

These circumstances are genuinely chilling. Theres an ongoing counter-intelligence investigation underway, examining the most serious attack on the United States since 9/11, and while a special counsel from the Justice Department is overseeing the probe, the CIA is playing an important role in providing materials necessary to get at the truth.

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And it now appears CIA officials arent sure their own boss can be trusted to be responsible with findings the White House wouldnt like.

Indeed, the Washington Posts report is rather explicit on this point. Referring to the CIA unit that works closely with the FBI and continues to monitor Russian interference  the Counterintelligence Mission Center, which Pompeo has been keeping an eye on  the article said theres no evidence that the CIA director has interfered with officials work. That said, there is concern about what he might do if the CIA uncovered new information potentially damaging to Trump and Pompeo were forced to choose between protecting the agency or the president.

One official told the newspaper, People have to watch him. Its almost as if he cant resist the impulse to be political.

The Post went on to report that Pompeo has developed a reputation at the CIA for displaying the fierce partisanship that became his signature while serving as a GOP member of Congress.

When CIA officials cant trust the CIA director, its an untenable dynamic.
The Media Swoons Over Trump: When He Embraces War





War is so ingrained into the US national fabric that the media class can only admire Trump when he promises a troop build-up with no end in sight



By Ross Barkan

August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - On Monday night, Donald Trump spoke in front of the nation as a very serious man, reading off a teleprompter and assuming the steely gaze of TV presidents of yore. He uttered big words in measured tones and made vague pronouncements about a war in Afghanistan that promises to waste lives and money for years, if not decades, to come. A permanent conflict that is the actual Orwellian reality of America today.

No president, whether a constitutional law professor or a narcissistic reality show mogul, has the will to challenge a military-industrial complex far larger and more sinister than any British writer  or Dwight Eisenhower  dreamed of. So ingrained is war into the national fabric that our Washington media class can only think of pageantry when Trump delivers a speech about troop build-up with no end in sight.

Philip Rucker, the Washington bureau chief at the Washington Post, summed up the night as would any DC reporter grounded in political reportings worst traditions: Tonight is a new President Trump: Acknowledging a flip-flop and talking about gravity of office, history & substance, he tweeted last night.

Understandably, Trump seeming sober for a minute would trigger any observer to think this man, for a moment, was new. Understandably  as the 15,000 or so people who replied to Ruckers tweet pointed out in one form or another  this is also absurd. Trump is Trump. He is not changing.

More important than the minimal substance of Ruckers observation is why it was made at all. You have a president delivering a major address on troop deployments for the longest war in American history and reporters can only think about optics, not policy. The Twitter commentary treats Trumps address as something like a beauty pageant. The public learns nothing.

For political reporters, the value of critiquing style instead of policy is in avoiding the nasty partisan fights that actually matter. Analyzing how something is said, rather than the meaning and impact of the words, is a supposedly objective act, allowing reporters to appear neutral.

Talk about elocution, and youre fine. Talk about policy and youre  gasp  biased.

War, though, triggers something else in the reporter class. As the disgraced Brian Williams, swooning over cruise missiles laying waste to a Syrian airfield, showed us a few months back, establishment journalists and talking heads havent met a war yet they couldnt get behind  or at least fetishize. Washington journalists cheered on the Iraq war and reversed course when it was too late.

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There is nothing quite as presidential, in Washingtons eyes, as a war. A war allows the most shallow, flailing and destructive presidencies to be redeemed in the eyes of the media, at least for a day. War and killing are the US medias pornography, Glenn Greenwald of the Intercept tweeted .

Alt-right news outlet accuses president of following US generals wishes and flip-flopping on campaign pledge with announcement of troop increase

The Donald Trump era has discombobulated the Washington establishment for many reasons, but perhaps most because it has shattered supposedly time-honored traditions. Trump usually doesnt speak in platitudes or attend the White House Correspondents Dinner or comport himself like every other president. He doesnt shoot the breeze with Colbert.

The bipartisan Washington consensus is that the Trump presidency is gross. But the policy, which is in fact retrograde and mostly gross, is secondary to how Trump acts. He is not presidential. This is the original sin.

What should terrify regular people (and even journalists) most is that Trump understands this too, as a media creature obsessed with TV punditry. He knows how hes being reviewed. And he knows reporters and politicians in agenda-setting DC will extol him for finally getting tough, getting serious and being a president by blowing things up. He will be validated. He will have his war.

This article was first published by The Guardian -
Home Only Palestinians Can Change Their Reality



The Palestinians are captives who are convinced they could not manage without their donating captors



By Amira Hass August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Lets start from the end: Even if the Palestinians had a single, united, respected leadership that had a reputation for integrity, and even if its members excelled intellectually, were committed to their people and strategically capable, it would have been difficult for it to challenge the dispossessive/acquisitive enterprise that Israel keeps strengthening and enhancing. Difficult, but possible.



There is no single leadership, however, but several, and they are squabbling with each other even when they are from the same party (Fatah), organization (PLO) or institutional umbrella (two governments). Its not because of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, but because of a system and modus operandi, of which he is one of the creators and products at the same time.



The Palestinian publics attitude toward the leadership is characterized by suspicion, disdain and contempt, along with fear. The milder accusations directed at the leadership in Ramallah speak of a lack of organization, inefficiency and laziness. The more serious accusations are of corruption and clinging to power for personal and sectarian motives. Similar accusations are somewhat less bluntly leveled at the Gazan government and at NGOs.



For many its clear that the Oslo framework, which expired in 1999, was a trap. The countries donating to the Palestinians continue to uphold it for fear of an even greater humanitarian disaster and loss of control, and because they are boundlessly loyal to Israel. The donations have decreased but remain a trap. They require obedience and maintenance of calm, or permit only low-intensity rage. But the Palestinians are captives who are convinced they could not manage without their donating captors.



The head spins and the heart aches, because facing them is a sophisticated, wicked, effective enemy who has no borders.



Visually, the image of an octopus might be appropriate, but there are two problems with using it to depict the Israeli regime. One is that it recalls anti-Semitic caricatures, but thats the problem of a regime that imitates caricatures. The second is that Israel sends out far more than eight tentacles as it cooks up a mix of several traditions of domination  military occupation, colonialism (the removal of a people from its homeland to settle others there instead) and apartheid (since the expulsion wasnt totally successful, there followed separation based on inequality). It should be clear that this refers to the situation on both sides of the Green Line. Israel was given a chance to change in 1993. It chose to miss it.



A better image would be that of a computer that spews out commands in every direction. Once programmed, it doesnt stop. It sends official armed gangs to burst into peoples houses as they sleep and to confiscate money and property; destruction squads to crush kindergartens, homes and wells; and unofficial armed gangs to boot out shepherds and farmers. It also employs land thieves  the clerks, planners, architects and building contractors  who make sure that the Palestinians suffocate in their built-up areas. The space is all for Jews, says the supreme command. The computer also issues intellectual commands: Ignore everything by indulging in the depths of Jewish heritage. Nullify everything as unimportant through pride in our nation, which produces Nobel laureates. Declaim our suffering and heroism in Auschwitz. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Your Free Daily Newsletter Against the efficient and complex Israeli apparatuses stand the Palestinians with a host of competing leaders, conflicting strategies, uncoordinated government ministries, information that isnt public knowledge and is not accurate, the tiresome duplication of institutions whose work overlaps, the empty slogans and despair. One expression of this despair is the declaration that Israel is the strong one, therefore change can and must come only from Israel. But no; Israelis have no interest in changing the situation. We benefit from it. The initial change can and must come from the Palestinians themselves, in their own home. Amira Hass is the Haaretz correspondent for the Occupied Territories. Born in Jerusalem in 1956, Hass joined Haaretz in 1989, and has been in her current position since 1993. As the correspondent for the territories, she spent three years living in Gaza, which served of the basis for her widely acclaimed book, "Drinking the Sea at Gaza." She has lived in the West Bank city of Ramallah since 1997. Hass is also the author of two other books, both of which are compilations of her articles. This article was first published by Haaretz - Palestinians in Ramallah Protest Visit of White House Delegation By i24NEWS Many Palestinians in Ramallah protested on Thursday afternoon against the arrival of a White House delegation to Israel on Thursday that is on a visit to further advance a peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA). According to a Tweet published by the new Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation known as Kan, the demonstrators accused both President Donald Trump along with his son-in-law and close adviser, Jared Kushner of being a Zionist dog. Kushner, along with Trumps Israel adviser Jason Greenblatt are a part of the visiting delegation. PA officials recently, have shown growing frustrations with the Trump administrations handling of the peace process and in particular with its refusal to explicitly call for a two state solution. Omar al-Ghoul, a Palestinian political analyst, said there was little optimism from the Palestinian leadership. "The level of optimism from the Palestinian leadership and people towards the Trump administration is zero," a Palestinian political analyst, Omar al-Ghoul told AFP. Just yesterday, US State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert reiterated the Trump administrations continued opposition towards calling for a two-state solution, arguing that doing so would show bias. This article was first published by i24NEWS - Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. 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
Trump and Korea. Im Also Scared





By Eric Margolis

August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - President Trumps ability to trigger a nuclear war is pretty damn scary said former US intelligence director James Clapper this week. Remember when Trump vowed to bomb the shit out of his enemies?

I dont have much respect for Clapper, who brazenly lied to Congress and is a ringleader of the deep governments efforts to overthrow Trump. But this time, Clapper is 100% right. Hes scared and I am too.

This week, Trump proclaimed he would continue the pointless, stalemated US colonial war in Afghanistan and might ask India to help there  a sure-fire way to bring nuclear-armed India and Pakistan into a terrifying confrontation.

Meanwhile, Trump has backed himself into a corner over North Korea. His threats and bombast have not made the Norths leader Kim Jong-un stop threatening to launch nuclear-armed missiles at the US island of Guam, Hawaii, Japan and South Korea. That is, if the US and South Korea keep up their highly provocative annual military war games on North Koreas borders that each year invoke North Koreas fury.

The Pentagon insists these war games are just a routine military exercise. But thats not the view in Pyongyang, and, as a long-time Korea military analyst, not mine.

North Korea, which faces the 500,000-man South Korean Army (ROK) most of which is just down the main highway, has good reason to be nervous. Ive been with the 1st ROK Division up on and under the Demilitarized Zone. The South Koreans are heavily armed with top line equipment and tough as nails. They are backed by massive US/South Korean air and naval power.

North Koreans are well aware that Egypt deceived Israel in the 1973 war by using frequent military exercises to mask its plans to storm the Suez Canal. It worked. Israel was caught flat footed by the surprise Egyptian attack on the canal.

By refusing a peace to end the 1950-53 Korean War, and by continuing economic and political warfare against North Korea, the US has only itself to blame for North Korea developing nuclear weapons and missiles to deliver them. Kim Jong-un saw what happened to Libyas Khadaffi (thanks to Hillary Clinton) and Iraqs Saddam Hussein.

Trump is now in a serious fix over North Korea. Jong-un has called Trumps bluff and sneered at the Donalds fire and brimstone threats. So Trumps choices are to back away from the Korean crisis he created or else attack North Korea. But the Norths weapons and leadership are very well dispersed and deeply dug into the mountains. A US conventional attack on the North is estimated to cost 250,000 American casualties.

The US can certainly knock out some of Kims medium and longer-ranged missiles in a major blitz, but it cant be certain that a few nuclear tipped N. Korean missiles wont survive to strike Japan, South Korea, Hawaii, Okinawa or Guam  and maybe even Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is unlikely that South Korea and the US can decapitate North Koreas leadership by using conventional weapons  starting with Kim Jong-un.

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Unless, of course, Trump, who managed to avoid Vietnam era military service because of a bump on his foot, decides to go nuclear. This would mean hitting North Korea with a score or more nuclear weapons, large and small, before the North could riposte. North Korea would be totally destroyed, and its 25 million people left dying, maimed or starving. Japan, the worlds third largest economy, would also be shattered.

Nuclear fallout would shower South Korea, Northern China, and Pacific Russia  and eventually blow east to the US and Canadian west coasts. If the Trump administration decided to use nuclear weapons against North Korea, then why not in Afghanistan? The temptation will be obvious.

President Dwight Eisenhower refused pleas by France to use nuclear weapons to rescue the besieged French garrison at Dien Bien Phu. Trump may not be as cautious. He cant afford to be seen backing away from the Korean crisis. His aides clearly did not think through the ramification of his bellicose threats against North Korea. Bullies tend to grow lazy.

Thats why Im as nervous as Lt. Gen. Clapper.
Countdown To War On Venezuela - Step II: Trump Imposes More Sanctions

By Moon Of Alabama

August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - A month ago we warned of the upcoming war on Venezuela . Such a war could blow up huge in many nations of the region .

The U.S. trained and financed opposition has tried to create violent chaos in the streets but failed to gain traction with the majority of the people. The only support it has inside the country is from the richer bourgeois in the major cities which despises the government's social justice program. Workers and farmers are better off under the social-democratic policies of first Hugo Chavez and now Nicolas Maduro. The coup attempt as step one of a U.S. takeover of Venezuela has failed.

Last month a new constitutional assembly was voted in and it is ready to defend the state. The opposition boycotted the election to the assembly but is now complaining that it has no seats in it. One of the assemblies first moves was to fire the renegade General Prosecutor Luisa Ortega Diaz. She had condemned the government for its resistance to the coup attempts. She now has fled the country together with her husband. The Miami Herald admits that she is on the U.S. payroll:

Ortega, a longtime government insider who became chief prosecutor in 2007, is likely safeguarding some of the administrations most damning legal secrets. And shes thought to be working with U.S. law enforcement at a time when Washington is ratcheting up sanctions on Caracas.

Word is that Ortega's husband was blackmailed by the U.S. after he was involved in large illegal transactions.

U.S. President Trump threatened to use military force should the dully elected President Maduro not give up his position. The CIA head Pompeo recently visited countries neighboring Venezuela "trying to help them understand the things they might do". Did he suggest weapon supplies to some proxy forces or an outright invasion?

Today the Trump administration imposed severe sanctions on Venezuela:

The sanctions Trump signed by executive order prohibit financial institutions from providing new money to the government or state oil company PDVSA. It would also restrict PDVSA's U.S. subsidiary, Citgo, from sending dividends back to Venezuela as well as ban trading in two bonds the government recently issued to circumvent its increasing isolation from western financial markets.

Venezuela was prepared for at least some of these sanctions. A few moth ago the Russian oil giant Rosneft acquired a share of PDVSA and at least some oil sales are routed through that company:

Russian oil firm Rosneft has struck deals with several buyers for almost its entire quota of Venezuelan crude for the remainder of the year, traders told Reuters on Wednesday, the first time it has conducted such a large sale of the OPEC members oil.

...

Venezuela's oil deliveries to the United States have declined in recent years amid falling production, commercial issues, and sanctions on Venezuelan officials.

The White House statement calls Maduro a "dictator" and his Presidency "illegitimate". Both descriptions are laughable. Maduro was elected in free and fair elections. The former U.S. president Jimmy Carter called the election system in Venezuela the best in the world . The new sanctions will likely increase the support for the current government.

The White House hinted at further economic measures:

In a call to brief reporters on the measures, the [senior Trump] official said the United States has significant influence over Venezuela's economy but does not want to wield it in an irresponsible manner that could further burden the already-struggling Venezuelan people.

Venezuela will now have some troubling times. But unless the U.S. launches an outright military attack on the country -by proxy of its neighbors, through mercenaries or by itself- the country will easily survive the unjust onslaught.

With 300 billion barrels the proven oil-reserves of Venezuela are the largest of the world. They are the reason why the U.S. wants to subjugate the country. But neither Russia nor China nor anyone else wants to see those reserves under U.S. control.

This article was first published by

Moon Of Alabama

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In Case You Missed it

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man



How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions



We speak with John Perkins, a former respected member of the international banking community. In his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man he describes how as a highly paid professional, he helped the U.S. cheat poor countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars by lending them more money than they could possibly repay and then take over their economies.

John Perkins describes himself as a former economic hit man - a highly paid professional who cheated countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars.

20 years ago Perkins began writing a book with the working title, "Conscience of an Economic Hit Men."

Perkins writes, "The book was to be dedicated to the presidents of two countries, men who had been his clients whom I respected and thought of as kindred spirits - Jaime Roldos, president of Ecuador, and Omar Torrijos, president of Panama. Both had just died in fiery crashes. Their deaths were not accidental. They were assassinated because they opposed that fraternity of corporate, government, and banking heads whose goal is global empire. We Economic Hit Men failed to bring Roldos and Torrijos around, and the other type of hit men, the CIA-sanctioned jackals who were always right behind us, stepped in.

John Perkins goes on to write: "I was persuaded to stop writing that book. I started it four more times during the next twenty years. On each occasion, my decision to begin again was influenced by current world events: the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1980, the first Gulf War, Somalia, and the rise of Osama bin Laden. However, threats or bribes always convinced me to stop."

But now Perkins has finally published his story. The book is titled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. John Perkins joins us now in our Firehouse studios.

John Perkins , from 1971 to 1981 he worked for the international consulting firm of Chas T. Main where he was a self-described "economic hit man." He is the author of the new book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

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Earlier this week, the Humane Society of the United States led an effort to bring more than 200 dogs from crowded Puerto Rican animal shelters to new homes. And 19 of the puppers ended up at rescue groups in NYC and in the Hamptons.

"We're grateful to all of the receiving organizations for opening their doors to these dogs in need," said Kim Alboum, director of sheltering outreach and policy engagement for The HSUS. "We hope this operation results in new homes for these wonderful dogs and provides much-needed breathing room for the animal shelters as they work toward sustainable solutions to the massive pet overpopulation on the island."

Besides being overcrowded, some of the shelters in Puerto Rico don't have running water or electricity. The effort, nicknamed "Operation Grey Muzzle," also targeted senior dogs.

The people there are doing the absolute best that they can, but they need assistance, Cherie Wachter, spokeswoman for the Humane Society of Broward County in Florida, told the Sun Sentinel. "So Im sure this will provide relief just by removing some of the animals so they can start working on their facility." The HSUS in Broward took in 24 dogs.

Tiffany Lacey of Animal Haven in Soho told us, "Animal Haven is proud to partner with The Sato Project and HSUS on their incredible rescue of over 200 dogs from Puerto Rico. Late on Wednesday night, we took in 14 of these pups in crisis. They have been through so much and we are thrilled to be able to be a part of the effort. For information on adopting please visit animalhavenshelter.org." She shared a photograph of one dog, Gamboa (see photo 11 above); other dogs, like Rivi, are now online.

The other New York dogs (photos 12-16) were sent to Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons. "ARF received five dogs on this recent transport in conjunction with the Sato Project, we were very excited to be participating with this wonderful organization and we are happy to help care for these deserving dogs that are getting a second chance at life and we look to find them new homes in the next week to 10 days," Senior Director of Operations & Partnership Programs Michele Forrester said.

"We received five small dogs ranging in age from 8 months to five years in varying, shapes, colors and sizes. All the dogs are doing very well and settling in nicely here at ARF, they are happy to be out of a moving vehicle; it was a very long traveling day for them on Wednesday."
The Possible Education of Donald Trump





Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is ratcheting up war tensions in Syria again, but President Trump reportedly is not happy with the threats as he shifts again toward resisting the neocons, writes Robert Parry.



By Robert Parry

August 25, 2017 " Information Clearing House " - Some Trump advisers also have downplayed the current shift because it may fuel the Democrats obsession with Russia-gate as a much-desired excuse to impeach Trump. Every peaceful move that Trump makes is called a sop to Russia and thus an excuse to reprise the dubious allegations about Russia somehow helping to elect him.

Yet, despite these external obstacles and Trumps own erratic behavior, he has remained open to unconventional alternatives to what President Obama once criticized as the Washington playbook, i.e. favoring military solutions to international problems.

In this sense, Trumps shallow understanding of the world has been a partial benefit in that he is not locked into to the usual Washington groupthinks  and he personally despises the prominent politicians and news executives who have sought to neuter him since his election. But his ignorance also prevents him from seeing how global crises often intersect and thus stops him from developing a cohesive or coherent doctrine.

Though little noted, arguably the most important foreign policy decision of Trumps presidency was his termination of the CIAs covert support for Syrian rebels and his cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to expand partial ceasefire zones in Syria.

By these actions, Trump has contributed to a sharp drop-off in the Syrian bloodshed. It now appears that the relatively secular Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad is regaining control and that some Syrian refugees are returning to their homes. Syria is starting the difficult job of rebuilding shattered cities, such as Aleppo.

But Trumps aversion to any new military adventures in Syria is being tested again by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is threatening to attack Iranian and Hezbollah forces inside Syria.

Last week, according to Israeli press reports , a high-level delegation led by Mossad chief Yossi Cohen carried Netanyahus threat to the U.S. government. The Israeli leader surely has raised the same point directly in phone calls with Trump.

Tiring of Bibi

I was told that Trump, who appears to be growing weary of Netanyahus frequent demands and threats, flatly objected to an Israeli attack and brushed aside Israels alarm by noting that Netanyahus policies in supporting the rebels in Syria contributed to Israels current predicament by drawing in Iran and Hezbollah.

This week, Netanyahu personally traveled to Sochi, Russia, to confront Putin with the same blunt warning about Israels intention to attack targets inside Syria if Iran does not remove its forces.

A source familiar with the meeting told me that Putin responded with a sarcastic good luck! and that the Russians thought the swaggering Netanyahu appeared unhinged.

Still, a major Israeli attack on Iranian positions inside Syria would test Trumps political toughness, since he would come under enormous pressure from Congress and the mainstream news media to intervene on Israels behalf. Indeed, realistically, Netanyahu must be counting on his ability to drag Trump into the conflict since Israel could not alone handle a potential Russian counterstrike.

But Netanyahu may be on somewhat thin ice since Trump apparently blames Israels top American supporters, the neocons, for much of his political troubles. They opposed him in the Republican primaries, tilted toward Hillary Clinton in the general election, and have pushed the Russia-gate affair to weaken him.

President Obama faced similar political pressures to fall in line behind Israels regional interests. Thats why Obama authorized the covert CIA program in Syria and other aid to the rebels though he was never an enthusiastic supporter  and also grew sick and tired of Netanyahus endless hectoring.

Obama acquiesced to the demands of Official Washingtons neocons and his own administrations hawks  the likes of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, CIA Director David Petraeus, his successor John Brennan, and United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power.

The Syrian conflict was part of a broader strategy favored by Washingtons neocons to overthrow or cripple regimes that were deemed troublesome to Israel. Originally, the neocons had envisioned removing the Assad dynasty soon after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, with Iran also on the regime change menu. But the disastrous Iraq War threw off the neocons timetable.

Regime Change Chaos

The Democratic Partys liberal interventionists, who are closely allied with the Republican neocons, also tossed in Libya with the overthrow and murder of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Then, weapons from Gaddafis stockpiles were shipped to Syria where they strengthened rebel fighters allied with Al Qaedas Nusra Front and other Islamist groups.

Faced with this troubling reality  that the U.S.-backed moderate rebels were operating side by side with Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate and its allies  Washingtons neocons/liberal-hawks responded with sophisticated propaganda and devised clever talking points to justify what amounted to indirect assistance to terrorists.

The regime change advocates portrayed a black-and-white situation in Syria with Assads side wearing the black hats and various anti-Assad activists wearing the white hats (or literally White Helmets). The State Department and a complicit mainstream media disseminated horror stories about Assad and  when the reality about Al Qaedas role could no longer be hidden  that was spun in the rebels favor, too, by labeling Assad a magnet for terrorists (or later in cahoots with the Islamic State). For years, such arguments were much beloved in Official Washington.

But the human consequences of the Syrian conflict and other U.S.-driven regime change wars were horrific, spreading death and destruction across the already volatile Middle East and driving desperate refugees into Europe, where their presence provoked political instability.

By fall 2015, rebel advances in Syria  aided by a supply of powerful U.S. anti-tank missiles  forced Russias hand with Putin accepting Assads invitation to deploy Russian air power in support of the Syrian army and Iranian and Hezbollah militias. The course of the war soon turned to Assads advantage.

Its unclear what Hillary Clinton might have done if she had won the White House in November 2016. Along with much of the U.S. foreign policy establishment, she called repeatedly for imposing a no-fly zone in Syria to stop operations by the Syrian air force and Russia, a move that could have escalated the conflict into World War III.

But Trump  lacking Official Washingtons sophistication  couldnt understand how eliminating Assad, who was leading the fight against the terrorist groups, would contribute to their eventual defeat. Trump also looked at the failure of similar arguments in Iraq and Libya, where regime change produced more chaos and generated more terrorism.

Pandering to Saudis/Israelis

However, in the early days of his presidency, the unsophisticated Trump lurched from one Middle East approach to another, initially following his son-in-law Jared Kushners grandiose thinking about recruiting Saudi Arabia to an outside-in strategy to settle the Israel-Palestine conflict, i.e., enlisting the Saudis to pressure the Palestinians into, more or less, letting Israel dictate a solution.

Kushners outside-in scheme was symbolically acted out with Trump making his first overseas visit to Saudi Arabia and then to Israel in May. But Im told that Trump eventually cooled to Kushners thinking and has come to see the Israeli-Saudi tandem as part of the regions troubles, especially what he views as Saudi Arabias longstanding support for Al Qaeda and other terror groups.

Perhaps most significantly in that regard, Trump in July quietly abandoned the CIAs covert war in Syria. In the U.S., some regime change advocates have complained about this betrayal of the rebel cause and some Democrats have tried to link Trumps decision to their faltering Russia-gate scandal, i.e., by claiming that Trump was rewarding Putin for alleged election help.

But the bottom line is that Trumps policy has contributed to the Syrian slaughter abating and the prospect of a victory by Al Qaeda and/or its Islamic State spinoff fading.

So, there has been a gradual education of Donald Trump, interrupted occasionally by his volatile temper and his succumbing to political pressure, such as when he rushed to judgment on April 4 and blamed the Syrian government for a chemical incident in the remote Al Qaeda-controlled village of Khan Sheikhoun.

Despite strong doubts in the U.S. intelligence community about Syrias guilt  some evidence suggested one more staged atrocity by the rebels and their supporters  Trump on April 6 ordered 59 Tomahawk missiles fired at a Syrian air base, reportedly killing several soldiers and some civilians, including four children.

Trump boasted about his decision, contrasting it with Obamas alleged wimpiness. And, naturally, Official Washington and the U.S. mainstream media not only accepted the claim of Syrian government guilt but praised Trump for pulling the trigger. Later, Hillary Clinton said if she were president, she would have been inclined to go further militarily by intervening with her no-fly zone.

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As reckless and brutal as Trumps missile strike was, it did provide him some cover for his July 7 meeting with Putin at the G-20 summit in Germany, which focused heavily on Syria, and also for his decision to pull the plug on the CIAs covert war.

Saudi-backed Terror

Im told Trump also has returned to his pre-election attitude about Saudi Arabia as a leading supporter of terror groups and a key provocateur in the regions disorders, particularly because of its rivalry with Iran, a factor in both the Syrian and Yemeni wars.

Though Trump has recited Washingtons bipartisan (and benighted) mantra about Iran being the principal sponsor of terrorism, he appears to be moving toward a more honest view, recognizing the falsity of the neocon-driven propaganda about Iran.

Trumps new coolness toward Saudi Arabia may have contributed to the recent warming of relations between the Sunnis of Saudi Arabia and the Shiites of Iran, a sectarian conflict dating back 1,400 years. In a surprising move announced this week, the two countries plan an exchange of diplomatic visits .

Even in areas where Trump has engaged in reckless rhetoric, such as his fire and fury warning to North Korea, his behind-the-scenes policy appears more open to compromise and even accommodation. In the past week or so, the tensions with North Korea have eased amid backchannel outreach that may include the provision of food as an incentive for Pyongyang to halt its missile development and even open political talks with South Korea, according to a source close to these developments.

On Afghanistan, too, Trump may be playing a double game, giving a hawkish speech on Monday seeming to endorse an open-ended commitment to the near-16-year-old conflict, while quietly signaling a willingness to negotiate a political settlement with the Taliban.

One alternative might be to accept a coalition government, involving the Taliban, with a U.S. withdrawal to a military base near enough to launch counterterrorism strikes if Al Qaeda or other international terror groups again locate in Afghanistan.

Many of Trumps latest foreign policy initiatives reflect former White House strategist Steve Bannons hostility toward neoconservative interventionism. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former Exxon-Mobil chief executive, also shares a more pragmatic approach to foreign affairs than some of his more ideological predecessors.

Albeit still in their infancy, these policies represent a new realism in U.S. foreign policy that, in many ways, paralleled what President Obama favored but was often unwilling or unable to see through to its logical conclusions, given his fear of Netanyahu and the power of the neocons and their liberal-hawk allies.

Still, some of Obamas most important decisions  not to launch a major military strike against Syria in August 2013 and to negotiate an agreement with Iran to constrain its nuclear program in 2013-15  followed a similar path away from war, thus drawing condemnation from the Israeli-Saudi tandem and American neocons.

As a Republican who rose politically by pandering to the GOP base and its hatred of Obama, Trump rhetorically attacked Obama on both Syria and Iran, but may now be shifting toward similar positions. Gradually, Trump has come to recognize that the neocons and his other political enemies are trying to hobble and humiliate him  and ultimately to remove him from office.

The question is whether Trumps instinct for survival finally will lead him to policies that blunt his enemies strategies or will cause him to succumb to their demands.

Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, Americas Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com ).
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man



How the U.S. Uses Globalization to Cheat Poor Countries Out of Trillions



We speak with John Perkins, a former respected member of the international banking community. In his book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man he describes how as a highly paid professional, he helped the U.S. cheat poor countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars by lending them more money than they could possibly repay and then take over their economies. John Perkins describes himself as a former economic hit man - a highly paid professional who cheated countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. 20 years ago Perkins began writing a book with the working title, "Conscience of an Economic Hit Men." Perkins writes, "The book was to be dedicated to the presidents of two countries, men who had been his clients whom I respected and thought of as kindred spirits - Jaime Roldos, president of Ecuador, and Omar Torrijos, president of Panama. Both had just died in fiery crashes. Their deaths were not accidental. They were assassinated because they opposed that fraternity of corporate, government, and banking heads whose goal is global empire. We Economic Hit Men failed to bring Roldos and Torrijos around, and the other type of hit men, the CIA-sanctioned jackals who were always right behind us, stepped in. John Perkins goes on to write: "I was persuaded to stop writing that book. I started it four more times during the next twenty years. On each occasion, my decision to begin again was influenced by current world events: the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1980, the first Gulf War, Somalia, and the rise of Osama bin Laden. However, threats or bribes always convinced me to stop." But now Perkins has finally published his story. The book is titled Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. John Perkins joins us now in our Firehouse studios. John Perkins, from 1971 to 1981 he worked for the international consulting firm of Chas T. Main where he was a self-described "economic hit man." He is the author of the new book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. To purchase an audio or video copy of this entire program, click here for online ordering or call 1 (800) 881-2359. (In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information Clearing House endorsed or sponsored by the originator.)
A foreigner who has been remanded in the Kirikiri Maximum Prison in Lagos has pleaded with the court to release him on bail as his health allegedly deteriorates.

An American national, Marco Ramirez, who allegedly defrauded 3 Nigerians of $565,000 on the false pretense of obtaining a green card for them, has approached the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to beg for variation of his bail conditions in order for him to leave Kirikiri prison where he had been remanded.

Ramirez, on Friday, August 25, 2017, told Justice Ganiyu Safari, the presiding vacation judge, that his health condition was deteriorating in the Kirikiri prison hence the need for a condition he could easily meet.

His counsel, Ademola Adefolaju, prayed the court for an order to allow him to bring a directorate cadre in the Lagos State Civil Service as a substitute for an earlier order that a director in a reputable company in Nigeria should stand surety for him.

However, Justice Safari was of the view that since the anti-graft was not aware of todays proceedings, the matter is better adjourned and a new date of hearing served on the prosecutor. He adjourned the hearing of the application till Monday, 28th of August, 2017.
An accused American man who is being held at the Kirikiri prisons has begged to leave the facility after two months.

The American national, Marco Ramirez, was accused of defrauding 3 Nigerians to the tune of $565,000 on the false pretense of obtaining a green card for them.

Ramirez, after spending two months in the Kirikiri prisons, has approached the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja to beg for variation of his bail condition.

The American national in his plea before the court is seeking to leave the Kirikiri prisons where he has been remanded.

Ramirez, on Friday, August 25, 2017, while approaching Justice Ganiyu Safari of the Lagos State High Court stated that his health condition was deteriorating in the Kirikiri prison hence the need for a bail condition which could easily be met.

His legal counsel, Ademola Adefolaju, further pleaded with the court to allow his client bring a directorate cadre in the Lagos State Civil Service as a substitute for the earlier pronounced order demanding a director in a reputable company in Nigeria to stand as a surety for him.

Justice Safari however stated that the anti-graft agency, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was not informed of the court proceedings and therefore adjourned the case.

He adjourned the hearing of the application till Monday, 28th of August, 2017.
Australia's largest multi-disciplinary third-party claims administrator has expanded its reach in the Northern Territory.After a competitive tendering process, Gallagher Bassett (GB) has been appointed as workers' compensation agent for the Northern Territorys self-insurance scheme, tasked with providing the state's public-sector employees with self-insurance claims management and return-to-work services.The operation will be led by GB's self-insurance team, composed of Stacey Williams, executive director, self-insurance; Ben Sheat, national manager, self-insurance; and Emma Hosking, transition manager.We see this as a great opportunity to grow our business by investing in the Territory, said John McNamara, GB's managing director  Australia. GB will be establishing panels to maximise procurement amongst local service providers, as well as investing in local recruitment and training programs, including the expansion of our award winning cadetship program to the Territory.To support the delivery of services, GB will set up offices in Darwin, Alice Springs, and Katherine. The firm has also been conducting information sessions to attract the best local talents.GB said it will work with the state's incumbent provider to ensure a smooth transition of existing and new claims.
The Underwriting Agencies Council ( UAC ) has successfully concluded its Adelaide Underwriting Expo this week, which was attended by 68 exhibitors and almost 200 visitors, with two lucky brokers bringing home $1,000 each.Vanessa Grandison, an assistant broker from MGA Insurance Brokers , and Daniel Robinson, a personal line manager from Murdoch Insurance Brokers, have each won a $1,000 voucher, after visiting more than 35 of the UAC member exhibitors and having their UAC events app scanned to record their visit.The award was courtesy of UAC and Corporate Traveller, which was introduced to the council's members as UAC's preferred travel provider.Both brokers said they were excited about their win, with Grandison saying she had never won anything in my life, and an excited Robinson saying he planned to travel somewhere warmer than Adelaide.The Expo also saw UAC donating $2,000 to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), bringing their total donation to $14,000 to the aeromedical organisation in Adelaide. The fund was received by Anthea Rice, RFDS fundraising manager.After the successful Adelaide Underwriting Expo, UAC GM William Legge said the event will continue to be a major feature on the annual UAC event calendar.
Reinoud has extensive experience on Dutch corporate income tax, dividend withholding tax, tax treaties as well as EU law aspects of cross-border structuring, transactions, financing and reorganisations. His clients are mainly listed real estate funds, private equity funds, pension funds and multinationals. Reinoud further serves clients in obtaining advance tax rulings and advance transfer pricing agreements, and assists clients in tax audits and negotiations with the Dutch tax authorities.

Bevers is an attorney-at-law admitted to the Dutch Bar. Bevers advises on matters of international taxation, Dutch corporate income tax and Dutch state profit tax. He focuses on the oil and gas industry.

Halprin is an attorney-at-law admitted to the Dutch Bar. Halprin has a special focus on real estate, M&A transactions, tax litigation and dispute resolution, including assistance in tax audits and investigations. His clients include multinationals, banks, real estate funds and investment funds.

Veldhuijzen is a tax adviser who works primarily with Dutch private equity firms, family offices, and privately-owned Dutch companies and their shareholders. Veldhuijzen focuses on Dutch corporate tax law, personal income tax law, and gift and inheritance tax law, with an emphasis on M&A for private equity, management participations and private wealth management.
As of Friday, HBO subscribers can stream the series premiere of The Deuce  the latest prestige drama from The Wire veterans David Simon and George Pelecano  two weeks ahead of the show's official release date. Though the network has previously aired shows before their planned time slots to avoid scheduling conflicts, the reasons for HBO quietly releasing the series pilot remain unclear.

Also on Friday, the network put out the second trailer for the show, which features James Franco pulling double duty as a pair of smut-peddling twin brothers, Maggie Gyllenhaal as an intrepid sex worker trying to make it in the nascent porn industry, and a medley of gratuitous violence soundtracked by Marvin Gaye.

Tracing the porn industry's ascent in New York, the series is mostly set beneath the seedy backdrop of 1970s and 80s Times Square. It's in that nearly forgotten underworld where "a cast of barkeeps, prostitutes, pimps, police and nightlife denizens...swirl through a world of sex, crime, high times and violence and the porn business begins its climb from Mafia-backed massage parlors and film labs to legitimacy and cultural permanence," per the show's official synopsis.

According to Rolling Stone, "the series will also explore the rise of HIV, the real estate boom and police efforts to crack down on the adult film trade."

In addition to Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Franco, the cast also includes co-stars Emily Meade, Anna Glover, Gary Carr, Jamie Neumann and Dominique Fishback.

The first season of The Deuce consists of eight episodes and officially premieres on Sunday, September 10th  but anyone with access to HBO NOW, GO, or On Demand, can watch the 90 minute pilot right now.




Two men have been arrested in connection with violent loyalist paramilitary activity in Derry, the PSNI has said.

A 21-year-old man was detained in the city by detectives from the Criminal Investigation Branch in connection to a number of terrorism offences, including a shooting incident at a house in the Bonds Street area on the evening of December 20 2016.
Donald Trump came into office as the most unpopular new president in the history of modern polling and after seven months things have not improved.

He has already passed the mark for the lowest approval rating for a first-year president. Mr Trump's current approval rating of 34% is worse than Barack Obama's ever was.
The Dublin-based company  headed by former Providence Resources finance director Philip OQuigley  owns 30% of the Beetaloo Basin shale gas field situated in Australias Northern Territory, one of the worlds largest unconventional gas fields and roughly 100 times the size of the Corrib gas field off the west coast of Ireland.

If fracking is allowed the path would be clear for Falcon and its Australian partner Origin to further develop the asset, with the Australian firm footing the bill as agreed in the two parties initial farm-out deal.
New preliminary quarterly earnings and labour cost figures, published yesterday by the CSO, show that average weekly earnings, across both sectors combined, grew by 2.2%, year-on-year, in the three months to the end of June, to 722.65. Final CSO data for the first quarter of the year show a 1.5% annualised rise in average weekly earnings to 724.44.

The provisional figures for the second quarter show a 2.4% year-on-year jump in average earnings for the public sector to 938.25 per week. There was also an annualised increase for average weekly earnings in the private sector, of 1.9%, to 660.99.

However, the gap between the two is widening, now standing at 277.26, and has gone from a 37% gap as of the end of March to a 42% gap as of the end of June.

Business lobby group Isme has urged the Government to act and focus more on infrastructure spend and improving the countrys cost competitiveness.

Our most recent business trends research shows 36% of SMEs will not increase pay this year. This reality has to sink in with those in the public sector and in Government. We must stop the increasing inequality between public and private sector workers, said Isme boss Neil McDonnell.

Taxpayers money must be directed to the greater good, not geared toward the select few. The possibility of a hard Brexit makes this even more important. Ireland in the Brexit era must remain attractive and cost-competitive for existing businesses and potential investors, said Mr McDonnell.

He added: In our pre-budget submission we said capital expenditure must take precedence over increasing current expenditure. We call on Government to prioritise the National Broadband Plan, to target infrastructure spending at 4% of gross national income, to provide rapid provision of affordable housing, and improve public transport.

Davy Stockbrokers was less downbeat in its reaction to the latest CSO figures, pointing to the continuing growth in private sector employment and suggesting likewise is imminent for the public sector.

While the full employment numbers for the second quarter have yet to be published, we expect another strong gain in private sector employment following the 3.6% rise in the first quarter, said analyst David McNamara.

Wage pressures were stronger in larger firms, up 2.4%, while growth for SMEs was still a healthy 1.8%, he added, with regard to the second-quarter wage data.

According to the CSO figures, wages fell by 3.6% in construction firms in the second quarter, but strong rises were seen in wholesale and retail; public administration and support services, where there was a 9.4% increase. The lowest average earnings, 339.38, were in the accommodation and food services sector.

Numbers employed in the public sector grew by just under 1% in the quarter, on a year-on-year basis, to 393,200, the highest level since the third quarter of 2011. The largest gains were seen in health and An Garda Siochana.

The CSO said that in the last five years average weekly earnings have increased by 4.2%, from 693.50.
The Irish Examiner revealed that the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary intend to sell the site of the former Mother and Baby Home in a process that could take up to two years. The sale will not include the cemetery and remembrance site areas.

The campus is more recently the setting for the Bessborough Centre, a charity that works with vulnerable families.

However, the facility in Blackrock is also being examined by the Mother and Baby Homes Commission. It has come under intense scrutiny in recent years over activities alleged to have occurred there when it was a mother and baby home, including the possible falsification of death certificates to facilitate clandestine adoptions here and overseas.

In its monthly update on the inquiry, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs said minister Katherine Zappone had been made aware of concerns raised with her department about implications of the sale and that she had relayed these to the commission.

In terms of the commissions work, it is important to clarify that a change in the ownership of this site, or any other location which formerly accommodated a mother and baby home, will not affect the powers available to the commission to facilitate its investigations. The legal obligation on a person in possession of relevant information to preserve such information until the commission concludes its work is also relevant, said the statement.

Ms Zappones department was informed in 2012 that the orders own death register revealed a shocking infant mortality rate at the institution and recorded the deaths of 470 infants and 10 women between 1934 and 1953. A total of 273 of these deaths occurred between 1939 and 1944. The department was informed of this information almost two years before the revelations of infant deaths at Tuam sparked international outrage and forced a State inquiry.

Last month, the director of the commission Ita Mangan confirmed to the Irish Examiner that the sale would not affect the inquirys ability to fully examine the site.
The recommendation is made in a report, entitled A Roadmap for Emerging Space States, launched yesterday at the conclusion of the nine-week International Space Universitys Space Studies Programme 2017, hosted by Cork Institute of Technology.

The report states that the space agency would be responsible for the development of a comprehensive national policy to address the development of the Irish space sector.

Further, the space agency should advise the Government on space research, education, outreach, and industry development and investment.

The report recommends that Ireland participate further in international partnerships and organisations related to space.

Ireland should co-operate with established space states. In Ireland, the space industry has already developed around various fields so co-operation is more likely to focus on research and development collaboration rather than technology sharing; however, Irish policy may incentivise future programmes or businesses to prioritise technology transfer as a useful development tool.

The report recommends that Ireland join the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. It says failing to join may hinder Irelands space sector development in the medium to long term by impeding or diminishing valuable international co-operation or technology transfer programmes. This could also impact on commercial space startups that could be of economic benefit to Ireland.

Ireland has more than 30 companies that identify as contributing to the space market in the areas of electronics, software and propulsion, precision engineering, optoelectronics, and advanced materials.

The report also calls on Ireland to host a major international conference on space and to increase investment in space-related STEM education (science, technology, engineering, mathematics).

Ireland has been a member state of the European Space Agency for over 42 years. The main focus has been developing Irish businesses for the global space industry and ensuring economic and societal benefits.

Niall Smith, CIT lead on the Space Studies Programme, said it had proved to be a wonderful networking and learning experience.

We are particularly pleased to see the roadmap document providing such a clear rationale for Ireland to increase its involvement in the global space industry, with exciting prospects for economic and societal returns, he said.
The Fine Gael leader said he did not think it was relevant that it took him three days to arrive in Donegal.

I am here and very many Government ministers have been here already, he said. I dont think there has been any shortage of Government interest in this issue, I think half the Cabinet have been in Inishowen so I think the most important thing is the Government response and I think the response from Government is going to be very strong in providing any assistance that is needed.

I can assure you that the response from the agencies did not start from today or from this morning but happened straight away.

Mr Varadkars first stop was in the town of Carndonagh, which was one of the worst-hit areas during the torrential downpours.

On the outskirts of the town in the townland of Glack, the Taoiseach met with farmer Phil Doherty and his family.

Mr Doherty said: We were lucky enough in that our house was not damaged but a lot of the fields were badly hit and the river beside the home burst its banks and will need to be repaired.

The Taoiseach replied: Its terrible but Im just happy that nobody was killed or injured.

Through the town, the Taoiseach, who was accompanied by Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty, met business owners whose premises were damaged by the floods.

Among them was Sarah Quigley-Burns, who owns the Little Acorns creche in the town.

Ms Quigley-Burns has 104 children enrolled at the creche, which was devastated by the flooding.

She explained to the Taoiseach how she wanted to open next Wednesday but may be subject to inspection by Tusla.

She stressed that she was always compliant with all regulations but just needed some help to put her creche back in order.

I understand that the services are stretched and that people whose homes have been damaged should be sorted first, she said.

But we would appreciate any help we can get. I would dearly love another humidifier. That would be a big help.

Army personnel from the 28th infantry battalion helping with the clean-up in North Donegal. Picture: North West Newspix

Local Government Minister Eoghan Murphy summoned council staff and asked them to provide Ms Quigley-Burns with a humidifier.

In the Good as New charity shop across the courtyard, Mary Farren described how two tractor-loads of donated clothes and other goods had to be taken away.

Ms Farren and her staff run the charity shop to raise funds for the local Catholic Church.

I am delighted that the Taoiseach has come to Inishowen so at least he can see first-hand what we are going through, she said.

I arrived here on Wednesday and we just had to dump out so much of our stock. It was ruined but people have been so good and they have been dropping off stuff again to us.

Mr Varadkar pointed to the floor, where there were several plastic bags containing potatoes, asking if they were for sale. He was told they were and that they were 3 a bag, at which Minister Regina Doherty produced money and bought a bag.

In McCurdys Cafe, owner Charlie McCurdy said he could not afford to remain closed to repair his business premises completely.

I opened here at Easter and I have put everything I have into this business, he said. I work seven days a week.

I am now battling with my insurance company to see if I am covered.

What the banks and the insurance companies have got away with in this country is immoral, I tell you.

After meeting business owners, the Taoiseach visited a nearby housing estate which was also damaged by the heavy floods.

From there, he headed to Buncrana, where he was briefed by local councillors as well as chief executive officer of Donegal County Council, Seamus Neely.

As the Taoiseach toured the peninsula, the first of the influx of army personnel from the 28th battalion at Finner Camp arrived in Inishowen.

A total of 30 soldiers arrived yesterday to assist residents, with a promise that more will follow.

The soldiers were divided into different groups to assist in Burnfoot, Buncrana, Clonmany, and Carndonagh.

In one of the worst-hit areas on the Lios na Greine estate, four soldiers spent the morning filling skips with damaged property which could not be salvaged.
Diana, Princess of Wales was a woman whose warmth, compassion and empathy for those she met earned her the description the peoples princess.

Twenty years have passed since her death which shocked the world but her appeal remains undiminished - an icon of the 20th century.

Fans of Diana, who was killed in a Paris car crash on August 31 1997, are likely to gather at her former home Kensington Palace to mark the anniversary.

Her sons the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry have spoken candidly about their mother for the first time in the run-up to the anniversary, describing the personal anguish they experienced and the grief they still feel.

Harry, interviewed for an ITV documentary about his mother, said: Theres not a day that William and I dont wish that she was... still around.

And we wonder what kind of a mother she would be now, and what kind of a public role she would have, and what a difference she would be making.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair dubbed Diana the peoples princess on the day she died and in a magazine interview with his former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, William echoed the words of his brother.

He said: I think she would have carried on, really getting stuck into various causes and making change.

If you look at some of the issues she focused on, leprosy, Aids, landmines, she went for some tough areas. She would have carried on with that.

The royal brothers announced earlier this year her memory would be honoured with a statue erected in the grounds of Kensington Palace with her sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale part of the team commissioning the artwork.

But the aftermath was not all plain sailing, with the British monarchy facing one of its most turbulent times following Dianas tragic death.

The Queen, who was comforting her grandsons in Balmoral, was criticised for failing to return to London quickly enough, and for keeping the Buckingham Palace flagpole bare, as was protocol when she was away, rather than lowering a flag to half mast in respect.

In her speech to the British nation ahead of the funeral, the monarch even acknowledged Diana: There are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death.

When the Queen opened a memorial fountain in Londons Hyde Park in Dianas honour seven years later in 2004, she said there were difficult times in Dianas life but spoke of how memories mellow with the passing of the years.

Royal author Penny Junor suggested that publicity surrounding the 20th anniversary has led some people to regress two decades amid polarised views.

I think Britain as a nation has gone straight back to square one actually, emotionally, she said.

I mean obviously not everybody, but I think there are quite a lot of people who have emotionally been taken back 20 years, polarised in their views.

All the films and all the articles and all the documentaries, theyre not helping people to move on at all.

Rather than this 20th anniversary being a great celebration of her legacy and looking back at all the marvellous things she did, an awful lot of this has been celebrated by going back over the same old ground, the marriage and her unhappiness, and I think that is really regrettable because its not helping anyone.

Ms Junor argued that Diana had, in part, changed the royals for the better.

She had a positive input. She was a product of her age. She was young and hands on, and the royal family were inevitably more traditional and less hands on, she said.

But the business of baring their souls in public has not been a positive move and I think she was the one who started that.

Contradictions

The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in the grounds of Buckingham Palace after announcing their engagement in 1981.

Diana was a woman of contradictions, labelled a clothes horse for the expensive designer outfits she wore yet she used her public position to champion unfashionable causes from Aids awareness to banning landmines.

The simple gesture of shaking hands with a HIV-positive man - when many believed casual contact could spread the virus - challenged prejudices in the late 1980s.

And the year she died the Princess was famously pictured walking through an Angolan landmine field, being cleared by a charity, to highlight the impact buried munitions were having long after conflicts had ended.

But many will remember Diana for her clothes, worn to make a statement as well as express her style, and an exhibition of some of her famous outfits - Diana: Her Fashion Story - is being staged at Kensington Palace.

At the time of Dianas death the Prince and Princess of Wales had been divorced for a year after the final stages of their marriage break-up had become public five years earlier.

Dianas marital troubles - and issues like her bulimia and suicide attempts - had been laid bare in the 1992 Andrew Morton book Diana, Her True Story.

Three years later came more revelations when she told the BBC Panorama documentary that there were three of us in this marriage, in reference to Camilla Parker Bowles, now Charles wife.

In 1994 Charles had confessed to adultery in a TV interview with broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby, but said it happened only after his marriage had irretrievable broken down.

Dianas legacy is being taken forward by her sons, who have not only adopted some of her causes, from Aids awareness to supporting the homeless, but reflect to a degree her ability to connect with the vulnerable and disadvantaged.

So the woman who some royal commentators claim was viewed with suspicion for her unorthodox approach to being a royal - may help to keep the monarchy relevant in the 21st century.

Ironically, her former husband has become less relevant, with the numbers who believe Charles has made a positive contribution to the British Royal Family has fallen.

A YouGov poll commissioned by the Press Association found 36% of the British public think Charles has been beneficial to the monarchy, compared to 60% in 2013.

More than a quarter - 27% - think the longest-serving heir to the throne has had a negative impact on the royals, in contrast to just 15% four years ago.

The research also showed that only 14% of the British public want the Duchess of Cornwall to become Queen when Charles is King.

Most - 39% - think she should take the title of Princess Consort instead, while almost a third of Brits - 30% - believe she should not have any title at all.

Royal commentator Penny Junor suggested the public has still not forgiven the Prince for the breakdown of

his marriage to Diana, and his standing had fallen because of the publicity surrounding the anniversary.

She expressed surprise at the findings, saying: Weve moved on 20 years. Charless reputation, I thought, was completely rehabilitated.

Hes become a much happier, more relaxed and more confident Prince of Wales and I thought much more popular as a result.

The author of the Camilla biography The Duchess: The Untold Story described Charles as the most extraordinary Prince of Wales, adding: I think he has been visionary over the years, the issues hes tackled have all become mainstream thinking.

But she said: He gets a hard time because his marriage failed. Hes never been forgiven for that - because Diana blamed him and he never ever said a word.

Hes never explained what went on in his marriage. His view has always been that history will judge him. He knows that he did all he could to try and make his marriage work and he failed.

She added: I do think its a very difficult time for him. The question of Diana has always been a source of difficulty between him and his sons.

The same survey found almost a third of the British public feel the British Royal Family has shown Dianas memory too little respect.

But more than 40% believe the Windsors have got the balance about right.

More than two-fifths of British adults (44%) also believe the Royal Family changed for the better because of Diana.

Only 5% felt the Windsors had changed for the worse, while nearly a third (32%) said the royals had not changed at all.

The making of the Peoples Princess

Diana is an iconic and contradictory figure whose appeal still endures 20 years after her death.

She championed the disadvantaged, from those with Aids to the homeless, and was labelled the peoples Princess because of her common touch which could bridge social divides.

But she also fought personal demons like her battle with bulimia, and appeared to be a lonely figure troubled by the media attention her looks and status attracted.

Her death 20 years ago in a Paris car crash shocked the globe and saw unprecedented expressions of grief from thousands of ordinary people who felt a connection with Diana.

Dianas appeal began almost from the moment she appeared on the world stage as an awkward, shy teenager in the early 1980s, who was living in a London flat with her girlfriends and working in a kindergarten.

Though hailed as a commoner, Lady Diana Spencer was a member of the aristocracy, born into a privileged family that had close connections with the British Royal Family.

Her fairytale wedding on July 29 1981 at St Pauls Cathedral was watched by a television audience of hundreds of millions and turned the self-dubbed Sloane Ranger into a world superstar.

For more than a decade afterwards the Prince and Princess of Wales were regarded as the worlds most romantic couple but soon the cracks had begun to appear in their marriage.

Diana bore the Prince a son, William, in June 1982 and a few years later another, Harry, in September 1984.

But according to Andrew Mortons explosive book, Diana, Her True Story, which revealed the Princess inner turmoil, Charles had wanted the second child to be a girl.

His dismissive reaction to the arrival of a son and departure for a polo game the day after the birth was said to have marked the beginning of the end of the marriage.

Morton wrote: From that moment, as Diana told friends: Something inside me died.

Diana was haunted by her belief Charles former lover Camilla Parker Bowles, now his wife, was back in his life and she was wracked by insecurities, doubting her worth as a member of the Royal Family.

The marriage was effectively over by the end of the 1980s but the Prince and Princess kept up the public pretence until they separated in December 1992.

That year Mortons book was published and it revealed Diana had suffered from bulimia and had attempted to take her own life a number of times, described as cries for help, including throwing herself down a flight of stairs while pregnant with William.

A few years later Charles made his own public admission telling broadcaster Jonathan Dimbleby in a television documentary that he was unfaithful after his marriage had irretrievably broken down, but did not identify his mistress. It was later alleged, but never confirmed, that it was Camilla.

Diana made her own TV confession in November 1995 when she told the BBCs Panorama programme she had an affair with Life Guards officer Major James Hewitt.

The royal couple divorced in August 1996.

The Princess had her critics. She was dismissed by some as a clothes horse for her love of designer dresses while others accused her of trying to emulate the reputation of Mother Teresa through her charity work.

But she championed causes that, at the time, were not fashionable - publicly shaking hands with Aids patients, supporting homeless charities and taking William to meet rough sleepers, and campaigning to outlaw landmines. The Paris car crash which killed Dianas lover Dodi Fayed and their chauffeur Henri Paul also ended the life of the 36-year-old princess, but she will forever remain the glamorous icon whose image is preserved for posterity.

Diana and Kate united by their common touch

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton prior to their wedding reception at Buckingham Palace.

They never met, yet Diana and Kate share a common bond.

Both women were commoners who married into the royal family and became standard bearers of their generation, famed as much for the clothes they wore as the charities and causes they chose to champion.

Diana was in fact from the aristocratic Spencer family whose ancestors had rubbed shoulders with monarchs down the centuries and even her father had served as an equerry to the Queen.

While Kate is the daughter of self-made millionaires Carole and Michael Middleton, thanks to their online party paraphernalia business, who attended one of the top fee-paying schools in the country.

A famous piece of jewellery has graced both their ring fingers, a 12-carat sapphire engagement ring featuring a cluster of 14 brilliant-cut diamonds, a poignant reminder for Kate of her mother-in-law.

The princess lived in Kensington Palace which is also home to the Duchess, a royal residence made famous by William III and Mary II who turned the Earl of Nottinghams 17th century country mansion into a place fit for a king and queen.

Diana lived in apartments eight and nine, some distance within the palace complex from Kates family home, apartment 1a, where Princess Margaret once lived and which was refurbished at a reported cost of 4 million before the Cambridges moved in.

Fashion was important to Diana whose style reflected her changing character and signalled her mood, helped establish British designers, but above all made a statement.

Her clothes progressed from demure dresses worn by the young princess into chic outfits where the confident mother of two mixed glamour with wit for a global audience.

There were many highlights over the years from her striking 1989 Catherine Walker Elvis gown to the daring little black Christina Stambolian outfit, dubbed the revenge dress, worn on the night the Prince of Wales confessed to adultery in a TV documentary in 1994.

Kate has been a more conservative dresser sticking, for much of the time, to her favourite nude LK Bennett court shoes, Alexander McQueen outfits and the simple elegance of Jenny Packham or Emilia Wickstead dresses.

When abroad she has taken a leaf out of the Queens style book and featured the national colours or motifs of the country she is visiting in some of her outfits.

During her first royal tour, a visit to Canada in 2011, she wore a red hat with a maple leaf by Sylvia Fletcher for Lock and Co to mark Canada Day, and three years later a black Jenny Packham dress with a silver fern, a prominent symbol of New Zealand, on the shoulder, at a reception in Wellington.

They have followed separate paths when it came to the charities they chose to support.

Diana was the first member of the royal family to have contact with a person suffering from HIV/Aids.

In the late 1980s when many still believed the disease could be contracted through casual contact, she sat on the sickbed of a man with Aids and held his hand.

She supported homeless charities - becoming patron of the organisation Centrepoint - and courted political controversy when she campaigned to end the proliferation of landmines.

Kate has followed a different path taking her interest in art - she graduated from St Andrews University with a History of Art degree - further.

Dianas top 20 fashion moments

1) The Wedding: It may have been of its time, but Diana Spencers fairytale wedding dress in 1981 delighted royal fans. The full silk taffeta gown with 25ft train by David and Elizabeth Emanuel had romantic billowing sleeves and was trimmed with bows and lace flounces, and the brides ivory silk tulle featured 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins.

2) The Honeymoon Tweed Suit: For a honeymoon picture on the Balmoral estate in Scotland in August 1981, Charles wore his kilt and Diana  looking like a newlywed in love  rocked a casual, brown tweed wool day suit by Bill Pashley.

3) Polka-dots: On a tour of Canada in 1983, Diana matched the colours of the Canadian flag in a white dress with red polka-dots, a red jacket with large curved collar and white hat edged in red.

Spots were a go-to choice for the princess, including the green and white polka-dot dress she wore on the steps on the Lindo wing after the birth of Prince William. Kate Middleton echoed the look in a blue spotty shift dress after the birth of her son George.

4) Bow Tie Di: Imagine the Queen in a tuxedo? Diana turned the tables on royal wear when, on occasion, she ditched princess dresses for a sharp tuxedo.

In 1985, she surprised her fashion fans when she stepped out in a white dinner jacket, black trousers and silk, black bow tie to see the band Genesis perform a charity gig.

5) Dynasty: Diana Diana was dubbed Dynasty Di  after the 1980s glitzy American soap opera - for her love of over-sized shoulder pads and glamorous gowns.

In 1985 at a charity fashion show, she wore a shimmering silver pleated floor-length, wide- shouldered Bruce Oldfield gown with a daring cut-away back  and perfected the look with big blow dried hair  to meet Dynasty star Joan Collins.

6) Eighties style: It was the mid 1980s and Diana made the most of the decades penchant for bows and flounces. On a tour of Italy in 1985, she wore a Jacques Azagury dress featuring an over-sized black velvet top half decorated with blue stars and royal blue layered organza skirt tied with a low bow.

7) The Travolta Dress: When Diana took to the dance floor with actor John Travolta during a state banquet given by US President Ronald Reagan in 1985, it was in a midnight-blue off the shoulder, velvet gown by Victor Edelstein.

One of the Princesss most famous dresses, it was the star attraction when Diana auctioned off scores of her outfits for charity in 1997, and went for the highest price of 120,301. It was sold again at auction four years ago for 240,000.

8) The Elvis Dress: Catherine Walkers long, white silk strapless dress encrusted with pearls and sequins, with a matching bolero jacket was worn by the princess in 1989 to the British Fashion Awards in London and on an official visit to Hong Kong.

Diana called it her Elvis dress and the high upturned collar accentuated her height.

9) Asymmetric: Diana favoured the asymmetric look  in particular a floor-length Catherine Walker pink sequined ivory crepe gown with one covered shoulder and one long sleeve which was worn at a state banquet in Brazil and the Stepping Out movie premiere in 1991.

10) Clashing Colours at the Taj Mahal: It was 1992 and the princess  her troubled marriage in tatters  posed alone outside the monument to love, the Taj Mahal in India.

Contrasting against the ivory white marble mausoleum, Diana stood out in a vibrant orange collarless jacket and clashing purple tulip skirt.

11) Halter neck: Diana looked confident in a yellow and blue silk halterneck by Catherine Walker in 1992.

12) The Revenge Dress: It was 1994 and the night Charles, in a television interview, admitted he was unfaithful to Diana with Camilla Parker Bowles.

The same evening, Diana appeared at the Serpentine Gallery in what was dubbed her revenge dress  a figure-hugging, low cut, off-the-shoulder little black dress, paired with a choker and pearl earrings.

Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian revealed the princess initially thought it was too daring and only opted for it at the last minute.

13) Diana at Wimbledon: Diana looked chic in a simple, red, sleeveless shift dress with pockets at the mens final at Wimbledon in 1994.

14) Gelled back hair: Dianas brand new, modern, slicked back hair was showcased when she addressed members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America in New York in 1995. It was seen as demonstrating her new found independence.

15) Jackie O: Diana channeled Jackie Kennedy Onassiss style for an appearance marking the 50th anniversary of VE Day in 1995, when she appeared in a pale blue pillbox hat and matching suit.

16) Versace: A striking sleek purple floor length Versace gown and Jimmy Choo shoes were Dianas choice of outfit for a fundraising gala dinner in 1996. She counted Versace as a friend and often wore his gowns.

17) Casual Diana: In the last year of her life, Diana launched her anti-landmine drive. For her trips to Angola and Bosnia, she dressed down in khaki or black capri trousers and simple white or pastel shirts with rolled up sleeves  and showed she wanted the focus on her work, rather than her fashion.

18) Mario Testino shoot: A Vanity Fair photo shoot in 1997 with celebrity photographer Mario Testino reinvented the princess style-wise and redefined her life post-divorce.

She looked relaxed, happy and carefree, dressed in a variety of glamorous gowns  including a Catherine Walker black halter neck trimmed on the neckline and straps with black bugle beads, which she also wore previously in 1994.

19) The Princess in Pakistan: She stepped out in a series of delicate traditional shalwar kameez on a solo visit to Pakistan, causing fashion experts to predict a rise in their popularity in high street stores. At the time, Diana was dating heart surgeon Hasnat Khan  whose family lived in Lahore.

20) Cool confidence: Diana exuded confidence in the months before her death. Her outfits were sleek and sophisticated, lower cut and often shorter and more daring.

In June 1997  just two months before she died and on one of her last public engagements  the princess visited the Albert Hall to watch Swan Lake, dressed in a short, powder blue fitted dress by French designer Jacques Azagury.
SAVOUR these final moments of blessed calm, while our roads are still gloriously free of school-run traffic.

Gridlock returns from Monday,

depending on where you live, but lets hold onto the happy memory of what our towns and cities look like when schools out.

Theres traffic, of course, and

congestion, too, yet drivers have been known to arrive smiling  and on time. Many of them even comment that their journey time was cut in half, or, at the very least, reduced by several minutes.

If only it could last.

The back-to-school dread is not just felt by pupils; it seeps into the marrow of anybody who uses the road and recalls, only too vividly, the tense-shouldered hours of chaos that strike early in the morning, and again in early to mid-afternoon.

Ironically, parents here, and in the UK, tell the survey-takers that they drive their children to school because they worry about traffic accidents. Yet, surely, they are the very ones increasing the risk of accidents, by filling the roads and pavements with cars  often big, outta-my-way 4x4s  when the school bell rings.

However, were not going to get

anywhere by pointing fingers at the parents who bring their children to school. They are under far too much pressure already.

Not only have they come to be seen as toxic air-polluters, responsible for traffic gnarl-ups and childhood obesity, parents also have to negotiate a school-gate social minefield.

At this time of year, youll find an unsettling number of articles advising mothers  fathers seem to have an easier time  on how to survive the school run. And they dont mean the traffic.

One of those pieces, on the very practical parenting website, Mummypages.ie, even suggests that dealing with fellow mums at the school gate can be the hardest part of the day. There are plenty of opportunities for arguments and even your confidence can be hit, if you encounter a yummy mummy on the wrong morning, it says, offering a list of tips on how to cope.

The site also publishes a very revealing letter, written by A Mum Whos Had One of Those Days to the Rude Mum at the School Gate. Its an eloquent, though sad rant, that calls on mothers to stick together. If we dont have each others back, no-one else will, it concludes.

The same website found, in a 2015 survey, that many mothers dreaded being judged by fellow mothers, while dropping off their charges at school.

You can see how that kind of goldfish-bowl scrutiny starts to intensify, after a primary-school headteacher in the UK prompted fevered debate,

last year, by writing to parents and asking them not to wear pyjamas while dropping off their children.

The vitriol that followed was staggering, but the discussion missed the point spectacularly. The real issue is not what parents wear on the school run, but the amount of time they spend ferrying their children to and from school, sports events, and playdates/sleepovers.

One UK study of 2,000 mothers, by car-seat company, BoostApak, found that mothers spent up to two weeks a year driving their children around.

Add to that the cost (nearly 2,000 in fuels), the stress, and the time it takes to get children in and out of the car  an estimated seven minutes.

However, the real cost is the time it takes out of every mothers day. That is not to say that bringing a child safely to and from school/play/sportsfield is a waste of time, but imagine what those mothers might be able to do if they did not have to act as mammy-taxis.

A friend of mine, a mother-of-four, still shudders when she thinks of that year of hellish Tuesdays. On that day, she had to drop off and pick up one child from junior school, do the same for three others at two different senior schools, then drop off two of her girls to dance class, separately, because they were at different levels. She then had just enough time to pick them up, before leaving again to drop the oldest one to the sportsfield. You might carve out snatched moments on a day like that, but never enough to do anything productive.

How many other women have nightmare taxi-runs like that one? How worthwhile it would be to conduct a comprehensive, nationwide survey to see how much time Irish parents  and, in particular, mothers  spend taxi-ing their children to and fro.

Then, we might be able to calculate how much potential continues to be untapped, because mothers (I suspect it is mostly mothers) are trapped behind the wheel.

Imagine what might happen if they had more time to put their talents to use. As it is, they have proved themselves to be exceptional multi-taskers, keeping myriad plates in the air. Consider what might happen if all those dead hours in the car were freed-up.

There are encouraging signs that things are changing. The 2016 Census reported a significant increase in those actively commuting to work, school, and college.

Most third-level students now walk or cycle to college. The number of primary and second-level students doing the same has risen to 35%, although the car still reigns supreme.

Perhaps its not possible for all children to walk or cycle to school, but, surely, we could do a lot more to organise car-pooling with the help of technology. WhatsApp, for instance, would be a perfect way of linking parents in a catchment area to share pick-ups and drop-offs. One woman in the States solved the problem by setting up her own business, a mom-owned, mom-approved taxi service, offering a transportation shuttle for children.

Food for thought. And we need more of that, because its time to save Irish mammies  yes, dads, too  from the talent-drain that is the school run.
IT WAS a mundane end to a lonely life. If Sean OCallaghan had drowned 20 or even 10 years ago, as he did in Jamaica last Wednesday, it would have been highly suspicious. Murder would have been suspected. He had many enemies within the so-called republican movement as a result of his status as a high-profile informer in the IRA.

Life has moved on. The republican movement, as it then was, is now simply Sinn Fein the political party, and OCallaghan was an occasional irritant in the partys project to rewrite the history of the Northern Troubles. His testimonies of the sectarianism, the wanton criminality, the expedient killing, all gave lie to the bright shining image of selfless freedom fighters protecting their families.

But the Tralee man also had major credibility problems. He claimed he began informing after becoming

disillusioned about the celebrations among Northern comrades following the murder of a female UDR soldier in the North in the late 1970s.

Maybe so. However, there could well have been a more base reason.

Over the years, Ive spoken to a number of retired gardai who worked in State security during the Troubles.

What always amazed me was the trivial reasons for which some IRA personnel turned informer. In one case, it was as a result of being stopped while driving without insurance. Another involved a threat to tell a mans wife about his affair.

Once you got them to start talking on the smallest thing, that was it, one former garda told me. There was no going back for them after that. You had them.

Maybe OCallaghans decision to inform was based on moral principles, maybe not. It is widely accepted that he informed on the 1985 importation of arms aboard the trawler Marita Ann, for which his former colleague and current Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris was convicted.

That same year, OCallaghan had a role  the extent of which he had given conflicting accounts about  in the murder of Corkman John Corcoran.

This crime has never been properly investigated, and there is a strong case that it involved collusion by the State.

Mr Corcoran, a native of Togher in Cork City, was a low-level IRA operative who had been giving information to the gardai about the organisations activities in Cork.

His comrades began to suspect him following a few successes by the gardai in uncovering arms.

OCallaghan has claimed he warned his handler that Mr Corcoran was under suspicion and his life in danger. A few years ago, in researching Mr Corcorans murder, I was told by sources who worked in State security in the 1980s that warnings had been given to Garda HQ that Mr Corcoran was in danger from people other than OCallaghan.

Vincent Browne wrote extensively about this matter in the late 90s, citing separate sources with similar claims.

There is a plausible theory that these warnings were ignored on the basis that OCallaghan was the more valuable informer and if Mr Corcoran was rescued by the gardai, then OCallaghan might come under suspicion. Or, to put it more bluntly, Mr Corcorans life was sacrificed in order to preserve the flow of information from OCallaghan.

John Corcorans body was discovered in a sleeping bag on the side of a road outside Ballincollig on March 23, 1985. The IRA claimed responsibility for the murder.

OCallaghan left the country later that year and, in 1988, walked into a police station in England and admitted to earlier crimes, including two murders in the North.

He was sentenced to life in prison but released under licence in 1996.

On three occasions in the 1990s, he admitted to journalists that he had personally shot Mr Corcoran dead at a farm in Co Kerry, following an interrogation and confession.

Heres what he told Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe while in prison in 1994.

I took the mask off him. It was just the most pathetic sight. To the very end, I was hoping the guards would come through the door, just take Corcoran and his wife away somewhere, give them a new life, a new identity.

Then, convinced he had to do it, OCallaghan walked over and shot Mr Corcoran in the head, he told the Boston Globe.

He gave similar accounts to Ger Colleran of The Kerryman and the Sunday Times Liam Clarke.

Later, he repudiated these admissions on the implausible basis that he only made it up to force the gardai to properly investigate Mr Corcorans murder.

He was right about one thing  the gardai appear to have had little interest in investigating the murder. A source close to the investigation told me that Mr Corcorans Garda handler wasnt even interviewed.

In 1998, in rply to a parliamentary question from Dick Spring about the murder investigation, then justice minister John ODonoghue revealed that in late 1988 a Garda investigation file was forwarded to the director of public prosecutions with a view to prosecuting the person involved (OCallaghan) in Northern Ireland under the Criminal Law Jurisdiction Act. OCallaghan was then in custody in the North.

The reply went on to state: This aspect was subsequently overtaken by events when the person was convicted on a charge of murder in Northern Ireland and received two life sentences there. Yet, when OCallaghan was released in 1996, there was no effort by the gardai to interview him or pursue a prosecution for murder. It was as if they preferred that the whole thing would simply go away in case it might throw up some unpalatable truths.

In all probability, OCallaghan did shoot Mr Corcoran dead. He was never brought to account for that, most likely because the State may well have found itself in the dock beside him.

OCallaghans untimely death, at 62,

ensures he will never be a witness to a truth and reconciliation body, should one ever be established. It might reasonably be suggested that his relationship with the truth was highly tenuous anyway, but he certainly had some insight into the IRAs operation in the Republic. It is also the case that the information he passed to the gardai did, in all likelihood, save lives.

Sinn Fein claims these days that it wants all the truth from the past to be laid out in order to facilitate proper reconciliation. These claims have little credibility when one considers the potential political fall-out for Sinn Fein if the real truth about how the war was fought did emerge. Equally, the British government has plenty it would rather remain buried in the past.

The whole murky business surrounding the death of John Corcoran shows that the Irish State also has its own secrets that few in Government Buildings would ever want dug up. For those fearful of the pasts capacity to embarrass, OCallaghan remained something of a loose thread. Now he has taken his secrets to the grave.
Saturday, August 26th, 2017 (12:01 am) - Score 3,558

Researchers from ADTRAN and BT are working towards conducting the first lab trials of G.mgfast technology in 2019, which could become the successor to todays hybrid-fibre G.fast technology and one that might conceivably push broadband speeds up to 5-10Gbps over traditional copper lines.

At present Openreachs deployment of G.fast (ITU G.9700/9701) in the United Kingdom is being marketed with a top speed of 330Mbps (50Mbps upload) and is largely being deployed from existing PCP street cabinets, which makes it very quick to install and cheap to roll-out. The current aim is to reach 10 million premises by 2020 and theres long been talk of top product speeds hitting 500Mbps by around 2025.

The G.fast standard can harness up to 212MHz of radio spectrum (Openreachs live network current uses 106MHz) and peak speeds of 2Gbps (aggregate) are theoretically possible via the latest amendments, albeit only over extremely short distances. One recent FTTdp + G.fast trial in the UK delivered 1.66Gbps over 40 metres of copper line, although Openreach would be happy with 300Mbps at 350 metres from a street cabinet (if they can hit it).

Now take a moment and try to forget the fact that Openreach (BT) has yet to officially begin the commercial launch of their 330Mbps G.fast broadband service (even if it already seems to be happening) because the successor to G.fast technology  called G.mgfast (Multi-Gigabit Fast Access to Subscriber Terminals)  is already on the way.

At present we still know very little about the new technology, although it works in a similar way to G.fast, is designed for both twisted pair and coax copper lines, can harness a spectrum frequency of up to 848MHz and aims to be a full-duplex solution.

This will mean that most of its benefits vs G.fast can only be fully realised over much shorter copper line distances and that would make it best for use alongside a more expensive and complex Fibre-to-the-distribution-point (FTTdp) network.

According to ADTRAN, G.mgfast could theoretically offer aggregate data speeds of 10Gbps (Gigabits per second) per cable at 848MHz or 5Gbps at 424MHz. Some of the other companies that are contributing to its development include ASSIA, Broadcom, Huawei, Nokia, Intel and others via ITU-T Study Group 15.

Ronan Kelly, CTO APAC and EMEA at ADTRAN, told ISPreview.co.uk: As we have seen over the past 5 years, to quote my colleague Chris Kendall, Copper may be buried, but it is far from dead. We have seen vectoring technology breathe new life into VDSL2 deployments, making 100Mbps for the masses a reality. We have also witnessed vectoring when used in conjunction with newer line protocols like G.fast, deliver initially 800Mbps aggregate bandwidths, and now with amendment 3, thanks to the doubling of the available spectrum, G.fast implementations are delivering aggregate rates in excess of 1.4Gbps per line on loops in the range of 100 metres, making it a perfectly viable solution for Gigabit access in FTT-DP and FTT-B applications over both twisted pair copper networks and coaxial cable assets. Having realised the superior potential that G.fast technology brings on its own, particularly when decoupled from advancements in vectoring technology, the industry leaders like ADTRAN and many of the prime operator proponents of G.fast, within the ITU have sought to push the envelope even further. What is proposed within the ITU is a new standard that would see a further doubling and quadrupling of the spectrum used by G.fast, with an ultimate goal of achieving 5 and 10Gbps aggregate rates on coax and Cat6 twisted pair single cables. Currently the focus is to apply this new approach in low crosstalk environments where Vectoring technology is not required. The target operating loop lengths to achieve these rates is currently proposed at up to 100 metres. The anticipated use case for this new approach is predominantly focused towards backhaul applications for small cells, Wi-Fi infrastructure, and other 106 or 212MHz G.fast DPUs. Due to the current absence of Vectoring capabilities at these very high frequencies, it will be some time before this new standard which has attracted the name of G.fast 3rd Generation within study group 15 of the ITU, or G.mgfast, is available as a mainstream access technology for high cross talk twisted pair environments.

Should any of this sound familiar then thats because the approach being taken with G.mgfast appears to have some of its roots in XG.FAST technology, which weve already seen being tested (here). Last year Australias nbn team achieved a peak aggregate speed of 8Gbps over 30 metres of twisted-pair copper and 5Gbps over 70 metres via up to 500MHz of spectrum. Openreach also conducted a similar test in 2015 (here).

Now heres the latest simulation of what G.mgfast could do (ADTRAN data) using the two new spectrum profiles vs G.fasts profiles. Quite a big difference but its clearly a short range / sub-100 metre technology and the simulation assumes zero crosstalk (interference), which doesnt accurately reflect the busy real-world environment of consumer connectivity.

However its still early days for G.mgfast and as many countries switch to FTTP/H deployments then the hybrid-fibre approach could end up coming under pressure (this may become more an issue once average speeds are adopted into ISP advertising), although its still too soon to judge. Not to mention the very hypothetical threat from future 5G based wireless broadband networks, although that too has yet to prove itself.

The current prediction is that early research on G.mgfast could be developed towards the first lab trials by 2019 and field trials might then follow during 2020. However ADTRAN clearly states that this is currently more about supplying capacity to existing infrastructure, rather than end-user connections.. at least for now.
When the USS John McCain became the second naval ship to be involved with a deadly accident this summer, my first thought went to a potential cyberattack. Two important things to note here: First, the Navy has not indicated that there was a cybersecurity incident, and second, I always think something out of the ordinary is somehow related to a possible cyberattack. When you are so tuned into security news, its almost a gut reaction now.

We may never know if someone tried to hack into the Navys data infrastructure, but these accidents have brought to attention a possible serious security flaw. Is the Navy still using Windows XP as its operating system, even though Microsoft has long discontinued its support? A year ago, Sarah Laskow wrote an article for Atlas Obscura that highlighted just how far behind the Navy is in computing, pointing out that the goal is to have all of its computers updated to Windows 10 by 2020.

However, as Blake J. Darche, CSO and co-founder of Area 1 Security, pointed out, the United States Navy has built its technology platforms on Windows XP, adding in an email comment:

The likelihood of a successful attack against Windows XP is significantly higher than on other more modern operating systems. Older operating systems have more attack surface area, meaning there is a greater chance for a known or unknown vulnerability to exist. It is critical for organizations to migrate to modern operating systems.

This isnt a problem that only the Navy is facing. Ransomware attacks like Wannacry and Petya targeted Windows XP and other outdated operating systems, taking advantage of their vulnerabilities. In fact, according to Fortinets Q2 2017 Global Threat Landscape report:

90 percent of organizations recorded exploits against vulnerabilities that were three or more years old. And 60 percent of firms experienced successful attacks targeting devices for which a patch had been available for ten or more years!

Moral of the story: If you are using outdated or unsupported OS and software, your risk of being targeted by hackers skyrockets. As Fortinet explained, by providing such an easy entrance point, hackers dont have to develop anything new to break in; instead, they can focus on more sophisticated payloads that are harder to detect.

Sue Marquette Poremba has been writing about network security since 2008. In addition to her coverage of security issues for IT Business Edge, her security articles have been published at various sites such as Forbes, Midsize Insider and Toms Guide. You can reach Sue via Twitter: @sueporemba
LIBBY  Law enforcement officials say an Idaho couple has been arrested in connection to a suspicious death in extreme northwestern Montana.

Lincoln County Sheriff's office announced Friday that 28-year-old Ezra Skinner and 27-year-old Sarah Carpenter Skinner are being held without bail and are facing homicide charges.

According to authorities, 31-year-old Travis Gillett was shot and killed sometime in mid-January. Gillett  a former resident of Libby and Troy  was reported missing after leaving Sandpoint, Idaho with another person in a dark blue or green pickup to make a delivery somewhere in the Yaak Valley.

The caller reported that Gillett said he would be back soon, but had not returned.
A man awaiting sentencing for homicide stole keys from a Valley County Detention Facility officer in a failed attempt to escape the jail.

Valley County Sheriff Vern Buerkle said that at around midnight on Friday, Jay Witkowski and another inmate "overpowered" an officer, took the keys and tried to get outside.

They didnt succeed," Buerkle said. "They're currently being held in solitary. They have been charged with attempted escape, aggravated kidnapping, intimidation  all three of those are felonies.

Buerkle said they also face misdemeanor charges of false alarms and criminal mischief.

No one was hurt in the altercation, he said. The pair appeared in Valley County Justice Court on Friday for the new charges, and bond was set at $150,000.

Witkowski, formerly a Shepherd resident, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2 after he pleaded guilty to deliberate homicide on Aug. 16. Charges say he stabbed 31-year-old Evelyn Garcia before hitting her with a tire iron and later a car.

Garcia's body was found on Jan. 30 on the side of a road outside Glasgow. She died days later.

It's unclear what effect these new charges might have on Witkowski's sentencing. In the meantime, Buerkle said his office is reviewing the incident.

"Detention center and sheriff's office are taking steps to try to prevent this from happening again," he said.
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The daughter of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, like her father a Navy veteran, appears, in the rawest of terms, to have excoriated President Donald Trump in a social media post after the announcement that transgender soldiers would be banned from the military.

This man is a disgrace. I've tried to keep politics out of my social media feed as much as possible, but this is inexcusable, read a July 26 public Instagram post from what appears to be the account of Jennifer Detlefsen, the Navy diver daughter Zinke frequently mentioned in his successful 2016 re-election campaign for the U.S. House. Shortly after the election, Trump chose Zinke to lead the U.S. Department of the Interior.

This veteran says sit down and shut the (expletive) up, you know-nothing, never-served piece of (expletive). She also used a hashtag, #itmfa, that is an acronym for impeach the (expletive) already.

The comments began circulating among national advocates for LGBTQ rights and one of them shared a screenshot of the Instagram post with the Missoulian on Friday, the day Trump signed the order making the transgender ban official.

Interior Press Secretary Heather Swift declined to make Zinke available for an interview or to provide an immediate statement Friday night.

This is not a matter related to the Department of the Interior so I cannot offer you a statement, Swift wrote in response to a reporters request.

She later added, Family members are not elected officials and deserve privacy and respect.

The Instagram account links to a professional page with a resume that matches the name and biographical details of Zinke's daughter. It also includes a Jan. 6, 2015, photo taken from the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, the day her father was sworn in for his first term as a congressman from Montana.

The post on that account includes a screenshot of an NPR story describing tweets by the president that the United States Government will not accept or allow  Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Trump first announced plans for the ban on July 26, the same day of the Instagram post.

Trump's Friday order formalized that Twitter announcement and provided the first details of his plan.

In it, he directs the military not to recruit transgender people, to stop paying for medical treatment regimens of transgender people already serving in the military, and to evaluate existing transgender soldiers and their impact on the military for effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant.

Although some details remain unclear and Trump has indicated he is giving top defense officials some leeway to implement his plan, the move could effectively reverse a 2016 order by former president Barack Obama to allow transgender individuals to serve openly.

Zinke, a retired Navy SEAL, has not spoken publicly about his opinion of the ban. Nor has his wife, Lolita Zinke. She was a member of Trump campaign outreach efforts for Hispanics and women, and later joined the presidents Veterans Administration transition team.

Detlefsen served in the Navy as a Deep Sea Diving Medical Technician and later as a High Risk Instructor of an explosive ordnance disposal training unit. She had worked at Special Operations for America, a military-focused super political action committee founded by Zinke, doing digital consulting and social media work, according to filings with the Federal Elections Commission.

Detlefsen now is a Virginia-based glass artist bound by themes of masculine/feminine dichotomy, double standards, motherhood, and literatures impact on gender roles.

She could not immediately be reached for comment Friday night. A phone rang without answer and had a voicemail box that was full. Messages sent to two private email accounts also were not immediately returned.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has no plans to alter its dress code to address students potentially wearing Confederate or Nazi symbols on clothing, a school spokesman says.

Spokesman Brent Campbell responded to questions from a reporter Friday, a day after the Durham Public Schools revised its dress code to prohibit the Confederate flag, Ku Klux Klan symbols and swastikas.

Forsyths current dress code, which provides broad guidelines for students in policy code 5131 section 10 part 11, states that students shouldnt wear clothing that has words that are profane, lewd, vulgar or indecent, and that students shouldnt wear anything with symbols, styles or attires associated with gangs, intimidation, violence or violent groups. The Confederacy, KKK and Nazi groups are not specifically mentioned.

Its left up to the school leaders to determine whats disturbing, Campbell said. If its causing a disruption, theyll determine what to do about it.

He said he didnt believe the board would make any alterations to the dress code at upcoming meetings.

The Durham school board voted unanimously Thursday to revise its code. Board members had expressed support for the change during a work session last week.

Durham, home to Duke University, is where protesters toppled a Confederate statue in front of the old county courthouse Aug. 14 following a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., that erupted into deadly violence.

These things, historically, were meant for hate, or at some point in history, meant hatred, board Chairman Mike Lee said.

In addition to the dress code, the Durham board also voted 7-0 to remove the name of Durham industrialist and philanthropist Julian Shakespeare Carr from the middle school building at Durham School of the Arts. The building once housed an all-white high school.

At the 1913 dedication of the Confederate memorial at UNC Chapel Hill, Carr, a Confederate Civil War veteran, spoke about the purity of the Anglo-Saxon race and detailed how he beat an African-American woman because she had insulted a white woman. Protesters gathered at the memorial Tuesday to call on officials to take it down.

Workers began removing some of the plaques bearing Carrs name from the building Friday. Durham Public Schools Superintendent Bert LHomme said the administration will review the names of all of its schools and school buildings.
HOUSTON  The Latest on Hurricane Harvey as it takes aim at the Texas coast (all times local):

7 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 4 storm.

6 p.m.

Hurricane Harvey looks to hit about the same area as one of the strongest and deadliest hurricanes to ever smack the United States: the Indianola Hurricane of 1886.

The National Hurricane Center says the Indianola hurricane ranks as the fifth strongest hurricane to make U.S. landfall, behind the 1935 Keys hurricane, 1969's Camille, 2006's Katrina and 1992's Andrew. About 150 people died, putting it in the top 25 most fatal hurricanes.

MIT meteorology professor Kerry Emanuel says Indianola was a thriving city before it was struck and it never came back. According to Texas Escapes magazine, it's now pretty much a ghost town.

Emanuel says that Harvey "is going around the same place."

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5:40 p.m.

More than 15,000 people aboard three Carnival Cruise Line ships scheduled to return to Galveston, Texas, this weekend face delays or detours due to Hurricane Harvey in the Gulf of Mexico. The Port of Galveston was closed Friday amid the hurricane threat.

A statement Friday from the Miami-based cruise line says the Carnival Freedom and Carnival Valor were at sea and would remain a safe distance from the hurricane. Both ships were originally scheduled to dock in Galveston on Saturday but will instead stop in New Orleans to replenish supplies.

The Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Valor each carry about 4,800 passengers and crew. The statement says they'll resume their return to Galveston as soon as possible.

The Carnival Breeze was scheduled to return to Galveston on Sunday. It's spending Friday night in Cozumel, Mexico. That shipt has more than 6,000 on board. The Carnival statement said the ship would depart Saturday for Texas to be in position when the Port of Galveston reopens.

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5:15 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says that sustained hurricane-force winds are about to move onshore as Hurricane Harvey nears landfall on the Texas coast.

The center said late Friday afternoon that a sustained wind of 67 mph (108 kph) with a gust up to 81 mph (130 kph) has been reported at Aransas Pass.

Harvey is expected to make landfall overnight, bringing life-threatening storm surge, rainfall and wind to portions of the Texas coast.

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5:10 p.m.

Officials say rain from Hurricane Harvey could inundate Houston roads and neighborhoods as early as Saturday night.

Jeff Lindner, a meteorologist with the Harris County Flood Control District, said Friday that two key reservoirs in the flood control system  at the Addicks and Barker dams  are currently near-empty and are in no danger of flooding neighborhoods close by. The district has electronic sensors installed along Houston's bayous and waterways.

Lindner did not single out neighborhoods in Houston, saying all of the nation's fourth-largest city and its outlying areas face flooding in a storm as large as Harvey.

Houston is notoriously flood-prone and forecast to receive steady rain for several days into next week.

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4:50 p.m.

As Hurricane Harvey nears landfall, Harris County's top elected official says he isn't calling for an evacuation for residents of the county that includes Houston and many of its suburbs. That's despite Texas Gov. Greg Abbott suggesting people in Houston should head north, away from the Texas Gulf Coast.

Ed Emmett, the Harris County judge, says that while the hurricane is expected to dump lots of rain on Houston, the city isn't expected to receive large amounts of storm surge as well. Other communities on the Texas coast are expecting that.

Emmett said he had spoken to Abbott Friday afternoon and acknowledged residents of the nation's fourth-largest city might have gotten a "mixed message." But he said residents should stay put, in part because it's too early for officials to determine where the most flooding would occur.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner asked people in the city to stay in their homes and off the roads to the extent possible. He said there might be a "greater danger" in having people who don't need to be evacuated onto roads that could flood.

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4:30 p.m.

Houston officials are showing signs of frustration after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott urged anyone who can to evacuate before Hurricane Harvey arrives.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday tweeted "please think twice before trying to leave Houston en masse." His plea came shortly after Abbott held a news conference urging Gulf Coast residents to pack up and leave, whether or not their cities are under evacuation orders.

The spokesman of emergency operations in Houston's Harris County was even more direct. Francisco Sanchez tweeted: LOCAL LEADERS KNOW BEST.

No evacuation orders have been issued for Houston. The mixed signals between the Texas governor and local officials are emerging just hours before Harvey is expected to make landfall as a Category 3 storm.

Abbott has repeatedly suggested since Thursday that not enough people are evacuating. But state officials also say they have no count on how many people have actually left their homes.

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4:15 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Harvey has powered up to 125 mph (201 kph) as it bears down on the Texas coast, with its eye about 60 miles (95 kilometers) east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

The center said in its Friday afternoon update that the hurricane is traveling northwest at 10 mph (16 kph).

Hurricane force winds are not quite ashore but are within a couple dozen miles of land. Tropical storm force winds have already been measured in Aransas Pass, Texas.

The hurricane center said some additional strengthening is possible before Harvey makes landfall overnight.

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4 p.m.

Texas officials say they have no estimates on how many people along the coast are heeding warnings to evacuate before Hurricane Harvey makes landfall.

But Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday continued insisting that too many people are staying put. He urged anyone with the ability to flee the Gulf Coast to do so but stopped short of criticizing local officials who haven't ordered mandatory evacuations.

State emergency officials have identified at least eight counties and seven cities that have issued mandatory evacuations. More than a dozen others are under voluntary evacuations.

Nim Kidd is the chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. He says there's no good way of telling how many people have evacuated and that congested highways along the Gulf Coast are a poor indicator of whether enough families are leaving.

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3:50 p.m.

The White House says President Donald Trump is making plans to travel to Texas early next week to monitor the effects of Hurricane Harvey.

Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the president is planning to go to Texas next week as the Gulf region prepares for the hurricane to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a powerful Category 3 hurricane.

The president was briefed Friday by the heads of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Homeland Security officials on the storm.

The Trump administration is encouraging people in the path of the hurricane to heed the advice and orders of local and state officials.

___

3:45 p.m.

As Hurricane Harvey approaches the Texas coast, motorists were lining up in to fill up their gas tanks.

At one convenience store in Houston's Meyerland neighborhood on Friday, at least 12 cars were lined up to fill up their gas tanks. A steady stream of customers entered and exited the store, buying everything from soda to chips.

Brent Borgstedte said it was the fourth gas station he'd gone to Friday to try and fill up his son's car. The 55-year-old said he'd already stocked up on supplies to ride out the storm and the flooding that is predicted for the Houston area.

Borgstedte said, "I don't think anybody is really that worried about it. I've lived here my whole life. I've been through several hurricanes."

Borgstedte said the heavy rainfall could be the big problem for his neighborhood, which has a history of flooding, including the past two years.

Borgstedte, who is an insurance agent, said he expects to be very busy next week.

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3:35 p.m.

Texas officials say shelters that are opening statewide as Hurricane Harvey barrels toward the coast won't ask arriving families about their immigration status.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday the main focus is on safety and "the protection of life." Harvey is set to make landfall a week before a new "sanctuary city" crackdown in Texas signed by Abbott takes effect.

The law allows police officers to ask people about their immigration status during routine stops. It also threatens police chiefs and sheriffs with jail time if they don't cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Texas' largest cities, including Dallas and Houston, have asked a federal judge to stop the law from taking effect Sept. 1

Abbott also expressed no concerns about inland U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints hampering evacuation efforts near the Texas-Mexico border.

Harvey has been upgraded to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. It's expected to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday morning.

___

3:30 p.m.

Corpus Christi officials say American Airlines has joined other airlines in canceling all flights in and out of the city's airport through the weekend as Hurricane Harvey approaches Texas.

The city said in a news release Friday afternoon that American has followed United and Southwest Airlines in canceling all flights through the weekend at Corpus Christi International Airport.

The city had earlier Friday that all flights were being canceled for the rest of the day.

The hurricane has been upgraded to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. It's expected to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday morning.

___

3:15 p.m.

The mayor of Corpus Christi is warning residents about the dangers of flooding and told them to be aware of warnings issued by officials as Hurricane Harvey heads toward Texas.

Mayor Joe McComb said at a news conference Friday, "If you understand what water can do when it's rising fast and moving  it can be deadly."

He said he doesn't know how many people remained in low-lying areas after voluntary evacuations were advised, but he thought there had been a positive response.

Harvey was upgraded to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The storm is expected to make landfall Friday night or Saturday morning on the middle Texas coast.

McComb says he had seen a lot of traffic from people leaving town, which also likely included those outside of low-lying areas.

He says, "People's lives are our main function. Property is number two at this point."

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2:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump is encouraging the public to prepare for Hurricane Harvey before it makes landfall in Texas.

Trump says on Twitter that he's encouraging "everyone in the path of #HurricaneHarvey to heed the advice & orders of their local and state officials." His tweet included a link with more information on the storm.

Harvey was upgraded to a dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The storm is expected to make landfall Friday night or Saturday morning on the middle Texas coast.

Trump was briefed on the storm earlier in the day and was expected to monitor Harvey during the weekend at Camp David.

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2:50 p.m.

A water management official says large "supersacks" of sand are being used to reinforce a damaged section of floodwall east of Houston and will be enough to withstand the storm surge Hurricane Harvey will bring.

Phil Kelley is general manager of Jefferson County Drainage District Number 7. He says there are also 20 pumping stations in the area of Port Arthur, along the Louisiana border, to absorb and redirect stormwater that floods the area.

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm. It's forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday.

Officials discovered early this month that a section of the concrete wall in Port Arthur was damaged and cracked. The floodwall is part of a hurricane flood protection system that safeguards Port Arthur and several surrounding cities.

Kelley said Friday that he's confident the floodwall is reinforced enough to withstand a storm surge of up to 10 feet. (3 meters)

He says the area is "not at the mercy of the bayous or the tides" like other places and that the drainage district "can force our stormwater out of here."

___

2:40 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center is practically running out of scary words to describe Hurricane Harvey and get people to get out of its way.

The center has called Harvey "life-threatening," ''dangerous" and "catastrophic." The head of the National Weather Service talked of "grave risk."

National Hurricane Center spokesman and meteorologist Dennis Feltgen says, "We're using every synonym we can find in the book. We hope they realize that this can kill them. And they need to get out of its way."

The National Hurricane Center says Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm. The center says Harvey has maximum wind speeds of 120 mph (193 kph). It's forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday.

___

2:20 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says tide gauges off the coast of Texas indicate that storm surge is already occurring near Corpus Christi and Port Aransas.

That news comes as the National Hurricane Center says Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm.

The center says Harvey has maximum wind speeds of 120 mph (193.11 kph) as the powerful storm churns off the Texas coast. Forecasters are labeling it a "life-threatening storm."

It's forecast to make landfall on the mid-Texas coast late Friday or early Saturday.

___

2:10 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Harvey has strengthened to a Category 3 storm.

The center says Harvey has maximum wind speeds of 120 mph (193.11 kph) as the powerful storm churns off the Texas coast. Forecasters are labeling it a "life-threatening storm."

The storm quickly grew Thursday from a tropical depression into a Category 1 hurricane, and then developed into a Category 2 storm early Friday. By Friday afternoon, it had become a Category 3 storm. It's forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday.

The slow-moving storm is fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters. Forecasters are labeling it a "life-threatening storm" with landfall predicted late Friday or early Saturday between Port O'Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile (48-kilometer) stretch of coastline about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi.

___

2 p.m.

The National Hurricane Center says weather conditions are deteriorating along the Texas coast as Hurricane Harvey nears landfall. Water levels are rising and winds are already blowing with tropical storm force.

The center said Friday afternoon that the hurricane is expected to bring life-threatening storm surge, rainfall and wind to portions of the Texas coast.

National Hurricane Center spokesman and meteorologist Dennis Feltgen says, "The tropical storm force winds have already commenced on the Gulf Coast. You've essentially run out of time for outdoors preparations. You need to find a safe place and you need to stay there."

The center says sustained winds were still holding at 110 mph (177 kph). Forecasters have said it will intensify and make landfall Friday evening or early Saturday as a likely Category 3 storm, meaning sustained winds topping 115 mph (185.07 kph).

The center says swells generated by the hurricane are already affecting the coasts in Texas, Louisiana and northeast Mexico, and those swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions

___

1:45 p.m.

Officials in Vermilion Parish on Louisiana's coast have called for a voluntary evacuation as Hurricane Harvey heads for landfall in nearby Texas.

Rebecca Broussard is director of Vermilion Parish's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. She says about 10,000 residents live in the rural part of the parish covered by Friday's voluntary evacuation order.

Earlier, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for southern Cameron Parish, a coastal parish at the Texas state line, to the west of Vermilion. That order affects an estimated 3,500 people.

Also, the City Council in the southwest Louisiana city of Sulphur declared a state of emergency Friday morning, in preparation for possible flooding rains from Harvey.

Harvey is forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

___

1:40 p.m.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is warning people that Hurricane Harvey "is going to be a very major disaster."

Abbott said Friday that he's asked President Donald Trump for a federal disaster declaration.

Harvey is forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

Aside from savage winds and storm surges, the system was expected to drop prodigious amounts of rain. The resulting flooding, one expert said, could be "the depths of which we've never seen."

___

1:30 p.m.

As if nearly 3 feet (0.91 meters) of rain over the next several days, up to 12 feet (3.5 meters) of storm surge and triple-digit winds aren't enough, Hurricane Harvey is also likely to spawn tornadoes.

Harvey is forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

The National Weather Service alerted that people to the north and northeast of Harvey's eye may experience tornadoes.

University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy says tornadoes are very common during hurricanes, usually in the outer rain bands in the northeast quadrant of the storm. It's because of the way the winds blow and rotate there.

___

1 p.m.

The mayor of the popular Texas Gulf Coast city of Galveston says the city is expected to be inundated with water from Hurricane Harvey.

Mayor James Yarbrough said during a news conference Friday that Hurricane Harvey is expected to flood downtown streets. A storm surge of 2 feet (0.61 meter) to 4 feet (1.22 meters) of water is expected to inundate much of the city while up 8 feet could cover other areas. Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water above the normal tide, generated by a storm.

He says a leading concern is that high tide will occur Saturday morning, shortly after Harvey makes landfall, and the water is not expected to recede for three or four days.

Galveston was lashed by Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Yarbrough says a difference is that Ike passed through quickly while Harvey will linger and drop substantial rainfall.

He says utility lines and other infrastructure have been upgraded since 2008 to withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Harvey is forecast to become a Category 3 by the time it makes landfall.

___

11:50 a.m.

Forecasters say effects from Hurricane Harvey could be felt at far east as the Alabama coast and the western Florida Panhandle.

Harvey is forecast to make landfall in Texas late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm. It's predicted to slam into the Texas coast and dump torrential rains before moving eastward.

The National Weather Service says rip currents associated with Harvey could be a problem some 650 miles (1,046 kilometers) away in the Florida Panhandle.

Officials say that means there's an elevated risk for hazardous surf conditions over the weekend in places including the Alabama coast and around Pensacola, Florida.

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11:40 a.m.

Forecasters now say there's a good chance Hurricane Harvey may hit Texas twice, worsening projected flooding.

The National Hurricane Center's official five-day forecast Friday has Harvey slamming the central Texas coast, stalling and letting loose with lots of rain. Then forecasters project the weakened but still tropical storm is likely to go back into the Gulf of Mexico, gain some strength and hit Houston next week.

Jeff Masters, Weather Underground's meteorology director, said this could cause a collision of high water with nowhere to go. Harvey is projected to drop up to 3 feet (0.91 meter) of rain in some places over the next several days.

But a second landfall near Houston means more storm surge coming from the Gulf. Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water above the normal tide, generated by a storm.

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11:30 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he's keeping a close watch on Hurricane Harvey.

On Twitter Friday, Trump said he "Received a #HurricaneHarvey briefing this morning" from top federal officials.

In another statement on Twitter, Trump said he had spoken with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards. He added: "Closely monitoring #HurricaneHarvey developments & here to assist as needed."

Trump tweeted Thursday, encouraging people to be prepared. Harvey is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

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11:15 a.m.

Corpus Christi officials say all flights out of the city's airport have been canceled as Hurricane Harvey approaches.

The city said in a news release late Friday morning that the airlines had canceled all flights out of Corpus Christi International Airport for the rest of the day.

The city said the airport isn't closed, but officials don't anticipate much activity over the weekend. Runways will be closed as conditions warrant. The hurricane is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday morning.

The city says Southwest and United Airlines have no scheduled flights until Monday, while American Airlines hopes to resume service on Saturday.

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10:45 a.m.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says there's still time for coastal residents in the path of Hurricane Harvey to get out of harm's way. But he says they must leave immediately.

Abbott on Friday didn't second-guess local officials who have called for voluntary and not mandatory evacuations. He told The Weather Channel that mayors and local leaders "know their terrain very well."

Abbott has expressed concerns that not as many people are evacuating compared with previous storms as Harvey bears down on the state. Harvey is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

Abbott has activated about 700 members of the Texas National Guard in preparation for Harvey. The storm is set to be the first hurricane to make landfall on the Texas coast since Hurricane Ike in 2008.

___

10:20 a.m.

Hurricane Harvey continues to swirl toward the middle Texas coast as it flirts with becoming a major Category 3 storm.

The National Hurricane Center's latest advisory as of 10 a.m. Friday places the storm about 115 miles (185 kilometers) southeast of Corpus Christi, moving 10 mph (17 kph) to the northwest. Sustained winds have been holding at 110 mph (177 kph).

Forecasters have said it will intensify and make landfall Friday evening or early Saturday as a likely Category 3 storm, meaning sustained winds topping 115 mph (185.07 kph).

Once the storm makes landfall, gradual weakening is forecast but because so much of the storm remains over the warm Gulf of Mexico, which fuels Harvey, the hurricane center says the weakening could be slower than normal.

That also means the storm is likely to be a huge rainmaker. Predictions for a wide area of Texas from the coast and inland for rainfall measuring up to nearly 3 feet (0.91 meter) as the storm stalls and meanders well into next week.

___

10 a.m.

An emergency management official on the Texas coast says a primary concern as Harvey approaches is heavy rain that could leave many towns isolated for days as they're turned into "essentially islands."

Harvey is forecast to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday as a Category 3 storm.

Melissa Munguia is deputy emergency management coordinator for Nueces (nyoo-AY'-sis) County. She says there are vast flatlands just inland from the central Texas coast that are prone to flooding.

The approximately 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain that Harvey may bring could leave towns in the area isolated well into next week.

Munguia says that traffic backups were being seen Friday on heavily traveled roads such as Interstate 37 as people move inland to San Antonio and other locations.

___

7:45 a.m.

The National Hurricane Center warns that conditions are deteriorating as Hurricane Harvey strengthens and slowly moves toward the Texas coast.

The center says preparations for the storm "should be rushed to completion" Friday morning along Texas' central Gulf Coast.

The center says the storm has maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph), just shy of the benchmark for a Category 3 storm. Forecasters say the storm is expected to reach that mark before making landfall late Friday or early Saturday.

Millions of people are bracing for a prolonged battering that could swamp dozens of counties more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) inland.

Brock Long is the director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He tells "Good Morning America" that Harvey is a "very serious" threat and that the window for evacuating is quickly closing.

Long says he expects extensive damage from significant rain over the next three days.

___

1:30 a.m.

Texas residents and officials are preparing for Hurricane Harvey, which the National Hurricane Center says has strengthened to a Category 2 storm.

Harvey grew quickly Thursday from a tropical depression into a Category 1 hurricane. Early Friday, the center reported it's now at a Category 2.

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, the storm is projected to become a major Category 3 hurricane. Forecasters are labeling it a "life-threatening storm" with landfall predicted late Friday or early Saturday between Port O'Connor and Matagorda Bay, a 30-mile (48-kilometer) stretch of coastline about 70 miles (110 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi.

Texas officials have been expressing concern that not as many people are evacuating compared with previous storms as Hurricane Harvey bears down on the state.
Every so often in our political discourse comes a moment that presents elected officials with a crystal clear choice between right and wrong, something that rises far above the usual partisan differences on education, taxes or health care.

North Carolina now faces one of those moments in the wake of the Aug. 12 march in Charlottesville by torch-carrying neo-Nazis and white supremacists chanting racist, homophobic and anti-Semitic slogans and the troubling reaction to the protest by the president of the United States.

The marchers were rallying around a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, and the event has prompted protests around the county about the existence of similar Confederate statues on public property, from university campuses to courthouses to town squares.

North Carolina has hundreds of the memorials, and this is not the first time there has been debate about whether they should remain on public land, maintained and paid for by all North Carolinians.

The last time we had the debate was two years ago, after the massacre of parishioners at an African-American church in Charleston by avowed white supremacist Dylann Roof.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley responded to the unspeakable tragedy by demanding the removal of the Confederate battle flag from the statehouse grounds, and, though a few legislators there balked at first, their general assembly voted to remove it.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory drew national praise at the same time for declaring the state of North Carolina would no longer offer special license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag, but the General Assembly ignored his request for a law banning the plates and they are still being sold today.

Also in 2015, after the murders in the Charleston church, the General Assembly passed a bill that McCrory signed that banned the state and local governments from removing monuments without permission from the N.C. Historical Commission.

Local governments were allowed to erect the monuments but are now not allowed to take them down.

Gov. Roy Cooper wants that law repealed in the wake of the Charlottesville white supremacy demonstration, and he is exploring removing the Confederate monuments from state property at the same time.

Many Republicans havent said much about Coopers proposal, though Sen. Tommy Tucker believes the Civil War was about tariffs, not slavery, and wants the monuments to stay. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger wrote recently that he would be hesitant to repeal the 2015 law and that a decision to remove the Confederate monuments would not be wise.

Some folks on the Right are passionately defending the Confederate monuments, like the memorial on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill known as Silent Sam, echoing Tuckers claims about the Civil War and claiming that the statue at UNC and others across the state honoring the Confederate cause are about heritage, not hate or slavery or white supremacy.

But that is simply not true and it is not an opinion. The vast majority of the monuments were not built right after the war, but 60 and 70 years later as part of the push to enact and enforce Jim Crow laws to rob African-Americans of the basic human rights they gained during Reconstruction.

Historians and journalists alike have pointed out the speech by industrialist Julian Carr at the dedication ceremony of the Silent Sam statue as evidence of that. Carr said that he at one point horse-whipped a negro wench until her skirts hung in shreds, because upon the streets of this quiet village she had publicly insulted and maligned a Southern lady.

He described the incident as a pleasing duty.

Sorry, there is no heritage there. Its all hate. And maybe most remarkably, the accounts of the statue dedication dont mention any outrage or protest about Carrs horrific remarks.

Most people celebrating knew why they were there and what the memorial was honoring. And they still do.

Berger and Tucker and the rest of the legislative leadership need to read Carrs remarks and then ask themselves what exactly there is to be hesitant about.

Silent Sam and the rest of the confederate monuments need to come down. They do not belong on public property owned and maintained and honored by the people of North Carolina.

The outrage in Charlottesville has renewed the focus again on the history of slavery and lynchings and Jim Crow, and we cannot look away this time and hope people move on.

The General Assembly is meeting in special session. Imagine the message North Carolina and its leaders could send to the rest of the country if they repealed the 2015 law in a bipartisan vote and demanded the state remove Confederate monuments from public property.

African-Americans whose ancestors were slaves and the rest of us who are appalled at our history have walked by the monuments long enough entering the courthouse or city hall or the UNC campus where Julian Carr spewed his racist views.

It is time for our elected officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, to respond to this moment, this crossroads in our history, and do the moral and just thing. It is time for a clear statement that there are not too sides now, that slavery and white supremacy and bigotry are always wrong and so are the monuments that honor them.

Then lets get back to our fierce debates about Medicaid, education, environmental policy, even the boundaries of legislative district lines. That is our system, after all.

But lets make an important statement about who we are as people first.
DECATUR  While the Northeast Community Fund provides food, clothing and other assistance, many come looking for help finding something else: a job they can still hold with a felony on their records.

The agency gets so many requests that it keeps copies of a list of employers who will hire people with a criminal background.

"We probably pass about 30 to 40 of these out of month," said David Hinkle, the organization's assistance director.

"I sit down with guys, usually all men, and go 'How did you like your vacation?'" Hinkle said, referring to their time in prison. "And they go, 'No, I'm done.' And I go 'OK, but if you don't get a job you got a 90 percent chance of going back."

Even for nonviolent crimes like theft and drug possession, the long history of the legal system makes crimes punishable because victims deserve justice. But for those who have made grave mistakes and paid for it with a felony to their name, say they never stop paying. With just a few exceptions, felonies cannot be expunged or sealed without a pardon from the governor. Well after a sentence, felonies stay with you for life, and the reminder is no more acute than when individuals with records are applying for a job.

Decatur loses nonfarm jobs while unemployment rate drops DECATUR  The Decatur area's unemployment numbers continue to drop, but nonfarm jobs are aga

The situation is especially acute in Macon County. Here, more people are convicted of felonies per capita than anywhere else in the state, according the Administrative Office of Illinois Courts. On one hand, that is a major victory for law enforcement; arrest rates are strong, and the rate that prosecutors win felony cases blow away any other county in the state. Decatur Metro's 5.9 percent versus the state's rate of 4.7, is more startling when over half of felons currently released on parole are unemployed, according to the state Department of Corrections.

While Macon County is also home to a comprehensive network of social service agencies, the legal barriers to hiring and housing felons remain high and the economic realities more than likely add to the burden.

Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform, which set a goal to reduce the state's prison population by 25 percent by 2025, reported a lack of employment is a major indicator of getting in trouble with the law in the first place, and returning to prison.

But the options are few, especially upon returning home.

"We (as a society) tell you to go be successful, but we don't tell you there's 250 careers that we have restricted you from," said Lisa Creason, a Decatur health care professional and criminal justice advocate. "What we really mean is go get on government assistance, and go find you a minimum-wage paying job, and don't break the law."

Some of the major manufacturers that are willing to overlook past mistakes if the right candidate has the skills they're looking for. But for the most part, Hinkle's list of businesses open to felons is filled with fast food chains and other minimum-wage work.

Sabrina Hall never served time in prison, but she said a felony conviction for theft from 11 years ago came right before she was hired at a Decatur beauty shop.

"Somebody had called (the store) and told (the owners) what I did, and when they asked me about it, I told them exactly what happened, and it was their choice to keep me, and they did," said Hall, 44.

Hall still works there, now as a manager, but she said she feels like her dream job as a nurse is beyond reach. To Hall, that dream job means more opportunities for her three sons.

"My middle son, he wants to go to college," she said. "What I did was wrong and I don't think that they should have to suffer, and my kids don't ask for much."

An individual basis

Job trainers and social service coordinators stress the opportunities to find something better are there, even if there are more hurdles to jump through.

"I have companies that will come in and talk to our applicants that are looking for training, and say 'Just because you have a felony doesn't mean you can't work here, we look at everything on an individual basis,'" said Larry Peterson, special projects consultant at Workforce Investment Solutions, a county-run employment services agency that helps residents, including felons, find job training programs and permanent work.

Manufacturers hiring people on the floor might consider someone with a non-violent drug charge, when that same charge could be a nonstarter elsewhere. "If you have any type of drug felony, you can't work for a pharmaceutical company," Peterson said.

The proliferation of background checks comes from the reality that employers need to weigh risk when it comes to figuring out liability and what kind of insurance coverage they want.

"We insure many contractors, and we don't know what the records are of all the construction workers out there," said Kevin Breheny, president of JL Hubbard Insurance, an agency that helps businesses shop for policies from insurers. "We don't ask the question of whether they can build a building or not. That's up to (the business) to screen new employees," he said.

But Breheny said felonies can play a role in other types of coverage, particularly when it comes an insurance product known as employee dishonesty insurance.

"If you have an employee that works for you and steals from you, you can buy insurance for that," Breheny said, and for positions that require employers to entrust workers with handling large sums of money and merchandise, having a felon with a theft record doesn't look good on the part of insurers.

Barbara McGrath, whose last conviction occurred over 18 years ago, said some employers now require a background check that only goes back seven years. But even then, McGrath said, some will end up with list of offenses from before that time frame and balk.

McGrath, 49, told a local health care facility about her criminal history. After Human Resources gave her an employee ID for a a job in the cafeteria, the hiring manager rescinded an offer when her history came back, she said. "She said, 'Barbara your background came back and it's extensive."

Background checks due to liability concerns have extended beyond the workplace too.

"Even my son, for school they wanted a chaperone, and I was going to volunteer," Hall said. "They want a background check now. I had to tell my youngest son (about felony record); I just told him yesterday."

State of change

Local law enforcement officials say the use of drug and mental health courts, and probation is always considered before prison when appropriate.

"We have programs in place to assist people," said Macon County Sheriff Thomas Schneider. "It just so happens that our state's attorney has done a good job if there is a situation where the crime is where the individual needs to be prosecuted on the felony and it leads to incarceration in the prison system."

"We traditionally have been much more aggressive in prosecution than other similar-sized counties downstate," said Jay Scott, Macon County's states attorney. "So we typically do file more felony cases, and I think that is one of the reasons why we have lower crime rates than those other counties."

Manufacturers digging for workers with right skills "When you think about having all those jobs and all the people that are not working, there's a big disconnect in the middle."

According to court records, Macon County has fewer murder offenses than Sangamon, Champaign and Peoria counties, and slightly fewer instances of burglary, assault, and robbery.

Under Rauner, the state prison population has fallen from 49,000 to 44,000, already an 11-percent decrease. The commission charged with identifying reforms to reduce it further delivered a 94-page report to Rauner in January, highlighting a total of 27 recommended measures. Those include giving judges more discretion in sentencing decisions and expanding services for inmates before they return to the community.

David Olson, a member of the commission and professor at Loyola University Chicago, said some changes are already apparent, but other reforms, such as easing sentences, are less politically palatable and will be more difficult to achieve.

"There's the idea that when you send someone to prison they're deterred and rehabilitated. The research does not support that," said Olson, who teaches criminal justice and criminology at Loyola. "If you're sending someone to prison because you think it'll deter someone, it doesn't."

Earlier this month, Rauner signed into law a new measure providing that all released inmates can receive a birth certificate for free, which advocates say will remove one major barrier for felons who often leave prison without any ID, and struggle to find the necessary records to get a new one.

Last year, Rauner visited Decatur to sign legislation that removed another obstacle by allowing people convicted of violent felonies, other than one requiring them to register as a sex offender, to petition the Illinois Department of Public Health to become licensed as health care workers. The change was sought vigorously by Creason.

It's one of four laws that eased restrictions on felons for working in schools, park districts, as well as health care.

For the ex-offenders who are carrying the weight of their past mistakes well after they've paid their debt to society, finding and accepting help is paramount.

"It's a hard transition. It's doable where a lot of people think it's not doable," Creason said. "But you have to have the support."
DECATUR  The United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois hopes to raise $1.6 million during its 2017 campaign to support various community programs, officials announced at a kickoff event Friday.

The amount is the same as last year's goal, which the organization met. Proceeds from the campaign support a spectrum of social service agencies, with the end goal to help people provide for themselves and their families.

Our mission really is we want to create self-sufficiency in our community, said United Way Executive Director Debbie Bogle.

The kickoff event was held at Jackson Ford in Decatur, which donated $20 for every person who test drove a vehicle Friday. While the United Way campaign will conclude around December, most of the fundraising occurs in October.

The United Way provides funding for 21 organizations in Macon County, 11 in DeWitt County and nine in Moultrie County. The organization moved into a new building at 201 W. Eldorado St. in January, a move funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

After a three-year study of the community to identify funding priorities, Bogle said United Way identified five key areas to focus its resources: youth education, adult education and training, health, safety and spreading information about social services, both to those who could benefit and those who could provide investments.

The main goal is to move people in the community from a crisis state to a place where they can thrive.

Our desire is that everyone has the ability for themselves and their families to live without subsidized assistance, she said.

The United Way operates a 211 telephone information and referral service for Macon, DeWitt and Moultrie counties, also funded by Buffett. The service is toll-free telephone number that gives people access 24 hours a day to a trained volunteer who refers callers to resources, drawing on a database of thousands of health and human services.

Common issues include problems with paying rent or utility bills, substance abuse, family counseling and child care.

Bogle encourages businesses of all sizes to join in the fundraising campaign. She said even one or two dollars per paycheck can greatly impact the community through programs.

People are always surprised to learn how little it takes to make an impact on someones life, said Brian Byers, president of the organization's board of directors and vice-president of development at Neuhoff Media.

Bogle encouraged anyone with interest in seeing the importance of their donation to attend an "impact tour," a two-hour tour showcasing the services and agencies funded by United Way.

We just want to show people when they invest in our community, what those impacts are, Bogle said.

There are still spots open on an impact tour scheduled from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5. Call (217) 422-8537 to reserve a spot.

If we could take everybody in this community on an impact tour, I would, Byers said. If you see what is happening on the ground level, it opens your eyes.
HASTINGS  An Ag Land Management seminar for people who own or lease land will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at the Adams County Fairgrounds in Hastings.

Its designed to be a primer for people who havent been on a farm much recently and also a refresher course with the latest land management and rental information.

Topics will include keeping or selling a farm, how to manage it, key lease provisions, legal considerations, family-related issues and landlord-tenant communications.

The program will be provided by University of Nebraska Extension Educators Allan Vyhnalek, Aaron Nygren and Jim Jansen, who are farm land management and agronomy education specialists for eastern Nebraska.

The cost is $20 per person or $30 per couple, with pre-registrations requested by Monday to Twila Bankson, Adams County Extension Office, P.O. Box 30, Hastings, NE 68901; twila.bankson@unl.edu; or 402-461-7209.

For more information, contact Vyhnalek in Platte County at 402-563-4901 or avyhnalek2@unl.edu.
ALDA  Crane Trust researcher Kelsey King parked a red pickup on the south side of a prairie pasture fence around noon Monday, positioning herself to keep one eye on the moons progress toward a total eclipse of the sun and the other on bison lounging on the other side of the fence.

Her mission was to see if the bison would change their midday nap routine as the sunlight faded.

Although that didnt happen, the notes King made about the bison and other wildlife during the solar eclipse will be added to Crane Trust Legacy Herd data collected since January 2015, when 41 bison arrived at the trust property south of Alda and along the Platte River.

They came from RimRock Ranch near Crawford after owners T.R. and Kay Hughes of Seward decided to sell the herd they had started 43 years earlier.

They settled in pretty quickly, Crane Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Chuck Cooper said, adding that the herd has grown to 76 bison, including 20 spring-born calves.

The genetically pure bison have a direct lineage to the Yellowstone National Park herd that has been federally protected since 1894.

Cooper said only about 2 percent of the 500,000 North American bison meet the genetically pure standard. The rest have ancestors that were crossbred with cattle in the late 1800s during an urgent effort to rebuild Great Plains bison numbers  once estimated in the tens of millions  that had been decimated by unregulated hunting.

Crane Trust bison graze approximately 900 prairie acres enclosed by 6-foot-tall fences that are a mix of six barbed and electric wires. Cooper said there are nearly 5,000 acres in the Alda bridge segment where the trusts headquarters and Nature and Visitor Center are located.

Overall, the Crane Trust owns or has under conservation easements 10,000 acres along 20 miles of the Platte River, with approximately 9,000 constituting the largest remaining piece of tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie in Nebraska.

Trust staff, interns and other researchers have learned a lot about bison the past 2 years.

Cooper said the settling process has been a lot more natural than expected.

The bison havent been aggressive with the fences and are OK with vehicles in the pastures. He said they are less comfortable when people exit a vehicle, but seem to know Bison Coordinator Jacob Salter.

Theyre very intelligent. They recognize his vehicle over the others, Cooper said. They recognize him over everyone else.

King, who also is the trusts volunteer coordinator, said bison lift their tails when something concerns them. The more stressed they are, the more likely they are to run. When they really feel anxiety, they run, she added.

Bison have cycles of eating and resting, she said, and were resting at eclipse time Monday after having grazed in the morning. King watched for any activity possibly related to the brief cooler period of fading light seemed like sunset time.

That included breeding activity, which occurs at night. Theyre in rut right now, Cooper said.

There are two dominate males in the herd that he calls Thunder, age 8 or 9, and Hollywood, age 6 or 7.

Cooper said there is a 4-year-old bull who will be bigger than both of them and already is Hollywoods size, at around 2,300 pounds. The youngster soon may be a dominant bull.

Thunder is older. Hes probably the one who will get pushed out next year, Cooper said. Its the strongest who survive.

Because a bison herd needs a limited number of males, the trust has sold yearlings to people wanting to create their own herds, he said.

Meanwhile, genetically pure bison from the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge outside of Denver and another federal refuge have been brought in to add new genetics to the Crane Trust herd.

Thats always fairly traumatic, Cooper said, for both new arrivals and bison in a herd with a well-established hierarchy.

A bison may have been the fourth bull (in another herd) and he isnt the fourth bull anymore, Cooper said. ...When we bring in new bison, there is an upset in the social order. It took about a month before these (new) animals were accepted.

King, who is in her third summer at the trust, said notes are taken whenever the bison are observed. During her first year, an intern spent nearly every day studying bison behaviors.

King is working on a paper about the hierarchy system and said she has learned a lot from the interns data, including how to take better notes while watching who is doing what with whom.

King and Cooper said they didnt expect a response to the eclipse because bison dont pay attention to whats above their heads, whether its a bird or even a drone used to take photos. Every threat that a bison would have is on an even plane, Cooper said.

When asked about the possibility that bison may have been grazing the same prairie during eclipses centuries ago, he said, I hadnt thought about that. I should go back and research how many eclipses there were in the Midwest during the 1800s that their (current bison) grandparents may have seen.
HOLDREGE  From more than 4,000 boutiques worldwide, Holdrege was voted into the final round of the 2017 Boutique Awards in the state of Nebraska as a contender for Overall and Storefront Boutique of the Year.

The Boutique Awards is the only global recognition event for independent boutique retail owners in the fashion industry, hosted by The Boutique Hub.

The awards recognize and celebrate the best boutiques across all 50 States in the U.S., Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom, in the categories of Storefront Boutique of the Year, Online Boutique of the Year, Childrens Boutique of the Year, Mobile Boutique of the Year, and State or Country Overall Boutique of the Year.

The 308 Boutique opened May 1, 2014, and is tucked in downtown Holdrege with an industrial chic vibe as a womens boutique. For more information, check www.facebook.com/the308boutique or Instagram, @the308boutique.
MASON CITY  The Custer County Corn Growers 2017 Plot Tour will start at 5 p.m. Sept. 5 at the Dean and Lois Willoughby farm two miles east of Mason City on Highway 2.

There is a Custer County Corn Growers sign at the field on the north side of the highway where there are 34 hybrids from 10 companies.

Plot tour sponsors are the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, Nebraska Corn Board and Farm Credit Services of America.

At 7:10 p.m., the tour will move to the Dale Zoerb shop two miles west of Litchfield for presentations by representatives of Pioneer Seed (genetic modification), Climate Corporation (irrigation data collection), Arrow Seed (cover crops in hailed areas), KAAPA Ethanol Ravenna (plant update) and Nebraska Corn Board Executive Director Kelly Brunkhorst (trade).

A meal will be served.

For more information, call 308-880-0924 or 308-212-0241.
What an event this week! Like many others, I had never experienced a total eclipse, and it may turn out to be a once-in-a-lifetime event. While parts of the U.S. will see this phenomenon again in the years to come, its rare to stand in your backyard and see something so amazing. Of course, it wasnt just locals lining the streets and fields. People came from all over to witness the eclipse. One of the families in my church said they had company from Oklahoma here just for this unique sight.

As a pastor, Ive been reflecting on all the excitement surrounding the eclipse. There are always events that draw a crowd. Some 2,000 years ago, people in the Roman Empire flocked to catch a glimpse of the Son. The Bible records events so extraordinary even an eclipse pales in comparison.

Of course, it doesnt always have to be extraordinary or miraculous for us to be excited. Sometimes it just has to be unique. This past weekend, my curiosity led me to experience Prairie Surfing for the first time at Camp Comeca near Cozad. (YouTube it!) Sure, it was no eclipse, but it was unique enough people wanted to experience it for themselves. Theres just something in our human nature that gets us excited about those unique experiences.

What is it that makes these events or moments so special? There was certainly a rarity to the eclipse and a novelty to Prairie Surfing. But in the grand scheme of things, are those really the most important parts in my week? Why does frequency or familiarity seem to devalue the everyday experiences? It all got me thinking about the everyday experiences that I might have missed.

This week I shared a road trip with my sons, and our random conversations led to a deep discussion of our greatest fears. I watched my 11 year old support a friend in the midst of tween drama. I shared a few moments catching up with a couple of old friends. I sat in on our Survivors Support Group where a dozen or so parents love one another while remembering the children they lost. I helped challenge a Sunday school class to look at a familiar scripture in a new way.

None of these moments will draw a crowd like the eclipse, and probably wont pique a persons interest as much as Prairie Surfing. Still, those everyday moments are so important. When I pause and look at life, those are the moments that really mattered this week. Those moments helped my boys become the men I want them to be, and helped me to be the dad and friend I should be. Those moments are what will make us a better church tomorrow than we were yesterday. Those are the moments that build relationships and change lives. When we stop and think about it, maybe those everyday moments are the times we should get excited about.

So, how about you? What are the moments that really mattered this week? Remember them. Celebrate them. And keep on looking for those everyday moments that mean so much.

The Rev. Michael Evans is pastor of Gibbon Faith United Church.
KEARNEY  Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska is helping to provide rural communities access to food.

The organization has sent out mobile food pantries to Elm Creek and Amherst this year. The next food pantry will be set up in Pleasanton 9-11 a.m. Thursday at the Pleasanton Volunteer Fire Department hall. The remaining food pantries are scheduled for Sept. 19 in Gibbon, Oct. 12 in Kearney and Oct. 26 in Shelton.

Mid-Nebraska Development Director Kyla Martin said the Mobile Produce Pantry in Buffalo County not only helps provide food access to people in smaller communities, but the program rescues food from being thrown away.

We also do food rescue. This is when things must be pulled off the shelves due to their expiration dates, Martin said.

The food at the mobile pantries is donated by local grocery stores, Food Bank for the Heartland in Omaha and local farmers markets. Food includes fresh produce, canned food and bread.

The program also provides youths volunteer opportunities in the smaller towns.

Martin said the food at the mobile pantries is not just for lower-income people. She said one does not need to provide any income information in order to use the Mobile Produce Pantry in Buffalo County.

Though the program serves only Buffalo County rural communities at this time, Martins goal is to serve other counties in the next year or two.

Martin also hopes to begin delivering food to people who are unable to leave their homes.

That would be advantageous to the community, Martin said.
BROKEN BOW  In Custer County District Court Thursday, a Sargent woman pleaded not guilty to embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from her former Sargent convenience store employer.

According to court records, Cynthia Lowry, 36, was charged in April with theft of more than $5,000, a Class IIA felony.

Her jury trial has been set for Feb. 12, and a pre-trial is scheduled for Jan. 18.

Lowrys charge is based on an investigation by law enforcement, which found that Lowry allegedly stole about $32,000 from Whoa N Go in Sargent where she worked as a manager since Oct. 2, 2012, according to court records.

Lowry allegedly cooked several accounts between January 2016 and July 26, 2016, court records say. Additionally, the bank, which she was to make deposits at, alleged that she was not making timely deposits. On July 25, 2016, when she allegedly didnt deposit money into an account, Lowry is seen on video surveillance leaving Whoa N Go with a money bag, court records say.

If convicted of a Class IIA felony and not placed on probation, Lowry faces up to 20 years in prison.

@erikadpritchard
Fourteen Kansas schools will be the faces of change in education a year from now. In nine years, the state hopes all schools will make similar redesigns to get a higher percentage of graduates ready to live and work in the middle class.

No wonder education officials call this a moonshot and use Mercury 7 space mission names for the project. It may be the greatest undertaking in Kansas education.

Kansas Department of Education officials identified an elementary and secondary school in seven districts that will pilot the program beginning in 2018-19.

Schools will make changes that can identify earlier a students area of interest and possible career path. Elementary educators may spend two or three years with a student, a teaching technique known as looping. In middle school and high school, Watson said, a student identified as wanting to help people may be directed toward nursing or teaching.

Once in high school, students may be challenged to think outside of the standard class that ends with an earned credit. Instead of a normal English grade, a student may be able to earn a similar credit by making a series of speeches over the course of a year.

The Kansas Department of Education has made a strong move toward a needed change. Without any increase in the departments budget, it banks on an overhaul of teaching philosophy to get students closer to a future that cements them in the middle class, if not higher.

The Eagle, Wichita, Kan.
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For three days this week, Decatur will be at the epicenter of the agriculture world.

The Farm Progress Show is in town, bringing with it more than 600 vendors and more than 100,000 spectators from throughout the United States and more than 50 countries wanting to see the latest developments in ag technology.

Even in a community that counts Archer Daniels Midland Co., Tate & Lyle as leading employers, there are those who equate agriculture as nothing more than farmers, tractors, corn and soybeans.

But it is so much more.

The Farm Progress Show covers every aspect of the process, which is why it is often referred to as the Super Bowl of farm shows.

Want to see how a combine performs in the field? Of course, you can see that here.

But visitors also can learn about the latest methods of preventing soil erosion, seed developments, grain storage and metal building options, drones, animal care, and test drive a variety of trucks, off-road toys and small implements.

So, you may be asking yourself whats in it for me? Im not a farmer. Im never going to buy any of this stuff. Why should I care the Farm Progress Show is in town, beyond the prospect of needing to change the route of my morning commute because of the flood of vehicles that will be clogging the area around Progress City?

Consider this:

The organizers of the Farm Progress Show took over the grounds in July, thus starting the massive task of constructing a few new buildings, putting up dozens of very durable tents and placing tons of rock, wood chips and landscaping blocks. That work will continue until the show starts on Tuesday.

Much of this work is being done by crews from as far away as Florida. These workers have spent the past few weeks living in our hotels, eating at our restaurants, shopping at our stores and buying gas from our stations. These same people will be in town in the weeks following the show, taking the tents down, spending even more money locally.

As the show gets closer, the company workers who staff the many booths come to town. During the show, leading company officials are among those on hand, seeing firsthand a community looking to further its agricultural business base and willing to be in the running for any expansion these companies may be considering.

It also brings key government officials. This year, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will lead a discussion of the upcoming Farm Bill. Several members of Congress will be on hand. While here, Perdue will visit ADM and learn about the challenges facing a company that has undergone some recent staff reductions locally and around the world. Addressing these concerns could prove pivotal to adding more jobs to the local economy.

Then theres the army of local volunteers who do everything from staffing information booths and admission gates, driving trams, and managing the parking and food areas.

We couldnt do it without them, said Matt Jungmann, the shows director.

For their work, Jungmann said these groups receive donations from the Farm Progress Show that have been used to make improvements to their church buildings, buy equipment for their school bands and show choirs and provide for community outreach programs.

Jungmann said early estimates put the shows financial impact on the community at $10 million. He wouldnt be surprised if that number isnt higher.

That brings us back to the farmer. Armed with the latest information for improving their business, farmers can do an even better job of producing the crops and goods we need to feed the world.

Who doesnt benefit from that?
A police cordon outside Buckingham Palace where a man has been arrested after an incident, in London, Friday Aug. 25, 2017. A man armed with a knife was detained outside LondonAos Buckingham Palace Friday evening, and two police officers were injured while arresting him, police said. (Lauren Hurley/PA via AP)
FILE - In this Tuesday, May 2, 2017 file photo, deputy assistant to President Trump, Sebastian Gorka, talks with people in the Treaty Room in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington during a ceremony commemorating Israeli Independence Day. White House national security aide Sebastian Gorka tells The Associated Press he has resigned from his position, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
The Karabakh Line of Contact was relatively calm last week, this according to the Artsakh Ministry of Defense.

The ministry says that Azerbaijan violated the ceasefire 160 times during the week, firing more than 2,000 rounds.
There is surely no greater sign of the bankruptcy of American foreign policy than its Afghanistan policy. After 15 years of war and the deployment of hundreds of thousands of troops, a new president entered the Oval Office poised to fundamentally change that policy. Within months he presented, with great fanfare, a continuation of the same. The result: The United States is now firmly locked into its forever war in Afghanistan.

President Trumps policy differs from the one he inherited only in the addition of 4,000 more troops. Trump vows to eschew nation-building, emphasize counterterrorism, end corruption in Afghanistan, and hold Pakistan accountable. President Obama promised all the same things. It is time to focus on nation-building here at home, Obama said in 2011, explaining his shift in approach from President George W. Bushs strategy.

Trumps remarks on Pakistan were seen by many as a strong break from the previous administration, but people appear to have forgotten the unusually blunt testimony that Adm. Mike Mullen, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave to Congress in 2011. He called the Haqqani network, one of the most dangerous terrorist groups in Afghanistan, a veritable arm of Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence agency. That same year, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and then-CIA Director David Petraeus both went to Pakistan to, in Clintons words, push the Pakistanis very hard to end their support for the Haqqanis. The pressure was one in a series of actions that outraged the Pakistanis, causing them to shut down supply routes to American-led forces in Afghanistan for seven months.

In expressing support for Trumps open-ended commitment, House Speaker Paul Ryan used the tired old saying that the U.S. has the watches, but the Taliban has the time. If they believe that we have some end date, some timetable, then they will wait us out, he said. But this fundamentally misunderstands the nature of this type of overseas struggle. The Taliban will wait us out for a very simple reason. They live there.

Harry Summers, a wise army officer in the Vietnam War who went on to write a definitive book on that conflicts military lessons, opened the book by recounting an exchange he had with a North Vietnamese officer in 1975, just before Saigon fell. You know you never defeated us on the battlefield, Summers said. The officer replied, That may be so, but it is also irrelevant. Every local force knows one thing in its bones: Eventually, the foreigners have to go home.

Why are the Taliban gaining ground in Afghanistan? I asked The New Yorkers Dexter Filkins, one of the keenest observers of that war. Ordinary Afghans dont like the Taliban. But they dislike the Afghan government even more. We say we dont want to do nation-building, but you cant build an army without first building a state. People dont die for an army; they die for a country. And who wants to die for the current Afghan government?

The American military on the ground knows the problem well, which is why they refer to the Afghan government as a collection of corrupt networks that extend across the country. In true military fashion, they even have an acronym for it, VICE  vertically integrated criminal enterprise.

A leading expert on Afghanistan policy, Barnett Rubin, who has advised the United Nations and the U.S. government, explains the problem differently. The Afghan state cannot exist without outside help, he told me. It cannot pay its bills without the U.S. government. It cannot have a stable society without Pakistans help. It cannot grow economically without trade and transit with Iran. Referring to reports that Afghanistan is endowed with nearly $1 trillion in mineral resources, he wryly observed, Im sure the moon has even more mineral wealth, but you need a way to get it out to markets. And for that you need friendly neighbors. Rubin believes that Trumps approach is doomed because it seems willfully oblivious to the interests of the other powers in the region, especially Russia, China and Iran.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has doubled down on more of the same. More money, bombs, troops, pressure on Pakistan and tough love for the Afghans. It is a tactical approach, designed by generals, to ensure that they do not lose. But it does not even pretend to contain a strategy to win. In other words, half a century later, at a lower human cost, the United States has replicated its strategy in Vietnam. Call it quagmire-lite.

Fareed Zakarias email address is comments@fareedzakaria.com.
In the same week when Wisconsins overall health-care quality was ranked No. 1 in the nation by the federal agency that tracks such data, the state Workers Compensation Advisory Council came up with a solution in search of a problem.

The council agreed with the states largest business lobby that companies are being overcharged by providers and hospitals for treating injured employees  and that adding a set fee schedule for medical procedures would keep costs down.

The recommendation, which may reach the Wisconsin Legislature in bill form, should be examined as part of a much larger issue: Employers who invest in high-quality health care for their workers get measurable returns on their investment.

The Workers Compensation issue has been a source of friction between Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and the states medical community for years. The business lobby has argued that companies get charged too much for treating workers injured on the job. The medical community has countered by touting its record of fixing what ails those workers, cutting down on return trips to the hospital, and quickly returning healthier workers to their jobs and productivity.

While there will always be anecdotal examples to the contrary, the quality of health care in Wisconsin compares favorably to what can be found in any state. Moreover, employers who contribute to providing health coverage for their workers are paying somewhere in the mainstream of what companies in other states pay. Here are recent examples of quality scores.

The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reported in late August that Wisconsin ranked No. 1 among the states in overall quality of health care, as measured by 200 statistical measures used by the agency to evaluate performance. Wisconsin historically ranks high in the federal study but cracked into the top spot this year, followed closely by Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

The AHRQ ranking follows on the heels of a No. 1 ranking for the states critical access hospitals by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration. Critical access hospitals are smaller facilities that provide essential services in rural areas; Wisconsin has 58 such hospitals. Maine, Utah and Minnesota were next in the federal ratings.

If Wisconsin has high-quality health care, are employers paying through the nose to get it? While there can be striking regional differences on employer costs, the answer is a qualified no.

A recent study by the state of Oregon specifically targeted to Workers Compensation costs in all 50 states ranked Wisconsins premiums 12th highest in the nation and at 112 percent of the national median. However, other rankings of overall employer costs are a bit more favorable.

In a report released Aug. 24, the Henry J. Kaiser calculated that employers in Wisconsin pay an average premium of $4,985 per employee for single health insurance coverage. That ranked 13th highest in the nation and within a few dollars of eight other states that ranked lower in employer costs.

In early 2017, the Huffington Post ranked Wisconsin 11th best in the country in terms of overall health insurance costs. Thats not to say businesses shouldnt be concerned about rising health-care costs  the trend lines remain up  but quality care can accrue benefits that go straight to the bottom line.

The often-asked question, How much does this health plan cost? can be answered in ways that go far beyond insurance premiums. It also includes sick days, sick wages and worker productivity.

The failure to prevent serious complications, such as a hospital-acquired infection, may cost the patient his or her life, prolonged disability and thousands of dollars in treatment. Avoidable surgical complications may prolong hospitalization, result in disability or death, and cause great expense and repeated procedures.

More than 30 studies have been conducted over time on the links between health risks, medical costs and workplace productivity. The studies provide compelling evidence that investing in employees good health pays off in measurable ways.

High-quality health care is also a business advantage worth touting. At a time when Wisconsin businesses are working to attract and retain workers, they should be pointing to quality metrics and working with health providers to do more.

Setting fee schedules and procedure rates may have a short-term effect, but weighing health care costs against quality and productivity is a better long-term strategy.
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White nationalists and neo-Nazis marched through Charlottesville, President Trump addressed the nation in what should have been a straightforward call for unity against racism and bigotry. Instead, he left us perplexed, wondering if he had just insinuated anti-racist counter-demonstrators were to blame for the violence that ensued. Trump then made explicit his intentions by attempting to spin an argument of moral equivalence between white supremacists and racial justice advocates. He stated that he saw fine people in the images of angry, torch-wielding, White men storming a Southern college campus bearing the banners of slavery and genocide. He did not mention by-name Heather Heyer, the 32-year-old woman murdered by a white nationalist as he drove his car into a crowd of counter-demonstrators.

Reaction from members of Congress and the media was swift. However, one constituency has remained largely silent: Americas medical doctors. For psychiatrists like myself, we see patients every day who are struggling to cope with the sequelae of social injustice, from racism to homophobia to misogyny. This hate often manifests in words but sometimes breaks-through into violence. Mr. Trump clearly does not recognize the power of words to incite violence and inflict harm on marginalized and historically disenfranchised communities.

One reason many psychiatrists remain silent is their misinterpretation of the Goldwater Rule, an ethical principle whereby psychiatrists are forbidden from commenting on the mental health of individuals whom they have not personally examined. The Goldwater Rule is a sensible professional standard.

However, racism is not a mental illness; and it requires neither a medical degree nor psychiatric training to recognize Trumps actions and words as racist. Physicians, especially white physicians, have a moral obligation to lend our voices and our stature to the chorus currently castigating Trump for his rhetorical allegiance with the most repugnant elements of our society. Remaining silent communicates a lack of compassion, ambivalence toward human suffering, and indifference to the everyday lived experiences of racism endured by both our colleagues and patients of color. The American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association have taken clear stances against racial bias. Now is the time for individual physicians to deploy these policies so they may work on behalf of our patients. Physicians must speak truth to power at the highest levels and call Trump to task for his racist and xenophobic remarks.

Recently in the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr. Rachel Hardeman and colleagues explicated how structural racism impacts the health and well-being of communities of color. Delineating concrete steps that health professionals can take to combat structural racism, Dr. Hardeman writes, To pursue these efforts, we will have to recognize racism, not just race. It is not enough for us to embrace racial diversity. We must also recognize and name racism when we see it. White nationalists and neo-Nazis waged a racist war on a small Southern city; and President Donald Trump defended them in an unequivocal and racist manner. Like most anxiety-provoking tasks, appropriately labeling racist words and deeds as such becomes less intimidating with exposure. Unfortunately, given our history as a nation and with President Trump in the White House, physicians will likely have more opportunities to practice.

Jeremy D. Kidd is an addiction psychiatry fellow.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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We are all guilty of having biases. Some of them we know about and proudly flaunt. Some of them have been ingrained so deeply that we do not even know they exist. Weight is an issue that brings out strong biases, and multiple studies have demonstrated a high level of bias from physicians against overweight and obese patients. Obese patients are often treated rudely and are not given the same level of medical care as non-obese patients. One study even showed that as a patients weight increases, physician respect for the patient decreases. Think about that  the more overweight you are, the less value you are perceived to have as a person. As both a physician and someone who has until recently been obese for my entire adult life, I can personally attest to the prejudices that exist within our field.

I myself, even as a doctor, have been fat-shamed by other physicians. (Note: by fat-shamed I do not just mean told to lose weight. Discussing weight loss is part of our jobs! I mean that my treatment as a patient was of poorer quality than if I had been of normal weight). There is so much stigma and negativity around obesity, and it leads many care providers to blame every patient complaint on their weight. Let me be very clear: yes, many, many complaints and health issues are actually due to obesity and can be improved or cured with weight loss. And absolutely every chance we get we should counsel our patients on weight loss.

But our job as physicians is to help guide patients down the right path with support and encouragement. To individualize recommendations that will help our patients succeed. To give them resources and ideas. To be compassionate. Not to just judge patients at face value and dismiss them. Empathy and understanding go a long way. Even if you find it hard to relate to someone struggling with obesity, treating every patient with respect and dignity is the bare minimum requirement!

In my time during medical school, residency and now as an attending, I have been privy to many discussions among providers about obese patients. A prevailing attitude through the years has been that obese patients did this to themselves. Meaning, the patient is at fault for being fat and therefore at fault for having whatever complications and comorbidities befall them. This is the same attitude I see towards drug abusers and alcoholics  that their medical problems are somehow less important because they are self-inflicted. Just as many factors contribute to drug and alcohol addiction, so is true of obesity. If we just focus on providing empathetic, nonjudgmental care, we will have better relationships with our patients, and their health outcomes will improve. So lets all put our biases to the side and focus on providing the best care possible to each and every patient.

Jenny Hartsock is a hospitalist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Marcellus Williams' 2014 mug shot, taken 15 years after his conviction for the death of Felicia Gayle. (Missouri Department of Corrections)
Korean Cenral News Agency shows on Aug. 26 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspecting the state's special forces engaging a simulated invasion of South Korean border islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong. / Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a simulated invasion of South Korean islands near the tense western border, state media reported Saturday, amid fresh tensions over North Korea's missile launches.

The exercise by the special operation forces came as South Korea and the U.S. military are conducting their annual computer simulated drills meant to enhance readiness against possible North Korean aggression.

In a simulated attack on the South Korean border islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong, North Korean planes hit targets as its multiple-missile launchers and self-propelled gun howitzers fired in salvo and shells hit unidentified North Korean islands.

Some of the North Korean special forces also parachuted into the islands and others landed by surprise using rubber boats. The simulated South Korean targets were later enveloped in flames, according to North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency.

In 2010, North Korea shelled Yeonpyeong Island, killing two South Korean Marines and two civilians. South Korea has since strengthened its defense posture near the western sea border.

Kim "expressed great satisfaction" over the "target-strike" contest and told the special forces to focus on improving the quality of training and strengthen drills of arms, special arms and coordinated drills.

The military "should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea," Kim said, according to KCNA.

Kim's comments underscore that the North remains unchanged in its policy of communizing the capitalist South.

On Saturday, North Korea launched at least three ballistic missiles into the East Sea, just days after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said North Korea has demonstrated some level of restraint.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean studies at Seoul's Dongguk University, said the North Korean leader's recent series of events is a telling sign that Pyongyang is at the moment "extremely nervous."

"Kim's visit to the special operation forces after a recent visit to Academy of Defense Science while South Korean and U.S. armed forces are conducting their annual joint drills signals that the North is observing the situation while being extremely nervous," the professor added. (Yonhap)
South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks during a luncheon meeting with the ruling Democratic Party lawmakers at Cheong Wa Dae, Saturday. / Yonhap



South Korean President Moon Jae-in called Saturday for patience in dealing with North Korea as Pyongyang fired at least three projectiles into the sea off its east coast in the latest provocative move.

"Evaluations of (policies regarding) South-North relations don't come out quickly, hence this one must be prepared with a long-term perspective," Moon said during a luncheon meeting with more than 110 lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, the party spokesman Park Wan-joo said.

Moon has maintained a two-track approach of seeking dialogue and sanctions, as North Korea has been advancing its nuclear and missile programs with the goal of developing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

In July, South Korea proposed holding talks with North Korea on easing military tensions and resuming reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

North Korea has kept mum on the offers and raised tensions by test-firing two intercontinental ballistic missiles.












We loved them in our dramas and we loved them, even more, when they announced their official relationship back in April of this year. Now the two lovers have parted ways.

Their agency, 'Namoo Actors,' confirmed on August 25th that the two have broken up and left this official statement. "After speaking with the two, they confirmed they recently broke up. They separated because they naturally grew apart due to their busy schedules."

Being labelmates, it is no surprise the two worked closely together on many projects. They became friendlier when they worked together on the 2014 hit KBS drama 'Gunman in Joseon.' Photos were released of the two going on dates by Dispatch earlier this year until they officially confirmed the relationship themselves in April.

Fans were deeply saddened by the news but supported the actors for pursuing their own separate desires. Currently, Lee Jun Ki is busy filming 'Criminal Minds' and Jeon Hye Bin is preparing for her future roles.

What do you think about the two splitting up only after 5 months? Share your thoughts down below.
RACINE  A Kenosha woman is facing charges after she reportedly snatched the purse of a 90-year-old woman.

Lacy L. Lanciloti, 27, of the 6700 block of 24th Avenue, is charged with a felony count of robbery with the use of force  crime against an elderly or disabled person, and a misdemeanor count of retail theft.

According to the criminal complaint:

On Wednesday, Racine police were dispatched to Piggly Wiggly, 4011 Durand Ave., regarding a theft and purse snatching. The stores manager said that a woman, later identified as Lanciloti, entered the store bathroom with a bottle of wine, left without paying for it and then snatched the purse of a 90-year-old woman in the parking lot.

The elderly victim told police that Lanciloti had approached her asking if she needed help, and when she replied that she did, Lanciloti hugged her, reportedly grabbed the her purse and ran to her vehicle.

Additional witnesses reportedly saw what happened, held Lancilotis car door open and took her keys to prevent her from leaving the scene. The purse was returned to the victim after police arrived.

When Lanciloti was taken into custody, police reportedly discovered two credit cards belonging to other people in her purse.

Lanciloti has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 31 at the Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave. She remained in custody as of Thursday evening, online records show.
For the last 21 years, La Dolce Vita restaurant has been tucked away in the international shops courtyard at 1237 Prospect St. Food enthusiast Enzo Castiglione has helmed the restaurant since its onset to bring touches of his hometown to La Jolla. Known for his mostly traditional recipes, Castiglione greets patrons to get to know them and, when musicians perform at the restaurant, has been known to join in by playing the Cajon (percussion box) or singing.

Where did you grow up?

Im from Ragusa, Sicily. Its a very small agricultural town. The main thing they do is grow wheat. My family grew wheat and grapes. I went to culinary school in Italy and worked for the cruise ships a bit to learn English.

I worked in the kitchen for a while and then  I waited tables. I wanted to work front of house and back of house. Then, I was the sous chef for a while.

When we would cruise to the United States, I would stay in Florida. I decided to stay and moved to California after a few years in Florida. I moved because everyone told me California was more like Italy, and I wanted to see for myself.

And?

I first moved to Carmel (near San Francisco). Around that time, Clint Eastwood was the mayor. He has a resort and restaurant there and I worked in the kitchen. It was fun to work there. And next, I worked in an Italian restaurant there. But being from Sicily, Im used to warmer weather and it was colder up there than I liked. So I came to San Diego for a visit  and loved it.

What did you do when you got here?

I decided it was time to open my own restaurant and I found this space. It was a French restaurant back then. I didnt know it at the time, but the owner was retiring. I saw this space and thought it was perfect, so I asked the owner if he would consider selling, and since he was, I bought the place. I moved down here, opened the restaurant, and Ive been here ever since. That was in 1996.

What was it about this location that was perfect?

The fact that you walk down a pathway into a courtyard; thats very typical in Italy because there are a lot of small streets that lead to a piazza. Its that kind of environment. Its not so common here. I liked the idea of being able to walk into an open courtyard.

What is your food philosophy?

You have to cook fresh and keep it simple. Use fresh ingredients. Stick to the basics. Cook for the moment. Im not extremely traditional, but I consider myself mostly traditional. Italians tend to make a big deal about one ingredient, or if one ingredient is different from how they do it. Some people make their tomato sauce with garlic but no onions. Some people make it with onions diligently.

My philosophy is to add my own touch. For example, my cannelloni has eggplant in it, and I serve it a slightly different way than what is traditional. But other items are traditional, like the grilled octopus, and pasta with seafood is common to where I grew up.

Other Italian foods, such as polenta, are more common in the northern part of Italy because the farther you get from sea, the less available seafood there is. When you get closer to the mountains, you see a lot more meat sauces and cream sauces. That is the style for that area.

How has La Jolla changed since youve been here?

This end of Prospect Street, when I first came here, was a food destination. There were more restaurants, but some closed and are gone. In 1996, the economy was getting better, so there were more tourists year-round, not just the summer. That has slowed down. There are still some, but not as much.

I get to know people and where they are from because I like to meet the people who come here. I help with the tables, I take part in every step. I even make my own wine.

Please discuss your winemaking.

I make just one kind, a Syrah. I grew up growing wheat and grapes, but I told my dad I didnt want to be a farmer. As a kid, Id help my dad make wine. My summer job was bottling. About 10 years ago, I started to miss it.

When you make your own wine, its different from anything you could buy. So I got a place in Ramona  just big enough for me to grow the vines and take care of the land. You can only get my wine in the restaurant because it is such a small production.

There is a lifestyle to it that reminds me of Italy, where you grow your vegetables, sell some of the vegetables, trade with your neighbor, maybe raise pigs. It was a surprise to me that you could find that in Southern California.

So now Im all into that. I even got a horse! In Ramona and parts of East County, they have horses. Growing up in Italy, I watched spaghetti westerns  so I learned to ride. I felt the touch of that western lifestyle. Making wine and riding horses combines the Italian culture I grew up with and the western world I saw. Its both. And I guess Im both by this point. Ive lived in the United States longer than I lived in Italy by now.

Do you miss Italy?

I didnt leave thinking Im going to move to the United States, things just happened and I was able to build my life here. I didnt think I would be here forever, but I have roots here now.

So yes, sometimes I miss it, but my life is here. I go back when I can. I miss the food for sure and the culture around food.

But I love La Jolla, too. The restaurant has given me the chance to meet lots of people. Some have been customers since I opened. I saw them when they were dating and then they would get married and now they have children.

What do you do with your free time?

(Silence)

Do you have free time?

(Laughs) The restaurant takes a lot of my time, but I have a wife and two teenage daughters. So Sunday is family time and I like to spend it with them.

Editors Note: La Jolla Lights People in Your Neighborhood series, shines a spotlight on notable locals we all wish we knew more about! Light staff is out on the town talking to familiar, friendly faces to bring you their stories. If you know someone youd like us to profile, send the lead via e-mail to editor@lajollalight.com or call us at (858) 875-5950.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall Friday night between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, as a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph, the National Hurricane Center said.

Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Charley in 2004.

The storm is poundng the Texas coast and its millions of residents with hurricane-force winds knocking down trees, power poles and signs, and with torrential rain deluging streets.

In its 11 p.m. ET update, the National Hurricane Center said the center of the storm had passed over San Jose Island, bringing with it a dangerous and powerful eye wall.

The hurricane center warns that some areas will see as much as 13 feet of storm surge and large, destructive waves.

And there's the rain that the slow-moving storm is expected to produce. Because it is expected to come to a near halt inland, Harvey could drop as much as 40 inches of rain in some places, and up to 30 inches in others, by Wednesday.

The combination of wind and water could leave wide swaths of South Texas "uninhabitable for weeks or months," the National Weather Service in Houston said.

Such daunting language hasn't been seen by CNN's experts since Hurricane Katrina, which left more than 1,800 people dead in 2005.

The threat has prompted officials in at least one town to ask residents who stay behind to write their Social Security numbers on one of their arms in case. It will make identifying bodies easier.

"Texas is about to have a very significant disaster," said Brock Long, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Gov. Greg Abbott warned of record-setting flooding and called on people to flee the area before the storm hits.

"My top goal is to be able to make it through this storm in a way in which we lose no lives," Abbott said. "Put your life first and your property second."

Residents were urged to evacuate. A mass exodus from the coast caused extensive traffic jams along the state's highways, while other people boarded up windows and stocked up on food and water ahead of the storm, the effects of which are expected to last for days.

The storm will stall and dump rain on South Texas and parts of Louisiana into the middle of next week, forecasters predicted.

Latest developments

-- Rockport, Texas, officials are advising residents who refuse to evacuate to write their names and Social Security number on a forearm, Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios told CNN. Rios said it will "help out first responders should they find a body."

-- The National Weather Service in Corpus Christi issued an extreme wind warning for portions of the Texas coast. "Widespread destructive winds of 115 to 145 mph will produce swaths of tornado-like damage," the agency said.

-- Texas' governor requested additional federal help with a presidential disaster declaration. The White House is considering the declaration.

-- President Donald Trump, who will visit the area next week, has signed a disaster declaration for the state.

FEMA prepared for 'significant disaster'

Those who stay should "elevate and get into a structure that can withstand potentially Category 3 winds from a hurricane," said Long, the FEMA director.

"The bottom line message is, right now, if people have not heeded the warning, again, their window to do so is closing," Long said. "If they refuse to heed the warning, that's on them."

Long said he is "very worried" about storm surge, or "wind-driven water," slamming coastal areas, saying it has the "highest potential to kill the most amount of people and cause the most amount of damage."

Trump tweeted that he has spoken with the governors of Texas and Louisiana, saying he is "closely monitoring Hurricane Harvey developments and here to assist as needed."

Record flooding expected

Officials worried that Harvey's deluge of rain will drench Texas and the region for several days.

"We could see this storm park for almost five days in some places, and we hear three feet of rain," said Bill Read, the former director of the National Hurricane Center. "That's just going to be a huge problem for these areas."

"The water is going to be the issue," Corpus Christi Mayor Joe McComb said. "We've never had anything like this."

Harvey is also causing concern in New Orleans, where heavy rain could usher in as much as 20 inches of rain through early next week and overwhelm the city's already-compromised drainage system.

Storm nears shore

Joey Walker, 25, works with the Galveston Island Beach Patrol and is riding out the storm from a house on Galveston Island. He posted video of near-white out conditions overlooking Stewart Beach.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said anyone not leaving should plan to stay off the roads once the storm starts.

"People need to know, this is not a one-, two-day event and done," Turner said.

'I'm trying to be strong'

The threat of Harvey became evident Thursday when several coastal Texas counties issued evacuation orders, leading to hordes of residents sitting bumper to bumper for miles.

Rose Yepez told CNN it took her twice as long as usual to drive 140 miles from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, en route to Texas Hill Country.

Private vehicles -- along with city buses packed with adults and children carrying backpacks -- jammed roads for hours.

"I'm shaking inside, but for them, I'm trying to be strong," a Corpus Christi woman who was waiting with her two daughters to board a bus out of town told CNN affiliate KRIS.

Workers at 39 offshore petroleum production platforms and an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico also evacuated Thursday, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said.

First responders such as Brittany Fowler stayed behind and waited for the storm.

"Hopefully, it doesn't do any damage, but if it does, we've prepared," Fowler, a firefighter in Corpus Christi, wrote on Instagram.

Fowler's family helped by boarding up windows and doors at her home, and she bought plenty of water, food and a small power generator.

Despite the warnings, Elsie and David Reichenbacher prepped supplies and planned to stay put in Corpus Christi.

"I've gone through a lot of hurricanes. I've lived here most of my life," Elsie Reichenbacher said. "I'd rather take care of my home and my animals and be safe here. I'm on high ground with my house."

CNN's Joe Sterling, Amanda Jackson, Matt Rehbein, AnneClaire Stapleton, Dakin Andone, David Williams, David Shortell, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Nick Valencia and Keith Allen contributed to this report.
Ross Levinsohn, the new publisher of the Los Angeles Times as of last Monday, wrapped up his first week in the newspaper business with a rah-rah cheerleading note to the staff on Friday afternoon. In it, he thanked the Times staff for its support. Levinsohn also announced the banishment of one of the unnecessary, slow-loading widgets that has helped make LATimes.com one of the least pleasant reading experiences among news websites.

Here's his email:



Hello Team Los Angeles Times 

A short note to say thank you for your support during my first week here. I have had the chance to meet many of you throughout the week, and have been struck by the commitment, loyalty, creativity and opportunity that I see here. I was excited coming in the door Monday, but will head home tonight with even more enthusiasm than day 1. The exceptional journalism, unique experiences, premium content and personal commitment that forms the foundation of this great company is something I am certain we can build upon. I want to thank you all for being welcoming during what was a very tough, turbulent and disruptive time.

I hope to communicate more over the weeks to come, and commit to be as transparent as possible as we embark on this journey together. One win Id like to share with you  as you all know, the experience on our web site and across the mobile web and app has been challenging due to many ads and widgets that fill the page. One of the widgets which has caused the pages to load slowly or not at all has been a big factor. I spoke with Michael, Justin and Tim Knight today and we agreed it would enhance the consumer experience for our users if we could remove it. It will be gone by days end! More to come around cleaning up our overall experience, but we have made a little progress today!

I hope you all have a great weekend.

Ross
PRESS RELEASE

South Korea Wants To Reopen the Kaesong Industrial Park in the North

Aug. 25, 2017 (EIRNS)South Koreas Reunification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said at a forum today that the government is anxious to restore the Kaesong Industrial Park in North Korea as soon as possible, but can not act as long as existing sanctions forbid it. Cho said,

"if there is any change in the sanctions toward the D.P.R.K. [North Korea], the resumption of the Kaesong Industrial Complex would be on the top of the list to resolve."

Kaesong was shut down by former President Park Geun-hye after the Norths last nuclear test, under massive pressure from Obama. All ties to the North were scrapped, and the opposition to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system was pushed aside, in early 2016.

Closing Kaesong was a blow to South Korean business as well as the North, as over 100 firms employed over 50,000 North Korean workers in factories there.

The Moon Jae-in government also wants to restore the Rason project in the North near both the Chinese and Russian borders, where Russian coal was being shipped in South Korean ships to South Korean factories through a consortium of Russia, North Korea and three South Korean companies. This was the seed crystal for a peace-through-development process, but was closed by Park last year. China is also engaged in Rason, building ports and a road from its northeast region to the sea at Rason.
Zarouhie Abdalians beautifully spare exhibition at LAXART takes a close look at the point where the chisel hits the marble. The New Orleans artist is fascinated by the moment when natural materials become something else  tools or art  the two basic categories of human-made objects.

Her work raises questions about our relationship to nature and the nature of making.

The walls in the main gallery are lined with small, white, abstract reliefs. The rectangles were excised from an abandoned chalk mine in Mississippi and exhibit the craggy surfaces, pockmarks and scoring of the mining process. They are also quite beautiful: a soft white, tinted with various pastel hues. One could be forgiven for assuming they come from natural rock formations.

Zarouhie Abdalian, from Chalk Mine Hollow (VI), 2017. (Ruben Diaz / LAXART)

Arrayed across the center of the room are pedestals, each bearing a different steel tool head. The heads are the brownish color of heavy industry and are positioned with their chisel edges or hammer heads pointed down, as if frozen in the moment of striking. They are mini-dramatizations of that initial point of contact between a raw material and the person who sees something else in it.

Periodic loud pinging sounds echo from the back room. The audio piece is a recording of knapping, or the process of striking rocks together to make early Stone Age tools. The space reverberates with aural evidence of the advent of tools, the point at which nature became instrumentalized.

Zarouhie Abdalian, Brunt (II), 2017. (Ruben Diaz / LAXART)

Still another room contains parts of industrial machinery that have experienced catastrophic failures. These broken bits are testaments to unmaking, the flip side of innovation. They attest to the point at which human ambition outstrips a materials inherent properties.

Finally, in another small space, is a single monitor displaying a series of microscope images of the edges of chisels. Oddly enough, these zoomed-in views look a lot like natural rock formations. The edge of the chisel is a pivot point at which something wavers between its natural state and what we want it to be. For better or worse, Abdalian suggests, tools (and art) are just desire set down in concrete form.

Zarouhie Abdalian, still from Working Edges, 2017. (LAXART)

Zarouhie Abdalian: Work

Where: LAXART, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd.,

When: Closed Sunday and Monday. Through Sept. 2.

Info: (323) 871-4140, www.laxart.org

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USCs shiny new-old architecture. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros swipe at Gustavo Dudamel. The Berkshire Museums disquieting plan to sell off its art. Im Carolina A. Miranda, staff writer at the Los Angeles Times, with the week in steaming-hot culture news:

Disneyland meets Hogwarts

The new $700-million USC Village is finally open  and its a Goth bonbon stuffed with a creamy center of the blandly bureaucratic. With its Gothic ornament, peaked arches and 150-foot clock tower, reports Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne, the complex is a fantasia of just-add-water heritage, equal parts Disneyland and Hogwarts. He also notes that at the opening ceremony, USC President C.L. Max Nikias said the complex gives the university 1,000 years of history we dont have. That, writes, Hawthorne, is one of the laziest cliches about Los Angeles  a town with a pretty enviable architectural history. Los Angeles Times

The new USC Village, designed by Los Angeles firm Harley Ellis Devereaux. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

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As part of the pageantry, the university unveiled a sculpture that features a quote from Hamlet and William Shakespeares name spelled Shakespear. The spelling resulted in trolling from crosstown rivals UCLA. But scholars note that the Bards name was spelled myriad ways in his day. USC may have history on its side, but UCLA scores points for its flaming tweet. Final score: USC: 1, UCLA: 1. Los Angeles Times

USC. The only place in America that can unveil a statue as the centerpiece of a $700 million project and manage to misspell Shakespeare pic.twitter.com/FGsJUyF3Di  The Den (@uclatheden) August 21, 2017

Dudamel in the Venezuelan maelstrom

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has canceled a four-city tour of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra that was to be led by Gustavo Dudamel. In May, the musical director of the L.A. Phil called on Maduro to halt violence against protesters. But what mainly seems to have set Maduro off, reports Times classical music critic Mark Swed, is that Dudamel  worked behind the scenes with former Spanish President Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero to free popular violinist Wuilly Arteaga. Arteaga had been arrested for playing the Venezuelan national anthem during a protest. Los Angeles Times

Gustavo Dudamel is shown last month at the Hollywood Bowl. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

A worrisome art sale

The Berkshire Museum in Massachusetts wants to sell 40 of its most notable paintings  including works by Norman Rockwell, Alexander Calder, Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Edwin Church  to fund future museum operations (including a possible change of mission). Times art critic Christopher Knight says that is a terrible plan. Heres an idea: Dont sell the art. Do close the museum, he writes. In auctioning off works in this way, the institution is simply privatizing art that belongs to the public, he adds, and the public is the loser. Must. Read. Los Angeles Times

The Berkshire Museums plan to sell 40 works of art, including one of Norman Rockwells best paintings, to pay its bills. (Gillian Jones / AP )

Lawsuit at the Geffen

Randall Arney, the former artistic director at the Geffen Playhouse, filed a lawsuit alleging age and disability discrimination against the theaters management. Arney was recently replaced by 41-year-old TV and film director Matt Shankman. In his legal complaint, he cites an exemplary, unblemished record of service. Los Angeles Times

Berggruens new institute

Christopher Hawthorne reports on a proposed new campus designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning firm Herzog & de Meuron for the Berggruen Institute, a public policy think-tank focused on governance. The project, which will be located on a hilltop near the Getty Center on the Westside, represents two sides of L.A.: a combination of seemingly unlimited space with a city that is growing increasingly dense and vertical. Los Angeles Times

Bowled over

Gustavo Dudamel led a show of Holsts The Planets and a new Icelandic violin concerto at the Hollywood Bowl this week  an unusually experimental program for the Bowls picnic-happy audience. But Mark Swed reports that it worked. A musically dangerous violin solo by Pekka Kuusisto featured a drone on its lowest string unnervingly tuned down a fourth that caught everyones attention. Plus, the show took full advantage of the benefits and limitations of the venues amplification technology  proving that the Bowl need not remain so far, far away from the ensembles larger mission of reinventing the orchestral wheel. Los Angeles Times

Violinist Pekka Kuusisto performs Daniel Bjarnasons Violin Concerto at the Hollywood Bowl. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Also, Times contributor Rick Schultz has a profile of Daniel Bjarnason, the Icelandic composer who wrote that violin concerto. Los Angeles Times

Getting solar with Ron Athey

Notorious Los Angeles performance artist Ron Athey recently spent half a dozen years living in Europe. But now he is back in L.A. in a big way. He is curating a performance night at the Broad (this Saturday) and is laboring on a major new work that is set to debut early next year. Ive been so inside the body, but I had to step back, he tells me. The performance Im working on now isnt about the body at all. He and I sat down for a meandering chat in the middle of Mondays eclipse. (Pro Tip: If youre going to eclipse, do it with the artist behind a work titled Solar Anus.) Los Angeles Times

Artist Ron Athey in his Silver Lake home. (Claire Hannah Collins / Los Angeles Times)

A Hamlet trio

The character of Hamlet has always been the subject of an unusually wide latitude of interpretation, writes Times theater critic Charles McNulty. So he looks at three recent performances to parse one of Shakespeares signature leading men: Andrew Scott in Robert Ickes London production, Oscar Isaac at New Yorks Public Theater and Grantham Coleman at San Diegos Old Globe.  Hamlet has an uncanny way of holding the mirror up to whatever age is examining it, writes McNulty. The Romantics saw their freedom-loving reflection in Shakespeares masterpiece as clearly as the Freudians discerned their own Oedipal obsessions. Los Angeles Times

In the galleries

At Parrasch Heijnen in Boyle Heights, artist Julia Haft-Candell presents a series of new sculptures that Times contributing reviewer Leah Ollman describes as toying with the infinite. Los Angeles Times

In the meantime, reviewer Sharon Mizota checks out Ryosuke Yazakes wood and terra cotta works at M+B, pieces that are decidedly anti-heroic, and all the more appealing for that. Los Angeles Times

In other news

 Renowned optical artist Carlos Cruz-Diez will be creating an installation for the crosswalks outside the Broad museum in downtown Los Angeles for Pacific Standard Time: Los Angeles / Latin America. Los Angeles Times

 Speaking of PST: LA/LA, more than 50 museums across Southern California will have free admission on Sept. 17 to mark the kick-off of the Getty Foundation-funded series devoted to Latino and Latin American art. Los Angeles Times

 Surfing the border: An art project organized by Diego Palacios and Machine Project brings surfers to that watery dividing line between the U.S. and Mexico. LA Weekly

 No matter the political climate, the Spanish language in the United States endures. New York Times

 Which makes it a fine time to note that the Main Museum in downtown Los Angeles is now making its offerings bilingual. Main Museum, La Opinion

 Who gets to portray black pain in art and film? Jenna Wortham and Wesley Morris have an interesting discussion on the subject in the wake of the Dana Schutz controversy at the Whitney Biennial. Still Processing

A group of museum-goers examine Dana Schutzs Open Casket at the Whitney Biennial earlier this year. (Alina Heineke / AP)

 Really bad museum tips for parents: Put your kid in an 800-year-old coffin for a photo. New York Times

 Perfectly timed for eclipse week: A group of stage and screen stars will do a reading of Cedering Foxs In the Cosmos: Where We Come From, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going at the Ford Theatres. Los Angeles Times

 Alice Goodman, the librettist behind Nixon in China, is now an ordained Anglican priest. New York Times

 Dance writer Gia Kourlas says Polina is a film about dance that manages to offer a truthful picture of the profession. New York Times

 The story everyone in book publishing is talking about: Did an obscure young adult novel buy its way onto the New York Times bestseller list? Pajiba

 On the New Yorker and its many, many commas. The Baffler

And last but not least

A Twitter meme that combines references to Paul Blart: Mall Cop and experimental filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Thank you, Internet, thank you. @ericallenhatch

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carolina.miranda@latimes.com

@cmonstah
Good morning. Im Paul Thornton, and it is Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. Lets take a look back at the week in Opinion. By Donald Trump s standards, the president had a normal week  on Monday he delivered a scripted policy speech on Afghanistan; the next day, in Phoenix, he poured his rhetorical gasoline on the fire ignited by the previous weeks violence in Charlottesville, Va.; and on Wednesday in Reno, he called for national unity and more love in America. As a country, weve been jerked around more abruptly by Trump in the past, so by now weve learned to cope.

But if this is our countrys new normal  where a job (in this case the presidency) that demands consistency and levelheadedness is held by someone who prides himself on practicing precisely the opposite  then it only underscores the points made by the Los Angeles Times Editorial Board in the latest installment of its series Our Dishonest President: that Trumps conduct has become unacceptable, and its time for his fellow Republicans to start speaking out forcefully against him.

The editorial board wrote:

With such a glaring failure of moral leadership at the top, it is desperately important that others stand up and speak out to defend American principles and values. This is no time for neutrality, equivocation or silence. Leaders across America  and especially those in the presidents own party  must summon their reserves of political courage to challenge President Trump publicly, loudly and unambiguously. Enough is enough. ... Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Rep. Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) are the two most-powerful men in Congress. Both have fired off the occasional potshot, but for the most part, they have stood firmly behind this wildly flawed president, despite the taunts and insults Trump hurled at them from his Twitter redoubt. What holds them back? Craven, self-serving political calculations designed to protect their careers, and dwindling hope that the president, despite everything, will help them move their long-delayed legislative agenda. Their silence is shameful. How about the more rational members of Trumps Cabinet? They should be fleeing the administration, refusing to stand mutely against the wall at his press conferences while he steps on their messages and undermines their best efforts. ... Republicans and conservatives around the country should be just as concerned as Democrats about Trumps conflicts of interest, his campaigns relationship with the Russians and whether he engaged in obstruction of justice. They should call him out when he sows division, when he dog-whistles, when he emboldens bigots. They should stand up for global human rights, for constructive engagement with the rest of the world and for other shared American values that transcend party allegiances. Rejecting the president of ones own party could mean alienating friends, crossing allies, damaging ones chances of advancement or risking ones career altogether for a matter of principle. But thats the very definition of leadership. No one can sit on the sidelines now. Its time for Republicans to show some spine. >> Click here to read more

Why arent white evangelical leaders denouncing racism? Their defense of Trumps indefensible conduct exposes the rot at the core of their movement: racism. Randall Balmer writes that Trumps promise to appoint antiabortion judges had little to do with the overwhelming support he continues to receive from evangelical Christians, whose most prominent leaders have troubling associations with white supremacist movements and have remained largely silent on the violence in Charlottesville. L.A. Times

His California high school waved the Confederate flag. At Quartz Hill High in Lancaster, the rebel standard fell out of favor  but only in 1995. The Rebel mascot persists, as does the history of the school that remains overwhelmingly white despite the public campus across town having as many black students as whites. Chris McCormick writes: Confederate history is not tethered to the South. The stars and bars held high by a white terrorist in a photograph taken before he massacred nine black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., is the same flag hoisted across the hateful shadows of this country, from Virginia to Washington, from New England to California. L.A. Times

Why is Los Angeles still a segregated city after all these years? In and around the city, the federal government built housing projects that separated whites and blacks during the Great Depression and World War II. Later, local efforts to resist black families moving into mostly white neighborhoods kept African Americans confined to small areas. Practices that prevented black families from buying homes they could afford kept them as renters, and the resulting wealth from property value increases over several decades was accumulated almost totally by whites. Letting bygones be bygones is not a valid, just or defensible policy, writes Richard Rothstein. L.A. Times

Keeping America relevant on climate change, post-Paris: In a small office building in Sacramento, a company established during the Obama presidency could make its climate efforts work under Trump. The Western Climate Initiative Inc., which was created to coordinate the emissions-reduction efforts of California and other states with Canadian provinces, could serve as a vehicle for other U.S. states to join international efforts that combat climate change. The Atlantic

paul.thornton@latimes.com
It doesnt seem safe, organizer says in canceling San Francisco far-right rally

(Eric Risberg / AP)

Organizers said they canceled Saturdays planned right-wing rally in San Francisco because of safety concerns.

Joey Gibson, founder of the Patriot Prayer group, in a Facebook Live post said that his group had been working with police and decided that tomorrow really seems like a setup.

It doesnt seem safe, a lot of peoples lives are going to be in danger tomorrow, he said during an interview with Unite America First. The rhetoric from Nancy Pelosi, Mayor [Ed] Lee, the media  all these people are saying we are white supremacists and its bringing in tons of extremists. It just seems like a huge setup, so we just decided that we are going to take the opportunity and not fall into that trap and we are not going to go down there. We are not going to have a rally at Crissy Field.

Instead, Gibson said, the group would hold a news conference at 2 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Square Park in San Francisco to talk about some of the rhetoric in the city.

We have a lot of respect for the citizens in San Francisco and at the end of the day, we want people to be safe, he said.

The park was supposed to be closed off, Gibson said, so organizers could control the event, search people who were entering and turn others away.

But he said that it appeared that wasnt going to happen.

Anyone could have come in and it would have been mingling [anti-fascist groups]. Also white supremacists could have shown up, Gibson said.

Honest, in our opinion, it seem like it would have been a huge riot, he said.

Law enforcement has spent weeks planning for the events in San Francisco and Berkeley. At the center of the campaign will be a huge police presence, perhaps more than a thousand officers who intend to crack down at the first sign of trouble.

The San Francisco Police Department planned to have its entire roster on duty for Saturday afternoons rally. Officials said they could not immediately comment Friday on if theyre plans would change for the following day in light of Gibsons announcement.

In Berkeley, the site of Sundays rally, city officials have expressly banned weapons, sticks, projectiles and even soda cans from gatherings of more than 100 people within the city limits. The National Park Service, which operates the land where Saturdays protest was to take place, has established similar rules.

Organizers for both rallies this weekend have said that the white supremacists and neo-Nazis who surfaced in Charlottesville are not welcome at their events. Gibson had demanded that white nationalist figures such as Richard Spencer and Nathan Damigo stay away.

Last week, Gibson told The Times he was concerned that some extreme or racist figures might try to co-opt his rally, a fear shared by experts who track hate groups. He has repeatedly denied the assertion that his event is a white supremacist demonstration and criticized politicians who branded it as such.

Youve got two different people in this world right now. You have people that are trying to change hearts and minds of people, and you have people who are trying to divide the country, he said.

The need for stronger crowd control became clear in the wake of the violent clashes this month between white supremacists and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Va., where demonstrators on each side complained of lax law enforcement.

But hands-off policing can also allow events to spiral out of control. Anaheim police drew criticism last year after a violent Ku Klux Klan rally. Uniformed officers were nowhere to be found when Klansmen arrived in Pearson Park, and several people were stabbed during a series of brawls between Klan members and anti-racist protesters.

One of the most difficult things we do in our profession is policing 1st Amendment activity, said LAPD Deputy Chief Bob Green, who has served as a commander at dozens of protest scenes during his 30-year career.

Sundays rally in Berkeley, branded by organizers as an anti-Marxism demonstration, has drawn additional concern. Berkeley has been home to a number of violent clashes between political opponents this year. Violent protests on the UC Berkeley campus shut down an appearance by Milo Yiannopoulos in February, and subsequent demonstrations in support of Trump collapsed into roving street fights.

Those opposed to the rallies, including San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, have called on counter-demonstrators to stage their events several blocks from the proposed far-right events. Some activists have also said they are hoping to avoid the violent exchanges that have marred Berkeley in recent months. One woman affiliated with Pastel Bloc in Berkeley, who would only speak on condition of anonymity, said she hopes the number of counter-protesters will swell because of the planned nonviolence.

By not directly confronting the white supremacists, who have brought weapons and started fights before, maybe people who have been hesitant to come show solidarity will feel more empowered to do so, she said, adding that Pastel Bloc itself will not take part in Sundays events.

Even with vows of nonviolence on both sides, law enforcement leaders said they are well aware that it would only take a few agitators to cause a fracas. The issue with policing protests, they say, is that it becomes hard to isolate violent individuals in crowds that often number in the thousands.

Green said preparation is critical to minimizing violence at any large-scale demonstration, adding that the move to disarm protesters in the Bay Area is a good idea.
Forecasters said Sunday that a record-breaking heat wave will linger in Southern California until at least Thursday.

The National Weather Service said the heat poses a dangerous situation and urged residents to take precautions.

On Sunday, the temperatures ranged from the high 70s along the coast and in downtown Los Angeles to 106 in Woodland Hills, 102 in Van Nuys and 116 in Palm Springs. A few records were set for the day Saturday, and the NWS said it appears Paso Robles set a new record for the day Sunday at 108 degrees.

Officials said the hot, dry conditions would heighten the fire risk this week. And the heat is expected to worsen before it gets better.

Hot weekend, even hotter Monday-Wednesday.

A large, high-pressure system sitting over the Great Basin in Utah and Nevada, combined with a weak onshore flow and sunny skies, will support the warming trend, said Bonnie Bartling, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Forecasters have issued an excessive-heat watch for the region from Sunday morning through Tuesday evening, Bartling said.

Monday through Wednesday are expected to be the hottest days. The valleys, mountains and deserts could see high temperatures of about 108 degrees, Bartling said.

An excessive heat warning is in place from 10 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Wednesday.

Triple-digit temps across the region

Woodland Hills, one of the hottest spots in the San Fernando Valley, is forecast at 109 degrees early next week, she said.

Downtown Los Angeles and the coastal areas likely will see high temperatures ranging from the low 90s to about 100 degrees, she said.

Overnight temperatures will remain warm, ranging from the upper 60s to upper 70s across the Los Angeles region, Bartling said.

Palm Springs is expected to be broiling, with a high of 115 degrees forecast for Sunday and a mere dip to 112 degrees Monday, with lows in the upper 80s, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego. Riverside could hit 111 degrees Monday, and Temecula could get up to 105, forecasters said.

To read the article in Spanish click here

hailey.branson@latimes.com | @haileybranson

shelby.grad@latimes.com | @shelbygrad

UPDATES:

3:30 p.m. Sunday: Updated with new forecast, new details.
After Gemmel Moore was found dead of a drug overdose in the West Hollywood home of prominent Democratic fundraiser Ed Buck, the contrasts between the two men immediately jumped out to Moores family.

Moore was 26, black and poor. He had been homeless and had worked as an escort. Buck was 62, white and wealthy, a well-known figure in LGBTQ political circles.

Now, Moores family and friends  who have questioned whether the drugs that killed him were self-administered  are wondering whether those differences in race, class and connections factor into how the investigation into his death is being handled.

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They are pressing officials to allow potential witnesses to speak with immunity from prosecution from other potential crimes, like drug use or prostitution. They say some people fear self-incrimination by talking to authorities about Buck, especially if they are black. Over the last week, the issue of immunity has been hotly debated in West Hollywood.

The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments homicide bureau last week opened a new investigation into Moores July 27 death. Initial investigations by deputies and coroners officials flagged nothing suspicious, and Buck has not been charged with a crime.

Sheriffs detectives want to speak with people who spent time with Buck, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the case.

Capt. Chris Bergner of the sheriffs homicide bureau said deputies do not grant immunity; prosecutors do. In the Moore case, he said, investigators are trying to determine whether Buck or anyone else is criminally liable for the death.

It is about getting to the truth, he said, adding that the best way for anyone to help the probe is to discuss anything related to it with authorities. Bergner declined to discuss details of the investigation.

Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, said prosecutors were assisting the Sheriffs Department. He declined to elaborate.

Bucks attorney, Seymour Amster, has denied his client did anything wrong. He said Moore was a good friend of Buck and that his death was accidental and self-imposed.

Is there any actual evidence he administered drugs to someone? No, there is no evidence, Amster said. If there is any evidence, lets see it. We are not afraid.

The issue of immunity was further fanned Monday during a West Hollywood council meeting when Mayor Pro Tem John Duran, noting his job as a criminal defense attorney, weighed in, warning that neither investigators nor city officials can grant immunity.

Transparency doesnt always work with the criminal justice system, Duran said. Transparency can subject you to criminal arrest and prosecution. So, before you do anything, you should seek legal counsel to advise you on how to proceed forward before you speak to law enforcement.

LaTisha Nixon, the mother of Gemmel Moore, speaks at a news conference outside the West Hollywood sheriffs station on Aug. 18. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Duran told The Times that he had been an attorney for Buck for the last decade but did not mention that during the council meeting. He said in an interview that he is not representing Buck in regard to Moores death.

Durans comments angered Moores mother, LaTisha Nixon, who walked out of the council chambers as the councilman spoke. She said she felt like she was being talked down to and that she thought Durans comments were inappropriate since he had represented Buck.

Buck is a longtime political donor, one-time West Hollywood City Council candidate and an activist who led the push for the citys 2011 ban on fur apparel.

Moores family and friends have questioned whether Bucks ties to elected officials have influenced the investigation.

At the City Council meeting Monday, Nixon pleaded with council members to help advocate for witness immunity.

I want you guys to please put pressure on whoever needs pressure so that these people can get immunity and I can get justice for my son, Nixon said.

Its not fair that [Buck is] such a big political donor, and Im sure hes donated to maybe some of you, but  if you guys can look past that and just help us to get justice, thats all Im asking for, she said.

I want you guys to please put pressure on whoever needs pressure so that these people can get immunity and I can get justice for my son.  LaTisha Nixon, speaking to West Hollywood City Council

Councilwoman Lindsey Horvath said from the council dais that she had personally contacted the district attorneys office, urging it to make it possible for anyone with information to come forward.

In an interview after his comments, Duran acknowledged that he was in a weird spot because he had represented Buck. He said he spoke out only after hearing Horvath encouraging people to come forward and said he felt a responsibility to let people know they should not incriminate themselves.

If any witness is coming forward, you need to have a lawyer, he said. I didnt say, dont come forward.

But former Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley questioned Durans decision to comment.

Offering wholesale legal advice to individuals strikes me as inappropriate unsolicited in a City Council meeting when there is an ongoing investigation by the sheriffs into someones death, Cooley said. He would be well-advised to button up, especially when a client of his is involved.

Cooley said that although homicide detectives cant personally offer immunity, they regularly tell potential witnesses that theyre interested in a death, not other crimes like prostitution. An attorney advising the witness will then present an offer to the district attorneys office offering certain testimony, and a high-ranking member of the office would review the need for evidence and decide whether to agree to immunity, Cooley said.

Robert Sheahen, a veteran criminal defense attorney, said informal immunity is granted by detectives almost every day.

We rely on a good deal of faith and the word of law enforcement, he said.

Buck, a tech entrepreneur millionaire, has been on the national political scene for three decades. In 1980s, as a Republican, he ran a campaign to impeach Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham. For the last decade, as a prominent Democratic booster, he has donated tens of thousands of dollars to Democratic causes and candidates, including in West Hollywood.

Nana Gyamfi, a Los Angeles attorney, said she represents at least three black men who complained about Buck and that she is seeking immunity for them from the district attorney before providing statements and evidence to sheriffs homicide detectives.

The Times has reviewed pages of a journal that authorities said was found among Moores possessions and picked up by a family friend from the coroners office.

In it, Moore purportedly wrote last year about his use of crystal methamphetamine and made accusations against Buck. Authorities said they are investigating claims made in the journal.

Ive become addicted to drugs and the worst one at that, Moore purportedly wrote. Ed Buck is the one to thank, he gave me my first injection of chrystal meth.

The entry continues: I just hope the end result isnt death.  If it didnt hurt so bad Id kill myself but Ill let Ed Buck do it for now.

The Times interviewed a man who said he reported complaints about Buck  similar to those made in the journal  to the sheriffs West Hollywood station on July 4. The man, who asked to remain anonymous, described himself as an escort. The Sheriffs Department was looking into whether he filed a report.

Amster, Bucks attorney, said his client was at home with Moore at the time of his death but Ed did not witness him ingest any drugs. The attorney said Moore was at the apartment because Ed is involved in helping the homeless to get a safe haven to take care of their sanitary needs.

Amster said his client is distraught over Moores death and is now facing accusations on the Internet from unnamed escorts.

How many weeks of spurious stories are there going to be? Amster said. It is starting to sound like character assassination.

He said hes never experienced people asking for immunity so early in a case.

Amster said the investigation does not give people the right to pry into Bucks lifestyle with consenting adults and that West Hollywood especially, which has a large LGBTQ population, should respect that stance.

hailey.branson@latimes.com

Twitter: @haileybranson

richard.winton@latimes.com

Twitter: @lacrimes
Thousands of protesters were in a celebratory mood across San Francisco on Saturday, claiming victory over a right-wing group that, in the face of large-scale resistance, canceled a rally near the Golden Gate Bridge and a subsequent news conference.

The rallys cancellation didnt stop counter-protesters and anti-fascists from showing up in force with a message that far-right groups, including neo-Nazis and white supremacists, are not welcome in this liberal, diverse city.

Droves of people filled the streets around Alamo Square Park, then marched through the Mission District with blaring party music as they fired off chants in opposition to the Trump administration, racism and the violence that plagued Charlottesville, Va., during a rally earlier this month.

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We defeated hate! one man shouted.

This is a victory rally! another man yelled. This is a victory over white supremacy!

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said he was proud of the people who came out to march.

They made sure that the themes of love and compassion dominated over hate speech, Lee said at an evening news conference.

He added, This will continue to happen because its part of the DNA of people who live and work in San Francisco, and Im extremely proud of everybodys participation here.

There was just one arrest, for public intoxication, the San Francisco Police Department said.

What you saw today was a city that came together, said SFPD Chief Bill Scott. You saw a city that communicated and coordinated, and you saw an appropriate response from the Police Department.

San Francisco officials had been concerned that violence could break out, as it has in the Bay Area before, between far-right and anti-fascist activists after the right-wing group Patriot Prayer announced a Saturday rally at Crissy Field.

Joey Gibson, the groups founder and organizer of the event, canceled the rally Friday, saying he feared violent retaliation from anti-fascist protesters. He then scheduled a news conference at Alamo Square Park for Saturday afternoon, but that too was canceled when city officials blocked access to the park.

Gibson ended up holding a news conference in Daly City with Kyle Chapman, the far-right activist and veteran of violent Bay Area protests who is known as Based Stickman. The two railed against the media and politicians, saying those forces combined to create unsafe circumstances for the rally.

Gibson has denounced white supremacists and urged nationalist figures, including Richard Spencer, to stay away from the planned event.

But Gibsons past Patriot Prayer events in Seattle and Portland, Ore., have attracted violent individuals and white supremacists, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. Jeremy Christian, a man accused of stabbing two people to death on a Portland train after they tried to stop a man from harassing Muslim women, attended one of Gibsons events, the center has said.

London Breed, president of the San Francisco board of Supervisors, announced Saturday morning that Alamo Square Park would be closed to the public. Workers erected a fence around the park.

Later, dozens of demonstrators shouting, Let us in! and holding signs that read Resist the right stood near the entrance to the park, surrounding a few dozen police officers on motorcycles wearing riot helmets.

One protester wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt, who said he was a teacher but asked not to be identified, said the demonstration was about making racists feel unwelcome in San Francisco.

Were here to stand up to white supremacy, he said. This is just one day. Theres white supremacy in our everyday lives.

The crowd appeared to have completely taken over the area where Gibsons news conference was to have been held. Many said they felt compelled to take a stand against far-right groups.

We thought it was important to put our bodies on the line, said Kelly Schultz, a 27-year-old high school teacher from nearby Richmond. I dont really have an opinion on what theyre doing, but I thought it was important to be out here against it.

In a live broadcast streamed on the online site Periscope, Gibson complained about how Lee, U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and the media had unfairly lumped his group in with white supremacists. He also criticized officials for not calling out the violent acts of anti-fascist protesters, known as antifa, at other rallies.

Do you stand with antifa or not? Ask your mayor. Ask Nancy Pelosi. Theyre using them as tools, Gibson said. Theyre afraid to speak against them.

Asked at a news conference about Gibsons comments that officials had conflated his group with white supremacists, Lee said far-right groups tried that message in other places, like Portland and Charlottesville, only to have violence occur.

If people want to have a stage in San Francisco, theyd better have a message that contributes to peoples lives rather than find ways to hurt them, the mayor said. Thats why I think certain voices found it very difficult to have their voices heard today.

The Times has repeatedly published Gibsons contentions that his group was not affiliated with white supremacists and that his comments that the list of speakers for the Freedom Rally included a black man and a transgender woman. Chapman ignored requests for comment from The Times and suggested reporters could go to hell in a Twitter tirade earlier this week.

Under close watch of U.S. Park Police, about two dozen demonstrators marched through Crissy Field, about three miles from Alamo Square Park, on Saturday afternoon with banners and chants against President Trump.

The demonstrators paid little mind to Terri Spencer and her companion, who wore a Trump/Pence cap. Spencer, 53, a Bay Area resident, said she had planned to go to the Freedom Rally to support our friends.

When it was canceled, she showed up anyway to follow the counter-protest march.

It is just misguided hate, she said. They will attack us for wearing red, white and blue. I just want this country to be united, you know, like it used to be.

Police asked marchers to stay in a small group, but otherwise did not interfere with the demonstration.

Later, a few demonstrators and Trump supporters got into a shouting match at the park, as police in riot gear stood by.

Youre the KKK! someone shouted at a man in a red Make America Great Again cap.

Im Puerto Rican! the man yelled back.

RefuseFascism begins it's own march into Crissy Field pic.twitter.com/alMdI01yL3  Paige St. John (@paigestjohn) August 26, 2017

On Friday, Gibson and the organizer of a similar rally set for Sunday in Berkeley both said they were canceling the events due to threats of violence from anti-fascist groups.

In an earlier statement, Lee said the permit for the Crissy Field event had been rescinded. But late Friday, a group called the American Freedom Keepers created a Facebook group urging people to show up for the canceled event anyway.

Officials in San Francisco and Berkeley said they were still preparing for street clashes, and counter-protesters at the rally in the Mission District urged demonstrators to make their presence felt in Berkeley on Sunday.

As of Saturday morning, the Facebook page for Sundays Say No To Marxism rally in Berkeley listed the event as canceled. The organizer, Amber Cummings, said in a Facebook message to The Times on Friday that she was asking that no one come to my event.

Cummings cited grave concerns for the safety of the people attending my event.

Cummings wrote that she still planned to go to Berkeleys Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park on Sunday but that I will attend this event alone.

james.queally@latimes.com

paigest.john@latimes.com

ben.oreskes@latimes.com

Times staff writers Deborah Netburn and Hailey Branson-Potts contributed to this report.

ALSO

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Former L.A. Sheriffs Department psychologist convicted of sex crimes against children under 10

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UPDATES:

5:25 p.m.: This article was updated with more comments from demonstrators.

4:55 p.m.: This article was updated with more comments from organizer of Freedom Rally.

3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with new details about the demonstration near Alamo Square Park.

3:20 p.m.: This article was updated with additional information about protests in San Francisco, comments from a press conference held by the founder of Patriot Prayer and additional background on the far-right groups who canceled events in the Bay Area on Saturday.

2 p.m.: This article was updated with more details about demonstrations.

This article was originally posted at 12:45 p.m.
A former Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department psychologist was convicted Friday of multiple sexual assaults of two young children, officials said.

Michael Dane Ward, 45, faces a possible life sentence for the crimes, which involved oral copulation, sodomy and lewd acts on children under the age of 10, the Los Angeles County district attorneys office said in a statement.

The victims were a boy and girl, prosecutors said.

Ward, whose work with the Sheriffs Department had involved advising and training law enforcement officers, was relieved of duty when he was arrested by the Sheriffs Departments Special Victims Bureau last year. The assaults were unrelated to his job, officials said.

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The boy and girl, who were assaulted between October 2013 and November 2015, testified against Ward at trial. Jurors deliberated for three days before finding Ward guilty of four counts of lewd acts on a child, two counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14, three counts of oral copulation of a child 10 years old or younger and one count of sodomy with a child under 10.

Both children were under the age of 10 at the time they were assaulted, according to the district attorneys office.

Wards attorneys did not return calls or e-mails for comment Friday afternoon.

Ward, of La Canada-Flintridge, is expected to be sentenced Oct. 19.

maya.lau@latimes.com

Twitter: @mayalau
Search and rescue teams sifted through wreckage across Texas Saturday after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast as a powerful Category 4 storm, flattening mobile homes, tearing roofs off buildings and leaving more than 300,000 homes and businesses without power.

Across southern Texas, officials had yet to uncover the full extent of the damage. Heavy rain and lashing winds had covered roads in debris, blocking access to many small towns and rural areas.

Roy Laird, assistant chief with the Rockport Volunteer Fire Department, said three people were dead in Aransas County. Throughout the day, emergency responders combed through the debris of collapsed buildings, broken power poles and uprooted palm trees.

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With winds topping 130 mph, Harvey is the first Category 4 storm to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Charley struck Florida in 2004, and the first to hit Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961.

Even as Harvey weakened Saturday to a tropical storm with 65 mph winds, weather officials warned residents to expect extremely serious flooding, life-threatening storm surges and tornadoes.

Tropical storm barely moving, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an afternoon advisory Saturday, noting that the storm was stalling about 45 miles northwest of Victoria and was not expected to leave the area for days. Torrential rains will continue.

This is just the beginning, said Jeff Evans, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Houston/Galveston office. We could see catastrophic flooding for a lot of people, historic flooding for parts of Texas. Were looking at measuring rainfall not in inches, but in feet.

The eye of the storm made landfall about 10 p.m. Friday near Rockport, a small fishing town about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, snapping trees, tossing boats onto roads and demolishing homes and businesses.

Its about what you would expect if a Category 4 hurricane entered your front door, said Rockport Mayor Charles C.J. Wax, who had evacuated to San Antonio. Widespread devastation.

At the Saltgrass Landing apartment complex, several brick buildings were destroyed. It looked as if the seaward half of each building had simply melted under the force of the hurricanes winds, exposing the interiors for anyone to see.

One crib on a second-floor apartment was piled full of blankets and soggy bits of dry wall and insulation. Dressers and washing machines had toppled out of the building. But there were no sounds of shouting, or crying, or saws and hammers. Just an atonal symphony of smoke alarms from several apartments and the barking of two lost dogs.

Mobile home parks in the city were similarly devastated and abandoned, with many homes tossed on their sides. One home near the Four Seasons Mart was destroyed. No trace of its owner was left except for the overpowering odor of spilled cologne.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott expanded a state of emergency from 30 to 50 counties Saturday. At a news conference he said that there had already been about 20 inches of rain in Corpus Christi and about 16 inches in Houston.

Our primary concern remains dramatic flooding, he said. Our biggest concern is the possibility of between 20 and 30 more inches of rain.

Rockports firefighters worked Saturday with no Internet service and only one phone line, which rang nonstop as residents called to ask responders to check in on their loved ones. Many people havent been able to reach family and friends since the storm hit and knocked out cellphone service.

The city has been threatened many times by storms that didnt turn out to be devastating. Many people, Laird said, chose to wait out Harvey instead of evacuating.

This is something that just snuck up on us, he said. We did the best we could with the time we had.

Trailer park homes flattened by Hurricane Harvey in Victoria. @mattdpearce pic.twitter.com/l0kHnjtXA4  Robert Gauthier (@rgaut999) August 26, 2017

Amid drizzle and pummeling winds, the citys two emergency teams were using backhoes, dump trucks and bulldozers to clear debris off the roads and allow ambulances and firetrucks to traverse the city.

Im very worried about the days ahead, Mayor Wax said, noting that rain falling farther inland was likely to flow to the coast and into his community. Weve already been hit once with the storm. Now were going to get hit again with a flood.

Outside Rockport, a marina had been transformed into a graveyard of pleasure boats. Blown open by the winds, a mass storage structure revealed boats smashed into each other like a pile of dominoes. The remaining sheet metal on the structure clattered and groaned in the winds as a handful of boat owners tried to secure the area.

Kelly White, 45, and Terry Reed, 63, both of Rockport, had fled the storm before landfall, then accidentally drove into a tornado when they first tried to return early Saturday morning.

The cyclone briefly lifted the back wheels of Reeds Chevy Tahoe off the ground, leaving the tires accelerating helplessly when he hit the gas. Thats when they decided to turn back.

Now they were trying to board up a friends marina-front home after the storm blew in the windows on one end and propelled the contents of the home out the other.

He let us drink beer on his porch, so we keep his house in shape, said White as the men nailed a soggy piece of particle board over an exposed window.

Reed was relieved to discover that his boat, which had been tied to the dock, had only been tossed to the opposite side of the marina instead of sinking to the bottom.

This wasnt a major, major hurricane, Reed said.

Richard Helmich, 72, was not so lucky. His boat, the Gypsy Soul, was pinned between two larger boats. He also lost his 54-foot house trailer. Now he stood among his scattered belongings where a storage hut at the marina had tipped over and spilled its contents.

Hard to believe this was the roof, Helmich said, looking at the pile of wood in front of him.

About 20 miles south, the small town of Port Aransas on Mustang Island suffered heavy damage.

Our town took a real beating, Mayor Charles R. Bujan said. We took a major hit, but there was no life lost  no injuries  thank God.

The hurricane wreaked havoc in the towns marina, he said, and the Pioneer RV Beach Resort, a trailer park nestled in the sand dunes south of downtown, was destroyed.

It is 100% gone, he said. Luckily, the owner made everyone there leave.

Some footage from early this morning in Victoria, when the winds were howling and everybody was still hunkered down. pic.twitter.com/DWELJa3bNC  Matt Pearce  (@mattdpearce) August 26, 2017

In Victoria, a town of 62,000 people about 30 miles from the coast, heavy rains were pounding sideways Saturday as ferocious winds lashed the city.

The streets were empty of cars and littered with downed trees and power lines. Several gas station overhangs had collapsed and fallen onto the pumps below. Water began to pool on neighborhood streets.

At a Red Cross shelter, more than 300 residents huddled inside, slumped on cots as they awaited news about the storm.

The initial hurricane warning spanned a wide stretch of coastline from Port Mansfield to Sargent, an area that is home to about 4 million people. An additional 12 million, many in the major cities of Houston and San Antonio, were under a tropical storm warning.

What makes Harvey so potentially dangerous, even as it weakens, is that it will continue to linger in the area, meteorologists say.

Typically, a hurricane comes in and pulls inland, Laird said, but this is moving slowly, and its expected to stall, wobble and maybe loop back to where it came in.

On Saturday morning, the National Weather Service warned that some areas could get as much as 40 inches of rain  about the amount of rainfall many Texas coastal towns get in a year.

Along the coast, some residents ventured out Saturday morning to check on family and friends. Its like a little ghost town, Eddie Canales, 69, said as he drove his car across Corpus Christi  past broken fences, toppled trees and dark traffic lights  to check on his uncle and cousins.

Theres very little traffic, Canales said. All the Whataburgers are closed  every single one of them.

The winds had calmed, and there was little floodwater, he said. With his house intact, his main concern was when power would be restored.

Everything seems to be getting back to normal, Canales said. If electrical power comes back, Ill be prepared. If not, Ill have to move further inland.

Before the eye of the storm reached land, President Trump announced on Twitter that he had granted Gov. Abbotts request for a disaster declaration, which unleashes the full force of government help!

Shortly after midnight, downgraded to a Category 3 storm, Harvey made a second landfall along the northeastern shore of Copano Bay, the National Weather Service reported.

Before Harvey, the most recent major hurricane to make landfall was Wilma, a Category 3 storm that hit Florida in October 2005, two months after Hurricane Katrina.

Historically, slow-moving tropical storms and hurricanes have caused some of Texas most severe flooding. In 2001, Tropical Storm Allison hovered above the Houston area for days, in some neighborhoods dumping up to 30 inches of rain  as much as 80% of the areas average annual rainfall.

The last hurricane to hit the Texas coast  Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 storm that wreaked havoc after making landfall in Galveston in 2008  killed at least 37 people and resulted in more than $30 billion in damage.

Hurricane Harvey poses the first major test of emergency response for the Trump administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agencys new administrator, Brock Long, who was confirmed in June.

Trump plans to travel to Texas next week, Homeland Security advisor Tom Bossert said. Speaking to reporters at a news briefing Friday, he added that federal officials had significantly improved their ability to respond to natural disasters since Hurricane Katrina caused widespread flooding in New Orleans in 2005, and that the president seemed determined to provide help to Texas in the face of the storm.

In some parts of Texas, residents were bombarded with contradictory advice from state and local officials as the storm approached.

On Friday afternoon, Abbott urged residents of low-lying and coastal areas prone to flooding  including parts of Houston  to evacuate.

What you dont know and what nobody else knows right now is the magnitude of flooding that will be coming, the governor said.

Shortly afterward, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner reminded residents that city officials had not issued an evacuation order and urged them to stay in place, noting that residents fleeing Hurricane Rita in 2005 had caused major traffic chaos.

Please think twice before trying to leave Houston en masse, he said on Twitter. No evacuation orders have been issued for the city.

Flash floods and isolated tornadoes popped up throughout the Houston metropolitan area Saturday, closing roads or making them impassable. One tornado hit about 30 miles northwest of downtown just after 4 p.m. and later blew over trees and caused minor roof damage to a home, said Paul Lewis, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Houston/Galveston office.

In the coming days, the storms impact is likely to be felt in neighboring Louisiana, where Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency Thursday for the entire state.

Just a few inches of rain could cause severe challenges in New Orleans, which is still recovering from flooding after thunderstorms earlier this month overwhelmed the citys drainage system.

New Orleans police officers set up barricades in flood-prone areas Saturday to prevent drivers from venturing into high water. Emergency officials did not advise residents to evacuate but urged them to keep sandbags on hand, stock up with three days worth of supplies and remove leaves and other debris from in front of catch basin openings.

Times staff writers Pearce and Castillo reported from Victoria, Texas, and Los Angeles, respectively. Special correspondent Jarvie reported from Atlanta.

matt.pearce@latimes.com

Twitter: @mattdpearce

andrea.castillo@latimes.com

Twitter: @andreamcastillo

MORE NATIONAL NEWS

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UPDATES:

6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details of the damage in Rockport.

2:50 p.m.: This article has been updated with reporting on New Orleans and the National Hurricane Center.

12:50 p.m.: This article has been updated with details from Rockport and Port Aranas and comments from the Texas governor.

12:05 p.m.: This article was updated with news of three confirmed deaths.

11:15 a.m.: This article was updated with the downgrading of the storm from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm.

10:55 a.m.: This article was updated with conditions in Rockport.

This article was originally published at 8:55 a.m.
Of course, its outrageous that President Trump has now officially issued an order banning transgender people from enlisting in the military. His triple-tweet statement a month ago introducing this idea  and taking all his top military officials by surprise  was bad enough. But seeing as it was Twitter, not exactly the forum for official U.S. policy, we all hoped he would just let it dissipate into the cyber ether. But no such luck. The White House has now issued an official directive  although they conveniently put it out on a late summer Friday afternoon, just as a bully of a hurricane bearing down on Texas has commandeered the news cycle.

However, the official directive doesnt offer any more substance on this issue than Trumps tweets did. In fact, its mystifying that the president would say there is no basis for concluding that allowing transgender troops to serve in the military would not hinder military readiness or unit cohesion. There are already 18 militaries around the world that allow transgender people to serve openly. Of the four studied closely by the Rand Corp. for its report on transgender people in the military, none reported a negative impact on operational readiness or cohesion. Also, there are already an estimated 2,450 transgender people on active duty in the U.S. military. And its possible they would have a legal case for discrimination. Five transgender women in the military have already filed a lawsuit accusing Trump and the Pentagon of unconstitutional discrimination.

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However, Trump put some interesting stipulations in the directive that could eventually get us out of this ill-considered policy and allow him to save face as well. For one thing, he leaves it up to his secretary of Defense, James N. Mattis, to decide the fate of transgender men and women already serving. (He will probably let them continue with their service unless there is some other reason, beside their gender status, to dismiss them. Why would he not?)

And Trump says the policy stays  until the secretary of Defense advises him at any time that a change is warranted. That truly puts this in Mattis court. As it is, Mattis had delayed full implementation of President Obamas July 2016 order to allow transgender troops into the military until more research could be done. That study was expected by the end of the year.

Mattis should continue that study and, when its completed  if not before  offer Trump a bill of particulars for allowing transgender troops in the military immediately. Then lets put this ignoble move behind the country and the military.

carla.hall@latimes.com

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: As the father of a daughter with special needs, this shakes me to my core. For the San Luis Obispo County jailers to shackle a naked and schizophrenic Andrew Holland to a chair for two days, covered in his own filth, with minimal food and water is reprehensible. (Naked, filthy and strapped to a chair for 46 hours: a mentally ill inmates last days, Aug. 23)

And this happened after Holland was in isolation for 10 days. His parents were not allowed to visit him or give him the medication he needed. Why?

According to your reporting, this was the third death of an inmate in San Luis Obispo County in nine months. For the county to pay out $5 million before the parents even filed a claim or a lawsuit speaks volumes.

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To know this happens in California is beyond depressing. My heart goes out to Hollands parents.

Rob Shanahan, Venice

..

To the editor: The article describes the condition of Holland just prior to his death as naked, filthy and strapped to a chair. The caption below his picture states, Andrew Hollands death shows how county jails are struggling to properly care for mentally ill inmates.

The jail staff were torturing and dehumanizing this young man. If this is an example of the struggle to properly care for mentally ill inmates, all inmates with mental health issues are at grave risk.

I hope the people responsible for this cruel treatment will be prosecuted.

Judy Melton, Pasadena

..

To the editor: According to the county Sheriffs Department, Hollands death was due to poor communication.

Seriously? How about a complete and utter lack of any shred of humanity on the jailers part?

We need our police and jailers to be human beings first. Had they shown even an ounce of compassion, Holland might still be alive today.

They should lose their jobs.

Mary Ellen Barnes, San Pedro

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
The Wisconsin Supreme Court has decided to quit funding a council that helps justices revise legal procedures across the state after the councils attorney got a raise of more than $22,000.

The 21-member council includes judges, legislators and attorneys. The group studies court practices and makes recommendations to the Supreme Court on how to improve the system. The Supreme Court provides the council with $111,400 each year, with $59,600 going to pay the councils only employee, attorney April Southwick.

Council minutes indicate the panels four-person executive committee voted via teleconference in June to give Southwick the title of executive director and raise her salary from $59,600 to $82,326. The committee decided that salary level was consummate with other similar positions in the judicial branch.

The Supreme Court notified the state Department of Administration by letter on Aug. 17 that the justices were concerned about the raise and had decided to stop funding the council by the time Gov. Scott Walker signs the 2017-19 state budget. The letter called the size of the raise extraordinary and said justices were concerned about the process used to award it.

Director of State Courts Randy Koshnick sent an email to the state DOA on Aug. 1 alleging that under state law the executive committee couldnt authorize the raise. He pointed out that state law requires a quorum of at least 11 council members to take action.

Justices Ann Walsh Bradley and Shirley Abrahamson, who make up the courts liberal-leaning minority, dissented. Bradley wrote that the court didnt have a thorough discussion about defunding the council and called the decision ill-advised. She said the council has served the court well for more than 60 years, helping craft evidence rules, civil and criminal procedures and appellate practices.

Judicial Council Chairman Tom Bertz, who sits on the executive committee, didnt reply to a voicemail Friday.

Southwick said in an email to The Associated Press that the raise was meant to bring her salary up to the same level as a male judicial branch employee in a similar position and declined further comment. She didnt reply to follow-up emails asking who the male employee is and why she didnt advise the executive committee that a council quorum had to approve the raise.

Walker proposed eliminating the council in the state budget, saying the Supreme Court has the authority to create an advisory group on its own if it so chooses. The Legislatures budget-writing committee removed that language from the spending plan in May after the court opposed it.

Chief Justice Patience Roggensack sent a letter to the committees co-chair, Sen. Alberta Darling, the same day the court sent the order to DOA telling her that the raise was out of line and the justices have withdrawn support for the council. Darling aide Bob Delaporte said shes considering revisiting Walkers proposal to eliminate the council in light of Roggensacks letter.
To the editor: Its very sad and even painful to see children suffering in the conditions present in the Gaza Strip. (In Gaza, we get four hours of electricity a day  if were lucky, Opinion, Aug. 20.)

Abier Almasri writes that Israel bears responsibility under international law to facilitate normal life and that Hamas exercises internal control. Hamas does indeed control and keep 2.5 million people as human shields. It perpetuates hate by educating children in its anti-Semitic ideology. How can someone ask Israel to bear responsibility when Gaza is in fact controlled by Hamas?

I am a 90-year-old Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Israel Defense Forces. It is my dream to live side by side in peace with my Palestinian cousins  if not with love, then at least as friendly neighbors. But with Hamas in power, we cannot sit quietly without recognizing the hatred that is fueled in what could be a flourishing Mediterranean society.

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Joshua Kaufman, Los Angeles

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To the editor: It is curious why Almasri doesnt also hold Egypt partially responsible for the plight of the citizens of Gaza.

Gaza, which is contiguous to and could be looked at as part of the Sinai Peninsula, was under Egyptian rule until it was occupied by Israel in 1967 in the Six Day War. Israel subsequently signed a peace treaty with Egypt and totally withdrew from Sinai in 1982. Unfortunately, Egypt did not want to resume control of Gaza or confer citizenship on its residents.

Israel reluctantly continued its occupation of Gaza until 2005, when it unilaterally withdrew, leaving behind a flourishing greenhouse industry to boost the Gazan economy. The border crossing between Gaza and Israel was left open, enabling those with work permits to earn a living wage in Israel. But rockets soon rained down on Israel, and Hamas was elected to govern. Israel closed its border in 2007 (as did Egypt at the southern end of the strip), and the rest is history.

The people of Gaza are indeed pawns  of their own making. They chose conflict over peace with their neighbors and are suffering the consequences.

Pauline Regev, Santa Monica

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
To the editor: Randall Balmer shines a light on the scandal embroiling white evangelicalism: President Trump and some evangelicals found one another by mutual resonance with toxic white supremacy. (Under Trump, evangelicals show their true racist colors, Opinion, Aug. 23)

There are white people in America who call themselves evangelical yet demonstrate complicity with a white supremacy that scandalizes the gospel  and there are other white evangelicals in America who categorically and publicly disagree.

Balmer points out what many evangelical leaders have been decrying for years and what this election made apparent: that culture sometimes overshadows the gospel in determining the evangelical political vision. Evangelicalism is a movement dedicated to the primacy of faith in the way of Jesus, so this confusion of priorities is a crisis.

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The word evangelical has morphed from being commonly used to describe a set of theological and spiritual commitments into a passionately defended, theo-political brand. Worse, that brand has become synonymous with social arrogance, ignorance and prejudice  all antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Balmers claims, while not new, are deservedly painful for millions of white evangelicals who are deeply offended by racism, repelled by Trump, and who vocally deny the false theo-political brand that co-opts the faith we hold dear.

The call now to these white evangelicals is to subvert the racism within and around us. This must be fueled by honest self-examination and lead to an understanding that we are far more complicit in white supremacy than we might understand. Then, we must repent our guilt.

I am continually dumbfounded by Christians who defend Trumps religious zeal in the face of copious evidence to the contrary.  Derek Engdahl, Pomona

Repentance is not the seed of shame; its fruit is to empower the repentant ones to actively change course toward justice, both personal and systemic.

Mark Labberton, Pasadena

The writer is president of Fuller Theological Seminary.

..

To the editor: What a hatchet job Balmers piece is.

Evangelicals partner with churches of every color around the world, sponsor programs for the needy around the country and world, and cheerfully coexist in congregations that include whites, Asians, Latinos and African Americans  but our true colors are racist?

Shame on The Times for showing its own bigotry and bias by publishing such tripe.

Patrick Goodrich, Brea

..

To the editor: Trumps purported racism played a role in his election, but even within the white evangelical bloc it probably didnt net him many votes.

I have dear relatives who are Protestant and say they voted for Trump so they could get Vice President Mike Pence.

These pious souls have hoped that Trump will be ousted ere long, leaving Im a Christian first Pence to take over. Theyve reasoned that Pence will learn from his tenure and enhance his appeal as a future presidential candidate.

Either way, they deem Pence far more likely to advance a faith-friendly agenda than either candidate on the Clinton-Kaine ticket might have. Evangelicals obviously concur.

As much as racism raised its ugly head during the campaign, the Trump-Pence tickets shrewd playing of the God card proved pivotal.

Sarah S. Williams, Santa Barbara

..

To the editor: The tragic truth is that many conservative Christians seem more loyal to the Republican Party than God. However, a similar critique could be made about many liberal Christians commitment to the Democrats.

Because so many Christians limit their civic engagement to a only a few issues, they tend to join the party that best aligns with their views on those issues and ignore or even defend the un-Christian values within the group. I am continually dumbfounded by Christians who defend Trumps religious zeal in the face of copious evidence to the contrary.

In contrast, Jesus never joined himself to any political (or even religious) agenda in his day. For him, the kingdom of God was preeminent; it was the lens through which all other institutions were viewed. Because of this, Jesus was an equal-opportunity offender, a speaker of truth to all kinds of power.

As Christians, we are first and foremost citizens of the kingdom of God and only secondarily of our country. This correct perspective should call us to speak up now against racism, misogyny, classism, tyranny, greed and other forms of oppression. But it should also lead us not to silence our voices when the occupant of the Oval Office is a Democrat.

Derek Engdahl, Pomona

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook
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.
President Trump issued an executive pardon Friday to Joe Arpaio, the controversial former Arizona sheriff who was a hero to the right and a national nemesis of Latinos, immigration advocates and civil rights groups.

Arpaio, 85, was convicted in July of criminal contempt for violating a federal court order to stop racially profiling Latinos. He was scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 5 and faced a maximum of six months in jail.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now 85 years old, and after more than 50 years of admirable service to our nation, he is [a] worthy candidate for a presidential pardon, a statement issued by the White House said.

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There was immediate reaction from some of those who have accused the aging lawman of brutality and racism.

With his pardon of Arpaio, President Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing, the American Civil Liberties Union said on Twitter.

He should be held accountable. No one is above the law, tweeted U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Arpaio hurt Arizonans and cost taxpayers a great amount of grief and money.

Arpaio said he was humbled and incredibly grateful to the president and looked forward to putting this chapter behind me.

Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!  Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) August 26, 2017

I am humbled and incredibly grateful to President Trump. I look fwd to putting this chapter behind me and helping to #MAGA  Sheriff Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) August 26, 2017

The president has broad power under the Constitution to pardon people convicted of federal crimes. Trump had all but promised to pardon Arpaio in tweets and comments in recent weeks, yet acknowledged the political furor his pardon was likely to ignite.

I wont do it tonight because I dont want to cause any controversy, Trump told a raucous political rally in Phoenix on Aug. 22. He added, Ill make a prediction: I think hes going to be just fine.

Arpaio did not attend the Phoenix rally because he did not get a White House invitation and did not want to cause any havoc, he told the Los Angeles Times in an interview a day earlier. He also said he had not spoken with the president since Trump took office.

By weeks end, though, the Trump administration issued the statement announcing the pardon, citing Arpaios long years of selfless public service that began with his enlistment during the Korean War and continued through his years as a police officer, special agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration and, finally, a highly controversial sheriff in Arizona.

Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration, the White House statement said.

Other supporters applauded the move. President Trump recognized Sheriff Arpaio was doing his job, following the law, and this is why he deserves to be pardoned, James Fotis, president of the National Center for Police Defense, said in a statement. The organization said Arpaio removed individuals that were in the United States illegally  many of which were hardened criminals and gang members.

During his trial, Arpaio was found guilty of ignoring a federal courts order to cease patrols that racially profiled Latinos and stopped them on suspicion they were in the country illegally.

In November, Arpaio lost his bid for a seventh term after a race in which his hard-line record was a top issue.

The bond between Trump and Arpaio first formed over their shared false belief that President Obama probably wasnt born in the United States and thus was an usurper president. Obama was born in Hawaii.

After Trump entered the presidential race in July 2015, Arpaio invited him to Phoenix to talk about a crackdown on illegal immigration. He endorsed Trump just before the first votes in the Iowa caucuses last year and became a frequent campaign surrogate.

Trump had told Fox News that he was seriously considering pardoning Arpaio.

He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. Hes a great American patriot, and I hate to see what has happened to him, the president said.

As White House aides prepared paperwork for the pardon  reportedly without the usual assistance of Justice Department lawyers  they also drafted talking points for supporters to defend the presidents action.

It was Arpaios roughly quarter-century as sheriff that gave him a national reputation, or notoriety, for his tough treatment of people suspected of being in the country illegally. Repeated court findings against his office for civil rights violations cost local taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

In the early 1990s Arpaio directed construction of a tent city for detainees, open to the burning Arizona sun, both to alleviate overcrowding and to underscore his aggressive enforcement measures.

He famously made prisoners wear pink underwear and handcuffs, reinstated chain gangs for men, women and juveniles, and cut out lunches.

Its time to get tough around here, he said in 1993.

Arpaio embraced the nickname Americas Toughest Sheriff and many Republican candidates sought his endorsement at election time. Over time, however, as the Latino voting population grew in Arizona and other states, the national Republican Party became wary of Arpaio. Trump changed that.

In 2013, Obamas Justice Department had sued Arpaios office, alleging long-running discriminatory policies, in particular the practice of racially profiling Latino drivers. The case was settled in 2015.

In 2016, Arpaio had a speaking role at the Republican National Convention that officially nominated Trump for the presidency.

Times staff writer Kurtis Lee in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

jackie.calmes@latimes.com

Twitter: @jackiecalmes

UPDATES:

6:45 p.m.: The story was updated with a statement from a national police group.

6:25 p.m.: The story was updated with Arpaios reaction on Twitter.

5:40 p.m.: The story was updated with initial reaction on social media.

The story was originally published at 5:05 p.m.
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.
A Beloit man was arrested Friday on multiple counts of child enticement and other related charges, the Rock County Sheriff's Office said.

Police allege that Justin L. Germann, 41, had sexual contact with at least two juveniles. Police believe there could be more minors Germann was in contact with, said Rock County Sheriff's Office Capitain Todd Christainsen.

Germann was arrested Friday in Rock Township after detectives, posing as one of the victims, set up a meeting with Germann through social media, Christainsen said.

Police were contacted earlier this month by parents of a juvenile victim that had had sexual contact with an adult male, he said.

Germann was arrested on five counts of child enticement and two counts of causing a child to view sexual activity, according to the sheriff's office.
Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine in Newport Beach is under renovation.

The project, which began this summer, will include a revamping of the main dining room, exhibition kitchen, private dining rooms and an expansion of the patio. It will also feature a new bar.

Flemings is open for the business during the renovation, which is scheduled to be completed this fall.

Rubys Diner to host school supplies drive

The Newport Beach-based Rubys Diner chain is having a back-to-school drive in September.

Each Rubys is looking to fill backpacks with donated school supplies that will benefit low-income school districts. Requested supplies include backpacks, planners, notebooks, graphing paper, calculators, highlighters, glue sticks, erasers, index note cards, pen, pencils, colored pencils, rulers, protractors, mini staplers, pocket folders, crayons, markers, pencil pouches and facial tissues.

Participating restaurants include those in Costa Mesa and Huntington Beach.

Pacific Life Foundation donates to nonprofits

The Newport Beach-based Pacific Life Foundation recently granted $2 million to four marine mammal and ocean-focused nonprofits, according to a news release.

Funds went to Ocean Conservancy, Oceana, the Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund. Each will receive a commitment of $500,000 distributed over a five-year period, with the first payment this year, according to a news release.

For over two decades, the Pacific Life Foundation has advocated for the conservation and research of marine mammals and to improve the health of our oceans, Tennyson Oyler, president of the Pacific Life Foundation, said in a statement. The humpback whale is at the heart of the Pacific Life brand and we feel its critical to support these agencies in their work to protect ocean health and marine mammal life.

Malarkys to have 40th anniversary parties

Malarkys Irish Pub in Newport Beach is having two parties to celebrate its 40th anniversary on Sept. 20.

One will be private and have regulars and other invited guests. A public celebration will follow.

The celebration will be themed to the 1970s, with nods to Smokey and the Bandit, Star Wars and Grease.

Costa Mesa chamber releases app

The Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce has released a free app called Whats UP Costa Mesa.

The app, first announced earlier this year, is available on Apple and Android devices. It offers a citywide list of information and events for residents, employees and visitors to Costa Mesa. It will also offer local discounts.

Lagunas Skyloft expands to Ohio

Skyloft, a Laguna Beach restaurant specializing in smokehouse meats and seafood, is expanding with a new location in Columbus, Ohio.

It will be in the citys Brewery District.

The Laguna Skyloft will be getting in on the Ohio spirit, according to a press release, by catering to Buckeye fans by airing sporting events and offering food specials.
For the second time in three years, officials at the OC Fair & Event Center held a ceremony to unveil a memorial commemorating the contributions of the countys agricultural workers.

Fridays event represented the end of a months-long renovation of Table of Dignity  located next to Centennial Farm at the Orange County fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.

The memorial is made up of two rammed-earth entry portals. A sculptural table fashioned from a large boulder and single-cut tree slab sits between them.

Its design is meant to celebrate Orange Countys agricultural heritage and provide a place for people to reflect on the workers who toil to provide food for tables near and far.

The Table of Dignity is a significant addition to our educational zone at the OC Fair & Event Center, Chief Executive Kathy Kramer said in a statement. Along with Heroes Hall and Centennial Farm, our agricultural workers memorial will be open year-round to honor our past as we work toward the future. I am happy that the Table of Dignity is here to provide a beautiful place to pause and reflect upon the contributions these workers made to Orange County.

Table of Dignity  originally designed by Ricardo Mendoza and Josh Sarantitis  was first unveiled during a ceremony on Labor Day 2015.

However, it had to be closed off and renovated last year due to concerns about its structural integrity.

That extra work raised the price tag of the memorial to about $350,000  its original budget was $90,000.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney
There have been times when I write this restaurant column, which discovers and rediscovers fun places to eat, that Ive had less than stellar dining experiences

Back in May, my little rescue dog Stasha and I had lunch at La Vida Cantina at The Triangle in Costa Mesa, and it wasnt great.

The hostess initially wouldnt let Stasha dine on the patio in her pet stroller until a manager intervened. My tacos werent great and service was sketchy, so I didnt recommend the place.

Jane Gillespie, who handles public relations for the restaurant, contacted me afterward.

The management and owners saw your column and were dismayed that you had a less-than-great experience at the restaurant, she wrote. They would like to invite you back in as their guest.

Stasha and I accepted the invitation, and July 31 Stasha and I returned to lunch there with Gillespie, one of the owners, Rob Arellano, and General Manager Juan Rangel.

It was a very different dining experience this time.

Arellano, who also is co-owner in The Triangles Sutra nightclub, said at the time of my first visit they were newly opened and didnt have a clear doggy dining policy.

Now they do.

Dogs are warmly welcomed as guests arrive. Our waiter even offered Stasha a water this time around.

Guests with furry friends are seated throughout the patio unless the restaurant is very busy, then a section is designated for animals and their owners.

Arellano tells me they are even toying with the idea of starting a Yappy Hour one night.

He says since my last visit they have a new chef and have invested in better training of serving staff. Another big help: bringing on Rangel, who has extensive restaurant experience.

During my visit, the guys talked about their commitment to giving diners a great Mexican food experience.

Arellano agreed opening a Mexican restaurant in the same space where the ill-fated El Corazon had opened and closed in less than a year was risky.

He felt he could be successful where El Corazon was not, and though La Vida Cantina faltered a bit in the beginning, it has corrected course.

I felt Arellano and Rangel were sincere in their passion to make La Vida Cantina a success. And it seems to be working.

I sampled items from their popular bar menu like Las Chiquitas (Sliders), $12, made with lean beef mixed with chopped onions, poblano peppers, red bell peppers, mushrooms and jalapeno, topped with pepper jack cheese, chipotle coleslaw and avocado in a chipotle ketchup dressed bun, served with shoe string fries. They were delicious.

The El Mexi-Dog, $11.50, jalapeno bacon wrapped spicy cheddar hot dog in a chipotle ketchup dressed bun, topped with a chipotle coleslaw and shoestring fries, was also very tasty.

And the Carne Asada Fries, $13, shoestring fries topped with grilled Angus steak, Ricos queso, jack cheese, salsa fresca, guacamole, Mexican cream and cotija cheese  also very good.

Arellano, who lives in Costa Mesa, says their Saturday and Sunday brunches are so popular they are now planning to offer a Friday brunch as well.

La Vida Cantina has two happy hours  4 to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Fridays and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays to Saturdays.

They serve food until closing but the menu pairs down a bit late at night.

After lunch, my opinion of the restaurant drastically changed.

But was the food and service better because I was sitting with the owner and general manager?

I wondered. So when a friend called to meet for dinner a few days later, I suggested we try La Vida Cantina.

We arrived unannounced and were treated wonderfully.

It was a Monday night, and kids under 12 eat free, so the place was crowded and family friendly.

This trip I decided to order the same dish I had on my first visit, Tacos Suaves, $13.25, two corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken, guacamole, shredded cabbage, cotija cheese and a drizzle of chipotle cream.

I asked if they could make one taco with steak, as I had on my initial visit that the waiter couldnt get straight.

This time our waiter was more than agreeable. The order arrived perfectly and was yummy.

Since then, Stasha and I have been back several times. The food and service remains consistently good. Its now one of our favorite spots for Mexican food.

Im glad Gillespie and Arellano reached out to me after the first column. Its always great to see entrepreneurs taking pride in what they do, and who are willing to assess a problem and correct it.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached at bvontv1@gmail.com.
Everyone remembers when they got their first pet, whether it was a bird, a cat, a dog, a bunny or even a pair of little turtles. And the bond between you and your pet was indelible, strong.

As a kid, you would become partners in crime with your pet. Not only were they a willing playmate but they were also your best friend. They taught you how to love. How to deal with sadness, death.

One came of age with a pet. And that unbreakable bond is just as unyielding and important between an adult and their pet.

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More from L.A. Times pets 

Novelists, playwrights and filmmakers have all captured the unique relationship between animals and humans.

One of the most recent was the touching, feel-good Megan Leavey, which arrives on Blu-ray next month.

Kate Mara stars in this heart tugger based on a true story of a young female Marine who develops a strong connection with a German shepherd named Rex who has been trained to sniff out IEDs in Iraq.

Just as with most animal movies, make sure to have a lot of tissues at the ready for Megan Leavey.

Over the years, many films have captured the union between humans and animals. Here are just a few we love:

The Wizard of Oz: Its Dorothys love for Toto thats catalyst for the girl to leave home with the tiny dog, only to get caught in the tornado and swept away to Munchkinland. Their bond is so strong, Toto risks life and limbs to lead the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion to the imprisoned Dorothy, played, of course, by Judy Garland.

Pal starred with Roddy McDowall in Lassie Come Home in 1943. (John Fung / Los Angeles Times)

Lassie Come Home: After a boys impoverished family must sell his beloved collie, the dog escapes and travels hundreds of miles to be reunited with his young master.

National Velvet: A young Elizabeth Taylor is perfectly cast as Velvet, who trains the unruly stallion and, disguising herself as a boy, is determined to race him to victory in Englands Grand National.

The Yearling: Coming-of-age film about a young boy with a pet deer.

Old Yeller: Many can be brought to tears by the mere mention of this heart-breaking drama about two brothers and their love for their large, endearing mutt.

101 Dalmatians: In this Disney classic, a couple meet thanks to the blossoming romance between their Dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita. That is, until trouble literally walks in the door in the form of Cruella de Vil.

The Three Lives of Thomasina: This one tells the story of stern widowed veterinarian, his young daughter and the beautiful marmalade tabby named Thomasina who brings love back to their tattered relationship.

Born Free: A woman and her African game warden husband save three lion cubs and raise one  Elsa  to maturity while teaching her how to survive in the wild.

My Dog Skip: This sentimental drama revolves around a 9-year-old boy whose life changes dramatically after he is given a rambunctious Jack Russell terrier.

Eight Below: The late Paul Walker stars in this stirring action-adventure as a resident guide at a scientific research base in Antarctica who is forced to leave his beloved sled dog team behind when a massive storm strikes, and his quest to return to their rescue.

Marley & Me: Enormously popular adaptation of John Grogans book about life and love with the worlds worst dog who also happens to be the most adorable-yellow lab. Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston are the human stars of this comedy-drama that follows their years with Marley, from puppyhood to elderly canine.

Beginners: Christopher Plummer won a supporting actor Oscar in this heartwarming drama as a man who comes out late in life, and is devoted to his Jack Russell terrier, Arthur. When the man dies, his son (Ewan McGregor) and Arthur bond together to deal with the loss.

Dolphin Tale: Inspiring drama based on the true story and rescue of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who lost her tail when she became entangled in a crab trap rope. Winter was taken to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida, where she was fitted with a prosthetic tale, which she still wears to this day. In this drama, she gives purpose to the aimless young boy who rescued her.

War Horse: Steven Spielberg directed this epic World War I drama about a Thoroughbred named Joey who is raised by a teenage boy in England. Joey is sold to the British army at the wars outset, leading the young man on a quest to find him once again.

Max: A Malinois who helped American Marines in Afghanistan struggles to fit in after he returns to the U.S. and is taken in by his handlers family.

What is your favorite animal film? Tell us in the comments section below.
Produced by Dave Alexander. Narrated by Dave Dart, Same Day Voice-Over. To comment see us on YouTube HERE.

Native Americans, or the indigenous peoples of the Americas, are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America and their descendants. Those who live within the boundaries of the present-day United States are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, bands and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact, sovereign nations.

Most authorities agree that the first evidence of people inhabiting North America indicates that they migrated here from Eurasia over 13,000 years ago, most likely crossing along the Bering Land Bridge, which was in existence during the Ice Age. However, some historians believe that people had migrated into the Americas much earlier, up to 40,000 years ago. These early Paleo-Indians spread throughout the Americas, diversifying into many hundreds of culturally distinct nations and tribes.

Application of the term Indian originated with Christopher Columbus, who, in his search for Asia, thought that he had arrived in the East Indies. However, there is considerable evidence in support of successful explorations which led to Norse settlement of Greenland, the LAnse aux Meadows settlement in Newfoundland, and potentially others some 500 years prior to Columbus landing in the Bahamas. From the Native American aspect, many tribes oral histories indicate they have been living here since their genesis, as described by a wide range of creation myths.

By the time European adventurers arrived in the 15th century, scholars estimate that more than 50 million people were already living in the Americas. Of these, some 10 million lived in the region that would later become the United States. As time passed, these migrants and their descendants pushed south and east, adapting as they went. With these new arrivals came centuries of conflict and adjustment between Old and New World societies. Today, Native Americans account for about 1.5 percent of the United States population, many of whom continue to take pride in their ancestral traditions  still practicing the music, art, and ceremonies that took place many years ago.

Cherokee Prayer Blessing

May the Warm Winds of Heaven

Blow softly upon your house.

May the Great Spirit

Bless all who enter there.

May your Mocassins

Make happy tracks

in many snows,

and may the Rainbow

Always touch your shoulder.
A cliche is haunting America  the cliche of a second civil war.

America is currently fighting its second civil war, conservative columnist Dennis Prager declared in January. Is a second civil war in the making? the left-wing website Alternet asked a few months later.

In March, Foreign Policy polled various national security figures on the likelihood of a new civil war. The panel put the chances at about 30 percent. Now the New Yorker has posed the same question to several Civil War historians, who replied with ominous comments such as, It did not happen with Bush v. Gore in 2000, but perhaps we were close. It is not inconceivable that it could happen now.

Not inconceivable? Thats a low bar. Its certainly possible to imagine America returning to the violence of the 1960s and 70s, and beneath the overwrought language, thats what some  though not all  of these civil war prophets seem to have in mind. But a near-future war with two clear sides and Gettysburg-sized casualty counts is about as likely as a war with the moon.

These new civil war stories frequently take a bait-and-switch approach. They invoke the violence at demonstrations such as the rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a man reportedly sympathetic to Nazism drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters, killing a woman. In the same breath, they discuss the broad divisions separating red America from blue America. If you flip quickly between small violent clashes and big political disagreements, those big disagreements will look bloodier.

But thats an optical illusion. The polarization between alt-right fascists and antifa leftists is not the same as the polarization between Republicans and Democrats. It isnt even the same, though there is more overlap, as the polarization between the people at a Trump rally and the protesters outside. (For all the much-publicized moments of violence in last years presidential campaign, the vast majority of both the pro- and anti-Trump crowds were peaceful.)

The division between ordinary Republicans and Democrats has itself been overstated. Stanford political scientist Morris Fiorina has argued compellingly that the rise in red-blue polarization is mostly limited to the political class: politicians, activists, donors and the like. In those cases, he wrote in a paper published last year by the Hoover Institution, surveys and other data capture our intuitive understanding of the concept of polarization: the middle loses to the extremes. But the political class is pretty small  about 15 percent of the country, Fiorina estimates.

Outside that world, people tend to hold a patchwork of beliefs that dont always fit easily into categories such as conservative and liberal. It is not at all unusual for public opinion to simultaneously shift leftward on one issue (say, health insurance) and rightward on another (guns). Those red-blue maps may seem to show a nation divided against itself, but by using just two colors, they obscure an enormous variety of opinion.

And while the country is filled with reliable Republican and Democratic voters, much of that reliability reflects what political scientists call negative partisanship. Put simply, that means their votes are driven less by love for one party than by fear and hatred of the other one. In the last election, a large share of Donald Trumps support came from people who did not like him but found the prospect of a President Hillary Clinton even more terrifying. Much of Clintons support came from people whose position was the exact opposite.

The atmosphere that produces negative partisanship can fuel a paranoid loathing of the other partys members. In its most concentrated form, it can drive people to aggressive violence. This is the sort of ill feeling that pundits invoke when they talk about a new civil war.

But that atmosphere also means that the two purportedly warring sides dont command as much loyalty as those red-blue maps imply. Think back to last years election again. Both of the big parties were shaken by insurgent candidates, and one was unable to block the insurgent from winning. With both major parties picking their least popular nominees in recent memory, third-party and independent candidates had their strongest showings since Ross Perots campaigns. And this time, unlike in Perots day, the third-party vote wasnt dominated by one popular personality.

For only the fourth time since 1916, two alternative candidates  Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party and Jill Stein of the Green Party  earned more than 1 percent of the presidential vote nationally. Yet another candidate, independent Evan McMullin, captured 20 percent of the ballots in Utah. Sen. Bernie Sanders, who wasnt even running, still got enough write-ins to claim nearly 6 percent in Vermont.

Even in the Electoral College, seven voters couldnt bring themselves to back their parties nominees and instead cast write-ins. And as usual, millions of people stayed home. American politics are structured in a way that naturally tends toward two-party rule, but many Americans are clearly chafing at those constraints.

Thats not a nation of would-be warriors. Its a nation of would-be deserters. What if they started a second civil war and nobody came?
For the last 76 years, volunteers across the country have acted as a supplement to the U.S. Air Force.

The Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is an auxiliary of the Air Force that assists with various duties in the air and on the ground.

The Braden Composite Squadron 807, based in Forks Township, and the Lehigh Valley Composite Squadron 805, based in Whitehall Township, represent CAP locally.

CAP was formed in 1941 during World War II as a way for American civilians to keep watch from the air for German U-boats that might be near U.S. shores.

The patrol continued after the war and its current responsibilities include providing emergency services, fostering aerospace education and running a youth cadet program.

Emergency services can include assisting with homeland security, search and rescue missions and disaster relief. The Air Force calls upon CAP for domestic emergencies and the organization also assists various agencies like the American Red Cross to help deliver medicine, food or other time-sensitive materials.

"We support the community at large in times of disaster and need," Capt. Joe Knapp, the deputy commander of the Braden 807

th

, said.

While the United States Coast Guard typically handles emergencies at sea, CAP flies more than 85 percent of all federal inland search-and-rescue missions and saves about 75 to 100 people each year, according to the CAP website.

People who are interested in joining do not need to be pilots. There are many land-based duties that require volunteers who do not fly, Knapp said.

Knapp said he joined CAP about five years ago after attending some meetings while his son was in the cadet program.

The cadet program is open to those from ages 12 to 18. The program is designed to introduce youths to aviation through a 16-step program that focuses on aerospace education, leadership training, physical fitness and moral leadership.

Cadets who earn cadet officer status would enter the Air Force as an E-3, airman first class, which would bypass E-2, airman, and E-1, airman basic ranks.

Knapp said cadets who achieve the higher levels of the program are often invited to enroll in the Air Force Academy or other military academies.

"I enjoy seeing the cadets growing and coming into their own and developing their leadership capabilities," Knapp said. "It's enjoyable for me to these kids bloom and learn how to lead by example."

People can join the volunteer patrol in several ways. Those 18 years old and under can join as cadets, 18 years old and over can join as senior members. Those who cannot participate in an active way can join as friends of the patrol.

Educators who can teach about aerospace and aviation or STEM -- science, technology, engineering and math -- subjects are welcome to join as well.

The local squadrons meet on a weekly basis and discuss safety, emergency response issues, general aviation, and other related topics.

John Best is a freelance writer. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook
As thousands of students deliberate their first round offers from the Central Application Office (CAO), the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) is encouraging young people in Laois to consider a career in tourism.

Hospitality and tourism businesses around the country are looking to recruit over 6,000 entry-level employees each year across all areas of their operations.

There is a variety of career options available through the CAO, PLC courses as well as opportunities for those who wish to start working straight from school. Areas include food and beverage; catering; accommodation services; reception; leisure centre and spa facility management; sales and marketing; human resources; IT; management and finance.

The IHF has a dedicated website, Get a Life in Tourism, supported by Failte Ireland, which offers comprehensive information on the many careers available in the sector and how to get stared. The website also includes personal stories that offer a realistic picture of what to expect from a career in the tourism and hospitality sector as well as some of the many courses and training schemes that are available, providing young people with valuable first-hand information to help them make their course or career choice.

Matt OConnor, representative of the Midlands branch of the IHF commented: Tourism is Irelands largest indigenous industry, providing employment in every county in Ireland including Laois. It offers thousands of opportunities for young people interested in pursuing a career in tourism with enormous potential for professional development and advancement. Were encouraging school leavers especially to explore the many options available, including the hundreds of specialist third-level courses on offer throughout the country for those interested in obtaining a recognised qualification. If you are looking for an exciting challenge, with endless career possibilities then this is the path for you.

Tourism now supports an estimated 230,000 jobs in Ireland, equivalent to 11% of total employment. With over 60,000 new jobs created since 2011, the industry is well-positioned to create in excess of 40,000 additional jobs over the next five years.

The tourism sector in Laois supports 2,700 jobs and contributes some 37M to the local economy annually.
The sky is the limit if you win this weekends mega Lotto jackpot worth a cool 9.5 million.

The National Lottery reported today that excitement is building all over Ireland as the Lotto jackpot reaches one of its highest levels of the year.

A spokesperson said: The Lotto has been rolling now for several weeks and retailers are reporting brisk sales. This is truly a life-changing amount of money. Players can also buy tickets online at www.lottery.ie or through the National Lottery App.

Here are 5 things you could do with a cool 9.5 million:

-Install a personal ATM machine in your home! Always stocked with cash of course.

- Pack a punch and buy Conor McGregors luxury car collection which includes multiple Lamborghinis, Rolls-Royces and Range Rovers, to name just a few.

- Set sail with your own 120 metre refurbished Mediterranean based luxury cruise ship currently on the market. Bring family and friends - it fits 280 people!

- Be king of your own Castle and buy the 14th century Cloghan Castle in Offaly. Its a steal at 975,000, so you will have plenty of change.

- Fly high with your own private jet. You could blow all your winnings on a 2012 13-seater Legacy 650 with three cabin zones, sleeping and dining facilities  perfect for mid to long haul trips!

If the jackpot is won this will be the second highest Lotto payout of 2017.

A syndicate from south Dublin scooped a 12.8 million Jackpot in March. In 30 years, 1,728 players have won the Lotto jackpot and the highest Lotto jackpot win to date is 18.9 million.

National Lottery Chief Executive, Dermot Griffin, said: There is huge excitement at the rolling jackpot which is expected to hit an estimated 9.5 million. Irish people love Lotto and this jackpot is really catching the imaginations of our players. 30 cent in every Euro spent on Lotto sales goes back to Good Causes all over Ireland in the areas of health, sport, welfare, arts, heritage and the environment. Since it was set up 30 years ago the National Lottery has raised over 5 Billion for Good Causes.
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.
Apr 29, 2021, 3 AM

Shown are the same three Total Solar Eclipse stamps from the first illustration (in the same order) after being warmed briefly on a hot plate. The story provides qualitative descriptions of the color changes of the moon in relation to the reactivity of th

Linns conducted a four-week experiment to see how excessive light and high temperatures affect the thermochromic ink disc covering the moon on Total Solar Eclipse stamps. At left is a normal (control) stamp. The middle stamp was exposed to near constant

By Charles Snee

On June 20, the United States Postal Service issued its Total Solar Eclipse commemorative forever stamp (Scott 5211) to heighten anticipation of the eclipse that passed over the continental United States Aug. 21.

When the black disc covering the moon is warmed, as from the touch of a finger, the moon is revealed. When the stamp cools, the black color returns and the moon is hidden once more.

This clever trick, the first of its kind for a U.S. stamp, is the result of heat-reactive thermochromic ink.

Not long after the stamp was issued, we began receiving complaints from collectors who were displeased because the mint panes had ripples in them that prevented them from laying flat.

Connect with Linns Stamp News:

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Linns observed this rippling in the panes purchased for the Scott editorial staffs reference collection.

Mark Saunders, a USPS spokesman, explained that the observed rippling was due to a layering process used to apply the thermochromic ink during printing.

At the time the stamp was issued, the Postal Service also made available (for 25) what it calls a protective sleeve  a black opaque envelope for storing an intact 16-stamp pane of Total Solar Eclipse stamps.

Thus housed, the pane would be kept in complete darkness, and the properties of the thermochromic ink would not degrade.

Which raises an important question: How resilient, so to speak, is the reactivity of the thermochromic ink?

To find an answer, Linns conducted a simple experiment using three Total Solar Eclipse stamps.

One served as control by being kept in darkness at a room temperature of approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit.

The other two stamps were each affixed to a white index card. One card was then taped about a half inch below a fluorescent desk lamp, which remained on 24 hours a day.

This treatment subjected the stamp to near constant conditions of lighting and elevated temperature.

The other card was placed on the dashboard of a Linns editors car during the day. The card was removed when the car was driven. When running errands, etc., the card would be placed on the dashboard.

The card was removed from the dashboard in the evening and left in the car, when the car was garaged at the editors home.

This treatment exposed the stamp to variable conditions of sunlight and temperature.

The two stamps were checked each week for a four-week period, to ascertain the effects of light and high temperature on the thermochromic ink.

After one week, the ink slowly faded to near black when the stamps were at room temperature (about 72 degrees Fahrenheit). When each stamp was placed in the airstream of a freezer for about 10 seconds, the ink faded completely to black and remained so when the stamps returned to room temperature.

These same results were obtained after two weeks.

After three weeks, however, the thermochromic properties of the ink on both stamps began to degrade, with the dashboard stamp exhibiting greater qualitative changes.

At the end of the fourth week, the degradation of the ink was even more pronounced.

Here are the findings at the end of the experiment, as recorded by a Linns editor:

Stamp 1 (desk lamp exposure): dark red moon visible at room temperature (approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit); moon changes to dark orange when warmed; reactivity of thermochromic ink noticeably degraded.

Stamp 2 (dashboard exposure): orange moon clearly visible at room temperature (approximately 72 degrees Fahrenheit); orange moon color brightens somewhat when warmed; reactivity of thermochromic ink almost completely degraded.

These observations are seen in the trio of Total Solar Eclipse stamps photographed at room temperature. On the left is a normal (control) example, with a completely black thermochromic ink disk hiding the moon.

In the middle is the stamp exposed to the desk lamp (near constant conditions of light/high temperature), and at right is the stamp exposed to variable conditions of sunlight/darkness and high temperature.

Note that the moon is visible on both the middle and right stamps.

The moon on the middle Eclipse stamp appears dark red, while the moon on the right Eclipse stamp is dark orange.

For both of these stamps, the reactivity of the thermochromic ink has been degraded  more so for the right stamp than for the middle stamp.

This is not surprising because the right stamp was exposed to more intense light and much higher temperatures.

When briefly warmed on a hot plate, the three stamps appear as shown in the second illustration.

The moon on the control stamp looks as expected, the moon on the middle stamp appears dark orange, and the right stamp shows a somewhat lighter orange color.

Overall, the color transition of the moon was most pronounced for the control stamp; the moon on the stamp on the right showed very little change.

Keep in mind that these are qualitative observations. Nonetheless, it is obvious that the thermochromic ink on Total Solar Eclipse stamps is sensitive to extended exposure to light and elevated temperatures.

As such, it is recommended that you keep your stamps in darkness in a cool location in your home.

You could use the Postal Services black protective sleeve (envelope), but it is unknown if the envelope paper is of archival quality and thus suitable for long-term storage.

Postal Service spokesman Mark Saunders told Linns that the protective sleeve is made of 60-pound stock black paper, and it protects against light. He did not specify if the paper is archival.

However, he did confirm that exposure to heat and ultraviolet light will cause the black [thermochromic ink] to fade to clear exposing only the underlying image of the moon.

Linns results indicate that excessive exposure to fluorescent light also adversely affects the thermochromic ink.

Linns asked Saunders at what ambient temperature the thermochromic ink starts to fade to clear. Sorry, but that is proprietary information, he replied.

Not quite.

The Denver Post reported Aug. 16 that the black component of the ink begins to disappear (revealing the moon) at approximately 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit.

Chromatic Technologies Inc., based in Colorado Springs, Colo., manufactured the thermochromic ink for the Total Solar Eclipse stamp.

The official name of the ink is UV Screen Black 29 degrees Celsius.

To produce the ink, Chromatic Technologies mixes fat, dye and developer, the Denver Post said.

The fat, similar to fats used in lipsticks and lotions, melts at 29 degrees Celsius, approximately 84.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Its mixed with a leuco dye that can switch from color to colorless. Then the company adds a developer, which injects a proton into the dye, making the ink go black.

The developer and the dye separate from one another when the fat melts, and that proton wants to attach to the fat, thus causing the ink to change from black to clear.

When the fat cools, the proton jumps back to the developer, which makes the dye revert to black.

One final observation  if you can see a hint of the moon on your stamps, dont panic. It likely means the ambient temperature is warm enough to keep the thermochromic ink clear in color, not that your stamps are defective.

Just place the stamps in a cooler location, and the ink will go black once more.
It was a crazy day for Joey Gibson  one that ended up with the Patriot Prayer leader appearing in the Presidio, where he had once scheduled a rally for the right-wing group.

Gibson called off that event the day before it was to have been held Saturday, saying he would hold a press conference in Alamo Square Park instead. When police closed the park, Gibson hit the road, first to an online chat with friends, then to a news conference in Pacifica and from there to Crissy Field.

There, he joined about 50 would-be rally participants, some of whom said they had come from Oregon and Washington to attend the aborted event.

They did not march, but mostly stood under the shade of a large tree in the middle of the field. The demonstrators said they have been mislabeled as white supremacists and that they were standing up for free speech.

It seems like if youre conservative in California, youre deemed as a racist, said Patrick Porcuna, a 28-year-old San Francisco resident, who identifies as libertarian and said he had voted for President Trump. Im down for people to talk and have free speech.

Around 100 protesters were also there to greet Gibson. Park police showed up as well, with shields and batons, but there was no violence.

Im having to go from spot to spot because antifa really wants to come after me, Gibson said, referring to militant leftists who have confronted right-wing demonstrators at some rallies.

After leaving Crissy Field, Gibson added City Hall to his itinerary, showing up shortly after a large counterprotest ended.

Gibson complained that the city had made it all but impossible for him to put on an event in public.

Today has been a crazy day, he said on a Facebook Live broadcast. Everywhere we go, the police, the city, they want to shut it down.

The Patriot Prayer leader said officials such as Mayor Ed Lee and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had focused on the safety threat his group supposedly caused while ignoring the danger from counterprotesters.

Officials countered that it was Gibson who had threatened public safety by pulling a last-minute location switch, to a spot where he had no permit for a rally.

White supremacists have been known to attend the groups rallies in Portland, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. Gibson, a Pacific Northwest resident who identifies as Japanese American, has recently denounced white supremacists and said he is working to exclude them from his gatherings.

There were no visible signs of white nationalist members at a Patriot Prayer rally this month in Seattle, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hamed Aleaziz and Catherine Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz, @Cat_Ho
Latest updates in advance of a planned right-wing gathering in San Francisco on Saturday:

5:06 p.m.: San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said late Saturday that he was proud to see the large and peaceful outpouring of residents march against hate in San Francisco on Saturday.

They marched in the mission. They marched in the Castro. They marched in Alamo Square, he said, standing outside City Hall. They made sure the themes of love and compassion dominated over hate speech.

Lee said the city was still on full alert as thousands continued to demonstrate against what was supposed to be a right-wing rally in San Francisco this weekend. Nearby at Civic Center Plaza, musical act Michael Franti entertained hundreds of people who were out to protest racism and bigotry.

Police Chief Bill Scott said there were no major problems at any of the many demonstrations Saturday. One person was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication.

What you saw today is a city that came together, he said.

4:40 p.m.: Gibson talks: Joey Gibson spoke briefly to reporters and supporters at Crissy Field late Saturday afternoon, expressing his appreciation that people showed up, even though the planned rally was canceled. He said he did not go the substitute Alamo Square event Saturday because antifa groups were threatening his safety.

He blamed those same groups for inciting violence and again charged that Mayor Ed Lee and Rep. Nancy Pelosi were putting out misinformation about him, his Patriot Prayer group and his supporters. He reiterated he is not and does not support white supremacists.

They stirred up so much hatred and anger because they believed they were trying to incite violence, Gibson said of the politicians. Im having to go from spot to spot because antifa really wants to come after me.

He hugged and chatted with several supporters afterwards.

The crowd at Crissy Field was a small mix of patriot rally participants and counter protestors, three dozen people at its largest. Shortly after Gibsons arrival, a group of counter protestors began chanting Black Lives Matter, and two of Gibsons supporters shouted back also!

3:58 p.m.: Gibson at Crissy: Joey Gibson, organizer of the right-win Patriot Prayer rally that never took place, just arrived at Crissy Field.

3:10 p.m.: Marchers leaving: The main event is over! Now just maybe 100 marchers milling around at 24th and Mission.

2:45 p.m.: March ending: The march has ended at 24th and Mission, with speakers addressing the crowd over microphones. People are peeling off and going home. This demonstration will probably come to a slow end soon.

Mission residents and merchants were surprised by the march, but several who spoke to the Chronicle said the disruption didnt bother them.

Its OK, its a free country, said Gubren Azeb, who works at his uncles store, Georges Market, on Mission Street.

Star Hotel resident John Hairston gazed at the marchers in disbelief as they streamed by his building.

Where did all these people come from? he asked, shaking his head.

2:12 p.m.: Patriot Prayers take: The leader of a right-wing group that canceled gatherings at both Crissy Field and Alamo Square Park in San Francisco complained the city had made it all but impossible for him to put on an event in public.

Today has been a crazy day, Joey Gibson, organizer of the group Patriot Prayer, said on a Facebook Live broadcast. Everywhere we go the police, the city, they want to shut it down.

Gibson said officials such as Mayor Ed Lee and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had wrongly labeled his group white supremacists while ignoring what he called the threat to public safety from counter-protesters such as those who massed outside Alamo Square Park on Saturday.

Referring to confrontational left-wing activists who have clashed with people at some right-wing rallies, Gibson said he had a question for San Francisco and other liberal cities. Do you stand with antifa or not? Ask your mayor. Ask Nancy Pelosi. Theyre using them as tools. Theyre afraid to speak out against them.

Gibson, who lives in the Pacific Northwest, gave no indication he was planning any other events locally. He said he intended to talk with people in random spots throughout the day  downtown, Alamo Park possibly, or Crissy Field. Just kind of walk the streets, he said.

1:20 p.m.: Rerouting protesters: Several hundred counter protesters have left the area around Alamo Square Park on what protest leaders say is a march to the Mission District.

Police had been encouraging the people protesting a right-wing groups now-canceled press conference in Alamo Square Park to head instead toward a planned rally at Civic Center.

Some protesters were trying to break through barricades that police put up on streets about a block from Alamo Square, which is surrounded by a fence that workers erected Saturday morning and closed to the public. Police were confronting protesters at a barricade at Steiner and Fell streets, a block south of the park.

After the barricade briefly gave way, several dozen police officers ran up the street to create a new barrier, this time using their bodies. Protesters chanted, Let us in! and Our streets!

The leader of a group calling itself Frisco Resistance negotiated with an officer, and the officer seemed to agree to allow more protesters to enter the area via Hayes Street.

While the protesters had called for a march through the city, it appeared police wanted the crowd to march down Hayes toward Civic Center, where a large rally with musical performances began at noon.

Lines of officers ushered the crowd down to Steiner and Hayes streets, where the protesters were blocked on every side, except Hayes going east, toward Civic Center.

Earlier, the several hundred counter protesters held a victory rally just outside fenced off Alamo Square.

Police initially tried to clear the area adjacent to the park to control the crowds but then allowed the rally to proceed.

A handful of speakers, addressing the gathering through a mic and speakers, condemned racism and criticizing President Trump for not being harder on bigotry.

Today the white supremacists got the message, said one of the speakers at the makeshift victory rally a teacher who identified herself only as Natalie.

10:29 a.m.: Park closes: San Francisco police and park department rangers closed off Alamo Square Park. Rangers announced through bullhorns that all visitors must leave, and officers escorted people out of the park. Police wearing helmets and carrying zip-tie restraints fanned out in the park.

Earlier in the day, the city had put fencing on all four sides of Alamo Square.

Dozens of police officers and Recreation and Park Department rangers patrolled the park and surrounding streets while hundreds of people stood on sidewalks. Some were protesters who came there in anticipation of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer holding what it billed as a 2 p.m. press conference.

A group of protesters came dressed in costume while others held signs reading No Hate and Black Lives Matter. One individual banged on a drum while people danced nearby.

If you dont think fighting white supremacy is an emergency, youre enabling it, said Lola Marie, 31, who drove from San Jose Saturday morning to demonstrate against the far right agitators.

Patriot Prayer organizer Joey Gibson, who scheduled a rally for Crissy Field before canceling Friday, said his Alamo Square event was now off as well. He posted on Facebook a plan to hold an indoor news conference at an as-yet undisclosed location and then pop up at random spots in the city to talk to people. He did not elaborate.

9:34 a.m.: Shifting plans: The Patriot Prayer organizer who moved Saturdays right-wing gathering from Crissy Field to Alamo Square Park says hell hold an indoor news conference now that the city has fenced off the Western Addition park.

I will be doing an indoor news conference at 2 pm, then will pop up at random spots in the city to talk with any citizens of SF. Keep any eye on my Page, Joey Gibson posted on Facebook. He did not offer more specifics.

Gibson also posted that he apologized to everyone that spent money and plane tickets to come down here. He told people to stay tuned.

Mayor Ed Lee said at a tree-planting ceremony at Balboa High School that he would not talk about the closure of the park or any security measures because events keep changing.

Im leaving all the tactics around keeping the city safe to the Police Department, said Lee, adding he was headed to a meeting with police officials straight from the park. Nobody trusts any of the announcements going out by the groups.

The Rev. Amos Brown of Third Baptist Church, strolling the perimeter of the park, said closing it was the sensible thing to do to contain evil.

People on the alt-right are hate mongers, he said. Theyre perpetrators of ignorance.

The square is across the street from the famed Painted Ladies, a row of elegantly decorated Victorian houses. One of the houses was adorned with a large banner that said, Love Trumps Hate.

9:20 a.m.: Park off-limits: San Francisco officials are closing Alamo Square Park to the public, a park ranger said, a move that would keep a right-wing group from following through with its plan to hold a press conference there.

City workers erected a Cyclone-style fence around the park early Saturday, and a Recreation and Park Department ranger said the park would be closed at 10 a.m.

8:30 a.m. Park closure: San Francisco police appeared to be limiting public access to Alamo Square Park, casting into doubt a right-wing groups last-minute plans to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. in the Western Addition park.

Ramon Beltran, a police services aide at the departments Northern Station, said Alamo Square would be closed to the public for as long as deemed necessary. However, it was unclear whether or when a closure would take effect. City workers erected a Cyclone-type fence around the park early Saturday, but some people were still being allowed to walk through.

City officials noted that organizers of the Patriot Prayer rally originally planned for Crissy Field had not obtained a permit for their press conference. Patriot Prayers Joey Gibson said the same speakers and bands that had been scheduled to appear at Crissy Field would also be at Alamo Square. The Crissy Field event had a permit from the National Park Service.

7:53 a.m. Getting ready: San Francisco officials scrambled to make plans for a rescheduled right-wing gathering Saturday at a Western Addition park, one day after organizers canceled a scheduled rally in the Presidio.

Workers were erecting a temporary Cyclone-type fence Saturday morning around Alamo Square Park, where members of the group Patriot Prayer said they planned to hold a 2 p.m. press conference. The group had secured a permit for rally Saturday afternoon at Crissy Field but scratched their plans Friday, complaining that officials had unfairly labeled them white supremacists and created dangerous conditions for the event.

Authorities had compiled a long list of banned items for the Crissy Field rally and erected a fence around the site, with plans to check attendees and counterprotesters who were massing for the event. The fence being erected Saturday around Alamo Square Park indicated that similar tight access was likely for Patriot Prayers rescheduled press conference.

Officials with the citys emergency operations center said it would open at 9 a.m., two hours earlier than planned, in light of the rescheduled gathering.

Patriot Prayer has not obtained a permit for the event. The same speakers and bands that were going to appear at Crissy Field will be at Alamo Square Park, organizer Joey Gibson said in a Facebook Live broadcast Friday. That raised questions about whether the event would be a press conference in the traditional sense.

San Francisco officials said all police officers would be on duty Saturday. Mayor Ed Lee said in a tweet late Friday, Public safety is always our top priority. We are prepared for contingencies and spontaneous events.

There were no reports of anyone at either Crissy Field or Alamo Square early in the morning.

Both Lee and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, had criticized the original permit granted by the National Park Service for the Crissy Field event. Pelosi called it a white supremacist rally.

Organizers insisted the planned freedom rally had no racist overtones. Gibson noted that not all the scheduled speakers were white and that he identifies as Japanese American.

The San Francisco rally had been the first of two right-wing gatherings scheduled for the Bay Area this weekend. On Friday, one of the organizers of a No to Marxism rally in Berkeley said the scheduled Sunday event also had been canceled and urged people not to attend.

Berkeley officials and police said they still expect some form of event to be held in the citys Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park.

Kurtis Alexander, Jenna Lyons and Hamed Aleaziz are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, jlyons@sfchronicle.com, haleaziz@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @kurtisalexander @Jenna Journo @haleaziz
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San Franciscos southern neighborhoods got a little greener Saturday as hundreds of volunteers and city officials gathered at Balboa High School for the citys largest tree planting project to date.

Around 600 volunteers ranging from public works employees in green vests to city residents in orange vests met at the school Saturday morning to prepare to plant 500 trees throughout the Ingleside, Excelsior and Crocker-Amazon neighborhoods.

Sunny weather kept spirits high, despite the looming shadow brought on by a planned right-wing gathering that led officials to close Alamo Square Park in the Western Addition.

This is really kind of a crazy day for San Francisco and for our country, Dan Flanagan, executive director of Friends of the Urban Forest, told the crowd of volunteers. Put something in the ground that will last for generations. Thats what we care about in this city.

The tree planting started as a partnership between Friends of the Urban Forest, the Department of Public Works and District 11 Supervisor Ahsha Safai, who had run on a platform of street-tree maintenance.

Safai was joined at the event by state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Mayor Ed Lee, who quickly left after the initial speeches for a meeting with police officials on the right-wing Patriot Prayer rally that was repurposed as a press conference.

The city has allocated $550,000 for the first year of tree planting, Safai said. While the 500 trees cost about $100 each, forming tree basins in the sidewalk and providing at least three years of water maintenance for the trees accounted for most of the costs.

For a long time, this area was one of the parts of town that was treated like a forgotten place of San Francisco, Safai said as he stood outside the high school. We felt like it was really important to focus on this issue.

The 15 different types of trees will provide cleaner air, neighborhood beautification and minimize flooding, because tree basins tend to soak up excess rainwater, said Rachel Gordon, a spokeswoman for the Department of Public Works.

Some residents had initially resisted the project out of concern they would have to pay to maintain the new trees, Safai said. But with the passage of Proposition E last fall, the city set aside $19 million for street trees and tasked the Bureau of Urban Forestry with maintaining them, alleviating those cost concerns.

The city carefully chose what trees should be planted where, depending on the terrain and the area, said Carla Short, superintendent of the Bureau of Urban Forestry.

Outside Balboa High School, for example, the bureau decided to go with the wind-resistant Brisbane Box and Primrose trees because the area is a known windy corridor.

Wearing an orange vest, Eugene Wong, 48, looked on outside the school as his 15-year-old daughter and her friend dug shovels into the dirt to plant a Brisbane sapling.

Im just here to give back, bring my kids, said Wong, a resident of the Bayview neighborhood. We always volunteer on a regular basis.

His daughter, Lincoln High School student Leela Wong, worked nearby in bright yellow protective glasses.

I just wanted to help serve the community, she said. Its also good bonding time, too.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
The clock is ticking again on executions in California.

The state Supreme Courts ruling Thursday, upholding much of a prosecution-backed initiative seeking to speed up the death penalty process, cleared the way for the prison system to approve new rules for lethal injections for the first time in more than a decade. If a federal judge finds the procedures constitutional, execution dates could be set within a year for 18 prisoners, including four from the Bay Area, whose final appeals of their death sentences have been rejected.

California, which has nearly 750 inmates on the nations largest Death Row, last performed an execution in January 2006. Shortly afterward, U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel of San Jose halted further executions until the state fixed problems in injection procedures and staff training that, he said, created a serious risk of a botched and agonizing execution in violation of constitutional standards.

Fogel later left the bench to run the Federal Judicial Center and the case was reassigned to U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg of San Francisco, who has stayed all pending executions. Meanwhile, state prison officials rewrote the injection procedures, were rejected by a state judge for failing to hold public hearings, and were then sued by murder victims families for allegedly dragging their feet on the regulations.

Gov. Jerry Browns administration settled the suit and agreed to draft new procedures for executions with a single lethal barbiturate, replacing the now-unavailable three-drug combination the state had used since 1996. The rules drew thousands of public comments, mostly critical  but officials now can disregard those objections and make the procedures final under a provision of Proposition 66, the November ballot measure that the states high court upheld Thursday.

When prosecutors seek their first new execution date, Seeborg will decide whether the new procedures contain adequate safeguards, considering defense lawyers objections that the drugs on Californias approved list are untested in executions.

But Kent Scheidegger, legal director of the Criminal Justice Legal Foundation and an author of Prop. 66, noted that the U.S. Supreme Court, whose rulings Seeborg must follow, has given states considerable leeway in execution procedures. In 2015, the court allowed Oklahoma to use a drug that had appeared to cause prolonged suffering at a previous execution, with Justice Samuel Alito saying it was up to inmates to propose a less-painful method.

Here is a look at the cases of the Bay Area inmates who are now in Seeborgs court:

Anthony Jack Sully, a former Millbrae police officer, was convicted of six murders related to drugs and prostitution during a six-month period in 1983, while he was running an electrical contracting business in a Burlingame warehouse.

A federal appeals court said that Sully, while addicted to cocaine, invested in an escort service that employed prostitutes and that he brutally murdered some of the women. Four of his victims were prostitutes, another was a man who may have been a pimp, and the sixth was a woman who offered to sell Sully cocaine, the court said. Sully denied committing the murders, and his lawyer argued, unsuccessfully, that Sullys trial attorney failed to investigate evidence that Sully was mentally ill.

Robert Fairbank pleaded guilty to torturing and murdering a San Francisco State University student, Wendy Cheek, 24, whose charred body was found in December 1985 near a reservoir in San Mateo.

Four days before the murder, a San Francisco judge had released Fairbank without bail after his arrest on a rape charge.

The federal appeals court that upheld his death sentence rejected a defense claim that Fairbanks trial lawyer had represented him incompetently by not looking into evidence of possible brain damage and by making critical comments about him to the jury.

David Raley was a security guard in 1985 when he took two teenage girls on a tour of a deserted Hillsborough mansion, then raped and stabbed them, tied them up and threw them down a ravine, killing one of them, 16-year-old Jeanine Grinsell of San Mateo.

The jury that convicted him of murder deadlocked 7-5 in favor of a death sentence, but prosecutors won a unanimous death verdict from a new jury at a penalty retrial. The appeals court rejected a defense argument that Raleys lawyers should have presented psychiatric testimony and noted that jurors had heard evidence about physical and emotional abuse by Raleys alcoholic mother.

Harvey Heishman of San Leandro was convicted of the 1979 murder of an Oakland woman who was about to testify that he had sexually assaulted her. Heishman, a previously convicted rapist, had been arrested after Nancy Lugassy, 28, told police he had raped her, and then released on bail. She was planning to testify against him at an upcoming hearing when she was shot to death in her front yard.

One witness who said she was involved in Heishmans murder plot was exposed as a congenital liar during courtroom questioning, but the appeals court found adequate evidence to support the jurys guilty verdict. The court also rejected defense arguments that Heishmans trial lawyers failed to look fully into the abuse he had suffered as a child.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko
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The sexually exploited young woman at the center of a scandal involving multiple Bay Area law enforcement officers filed a lawsuit against Contra Costa County sheriffs officials, alleging a former deputy was engaged in an illegal quid pro quo sexual relationship with her.

The woman, who prefers to go by the name Jasmine and previously used the pseudonym Celeste Guap, alleges police in Oakland, Livermore, San Francisco, and sheriffs deputies in Alameda County have also abused her.

The scandal became public in 2015 after Oakland Police Officer Brendan OBrien committed suicide and left a note detailing his and other officers relationship with Jasmine, the daughter of an Oakland police dispatcher who was sexually exploited as a teen.

The Contra Costa County suit  filed Thursday night in federal court in San Francisco and announced by Jasmines attorney Friday  marks the third suit the woman has filed in relation to the scandal. The new lawsuit names Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston and former Deputy Sheriff Ricardo Perez as defendants.

She filed a similar lawsuit last week against the Richmond Police Department, naming Chief Allywn Brown, former Chief Chris Magnus, internal affairs supervisor Lt. Brian Dickerson and five officers as defendants. In May, the city of Oakland awarded Jasmine $989,000 to settle a case against their officers.

The widespread nature of it makes it horrible to consider that law enforcement, police officers from six departments, so blatantly (could) violate their oath, said Oakland attorney John Burris, who is representing Jasmine. It raises questions.

Burris said Jasmines 20th birthday was Friday, and that shes in a pretty good space.

The suit says Perez had sex with the girl multiple times when she was 17, and that she had told Perez she was underage.

When Plaintiff told Defendant Perez in January 2016 that she had been 17 at the time they had sex, his attitude was like, whatever, the suit states.

This conduct with this officer is so despicable, Burris said. Not only did he know ... but he continued to do it. And sought photographs, Burris said. He should be prosecuted.

Perez has been charged with multiple sex crimes in connection with the case.

Livingston said Friday that the lawsuit has not yet been served, but he added, We cannot let Mr. Burris hasty press conference go unanswered.

This case involves the off-duty conduct of one former deputy sheriff who resigned in lieu of termination when the allegations came to light. Additionally, he was fully trained on his requirement to report suspected child abuse and certified so in training documents, Livingston said in a statement. He is now properly facing criminal charges and we will vigorously defend this lawsuit.

The suit alleges Perez sent several photos of his penis to Jasmine between July 2015 and April 2016 and that she sent back nude photos of herself. Perez shared her photos with other members of the sheriffs department and may have sent her sexually explicit pictures while on duty, according to the suit.

Defendant Perez was informed by Plaintiff, and knew or should have known that the illegal sexual relationship was one of a Quid Pro Quo for minor Plaintiffs protection from the police as a sex trafficked child, the lawsuit states. Plaintiff informed Defendant Perez, she was having illegal sex as a minor with other police officers.

The suit says Livingston, as chief, bore the responsibility for hiring, training and supervising Perez, yet failed to ensure he was versed in California laws on child abuse and child sex trafficking.

The victim is seeking an unspecified amount in damages. Burris said they are considering filing suits against the Livermore and San Francisco police departments and the Alameda County Sheriffs Office, but have not made a final decision.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
An American service member remains missing after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed off the coast of Yemen on Friday in what U.S. military officials are calling a training accident.

U.S. forces in the region rescued five other troops who were on board the aircraft, U.S. Central Command said in a news release.

A search is ongoing for the missing service member, and the U.S. military said it will investigate the incident.

It's unclear what caused the Black Hawk to crash.

Officials have not provided information on the identities of those on board or the unit to which the aircraft belongs, saying only that the incident occurred around 7 p.m. local time about 20 miles off Yemen's southern coast.

The U.S. military maintains a small special operations base near Yemen's port of Mukalla to facilitate an ongoing campaign targeting al-Qaida loyalists there. The Pentagon has conducted more than 80 airstrikes in Yemen this year, officials say.

Several thousand U.S. sailors and Marines also routinely operate in the region as part of a naval amphibious ready group.

Yemen is in the midst of major humanitarian crisis fueled by civil war.

While the U.S. has remained focused on striking al-Qaida, a coalition led by Saudi Arabia - and backed by the Pentagon - has waged a parallel war against Iranian-backed Houthi militants.

Friday's crash comes just two days after a visit to the Saudi-Yemen border by Gen. Joseph Votel, who oversees the U.S. military throughout the Middle East.

---

The Washington Post's Thomas Gibbons-Neff contributed to this report.
HANOI, Vietnam - Citizens of Vietnam have developed an unusual national pastime: Across the country and on social networks, people trade suspicions that their government is secretly giving in to an aggressive China. And lately, there has been plenty of fuel for their rumors.

Some blame a visibly diminished U.S. presence for giving Beijing an opportunity to act behind the scenes. Many blame officials in Hanoi for putting economic cooperation or alleged communist solidarity above questions of national pride. Last month, when a valuable project overseen by the Spanish company Repsol was suspended without explanation, both theories abounded.

"Is Trump weak, so therefore China is getting stronger? Maybe," said Dung Nguyen, a small-business owner in Hanoi who often deals with foreign countries, including China. "People even worry in the future we could have another war with China. It's all very scary."

But with Vietnam's closed political system keeping diplomatic machinations a secret, most people - even experts, by their own admission - simply don't know what's happening, providing the perfect atmosphere for wild speculation.

"We don't really know what's going on," Nguyen said. "Now that everyone is online, we've realized that our [state] media wasn't telling the whole truth, but we don't have access to that whole truth, either."

Domestically, China is one of the most sensitive issues for Vietnam's otherwise stable communist government. Much of the country's small dissident community attacks the Communist Party on this issue, and perceived weakness regarding Beijing is often seen as its most vulnerable point - more so than calls for democracy, expanded human rights or even the need to maintain economic growth.

Vietnam is a pillar of opposition to Beijing - at least in public view. Of the 10 countries in the ASEAN trade bloc of Southeast Asian nations, which has drifted in a pro-China direction since President Donald Trump took office, Vietnam is the last member openly pushing for a tougher stance on China's expansion in the South China Sea - called the East Sea in Vietnam. Though many countries express private concerns, Hanoi is now publicly isolated on the issue of using international law to push back against China.

At an ASEAN forum in Manila in early August, not long after news broke of the drilling-project suspension, Vietnam reaffirmed its public opposition to Beijing. The United States, meanwhile, played an obviously reduced role, said Richard Javad Heydarian, an assistant professor of political science at Manila's De La Salle University.

For those in the region opposing Chinese expansion, Heydarian said, "Trump has not been very helpful. We have seen a dramatic collapse in confidence in American leadership in Asia. (Secretary of State Rex) Tillerson didn't look like he was representing the superpower [at the forum]. He looked more like the representative of a second-tier power, and everyone here knows he is besieged at home."

Vietnam and China have a centuries-long history of strife, which has continued well into the modern era. Though China did support North Vietnam in its war against the United States, the last war Vietnam fought was with its large neighbor to the north, when China invaded in 1979. Vietnam's battle-hardened troops surprised Beijing by pushing Chinese forces back, and sporadic clashes continued until a formal peace in 1990.

Vietnam's fierce rivalry with China often exceeds any lingering resentment against the United States, which is now seen as a crucial counterweight to Beijing's ambitions.

Yet the suspending of the Repsol drilling project has provided wary Vietnamese with a reason to believe their government is capitulating behind the scenes. Neither the Spanish company nor the Vietnamese government has offered an explanation for suspending offshore activities.

"There are so many rumors swirling around Repsol, as there always are when it comes to China and Vietnam. But there doesn't appear to be any reason to do what they did other than pressure from Beijing," said a prominent member of the international business community who frequently interacts with officials representing the three countries involved, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly speak about political matters.

If Vietnam did privately back down, he said, it has not been left with much choice since President Trump took office. "The U.S. really left Vietnam at the altar when it canceled TPP. What are they supposed to do?" he asked, referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade deal that included Vietnam and explicitly excluded China. Trump had slammed the deal as a job-killer during the presidential campaign, and he withdrew from the pact just days after taking office.

Another theory is China threatened military action if Vietnam did not capitulate. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte - not always a reliable narrator - has said Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned the possibility to him, lending some credibility to the theory. But experts point out war would be disastrous for China's strategy of convincing neighbors to view Beijing as a font of benevolent stability.

Or the move might simply have been a tactical maneuver by Vietnam. "I think perhaps this is just a short-term withdrawal, as they are waiting for a less difficult geopolitical moment," said Hoang Viet, a professor of maritime law at Ho Chi Minh City University. "But this is a very sensitive issue. It's sacred for Vietnamese people, but the government absolutely does not want to make Beijing angry."

Meanwhile, along the dreary coast of the South China Sea, rapid construction continues unabated. Vietnam's economy is growing at a steady clip, something often seen as a prerequisite for maintaining support for the Communist Party. And that imperative, more than the rivalry with Beijing, may be more important to Hanoi in the end.

"Maybe China is just too big. All we can really do is deal with them as sensitively as possible," muses Le Dinh Toan, an intellectual property researcher passing through Hanoi. "Maybe we have to accept we are lesser."
TOKYO - "If you don't put detergent on the cloth before you wipe, it'll stain," Hiroko Yoshida, 55, told four Filipina women at a Duskin Co. office in Chuo Ward, Osaka, in late July.

The four women work for Duskin as part of a scheme through which foreign workers provide domestic help in Osaka and Kanagawa prefectures.

They each have at least a year of domestic help experience in their home country, but they study every day to meet Japanese standards of quality.

"I want to improve my skills so I can continue working in Japan, where it's safe," one of the trainees said.

Demand for domestic help has soared due to the aging population and because women are playing a greater role in society.

However, in principle the Immigration Control Law does not allow foreigners to stay in Japan for purposes such as domestic help.

This initiative is allowed in "national strategic special zones," where regulations are relaxed in limited areas.

Foreign workers are required to meet certain conditions, including work experience in their occupation, Japanese language ability and national certifications.

Duskin plans to expand its program by hiring about 100 foreigners, a company spokesperson said.

According to the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, there were about 680,000 foreign workers in Japan in 2012.

The number increased the following four years, breaking 1 million for the first time in 2016.

Foreigners' range of potential workplaces is also expanding.

Fujita Kanko Inc., which manages about 50 hotels such as the Washington Hotel chain, recently began to intensively hire foreigners who studied Japanese at university.

The skyrocketing number of foreign tourists visiting Japan has contributed to this urgency.

About 40 percent of the hotel's customers are foreigners.

"More customers are traveling alone, not with group tours, and aren't accompanied by interpreters," a spokesperson said.

The company is also planning on opening new hotels in South Korea and Taiwan.

This year, about 30 percent of the company's new hires were foreigners.

Yet hiring foreigners is not always easy.

The convenience store industry has had trouble attracting enough part-time workers.

Some companies now work with language schools and other overseas institutions to teach students hoping to study in Japan skills like how to use cash registers.

The hope is that some of these students will work part-time jobs at convenience stores when they come to the country.

But foreign students in Japan aren't thrilled about their employment prospects.

According to a 2016 Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry study group report, while about 80 percent of foreign students enjoyed "living" in Japan, half of respondents felt negatively about "working" here.

Long working hours and difficulties in obtaining a residence permit underpin their lack of ethusiasm.

The report stated that Japan trailed other countries in its ability to attract foreign talent.

The hurdles are even higher for attracting non-student foreign workers.

"Workplaces need to display signs in English and improve their health care and educational systems as a means of increasing their appeal," said Mitsumaru Kumagai, a researcher at Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd.
DETROIT - It looked just like a campaign launch, from the line winding around the Fellowship Chapel Church, to the tailgaters giving away hot dogs, to the 2,000 voters who eventually packed inside.

But when Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt, and Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., arrived, there were no waving signs. They were there to kick off the push for universal health care, with legislation queued up for September, and no expectation that the Republican-controlled Congress would pass it.

"Every major country in the world, they've already got it," said Conyers.

"More and more people agree with us," said Sanders.

As Washington prepares for a month of spending deadlines, and as Republicans and business groups try to shift the conversation to tax reform, Sanders is trying to drive a discussion about single-payer health care - a debate that he admits would last for years before any legislative action.

The campaign will put the Senate's only democratic socialist in a unique position. Republicans have already begun attacking Democrats over "government-run health care," daring them to endorse Sanders's plan. On the left, activists inspired by Sanders's 2016 presidential bid intend to browbeat Democrats who don't back Sanders's and Conyers's legislation.

In an interview after his three-state Midwestern tour, Sanders said he was formulating an "inside/outside strategy," attracting as much support as possible from his colleagues while expecting most of them to recoil. It would be up to activists to make single-payer politically possible for the holdouts.

In the meantime, as the chair of the Senate Democrats' political outreach, he would continue to support colleagues in tough races, even if they rejected his bill.

"Is this a litmus test? No, you have to look at where candidates are on many issues," said Sanders. "But you're seeing more and more movement toward 'Medicare for All.' When the people are saying we need health care for everyone, as more and more Americans come on board, it will become politically possible."

Republicans, looking hungrily at a 2018 Senate map where 10 incumbent Democrats will compete in states won by Trump, were hoping for a litmus test. But in just two states, West Virginia and North Dakota, are incumbents being challenged by progressives in primaries. Neither challenger is being backed by Sanders.

Still, as Sanders wove through Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, local conservatives mocked those states' Democratic senators, even those who didn't appear with Sanders.

When Sanders stumped in Ohio's Scioto County, one of the places that had seen a tight presidential race in 2012 but delivered a landslide for Donald Trump in 2016, Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken pointed out that Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, had frequently supported the idea of single-payer health care. (Brown did not appear at the event, though former governor Ted Strickland sat in the front row.)

"The only place Bernie Sanders' socialist sales pitch will be welcomed today is in Senator Sherrod Brown's office," said Timken in a statement. "Scioto County voters rejected socialized health care and the job destroying economic policies of Sanders and Brown last year by overwhelmingly electing President Trump."

In Web ads, Republicans and the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC spent July and August attacking vulnerable-seeming Democrats on single-payer, frequently using the image of Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., to argue that Trump-state Democrats had become extremists.

Sanders, who chose his Midwest event sites carefully, sees Republicans getting over their skis. In national polling, he's frequently viewed more favorably than either the president or the Democratic Party itself. Last week, in polls of the three Midwestern states won by Trump, NBC found Sanders's favorable rating at 58 percent in Michigan, 53 percent in Wisconsin, and 51 percent in Pennsylvania. In each state, the president's approval rating had tumbled below 40 percent.

On the merits of 'Medicare for All' itself, Sanders said that the "landscape had changed" as a result of the seven-month debate over repealing the Affordable Care Act: The concept of universal health care had grown more popular, while the market-based Republican replacements were undone, in large part, because of the unpopularity of reducing Medicaid rolls.

"People are saying 'the ACA did some good things, and the Republicans wanted to throw 22 million people off of it,'" Sanders said. "That's an absurd idea to most people."

But single-payer was not going to start with clear partisan support. Sanders intends to release a single-payer bill in the Senate, a companion to Conyers's House Resolution 676, in the weeks after Labor Day.

Sanders does not expect a majority of his Senate colleagues to endorse it, as a majority of House Democrats had in backing Conyers's bill. And he admits it would take work, perhaps years of it, to reframe single-payer health care as an aggregate cost-saver, instead of an expensive entitlement in any debate.

"The pay-for is going to be a separate piece of legislation," said Sanders. "It will not be radically different from the proposal we introduced during the presidential campaign. It will exempt lower income people from making any payments at all. But people in the average middle class family, when they recognize they don't have to pay for private insurance anymore, are going to save tremendously."

Meanwhile, Sanders's rejection of the "litmus test" hinted at where Democrats, pressured by their base, would be allowed to go. Few of the most vulnerable 2018 Democrats are expected to get behind his bill, but progressive groups have talked increasingly about "Medicare for All" becoming a do-or-die position.

"Our view is that within the Democratic Party, this is fast-emerging as a litmus test," said Ben Tulchin, the pollster for Sanders's 2016 campaign, in an August interview with Politico.

Sanders, however, is allowing his colleagues plenty of room to maneuver - so long as they come out for expanding health insurance. He complimented Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, who last week rolled out a proposal to allow anyone to buy into Medicaid if their states allowed it.

"Brian is doing good work," said Sanders. "I think we need to have short-term solutions to the health-care crisis, while working toward Medicare for All. I would hope we could get some support for making more people eligible for Medicaid. We need to substantially lower the prices for prescription drugs. I'd favor a public option, right now, and we're working on that in the [Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions] Committee."

The midterms will be one test; the 2020 presidential race will be another. Sanders, who has not ruled out a second presidential bid, suggested that whatever happened in 2018, it would be difficult - if advocates kept working at it - for any 2020 Democrats to back down from single-payer.

"Could people run? Sure," Sanders said. "Do I think they can win without supporting single-payer? I'm skeptical. Among the people who consider themselves progressive, who vote in the primaries, there's clearly movement toward Medicare for All."
It's Friday night. A Category 4 hurricane is about to slam the Texas coastline, and President Donald Trump just directed the Pentagon to ban transgender people from joining the military and pardoned a politically radioactive convicted former sheriff. News also broke that one of his more controversial advisers, Sebastian Gorka is leaving the White House.

This isn't your average sleepy Friday news dump - a trick newsmakers use to bury unpopular news by releasing it when most people aren't reading news. This is a flagrant attempt to hide a series of politically fraught (but base-pleasing) moves under the cover of an August Friday night hurricane.

In other words, it's transparent that Trump is doing controversial things he knows are controversial, and he and the White House would prefer the public and the media not focus on it.

Of course, the irony for Trump is that the exact opposite is happening. In so obviously trying to downplay this news, he's framing it in neon flashing signs.

The contrast of a president making not one but two major decisions - and suffering more White House staffing turmoil - as the strongest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade is making landfall is stark. Oh, and North Korea just fired short-range missiles. Oh, and NBC News reports that special counsel Robert Mueller III and his team have issued subpoenas for officials with ties to former campaign chairman Paul Manafort to testify to a grand jury.

That's news to fill an entire week, let alone the span of a few hours on a weather-dominated Friday night.

Is it possible Trump and his team had always planned to formalize a major policy change to military recruits and pardon former Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff Joe Arpaio after the president had dinner on Friday, Aug. 25? Maybe. Trump hinted both were coming over the past month. (Arpaio was convicted in 2017 of contempt of court for failing to stop racially profiling illegal immigrants after a judge ordered him to stop.)

"Do people in this room like Sheriff Joe?," Trump asked at a Phoenix rally on Tuesday. "I'll make a prediction: I think he's going to be just fine, okay?"

But that doesn't explain why Trump went ahead and signed those orders as a massive, news-dominating hurricane is about to make landfall. Why the urgency?

Pouring unpopular news out like this is an extremely politically risky decision for Trump. Hurricane Harvey is his first major test as emergency-commander-in-chief. Earlier in the day, top Republicans had urged him to stop tweeting insults to them and focus on keeping people safe in Texas and Louisiana.

Trump risks looking like he's using this potentially deadly hurricane as political cover.

As GOP strategist Alex Conant pointed out, by breaking all this news now, Trump also risks fomenting outrage by giving even the appearance of hiding this underneath a hurricane. And he catches any potential supporters flat-footed.

Sure enough, Democrats in Congress quickly jumped on Twitter and called up reporters to express their outrage.

"President Trump is a coward," said Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., who represents much of the area where Arpaio was sheriff, told The Post's David Weigel. "He waited until a Friday evening, as a hurricane hits, to pardon a racist ex-sheriff. Trump should at least have the decency to explain to the American public why he is undermining our justice system."

Arizona Republican congressmen Trent Franks and Andy Biggs issued statements supporting Trump's decision.

Franks tweeted: The president did the right thing -- Joe Arpaio lived an honorable life serving our country, and he deserves an honorable retirement.

While Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., tweeted: Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course.

Here's Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer's, D-N.Y., tweet: Then he ran to Camp David. The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny 4/

This hurricane Friday night news dump is bold, even for Trump. And if he hoped to keep backlash to a minimum, his plan is already backfiring.
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For Jon Lubecky, the scars on his wrists are a reminder of the years he spent in mental purgatory.

He returned from an Army deployment in Iraq a broken man. He heard mortar shells and helicopters where there were none. He couldn't sleep and drank until he passed out. He got every treatment offered by Veterans Affairs for post-traumatic stress disorder. But they didn't stop him from trying to kill himself - five times.

Finally, he signed up for an experimental therapy and was given a little green capsule. The anguish stopped.

Inside that pill was a compound named MDMA, better known by dealers and rave partygoers as ecstasy. That street drug is emerging as the most promising tool to come along in years for the military's escalating PTSD epidemic.

The MDMA program was created by a small group of psychedelic researchers who had toiled for years in the face of ridicule, funding shortages and skepticism. But the results have been so positive that this month the Food and Drug Administration deemed it a "breakthrough therapy" - setting it on a fast track for review and potential approval.

The prospect of a government-sanctioned psychedelic drug has generated both excitement and concern. And it has opened the door to scientists studying new uses for other illegal psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms).

"We're in this odd situation where one of the most promising therapies also happens to be a Schedule 1 substance banned by the [Drug Enforcement Administration]," said retired Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, who until 2010 was the highest-ranking psychiatrist in the U.S. Army.

Because of the stigma attached to psychedelics since the trippy 1960s, many military and government leaders still hesitate to embrace them. Some scientists are also wary of the nonprofit spearheading ecstasy therapy, a group with the stated goal of making the banned drugs part of mainstream culture.

But the scope and severity of PTSD makes it all irrelevant, said Sutton, who now works as New York City's commissioner of veteran services. "If this is something that could really save lives, we need to run and not walk toward it. We need to follow the data."

PTSD has been a problem for the military for decades, but America's recent wars have pushed it to epidemic-level heights. Experts estimate between 11 and 20 percent of soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD.

The affliction is typically triggered after experiencing or witnessing violence, including assault and abuse. It has ravaged lives and broken up marriages. It often leaves its victims in sudden panic and prevents them from dealing with the original trauma.

And that last symptom is what makes PTSD particularly hard to overcome with traditional talk therapy. Because patients can't talk about and process the trauma, experts say, it lingers like a poison in their mind.

Only two drugs are approved for treating PTSD: Zoloft and Paxil. Both have proved largely ineffective when it comes to veterans, whose cases are especially difficult to resolve because of their prolonged or repeated exposure to combat.

"If you're a combat veteran with multiple tours of duty, the chance of a good response to these drugs is one in three, maybe lower," said John Krystal, chairman of psychiatry at Yale University and a director at the VA's National Center for PTSD. "That's why there's so much frustration and interest in finding something that works better."

- - -

Ecstasy has long been a favorite at trance parties and raves because of its unique ability to flood users with intense feelings of euphoria. But as a byproduct, it also reduces fear and imbues users with a deep sense of love and acceptance of themselves and others - the perfect conditions for trauma therapy.

By giving doses of MDMA at the beginning of three, eight-hour therapy sessions, researchers say they have helped chronic PTSD patients process and move past their traumas.

In clinical trials with 107 patients closely monitored by the FDA, 61 percent reported major reductions in symptoms - to the point where they no longer fit the criteria for PTSD. Follow-up studies a year later found 67 percent no longer had PTSD.

"If you were to design the perfect drug to treat PTSD, MDMA would be it," said Rick Doblin, who three decades ago founded the California nonprofit behind the clinical trials.

It is no accident that the group - the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) - chose PTSD as its argument for ending the government's ban on psychedelics.

"We wanted to help a population that would automatically win public sympathy," he said. "No one's going to argue against the need to help them."

Doblin, now 63, talks openly about his own history with drugs. He began tripping on LSD as a rebellious, long-haired college freshman in the 1970s. He says it helped him see the world and himself in new ways. He wanted to become a therapist and use psychedelics to help others achieve similar insights, but he couldn't because LSD was already banned.

"The flaw of the early psychedelic movement was that they made it countercultural, a revolution," he said. "Culture is dominant. Culture is always going to win."

For a decade, he worked in construction until he came across MDMA for the first time. When the DEA moved to criminalize it in 1984, Doblin created MAPS and sued the agency. The lawsuit failed, and Doblin realized that psychedelics were perceived as too fringe to win public support.

To succeed, he decided, both he and the issue had to go mainstream.

Doblin talked his way into the public policy PhD program at Harvard University and learned to navigate the federal bureaucracy. He shaved off his mustache, cut his shaggy hair and learned to dress up.

"I used to laugh about how simple it was," he said. "You put on a suit, and suddenly everyone thinks you're fine."

The external switch reflected an internal one as well. Instead of fighting government officials, he began plotting to win them over, especially those at the FDA.

And the key, he realized, was science.

- - -

Before the FDA would even talk about clinical trials for MDMA, the agency needed proof it wasn't dangerous. Previous studies suggesting its neurotoxicity had been limited to rats. So in 1986, Doblin scraped together money to buy monkeys for those same researchers, who found the risks to be much less at human-equivalent doses than previously thought.

The next step was investigating MDMA's effects on people. Doblin again raised money to fly psychedelic users he had befriended to Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University for spinal taps. The studies were approved by review boards at both institutions. Doblin also participated, undergoing two spinal taps.

In the two decades that followed, Doblin and MAPS inched toward progress.

The nonprofit grew from a one-man band to a staff of 25 with headquarters in Santa Cruz. It tapped into the scene in Silicon Valley - where many tech entrepreneurs have used psychedelics to spark creativity. (Steve Jobs famously praised LSD as "one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.")

MAPS received a $5.5 million bequest from the founder of a software company. The hipster soap company Dr. Bronner's pledged $5 million. A professional poker player who attributed his wins to microdosing on LSD gave $25,000. Recently, an anonymous $21,000 bitcoin donation came in.

Much of that money funded small-scale clinical trials, which laid the groundwork for the last remaining hurdle: Large-scale "phase 3" trials that will begin next year, involving 200 to 300 patients in 14 locations.

If those future trials yield similar results, the FDA could approve the MDMA treatment for PTSD as soon as 2021, according to Doblin.

Yet his dream extends beyond that. He envisions a future where psychedelic treatment centers are in every city - places people can visit for enhanced couples therapy, spiritual experiences and personal growth. He believes psychedelics can help address the country's biggest problems, from homelessness and war to global warming.

"These drugs are a tool that can make people more compassionate, tolerant, more connected with other humans and the planet itself," he said.

That kind of talk makes many in the medical community nervous.

It's hard to measure the exact dangers of ecstasy. Because it is not used as widely as marijuana or cocaine, for example, fewer statistics are available on overdoses or injuries. In 2011, a public health monitoring system identified 22,498 emergency department visits nationwide related to ecstasy.

MDMA researchers point out that one key difference between MDMA and street ecstasy (along with another variant called "molly") is the street versions often contain other harmful drugs, experts say. Sometimes the pills don't even contain MDMA.

But even in its purest clinical form, MDMA can pose risks. At high doses, it can cause the body to overheat. It can cause anxiety and increase the stress hormone cortisol. Chronic use can also cause memory impairment.

"I think it's a dangerous substance," said Andrew Parrott, a psychology professor at Swansea University in Wales who spent years researching the drug's harmful effects. He worries FDA approval for the treatment of PTSD could lead many in the public to believe ecstasy is safe for recreational use.

Other experts, however, have become increasingly intrigued by its promising results.

"Anytime you have an organization that is advocating for drugs that are illegal, it marginalizes them in the research field. MAPS still isn't seen as mainstream. But it's possible they have a point here," said Krystal, the Yale psychiatrist, who has not been involved with the group's research. "I can't think of a single medication that doesn't carry some side effect. The question here is whether the benefits outweigh the risk."

- - -

For Lubecky, the drug can't be approved fast enough.

The Marine Corps and Army veteran recalls coming home from Iraq in 2006 to discover his wife had left him, sold his motorcycle and taken his dog. That, coupled with the trauma of what he had saw at war, sent him over the edge.

On Christmas Eve, he put the muzzle of his Beretta to his temple and pulled the trigger. The gun malfunctioned, he said, "but that microsecond after the hammer fell is when I finally felt at peace because I knew the pain would finally be over."

One incident in Iraq in particular tormented him - a shot he took while protecting his unit. "It was a situation where the right thing to do was the immoral thing," he said, declining to describe it in detail. "You're looking through a scope at another human being and you do one thing and suddenly they don't exist anymore."

For years he told no one about it. He would panic even thinking about it.

After he was accepted into the MDMA clinical trial in South Carolina, he found himself on a futon with two counselors on either side as the effects of the drug sank in.

"I was in such a comfortable place," recalled Lubecky, 40, who now works in Charleston, South Carolina, as a political consultant. "I didn't even realize I was finally talking about it, admitting it for the first time to anybody."

Since then, he said, he has learned to accept what happened in Iraq. And the guilt he now struggles with is the fact he got chosen over others for the clinical trial.

"I was the 26th veteran chosen for a 26-person study," he said. "I have friends who are suffering every day like I was. But they can't do it because it's illegal. This could save their lives."
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MATAGORDA - For retiree David Price, it was time to leave the two-story home they built on the banks of the Colorado River four years ago.

Wind and rain whipped his face Friday morning as he hooked up his 24-foot power boat and his wife, Carolyn, steered the truck down the driveway for the trip to Lake Conroe.

Like thousands of coastal residents, they were anxious to beat an evacuation order as Hurricane Harvey bore down. Their aqua blue, $360,000 weekend home stands a mere 4 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.

"We're just praying it doesn't tear it down. If everything goes fine, it will meet the codes, and withstand 140-mile winds," Price said. "It's the tidal surge I'm worried about. They were saying 6 foot, but at 12 foot it would be up to here."

Price gestured to midway up the massive beams holding the house, meaning the storage room they recently built, a tool shed, water well would all be washed away.

"I'm hoping it goes to Corpus and stays there, " said Carolyn, a retired banker. "People have to prepare, and you have to have insurance."

Matagorda Constable Frank Craft was stationed at the entrance to a small beach front community as the last remaining residents left.

"Most people have evacuated. I don't think we have anybody who's staying," Craft said, noting the road back to town becomes impassable during storms.

Craft, a third-generation Matagorda resident, was honest about what the area is facing.

"My fear is the 12-foot tidal surge and strong winds leaving us with destruction," he said. "All of us have our homes here and we hate to have that kind of damage."

Over at the Bay City Civic Center, more than 100 evacuees began boarding yellow school buses around noon.

They included elderly couples, whole families, folks in wheelchairs on their way to the Hill Country.

"These are folks who do not have a vehicle to leave in, or the funds to stay in a hotel or family to stay with in Bay City," Bay City Police Chief Robert Lister said.

The evacuees pushed wheeled suitcases, carried backpacks or toted garbage bags used to quickly gather up their valuables. Along with an ambulance, they were going to caravan to a junior high school campus in New Braunfels for a four-day stay.

"We heard it was going to be pretty bad, so (we) didn't want to be caught in anything," said Bryce Jackson, 16, who was making the trip with his grandmother, aunt, younger brother and older sister. "I really don't like it, but it's something we got to (do), I guess."

Joining the caravan in his truck was Edwin Flippo, 61, from nearby Markham, who worried a predicted storm surge would flood the travel trailer he lives in. He was taking his fiance, her mother and sister.

"I live in El Dorado Estates, but it floods all through there," Flippo said. "I'm kinda worried about the storm surge being 12-foot, because it will be 5 feet deep in El Dorado."

As workers feverishly screwed plywood panels to the front doors of the MS Express Valero convenience store in Bay City, the manager served the last hot meal in this coastal city.

Jagruti Lad, originally from India, had tossed in her last batch of fried chicken and planned to shut the store at noon to avoid the approaching storm.

"They say we're going to have a lot of wind and rain. I'm not sure where that thing is going, but we're in the hurricane zone," said Lad, as she prepared to close the store she has worked at for 16 years.

She started cooking two hours later than usual, not expecting much business, and she was surprised by the demand for her "crispy, crunchy" fried chicken.

"We were selling like crazy today, and I wasn't expecting it," said Lad, who sold $984 worth of chicken in six hours to hungry residents.

In Edna, police, firefighters and national guard troops positioned supplies, boats and heavy trucks in two locations in the Jackson County town.

"It's shaping up to be a first-class rainmaker, " said Jackson County Sheriff Andy Louderback, after a late afternoon briefing. "We just heard we'd be in estimated 58 mph winds, but it seems every report is it's a storm that's not moving and will continue to rain."

The sheriff and 50 officers were spending the night in their headquarters. Across town, guard troops, city police and Texas Department of Public Safety marine units had set up quarters in the Edna High School gym, a sturdy concrete domed structure. Parked outside were double axle military trucks, rescue boats, and Humvees.

Staff Sgt. Timothy Pruitt, public affairs officer for the Texas State Guard, was with about 20 guardsman.

"We're here to help our local and state law enforcement partners," Pruitt said, and noted there were more than 1,000 guard personnel deployed for storm duty.
I have worked in a building overlooking Travis Park for more than 25 years. It used to be a worn, unwelcoming place, but now its lawn and foliage are lush and manicured. The park features an oversized chess set, a dog run, cheery-looking cafe tables and, on many days, food trucks parked alongside it. There are comfortable benches where you can sit and read the paper or (if you share my vice) smoke a cigar. And once a year, the park hosts a jazz festival, celebrating a uniquely American musical heritage.

But in the midst of this urban oasis, a gray stone pillar rises perhaps 20-feet high, and atop it stands the figure of a Confederate officer in full uniform. He raises one finger high in the air, pointing heavenward, as if to signal The South will rise again! The triumphant image of a defeated army, one that fought to keep enslaved the ancestors of our African-American neighbors.

An ugly monument to an ugly cause.

San Antonio should tear this monument down and replace it with something beautiful and joyous, something that elevates us all and denigrates none of us.

Parks problematic history

Travis Park did not begin its life as a Confederate monument. The land was acquired by Samuel Augustus Maverick in 1851, a time when he was developing the land surrounding the Alamo as a residential neighborhood. Upon his death in 1870, Maverick bequeathed the land to the city of San Antonio for use as a park. He also donated the land for St. Marks Episcopal Church, which sits on the park, where he and his family worshiped, and where many of his descendants are still members today.

However noble its beginnings, Travis Park will always be indelibly linked to the institution of slavery. Maverick was a Yale-educated lawyer who came to Texas from South Carolina, where his family had large land holdings. Plantation money paid for his education and apprenticeship, and plantation money provided the stake from which Maverick built a fortune buying and selling vast tracts of land. For many, the word plantation has a nostalgic association, evoking images of green lawns and broad verandas where mint juleps are consumed by impeccably dressed Southern gentility.

If thats the association that plantation has for you, then you are almost certainly white.

In truth, plantations were slave prisons where a small group of white people (the owners and their hired men) forced people of African descent to work in the fields. If you had the misfortune to be a slave, you were sentenced at birth to life in prison at hard labor with no possibility of parole. A slave had no freedom of movement, no right to keep his family together, no right to worship, or speak his mind, or educate himself. Slaves were subject to torture, killing and rape with no recourse in law. Which is why calling a plantation a prison is far too kind; even prisoners in a penitentiary have rights. Descendants of slaves find it difficult  and almost unbearably painful  to consider the reality of their ancestors existence.

All of which is to say that the wealth from which Travis Park was given the city was, directly or indirectly, wealth earned on the back of slaves. In fact, Sam Mavericks wife, Mary, recounts in her famous diary how they moved to San Antonio with four slaves in tow; she owned three of them and one, named Griffin, belonged to Sam.

Griffin would later die at the Battle of Salado Creek (1842), having been sent by Mary to look after Sam, who was being marched to prison in Perote, Mexico, after his capture by Gen. Adrian Woll. Sam was a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence. He initially opposed secession but eventually voted for it and served in the Confederate government.

The history of Travis Park is, to some extent, my history. You see, Sam and Mary Maverick were my great-great-great-grandparents. This connection does not make my position on the subject any stronger than yours. But it may give me some credibility when I tell you that the Confederate monument in Travis Park is not a celebration of my heritage or anyone elses.

People who argue otherwise either ignore history or tolerate racism, and you shouldnt allow yourself to be lumped in with them, even if that crowd includes the president of the United States.

Dont celebrate racist Confederacy

Texas was a part of the Confederate States of America roughly from the time it seceded in February 1861 until shortly after Lee surrendered at Appomattox in April 1865, a period of about four years.

Those who tell you that the Civil War was fought over states rights, rather than to support slavery, are misleading you. In truth, the federal governments role before the Civil War was extremely limited: There was no federal income tax, no federal social programs (like Social Security or Medicare), and almost no federal laws that applied to citizens in their daily life.

If the Civil War was fought over states rights, it was fought over the slave-holding states right to permit slavery within their jurisdictions.

Before you decide whether we keep the Confederate monument in Travis Park should stay, you should read the Texas Articles of Secession. The articles overwhelmingly concern a defense of the beneficent and patriarchal system of African slavery, and attack the debasing doctrine of equality of all men, irrespective of race or color. The Northern states, it is said, demand the abolition of negro slavery throughout the confederacy, (and) the recognition of political equality between the white and the negro races.

Not enough? How about this declaration: We hold as undeniable truths that the governments of the various States, and of the confederacy itself, were established exclusively by the white race, for themselves and their posterity; that the African race had no agency in their establishment; that they were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race, and in that condition only could their existence in this country be rendered beneficial or tolerable.

The Articles close with the arguments that slavery is good for both races and desired by God. The servitude of the African race, as existing in these States, is mutually beneficial to both bond and free, and is abundantly authorized and justified by the experience of mankind, and the revealed will of the Almighty Creator, as recognized by all Christian nations.

Confederate monuments celebrate perhaps the most overtly racist regimes since the dawn of the Industrial Age. For that reason, neo-Nazis and white supremacists converged on Charlottesville, Virginia, to rally around a statue of Robert E. Lee recently. Their toxic brew of hate and violence led to the death of one protester, Heather Heyer, and two state troopers, whose helicopter crashed near the scene.

Confederate monuments are really not about preserving anyones heritage, even if your family, like mine, included many men who fought for the South in the Civil War. The choices we make today, the ideals we embrace, the values we celebrate, are our responsibility alone and we cannot lay them off on some long-dead ancestors.

I call on you to reject hateful doctrines such as racism and to reject monuments to racism as well.

The pain of slavery persists

Understanding what the Confederacy really stood for should be enough for anyone to oppose keeping a monument to its memory, but my feelings on the subject are also grounded in my faith. I am called to love my neighbor, and even if I were inclined to enjoy monuments to a bloody four-year insurrection  as misguided as that might be  it is impossible to reconcile that pleasure with the pain it causes my neighbors whose ancestors were enslaved for three centuries. I cannot love my neighbor and be a party to causing them such pain. In fact, loving them requires that I help heal their pain, as the good Samaritan is said to have done.

In January of this year, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, led a pilgrimage of reconciliation to Ghana sponsored by Episcopal Relief and Development. The pilgrims included many descendants of slaves and others, like me, descended from those who purchased and exploited the slaves. We share a church that prospered from, tolerated, and perpetuated slavery  but rarely discuss it. This silence is comforting to whites like me, and painful to my black brothers and sisters.

Together, we visited the north of Ghana, where many Africans were captured and enslaved. We visited Pikworo Slave Camp, where captives were tied to trees and made to eat from bowls carved into the rock. Finally, we visited the Elmina and Cape Coast slave castles, where African captives were handed over to European traders. While the Portuguese and English captors worshiped in chapels above, the newly enslaved were beaten, raped and made to live in their own filth below.

At Elmina, deep in the castle, slaves were herded in chains through a narrow passage  the Door of No Returnand into boats that took them to plantations in the Caribbean and the Americas. It was here that we gathered to pray. I could feel the terror of the young slaves, many of them children, who would become the first of many generations held as chattel to serve their owners. And I could feel the pain of my black brothers and sisters who were weeping in the darkness.

Now imagine how our African-American neighbors feel when they see a monument to those who fought to keep their ancestors enslaved, who killed on a vast scale rather than permit blacks a full and equal share in a just society. That monument is also indelibly linked to a century of state-sanctioned discrimination and segregation that followed the Civil War. Lets face it  those of us in the South have not done a great job when it comes to loving our African-American neighbors as ourselves.

Tearing down the Travis Park Confederate monument is a small step in the right direction.

A more fitting monument

Recently, a fellow argued in this newspaper that a reason for keeping the Confederate monument in Travis Park is that some descendants of Sam Maverick were for it when it was built. That may be so, but it does not really matter. Sams gift of land to the city was given with only one condition  that it be used as a park. Neither Sam nor his descendants (including me) get to decide what should be done with that monument. But I will tell you that Maverick cousins I have spoken with would like to see the monument gone.

Mavericks being mavericks, I am sure there are others who would like it to stay. But it is a decision for the community as a whole to make.

As I noted above, Sams slave Griffin was killed on a mission to help him. No relationship born of slavery can truly be called a friendship, because friendship is a voluntary relationship chosen by both parties. But upon hearing of his death, Sam wrote in a letter home: Griffin, I owe thee a monument. I think he must have conceived it as a monument to the courage and sacrifice of a man who had nothing and gave everything. I do not know who stands upon that Confederate monument today, but he cant hold a candle to Griffin Maverick.

San Antonios history is rich with heroes who sacrificed to make a better world for us, who had little and gave everything they had. We live at the intersection of vibrant cultures that we should celebrate. Next year we will celebrate 300 years as a city. Surely we can come together around a more fitting monument to who we are and what we have achieved.

Neel Lane, great-great-great-grandson of Sam and Mary Maverick, is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, a law firm in San Antonio.
The Afghan Taliban overran two district centers in the east while Afghan forces regained control of another which has changed hands several times over the past year.

Afghan officials confirmed that the district of Zana Khan in Ghazni was overrun, while the Taliban claimed to have seized Gomal in Paktika province. Afghan officials then said that security forces regained control of Jani Khel in Paktia, however the Taliban has denied that claim.

A member of Ghaznis provincial council said that the Taliban killed four policeman and confiscated two tanks (likely up-armored HUMVEEs) and several Ranger pickup trucks after storming the Zana Khan district center. Taliabn spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that a Taliban force inflicted multiple enemy casualties and lots of weapons/equipment seized during the operation.

The Taliban claimed it took over the center of the district of Gomal and its checkpoints in Paktika province during an intense fighting following an offensive last night. While the Afghan press hasnt reported on the status of Gomal, similar Taliban claims have proven highly accurate in the past.

In the neighboring province of Paktia, the Afghan military claimed it ousted the Taliban from the district of Jani Khel, which has alternated between government and Taliban control multiple times over the past year. The Taliban last overran the district two weeks ago and flaunted a large cache of weapons and ammunition taken from Afghan forces.

However, Taliban spokesman Mujahid claimed that Jani Khel is under Mujahidin control and the enemy attack [was] repulsed.

Over the past month, the Taliban has taken overrun eight districts centers. In addition to the three mentioned above, the Taliban has seized Khamab in Jawzjan, Ghormach and Kohistan (or Lolash) in Faryab, Taiwara in Ghor and Guzargah in Baghlan. Afghan forces have since retaken Kohistan and Taiwara, however these districts remain contested.

The Taliban continues to demonstrate that it can conduct concurrent operations across the country, while Afghan forces largely remain on the defensive.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal. Alexandra Gutowski is a military affairs analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Another year, another win for Samsung and trouble for Apple.

Writing for InvestorPlace, Brad Moon explains Why the Apple Inc. iPhone 8 Launch Will Be Rougher Than You Think.

But, Braaaaaad, we already think its gonna be sooooo baaaaaad.

The countdown is on to the iPhone 8 launch. Apple Inc. is expected to send out the invitations for a September event any day now and there is a lot riding on it.

Every year theres a lot riding on it. Last year it was vital that Apple somehow muster up some success with the headphone jack-less iPhone 7 so it could withstand the awesomeness of the Galaxy Note 7. Remember how that turned out?

Guess what, though! All is forgiven.

However, Samsung Electronics Co Ltd just put a speed bump in the way with the launch of the new Galaxy Note 8.

So glad we can all put the exploding and the fires and the burning, oh, god, the burning, behind us. Its literally so last year.

Let us never speak of it again.

And let us never mention even once the fact that Samsungs heir was just sentenced to five years in jail for bribery, hiding assets, embezzlement and perjury. (Tip o the antlers to S. Brady Calhoun.) That would be gauche. Lets keep it respectful.

The smartphone Samsung unveiled yesterday in New York is its biggest and best ever.

The iPhone 8 will surely be small and not good.

Speaking of small and not good, how about this tweet from The Verges Casey Newton?

Just IMAGINE if iPhones blew up and Tim Cook was incapacitated and his son took over the company and was arrested for embezzlement

Please. The Macalope is sure, Casey, that everyone would simply look the other way and say theres nothing to see here and we would all go back to our macrame and hahahaha, no, omg, it would be like getting sprayed in the face by a veritable fire hose of thick, chunky nonsense for 800 years.

But, we all agreed were not talking about Samsungs repeated legal problems. Please, lets continue.

Even though its also Samsungs most expensive smartphone ever, the Galaxy S8 still comes in under $1,000less than the iPhone 8 is predicted to go for.

Not exactly by a lot.

Chief among the changes for the new iPhones: refreshed versions, including a premium model priced at around $999, according to people briefed on the product

Still, though, there are two things we know for certain about the iPhone 8 and they are 1) it will be priced so high that no one will want it and 2) no one will buy the iPhone 7s because they would rather wait for the iPhone 8, even if its delayed.

If the iPhone 8 is delayed, AAPL still has the iPhone 7s and 7s Plus also launching in September. But consumers who have been waiting for an all-new flagship may opt to skip those and either wait for the iPhone 8 to finally become available

The Macalope firmly believe that there is a direct and verifiable correlation between referring to Apple the company as AAPL the stock and not noticing your logic is circular.

Apple probably doesnt need to worry about its hardcore fans.

Those idiots will buy anything with an Apple logo on it, amirite?

However, undecided buyers are a concern. Those who are buying their first smartphone

Yes, people who are buying their first smartphone will be really put off by the price and possible delay of a thousand dollar top-of-the-line phone from AAPL. The Macalopes gonna go out on a limb and suggest that the market impact of people jumping from $50 feature phones to $999 smartphones is not going to be all that measurable.

upgrading after many years, or who just plain dont care whether they use iOS or Android could be a problem.

This is probably always a problem but the Macalope doesnt know that a $70 difference between the two prices is going to make all that much of a difference.

Every year its the same story: nothing but problems for Apple while the world is Samsungs oyster. Even if some of the companys executives have to enjoy it from prison.

Oops. The Macalope forgot he wasnt supposed to mention that.
Online shopping is very popular in China due to the great variety of products and cheap or even free product delivery. As a tactical choice, some IP owners begin to purchase infringing products online and have the process of product delivery notarised. In this way, the plaintiffs attempt to bring lawsuits in a venue having jurisdiction over the place where the delivered product is received or the place where they reside, so as to gain home court advantage or win a favourable edge over the defendants. However, this could cause unfairness and inconvenience to the defendants.

No clear jurisdiction rules

The current relevant laws and regulations are unclear as to whether such forum shopping is proper. According to the Civil Procedure Law (effective as of 2015), a lawsuit arising from acts of infringement may be brought in a court having jurisdiction over a place where an act of infringement is committed or where the defendant resides. There are three relevant articles in the Judicial Interpretations of the Civil Procedure Law released by the Supreme Court (SPC), but they seemingly have some overlap. Article 24 provides that places where acts of infringement are committed include a place where an act of infringement is performed and a place where the result of infringement occurs. While common understanding can be reached for the meaning of the place where an act of infringement is performed, disagreement has arisen about places where the result of infringement occurs.

As to the question whether a place where the delivered product is received can be understood as a place where the result of infringement occurs, there are a lot of controversies. Articles 20 and 25 make things more complicated: according to Article 20, for a sales contract concluded via information networks, the place where the contract is performed may be one where the purchaser resides or one where the purchased product is received; according to Article 25, a place where an act of information network infringement is performed includes a place where the computer performing the accused act of infringement is located, and a place where the result of infringement occurs may be one where the right holder resides.

Some plaintiffs rely on Article 20 or Article 25 to argue that they are entitled to bring a civil action in a court having jurisdiction over a place where the delivered product is received or where they reside. Several such IP cases emerged across the country during the past two years; different courts have different decisions. For example, such forum shopping tactics were supported by courts in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, but were rejected by courts in Beijing and Guangdong.

SPC's position

In two recent cases, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) said no to such forum shopping tactics and held that patent or trade mark infringement cases are not governed under Article 20 or 25.

In a design patent infringement case No 2016-MinShen-731, the SPC held that the acts of patent infringement alleged by the plaintiff are essentially inconsistent with the acts of infringing online dissemination rights and thus the plaintiff's residence cannot be used as a link for venue choice. Although no detailed explanation is given in the court decision, SPC believes that an act of IP infringement is not an act of information network infringement and thus Article 25 is not applicable for venue purposes in patent infringement cases.

In a more recent trade mark infringement case No 2016-MinXiaZhong-107, the SPC made more clarifications. The SPC reasoned that the rationale behind Article 20, which sets a further provision regarding the place where the contract is performed, is that for a sales contract concluded via the information network, it's difficult to determine the place where the defendant resides or the place where the contract is performed. The SPC implied that IP infringement cases should not be subject to Article 20 since it's easy to determine the place where the defendant resides or the place where the contract is performed. In the SPC's view, a case arising from breach of contract largely differs from an IP infringement or unfair competition case: the former merely concerns particular acts and particular parties, while the latter is not directed to the particular product, but to all products embodying a particular IP right. For the latter, the allegations of the plaintiff are not directed to the other party to a contract, but to all parties suspicious of infringement relating to the product of concern under relevant laws. In consideration of these differences, the SPC concluded that IP infringement or unfair competition cases shall be subject to their respective particular provisions, and it's improper to apply Article 20 even if the accused infringing product is purchased via online shopping.

Implications

First, when it comes to forum shopping, the nature of patent and trade mark infringements remains unchanged in spite of the internet. For such cases, the place where an act of infringement is performed or the place where the defendant resides can be determined without much difficulty. Therefore, IP owners are not allowed to establish venue as in cases involving contracts concluded via information networks and infringements occurring via information networks.

Second, for IP cases, random forum shopping is not advocated and "centralised control" is the future trend. During the past three years, China launched a pilot programme to set up three specialised IP courts in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and to further include four new IP tribunals in Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuhan and Chengdu. All these measures are taken to avoid dispersing IP cases (especially patent cases) across the country, so as to avoid inconsistent decisions for similar cases to be reached at different courts. This is also supported by the case guidance system developed by the SPC and embraced by the Beijing IP Court. With these in mind, it would be easy to understand why the SPC is unwilling to empower jurisdiction of IP cases to all courts whose judicial districts can be reached via delivery or shipment.

Steve Song Christina Qi

AnJie Law Firm26/F, Tower D, Central International Trade Center6A Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, PR ChinaTel: +86 10 8567 5988Fax: +86 10 8567 5999wuli@anjielaw.comwww.anjielaw.com
Rohtak: Amid the violence and clashes that erupted in Haryana after the verdict of the Dera Sacha Sauda leader Ram Rahim Singh, the self-styled spiritual guru has been moved to a prison in Haryana's Rohtak. As per the reports, he will receive special treatments including bottled water and an aide in the cell.

A court in Panchakula has found Ram Rahim guilty of raping two women followers in 2002. The god man made a dramatic entry in the court, driving 250 kilometers to Panchakula in a bulletproof car and with a cavalcade of 200 convoys.

After the judgement and following the violence, he was shifted in a helicopter. The court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Monday.
Will the debt ceiling clock go to zero? Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images.

The clocks a-ticking, and Washington is still chasing its tail over the debt ceiling. Midday Friday, Congress and the White House seemed kinda sorta maybe near a deal on a six-week can-kick. Friday afternoon, the deal was DOA, but everyone was still talking. By Monday morning, though, they werent. But then they were! Meanwhile, headlines resumed blaring about impending defaultageddonpocalypse. Markets falling! Banks dumping T-bills!Weimar Germany, Bolshevik Russia, Greece and Argentina redux! All of which the facts suggest are largely just noise, in our view. The risks of default and economic doom arent any higher today than they were last weekinvestors neednt panic.

Most of the hype seems to stem from Congresss failure to compromise this weekend. Which seems a mite odd. Were still three-ish days from exhausting extraordinary measures the Treasury is using to buy debt ceiling wiggle rooman eternity! Twenty-one days in dog years, which most people would agree is analogous for politicians (apologies to our canine friends). Is anyone really surprised they havent hammered this out yet? The current crop of lawmakers is already one of the most feckless of all time. The real shock would have been a weekend deal! That theyre still squabbling well before 11:59 PM Wednesday is right on schedule.

At the moment, squabbling seems centered on the sequesterthose automatic budget cuts that kicked in March 1incidentally, a legacy of 2011s debt ceiling can-kick. It seems the Senate is trying to use the government shutdown and debt ceiling as leverage to do away with the cuts (which, from next year, arent even real cutsjust slower-than-planned spending increases). One weekend proposal would reopen the government through March and suspend the ceiling until the end of January, but it kept the sequester alive, so Senate leaders declined. They fear any deal allowing the 2014 cuts to phase in as scheduled on January 15 would leave little chance of negotiating them away.

So all eyes turned to the White House, where President Obama planned to meet congressional leaders at high noon Mondaypresumably to reiterate the importance of compromise, but well never know since he cancelled to give the Senate time to discuss a purported deal. Deal to what? Who knows. Probably delay something, fix another thing, draw a line in the sand and lob it to the House. Wholl then cross the line, draw a new one, fix something else, kick a can and then toss it back. Wed suggest not getting hung up on details for nowthey change by the minute. Youll get dizzy.

Heck, even in the slightly less near term, nothing much is certain. Sure, theyre overwhelmingly likely to compromise at some point, whether 11:55 PM Wednesday, in the wee hours Thursday morning, next Tuesday or whenever. But the specifics are anyones guess. Maybe theyll duct tape the shutdown to the ceiling and kick the can on both. Maybe theyll address one but not the other. Maybe theyll hold hands, sing Kumbaya, abolish the debt ceiling and pass the worlds most perfect budget. You never know.

In the meantime, this you do know: We wont default. Ratings agencies know ittheyre pretty much yawning at this charade. Even the articles proclaiming default market meltdown admit this if you read far enough. Default refers only to missing bond paymentsinterest or principal. Principal is covered, since the Treasury is permitted to roll over maturing debt. So all those short-term T-bills banks are dumping will get repaidthe Treasury need only issue a new bill for each one maturing. (And might we point out there was a buyer on the other side of every transaction.) With fear running high, the Treasury might have to issue replacement notes at a slightly larger discount, but investors, banks, sovereigns and money market fund managers globally will keep buying them. And as for federal interest payments, cash on hand and tax revenue far exceed the payout.

Dont take our word for it? Take the markets. If the US were spiraling toward a major event that would cause an economic catastrophe, markets would tell us. Theyre pretty good at it. Even after an uptick in recent days, 10-year Treasury yields are 30 bps under their relative peak on September 5. The S&P 500 rose Monday, closing about 1% below its all-time high. Volatility has risen a tad latelynatural when markets are dealing with investors emotionsbut markets would look far different if doomsday were nigh.

Our suggestion: Dont sweat the political theatrics. Lifes too short. Just think a bit longer term. At some point, theyll reopen the government and raise the debt ceiling for the 108th time, leaving everyone wondering just what all the fuss was about.
SPRINGFIELD -- Blessed Sacrament Church bought the tunics, armor and helmets its Roman centurions wear in every Good Friday procession.

Most of the Santa suits are sold.

The Satan suits, on the other hand, are still available. As are the cavemen, a bunch of Virgin Marys and a rack of black capes and robes that could outfit the Phantom of the Opera, a priest or a nun, depending on the need.

If food's your thing, Geri Spear, owner of Costume Closet in Springfield's Forest Park neighborhood, can still dress you up as a peanut, a potato, a slice of cake or a cookie.

But not for much longer. Spear, 75, is closing Costume Closet in November after 43 years in the business of outfitting Halloween partiers as Jazz Age flappers or King Kong apes and helping flustered parents get kids ready for living wax museum history presentations.

"Moms and dads don't know the first thing about Vasco da Gama, but I know what he wore and what he looked like," Spear said, referring to a 15th-century Portuguese explorer.

Through it all, she said, there was never a day when she didn't want to come to work.

"How can you go wrong when you work with clowns, Santa Clauses and children?" she said.

But these days she doesn't want to be on her feet all the time. And business, always seasonal and spotty, has been tough the past few years.

"It's time," she said. "I'd been thinking about it for a long time."

She bought the business with a partner after renting colonial garb for a party she hosted that happened to fall on Washington's birthday one year. Over the years she bought out the business partner and expanded the inventory, sewing most of the costumes herself.

She figures she's made more than 80 percent of the thousands of costumes herself, and long ago branched out to wigs and theater-quality makeup.

In those days, Halloween was the busiest time of year. Grownups trying on costumes at the shop in October would invite each other to their parties.

"They would trade business cards and it was a big social thing," she said. "Last Halloween I might as well have stayed home."

The internet and the ease of online shopping hurt. So have discount retailers and pop-up Halloween shops in area strip malls. Social customs have changed, too, with fewer organized Halloween parties demanding elaborate costumes.

Spear was still busy. She did a brisk trade in Christmas snowmen, Thanksgiving turkey and pilgrim outfits and costumes for theater productions. At Easter there would be religious pageants and the Easter bunny. Colleges and high schools also put on plays in the spring.

"The spring theater season was always great for me," she said.

But many of the theater arts teachers Spear has worked with for years are retiring. She started taking it as a sign.

Her husband, John Spear, will continue making clown shoes with his Spear's Specialty Shoe Co. But he won't have a display at Costume Closet. Her son, Gary Spear, aka Gilligan the Clown, also will move his business selling unicycles, peddle cars, novelty trikes and juggling supplies to his fellow clowns.

She's selling costumes now at about what she rented them for in years past. Some are selling for $50 to $75 each, with full-body costumes that have foam heads selling for $200 to $300.

She started selling off her stock last December, telling regular Santa-suit customers to buy their suits so they can be sure to have them. She expects high school and college theater departments, churches and community groups to come in over the next few weeks and buy what they think they'll need. Then those groups will be on their own to clean, sort and store the costumes.

Spear plans to be out of her pumpkin-orange space at 666 Belmont Ave. in November.

And that spooky address?

Spear said that when she moved her business there after a few decades on White Street, people at the post office apologetically told her that past tenants preferred to use the address "667 (rear)."

"I told them, 'No, 666 is perfect for me,'" she said. "Everything just came together."
SPRINGFIELD -- City police are investigating a reported late-Friday shooting in the Upper Hill neighborhood that injured one person.

Springfield Police responded to reports of a shooting near the corner of Albemarle Street and Wilbraham Road around 11 p.m. Friday.

Police told reporters that a man was injured in the incident and transported to an area hospital. The extent of the reported victim's injuries was not disclosed, according to 22News.

The Springfield Police Major Crimes Unit is investigating the reported shooting.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
Police say that a Cape Cod wiretap investigation resulted in the recovery of more than 1,500 fentanyl pills, several hundreds grams of a heroin/fentanyl mixture and several grams of cocaine.

Four men have been arrested and charged with attempting to distribute the massive drug stash. Additionally, police say hundreds of the pills were designed to look like oxycodone.

Alex Fraga, 25, of Hyannis and Kevin Fraga, 24, of Hyannis were arrested on Aug. 17 and each charged with one count of possession of fentanyl/heroin with intent to distribute and two counts of attempted possession of fentanyl/heroin with intent to distribute. Kevin Fraga was also charged with two counts of attempted possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Jose Solivan, 40, a Dominican national living in Boston, and James Ramirez, 55, of Boston were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl and cocaine. Both men were arrested on Aug. 22.

Authorities say the arrests and drug recovery were the result of a long-term wiretap investigation on Cape Cod. Through the wiretap investigation, police learned that Ramirez and Solivan, along with others, were supplying the Fraga brothers with drugs for distribution, according to court documents.

Ramirez delivered the drugs to the Fragas brothers in Hyannis using vehicles equipped with "hides," high-tech compartments built into cars to hide drugs. Hides can sometimes only be opened by manipulating normal switches and buttons in a vehicle in a certain way.

Between June and July 2017, police made three controlled purchases of 100 fentanyl pills. Police say that the pills they purchased were designed to look like oxycodone.

Each package of pills also contained approximately 10 grams of fentanyl, police said.

During this time, police discovered through their wiretap operation that Ramirez delivered more than a pound of narcotics and fentanyl pills to Kevin Fraga.

On Aug. 6, investigators stopped Kevin Fraga's vehicle for a traffic violation. Police knew Kevin Fraga had just met with Ramirez earlier in Hyannis.

They obtained a search warrant for the vehicle, a hotel room at the Best Western in Hyannis, the Fraga brother's house in Yarmouthport and a Winnebago owned by Kevin Fraga.

The search of the various residences and vehicles turned up several hundred fentanyl/heroin pills and large stashes of heroin and cocaine, according to court documents. In Ramirez's residence alone, police allegedly recovered 1,200 fentanyl pills.

The men have already appeared in court and it is unclear when they will appear again.

"Large-scale narcotics trafficking in Massachusetts is destroying lives and entire communities," said United States Attorney William D. Weinreb." This was an important investigation that led investigators from Boston to Cape Cod and removed suspected deadly fentanyl-laced pills from the streets. Those pills would have put lives at risk. My office remains committed to working with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to stem the tide of drugs that is flooding our neighborhoods."
NORTHAMPTON -- Activists with the Pioneer Valley Workers Center say they are raising money for a woman whose husband was deported after being pulled over for a traffic violation.

Self-styled as a labor organization dedicated to fighting for immigrant and low-wage worker rights, PVWC has been responsible for a number of local political rallies since President Donald Trump took office.

The group announced on its website and over social media Friday that it was raising money for the woman, identified only as "G" because she is an undocumented immigrant. Since her husband's removal, "G" has been left to care for two young children alone, the group said.

PVWC said it has partnered with other groups to raise $5,000 for "G." Massachusetts Jobs with Justice posted the same statement about fundraising on its Facebook wall Friday.

Rose Bookbinder, an organizer with both organizations, said the proceeds will support the woman for the next four months as she raises her children.

Because the woman is undocumented, the activists are doing what they can to shield her identity and release as little personal information about her as possible, Bookbinder said.

The PVWC website posted a personal narrative from the woman. "Now, that they have foced (sic) him back to Guatemala, I must focus on how to care for my children," the statement reads.

The woman's husband was initially stopped by Springfield police for driving without a license, Bookbinder said. "When he got picked up he had a very minor traffic violation," she said.

The couple worked on a local farm and the husband could not get a license because he was undocumented, Bookbinder said.

"How are they supposed to get to and from work in a community that doesn't have a lot of public transportation?" she said. "He was forced to drive without a license and was picked up by police in Springfield as a result."

Springfield authorities turned the husband over to ICE officials, Bookbinder said, and he was deported in July.

"He didn't even get to meet his new child before he was forced to leave," she said.

"There are more and more stories like this," said Bookbinder.

"The rhetoric coming from Trump and from the right make these people out to be criminals. The message we're trying to send is that these are people who are just living and existing in our community," she said.

"Whether they are criminals or not, this is their home," she said, explaining that she believes immigrant families are being needlessly ripped apart. "That's why we believe it is important to be in solidarity with her -- and say that we're not going to allow state violence to tear us apart."
SPRINGFIELD -- Tracye Whitfield, an at-large City Council candidate, praised Mayor Domenic J. Sarno for taking a "bold move" in pushing for a new social media policy for city employees in the aftermath of a controversial Facebook post by an off-duty police officer.

In a statement, Whitfield said an executive order issued by Sarno last week established a social media policy for all nonunion city employees with the intent of strongly urging labor unions to "do the right thing and honor this edict immediately," in the mayor's words.

"The policy is intended to assist city employees in making responsible decisions about their use of social media," Whitfield said. "I commend the Mayor for moving swiftly and doing the right thing by issuing the Executive Order. It was a bold move to preserve the integrity of our city."

Whitfield said that while she supports the mayor's action, it is her gut feeling that the order "may hide the true hearts of some public officials." The mayor's edict warned there could be discipline up to and including termination for insensitive, "unacceptable" social media behavior, listing some examples of forbidden behavior.

Tracye Whitfield

Springfield police Officer Conrad Lariviere, while recently exercising his First Amendment right to speak out on Facebook about a violent rally in Charlotteville, Virginia, "contributed to the damaged reputation of officers throughout the United States and officers right here in Springfield," Whitfield said. The rally was conducted by white nationalists, and was opposed by anti-racism demonstrators.

Larivierre apologized after appearing to mock an incident at the rally in which a car was driven into anti-racism protesters, killing one women and injuring many others. His post stated: "Hahahaha love this, maybe people shouldn't block roads."

Whitfield said that, as a Springfield resident, "I want to know how City employees (especially the police department) feel about races other than their own."

"We, as a community, should have the opportunity to discuss these issues with the Mayor and the Police Commissioner," Whitfield said. "The residents need a chance to voice their opinion, ask questions, and receive a clear answer on next steps. We need assurance that his occurrence will not be swept under the rug as it has in past incidents."
Montana U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte was photographed and fingerprinted Friday, days after a judge ordered him to be booked after pleading guilty to assaulting a reporter on the eve of the special election that put him in office.

Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert declined Friday to release the mug shot that Democrats would likely use against him during the 2018 election cycle. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports it filed an application in District Court Friday asking a judge to release it.

Gianforte, 56, pleaded guilty in June to assaulting Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs on May 24. Jacobs said Gianforte body slammed him and broke his glasses when he asked a question about a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act that had passed the U.S. House. Audio taken by Jacobs recorded the sounds of a scuffle followed by Gianforte yelling, Get the hell out of here!

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana-congressman-greg-gianforte-photographed-fingerprinted-after-assault-conviction/article_ac283bef-483b-572a-ac8d-fa310e7eedc2.html?utm_content=buffera801a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC
Montanas landscape tells its story. From our treasured state and national parks to old mining camps, Montana has a rich and diverse history. For decades, miners and loggers put their blood, sweat and tears into their work to put food on the table, while powering a nation and building a future for their children.

And while we continue to see the benefits of natural resource development, our state has also seen some downsides. We need look no further than Zortman-Landusky, Beal Mountain, Montana Tunnels or the Berkeley pit to see that mining jobs can come at a cost, not just to local economies that once depended on good jobs, but to taxpayers who are still on the hook for cleaning up the mess left behind. According to a recent article in the Missoulian, the Montana Tunnels open pit mine owes $5 million in back taxes to Jefferson County and is also in danger of collapsing, which would destroy a nearby creek. Thats got to change. We have a duty as citizens  and an obligation as legislators  to continue to develop our natural resources as safely and cleanly as possible and with the least impact on jobs as possible.

REP. NATE MCCONNELL

Full Story: http://helenair.com/opinion/columnists/montana-legislature-fails-to-protect-taxpayers-clean-water/article_73bcc0ba-7ec1-5001-a8e7-979259c62729.html
As students prepare for their first day Monday, teachers returned to the classroom this past week. The week was filled with eclipse parties, community outreach, open houses and their annual professional development day.

Approximately 600 teachers, instructors and staff from Early Head Start to Early College attended workshops on Tuesday at East McDowell Middle School.

The all-day convocation was led by community leaders and their educational colleagues.

We think of it as an anchoring experience for the whole year. We set divisions and what the expectations are for the whole year, and we provide the training to help teachers reach their goals, and then throughout the year we will return back to the sessions and training that they had today, said Chief Academic Officer Laura Davis.We are future-focused. By 2020, we expect to see every child, every classroom, every school in the entire district either meeting or exceeding growth every year.

Here a few things you need to know before sending your child back to school:

School Start/End Times for MCS

Elementary

7:15 a.m.Doors open for students

7:50 a.m.Classes begin

2:45 p.m.Dismissal

Middle Schools

FCS/WMMS:

7:50 a.m.Classes begin

3:00 p.m.Dismissal for car riders

3:10 p.m.Dismissal for bus riders

EMMS:

8:00 a.m.Classes begin

3:25 p.m.Dismissal for car and bus riders

High Schools

Alternative Education Center:

8:15 a.m.Classes begin

2:45 p.m.Dismissal

McDowell Early College:

8:30 a.m.Classes begin

2:30 p.m.Dismissal

McDowell High School:

8:10 a.m.Classes begin

3:00 p.m.Dismissal

No School Days

September 4

October 30

November 10; 22-24

December 19-Early Dismissal

December 20-January 1

January 15; 22

March 26-April 2

May 28

June 8-Last Day

The first bus in McDowell County will leave McDowell High School at 5:45 a.m. Monday morning. According to the districts website, the buses will travel over half a million miles this year alone. Motorists are encouraged to be aware that passing a stopped school bus is dangerous for everyone involved. According to state law, motorists are required to stop when a school bus is displaying its mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights and the bus is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers. Violator of the law can be fined $400 or more. Troopers will monitor school bus routes statewide to ensure motorists comply with the law. For more information, visit NCDOTs website.

The first bus in McDowell County will leave McDowell High School at 5:45 a.m. Monday morning. According to the districts website, the buses will travel over half a million miles this year alone. Motorists are encouraged to be aware that passing a stopped school bus is dangerous for everyone involved. According to state law, motorists are required to stop when a school bus is displaying its mechanical stop signal or flashing red lights and the bus is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging passengers. Violator of the law can be fined $400 or more. Troopers will monitor school bus routes statewide to ensure motorists comply with the law. For more information, visit NCDOTs website.
Authors note: I was so busy staring directly at the sun this week I did not have time to write a new column. Please enjoy this slightly updated work from a few years back.

At a closed-door meeting of journalists where we discussed such things as the truth behind alien abductions, who really killed Kennedy and the government's secret cloning project involving super intelligent monkeys -- you know, the stuff weve been covering up for years -- a spirited political debate erupted.

Since I was plotting my strategy to snatch the last chocolate doughnut from an unsuspecting counterpart, I can't recall the discussion word for word, but I will try to recreate it to the best of my ability.

Journalist Number One: I think the president is a real pinhead, don't you? Journalist Number Two: No, I think the presidents head is in exact proportion to his body, therefore he is fully qualified to be president.

Journalist Number Three: Hey, who stole my chocolate doughnut?

Me: I think it was one of those super intelligent monkey clones.

The conversation was a real eye-opener, much like the eight cups of coffee I had before the meeting to guarantee that I would not doze off in the middle of a boring monologue by someone with had the authority to fire me. It was at that very moment, as I looked around the room at my esteemed colleagues, that I realized the problem with today's journalists -- none of them wear hats.

Yes, my mind had wondered just a bit. Earlier in the week, I had absorbed nearly an entire day's worth of 1930s newspaper-themed films on Turner Classic Movies.

All the 30s newspapermen -- they weren't called "journalists" and the shockingly few newspaper women were known simply as Toots -- wore hats, which they tugged low over one eye when they barked, "Get me the mayor on the horn!" or tipped back at a jaunty angle when they sidled up to the bar and said, "Scotch on the rocks, and one for the dame with the gams up to here."

In addition to the hats, alcohol abuse and blatant sexism, most of the movies had a common plot: The cynical, sarcastic newspaperman works to uncover big-city corruption while wooing a woman who is at first repulsed by him.

The typical movie, let's called it "Deadline for Death" presented by RKO Pictures in cooperation with Blind Horse Scotch and the Stillson Hat Co. of St. Louis, would include a scene like this:

Editor: Ace, what do you have on the mayor's ties to bootleg hooch?

Ace: I'm working on it, chief. Right now, I'm getting along just peachy with the mayor's daughter, although she at first found me repulsive. You know, chief, that dame has gams up to here.

Editor: Hey, which one of you mugs ate my chocolate doughnut?

Ace: I think it was those super intelligent monkey clones. Those apes had gams up to here, I tell ya.

I believe the public, at least those members of the public who spend much of their time locked in their homes with tin foil over the windows watching 80-year-old movies and muttering to themselves about the dangers of monkey clones, believe real journalists should wear hats, drink scotch and be repulsive to dames with gams up to here or there, depending on where they are standing.

That is why public opinion polls on the trustworthiness of the media are so low. It's the fault of the bareheaded, sometimes sober, only semi-repulsive newspapermen.

My suggestions for the next meeting of journalists I attend  if after this I am allowed to attend any more meetings -- include more hats, gallons of bootleg hooch and an extra box of chocolate doughnuts.

Scott Hollifield is editor/GM of The McDowell News in Marion, N.C. and a humor columnist. Contact him at rhollifield@mcdowellnews.com.
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David K. Turok, Lawrence Leeman, Jessica N. Sanders, Lauren Thaxton, Jennifer L. Eggebroten, Nicole Yonke, Holly Bullock, Rameet Singh, Lori M. Gawron, Eve Espey. Immediate postpartum levonorgestrel IUD insertion & breastfeeding outcomes: A noninferiority randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2017; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.003

The new study found that lactation was not affected if women received a hormonal IUD immediately after giving birth compared to women who received the same type of IUD several weeks after delivery.Eight weeks after delivery, women with IUDs continued to breastfeed equally as well as women who did not have the birth control.The research team conducted a randomized study at clinics in Salt Lake City, Utah and Albuquerque, N.M. The participants were divided into two groups. The first group comprised of 132 women who received a hormonal IUD within 30 minutes of delivery. The second group comprised of 127 women who received a hormonal IUD 4 to 5 weeks after delivery.The disadvantage of early IUD placement is an increased potential for the device to be dislodged.However, a majority of the study participants who lost the IUD returned to their medical provider to receive another device (71%)."New mothers have to juggle the competing priorities of a new or growing family, and it is difficult to schedule postpartum appointments," said co-author Jessica Sanders, Ph.D., research assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at U of U Health. "Women are already at the hospital for the delivery and receiving the IUD at this time is more convenient."Prenatal care is an ideal time for medical experts to speak about long-term birth control. Turok notes the children born to the women in both groups were healthy and thriving, but the lack of specific data on infant outcomes was a limitation to the study."This study shows no difference in breastfeeding outcomes [for women in either group], which is critically important in reassuring women and advocates that a hormonal IUD empowers women to avoid unintended pregnancy and to successfully breastfeed their infants," said senior author Eve Espey, M.D., chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. "We hope this study contributes to improving access to this highly safe and effective long-term contraceptive method."The findings of the study are published in theThe hormonal intrauterine device is a birth control method that releases the hormone levonorgestrel. It is also used to control heavy menstrual periods prevent the excessive build of the lining of the uterus among women on estrogen replacement therapy.Source: Medindia
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Their effort established the baseline of colonization and transmission frequencies of GBS in Nigeria. Equally important, Medugu and Manning identified new risk factors that are allowing doctors to effectively treat more women and infants at risk."Nigeria has one of the highest rates of mortality of pregnant mothers, and GBS and other pathogens contribute to these deaths," Manning said. "GBS can cause stillbirth, premature birth and, after the baby is born, it can cause meningitis and sepsis."When Medugu began her residency program, it was common knowledge that GBS was the most-common cause of sepsis in infants worldwide. She, however, had never seen a single case during her early medical training in her home country."I hypothesized that lack of active surveillance and poor laboratory methods might be the reason as to why we weren't detecting cases," Medugu said. "I decided that my dissertation was going to answer those questions."Her hypothesis was right.Medugu's research led to Manning, a leading authority on decoding deadly pathogens. There were no labs in Nigeria that could run the necessary experiments needed to publish a paper. So, Medugu agreed to do the legwork while Manning supervised the lab work.The seemingly indefatigable Medugu collected all of the necessary samples -- from 500 women and infants -- from four different hospitals while completing her residency and raising her three children. The samples were sent to MSU to be examined. Eventually, Medugu also traveled to East Lansing, Michigan, to learn new molecular methods, such as Manning's advanced genotyping technique.The partnership proved successful. Medugu finished her dissertation, and the scientists navigated the necessary steps to publish a peer-reviewed paper, which showed that 34 percent of mothers and 19 percent of their newborns were colonized with GBS with 1 of the 500 babies developing disease. (Compare this to the U.S., where a pregnant woman who receives standard antibiotics has only a 1 in 4,000 chance of delivering a baby infected with GBS.)"Our results showed high rates of colonization and transmission in a population that doesn't use antibiotics to prevent neonatal infections -- a strategy that should be considered in the future," Manning said.The World Health Organization estimates that 3 million of all babies that die annually can be saved with low-tech, low-cost care. Medugu agrees -- and she has already sparked many changes at her hospital in Abuja, Nigeria. Today, Medugu and her colleagues routinely check for GBS infections."This study has been one of the principal drivers of infection prevention and control programs that have drastically reduced infant mortality," Medugu said.Klebsiella pneumoniae also has claimed its share of Nigerian babies. Working with an NGO, Medugu facilitated training that emphasized hand hygiene, which has effectively reduced the disease's impact, Medugu added.She believes that even more improvements will spread countrywide -- and beyond -- now that the paper has published.Source: Eurekalert
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The result of the screening was that almost every fourth hospital patient suffered from diabetes (22 percent), i.e. had a long-term blood glucose level (HbA1c value) of 6.5 % or higher. 24 percent of the patients in the study had a long-term blood glucose value between 5.7 and 6.4 percent. These values indicate an early stage of diabetes (prediabetes). Nearly 4 percent of the investigated patients had undiagnosed diabetes. "Extrapolated to the number of patients who are treated at our hospital each year, there are at least 13,000 diabetes patients who would require therapy," said Professor Andreas Fritsche, diabetologist and one of the authors of the study."Laboratory medicine is of particular importance when it comes to the implementation of such projects because, as a cross-section discipline, it has contact with patients from all areas of the hospital," said Professor Andreas Peter, head of the central laboratory in Tubingen and of the central study laboratory of the DZD, in which the study was conducted.The study also showed that patients with diabetes required treatment in the hospital approximately 1.47 days longer than patients with the same diagnosis without diabetes or prediabetes. The affected patients also had a higher risk of complications: 24% of the patients with diabetes experienced complications. In comparison: Only 15% of the patients without diabetes were affected by complications."Given the high prevalence of diabetes and the negative effects of the metabolic disease, we consider it useful to screen hospitalized patients older than 50 years of age for diabetes. The metabolic disorder can then be treated at the same time and thus complications or extended hospital stays can be avoided," said Professor Fritsche and Professor Peter.The results of the study of Tubingen University Hospital and the Institute for Diabetes Research and Metabolic Diseases (IDM) of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen at the University of Tubingen, a member of the German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), have now been published in the journalSource: Eurekalert
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
Georgia looks to further develop renewable energy

Georgia is taking actions to further utilize renewable energy and meet the requirements of the European Unions renewable energy directive.In particular, the Georgian authorities are discussing the possibilities of using biomass energy, especially in the agriculture industry.For this reason, Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili held a working meeting last week on this topic, where the Agriculture and Environment Ministries, representatives from non-governmental organisations, experts and the President of Lithuanias Biomass Energy Association were invited.There is a large amount of solid residual biomass that can be used for the production of modern solid biofuel, which will largely cover the need for heating in the regions. This biomass includes agricultural wastes, forestry and timber processing and other wastes, reads the press release from the Ministry of Energy.Now the authorities are working on an action plan to receive benefits from the above-mentioned waste.The benefits are numerous, and will help Georgia to eliminate the illegal cutting of wood and help with the countrys ecological crisis, as it will be possible to replace wood with biofuel.As a result, it will improve the living conditions of people in rural areas and support development of small businesses, says the Ministry of Energy.
Armenia and China may sign agreement to launch direct flights

Armenia and China are likely to sign a new interstate agreement on opening of a direct flight, head of civil aviation department, Sergey Avetisyan told reporters on Thursday after Armenian government session.He noted that he had held a meeting with Chinese representatives several weeks ago.We signed a document taking a step forward for the liberalization of markets and regulation of legal frameworks. I scheduled a visit to China and a meeting with their aviation authorities for this autumn. If possible, we will sign a new interstate agreement. I will also meet representatives of the Chinese airlines to discuss the possible implementation of Armenia-China flights," Avetisyan said.He added that Armenia's Zvartnots Airport can accept a large number of passengers and any types of plane.
SPRINGFIELD - Should non-citizens be protected from U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers? That's what SB 31 will do, State Rep. John Cabello (R-Machesney Park) told Illinois Review Friday. Cabello signed onto a letter six state lawmakers sent to the governor Friday.

A Rockford police detective before being appointed to the Illinois House in 2012, SB 31's enactment would tie law enforcement's hands - something that's "concerning," Cabello said in a short interview:

Cabello-Segment 1

SB 31 would protect non-citizens holed up in publicly-funded facilities throughout the state, making it one of the nation's most non-citizen protective states in the nation, Cabello said:

Cabello-Segment 2
During Sunday night's nail-biter "Game of Thrones" episode, Jon Snow nearly died not once but twice. As usual, he managed to escape (somewhat) unscathed.

That's kind of his M.O., isn't it? He narrowly escapes death when someone or something swoops in at just the right moment to rescue him. The guy is lucky to have some friends with great timing. It probably doesn't hurt that the Lord of Light appears to be on his side, too.

In honor of his most recent brushes with death, here's a look at all the times he nearly kicked the bucket - and the one time he actually did - ranked from least to most dicey.

- That time the acting Lord Commander wanted to execute him

Saved by: Aemon Targaryen

When Jon returned to the Night's Watch after working as an undercover spy embedded with the wildlings, those in charge at Castle Black questioned his allegiance. He had, after all, killed his brother in arms, Qhorin Halfhand - though that was Halfhand's idea - and he also "lay with a wildling girl." So he'd broken his vows.

"The law is the law," the weaselly Janos Slynt commanded. "The boy must die."

But Maester Aemon, ever the voice of reason, piped up, "If we beheaded every ranger who lay with a girl, the Wall would be manned by headless men."

Acting Lord Commander Alliser Thorne said there was a difference between going to a brothel and getting busy with the enemy. Jon responded with a rousing speech about the wildling threat - riddled with a few well-placed Janos Slynt put-downs - and then asked if he'd be executed. But before Ser Alliser could respond, Maester Aemon jumped in and said that Jon would live to see another day (not to mention the executions of both Slynt and Thorne).

- That time he tried to pull a fast one on Mance Rayder

Saved by: Stannis Baratheon

After the Battle of Castle Black, Jon ventured north for a bargaining session with Mance Rayder - at least that's what he said. Really, he planned to assassinate the King Beyond the Wall. Mance is no dummy, though, and when Jon kept glancing at a knife across the room, the wildling saw through the scheme. Now Jon was in a precarious place, alone and far from Castle Black, surrounded by wildlings with a knife at his throat. And just then: the sound of a bugle in the distance.

What do you know? Stannis Baratheon had arrived to break up the party. Outnumbered, Mance was forced to surrender, and Stannis escorted Jon back to the Wall.

- That time he was outnumbered by wights

Saved by: Daenerys Targaryen and Drogon

The only plan more ill-advised than wandering north of the Wall unarmed to slay the King Beyond the Wall was wandering north of the Wall with only a dozen men to try to kidnap a wight. And yet that's what Jon did Sunday night. As expected, his crew ended up surrounded by the undead and desperate for an escape hatch.

Luckily, when the attack began, Jon had the presence of mind to send Gendry to the Wall and alert those at Dragonstone. Somehow, Gendry managed to sprint back and send a raven, then Daenerys had time to hop on Drogon and fly north and still have a few milliseconds to spare before the men were toast. Even though Jon didn't end up airborne with the rest of the survivors, Daenerys did beat back the wights enough to save Jon momentarily from the onslaught - until he fell through the ice and slipped beneath the water.

- That time he was hypothermic - but also outnumbered by wights

Saved by: Benjen Stark,

Jon managed to pull himself out of the freezing water, grab his sword Longclaw - which was conveniently waiting for him on the ice ledge - and start limp-jogging toward safety. He wasn't going to make it far, though, what with all the wights that had noticed him and were headed his way.

Just when it seemed hopeless, Jon's half-dead uncle and frequent Stark-kid savior Benjen appeared with a flaming ball and chain. He put Jon on his horse and sent them south to Eastwatch before going back into the fray where he most likely became at least one-third more dead.

- That time a White Walker singled him out

Saved by: Longclaw

Hardhome was a battle to remember. It was the first time Jon saw the Night King raise people from the dead, not to mention the first time he came face to face with a White Walker. Jon made yet another questionable decision that day - to double back to the town hall for a cache of Dragonglass despite an onslaught of wights - and almost immediately regretted it. Inside the building, he met a terrifying White Walker who seemed invincible. The first sword Jon picked up disintegrated the moment it made contact with the enemy.

Wounded, Jon managed to limp outside where he retrieved his Valyrian steel sword, Longclaw. When he swung it, both he and his opponent were shocked that it stayed intact when it struck the Walker's ice sword. Better yet, when it struck the undead man himself, the White Walker shattered into pieces.

- That time Ygritte shot him with three arrows

Saved by: The Night's Watch (and one fast horse)

When Jon's wildling girlfriend Ygritte found out he was still loyal to the Night's Watch, she was not pleased. Jon assumed his favorite plucky warrior was going to let him go back to Castle Black, anyway.

"I know you won't hurt me," he said, which she answered with her usual refrain: "You know nothing, Jon Snow."

The moment he turned to leave, Ygritte shot him in the back with an arrow. He was shocked for a moment before regaining his wits, which he was going to need since she was quickly reloading her bow. He managed to hop on his horse and start riding away but not before Ygritte tearfully landed a couple more shots. He was on the brink of death by the time his horse magically delivered him to the gates of Castle Black where the Night's Watch nursed him back to health between seasons.

- That time he led his army into a trap

Saved by: Sansa and the Knights of the Vale with the help of - hate to admit it - Littlefinger

For a king, Jon makes a lot of terrible decisions. One was taking Ramsay Bolton's bait during the Battle of the Bastards. After Ramsay made a show of murdering Rickon Stark, Jon lost his temper - even though Sansa had just warned him about Ramsay's treacherous mind games - and charged the Bolton army by himself. It didn't take long for his horse to get hit by arrows, leaving him standing alone in a field with an enemy army storming toward him. Luckily (for him, anyway) his army followed and caught up just in time. That was the first time he almost died that day.

Later, the Stark forces became trapped. On one side, they were hemmed in by a pile of bodies, while a horseshoe-shaped phalanx of Bolton men with shields and spears slowly closed in. During a chaotic stampede, Jon ended up suffocating under a pile bodies, both living and dead. He managed to claw his way out just in time to survey his stunning defeat. But just then - hey, what's that sound?

Why it's the Knights of the Vale, arriving just in time to turn the tides. Thanks, little sis!

- That time he was stabbed by his own men

Saved by: Melisandre with an assist from the Lord of Light

Ser Alliser Thorne, the man who once wanted to execute Jon Snow, eventually got his wish. He was part of a mutiny that rose up after Jon, as Lord Commander, allowed wildlings south of the Wall. After Thorne lured Jon outside, a parade of men (and one boy) took turns stabbing him and saying, "for the Watch." There was no mistaking the final image of the episode - unless you were desperately looking for some glimmer of hope. Jon, laying in a pool of blood with eyes wide open, was dead.

But he didn't stay dead long. Ser Davos asked Melisandre if she knew of any magic that might help bring Jon back to life. She was reluctant, having entirely screwed up her prophecies about Stannis Baratheon being the next king.

"Everything I believed, the great victory I saw in the flames, all of it was a lie," she said. Besides, she didn't have the gift to reanimate a corpse.

"Have you ever tried?" Ser Davos asked.

With that, she went to the room where Jon's lifeless body rested on a wooden table for a couple episodes and performed her ritual. It worked. With the snap of his eyelids and a giant gasp, the Lord Commander lurched back to life. You'd think his beyond-death experience would inspire him to take some extra precautions, but you'd be wrong. He can't seem to help himself.
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Longtime San Antonio film critic Bob Polunsky, famous for his colorful celebrity encounters and movie reviews on local TV, radio and in newspapers, died Sunday. He was 85.

Polunsky of the genial demeanor, playful grin and tell-it-like-it-is movie criticism, was a staple of local newspapers, TV and radio for several decades during his 50-plus years as a critic.

His signature feature, which appeared in the old San Antonio Light newspaper and later in the San Antonio Express-News from the early 80s to the mid-90s, was Flicker Footnotes. These notes consisted of tidbits about actors and producers he met during his many movie trips.

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More Information Bob Polunsky Born: Dec. 3, 1931, San Antonio Died: Aug. 20, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: Wife Paulina Polunsky and daughter Julie Polunsky Survived by: Sister Diane Dulitz and her husband Lester Dulitz, daughter Adrianne Hemenway, granddaughter Stephanie Hemenway, nieces Stephanie Katz and Marla Feld and nephew David Dulitz Graveside service: 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Temple Beth-El Memorial Park, 1715 Austin Highway. Reception will follow. See More Collapse

Those remembrances and insights eventually were compiled into a book entitled Bob Polunskys Flicker Footnotes and published in 2003. Among the celebrities he wrote about were John Wayne, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Clint Eastwood and Michael Keaton.

He also was part of the broadcast scene in San Antonio, reviewing movies on WOAI radio and on TV stations KENS and WOAI.

KENS anchorwoman Deborah Knapp, who knew him during the 80s, 90s and beyond, remembered him fondly. Bob always had a smile and a kind word for everyone. He was a joy to work with, Knapp wrote today in a text.

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Fellow local film critic Larry Ratliff, also a staple of local newspapers and TV stations, knew Polunsky for nearly 25 years, constantly crossing his path at screenings and junkets. We were spirited rivals, Ratliff, who was known for his movie-rating system that used jalapenos instead of stars, said in a phone chat.

He also appreciated how Polunsky put competitiveness aside during Ratliffs early days as a critic, introducing him to producers and actors as a movie colleague from San Antonio. We must have attended at least 10,000 screenings together, he said, recalling how Polunsky often had his beloved wife Paulina, who died in 2009, by his side.

He also mentioned being jealous of Polunsky for always having movie information and trivia at his fingertips.

Bob had a photographic memory when it came to names and facts, Ratliff said. In fact, he was dubbed The Film Professor during his on-air tenure on WOAI.

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Both Ratliff and his daughter, Adrianne Hemenway, said her dad loved a large variety of movies but was partial to the classics  films such as Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, The King and I and more. He also was a big fan of John Wayne Westerns and Steven Spielberg movies, Hemenway said.

She also is grateful to have had the opportunity to visit her dad, who suffered from Alzheimers disease, in his final days at a local nursing home.

It was good to see him one last time, she said, pray at his bedside.

JJakle@express-news.net
SPRINGFIELD - Six GOP state lawmakers - four in the House and two in the Senate - sent Governor Rauner a letter Friday afternoon, asking him to veto SB 31, a bill that would protect non-citizens living in Illinois from Federal law enforcement. The bill, opponents say, would provide sanctuary for those in the country illegally.

GOP Representatives Allen Skillicorn, David Allen Welter, John Cabello and Tom Morrison, as well as GOP Senators Kyle McCarter and Jim Oberweis signed onto the letter sent out Friday afternoon asking the governor to veto the bill, saying "the State should not interfere with lawful action by the federal government."
CASS CITY  The village of Cass City will look drab this fall without the usual splashes of pink throughout the town because the "Pinktober" celebration has been canceled.

For 16 years, the Cass City community has gone all out to support breast cancer awareness and research with Pinktober events. It was a celebration of pink with several special events in October that raised thousands of dollars for the American Cancer Society as well as for a special fund to help local children diagnosed with cancer.

The demise of the popular event isn't because of lack of interest or support.

"There will not be a Pinktober this year because there are issues with the events not having insurance coverage," said Cass City Village Chamber Administrator Judy Keller.

Although Pinktober was not a chamber sponsored event, it did provide insurance coverage for it.

"Our insurance company explained not having insurance coverage for it is because it is not a chamber sponsored event," she said. "That is from the insurance company, not from the chamber."

The chamber pays about $1,000 for insurance for the Fourth of July celebration and the Christmas celebration. It would cost more to cover Pinktober.

The community started Pinktober in 2000 to promote breast cancer awareness and research. Each year, the community-wide event has gotten bigger and raised money for the American Cancer Society.

Between the Pinktober events and Love for Lexi Pay It Forward fundrasiers, which were held to honor of, Alexis Lexi Smith, who died from cancer, $9,600 was raised in 2015.

From that tragic loss, the Love for Lexi Pay it Forward group was formed to help other local families with a child who is battling cancer.

Last year, the event raised about $12,000 through various activities throughout October. Cass City is the only community-wide event in the Thumb area to support breast cancer awareness and research.

During the event, several businesses would sport pink decorations, window decorating contests, and many other events.

Owners of businesses that participated in the event previously declined to comment.

In the meantime, hopes are to find a way to provide insurance coverage so the event can continue.
HARBOR BEACH There's a new doctor in town and hospital personnel have already taken a thorough liking to him.

Harbor Beach Community Hospital enjoys the youthful energy, education, and a variety of things Dr. Nicklaus (Nick) Bradley brings to the table each day. They like the fact he is from a small town. Most of all, theyre ecstatic he seems to really like Harbor Beach.

Experience shows its hard to keep doctors in the Upper Thumb, particularly those who were raised in a "big city atmosphere." Sooner or later, it seems, the big city draws them and their spouses back. The 32-year-old M.D. says he doesnt like big city living.

In fact, he said he had lived in large cities and he hated it.

The new physician was raised in Metamora, Michigan. The town was small and it offered no secondary education. Therefore, he graduated from Lapeer West High School.

His wife of two years, Holly, hails from Almont.

Essentially, Holly and I are from small communities, Bradley said. Thats what were used to. I like the idea of being from a small town, a small community.

He explained he learned about Harbor Beach while doing his residency with Dr. Adams. Adams had previously worked part-time in Harbor Beach.

He talked the place up, Bradley said. He told me I should come up and take a look.

One look was about all it took.

The young physician graduated on June 30, 2017. He went on a European vacation on July 2, and then moved to Harbor Beach on July 28. He started work July 31 and began seeing patients on Aug. 1.

The couple is currently renting in town, but they have definite plans to settle down in the community. They have purchased a home, and they are waiting for everything to be finalized and for the home to be readied for the move-in.

Bradley completed his undergrad courses at Michigan State University. He then attended accelerated classes at the American University of Antiqua, a small college in the Caribbean. Afterward, he worked at several U.S. hospitals to complete his clinical training. He finished his residency in family medicine at Mid-Michigan Regional Medical Center in Midland.

Information released by the hospital stated his services will include acute and chronic care, allergy injections, diagnostic testing, mens health services, womens health services, minor surgical procedures, and more. In general, he will be able to handle newborn to geriatric healthcare.

Dr. Bradley was asked why he chose family medicine in lieu of some type of specialty.

Im a family medicine dock," he replied. "I like the variety, and that is why I went into family medicine."

He said he can remember delivering a baby, then going to see a patient under hospice care and helping with that patients passing.

I went from the cradle to the grave in a half hour," he said with a sad look on his face.

The young doctor has only been at the Harbor Beach Clinic for about 3 weeks. He admits his appointment schedule is light, but it fills up during the day with walk-in patients. For example, the day before an interview with the Tribune, he had seven appointments scheduled. Before the day was over, he had seen more than 20 patients.

Bradley intends to increase his patient base.

The plan is to grow the practice," he said. "Thats what I planned when I came here.

Yet, his plans go beyond medicine while living in Harbor Beach.

He and Holly have discussed their futures. They hope to start a family in the near future. Bradley is from a family of 3 siblings, and his wife from a family of four.

Were going to have 3 kids, and then its over," he said. Once we settle down, Holly and I want to be a part of this community. Hopefully, well be a good part of this community.
SANDUSKY  One of the two codefendants from Pennsylvania arrested in April on drug charges have been sentenced in Sanilac County Circuit Court, according to court records.

Joshua Boston, 29, Bridgeville, Pennsylvania, received a sentence of 180 days in jail with credit for 106 days served for possession of a controlled substance, and for fleeing a police officer. He was sentence to 93 days in jail with credit for 106 days served for operating impaired.

His sentences will run concurrently and may be served in a residential treatment center.

Boston's charges stem from what started out as a routine traffic stop April 26 in Sanilac County by Michigan State Police and resulted in a "significant" drug bust.

Windy Baker, 34, of Washington, Pennsylvania was with Boston in the vehicle, and was also arrested.

According to court information, they were returning home from visiting relatives in Huron County when Sanilac County MSP Troopers from the Caro post attempted to stop their vehicle for speeding in Lamotte Township.

When the vehicle initially failed to stop, a short pursuit followed. When the vehicle stopped, troopers searched it and found 270 bindles of heroin and 20 grams of marijuana.

Baker was charged with possession of a controlled substance. When she did not appear for her court date, a bench warrant was issued.
Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, the White House National Security Adviser, said Friday that the Trump administration was actively considering "military action" against Venezuela but none was planned "in the near future."

At a White House briefing with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, McMaster said the U.S. military was looking at a variety of contingency plans for Venezuela that could be acted upon with regional partners.

"Obviously, all our decisions would be made in conjunction with our partners in the region," McMaster said, but "no military actions are anticipated in the near future."

He said that the Pentagon and the White House national security team "always look at a broad range of contingencies and how this might evolve in the future" for presenting plans for action to President Donald Trump.

In condemning the violence and political repression in Venezuela earlier this month, Trump said that the U.S. has "many options for Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary."

"We have troops all over the world in places that are very far away. Venezuela is not very far away and the people are suffering and they're dying," Trump said. The White House has since called the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a "dictatorship."

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino responded by calling Trump's remarks "an act of craziness" and "supreme extremism."

It was not immediately clear which "partners" in the region McMaster was referring to when he talked of the possibility of military action.

Latin American countries traditionally oppose U.S. interventions, and that message was delivered by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos to Vice President Mike Pence on Aug. 14 during Pence's trip that took him from Argentina to Panama.

At a joint press conference with Pence in Cartagena, Santos said that Latin American leaders were united in opposing any military action by the U.S. despite their differences with the Maduro government.

He said Colombia and other Latin American nations support economic sanctions against Venezuela, and "we will support additional measures," but "we always look for a negotiated solution and, above all, a peaceful solution." He said that South America was a "land of peace. Let us preserve it as such."

At the White House briefing Friday, Mnuchin said the U.S. was taking action to restrict the Venezuelan government's access to the U.S. financial system and squeeze the oil-based economy, but was stopping short of imposing a full oil embargo. New sanctions dealing with Venezuela's access to credit were effective immediately, he said.

Trump signed an executive order that bars dealings in new bonds and stocks issued by the government and the state oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the parent of Citgo.

Banks also cannot engage in new lending with the government or the oil giant, Mnuchin said.

"These measures are carefully calibrated to deny the Maduro dictatorship a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule," a White House statement said.

"Maduro may no longer take advantage of the American financial system to facilitate the wholesale looting of the Venezuelan economy at the expense of the Venezuelan people," Mnuchin said.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
North Korea fired three short-range missiles on Saturday -- all successful -- despite earlier reports suggesting failure, according to the U.S. military.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles fired from the North's eastern coast flew about 155 miles. It said South Korea and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launch and didn't immediately provide more details.

According to earlier reports, U.S. Pacific Command spokesman and Cmdr. David Benham suggested two North Korean missiles "failed in flight" while the third one had "blown up almost immediately."

The U.S. Pacific Command has since revised its evaluation of the missile launch, now reporting no missile failures -- in line with the South Korean military assessment.

Benham said the missiles did not pose a threat to North America or military facilities on the U.S. territory of Guam. Earlier this month, North Korea created a tense standoff with the United States by threatening to lob some of its missiles toward Guam.

South Korea's presidential office held a National Security Council meeting to discuss the missiles, which are the first known launches since July, when the North successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.

The White House said President Donald Trump -- who has warned he would unleash "fire and fury" if the North continued its threats -- was briefed on the latest North Korean activity and "we are monitoring the situation."

The launch came five days after U.S. and South Korean forces began annual military exercises that the North claims are a rehearsal for war. Tensions on the peninsula generally ratchet up during the late summer maneuvers and a series of larger exercises held each spring.

Before the latest missile launches were confirmed, North Korean state media said that dictator Kim Jong Un inspected a special operation forces training of the country's army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries' western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing U.S.-South Korea war games.

Kim reportedly told his troops that they "should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea."

The Korean Central News Agency said that the "target striking contest" involved war planes, multiple-rocket launchers and self-propelled guns that attacked targets meant to represent South Korea's Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands, before special operation combatants "landed by surprise" on rubber boats.

The border islands have occasionally seen military skirmishes between the rivals, including a North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong in 2010 that left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.

In response to North Korea's expanding nuclear weapons program, South Korea has been moving to strengthen its own capabilities, planning talks with the United States on raising the warhead limits on its missiles and taking steps to place additional launchers to a U.S. anti-missile defense system in the country's southeast.

South Korea has also been testing new missiles of its own, including the Hyunmoo-2 with a range of about 500 miles. Although the missile has not been operationally deployed yet, it is considered a key component to the so-called "kill chain" preemptive strike capability the South is pursuing to cope with the North's growing nuclear and missile threat.

Fox News' Lukas Mikelionis, Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

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SPRINGFIELD - On the same day President Donald Trump directed the U.S. military to steer policy away from facilitating personnel that prefer sexual identities other than those indicated by their DNA, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner signed into law a measure that makes it easier to change Illinois birth certificates to reflect adult gender choices.

Trump's directive reinstates the ban on military service for transgender individuals that was lifted during the Obama Administration. It also stops military expenses on sexual reassignment surgery, except for those who have already begun medical procedures, and implements criteria for whether transgender individuals already in the military should be allowed to continue to serve.

Rauner - also a Republican - evidently agrees with LGBTQ advocates that the genitals a baby is born with should not determine the gender permanently noted on his or her certificate of birth. The legislation he signed Friday will allow sexual identification at birth to be changed if a person requests such. And if the person's name has been legally changed, the birth certificate may also reflect the name change from the one his or her parents designated at the time of his or her birth.

Before now, an individual born in Illinois, with an existing Illinois birth certificate, could submit an Application for Gender Reassignment to the Department requesting to have the gender changed on his or her own birth certificate after undergoing an operation(s) having the effect of reflecting, enhancing, changing, reassigning or otherwise affecting gender.

Every individual had to complete the Affidavit for a New Birth Certificate After Completion of Gender Reassignment in its entirety and have it notarized. The applicant had to be of legal age (or the parent/co-parent or guardian if not of legal age) to complete the form.

Observers say it will be interesting to see what happens when a person born in Illinois decides to change his birth sexual identification and then pursue enlistment in U.S. military service. Others say changing sexual identification to be different than a person's DNA could bring extra difficulties concerning law enforcement and criminal investigations.
A service member is missing after a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed Friday evening off the coast of Yemen, the Pentagon said.

The helicopter crashed while the crew was training about 20 miles off the southern coast of the country, according to a statement released late Friday by U.S. Central Command.

Five troops who were also aboard the chopper at the time of the accident were rescued, the release said.

"U.S. forces in the region are conducting an ongoing search for one U.S. service member who was aboard the aircraft," it states.

The incident is under investigation.

A small team of U.S. Special Forces troops has been on the ground in the midst of Yemen's civil war in support of an operation against the Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) terror group.

The U.S. troops are limited to advisory and intelligence work, but they could be drawn into conflict in self-defense, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said earlier this month.

The American team has been supporting an offensive by forces of the United Arab Emirates and the ousted government of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. The partnered forces are moving against AQAP strongholds in the Shabwah governorate.

U.S. forces have conducted scores of airstrikes in Yemen and carried out occasional ground raids since Jan. 29, when a Navy SEAL -- Chief Petty Officer William "Ryan" Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill. -- was killed in the first military operation authorized by President Donald Trump. Three other SEALs were wounded and a Marine MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft was destroyed in the operation.

Since Feb. 28, the U.S. has carried out at least 80 airstrikes in Yemen, including close-air support for UAE and Yemeni government forces.

The amphibious assault ship USS Bataan with several hundred Marines aboard is also operating in the region.

-- Richard Sisk contributed to this report.

-- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry.
In 1971 Kirby Williams went to Vietnam as a U.S. Army draftee and worked as a finance clerk. In 2010 he went to a Veterans Affairs clinic in southern Illinois where a radiologist took a scan of his kidneys.

Unfortunately, the radiologist missed a 2- to 3-centimeter mass in one of his kidneys, and by last December that mass had grown to between 7 and 8 centimeters. Now the 66 year old has, at most, two to five years to live.

Sadly, evidence is mounting that Williams may be just one of many veterans whose health and longevity have been compromised by shoddy practices of VA personnel more focused on earning a productivity bonus than taking care of the men and women who put their lives on the line for the nation.

"Kidney cancer is a silent killer; there are really no symptoms," Williams told Fox News, in explaining why the scan results he received at the Marion VA are important.

His doctor told him the mass had been growing about six years. While physicians could have removed the affected kidney in 2010, that is no longer an option, according to Dr. L. Anthony Leskosky, a board-certified radiologist who worked at the Marion VA clinic in southern Illinois until he was fired in June because he said he reported these kinds of problems.

"It would have been a surgical cure at that time," said Leskosky. "That is the real crime right there."

Leskosky's documentation and claims about similar problems at the Marion VA have sparked investigations by three federal agencies into the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic to see if its radiologists rushed analyses of potentially hundreds of patient scans to boost their pay -- even though it resulted in veterans with serious or fatal conditions being untreated.

The investigations follow a report by Leskosky, who initially advised his supervisors of his concerns but was told to keep quiet about the matter.

But Leskosky, who began working at the Marion VA in March 2016 after three decades in private practice, persisted, telling the White House Office of Special Counsel, the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG), the VA Office of the Medical Inspector, three U.S. senators and two representatives.

The clinic's response was to fire Leskosky, he said. A spokesperson for the Marion VA was not immediately available for comment.

Within weeks, though, of starting at the VA, he noticed patients previously diagnosed as healthy had radiology scans from years prior documenting grave conditions. These conditions, such as cancers, aortic aneurysms, bleeding ulcers and obstructions in their small bowel and colon -- if left untreated -- could cause patients tremendous pain or even premature death.

"In radiology, we compare current scans to old studies, so I was pulling up the last two years of the scans. That's when I noticed the radiologists had called their previous exams normal,' but I would see a mass on the older scans, and then on my scan, I would see the mass had enlarged, and in some cases become a spreading cancer. Usually that is not survivable," Leskosky said.

As many as four to five times a day, Leskosky said, he found serious errors in prior readings, despite just four other radiologists being on staff. In one particularly egregious case, a radiologist missed a 17-centimeter tumor in a patient's pelvis.

"The most disturbing part is the veterans are being misdiagnosed and had their lives shortened or have been subjected to incredibly increased pain and suffering," he said.

In private practice, radiologists may miss key findings once or twice in a lifetime, Leskosky said.

"There is no way to get over the thought that you are responsible for someone's premature death," he said.

A large part of the problem, Leskosky said, is some of the other radiologists on staff were flipping through 50 to 60 patient scans a day, instead of the industry recommended 25 to 30 and, as a result, missing critical findings.

"They were paid based on productivity, so the faster they read, the more money they made, and the fastest way to read is to call it normal," Leskosky said.

The median pay for VA radiologists is about $270,000 per year. Flipping through 50 to 60 scans a day rather than the industry recommendation of 25 to 30 could increase their annual compensation by $30,000 to $50,000, he said.

"Instead of correcting the problem or terminating the radiologists who were missing these cancers, missing these really horrible diagnoses and making the veterans suffer to a degree that is unimaginable, and shortening their lifespan to an incredible extent, I was terminated on June 24," Leskosky said.

Under President Trump, the VA and newly appointed Secretary David Shulkin pledged to protect whistleblowers, more aggressively weed out problems and advocate for patients. A spokesperson said the VA is taking Leskosky's allegations seriously.

"VA's Office of the Medical Inspector has thoroughly investigated these allegations, and is preparing a final report," Curt Cashour, a spokesman at the national VA offices. "If any allegations are substantiated, VA will take swift corrective action to ensure veterans are receiving the best possible care."

Cashour said he could not release more information about Leskosky's case without him signing a release form, which Leskosky did not do.

Natalie Khawam, an attorney with the Whistleblower Law Firm in Tampa, Fla., who represents a number of whistleblowers, including Leskosky, said the VA is "playing games" and it is "a tragedy that Leskosky was fired for trying to protect patients."

She said the Probationary Review Board looked over his case and recommended that Leskosky be retained after reviewing evidence and statements in May 2017. However, his supervisors overruled the board's recommendation and terminated him.

"Instead of rewarding a caring doctor, the Marion VA tried to silence him by terminating him," Khawam said. "The nation's veterans have lost a great and caring doctor."

Leskosky isn't the first to cite the Marion VA management for incompetence, retaliation and questionable patient safety.

A May 31, 2017, memo from the VA National Center for Patient Safety said that in 2008 the OIG found the Marion VA was plagued by quality management and patient care problems and had a spike in the number of post-surgical patient deaths there, which the program manager called "suspicious."

While conditions initially improved in 2014, the May 31, 2017, report said there have been significant declines in patient safety and employee morale, as well as a substantial increase in reports of whistleblower retaliation.

After reviewing this report, Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Mich., chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations for the Committee on Veterans Affairs, and Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., a member of the subcommittee, have launched their own inquiry into alleged mismanagement and retaliation against whistleblowers at the Marion VA facility.

Citing the VA National Center for Patient Safety report, they said the allegations by several employees are "troubling" and have asked the newly appointed VA secretary for a meeting to discuss the allegations.

Meanwhile, Williams says he's not "mad at anyone" about the Marion VA missing his mass in 2010, and likely shortening his life.

"That's water under the bridge. Nothing I can do about it now," he said.

Whether the various federal investigations into the VA clinic that botched his diagnosis will be as forgiving remains to be seen.
CHICAGO  Friday afternoon, Governor Rauner vetoed SB 81, legislation that would hike starting wages throughout the state to $15 per hour by 2022 - a measure promoted by the pro-union "Fight for $15" activist group.

The governor said in his veto message that he shares the passion of many members of the legislature for improving the well-being of those struggling to make ends meet. However, the governor said, mainstream economic theory and mainstream economic evidence strongly suggest that an increase in the minimum wage of this magnitude will hurt the very individuals it seeks to help.

"The most thorough research to date, published earlier this year by researchers at the University of Washington, found that for every 10 percent increase in the hourly earnings of low-wage workers, there was a 30 percent reduction in employers providing those jobs," Governor Rauner said.

He went on to argue that "research implies that Senate Bill 81 will result in a net reduction of earnings for low-wage Illinoisans in excess of $1,500 per year." Rauner said the legislation would cost significant sums of money for the very people it purports to help.

"Illinois needs to be seeking comprehensive solutions that grow the economy and the number of jobs available where individuals can train, grow and attain better lives for themselves and their families," he said.

Rauner's veto was backed by business groups such as the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Retailers Association and the Illinois Manufacturing Association.

The minimum wage increase was named by some business groups as one of the dirty dozen bills considered by Illinois lawmakers during the 2017 legislative session, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce said.

We applaud Governor Rauner for standing up for Illinois business community by vetoing SB 81. At a time when our employers continually see new taxes, fees and mandates at both the local and state level, we cannot afford new laws that would inhibit job growth and business development. In addition, we need to do the harder work of investing in our citizens' workforce development, including vocational training, community college, and the trades," said Michael Reever, activing president & CEO, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

"A politically expedient increase in the starting wage does not provide a road to prosperity over the long term. Our state is in need of sound economic reforms, which will strengthen our communities, and the Governors actions today was a major step in protecting our states jobs, Reever said.

With a three-fifths vote in both chambers, the Illinois General Assembly could override the governor's veto.
SOUTH LYON, MI - Hundreds of people from across Michigan came out to pay their respects as Cena the U.S. Marine Corps veteran dog was laid to rest Saturday, Aug. 26.

The bomb-sniffing black lab, who served three combat tours in Afghanistan, received full military honors during a funeral service at the Michigan War Dog Memorial cemetery near South Lyon.

Instead of a 21-gun salute, fellow canines lined up and howled in unison at one point during the ceremony.

Watch a video of the ceremony

"I consider this his Arlington and I truly believe he's earned it," said U.S. Marine veteran Jeff DeYoung, 27, who called Cena a true American hero who forever changed his life.

Corporal DeYoung and Cena were paired together for six months during their first combat tour in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. DeYoung said he considered Cena a brother.

As MLive previously reported, during their tour together DeYoung carried Cena across rivers, Cena kept DeYoung warm during cold desert nights, and DeYoung threw his body over Cena's while under heavy fire from the Taliban. And when DeYoung lost seven friends during the course of three weeks, Cena was there to comfort him.

Cena went on to serve two more tours with two other handlers before doing rehabilitation therapy and reuniting with DeYoung.

DeYoung adopted Cena in June 2014. Cena became DeYoung's service dog and was by his side day in and day out, through homelessness, a divorce, PTSD and other trials.

One of Cena's previous handlers, Marine Corps veteran Sgt. John North, was there for Saturday's funeral.

Cena was euthanized last month at the age of 10. He had been battling terminal bone cancer.

His ashes were to be buried at the Michigan War Dog Memorial cemetery following Saturday's service.

Even in retirement, Cena continued to serve the veteran community, DeYoung said.

Over the last few years, he said Cena accompanied him on various trips, including to the president's Mar-a-Lago home to talk about war dogs and better health care, and to Washington, D.C., to speak in front of Congress and lobby for changing the National Defense Authorization Act to bring all dogs home prior to retirement.

DeYoung said Cena was "blown up" several times while sniffing out improvised explosive devices during his three combat tours.

"He has shed blood, pain, sweat and tears for this country," DeYoung said, recalling a night when he carried Cena on his shoulders across a river during a torrential downpour.

"It was at that point that I realized I would do anything for him, the same he would do anything for me. That sort of experience forever bonds you," he said. "We may not have been the same species, but we were most definitely brothers."

DeYoung said Cena was loyal and loving.

The headstone marker at Cena's burial site describes him as a friend, warrior, hero and guardian, adding: "The lives you saved owe a debt we can never repay. Rest easy, my brother. Until Valhalla."
ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan was founded in 1817 as the "Catholepistemiad of Detroit," or the University of Michigania, 20 years before Michigan itself became a state.

Saturday, Aug. 26, marks the 200th birthday of the university.

Twenty years after it was organized, plans were made to relocate what had primarily served as a preparatory school in Detroit to Ann Arbor after Michigan was established as a state on Jan. 26, 1837.

It's quite remarkable how things have changed in the two centuries since, UM Lead Bicentennial Archivist Brian Williams said, describing the university's humble origins.

UM was the first public university in the Northwest Territories. Three Native American tribes, through the Treaty of Fort Meigs, which was brokered by territorial governor Lewis Cass, ceded land to the university that eventually was sold to provide a significant part of Michigan's permanent endowment.

"It's fairly remarkable that it was just a territory," Williams said of UM's origins in Detroit. "It was anticipated that the land from the treaty be sold and the benefit go to the Gabriel Richard church. (Richard) developed a relationship with the Native Americans and was educating them. Where the actual land was is a little murky."

One month after the university's founding, the donation of 1,920 acres of land was provided by the Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi tribes, which never received direct benefit. Between 1825 and 1936, university trustees sold the parcels to pay off debts and support a small school that had been erected on Bates Street in Detroit. The total return on real estate amounted to $5,880, according to a UM Heritage Project story authored by Kim Clarke.

In the 1990s, a group of students initiated a campaign to erect a memorial to the tribes that provided the land that helped fund the university's start, according to the university.

Modeled after the University of France, the Catholepistemiad or University of Michigania resided in Detroit until 1837, serving as a statewide system of primary, secondary and college education.

"It wasn't really more than just a preparatory school, so it never got to where there were college students in Detroit," Williams noted.

Williams said an original draft of the vision for the university was created by Richard, along with fellow founding fathers John Monteith and Augustus Woodward, the first Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory.

"They outlined this sort of grand vision for a university that was perhaps overly ambitious," he said. "There wasn't a lot going on in the state at that time and there weren't many potential college students."

Around the time Michigan was established as a state, it kicked into motion plans to establish a state capital, state prison and state university.

While it was just a small farm town of around 2,000 people in 1837, Williams said an offer of 40 acres by the the Ann Arbor Land Company convinced the university's founders to move to Ann Arbor.

"The offer of the free land really enticed the university to come here," Williams said.

The 40 acres were bounded by State Street, South University, North University, and East University Avenues to the university, according to the university.

Over the next four years, plans were made to lay out how the university would come to be: the hiring of faculty, what was going to be taught, the building of houses for its professors and and the construction of two identical academic buildings.

In total, the campus called for the construction of six buildings - two serving as dormitories and classrooms, as well as four identical houses for professors. Two homes were located on North University, and two on South University. In addition to academic headquarters, the dormitories served as living quarters and contained a chapel for worship and a library, Williams said.

In 1841, UM enrolled its first students. Two professors taught six freshmen and one sophomore. It was a "pretty classical" curriculum, Williams said, that included Greek, Latin and a number of recitation activities.

According to an early catalogue of the university from 1843, professors also taught natural philosophy, mathematics, zoology, botany, chemistry, mineralogy, geology and moral and intellectual philosophy.

According to the university, the faculty's farm animals grazed over the campus, and much of the campus was fenced in to keep the city's and the university's animals separated.

"There are paintings from Jasper Cropsey that show sheep and cattle grazing on the hillside with the academic buildings in the background," Williams said. "That original 40-acre campus had a fence built, and the popular stories are it was to keep livestock out of the campus. The fence surrounded the campus until it disappeared in the 1870s."

Williams went back to the donation of land that led the university to Ann Arbor as a pivotal moment in its history, signaling the transition from Detroit.

"It's quite remarkable what grew up from there," he said.
NOVI, MI - A month after thousands of citizens died Sept. 11, 2001, U.S. Air Force Maj. Andrew Becker decided to enlist.

He told his parents in Novi he would do whatever possible to protect his family, country and way of life against a new enemy.

Next month, within days of the 16th anniversary of the the terrorist attacks, the city will honor the Novi High School graduate, killed March 14 in a plane crash during a training mission in New Mexico.

A memorial tree and bench will be unveiled at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 16 outside the Novi Civic Center, 45175 W. 10 Mile Road.

"Our community will never forget the selfless sacrifice made by Maj. Becker to protect our freedoms," Mayor Bob Gatt said in a statement. "This memorial is just a small token of our appreciation, and will serve as a remembrance of not just him, but all those who have proudly served our nation."

In almost seven years as a special operations pilot, Becker, 33, was deployed nine times to fly combat missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, the city reported.

He flew 459 combat missions, logging 2,260 hours and earned 22 service medals.

Becker, a "rising star," rose through the ranks, promoted from command pilot to, eventually, mission commander. He died a captain, slated to be trained as a lead pilot instructor, and was posthumously given the rank of major.

A pilot for the 318th Special Operations Squadron, he died in a U-28A aircraft crash about 15 miles from the Cannon Air Force Base, near the New Mexico-Texas border.

Capt. Kenneth Dalga, 29, of Goldsboro, N.C., and First Lt. Frederick Dellecker, 26, of Daytona Beach, Fla., also died in the crash.
WASHINGTON TWP., MI - A Macomb County Sheriff's deputy was injured early Saturday when he struck a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver in Washington Township, northeast of Rochester Hills.

The deputy, an officer for 17 years, went to Beaumont Hospital in Troy with injuries that were not considered life threatening, the sheriff's office reported in a statement.

He had been approaching the intersection of 29 Mile and Vandyke roads shortly before 1 a.m. Aug. 26 when a woman allegedly ran a red light, failing to yield to the deputy, according to the sheriff's office.

The patrol vehicle, heading west on 29 Mile Road, struck the 2010 Ford Edge.

A breath test revealed the woman, 27, of Sterling Heights had a blood-alcohol level of 0.12, well above the 0.08 limit, and police arrested her, the sheriff's office reported.

Neither the woman nor her passenger were injured in the crash.

The sheriff's office is continuing to investigate.
FLINT, MI - Slowed a little by the chilly weather, Kenya's Julius Kogo still worked his way through the crowd for the 10-mile Crim Festival of Races course Saturday morning to take the victory for his sixth time.

Kogo finished with a time of 47:01, or a pace of 4 minutes, 43 seconds per mile. He will take home $3,000 for the victory.

"I'm happy with my time. Today the weather was difficult," he said, with the temperature at the beginning of the race a chilly 48 degrees. "I want to thank God. I went and I tried my best."

Kogo's time was 22 seconds faster than the 2016 winner Dathan Ritzenhein, the first American to win the race in more than 20 years.

Ethiopia's Buze Diriba Kejela was the top women's finisher in her first-ever Crim race, crossing the finish line at 51:49, a pace of 5 minutes, 11 second per mile. She will also receive $3,000 in prize money.

"I like this race," she told reporters shortly the end of her race. "I'm very happy."

After a one-year hiatus for prize money, the first three male and female runners to cross the finish line on Saginaw Street will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.

This year, the top five Michigan male and female runners will also receive prize money: $2,500 for first, $1,500 for second, $1,000 for third, $750 for fourth and $500 for the fifth-place finisher.
JACKSON, MI - A man has been charged with possession with intent to deliver more than a kilogram of cocaine, the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office announced Friday.

Jose Vega, 58, was taken Tuesday, Aug. 22, to the Jackson County Jail; records there show he has an address in Harlingen, Texas, just north of the Mexico border.

He has been arraigned on the felony offense, the state's most serious drug possession crime. It is punishable by up to life in prison.

A preliminary examination, a probable cause hearing, is scheduled for Sept. 5 before Jackson County District Judge R. Darryl Mazur.

The Michigan State Police Hometown Security Team based in Lansing nabbed Vega. The team is charged with monitoring criminal activity occurring on interstate highways.

A state police lieutenant on Friday declined to release any information. Details were expected to be forthcoming on Monday.

Vega's bond was set at $250,000, according to the prosecutor's office.

In a brief statement, Prosecutor Jerry Jarzynka, as he always does, praised the investigating agency, the state police, for its efforts.

MLive reporter Nathan Clark contributed to this report.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- It has been 97 years since white women in the U.S. were given the right to vote, a landmark move at the time toward equality.

The YWCA Kalamazoo and League of Women Voters of the Kalamazoo Area held their 2017 Women's Equality Day celebration in honor of that on Friday, Aug. 25.

The theme was "How to Win: Women in Politics," and the keynote speaker was for the event was journalist and political strategist Lavonia Perryman.

This year's Women's Equality Day celebration was the largest that the YWCA Kalamazoo has hosted yet, with more than 200 people attending.

The event has grown each year since CEO Grace Lubwama, who is in her third year, joined the organization. The Women's Equality Day celebration has been expanded from a small event at the YWCA to a much larger celebration held Friday at Western Michigan University's Fetzer Center.

Lubwama attributes that growth to the receptiveness of the community.

"When we talk about community transformation, when we talk about social justice movement -- I've been here three years, and I tell people Kalamazoo has the resources, it has the passion, it has the skillset, it has the right size of community to really create a movement," Lubwama said.

There was a variety of community representation at Friday's event. In the lobby of the Fetzer Center, some of the 29 community partners and sponsors with the event had booths and women from a wide range of backgrounds mingled. U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell and Kalamazoo County Commissioner Tracy Hall were among elected officials who attended.

Perryman talked during her keynote speech about how to empower women in politics but also how to become a woman in politics. The former involves encouragement and cultivation of younger generations, while the latter is a matter of self-enterprise, she said.

"Where will you be?" she asked the audience.

Perryman reminded people that getting involved in politics doesn't have to mean running for public office, it can be getting involved with your parent-teacher organization.

During a question-and-answer session after her speech, when Perryman was asked how to make a choice between causes and organizations when you have limited strength and energy, she reminded people to make themselves a priority.

"You have a right to say no," she said, to applause from audience

Proceeds from Friday's event will benefit YWCA Kalamazoo.
SAGINAW, MI -- A three-story mansion dating back more than 100 years caught fire under suspicious circumstances early-morning Saturday, according to fire officials.

The 904 S. Michigan Ave., home, which was built around 1914, is vacant, not connected to utilities and bears no indication that someone was squatting there, said Saginaw Fire Battalion Chief Thomas Raines.

It's those factors that make the fire suspicious and the case has been handed over to the Michigan State Police Fire Investigation Unit, Raines said.

The fire was reported around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. It's believed to have begun on the first floor and spread upward to the second and third floors, Raines said.

While the exterior of the building bears little indication of a fire taking place, the interior sustained extensive damage, he said. There is no monetary estimate of damage at this time.

Though the home now sits vacant, it hadn't always.

According to Tom Trombley, vice president and chief historian at the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, the home once belonged to a prominent businessman and civic leader throughout the early half of the 20th century.

The home contains 8 bedrooms, 3 full baths, 2 half baths, five fireplaces and nearly 6,000-square-feet of living space in all, according to to the Saginaw Area Geographic Information Systems Authority.

The former owner, Arnold Boutell, was dubbed "one of modern Saginaw's first citizens" and a man to be "remembered as one of the most competent officials ever to hold civic office here" by old Saginaw News articles.

Boutell built his wealth in part through the Saginaw Manufacturing Co., whose ranks he rose up through the late-1800s and early-1900s, beginning as a clerk and ending as the chairman of the board, according to Saginaw News articles.

Among other things, the company manufactured washboards and Boutell was instrumental in their success, according to the Made In Chicago Museum.

"By the 1890s, with the savvy business sense of Evanston native and new secretary/treasurer Arnold Boutell added to the equation, the company emerged as the world's top washboard-making powerhouse, producing roughly 2,500 boards a day in the Saginaw plant," an article on the museum's website reads.

Beyond being a successful businessman, Boutell was renowned locally in city politics.

In 1935, he oversaw and had a great hand in the creation of a new city charter which, among other things, established the role of the city manager, according to Saginaw News articles. Boutell served four terms as a member of city council.

In May of 1947, Boutell died at the age of 77 from complications after surgery, articles show. Flags at the courthouse, city hall, fire station and schools were lowered to half mast in his honor.

After the death of his wife, Gertrud, in 1961, an Arnold and Gertrude Boutell Memorial Fund totaling more than $2.5 million was established for the benefit of the area, articles show.

In the '70s, the home changed hands and became law offices. The home was foreclosed in 2010 and, at some point, became vacant.
Serving up his first presidential pardon, Donald Trump erased a possible jail sentence for ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio over a federal contempt of court conviction.

The free pass for the former top Phoenix lawman was a slap to the Latino community, according to the city's mayor. Arpaio was known for racially profiling Latinos with his department's immigration patrols, The Associated Press said.

"Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights," Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said.

Latino and political leaders in Arizona said the pardon was akin to condoning racism.

The White House announced the pardon on Friday, days after Trump had signaled his affection for Arpaio at an Arizona rally.

"Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," the White House statement said, according to the AP.

Arpaio celebrated with champagne in a restaurant Friday night. He told the AP he was thankful for the pardon.

"I appreciate what the president did," he said. "I have to put it out there: Pardon, no pardon -- I'll be with him as long as he's president."

Arpaio was defeated at the polls by a Democrat in 2016.

Critics say Arpaio promoted cruelty by keeping inmates in outdoor tents during triple-digit heat and structuring his immigration crackdowns to separate families.

The contempt-of-court charge stemmed from the former sheriff being accused of extending his department's immigration patrols for 17 months after a judge ordered a halt. Arpaio had said it was not intentional, and blamed an attorney for not explaining the rules.
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The week gone by was filled with new launches ranging from a quarter litre bike to a massive 4 litre twin-turbo super car. Besides new launches, news of a major shake-up in operations at one of Indias oldest automotive companies also made headlines.

Here are the highlights from the sector this week:

Shareholders corner Tata Motors Chairman

Shareholders of Tata Motors, Indias biggest automotive company, raised their voice against the companys inability to pay dividends for three years in a row at the 72nd annual general meeting (AGM).

They also demanded to know why cash-rich subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover was paying only 150 million pounds every year as dividend to the company. Concerns were also raised over the practicality over continuing with the loss-making product Nano which has failed to take-off since its debut in 2008.

Tata Motors to overhaul manufacturing footprint

Speaking to journalists just a day before the company was to hold its AGM, Tata Motors managing director and chief executive Guenter Butschek stated that a complex but thorough plan was being laid out to reduce manufacturing costs.

The company is trying to do away with the age-old practice of running plants much below average utilisation levels and get maximum efficiency by adopting a flexible manufacturing method. Likewise, only those parts of the plant which can add value to the company will be kept operational .

Yamaha Fazer 25 launched at Rs 1.28 lakh

Japanese two-wheeler major Yamaha launched the much-awaited Fazer 25, the 250cc version of the popular budget touring bike, at Rs 1.28 lakh. The bike, which competes against the KTM Duke 250, Honda CBR 250 and Bajaj Pulsar 220, succeeds the Fazer FI, a 150cc bike launched in 2008.

The bike is priced Rs 10,000 more than the FZ25 which was launched by Yamaha a few months ago. The Fazer 25 uses the same 20.9 bhp, 249cc single cylinder, oil-cooled motor with a five speed gearbox. The bike also gets daytime LED running lights and LED headlamps.

Mercedes launches AMG GT Roadster, AMG GT R

Mercedes-Benz, the countrys biggest luxury car maker launched two new models in the Indian market, AMG GT Roadster and AMG GT R, priced at Rs 2.19 crore and Rs 2.23 crore respectively.

While both models are powered by 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engines, the GT R, which is based on GT 3, produces 585 bhp and 700 Nm of torque. On the other hand, the Roadster produces 470 bhp and 630 Nm of torque.

Triumph Street Scrambler launched

British bike brand Triumph launched the Street Scrambler at Rs 8.1 lakh (ex-showroom India).

The Triumph Street Scrambler gets a single-pod, multifunctional instrument display along with handle-mounted function keys. Traction control, ride-by-wire and torque assist clutch are among the other key standard features of the motorcycle.

Hyundai Verna launched

Korean brand Hyundai launched its much-awaited second new product of the year, Verna, priced at an introductory offer of Rs 7.99 lakh. The sedan will compete against the Honda City and Maruti Suzuki Ciaz in the entry C sedan segment.

Hyundai Motor India, the countrys second largest car maker, invested Rs 1,040 crore into developing the model over the period of last few years. The Verna is powered by a 1.6-litre Dual VTVT petrol engine that churns out 123 PS of power and a 1.6-litre U2 CRDi VGT diesel engine that produces 128 PS of power.
In the biggest real estate deal, DLF promoters will sell their entire 40 per cent stake in the company's rental arm for Rs 11,900 crore, including sale of stake worth Rs 8900 crore to Singapore government-owned GIC. The promoters -- K P Singh and family -- would sell 33.34 per cent stake in DLF Cyber City Developers Ltd (DCCDL) to Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC for Rs 8,900 crore.

The remaining shares would be bought back by the DCCDL for Rs 3,000 crore.

DLF promoters are expected to get net proceeds of over Rs 10,000 crore after tax and a substantial part of this amount will be invested in DLF Ltd for repayment of debt that has touched nearly Rs 26,000 crore.

India's largest realty firm DLF today informed BSE that the board has approved the share purchase and shareholders agreement with GIC affiliate Reco Diamond, promoters and the DLF Cyber City Developers.

At present, the promoters hold Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS) in DLF Cyber City Developers, which is worth 40 per cent stake and DLF owns the rest 60 per cent.

"The gross proceeds to the sellers (promoters) from the transaction would be approx Rs 11,900 crore, which includes secondary sale of equity shares (post conversion of CCPS) to Reco Diamond for Rs 8,900 crore approximately...," DLF said.

The deal also include "two buybacks of CCPS by the DCCDL for Rs 3,000 crore, out of which one buyback shall be before closing and one shall be 12 months thereafter".

Post completion of these transactions, DLF stake in DCCDL will increase to 66.66 per cent from current 60 per cent, while GIC will have 33.34 per cent equity shares in DCCDL.

DLF promoters had initially planned to sell the entire 40 per cent stake to the GIC.

"The transaction implies an enterprise value of Rs 35,617 crore for DCCDL, translating into equity value of approx Rs 30,200 crore," DLF said, adding that the transaction has been structured to make best use of the surplus cash in DCCDL.

This is the second investment from Singapore's sovereign wealth fund GIC into the DLF Ltd. In September 2015, GIC had invested about Rs 2,000 crore in DLF's two housing projects.

DCCDL, which holds the bulk of commercial assets of the DLF group, earns about Rs 2,600 crore rental income annually with 27 million sq ft of commercial space, largely in Gurgaon.

In October 2015, DLF had announced that promoters would sell their entire 40 per cent stake in DCCDL.

Initially, DLF received interest from about 25 global and domestic investors including Blackstone for this deal and then the company shortlisted six investors and finally zeroed in on GIC in March this year for exclusive negotiations.

DLF's Senior Executive Director (Finance) Saurabh Chawla last week said that the GIC would approach the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for approval after the agreement, while DLF will also have to seek shareholders' nod. The CCI approval is expected by early November.

"This is one of the largest private equity transactions in India in the real estate space. The transaction shall create one of the leading platform play for rental properties, with rent yielding assets of 26.9 million sq ft.

"The portfolio, currently, has an under development pipeline of approx 2.5 million sq ft with further development potential of approx 19 million sq ft within the portfolio," DLF said.

DLF's promoters infusion of fund into the realty major to cut debt would result in increase in their stake in the company from the current 75 per cent. Hence, the promoters would have to bring down their stake because the SEBI norm requires minimum 25 per cent of public shareholding.

Commenting on the deal, CBRE South Asia CMD Anshuman Magazine said: "This is a great news for the real estate market. This will build confidence and encourage more global players to take a position in the Indian property market."

Anarock Consulting Chairman Anuj Puri said: "By far the biggest deal in Indian real estate. This clearly demonstrates the confidence that long-term private equity invetsors have in the Indian real estate".

Cushman and Wakefield India MD Anshul Jain said: "Close to Rs 310 billion has been invested in the commercial office sector since 2013 as the sector is driven by strong fundamentals, attractive valuations and stable yields."

"This year will see the largest office asset purchase by GIC from DLF taking the overall investments in office assets to a new high," he added.

With this deal, DLF intends to make its housing business debt free. In view of sluggish housing sales, the company is having a deficit cash flow of about Rs 750 crore per quarter.

Among other major deals in the commercial real estate, Brookfield in 2014 had bought stakes in six IT-SEZs from Unitech group for over Rs 3,000 crore.

Godrej Properties had sold 4,35,000 sq ft of office space at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) in Mumbai for a valuation of Rs 1,479 crore in September 2015.

Essar group in February 2016 sold its 1.25 million sq ft Equinox Business Park at BKC in Mumbai to realty firm RMZ Corp for about Rs 2,400 crore. Dubai-based Emmar entered India through a joint venture with MGF group in 2005 and had invested around Rs 8,000 crore over the years.
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Rosen Law Firm, a New York based investor rights law firm, said it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of Dr Reddys Laboratories shares between June 17, 2015 and August 10, 2017.

"The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Dr Reddys investors under the federal securities laws," said the law firm in a press release.

The lawsuit alleged that the defendant (Dr Reddys), throughout the above-mentioned period, made false or misleading statements and failed to disclose the lack of an effective corporate quality system.

As a result, defendants public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages, the law suit alleged.

In a class action lawsuit, one or several persons sue on behalf of a larger group of persons, referred to as the class, if a dispute is common to all and the number of affected persons is large.

Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation.

Dr Reddys is yet to respond to the development, and phone calls and messages sent by Moneycontrol to the company remained unanswered at the time of publishing the story.

In 2015, Dr Reddy's was threatened with class action lawsuits by two different law firms on similar grounds of issuing misleading information.

Lundin Law and Khang and Khang, both California-based law firms, said they were investigating claims against Dr Reddys about whether the company and its executives violated securities laws by issuing misleading information to investors.

The company had then refuted the allegations and called it advertorial press releases by law firms.

However, earlier this month, there were news reports about various law firms threatening to file class action lawsuits against Dr Reddy's for non-disclosure of quality-related lapses at its Indian facilities.

Dr.Reddys has been worst hit due to US FDA regulatory actions. The company received warning letter in November 2015 against three of its facilities including two API plants in Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh and Miryalaguda in Telangana, and an injectable plant in Duvvada, Andhra Pradesh for violations of good manufacturing practices.

Moreover, the company's German subsidiary Betapharm Arzneimittel received communication from the Regulatory Authority of the Germany earlier this month about not having renewed the GMP (good manufacturing practices) compliance certificate of the companys formulations manufacturing unit-2 in Bachupally near Hyderabad, post its recent inspection of the plant.

The company was just able to resolve Miryalaguda, while the other two plants are still reeling under the impact of the US FDA warning letter. The warning letter cost the company dearly with new approvals getting blocked. Since then the company has lost over half of its market value.

Dr Reddy's shares gained 2.88 percent to close at Rs. 2087.90 on BSE on Thursday.
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State-run Oil India Ltd (OIL) will seek shareholders' approval to raise Rs 7,000 crore through bonds. The company has proposed a special resolution at its annual general meeting on September 23, 2017, for raising up to Rs 7000 crore, OIL said in a filing to the BSE.

OIL intends to raise the amount through issue of redeemable non-convertible debentures/bonds on private placement basis from domestic as well as international markets in one or more tranches, the filing said.

The proposal to confirm payment of interim dividend and to declare final dividend for 2016-17 on equity shares of the company is also listed on the agenda of the meeting.

The proposals for appointment of P Chandrasekaran as Director (Exploration & Development) and to adopt financial results for 2017 are also listed on the agenda of the AGM.
Q11. Madras Motors first imported the Royal Enfields to India in 1953 when it received a big order. Who placed the order?

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Royal Enfield, a division of Eicher Motors, today started commercial production from its new manufacturing facility at Vallam Vadagal near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

Spread over 50 acres, the Vallam Vadagal plant will be Royal Enfields third manufacturing facility, and will manufacture Royal Enfield motorcycles for India and international markets, Eicher Motors said in a statement.

According to the statement, the facility starts with an installed production capacity of 300,000 motorcycles per annum in the first phase.

In 2017-18, the combined production capacity from all the three plants is planned to be 825,000 units. In 2016-17, Royal Enfield produced and sold 667,135 motorcycles, nearing its installed capacity.

Royal Enfield acquired a 50-acre plot in Vallam Vadagal in October 2014 as the site for its third manufacturing facility. The construction of the facility started 15 months back and has been completed in record time, it said.

The capacity in this facility will enable the company to meet its next level of growth.

In 2017-18, the company plans to invest Rs 800 crore, largely towards capacity expansion at Vallam Vadagal, new products and platforms, and technical Centres in Leicester, UK and Chennai, India. This investment will be funded through internal accruals, it added.
Nandan Nilekani is back at Infosys, returning to the company he co-founded as the software major looks to tide over a leadership crisis.

In his first press interaction since his return, Nilekani said his experience with the Aadhaar project would hold him in good stead in his mission to revive Infosys.

In fact, it was the mega identification project that had prompted Nilekani to leave Infosys after 28 years in 2009 to try his hand at bureaucracy.

Nilekani was initially offered a role in the Planning Commission by the UPA government. He pitched for a job in the education ministry, which was politely refused.

He was then appointed as the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a cabinet-ranking position attached to the Planning Commission.

As the head of one of the United Progressive Alliance's (UPA) most passionate initiatives, Nilekani's work was cut out for him.

He was responsible for implementing what was envisioned to be a multipurpose national identity card or simply, a Unique Identity Card (UID, for the people of India that would be part of the world's largest biometric identification programme.

Nilekani would commute between Delhi, where he worked and Bengaluru, where his family lived, every week. Soon, he realised the potential of the project he had undertaken. He was creating a system that would connect governance and technology, something that the two cities stood for.

Nilekani and his team met several obstacles. They had to construct a system that would be able to match and maintain name, age, gender and the biometrics of over a billion Indians, besides keeping them secure.

Initial trials, when several errors were made, had shown just how difficult the task was going to be.

Besides the technological challenges, Nilekani had to deal with the administrative obstacles.

His colleague from Infosys, Narayana Murthy told The New Yorker, "The challenge is in making sure that literally hundreds of thousands of officers fall in line, they rally to his (Nilekani's) call and march to his tune."

Ahead of its launch in April 2010, the project was officially named "Aadhaar" and in September that year, people of Tembhli in Maharashtra became the first village to receive Aadhaar cards.

Despite concerns over the issues of privacy, Nilekani stood his ground and defended the system he had created.

In 2015, he co-authored "Rebooting India" with his UIDAI colleague Viral Shah, in which they made the case for using Aadhaar to help eliminate distortions, biases and fraud.

He steered the project for five years before stepping down in 2014 to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Three years on, the NDA government has taken the Aadhaar project to the next level, pushing to make Aadhaar as the go-to identification document for every Indian.
Panchkula: Vehicles set alight by Dera Sacha Sauda sect members burn in the streets of in Panchkula, India, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Deadly riots have broken out in a north Indian town after a court convicted a guru of raping two of his followers. Mobs also attacked journalists and set fire to government buildings and railway stations. AP/PTI(AP8_25_2017_000140B)

CurreThe Centre asked the Haryana government to provide adequate security to the CBI special court judge who convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, officials said.

The home ministry told the Haryana government that Judge Jagdeep Singh should be provided with the highest level of security in view of the threat perception after he delivered the verdict against the Dera head, an official said.

The home ministry will analyse intelligence inputs before deciding whether the Judge's security needs to be handled by a central force, such as the CRPF or CISF, the official said.

Widespread violence in Haryana and a few neighbouring states following the conviction of the Dera chief left nearly 30 dead and scores injured.
The Maharashtra government will come up with a law to protect small savers who have deposited up to Rs 1 lakh in urban cooperative banks (UCBs), a minister has said.

Most of the UCBs have small deposit amounts and savers are adversely affected whenever these banks face financial constraints, Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh has said.

He was speaking at a meeting of representatives of UCBs in Pune on Thursday. The meeting was called to discuss measures to protect deposits in such banks.

"Deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in UCBs will be protected with some legislation. The state government is working on it. We are working on some mechanism through the Maharashtra Cooperation Development Corporation. It would frame guidelines and rules for UCbs to bring some uniformity," Deshmukh said.

He said there are nearly Rs 25,000-crore deposits in the urban cooperative banks in the state.

In the last 10 years, several UCBs have undergone financial crisis, especially after the Reserve Bank placed some of them under moratorium.

"The government will extend support to the UCBs as they cater to the weaker sections. We will work out some legislation for it," Deshmukh said.
Militants launched a pre-dawn attack on a district police complex in south Kashmir's Pulwama today, triggering a massive gunfight in which one of them died while three others were still holed up after nearly 12 hours.

Two CRPF personnel and a constable of Jammu and Kashmir police lost the lives in the attack on the compound, which also houses many residential buildings, officials said.

As the operation began, security forces rescued nearly two dozen families staying there to avoid any hostage situation. However, two special police officers were still missing.

"In the early hours this morning, terrorists entered the District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama and they entered the family quarters. There were a lot of families there.

"In the initial action, we have lost J-K police constable and two CRPF personnel," General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu, told reporters here.

It is a "fidayeen" (suicide) attack, he said, adding it was too early to ascertain the identity of the militants.

The GoC said while few police personnel where still inside one of the blocks of the DPL, there was no hostage situation.

"No, we do not have a hostage situation in Pulwama. There were families in those blocks, but we have taken them out and right now, the terrorists are there. In one of the blocks, there are a few policemen, but that is all. We will be able to handle it," he said.

A police official said that one of militants came out of a building and fired indiscriminately during the encounter.

"He was gunned down on the spot. His body is lying near a building, the official said.

He said the exchange of firing between the militants and security forces is going on.

"The firing is coming from three directions, indicating that there might be three more militants holed up in those buildings," the official said, adding para commandos have been pressed into action.

The official also said all the families of the police personnel have been evacuated from the premises and there was no hostage situation.

The authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.
A girl carrying dishes walks along a flooded area in Janakpur, Nepal August 13, 2017. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar - RTS1BLUP

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of Bihar and announced Rs 500 crore as immediate relief for the state besides Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of those who died in the deluge.

He also said a central team would be sent to the state soon to assess the damage caused by the floods, the PMO said.

He asked the insurance companies to send their personnel urgently to assess the damage to crops so that farmers could get early relief. The decisions came after the prime minister held a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and senior officials of the state government, following his aerial survey.

The meeting was held at Chunapur Airport of Air Force from where the PM later flew back to Delhi. "After the review, the prime minister promised all possible support to the Bihar government, the PMO said in a statement.

The PM made the aerial survey of four affected districts - Purnea, Katihar, Kisanganj and Araria. The chief minister and his deputy accompanied the PM, official sources said. The PM was told that

The PM was told that although 19 districts are affected by floods, damage in 13 districts including Purnea, Katihar, Kisanganj, Araria due to inundation has been immense, the sources said. Maximum damage has been caused to water resources department.

The PM was told that due to breach of embankments and waterways for irrigation, a loss of about Rs 27,00 crore has been accrued by the department. Around Rs 2,000 crore is estimated to have been spent in distribution of relief among marooned population of the state, it came out in the meeting.

Among other things, Modi said the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry would take appropriate action with regard to repair of the damaged roads in Bihar.

He said the infrastructure damaged due to the floods would be restored at the earliest with the central help, the statement said.

He announced Rs 2 lakh as exgratia from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund for each of those killed and Rs 50,000 each for those seriously injured, the PMO said. He also referred to his recent talks with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during which it was decided that a detailed project report would be prepared at the earliest on the Saptkoshi Dam and Sunkoshi Storage-cum-Diversion scheme.

Both nations would also work on flood control in the border areas, which will benefit the region, it added. The PM assured the state government that the Centre would provide all help to compensate the loss due to floods, the sources said.

As per the latest report, the death toll in Bihar has mounted to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge. Earlier this morning, the PM arrived at Chunapur Airport from Delhi. He was welcomed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Modi, Disaster Management Department Minister Dinesh Chand Yadav and Chief Secretary Anjani Kumar Singh among others.

This was the first visit of the PM to Bihar since the JD(U)-BJP coalition government was formed on July 27 after Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance over graft issue.
A Qatar Airways flight was diverted to Hyderabad late last night after a crew member showed symptoms of cardiac-related problem.

The Bali-bound aircraft from Doha was carrying 240 passengers and landed around midnight at the Rajiv Gandhi International airport here, airport sources said.

The crew member was rushed to a hospital and is now stated to be stable, they added.

"The flight departed after the crew member was taken to a hospital," sources added.
Rajnath Singh

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high-level meeting today to review the security situation in the country, particularly Haryana, and was told that the situation in the state was under control, officials said.

A special CBI court in Panchkula yesterday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of rape, triggering widespread violence that claimed at least 31 lives -- 29 in Panchkula and at least two in Sirsa.

Emerging from the high-level meeting, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said the director general of Haryana Police had assured the Central government that the situation was under control now.

"Haryana, Punjab and Delhi have not seen many incidents today. Panchkula and Sirsa had a situation yesterday but now the situation has normalised," he told reporters.

Asked whether the Haryana government had failed to control the situation, Mehrishi said, "In an ongoing situation we cannot blame anyone."

Home ministry officials said Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain gave detailed presentations about the situation in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and chiefs of paramilitary personnel were also present at the meeting.

The home minister was apprised about the steps taken to maintain law and order and restore peace, said an official privy to the development.

While Panchkula and Sirsa were "very tense", the situation in the rest of the state was "tense but under control", the minister is believed to have been told.

In a statement, the home ministry said the home minister reviewed the internal security and law and order situation in the country in general and in Haryana and adjoining areas and Jammu and Kashmir in particular.

"The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored. The Home Minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana that the law and order situation in Haryana would be kept in control," the statement said

Curfew has been imposed in several places in Haryana and Punjab while prohibitory orders have been imposed in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh, all but two districts of Delhi and one district in Rajasthan following massive violence, an official said.

Apart from Haryana, there were reports of sporadic violence yesterday in Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan where police have taken precautionary measures to foil any attempt to disturb peace.

At least 20,000 paramilitary personnel were deployed in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh to assist the local police in dealing with the law and order situation.
UN chief Antonio Guterres has informed through a letter to the Security Council of the order given by the International Court of Justice in the case of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court.

In a letter dated August 8 to the President of the Security Council, Guterres said he was transmitting copies of the texts of the orders indicating the provisional measures in three cases pending before the ICJ.

One of the orders relates to the Jadhav case while the others are those in cases between Ukraine and Russia and Equatorial Guinea and France.

A diplomatic source told PTI that the communication from the Secretary-General to the 15-nation Council is "routine information under ICJ Statute" and that the UN chief is required to transmit to the Council all the cases where provisional measures have been taken by the Court and the judgments in those cases.

The source said the Secretary-General has forwarded the copies of the orders in the cases that he receives from the Registrar of the ICJ and in compliance with the ICJ Statute.

Under the ICJ Statute, every year the Security Council needs to be informed what are the cases before the ICJ and the interim judgments entered in those cases.

In its May 18 verdict, the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled "unanimously" that "Pakistan shall take all measures at its disposal to ensure that Jadhav is not executed pending the final decision in these proceedings and shall inform the court of all the measures taken in implementation of the present order".
Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives to cast his vote for the country's next President, at the Parliament House in New Delhi, India, July 17, 2017. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi - RTX3BQ8J

Muslims are being "harassed" and it has become "difficult" for minorities to lead a normal life since the Narendra Modi dispensation assumed office, senior Samajwadi Party leader and Rampur MLA Azam Khan has alleged.

Talking to reporters here last evening, the former Uttar Pradesh minister said, "Muslims are being harassed - sometimes in the name of cow (slaughter) and sometimes in the name of religion."

"Life has become difficult for minorities since the Narendra Modi-led BJP came to power," he added.

He also alleged that the BJP government was trying to "redefine" Shariat laws, in the wake of a Supreme Court verdict invalidating the Muslim practice of instant divorce - 'talaq-e-biddat'.

On the Supreme Court's judgenment holding privacy a fundamental right under the Constitution, he said, "It will foil the BJP's nefarious designs to generate a vicious atmosphere of hatred in the country."

The Samajwadi Party MLA alleged that the residents of Rampur, a Muslim-majority town, were facing "maximum atrocities" in the hands of law-enforcement agencies since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh.

"Muslim localities are being raided...Police atrocities led to the death of two residents. Many houses were looted and women harassed during these raids," he alleged.
trends Industry Disruption: Reimagining the role of education SP Mandalis Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research and ASSOCHAM organised a national conference on the theme Industry Disruption and Reimagining the role of Education in Welingkar College of Mumbai. The objective of the conference was to propel discussion on new age skills and role of education that focuses on the needs of the future work force and equipping education stakeholders to leverage the opportunities offered.
The U.S. rig count fell by six this week as oil and gas companies slowed operations alongside stagnating oil prices.

Houston oilfield services company Baker Hughes reported Friday that oil rigs dropped four to 759, gas two to 180. The total has slipped to 940, 18 off its recent peak of 958, at the end of July.
From the oil fields of West Texas to the refining and petrochemical complexes of the Gulf Coast, Texas is leading in energy investment.

Even with the realignment in the industry, investments in Texas are making the U.S. more energy-secure than ever, said Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil & Gas Association, in releasing the associations report, U.S. Energy Dominance Starts In Texas.

The old adage everythings bigger in Texas rings true when it comes to energy, Staples said during a media call to discuss the report.

That dominance begins with the Permian Basin, with the capital going into Permian oil and gas fields resulting in billions of additional investment in expanding the states petrochemical and refining capacity, he said.

In 2016, 41 percent of total upstream deal value was in the Permian Basin, with merger and acquisition investments totaling $25.6 billion, of which $18 billion targeted the Delaware and $9 billion target the Midland basins, according to the report. By comparison, the next most active market, Oklahomas SCOOP/STACK play, received $5.1 billion.

To put that in perspective, the AT&T Stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play, cost $1.2 billion to build. You could build 22 AT&T Stadiums with the amount spent on mergers and acquisitions in the Permian Basin in 2016 and still have hundreds of millions of dollars left over, Staples said.

The Permian also accounts for 45 percent of the nations total onshore oil production in the Lower 48, according to the report. The Permians production of 2.4 million barrels per day in 2016 is greater than the average crude oil production of nine OPEC countries: Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar and Venezuela.

The report predicts that total capital expenditures in the Permian are expected to increase 400 percent over the next five years -- from $8 billion in 2016 to more than $40 billion in 2021.

That amount of investment and resulting Permian production is translating into more than $6 billion in new pipelines connecting the Permian with Corpus Christi and the Texas Gulf Coast, supporting more than 60,000 jobs.

The Gulf Coast petrochemical complex is benefiting; there are 134 announced projects drawing $71 billion of potential investment in new manufacturing facilities or expanded capacity.

Staples moved on from the Permian to the states other major shale play -- the Eagle Ford. He said a single day of natural gas from the Eagle Ford can meet the natural gas needs of more than 230,000 U.S. homes for a month.

Beyond (those) economic benefits, Texas and the U.S. benefit from the exports of products, crude oil and natural gas, he said.

Natural gas from the Permian, Eagle Ford, Barnett and Haynesville shales are supporting seven liquefied natural gas export facilities that are under construction or are planned. The U.S. is challenging Australia and Qatar to become the top LNG exporter, according to Staples.

This progress is important because not so long ago the idea of energy dominance or energy security seemed out of reach, he said. In less than 10 years, the U.S. is expected to become a net energy exporter, an outcome that was unthinkable.

The resiliency of the industry in learning to live in the current lower for longer reality of the last two or three years, especially in the Permian Basin, means Texas will be a player at any price level for the foreseeable future, Staples said.

It also means that no matter what happens around the globe, Permian producers have the ability to access those stacked plays, develop that resource and transport it to market to export to consumers, he said.
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When Brittany Sylvester was stopped around lunchtime Tuesday, she panicked and started to cry.

The 32-year-old Port Neches woman said when she saw the police officer standing at her car window, images began to flash through her mind of other traffic stops shared on social media. Stops that had gone wrong.

"I was caught off-guard by my own emotions," she said Thursday. "I felt like I got hit in my gut. I was literally crying. I was shaking. The whole time I was thinking, 'I want to make it back home to my son. I don't want any problems.'"

Sylvester was stopped by Beaumont Police Officer Kolin Burmaster for running a stop sign.

Burmaster, who has a reputation for ticket writing (he once ticketed his wife, now his ex), said he could tell Sylvester was nervous.

"All of us officers are trained to look at the body language," he said. "I go back to (print out) the ticket, and I could see tears running down her face, and I'm thinking, there's more to this traffic stop than what's meeting the eye here."

Burmaster said he eyed the situation and decided to give Sylvester a warning and tore the ticket up.

"I thought, 'You know what? It's my traffic stop,' and I asked her when was the last time she'd had a citation," he said. "It'd been years, I guess. So I ripped (the ticket) up."

Sylvester posted an emotional video on Facebook after the stop, thanking Burmaster for his kindness. As of Thursday night, the video had been viewed more than 5,000 times.

> > MORE: Seen the video here

Sylvester, who operates her own cleaning and grocery delivery business in Port Neches, said she wasn't aware of Burmaster's reputation when she made the video. She said her anxiety came from incidents of police misconduct reported in the media,

"I thought that 'yes, because I am black, this is possible,' but I had never thought about it until I got stopped," she said. "I don't watch those videos too often, but the ones that I've seen have just been horrible. I guess I had that in the back of my mind."

Viral videos like those Sylvester was referring to include a July 26 traffic stop in Northern California where a police officer pointed a gun at a black driver for nine minutes and the shooting of Philando Castile last year as he sat in the passenger seat of his girlfriend's car during a traffic stop in Minnesota.

Sylvester said she and Burmaster talked about the state of the world during the stop and that he assured her that no matter what she's seen on social media, she's not likely to see any of it in Beaumont.

"He was so soft-spoken," she said. "He was very respectful, and he just has a great spirit. I was so surprised that he took the time to talk me down and to assure me that I was safe."

Burmaster said any officer who would do differently wouldn't be fit to wear the uniform.

"You gotta treat people with respect," he said. "If you got an officer out there that is screwing around and doing dumb things, he doesn't deserve to wear that badge. Not at all. He's a liability. He's not an asset to this community."

Burmaster said some of his traffic stops are less pleasant than his experience with Sylvester.

"There are times I've stopped somebody and you can see it in the mirror," he said. "Their jaw is moving, the verbiage, they're moving their lips. And you get up there, and it isn't any better."

He said in those situations, he does what a lot of police officers do - he tries to keep his cool.

"I'll walk back, get back on my motorcycle, rock it a few times, hit the siren, dismount and say, 'Now, would you like to start this all over again?'" he said. "Eight times out of 10, it ends it, and it's a laughing matter."

Sylvester said the stop changed her preconception of police officers.

"He restored my faith in wanting to feel that every officer is good," she said. "I want to make sure the people of Beaumont and the people of Jefferson County know that compassionate officers are out there."

TCollins@BeaumontEnterprise.comTwitter.com/tadamcollins
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Kiwanis International of Plainview

A dozen people gathered Thursday at noon at Plainview Country Club for the clubs regular meeting.

Michelle Rutherford, new director of The Salvation Army in Plainview, was on hand to present a plaque of appreciation for the clubs support, including assisting during their annual holiday Bell Ringing campaign.

Meredith Riney-Hatch will finish her month as Meals on Wheels driver Monday. Monica Rodriguez will take over for September.

The club will host its 22nd annual barbecue dinner fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1 at Estacado Junior High. A Weekends BBQ sandwich, Frito Lay potato chips, United Amigos chocolate chip cookies and water will be served from 5-7 p.m. Dine in or use the convenient drive through. Tickets are $7, available at the door, from any Kiwanian or at Independent Insurance Agents of Plainview (716 Broadway). Thanks to Xcel Energy, Weekends BBQ, Frito Lay, United Amigos, Covenant Hospital, Mark Warren and Meredith Riney-Hatch for donations. Dr. Oliver Rusher will serve as program chairman for September, taking over for Ron Gammage.

Kristen Mata with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) presented the program.  Kevin Lewis

Plainview Rotary Club

The Plainview Rotary Club met at the Plainview Country Club Tuesday at noon.

President Kim Street called the meeting to order. Bob Copeland led the invocation and Ross Owen led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Guests were Maud Esconde, Rotary youth Exchange Student from France.

New Members were introduced by Janice Payne. They are Kerry McCormack and Michelle Rutherford.

V.O. Ortega introduced Michelle Rutherford to discuss the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army began in 1865 in London and in the US in 1879. It is in 128 countries. The theme is Heart to God -- Hand to Man.

They are involved in community health, feeding the poor, water and sanitation, anti-trafficking, micro finance and education.

Also, disaster relief, orphanages, food banks, drug rehab, employment training, youth programs, holiday assistance, senior services, counseling and spiritual support and the food bank. The United Way supplies 15 percent of their budget.

V.O. Ortega introduced the head of Wee-Care, Angel Morren. Its goal is to Make a Difference. The center is open Monday through Saturday.

United Way helps families in that they pay on the days they come provides qualify care for anyone.

Approximately, 60 percent of these children qualify for free lunches. They take babies to age 13. They also take foster children. They pick up 50 kids after school and help with homework and give them a snack. They also have lesson plans and schedules for each group of children.

Ross led the Four-Way-Test and Kim dismissed the group.

--Cynthia Gregory
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The City of Plainview on Tuesday approved a request to rezone 1307 W. Sixth St. with a Special Use Permit for a bed-and-breakfast, according to an Aug. 22 Plainview Herald story.

Mike and Debra Melcher have purchased the home and are busy making the changes necessary to convert a private home into a working bed-and-breakfast.

Currently Senior Director of Major Gifts at Wayland Baptist University, Melcher is planning to retire at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Debra Melcher is store manager at the Jimmy Dean Museum on WBU campus.

The home has four bedrooms, each with its own bath, so there wont be any bath-sharing or going down the hall to take a bath, Melcher said. Its set up very well with a living room, dining room and a basement for meetings. We can fit 30 people down there without any problem.

According to Hale County Homes, the Colonial-style house was built around 1940 and owned by E. May and Laura Osborne, the parents of Ethel Ramsower, who was married to Rex Ramsower.

According to The Wayland Century: 100 Years of Presidents, Policies and Pictures by Wayland Baptist University, the Osbornes donated the home to WBU in 1966 for use as a home for Wayland presidents as well as for campus social functions.

Dr. Roy C. McClung was the first Wayland president to live in the home, moving in 1967. He retired in 1980. The last president to live in the home was Dr. Paul W. Armes, who lived there from 2001 to 2016. Prior to Armes retirement, Wayland trustees determined that when he stepped down the university would no longer own a presidents home. Current President Dr. Bobby Hall and his wife Laurie had an option to buy the Presidents Home from the university, but ended up purchasing their own residence.

The home has been part of Wayland for more than 50 years, Melcher said. Its a beautiful home, well-built and very impressive. Were going to do our very best to keep the character and the history of the home alive.

The Melchers plan to have a display honoring the history and legacy of the home, emphasizing its time as part of Wayland. The establishment will be named The Presidents House Bed & Breakfast, and the four bedrooms will be named after WBU presidents, such as Hall, Armes and Davis.

We think its fitting to honor the presidents with that, Melcher said.

The breakfasts will be full, cook-to-order breakfasts.

Years ago we owned our own cake shop and catering business in Amarillo, so weve had a little experience in the food business, Melcher said.

As for lodging, the Melchers have been doing extensive research, talking with many people to get the best ideas possible.

Melcher credits Debra Melcher with making most of the plans and doing all the hard work.

She has great taste and is doing a great job of reaching out and getting ahold of things to put it together, Melcher said.

Some of the work, such as installing a sprinkler system, is necessary to bring the home up to code and ensure that its safe.

Were trying to bring it up to code without disrupting the integrity of the interior of the home, Melcher said. For example, were trying to keep beautiful molding intact.

The home will be available for events such as anniversary and Christmas parties.

Once the word got out about the bed-and-breakfast, people started saying theyd always wanted to see the home and now theyll be able to, Melcher said. Theres a lot of excitement in the community, and we want open the home to as many people as we can.

Melcher also has a dream that the home might be a refuge for grieving families. He recently spoke to a friend who returned to Plainview for a funeral and really had no place where the entire family could come together and relax.

Id like to have it available when someone loses a member of the family, offering a discounted rate so that they could take whole home for a couple of days. It would be a place for them to be together, for the kids to play. Theyd have the full use of the home, Melcher said.

The Melchers hope to be available to WBU for off-campus receptions and events as well.

We want to do a lot of things with Wayland. We feel a strong sense of gratitude to the school for allowing us to be able to do this, Melcher said.

A Nov. 1 opening date is planned.
A residence in the 900 block of West 28th was burglarized between 11:30-11:45 p.m. Thursday. An assault occurred during the criminal episode, reports indicate.

--The right front sidewall of a tire on a vehicle in the 2200 block of West Seventh was punctured multiple times by an unknown person between 12:20-1:20 p.m. Thursday.
The number of fatal airplane crashes in the state this year has prompted U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate pilot training, maintenance and other measures.



In one year, eight small planes have crashed in the state, with six resulting in death. Blumenthals letter to the FAA seeks improved standards.



They have the power, Blumenthal said about the FAA. Were demanding action under existing authority, and responsibility to set higher standards and improve enforcement.



A flight instructor was killed and two other people were injured this month when a single-engine Cessna crashed at an airport in New Milford. On July 30, Mark Stern, 63, of Redding, died after a crash at Danbury Municipal Airport. The plane was also a Cessna 172.



On April 24, Joseph Tomanelli, a Cheshire physician, was killed in a Wallingford crash near Meriden-Markham Airport. His son, 21-year-old Daniel Tomanelli, was seriously injured.



Student pilot Pablo Campos Isona, 31, was killed in a plane crash in East Haven on Feb. 22.



Authorities say one person suffered serious injuries in an ultralight aircraft crash in Eastford in July, in August, a single-engine plane crashed in Salisbury, resulting in one person having minor injuries.



All the crashes are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA.



Kevin Dillon, executive director of the Connecticut Airport Authority, said through a spokeswoman it would be inappropriate for the authority to comment until the final reports have been issued and analyzed.



Blumenthals letter urged the FAA to broaden its investigation into whether more training, medical vetting, or more maintenance, would improve safety at all U.S. airports.



He praised the commercial aviation industry as among the safest in the world, but said more can be done to improve the number of crashes in general aviation.



General aviation presents a troubling tale that consists of hundreds of deadly crashes each year, including a half dozen in Connecticut, Blumenthal said. It is imperative that we bring the same level of safety that exists in commercial aviation to the general aviation sector.



In addition to increased training hours  some only receive 40 hours before receiving a license  Blumenthal would like to see medical vetting, both physical and mental, and better aircraft maintenance. Pilots are now required to take a physical, but a student pilot killed in an East Hartford crash last year was suicidal, he said.



The National Transportation Safety Board has 12 recommendations submitted to the FAA that concern general aviation safety. Blumenthal wants to see them satisfied.



Connie Castillo, airport manager at Meriden-Markam Airport, said she supports the ideas of implementing more precautionary measures. She said pilots average about 75 hours of training before they receive licenses, and are given an FAA physical.



Certainly, anything to increase safety is a great idea, Castillo said.



mgodin@record-journal.com 203-317-2255 Twitter: @Cconnbiz






PLAINVILLE  Hundreds gathered at Norton Park Friday night to watch as colorful hot air balloons lifted off during the start of the 33rd annual Plainville Balloon Festival.



I come every year, said town resident Cara Dionisio.



Her 4-year-old son, Pierce, was enjoying the bubbles floating around the craft vendor section.



He likes it, she said.



The festival kicked off at 5 p.m., with buses running at 4 p.m. from several locations in town. It was the second year that parking was not allowed on site.



The Plainville Fire Company-sponsored event went through several changes last year, after a record turnout in 2015.



Its just taken off, said Jim Lenois, co-chairman of the event.



An hour before the tethered balloon glow Friday night, people lined up to get a ride on a balloon.



Shelley Cogovan, a Waterbury resident originally from Wallingford, and her children Chloe and Ryan watched as the Wild Rides safari-themed balloon started to lift into the air.



You have to anticipate where youre at and whats going on, said Dave Markowitz, owner and pilot of Wild Rides out of Cooperstown, New York.



He helped riders into the basket for a tethered ride. The full flights happen Saturday and Sunday morning during the 6 a.m. balloon launch.



The tethered balloons get a little more than 30 feet off the ground, giving riders a bird eye view of the park.



While people waited in line for balloon rides, others were more excited about the food.



The Plainville Fire Company food booth was popular, serving hamburgers and fried food.



We sell a lot of burgers and fried dough, said fire company member Kurt Plourde.



State Rep. William Petit said he was looking forward to the food and fireworks display.



I think the fireworks are fabulous every year, he said. Its great food and a nice crowd.



The festival continues today starting at 10 a.m., after the early morning launch, and runs Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.



More information can be found at http://www.plainvillefireco.com/Balloon_Festival.html



akus@record-journal.com 203-317-2448 Twitter: @KusReporter






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Actor Wendell Pierce, known for his roles in The Wire, Selma and other dramas, is diving into the Bay Area real estate market by planning a massive housing and retail project on a site in downtown Richmond that has long been blighted.

Pierce  who has invested in economically challenged areas of New Orleans and Baltimore  told The Chronicle that he chose Richmond for his latest venture because the city has a diverse population and the development site is close to a transit hub, the waterfront and the East Bay Center for the Performing Arts.

The actor said that a visit Wednesday to the site at Macdonald Avenue during a music festival helped cement his commitment to the city.

The two-block-long development would be a short walk from the Richmond BART and Amtrak station. The project would include multiple buildings and commercial space on the ground floor for local businesses and tech incubators, Pierce said. Of the 400-plus units of housing, some will be affordable or subsidized.

Pierce built homes in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and an apartment complex in Baltimore following riots over the police-custody death of Freddie Gray. But Richmond would be his largest single project yet.

We knew we could make a significant impact if we stepped off the sidelines and actually invested in parts of our community that arent being served, he told The Chronicle. Richmond has everything youd want in a community, so its just mining those resources and assets.

Although he once lived in San Francisco and traveled around the region, Pierce said his experience with Richmond was limited up until the citys Office of Economic Development contacted his development group. The outreach, Pierce said, made him want to invest in Richmond, rather than Oakland or other nearby cities.

I was ashamed to know that Id lived in the Bay Area and not visited the waterfront and downtown core of Richmond, he said.

The city-owned site on Macdonald Avenue from 11th to 13th streets has been slated for redevelopment and mostly vacant since 2005.

The first developer to win a bid to build at the site, Oakland-based A.F. Evans Co., went bankrupt during the recession before anything could be erected. Gov. Jerry Browns dissolution of redevelopment agencies in 2011 put the project and others in the corridor in flux, said Amanda Elliott, executive director of Richmond Main Street, a nonprofit working to revitalize the area.

Theres a lack of retail in the downtown corridor, Elliott said. Residents who have been here have been lacking services for more than a decade.

She said that despite increased interest in the area, for whatever reason, Richmond doesnt come to mind when people think of opening a business.

Last spring, the city sought new proposals for the Macdonald and 12th Street site and subsequently chose Pierce and the firm he is partnering with, SA+A Development, to develop the site. Richmond officials and business leaders hope the project will galvanize other housing and retail ventures in the area.

Keba Konte, founder of Red Bay Coffee in Oakland, called the area a coffee desert and said he is going to open a store at Pierces Richmond project. He said his roastery is already working on outfitting a converted shipping container  how its specialty coffee is sold  for the site.

The development team is considering creating affordable housing units specifically for artists, Pierce said. His partner, Ernst Valery, said they are looking at creating an outdoor amphitheater for the arts center as well.

Prices are out of control in the Bay Area, Valery said. You have one-bedrooms that go for $3,800. That didnt make sense to me. Theres a lot we can do to be inclusive and help the existing shops and community there.

Pierce said he will also offer an apprenticeship program, similar to one he created in Baltimore, for anyone who wants to be trained in development. In Maryland, he said, the program provided locals with employment and instruction, with the idea that Pierce and his partners would invest in future undertakings by their pupils.

We want to create a cohort of local folks in Richmond who can redevelop other sites so theres no blight in the city, Valery said.

The project could break ground in the next year after securing necessary approvals from the City Council in the coming weeks.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: KVeklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov
Tensions were high Saturday at Alamo Square Park, which city officials closed off to prevent right-wing activists from holding what they said would be a press conference rather than a rally.

Keeping the park open would have been a threat to public safety, said police Cmdr. Ann Mannix, adding that it was an effort to keep the peace.

But while no right-wing activists were to be seen, when several hundred counterprotesters still showed up, police were forced to take action.

City park rangers and even police cadets joined hundreds of San Francisco officers, who were equipped with zip ties, helmets and recently issued body cameras. After crews erected a chain-link fence barrier around the park early in the morning, the police drove around the park at about 11 a.m., telling people on a car loudspeaker that the park was closed.

As more and more counterprotesters swarmed to the area, the police set up additional barriers along nearby residential streets, creating a one-block buffer zone on every side of Alamo Square Park.

No one whod been inside the now-screened-off zone was told to leave, but latecomers were barred from the area.

The purpose of keeping pedestrians out of streets surrounding the park was control and containment so that residents in the area would be safe, said Officer Giselle Linnane, a police spokeswoman.

We had a fairly large crowd here, but for the most part they were all contained, they all said what they had to say, made their speeches and moved on from the area, she said.

At one point in the late morning, a group at a barrier at Fell and Steiner streets broke through. Several dozen police officers ran up the street to create a new barrier, this time using their bodies. Protesters chanted, Let us in! and Our streets!

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Also in the late morning, a woman was detained after a skirmish just outside the park fence. Police piled into the disruption and pulled away the screaming woman and took her to the police staging area inside the fenced-off park.

One person was taken into custody, Linnane said later, though she didnt know if a citation was issued or an arrest made.

Shortly after 1 p.m., the hundreds of counterprotesters took off in what they billed as a march to the Mission and headed for Mission and 24th streets.

Linnane said the department had contingency plans for a variety of scenarios and anticipated pop-ups throughout the city.

Cmdr. Daniel Perea, former captain of Mission Station, said his past work with activists from the district was invaluable to coordinating safety Saturday.

This was an unplanned, spontaneous exercise of First Amendment rights, and we facilitated it, Perea said. We knew a couple of the organizers, and we spoke with them and worked together to make sure they had their space.

Our primary concern right now is for all these people walking in the roadway, he added as the crowd started its march. Lots of people driving in San Francisco arent aware this is going on, so weve got to keep these folks safe.

In addition to San Francisco and city park police, deputies from the Sheriffs Department also were deployed, Perea said.

Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @KVeklerov
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A Painted Lady was showing a little more paint than usual on Saturday.

The extra paint was on a large banner than hung from one of the famous Victorian homes across the street from Alamo Square.

Homeowner Gretchen Sisson, 33, woke up early Saturday to hang a protest banner from her third-story window.

Love Trumps Hate, the sign read, for all in the park or nearby to read.

Sisson said she was pleased to hear that the right-wing demonstrators werent going to show up and that counterprotesters were turning out in the streets around her home instead.

Now Playing: Hundreds of protesters at Fell and Steiner streets enter the vicinity of Alamo Square Park on Aug. 26, 2017. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

We were planning on staying locked inside today, said Sisson, who has two children, ages 2 and 4. When we heard that the alt-right rally was coming here, we were worried about the potential for violence.

Racism and bigotry have no place in her neighborhood or childrens lives, she said..

Theyre here in our city to capitalize on the discord, she said. Free speech is one thing. But inciting dangerous rhetoric is another.

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Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com
It was a crazy day for Joey Gibson  one that ended up with the Patriot Prayer leader appearing in the Presidio, where he had once scheduled a rally for the right-wing group.

Gibson called off that event the day before it was to have been held Saturday, saying he would hold a press conference in Alamo Square Park instead. When police closed the park, Gibson hit the road, first to an online chat with friends, then to a news conference in Pacifica and from there to Crissy Field.

There, he joined about 50 would-be rally participants, some of whom said they had come from Oregon and Washington to attend the aborted event.

They did not march, but mostly stood under the shade of a large tree in the middle of the field. The demonstrators said they have been mislabeled as white supremacists and that they were standing up for free speech.

It seems like if youre conservative in California, youre deemed as a racist, said Patrick Porcuna, a 28-year-old San Francisco resident, who identifies as libertarian and said he had voted for President Trump. Im down for people to talk and have free speech.

Around 100 protesters were also there to greet Gibson. Park police showed up as well, with shields and batons, but there was no violence.

Im having to go from spot to spot because antifa really wants to come after me, Gibson said, referring to militant leftists who have confronted right-wing demonstrators at some rallies.

After leaving Crissy Field, Gibson added City Hall to his itinerary, showing up shortly after a large counterprotest ended.

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Gibson complained that the city had made it all but impossible for him to put on an event in public.

Today has been a crazy day, he said on a Facebook Live broadcast. Everywhere we go, the police, the city, they want to shut it down.

The Patriot Prayer leader said officials such as Mayor Ed Lee and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had focused on the safety threat his group supposedly caused while ignoring the danger from counterprotesters.

Officials countered that it was Gibson who had threatened public safety by pulling a last-minute location switch, to a spot where he had no permit for a rally.

White supremacists have been known to attend the groups rallies in Portland, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. Gibson, a Pacific Northwest resident who identifies as Japanese American, has recently denounced white supremacists and said he is working to exclude them from his gatherings.

There were no visible signs of white nationalist members at a Patriot Prayer rally this month in Seattle, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hamed Aleaziz and Catherine Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz, @Cat_Ho
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United Airlines announced Saturday afternoon that it is suspending flights out of Houston to non-hub airports. That represents about 300 departures.

The carrier plans to continue operating flights from Houston to its hub airports and most international destinations, United spokesman Charlie Hobart said in an email Saturday.

READ ALSO: Hurricane Harvey forces some Houston grocers to close

As of Friday, United suspended operations at Corpus Christi, McAllen Miller and Valley International airports.

Now Playing: FOX 26 News anchors Jonathan Martin and Kaitlin Monte Video: JW Player

United's team will continue to monitor the situation and adjust its schedule as needed.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those impacted by Hurricane Harvey," Hobart said in the email. "Our teams in Houston and across our system are working together to ensure the safety of our customers and employees. We have brought in additional employees and resources to Houston to provide assistance and support."

MORE: Local businesses hunker down for Hurricane Harvey

As of 4:41 p.m. Saturday, officials at Bush Intercontinental reported 425 canceled flights, a combination of arriving and departing flights, and 30 delays for Saturday, Houston Airport System spokesman Bill Begley said.

Hobby Airport had 98 cancellations for Saturday, a mixture of arriving and departing flights.

Southwest Airlines, the main airline at Hobby, said it is operating about 50 percent of its normal schedule Saturday and Sunday.

Both Southwest and United have travel waivers in place.
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San Antonio shoppers scurried to stock up on food and supplies as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than a decade made landfall Friday.

Traffic ensnared intersections around major retail centers and supermarkets Friday in San Antonio as shoppers tried to get their hands on snacks, batteries, flashlights and building materials to last the weekend along with a seemingly scarce commodity: water.

Dozens of H-E-B and Walmart stores in the path of Hurricane Harvey closed as companies worked to keep vital supplies on store shelves in San Antonio and Houston.

H-E-B closed about 28 stores around Houston and in the Gulf Coast region while Walmart had shuttered 15 stores as of Friday afternoon. No store closures were expected for San Antonio and Austin, the companies said Friday.

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

H-E-B has suspended shipments of goods into areas heavily impacted by the oncoming storm and closed stores in Corpus Christi, Aransas Pass and Victoria among other areas to ensure employees safety, company spokeswoman Dya Campos said.

The San Antonio supermarket chain plans to send about 15 of its mobile emergency response units  which include mobile kitchens and mobile pharmacies along with electrical generators and water tankers  sometime this weekend when the storm dissipates, the company said. More than 100 H-E-B employees are expected to volunteer with the companys mobile kitchens and direct response units.

Walmart has closed stores in Port Lavaca, Corpus Christi, Rockport, Kingsville, Edna and Portland resulting from mandatory evacuations or power losses in those areas, spokesman Reagan Dickens said.

More Information Store closures in Texas H-E-B Corpus Christi (all 10 locations) Alice Aransas Pass Bay City Beeville Cuero Edna Ingleside Kingsville Lake Jackson Mathis Port Lavaca Portland Refugio Robstown Rockport Sinton Victoria Kenedy and Yoakum closing at 7 p.m. Walmart (partial list of cities) Port Lavaca Corpus Christi Rockport Kingsville Edna Portland See More Collapse

Retailers are on high alert as Hurricane Harvey makes landfall, determining where to send additional shipments of bottled water, ready-made food items, batteries and flashlights to keep shelves stocked and whether to close stores to keep employees safe.

Customers flooded social media with photos of empty shelves, especially on bottled water aisles and long lines at area grocery stores Thursday and Friday.

Campos said H-E-B is diverting some inventory from closed stores to those that are still open, and that its supermarket chains stores are receiving deliveries.

We are replenishing that product as fast as we can, Campos said.

Walmarts emergency operation center in Bentonville, Arkansas is speaking frequently with store operations teams in Texas to gauge where to ship additional stock of water, fuel containers and other supplies to the companys stores in Texas and Louisiana, Dickens said.

Youre working with traffic, youre working with weather, Dickens said. Youre working with high winds, high waters. The timelines (to restock) are a little more difficult to predict.

Shoppers at the H-E-B store at 1601 Nogalitos St. on the citys South Side were limited to two gallons of water or two packs of bottled water. At around 3:30 p.m., the store had two pallets of 24-packs of Nestle Pure Life bottled water left.

Denise Hernandez, a 34-year-old manager at Whataburger, said she searched for packaged water at a Dollar General, Sams Club and another H-E-B store before finding two gallons of Hill Country Fare Drinking Water at the Nogalitos store.

Vania Garcia, 23, and her mother-in-law Keri Garcia, 47, loaded a 12-pack of Propel bottled water along with Paqui tortilla chips and bananas into their pickup truck at Walmart near the intersection of Interstate 10 and De Zavala Road on the citys Northwest Side. The duo only managed the 12-pack after fruitlessly searching at H-E-B and Sams Club.

But, Keri Garcia said the hunt for water and the drought in supply didnt bother her.

Everyone has to think about their families, Keri Garcia said.

Vania Garcia, mother of an 8-month-child, took a different attitude as the storm approached.

Im a little freaked out, Vania Garcia said.

Freaking out is the worst thing hurricane neophytes could so, said Brittnie Fugel, a 30-year-old Houston native. Fugel, who now lives in San Antonio, said she weathered storms such as Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Tropical Storm Allison in 2001.

Fugel said she grabbed the last 35-pack of Great Value bottled water left at the De Zavala store as she loaded the water into her Toyota SUV.

Dont freak out, Fugel said. The more you freak out, the harder it is.

The Home Depot store at 435 W. Sunset Road was doing double the volume of business of a normal Friday, said Tiffany Olivas, assistant manager.

Olivas listed all the items that customers were buying to prepare for Hurricane Harvey: generators, water, propane, tarps, plastic sheeting, duct tape, flashlights, plywood, sand bags, batteries, ice chests, gasoline containers, dry vacuums and umbrellas. Soil bags were being purchased, too, to block water from doorways much like sand bags, Olivas said.

Emergency shipments, especially for water and sand bags, were coming in shortly before noon Friday. Well have more this evening, Olivas said.

Weve had customers from Corpus Christi because stores are sold out in that area. All of the generators we got in this morning were gone within two hours, she added.

Don Gardner, vice president of restaurant facilities for BJs Restaurants Inc. in Huntington Beach, California, was stocking up on about $2,500 in plastic sheeting, gas cans, duct tape and other supplies at the Home Depot 527 Fair Ave. on Thursday night.

Gardner, who flew into San Antonio earlier Thursday, was driving the supplies to the companys bar, BJs Restaurant Brewhouse in Corpus Christi, to lock everything down before Hurricane Harvey hit landfall.

I have a refrigerated truck coming down from Dallas later tonight thats going to park around back with the assumption that well lose power, Gardner said, adding that theyll store all the the food in the truck until the power comes back on. Our goal is to, No. 1, keep all the food safe and, No. 2, reopen as soon as possible.

Cynthia Fernandez of Alamo Heights was at Home Depot on W. Sunset Road buying sandbags and a submerged water pump for her pool along with tubing to distribute water from an overflowing pool away from her house and toward an alley and street.

I havent been through this a lot. I dont think many people in San Antonio have. I hope the rest of my house is good, Fernandez said.

Kyle Odom of San Antonio was buying a weatherproof tarp for his skylights, water and batteries at the home improvement store.

Im going to secure the tarp right away, Odom said. If we do not need the water and batteries this weekend, we will use them later, he said.

Customers also had to compete for parking spaces, which were few and far in between at the Costco Wholesale store at 1201 N. Loop 1604 East at midday Friday.

Everyone is buying water, for the most part. Almost all of it gone. Theres not much left. Its pretty much going to be all gone, said Steve Fraga, the Costo warehouse manager.

Costco shopper DAnn Hart of New Braunfels said she was looking at batteries at the store. I realized were out. Its a good time to buy them. Her cart also was filled with water bottles. Its a good precaution. Our kids are in sports. Theyll drink it anyway. Were going to hole up for the weekend.

A trio of GEICO workers pushed two large carts stacked five feet high with water bottles and boxes of snacks, such as chips and cookies, to load into a panel van parked at the Costco entrance.

Were sending adjusters to Corpus Christi to handle the claims at drive-in locations. Thats the main purpose of this going down there, said Matt Scally, a GEICO field supervisor in San Antonio. Insurance giant GEICO was founded in San Antonio in 1936 but moved to Washington, D.C., a year later and is now based in Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Generators, electrical extension cords and gasoline cans were flying off the shelves at the two Northern Tool & Equipment stores, one in San Antonio and another in Live Oak, said Tim Keener, regional manager for the chain. The Live Oak store ran out of generators by Friday afternoon, but there were a few left at the San Antonio store at 2505 NW Loop 410, Keener said.

Trucks were scheduled to be loaded up on those products overnight at Northern Tools regional distribution center in Arlington for delivery in San Antonio early Saturday, Keener said.

We are preparing for after-storm demand for people closer to the storm. We are loading up on chain saws, tarps to cover damaged property and water pumps for localized flooding, Keener said.

JFechter@express-news.net

Twitter: @JFreports
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REDDING  In the latest celebration of the towns 250th anniversary, dozens of residents gathered in Putnam Park Saturday for an afternoon of historical fun.

Some visitors to the Family Day at Putnam Memorial State Park event wandered the grounds independently, completing a historical scavenger hunt of the 183-acre state park. But most joined park expert T.G. Henderson on a tour, where he explained the parks history as an encampment for soldiers during the Revolutionary War.

The event was co-sponsored by the Mark Twain Library and Friends and Neighbors of Putnam Park as part of the year-long Redding Reads program, which encourages all residents in town to read the same book. This years book, My Brother Sam is Dead, a novel that explores the towns history during the Revolutionary War, was chosen to help celebrate the towns 250th anniversary.

Ive read the book and my (three daughters) have all read the book and had a wonderful experience, said Hilda Rhodes, a resident joining Henderson on the tour Saturday.

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Rhodes said she became interested in the history of the town when she moved to Redding from Oregon more than 50 years ago. She discovered when she arrived that her family had actually originated from Redding in the 1700s.

She said the Redding Reads program has helped get more residents interested in the towns history. She and her husband, Stan, have been to all of the years anniversary events so far.

I relate it to my family, which is really fun, Rhodes said. I dont think they teach the history as much as they used to, so (the program) has brought that back and Im really delighted.

Henderson said the book, although it is fiction, is historically accurate.

He said he became a volunteer at the park 11 years ago after a friend who knew Henderson didnt like history dared him to take the job. After about a year into the job, he became fascinated with the parks history and started doing his own research.

Residents and out-of-towners have been visiting the park more and more thanks to the Redding Reads program, he added.

About 300 books were available at the start of the program at the library, Town Hall, and other locations around town. Readers are asked to sign their name in the cover and return the book to one of the spots when they are finished.

The remaining events for the anniversary celebration include a program on how patriotism is remembered on Sept. 11, a birthday party for Redding in October, a twilight graveyard tour around Halloween, a discussion about religion and patriotism in November and a trivia contest in November.
The monthly payments from the Connecticut Fat Man were called 7,500 boxes of ziti, for the wife of Herb, a top aide to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The $7,500 per month, filtered through a secret account from a lobbyist who pleaded guilty and is the chief witness in a massive federal corruption case, helped keep Herb, Joseph Percoco  Cuomos in-house confidante, enforcer and successful 2010 campaign manager  up to date with the mortgage of his $800,000 South Salem, N.Y. home, federal investigators say.

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And for the money, which the Department of Justice believes topped $474,000 over the course of the bribery scheme to help influence the corporate goals of a Maryland-based power company, Lisa Toscano-Percoco, a school teacher, worked between two and 15 hours per month.

Nearly a year after Peter Galbraith Kelly Jr., the son of a high-powered Connecticut Democrat, was arrested in a wide-ranging, multi-part kickback, extortion and conspiracy investigation in New York, his lawyers are trying to get Kelly off the hook on charges that could land him in prison for 20 years.

11 million pieces of evidence

With a flurry of legal briefs, letters and motions in federal court, Kellys legal team is attempting to distance him from Percoco, whom Kelly is accused of bribing over five years. In all, eight men, including a former State University of New York president, await trials for conspiracy, extortion, bribery and other charges.

Federal prosecutors have amassed about 11 million pieces of evidence, including more than 28,400 pages of emails and images from the phone Kelly used as an executive with Competitive Power Ventures Holdings, LLC, (CPV) the company that is building a natural gas-fired power plant in Oxford and has not been linked to the alleged corruption.

A federal judge in New York recently decided to break the case into two trials, with the first, involving Percoco and Kelly, scheduled to begin next January, including the alleged bribes to benefit a nearly identical 650-megawatt CPV natural-gas plant in Orange County, N.Y.

The other trial, including the former SUNY president and Louis P. Ciminelli of Buffalo, whose company was a partner in a now-abandoned plan to rebuild the Stamford railroad station, will start in May.

Requesting details

Daniel M. Gitner, lead attorney for Kelly, claims that Percoco was not a government official during part of the period covered by the charges, and that details of the bribery charges have not been released, undermining defense preparation.

The governments tactic hamstrings the defenses ability to effectively prepare for trial, Gitner wrote in a brief last month. Under the circumstances, Mr. Kelly cannot reasonably be expected to prepare for trial on a gratuity charge without identification of the specific official acts that he allegedly rewarded or the thing(s) of value that functioned as the reward.

The government is not required to disclose at this juncture the way in which it will attempt to provide the charges or the precise manner in which the defendant committed the charged crimes, nor must the government provide a preview of the evidence or legal theories it intends to present at trial, wrote Joon H. Kim, acting United States Attorney.

Federal prosecutors charge that Kelly gave the $7,500 a month to both Percoco and Todd Howe, a lobbyist who once worked for both the New York governor and his father, the late Gov. Mario Cuomo, for whom the newly opened Tappan Zee Bridge was named. In all, the Percocos received $287,000 from CPV, which gave $474,000 to Howes private company, plus $332,000 to the Washington firm he was associated with at the time, Whiteman Osterman & Hanna.

The government expects that the evidence at trial will establish that the governors election in 2010 transformed Howe, then primarily a federal lobbyist based in Washington, D.C., into a key contact for individuals seeking public funds and other official action from New York State, due to Howes longstanding personal and professional relationships with the governor and other senior officials in the governors administration, Kim wrote recently in one of 313 filings in Kellys case dating back to the September 22, 2016, criminal indictment.

$90,000 a year

Howe once hired Percoco to work for the Andrew Cuomo in 1999, when Cuomo was secretary of the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton, according to court documents.

Kellys father, Hartford lawyer Peter G. Kelly, is a former treasurer and finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and was a member of the DNC from 1976 to 1992. He is the founding partner in the firm of Updike, Kelly & Spellacy.

The younger Kelly allegedly ingratiated himself with Percoco in attempt to win $100 million in support for the natural gas-powered plant in upstate Orange County by hiring Percocos wife for the $90,000 a year low-show job, for which she worked as few as two hours a month. Some of the money was funneled from the electric company to Howe, who a year ago pleaded guilty to multiple felonies, and helped federal prosecutors build their cases against the defendants.

In August 2013, Percoco allegedly succeeded in gaining CPV a reciprocity agreement to purchase emission credits from New York for a New Jersey power plant. Kelly eventually terminated payments after the attempt to gain the $100 million to help in the construction of the Orange County plant failed.

Gitner said that Kelly believed that Howe had received a New York State ethics opinion that allowed for the hiring of Percocos wife to prepare a school-age curriculum on the Wawayanda, N.Y., powered by natural gas derived from the controversial fracking method of using water pressure to open shale-oil reserves.

Gitner also asked prosecutors to provide any details that Percoco used his influence as Gov. Andrew Cuomos executive deputy secretary to benefit CPV. He requested evidence that Howe might have destroyed or altered documents he might have used to deceive Kelly, who was also referred to by Howe and Percoco as Fat Boy.

KDixon@ctpost.com Twitter: @KenDixonCT
By PTI: Indore, Aug 25 (PTI) Nearly 96.5 per cent of the business establishments in Madhya Pradesh have enrolled for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system, a senior official said today.

However, a city-based traders body claimed that the GST has not simplified the tax payment process.

As per the latest figures, around 3,00,947 business establishments out of 3,12,518 registered ones have got enrolled with the states commercial tax department (CTD) for GST, the departments deputy commissioner (computer) Dharampal Sharma said.

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The enrolment for GST had begun on November 15 last year, he said.

Madhya Pradesh is among the states where a good number of businessmen have got themselves enrolled under the new tax regime, Sharma said.

Meanwhile, city-based Ahilya Chamber of Commerce and Industrys president Ramesh Khandelwal claimed that grocery, cloth, jewellery, grain and other business sectors have witnessed a dip in sales by 20 to 25 per cent with the introduction of GST.

The businessmen, particularly in rural areas, were still confused about the different levies under the new tax regime, he said.

"Earlier we had an impression that the GST will simplify the tax payment process, but unfortunately this has not happened," Khandelwal said.

He demanded that the government simplify the GST system so that it serves the purpose for which it has been launched. PTI HWP LAL ADU GK SDM

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Toxic blue-green algae has closed the swim areas at Indian Well State Park in Shelton and Kettletown State Park in Southbury, according to a press release from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

Those swim area will remain off-limits until the algae subsides, the DEEP said. Further information available at www.ct.gov/deep/bluegreenalgae.
Frankfurt has the banks, and Paris has the culture, but for trading firms looking for a post-Brexit European home, Amsterdam may have the best attraction of all: a friendly regulator.

The Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets already presides over the most important cluster of European proprietary trading firms -- the high-speed giants of financial markets -- outside the U.K. The Dutch regulator allows such firms to trade directly with big pension funds and insurance companies without treating them as clients, a distinction that reduces their legal and regulatory burden.

Now, with fewer than two years until the U.K. leaves the European Union, local trading firms are helping to showcase Amsterdam's attractions. Chicago-based algo traders Radix Trading and Hard Eight Trading have joined U.S. trading giants Tower Research Capital and Quantlab in locating European operations in Amsterdam. Tradeweb and MarketAxess Holdings - operators of financial markets popular with proprietary traders -- are also putting jobs there.

Three local firms, Optiver, IMC and Flow Traders, are already among the world's biggest traders of options, cash equities and exchange-traded funds. That's given the AFM regulatory experience of high-frequency trading, one of the least known yet fastest-moving areas of finance.

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"To the great credit of our regulator, they have kept pace very well with innovation in financial markets," Diederik Dorst, global head of legal and compliance at Flow Traders, said in an interview. "They are highly pragmatic and knowledgeable and that's a selling point for Amsterdam. The strongest case for Amsterdam is its trading heritage over the last few centuries."

It's a trading culture that stretches back centuries. That includes being the home of the world's first formal stock exchange. Although the British East India Company was the world's first joint-stock company, the Dutch East India Company was the first listed company. The firm paid its shareholders an annual dividend of 18 percent for almost 200 years.

The Dutch regulator had held talks with 100 other financial firms including prop traders, trading platforms and asset managers since Britain voted to leave the EU, according to board member Gerben Everts. It's willing to "scale up" by adding more people if the influx of firms continues, he said.

"The AFM has a frequent dialogue with the trading community in Amsterdam and as such, the AFM has had the chance the follow and keep up with the ongoing technological developments," the regulator said in a statement. "We keep investing in experienced staff and understanding of the market trends and contribute to appropriate new regulation."

There have already been some successes: Amsterdam has attracted Japanese banks Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mizuho Financial Group, which are both bolstering their units in the Dutch city. Mitsubishi is also considering the city as the EU site for its securities operations. RBS also plans to move some positions to the Dutch financial capital.

Amsterdam may be less attractive to bankers than to high-speed traders. After bailing out their largest banks in the global financial crisis, Dutch authorities capped bonuses at 20 percent of salaries, well below the 200 percent EU-wide limit. Proprietary traders are exempt from the bonus caps on the theory that they would never require a taxpayer bailout.

"In a world where bonuses are a substantial part of income, the flexibility on offer fails to address the concerns of foreign banks and may form an obstacle to them choosing the Netherlands," said Arnold Keizer, an incentives lawyer at Allen & Overy in Amsterdam.

RBS has said it will move 150 jobs to Amsterdam and still has a license in the Netherlands that it acquired as part of the ill-fated 2008 purchase of ABN Amro. Chief Executive Officer Ross McEwan argued on the lender's last earnings update that the CEO of its markets division, Chris Marks, "is confident that he can find the right people in Amsterdam," despite the challenges posed by the limits on bonuses.

Tradeweb and MarketAxess, the two trading venues that picked Amsterdam, identified the AFM as their main reason for moving.

"We looked at multiple places: we looked at locations across Europe," said Enrico Bruni, Tradeweb's head of Europe and Asia, in an interview. "We respect the regulatory environment, the experience of the regulator." MarketAxess said the AFM's "sophisticated" approach made Amsterdam more appealing than rivals such as Dublin or Frankfurt.

Algorithmic trading firms need good communications links. These traders become notorious thanks to Michael Lewis' 2014 book "Flash Boys," which alleged that the firms used their superior trading speed to front run conventional investors. While many of the firms have different ways of making money than just speed, they all need the fastest computers when they hedge their trades. They all dispute the allegations in Lewis' book.

On the speed front, the Dutch city may also have an advantage. Amsterdam has greater capacity in private data links than any of its continental rivals, according to a new report from Equinix, a U.S. company that owns many of the datacenters that host these connections. The city has installed bandwidth of 83 terabytes per second, far from London's 159 terabytes, but still better than third-placed Frankfurt's 74 terabytes.

Other financial firms are still assessing the city. Mark Hemsley, the CEO of Bats Europe, part of CBOE Holdings, said soon after the Brexit vote that the company would choose between Amsterdam and Dublin for its new home. After more than a year of research, Bats has yet to make up its mind. According to Hemsley, the city it picks will be the one that gives it "the flexibility to act as an entrepreneurial exchange."

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Bloomberg's Stephen Morris, Yue Qiu and Jeremy Kahn contributed.
Shortly after receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump, former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio hinted to local reporters he might return to politics.

Arpaio told the Associated Press he wouldn't rule out running for office again, saying he would be "very active" politically, even at age 85. He had the same message for the state's largest newspaper.

"I told my wife I don't want nothing to do with politics, but now I've got to rethink that," Arpaio told the Arizona Republic. "I think I've got a big political message to get out."

Arpaio had been convicted last month of criminal contempt of court for ignoring a federal judge's order to stop detaining people based on their perceived immigration status. He had faced up to six months in prison at his sentencing, originally set for Oct. 5.

The sudden, and unusual, presidential pardon seemed to answer a lingering question: What future would await Arpaio, one of the most polarizing figures in law enforcement and a longtime darling of the far right, after he was voted out of office last fall?

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The sheriff's critics have maintained that the police practices Arpaio sanctioned were racially motivated and illegal. Arpaio has refused to admit any wrongdoing, insisting even after the pardon that his conviction had been the victim of "a political witch hunt" by the Obama administration.

Arpaio tweeted: I am humbled and incredibly grateful to President Trump. I look fwd to putting this chapter behind me and helping to #MAGA.

For more than 23 years, Arpaio's political fate had seemed unshakable: Despite - or perhaps because of - the controversies that surrounded him, Arpaio was handily reelected sheriff of Maricopa County, which includes the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. He was first elected to the office in 1992, and quickly became a polarizing figure known for his hard-line stance on illegal immigration and his media-loving exploits. Arpaio was fond of billing himself as "America's toughest sheriff," and boasted of forcing his inmates to wear pink underwear and sleep outdoors in "Tent City Jail," even in triple-digit temperatures.

Arpaio reemerged in the national spotlight in 2015 as an early supporter of then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. He was one of the first to publicly endorse Trump last January. The two had some history: Arpaio was one of the first public figures to jump on Trump's obstinate mission to "seek the truth" about President Obama's birth certificate. (They also, coincidentally, share June 14 as a birthday.)

"You are the only one with the 'guts' to do this," Trump scrawled on a printed article about the birther movement to Arpaio in 2012. "Keep up the good fight."

Last year, the sheriff was invited to speak on the final night of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, where he touted Trump as someone who, like him, would get "get tough" on immigration "in order to protect Americans." Trump, in turn, used Arpaio's endorsement to declare he was the candidate who was "king of the border."

Whereas Trump was on his way to clinching a historic presidential victory, however, Arpaio was months away from losing a reelection bid. He was charged with criminal contempt in October, and on Election Day, Democratic challenger Paul Penzone defeated Arpaio to become the new Maricopa County sheriff.

Legal troubles notwithstanding, Arpaio, then 84, appeared to acquiesce to the end of his long political career, celebrating his retirement in January at an event that included friend and actor Steven Seagal.

With his comments Friday, though, Arpaio has indicated he has no intention of leaving the political realm quietly - or at all. But whether Arpaio could have a viable political future remains to be seen. Even in Arizona, his pardon by Trump divided lawmakers and public officials on both sides of the aisle.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) called Arpaio a friend and said he "deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career in law enforcement and public office," according to the AP. The pardon, he said, "brought finality to this chapter in Arizona's history."

Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., said in a statement that Trump "did right by the law - even as the political consequences continued to mount."

"America owes Sheriff Arpaio a debt of gratitude and not the injustice of a political witch hunt," Biggs added, echoing Arpaio's own description of his conviction.

However, Democrats and other state officials, including many prominent Republican lawmakers, blasted Trump's pardon as one that thumbed its nose at the rule of law.

John McCain tweeted: .@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law.

"No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement. "Mr. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judge's orders. The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions."

Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., with whom Trump has publicly feuded, tweeted a milder rebuke of Trump's actions, saying: Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course.

Democrats protested the pardon vocally Friday. Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton declared it was "not a proud day for Phoenix" and that the president had pardoned someone who "illegally targeted and terrorized Latino families." Still, the mayor noted that the community's activism had resulted in Arpaio being voted out of office.

"Donald Trump can't change that," Stanton tweeted.

Walter M. Shaub Jr., the former director of independent Office of Government Ethics, said in a series of tweets Friday night that the pardon was "vile" and "a harbinger of worse to come." Shaub resigned from his position in July after repeatedly clashing with the White House. Though he made no mention of any friction in his brief resignation letter, Shaub has been openly critical of the Trump administration on social media since then. The president's pardon of Arpaio prompted a similarly scathing response.

Shaub tweeted: Every one of you WH staffers owns this disgusting unamerican racist pro-authoritarian gesture forever like it was tattooed on your forehead.

Arpaio, meanwhile, is doubling down on his innocence, promising a news conference Monday to "show the abuse of the judicial system in politics."

In a Friday evening interview at his home in Fountain Hills, Arizona, Arpaio told the Arizona Republic that his first reaction upon receiving Trump's pardon letter was to wonder: "Is this a fake?"

"I'm very good at investigating fake government documents," Arpaio told the newspaper, alluding to his years-long involvement in the "birther" movement. "I won't go any further than that."

He added that he would not have handled his immigration sweeps any differently: "My guys did nothing wrong, and I didn't do anything wrong."
As a Jewish musician sang a prayer for healing, Beth Epstein started to cry.

She didn't realize how broken she felt until now.

Two weeks ago, neo-Nazis marched past her synagogue on Shabbat chanting "Sieg Heil" while on their way to a white supremacist rally at Emancipation Park, one block away.

Epstein, 51, remembers looking out the window from the room she was now sitting in at Congregation Beth Israel and glimpsing a swastika. Later that day, 32-year-old Heather Heyer would be killed when a driver with ties to the neo-Nazi movement allegedly plowed into a crowd. Two state troopers would also die that day.

Congregation Beth Israel is the sole synagogue in Charlottesville, Virginia, and although the sounds and sights of bigotry and hatred that stirred fear in worshippers as they prayed that day remain fresh, the community is now focused on moving forward.

More than 250 people - much larger than a usual Shabbat crowd at the Reform synagogue - showed up Friday night to draw inspiration and comfort from prayer and music by artists who journeyed there from around the country.

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"My general feeling is that the Jewish community will come back stronger from this threat just like America will," said Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer, a member of the synagogue who attended the healing service.

The white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched on the town Aug. 12 had chanted threats aimed directly at Jews: "Blood and Soil!" and "Jews will not replace us!" They held signs reading "the Goyim know," a slur referring to non-Jewish people, and "the Jewish media is going down."

The synagogue had felt it was important to continue weekly services that day, but leaders had taken certain precautions, said synagogue president Alan Zimmerman. Services started an hour early, and they moved Torahs, including a Holocaust scroll they knew was irreplaceable, to a congregant's house for safekeeping.

As the ralliers raged, Zimmerman stood outside the synagogue with an armed security guard hired by the congregation because he was concerned for his congregants praying inside, he said. Men in fatigues armed with semiautomatic rifles passed by, Zimmerman said, and he recalled hearing one shout: "There's the synagogue."

"I had no choice but to be out there," Zimmerman said. "I'm not suggesting I could have done anything, affected anything, but there was no other place that I could be at that moment."

Zimmerman felt close to crying, he said, as he later told the roughly 40 people gathered in the synagogue that it would be best for them to leave through the back door after services and travel in groups.

Signer said he had requested a police car and an officer at the synagogue that day, but the department was unable to fulfill the request, Signer said. There has been intense scrutiny over what many have criticized as a lack of police response to the eruptions of violence throughout that day.

"I am very frustrated and have called for accountability for those failures here," Signer said. City Manager Maurice Jones countered in an Aug. 17 statement that police were stationed within just a few blocks of the synagogue that day.

As worshippers attended services, Congregation Beth Israel Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin stood on the steps of the First United Methodist Church gazing out at the chanting ralliers, as she sought to drown out the hate with music. Wearing her prayer shawl and carrying a guitar, she played more than 20 songs with themes of love and kindness. Despite the outward displays of hate, Schmelkin sad she was reassured by the other clergy supporting her, including Rabbi Tom Gutherz, who was attending services that day, and the broader Jewish community. "We aren't alone," she recalled thinking.

Now, she said, "I'm now thinking of how do we heal? How do we start to heal as a Jewish community?"

Schmelkin, Zimmerman and Signer were in the crowd Friday evening enjoying prayer, songs and poems of hope. The artists had traveled to the service in Charlottesville, from Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland and Chicago to help the community the best way they know how: music.

"Our reaction to violence and our reaction to hatred is that we sing louder and we make better music and we just we throw more love at it, " said Los Angeles musician Julie Silver, paraphrasing a quote by another Jewish musician, Leonard Bernstein.

"Good and evil exist in the world," she said. "We just have to make sure that our good shines and that's the best we can do."

Though Jewish people are always aware that anti-Semitism exists, the brazen chants from that weekend seemed to have brought that threat to the forefront of the Jewish collective conscience across the country, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

In the days following the Charlottesville rally, the anti-Defamation League tracked instances of anti-Semitism, including a man urinating on a Philadelphia synagogue, a swastika drawn on a California high school campus and a bomb threat written on dorm walls at Washington State University.

"What Charlottesville did was really shake our community to realize it's not simply a historical memory or a small thing," Jacobs said. "People woke up as this is something we need to be paying attention to."

Wendy Tanson traveled from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with her husband, James Falek, on Friday to participate in the musical services and reflect on what happened. Recent threats to Jewish communities nationwide, such as the act of vandalism at the Boston Holocaust museum, have shown Tanson, 54, that what happened in Charlottesville can happen anywhere.

"This synagogue specifically was threatened in a profound way two weeks ago, in a way that shouldn't happen in 2017," Tanson said. "We felt it was important to be here and stand up and be counted."

Over the last two weeks, the events of Aug. 12 have reverberated for others who attended the healing service on Friday.

Dana Mich, 30, said she has been thinking a lot about her grandfather, who survived the Holocaust. Jan Dorman, 60, said that during walks on the downtown mall she pictures the violence she saw on the news versus what she knows about the city she's lived in for decades. Sara Rimm-Kaufman, 47, recalled waking up in the middle of the night before the Friday services, worrying that the synagogue would be a target for anti-Semitic acts this Shabbat.

After formal prayer services, Silver led the congregation in singing uplifting songs of hope. People got out of their chairs, linked hands, smiled and danced around the room, and Silver thought: "We are a resilient people."

"We have a strong, vibrant Jewish community here," said longtime congregant Fred Epstein, 50.

His wife, Beth Epstein, agreed. Though she was brought to tears earlier in the services, she joined in the dancing by the end. "I hope it continues," she said. "It's really special."
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NORWALK  When Norwalk native Rich Mackin returned to his hometown in April, after more than two decades in cities like Boston and Portland, Oregon, he was astonished at how little residents took advantage of the scenic walking routes scattered about the city.

Where pedestrians in metropolises reveled in their cities hidden passages and overlooked byways, Mackin saw a population in Norwalk that largely disregarded the advantages of its picturesque landscape.

In Boston and Portland, a 20-minute walk is an unremarkable activity for most people. But here in Fairfield County people seem shocked by such a feat, Mackin said.

Determined to fight this anti-ambulatory attitude while also improving his own health, Mackin resolved to walk as much of the citys streets as he could, so he began trekking to Norwalk landmarks like City Hall and Calf Pasture Beach.

But after a few trips, Mackin decided he wasnt doing enough, and he decided to go a step further. He decided he would try to walk every Norwalk street in the span of a single summer.

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I see walking as a form of meditation. Im not walking just to get somewhere; Im walking for the experience of walking. Sometimes its exploration, sometimes its an exercise in mindfulness, said Mackin.

Walking hadnt always come easy to Mackin, who walked with a serious limp for most of his adult life after suffering a serious knee injury at the age of 18. Though Mackin confessed he had always loved walking, it wasnt until he began to see a new physical therapist last year that he could walk long distances comfortably.

By walking every street in Norwalk, Mackin hoped to convey the benefits of walking to other Norwalk residents.

I wanted to downplay the concerns a lot of people who have lived in Norwalk all their lives have about walking. Walking is a fun thing, its nice to see what our city has to offer, but sometimes it seems like people in this area are just scared to do it, Mackin said.

So Mackin walked an average of two hours a day, hitting every street in the city from the idyllic setting of Silvermine to the coastal views of Rowayton. Last week, Mackin concluded his journey in just over three months.

Kaitlin Latham, a health educator with the Norwalk Health Department, commended Mackin on his efforts to popularize walking around town.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity each week and to also partake in activities that strengthen muscles on at least two days per week, Latham said.

Walking is an easy, cost-effective, and fun way to stay physically active, especially in a beautiful city like Norwalk, said Latham. If youre not ready or able to walk for long periods of time, its OK to spread out your activity throughout the day. Even walking for 10 minutes at a time is beneficial to your health, and can help you build stamina and endurance to walk for longer stretches of time in the future.

Mackin admitted that one of the biggest obstacles to achieving his goal were northern Norwalk roads that clearly had not been designed for foot traffic. On tight roads with no sidewalks or emergency lanes, Mackin said its no wonder that people dont walk there more often.

The city has these beautiful streets tucked away with nice ponds and streams, but walkers cant discover them because theres no sidewalks or paths to get to them. You can just tell they werent designed for walkers, said Mackin.

The Health Department has been working toward making the city more amenable to pedestrian traffic.

In addition to implementing the NorWALKER program, which has mapped out multiple trail routes ranging from a half-mile up to three miles throughout the city, the Health Department was also one of the most outspoken proponents for a permanent Bike/Walk Advisory Committee.

The committee is tasked with promoting complete streets for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians  the lack of which, Health Department officials say, is one of the biggest inhibitors to walkers and bikers.

Many people know they should get more exercise, but it is virtually impossible to get people to walk or bike more if they dont feel safe. Areas like this can prevent even the most motivated individuals from making healthy choices, said Theresa Argondezzi, the acting director of Norwalks Health Department.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2570; Twitter: @Tomlinson_PE
By Sushant Mehta: RATING: 2/5

Director duo Raj & DK who gave us the zombie treat 'Go Goa gone' are back with another heavily inspired action-comedy. This film is a semi-smart combination of certain popular Hollywood comedies & thrillers.

Sidharth Malhotra is Rishi, a member of unit X, led by 'Colonel' Suniel Shetty. Unit X is group of undercover agents who help the colonel in scoring big arms trade deals by any means possible. Rishi confronts his mentor as almost every mission ends with a civilian casualty, the Colonel then turns on Rishi and swears to hunt him down.

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Sidharth Malhotra is also Gaurav, your typical nice guy who is madly in love with his colleague Kavya (Jacqueline Fernandes). Gaurav is too plain for Kavya, she wants someone who is simply more exciting than our sweet docile Romeo. Gaurav is based in Miami while Rishi operates out of Mumbai, is there a connection between the two? Well you will have to watch the film for that answer but another double role is being played beyond the screen.

Sidharth Malhotra - the actor is currently living in the shadow of Sidharth Malhotra - the model. There are several shots in the film where actor seems like he is posing for a magazine photo shoot. Sidharth is smooth but not spectacular; his overwhelmingly attractive appearance ironically eats into his performance as your focus shifts from how well he's acting to how good he is looking. His biggest strength is also his biggest weakness, but he does inspire you to hit the gym and manages to carry the entire film by himself.

Jacqueline delivers a decent performance in yet another giggly role. Suniel Shetty is just Suniel Shetty, you can interpret that statement as per your personal assessment of the actor, based on his body of work.The gags in this film work primarily because they are direct lifts from yesteryear blockbusters such as the scene where 'Boris the blade' tries to escape with a blindfold or rather a bag on his head in Guy Ritchie's 'Snatch'. A Gentleman doesn't look like your big budget action flick as action sequences in the film are complimented by ordinary visual effects.

I'm going with 2 out 5 for 'A Gentleman', an average film that offers nothing new.

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WATCH HERE: A Gentleman Trailer

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WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to ban the recruitment of openly transgender people, but is leaving it to military leaders to determine whether individuals already in the armed forces should be allowed to continue to serve.

The presidential memorandum signed by Trump will also prevent the military from providing medical treatment for sex reassignment treatments.

Trump is reversing an Obama administration policy that was the latest step in the advancement of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the U.S. military in recent years. But the White House said Trump believes his predecessor failed to provide sufficient basis to determine whether terminating the Department of Defense's long-standing policy on transgender individuals would "hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources."

The memorandum signed by the president states that "further study" is necessary to ensure that the policy change would not have negative effects on military readiness.

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In June 2016, President Barack Obama allowed transgender service members to serve openly in the military and receive related medical treatment while ordering the Pentagon to determine a policy for allowing transgender people to join the armed forces within a year.

But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis earlier this year delayed the entry of transgender troops until January 2018, citing the need to further evaluate the impact on the military's "readiness and cohesion."

The memorandum comes weeks after Trump abruptly announced the ban in a series of tweets on July 26. It was not immediately implemented by the military, which said it would wait for further guidance from the White House.

"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 wrote in July 26 tweet. "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."

Trump's initial announcement was greeted with criticism from Democrats and Republicans, many of whom said it was discriminatory toward transgender people willing to volunteer to serve their country.

"Any American who meets current medical and readiness standards should be allowed to continue serving," said Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in a statement issued after Trump's Twitter announcement of the ban. "There is no reason to force service members who are able to fight, train and deploy to leave the military - regardless of their gender identity."

The memo released Friday gives the Pentagon six months to determine how to implement Trump's directive as it relates to transgender people currently serving. Until that determination is made, no action will be taken against any individuals, the memo states. That plan will be implemented by March 23, 2018.

A senior administration official defended the president's actions in a call with reporters on Friday, saying the decision was made based on national security concerns.

"The basis for this directive is very much our national security needs and things like military readiness, effectiveness, lethality, unit cohesion, etc," said the official, who spoke on a condition of anonymity to discuss the details of the policy. "He's going to continue to ensure that the rights of the LGBT community as well as all Americans are protected."

Democrats and civil rights groups heavily criticized the announcement, calling it a step backward.

"The Commander-in-Chief is ordering the Pentagon to hurt and humiliate thousands of Americans who serve in our military with strength and courage," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "Prejudice, not the national defense, is behind President Trump's cruel decision to kick transgender troops out of the military."

The prohibition on funding sex-reassignment surgeries will also go into effect on March 23, 2018, with an exception for individuals currently undergoing the procedures.

Trump's decision thrust his administration into a contentious debate about rapidly changing norms around sexual orientation and gender identity. The ban on transgender servicemembers was the last such prohibition to be removed after the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," policy toward openly gay and lesbian servicemembers was repealed in 201o.

Trump's decision was made, in part, because of strenuous lobbying from conservative members of Congress who had threatened to hold up a spending bill with money allocated for a border wall - a key policy priority for the president - if the military was allowed to pay for sex-reassignment surgeries to transgender individuals.

While Trump addressed that issue, he also made far more sweeping changes to the military's policy toward transgender individuals, surprising many in his own party and even advocates who opposed allowing transgender people to serve.

Trump's announcement was followed by no action for weeks and his short-circuiting of the policymaking process on this issue caught military officials by surprise.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White acknowledged on Friday that the Department of Defense had received Trump's memorandum.

"More information will be forth coming," White said.
WASHINGTON - As a monster hurricane not seen on American shores in over a decade bore down on Texas on Friday night, a tsunami of news out of Washington was also on its way.

President Donald Trump, in the space of four hours, formally announced a ban on transgender people serving in the military, pardoned a controversial sheriff accused of racial profiling and parted ways with polarizing aide and conservative media darling Sebastian Gorka.

The announcements were made in the evening hours as the nation focused on Hurricane Harvey, which threatened catastrophic damage to areas along the Gulf Coast, giving new meaning to the Friday night news dump strategy that has long been a staple for Washington politicians looking to bury controversial decisions.

And like many things with Trump, it was taken to an extreme.

"It was very risky, because if the hurricane is as bad as the experts were predicting, then he's opening himself up to a lot of potential criticism," said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist and former aide to Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. "But very little that Trump does surprises me any longer. He's proven to be very unpredictable and to not act within the norms of other politicians."

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Like most aspects of Trump's presidency, the perceived news dump enraged his detractors and buoyed his most ardent supporters, while leaving open the question of how it will be received by voters who don't fit neatly into either camp.

Some Republicans said the timing of the announcements reflected the current state of the White House - new Chief of Staff John Kelly trying to instill more order even as the president remains the most disruptive force.

One Republican close to the White House said Kelly appeared to be trying to quietly clean up Trump's policy move on transgender troops, which had been left in limbo for weeks after the president announced his decision on Twitter to the surprise of the military and with no formal plan ready to be released. While the policy was formally released Friday, it did not provide certainty on the most pressing question - the fate of transgender people currently serving - with the presidential memorandum leaving it to the Pentagon, commissioning a new report on how to deal with their fate, keeping open the possibility they may be permitted to remain on active duty.

Gorka's ouster was expected for weeks after Kelly took over, especially following the departure of his ally, former White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon, despite Trump's fondness for his willingness to go on television and criticize the media. Gorka's credentials as a counterterrorism expert have long been in question, and he was criticized inside and outside the White House for having no concrete responsibilities beyond serving as a surrogate for Trump on the airwaves. But the move was still expected to draw criticism from Trump's allies, who view it as the death knell for the populist wing in the White House, making the leak of the news late Friday advantageous for the administration.

Kelly was likely aware there was little he could do to stop Trump from pardoning Arpaio in spite - and perhaps because of - the likely backlash.

"Kelly is really strong right now," said the Republican close to the White House. "He gives his best advice but he wasn't going to stop the Sheriff Joe thing. Everything else was textbook what a really good chief of staff would do: dump a whole bunch of stuff when there's a hurricane coming."

Democrats and activists groups saw a cynical motive and play and accused Trump of using a natural disaster as cover for unpalatable moves that were aimed mostly at rousing his base and that sent clear messages to the LGBT community and Hispanic Americans that he condoned discrimination.

"As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces," Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., posted on Twitter. "So sad, so weak."

The Arpaio pardon, which Trump foreshadowed at a raucous rally in Phoenix days earlier, was aimed squarely at satisfying his base by rewarding a political loyalist on an issue, illegal immigration, that was central to Trump's political appeal.

"The President brought justice to a situation where the Obama administration had attempted to destroy a political opponent," said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. "Sheriff Joe Arpaio made many enemies in the judicial system, the media, and the left because he enforced laws that the federal government ignored. He did right by the law - even as the political consequences continued to mount."

But among legal experts, the pardon raised disturbing questions about Trump's willingness to flout long-standing tradition and Department of Justice procedures in a way that undermined the judicial system, said University of Richmond's School of Law professor Carl Tobias.

"Certainly the pardon seemed principally political and without much thought about the history of that or the procedures used," Tobias said. "It's a bigger piece of Trump's contempt for the judiciary. Every federal judge in the country knows you can't have those orders violated otherwise the federal court system won't work. So that's very disturbing."

The White House's balancing act was evident in the president's own social media feed. Hours after the Arpaio pardon was announced, Trump tweeted confirmation that the federal government had approved a disaster declaration for Texas. Fifteen minutes later, he congratulated Arpaio.

"I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Trump said. "He kept Arizona safe!"

Some Republicans, including Arizona's two Republican Senators who have both recently been in Trump's crosshairs, questioned the decision to circumvent the judicial process. Arpaio was scheduled to be sentenced in October after being convicted of defying a court order to end the practice of detaining people merely on a suspicion of their immigration status.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., decried the message Trump sent by pardoning Arpaio, who had been accused of continuing to "illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status."

"The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," McCain added.

As Trump's approval ratings have fallen to historically lows, however, most analysts expect him to continue making moves that will please his base even if the draw criticism from others.

"The president has great political instincts - he can read the temperature of the public better than almost anyone else," said Conant. "He is very well aware that his base is shrinking and in a way that explains almost everything he's done over the last month."
KABUL, Afghanistan - For months, Gen. John W. Nicholson, Jr., made the case for an expanded U.S. military commitment to Afghanistan, telling skeptics that the faltering Afghan war was an urgent matter of American security, that the struggling Afghan government was a reliable partner, and that its defense forces just needed more time and U.S. support to become self-sufficient.

Last week, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan finally got his wish.

President Donald Trump, who once advocated abandoning Afghanistan and in recent months questioned the fundamental premises of America's costly 16-year military involvement here, has now publicly committed himself to a strategy that hews closely to the military plan Nicholson and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani hammered out in dozens of meetings this spring and summer.

Now, the burden will be on Nicholson, 61, a boyish-looking four-star general who has spent more time in Afghanistan than any other senior commander, to deliver on what many observers say may be an impossible mission. Its aim is to help Afghan forces turn around a stalemated conflict with the aid of a few thousand extra advisory troops - something his predecessors failed to do with more than 100,000 combat troops at the war's peak.

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Trump and Nicholson do not know each other, and the general said last week that he communicates with administration officials through the military chain of command, meaning his boss at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa. At one White House meeting to discuss Afghan policy, Trump reportedly threatened to fire the popular Nicholson out of frustration at the stumbling war effort, stunning his aides.

In an interview at his headquarters here Friday, Nicholson declined to discuss that episode, and he referred to Trump's speech on Afghanistan several times rather than answer questions directly. Asked if he now believes the president supports him, Nicholson paused, smiled and answered, "Yes." Asked to elaborate, he smiled again and shook his head.

If he has any doubts about his mission here, the congenial but cautious West Pointer has buried them beneath a can-do persona and a glass-half-full approach to every problem. He exudes confidence in Ghani and his determination to reform the Afghan security forces, which have been weakened by corruption and nepotistic leadership. He heaps praise on the Afghan special operations forces, which will be doubled in size and trained by U.S. and NATO advisers under the new military plan.

And he is relentlessly on message about connecting the dots among the ongoing fight against Afghan insurgents; the dangers of terrorism radiating from an unstable, Taliban-plagued Afghanistan; and the American interests at stake in making sure this impoverished Muslim nation does not again become a redoubt for international Islamist militias such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State.

"As a soldier, the concern I have is about terrorism emanating from this area," Nicholson said in the interview, echoing Trump's speech last Monday on Afghan strategy. "The requirement to keep pressure on these terror groups to prevent another attack on our homeland . . . fundamentally, that is why we are here."

Americans, he added, "need to be concerned about the Islamic State emerging from this region. The Taliban enable them to exist, and if the Taliban were to return, they would flourish." A return to Taliban rule , he said, "would mean another threat to our homeland."

There is also another more personal aspect to Nicholson's commitment: an evident empathy for Afghans and their struggles, developed through four tours of duty totaling five years of immersion in the conflict - from early optimistic days of sipping tea with tribal elders and inaugurating village projects to later struggles with military setbacks and growing Afghan resentment of the foreign military presence.

"I believe in the Afghan people," he said. Since his first assignment here in 2006, he continued, "I came to have great respect and affection for the Afghan people, who have endured an incredible amount of hardship for the last four decades, yet still in spite of all that are incredibly pious, hard-working, hospitable and truly want a better life for their children."

That attachment deepened during one of the worst crises of the U.S. combat mission, when an airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital killed 42 people in 2015 during a chaotic battle with Taliban forces in the northern city of Kunduz. Several months later, when Nicholson assumed command of the U.S. reduced advisory mission, a U.S. military report came out acknowledging that a series of errors had led to the tragedy. Nicholson immediately apologized to the nation, then flew to Kunduz with his wife and met with families of the victims.

"It was a very emotional and personal event," he said. Afghans "don't want to see a return of Taliban rule, and they genuinely appreciate our help. So when we make a mistake, it is the right thing to do to reach out to them." The gesture also had a strategic aspect. "In this culture, when you make a mistake and make a genuine apology," Nicholson said, it is "almost always accepted, and you are able to move on in the relationship. . . . That needs to happen in this long war."

Lately, Nicholson said he has spent a lot of time consulting with Afghans of all political stripes and affiliations, seeking support and common cause at a time of domestic political turmoil and uncertainty about U.S. intentions, especially with the post of U.S. ambassador vacant since last winter. As a matter of course, he works with senior army, police and intelligence officials.

But the Afghan closest to Nicholson is Ghani, a no-nonsense technocrat who is often criticized by Afghans as autocratic and remote. The general, who meets with Ghani several times a week, called him a "very willing and capable partner" who is pursuing "rigorous reforms" across the government and the security sector, where corruption and poor leadership have been major impediments to the war effort.

Nicholson particularly praised Ghani for replacing a number of senior army and police officials with others who were more qualified and not tainted by corruption. He pointed to the removal of two army commanders in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, one of whom was recently convicted of keeping money for soldiers' food and using combat troops as personal guards. Their replacements, he said, have "fundamentally changed the environment. . . we're already seeing a difference on the battlefield."

The general declined to discuss Pakistan's role in the Afghan conflict, although for months he publicly argued in Congress and elsewhere that Pakistan was harboring Taliban fighters and that the U.S. government should pressure Pakistan to stop. In the interview, he was far more circumspect, referring vaguely to the problem of "external enablement" of insurgencies but stating that relations under the new U.S. strategy will be "managed from Washington to Islamabad."

Nicholson was much more loquacious about the challenges on his own turf, with a ready list of achievements he hopes the expanded U.S. role in Afghanistan will produce. They include the defeat of al-Qaida and the Islamic State, the reduction of foreign support to the insurgents, the increased capacity of the Afghan security forces, and the "marginalization" of the Taliban insurgents until they must either "die or reconcile." Reconciliation will be complicated, he acknowledged, "but this conversation needs to begin."
By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Activists today criticised the biotech regulator GEACs decision to recommend commercial use of genetically modified mustard in a submission to the environment ministry.

Coalition for a GM-Free India said it is no coincidence that credible committees are asking to stop the introduction of GM crops.

Their comments came a day after a parliamentary panel said that no GM crop should be introduced in India unless the bio-safety and socio-economic desirability is evaluated in a "transparent" process and an accountability regime is put in place.

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The department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology and environment and forest chaired by Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury made its recommendations in its 301st report on GM crop and its impact on environment.

The panels comment came in the wake of Indias GM crop regulator Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recently recommending the commercial use of genetically modified mustard in a submission to the environment ministry.

The coalition said the latest report is a reiteration in many ways of what earlier committees like the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture (2012 and 2013) had said as well as the majority report of the Supreme Courts Technical Expert Committee (2013).

"The fact that certain unacceptable lacunae are being pointed out again and again by neutral, independent committees in the law-making and judicial wings of our democracy clearly shows that there are serious problems with transgenic crops as well as their regulation.

"While the government is claiming that it is yet to take a decision with regard to GM mustard environmental release, it is clear that this GM food crop does not stand scrutiny under the parameters recommended by the Parliamentary Committee," the coalition said in a statement.

Some of the findings and consequent recommendations of the committee are a "strong indictment" on the approach of the various concerned ministries including the Ministry of Environment, Health and Agriculture with regard to GM crops, the coalition said.

It said the report also acknowledges the rejection of GM crops by state governments.

"The report clearly exposes how poor and unreliable the Indian regulatory regime is, in addition to exposing the lies of GM proponents including within the government.

"It is worrisome that there are no strong policy shifts happening despite repeated exposures of the failures of the Indian biotech regulation," the coalition said.

The Coalition also demanded an inquiry into the "farcical" recommendation of the GEAC for GM mustard environmental release, to "expose the anti-national elements" therein.

The Coalition said the GEAC should be immediately dissolved and its approvals and clearances annulled.

"The report keeps alive our faith in the Parliamentary processes, and we urge the Supreme Court also to take note of this report," the Coalition said. PTI TDS DIP

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Not even Hurricane Harvey can stop the gift of life from getting delivered.

Three babies were born Friday night in Corpus Christi just hours after the Category 4 storm made landfall. It has since been downgraded to a Category 1.

Two of the babies were delivered by C-section at Christus Spohn Hospital South while the third was delivered at home with the help of emergency personnel.

HUNKERING DOWN: Houston residents share Hurricane Harvey photos on social media

There was at least one boy and one girl born, Steven Alford, communication manager for the hospital, told Chron.com.





Both hospitals lost power overnight but have been able to keep its 25 total patients through the night comfortable thanks to generators.

"We continue to provide care. We are proud of our associates who provide care under literally the most difficult conditions. We lucked out," Alford said.

VERY WET: These Houston areas have received the most rainfall from Hurricane Harvey so far

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The one baby born at home was Kataleya Rose, 6 pounds, 9 ounces, 18 inches long.

The baby's mother Isabel Pena and father Lee were waiting out the storm when Pena started feeling contractions. An ambulance was called while sister-in-law Jennifer Pena helped deliver the baby in the dark (the electricity was out).

"The ambulance had to drive slowly down the freeway as Harvey raged," Alford said. "Family arrived to Spohn South about 3:20 a.m. where mom and baby are now doing fine."

Pena was discharged Sunday.

VIDEO: Horse rescued during Hurricane Harvey flooding in College Station

"To me it's not the perfect time, but she wanted to make her entrance, and now she's here," Pena told Chron.com. "It was a bad experience, but it was worth it. We're so happy to have her."

Corpus Christi was one of the hardest areas hit by Harvey as it made landfall Friday.

The storm was downgraded to a Category 1 late Friday but is still forecasted to generate 75 mph winds and unload 15 to 35 inches of rain through the weekend. There may also be isolated pockets of rain totally 40 inches through Wednesday.

SHORT BREAK: Residents are water skiing through Houston during Hurricane Harvey

Dr. Kathleen Rasmussen, regional director of women's services helped deliver one of the other two babies born at Christus Spohn Hospital South that night via C-section:

"Everything went smoothly like it was a normal day. We held our composure during the storm and worked together as a team and just tried to be there for the patients and make sure everything went smoothly," Rasmussen told Chron.com. "It's definitely a first for me. I've never delivered a baby before during a hurricane. I'm proud of everybody from the nurses, to the doctors, to the anesthesiologists, to administration  everybody stepped up and was outstanding."
AUSTIN  Gov. Greg Abbott added Bexar County and 19 others to a state disaster declaration Saturday in response to damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Although the storm weakened to a tropical storm by mid-afternoon, Abbott warned about the potential for dramatic flooding in the coming days and urged residents to remain vigilant.

Put your life and the protection of your life first and foremost, he said in a press conference at the Austin-based state operations center, two levels underground.

Harvey pummeled the Coastal Bend area last night, downing power lands, uprooting trees and leading to flood damage, but Abbott said Saturday he could not confirm any fatalities. The state will be working with local officials over the coming days to get that information.

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

Buses have already made more than 100 trips transporting evacuees from coastal towns inland and 228 buses are available to continue the effort, Abbott said. On Friday, Abbott waived the states hotel occupancy tax for all evacuees and first responders.

Abbott said evacuees he met at a shelter in San Antonio Friday had a sense of relief.

They were happy to be alive and they were at peace in that regard, he said.

The biggest threat remains the rain, which Harvey continues to dump across coastal areas and inland. The stretch between Corpus Christi and flood-prone Houston could see an additional 20 to 30 inches of rain, Abbott said.

The storm has so far led to more than 338,000 power outages, but due to high wind speeds in the area, it may be days before all the outages can be addressed, Abbott said.

After addressing reporters, Abbott appeared before dozens of state, federal and military officials coordinating a response to Harvey from the basement of the Department of Public Safety building and thanked them for the work.

I want you to know what a difference you are making in the lives of your fellow Texans, he said into a microphone.

The storm is expected to last into the middle of the week, though officials said Saturday the exact path is difficult to know.

Right now, forecasts show Harvey will move toward San Antonio before doubling back Sunday morning and pressing north through Thursday.
Local animal shelters offered safety tips Friday for pet owners and contingency plans to take in the pets of coastline evacuees fleeing Hurricane Harvey  and by midafternoon, staff and volunteers at Animal Care Services, the Animal Defense League of Texas and the San Antonio Humane Society had followed the same advice for the animals under their care.

Everything that applies to people preparing for a storm also applies to their pets, ACS spokeswoman Lisa Norwood said.

You have to provide food, water, medical care and shelter, she said. All those things become more important during a serious weather event. It makes sense to ensure they are as comfortable as possible as they ride out the storm with you.

Norwood said residents should bring pets indoors to a garage, utility room or a home itself, not just during rain, but during the entire event. If the garage is the only choice, she said, make sure to set up a fan or some sort of ventilation to offer air circulation.

If you cant bring pets inside, the city requires their owners to make sure they have adequate shelter  at least three solid walls, a floor elevated above possible standing water and a fourth side, folding or flapping, that an animal can go in and out of. A tarp over a fence or plywood propped against a tree doesnt count, and ACS officers will cite owners for infractions, Norwood said.

Tethering is still allowed, but has to be humane, with leashes attached to an animals collar and not its neck. Its illegal to tether female dogs in heat.

Animals advocates said pet owners should ensure their pets have a tag, a collar, a microchip or anything that indicates ownership, and those who evacuate also should bring current photos and copies of veterinary records to help identify animals when retrieving them from a shelter.

.

In 2005, the swift onslaught of Hurricane Katrina left more than 200,000 animals abandoned or turned away from shelters in the New Orleans area, by one estimate. Luckier pets were rescued from storm-ravaged structures by emergency responders. As a result, Congress passed the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help residents with pets in a major disaster.

The Animal Defense League of Texas shelter will wait until Monday to see if there is a need to help transport displaced animals from hurricane-ravaged areas, said Joel McLellan, its operations director. It can deploy a convoy of temperature-controlled vehicles and trailers that can carry more than 40 animals.

The San Antonio Humane Society is also on standby, said Felicia Nino, its director of communications. The shelter is not affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States.

She said staff members are making plans to take in owned pets from coastal areas and said evacuees can bring pets to the staging point at 200 Gembler Road, where ACS has a tent with information about emergency pet placement for the duration of the storm.

ACS is open today and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Norwood said two ACS facilities are already caring for several dozen evacuated dogs and cats. Volunteers are needed at one of them, the shelter on Texas 151, to help with adopting and fostering.

vtdavis@express-news.net
By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Doctors and students at AIIMS today strongly deplored the apathy displayed by successive governments towards improving health care delivery systems in the country and pitched for a Health for All concept.

In a convention held at the institute here, the participants resolved to build a powerful movement for achieving Health for All.

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Health for All is a wide concept having socio-economic, preventive and curative aspects. Adequate nutrition, safe drinking water and healthy habitat are integral to achieving it.

The recently-stated concept of universal health coverage (UHC) says that it is achieved when "all people receive quality health services that meet their needs without exposing them to financial hardship in paying for them," said Dr Anoop Saraya, Head of Department of Gastroenterology, AIIMS.

The speakers and participants demanded higher budget allocation for health, more and better equipped hospitals in all the areas including remote areas, availability of health personnel including doctors, nurses, technicians and other paramedical staff, availability of medicines and necessary investigations, adequate and fully functional set-up for preventing diseases and strengthening primary health care delivery system.

The convention also opposed privatisation and commercialisation of medical education and health care.

Participants also resolved to undertake and support initiatives to educate the people on the health needs of society, both curative and preventive.

The convention called on all doctors, particularly young doctors and medical students and other health personnel to know the health needs of people, particularly in villages and slums areas, by regular interaction and study of their problems.

They also expressed concern over the recent deaths of children at a hospital in Gorakhpur in UP and criticised the attitude of successive governments at the Centre and state for not taking action to prevent such deaths for over two decades in the region. PTI PLB KUN

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Of the more than 1,000 coastal residents seeking refuge at San Antonio shelters from Hurricane Harveys wrath, many were grateful to have a cot to sleep on, fresh towels and three meals a day, but still anxious to get home, assess damage and get on with their lives.

Andrew Caudill, who is homeless, had been staying at a Salvation Army facility in Corpus Christi until officials told residents there that it was mandatory for us to get on the bus and come here. Since then, he and a friend have been staying at a shelter on San Antonios Southwest Side.

Theyre doing real good over there. They gave us stuff to eat, and a bed and everything. Theyve got TVs going now, Caudill said as he waited for a VIA bus to ride for free so he and his friend could take a break Saturday from the shelter filled with hundreds of displaced people.

Weve been stranded and its kind of noisy in there. We want to get out for awhile, he said.

The city, working with the American Red Cross and other entities, has opened three shelters, housing about 1,100 hurricane evacuees as of Saturday evening. The Emergency Operations Center has a plan in place to house thousands of evacuees if the need arises as a result of damage to homes that has occurred already, or widespread flash flooding or downstream river flooding that still could develop.

Were staffed to ride the storm out, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Woody Woodward said.

Evacuees needing shelter should report to the evacuation intake center at 200 Gembler Road, northeast of the AT&T Center off of Interstate 35, about two miles east of downtown. There, they can report any special needs such as medication or health issues.

Other evacuees have checked into motels or turned to local friends or family members. Corpus Christi resident Ryan Horton, 25, said he and many others didnt take Harvey seriously at first, but was persuaded by family to seek shelter for his two children, ages 9 months and 6 years.

They basically put something in my mind about my kids. The reason I evacuated was for my family, said Horton who came to a motel here.

He was anxious to get home and clean up and repair any damage to his house, even though it may take days for Corpus Christi officials to declare the city safe to return.

Im feeling really good. Im just ready to get back, he said.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg visited with residents at a South Side evacuation shelter Saturday and thanked San Antonians for stepping up for more than a week now, volunteering at shelters and donating food, blankets, towels, socks and other high-necessity items. The mood of evacuees seemed upbeat, he said.

Everybodys in as good of spirits as they could be. A lot of them dont have homes to go back to when the storms over, but they know theyre being taken care of here in San Antonio, Nirenberg said. Weve got an outpouring of support here.

One evacuee, Michael Jordan, 19, left the Good Samaritan homeless shelter in Corpus Christi and rode a train to San Antonio. Jordan said he liked being close to the beach, but had never experienced a hurricane before, having grown up in the Midwest, and might prefer to live inland, pursuing his goal of becoming a welder.

I may stay in San Antonio. Im safe here, he said.

Jose Luis Fuentes, 60, had left his apartment in downtown Corpus Christi at the direction of his landlord, but was worried about his mother, who was at a hospital on the coast recovering from a knee fracture. Fuentes, a lifelong Corpus Christi resident, compared Harvey to Hurricane Celia, which in the 1970s claimed 27 lives and cause nearly $1 billion in damage.

Celia was the worst storm. But we dont know. This ones not done yet, Fuentes said.

Kenneth Hawkins, another longtime Corpus Christi resident who no longer drives, at 76, also survived Celia and thought as he read news about Harvey intensifying that he should catch a bus to San Antonio.

When I read in the news about it building up, I thought, I dont want to go through that again, said Hawkins, who chatted with Nirenberg and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro as they visited the shelter.

His only complaint was of boredom and not having television.

I like to watch football games, said Hawkins, a retired math teacher.

Meanwhile, the parking lot at the American Red Cross volunteer intake center on the East Side was overflowing Saturday morning as hundreds of people showed up for training to work at shelters. Still, the organization is in need of more, longtime volunteer Gretchen Roufs said.

We always urgently need volunteers, she said, noting that the shelters need to be staffed 24 hours a day. When people are troubled and youre not, it just makes your heart full to be able to help people out. It might just be giving a little kid a hug.

Volunteers learned how to lay out cots in a shelter, greet the evacuees and help those with disabilities. After taking the volunteer class Saturday morning, friends Holly Clifford and Jeff Olivares waited in line to be assigned to shelters.

I have nothing else to do this weekend. I definitely need to help out since I can, Olivares said. However long they need us, as long as it takes.

Staff Writer Richard Webner contributed to this story.

shuddleston@express-news.net

Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
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VICTORIA  Oh my God!

That was the reaction of Micaela Ramos, 10, whod slept as Hurricane Harvey came down Santa Rosa Street, when she saw the scene Saturday morning outside her grandmothers home.

Dozens of trees were down in the historic district, the original town site. The pavement was carpeted with branches. Leaves were plastered to houses and vehicles.

It was crazy, said Micaelas dad, Abraham Ramos, 34, who had stayed up late to experience natures fury. There was a bunch of wind, rain. It was coming down pretty freakin hard.

RELATED: Meteorologist warns S.A., 'Don't let your guard down'

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The worst damage occurred after hed turned in at 3:30 a.m., but his mother-in-law was awake to hear the soundtrack of sheds being ripped apart and large trees dismembered.

You could hear things tearing, said Juanita Montoya, 58, who couldnt sleep due to the absence of air conditioning caused by downed power lines.

Click through the slideshow to see damage from Hurricane Harvey across Texas.

Josh Burris, a neighbor, endured a parade of gawkers drawn by an unusual spectacle: his car, parked with two wheels in the street and two on the curb, was lifted by roots that emerged from his water-soaked yard as a large tree fell in front of his house.

Burris, 38, explained the car had been hit days earlier by a passing motorist, a crash that pushed it partly onto the curb and disabled it. The falling tree lifted up the car and hit a second large tree, knocking it over too.

RELATED: Port Aransas officials launch rescue operation after 'major damage'

I havent seen this much devastation in Victoria, said Mike Milson, 53, after driving past the hung up vehicle and through the maze of broken limbs en route to check his office nearby. Its unbelievable.

Veronica McManus, who lives on the street, took comfort in knowing none of her neighbors were injured, even though she had four trees blown down.

It was a pretty rough night, McManus, 55, said. There was a couple of times I thought wed have no roof left.

Authorities began assessing the damage here about noon and reported no loss of life, though they hadnt yet canvassed outlying areas.

Getting the streets clear of debris and power restored were immediate issues, but Victoria County Deputy Bryan Simons, who estimated the storm packed 90 mph gusts overnight, said the continuing rain made catastrophic flooding the main fear.

A boil water notice and a curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. will continue in effect until further notice. The Guadalupe River is forecast to crest at more than 32 feet here on Wednesday, about two feet higher than seen in the devastating 1998 flood, Simon said, urging local residents to pack critical documents, medications and clothing "in case they need to leave very, very quickly."

RELATED: Bexar County added to disaster declaration

In Gonzales and DeWitt counties, field after field was flooded and rising water lapped at roadways. Three empty water storage tanks  each could hold 750 barrels  had toppled over, rolled over fences and came to rest near one highway.

The few people who ventured to the Walmart in the county seat of Gonzales looked like they'd taken a beating  hair plastered to their faces, shoulders hunched and tempers running high.

Denise Christopherson got into an argument with a cashier that left her crying. It was silly, really, she admitted later  the staffer wouldn't get her a salad bowl  but Christopherson, 66, was pretty sure her place in Port Aransas was, "if not destroyed, under water," and it was just too much.

I hadnt cried until today, she said, wiping tears from her cheeks. I brought all of my earrings. I must have hundreds of pairs, and all of them are from people Ive known through the years. They all tell a story.

Christopherson, 66, a retired Austin social worker, had left Port Aransas on Thursday with her husband, her best friend, her father-in-law and two dogs, a circus without the tent, she said. They found motel rooms and she had gone to Walmart to get her group some basics  food, water, a toothbrush and toothpaste. A breast cancer survivor, Christopherson said she had to learn how to deal with the unknown.

RELATED: One person dead in Rockport as Harvey hit the Gulf Coast

You can waste all your energy worrying about tomorrow, but then you wont have the strength left for today, she said.

Eastward from Gonzales, the roads passed through increasing devastation. In Cuero, a gas station was tipped over in its parking lot, gas pumps uprooted. Half the stoplights were broken, and store awnings looked as if theyve been bulldozed. As in Victoria, large trees in front of historic homes were lying this way and that.

The few people out at a local Subway struggled to get out of their carsthe wind so strong it pushed doors shut.

Nothing was open and we were hungry. All we have at the hotel is canned goods, said Darcel Green, who has lived in Cuero for more than 55 years and saw the interior of her home destroyed by the 1998 flood. When Harvey approached, her family gathered precious belongings and got rooms at a hotel.

Things can be replaced, but our lives cant, you know? she said.

zeke@express-news.net
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ROCKPORT  Called the Charm of the Texas Coast, the Rockport-Fulton area was a portrait of devastation Saturday.

Winds of more than 120 mph as Hurricane Harvey stormed ashore Friday night tossed mobile homes on their sides, tore down chunks of gas stations and the H-E-B, left the high school gym a pile of toppled scoreboards and shredded insulation, and leveled small restaurants and artisan shops that lent to Rockport's quirky character.

RELATED: Meteorologist warns S.A., 'Don't let your guard down'

Aransas County Judge C.H. Burt Mills Jr. said there was one storm-related death of an unidentified person in a structure fire. About a dozen people were being treated for minor injuries.

With the artsy town of 10,000 largely in shambles, the safest area Saturday was the covered walkway leading to the solid walls of the county jail.

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

Sarina Gonzalez stood in bare feet, shivering in what had become a light rain with her mother and 16-year-old son. She shouted in despair that the apartment complex they were in had been ripped apart.

It's terrible, it's just terrible, she cried. It's demolished. ... The living room started caving in and then the bedroom started caving in. And we were hanging out in a little bitty closet. I called the cops five times, Please help, please help!

Officials had ordered a mandatory evacuation and warned they would have limited ability to respond to SOS calls in the midst of a Category 4 hurricane.

But the family didn't have a vehicle, Gonzalez said, and thus no choice but to wait it out. The night was a nightmare of howling winds, breaking glass, and dodging bits of shredded roofing.

RELATED: One person dead in Rockport as Harvey hit the Gulf Coast

I'm just glad my mother wasn't there herself, because she's so tiny, she could have been under all that sheet rock, she said.

Ruben Saxon, a local artist, saw his entire shop reduced to rubble, as was the eclectic craft store that once neighbored him.

Me and five other people waited out the storm in the apartments, and the winds, the 140-, 150-mile-per-hour winds blew out the sliding glass door, he said. It was unbelievable. It's devastating there at the apartment complex. I have no apartment, no studio, no insurance.

Art is, you know, like the weather. It's good some days, and then it's bad. It changes all the time.

Founded after the Civil War as a shipping port for cattle, Rockport is a popular vacation destination on Live Oak Peninsula, 30 miles north of Corpus Christi. Many San Antonio-area families own second homes along and near the cottage-lined beach, which was shredded by the powerful cyclone.

Local officials said damages were easily in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

They said they looked forward to the aid that was on the way from the state and federal government.

Re-enforcements from the Texas Department of Public Safety and U.S. Border Patrol already had started arriving. At about 2 p.m. Saturday, a line of DPS vehicles could be seen heading east toward them on Texas Highway 35.

As you know, the storm hit us last night, Mills told reporters gathered outside the Rockport public safety center, which was serving as the Emergency Operation Center. We woke up to this morning, we walked out, and this is what you see. It's bad here, but it's worse in other places. We've been hit by the big one.

Fulton Mayor Jimmy Kendrick said the next step would be assessing the damage.

He urged those whod fled the storm to stay out for the time being.

Harvey is expected to linger now inland for several days, with strong rain bands likely to loop back around and again soak the Coastal Bend.

What we have done is survived a Category 4 hurricane, Kendrick said, urging residents to stay away. Please do not come back until later. We do not have stuff for you, we don't have resources, we just can't handle ya.

The mayor continued, We have reached as many people as we can, we're doing assessments now on each house. We've got to check homes, we've got to check for people, we've got to see where they are. We've got to feed people, we have to find food. We don't have a Walmart down the street that's open, the front end of the H-E-B is totally ripped off. So we don't have access to things. When we asked people to leave and they stayed, that created another problem.

Kendrick said officials brought about 20 people from their homes during the brief lull when the eye of the storm was overhead, which was about midnight Friday.

It's a major deal, folks, he said. I saw the state troopers coming in  tears came to my eyes, because the cavalry's coming.

In Corpus Christi, residents awoke Saturday to survey the damage: downed power lines, fences torn apart, uprooted trees and untold flood damage.

Almost 196,000 customers in the city of 325,000 people were without power, the utility company AEP reported.

Residents were urged to boil water for drinking and bathing and to avoid flushing toilets. Roads largely were deserted Saturday after many residents had left to seek shelter elsewhere.

Widespread devastation was evident in news footage from Port Aransas, which had been evacuated before Harvey struck. The Pioneer RV Park, on the Gulf side of Highway 361, was ripped apart and is a 100 percent loss, the police chief told Mayor Charles Bujan, KIII-TV in Corpus Christi reported.

A search and rescue operation was underway.

We are in the process now of pushing down (Texas) 361.  We had to send heavy maintenance equipment in before the police to clear the highway, Bujan said.

He said in a phone interview that officials have little information as they work to clear debris in order to get back into town.

RELATED: Port Aransas officials launch rescue operation after 'major damage'

He has heard from residents who stayed during the storm that the towns harbor and marina are pretty well wiped out, but he has not yet confirmed that, he said. The U.S. Coast Guard has dispatched helicopters to assess the damage.

I do know that our town has absorbed a major hit, said Bujan, who is helping conduct the operation from Corpus Christi. To be honest with you, Im sick to my stomach.

The city manager of Port Aransas and its planning and operations manager stayed in town during the storm, but Bujan hasnt been able to make contact with them, he said.

Aransas Pass was equally hard hit, saw extensive damage, including to the Harbor Master building.

Back in Rockport, Mills said that while the evacuation call was mostly heeded in the city, some had grown tired of false alarms. The last storm to hit the area was Hurricane Celia, 47 years ago.

There were quite a few people that because we've ordered that before and the storm turned they decided to stay, which was a big mistake, he said.

Even the officials were caught off guard.

Folks, when we started this thing  we thought maybe we were going to have a Category 1. In less than two days' time it became a Category 4 on us, before it even got to us. We were surprised? Yes sir. But are we in other ways surprised, no. We kind of expected anything is possible.

lbrezosky@express-news.net

Staff Writer Richard Webner contributed reporting.
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The first rain from Hurricane Harvey has begun falling in Bexar County and San Antonio as the National Weather Service reports that the powerful storm has been downgraded to a Category 1.

As of 4 a.m. Saturday, Harvey was weakening as it slowly pushed north with NWS models continuing to show maximum sustained winds of 100 mph.

The National Weather Service reported at 7:45 a.m. that the heaviest rainfall for Central Texas was over Austin and Williamson County but nearing San Antonio.

CPS Energy reported at about 8:30 a.m. that there were 59 outages affecting 2,067 customers.

For the most part area roads remained clear with the city reporting that seven streets have been closed to flooding Saturday morning including U.S. 281 at Jones Maltsberger Road.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff reported to media Saturday morning that crews were out checking areas prone to flooding and low water crossings.

More than 9 inches of rain has already been reported in portions of South Texas according to Associated Press at about 6 a.m.

Harvey is expected to stall over Karnes County, about 60 miles south of San Antonio, farther inland than had been predicted, increasing the area rainfall forecast to as much as 15 inches through early next week.

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

The NWS warns of "catastrophic main stem river flooding" lasting throughout next week for areas east of Interstate 35 and U.S. 37 in the Colorado, Guadalupe, and San Antonio river basins.

The forecast for San Antonio still calls for 40-50 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph Saturday and rainfall of 2 to 3 inches before nightfall. Rain is expected to continue falling through Wednesday, which will push up the total.

CPS Energy reported at 7:30 a.m. that 48 outages were affecting 843 customers around Bexar County.

Harvey was upgraded to a powerful Category 4 hurricane hours before making landfall east of Rockport about 10 p.m. Friday. Coastal areas bore the brunt of wind damage and expected to receive up to 30 inches of rain.

The service also is predicting severe flooding through Wednesday in towns along the Guadalupe and San Antonio rivers that lie between the Interstate 35 corridor and the coast.

This story will be updated with new information in the morning as information becomes available

EMERGENCY CONTACT: City releases number to call for broken traffic lights, downed tree limbs

The predicted heavy rains could turn creeks into rushing torrents in San Antonio and other cities in the region, often called Flash Flood Alley. In Bexar County, where around 177 low water crossings could be inundated with floodwaters, local officials urged San Antonians to stay home if they dont need to travel.

Stay off the road, Mayor Ron Nirenberg urged at a televised news briefing Friday. Dont add to the hazard.

The chance of precipitation is 90 percent on Saturday and drops to 60 percent Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.

READ ALSO: Photos show inside the hurricane command center at AT&T Center

"This one is probably going to be a record-setting historic event," said Steve Smart, a meteorologist with the NWS.

Areas south of I-10 near Cuero could receive 25 inches of rain.

RELATED: Evacuees fleeing Hurricane Harvey begin to arrive in San Antonio

Bexar County was placed under a flash flood watch beginning at 1 p.m. Friday through Tuesday. The county was already under a tropical storm warning.

"Our confidence is very high that it will be raining this weekend," Smart said.

Text HARVEY to 77453 to receive instant alerts on the massive Texas storm.

kbradshaw@express-news.net

Twitter: @kbrad5
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Nueces County Precinct 4 Constable Bobby Sherwood isn't too nervous about the 120 mph winds coming his way in Port Aransas.

The long-time Coastal Bend resident is one of a handful of people staying put as Hurricane Harvey, deemed a Category 3 hurricane as of 2 p.m., makes its way to the Texas coast. Port Aransas is under an evacuation order but he considers it his duty as an elected official.

"This is what they pay me do," he said. "They pay me to protect the property and the people who live out here. It's just part of the job."

Flooding hasn't affected the beach town yet, Sherwood said, but the weather is getting worse.

"It's deteriorating," Sherwood said. "We've had some gusty winds and it's picking up."

RELATED: Hurricane Harvey begins making its mark on Texas Gulf Coast

Now Playing: Harvey storms across Texas Video: San Antonio Express-News

He said he's keeping up with roughly 30 residents who are also staying in Port Aransas and reporting back to the Nueces County Emergency Operation Center about the conditions on the ground.

More for you Texas couple finds ring lost in tornado, immediately gets engaged

Sherwood said he's prepared for what's coming his way. It's not his first time dealing with extreme weather.

"I'm old enough to know what Celia was like in 1970," he said.

Sherwood was a 12-year-old boy living in Corpus Christi when Hurricane Celia decimated the city. The storm left several residents without power for days.

"At night, it was so dark," he said. "During the day, it was very hot."

Sherwood said as soon as the storm subsides, he'll be one of the first people in the area assessing the damage in Port Aransas.

He also commended the response from city and county officials leading up to Harvey's eventual arrival. Though he is sticking around, he doesn't suggest anyone else follow his lead.

"Nobody needs to try to come down here," he said. "They need to stay away until this thing is over with."

Text HARVEY to 77453 to receive instant alerts on the massive Texas storm.



fsabawi@mysa.com



Twitter: @FaresInSA
Police have arrested one person for vandalising idols at two temples on Friday in the frontier district of Dinajpur.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Police have arrested one person for vandalising idols at two temples on Friday in the frontier district of Dinajpur.

The incident took place in the Kali Temple of Phultala cremation ground in the Dinajpur Sadar and the Durga Puja Temple at Masimpur.

Police said that on Friday night, a man named Bappi Shahariyar ran away after cutting down the head of the idols at the Samsankali Temple and later in the Durga Puja mandap of Masimpur.

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On Saturday morning, Sadar Kashaba thana police officials arrested the accused from Hamzapur.

Police further said that Bappi was working in Bangladesh Army and was discharged from service due to mental illness.

Whip and local lawmaker (MP) Iqbalur Rahim, Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Mir Khairul Alam and Police Super Hamidul Alam visited the spot on Saturday morning.

Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Mir Khairul Alam said the matter was being investigated.

Local MP, Whip Iqbalur Rahim said that it was the work of radical fundamentalists. The police administration has been asked to investigate the matter further and take action against the culprits.

--- ENDS ---
Both sides could claim victory from a recent ruling by a panel of federal judges on whether Texas congressional districts were discriminatory. They could do the same on a ruling Thursday on state House maps. And, they, in fact, did.

The plaintiffs, those arguing that the U.S. House maps were unconstitutional, were pleased that the judges in San Antonio found that two congressional districts  27 and 35  were intentionally drawn to diminish minority clout. The state could crow about the judges failure to find the same of Congressional District 23, represented by GOP Rep. Will Hurd, and for districts in the Dallas and Houston areas.

And, out of Thursdays ruling, the plaintiffs could point to nine state House districts the same panel of judges said were intentionally drawn to be discriminatory, and the GOP could point to Republican-controlled districts the judges left alone.

But there is a definitive loser in all this. That would be Texas voters. Through the decades they have been ill-served by a redistricting process whose only aim has been to ensure that whatever party is in power remains so. This has translated into systematic denial of adequate representation for the states minorities. And that means shortchanging all of us because the other casualty here is representative democracy.

Texans are doubly injured by Attorney General Ken Paxtons decision to appeal both rulings rather than advising the governor to call legislators back into special session to redraw the offending maps.

Heres how Texas gerrymandering works: Each census (in recent history) has found that the states minority population  particularly Latinos  boomed. This decade, this resulted in four new congressional districts for the state. Then those in charge of redistricting worked their software-driven magic to create as few districts as possible that elect minority or Democratic representatives, substantively one and the same because the states minorities tend to vote heavily Democratic. The redistricters do this by packing high-voting minorities into a few districts and shuffling traditionally low-voting minorities into other districts to create the facade of Voting Rights Act compliance.

The judges on Aug. 14 said this discrimination was transparently intentional for Congressional Districts 27 and 35, held respectively by GOP Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi and Democratic Rep. Lloyd Doggett of San Antonio. It gave the state a deadline to advise the court how it would remedy this. Paxtons decision to appeal was the states way of saying its not going to of its own accord.

On Thursday, the same panel of judges found intentional discrimination in the way the Legislature drew boundary lines in two House districts (54 and 55) in Bell County in Central Texas, three in Dallas (103, 104 and 105), two in Nueces County (32 and 34) and two in Tarrant County (90 and 93).

Any redrawing of these maps could have immense impact on the 2018 election because each recrafting of any individual district creates a ripple effect for neighboring districts. Theoretically, delays in redrawing these maps could cause a court-ordered delay in next years elections.

But, also at stake is whether Texas will again be required to have changes to voting law pre-approved by the federal government, as it had been before the Supreme Court gutted a key portion of the Voting Rights Act. The states history of discrimination in voting put it in this position. The rulings on congressional and state House districts might make pre-approval a requirement again.

Also looming is how the Supreme Court will rule on a Wisconsin case that tests the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering, as opposed to racial gerrymandering. Partisan gerrymandering is when redistricting occurs purely to achieve partisan advantage. Previous courts have said this is allowable. Racial gerrymandering  purposeful discrimination against minorities  has been viewed as unconstitutional where found.

But a ruling that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional could, in effect, undo the racial gerrymandering in Texas since the states minorities vote heavily Democratic. In fact, Texas had argued that what it was doing was OK because it was done for partisan purposes.

Neither should be allowed. Instead, Texas should long ago have had an independent commission doing its redistricting as a few other states have done.

But heres what should end, whatever the redistricting process. The kind of intentional discrimination that the judges said occurred in congressional and state House maps. It is yet another blot on Texas image  accentuated Wednesday when a federal judge in Corpus Christi ruled that the states updated voter ID law is still discriminatory. These are parts of a long history of voter discrimination. By appealing the redistricting and voter ID rulings, the state is saying that when it comes to who wields power, winning isnt everything; its the only thing.
When a group goes to a rally with guns slung over their shoulders, sticks and other weapons in their hands, and helmets on their heads, the obvious outcome will be violence and death. Freedom of speech is one of our most valuable and protected rights, but even then, there are restraints. Racism and bigotry are wrong in a democratic society; they are not opinions to be discussed and debated. If you believe otherwise, you dont belong in this country.

The neo-Nazis and white supremacists offended me, and I know I am right. Again, this should not be a Democratic or Republican issue but an American issue. Read the book Terrible Things, about the Holocaust, and then wait for them to come to get you. We are at a crossroads, both in Texas and in all of America, and I am not certain that I know the outcome.

Helen Chouinard

Anti-U.S.

Lets get history straight. Confederate soldiers fought against the U.S. They are not veterans of the U.S. Army. Many of the Confederate statues being taken down were not constructed as memorials, but as monuments to reassert white supremacy. The statues should have been taken down years ago. Just like the Confederate flag, these statues are being used by white supremacists/white nationalists/Nazis to further the cause of white bigotry. You cannot be pro-USA and pro-Confederacy. They fought against each other.

Malinda Gaul

Historical footnotes

Whether the Travis Park monument is moved or not, I suggest that an additional plaque be added to it. It should simply state that every soldier who fought for the Confederacy had previously renounced his United States citizenship, picked up arms, and fought in open rebellion against the United States. Technically, every one of them could have been tried, convicted, and hanged for treason, but the Union was magnanimous in victory.

Wayne Haymes, Leon Valley

Blame both sides

I dont understand why this seems so hard to understand, the president looked at the facts about what happened in Charlottesville and decided there was blame on BOTH sides and I believe the president is right. As a Christian, retired Air Force veteran and an African-American I disagree with EVERYTHING the KKK, and neo-Nazi groups stand for, however as American citizens they fall under the same Constitution and Bill of Rights that I do.

And that allows them the right to peaceably assemble and protest against the removal of a Confederate monument. Counter protesters also have a right to protest peaceably, However no one has a right to harass and throw urine and feces on their fellow citizens just because they disagree with their beliefs.

You can make a case that the KKK and neo-Nazi groups put the hate in the heart of the young man who drove his car into the counter protesters. But would he have become enraged at the counter protestors if they had not been trying to deny him his constitutional rights to peaceably assemble. Can there be anything more despicable than throwing urine or feces on another human being?

There is never an excuse to murder someone, but President Trump was right to blame BOTH sides in the shameful and tragic incident in Charlottesville.

Aubry J Fontenot

Silly debate

Its only a statue  make any association that fits your political or social bent. Thats what its all about. What were seeing can only be described as herd mentality. People who had no previous position one way or the other over Confederate monuments are now swept up in the movement du jour. Before Charlottesville, the national conversation regarding Confederate monuments was locally isolated and minimal at best. Now were seeing a nationwide campaign to remove all things associated with the Confederacy. In the times Ive been to Travis Park, never once did I associate the statue with hatred, bigotry and racism. Call me naive and insensitive, but for me it was simply a statue that was an element of the park, same as a bench or fountain. Maybe I should have been more introspective and demanded it be removed because it personally offended someone regardless of their reason  or on the other hand, maybe I should convey to City Council that I see it solely as a piece of art without a social label. Tough choice  whats next? How about removing Confederate-related names from buildings, institutions, streets, etc.? Oh, theyre already doing that!

Ed Bakunas

Wrong on flag

Re: Ugly symbols, Your Turn, Aug. 16: Without commenting on the opinion expressed by Albert Marten, his assertion the flag is a symbol that citizens and our elected legislators believe is so powerful that desecrating it is a punishable offense is misleading and factually incorrect. The United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson in 1989, reaffirmed in U.S. v. Eichman in 1990, ruled that due to the First Amendment of the U.S Constitution, it is unconstitutional for a government (whether federal, state, or municipality) to prohibit the desecration of a flag, due to its status as symbolic speech. Everyone is entitled to an opinion but letters to the editor should be held to the same standard of truth as all other published content.

David Austin Coffman

How about Jared?

Dont you wonder how (Jewish) son-in-law, Jared Kushner was feeling after The Donalds non-reaction to the white supremacists in Virginia?

David Namaste
Four people died, while two others were seriously injured yesterday afternoon when a speeding Toyota police vehicle they were travelling in veered off the road and overturned in Shamva.

Sources close to investigations allege three police officers and one soldier died on the spot.

A witness Nyasha Muwomba said the speeding truck failed to negotiate a curve.

The police driver was speeding when he failed to negotiate a curve, he veered off the road hit a rock and overturned, said Muwomba.

The injured are currently hospitalised at a local hospital. SEE PICS HERE

Source: Bulawayo24

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By PTI: By Manish Sain

Thimphu, Aug 26 (PTI) Bhutanese Queen Ashu Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk today praised former prime minister Indira Gandhi, describing her as "a female icon" who showed the world what women are capable of doing if they decide something.

The queen was speaking here at the launch of a book titled "Indias Indira: A Centennial Tribute" compiled by the Indian National Congress, comprising articles, essays and photographs of the first woman prime minister of India.

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The queen recalled Indira Gandhi for being a powerful woman and a towering personality.

"I still remember her photograph with the then American president Richard Nixon. She wasnt a tall woman, but she was a towering figure.

"Mrs Gandhi was a female icon and she showed it to the world what women are capable of doing if they decide something," the queen said.

Remembering the time when Gandhi came "sitting on a yak along with her father," she said the Gandhi family had been on close friendly terms with the Royal Family of Bhutan.

"I used to admire the white streak of hair she had. Although I was very young, I still wanted that streak of white hair," the queen said.

The book, edited by senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, has several photographs of Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru contributed by the royal family.

The book also has a chapter by former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee.

Talking about Gandhis leadership, Congress leader and politician-writer Shashi Tharoor said when she had become the first female prime minister of India, many had wondered if she was capable of the job.

"But as it turned out, she became a better leader than many who came after her could only hope to be," said Tharoor, who was here to attend the book launch at the ongoing Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. PTI MAH TRS ZH AKJ ZH

--- ENDS ---
The countrys busiest land border at Beitbridge is saturated after a computer system outage caused confusion and chaos, with thousands of passengers queuing for hours and trucks stuck at the border crossing between South Africa and Zimbabwe.

The other border crossing, Zambia and Zimbabwes new one-stop border post, which also handles trucks, is also facing severe congestion. Trucks using the Chirundu post, about 136km south of Lusaka, are taking tens of hours to clear the post instead of few hours it used to take.

At Beitbridge Border Post, there were reported long lines of traffic  with pedestrians also tailing back for kilometres  with many returning home for Christmas holidays frustrated with the delays.

State tax agency, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), acknowledged that ports of entry had become extremely congested because of an IT failure.

Zimra said they have put in place interim interventions to ensure that the delays in clearances at ports of entry are minimised.

Please be advised that Zimra is experiencing challenges with the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) world system. This has resulted in delays in clearance of traffic at the ports of entry, the tax agency said in a statement.

To mitigate against these challenges, Zimra has put in place interim interventions to ensure that the delays in clearances at ports of entry are minimised and that there is continuity in the clearance of travellers. This includes the implementation of measures in line with the authoritys business continuity plan to ensure clearance of travellers and commercial cargo.

It said as part of the interim measures for the clearance of commercial cargo, where importers or clearing agents are able to show or prove that the required duties and taxes have been paid into the Zimra prepayment account, such consignments are being released on the basis of such proof.

The interim measures are yielding positive results as delays in clearance of travellers and cargo continues to reduce significantly, the statement said.

Zimra sincerely apologises for the inconveniences that have been experienced by the importing and exporting public during this period.

The authority is working tirelessly to ensure that the system stabilises. We kindly ask members of the public to bear with us as we try to resolve the challenges.

Most Zimbabweans have escaped the hard life here into South Africa. Many of the estimated three million illegal Zimbabweans living in South Africa have found work as gardeners, maids and construction workers while professionals have landed jobs in their areas of expertise.

But they face growing intolerance in their adopted land, where there is a tendency to blame the newcomers for a recent spike in crime. DailyNews

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Former First Lady Grace Mugabe and some of her relatives and allies are being stripped of 14 stands worth almost US$12,6 million in one of the most upmarket developments in Borrowdale, Harare, on the grounds that they acquired the land for next to nothing by abusing their connections with the then Government.

The 14 stands are in the plush suburb of Harare, Carrick Creagh due east of Borrowdale Brooke and between them cover 167 997 square metres, or almost 17 hectares, and at the quoted commercial selling price of US$75 a square metre they are worth US$12 599 775.

Mrs Mugabe owned four adjacent stands covering 7,36ha through a pair of front companies Montshow Private Limited and Navline Investments Private Limited in which her children are now directors according to company records. This land, at the US$75 a square metre selling price, should have cost US$5 525 550, but in practice it cost her almost nothing.

She and the other 10 land owners, four using companies, were able to get into the housing scheme without putting up the required purchase price because it is a Public Private Partnership joint venture between the Government and a private developer on State land.

They operated through a former minister who himself has corruption-related legal problems arising from the way he became involved in land deals and stand allocations. The ex-minister also included at least his alleged girlfriend in the Carrick Creagh scheme.

It is understood that Mrs Mugabe first used members of the State House staff in the original allocation of stands, and then carried out her intention of acquiring the formal ownership in the name of her companies.

But now Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo wants the corruptly-acquired land back and the title deeds cancelled. He announced his intention, and gave the required notice, in the Government Gazette on Friday last week and is placing the weekly press advertisement for the next three weeks, seeking objections.

Minister Moyo is able to do this under section 18(1)(b) of the Deeds Registries Act, which allows the minister to direct the cancellation of the deed for any land in respect of which the State has the right to claim transfer. The right being invoked is that the land in question was not properly paid for, being given away for what amounted to free.

The Act lays down the procedure that must be followed, and in particular the calling for objections and the need to study these objections before the cancellations can take place.

The minister is also relying on section 308(3) of the Constitution which requires him to take positive action in these circumstances. The section reads: It is the duty of every person who has custody or control of public property to safeguard the property and ensure that it is not lost, destroyed, damaged, misapplied or misused.

Mrs Mugabes four stands include the largest, third largest, fourth largest and sixth largest of the 14 stands. Two stands were registered in the name of Montshow Investments (Private) Limited: stand 306 of 18 034 square metres, and stand 307 of 25 133 square metres. The other two were registered in the name of Navline Investments (Private) Limited: stand 308 of 13 733 square metres and stand 309 of 16 744 square metres.

This block of four stands, covering 73 674 square metres should have cost US$5 525 550. Mrs Mugabe paid a token sum, basically getting the large block for free.

The other 10 stands were transferred as follows: stand 96 of 9 592 square metres to Timothy Mubhawu; stand 172 of 4 000 square metres to Lazarus Dagwa Kambarami Dokora; stand 195 of 3 971 square metres to Comverol Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd; stand 196 of 4 039 square metres to Cavord Trading (Pvt) Ltd; stand 269 of 13 857 square metres to Gloryboost Investments (Pvt) Ltd; stand 300 of 12 384 square metres to Taruvinga Hamura; stand 91 of 8 003 square metres to Olivia Farai Mashonganyika; stand 228 of 12 086 square metres to Junior Shuvayi Gumbochuma; stand 288 of 19 310 square metres to Olivia Tafadzwa Chinouya, and stand 99 of 7 081 square metres to Penking Investments (Pvt) Ltd.

Asked for comment, the developers lawyer Mr Munyaradzi Bwanya referred all questions to the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.

 Herald

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The family of Johannesburg model Gabriella Engels, who made headlines in 2017 after laying assault charges against Zimbabwes then-first lady Grace Mugabe, on Friday said they will continue to press for charges and not money.

Speaking to the African News Agency (ANA) at the North Gauteng High Court, Gabriellas mother Debbie said a cash amount had been made available by the Mugabes, but that the option would never be considered.

You cant buy justice. You cannot just give a sum of money and my daughter is supposed to heal and just accept. At the end of the day, my daughter still doesnt know why this woman (Grace Mugabe) came and attacked her from nowhere, said Engels.

All the stories that have been circulating, that my daughter attacked Grace, it is utter lies.

There are witnesses that were in the room. They say this woman just barged into the room and hit her (Gabriella). We want to know why she did that.

Engels insisted that the financial offer would not silence her family.

We will definitely be continuing with the criminal case. At the end of the day, all we want is for Grace Mugabe to come and stand in the dock, she said.

She must come to answer as to why she attacked my daughter in the first place.

Engels said if, in the end, the swanky former first lady gets sentenced for the assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm charge opened by Gabriella last year, it will be a bonus.

Earlier on Friday, the North Gauteng High Court reserved judgment in the main opposition Democratic Alliances application to have diplomatic immunity granted to Grace set aside.

On Thursday, Advocate Hilton Epstein, senior council representing the Department of International Relations and Co-operation (Dirco), argued that the South African government did not grant diplomatic immunity to Mugabe, but only recognised it after the 2017 assault charge.

Epstein argued that Pretoria had not conferred the diplomatic standing, but that Dirco had only upheld the fact of existing immunity for then president Robert Mugabes spouse.

I submit the following  it is clear this was happening over a short period of time.

The department of foreign affairs [international relations] was dealing with this urgently, the conference [Southern African Development Community (Sadc) summit] was taking place, heads of state were here and the minister was faced with the complaint and sought advice, said Epstein.

She sought for advice from the legal advisors. She got advice from the legal advisors.

Ultimately there is one factor here: its not a discretion, its not an opinion, its a fact which is whether spousal immunity exists or does not exist.

He said the then-Dirco minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane did the right thing by recognising Grace diplomatic immunity.

 AfricanNewsAgency

Breaking News via Email
NACS is the first retail-focused association to partner with the American Red Cross to advance community giving in stores and assist in disaster recovery efforts. Our industry's engagement with the Red Cross has grown into recognizing first responders, medical personnel and American Red Cross volunteers who work around the clock to serve our communities to ensure people dont face emergencies alone.

Through the NACS Foundation, 24/7 Day is an annual event held on July 24 that raises awareness and donations for the urgent humanitarian needs of the American Red Cross and spotlights our industrys important role in supporting local heroes and the communities we serve.

Helping people during a crisis is at the heart of the Red Cross's missionand the need is constant. More than 30,000 people a day on average receive Red Cross support, whether they need lifesaving blood, relief after a disaster, support with the challenges of military life, skills that save lives or international humanitarian aid. And when communities need essentials, convenience stores are there too, often among the only retailers that remain open in a crisis.

Visit the NACS Foundation to learn more about participating in 24/7 Day.
Sian Moloughney

Sian Moloughney

A former Cashel businesswoman has described being forced to raffle away her shop premises as the end of her entrepreneurial dream.

Anne OKeeffe is taking the unusual step of raffling the Cashel town-centre premises in a last attempt to pay off some of the massive mortgage debt she owes to the bank - and says pure desperation brought me to this.

The building, which has a commercial premises on the ground floor and an apartment above, was bought by Anne for E260,000 in 2006 but the new owner could win the deeds to the building for just E100!

Its heartbreaking. Its all I ever wanted, my own business. The location was perfect but it was so hard to meet the repayments, Anne told The Nationalist this week.

After ten years of travelling the world, Anne OKeeffe decided to return to Cashel in 2006 and fulfil her dream of opening her own business. She had trained as a beautician while living in Australia and decided to open her own salon in Cashel. Armed with a business plan she approached a bank, and without difficulty was offered a 100% mortgage.

The salon opened in early 2007 and Anne ran the business for two years. She had purchased the premises at the height of the Celtic Tiger boom, and she said that even now that was the right decision, as at the time it cost less to pay a mortgage than to lease a premises in Cashel.

During the second year of running the salon business started to go downhill for Anne. The first few months of the year were slow but, she said, she kept thinking business would pick up. By April, 12 weddings she had been booked to do that summer had cancelled and she decided she would be better off closing the salon and going back into employment. In May of 2009 the salon closed its doors, and Anne went back to work in Cork. She is now working in a hotel in Cahirciveen.

This was the first time Anne went into business on her own. It was something she had wanted to do for a long time and every penny she had was invested in it. She estimates she spent E20,000 renovating the building. Now the experience has put her off setting up her own business again.

Nobody could have predicted what happened. I just fell into the trap like everybody else. You can have really good intentions but it didnt seem to work. It all just seemed to backfire.

Because it is a luxury business people only get treatments when they have money. When people started cutting back it was the first to go, Anne said of her salon business. Other salons have also closed in Cashel in recent years. The beauty industry in Ireland has gone downhill, she added. She thinks other businesses in Cashel are really, really struggling.

Cashel is a lovely town but its not a shopping town.

Since the business closed Anne has been trying to sell or lease it and it has been on the market for two years. Last year it was valued at E160,000. She paid E 260,000. Some people have been interested in taking over the building but have not been able to get a mortgage or finance for a lease from the bank. Many of these people have now bought tickets for the raffle.

The John Street premises will be open for two days in April for anyone interested in viewing it. When the dates are finalised they will be posted on the raffles Facebook page.

The idea to raffle off the premises came up in a conversation with friends one night, when Anne was trying to figure out what to do, she explained. She had heard of it being done with commercial vehicles. The process is anything but straight-forward and before she could sell any tickets Anne had to have the approval of her bank, and much legal advice. The raffle is taking place under the Gaming Act and she is prevented from making any profit from it. The Act also limits the raffle to 3,500 tickets.

Anne launched the raffle last November and you have until April 29 to buy your ticket. The raffle will then take place on May 6 and one lucky winner will become the new owner of a premises for just E100 when it was originally bought for E260,000.

Anyone interested in buying a ticket can find out more on www.100europroperty.ie or win this property on Facebook.
(Natural News) An armed Antifa group is launching a new cell in Philadelphia, with support from the alt-left alternative media.

(Article by Ian Miles Cheong republished from Dailycaller.com)

The group currently hosts anti-police workshops called Our Enemies in Blue. The group draws inspiration from convicted murderers and calls for violence against the police, theft of goods, and armed insurrection.

Antifa websites like Its Going Down, Sub.Media and Insurrection News have been promoting the group, which calls itself the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement, calling on their readers to donate to a Fundrazr account for the creation of the new cell.

The press release the group published in far-left media is filled with hyperbolic claims about how mosques are being ruthlessly bombed and how LGBTQ are being battered.

The destruction of black life continues unabated as millions languish in the plantations of the modern day slave system, the group states.

Taking pride in the legacy of Philadelphias rich revolutionary tradition, RAM cites Mumia Abu Jamal, the Black Panther activist who shot and killed Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981.

It also cites Russell Shoats, who shot a police officer in the back five times in 1970. Similar to Antifa, the actions of the Black Panthers have been described as having a very undefined purpose of assaulting police officers.

Like other Antifa groups, RAM claims to oppose the usual -isms and white supremacy, but a quick look at the organizations Political Foundation page, as highlighted by Far Left Watch, notes the inclusion of several alarming points, including the Abolition of Gender, and the Expropriation and the Cooperative Economy.

Read more at: Dailycaller.com
(Natural News) In the year 1783, just seven years after America officially declared its independence from the crown, George Washington famously proclaimed, If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter. Even though this statement was made well over two centuries ago, it is quite possibly more relevant today than it ever has been. Political censorship has spread like a plague in recent years, infecting everything from the mainstream media to Hollywood, from college campuses to the Internet. If the freedom of speech is not stood up for and defended, then it will inevitably continue to erode until an all-powerful authoritative state is established. By that point, it will be too late.

It is worth noting that there is a fundamental difference between how conservatives view the freedom of speech and how progressives view the freedom of speech. Most conservatives feel that there should be very few restrictions on free speech so as to preserve the circle of liberty around every American. Conservatives understand that political suppression was one of the primary reasons our Founding Fathers fought a revolution and broke free from the Kings rule, and as such, they are very wary about the growing tyranny of ideological censorship.

Progressives, on the other hand, are far less strict in their interpretation of the freedom of speech. Most of the time they will acknowledge what the Constitution says, but insist that they have the authority to regulate it. In other words, free speech only goes as far as the left allows it to go, which quite frankly, isnt much different from the mentality that was held by King George when he ruled over the colonies. Not that the progressives care very much, but this flies in the face of what America was founded upon. Widespread political censorship is turning our country into something that it was never supposed to become.

The thing about progressivism is that it moves very slowly; so slowly, in fact, that most Americans dont notice how much our country has changed even in just the past few decades. Its a bit like gaining weight  on a day-by-day basis, you most likely wont notice that youre getting bigger, but when you look at old photos of yourself from a year ago and compare them to how you look in the mirror, the difference is suddenly clear.

To erode the freedom of speech in America, the left uses this very strategy. They slowly and patiently chip away at free speech, gradually introducing more and more political censorship in the United States until one day it doesnt exist at all.

A recent article published on PJ Media written by columnist Paula Bolyard explained how the suppression of free speech on the Internet and the banning of domain names in the name of combating hate speech might just be setting us on a slippery slope downwards towards a country that more closely resembles George Orwells 1984 than anything else. (Related: Portland mayor wants to label all opinions he doesnt agree with as hate speech and ban them.)

Where could all this lead? Bolyard asks, referring to Internet censorship. Whats to stop GoDaddy (which is the domain name registrar for PJM) from deciding to stop providing services to other sites that the mob decides shouldnt exist? Bolyard went on to write, In a day when the terms racist and hate speech have been redefined to include basically anything that the left disagrees with, conservatives could easily find themselves in the crosshairs.

Indeed, one could argue that conservatives already are in the crosshairs. Many are not aware of just how serious this assault on the freedom of speech has become, and unless We the People wake up soon, one day in the not-so-distant future, individual liberty will be no more.

Sources include:

PJMedia.com

MountVernon.org
(Natural News) An Argentinian hunter has recently been attacked and killed by an elephant at a private game farm in Namibia, PJ Media reported online.

According to the report, Jose Monzalvez and four other trophy hunters traveled to the private game farm in pursuit of elephants. The report noted that the hunting party was tracking an elephant herd and was deciding on the best vantage point to shoot when one of the animals noticed them.

The elephant reportedly barreled towards the hunter, who subsequently ran for safety. The elephant eventually caught up with the hunting team and savagely trampled Monzalvez to death.

Monzalvez had the proper permit to hunt elephants in Africa. He used to work for a Brazilian oil company.

Recent elephant attack is not a first time, reports show

Monzalvezs case was not the first time an elephant has attacked its hunter. In fact, data showed that approximately 500 people are killed by elephants each year.

Just this June, South African big game hunter Theunis Botha, 51, died when an elephant cow collapsed on top of him after being shot.

According to a report by The Telegraph, Botha was leading a hunt with clients at the Good Luck Farm near Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe when the team accidentally walked into the middle of a breeding herb of elephants.

Three of the elephant cows reportedly charged at the hunting team. Botha was said to have fired a shot from his rifle, but was taken off guard by a fourth cow that attacked them from the side. (Related: Elephants are conscious beings with BODY awareness, new experiments reveal are they smarter than humans?)

The report said one of the hunters shot the elephant after she lifted Mr. Botha with her trunk. The animal collapsed on top of Botha.

Botha was an esteemed houndsman and was credited for bringing the traditional European-style Monteria hunts in South Africa. He had five children with his wife Carike Botha.

Last year, a tourist named Stephen Coetzee was also trampled to death by a female elephant in the same park. Mr. Coetzee was reportedly taking pictures of the animals when they charged. Locals of the Hwange village and surrounding areas have long been complaining about losing livestock and crops to elephants that roam the area.

Animals on the offensive: Other reports of animal attacks on humans

Other reports on animal attacks have also been well documented in the previous years.

Just this May, seasoned archer and hunter Richard Wesley was reportedly attacked by a black bear while out hunting with a bow and arrow near Five River, Ontario. The scenario was captured on a GoPro camera where Wesley can be seen loading an arrow as the animal approaches him.

The archer dropped the camera but sounds of the struggle between the animal and the hunter could still be heard. After a few seconds into the video, the hunter can be seen eventually recovering the camera while cursing and fleeing the scene.

In April this year, hunter Scott Van Zyl was killed on the banks of Limpopo river in South Africa. Sakkie Louwrens, director of a South-African crime-fighting NGO, said that Zyl went missing during a hunting trip on the Zimbabwe-South Africa border with a local tracker and a pack of dogs. The search-and-rescue operation was initiated when one of Zyls dogs returned to the camp without him.

Permission was given for three Nile crocodiles in the area to be shot, and one of them contained Mr Van Zyls remains. Subsequent DNA tests have proved the remains to be those of Mr Van Zyl, Mr. Louwrens told BBC.com.

However, the conservation group One Green Planet was more indifferent towards Zyls demise.

[He] shouldnt have been hunting in the first place. Animals in the wild are wild! They are living, thinking beings with instincts for survival, a One Green Planet statement read.

Sources include:

PJMedia.com

Telegraph.co.uk

News.com.au

BBC.com

OneGreenPlanet.org
The flood situation in Bihar worsened today with the toll mounting to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.

By PTI: The flood situation in Bihar worsened today with the toll mounting to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.

The flood waters, however, have receded in some places, prompting many to return to their homes. The number of relief camps also dropped to 368 from 624, in which 1.59 lakh people were staying, a release by disaster management department said.

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Araria district alone accounted for 87 deaths followed by Sitamarhi 43, Katihar 40, West Champaran 36, East Champaran 32, Madhubani 28, Darbhanga 26, Kishanganj 24, Madhepura 22, Gopalganj 20, Supual 16, Purnea nine, Saharsa eight; Khagaria, Saran and Muzaffarpur seven each, Sheohar four and Samastipur two. No deaths were reported from Siwan district, it said.

A total of 3.54 lakh people had food in 1,403 community kitchens operational in the marooned areas of Bihar, the release said.

A total of 28 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 1,152 personnel with 118 boats are taking part in rescue and relief operations, it said.

Apart from NDRF, 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force comprising 466 personnel are helping people in the flood-hit areas with the help of 92 boats.

A total of 630 army personnel in seven teams are assisting in relief and rescue operations with 70 boats, the release added.

Also Read

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(Natural News) Just days after the events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, an outspoken leftist who has found himself surrounded by controversy on multiple occasions, took to Twitter and revealed to the entire world just how ignorant he really is. I know were better than this, the Starbucks Twitter page quoted Schultz as saying. The bigotry, hatred, and senseless violence against people who are not white cannot stand.

To be fair, Schultzs statement is true  violence against minorities should not be tolerated by anyone, and we as a society should do everything in our power to discourage it. However, while the Starbucks CEOs tweet may have been true in this sense, it was not complete. What he should have said was something along the lines of, senseless violence against people of any race should never be tolerated and cannot stand. It would have been a simple correction, but being the radical leftist that Howard Schultz is, he just couldnt help but make his social media post racially divisive. (Related: Four solid reasons to avoid Starbucks.)

Several Twitter users did not hesitate to openly criticize Schultz, with some even accusing the Starbucks CEO of implying that white lives do not matter. Violence against whites is okay. No one cares about whites, they are just trash. White lives DONT matter. So says Howard Schultz, wrote one Twitter user by the name of Captain Skywarn. Another wrote, Should have said against each other and left race out of it, youre propagating what youre preaching against.

At one point, Starbucks replied to a Twitter users criticism and attempted to cover their tracks: This is not about any specific group of people. We believe in kindness, respect and dignity for everyone. But if its not about any specific group of people, then why did Howard Schultz specifically say, Violence against people who are not white cannot stand? It seems as though in the mind of Schultz, it really is about one specific group of people.

It is worth noting that the violence that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia was not evil whites attacking innocent blacks, as the CEO of Starbucks apparently wants his followers to believe. Indeed, several pictures taken of the event depict blacks engaged in acts of violence, wearing masks and roaming the streets with weapons. One picture even shows a black man using a spray can as a flamethrower on a group of white protesters, though to be fair, it looks as though the man was only trying to torch the confederate flag that was being intentionally waved in his general direction.

The point is that its not only whites that are demonstrating bigotry and intolerance towards people with different skin color; blacks are guilty of the same thing. That is why the overarching message from everyone, regardless of political affiliation, should be a message of nonviolence and acceptance of all races. Its a shame that Howard Schultzs message on Twitter conveyed the exact opposite of that.

The progressive left seems to have developed a pattern of masking their race-baiting tactics with the constant perpetuation of victimization. They claim that they want us all to come together and unite, but in doing so, usually drive a wedge between black Americans and white Americans, thus dividing us even more.

In May of 2016, for example, Barack Obama delivered the commencement speech at the historically black Howard University, in which he blasted the racist and discriminatory judicial system. We cant just lock up a low-level dealer without asking why this boy, barely out of childhood, felt he had no other options, Obama argued before going on to say that many minorities who were just as smart and just as talented as we were got ground down by structures that are unfair and unjust.

If the progressives really want our country to progress, then perhaps they should stop looking at everything through a racial lens and instead see that everyone is human, and that no one gets a free pass when it comes to senseless violence, hatred and bigotry.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Space has become a veritable goldmine of natural resources for many companies, yet can anyone lay claim to them? Thats the question legal experts claim will become relevant in the future as firm turn to the stars for precious metals and minerals, and its one that also needs to be answered as soon as possible to avoid hostility between competing firms and countries.

Barry Kellman, law professor of space governance at DePaul University in Chicago, explained: There is a huge debate on whether companies can simply travel to space and extract its resources. There is no way to answer the question until someone does it.

According to one international treaty, this need not even be an issue. The Outer Space Treaty of 1967, formally known as the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, Including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, has served as the main standard for sharing space. As per the 1967 treaty, no single country can claim national appropriation of celestial bodies by occupation or by other means. (Related: MINING just one large asteroid could COLLAPSE the world economy due to surge of new supply for valuable metals.)

Despite this, some countries have already begun passing laws that allow property rights in space, most notably the United States of America and Luxembourg. The laws passed by these countries have ensured that private operators have rights over the resources they obtained from space, such as the oxygen and hydrogen extracted by the firm Planetary Resources.

If you obtain a resource and bring it with you, it becomes your property. You can sell, keep or deliver (space resources) peacefully, Planetary Resources Chief Executive Chris Lewicki told the DailyMail.co.uk. Lewicki stated that the firm has no intention of bringing those resources back to Earth, and instead plans on creating a gas station to provide fuel to space ships.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has deigned not to take a side on the issue. If companies request assistance or want partnerships related to mining on Mars, we help to the best of our ability, said a spokesman for the agency.

Lewicki added: For the moment, the company exists on earth, where all of the laws and regulations apply.

In addition to the 1967 treaty, legal experts have cited the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention as an earthly regulation that could help build the legal framework for space resources. Under this, countries have exclusive rights to the natural resources 200 mi or 322 km of their coastline, yet plans and ships from other nations can pass through the waters as they please. The Law of Sea Convention could be used as a template to give companies exclusive economic rights to certain area but not ownership over an entire planet or asteroid.

As attorney Andrew Brehm elaborated: Its advantageous to work out a system where people can acquire property rights enforceable through a legal process. That being said, outer space is viewed in society as something similar to the ocean, where there is a collective interest. A first come, first serve system does not necessarily work well when only certain countries or private entities can (currently) reach outer space.

Visit Space.news to remain up to date on the situation.

Sources:

DailyMail.co.uk

Brittanica.com
(Natural News) Overnight stays in the hospital these days, on average, are far fewer than they were even 10 years ago, thanks in large part to upgrades in outpatient care, the rise of alternative medical treatments and other improvements.

Still, hospital admissions are certainly not a thing of the past. That said, the one thing you do not expect if you have to be hospital-bound is to get even sicker while youre there  yet that is what is happening to a growing number of patients.

Harmful infections are not something youre supposed to contract in a hospital, in theory anyway, as long as the hospital staff is doing everything they can to ensure proper sanitary protocols are being followed. And while you have every right to expect that they are, in many cases thats not what is happening, Lifezette reported.

The site noted:

Some hospitals actually spend a lot of time, energy and money on getting rid of hospital-acquired infections. For instance, doctors and staff in England have been battling a hardy Japanese fungus called Candida auris in their hospitals since 2013. According to BBC News, this fungus has been showing resistance against commonly prescribed medicines, a problem undoubtedly caused by the overuse of antibiotics.

But also, health officials in England are both aware of the infection problem and why it continues to spread. Approximately 20 different hospitals throughout the country have had to deal with candid auris outbreaks this year alone, and more than 30 others have experienced the infection.

It gets worse, however. Some of the outbreaks have happened in facilities where staff has had a tough time getting the fungal infection under control. At those hospitals, the staff has been unable to control the infections spread  though Public Health England has since announced that the outbreaks have officially been declared over.

One of the reasons why Candida auris can spread so easily is that this type of fungus actually lives on the skin as well as in the body, Lifezette reported. Hospitals in the U.K. have reported the infections spread within a few hours of initial contact, so it also spreads very quickly.

As such, researchers have come to believe that it is very likely the fungus is being spread via physical contact  which also means that hospital staff is probably not adequately protecting and disinfecting themselves and their equipment after coming into contact with it.

Another reason the infection spreads so easily is because patients do not always present with symptoms; in England, doctors most often diagnose patients via screenings, not symptoms.

The problem occurs in the United States as well, of course. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that one out of every 25 patients contracts a hospital-borne infection  but, given the CDCs track record of incompetence, its possible that figure is actually higher. (Related: Are hospitals serving up flesh-eating bacteria?)

In Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post, hospital-borne infections cost the country $9.8 billion every year. Some 4,000  6,000 Israelis die each year of complications, while 40,000 more, or 7-10 percent, of all hospital patients are negatively affected.

In fact, the Health Ministry is dealing with this field more than before, but without investing funds specifically for this purpose and hiring more personnel in the field of infection prevention, there will be no change in direction here, said Dr. Eyal Zimlichman of the Sheba Media Center in Tel Hashomer.

This has been a problem for years. In 2010 Natural News reported that hospital superbugs killed 48,000 people a year, on average, according to a study by the Archives of Internal Medicine. The primary causes of death: Sepsis and pneumonia.

Getting a hospital-borne infection can lead to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs and, in worst-case scenarios even death.

In many cases, these conditions could have been avoided with better infection control in hospitals, Ramanan Laxminarayan, Ph.D., principal investigator for the study said in a statement.

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

Lifezette.com

JPost.com
There is promising news for people affected by the devastating flooding in San Jose earlier this year.

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is considering putting in temporary barriers along Coyote Creek in hopes of preventing another catastrophic flood. And now, construction crews are ready to move in.

An Army Corps of engineers toured the Coyote Creek flood zone on Friday to see for themselves why the area needs their help. The agency would approve and help fund a permanent flood control project to prevent another historic flood.

"We're doing everything we can from the water district perspective," said John Varela, Santa Clara Valley Water District chairman.

Varela said the feds saw images of the flood damage at the Pentagon. Floods in Rocksprings this winter forced victims to be rescued by emergency crews, when the Coyote Creek overflowed its banks.

Video of the damage prompted the Army Corps to ask how they can help on permanent flood control measures.

The water district board voted to build a barrier along the Coyote Creek in Rocksprings. The hope is to have it complete by the end of December.

"It's short term. But nonetheless, we're in the creek and we're doing the work toward a final result," Varela said.
A planned right-wing rally in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge that was downgraded to a news conference at Alamo Square Park fizzled further on Saturday, after San Francisco police swarmed the park and city workers erected a fence around it.

Joey Gibson, an organizer for the group Patriot Prayer, took to Facebook Saturday, issuing an apology to people who shelled out money on plane and train tickets to the Bay Area as well as those who drove 16 hours to get here.

"Today's been a crazy day," he said on Facebook Live. "Basically everywhere we go, the police, the city, they want to shut it down."

Gibson indicated that he planned to do an indoor news conference at 2 p.m., but left the exact location unknown. He also said he would "pop up at random spots in the city to talk with any citizens of SF."

A planned right-wing rally in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge that was downgraded to a news conference at Alamo Square Park fizzled further on Saturday, after San Francisco police swarmed the park and city workers erected a fence around it. Sergio Quintana and Christie Smith report.

He eventually spoke in Pacifica with a handful of supporters, but was forced to end the news conference abruptly upon hearing that members of the anti-fascist movement were heading to the Peninsula.

San Francisco leaders and police had repeatedly voiced concerns that Patriot Prayer would draw angry counter-protesters and spark violence in the area known as the cradle of the free speech movement.

Marches and rallies did indeed crop up across the city by the bay Saturday, but only one person was arrested for public intoxication and no injuries were reported, San Francisco Police Chief William "Bill" Scott said during a news conference alongside Mayor Ed Lee, who said he was "extremely proud" of those who peacefully took to the streets and spoke out against hate.

"They marched all throughout the city with that basic theme that we're going to resist hate, we're going to make sure our city is safe," Lee said. "They marched for each other. They yelled and screamed for each other. They made sure that the themes of love and compassion dominated over hate speech and inciting violence."

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Gibson vehemently denied his group was looking for trouble and declared that Patriot Prayer had been unfairly labeled as being racist. In fact, he said, its members had received anonymous threats on social media and feared civic leaders and law enforcement officials would fail to protect them.

"My hope is to be able to talk to normal citizens without all the extremists," Gibson, who identifies as Japanese American, said at the news conference.

Other speakers included African Americans, a Latino and a Samoan American. Several said they support Donald Trump and want to join with moderates to promote understanding and free speech.

"We have to wake up," Patriot Prayer supporter Will Johnson said. "This fighting is not going to get us anywhere. We have bigger issues coming to America, and we're fighting for over nothing."

Alamo Square Park was originally meant to be the site of a Saturday news conference by right-wing group, Patriot Prayer, but the San Francisco neighborhood was instead inundated with hundreds of counter-protesters.

The pivots by the group didn't deter more than 1,000 left-wing counter-protesters from descending on Alamo Square park, where they suspected right-wing supporters still might show up.

The neighborhood was inundated with counter-protesters whose resounding message could be summed up in one sign: "Goodnight alt-right."

Police closed the park early in the day and looked on in riot gear as the demonstrators gathered around its perimeter waving signs condemning white supremacists and chanting, "Whose streets? Our streets!" Some held signs that read, "Fascists not welcome. No to white supremacy," "Stop racist police" and "No hate! No KKK! No Nazis in the USA!"

NBC Bay Area's SkyRanger captured footage of people, with what appeared to be feather headdresses, dancing in the streets, while others seemed to take inspiration from the nursery rhyme, "Ring a Ring o' Roses," and moved around in a circle before marching to Mission and 24th streets. En route, they even conducted a "die-in" in the middle of the street.

[BAY JG] Canceled Patriot Prayer Rally Leads to Protests in San Francisco

A crowd, also in the hundreds, packed a "Come Together Rally" at Harvey Milk Plaza in the Castro, under a slew of rainbow flags that flapped in the wind.

"The outpouring of love, you could almost feel it physically," San Francisco Supervisor Jeff Sheehy said. "In the Castro, I could. It was like this wave just hit me of love, not hate. That's what San Francisco is all about."



Those in the Castro joined others from the Dolores Park area to march toward Civic Center, where thousands gathered for a "Peace, Love & Understanding" rally. The event featured live performances by Michael Franti, Malo, Momma's Boys and more.

"San Francisco as a whole, we are a liberal city and this is not a place for hate or any sort of bigotry of any kind," Bianca Harris said. "I think it's a really powerful message that we're sending to people who come here to try to spew messages of hate that it's just not welcome in this city."

Under a rainbow flag that flapped in the wind, hundreds gathered at Market and Castro streets to stand up against hatred, racism, fascism and the alt-right movement.

Earlier in the week, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee raised concerns that Patriot Prayer would attract hate speech and potential violence. U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, a fellow Democrat who represents San Francisco, called the planned rally a "white supremacist" event.

Gibson said his group disavows racism, white nationalism and hatred, and insisted his gathering would have been peaceful. "It wasn't an easy decision," he said about nixing the Crissy Field rally and said that although some people were disappointed in his decision, it was the only way to prevent a "huge riot."

When working with the National Park Service on a permit application, Gibson said he initially believed that all rally attendees would be "shipped" into Crissy Field. It wasn't until later that the U.S. Park Police said he would only be able to enter with 50 or so people, who he considered "tight-knit."

"Everyone else would have to be stuck outside, 50 yards away, mingling amongst Antifa, communists or whoever  extreme left liberals, and then we would have to get wrist bands and get our people to go through the crowd to find supporters to bring them back in," Gibson said. "The whole point of the rally was to bring in people who wanted to get to know us not to just do a speech to our supporters  At that point, I finally was like it's just not right, it's not going to happen."

Neither the National Park Service nor U.S. Park Police have confirmed this information.

Gibson said Saturday in a phone interview that he felt like San Francisco's Democratic leaders had shut him down.

"They're definitely doing a great job of trying to make sure my message doesn't come out," he said.

Counter-protesters on Saturday marched to Mission and 24th streets, forcing road closures and bringing traffic to a standstill. Some performed a lie-in in the middle of the roadway, amid a heavy San Francisco police presence.

On Facebook Live, Gibson encouraged supporters to ask "corrupt career politicians," including Mayor Ed Lee and Sen. Nancy Pelosi, whether they support Antifa. Patriot Prayer is being vilified in the media, he said, but no one is asking questions of the "alt-left."

Gibson was joined on Facebook by Kyle "Based Stickman" Chapman, who was arrested during a violent "March 4 Trump" rally in Berkeley in May.

"Whether or not there's violence at these events lies in the hands of the mayor, the police chief and the people that are tasked with security," he said.

Chapman also accused the media of portraying them "as bigots, white supremacists and Nazis," which has "incited hatred among the locals here in San Francisco against us."

He urged others who support their movement to "push back against this narrative" and fight what Chapman deemed is "systemic oppression" on the part of Bay Area politicians.

The Bay Area is considered the birthplace of the free speech movement, and police in San Francisco have traditionally given demonstrators a wide berth.

Student activism was born during the 1960s free-speech movement at Berkeley, when thousands of students at the university mobilized to demand that the school drop its ban on political activism.

A group of people gathered at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco for a Peace, Love & Understanding rally where they danced to tunes while combatting hate.

However, the deadly confrontation in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12 during a rally of white supremacists led San Francisco police and civil leaders to rethink their response to protests.

When Gibson canceled the Golden Gate rally on Friday, he said his followers would instead attend an anti-Marxist rally on Sunday in nearby Berkeley. But a short time later, the organizer of that rally called it off.

Organizer Amber Cummings said in a lengthy statement issued via Facebook that she had "grave concerns for the safety of the people attending my event."

Cummings said the event was planned "to speak out against the political violence happening to people who do not agree" with left-wing ideology, and that the meaning was being lost as rhetoric around the rally escalated.

The left-wing group By Any Means Necessary, which has been involved in violent confrontations, had vowed to shut down the Berkeley rally at Civic Center Park.

Asked Saturday whether he had any plans to go to Berkeley, Gibson said he would "analyze the situation."

Berkeley police were planning for a number of contingencies, police spokeswoman Jenn Coats said in an email.

The city has banned a long list of items from the park, including baseball bats, dogs and skate boards. People at the park are also not allowed to cover their faces with scarves or bandanas.

Associated Press writers Janie Har and Haven Daley contributed to this report. NBC Bay Area's Thom Jensen, Christie Smith and Sergio Quintana also contributed to this report.


By PTI: Thimphu, Aug 26(PTI) Politician-writer Shashi Tharoor today launched a book on Indira Gandhi with the queen of Bhutan, Ashu Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk, at the ongoing Mountain Echoes Literary Festival here.

The book titled, "Indias Indira: A Centennial Tribute", compiled by the Indian National Congress, consists of articles, essays, photographs of the first woman prime minister of India.

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Speaking at the launch, the queen remembered Indira Gandhi for being a powerful woman and a towering personality.

"I still remember her photograph with the then American president Richard Nixon. She wasnt a tall woman, but she was a towering figure.

"Mrs Gandhi was a female icon and she showed it to the world what women are capable of doing if they decide something," she said.

Remembering the time when Indira Gandhi came "sitting on a yak along with her father," the queen said the Gandhi family had been on close friendly terms with the Royal Family of Bhutan.

"I used to admire the white streak of hair she had. Although I was very young, I still wanted that streak of white hair," the queen said.

The book, edited by senior leader Anand Sharma, has several photographs of Indira Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru contributed by the royal family.

The book also has a chapter by former Indian president Pranab Mukherjee.

Talking about Gandhis leadership skills, Tharoor said when she had become the first female prime minister of India, many had wondered if she was capable of the job.

"But as it turned out, she became a better leader than many who came after her could only hope to be," Tharoor said. PTI MAH TRS TRS

--- ENDS ---
A Sacramento man was arrested Thursday at the Lafayette BART Station in connection with threatening people with a knife.

Jalen Garrison, 23, was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and battery, according to BART police.

Officers responded at 4:38 p.m. to the Lafayette Station on a report a man was threatening patrons with a knife, spitting on patrons and making terrorist threats on a train that was stopped at the station, police said.

The train was headed for Pleasant Hill.

Officers located the suspect, identified as Garrison, but he refused to comply with their orders, so they used force to restrain him and place him in handcuffs, police said.

Several victims identified Garrison as the suspect.
San Francisco-based ride-sharing firm Uber confirmed Friday that it plans to sell the former Sears department store building in Oakland where it once planned to place up to 3,000 employees.

"As we look to strengthen our financial position so we can better serve riders and drivers for the long term, we're exploring several options for Uptown Station, including a sale," Uber said in an email, referring to the property at 1955 Broadway.

"We remain committed to serving Oakland and our broader hometown Bay Area community," the statement read.

The company stressed that it remains committed to supporting Oakland, noting that it has donated $70,000 to help ensure every graduate of Oakland Unified School District can attend college and has given away nearly

$30,000 in free rides to a variety of Oakland organizations through its Community Credits Program.

Uber said it is making a broad effort to cut its losses so it can become a profitable company and it wants to keep all its employees together in one place instead of having employees spread across three or four offices.

The company has said that it plans to consolidate many of its local employees in a new headquarters building in San Francisco's Mission Bay neighborhood.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf was excited in September 2015 when Uber announced that it had purchased the former Sears building, saying, "Uber is an innovative, game-changing company and its move to Oakland is game-changing for us."

Schaaf said the company's expansion to Oakland makes the city the "hottest new center for urban innovation in America."

Schaaf declined to make a direct comment today on Uber's plans to sell the building and instead issued a statement about other companies that are moving to her city.

Schaaf said, "In the last two years, major companies like Oracle, WeWorks, Blue Shield and now Delta Dental have moved into Oakland."

The mayor said, "There are few locations in the region which offer such an array of social, economic and transportation benefits as Uptown Station (the 1955 Broadway site). I look forward to working with the lucky buyer who hopefully will share Oakland's values of diversity, inclusion and equity."

Orson Aguilar, the president of the Greenlining Institute, an Oakland nonprofit that co-founded a "No Uber Oakland" campaign, said in a statement that it started the campaign "because we worried Uber could have negative effects on a city already struggling with gentrification, and because we never saw evidence that Uber had any real commitment to Oakland, despite occasional pleasant rhetoric."

"Clearly, that second part at least was right," Aquilar said. "Still, we never gave up hope that Uber would sit down and work with the Oakland community to create something that would be good both for the company and for Oaklanders. Uber, sadly, never had any interest in a real partnership with Oakland," he said.

Aguilar added, "We hope going forward that city leaders will be more wary of large corporations coming into our town, and will push big businesses -- including whoever buys this building from Uber - to help build an Oakland that's diverse and affordable for working families, nonprofits and the arts community."
Engulfed in a string of scandals, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finds himself facing a growing grassroots protest movement demanding his indictment and removal from office.

Weekly anti-corruption vigils in front of the home of Israel's attorney general have gone from a trickle to drawing thousands of people, and the recent arrest of the two main organizers seems to spell stress within Netanyahu's circle while further energizing his opponents.

The unlikely duo spearheading the protest effort could not be more different. One used to hobnob in the most exclusive circles of power, while the other is a former maintenance man at the prime minister's residence. Once dismissed as disgruntled fringe characters, Eldad Yaniv and Meni Naftali have together galvanized a movement that has rattled Netanyahu's grip on power.

"Netanyahu sees our protest as a clear and present danger to his continued rule, and that is why he is trying to harm us," said Yaniv, who was arrested with Naftali last week on their way to a protest.

"Our goal is more than just replacing Netanyahu," he said. "It's to create a new contract between politicians and the public so that the next prime minister is not investigated by police."

Although the allegations have yet to threaten his lengthy rule, Netanyahu has seen his approval ratings drop amid repeated questions about his conduct and integrity.

One of his closest former aides has become a witness against him, and Netanyahu himself has been questioned under caution in a pair of cases relating to alleged financial misdeeds and illicit ties to executives in media, international business and Hollywood. Police say they suspect Netanyahu of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust. The final decision is in the hands of his attorney general, Avichai Mandelblit.

For now, Netanyahu still has the backing of his ruling Likud Party and key conservative coalition partners, leaving critics pinning their hopes on the attorney general's discretion to indict.

What began as a gathering of a handful of good governance activists outside Mandelblit's home has now, in its 40th week, swelled into a powerful display of flag-waving Israelis each Saturday night that has drawn heavy media coverage, sparked pro-Netanyahu protests and unnerved police.

Last weekend, police pre-emptively arrested Yaniv and Naftali for allegedly soliciting an illegal demonstration, detaining them overnight before a court freed them amid scathing criticism of police. Israel's Supreme Court said Thursday the protests could continue but would be limited to 500 people, and it barred the use of loudspeakers in the residential area.

Yaniv, a lawyer, was a close aide to then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak but became disenchanted with the political system and turned into an anti-corruption crusader. He frequently speaks out against the influence of lobbyists, big business and the banks.

Yaniv says his arrest was an attempt to quash a "symbol" of resistance and was ordered from above  a charge police denied.

"This protest began because of Netanyahu's corruption investigations, but they are just a trigger to a far larger problem  the unfathomable corruption of our leadership," he said, citing a former prime minister, president and several ministers and mayors who have served time for crimes in office.

Naftali is a former custodian at the prime minister's residence, and an Israeli court has ruled he was abused and mistreated by Sara Netanyahu. He said it has become his mission to unmask the misdeeds of Israel's first family. Since his dismissal, he maintains that authorities have been hounding him by taking away his gun license, for instance, and thus hurting his livelihood as a security guard.

"I am a victim of institutional corruption. People see what was done to me. This is about proper governance," said Naftali, who now works as a handyman. "The trust with the state has been broken."

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and called the accusations against him a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media. He has dismissed the suspicions as "background noise," vowed to stay in office for years to come and recently held a boisterous rally in Tel Aviv where he criticized the media to hundreds of cheering supporters.

Israel law says the prime minister can only be removed by parliament, though the Supreme Court has since ruled that government ministers and mayors had to resign if indicted.

On the other hand, Israel's justice minister has said the prime minister is not compelled to do so. But should the attorney general issue an indictment, there will be a legal challenge and public pressure for him to step aside. The weekly protests are ostensibly aimed at encouraging an indictment.

Netanyahu has escaped scandals before linked to his and his wife's expensive tastes and use of public funds, but the latest accusations appear to pose his stiffest challenge yet.

One investigation, dubbed "File 1000" by police, reportedly concerns allegations he improperly accepted lavish gifts from wealthy supporters, including Australian billionaire James Packer and Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan.

A second investigation, "File 2000," reportedly concerns Netanyahu's alleged attempts to strike a deal with publisher Arnon Mozes of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper group to promote legislation to weaken Yediot's main competitor in exchange for more favorable coverage.

And a probe called "File 3000" relates to a possible conflict of interest involving the purchase of German submarines, in which Netanyahu's cousin and personal attorney represented the German firm involved.

Raviv Drucker, an investigative journalist who exposed the final affair, said the cases have damaged Netanyahu's image but not endangered his rule. Barring any unforeseen developments, Drucker predicted Netanyahu was safe politically for at least the next year, since none of his allies had any interest in seeing the government fall.

"The legal picture has to change for that to happen," he said. "If it reaches a whole new threshold in which they will feel damaged by the association with him, then he could fall."
Police in Mansfield, Massachusetts, are searching for a woman who attempted to steal numerous items from a Kohls store.

According to police the woman wandered throughout the store on Thursday stuffing various items into her shirt and backpack.

Once confronted by Loss Prevention, she dropped some of the items and then ran out of the store with the rest.

She jumped on her pink and white motorcycle and fled the area.

Police say she was wearing a matching pink shirt, blue jean shorts, "Daisy Duke-style" as described, and a pink and white motorcycle helmet.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.
What to Know NWS upgraded Harvey to a major Cat. 4 hurricane Friday evening

Extreme winds expected; main threat will be flooding and storm surge

State of disaster declared for 30 counties on or near the coast

Mike Evans decided hours ago it was time to Leave Houston.



Hurricane Harvey began moving into Texas late Friday, bringing the fierce winds and torrential rain whose forecast earlier sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing a wide swath of the state's Gulf Coast in hopes of escaping its wrath.

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Evans said he would go "anywhere" from New York to Los Angeles. But he ended up in Chicago.

"This was the only flight I could get," he told NBC 5 at Midway Airport.

The National Hurricane Center said the eye of the dangerous Category 4 storm was "almost onshore" as of 9 p.m. CT.



With time running out, residents fled Friday from the path of the increasingly menacing-looking hurricane as it took aim at an area of Texas that includes oil refineries, chemical plants and dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

Houston native Bridget Thomas was visitng family in Chicago. She said if she needs to stay a little longer due to Harvey, it's not a problem. She says she has her passport, Social Security card and birth certificate.

"I brought all my important documents," she said. "Just in case I go back to a home that's flooded.

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Harvey grew rapidly, accelerating from a Category 1 early in the morning to a Category 4 by evening. Its transformation from an unnamed storm to a life-threatening behemoth took only 56 hours, an incredibly fast intensification.

[NATL] Dramatic Images: Floods Hit as Harvey Drenches Texas

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that the monster system would be "a very major disaster," and the forecasts drew fearful comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest ever to strike the U.S.

In a tweet Friday evening, President Donald Trump said: "At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!"

Millions of people were bracing for a prolonged battering from the hurricane, which will likely be the strongest hurricane to hit the US in about 13 years. Forecasters labeled Harvey a "life-threatening storm" that posed a "grave risk," saying it could swamp several counties more than 100 miles inland.

Brock Long, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said on MSNBC earlier Friday that Harvey was a "very serious" threat and that the window for evacuating was quickly closing.

"Texas is about to have a very significant disaster," Long warned.

At least one researcher predicted heavy damage that would linger for months or longer.

"In terms of economic impact, Harvey will probably be on par with Hurricane Katrina," said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. "The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time."

Aside from savage winds and 12-foot storm surges, the system was expected to drop over 3 feet of rain.

Rain bands from the storm began pelting the coast early Friday. As of 1 p.m. Friday, Harvey was centered about 85 miles southeast of Corpus Christi and was moving northwest at 10 mph.

All seven Texas counties on the coast from Corpus Christi to the western end of Galveston Island have ordered mandatory evacuations of tens of thousands of residents from all low-lying areas. Officials in four counties ordered full evacuations and warned there was no guarantee of rescue for people staying behind. Voluntary evacuations have been urged for Corpus Christi itself and for the Bolivar Peninsula, a sand spit near Galveston where many homes were washed away by the storm surge of Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Texas officials expressed concern Thursday that not as many people are evacuating compared with previous storms.

"A lot of people are taking this storm for granted thinking it may not pose much of a danger to them," Gov. Greg Abbott told Houston television station KPRC. "Please heed warnings and evacuate as soon as possible."

The U.S. Navy has closed Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and ordered the evacuation of all non-essential active-duty military. Oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico also began evacuating employees Thursday.

Abbott has activated about 700 members of the state National Guard ahead of Hurricane Harvey making landfall.

Harvey's effect would be broad. The hurricane center said storm surges as much as 3 feet could be expected as far north as Morgan City, Louisiana, some 400 miles away from the anticipated landfall.

And once it comes ashore, the storm is expected to stall, dumping copious amounts of rain for days in areas like flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth most-populous city, and San Antonio.

State transportation officials were considering when to turn all evacuation routes from coastal areas into one-way traffic arteries headed inland. John Barton, a former deputy executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation, predicted state officials will do this before the storm hits, but said timing and determining where to use it are the key factors. Storms change paths and if contraflow starts too early, supplies such as extra gasoline needed to support impacted areas can't get in, he noted.

Meanwhile, residents along the Texas coast flocked to grocery and hardware stores, and gas stations to stock up on last-minute supplies, NBC affiliate KRIS reported.

Harvey would be the first significant hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in September 2008 brought winds of 110 mph to the Galveston and Houston areas and inflicted $22 billion in damage. It would be the first big storm along the middle Texas coast since Hurricane Claudette in 2003 caused $180 million in damage.

An Illinois elementary school district closed Wednesday after a student mysteriously died at a hospital this week.

It's taking aim at the same vicinity as Hurricane Carla, the largest Texas hurricane on record. Carla came ashore in 1961 with wind gusts estimated at 175 mph and inflicted more than $300 million in damage. The storm killed 34 people and forced about 250,000 people to evacuate.

First lady Melania Trump tweeted "thoughts and prayers" to those leaving near the hurricane's path, adding the "entire country [is] with you."



The White House said the president was closely monitoring the hurricane and planned to travel to Texas early next week to view recovery efforts. The president was expected to receive briefings during the weekend at Camp David.

Trump's homeland security and counter-terrorism adviser, Tom Bossert, said the administration was "bringing together the firepower of the federal government to assist the state and local governments, but the state and local governments are in the lead here."

At least one researcher predicted heavy damage that would linger for months or longer.

"In terms of economic impact, Harvey will probably be on par with Hurricane Katrina," said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. "The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time."
Harvey has been a humbling storm for tropical forecasters. Just 48 hours ago the forecast from the National Hurricane Center was for a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane to make landfall just east of Corpus Christi. Tonight it appears clear Harvey will make landfall as a category 4 hurricane. We're not that good forecasting rapid intensification of hurricanes and Harvey is another example of that.

The story tonight will be the wind and the storm surge. A deadly combination. This hurricane will likely be the first category 4 hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Hurricane Charley in 2004 and in Texas since Hurricane Carla in 1961.

If there's any positive news on a day where Harvey strengthened quickly it's that the worst of the storm will be in a fairly rural area. Not Houston, not Galveston, and not Corpus Christi. Matagorda Bay (no stranger to hurricanes - do a Google search on Indianola, Texas) will bear the brunt of the storm initally.

The WPC QPF now implies a state and national TC rainfall record is possible. Local maxima can be this times two. pic.twitter.com/B4vgzPLXLz  David Roth (@DRmetwatch) August 24, 2017

Beyond tonight the story with Harvey will likely be the rain. In fact it's possible the inland rain and flooding may be more destructive and costly than the initial wind and storm surge. While the storm's intensity was not well forecast what hasn't changed over the past few days is the forecast for exceptional rainfall in Texas. Harvey is already slowing down and expected to stall near the coast. Days of rain will inundate Texas as the storm crawls along the coast.

Before everyone goes hunting for the highest model QPF, here's a history lesson on observed MAX rainfall from TCs (data by @DRmetwatch) pic.twitter.com/5nqesdtJkP  Tony (@whatdoweseehere) August 23, 2017

So what are the state and national tropical cyclone rain records? 48.00" in Texas from Amelia in 1978. In Connecticut the record is 16.86" from Tropical Storm Diane (which cause the historic 1955 flood).
North Korea on Saturday morning fired what are believed to be three short-range ballistic missiles, U.S. Pacific Command said.

The missiles were launched near Kittaeryong between 6:49 a.m. Seoul time (5:49 pm. Friday ET) and 12:19 p.m. The second missile "appears to have blown up almost immediately," Pacific Command said. However, the first and third missiles did not "fail in flight," the Pacific Command clarified in a later update early Saturday.

"We continue to monitor North Korea's actions closely," Pacific Command said. "U.S. Pacific Command stands behind our ironclad commitment to the security of our allies in the Republic of Korea and Japan."

The latest launch comes during an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that the North condemns as an invasion rehearsal, and weeks after Pyongyang threatened to lob missiles toward the Pacific U.S. territory of Guam.
President Donald Trump has signed off on a major disaster declaration for six counties along the Texas coast, clearing the way for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to begin assisting people affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Included in that declaration are Bee County, Goliad County, Kleberg County, Nueces County, Refugio County and San Patricio County.

Once ground crews are better able to assess the damage, the state can request assistance for other counties, as well.

Saturday, FEMA began moving additional teams and resources from their Regional Response Coordination Center in Denton to Austin, which will allow them to move into the affected areas quickly once the storm passes and it's safe to do so.

In the meantime, the RRCC continues to operate 24 / 7 at full staff. The center's primary role is to coordinate the federal government's emergency response efforts with the state's.

"Right now, we are trying to figure out who need what, where and when," said Earl Armstrong, a spokesperson for FEMA. "We're also figuring out how fast we can get those things to them."

Armstrong says FEMA is currently providing assistance to both individuals and public agencies in the designated disaster areas.

People living in those areas can register for FEMA assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 or by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply via the FEMA phone app.
What to Know Hurricane Harvey made first landfall as Cat. 4 hurricane Friday evening; downgraded to Cat. 1 hours later

Max sustained winds up to 130 mph near Rockport, Texas; widespread, torrential rain and numerous tornado warnings

Gov. Abbott warns about "potential for very dramatic flooding"

Harvey spun deeper into Texas and unloaded extraordinary amounts of rain Saturday after the once-fearsome hurricane crashed into vulnerable homes and businesses along the coastline in a blow that killed at least two people and injured up to 14.

Much of the Houston area has been under a flash flood and tornado warnings overnight Saturday as torrential rain continues to fall in the area.



The National Weather Service in Houston reported late Saturday night bands from TS Harvey were dropping 5 to 6 inches of rain per hour and that rainfall totals of 15 to 30 inches of rain were possible, leading to life-threatening flash flooding.

Houston Chief of Police Art Acevedo tweeted early Sunday a warning that the rain would continue for the next 12 hours and urged people to stay home. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner echoed Acevedo's warning, tweeting, "There are a number of stranded people on our streets calling 911 exhausting needed resources. You can help by staying off the streets."

More than 230,000 people along the Texas Gulf Coast are believed to be without power going into Sunday morning.



Throughout the coastal region between Corpus Christi and Houston, many people feared the death toll was only the beginning. Authorities did not know the full scope of damage because weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting into the hardest-hit places. And they dreaded the destruction that was yet to come from a storm that could linger for days and unload more than 40 inches of rain on cities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest.

In the island community of Port Aransas, population 3,800, officials were unable to fully survey the town because of "massive" damage. Police and heavy equipment had only made it into the northernmost street.

"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," said Port Aransas Mayor Charles Bujan, who had called for a mandatory evacuation but did not know how many heeded the order.

Some of the worst damage appeared to be in Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path. The mayor said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

Rockport's roads were a mess of toppled power poles. A trailer blocked much of one major intersection. Wood framing from ripped-apart houses was strewn along Route 35 on the town's southern end.

Harvey's relentless wind tore the metal sides off the high school gym and twisted the steel door frame of its auditorium.

"We're still in the very infancy stage of getting this recovery started," said Aransas County spokesman Larry Sinclair.

Rockport Mayor Charles "C.J." Wax told The Weather Channel that the city's emergency response system had been hampered by the loss of cellphone service and other forms of communication.

A day earlier, Rockport Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios offered ominous advice, telling people who chose not to evacuate to mark their arms with Sharpie pens, implying that the marks would make it easier for rescuers to identify them.

One person was killed in Aransas County when in a fire at home during the storm, county Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. said. A second person died in flooding in Harris County, where Houston is located.

Gary Norman, a spokesman for the Houston emergency operations center, said late Saturday that the person was a woman appeared to have gotten out of her vehicle in high water, though authorities had not confirmed a cause of death. She was found by neighbors about 30 yards away from her vehicle, and Norman said she was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor who was in the area.

Mills also said as many as 14 people suffered minor injuries in his county, including slips and falls, scrapes and a broken leg.

About 300,000 customers were without power statewide. Gov. Greg Abbott said it would probably be several days before electricity is restored.

Meanwhile, the storm was barely moving. Rainfall totals varied across the region, with Corpus Christi and Galveston receiving around 3 inches, Houston 7 and Aransas 10. Tiny Austwell got 15 inches.

In Houston, authorities were pleading with people not to leave their homes as the flood emergency was declared.

"The streets are treacherous," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

Elsewhere in the storm's immediate aftermath, the Coast Guard had rescued 20 people from boats and barges in distress, said Capt. Tony Hahn, commander of the Corpus Christi sector.

The Corpus Christi port was closed with extensive damage. Because the city is the third-largest petrochemical port in the nation, the agency will be on the lookout for spills, Hahn said.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade came ashore late Friday about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi as a mammoth Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds.

Harvey weakened to a tropical storm by midday Saturday. At 10 p.m., its maximum sustained winds had fallen to about 40 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. But the storm was moving at just 1 mph as it dumped torrential rain over an area that included Houston.

The hurricane posed the first major emergency management test of President Donald Trump's administration.

Trump met with his Cabinet and other senior administration officials to discuss the federal response to the damage and flooding, the White House said Saturday in a statement.

The president held a video conference from Camp David in which he instructed departments and agencies to "stay fully engaged and positioned to support his number one priority of saving lives," the statement said.

Trump, who on Friday signed a federal disaster declaration for coastal counties, also reminded department heads that the full impact of the storm will not be apparent for days. On Twitter, he commended the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his handling of the disaster.

In Corpus Christi, the major city closest to the storm's center, wind whipped palm trees and stinging sheets of horizontal rain slapped against hotels and office buildings along the seawall as the storm made landfall.

Daybreak revealed downed lamp posts and tree limbs and roof tiles torn off buildings. Along Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, the rain was so intense that drivers stopped under bridges because they could not see in front of them.

Rain fell on Houston at nearly 3 inches an hour, leaving some streets and underpasses underwater. The many drainage channels known as bayous that carry excess water to the Gulf were flowing freely and rising.

"Flooding is a minor issue so far," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the chief administrator of the county that includes Houston, said. "Most of the watersheds are well within banks, but we're not out of this."

Francisco Sanchez, with the Harris County Emergency Management Office, said the storm would be around for a while.

"Someone is going to get those very high rainfall totals," he said. "Hopefully it's not us, but we're in that possibility area."

South of the city, about 4,500 inmates were evacuated from three state prisons in Brazoria County because the nearby Brazos River was rising.

The turbulent weather extended into southern Louisiana, where motorists were cautioned about the potential for high water, road hazards, high winds and tornadoes.

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

The storm's approach sent tens of thousands of people fleeing inland.

Just hours before landfall, the governor and Houston leaders issued conflicting statements on evacuation.

The governor urged more people to flee, but Houston officials recommended no widespread evacuations, citing greater danger in having people on roads that could flood and the fact that the hurricane was not taking direct aim at the city.

The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Hurricane Charley in August 2004 in Florida.

Associated Press writers Michael Graczyk, Juan Lozano and Nomaan Merchant in Houston; Tammy Webber in Chicago; David Phillip in Dickinson, Texas; and Jamie Stengle, David Warren and Claudia Lauer and in Dallas contributed to this report.
Saudi-led coalition fighter jets rained bombs on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, on Friday levelling houses packed with civilians and killing at least 14 people, including eight members of a single family, relatives and witnesses said.

The family's 1-year-old baby was among those killed, they said, looking over the rubble of one of the bombed homes in the city's southern district of Fag Attan, hours after the attack.

The bombing was the latest in a significant escalation in the coalition's air campaign in Yemen. On Wednesday, at least 41 people died when aircraft bombed a small hotel in the town of Arhab, north of Sanaa.

The attacks prompted calls for an investigation by both the coalition's top ally, the internationally recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and the United Nations.

"What happened today in Fag Attan in the capital by the fighter jets against the civilians requires an investigation by the coalition," Yemeni Foreign Minister Abdel-Malek al-Mekhalfi posted on Twitter, in what appeared to be a rare show of discontent at the government's main backer.

Over the past two years, more than 10,000 people have been killed and 3 million displaced amid the coalition's relentless air campaign against Yemen's Iran-backed Shiite rebels. The Saudi-led campaign is seeking to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government back to power.

The worst-hit house in Friday's attack in Fag Attan was a three-story building occupied by at least three families. Mohammed al-Rimi and his wife lived on the first floor with their six children. A brother-in-law was visiting. They all perished, except one child.

Mohammed's brother, Ali Nasr al-Rimi said he was speaking with him on the phone when the airstrikes started.

"We heard the first, second and third explosion, then after the forth blast, the line was cut," he said. "I was so afraid, I rushed to the house. I couldn't recognize the place."

For hours, he said he had been retrieving the bodies of his brother's family, "all torn into pieces." One of his brother's children survived, three-year-old Bothina. Her leg was smashed by a huge chunk of cement, Ali Nasr al-Rimi said.

Another relative sat by in shock, helplessly watching bulldozers removing rubble and searching for more bodies. The death toll was expected to rise.

The Houthi-run official agency SABA reported that the toll has reached 16 dead, including eight children and four women in addition to 22 injured.

Recently, the strikes in and around Sanaa, targeting army compounds and other locations of the rebels known as Houthis, have intensified. Liz Throssell, a spokeswoman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the U.N. has confirmed that 33 of the 41 people killed in Arhab were civilians.

The Saudi-led airstrikes have hit schools, hospitals, and markets, killing thousands of civilians and prompting rights groups to accuse the coalition of war crimes. Activists have called upon Western countries, including the United States and Britain, to cease their military support for the coalition.

In addition to civilian casualties, the conflict triggered a set of humanitarian crises including cholera epidemic which killed around 2000 people and infected over half a million as Yemen's health, water, and sanitation systems were near collapse while shortage in basic necessities left millions hungry and pushed the impoverished nation to the brink of famine.

The escalation comes amid signs of fracturing between the two main components of the rebel alliance in Sanaa, the Houthis and loyalists of ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh  a standoff that has triggered fears of street violence. The rebel alliance controls much of northern Yemen, including Sanaa while the coalition along with the internationally-recognized government of Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi controls much of the south.

On Thursday, ex-president Saleh drew about 300,000 supporters for a rally in the streets of Sanaa in a public show of support for him amid the tensions with the Houthis. Saleh's supporters said in a statement that the party will evaluate its partnership with the Houthis.

Yemen's brutal war has shown no signs of abating and U.S. support for the coalition led by Riyadh appears to be only increasing.

On Wednesday, Gen. Joseph Votel, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East, visited the Saudi-Yemen border for a first-hand look at the kingdom's military fight against Yemen's rebels  a visit that coincided with the attack in Arhab.
The Metropolitan Police force says two officers suffered minor injuries while detaining the suspect, who is being held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting police.

A police cordon outside Buckingham Palace where a man has been arrested after an incident, in London, Friday Aug. 25, 2017

By AP: A man armed with a knife was detained outside London's Buckingham Palace Friday evening, and two police officers were injured while arresting him, police said.

The Metropolitan Police force says two officers suffered minor injuries while detaining the suspect, who is being held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assaulting police.

Police said the officers did not require hospital treatment. No other injuries were reported.

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A large number of police vehicles could be seen in the Mall, the wide road outside the palace.

Buckingham Palace is one of London's main tourist attractions, and the London home of Queen Elizabeth II. The queen, however, usually spends August in Scotland at her Balmoral estate with family members.

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President Donald Trump spared former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio the prospect of serving jail time in granting the first pardon of his turbulent tenure, wiping away the lawman's recent federal conviction stemming from his immigration patrols that focused on Latinos.

The White House said 85-year-old Arpaio was a "worthy candidate" for the pardon, citing his "life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration." Trump granted the pardon less than a month after a judge found Arpaio guilty of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge in a trial that was prosecuted by the president's own Justice Department.

"I appreciate what the president did," Arpaio told The Associated Press as he celebrated the news over an Italian restaurant meal and someone in his party ordered champagne. "I have to put it out there: Pardon, no pardon  I'll be with him as long as he's president."

The pardon drew a swift and harsh denunciation from an array of Latinos and political leaders, who said it amounted to presidential approval of racism by eliminating the conviction of a law officer who the courts said had used immigration patrols to racially profile Latinos. And it overturned what critics saw as a long-awaited comeuppance for a lawman who long escaped accountability for his use of headline-grabbing tactics as sheriff in Phoenix.

"Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights," Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said.

The White House announced the pardon late Friday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane threatened Texas with severe flooding and on the same day Trump fleshed out the details of his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, another move that will cheer his conservative base. The decision followed the uproar that ensued after Trump assigned blame to "both sides" participating in race-fueled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month.

Trump has been plagued by poor job approval ratings, currently at 34 percent, the lowest mark ever for a president in his first year.

His decision on the former sheriff may also serve to energize supporters dispirited by the president's dismissal a week ago of chief strategist Steve Bannon, a favorite on the far right wing of the Republican Party.

GOP leaders were mixed in reacting to the pardon. Sen. John McCain criticized the move and said it undermines Trump's "claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions." Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Arpaio should be given credit for his crime-fighting efforts and allowed to "move on" and enjoy his retirement.

Arpaio earned a national reputation by taking aggressive action to arrest immigrants in the country illegally. But years of legal issues and related costs took a toll on his political power at home, and he was handily defeated by a Democrat in the 2016 election.

The loss coincided with Trump's election, based in large part on his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Arpaio campaigned for him around the country and spoke at the Republican National Convention.

Arpaio defied court orders that he stop the patrols and has been pardoned by a president who has shown lack of respect for judges with whom he disagrees. Trump has had harsh words about judges overseeing the case against his now-defunct Trump University and his travel ban.

"So Sheriff Joe was convicted for doing his job?" Trump asked supporters at Tuesday's rally. "I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine, OK."

Trump issued the pardon seven months after taking office, though it is not unprecedented for a president to issue a pardon in their first year in office.

George H. W. Bush granted clemency after seven months in office, said Jeffrey Crouch, a professor of politics at American University who wrote a book on presidential pardons.

Asked whether Trump sought a recommendation from the Justice Department's pardon attorney or the deputy attorney general, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday: "I would imagine they go through the thorough and standard process."

It is not unheard of for a president to exercise his broad power to grant pardons without formal input from the Justice Department, particularly when it involves an associate or a friend. President Bill Clinton ignited a major controversy on his final day in office with a last-minute pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of a major Democratic fundraiser.

Former President George W. Bush set off a political backlash over his decision to commute the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on a perjury and obstruction of justice case that stemmed from a CIA leak. And Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate scandal just days after taking over for his predecessor.

Critics say the Arpaio pardon removed the last opportunity to hold the lawman accountable for what they say is a long history of misconduct, including a 2013 civil verdict in which the sheriff's officers were found to have racially profiled Latinos in his immigration patrols.

Arpaio was accused of prolonging the patrols for 17 months after a judge had ordered them stopped so that he could promote his immigration enforcement efforts in a bid to boost his successful 2012 re-election campaign.

Arpaio acknowledged extending the patrols, but insisted it wasn't intentional. He blamed a former attorney for not properly explaining the importance of the court order and brushing off the conviction as a "petty crime."

He accused then-President Barack Obama of trying to influence the 2016 sheriff's race by announcing in court weeks before Election Day that it was willing to prosecute Arpaio. Prosecutors never filed criminal charges. They were instead recommended by the judge who presided over the profiling case, which began in the Bush administration. The judge in the profiling case was a Bush appointee as well.

Lawyers in Trump's Justice Department prosecuted the case during a five-day trial this summer, and the judge handed down the conviction last month. Arpaio said he'll discuss the case in more detail next week. He said he'll remain involved in the political scene now that he's no longer facing jail time.

"I don't fish," Arpaio said. "I'll be very active."

Superville reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Sadie Gurman and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.
More than 100 members of the New York Air National Guard will help respond to Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Lousiana, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.

The personnel includes rescue teams, maintenance and support staff, Cuomo said.

New York is also sending three rescue helicopters, one rescue plane, and several boats and watercraft from the 106th Rescue Wing, Cuomo said.

"New Yorkers first-hand know the damage Mother Nature can cause, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Louisiana and Texas as they brace for Hurricane Harvey," Cuomo said in a statement.

Meanwhile, 10 American Red Cross volunteers from New Jersey have been deployed to serve along local volunteers in Texas. The Red Cross said more people were ready to deploy if necessary.

Harvey made landfall in southeast Texas on Friday night as a Category 3 hurricane. Forecasters warned it could bring catastrophic floods and up to 40 inches of water in some places.
Several members of the group Black Lives Matter demonstrated outside the Northeast Philadelphia home of a police officer Thursday evening over his involvement in the shooting death of a man during a traffic stop.

The small group of about a dozen paced outside 15th District Officer Ryan Pownall's twin home along Bridle Road in the city's Bustleton section for about an hour.

Shouting "If we don't get no justice, they don't get no peace," the group demanded Pownall be charged with murder for the June death of David Jones.

Pownall, a 12-year veteran of the police department, shot the 30-year-old in the back and buttocks on June 8 following a struggle. The officer stopped Jones for riding an illegal dirt bike in North Philadelphia.

Family Photo

During a pat down, Pownall felt a gun in Jones' waistband, police said.

A witness in back of Pownall's police vehicle watched Pownall pull his service weapon and warn Jones not to touch the gun, police said. The two men scuffled before Jones allegedly grabbed his handgun, according to police.

Jones then fled. Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 appears to show Jones running away when he was shot.

The same witness later told NBC10 that Jones had dropped the gun before running. A fully loaded .9mm handgun was recovered at the scene.

Jones died at Temple University Hospital.



Activists are protesting the deadly police shooting of a man riding a dirt bike in Philadelphia back on June 8. The Pennsylvania Attorney Generals Office is handing the investigation of the death of David Jones.

The shooting remains under investigation by both police and the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the department is looking into whether protocol was followed.

Pownall remains on administrative leave.



Black Lives Matter, led by activist Asa Khalif, along with others, have been protesting the shooting for weeks. In July, the group marched on the Police Administration Building and City Hall demanding a larger investigation.



The group decided to turn its attention to Pownall Thursday. A line of on-duty police officers separated the demonstrators from the officer's home. The non-violent protest was streamed on Facebook Live.

Pownall was called a "racist, bigot pig cop" and Khalif said he has "a murderous spirit" referring to another shooting that the officer was involved. That 2010 shooting left Carnell Williams-Carney paralyzed when a bullet hit him in the back. The shooting was ruled justified and Williams-Carney lost a federal lawsuit against police.

Thursday's protest riled police union boss John McNesby. He called Khalif a "punk" who shoud've been arrested for protesting without a permit.

"I can't use the words I want," McNesby said Friday. "To take it to someone's house, a police officer's house, he doesn't have any respect."

"He's a two-bit punk who doesn't have the respect of decent protesters, if there is any in this city."

Khalif invoked the words of Black Panther Assata Shakur in response: "It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love and support one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains."

Protesting at Pownall's home has Pa. Rep. Martina White (R - Pa. 170) renewing calls to support a bill that would bar police from releasing an officer's name shortly after a shooting.



Philadelphia Police Department policy directs the release of officers' identities within 72 hours of a police-involved shooting if there is no credible threat against the officer. The policy falls in line with U.S. Department of Justice guidelines.

White has sponsored House Bill 27, which would limit the release of officers' names to 30 days or until the investigation is completed  whichever is sooner.

The representative fired shots at Commissioner Ross and Mayor Jim Kenney in a statement Friday alleging they have been soft on policing Black Lives Matter protests.

"It is shocking to me that Police Commissioner Richard Ross and Mayor Jim Kenney allowed this illegal occupation to go on for hours without taking any action to enforce the law, and I question whether the police department has been ordered to stand down when it comes to addressing this Black Lives Matter action," her statement read in part.

Kenney thanked police for defusing the protest and denounced the event.



"There are many Philadelphians and officers who are productively working to build police-community trust, including pushing for transparency and reform which Commissioner Ross and I both agree must continue. What happened last night did nothing to move those efforts forward," the mayor said in a statement.

White previously introduced a bill that would bar police departments from releasing officer identities unless that officer was charged with a crime and only after an internal investigation has been competed.

The law was vetoed by Gov. Tom Wolf in 2016.


A Philadelphia school teacher was charged early Saturday with allegedly making terroristic threats against a police officer during a protest at the Rizzo statue Aug. 16, according to court documents.

John Sheerin, 63, of Crescentville, is seen on a video shot by local reporter and columnist Helen Ubinas during protests in the shadow of the statue for Frank Rizzo, a former mayor and police commissioner. (Warning: The video contains extremely graphic language.)

A phone number for Sheerin went to voicemail, which indicated that the mailbox was full and a message could not be left.

Sheerin most recently taught at Julia De Burgos Elementary School. A spokesman for the Philadelphia School District confirmed last week, prior to Sheerin's arrest, that they are aware of the incident and investigating it.

On Saturday, district spokesman Lee Whack said in an email that Sheerin would not return to his school, pending the ongoing investigation.

"The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority. This is a matter which we take very seriously," Whack said. "The School District is aware of his arrest, but prior to his arrest Mr. Sheerin had been under investigation. He has been removed from his school pending our investigation."

Courtesy of Helen Ubinas, Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News columnist

It is unclear how or when Sheerin was arrested. Facebook posts on his page from two members of the local Black Lives Matter chapter indicate that Sheerin also attended a protest by BLM on Thursday night outside the house of a police officer who shot and killed a man earlier in the summer.

Sheerin was released on $5,000 bail and his next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 26.
The union representing Philadelphia police officers says it has won a temporary halt to the immediate release of cops' identities in shootings of civilians.

The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 said late Friday that the union can now challenge the release of officers in police-involved shootings until a full hearing is held Sept. 29.

The union has long sought to protect the identity of officers who shoot civilians in the line of duty, and filed a lawsuit Friday seeking a temporary injunction against the police department's release of names after a protest outside one officer's house Thursday evening.

The small group of about a dozen protesters from a local Black Lives Matter chapter paced outside 15th District Officer Ryan Pownall's twin home along Bridle Road in the city's Bustleton section for about an hour.

McNesby ripped the protesters during an interview with NBC10, and called one of the Black Lives Matter organizers, Asa Khalif, "a punk."

"I can't use the words I want," McNesby said Friday. "To take it to someone's house, a police officer's house, he doesn't have any respect."

"He's a two-bit punk who doesn't have the respect of decent protesters, if there is any in this city."

Pownall, a 12-year veteran of the police department, shot the 30-year-old in the back and buttocks on June 8 following a struggle. The officer stopped Jones for riding an illegal dirt bike in North Philadelphia, and patted the man down. Pownall has alleged that a struggle then ensued when he found a handgun on Jones.

Moments later, Jones fled. Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 appears to show Jones running away when he was shot.

A witness later told NBC10 that Jones had dropped the gun before running. A fully loaded .9mm handgun was recovered at the scene.

The shooting remains under investigation by both police and the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. Police Commissioner Richard Ross said the department is looking into whether protocol was followed.

Pownall is on administrative leave.

A state lawmaker who represents a portion of Northeast Philadelphia, Martina White, also took exception with protesters entering a suburban neighborhood of Philadelphia. White has twice proposed legislation that would restrict the release of officers' identities following police-involved shootings. Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed her initial bill last year. Another bill remains in the state legislature.

While I fully support lawful protests as provided by the First Amendment, [Thursday's] events were not that," White said in a press release Friday. "Instead, Black Lives Matter activists invaded a residential neighborhood without a permit, utilized bullhorns to spew profanity, and threatened an endless occupation of that neighborhood until their demands are met."

The city plans to defend its policy of releasing officers' names at the next court hearing, scheduled for Sept. 29 in front of Common Pleas Judge Daniel J. Anders, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jim Kenney told Philly.com.

Anders issued a temporary injunction Friday until the next hearing that allows the city to continue releasing officers names 72 hours after shootings, but also gave the FOP the right to challenge the release of an officer's identity within that 72-hour window.
The boyfriend of a mother found dead in her bedroom, while her two children were at home in Mountain View was taken into custody Friday.

The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Mickette Smith, said San Diego Police Lt. Todd Griffin.

Smith's 17-year-old child was not in the house at the time.



Her boyfriend, 40-year-old Damon Edwards was arrested and booked into jail. He is facing a charge of first-degree murder.

The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department (SDFD) received the initial call requesting medical aid for the victim. There were multiple 911 calls, including at least one from the victim's children, said Griffin.

When first responders arrived, they found a woman lying on the floor in the upstairs bedroom with fatal trauma to her head and upper torso.

Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene, said police.

Upon discovering her body, the fire crew left the home and alerted police around 9:15 a.m.

Police said a large number of extended family members arrived at the scene. The victim's children are currently safe with family.

An investigation is underway with San Diego Police Homicide Detectives.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.
The University of Maryland Police Department informed campus officials about a person of interest in the case of a noose found in a fraternity's kitchen.

The noose was discovered at the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity house on the College Park campus on Apr. 27 and classified at a hate incident. The fraternity includes students of multiple ethnic backgrounds.

Detectives investigated the case for more than 600 hours, campus police said.

UMPD is committed to creating a safe campus that is free from hate and discrimination, campus police Chief David B. Mitchell said.

The investigation included interviews with more than 60 people, video review and swipe card access, police said.
Two people tackled a woman near her home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, but she fought them off and her neighbors ran to her rescue.

Roberta Rothstein was defiant in the face of the attack in the neighborhood she has called home for more than 30 years. She said she won't let someone rob her of her sense of security.

"Damn it, that's going to change!" she said. "I'm not gonna make somebody coming up to me make me afraid. I'm not. That's not gonna happen."

NE DC resident Roberta Rothstein was mugged outside her house on Tues night. You can still see injury above her eye. Full story at 4/5/6 pic.twitter.com/KsX8mpPe4n  Aimee Cho (@AimeeCho4) August 25, 2017

Rothstein, a dancer who owns a studio in the area, was getting out of her car late Tuesday when someone approached her.

"He said, 'Ma'am, do you have the ti--' and then reaches across me. It was very fast," she said.

Before she knew it, Rothstein was wrestling him.

"I start screaming, 'No, no, no, no, no!'" she said.



Rothstein is just 5 feet tall, but she was able to fight him off.

Then, her neighbors ran to her rescue.

"All of the sudden I have three neighbors down the street like, 'What? Where did he go? There? Ok!' Everybody's running," she said.

Police caught one of the people who attacked her. The other is still out there.

Rothstein, who was born and raised in New York City, said she stands by her split-second decision to fight back.

"My philosophy is, if I don't see a gun, I'm holding on to my stuff," she said.

Rothstein said the mugging -- the fifth in her lifetime -- doesn't make her afraid, though it left her with a black eye and bandages on a few of her fingers.

She thanked the people to came to her aid.

"My neighbors are wonderful," she said.
Robert E. Lee never fought a battle in Ohio during the Civil War. But he's part of one now.

A roadside marker honoring the Confederate general has swept a small city into the heated conflict over Confederate monuments, in the aftermath of the deadly violence triggered by a white supremacist rally this month called to protest the planned removal of a Lee statue in his home state.

"It's going on all over the country," said Larry Etter, shutting down his riding mower to chat. "Half the people didn't even know it was here. But now little Franklin, Ohio, is in it because of what happened in Virginia."

A movement in recent years to remove Confederate monuments and flags from public places as symbols of national division and black oppression has accelerated since the Aug. 12 rally in which a counter-protester was killed by a car driven into a crowd in Charlottesville, Virginia.

It brought sudden attention to Franklin's 90-year-old rock marker, depicting Lee astride his horse, Traveller, and situated aside the "Dixie Highway," a roads network running from Miami to Michigan. Local news stories, an online petition and demonstrations raised debate over its continued display.

Franklin Township officials declared the monument wouldn't be moved. Then they announced they learned it was on property now controlled by the city of Franklin. A Franklin official then said the city wanted to give it back to Franklin Township.

The confusion seemed understandable since the monument  too small to be easily noticed by passing motorists and lacking a parking area  hadn't been in the news since someone accidentally drove into it in 1981.

By the morning of Aug. 17, when President Donald Trump made a series of tweets bemoaning the loss of history from the removal of "our beautiful statues and monuments," the Lee marker had been gone for hours, removed by workers overnight.

Residents were outraged, calling it tampering with history. The mainly blue-collar city of nearly 12,000 people was Trump country in the 2016 election, and residents echoed him.

"If every time someone says something like that is offensive and you take it down, where does history go?" asked Jo Ann Powell, who owns the Take-A-Look hair salon across the road from the monument site. "I think they're (city officials) falling into the trap."

At a heated meeting Aug. 21, City Manager Sonny Lewis stood by the decision.

"Call me a coward if you want to," Lewis told an overflow audience. "I would rather be called a coward than be standing up there two days later lighting candles at the memorial for somebody who's gotten hurt or killed."

Besides potentially drawing violent protests, the monument could have been defaced, as has happened to Confederate monuments elsewhere, officials said.

At a meeting three days later, township officials said they want to return the monument to public view, but aren't sure where yet.

Dan Darragh, a longtime Franklin journalist and historic preservationist, said he never heard any complaints about the monument before.

According to local history, a Franklin businessman with Southern roots admired Lee and supported the monument, dedicated "in loving memory" of Lee by the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Otherwise, the region's closest tie to Lee might be nearby Dayton's native Martin Sheen's portrayal of him in the 1993 movie "Gettysburg."

University of Cincinnati history professor Christopher Phillips said a Confederate monument in a small Northern city reflects feelings more complex than North vs. South. Besides its demographics  Franklin's population is about 95 percent white  it's an area where many people feel left behind economically and distrustful of Washington.

Phillips said the passions aroused by such monuments are more about current political realities than historical figures and events.

"I think the Franklin monument is a perfect example of this, because it stands so apart from the war narrative," Phillips said.

At least 20 Franklin natives died in the Civil War, some fighting Lee-led troops in battles such as Chancellorsville and Gettysburg.

Darragh recalled little local interest in the dedication a few years ago at Woodhill Cemetery of a historical marker honoring contributions to the Union effort.

"All of the sudden, people are concerned about history," he said with a smile.

Etter has been cutting grass around the marker site for five decades, and he's volunteered to put it on his property nearby. He said he's not a fan of waving Confederate flags around, but believes the monument should be displayed again.

"That's history," Etter said.
AAP spokesperson Sourabh Bhardwaj said that despite a year-old propaganda, the CBI has miserably failed in gathering any evidence against Satyendar Jain.

By Pankaj Jain: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has categorically stated that the Modi government has unleashed all its agencies on the party, Delhi government, MLAs and ministers, to settle scores for BJP's humiliating defeat in Delhi Assembly elections.

It added CBI has registered a completely false case against Delhi's Health Minister Satyendar Jain at the behest of BJP's central government in a desperate bid to divert attention from the shameless violence in Haryana.

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IT further said CBI has no evidence against Satyendar Jain and it is allowing itself to be misused as a political weapon of the central government, which has been leaking same old and false information against Jain to defame him and his family.

AAP spokesperson Sourabh Bhardwaj says that despite a year-old propaganda, the CBI has miserably failed in gathering any evidence against Satyendar Jain. Despite having spent around nine hours at the residence of Satyendar Jain on Friday, this is what CBI recovered - Rs 50,000 cash, 52 grams of gold, copies of Income Tax returns, election affidavits, copy of the petition filed in the High Court, inventory of the official furniture. Despite having searched all documents related to Jain and his family since 2007, all agencies of the central government have not been able to dig out any evidence.

AAP challenges the CBI to dispute the following facts:

1) Satyendar Jain has not purchased or sold a single share since he resigned from directorship of companies in 2013, when he decided to enter public life in July 2013.

2) Satyendar Jain does not own any land and has not been involved in decision making of any company since July 2013.

3) When he has not invested in any company after 2011 and his total investments from his income as a professional architect was Rs 51 lakh, on what basis has a case of disproportionate assets been registered against Satyendar Jain and his wife?

4) CBI is planting a fictitious amount of Rs 1.62 crore as income for Jain, AAP challenges the CBI to put in public domain which income is it alleging and in which form?

5) What has the CBI been able to find against Jain in its one year of vilification campaign against him and his family?

ALSO READ:

Will not allow power tariff hike in Delhi: Satyendar Jain

Court to hear on Sept 11 Satyender Jain's pleas against Mishra

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University of Virginia police have obtained arrest warrants for a white nationalist from New Hampshire in connection with crimes they said were committed on campus a day before a rally that ended in deadly violence.

Police said in a statement Tuesday that Christopher Cantwell, of Keene, New Hampshire, is wanted on three felony charges: Two counts of the illegal use of tear gas or other gases and one count of malicious bodily injury with a "caustic substance," explosive or fire.

The statement said the warrants stem from incidents on campus the evening of Aug. 11, when hundreds of white nationalists marched across the grounds, chanting anti-Semitic slogans and carrying torches. At one point, the marchers were confronted by a much smaller group of counter-protesters.

The statement doesn't provide any further details about the allegations. It said he should turn himself in immediately. Cantwell was featured prominently in a Vice News documentary about the Charlottesville events.

The self-proclaimed racist was shown several times in the documentary, at one point unloading his weapons, and later reacting to the news that a counter protester was killed by a white nationalist who rammed his car into the crowd.

"We're not non-violent, we will f****** kill these people if we have to," Cantwell said in the video.

In an interview with NBC Boston last week, Cantwell's landlord in Keene said he was shocked to hear of his tenant's role in the events in Charlottesville.

"He never showed that personality to me," Todd Tousley said.

Tousley said he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Cantwell featured as one of the leaders of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville on a Vice News documentary.

"Pretty surprised, pretty surprised," Tousley said. "It's kind of scary to hear anybody talk like that."

In a YouTube video posted several days after Charlottesville, Cantwell is in tears, blaming the violence on the counter protesters.

"It was done in defense of myself and others," he said in the video. "I would not have done it for any other reasons."

Cantwell has said he's staying in an undisclosed location because death threats have him fearing for his life.


A man has been sentenced to at least 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the beating death of another man late last year in Wentworth, New Hampshire.

Sixty-year-old Todd Downing was found injured in his Atwell Hill Road home on Nov. 23, 2016. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

After an autopsy showed Downing died from blunt impact injuries, 30-year-old Thomas Corliss was arrested and charged in the crime.

Friday, the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office announced that Corliss had pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was sentenced to serve 15 to 30 years in prison.
Marine authorities in the U.S. and Canada said Friday they will marshal resources to try to find out what's behind a string of deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales.

The animals are among the rarest marine mammals in the world, with only about 500 still living. The countries will collaborate on a report that could help craft future regulations that protect the vulnerable whales, representatives said.

Representatives of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Fisheries and Oceans Canada both said ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear have played roles in the deaths of the whales, and that other factors also could have played a role.

The goal of the countries is to find out more about why 13 of the whales have been found dead this year and respond with solutions, said David Gouveia, protected species monitoring program branch chief for NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Region.

"The North Atlantic right whale is fragile, and one of NOAA and DFO's most difficult conservation challenges," Gouveia said. "Every factor impacting their ability to thrive is significant."

This year, 10 dead whales have been found off of Canada's coast and three off the coast of Massachusetts, prompting the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to declare the deaths an "unusual mortality event" on Thursday and to launch an investigation. The agency said that designation triggers a "focused, expert investigation" into the cause of the deaths.

The report will take months to assemble, and a budget for the investigation has not been developed, officials said. The effort will involve collecting data on each whale that died and considering factors such as changes to the environment and habitat, they said.

An average number of dead right whales would be about four, Gouveia said. Representatives for both countries said strategies to protect the whales could include fishing gear modifications, ship speed restrictions and changes to shipping traffic patterns.

"The priority is to protect these whales," said Matthew Hardy, aquatic resources management division manager for Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Conservationists have said the right whale population is so small that a year of poor reproduction and heavy mortality could threaten its survival. Only a few baby right whales were born this year, said Charles "Stormy" Mayo, a senior scientist at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Biologist Regina Asmutis-Silvia of Whale and Dolphin Conservation has called this year's number of deaths "unprecedented." She and other conservationists have said right whales haven't suffered such high mortality since the whaling era, when their populations were decimated. Hunting right whales became illegal 80 years ago.

The whales migrate north every summer to feed. Scott Kraus, who heads the New England Aquarium's right whale research program, has said it's possible the whales are more vulnerable to hazards because they are traveling more due to changes in the availability of food.
By PTI: S Asia: Official

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Aug 26 (PTI) China might be interested in stability in Afghanistan and South Asia as it is building an ambitious infrastructure network in the region, a senior Trump administration official has said after Beijing backed Pakistan when the US president sternly warned it against providing safe havens to terrorists.

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Donald Trump, who announced his Afghanistan and South Asia policy on Tuesday, slammed Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

"I think we see China is interested in seeing stability in this region. They have their One Belt and One Road (OBOR) project that they are seeking to build. So, they are looking for stability in the region," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.

The OBOR initiative, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to link the economic circles in East Asia and Europe, connecting China - on land and over water - to partners in Asia, Europe and Africa.

The initiative, known as the revival of the ancient Silk Road trading route, would link Asian markets with economic groups in Europe.

"And so the US will be looking for ways to work with China on our mutual goals of peace and stability in Afghanistan," the official said responding to a question on Chinas role in bringing peace and stability in the region and given its proximity to Pakistan.

After Trump announced his Afghan and South Asia Strategy, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with Chinas top diplomat Yang Jiechi, during which the latter urged him to value Pakistans role in Afghanistan.

"We must value Pakistans important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistans sovereignty and reasonable security concerns," Yang told Tillerson according to a Chinese statement.

Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif is expected to visit China before his trip to Washington to meet Tillerson here.

Notably, China is the only country that has come out in support of Pakistan after Trumps strong statement against Islamabad in which he accused it of supporting terrorists and presence of safe havens in the country.

The senior administration official said that China will not be the only country that the US is working with, but certainly they are going be one of the important ones.

"And I do want to stress, that too often when we talk about the new strategy, people get caught up in how many troops. But when I stress the diplomatic element of this strategy and that should think about this as also a diplomatic, a surge in our regional diplomacy."

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"Our diplomats will be more actively engaged with the region and with the other powers that have an interest in Afghanistan and to build support and to the extent for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," the official said.

The six plus one format, which includes India and China, has been revived and is moving forward.

The quadrilateral coordination group, that includes the US, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan. There are many different regional efforts that are likely to happen and move forward, the official said. PTI LKJ AMS AKJ AMS

--- ENDS ---
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: A five-year-old child died after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man in Balajinagar in Thalagattapura on Friday. Police have arrested Chandana (40), the babysitter, and her friend Mallikarjun (33). Police said the child was sexually assaulted on August 17 but the incident came to light when she was taken to a hospital after she complained of tiredness.

Police said the childs mother moved to Bengaluru from Kodagu three months ago after her husband died. She started working at a private firm and had hired Chandana to take care of the child. A couple of days after the incident, Chandana called the childs mother and said the girl was looking very tired and said she suspected that it could be due to low haemoglobin count.

The mother took the child to a hospital where doctors said her condition was critical. As the child did not recover despite receiving treatment, her mother then took her to another hospital. The situation did not improve and the hospital authorities suggested that the child be taken to St Johns Hospital. Doctors there examined the kid and found that the child was sexually assaulted. Unable to respond to treatment the girl died on Friday.

Police sources said they have recorded a video statement of the girl in which she said Mallikarjun had misbehaved with her. The girl has also said that Chandana was beating her up for no reason. She added that Chandana was not feeding her even when she asked for food and would beat her up when she cried out of hunger, said sources.

BENGALURU: A five-year-old child died after she was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man in Balajinagar in Thalagattapura on Friday. Police have arrested Chandana (40), the babysitter, and her friend Mallikarjun (33). Police said the child was sexually assaulted on August 17 but the incident came to light when she was taken to a hospital after she complained of tiredness. Police said the childs mother moved to Bengaluru from Kodagu three months ago after her husband died. She started working at a private firm and had hired Chandana to take care of the child. A couple of days after the incident, Chandana called the childs mother and said the girl was looking very tired and said she suspected that it could be due to low haemoglobin count. The mother took the child to a hospital where doctors said her condition was critical. As the child did not recover despite receiving treatment, her mother then took her to another hospital. The situation did not improve and the hospital authorities suggested that the child be taken to St Johns Hospital. Doctors there examined the kid and found that the child was sexually assaulted. Unable to respond to treatment the girl died on Friday. Police sources said they have recorded a video statement of the girl in which she said Mallikarjun had misbehaved with her. The girl has also said that Chandana was beating her up for no reason. She added that Chandana was not feeding her even when she asked for food and would beat her up when she cried out of hunger, said sources.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: A Qatar Airways flight carrying 240 passengers made an emergency landing at Shamshabad airport here after the co-pilot suffered pain in his chest.

The flight landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here at 12.05 am, and the pilot Andrei Dinu was rushed to Jubilee Hills Apollo hospital for treatment. The flight was on the way from Doha to Denpasar, Indonesia.

According to sources, the Qatar airways flight (QR 964) was diverted to RGIA, when the co-pilot Andrei Dinu (Staff no. 84362) suffered severe pain in his heart and lungs.

"The 34-year-old Romanian national was immediately rushed to Apollo hospital in the airport at 1.20 am. The doctors said the crew member was suffering from severe pain in the heart and lungs, but it was not confirmed by the doctor what the actual medical condition was. Later, the doctor decided to shift him to Jubilee Hills Apollo Hospital where he is being treated now," said a source at the airport.

Qatar airlines made alternative arrangements for the flight and ensured it reached its destination, Denpasar, on time at 8 am, sources said.

HYDERABAD: A Qatar Airways flight carrying 240 passengers made an emergency landing at Shamshabad airport here after the co-pilot suffered pain in his chest. The flight landed at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here at 12.05 am, and the pilot Andrei Dinu was rushed to Jubilee Hills Apollo hospital for treatment. The flight was on the way from Doha to Denpasar, Indonesia. According to sources, the Qatar airways flight (QR 964) was diverted to RGIA, when the co-pilot Andrei Dinu (Staff no. 84362) suffered severe pain in his heart and lungs. "The 34-year-old Romanian national was immediately rushed to Apollo hospital in the airport at 1.20 am. The doctors said the crew member was suffering from severe pain in the heart and lungs, but it was not confirmed by the doctor what the actual medical condition was. Later, the doctor decided to shift him to Jubilee Hills Apollo Hospital where he is being treated now," said a source at the airport. Qatar airlines made alternative arrangements for the flight and ensured it reached its destination, Denpasar, on time at 8 am, sources said.
Arunkumar Sekhar By

Express News Service

Film: An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power

Director: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk

Cast: Al Gore, Donald Trump, Barrack Obama, Narendra Modi

It has been eleven years since An Inconvenient Truth released. Al Gore is now approaching 70, and has more grey hair now. But once he stands on that stage fully decked, and begins talking about global warming, you can see that his passion has not died down even a bit. The message is more pressing than before and the rise in the frequency of extreme weather events has only vindicated Gores position. The droughts and heat waves are getting more extensive, and in Karachi, people are building anticipatory mass graves in anticipation. There is even an extended video on the Chennai floods. The video hits closer home than before.

The film opens with the senate questioning the credentials of Al Gores claims in 2007 and the Bush administration closing down the DSCOVR satellite project that Gore had painstakingly built with NASA to map out the changing climatic conditions. Gore sees the lack of climate change conversations as a personal failure. Youre then shown Gore training people on climate change. These sessions which started out with 50 trainees now see close to 793 attendees from 58 countries taking part. The DSCOVR satellite is in orbit again, and Al Gore is the leading voice on climate change. There is a lot more hope in his voice now.

An Inconvenient Sequel though does not have the panache of the previous one. The sequel is a lot less about preaching the message to us than it is to the people around the world who are in a position to make the change. Filled with meet and greets, the films last half hour is a showcase of Gores statesmanship. The former Vice President quips, I am a recovering politician, but it is his astute maneuvering that is crucial to the Paris treaty getting ratified by India, which is seen as the biggest roadblock in this film.

The first was an angry film which ended with hope, but the second is different. Muhammad Alis quote is used: Everybody has a plan until he gets punched. The election of Donald Trump is seen as the biggest threat as evidenced by the USA pulling out of the Paris climate change agreement on June 1, 2017. Gore is angry. But he ends with this Wallace Stevens line about his life so far, After the last no, comes a yes, and on that the future of the world depends.

Film: An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power Director: Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk Cast: Al Gore, Donald Trump, Barrack Obama, Narendra Modi It has been eleven years since An Inconvenient Truth released. Al Gore is now approaching 70, and has more grey hair now. But once he stands on that stage fully decked, and begins talking about global warming, you can see that his passion has not died down even a bit. The message is more pressing than before and the rise in the frequency of extreme weather events has only vindicated Gores position. The droughts and heat waves are getting more extensive, and in Karachi, people are building anticipatory mass graves in anticipation. There is even an extended video on the Chennai floods. The video hits closer home than before. The film opens with the senate questioning the credentials of Al Gores claims in 2007 and the Bush administration closing down the DSCOVR satellite project that Gore had painstakingly built with NASA to map out the changing climatic conditions. Gore sees the lack of climate change conversations as a personal failure. Youre then shown Gore training people on climate change. These sessions which started out with 50 trainees now see close to 793 attendees from 58 countries taking part. The DSCOVR satellite is in orbit again, and Al Gore is the leading voice on climate change. There is a lot more hope in his voice now. An Inconvenient Sequel though does not have the panache of the previous one. The sequel is a lot less about preaching the message to us than it is to the people around the world who are in a position to make the change. Filled with meet and greets, the films last half hour is a showcase of Gores statesmanship. The former Vice President quips, I am a recovering politician, but it is his astute maneuvering that is crucial to the Paris treaty getting ratified by India, which is seen as the biggest roadblock in this film. The first was an angry film which ended with hope, but the second is different. Muhammad Alis quote is used: Everybody has a plan until he gets punched. The election of Donald Trump is seen as the biggest threat as evidenced by the USA pulling out of the Paris climate change agreement on June 1, 2017. Gore is angry. But he ends with this Wallace Stevens line about his life so far, After the last no, comes a yes, and on that the future of the world depends.
Sudhir Srinivasan By

Express News Service

Film: Vivegam

Director: Siva

Cast: Ajith, Vivek Oberoi, Kajal Aggarwal, Akshara Haasan

You know how some critics conclude at the end of their reviews that the film is strictly for the fans of an actor, as though by virtue of being an admirer of the actor, you should somehow be able to tolerate underwhelming work? Well, lets just say Vivegam is going to get a lot of those reviews. Strictly for Thala fans.

What they mean is that you should be able to step in with a certain bias for the actors films which will help you turn a blind eye at the films flaws, in favour of all the moments that glorify the actor: the punchlines, the life advice, the ripped body the camera pays obeisance to, and all the slo-mo fights. But what such advocates dont seem to get is that such masala moments are like the bullets that are fired by the thousands in Vivegam. The story thats the gun. Without it, youre just simply throwing bullets at people. Its simply futile.

Vivegam makes no secret of its intent to piggyback on the superstar status of its hero, Ajith Kumar. He plays an indomitable agent called Ajay Kumar (the name so it can abbreviate to AK). Hes, as his nanba Aryan puts it, the best killer on earth. But AK exists in a Tamil film; so, hes also a model husband. He is the sort to answer his wifes calls even when hes on a bike with gun-toting killers hot on his prowl. Almost every major character in Vivegam plays a serious fan of the hero. They just cant stop eulogising him to the skies and back.

Among the various hymns Aryan sings of AK are lines like, Poraadama poga maataan, saaga maataan. He even nods in the direction of a previous Siva-Ajith collaboration when he says, Vivegamaa seyal padraan. Veeram-a varaan. One time, he makes it pretty evident that his praise is aimed at the star. Thala keezha ninaalum pidikka mudiyadhu, he says, laying special emphasis on the first word.

Meanwhile, Yazhini (Kajal Aggarwal), AKs wife/devotee, almost gets moved to tears by his very presence. In one scene, as death looks certain for her, she closes her eyes, praying that she marry him again in her next birth.

Everybody loves AK wouldve been a fairly decent title too. Theres also clearly a lot of concerted effort put to make sure that he isnt shown pandering to one religion. Just after he hears moving news from his wife, he makes the sign of a cross. He goes on to kneel as Muslims do, and then brings his palms together in true Hindu style. This isnt an isolated scene, mind you. In a later scene, theres a shot of Yazhini with paintings of Lord Ganesha in the background; this comes seconds after a shot covers a sculpture of Jesus on the cross. Its a calculated effort at appealing to various communities.

ALSO READ: Ajith's charisma is mind-blowing: Dhanush

The directors first film with the actor was set in a village; the second was in a city; and for the third, they have crossed the border. For a while, its aspiration of being a Hollywood-range spy-thriller doesnt seem too far-fetched. The setting, the use of VFX, all the talk of drones and nuclear weapons, references to concepts like the morse code, the action set-pieces you almost buy into it all, despite the almost irksome super-fast editing, and the general lack of silence in the background score. But then again, for a film thats trying to be international in treatment, some of the English usage is rather amusing.

Yazhini, when she gets tongue-tied, says, Struck aidchu, when she means, Stuck aidchu. Another character keeps calling an earthquake, earthquack. A top police authority asks for the SWAT team, pronouncing it to rhyme with flat. Its like the handsome guy in a svelte suit, who walks into a fancy wedding, and suddenly begins picking his nose. It ruins the mood.

All said though, Vivegam is an ambitious film, and technically, its right up there. Ill give Siva that much. The films conceived as a race against time, which explains the digital design of the films title. Every set-piece is a battle against time. Its about phone calls that can be tapped after 30 seconds, weapons that will explode in five hours, watch-bombs that will explode in half-a-minute AKs battle against time is a running theme.

ALSO READ: Siva could direct Ajith again

All the fancy gadgets, including touch screen systems, laser guns, hologram projections are conceived and executed really well. Vivegams probably among the few Tamil films that have aspired to be Hollywood in treatment, and not left you squirming.

Shooting in sub-zero temperatures in countries like Bulgaria must not have been easy at all. But the moment someone refers to the hard work of the crew, in defence of a film, you know theres something wrong with it. In Vivegam, theres quite a lot. For fear of spoiling it, Ill stop with saying that the audience shouldnt be expected to feel the angst of betrayal if they havent been adequately exposed to the depth of a bond.

As for the portrayal of women, Vivegam wouldnt even pass the qualifiers to the Bechdel test. Both the characters played by Kajal and Akshara Haasan need to be protected, with one of them disappearing as fast as she arrives.

Towards the end, an almost parodic sequence reminded me of Paravai Muniyammas famous contribution in Dhools climax. By that time, the original promise of an international spy-thriller felt like a distant memory. But I guess any film which shows a phoenix flying at you, after the villain compares the hero to one, is always going to have a tough time living up to lofty ambitions. At any rate, Im just glad the birds face didnt turn into AKs.

Rating - 2.5/5

Film: Vivegam Director: Siva Cast: Ajith, Vivek Oberoi, Kajal Aggarwal, Akshara Haasan You know how some critics conclude at the end of their reviews that the film is strictly for the fans of an actor, as though by virtue of being an admirer of the actor, you should somehow be able to tolerate underwhelming work? Well, lets just say Vivegam is going to get a lot of those reviews. Strictly for Thala fans. What they mean is that you should be able to step in with a certain bias for the actors films which will help you turn a blind eye at the films flaws, in favour of all the moments that glorify the actor: the punchlines, the life advice, the ripped body the camera pays obeisance to, and all the slo-mo fights. But what such advocates dont seem to get is that such masala moments are like the bullets that are fired by the thousands in Vivegam. The story thats the gun. Without it, youre just simply throwing bullets at people. Its simply futile. IN PICTURES: 10 interesting facts you should know before watching Ajith's Vivegam Vivegam makes no secret of its intent to piggyback on the superstar status of its hero, Ajith Kumar. He plays an indomitable agent called Ajay Kumar (the name so it can abbreviate to AK). Hes, as his nanba Aryan puts it, the best killer on earth. But AK exists in a Tamil film; so, hes also a model husband. He is the sort to answer his wifes calls even when hes on a bike with gun-toting killers hot on his prowl. Almost every major character in Vivegam plays a serious fan of the hero. They just cant stop eulogising him to the skies and back. Among the various hymns Aryan sings of AK are lines like, Poraadama poga maataan, saaga maataan. He even nods in the direction of a previous Siva-Ajith collaboration when he says, Vivegamaa seyal padraan. Veeram-a varaan. One time, he makes it pretty evident that his praise is aimed at the star. Thala keezha ninaalum pidikka mudiyadhu, he says, laying special emphasis on the first word. Meanwhile, Yazhini (Kajal Aggarwal), AKs wife/devotee, almost gets moved to tears by his very presence. In one scene, as death looks certain for her, she closes her eyes, praying that she marry him again in her next birth. Everybody loves AK wouldve been a fairly decent title too. Theres also clearly a lot of concerted effort put to make sure that he isnt shown pandering to one religion. Just after he hears moving news from his wife, he makes the sign of a cross. He goes on to kneel as Muslims do, and then brings his palms together in true Hindu style. This isnt an isolated scene, mind you. In a later scene, theres a shot of Yazhini with paintings of Lord Ganesha in the background; this comes seconds after a shot covers a sculpture of Jesus on the cross. Its a calculated effort at appealing to various communities. ALSO READ: Ajith's charisma is mind-blowing: Dhanush The directors first film with the actor was set in a village; the second was in a city; and for the third, they have crossed the border. For a while, its aspiration of being a Hollywood-range spy-thriller doesnt seem too far-fetched. The setting, the use of VFX, all the talk of drones and nuclear weapons, references to concepts like the morse code, the action set-pieces you almost buy into it all, despite the almost irksome super-fast editing, and the general lack of silence in the background score. But then again, for a film thats trying to be international in treatment, some of the English usage is rather amusing. Yazhini, when she gets tongue-tied, says, Struck aidchu, when she means, Stuck aidchu. Another character keeps calling an earthquake, earthquack. A top police authority asks for the SWAT team, pronouncing it to rhyme with flat. Its like the handsome guy in a svelte suit, who walks into a fancy wedding, and suddenly begins picking his nose. It ruins the mood. All said though, Vivegam is an ambitious film, and technically, its right up there. Ill give Siva that much. The films conceived as a race against time, which explains the digital design of the films title. Every set-piece is a battle against time. Its about phone calls that can be tapped after 30 seconds, weapons that will explode in five hours, watch-bombs that will explode in half-a-minute AKs battle against time is a running theme. ALSO READ: Siva could direct Ajith again All the fancy gadgets, including touch screen systems, laser guns, hologram projections are conceived and executed really well. Vivegams probably among the few Tamil films that have aspired to be Hollywood in treatment, and not left you squirming. Shooting in sub-zero temperatures in countries like Bulgaria must not have been easy at all. But the moment someone refers to the hard work of the crew, in defence of a film, you know theres something wrong with it. In Vivegam, theres quite a lot. For fear of spoiling it, Ill stop with saying that the audience shouldnt be expected to feel the angst of betrayal if they havent been adequately exposed to the depth of a bond. As for the portrayal of women, Vivegam wouldnt even pass the qualifiers to the Bechdel test. Both the characters played by Kajal and Akshara Haasan need to be protected, with one of them disappearing as fast as she arrives. Towards the end, an almost parodic sequence reminded me of Paravai Muniyammas famous contribution in Dhools climax. By that time, the original promise of an international spy-thriller felt like a distant memory. But I guess any film which shows a phoenix flying at you, after the villain compares the hero to one, is always going to have a tough time living up to lofty ambitions. At any rate, Im just glad the birds face didnt turn into AKs. Rating - 2.5/5
S Subhakeerthana By

Express News Service

Kajal Aggarwal isnt the type to let her guard down easily. She remains courteous during the interview, but at the same time, you can sense a certain wariness. Perhaps part of that has to do with how her latest release, Vivegam, is getting mixed reviews. But she isnt perturbed. This is the best phase of my career. I loved my character, Yazhini, in the film and could relate to it, except, of course, the married woman part. Kajal picked the film because of its script.

I am guided by my instinct when I pick roles. I think every role in Vivegam, including mine, was well-defined. It was wonderful working with Siva and Ajith sir. But working in sub-zero temperatures was a big test. I was mostly wearing cotton and linen saris, and the cold was biting, she says.

She says she takes a hands-on approach in choosing the look for her on-screen characters. Costumes are an integral part of any role and I work very closely with my stylists. Anu Vardan designed my outfits in Vivegam. She has a great sense of style, and made sure we werent going with regular saris.

Vivegam review: The weakest of the Siva-Ajith films

Kajals very excited about Mersal that is releasing on Diwali. This is my third project with Vijay and my role (doctor) will be in stark contrast to the one I did in Vivegam. Its going to be terrific! she says. Its a multi-starrer like most of my films. I dont have any issue being a part of them as long as there is scope for my character.

She was also part of the recent big Telugu release, Nene Raju Nene Mantri. I think its one of my better films. I am grateful for the response I have received for my role. Ill continue doing films in both Tamil and Telugu. She reveals shes accepted a part in an upcoming Telugu film starring Kalyan Ram, MLA. The actress, who hails from the North, is thankful that the South audiences have accepted her.

This is a great phase in my career. My busy schedule in South has, however, resulted in my being unable to concentrate on Hindi films. I hope to do more films there, she says. Kajal next has the Tamil remake of Queen in the pipeline.

We begin shooting in October in Madurai. The overseas portions will be shot in London, Paris, and Amsterdam.

Kajal Aggarwal isnt the type to let her guard down easily. She remains courteous during the interview, but at the same time, you can sense a certain wariness. Perhaps part of that has to do with how her latest release, Vivegam, is getting mixed reviews. But she isnt perturbed. This is the best phase of my career. I loved my character, Yazhini, in the film and could relate to it, except, of course, the married woman part. Kajal picked the film because of its script. I am guided by my instinct when I pick roles. I think every role in Vivegam, including mine, was well-defined. It was wonderful working with Siva and Ajith sir. But working in sub-zero temperatures was a big test. I was mostly wearing cotton and linen saris, and the cold was biting, she says. She says she takes a hands-on approach in choosing the look for her on-screen characters. Costumes are an integral part of any role and I work very closely with my stylists. Anu Vardan designed my outfits in Vivegam. She has a great sense of style, and made sure we werent going with regular saris. Vivegam review: The weakest of the Siva-Ajith films Kajals very excited about Mersal that is releasing on Diwali. This is my third project with Vijay and my role (doctor) will be in stark contrast to the one I did in Vivegam. Its going to be terrific! she says. Its a multi-starrer like most of my films. I dont have any issue being a part of them as long as there is scope for my character. IN PICTURES: 10 interesting facts you should know before watching Ajith's Vivegam She was also part of the recent big Telugu release, Nene Raju Nene Mantri. I think its one of my better films. I am grateful for the response I have received for my role. Ill continue doing films in both Tamil and Telugu. She reveals shes accepted a part in an upcoming Telugu film starring Kalyan Ram, MLA. The actress, who hails from the North, is thankful that the South audiences have accepted her. This is a great phase in my career. My busy schedule in South has, however, resulted in my being unable to concentrate on Hindi films. I hope to do more films there, she says. Kajal next has the Tamil remake of Queen in the pipeline. We begin shooting in October in Madurai. The overseas portions will be shot in London, Paris, and Amsterdam.
By Express News Service

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of over 22 bodies of farmers and workers has strongly protested against the participation of Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a farmers body cited to be affiliated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as one of the organisers in a two-day workshop.

The event Sankalp Se Siddhi is aimed at securing instant, sustainable income for farmers through commercial agriculture showcases. The workshop is being jointly organised by Indira Gandhi Agriculture University, Agriculture Vigyan Kendra and Bhartiya Kisan Sangh on August 26-27 at Raipur.

Its a government programme. Why should the RSS frontal body BKS be allowed to be one of the organisers? It appears the RSS trying to push their agenda even in agriculture sector and exhibitions, charged Sanket Thakur, the convener of Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh.

The University sources cited that this event is to share techniques and developments in the field of agriculture. We invite various farmers organisations to get benefitted from our university. Since BKS has requested to be part of the programme in the interest of the state we accepted that. Its open to all bodies of farmers, said the senior public relation officer of the university K K Sahu. The state president of BKS Suresh Chandravanshi could not be reached for his remarks.

Chhattisgarh Pragatisheel Kisan Sangathan, too objected the RSS-affiliate body organising the event with the state government. The event is being held at the taxpayers money. We have no issues if BKS gets invitation to participate but how could the taxpayers money be misused by allowing it to be one of the key organizers of government programme?, Rajkumar Gupta, the coordinator of Sangathan told the New Indian Express.

Gupta, who is also a lawyer, said that his organisation will register a police complaint and take to legal course against the event if the event goes ahead. The event will be inaugurated by the chief minister Raman Singh on Saturday and attended by agriculture minister Brijmohan Agrawal, organising sectary of BKS Dinesh Kulkarni, senior party leaders and the academicians related to agriculture.

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, an umbrella organisation of over 22 bodies of farmers and workers has strongly protested against the participation of Bhartiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), a farmers body cited to be affiliated to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as one of the organisers in a two-day workshop. The event Sankalp Se Siddhi is aimed at securing instant, sustainable income for farmers through commercial agriculture showcases. The workshop is being jointly organised by Indira Gandhi Agriculture University, Agriculture Vigyan Kendra and Bhartiya Kisan Sangh on August 26-27 at Raipur. Its a government programme. Why should the RSS frontal body BKS be allowed to be one of the organisers? It appears the RSS trying to push their agenda even in agriculture sector and exhibitions, charged Sanket Thakur, the convener of Chhattisgarh Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh. The University sources cited that this event is to share techniques and developments in the field of agriculture. We invite various farmers organisations to get benefitted from our university. Since BKS has requested to be part of the programme in the interest of the state we accepted that. Its open to all bodies of farmers, said the senior public relation officer of the university K K Sahu. The state president of BKS Suresh Chandravanshi could not be reached for his remarks. Chhattisgarh Pragatisheel Kisan Sangathan, too objected the RSS-affiliate body organising the event with the state government. The event is being held at the taxpayers money. We have no issues if BKS gets invitation to participate but how could the taxpayers money be misused by allowing it to be one of the key organizers of government programme?, Rajkumar Gupta, the coordinator of Sangathan told the New Indian Express. Gupta, who is also a lawyer, said that his organisation will register a police complaint and take to legal course against the event if the event goes ahead. The event will be inaugurated by the chief minister Raman Singh on Saturday and attended by agriculture minister Brijmohan Agrawal, organising sectary of BKS Dinesh Kulkarni, senior party leaders and the academicians related to agriculture.
By ANI

NEW DELHI: Amid a tense standoff between India and China at Doklam, Chinese shoes packed in Tricolour boxes drew wrath in Uttarakhands Almora.



The local shopkeepers in Uttarakhands Almora informed the police that they had been delivered shoes in boxes bearing the Tricolour, allegedly from China following which police have started investigation.



Almora Senior Superintendent of Police P. Renuka Devi said putting the shoes in boxes with the national flag was an insult to the Tricolour.



The boxes have the Tricolour on top and the base carries some letters in Mandarin, police said, triggering speculation among locals that the move was aimed at humiliating Indians.



Renuka Devi said putting the shoes in boxes with the national flag was an insult to the Tricolour and that they were investigating the matter.



Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sadanand Date said the police questioned the owner of Tammana Traders in Rudrapur, who said that he bought the shoes from a distributor in Delhi and did not know their place of origin.



We would be questioning the dealer in New Delhi to ascertain the origin of these shoes, said the SSP.



The case has been filed by the shopkeeper Bishan Bora against the shoe supplier of Rudrapur. Bora claimed as soon as he opened the consignment, he found only seven shoe pairs in a proper box and the rest of the pairs came in the Tricolour box.



I received the goods on Thursday and when I opened the bags, I was shocked. I called the police, sensing something wrong, said Bora, who filed the initial complaint.



Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president of Almora Lalit Latwal asserted the administration swung into action after he intervened.

As soon I received information about the consignment, I immediately requested administration to forfeit the boxes and act against those who are involved in insulting Indian flag. It looks like a bigger conspiracy. The party workers will keep an eye on the case until those culprits are not arrested Latwal said.

NEW DELHI: Amid a tense standoff between India and China at Doklam, Chinese shoes packed in Tricolour boxes drew wrath in Uttarakhands Almora. The local shopkeepers in Uttarakhands Almora informed the police that they had been delivered shoes in boxes bearing the Tricolour, allegedly from China following which police have started investigation. Almora Senior Superintendent of Police P. Renuka Devi said putting the shoes in boxes with the national flag was an insult to the Tricolour. The boxes have the Tricolour on top and the base carries some letters in Mandarin, police said, triggering speculation among locals that the move was aimed at humiliating Indians. Renuka Devi said putting the shoes in boxes with the national flag was an insult to the Tricolour and that they were investigating the matter. Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sadanand Date said the police questioned the owner of Tammana Traders in Rudrapur, who said that he bought the shoes from a distributor in Delhi and did not know their place of origin. We would be questioning the dealer in New Delhi to ascertain the origin of these shoes, said the SSP. The case has been filed by the shopkeeper Bishan Bora against the shoe supplier of Rudrapur. Bora claimed as soon as he opened the consignment, he found only seven shoe pairs in a proper box and the rest of the pairs came in the Tricolour box. I received the goods on Thursday and when I opened the bags, I was shocked. I called the police, sensing something wrong, said Bora, who filed the initial complaint. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president of Almora Lalit Latwal asserted the administration swung into action after he intervened. As soon I received information about the consignment, I immediately requested administration to forfeit the boxes and act against those who are involved in insulting Indian flag. It looks like a bigger conspiracy. The party workers will keep an eye on the case until those culprits are not arrested Latwal said.
By IANS

BHUTAN: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's failure to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.



Tharoor said Khattar should be sacked if he doesn't resign in the wake of large-scale violence in his state that left 31 persons dead and 250 injured on Friday.



"Ultimately it is the Chief Minister and his cabinet who are responsible for law and order in their state. It is complete failure of the Khattar government and he should be sacked," Tharoor said.



"Where was Haryana government? How could they allow people to gather? Everybody could see that they were preparing for violence, then why didn't the Haryana government impose Section 144 (of the CrPC) and control the situation. The management failed and the buck has to stop somewhere. Enough is enough," Tharoor said.



Tharoor told mediapersons here on the sidelines of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, that Khattar has "completely failed and if he was not sacked it would send out a very bad message".



"You have a Chief Minister who has failed to maintain law and order..., there have been so many deaths, and if he is allowed to remain in his seat it will not augur well for our country," he said.



Earlier in the day, he addressed a session titled "Inglorious Empire" at Royal University of Bhutan as a part of the ongoing literature festival.



After a CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula town on Friday held the Dera chief guilty of rape and sexual exploitation, his followers went berserk setting ablaze vehicles and damaging properties. Following which, the security forces opened fire to control the mob.



BHUTAN: Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday slammed Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's failure to stop the widespread violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case. Tharoor said Khattar should be sacked if he doesn't resign in the wake of large-scale violence in his state that left 31 persons dead and 250 injured on Friday. "Ultimately it is the Chief Minister and his cabinet who are responsible for law and order in their state. It is complete failure of the Khattar government and he should be sacked," Tharoor said. "Where was Haryana government? How could they allow people to gather? Everybody could see that they were preparing for violence, then why didn't the Haryana government impose Section 144 (of the CrPC) and control the situation. The management failed and the buck has to stop somewhere. Enough is enough," Tharoor said. Tharoor told mediapersons here on the sidelines of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival, that Khattar has "completely failed and if he was not sacked it would send out a very bad message". "You have a Chief Minister who has failed to maintain law and order..., there have been so many deaths, and if he is allowed to remain in his seat it will not augur well for our country," he said. Earlier in the day, he addressed a session titled "Inglorious Empire" at Royal University of Bhutan as a part of the ongoing literature festival. After a CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula town on Friday held the Dera chief guilty of rape and sexual exploitation, his followers went berserk setting ablaze vehicles and damaging properties. Following which, the security forces opened fire to control the mob.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The border guards killed three Pakistani Rangers personnel after the Rangers breached the border ceasefire and targeted BSF posts along International Border (IB) in Jammu province of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

A BSF spokesman said Pakistan Rangers breached border ceasefire in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district in Jammu province today.

He said the Rangers personnel resorted to indiscriminate firing and mortar shelling on BSF posts and civilian areas in the sector.

Some mortar shells landed in Dewra village.

The spokesman said border guards effectively returned the fire and targeted Pakistani Rangers posts. During the process, three Rangers were killed.

The Pakistan Rangers personnel also breached border ceasefire in Chicken Neck area along the IB in Akhnoor sector at around 3 pm. They fired on the BSF posts there.

The Indian border guards responded effectively.

He said that the BSF men shoot at least two Pakistani Rangers personnel.

Another BSF official said that apart from Sunderbani and Akhnoor, the Rangers targetted BSF positions in Pargwal area of Jammu region at around 2.50 pm.

He said the fire was effectively returned by the BSF men with similar calibre weapons.

The damage caused to the other side in the retaliatory firing was being ascertained, the official said.

The heavy response of BSF men to ceasefire violation comes a day after a border guard was injured in Pakistan troops firing along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu.

A BSF official said BSF constable K K Appa Rao received bullet injury in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers at Arnia sector yesterday.

He said the jawan was performing duties at an observation post in Arnia sector when he was hit by sniper fire.

He was immediately evacuated to Jammu for medical treatment and his condition is stable.

The official said the main aim of the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops is to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir to foment trouble in the State.

He said the security apparatus across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir has been beefed up to foil infiltration attempts by militants.

SRINAGAR: The border guards killed three Pakistani Rangers personnel after the Rangers breached the border ceasefire and targeted BSF posts along International Border (IB) in Jammu province of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. A BSF spokesman said Pakistan Rangers breached border ceasefire in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district in Jammu province today. He said the Rangers personnel resorted to indiscriminate firing and mortar shelling on BSF posts and civilian areas in the sector. Some mortar shells landed in Dewra village. The spokesman said border guards effectively returned the fire and targeted Pakistani Rangers posts. During the process, three Rangers were killed. The Pakistan Rangers personnel also breached border ceasefire in Chicken Neck area along the IB in Akhnoor sector at around 3 pm. They fired on the BSF posts there. The Indian border guards responded effectively. He said that the BSF men shoot at least two Pakistani Rangers personnel. Another BSF official said that apart from Sunderbani and Akhnoor, the Rangers targetted BSF positions in Pargwal area of Jammu region at around 2.50 pm. He said the fire was effectively returned by the BSF men with similar calibre weapons. The damage caused to the other side in the retaliatory firing was being ascertained, the official said. The heavy response of BSF men to ceasefire violation comes a day after a border guard was injured in Pakistan troops firing along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu. A BSF official said BSF constable K K Appa Rao received bullet injury in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers at Arnia sector yesterday. He said the jawan was performing duties at an observation post in Arnia sector when he was hit by sniper fire. He was immediately evacuated to Jammu for medical treatment and his condition is stable. The official said the main aim of the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops is to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir to foment trouble in the State. He said the security apparatus across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir has been beefed up to foil infiltration attempts by militants.
By Online Desk

PANCHKULA/SIRSA (HARYANA): The Haryana government today suspended the DCP of Panchkula over yesterday's violence that erupted following the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, as the situation in the state remained tense but under control.



The Army, meanwhile, said it has no immediate plan of entering Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters in Sirsa and that it is focusing on maintaining law and order, reacting to reports that it had entered the premises.



The death toll in the violence and arson by the frenzied followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, rose to 36 today with more deaths reported from government-run Sirsa Civil Hospital.

Among other developments today, the state government terminated the services of Deputy Advocate General Gurdas Salwara on the recommendations of Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan. This action cOMES after a video clip purportedly showing that Salwara, in lawyer's robes, carrying a suitcase of the Dera head, immediately after his conviction by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday.

On the other hand, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today castigated the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deadly violence, saying it had "surrendered" before the Dera followers of Dera for "political considerations".

At a special hearing, the court minced no words in slamming the chief minister for "protecting" the Dera followers and extending political patronage to them.

The Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice S Singh Saron, Justice Avneesh Jhingan and Justice Surya Kant, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Panchkula resident who had raised law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district earlier despite prohibitory orders.

Haryana DGP B S Sandhu, while interacting with the media persons, said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh won't be produced in Panchkula.

The Sonaria jail in Rohtak, where the self-styled godman is confined in right now, will be turned into a court. No person will be allowed around the prison campus on Monday, when the quantum of punishment will be announced for Ram Rahim.

Claiming that there was an absolute peace at the state, the top cop also added that no violent incident had been reported in last 24 hours.

"Weapons, petrol bombs also recovered in Panchkula. Three petrol bombs and cans seized in Karnal. Process is underway to sanitize Dera, to see that there are no weapons or any such thing present," Sandhu said.

The DGP also added that 24 vehicles were impounded by police in Panchkula. During that, 5 pistols (79 rounds), 2 rifles (52 rounds), AK 47, iron rods, hockey sticks were also recovered.

Talking about casualties, Sandhu said that so far, 30 have died in Panchkula, while 6 in Sirsa. 269 people have been injured till now.

"34 cases registered so far by Haryana police in the entire process. 552 arrested, an investigation is underway. There are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and they are vacating gradually", said the state top cop.

RELATED REPORTS:

Haryana's Deputy Advocate General sacked for accompanying convicted Dera head

32 died in violence after conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: Haryana government

Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's Z-plus security cover withdrawn: Haryana Chief Secretary

Was pressurised to drop rape case against Dera chief Gurmeet Singh, says ex-CBI director who headed probe

Army has no immediate plan to enter Dera headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa: Officer

Rajasthan: Five arrested for arson in Sriganganagar, police intensify vigil after Ram Rahim verdict

Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted for rape: 30 dead, 250 injured as Dera chief followers go on rampage in Haryana; Panchkula DCP suspended

Punjab and Haryana HC says damages for loss to property to be recovered from Dera

IN PICTURES: Violence and mayhem unleashed by rape convict Ram Rahim's followers in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi

Key updates: Day 2 of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rape case conviction aftermath

7: 37 pm: 552 people arrested, an investigation is underway: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu. (ANI)

7: 31 pm:

30 died in Panchkula, 6 in Sirsa, 269 injured: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/83EQIFBVCc  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

7: 20 pm: There are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and they are vacating gradually. No incident reported in last 24 hours, no trouble in the state. There is absolute peace: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu. (ANI)

6: 37 pm: Maintained high alert. No incident reported. Sec 144 to continue till further order. Won't affect normal life: Delhi Police PRO on Dera violence threat. (ANI)

6: 00 pm:

Notification on District Jail,Sunaria as place of sitting of CBI Court, Panchkula for pronouncement of quantum of sentence against #RamRahim pic.twitter.com/V67I3eoiNe  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

5: 40 pm: Haryana Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh Salwara sacked after he reportedly carried the luggage of Ram Rahim Singh. (ANI)

5: 20 pm: Haryana: People vacate Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram in Sirsa's Bajenka village on the orders of Police and Army and also being inspected. (ANI)

5: 14 pm: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh won't be produced in Panchkula: Haryana DGP B S Sandhu.(ANI)

5: 10 pm:

Our efforts remain to make it possible through video-conf; if judge is required then everything will take place in Sonaria Jail: Haryana DGP pic.twitter.com/hhmOsRfOnE  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

5: 00 pm: Curfew will be relaxed till 6 pm today, will assess the situation, if everything remains peaceful will lift curfew in coming time: SSP Bhatinda. (ANI)

4: 50 pm: Fault was in allowing people to gather in Panchkula when the verdict was coming; should have known that there could be a problem: Amarinder Singh. (ANI)

4: 40 pm: In a press conference today, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh says that there has been no death in the state so far, after the breakout of Dera violence yesterday. (ANI)

I will not allow violence of any form from any sect in Punjab: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/Gtdm6nNKpC  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

4: 20 pm: 17 casualties, post-mortem underway; 90 people were admitted last night, no case of bullet injury: CMO, Civil Hospital, Panchkula. (ANI)

4: 15 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today chaired a high-level meeting over law and order situation in the state, following the Dera chief rape case verdict. (ANI)

4: 00 pm:

#RamRahimVerdict Punjab Police and Army conducted flag march in Punjab's Moga pic.twitter.com/i0DGbLQU0r  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

3: 30 pm: Civil hospital doctors say the death toll in Sirsa rises to 4 with 2 more deaths reported today. (PTI)

We found axes, batons, petrol bombs etc there. All objectionable objects seized&Dera has been completely vacated: Kaithal DC #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Lp1wAVgDVH  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

2: 50 pm: 24 men, 3 women and a child have died in Panchkula so far due to Dera violence. Another Three deaths have been reported from Sirsa: Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh. He also said that those who are injured are not Panchkula residents. The identity of the deceased people is being established, while no local resident has come up to claim the bodies. (ANI)

2: 15 pm: Senior Army official says no plan so far to enter Dera headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa, maintenance of law and order top priority. (PTI)

2:10 pm: No special treatment was being extended to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh inside in Rohtak's Sunaria jail, Haryana DGP (Jails) K P Singh said today. (PTI)

1:45 pm: Police intensify vigil in Rajasthan after five men were arrested for arson in Sriganganagar district in the state last evening, following Ram Rahim's conviction.

1:44 pm: 600 Dera Sacha Sauda followers in Haryana taken into custody, say TV reports.

1:44 pm: Haryana chief secretary says Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's 'Z plus' security withdrawn after his conviction. (PTI)

ANI reports, "No VIP treatment given to Ram Rahim Singh, he was taken through a helicopter purely on security considerations: Haryana Chief Secretary"

1:40 pm: "People who died were Dera supporters. 36 Dera Ashrams sealed and the Dera at Sirsa is being vacated", says Anil Jain, Haryana BJP Incharge.

1:30 pm: Security has been tightened in Puri, Odisha, after locals near a Dera Sacha Sauda ashram on the Puri-Konark marine drive last evening, protested the violence unleashed by Dera followers.

1:25 am: "DG Haryana assured situation is under control. Situation in Punjab, Rajasthan & Delhi is normal," says Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh. (ANI)

1:20 am: Amidst chorus for resignation, Haryana CM Khattar to hold press conference at 3 pm today, as per television reports.

1:10 am: Convicted chief Ram Rahim's bodyguards booked,; two supporters charged. (TV reports)

1:00 am: Punjab & Haryana High Court slams Haryana government, says, "you let Panchkula burn for political benefits." (ANI)

12:20 pm: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said, "Briefed by DGP; situation peaceful, curfew lifted in 3 districts, relaxed in all others. State on alert for 48 hrs."

12:15 pm: Search of all 'congregation centres' of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana ordered, says Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas. (PTI)

11:45 am: Army conducts flag march in Punjab's Mansa.

11:35 am: High level meeting begins at Home Minister' Rajnath Singh's residence. Home Secretary, NSA & IB Chief also present, reports ANI.

11:32 am: The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India.

11:30 am:

Along with Army & Rapid Action Force, Police has also entered the premises of #DeraSachaSauda HQ in Haryana's Sirsa #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Y5tVg1BCp4  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

11:20 am: The Army has entered the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa. There are still thousands of Dera followers inside the sect headquarters, around 260 km from here, sources said.

11:05 am: DG Prisons says no `special treatment` given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

A visual of Rohtak district prison in Sunaria, Haryana

where the Dera chief is lodged currently. (ANI Photo)

10:45 am: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar admits lapse of government in restraining angry Dera followers from committing violence; under pressure to resign. (TV reports) READ up to:

10:30 am: District administration and police seal nine ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra. 2,500 lathis recovered. (PTI)

10:25 am: Situation under control on Day 2. No gathering and no incident of violence since yesterday. Adequate force deployed, says Delhi Police. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)

10:14: Curfew relaxed in Punjab's Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town. (IANS)

10:00 am: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to hold a high-level meeting today to review the security situation in Haryana. (READ FULL REPORT HERE)

9:45 am:

9 am: Western Railways cancels 6 trains and partially cancels 2 trains in wake of law & order situation in Punjab & Haryana. (ANI)

PANCHKULA/SIRSA (HARYANA): The Haryana government today suspended the DCP of Panchkula over yesterday's violence that erupted following the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, as the situation in the state remained tense but under control. The Army, meanwhile, said it has no immediate plan of entering Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters in Sirsa and that it is focusing on maintaining law and order, reacting to reports that it had entered the premises. The death toll in the violence and arson by the frenzied followers of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, rose to 36 today with more deaths reported from government-run Sirsa Civil Hospital. Among other developments today, the state government terminated the services of Deputy Advocate General Gurdas Salwara on the recommendations of Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan. This action cOMES after a video clip purportedly showing that Salwara, in lawyer's robes, carrying a suitcase of the Dera head, immediately after his conviction by a CBI court in Panchkula yesterday. On the other hand, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today castigated the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deadly violence, saying it had "surrendered" before the Dera followers of Dera for "political considerations". At a special hearing, the court minced no words in slamming the chief minister for "protecting" the Dera followers and extending political patronage to them. The Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice S Singh Saron, Justice Avneesh Jhingan and Justice Surya Kant, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Panchkula resident who had raised law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district earlier despite prohibitory orders. Haryana DGP B S Sandhu, while interacting with the media persons, said that Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh won't be produced in Panchkula. The Sonaria jail in Rohtak, where the self-styled godman is confined in right now, will be turned into a court. No person will be allowed around the prison campus on Monday, when the quantum of punishment will be announced for Ram Rahim. Claiming that there was an absolute peace at the state, the top cop also added that no violent incident had been reported in last 24 hours. "Weapons, petrol bombs also recovered in Panchkula. Three petrol bombs and cans seized in Karnal. Process is underway to sanitize Dera, to see that there are no weapons or any such thing present," Sandhu said. The DGP also added that 24 vehicles were impounded by police in Panchkula. During that, 5 pistols (79 rounds), 2 rifles (52 rounds), AK 47, iron rods, hockey sticks were also recovered. Talking about casualties, Sandhu said that so far, 30 have died in Panchkula, while 6 in Sirsa. 269 people have been injured till now. "34 cases registered so far by Haryana police in the entire process. 552 arrested, an investigation is underway. There are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and they are vacating gradually", said the state top cop. RELATED REPORTS: Haryana's Deputy Advocate General sacked for accompanying convicted Dera head 32 died in violence after conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh: Haryana government Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's Z-plus security cover withdrawn: Haryana Chief Secretary Was pressurised to drop rape case against Dera chief Gurmeet Singh, says ex-CBI director who headed probe Army has no immediate plan to enter Dera headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa: Officer Rajasthan: Five arrested for arson in Sriganganagar, police intensify vigil after Ram Rahim verdict Gurmeet Ram Rahim convicted for rape: 30 dead, 250 injured as Dera chief followers go on rampage in Haryana; Panchkula DCP suspended Punjab and Haryana HC says damages for loss to property to be recovered from Dera IN PICTURES: Violence and mayhem unleashed by rape convict Ram Rahim's followers in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi Key updates: Day 2 of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rape case conviction aftermath 7: 37 pm: 552 people arrested, an investigation is underway: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu. (ANI) 7: 31 pm: 30 died in Panchkula, 6 in Sirsa, 269 injured: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/83EQIFBVCc  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 7: 20 pm: There are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and they are vacating gradually. No incident reported in last 24 hours, no trouble in the state. There is absolute peace: Haryana DGP BS Sandhu. (ANI) 6: 37 pm: Maintained high alert. No incident reported. Sec 144 to continue till further order. Won't affect normal life: Delhi Police PRO on Dera violence threat. (ANI) 6: 00 pm: Notification on District Jail,Sunaria as place of sitting of CBI Court, Panchkula for pronouncement of quantum of sentence against #RamRahim pic.twitter.com/V67I3eoiNe  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 5: 40 pm: Haryana Deputy Advocate General Gurdass Singh Salwara sacked after he reportedly carried the luggage of Ram Rahim Singh. (ANI) 5: 20 pm: Haryana: People vacate Dera Sacha Sauda Ashram in Sirsa's Bajenka village on the orders of Police and Army and also being inspected. (ANI) 5: 14 pm: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh won't be produced in Panchkula: Haryana DGP B S Sandhu.(ANI) 5: 10 pm: Our efforts remain to make it possible through video-conf; if judge is required then everything will take place in Sonaria Jail: Haryana DGP pic.twitter.com/hhmOsRfOnE  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 5: 00 pm: Curfew will be relaxed till 6 pm today, will assess the situation, if everything remains peaceful will lift curfew in coming time: SSP Bhatinda. (ANI) 4: 50 pm: Fault was in allowing people to gather in Panchkula when the verdict was coming; should have known that there could be a problem: Amarinder Singh. (ANI) 4: 40 pm: In a press conference today, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh says that there has been no death in the state so far, after the breakout of Dera violence yesterday. (ANI) I will not allow violence of any form from any sect in Punjab: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/Gtdm6nNKpC  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 4: 20 pm: 17 casualties, post-mortem underway; 90 people were admitted last night, no case of bullet injury: CMO, Civil Hospital, Panchkula. (ANI) 4: 15 pm: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh today chaired a high-level meeting over law and order situation in the state, following the Dera chief rape case verdict. (ANI) 4: 00 pm: #RamRahimVerdict Punjab Police and Army conducted flag march in Punjab's Moga pic.twitter.com/i0DGbLQU0r  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 3: 30 pm: Civil hospital doctors say the death toll in Sirsa rises to 4 with 2 more deaths reported today. (PTI) We found axes, batons, petrol bombs etc there. All objectionable objects seized&Dera has been completely vacated: Kaithal DC #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Lp1wAVgDVH  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 2: 50 pm: 24 men, 3 women and a child have died in Panchkula so far due to Dera violence. Another Three deaths have been reported from Sirsa: Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh. He also said that those who are injured are not Panchkula residents. The identity of the deceased people is being established, while no local resident has come up to claim the bodies. (ANI) 2: 15 pm: Senior Army official says no plan so far to enter Dera headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa, maintenance of law and order top priority. (PTI) 2:10 pm: No special treatment was being extended to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh inside in Rohtak's Sunaria jail, Haryana DGP (Jails) K P Singh said today. (PTI) 1:45 pm: Police intensify vigil in Rajasthan after five men were arrested for arson in Sriganganagar district in the state last evening, following Ram Rahim's conviction. 1:44 pm: 600 Dera Sacha Sauda followers in Haryana taken into custody, say TV reports. 1:44 pm: Haryana chief secretary says Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's 'Z plus' security withdrawn after his conviction. (PTI) ANI reports, "No VIP treatment given to Ram Rahim Singh, he was taken through a helicopter purely on security considerations: Haryana Chief Secretary" 1:40 pm: "People who died were Dera supporters. 36 Dera Ashrams sealed and the Dera at Sirsa is being vacated", says Anil Jain, Haryana BJP Incharge. 1:30 pm: Security has been tightened in Puri, Odisha, after locals near a Dera Sacha Sauda ashram on the Puri-Konark marine drive last evening, protested the violence unleashed by Dera followers. 1:25 am: "DG Haryana assured situation is under control. Situation in Punjab, Rajasthan & Delhi is normal," says Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh. (ANI) 1:20 am: Amidst chorus for resignation, Haryana CM Khattar to hold press conference at 3 pm today, as per television reports. 1:10 am: Convicted chief Ram Rahim's bodyguards booked,; two supporters charged. (TV reports) 1:00 am: Punjab & Haryana High Court slams Haryana government, says, "you let Panchkula burn for political benefits." (ANI) 12:20 pm: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh said, "Briefed by DGP; situation peaceful, curfew lifted in 3 districts, relaxed in all others. State on alert for 48 hrs." 12:15 pm: Search of all 'congregation centres' of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana ordered, says Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas. (PTI) 11:45 am: Army conducts flag march in Punjab's Mansa. 11:35 am: High level meeting begins at Home Minister' Rajnath Singh's residence. Home Secretary, NSA & IB Chief also present, reports ANI. 11:32 am: The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India. 11:30 am: Along with Army & Rapid Action Force, Police has also entered the premises of #DeraSachaSauda HQ in Haryana's Sirsa #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Y5tVg1BCp4  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 11:20 am: The Army has entered the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa. There are still thousands of Dera followers inside the sect headquarters, around 260 km from here, sources said. 11:05 am: DG Prisons says no `special treatment` given to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. A visual of Rohtak district prison in Sunaria, Haryana where the Dera chief is lodged currently. (ANI Photo) 10:45 am: Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar admits lapse of government in restraining angry Dera followers from committing violence; under pressure to resign. (TV reports) READ up to: 10:30 am: District administration and police seal nine ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra. 2,500 lathis recovered. (PTI) 10:25 am: Situation under control on Day 2. No gathering and no incident of violence since yesterday. Adequate force deployed, says Delhi Police. (READ FULL REPORT HERE) 10:14: Curfew relaxed in Punjab's Patiala, Bathinda and Ferozepur towns for four hours, while in Haryana it was relaxed in Kaithal town. (IANS) 10:00 am: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to hold a high-level meeting today to review the security situation in Haryana. (READ FULL REPORT HERE) 9:45 am: #LatestVisuals from Haryana's Rohtak: Section 144 still imposed, security deployed. #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/7nYJxhBD9Z  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017 9 am: Western Railways cancels 6 trains and partially cancels 2 trains in wake of law & order situation in Punjab & Haryana. (ANI)
By PTI: Jammu, Aug 26 (PTI) Classes at the government women?s college here resumed today after remaining suspended for the past four days due to a student agitation.

The agitation by the students led to removal of the principal which was followed by a strike called by teachers against the ?hasty decision? of the government.

?Classes resumed this morning after remaining suspended for the past four days,? newly appointed in-charge principal of the college, Geetanjali Andotra told PTI.

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She said the college opened for normal academic activities and all the teachers and students attended their classes for the first time after Tuesday.

Andotra replaced Anita Sudan as the principal after the government ordered her attachment on August 23 following widespread protests by students accusing the management of imposing ?unnecessary diktats? on dress code and using abusive language and passing of lewd remarks.

"Pending inquiry into the matter, Anita Sudan, Principal, government college for women, Parade, Jammu is hereby attached with Director College Higher Education department with immediate effect," Additional Secretary, higher education department, Mohmmad Ashraf Hakak had said in an order.

The order was passed after the students boycotted their classes for the second day, staged a rally up to the office of Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Rajiv Rajan, and submitted a memorandum demanding removal of the college principal.

While the students welcomed the government decision and returned to the college after two days of protest on August 24, the teaching and non-teaching staff stayed away from work and did not attend classes expressing solidarity with Sudan.

The college teachers association went on a day-long pen down strike yesterday protesting against the governments decision and accusing it of removing the principal on "flimsy grounds", which affected work in all colleges across Jammu.

Sudan had dismissed the allegations as "wild" and had claimed that she had taken several steps like strict adherence to college uniform and timing on recommendations of the parents of several students after four women went missing in the recent past. PTI TAS AB JM

--- ENDS ---
By PTI

PUNE: China is attempting to "change the status quo" on its border with India and incidents like the ongoing stand-off in the Doklam area are likely to "increase" in future, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said today.

"The recent stand-off in the Doklam plateau by the Chinese side attempting to change the status quo are issues which we need to be wary about, and I think such kind of incidents are likely to increase in the future," Rawat said.

He was delivering the General B C Joshi Memorial Lecture on 'India's Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct' organised by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies of Savitribai Phule Pune University here this evening.

"Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the territory continue to exist. These are due to differing perceptions on the alignments of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Transgressions across Line of Actual Control do happen and sometimes they do lead to some kind of misunderstanding between the forward troops...however, we do have joint mechanisms in place to address such situations," said Rawat.

He said that during the flag meetings with Chinese counterparts, the Indian Army keeps insisting that both sides should return to the pre-June 16 positions (before the stand- off began), but no resolution has been found yet. "Now it is happening at the diplomatic and political level, as it needs to be resolved diplomatically and through political initiatives," he said.

Chinese armed forces have made significant progress in capabilities for mobilisation, application and sustenance of operations, particularly in the Tibet autonomous region of China, he noted. "This is due to the development of force infrastructure of military significance. Their force reorganisation along with developing capabilities in space and network-centric warfare is likely to provide them greater synergy in force application," Rawat said.

Later, speaking to reporters and explaining his statement that incidents like Doklam are likely to "increase", Rawat said, "We should not be complacent. Let us say that this stand-off is resolved, but our troops should not feel that it can not happen again in different sector. "It is always better to be prepared and alert than think that this will not happen again. So my message to troops is that do not let your guard down," the Army Chief added.

China continues to enhance its influence in the regional security environment, he said. "It is doing so by increasing defence and economic partnerships in the neighbourhood, especially in Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) challenges India's sovereignty," he stated.

Confirmation for annual joint military exercises with China is still awaited this year, he said. "We have been doing the exercise every year. One year our team goes to China and on the second year, their team comes to us. While this time the exercise is planned in October, it is not being confirmed (from their side) yet, whether it will take place or not," he said. Asked if the ongoing stand-off was the reason for this, Rawat said, "It could be, but we are not sure."

Rawat slammed Pakistan for waging a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir and said the increasing presence of transnational actors with fundamental ideologies in that country is a matter of grave concern. "Pakistan's unabated reliance and support to Jihadi groups have serious ramifications.

This can lead to the possibility of Pakistan being a conduit for the eastward spread of fundamentalist and the Islamic ideology. This lends a complex dimension to the threat not only for us, but also for other countries of South and East Asia, including China," Rawat said.

The Army Chief refused to comment on Lt Col Prasad Purohit, who recently got bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, saying the issue is before the courts.

PUNE: China is attempting to "change the status quo" on its border with India and incidents like the ongoing stand-off in the Doklam area are likely to "increase" in future, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said today. "The recent stand-off in the Doklam plateau by the Chinese side attempting to change the status quo are issues which we need to be wary about, and I think such kind of incidents are likely to increase in the future," Rawat said. He was delivering the General B C Joshi Memorial Lecture on 'India's Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct' organised by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies of Savitribai Phule Pune University here this evening. "Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the territory continue to exist. These are due to differing perceptions on the alignments of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Transgressions across Line of Actual Control do happen and sometimes they do lead to some kind of misunderstanding between the forward troops...however, we do have joint mechanisms in place to address such situations," said Rawat. He said that during the flag meetings with Chinese counterparts, the Indian Army keeps insisting that both sides should return to the pre-June 16 positions (before the stand- off began), but no resolution has been found yet. "Now it is happening at the diplomatic and political level, as it needs to be resolved diplomatically and through political initiatives," he said. Chinese armed forces have made significant progress in capabilities for mobilisation, application and sustenance of operations, particularly in the Tibet autonomous region of China, he noted. "This is due to the development of force infrastructure of military significance. Their force reorganisation along with developing capabilities in space and network-centric warfare is likely to provide them greater synergy in force application," Rawat said. Later, speaking to reporters and explaining his statement that incidents like Doklam are likely to "increase", Rawat said, "We should not be complacent. Let us say that this stand-off is resolved, but our troops should not feel that it can not happen again in different sector. "It is always better to be prepared and alert than think that this will not happen again. So my message to troops is that do not let your guard down," the Army Chief added. China continues to enhance its influence in the regional security environment, he said. "It is doing so by increasing defence and economic partnerships in the neighbourhood, especially in Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) challenges India's sovereignty," he stated. Confirmation for annual joint military exercises with China is still awaited this year, he said. "We have been doing the exercise every year. One year our team goes to China and on the second year, their team comes to us. While this time the exercise is planned in October, it is not being confirmed (from their side) yet, whether it will take place or not," he said. Asked if the ongoing stand-off was the reason for this, Rawat said, "It could be, but we are not sure." Rawat slammed Pakistan for waging a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir and said the increasing presence of transnational actors with fundamental ideologies in that country is a matter of grave concern. "Pakistan's unabated reliance and support to Jihadi groups have serious ramifications. This can lead to the possibility of Pakistan being a conduit for the eastward spread of fundamentalist and the Islamic ideology. This lends a complex dimension to the threat not only for us, but also for other countries of South and East Asia, including China," Rawat said. The Army Chief refused to comment on Lt Col Prasad Purohit, who recently got bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, saying the issue is before the courts.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

DIMAPUR: A Nagaland political movement, whose campaign against the scourge of corruption has turned into a mass movement, warned of a civil war if the Centre arbitrarily resolved the protracted Naga political problem without taking into confidence all Naga insurgent groups and the Naga civil societies.

We demand an inclusive solution. The Centre must involve all insurgent groups in the process before coming out with any solution. The Manipur Nagas are negotiating over a problem of ours. How can we accept it? asked KK Sema, an advisor to the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), at a public rally against graft held in the commercial hub of Dimapur on Friday.

He was referring to the Isak-Muivah faction of a major Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). Most of its leaders are Nagas from Manipur and they call the shots in the outfit.

For the past 20 years, the outfit has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Centre to find a solution for the problem. However, no such process has been initiated with six other rebel groups of the state, including the outlawed NSCN (Khaplang) or NSCN-K.

If the Centre comes out with any solution without us being heard, let it be known that there will be a civil war in Nagaland, said Sema, who is a retired IAS officer.

One of the most contentious demands raised by the NSCN-IM is the creation of Nagalim  a unified Naga homeland  by slicing off the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur besides Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The three neighbouring states are opposed to the design. The Nagas have a sizeable population, particularly in Manipur.

DIMAPUR: A Nagaland political movement, whose campaign against the scourge of corruption has turned into a mass movement, warned of a civil war if the Centre arbitrarily resolved the protracted Naga political problem without taking into confidence all Naga insurgent groups and the Naga civil societies. We demand an inclusive solution. The Centre must involve all insurgent groups in the process before coming out with any solution. The Manipur Nagas are negotiating over a problem of ours. How can we accept it? asked KK Sema, an advisor to the Against Corruption and Unabated Taxation (ACAUT), at a public rally against graft held in the commercial hub of Dimapur on Friday. He was referring to the Isak-Muivah faction of a major Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM). Most of its leaders are Nagas from Manipur and they call the shots in the outfit. For the past 20 years, the outfit has been engaged in peace negotiations with the Centre to find a solution for the problem. However, no such process has been initiated with six other rebel groups of the state, including the outlawed NSCN (Khaplang) or NSCN-K. If the Centre comes out with any solution without us being heard, let it be known that there will be a civil war in Nagaland, said Sema, who is a retired IAS officer. One of the most contentious demands raised by the NSCN-IM is the creation of Nagalim  a unified Naga homeland  by slicing off the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur besides Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The three neighbouring states are opposed to the design. The Nagas have a sizeable population, particularly in Manipur.
Manish Anand By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Amid unprecedented scale of lawlessness seen in Haryana after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, the BJP has thrown its weight behind the state chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. It has emerged that the Centre had not just been in the loop, but closely coordinated strategy to deal with situations arising out of the court verdict with the state.

The Haryana chief minister, who had always been on the edge in the state politics with crisis after crisis testing his administrative acumen, appears safe. The saffron outfit is seemingly not mulling at replacing him in immediate future. Sources in the BJP claimed that the top brass of the party had well been aware of the consequences of the conviction of the sect leader who commands strong following in many districts of Haryana.

Intelligence inputs were available much in advance of the widespread violence in the event of conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. There were two options before the government. First option was to take him into preventive custody and secondly the administration had to swoop down swiftly to tame the violence if he got convicted. During discussions, it emerged that the preventive custody could have sparked off instant riots and the administration would have failed to bring him to the court. Therefore, the Centre and state chose the second option, sources said.

Scoffing the speculations of Khattar having been summoned to the national capital, a top BJP leader dismissed it, saying there is no such move. The BJP national general secretary and party in-charge for Haryana Anil Jain said, the administration tamed the fallout of the conviction within three hours and minimised the violence.

Another senior BJP leader sought to suggest that there had been no lapses on the part of the administrations to deal with the situations arising out of the conviction of the Dera head.

Khattar is Known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since days of both being RSS Pracharaks. But as a chief minister, he has literally been on the edge of a sword. Besides faction fighting withing the party, political observers note that Jat agitation and post-conviction violence have shown his administrative skills in poor light.

NEW DELHI: Amid unprecedented scale of lawlessness seen in Haryana after conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case, the BJP has thrown its weight behind the state chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar. It has emerged that the Centre had not just been in the loop, but closely coordinated strategy to deal with situations arising out of the court verdict with the state. The Haryana chief minister, who had always been on the edge in the state politics with crisis after crisis testing his administrative acumen, appears safe. The saffron outfit is seemingly not mulling at replacing him in immediate future. Sources in the BJP claimed that the top brass of the party had well been aware of the consequences of the conviction of the sect leader who commands strong following in many districts of Haryana. Intelligence inputs were available much in advance of the widespread violence in the event of conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. There were two options before the government. First option was to take him into preventive custody and secondly the administration had to swoop down swiftly to tame the violence if he got convicted. During discussions, it emerged that the preventive custody could have sparked off instant riots and the administration would have failed to bring him to the court. Therefore, the Centre and state chose the second option, sources said. Scoffing the speculations of Khattar having been summoned to the national capital, a top BJP leader dismissed it, saying there is no such move. The BJP national general secretary and party in-charge for Haryana Anil Jain said, the administration tamed the fallout of the conviction within three hours and minimised the violence. Another senior BJP leader sought to suggest that there had been no lapses on the part of the administrations to deal with the situations arising out of the conviction of the Dera head. Khattar is Known to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi since days of both being RSS Pracharaks. But as a chief minister, he has literally been on the edge of a sword. Besides faction fighting withing the party, political observers note that Jat agitation and post-conviction violence have shown his administrative skills in poor light.
By ANI

PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Bihar today, to take a stock of the flood-hit areas.

The Prime Minister would make an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Kishanganj.

In addition to it, he will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other officials in Purnea.

According to officials, the state government will submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister for central assistance.

Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state. The death toll has mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge.

The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal.

Turbulent water of Burhi Gandak is posing a threat to the embankment in Samastipur. The rising water level of Bagmati is spreading in fresh areas of Darbhanga.

Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.

PATNA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Bihar today, to take a stock of the flood-hit areas. The Prime Minister would make an aerial survey of the flood affected districts of Araria, Purnea, Katihar and Kishanganj. In addition to it, he will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other officials in Purnea. According to officials, the state government will submit a detailed report to the Prime Minister for central assistance. Over one crore seventy lakh people in have been affected by the floods in the state. The death toll has mounted to 415, with 21 districts being affected by the deluge. The situation continues to worsen in Muzaffarpur, Samastipur and Darbhanga districts. Urban areas of Muzaffarpur have been deluged following the overflow of water in the Tirhut Canal. Turbulent water of Burhi Gandak is posing a threat to the embankment in Samastipur. The rising water level of Bagmati is spreading in fresh areas of Darbhanga. Rail traffic on Darbhanga-Samastipur section continues to be disrupted.
By ANI

PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered an FIR against Bhagalpur based NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti in connection of Srijan Scam, involving alleged transfer of government funds to accounts of the non-government organisation in Bihar's Bhagalpur district.

The FIR has also been registered against Director of bank of Baroda (Saharsa), former director of Bank of Baroda (Bhagalpur), former cashier and head Assistant of land acquisition office (Saharsa).

The accused have been booked under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation, and criminal breach of trust along with forgery of valuable security for cheating, and using as genuine forged documents under Section 120-B, 406, 409, 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Earlier on Thursday, CBI began the investigation in the Srijan scam.

According to sources, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Modi could face heat for the same.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with Sushil, has come under suspicion in connection with the scam.

Last week, the Bihar CM recommended the CBI to probe into Bhagalpur Srijan scam, after Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav accused him of "murdering democracy" in Bihar.

Lalu had also alleged of a "foul play" behind the delay in CBI's investigation into the Srijan scam, in addition to accusing Nitish of 'destroying' all the evidence.

Meanwhile, Modi called his predecessor and Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav's protests in the Assembly premises demanding the former's resignation in connection with the Srijan scam as "shameful."

The scam worth around Rs 1000 Crore occurred in Bihar between 2005 and 2013, when Modi was the finance minister of Bihar.

A Bhagalpur NGO named Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti, on the pretext of several welfare schemes, had embezzled crores of money from different accounts of district administration with the alleged help of government officials and bank staff.

PATNA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday registered an FIR against Bhagalpur based NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti in connection of Srijan Scam, involving alleged transfer of government funds to accounts of the non-government organisation in Bihar's Bhagalpur district. The FIR has also been registered against Director of bank of Baroda (Saharsa), former director of Bank of Baroda (Bhagalpur), former cashier and head Assistant of land acquisition office (Saharsa). The accused have been booked under sections of criminal conspiracy, cheating, cheating by impersonation, and criminal breach of trust along with forgery of valuable security for cheating, and using as genuine forged documents under Section 120-B, 406, 409, 419, 420, 467, 468 and 471 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Earlier on Thursday, CBI began the investigation in the Srijan scam. According to sources, Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Modi could face heat for the same. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, along with Sushil, has come under suspicion in connection with the scam. Last week, the Bihar CM recommended the CBI to probe into Bhagalpur Srijan scam, after Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav accused him of "murdering democracy" in Bihar. Lalu had also alleged of a "foul play" behind the delay in CBI's investigation into the Srijan scam, in addition to accusing Nitish of 'destroying' all the evidence. Meanwhile, Modi called his predecessor and Lalu Yadav's son Tejashwi Yadav's protests in the Assembly premises demanding the former's resignation in connection with the Srijan scam as "shameful." The scam worth around Rs 1000 Crore occurred in Bihar between 2005 and 2013, when Modi was the finance minister of Bihar. A Bhagalpur NGO named Srijan Mahila Sahyog Samiti, on the pretext of several welfare schemes, had embezzled crores of money from different accounts of district administration with the alleged help of government officials and bank staff.
By Online Desk

A CBI officer and President's Medal honoree who headed the rape probe against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was pressurised by politicians and senior officials to drop the case in its early stage, an Outlook report stated.

Mulinja Narayanan was posted as deputy inspector of police (special crimes) in Delhi when the rape case was handed over to CBI in September 2002.



"The case was registered on December 12, 2002 and suddenly I found a senior CBI official entering my room and directing me that the case needs to be closed and no action should be taken," the retired officer told PTI.

This "unsolicited" advice had prompted Narayanan to probe all aspects of the case, Outlook stated.

"Later, as the investigations carried on, many powerful politicians and business persons walked into the CBI headquarters and put lot of pressure to close the case. But thanks to the judiciary, we could manage to complete our investigation," he said.

The former joint director recalled to Outlook the struggle of the CBI team in convincing the family of rape survivor to continue the investigation against the self-styled godman.

"The girl, who had been sexually abused in 1999, had since left Dera and got married. It was a daunting task to convince her as well as her family members. Thankfully, I played the role of a father for her and ensured that she not only gives her statement but also testifies before a magistrate.

I wanted to ensure that no one plays dirty and weakens the case later. Therefore, I got the statement of the girl recorded before a magistrate so that retracting it becomes nearly impossible," Outlook quotes him as saying.

The 67-year-old officer who retired in 2009 also remembered Gurmeet Singh's response during the interrogation.

"... He did not give any direct reply. He pretended to be a baba but my instincts told me that he was a scared person during the questioning."

The meritorious officer who received Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 1999, even suffered pressure from his subordinates.

"My seniors knew my professionalism. I do not succumb to pressures but what surprised me was that some of my subordinate staff came and made vehement requests that I should stop the probe against Gurmeet Singh."

A special CBI court in Panchkula has convicted Gurmeet Singh yesterday based on a case registered in 2002 on allegations of sexual exploitation of two 'sadhvis' by the godman. The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe 15 years ago taking account of the anonymous letters written by the survivors, reports Outlook.

"It was a game of wits. Sometimes we won and sometimes we lost but, at the end, today's verdict showed that no one can escape the law of the land," Narayanan said.

The court will pronounce the sentence on August 28.

A CBI officer and President's Medal honoree who headed the rape probe against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was pressurised by politicians and senior officials to drop the case in its early stage, an Outlook report stated. Mulinja Narayanan was posted as deputy inspector of police (special crimes) in Delhi when the rape case was handed over to CBI in September 2002. "The case was registered on December 12, 2002 and suddenly I found a senior CBI official entering my room and directing me that the case needs to be closed and no action should be taken," the retired officer told PTI. This "unsolicited" advice had prompted Narayanan to probe all aspects of the case, Outlook stated. "Later, as the investigations carried on, many powerful politicians and business persons walked into the CBI headquarters and put lot of pressure to close the case. But thanks to the judiciary, we could manage to complete our investigation," he said. The former joint director recalled to Outlook the struggle of the CBI team in convincing the family of rape survivor to continue the investigation against the self-styled godman. "The girl, who had been sexually abused in 1999, had since left Dera and got married. It was a daunting task to convince her as well as her family members. Thankfully, I played the role of a father for her and ensured that she not only gives her statement but also testifies before a magistrate. I wanted to ensure that no one plays dirty and weakens the case later. Therefore, I got the statement of the girl recorded before a magistrate so that retracting it becomes nearly impossible," Outlook quotes him as saying. The 67-year-old officer who retired in 2009 also remembered Gurmeet Singh's response during the interrogation. "... He did not give any direct reply. He pretended to be a baba but my instincts told me that he was a scared person during the questioning." The meritorious officer who received Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 1999, even suffered pressure from his subordinates. "My seniors knew my professionalism. I do not succumb to pressures but what surprised me was that some of my subordinate staff came and made vehement requests that I should stop the probe against Gurmeet Singh." A special CBI court in Panchkula has convicted Gurmeet Singh yesterday based on a case registered in 2002 on allegations of sexual exploitation of two 'sadhvis' by the godman. The Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered a CBI probe 15 years ago taking account of the anonymous letters written by the survivors, reports Outlook. "It was a game of wits. Sometimes we won and sometimes we lost but, at the end, today's verdict showed that no one can escape the law of the land," Narayanan said. The court will pronounce the sentence on August 28.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: An 82-year-old woman survived a potentially fatal fall in an uncovered manhole in the city on Thursday night. She spent the entire night in the pit before being rescued 12 hours later.

The octogenarian, Dukhi Jethi, had fallen into the 20-ft manhole, left uncovered by the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board, while going to his sons house in Tara Sundari lane of Old Town. She suffered head injuries but stayed conscious all through the night. Her cries for help attracted attention of some passersby in the morning.

The Fire Station was alerted and a team of fire-fighters rescued her at about 8 am. She was rushed to the hospital where Dukhi was provided treatment. Her condition is stated to be stable.

CCTV footage from the neighbourhood showed the elderly woman walking down the road unaware of the manhole where no caution sign was put up. Only a plastic gunny bag was attached to a wooden pole planted at the site. A hapless Dukhi held on to the pole but walked right into the pit.

The womans husband, Radhashyam Jethi (89) said, his wife went missing after 8 pm on Thursday. The couple have four sons while two of them live in a same compound under Lingaraj police limits, while the other two live in Kapileshwar and Chakeisiani areas of the city.

After she went missing, the family members started looking for her but no one had an inkling that Dukhi had fallen into the sewerage pit barely about 100 metres from their house.

We started looking for her in the evening and continued our search till late night but we could not find her, said Sarat Jethi, the elderly womans relative.

On Friday morning, some passersby spotted that someone was moving a bamboo kept inside the manhole and found out that the elderly woman was trapped inside it. The woman called for help and the rescue team was alerted.

Locals alleged that the manhole was covered with a slab which caved in three months back and no attention was paid to it by authorities concerned. They pointed out that a similar manhole near Venkateswar English Medium School in the area is also lying open for the last several months.

Residents of Matha Sahi in Old Town informed that a man had also fallen into a drain on Thursday night.

There was a power-cut in the area on Thursday evening when a man slipped into an under-construction drain.

BHUBANESWAR: An 82-year-old woman survived a potentially fatal fall in an uncovered manhole in the city on Thursday night. She spent the entire night in the pit before being rescued 12 hours later. The octogenarian, Dukhi Jethi, had fallen into the 20-ft manhole, left uncovered by the Odisha Water Supply and Sewerage Board, while going to his sons house in Tara Sundari lane of Old Town. She suffered head injuries but stayed conscious all through the night. Her cries for help attracted attention of some passersby in the morning. The Fire Station was alerted and a team of fire-fighters rescued her at about 8 am. She was rushed to the hospital where Dukhi was provided treatment. Her condition is stated to be stable. CCTV footage from the neighbourhood showed the elderly woman walking down the road unaware of the manhole where no caution sign was put up. Only a plastic gunny bag was attached to a wooden pole planted at the site. A hapless Dukhi held on to the pole but walked right into the pit. The womans husband, Radhashyam Jethi (89) said, his wife went missing after 8 pm on Thursday. The couple have four sons while two of them live in a same compound under Lingaraj police limits, while the other two live in Kapileshwar and Chakeisiani areas of the city. After she went missing, the family members started looking for her but no one had an inkling that Dukhi had fallen into the sewerage pit barely about 100 metres from their house. We started looking for her in the evening and continued our search till late night but we could not find her, said Sarat Jethi, the elderly womans relative. On Friday morning, some passersby spotted that someone was moving a bamboo kept inside the manhole and found out that the elderly woman was trapped inside it. The woman called for help and the rescue team was alerted. Locals alleged that the manhole was covered with a slab which caved in three months back and no attention was paid to it by authorities concerned. They pointed out that a similar manhole near Venkateswar English Medium School in the area is also lying open for the last several months. Residents of Matha Sahi in Old Town informed that a man had also fallen into a drain on Thursday night. There was a power-cut in the area on Thursday evening when a man slipped into an under-construction drain.
The show's last episode will air on September 10, according to reports.

By India Today Web Desk: Epic historical show Aarambh, which airs on Star Plus and stars actors Rajniesh Duggall and Karthika Nair along with veteran actress Tanuja, is soon going to go off air.

Looks like despite various plot twists, impressive set and costumes, and a decent script, Aarambh was unable to hold the viewers' attention.

Lead actor Rajniesh Duggall recently confirmed the news to The Times of India.

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"Yes, the show is ending. The makers have reduced the 32-episode series to just 24. It was a grand idea, but unfortunately, we didn't get the numbers that we expected. However, I loved being a part of it. Both Varun Dev and Jal Dev (his characters in the show) will be close to my heart," the actor told The Times of India.

The show's last episode will reportedly air on September 10.

Also read: Why Kuch Rang Pyaar Ke Aise Bhi going off air is a good thing for its fans

Also read: Beyhadh to go off air: 4 probable plot twists we expect to see in the coming days

--- ENDS ---
By Associated Press

KABUL: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28  up from 20  including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday.

Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 others were wounded in the attack a day earlier that went on for hours.

Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.

President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.

Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed.

The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.

Security forces had surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighbourhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police official Mohammed Jamil said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw, Muradi said.

The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.

The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added.

When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasir said.

Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.

Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.

KABUL: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28  up from 20  including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday. Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 others were wounded in the attack a day earlier that went on for hours. Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it. President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed. Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed. The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers. Security forces had surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighbourhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police official Mohammed Jamil said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw, Muradi said. The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said. The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added. When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasir said. Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics. Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.
By ANI

OTTAWA: The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a sexual exploitation case, saying that tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas.

Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas, the Canadian government said in an advisory.

The authorities in the state of Haryana and at the Centre are also taking appropriate measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place.

Around 53 companies of the paramilitary forces and 50,000 personnel of the Haryana Police have been deployed. In addition, the Army has also been deployed in Sirsa district of Haryana.

The Center has asked the Haryana government to take strict action if anyone tries to break the law.

Curfew has also been imposed in several parts of the country under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

OTTAWA: The Canada government has issued a safety advisory for its citizens in India following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a sexual exploitation case, saying that tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas. Following the conviction of a prominent sect leader on August 25, 2017, tensions remain high in the States of Punjab and Haryana, and various other areas, the Canadian government said in an advisory. The authorities in the state of Haryana and at the Centre are also taking appropriate measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place. Around 53 companies of the paramilitary forces and 50,000 personnel of the Haryana Police have been deployed. In addition, the Army has also been deployed in Sirsa district of Haryana. The Center has asked the Haryana government to take strict action if anyone tries to break the law. Curfew has also been imposed in several parts of the country under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
By Associated Press

NEW YORK: A longtime target of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration known as the "Sultan" has been arrested in London on charges he aided a massive drug trafficking operation, authorities announced Friday.

Manhattan federal prosecutors said the U.S. will seek Muhammad Asif Hafeez's extradition to New York City to face charges including conspiracy to import heroin into the United States, conspiracy to import methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge.

In a release, Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said Hafeez was a long-time DEA priority target who trafficked in drugs "on a massive and global scale," helping manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine, including to the United States.

"From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez's alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries  until now," Kim said.

Raymond Donovan, the agent in charge of the DEA's Special Operations Division, called the arrest "another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA's priority targets."

He added: "Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide."

Authorities said the 58-year-old Pakistani national, who was living in London, conspired to distribute drugs since at least 2013.

Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the United States, but were forced to abandon the plan after law enforcement authorities seized about 18 tons of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, India. Authorities said Hafeez and his co-conspirators had planned to use several tons of ephedrine as a precursor chemical to manufacture methamphetamine in Mozambique.

It wasn't immediately clear whether he has a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.

NEW YORK: A longtime target of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration known as the "Sultan" has been arrested in London on charges he aided a massive drug trafficking operation, authorities announced Friday. Manhattan federal prosecutors said the U.S. will seek Muhammad Asif Hafeez's extradition to New York City to face charges including conspiracy to import heroin into the United States, conspiracy to import methamphetamine and aiding and abetting the distribution of heroin. If convicted, he could face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge. In a release, Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said Hafeez was a long-time DEA priority target who trafficked in drugs "on a massive and global scale," helping manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine, including to the United States. "From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez's alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries  until now," Kim said. Raymond Donovan, the agent in charge of the DEA's Special Operations Division, called the arrest "another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA's priority targets." He added: "Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide." Authorities said the 58-year-old Pakistani national, who was living in London, conspired to distribute drugs since at least 2013. Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the United States, but were forced to abandon the plan after law enforcement authorities seized about 18 tons of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, India. Authorities said Hafeez and his co-conspirators had planned to use several tons of ephedrine as a precursor chemical to manufacture methamphetamine in Mozambique. It wasn't immediately clear whether he has a lawyer who could comment on his behalf.
By PTI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit the country's "all-weather ally" China, Russia and Turkey next week for consultations on the new US policy for Afghanistan and South Asia, according to a media report.

The dates for the trip are being worked out.

Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said yesterday that the foreign minister will visit "regional countries for consultations" but did not provide details of travel.

The Dawn newspaper reported that the decision for the visit was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday, which deliberated on the new US policy.

During the trip, Asif will hold consultations at developing consensus on efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

Earlier, the foreign minister was expected to visit the US for bilateral talks with his counterpart Rex Tillerson, but it was apparently delayed in the wake of Afghan policy announced by US President Donald Trump.

Trump on Tuesday unveiled his Afghan policy and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country. He sternly warned Pakistan against providing safe havens to militants.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will visit the country's "all-weather ally" China, Russia and Turkey next week for consultations on the new US policy for Afghanistan and South Asia, according to a media report. The dates for the trip are being worked out. Foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said yesterday that the foreign minister will visit "regional countries for consultations" but did not provide details of travel. The Dawn newspaper reported that the decision for the visit was taken at a meeting of the National Security Committee on Thursday, which deliberated on the new US policy. During the trip, Asif will hold consultations at developing consensus on efforts for peace in Afghanistan. Earlier, the foreign minister was expected to visit the US for bilateral talks with his counterpart Rex Tillerson, but it was apparently delayed in the wake of Afghan policy announced by US President Donald Trump. Trump on Tuesday unveiled his Afghan policy and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country. He sternly warned Pakistan against providing safe havens to militants.
By ANI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be convening an international conference to highlight its contribution towards the war against terrorism and to adopt a new policy which will call a halt to Washingtons unending demand to do more on the issue.

This move came after President Donald Trump openly criticized Pakistan for its double standards in fighting the war against terrorism in Afghanistan.

While rolling out the new Afghan Policy, Trump had said, People in Pakistan have suffered from terror, but at same time Pakistan has been safe haven for terrorists.

A source has said that Islamabad is trying to mount a diplomatic offensive to muster support of friendly countries in the face of Trumps allegations that Pakistan was hosting terrorist safe havens on its soil, The Express Tribune reported.

However, the Pakistan government would soon hold consultations before announcing the schedule of the conference, the source added.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif with his other cabinet members will be visiting China, Russia and Iran before going to the U.S. to voice their concerns to the Trump administration.

Pakistan will be bringing its objections in front of the United Nations and other international forums about the new US Afghan policy.

Earlier, showing similar sentiments Pakistan's civil and military leadership on Thursday said scapegoating them will not help stabilise the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

In a clear ultimatum to Islamabad, Trump said Pakistan had to change its "double game" policy or face the consequences.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson then explained that Washington may revoke Pakistan's major non-NATO ally status as well as possibly cutting military aid and other assistance, if it continues to provide shelter to the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network.

Pakistan said claims of billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad by the U.S. were misleading as they were actually partial reimbursements for part of the cost of ground facilities and use of air corridors by the Washington for its operations in Afghanistan, rather than financial aid or assistance.

The statement came after a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee, presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and finance, the three services chiefs, and the head of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).

The U.S. President singled out Pakistan for supporting what he called "agents of chaos".

He added, "We have been paying Pakistan billions of dollars and the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. No partnership can survive if a country is harbouring militants and terrorist to target U.S. service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization and peace."

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be convening an international conference to highlight its contribution towards the war against terrorism and to adopt a new policy which will call a halt to Washingtons unending demand to do more on the issue. This move came after President Donald Trump openly criticized Pakistan for its double standards in fighting the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. While rolling out the new Afghan Policy, Trump had said, People in Pakistan have suffered from terror, but at same time Pakistan has been safe haven for terrorists. A source has said that Islamabad is trying to mount a diplomatic offensive to muster support of friendly countries in the face of Trumps allegations that Pakistan was hosting terrorist safe havens on its soil, The Express Tribune reported. However, the Pakistan government would soon hold consultations before announcing the schedule of the conference, the source added. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif with his other cabinet members will be visiting China, Russia and Iran before going to the U.S. to voice their concerns to the Trump administration. Pakistan will be bringing its objections in front of the United Nations and other international forums about the new US Afghan policy. Earlier, showing similar sentiments Pakistan's civil and military leadership on Thursday said scapegoating them will not help stabilise the war-ravaged Afghanistan. In a clear ultimatum to Islamabad, Trump said Pakistan had to change its "double game" policy or face the consequences. U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson then explained that Washington may revoke Pakistan's major non-NATO ally status as well as possibly cutting military aid and other assistance, if it continues to provide shelter to the Afghan Taliban and Haqqani network. Pakistan said claims of billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad by the U.S. were misleading as they were actually partial reimbursements for part of the cost of ground facilities and use of air corridors by the Washington for its operations in Afghanistan, rather than financial aid or assistance. The statement came after a meeting of Pakistan's National Security Committee, presided over by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and attended by the ministers of foreign affairs, interior, and finance, the three services chiefs, and the head of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI). The U.S. President singled out Pakistan for supporting what he called "agents of chaos". He added, "We have been paying Pakistan billions of dollars and the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. No partnership can survive if a country is harbouring militants and terrorist to target U.S. service members and officials. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilization and peace."
By Associated Press

SEOUL: South Korea says North Korea has fired several unidentified projectiles to the sea in what appears to be the latest weapons tests for the country that has been rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons and missile program.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the projectiles were fired from an area from the North's eastern coast and flew about 250 kilometres (155 miles).

The JCS says the South Korea and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launch.

The launch comes weeks after North Korea created a tense standoff with the United States by threatening to lob some of its missiles toward Guam.

North Korea also successfully flight-tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles in July that analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.

SEOUL: South Korea says North Korea has fired several unidentified projectiles to the sea in what appears to be the latest weapons tests for the country that has been rapidly expanding its nuclear weapons and missile program. Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Saturday that the projectiles were fired from an area from the North's eastern coast and flew about 250 kilometres (155 miles). The JCS says the South Korea and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launch. The launch comes weeks after North Korea created a tense standoff with the United States by threatening to lob some of its missiles toward Guam. North Korea also successfully flight-tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles in July that analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration will not shy away from taking tougher steps if required to convince Pakistani leaders that it is in their interest to crackdown on terrorist groups, a senior US official said.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reporters, said the administration thinks that not having a timeline for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will refrain Pakistan from doing the hedging it has previously done.

"We think their continued support to some of these groups is because there's so much uncertainty about the US commitment to the region," the official said when asked about Pakistan's response to the new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

President Donald Trump laid out his South Asia policy on Tuesday, reversing his stand on a hasty withdrawal of troops.

He warned Pakistan of consequences if it continues to provide safe havens to terrorists and sought an enhanced role for India to end America's longest war and bring peace in the war-torn country.

The administration official said the new Afghanistan strategy was a departure from how the US previously dealt with Pakistan.

"This administration will not shy away from some more tougher steps if they have to, to try to convince Pakistani leaders that it's in their own interest to crack down on these groups," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.

"We will take up our issues, sensitive issues with Pakistani privates, so I'm not going to get into great detail on the actual tool that the US will employ with the strategy on Pakistan," the official said.

"While Pakistan is an important partner, for achieving our priorities in the region it also must take decisive action against militant and terrorist groups that are a threat to US interests and the region more broadly," the official asserted.

The official said Pakistan has much to gain by partnering the US in the region. "But it also has much to lose if it fails to take adequate steps to counter terrorist groups."

"It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate fully that it is willing to assist the US in its core counterterrorism goals in the region," the official said.

Responding to questions, the official said Trump was determined to not allow terrorists exists in the region, but did not say if it meant those across the Afghan border in Pakistan.

"I would simply say that the president made clear that he's not gonna allow terrorist haven to exist anywhere and he's going to give to all the tools that are necessary to our troops to be able to fight the enemy," the official said.

WASHINGTON: The Trump administration will not shy away from taking tougher steps if required to convince Pakistani leaders that it is in their interest to crackdown on terrorist groups, a senior US official said. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to reporters, said the administration thinks that not having a timeline for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan will refrain Pakistan from doing the hedging it has previously done. "We think their continued support to some of these groups is because there's so much uncertainty about the US commitment to the region," the official said when asked about Pakistan's response to the new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia. President Donald Trump laid out his South Asia policy on Tuesday, reversing his stand on a hasty withdrawal of troops. He warned Pakistan of consequences if it continues to provide safe havens to terrorists and sought an enhanced role for India to end America's longest war and bring peace in the war-torn country. The administration official said the new Afghanistan strategy was a departure from how the US previously dealt with Pakistan. "This administration will not shy away from some more tougher steps if they have to, to try to convince Pakistani leaders that it's in their own interest to crack down on these groups," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call. "We will take up our issues, sensitive issues with Pakistani privates, so I'm not going to get into great detail on the actual tool that the US will employ with the strategy on Pakistan," the official said. "While Pakistan is an important partner, for achieving our priorities in the region it also must take decisive action against militant and terrorist groups that are a threat to US interests and the region more broadly," the official asserted. The official said Pakistan has much to gain by partnering the US in the region. "But it also has much to lose if it fails to take adequate steps to counter terrorist groups." "It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate fully that it is willing to assist the US in its core counterterrorism goals in the region," the official said. Responding to questions, the official said Trump was determined to not allow terrorists exists in the region, but did not say if it meant those across the Afghan border in Pakistan. "I would simply say that the president made clear that he's not gonna allow terrorist haven to exist anywhere and he's going to give to all the tools that are necessary to our troops to be able to fight the enemy," the official said.
By AFP

Usually, the humans are scared of the wild animals. But in the Norwegian far-north, an Arctic tourist guide has been fined 1,300 euros ($1,500) for scaring off a polar bear.

When a group of tourists on a snowmobile expedition in May spotted a bear standing still, 900 metres (2,950 ft) away, their guide decided to approach the predator to take a closer look.

The animal, spotted on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, fled the scene.

The regulations say that it is forbidden to approach polar bears in such a way that they are disturbed, regardless of the distance, the Svalbard governors office said in a statement.

Located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the North Pole and twice the size of Belgium, Svalbard is, according to 2015 state figures, home to nearly 1,000 polar bears, a protected species since 1973.

Five deadly attacks on people have been recorded in about 40 years.

Usually, the humans are scared of the wild animals. But in the Norwegian far-north, an Arctic tourist guide has been fined 1,300 euros ($1,500) for scaring off a polar bear. When a group of tourists on a snowmobile expedition in May spotted a bear standing still, 900 metres (2,950 ft) away, their guide decided to approach the predator to take a closer look. The animal, spotted on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, fled the scene. The regulations say that it is forbidden to approach polar bears in such a way that they are disturbed, regardless of the distance, the Svalbard governors office said in a statement. Located 1,000 miles (1,600 km) from the North Pole and twice the size of Belgium, Svalbard is, according to 2015 state figures, home to nearly 1,000 polar bears, a protected species since 1973. Five deadly attacks on people have been recorded in about 40 years.
By PTI

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the attacks on the Myanmar security forces by Rohingya militants in the northern Rakhine State and hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Clashes erupted between Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine State after militants attacked border police. The fighting has killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians - Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine - to flee their homes.

Expressing concern over the escalating tensions in the region, Guterres said that he hoped those responsible would be brought to justice. Guterres termed the attacks as "unacceptable" and reiterated the "importance of addressing the root causes of violence, in particular issues related to identity and citizenship, and reducing inter-communal tensions," his spokesperson said.

"He strongly urges all the communities in Rakhine State to choose the path of peace," spokesperson said in a statement. It said the forces must protect civilians at all times, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law while taking the necessary measures to curb attacks by criminal elements in the region. Resident Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien  the top UN humanitarian official in Myanmar  condemned in the strongest terms the series of coordinated attacks.

The Resident Coordinator urged all parties to refrain from violence, protect civilians, restore law and order and resolve issues through dialogue and peaceful means, according to a spokesperson from the UN Office in Geneva.

"The grave events confirmed the significance of the government's commitment to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state for the betterment of all communities," spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said.

Yesterday, the Advisory Commission, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, released a report outlining recommendations for how to overcome political, socio-economic and humanitarian challenges. Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar.

According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigrations.

The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres has expressed concern over the attacks on the Myanmar security forces by Rohingya militants in the northern Rakhine State and hoped that the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Clashes erupted between Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces in the Rakhine State after militants attacked border police. The fighting has killed 89 people and forced thousands of civilians - Rohingya and ethnic Rakhine - to flee their homes. Expressing concern over the escalating tensions in the region, Guterres said that he hoped those responsible would be brought to justice. Guterres termed the attacks as "unacceptable" and reiterated the "importance of addressing the root causes of violence, in particular issues related to identity and citizenship, and reducing inter-communal tensions," his spokesperson said. "He strongly urges all the communities in Rakhine State to choose the path of peace," spokesperson said in a statement. It said the forces must protect civilians at all times, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law while taking the necessary measures to curb attacks by criminal elements in the region. Resident Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien  the top UN humanitarian official in Myanmar  condemned in the strongest terms the series of coordinated attacks. The Resident Coordinator urged all parties to refrain from violence, protect civilians, restore law and order and resolve issues through dialogue and peaceful means, according to a spokesperson from the UN Office in Geneva. "The grave events confirmed the significance of the government's commitment to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state for the betterment of all communities," spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said. Yesterday, the Advisory Commission, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, released a report outlining recommendations for how to overcome political, socio-economic and humanitarian challenges. Rohingyas are Muslim Indo-Aryan people from the Rakhine State in Myanmar. According to the Rohingyas and some scholars, they are indigenous to Rakhine State, while other historians claim that the group represents a mixture of precolonial and colonial immigrations. The official stance of the Myanmar government, however, has been that the Rohingyas are mainly illegal immigrants who migrated into Arakan following Burmese independence in 1948 or after the Bangladesh liberation war in 1971.
By AFP

OTTAWA: A new wildfire forced 1,100 residents in Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia to flee overnight and the blaze was still burning out of control Friday, officials said.

The blaze started about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the Okanagan wine region in the residential community of Joe Rich, near Kelowna.

Stoked by high winds, it caught many off guard, including one woman who told public broadcaster CBC that flames shot up trees around her while she was out jogging on backcountry trails.

"The fire exhibited aggressive behaviour," Justine Hunse of the British Columbia wildfire service told AFP. "It's still out of control."

However, she added, "due to a drop in temperature and winds, the fire did not grow significantly overnight."

British Columbia chief wildfire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said it was likely human-caused.

The area east of Kelowna is heavily forested and the mountainous terrain is steep, making the fire difficult to fight.

The Okanagan Valley is Canada's second largest wine region, with nearly 4,000 hectares (nearly 10,000 acres) of vineyards planted. There are also several orchards.

A state of emergency has been in effect in parts of British Columbia since July 7.

Most of the nearly 50,000 people who were forced to flee have been able to return to their homes, but 3,800 - including residents of Joe Rich -- are still subject to evacuation orders.

As of Friday, there were 158 active fires in British Columbia. Some 3,900 firefighters and support crews, as well as 200 aircraft, have been mobilized.

Since April, more than one million hectares of British Columbia forests have been destroyed by fire -- the largest area burned on record.

OTTAWA: A new wildfire forced 1,100 residents in Canada's westernmost province of British Columbia to flee overnight and the blaze was still burning out of control Friday, officials said. The blaze started about 20 kilometres (12 miles) east of the Okanagan wine region in the residential community of Joe Rich, near Kelowna. Stoked by high winds, it caught many off guard, including one woman who told public broadcaster CBC that flames shot up trees around her while she was out jogging on backcountry trails. "The fire exhibited aggressive behaviour," Justine Hunse of the British Columbia wildfire service told AFP. "It's still out of control." However, she added, "due to a drop in temperature and winds, the fire did not grow significantly overnight." British Columbia chief wildfire information officer Kevin Skrepnek said it was likely human-caused. The area east of Kelowna is heavily forested and the mountainous terrain is steep, making the fire difficult to fight. The Okanagan Valley is Canada's second largest wine region, with nearly 4,000 hectares (nearly 10,000 acres) of vineyards planted. There are also several orchards. A state of emergency has been in effect in parts of British Columbia since July 7. Most of the nearly 50,000 people who were forced to flee have been able to return to their homes, but 3,800 - including residents of Joe Rich -- are still subject to evacuation orders. As of Friday, there were 158 active fires in British Columbia. Some 3,900 firefighters and support crews, as well as 200 aircraft, have been mobilized. Since April, more than one million hectares of British Columbia forests have been destroyed by fire -- the largest area burned on record.
At least 10 people had died in the Rampal case in November 2014 while 30 had lost their life in violence during the February 2016 Jat agitation in the state.

By Kumar Shakti Shekhar: Large-scale violence has struck Haryana for the third time in three years. All these three incidents have taken place ever since ML Khattar was sworn in as chief minister of the state on October 26, 2014.

At least 10 people had died in the Rampal case in November 2014 while 30 had lost their life in violence during the February 2016 Jat agitation in the state.

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Massive violence has followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on Friday by a special Panchkula court, holding the Dera Sacha Sauda leader guilty of rape.

The situation deteriorated soon after the conviction was announced and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was taken into custody.

There have been about 300 incidents of violence reported from across Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi. So far, 31 people have died and about 250 have been injured in the violence which ensued after the court verdict.

The Haryana government seems to have failed for the third consecutive time in assessing the situation while allowing the law and order situation to drift.

The date for today's hearing was known much in advance. Besides, there were proofs of Dera Sacha Sauda and Baba Ram Rahim galvanising supporters. They had even been posting their messages on the social media for the last few days.

There were intelligence reports too fearing violence. But the Khattar government did not take adequate measures to ensure that violence did not erupt.

The Haryana government could have imposed prohibitory orders in Sirsa, Panchkula and adjoining regions or areas of Dera Sacha Sauda's influence.

Secondly, the state government should not have allowed Baba Ram Rahim to travel from Dera Sacha Sauda's headquarters in Sirsa to Panchkula as a hero. There were over 100 cars in Ram Rahim's convoy.

The government should not have allowed more than half a dozen vehicles, including those carrying Ram Rahim's relatives, staff and security personnel, to accompany him. The remaining vehicles should have been detained.

Third, the Khattar government should have called more security forces to man Sirsa and Panchkula. It should have made adequate arrangements in other cities as well.

Unfortunately, Khattar apparently had not learned despite the two earlier incidents in which his government had to face major criticism following violence.

The epicentre of violence in the wake of Baba Ram Rahim's conviction has been Haryana. The violence, which started from the state, has spread to adjoining Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Hence, a large part of the blame for the violence needs to be shared by the Khattar government.

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RAMPAL CASE

In the Satlok ashram supremo Rampal's case too, the Haryana government had ample time to make sufficient arrangements to take on the rogue self-declared godman.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against Rampal.

Scores of Rampal's followers including militia clashed with para-military forces and the Haryana Police killing 10 people in November 2014, just a month after Khattar government had been sworn in.

Rampal's followers resorted to firing, stone-pelting and hurling of acid and petrol bombs from within the ashram.

There was a 30-hour standoff. In the end the security forces managed to arrest the controversial godman from his ashram.

Security forces arrested at least 200 members of the militia that was guarding the Satlok Ashram.

Three of Rampal's key associates were also arrested. Those arrested included Rampal's son and brother, besides Satlok Ashram spokesperson Raj Kapoor.

About 70 Rampal followers, most of them his 'private commandos', who had indulged in violence, were arrested. According to reports, Home Minister Rajnath Singh was unhappy with the way the Khattar government had handled the issue.

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JAT AGITATION

As many as 30 people were killed and property worth crores was damaged at many places in Haryana during the February 2016 Jat stir which had turned violent.

Rohtak and some of its neighbouring districts, including Sonipat and Jhajjar, were the worst hit by the violence last year.

Besides the loss of lives and damage to property - both private and public including roads, canals, railway stations, police stations - illegal felling of trees and violation of human rights took place in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Sonipat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Bhiwani.

The role of state government officials, including police and civil departments, came under the scanner as the government completely failed to stop the violence during the period.

Mass rape and molestation cases were also reported in Sonipat district.

The community had been agitating for according OBC status to them for several years. However, they targeted non-Jats for the first time.

According to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the damage was to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore but other industry sources quoted a figure of Rs 34,000 crore.

Reportedly, 33 buses had been set on fire and 99 others were partially damaged. Out of 387 LPG companies, 185 are out of stock. More than 25 petrol pumps had been damaged.

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Chevrolet and Hyundai showrooms around Rohtak were burned down and in total, more than 200 cars that were in stock had been set on fire. The Munak Canal was also damaged.

Here too the Khattar government was accused of mishandling the situation, failing to make a correct assessment of the situation and taking adequate measures in order to stop violence from taking place.

Today, in the Ram Rahim case, Khattar has defended himself saying that the Haryana government had made complete arrangements but "the mob was really huge".

This argument is unlikely to be accepted by the Opposition and the people in general. In the days to come, it will not be a surprise if the Opposition demands Khattar's resignation.

Also Read

Security beefed, alert issued across Delhi, Punjab after Ram Rahim case verdictGurmeet Ram Rahim verdict aftermath: Blood sport erupts across 3 states in baba's name

--- ENDS ---
Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat said that there may be standoffs, but that does not mean that it lead to complete breakdown of international relations.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: Talking about India-China ties in the backdrop of the ongoing Doklam standoff, Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat said that there may be standoffs, but that does not mean that it lead to complete breakdown of international relations.

Gen Rawat was speaking to media after delivering lecture on "India's Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct" in Pune.

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When asked about the 3-month-old standoff at Doklam, General Rawat said, "There may be standoffs. Standoffs are one issue and they are related to one sector. But that does not mean that it leads to complete breakdown of international relations. Other things will continue in the manner they are expected to happen."

General Rawat tried to explain to the media that in his lecture, he has highlighted the same, no matter what happens, the diplomacy between the two countries, the dialogue between the diplomats, between politicians will continue to happen.

Talking about the recent Ladakh scuffle wherein some of the jawans of both Indian and Chinese Armies were involved in stone pelting and physical assault which was initiated by the latter, the Army chief said they are perceptions of Line of Actual Control ( LAC ).

He explained, "Our boundaries are not yet settled. There are perceptions on both the sides, China says my boundary is still here and I say my boundary is still here. So in that gap between the boundary, both sides keep moving and patrolling, so at time you have a clash as each one tries to petrol to its limit. So these are normal things, but we have got mechanism to resolve such issues, we have commanders who talk, we discuss things out. These are normal things which are happening because of differing perceptions."

The chief emphasized that their aim was not to let these things escalate, he said, "Our aim is whenever such things happen, get back to normalcy and not let it escalate because we are living on the borders peacefully."

Continuing with the topic of Chinese Army officers avoiding flag meetings, Gen Rawat said flag meetings were happening and the recent flag meeting happened at Chishul that too at Generals' level. Though, no resolution on the ongoing problem came out.

For that both the countries are having talks at diplomatic levels.

General Rawat also shared about the 2017 Brics Summit that China is going to host next month at Xiamen.

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He said, "Next month China is going to host the 9th Brics Summit. We are members of the Brics. So this does not mean that everything will come to a standstill. Everything will move as normal."

BRICS international relations conference will be attended by five member states i.e. Brazil , Russia, India, China and South Africa.

At the same time, Gen Rawat alerted his men that even if this standoff gets resolved, the men in olive at the LAC have always have to be vigilant because these things might again repeated. The infantry has been tasked to defend carry of patrolling, and to defend our borders.

When asked about his views on Lt Col Prasad Purohit's Malegaon 2008 blast case, the chief cleared it by saying that commenting on this issue will not be correct, especially when the matter is subjudice.

"People immediately start commenting that the accuse is manipulating the things, he is influencing things and then his bail will get in problem and he will be told to go back so it's better not to say anything on the issue when the matter is in the court."

Headquarters Southern Command and Savitribai Phule Pune University have jointly instituted an annual lecture series in 1995 in the memory of late General BC Joshi, who was Chief of Army Staff from 01 July 1993 to 19 November 1994, in recognition of his contribution to higher education and furthering university-defence forces interaction. The memorial lecture is held by Savitribai Phule Pune University and delivered by the chiefs of defence forces.

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--- ENDS ---
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Reporter

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).
The collision of two Indian fishing boats was reported by Fisheries department yesterday.

The Coast Guard on ascertaining details activated their search and rescue network.

By Gopi Maniar Ghanghar : Two fishing boats collided in shallow waters near Samiyani island off Okha coast in Gujarat. Owing to the collision, Indian Coast guard was called in for assistance. However, all the 13 crewmen of the two boats were safe.

A coastguard official today said that an information about the collision of two Indian fishing boats was reported by Fisheries department yesterday.

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The Coast Guard on ascertaining details activated their search and rescue network.

It was later established that an Indian fishing boat named IFB Vaman Dev due to machinery failure had asked towing assistance from IFB Tulsi-I.

While towing, IFB Tulsi lost propulsion due to entangling of fishing nets in her propeller due to which the two boats collided and grounded off Smaiyani Island around 1.5 nautical miles away from Okha jetty.

A Coast Guard Hovercraft was diverted immediately to render assistance to the crew of these boats stranded in the waters.

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--- ENDS ---
Just eight months after its reveal as little more than a motorshow concept study in Detroit, Volkswagen has confirmed that the ID Buzz, its 21st century electrified take on its iconic Bulli Microbus, is destined for real-world production."After the presentations at the global motor shows in Detroit and Geneva, we received a large number of letters and emails from customers who said, 'please build this car'," Volkswagen CEO Dr Herbert Diess explained of the decision to resurrect what is, alongside the Beetle, one of the company's genuine automotive icons.As the world slowly moves from gasoline-fueled to zero-emissions motoring, bringing back a vehicle so synonymous with freedom, counterculture, practicality and fun -- yet with batteries, rather than an air-cooled engine calling the shots -- could prove to be a very shrewd decision. It will be a vehicle full of personality and potential at a time when cars could start to resemble white goods devoid of character or design differentiation."[The new Bulli] carries the Microbus driving feeling into the future," said Diess. "The vehicle is an important pillar in Volkswagen's electric drive initiative."The original T1 Transporter, known as the Kombi or Bulli, was so versatile and easy to convert into a microbus, cargo van or camper, thanks to its flat front and rear mounted engine that it developed a global cult following that endured throughout its 30-year official lifespan.Even when VW stopped manufacturing the van itself and sold on the tooling and presses, production and demand continued for the model when it started being built in South America. In fact, the only reason why the original is no longer in production is because it no longer meets Brazil's safety or emissions regulations. If there had been a cost-effective way to re-engineer the vehicle it would still be on sale today. Instead, the final van rolled off the line in December 2013.Fans will have to wait for the new model. VW has not set an official launch date other than to confirm that it will arrive between 2022 and 2025. But when it does materialize, the car will have the same long wheelbase and tiny overhangs of the concept (thanks to fitting the batteries in the vehicle's floor), to maximize interior space."The vehicle therefore looks like a short compact van on the outside, even as it offers the generous interior space of a large van," said Diess.And, as well as a modern microbus, the vehicle will also be offered as a van. "We'll also be offering an I.D. BUZZ Cargo variant for zero-emission delivery operations," said Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles CEO Dr Eckhard Scholz, "It's an ideal electric van concept, particularly for inner cities."
Kolkata: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh 'Insan' was planning to build a palatial ashram in Darjeeling and had already bought a piece of land in 2012.



On Friday, Dera Chief was found guilty of raping two women followers in 2002, by a CBI court in Panchkula.



His plan was to make Darjeeling an eastern headquarters of his organization, and he frequented the Hill station between 2009 to 2012. Later, his close aid would visit to increase the number of followers in Darjeeling.



The two acres (approx) land is properly walled and still guarded by few of Baba's followers.



Sooraj Bhutia, one of the residents of Darjeeling told News18, They (Gurmeets guard) dont interact much with the local people because, a couple of years ago, they had a spat with the hills people over some issue related to the property he bought.



A senior police officer said, He bought the land near Indian National Army Bypass Road, near late Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) president Madan Tamangs house in Darjeeling.



He said, After Dera chiefs conviction, his properties have been seized in other parts of India, and if required, his property in Darjeeling could be also be seized. We will also inquire about Dera Chiefs local contact in Darjeeling and keep a watch on his followers. Though they are less in number, we cant take any chance as Darjeeling is already tensed.



Gorkha National Liberation Fronts (GNLF), Neeraj Tamang, said, Yes, he has a property in Darjeeling and he faced some political problem in giving final shape to his ashram. The property is near INA Bypass Road.



The spokesperson of Dera Sacha Sauda Dilawar Insan was not available for comment.



It was learnt that on April 19, 2012, when a devastating fire raged through the main market square of Darjeeling town, Dera Chief was there in Darjeeling to make his followers in the hills.



He was staying at Regent Hotel in Darjeeling when he saw the fire from his hotel room. He immediately pressed his Green S Welfare Force Wing to bring the fire under control. Green S Welfare Force Wing also has their own fire tender which accompanies Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh wherever he goes.



Dera Chief, who was looking for an opportunity to be friendly with the locals, organized a camp next morning to market his effort on how his men helped in dousing the fire. But the local people never took him seriously, Bhutia said.



Interestingly, how Dera Chief and his followers saved the local people in Darjeeling from fire is mentioned on their website.



One of the paragraphs on the website (referring to the fire incident) reads, There were other miracles unfolding too. The smaller fire tenders brought in by the other agencies were emptying out at regular intervals. But the fire tender of Shah Satnam Ji Green S Welfare Force Wing did not require a single refill because it never became empty. God was at the work.


Jammu/ New Delhi: A day after its jawan was injured by a sniper, the BSF on Saturday said it has killed at least three Pakistan Rangers after the other side indulged in unprovoked firing along the Indo-Pak international border (IB) in Jammu.



The force also said it is "engaged in a befitting retaliation" after the Rangers began unprovoked firing in the Pargwal area of Jammu since around 3 pm.



Earlier in the day, the force said, at least half-a-dozen mortar shells were fired from across the border and they exploded in the Dewra village of Sunderbani sector along the IB.



"The force retaliated strongly during cross-border firing and shot dead at least three Pakistan Rangers," a Border Security Force (BSF) spokesperson said.



On Friday, a BSF jawan, constable K K Appa Rao, was hit by a sniper round in the RS Pora sector when the Pakistani side took a direct aim at him.



Rao, who was drinking water, got hit just below his right ear.



"Constable Rao was operated upon last night and is stable now," the spokesperson added.



Officials said such a hostile action between the two sides along the IB has been witnessed after a long time. The two border guarding forces, on July 17, had held a Commandant-level flag meeting in Samba sector along the IB and "committed" themselves to maintaining peace.



In the flag meeting, the two sides had agreed to re energise instant communication between field commanders, whenever required, to resolve petty matters. Incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistan have increased sharply this year.



Till August 1, there were 285 such violations by the Pakistan Army, while in 2016, the number was significantly less at 228 for the entire year, according to the Army figures.



Giving details of the incident, BSF sources said Pakistan Rangers also resorted to firing on the International Border in Pargwal sector on Saturday.



"Alert BSF troops immediately spotted that the fire was coming from a Pakistan Rangers' tower on the International Border.



"In retaliatory action, three Pakistan Rangers atop the tower were shot down," BSF sources said.
Ghaziabad: A prestigious Indirapuram school in Ghaziabad locked out 34 students of its premises on Friday morning, in the ongoing tussle between the school authorities and parents.



The nearly three-year-old issue had been simmering, with schools and parents regularly clashing over what the latter see as arbitrary and excess fees and the former see as necessary.



After many parents refused to pay the annual and development (A&D) charges to Presidium, 34 children were issued midterm transfer certificates. They woke up on Friday, to find the school bus absent.



Anil Tyagi, a parent, told News18 that the school had told the buses to not collect these 34 children. Soon after, a protest erupted at the school gate, with parents and distressed children gathering outside, till police intervention allowed them to enter the school campus. The children were still not let into classes, Tyagi added.



Earlier, Presidium had issued transfer orders to 18 students on July 24.



In another such incident, 16 students of Delhi Public School (DPS) Indirapuram were issued Transfer Certificates over the same issue on Friday.



On Thursday, the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), had written to DPS, giving them three days to reconsider the 16 TCs. Parents are hoping the same will apply to Presidium.



When the current Uttar Pradesh government came to power, it made all the right noises about restricting private schools from charging hefty sums under different heads. The issue is a long standing bone of contention as parents have taken up the issue on a yearly basis.



The former Joint Director Education (JDE) met their concerns with a sympathetic ear, ordering schools on January 11, 2017, to refrain from charging fees under any other categories other than those set out by the government.



Parents in Ghaziabad and the rest of NCR, over the years, have formed several associations and taken the matter to court. On August 21, the Allahabad High Court called these fees arbitrary and, under the Right to Education Act (2009), asked the UP government to form a law to supervise private schools.



This is the same practice that has been stopped by the Delhi government, and now private schools are refunding the excess money they charged, Tyagi said.



In January this year, the Supreme Court had ruled that private schools operating on land allotted by the Delhi Development Authority, either needed government permission before hiking fees or had to return the land. The ruling came after protests by parents with similar concerns over rising school fees.
New Delhi: Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, also known as MSG, and controversy are bedfellows. The self-styled godman was given a 10-year jail term for raping a minor 15 years ago. News18 takes a look at the time line of the allegations against him.



2002: Was accused of rape by two sadhvis (women followers). The Punjab & Haryana High Court handed over the case to the CBI later.



November 2002: MSG accused in the killing of Ram Chandra Chatrapati, a 53-year-old editor of Poora Sach (complete truth), an evening daily from Sirsa. The case is still pending in a CBI special court.



May 2007: Charged with hurting religious sentiments by addressing followers in Salabatpura in bhatinda by dressing like sikh guru Gobind Singh. He was acquitted in the case.



2010: Accused in the murder of former Dera functionary Faqir Chand. The CBI closure report stated that there was no evidence against the dera sacha sauda chief.



2014: Was accused of forced castration of around 400 followers. Investigations in the case are still on.



2014: Reports of arms training being given to followers at the Dera emerge. The Punjab & Haryana High Court ordered periodical monitoring of Dera activities.



January 2016: The All India Hindu Students Federation, in a complaint filed with the Mohali police, accused the Dera chief of hurting religious sentiments by dressing up as lord Vishnu.
New Delhi: Does Punjab and Haryana Court's observations on handling of the Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh situation make Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's position untenable?



In an un-ambiguous indictment of the Haryana government, the High Court on Saturday said, You allowed the city to burn for political gains. It seems the government has surrendered to agitators.



News18.com had earlier reported how senior Haryana ministers had donated money to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs Dera Sacha Sauda. A senior Haryana minister was also present at the Sirsa headquarters of the Dera on August 15, the controversial godmans birthday.



In fact, the High Court had forewarned the state government of imminent danger of large mobilisation by Dera Sacha Sauda before the verdict.



This is not the first time that the Khattar government has drawn flak over its handling of law and order situation. Its failure to control the situation during the Jat reservation violence last year also came under scrutiny.



While Khattar seems to have faltered, CM Amarinder Singh in adjoining Punjab seems to have handled the situation more earnestly. No loss of live has been reported from Punjab till now.



The Congress, which is in power in Punjab, has called for Khattars resignation and for the imposition of Presidents Rule in Haryana.



The Haryana government should be dismissed. Why has the Centre not acted against Khattar in Haryana and Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh (over Gorakhpur hospital deaths), Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Saturday.



A day earlier, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi stressed that violence and brutality had no place in society. "@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his party's interests. @mlkhattar must resign," the party said on Twitter.



At least 31 people were killed and 350 injured in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda.
New Delhi: Dera chief Ram Rahim was, on Monday, sentenced to 10 years in jail over a 15-year-old rape case.



The sadhvi who had written an anonymous letter to then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 can indeed heave a sigh of relief after 15 years.



In 2002, a sadhvi (a woman who partakes in activities of the Dera Sacha Sauda and often resides there) wrote an anonymous letter to Vajpayee, narrating her ordeal. She alleged that Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had raped her and other sadhvis.



The trial commenced on September 6, 2008 and included charges of Section 376 (rape) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC.



Though the sentencing has been slated for August 28, it is not hard to presume what lies in store for the Dera Sacha Sauda chief.



The offence of rape attracts a punishment of not less than seven years, which may also extend to life-term depending upon the gravity of the case. This sentence will also be coupled with criminal intimidation which draws an imprisonment of not less than two years. Both offences have a fine attached to it too.



So what prompted the court to convict MSG or the self-styled Messenger of God?



This was not only a case of rape, but also of prolonged sexual assault and abuse involving not one but a number of women.



The contents of the letter written by the sadhvi had indicated that she was called to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's room one night. When she entered the room, the Dera Sacha Sauda chief, armed with a revolver, was allegedly watching a pornographic movie. The sadhvi had alleged that she was raped and assaulted for three years and that 40 other women were also sexually abused.



This was further corroborated by statements by the victims to the CBI which was recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.



The case got a lot murkier when Ranjit Singh, a member of the Dera Sacha Sauda, was killed on July 10, 2002. Ranjit Singh was believed to have assisted the anonymous sadhvi.



Later, Ram Chander Chattrapati, a journalist working for Poora Sach was also killed. This was one of the few papers that had claimed to expose the secrets of the Dera Sacha Sauda.



These two killings also give enough meat for Judge Jagdeep Singh to check what was the repercussion of the crime and how were these crimes inter-linked with the original offence of rape and sexual assault.
Chandigarh: While harrowed residents of Panchkula kept wondering as to how thousands of Dera Sacha Sauda supporters gathered and caused a riot in their quiet little town despite curfew orders, it emerged that there was a clerical error in the order issued by the Panchkula DCP to impose Section 144 in the area.



Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is used to prohibit an assembly of four or more persons in a sensitive area.



It, however, has emerged that the order issued by Panchkula DCP Ashok Kumar did not mention anything about the assembly of persons ahead of the CBI court verdict in a rape case against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. Instead it only barred people from carrying weapons.



The Haryana Home Department has now suspended Kumar.



He has been put under suspension with immediate effect, an official order said. During the period of suspension, he will report to the office of DGP, Haryana, Panchkula, it said.



It was reported a day before that the Dera followers who had gathered in Panchkula had also horded petrol, diesel and weapons, while the authority did almost nothing to prevent it.



Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, who will meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday, has failed to explain how his administration allowed the build-up of the Dera Sacha Sauda mob in Panchkula.



At least 31 people have died and 350 injured in the violence that followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.



Two companies of Army and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed in Panchkula now, while police have asked locals to stay indoors.



Not just in Haryana, the violence spread to Punjab and Delhi as well, with Dera Sacha Sauda followers burning buses and train bogeys in the capital.



CBI judge Jagdeep Singh held Gurmeer Ram Rahim Singh, the 50-year-old flamboyant Dera Sacha Sauda chief, guilty of rape in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.


Rohtak: After his conviction in a 15-year-old rape case, which triggered violence in Panchkula, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh has been lodged in the Sunheria district jail on the outskirts of Rohtak.



The highway connecting this part of Haryana with the districts of Jind, Bhiwani and Hissar is barricaded.



While the locals find their lives at a standstill, Ram Rahim, despite being a jailed convict, doesnt seem to be suffering any hardship.



From arranging a special helicopter to providing an air-conditioned room and helping in using facilities meant for police officers, the Khattar government is extending all help to the lawfully disgraced Dera chief even after his conviction in such a serious crime as rape. This is appalling, a police source, who saw some of these things happen on Friday and Saturday, told IANS.



A woman, Honeypreet, said to be the Dera Sacha Sauda chief's Adopted daughter, was allowed to accompany him along with bags and suitcases when Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, after being taken into custody was flown in a specially arranged helicopter from the police lines complex in Panchkula.



"A couple of senior officers, who tried to take the Dera Sacha Sauda chief to task and treat him like any other criminal after his conviction, were physically assaulted by his (sect chief's) security. One senior officer was slapped and other one was pushed in the presence of other top officers. The Haryana Police had to detain his bodyguards for some time to take him into custody following the conviction," the police officer said.



The Haryana government and police administration, however, denied the allegations and said the godman was being treated like any other convict.



Though the district administration has said that all is peaceful, there is a clampdown on movement. There a heavy presence of the Border Security Force (BSF), every 2 km. Four to five companies of the BSF are patrolling the area in all, though the state had demanded 10.



With barricades in place, there is no public transport or private vehicle on the highway. The Haryana Police have also barricaded arterial roads so as to check any chance of people collecting. No trucks or tractors with six to seven men are allowed, though locals with ID cards and the press can move around.



Inside Rohtak, the CRPF and the CISF are present, and the Army will carry out a flag march on Saturday evening.



The lives of the districts residents, most of them farmers, have been interrupted. Section 144, which prevents more than four people collecting in an area, has been imposed, and there are no ATM services as there is no Internet. Shops in the Rohtak town, however, remain open.



Sunheria district, named after the Sunheri village, has been strategically chosen. The surrounding seven to eight villages, with a combined population of 10,000, are Jat dominated, a dominant caste in Haryana. As Ram Rahims followers are mostly from socially and economically weaker sections, there is no chance of congregation.



(With IANS inputs)
New Delhi: Slowly yet steadily, BJPs defence of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for the handling of law and order situation after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is taking shape.



Haryana BJP in charge, Anil Jain, said that while the loss of life during the protests was sad, the Haryana government was efficient in its response and was able to arrest the violence within three hours of it breaking out. He said that all the 36 people who were killed in Friday's clashes were Dera supporters. The government is now vacating the sect's headquarters in Sirsa and has sealed 36 of its Ashrams across the state.



We got the Dera chief to come to the court, especially when he has so many followers. And there was no loss of life or damage to property. But post-conviction, the retaliation and violence should not have happened and it's sad. But we were able to arrest violence within three hours of it breaking out, he said.



Jain also denied reports that the party high command was unhappy with Khattar and rubbished rumours that he has been summoned to Delhi to explain himself. The news of him being summoned are a figment of the medias imagination, the Haryana BJP chief said.



The partys social media chief, Amit Malviya, also jumped to Khatttars defence. He tweeted that the Haryana administration did well to contain a difficult situation quickly.



Haryana govt has done well to contain a difficult situation in less than 3hrs after conviction, yet admin is being targeted for being soft! (sic), he tweeted.



Malviya tweeted the defence despite party leadership, maintaining a conspicuous silence of opposition's demand for Khattar's removal. The tweet is also being seen as an attempt to gauge the public outrage.



The statements come hours after the Punjab and Haryana High Court lashed out at the Khattar government, saying it allowed Panchkula to burn for political gains.



You allowed the city to burn for political gains. It seems the government has surrendered to agitators, the court said.



The Khattar administration has been under fire for not acting on intelligence inputs of a mob build-up in Panchkula ahead of the rape case verdict against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The ensuing violence on Friday killed 31 people and injured 350.



Hours after reports of violence, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, too, had given a clean chit to Khattar, saying the state governments of Haryana and Punjab did take precautions and could not be blamed for the violence. Parts of Punjab also witnessed violence, including the torching of a petrol pump, but no casualties were reported from the state.



Asked the congregation of Dera supporters was allowed in Panchkula, Singh had said, In a democracy, how can you stop movement of people all together?
By PTI: Mumbai, Aug 26 (PTI) Four persons were arrested for allegedly manufacturing narcotic drug Mephedrone (MD) from a small factory at Dahanu in neighbouring Palghar district, police said today.

Our team last night raided the factory from where they recovered the contraband worth Rs 18 lakh and raw material worth Rs 41 lakh, which was being used to manufacture the drug, said Bharat Gaikwad, senior police inspector of Amboli police station.

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Sanyal Bane, Anwar Choudhary, Sultan Abdul Rauf and Nadim Nasir Shaikh alias Imran have been apprehended, he said.

Initially, we nabbed Nadim on August 21 from suburban Jogeshwari with MD worth Rs 20 lakh. We then raided the factory based on information given by Nadim and arrested three others, the officer added.

According to him, police suspect that the gang is involving in selling narcotics drugs in Maharashtra and its neighbouring states and the accused were manufacturing MD since past four months.

The accused were produced before a local court which remanded them in police custody till September 1, Gaikwad said. PTI DC NRB SRE

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi: Controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi was on Saturday sent to five-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate by a city court for "thorough investigation" in a money laundering probe against him and others.



Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj sent the accused to ED custody till August 31 after the probe agency said his custodial interrogation was required to unearth crime proceeds and money trail and to confront him with the documents.



While seeking his custody for 14 days, ED's special prosecutor N K Matta told the court that Qureshi was in possession of more evidence in this case and was withholding them, jeopardising the probe.



"Considering the seriousness of the allegations and to enable the ED to complete thorough investigation, ED custody remand of Moin Akhtar Qureshi for five days, that is till August 31 is granted," the court said.



The agency told the court that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case."



It also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-1, owned by one D S Anand.

According to the agency, Qureshi was arrested late Friday night here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after "he was not cooperating in the probe".



Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by the agency which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, the agency said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI Director A P Singh has also been named.



The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an Income Tax prosecution complaint, it said.



The ED said its probe has revealed facts which "constitute omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high positions in the public office in collusion with Qureshi, thereby huge amount of illegal money was found to have been transacted".



The records collected by the ED from the Income Tax (I-T) Department in the form of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) messages, have "revealed that Qureshi has taken huge amount of money from different persons for obtaining undue favours from public servants after exercising his personal influence", it said.



BBM messages exchanged between Qureshi and the accused persons involved in other criminal cases and also the persons who wanted to seek undue favours from the other investigating agencies of government by getting them off the hook, the agency said.



There were also BBM exchanges between Qureshi and former CBI chief Singh, which are being probed both by the ED and the CBI as part of their separate criminal investigations, it said.



In this way, the ED said, Qureshi "obtained huge amount of money and it was obtained in the name of government servants/political persons holding public offices and the said public servants illegally either obtained the money for themselves or through their kin."



The agency said an analysis of the BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Qureshi and his associates revealed that hawala operators were also used to transfer bribe money (belonging to government officials) to foreign locations like Paris and the UK.



"Qureshi has extorted crores of rupees from a businessman from Hyderabad in lieu of the help provided. He was found involved in hawala transactions through Delhi-based hawala operators," the agency said.



Through them, the agency alleged, the money was transferred to Dubai and then to Paris, London, the US, Hong Kong, Italy and Switzerland.



It said the agency had also seized "huge amount" of unaccounted cash after it conducted raids in this case in the past at a hawala operator operating in the national capital.
New Delhi: Controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case and will be produced in court on Saturday.



Officials in the ED said Moin Qureshi was arrested late on Friday after he was called for questioning in the case.



The meat exporter has been arrested under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), officials told PTI, alleging that he was not cooperating in the probe.



Moin Qureshi has been questioned multiple times in the past by the agency which is probing him after it registered two FIRs under the PMLA.



In the latest FIR against him this year, former CBI director AP Singh has also been named.



The Enforcement Directorate has been investigating an "illegal forex dealings" and tax evasion case against Moin Qureshi since 2015.



Qureshi, who has also been facing probes by the Income Tax department, was booked by the CBI in February this year for criminal conspiracy and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act following a complaint from the ED.



He is being probed for allegedly remitting funds through hawala to Dubai, London and other destinations in Europe.



In November, the ED had sent a reference to the CBI saying Qureshi was accepting and moving money on behalf of some "public servants".



The case had emerged after the Income Tax department first carried out searches against Moin Qureshi and his firm AMQ Group on February 15, 2014. The tax department found that Qureshi had 11 bank lockers which were in the names of his employees and associates but actually belonged to him.



The meat exporter had left the country from the IGI airport on October 15 despite a Look Out Circular issued by the ED against him. The Delhi High Court had in October last year ordered him to return to India to join the investigation, following which he returned in November.



(With agency inputs)






PM @narendramodi and Bihar CM @NitishKumar take stock of the flood situation in Bihar during the aerial survey this morning. pic.twitter.com/qvFgG72pS6

 PMO India (@PMOIndia) August 26, 2017

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced Rs 500-crore relief package for flood-hit Bihar and conducted an aerial survey of the affected districts with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.Modi and Nitish, along with Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, conducted a survey of Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar and Araria districts of Seemanchal region, which has been the worst-hit.The aerial survey took nearly 50 minutes as the leaders took stock of the situation, IANS quoted an official of the Bihar disaster management department as saying.Modi landed in Bihars Purnia on Saturday morning and was greeted by Nitish, Sushil Modi and other top officials.PM Modi also chaired a high-level meeting in Purnia where he was apprised of the flood situation which has claimed hundreds of lives.Assuring all help from the Centre, Modi also asked insurance companies to send their surveyors to assess the agricultural losses and reimburse crop insurance amounts to farmers on priority.The Prime Minister also announced Rs 2 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those critically injured in flood-related incidents.Modi also apprised Nitish Kumar of his discussion with Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was in India this week, on ways to minimise the impact of floods from rivers over flowing from Nepal. He said Nepal has agreed to prepare a detailed project report for constructing a high dam on SaptKoshi and was planning a storage-cum-diversion-scheme on Sunkoshi.During the visit, the PM was told that though 19 districts are affected by floods, damage in 13 districts including Purnea, Katihar, Kisanganj, Araria due to inundation has been immense, PTI quoted sources as saying.Maximum damage has been caused to water resources department. The PM was told that due to breach of embankments and waterways for irrigation, a loss of about Rs 27,00 crore has been accrued by the department.Around Rs 2,000 crore is estimated to have been spent in distribution of relief among marooned population of the state, it came out in the meeting.Among other things, Modi said the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry would take appropriate action with regard to repair of the damaged roads in Bihar.He said the infrastructure damaged due to the floods would be restored at the earliest with the central help, a PMO statement said.As per the latest report, death toll in Bihar has mounted to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.This was the first visit of the PM to Bihar since the JD(U)-BJP coalition government was formed on July 27 after Nitish Kumar dumped the Grand Alliance over graft issue.(With agency inputs)
Pune: With China attempting to change the status quo on the Indo-China border, incidents like the Doklam standoff are likely to "increase" in the future, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat threatened on Saturday.



The recent standoff in the Doklam plateau by the Chinese side attempting to change the status quo are issues which we need to be wary about, and I think such kind of incidents are likely to increase in the future," Rawat said.



The Army chief was delivering the General B C Joshi Memorial Lecture on Indias Challenges in the Current Geo-Strategic Construct. The event was being organised by the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies of Savitribai Phule Pune University here on Saturday evening.



Later, while speaking to the reporters on the sidelines, he explained the statement and said, "We should not be complacent. Let us say that this standoff is resolved, but our troops should not feel that it cannot happen again in another sector.



"Pockets of dispute and contested claims to the territory continue to exist. These are due to differing perceptions on the alignments of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).



"Transgressions across Line of Actual Control do happen and sometimes they do lead to some kind of misunderstanding between the forward troops... however, we do have joint mechanisms in place to address such situations," said Rawat.



General Bipin Rawat further added that during the flag meetings with their Chinese counterparts, the Indian Army keeps keep insisting that both sides should return to the pre-June 16 positions (before the stand-off began), but there has been no mutual agreement on it.



"Now it is happening at the diplomatic and political level, as it needs to be resolved diplomatically and through political initiatives," he said.



Chinese armed forces have made significant progress in capabilities for mobilisation, application and sustenance of operations, particularly in the Tibet autonomous region of China, he noted.



"This is due to the development of force infrastructure of military significance. Their force re-organisation along with developing capabilities in space and network-centric warfare is likely to provide them greater synergy in force application," Rawat said.



While China continues to enhance its influence in the region, the Army Chief said, It is always better to be prepared and alert than think that this will not happen again. So my message to troops is that do not let your guard down."



"China is already doing so by increasing the defence and economic partnerships in the neighbourhood, especially in Pakistan, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Myanmar. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) passing through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) challenges India's sovereignty," he stated.



Confirmation for annual joint military exercises with China is still awaited this year, he said. "We have been doing the exercise every year. One year our team goes to China and on the second year, their team comes to us. While this time the exercise is planned in October, it is not being confirmed (from their side) yet, whether it will take place or not," he said.



Asked if the ongoing stand-off was the reason for this, Rawat said, "It could be, but we are not sure."



Rawat also slammed Pakistan for waging a proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir and said the increasing presence of transnational actors with fundamental ideologies in that country is a matter of grave concern.



Pakistan's unabated reliance and support to Jihadi groups have serious ramifications. This can lead to the possibility of Pakistan being a conduit for the eastward spread of fundamentalist and the Islamic ideology. This lends a complex dimension to the threat not only for us, but also for other countries of South and East Asia, including China," Rawat said.
Murder, rape, castration, abduction  a rap sheet as long as his arm and yet Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insans followers are ready to die for him.



Many of those who sought to intimidate the state government and judiciary by converging in large numbers on Haryanas Panchkula town in support of the Love Charger guru, are well-educated, wealthy and socially prominent; certainly not wild-eyed fanatics.



The question of why mentally sound individuals are willing to sacrifice their health, wealth, family and friends at the behest of a godman continues to puzzle social psychologists. It is not that such people are chronically depressed or dont value their lives; it is just that they value their guru more. In contrast with political or social activists, they are unconcerned with the social outcomes (constructive or destructive) of their actions. The guru is an end in himself.



Last year, Karnataka Congress MLC VS Ugrappa claimed he was viciously trolled by followers of Raghaveshwara Bharti, head of the Ramachandrapura Mutt, for denouncing police inaction in the sexual harassment cases against the godman.



In 2014, Jagat Guru Rampalji Maharajs refusal to surrender to the law led to a violent face-off between his followers and the Haryana police at his ashram in Barwala, resulting in the death of four women.



Likewise, Asaram Bapu, his son and Nithyanand Swami, jailed on charges of rape, continue to enjoy a substantial following.



Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stands out among the herd of dubious godmen, not just because of his colourful personality, vast political network and success in evading the charges against him, but the blind dedication of his army of followers across all castes and classes.



Why would Hans Raj Chauhan submit to castration while in the prime of life, a surgery allegedly performed by doctors at the Dera? He claims (according to press reports) to have joined the cult at the age of 16, at the behest of his parents and quit only in 2009, after developing health complications following the surgery. In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over the probe into the alleged castration of 400 Dera Sacha Sauda followers to the CBI.



Nor did Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs followers suffer any diminution of faith when, in 2007, the CBI finalised three chargesheets against him, for the murders of former Dera manager Ranjit Singh and Sirsa-based journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati and the sexual exploitation of female inmates. The latter was based on a probe ordered after an anonymous letter to then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2002.



Yet another probe was ordered into the mysterious disappearance, in 1991, of Faqir Chand, an accountant at the Dera Sacha Sauda (the CBI tried to close the case in 2010, but it was revived by the High Court in 2016). An expose by a news magazine a decade ago alleged institutionalised sexual exploitation of sadhvis, forced castrations and a string of mysterious deaths.



Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs followers dont buy it, maintaining that he is the victim of a conspiracy. But who would conspire against him? The Congress has sought his assistance in fighting Assembly elections, as have the BJP and the Akali Dal.



BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvarghia famously called on the godman at his Teravas in Sirsa, with an entourage of ministers and MLAs in tow, to thank him for his support in the Haryana assembly polls. State chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar returned the favour by giving the Dera a clean chit, after the High Court demanded that its premises be searched for illegal arms and ammunition.



The power of devotion is formidable: it creates suicide squads, enables a David to beat Goliath and mobilises a hundred thousand people to defy the law, bringing to a halt rail and communications networks! Ultimately, their devotion is based on a dependency syndrome. So central is the godman to the lives of his devotees, so essential to their identity and concept of self that they will die for him. The devotee is more invested in the divinity of guru than the guru himself, because without it, his life lacks meaning.



Granted, most humans are vulnerable to the idea of a 'higher power'. Evolutionary psychologists trace this concept to the uniquely human ability for symbolic reasoning. The capacity for abstract thought enables humans to cooperate with genetic strangers in large numbers towards a cause bigger that they are, be it nation, community, religion  or a godman. (Women in particular are educated, through cultural symbols, to surrender their all to a higher cause.)



The dependency on the 'higher power' has been enhanced in the last few decades by abrupt socio-economic transformation. Community ties have weakened and society atomised, rendering the individual rootless and faceless. He or she finds a locus and an identity in the community of devotees around a godman.



The dissonance of modern life  where the individual either strives for wealth or, having found it, realizes that it does not bring happiness drives people to seek a spiritual solution. The godman becomes their spiritual preceptor, psychologist, family confidante and business advisor. He holds out the promise of happiness, lays out a road map, takes away the burden of decision-making and invests life with purpose and meaning. And best of all, unlike an abstract deity or an idol, he is present in physical form. He can be seen, touched and heard.



The followers are thus open to brain-washing, or coercion through the threat of exclusion from the cosy community. At times, devotees may lose faith in the godman, when they perceive that he no longer has all the answers.



The Beatles abandoned Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Mata Amritananmayees personal attendant fled from her, Sathya Sai Babas devotees accused him of sexually exploiting children. But such instances are the exception, not the norm.



Some analysts see the growing clout of spiritual entrepreneurs as a consequence of the increasing religiosity in Indian society. Meera Nanda, in The God Market, observes that India is not free of the forces of politicised religiosity which expresses itself in a growing sense of Hindu majoritarianism. Globalisation, she contends, has sharpened religious identities, fuelled by a state-temple-corporate nexus.



Perhaps that explains the success of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The Dera Sacha Sauda was one of many cults in Punjab and Haryana when he took over in 1990. He expanded it many times over, leveraging his personal charisma and launching a variety of social welfare campaigns. His distinctly un-godmanlike behaviour  belting out rock songs and starring in home productions with sketchy social themes, high-end motorcycles and bizarre, bling costumes  is interpreted as reaching out to younger devotees. As the number of his followers has grown, so has his political clout  to the point where he now feels secure in challenging the secular power of the state.



(The writer is a senior journalist and author of Gurus: Stories of India's Leading Babas. Views are personal)
On August 23, my wife and I drove from our Sector 4 house in Panchkula to a nursery. The worst of the summer seemed to be over and it was time for the annual planting of flowers. Along the three kilometer journey, we saw crowds of people who had occupied pavements along the road and areas under the flyovers. There was also a steady stream of men and women pouring into Panchkula. A heavy deployment of police was visible but they seemed to have no orders to prevent the crowds from entering.



The lifestyle of Panchkula residents changed over the next few days. As Dera supporters took over the streets, residents were increasingly confined to their homes. Slowly, public parks in residential complexes were occupied. Areas where ladies took their evening stroll turned into open bathing points.



Schools were shut down, public and private functions were cancelled. We looked into our refrigerator and made a list of items to be stocked up. To us it was obvious that the thousands of Dera supporters who had descended on our small township could resort to violence. It did not require an Intelligence Bureau report, only basic common sense.



On August 24, hearing a PIL on the situation in Panchkula, the Punjab and Haryana High Court came down heavily on the Haryana government for its failure to prevent crowds from entering Panchkula, accusing it of collusion. The High Court bench observed, the residents of Panchkula too have a right to live in peace. How have you allowed this to happen?



August 25 dawned with Panchkula residents totally locked into their sectors. Sitting in our homes, we saw pictures of Baba Ram Rahim zooming to the court in a convoy of 192 cars. It was an arrogant display of power, and to us it looked like an abject surrender of state authority.



Half an hour before the pronouncement of the court verdict, electricity was snapped and TV screens went blank. Internet services had already been suspended and we were now in an information blackout. Anxious residents climbed on rooftops to get some idea of what was going on. The mystery was cleared soon enough as firing of guns was heard.



Plumes of black smoke from burning vehicles and buildings was seen rising in the sky. In the Army, we are used to dealing with uncertain situations but Panchkula has a large number of retired and aged persons, some single. I could imagine what would be going through their minds as they saw arson and battles outside their homes.



As I write this, death toll in the violence after Baba Ram Rahim was declared guilty has touched 32. A curfew has been declared in Panchkula but from my balcony I can see crowds of people streaming along the highway. Hopefully they are leaving.



The State has a responsibility towards the silent citizen. It is a sad condition if in our country, law-abiding people are held prisoners in their homes while goons have the run of the city. Unless there is a clear realisation of this, and a strong will to deal with lawlessness, such scenes may continue to haunt us.



(The author is former Northern Commander, Indian Army, under whose leadership India carried out surgical strikes against Pakistan in 2016. Views are personal.)
Chandigarh: Haryana government was worried that Dera Ram Rahim may incite its followers to mass self-immolation if Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted by the CBI Court in Panchkula. "Paudhe Bheejo" or sow the seeds was the pre-decided code word to trigger the mayhem if the Baba was not acquitted.



This was a credible intelligence input which worried the Haryana administration as it prepared for a show down with the 'Premis' congregating in Panchkula.



The situation, sources in the government insist, would have been much worse had Ram Rahim refused to come to the CBI court for the sentencing.



The Manohar Lal Khattar government had seven days to make security arrangements for the hearing and it decided to pour all its resources into getting the Dera Sacha Sauda chief to appear at the court.



According to sources, the government feared that if he did not come for the hearing, in case of a guilty verdict, orders for his arrest would have to be issued in Sirsa, and this would have given time to his followers to reinforce themselves to prevent the arrest.



Police was also worried that arresting him from the Dera headquarters, where more than 50,000 of his followers could be gathered with arms and ammunition, would have been a nightmare situation.



We did not want to use excessive force to evict the followers and then have him use that as a pretext the next day to say he is being stopped by his followers from coming outside the Dera premises, said an official.



That would have led to further judicial proceedings and given more time to Dera supporters to fortify the sects headquarters. A showdown in Sirsa would have been a disaster and casualty figures would have skyrocketed, an officer close to Khattar told News18.



Officials said that the government did not want a repeat of the 2014 Rampal incident at Satlok Ashram near Hisar, where the godmans supporters had prevented police entry and it had led to violent clashes.



As in the Rampal incident, there was a possibility that Ram Rahim, too, would not come to the special CBI court for the verdict. The Dera chief had not been making personal appearances in the court for a long time and was attending through video conferencing on the pretext of a threat to his life.



Sources now tell us that behind the scenes the Haryana Government went into a huddle, which they claim was to plan a way to avoid loss of life. Senior bureaucrats, cabinet ministers, police officials and intelligence units held several meetings with CM Khattar to figure out the best way to ensure the presence of the Dera chief in the court.



While no one was privy to the judgment in the 15-year-old case, Ram Rahim had been busy negotiating with the government in backroom parleys. For some reason, sources say, Ram Rahim was hopeful that he will not have to go to a regular jail in case he was found guilty. He had come for the verdict with a high profile Supreme Court lawyer to bail him out. He also wanted to be accommodated in a place befitting his stature during the two-hour or so of waiting during the bail formalities.



But with all the focus on getting him into the court, the government, perhaps, neglected the mayhem that could occur afterwards. It all ended with violence that erupted in Panchkula and Sirsa that led to 36 people losing their lives, over 350 getting injured and destruction of property in several districts of the state and in parts of Punjab and Delhi.



Government sources also say the central government was kept abreast with the developments in Panchkula and all possibilities were shared with Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



Instead of the best option, the strategy was to use the path of least resistance to make sure the Dera chief comes to court, is brought to justice and a massive protest is avoided. Perhaps that is why Khattar got a quick clean chit from the Rajnath Singh and also talk of his removal from the CM post has, for now, been shelved.
A new plan for Afghanistan enunciated by President Trump on Monday, calls for additional US forces, greater NATO participation and regional pressure. Echoing previous administrations approach to Afghanistan, the new strategy would be more aggressive and condition-based to determine when US forces would withdraw. Less expectedly the strategy also demands India provide more economic aid to Afghanistan. Does this new direction in the United States Afghan strategy mean that India should start to re-evaluate its approach on Afghanistan and take a more active role?Over a decade of US-led war in Afghanistan has failed to defeat the Taliban, eliminate Al Qaida, or create an effective state. As foreign troops have drawn down the Taliban have made large territorial gains, Afghan security forces have suffered unsustainable losses, political divisions have widened, and Islamic State are establishing a presence.The United States and Indias share an interest in a stable, democratic Afghanistan that would prevent the rise of the Taliban has evolved into substantive cooperation in several dimensions in the recent past. The United States-India-Afghanistan trilateral talks started up again, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in September 2016 to discuss counter-terror measures, reflects Indias interests in the Afghanistan.The United States has encouraged Indian economic projects in Afghanistan, such as the Afghan-India Friendship Dam, operationalised in June, 2016. So far India has provided $2 billion in economic aid and has pledged another $1 billion over the next few years for the country. India is also set to deliver more arms to Afghanistan to help it fight Islamist militants, including more Mi-25 attack helicopters and smaller helicopters used for transporting troops and medical emergencies, and spares for existing Russian-origin aircraft in the Afghan air force fleet among other equipment.The commander of the US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has visited New Delhi a number of times over the past few months to fast track ways in which New Delhi could help the Afghan air force, which is struggling to maintain aging Russian aircraft because of sanctions on Moscow. Although India has assisted in the training, equipping, and capacity building programs for Afghan National Security Forces, official requests from the Afghan government for more tangible military assistance have been met with modest responses over concerns of balancing New Delhis relationship with Islamabad. With the weight and support of the President Trumps call for India to do more, Afghanistan may see more success.New Delhi has viewed recent peace talks with concern, in part because any settlement that empowered Pakistan-backed Taliban factions could affect Indian security interests. The US and China both continue to support Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. India would also face serious problems if the conflict in Afghanistan were to continue, especially if Western financial support to Kabul were to dwindle and Indias anti-Taliban partners, Iran and Russia, were to align with China and Pakistan in favour of an imperfect settlement. India would have a limited ability to launch any sustained, effective challenge to such an outcome.While Afghanistan has the support of all regional powers, their imperatives differ. Russian main concern is on preventing any spread of terrorism into Central Asia and would likely adopt a pragmatic approach to any settlement that reduced violence. Iran has maintained good ties with Kabul, simultaneously supporting certain Taliban factions keeping its options open.President Trumps new demands on India in his South Asia strategy centered on Afghanistan lacks appreciation of U.S dependence on Pakistan in any strategy involving the increase of troops in Afghanistan or India restrictions in its engagement with Kabul in the economic realm to avoid any backlash from Pakistan. While Indian analysts may view the Trumps ultimatum to do more as an opportunity to increase of Indian activity in Afghanistan as an act of compellence vis-a-vis Pakistan, it is fraught with its own risks.Afghanistan needs to be viewed by New Delhi in the wider context of Central Asia, where China has expanded its sphere of influence through the One Belt One Road initiative. It access to the region is contingent on stability in Afghanistan.Given the centrality of the Afghanistan to Indias national security and Chinas increasing activity and ambitions in the region, New Delhi must recapitalize and optimize its support to Afghanistan in order to bring strategic and security dividends. However, not losing United States support for its key objectives, especially regarding China and Pakistan will remain a challenge, as New Delhi seeks to balance its relationships in the region.(Pushan Das is a Programme Coordinator at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi. Views are personal.)
It was not a conventional career path but Priti Patkar, a gold medalist from The Tata Institute of Social Sciences, has dedicated her life to protection, abolition of intergenerational trafficking into the sex trade, rescue of children and women victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Laying the foundation of Prerana, an NGO that works in the red-light districts of Mumbai, in 1986, she went on to pioneer pathbreaking social interventions like worlds first Night Care Shelter in the midst of a red light area, first Institutional Placement Programme, first comprehensive Education Support Programme for children living in red light areas, first Network of Anti Trafficking Organizations and first comprehensive programme for AIDS Affected Children.

Her intervention under Children Affected by AIDS programme was adjudged and documented by Washington University as one of worlds 7 best interventions of working with AIDS affected persons. Author of 7 books and several research reports, her organization Prerana has to its credit the largest number of legal interventions and writ petitions in the country to protect the rights and dignity of the children and women victims of child sex exploitation and trafficking.

Having held many distinguished positions and designations, Priti is also a recipient of many prestigious awards.

As a student she visited the red light area once and it affected her so much that she began to visit regularly after completing her studies to listen to one of Mumbais most marginalized groups - prostituted women. She was dismayed by their plight and the sense of entrapment as they knew no other means of living. Children of prostituted women grew up to become prostitutes and pimps without being aware of any other possibilities.

Not the one to be discouraged by set notions, however hardened by time they may be, Priti decided to dedicate her life to the cause of bringing much required change in this neglected stratum of society.

The key to Pritis success is her sociological realism. She understands that threatening those who control and protect the business is not the best approach. She is also well aware that her clients constitute some of Indias poorest, most illiterate and dependent. Being a realistic person, she worked on practical problems like building night shelters for children so the children are not dragged into the business for lack of places to keep them or people to watch them. As a simple and effective solution, Priti opened her first night care centre in Kamathipura. Today, the organization she cofounded with her husband Pravin Patkar runs four shelters. They offer comprehensive child care to needy children on a 24X7 basis. Kids receive meals, healthcare, education, and a safe place to play. Their mothers can also avail medical care and vocational training. Priti opens up avenues for alternate options for those who are conditioned to believe there is no other way out.

Way back in 1986, human trafficking and the commercial sexual exploitation of children were decades away from becoming mainstream issues. The first UN Protocol related to human trafficking was only passed in 2000, Priti says.

Always being ahead of times, Priti still strives to innovate. It is important for activists to network to combat perpetrators conspiracies, she feels.

Since they are fighting intricate crime syndicates with the resources, manpower, and motivation to evade police, Priti trains police officers to recognize traffickers and adapts her model to keep pace with new developments. An advocate of improved legislation, she believes in solutions that work.

The results are there for everyone to see, hundreds of children are now out of the shackles of caste and circumstances, having freed their future generations as well.

I have to take as a starting point the felt needs of my clients, very much taking into account their pride, and fears, which include losing custody of their children. The mothers who reject foster parent arrangements because they would undercut their ties to their children favor boarding schools as a solution, Priti lets on.

Helping them getting an education and a relatively stable and healthy environment is not as simple as it sounds. Priti and hear team struggled and succeeded to open the doors of the citys boarding schools for poor children, some run by government, many by private and religious agencies. She has faced and overcome a lot of resistance due to stigma attached to these children by spending a good deal of time educating these institutions and their constituencies. Her dedication has brought results and all Kamathipura children are attending school now.

Literally meaning inspiration, her organization Prerana and Priti have taken up this task to keep experimenting and demonstrating practical, feasible ways of giving the downtrodden a new lease of life.
To all the people of Haryana , please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove  Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) August 25, 2017

To people who are commenting on my morning tweets,they were made before the verdict ! Thoughts n prayers  Sidharth Malhotra (@S1dharthM) August 25, 2017

Sidharth Malhotra was today slammed on social media for promoting his latest release A Gentleman in Haryana ahead of the verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.Post the verdict violence broke out in the state claiming 17 lives and leaving over 150 injured. The violence left atrail of destruction and vandalism, a Haryana government official said."To all the people of Haryana, please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove," Sidharth had tweeted earlier in the day.Post the judgement many people blasted him for the tweet."After this shameless tweet people should bycott his film," one of the Twitter users wrote."This was a shameful way of promoting your film. For god sake can you get considerate," another tweet read.The actor later clarified, saying his thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the violence."It's really sad to see the situation worsen since morning and see people in Punjab and Haryana. Love and prayers."To people who are commenting on my morning tweets,they were made before the verdict! Thoughts and prayers," he wrote.CBI judge Jagdeep Singh held the 50-year-old Dera Sacha Sauda chief, guilty of rape in a case that was registered onthe basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.
Everyone is mad with French President Emmanuel Macron for spending over Rs 19 lakh on make up in the first three months in office.

By India Today Web Desk: France's Emmanuel Macron seems to be the kind of man who is very particular about the way he looks, and what products go on that million dollar face of his. All that's fine, but when the expense of your extravagant make up kit starts coming out of the pockets of the public, people are bound to get mad.

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Social media commentators and Macron's political opponents tore him a new one yesterday after the cost of his make up came out in the open.

It turns out, the new French president spent 26,000 euros (Rs 19,81,817) on makeup during his first 100 days in office.

President Emmanuel Macron's office yesterday confirmed a report that he has spent all this money on makeup during his first three months in power. They have said that they are 'trying' to find a cheaper alternative.

The report in Le Point news magazine prompted harsh criticism of Macron from French social media users. It said the cost includes the pay of a freelance makeup artist following Macron during television appearances and trips abroad.

The report comes at a bad time for Macron, with polls showing his popularity plunging in recent weeks following the announcement of budget cuts and divisive labor reform.

The only silver lining for Macron in this case was Le Point pointing out that Macron's makeup expenses are lower than those of predecessor Francois Hollande, who paid a full-time employee about 10,000 euros monthly.

And you thought travelling the world and building a border wall was exploiting public money, silly!

(With inputs from AP and Reuters)

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i: The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday stoutly defended Satyendar Jain , the Delhi government minister against whom CBI has filed an FIR, rubbishing charges that he amassed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.Senior party leaders Ashutosh and Saurabh Bhardwaj lashed out at the central probe agency accusing it of "planting baseless stories" against Jain in the media through unnamed sources."The man in question, a senior CBI officer who is behind all this was handpicked by BJP chief Amit Shah. This is part of a larger design to destabilise opposition-led governments across states," Ashutosh claimed in a press conference.Bhardwaj said Jain has not purchased or sold a single share since he resigned from the directorship of a clutch of companies in 2013, when he decided to enter public life by contesting as an AAP candidate in the assembly polls.CBI sources on Saturday alleged the minister had control over these companies either in the form of being one of the directors and by holding one-third of shares of these companies in his name or in the names of his family members or others.During the questioning, the minister and his wife could not explain Rs 1.62 crore -- approximately one-third of funds received by the companies during 2015-17, the CBI sources claimed."CBI is planting a fictitious amount of Rs 1.62 crore as income for Jain. AAP challenges the CBI to substantiate the charge through some solid evidence. It is a lie, they should prove it. It is not a coincidence that CBI acted right after the Bawana polls," Bhardwaj said.After registering the FIR, the CBI had yesterday carried out searches at Jain's residence, during which the agency managed to "recover Rs 50,000 cash, 52 grams gold, copies of Income Tax returns, election affidavits, inventory of official furniture", Bhardwaj said."All these are in any case available on the public domain. Where is the incriminating evidence that CBI is talking about during informal briefings with the media?" he asked.
Kolkata: West Bengal government has sent a letter to Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) requesting them to attend the all-party meet on August 29 at the state secretariat  'Nabanna'.



Speaking to News18, GJM MLA, Amar Singh Rai, said, "Yesterday, we received an official letter from the Bengal government. We are happy to receive it and today we decided to attend the meet."



He said, "Five delegates led by GJM leader Binoy Tamang, Joint Secretary, Central Committee, will attend the meet. Others parties from the Hills will also be present. We are hopeful that the Centre and the state government will find an immediate solution to end the crisis in Darjeeling. Our stand will be to press for a separate state of Gorkhaland."



Mamata's letter to GJM came a day after GJM Chief Bimal Gurung requested her to initiate a political dialogue to bring normalcy in the Hills. On Friday, they had said that they will attend the meet only if they will receive an official letter from the government. Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee (GMCC) convener Kalyan Dewan will also attend the meet.



Hinting at the failure of Gorkha Territorial Administration (GTA), Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC), Gurung's letter to CM reads, "No other alternative or modified bodies will do justice to our plight and apathy of being lumped with any other arrangement other than creation of a separate state of Gorkhaland. Under the current situation we request your honour to initiative a political dialogue on the long pending demand of the Gorkhas whish is Gorkhaland to help to resolve the present crisis in Darjeeling."



He said, "The two failed councils (GTA and DGHC) on Saturday should pave way for us to learn from our previous mistakes that experimental models to temporarily curb peoples aspiration for separation from West Bengal has not worked in the past nor the present. In the tripartite MoU  GTA was only to be an interim arrangement and that we have not dropped our demand for Gorkhaland."



For the last two months, Darjeeling is under indefinite strike as Morcha leaders are demanding a separate state of Gorkhaland. Series of violent protests reported in these two months and several people were killed in clashes with the police.



On August 13, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh appealed to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to initiate a dialogue with the Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) and other stakeholders to end the deadlock in the Hills.
New Delhi: A day after an angry mob of Dera Sacha supporters rampaged through several parts of Haryana, particularly Panchkula and Sirsa, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday criticised the Haryana government, asking why Dera supporters were allowed to congregate in such large numbers.



Tensions had soared in Haryana, Punjab and nearby areas at least a couple of days before a special CBI court was to pronounce its verdict in a rape case against Dera Sachcha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim. His supporters poured into Panchkula, claiming they were in lakhs, just a KM away from the CBI court.



The Punjab chief minister claimed that his state had prepared well in advance, and there were no deaths; everything was peaceful. "I will not allow violence of any form from any sect in Punjab," he said, adding, "I appeal to all Punjabis to maintain peace and harmony in the state. We won't allow anyone to disturb the peace and tranquillity of our state."



A special CBI court had on Friday convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief of raping two of her women followers in a case filed on the basis of anonymous letters in 2002. Amarinder condemned the attack on media. When asked about the Congress leaders who cosied up to the Dera chief not long ago, Amarinder said: "It was on the party high command to decide."



Amarinder said that as many as 98 Deras in Punjab had been thoroughly searched, and lathis and rods recovered. He said: "Things in Punjab were normal, but the government is not going to take any chance."



The mobile internet services were suspended in Haryana and Punjab to block the circulation of rumours, provocative messages, and videos through social media platforms, ahead of the verdict. Amarinder said that mobile internet services will remain shut until Monday when the Dera chief will be pronounced the sentence in the 2002-rape case.



At least 32 people were killed and scores of others were injured after violence broke out in the aftermath of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction, crippling the state administration and infrastructure.
Kabul: The number of people killed in an attack on a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital during Friday prayers rose to at least 28  up from 20  including women and children, the chief of Kabul's hospitals said Saturday.



Mohammad Salim Rasouli said more than 50 others were wounded in the attack a day earlier that went on for hours.



Two assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi.



The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistan's minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence, with a spokesman for the militants, Zabihullah Mujahid, telling The Associated Press in a telephone interview that the group had nothing to do with it.



President Ashraf Ghani condemned the violence and said the militants were turning to attacking places of worship because they were losing on the battlefield. He urged Islamic clerics everywhere to condemn the bloodshed.



Terrified worshippers endured about four harrowing hours of gunfire and explosions during the afternoon before the four attackers were killed.



The Islamic State said in a statement on the website of its Aamaq news agency that it had deployed two attackers to the mosque. There was no immediate explanation for the contradictory number of attackers.



Security forces had surrounded the mosque in the northern Kabul neighborhood but did not initially enter to prevent further casualties to the many worshippers inside, police official Mohammed Jamil said. Later, as police tried to advance, one of the attackers set off an explosion that forced them to withdraw, Muradi said.



The cleric who was performing the prayers was among the dead, said Mir Hussain Nasiri, a member of Afghanistan's Shiite clerical council. The gunmen had taken over both the cavernous prayer hall for the men and the separate, second-floor prayer area for the women, he said.



The mosque could accommodate up to 1,000 people, Nasir added.



When police initially tried to get inside, they discovered the militants had blocked the door leading to the second floor, turning the women upstairs into hostages, Nasir said.



Last month, the Sunni-dominated Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and then warned Shiites in Afghanistan that their mosques would be targeted. Sunni extremists consider Shiites to be heretics.



Within days of that, IS also took responsibility for a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that left 32 people dead.
Baghdad: France will help reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in Iraq as it emerges from the war against Islamic State, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday after talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad.



France is a main partner in the US-led coalition helping Baghdad fight the militants who seized parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The coalition provided key air and ground support to Iraqi forces in the nine-month campaign to take back Mosul, Islamic State's capital in Iraq.



The city's fall in July effectively marked the end of the "caliphate" declared by Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over parts of Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces were close to taking back full control of IS's northwestern stronghold of Tal Afar on Saturday.



"We are present in the war and we will be present in the peace," Le Drian told a news conference in Baghdad with French Defence Minister Florence Parly and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.



"Even if our joint combat against Daesh is not finished, it is entering a phase of stabilisation, of reconciliation, of reconstruction, a phase of peace," Le Drian said, calling Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.



During the talks, Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder al-Abadi urged France to invest in Iraq, "at the economic, commercial and investment levels," according to a statement from his office.



France will give a 430 million euro loan to Iraq before the end of the year, a French diplomatic source said.



The French ministers were also due to meet Iraqi Kurdish leaders in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, whose Peshmerga fighters have played a prominent role in the fight against Islamic State.



During the meeting with Abadi, the French delegation "expressed its commitment to a unified Iraq," according to the Iraqi premier's statement.



France and other western countries are worried that the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) plan to hold an independence referendum next month could ignite fresh conflict with Baghdad and neighbouring states with sizeable Kurdish communities, mainly Iran and Turkey.



A diplomat familiar with French policy said Le Drian and Parly will convey to KRG President Massoud Barzani the French position in favour of an autonomous Kurdistan that remains part of the Iraqi state.



The French ministers and Jaafari did not mention the fate of families of French citizens who fought with Islamic State, found in Mosul and other areas taken back from the militants. Several hundreds French nationals are believed to have joined the group.
Brussels: A knife-wielding man was shot dead on Friday after wounding a soldier in the centre of Brussels, in what Belgian authorities called a "terrorist attack".



The man, who prosecutors said yelled "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) during the assault, was shot by soldiers on a street in the city which has been on high alert since terrorist attacks on its metro and airport last year.



"We believe that it is a terrorist attack," said a prosecutors' office spokeswoman, who added the attacker "is dead."



Belgian media reported that the assailant was of Somali origin and about 30 years old.



The same evening, in London two police officers were slightly injured arresting a man with a large knife outside Buckingham Palace but there were no immediate indications of a terror link.



The incidents come after attacks claimed by the Islamic State group in Spain last week killed 15 people and a knifeman's stabbing spree in Finland left two dead and eight wounded.



One of the two soldiers targeted in Brussels was "slightly" wounded, according to federal prosecutors, who have opened a terror probe of the attack.



"All our support for our military," tweeted Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel. "Our security services remain attentive, we are monitoring the situation closely with the Crisis Center," he added.



City mayor Philippe Close told reporters the incident was the work of a "lone individual".



"I heard yelling and straight away two shots," a witness named Yohan told AFP, who did not wish to give his surname.



As he approached, he said he saw "a soldier bleeding from his hand and a man on the ground," who had a beard and was wearing a hood.



The attack took place shortly after 8:00 pm (18:00 GMT) on a boulevard in the centre of Brussels, near the Grand Place central square, one of the "sensitive" areas of the capital where armed soldiers patrol because of the terrorist threat in Belgium.



Troops on streets



Soldiers have been deployed at railway stations and landmark buildings in Brussels since the Paris terror attacks in 2015, when a link to the Belgian capital was first established.



Their presence has been reinforced since suicide bombers struck Zavantem Airport and the Maalbeek metro station near the EU quarter of Brussels in March 2016, killing 32 people and wounding hundreds more.



The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks, which were carried out by the same Brussels-based cell behind the November 2015 suicide bombings and shootings in Paris which left 130 dead.



In June a man who tried to bomb a Brussels train station was shot dead by a soldier.



Belgian authorities identified the man in that incident as a 36-year-old Moroccan national with the initials O.Z., while local media named him as Oussama Zariouh.



No one was injured in the foiled attack at Brussels Central station but officials said the consequences could have been severe had the bomb, full of nails and gas canisters, detonated properly.



The man shouted "Allahu Akbar" during the attack and prosecutors said he had sympathies for IS.



Police found explosive materials in a June raid on the home of the suspect in Molenbeek, a Brussels district which has been linked to recent deadly terror plots in France and Belgium.



Belgian soldiers and police have repeatedly been the target of attacks in recent months.



In August last year, an Algerian living in Belgium attacked two policemen in front of the police station in Charleroi shouting "Allah Akbar" and wounding them in the face and neck before he was killed. IS claimed responsibility for that attack.



A month later, two policemen were stabbed in Molenbeek but without injury due to their bullet-proof vests.



The attacker was of Maghrebian origin but without any clear link to the Islamist movement, according to the Brussels prosecutor's office.



In October, two police officers were wounded by a knife-wielding man in Schaerbeek.
Islamabad: Pakistan paid a hefty compensation to secure the release of a private US defence contractor who killed two Pakistani citizens in 2011, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Friday admitted.



Asif was responding to a question in the senate by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F) senator Hafiz Hamdullah who demanded debate into the release of Raymond Davis who went scot-free after killing two Pakistanis in Lahore in 2011.



Davis, 42, was arrested in Lahore in 2011 on charges of killing two Pakistani citizens and thus kicked off a huge diplomatic crisis between the two countries.



Asif said a lot of government officials were involved in the release of Davis but asked the house to resist from initiating a debate as it would only bring "embarrassment".



"Even the families of the people killed by Davis were compensated by the government of Pakistan and not by the US," he said.



Asif said those who played a role in his release "might have done so for their own vested interests".



"These people who played a role in his release compromised national dignity in the process," he said.
Washington: US President Donald Trump signed a memorandum on Friday that directs the US military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits and halts the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already underway.



The memo, released by the White House, laid out in more detail a ban on transgender individuals serving in the US armed forces that Trump announced via Twitter last month, reversing a policy shift started under his predecessor, President Barack Obama.



In it, Trump directed the Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security to stop using government funds for sex-reassignment procedures unless it is necessary "to protect the health of an individual who has already begun a course of treatment to reassign his or her sex," the memo said.



The order requires Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis to determine in the coming months how to handle transgender individuals currently serving in the military using criteria including "military effectiveness and lethality," budget constraints and law.



A White House official who briefed reporters about the memo declined to specify whether transgender service men and women who are currently active in the military could continue to serve based on such criteria.



The official said Trump decided the Obama administration had not identified a sufficient basis for changing what was then long-standing policy on transgender troops.



The memo called on Mattis to submit a plan to Trump by February 21, 2018, on how to implement the changes.



Trump's decision appealed to some in his conservative political base while creating uncertainty for thousands of transgender service members, many of whom came out after the Pentagon said in 2016 it would allow transgender people to serve openly.



The change drew swift criticism from advocates of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.



"The Presidents order to remove transgender service members from the United States armed forces and deny them healthcare is nothing less than a purge," Matt Thorn, executive director of OutServe-SLDN, a group dedicated to LGBT equality in the military, said in a statement.



"Our military is strongest when all people who are fit to serve have the opportunity to do so. This unprecedented policy amounts to a purge of qualified, contributing troops, and will serve only to undermine unit cohesion and weaken military readiness," said Jennifer Levi, an official at the gay rights group GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders) in a statement.



Asked how the policy squared with Trump's pledge to stand up for gay rights, the White House official said the president would ensure that such rights were protected but had been critical previously of the transgender changes under the Obama administration.
Canakkale, Turkey: Turkey's main opposition leader on Saturday warned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the whole country has a "thirst for justice", opening an unprecedented four-day meeting protesting alleged violations under his rule.



Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), is hoping the "justice congress" in the western Canakkale region will keep up the momentum of a month-long march highlighting judicial abuses in Turkey after the July 15 failed coup.



With politics heating up in Turkey even two years before the next elections, Erdogan will later on Saturday host a mass rally at the opposite end of the country marking the anniversary of the 1071 Battle of Malazgirt where pre-Ottoman tribes defeated the Byzantines.



More than 50,000 people have been arrested under Turkey's state of emergency, imposed after last year's failed coup, and almost three times that number have lost their jobs, including teachers, judges, soldiers and police officers.



"Eighty million have a thirst for justice," Kilicdaroglu said, referring to Turkey's population.



"It is my duty to seek justice. It is my duty to stand by the innocent and be against tyrants," he told some 10,000 people attending Saturday's event.



'The last straw'



Kilicdaroglu earlier this summer walked 450 kilometres (280 miles) from Istanbul to Ankara to protest against the sentencing of one of his MPs,



Under the simple slogan "justice", the march culminated last month in a huge rally in Istanbul that attracted hundreds of thousands, the biggest event staged by Erdogan's critics in years.



Kilicdaroglu condemned the crackdown as a "civilian coup" and said that the jailing of Berberoglu "became the last straw."



Referring to the jailing of journalists after the coup bid, Kilicdaroglu said: "You cannot talk about law, rights and justice in a country where more than 150 journalists are in prison."



The pick of the region for the CHP congress is also significant as it was the site of the World War I Battle of Gallipoli where the Ottoman army successfully repelled Allied forces.



The CHP was founded in 1923 by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who was a Turkish commander in the Gallipoli campaign where the heroism of Turkish troops is said to have helped lay the foundation of the modern republic.



In a relaxed atmosphere, supporters pitched tents under shady woods to be their homes for the duration of the four-day congress which will have special sessions on different kinds of rights abuses.



"I hope the congress will help raise awareness for a justice which does not exist in Turkey right now," said Kismet Seyhan Aydin, from the Aegean city of Izmir, a CHP stronghold.



"I believe it will be a new start for the justice to be restored," she added.



Kemal Barisik, having breakfast outside his tent wearing a hat with the justice slogan said: "I believe that Kilicdaroglu is capable of restoring justice. Before the justice march, people did not have faith."



'Worrying about my vest'



Erdogan won an April referendum boosting his powers but Turkey is already in the throes of what appears to be a long election campaign, heading to November 2019 parliamentary and presidential elections.



The Turkish president, who is already signalling he will stand for another term, has urged the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to get in better shape for the election fight.



In a sign of the rancour between the two men, a photo depicting the CHP leader wearing a white undershirt while dining in a trailer during the justice march drew a sharp response from Erdogan.



The mildly-spoken Kilicdaroglu is sometimes compared by supporters to the Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi, and Erdogan took particular offence at a newspaper headline describing him as "citizen Kemal".



Kilicdaroglu responded that Erdogan needed to address the "country's problems" instead of "bothering with my vest from morning to evening".
By PTI: Darjeeling (WB), Aug 26 (PTI) The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) today said it will attend the August 29 meeting convened by the West Bengal government after the party received an official invitation for the talks.

"We have received an invitation last night so it has been decided that GJM will attend the meeting. A delegation of senior GJM leaders will attend the talks. It has not been decided who will be part of the delegation," GJM MLA and senior leader Amar Singh Rai told PTI.

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The development comes on a day when the indefinite strike in the hills for a separate state of Gorkhaland entered its 73rd day today.

A senior state government official said, "We have sent letters to various parties including the GJM asking them to attend the talks. Other parties such as the JAP, the GNLF, the ABGL and many other parties of the hills have also been invited for talks."

The GJM which had expressed its willingness to attend the talks had set a pre-condition that they should be officially invited.

The state government has called for talks on August 29 in response to a letter form the GNLF requesting a dialogue to restore normalcy in the hills.

"As we have been invited now, there is no harm in attending the talks," a senior GJM leader said.

The GJM on Thursday wrote a letter to the West Bengal government expressing its willingness to attend the August 29 talks to resolve the Darjeeling stalemate.

The letter, written by GJM leader Binay Tamang to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had said, "No other alternative or modified step will do justice to our plight...other than creation of a separate Gorkhaland."

Tamangs missive was preceded by a letter of GJM chief Bimal Gurung who wrote to the state government on Wednesday night requesting a "political dialogue" on the demand for a separate state. PTI PNT PR SMJ

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By India Today Web Desk: The son of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati who exposed the rapes of two women at Dera headquarters in Sirsa 15 years ago has been fighting a lonely battle to get justice for his father.

Months after Chhatrapati published an anonymous letter giving details about how women were sexually harassed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim at Sirsa ashram, he was shot from point-blank range right outside his house on October 24, 2002.

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"My father, Ram Chander, was an advocate before he became a journalist. He has worked with a number of media organisations. He was not satisfied with the kind of journalism in those organisations because of the filtration by editors so he opened his own publication titled 'Poora Sachh'. He had exposed the alleged rape of 'sadhvis' (female followers) at the Dera 15 years ago with a concerned letter which was addressed to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee," ANI quoted Anshul Chhatrapati as saying.

"My father was targeted and threatened several times after the letter was published. High Court had then ordered a CBI investigation taking the suo motto of the letter. Then on Oct 24, 2002, my father was attacked; he was shot five times by two people. I was 21 then, and did not know where to go for justice after the police did not include the name of the Dera chief in the FIR," reportedly.

Anshul said that the Dera chief's name was not included in the FIR by the police.

"My father fought for life in the hospital for 28 days after they pumped bullets into his body, and he had named the Dera chief as the accused in his statement to the local police. But the cops did not include the Dera chief's name in the FIR, and the legal battle began from there. The concerned revolver was licensed in the name of Dera Sacha Sauda," Anshul reportedly said.

THE ANONYMOUS LETTER

The anonymous letter published by Chhatrapati in his newspaper was addressed to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and heads of several other institutions including the Chief Juctice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The three-page letter in Hindi explained in detail the 'deeds' of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The letter, which appeared to have been written by a woman follower of Baba Ram Rahim, narrated how the Dera chief sexually exploited his women followers at the sprawling Sirsa ashram.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court took note of the letter and directed the then district and sessions judge in Sirsa to order a probe into the matter.

The judge then recommended probe by a central agency following which the high court asked the CBI to look into the matter.

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The Chandigarh unit of CBI registered a case on December 12, 2002, under Section 376 (rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insult to the modesty of woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and launched an investigation.

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read:

Ram Rahim Day 2 round up: Panchkula DCP suspended, law officer sacked, uneasy calm in Haryana

Journalist who exposed Gurmeet Ram Rahim rape case was shot dead outside his house

Also Watch:

Haryana deputy advocate general suspended for carrying Dera chief's bag

--- ENDS ---
The court papers also state that the applicant (Engels) is advised that the conferring of diplomatic immunity in terms of Sec 7(2) is dependent on the establishment of two preconditions, namely: That it is not expedient to enter into an agreement conferring immunities and privileges in terms of the Act as envisaged by Sec 7(1); and If the conferment of immunities and privileges is in the interest of the republic.
Nurse managers have given the Health Services Board (HSB) notice of a possible strike, they said at a meeting yesterday.



Zimbabwe Nurses Association said a strike could begin as early as September 8. Zina secretary-general Enoch Dongo told the Daily News that the nurses grievances were not new to the board as they had been aired before.



We told the board that senior nursing staff cannot earn less than juniors. Some junior nurses after taking the night shift earn $637 while their seniors earn $600. What they have to consider is that if the nurse manager earns that little, what about the sister-in-charge who is below?





This prompted us to resolve that in the next 14 days, the board should iron out these discrepancies or risk a nationwide strike.



However, as the managers who also include teaching staff go on strike, it is likely that the juniors will also join because they will have no one to lecture them, he said.

Dongo said it was better for the nurses not to work than be humiliated by such poor monthly packages.



He added that the nurses also proposed to be returned to the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as they felt their allowances had been removed. The nurses are now under the HSB.



The secretary-general said from the time they left the CSC, nurses allowances tumbled to deplorable levels.



The nurses felt that it was better for all civil service employees to be under one employer, than to segregate them. Before the shift, a provincial nursing officer and a provincial education director would be the same.



However, now there are differences in grading. We are not comparing but the policy that a teacher and nurse are the same is not happening, Dongo said. He said that nurses also said they wanted the Health Services Act to be amended to allow nurses to also be district medical officers.



Inexperienced doctors are being promoted to high positions while some nurses who are even holders of doctorate degrees are being left out simply because they are not medical doctors.

Nurses constitute 70 percent of the health profession and they should be given the same opportunities, he said.



HSB executive director Ruth Kaseke said they will be holding a meeting in September to look into the issues raised by the nurses.

We have heard their grievances and shall take them to the board to consider and find out how best we can solve the problems, she said. Daily News


Updates by The Herald

1525: President Mugabe has finished addressing and readies to take the two liberators to their final resting place.



1523: As a party, President Mugabe says Zanu-PF is people oriented. He says the army is there to protect the people. So is the police. They are for the people. He has implored Zimbabweans not to fear the army saying it is there to serve the people. His Excellency has also blasted traffic police officers ordering them to stop corruption and harassing people on the roads.



1518: We say to George, son of the soil, you played your part. You played it with utmost humility and very strong ideological direction,

President Mugabe has assured the late Cde Rutanhire that he will ensure that his works are carried forward in the same manner he envisioned. He adds that Zanu-PF is not a party that push individual agenda but is concerned with the people.

Vanhu, vanhu, vanhu, President Mugabe says.

1516: He has implored schools not to be ashamed of teaching Zimbabwean history.

We dont want to hear teachers saying we do not want to teach it yet they want to teach about Napoleon. Where do they know him from? This is a double tragedy. As I told you, when I looked at these two, I felt deep pain and my tears were welling up,

1510: He says at one point, Minister of Mines Cde Chidakwa told him that he was not well.

I encouraged him to go for a check up. He came back to me exclaiming at what we saw. He said after tests, he saw fat in his own blood and was advised that it is the same fat that blocks veins and blood struggles to be pumped around the body,

President Mugabe says Cde Rutanhire struggled with the bullet which he lived with. But still, he never laid back. He would struggle and come to the meetings. He struggled to make Herbert Chitepo Ideological college move forward. He thrived to teach young people. Some of us were never taught anything.

1504: We were worried and are still worried by lack of ideological knowledge. You hear people, someone has fallen sick and they say aroiwa. Thats lack of ideological knowledge. A leader akararwa anonzi aroiwa, ah, when did this start! Technology is advanced and we encourage people to go for constant check ups. Certain diseases attack. The bodies are not ours,

I want to thank you all who came here. To Mai Muzenda, go well. Those who believe in God, we will pray. Those who believe in traditional healers, hamenowo.

Turning to Cde Rutanhire, President Mugabe says, young man, are you gone? Why? Why now? He says Cde Rutanhire was a very respectful cadre. Very committed and very dedicated.

Because of his conduct, he says we did not hesitate to appoint him to various posts in the Government.





1455: President Mugabe says Mai Muzenda remained committed to the party even when her body was failing her.

Addressing the Muzenda siblings, he says That is the kind of mother you had. She was full of love,

1449: His Excellency has urged young people to draw inspiration from the life Gogo Muzenda led.

At a tender age, she was left by her husband who was going to the struggle. She remained behind with children and raised them well. It was not easy but she carried herself well.

1442: President Mugabe implores the Muzenda siblings to stay united and be guided by principles they were taught by the parents.

Mai vaenda nhasi but stay united. If you need help, dont be shy to approach us. Dont be shy to approach elders in the party,





1439: The other day Director General Bonyongwe came to me saying he just came from visiting Amai Muzenda and he told me she is too ill adding that he saw people smearing some creams to her. I told him that it is a catholic tradition and its called a sacrament. Bonyongwe wanted to stop them saying he thought its a concoction from traditional healers. No, I told him, he says as mourners, who include DG Bonyongwe, break into laughter.

1435: Vaenda Amai vemhuri nhasi. Before we came here, I said t o Tsitsi I am sorry. You are now the mother of the family. We also travelled with Vengesai, the son who is a pilot, and I asked him how is your mom, he told me she is not well,

1434: I had never seen him shaken like he was at one point in Chimoi

o. His daughter, Theresa had perished during the bombing of the camp. He was so devastated. 

1431: Well, Muzenda managed to do all what he was doing with us because, at home, he knew that Mai Maud Muzenda was taking care of children very well,





1422: There was unity. Not what we are seeing today. This is not the Masvingo we knew. We hear they even identify witches and wizards. We now hear that even the President is one. Ah, w

hy now when we came all the way? We dont have wizards in Zanu PF, we only have people who lose party ideology. President Mugabe says at one point, they sent Cde Muzenda to go and buy a goat but he never came back with it. When we inquired, he told us that it had been involved in an accident. We wondered how but the truth was that he had passed through a binge, got drunk and offered the goat for a braai,





1417: President Mugabe says later they moved to Gweru and Muzenda complained that boys from Gweru pestered him to go back to his own home area.

I asked who are those and he told me, Emmerson and others. That is how he went back and he started working from Masvingo together with the likes of Josaya Hungwe,





1411: Going down the memory lane, President Mugabe details the nature of friendship they had. He says the friendship saw Muzenda following him to Empandeni Mission where he also wanted to teach.

But later, Muzenda disappeared and we wondered where he had gone, only to later learn he had gone to South Africa to do further studies in carpentry. He later came back and went to work in Bulawayo. Not many people had access to education. Very few people had been to school. Those who had better education were the likes of Nkomo (Joshua) and Muzenda who had gone to South Africa to learn. These became torch bearers of the struggle,





1408: President Mugabe says he silently asked if God could not separate the days adding that George was more like son to Gogo Muzenda. The friends that I had during the struggle are the likes of Muzenda, Takawira and Sithole adding that they shared life. Muzenda knew about my family as much as I knew about knew about his.

1402: We heard the narrations by the two families. The Muzenda and Rutanhire families. When we had services, I felt a deep sorrow. In my heart I asked, God, what wrong have we done do deserve this? Have we erred in our way of life? He says he is pained by the loss of comrades who dedicated their lives to liberating Zimbabwe. I do not think we did any wrong God, the country that had been forcibly taken away from its rightful owners, we fought and brought it back. Many went out to fight. Many came back but again, many remained in the bush,

1358: The bereaved, Muzenda family, the honourable VP, Cde Mphoko and Mai, Cde VP, Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa, we were with him but he told us, he has not fully recovered and will not be able to come to the Heroes Acre. He went home to rest. The President of the Senate Mai Edna Madzongwe, Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Mudenda, Chief Justice Malaba, Minister of Harare Province, Cde Mirriam Chikukwa, ministers here present, comrades and friends,

1357: Dr Chombo has invited President Mugabe to address the mourners.
14 bodyguards of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, accused of firing at a mob and killing 1 person in June, 2008, were acquitted by a Mumbai court in 2011.

By Mustafa Shaikh: As many as 14 bodyguards of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who were accused of firing at a mob and killing one person in June, 2008, were acquitted by a Mumbai court in 2011.

The incident took place on June 20, 2008 when Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was shopping at Mulund's Nirmal Lifestyle mall.

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An altercation had taken place between three Sikh men and the guards of Ram Rahim at the mall when the former tried to enter a garment shop in which Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was shopping. This after these Sikh men objected to Rahim's dressing up as Sikh Panth's 10th Guru - Guru Gobind Singh.

WATCH FULL VIDEO HERE

(Video courtesy: @Youtube/Gurvinder Singh Padda)

Infuriated, these Sikh men called more people at the mall and a mob gathered and started pelting the bodyguards with stones. These bodyguards then fired rounds in retaliation. One Balkar Singh suffered bullet injuries and died soon after.

The case was investigated by Mumbai Police Crime Branch unit 7. The main accused in the case was Jagdev Singh Gurudev Singh. All the 14 accused were acquitted by Sewri Sessions Court Judge NP Dalvi for lack of evidence in April, 2011 after being given the benefit of the doubt.

The accused were acquitted as the report of the bullets seized by the police and that found inside Balkar Singh's body didn't match. Eyewitnesses were not able to give a coherent account of the sequence of events.

Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had submitted in the court that Dera Sacha Sauda Chief's personal bodyguards had fired the bullets outside the mall. The state had gone for an appeal in the Bombay High Court against the verdict later, which was ultimately rejected.

--- ENDS ---
Updates by The Herald

1355: The spokesperson says the bickering and divisions rocking the revolutionary party are a sign of lack of ideological clarity and consciousness in Zanu PF adding that when his father was appointed the Director of Herbert Chitepo Ideological college, the family welcomed it as well deserved. He has thanked all who came to the national shrine to mourn with the family.

1347: He has described his father as a spiritual person who treasured culture and heritage.

Cde George Rutanhire led the identification and reburial of fallen heroes who were callously buried by the colonialists. Dr Musanhu has appealed to President Mugabe to ensure that the programme continues,

1343: Cde Rutanhires son says as family, they agree with the observation made by Zanu PF spokesperson, Cde Simon Khaya Moyo who said the hero never boasted about his contribution to the liberation struggle



1341: He says he considers himself lucky to have been born because his father is a survivor of the liberation struggle adding that he lived with a bullet till the time of his death.

1339: Dr Musanhu thanks President Mugabe and the countrys leadership for the honour and recognition bestowed to Cde Rutanhire. He narrates Cde Rutanhires history detailing the Commissariat work he did long before he joined the liberation struggle himself.

1337: Dr Chombo has invited Dr Zivanai Musanhu to give family remarks on behalf of the Rutanhire family.

1335: Quoting First Lady Amai Mugabes words of wisdom she shared with the family when she went to pay her condolences, Martin says they were comforted and inspired. Amai Mugabe told mourners that so many women in Zimbabwe work hard but are hardly recognised, citing Gogo Muzenda as one such woman.

As he concludes his speech, Vabvuwi Methodist church choir breaks into song.

1325: Mr Muzenda has also described Gogo Muzenda as a caring mother who loved baking adding that she would bake very delicious scones. As a nurse, Gogo Muzenda helped a lot of comrades who needed medical attention. She would take medication from Mvuma hospital even though she was well aware that if caught, she could be jailed.

1323: As a mother, she was hard working and from work, she would sit down on her Singer machine to sew clothes for us. We rarely wore anything bought from a shop,

1321: The family representative says as a nurse, Gogo Muzenda had love for her patients and she often implored her family to pray for them.

1320: Muzenda family representative, Mr Chikwereti Martin Muzenda now giving family remarks. He gives family background telling mourners that Gogo Muzenda had eight children of which two of them are now late.

1313: By faith, we are a people whose prayers are answered by God, says Rev Choto before blessing the event with a prayer.

1309: Rev Choto says faith gives substance to our hearts. Drawing from the statement, he says Gogo Muzenda and Cde Rutanhire embarked on journeys they were not sure where it will end. They had faith that they will achieve whatever they had set out for. The two liberators, Reve Choto says were driven by faith and managed to set Zimbabwe free together with others.

1304: The Minister of Home Affairs, Dr Ignatius Chombo who is also the Director of Ceremony takes to the podium. He says mourners are gathered here to bid farewell to two great liberators. He invites the minister of Religion, Reverend Brian Choto to lead the mourners in prayer.

1303: In a poem, Reverend Paul Damasane pays tribute to Gogo Muzenda and Cde Rutanhire for dedicating their lives to liberating Zimbabwe. He says the two gallant children of the soil taught Zimbabweans to cherish independence. He says the two are counted and remembered by many adding that if death ever consulted him

who it should whisk away, he was going to point at thieves and other criminals.





1300: Father Riberio leads a Catholic ritual as he blesses the caskets of the two.

1248: The second Gun Carriage has also arrived and The Bearer Parties remove the caskets from the Gun Carriages to the position in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. A very sad and rare sight here. The two coffins arrived with the President and Lady Amai Grace Mugabe.





1242: The first gun carrier has arrived here and the Firing Party takes position.

1240: The service chiefs have taken their position as they prepare to welcome President Mugabe, the two bodies and families of the deceased.

1215: Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has arrived here at the sacred shrine and is making his way to the VVIP tent.

Several Government officials are among the mourners gathered here and these include Ministers, Chief Justice Luke Malaba, Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda and service chiefs led by the Commander of the Defence Forces Dr Constantino Chiwenga.

1130: The body viewing ceremony has commenced inside Stodart Hall.

1122: Several banners which speak to the life led by the two comrades are on display here. Some of the banners about Gogo Muzenda read: A woman of substance, rest in peace caring mother, Mai Muzee: an epitome of African motherhood among others.

Banners speaking to the life of Cde Rutanhire read: A champion of anti-corruption, Cde Rutanhire: A revolutionary and charismatic leader, Cde Rutanhire: A giant revolutionary, Cde Rutanhire: The ideologist among others.



1114: President Mugabe and First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe have arrived.

1055: Meanwhile, space in the terraces, tents and the open space here at the National Heroes Acre is fast running out as Zimbabweans from across the sections of life continue trickling in for the final send off of the two fighters for the countrys independence.

1054: VP Mnangagwa has arrived, accompanied by his wife, Auxilia.

1048: Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko has arrived.

1042: Service Chiefs have arrived.

1033: Defence Minister Dr Sydney Sekramayi has arrived.

1007: Speaker of the National Assembly Adv Jacob Mudenda has arrived.

1005: Agriculture Minister Dr Joseph Made has arrived.

1000: Energy Minister Samuel Undenge has arrived.

0956: Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa has arrived.

0955: Harare Mayor Cllr Ben Manyenyeni has arrived

0949: Local Government, Public Works and National Housing Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has arrived.

0940: The bodies of Cdes Maud Muzenda and George Rutanhire have arrived at Stodart Hall in Mbare ahead of the body viewing rites which will be led by President Mugabe. A huge crowd has already gathered outside the hall to bid farewell to two more children of the soil. It certainly has been a devastating month for the nation.

0930: All is set for the burial of two of Zimbabwes liberators today at the National Heroes Acre, Cdes George Rutanhire and Gogo Maud Muzenda, wife to the late Vice President Simon Muzenda who was affectionately known as the Soul

of the Nation.

Gogo Muzenda, died on Tuesday at the Avenues Clinic, while Cde Rutanhire, a Zanu-PF Politburo member and director of the Chitepo Ideological College, passed on last Saturday at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mt Darwin.
A document signed by the MDC and some fringe opposition parties forming an alliance has unwittingly exposed deep-seated concerns within the countrys biggest opposition party that its leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is suffering from cancer, may not be fit to last the distance if they secure victory in next years make-or-break elections.



The Daily News can reveal that the Political Cooperation Agreement (PCA) signed by Tsvangirais party, along with seven other small political movements on August 5, makes no secret of the MDCs dominance in the whole arrangement.



Tsvangirai is basically calling the shots in the MDC Alliance so much that no one outside his party can take over from him in the event that he dies or gets incapacitated before next years polls.



Crucially, the deal secures the MDCs leadership of the MDC Alliance in the event that a vacancy occurs at the top before or after the elections.



In the event of a vacancy occurring for the presidency for whatever reasons before the election then the alliance partners shall select another candidate and if such vacancy occurs after election then the provisions of the national Constitution shall apply, reads part of the PCA.



In terms of the supreme law of the land, the governing party has the prerogative of appointing a successor should it happen that a serving president dies or gets incapacitated while in office.



What the provisions of the PCA entail therefore is that the MDC would still select Tsvangirais successor in the event that he exits office for whatever reasons after winning the 2018 polls.



To some extent, by inserting that clause in the PCA, it confirms the apprehension in the MDC over Tsvangirais health.



The MDC leader was diagnosed with cancer of the colon in May last year and has been undergoing treatment in South Africa.



Although he has lost his hair, having gone through 10 gruelling chemotherapy sessions in his battle with the disease, Tsvangirai told the Daily News last month that he feels like he is almost close to regaining full fitness.





Regardless, Tsvangirai was selected to lead the MDC Alliance on August 5 whose constituent members include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Tendai Biti; the MDC led by Welshman Ncube; Transform Zimbabwe, headed by Jacob Ngarivhume; Zanu Ndonga led by Denford Masiyarira and the Multi-Racial Christian Democrats led by Mathias Guchutu.



But apart from ring-fencing Tsvangirais position, the PCA hints at the possibility of a major overhaul of the countrys Constitution, promulgated in 2013, in the event that the MDC Alliance upstages Zanu PF at the polls.



According to the pact, Tsvangirai will appoint a national State executive of vice presidents, ministers and deputy ministers balancing regions, gender and including all political parties, in the event that he wins the elections.



It would appear that an MDC Alliance government would have three vice presidents or deputy presidents to accommodate influential figures at the top.



Tsvangirai already has three deputies in the MDC namely Nelson Chamisa, Thokozani Khupe and Elias Mudzuri, although these are no longer as influential as the eight principals in the MDC Alliance who now stand a better chance of getting coveted positions in the event that their coalition wins the forthcoming polls.



The agreement further states that all the parties under the MDC Alliance, though maintaining their names, will use the MDC open palm symbol and will also campaign for the chosen presidential candidate.



They are, however, free to campaign using their own promotional material or regalia.

The parties agreed that their alliance shall operate as the MDC Alliance and the parties shall use a common symbol during the 2018 harmonised elections, being an encircled open palm incorporating the image of the alliance presidential candidate and the name and logo of each party underneath, the PCA also reads in part.



Party insiders said this has infuriated the other parties that are currently locked in negotiations with Tsvangirai on the formation of the grand coalition.

These include Joice Mujurus National Peoples Party (NPP).



Last week, a high-level meeting held between Mujuru and Tsvangirai failed to end the bickering between them over the coalition.



Although the two politicians are desperate to avoid splitting the vote at the 2018 elections, the Daily News has it on good authority that there is really nothing at the moment to suggest that a deal could be inked anytime soon, especially in view of the gravity of the unresolved issues separating them.



By the time their meeting ended on Friday, Tsvangirai and Mujuru were still to agree on the fundamental issues.



These included the leadership of the grand coalition that would confront President Robert Mugabes Zanu PF at the forthcoming polls, and the allocation of seats among their aspiring legislators.



In fact, Mujuru is adamant that she deserves the opportunity to lead the coalition on account of her experience in statecraft, her liberation war credentials, and gender appeal.

The PCA also reveals how the alliance partners are desperate to reach out to the former liberation war fighters, who, in the past, taunted its officials as stooges of the west and its allies.



It promises to give the war veterans a ministry like the current arrangement.

Most of the alliance partners will fill positions in the other organs of the State although a lot will depend on whether the MDC Alliance would have secured enough numbers to push its agenda through.



For example, Bitis PDP was offered the deputy speaker of Parliament post while Transform Zimbabwe would nominate all parliamentary chairpersons. This would, however, require the MDC Alliance to have the numeric advantage in the National Assembly to get its people nominated into these positions.



The Ncube-led MDC would nominate the president of the senate while the Zimbabwe People First led by Agrippa Mutambara would select the deputy.



The parties agreed to establish a non-compete electoral alliance for purposes of contesting the 2018 harmonised elections.



Without specifying the method to be used in selecting the candidates, the agreement says the party which is strongest electorally in a given constituency must field the candidate for the coalition.



While the PCA has provisions to accommodate any additional alliance, it goes on to give Tsvangirai the carte blanche to select the other coalition partners. daily news
About 46% are seconded staff with no law degrees. Some are working on getting degrees, which is a good thing, but the majority of the people do not have required qualifications; they are just seconded to assist. I am worried if the Constitutional Court makes a decision, what will happen? So far 32 members of staff have resigned or died without any replacements. I am, however, grateful because without this seconded staff, our services would have been hamstrung.
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Greek astronomer Hipparchus is known as the father of trigonometry. But the Guardian reports Babylonian mathematicians may have gotten there 1,000 years earlier. Ever since the real-life inspiration for Indiana Jones discovered a 3,700-year-old clay tablet called P322 in what is now Iraq, historians and mathematicians have debated the meaning of the rows and columns of numbers on it, according to Science. In 1945, mathematicians realized those numbers contained the Pythagorean theorem for deducing the sides of a right triangle a millennium before Pythagoras had coined it, ABC reports. And in a study published Thursday in Historia Mathematica, Australian researchers believe they finally know what those mysterious numbers are: a trigonometric table more accurate than any we have now.

It took me two years of looking at this and saying, Im sure its trig, Im sure its trig, but how? mathematician Daniel Mansfield tells Science. One breakthrough came when Mansfield realized the Babylonians had a completely different way of looking at trigonometry than we do, one "based on ratios, not angles and circles." He calls it "fascinating" and evidence of "undoubted genius." And fellow researchers Norman Wildberger says P322 represents a "simpler, more accurate" version of trigonometry. While Mansfield and Wildberger say the Babylonians could have used the tablet to build pyramids and palaces, critics say there's no evidence for that and call the study's conclusions "highly speculative." (Those fortune cookie "lucky numbers" are definitely not unlucky.)
Belgian soldiers shot a man dead in downtown Brussels on Friday evening after he attacked the troops with a knife in what prosecutors described as a "terror attack," the AP reports. Spokesperson Esther Natus of the federal prosecutor's office, which handles terrorism investigations, said the man twice shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," as he ran at the soldiers. "We do consider it a terror attack," Natus said. She declined to identify the man or confirm whether he was known to police, saying only that "the suspect is dead" and one of the soldiers was slightly wounded. Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said three soldiers came under attack and one had been hospitalized.

Federal Police spokesperson Jonathan Pfunde also confirmed some details of the incident and said the attacker had been "neutralized." Belgium's anti-terror crisis center tweeted that the situation was "under control." "All our support is with our soldiers," Prime Minister Charles Michel said via Twitter. "Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely." Television images showed that police sealed off a main street near the Grand Place, a central square that is a popular tourist site. Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people in attacks March 22, 2016, on Brussels' main airport and subway system. Soldiers and extra police have been deployed at public buildings and around large gatherings for more than a year. (Read more knife attack stories.)
North Korea appeared to register its disapproval of the ongoing US-South Korea military exercises in a tangible way Saturday: It launched three ballistic missiles. However, all three appeared to be of the short-range variety, as opposed to ICBMS, reports the Guardian. One blew up immediately upon launch and the other two flew about 150 miles before falling into the sea. Neither of those two landed in Japan's territorial waters. While the launches appear to be less ambitious than other recent ones by Pyongyang, they still raised tensions and demonstrated Kim Jong Un's willingness to defy international demands that he cease all missile launches, notes the Washington Post.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command determined the three ballistic missile launches from North Korea did not pose a threat to North America, said a spokesman, per the New York Times. The US Pacific Command determined the three ballistic missile launches from North Korea did not pose a threat to Guam. The salvo came days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised the North for showing new "restraint," raising hopes for dialogue. (Read more North Korea stories.)
Areas of West Delhi, Outer Delhi and South-West Delhi remained tensed since Friday evening. A senior police officer said security in all bordering areas in Delhi has been stepped up.

Quite a few buses were set on fire in Delhi and Punjab. Many of the miscreants were arrested by police.

By Chayyanika Nigam: Following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case, arson was reported from various parts in the national Capital. An alert was also sounded on the outskirts of Delhi in Ghaziabad and Noida, where section 144 was imposed.

Areas of West Delhi, Outer Delhi and South-West Delhi remained tensed since Friday evening. A senior police officer said security in all bordering areas in Delhi has been stepped up.

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"An alert has been issued in all police stations and sufficient arrangements have been made to tackle any untoward incidents," said a senior police officer from of outer Delhi.

"Few properties were set on fire in areas of Khyala and Manglapuri in West Delhi. Two buses were set on fire in Jahangirpuri, two in Jyoti Nagar and one in Badarpur. Also, Rewa Express stationed in the yard at Anand Vihar railway station was set on fire after the verdict," a senior police officer said.

"In Khyala, we arrested two men. They tried to set a DTC bus on fire, but managed to burn only some seats. In Badarpur, some miscreants had barely set a seat on fire when local police prevented further arson. The situation is under control," said Madhur Verma, Delhi Police PRO.

In Punjab, Dera supporters set on fire Moga, Malout and Balluanna railway stations in Punjab. Dera protesters tried to torch a school in Rajpura in Patiala but police controlled the situation. There have been 64 instances of violence in Punjab till last reports came in. In Barnala, a telephone exchange was torched by Dera protesters in Chananwal village. A power house and the tehsil office was torched in Sangrur, Punjab.

As a precautionary measure, the government sounded an alert in all adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that the violence doesn't spill over. Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh sent out a message asking all Punjabis to maintain peace and harmony in the state. He said he won't allow anyone to disturb peace and tranquility.

Curfew was imposed in Punjab's Bathinda after reports of violence. Incidents of stone-pelting was reported at several places near the Dera ashram. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse the crowd. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and L-G Anil Baijal too urged everyone to stay calm and maintain peace.

Also Read

Ram Rahim verdict aftermath: Blood sport across 3 states in baba's name

Sakshi Maharaj embarasses BJP by supporting Ram Rahim, claims only 1 person against Dera chief

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Ram Rahim followers go on rampage in Haryana, Punjab after Dera Sacha Sauda chief gets convicted for rape; 30 dead

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President Trump wasn't bluffing: Trump has pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio following Arpaio's conviction for intentionally disobeying a judge's order in an immigration case. The White House announced the move Friday night, saying the 85-year-old ex-sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County was a "worthy candidate" for a presidential pardon, per the AP. Trump had strongly hinted at the move during his Tuesday night rally in Phoenix, telling supporters that Arpaio would be "just fine."

Arpaio, who became linked to Trump during the campaign for their hardline immigration views, was convicted of a misdemeanor for intentionally defying a judge's order to stop his traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. In the statement Friday night, the White House said: "Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon." (Read more Joe Arpaio stories.)
Hurricane Harvey settled over southeast Texas early Saturday, lashing the state's Gulf Coast with damaging winds and dumping torrents of rain over hundreds of miles of coastline that braced for what forecasters predicted would be life-threatening storm surgesbasically walls of water moving inland. The fiercest hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade made landfall the previous night about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds. It gradually weakened over the next several hours and the National Hurricane Center said that by 3am Harvey was back to a Category 2still sustaining winds of 110 mph, per the AP. No deaths were immediately confirmed in the hours after Harvey's arrival, but officials noted emergency crews couldn't get out in many places due to high winds.

Melissa Munguia, deputy emergency management coordinator in Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, said early Saturday that it could be hours before crews could fully assess the damage in coastal communities. Early reports did begin to emerge from Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 people that was directly in Harvey's path when it came ashore. Officials confirmed that the roof of Rockport's high school had partially caved in and that the community's historic downtown saw extensive damage. Harvey's approach sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing inland, hoping to escape the wrath of a menacing storm that threatens not only the coast but a wide swath of Texas that is home to oil refineries, chemical plants, and dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city. (Read more Hurricane Harvey stories.)
President Trump's relations with Arizona's Republican senators were testy even before Friday, but the president's pardon of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio seems sure to increase the animosity. John McCain and Jeff Flake each criticized Trump's decision about Maricopa County's former ex-lawman. The pardon "undermines (Trump's) claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions," said McCain. Flake, meanwhile, said he would have preferred that Trump "honor the judicial process and let it take its course." Arpaio was convicted of contempt of court for refusing to obey a judge's order to stop patrols that focused on Hispanics as part of Arpaio's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. He had yet to be sentenced but could have faced 6 months in jail.

The White House statement on the pardon cited the 85-year-old's long career in law enforcement and his "life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," per NPR. Earlier in the week, Trump suggested that Arpaio was convicted for just "doing his job." At the Washington Post, Philip Bump writes that the pardon raises an important question about the president's rationale for issuing them, particularly in the context of the Russia investigation. "If hes willing to pardon Joe Arpaio for ignoring a court order in service of a political goal Trump embraces, why wouldnt he pardon another individual he respects for similarly ignoring a demand from the court." (Read more Joe Arpaio stories.)
The immediate effects of Hurricane Harvey on Texas are starting to show. The AP reports nearly 300,000 people lost power as some areas of the state received nearly 20 inches of rain. Some communities near the coast where Harvey made landfall Friday night are reporting damaged or destroyed homes, businesses, and schools and loss of cell service. Coast Guard helicopters were sent to rescue the crews of three tugboats that were in distress near Port Aransas on Saturday morning. And multiple cruise ships with thousands of passengers are currently stranded in the Gulf, unable to return to Galveston, according to Reuters. Two Carnival cruise ships were rerouted to New Orleans for additional supplies.

Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1 on Saturday morning, and CBS News reports it was expected to weaken to a tropical storm by the afternoon. But that doesn't mean the danger has passed. Some areas of Texas are expected to receive up to 30 inches of rain by Wednesday, and "catastrophic" flooding is still a possibility in the coming days. It's also possible Harvey moves back out to sea and gains strength before hitting Texas a second time. (Read more Hurricane Harvey stories.)
"Theres evil in the world thats unrepentant, and Ive experienced it firsthand," Francisco Chairez writes for the Washington Post. Chairez, a Mexican immigrant, spent time in one of Joe Arpaio's infamous "tent cities" following a 2015 conviction for drunk driving. His experience doing time under the former Arizona sheriff is one of the reasons President Trump's pardon of Arpaio Friday left him "disgusted, dispirited, and disappointed in the American political system." Before even getting to the outdoor prison, Chairez had to go through something called "the Matrix," where he was moved from cell to cell for 12 hours straight, freezing, unable to sleep, and given only old bread, milk, and an apple to eat.

Then it was on to the tent city, an outdoor prison of army tents that left inmates with no protection from the Arizona weather. "The rules of the tent city were strict, arbitrary, and brutally enforced," Chairez writes. Newspapers, which Arpaio hates, were banned. The only food came from an overpriced vending machine. During Chairez's summer there, temperatures in the tent city hit 120 degrees. There was no cold water; people fainted and suffered heatstroke; one inmate died in his bed. The winter was, somehow, worse. "There were no heaters. Most jackets ... werent allowed," Chairez recalls. Inmates resorted to filling water bottles with boiling shower water or wrapping plastic bags around their feet to keep warm. And Chairez was one of the lucky ones, spared the worst of the abuses under "Sheriff Joe's" watch. "Arpaio being pardoned is a nightmare come true," Chairez concludes. Read his full piece here. (Read more Joe Arpaio stories.)
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Congress leader Salman Khurshid has demanded the imposition of President's Rule in Haryana, a day after over 30 people died in clashes following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case by Panchkula court.

Supporters of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim pelting stones as security personnel in Panchkula on Friday. Photo: PTI

By India Today Web Desk: Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid has reiterated his party's demand for the imposition of President's Rule in Haryana, a day after violent clashes following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction by a Panchkula court in a rape case led to violent clashes that killed over 30 people and injured around 250.

The Army today moved into the Dera headquarters in Sirsa to clear the sect's followers from the campus, who are housed there in support of their chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim in the wake of the verdict.

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The Army conducted a flag march in the Dera campus in Sirsa, where there are lakhs of followers of the sect. Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel and the police are accompanying the Army in this operation to evict Dera supporters.

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, accusing him of allowing the state to burn for political gains.

Earlier today, DG (Prisons) Haryana KP Singh assured that Ram Rahim was being treated as a normal prisoner and had not been provided with any attendant or AC in his cell. Singh was reacting to reports by some channels and papers that special VVIP treatment was being given to Ram Rahim. DG (Prisons) Haryana clarified that Rahim was in Sunaria Jail, not in a guesthouse.

HERE ARE THE LATEST UPDATES:

Curfew to be relaxed in Sirsa from 6 am to 11 am tomorrow.

No one will be allowed near Sonaria jail; adequate arrangements made for the same: DGP Haryana on August 28 quantum for Ram Rahim Singh.

Captain Amarinder Singh said 7 people from Punjab died and 42 were injured in Haryana violence.

The death toll has risen to 37 with 31 deaths reported from Panchkula, and six from Sirsa.

Haryana DGP BS Sandhu said there are about 3000-4000 people at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa and they are being vacated under the watchful eye of army and police.

One more person dead in Sirsa taking the death toll in violent protests in Panchkula to 32.

Curfew has been relaxed in Patiala, while 8 weapons were recovered from Dera supporters.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim's sentencing to take place in Sunaria District Jail. High Court issues notification to move CBI court there.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh says it is total failure of Haryana government to handle the situation.

Deputy Advocate General Haryana Gurdas Singh sacked for allegedly carrying bag of Ram Rahim during court hearing.

Congress has reiterated demand for President's Rule in Haryana. Senior party leader Salman Khurshid said, "I am glad the media has started to see the bizzare state of affairs. The BJP is bound to explain the violence perpetrated yesterday. The chief minister's resignation is very important. But that alone won't do. I agree with Mr Bhupinder Hooda, President's rule must be imposed."

Ram Rahim Singh is being treated and given food in the same manner as other prisoners get: Haryana Chief Secretary.

The moment Ram Rahim Singh was arrested, his Z-plus security stood automatically withdrawn, says Haryana Chief Secretary.

Helicopter was arranged by the Haryana government, they had paid for it, says Depinder Singh.

No VIP treatment given to Ram Rahim Singh, he was taken via a helicopter purely on security considerations: Haryana Chief Secretary.

Two sedition cases have been registered during the entire process, probe underway, says Haryana Chief Secretary Depinder Singh.

#WATCH Press Conference of Haryana Government and Police on security situation post Ram Rahim Singh's conviction. https://t.co/qXw4erbm0y- ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Haryana Home Secretary has said that no property of Ram Rahim has been attached so far, as the court has asked the Dera advocate to submit list of assets and libailities.

A total of 12 Army columns have been deployed in Panchkula, 8 in Sirsa, 2 in Mansa and 2 in Mankot.

Ram Rahim's 'Z plus' security withdrawn after his conviction in rape case, says Haryana chief secretary, reports PTI.

People who died were Dera supporters. As many as 36 Dera ashrams have been sealed and Dera at Sirsa is being vacated, says Anil Jain, Haryana in-charge of BJP.

The quantum of punishment hearing in the Ram Rahim case is likely to be done in jail, says Haryana DGP.

Sirsa administration has asked supporters of Baba assembled in the old ashram to vacate.

It's a rumour that Khattar has been summoned. Opposition shouldn't politicise. Considering the following of Baba, no such violence during presenting him in court, says BJP's Anil Jain.

Eight FIRs have been registered in Panchkula alone, 28 people have died in Panchkula, a total of 32 across Haryana, says Additional Solicitor General Satyapal Jain.

ADGP, IG and other officers inside the Mansa Dera Ashram are checking the IDs of people present inside.

After a crucial high-level BJP meeting involving party chief Amit Shah, party has categorically said that Khattar will not be replaced or even called to explain himself.

Important points on internal security discussed, one being violence post Ram Rahim Singh's conviction, said Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

DG Haryana assured situation is under control. Situation in Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi is normal, said Mehrishi.

Several trains have been cancelled following the violence after Gurmeet Ram Rahim's verdict has affected women and children from Punjab. Some of them are stranded in Delhi as trains have been cancelled.

Women, children from Punjab stranded at railway stations. Women, children from Punjab stranded at railway stations.

Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the state govt for details of Ram Rahim Singh's movable and immovable properties in Punjab and Haryana till next hearing on August 29.

Sedition charges levelled against 6 security guards and 2 supporters of Baba Rahim.

Punjab and Haryana High Court has slammed Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, alleging that the city was allowed to burn for political gains.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has said that he has been briefed by the DGP. Amarinder said, "Situation in the state is by and large peaceful, curfew has been lifted in 3 districts, relaxed in all others. State is on high alert for 48 hours."

As many as 36 dera camps have been sealed so far by the police, including those at Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra and Ambala.

According to Haryana DGP, 524 people have been rounded off, rifles, cartridges, lathis, petrol bombs have been seized from supporters.

Nam Charcha Ghar have been vacated, sticks and rods were received got during search operation, says Ambala range (ADGP) Dr RC Mishra.

A high-level meeting has begun at Home Minister's residence. Home Secretary, NSA Ajit Doval and IB Chief are also present. Along with Army & Rapid Action Force, Police has also entered the premises of #DeraSachaSauda HQ in Haryana's Sirsa #RamRahimSingh pic.twitter.com/Y5tVg1BCp4- ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Army has entered the Dera headquarters in Sirsa.

Chandigarh: ASG Satyapal Jain and Advocate General of Punjab and Haryana reach the High Court, proceedings to begin shortly.

Outside visual of Rohtak district prison in Sunaria where Dera chief #RamRahimSingh is lodged. #Haryana pic.twitter.com/uyuZmhgZKh- ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Ambala police caught 4 Dera supporters carrying petrol bottles, intending to set ablaze the tehsil office. FIRs have been registered against all 4 of them.

District administration and police seal two ashrams of Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana's Kurukshetra.

Ram Rahim Singh is being treated as a normal prisoner. No attendant provided, no AC in the cell he is lodged in, says KP Singh.

Some channels and papers are reporting on special treatment being given to Ram Rahim. I clarify that he is in Sunaria Jail, not in a guesthouse, says DG Prisons (Haryana) KP Singh.

Ram Rahim has been lodged in a jail in Rohtak. He started his day in the jail today by doing Yoga and having tea and 2 slices of bread.

Kurukshetra's Nam Charcha Ghar Ashram has been seized by administration, 2000 lathis found.

Curfew in Punjab's Mansa district has been relaxed for 4 hours.

Ten paramilitary companies have been deployed in Rohtak.

600 people taken into preventive detention, 60 vehicles of Dera supporters impounded.

Chandigarh Police has arrested 6 private security guards of Baba, arms and kerosene oil seized from these guards.

Seven out of the 30 dead in Panchkula clashes are women.

Western Railways cancels 6 trains and partially cancels 2 trains in the wake of the law and order situation in Punjab and Haryana.

According to Panchkula Control Room in Haryana, situation in most parts of the state, particularly in Panchkula and Sirsa, continues to remain tense, but is under control. There are reports of approximately 32 casualties (29 in Panchkula and 3 in Sirsa) and several others injured as of now.

Army conducted a flag march in the morning in Sirsa. Uneasy calm and tension prevail in Dera headquarters in Sirsa.

According to sources, Army has given an ultimatum to the Dera supporters to vacate. Supporters inside Dera HQs are not just armed with lathis, but also swords.

Security has been beefed up in Rohtak, where Ram Rahim is lodged in a make-shift jail at a police training centre.

All trains going towards Rohtak have been cancelled for today.

#LatestVisuals from Panchkula where violence was witnessed yesterday: Section 144 still imposed; security deployed. #RamRahimVerdict pic.twitter.com/eRAolxSlsJ- ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Curfew to be relaxed in Punjab's Moga district from 10 am to 11 am.

As many as 661 trains have been cancelled following violence after Ram Rahim Singh's conviction, almost 250 cancelled in Haryana alone, says spokesperson of Northern Railway Neeraj Sharma.

Malout and Balluanna railway stations in Punjab were partially vandalised by angry followers of Ram Rahim as violence spilled over to the adjoining state.

Section 144 imposed in Uttarakhand's Nainital.

In Uttar Pradesh, Baghpat District Magistrate has directed all schools in the region to remain closed today.

Three rifles, pistols, cartridges, narcotics recovered from 65 cars of Dera people during checking, said Haryana DGP BS Sandhu.

We resorted to tear gas, lathicharge, and fired pellet bullets on protesters, where arson was reported: BS Sandhu.

Delhi Transport Corporation has suspended bus services to NCR due to incidents of arson.

(WITH INPUTS FROM KAMALJIT SINGH SANDHU AND PTI)

ALSO READ |

WATCH VIDEO | Army storms into Dera's headquarters in Sirsa to evict sect cadres

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Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will give way to occasional snow showers during the afternoon. High 27F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%..

Tonight

Snow showers. Low near 20F. Winds light and variable. Chance of snow 60%. 1 to 3 inches of snow expected.
New Delhi:

At least eight security personnel including four CRPF jawans and 4 local policemen were killed in a terrorist attack at district police line in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Two terrorists were also killed by the forces. The encounter is still underway.

The militants attacked at district police line in Pulwama at around 4:30 am, resulting in injuries to the security personnel and policemen, a police official said. He further said that the security forces retaliated and cross firing was going on till last reports came in.

Updates

#7:06 PM: Eight security personnel killed in Pulwama encounter, 5 injured, say police.

#5:36 PM: J&K: Visuals of encounter at District Police Lines building in Pulwama

J&K: #Visuals of encounter at District Police Lines building in Pulwama (Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/uhb1WCVNR4  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#5:33 PM: Operation is in its last lap, it will be cleared soon: SP Vaid, J&K DGP on Pulwama encounter.

Operation is in its last lap, it will be cleared soon: SP Vaid, J&K DGP on #Pulwama encounter pic.twitter.com/OOd17ka36o  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#5:15 PM: Budgam(J&K): Wreath-laying ceremony of CRPF's Jaswant Singh&Dhanawade Ravindra Baban who lost their lives in Pulwama encounter earlier today

Budgam(J&K): Wreath-laying ceremony of CRPF's Jaswant Singh&Dhanawade Ravindra Baban who lost their lives in Pulwama encounter earlier today pic.twitter.com/QeYOUcsRrK  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#4:04 PM: Earlier visuals of encounter at District Police Lines building in J&K's Pulwama, heavy exchange of gunfire heard

#WATCH: Earlier visuals of encounter at District Police Lines building in J&K's Pulwama, heavy exchange of gunfire heard (Visuals deferred) pic.twitter.com/z28SF7ze7n  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#3:14 PM: No hostage situation in Pulwama encounter, all families evacuated, operation on, tweets J&K police.

#1:24 PM: Other point discussed was ongoing encounter in Pulwama, 2-4 terrorists are expected to be trapped: Outgoing home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi

#1:00 PM: 1 terrorist gunned down during encounter at District Police Lines in Pulwama. 2 more holed up. Ops continue.

#12:38 PM: We brought families out of blocks. Troops are continuing with ops. It is a fidayeen attack.We don't have hostage situation: Lt Gen JS Sandhu

2 terrorists entered family quarters at DPL Pulwama. We lost a J&K Police constable & two CRPF personnel: Lt Gen JS Sandhu, GoC 15 Corps pic.twitter.com/ekIfuBtSkM  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#11:15 AM: Another CRPF jawan lost his life during encounter in Pulwama's District Police Lines; security personnel's death toll reaches 3.

#Visuals DPL Pulwama Encounter: A CRPF Jawan & Policeman have lost their lives; encounter underway (visuals deferred) pic.twitter.com/ighywREoUn  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

#10:45 AM: CRPF jawan succumbs to injuries, taking death toll of security personnel to two

#10:35 AM: Pulwama Encounter (J&K): CRPF Head Constable sustained bullet injury; condition very critical, being evacuated by chopper.



#9:00 AM: Pulwama DPL Encounter: Terrorists have been localized into 2 blocks. Efforts to evacuate people in progress. Intermittent firing on



ALSO READ: J&K: BSF jawan injured in Pak sniper fire along IB border in Jammu

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New Delhi:

At least three Pakistani Rangers were killed in a retaliatory firing by Border Security Force (BSF) after the former violated ceasefire along LoC in Sunderbani area of Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The Pakistani ranger started firing heavy mortar shells and bullets on the forward Indian posts after which the BSF gave a efitting reply to the unprovoked cross border attack. No Jawan was reported injured in the attack.

"Today Pakistan resorted to unprovoked to ceasefire violation and fired four 51mm mortar and two 81mm mortar shells towards the forward Indian posts in Dewra village of Rajouri's Sunderbani district," a BSF spokesperson said.

Also Read | Pulwama encounter: 1 terrorist gunned down, 2 others holed up; 8 security personnel lose life

At around 2:50 PM on Saturday, the Pakistani Rangers also resorted to unprovoked firing in Pargwal area of Jammu region. The BSF adequately replied to indescrimite firing by Pak Rangers.

More details were awaited.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was held guilty in a 15-year-old rape case by a CBI court in Haryana's Panchkula on Friday.

After his conviction, over 1 lakh supporters of Dera chief rampaged the towns of Haryana damaging public property, setting media vehicles on fire, pelting stones on security forces, and setting railway stations alight.

Ram Rahim, also known as "Rockstar baba" or "baba of bling" for his shiny clothes, was taken to Rohtak jail in government helicopter as the streets of Panchkula, where he was convicted were full of his angry supporters.

With his conviction, the anonymous letter that was sent to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee has done its work by ensuring justice for the victims after a 15-year long wait.

Also Read: You are not BJP's Prime Minister, says enraged High Court on Panchkula Violence

News Nation has access to the anonymous letter that remained in oblivion for 15 long years. In the letter, a Sadhavi (women followers) wrote about her horrid experiences in Gurmeet Ram Rahim's Dera Sacha Sauda.

The victim wrote the letter to Atal Bihari Vajpayee pleading for justice against politically powerful self-proclaimed "godman" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh who sexually molested her and many other women for years.

Watch the video to know the entire story of the letter that scripted the "Waterloo of Rockstar Baba" Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Sources from the BJP today confirmed that the party is not mulling the expulsion of Haryana CM Khattar over the ongoing turmoil in the state.

By Anindya Banerjee: Putting an end to the rumours surrounding Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar's expulsion in wake of the Ram Rahim verdict flare-up, BJP sources have confirmed that Khattar stays put.

In a meeting chaired by Amit Shah with BJP general secretary (Haryana) Dr Anil Jain and senior leader Kailash Vijaivargiya, it has been decided that Khattar will not be summoned to Delhi either- for any clarifications.

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On the violence that engulfed parts of Haryana, Amit Shah said, "Keeping in mind the significance of Dera, the violence is handled well."

This comes amid reports that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP National President Amit Shah met on the intervening night of Saturday to take a call on Khattar's chief ministerial journey.

Earlier in the day, the Punjab and Haryana High Court hit out at the Chief Minister for allowing the state to burn for political gains.

Khattar is believed to have had good relations with Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Before Khattar became the Chief Minister in 2014, Rahim had openly rooted for him and promised him support from Dera followers.

Also Read:

Violence after Rahim verdict: Khattar let Haryana burn for political gains, says high court

Baba Ram Rahim verdict aftermath LIVE: Army enters Dera HQ in Sirsa to flush out sect supporters

Violence after Baba Ram Rahim conviction: How Khattar failed on three occasions in as many years

WATCH: Won't replace Khattar or seek his explanation over Haryana violence: BJP

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Bihar, he will be conducting aerial survey of flood-hit areas on Saturday. This will be PM Modias first visit to the State after Nitish Kumar formed his Government with the help of BJP-led NDA

Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi took to twitter to inform about Prime Ministeras Bihar visit. PM coming on 26th Aug for an aerial survey of flood affected districts of Bihar,a tweeted Sushil Modi.

PM will be arriving at Purnea airforce base at 9.50 am for aerial survey of flood affected areas along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitesh Kumar and Deputy CM Sushil kumar Modi. After survey and meeting with officials PM will leave for Delhi around 12pm.

LIVE updates:

PM assured all possible assistance for relief measures & assured that a central team will be sent to assess the damage. PM A Modi declares an immediate relief of Rs. 500 crore for flood-hit Bihar PM Modi chairs review meeting in Purnia with senior officials, CM Nitish Kumar & Dy CM Sushil Modi a ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

PM A Modi undertakes aerial survey of flood affected areas in Bihar, along with CM Nitish Kumar & Dy CM Sushil Modi.A a ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

The flood situation in Bihar worsened on Friday with the toll mounting to 418, with 1.67 crore people in 19 districts being affected by the deluge.

The flood waters, however, have receded in some places, prompting many to return to their homes. The number of relief camps also dropped to 368 from 624, in which 1.59 lakh people were staying, a release by disaster management department said.

Araria district alone accounted for 87 deaths followed by Sitamarhi 43, Katihar 40, West Champaran 36, East Champaran 32, Madhubani 28, Darbhanga 26, Kishanganj 24,Madhepura 22, Gopalganj 20, Supual 16, Purnea nine, Saharsaeight; Khagaria, Saran and Muzaffarpur seven each, Sheoharfour and Samastipur two.

No deaths were reported from Siwan district, it said. A total of 3.54 lakh people had food in 1,403 community kitchens operational in the marooned areas of Bihar, therelease said.

A A total of 28 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 1,152 personnel with 118 boats are taking part in rescue and relief operations, it said. Apart from NDRF, 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force comprising 466 personnel are helping people in the flood-hit areas with the help of 92 boats. A total of 630 army personnel in seven teams are assisting in relief and rescue operations with 70 boats, the release added.

With PTI Input

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Srinagar:

Eight security personnel, including four CRPF men, were killed when militants carried out a suicide attack on a district police complex in south Kashmirs Pulwama on , triggering a massive gunfight in which the four terrorists were killed.

The terror strike took place at the crack of dawn when the militants, believed to be foreign mercenaries, entered the police complex in the worst-hit Pulwama district, 25 km from Srinagar.

Police, CRPF, and Army personnel quickly swung into action and cornered the militants and ensured that family members of the police personnel living within the complex were taken out to safety.

By afternoon, the security personnel neutralized one of the three terrorists while another militants body was recovered after 5 PM, officials said, adding the firing had stopped and the third body would be recovered soon.

The militants had entrenched themselves in all the three blocks of the police complex and were firing at the approaching troops, they said.

Lt Gen J S Sandhu, General officer Commanding of Srinagar-based XV Corps, said it is a fidayeen (suicide) attack.

Also Read | Jammu and Kashmir: 3 Pakistani Rangers killed in BSF's retaliatory firing in Sunderbani

Among those killed four were from the CRPF, one was a constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police and three were Special Police Officers working with the state police.

Two of the four CRPF personnel were killed at the fag end of the operation when they were defusing one of the improvised explosive devices planted by the militants.

Terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed the responsibility for the deadly attack.



Director General of Police S P Vaid said it was a sad day for security forces who suffered such a heavy causality.

However, the boys fought bravely and we are only more determined to wipe out militancy from the entire state, he said.

A police official said that one of the militants came out of a building and fired indiscriminately during the encounter.

He was gunned down on the spot, the official said.

The authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.

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New Delhi:

A Qatar Airways flight made emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad because one of the pilots suffered heart attack in early hours of Saturday, reported Hindustan Times.

As per the information, the flight was identified as QR 964 DOH-DPS. The flight was flying from Doha to Denspar airport in the Indonesian capital of Bali. The flight had 240 passengers onboard.

One of the pilot whose name was Andre Dinu (34) complained of pain in chest and lungs. When the pilot complained about pain, the flight was passing through the Indian subcontinent.

The other pilot took permission from Rajiv Gandhi International Airport for landing. The flight landed at Hyderabad airport at around 12.05 AM.

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New Delhi:

Maverick self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Friday convicted of rape by a court in Punchkula, triggering widespread violence and arson in Haryana where 30 people were killed and over 250 injured.



Here is who said what after judgment and subsequent violence:



President Ram Nath Kovind



President Ram Nath Kovind condemned violence and damage to public property by followers of the Dera Sacha Sauda and asked all people to maintain peace.



Violence and damage to public property after court verdict is highly condemnable; appeal to all citizens to maintain peace, the president said in a tweet.

Also read | Ram Rahim Singh conviction: Home Minister Rajnath Singh calls for high-level meet today



Prime Minister Narendra Modi



Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the deeply distressing.



Modi reviewed the situation with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and said officials have been asked to work round-the-clock to restore normalcy.



The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence & urge everyone to maintain peace, he tweeted on Friday.



The law & order situation is being closely monitored. I reviewed the situation with the NSA & Home Secretary, the prime minister said.



Urged officials to work round-the-clock to restore normalcy and provide all possible assistance that is required, he added.



Sakshi Maharaj



Controversial BJP leader Sakshi Maharaj came to the defence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, describing as a simple person the self-styled godman who was convicted of rape.



The MP from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh said the rape allegation against him had been made by one person while he had the following of crores of people.



He wondered whether crores of his followers could be wrong.



Ram Rahim seedhe sadhe hai, toh unhe bula lo (Ram Rahim is a simple person, so summon him). This raises questions, Sakshi Maharaj told reporters.



He went on to ask, Why cant the Supreme Court or High Court summon the imam of Jama Masjid? Is he a relative or what?

Also read | Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh's conviction: 445 trains cancelled as violence erupts



Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani



Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani condemned the attack on media during violence in Panchkula but at the same time advised news channels to refrain from causing panic, distress and undue fear.



Attack on media, damage to property condemnable. Appeal to all to maintain peace, she said in a tweet.



At the same time, she added, Drawing attention of news channels to clause B of Fundamental Std of NBSA (News Broadcasting Standards Authority) refraining channels from causing panic, distress & undue fear.



Media persons and assets were targeted in Panchkula when followers of Ram Rahim went on the rampage after he was convicted in a rape case.



Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar



Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar admitted that there were lapses but asserted appropriate action was being taken.



Facing a volley of questions from reporters on the violence that has left at least 30 people dead and scores injured, he said the lapses have been identified and we are taking appropriate steps.



This should not have happened, he said.



Some people have lost lives and vehicles have been set on fire while government property too has been damaged. Some OB vans of the media have also been damaged by the mob, Khattar said.



All those who have taken law into their hands will be punished. We have identified some culprits including those who fired (from the mob at security forces), some of whom have been nabbed and action will be taken against them, he said.



The government will assess the damage, he added.



Asked how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula and was his government prepared for this, Khattar said, We were prepared to deal with the situation. Since it was a very big mob...



Khattar ducked a question on how thousands of Dera followers managed to reach Panchkula despite Section 144 being imposed much earlier.



When repeatedly asked how the followers managed to reach in such big numbers and whether it was a failure of his government, he replied, When such issue comes where you are dealing with followers in such numbers... We tried to stop them...

Also read | Bollywood celebrities hail verdict against Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh



Opposition attack



Congress president Sonia Gandhi



The Congress called for the resignation of Haryana chief minister M L Khattar, with party president Sonia Gandhi expressing grave concern over the violence in the state.



The Congress president appealed for peace, while vice-president Rahul Gandhi stressed that violence and brutality had no place in society.



@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his partys interests. @mlkhattar must resign, the party said on Twitter.



Rahul Gandhi



Rahul Gandhi, who left for Norway earlier today, condemned the rampage and lawlessness in Haryana and appealed for the restoration of peace.



Violence and brutality have no place in our society. Condemn the rampage and lawlessness in Haryana and appeal to restore peace and tranquillity, he said on Twitter.



Ex-CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda



Former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda also appealed for peace but said the government should have been prepared.



The priority now is to restore law and order, peace and harmony. I appeal to the people of Haryana to maintain calm and ensure there is no loss of life or damage to property, he told reporters after violence broke out in Panchkula and other parts of the state in the wake of the conviction in the 2002 rape case.



Hooda said it was not the time for a blame-game but said the government should have been prepared and steps taken in advance to ensure law and order.



He said Haryana had already suffered because of the laxity" and "weakness" of the government during earlier agitations.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

At least 99 people were killed due to floods in Indias biggest state. As many as seven deaths were reported on Saturday itself from different areas of Uttar Pradesh.

Apart from this, there are three persons injured, and two missing, the flood control room located in the office of relief commissioner told PTI.

However, the officials said that the number of flood-affected districts has reduced from 24 to 16 while over 11.22 lakh people have been affected.

Thousands of people have taken shelter in the relief camps as rivers including Ghaghara, Rapti, Quano, Kunhara, Rohin and Burhi Rapti are in spate and have inundated vast areas in Lakhimpur Khiri, Barabanki, Faizabad, Ballia, Gorakhpur and Siddharthnagar.

Talking about the transport service, road traffic has been disrupted in flood-affected areas. As much as 28 companies of the NDRF, 33 companies of PAC along with choppers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) are engaged in relief and rescue operation, officials said.

(With PTI inputs)

ALSO READ | Bihar floods: PM Modi announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for families of deceased, says Deputy CM

ALSO READ: Lalu Yadav says flood in Bihar is man-made, it was caused by Nitishs engineer

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New Delhi:

Uranus and Neptune are storing wonderful surprises in it. Scientists have uncovered them and interestingly It rains solid diamonds on Uranus and Neptune.

These diamonds are in the form of hydrocarbon-rich oceans of slush that swath the gas giants' solid cores. Its been long speculated that the extreme pressures in this region might split those molecules into atoms of hydrogen and carbon, the latter of which then crystallize to form diamonds.

These diamonds were thought to sink like rain through the ocean until they hit the solid core.But it is not proved that this would really work . In a study published in the journal Nature Astrophysics, researchers say they were able to produce this "diamond rain" using fancy plastic and high-powered lasers.

Earlier, researchers assumes that the diamonds had formed, lead author Dominik Kraus, a physicist at the Helmholtz Dresden-Rossendorf research center in Germany, told the magazine Cosmos. When I saw the results of this latest experiment, it was one of the best moments of my scientific career.The process of diamond raining lasted only a fraction of a second, and the diamonds were no bigger than a nanometer in length.Neptune and Uranus are bigger then earth, and their oceans are crushed by pressures millions of times more intense than the air pressure at Earth's sea level.

For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Gadget freaks will be on cloud nine as Samsung has cut the prices of its 2017 smartphone Galaxy S8 plus yet another time. While the 6 GB variant of the Galaxy S8+ will now be available at Rs 65,900 in India, the Galaxy S8 4 GB RAM variant is priced at Rs 64,900 in the country.

After the Galaxy S8 plus hit the market at Rs 74,900 back in March, the South Korean multinational electronics company Samsung brought it down to Rs 70,900 in July. Though Goods and service tax by the Indian government seems to be the reason behind this latest price cut, the compant has not confirmed so far.

Let's have a look at the key features and specifications of both S8 and S8 plus at a glance.

1. Display

With two different variants, Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a 5.8-inch display. While the Galaxy S8 Plus will sport a mega 6.2-inch display. Both the phones come with "Infinity Display" - an edge to edge screen with no bezel except a small bezel at the top and bottom. The two smartphones have curved screen design, Gorilla Glass 5, 2960x1440 pixel resolution, and 18.5:9 aspect ratio.

Also, The Galaxy S8 has an "invisible home button" beneath the display.

Also Read: Vivo Y69 smartphone launched at Rs 14,990, check specifications here

2. Processor, RAM and Internal Storage

The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 835-based Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ will be sold in the US market only. Both the phones have 6GB of RAM and an internal storage of 64 GB, which can be further expanded to 256 GB with the help of an external SD card.

3. Battery and Operating System

The new Galaxy smartphone run on Android Nougat-based TouchWiz out of the box. Coming to the battery, the Galaxy S8 is powered by a 3,000mAh battery while Galaxy S8 Plus has a larger 3,500mAh battery inside. Both the smartphone support wireless charging feature.

4. Artificial Intelligence

Samsung has unveiled a new voice-powered digital assistant Bixby, which will have a set of pre-installed applications that will work with the interface.

Also Read: Reliance Jio offering Rs 75, Rs 76 cashback via Paytm and PhonePe

5. Special features

Both Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 plus will be both water and dust resistant. The Galaxy S8 has a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner, and even facial recognition for easier passwords. Further, Every S8 will come with high-end AKG headphones.
New Delhi:

The wait for Xiaomis Mi Mix 2 smartphone seems to be finally over as according to reports, the company is all set to launch its much-awaited smartphone on September 12.

September 12 is not like any other date as it is said that the company has intentionally chosen this specific date to release its phone. But whats so unique about this date? Xiaomis Mi Mix 2 will share its release date with the iPhone 8. The news is not yet confirmed but there is a possibility that both the giants will come up with their smartphones on the same day.

ALSO READ | iPhone 8 Release Date: Specification, features and all you need to know

According to reports, the Chinese smartphone maker has decided to snatch some market shares from Apple. But if it is true, the Xiaomi would be playing a huge gamble by releasing its phone on the same day looking at the hype and craze among people for iPhone 8.

Talking about Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 features, the phone may have a 6-inch display, which will be layered with 2.5D curved glass. According to rumours, the phone will be equipped with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB internal memory. The higher variant will come with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB internal memory.

Meanwhile, the news about the release dates of both the phones is not confirmed yet and the official statements from both the giants are yet to come.

ALSO READ: Xiaomi teams up with Google to launch Xiaomi A1, know key specifications and feature
Paris:

French President Emmanuel Macron spent 26,000 euros (USD 30,695) on makeup during his first three months in power, his office confirmed saying its trying to find a cheaper alternative.

The report in Le Point news magazine prompted harsh criticism of the president from French social media users. It said the cost includes the pay of a freelance makeup artist following Macron during television appearances and trips abroad.

The presidents office confirmed the amount today. The report comes at a bad time for Macron, with polls showing his popularity plunging in recent weeks following the announcement of budget cuts and divisive labor reform.

Le Point said Macrons makeup expenses are lower than those of predecessor Francois Hollande, who paid a full-time employee about 10,000 euros monthly.

ALSO READ: 'You're in such good shape', Trump caught on camera complimenting Macron's wife

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Bangkok:

Facing a possible 10-year jail term, former Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra fled the country ahead of a court verdict her supporters say was politically motivated, a senior member of her party said.

Yingluck's whereabouts were not immediately known on Saturday, but local media cited anonymous officials as saying she travelled by land to Cambodia then flew to Dubai to join her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra another exiled former premier whose government, like hers, was toppled in a military coup.

An official of Yingluck's Pheu Thai party, who is close to the Shinawatra family, told The Associated Press she was no longer in Thailand. The official gave no other details and declined to be identified because of the sensitivity of the subject.

Yingluck, who became Thailand's first female prime minister when her party swept elections in 2011, is accused of negligence in overseeing a money-losing rice subsidy program.

She has denied charges as politically motivated.A verdict had been expected yesterday, as thousands of Yingluck supporters gathered outside the court and thousands of police stood guard.

Also Read | Beleaguered Thai PM Shinawatra pleads for justice, fair treatment

But Yingluck never appeared, and a judge read out a statement saying her lawyers had informed the court she could not attend because of an earache.

The judge said the court did not believe the excuse, however, because no official medical verification was provided. He said a warrant would be issued for her arrest and postponed the trial until September 27.

Norrawit Larlaeng, Yingluck's lawyer, confirmed a warrant had been issued but said he had no details on her whereabouts.

"I was told this morning that she was ill, that she had vertigo, that she felt dizzy, so I requested the postponement... that's all I have to say."

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the military chief who engineered the 2014 overthrow of Yingluck's government, also said he did not know where she was, and the government was "looking for her."

"If she's not guilty she should stay and fight the case," Prayuth said. "If she's not here, what does that tell you? Will she still say that she didn't get justice?" Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said security forces had not allowed Yingluck to leave and are checking possible routes she may have used if she did.

He said security officials monitoring Yingluck had not seen her leave her Bangkok home in the last two days.

The trial is the latest chapter in a decade-long struggle by the nation's elite minority to crush the powerful political machine founded by Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled in a 2006 coup.

Thaksin, who has lived in Dubai since fleeing a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated, has studiously avoided commenting on his sister's case, apparently to avoid imperiling it.

Thaksin is a highly polarising figure, and his overthrow triggered years of upheaval and division that has pitted a poor, rural majority in the north that supports the Shinawatras against royalists, the military, and their urban backers.

When Yingluck's government proposed an amnesty in 2013 that could have absolved her brother and allowed him to return without being arrested, street protests erupted that eventually led to her government's demise in the 2014 coup.

The junta that seized control of Thailand has since suppressed dissent and banned political gatherings of more than five people.

The long-awaited decision on Yingluck's fate has rekindled tensions in the divided nation, but the military remains firmly in charge.

Fearing potential unrest, authorities tried to deter people from turning out yesterday by threatening legal action against anyone planning to help transport Yingluck supporters.Yingluck posted a message on her Facebook page urging followers to stay away, saying she worried about their safety.

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Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Friday. Heavy downpour in the city that continued today led to a flood-like situation in most places, choking traffic and inundating low-lying areas.

By Ashish Pandey: Heavy rains lashed Hyderabad on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Friday. Heavy downpour in the city that continued today led to a flood-like situation in most places, choking traffic and inundating low-lying areas.

Waterlogging in most parts of the city has led to long traffic jams that commuters are having to put up with. The menace of overflowing drains and stinking sewage waste has again, as it does every year, returned to haunt residents and commuters.

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While the regional meteorological centre has predicted heavy rainfall for the third consecutive day tomorrow (i.e. Sunday) at isolated places in all districts of Telangana, Hyderabad till about 5.30 am today morning received 113.7 mm of rains.

Till 11 pm on Friday, the Malkajgiri division of the city received 92.8 mm of rain while Rangareddy division got 91.5 mm, Sangareddy division got 80.8 mm and Hyderabad division received 80.5 mm rain in the same period.

GHMC OFFICIALS SWING INTO ACTION

Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation officials have swung into action and are looking at ways in which water stored in many places can be cleared off. Areas like Banjara Hills, Jubilee Hills, Kukatpally, Musheerabad, Narayanaguda and other places are the worst-affected.

Municipal officials with its emergency monsoon teams are trying to clear the stagnant water. Municipal administration minister K Tarak Rama Rao, along with Mayor Bonthu Rammohan, is continuously monitoring the situation.

Meanwhile, residents at Dharani Nagar in Alwyn X Colony of Hyderabad today woke up to find toxic waste from the Chemical industries of Jeedimetla industrial area flowing into the nearby canal. The GHMC has also launched an emergency number and requested citizens to call on 040-21111111 or dial 100 for any emergencies.

ALSO READ |

Maharashtra: Despite heavy rains, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated with traditional fervour

Heavy rains disrupt normal life in Hyderabad

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Updates with landfall)

By Seema Hakhu Kachru

Houston, Aug 26 (PTI) Tropical storm Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland in 12 years, today made landfall in central Texas coast with winds of 195 kmph, taking aim at the states oil refining industry and knocking out power in more than a lakh homes.

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TheNational Hurricane Centresaid Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port OConnor in Texas, the US state where roughly 17 per cent of Americas crude oil output and nearly half of the countrys refining capacity is located.

Houston, the most populous city in Texas, is home to the countrys largest refinery and petrochemical complex.

The storm, a Category 4 hurricane, had maximum sustained winds of 195 kmph, and was forecast to bring "catastrophic flooding due to heavy rainfall and storm surge," it said.

Harvey has impacted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric system, with 104,000 customers without power, according to the corporations official Twitter account.

It is the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland since 2005. Its effects could linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to 40 inches in some areas.

Millions of residents along the south Texas coast saw hurricane-force winds that uprooted trees and power poles.

They had frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storms path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.

Airlines cancelled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and other events in Houston and other coastal cities were postponed.

Harvey is likely to stall over Texas, leading to catastrophic flooding.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was "expecting a lot of rain, not too much wind. Lets assume there will be a lot of rain. The rain could come out of the bayou and overcome our capabilities".

Harvey is the first natural disaster faced by the the Donald Trump administration.

Before the landfall, Trump signed a disaster proclamation for Texas, freeing up federal funds for assistance. He tweeted that he had spoken with the governors of Texas and Louisiana and was "here to assist as needed".

Earlier in the day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had asked Trump to preemptively declare Harvey a "major disaster" in order to speed federal aid.

"We can obviously tell already at this stage this is going to be a very major disaster," Abbot said, as more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were activated. "Were going to be dealing with really record-setting flooding in multiple regions."

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A Tropical Storm Wind Warning has been issued for much of southeast Texas, including Houston and Galveston.

Highways leading from coastal areas were jammed as authorities issued urgent warnings to hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. Some highways were to be turned into one- way roads to speed the exodus from the storm zone.

The storm is expected to dump up to 89 cm of rain over a four or five-day period in parts of Texas. Satellite images showed the massive storm system extending hundreds of kilometres into the Gulf of Mexico.

It is forecast to be the most powerful hurricane to hit the mainland sinceWilma struck Floridain 2005, and could inflict billions of dollars in damage.

Before Wilma,Hurricane Katrinapummelled New Orleans in the same year, leaving more than 1,800 people dead.

A day before, oil and gas companies scrambled to prepare for Harvey, which developed so quickly in the Gulf of Mexico that many of them didnt have time to respond.

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Royal Dutch Shell shut down and evacuated its 22-well Perdido oil and gas hub, the deepest floating oil platform in the world, the company said.

Other major companies, including ExxonMobil and Anadarko, also began scaling back production.

Oil analysts predict it could take more than three weeks for refineries in its path to resume normal operations. PTI SHK ABH

--- ENDS ---
More than 40,000 tax-free shops are ready to welcome overseas tourists to Japan -- even those who step into more rural regions.

The stores, which exempt visitors from paying consumption tax on certain purchases, numbered 40,532 in Japan as of April 1, an increase of 15.1% on the year. The number in Japan's three major metropolitan areas surrounding Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya climbed 14.9% to 24,931 stores. The number elsewhere increased 15.5% to 15,601 stores.

Tokyo palace grounds to open for fall foliage viewing after 3-year hiatus

NHK - Nov 12

Japan's Imperial Household Agency has announced that an avenue inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will be reopened to the public for autumn foliage viewing after a three-year hiatus. Japan's Imperial Household Agency has announced that an avenue inside the Imperial Palace in Tokyo will be reopened to the public for autumn foliage viewing after a three-year hiatus.

Autumn foliage colors in their prime at Saimyoji Temple in Kyoto

NHK - Nov 11

Autumn foliage colors are in their prime at a temple in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto. Autumn foliage colors are in their prime at a temple in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.

Japan's Buddhist temples open 'shukubo' doors to tourists

taiwannews.com.tw - Nov 09

For centuries, holy men, pilgrims and nobles journeyed the sacred paths that crossed Japan in search of knowledge and enlightenment. At the end of a long day tramping the mountain paths, they invariably sought out an "otera," or temple, to rest their weary bodies. For centuries, holy men, pilgrims and nobles journeyed the sacred paths that crossed Japan in search of knowledge and enlightenment. At the end of a long day tramping the mountain paths, they invariably sought out an "otera," or temple, to rest their weary bodies.

Narita Airport to Tokyo | Comparing Skyliner and Narita Express

Solo Travel Japan - Nov 07

I'm going to take Skyliner and Narita Express from Narita Airport to Tokyo and compare what kind of advantages they have. I'm going to take Skyliner and Narita Express from Narita Airport to Tokyo and compare what kind of advantages they have.

Japan festival featuring superstar Kimura draws huge crowd, security tight

Kyodo - Nov 07

Local authorities in the central Japanese city of Gifu were on maximum alert Sunday as 460,000 people, more than the city's population, flocked to a festival to catch a glimpse of a superstar dressed as a warlord astride a horse. Local authorities in the central Japanese city of Gifu were on maximum alert Sunday as 460,000 people, more than the city's population, flocked to a festival to catch a glimpse of a superstar dressed as a warlord astride a horse.

Fireworks competition returns to Tsuchiura

NHK - Nov 07

A fireworks competition returned to the city of Tsuchiura, north of Tokyo, for the first time in three years, with 20,000 fireworks lighting up the sky. A fireworks competition returned to the city of Tsuchiura, north of Tokyo, for the first time in three years, with 20,000 fireworks lighting up the sky.

My First Japanese Onsen Experience

Gabriel Traveler - Nov 06

Exploring the peaceful hot spring town of Zao Onsen in northern Japan and talking about my first time going to a Japanese onsen (hot spring). Exploring the peaceful hot spring town of Zao Onsen in northern Japan and talking about my first time going to a Japanese onsen (hot spring).

Japan resumes international passenger shipping

plenglish.com - Nov 05

The departure of the first ferry from the Fukuoka prefecture, Japan, to Busan, South Korea, marked the resumption of Japans international maritime passenger transportation, suspended in 2020 as a preventive measure against Covid-19, local sources reported. The departure of the first ferry from the Fukuoka prefecture, Japan, to Busan, South Korea, marked the resumption of Japans international maritime passenger transportation, suspended in 2020 as a preventive measure against Covid-19, local sources reported.

Japan's long-awaited Ghibli Park is now open

CNN - Nov 02

Fans of Studio Ghibli have yet another reason to travel to Japan. A new theme park dedicated to the popular animation company's productions is finally open in Aichi prefecture, less than an hour from Kyoto by train. Fans of Studio Ghibli have yet another reason to travel to Japan. A new theme park dedicated to the popular animation company's productions is finally open in Aichi prefecture, less than an hour from Kyoto by train.

Adventure Cats Travel Across Japan in Backpacks | Cuddle Cats

Cuddle Buddies - Nov 01

Fuku-Chan and Daikichi are two rescue cats who were found in a park. Fuku-Chan is blind, but they love going on adventures with their parents. Fuku-Chan and Daikichi are two rescue cats who were found in a park. Fuku-Chan is blind, but they love going on adventures with their parents.

Japans iconic Itsukushima Shrine returns to its glory after renovation

The Nation - Nov 01

The familiar sight of the iconic vermilion Otorii gate at Itsukushima Shrine in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, has returned after three years of renovation nears completion. The familiar sight of the iconic vermilion Otorii gate at Itsukushima Shrine in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima Prefecture, has returned after three years of renovation nears completion.

SHINJUKU | Tokyo's Nightlife Scene & Red Light District

Gabriel Traveler - Oct 31

Walking around the interesting Shinjuku area, the center of the nightlife scene in Tokyo, Japan. Walking around the interesting Shinjuku area, the center of the nightlife scene in Tokyo, Japan.

Celebrations relatively restrained as Halloween returns to Tokyo

Japan Times - Oct 31

The streets were full and the pubs and clubs packed Saturday night as central Tokyo welcomed Halloween revelers back in large numbers  but the celebrations remained muted in comparison to the pre-pandemic years, with memories of a costumed assailants 2021 stabbing spree still fresh. The streets were full and the pubs and clubs packed Saturday night as central Tokyo welcomed Halloween revelers back in large numbers  but the celebrations remained muted in comparison to the pre-pandemic years, with memories of a costumed assailants 2021 stabbing spree still fresh.

Hong Kongers flock to Japan for 'revenge travel'

Nikkei - Oct 31

Japan has again become a popular travel destination among Hong Kongers after the government on Oct. 11 eased its COVID-related travel curbs and started accepting independent tourism, while Hong Kong also has scrapped its hotel quarantines for those arriving. Japan has again become a popular travel destination among Hong Kongers after the government on Oct. 11 eased its COVID-related travel curbs and started accepting independent tourism, while Hong Kong also has scrapped its hotel quarantines for those arriving.

Amazing Quest: Stories from Japan

Free Documentary - Oct 31

Japan is a land of extremes. Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, this archipelago still bears the scars of a tumultuous birth. This living, volcanic land thrust up from the ocean depths. Its tormented Nature brought forth masterpieces and has swallowed up numerous enigmas. Japan is a land of extremes. Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, this archipelago still bears the scars of a tumultuous birth. This living, volcanic land thrust up from the ocean depths. Its tormented Nature brought forth masterpieces and has swallowed up numerous enigmas.
Carnival Corp said that three of its ships were unable to return Galveston as scheduled and that two of them would be forced to divert instead to New Orleans, where they would pick up fresh supplies.

By Reuters: Cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers were stranded in the Gulf on Friday as Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, came ashore in the middle of the Texas coast, closing the Port of Galveston.

Carnival Corp said that three of its ships were unable to return Galveston as scheduled and that two of them would be forced to divert instead to New Orleans, where they would pick up fresh supplies.

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The cruise line said passengers could get off those two ships in New Orleans but advised against that in a statement posted on its Facebook page.

"Given the severity and projected path of the storm along with potential challenges guests may encounter attempting to travel back to Galveston independently, we are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible," Carnival said .

A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said.

The next scheduled cruises on all three ships will be shortened and customers will receive refunds, the company said.

"We will continue to remain in close contact with port officials regarding their plans to re-open once the storm has passed," spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta said.

Royal Caribbean International said that its Liberty of the Seas cruise ship had departed Cozumel, Mexico on time on Friday and was still scheduled to return to Galveston on Sunday.

"However, we will return to Galveston only when it is safe to do so," Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said.

The port's interim director, Peter Simons, told the Houston Chronicle newspaper that officials there were still trying to determine if ships could safely return on Sunday.

"We're working with the cruise lines, the Coast Guard and the pilots to see what can be done to bring the cruise ships in as quickly but as safely as possible," Simons told the paper.

The Chronicle reported that a total of 1.73 million passengers left on cruises in 2016 from the port at Galveston, where an expanded cruise terminal opened last year.

Also Read

Houston readies for hurricane Harvey, residents evacuate coastal areas

--- ENDS ---
Christina Hennessy / Hearst Connecticut Media

One looks at a shifting American vernacular, another explores lifes what ifs. Still another investigates the concept of contemporary art through contemporary art. And, the final one takes an artistic and architectural approach to text.

Four exhibits, four artists - the works of Beth Campbell, Suzanne McClelland, William Powhida and Kay Rosen - are entering their final days at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield. Visitors may still wander through, and a perfect time is the upcoming First Friday, which will feature music, light fare and spirits.
There are days when Jacques Pepin will watch as sunlight creeps through the window of his Madison home, casting shadows as it hits a spoon or a knife left sitting on his table. He will strive to recreate it later, in his studio, whether on paper or canvas.

If it sounds as though one of the worlds most recognized chefs is thinking like an artist, thats because he is.

For the past half-century, Pepin, 81, has taken brush to canvas and marker, pen and pencil to paper amid a busy culinary career, which includes more than 25 cookbooks and more than a dozen cooking shows on PBS television.

Sometimes, I will be painting all the time, and then I will not touch it for several weeks, he says of his method, during a recent phone conversation from his office. He largely uses acrylics, which supplanted the oil paint he once favored. Markers and watercolors are his tools of choice for the illustrated menus he makes for many meals he prepares at home.

We have books of them, he says of the menus that stretch back 50 years. They are of dinners when people came to the house  we do a menu and I will do an illustration, though sometimes I dont. He can see what his adult daughter, Claudine, requested for her second and third birthdays, or what he cooked on a night his late mother or brother came to visit. Its a nice tradition.

In the past year or two, Pepins original art and limited edition prints, have become available to the public through his website (jacquespepinart.com). Pepin says his daughter and his longtime friend and photographer Tom Hopkins suggested setting up the website, on which he shares the art inspired by scenes from his younger years in France, his many years in professional kitchens and the sights around his Connecticut home. He is pleased people enjoy his work, but is still surprised at the response  many of his limited edition giclee prints, with runs of 150 or 200, have sold out and been retired. A portion of sale proceeds support organizations promoting culinary education and sustainability.

Whimsical and colorful, his chickens and roosters are inspired by famous fauna he grew up with in Bourg-en-Bresse, France. The poultry there are known for the way they are cared for and the taste such practices produce. There also are cows, goats, pigs and rabbits, rendered in ink and watercolor washes  his Farm to Frame series. There also are impressionistic views of the sights around his Connecticut home.

I am inspired by food and landscape and even beyond that, he says. I always start with an idea and inevitably move in another direction and end up with something else.

Pepin has posted an insightful, comprehensive and thought-provoking essay on the site, which delves into the technique and craftsmanship, talent and inspiration of his dual passions. For instance, he notes that his many years mastering techniques in the kitchen have made for automatic motions. With his attention no longer focused on perfunctory preparation, he has more energy to muse about taste and texture, as well as presentation and color.

In the beginning of his career in Paris, in the 1950s and 60s, his art was a way to express himself during a time when his cooking demanded a more structured and disciplined approach. The idea was that you conformed to the style of the house, wherever you worked. There was not this idea to express yourself  that did not exist until the 1970s.

Pepin is largely a self-taught artist, but he did take a drawing class at Columbia University while studying philosophy and French literature in the late 1960s and early 1970s, some 10 years after he had moved to the United States. Thats probably why my style is all over the place, he says, laughing. He has a few abstract pieces, too.

Although his culinary and artistic life largely has been two separate spheres of a busy life, they recently merged with last Augusts debut of Sur La Tables collection of housewares featuring Pepins chicken and vegetable paintings. It is just one of the projects that keeps Pepin hopping. A Grandfathers Lessons: In the Kitchen with Shorey is his latest cookbook, which comes out next month. Those familiar with his television shows will see that Shorey, his granddaughter, may be older (she is now 12), but is still an ever-present and eager helper in the kitchen.

I always live in the future, rather than the past, Pepin says. However, on this morning, he obliges a reporters question to recall that drawing class he took many decades ago.

I learned by going around and seeing what other people were planning or doing with the same subject that I saw up on stage. I could see that they were doing it this way or that way. Any great painter will tell you that you can learn, but then you reject everything and do your own stuff, he says. To an extent, that is true, but to reject it, you have to acquire the knowledge. It is the same with cooking. You learn the technique and become a good artisan, and, as you learn to work quickly with your hands  you then bring your own aesthetic and taste to whatever it is that you are making.

chennessy@hearstmediact.com; Twitter: @xtinahennessy
One person died in a house fire as Hurricane Harvey roared across Rockport, Texas, overnight, Mayor Charles J Wax said in a news conference on Saturday.

By Reuters: The most powerful storm to hit Texas in more than 50 years has killed at least one person and is now threatening catastrophic flooding as it lumbers inland and dumps torrential rains, authorities said on Saturday.

Harvey hit Texas, the heart of the U.S. oil and gas industry, late Friday as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 miles per hour (209 km per hour), making it the strongest storm to strike Texas since 1961.

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The storm has ripped off rooves, snapped powerlines, and triggered tornadoes and flash floods. It has weakened to a tropical storm, but is expected to lash Texas for days, bringing as much as 40 inches (102 cm) of rain. Texas utility companies said nearly a quarter of a million customers were without power.

One person died in a house fire in the town of Rockport, 30 miles (48 km) north of the city of Corpus Christi, as Harvey roared ashore overnight, Mayor Charles Wax said in a news conference on Saturday, marking the first confirmed fatality from the storm.

Earlier, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said he would activate 1,800 members of the military to help with the statewide cleanup while 1,000 people would conduct search-and-rescue operations.

In Rockport, which took a direct hit from the storm, the streets were flooded and strewn with power lines and debris on Saturday. At a recreational vehicle sales lot, a dozen vehicles were flipped over and one had been blown into the middle of the street.

"It was terrible," resident Joel Valdez, 57, told Reuters. The storm ripped part of the roof from his trailer home at around 4 a.m., he said. "I could feel the whole house move."

Valdez said he stayed through the storm to look after his animals. "I have these miniature donkeys and I don't know where they are," he said, as he sat in a Jeep with windows smashed by the storm.

Resident Frank Cook, 56, also stayed through the storm.

"If you have something left of your house, you're lucky," he said, surveying the damage from his vehicle.

Before the storm hit, Rockport's mayor told anyone staying behind to write their names on their arms for identification in case of death or injury.

A high school, hotel, senior housing complex and other buildings suffered structural damage, according to emergency officials and local media. Some were being used as shelters.

The coastal city of Port Lavaca, farther north on the coast, had no power and some streets were flooded.

"There is so much tree damage and debris that the cost of cleanup will be enormous," Mayor Jack Whitlow told Reuters, after touring the city earlier Saturday.

The streets of Corpus Christi, which has around 320,000 residents, were deserted on Saturday, with billboards twisted and strong winds still blowing.

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City authorities asked residents to reduce use of toilets and faucets because power outages left waste water plants unable to treat sewage.

A drill ship broke free of its mooring overnight and rammed into some tugs in the port of Corpus Christi, port executive Sean Strawbridge said. The crews on the tugs were safe, he added.

The city was under voluntary evacuation ahead of the storm.

Harvey was a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale when it hit the coast, the second-highest category, and the most powerful storm in over a decade to come ashore anywhere in the mainland United States.

HEADING INLAND, STORM WEAKENS

Harvey weakened to tropical storm from hurricane strength on Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The center of the storm was about 170 miles (241 km) west-southwest of Houston, moving at about 2 mph (4 kph), the center said in a morning update.

Houston is the fourth most populous city in the United States and home to a third of the 6 million people that could be impacted by Harvey.

Residents of the city received automatic cell phone warnings of flash floods early on Saturday. Authorities warned of the potentially life-threatening impact of close to 20 inches (60 cm) of rain falling on the city over several days. The storm's outer bands had already dumped six inches of rainfall on parts of the city by early Saturday afternoon.

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The latest forecast storm track has Harvey looping back toward the Gulf of Mexico coast before turning north again on Tuesday. (http://tmsnrt.rs/2g9jZ0W)

"This rain will lead to a prolonged, dangerous, and potentially catastrophic flooding event well into next week," the National Weather Service said. Harvey has triggered flash floods, the NWS said.

The size and strength of Harvey dredged up memories of Katrina, the 2005 hurricane that made a direct hit on New Orleans as a Category 3 storm, causing levees and flood walls to fail in dozens of places. About 1,800 died in the disaster made worse by a slow government emergency response.

U.S. President Donald Trump, facing the first big natural disaster of his term, signed a disaster proclamation on Friday.

He met with his cabinet and staff on Saturday to discuss the federal reaction to the storm, according to a White House statement.

"President Trump emphasized his expectations that all departments and agencies stay fully engaged and positioned to support his number one priority of saving lives," according to the statement.

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GASOLINE PRICES SPIKE

Utilities American Electric Power Company Inc and CenterPoint Energy Inc reported a combined total of around 240,000 customers without power.

Several refiners shut down plants ahead of the storm, disrupting supplies and pushing prices higher. Many fuel stations ran out of gasoline before the storm hit, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency loosened gasoline specifications late on Friday to reduce shortages.

The American Automobiles Association said pump prices rose 4 cents in four days in Texas to reach $2.17 a gallon on Friday.

Disruptions to fuel supply drove benchmark gasoline futures to their highest price in four months.

More than 45 percent of the country's refining capacity is along the U.S. Gulf Coast, and nearly a fifth of the nation's crude is produced offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.

Just under 25 percent of Gulf output, or 429,000 barrels per day (bpd) had been shut in by the storm, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement said on Saturday.

Also Read

Fierce hurricane Harvey smashes homes, businesses across Texas Gulf Coast

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ODANAK, QC, Aug. 26, 2017 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to working in partnership with First Nations to help students succeed.

At Kiuna Institution's fifth graduation ceremony, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, announced that the institution would receive funding of $650,000 over three years. This contribution will make it possible to hire resources who will help students succeed by providing them with support services. The funding will also make it possible to equip the Institution's cultural space and language centre to provide an environment reflective of the cultural traditions of the various Indigenous nations.

The post-secondary institution located in the Abenaki community of Odanak will receive $190,000 for the 20172018 fiscal year, and $230,000 annually for the 20182019 and 20192020 fiscal years. The contributions will benefit Francophone and Anglophone First Nations students.

Quotes

"It is with great pleasure that we announce this funding on graduation day at Kiuna Institution, an establishment renowned for its learning environment that focusses on cultural education. This Government of Canada financial support, in addition to the Province of Quebec, will help students obtain post-secondary school diplomas. Thanks to the support and activities in celebrating Indigenous culture, students will thrive in an environment that is conducive to academic success."

The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, M.D., P.C., M.P.

Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs

"KIUNA Institution opened its doors in 2011, and we are proud to report the graduation of 76 of our students since that time. It goes without saying that adequate funding is key to supporting this innovative project, which unquestionably meets a need among our youth. We are dedicated to providing outstanding academic training and an environment that honours the students' history and culture. Therefore, we are delighted today to accept this new financial support, which complements the funding awarded by the province."

Lise Bastien

General Director of the First Nations Education Council

Quick facts

The $650,000 contribution to be paid to Kiuna Institution by INAC over three years will make it possible to hire two specialized resources who will work closely with the students to help them succeed.





contribution to be paid to Kiuna Institution by INAC over three years will make it possible to hire two specialized resources who will work closely with the students to help them succeed. Kiuna Institution is a post-secondary establishment (college) located in the community of Odanak in Quebec. It has been offering various programs and services in French and English to students from eight Indigenous nations since August 2011 .

Related links

Kiuna Institution

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You can subscribe to receive our news releases and speeches via RSS feeds or e-mail. For more information or to subscribe, visit www.aandc.gc.ca/subscriptions.

SOURCE Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada

For further information: media may contact: Sabrina Williams, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, 613-697-8316; Media Relations, Indigenous and Northern Affairs, 819-953-1160
If you head to the 2017 New York State Fair this weekend, don't be surprised if you see small drones buzzing over the shoulder of Interstate 690 or hovering near the fair's parking lots.

For the first time, drones will be used by state agencies to monitor traffic and parking conditions at the fairgrounds in Geddes and help officials try to avoid long traffic jams that typically back up on Interstate 690.

Two small drones owned by the state Department of Environmental Conservation will provide real-time video of traffic starting this weekend, when the fair expects its biggest crowds. Weekends at the fair often attract more than 100,000 visitors per day.

New York State Police, Homeland Security, Department of Transportation and State Fair officials will monitor the video and alert travelers to traffic changes, parking lots that are near capacity, or accidents.

The alerts will be sent to electronic message signs along Interstate 690, Interstate 81, and Interstate 481, according to state DOT. The information also will be shared at 511ny.org, on Twitter at @NYSDOTSyracuse and on the New York State Thruway's variable message sign network.

The idea is to help travelers make any adjustments to their routes before they approach the fairgrounds, DOT officials said.

Traffic congestion was a problem on the final Saturday of the fair last year, when 121,164 people showed up and set a new daily attendance record for the date. It took some travelers up to two hours to reach the fairgrounds.

In other years, traffic has backed up along Interstate 690 from the fairgrounds to the Syracuse city line.

State officials say the drones will only be used on weekends this year, and they will comply with strict rules set by the Federal Aviation Administration. The drones will not be allowed to fly directly over crowds of people at the fair, or over traffic on the highway.

The drones, weighing about 7 pounds each, will fly no higher than 400 feet, and will be in the line of sight of remote operators at all times, according to the DOT.

A DOT spokeswoman said the information collected by the drones will be monitored by the DOT's Traffic Management Center in Syracuse, which will also have a mobile trailer unit operating 24 hours a day at the fair. The drone video feed will not be availalbe for public viewing.

In addition to the drones, the state will rely on its fixed highway cameras and reports from state police and others on the ground to help manage traffic during the 13-day fair.

Contact Mark Weiner anytime: Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
MILFORD >> The Planning and Zoning Board has approved a special exception and site plan review for Orangetheory Fitness, a franchise boutique health club to open in Milford Marketplace shopping center in a unit adjacent to the Whole Foods market.

Attorney John Knuff, who represents the new franchise owners, told PZB members the model is different than most other health clubs, in that members sign up for specific classes, rather than come in and out all day and evening, and that classes are 60 minutes and limited to 12 people, so there would never be more than 24 clients in the 4,000-square-foot space at one time.

Knuff said most classes are held early in the morning before the retail spaces in the shopping center open and later in the afternoon when retail is typically slower.

Knuff submitted a petition and letters from retailers at other Orangetheory Fitness locations that spoke of how clients typically provide business for other retail outlets near them and how parking has never been a problem.

The board unanimously approved the application with no discussion or controversy.

One of the owners, Joe Miller of Stamford, told the PZB that Orangetheory Fitness is a premium brand, with an affluent climate. Miller told them the fitness system has worked wonders for his own mother.

Miller also told board members, My goal is to be part of the fabric of this community, rather than just another person doing business.

Miller said in a follow-up email after the meeting that he and a partner have signed an agreement to open four of the centers in Connecticut and Milford will be the first.

The Orangetheory Fitness website, which shows hundreds of franchises in the United States and abroad, indicates there are several in Connecticut, the closest in Shelton at 704 Bridgeport Ave.

Other locations include Fairfield, Danbury, West Hartford, Westport and Norwalk.

The website describes the fitness approach as a one-of-a-kind workout broken into intervals of cardiovascular and strength training, using a variety of equipment including treadmills, rowing machines, TRX bands and free weights to tone your body and gain energy.

The website states that each session is led by a trainer, who gives individual attention to make sure clients are pushing themselves. Each class participant wears a heart-rate monitor  the numbers displayed on screens  as a motivational tool and tool for the instructor to gauge your exertion.

The website states the results of the workout include more energy, visible toning, and extra calorie burn for up to 36 hours.

The website claims members generally burn an estimated 500 to 1,000 calories in a 60-minute class and keep burning calories for up to 36 hours.
The fiercest hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade came ashore late Friday about 30 mile.

By AP: Hurricane Harvey rolled over the Texas Gulf Coast on Saturday, smashing homes and businesses and lashing the shore with wind and rain so intense that drivers were forced off the road because they could not see in front of them.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the US in more than a decade came ashore late Friday about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi as a mammoth Category 4 storm with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. It weakened overnight to Category 1 and then to a tropical storm.

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But the system's most destructive powers were just beginning. Rainfall that will continue for days could dump more than 40 inches of water and inundate many communities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

"Our focus is shifting to the extreme and potentially historic levels of flooding that we could see," said Eric Blake, a specialist at the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

No deaths were immediately reported. High winds kept emergency crews out of many places, and authorities said it could be hours before emergency teams are able to fully assess damage.

By dawn, nearly 300,000 consumers were without power in the coastal region, and nearly 20 inches (0.5 meters) of rain had fallen in some places.

The mayor of Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path, said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

Mayor Charles "C.J." Wax told The Weather Channel that the city's emergency response system had been hampered by the loss of cellphone service and other forms of communication.

About 10 people were taken to the county jail for treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed, television station KIII reported.

On Friday, Rockport Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios offered ominous advice, telling the station that people who chose not to evacuate should mark their arm with a Sharpie pen, implying that the marks would make it easier for rescuers to identify them.

In the storm's immediate aftermath, the Coast Guard sent two helicopters to try to rescue the crews of three tugboats reported in distress in a channel near Port Aransas. And about 4,500 inmates were evacuated from three state prisons in Brazoria County south of Houston because the nearby Brazos River was rising.

By early afternoon, Harvey had weakened to a tropical storm. Its maximum sustained winds had fallen to about 70 mph (113 kph), and the storm was centered about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of San Antonio. It was moving north at 2 mph (3 kph), the hurricane center said.

The hurricane posed the first major emergency management test of President Donald Trump's administration. The president signed a federal disaster declaration for coastal counties Friday night.

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Trump commended the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his handling of the storm.

In a tweet Saturday morning addressed to FEMA head Brock Long, Trump said: "You are doing a great job - the world is watching! Be safe."

In a separate tweet, Trump said he is monitoring the hurricane closely from Camp David. "We are leaving nothing to chance. City, State and Federal Govs. working great together!"

The president also tweeted, "We have fantastic people on the ground, got there long before #Harvey. So far, so good!"

In Corpus Christi, the major city closest to the storm's center, wind whipped palm trees and stinging sheets of horizontal rain slapped against hotels and office buildings along the seawall as the storm made landfall.

Daybreak revealed downed lamp posts and tree limbs and roof tiles torn off buildings. The city's marina was nearly unscathed, save an awning ripped from a restaurant entrance and a wooden garbage bin uprooted and thrown.

Along Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, motorists had to stop under bridges to avoid driving in whiteout conditions.

In Houston, rain fell at nearly 3 inches (76.2 millimeters) an hour, leaving some streets and underpasses underwater. The many drainage channels known as bayous that carry excess water to the Gulf were rising.

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Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the chief administrator of the county that includes the city of 2.3 million, said flooding so far was a "minor issue," but warned that "we're not out of this."

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Harvey grew rapidly, accelerating from a Category 1 early Friday morning to a Category 4 by evening. Its transformation from an ordinary storm to a life-threatening behemoth took only 56 hours, an incredibly fast intensification.

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the US in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

The storm's approach sent tens of thousands of people fleeing inland. Families who escaped Rockport were worried about neighbors and whether their homes are still standing.

Johanna Cochran was panicking over whether her house or the McDonald's where she works survived the storm. She and her boyfriend evacuated to a San Antonio shelter.

Another Rockport resident, Pamela Montes, said she knew many people who stayed behind because "no one felt like it was going to hit."

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Just hours before the projected landfall, the governor and Houston leaders issued conflicting statements on evacuation.

Gov. Greg Abbott urged more people to flee, but Houston authorities recommended no widespread evacuations, citing greater danger in having people on roads that could flood and the fact that the hurricane was not taking direct aim at the city.

The last Category 4 storm to hit the US was Hurricane Charley in August 2004 in Florida. Superstorm Sandy, which pummeled New York and New Jersey in 2012, never had the high winds and had lost tropical status by the time it struck. But it was devastating without formally being called a major hurricane.

Harvey is the first significant hurricane to hit Texas since Ike in September 2008 brought winds of 110 mph (177 kph) to the Galveston and Houston areas, inflicting $22 billion in damage.

Also Read

Houston readies for hurricane Harvey, residents evacuate coastal areas

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What started as chance meeting of two female Yale University graduate students with entrepreneurial inclinations has evolved into a homegrown frozen food line that is gradually building market share.

Zoni Foods is the brainchild of Zoe Lloyd and Nilofer Ahmed.

The two women bemoaned the lack of fast and nutritious plant-based meals as busy graduate students and decided to do something about it. Lloyd said the two met at a Yale School of Management event designed to help young entrepreneurs network, and bonded over shared interest in food and sustainable products.

Last summer we started following different food blogs to see what ingredients were popular, Ahmed said. Then we began to experiment with ingredients in Zoes kitchen. And wed hold tasting parties to see what other people thought of what we made.

We got some good traction from that, Lloyd said of the tasting parties.

Having won over the taste buds of their friends, the two set out to win over a more judgemental audience in product pitch competition. They won several competitions and the winnings from those events, combined with grant money, enabled Lloyd and Ahmed to launch Zoni Foods last summer with a $60,000 bankroll.

Zoni Foods meal kits made their debut in six stores this month, five of which are in the New Haven area. Lloyd has been spending much of her time doing product demonstrations at stores such as Edge of the Woods and Elm City Market in New Haven as well as Thyme and Season in Hamden.

Zoni Foods has three different frozen meal kits: Coconut Curry Noodles, Sweet Potato Spirals and Zesty Peanut Noodles.

Manufacturing

Each kit has plant starches, proteins and a unique nut-based sauce that are flash-frozen at the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center, a commercial kitchen and packaging plant in Greenfield, Massachusetts, to preserve nutrients and flavor. Lloyd said Zoni Foods initially had selected a Hartford-based company to do the meal kit production and packing of Zoni Foods, but turned to the Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center when the other business failed.

They know the food space really well, she said of Western Massachusetts Food Processing Center. And their expertise has been really valuable as we developed an operating plan.

Having launched their product in small stores, the next step, according to Ahmed, is getting Zoni Foods meal kits into markets that allow us to be exponentially larger. There is also a plan to bring the product to the shelves of Massachusetts markets in the next 12 months.

But in order to do that, the partners need to reduce the level of manual labor that goes into packaging the meal kits. So they have begun exploring the purchase of two machines that would further automate the packaging process, Lloyd said.

Its absolutely vital, Ahmed said of purchasing the machines. When youre talking about growing to the level we want to grow to, you cant do it by hand. Its too labor intensive, too costly.

Financial backing

To pay for the much needed equipment, Zoni Foods is using convertible notes, which are a form of short-term debt that converts into equity. The investor providing the company with the capital now will ultimately see the money they have invested become an equity stake in Zoni Foods.

Lloyd said that as Zoni Foods looks for additional investors, were hoping to find people who have experience in the food business.

Beyond the production of the product, another key step in the process of expanding the distribution of the companys meal kits is navigating the process associated dealing with larger grocery and health food stores.

With the stores were in now, you can just walk in and ask to meet with someone, Ahmed said. With larger chains, you just cant do that. So were having discussions with brokers and distributors.

Fresh vs. frozen

The two women heavily market the idea that Zoni Foods is a business with local roots. In addition the Yale connection and the product being produced in a Massachusetts-based commercial kitchen, the majority of the ingredients in Zoni Foods meal kits come from farms near Greenfield.

The notion that frozen foods arent nutritious is outdated, Ahmed said. Frozen foods like ours are actually more nutritious because the flash freezing process seals in the nutrients. When fresh food is out of season, the nutrition value that is lost bringing it in from another part of the country actually makes our product a better purchase.

Ali Bouzari and colleagues at the University of California, Davis have done research comparing fresh and frozen produce. Bouzari told the New York Times last November that while freezing can sometimes alter the nutritional value of some fruits and vegetables, there is no clear-cut answer as to whether fresh foods are better than frozen.

It really depends which plant youre talking about, said Bouzari, who now runs Pilot R+D, a culinary research and development company in Sonoma County, California.

Call Luther Turmelle at 203-680-9388.
HAMDEN >> Two municipal fire departments, a central command hub, an animal control officer and a state agency coordinated their efforts Saturday morning to save a dog trapped on a ledge at West Rock Ridge State Park, according to a press release.

Hamden firefighters responded to a call from Hamden Central Communications, which relayed the call from the Woodbridge Animal Control officer and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The Woodbridge Fire Department also responded, the Hamden Fire Department release said.

A dog was stranded on a ledge off the western cliffs overlooking Woodbridge. The ledge was not safely accessible from below, the release said.

Firefighters had to set up a rope system so that Firefighter Scott Blake could be lowered down to the dog. Eventually, the release said, Blake gained the trust of the pit bull mix, which was suffering from exposure. Blake used animal control equipment to take hold of the dog and both of them were then lowered farther down the cliff to where Woodbridge firefighters were waiting to transport the dog out of the park.

Then Hamden firefighters pulled Blake back up the cliff, according to the release.

The two-hour operation ended with the dog in the care of Woodbridge Animal Control, which has been unable to identify the owner, the release said.

Information on the dogs condition is available from Woodbridge Animal Control.

Video of the lifting operation can be found on the Hamden Fire Department Twitter feed.
By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) The idea of India would be "incomplete" if Jammu and Kashmir is removed from it, former Union minister Salman Khurshid said today, asserting that the country cannot suffer another division after the 1947 partition.

The former foreign minister made the remarks at a panel discussion -- Why is Kashmir Burning? -- held in the capital, which he said, sought to "objectively discuss" the issues related to the Kashmir conflict and find a way forward.

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"India is less about territory and more about an idea. And, that idea essentially includes Jammu and Kashmir. And Jammu and Kashmir minus from India means we will have to redefine India in some form. But the idea of India becomes incomplete if Kashmir is removed from it," Khurshid said.

Former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) A S Dulat concurred with Khurshid, and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Independence Day speech, where he had said that the Kashmir problem cannot be solved "through bullets or abuses", but by embracing its people.

"The Union of India is big enough to accommodate a Muslim majority state within it... And, neither a youth pelting stones in the streets in the Valley nor any person raising a flag is a Pakistani. Those who have raised Pakistani flags have only done it out of frustration," Dulat said.

The former special director of the Intelligence Bureau also cautioned against the idea of "Kashmiri sub-nationalism".

"What is the excitement about Kashmiri sub-nationalism or Punjab or Bengal or Kerala sub-nationalism... I cannot agree more with the idea of India," Dulat said.

During his address, Khurshid, in a veiled attack on the the BJP, also said, "Some people think that the gaps, between what India or Bharatvarsh originally was and what modern India should be, must go."

"It is irrational and somewhat myopic to think, India begins in a certain century and stops in a certain century, and after a while it begins again. And for some people that re-beginning of India is still incomplete because they think something more need to be done," he said.

Khurshid said India for a long period was part of the Mughal Empire and later under the British Empire, and alleged that "there are some people who believe you need to obliterate those period to recognise what India is today".

Elaborating on his Kahshmir conflict point, the former Union minister said, "Kashmir is about an idea. People think it is about territory, it is not about territory, it is about an idea that traces back to Partition."

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"And, whenever I have had the chance to speak to Pakistani interlocutors, I have always said to them, your idea of Pakistan, complete or incomplete, as it may be, is of no concern to us. But our idea of of India will remain incomplete.

"You forced us to review our idea of India. We cannot go through another truncation, another partition, another division... We cannot suffer another redefinition. And, redefinition is much more than losing or winning territory. We lost PoK (Pakisatn-occupied Kashmir) and we lost some part to China, but the core of the idea (of India) remains intact," he said.

India as a country is not a physical entity but an idea which includes multitude of languages and culture that we celebrate as a whole, like a bouquet of colourful flowers, Khurshid said. PTI KND BSA

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After a near 30-month investigation into the horrific train accident that killed six people at a grade-crossing in Valhalla, New York, in February 2015, the National Transportation Safety Board has come up with some findings, and with safety recommendations that are, well, less than jaw-dropping.

The main finding was that Ellen Brody, a 49-year-old mother of three, caused the accident when she positioned her Mercedes SUV on the tracks as a Metro-North train approached.

Despite warning signals that the board said were functioning properly and warning blasts from the engineer, the car remained on the track.

The results were tragic: Brody and five others were killed, in large part, investigators said, because a 340-foot section of electrified third rail came loose and pierced the interiors of both Brodys vehicle and the first car of the train, sparking and burning.

No regulation in the world, of course, will prevent a driver from stopping a vehicle on train tracks as warnings sound.

Brodys death is tragic. What her thinking was in those moments before the crash we will never know. The board mentioned undetermined reasons for why her car was on the tracks.

The safety board met Tuesday in Washington D.C. to issue its report. (You can watch the proceedings at http://ntsb.capitolconnection.org/072517am/ntsb_archive_flv.htm.)

We have to agree with acting board chairman Robert Sumwalt, who said, In grade crossing accidents, a lot comes down to the everyday drivers. Any such crossing in any town is potentially the site of the future tragedy. The ultimate risk is in the hands of the driver, because the next train is always coming.

Its impossible to have controls in place for such a random happenstance.

The boards safety recommendations  they were billed as six  were essentially one: thoroughly check all grade-level crossings, particularly those where electrified third rails are in place.

Well, its hard to argue with that suggestion. And for those involved in the Valhalla incident  not to mention millions of train riders and motorists who have to pass through these crossings  its something of a frustrating resolution to this incident.

It seems likely that it will not be until court proceedings play out  there will be plenty of lawsuits to go around  that we will find out the nitty-gritty of the case.

Design issues with the third-rail at this particular crossing will certainly come under scrutiny. Why did it come loose and take the trajectory that made it a lethal javelin? Both Metro-Norths Harlem and Hudson lines use a third-rail system to power trains, as do portions of the New Haven Line and the Long Island Rail Road.

Add the third-rail issue at grade crossings to the growing list  an urgent list headed by the continuing need for installation of Positive Train Control (PTC)  off issues that commuters, as well as the rest of us, are entitled to have resolved.
The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has said that it is not interested in restructuring of Nigeria but a well-organised referendum for an independent state of Biafra.The group said this in reaction to a statement credited to eminent lawyer and elder statesman, Prof. Ben Nwabueze who claimed that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, mandated him to declare to Nigeria that he is ready to call off the struggle for Biafra if there is progress made in restructuring Nigeria.A statement by the publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful said that: This does not in any way translate to an agreement to stop the agitation because what we are fighting against is still very much with us, Fulani herdsmen attacks and threat of attack is still prevalent.We are not interested in restructuring of Nigeria. Rather let the Nigerian Government gives us a date for a well-organised referendum to be supervised by United Nations and other relevant organisations across the globe. We cannot afford to reduce the struggle for Biafra independence to restructuring because most of our members have been killed and massacred in cold blood at Nkpor, Onitsha, both in Anambra State, Aba, in Abia State, Igweocha, Asaba and Bayelsa Stat. They all died because of Biafra freedom and it will be a suicidal if IPOB go back and talk about restructuring at this pointing time.IPOB never put Nigeria restructuring into consideration since the inception and anybody can say what he or she likes about Nnamdi Kanu and IPOB but one thing is certain which is Biafra and nobody can change our agenda Biafra restoration because Biafra is ordained project from God Almighty Chukwu Okike Abiama.We are not talking about restructuring because most of our former leaders called for it which Margaret Ekpo, Isaac Adaka Boro in 1966, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu in 1967 at Aburi Ghana which we normally called Aburi Accord this agreement consumed the lives of our people from 1967 to 1970 both children, old women and men, Ken Saro Wiwa in 1993 the same restructuring killed all the facilitators, we cannot involve IPOB in anything restructuring.Political subjugation and economic emasculation of Biafraland leading to total absence of infrastructure is still with us. Enugu-Igweocha Expressway remain impassable, Enugu-Onitsha road is a disgrace. All our industries built by Michael Okpara and Sam Mbakwe are still non functional which means that economic activity the way we know it is no longer obtainable in Biafraland.Massive youth and adult unemployment, homelessness and the criminal domination of the entire military, political and governmental positions by the Fulani ethnic group still obtain. Creeping but relentless Islamisation of Judeo-Christian territories in the Middle Belt and entire Southern Nigeria is here with us.The APC government is yet to read the handwriting on the wall, but the time they do, it will be too late to manage the process of disintegration peacefully. As an elder and confidante of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, any day Prof. Ben Nwabueze requests to see our leader, he will see him, Powerful stated.
FORMER Vice-Chairman of Arik Air, Senator Anietie Okon has declared that efforts by some interests in government to take over Arik Air and sell it cheaply to themselves was forestalled by its takeover by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), which is currently managing the airline.Senator Okon said the interest group took advantage of the financial predicament of the airline that was caused by the crash of Nigerias economy which forced it into recession, and the plunge of the value of the naira.This, Okon said, made it extremely difficult to obtain foreign exchange and run the airline which has the largest fleet in the country, even as he added that the bad economy also affected some other companies in the country which rely on forex to sustain their operations.Speaking in Lagos, Okon while observing that presently no Nigerian airline was benefitting properly from the bilateral agreement Nigeria signed with other 79 countries, said rather, the government has given away all the routes to foreign airlines at the detriment of Nigerias interest.According to him, the economic and social consequences of government not supporting the airline and other airlines in the industry include job losses, the weakening of the value of naira, and recalled that Arik was selling tickets for international destinations in naira while foreign airlines continue to demand for dollars and it had 2,600 staff against that of foreign airlines that may have at most 10 Nigerian staff.Okon said in other societies, government would have stepped in to save the airline by providing it and others support, knowing that the economic problem was a national issue; but instead it forcefully took Arik over and today the airline is operating at less than 40 percent of its capacity.Though he agreed that AMCON management was striving to keep the airline in operation, he said this was at a very low capacity, with most of the aircraft due for maintenance but without the resources to take them out for repairs, adding that at the 11th year of the airline, the former management had planned to bring in new aircraft from Boeing, the B737 MAX to take over from the existing ones while the later go for heavy maintenance.The stakeholders are gearing for a rebirth of the airline. Eight aircraft are ripe for heavy checks. They are there parked and wasting away. They have degraded the maintenance culture of the company because we take the aircraft to European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) rated maintenance facility, but we heard they now take them to Lithuania facility where the maintenance cost is cheap, but even at that they cannot even pay for the aircraft they have taken out, he said.
Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar retired on Friday and the senior most judge in Supreme Court, Justice Dipak Misra will be taking over as India's 45th Chief Justice.

By Harish V Nair: Friday was the last working day of Chief Justice Jagdish Singh Khehar, who headed the bench which delivered two landmark judgments this week - the one abolishing instant triple talaq and the other which declared right to privacy as a fundamental right

He retired on Friday and the senior most judge in Supreme Court, Justice Dipak Misra will be taking over as India's 45th Chief Justice.

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But at the farewell function organised by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Attorney General KK Venugopal, Modi government's topmost law officer hinted that justice Khehar might be doing a plump postretirement job and will not be fading into retirement.

"A little bird told me that he (CJI Khehar) is not going anywhere and will continue to be with us, but in a different avatar," Venugopal said.

JUSTICE KHEHAR IS NOT GOING TO REST

Picking up from where Venugopal left, Chief Justice-designate Misra said, "I have been telling him for sometime, 'you enjoy the luxury of rest'. But I know him very well. Justice Khehar is not going to rest. He will not allow himself to rest as he will feel restlessness while resting. He will choose his own path. Work is pleasure for him."

The farewell function also became the venue where both AG Venugopal and SCBA President RS Suri condemned the incident where a senior lawyer recently wrote a "scurrilous and scandalous" article about Chief Justice Khehar.

THE INFAMOUS ARTICLE AGAINST KHEHAR

"It is reprehensible. Lawyers can throw bricks at judges. But judges, sitting in their position, cannot throw them back. It is wrong to use intemperate language against judges. It is reprehensible and brings down the confidence of the general public in the justice delivery system. It is a great disservice to the judiciary", Venugopal said without naming the senior lawyer.

Suri echoed the view and said such conduct by "self-concerned and self-opinionated individuals needed to be condemned".

Earlier it was a bench headed by Khehar which scrapped NJAC Act, the proposed new rules for appointment of judges. He had quashed President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, sent Subrata Roy to jail in investors refund case and imposed the highway liquor ban.

Justice Misra, 63, who led the bench that awarded death sentence to Mumbai blast convict Yakub Memon and Nirbhaya case accused, will be holding CJI's office from August 28. He will hold office for the next 13 months, till 2 October 2018.

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Justice Misra is also famous as the judge who issued the controversial order that all cine-goers should stand in attention when the national anthem is played before a movie. It is he who is issuing periodic orders in a PIL for gradual blocking of pornographic sites. Justice Misra was also among the three judges who were up all night in July 2013, giving a historic hearing to decide on Memon's last-minute appeal against his hanging. Memon was convicted in 1993 Mumbai blasts, in which 257 people were killed.

It was Justice Misra who announced the court's decision at 5 am: "Stay of death warrant would be a travesty of justice. The plea is dismissed," he said. Memon was hanged two hours later.

Also Read

Triple talaq is sinful, states Islamic religious text, then why keep it? Supreme Court ups the ante

Triple talaq: These women braved threats, abuse, boycott for landmark Supreme Court verdict

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Contrary to insinuations that the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) had not done much for its host communities in the Niger Delta, the oil giant said Friday that it had spent at least N7 billion on providing basic infrastructure between January and August this year.Representatives of the multinational company told journalists in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during a two-day SPDC-JV Integrated Stakeholders Engagement that much of the funds were used in financing General Memoranda of Understanding (GMoUs) with the host communities including building schools, hospitals and skills acquisition.Dr. Alice Ajeh, the companys Stakeholders Relations Manager, who represented Mr. Igo Weli, General Manager External Relations, said on the sidelines of the event which was also attended by the security agencies, that the funds were jointly managed by Shell, government and the communities.We have spent N7 billion in the Niger Delta this year in the GMoU clusters, not in Bayelsa alone. What happens with the GMoUs is that we agree with the communities in the programme they will have and shell puts money into it. So that money goes into an account that shell, government and the communities operate.Many of the areas include health, education, entrepreneurial development and other infrastructural development. But that is what has been released, it does not mean that that is all we are spending, she said.The company also reiterated its earlier position that it had between 2012 and 2016 along with its partners contributed $29 billion to the Nigerian government while $1.8 billion was paid to the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since inception in 2002.Data made available by the oil company also indicated that its share of royalties and corporate taxes paid to the Nigerian government stood at $ 1.04 billion in 2016, while 94 per cent of Shells contracts were now awarded to Nigerian companies amounting to $ 0.74 billion.It also showed that 96 per cent of the entire Shell employees in the country were Nigerians while direct spending on social investment by the company and its partners was $29.8 million.Ajeh said the consultations with stakeholders had become important so as to iron out areas of disagreements as well as update them on the direction the oil and gas industry was headed globally.We are here because we believe that we need to discuss with our stakeholders and we are holding these meetings according to clusters. We are opening up the conversation. Its not about Shell but about the Niger Delta, our challenges, but also challenges of the delta and how we can solve them, she said.The Shell representative added ,  We would like everybody to see the issues the way we see them and also make recommendations and solutions as a people. We are bringing global issues to the peoples attention.Sometimes they dont know. We have not come here for a finger pointing exercise . Its about looking at the issues and how we can deal with them differently. How the Niger Delta can take advantage of what is going on so that we are not stranded by what is going to happen.She stated that many countries were opting for viable alternatives to oil, stressing that Norway had already said that by 2025 there would be no oil and gas powered vehicle while the United Kingdom (UK) pegged theirs at 2040, whereas 80 per cent of Nigerias revenue still comes from the product.In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa, Mr. Amba Asuquo, called for collective action to stop vandalism and oil theft by all stakeholders, including the oil companies and the communities, adding that the only way peace could be achieved was by working together.He urged stakeholders to prioritise the prevention of crimes rather than waiting for them to happen since it is cheaper to do so.The CP called on the communities to give information to the security agencies that could lead to nipping sabotage in the bud.The companies must be responsive and listen to the genuine concerns of the people even though some of these concerns constitute a burden to them. The police have created three separate departments to take care of these issues.One of them is physical infrastructure department, another is the conflict resolution department and special intelligence bureau. These are departments set up to reduce conflict among the stakeholders.But I will not fail to add that the company should look at how to make the departments more functional, in terms of vehicles, computers so we can have some data on these people carrying out these acts, he said.Mr. Braboke Stanley, Director-General, Bayelsa State Partnership Agency, advised that the communities should no longer shut down operations of oil concerns out of anger thereby causing damage to the facilities.As a government, we are also saying the companies should review some of their GMoUs. There are some grey areas that need to be reviewed. If the communities are developed, the state will develop, he said.He added that the governor had empowered the office to receive all manners of complaints from communities and the oil companies and address them within the shortest possible time.
The United States said it has invested over $50 million in clean energy projects across 18 states in Nigeria.

Head of U.S Commercial Service Unit, United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), Mr. Brent E. Omdahl, stated this in Lagos, yesterday, at the second Interactive Forum organised by Power Sector Group of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), with the theme: Investment Opportunities in the Power Sector.

He said: The Agencys program in Nigeria includes a portfolio of over 60 projects and over $50 million in investments that could result in leveraging over $3 billion in public and private financing. In Kaduna state, USTDA is supporting Quaint Global Energy Solutions for a feasibility study undertaken by Tetra Tech ES (Pasadena, CA) for the Abiba 50 MW Solar IPP Plant.

Omdahl also noted that the agency is supporting a grid connection feasibility study in Kano State for the off-take of up to 100 MW of solar photovoltaic power, enough to supply 400,000 households with electricity.

We support priority infrastructure activities across 18 states in Nigeria in the sectors of clean energy, oil and gas, telecommunications and transportation. USTDA funds project preparation activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions. USTDA supported a feasibility study carried out by NOVI Energy LLC (Novi, MI), which assessed the viability and scale of a proposed gas-fired power generation project in Ogun State. The project will supply electricity to several food manufacturing and food processing plants in Nigeria. Recent gas discoveries and growing electricity demands have created opportunities for U.S. companies to provide billions of dollars in technologies and services to projects across Africa. USTDA is currently preparing nine projects for development that could generate more than $5 billion in U.S. sales, Omdahl added.

In her remark, LCCI President, Mrs. Nike Akande, said: The current high cost of generating power for business activities especially for SMEs and big industries, which in some cases can be as high as over 40 percent of industrial production cost is not desirable. However, there is need to view the challenges of power delivery in Nigeria as opportunities for investment. Stakeholders in the sector have the opportunity of collaborating with players outside the country in order to deliver value that can transform our current grid power generation of less than 4,000 mega watts by improving services along value chain.

The experience of the US in the power sector and the countrys commitment to developing power generation in Africa through the Power Africa project will no doubt positively impact on the Nigerian Power Industry. Also, apart from generating economic activities to improve Nigerias Gross Domestic Product, GDP, collaboration between companies in Nigeria and those in the US will promote bilateral relationship between the two countries.


The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, on Friday conferred chieftaincy titles on the governors of Ekiti and Gombe States, Mr Ayodele Fayose and Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, respectively.Also honoured was the wife of Gombe Governor, Hajia Ummi Adama Dankwambo and a member of House of Representatives, representing Remo Constituency in the House of Representatives and governorship aspirant in Ogun State on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Ladipo Kessington Adebutu.Fayose was conferred with the Apesin Apogun Pote of Ado Ekiti, while Dankwambo was bestowed with the title of Akinmuagun. Mrs Dankwambo was conferred with the title of Yeye Akinmuagun of the kingdom.Fayose and the Gombe governor on Friday commissioned the new hall built within Ewis palace by the state government to honour Oba Adejugbe and Ado Ekiti people.The ceremony was attended by traditional rulers from both Ekiti and Gombe States and important dignitaries, including former Benue State Governor, Mr Gabriel Suswam, a PDP chieftain, Chief Bode George, a senior advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun, and former Minister of Health, Mr Julius Adelusi-Adeluyi, among others.Fayose while appreciating the monarch boasted that his successor will trounce the All Progressives Congress in the 2018 poll, saying he was a grassroots politician, who commanded enormous goodwill among the populace in the state.The governor assured the royal fathers that he would not give Ekiti a governor that would disrespect them or treat them scornfully, pointing out that the royal fathers, according to the history and tradition occupy sacred positions that needed to be venerated and given utmost respect.Kabiyesi, governor let me say this, the governor that will come here to perform and respect all the monarchs in Ekiti will be presented by the PDP for 2018 poll. We know what you stand for and what you represent. You are so important to us and we will treat you with respect.We wont give you a governor that will disrespect you or that wont be able to perform or that will reverse all we have done for you. Ado Ekiti deserves respect and the governor that will come after me will surely appreciate this and do what is expected for this town, Fayose said.The governor thanked Ado Ekiti people for their support in his political career, saying your support accounted for why I won in 2003 and also in 2014, in fact, I cant appreciate you enough and God will continue to bless this town and the good people of Ekiti State.In his speech, Oba Adejugbe said the honour was bestowed on these prominent Nigerians to appreciate them for their sterling performances as representatives of the people.Oba Adejugbe urged them to rededicate themselves to the service of humanity now and wherever they find themselves in the future.
The Indigenous People of Biafra has rejected the withdrawal of the quit notice issued to Igbo in the northern part of the country by the Arewa youths.The Arewa youths, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Groups, had ordered all the Igbo residing in the North to vacate the region before October 1, 2017.But, at a press conference attended by the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, in Abuja on Thursday, the Arewa youths said they had withdrawn the quit notice.The group, which announced the decision through its spokesperson, Abdulaziz Suleiman, also said it would continue to pursue petitions to the United Nations and the Federal Government calling for appropriate sanctions against Nnamdi Kanu, other IPOB leaders and their sponsors in addition to labelling them a terror group.However, reacting to the development, IPOB described the withdrawal of the quit notice as inconsequential.Speaking through its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, IPOB asked the Arewa youths to stick to the quit notice, if they had any honour.The group equally urged all Igbo and other southerners resident in the core North to discountenance the withdrawal of the notice and return home.IPOB noted that history had shown that the withdrawal of the notice did not mean that Igbo lives and property were no longer endangered in the North.Powerful stated, It is inconsequential to IPOB whether the quit notice was rescinded or not because it will in no way impact the pace and direction of our effort to restore Biafra.Threats dont have any effect on us, so our advice to the Arewa North is to please stick to the October 1 deadline or else they have no honour.The pro-Biafra group alleged that the quit notice, which it described as an incitement to genocide, was endorsed by the Northern political leaders.The presence of a serving governor and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria during the supposed press briefing confirms what we have always known that the incitement to genocide, which is what the quit notice is all about, has the blessing of the Arewa political class.Just as the Arewa youths had insisted on the re-arrest of the IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB also urged the Federal Government to arrest leaders of the Northern group.If President Muhammadu Buhari is at all serious about clamping down on hate speech, he should arrest those behind the quit notice along with their sponsors, IPOB said.Arewa youths are cowards, says MASSOBThe Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra, has described the withdrawal of the quit order as an open display of cowardice and political impotency.MASSOB said it was better not to declare a war one couldnt win than to threaten and retreat.In a statement issued on Friday, MASSOB leader, Uchenna Madu, stated that the Hausa couldnt withstand the Igbo without the support of the Middle Belt people.The group alleged that the Hausa people had always used the people of the Middle Belt as stooges and tools to advance their anti-Igbo cause.MASSOB warned that any attempt to arrest or harass Kanu will bring a quicker platform for Biafras actualisation and restoration.
The Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, has said he does not care if the former Governor of Ogun state, Gbenga Daniel, exists.

The Senator representing Ogun East, Buruji Kashamu, has said he does not care if the former Governor of Ogun state, Gbenga Daniel, exists.

Daniel had written to the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, alleging that Kashamu sent thugs to assassinate him in his Abuja residence .





Kashamu has described the allegations as a hoax and described Daniel as the accuser, the investigator, prosecutor and judge in his case against him.





A statement released by the Senators spokesman, Austin Oniyokor, read: Pray, why would Senator Kashamu go after a man who is at the twilight of his political career?





He is desperate to score a cheap political point and seek relevance for his dimming political career, he has to raise the false alarm and pin it on someone who does not even care if he exists.

By the grace of God, the Distinguished Senator Buruji Kashamu is PDPs highest political office holder in Ogun state despite the OGDs (Daniel) efforts to make him lose the election.

So, why would he want to attack a former governor who has lost political relevance six years after leaving office? Is OGD the only former governor in Ogun state?

The statement added that while Ogun was under the siege of violence and politically-motivated killings during OGDs reign as governor, Kashamu fights his political battles in the court of law and public opinion using his God-given resources.

It noted that Kashamu, does not have any record of violence since he joined partisan politics  a Spartan record OGD cannot boast of.

Clearly, OGD is hallucinating and afraid of his shadows. Otherwise, what would have been expected of sane mind was to report the incident to the police and allow them to do their job of investigating the incident, it read.

In doing this, he has assumed the role of the accuser, investigator and prosecutor or judge in his own case. What a childish way to play cheap politics!
The Igbo apex socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the Federal Governments call for the re-arrest and bail revocation ...

The Igbo apex socio-political group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the Federal Governments call for the re-arrest and bail revocation of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nnia Nwodo, who gave the statement on behalf of the group also accused the Federal Government of bias, double standard and violation of Kanus fundamental human rights especially for refusing to arrest the Arewa Youths whom he said issued threatening and hate speech to Ndigbo. Chief Nwodo also urged the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN to please respect your oath of office, wondering why the AGF would move to re-arrest Kanu while refusing to do anything to stop the Arewa youths whom he said only pretended to withdraw the quit notice they issued to Igbo in the North.Kanu was granted bail on April 25, 2017, after spending several months in detention. Chief Nwodo spoke in a release titled,Attorney General of the Federation, please respect your oath of office! Parts of the statement read, It has just been brought to my notice that the Attorney General of the Federation has approached the courts to incarcerate Nnamdi Kalu for flouting his bail conditions.I am amazed that the distinguished attorney is prepared to contest the superiority of the provisions of the constitution on fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association over an erroneous judicial proclamation violating those rights.I am equally miffed by the audacity with which the Attorney General displays his bias without regard to his oath of office. A few hours ago under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and in total defiance of the Head of States proclamation of the rights of a citizen of Nigeria to live anywhere in Nigeria and to do business anywhere in Nigeria, the Arewa youths, pretending to withdraw their quit notice gave qualifications to the Head of States proclamation, issuing conditions for enjoyment of citizenship status. These same Arewa youths are supposed to have been arrested on the orders of the Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police for acts of treason, conversion and sedition.As the Chief Law Officer of the Federation, the Attorney General looks the other way. He does not go to court to seek an order of arrest or prosecution. Nnamdi, as a citizen of Nigeria, is free to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone so long as they are not inciting or provoking any criminal activities. I and some Igbo leaders have differences of opinion with Nnamdi on a number of issues.We have been insulted and abused by Radio Biafra but we concede them their right to differ from us. We concede them their nature to be exuberant as youths but we cannot be judgmental about their rights. This is a democracy. In democracies, leaders are abused, pelted with rotten eggs and booed at, as the former Edo State governor was booed in Abuja a few days ago. These acts are not necessarily criminal.I urge the Attorney-General not to exacerbate our already tense nation by commencing a legal action which portrays him as biased, insensitive and misdirected, the Ohanaeze leader said.
Former Manchester United and France defender Patrice Evra, on Friday celebrated all African mothers with 2face Idibias 2004 hit song African Queen..The 36- year-old dedicated the song to all the mothers, saying they were very precious.In a video he shared on Instagram where he also sang few lines of the song, the former Juventus player wrote, This is for all the mothers all around the world.A mother is really important, so precious  so respect her.A Mum is important do you listen to me ?? And mama I love you , you know why because you are my African Queen, the girl of my dreams ! mama , I love you so much.Evra is known for his inspirational posts on Instagram.
A pan-Yoruba group, the Oodua Peoples Congress, has called on leaders and stakeholders in the southern part of the country to caution the Niger Delta Agitators over its threat of eviction of the Yoruba people resident in the region.The OPC warned that the backlash of such move might not be palatable.The NDA was widely reported in the media earlier in the week to have threatened to evict the Yoruba from the Niger Delta region.Calling for caution over the threat, the OPC in a statement issued on Friday, said it could deflate the robust relationship between the South-West and South-South.In a statement by its National Coordinator, Otunba Gani Adams, the OPC said the threat issued by the NDAs leader, John Duku, was the second of such in recent time, hence a call to southern leaders and stakeholders to caution the group.We know that the position of the militants may not reflect that of their leaders. There is a need for them to speak out against the move of the group, the OPC said.The group also condemned what it called the emerging systematic war against freedom of speech in the country and an indirect clampdown on the media by agencies of the Federal Government, warning that Nigeria should not be dragged back into the military era.However, Duku has now said that the militants may withdraw its quit notice issued to northerners and Yoruba living in the area.He said on Friday that the group was still consulting and would likely issue a statement after the meeting of the various militant leaders on Saturday (today) or Sunday.Describing the northern youths withdrawal of their quit notice to Igbo people living in the North as a welcome development, Duku, said, If majority say we should withdraw, we will. We have our demands; there are demands which the government has not done any of them.
The ill thought out remarks by Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, to the effect that rodents had damaged the President's office, fo...

The ill thought out remarks by Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, to the effect that rodents had damaged the President's office, forcing him to work from home should not come as a surprise to discerning Nigerians and neither should we blame Mr. Shehu for the infantile lie.

You see, once the decision had been reached at the highest levels to be less than transparent about President Muhammadu Buhari's health situation, there was really nothing much that his media aides could do.





If I was Garba Shehu, what I would have said is that the President has a backlog of work and so had to cancel FEC and focus fully on clearing this backlog from home! It would not be a lie being that the President is always on call 24/7.





As a Presidential spokesman, lying is the last thing you want to do. Your job is to find creative, but not dishonest, ways to make the bitter truth palatable to the general public. Lack of creativity is a greater liability to a Presidential spokesman than lack of funds.





And the remark itself (Following the three months period of disuse, rodents have caused a lot of damage to the furniture and the air conditioning units") reminds me of the iconic movie, Of Mice and Men.





Of Mice and Men is a 1937 book by John Steinbeck, which got made into a movie. It tells the tale of of two California migrants workers who roam from town to town during the Great Depression in search of greener pastures.





How fitting that the lie told by Mr. Shehu should dovetail into Steinbeck's classic.

Just like in Of Mice and Men, we have a migrant President who moves back and forth from London to Abuja. And again like Steinbeck's classic, he does so in a depression.





The only difference is that while George Milton and Lennie Small were the victims of a depression caused by others, President Muhammadu Buhari is not a victim but a perpetrator of the fastest negative turnaround of an economy from the third fastest growing economy in the world to an economy in recession.





There are many other parallels one can draw from the movie and the comedy the Buhari administration is unleashing on the nation, but one has to be careful in drawing attention to them especially in these days that the military is scouring social media for "anti-government and anti-military information".





But I just wonder how Garba could have said ?"Rodents have caused a lot of damage to the President's office" with a straight face! Really Garba Shehu! There should be limits to propaganda.

It is only in Nigeria that "rodents" will chase a lion away from his den! Garba, please you should be too decent for this, leave lies for Lai Mohammed! If President Muhammadu Buhari is not strong enough to go to the office, simply say the truth and shame the devil.





I have been in the President of Nigeria's office. It is cleaned everyday. I also had an office in the villa and I traveled abroad for a long period and nothing happened to my office.





The Presidency has projected President Buhari as an anti-corruption crusader with strong integrity and credibility. Such infantile lies as this rat story rubbishes that image! It also portrays the Buhari administration as a government severely deficient in intelligence!





Almost every international news agency carried the ridiculous story in a way that belittled Nigeria. BBC, AFP, RFI and even China Xinhua News!





Worldwide the Muhammadu Buhari administration has turned Nigeria into an international joke because of an inept President and his inept aides!





I mean it is just clear that the President still needs to recover and that he only returned because the pressure from Charly Boy's #ReturnorResign group had become unbearable, especially when they announced that they had gotten a permit from the Metropolitan Police in London to protest outside Abuja House.





Of all things to use as an excuse, it has to be rats! If you are wondering why the rats in your city have reduced, wonder no more. They have all relocated to seek greener pastures at Aso Rock!





But on a serious note though, President Yar'adua left Nigeria on November 23, 2009 and did not return until February 10, 2010. Thereafter he was at the Presidential Villa until he died on May 5, 2010. For a period of 6 months, his office was vacant until Dr. Goodluck Jonathan succeeded him. In all that time, rodents never destroyed his office. Which just makes you wonder the type of rodents that exist in Aso Rock under President Muhammadu Buhari the man who promised Nigerians change but ended up giving those who voted him as President chains!





As for the Nigerian military who will now monitor social media for "anti-government information", I can only say what a lovely change! Did I hear you say chains!





Can any comment be more "anti-government" than this comment made by Buhari on May 15, 2012 "by the grace of God, the dog and the baboon would all be soaked in blood"? And can any comment be anti Nigerian than this comment made by the same man on July 25, 2015 "The constituents, for example, gave me 97% cannot in all honesty be treated on some issues with constituencies that gave me 5%"?





So funny when the father of hate speech and the king pin of anti-government talk now wants to deal with those who have not even come close to doing what he has done!





And after His misspeak on why the President had to work from home, ?Garba Shehu followed up with a statement warning that the Presidency will henceforth not tolerate harsh words being used on President Muhammadu Buhari and said "calling Buhari an enemy of Nigeria was in extremely bad taste".





Is this not the same Buhari that said on May 15, 2012 and I quote "the biggest Boko Haram is the Federal Government. Buhari called the government of Goodluck Jonathan a Boko Haram government without providing proof and now complains about being criticized! Mr. President, buy a mirror and arrest the person you see in it as an example of your zero tolerance for "harsh words"!

These shenanigans are annoying enough, but to add salt to injury, along comes Yahaya Bello!? To show how useless governance has become under the APC, Yahaya Bello, a state Governor declares a public holiday to celebrate President Muhammadu Buhari's return!





Now, I sympathize with President Buhari, but aren't public holidays meant to be for events pertaining to a nation's history? President Buhari has been a resident of the U.K. for over a hundred days, has he ever known the U.K. to proclaim a public holiday because the Queen returned from hospital?





Our army killed at least 347 Shiite men, women, children and infants, our Air Force killed 119 people at the Rann IDP camp in a mistaken bombing. We did not declare any national mourning. Yet we declare a public holiday for Buhari's return! This is the height of sycophancy!





Well, enough about the Presidency's ineptitude and comedic behavior, let me change the mood of this piece and enter second base.





Someone tell Oby Ezekwesili that it is hypocritical to complain about a soup you helped cook just because you were not given your share!





She was used to bring down a good man and thereafter dumped and now she is bitter and she wants to feign that she is one of us who are genuinely opposing a dictatorial and clueless government for patriotic reasons!





Where are her fellow #BringBackOurGirls colleagues? Are they not now holding very, very, very juicy positions in President Muhammadu Buhari's government? She is a woman scorned because her lover (APC) enjoyed her pleasures but refused to marry her. Now she wants to use Nigerians to get her revenge! We are not that foolish!





Imagine Oby Ezekwesili complaining of President Muhammadu Buhari's "missed opportunity". She is one of those who helped him get the opportunity to miss an opportunity!





It is an insult to our sensibilities for this woman to start wailing like she is doing! Has she forgotten when she was giving keynote speeches at All Progressive Congress events where she demonized former President Jonathan and deified Buhari by calling him a "discipline instilling" leader on March 7, 2014?





Did it occur to her at that event that she was empowering the very person she is now denouncing?

People like Oby are like the bush rat that Chinua Achebe wrote about. They bite you and blow breeze on your wounds so you won't know the damage they have caused. If Oby wants to know who is responsible for bringing Buhari to power, I can buy her a mirror. I assure her it won't be a pretty sight!





Oby Ezekwesili is a sanctimonious hypocrite who likes to criticize but does not like to be criticized. She once threatened to report me to then President Jonathan when I responded to her criticism, as if Dr. Jonathan "gives a damn" about her opinions! The sad thing is that everybody, but especially her Southeastern kith and kin, knows she was used and dumped by people who know only too well her real nature. I suspect that her bitterness is that she could not attain the heights Ngozi Okonjo Iweala has attained and is still attaining.





Now she continues to prance about giving subdued messages to the Buhari administration because she knows that if she unleashes on them like she unleashed on Jonathan she will be taught the difference between a democrat and a dictator! Oby, in case you do not know, you are a figure of scorn in the Southeast zone where you come from and considered a Quisling in the other zones of the federation.





Reno's Nuggets

When you make it, women will flock around you. Tantalizing as they are, don't forget the one who was there before you made it-mum! The love of your life can't divorce you, can't be separated from you and won't sue you. After God, your mother is the love of your life. Finally, marrying a girl because of sex is like buying a car because of its sound system. You will enjoy it, but you won't go anywhere #RenosNuggets





Reno Omokri is a Christian TV talk show host and founder of the Mind of Christ Christian Center and the Helen and Bemigho Sanctuary for orphans. He is the author of the worldwide amazon #1 bestseller (Conspiracy Theory) Facts Versus Fiction: The True Story of the Jonathan Years: Chibok, 2015 and Other Conspiracies and three books, Shunpiking: No Shortcuts to God, Why Jesus Wept and Apples of Gold: A Book of Godly Wisdom.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has said President Muhammadu Buhari has not only fully recovered from his illness...

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has said President Muhammadu Buhari has not only fully recovered from his illness but he is fit to carry on the responsibilities of his office.





Arkwright said, I had a privilege to meet President Buhari in the Villa. I was one of the small numbers of Ambassadors who were invited to witness the signing of treaties and MoUs between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).





What I can say is what I saw. I saw a President who was fit; he was fine; he was cheerful; he had a great sense of humour. It was great to see him.





President Buhari greeted me very warmly and I shook his hand. Frankly, it was just brilliant and great to see him back to work in full capacity.





Buhari, who had spent 101 days in London treating an undisclosed illness has since returned to the country.
Aparna Purohit expressed happiness at her husband's release and said the family was eager for his return home after nine long years.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: After remaining in jail for nine years, Lieutenant Colonel Shrikant Prasad Purohit-- one of the prime accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast -- walked out of Taloja prison in Maharashtra's Raigad on Wednesday. However, his wife Aparna Purohit had to return home alone as her husband has to stay back in Mumbai's Navy Nagar to complete certain formalities.

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In Pune, Aparna P. Purohit expressed happiness at her husband's release and said the family was eager for his return home after nine long years. She said that the family was in no mood to return to Pune and wanted to spend more time with her husband.

Speaking to India Today, Aparna Purohit exclaimed how difficult the last nine years had been. She said that there were many hurdles that she and her family had to overcome. She further stated that what her husband had missed the most was being with his children.

However, Aparna said that the interim bail granted to Lt Col Purohit has regained her confidence. She said that she knew from the very beginning that her husband is innocent.

Lt Col Purohit's wife went on to share how hurt she used to get when her husband was called a terrorist after the intial days of his arrest but she along with her sister-in-law went on with the legal battle. They began to apply for the court of enquiry papers once the Army's court of enquiry was complete. However, it was only after then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's intervention that Lt Col Purohit got the papers that proved his innocence, said Aparna Purohit.

Aparna Purohit thanked Lord Ganesha and the society. Finally, she said she will fight till the end so that the stigma of being labelled as terrorist is washed away.

Also Read:

Want to go back to serving nation, Lt Col Purohit says as he walks out of jail after 9 years

Lt Col Shrikant Purohit walks out of jail after 9 years: Latest developments

Also Watch:

Joy for family of Malegaon blast case accused Lt Col Purohit after he gets interim bail

--- ENDS ---
Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has stated that the meeting between the opposition party and Presi...

Senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Shehu Sani has stated that the meeting between the opposition party and President Muhammadu Buhari carries a strong message.

According to him, it tells the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that President Buhari was putting the country first before political or personal issues.





President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met with the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic party, PDP, alongside some other members of the party and with some APC bigwigs at the Aso Rock.





Shortly after that, the President also met with the 36 state governors.





Reacting to the meetings, Senator Sani wrote on Facebook, President Buhari bipartisan meeting carries a strong message for the ruling and the opposition parties to put the country first.

A commendable step. Other smaller parties too deserve such an audience.
The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering the release of Paris Club refund to all ...

The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for ordering the release of Paris Club refund to all governors.

Umahi, while giving the commendation also applauded Buhari for treating all governors equally irrespective of party affiliation.





He made the remark when governors met with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday.





A statement on the Presidents official twitter handle quoted Umahi as saying, You have treated all Governors equally, irrespective of party affiliation.





Umahi thanks Buhari for Budget Support, Paris Club Refunds, Agric Support, saying Without this assistance itd have been difficult for us to cope.





In your absence VP @ProfOsinbajodemonstrated a very high level of loyalty to #Nigeria and to Mr President.
Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, has explained why the Northern Governors Forum attended a meeting of a coalition of northern groups as they announced the withdrawal of a quit notice against the Igbo living in the North on Thursday.Sahara Reporters reported Shettima as saying at a press conference, which held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, that he was at the press conference to monitor and ensure that the coalition withdrew the quit notice as agreed in his meetings with them on behalf of the majority of northern governors.The Indigenous People of Biafra had alleged that the northern group which issued the quit notice had the backing of the northern political class as shown in the attendance at the meeting.But Shettima said his series of dialogue with the group was based on the mandate given to him by the majority of northern governors who wanted a peaceful resolution of the issue.He said, We are here principally as a pressure group to support the reverse position taken by the Coalition of Arewa Youths. We are here to politely but meticulously ensure that this press conference holds as planned and to politely monitor and ensure that the quit notice was publicly withdrawn the same way it was publicly declared in June.
WINSLOW TWP. -- A man who allegedly carried out his threat to burn down his ex's home has been arrested and charged with arson, authorities say.

Winslow Township Police have charged Vincent S. Manago Jr., 27, of Atlantic City with second-degree aggravated arson and third-degree burglary, police said.

The case dates to March 10 when firefighters were called to a house fire on Pennington Avenue in the Waterford Works section of the township. No one was home at the time and it was determined that the blaze had been set, according to police.

Police said they found eyewitnesses who gave them descriptions of a suspect and vehicle seen hear the home.

They say they also learned Manago recently had ended a relationship with one of the men who lived at the home and threatened to burn the place down.

Police began the search for Manago and made phone contact with him but he refused to speak with them.

U.S. Marshals tracked Manago down in Atlantic City on Wednesday and turned him over to Winslow Township Police.

Manago was taken to the Camden County jail pending a court hearing.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Bill Gallo Jr. on Twitter @bgallojr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- A 22-year-old Burlington City man was indicted for murder and aggravated assault Thursday for the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old at a motel in Cherry Hill last year.

Kevin Fentress

Kevin Fentress is accused of shooting Camden resident Jaydre Gordon and a 20-year-old Willingboro man who were sitting in a car parked outside the Inn of the Dove, on Route 38, during the early hours of Feb. 28 2016. Gordon later died at Cooper University Hospital.

A woman sitting near the men in the car also sustained injuries from flying glass. She and the other victim had non-life-threatening injuries.

Police said the shooting occurred after an altercation during a party in one of the motel rooms.

Fentress was on the run for more than two months after the shooting until he was nabbed in Marietta, Georgia on May 6, 2016 at the home of a friend, authorities said. He has been remained at Camden County jail since being extradited from Georgia.

Bill Duhart may be reached at bduhart@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bduhart. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Pastor Sam Giresi sits at the back of his church, watching as the rows of chairs slowly fill for the day's noon service.

"Hey, where's the mother?" he interjects mid-conversation after a child in a stroller starts crying nearby.

Congregants approach Giresi and softly hold his hand in theirs, thanking him for opening his doors to them. The song "Amazing Grace" fills the room as people bow their heads.

If you didn't know it, Giresi and his staff at the House of Mercy Mission on Springfield Avenue don't let on.

About a month ago the roof gave out and water began pouring through the ceiling during a bad storm. Several classrooms used for the kids' summer program and Sunday school flooded. The wooden floors buckled; carpets were ruined. An office in the basement remains unusable.

"I didn't know what to do," said Timonthy Shields, 38, a minister at the church. He laid out buckets and bins to collect the water and eventually had to pull the carpet off the floors.

While the roof was being repaired, the church's $41,000 central air conditioning unit was stolen.

"I try not to get upset," Pastor Giresi said. "One day at a time."

The mission's former volunteers and supporters are rallying around the church to help it pay for a new roof, new floors and repairs from the water damage. The church is totally dependent on contributions and does not receive any state or federal aid.

"The impact that this little mission has had on the city of Newark, and the people who have volunteered there, is immeasurable," former church volunteer Matt Bell wrote on a GoFundMe page he set up for the church.

The church doubles as a refuge for the city's vulnerable. Twice a month, the mission offers those who need it a bag of groceries and a meal. Year-round the mission distributes toys, school supplies and clothing for children. Giresi's wife, Pastor Tilly Giresi, runs a summer school program for kids, for free.

Bell said the church didn't ask for help but he knew Sam and Tilly Giresi wouldn't be able to afford all the repairs and decided to launch the fundraiser. So far the campaign has raised about $3,000 though others have sent donations directly to the mission.

"They've really touched thousands of lives over the course of three decades," Bell, who now lives in Texas, said in a phone interview. "It was unjust when I heard about this story."

At the mission, ceiling tiles have crumbled, exposing wiring and the building's roof. The walls look wrinkled from water damage. Shields said the insurance helped cover the new air conditioning unit but the church is waiting for a cost estimate to fix the floors, walls and replace a part of the roof.

Giresi isn't worried.

"It'll come," he says of the funding. God "has taken care of this place for 30 years, why would He stop?"

Giresi owned a furniture store down the block until the building where the mission now sits was donated to him in 1986. Back then, he said a contractor told him it would cost $60,000 to turn the building into a church. But he changed his mind and did it for free.

"God always supplies," Giresi said with a smile.

He points to long-time volunteers in the church. One is a former heroin addict; another used to live on the streets.

He tells the story of how one congregant came every week high on marijuana to take bread and clothing. One day he stopped coming. Months later he walked into the church in a suit and told Giresi he, too, was now a pastor.

"We've seen so many lives changed, it makes it all worthwhile," Giresi, 77, said. "I wouldn't want to do anything else."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
BAYONNE -- A man armed with a knife was shot by Bayonne police this evening when officers responded to a domestic violence incident, a source with knowledge of the incident said.

The shooting occurred at about 5:50 p.m, said the source, who was not authorized to speak on the record. Multiple sources said the man was involved in a dispute with a woman and he pulled out the knife on the responding officers before he was shot twice.

The man is in critical condition at the Jersey City Medical Center tonight, a source said.

The shooting is believed to have occurred on East 25th Street, near Prospect Avenue. Bayonne police referred all questions to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office.

It is standard practice for the Prosecutor's Office to handle the investigation in a police shooting. The Prosecutor's Office confirmed that a man was shot by police, but did not provide any details tonight.
JERSEY CITY -- State Sen. Sandra B. Cunningham endorsed Mayor Steve Fulop's re-election bid this morning, telling a crowd of people gathered at Dr. Lena Edwards Park on Pine Street that Fulop can help make Jersey City "the kind of city that it was imagined to be many, many years ago."

Cunningham is the third and final Hudson County state senator to pledge support for Fulop, who received full-throated endorsements from Sens. Nicholas Sacco, of North Bergen, and Brian Stack, of Union City. Cunningham's speech today was more half-throated -- at one point she pointed to Fulop and told the crowd, "we're not letting him off the hook yet."

The three-term senator offered unqualified praise to Fulop for boosting the number of police officers to over 900 and for keeping the city's tax rate stable, but she added that Jersey City "is not where it should be yet."

"We do know that we have parts of the city that seem to be thriving and it's wonderful and other parts of the city there needs to be more done. We understand that. We realize that," she said. "However, we also know that you have to begin someplace to make change."

Fulop is seeking his second term on Nov. 7, when the mayoralty and all nine City Council seats are up for grabs. His chief rival in the nonpartisan race is attorney Bill Matsikoudis.

Cunningham said before she agreed to support the mayor, she and other black leaders in the city met with Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea to extract promises to bring more job training to the south side of the city and to consider hiring a person of color as the next police chief. The city expects to appoint a new chief by the end of the year.

"The crime takes place in what part of the city? The minority part of the city," Cunnngham said. "The person who needs to be working to get it straightened out should be a minority police chief. He has assured me he will take that into consideration."

Fulop has credited his political career to Cunningham's late husband, Glenn D. Cunningham, who in 2001 was elected the city's first black mayor. Today, Fulop said he wasn't registered to vote until Glenn D. Cunningham enlisted him to challenge Sen. Bob Menendez in 2004 (Fulop lost).

"Thirteen years later, here I am as mayor and I owe a debt of gratitude to the Cunningham family," he said. "That is never lost on me."

A crowd of about three dozen people watched Cunningham's announcement, lured to the park by a fresh produce giveaway by local nonprofit Team Walker timed to begin just after the event. Fulop aides handed members of the crowd Fulop campaign signs to hold as they waited on line.

Cunningham wore a button promoting her own re-election bid (the Democrat is seeking her fourth term in the state senate on Nov. 7). Asked about some of her declarations today that Jersey City isn't where it should be, Cunningham told The Jersey Journal she wanted to be realistic about Fulop.

"He has done some good things ... but you've got to keep everybody's feet to the fire," she said.

Cunningham's decision to weigh in on the 2017 mayor's race is a surprise. The two do not have a warm relationship. When Cunningham first sought to represent the 31st Legislative District in the state senate, Fulop endorsed her opponent. Four years ago, Cunningham stayed on the sidelines when Fulop campaigned to unseat Jerramiah Healy, and while rumors swirled that she would mount her own Healy challenge.

Last year, political operative David Wildstein offered a reason why Cunningham stayed out of the 2013 race. In his testimony during the so-called "Bridgegate" trial, Wildstein said Fulop asked Gov. Chris Christie to funnel a $1.5 million grant from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to the Hudson County Urban League as a favor to Cunningham. At the time, Christie was courting Fulop's endorsement.

After Wildstein's testimony, both Fulop and Cunningham denied that the grant was tied to Cunningham not running for mayor in 2013. Cunningam said she never planned to run so there was no reason to convince her to stay out.

Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Jersey City police arrested two men spotted in a stolen car near the Grove Street PATH Station and also found stolen gun inside the vehicle, authorities said.

On Tuesday, police set up surveillance after confirming the 2013 Infiniti parked at the corner of Grove Street and Newark Avenue had been reported stolen in Texas, according to a criminal complaint.

Authorities then watched as Jersey City residents Jerome Mack entered the passenger side vehicle and Anthony Smith got into the driver's side. Additional units were called to the scene and the vehicle was stopped after it began driving away, the complaint alleges.

Mack and Smith were removed from the vehicle and placed under arrest. Smith was found to have a Ziploc bag that contained suspected cocaine and a straw, according to the complaint.

A .40 caliber handgun, also reported stolen in Texas, was then found in the vehicle's center console, the court document states.

Mack, 34, of Beacon Way, was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and receiving stolen property regarding the gun, the complaint says.

Smith, 49, of Morgan Street, was charged with receiving stolen property regarding the vehicle, receiving stolen property regarding the gun and possession of drug paraphernalia, the complaint says.

Both men made their first appearances on the charges Wednesday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny.

At the hearing, the state moved to hold both men though the course of their prosecution and a detention hearing is set for Monday before Hudson County Superior Court Judge Paul DePascale.
An autopsy was never performed on the immigrant who died in June while in the custody of Hudson County corrections officials, The Record reported.

The state medical examiner determined Rolando Meza Espinoza, who also went by the name Carlos Mejia-Bonilla, died of natural causes and never ordered an autopsy, according to The Record.

The 35-year-old man's family had been hoping autopsy results would shed light on his death.

Meza Espinosa was one of two Hudson County inmates to die in custody this year (the county has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding both).

He was picked up by ICE agents in March -- he entered the country illegally -- and brought to Hudson County's Kearny jail. He was brought to Jersey City Medical Center, where he died on June 10 after suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding. His family has said they did not find out he was dead until two days later, when they called to check in on him.

Jennifer Towle died at the jail on July 14. She was serving a six-month sentence for a DWI charge.

Religious leaders and immigrant rights groups in June held a protest in front of the jail, where the Rev. Eugene P. Squeo, retired co-pastor at St. Patrick and Assumption All Saints in Jersey City, called for an end to the "cruelty of the detainment and deportation system."
By PTI: launched

(Eds:Updating with fresh police statement)

By Aditi Khanna

London, Aug 26 (PTI) A 26-year-old sword-wielding man attacked and wounded three police officers outside Buckingham Palace in London before being arrested, prompting Scotland Yard to launch a terror investigation.

The man initially held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and assault on police has now been re- arrested under the UK?s Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said.

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"A car deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill near Buckingham Palace. The officers, who were unarmed police constables and from Westminster borough, got out of the van and approached the car, a blue Toyota Prius," the police said.

"As they challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," it said.

During a struggle, three officers sustained minor injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with tear gas.

Two of the officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later. The third officer did not require hospital treatment.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries and has now been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"No members of the public at the scene are believed had any interaction with the arrested man. There are no other reported injuries," the Met Police said.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were not in Buckingham Palace at the time.

The 91-year-old monarch is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and other senior members of the royal family are also away during the summer holiday season in the UK.

A Palace spokesperson said the summer opening hours and tours of the Queen?s London residence will go ahead on schedule, adding that it will be "business as usual".

Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said, "Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today.

"We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do - this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time," he said.

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Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a sword-like weapon in the suspect?s car. The man had stopped his car in a "restricted area" when police saw the weapon.

The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area.

Europe is on high alert following a spate of recent terror attacks.

A terror cell launched an attack on Barcelonas famous Las Ramblas street last Wednesday, and at a nearby seaside town, leaving 14 people dead.

On Saturday night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers.

He was shot dead at the scene, while two soldiers were not seriously injured.

Britain has also been the scene of a series of terror attacks this year alone.

In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four people.

Khalid Masood then ran into the grounds of the Parliament, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer.

He was shot dead by an armed officer.

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A concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester was attacked by a terrorist in May.

Suicide bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the entrance to the concert, leaving 23 dead and 250 injured.

In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and then ran to Borough Market, where they stabbed people.

Eight people were killed and the three terrorists were shot dead by police. PTI AK NSA AKJ NSA

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HIGHTSTOWN -- A gunman robbed the Hightstown Liquor and Wine Store on Stockton Street Friday evening and made off with over $600 in cash, borough police said.

Police were searching for the man late Friday and made public a picture from the store's security cameras in hopes someone can identify him.

The robber walked into the store at about 4:40 p.m. and pointed a black, semi-automatic handgun at an employee and demanded cash, police said. The employee complied and the robber left and was last seen on foot heading west.

The employee suffered minor abrasion injuries from a fall during the hold-up and was treated at the scene by Robbinsville EMS.

The robber was described as black, about 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet 10 inches tall with a thin build, facial hair, medium to dark complexion who was right handed and wore blue jeans, tan work boots and a gray hooded pullover sweatshirt that partially covered his face.

Anyone with information about the man's identity is asked to contact Detective Jerry Mecca at 609-448-1234 x 540.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
TRENTON -- A city man who was part of a bi-state crime ring has been convicted for his role in five home burglaries and assaulting a couple while breaking into a sixth house in Pennsylvania, authorities said.

Oliver Cabrera, 26, of Trenton

Oliver Cabrera, 26, was found guilty Friday by a jury in Pennsylvania's Bucks County Common Pleas Court on 30 counts of criminal charges, including robbery, assault, burglary, criminal mischief, corrupt organizations and conspiracy, according to authorities.

Cabrera was part of a New Jersey-Pennsylvania burglary and robbery crime ring that hit 18 homes 2012, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office's said in a release.

Judge Diane E. Gibbons called Cabrera "a menace to this community" after his conviction for his role in five burglaries and one home invasion robbery in the Bucks County, the release said.

The group made off with more than $60,000 in jewelry, guns, computers, a car and cash in the burglaries in Lower Makefield, Middletown and Upper Makefield townships, the district attorney's office said.

In the armed home invasion, Cabrera and his group forced their way into the Middletown, Pennsylvania, house and tied up the 78-year-old woman and 79-year-old man, the release said.

The score totaled $24,570 in jewelry and cash, the district attorney's office said.

His sentencing date has not been set.

Two of Cabrera's co-defendants have already been convicted and will each serve up to 15 years in state prison. A fourth man charged in Bucks County is still awaiting trial.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Drivers, beware: A resurfacing project on Routes 1 and 32 in Middlesex County is likely to close lanes for months, causing backups on already busy central Jersey thoroughfares.

Repaving of five miles of road began this week and is scheduled to continue Mondays through Thursdays, the state Department of Transportation announced. The project likely will run through November, a department spokesman told New Jersey 101.5.

Single lanes of Routes 1 and 32 in Edison, Woodbridge and South Brunswick will be closed from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

Additional lanes will be closed after 10 p.m., but at least one lane will always be open, the department said. No lane closures are scheduled for Fridays through Sundays.

Route 1 will be resurfaced from Campus Drive to Deer Park Place in South Brunswick and between Townsley Street in Edison and Production Way in Woodbridge.

About a mile of Route 32 in South Brunswick will be repaved.

The state-funded project will cost $8.4 million and also include sidewalk and curb work and drainage improvements.

Marisa Iati may be reached at miati@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @Marisa_Iati or on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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PHILADELPHIA -- Bill Baroni and Bridget Anne Kelly are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit to throw out their 2016 convictions in the "Bridgegate" lane-closure scandal, arguing their actions didn't amount to criminal conduct under the law.

In separate briefs filed with the court Friday, the former deputy executive director of the Port Authority and Gov. Chris Christie's former deputy chief of staff both claim their civil rights convictions were based on a right to intrastate travel that has not been recognized by the Supreme Court.

Baroni and Kelly also argue the wire fraud charges they were convicted of were improperly based on actions that did not deprive the government of money or property, and contend the government wrongly applied a charge of misapplying federally funded property that was meant to target actual fraud.

"Everyone hates traffic. The public anger over the alleged conduct in this case is therefore understandable," Kelly's attorneys wrote. But, "as the Supreme Court has repeatedly instructed, federal criminal statutes should not be read as imposing a 'good government' code on state and local officials," they said.

Baroni's appeal argues U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton should have required the jury, in order to criminalize those actions, to find he intended the lane closures as political punishment for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich. Sokolich declined to endorse Christie's bid for re-election.

In a footnote, his attorneys said their client maintains David Wildstein, the government's star witness, committed perjury at trial, "although Baroni will not belabor the point."

The lane closures took place in September 2013 and lasted a week.
A U.S. appeals court dismissed a Subway settlement in its footlong suit, calling the class-action deal to pay the lawyer fees "utterly worthless" for the customers, according to a report.

"A class action that seeks only worthless benefits for the class and yields only fees for class counsel is no better than a racket and should be dismissed out of hand," wrote the three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago, according to the Daily News.

Multiple suits were filed four years ago when customers claimed they were shorted in buying Subway "Footlongs" that were less than 12 inches.

In January 2013, two New Jersey men sued the fast-food chain with more than 44,000 stores after an Australian teen posted on Facebook of an 11-inch "Footlong" and the photo went viral.

A federal judge in Wisconsin OK'ed a settlement last year that required Subway to adopt quality controls, the report said.

Subway officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Craig McCarthy may be reached at 732-372-2078 or at CMcCarthy@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @createcraig and on Facebook here. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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North Korea launched a ballistic missile, the first such launch since economic sanctions were imposed on the country, CNN reported Friday.

It is the 19th missile the country has launched since February.

The launch is believed to be a response to joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises, which the North Korean government warned would be seen as provocative.

Little information was immediately available on the missile test, including its course or the type of missile involved, CNN also reported.

Paul Milo may be reached at pmilo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@PaulMilo2. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Back in the day, 1939 it was, Winston Churchill described Russia as "a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma." He might well have been describing present day Pakistan.

Although little known to most Americans, Pakistan figures in a most profound and perplexing way in our longest war ever, the struggle in Afghanistan. It's been both an ally and adversary.

Barack Obama, responding to weariness here at home with what seemed an endless, purposeless, casualty-ridden war, decided the best course was to get out of Afghanistan as quickly and cost-free as possible.

He got out quickly enough but miscalculated the cost -- a resurgence of the Taliban, aided and abetted by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Now we're back in again, courtesy of D.J. Trump's decision to up the American troop contribution to the corruption-scarred Kabul government, an ally as deceitful as Trump himself.

Osama bin Laden, remember, was hiding -- if you can call it that -- at a compound a mere 9-iron distance from Pakistan's military academy. And the 9/11 attackers hatched their plot while sheltered in Afghanistan and supported by the Pakistan-sponsored Taliban. Some ally.

Critics complain Trump's initiative is nothing new, just more of the same military strategy he ripped under Obama. And that's mostly true -- but not entirely. If we can believe him, Trump has vowed to finally confront the two-faced policy pursued for years by the Pakistanis.

It would be a nice change.

Truth is, Pakistan has played us for chumps for the better part of two decades. We've given billions in aid, military and economic, to the government in Islamabad in return for passage through Pakistan for supplies to forces in Afghanistan.

The billions in U.S. aid doubtless was appreciated, but the Pakistanis had other more urgent goals -- principally a dominant political role in Afghanistan, a crossroads in Southeast Asia fought-over forever, it seems.

Russia, India, China, Iraq, and Iran, in addition to Pakistan and Afghanistan, all live in that crowded corner of the globe. It's a cauldron of competing political, religious, ethnic and geographical ambitions and rivalries.

To make matters worse, the competing ambitions and antagonisms in the neighborhood have constantly drawn attention and agitation from ambitious outsiders.

No outside power has managed to make any lasting impact in the region, at least not since Alexander the Great some 23 centuries ago; or indeed to have escaped involvement there without coming to grief.

It's hard to see how Trump's latest move will prove any result more felicitous.

Actually, Trump, from all appearances (including the usual administration leaks), was persuaded to order up the troops -- reportedly 4,000 more -- by the generals steering his administration through rough times. He personally opposed it but couldn't afford another breach with top members of his already troubled team. So he acquiesced.

He needed the appearance of harmony on at least one major policy move. Still, it's hard to see how such a small buildup -- if that's all it is -- can make much difference on the ground, especially since Taliban territorial control in Afghanistan has increased.

Unlike ISIS, the Taliban are not outsiders. Mostly, they're native to Afghanistan and thus more likely to find a haven in Pakistan. They're in the country to stay; they're not merely transient terrorists with some grand, global scheme in mind, like al Qaeda or ISIS.

What the Taliban get from Pakistan that's critical -- besides arms and money -- is sanctuary, a safe haven in the rugged mountain region of neighboring western Pakistan they can retreat to when hard-pressed by American or Afghan forces.

It's from these western Pakistan retreats that Taliban forces have emerged to wound and kill American troops during this war.

How long are we likely to be there this time? For better or worse, a long time now that the Pentagon generals are back in charge. Civilian leaders can rationalize walking away from a bad war, but it's not in the DNA of the warrior class, whether our warriors or theirs.

And, in truth, if we really want a victory there, as Trump insists, we'll have to stay a while. The lesson in wars like this is a simple one: He who leaves first loses.

John Farmer may be reached at jfarmer@starledger.com. Find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook.
Prosecutors have slammed U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's bid to have a judge in his corruption trial alter the schedule of the trial so he can be present for upcoming votes in Washington.

In a response to the Democratic senator's motion, the government accused Menendez of using his position to "pick and choose the dates on which his criminal trial will be conducted."

"The political consequences of defendant Menendez's trial or criminal conviction should not be considered in the courtroom. This Court has consistently recognized that defendant Menendez is not entitled to special treatment because of his status. It should maintain that principle here," prosecutors wrote.

The judge who will rule on the motion had already rejected Menendez's request to delay the start of the trial until a Senate recess in October.

In a narrowly divided Senate -- Republicans hold just 52 of 100 seats -- Menendez and other Democrats can help pass, or kill, legislation, making his vote crucial.

Defense attorneys argued the court had broad discretion in the case, and that it should "exercise that discretion to adjourn the trial on those days when Senator Menendez's presence is needed in the Senate," saying the senator would be able to provide notice a day in advance of such votes.

Menendez, 63 and Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen are charged with multiple fraud and bribery counts. Prosecutors say Melgen donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to help Menendez's political campaign and legal defense fund, and paid for expensive trips for the senator in exchange for help with business disputes.

Melgen was convicted in April in a separate Medicare fraud case in Florida. His sentencing has been postponed until the conclusion of the New Jersey trial.

Do you think Menendez should be allowed to change his trial schedule?

Vote in our informal, unscientific poll and tell us how you voted in the comments.

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*INSIDER NOTE UPDATE BELOW

Bayonne will be the new Hoboken by the time next year's municipal election rolls around. This is no longer the city of Dennis Collins or even Joe Doria. The ongoing metamorphosis of the Peninsula City from a blue collar to a bedroom community will have an effect on who controls City Hall.

Yeah, Bayonne isn't exactly chock full of brownstones but it isn't the backdrop for an "On the Waterfront" shot either. The New York Post came out with a story in June announcing that this southernmost Hudson County municipality "... is gearing up for thousands of new apartments and game-changing developments." It's the new hot spot for an accelerated building boom.

We all knew this miracle of miracles was progressing for awhile - or at least since the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail System became a magnet for new construction. Just last year Ingerman Director of Development Geoffrey Long, whose firm was then planning to build the $35 million, six-story, 138-unit apartment building named "19 East" didn't have to be convinced that the city was catnip for developers.

"It's a great, great city and we think that it's going to be a fantastic opportunity," he said. "We think that there's going to be some serious long-term growth in Bayonne that we want to be a part of."

There already has been an influx of new residents taking advantage of the proximity to the Big Apple and the availability to commuters of the light-rail train and its connection to the PATH and Manhattan-bound ferries. In the future, look for increasing ridership to go with several thousands of new housing units over the next few years.

Now let's take off the rose-colored glasses and put on those 3D specs to get a face full of reality.

Bayonne has not had a property revaluation in more than a quarter of century and last year the county tax board ordered, OMG, a city reval. You know the argument - it will rebalance everyone's tax burden, at least on paper. Add to this "headache" the city's eternal double-digit, multi-million-dollar structural deficit in its annual municipal budget. You know, this is where City Hall spends more than it collects in tax and other revenues. This a local version of what happened to the fiscal disasters called Greece and Puerto Rico. The city is dog paddling in the middle of a red ink ocean.

When former Mayor Mark Smith first took office in 2008, his administration faced about a $30 million-plus budget hole every year. When he was defeated for the mayoralty in 2014 by opponent Jimmy Davis, the built-in deficit supposedly had been whittled down to about $20 million-plus. I'm not sure what that deficit figure is today but I'm willing to bet that it's roaring back up. Hopefully, someone in City Hall will tell us how much, after they claim I'm wrong.

This brings us to who will run for mayor next year? In February, Insidernj.com wrote a small piece citing Bayonne sources who say former Assemblyman Jason O'Donnell, a past Smith Public Safety director, is mulling a run for Davis' job. Well, I guess it's easy to say, in hindsight of course, that we figured as much. I'm here to say that O'Donnell is not sweating it. My own sources say he's busy marshaling his campaign forces and will be on the ballot. Naturally O'Donnell is acting like the shy bride. We're just waiting for him to publicly announce he wants to be mayor.

Like Hoboken, Bayonne is developing a born-here versus newcomers divide. The pickup truck driving Davis will count on old hometowners with some nativist sentiment for support. O'Donnell, while also considered a Peninsula guy, is young enough looking - described by one politico as "looking like a Harry Potter 12 year old " - capable of moving among a diverse circle of residents. He's run some successful campaigns in the past. It should be a fun bloodletting.

At one time, before he became an assistant superintendent, for mucho dinero, I anticipated Hudson County Freeholder Kenneth Kopacz as a prime candidate for mayor. Now you have to ask why would he run for a post that pays a full-time mayor a measly $72,000 or so. Kopacz is destined to become the school district's superintendent earning somewhere around $175,000 or more annually - without having to listen to whining constituents. He could probably keep his freeholder title, a quaint hobby. No, this is as far as Kopacz is going on the political ladder.

All you have to do to learn more about the future king of this peninsular 11-Mile Square City is follow the money. Look for donations that will obviously come from -- in one form or another -- big name developers and labor unions who want to reap the benefits of the state's perceived next hot spot. No need for brownstones in this city.

INSIDER NOTES

* -- UPDATE: As we previously hinted in this column, 33rd District Sen. Sandra Cunningham of Jersey City gave Mayor Steve Fulop her seal of approval this morning at Berry Lane Park, no doubt surprising a number of people in the city's African-American community. Cunningham said Fulop is providing development progress for parts of the city other than the waterfront and that she looks forward to working with him for the benefit of the city and the legislative district.

The fact that former Assemblyman Charles Mainor bowed out of the race and instead is running for a council seat -- after his heart attack -- is not the reason why Cunningham went ahead with the endorsement adding to the Fulop collection. The senator's OK was in the works for weeks now and she has not been on the same page with Mainor for awhile. Psychologically it is a devastating blow to the mayor's opponents who believe his weakness is the African-American community.

Cunningham's act only happens if she is convinced the incumbent will get re-elected. Then again Barack Obama's endorsement didn't help former Mayor Jerramiah Healy -- who lost to Fulop.

-- Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla is holding his first big fundraiser Thursday at City Bistro at 6:30 p.m. Mayor Dawn Zimmer will be on hand to praise her choice to replace her. Good luck parking.

-- Bhalla gave his public opinion on the heated events of the past couple of weeks. On Aug. 16 he issued this announcement:

Hi Hoboken,

Like many of you, I was highly disturbed by the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend and President Trump's comments regarding the matter.

President Trump's remarks yesterday were a failure of moral leadership. Let's be clear: there can be no moral equivalence between white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and those who stand up to bigotry. There can be no "fine people" who march with those chanting racist words. More than ever, for our neighborhoods, communities, and schools we need a message of calm, healing and affirmation of our nation's highest ideals.

Here in Hoboken, I am proud to say that we as a community have come together in standing up against hate and violence. In the aftermath of the Presidential election in 2016, the Hoboken City Council stood up and spoke out against hundreds of hate incidents against Jews, women, the LGBTQ community, Muslims and immigrants.

We as a community, along with our elected officials at every level of government, have a sworn duty to protect and defend the rights guaranteed to all Americans by our state and federal constitution. As your Mayor, I pledge to you that I will not remain silent when our rights as Americans are under assault.

I leave you with the words of Nelson Mandela, aptly provided in a recent message from President Obama:

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela, "Long Walk to Freedom", 1994

Sincerely,

Ravi Bhalla

Now make way for the new sidewalks and cut down those trees. No, that was not part of his message but rather my snarky attitude.

-- A few days before Bhalla's reaction to national news, mayoral rival and city Councilman Michael DeFusco announced he plans capital projects once in office. Ignore any of the third-person sections of the following message (It's like they're trying to write an article for you):

Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael DeFusco is announcing his plan to bring a new, state-of-the-art public High School complex to Hoboken in a campaign video released today. The first of DeFusco's #NewEnergyNewIdeas policy proposals, the new High School plan proposes to bring city students an unparalleled educational experience by exploring partnerships with Stevens Institute of Technology and utilizing other unique city amenities, showing families that the investment they are making in Hoboken will pay off.



The video and a detailed description of this plan are available on the campaign's website here: www.mikedefusco.com/education



"Every child in Hoboken deserves a top-notch public education, and as Mayor I will make it one of my first priorities to immediately begin planning for a new, state-of-the-art High School complex in the North," said Councilman DeFusco. "We need to think big and make sure families see that we are investing in the future with a school that parents seek out and students can't wait to attend."

Then the candidate says he'll do the following:

Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael DeFusco is continuing his #NewEnergyNewIdeas campaign by releasing conceptual plans for a state-of-the-art Floating Pool and Urban Beach concept that could be built on the Union Dry Dock property on Sinatra Drive. The Floating Pool concept would not only finally provide Hoboken residents with a public community pool after decades of false starts and broken promises, but would also include two Urban Beach spaces, a children's splash pool, a riverfront marina and a continuation of the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway.

"Politicians have promised us a community pool for as long as I can remember, but they have never delivered," said DeFusco. "Hoboken should be leading the way and providing innovative community amenities -- which is why as Mayor, I will acquire the land currently owned by Union Dry Dock on the Hudson River to finally connect the entire waterfront and construct a municipal urban beach and floating pool complex. My concept also proposes a public marina, open to all residents, which will generate revenue to cover yearly maintenance and improvements."

Located at 901 Sinatra Drive, the Union Dry Dock property is the last vestige of the waterfront's industrial past and one of the only remaining undeveloped parcels on the Gold Coast. Under DeFusco's plan, the property would be acquired through transparent negotiations, and public-private partnerships would be sought to minimize upfront costs to Hoboken taxpayers while providing a much-needed community amenity.

They keyword here is "partnership." Otherwise it could be quite costly.

-- Sorry, there will be no column on Labor Day Weekend. I'm thinking I'll be in Martha's Vineyard and possibly swimming with the Great Whites. You'll be grilling. Looking forward to some fun stuff for the next few columns. Meanwhile, kids, welcome back to school -- heh, heh.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Agustin C. Torres' columns appear on the nj.com opinion website on Saturdays and occasionally in the print edition of The Jersey Journal.
NORTH PLAINFIELD -- A stolen car sped away from police, crashed into a parked vehicle and hit a teenager before the driver escaped Friday in North Plainfield, officials said.

Borough police spotted the stolen vehicle shortly before 3 p.m. near Willow and West End avenues, according to Somerset County Prosecutor's Office spokesman Jack Bennett. When the driver saw the patrol car, he accelerated and hit a parked vehicle near Washington and Rockview avenues.

Three people in the parked car were not hurt in the crash, the spokesman said. The wanted car continued onto a nearby sidewalk and hit the teen before it drove for about 500 feet and struck a utility pole on Washington Avenue.

The driver ran from the scene while police arrested two other people in the stolen car, authorities said.

Police were not chasing the car during the incident, the spokesman added.

The teen was listed in stable condition at an area hospital, according to the prosecutor's office, which did not release more information on the crash.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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By PTI: Lahore, Aug 26 (PTI) Maryam Nawaz, the political heir apparent of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, has begun campaigning for the Lahore National Assembly seat by-poll which is being contested by her ailing mother.

Sharifs wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is under treatment for throat cancer in London, will contest the September 17 election for the National Assembly seat despite her ailment.

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Maryam, 43, is likely to play a key role in campaigning for the election for the NA-120 seat which felt vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif on July 28 in the Panama Papers case.

Maryam left from Jati Umra, the residence of the Sharif family, in a rally-like procession, the Nation reported.

A large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters accompanied Maryam. After reaching Model Town, the PML-N local leadership held a meeting regarding the by- elections.

Senior leaders Pervez Malik, Pervaiz Rasheed and the Lahore mayor were present at the meeting.

During the meeting, Maryam stated that the by-poll is a must win for the party. "Victory in NA-120 will be victory of every worker of PML-N," she said.

Sharifs political secretary Senator Dr Asif Karmani said earlier this week that Kulsoom may not be able to participate in election campaign because of her cancer treatmentbut she would contest the election for sure and win it.

The former first lady, in her mid-60s, is being tipped as next prime minister replacing Shahid Khakan Abbasi after winning September 17 by-poll. PTI ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP)  Survivors of Hurricane Ian face a long emotional road to recover from one of the most damaging storms to hit the U.S. mainland. For those who lost everything to disaster, the anguish can be crushing to return home to find so much gone. Grief can run the gamut from frequent tears to utter despair. The Lee County medical examiner says two men in their 70s even took their own lives a day apart after viewing their losses. Experts say suicides climb after disasters and more funding for mental health should be provided as climate change makes storms and fires more frequent and devastating.
The study looks at two smaller-scale projects that are in some ways predecessors to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the $2 billion plan to slow land loss erasing Louisiana's coast. Construction on that project could begin as early as next year, while a similar one on the opposite side of the river known as the Mid-Breton Diversion could follow.
Voters in Iowa have chosen a new license plate design:

The City and Country Reboot design won the public vote with 113,299 of the polls 291,095 total votes, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation. The plate features a silhouette of a cityscape along with a farm and windmill.

Iowans made their voices heard in the selection process for our states next license plate design, Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a release. Im glad so many were able to help select a meaningful design that should serve as a point of pride for our state and showcase our unique culture to the rest of the country.

The state unveiled three potential plate designs at the start of the Iowa State Fair, with the public voting for their favorite design through an online poll and at the Iowa DOTs State Fair booth.

The DOT noted the Flying Our Colors design was a close second with 110,352 votes. In third place was The Great Wide Open, which tallied 67,444 votes.

Im pleased we were able to include the public in the selection process. People lined up at our booth to vote throughout the fair, and many more people voted online, Iowa DOT Director Mark Lowe said in the release. It was fun and gratifying to see so many people positively engage, and Im happy that the end result is a colorful, positive design thats still easy to read and meets its public safety purpose. Many people commented that this design represented everyone in the state.

The new plate design will be available sometime in 2018, according to the Transportation Department. Plates with the new designs will be issued to vehicle owners whenever they add or change vehicles and obtain new county standard plates or whenever they replace lost, stolen, or damaged county standard plates.

Iowans who currently have county standard plates will receive replacement plates with the new design when their current plate reaches the end of its 10-year replacement cycle, the DOT said. Vehicle owners who want a new plate sooner may purchase a set from their local county treasurers office for $5.

For more information go to iowadot.gov/mvd/newplates.
A former Council Bluffs assistant city attorney has been indicted on drug charges.

Don Bauermeister Jr., 44, of Omaha, is charged by a grand jury with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute approximately 13 pounds of marijuana, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Nebraska.

He declined to be interviewed Friday evening and referred reporters to his attorney. Messages for his attorney, Bill Gallup of Omaha, were not immediately returned.

The indictment was handed down Thursday. The allegation covers a period from November 2016 to Jan. 9 of this year.

Bauermeister resigned his role as assistant city attorney in mid-June. At the time, City Attorney Dick Wade said Bauermeister gave no reason for his resignation. Asked about potential drug charges, Wade said, I know nothing of that.

The City Council appointed Bauermeister to his position in February of 2003.

On Friday, Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh declined to comment beyond noting, Its unfortunate. Attempts to reach Wade were unsuccessful.

The U.S. Attorneys Office said if convicted, Bauermeister faces up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

According to federal court filings, Bauermeisters next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 13 in Omaha.

 Andrew Nelson of the BH News Service contributed to this report.
While seeking his custody for 14 days, EDs special prosecutor NK Matta told the court that Qureshi was in possession of more evidence in this case and was withholding them, jeopardising the probe.

By Press Trust of India: Controversial meat exporter Moin Akhtar Qureshi was today sent to five-day custody of the Enforcement Directorate by a city court for "thorough investigation" in a money laundering probe against him and others.

Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj sent the accused to ED custody till August 31 after the probe agency said his custodial interrogation was required to unearth crime proceeds and money trail and to confront him with the documents.

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While seeking his custody for 14 days, EDs special prosecutor NK Matta told the court that Qureshi was in possession of more evidence in this case and was withholding them, jeopardising the probe.

"Considering the seriousness of the allegations and to enable the ED to complete thorough investigation, ED custody remand of Moin Akhtar Qureshi for five days, that is till August 31 is granted," the court said.

The agency told the court that "the witnesses have confirmed in their statements that they have delivered crores of rupees for Qureshi and his associates through his employees and one of the witnesses has stated that nearly Rs 1.75 crore have been exported by the accused from him and his friend in lieu of the help provided to him in a CBI case."

It also alleged that Qureshi was involved in hawala transactions through Delhi hawala operators Parvez Ali of Turkman Gate and M/s South Delhi Money Changer (DAMINI) in Greater Kailash-1, owned by one DS Anand.

According to the agency, Qureshi was arrested late last night here under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) after "he was not cooperating in the probe".

Qureshi has been questioned several times in the past by the agency which is probing his role following the registration of two FIRs under the PMLA, the agency said, adding that he was arrested in connection with offence alleged in the last FIR in which former CBI Director A P Singh has also been named.

The earlier PMLA case against Qureshi was lodged by the ED in 2015, based on an Income Tax prosecution complaint, it said.

The ED said its probe has revealed facts which "constitute omission and commission of certain acts on the part of certain public servants holding high positions in the public office in collusion with Qureshi, thereby huge amount of illegal money was found to have been transacted".

The records collected by the ED from the Income Tax (I-T) Department in the form of BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) messages, have "revealed that Qureshi has taken huge amount of money from different persons for obtaining undue favours from public servants after exercising his personal influence", it said.

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BBM messages exchanged between Qureshi and the accused persons involved in other criminal cases and also the persons who wanted to seek undue favours from the other investigating agencies of government by getting them off the hook, the agency said.

There were also BBM exchanges between Qureshi and former CBI chief Singh, which are being probed both by the ED and the CBI as part of their separate criminal investigations, it said.

In this way, the ED said, Qureshi "obtained huge amount of money and it was obtained in the name of government servants/political persons holding public offices and the said public servants illegally either obtained the money for themselves or through their kin."

The agency said an analysis of the BBM messages retrieved from mobile phones of Qureshi and his associates revealed that hawala operators were also used to transfer bribe money (belonging to government officials) to foreign locations like Paris and the UK.

"Qureshi has extorted crores of rupees from a businessman from Hyderabad in lieu of the help provided. He was found involved in hawala transactions through Delhi-based hawala operators," the agency said.

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Through them, the agency alleged, the money was transferred to Dubai and then to Paris, London, the US, Hong Kong, Italy and Switzerland.

It said the agency had also seized "huge amount" of unaccounted cash after it conducted raids in this case in the past at a hawala operator operating in the national capital.

Also Read:

All you need to know about Moin Qureshi: Emperor of meat export and a headache for ED

Enforcement Directorate arrests meat exporter Moin Qureshi from Delhi

Watch Video: Delhi: Controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi arrested by ED

--- ENDS ---
After 30 years with the Diocese of Des Moines Catholic Charities, Executive Director Nancy Galeazzi announced earlier this week she plans to retire effective Dec. 31.

Bishop Richard Pates said the Catholic Charities Board of Directors will launch a national search for a new executive director.

We are tremendously grateful for the 30 years Nancy has dedicated to serving those who need a helping hand, Pates said in a release. She truly understands and embodies the spirit of putting ones faith into action by serving anybody in need regardless of their race, religion or socioeconomic status.

Her presence and compassionate spirit will surely be missed in this outreach ministry so central to the mission of the Catholic Church, Pates added.

Although Galeazzi spent her career working with Catholic Charities in Des Moines, she is well known and admired by those working with the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program in Council Bluffs, formerly known as Phoenix House.

Pat Curran, clinical therapist at the Council Bluffs facility, said Galeazzi, like Curran, is a therapist.

She has been a marvelous supervisor, a real leader, Curran said. She is a great person  a beautiful person inside and out.

Sapana Sharma, assistant director of the Catholic Charities Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program in Council Bluffs, called Galeazzi an amazing leader.

Shes very supportive, very encouraging, Sharma said. She will be missed very much.

Galeazzi joined the staff of Catholic Charities in 1987 as a licensed clinical social worker and served as the counseling program manager with the agency for 15 years before Bishop Emeritus Joseph L. Charron appointed her to the position of executive director in 2002.

According to the diocese, under Galeazzis leadership, Catholic Charities revenue stream has tripled and staff size has more than doubled to meet the needs of more than 30,000 people each year in the dioceses 23 counties in central and southwest Iowa.

Through her stewardship, thousands of families and lives have been improved and directed in a path of recovery, faith and fulfillment, said Rick Ball, a member of the catholic Charities Executive Committee. She is an unsung hero in our community and beyond.

I have truly enjoyed working at Catholic Charities and have been both blessed and honored to work with the incredible people we serve and the amazing staff, Galeazzi said.

Her retirement plans include spending more time with family in Iowa and Colorado.
TREYNOR  U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley lamented the state of political discourse during a stop in Treynor on Friday.

There is too much partisanship, the Republican said. It didnt just start with (President Donald) Trump.

Grassley noted bipartisanship on the appointment of judges started to deteriorate in the early 2000s and on legislation over the past few years. He said partisan rancor in Congress is a reflection of the country.

The public is more divided at the grassroots than in the past, he said, discussing the rise of the Tea Party opposition under President Barack Obama and the liberal Resistance since Trump was elected.

That said, in a Senate where a 60-vote majority is needed on most bills and issues, we do get things done, he said. Grassley noted that, while some major pieces of legislation have been bipartisan, he works with Democrats on a number of issues.

The discussion came during a stop at TS Bank in Treynor. The senior senator from Iowa spent more than an hour at the bank, touring the facility with Chairman of the Board Mick Guttau and CEO Joshua Guttau before holding a question and answer session. A group of around 20 employees gathered to hear Grassley touch on topics including banking, agriculture, health care and the military.

Mick Guttau asked Grassley about narrowing the gap in taxes paid by banks versus credit unions, noting hed like to see credit unions taxed like banks.

Or, better yet, have banks pay the same taxes as credit unions, he said.

Key differences between the institutions include credit unions are nonprofit organizations and generally offer lower fees and better rates, while banks are for-profit entites and can offer more innovative products and up-to-date technology, according to NerdWallet.

Grassley admitted he hasnt served on a banking committee since his time in the House of Representatives in the late 1970s, but noted banking issues  including how credit unions and banks are taxed, along with potential tweaks to the Dodd-Frank banking bill that would alleviate regulations on community banks that were intended for large banks  need to rise to a higher level of discussion in Washington.

Grassley said he expects Congress to start work on tax reform soon, while work on the farm bill is expected to commence in October.

Grassley was asked about the countrys commitment to NATO and its European allies by a TS Bank employee whod served in Germany and is hearing concerns about the administrations connections to and seeming favoritism toward Russia.

We can show our commitment by the strength of our military, Grassley said, lauding Trumps call for an increase in defense spending.

Grassley said Trump has modified his views on NATO, which the president criticized roundly on the campaign trail.

The meeting with TS Bank employees was part of a two-week swing through southwest Iowa. The senator hit 30 counties in the state, bringing his total for the year to 94, just shy of the full Grassley  all 99 counties.
An active weather pattern was expected to impact western Iowa and eastern Nebraska through part of the weekend, possibly delivering showers and thunderstorms to the region, forecasters said.

The National Weather Service in Valley, Nebraska, said there is a decent chance of more showers and thunderstorms today and tonight, with a high around 85 and an overnight low around 65.

The weather service said conditions are to improve in the metro area beginning Sunday, when mostly sunny skies and a high in the lower 80s are forecast.

Good news for Sunday, said KMTV meteorologist Audra Moore, most of the rain should be out of here by early morning.

Monday through Thursday of next week will be quite mild  sunny skies with high temperatures around 80 and overnight lows in the upper 50s to around 60.

Today: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny skies, with a high near 84. South wind 8 to 11 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65. South wind 5 to 7 mph becoming light and variable after midnight. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82. North wind 5 to 7 mph.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 81.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 58.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 80.

Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 82.

Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61.

Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 82.
Thousands of Rohingyas have started gathering at Bangladesh border as fresh fighting erupted in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state between Rohingya insurgents and security forces.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Thousands of Rohingyas have started gathering at Bangladesh border as fresh fighting erupted in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state between Rohingya insurgents and security forces.

On Thursday and Friday, they were found to be gathered in small groups at different points of the border, according to local residents.

Lieutenant Colonel Anwarul Azim, commander of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), said, "I was at the border area all day long on Friday. We believe that at least two thousand Rohingyas are on the border areas. We are ready to push them back. Our forces are shielded for 24 hours so that the Rohingyas cannot enter into Bangladesh."

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Last October too, Rohingyas had entered Bangladesh after same kind of clashes broke out between the Rohingyas and government forces in Rakhine state.

Asked whether such incident will happen again, Anwarul Azim said, "It is difficult to say. If the government forces do not torture them, Rohingya will not enter. Rohingayas are expected to come in large numbers if the government forces begin the campaign against them."

Asked how the Rohingyas are intercepted at night, he said, "Rohingyas are not aggressive."

Local journalist Shahjahan Chowdhury Shaheen said that on Friday morning, BGB sent 146 Rohingyas back home while they were crossing the Naf river in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar. Two hundred Rohingya families have taken shelter in Balukhali Camp in last two days, he added.

BGB Deputy Commander Major Saiful Islam Jamaddar said, "BGB has been on alert after the clash between Myanmar police and Arakan state rebels. We are also trying to prevent the Rohingya infiltration. In the morning, 146 people were sent back for trying to illegally enter."

Meanwhile, according to Aung San Suu Kyi's office, the number of people killed in clashes between Rohingya and government forces in Myanmar's Rakhine state has increased to 71.

On Thursday, Myanmar government claimed that Rohingyas coordinated attacks on 24 police posts and tried to enter a military base.

ALSO READ:

At least 71 killed in Myanmar as Rohingya insurgents stage major attack

Will rather die in India than return to Myanmar: Rohingya refugees on deportation reports

--- ENDS ---
Studies have shown that there is a connection between attendance and achievement, which is why the North Platte Public School District has created an attendance task force.

According to a study by Attendance Works, each year an estimated 5 million to 7.5 million U.S. students miss a month of school.

As early as sixth grade, absenteeism can be an indicator that a student will drop out of high school, according to research by Johns Hopkins University.

During the 2015-16 school year, 63 percent of students at North Platte Public Schools missed five or more days of school. Last year, the district introduced the Dare to Go Five Below program, which awarded students for missing fewer than five days. The result was an 8 percent decrease in the number of students who missed five or more days during the 2016-17 school year.

School officials decided to form a task force of community leaders who could help brainstorm ways to keep kids from missing school. On Friday the task force met for the first time to go over data and to discuss their goals. Ultimately, the district wants to have more kids attending school 95 percent of the time, said Superintendent Dr. Ron Hanson.

Among the task force members are members of the districts staff and the school board, representatives from local businesses, County Attorney Rebecca Harling, Police Chief Mike Swain, Sheriff Jerome Kramer and Chief Deputy Roland Kramer, Mayor Dwight Livingston and Gary Person, president and CEO of North Platte Area Chamber and Development.

These are key leaders in our community, Hanson said. I think they truly can have an impact on getting students to school.

Brandy Buscher, the districts coordinator of student services, discussed steps the district has already taken to increase attendance, including the food pantry and laundry area at North Platte High School.

Youd be surprised at how many students dont come to school because they dont have clean clothes, Buscher said.

According to Attendance Works, data shows that students from low-income families are more likely to be chronically absent than their peers. This is often because they face challenges getting to school, such as a lack of health care, unreliable transportation or unstable housing.

One of the prizes for the Dare to Go Five Below program this year is a car. Students who miss fewer than five days of school will be entered into a drawing for their parents to win a car from Right Motors. Students who dont miss any days will be entered into the drawing five times.

The other prizes are sponsored by Wild Bills Wings and Bowling and include free bowling and laser tag. Those winners will be entered into a drawing to win a free day of fun at the bowling alley.

In previous years, district officials may not handled chronic absence cases in the best way, Buscher said, but theyre working on improving. For example, a few years ago, district officials might not have met with the parents of a chronically absent child before sending a petition to the county attorneys office. That started changing last year, she said.

Now, the district wont send kids to the county attorney until weve made some serious attempts to get them to school, Buscher said. Thats something we spent a lot of time doing last year and something we will continue doing this year.

According to the districts attendance policy, parents will be notified of childrens attendance problems at five, nine and 15 days missed. At the nine-day mark, officials will consider setting up a parent meeting and a collaborative plan to fix the problem. The collaborative plan will be put in place if a student misses more than 15 days of school, and the county attorney will get involved at 20 days.

A letter was sent to parents outlining the need for good attendance and encouraging them to take steps that ensure their child makes it to school.

The district is also working to provide more mental health services to students, thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Systems of Care.

Were hoping that will help tremendously with our attendance and our behavior, Buscher said.

During the meeting, Livingston signed a proclamation stating the citys support of the districts efforts.
By PTI: Amaravati, Aug 26 (PTI) Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu today laid the foundation stone for the construction of 2.25 lakh houses under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana (Urban) in Andhra Pradesh.

Just a day before relinquishing office as Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister in July, Naidu sanctioned these 2.25 lakh houses to the state, in addition to the 1.93 lakh approved in 2015-16.

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These 2.25 lakh houses will be built in 95 cities and towns at a total cost of Rs 14,140 crore, including a Central assistance of Rs 3,379 crore.

The aggregate 4.13 lakh houses is the highest number any state has got out of the total 26 lakh PMAY houses across the country.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu thanked Venkaiah for this and also praised the latter for bringing many projects to Andhra Pradesh after the bifurcation in 2014.

"He has given us the highest number of houses and also helped us in getting many Central projects and funds post bifurcation," the chief minister added. PTI DBV RSY

--- ENDS ---
BURNS HARBOR  Bill Meyer, 88, remembers walking from his house to Lake Michigan when he was a a teen. He lives next door to the home he grew up in, but he can no longer take that walk.

It isnt because of his age. Its because the area itself has changed.

This 50-year-old town is sliced and diced by highways, forged by industry and independence.

The dunes Meyer climbed are gone, leveled by Bethlehem Steel to clear the way for its new steel mill in the 1960s and by NIPSCO for its Bailly Generating Station.

In the beginning

Meyer was 16 when his family moved from East Chicagos Indiana Harbor area to the far northwest corner of Westchester Township in 1945.

We had all gravel roads here. There were no paved roads except (U.S.) 12 and 20, he said.

Today's celebration Burns Harbor residents are invited to tonight's 50th anniversary celebration at Lakeland Park. A free dinner will be served from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., with giveaways for the first 50 families. A beer garden, bounce houses and music are planned. Fireworks are planned for dusk. Bring your own lawn chairs.

His parents bought a one-bedroom cottage and added rooms to it over time. He did the same with his own house, adding new bedrooms whenever his wife got pregnant.

A short walk from Meyers two-acre property  the National Park Service bought the third acre along the Little Calumet River when Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was developed  is a home that has two log cabins that have been joined by a series of additions. One of the cabins is from the areas early days; the other was trucked north from Brown County.

At least one other house in town had a refrigerated boxcar at its core, with rooms added on over the years, he said.

Marilyn Arvidson has roots here that go well back into the 1800s. Her great-grandparents, John and Christina Brickner, bought a log cabin and farm in November 1875. Her grandfather was born in that log cabin, she said.

Eventually, her grandparents built a big farmhouse along Crocker Road that was moved when Ind. 149, which ran along Crocker Road, was widened to four lanes.

Westport Community Club

Arvidsons father, carpenter Adolph Arvidson, and architect Albin Rak were instrumental in the construction of the Westport Community Club building that served as the glue that held the area together.

Westport got its name from Westchester and Portage townships, with members from both areas participating in the club activities.

Arvidsons mother was a stay-at-home mom, as were others at the time. They belonged to a home economics group under the direction of the Purdue Extension Service.

The women met in each others homes but decided to build a clubhouse in the mid-1950s, according to clippings from The Vidette-Messenger available at nwi.com/archives. Men were allowed to join the club, too, and the building was built with volunteer labor.

That club was really the center of activity in the area, Meyer said.

The club had all kinds of activities  holiday parties, dances, Scout and 4-H clubs, Lions Club and of course the community club.

It was a place where the whole neighborhood gathered, Meyer said. Thats how everyone got to know everyone.

The smorgasbord, twice a year, was legendary.

All the food was homemade, resident Dawn Ruge said, and the women put their best effort into the cooking.

That was a big fundraiser for the community club, Ruge said, even though prices like $2 for adults seem like a pittance today.

With one in the spring and the other in the fall, it also was an opportunity to meet the candidates, who couldnt resist the opportunity to mingle with diners on the last weekend before an election.

Becoming a town

When Bethlehem Steel bought up property to build its new steel mill, the rural area drew the attention of neighboring municipalities that wanted to annex it. Portage was especially eager, even attempting to annex the town after the residents decided to incorporate.

The suitors were investigated by the Westport Community Clubs annexation committee, but in May 1965 club members decided they should create their own town, with lower taxes than Portage. Bethlehem Steel officials, of course, encouraged that idea.

Then came the first big decision  what to name the town.

Westport, the name of the community club, was a favorite for the new town, but rejected when residents learned there already was a town by that name in southeast Indiana.

New Westport, Meadow Brook, Salt Creek and Burns Harbor were suggested. Burns Harbor was chosen even though the actual harbor by that name is inside the city of Portage. Bethlehem had named its mill the Burns Harbor plant, and the town followed Bethlehems lead.

In September 1967, the Porter County Board of Commissioners created the new town of Burns Harbor, population 1,313.

The town includes 500 acres owned by Bethlehem Steel Corp., for which the firm plans a high-rise office building and other facilities, an Associated Press story in The Times said.

Towns early years

The town itself, however, had more modest facilities. Its first town hall was an old farmhouse, followed by a double-wide trailer, Town Council Ray Poparad said. The current town hall was built in the 1980s.

When residents voted on the towns name, they also picked the first town council members.

The council first picked a town marshal, then hired out road and drainage projects until a street department could be formed. Even fire protection was outsourced until the town could form its own department, Poparad said.

Bethlehems dreams for its steel mill were larger than the reality. That helped the town, because development was stymied until the town tapped into Bethlehems oversized sewage treatment plant to serve residents and new development.

There were other stumbling blocks along the way.

In April 1974, The Vidette-Messenger reported, the town was asked to consider providing transportation for animal warden Lowell Dougherty, whose personal car sustained $200 damage when someone locked a dog in it.

Dougherty said the car was parked in his garage at the time.

He said he has found animals tied up at his home and that his home is private property and is not designated as a depository for animals, the story said.

When Interstate 94 was built, bisecting the town, residents found themselves cut off from one another.

But then a barrow pit used to build the highway was turned into a swimming hole, and Lakeland Park was born. The park now has a new playground as well as ball diamonds and beach.

The 1980s were difficult for the steel industry, and all of Northwest Indiana felt the economic impact of the rapidly shrinking number of employees in the steel industry.

The biggest shock of all for the town, however, came in October 2001, when Bethlehem Steel failed to pay its property tax bill and announced it was filing for bankruptcy.

The mill was 90 percent of the towns property tax base. The Town Council had to make drastic spending cuts, including laying off half of the police departments uniformed officers.

Since then, however, the town has grown. With four subdivisions under development, things are looking up.

The future

Like other towns, Burns Harbor is attempting to create a sense of place.

We dont have a downtown, Poparad said. Our downtown is (Ind.) 149 and U.S. 20.

The town is trying to create a downtown, but its also eager to attract new businesses elsewhere.

A former bank is an eyesore. Thats basically our only blighted piece of business property thats still standing, Poparad said.

His advice for new businesses is to ask the town even if the business leaders arent sure about locating there. Master Link Concrete Pumping got a 10-year tax abatement when the company acquired and improved the site that used to be Deans Porter County Dodge in the 1970s.

Make an offer, Poparad said, because the town is eager to make deals.
GARY  A 20-year-old man was wounded in a shooting Thursday in the city's Emerson neighborhood, police said.

Gary police were dispatched about 12:30 p.m. to the 800 block of Tennessee Street after the 20-year-old Gary man was shot in the foot, Cmdr. Jack Hamady said.

The man told police he was in front of a residence when a man yelled at him and fired one gunshot.

The man ran, and the shooter fired another round as he also fled, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Sgt. Gregory Wolf at 219-881-1210. To remain anonymous, call 866-CRIME-GP.
HEBRON  The Town Council heard updates on its stormwater and wastewater improvement projects.

Frank Stewart, an engineer with DLZ, an engineering and surveying firm, reported on design updates for the three-pronged project. Proposed work includes removal of a culvert and opening a ditch, adding a culvert on the west end of town and laying a gravity line.

Stewart assured council members Thursday he would have design plans available for the public hearing Sept. 12 on proposed drainage rates.

The stormwater project will cost an estimated $1.5 million, for which the town has received a $500,000 Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs grant.

Council President Peter Breuckman explained the stormwater project, which started more than a year ago, is intended to relieve flooding on the east and west ends of town.

Walt Justice, vice president of the town's stormwater management board, said the town has long had flooding problems to residences and businesses. Justice cited problems with squash tubes, or pipes that restrict water flow but also lead to flooding. Removal of those tubes, Justice explained, would increase flow but not hurt anyones property.

As for wastewater improvements, Timothy C. Bronn, senior vice president with McMahon Associates Inc., explained the project would rehabilitate and replace certain parts of the existing treatment plant, which Breuckman described as too awkward to maintain, with some replacement parts no longer available.

A key component of the project is removing the trickling filter and replacing it with an oxidation ditch. Bronn recommended keeping the towns daily wastewater capacity at 520,000 gallons. Currently, he said, the daily average is 230,000 gallons of wastewater.

Councilman Don Ensign questioned whether the improved wastewater treatment plant could handle additional growth, citing three development projects and potentially 350 new homes.

Bronn estimated an additional 100,000 daily gallons of wastewater from the growth, which is within the plants capacity.

The improved plant, Bronn said, is built for the future, adding, When we get done with this, well be done for a long time.

As to a timeline, McMahon officials projected nearly one year for environmental reports and state approval. That timeline could be reduced, engineers said, if the local situation was considered an emergency.
Marc Chase Editor Marc Chase is a veteran investigative reporter, columnist and editor of more than two decades. He currently leads The Times news staff as local news editor. He can be reached at 219-933-3327. Follow Marc Chase Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

The felony bribery conviction of now former Lake County Sheriff John Buncich Thursday ushers in a crucial period in which all Region residents should be paying particularly close attention.

Let's call it "apologist watch": a period when we all should keep eyes peeled for the ill-advised public officials who run to the disgraced sheriff's defense before sentencing.

For those keeping score, an apologist is one who offers an argument in support of something controversial. In Buncich's case, it likely will mean folks who profess admiration and support for his character even though he's shown himself completely undeserving.

Such behavior happens with impunity around here, but the public figures and officials who show support for those who've committed crimes against taxpayers are really doing us all a favor.

They're showing us who to shun at the polls in upcoming election cycles.

Keep watch for the folks who vehemently argue Buncich got a bum deal from the jury. They're the ones who will say the government didn't prove its case when, in fact, eyewitnesses, informants and video backed up nearly every facet of the allegations that Buncich shoved wads of money in his personal pocket and then handed out business to the tow truck companies that bribed him.

They also will be the public officeholders, and other prominent citizens, who are sure to write letters of support for Buncich to U.S. District Court Judge James Moody, seeking a more lenient sentence.

If history is any guide, Moody isn't likely to entertain misguided attempts at heart-string pulling for a corrupt top cop. He's one of the most no-nonsense judges on the bench of a historically no-nonsense federal court system.

Region residents shouldn't buy the pleas for sympathy and leniency, either.

I promise to help take stock of the names and positions of public officials or other community leaders who carry water for Buncich by petitioning the court for leniency. Any letters filed into the public record seeking leniency for Buncich will be reported in my future columns, along with the names and positions of the writers.

Buncich's friends have a right to petition the court on his behalf. We have a right to withhold support for them if they take this misguided approach.

Region political outsiders no doubt are asking themselves, "Who would be so foolish to publicly proclaim such support for a federally convicted felon? What public official would brand themselves as supporting a corrupt politician, in this case who had sworn to uphold the law?

"In fact, wouldn't it be a scarlet letter for such public officials to cast their lot in this fashion?"

We need only look at past federal cases to realize this wrongheaded behavior is likely forthcoming.

Remember former elected Lake County Surveyor George Van Til and his felony conviction for essentially stealing from taxpayers by appropriating government property and employees for his own personal benefit?

After the former surveyor pleaded guilty in 2014, Van Til's defense attorney, Scott King, filed more than 100 pages worth of letters in open court, all written in support of Van Til. The letters generally vouched for Van Til's character and sought leniency at sentencing.

Dozens of the letters were written by political friends and allies, including a number who currently held political office.

Fast-forward to 2017 and Buncich's scheduled Dec. 6 sentencing hearing, and taxpayers have an opportunity to write some letters or make some phone calls of their own.

We all must remind our public officials that behavior like that perpetrated by Buncich won't be tolerated. More importantly, we should be telling them we won't stand for them espousing an apologist attitude.

In times of great violations of public trust by one public official, the others should be concentrating their efforts on repairing that trust and doing right by citizens  not on standing up for crony friends who just brought yet another disgraceful stain on local governance. That stain is enumerated in the 70-plus public corruption convictions of Region officeholders, government employees and vendors since the late 1970s.

If we as voters fail to provide consequences for officials who carry water for their corrupt friends, we're aiding in the spread of our Region's ongoing plague of corruption.

Were also ignoring the resonating warnings from the apologists themselves  folks who are more keen on defending a crooked former colleague than the voters who elected them.
Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections

While some already are household names like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Val Demings in Florida, and Anthony Brown in Maryland, others like Natalie James in Arkansas, Will Boyd in Alabama,...

Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action

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The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the government if it wanted to wind up the environmental protection body, as it does not have enough members on the panel

By Mail Today: Expressing concern over the posts of judicial and expert members in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) falling vacant, the Delhi High Court on Friday asked the government if it wanted to wind up the environmental protection body. A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar raised the question after it was informed that after December, only three judicial and two expert members would remain in the tribunal.

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As per the Act of Parliament (2010), which brought about NGT, it must have at least 10, but not exceeding 20, expert and judicial members at all times.

Currently, the eight judicial members are: Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, Dr. P Jyothimani, UD Salvi, Dilip Singh, MS Nambiar, RS Rathore, Jawad Rahim and Sonam Phintso Wangdi. The six expert members are: Dr PC Mishra, P Satyanarayan Rao, Bikram Singh Sajwan, Ranjan Chatterjee, SS Garbyal and Dr Nagin Nanda.

The court was hearing a petition filed by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal, seeking filling up of vacancies in the NGT. Bansal, who was represented by advocate Sumeer Sodhi, said, "Due to the red-tapism involved in bureaucracy, a fine institution like the NGT is heading towards a premature death."

RED-TAPISM?

"Would you like to wind up the National Green Tribunal?" the bench asked the government sarcastically, while directing it to file a status report within two weeks.

The court was also informed that on account of retirement of most of its members, two zonal benches of the NGT - in east and south - would stop functioning by October.

The petition said currently, there were eight judicial members and six expert members in the NGT and with retirements due, after December 9, the number of expert members would come down to two and after February 13, 2018, only three judicial members would be left in the panel. The lackadaisical attitude and apathy of the government in not filling up the vacancies in the posts of judicial and expert members is intriguing and appalling, the petition said.

Bansal stated that due to the lack of Quorum (the required number of members), an order issued by the NGT, Southern Bench, was stayed by the High Court Of Judicature At Hyderabad.

"The Apex Green Court of the country has also raised the profile of environmental issues in India and gained public trust as a body that is committed to its principles by addressing the issues brought before it," Bansal added. The matter will now be heard on September 14.

Also Read

Delhi: More top hotels invite NGT wrath, fine for improper waste management

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Supreme Court concerned over depleting tree cover, rising pollution around Taj Mahal

--- ENDS ---
There is a brewing rift within the Rwenzururu royal family as the Queen Mother, Christine Mukirania seeks to lead a breakaway faction opposed to her son, Omusinga Charles Wesley Mumbere.



In an exclusive interview with URN at her home in Kigali cell, Nyakabingo ward in Kasese Municipality, the Queen Mother says there is need for the rest of the royal family to breakaway from Mumbere, because he has drifted away from the original agenda set by his late father Isaya Mukirania.



The outspoken Mukirania, who is in her eighties, accuses Mumbere of running the kingdom affairs with the help of witchcraft as opposed to the biblically guided cultural institution founded in 1966 by his father Mukirania.



She says that Irema-Ngoma, as Mumbere is referred to by the royal family, has decided to oppose the ways of his father by surrounding himself with witchdoctors who in the long run have misled him.

Rwenzururu Queen mother, Mukirania with President Museveni (C) and Mumbere

Mukirania says that for a long time since succeeding his father in October 1966, Mumbere has opposed members of the royal family including his young brother, current junior Agriculture minister Christopher Kibanzanga.



She further alleges that Mumbere, who is currently restricted to staying in Kampala as per his bail terms, claims that the current kingship is for him and his immediate family, adding that those following the agenda of his late father should go their own way.



Mumbere and at least 149 of his supporters face treason, terrorism and murder among other charges connected to the November 2016 raid on his palace by the army. More than 100 people died during the raid commanded by current commander of the Land Forces, Major General Peter Elwelu.



The Queen Mother says she is now teaming up with her other sons, Kibanzanga and William Sibibuka, to demand that Mumbere allows them to revive the kingship whose divination is Godly.



Asked whether she has engaged Mumbere over the matter, the Queen Mother says that her son has continued to dine with the veterans who admitted before President Yoweri Museveni at State House, Entebbe in December 2016 saying they were behind the deadly attacks in Rwenzori region.



"Mumbere continues to trust the veterans led by Yolamu Mulima even when they are likely to be used as state witnesses during his trial because they already surrendered and confessed to the president that they coordinated the attacks against security installations and innocent people," she says



Pressed further, Mukirania says she has consulted with President Yoweri Museveni about her plans to dump Mumbere and revive what her late husband fought for, adding that the head of state advised her to hold meetings with stakeholders before returning to him for further engagement.



She does not rule out directly replacing Mumbere with one of his brothers if he does not change his ways.



On Thursday, the Queen Mother flanked by Mumbere's young brother, William Sibibuka and Aprunalis Kalibogha, the former patron of the Rwenzururu kingdom recognition council, met with elders and county leaders at her home in Kasese town.

Charles Wesley Mumbere hugged by his wife during one of the court appearances

URN has obtained information indicating that these elders promised to consult further before taking a decision on whether to side with the Queen Mother and replace Mumbere. On Friday evening, she addressed the leaders of the Rwenzururu youth wing known as "Esyomango Sya Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu" to sell them her idea of seeking a different agenda by the royal family.



Meanwhile, the Rwenzururu kingdom under Mumbere has distanced itself from the Queen Mother, urging those invited to the meetings to attend on their own not as representatives of the recognised cultural institution.



URN has obtained a copy of the letter signed by Gad Mbayahi, the chairperson of the Prime Ministerial Committee that was recently appointed by Mumbere to run the affairs of the kingdom in his absence.



In the letter, Mbayahi says that his office and the entire cabinet are not informed of the meetings.



"Nyamukama (Queen Mother) can invite anybody she wants to meet as Queen Mother for any engagement but not in representation of Obusinga Bwa Rwenzururu structures," the letter says in part.



Mbayali adds that whoever wants to attend the meetings is free to do so as long as they don't represent the kingdom under the leadership of Charles Wesley Mumbere Irema-Ngoma.



Sources say the cabinet was engaged in a closed-door meeting to resolve the matter. For the last three days, Kibanzanga has been responding to several social media questions about the actions of his mother who looks to be openly championing a move to replace Mumbere.



In one of the posts on Facebook, Kibanzanga says that their mother is of a higher position in the structures of Rwenzururu kingdom and has a right to intervene in whatever matters that affect the institution.



In his argument, Kibanzanga says the Queen Mother was paramount to the survival of the institution following the death of Isaya Mukirania on September 2, 1966 and also after Mumbere relocated to the USA between 1982 and 2009.
Government plans yet another overhaul in the computerised land registration system a few years after it was rolled out.

There is concern that the new system has prolonged the process of land registration and titling. The computerisation of the Land registry was funded by the World Bank to the tune of over $23 million with hope that it would ease the titling of property, registration of land or generally improve land administration.

The system was initially piloted in a few districts and it has since been rolled out to the ministerial lands zonal offices.

Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development officials at work

A French Company IGN France International (IGN-FI) was subcontracted to lead the configuration of a district based parcel information management system and national land information system register. The register was completed in 2013 and launched by former Lands minister, Daudi Migereko.



The Land Information System (LIS) was introduced against the background that less than 20 per cent of the land in Uganda is registered. It was also anticipated that it would lessen the period of processing land titles and searches for those involved in land transactions.



Instead, witnesses that have appeared before the Commission of Inquiry into land matters, say that the system has slowed the process of land transactions than in the past.



Robert Ssebunya the oldest member of the Commission recalls the past processes when dealing with land registration in the country. He thinks the manual system under the land registry that existed from 1908 seemed to be much faster.



"In the past, several years ago what is happening today was not thereThis new system has caused a lot of problems because in the past things were normal.You would put in things and within a day or two; things would be done. They would even tell you; sir or madam sit there and within an hour things are done", Ssebunya said.

Ssebunya's observation follows the admission by Louella Ataro, a senior registrar at the ministry of Lands that transformation and computerisation of the land registry has come with new challenges requiring another overhaul few years after it was launched.

"In the past, the process was not very tedious and very long, however under the new LIS [Land Information System], they created many workflows. Those particular workflows engaged more officers, who, now had an input into the LIS like intake clerks carrying out clerks. So all those workflows are what have made the process tedious", she said.

The old manual system

The ministry, according to Ataro has introduced a new system which is being piloted in Lira and Kabarole districts where the transaction is introduced in the system as soon as it is lodged and immediately goes to the registrar of titles for approval. She says the idea is to get a new system and also create faster work flows.



The new system has been credited for improving the collection of land administration fees. One of the terms of references of the Commission chaired by lady Justice, Catherine Bamugemereire is to inquire into the effectiveness of the land management and registration system in the country.



Some lawyers that have appeared before the Commission have raised reservations about the new system saying it is being used to grab land and manipulated to produce double titling.



City lawyer, Peter Muliira told the Commission that he was planning to take the matter to court. Muliira said the system was being used to perpetrate land grabbing.



Uganda's efforts to improve land information management and land administration systems have been on for a long time.

The government has from the early nineties tried to specifically address problems of land information handling but each time the new changes have come with challenges.
The matter has emerged at a time when the armed forces are grappling with complexities related to induction of women in combat roles and framing a comprehensive policy for giving females wider responsibilities in the services.

The sailor, sources said, is satisfied with the Navy's decision to discharge her as the rules in the force do not allow women to serve in ranks below the officer cadre.

By Ajit Kumar Dubey: In one of the rarest of rare cases in the military, a serving Navy sailor has undergone gender reassignment surgery and become a woman, prompting the maritime force to initiate action for her discharge as females cannot work in defence services as soldiers.

The matter has emerged at a time when the armed forces are grappling with complexities related to induction of women in combat roles and framing a comprehensive policy for giving females wider responsibilities in the services.

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"A few months ago, this sailor decided to change his sex and turn into a woman. He came in contact with some outsiders and underwent an operation on his own, spending his own money to become a woman," a senior Navy source told Mail Today.

Sex reassignment is a surgical procedure by which transgender persons' physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble that socially associated with their identified gender.

WHY THE SEX CHANGE OPERATION

The sailor, who is posted at INS Eksila base of the Navy in Visakhapatnam, now wears saris and has grown her hair out while in service.

"We have recommended her discharge from service and proceedings in this regard have been initiated and she would quit soon," the source said. Officials in the Navy said till the time the sailor gets discharged from the force, she has been given lighter responsibilities as women cannot be employed in seafaring duties since this is not yet permitted in the force.

In May this year, the US government released from prison a former army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act.

Bradley Manning delivered hundreds of thousands of classified documents that he found troubling to WikiLeaks, and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. In 2014, Manning, who is transgender, was granted the right to be legally recognised as Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

Sources said the Vizag sailor is attached with the office of the commanding officer of INS Eksila, which falls under the force's eastern naval command. They added that the seaman, who is from the engineering branch of the Navy, told the authorities that he was feeling "like a woman trapped in a man's body" and that is why he underwent the surgery.

The sailor, sources said, is satisfied with the Navy's decision to discharge her as the rules in the force do not allow women to serve in ranks below the officer cadre.

NO COMMENTS FROM THE LADY

Mail Today could not reach the lady sailor for her comments. Sources said the sailor was married before the sex change operation but more details are not available. Senior Navy sources said recruitment rules for sailors mandate that the candidate appearing for the recruitment has to be a male and, therefore, there is no issue in relieving her from service.

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The Navy Act, which has rules to handle such cases, does not provide for dealing with or punishing such personnel who undergo sex change.Navy sources in Delhi said the case has also been taken up with the ministry of defence as this is an unprecedented situation.

"We have asked the government on the action to be taken by us regarding the sailor as she has spent her own money to change sex," a Navy source said. Navy soldiers who have worked with the sailor say there is awkwardness while working with her as she had served with them shoulder to shoulder in the force.

Also Read

How Indian and Chinese navy fought off pirate attack in Gulf of Aden: All you need to know

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Utah residents who look forward to retiring in their state just got some good news in a report that names the state as the best in which to grow old.

Those who hope to age gracefully in Wyoming, North Dakota, and New York may face more of a challenge. Those states are ranked as the three worst.

All 50 states were ranked by the elder care resource site Caring.com on 13 categories including quality, cost and availability of health care for seniors. The calculations also incorporated a state-by-state well-being ranking for older Americans.

Utah, No. 17 in well-being, had respectable scores across all the categories and was the only state to make it into the top 15 for both quality of life/health care (No. 7) and cost (No. 14).

New York, No. 33 in the well-being ranking, was singled out by Caring.com for its extremes. The very high cost of the states health care doesnt produce results close to commensurate with that spending, according to the report. While New York ranked 46th in cost (the lower the rank, the higher the cost), its life/health care quality rank was 34 (the lower the rank, the worse the quality). Massachusetts had a similar pattern; it ranked 49th in cost and 18th in quality. Thats reflective of a larger trend in the U.S.  high spending on health care isnt translating into longer lives.

Higher costs show more of a payoff in Washington state and California. Washington is 38th for cost and is the top state for quality of life and health care. California has a cost ranking of 36 and quality ranking of 3 (its tied with Oregon for quality).

The ranking, which drew on data from the U.S. Census, the insurer Genworth, AARP, the Commonwealth Fund, and Gallup-Healthways, among others, also factored in 150,000 consumer reviews from Caring.coms database of facilities and care providers for seniors. The availability, quality and cost of care for the elderly got greater attention in the report than some of the common measures used in retirement destination rankings.

One reason we call this report the best states to grow old, versus best states to retire, is because its really important for people to plan out their 60s, 70s and 80s with as much care as they plan their retirement in their 30s, 40s and 50s, said Tim Sullivan, vice president at Caring.com. Your needs change as you age, and they are not always going to be driven by the sort of leisure or amenities or weather considerations that are what a lot of people think about retirement.

Thats true, but since many Americans dont even have clear retirement plans, its also a tall order. In addition, quality and cost of health care can be wildly different for someone who lives in, say, New York City and someone who lives in Buffalo, New York. And older Americans living in Wyoming, North Dakota or New York arent going to make plans to pack up at 70 and move to Utah.

The reports greatest utility is in sparking serious thought about how you want to grow old, and in helping you get a feel for how realistic that is given how and where youre living now. Rankings are just a starting point for more investigation, and an excuse for initiating conversations with loved ones and friends about the options theyre considering.
A former Council Bluffs assistant city attorney has been indicted on drug charges.

Don Bauermeister, 44, of Omaha, was charged by a federal grand jury with possessing with intent to distribute about 13 pounds of marijuana, according to court documents.

Reached at his house late Friday, Bauermeister declined to comment. A lawyer representing him could not be reached.

A city employee since February 2003, Bauermeister resigned in mid-June. At the time, City Attorney Dick Wade said Bauermeister gave no reason for his resignation.

The indictment was handed down Thursday. The allegation covers a period from November 2016 to Jan. 9, 2017.

The maximum penalty if convicted is five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Nebraska.

On Friday, Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh declined to comment beyond noting, Its unfortunate.

The World-Herald News Service contributed to this report.
By PTI: Hyderabad, Aug 26 (PTI) The opposition parties have already concluded that they cannot win 2019 general elections, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said here today.

"In a way, we dont have to worry much about 2019. Thats why we can focus on (goals for) 2022. Opposition parties have decided that `we cant come (to power) in 2019, they are going to Norway or Italy," he said, speaking at a BJP meeting here.

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Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi chose to visit Norway when the leaders of his party in Gujarat wanted to kick off their campaign for Assembly elections, Madhav claimed.

"Elections are two months away in Gujarat. Gujarat Congress leadership wanted to start campaign on September 1, proposed a big rally, (and) our opposition leader Rahul Gandhi left for Norway," he said.

Congress is not going to gain anything in the Assembly polls in Gujarat this year, in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 2018 or in Delhi (Lok Sabha elections) in 2019, he said.

"Thats why he is doing `yatras to Norway, Italy," the BJP leader quipped.

Mahatma Gandhis suggestion that the Congress should be dissolved as a political party (post-Independence) is going to be implemented with Rahul Gandhi at the helm, he said.

BJP has the leadership of Narendra Modi to achieve its goal of developed India by 2022, Ram Madhav said.

The NDA government would take along other parties, including even opposition parties like TRS and Trinamool Congress to make the country great, he said.

However, the ruling TRS in Telangana "will have to answer questions from people" and the BJP would go it alone in the state, he added. PTI SJR KRK

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GRAND ISLAND, Neb.  Former State Sen. Arlene Nelson died Tuesday at Good Samaritan Society-Grand Island Village. She was 92.

Nelson served in the Nebraska Legislature for two terms, after defeating incumbent District 35 Sen. Howard Peterson in 1984 and then successfully running for re-election against Gary Quandt, who is now a member of the Hall County Board. Nelson was defeated in her bid for a third term in office by Dan Fisher.

Nelson was a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature, but she described herself as very conservative. Her philosophy was that Nebraskans want state government to provide services but without spending excessively. People want a very conservative state government, she said.

Grand Island attorney Glen Murray, who is active in Democratic politics, said Nelson was always deliberate in her decision-making, never rushing to decide how she would vote on important legislation.

Nelson and her husband, Milford, operated their family farm near Doniphan until they moved to Grand Island in 1982. Their son, Dennis, took over the farming operations.

Nelson was active in the Nebraska Farmers Union and served as a Nebraska representative at national conventions. She was employed by the Hall County ASC office until she campaigned for the Legislature. Her other public service included being a district representative for AARP and volunteering with the American Cancer Society.
LINCOLN  Two key lawmakers strongly backed Nebraskas business tax incentives Friday despite an analysis showing that the incentives are a net drain on state tax coffers.

State Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, the Revenue Committee chairman, and Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, said incentive programs play an important part in the states economic development strategy.

Both questioned whether the analysis, done by the Nebraska Department of Revenue, considered all of the benefits from incentives.

I dont think you see the full impact from that analysis, Smith said. Incentives are targeted to long-term results.

The two commented following a briefing for lawmakers about the annual Revenue Department report on incentive programs.

The briefing came one day after news broke that Nebraska is in the running to land a $1.6 billion, 4,000-employee auto assembly plant planned by Toyota and Mazda.

State business leaders said Thursday that tax incentives are needed to compete for the jobs and investment such a plant would bring.

But some state senators said closer scrutiny is warranted to determine whether the tax incentives are producing the desired results.

Sen. Kate Bolz of Lincoln, the Appropriations Committee vice chairwoman, said she believes Nebraska needs a new vision for tax incentives that meet the needs of the 21st century.

She said the state needs to balance business tax incentives with other kinds of investment that can generate economic growth, such as support for education and research.

The Revenue Department report shows that the incentive programs cost the state, rather than bring in more tax dollars.

Looking at raw numbers, Nebraska gave up $295 million in tax revenues last year in credits, refunds and tax withholding incentives.

Another department analysis attempted to account for economic activity generated by the new jobs and investment spurred by the tax incentives.

But the analysis found that lost tax revenues would exceed gains from the additional economic activity through 2025. The net cost was calculated at $50.7 million for the current year, growing to $81.8 million by 2025.

Smith and Stinner, however, said they do not believe the analysis accounts for such benefits as wage growth and spinoff businesses.

State Tax Commissioner Tony Fulton noted that the analysis does not include a number of intangible benefits, such as the higher quality of life available to people making better wages.
TECUMSEH, Neb.  Authorities are investigating the death of a 57-year-old inmate who was serving time at Tecumseh State Prison for murder.

The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said Ronald Fort died about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday at Johnson County Hospital in Tecumseh. Officials said Fort was in his prison cell when a medical incident occurred and he was taken to the hospital.

The department said Fort was serving a sentence of nearly 32 years for second-degree murder, manslaughter and a weapons crime.

Under state law, a grand jury conducts an investigation whenever anyone dies in custody or while being arrested.
U.S. Rep. Don Bacon drew shouts, boos and cheers at a wide-ranging town hall meeting in north Omaha on Saturday.

The Republican congressman from Nebraskas 2nd District answered questions on several hot-button issues, including racism, health care and President Donald Trumps proposed ban on transgender military members.

Moderators Willie Barney of the Empowerment Network and William King, founder of The Boss radio station, drew written questions from the several hundred attendees. Questioners were allowed to ask follow-up questions.

After more than an hour of sometimes tense back-and-forth at North High School, Bacon said he heard about two issues that he wants to study more: proposed cuts to Community Development Block Grants and federal employee retirement benefits.

Several attendees wanted to hear Bacons take on the white supremacist march in Charlottesville, Virginia, that erupted into violence and the presidents response.

Trump has been criticized for saying that both sides were to blame for the violence, which led to a womans death, and that there are two sides to every story.

Bacon noted that in scripted comments a day after the event, Trump condemned white supremacy. But Bacon said the presidents unscripted comments were ambiguous, and there should be no ambiguity.

Bacon said Trump should have said: When it comes to how we verbalize our displeasure and our protest, weve got to do it in a peaceful way.

On health care, Bacon said hes heard both from people who support the Affordable Care Act and those who have been harmed by rising premiums under the law.

So far, Republican majorities in the House and the Senate  who have pledged to repeal and replace the ACA, also called Obamacare  have not come to an agreement on a new health care bill.

Bacon said he wants to see changes broken into several bills that could be passed piecemeal.

Walking away and doing nothing is a failure, he said at a press conference after the town hall event.

On Trumps objection to people who are transgender serving in the military, Bacon said the military owes us a study on whether there is an objective reason that a transgender person wouldnt be able to perform military duties.

The president on Friday directed the Pentagon to end recruitment of transgender individuals, though he left the door open for those currently in the military to continue serving. Trump had earlier said he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity.

Bacon noted Saturday that people with relatively minor health issues are not allowed to serve.

Theres a lot of good people who cant serve, today, who want to, said Bacon, a retired Air Force brigadier general.

He said Trumps reasons appear to be subjective, and Bacon wants to see objective data.

I believe that anybody who wants to serve, whos physically fit, who meets the requirements, should be able to serve, Bacon said.

At the press conference, Bacon said he does not support Trumps threat to shut down the government if the House and Senate dont agree on funding for a border wall.
President Barack Obamas much-hyped restoration of relations with Cuba was a bet that diplomatic and economic engagement would, over time, accomplish what 50 years of boycott did not: a rebirth of political freedom on the island.

So far, the results have been dismal. In the two years since the U.S. Embassy in Havana reopened, repression of Cubans  measured in detentions, beatings and political prisoners  has significantly increased, while the private sector has remained stagnant. U.S. exports to Cuba have actually decreased, even as the cash-starved regime of Raul Castro pockets millions of dollars paid by Americans in visa fees and charges at state-run hotels.

Now theres another sinister cost to tally: the serious injuries inflicted on the U.S. diplomats dispatched to Havana. The State Department announced this month that two Cuban embassy staff had been expelled from Washington because of incidents in Havana that left some American diplomats and staff members with a variety of physical symptoms.

Anonymous sources have since provided shocking details: At least 16 American diplomats and family members received medical treatment resulting from sonic attacks directed at the residences where they were required to live by the Cuban government. A number of Canadian diplomats were also affected.

CBS News reported that a doctor who evaluated the American and Canadian victims found conditions including mild traumatic brain injury, with likely damage to the central nervous system. According to CNN, two Americans evacuated to the United States were unable to return to Havana, while others cut short their tours of duty.

The State Department is saying that it has not identified the source of the attacks, though it is holding the Cuban government responsible under the Vienna Convention, which requires host governments to protect diplomatic personnel. Some news reports have passed along speculation that rogue Cuban security forces might be to blame, or perhaps a third country interested in disrupting Cubas rapprochement with the United States.

Such theories must be weighed against facts there: Cuba is a small, highly disciplined police state where next to nothing goes unobserved by the regime  much less high-tech assaults on foreign diplomats.

In fact, the sonic attacks would be in keeping with, if an escalation of, harassment that U.S. diplomats have long suffered in Havana, including constant surveillance and home and vehicle break-ins. Instead of easing this abuse, the reopening of the embassy may have intensified it.

And no, the Trump administration, which has largely preserved Obamas opening, is not to blame: State says the attacks began in November 2016. Rather than seize on them, the State Department under Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has played them down; the Cubans were expelled in May, but no announcement was made until this month.

The administration appears to be giving the Castro regime the benefit of the doubt  which, considering its overall record since the restoration of relations, may be more than it deserves.
As Hurricane Harvey continued to intensify Friday, airlines have announced they will waive change fees for travelers whose plans may have included stops in and around cities in Texas. According to forecasters, Harvey is shaping up to be the strongest hurricane to hit the United States in 12 years. Already light rain has begun falling in the region.

Travelers hoping to fly in or out of the Houston airport should expect cancellations and delays, according to the Houston Airport System, which operates George Bush Intercontinental and William P. Hobby airports, two of the busiest aviation hubs in the country.

By late Friday morning, airlines had canceled more than 100 flights at both airports, while dozens of other flights were delayed, the airport system reported.

Corpus Christi International Airport also said Friday morning that "all flights [are] canceled for the foreseeable future."

Airlines, including Delta, JetBlue and American, said they would waive fees for travelers rebooking travel through cities in Texas and Louisiana. Two large U.S. carriers  American and Southwest  are based in Texas.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines said travelers who are traveling through, to and from the following cities in Texas: Austin, Beaumont/Port Arthur, Brownsville, College Station, Corpus Christi, Houston, McAllen/Mission and San Antonio and Lake Charles in Louisiana, may be able to change their trips without an extra charge under the following conditions:

 Are traveling on an American Airlines flight

 Bought their ticket by Aug. 23

 Are scheduled to travel Aug. 25 - 27

 Can travel through Aug. 30

 Don't change their origin or destination city

 Rebook in the same cabin or pay the difference

United Airlines will waive change fees and any difference in fares for new United flights departing on or before Sept. 1 as long as travel is scheduled in the originally ticketed cabin and between the same cities as in the original itinerary. Original travel dates must be between Aug. 25 and Aug. 29 through, to or from the following airports: Austin, Brownsville, College State, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Houston, Laredo, McAllen and San Antonio in Texas and Lake Charles in Louisiana.

Dallas-based Southwest Airlines, which does not charge change fees said that passengers flying to, through or from Austin, Corpus Christi, House, Harlingen and San Antonio may want to alter their travel plans since flights may be canceled, delayed or diverted.

Airlines are advising passengers to check with their carrier before leaving for the airports.

According to the flight tracking website, FlightAware.com, only a small number  150 flights within, into or out of the United States were canceled as of midday Friday, but those numbers could grow as the hurricane intensifies and the airlines opt to cancel or delay flights.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Aug 26 (PTI) Pakistan has over 10,000 transgender population, with 64.4 per cent of them living in the countrys largest Punjab province, according to provisional census data.

The details of sixth Population and Housing Census were yesterday shared with the top level inter-provincial Council of Common Interests, headed by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.

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The report shows that the total population of transgender people is 10,418, with 64.4 per cent or 6,709 living in Punjab province.

Another 2,527 or 24 per cent are in Sindh while Khyber (KP) Pakhtunkhwa has 913 and Balochistan has 109 transgender people. In the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), the population of transgender people is 27 and in Islamabad 133.

Earlier, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) included separate codes for disabled and transgender people in the census on the order of the Supreme Court.

The report shows that 7,651 people in the category lived in urban areas and 2,767 in villages.

Pakistans population has surged to 207.8 million, a 57 per cent spike since the last census in 1998, according to the census data released yesterday which was conducted by the PBS earlier this year after a gap of nearly two decades.

The results show that 30.5 million people reside in KP, 5 million in Fata, 47.9 million in Sindh, 12.3 million in Balochistan, 2 million in Islamabad, while Punjab ? the largest province in terms of population ? houses 110 million people.

The survey reveals an acceleration in the population growth rate of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas, even as growth in Punjab and Sindh has slowed compared to previous results. PTI SH AMS AKJ AMS

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5 years ago Hill residents had demanded Baba Ram Rahim be declared Persona non grata in Darjeeling

India

oi-Amitava

Darjeeling, August 26, 2017: While an anonymous letter from a female disciple in 2002 to the then Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee resulted in the conviction of Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case, earlier it was the women force of Darjeeling that had halted the self styled flamboyant God man's advances in the Queen of the Hills.

Darjeeling in 2012 had demanded that Singh and his followers be declared Persona non grata (unwelcome or unwanted) in the Hills.

Darjeeling's tryst with the Baba goes back to 2011. Having failed to set up base in Nepal and Sikkim, the Baba chose Darjeeling as his base in West Bengal. Since 2011 the Baba had been frequenting the Hills.

Initially people in the Hills did not mind the Baba's quaint ways. His flamboyant ways; riding an all terrain vehicle in town and his bizarre dress up (usually in tight slacks) surrounded by young Sadhvis dressed in white quickly earned him the name "Slacks- Baba" in the Hills.

He along with his followers, shot into the limelight while pitching in to help in the devastating fire at the main market square of Darjeeling on April 20, 2012.

A company in the name of ARZ Enterprises then bought 4 acres of land at Bokshijhor, 3km from Darjeeling town in September 2011. The Baba started constructing an ashram in this plot.

Dera Sacha Sauda followers arrived in Darjeeling and started constructing a two storied structure in the land that was to serve as an Ashram. However, work was halted by the Darjeeling Municipality.

"Without a building plan passed and mutation the construction had started. We have given them time till June 6, 2012 to dismantle the two storied structure failing which the Darjeeling Municipality had decided to dismantle it" stated Amar Singh Rai, the then Chairman of the Darjeeling Municipality.

On June 7, 2012, the Gorkha Janmukti Nari Morcha (GJNM) along with other frontal organisations of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) in a memorandum to the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling requested that Baba Gurmeer Ram Rahim Singh and his followers hailing from "other states" be declared Persona non grata in Darjeeling.

On a more threatening note, they have pledged to stop the Baba's climb to the Hills from the foothills at Sukna, if the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief plans to return back to the Darjeeling Hills.

In what was a mammoth rally witnessed by the Hills in recent times supporters of the GJM including school students, carrying black flags, marched in unison to halt Baba Ram Rahim's return back to the Hills.

In the memorandums, the GJNM had then written "As you are aware that this sect in shrouded in controversies like rape, murder and conspiracy. The Baba and his disciples are unwelcome to establish a foothold in Darjeeling. We strongly feel that Darjeeling will be a better place without them. Their stay is catalysing social unrest which will precipitate serious law and order problems."

There were widespread allegations that the followers of Baba were trying to lure womenfolk from the age group of 18-30 years with jobs of domestics promising to pay Rs. 2500/- a month. They were taking advantage of the unemployed economically deprived women of the Hills, complained many.

The people of Darjeeling specially women had begun to feel intimidated by Baba's followers who were constantly throwing their weight around in town.

There were allegations that Baba's men, especially his Z plus category security, caused immense jams, threw out people from market complexes and restaurants during Baba's visits to these places and even stopped Ambulances thereby making way for Baba's cavalcade. There had been a number of confrontations between Baba's followers and locals.

His cavalcade included 4 black luxury high-end vehicles of the same make, identical looks and even sporting the same numbered plates. He used to ride in one and the rest were used as decoy vehicles.

The house at Bokshi Jhora is still under construction. All the Municipal formalities required for construction have been completed. A few Dera Sacha Sauda disciples can still be seen in the house.

"Baba is innocent. He has not done anything wrong" stated a disciple from Haryana who has been residing in the unfinished building in Darjeeling and helping with the construction. There are unconfirmed reports that the Baba had plans to sell off the building.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for the last time had arrived in the Hills on May 31, 2012. Fearing unrest, he had cut short his stay and hurriedly departed on June 6, 2012. He has not returned to Darjeeling since then.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 23:58 [IST]
After co-pilot falls ill, Qatar flight makes emergency landing in Hyderabad

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

A Qatar Airways flight made an emergency landing at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on the outskirts of Hyderabad in the early hours of Saturday, when a co-pilot complained of severe heart pain. The flight (QR 964 DOH-DPS) was flying from Doha to Denspar airport in the Indonesian city Bali.

There were 240 passengers plus crew on the flight at the time of the incident.

According to airport authorities, the co-pilot named Andre Dinu (34), complained severe pain in heart and lungs. The attack was so severe that the crew member reportedly collapsed while the plane was in the air, officials said. The incident took place when the flight was passing through the Indian sub-continent at midnight. The other pilot after consulting with the RGIA air traffic control for permission for emergency landing, went ahead with it. It was reported that the landing was made around 12:05 AM.

Doctors attended to Dinu immediately after landing and after finding his condition critical, they immediately rushed him to the Apollo Hospitals in Jubilee Hills at around 1.20 AM. His condition is said to be stable.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways is said to have made an alternative arrangements for the stranded passengers to reach their destinations. The flight took off from Hyderabad at 3 AM with 240 people on board.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 16:11 [IST]
International news brief: Floods trap many in Florida; Royal Mint unveils first coins and more

Bihar mein baadh aaya nahi, baadh laya gaya, Lalu attacks Modi over flood relief funds

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Patna, August 26: The politics over floods in Bihar heated up on Saturday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state to conduct an aerial survey of the affected areas.

PM Modi after reaching Purnia boarded a chopper with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and flew over flooded areas of the state to take stock of the situation.

The PM's visit came just a little less than a month after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) joined hands with the Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) to form a fresh government in the state.

The BJP-JD(U) alliance came to power after JD(U) chief and Bihar CM Nitish broke ties with the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance). The Grand Alliance was formed by the JD (U) with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress before the 2015 Bihar Assembly elections to give a tough fight to the BJP and the PM.

The Grand Alliance succeeded in its mission and formed the government in the state after elections. But, the alliance government even before celebrating two years in power was left in tatters as the JD(U) "backstabbed" the RJD and the Congress.

Thus a sore chief of the RJD, Lalu Prasad Yadav, decided to attack Nitish and Modi over floods that have created havoc in Bihar.

"When Bihar suffered due to floods in the past, Modi ji didn't feel it was important enough to visit the state then. He didn't allocate even a single penny for flood relief in the past," Lalu told ANI.

Lalu's attack over flood relief funds came after the PM declared an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore for the affected people of the state.

Lalu also alleged that the floods in Bihar are manmade and resulted due to opening up of dam gates. "In Bihar, floods did not come; it was brought in by an engineer of Nitish, who opened the dam gates. (Bihar mein baadh aaya nahi, baadh laya gaya, Nitish ka engineer baandh (dam) kaat ke baadh le aaya)" alleged Lalu.

Prior to the aerial survey, Modi chaired a review meeting in Purnia with senior officials, the CM and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi. As per reports, the death toll in the massive deluge in the state rose to 418 on Friday.

The flood situation in the state worsened on Friday as 19 districts were inundated affecting at least 1.67 crore residents, most of whom have become homeless.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 13:54 [IST]
Nike comes up with shoes that can be tied with smartphone

From George Bush to G V L Narasimha Rao, leaders who were attacked with shoes

Chinese shoes packed in Tricolour boxes creates furore in Uttarakhand

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Chinese shoes packed in Tricolour boxes were found at Uttarakhand which has many furious. This incident is being reported amidst the tense Doklam standoff.

The police have started investigating the incident which was reported from Almora.

The local shopkeepers in Uttarakhand's Almora informed the police that they had been delivered shoes in boxes bearing the Tricolour, allegedly from China following which police have started investigation.

Almora Senior Superintendent of Police P. Renuka Devi said putting the shoes in boxes with the National Flag was an insult to the Tricolour.

Udham Singh Nagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sadanand Date said the police questioned the owner of Tammana Traders in Rudrapur, who said that he bought the shoes from a distributor in Delhi and did not know their place of origin. "We would be questioning the dealer in New Delhi to ascertain the origin of these shoes", said the SSP.

The case has been filed by the shopkeepers Bishan Bora against the shoe supplier of Rudrapur. Bora claimed as soon as he opened the consignment he found only seven seven shoe pair in proper box and rest of the pairs came in the tricolur box.

"I received the goods on Thursday and when I opened the bags, I was shocked. I called the police, sensing something wrong," said shopkeeper Bishan Bora, who filed the initial complaint.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) district president of Almora Lalit Latwal asserted the administration swung into action after he intervened.

OneIndia News
Khattar's defence: Criminals infiltrated Dera followers

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

In an apparent move to shield the followers of spiritual guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim, who went on rampage on Friday which killed around 30 people and injured 350, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Khattar said some anti-social elements inflitrated with Dera followers resulting in the widespread violence.

The CM said criminals, who had infiltrated the crowd of Dera Sacha Sauda followers, violated the law and vowed to punish them.

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"Some anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers of Dera after Ram Rahim was held guilty by the CBI court in the case involving the Dera chief, resorted to violence and disrupted the peace."

"Strict action is being taken against these persons. No one is above the law and strict action will be taken against anyone who tries to take the law into his hands," the CM had said earlier.

Dera followers on a rampage across North Karnakata burnt cars, motorcycles and damaging other public property after a court convicted their flamboyant spiritual guru for raping two followers at the headquarters of the sect in Sirsa town in 2002.

As the violence intensified Police personnel deployed in riot resorted to firing tear gas shells, pellet guns and finally, with firearms with regular ammunition. Haryana's police chief BS Sandhu later told reporters they had not been able to identify the people who had lost their lives yet.

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High court slammed the Haryana police for allowing thousands of Dera followers to assemble in Panchkula despite having clamped prohibitory orders there. The high court said it doesn't want a repeat of the Jat agitation where the police and state government had badly failed to deal with violent protestors.

The high court asked the Haryana police to use whatever force it needs to deal with the violence. It also told the police to register FIRs if any politician flares up sentiment.

OneIndia News
International news brief: Floods trap many in Florida; Royal Mint unveils first coins and more

Modi conducts aerial survey of flood-hit Bihar; announces Rs 500 crore relief package

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

Patna, August 26: Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Purnia, Bihar from the national capital to conduct an aerial survey of flood-hit areas of the state on Saturday. The PM along with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar boarded a chopper to take stock of the situation.

After the aerial survey of flood-hit areas in Bihar, the PM declared an immediate relief of Rs 500 crore for the affected people of the state, reported ANI.

The PM also assured all possible assistance for relief measures and promised that a central team will be sent to assess the damage, added the ANI report.

Prior to the aerial survey, Modi chaired a review meeting in Purnia with senior officials, the CM and deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi.

As per reports, the death toll in the massive deluge in the state rose to 418.

The flood situation in the state worsened on Friday as 19 districts were inundated affecting at least 1.67 crore residents, most of whom have become homeless.

A release by the state disaster management department said that the flood waters, however, have receded in some places, prompting many to return to their homes. The number of relief camps also dropped to 368 from 624, in which 1.59 lakh people were staying, added the release by the state disaster management department.

A few days ago, deputy chief minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi announced about the PM's forthcoming aerial survey of the state. "PM coming on 26th Aug for aerial survey of flood affected dists of Bihar (sic)," Bihar's deputy CM said in a tweet.

Bihar's deputy CM added that he had made a request to the PM for a visit to Bihar during a meeting of CMs and deputy CMs of BJP-ruled states in Delhi earlier this week.

He said during the meeting all BJP-ruled states were asked to contribute to flood relief work in Bihar.

As per figures, Araria district alone accounted for 87 deaths followed by Sitamarhi 43, Katihar 40, West Champaran 36, East Champaran 32, Madhubani 28, Darbhanga 26, Kishanganj 24, Madhepura 22, Gopalganj 20, Supual 16, Purnea nine, Saharsa eight; Khagaria, Saran and Muzaffarpur seven each, Sheohar four and Samastipur two. Luckily, no deaths were reported from Siwan district, as per reports.

Food has been provided to a total of 3.54 lakh affected people in 1,403 community kitchens operational in the marooned areas of Bihar, the release by the state disaster management department stated.

A total of 28 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams comprising 1,152 personnel with 118 boats are taking part in rescue and relief operations, it said. Apart from NDRF, 16 teams of the State Disaster Response Force comprising 466 personnel are helping people in the flood-hit areas with the help of 92 boats.

A total of 630 army personnel in seven teams are assisting in relief and rescue operations with 70 boats, the release added.

In the last few days, CM Nitish Kumar visited a couple of flood-hit areas in the state to take stock of the situation. However, affected people alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Janata Dal (United) (JD(U)) government has not done enough to give relief to them.

OneIndia News
Dera violence: Congress demands Presidents rule in Haryana

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Congress on Saturday demanded imposition of President's Rule in Haryana for its failure to stop the violence that spread across Haryana, Punjab, Rajastan after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim in a rape case.

The paty also called for the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar, with party president Sonia Gandhi expressing grave concern over the violence in the state.

In a scathing attack on the BJP government in Haryana, the party said there was a notice of one week at least before the verdict then why wasn't the paramilitary informed and prepared.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more interested in saving the seat of his 'friend' Khattar, the party said. We appeal for peace again and we hope that the Central government will abide by rajdharma and impose President's rule in Haryana.

"The sovereign power of the state is being insulted but they are not able to provide the paramilitary or the army. The Congress stands for a constitutional issue to be settled constitutionally," said Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi.

Govt must resign on moral grounds. If it don't, Centre must impose President's Rule here: BS Hooda, Former Haryana CM said while addressing the reporters.

At least 30 people were killed and 350 injured on Friday in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana triggered by the rape conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

OneIndia News
Despite rains, reservoirs have less than average water level in southern states

India

oi-Anusha

Despite heavy rains and a good monsoon, reservoirs across southern States have low water levels. Out of the 31 reservoirs in Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala monitored by the Central Water Committee, live water storage capacity is merely 16.44 Billion Cubic Metres (BCM). The current water level is just 32 per cent as against the capacity of 51.59 per cent.

Parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been witnessing heavy rainfall over the last week. While the rains were a welcome sign, they have done little to replenish reservoirs that are important to ensure water supply for the states until next monsoon. The live storage in all of the 31 reservoirs during the same time last year was 44 per cent. The average for the last ten years in 62 per cent. This year, the live storage capacity is lower than last year's a well as the average of the last ten years.

According to Chennai Metro water data, Poondi reservoir has 140 feet water as against the full capacity of 3,231 feet. Water level at Cholavaram reservoir is at 64.50 feet as against 881 feet.

The water level in three reservoirs in Maharashtra and one shared by Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is at 0 per cent, which means dead storage. The water in the reservoirs cannot be disbursed. Tamil Nadu has recovered from low rainfall in July with August rains raising hopes but water levels in reservoirs are still low. Water is being released to the state from upper riparian Karnataka via the KRS dam. Reservoirs in Kerala, however, paint a grim picture with water levels lower than 30 per cent of full capacity.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 11:24 [IST]
Bimal Gurung who is in hiding to depart for Delhi soon

Gorkhaland agitation: Gurung says he is ready for dialogue with Mamata Banerjee

Gurung to skip Kolkata talks

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling, August 27, 2017: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha Chief Bimal Gurung is all set to skip the all party meeting of the Darjeeling Hill parties in Kolkata on August 29. The GJM on Saturday announced the names of a 5 member team to attend the talks.

GJM Chief Coordinator Binay Tamang will be heading the team.

Incidentally, on August 22, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that a meeting would be held at 4 pm on August 29 at Nabannya to be attended by all hill parties wanting peace and normality in the Hills. The meeting was in response to a letter written by Mann Ghising, President, Gorkha Liberation Front (GNLF) seeking the CM's intervention to resolve the Darjeeling impasse.

Political observers feel that as Gurung is charged in multiple cases under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Gurung has decided to stay away from the meeting lest he be arrested. The Kolkata meeting will be chaired by CM Mamata Banerjee.

On Saturday the GJM made public the names of leaders who would be attending talks. The GJM team will be led by Binay Tamang, Chief Coordinator, GJM along with Dr. RB Bhujel -President, GJM Kalimpong District Committee; Anit Thapa- Assitant general Secretary from Kurseong; Tshering Dahal, GJM Terai Convenor and Rohit Thapa-

Organising Secretary, Dooar's committee.

The GJM had earlier declared that they would participate in the Kolkata meeting and would also press for the creation of Gorkhaland. Meanwhile, the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee ( a conglomeration of 14 pro Gorkhaland outfits) will be meeting on Sunday to decide whether to attend the Kolkata meeting or not.

The GMCC has demanded that the CM send a formal invitation marked to the GMCC.

"On receipt of the letter we will decide whether to attend or not. Some constituent parties of the GMCC have decided not to attend" stated Kalyan Dewan, Coordinator.

The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxist (CPRM- a pro Gorkhaland outfit ) has already declared that they will be not be attending the Kolkata meeting.

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Story first published: Sunday, August 27, 2017, 0:28 [IST]
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Aug 26 (PTI) The Pakistan government paid a hefty blood money to secure the release of a private US defence contractor who killed two Pakistani citizens in 2011, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has admitted.

Asif was responding to a question in the senate by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazls (JUI-F) senator Hafiz Hamdullah who demanded debate into the release of Raymond Davis who went scot-free after killing two Pakistanis in Lahore in 2011.

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Davis, 42, was arrested in Lahore in 2011 on charges of killing two Pakistani citizens and thus kicked off a huge diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Asif said a lot of government officials were involved in the release of Davis but asked the house to resist from initiating a debate as it would only bring "embarrassment".

"Even the families of the people killed by Davis were compensated by the government of Pakistan and not by the US," he said.

Asif said those who played a role in his release "might have done so for their own vested interests".

"These people who played a role in his release compromised national dignity in the process," he said.

The Davis episode strained ties between Pakistan and the US as American policymakers pressed for diplomatic immunity for Davis and pushed for his immediate release.

The CIA contractor spent 49 days in Pakistani custody, and was released on March 16, 2011 after the families of the two slain men reached an agreement with the government.

Though Asif did not mention the amount, Geo news said the families of victims were paid USD 2.4 million in blood money.

The Lahore High Court acquitted him on all charges and Davis was flown out of Pakistan. PTI SH UZM NSA

--- ENDS ---
How did Dera chief Ram Rahim spend the first night in jail

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A special CBI court at Panchkula convicted Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on rape charges. From the court, he was taken to a prison in Rohtak, Haryana where he was lodged in a special cell.

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He was flown out of the court premises in a helicopter straight to the make shift jail in Rohtak. His assistant has been allowed to stay with him. He was shifted to a regular prison only late in the evening.

At the jail, he has been given a bottle of water on arrival. Sources say that he stayed silent all along and did not converse with anyone. There were no tantrums either, the source said.

Meanwhile the authorities are readying a cell for him at the Haryana jail. He is unlikely to be lodged with the rest of the inmates owing to security reasons. A special cell is likely to be set up. With regard to his request for an assistant, the jail authorities would need to take a call on the same. The prison manual does not allow an assistant to be lodged along with him.

Following the Friday verdict, large scale violence broke out in Haryana. Over 30 persons were killed and scores others injured. Public property was vandalised which prompted the Punjab and Haryana High Court to order attaching of the Dera properties to recover the loss.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 7:03 [IST]
Illegal abortions case: Doctor couple arrested in Maharashtra

India

pti-PTI

Solapur, Aug 26: The Maharashtra Police on Saturday said a doctor couple has been arrested for allegedly carrying out illegal abortions at their hospital at Akluj.

Dr Tejas Gandhi (42) and his wife Dr Priya were apprehended on Friday from a maternity and nursing home, run by them in Akluj, for alleged violation of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, they said.

According to the police, it is suspected that as many as 36 illegal termination of pregnancy have taken place at their facility and in five cases, sex determination was conducted at the nursing home's sonography centre, registered under Priya Gandhi's name.

A complaint against the duo was registered by Solapur civil surgeon M R Pattanshetty at the Akluj police station. Senior inspector at the police station Arun Sawant said the couple was arrested under relevant sections of the MTP Act and for causing miscarriage, and disappearance of evidence of offence.

Pattanshetty told PTI that he had received information from his Satara counterpart about the illegal activities being carried out at Gandhi's hospital in Akluj. He said the Satara civil surgeon came to know about the clinic after an NGO 'Lek Ladki Abhiyan', reportedly exposed two doctors in Satara, who had facilitated abortion of a married woman from Wai at Gandhi's nursing home.

"As per information, we raided the nursing home on Thursday. It was found that the clinic was an unauthorised," he said.

The officer said a register was found at the hospital which contained names of 36 women. And, in front of the names, some gynaecological procedures, done for miscarriage or abortion, were mentioned, the police said. Pattanshetty said, the (sonography) centre and the machine have been sealed and the process of registering a case in the JMFC court under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PCPNDT) has been initiated.

PTI
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J&K: 8 security personnel martyred, 3 terrorists killed in Pulwama attack

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Eight security personnel have been martyred in a terror attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama on Saturday.

IG Kashmir Munir Khan confirmed that bodies of 3 terrorists have been recovered

Terrorists struck early Saturday morning at the District Police Lines in the wee hours of Saturday.

Four policemen and four CRPF personnel have been martyred in the attack.

The terrorists opened fire on the DPL at around 4.30 am which resulted in injuries to policemen and CRPF personnel. The security forces retaliated which resulted in cross firing.

Extra forces have been rushed to the area. It is suspected that there are two terrorists at the encounter site.

OneIndia News
Post Ram Rahim conviction, Panchkula erupted due to this silly error by a cop

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A crucial error made by the police in Haryana led to the violence that erupted following the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The Haryana Home department has now placed DCP Ashok Kumar under suspension allegedly for this blunder he made.

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Everyone was baffled as to how so many people turned up at Panchkula. It may have been a result of a clerical error made by the DCP. In the order ahead of the court verdict the DCP did not speak about the assembly of persons. It only said that people are barred from carrying weapons.

Such orders need to speak about prohibiting the assembly of persons. However this order was silent on the same and hence in the absence of instructions, none tried and stopped the crowd from building up.

This is one of the primary reasons why Haryana Chief MInister, Manohar Lal Khattar has not been able to explain to the centre why the entry of people was not prohibited.

The order of the Haryana home department said that Kumar has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. During the period of suspension, he will report to the office of the DGP, Haryana, Panchkula, the order also read.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 12:28 [IST]
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

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Haryana prisons chief refutes media reports of special treatment to Dera chief

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

DGP Haryana has denied newspaper reports that Dera chief Ram Rahim Singh was given special treatment while in prison for rape case dating back to 2002.

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Some channels and papers reporting on special treatment to RamRahim. I clarify he is in Sunaria Jail, not in a guesthouse, said DG Prisons in a statement.

A media report on Friday said that Dera chief, who has been moved to a prison in Haryana's Rohtak will be lodged in a special cell, will get bottled mineral water and an assistant to stay with him.

Refuting allegations of special treatment, The DGP said that Ram Rahim is being treated as normal prisoner. No attendant provided, no AC in the cell he is lodged in.

#RamRahimSingh is being treated as normal prisoner. No attendant provided, no AC in the cell he is lodged in: KP Singh, DG Prisons (Haryana) pic.twitter.com/aLLXdUcNym  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

After being convicted and arrested, the Dera chief was taken to Rohtak by helicopter.

After he landed in Rohtak, Ram Rahim was taken to a police guest house that served as a makeshift jail. He was shifted to a prison later, media reported.

Aftermath of the judgement, Dera followers were on a rampage attacking and setting on fire vehicles and public property and clashing with the police.

At least 32 have been killed and 350 injured in the violent protests.

OneIndia News
Tuesday is now No Meeting Day in Haryana and officers to be with people on Friday

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Haryana panchayat polls: Public holiday in several districts on Nov 9 and 12

Army denies entering Dera HQ in Sirsa, Haryana

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Indian Army has issued an official statement that Army columns have not entered Dera premises in Sirsa, as some media houses reported earlier.

The Army has not been given any order so far to enter the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters, Sirsa sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Paramjit Singh Chahal told PTI, even as the defiant followers of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh stayed put at the campus.

"There is still no order for the Army to enter the campus. They are only ensuring enforcement of curfew in the area," Chahal said.

An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, are present in the sect headquarters.

However, the Army conducted a flag march in the campus. Rapid Action Force personnel and the police are accompanying the Army in this operation to evict Dera supporters.

Army and district authorities have been making announcements through loudspeakers, asking those inside to leave the premises.

In the wake of the verdict over 15,000 paramilitary forces were deployed. Intelligence suggested that the Dera followers would turn violent if there would be an adverse verdict against their chief.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered attaching of the property to recover the loss caused to the state as a result of Friday's violence. The attachment proceedings would begin as per the directive of the High Court.

Sources told PTI that Army was last night provided with the map of the sprawling dera campus, which is spread over nearly 1,000 acres and is a township on its own, with schools, sports village, hospital and cinema hall. Dera followers had arrived in droves and in Panchkula ahead of the CBI special court verdict against Ram Rahim.

OneIndia News
Ram Rahim convicted: High level meet at Delhi

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

A high level meeting is being held in New Delhi to review the situation following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Violence had erupted which left over 30 persons dead after Ram Rahim was convicted by the special CBI court on Friday.

The meeting being chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also has the National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval present in it. The chief of the Intelligence Bureau among other officials are also present in the meeting.

The meeting would assess the situation and also discuss on the future course of action. A source said that the assessment of the intelligence and security failure at Panchkula would also be done at the meeting.

The meeting would also discuss the security mechanism to be put in place on Monday which is again a very crucial day. On Monday the court would pronounce the quantum of the sentence.

Haryana and the adjoining states have been put on very high alert following the violence. There are prohibitory orders in almost all of Delhi till September 15.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 11:46 [IST]
Ram Rahim verdict: How were repeated intelligence warnings missed or ignored

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Intelligence was missing is the the normal defence that is taken following a violent incident or terror strike. However what happened in the aftermath of the Ram Rahim verdict is carelessness on part of the Haryana government.

There was not just intelligence, but specific or Grade A intelligence to suggest that the Dera Sacha followers were coming in large numbers ahead of the verdict. The Director General of Police, Punjab while citing concrete intelligence sent out a letter two days before the verdict that that Dera Sacha Sauda premises had stock of petrol and diesel in drums.

Stones and sharp-edged weapons are being stored at 'Naam Charcha Ghars.' If the court would give a verdict against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, then the devotees can use petrol and weapons to harm, destroy government and public property. Your are hereby directed to deploy sufficient manpower and made adequate law and order arrangements to ensure that all necessary steps are taken to ensure nothing untoward takes place, the letter also states, is what the DPG's letter read.

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It could not be more specific than this. The DGP had narrated what would happen two days before the chaos took place following the verdict.

The first signs of failure began when the government allowed the build up of followers. The build up had started to take place a week before the verdict. Intelligence Bureau officials told OneIndia that the DGP's letter was the latest warning. In fact the Intelligence Bureau has been issuing warnings a week before itself.

It is not clear how seriously the government took the warnings despite the writing being on the wall. The Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had said all security arrangements were in place. He said that the police were capable of controlling the situation and ensuring that things did not go out of hand. That was not to be and the violence that erupted on Friday clearly shows that the state had failed on all counts.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 7:13 [IST]
Ram Rahim verdict: Will the Khattar government step down?

India

oi-Shreya

By Shreya

Public and private properties were damaged, over 30 deaths and 250 critically injured after a special CBI court held Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape - dating back to 2002.

Post the verdict, enraged followers of the self-styled Godman outraged - which took a violent turn, affecting Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and parts of Delhi, and Section 144 of the CrPC had to be imposed to restore peace.

While many are questioning the lackadaisical approach of the Haryana State Government and Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, it should be kept in mind that this is not the first time the Khattar Government has shown blatant apathy and negligence.

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In the case of self-styled godman Rampal, who claimed to be the successor of Kabir, the Haryana Government allowed protesters to gather at his ashram in Hisar - from where Rampal was arrested along with his followers in 2014. 5 women and 1 child were killed in the clashes between the police and the protestors.

The protestors were booked on charges of attempt to murder, sedition, hoarding illegal weapons, conspiracy and aiding and abetting suicide-mongers.

Background - Rampal triggered outrage when he criticised the central text of Arya Samaj, giving rise to violence between the two sects. He was charged with murder and spent 22 months in jail, but was released on bail later. Post which he skipped court hearing and was finally arrested in 2014.

The Haryana Government clearly did not take a leaf out of the violence that erupted in the Rampal case and let violence escalate during the 2016 Jat agitation - reservation for the Jats in government jobs and educational institutions.

In spite of being fully aware that the Jats would hold state wide protests, under the garb of 'peaceful demonstrations' the Haryana Government failed to realised the seriousness of the matter, which led to the damage of properties worth crores in Haryana. Several people lose their lives before the Army could contain the situation.

Is the BJP's proximity to the Dera Sacha Sauda Chief to be blamed for the situation at present?

In 2014, the Dera Chief Ram Rahim had extended support to the BJP for both the Haryana State elections and the General Elections. After the poll results were announced, many BJP candidates, who won the Vidhan Saba Polls reached Sirsa to meet the Dera Chief who had extended support for the party.

It is evident that the closeness of the ruling government in the State, to the Dera Chief and his followers, who campaigned for BJP's victory, could be a reason for the adept measures not being taken to avoid gathering in Panchkula, ahead of the rape verdict.

Even after the massacre, Chief Minister Khattar has neither offered apology nor assurance. His cabinet ministers could only offer vague comments like the law will take its own course.

Manohar Lal Khattar should take responsibility for the grave negligence of the State Government, which did not take preventive and precautionary measures, even after directed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had warned of violence much before the verdict was pronounced in the case.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 13:43 [IST]
Six-storey building collapses in Mumbai, 5 feared trapped

India

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By Vikas

Five persons are feared to be trapped under the debris after a building collapsed during demolition in Mumbai's Sagharsh Nagar on Saturday. One person has been rescued so far.

Two JCB earth movers and one Poclain equipment is also said to be trapped under the rubble of the six-storey building, said reports,

On July 25, a building had collapsed in Mumbai's Ghatkopar area leaving 17 people dead and 12 injured. Residents had then accused Shiv Sena leader Sunil Shitap of making alterations to the building for commercial purposes in 2009 and constructing a hospital on its ground floor.

[This is how Shiv Sena leader caused Ghatkopar building collapse that killed 17]

Parksite police had registered a criminal case against Shitap. Others were booked under sections 304 (causing death by negligence), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 19:42 [IST]
Former reporter of Bulgarian Trud daily Dilyana Gaytandzhieva who was dissmissed from her job on August 24, assures that Azerbaijan and Aliyev's administration stand behind the decision of her dissmissal.

August 26, 2017, 12:05 Bulgarian reporter demands UN-led investigation over Aliyev's international crimes

STEPANAKERT, AUGUST 26, ARTSAKHPRESS: Dilyana Gaytandzhieva encountered troubles following her article revealing arms supplies by Azerbaijan to terrorists by diplomatic flights.

In an exclusive interview with Armenpress Dilyana Gaytandzhieva presented details over the case. The reporter tells that on August 23 she was called to the National Security of Bulgaria.

"A Bulgarian National Security officer called me and invited to their office, where I was interrogated over my source of investigative journalism. I told them how I got that confidential document, but refused to unveil the source, since I am not obliged to do that", Dilyana Gaytandzhieva tells.

A few hours after Dilyana Gaytandzhieva left the National Security Agency, she received a call from Trud daily.

"A few hours after the interrogation I received a call from the secretary of my office, who asked me to come to the office after the workin day finishes. I went to the office and was informed that I am dismissed without any explanation. I did not even meet with the editor-in-chief.

I am convinced that influential people stand behind all these, and those people are not only from Bulgaria. This is not a personal issue, it refers to Azerbaijan which supplies terrorists and countries that are involved in the supply chain with arms by its state-run airline", says Dilyana Gaytandzhieva.

"Following the publication of that article the embassy of Azerbaijan made a complaint, saying that my article is directed against their country. Yes, it's directed against them and all those involved in that deal. The Azerbaijani embassy called on investigating my activities and now, instead of investigating the criminal activities of supplying terrorists with arms, they are trying to find out my source of information", the Bulgarian reporter told Armenpress.

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva, speaking about her dissmissal, noted that the contract has been breached without any explanation. Therefore, it's clear that the mentioned daily is not ready to act as an independent news outlet and support independent journalism.

Speaking about her future activities, the reporter informed that she plans to return to Syria and continue with her investigation freely.

"I have received wrathful comments from some Azerbaijanis closely connected with Baku. No one can stop me and now I have nothing to lose. I will continue doing what I used to do", says the Bulgarian reporter.

Dilyana Gaytandzhieva calls on all the advocates of justice and truth to unite and struggle against the illegal acts of the Aliyev regime. The reporter also wants to confront these measures of Azerbaijan and calls her professional collegues do so.

"They are afraid to express their opinions and tell the truth about Azerbaijan. I assure, Azerbaijan tries to interfere in the domestic affairs of Bulgaria. What happened with me was not the first case - I am nether the first one, nor the last one", Gaytandzhieva said.

Gaytandzhieva is convinced that the international crimes committed by Azerbaijan should be investigated by the UN.

"The Azerbaijani authorities should be brought to responsibility according to the international right. I have numerous footages and proofs that innocent people are killed in Syria by weapons supplied by Azerbaijan's stae airline", the Bulgarian reporter stresses.

The investigative reporter also noted that apart from various means of pressure imposed by Azerbaijan to limit freedom of speech, it also widely relies on bribery. They have bribed a number of Bulgarian media outlets which depict them under positive light and silence the voices of the past.

A scandalous investigation was published in the Bulgarian newspaper Trud on July 2 which reveals the Azerbaijani state circles direct engagement in supplying weapons to Islamic terrorist groups at different parts of the world.

Dilyana Gaytandzhievas investigative article mainly focuses on the illegal and large-scale export and sale of arms to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Congo by Silk Way Airlines (an Azerbaijani state-run company) under the cover of diplomatic flights.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with more inputs and changing dateline)

London/New York, Aug 26 (PTI) A Pakistani national known as "the Sultan" in the global drug-trafficking network has been arrested in a major joint UK-US operation in London, authorities have announced.

Muhammad Asif Hafeez, who was arrested in Londons Regents Park area, faces extradition to the US.

Hafeez, 58, is alleged to be the head of an organisation spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, that produced and smuggled drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, or crystal meth, and ephedrine.

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The National Crime Agency (NCA) in London said it worked with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to investigate Hafeez after he was allegedly identified as the source of large quantities of heroin being smuggled into Kenya from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In New York, officials said Hafeez was arrested based on his participation in drug-trafficking activities involving large, and in some instances multi-tonne, quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine precursor chemicals.

Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The United States plans to seek Hafeezs extradition from the United Kingdom, they said.

"The arrest of Muhammad Asif Hafeez is another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEAs priority targets," said DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent- in-Charge Raymond Donovan.

"He has been allegedly linked to a transnational criminal organisation responsible for manufacturing and distributing ton quantities of narcotics. Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide," he said.

Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H Kim said, Hafeez was a "long-time, priority target of the DEA known as the Sultan, trafficked in drugs on a massive and global scale to manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine around the world and into the United States.

Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the US, but were forced to abandon the plan after authorities seized about 18 tonnes of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, Maharashtra.

Hafeez is said to own two properties in London, and spend most of his time in Dubai, the Guardian reported.

He appeared at Westminster magistrates court yesterday for the start of extradition proceedings to the US, it said.

From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeezs alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries ? until now, the DEA said in a press release. PTI AKJ AKJ

--- ENDS ---

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Great tolerance, the CBI is sitting idle in Goa says its SP

Srijan scam: CBI registers FIR against Bihar NGO, bank officers

India

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The Central Bureau of Investigation on Saturday filed FIR against the official of a non-profit organisation and several bank executives for their alleged involvement in the Rs. 1,000-crore Srijan scam in Bihar

The CBI took over the investigation after the Bihar government referred the case to it on Thursday.

The central probe agency has registered 10 FIRs in 1,000 crore case, which was being investigated by the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police.

According to the norms, the agency re-registers the FIRs of the state police but is free to come out with its conclusion which is summed up in its final report-a charge sheet or a closure report.

The FIRs have been registered against Manorama Devi, Director of Srijan Mahila Vikash Samilti (the NGO), other officials of the organisation and bank officials, sources said. They said the agency has received the reference from the Centre to take over the investigation and necessary documents have been received from the Bihar government today.

The Bihar Police had issued a lookout notice against the secretary of 'Srijan', Priya Kumar and her husband for allegedly swindling over Rs 950 crore of government money in Bhagalpur. Priya Kumar is the daughter-in-law of Manorama Devi, the founder of the NGO.

Manorama Devi died early this year after which the NGO was being run by Priya Kumar and Amit Kumar, son of Manorama Devi, state government officials had said.

The Srijan Scam has dealt a severe blow to Nitish Kumar government of Bihar, with the opposition alleging direct involvement of the Chief Minister and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 13:42 [IST]
How Zahran Hashim converted the radical Islamists of South into violent Jihadists

A bayath, a massive suicide bombing, the Coimbatore blast was in the making for a year

With another ISIS module busted, TN has become a paradise of Islamic Jihadists

Terror funding case: NIA seizes incriminating documents pertaining to Zahoor Watali

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

In an ongoing probe into terror funding case, the NIA has unearthed incriminating documents pertaining to Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the investigating agency earlier this month.

The seized documents reportedly contain details of Watali's financial transactions which can significantly strengthen NIA's case against Watali.

The NIA seized the documents during a search at Trison Farms and Construction Pvt Ltd's office in Srinagar's Barbarshah which is owned by Watali.

Zahoor Watali, who is suspected of acting as a conduit for illegally remitting funds to the separatists, terrorists and stone-pelters in Kashmir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency earlier in August.

His arrest was carried out following the searches conducted by the NIA on August 16 at multiple locations in Srinagar, Handwara, Kupwara and Baramulla.

The searches have unearthed highly incriminating material pertaining to receipt of funds by Zahoor Watali from foreign sources and its further distribution to the terrorists and separatists in Kashmir valley for anti-India activities.

[Hurriyat terror funding: Key financial facilitator Watali arrested by NIA]

Earlier on June 3, the NIA had searched Zahoor Watali's house in Srinagar and seized incriminating documents pertaining to several financial transactions and land deals. The property documents seized have shown huge amount of cash transactions in sale and purchase.

Zahoor Watali was earlier arrested in the year 1990 by the Jammu & Kashmir Police, after it was found that he was involved in some anti-national activity. He was taken into custody along with Yaseen Malik, Sajjad Gani Lone, Bilal Lone and others and was jailed for eight months at Jammu.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 23:12 [IST]
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar says he had no role in Ram Rahim's parole

The report that nailed the Dera Sacha chief Ram Rahim

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Ram Chander Chahatrapati was shot dead after he published an anonymous letter in which the Dera Sacha chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan was accused of sexually abusing two sadhvis.

On October 24 2002, Ram Chander, the journalist who ran the newspaper Poora Sach was shot dead at point blank range in front of his house. The trial is in the final stages before the same CBI court which convicted Ram Rahim on rape charges on Friday.

The anonymous letter published by Chhatrapati in his newspaper was addressed to then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and heads of several other institutions including the Chief Juctice of Punjab and Haryana High Court.

In the three page letter written in Hindi written allegedly by a woman follower, it was stated that the Dera chief sexually exploited women.

Initially due to police inaction, Ram Chander's son had petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a probe into the murder of his father. The legal battle for Anshul began when the police did not include the Dera chief's name in the FIR. His father had battled for life for 28 years before breathing his last.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 7:00 [IST]
Who is Moin Qureshi, the billionaire meat exporter

India

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By Vicky

Who is Moin Qureshi, the meat exporter who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate. He is a meat exporter from Kanpur. He is alleged to be a well connected man in the power corridors.

Moin Akthar Quireshi studied at the Dehradun's Doon School and St Stephens College in Delhi. After studies he set up a small slaughterhouse in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh and in a quick span of time became the biggest meat exporters in the country.

Although he has several companies the flagship one is AQM which exports meat. He is a billionaire and owns a farm at the Chahattarpur, Delhi. The farm was designed by famous French architect Jean-Louis Deniot and it featured on the cover of leading design magazine, Elle Decor.

Meat exporter Moin Qureshi arrested by ED

In the run up to the 2014 elections, Narendra Modi had taken his name. He even said that due to protection by Sonia Gandhi, he was safe. He has not been probed despite being under the radar, Modi had said.

Qureshi has a daughter, Pernia who runs a fashion store. She is married to a London based chartered accountant Ajith Prasad's son, Arjun. The family is closely related to former union minister Jitin Prasad.

Biggest evader of tax:

Qureshi is alleged to be the biggest evader of Income Tax. The ED is investigating cases against him in which it is alleged that he stashed away Rs 200 crore abroad. He was under the scanner of the IT in 2011 following the grand wedding of his daughter.

Now he is hot on the scanner of various investigating agencies. The ED has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The ED has served several notices to Qureshi under the 2015-black money act for maintaining undisclosed bank accounts having over Rs 100 crore.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 10:47 [IST]
You allow a city to burn for political gains: HC on Panchkula violence

India

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By Vicky

You allow the city to burn for your political gains, the HC said. It seems as though your government has surrendered before the agitators, the HC said while pulling the Haryana government for inaction, the Punjab and Haryana court observed.

On Friday thousands of Dera followers resorted to large scale violence at Panchkula after their chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted for rape.

This was a political surrender to lure vote banks," the court observed, asking the state why it couldn't stop 200,000 followers of the sect from gathering in Panchkula despite prohibitory orders. The court also termed the reaction by the Centre on the issue as 'knee jerk."

The High Court has been very vocal on this case in particular. Before the CBI court verdict, the court had said, " don't hesitate to use force if the need be." On Friday after the protestors damaged public property, the court ordered the attachment of two Dera properties and directed the state to recover the loss.

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Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot

China interested in stable Afghanistan due to infrastructure project : US

International

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Washington, August 26: A senior Trump administration official has said China might be interested in stability in Afghanistan and South Asia as it is building an ambitious infrastructure network in the region. The official raised the matter after Beijing backed Pakistan when the US president sternly warned it against providing safe havens to terrorists.

Donald Trump, who announced his Afghanistan and South Asia policy on Tuesday, slammed Pakistan for providing safe havens to "agents of chaos" that kill Americans in Afghanistan and warned Islamabad that it has "much to lose" by harbouring terrorists.

"I think we see China is interested in seeing stability in this region. They have their One Belt and One Road (OBOR) project that they are seeking to build. So, they are looking for stability in the region," a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call.

The OBOR initiative, a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to link the economic circles in East Asia and Europe, connecting China - on land and over water - to partners in Asia, Europe and Africa. The initiative, known as the revival of the ancient Silk Road trading route, would link Asian markets with economic groups in Europe.

"And so the US will be looking for ways to work with China on our mutual goals of peace and stability in Afghanistan," the official said responding to a question on China's role in bringing peace and stability in the region and given its proximity to Pakistan.

After Trump announced his Afghan and South Asia Strategy, the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi, during which the latter urged him to value Pakistan's role in Afghanistan.

"We must value Pakistan's important role on the Afghanistan issue, and respect Pakistan's sovereignty and reasonable security concerns," Yang told Tillerson according to a Chinese statement. Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif is expected to visit China before his trip to Washington to meet Tillerson here.

Notably, China is the only country that has come out in support of Pakistan after Trump's strong statement against Islamabad in which he accused it of supporting terrorists and presence of safe havens in the country.

The senior administration official said that China will not be the only country that the US is working with, but certainly they are going be one of the important ones.

"And I do want to stress, that too often when we talk about the new strategy, people get caught up in how many troops. But when I stress the diplomatic element of this strategy and that should think about this as also a diplomatic, a surge in our regional diplomacy."

"Our diplomats will be more actively engaged with the region and with the other powers that have an interest in Afghanistan and to build support and to the extent for a peaceful and stable Afghanistan," the official said.

The official further said that there are many different regional efforts that are likely to happen and move forward. The quadrilateral coordination group comprises- US, China, Afghanistan, Pakistan. The six plus one format, which includes India and China, has been revived and is moving forward.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 20:42 [IST]
Doklam standoff: China conducts live drill in Indian Ocean

International

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By Vicky

Amidst the Doklam standoff, China has held a live fire drill in the Indian Ocean. The exercise was aimed at improving its fleet performance under real combat circumstances, the Chinese state media reported.

A Chinese naval formation consisting of the destroyer Changchun, guided-missile frigate Jingzhou and supply vessel Chaohu conducted the drill in the waters of the western Indian Ocean, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The fleet carried out strikes against "enemy" surface ships and completed transverse replenishment of fuel and drinking water during an exercise that lasted for several days, the report said without disclosing the exact location. The drill is aimed at improving the ships' performance under real combat circumstances, said Chen Denan, chief of staff of the Chinese fleet.

The fleet is on a half-year friendship visit to Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania and has conducted joint exercises with foreign navies from 10 countries since it started its voyage on April 23, the report said. Since the standoff with India at Doklam in the Sikkim section, China has been flexing its military muscle by holding several publicised live-fire exercises in Tibet.

This is the first-time in recent years, the Chinese navy has conducted the naval exercise in the Indian Ocean. The exercise followed the recent Malabar Naval exercises held in the Indian Ocean by the navies of India, the US and Japan. China, which has been ramping up its naval power to enhance its global reach, recently operationalised its first overseas logistics naval base at Djibouti at the Horn of Africa in the Indian Ocean and signed a 99-year lease to acquire the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 5:38 [IST]
Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar says he had no role in Ram Rahim's parole

Gurmeet Ram Rahim rape verdict: UK issues safety advisory to its citizens travelling to India

International

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London, August 26: In the wake of violence in Haryana and Punjab unleashed by Dera Sacha Sauda supporters the United Kingdom issued a safety advisory for its citizens travelling to India. The advisory warned of possibility of further violence after the conviction of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case.

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Ram Rahim verdict: UK issues safety advisory for its citizens in India | Oneindia News

Thousands of followers of Ram Rahim, who is the head of Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda, went on the rampage today, setting fire to vehicles, buildings and railway stations soon after a special CBI court convicted him in a 2002 rape case.

The advisory issued by the UK government asked the India-bound travelers follow the advice of the local authorities, monitor local media and keep in touch with your travel company.

"The British Deputy High Commission and British Council offices in Chandigarh are closed until on Monday August 28, due to the possibility of further serious violence. Local road and rail travel may be significantly disrupted during this period," the advisory said.

Incidents of violence were reported today in parts of the states of Haryana (particularly in Sirsa and Panchkula), and Punjab, and the Union Territory of Chandigarh, following the conviction of the leader of the Dera Sancha Sauda spiritual organisation, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

At least 32 people were killed and more than 300 others injured in the violence unleashed by Dera Sacha Sauda supporters after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case. While 28 were killed in Panchkula, three Dera supporters were killed in Sirsa, the headquarters of the cult.

PTI
'Hindu' wife willfully recites Arabic prayers to save marriage in Pakistan

International

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Islamabad, Aug 26: A 21-year-old Hindu woman who converted to Islam has been allowed by a Pakistani court to live with her Muslim husband after she insisted that she embraced the new faith willingly and refused to go with her parents.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court after hearing the case on Friday also asked the police to provide security to the couple. The family of Maria, whose Hindu name was Anooshi, had claimed that she had allegedly been kidnapped before being forcibly converted to Islam and married to a Muslim man, The Express Tribune reported.

However, Maria recited Arabic prayers in the court to prove her willful conversion to Islam, reiterating that no one pressured her to change her religion, the report said. Maria along with her husband Bilawal Ali Bhutto had sought protection from the high court owing to threats for marrying out of their free-will. When the court asked Maria to meet with her parents, she refused.

But on the direction of the court, she met them at the office of personal secretary of the judge for around 40 minutes.

Maria's mother submitted to the court that her daughter be handed over to them so that they may be able to persuade her. She also expressed fears that Bhutto may abandon Maria after some time. "In my view," Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui said, "custody of petitioner Maria cannot be handed over to her parents, with an objection that she may becompelled for conversion from Islam to Hinduism."

In case they succeed in their efforts, Justice Siddiqui noted, it will further endanger the life of the young lady. Pakistan Muslim League's (N) member and patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, said that "this tendency is merely an effort to enter into the marriage contract" which needs the attention of the court as the trend was disrupting the very fibre of the society.

He added that the concept of "Karo-Kari" (killing the couple for dishonour to family) is alien in the Hindu community and that Maria's apprehension of being killed were baseless.

When the court asked if he was ready to take custody of both the petitioners, he replied that only Maria's custody be handed over to him for counselling.

Justice Siddiqui concluded in the order that the petitioners may live together while in Islamabad and that local police shall ensure their security.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 14:31 [IST]
Knife attacker shot dead in Brussels, police call it 'terror attack'

International

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Brussels, August 26: Belgian prosecutors described a knife attack on troops in downtown Brussels as "terror attack" in which the attacker was shot dead by soldiers.

Spokeswoman Esther Natus of the federal prosecutor's office, which handles terrorism investigations, said the man twice shouted "Allahu akbar," Arabic for "God is great," as he ran at the soldiers.

"We do consider it a terror attack," Natus said. She declined to identify the man or confirm whether he was known to police, saying only that "the suspect is dead" and one of the soldiers was slightly wounded. Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said three soldiers came under attack and one had been hospitalised.

Federal Police spokesman Jonathan Pfunde also confirmed some details of the incident and said the attacker had been "neutralized." Belgium's anti-terror crisis center tweeted that the situation was "under control."

"All our support is with our soldiers," Prime Minister Charles Michel said via Twitter. "Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely."

Associated Press television images showed that police sealed off a main street near the Grand Place, a central square that is a popular tourist site. A man who lives near where the incident took place on Boulevard Emile Jacquemain said he saw the attacker lying in the street in the aftermath.

"I live right in front of the station. It was already blocked by police at the scene and there was a man lying on the ground. The police said he had been shot by soldiers," said Thomas da Silva Rosa, a public affairs consultant.

"He was lying on the ground, appeared dead," he told AP.

Since the terror attack in 2016 which left killed 32 people dead, soldiers and extra police have been deployed at public buildings and around large gatherings are on high alert for over a year.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 13:37 [IST]
By PTI: Srinagar, Aug 26 (PTI) The presence of an al-Qaeda linked militant group, headed by Zakir Musa, was not very large in Kashmir as only few people had joined it, a top Army commander said here today, asserting that the situation in the valley was much better than last year.

Musa, who was earlier heading the Hizbul Mujahideen, quit the militant outfit in May and was later appointed the head of the al-Qaeda cell Ansar Ghazwat-Ul-Hind.

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"Zakir Musa has talked of Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind, but the presence of this group is not very large as of now. There are only some people who have joined them," General Officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lt Gen J S Sandhu, told reporters here.

The Army commander was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at Delhi Public School here where he inaugurated a computer museum.

He also felicitated an employee for showing courage and helping the security forces in securing the school premises when terrorists entered it on June 25 after attacking a patrol party on the highway. Two terrorists were killed in the operation that lasted over 24 hours.

Lt Gen Sandhu said the Army had increased its operating bases in south Kashmir with an aim to clear the region of militants as part of its Operation All Out.

"Last year, the presence of terrorists in south Kashmir had increased and especially in Shopian, there was a larger presence of terrorists. We had to continue operations against them.

"So, we have opened new operating bases there, at least seven to eight in Shopian. We have also increased operating bases in Pulwama and Kulgam. The aim is to try and clear that area of the presence of terrorists," he said.

He said many local youths had joined the militant ranks in the valley.

"Yes, there have been a number of local boys who have joined the terrorists and I hope that in due course they will start realising that it is not worth it," he said.

The GoC, however, said the situation in Kashmir was much better than last year and the violence levels had reduced to a great extent.

"(The situation is) much better than say few months ago or last year. The situation is improving. There is a lot of normal activity which is going on, business activities, people are doing their normal day to day life (activities). The violence levels have reduced to a great extent," he said. PTI SSB AAR

--- ENDS ---

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North Korea fires ballistic missile

International

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By Vicky

North Korea has launched a ballistic missile according to Japan and South Korea. Reports state that the missile has landed in the Sea of Japan.

North Korea's missile flew 250 kilometres before landing into the Sea of Japan, reports also stated. The maximum altitude of the missile is however unknown. Further South Korea also said that it appears as though North Korea has fired number of short range missiles also.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the "unidentified projectile" was fired from a site in North Korea's eastern province of Gangwon. South Korea's Yonhap news agency and Japan's Kyodo news service said it may have been a ballistic missile.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 6:05 [IST]
Imran Khan discharged from hospital, to resume long march from same point where he was shot

This cop from Pakistan became a millionaire overnight: Here is how

Pakistan paid 'blood money' to secure release of CIA contractor, admits Foreign Minister

International

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In a startling revelation, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has admitted that the government paid a hefty blood money to secure the release of a private US defence contractor, Raymond Davis, who killed two Pakistani citizens in 2011.

Asif was responding to a question in the senate by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl's (JUI-F) senator Hafiz Hamdullah who demanded debate into the release of Davis who went scot-free after killing two Pakistanis in Lahore in 2011.

Davis, 42, was arrested in Lahore in 2011 on charges of killing two Pakistani citizens and thus kicked off a huge diplomatic crisis between the two countries.

Asif said a lot of government officials were involved in the release of Davis but asked the house to resist from initiating a debate as it would only bring "embarrassment".

"Even the families of the people killed by Davis were compensated by the government of Pakistan and not by the US," he said. Asif said those who played a role in his release "might have done so for their own vested interests".

"These people who played a role in his release compromised national dignity in the process," he said.

The Davis episode strained ties between Pakistan and the US as American policymakers pressed for diplomatic immunity for Davis and pushed for his immediate release.

The CIA contractor spent 49 days in Pakistani custody, and was released on March 16, 2011 after the families of the two slain men reached an agreement with the government.

A private TV channel Geo news reported that the families of victims were paid USD 2.4 million in blood money, however, Asif did not mention the amount.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 18:31 [IST]
Pakistan staring at another 1971 like situation warns Sharif

International

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By Vicky

Pakistan may face another 1971 like situation, ousted prime minister of the country, Nawaz Sharif said.

Sharif's comments came a day after the Lahore High Court banned broadcast of "anti-judiciary" remarks by him and his party men. He also targeted the country's intelligence agencies for being part of the Panama Papers investigation against him and his family members' offshore holdings.

"This is the first time in the country's history that representatives of intelligence agencies - Inter Service Intelligence and Military Intelligence - were made part of the Joint Investigation Agency (JIT) to investigate the case which is not related to terrorism and national security," he said.

Speaking at a lawyers' convention here, Sharif said the Supreme Court's July 28 decision to disqualify him has not been accepted by the masses. "This decision will be remembered as 'unjust verdict' in the country's history," he said.

During the country's 70-year history, all 18 Prime Ministers were sent home without completing their terms, he said. "This has to be stopped now and we must ensure respect of the ballot. If the people's vote is not respected, I fear that Pakistan may face an eventuality like that of 1971 when it was divided into two," he said, adding that Pakistan cannot move forward without fixing this problem.

Sharif was referring to the creation of Bangladesh in 1971 following the Liberation War against Pakistan.

"Although I have stepped down after the verdict but I have not accepted it nor the people of Pakistan. My mission is to shut down the means through which democracies are derailed and elected leaders are sent home," he said.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 5:30 [IST]
Trump signs directive to ban transgender military recruits

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By Oneindia Staff Writer

US President Donald Trump directed the military not to move forward with an Obama-era plan that would have allowed transgender individuals to be recruited into the armed forces, following through on his intentions announced a month earlier to ban transgender people from serving.

The presidential memorandum also bans the Department of Defense from using its resources to provide medical treatment regimens for transgender individuals currently serving in the military.

Trump also directed the departments of Defense and Homeland Security "to determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant," the White House official said.

Reacting to this move, Democrats said this directive was "cruel" and meant to "hurt and humiliate" the soldiers. Trump on Friday formally signed a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, directing the Secretary of Defence, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place before June 2016.

Trump alleged in the memo that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defence Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1 this year. "In my judgement, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those negative effects," Trump said.

The memo requests the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by February 21, 2018, which should be put in place on March 23, 2018.

Criticizing the decision, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump's memorandum is ordering the Pentagon to "hurt and humiliate thousands of Americans who serve in US military with strength and courage". "Prejudice, not national defence, is behind President Trump's cruel decision to kick transgender troops out of the military," she said. "A study commissioned by the Department of Defence itself found that the cost of providing medically necessary care for transgender troops would be miniscule. In fact, every year, the Pentagon spends five times more on Viagra than they would for transition-related care," Pelosi said.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler said that military service is a privilege, not a right. "I'm pleased to see the president putting military readiness first and making sure our defence dollars are spent keeping us safe. With the growing threats from Iran, North Korea, China and others, the US military cannot afford to divert precious defence dollars from our national security," she said.

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Story first published: Saturday, August 26, 2017, 14:27 [IST]
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The militants launched the attack on a guard-post upon entering Pulwama's district police lines at around 3.40 am, the police said.

By India Today Web Desk: Eight security personnel have been killed while five were injured in an encounter with militants today in Pulwama's district police lines in Jammu and Kashmir.

The martyred security personnel include four policemen and 4 CRPF jawans. Two of the four CRPF personnel include Jaswant Singh and Dhanawade Ravinder. Two CRPF personnel have received bullet injuries.

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Three terrorists have also been killed in the encounter that is still underway. The bodies of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) who were reported missing earlier have also been recovered.

The militants launched the attack on a guard-post upon entering the town's district police lines at around 3.40 am, the police said. They used grenades and gunfire.

Several families were evacuated from the vicinity of the incident. The evacuation is still on through a helicopter.

SECURITY SITUATION REVIEWED

In a statement, issued after Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in the state, the ministry said the terrorists had been cornered in a set of government quarters and action to flush them out was in process. "The exact number of terrorists is still not known and the two SPOs of Jammu and Kashmir are trapped in the building where the terrorists have been cornered," it said.

The meeting, attended by NSA Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and others, reviewed the ongoing encounter in Pulwama.

The home secretary said there were two SPOs on the sport but their fate is not known immediately. "Two SPOs were there. We are not sure whether they are safe. Some danger to their lives still exists," he said.

The home minister expressed profound sorrow over the death of a constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Police and two personnel of the CRPF and expressed condolences to the families.

Militants launched a major pre-dawn attack on a district police complex, triggering a massive gunfight in which one of them died while three others were still holed up after nearly 12 hours.

The compound houses many residential buildings.

(With inputs from agencies)

Also Read:

Jammu and Kashmir: LeT commander killed in encounter in Pulwama

Pulwama encounter: One terrorist killed, two others escape in injured condition

Watch:

Pulwama encounter: 3 security personnel killed, 7 injured in terror attack

--- ENDS ---
Five security personnel were killed and seven were injured in an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.

By India Today Web Desk: Three policemen and two CRPF jawans were killed while seven were injured in an encounter with militants today morning in police lines of Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. A terrorist was also killed in the encounter that is still underway.

Jawans suffered serious bullet injuries and several families of policemen have been evacuated from the vicinity of the incident.

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There are three blocks with 12 houses each in the police lines.

Militants holed up in a residential quarters today opened fire at security forces of 182 Battalion.

The building has been cordoned off by the security personnel. The encounter is underway with heavy exchange of fire.

#Visuals: Encounter underway at District Police Lines building in Pulwama; one Policeman has lost his life (visuals deferred) pic.twitter.com/EpqHau4q6E- ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Police sources confirmed that four militants are holed up in a police quarters in Pulwama.

More details awaited

Also Read:

Kashmir: FIR against Army after authorities confirm student's death in fake encounter

Kashmir: Encounter between militants and security forces in Handwara forest

Kashmir: Students injured after clashing with police near Handwara College

--- ENDS ---
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Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation market will grow at a CAGR of almost 15% by 2021

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The recently published report titled Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation 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 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation 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 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation 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 -a Design and improve your product development and sales strategies and enhancing your marketing activitiesa Develop business strategies by understanding the market dynamics and developments driving the Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation marketa Develop market-entry strategies and effective ways to sustain competitiona Create merger and acquisition opportunities by identifying the market players with the most innovative pipelinesa Identify the regional market potential which would further help in designing regional market strategiesa Understand the competitive scenario in the Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation marketa Take more informed business decisions by relying on the insightful opinions from industry expertsTable of ContentsJapan Satellite-based Earth Observation Market Report 20161 Satellite-based Earth Observation Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Satellite-based Earth Observation1.2 Classification of Satellite-based Earth Observation1.2.1 Type I1.2.2 Type II1.2.3 Type III1.3 Application of Satellite-based Earth Observation1.3.1 Application 11.3.2 Application 21.3.3 Application 31.4 Japan Market Size Sales (Value) and Revenue (Volume) of Satellite-based Earth Observation (2011-2021)1.4.1 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Satellite-based Earth Observation Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Satellite-based Earth Observation Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)3.1 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)3.3 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Price by Type (2011-2016)3.4 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)4 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales (Volume) by Application (2011-2016)4.1 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales and Market Share by Application (2011-2016)4.2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales Growth Rate by Application (2011-2016)4.3 Market Drivers and Opportunities5 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis5.1 DigitalGlobe5.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors5.1.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.1.2.1 Type I5.1.2.2 Type II5.1.3 DigitalGlobe Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.2 DMC International Imaging5.2.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.2.2.1 Type I5.2.2.2 Type II5.2.3 DMC International Imaging Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.3 MDA Information System5.3.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.3.2.1 Type I5.3.2.2 Type II5.3.3 MDA Information System Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.4 Skybox Imaging (Google)5.4.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.4.2.1 Type I5.4.2.2 Type II5.4.3 Skybox Imaging (Google) Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.5 ImageSat International5.5.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.5.2.1 Type I5.5.2.2 Type II5.5.3 ImageSat International Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.6 BlackBridge Group (Rapid Eye)5.6.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.6.2.1 Type I5.6.2.2 Type II5.6.3 BlackBridge Group (Rapid Eye) Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.7 Deimos Imaging5.7.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.7.2.1 Type I5.7.2.2 Type II5.7.3 Deimos Imaging Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.8 eGEO5.8.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.8.2.1 Type I5.8.2.2 Type II5.8.3 eGEO Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.9 GeoOptics5.9.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.9.2.1 Type I5.9.2.2 Type II5.9.3 GeoOptics Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.10 hisdeSAT Servicios Estrategicos5.10.2 Satellite-based Earth Observation Product Type, Application and Specification5.10.2.1 Type I5.10.2.2 Type II5.10.3 hisdeSAT Servicios Estrategicos Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)5.10.4 Main Business/Business Overview5.11 PlanetiQ5.12 Planet Labs5.13 Satellogic6 Satellite-based Earth Observation Manufacturing Cost Analysis6.1 Satellite-based Earth Observation Key Raw Materials Analysis6.1.1 Key Raw Materials6.1.2 Price Trend of Key Raw Materials6.1.3 Key Suppliers of Raw Materials6.1.4 Market Concentration Rate of Raw Materials6.2 Proportion of Manufacturing Cost Structure6.2.1 Raw Materials6.2.2 Labor Cost6.2.3 Manufacturing Expenses6.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Satellite-based Earth Observation7 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers7.1 Satellite-based Earth Observation Industrial Chain Analysis7.2 Upstream Raw Materials Sourcing7.3 Raw Materials Sources of Satellite-based Earth Observation Major Manufacturers in 20157.4 Downstream Buyers8 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders8.1 Marketing Channel8.1.1 Direct Marketing8.1.2 Indirect Marketing8.1.3 Marketing Channel Development Trend8.2 Market Positioning8.2.1 Pricing Strategy8.2.2 Brand Strategy8.2.3 Target Client8.3 Distributors/Traders List9 Market Effect Factors Analysis9.1 Technology Progress/Risk9.1.1 Substitutes Threat9.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry9.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change9.3 Economic/Political Environmental Change10 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Market Forecast (2016-2021)10.1 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales, Revenue Forecast (2016-2021)10.2 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales Forecast by Type (2016-2021)10.3 Japan Satellite-based Earth Observation Sales Forecast by Application (2016-2021)10.4 Satellite-based Earth Observation Price Forecast (2016-2021)11 Research Findings and Conclusion12 AppendixAuthor ListDisclosure SectionResearch MethodologyData SourceDisclaimerBuy Now This Report From Here:Global QYResearch() is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QYResearch holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit 1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London,E182AN, United KingdomCall: +44 20 3239 2407sales@globalqyresearch.com
Global Smartphone market to grow at a CAGR of 8.1 percent over the period 2016-2021

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The recently published report titled Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report Industry 2016 Market Research Report is an in depth study providing complete analysis of the industry for the period 2016 a 2021. It provides complete overview of Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report market. It provides brief overview of the market focusing on definitions, market segmentation, end-use applications and industry chain analysis. The study on Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report market provides analysis of market covering the industry trends, recent developments in the market and competitive landscape. Competitive analysis includes competitive information of leading players in 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 Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.Download Sample Report Copy From Here:With 153 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.Reasons to Buy this ReportThe research report will enrich your decision-making capability by helping you to aDesign and improve your product development and sales strategies and enhancing your marketing activitiesDevelop business strategies by understanding the market dynamics and developments driving the Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report 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 Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report marketTake more informed business decisions by relying on the insightful opinions from industry expertsWhy Global QY Research ?Technically acclaimed Analysts with complete industry know howRobust research methodology followed by our publishers to arrive at market estimatesFocus on technology trendsExtensive repository of market research reports to meet our clientas needsBased on extensive research, we provide clear view of real market scenario and help clients with making informed business decisionsTable of Contents1 Industry Overview of Smartphone1.1 Definition and Specifications of Smartphone1.1.1 Definition of Smartphone1.1.2 Specifications of Smartphone1.2 Classification of Smartphone1.3 Applications of Smartphone1.4 Industry Chain Structure of Smartphone1.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Smartphone1.5.1 Industry Overview of Smartphone1.5.2 Global Major Regions Status of Smartphone1.6 Industry Policy Analysis of Smartphone1.7 Industry News Analysis of Smartphone2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smartphone2.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Smartphone2.2 Equipment Suppliers and Price Analysis of Smartphone2.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Smartphone2.4 Other Costs Analysis of Smartphone2.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Smartphone2.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Smartphone3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Smartphone3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Smartphone Major Manufacturers in 20153.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Smartphone Major Manufacturers in 20153.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Smartphone Major Manufacturers in 20153.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Smartphone Major Manufacturers in 20154 Global Smartphone Overall Market Overview4.1 2011-2016E Overall Market Analysis4.2.1 2011-2015 Global Smartphone Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2015 Smartphone Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales Analysis4.3.1 2011-2015 Global Smartphone Sales and Growth Rate Analysis4.3.2 2015 Smartphone Sales Analysis (Company Segment)4.4 Sales Price Analysis4.4.1 2011-2015 Global Smartphone Sales Price4.4.2 2015 Smartphone Sales Price Analysis (Company Segment)4.5 Gross Margin Analysis4.5.1 2011-2015 Global Smartphone Gross Margin4.5.2 2015 Smartphone Gross Margin Analysis (Company Segment)5 Smartphone Regional Market Analysis5.1 USA Smartphone Market Analysis5.1.1 USA Smartphone Market Overview5.1.2 USA 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.1.3 USA 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.1.4 USA 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis5.2 EU Smartphone Market Analysis5.2.1 EU Smartphone Market Overview5.2.2 EU 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.2.3 EU 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.2.4 EU 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis5.3 Japan Smartphone Market Analysis5.3.1 Japan Smartphone Market Overview5.3.2 Japan 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.3.3 Japan 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.3.4 Japan 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis5.4 Korea Smartphone Market Analysis5.4.1 Korea Smartphone Market Overview5.4.2 Korea 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.4.3 Korea 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.4.4 Korea 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis5.5 Taiwan Smartphone Market Analysis5.5.1 Taiwan Smartphone Market Overview5.5.2 Taiwan 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.5.3 Taiwan 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.5.4 Taiwan 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis5.6 China Smartphone Market Analysis5.6.1 China Smartphone Market Overview5.6.2 China 2011-2016E Smartphone Local Supply, Import, Export, Local Consumption Analysis5.6.3 China 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales Price Analysis5.6.4 China 2015 Smartphone Market Share Analysis6 Global 2011-2016E Smartphone Segment Market Analysis (by Type)6.1 Global 2011-2016E Smartphone Sales by Type6.2 Different Types Smartphone Product Interview Price Analysis6.3 Different Types Smartphone Product Driving Factors Analysis7 Global 2011-2016E Smartphone Segment Market Analysis (by Application)7.1 Global 2011-2016E Consumption by Application7.2 Different Application Product Interview Price Analysis7.3 Different Application Product Driving Factors Analysis8 Major Manufacturers Analysis of Smartphone8.1 Samsung8.1.1 Company Profile8.1.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.1.3 Samsung 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.1.4 Samsung 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.2 LG8.2.1 Company Profile8.2.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.2.3 LG 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.2.4 LG 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.3 Apple8.3.1 Company Profile8.3.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.3.3 Apple 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.3.4 Apple 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.4 Lenovo8.4.1 Company Profile8.4.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.4.3 Lenovo 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.4.4 Lenovo 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.5 TCL8.5.1 Company Profile8.5.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.5.3 TCL 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.5.4 TCL 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.6 Nokia8.6.1 Company Profile8.6.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.6.3 Nokia 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.6.4 Nokia 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.7 Huawei8.7.1 Company Profile8.7.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.7.3 Huawei 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.7.4 Huawei 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.8 ZTE8.8.1 Company Profile8.8.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.8.3 ZTE 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.8.4 ZTE 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.9 Google8.9.1 Company Profile8.9.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.9.3 Google 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.9.4 Google 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.10 Blackberry8.10.1 Company Profile8.10.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.10.3 Blackberry 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.10.4 Blackberry 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.11 HTC8.11.1 Company Profile8.11.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.11.3 HTC 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.11.4 HTC 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.12 Sony8.12.1 Company Profile8.12.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.12.3 Sony 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.12.4 Sony 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.13 Xiaomi8.13.1 Company Profile8.13.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.13.3 Xiaomi 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.13.4 Xiaomi 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.14 Motorola8.14.1 Company Profile8.14.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.14.3 Motorola 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.14.4 Motorola 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.15 OPPO8.15.1 Company Profile8.15.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.15.3 OPPO 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.15.4 OPPO 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.16 Vivo8.16.1 Company Profile8.16.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.16.3 Vivo 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.16.4 Vivo 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.17 Coolpad8.17.1 Company Profile8.17.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.17.3 Coolpad 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.17.4 Coolpad 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.18 Cherry Mobile8.18.1 Company Profile8.18.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.18.3 Cherry Mobile 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.18.4 Cherry Mobile 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.19 BLU8.19.1 Company Profile8.19.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.19.3 BLU 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.19.4 BLU 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.20 Allview8.20.1 Company Profile8.20.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.20.3 Allview 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.20.4 Allview 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.21 INTEX8.21.1 Company Profile8.21.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.21.3 INTEX 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.21.4 INTEX 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis8.22 Doogee8.22.1 Company Profile8.22.2 Product Picture and Specifications8.22.3 Doogee 2015 Smartphone Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin Analysis8.22.4 Doogee 2015 Smartphone Business Region Distribution Analysis9 Development Trend of Analysis of Market9.1 Global Market Trend Analysis9.1.1 Global 2016-2021 Market Size (Volume and Value) Forecast9.1.2 Global 2016-2021 Sales Price Forecast9.1.3 Global 2016-2021 Gross Margin Forecast9.2 Regional Market Trend9.2.1 USA 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.2.2 EU 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.2.3 Japan 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.2.4 Korea 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.2.5 Taiwan 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.2.6 China 2016-2021 Smartphone Consumption Forecast9.3 Market Trend (Product type)9.4 Market Trend (Application)10 Smartphone Marketing Model Analysis10.1 Smartphone Regional Marketing Model Analysis10.2 Smartphone International Trade Model Analysis10.3 Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Smartphone by Regions10.4 Smartphone Supply Chain Analysis11 Consumers Analysis of Smartphone11.1 Consumer 1 Analysis11.2 Consumer 2 Analysis11.3 Consumer 3 Analysis11.4 Consumer 4 Analysisa12 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Smartphone12.1 New Project SWOT Analysis of Smartphone12.2 New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Smartphone13 Conclusion of the Global Smartphone Market Professional Survey Report 2016Buy Now This Report From Here:Global QYResearch() is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QYResearch holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit 1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London,E182AN, United KingdomCall: +44 20 3239 2407sales@globalqyresearch.com
Applicant tracking systems (ATS) market will grow steadily at a CAGR of around 9% by 2021

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The recently published report titled United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems 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, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems market considering all the major industry trends, market dynamics and competitive scenario.The United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems Industry Report 2016 is an in depth study analyzing the current state of the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems 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, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems 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, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems market also discusses the opportunity areas for investors.Download Sample Report Copy From Here: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.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 activities Develop business strategies by understanding the market dynamics and developments driving the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems market Develop market-entry strategies and effective ways to sustain competition Create merger and acquisition opportunities by identifying the market players with the most innovative pipelines Identify the regional market potential which would further help in designing regional market strategies Understand the competitive scenario in the United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems market Take more informed business decisions by relying on the insightful opinions from industry expertsTable of ContentsUnited States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size, Status and Forecast 20211 Industry Overview of Applicant Tracking Systems1.1 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Overview1.1.1 Applicant Tracking Systems Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Applicant Tracking Systems 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 Applicant Tracking Systems Market by Type1.3.1 For Employers1.3.2 For Recruiting Companies1.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Market by End Users/Application1.4.1 Application 11.4.2 Application 21.4.3 Application 32 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (Value) by Players (2015-2016)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 IBM3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 ICIMS3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.2.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.2.5 Recent Developments3.3 Oracle3.3.1 Company Profile3.3.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.3.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.3.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.3.5 Recent Developments3.4 Jobvite3.4.1 Company Profile3.4.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.4.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.4.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.4.5 Recent Developments3.5 SuccessFactors3.5.1 Company Profile3.5.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.5.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.5.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.5.5 Recent Developments3.6 Newton Software3.6.1 Company Profile3.6.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.6.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.6.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.6.5 Recent Developments3.7 Greenhouse Software3.7.1 Company Profile3.7.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.7.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.7.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.7.5 Recent Developments3.8 JobScore3.8.1 Company Profile3.8.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.8.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.8.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.8.5 Recent Developments3.9 Zoho3.9.1 Company Profile3.9.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.9.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.9.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.9.5 Recent Developments3.10 SoftwareInsider3.10.1 Company Profile3.10.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.10.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.10.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Revenue (Value) (2011-2016)3.10.5 Recent Developments3.11 Workable3.12 Bond International Software4 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size by Type and Application (2011-2016)4.1 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size by Type (2011-2016)4.2 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.3 Potential Application of Applicant Tracking Systems in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Applicant Tracking Systems5 United States Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)5.2 United States Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)6 EU Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)6.2 EU Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)7 Japan Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook7.1 Japan Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)7.2 Japan Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)8 China Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook8.1 China Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)8.2 China Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)9 India Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook9.1 India Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)9.2 India Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)10 Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems Development Status and Outlook10.1 Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (2011-2016)10.2 Southeast Asia Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)11 Market Forecast by Regions, Type and Application (2016-2021)11.1 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (Value) by Regions (2016-2021)11.2 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size (Value) by Type (2016-2021)11.3 Global Applicant Tracking Systems Market Size by Application (2016-2021)12 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Dynamics12.1 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Opportunities12.2 Applicant Tracking Systems Challenge and Risk12.2.1 Competition from Opponents12.2.2 Downside Risks of Economy12.3 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Constraints and Threat12.3.1 Threat from Substitute12.3.2 Government Policy12.3.3 Technology Risks12.4 Applicant Tracking Systems Market Driving Force12.4.1 Growing Demand from Emerging Markets12.4.2 Potential Application13 Market Effect Factors Analysis13.1 Technology Progress/Risk13.1.1 Substitutes13.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry13.2 Consumer Needs Trend/Customer Preference13.3 External Environmental Change13.3.1 Economic Fluctuations13.3.2 Other Risk Factors14 Research Finding/Conclusion15 AppendixAuthor ListDisclosure SectionResearch MethodologyData SourceChina DisclaimerBuy Now This Report From Here:Global QYResearch() is the one spot destination for all your research needs. Global QYResearch holds the repository of quality research reports from numerous publishers across the globe. Our inventory of research reports caters to various industry verticals including Healthcare, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Technology and Media, Chemicals, Materials, Energy, Heavy Industry, etc. With the complete information about the publishers and the industries they cater to for developing market research reports, we help our clients in making purchase decision by understanding their requirements and suggesting best possible collection matching their needs.Unit 1, 26 Cleveland Road, South Woodford, London,E182AN, United KingdomCall: +44 20 3239 2407sales@globalqyresearch.com
Nanomaterial market is expected to reach a CAGR of 23.1%

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On "Complex-Oxide Nanomaterials Market-Segmented By Type, Application And Geography (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @The global nanomaterial market is expected to reach $11.8 billion by 2020 showing a compound annual growth rate of 23.1%. The various governments spending in the nanotechnology is increasing with China and the Unites States topping list. The United States is spending more than $1.5 billion in their National Nanotechnology Initiative. China has surpassed US in spending on nanotechnology.One of the major application of Lithium Titanate is in Lithium-ion batteries whose consumption was over 300 million in 2015. Calcium Phosphate is used in manufacturing implant materials, cosmetics, food supplements and in purification and deposition of biotechnological products. Of late there has been a lot of patents application of calcium phosphate in implantations in maxillofacial surgery, mainly in dental implants which was valued around US $4.19 billion in 2015.North America leads the nanomaterial market followed by Europe owing to their usage of electronics and healthcare products. Good growth of nanomaterials was witnessed in Asia region during last 5 years due to: Government support, continued environmental consciousness and Expected increase in demand for specialty materials.The major manufacturers of these nanomaterials are EPRUI Nanomaterials & microspheres, SkySpring Nanomaterials, American Elements, Tiankang, Altair Nanotechnologies, REINSTE, DuPont , Silco International, Polyscience, Nanoamor.DRIVERS:-One of the major driver driving this market is the emerging application of carbon nanomaterials in aircraft, nano-medicines, consumer goods and water treatment industry. There has also been an increase in funding from both government and private sectors in this field to develop new applications of these materials and discover new production techniques.Request For Sample Report @OPPURTUNITIES:-Nanomaterials have great potential in healthcare, consumer goods and batteries industry. The application of lithium titantae in Li-ion batteries is expected to pick up a nice pace in coming years at double digit growth rate.WHAT THIS REPORT CONTAINS:-Lastly, the report is divided by geography - North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific (APAC), South America and Middle-East & Africa (MEA); where-in the market share of each region is analyzed and estimates are provided for the next 6 years. The various applications of Complex-Oxide nanomaterials have been discussed in detail in addition to a comprehensive overview of the market.Check Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
By PTI: New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi today left for the Norwegian capital Oslo, where he will meet political and business leaders, and will skip ally RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs opposition rally in Patna on Sunday.

"On the invitation of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be travelling to Oslo for a few days," he said on Twitter.

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"Looking forward to meeting and exchanging ideas with political and business leaders and research institutions."

Gandhi will miss RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadavs show of strength in Patna on Sunday, which Congress President Sonia Gandhi is also unlikely to attend.

The Congress will be represented at the event by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, party sources said.

Lalus Rashtriya Janata Dal is organising a "BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao" (Banish BJP, Save country) rally in Patnas Gandhi Maidan on August 27, which is being touted as a major opposition show of unity.

However, the rally is already under a cloud with BSP supremo Mayawati announcing she wont attend the event without any seat-sharing understanding among the opposition parties. PTI SKC RT

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Mining chemicals market was valued at a CAGR of 6.17% during the forecast period from 2015 to 2020

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On  "Mining Chemicals Market - Segmented by Type, Application, and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @The global mining chemicals market was valued at USD XX.XX in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 28.9 billion by 2020, at a CAGR of 6.17% during the forecast period from 2015 to 2020.The Asia-Pacific holds the largest market share by accounting for about 50.0% of the mining chemicals, with China holding the majority of the share of the Asia-Pacific market. The Asia-Pacific is also expected to be the fastest-growing market, at a CAGR of XX%, during the forecast period, and is steered by the increasing mining activities in the region. North America and Europe are expected to experience comparatively lower growth rates owing to the decrease in mining activities in these regions.The global mining chemicals market is segmented on the basis of function (flotation reagents (collectors, depressants), extraction chemicals (dilutents, extractants), thickeners (flocculants, coagulants), lubricants, pH adjusters, grinding aids, and others); on the basis of application (blasting & drilling, mineral processing, water & waste management, and others) and also on the basis of geography(Asia-Pacific (India, China, Japan, South Korea, the Rest of APAC), North America (United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Rest of North America), South America (Brazil, Argentina, and the Rest of South America), and Middle-East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the Rest of MEA)).The explosive and drilling segment holds the largest market share by application and is expected to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period. The increased demand for power is expected to increase the mining activities and, in turn, is expected to drive the explosives and drilling activities. The waste and water treatment segment is expected to witness a robust growth rate owing to the increasing regulations on end waste water disposal. By function type, the grinding chemicals segment has the highest market share.Request For Sample Report @Market Dynamics of the Global Mining Chemicals Market:Drivers:Growing demand for explosives and specialty chemicalsIncreasing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable chemicalsIncreasing mining activitiesIncreasing exploitation of low quality oresRestraints:Stringent environmental regulationsHigh logistics costThe growing demand for explosives and specialty chemicals results from the growing demand for better quality minerals. Moreover, the increasing environmental concerns drive the consumers to look out for sustainable and eco-friendly chemicals, which is further driving the market. However, high logistics costs that are involved with this market, such as for transportation, which result due to the remote location of mining areas is the major challenge faced by this market. The growing environmental concerns and stringent environmental regulations for many mining chemicals are also hampering the growth of the studied market in this report.The report offers insights into the recent development, financials, and the products& services offered by the key market players of the industry. The major players in the global mining chemicals market are:BASFBeijing HengjuCheminovaClariantCytecDyno NobelNalco CompanyQuarker ChemicalsQuingdaoRuchang TradingSNF FlominKey Deliverables in the Study:Market analysis for the global mining chemicals market, with region specific assessments and competition analysis on a global and regional scale.Market definition along with the identification of key drivers and restraints.Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenarios, rising prospective opportunities, and identification of key companies that can influence this market.Extensively researched competitive landscape section with profiles of major companies along with their market share.Identification and analysis of the macro and micro factors that affect the global mining chemicals market on both global and regional scale.A comprehensive list of key market players along with the analysis of their current strategic interests and key financial information.A wide-ranging knowledge and insights about the major players in this industry and the key strategies adopted by them to sustain and grow in the studied market.Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped.Check Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) Resin Market is expected to grow at CAGR of 4.9%

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On  "Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) Resin Market - Segmented by Type, Application, and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @The acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin market is valued at USD 21.77 billion in 2015 and is expected to grow at CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period.Asia Pacific region accounts for the largest market share. It is expected to be the fastest growing one, witnessing a CAGR of XX%, during the forecast period, on account of the growing middle class population in the region. Asia-pacific market is dominated by the China, which accounts for over 75% of the Asia Pacifics market share by volume. North America and Europe markets are expected to grow at a considerable slower rate, due to the stagnant growth in the end-user industries.The appliances and electronics & electrical applications, have the largest share in the market collectively accounting for about 65% of the global share, by volume. This is followed by the automobile sector. The automobile segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment during the forecast period, driven by the growing automobile sector. The construction sector is expected to witness a stable growth rate.One of the major drivers for this market is the growth in the end-user industries such as automotive industry. The growing middle class population is increasing the demand for the appliances and electricals & electronics products, which is further driving the ABS resins market.Request For Sample Report @The major challenge faced by this market is the development of sustainable products which can replace ABS resins applications in any areas. The production of ABS resins results in emission of solid waste & waste gases and it is also harmful to human beings; hence the stringent environmental regulations are being made to avoid these, which is a major challenge to this market.The acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resin market report has been segmented by geography as - North America, Europe, the Asia-Pacific (APAC), South America and Middle-East & Africa (MEA); where-in the market share of each region is analyzed and estimates are provided for the forecast period.The market share analysis of end-user industries has been segmented in this report as per: automobile, construction, appliances, electricals and electronics, and others. A grade-wise segmentation of ABS market is also discussed in detail in addition to a comprehensive overview of the market.Some of the major players in the market are:Bayer Material Science.Chei Mei,SABIC, BASFThe Dow Chemical CompanyStyrolution GroupChemutra CorporationCheck Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
Calcium Stearate Market - Segmented by Application and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2017 - 2022)

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On "Calcium Stearate Market - Segmented by Application and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @The global calcium stearate market was valued at USD 859.55 million in 2015 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.44% during the forecast period, reaching a value of USD 1120.50 million by 2020.Calcium stearate, one of the most frequently used metallic stearate for both industrial and commercial applications, is a nontoxic and non-irritant carboxylate of calcium. It is commercially produced by reacting stearic acid with calcium oxide, and sold in the form of a white waxy powder in both food and technical grades. Though calcium stearate has numerous applications, however, most of it is used in the plastic and rubber industry as a lubricant for the production of PVC, HDPE, and PP, and as an anti-caking agent in the processing of rubber.Calcium stearate is also used in the food, pharmaceutical, construction, paper, and personal care industries. It is listed as generally regarded as safe" in the FDA database.Request For Sample Report @Table Of Contents :1. Introduction1.1 Research Methodology1.2 Executive Summary2. Global Calcium Stearate Market2.1 Overview2.2 Supply Chain Analysis2.3 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's 5 Force Analysis2.3.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers2.3.2 Bargaining Power of Consumers2.3.3 Threat of New Entrants2.3.4 Threat of Substitute Products and Services2.3.5 Degree of Competition3. Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.1.1 Growing Plastic Industry3.1.2 Increasing Usage in the Automotive Industry3.1.3 Accelerating OTC Sales in Emerging Economies3.2 Restraints3.2.1 Shift Towards Magnesium Stearate3.2.2 Stringent Environmental Regulations for the Rubber and Plastic Industries3.3 Opportunities3.3.1 Shift Towards Replacing Lead Stearates4. Market Segmentation and Analysis4.1 By Application4.1.1 Plastic and Rubber Industry4.1.2 Construction Industry4.1.3 Personal Care and Pharmaceutical Industry4.1.4 Paper Industry4.1.5 Others5. Regional Market Analysis (Market size, growth and forecast)5.1 Asia-Pacific5.1.1 China5.1.2 India5.1.3 Japan5.1.4 South Korea5.1.5 Rest of APAC5.2 Europe5.2.1 Germany5.2.2 United Kingdom5.2.3 France5.2.4 Italy5.2.5 Rest of Europe5.3 North America5.3.1 United StatesContinue Reading.....Check Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
Heat Resistant Coatings Market at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On "Heat Resistant Coatings Market - Segmented, By Application, By Type by End-User Industry, and Geography - Trends and Forecasts (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @The Global Heat Resistant Coatings Market has been estimated at USD 823.34 million in 2015 and is projected to reach USD XX.XX million by 2020, at a CAGR of 4.7% during the forecast period. Heat Resistant Coatings is a type of protective coatings which can be exposed to high temperature for a prolonged period of time.These coatings contain silicon resins which protects the paints from getting damaged or tarnished as compared to the conventional paints. The heat coatings is formulated in a way not to extinguish fire but to reduce chances of fire as they are functional and effective to control fire and flammability of fuels. These coatings swell up and increase in volume when exposed to high temperatures, thereby producing a shielding substance called achara which discourages heat conduction.Heat Resistant Coatings, owing to their durability and excellent performance when exposed to high temperatures; colour retention, water resistance and corrosion resistance properties, is becoming an integral part of various commercial and industrial sectors.In the Heat Resistant Coatings market report, we have taken the following major end-user sectors into consideration: Construction, Oil and Gas, Bedding and Furniture, Transportation and Aerospace, Packaging, and Others. The Building and Construction segment accounted for more than XX.XX% share of the Global Heat Resistant Coatings market in 2015.This market is driven by a number of factors, such as Rising Awareness towards Fire Protection Equipments and Huge Demand from End-user Industries. However, this market faces certain drawbacks, such as Higher Price of Raw Materials, and Huge Investments on R&D. These factors may act as a roadblock to the growth of the market.The Global Heat Resistant Coatings market, on the basis of application can be broadly segmented into Cellulosic and Hydrocarbon. The market has also been divided according to the type into liquid and powder. More than 75% of the heat resistant coatings used are liquid based coatings.The market has also been geographically segmented into Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and MEA. In terms of consumption in 2015, APAC led the market with a share of xx.xx%. It was followed by Europe and North America. With the improvement in the and the upgradation of the fire protections equipments in developing countries such as China, thereby making the region an area of immense potential and opportunities.Request For Sample Report @Furthermore, the newer applications of these coatings will offer numerous opportunities in the growth of the Heat Resistant Coatings market. Some of the major companies dominating this market for its products, services, and continuous product developments are BASF, Ancatt, PPG Industries, Nippon Paints, DuPont, Wacker Chemie, AIC, Kansai Nerolac Paints and Akzo Nobel. The current trends in mergers and acquisitions indicate that the bigger companies are acquiring the smaller ones for higher innovations by utilizing their core competencies.Key Deliverables in the Study1. Market analysis for the Global Heat Resistant Coatings Market, with region specific assessments and competition analysis on global and regional scales2. Market definition along with the identification of key drivers and restraints3. Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenarios, rising prospective opportunities, and identification of key companies that can influence this market on a global and regional scale4. Extensively researched competitive landscape section with profiles of major companies along with their market shares5. Identification and analysis of the macro and micro factors that affect the global Heat Resistant Coatings market on both global and regional scales6. A comprehensive list of key market players along with the analysis of their current strategic interests and key financial information7. A wide-ranging knowledge and insights about the major players in this industry and the key strategies adopted by them to sustain and grow in the studied market8. Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untappedCheck Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
Industrial Operational Intelligence Solutions Market to grow at a CAGR of 12.13% during the period 2017-2021

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About Industrial Operational Intelligence SolutionsOperational Intelligence (OI) is a real-time dynamic, business analytics solution that provides visibility and understanding of business operations.OI solutions run the analysis for live feeds and event data to provide real-time visibility and insight into business and IT operations. This real-time data can be used in various ways, such as sending warnings related to hazards or machine breakdown, prompting business processes, and making and executing managerial decisions using live dashboards.Operational Intelligence is often preferred for its real-time monitoring competencies when organizations want to take instant action. Industrial operational intelligence is a segment of Internet of Things (IoT).Hence, industries/end-users that need to introduce OI solutions in the workplace have to implement IoT. The implementation of IoT requires a lot of short-term restructuring for end-users but eventually helps them in improving their revenues and gaining market share.To request Table of Contents and Sample Pages of this report visit:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global industrial operational intelligence solutions market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the include new software sales and installation.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:a Americasa APACa EMEAGlobal Industrial Operational Intelligence Solutions Market 2017-2021 has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Browse Full Report:Key vendorsa Dassault SystAmesa Rockwell Automationa Siemensa Splunka VitriaOther prominent vendorsa Axwaya Bentley Systemsa Feedzaia Guavusa Intelligent InSitesa Kofaxa IFSa Software AGa SpaceTime InsightMarket drivera Assistance to demand-based manufacturinga For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengea Change managementa For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trenda Transition from operational intelligence to enterprise intelligencea For a full, detailed list, view our reportCheck Discount Offers:Key questions answered in this reporta What will the market size be in 2020 and what will the growth rate be?a What are the key market trends?a What is driving this market?a What are the challenges to market growth?a Who are the key vendors in this market space?a What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?a What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ABOUT REPORTSANDMARKETSReports 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.The marketing research reports consist of market analysis with statistical and analytical information on the markets, applications, industry analysis, market shares, technology and technology shifts, important players, and the developments in the market.Sanjay JainManager  Partner Relations & International Marketingsanjay.jain@reportsandmarkets.comsales@reportsandmarkets.comPh: +1-214-377-1121 (US)/ +44-020-3286-9338 (UK)Office No: 206 Empress Mill SocietyShree Nagar, Nagpur - 440015Maharashtra India
Research Report On Canned Seafood Market : 2017

Canned Seafood Market,Canned, Seafood Market,HEALTH,FOOD

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About Canned SeafoodCanning is a method of preserving food. Canned products have a typical shelf life ranging from one-to-five years. Fish has a low acidity level, and thus, requires sterilization under high temperature.The increasing demand for fish and seafood among consumers worldwide is expected to drive the growth of the global canned seafood market during the forecast period. Canned food products have a shelf life ranging from one-to-five years.Fish has a low acidity level, and thus, requires sterilization under high temperature. Nicolas Appert is honored as "the father of canning." Canned fish is used in the making of salads, burgers, and other dishes. Canned fish is more popular among busy cooks and shoppers. The demand for canned seafood is expected to remain high during the forecast period.To request Table of Contents and Sample Pages of this report visit:Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global canned seafood market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers the revenue generated from the sales of medical devices required for thoracic surgeries.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:a Americasa APACa EMEAGlobal Canned Seafood Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Browse Full Report:Key vendorsa AquaChilea Brunswick Seafooda Marine Harvesta Thai Union GroupOther prominent vendorsa Beijing Princess Seafood International Tradinga Dong Won Fisheriesa Labeyrie Fine Foodsa Mogster Groupa Princes Groupa Sajo Industriesa TassalMarket drivera New product launcha For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket Challengea Illegal fishing and overfishinga For a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket Trenda Growth prospects in e-commercea For a full, detailed list, view our reportCheck Discount Offers:Key questions answered in this reporta What will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?a What are the key market trends?a What is driving this market?a What are the challenges to market growth?a Who are the key vendors in this market space?a What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?a What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ABOUT REPORTSANDMARKETSReports 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.The marketing research reports consist of market analysis with statistical and analytical information on the markets, applications, industry analysis, market shares, technology and technology shifts, important players, and the developments in the market.Sanjay JainManager  Partner Relations & International Marketingsanjay.jain@reportsandmarkets.comsales@reportsandmarkets.comPh: +1-214-377-1121 (US)/ +44-020-3286-9338 (UK)Office No: 206 Empress Mill SocietyShree Nagar, Nagpur - 440015Maharashtra India
Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Market at a CAGR of 17.90%

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Reports And Markets Publish a New Market Research Report On "Biodegradable Plastic Packaging Market - By Industry, Geography And Vendors- Forecasts, Trends And Shares (2017 - 2022)"Access Full Report With Table Of Contents @Globally shoppers use around 500 billion single-use plastic bags every year and this number continues to rise. However, many countries across the world, have banned the use of lightweight single-use plastic bags or have started taxing it. In addition, consumers are also becoming more concerned towards the environmental impact of plastic packaging solutions.This has compelled business to look beyond the use petroleum-based plastics to alternatives derived from plants, or even synthesized by micro-organisms. Bio-Degradable Packaging market is mainly driven by the growing conscientious population and government regulations focusing on the reduction of wastage and usage of Bio-Degradable packaging materials. However the lack of supply of bioplastics and the higher cost of materials are hindering the growth of this market.The Global Bio-Degradable Plastic Packaging market is estimated at $4.65 billion in 2015 and is projected to reach $10.6 billion by the end of 2020, at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.90%. Europe is leading the market with 45% share in 2015 followed by North America and Asia Pacific. The starch based and cellulose derived solutions will continue to hold the largest market share.Request For Sample Report @The Global Bio-Degradable Plastic Packaging Market is segmented on the basis of Type (Starch, Cellulose, PLA, PHA, PHB, PA11, Bio-Derived Polyethylene, and Genetically Modified Bioplastics), Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World) with further country wise segmentation. The market is also segmented on the basis of Industry Verticals such as FMCG, Hospital, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Fashion and Apparels, Electronics &Appliances, Automotive and others.This report also describes a detailed study of the Porteras five forces analysis of the market. All the five major factors in these markets have been quantified using the internal key parameters governing each of them. It also covers the market landscape of these players which includes the key growth strategies, geographical footprint, and competition analysis.The report also considers key trends that will impact the industry and key profiles of leading suppliers of Global Bio-Degradable Packaging Market. Some of the top companies mentioned in the report are Amcor, Mondi Group, Berry Plastics, Pactiv, Sonoco, Biopac, Smurfit Kappa Group, Berkley International Packaging, EarthFirst Brand Films, GreenBlue, International Paper and Others.What the report offersMarket Definition for Bio-Degradable Plastic Packaging Market along with identification of key drivers and restraints for the market.Market analysis for the Global Bio-Degradable Plastic Packaging Market, with region specific assessments and competition analysis on a global and regional scale.Identification of factors instrumental in changing the market scenarios, rising prospective opportunities and identification of key companies which can influence the market on a global and regional scale.Extensively researched competitive landscape section with profiles of major companies along with their strategic initiatives and market shares.Identification and analysis of the Macro and Micro factors that affect the Bio-Degradable Plastic Packaging Market on both global and regional scale.A comprehensive list of key market players along with the analysis of their current strategic interests and key financial information.Check Discount @For more information or any query mail at sales@reportsandmarkets.comAbout 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)
Up to eight people complained of respiratory problems Friday after a maintenance crew used a cleaning solution at a state Department of Human Services building in Estacada, fire officials said.

Emergency workers evacuated the building and evaluated people at the scene, Clackamas Fire District officials said. No one needed to go to the hospital.

The maintenance crew used the solution to clean the HVAC system and that apparently triggered a mild respiratory irritation in seven to eight people, officials said. The cleaning agent had sodium hydroxide, a caustic compound, as its active ingredient, but it was diluted.

"According to the cleaning crew they have used this product for many years with no reports of respiratory irritation," Clackamas Fire spokesman Nate Hon said in a news release.

Clackamas Fire's hazardous materials team checked the air and found no toxins, Hon said.

Employees were allowed back into the building after about two hours. The building houses the Seniors & People with Disabilities program.

The Estacada Rural Fire District also handled the response.

-- The Oregonian/OregonLive
The case of Mitch Whitehurst, an educator who Portland Public Schools officials allowed to evade years of complaints of sexual misconduct, isn't the only recent instance in which school district officials seem to have discounted student complaints, a former employee says.

Portland Public Schools recently departed paralegal says she read case files that indicate the district also gave student concerns about other employee misconduct or aggression short shrift. Jeanne Windham, who held that role for nearly four years, told The Oregonian/OregonLive this week she would be happy to point district officials to those files.

Windham worked at the district until leaving for a state job this spring. Her first task at Oregon's largest school district, she said, was to read and wrangle a heap of disorganized files in the legal department.

Once she started, she said, she decided to scan and keep anything that had to do with alleged sexual misconduct or aggression toward students.

A file that stood out? That of Whitehurst, the educator at the center of an Oregonian/OregonLive story that has prompted the school board to pledge an independent investigation.

Using school district documents, police records and state investigatory files obtained through public records requests as well as interviews with former students, The Oregonian/OregonLive showed that for years, school and district officials repeatedly protected Whitehurst. They dismissed complaints from girls who said they were subjected to his leering, suggestive remarks or requests for oral sex.

District officials, including top lawyers, two human resource directors and at least three principals, downplayed complaints from students and staff as isolated instances, rumors or misunderstandings, it showed.

Windham told The Oregonian/Oregonlive the district files contain red flags about other employees that also seem to have been dismissed.

Windham said she agreed to talk The Oregonian/OregonLive this week because the school district hasn't seemed interested in acting on her concerns, which she relayed to her boss as well as Interim Superintendent Bob McKean during an exit interview.

Windham said when she read the Whitehurst file in fall of 2013, she went straight to her boss, school district lawyer Stephanie Harper.

Windham said she told Harper she was horrified by how the district had handled complaints about him and asked if he still worked for the district.

Harper said yes.

Windham said she thought Harper was just as upset as she was. She remembered Harper saying in the future the district would believe children. The two had a long conversation about how the district fell short when investigating sexual misconduct and needed better training, she said.

Yet, Windham said, nothing changed.

Asked why she thought that was, Windham simply said, "Well obviously it wasn't a priority was it?"

"(Harper) was well aware of how upset I was about this particular case," Windham said. "The file reflects what (the) article said: Everywhere along the way he was given the benefit of the doubt."

Harper did not respond to an email request Thursday for comment for this article.

Whitehurst was terminated in 2015 after he offensively poked a clothed male coworker at Faubion K-8 School. The coworker called police and Whitehurst ultimately pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment.

Windham said she felt "it defied belief" that in 2001 the district would send a memo to a teacher accused by a student of sexual misconduct and more or less say, "Well you both seem credible, and I can see how she might have misunderstood you."

"My background is working with victims of domestic violence and child abuse, and I really couldn't believe it," said Windham, who previously was president of Domestic Violence Education and Services in Montana. Her education is also in forensic psychology and during her studies, she worked with sex offenders, she said.

The memo she referred to was written by school district lawyer Maureen Sloane, who has since retired, in response to the first written complaint about Whitehurst that the school district received from a student.

The student, Marshall High senior Rose Soto, reported in fall 2001 that Whitehurst tried for almost a year to date her. She said he told her he liked her pants because he could easily unzip them. She told The Oregonian/OregonLive this summer the experience of being disbelieved was demoralizing and that Whitehurst continued to hit on her after the district let him off the hook.

The memo concluding the investigation into Soto's complaint that enraged Windham was signed by now retired Marshall High Principal Greg Wolleck and written by Sloane.

It said in part: "Both the student's allegations and your denial are credible." And "it is certainly possible that the student in question misunderstood your actions." And "I ... believe in the future you will be extremely cautious."

Whitehurst was returned to work without restrictions and taught for 13 more years, despite mounting complaints.

Sloane has declined to comment about the matter. Wolleck, who many years later became the district's unofficial contact for all sexual misconduct complaints, would not agree to be interviewed but did answer some questions by email.

"I appreciate that the response was not satisfying for the student, but it was the best outcome with documentation possible at the time," Wolleck wrote to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

The district did refer the matter to Oregon's teacher licensing agency, but officials there took no action and won't say why the agency dropped the matter.

Soto has said she doesn't understand why no one from the state ever interviewed her. After Whitehurst had been criminally convicted of harassing a coworker, the licensing agency revoked his license for sexual misconduct with a two other students in the 1980s.

One of those women had twice reported him, in 2008 and again in 2012, but the district didn't pass the matter on to the licensing agency. The licensing agency learned of that later when reviewing the district's files on Whitehurst after the poked employee's complaint.

Read The Oregonian/OregonLive's Benefit of The Doubt investigation here:

 Bethany Barnes

Got a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.com
More than 1,000 Hood to Coast teams began passing through Portland at around 4:30 p.m. Friday. Runners entered Portland via the Springwater Corridor Trail, crossed the Hawthorne bridge and then headed north along Northwest Front Avenue towards Seaside. In addition to runners, another 400 walking teams will join from Portland.

The 199-mile race started this morning at Timberline Lodge and ends in Seaside on Saturday.

After starting in 1982 with a mere eight teams, Hood to Coast has become a globally recognized relay race, attracting teams from Japan, the Netherlands, and other countries. The race raises money for Providence Cancer Center and is expected to pull in $600,000 for cancer research and patient support programs this year.

--Mark Graves | mgraves@oregonian.com

503-860-3060 | @markwgraves

--Dillon Pilorget contributed to this report
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has hit out at Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for allowing the state to burn for political gains.

By India Today Web Desk: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has hit out at Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for allowing Haryana to burn for political gains, a day after Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim's conviction in a rape case by a CBI court in Panchkula led to violent clashes across the state.

Over 30 people have been killed in Haryana and 250 others injured. The Army, in a joint operation with the police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel stormed into the Dera headquarters Sirsa today to clear the area of the sect's cadres.

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Dera supporters protested against the court ruling, torching several vehicles and indulging in violence. Several people were left injured as the police failed to rein in the protesters, leading to a complete breakdown of law and order in the state.

Khattar is believed to be close to Gurmeet Ram Rahim. Before Khattar became the chief minister in 2014, Rahim had openly rooted for him and promised him support from Dera followers.

Hence, his apparent reluctance to take any stern action against Dera supporters, who were key to his coming to power, cannot be denied.

Even before the verdict came out on Friday, there were serious questions raised over the ability of the police to control Dera followers, who had gathered in large numbers in Panchkula and refused to leave, despite the imposition of Section 144 there that prevents the assembly of five or more people.

BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, in a shocking remark yesterday, had defended Rahim even after the CBI special court verdict in Panchkula convicted him in a 15-year-old rape case. Maharaj had said, "I respect the judiciary but I want to say that crores of people are supporting Ram Rahim, and only one person is complaining against him. Is one person right or are crores of people right?"

Despite Khattar's evident mishandling of with the situation, it has been learnt from sources that the BJP has thrown its weight behind the under-fire chief minister, saying that there is no question of replacing him in the wake of the violence that followed the verdict against the Dera chief. This isn't the first occasion when Khattar's ability to acquit himself as an able administrator has been exposed. Even during the Jat agitation earlier, the chief minister had failed to curb protests and prevent clashes.

CONGRESS DEMANDS KHATTAR's RESIGNATION

Meanwhile, the Congress has demanded Khattar's resignation. Tweeting from its official account, the party was quoted as saying, "@PMOIndia must put the interest and safety of Indians before his party's interests. @mlkhattar must resign".

Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "Reckless violence, deaths and destruction in Haryana proves the complete breakdown of law and order. Time for CM Haryana to own responsibility and quit (sic)."

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Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi also condemned the "rampage and lawlessness" in Haryana and urged people to restore peace and tranquillity. Former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda too appealed for peace but said the government should have been prepared.

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that Khattar should be sacked if he doesn't resign taking responsibility for the violence and complete breakdown of the law and order situation in the state.

"Ultimately it is the chief minister and his cabinet who are responsible for law and order in their state. The violence in the Haryana after the verdict shows the complete failure of the Khattar government and he should be sacked," Tharoor said.

"Where was the Haryana government? How could they allow people to gather? Everybody could see that they were preparing for violence. Why didn't the Haryana government impose Section 144 (of the CrPC) and control the situation. The management failed and the buck has to stop somewhere. Enough is enough," Tharoor said.

Also Read:

Baba Ram Rahim verdict aftermath LIVE: Army enters Dera HQ in Sirsa to flush out sect supporters

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Sakshi Maharaj embarrasses BJP by supporting Ram Rahim, claims only 1 person against Dera chief

Violence after Baba Ram Rahim conviction: How Khattar failed on three occasions in as many years

WATCH VIDEO | Dera mayhem: HC slams Khattar government for not containing violence

--- ENDS ---
The midday explosion that convulsed a quiet North Portland neighborhood last month showered the street with glass and debris and hurled a 150-pound door into nearby Peninsula Park.

It blasted a 91-year-old home to pieces, scattering glass and scraps of the roof. The two men inside died. The sheer force of the blast suggested someone, maybe a contractor, nicked a natural gas line.

Then veteran Portland fire investigator Richard McGraw noticed something on the ground nearby -- a small red nipple common on butane cans. It couldn't be a butane blast, McGraw thought. This was too destructive, too powerful.

But then McGraw and his partner, Portland police Detective Joe Luiz, found butane cans strewn along the curb. By the time they'd sifted through what was left of Matt McCrann's home on North Kerby Avenue, investigators uncovered more than 400 butane cans - the telltale signs of an illegal butane hash oil lab and a growing hazard across the state.

The cans were used to extract tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, from more than 100 pounds of marijuana leaves and flowers. The end product, a potent amber-hued oil known as BHO, is in high demand on the regulated and underground markets in Oregon and beyond. Stronger than smoking a joint, the oil is typically consumed using discreet portable pen-like devices or specially outfitted pipes called oil rigs.

Though recreational marijuana sales have been legal in Oregon since 2015, illicit labs like McCrann's have proliferated as the marijuana supply has increased in the era of legalization. With the hash oil labs have come a raft of serious injuries associated with butane-fueled explosions.

Police in Oregon last year investigated at least 25 illegal hash oil labs statewide, far eclipsing the number of methamphetamine labs reported by police. Since January, police have identified at least 19 illegal labs, seven of them involving explosions.

Oregon doesn't routinely collect data on hash oil labs and explosions; police agencies voluntarily submit that information to state and federal authorities so the numbers likely underrepresent the scope of the problem.

Medford police Lt. Mike Budreau, who oversees a regional drug and gang task force, said police in the unit have investigated nine illegal labs since early last year. He's seen butane blasts powerful enough to knock a home off its foundation.

"You don't have time to evacuate," he said. "Most of the time it catches people by surprise. ... That initial explosion can be traumatic and dangerous."

Oregon lawmakers this year took steps to crack down on illegal hash oil labs by making explosions tied to butane hash oil operations a felony. Yet the trend continues and in July reached a grim milestone: Portland's first fatalities from a butane blast.

The two North Portland men were among three people who died from processing BHO this year. A Grants Pass man asphyxiated in February when a bathroom filled with the odorless gas.

BIG PROFITS FUEL RISK

Explosions related to illicit hash oil production have hit two places the hardest: Southern Oregon, the epicenter of outdoor marijuana production in the state, and the Portland, data collected by federal authorities show.

Oregon marijuana growers and processors say the trend is driven by a variety of factors.

Red tape has led to a short supply of hash oil in regulated stores. Processing marijuana into oil is a lucrative outlet for surplus cannabis coming from medical marijuana operations and illegal grows.

Oregon's entrenched black market continues to flourish unchecked on sites including Craigslist, where hash oil made by illegal processors sells for $5 to $10 a gram compared to $30 to $50 at a licensed shop.

"It's a risk-reward thing right now and the reward on the black market is great enough that they take the risk," said Don Morse, owner of the Human Collective, a marijuana store in Southwest Portland.

Steve Marks, executive director of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which regulates the marijuana industry, acknowledged that a patchwork of local fire safety requirements statewide has slowed licensing for legal hash oil makers. The commission has so far licensed 119 marijuana processors to make cannabis oils.

State safety rules typically require the manufacturers to make six-figure financial investments in facilities and equipment.

Marks said his agency is working with state and local fire officials to speed up the approval process so more hash oil can enter the regulated market and, he hopes, dent black market production.

"Any illegal marijuana operation," he said, "is a concern of the state."

INJURIES ARE 'STEADY PROBLEM'

Dr. Niknam Eshraghi has seen the damage butane can cause up close.

Eshraghi, a surgeon, directs the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland, which has treated 45 patients, mostly young men, burned in butane explosions since 2014.

"Unfortunately, it's a steady problem," Eshraghi said.

Butane hash oil burn injuries are extremely painful and can be disfiguring. They often require surgery, unusually long and costly hospitalizations and recoveries that take months. Charges for burn center care can run up to $5,000 a day, Eshraghi said.

Last week, two men were sentenced to three years of probation for their role in a butane hash oil explosion in Astoria last fall that sent one man to the Legacy burn unit for a month. Fire officials found hundreds of punctured butane cans at the scene.

The largest burn center serving Northern California, the heart of that state's outdoor marijuana industry, has also seen a steep climb in butane blast victims since 2014.

The regional burn center at UC Davis Health has admitted about 30 patients a year for the past three years, said Dr. David Greenhalgh, the center's chief of burns.

The problem has taken on such urgency that Greenhalgh and firefighters this year pressed the California State Assembly to limit the sales of odorless butane, a move similar to limits that states placed on ephedrine and pseudoephedrine in response to the methamphetamine crisis. Butane is easy to buy in stores or online, where a case of butane costs as little as $22.

A similar push is underway in Oregon. Portland Fire & Rescue officials say they plan to lobby lawmakers to impose limits on the sale of butane.

Care for butane blast patients comes at extraordinary expense given the extensive nature of the burns, said Greenhalgh, who pointed to one patient whose burns covered 90 percent of his body. The bill: $12 million.

"It's a big problem for us and it costs society a lot of money," Greenhalgh said. "It keeps our burn units full."

PORTLAND'S LATEST BLAST TURNS DEADLY

Portland fire officials first realized butane hash oil labs were a problem three years ago when firefighters responded to a fiery blast tied to butane in a freezer, McGraw said.

Officials combed through previous explosions and linked a handful to butane. In all, the city has seen eight butane explosions since 2012.

The latest blast killed McCrann, 42, and Richard Cisler, 68, a Vietnam vet who had been working on the home at the time.

Don't do this at home

Oregon bans butane hash oil production in a residence.

Hash oil processing with butane or CO2 must be done only in licensed facilities and meet a host of safety regulations, including using professional-grade "closed loop" systems. These machines are designed to contain butane during the manufacturing process. The butane used can't come from pressurized cans.

An engineer must verify that the closed-loop system keeps flammable gas from leaking into a room. The room itself must be well ventilated.

And the space and equipment, along with all electrical installations, must meet structural safety code and state and local fire code requirements.

McCrann wasn't licensed to process marijuana for the recreational market and he wasn't registered with the Oregon medical marijuana program.

Fire investigators don't know where he got the marijuana; though he had growing equipment, investigators didn't find plants.

Firefighters found signs of a busy hash oil operation in the basement, where they recovered a machine used to process marijuana, along with 289 punctured butane cans, another 142 cans that had exploded or were damaged. Marijuana leaves and flowers that had been processed were stashed in a half-dozen large garbage bags. Other bags at the site had exploded, spraying the yard with cannabis.

Investigators said they increasingly see some underground processors moving away from primitive processing that relies on Pyrex and PVC pipes in favor of more sophisticated systems intended to contain butane. These systems, which resemble Rube Goldberg contraptions complete with tanks and hoses, are generally considered safer because they keep butane from leaking into the room. But if used improperly or if the system has a loose fitting, gas can still escape.

"Every time you puncture a can you are losing some into the basement atmosphere," McGraw said.

In all, officials estimated McCrann had gone through at least 120 pounds of marijuana. Depending on quality, that amount could translate into as much as $50,000 in hash oil on the black market.

Before he died, a stricken McCrann managed to drag himself from the alley behind the house onto a neighbor's patio, where he told the neighbor, Mike Cook, that he was sorry and that he shouldn't have turned on the dryer. He later died at the hospital.

Investigators haven't confirmed that the dryer ignited the blast, but it doesn't take much for butane to explode. Something as ordinary as flipping a light switch or plugging in a phone charger can ignite the heavy gas, which quickly fills an unventilated room.

The damage to McCrann's home was so complete that it took firefighters hours to sift through the rubble to locate Cisler's remains, McGraw said.

"There was so much debris, we didn't know where to begin to look," McGraw said.

Cisler's son, Boomer, 28, meanwhile, is raising money for a memorial for his father. He said in a recent Facebook post that he plans to start a blog about his father's life and achievements.

"I'm still finding my own ways of dealing with this loss," he wrote.

-- Noelle Crombie

503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
BY STEVEN MULROY

THE CONVERSATION: President Donald Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff who illegally used racial profiling to enforce immigration laws, on Aug. 25.

It's true, Trump has the legal power to pardon pretty much anyone. But pardoning Arpaio may send the message that state and local officials can aggressively enforce federal immigration law, even if it risks racial profiling and violating the due process rights of citizens and non-citizens.

Legal limits on immigration enforcement

Arpaio has long been known for his harsh practices like requiring inmates to work on chain gangs and live in outdoor tent cities in the scorching Arizona heat. He prioritized immigration enforcement at the expense of crimes like sexual assault.

In 2011, a federal court found that Arpaio's sheriff's department unconstitutionally racially profiled Latinos. The court additionally noted that state and county officials had no authority to enforce federal immigration law without authorization from the federal government. Arpaio had no such authorization.

As a former federal prosecutor and Justice Department civil rights lawyer, I know that state and local cooperation can be helpful in enforcing federal law. But as I teach my constitutional law students, when it comes to immigration, federal law usually preempts state law. State overenforcement of immigration law can actually interfere with federal policy. So, state officials should enforce federal immigration law only where the federal government asks them to.

More fundamentally, no federal or state official can legally target people for immigration-related stops and questioning just because they look Latino. And as the Supreme Court has stated, even noncitizens have the right to due process and to be free from racial discrimination, as long as they are present in the U.S.

Arpaio's detentions and questioning thus broke the law by violating individuals' due process and Fourth Amendment rights to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The court ordered Arpaio and his office to stop using race as a factor in its enforcement decisions. His deputies could detain individuals based on probable cause that they had violated some state law, but not merely because they suspected them of being in the U.S. illegally.

Consequences of a pardon

In July, another federal judge convicted Arpaio of criminal contempt for intentionally violating the first court's prior orders. His sentencing hearing is set for this October.

It is unusual for a president to pardon someone before he or she is sentenced. Doing so would suggest that Trump felt Arpaio has done nothing wrong.

The pardon may encourage like-minded state and local officials to racially profile Latinos, too. More broadly, it may encourage state and local officers to aggressively enforce federal immigration law. Many experts and law enforcement officials criticize such state and local enforcement, saying it erodes trust with immigrant communities, making them too fearful to report local crimes and cooperate with police.

Arpaio's pardon does not mean a complete clean slate for him. It would not erase a separate court ruling from 2016 that found him in civil contempt of court. Civil contempt is a noncriminal finding, which could require remedial measures like court-ordered reforms, reporting requirements and the like. These do not fall under the reach of the president's pardon.

Nor does a pardon mean that he or his department would be allowed to return to their unconstitutional practices. Arpaio himself is now out of office, having lost his most recent election. And the Maricopa County Sheriff Department is still under a court order to refrain from racial profiling and other illegal immigration enforcement efforts. But the pardon could embolden immigration hawks and infuriate Trump's opponents - which, in the end, might very well be the intention.

-- Steven Mulroy, University of Memphis

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.
BY ELIZABETH HOVDE

I'm a white girl who laughed at Tina Fey's sheet-cake sketch on a recent episode of Saturday Night Live that aired days after the violent events in Charlottesville, Virginia, and President Trump's disappointing reactions to those events. I shouldn't admit that. Doing so will have me labeled ignorant, tone-deaf and privileged, along with Fey. Never mind that her whole sketch was spent mocking the president, Nazis and conservatives. See the full sketch here on YouTube.

Calling Ann Coulter a "yard-sale Barbie" in her comedic routine didn't seem to bug viewers, but Fey's urging people not to show up to potentially violent rallies last weekend and to yell at cake instead, did.

Near the close of her cake-eating rant, she says, "I really want to encourage all good, sane Americans to treat these rallies this weekend like the opening of a thoughtful movie with two female leads: don't show up. Let these morons scream into the empty air." That's funny!

The jury is still out on the most effective way to combat neo-Nazis and racism, whether to show up at their rallies or stay away. It's a great question. Having seen how protests and counter protests have shut Portland down and caused destruction this year, I think ignoring white supremacists' sparsely attended marches -- and giving more attention to ensuring laws and leaders continue to confront racism -- is likely the best approach. Trial and error (or trial and success) will be necessary to help figure that out.

But the societal jury has clearly weighed in that unless you're a racial minority, you can't really know or say anything about race. This is typical. For years, I've been told that if I'm not x, y or z, I shouldn't speak about x, y or z. Before I had kids, for example, I had no right, some said, to talk about schools, even with my tax dollars going there. I have kids now -- and the same things to say about education.

This Tina Fey castration is helpful, however. It clearly reminds me how many Americans want to and will pounce, rather than give others the benefit of the doubt. When a woman who says "evil" descended in Charlottesville and that Trump's reaction made her "sick" gets criticized and isn't given the benefit of the doubt, what chance does Trump have to say anything right?

Looking to Fey -- a comedian -- for leadership on race relations is, of course, as silly as looking to Trump for it. If you think he's unqualified and inexperienced for the presidential role, why on Earth be surprised when he says the wrong things and fails to offer leadership at crucial moments? People don't look to Trump for leadership in most instances but do in his response to Charlottesville? Please. I suggest following @BarackObama if you feel in need of a like-minded hand-hold. He's a hit.

People are also working overtime to try and prove Trump a racist. We have no idea if he's racist. He has black and Jewish friends, after all. (Is that still funny these days? The argument feels so 1980s when people were constantly saying they had a gay friend before discussing homosexuality.)

Trump is inexperienced and underqualified for public office. People will watch for his shortcomings and find plenty. Heck. People got mad at Tina Fey.

I'm worried about us. People want to hate and are looking for fights -- people on many sides. They seem to want a piece of this fight even more than they want a solution.

In a private park in nearby Ridgefield, a pair of former highway markers honoring Confederate President Jefferson Davis were defaced following Charlottesville.

According to a story in The Columbian newspaper, "one marker was covered in black tar or paint and the other was covered in red. Portland antifascist activists took credit. In a message to the Portland Mercury, the activists wrote that they attacked the markers 'in solidarity with our comrades in Charlottesville, Va.'"

Having meaningful conversations with city leaders, community members and the actual landowner about the markers might have saved them the trouble of vandalism. A simple Google search reveals the story behind the markers, the efforts that were made to get them off public property in the state and who chose to put them in a private park. Ridgefield City Manager Steve Stuart told The Columbian that, "The city of Ridgefield does not support or condone the racist symbolism of the marker, and would love if it wasn't anywhere near Ridgefield." The markers are on rural private property not associated with Ridgefield, he said.

The town and the activists have more common ground than not. Those angry about the Davis markers should find it.

It doesn't seem like finding common ground is the goal, however. Maybe that's why the whole ordeal has me craving cake.

Elizabeth Hovde's column appears the fourth Sunday of the month.
A predictable response from a bully who is criticized is to "kick the dog," that is, to pass on the pain to someone or something more helpless and blameless. The policy announcement by President Trump Monday evening to ramp up American involvement in Afghanistan was definitely such a reaction. After having, perhaps, the worst week of his tenure in terms of criticism and public backlash after Charlottesville, he has made war his "distraction of choice" and has delivered his "kick" to American and Afghan citizens.

How so? American taxpayers will pay the price (literally) in dollars, which, of course, will mean less money in the budget for needs here at home. American military men and women will pay in blood once again, and we will not be able to honor their sacrifice because reporting of casualties will not be allowed. Additionally, this means that the president will not have to accept any accountability for military personnel losses because they won't be acknowledged publicly. He evades any shadow of responsibility, predictably faulting former President Obama for any bad outcomes.

Trump's "gloves are off" policy also means that Afghan civilian casualties will increase as he releases our military from any moral constraints in the intensified the campaign. To sum up, more financial pain at home, more Americans in harm's way, and more civilians as "collateral damage" with an indefinite endgame that we're supposed to accept as "winning" because Trump needs to distract us from his reprehensible lack of moral courage and failed leadership.

Karen Riley, Tualatin
The anticipated high winds of the "Chetco Effect" did not materialize Friday night or Saturday morning near Brookings, providing an unexpected bright spot for firefighters battling the Chetco Bar Fire in southwest Oregon.

However, those winds could still develop Saturday evening and early Sunday morning, officials said.

If that happens, "the potential exists to cast embers up to half a mile ahead of the fire," according to firefighting coordinators' update posted Saturday morning.

Brookings, a coastal community of 6,500 near the California border, remained under a Level 1 evacuation notice on Saturday because of the Chetco Bar Fire. The status, issued Thursday, means residents should be prepared to evacuate with little advance warning. The fire, which has consumed 105,518 acres, is approximately 5 miles northeast of Brookings.

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the area of the Chetco Bar Fire through 9 p.m. Saturday, meaning conditions are ideal for wildland fire combustion. The weather service issued a Fire Weather Watch through Sunday.

"There will be a drying trend over the fire area with increased temperatures and lower humidity," the weather service said. "Winds along ridgetops are predicted to gust 20 mph out of the northeast. Vegetation will continue to dry out, increasing susceptibility to ignition and subsequent fire spread."

Based on firefighting officials' Saturday morning briefing "we are not making any changes in what we are doing in the city," Brookings City Manager Gary Milliman said in an email. The city has prepared by shoring up its water supply readiness and has encouraged residents to conserve water.

Gov. Kate Brown visited Brookings on Friday. In a presentation and brief news conference following a briefing with firefighting managers, Brown said she'd requested additional federal firefighting resources through the U.S. Department of Agriculture but the request was denied. About 1,400 people are battling the Chetco Bar wildfire.

While Brookings is under a Level 1 notice, some unincorporated areas closer to the fire line have been under a Level 3 (get out) status.

That includes the home of Alex Carr-Frederick, who lives next to the Chetco Brewing Company brewery. The brewery, on the north bank of the Chetco River, is about four miles from the Brookings city limits. Chetco Brewing also has a taproom within the Brookings city limits.

Carr-Frederick, who owns Chetco Brewing with husband Michael Frederick, reported Saturday that smoky skies at their home were shrouded like "a typical December morning after a storm. But then you notice the odd orange cast and the lack of birdsong. I don't even hear Blue Jays and those suckers are tough."

Oregon has 12 large wildfires, second to Montana's 17, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Washington has six large fires.

Elsewhere:

Milli Fire

Planes were expected to drop fire retardant to prepare an area north of OR 242 for a burn operation Saturday evening at the Sisters-area fire, officials said. "The retardant will coat the fuel bed, putting an additional barrier between the burn and unburned fuel on the other side," says a statement issued by firefighting officials. Controlled burns also were planned for Saturday afternoon along Forest Road 1018 south of OR 242.

When completed, the burnout operation is expected to build a barrier against fire moving north and east. Burning operations could continue for the next few evenings.

Nearly 700 people are battling the Milli Fire, which lightning started Aug. 11 about 9 miles west of Sisters.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman
Friends and family of bicyclist Tamar Monhait gathered Friday on the street corner where she died and called for safer roads.

Monhait, 41, of Portland crashed into the side of a garbage truck around 1:50 a.m. Monday at the intersection of Southeast Taylor Street and Water Avenue, Portland police said. Monhait was riding north along Water Avenue and hit the southbound truck as it was turning east onto Taylor, police said.

Family members described Monhait as a talented artist whose work had been featured at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and other venues. Her work included photographs, paintings and music. A photo of her on social media shows her playing guitar.

Sue Monhait of Chicago said her stepdaughter was drawn to Portland for its art and cultural scene.

"When I think of Tamar, what I think of is (she's) such a gentle soul," Monhait said, wiping away tears as she spoke before about 30 people at the vigil. "So pure, so loving, so passionate in her music and her art and love of others."

Sue Monhait said her stepdaughter had an electrical engineering degree but never used it, choosing to pursue her art instead.

"She sacrificed a lot  the financial gain  for the love of her art," Monhait said. "She was a musician, an artist, a painter, designer. ... That's why she was in Portland."

Tamar Monheit worked for a bike delivery service when she lived in Chicago and always took safety precautions, her stepmother said.

"Coming here and seeing all these people, some who don't even know Tamar but came out for the cause so another family doesn't have to deal with this again, I hope people are listening," Sue Monhait said.

She hopes her stepdaughter's death will spur more attention by the city to bike safety to prevent other deaths. "Can this be the last one?" she said.

Emily Guise, a leader with bike safety advocacy group BikeLoud PDX, helped organize the vigil to call on the city to add bike-activated signals, widen bike lanes and mandate that trucks have side guards. The guards help prevent people from getting caught underneath trucks, she said.

"A lot of people are killed because of falling under a truck's wheels and we think if side guards were required we could save lives," Guise said.

The crash is the second in Portland resulting in the death of a bicycle rider this year and the 27th fatal traffic crash in the city, Portland police said. In February, Alan Izi Marsan died when he was hit by a box truck while riding his bicycle in the bike lane along North Interstate Avenue.

"Twenty-seven people have died on our streets this year in Portland," Guise said. "That's an unacceptable rate of death. ... So that's why I felt that I needed to organize this. To honor the memory of a person whose death could have been prevented."

--Olivia Dimmer

503-708-8630; @DimmerOlivia
Thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar are trying to cross the border with Bangladesh, Bangladeshi security officials said on Saturday, as fresh fighting erupted in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state.

By Reuters: Thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar are trying to cross the border with Bangladesh, Bangladeshi security officials said on Saturday, as fresh fighting erupted in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state.

The death toll from widespread attacks staged by Rohingya insurgents on Friday has climbed to 96, including nearly 80 insurgents and 12 members of the security forces, the government said, prompting it to evacuate staff and villagers from some areas.

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The attacks marked a dramatic escalation of a conflict that has simmered since last October, when a similar offensive prompted a major military sweep beset by allegations of serious human rights abuses.

The treatment of approximately 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya in mainly Buddhist Myanmar has emerged as the biggest challenge for national leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who late on Friday condemned the morning raids - in which insurgents wielding guns, sticks and homemade bombs assaulted 30 police stations and an army base.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been accused by some Western critics of not speaking out for the long-persecuted Muslim minority, and of defending the army's counteroffensive after the October attacks.

Some 3,000 Rohingya arrived at the Naf river separating Myanmar and Bangladesh on Saturday, Manzurul Hassan Khan, a Bangladeshi border guard commander, told Reuters.

"About 500 Rohingya, mostly women and children, spent the last night in a marshy area waiting to cross over," said Khan. "We protected them the whole night. Today they went back."

Reuters reporters saw hundreds of Rohingya crossing into Bangladesh near the border village of Gumdhum as gun shots could be heard from the Myanmar side. They could be seen squatting in a marshy area, hiding in the bushes from border guards.

"We managed to escape the shooting in Myanmar and tried to enter Bangladesh. We waited all night after we were pushed backed by Bangladesh border guards last night. This morning, we managed to enter somehow," said Hamid Hossain, 42, who crossed into Bangladesh on Saturday with a group of three families.

A 25-year-old man whose relatives said he had been shot by Myanmar security forces on Friday died as he was carried to Bangladesh for treatment. He was buried near a refugee camp close to the border on Saturday, according to camp resident Mohammed Shafi, who said he witnessed the burial.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry on Saturday said it was concerned that thousands of unarmed Myanmar nationals had assembled near the border to enter the country.

Rohingya have been fleeing Myanmar to Bangladesh since the early 1990s and there are now around 400,000 in the country, where they are a source of tension between the two nations who both regard them as the other country's citizens.

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FIGHTING IN MAUNGDAW

In Myanmar, the government said there had been several large clashes involving hundreds of Rohingya across northwestern Rakhine on Saturday. The fiercest fighting took place on the outskirts of the major town of Maungdaw, near the Alodaw Pyae Buddhist monastery.

Maungdaw resident Nay Myo Lin, 27, told Reuters by telephone that security forces opened fire on scores of what appeared to be Muslim men with guns near the monastery.

"Police shot at them to break up the group and then the men shot back in the direction of the entrance gate of the city," said Nay Myo Lin. "As the fighting went on throughout the day, I was stuck in the monastery and didn't dare to go out. When the sound of gunshots stopped, I ran to my house," he said.

Fearful Rakhine Buddhist residents in Maungdaw town gathered in homes while men stood guard by the windows, said Ohmar Lin, a female resident of the town.

"We don't go out of the house, but I am ready to fight - we are prepared with knives and sticks to protect ourselves if they come here," she said.

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The United Nations security team has sent an internal update to staff about the clashes, seen by Reuters, saying that Myanmar government officials had assured the UN "about their readiness to provide troops to secure our compounds if it becomes necessary".

The government said in a statement that: "Extremist Bengali terrorists are attacking using man-made mines, swords, sticks, guns. They also killed Islamic religious people of their own faith who were village administrators."

The term "Bengali" is seen as derogatory by many Rohingya as it implies they are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, although many can trace family in Myanmar for generations.

EVACUATION

The Myanmar army operation last year was heavily criticised internationally amid reports of civilian killings, rape and arson that a United Nations investigation said probably constituted crimes against humanity. Suu Kyi is blocking the UN-mandated probe into the allegations.

Aid workers and monitors worry that the latest attacks, across a wider area than October's violence, will spark an even more aggressive army response and trigger communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhist ethnic Rakhines.

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Nearly 200 people were killed and around 140,000 displaced in communal violence in the state in 2012.

In a statement late on Friday, Suu Kyi "strongly condemned brutal attacks by terrorists on security forces in Rakhine State".

"I would like to commend the members of the police and security forces who have acted with great courage in the face of many challenges," she added.

The government said it had evacuated officials, teachers and hundreds of villagers to army bases and main police stations.

"Some will be evacuated by helicopters and some will be taken out by the security forces," a military source based in Rakhine told Reuters.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) which instigated the October attacks claimed responsibility for the offensive, presenting it as a defence against the Myanmar army.

Myanmar declared ARSA, previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin, a terrorist organisation in the wake of the attacks.

ALSO READ:

At least 71 killed in Myanmar as Rohingya insurgents stage major attack

Will rather die in India than return to Myanmar: Rohingya refugees on deportation reports

ALSO WATCH:

Centre exploring ways to deport 40,000 Rohingya Muslims

--- ENDS ---
With the recent closure of The Great Movie Ride , Disneys Hollywood Studios now has a new longest-operating attraction (it's actually a show): the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! Michael Eisner (former CEO of The Walt Disney Company) and George Lucas (the creator of Indiana Jones) opened the show in a special dedication ceremony on August 25, 1989, not long after the opening of the theme park itself. That was the first appearance of the Indiana Jones character in a Disney Park.

With the use of sophisticated computer controls and the talents of the stunt performers and crew, Guests see recreations of some of the most harrowing, action-packed scenes from the first Indy film, "Raiders of the Lost Ark." In keeping with Disneys Hollywood Studios credo of showing Guests a behind-the-scenes look at making movies and television shows, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! takes place around a movie shoot of an "Indiana Jones" film, with the actors and crew, between scene set-ups, showing Guests exactly how the epic stunts are accomplished.







Because of its popularity and exciting premise, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! has been featured in many outside television productions to promote Walt Disney World Resort. The first was an episode during second season of "The All-New New Mickey Mouse Club" (which was filmed on the Disney-MGM Studios Lot) in 1990. Probably the most famous use of the show on television was a 1993 episode of "Full House" (which aired on the soon-to-be Disney-owned ABC), in which the Tanner family travels to Walt Disney World.







The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! continues to entertain Guests multiple times daily at Disney's Hollywood Studios.




Senior JDU leader and General Secretary, KC Tyagi said that Sharad Yadav will be ousted from party if he attends Lalu Yadav's rally on Sunday.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The Sunday rally of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav will perhaps be the D-Day for former National President of JDU and Rajya Sabha MP, Sharad Yadav who has shown signs of revolting against the party after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar snapped ties with RJD and Congress.

Sharad has declared that he will be attending the "Desh Bachao, Bhajpa Bhagao" rally organised by the RJD on Sunday which perhaps could be the trigger for Nitish to oust the rebel JDU leader.

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RJD supremo Lalu Prasad today released a list of political leaders from various parties who have confirmed their participation in the rally. Apart from Uttar Pradesh's former CM Akhilesh Yadav and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Yadav's name also figures in the list.

Though Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi have decided to skip the rally, senior Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Dr CP Joshi will be in attendance.

Sharad has been publicly criticising Nitish Kumar's decision to break alliance with RJD and Congress and allying with BJP.

He has gone to the extent of saying that the decision taken by Nitish was wrong and that he was still part of the Mahagathbandhan. He accused the Bihar CM of insulting the mandate of people given to Mahagathbandhan in 2015 Assembly elections.

Sharad also approached the Election Commission staking claim to the party symbol "arrow".

The rebel JDU leader skipped the National Executive meeting on August 19 and held a parallel event in Patna titled "Jan Adaalat" where he announced that he was still with RJD and Congress and appealed the people to continue with the Mahagathbandhan.

Senior JDU leader and General Secretary, KC Tyagi has already announced that the party was tolerating the anti-party activities of Sharad Yadav but asserted that the senior leader would be ousted from the party if he attends Lalu's rally.

Also read: Despite Bihar floods, Lalu Prasad Yadav refuses to cancel his anti-BJP rally

Also read: Greed cannot be fulfilled: Nitish Kumar takes a jibe at Lalu

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Aug 25 (PTI) Sidharth Malhotra was today slammed on social media for promoting his latest release "A Gentleman" in Haryana ahead of the verdict against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Post the verdict violence broke out in the state claiming 17 lives and leaving over 150 injured. The violence left a trail of destruction and vandalism, a Haryana government official said.

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"To all the people of Haryana, please stay safe. Hope you can see our film soon #Agentleman #PeaceAndLove," Sidharth had tweeted earlier in the day.

Post the judgement many people blasted him for the tweet.

"After this shameless tweet people should bycott his film," one of the Twitter users wrote.

"This was a shameful way of promoting your film. For god sake can you get considerate," another tweet read.

The actor later clarified, saying his thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the violence.

"Its really sad to see the situation worsen since morning and see people in Punjab and Haryana. Love and prayers.

"To people who are commenting on my morning tweets,they were made before the verdict! Thoughts and prayers," he wrote.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh held the 50-year-old Dera Sacha Sauda chief, guilty of rape in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers. PTI SHD SHD

--- ENDS ---
Life definitely has a funny sense of irony. How else could a young girl from Midland who modeled for a walk-in medical care facility ad in the 1980s become a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine who specializes in emergency medicine? Dr. Sophia Johnson, D.O., who finished her residency program earlier this year, recently shared her journey to becoming a physician.

Johnson's introduction to the medical field came at the age of 2 when she modeled for an advertisement for MidMichigan Med Center. The final photo, published in the Midland Daily News, shows her big, brown eyes peering over the head of a well-worn teddy bear. Johnson, who had participated in a few modeling shows at Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, recalls part of the shoot.

"It was done in my grandparents' living room," she said via an email interview. "I remember that I desperately wanted to use my teddy bear, but the photographer had one in mind that he wanted me to use."

Although Johnson doesn't attribute the urgent care ad to her choice of becoming a doctor, she stated that she has wanted to be a physician for as long as she can remember.

Instead, her decision was largely influenced by visits to her aunt in the hospital when Johnson was young.

"I loved being in the hospital, in such a big, busy place that was always open and always moving, with so many people there helping others, and I wanted to be like the healthcare providers that cared for her."

After graduating from Midland High in 2002, Johnson studied at the University of Michigan where she majored in psychology and studied abroad for five months in Greece. She considers Greece to be one of her favorite places she has visited.

"It was an absolutely life changing experience. I traveled throughout Greece, learned a new language, lived in an apartment in a different country and gained a lot of independence," she said. "Prior to this trip, I had done some traveling throughout the United States, but it really sparked an interest in seeing the world!"

Johnson has since added several stamps to her passport, including embarking to Mansoura, Egypt for a mission trip, participating in a symposium in Cuba and traveling to Peru to provide free medical services for families in need. Along the way, she discovered another favorite destination: South Africa.

"My husband and I went to Cape Town in medical school while we were on our way to a medical elective in Malawi (Africa). It is an amazing place to visit. The people are friendly, the weather is amazing, the landscape is beautiful and the food is delicious. We have since traveled back for a medical conference during residency and it was just as incredible the second time around. I would love to live in Cape Town someday."

In 2009 Johnson began her studies at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She rotated through several different medical fields, unsure of what she wanted to go into. The last specialty was emergency medicine. On her first shift, Johnson knew it was the right path to pursue. Just a few short months before she graduated, she discovered that she was matched into emergency medicine while conducting a pediatrics elective in Malawi.

In 2014 she began her four-year residency at a medical center in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, treating patients suffering from a range of maladies. When asked if she works with children, Johnson was ecstatic.

"I do and I love children! That is one of the things that drew me to emergency medicine, the opportunity to work with people of all ages, including kids."

Johnson's affection for children is evident both in and outside her professional career. In the past she has volunteered at a vacation village in Florida for terminally ill children and their families, educated elementary school students about healthy habits, frequently helped in a hospital playroom and assisted at the Ronald McDonald House in Ann Arbor.

But being in the medical field does present its own challenges. Doctors train and study for many years before going into practice, not to mention the long hours required to adequately staff hospitals and medical clinics.

Johnson explained that she has to be available almost all of the time, meaning that nights, weekends and holidays don't necessarily denote time off for her. She is grateful for her supportive family and their flexibility to reschedule celebrations; sometimes she is content to have a random day or two off in the middle of the week.

Johnson does not linger on the downsides of her work. Instead, she enjoys meeting new patients and getting to know them. She is open to learning more and more as she progresses through her career and values the camaraderie fostered between different groups of healthcare workers she has experienced.

Despite everything she has gone through, Johnson is confident in her work and encourages prospective doctors and nurses to pursue their dreams.

"It is a long, hard road. I have been in school and training for most of my life! There will be stressful days but there are also amazing days. Don't forget to thank and appreciate those who love and support you. It is such a wonderful career where you truly get to interact with people and help people every single day. It is very fulfilling and for me, it is worth it. If you want to pursue a career in healthcare, keep an open mind and find something that really interests you."

Earlier this summer Johnson received a surprise. While doing some cleaning, her mother discovered the same ad Johnson had appeared in all those years ago and gave it to her. For Johnson, it was a touching reminder of how far she had come.

"A few days before my graduation from residency, I looked at it and thought, 'Wow, that was me at 2 years old in an urgent care ad and now I am finishing my residency and I am going to be working at an urgent care. What an evolution!'"

Now Johnson has finished her residency and recently moved to the Southwest to continue her work in emergency medicine.

Looking back on her adventures, the challenges she's faced and the people she's met, she doesn't want to change a thing.

"I love being a physician and I am glad that I chose this career path. I always looked up to physicians growing up and thought, 'Wow, will that ever be me?' Now that I am, I am so grateful for this opportunity in life, but I don't feel any different, I am still Sophia Johnson, I am still me. Doctors are regular people, too.
Visitors to Monday's Midland City Council can expect the authorization of an employment agreement with C. Bradley Kaye as the new Midland City Manager.

Details of the agreement are to be provided before Monday's 7 p.m. council meeting. If approved, Kaye would begin his duties on Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. The council unanimously approved Kaye as the next city manager at a special meeting last Tuesday.

Also, on the agenda will be a public hearing for a conditional land use request from Wolgast Design Group on behalf of First State Bank. The 7,480 square foot, two-story building is located at 402 and 406 Ashman Street, 111 East Buttles Street, 401, 405 and 411 McDonald Street. The Planning Commission unanimously approved the site plan.

Also, a public hearing will be conducted on a request from Fisher Sand and Gravel to establish an Industrial Development District. The parcel is located off Waldo Avenue near Bay City Road behind the Midland Civic Ice Arena.

Civic Arena fees also are on the agenda. If approved, fees would increased from $235 per hour to $240 per hour for the 2017/2018 season. The last time the arena saw a fee increase was in October 2014 for the 2014/2015 season. The arena has a debt payment of $340,000 per year that will continue for 13 more years.

The city and Midland Municipal Employees Association have reached a tentative agreement for a three-year contract from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2020. The MMEA has ratified the agreement. If approved by council, employees would receive a 2.5 percent wage increase in 2017, which would be effective upon ratification. Wages for 2018 and 2019 would be negotiated upon completion of the Hay salary study with a minimum of a 2 percent increase. Red-lined employees would receive a lump sum not added to the base.
In the last year the Midland Noon Rotary Club gave more than $21,600 in funding to various Midland County organizations and programs such as Midland Kids First, The Midland County Sheriff Office's SKID program, The ARC of Midland, Adoption Option, Camp Fish Tales, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, The Rock Center for Youth Development, The Family Children's Services of Mid-Michigan, Midland Young Life and the West Midland Family Center.

The giving is through the Midland Rotary Club Community Needs Committee, which was started in 1988 at the request of Major Warren Yoder. As the director of the Salvation Army in Midland, Yoder had observed unmet community needs for groups of children in Midland County.

The focus of the giving is to benefit Midland County youth with a community-wide impact.

"It is our goal to help programs that are youth-oriented and that might otherwise fall through the cracks," said Community Needs Chair Dale Davis.

For an application and a full description of the criteria for funding, and documentation needed, visit the Midland Noon Rotary Club website at www.midlandrotary club.org. The next application deadline is Oct. 1.

Midland Noon Rotary Club is part of Rotary International, which includes more than 34,000 clubs around the globe devoted to Service Above Self. Rotarians are business and community leaders who participate in projects locally and worldwide designed to support and improve communities. Weekly meetings take place Thursdays at noon at the Midland Country Club.
The Michigan Small Business Development Center Great Lakes Bay Region will host business seminars across the Great Lakes Bay Region in the month of September.

The Starting a Business Seminar is a no-cost seminar designed for people who are considering self-employment and those who may be at the beginning stages of starting a business. This introductory session helps aspiring entrepreneurs assess their abilities to lead and manage a company, as well as evaluate market and sales potential for their products/services. Start-up costs, financing options and business planning are introduced, along with other necessary steps to getting started. The next session will be from 2-4 p.m. Sept. 14 at Grace A. Dow Memorial Library lounge. Visit http://bit.ly/2wwEPxC for more information,

People starting or expanding a business who need financing can attend the Team SBA Financing Roundtable. The roundtable gives small business owners insight into SBA Guaranteed Loan Programs and the criteria used by loan officers to evaluate a loan request. This seminar is offered at no-cost and is led by a team of experts with expertise in small business and SBA financing. The next sessions will be from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Sept. 15 at Delta College. Visit http://bit.ly/2v6Zyo0 for more information.
One little mistake can ruin the whole look, Sonakshi.

By India Today Web Desk: Sonakshi Sinha has gone through a long, taxing journey to shed the weight she entered the industry with. The journey, however, has been worth it. She sure has been in the best shape of her life for the past year or so now.

Soexperiments, when you have a body you can flaunt, it's only obvious that you start to experiment with fashion. Sonakshi Sinha's recent experiments, however, have been going more wrong than right.

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On the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, however, Sona chose to wear a beautiful white suit, which she paired with a bright-yellow dupatta and bright-yellow juttis.

Photo: Yogen Shah

Everything was just right about Sonakshi's attire except one pesky little thing.

We love the Seema Khan suit Sona wore, more so because of the frilled bell-sleeves it boasted of. We love the fact that Sona chose a very safe contrast of white and yellow for the auspicious occasion. We also love Sona's accesories, right from her chand baalis to the tiny yellow bindi.

What went majorly wrong with the look, however, was Sonakshi's lip colour. She chose a nude-pink colour that made her face look full and flat, especially in this heat and humidity. Had Sona just chosen a mildly brighter shade of pink, balance would've been restored.

Picture courtesy: Instagram/aslisona

Maybe you'll get it right next time around, Sona, Ganesh Chaturthi or not.

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BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday for organizing a scheme to defraud a bank by recruiting other people to open bank accounts used to pass forged checks that reportedly netted him over $7,000.

Assistant State's Attorney Brad Rigdon told Judge Casey Costigan the financial scheme actually involved a total of 13 people and over $7,000 in fraudulent withdrawals from U.S. Bank, but allegations involving nine people and a total of 40 checks were not charged by the state.

Normal police Detective Nichole Bruno testified Friday that Cooper also convinced a woman to participate in a similar scheme involving a local credit union. The financial crimes Cooper committed required extensive police resources to compile bank and cellphone records and witness statements, said Bruno.

In asking for a 15-year sentence, Rigdon said Cooper "spread his wrongdoing across this state and into others" where several pending warrants exist for the defendant. The motive for Cooper's conduct is outside the incentives for typical criminals who may need money for drugs or living expenses, said the prosecutor, noting that Cooper had a steady job.

"The motivation is greed, pure and simple. He's at the top of the food chain, recruiting people in need. This is theft for the sake of profit," said Rigdon.

Cooper forged checks taken from several unsuspecting victims and withdrew the money from ATMs "because he wants to get by better than anyone else," said the prosecutor.

Defense lawyer John Bussan argued that a six-year prison term was sufficient. The birth of Cooper's third child, a son born Thursday in Bloomington, was "a game changer" for the defendant who now wants to change his life, said Bussan.

The defense lawyer continued his argument made during trial that Cooper was not the person who recruited people to participate in the scheme.

The financial crimes also did not involve violent behavior, Bussan said, adding, "He never stuck a gun in anyone's face."

In a brief statement to the judge, Cooper did not address his crimes, but instead talked about his children.

"I lost everything being incarcerated. It's been hard on my family," he said.

Costigan denied a request by Bussan to delay the sentencing for 30 to 45 days to allow Cooper to have time with his newborn son through jail visits. The judge said he had a difficult time accepting Cooper's claim that the new baby signaled a turnaround in the defendant's life when Cooper had two other children at the time of the offenses.

Cooper's criminal record going back to age 14 and affiliations with a street gang were among the negative factors cited by the judge in imposing the sentence.

"For a 25-year-old, you have as significant a criminal history as any 25-year-old I've sentenced," the judge told Cooper.

The defendant also was ordered to make restitution to the bank for $7,082. Cooper also received a concurrent two-year sentence for obstruction of justice by giving a false name to Bloomington police in a second case.
DWIGHT  An English teacher at Dwight High School is in the running to be named 2018 Teacher of the Year in Illinois.

Lindsey Jensen of Dwight is one of the top 10 finalists. The Teacher of the Year will be announced by the Illinois State Board of Education at a banquet in October.

Jensen has been teaching English at Dwight High School for 10 years.

She was nominated by Dwight Police Chief Tim Henson, who has partnered with Jensen during local Special Olympics events. Jensen also taught two of his children.

While my children had her as a teacher, they took classes and joined school activities they normally wouldnt have if it wasnt for the great teaching they received from Mrs. Jensen. Shes a true leader, said Henson.

Jensen said it has been a whirlwind of a week since she heard the news.

If this little personal victory puts Dwight on the map and showcases what education is doing, I feel like Ive already won, she said.

While teaching full time, Jensen is completing her doctorate in English education at Illinois State University.

Im very passionate about literacy and literature. A lot of former students contact me and ask for help to proofread letters for college and scholarships. I try to remain a resource for them in their lives long after they graduate, she said.

Dwight High School Principal Dan Kaiser said Jensen brings energy and new strategies to the school.

Shes continually trying to find unique ideas to incorporate into lessons so students dont become stagnant and she doesnt either, said Kaiser. Although we are a small district, it does not impede us from having quality teachers in our building and quality education for our kids.
BLOOMINGTON  McLean County school superintendents are eager for funding solutions after Illinois lawmakers broke their political standoff Thursday, reaching a tentative deal on school funding reform.

If we can get Republicans and Democrats in the state to actually agree to serve students effectively, regardless of their personal ideologies, thats the right place to be. The fact that theyve gotten this far is a win, said LeRoy Superintendent Gary Tipsord.

"Language will be drafted and details of the agreement released once the drafts have been reviewed. The leaders will reconvene in Springfield on Sunday in anticipation of House action on Monday, said the statement.

Tipsord spoke with other local superintendents, Mark Daniel of McLean County Unit 5 and Barry Reilly of Bloomington District 87, at a school funding presentation Friday at The Chateau Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington.

Also at the event was state Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, who said negotiations will continue in Springfield over the weekend on the new piece of legislation, Senate Bill 1947.

This will have a number of components that were part of Senate Bill 1 and parts of other bills. Some things have been removed and left for the city of Chicago to deal with, said Brady.

He slashed funding to school districts that are within tax increment financing districts and covered by local property tax caps. TIF districts divert increases in property tax revenue away from taxing bodies, including school districts, into funds set aside for economic development.

The Senate overrode Rauners amendatory veto. but legislators developed this compromise bill before the House made a decision on a veto override.

Regarding pensions for Chicago teachers, Brady said theres a possibility the Chicago City Council will have the ability to raise its tax levy to cover pensions.

The TIF side of things wasnt really addressed in this proposed bill. A TIF task force of different leaders from both parties will deal with the issues of TIF districts and how it affects public education, said Brady. There will also be some areas for potential referendums of property taxes for certain school districts.

The initial formula, detailed in SB1, introduced an evidence-based funding model.

The evidence-based model allots state funding based on the individual needs of each district. Needs are determined based on elements that lead to successful schools, like small class sizes, technology, professional development, student activities and special education.

Then district demographics, like enrollment and number of low-income students, are added to the equation.

From there, the formula would identify an adequacy target for each district to determine how much state money the district would require to meet its target after local and federal funds are collected.

I think legislators will keep the evidence-based model relatively pure, said Tipsord. How it affects us in McLean County will likely be consistent with what we saw in the original Senate Bill 1, with some potential enhancements.

Under SB1, all Pantagraph-area districts would receive more funding than the current school funding formula.

Tipsord said districts wont immediately see a difference in payments after Mondays anticipated decision. He said data from the bill would be sent to the Illinois State Board of Education, which would determine methods for distribution.

This reform truly gives Illinois the chance to have a best-in-the-country model to fund public education in a purposeful way that is directly linked to accountability and how that conversation can start to change in public schools, said Tipsord.

Illinois is currently last among the states in terms of how much of school costs is paid by the state.

Ive worked in Indiana and Michigan," said Daniel. "Where were headed, this will separate us from other states in the Midwest. Its truly going to be beneficial to our state as a whole."

Reilly said the prospective news is encouraging but he still feels cautious since full details of the negotiation havent been released.

In the end, it looks like we will have an evidence-based funding model that will work for all schools in the state of Illinois, and thats a good thing, said Reilly.
BLOOMINGTON  As Hurricane Harvey bears down on the Texas Gulf Coast, Central Illinoisans are among volunteers heading to Texas to offer relief for the expected devastation.

"In terms of economic impact, Harvey will probably be on par with Hurricane Katrina," University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy told The Associated Press. "The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time."

The American Red Cross is mounting a massive relief effort, mobilizing hundreds of trained disaster relief workers, truckloads of kitchen supplies, tens of thousands of ready-to-eat meals and cots and blankets for 20,000 people.

Included in the effort are seven volunteers from the American Red Cross Serving Central Illinois, said Trish Burnett, Red Cross regional communications director.

They are Mike McKnight of Normal, disaster relief supervisor; Nancy Barrington of Normal and Lashauna Flowers of Peoria, both emergency response vehicle drivers; Joyce Cook of Streator, Jerry Olden of Champaign and Cynthia Clark of Peoria, all sheltering services; and Dave Stoner of Princeville, logistics.

Some of the Central Illinois volunteers already have left for Texas; some will leave from Bloomington for Houston this weekend, driving a Red Cross emergency response vehicle; and others will leave next week, Burnett said.

Meanwhile, Normal-based Midwest Food Bank, at the request of The Salvation Army, will dispatch two semitrailer loads of disaster relief boxes from the food bank's warehouse, 2031 Warehouse Road, Normal, on Saturday morning, Director of Operations Mike Hoffman said. The supplies are expected to arrive in Texas and be unloaded on Sunday, Hoffman said.

Two additional semi loads will go out Tuesday and Thursday, Hoffman said.

Disaster relief boxes, which are assembled at Midwest Food Bank, contain enough shelf-stable food and supplies for a family of four for five days. Food bank volunteers pack, load and drive the boxes to disaster sites, where they are distributed to people in need by The Salvation Army.

The food bank is planning to pack more disaster relief boxes at 10 a.m. Monday at its warehouse. Volunteers are welcome.

People wishing to help with the cost of food and fuel may send donations to Midwest Food Bank, 2031 Warehouse Road, Normal, IL 61761 or visit bloomington.midwestfoodbank.org.

People wishing to assist Red Cross efforts may visit www.redcross.org, call 800-RED-CROS or text HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
NORMAL  Twin City residents who enjoyed Monday's solar eclipse now have a chance to pay it forward.

Normal Public Library is accepting used eclipse glasses on behalf of Astronomers Without Borders, which will send them to schools in Asia and South America that can use them for upcoming eclipses in 2019.

Several eclipses will be visible in other countries before the next one is visible from North America in 2024.

"By 2024, theyll degrade, so its good to send them on, said Children's Outreach Librarian Randi Sutter of the glasses. Schools that dont have access to large numbers of eclipse glasses will be able to experience the eclipse safely, like so many of our community members were Monday.

The library, at 202 W. College Ave., will take the glasses at any service desk until the end of next month. Library staff also will accept them at their table at this weekend's Sweet Corn Blues Festival in uptown.

Explore Scientific, an Arkansas company that manufactures space-related equipment, will inspect all glasses before they reach Astronomers Without Borders, which distributes space-related materials worldwide.

As long as they arent completely destroyed, its fine to send them in, Sutter said. Theyll make sure theyre not counterfeit glasses or anything like that.

She encouraged residents with more questions about the process to visit the Astronomers Without Borders website at astronomerswithoutborders.org.

Sutter encouraged Normal residents to sign up for library cards at the same time they drop off the glasses. Because September is "Normal Library Card Sign-Up Month," new cardholders can win prizes, including a tablet. A photo ID and proof of address are required to get a new library card.

Bloomington residents can use Normal Public Library's collection, facilities and programs but should first get a Bloomington Public Library card.
CHICAGO (AP)  Gov. Bruce Rauner has used his amendatory veto powers to rewrite an unclaimed life insurance benefits proposal backed by the Illinois treasurer.

The measure would've required insurance companies to compare lapsed policies back to 2000 against federal death files to verify a policyholder has died and benefits have been paid.

Democratic Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs supported the plan. Proponents, including consumer advocates, say it'll guard against insurance companies' unscrupulous practices.

The Republican governor announced his rewrite Friday, saying he supports the plan's intent but it's "inequitable and potentially unconstitutional." He says it unfairly forces companies to search for policies and goes further than current law.

Frerich's spokeswoman didn't immediately return a message Saturday.

Lawmakers need three-fifths majorities in the House and Senate to override Rauner's changes.

The legislation is HB302.

Student loans

Also on Saturday, Rauner also vetoed a plan pushed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan aimed at protecting students who take out college loans.

Madigan says the proposal was intended to fight abuse and failures in the industry, part of an investigation and lawsuit her office brought against a loan servicing company. The measure would, among other things, require servicers to provide students detailed information, including their repayment options.

In rejecting the plan, Rauner said the intent is "laudable," but the bill "encroaches on the federal government's responsibilities" and would make the complex student loan process more confusing.

Madigan, a Democrat, accused the Republican governor of failing to "stand up" for students.

Backers plan to seek an override, which requires three-fifths majority House and Senate votes.

The legislation is SB1351.
IAN LOFTUS | Ian Loftus History & Travel Blog

PERTH - This week marks the 45th anniversary of the RAAFs worst peacetime air disaster, the crash of a Caribou transport aircraft from 38 Squadron in Papua New Guineas Morobe province on 28 August 1972.

With 29 on board (three RAAF crew and 26 passengers) the aircraft disappeared en-route from Lae to Port Moresby. Only four of those on board survived, all cadets.

Most of the passengers were PNG high school cadets from the 35th Cadet Battalion returning home from their annual cadet camp in Lae. They were accompanied by an Australian Army officer and a cadet officer, also from Australia.

Despite an intensive search by RAAF, Army and civilian aircraft, the Caribou remain undiscovered for several days due to its remote location and extensive tree canopy.

A searching Army Sioux helicopter located several survivors who had walked from the crash site. RAAF Iroquois were called, and the survivors were able to lead crew to the crash site, which was near the crest of a ridge.
By PTI: injured

By Aditi Khanna

London, Aug 26 (PTI) A 26-year-old sword-wielding man attacked and wounded three police officers outside Buckingham Palace in London before being arrested, prompting Scotland Yard to launch a terror investigation.

The man initially held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police has now been re-arrested under the UK?s Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said today.

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"A car deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill near Buckingham Palace. The officers, who were unarmed police constables and from Westminster borough, got out of the van and approached the car, a blue Toyota Prius," the police said.

"As they challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," it said.

"The incident is being treated as terrorism but we will remain open minded while the investigation continues."

During a struggle, three officers sustained injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with tear gas.

Two of the officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later. The third officer did not require hospital treatment.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries and has now been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"The officers acted very quickly to detain him," the Met Police said in an update. "No members of the public at the scene are believed had any interaction with the arrested man. There are no other reported injuries."

Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said officers from the Counter-Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today.

"We believe the man (from Luton in the east of England) was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do - this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time."

"This is a timely reminder that the threat from terrorism in the UK remains severe. The police, together with the security services, are doing everything we can to protect the public," Haydon said, calling on the public to "remain alert."

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Earlier, police had revealed details of the attack which took place at around 20:35 hrs (local time) last evening when a man stopped his blue Toyota Prius car in a restricted area near a police vehicle.

The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area. Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a sword-like weapon in the suspect?s car.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were not in Buckingham Palace at the time.

The 91-year-old monarch is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and other senior members of the royal family are also away during the summer holiday season in the UK.

A Palace spokesperson said the summer opening hours and tours of the Queen?s London residence will go ahead on schedule, adding that it will be "business as usual".

Europe is on high alert following a spate of recent terror attacks.

A terror cell launched an attack on Barcelonas famous Las Ramblas street last Wednesday, and at a nearby seaside town, leaving 14 people dead.

On Saturday night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers. He was shot dead at the scene, while two soldiers were not seriously injured.

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Britain has also been the scene of a series of terror attacks this year alone.

In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four people. He then ran into the grounds of the Parliament, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer. He was shot dead by an officer.

A concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester was attacked by a suicide bomber who detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the entrance to the concert, leaving 23 dead.

In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and then ran to Borough Market, where they stabbed people. Eight people were killed and the three terrorists were shot dead by police. PTI AK NSA ZH AKJ ZH

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So I was delayed leaving. Ill be heading out shortly. But before I go, I would like to pose a question. The buzz across media, among educators, pundits, journalist, activists and Catholics is that the Confederacy was basically Nazi Germany, and the Confederates themselves Nazis. Hence they must go.

How? What made them the same? Apart from the fact that the Confederacy embraced racism to justify slavery, and the Nazis peddled in their own brand of racism with their warped Master Race theories. what were the similarities?

Why is the Confederacy singled out over racism? We know that Northerners were, by our standards today, every bit the racists. And so were Europeans. Yes, Europe had mostly banished slavery by then, but it was also embarking on the greatest leg of its quest for empire. And riding shotgun with its carving up of Africa, China, and anywhere else it could get was its belief in the superiority of White Europeans over the rest of humanity. The White Mans burden and all. So if the Confederacy was Nazi because Racism, that should still implicate just about everyone else in the West. Is therefore all Europe and America Nazi?

And bonus for people who know history: Weve always known that long before Europe was trading in African slaves, the Islamic Arabic world had a robust African slave trade and embraced the idea that Africans were more animal than human to justify it. So contrary to what an amazing amount of Americans think, we didnt corner the market on that brand of their kind is inferior to us. And we know that Muslims continued to traffic in African slaves, in some places well into the 20th century. Nazi Muslims maybe? And lets not even get into the xenophobia and racism of Imperial Japan. Was the world Nazi?

Some polemicists point to the brutality of the South, which Ive seen brought up as a reason for the comparison. But it was 19th century. Hello. It could still be a brutal world, here and elsewhere (some might ask if we are much better today). See the treatment of subjected peoples under Ottoman rule. Asia was still going strong, and we neednt remind ourselves of basic human rights within Native American tribal culture. As for Western cultures, Europe was still plenty brutal, and as one moved east, the treatment of peasants and other unworthies had barely improved since the 18th century, when historians often point out that serfdom in the east had reached an all time low.

Theyre villains because they rebelled? Well, that doesnt make them Nazis, unless the Founding Fathers were (and you can hold that thought). We could go long on the differences between the Confederacys rebellion and the Nazis seizure of power. Because they rebelled for Slavery? If you ignore every other difference, you might be able to make the case that since its rebellion was linked to racism, and the Nazis certainly embraced racism as part of their designs, perhaps. But thats it. Thats the closest you get.

No. It seem to me that this Confederacy was Nazi meme relies on ignoring a million differences to zero in on one partial similarity. Its like saying a chihuahua and an Elephant are the same because they both have ears. There is no justification for it for any serious student of history. If you are willing to ignore the Himalayan Mountain range of differences and qualifiers and ignore the rampant racism that continued to exist around the world (and some would argue, still does today) and say that makes them Nazis, then I suppose theres a case to be made that Hitler did have a pope after all. Just ignore all the inconvenient facts.

I certainly cant help but notice, BTW, that many who scream loudest about Nazi Confederates also have few problems linking Nazis and Catholicism just the same. Perhaps Catholics at least should put their heads on straight before jumping on the iconoclasm/vandalism bandwagon. After all, he who lives by lousy historical studies will often die by them. And in the case of Catholics, it would serve them right, since theyre usually the first to protest and insist on careful historical studies in response to lame notions like Hitlers Pope.

So please, discuss. What have I missed? Exactly what sets the Confederacy apart from its historical context that makes it and the Nazis virtually indistinguishable? Ciao.
Were just back from a superb performance of Mamma Mia! at the spectacular outdoor Tuacahn Amphitheater.

I havent been to Tuacahn in several years, so I was impressed all over again by the magnificent setting, which is surely one of the finest in the world.

And the production was excellent. As good as any I can imagine anywhere. Moreover, they really used the unique capacities of Tuacahns setting.

Once you get past the sheer amoral dysfunctionality of the Sheridan family situation  Donna cant tell, between three men, who the father of her twenty-year-old daughter, Sophie, might be; Sophie has never had a father, which she has long lamented, and, though she has two aunts who have shown up briefly in her life on rare occasions, she seems to have no real, functioning, aunts or uncles or grandparents  its a fun story, with wonderful music.

The audience was wildly enthusiastic. At the end, people plainly much more familiar with the music and the play than I am were standing, cheering loudly, singing, and doing the moves along with the stage cast.

Anyway, a great performance in a breathtaking location.

***

Heres an article that appeared in the student newspaper at Brigham Young University  Idaho:

Elder Holland speaks on testimony at Book of Mormon Chiasmus Conference

And the flimsy pretext of that article now allows me to post three photographs that my friend Kirk Magleby, of Book of Mormon Central, sent me earlier tonight. I include them here for the historical record:

***

Finally, I read a hilarious entry on an apostate (and mostly atheist) message board this evening. It seems that some poor ex-Mormon toured the new buildings at the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) with his parents a day or two ago. He was appalled by what he described as the glum and depressed looks of the missionaries there, and by what he characterized as their arrogant demeanor. Theres no arguing such perceptions. Ive also taken the tour, though, and I saw no such things.

However, this person also called attention to the dark hallways and the dark, windowless classrooms of the MTC. But, on this, point no reasonable person could possibly agree. I mean, really. Check out any photograph of the new MTC buildings. (Look at this article from back in early June, for example.) Theyre virtually nothing but windows.

Im strongly reminded of a mystery novel that I looked at many years ago, and that I really, really wish Id bought at the time. Its part of a series featuring, I think, a female geologist who ends up solving murders. (I can remember neither the authors name nor the title.) Anyway, this one opened with her having just arrived in Salt Lake City. She goes to Temple Square, and cannot figure out why the Salt Lake Temple gives her the creeps. Then, suddenly, it dawns on her: Its because it has absolutely no windows! Its just a solid, featureless block of granite!

Posted from St. George, Utah
I knew it would come up, of course I did and I was not disappointed. My last post was aimed at the idea of our Pagan pioneers creating a false acceptance for Paganism by lying about the more displeasing aspects of our numerous religions. Omitting the existence of sacrifice, cursing and hexing, devil worship, demonology and other such things.

I knew what at least one type of response would be to that post  that of safety. By keeping the displeasing stuff out of the public eye, we keep ourselves safe. We keep from being burnt, attacked, our homes and businesses vandalised.

The first of these comments I saw was on the Patheos Pagan Facebook page and it included a seeming insult at younger Pagans (this actually turned out to be miscommunication on both our parts and led to a very constructive and enjoyable discussion/debate).

We Arent That Safe Anyway

So we begin with the harsh truth. We arent really that safe right now anyway. Yes we are perhaps safer than we were 100 years ago, and we are certainly safer in our western world than in certain countries like Papua. But when we speak of safety in the western world, its not really as good as it should be.

We recently had the story go a bit viral regarding the Pagan business owner whose shop is being vandalised and has been advised that she try to have the culprits charged with a hate crime. I have read multiple other stories of peoples businesses being attacked, Pagan temples or similar being vandalised, peoples homes being vandalised and even burned down, and more. These, in places like the USA and UK, and probably Australia too.

I run the Pagan Homeschooling group on Facebook and I know from the numerous stories told by parents in that group, that our children arent safe either. Go to school and wear any type of Pagany pendant, or be known to not celebrate the Christian festivals, or be known to be Pagan and your child will be not just verbally bullied, but often physically abused. And certainly shunned. And not just by the students either, sometimes, depending on where you live, the teachers will be all up in that as well.

Yes, we are safer than we could be  but we arent as safe as we should be. If being stereotyped as white light love and peace hippies who arent a threat to anyone, isnt enough to keep the bricks from flying through our windows or the flames from burning out our doors  then what is enough to keep us safe?

The Truth Will Out

That first comment about safety also included a barb about young Pagans looking all gothic on their podiums, taking 100s of selfies. I read this the wrong way, and thought the commenter was accusing all/most young Pagans and Witches of just being in it all for shock and awe purposes. A lot of older Pagans do think this about the younger ones.

I dont deny that such people exist within the Pagany communities, and they have for a long time now. But the accusation totally discounts the fact that these practices have existed all along, not for shock and awe, but as legitimate practices that are important to many of our religions and traditions. Animal sacrifice is a good example of this, and I have already written on it fairly extensively, so check those posts out if youre so inclined. But devil worship is popular even within Wiccan style traditions, demonology has been in use since the very start of our modern resurgence  just carefully hidden or only written about by those deemed kooky and not representative of us as whole. Cursing and hexing are the same thing, done all along but carefully hidden or denied by the big voices.

It probably seems like its not necessary for us to be open and very public about these practices, it brings no real value to our religions and traditions. However, we live in the age of social media. This is the time we are in, this how life is right now  everything is public. My Gods but peoples toilet habits can go viral  this is the world we live in. We can strive to continue to hide the more displeasing aspects of our traditions, but we arent going to win that battle. Its not really possible in this internet crazy world.

But there is another thing, and maybe it really does make it necessary for us to be open and public. We need only look at the ever so popular and annoying Easter = Ishtar meme. Oh dear Gods, but why do so many in our own Pagan and related communities fall for that? Let alone those outside of Paganism. Again, this is the world we live in, the stupidest things can go viral. What is going to happen when someone conceives of a fun meme about modern Pagans, all faked out to make it look like we really are into blood filled animal sacrifice orgies, with children present no doubt. Best we spread the accurate information first, dont you think?

Oh sure, its probably still going to happen that we will get ridiculous crap coming out and going viral, but at least we can try to dispel the idiocy before it even happens. The more who know the truth before the lies start, the less who believe the lies.

The Truth Would Have Made us Safe

Back to safety. We arent as safe as we should be, and I have no idea how we can get to that place, if we can. But I do know this  if we had revealed the truth from the very beginning, we probably wouldnt be any worse off right now.

The white light love and peace stereotype didnt make us safer than the truth would have, it just made us safer more quickly. The truth about cursing and demons and sacrifice would have made it take longer for us to be tolerated and quasi-accepted, but we would have reached this semi-safe stage eventually anyway. Because time tells. Over the decades we have been doing all these things and what has happened? Have we been mass murderers everyone? Have we been out cursing all the cows and making it rain on a single house for a century non-stop? No, we havent and we wouldnt have either way. And people would have got that, seen it, realised that even though we do seemingly displeasing things, we still arent really all that threatening. And overall, we are pretty nice people for the most part. Well, as nice as any person of any other religion or non-religion.

Time does tell, and the decades that have passed could have been used to make our real practices become tolerable and quasi-acceptable. Right now, even with the stereotype of peacefulness, there are many who still deem us to be evil and awful and dangerous. Those people would believe this same thing whatever truth we presented from the beginning. The ones who deem us to be harmless little tree huggers, would have a different view of us perhaps, but they would easily see us as still being harmless, because we wouldnt have done much harm (not including certain individuals, but every religion and group has those).

Would the Truth Endanger us Now?

This is the big question though isnt it? With it all coming out now, are we in danger or in more danger than we were, say five years ago?

I guess it depends. The mass public hexings and bindings are not really going to endanger us all that much. The simple truth is, the general public read those stories about mass witchcraft and just laugh their heads off about how stupid and delusional we all are. That sort of thing actually helps to keep us safe. We live in a world* where the idea of someone cursing your cows is laughably stupid, not something to be literally feared.

The Satanic Panic wasnt all that long ago, its not hard to imagine this actually happening again. Especially in todays climate where everyone is afraid of Muslims or some other group or type of person. And everyone is just waiting for another hate train to board. But devil worship that is open and honest about the sorts of things that go on isnt likely to create too many waves either.

Coming out as a group that accepts and allows things like animal sacrifice as legitimate practices within our religions (though not practiced by all by a long shot) has the potential to endanger us. But the danger we face is not necessarily any worse than what we already face, just by the fears that people hold. As I mentioned above, those who are willing to believe the worst of us, already do believe such and so they are already a threat to us anyway. Those who dont believe the worst of us arent going to go into a huge panic  especially where we are a pretty small, fragmented and ineffectual (on the world stage) group anyway.

The Danger Lies in the Dark

Coming out holds some danger, we know this from our own experiences of coming out of the broom closet, not to mention by watching those other groups that face the process of coming out. Though I dont think our danger is comparable to those other groups. But not coming out holds its own dangers, and maybe worse ones simply because of what we are attempting to hide.

When people dont understand a thing, they make up a reality for it, they create a story and dialogue about it. So it is that animal sacrifice holds its own stereotypes, even among the Pagan community. Ritual animal sacrifice equals blood and gore, torture of animals, and when its done by Pagans, usually involves sex I suppose.

But this is far from the innocuous truth of real animal sacrifice. Real sacrifice, when enacted properly, is far, far, far less brutal than the more common form of animal slaughter  the type that gets meat onto your table.

Which is safer for people to know? Should we hide in the dark with this sort of practice, and run the risk of someone finding out about it and outing us to the public, with stories of blood and gore and orgies and. Or do we openly admit to what were doing, explaining what it actually entails so there are no secrets for them to make up stories about?

In reality, coming out about something like animal sacrifice holds a pretty big risk of hardcore Vegans picketing our homes. But the risk of someone actually hurting us is really no greater than it is now when just coming out as a witch. Our homes and businesses are vandalised and burned, our children are attacked, we are shunned. These happen already and I dont believe it would get any worse if we openly admit to cursing, hexing, sacrificing, devil worship, demon summoning and all of the other stuff. And hardly any of us practice all of those at once anyway.

We run a risk either way. But in my view of things, in the western world, we face harsher consequences by hiding than we do by coming out about our darker and more displeasing practices. By admitting to the truth, by being honest, by opening the dialogue and spreading good and real information instead of allowing people to make up scary stories in their heads, we lessen the dangers in some ways.

* The westernised world sees cursing as a joke. But there are still many countries and regions in this world where it is no joke, it is a real fear people hold. In these places, such as Papua, people accused of witchcraft do still get burned to death.
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By PTI: Amaravati, Aug 26 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today cautioned that democracy might fail if the legislative bodies did not discharge their functions properly.

"Legislative bodies -- Parliament and (state) legislatures -- have a high significance in a democracy. But now there is an amount of despondency and depression among people over the functioning of these institutions.

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"People are slowly getting disillusioned by certain acts of certain people, irrespective of the party they belong to. This is not good for democracy," the vice president noted.

Naidu was addressing a civic reception hosted by the Andhra Pradesh government here.

"If the legislative bodies do not function properly, democracy will be weakened. There is also a threat of democracy failing," he apprehended.

Naidu stressed on the need for legislative bodies becoming the fora for meaningful discussions and making purposeful legislations.

They should push the country forward on a path of meaningful development, he said.

"The legislative bodies should act in such a manner that people should come to view them as ones enriching development and not blocking it. Going by whats happening in (village) panchayats, urban local bodies, state legislatures and Parliament, people are anguished.

"Theres a sense of deprivation among people that the legislative bodies are not functioning as per their desires and wants. We have to set this right."

Naidu, who is also chairman of the Rajya Sabha, said he will try to uphold the dignity of the Upper House of Parliament while presiding over it.

"I can assure you that I will try to uphold the dignity and decorum of this responsibility given to me as Vice -President of India and chairman of the Rajya Sabha. I will strive to enhance the stature of the Rajya Sabha and restore its glory as a true House of the Elders.

"With the cooperation of members, I shall make the Rajya Sabha the Elders House that thinks and also makes people think," Naidu maintained.

In his inimitable witty style, Naidu quipped, "I am retired (from active politics) but not tired."

"In my 45-year-long political career, I have occupied several important positions and done justice to them with full dedication and commitment. As the vice president, I shall work with the same dedication and commitment and bring glory to the position," he said.

Governor E S L Narasimhan recalled his association with the veteran politician and the latters disciplined life that brought him to the present position.

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"After he became the vice president, I asked Venkaiah ji about his dress. A man full of wit, Venkaiah ji said Only my address has changed and the dress remains the same. We are so proud of such a man," the governor said.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union Civil Aviation Minister P Ashok Gajapati Raju, Minister of State Y S Chowdary, Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, Chief Secretary Dinesh Kumar and Director General of Police (in charge) N Sambasiva Rao, among others, were present.

Earlier, after a ceremonial reception at the airport, the vice-president was brought to Vijayawada in an open-top jeep from Gannavaram.

Thousands of school and college students, self-help group women and others lined up along the 24-km route to greet the Vice President on his maiden visit to the home state after assuming the top post. PTI DBV ARS NRB RSY GSN

--- ENDS ---
Gift establishes UCI endowed chair in art history, archaeology of ancient Iran

08/25/17

Press Release by The University of California, Irvine

Holder will collaborate with Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture

Irvine, Calif., Aug. 24, 2017 - The University of California, Irvine has received a $1.5 million grant from Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute to establish the Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djalali Presidential Chair in Art History & Archaeology of Ancient Iran. Additional funding was provided by the UC Presidential Match for Endowed Chairs program. The holder of the $2 million chair in the Department of Art History will collaborate with UCI's Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture.

"We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Mir-Djalali and Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute for this important endowed chair position," said Georges Van Den Abbeele, dean of the School of Humanities. "With this support, UCI is poised to attract scholars and students from around the world who seek a diverse range of scholarly opportunities in both ancient and modern Iranian and Persian studies. Donors who endow chairs not only contribute to our scholarly excellence today, but also ensure the university's continued preeminence in specific areas of study. In this case, the Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djalali Presidential Chair builds upon our internationally recognized expertise in Persian studies and positions us well to become the leading center in this strategically important area of scholarly study."

Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djalali, Ph.D., is the founder, chair and president of Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute, a private foundation that supports cultural and educational activities and helps nurture a new generation of educators to preserve the transmission and instruction of Persian language and culture. Founded in 2000, the foundation has awarded millions of dollars in grants for the strengthening or establishment of academic Persian programs at some of the most esteemed universities in the United States and throughout the world. Though Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute has supported several Persian-related initiatives at UCI, this new grant - which comes from the Roshan Cultural Heritage Fund, an advised fund of Silicon Valley Community Foundation - marks its first campus endowment.

"We are delighted to endow a new chair specializing in ancient Iran at the UCI School of Humanities," Mir-Djalali said. "Persian culture and history stretches back 3,500 years. Understanding and appreciating this rich and influential heritage is essential to developing more effective communication in today's sometimes antagonistic relationships. It is a great honor to partner with the University of California, Irvine, relying on its excellence in academic strength and knowing that this endowment will benefit generations of faculty and students pursuing Persian and Iranian studies."

Cecile Whiting, UCI chair and professor of art history, concurred: "Appointing a scholar specializing in the art of ancient Iran will strengthen the Department of Art History's course offerings in the ancient world and enable students to consider the complex exchange of ideas in the Near East extending west toward the Mediterranean world and east into India. This new scholar will enhance the robust study of the ancient world pursued by a number of departments in the School of Humanities, including history, classics, and Persian and Iranian studies."

The Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djalali Presidential Chair in Art History & Archaeology of Ancient Iran will teach and conduct extensive research on any or all of the three dynasties of the ancient Persian world: Achaemenid, Arsacid and Sasanian (550 B.C. to A.D. 650).

Founded in 2009, UCI's Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies & Culture is a hub for interdisciplinary research projects that bridge the arts, humanities, engineering, medicine and the sciences with Persian studies. Since its inception, the center has hosted numerous conferences on the Iranian world; created research clusters uniting scholars on the study of the Tehran Project, alternative music, the Digital Archive of Middle Persian Inscriptions, and Sasanika (Late Antique Iran Project); and established an online, peer-reviewed journal, the Digital Archive of Brief Notes & Iran Review, or DABIR. UCI students can minor in Persian studies and take courses about both ancient and modern Iran.

"The Elahe Omidyar Mir-Djalali Presidential Chair in Art History & Archaeology of Ancient Iran will position the Jordan Center as a national leader in both modern and ancient Iran and secure our footing for continued excellence in Persian and Iranian studies," said history professor Touraj Daryaee, center director and Maseeh Chair in Persian Studies & Culture. "We are incredibly grateful to Dr. Mir-Djalali and Roshan Cultural Heritage Institute for their investment in the work we do, and I personally look forward to collaborating with the future chair holder."

Recruitment for the inaugural appointment is planned for the coming academic year.



About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
Aide of Business Mogul and the Chief Executive Officer of Engineers and Planners, Mr. Ibrahim Mahama says Government's intention to collapse his businesses has failed.



According to him, his businesses are far and wide and well established across the African continent and no attempt by government can break him.



Speaking on Okay FM's 'Ade Akye Abia's' programme, Special aide to the President's brother (Ibrahim Mahama), Rafiq Mahama explained that the services of Engineers and Planners are well appreciated in other West African countries.



"Some utterances of some government officials shows that they have some hatred for the man who has geniunely started his business and employed so many Ghanaians."



Ibrahim Mahama started his businesses from humble beginnings and has been able to come this far by dint of hard work,he is in to legitimate business and employing so many ghanaians.



Reports surfaced that Exton Cubic and E&P were operating illegally in the forest but the mining company refuted the claims noting that it had legally acquired the Nyinahin Bauxite concession as far back as August 14, 2013.



However, Exton Cubic Group Limited at a press conference yesterday has denied media reports that it is scheming with Engineers and Planners (E&P) to engage in illegal mining at the Nyinahin bauxite concession.



We wish to state emphatically that the said publications are false and a total misrepresentation of the actual facts of the issue. We wish to state unequivocally that Exton Cubic Group has never engaged in any illegal mining activity in Ghana, Exton Cubic Group said in a statement following the seizure of trucks belonging to Ibrahim Mahamas E&P, which was undertaking preparatory works at the concession.



Exton Cubic described the seizure on the instruction of the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei- Mensah, and the District Chief Executive of the Atwima Mponua District, as unlawful.



According to the Exton Cubic Group, the Nyinahin Bauxite concession was legally acquired on August 14, 2013.



It came to us as a surprise when without any lawful excuse, the District Chief Executive of Atwima Mponua District Assembly and the Ashanti Regional Minister caused the trucks of the subcontractor to be impounded in the center of the Nyinahin township.



He is therefore asking Government to release his seized trucks to him.

Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/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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Thousands of President Muhammadu Buharis supporters yesterday stormed the Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, to offer special prayers for the President.



The event, which was organised by President Buharis Personal Assistant, Broadcast Media, Alhaji Shaaban Sharada, and Conference of Patriotic Citizens, attracted supporters across the seven North-West states.



The supporters, comprising youth, men, women and elderly, started trickling in hundreds as early as 8 a.m. with banners bearing various supporting messages.



The 25,000 capacity stadium was filled, as those who could not secure entrance engaged in carnival-like show outside the stadium.



The turnout, which brought commercial activities to a halt in Kano Central Business District, visited untold hardship on commuters, who were trapped as a result of the mass movement.



The events high point was when Chairman, Kano League of Imams, Falalu DanAlmajiri, led the Buharis supporters in two rakat special Muslim prayers for the President.



The prayer sessions, that barely lasted three minutes, had in attendance Kano political stalwarts, captains of industry, artisans and vagrants.



The supporters then took to the streets, heading to Government House. Most local private stations in Kano relayed live coverage of the event.







Source: vanguard Nigeria









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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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Hurricane Harvey settled over southeast Texas early Saturday, lashing the state's Gulf Coast with damaging winds and dumping torrents of rain over hundreds of miles of coastline that braced for what forecasters predicted would be life-threatening storm surges -- basically walls of water moving inland.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade made landfall the previous night about 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph winds.

This is actually a worse scenario than yesterday w/tighter clustering of 4cast points. At least 5 days of rain over the same places! #Harvey pic.twitter.com/tLjLBsPP69  Jim Cantore (@JimCantore) August 26, 2017

It gradually weakened over the next several hours and the National Hurricane Center said that by 5 a.m. Saturday Harvey was downgraded to a Category 1 -- still sustaining winds of 90 mph.

When it made landfall, Harvey easily was the strongest hurricane to hit the United States since Charley in 2004 and the first Category 3 or greater storm (winds of 111 mph or higher) since Wilma in 2005. Forecasters and government officials, scrambling to deal with a storm that popped up this week after being a mere tropical depression in the western Gulf of Mexico, warned of catastrophic flooding, ferocious winds and a storm surge that could reach 12 feet.

You are doing a great job - the world is watching! Be safe. https://t.co/PJLdxy3hD9  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

It had already deposited more than 9 inches of rain in the South Texas city of Victoria and other places.

No deaths were immediately confirmed in the hours after Harvey's arrival, but officials noted emergency crews couldn't get out in many places due to high winds. Melissa Munguia, deputy emergency management coordinator in Nueces County, which includes Corpus Christi, said early Saturday that it could be hours before crews could fully assess the damage in coastal communities.

Early reports did begin to emerge from Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 people that was directly in Harvey's path when it came ashore. Officials confirmed that the roof of Rockport's high school had partially caved in and that the community's historic downtown saw extensive damage.

Some locations in southeast Texas had already reported 16 inches of rain by 5 a.m. Central time, said the National Weather Service, which predicted total rain accumulations of 15 inches to 30 inches in many areas, and as much as 40 inches in isolated areas.

Hurricane #Harvey is steadily weakening over land, but excessive rainfall and storm surge threats remain pic.twitter.com/KXwYTEi4yt  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 26, 2017

Earlier Friday, Rockport Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios had offered ominous advice, telling the station that those who chose to stay put rather than evacuate the area "should make some type of preparation to mark their arm with a Sharpie pen," implying doing so would make it easier for rescuers to identify them.

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

Reports from The Associated Press and Washington Post
After finding garbage strewn about his driveway, a state lawmaker has issued a stern warning against the vandals.

According to TribLive.com, Rep. Aaron Bernstine took to social media to send the message to the vandals

He posted a video on Facebook of him participating in tactical firearms training.

"I will never hesitate to defend my family should someone have tried to take that a step further," Bernstine, 33, told TribLive.com on Friday.

Bernstine said he discovered the vandalism Tuesday morning at his 107-acre New Beaver, Lawrence County, beef cattle farm. Strewn about were trash, boxes, towels and, he believes, human excrement.
The weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday in the Harrisburg region calls for plenty of sun on both days with temperatures in the mid-to upper 70s. It will start to get a bit cool at night, with overnight lows expected to fall into the mid-50s.

The weather throughout the northeast will likely be in sharp contract to that along the gulf coast of Texas. There, a state of emergency had been declared as Hurricane Harvey was expected strike the Corpus Christi area on Friday night or early Saturday, bringing the possibility of more than two feet of rain to some areas.

In the Pittsburgh area, the low on Friday night is expected to drop to about 54. The forecast calls for mostly sunny days over the weekend with highs in the upper 70s.

It's not expected to be as cool at night in the Philadelphia area, with the forecast calling for overnight lows in the low 60s. Saturday and Sunday are expected to be sunny with highs in the high 70s.

Wildwood, N.J. is expected to see some showers during a mostly sunny day on Saturday, followed by a sunny day on Sunday.

The forecast for Ocean City, Md. calls for a slight chance of rain on Saturday followed by a mostly sunny day on Sunday.

At Nags Head in the Outer Banks the forecast for Saturday calls for a partly sunny day with a chance of thunderstorms, with thunderstorms also possible on Sunday.
A Lower Swatara Township planning board on Thursday recommended approval of a zoning change needed for a proposed UPS hub that would cover nearly a million square feet on 192 acres along the 2100 block of North Union Street.

The recommendation now moves to the Dauphin County Planning Commission and Lower Swatara commissioners. UPS officials are expected to attend the township commissioners' workshop meeting on Sept. 6 and request that commissioners schedule a public hearing, interim township Manager Frank Lynch said in an email Friday.

The UPS hub would serve the northeastern United States and bring 1,250 jobs and $1.5 million in annual property tax revenues to the community.

over traffic impacts. A UPS official in July said the company is also considering other locations for the hub.
Staff at York Wallcoverings initially thought the calls they got from the White House asking for wallpaper were a joke.

As it turns out, they weren't.

According to the York Daily Record, the store was contacted by White House officials on Aug. 17. Officials wanted the company's wallpaper, and fast - that is, by 7 p.m. that day.

The wallpaper was part of an extensive renovation to the White House. CNN reported that a team of more than 200 people began 17 days of much-needed renovations to the West Wing and the home's exterior while President Donald Trump took a working vacation.

Bob Vucenovic, Chief Financial Officer for York Wallcoverings, told YDR.com that Trump handpicked the wallpaper.

York Wallcoverings stopped making the baroque, floral damask pattern three years ago and had none in stock; however, it's exactly what White House officials ordered.

In order to fill the order, the wallpaper company interrupted other work at its plant on Loucks Road in West Manchester Township and produced 96 double rolls, according to YDR.com.

Three executives from the company delivered the wallpaper to Washington D.C. that same afternoon.

"Kudos to our employees for being able to pause what they were doing, get the color right the first time and get it done in four hours," Vucenovic told YDR.com "It's an amazing feat."
A woman is facing homicide charges after police say she admitted to shooting an elderly man in West York on Friday.

Barbara Miles, 55, of York, also faces charges of receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license, according to WGAL-TV.

Police were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 1200 block of West King Street for a reported shooting at approximately 3 p.m. Friday. Officers arrived to find an older man with an apparent gunshot wound to the chest.

Officials with the York County Coroner's Office identified the man as Phillip Gresville, 72, and say he died at the scene. An autopsy has been scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday at the Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown.

During the course of their investigation, officers learned that a woman who identified herself as "Barbara" came to the apartment earlier in the day. Video surveillance showed her leaving the complex at 2:33 p.m., just minutes after neighbors reported hearing arguing and what sounded like a gunshot, according to police.

A description of Miles was given to York County Control, and she was discovered at approximately 5 p.m. by York City Police in the 800 block of West Princess Street.

Police said she had a .40 caliber pistol in her possession, which was reported stolen out of Kentucky.

During an interview with officers, Miles admitted to arguing with Gresville before shooting him, according to police.

Miles was then taken to York County Central Booking for processing.
By Eugene Robinson

It's not surprising that we seem to be refighting the Civil War, since it never properly ended in the first place.

Eugene Robinson (PennLive file)

It might have, had Southerners listened to Robert E. Lee. The defeated general believed that erecting monuments to the Confederacy -- such as his equestrian statue in Charlottesville, now shrouded with a black tarp in mourning of Heather Heyer -- would be wrong.

"I think it wiser . . . not to keep open the sores of war but to follow the examples of those nations who endeavored to obliterate the marks of civil strife, to commit to oblivion the feelings engendered," he wrote in 1869 about proposed memorials at Gettysburg.

As soon as they got the chance, Southerners ignored Lee's advice. After the last federal troops were withdrawn from Southern capitals in 1877, whites began the process of re-subjugating African Americans. It didn't take long: By the 1890s, blacks were being deprived of voting rights and terrorized by the Ku Klux Klan as the scaffolding of Jim Crow oppression was erected.

The Confederate memorial in Orangeburg, S.C., my hometown, was dedicated in 1893. It was one of the early ones; most throughout the South were built after the turn of the century. They were symbols of defiance, intended to let African Americans and the federal government know who was back in charge.

My great-grandfather, Maj. John Hammond Fordham, was among the many black Southerners who were able to take advantage of the brief window of opportunity known as Reconstruction.

Born in Charleston, S.C., in 1854, he became a lawyer and held a series of government jobs, working at the imposing Custom House near the port.

He was called "Major" because he was one of the founders of the Carolina Light Infantry, equivalent to a volunteer national guard unit and described by the Orangeburg Times and Democrat as "the first colored brigade organized in the South."

He was active enough in Republican politics to correspond with Theodore Roosevelt.

Maj. Fordham moved to Orangeburg and built the house I grew up in. He and his wife had nine children, eight of whom survived to adulthood, and he was able to give them the education and resources they needed to build on the foundation he had laid. But the children's options, and those of the following generation, were deliberately and systematically limited by Jim Crow. The Fordhams achieved much, but only in spite of the circumstances the white power structure imposed.

The triumph of the civil rights movement eliminated legal oppression, but in many ways the states of the old Confederacy never fully rejoined the union. The South remained a region apart, after the Lyndon B. Johnson years becoming as solid a Republican bastion as it once had been for the segregationist "Dixiecrats."

Now, however, the South is becoming a different and more complicated place. One of the biggest and most important changes is a widening urban-rural split. Cities have become increasingly cosmopolitan, home to growing numbers of minorities, immigrants and transplants from other parts of the country. On maps showing party affiliation, cities such as Dallas, Birmingham and Atlanta are bright blue dots on fields of red.

And cities are where some of the most prominent Confederate statues and other memorials happen to be. So it was inevitable that those monuments to a lost war fought in defense of slavery -- or, if you prefer, symbols of the birth of Jim Crow segregation -- would come under critical scrutiny.

As for me, I couldn't care less about most street names. I sometimes commute to work on Lee Highway. I'll bet half the people driving down that road at any given time -- including millennials, Salvadoran immigrants, government workers who grew up in Utah or Vermont -- wouldn't know whether it was named after Robert E. or Spike.

Roads bearing a secessionist's full name are a bit different. The United Daughters of the Confederacy intended Jefferson Davis Highway, which begins in Arlington, to stretch through the South and beyond, all the way to the Pacific. It exists today in many disconnected segments. Alexandria has been working to rename its part of the road for some time. A plaque in a San Diego park designating the western terminus was quietly removed last week.

And the statues? As societies have done for millennia, we erect and prominently display likenesses of figures we admire. When citizens no longer admire the person being honored, they should haul the statues down. They can go to museums or onto the scrap heap of history, where the Confederacy belongs.

Eugene Robinson is a columnist for The Washington Post. His work appears on Saturdays on PennLive.
Venkaiah Naidu received a rousing welcome from the Andhra Pradesh government in Vijayawada on Saturday.

By Ashish Pandey: Vice President of India M Venkaiah Naidu received a rousing welcome from the Andhra Pradesh government in Vijayawada on Saturday.

He was here to participate in the civic reception and felicitation programme organized by the state government.

Governor ESL Narasimhan and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu welcomed Naidu at the at Gannavaram Airport and than he was taken to the city in an open jeep.

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Thousands of people including school children were stood along the road to get a glimpse of the vice president who is a native of Nellore of the state.

The state government has invited around 5,000 people including opposition parties and educationists and other eminent persons for the felicitation function of VP arranged at Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi of Amravati.

Venkaiah Naidu had sanctioned 2.25 lakh houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana as Union Minister for Urban Development, and now as the vice-president he will inaugurate a pylon of housing scheme near the Secretariat.

Further Vice President Naidu would leave for Tenali in Guntur district to attend Alapati Venkatramaiah centenary celebrations. He would also inaugurate Thalli-bidda hospital there.

On Sunday the Vice-President would reach Swarna Bharati Trust at Atkur near Gannavaram in Vijayawada and inaugurate mega medical camp.

Next to former President Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy and former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu also hails from the Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh.

Also Read:

BJP chief Amit Shah lays down the law for 2019 Lok Sabha election

We must be vigilant against misuse of open border by miscreants, Venkaiah Naidu to Nepal PM Deuba

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, is shown around the Niagara College teaching winery by winery and viticulture technician program student Kalem Magny, centre, and recent program graduate Di Yao at the campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., Saturday, August 26, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Aaron Lynett
FILE- In this Aug. 9, 1987 file photo, Britain's Princess Diana of Wales smiles as she sits with her sons, Princes Harry, front, and William, on the steps of the Royal Palace on the island of Mallorca, Spain, where the British Royal family is on holiday with the Spanish King Juan Carlos and his family. It has been 20 years since the death of Princess Diana in a car crash in Paris and the outpouring of grief that followed the death of the AupeopleAos princess.Au (AP Photo/John Redman, File)
Israelis take part in a weekly protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seen on the poster, in front of the home of Israel's attorney general Avichai Mandelblit in Petah Tikva. Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017. The weekly vigils have become the vanguard of a grassroots protest movement against Netanyahu's alleged financial misdeeds and illicit ties to executives in media, international business and Hollywood. (AP Photo/Dan Balilty)
Meet Gavin and Macey Bebble, cousins and fellow St. Mary's stars

Two fellow Class of 2023 members, Gavin and Macey Bebble share a bond as cousins, friends and leading members of multiple talented St. Mary's teams.
Veteran home-flipper Stephanie Somers has seen a lot in her days while renovating homes. Most recently in a garage she bought to flip, she discovered old vintage cars hidden behind tarps. Read more

After weeks of clearing junk, ripping out walls, and lugging appliances through a shabby, 800-square-foot house on the border of Fishtown, Stephanie Somers had finally turned the property into what she described as a "tiny, beautiful gem."

It was a house-flipper's dream: Only a few hiccups had emerged during renovations, Somers was within budget, and it took barely one week to put the house under contract. The only thing left was a final inspection before closing the sale  and reaping a decent profit.

"I double-checked all of the systems, cleaned every corner, touched up any imperfections," Somers said. "I was confident that it was going to be a great inspection."

So she was shocked when she got the inspection report back.

The house was unfinished, the report read. The air conditioning unit was gone. Copper plumbing systems were missing, and the fence in the backyard was broken.

"I almost fainted. That's not my house  my house is perfect!" Somers remembered thinking to herself. "Well, much to my surprise, we were robbed."

When flipping houses in today's market, preparing for the unexpected doesn't even begin to cover it.

More than a decade after TV networks such as HGTV demystified flipping properties for a broad audience, the real estate trend is back in full force after dropping off during the Great Recession years. According to Attom Data Solutions, a real estate company that tracks flipping, there were 1,282 flips in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in the first quarter of 2017, a 19.5 percent spike from the year before.

(Attom defines the area as Philadelphia, Chester, Bucks, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties in Pennsylvania; Camden, Gloucester, Burlington, and Salem Counties in New Jersey; New Castle County in Delaware; and Cecil County in Maryland. A flip is defined as any residential property that is bought and sold to two unrelated parties within one year.)

Part of what's driving local flips is profit. The Philadelphia metro area is the fourth-most profitable U.S. market for flippers, Attom found, offering a 111.7 percent average return on investment during the first quarter. Only the Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Cleveland markets were deemed more lucrative.

While all of that may sound alluring, flipping in the Philadelphia region isn't always picture perfect. Behind the glossy before-and-after photos, local flippers say, problems abound.

Expect to encounter the aftermath of hoarders, local flippers say, and learn quickly how to outsmart burglars looking for easy break-ins. Unannounced "guests," such as raccoons and squirrels darting out of dark corners, are typical, as are unexpected finds such as drug paraphernalia stuffed in floorboards. Roofs can collapse. Wood has rotted. In minutes, budgets can go out the window. And the worst part is: There's no guarantee you will actually make money.

"People always think you can get rich quick, and that it's sexy," said James Crosby, a South Jersey resident who recently began flipping homes. "It's not."

A few years ago, Crosby, 26, purchased his first home to flip in the Moyamensing section of South Philadelphia. Having worked in his family's heating business for years, Crosby was confident that he could do most of the work himself.

With some help, the flip was completed without much problem. He decided to hold the property as a rental and found a tenant not long after he finished the job.

But problems began quickly when his renter lost her job. Weeks passed; rent payments stopped coming. And the first-time landlord was doing something he said he never expected: starting the eviction process.

"I'm talking to attorneys, preparing to have to go to court," Crosby said. "Finally, I just said to her, 'Neither of us want to go down this road; we're both going to lose money. Just give me what you owe, and get out by the end of the month.' "

"She got out, but she left her cat behind," Crosby said. "For two weeks, I'm going back and forth every day feeding this cat, texting her, like, 'Are you going to get your cat?' " In the end, Crosby delivered the cat safely to a shelter.

The cat turned out to be the least of his problems. In searching for a second house to flip, Crosby learned that finding a house can sometimes be as hard as flipping it.

"You look at homes where the entire back [of the house] is open, and trees are growing inside," Crosby said. "Toilets that were filled. One house had squatters, and one had bottles of urine everywhere and drugs all over the table. When a whole place smells like urine  it's not a sexy part of the business."

Most of Philadelphia's flipping is concentrated in gentrifying neighborhoods  places where investors believe they can buy cheap and sell big. The most active zip code for flipping in the first quarter was 19146, home to neighborhoods such as Graduate Hospital and parts of Point Breeze, Attom found. The city's 19143 neighborhood, in West Philadelphia, and 19145, in South Philadelphia, followed at second and third most active.

But just because the neighborhood is gentrifying does not mean buyers are necessarily interested: When Crosby completed his second flip, in Point Breeze this year, no buyer would bite. Eventually, he had to turn that property into a rental, too.

Even flippers featured on TV aren't exempt from problems, which local flipper Rachel Street learned firsthand.

Street, president of Hestia Construction in Philadelphia, was featured on the DIY Network and HGTV for the show Philly Street Flippin', which premiered this year. With cameras rolling, she said, complications emerged: Almost an entire room's tile was installed incorrectly. And a French-style marble fireplace that she hoped to preserve in the East Passyunk home was shattered during renovation.

"There's stuff that goes wrong," Street said. " And there are so many unknowns. You might open up a wall, and there might be a structural issue that you weren't aware of.  It's really easy when doing a rehab to reach the end of your budget very quickly."

The work isn't always problematic. Not all jobs are difficult, and money can be made. In luckier cases, the flippers have unearthed some pretty cool finds.

Earlier this year, Somers rushed to a garage in the city's River Wards section that her husband, Chris, had purchased sight unseen from an investor who bought the property at a sheriff's sale.

"We get in, I don't know if this [former owner] was a hoarder, but I can't see anything. It's just a mess," Somers said. "There's sitting water, it's blasting out of a spigot, and the place is filled with mosquitoes  it's like a tropical rain forest in there."

"But I bump into a tire that's under a tarp, and I lift it up, and it's an original Ford Model T car from 1927  it's amazing!" Somers said. "Then, I find another classic, muscle car and a tractor."

"Sometimes, these discoveries in these homes, they're sad, they're very nightmarish. I can't forget them," Somers said. "Finally, this was a good nightmare."

She hopes to make a tidy profit off the cars  and the renovated garage.
Kristal Bush, 28, with her father, Victor, 54, who was released from prison after 25 years. Read more

When I met Kristal Bush last year, she was a young entrepreneur who drove family members to visit loved ones locked up in prisons all over the state.

Her Philadelphia transportation company, aptly named Bridging the Gap, wasn't just business, though. It was personal.

Bush was 3 when her father went to prison. In his absence, the little girl grew up. She went to college, became a social worker, bought a house, and started a company that was as much about keeping her clients connected to their loved ones as trying to stay in touch with her own incarcerated family members.

In July, Bush sent me a text that hinted at a whole new set of opportunities and challenges. Under a photo of Bush, now 28, and a man walking away from State Correctional Institution  Mahanoy was this message: "My Dad was released from prison after 25 years."

Victor Bush, 54, who had been incarcerated for multiple crimes, some violent, was free. And now the daughter who had built a business bridging the gap between inmates and their families was faced with bridging the gap between herself and her father.

On the day Bush got out, Kristal recorded his release.

"It's good to be home," Victor Bush said in the prison parking lot. "It's good to be free."

He was clearly overwhelmed, but as Kristal narrated her father's first moments as a free man, it was impossible not to notice the flood of emotions washing over her face: the happiness, the excitement, the confusion  the fleeting, yet unmistakable, flash of panic.

"We've been reuniting families for five years," she said as she pulled her car out of the prison parking lot. "I don't know  I'm nervous. Like this is the test right here."

Later, we met to talk about how it was going.

"It's really a shock," she said. "I was happy that my dad was coming out. At the same time, I was like, 'Oh, my God, this is another person that I have to take care of.' Because he's starting from scratch."

To help her father transition, she went back to social work full time, in addition to running her transportation company with her mother, and taking a class to get certified to open a transitional home for former inmates.

It's a lot, for everyone.

When people get out of prison, the focus is often on those reentering a world that bears little resemblance to the one they left. And there is plenty of that for Victor Bush, from a new cellphone he's still trying to figure out to the Ubers he refuses to take, because "I can walk there faster."

But the adjustment is also difficult for the families left behind.

For Kristal Bush, it looks like this: Suddenly, the man she had only ever known behind bars is a daily part of her life. In many ways, they've switched roles as she becomes more parent than daughter. She gives her father pep talks, encourages him to set goals. He makes her favorite seafood meal and tells her he just wants to make her happy.

"I knew it was going to be hard," Victor Bush said. "I can't just jump back in her life and try to be her father. I got to work my way back to father status."

He isn't the only one in the family trying to make amends. A month before her father was released from prison, Kristal Bush's older brother Jarvae Scott, 34, also got out of prison after serving 11 years for attempted murder.

Bush has been caring for her brother's son, Nyvea, for much of the young boy's life. She's in the process of adopting the 12-year-old, a decision Scott welcomes.

"What she did for my son while I was locked up I can't never repay," Scott said. "It meant a lot to me that she brought him to me when I was away so I could get to know him. Now, I have to get to know him out here."

Reconnecting can be harder than reuniting. Sometimes, as Kristal Bush knows now more than ever, bridging the gap is just the first step to freedom.
Left: The statue of former Philadelphia mayor Frank Rizzo. Right: Sheerin Read more

A Philadelphia public school teacher has been charged in connection with an altercation with police during a protest near the statue of Frank Rizzo, the city's former mayor and police commissioner, outside the Municipal Services Building earlier this month, authorities said Saturday.

John Edward Sheerin, 63, of the 6200 block of Hasbrook Avenue in the city's Crescentville section, was arrested without incident Friday night and charged with terroristic threats and harassment for allegedly making verbal threats of violence to a Philadelphia police officer, police said.

The alleged incident occurred Aug. 16 at the 10-foot bronze statue at 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard, across from City Hall. Thousands of demonstrators who had participated in a "Philly Is Charlottesville" march had surrounded the statue and called for its removal.

Sheerin is a teacher at the Julia de Burgos School in North Philadelphia, according to School District payroll records.

The district was aware of the alleged incident, was investigating Sheerin prior to his arrest, and had removed him from the school pending outcome of the probe, said spokesman Kevin Geary. He declined to elaborate, citing personnel matters.

"The safety of our students and staff is our highest priority," Geary said in a statement. "This is a matter which we take very seriously."

On his Facebook page, Sheerin thanked supporters who camped out in front of the 19th Police District station while he was being held there.

"I really can't believe you guys stayed out there all night. It must have been so uncomfortable. But I learned something about discomfort from my first night in a cell. There's nothing SOFT in a cell!" Sheerin wrote.

He did not respond to several requests for comment via phone, email, text, and a visit by a reporter to his home Saturday night.

Late Saturday morning, Asa Khalif, a leader of Black Lives Matter Pennsylvania, posted on Facebook: "Our comrade is home safe and sound. This man is a true soldier in the fight for justice. Proud to have him as a friend and ally. Thanks John Sheerin. #Salute"

The hulking Rizzo statue has been the target of protests and renewed calls for its removal that heated up after deadly violence erupted in Charlottesville, Va., in mid-August after a clash between white nationalists and counterprotesters over the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The Rizzo statue was defaced Aug. 17 with the message "Black Power" spray-painted in white. City workers power-washed the message from the statue, which has been egged in recent weeks. A mural of Rizzo in South Philadelphia was defaced with spray paint last weekend.

Councilwoman Helen Gym has said that the statue should go, and Mayor Kenney, a fellow Democrat, has said it is time to discuss its future, though he has not taken a public position on removal. Kenney said the city Art Commission would decide the fate of the statue after conducting a hearing.

Activists who want the 2,000-pound statue removed say Rizzo oppressed black citizens as police commissioner in the 1960s and became mayor in part by appealing to the racial fears of white Philadelphians. Others say Rizzo championed the little guy and the statue should remain.

Rizzo was elected in 1971, then a Democrat, and served two terms. He died in July 1991 during a comeback campaign for mayor, running as a Republican against Ed Rendell, the Democratic nominee.

Staff writers Mark Fazlollah and Kristen Graham contributed to this article.
A Burlington City man has been charged with murder for fatally shooting a juvenile and wounding two others in Cherry Hill in 2016.

Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo announced Friday that a grand jury had returned a five-count indictment against Kevin Fentress, 22, including a charge of first-degree murder.

Authorities allege that Fentress shot multiple times into a vehicle that was leaving the Inn of the Dove, 725 Cuthbert Blvd., shortly before 2:30 a.m.on Feb. 28, 2016, after altercation in a hotel room. Jadyre Gordon, 17, of Camden, was taken to Cooper University Hospital where he died of his injuries. The two other victims were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and were treated and released.

Fentress was taken into custody in Marietta, Ga., in May 2016. After being extradited to New Jersey, he was taken to the Camden County Correctional Facility, where he has been held without bail.
Even before Hurricane Harvey had made landfall, first responders and others from the Philadelphia region were on the ground in Texas ready to help with the aftermath of the megastorm whose rains are expected to continue well into the week.

And other groups are already mobilizing or preparing to do more.

Members of Pennsylvania-Task Force 1, an urban search-and-rescue group overseen by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, left Philadelphia about 3 a.m. Sunday morning for a 22-hour drive to Texas.

About 45 members of the task force left a facility on New State Road where they loaded compressors, generators, food, medical equipment and other items stored in a long convoy of vehicles. About 20 members are from the Philadelphia Fire Department. In all, the group was comprised of firefighters, search and rescue specialists, medical personnel and K9 units.

The group should arrive late Sunday night at the Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, according to department spokeswoman Kathy Matheson. From there, they will be dispatched ready to help with urban search and rescue, collapsed building and water-rescue services.

"The task force has to be completely self-sufficient for a week," Matheson said. "They can't expect there will be power."

The Task Force will also meet up with a couple of members who headed to Texas before Hurricane Harvey struck  Randy Padfield, deputy director for response at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, and Ken Pagurek, a Philadelphia firefighter and team leader of PA-Task Force 1.

The Philadelphia Red Cross dispatched a volunteer from Bucks County to Texas on Thursday before the storm hit to assist with logistics, said spokesman Dave Skutnik. Additional volunteers are on standby, if needed, along with three vehicles stocked with disaster relief supplies, he said.

"We are just waiting for the word they are needed," Skutnik said Saturday.

Additional volunteers were brought in Saturday to staff the Red Cross' regional call center in Center City, he said. About a dozen volunteers are handling calls from people in Texas seeking shelter or assistance, he said.

New Jersey has also sent about a dozen Red Cross volunteers to Texas and is prepared to send additional resources, said Diane Concannon, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey region. "We are on standby," she said.

The Red Cross depends on financial donations to be able to provide disaster relief immediately. Those wanting to help people affected by Hurricane Harvey can do so by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS, or texting the word HARVEY to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Donors can designate their donation to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts by choosing that option when donating on redcross.org or on 1-800-RED CROSS. If paying by check, write the words Hurricane Harvey in the memo line.

The Salvation Army is also seeking donations at helpsalvationarmy.org.

If you are aware of other local Hurricane Harvey initiatives, please send them to dmastrull@phillynews.com.
A day after protesters gathered outside the Bustleton home of a police officer involved in a fatal shooting in June, a Philadelphia judge agreed Friday to allow the police union to challenge the release of names of officers involved in shootings.

Under the ruling by Common Pleas Court Judge Daniel J. Anders, to which both the city and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5 have agreed, the city will wait 72 hours after an officer-involved shooting to release an officer's name. But the union may seek an emergency petition within that time to stop the release if a shooting occurs before Sept. 29, when a full hearing on the issue is scheduled before Anders.

The ruling comes in response to a lawsuit filed Friday by the FOP seeking to block the Police Department's policy of releasing within 72 hours the names of officers who shoot people. The suit, in turn, was filed in response to a small but raucous demonstration Thursday night outside the home of Officer Ryan Pownall, who fatally shot David Jones, 30, in North Philadelphia while Jones fled from a pedestrian stop on June 8. Police have said Jones reached for an illegal gun before he ran away.

The flurry of legal action Friday is the latest ripple in the months-long fallout from Jones' death, which is under investigation by the Attorney General's Office. Earlier Friday, State Rep. Martina White, a Republican who represents Northeast Philadelphia, released a statement criticizing the protesters as well as Mayor Kenney and Police Commissioner Richard Ross, who she said did not take enough action to stop the protest.

"Black Lives Matter activists invaded a residential neighborhood without a permit, utilized bullhorns to spew profanity, and threatened an endless occupation of that neighborhood until their demands are met," White said.

Kenney released a statement distancing himself from the demonstration, during which protesters gathered to call for Pownall's firing and prosecution, using bullhorns and putting up posters that said Pownall was "wanted for the murder of David Jones." A large police presence was also on hand to watch the protesters.

"There are many Philadelphians and officers who are productively working to build police-community trust, including pushing for transparency and reform, which Commissioner Ross and I both agree must continue," Kenney said. "What happened [Thursday] night did nothing to move those efforts forward."

The FOP's suit argues that by continuing to release the names of officers involved in shootings, those officers will "suffer immediate and substantial harm, particularly with regard to their well-being and the safety of their families." Pownall, the suit says, has been subjected to death threats, and his wife has feared for the safety of the children.

The suit argues that the city implemented the policy unilaterally in 2015, violating state labor laws. It asks for the court to block the department from enforcing the policy, thus preventing the officers' names from being released within days of the incident.

Lauren Hitt, Kenney's spokeswoman, said the city was "prepared to defend the policy."

The policy has been the subject of previous debate over the past year. White, elected to the State House in 2015, has introduced a bill that would delay releasing officers' names until 30 days after a shooting  a measure that Ross and Gov. Wolf have both said they oppose. Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed similar legislation last year after it passed through the Republican-controlled Legislature, and the governor's spokesman said in March that Wolf's opposition was unchanged.

Staff writer Joseph A. Slobodzian contributed to this article.
Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort walks around the convention floor before the opening session of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland last year. Read more

WASHINGTON  Lawyers for special counsel Robert Mueller III, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, have issued subpoenas to several prominent Washington lobbying firms as the probe examines the finances of two former Trump campaign advisers, according to people with knowledge of the requests.

The subpoenas asked the firms to answer questions and provide records regarding their interactions with the consulting firms led by Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to President Donald Trump, and Paul Manafort, former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign, these people said.

The requests suggest that Mueller's investigators are looking closely at Manafort and Flynn, both of whom face possible legal jeopardy for allegedly failing to disclose that foreign governments or parties may have been the beneficiaries of their consulting and lobbying work, as they seek potential links between Trump's campaign and the Kremlin.

A spokesman for Manafort declined to comment, while a lawyer for Flynn did not respond.

Two of the subpoenas were issued to Mercury Public Affairs and SGR LLC, according to people familiar with the requests. A handful of other lobbying firms that did similar work have also received subpoenas from Mueller's office in recent days, those individuals said.

A lawyer for SGR LLC confirmed the company received a subpoena. Representatives of Mercury declined to comment, but people close to the company confirmed they also received requests from Mueller's team.

The investigators asked Mercury for information about their public relations work at Manafort's behest for a Brussels-based organization called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which pushed for improved relations between the Ukraine and European countries. The Brussels group primarily advanced the interests of a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party that had been a client of Manafort's before he joined the Trump campaign.

Mercury, which has prominent Republicans among its senior partners, had worked on the Ukraine lobbying project with the Podesta group, led by Anthony Podesta, brother of John Podesta, who led Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.

Podesta principal Mark Tavlarides declined Friday evening to comment on whether his firm had been contacted by Mueller's team.

The firms involved with the Ukraine project did not initially register as foreign agents at the time, citing legal analyses that indicated they were not required to do so because they were working for a nonprofit and not a foreign political party or government. But in recent months, the Podesta Group and Mercury have filed retroactively, acknowledging that the Ukrainian political party benefited from their efforts.

Mike McKeon, a partner at Mercury, declined to comment on or confirm that his firm received a subpoena. But he said the company took care in asking the Centre about its finances and consulting with lawyers about its duties to file.

"Before we accepted this assignment in 2014, we went through our own due diligence to determine the proper disclosure required under federal law," he said.

Some of the subpoenas were first reported Friday evening by NBC News.

Investigators have sought information from SGR in relation to work Flynn did for a Dutch company with ties to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, according to people familiar with the request. Flynn's company, the Flynn Intel Group, hired SGR to help handle public affairs work on that contract.

The Flynn Intel Group initially described the project to SGR as promoting a good business climate in Turkey, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Later, under pressure, Flynn filed formal reports indicating that the contract focused on a public affairs campaign to raise concern in the United States about Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania. Erdogan's government blamed Gulen for a failed coup against him and wanted to persuade the United States to extradite Gulen to Turkey. Flynn also acknowledged in his retroactive filings this spring that he had secretly met with two top ministers to Erdogan, including Erdogan's son-in-law, two months before the election, where they had discussed Gulen's extradition.

Eric Lewis, a lawyer for SGR LLC, confirmed that the lobby firm received a subpoena.

"SGR received a request several months ago to be a witness (through a customary witness subpoena that I voluntarily accepted) and provided documents and background regarding its brief project as a subcontractor with Flynn Intel Group, which is fully detailed in public filings," he said.

The Washington Post's Devlin Barrett, Rosalind S. Helderman and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
The Republican National Committee on Friday approved a resolution condemning racism and white supremacy at its summer meeting in Nashville  but don't call it a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

"This has nothing to do with the president," said the resolution's sponsor, Bill Palatucci, an RNC committeeman from New Jersey. "This is the RNC saying that racism and bigotry have no place in America."

Palatucci, an attorney who served as general counsel to Trump's presidential transition committee, said that he began drafting the resolution Aug. 13, the day after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, ended with the murder of a counterprotester.

"The core issue was for us as RNC members to clearly and loudly denounce white supremacists," Palatucci explained. "There can be no hesitation for the Party of Lincoln."

The resolution itself makes no mention of Trump or the president's multiple reactions to Charlottesville, which led to three presidential advisory councils being disbanded as their members quit in protest.

Instead, it states that "the racist beliefs of Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and others are completely inconsistent with the Republican Party's platform," and urges that "swift and certain justice be meted out to domestic terrorists." Most of the remaining text focuses on the history of the party and the need for colorblind policy and politics.

"We recall that the Republican Party was founded in the struggle against slavery and a rejection of the racial beliefs underlying the institution of slavery," the resolution reads. "The Republican Party subsequently led the fight to assure all human beings have equal standing before the law, promoting instead the foundational idea that each person be judged as an individual on merit and not on the color of skin or other circumstance of birth."

The RNC's resolution nonetheless breaks from the president by condemning white nationalists specifically and not dovetailing into criticism of the left. It's the latest of several Republican responses that have taken that tone, but have often been buried by coverage of the president.

RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel gave the party's first official response to Charlottesville in a series of Aug. 13 tweets, and responded again at an Aug. 14 event in Detroit designed to demonstrate the party's ongoing outreach to black voters.

"White supremacy, neo-Nazi, KKK and hate speech and bigotry are not welcome and [do] not have a home in the Republican Party," McDaniel told reporters, as black Republicans waited for a closed-press roundtable to begin. "This isn't a partisan issue. This is an American issue."

Over the next 10 days, Republicans in every state fended off questions about the president's markedly different response to Charlottesville  condemning violence on "many sides," attacking the "alt-left," and occasionally being congratulated by white nationalist leaders for his tone.

It was agonizing for Republicans who had tried, before Trump, to broaden the party's appeal to non-white voters. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the highest profile black Republican in Congress, told Vice News that Trump's "moral authority" had been compromised by his Charlottesville response. Michael Steele, who as the first black RNC chairman had apologized for the GOP's racial politics, said after Charlottesville that his party was making a grave error by defending Trump.

"In 2009, I declared the Southern Strategy of the GOP was dead. It was over," Steele said on an August 15 episode of his Sirius XM radio show. "I am sad to say that in the course of the 2016 campaign, that strategy was revived."

Outside of the Opryland complex, other Republicans were engaged in an argument about what else the party needed to do. On Tuesday, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., told reporters that a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, the founder of the Ku Klux Klan, should be removed from the state capitol complex. But the leading Republican candidates for governor, including Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., stopped short of that, suggesting that the issue needed further debate in the Republican-controlled state legislature.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the Democratic National Committee accused Republicans of distracting from a crisis that they'd enabled long before Trump's victory.

"The Republican Party, led by President Trump, has cultivated a culture of hate through their rhetoric and policies," said DNC spokeswoman Xochitl Hinojosa. "A vote on a resolution doesn't fix the systemic problems within the Republican party. When will they take responsibility, denounce racism and stop pursuing divisive policies like voter identification laws and extreme immigration reforms?"

Republican officials, who entered the Nashville meeting celebrating a historic level of control in Washington and states, said that their resolution would at least clear up where they stood and where the president needed to arrive.

"I think the vote on the resolution will be unanimous and I support it," said Steve Duprey, an RNC committeeman from New Hampshire. "I do think it is useful to remind America that our party condemns all of these hate groups, and that while the President may have not articulated it as well as he could have initially, he too has been forceful in condemning racists, supremacists, the alt right, Nazis, and other hate groups."
An armed Antifa group is launching a new cell in Philadelphia that is targeting law enforcement.

The group currently hosts anti-police workshops called Our Enemies in Blue. The group draws inspiration from convicted murderers and calls for violence against the police, theft of goods, and armed insurrection.

Antifa websites like Its Going Down, Sub.Media and Insurrection News have been promoting the group, which calls itself the Revolutionary Abolitionist Movement (RAM).

Taking pride in the legacy of Philadelphias rich revolutionary tradition, RAM cites in a press release Mumia Abu Jamal, the Black Panther activist who shot and killed Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. It also cites Russell Shoats, who shot a police officer in the back five times in 1970.

Despite active calls for violence against law enforcement and armed revolution against the government, the mainstream media has been surprisingly lenient in its coverage of Antifa, depicting them as righteous crusaders against fascism, the Daily Caller reports.
A small group of Black Lives Matter activists protested on Thursday outside the home of Ryan Pownall, a Philadelphia police officer involved in the fatal shooting of David Jones in June.

The rally, which attracted a heavy police presence and pushback from some neighbors, was the latest demonstration led by Isaac Gardner of the Coalition for Justice for David Jones and Asa Khalif of Black Lives Matter Pennsylvania. In recent weeks, Khalif and Gardner have disrupted City Council meetings, press conferences and other events over the shooting, Philadelphia Magazine reports.

Protesters placed posters around Pownalls neighborhood around 7 p.m. on Thursday. The posters displayed the officers photo and read Wanted by the people of Philadelphia for the murder of David Jones.

About three dozen police officers, a SWAT team and a police helicopter responded to the protest, which included no more than 10 demonstrators. Officers formed a line outside Pownalls home.

Republican State Rep. Martina White, who has proposed a bill that would delay releasing the names of officers involved in fatal shootings, denounced the protest in a statement on Friday. White's bill was vetoed by the governor in November.
President Donald Trump has pardoned former Maricopa County (AZ) Sheriff Joe Arpaio from his criminal contempt conviction.

The White House announced the pardon Friday evening in a news release that recounted Arpaio's lengthy career of "admirable service" in federal and local law enforcement and called him "a worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon."

Reached moments after the announcement, Arpaio told the Arizona Republic, "I'm very appreciative of the president issuing that pardon. It shows how he backs up law enforcement."

Arpaio, who lost a 2016 reelection bid ending 24 years in office, also hinted at a political comeback: "I don't know what I'm going to do politically. I told my wife that I was through with politics. But now I've decided I'm not through with politics because of what's happening. I didn't ask for a pardon. It has nothing to do with a pardon. I've been saying this for the last couple of months. I've got a lot to offer."

Arpaio, 85, was convicted of criminal contempt on July 31, and was scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 5. He faced up to six months in jail.
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Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain tore into Donald Trumps decision to pardon bigot ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday, saying in a statement that Arpaio illegally profiled Latinos and has shown no remorse for his actions.

.@POTUSs pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law https://t.co/2FckGtwQ2m  John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 26, 2017

The full statement from the GOP senator, who represents Arpaios state:

No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold. Mr. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judges orders. The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

The Arizona senator also slammed another Trump move late on Friday, calling the presidents order kicking transgender people out of the military a step in the wrong direction.

It would be a step in the wrong direction to force currently serving transgender individuals to leave the military solely on the basis of their gender identity rather than medical and readiness standards that should always be at the heart of Department of Defense personnel policy, the former GOP nominee said in a statement.

McCains tough critiques arent the first time he has gone after Trump in recent weeks. Last month, McCains decisive no vote essentially killed the presidents effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The Arpaio pardon comes at a time when Trump is already under fire for showing sympathy for and even defending white supremacists and alt-right Nazis in the wake of the racially motivated terrorist attack in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Instead of putting out the post-Charlottesville flames, the presidents decision to defend and exonerate the racist Arizona sheriff just adds gasoline to the blaze.

It shows just how little Donald Trump cares about national unity and the rule of law.
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Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton blasted Trump for pardoning Joe Arpaio who he described as terrorizing Latino residents for decades.

Here is the full statement from Mayor Stanton:

Arpaio terrorized brown skin residents of the county for two decades.

Here is how The Phoenix New Times summed up the guy that Trump pardoned:

He ran a jail that he described as a "concentration camp." https://t.co/5MNt2lxOyw  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

Prisoners there died at an alarming rate, often without explanation. https://t.co/wriqDix6EA  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

One of his jailers nearly broke the neck of a paraplegic guy who had the temerity to ask for a catheter. https://t.co/eySbTTJFph  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

One time, as a publicity stunt, he marched Latino prisoners into a segregated area with electric fencing. https://t.co/DYeyFUDhbD  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

Under him, the MCSO failed to investigate hundreds of sex abuse cases, many of which involved children.https://t.co/CdsU0p9dZo  PhoenixNewTimes (@phoenixnewtimes) August 26, 2017

Arpaio is a racist monster who terrorized brown skin people while letting child molesters walk around free. This is the guy who Donald Trump used his first presidential pardon on, and that decision reveals more about who Trump really is than it could ever say about the crimes committed by Arpaio. There is a reason why the White House has gone silent on the Arpaio pardon. The more people know the more outraged they will become.

The mayor of Phoenix was correct. Trump pardoned a domestic terrorist and is truly a lawless president.
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Whether the subject is a nitwitted stare down with North Korea, a despicable health care proposal, an allegiance to White Supremacy or a political rally that espouses incomprehensible hate and anger, Donald Trump voters are bereft of common sense and free will in discussing his faults and failures. Their sickness is a stain on America, and it must be eradicated.

Differences of opinion are not only expected but even encouraged when discussing politics. Within the context of debate regarding Donald Trump, the opinions extend beyond divergent. Often any conversation surrounding the current president is something that is fervently confrontational, as it pits two kinds of people against each other. One combatant is based in the here and now, clearly deciphering events as they unfold. All too often, the opposing participant is rooted in an Alternative Reality where Donald Trump is devoid of fault or failure. They wear funny red hats and scream Fake News. These unfortunate souls are afflicted with Mad Hatter Syndrome.

Sufferers of MHS have not arrived at this diagnosis by way of their own free will. Theyve been unwittingly indoctrinated, by the malfeasant teachings of a political madman. Donald Trump is today, as he was yesterday and forever will be, a pathological liar and a skilled con artist. He has, however, found the secret to disguising his dishonesty and injecting it into the consciousness of less suspecting Americans. He repeats the same lies over and over. Again and again, repeatedly, non stop until his words ring true to his beleaguered followers. Its called the Illusory Truth Effect.

Many Americans have called Trump supporters almost cult like. These assumptions are in fact, theoretically correct. By use of the Illusory Truth Effect, Trump nation is indeed a political cult. As in any cult, Mad Hatters have been trained to repeat the mantra of its leader and deflect from any fact based views presented by an outsider of the cult.

The Illusory Truth Effect is defined as the tendency to believe information to be correct after repeated exposure. This is a weapon of choice used by Donald Trump on a daily basis. Any opposing views, or disparaging news in the media? Fake News, he yells from the mountains, continually hammering his hapless defense into the consciousness of his base until they parrot the same phrase without the benefit of independent scrutiny. Therein lies the natural conundrum for the Trump follower, who dares to think outside the drawn lines of communication. If the power and appeal of the Truth Effect somehow erodes, Trump reaches into his bag of tricks for the second of his two pronged weapons of delusion and aims Whataboutism at his targets. Whataboutism by definition is the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

Whataboutism allows Trump to offer his malfeasance wrapped in a ribbon of historical context. Without denying his own unethical conduct, Donald Trump condemns others that he claims have committed similar or worse acts and emerged unscathed, arguing that he deserves the same treatment. What is frequently misunderstood by his duped support system, is that the acts that he prescribes as comparable, are not only incomparable but also more times than not, complete fabrications designed to detract attention from his wrongdoing.

Trump relinquishes responsibility and accountability by laying blame at the feet of others. Whataboutism is also a form of propaganda made popular by the former Soviet Union. When attacked Donald Trumps course of action without fail is to attack the messenger(media) in an attempt to discredit the information. Then he redoubles his campaign of disinformation by raising the specter of another issue entirely, real or imagined, to escape further scrutinization for his misconduct. This is invariably followed up with repetitive cries of fake news and/or unfair witch hunt.

Americans who cast their vote for Donald Trump fall into two categories. Either they did zero personal investigation of his background, or they fully endorse and stand by his record of bigotry, corruption, misogyny, ignorance and blatant lack of intelligence. There are no other options, and Trump has conned enough people over the course of his life to understand how to grow initial trust, into loyalty he can exploit. What mustnt be ignored, is that a con man need not be highly intelligent, just more so than those he is conning.

Frequently there is no reasoning with a Mad Hatter. There are no facts or logic that penetrates the awareness of his supporters. They have no interest in engaging in inspection of his claims, instead of ingesting his faulty defense and regurgitating his mantra of fake news regardless of the presence of evidence to the contrary. His svengali  like hold is dangerous and damaging to a nation born from democracy.

The media operates as an agent of checks and balances. Donald Trumps desire to be taken at face value is the antithesis of that philosophy. The media, by way of investigation, have the ability to disrupt and dismantle any attempts of dishonesty and corruption, while Trump has proven that these are his strengths in governing. While distorting or deriding the perspective that is given by the media, he is trampling the rules of decency and decorum. Assailing the messenger gives his base an alternate target for discourse, when he is in fact, the true origin of political improprieties.

Consider that there is no better proof of Trump s tactics than the sordid revelations in regards to the Russian collusion investigation, surrounding Trumps son Donald Jr. The subject line of the email reads as follows:

Russia  Clinton Private and Confidential

Within the body of the email is the smoking gun that cannot be interpreted in any manner other than attempted collusion:

The Crown Prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very helpful to your father.

Undeniably, in black and white for the world to see Donald Trump Jr was offered information to influence the presidential election by a foreign power. What transpired next is a prime example of Donald Trumps preferred defense mechanism, in all its shame.

Trump Jr released the emails after discovering the New York Times was set to release them in an expose. First came the lie. Trump Jr insisted there were no emails and no subsequent meeting. Then he admitted there was a meeting that centered around an adoption program and it was a waste of time. But I refer you to the subject line and the body of the email that clearly stated that any potential meeting was based on damaging information on Hillary Clinton. There can be no other conclusion inferred from the email. Enter POTUS who used the bully pulpit of Twitter to make a fool of himself, distorting facts that were literally etched in black and white.

As you can clearly see, Donald Trump followed his playbook of the Illusory Truth Effect and Whataboutism to the letter, in attempting to excuse the inexcusable. The unnerving reality is that this debacle only made his supporters more fervent in their defense of him. Trumps support base, in and out of government, is delusional. They have stood by and watched him demean, ridicule and disrespect women, disabled people, American intelligence agencies, government officials, people of color, immigrants, judges and of course, the media. Yet hes never had a bad word to say about the foreign adversary that hes being investigated for colluding with. All while the Mad Hatters defend him in every instance of political debauchery.

There comes a time when you have to sever the lines of communication with a person who chooses to live in ignorance. Its virtually impossible to help someone who doesnt realize that they need help. Donald Trumps army of Mad Hatters currently fit this diagnosis. The only solution is to allow them to wallow under a cloak of lunacy until their Dear Leader is removed from power. Perhaps finally seeing Donald Trump led out of the White House in handcuffs, for unthinkable crimes committed against democracy, will provide an effective antidote for sufferers of Mad Hatter Syndrome. Perhaps
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Former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub described what he thinks Trumps motives are behind the Arpaio pardon. He believes that Trump was testing the waters for future Russia investigation pardons and sending a clear message to the targets of Muellers investigation.

Shaub tweeted:

Pardon motives? I suspect: Court alt-right votes, test water for more pardons, encourage loyalty, signal Mueller targets (fear not/be quiet)  Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 26, 2017

It is easy to get lost in the swirl of Trump events and miss the big picture. Beyond sending a clear message to his racist supporters that he is still with them, and there going to be no moderation in the White House even with Bannon and Gorka gone, the President was doing much more.

Donald Trump is actively working to eliminate the restraints and norms that are associated with presidential power. Shaub did a good job of connecting the dots. The Arpaio pardon was a signal to targets of Muellers investigation that Trump is going to bail them out of trouble. Trump was also testing the limits of what he can get away with on the pardon front. If Arpaios pardon

had gone unnoticed due to the hurricane coverage, it would have given Trump the green light to bury Russia related pardons under heavy breaking news cycles.

Walter Shaub was right. The sending of a message to his racist supporters was a small part of the plan. The bigger objective appears to be Trumps intention to use presidential pardons as literal get of jail free cards on the Russia scandal.
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Two things are motivating the Charleston County School District to consider the idea. The first is the difficulty in attracting teachers to an area where they would struggle to afford housing. The second is the fact the district already owns land where apartments could be built. Read moreWith rents unaffordable, the Charleston school district considers building teacher housing
John Glaser, director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, said: Hes given strong indications that hes just not going to recertify it.

Indeed, Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, met with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to determine how compliant Iran was with the nuclear and to urge the officials to demand access to Iranian military sites.

In response the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, sent a letter to the UN stating the Iran is abiding by its duties and responsibilities with regard to the deal.

He also accused the US of exploiting the issue for ill-wishing political means.

The week prior to Hayleys meeting with the IAEA, she said that Iran must be held responsible for its missile launchers, support for terrorism, disregard for human rights, and violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Iran cannot be allowed to use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage.

The Trump administration has certified Irans compliance twice so far this year, under US laws that require the State Department to notify Congress of Iranian compliance every 90 days.

The next review will come in October.

Some believe that if the US verifies Iran as noncompliant with the deal, they will risk alienating US allies, as the deal was also signed by Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United Nations.

Glaser said: If we were to leave the deal or deliberately abrogate it, wed be isolated internationally and we wouldnt be able to do anything like reapply sanctions that would do any kind of damage on Iran. Thats because the rest of the international community would not sort of play along.

He continued: [The other parties] agree that Iran is complying with the deal and agree that the deal should be kept in place because its a robust, nonproliferation agreement. It has kind of taken military conflict against Iran because of the nuclear program off the table.

Indeed, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani threatened to quit the nuclear pact if new US sanctions were introduced.

Thomas Karako, a senior fellow with the International Security Program and director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said: Iran has already harvested a great many of the benefits of the deal already. If they are considering a breakout for the purposes of [nuclear] capability, they will probably try to maximize their benefits and minimize the blowback.

However, the US market is much stronger and more robust than that of Iran and if given the choice, it is likely that these countries would side with the US to continue trade links.
SC Attorney General Alan Wilson is challenging the CDC's recommendations on COVID vaccinations for kids. They have no force of law, so this is no different than the left trying to enforce its woke orthodoxy. Read moreEditorial: Alan Wilson should stick to the law, stop trying to silence opinions he dislikes
"Is your rebellion sitting still?"

That is the question artist Maria Cameron asks in her latest public installment . It graces eight structures in downtown Rochester and consists of a series of comic book-like hand-rendered thought bubbles posing questions. Each is intended to provoke conversations about our town's flux and its potential.

"I find that art can truly be anywhere if you just look around you," said Cameron. "I've always taken an interest in finding or putting art where it's least likely to be noticed or cared for."

The 26-year-old Cameron studied photography and graphic design at the College of Visual Arts in Saint Paul and at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She's inspired by her surroundings, including everything from over-filled trash cans to random chalk messages.

"I spent so long paying attention to weird non-art things in public spaces that the way I considered all those things began to become art in my eyes," she said. Her works typically "focus on public installation or human interaction."

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One of Cameron's bubbles, on the alley side of Rochester's oldest commercial building, the Conley-Maass building, asks "What will you do with all this potential?" The building is the former site of a woolen mill and then the Conley Camera Company in the early 1900s. It was given new life when Traci and Hunter Downs renovated it in 2016. It now houses the restaurant Bleu Duck Kitchen , a co-working facility called The Collider , and the Downs' technology and neuroscience-based company Area 10 Labs , so clearly its potential has been carefully nurtured.

Cameron recalls her own experiences as a 7-year-old performer with the Masque Theatre in that same building.

"I think these thought bubbles were my way of giving people a common connection between the new and the old," she said. The context surrounding Cameron's question on the building encourages consideration about how other spaces in Rochester can be repurposed. Considering her installations, Cameron said, "In all of my investigations into the history of the spaces and their potential futures, I tailored each question to what they've been and what they will be."

"Rochester feels awfully clean. I don't encourage making it messy or defacing property, but it's so much more stimulating to live in a world full of visual and conceptual inspiration," Cameron said. "So much of what we see is advertising, architecture, and graffiti. From these things I tend to feel a sense of pressure or inadequacy. These thought bubbles are meant to fill our eyes and our lives with any other feelings than those."

Cameron's project was supported by a program called Rethinking Public Spaces , funded by The Soap Factory , a Minneapolis-based arts organization. Out of 51 applications, a jury of anonymous artists and arts administrators from across Minnesota chose 11 public installments to fund, including Cameron's. Most are in the Twin Cities, though a few are in outlying areas, including one in Brainerd.

Recently Cameron took a group of Rochesterites on a walking tour of several of her installments. She explained how difficult it was to mount the thought bubbles based on the different requirements of each space, but using zip ties, silicone mounting adhesive and metal duct straps, Cameron was able to do it  and in so doing, transforming the very structures of Rochester into a discussion.

Chris Kostelec, a Rochester resident who helped Cameron produce the thought bubbles on display from her handwritten versions, went on the tour. He said he feels like the overarching questions asked by Cameron's work are, "What do you want this city to be?," "Who do you want to be?," and "What are you doing about it?"

Kostelec describes Cameron's art as "uncompromising" in "integrity and execution."

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"It makes me think about what is considered an act of rebellion," he said. "I don't think everyone has to be an activist to be a rebel. It can be as simple as loving yourself in a world that is constantly trying to tell you you're not worthy of love."

Cameron hopes her works encourages other artists "to go out and do their own project."

"I was extremely surprised to find that most building owners were very receptive to art," she said. "Many of them said, 'We want more of this. No one ever asks.' So come up with an idea and go ask around!"

Learn more

 See Maria Cameron's other art and learn more about the artist at www.maria-cameron.com .

 Check out a podcast that features Cameron's description of her project "Is your rebellion sitting still?" at tinyurl.com/yas2fuwq .

 These are the locations of Cameron's seven installments:

 On the alley side of the Conley Maass Building, 14 Fourth St. SW

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 Along the downtown riverwalk, across the Zumbro River from the city-county Government Center

 On the Gallery 24 building, 324 First Ave. SW

 On the Second Street parking ramp, 14 Second St. SE

 On the 318 Commons building, 318 First Ave. SW

 On the Welhaven Music building, 15 N Broadway

 On the former Michaels restaurant, 15 S Broadway

 In addition, an eighth installment is hidden and Cameron invites you to discover it for yourself.

 Most of the installations will remain until Sept. 14, though some will be up longer, including the one on the Michaels building, which will remain until the building is demolished in 2018.

 Look for a second walking tour of the installments to take place in early September.
Motto:Good shoes will take you to good places.

A concert pianist and piano teacher in Rochester for 24 years, Horacio Nuguid is a co-founder of the Rochester Chamber Music Society, where he is artistic director.

Growing up in the Philippines, he received the top award at the National Music Competition for Young Artists. He often performs throughout the Midwest, as well as in the Philippines and Mexico.

You might say Nuguid epitomizes the words of Rachmaninoff, whose concertos Nuguid performs: "Music is enough for a whole lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music."

Please introduce us to your style.

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I think my style is traditional classic. That is what my wife and close friends tell me also. It really can't be helped. Classical music is a huge part of my life, so I guess my attire goes along with that persona. I do try to dress appropriately for the occasion, and I always try to look and feel relaxed, neat and confident by the clothes I choose.

On a formal note, what do you wear when you perform?

I stick to the color black  suit, tux, shoes and tie with white or black button-down shirt. I like to match the color and elegance of the piano and feel that I am somehow connected to it.

You also mentioned leather shoes.

I look for shiny, elegant-looking black shoes that would also be comfortable. The width of the shoes should not be too wide as to get stuck in between the pedals. I do think the wider the shoes are, the less elegant they look.

Do you include a watch when on stage or otherwise?

I stopped wearing wristwatches regularly years ago. I have this unfounded reason that they affect the balance between my hands while playing piano. I think it is more of a visual distraction, however. I will wear a wristwatch for a social function as a piece of jewelry, and so it has to go with my classic style.

What do you hope you communicate through your performance attire?

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The beauty of music and everything that goes with it  emotions, imagination, organization, intellect, respect, good taste and love, to name some.

What do you wear when you teach?

Usually a button-down shirt and casual pants.

What should every well-dressed man have in his wardrobe?

He should have a pair of nice leather shoes, a suit, a sport jacket and button-down shirts. Then, if he has money to splurge, he should get anything James Bond would wear.

Do you have a priceless sentimental piece in your wardrobe?

I have a 1950 set of gold onyx Swank tuxedo cufflinks and studs that used to belong to my father. The case is already dilapidated, but the cufflinks and studs inside are still as shiny and smooth as ever. I wear them at my formal concerts, and they always bring me good luck.

Any aspects of Minnesota style you embrace?

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I like plaid shirts with jeans topped with red or blue outwear and scarf. I don't like putting beanies on.

Advice for readers?

How you choose your attire is who you are. Show that you care by dressing appropriately. Lastly, good shoes will take you to good places.
The Cold War which followed World War II ended decades ago, but in Berlin  the epicenter of the tensions between the Eastern and Western blocs  remembrances of it come back with clarity.

Chief among those that are still prominent in Germany's capital city are Checkpoint Charlie, the fabled main crossing point between East Berlin  backed by the East Germany government with support of the Soviet Union  and West Berlin, the sector that was occupied by the U.S. and its Allies.

Then, too, there are remnants still standing of the Berlin Wall, the 90-mile long, 12-foot-high concrete and barbed wired barrier built by the communist East Germans. Constructed in 1961, it was a measure intended to keep East Berliners from fleeing the Soviet-controlled area, but failed as thousands of persons either went over, under or around the Wall to escape to freedom in the Western Sector.

The East Germans finally gave up on the Wall and it came tumbling down on an eventful night, Nov. 9,1989, as Germans on both sides of the Wall celebrated. The events were covered by television the world over with millions watching.

The fall of the Wall prompted the unification of West and East Germany and it remains so today, while the still visible remains of the Cold War have turned into prime tourist destinations.

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Berlin's tourism is booming  a record 12.6 million persons visited the city in 2016  and Checkpoint Charlie, set up right after the Wall was constructed, was one of the most visited sites.

An estimated 1 million tourists per year visit that location.

Checkpoint Charlie was the only gateway where East Germany allowed Allied diplomats, military personnel and foreign tourists to pass into Berlin's Soviet sector. In response, the U.S., France and Great Britain stationed military police at Checkpoint Charlie to ensure their officials had easy access to the border between East and West. On the East German side of the border, there was a similar military presence.

The checkpoint soon became a symbol of the Cold War and tensions ran high  Soviet and American tanks briefly faced each other at that location during another crisis in 1961.

Despite remaining in operation for nearly three decades, the Allied side of Checkpoint Charlie consisted only of a prefabricated shack and a few sandbags. The original wooden guardhouse was replaced by a larger metal building in the 1980s.

In contrast, the more elaborate East German side of the checkpoint  and we personally remember this vividly  boasted guard towers, cement barriers and a shed where incoming and outgoing vehicles underwent searches and heat scans.

After the wall was demolished, the original guardhouse booth and sign, "You are now leaving the Allied sector," were removed to a Berlin museum, and a replica was erected at the crossing point.

We passed through Checkpoint Charlie and into the East Berlin zone in the 1980s with our military son, Thomas, and we and other non-military travelers were subject to intense scrutiny and searches before being allowed to pass into that sector. Guards were known to confiscate any newspapers or literature that contradicted communist ideology.

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We've visited Berlin and Checkpoint Charlie several times since then, the latest just a few weeks ago as a stop on a cruise of the Baltic. Berlin isn't a seaport; in order to get there from a cruise ship you have to take a railroad into the city from the port of Warnemunde.

The city's other iconic attraction, the Berlin Wall, was built in 1961 and reconstructed in the 1980s and made 14 feet tall.

Much of the Wall has been demolished now, but several sections are still standing. Putting graffiti on these remaining sections of the wall has became popular for artists from all over the world and since the wall is open to everyone, there have been no restrictions on what could be put on it. Over the years some of the artwork has been removed, but much still remains.

Many remnants of the wall have been sold off to collectors and museums, and we have encountered several displays at museums we have visited in the U.S.
As Ken Aalderks prepares for his 70th birthday, he said he knows he's not alone.

Olmsted County's population is aging. According to an early draft of Rochester's new comprehensive plan, nearly 1 in 3 Rochester residents will be older than 60 by 2040.

That's up from less than 1 in 5 in 2010.

Countywide, census estimates indicate the percentage of residents 65 and older has risen from 12.6 percent in 2010 to 14.7 percent last year.

"This is going to be a problem," Aalderks said, noting the aging population will increase demand on a variety services to keep people as independent as possible, from snow removal to health care.

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In order to start discussions aimed at finding solutions, the First Presbyterian Church Social Concerns Committee is holding its 10th Forums @ First event next week. The title is "Following the Boom: Are We Ready for Aging in Olmsted County?"

The event is from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the church, 512 Third St. SW.

Aalderks, a committee member. said the group has invited a panel of people already dealing with related concerns, but it also expects elected officials and others in the audience to speak up.

"We have some people that will enter into the discussion," he said.

Dan Jensen, associate director of Olmsted County Public Health Services, will be part of the panel and said he hopes the conversation will help engage more of the community in an effort to address concerns.

"We can work more as a community across the entire community," he said.

One of the greatest concerns Jensen sees as the population ages is a need for more home-care providers. He said the positions are hard to fill because pay often is low when compared to the responsibility and stress the job entails.

"It's a system problem that I would like to see us be able to address," he said.

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Aalderks said he hopes Tuesday's forum also will encourage younger generations to become involved and prepare for future needs.

"Those in their 50s, 40s and 30s have an opportunity to step up," he said.
Nursing homes and senior living centers in Southeastern Minnesota are facing their worst shortage of caregivers in decades, area nursing home CEOs say.

And it's only going to get more challenging, they say.

Shortages are not new to the industry. Rochester nursing home CEOs point to the late 1990s as a particularly bleak time, when certified nursing assistants and nursing aides were in short supply. Back then, the scarcity was the creation of a humming economy and a tight job market.

This time the shortage is being turbocharged by demographics, driven by a surge of baby boomers flooding into their retirement years. A tide estimated at 60,000 Minnesotans is turning 65 every year, and yet the number of people entering the workforce at the other end is a trickle by comparison. The imbalance has caught nursing homes in an ever-tightening vise.

"I will tell you in the 20 years I've done this, staffing has been an issue. In 20 years, this is the worst I've seen it," said Christine Bakke, CEO of Madonna Towers.

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The telltale signs of an ongoing shortage are growing: The inability to fill openings has forced senior facilities to put holds on admissions of new residents. In Minnesota, more than 5,000 nursing home admissions were denied in 2016 due to a shortage of staff, according to Leading Age Minnesota, a statewide organization of senior care providers.

At the local level, Homestead at Rochester had to slow the pace of admissions at a new facility as it struggled to fill openings. More than a year ago, Madonna Towers, for the first time, put a temporary hold on admissions.

Adding to the churn are low retention rates among nursing home workers. Many fly the coop to land better-paying jobs at hospitals. For nursing home residents, who develop relationships with workers who are akin to family, the departures can feel like abandonment.

Many nursing homes have turned to aggressive marketing techniques to get their message out about the need for more workers: billboards, ads in college and hometown papers and social media.

Nursing homes are coping with the early wedge of what one CEO called a "tsunami wave" waiting to happen. The bulk of baby boomers now are in their late 60s and early 70s and won't be moving into senior communities or nursing homes until their late 70s or early 80s.

"There's going to be a huge wave of people," said Eric Huntoon, CEO of Shorewood Senior Campus, of Rochester.

Not a single senior community in Rochester has been spared the effects of the shortage, interviews with CEOs show. For Shorewood operations manager Bryon Campbell, the job of interviewing, hiring and training new staff now commands half of his work day. Under more normal conditions, it would comprise only one-tenth of his work.

The crisis is being felt more acutely in Southeastern Minnesota. Rochester's 3.8 percent unemployment rate has exacerbated the situation. Another factor unique to the area is Mayo Clinic, whose own manpower demands and better pay and benefits act as a kind of vacuum on many workers.

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At Samaritan Bethany on Eighth, the inability to staff positions means an entire floor of rooms goes unused, CEO Sue Knutson said. Samaritan Bethany employs about 350 people in its nursing home, about 80 people short of being fully staffed. Twenty-seven beds are not being used as a result.

"If you look at unemployment statistics, I mean there are just physically not enough people in Olmsted County," Knutson said. "It's hard. I wish i had a great answer. I'd be making a lot more money doing that."

Knutson said Samaritan Bethany has worked hard to put together "an amazing benefit package" for its employees. But its pay scale is constrained by rates set by the state. And even though assisted living and independent housing arrangements are "market rate," Samaritan Bethany takes residents on elderly waiver, a kind of medical assistance for people who run out of funds.

"It seems like we saw a light at the end of the tunnel at that time," Knutson said, referring to the last big caregiver shortage in 1999. "We're not quite seeing that same light this time."
New York will send personnel and vehicles to assist with the response to Hurricane Harvey in Louisiana and Texas, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Saturday.

The state will deploy 104 New York Air National Guard personnel, three rescue helicopters, a rescue plane and several boats to aid the recovery effort. The airmen and equipment will leave from Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Suffolk County and arrive at Fort Hood in Texas.

Cuomo's announcement follows his phone conversations Friday with Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and John Bel Edwards of Louisiana. He offered the governors assistance in the aftermath of the hurricane.

"As Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate the Gulf Coast, I am deploying emergency personnel and equipment to help mitigate damage and aid in the recovery effort," Cuomo said. "New Yorkers first-hand know the damage Mother Nature can cause, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with Louisiana and Texas as they brace for Hurricane Harvey."

It's not unprecedented for New York to assist other states responding to weather events. The state provided aid to Florida after four hurricanes and resources were sent to Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall late Friday as a Category 4 storm with winds of 130 mph. It's one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the U.S. in more than a decade and the first Category 4 storm to make landfall since Hurricane Charley in 2004.

It's the first Category 4 hurricane to hit Texas since Carla in 1961.

Nearly 40 inches of rain could fall as the powerful storm stalls over Texas. Wind damage has already been reported and there is widespread flooding. The floods will worsen as rain continues over the next few days.

As of Saturday afternoon, Hurricane Harvey is now a Category 1 storm. It could be downgraded to a tropical storm over the next 24 hours, but it will continue to have a major impact on Texas.
Trump railed against the agreement while still on the campaign trail, calling it the worst deal ever negotiated. The nuclear deal, formally known as the JCPOA, lifted sanctions on Iran in exchange for a stop to its nuclear program. Still, Trump has allowed the deal to stay in place, but it seeking information to determine if Iran has violated its terms.

To that end, Haley is visiting the IAEA. She will meet with IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano, and some of the technical experts who monitor nuclear activities, including those in Iran governed by the nuclear pact signed by the U.S., and a handful of its allies, as well as Russia and Iran.

However, Irans foreign minister wrote a letter to nuclear inspectors warning them not to share any information with Haley that the United States is not entitled to under the deal.

As was reported by the Washington Examiner, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Haley and the United States were openly hostile to the (deal) and determined to undermine and destroy it.

Haley claims that she only wants to question IAEA officials, and criticized Iranian efforts to block nuclear inspectors from visiting certain sites. Why would they say that if they had nothing to hide? Why wouldnt they let the IAEA go there? Haley told Reuters. She also said, If you look  at past Iranian behavior, what youve seen is there have been covert actions at military sites, at universities, things like that.

Her trip comes in the midst of the Trump administrations war of words with Iran. Recently, Irans nuclear chief, Ali Akbar Salehi, issued an ominous warning that Iran could, if we make the determination resume 20 percent-enrichment in, at most five days. Under the terms of the nuclear deal, that level of enrichment can make it useable in nuclear weapons, and Iran is banned from doing so.

Haley stated that International inspectors have the authority to look at military sites now. They have the authority to look at any suspicious sites now, but asked, Its just, are they doing it?
Upheaval at the Rochester Area Chamber is causing concern for longtime members and spurring some to cancel their membership.

There have been several chamber employees that have abruptly parted ways with the chamber for unexplained reasons. Judy Braatz, the chamber's popular membership director for the past 24 years, was suddenly part of the exodus this week.

Chamber President Rob Miller nor 2017 Chamber Board Chairwoman Lisa Clarke have yet made any comments about Braatz's departure. Braatz confirmed she is no longer at the chamber but declined to answer more questions on the advice of her Twin Cities attorney.

During her time with the organization, it grew to be the largest and most active chamber in Minnesota.

Longtime Chamber Ambassador Mike Pruett, of MLT Group , said Friday that many local leaders called him after the Braatz news broke on Thursday.

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"There are a lot of businesses that are concerned about what is going on at the chamber," said Pruett, who has been a member for about 30 years. "They (the chamber officials) have been very tight-lipped about what's going on."

Braatz's exit is the latest in a string of recent staff departures from the chamber. Government Affairs Director Julie Fiesel and the leader of the Rochester Area Chamber Foundation, Julie Brock, both left the chamber in May.

At the end of 2016, Membership Events Coordinator Becca Stiles-Nogosek left the chamber to go the Minnesota Children's Museum of Rochester.

Christopher Rice, who owns Exactly Done with his wife, Julie Rice, said the situation drove them to end their four-year membership at the chamber.

"We really enjoyed working with Becca Stiles-Nogosek, Julie Brock and Judy Braatz. To see them leave in this manner ... that's not an environment we can continue to support," stated Rice in a message. "Our chamber is losing good people. No one is speaking up, which says volumes about where the problem exists (the top)."

One former chamber employee, speaking anonymously, said Miller and the popular Braatz had a contentious relationship since Miller started there in 2014. The ex-employee described Miller's leadership style as bullying and "toxic."

"He'd find your insecurities and go after them every day to get in your head.  The people that really bugged him were the people he couldn't get down, like Judy," according to the ex-staffer.

The former employee also characterized Miller as "politically tone deaf" when it came to members and staff.

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While Pruett said he didn't think it was right to single any one person out for the turbulence, he is worried about the future of the organization.

"The chamber needs to re-evaluate what they have done. Everyone keeps asking me, 'What were they thinking?'" he said. "I think there might be a backlash. I mean, why would you cut off your best income source?"
WASHINGTON  Hurricane Harvey is shaping up as just about a worst-case scenario storm with possible flooding from two different directions.

Harvey intensified rapidly because it's been meandering over deep warm water and has calm air at 40,000 feet high. It's moving slowly and will be stuck over the Texas coast through the middle of next week, which means rainfall measured in feet, not inches.

Put them all together and you've got a potential disaster that really has the National Hurricane Center grasping for ever scarier words like "life-threatening" and "catastrophic," ''dangerous" and "grave risk."

"The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time," said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy, who said this could be as big an economic threat as 2005's Katrina.

"I can't remember a storm that made landfall that was both very strong and very slow and not really even moving inland and it stalls along the coast," McNoldy said.

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To top off all that, the hurricane center forecast over the next five days - and that often gets changed - is for Harvey to hug the coast and stay strong enough to be a tropical storm through Wednesday at least. Sometime early next week it is forecast to go back into the warm Gulf of Mexico waters, which provides fuel, then turn back in for a potential second hit on what may be an already flooded Houston-Galveston area.

During this meandering time, the storm will likely dump 2 feet to 3 feet of rain, often on areas that don't handle much smaller rainfall amounts well.

It sets up a nightmarish and unprecedented situation, meteorologists said.

The heavy rain is likely to cause massive inland flooding  water that's trying head out to the sea. But coming from the other direction may be 4 feet to 5 feet of storm surge  extreme rise of water above normal tide that just stays there. Those two flooding events are likely to come crashing into each other like a train and a car, said Galveston-based storm surge expert Hal Needham of the private firm Marine Weather and Climate.

"Essentially there's absolutely nowhere for the water to go," Needham said. Galveston Bay, where rain normally escapes to, will already be elevated. It's "becoming more and more likely that something really bad is going to happen," he said.

Here are some ingredients that make Harvey so dangerous:

WARM WATER

Warm water is the fuel for hurricanes. Harvey has been feeding over "abnormally" warm and deep water in the Gulf of Mexico, said National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini.

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WEAK WINDS

If winds at 40,000 feet high are strong in the wrong direction it can decapitate a hurricane. Strong winds high up remove the heat and moisture that hurricanes need near their center and also distort the shape. But Harvey doesn't have to fight those winds.

SLOW SPEED

Harvey is forecast to stay at tropical storm strength over the same general area through Wednesday at least. While it's there, it will pour. And it may be close enough to get more moisture from Gulf of Mexico and keep the downpours going, meteorologists said.

"The fact that this storm is going to linger is going to lend itself to the catastrophic nature of this storm," Uccellini said.
ST. PAUL  With no measles cases in 42 days, state officials on Friday declared the outbreak over after the highly contagious virus sickened 79 Minnesotans this year.

The vast majority of cases were in unvaccinated Somali-American children living in Hennepin County. The first infections occurred in March, were discovered in early April and spread to become the state's worst measles outbreak since 1990 when three children died of the disease.

"We were able to really slow this outbreak down and stop it in ways that we didn't have the capacity to do back in 1990," said Kris Ehresmann, head of the Minnesota Health Department's Infectious Disease Division.

More than 8,000 people were exposed to the disease, she said. Only about 1 percent came down with the measles.

Ehresmann said that speaks to the success of a massive public health containment effort. The effort to work with schools, daycare providers, community and religious leaders saved lives, she said.

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"We were able to exclude people who were at -risk from high-risk settings," Ehresmann said. "That really allowed us to reduce transmission and to quell the outbreak in a much more efficient manner."

Ehresmann and many others say this year's outbreak underscores the importance of immunization. It prompted a dramatic increase in parents bringing their kids in for shots.

At one point, she said, vaccinations were running about 17 times their usual pace. Even now, vaccination appointments are above normal, Ehresmann said, but nowhere near their peak.

To keep the momentum going the Department of Health exhibit at the State Fair is all about encouraging immunization. A small, unscientific sampling of State Fair-goers found strong support for vaccinations.

"I was a teacher for 35 years and I still sub, so I know how important it is to have that in schools," said Doreen Nystedt, 64, of Woodbury.

Dan Biever, 58, of Minneapolis, said failing to get vaccinated puts other people at risk.

"Well I mean ... other people are going to get sick too, won't they?"

Beverly Torgerson, a 63-year-old from Warren in northwestern Minnesota, wants a change in state law.

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Parents can opt out of immunization by simply signing a notarized statement saying they don't want their child to get the shots. Torgerson said it's time to restrict opt-outs to cases where it's medically necessary.

"We know that immunization is not dangerous. We know that it's right for kids," she said. "I have a daughter with an auto-immune disease. If there's an outbreak, she's at a risk as well so it's not just your own individual child, it's the whole community that we have to worry about."

Still, though, immunization opponents who link vaccination with autism and negative outcomes continue to warn against the shots based on debunked science.

A few miles south of the fairgrounds, a bus that travels the nation collecting stories about vaccination problems rolled into a south Minneapolis park Friday, where a small group off vaccine opponents was gathered.

"It's going to be a big battle," said Wayne Rhode of Maplewood, one of the anti-vaxxers.

Rohde believes the measles vaccine contributed to serious health problems for his son almost two decades ago. He and others are gearing up to defend the status quo.

"We shouldn't let the state decide what's best, because that's a cookie cutter approach and they don't take into account what the parents believe," Rohde said.

Patsy Stinchfield bristles at comments like that. She oversaw the measles response at Children's Minnesota's Minneapolis hospital. All 22 of the kids hospitalized with severe cases of measles were treated there.

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"The amount of damage done by the misinformation is really significant," Stinchfield said.

The Minnesota Department said its measles response cost $900,000. Stinchfield said care provided at Children's cost about $1.3 million.

She plans to be a vocal supporter of changing Minnesota law to abolish immunization exemptions for anything but medical reasons.

"There' have been just immeasurable amounts of pain and suffering from children, lost work from parents."
FARGO, N.D.  Two people could face kidnapping charges after police found the newborn baby of a missing Fargo woman with a person who is a suspect in her disappearance, authorities said Friday.

Brooke Crews, 38, and William Hoehn, 32, were arrested Thursday night after police tried to interview them about 22-year-old Savanna Greywind, who was eight months pregnant when she last was seen at her apartment on Saturday. Police Chief Dave Todd said the suspects are not cooperating, with the exception of indicating to detectives that it was Greywind's baby. The suspects were Greywind's neighbors in the apartment building.

"Both (of them) invoked their right to counsel and refused to answer any more questions," Todd said.

The baby was with Crews when she was arrested in the same apartment building where Greywind was living with her parents. Hoehn was apprehended separately.

"We have some possible motives here, but I'm not willing to speak on those as of yet," Todd said.

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Authorities found the newborn in the apartment with Crews on Thursday. The healthy infant is in the custody of child protective services and is being cared for in a medical facility.

Forensic experts are trying to determine the manner of birth, Todd said.

Crews and Hoehn did not immediately respond to interview requests left with them at the Cass County Jail. It was not clear if either of them had lawyers.

Todd said searches for Greywind have come up empty and are asking residents throughout the city to look through garages, fenced-in areas, outbuildings and dumpsters for "any sign of entry or evidence that anybody has been there." The chief also showed a picture of a "grayish green" Jeep Grand Cherokee with Minnesota plates he said belongs to the suspects, in hopes someone saw the vehicle Saturday or Sunday. Todd said "there's a chance" Greywind is not in the area.

At least 100 volunteers furnished with maps, bug spray and bottled water were searching areas near the Red River in north Fargo for signs of Greywind. Dozens of people came from the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation near the Canadian border, where Greywind is an enrolled member.

"I'm asking that people look into their hearts and help bring Savanna home," said Richard LaFountaine, a member of the tribal council who joined their search.

Hoehn's criminal history includes a 2012 conviction in Grand Forks County for child neglect or abuse and a 2016 conviction in Cass County for simple assault-domestic violence. He also has convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia and drunken driving.

Todd said Greywind had gone to the apartment to help with a sewing project before disappearing. There are no other suspects, Todd said.

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Police conducted three separate "strictly visual searches" of the apartment after Greywind was reported missing, Todd said. He said it's possible the infant was not in the apartment at the time and was moved from another location.

Cass County State's Attorney Birch Burdick gave no indication of when charges might be filed.

"We are studying the information that is available at this time," he said.
A Star Tribune political reporter whom I like a lot has taken note of my Power Line posts reporting on Senator Amy Klobuchars treatment of President Trumps nomination of Minnesota Supreme Court Justice David Stras to the Eighth Circuit. In my posts I criticize the Star Tribune for its failure to report the story. On Friday the reporter commented in his Star Tribune newsletter: Concerns about delays of judicial nominees getting their hearing is a bit episodic depending on who occupies the White House. (I recall an Obama Supreme Court nominee never getting a hearing.) The Google machine reveals this piece from Russell Wheeler from Brookings in which he notes Senators used their blue slip prerogatives to forestall or veto nominations and give Trump over 100 in-place and announced vacancies, including over 30 that never had nominees.' I ask readers to forgive my somewhat self-indulgent response to him:

There is much more context that could be added. My beef is with the simple failure to report the story since July 8. Senator Klobuchar doesnt want it reported. She denies shes blocking Stras. Shes lying.

Senator Klobuchar supported the nomination of Justice Wilhelmina (Mimi) Wright to the federal district court by President Obama. She is comparable to Justice Stras. She was serving on the Minnesota Supreme Court at the time of her nomination. Senators Klobuchar and Franken turned in their blue slips immediately upon her nomination. They didnt wait for an FBI background report to do it. Thats context too.

Your comment reminds me. The week Judge Wright was confirmed, the Heritage Action people announced against her confirmation. They stated that they would score the senators votes on her confirmation. I didnt get to it until the day after she was confirmed but I argued on Power Line that Heritage was wrong and explained why I would have supported Judge Wrights confirmation if I had been voting on it. Even though I was late, Senator Klobuchar called to thank me.

I would like the Star Tribune to explain to readers what is really happening here. It isnt just partisan payback, as you imply. Its something different. Someone should do the digging and explain it to readers and let them make up their own minds about it. But the Star Tribune has defaulted on a significant story that matters to a lot of us.

Do the Star Tribune reporters on whose beat this falls lack GOP sources? Do they not want to upset Senator Klobuchar? Do they not think it would be of interest to readers? Are they too lazy to do a little digging when Klobuchar isnt handing out press releases? I find it hard to understand.
Nancy Pelosis father was Tommy DAlesandro, mayor of Baltimore from from 1947-59. At Newsmax, John Gizzi points out that it was DAlesndro who presided over the erection of statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in Baltimore. One might think this would be an embarrassment for Pelosi, but she withholds comment:

In the days following events of Aug. 12 in Charlottesville, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called on Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to remove all of the Confederate statues from the U.S. Capitol if Republicans are serious about rejecting white supremacy. The Confederate statues in the halls of Congress have always been reprehensible, declared Pelosi. Pelosi will have to explain why she never tried to take down any of those reprehensible statues during her own stint as House speaker from 2007-11. Newsmax also called Pelosis office to ask her opinion on another issue regarding her call for the removal of Confederate statues: the powerful praise for statues of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson from the Democratic mayor of her own home city of Baltimore, Maryland, when they were dedicated in 1948. Her office did not return our call. The mayor was Pelosis father, Democrat Thomas DAlesandro, Jr.

Point taken. But what strikes me most about the Newsmax story is how different from todays Democrats DAlesandro was. It isnt that he wasnt a partisan Democrat; he named one of his children after Franklin Roosevelt. But in those days, even partisan Democrats werent crazy:

In a powerful oration before a crowd of more than 3,000, Mayor DAlesandro made the case for remembering and studying the lives of Lee and Jackson: World Wars I and II found the North and South fighting for a common cause, and the generalship displayed by these two great men in the War Between the States lived on and were applied in the military plans of our nation and the Pacific areas. Referring to contemporaneous efforts by Communists to undermine the U.S. from within, DAlesandro said Today, with our nation beset by subversive groups and propaganda which seeks to destroy our national unity, we can look for inspiration to the lives of Lee and Jackson to remind us to be resolute and determined in preserving our sacred institutions. With Soviet Russia gobbling up Eastern Europe and the Cold War beginning, DAlesandro called on Americans to emulate Jacksons example and stand like a stone wall against aggression in any form that would seek to destroy the liberty of the world. (Baltimore Sun, May 2, 1948)

This is a missive from a lost world. It is impossible to imagine any contemporary Democratcertainly including DAlesandros daughter, Nancy Pelosiuttering such words.

Were they sincere? I think so. Marylands role in the Civil War was, of course, equivocal at best. Most of its citizens probably were Confederate sympathizers. But by 1948, those days were gone. Distinguished generals like Lee and Jackson were honored for their brilliance and dedication, not for the cause they served. The Civil War was generally seen as a crucible that had forged a national unity far stronger than any that had come before.

It is perhaps that unity, rather than the honor incidentally paid to leaders of the Confederate army, that todays leftists are determined to undermine.
Theyve also stated that theyre capable of ramping up their nuclear capacity very quickly, In fact, on Tuesday, Irans atomic chief said that the Islamic Republic needs only five days to ramp up its uranium enrichment to 20 percent, a level at which the material could quickly be further enriched for use in a nuclear weapon.

Ali Akbar Salehi made these comments on Iranian state television, and they come as U.S. President Trump repeatedly threatened to renegotiate or walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal.

As well, recent comments by President Hassan Rouhani show Iran is will continue to push back against Trump while acknowledging it wants to keep the deal for economic reasons. If there is a plan for a reaction and a challenge, we will definitely surprise them, said Salehi, who also serves as one of Rouhanis vice presidents. If we make the determination, we are able to resume 20 percent enrichment in at most five days.

Uranium enriched to 20 percent can be further enriched in a matter of weeks to the point where it can be used in nuclear weapons. However, Iran gave up the majority of its stockpile of 20-percent enriched uranium as part of the nuclear deal, and the accord caps Irans uranium enrichment at under 5 percent. Irans maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes.

The nuclear deal was opposed by a large bipartisan majority in Congress. Under it, Iran retains its ability to enrich uranium and continue its research and development of more advanced centrifuges.

The regime is charged with defying the spirit of the agreement, and is said to have engaged in other rogue conduct in contravention of various international laws and UN resolutions, but defenders of the deal have asserted that Iran that it is still complying with the nuclear accord itself.

The Washington Free Beacon reports that new evidence may prove that this may not be accurate. New photographs obtained by congressional leaders show Iran shipping militant soldiers to Syria on commercial airline flights, a move that violates the landmark nuclear agreement and has sparked calls from U.S. lawmakers for a formal investigation by the Trump administration.

A Washington, D.C. think-tank published these photographs, and provided them to Congress. They show Iran using its flagship commercial carrier, Iran Air, to ferry militants to Syria, where they have joined the fight against U.S. forces in the region.

This new evidence has upset congressional leaders, who are accusing Iran of violating the nuclear deal, which prohibits it from using commercial air carriers for military purposes. The photographs prompted a letter of concern sent to the US Treasury Department by lawmakers. They are demanding the Trump administration investigate the matter and consider imposing new sanctions on Iran.

The release of these photographs come as manufacturer Boeing moves forward with a multi-billion dollar deal to sell Iran Air a new modern fleet.
The ludicrously misnamed Southern Poverty Law Center has become a scam operating as a left-wing hate cult. The SPLC specializes in directing something far beyond the Orwellian Two Minutes Hate to the likes of Charles Murray and Ayaan Hirsi Ali and others it designates for opprobrium as extremists or a hate group. Where once was Emmanuel Goldstein and his followers is now Murray, Ali and a host of others guilty of thoughtcrime.

Earlier this year Charles Murray responded to the SPLCs libel of him in Charles Murrays SPLC page as edited by Charles Murray. This week Ms. Ali took to the New York Times to ask why the SPLC is hating on her and her friends.

If there is such a thing as a hate group, the SPLC is it. Indeed, I think it can safely be declared Our leading hate group.

Among recent columns that have nailed this outfit are Mark Pulliams A demagogic bully and Provocateur journalism. Going back to 2014, a good Washington Times editorial adds to the picture.

In the column linked above Ms. Ali notes that the SPLC has hit the jackpot in the aftermath of the violence in Charlottesville that left one woman dead and 19 injured. It is set to receive millions of dollars in donations from Apple, JPMorgan Chase and others. John noted Apples $1 million pledge to the SPLC last week; Apple will also match employee donations to the SPLC on a two-for-one basis.

In her weekly Wall Street Journal column Kim Strassel takes note. Referring to the SPLCs online Hate Map listing 917 American hate groups, she observes: The SPLC alone decides who goes on the list, but its criteria are purposely vague. Since the SPLC is a far-left activist group, the map comes down to this: If the SPLC doesnt agree with your views, it tags you as a hater. She writes:

Lets not mince words: By funding this list, J.P. Morgan and Apple are saying they support labeling Christian organizations that oppose gay marriage as hate groups. That may come as a sour revelation to any bank customers who have donated to the Family Research Council (a mainstream Christian outfit on the SPLCs list) or whose rights are protected by the Alliance Defending Freedom (which litigates for religious freedom and is also on the list). Similarly put out may be iPhone owners who support the antiterror policies espoused by Frank Gaffneys Washington think tank, the Center for Security Policy (on the SPLCs list). Or any who back the proposals of the Center for Immigration Studies (on the list). These corporations are presumably in favor of the SPLCs practice of calling its political opponents extremists, which paints targets on their backs. The groups Field Guide to Anti-Muslim Extremists lists Mr. Gaffney (who worked for the Reagan administration); Maajid Nawaz (a British activist whose crimes include tweeting a cartoon of Jesus and Muhammad ); and Ayaan Hirsi Ali (a Somali refugee who speaks out against Islamic extremism). The SPLC has tarred the respected social scientist Charles Murray, author of the well-regarded book Losing Ground, as a white nationalist. Mr. Murray has been physically assaulted on campus as a result. He happens to be married to an Asian woman and has Asian daughters, so the slur is ludicrous. But whats a little smearing and career destruction if J.P. Morgan Chase gets some good headlines?:

In the last sentence Kim attributes corporate support for the SPLC to a quest for good headlines, but that seems to me an unduly charitable interpretation. I think it derives from something more sinister and revealing. The totalitarian tendencies of the left are at work, herding us into line. Big business long ago fell in. Orwells account is suggestive: The horrible thing about the Two Minutes Hate was not that one was obliged to act a part, but, on the contrary, that it was impossible to avoid joining in. We are to join the mob or become its victim.
President Trump today issued a pardon to the man he calls Sheriff Joe  Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaio was convicted of failing to follow a court order to end the practice of detaining people based on the suspicion that they lack legal status and turning them over to the border patrol.

The White House provided this explanation of the pardon:

Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service. After serving in the Army, Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV and later served as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), formerly the Bureau of Narcotics. After 25 years of admirable service, Arpaio went on to lead the DEAs branch in Arizona. In 1992, the problems facing his community pulled Arpaio out of retirement to return to law enforcement. He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon.

I think there should be a strong presumption against granting pardons. I would prefer that the judicial system, flawed though it is, have the final word on the fate of those who are, or who may be, before it.

But if presidential pardons are going to be granted, and every modern president has granted them, it seems to me that Arpaio is a good candidate, basically for the reasons set forth by the White House. Sheriffs shouldnt defy court orders. But in a real sense, Arpaios crime consists of being overzealous in combating illegal immigration.

It arose in the context of lack of zealousness on the part of the federal government. According to this account, the judge found Arpaio couldnt detain those who lack legal status because thats the federal governments job. But the feds hadnt been doing that job.

Arpaio was accused by the Obama Justice Department and other left-wingers of targeting Hispanics. Indeed, the legal case that led to his conviction arose from claims of racial profiling. But in Maricopa County, the illegal immigrant population is overwhelmingly Hispanic. Had the County been plagued by mass illegal immigration by Koreans, chances are Sheriff Joe would have targeted Asians. And he would have been right to do so. Sheriffs shouldnt be expected to check their common sense at the door.

To be sure, the pardon of Arpaio is, at least in part, a political act by a president who campaigned on a tough-as-nails immigration policy and who received Arpaios backing. But theres a pretty good argument that the prosecution of Arpaio was also political.

It was the highly politicized, left-wing Obama Justice Department that chose to prosecute Arpaio in connection with the hot button political issue of enforcing immigration laws. It did so, according to Arpaios lawyers, just two weeks before he stood for reelection.

The pardon thus can be said to represent a political end to a political case.

Some may defend the pardon by comparing it to egregious pardons of the past, like President Clintons pardon of wealthy fugitive Marc Rich and President Obamas pardon of a Puerto Rican terrorist. Arguing form these outliers strikes me as misguided. Their pardons were so flagrantly unjust that the same argument could be used to defend a great many indefensible pardons.

No such argument is required to defend Trumps pardon of Arpaio. It was a reasonable exercise of the pardon power.

NOTE: The original version of this post incorrectly stated that the Arizona judge who issued the order Arpaio violated apparently was content with a civil contempt citation. Actually, the judge referred the case to the Justice Department for possible criminal proceedings.

However, Arpaios legal team argued, correctly, that the judges order wasnt clear and that Arpaio received mixed signals from the judiciary and the federal government about what his office could and couldnt do. The Wall Street Journals editors, who oppose the pardon, acknowledge the accuracy of this argument.
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The Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohaneze Ndigbo, and the pro-Biafra group, Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB have condemned the Federal Governments moves to re-arrest IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, describing it as the height of hypocrisy.

In a statement Saturday, the president of Ohaneze, John Nwodo, warned the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to respect his oath of office, and beam his attention on other urgent national matters.

I am amazed that the distinguished attorney is prepared to contest the superiority of the provisions of the Constitution on fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of association over an erroneous judicial proclamation violating those rights, Mr Nwodo said.

A few hours ago under the watchful eyes of the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and in total defiance of the Head of States proclamation of the rights of a citizen of Nigeria to live anywhere in Nigeria and to do business anywhere in Nigeria, the Arewa Youths, pretending to withdraw their quit notice, gave qualifications to the Head of States proclamation, issuing conditions for enjoyment of citizenship status.

These same Arewa Youths are supposed to have been arrested on the orders of the Governor of Kaduna State and the Inspector General of Police for acts of treason, conversion and sedition. As the chief law officer of the Federation, the Attorney-General looks the other way. He does not go to court to seek an order of arrest or prosecution.

Mr Malami had on Friday demanded the revocation of Mr. Kanus bail which was granted the defendant in April.

The application which was based on 12 grounds of appeal, followed an allegation by the AGF that Mr. Kanu exhibited flagrant disobedience of court orders on his bail conditions.

But Ohaneze said that Nnamdi Kanu, as a citizen of Nigeria, is free to hold any point of view no matter how displeasing to anyone so long as they are not inciting or provoking any criminal activities.

He argued that even though some Igbo leaders had differences of opinion with Mr. Kanu on certain matters, that did not mean they would sit back and allow his rights to be trampled on.

We have been insulted and abused by Radio Biafra but we concede them their right to differ from us. We concede them their nature to be exuberant as youth but we cannot be judgmental about their rights.

This is a democracy. In democracies, leaders are abused, pelted with rotten eggs and booed at, as the former Edo State Governor was booed in Abuja a few days ago. These acts are not necessarily criminal, the Ohaneze said.

The group urged the Attorney-General not to exacerbate the already tense situation in the nation by commencing a legal action which portrays him as biased, insensitive and misdirected.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB in its own statement described the move by the federal government to re-arrest its leader Nnmadi Kanu as a dangerous path of intimidation, which smacks of state sponsored terrorism designed to silence free speech and infringe on rights to peaceful assembly.

The group noted that before the federal government decided to make a move to arrest its leader, it must first go to court to obtain a court order or else it will be resisted by millions of IPOB members.

The media and publicity secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful, while reacting to call said the government must also approach the courts to grant its prayers and not try to subvert the legal process by arresting without the permission of the court.

We wish to place the whole world on notice regarding the illegal and wholesome undemocratic moves by Government to re-arrest our leader Mazi Nnamdi Kanu who committed no crime known to the laws of the Nigerian state. This dangerous path of intimidation, smacks of state sponsored terrorism designed to silence free speech and infringe on our rights to peaceful assembly.

Merely asserting that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu is a threat to the Nigerian government is not a crime unless accompanied by legally definable crime or offence. The Buhari led administration must know that threats and more threats heaped upon intimidation after intimidation do not wash with IPOB. Before Buhari decides to make a move to arrest our leader, he must first go to court to obtain a court order or else it will be resisted by million of IPOB members.

He said Mr Kanu was prepared for a long drawn battle with the Federal Government.

Nnamdi Kanu is spiritually and mentally prepared for this epic battle. He is not afraid of being locked up without trial as long as his personal physician will be allowed to visit and attend to his medical needs. In dictatorial and totalitarian regimes such as we have under this APC government, outspoken critics are often imprisoned without trial, so this undemocratic and illegal approach to resolving the thorny issue of Biafra self-determination championed by IPOB is to be expected.

The Federal Government must also state where it is written in the 1999 Constitution that being in a crowd of more than 10 people, calling for the election and attending rallies is a crime. Our teams of local and international lawyers are following the developments closely. That Nigeria is dangerously close to the brink of collapse today is a direct result of the first illegal arrest and detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, arresting him again will plunge Nigeria into an unimaginable crisis, the group warned.

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As the 10,500-member UN peacekeeping mission is up for renewal next week, Ambassador Nikki Haley has been pushing for a stronger mandate to stop the flow of weapons to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, near to Israel, which has long complained of Hezbollahs military activities there.

She told the UN in New York on August 25: Since 2006, there has been a massive flow of illegal weapons to Hezbollah, mostly smuggled in by Iran. They openly threaten Israel. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that is very destabilizing to the region.

the UN peacekeeping commander, Major General Michael Beary, has dismissed allegations by the US and Israel that Hezbollah is illegally stockpiling arms in the country.

He said that his force has found no evidence of weapons being illegally smuggled into the area.

Haley said Hezbollah had been bragging about its arms reserve and Beary seems to be the only person in south Lebanon who is blind to what Hezbollah is doing.

She said that his statement proves that changes need to be made in the UN peacekeeping mission there.

She said: Its time the Security Council puts teeth in the [peacekeeping] operation. We dont need to be giving terrorists a pass.

Iran and Hezbollah have not commented on the charges as of yet.

According to their UN diplomats, Russia and France are recommending no change in the peacekeeping mandate.

This is far from the first time that Hayley has gone up against the UN with regards to the Iranian Regime.

Earlier this week, she met with officials from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to urge them to demand access to Iranian military sites that they are currently banned from.

She said: As good as the IAEA is, it can only be as good as what they are permitted to see. Iran has publicly declared that it will not allow access to military sites but the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) makes no distinction between military and non-military sites. There are also numerous undeclared sites that have not been inspected yet. Thats a problem.

Last week, she said: [The Regime should be held responsible for] its missile launchers, support for terrorism, disregard for human rights, and violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions. Iran cannot be allowed to use the nuclear deal to hold the world hostage.
The Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, has called on leaders in the southern part of the country to caution a group called Niger Delta Agitators over the threat of eviction of Yoruba residents in the region.

It warned that the backlash of such a move may not be palatable.

A group, the Niger Delta Agitators, was reported in the media earlier in the week to have threatened to evict Yoruba from the Niger Delta region.

The OPC, in a statement issued at the weekend, condemned the call saying it could deflate the robust relationship being experienced by the Southwest and the Southern counterparts.

According to the OPC in the statement, signed by its national coordinator, Gani Adams, the recent threat issued by John Duku, leader of the Niger Delta Agitators was the second of such in recent time.

We know that the position of the Militants may not reflect that of their leaders, OPC said.

The OPC said it identified the need for the leaders of Niger Delta to caution the militants because there is a need for them to speak out against the move of the group.

It said the move may have an ill effect of further threat against our people in the Niger Delta region. We see the Southerners as friends but we are not in any way comfortable with the threat to quit.

The OPC warned the agitators to realise that there are more indigenes of their region in the Southwest than the South westerners in their region and thus demand that Yorubas must be safe in Niger Delta.

Nigeria has been rocked by ethnic agitations across its numerous regions in recent weeks.

The Coalition of Northern Groups recently gave an October 1 deadline for Igbos living in the Northern region to vacate or be forcefully ejected. It has since withdrawn its quit notice but with conditions attached.

The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, a prominent secessionist group, dismissed the quit notice and its subsequent withdrawal.

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Question: In 1990, a friend gave my late husband a used metal Hopalong Cassidy desktop radio in very good working condition. It is 8 inches wide, 5 inches high, 4 inches deep and marked 411 T. The radios case is silver and black with red decoration that shows Cassidy riding his horse. Any information you can provide about its age, maker, value and Hopalong Cassidy will be appreciated.  T.E., Cherry Hill

Answer: Fictional cowboy Hopalong Cassidy, created in 1904, was the hero whose adventures were recorded in a series of short stories and novels by author Clarence E. Mulford.

In 1935, actor William L. Boyd (1895-1972) formerly a leading man in silent films, became the famous cowboy hero featured in 66 adaptations of Mulfords Hopalong Cassidy tales. Nine years later, Boyd bought the Hopalong character and rights to all the Hopalong films.

In 1949, Hopalong Cassidy became the first network TV Western series. Boyd soon was a star, and a year later more than 100 companies were making licensed items associated with his popular show. Favorite Hoppy products included childrens dinnerware, bedding, costumes, roller skates, wristwatches, jewelry and home movies as well as 1950s desktop radios such as yours.

Made by Arvin Noblitt-Sparks Industries, a Columbus, Indiana, company that produced Bakelite, Catalin and metal radios, working Hopalong Cassidy models with no discoloration and little wear sold for $225 to $250 this year.

Question: Years ago, I inherited a collection of fine old glassware, including a transparent turquoise blue piece my mother called the Mary Gregory celery vase. It is 9 inches high and rests in a fancy silver stand marked MSP New York. The vase is decorated with the painted white figure of a little girl in old-fashioned dress chasing a butterfly. I hope you can tell me something about the vase and Mary Gregory.  W.L., Longport

Answer: Mary Gregory (1856-1908) was an American artist who decorated glass items. Gregory worked for the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. at Cape Cod, Massachusetts, from 1880 to 1884.

For decades, it was believed that Mary Gregory painted the charming Victorian-era children playing in outdoor settings that appear on clear and colored Boston and Sandwich Co. glassware. However, 20th century researchers proved the Mary Gregory story to be a myth because she left Boston and Sandwich before the glass associated with her was made there. Further investigation determined glassware decorated with similar enamel portraits of children at play was produced by Bohemian and German glassmakers before 1880.

Because of their charm, simplicity and popularity, Mary Gregory-style or type glass pieces, including plates, lamps, tumbler sets, perfume bottles, vases and dressing-table items were offered during the 20th century by important American glassmakers including Westmoreland and Fenton.

Your celery vase, a fancy container used on Victorian and Edwardian dining tables to hold fresh celery stalks, rests in a silver-plated stand made by the Manhattan Silver Plate Co. of Brooklyn, New York. Recently, collectors paid $50 to $60 for examples in perfect condition.
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"It was exciting delivering my baby during the hurricane. We are thankful for the care we received at Doctors Regional and for the good health of our family," said Ms. Rodriguez.

"Patient care is our highest priority, even during a Category 4 hurricane. We are blessed with outstanding nurses, physicians and staff to serve the community," said Jay Woodall, Corpus Christi Medical Center Chief Executive Officer.

Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional is successfully weathering Hurricane Harvey. We are now are treating new emergency center patients at Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional. At this time, EMS and patients are beginning to access our Emergency Center services at Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional at a steady pace.

About Corpus Christi Medical Center

Committed to the care and improvement of human life, Corpus Christi Medical Center has been a growing part of South Texas for the past 50 years. What began as a 26-bed facility in the early 60s has grown into a multi-campus health care system offering a full range of medical services, outstanding clinical care and superior technology. From caring for fragile newborns to complex cardiovascular patients, Corpus Christi Medical Center ensures the community receives the highest quality medical care available. The campuses of Corpus Christi Medical Center are Doctors Regional, Bay Area, The Heart Hospital, Northwest Regional, Bayview Behavioral Hospital, Northshore Emergency Center, and Radiation Oncology at Corpus Christi Cancer Center. For more information about Corpus Christi Medical Center, visit www.ccmedicalcenter.com.

About HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division

HCA Healthcare Gulf Coast Division is a comprehensive network of hospitals, outpatient surgery centers, emergency centers and diagnostic imaging facilities in greater Houston, Corpus Christi and South Texas. Facilities in the Gulf Coast Division include: 18 hospitals, nine ambulatory surgical centers, 10 freestanding emergency centers, and a regional transfer center that provides one phone call access and support for patient transfers into and out of the HCA Gulf Coast Division Affiliated Hospitals as well as access to ground and air transportation within a 150- mile radius. For more information, visit www.HCAGulfCoast.com.

Debra Burbridge

281-851-6275 cell

[email protected]

Lisa Robertson

361-290-0954 cell

[email protected]

SOURCE Corpus Christi Medical Center Doctors Regional

Related Links

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Lowe's Emergency Command Center continues to expedite truckloads of needed clean-up and recovery supplies including generators, bottled water, gas cans, chainsaws, water removal equipment, insect repellant, shovels, rakes and other tools to our Lowe's stores impacted by the storm.

"Our thoughts and concerns are with those impacted by this storm, including our own Lowe's employees," said James Frison, Lowe's community relations director. "As families begin the difficult recovery process, we want them to know Lowe's will work closely with the Red Cross and our other partners to support their rebuilding efforts every step of the way."

Lowe's employs more than 23,000 people in Texas and in the coming weeks, Lowe's Heroes volunteers will help with relief and recovery efforts in communities affected by the storm.

"Hurricane Harvey has caused widespread destruction and has impacted thousands of people," said Don Herring, chief development officer at the American Red Cross. "We are so grateful for the generous support of Lowe's to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, which enables us to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small."

Lowe's is also supporting employees affected by the storm through its Employee Relief Fund which provides financial assistance in times of crisis. Since it was established in 1999, the fund has helped approximately 26,000 employees by providing more than $29 million in financial aid.

As a member of the Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program, Lowe's pledges donations on an ongoing basis in advance of disasters to help ensure the Red Cross can take immediate action. Since partnering with the Red Cross in 1999, Lowe's and its customers have contributed more than $28 million for disaster relief.

About Lowe's

Lowe's, a FORTUNE 50 home improvement company, has a 60-year legacy of supporting the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. In the past decade, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together have contributed nearly $300 million to these efforts, and for more than two decades Lowe's Heroes volunteers have donated their time to make our communities better places to live. For the latest news, visit Newsroom.Lowes.com or follow @LowesMedia on Twitter.

SOURCE Lowe's Companies, Inc.

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SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Aug. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "In Your Right Mind," a weekly behavioral health radio program that features in-depth roundtable discussions of today's behavioral health headlines, is airing an informative show, "Health Net" on Sunday, August 27 at 5 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on Talk Radio 790 AM KABC in Los Angeles. The broadcast will discuss how Health Net has fallen short in providing behavioral health treatment facilities reimbursements for services that were already provided to its paying members, as well as in ensuring patients receive timely treatment for alcohol and drug use problems. The show is hosted by Tonmoy Sharma, M.B.B.S., M.S.c., founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sovereign Health, who provides an in-depth medical and clinical expertise and co-host Stefanie Wilder-Taylor.

The broadcast will feature panelist Harry Nelson, A.B., J.D., founder and managing partner of Nelson Hardiman and a consummate leader at the intersection of law and business, has launched five healthcare related companies in the last decade. Another panelist is Stampp Corbin, M.B.A., president of Addiction Treatment Advocacy Coalition and Chief Executive Officer of Toxicology Laboratory.

"Health Net has had trouble for more than a decade," says Dr. Sharma. "Federal Judge Fay S. Hochberg found Health Net guilty of 'obstruction of justice,' and Los Angeles, Orange County and Superior Court judges in California and Arizona are trying to adjudicate whether it is legal for the insurance company to cut off virtually every out-of-network substance abuse treatment facility in five states."

For those who would like to follow the broadcast, the show is available on demand at www.InYourRightMind.com. For questions, contact [email protected].

In an interview, Mr. Nelson discusses Health Net and its battle with treatment facilities in California. Read the interview here.

One factor that differentiates Sovereign Health from other treatment providers is its ability to offer separate mental health and addiction/dual diagnosis treatment programs at its facilities. For more information, visit www.sovhealth.com.

About "In Your Right Mind"

"In Your Right Mind" is a weekly behavioral health radio show that covers various topics each week, including mental health disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and addiction/dual diagnosis disorders. Dr. Tonmoy Sharma and Kristina Kuestner are the hosts of the show. In addition, each program will feature guest speakers throughout the United States participating in a roundtable discussion about headlines in behavioral health. The mission of "In Your Right Mind" is to raise awareness about behavioral health issues that get people talking. The hour-long show airs every Sunday at 5 p.m. PDT on Talk Radio 790 KABC Los Angeles. "In Your Right Mind" is produced in conjunction with Sovereign Health, a leading national provider of behavioral health treatment services. For more information, visit www.inyourrightmind.com.

SOURCE In Your Right Mind

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 25, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Highlighting the close bilateral defense and security partnership, Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States today greeted Royal Saudi Air Force pilots participating in the U.S.-hosted "Red Flag" training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.



"Saudis and Americans are training together and fighting together to confront shared threats and to defend common interests. I learned this first hand from my own experience as a pilot and now must explain in my new role as a diplomat," said Prince Khalid in remarks to an assembled group of U.S. and KSA pilots at the base. "Policy may be made in Riyadh and Washington, but it is here in training and then in battle where trust is built, where friendships are formed and where unbreakable ties are forged."

Prince Khalid was received by Brigadier General Richard Boutwell and Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) Commander Major General Mohammed al-Otaibi. Following a set of briefings, Prince Khalid delivered brief remarks to RSAF pilots and their counterparts in the U.S. Air Force. Prince Khalid's visit was a return to Nellis where he first participated in a similar exercise as a member of a Saudi F-15 squadron.



Red Flag is an air-to-air combat training exercise conducted by the U.S. Air Force. Participating pilots, from the U.S. Air Force and allied nations' combat air forces, conduct intensive air sorties in a safe training environment. The RSAF is participating in the Nellis exercises for the sixth consecutive time.



The visit to Nellis A.F.B is the initial stop of Prince Khalid's first U.S. tour as Ambassador. He will also visit Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, Dallas, Houston and St. Louis on his trip.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
Saudi Arabia has to date welcomed 1.497 million pilgrims who have flocked to the country in preparation for the annual Islamic Hajj pilgrimage, which is due to begin on August 30, 2017.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549175/Great_Mosque_of_Makkah_Pilgrims.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549176/Great_Mosque_of_Makkah.jpg )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/549177/Holy_City_of_Makkah.jpg )



In total, around two million people from across the globe are expected to visit the Holy City of Makkah, Saudi Arabia, making it the largest annual international gathering, and which, for many Muslims, is the highlight of their spiritual lives.

As one of the five pillars of Islam, the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, is mandatory for physically and financially capable Muslims to perform at least once in their lives. The rituals involved are intended to cleanse the soul and demonstrate the equality and solidarity of all Muslims, in their submission to God.

The responsibility for organizing the pilgrimage falls on the government of Saudi Arabia, under direct supervision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz and the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman; a huge logistical undertaking that will run until Hajj ends on the 4th of September, 2017.

International pilgrims continue to travel to Hajj 2017

The number of foreign pilgrims has multiplied exponentially over the years, from as few as 24,000 in 1941 to 1.325 million in 2016. Including local pilgrims that reside in Saudi Arabia, a total of 1.86 million Muslims performed the Hajj last year.

Over 80 Countries

Saudi officials have prepared to receive the massive influx of pilgrims, many of whom also visit the second Holy City of Madinah. The Hajj team deployed on the ground speaks over a dozen languages to ensure that the needs of pilgrims are met.

Vast tent city in Mina

Mina is also known as the City of Tents as it hosts tens of thousands of air-conditioned tents as temporary accommodation for a significant portion of the pilgrims expected to take part in Hajj this year. Mina is located between Mount Arafat and Makkah's Grand Mosque. The tents are neatly arranged in rows and grouped into areas labeled with numbers and colors according to nationality. Every pilgrim is given a badge with an assigned number and color to help them find the way back to their tent if they get lost. To prevent fires, the tents are constructed of Teflon-coated fiberglass, and are fitted with sprinklers and fire extinguishers.

More than 17,000 Civil Defense personnel deployed to serve Hajj pilgrims

More than 17,000 highly trained personnel, supported by 3,000 advanced vehicles, are in position to guarantee pilgrims the highest level of safety.

300 ground ambulances, 30 motorbikes, 113 ambulance centers and 8 air ambulances

Over 2,000 Saudi Red Crescent Authority personnel deployed in Makkah, Madinah and other holy sites to provide ambulance services to pilgrims during Hajj.

SOURCE Ministry of Culture and Information, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Doha, Aug 24 : Qatar on Thursday announced it will restore full diplomatic relations with Iran, in a move that will infuriate the country's Arab neighbours and could deepen the region's worst diplomatic crisis in decades.

"The state of Qatar expressed its aspirations to strengthen bilateral relations with Iran in all fields," the Qatari Foreign Ministry was cited as saying by CNN.

The countries' Foreign Ministers spoke on the phone and discussed "bilateral relations" as well as a "number of issues of common concern", the statement said, adding Qatar's Ambassador will return to Iran to exercise "diplomatic duties".

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt had suspended diplomatic relations with Qatar and cut off land, sea and air travel to the country in June, accusing it of sponsoring terrorism and cosying up to the Iranian regime.

The Arab quartet accused Iran of interfering in Arab countries' internal affairs and said Tehran's growing influence destabilised the region and bolstered the cause of radical groups like Islamic State.

Cutting ties with Tehran was a key demand put on Qatar by its four Arab neighbours in return for lifting a boycott that has roiled the Middle East. Other demands were cutting ties to terrorist organisations, reducing Turkey's military footprint in the country, and shuttering media network Al Jazeera.

But Qatar ignored an initial 10-day deadline to respond to the demands and continued to seek a diplomatic solution.

Doha has struggled to cope with its neighbours' embargo, relying on close ally Turkey and neighbouring Iran and Oman for imports of food and construction materials.

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir last month said the quartet was willing to negotiate, but "dialogue doesn't mean there are concessions".
Patna, Aug 24 : The central government has given its consent for a CBI probe into the Rs 1,000-crore Srijan scam in Bihar, an official said on Thursday.

Additional Director General of Bihar Police S.K. Singhal told the media here that the Home Ministry has given its consent for a CBI probe into the Srijan scam. "Now the Central Bureau of Investigation will investigate it," he said.

According to him, so far 14 FIRs have been lodged and 18 accused have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team of Bihar Police, which began a probe into the scam after an order by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The opposition RJD has repeatedly alleged that it is a mega scam in which government funds were transferred to private accounts between 2005 and 2013 when current Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was Finance Minister and Nitish Kumar was Chief Minister.

"Both are responsible and they should resign," Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav said.

Last week, after the Rashtriya Janata Dal demanded a CBI probe into the "mega scam", the Chief Minister on August 17 recommended the same. But now the RJD is demanding a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe into it.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad said he strongly suspects 'foul play' behind the delay in investigation into the Srijan scam which involves Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi.

"The state government is destroying all evidence to save Nitish Kumar and Modi," he said.

The Srijan scam involves a Bhagalpur-based NGO, Srijan Mahila Vikas Sahyog Samiti Ltd, which used to provide vocational training to women. The NGO allegedly pilfered funds meant for government welfare schemes from the bank accounts of the Bhagalpur district administration.
Washington, Aug 24 : The White House is set to issue a guidance on President Donald Trump's ban on transgenders in the military that gives the Pentagon six months to oust "non-deployable" transgender service members, bars new transgender hires and orders the Pentagon to stop paying for trans service members' medical treatments.

A two-and-half-page White House memo, which is expected to be sent to the Pentagon in the coming days, is the first attempt by the government to provide guidance on how to follow through on the ban Trump announced in a series of tweets on July 26, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

He announced then that transgender individuals would not be eligible to "serve in any capacity in the US Military".

The directive was confirmed on Wednesday by a government official familiar with its contents but who was not authorised to discuss its details, the Times reported.

The memo, once it gets approved, will give Defense Secretary James Mattis six months to enforce the ban and force out transgender service members by setting a legal standard of whether they would be able to deploy to war zones or for other lengthy military missions.

The American Military Partner Association -- a group for families of LGBT service members and veterans -- slammed the report of the guidance.

"(Trump's) foolhardy assertion that transgender service members are not able to deploy is simply not rooted in fact," the group's president, Ashley Broadway-Mack, said.

"Transgender service members are just as deployable as any other service member. These brave men and women are already risking their lives for this country around the world. They have earned their right to appropriate medical care, and President Trump's attempt to rip that away is beyond unconscionable."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi responded to The Wall Street Journal's report with a tweet on Wednesday night: "This is not how you keep America safe. Period. #ProtectTransTroops."

The ban reverses a year-old policy crafted by the Barack Obama administration that allowed transgender people to serve openly in the military.
Islamabad, Aug 24 : Amid strained relations between Islamabad and Washington, Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Thursday decided not to visit the US and said that making Pakistan scapegoat will not help resolve Afghanistan issue.

Citing unnamed sources, Geo News reported that the minister's tour stood cancelled. Asif was scheduled to meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Washington.

Relations between Pakistan and the US worsened after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of providing safe havens to militants that US was fighting in Afghanistan.

Geo said that although the minister was advised to visit the US, the trip was not okyed by the government.

"After detailed review of the situation it has been decided that the minister would not undertake the visit," Geo quoted the sources as saying.

Asif, while rejecting Trump's allegations, said making Pakistan "scapegoat would not stabilise Afghanistan".

He said efforts were being made to destabilise Pakistan on both its eastern and western borders.

The minister said Pakistan suffered a loss of $120 billion in the war against terrorism.

Pakistan has supported international efforts for peaceful Afghanistan, he said, adding that refugees, drugs and arms made their way into Pakistan due to the conflict in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan would continue to support international efforts to stabilise Afghanistan," Asif said.
Islamabad, Aug 25 : Pakistan on Thursday strongly rejected US President Donald Trump's accusation that Pakistan has been undermining the US's so-called 'war against terror' despite receiving billions of dollars in aid.

A high-level meeting of military and political leaders under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was held on Thursday to come up with a response to Trump's stance on Afghanistan and South Asia, in which he had singled out Pakistan for its alleged involvement in terrorism.

"We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting," Trump had said in his speech on Monday night.

According to Pakistani daily The Dawn, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, Chairman Joint Chief of Staff Committee Zubair Hayat, Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, and Naval Chief Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah attended the four-hour long meeting.

The conclusions of the meeting were later shared in Senate by Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif.

"The committee observed that Pakistan had to manage the blow-back of a protracted conflict in Afghanistan that resulted in a deluge of refugees, flow of drugs and arms and, recently, terrorist safe havens in eastern Afghanistan," the foreign minister said, a statement said.

"The committee observed that these safe-havens harbour anti-Pakistan terrorist groups that continue to operate and launch attacks inside Pakistan," the statement added.

"The fact remains that the complex issues and internal dynamics inside Afghanistan pose a grave challenge not only to Pakistan but to the broader region and the international community," the statement said, adding, "Pakistan has consistently supported all international efforts for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan.
Chandigarh, Aug 26 : An uneasy calm prevailed in Punjab and Haryana on Saturday after incidents of violence a day ago left 30 people dead following the Dera sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case.

Army units patrolled several places across the two states through the night that were affected in the Friday mayhem leaving nearly 250 others injured.

Flag marches were held by the soldiers on Saturday morning in 10 places in southwest Punjab's Malwa belt and Panchkula and Sirsa towns in Haryana.

Curfew continued on Saturday in a few districts in south-west Punjab, including Mansa, Bathinda, Patiala, Fazilka, Ferozepore, Faridkot, Malout, Sangrur and Barnala following the violence.

Curfew also continued in Panchkula, Sirsa and Kaithal towns in Haryana.

Educational institutions have been ordered to remain shut at several places in both states till Monday.

Panchkula town, adjoining here, which bore the brunt of the violence on Friday resembled a war zone with scores of burnt vehicles and properties damaged or torched.

On August 25, CBI special judge Jagdeep Singh held the Dera sect leader, who has lakhs of followers mainly in Punjab and Haryana, guilty of raping and sexually exploiting two female disciples in 2002.

The sect chief was shifted to a prison near Rohtak town (about 70 km from Delhi) and was lodged in a barrack in the jail.

Prison officials said that the self-styled godman, who was used to a life of ultra luxury in the past three decades, had a sleepless night. He will be medically examined on Saturday.

The prison, where the sect chief was lodged, was put under heavy security.

The BJP government in Haryana, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, was under attack from all quarters for going soft on the Dera chief, who had openly supported the BJP in the 2014 elections, and his unruly followers who did mayhem in Panchkula.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) B.S. Sandhu said that narcotic substance, three rifles, three pistols and ammunition have been recovered from the vehicles that arrived in Panchkula as part of motorcade of the Dera chief.

The sect chief had arrived at the court complex on Friday afternoon in full spectacle of over 200 cars, including several luxury SUVs and Z-plus security police vehicles despite prohibitory orders imposed by authorities all across Haryana.

"Sixty-five cars of the motorcade have been impounded. About 600 persons have been taken into custody and verification of about 550 would be carried out," the DGP said.

He claimed that 28 people, including one in Sirsa, were killed in the violence.

Sirsa district Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Govind Gupta said on Saturday that two more persons died and seven others with bullet injuries were admitted to the government hospital in the town, 260 km from here.

The Dera Sacha Sauda sect has its headquarters about eight km from Sirsa town.

DGP Sandhu said two Senior Superintendents of Police, one Deputy Superintendent of Police and 60 constables were injured in the violence on Friday.

"Peace is prevailing in Panchkula from where Dera followers had been driven out completely. They were being sent back to their respective places.

"Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been imposed in several parts of the state," the DGP said.

On Friday, security forces fired at rampaging mobs in Panchkula after the CBI court's verdict.

The quantum of punishment in the case will be pronounced on Monday.
New Delhi : The US President has spelt out the much-anticipated US Policy for Afghanistan and South Asia. Expectedly, there are enough divergent views expressed within the US and elsewhere. What does it hold for India?

To recall, the substantive issues are: The policies are to best serve US strategic interests; the US commitment is "condition-based" and not time-bound; nation-building is not an agenda; and finally, there will be greater operational freedom to the US military.

At its core, the policy is the same as enunciated since 2009. Then, as now, it emanates from a fundamentally flawed acceptance of where the root of the problem lies and where the terrorism network is. It is a US dilemma, which it either is unprepared to address or feels inadequate to control the consequences.

In the aftermath of 9/11, the strategic community and the world in general referred to this geo-location as the Af-Pak region -- the Al-Qaida had its roots there and the Taliban was ruling Afghanistan from 1996, with both organisations straddling the Durand Line. During 2001-03, when Al-Qaida was smoked out of Afghan caves and the Taliban defeated, the core of their leadership and the centre of terrorist activities shifted to bases in Pakistan.

The genie took roots with state patronage, as the world now knows, emboldened by Pakistan's recognition of US compulsions in Iraq and their mutual bonhomie in playing dirty tricks in the years of Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s. As a result, the war in Afghanistan was not pursued to its logical military end.

Since then, the bigger cause of the region's unrest and export of terrorism is Pak-Af geo-politically and geo-strategically. Unless the US deals with Pakistan, it cannot win in Afghanistan. If the policy is not directed at where the problem is, the US can spend another 16 years and a trillion dollars more, but will only be "Bush pruning" and "Trump cutting", while the fundamentals of the problem continue to feed and take deeper roots in Pakistan.

The US reluctance to even refer to the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai carnage and yet expect India to be a substantial partner must be deeply analysed. The obvious question is: What are the US' long-term strategic interests in the region that it seems to draw its own "Lakshman Rekha" in its dealings with Pakistan, and how far do they converge with ours? Also distinct is a lack of reference to any regional involvement and cooperative mechanism to reach the envisioned end.

India continued its people-centric economic activities in Afghanistan, even when the US and other regional stakeholders kept New Delhi out of the deliberations till a few years ago. For a security-socio-economic situation as in Afghanistan, keeping activities of nation-building exclusive of military operations is fraught with danger. This is especially when the US, wielding the military power, expects others to do the "winning of hearts and minds".

This takes more credence given that the US commanders on the ground now have greater flexibility in the use of kinetics and the reported increase in troops. And if the US is there only to kill terrorists, the type of troops surge may indicate the way: Is it anywhere on the broader Pak-Af region or selective, as Pakistan is? The Durand Line is not accepted by Afghanistan, not even when the Taliban was in power, and the terror that straddles that region must be dealt with as such.

While we may appreciate the US identifying Pakistan as a part of the problem, its reluctance to deal with it undermines its own policy; logistics dependence, while true, is not certainly the insurmountable reason. There must be a substantive long-lasting cooperative mechanism prior to our deep alliance with an only US initiated policy. With a purely operational outlook, where is the strategy for peace?

However, these are opportune times, and to be counted, we must step up and play our role consistent with our aspirations. We must also learn to play the big game and operate in conditions of ambiguity, in pursuit of our national interests. In Afghanistan, one such abiding strength of ours is the Afghan people; the role we choose to play must nurture and not undermine that strength.

(Lt Gen K.G. Krishna (retd) is a former Director, Military Intelligence. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at kalavalapalli123@gmail.com)
New Delhi, Aug 26 : Anita Dongre has made a name for herself in the fashion world, but there was a time when she faced difficulty in getting a store in a mall in Mumbai. The designer says she comes from a "traditional family where the women were always homemakers" and had to overcome her family's resistance while starting out.

The celebrated designer, who is also a successful entrepreneur courtesy her brand House of Anita Dongre, feels women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges.

"I come from a traditional family where the women... did not have professional careers outside the house. I had to overcome the family's resistance initially, but once they showed their support, there was no looking back," Dongre, based in Mumbai, told IANS in an email interview.

"Women entrepreneurs continue to face challenges today and I hope they find a firm support system and follow their gut as I did," she added.

Dongre founded AND Designs India Limited in 1995, and rebranded it House of Anita Dongre (HOAD) in 2015.

She has stitched together three brands under her label with distinct identities. There is AND with its contemporary western-wear for women line; Global Desi which boasts of boho-chic ensembles; and then there is Anita Dongre label which shines with special curated looks in bridal, couture, pret and menswear.

She is a regular at fashion weeks and wedding exhibitions like the fifth edition of Vogue Wedding Show, which concluded here earlier this month.

Her label took global flight when the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, opted for her creation for a day out in India last year. There's a Bollywood twist to her brand story as well. She has actress Kareena Kapoor Khan as a muse for her brand AND, and got Aditi Rao Hydari for the "Love Notes" campaign of her label too.

The designer has also expanded to foreign shores with two stores in New York.

Talking about foraying into New York, she said: "It has always been my dream to see Indian craftsmanship celebrated on a global platform. It was gratifying to see that happen -- women from different walks of life and fashion experts would walk in and be startled at the degree of expertise that goes into every garment."

"This is what brings me joy. Future plans remain celebrating craftsmanship in the best way we can."

She works closely with artisans in villages, and she says the "purpose of working with the artisans is to bring these indigenous skills into mainstream fashion".

"Our efforts have provided year-long employment to several artisans and weavers who are contributing to collections that are relevant in today's time. Most of them use traditional skills, but we do a design intervention to modernise their output."

"This is the strength of our partnership; I bring the marketplace and design knowledge, and my craftspeople bring in generations of skill -- and we learn from each other."

Dongre lauds the Indian government for attempting to bridge the gap between artisans and designers.

"There is a new wave of sustainability in the industry. Not only does this effort help revive these heritage crafts, they also allow Indian craftsmanship a platform in the world of design," said the designer, pointing out that the efforts "are reviving rural India by bringing in employment".

Work wise, Dongre is currently spending all her time focusing on her brand and her New York stores.

(Sugandha Rawal can be contacted at sugandha.r@ians.in)
New Delhi/Patna, Aug 26 : The CBI on Saturday said it has registered cases against an NGO official and several bank officials to probe into the Rs 1,000-crore Srijan scam in Bihar.

The central agency on Friday filed FIR against Director of Bhagalpur-based NGO Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti, Manorama Devi, and multiple branch managers and officials from two Bank of Baroda branches.

The action came after the Union Home Ministry gave its consent on August 24.

The CBI has also booked the then cashier and head assistant of special land acquisition office in the fresh FIR.

The charges mentioned in the FIR included cheating, criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust, forgery and cheating by impersonating beside other charges.

So far 14 FIRs have been lodged and 18 accused have been arrested by the Special Investigation Team of Bihar Police, which began a probe following an order by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The Srijan scam involves the Bhagalpur-based NGO which used to provide vocational training to women.

The NGO allegedly pilfered funds meant for government welfare schemes from the bank accounts of the Bhagalpur district administration.
Srinagar, Aug 26 : A policeman and a CRPF trooper were killed on Saturday in a suicide attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said.

Militants entered Pulwama town's district police lines at around 3.40 a.m. and attacked a guard-post with grenades and gunfire, the police said.

Police constable Imtiyaz Ahmad Sheikh died on the spot while eight others -- two policemen and six Central Reserve Police Force troopers -- were injured.

"One of the injured CRPF trooper succumbed to serious bullet injuries in a hospital," the official added.

The complex has been surrounded by the security forces as heavy firing was still continuing around 11 a.m..

The authorities have suspended internet services in Pulwama district as a precautionary measure.

No militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
San Francisco, Aug 26 : Facebook is caught in yet another controversy as traffickers and slave traders are reportedly using the social media platform to broadcast brutal videos to extort money from victims' families.

Facebook has also been accused of being too slow to delete a video footage that showed Libyan gang members threatening the lives of Somali and Ethiopian migrants.

According to a report in The Times on Friday, a UN migration agency criticised the company for allowing people traffickers to use its site to "advertise their services, entice vulnerable people on the move and then exploit them and their families".

"It is irresponsible for tech companies like Facebook to ignore this issue. It's hard to believe that the tech giants cannot put some real effort into stopping these smugglers from using their platforms for racketeering," Mohammed Abdiker, of the International Organisation for Migration, was quoted as saying.

According to Facebook, people smuggling is illegal and any posts, pages or groups that co-ordinate this activity are not allowed on its platform.

"We encourage people to keep using our reporting tools to flag this kind of behaviour so it can be reviewed and swiftly removed by our global team of experts, who work with law enforcement agencies around the world," Facebook said.

This is not the first time the social media giant has faced a content-related scandal.

Earlier this year, Facebook was surrounded in criticism for not doing enough to block the video related to suicides, murders, terrorism and rapes broadcast through its live-streaming service.

In Europe, Facebook is under pressure to speed up its process to block the hate speech content or face fines from the legislators.

Facebook announced in May it would hire an additional 3,000 staff for its content moderation team, expanding its strength to 7,500 members.
Thimphu, Aug 26 : It is the second day of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival and a literary spell has gripped this Bhutanese capital as heavyweight writers engage in discussions and share their perspective on a range of issues.

A warm Saturday morning saw Thimphu come alive in its full spirits as the festival kicked-off quite early. Young students could be spotted on the streets handing out pamphlets of the festival, the only event of its kind in this small Himalayan country. This annual gathering, according to Bhutan's Queen Mother, has greatly impacted the young minds of Thimphu and is eagerly awaited by the local people.

In a veranda, right next to the Royal University of Bhutan auditorium, students from the Royal Academy of Performing Arts enthralled the audience with a spectacular dance performance. No, there is no loud thumping and hip-hop; instead it was a traditional Bhutanese performance, soaked in silence, mediation and prayer. This simple yet refreshing performance kicked-off the day's programme but there was an anticipation of another kind among the younger Bhutanese audience.

Just as the dance performance ended, the audience rushed inside the auditorium to attend one of the most anticipated sessions of this year's programme. It was "Inglorious Empire," where Indian MP and writer Shashi Tharoor continued his relentless attack on the legacy of the British Raj.

A regular face at most literary events in India and abroad, Tharoor has presented the same arguments at a number of venues and there was nothing new that he had to offer. But the audience was different and it was the first time that Tharoor was speaking in Bhutan. He also faced some interesting as well as tough questions. A young student asked him about the "historical amnesia" about Sikkim's inclusion in India while another student questioned him on "the big brother attitude" that India sometimes has towards its neighbours. With wit and a dash of sarcasm, Tharoor's same old responses were welcomed with thunderous applause by the new audience here.

Markus Zusak, the force behind the internationally acclaimed novel "The Book Thief", earlier unravelled the thought processes that help create unconventional characters, stories within stories and best-selling books. In conversation with author Linda Leaming, he led the audiences through his journey as a writer and what inspires him every day. The session saw stimulating conversations on gripping the readers' minds through captivating storytelling techniques. The author also threw light on the rigorous technicalities that went into adapting the book to screen.

There are several other interesting sessions during the day but one that is most anticipated is the launch of the "India's Indira" book by the Queen Mother, who will be in conversation with Shashi Tharoor.

And then finally, it's going to be a treat for Bhutanese readers as India's most-loved author, Ruskin Bond, will address the last session of the day. Titled "Tales of Mountain Roads," it is Bond's first address in Bhutan and the students here are already queuing up the small book shop at the venue to chose from at least a dozen different titles of his that are for sale.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, the Mountain Echoes Literary festival is an initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation, in association with India's leading literary consultancy, Siyahi. The festival concludes on Sunday evening.

(Saket Suman's visit to Thimphu is at the invitation of the organisers of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
Bengaluru, Aug 26 : Technocrat Vishal Sikka, who logged out of software major Infosys on Thursday after quitting as its first non-founder CEO on August 18, denied joining the US IT major Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), said an Indian business news channel on Saturday.

"Reports of me joining HPE are false. Someone is trying keenly to put me in a box," Sikka told CNBC-TV18 in a video interview from the US.

Sikka, 50, remarked in the light of reports that Infosys Founder N.R. Narayana Murthy had written to his advisers that "he (Sikka) was more a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) material than a CEO (Chief Executive Officer) material".

Terming the return of Nandan Nilekani as Infosys' Board Chairman an excellent idea, Sikka said the latter was an extraordinary leader and an iconic man.

"I offered to quit as Executive Vice-Chairman because I felt it was in the best interests of all concerned so that Nilekani could have a free hand. It also meant that the succession process would be complete," he noted.

Accepting Sikka's resignation as CEO, the Infosys Board appointed him as the Executive Vice-Chairman on the same day (August 18) till the new CEO took over by March 31, 2018 and elevated Chief Operating Officer (COO) U.B. Pravin Rao as the interim CEO and Managing Director (MD).

"I wanted to leave Infosys altogether after resigning as CEO last week, but the Board had insisted I stay on for the sake of continuity," he pointed out.

A huge proponent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its application to make a positive difference in the world, Sikka said he was excited to spend more time with his family at his Palo Alto home in the Silicon Valley of California.

Asked if he would agree to Infosys making the investigative report on the acquisition of the Israeli software firm Panaya Inc public, Sikka said it was up to the Board and he would have gone along with its decision.

Infosys acquired the US-based automation technology firm Panaya for $200 million in February 2015 to offer large-scale enterprise software management as a service to its global clients.

The Panaya buyout became a bone of contention between the co-founders and the Board due to alleged irregularities in its deal value and allegations by an anonymous whistleblower that company executives like Sikka had a personal interest in buying it.

One of the charges was that $20 million invested in Panaya before the deal were distributed to the shareholders, a charge Infosys denied claiming it (Panaya) had $18.6 million cash balance when bought.

"Panaya was looked at as an acquisition candidate based on its strategic fit. There was no conflict of interest due to Sikka's association with its investor Hasso Plattner, who was his boss in his previous job at the German software major SAP AG," said Infosys in a statement on February 20.

Though three investigations looked into the claims and found nothing, Murthy kept raising corporate governance issues at the company and asked the Board to consider making the Panaya report public.

"The allegations were baseless, false, wrong. It is a completely nonsensical detour," claimed Sikka in the television interview.

On the hefty severance package paid to Infosys former Chief Financial Officer Rajiv Bansal, Sikka said he had answered questions on it a thousand times.

Declining to share lessons he learnt at Infosys and if he could have done differently, Sikka hoped the outsourcing firm would move forward and get back to its business.

Asked if his being based out of the US and not Bengaluru was a problem, Sikka said as business was outside India, it was a complex balance of spending time, mostly in airplanes.

Admitting that his stint at Infosys from August 1, 2014 was an incredibly challenging job, Sikka said he was proud of the three years he spent in the iconic firm and was overwhelmed by the thousands of emails and communications he received from employees and clients.
Kolkata, Aug 26 : Automobile major Tata Motors has set a goal to move to "third position" in terms of the passenger vehicle market in a year or two, a top company official said on Saturday.

"In terms of PV (passenger vehicle), the volumes have gone up. Our market position used to be seventh or eighth, we now moved to fifth position. Our goal is to move to third in a year or two," Executive Director and COO Satish B Borwankar said here on the sidelines of an event titled "Manufacturing Excellence, 2017" organised by the CII.

He said the car maker was focusing on "new launches" along with strengthening of its distribution network as a strategy to increase the market share.

"In the PV segment, exciting products are in the pipeline and we will be launching a compact SUV (Sports Utility vehicle) before Diwali," he said, adding that the capacity utilisation in the passenger segment has gone up because of the high demand for the Tiago and Tigor.

In July, its passenger vehicles, in the domestic market, recorded sales at 14,933 units with a growth of 10 per cent, over 13,547 units sold in the corresponding month last year.

Cumulative sales of all passenger vehicles in the domestic market for the fiscal were at 49,791 units, up by 10 per cent, compared to 45,062 units in the last fiscal.

Borwankar also pointed out the auto maker was "falling short of supply" due to "supply constraint" even though demand was good.

"In commercial segment, we were falling short of supplies and vendors started ramping up (their productions) and things are picking up every month," he said, adding that the average capacity utilisation is at 75 per cent in the segment.

He said the automobiles major has started improving the consumer-connect and in a focused manner, it is meeting its dealers to understand the issues relating to sales.

"The number of production and sales has gone up in commercial segment," he said, adding that the vehicle maker is the "leader in the segment".

The overall commercial vehicles sales in July 2017, in the domestic market were at 27,842 units higher by 15 per cent over the corresponding month last year, due to ramp-up of BS4 production, across segments.

Speaking on the future of its small car -- Nano, he said "In the last shareholders' meeting, they said the company must continue to produce Nano. Going forward, there could be various alternatives including electric version of it. We are looking at various options."

He, however, said sales of the small car were "not much".

The carmaker sold 260 units of Nano in July, 2017 as compared to 701 units in the year-ago month in the domestic market and it produced 167 units in the last month as against 696 units in July 2016.

"Nano, Tiago and Tigor -all are produced in the same line. When the Tiago and Tigor are selling well who is going to produce Nano more? We produce very low numbers nowadays," he added.
Chandigarh, Aug 26 : Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has once again failed the state.

Blame it on his lack of experience in political life and administration or his utter lack of grip on the government that he heads, Khattar has come a cropper when it comes to dealing with law and order situations, especially the ones that put the life and property of the common people in Haryana to risk.

The mayhem and arson by Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) followers in Panchkula town on Friday, just minutes after the sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted for the rape and sexual exploitation of two female disciples in 2002, which left 31 people dead and nearly 250 others injured, has put Khattar in a politically precarious position on holding on to his chair.

Khattar's name has virtually become synonymous with inept handling of tough situations -- be it the violent Jat agitation that left 30 people dead and over 200 injured in February 2016, or the action against self-styled godman Rampal, who remained elusive from the law and even raised an armed private army to defend himself at his ashram near Barwala town in Haryana's Hisar district in November 2014.

Not only the opposition Congress and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), senior BJP leaders within the ruling party, including some of his ministers too are gunning for his scalp after the DSS mayhem.

Even the Punjab and Haryana High Court has come down heavily on the Khattar government for mishandling the situation. The high court is annoyed with the government over the violence during the Jat agitation too.

In nearly three years in power, Khattar has hardly done anything remarkable for the state, even though he recently made big claims on completing 1,000 days in office.

Khattar's biggest claim, so far, has been on a "corruption-free government" and "good governance".

While corruption can be seen as a relative term given the scams that the previous Congress government (2005-2014) led by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda faced, "good governance" has been non-existent in his handling of the DSS violence, the Jat agitation or the Rampal episode.

In the state administration and the police, frequent transfers of senior bureaucrats and police officers in the last 34 months have become a kind of a joke. Even within the Chief Minister's own office, Khattar has changed his principal secretaries, the most important bureaucrats in the set-up, several times.

Khattar, who has visited a few countries -- the from United States and Canada to China, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong, to seek investment for Haryana, the repeated major incidents of violence, which bring the state to a standstill, are hardly going to inspire anyone to park their money in the state.

"Happening Haryana", as the state's investment slogan goes, is making national and international news for all the wrong and violent reasons.

In February last year, rampaging mobs of Jat youths laid siege to Rohtak town for days and forced the Haryana government to call in the army in 10 districts. At several places, the army could not even enter initially.

Even the house of Haryana Finance Minister Abhimanyu and a school owned by his family was set on fire. Several government buildings were damaged and torched by protestors.

When he became the Chief Minister on October 26, 2014, Khattar, a former Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) pracharak, was a political greenhorn. He had never even been a legislator, let alone being a minister or having any administrative experience. Even after three years in office, the BJP central leadership must be thinking of either giving him another chance or finding someone to at least govern the state.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
Lucknow, Aug 26 : Two medical students have been rusticated from the hostel and 11 others fined for ragging their juniors at the King George's Medical University (KGMU) here, officials said on Saturday.

The proctorial board initiated action after the 2017 batch MBBS students submitted evidence to prove they were threatened and abused on the phone by two seniors - Anurag Agarwal and Abhijeet Gupta.

The students were told to wear white trousers, long aprons, black shoes and red socks. They were also asked to bow whenever they saw a senior approaching them. The students told this to their parents who then petitioned senior doctors at the varsity.

Professor R.S. Kushwaha, the chief proctor of KGMU, confirmed action against the errant students and said if this was repeated in the future then they would be expelled from the university.

Charged with harassing, intimidating, threatening and abusing juniors, the two students have also been barred from entering the hostel premises.
Chennai, Aug 26 : The leader of the minority faction in the ruling AIAMDK T.T.V. Dinakaran on Saturday hoped that Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao would take a good decision on the letters given by his faction's 19 legislators.

Dinakaran said a lesson will be taught to those who are trying to remove his aunt, the jailed V.K. Sasikala, from the post of AIADMK General Secretary.

Speaking to reporters here, Dinakaran said the Governor is an expert in law and it is hoped that he would take a good decision.

On August 22, AIADMK's 19 legislators belonging to the Sasikala-Dinakaran faction gave letters to Rao, withdrawing their support to Chief Minister K. Palaniswami and saying they wanted a new Chief Minister.

The Dinakaran faction resorted to the move as it was sidelined post-merger between the two factions led by Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam and Chief Minister Palaniswami.

As a part of the merger, the Panneerselvam-Palaniswami faction had announced that steps would be taken to dismiss Sasikala from the General Secretary's post.

The submission of letters withdrawing their support to Palaniswami by the Dinakaran faction lawmakers, made the opposition parties demand that the Chief Minister prove his majority on the floor of the Assembly.

Reacting to the development Speaker P. Dhanapal sent a notice to all the 19 lawmakers asking for their explanation as to why action should not be taken against them under the anti-defection law.

Dinakaran said the fight between his faction and the ruling faction is between those who had sacrificed (his faction) and the betrayers (rival ruling faction).

The 19 lawmakers of Dinakaran's faction are now in a resort in Puducherry.
Thimphu, Aug 26 : Saturday turned out to be the high-point of the Mountain Echoes Literary Festival as it witnessed packed sessions by some of the most popular as well as critically-acclaimed authors from India. Sessions by some prominent Bhutanese authors such as Ashi Sonam Choden Dorji were well attended too but it was the likes of Ruskin Bond, Shashi Tharoor and Devdutt Pattanaik who ruled the roost.

The day began with a dance by students from the Royal Academy of Performing Arts who enthralled the visitors. No, there was no loud thumping and hip-hop; instead it was a traditional Bhutanese performance, soaked in silence, mediation and prayer.

This was followed by a jam-packed session titled "Inglorious Empire," in which Congress MP and writer Shashi Tharoor continued his relentless attack on the legacy of the British Raj. The session was based on his latest book "An Era of Darkness," in which Tharoor shows a mirror to the British and challenges all arguments in favour of the British Raj with his research and findings. He maintained that it is important for Indians to "forgive but not forget" the atrocities of the Raj. The session, which was attended by the Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, and Indian Ambassador Jaideep Sarkar, saw Tharoor appealing to the British for an apology for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The second day also saw the release of a book on late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. A collection of essays and reflections on Indira Gandhi, the book has been compiled by the Indian National Congress and was released by the Queen Mother. Wangchuck referred to Indira Gandhi as a "lady of great courage, character and determination" and said that she was honoured to release a book on the former Indian Prime Minister, who had inspired her during her early days.

Then there was Devdutt Pattanaik, who took the audience on a spiritual ride down memory lane as he attempted to draw parallels between Hinduism and Buddhism during his session "Seeking the Dharma". Attended primarily by a young audience, Pattanaik, one of India's leading writers on mythology, managed to steal 45-minutes of complete silence as he delivered a well-researched address, accompanied by a power-point presentation.

There was a brief indulgence for the audience as many stepped out of the auditorium to enjoy the beautiful evening in Thimphu but the hall was once again packed shortly before the last session of the day, which saw India's most loved author Ruskin Bond sharing tales of mountain roads with the visitors.

Referring to his visit as "the most memorable trip" he has had so far, Bond shared that he enjoyed walking around Thimphu and was overwhelmed by its surreal beauty.

"I am a very subjective writer and I write on my personal experiences and the people I have known. I am not a very inventive writer. So I had written a lot of books which were autobiographical in nature but now I thought an autobiography was always in the making," he said about his latest book, "Lone Fox Dancing".

He also recited a poem and was greeted with a thunderous applause from the audience.

"If you look at the childhood of many writers, they had a very disturbed childhood. I had a similar one. A lot of my earlier stories were about my childhood but as I grew older, I could understand the pain of others too. And that is how so many books worked out," the Sahitya Akademi winner added.

Throughout the day, visitors were greeted by two humble women, Namita Gokhale and Mita Kapur, who ensured they personally received every visitor who entered the auditorium. Kapur is the producer of Mountain Echoes while Gokhale is its co-director.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Eastern Himalayas, the Mountain Echoes Literary festival is an initiative of the India-Bhutan Foundation, in association with India's leading literary consultancy, Siyahi. The festival concludes on Sunday evening.

(Saket Suman's visit to Thimphu is at the invitation of the organisers of Mountain Echoes Literary Festival. He can be contacted at saket.s@ians.in)
ARCOLA -- Carriage Crossing Senior Living community in Arcola has announced that they re-opened the facility on Monday.

According to a press release, the assisted living community located at 909 Green Mill Road, at the Green Mill Village development in Arcola, experienced a fire in the attic above the administration offices last summer. Many of the residents moved to the Champaign Carriage Crossing Senior Living community while repairs were made to fix the fire, smoke and water damage to the Arcola facility.

"Our residents are delighted to come home to Arcola," stated Executive Director Brenda Hearn. "Likewise, it has been a supportive homecoming from the communities and city officials from Douglas, Coles and Moultrie counties to re-open our doors and offer our state-of-the-art assisted living and memory care services to seniors."

Carriage Crossing Senior Living offers assisted living apartments for seniors interested in independent living with the added advantage of a helping hand with 24-hour personal care services. The unique design of the facility provides seniors with many living options from one-bedroom apartments, courtyard suites or larger two bedroom apartments. The assisted living facility caters to seniors interested in assisted living, memory care, hospice services, and respite care.

"Our senior living communities thrive because our employees are passionate about providing care that exudes dignity and respect," stated Hearn. "It is evident to the communities in which we serve that Carriage Crossing Senior Living offers exceptional care by extraordinary people and we are open for tours today and could not feel more blessed."

Carriage Crossing Senior living has two senior living communities serving central Illinois. The Arcola community opened its doors in July 2013 and is located at 909 Green Mill Rd., Arcola. This community, which is a part of the Green Mill Village Development, has 36 assisted living apartments and 22 apartments in the Memory Care unit.

The Champaign community located at 1701 Congressional Way, Champaign, is conveniently located next to Carle Clinic on Curtis Road. This community offers 42 assisted living apartments and 18 apartments in the Memory Care unit.

Carriage Crossing Senior Living is managed by Carriage Crossing Senior Living Management, LLC. Carriage Crossing Senior Living Management, LLC is owned by Carrie and Jeff Bentley, who have been in the senior living industry for nearly a decade and have had other businesses in Champaign County for over 20 years.

For more information on Carriage Crossing Senior Living Management, go to www.carriagecrossingsl.com
Srinagar, Aug 26 : An Air India Srinagar-Jammu flight developed a mid-air technical snag on Saturday, forcing the pilot to return to Srinagar.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was onboard when the Srinagar-Jammu flight developed the snag immediately after it took off from Srinagar International Airport on Saturday.

Airport authorities said the flight returned to Srinagar and landed safely at the airport there.

"The flight landed safely at Srinagar airport", authorities said.

After landing at Srinagar airport, Omar Abdullah tweeted: "Not my day to travel. Now my @airindiain flight has turned back from overhead Pulwama after taking off from Srinagar".

He said he would never fly by Air India in the sector as "Too many technical issues keep cropping up".

"Serve(s) me right for boarding a 28-year-old plane. Never using Air India on this sector again. Too many technical issues keep cropping up," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, Omar had planned to travel to winter capital Jammu through the Mughal Road that connects the Valley with the Rajouri district of the Jammu region. The road journey had to be cancelled because of a suicide attack by militants in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.
Islamabad, Aug 26 : Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja MuhamAmad Asif will next week embark on a three-nation tour for consultations on US President Donald Trump's new policy for Afghanistan and South Asia.

The dates for the trip, which would take the Minister to China, Russia and Turkey, were being worked out, Dawn newspaper reported on Saturday.

"Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif will be visiting regional countries for consultations," Foreign Office spokesAman Nafees Zakaria said at a weekly media briefing. The meetings would be aimed at developing regional consensus on efforts for peace in Afghanistan.

Asif's previously scheduled trip to the US for bilateral talks with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has been delayed for the regional tour.

US President Donald Trump earlier this week accused Pakistan of undermining Washington's "war against terror" despite receiving billions of dollars in aid.

Both Moscow and Beijing criticised the US position on Pakistan and insisted that Pakistan's importance for peace in Afghanistan and its sacrifices in the fight against terrorism need to be recognised, the report said.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry also denounced the new US strategy and blamed Washington's "opportunistic moves and unilateral and meddlesome policies" for growth in terrorism and extremism in the region.

Asif's tour, PakisAtani diplomats believe, will send a strong message to the US that Pakistan cannot be coerced and that the country enjoys broad support in the region, according to the daily.

However, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman said the differences between Islamabad and Washington over the new policy did not mean a rupture in ties.

"We have long-standing relationship with the US... Our areas of cooperation are diverse and multi-dimensional. I would not endorse... parting ways," Zakaria said, adding the "difference of opinion" and "misperceptions" could be addressed through dialogue.

In response to a question about the new role assigned to India by the US, Zakaria reiterated Pakistan's concerns and accused it (India) of "playing the role of a spoiler and destabiliser in the region". He also accused New Delhi of using Afghan soil against Pakistan.
Baghdad, Aug 26 : French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly on Saturday arrived in the Iraqi capital to hold talks with Iraqi leaders and show support in fighting against the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

"Iraq is moving from war to peace, although Daesh (IS group) is not finished yet. But, Iraq is going into the stage of reconciliation, reconstruction and stability... and needs support from France.. that explains why we are here today," Le Drian said at a joint press conference with Parly and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari.

Le Drian said that he and Parly will meet Iraqi President Fuad Masoum and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to "say France will always be with Iraq and we will talk about means to achieve this", Xinhua news agency reported.

"France is strongly committed to supporting Iraq within the framework of the international coalition against Daesh by providing air and logistical support to the Iraqi forces," said Parly.

For his part, Jaafari called Iraq and France victims of terrorism, which killed dozens of people in the two countries. He also said that the Iraqi forces had seized 70 per cent of the city of Tal Afar from the Islamic State.

Following his announcement, Iraqi military said that the security forces recaptured five more neighbourhoods in Tal Afar, including Al Qal'a neighbourhood and its old Tal Afar Citadel, which is a ruined Ottoman fortress, located in the centre of the city.

The French ministers were also expected to travel to Arbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, to meet with regional President Masoud Barzani.

Their visit to Arbil comes amid a debate in the country over the Kurdish independence referendum slated for September 25.
Havana, Aug 26 : Cuba on Saturday rejected new economic and financial sanctions imposed on Venezuela by US President Donald Trump, as tensions between Caracas and Washington continue to grow.

"Havana condemns these new 'unilateral and arbitrary' measures against Venezuela", deputy Foreign Minister Abelardo Moreno was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"Cuba rejects these sanctions which violate international law against Venezuela and the government led by President Nicolas Maduro," said Moreno.

The statement by Moreno added that it's "imperative" to defend the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone signed by all heads of state of the region in 2014.

"Our continent can't forget its own history, we must defend the principles and commitment of that declaration," Moreno said.

Venezuela is Cuba's main political ally in the region and its second largest trading partner as Havana receives around 100,000 barrels of oil daily from the former in exchange for medical doctors and other advisers.

The new sanctions, signed on Friday by Trump, will prohibit dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company.

This was the latest round of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Venezuela after the latter held elections to elect the National Constituent Assembly at the end of July.
Nairobi, Aug 26 : A new cancer treatment centre has been inaugurated by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta in the capital.

The centre was inaugurated earlier this week and will increase the number of patients receiving treatment from 120 to 190 per day, a media report said on Friday.

The President said that the waiting time for patients to benefit from treatment will be reduced from three months to one month.

The establishment of the centre also reaffirms the commitment of the Kenyan government to the fight against this deadly disease, Kenyatta said.

According to local media reports, about 50 Kenyans die of various types of cancer every day, due to a lack of adequate facilities, expertise in treatment, prevention and early detection.

The number of people with cancer in the East African country is 28,000 a year, more than 60 per cent of whom were under 70 years of age.
Chandigarh, Aug 26 : An uneasy calm prevailed on Saturday in Haryana, a day after 31 people died after the rape conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, as the army prepared to get the sect headquarters in Sirsa vacated amid a clamour for the sacking of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for his government's failure to tackle the situation.

At least eight columns of the Army surrounded the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Harayan's Sirsa town where thousands of sect followers were holed up.

Major General Rajpal Punia, the General Officer Commanding of 33 Division who visited Sirsa on Saturday, told media that the Army had no immediate plan to enter the Dera campus.

The officer said he would talk to the Dera management and ask them to vacate the campus peacefully. The death toll went up, with five more deaths reported on Saturday.

The authorities have also ordered security forces to crack down on 36 Dera campuses, known as 'Naam Charcha Ghar', across the state, including the sprawling 800-acre Sirsa headquarters and get them vacated. Two Dera premises in Kurukshetra district were sealed on Saturday.

The 50-year-old flamboyant spiritual leader, known for his lavish lifestyle, was convicted on Friday in a 2002 case of rape and sexual exploitation. There are apprehensions that more violence may erupt on Monday when the CBI court pronounces its sentence on the self-proclaimed godman, who is in a Rohtak jail.

The authorities have decided not to bring him to Panchkula for the sentencing. He will remain in jail in Rohtak where he is reported to be getting VIP treatment in an air-conditioned room.

"From arranging a special helicopter to providing an air-conditioned room and helping in using facilities meant for police officers, the government is extending all help to the disgraced Dera chief," a police source, who saw some of these things happen on Friday and Saturday, told IANS.

A woman, Honeypreet, whom the Dera website describes as his daughter (not real daughter), was allowed to accompany him along with bags and suitcases when Ram Rahim was flown on Friday in a specially arranged helicopter from the police lines complex in Panchkula.

Army units patrolled several places across Haryana and Punjab that were affected in the Friday mayhem that left nearly 250 sect followers injured.

Flag marches were held by the soldiers on Saturday morning in 10 places in southwest Punjab's Malwa belt and Panchkula and Sirsa towns. Curfew continued on Saturday in a few districts of the two states.

Haryana Police also recovered an AK 47, five pistols and other weapons from two vehicles that were part of the cavalcade accompanying the Dera chief to court on Friday, while two sedition cases were also registered against followers, including private security guards.

Two first information reports (FIRs) were registered over an incident of assault on a senior police official when he tried to take the godman into custody after his conviction by a court in Panchkula, Chief Secretary D.S. Dhesi told reporters.

The BJP government in Haryana, led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, came under sharp attack from many, amid calls for his sacking, for going soft on the Dera chief, who had openly supported the BJP in the 2014 elections, and his unruly followers.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court also slammed the Chief Minister for "protecting and extending political patronage" to the Dera chief and asked his government to register a case against those who instigated the widespread violence on Friday.

But BJP sources indicated that the top party leadership was in no hurry to take action against Khattar and would like the situation to first "cool down". The issue could be discussed only after the situation normalises in the state, they said.

Stepping up the offensive, the Congress accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of "saving" Khattar and demanded President's Rule in Haryana.

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said the death toll figures reported "seems to be false, and it's higher".

He said there was a failure on the part of the Centre as well the state government, adding that the "'nikammi sarkar' (useless government) should be suspended."

"It is unprecedented that a situation like this came with a notice of seven days, but both the Haryana and the central governments remained mute, impotent spectators," Singhvi said.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was in Bhutan, said Khattar should be sacked if he doesn't resign.

"Ultimately it is the Chief Minister and his cabinet who are responsible for law and order in their state. It is complete failure of the Khattar government and he should be sacked," Tharoor said.

The CPI-M said in a statement that Khattar should be "immediately sacked" for failing to protect the lives of innocent people and demanded dissolution of the BJP government in the state.
New Delhi, Aug 26 : The Congress on Saturday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government for the militant attack in Pulwama, saying the "national security is adrift under the rudderless Modi government".

"Post Uri, Pulwama attack and sacrifice of eight security men is a grave reminder that the national security is adrift under a rudderless Modi government," wrote Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala in Twitter.

"Pulwama encounter and Panchkula deaths tell us that the BJP, both in Haryana and at the Centre, is ill-equipped to govern India.

"Eight security men killed in Pulwama, while 36 dead in Haryana's maddening violence.

A mammoth security failure by a clueless BJP government," he wrote in subsequent tweets.

Eight security men and two militants, were killed on Saturday in a gunfight between holed up militants and the security forces inside the district police lines complex in Pulwama.
Mumbai, Aug 27 : A case was filed against actor Rishi Kapoor on Saturday for posting pornographic material on his Twitter account.

Afroz Malik, President of 'Jai Ho Foundation' NGO said: "We would request you to immediately register an FIR against actor Rishi Kapoor under relevant sections of POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) and IT Act for posting indecent, nude and vulgar picture of a minor child on his Twitter account @chintskap."

The complaint has been lodged at the Cyber Police station of Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East. Jai Ho Foundation is a Maharashtra based NGO registered under Women and Child Development Department of the state.

On Saturday the veteran actor posted a video where it shows that a little boy spanking a girl and fooling around with another boy.

The statement further reads: "Rishi Kapoor has more than 2.6 Million followers on Twitter account. This means this pornographic image material got circulated to more than 2.6 Million people. There are more than 66 retweets and 476 likes as of now on his this indecent image."
Riyadh, Aug 27 : The Saudi-led coalition admitted on Saturday the targeting of a civilian house in Sanaa was by mistake, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Col. Turki al-Maliki, the spokesman of the coalition, said that the presence of "a technical mistake" had led to the accidental and unintentional targeting of the civilian house, which left 14 dead.

The spokesman expressed his deep sorrow over the occurrence of the accident and the damage to Yemeni civilians, as well as his sincere sympathy to the victims' relatives.

Al-Maliki said that the coalition had referred the incident to the Joint Investigation of Accidents Team (JIAT) for assessment to complete formal procedures.
Tehran, Aug 27 : Qatar's ambassador to Iran on Friday officially resumed his diplomatic mission in Tehran on Saturday, Tasnim news agency reported.

Qatar's ambassador to Iran Ali Bin Hamad al-Sulaiti returned to the Iranian capital Tehran on Friday after a 20-month hiatus.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said that it had decided to return its ambassador to Iran and expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral ties with Iran in all fields.

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasemi welcomed Doha's decision, saying that "the decision is a logical and positive move by Qatar."

Qatar has withdrawn its ambassador from Iran in January 2016, after Saudi Arabia cut ties with Iran, accusing the latter of failing to protect its embassy in Tehran and consulate in Mashhad against demonstrators who had ransacked them.
MATTOON -- It is safe to say that every teacher wants every student to succeed. The reality is, however, that some students are at risk for failure for a wide variety of reasons.

According to a press release, programs to help at-risk students find success are offered by Regional Office for Education No. 11 (ROE No. 11) serving community school districts in Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie, and Shelby counties. The Truants Alternative and Optional Education Program (TAOEP) supports strategies for students with attendance problems and/or drop-outs up to the age of 21 to find success.

Theresa Metzger, an attendance specialist with ROE No. 11, and Mike Catanzaro, principal of the Bridges Safe School program in Lerna, spoke to the Mattoon Rotary Club on Aug. 9 about some of these programs.

ROE No. 11s Youth Services provides several programs supported by TAOEP including: Attendance Improvement Matters (AIM), Bridges Safe Schools, Pathways, and Beacons. Each of these programs is intended to serve different populations of at-risk students based upon the individual students particular issues.

Being present is the first step toward success in school. Metzger addresses attendance issues at schools in three of ROE No. 11s seven counties, working with students from kindergarten through high school. Students who exhibit a pattern of excessive absences are referred to her by the local school administrators. Truancy issues often reflect problems with the students home life, posing difficult and delicate challenges for Metzger.

She will investigate the students life outside of school for insights on how the student might best be helped, but it is sometimes difficult to find where a student is actually living and what adult is responsible for the student. Metzger works regularly with the States Attorney in each county to help resolve these problems.

Bridges Safe Schools provides a temporary, structured learning environment with a small student to teacher ratio. Students referred to this program have fallen behind their peers, possibly developing some bad habits along the way, but are likely to catch up again with some special attention. Catanzaro leads the Bridges Safe School at Lerna where as many as 55 students from sixth grade through high school receive the special attention they need to succeed.

In the Bridges Safe School environment, students work on achieving regular attendance, developing good study habits, and cultivating a positive attitude toward themselves and toward school. Catanzaro believes that the relatively small number of students at the Bridges Safe School affords teachers the time to establish a strong personal relationship with each student.

Students come and go throughout the year at the Bridges Safe School as they meet their goals and return to their regular schools. Bridges operates classrooms at three sites in the region: Lerna, Paris, and Shelbyville. Bridges motto is: Every student is valuable: We cannot afford to lose any.

For more information about Youth Service programs in ROE No. 11, see the web page www.roe11.k12.il.us/services/.
The USPs of AFZ as an investment destination - particularly its investor-friendly smart solutions -, have been widely acknowledged.

In a significant enhancement of its initiatives to attract investments into the UAE from global markets, Ajman Free Zone (AFZ), today said that it has identified five new key markets where it will set up hub offices this year as part of its global investor outreach strategy.

In a statement, AFZ said the expansion of the free zones global footprints follows its highly successful earlier endeavors in attracting investors into the UAE from different parts of the world across Asia, Africa and Europe, which has resulted in the free zone housing over 22,000 enterprises from diverse geographies of the world.

AFZ has sourced considerable overseas investments into the free zone, out of which a substantial share is FDI sourced by the free zones nine global offices across the world. Over the years, the USPs of AFZ as an investment destination - particularly its investor-friendly smart solutions -, have been widely acknowledged by global investors as a one-of-its-kind, especially for new entrepreneurs who would like to have a scalable platform to grow their business, said Mr. Mahmood Al Hashemi, Director General, AFZ.

The new AFZ global offices this year will be in Azerbaijan, China, Switzerland, Canada and Hong Kong. Earlier this year in May, AFZ had opened its office in Cyprus and in November last year in Moscow.

Our international offices help us reach out to potential investors on a sustainable basis. Geographically, AFZ has been registering a lot more diversity in the uptake of our smart investment packages which are tailor-made for startups, e-commerce firms and SMEs - and we have been registering increasing global interest, particularly from companies looking to have nimble marketing hub setups in this region, he said.

He added AFZ was a pioneer in offering easy investment options to investors such as varied installment options from one or two payment frequencies up to 12 monthly installments, smart office and warehouse spaces that are scalable upwards whenever investors are ready to expand.

Our global strategy of investment sourcing is unique. We chose markets where AFZ sees potential after a thorough study assessing the investment appetite of companies in these markets, particularly in a context of their global expansion plans focused on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and the Indian Subcontinent, or markets in the geographical proximity to the UAE. AFZ offers an excellent hub and vantage point for these global companies to grow their business, said Mr. Faisal Al Nuaimi, AFZ Deputy Director General.

"Coupled with this is the advantage investors gain from the superior business facilitation services and diversity of investment propositions of AFZ that continues to attract global investors," he said.

AFZ is also an organization with a fast turnaround reputation in issuing licenses which is in most of the cases is 24 hours. We have continued to receive consistent investments from across the world because we do not compromise on our sated mission of empowering and facilitating businesses of any size, said Mr.. Rishi Somaiya, Sales Director, AFZ.

He added that the new offices will further catalyze AFZs efforts at increasing investments into the free zone as well as broad basing its investor base.

About Ajman Free Zone

Ajman Free Zone (AFZ) was established in 1988, leading to massive industrial development in Ajman by attracting a great number of companies to benefit from the investment privileges, thereby strengthening industry and economy in the UAE. AFZ provides competitive privileges and facilities allowing companies to get a considerable return on their investment. AFZ continues to develop its infrastructure, spending millions of Dirhams along its free zone area of more than one million square meters. The strategic location advantages of AFZ include reach to international airports within 25 minutes. AFZ is located opposite Ajman Port. The free zone offers 100% ownership, easy transfer of capital and profits, exemption from personal income tax, exemption from import and export duties, competitive prices on facility usage and competitive prices for power/electricity. The advantage also includes competitive prices on leasing, easy access to low cost labour and well developed infrastructure. It also offers one-stop counter service for effecting transactions and fast and easy procedures and in most cases issues the license within 24 hours.
The mission of the Port of Kalama is to induce capital investment in an environmentally responsible manner to create jobs & enhance public recreational opportunities.

The Port of Kalama today filed a motion with the state Shorelines Hearings Board to dismiss its appeal to a condition placed on the Shorelines Conditional Use Permit for the Kalama Manufacturing & Marine Export Facility (KMMEF) by the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE).

The port appealed a provision in the shorelines conditional use permit which imposes greenhouse gas emissions regulations on a marine terminal that is being jointly proposed by the port and Northwest Innovation Works (NWIW) as part of the overall facility.

The state Department of Ecology has since filed documents which clarify that the condition in question does not apply to the port or to the ports activities in the shoreline related to the marine terminal operation and that the port does not have a requirement to comply with it, according to Mark Wilson, Port of Kalama Executive Director.

We do not oppose regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, Wilson said. Ecology's clarification of their position has addressed the concerns that triggered the Port's appeal.

The primary shoreline impact of the overall facility is the marine terminal which will be built, owned and operated by the Port of Kalama. Northwest Innovation Works (NWIW) will be the primary user of the facility, but it will also be available for lay berth use by other ships. The Port will charge fees for the use of the terminal by NWIW and other users.

The marine terminal will include a dock, berth, loading equipment, utilities and a stormwater system. Ships calling at the terminal for methanol will connect to shore power which reduces emissions to the air from ship engines.

About Port of Kalama  Where rail and water meet:

The Port of Kalama is located in Southwest Washington on the Columbia River and immediately off of Interstate Highway 5. The port exists to induce capital investment in an environmentally responsible manner to create jobs and to enhance public recreational opportunities. Port of Kalama's industrial area includes five miles of riverfront property adjacent to the 43' federally-maintained deep draft navigation channel of the Columbia River. The Port is served by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and Union Pacific railroads. There are over 30 businesses located at the Port of Kalama, employing over 1,000 people. Port of Kalama offers all the superior facilities businesses need to thrive, and an unsurpassed quality of life. The port offers shovel ready sites, a new Industrial Park, state of the art Marine Terminals and transportation accessibility to rail and highway all just a 30-minute drive to the Portland International Airport. Port of Kalama also offers high-bandwidth communications, with dual access fiber-optic service to Seattle and Portland. Properties currently available at the port for businesses wishing to expand and thrive: Visit http://portofkalama.com/available-properties/.

Contact: Liz Newman, marketing manager, Port of Kalama, 360-673-2379 or Claudia Johnson, PR, 503-799-2220.
MATTOON -- As the new school year begins, many students will likely need to check out books at their local libraries for their homework assignments.

However, some families live in rural areas outside of library taxing districts and cannot afford the nonresident cards that their children need to bring home books from nearby libraries.

With this need in mind, community members founded the Readers' Bridge in 2001. This Mattoon-based nonprofit organization pays 90 percent of the cost of a card for those in financial need who live outside of a library district. Readers' Bridge relies on donations and grants, and has called for continued financial support from the community at the outset of the new school year.

Charleston is one of the communities served by Readers' Bridge, which also provides funding for cards in Mattoon, Sullivan, Effingham, Newman, Kansas and Neoga. Representatives from these libraries serve on this organization's board.

"(Readers' Bridge) is an amazing program. It really is. It's just a great resource to have," said Chris Houchens, director of the Charleston Carnegie Public Libary. He added that the nonresident cards can be used at Charleston, Mattoon and other Illinois Heartland Library System participating libraries.

Houchens said the Charleston library wants everyone to have access to checking out books and other items. Consequently, Houchens said they promote Readers' Bridge to nonresident card applicants who meet the eligibility requirements.

Readers' Bridge reported that the financial need of recipients can be demonstrated by them working only part-time, having children who are eligible for reduced or free school meals, living in subsidized housing, using a Link card, or receiving federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Application forms are available at participating libraries, and the local librarians review the applications.

Mattoon Public Library Director Carl Walworth said their staff is knowledgeable about Readers' Bridge and welcomes questions from applicants. He said this program helps ensure that rural residents have access to checking out items, while also bringing nonresident card revenue to local libraries.

Readers' Bridge reported that all monetary donations go directly to fund library cards. As card requests come in, this organization reimburses the requesting library. The annual costs of nonresident cards range from $50 in Sullivan and $75 in Mattoon to $95 in Charleston and $139 in Effingham. Readers' Bridge requires that the applicants pay 10 percent of the cost to "buy-in" to the card.

Figures compiled by Readers' Bridge President Max Jaeger showed that they provided funding for 42 library cards and $3,301 in library reimbursement in 2016. This compares to 31 cards, $2,226 in reimbursement in 2015; 21 cards, $1,536 in 2014; and 18 cards, $1,210 in 2013. They anticipate funding 40 or more cards in 2017. More than 1,000 individuals or families have received a sponsored card since 2001.

Jaeger said Toledo resident Virginia Katzeff, now deceased, led the creation of Readers' Bridge in 2001 to ensure that no one in the area would be denied a library card due to lack of money. Jaeger, a retired management instructor, said Katzeff was one of his former students at Lake Land College and she recruited him to help start this organization. Jaeger has been involved ever since then.

Readers' Bridge provides a way for volunteers and donors to make an immediate positive difference in the lives of their fellow community members, Jaeger said.

"It's good to help people," Jaeger said. "(The library card) is tangible. It's right there and it's in their community."

Those interested in donating to Readers' Bridge can do so via participating libraries or by contacting Jaeger at jaeger@consolidated.net. Donor names are not released unless requested by the donors.
Sen. John McCain of Arizona: Trump "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law" with the Arpaio pardon.

Sen. John McCain said in a statement on Friday:

"No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold. Mr. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judges orders. The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions."

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: A "mockery of rule of law."

Trump's "" Pelosi said on Twitter.

A spokesman for House Speaker Paul Ryan said Ryan "does not agree with this decision."

Paul Ryan's spokesman, Doug Andres said in a statement:

"The Speaker does not agree with this decision. Law enforcement officials have a special responsibility to respect the rights of everyone in the United States. We should not allow anyone to believe that responsibility is diminished by this pardon."

Former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates: Trump just revealed "his own contempt for our Constitution."

Jeff Flake, the junior Arizona senator, said Trump should have let "the judicial process ... take its course."

Flake wrote on Twitter: ""

Jeff Flake's primary challenger Kelli Ward applauded Trump and called Arpaio's actions as sheriff "heroic."

Kelli Ward said on Friday: "We applaud the President for exercising his pardon authority to counter the assault on Sheriff Arpaio's heroic efforts to enforce the nation's immigration laws."

Thank you, @realDonaldTrump... @ Dr. Kelli Ward

Arizona 7th Congressional District Rep. Ruben Gallego: Trump "blessed Arpaio's racist and unconstitutional police practices."

Gallego said: ""

Vanita Gupta, head of the Leadership Conference of Civil and Human Rights: Trump has "yet again damaged himself."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump "used the cover of the storm," referring to Hurricane Harvey, to pardon Arpaio.

Schumer said:

" Instead of seeking to unify the country as promised, POTUS has doubled down on encouraging white supremacists post-Charlottesville. "

Republican strategist and conservative commentator Ana Navarro: "It's another slap in the face to the Latino community."

Navarro torched the pardon on Friday night:

Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut: This is a "middle finger to America."

Murphy said: ""

California Rep. Nanette Barragan said the pardon is "sending the message it is OK to racially profile."

Barragan, who represents California's 44th Congressional District, said the Arpaio pardon is ""

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse: "He does not deserve a pardon."

The Democratic Rhode Island senator said:

"Arpaio systemically discriminated against AZ Latinos in defiance of our Constitution and ignored our courts. He does not deserve a pardon. Now is a time to bind the wounds left by white nationalists repugnant attacks in Charlottesville. Instead, President Trump has again doubled down on the side of ignorance, bigotry, intolerance, and hate."

New York Rep. Nita Lowey: "A flagrant abuse of his pardoning powers."

Lowey, who represents the 17th Congressional District of New York, said:

Rep. Joe Kennedy of Massachusetts: "Nobody is above the law. Period."

Kennedy, who represents Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District said: @POTUS"

The American Civil Liberties Union said the pardon is a "presidential endorsement of racism."

Longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone: "Eat it, liberals!"

Roger Stone indicated he saw the pardon as a political move.

.@realDonaldTrump pardons J... @ Roger Stone

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla: "Another attack on American values."
That shortfall is expected to increase, and the service has considered a number of steps to shore up its ranks, including broader recruiting, changing training requirements, increased bonuses, and even stop-loss policies.

The Air Force is also looking for outside contractors to provide "red air," or adversary training, support.

According to a release issued on Friday, the Air Force is now looking to have retired pilots return to the service for up to 12 months in positions that require qualified pilots, an initiative called Voluntary Rated Return to Active Duty, or VRRAD.

The service is looking for up to 25 retired fliers of any pilot specialty code  which includes bomber, fighter, helicopter, tanker, and remotely operated aircraft pilots  to fill "critical-rated staff positions" and allow active-duty pilots to stay with units where they are needed to meet mission requirements, the release said.
Arpaio, 85, who once led the Maricopa County sheriff's department, was found guilty last month of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case. He lost a re-election bid last year.

Trump earlier this week held out the possibility of a pardon for Arpaio, but at a campaign rally in Phoenix on Tuesday, Trump hinted that Arpaio would be "just fine," immediately prompting speculation that a presidential pardon was imminent.

The US Constitution gives presidents wide latitude for pardons and does not require them to check with the Justice Department beforehand. "The President executed his lawful authority and we respect his decision," the DOJ said on Friday.

Arpaio gained notoriety as a vocal critic of illegal immigration and has been accused of encouraging racial profiling of Latinos in Arizona. Arpaio has a long, checkered history as sheriff in Arizona, as noted by the Phoenix New Times on Friday.

"He should have had a jury, Trump said at his Tuesday rally. "But you know what, I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine, OK?"

"But I won't do it tonight because I don't want to cause any controversy," Trump continued. "Is that OK? All right? But Sheriff Joe can feel good."

Arpaio thanked the president after the White House announced his pardon on Friday: "I have to thank the president for standing by me and standing by law enforcement. And I'm very humbled," Arpaio said.

The pardon was not received well among some groups, including Latino activists who worked to have Arpaio ousted. Critics called the pardon a "political move," and questioned whether Trump recognizes the gravity of a presidential pardon. An MSNBC political analyst said the Arpaio pardon "seems like a dry run - a test of his power for future use."

Jeff Flake, the junior senator from Arizona who recently found himself in Trump's crosshairs, said "I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course." Flake's primary opponent Kelli Ward, however, commended Trump for the move.

Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District said, "Nobody is above the law, period. Tonight, @POTUS put bigotry before justice."

Sen. John McCain said in a statement that Trump's pardon "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions."

Read Trumps full statement on the pardon below:
When you deal with even a fraction of these busy travellers from around the world on a daily basis, you can expect to encounter some bizarre human behavior.

As one flight attendant told Business Insider, you really get to see it all: "Never say never. Weirdness will always outdo itself if you challenge it."

Still, there are some things that would stun even the most seasoned airline employee.

Here are some of the most trying work conditions airline workers including flight attendants, gate agents, ticket agents, and other airport customer service reps have been subjected to:

Galley yoga

Oh I forgot to mention! @ac... @ moderntarzan

"Yoga people trying to use our galley as their personal studio" is one of the weirdest things a flight attendant with four years of experience told Business Insider they've seen.

Strange announcement requests

Celebrity encounters

"The weirdest thing was hosting Michael Jackson in our employee break room so he didn't have to sit in the terminal," a

People who make soup with the airline water

In response to the Quora question "What are the weirdest things flight attendants have seen in their line of duty?" former flight attendant Heather Wilde said she's seen her fair share of things many people would consider weird.

Among the strangest were people who made soup using the airline water. "Guys, the water lines haven't ever been cleaned  ever," she said.

Dirty diapers in the seat

Shitty diaper in seatback p... @ passengershaming

Granny smackdowns

I saw an elderly lady chase a ticket agent while swinging her cane as a club trying to hit the agent,

Adult temper tantrums

"I saw a grown man in his late 40's fling himself down on the lobby floor for a full-fledged temper tantrum that would make a two-year-old proud,"

Toilet abuse

Spiders on a plane

Don't mind me, just hitchin... @ passengershaming

Missing security blankets

"An irate businessman who had delayed luggage once told me the real reason he was irate was because he couldn't sleep without his blanket,"

Packing everything, including the kitchen sink

A customer once actually showed up with a kitchen sink to check in on his flight,

Bone-shattering turbulence

Emotional-support marsupials

Just your everyday emotiona... @ passengershaming

"A customer tried to bring a baby kangaroo on the plane as a service animal,"

Unfortunate accidents

"Many years ago, I opened the door on an inbound aircraft to find the flight attendant wide-eyed and freaked out by the urine streaming down the side of her face," an airline customer service agent with 18 years of experience told Business Insider. "A passenger with dementia had mistaken the intercom cubby for a urinal, and she had grabbed the soaked handset to make the arrival announcements."

'Ambien zombies'

From streaking down the aisle totally nude to falling like an axed tree, when passengers consume an unfortunate mix of Ambien  which people sometimes take to sleep on planes  and airplane cocktails, it makes even the most normal people do very bizarre things, Confessions of a Fed-Up Flight Attendant

"These folks are sleeping, which means they think they are at home and safe in their beds. When they are home and safe in their beds they think it is perfectly acceptable to take off all of their clothes," Betty writes.

Alas, this is not acceptable behavior on a long-haul international flight.

A severe fear of flying

The worst place to put a baby

Ooopsie! I swear I didn't m... @ passengershaming

States of undress

Sandwich thieves

"A passenger stole a sandwich off the galley counter. It was a crew member's, who bought it at the airport. They'd taken a bite and left it on the counter (with a little lipstick around the bite mark) to assist someone. When the crew member came back to the galley, it was gone,"

"The crew member later found the thief eating it at their seat," the flight attendant continued. "When asked how they could just take a used sandwich with lipstick on it, they shrugged and said, 'I was hungry.'"

A bloody mess

In-flight laundry

Hey, sometimes ya' just got... @ passengershaming

Serious miscommunication

"I was checking in a lady for a flight, and she told me she had a dead baby in her bag," an anonymous airline customer service agent told Business Insider.

"As it turns out, it wasn't a dead baby  it was the remains of a dog, properly cremated and correctly contained," the agent said. "But she only told us this after we looked in the bag. A dead dog is not a baby. Don't tell me you have a dead baby in your bag!"

Feet EVERYWHERE!

YAY! It's #flyingfeetfriday... @ passengershaming

"Do not put your feet on anything but the floor," advised a flight attendant with 10 years of experience.

Just plain rude behavior
The plant has no power, so there's a risk that the plant could cause more explosions as the chemicals' temperatures continue to rise. People nearby have been advised not to return until the chemicals burn out.

Harvey's death toll continues to rise as family members and authorities report more fatalities. Galveston County Emergency Management confirmed three more deaths on Wednesday night, bringing the total so far to at least 41.

Some 33,000 people in Texas have sought refuge in more than 230 shelters, and 325,000 have signed up for disaster assistance, officials said.

"This is a landmark event for Texas," Brock Long, the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, said Monday. "Texas has never seen an event like this."

Record rainfall and catastrophic flooding

Harvey arrived on the shores of Texas as a hurricane Friday night, packing sustained wind speeds as high as 130 mph. It made a second landfall as a tropical storm on the Texas border near Cameron, Louisiana, around 4:30 a.m. CT on Wednesday. As of Thursday morning, it was classified a tropical depression with maximum winds of 20 mph.

On Tuesday, a rain gauge near Highlands, Texas, a city east of Houston, registered 51.88 inches of rainfall  breaking the record for most rainfall from a single storm in the entire continental US.

The "relentless, torrential" rain has moved east, and forecasters don't expect it to fizzle out until at least Saturday. could get 3 to 5 more inches of rain by Saturday, with isolated areas seeing up to 10 inches.

Harvey was moving northeast across the top of Louisiana at 10 mph as of 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday, leaving flooding and destruction in its wake. The center of the storm was sitting about 150 miles north of Baton Rouge.

The National Weather Service called the rainfall event "unprecedented", and while the National Hurricane Center's warnings of "catastrophic and life-threatening flooding" have subsided, the floodwaters in southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana will take days, if not a week, to retreat.

The storm surge  the quick rise in water caused by a hurricane's strong winds  crested several feet at the height of the storm on the Texas coast. By Thursday, all local storm surge warnings had ended.

Widespread devastation

Harvey's devastating hurricane-force winds, storm surge on the Gulf Coast, and landmark flooding inland combined to make it a catastrophic event for Texas.

Officials expect more deaths to be confirmed in the coming days. Houston police Chief Art Acevedo told The Associated Press on Monday that he was "really worried about how many bodies we're going to find" when the floodwaters recede.

The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday that a police Sgt. Steve Perez, a 60-year-old man who had been on the force for 34 years, died in his patrol car after he took a wrong turn and got caught in the high water.

Long said in a press conference Monday (and reiterated on Wednesday) that crews were still focusing on rescue and recovery and would have to wait until the storm passed to fully evaluate the damage. Flooding and debris on roadways are still keeping emergency crews from reaching some places.

Accounts of destruction in the areas hit hardest by Harvey have been steadily emerging.

Astounding video shows nume... @ Evan McMurry

Emergency crews plucked people from rooftops using aircraft, dump trucks, and boats as the floodwaters rose. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said on Wednesday that 8,500 people had been rescued statewide.

The Associated Press estimated that the storm knocked out power for about 300,000 residents over the weekend, and that there were still 107,000 power outages in Texas on Wednesday afternoon.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said 911 emergency services in the city had received over 56,000 calls by Monday. By Tuesday, police officers and firefighters had saved more than 3,500 individuals in Houston, Acevedo said.

Turner announced a curfew on Tuesday night, extending from 12 a.m. to 5 a.m. Wednesday, amid reports of looting, armed robberies and people impersonating police officers.

Near Port Arthur, Texas, a city located about 90 miles east of Houston in Jefferson County, over 26 inches of rain were recorded on Tuesday alone. Residents in the area were desperate to escape, and 150 boats came to find them. Mayor Derrick Freeman told CBS News that 20,000 homes had as much as 6 feet of water in them.

The coastal city of Rockport, Texas, located near the point where the hurricane initially made landfall, sustained extreme damage. Residents have been told it is not safe to return for the time being (a mandatory evacuation was put in place there). Mayor Charles Wax of Rockport told CNN there had "been widespread devastation."

As the storm approached Friday, Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios of Rockport requested that people who did not evacuate write their names and Social Security numbers on their arms in case rescuers later needed to identify them.

The Category 4 storm Hurricane Ike, the most recent major hurricane to hit the Texas Gulf Coast, caused $38 billion in damage in 2008. When Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans and the Gulf Coast in 2005, it caused over $100 billion in damage.

Why hurricane categories dont tell the full story

Hal Needham, a hurricane scientist at Louisiana State University, wrote in a blog post on the weather site WXshift that a storm's category doesn't fully convey how dangerous rainfall could be and how much damage it could cause.

"Hurricanes and tropical storms throw three hazards at us: wind, rainfall, and storm surge," he wrote. "Think of the impacts separately. Storms with weaker winds are more likely to stall and dump heavier rainfall. This shocks people, as it would seem intuitive that a Category 5 hurricane would tend to dump more rain than a Category 1 hurricane. But the opposite is true."

While strong winds can rip shingles off roofs and tear down power lines, flooding often causes more widespread, costlier damage  and can be more dangerous for humans. The scale used to distinguish a hurricane from a tropical storm is based solely on maximum sustained wind, but Needham explained that "storms are too complex to define by one number."

Trumps first serious crisis

Hurricane Harvey is Donald Trump's "first serious" crisis from a natural disaster as president. He flew to Corpus Christi Tuesday morning with first lady Melania Trump to survey the damage and relief efforts, and made a stop in Austin to attend a briefing on emergency operations from Texas leadership.

"We want to do it better than ever before. We want to be looked at in five years, in 10 years from now as, this is the way to do it," Trump said at a press conference alongside Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. "This was of epic proportion. Nobody's ever seen anything like this."

How Texas and Louisiana prepared

Thousands of Texas residents, many in the towns of Port Aransas, Port O'Connor, and Corpus Christi, near where the hurricane first made landfall, evacuated before the storm. The Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority began busing evacuees to San Antonio on Thursday.

Houston didn't order evacuations before the storm hit, and only issued orders in some areas of Harris County on Monday and Tuesday. Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at The Weather Company who cofounded the weather-data website Weather Underground, recommended evacuating only if local emergency experts said to do so. Many of the deaths during Hurricane Rita in 2005 occurred as people tried to evacuate.

He also issued a federal disaster declaration in 33 counties, which Trump approved. Trump has approved emergency disaster declarations in both Texas and Louisiana, directing federal aid toward the affected areas.

On Monday morning, Abbott activated the entire Texas National Guard of 12,000 people, and increased the number deployed to 24,000 National Guard troops on Thursday.

Before the storm hit, the American Red Cross opened pop-up shelters throughout Houston and San Antonio. Dallas opened shelters as well, and Mayor Mike Rawlings invited those stranded to seek refuge in a press conference Tuesday morning.

Turner, Houston's mayor, said Tuesday that more than 9,000 people are seeking shelter at the George R. Brown Convention Center, the largest shelter that has been opened so far. It has a 5,000-cot capacity.

The Health and Human Services Department said it was deploying assets to Texas and Louisiana ahead of Harvey's landfall, moving six teams of emergency medical responders to the Dallas area as well as teams to support medical personnel in both states.

FEMA said it readied 3 million meals, 2.8 million liters of water, and 8,800 staff members for the storm response.
She told reporters in Nigeria that her son Ramond Ekwu,15, has "gone to our place of origin to be with daddy Jesus."

Raymond whom she conceived with her ex-husband, Charles Ekwu in 2002 has been battling with sickle cell anaemia from birth.

He died from complications associated with the disease in the early hours of Tuesday, August 22.

READ MORE: Nigerian actress son dead at 15
Well, you are in luck as Jay Z has been solving a lot of mysteries, thanks to a podcast interview on Rap Radar with hosts Elliot Wilson and Brian "B.Dot" Miller.

The "Smile" rapper shared this during the second part of the interview which was released on Friday, August 25.

"Rumi is our favourite poet, so it was for our daughter."

Beyonce threw some light on the meaning of the name, Rumi.Apparently, Rumi was an iconic 13th-century Persian poet and philosopher who dedicated his life to art, spirituality and above all love.

Rumi, which is Persian shorthand for West or Rome, was born in 1207 in present-day Afghanistan, the son of a jurist and a mystic. The Islamic scholar wrote poems that collapsed boundaries between truth and poetry, mind and body, divine and human love.

"And then Sir was, like, man, come out the gate. He carries himself like that. He just came out, like, Sir," Jay Z said.

Figures, right?

Us Weekly also reports that Jay-Z scheduled his upcoming tour for after the birth of the twins.

"I booked the tour for October so I could have at least four months ... to just really bond and see their fingers and s--t like that," he said.

"They'll be with me [on tour] anyway, but I'm just saying, like, [I needed] a space where I'm not doing nothing, I'm just focused on them. I'm not thinking about a show at night or anything like that. That's why the tour is so far away from the release of the album."

Super dad right?

ALSO READ: Singer unveils her adorable twins

In the first part of the interview which was released earlier, Jay Z addressed his infamous elevator fracas with sister-in-law, Solange Knowles.

Of course, they are in perfect terms and he sees her as his sister, as should be.
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To understand the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey one has to go back to the end of WW I and the defeat of Turkey. The British and French divided up the vast land of the Ottoman Empire. Anatolia was occupied by Russia and Greece until Mustafa Kemal Ataturk escaped from Istanbul by boat to a Black Seaport where he called up officers who served him WW I to mobilize an army. His Army forced the occupation nations out of the territory he was planning to make a Turkish Republic. The Allies were not enthusiastic to fight Ataturk who inflicted great casualties on the British at Gallipolis, the biggest battle of WW I. The Allies agreed to a conference.

Ataturk insisted the conference had to be in neutral Switzerland and he chose the city of Lausanne. To protect the Homeland of the Jews in Palestine that had been under control by the Ottomans for 400 years, the Allies suggested Ataturk make himself the "sultan." Ataturk refused, saying he liked his whiskey too much. The Allies insisted that a Turkish military be given the power to diminish the influence of Islam as well as block any attempt to recover Palestine or the Ottoman Empire.

Under the military, the economy of the New Turkish Republic fell into decay until Ali Adnan Eretaki Mendares became Prime Minister in May 1950. Adnan was of Crimean Tartar origin. He entered politics and in May 1950, became Prime Minister and wanted to develop Turkey. He needed finance and that came from German banks. The German banks agreed to accept Turkish lira at 3.5 to the US dollar and foreign companies flocked to Istanbul for jobs and Turkey boomed. The German banks became overloaded with lira and discounted it to 13 to 15 lira to a dollar.

Adnan Mendares got Turkey into NATO and even sent a battalion of Turkish troops to fight in Korea. He signed on to the Baghdad Pact with Iraq and Iran to keep Russia out of the oil rich Middle East and protect American and British oil interests in the Persian Gulf. It was only on paper with Baghdad Revolution, the Americans had to rush weapons to Iran.

When the Turkish military arrested Adnan Mendares on May 27, 1960, it accused him of trying to get closer relations with Arab states and changing the call to prayer from Turkish back to its original Arabic.

Evidence that Adnan was planning a wave of terrorism to remain in office was nonsense as he was very popular. World leaders including presidential candidate John F. Kennedy called for clemency but on May 31, 1961, the military of Turkey hung President Adnan Mendares.

When Tayyip Erdogan came to power in 2002, he wrested power from the military, making him popular. State Department and the Pentagon recognized his leadership abilities and gave support.

Turkey began to industrialize and Turks from the rural areas flocked to the cities. The economy expanded and roads were improved. Turkeys cinema and television became more Turkish. Foreign films and TV programs were phased out. To make the currency more manageable, six zeros were dropped to create the new lira (YTL) on January 6, 2006.

Israel attacked Gaza to destroy their government and annex the rest of Gaza. Sympathy for Gazans grew and on May 31, 2010, the Gaza Freedom Flotilla of nine ships headed for Gaza with clothing, medical supplies and food. Israeli commandos dropped from helicopters onto the ships resulting in nine men killed. Forensic autopsy showed all were shot in the back.

In 2008, three young American Jews from Berkley, California, were jogging on the border of Iran-Iraq and arrested by Iranian border guards. One had been working in Damascus on Syrian relief and he was fluent in Arabic. It was from this area that ISIS started its push across northern Iraq and northern Syria that connected with the rebel movement the US State Department was arming to fight Bashar Assad while ISIS volunteers, weapons and money poured into Syria from Turkey.

American journalist Serena Shims, 29 and a mother of two, saw NGO trucks were used to carry ISIS volunteers into ISIS controlled areas of Syria. Her small car was hit by a cement truck and she arrived dead at the hospital.

Despite his lucrative contract to exploit Israel of gas, he has lent his support to Bashar Assad. Rothschilds Total holds the other 10 percent. The CEO of Total was in Moscow to arrange for use of Totals ships but he died in a plane crash on take-off from Moscows airport.

Not one to mince words, Vladimir Putin based some of his top aircraft in Syria to start operations against ISIS which included attacks on the Syrian rebels who were cooperating with ISIS. Russia destroyed nearly 2,000 oil tankers carrying the ISIS stolen Iraq and Syrian oil going through the Syrian border province with Turkey that lay on the coast of the Mediterranean that was closest to the Turkish port exporting ISIS stolen oil to Israel.

On Nov. 24, 2015, two Turkish F 16s destroyed the fired rocket into Syrian Air Space the Russian SU 24 that had wandered over a small piece of Turkish border for maybe 17 seconds. The Turkish pilots then fired rockets into Syrian airspace or crossed into Syrian air space to shoot down the Russian SU 24. The Russian pilots bailed out and one was shot to death by Turkish Syrian rebels, and a Russian rescue helicopter was destroyed when it came to rescue the other pilot.

On July 15, 2016, Erdogan was in Marmaris arranging to go into exile it is said, but the Marmaris police fought off the commandos dropped by helicopter and Erdogan was saved. CNN managed to get a call though to Istanbul and a flight arranged for Erdogan to return to Istanbul and phone calls had thousands in the streets heading for bridges now blocked by tanks all in the middle of the night. If I had a call like that I would go back to bed. But the coup was over; 191 civilians were killed and 90 military; 40,000 people were detained, 2,745 judges, 15,000 educational staff and 21,000 teachers at private schools were fired; 100,000 other people fired from their jobs almost immediately. Erdogen blamed his former friend, Gulen, but he had nothing to do with the attempted coup.

The leaders surrendered without a fight and Erdogan wanted mass executions. There were beatings, rape, on those arrested. NATO, Putin, and others advised him to not execute anyone. Erdogan wanted changes in the Constitution for more power and put it to a vote, believing he would be supported by 50 percent of Turks that voted for his and 30 percent of the other party would see 80 percent of Turks would support his changes. It didnt happen. It was pretty much fifty-fifty.

It is a reality to assume the 1,000 to 6,000 of those military officers and top police are dead. As I dedicated my book, "Treachery" to Mehmet Savas Ozgan, I will have to change that to In Commemoration of a great human being and the most ethical and moral policeman I have known.
The couple was admitted to the hospital on Thursday, August 24, after they returned from a trip in Takoradi.

A close source to the couple tells Pulse.com.gh that they were in Takoradi last week to shoot a music video with Afrobeats newcomer, Ayesem and right after the shoot, they complained of stress and other health complications.

READ MORE: The dramatic story behind Gallaxy and Harbour City Recordz split

But, on their return to Kumasi, the couple fell unconscious and were rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Our source says the doctor and nurses at the hospital are tight-lipped about the condition.

Flowking Stone and Bridget tied the knot in 2015. Their wedding was attended by close family and a few invited friends including Stones brothers, Okyeame Kwame and Kunta Kinte.

Other celebrities who graced the occasion included Obrafour, Cabum and Peweezel.

The couple have a son together.
Mr Quaitoo made the comments many Ghanaians have interpreted as ethnocentric in an interview with Accra-based Starr FM on the armyworm invasion of some farm lands in the Northern Region.

READ MORE:NPP denies smuggling subsidized fertilizers

Farmers in the north have been complaining about lack of assistance from the agric minister as they battle the fall armywrom invasion.

Unfazed by their concerns, the minister launched a blistering attack on them say: "Anybody in the north who said his farm was destroyed by armyworm would have to prove it.

"You see that is how our brothers, excuse my language, it is so difficult to deal with them.

"I lived there for 27 years, I speak Dagbani like a Dagomba and all that. They are very difficult people. Nobody can substantiate. If anybody says that his farm was destroyed by armyworm, the person would have to come and prove it.

"We have no records of that. Its just a way of taking money from the government: thats what they do all the time
Tracks of Exton Cubic were seized early this week on the orders of the Ashanti Regional Minister as they attempted to enter the Tano-Offin Forest Reserve in the Atwima Mponua District to mine bauxite.

But according to the company, its financial obligations to E&P continues to accumulate as the trucks remain with the police custody.

The petition said: In terms of our clients contractual obligations to Engineers and Planners the cost per day for total equipment, consisting of 8 trucks, 1 caterpillar generator and 2 container offices in police custody is Sixty One Thousand Six Hundred and Fifteen Cedis (GHS 61,615.00) with the effect that from the 20. day of August, 2017 when the trucks were seized by the police, to 25th of August 2017 which is the date of this letter, our client has already incurred financial obligations to Engineers and Planners in the sum of Three Hundred and Eight Thousand Seventy Four Cedis (GHS 308,074.00) which continues to accumulate as the trucks remain with the police custody.

In the light of the foregoing, our client has instructed us to serve you notice of its intention to institute legal proceeding against the State as a result of the wrongful interference by State officials with our clients right toprospect on its concession and also a breach of its right to administrative justice, the latter cause of action resulting from the seizure and-detention of trucks without, due process as well as recover all sums of money our client must pay to Engineers an Planners by reason of the actions of die State officials responsible for the seizure and detention of the trucks."

Exton Cubic also said it has unquestionable right to enter its concession site and carry on prospecting activities there in the legitimate pursuit of its business.

It also added that the seizure of the equipments by the police has affected it's business operations due to the nature of its contractual agreement with E&P.

Our clients instructions to us are that at all times material to the date when ABM LEGAL notwithstanding that his attention has been drawn to the fact that at all times material to the date when he ordered the seizure and detention of the trucks our client had an unquestionable right to enter its concession site and carry on prospecting activities there in the legitimate pursuit of its business.
He said: We are told that there is corruption in the Akufo-Addo government. Let me reassure you of one thing. Any allegation about corruption against any official member of my government will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies.

"And those who made that allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it.
He said: The institute for dealing with corruption in a non-partisan, objective and impartial manner; the office of the Special Prosecutor, there will be a lot of parliamentary moves to try and delay its coming into being. But I want to tell those who are interested in dealing it is that it will come. It will come

It will be manned by those who are capable of doing justice to the office and those who are committed to fight against corruption in the country."

The president had earlier warned his appointees that they will be investigated if any act of corruption is levelled against them.
The administration has been rocked by high-profile departures  including Reince Priebus as chief of staff and James Comey as FBI director  since Trump took office in January 2017.

Here are the top-level people who've either been fired or resigned from the administration, and why they left:

Tom Bossert

Tom Bossert, Trump's

Bossert's firing came on the second day of Bolton's tenure, April 10. He worked closely with former national security adviser Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, ousted earlier this month, and is reportedly a close ally of chief of staff John Kelly.

"The president is grateful for Tom's commitment to the safety and security of our great country," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement confirming Bossert's departure. "President Trump thanks him for his patriotic service and wishes him well."

David Shulkin

Trump on Wednesday announced he is replacing embattled VA Secretary David Shulkin with Ronny Jackson, the White House physician.

"I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs," Trump tweeted, adding in a second tweet, "In the interim, Hon. Robert Wilkie of DOD will serve as Acting Secretary. I am thankful for Dr. David Shulkin's service to our country and to our GREAT VETERANS!"

Shulkin, a former Obama administration official, had years of experience and was the only Cabinet member unanimously confirmed by Congress.

Shulkin has come under fire recently, with media reports speculating about his removal.

An inspector general investigation in February alleged that he used $122,000 of taxpayer money on a trip to Europe with his wife and that he improperly accepted tickets to the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

H.R. McMaster

John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, is replacing Army Gen. H.R. McMaster as national security adviser.

"I am thankful to President Donald J. Trump for the opportunity to serve him and our nation as national security advisor," McMaster said in a statement.

"I am grateful for the friendship and support of the members of the National Security Council who worked together to provide the President with the best options to protect and advance our national interests," he continued.

McMaster's tenure was rocky and marked by disputes with his boss as well as other senior administration officials. Rumors bubbled up periodically about McMaster's impending firing, but he remained with the administration until now.

Trump tweeted: "I am very thankful for the service of General H.R. McMaster who has done an outstanding job & will always remain my friend."

Andrew McCabe

Andrew McCabe, the FBI's deputy director, was fired by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Friday  just a day before he would have reached pension eligibility.

McCabe, a 21-year veteran of the bureau, was planning to retire on Saturday. He was forced out of the FBI earlier this year amid an internal investigation by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) into his approval of unauthorized disclosures to the media in October 2016 related to the bureau's Hillary Clinton email probe.

But McCabe said in a Friday night statement that he believed he was "singled out" over the events he witnessed and actions he took after the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, whom Trump fired in May.

"The OIG's focus on me and this report became a part of an unprecedented effort by the Administration, driven by the President himself, to remove me from my position, destroy my reputation, and possibly strip me of a pension that I worked 21 years to earn," McCabe said.

Rex Tillerson

President Donald Trump has asked Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to leave his post, The Washington PostreportedTuesday.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo will replace him. The CIA's deputy director, Gina Haspel, will succeed Pompeo, becoming the first woman to lead the agency.

Trump reportedly asked Tillerson to step down on Friday.

Gary Cohn

Gary Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council and President Donald Trump's top economic adviser, said on March 6 that he would resign.

Cohn had tangled with the president and Peter Navarro, the director of the White House National Trade Council, over tariffs on imports of aluminum and steel.

Cohn wasunable to convince the president to forgo the tariffs. According to The New York Times, which first reported the news, White House officials said there was no single factor behind Cohn's resignation.

Hope Hicks

White House communications director Hope Hicks, one of Trump's closest confidants who's been with him "since the beginning", announced on February 28 she was resigning.

The resignation came just a day after she testified before the House Intelligence Committee, where she reportedly said that she told white lies for the president, but never lied about anything consequential related to the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

"There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump," Hicks said in a statement. "I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country."

New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman,who first broke the news, reported that it was not clear when her last day in the White House will be, but that it's expected to be in the coming weeks. Hicks told she did not know what her next job will be.

"Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years," Trump said in a statement. "She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood."

Rob Porter

Rob Porter, a powerful White House staffer whose profile has increased in recent months, resigned February 7 after two of his ex-wives accused him of physical and emotional abuse.

Porter denied the allegations in a statement, and said he will "ensure a smooth transition" when he leaves the White House.

The White House did not give a specific date for Porter's departure.

Here's his full statement:

Brenda Fitzgerald

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald resigned on January 31 after Politico reported that Fitzgerald purchased stock in Japan Tobacco while serving as CDC director.

Fitzgerald had also bought shares of the pharmaceutical companies Merck and Bayer and of the health insurer Humana.

The purchase of the tobacco shares especially raised concerns, because one of the CDC's goals is to prevent and reduce smoking.

Omarosa Manigault

Omarosa Manigault, the

Tom Price

The secretary of health and human services had elicited bipartisan condemnation over the cost of his air travel.

Tom Price had cost taxpayers more than $1 million between his use of private planes for domestic travel and military jets for recent trips to Africa, Europe, and Asia, Politico reported.

He resigned September 29.

Sebastian Gorka

A White House official confirmed Gorka's departure from the Trump administration on August 25.

The former Breitbart News staffer and ally of chief strategist Steve Bannon served as a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump.

In his departing letter, first published on a pro-Trump website, Gorka told Trump he could better serve the president's "America First" agenda from the outside.

Gorka was aligned with a once prominent nationalist arm of the Trump administration, occupied most prominently by Bannon and Stephen Miller, a senior policy adviser.

Bannon's departure a week earlier was seen as a significant blow to other nationalist, far-right figures in the White House, and Gorka implied as much in his letter, saying it was clear to him that "forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House."

Steve Bannon

White House officials confirmed that Trump had dismissed Bannon, his chief strategist, on August 18 after reports of clashes between Bannon and other members of the White House reached a fever pitch in recent days.

Bannon, who was instrumental in focusing the message of Trump's 2016 campaign, was considered the main conduit between Trump and his base of far-right voters. Bannon submitted his resignation to Trump earlier in August, The New York Times reports.

Matt Drudge, the conservative blogger, said Bannon might return to his former job as executive chairman of Breitbart News.

Anthony Scaramucci

Scaramucci was hired as the White House communications director and then dismissed in less than two weeks. The decision came at the urging of John Kelly, the new White House chief of staff, according to a Times report.

Scaramucci most notably made headlines for his interview with The New Yorker in which he unleashed an expletive-filled tirade against members of the Trump administration.

Reince Priebus

Priebus resigned as White House chief of staff six months into his tenure after a public feud with Scaramucci.

Trump announced in a tweet on June 28 that Kelly, the secretary of homeland security at the time, would take over for Priebus. Priebus resigned less than a week after Sean Spicer, the former press secretary, who was considered a Priebus ally in the White House.

Sean Spicer

Spicer, the embattled White House press secretary, resigned on July 21 after telling Trump he vehemently disagreed with the selection of Scaramucci as White House communications director.

Spicer's tenure was marred by controversy and a sometimes awkward relationship with the president. Spicer said at the time that he would stay in his role until August.

Michael Dubke

Dubke resigned as the White House communications director in May. Dubke was replaced by Scaramucci, the founder of a hedge fund and a top Trump donor.

Walter Shaub

Shaub resigned as the director of the Office of Government Ethics in July after clashing with the White House over Trump's complicated financial holdings.

Shaub called the Trump administration a "laughingstock" after his resignation, and he advocated strengthening the US's ethical and financial disclosure rules, according to The Times.

James Comey

Trump fired Comey as FBI director in May.

At the time of his firing, Comey was handling the bureau's investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to meddle in the 2016 election, creating a firestorm of controversy for the Trump administration.

Comey was the second FBI director to be fired by a president  Bill Clinton fired William Sessions in 1993.

Michael Flynn

Flynn resigned in February after serving as national security adviser for less than a month.

Flynn had misled Vice President Mike Pence and other administration officials about what he and Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador to the US, talked about in phone conversations during the transition  according to reports, they had discussed the Obama administration's sanctions against Russia.

Sally Yates

Trump fired Yates, an appointee of President Barack Obama, as acting attorney general within his first 10 days in office. Yates had refused to uphold Trump's executive order on immigration and denounced it as unlawful.

Yates was also instrumental in the events that led to Flynn's ouster, as she had informed Trump days after his inauguration that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail.

Preet Bharara

Trump fired Bharara as the US attorney for the Southern District of Manhattan in March after he refused to submit his resignation to Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

Bharara was fired along with several other Obama-era US attorneys, though Trump had initially asked Bharara during the transition to remain in his position.

Katie Walsh
Earlier reports indicated that Gorka resigned, but a White House official said in a statement obtained by Business Insider that Gorka did not resign, but confirmed that he no longer works at the White House.

The former Breitbart staffer and Steve Bannon ally served as a deputy assistant to President Donald Trump.

His departure comes one week after Bannon left the administration to return to Breitbart, and follows a spate of firings and resignations at the White House.

In his departing letter, first published on a pro-Trump website, Gorka told Trump he could better serve the president's "America First" agenda from the outside.

Gorka was aligned with a once-ascendant nationalist arm of the Trump administration, occupied most prominently by Bannon and senior policy adviser Stephen Miller. Bannon's departure was seen as a significant blow to other nationalist, far-right figures in the White House and Gorka implied as much in his letter, saying it was clear to him that "forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House."

Gorka, along with Bannon and Miller, were considered polar opposites to the establishment wing of the Trump administration, which is largely guided by national security adviser H.R. McMaster and chief of staff John Kelly. McMaster in particular has been a frequent target of Trump's supporters on the far-right, who have accused him of trying to steer Trump away from some of his populist leanings.
Asked what his message was for those who could be affected by the hurricane, Trump gave a big thumbs up to reporters and wished the best of luck.

"Good luck to everybody," he said as he was boarding Marine One outside of the White House. "They're gonna be safe. Good luck to everybody. Good luck."

He later added in a tweet: "

Forecasters predict that Hurricane Harvey could slam the Texas coast right before the weekend as a Category 3 storm, bringing winds in excess of 120 mph and dumping more than 25 inches of rain. The storm is gaining power in the Gulf of Mexico as the National Hurricane Center expects it to bring "life-threatening and devastating flooding."

"Trump facing first serious crises with Hurricane Harvey," conservative internet news mogul Matt Drudge tweeted Thursday. "130 mph winds Texas coast, 25-inches of rain Houston. It's about to get real..."

Speaking during Friday's press briefing, Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, said he and chief of staff John Kelly have been giving Trump regular briefings on the storm and have him in touch with acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long.

Asked whether Trump is prepared to lead during what could be the first major natural disaster of his presidency, Bossert said "this is right up President Trump's alley."

"Not only has he shown leadership here, but his entire focus has been on making America great again," Bossert said. "He's focused on the Americans who voted him into office, he's focused on the Americans that didn't vote him into office. He's focused on effecting positive change in this country. And when we go in and brief him on the preparations for this hurricane, he is acutely focused on making sure that  and just the right thing by the way  that the American people in the storm's path have what they need."

"His questions weren't about geopolitical issues or about large political consequences," he continued. "His questions were about are you doing what it takes to help the people that are going to be affected by this storm."

The White House released a statement shortly after the briefing that said Trump "continues to closely monitor Hurricane Harvey and the preparedness and response efforts of state, local, and federal officials," noting his briefing with Duke, Bossert, Kelly, and Long. The White House said Trump spoke with Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and John Bel Edwards of Louisiana "and committed to providing assistance as appropriate."

"This storm will likely be very destructive for several days," the White House said. "The President encourages people in the path of this dangerous storm to heed the advice and orders of their local and state officials. The president's highest priority is the safety of the public and of first responders. Those who ignore evacuation orders could be putting both themselves and first responders in danger. We encourage all Americans in the affected areas to be prepared, including by visiting Ready.gov, which provides preparedness plans and important links to information."
With nice weather in the forecast, the New York State Fair could draw a big crowd on the first Saturday of the 13-day event.

Today's schedule includes the continuation of La Feria, the fair's first-ever Hispanic festival. There are a few musical performances scheduled for the festival, which will be held at the fair's new New York Experience on the west end of the grounds.

Saturdays are usually busy days at the fair. Parking lots could fill up fast. The fair has shuttle service available in Cayuga, Onondaga and Oswego counties. Consider using the buses instead of driving to the fair. It may help ease congestion.

Here is what you should know about today at the New York State Fair:

Weather forecast: Mostly sunny with a high near 71. Light and variable wind becoming west around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Promotion: None.

Theme day: None.

Chevy Court concerts: Stephen Marley will perform at 2 p.m. He replaces DJ Khaled, who was scheduled to play in this time slot. At 8 p.m. tonight, Symphoria will play a free concert.

Here is a sampling of other events today at the New York State Fair:

 At 8:30 a.m., the Shorthorn Open Beef Show will be held in the Beef Cattle Barn.

 The New York State Fair NBHA Barrel Spectacular Horse Show will take place at 9 a.m. at Toyota Coliseum.

 Learn more about blacksmiths at 10 a.m. by visiting Steve Kellogg's working blacksmith shop at Wagoner Carriage Museum.

 Check out traditional Indian dancing at 11 a.m. at the Iroquois Indian Village.

 The 4-H Youth Sheep Show wool judging will begin at noon in the Sheep Barn.

 At 1 p.m., the Harrington School of Irish Dance will perform at Empire Theater.

 Lu Furia del Ritmo will open the La Feria festival at 2 p.m. at the Empire Experience Stage.

 Bandaloni, the one-man band, will perform at 3 p.m. on Restaurant Row.

 At 4 p.m., see Shetland ponies at the Hall of Veterinary Health.

 Mike Speach from Speach's Candy Company will explain candy making at 5 p.m. at the Wegmans Demonstration Kitchen.

 One of the Gospel Music Weekend performers, Fountain of Life COGIC Choir, will perform at 6 p.m. at the Talent Showcase.

 Meet the Horses! at 7 p.m. at the World of Horses Tent.

 At 8 p.m., Modern Mudd performs at the Pan-African Village.

 The Bear Hollow Wood Carvers will be showing off their skills at 9 p.m. at Times Square.
A former bank employee was sentenced to prison Thursday for embezzling more than $74,000 from a 72-year-old woman's account.

Holliann L. Casey, 25, of Lincoln, pleaded no contest to theft by unlawful taking.

Lancaster County District Judge Robert Otte gave her three to eight years, set to start Sept. 7.

Lincoln police took a report from a Pinnacle Bank branch near 56th Street and Old Cheney Road a year ago after a customer reported unauthorized transactions on her account.

Investigators said the woman first took her suspicions to Casey, who then tried to conceal the discrepancy by shifting funds from various accounts, an affidavit for her arrest said.

An audit found that Casey had withdrawn $74,150 in cash from the woman's account without her knowledge between Oct. 27, 2014, and Aug. 1, 2016.

Bank officials reimbursed her for the loss, police said in the affidavit.

In April, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. banned Casey from working in banking.
The University of Southern California unveiled an enormous addition to its campus last week with its completed $700 million "USC Village."

The process, from conception to completion was slow, William Marsh, told Business Insider. While the school started thinking about the project in the early 2000's, it wasn't formally approved by the city until 2012.

In part, that may have been a function of the unique partnership the development forges. The village connects USC to the surrounding LA area, and to a community whose demographics largely collide with its own.

Students at USC are richer and more racially and ethnically diverse than the surrounding area. By contrast, nearly 90% of residents in South LA are Hispanic or African American, according to the 2010 census. The median household income in South LA is about $30,000, a stark contrast to a school whose annual tuition tops $50,000.

That contrast, and gating around the school for student security, has created what some in the community describe as "fortress" of isolation. The USC Village appears an attempt to bridge some of the distance between the two communities.

Business Insider received a tour of the newly completed village. Read on below to see how USC spent its $700 million.

USC students moved back to campus on August 16. The USC Village houses 2,500 of these students, about 500 of which are incoming freshman.

The $700 million investment, funded entirely by USC, includes six buildings on 15 acres. The residential colleges will have dorms, work spaces, gyms, and laundry rooms.

Construction of the village supported 5,600 construction jobs and created nearly 800 permanent jobs. The development has been seen as a public-private partnership that benefits the school and bolsters the surrounding community.

The village has the same Collegiate Gothic architecture that runs through the rest of campus.

The village is open to the public everyday from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. Visitors who want to enter the residential areas must know a student and take a photo for identification.

Traditional dining halls are available to students in the village.

But they also have the option to dine at the new restaurants in the village. Fast-casual restaurant chain Cava was the first to open. There are 12 other places to dine in the village and a Starbucks for coffee drinkers.

The village has a Trader Joe's and a Target, as well as a Bank of America and a yoga studio.

While on the tour, a member of LA's neighborhood council seeking a tour of the grounds commented that she is most excited for the Village Cobbler, who had moved about a mile away but was now in a convenient place for her.
Luckily, the galaxy will have NASA's twin Voyager spacecraft to remember us by.

The two nuclear-powered probes launched 40 years ago and became the first and only robots to take close-up photographs of Uranus and Neptune, the planets' moons and rings, and other objects in the outer solar system.

The Voyagers also carried with them a golden record of sounds, images, and other information about life on Earth  a basic human catalog that aliens might one day discover and decode.

The mission is now detailed in a remarkable PBS documentary called "The Farthest", which premiered on August 23 and will re-air on September 13 at 10 p.m. ET.

"Fifty years from now, Voyager will be the science project of the 20th century," Brad Smith, a Voyager imaging scientist, said in the movie.

Here's why many scientists and engineers not only hail Voyager as the farthest, fastest, and longest-lived space mission, but also one of humanity's greatest endeavors.

NASA began working on the Voyager mission in 1972 with a budget of $865 million, or roughly $5 billion in 2017-adjusted dollars.

Source: ,

The goal was to tour the outer solar system using a planetary alignment that happens just once every 176 years. The gravity of the planets would speed up the spacecraft, allowing at least one probe to visit Uranus and Neptune for the first time.

Source:

NASA worried that Jupiter's radiation fields might short-circuit the Voyagers. So engineers shielded and grounded cables of the probes with kitchen-grade aluminum foil. (It worked.)

Source:

Voyager 2 launched into space on August 20, 1977. To the confusion of many people, Voyager 1 launched several weeks later, on September 5, 1977.

But as scientists featured in "The Farthest" explain, they were thinking long-term: Voyager 1 would move faster and eventually overtake Voyager 2.

Source:

Both launches left scientists' nerves frayed. For example, unforeseen rocket vibrations made Voyager 2's computer go on the fritz and didn't let people control it for days. Fortunately, a remote software patch fixed the problem.

"That was a cliffhanger," Fred Locatell, an engineer on the Voyager mission, said in the film. "That could have been the end of the mission."

Source:

Meanwhile, Voyager 1's liquid-fueled rocket sprung a leak during launch. The rocket corrected for this by burning extra fuel  leaving just 3.5 seconds' worth of thrust.

Had the rocket leaked any more fuel than it did, Voyager 1 could have failed.

"Instead of getting to Jupiter, you know, we would have gotten almost to Jupiter  then it would have come back toward the sun. Which would not have been good," John Casani, the mission's project manager, said in the film.

Source:

Both Voyagers explored Jupiter, catching a speed boost along the way. Before the probes, no one had ever seen such detailed images of Jupiter...

...Or those of the gas giant's many moons, including Europa. This ice world hides a subsurface ocean that's estimated to contain more water than exists on all of Earth.

Source:

Both probes also took extraordinarily detailed photos of Saturn...

...And its moons, such as Titan. Many scientists think of this world as a "proto-Earth" due to its similar size, hazy atmosphere, and abundance of carbon.

Voyager 2 was the first and so far only robot to fly by and photograph Uranus. It discovered the planet is inexplicably tipped on its side...

...Has dozens of moons...

...And has rings of ice and dust.

Voyager 2 is still the only probe ever to fly by the outermost planet, Neptune...

...See the gas giant's enormous Dark Spot storm...

Source:

...And photograph its large and icy moon Triton, which was caught spewing geysers of nitrogen from its surface.

Although both probes finished their main missions decades ago, they've moved beyond the arguable edge of the solar system  and into a region between stars.

The spacecraft still regularly contact Earth from more than 10.6 trillion miles away, reporting what data they can with the instruments that still work and are turned on.

They Voyagers still work more than 40 years after launch because they're powered by plutonium-238  a radioactive byproduct of Cold War nuclear weapons production.

Special materials surround the plutonium to convert its escaping heat into electricity. Each Voyager has three nuclear power supplies, and together they generated 420 watts at launch  about half the power of a microwave oven.

Because half of any amount of plutonium-238 decays in 87.7 years, these radioisotope power sources now generate about three-quarters of that wattage.

Even after these nuclear batteries die, however, the probes will continue carrying golden records loaded up with the sights and sounds of Earth.

The cover to each record includes careful instructions on how to use a stylus to read the data. These directions aren't in English, though, but rather in mathematical terms an intelligent alien might understand.

"This, in the long run, may be the only evidence that we ever existed," Frank Drake, who worked on the golden record project (and also came up with the Drake Equation), said in the film.

President Jimmy Carter left what is perhaps the most prescient message to anyone (or anything) who discovers the probes: "This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours."
ALSO READ: This is a special one for the Patron Saint of money rituals

He went on to explain that just as Universities are funded by NGOs abroad, ASUU should seek other sources of funding.

Kanayo added that the Government would do well not to play politics with ASUU as the future of Nigerian students depended on them.

Read his post below:

"Hello Proximate People, a great evening salutation. Dress the way you want to be addressed. I was just dressing up for Lectures before the ASUU strike. Does the Government sponsor the Education sector abroad? Why are there no strikes in the institutions in the West?

"Many non-Governmental organizations fund the sector and relieve the Government of the burden of the management and control of this critical sector. A poorly managed education sector will only produce half baked products.

"Government must not play Politics with ASUU, so also must ASUU also statutorily seek for other funding modules. Enjoy a pleasant weekend #OverAndOut."
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!
From their ill-fated protest, we know that these supremacists a.k.a alt-right a.k.a neo-Nazis do not like Jews and African-Americans.

A recent study now shows that these white supremacists do not think highly of Nigerians either.

Psychologists Patrick Forscher and Nour Kteily in April 2017 interviewed members of the alt-right and interviewed them to get a profile of their movement.

Using a sample of 447 alt-right members via an online survey, it was discovered that they do not think Nigerians have "evolved" much. As a matter fact, according to the research, Nigerians rank fourth in the least evolved group of people with a score of 59.

Not surprisingly Hillary Clinton comes last with a score of 55. Muslims are also ranked 55 in the alt-right list. Feminists come in third at 57.

At the top of the pole are obviously white people with a score of 92. Americans, men, Europeans, Swedes, Christians, women, Donald Trump, Republicans and Russians follow respectively.

According to a 2013 census, there are 300,000 Nigerians living in America. This does not take into account illegal Nigerian immigrants living in the US. This figure makes Nigerians the single largest group of contemporary Africans in America.

With the alt-right's hate for immigrants who they think are stealing their jobs, it is not much of a stretch to see why they hate Nigerians.

In July 2017, CNN reported that a neo-Nazi was living in Lagos, Nigeria. Andrew Anglin is reportedly in Lagos and is wanted in the United States of America after he reportedly started a harassment campaign against a Jewish woman.
Ortom, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Terver Akase, was reacting to a report circulated on the social and conventional media, which quoted him as making that remark.

The report had quoted Ortom as accusing Catholic Churches of planning to use their huge population to vote him out in 2019.

It further quoted Ortom as saying that he would mobilise other Christian denominations to neutralise the Catholic Churches and shame them by securing his second term bid.

But Ortom, who accused the opposition of spewing hatred against him, said that he could not have made such remark against the Catholic Church or any other group in Benue.

As a leader, who came in Gods name and was popularly elected by the people, the governor knows the role the Church played in his emergence and has remained in constant touch with all Christian denominations.

The statement credited to him is a smear campaign by members of the opposition seeking to pit him against one of the biggest Churches in the land.

We knew this could happen and had alerted the public to watch out for more sponsored campaigns from the opposition to smear the governor.

The report is part of that grand design by failed politicians who, after being rejected by the people in the last general election, have vowed to make Benue ungovernable, the statement said.

It said that the aim was to malign the governor, and regretted the gradual drift into the shameful abyss of hate scripts and comments against the person and office of the Governor.
A former Santee Community Schools superintendent and his wife face 13 counts in an indictment filed Thursday.

Paul D. Sellon, 61, already had been charged in U.S. District Court in Lincoln with theft of $314,000 from a federal program.

Earlier this month, he was allowed to withdraw a plea, after the judge expressed concerns about the plea agreement, specifically a portion where the government agreed not to file charges against Sellon's wife, 54-year-old Sue Ann Sellon, if he pleaded guilty.

Now, a grand jury has indicted them both on suspicion of theft of government money between 2010 and 2014 and making false statements to the U.S. Department of Education.

Paul Sellon also is accused of receipt of a bribe by an agent of an organization receiving federal funds and 10 counts of wire fraud between Sept. 17, 2012, and Oct. 18, 2013.

In court documents, Assistant U.S. Attorney William Mickle said Paul Sellon, superintendent for the school district on the Santee Sioux Reservation from 2010 to 2014, illegally funneled $314,121 in government money into two businesses he co-owned with his wife.

During that time, the school district received annual school-improvement grant funding, and Sellon contracted with Mastery Learning and Achievement, paying $683,000 in grant funds to the company.

The indictment alleges that, as a condition to being hired, Sellon said MLA needed to pay him a portion of the money it received.

Company officials told investigators they believed they wouldn't get a contract unless they did.
Speaking in Ibadan on the review proposed by the incumbent Governor, Abiola Ajimobi, Chief Olakunlehin said the only reason Ladoja has refused to support the review is nothing aside political.

Olakunlehin recalled how he and another high chief had pleaded with former Gov Ladoja, a member of the Olubadan-in-Council, to support the review.

He, however, alleged that Ladoja refused to support the review for political reasons.

ALSO READ: Ladoja returns to PDP

The chief called on the people to support the review, saying those opposing the reform are bent on politicising it.
In a phone call with Sisi, Trump "affirmed the strength of friendship between Egypt and the United States," the presidency said in a statement.

The US president said he was keen to continue "developing relations between the two countries and surpassing any obstacles that might affect them," according to the statement.

Trump's arrival in office in January has seen an improvement in US relations with Egypt, in contrast to his predecessor Barack Obama who took a harder line on human rights issues in the North African country.

Obama temporarily suspended military aid to Egypt after the July 2013 overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and the subsequent bloody crackdown on Morsi's supporters.
The wife of President Robert Mugabe allegedly attacked 20-year-old model Gabriella Engels with an electrical extension cord at an upmarket hotel in Johannesburg where the couple's two sons were staying.

Grace Mugabe appeared at the Harare annual agricultural fair, smiling and stopping to chat with exhibitors as she toured stands alongside her husband, an AFP correspondent witnessed.

The first lady, who is seen as possible successor to her 93-year-old husband, was granted diplomatic immunity by South Africa at the weekend and flew out of the country.

Engels suffered cuts to her forehead and the back of her head during the alleged August 13 assault.

She has opened a police case alleging assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

Engels' lawyers this week filed a court injunction to try to annul the government decision to grant Grace Mugabe diplomatic immunity.

South Africa's main opposition, the Democratic Alliance, has also approached the courts asking it to declare the immunity "wholly without legal merit" and "unconstitutional".

The party is arguing that Grace Mugabe is not a member of the Zimbabwean government and was visiting South Africa on personal business.

"There is nothing in either South African or international law which renders her deserving of diplomatic immunity," the DA said in a statement.
Four attackers setting off explosions and firing gunshots laid siege to the Emam Zaman mosque in the north of Afghanistan's capital for four hours as dozens of men, women, and children gathered for Friday prayers.

In scenes that have become all too depressingly familiar for Shiites in the war-torn country recently, wailing mourners gathered at the mosque Saturday to lay the bodies of the dead side by side in graves.

"We used to attend ceremonies such as Ashura together in this mosque, but today I am burying their bodies here,"Hussain Ali, who lost a friend in the attack, told AFP.

"This is not the first time, it keeps happening. The government has failed to provide us security. Even today in this ceremony people are worried lest something will happen," he added.

IS claimed the attack, which also wounded 50 people, through its propaganda outlet Amaq.

Shiites, a minority of around three million in overwhelmingly Sunni Afghanistan, have regularly been targeted by IS jihadists over the past year, providing a sectarian twist to years of conflict in the war-weary country.

They accuse security forces of not doing enough to protect them.

Earlier this month 33 worshippers were killed and 66 wounded in a suicide attack claimed by IS on a Shiite mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat.

Twin explosions in July 2016 ripped through crowds of Shiite Hazaras, killing at least 85 people and wounding more than 400.

The burials came as an official said the death toll from Friday's attack, which again underlined Afghanistan's deteriorating security situation, had increased to 28.
They included uniformed police officers, doctors in their white coats, firefighters wearing their helmets and residents and shop owners who rushed to help after a van struck people on the Las Ramblas avenue, as well as taxi drivers who transported people free.

"Its good that people see that we are the front of march and that we are no afraid," said Barbara Cabello, 22, who works at one of the flower stands on Las Ramblas, a symbol of the city.

The marchers carried red, yellow and white flowers -- the colours of Barcelona -- as they made their way along the city's main boulevard, the Paseo de Gracia, to the Plaza de Catalunya, near where the attack took place.

"No to Islamophobia" and "The best response: Peace" were among the signs on display at the march, which was broadcast live on Spanish public television.

The Mediterranean city is in mourning after a driver ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas on August 17, followed hours later by a car attack in the seaside resort town of Cambrils.

Fifteen were killed in the carnage and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had called on Spaniards to turn out in force to show their "love" and solidarity with Catalonia.

The march will "once again give a clear message of unity and condemnation of terrorism, and of love for the city of Barcelona," Rajoy said on the eve of the demonstration.

'Love' for Barcelona

King Felipe VI marched along Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and representatives of all of Spain's major political parties behind the first ranks.

He is the first Spanish sovereign to take part in a demonstration since the monarchy was re-established in 1975 after the death of dictator General Francisco Franco.

But both the king and Rajoy were jeered as they arrived at the march by Catalan separatists, who reject the monarchy and hope to set up an independent republic.

In the aftermath of the attacks, however, which were claimed by the Islamic State group, Rajoy and Catalonia's separatist president Carles Puigdemont have made a show of unity.

Ode to peace

Europe has been shaken by a series of deadly Islamist violence, with an increasing number of low-tech attacks using vehicles or knives -- sometimes both -- as weapons.

On Friday evening, a man was shot dead in central Brussels after stabbing a soldier while shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest), and shortly afterwards a man with a large knife attacked police in London as they tried to arrest him outside Buckingham Palace.

Already on Friday evening, thousands of people had marched against terror in Cambrils.

Saray Gomez, an 18-year-old who works at a flower stall right next to where the van ended its murderous rampage, said it was important "to give a message of unity and peace."

"And it's important to distinguish between Islam and jihadists, because Muslims are the first to be affected."

When the march arrived at Plaza de Catalunya near Las Ramblas, two cellists played "Cant dels ocells" (Song of the birds), a traditional Catalan melody which has become a symbol of peace.

It was famously played by the celebrated cellist Pau (Pablo) Casals, an outspoken opponent of the Franco regime, at the White House in 1961.
The search for survivors has been called off after last week's disaster, which devastated Tara, a fishing village on the shores of Lake Albert on the country's northeastern border with Uganda.

Pacifique Keta, deputy head of Ituri province where Tara is located, said the death toll was now between 150 and 250, with many still buried under the rubble of an estimated 48 destroyed homes.

The civic movement Struggle for Change (Lucha) accused the government of failing to act quickly enough after the disaster hit on August 16.

"Some of the people among the disappeared could have been saved if government intervention had been rapid," Lucha said in a statement.

It added that President Joseph Kabila, who only issued a statement of condolence six days after the disaster, should have gone to Tara to console the families of the victims.

Interior Minister Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary only travelled to the province on Thursday on "a mission of humanitarian assistance".

Keta told AFP that the search for bodies was suspended to prevent the spread of disease to other fishing villages on the lake.

Fishing is one of the main occupations in Ituri, which borders Uganda and is almost 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) from the capital Kinshasa.

"It is unacceptable that we lost 200 Congolese and no authorities are present on the ground," said Vital Kamerhe, leader of the opposition Union for the Congolese Nation, a day before the interior minister's trip.

Kamerhe said police had prevented him from "going to the scene of the catastrophe to sympathise with the victims".

Government spokesman Lambert Mende on Wednesday acknowledged that the mudslide was "a major catastrophe", but scorned critics of the authorities.

"We live in a country where people want to criticise everything," Mende said.

The mudslide, which followed a similar deadly disaster in Sierra Leone, was the most destructive of its kind in the troubled central African country in recent years.

In May 2010, a wall of mud swept through the eastern village of Kibiriga, killing 19 people and leaving 27 others missing.
The killing of 17-year-old Kian Delos Santos last week triggered rare protests against Duterte's controversial but popular campaign to eradicate drugs, with critics saying it highlighted rampant rights abuses by police enforcing the crackdown.

Since Duterte's term began 14 months ago, police have reported killing 3,500 people in anti-drug operations, with thousands more murdered over drug-related crimes and in unexplained circumstances.

Duterte and his drug war are backed by a large majority of Filipinos fed up with high crime and a slow-moving judicial system, according to national polls.

But Delos Santos's murder has dominated the media and sparked public outrage.

Police said the teenager was a drug courier who fired at them while resisting arrest. However CCTV footage emerged of two policemen dragging the unarmed boy away moments before he was killed.

After his family held a wake for him at home, around 3,000 people including his classmates, neighbours, nuns, priests and human rights activists marched under cloudy skies to protest his killing, according to an AFP photographer at the scene.

"Kian is the name and face of the truth. We must not allow the truth to die with Kian's murder," said Father Robert Reyes, one of several Catholic priests who celebrated a church mass for the boy on Saturday.

Duterte, who had controversially drawn parallels between his drug campaign to Hitler's extermination of Jews and vowed to protect police from prosecution, has promised to bring the boy's killers to justice.

The slow-moving procession snaked through narrow streets as participants, many wearing black ribbons, carried posters that read "Stop Killing the Poor", "Justice for Kian", and "Rehabilitation not Persecution".

The cortege stopped briefly for prayers outside a police station where the three officers who had arrested the boy were deployed. They have since been suspended.

Following their claims of Delos Santos being involved in the drugs trade, police told a public enquiry on Thursday that they only read about his alleged narcotics activity on "social media" after his death.

jpegMpeg4-1280x720A police autopsy also concluded the boy was fatally shot in the head twice as he lay prone on the ground.

Amnesty International alleged in a report released in February that Philippine police shot dead defenceless people, fabricated evidence, paid assassins to murder drug addicts, and stole from those they killed or the victims' relatives.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu, head of the secular Republican People's Party (CHP), spoke to thousands gathered for the event at an open-air site in the northwestern province of Canakkale.

"Eighty million have a thirst for justice," Kilicdaroglu said, referring to Turkey's population.

Kilicdaroglu earlier this summer walked 450 kilometres (280 miles) from Istanbul to Ankara to protest against the sentencing of one of his MPs, Enis Berberoglu, to 25 years in jail for leaking classified information to an opposition newspaper.

Under the simple slogan "justice", the march culminated last month in a huge rally in Istanbul that attracted hundreds of thousands, the biggest event staged by Erdogan's critics in years.

"It is my duty to seek justice. It is my duty to stand by the innocent and be against tyrants," Kilicdaroglu told the crowds on Saturday.

More than 50,000 people have been arrested under Turkey's state of emergency, imposed after a failed coup against Erdogan in July 2016, and almost three times that number have lost their jobs, including teachers, judges, soldiers and police officers.

Kilicdaroglu condemned the crackdown as a "civilian coup" -- which took place for the first time in the history of the modern republic after the botched military putsch.

"Thousands of academics have been dismissed from universities," the opposition leader said. "Prisons are full of journalists. MPs are in jail".

Kilicdaroglu said Berberoglu's sentencing "became the last straw."

"We have a lot of citizens who are in prison just because they are in opposition," he said. "To fight for rights is the duty of this country's brave people."

The congress will see several daily sessions on different rights violations in Turkey, the first time the CHP has held such an event.

Quoting the famous Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, Kilicdaroglu said the theme of the congress would be: "To live like a tree, as free and independent, and also to be in the forests, all together, in peace."

A photo depicting the CHP leader wearing a white undershirt while dining in a trailer during the justice march went viral on social media but drew Erdogan's wrath because he said it was an insult to Turks.

Kilicdaroglu responded that Erdogan needed to address the "country's problems" instead of "bothering with my vest from morning to evening".
BBC reports that a "large bladed weapon" was found in the man's car by officers after it stopped near the palace on Friday, August 25.

The police said that the officers suffered minor arm injuries while arresting the man. The 26-year-old man was also treated for minor injuries.

According to the reports, none of the members of the Royal Family was in Buckingham Palace at the time of the incident.

A spokesman for the Palace said summer opening hours and tours will go continue on Saturday, August 26, stating that it will be "business as usual".

The incident is said to have occurred outside the Mall roundabout near Spur Road at about 20:35 BST(8:35 PM), police said.

BBC reports that the man had stopped his car in a "restricted area" and the police saw the weapon.

Det Supt Guy Collings observed that the "quick and brave" actions of the officers saw the suspect detained very quickly and no members of the public had any contact with him.

The two officers and the suspect have been discharged from the hospital with the suspect taken to a central London police station for questioning.

The police added that there is still a police cordon at the scene and that investigation into the case is currently ongoing.

Eye-witness Kiana Williamson said: "We turned up and there was one police van and one car; there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

"They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting; more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back.

"I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm, although it didn't look severe.

"He was being tended to by another officer.

"The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road."

Another passer-by who pleaded anonymity, said her partner initially thought he had seen a sword.

Speaking with Press Association, she said: "The police didn't just run up to the car. There was some shouting prior to this; I couldn't tell you what, I was a bit panicked...

"My partner saw a sword, which I didn't see, as well as a policeman with blood on him, looking like his hand or chest was injured.
Morgan Stara and her three brothers held handmade signs reading "Welcome Home Dad" as they waited inside the cafeteria at the Nebraska Air National Guard base in Lincoln on Saturday morning.

"They are so excited to see him," said their mom, Angie Stara. "It's been exhausting and overwhelming. Three months is a long time for kids."

Their father, Tech. Sgt. Lyle Stara, was one of 51 Nebraska Air National Guard members from the Lincoln-based 155th Air Refueling Wing welcomed home after an overseas deployment. They are part of the wing's operations, maintenance, logistic readiness and medical squadrons.

The Guard members were deployed from 30 to 94 days at the U.S. Central Command in Qatar, where they provided support to Operation Inherent Resolve, the U.S. military's operation to intervene against the Islamic State group in the Middle East.

They arrived home on two KC-135 Stratotankers. Gov. Pete Ricketts, Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac and a Congressional delegation were there to greet them, thanking them for their service and their families for supporting them.

"Of course you miss them, but you're very proud of their service," said Nicole DeGrenier, who was among the family members in attendance. DeGrenier was waiting for her fiance, Staff Sgt. Chad Johnson, who spent 10 weeks in Qatar as a boom operator refueling airplanes.

"I was absolutely counting down," she said. "And it's just awesome to be here now."

Before Lyle Stara left, he gave his children a jar of Hershey's Hugs and told them they could each have one a day "from dad."

"And today they ate the last ones," Angie Stara said. "Chocolate for breakfast was OK today."
HOUSTON, Texas  Hunkering down and watching a movie about a giant rabbit named Harvey may be how Talya Arbisser, a former Quad-Citian who worked as a photo intern for the DispatchArgusQCOnline.com, spends her time while riding out a hurricane named Harvey.

As long as the electricity holds out.

Ms. Arbisser, 33, daughter of renowned Quad-Cities eye surgeons Drs. Lisa and Amir Arbisser and granddaughter of a famous psychologist, the late Dr. Joyce Brothers, has lived in Houston since 2010. She will face her first major hurricane while caring for her 92-year-old and 90-year-old grandparents, for whom she is primary caregiver.

Her husband, who works for a major company in the Houston area that she couldn't divulge, already has been moved to a different site for safety reasons, Ms. Arbisser said.

On Friday, people in Houston learned that hurricane-driven winds are not expected to be as bad as originally forecast, "but we're expecting a lot of flooding," she said. "It's possible, we're told, that we might not be able to leave our house for a week. They're predicting some of the worst flooding in a long time."

They live in a three-story town home and decided to stay there and ride it out, Ms. Arbisser said.

"People are preparing for the worst, but hoping for the best," she said.

A lot of schools have been closed already, she said. She spent Wednesday shopping for provisions and found out many stores already had been cleaned out of bread and water. The cereal aisles also looked quite bare.

Gas stations had long lines and little, if any, gasoline available, she said.

Community members have taken precautions, including providing counseling and psychiatric services for people frightened by the coming storm, Ms. Arbisser said.

"The biggest fear is losing power," she said.

Residents have bought a lot of sandbags to protect what they rebuilt last year after flooding, she said.

Ms. Arbisser has witnessed a flash flood's fury, and she said she feels it's wise to practice the "better safe than sorry" philosophy.

She might feel differently if she were still working in the media, but she's now a freelance photographer.

Ms. Arbisser said she talked to her parents about her plans Friday, but her eye-surgeon folks didn't mention anything about "the eye of the hurricane."

"But that's a good one," she said. "I'll have to borrow that one. Do you mind?"

She is planning to watch the iconic Jimmy Stewart "Harvey" movie as she hunkers down for the storm.
Today is Saturday, Aug. 26, the 238th day of 2017. There are 127 days left in the year.

1867  150 years ago: Esq. Wagener has moved his office to Bufords Block with entrance on Illinois Street, next door to Koehlers grocery.

1892  125 years ago: Damage of $500 resulted from a fire among sheds and barns that line an alley south of 4th Avenue and 22nd Street.

1917  100 years ago: Thomas Casey accepted a position as salesman for Illinois Oil Co.

1942  75 years ago: A burglar stole a percolator and two butcher knives from the residence of Louis Ortell, 1040 14th St. Rock Island.

1967  50 years ago: More than 1,200 active and retired employees and their families were guests of Modern Woodmen of America on Wednesday and Thursday at the new headquarters building on Rock Islands 1st Avenue. The family affair was the first of several planned ceremonies in connection with the move of the insurance society from its former home at 3rd Avenue and 15th Street.

1992  25 years ago: Fanny and Oscar are closer to swimming in a new home at Niabi Zoo, thanks to their friends at Eagle Foods. For just over a year, the Niabi Zoological Society has been raising funds for a new otter exhibit to house Fanny and Oscar, the zoos river otters. The otter fund got a major boost recently when Eagle Foods donated $1,350 from proceeds generated at Eagles Customer Appreciation Day at the zoo on July11.
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SCHUYLER  Wachiska Audubon Society recently purchased the Clarence and Ruth Fertig Prairie southwest of Schuyler.

The 45-acre property consists of virgin tallgrass prairie near the Platte River.

The purchase is part of our chapters 25-year program to protect native tallgrass prairies in each county in southeastern Nebraska," said Gary Fehr, president of the Lincoln-based group. This prairie is a valuable one due to the stewardship of the Fertig family over many years. It has a wide variety of tallgrass plant species as well as insects and other animals. We plan to continue to make prairies like this one available for education as the Fertig family has done."

Wachiska Audubon Society received grant funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Woollam Foundation, Cooper Foundation and Lower Platte North Natural Resources District to assist with the purchase.

"As with the other prairies that they own, Wachiska will leave Fertig Prairie open all year for students, hikers, researchers and birdwatchers. Visitors are welcome," Fehr said.

Wachiska holds half-day educational events, called Prairie Discovery Days, on their prairies each September for fourth-grade classes from nearby schools.

Fertig Prairie, which is located 5 miles west and 2 miles south of Schuyler, is home to some rare plant and animal species.

More information can be found at www.WachiskaAudubon.org.
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It was a stunning moment of near-unanimity at the Capitol.

When state Sens. Patty Pansing Brooks and Tom Brewer jointly announced to their fellow lawmakers that Whiteclay's beer stores would lose their liquor licenses, nearly everyone in the legislative chamber stood to applaud.

The closings, furiously opposed by many people in Whiteclay's surrounding area, united conservatives and liberals in Lincoln in a way few controversial issues have.

"Whiteclay is not a political issue, and it shouldn't be," said Nate Grasz, policy director at the socially conservative group Nebraska Family Alliance. "It's a human life issue."

The four beer stores in Whiteclay, an unincorporated village with nine permanent residents, sold millions of cans of beer each year for decades, most of it to residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, where alcohol is banned.

On Tuesday, the state's high court will consider whether the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission acted correctly when it decided not to renew the stores' licenses for another year, citing concerns about law enforcement. A final ruling should come this fall.

Not about stopping alcoholism

Closing the stores hasn't stopped alcoholism on Pine Ridge, but Whiteclay's opponents say they never believed it would.

"That wasn't ever the purpose," said Alan Jacobsen, a Lincoln roofing company owner who ran for governor as a Republican in 1994 and describes himself as a pro-life Orthodox Christian.

Instead, anti-Whiteclay activists argue their goal was to end exploitation of the reservation's Oglala Lakota people and fight the public drunkenness, violence and sexual assault taking place in Whiteclay itself.

It's also "morally unacceptable" for those businesses to have knowingly fed addictions that make people unable to provide for themselves, Jacobsen said.

"I saw this as a pro-life issue. Pro-life is not just about the child in the womb. It's about the quality of life for all people."

Before the Whiteclay beer stores closed, Jacobsen reached out to about 20 churches in the Sheridan County area, trying to rally local religious opposition to the stores. It was a tough sell: Those pastors and parishioners know the beer store owners, and were reluctant to go against them.

While Jacobsen was meeting with churches in Sheridan County, Grasz was talking about Whiteclay on the radio.

Grasz's daily radio show, recorded at Nebraska Family Alliance's office in Lincoln, airs on 20 Christian stations across the state. He also has a weekly Sunday show on a conservative talk station in Omaha.

"We think it's wrong to prey on people's addictions, especially at the expense of innocent women and children," Grasz told the Journal Star this month.

Issue reached tipping point

Nebraska Family Alliance has been involved in efforts to end Whiteclay beer sales before, but the issue reached a tipping point in the past year when "key players" began to act, Grasz said.

State Attorney General Doug Peterson's office went beyond defending the Liquor Commission's decision to close the stores, pursuing its own legal case against them. Gov. Pete Ricketts also called together a task force on Whiteclay issues, which has since disbanded.

Now South Dakota needs to step up, Grasz said.

"We really see closing the beer stores as a starting point and not the finish line," he said.

One of Grasz's aunts is an Oglala Lakota woman, born on Pine Ridge. At a wedding earlier this month, she hugged him and thanked him.

"Nate Grasz's Sunday radio program, along with his testimony before a legislative committee last spring, allowed us to reach Nebraskans that we might not have otherwise reached," said John Maisch, a former Oklahoma liquor regulator who filmed a documentary critical of Whiteclay alcohol sales.

And the attorney general, who drove to Omaha in summer 2016 to watch a screening of Maisch's documentary, appeared "genuinely moved," Maisch said, particularly by the story of Nora Bosem, a South Dakota woman who has fostered more than 160 children with fetal alcohol-spectrum disorder.

"I think it speaks to how important the decision was not to let one organization or one political party own the issue of Whiteclay, at least since I got involved four years ago," Maisch said.

"Today, everyone seems to want to take credit for closing Whiteclay's beer stores, but the fact is that it was really a handful of people, along with the prayers of many, that closed the stores."

Usually Nebraska Family Alliance and Pansing Brooks are at odds, sparring over issues such as abortion access and protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

"When there are issues that we do agree on, a lot can be done," Grasz said.
What does Lori Loughlin have to do with the Broad street sign commemorating the "war for southern independence?" More than you might think.
New strategy for Infosys by October, says Nandan Nilekani.

New chairman's other priorities: Hiring CEO, reviewing Panaya probe reports.

Ayan Pramanik and Raghu Krishnan report from Bengaluru.

Nandan Nilekani, Infosys' new non-executive chairman, has set his sights on creating a long-term governance structure in the company while focusing on short-term measures such as hiring a chief executive officer and building a business strategy for growth in a challenging environment.



Nilekani did not give details about the future strategy, apart from saying it would be made public in October.



Nilekani hit the ground running on his second day in office by appointing executive search firm Egon Zehnder to look for former CEO Vishal Sikka's replacement, naming independent director D N Prahlad chairman of EdgeVerve Ltd, and committing to a broad-based engagement with all stakeholders, including the founders.



"There was nobody else," Nilekani told reporters laughing, about his return to the country's second-largest information technology firm, whose reputation and market worth took a hit after months of acrimonious battle between the company's board and its founders.



Backed by institutional shareholders, founders and employees, Nilekani also pointed that he was a consensus builder who had the ability to manage complex and fluid situations, and cited the work he had done on the Aadhaar project.

"I would like to believe that I am here not just as a founder. As you know I was CEO of this company and retired from that position 10 years back and in 2009, I was invited by the (then) prime minister Manmohan Singh to take a job in the government in the right of a Cabinet minister to do one of the world's most sophisticated technology projects  Aadhaar."



"It has given over a billion people an identity and which is the fundamental basis for India's transformation," he said.



Nilekani, 62, who co-founded Infosys when he was 26 with N R Narayana Murthy and six others, tweeted that life had come full circle on his return.



"I will stay as long as necessary. I will go once I am no longer necessary," he said, indicating that this time around he had plans to fix gaps in Infosys governance, its relationship with Murthy, and the company's long-term business strategy.



"The other goal is to talk about the relationship with Mr Murthy who is a very valued and iconic founder and the father of corporate governance in India... he has made extraordinary contributions to India," he said.



The Infosys board, which had accused Murthy last week of forcing Sikka to resign, a fallout of the public spat over governance concerns between the company founder and the board, went back on the statement under Nilekani's leadership.



Murthy first raised concerns over a year ago about the severance pay to former CFO Rajiv Bansal after he objected to the acquisition of Panaya, an Israeli technology firm.



The year-long public spat led to Sikka's resignation. Chairman R Seshasayee and two independent directors also quit subsequently.



The board admitted that it was 'unfortunate that various differences of opinion have arisen between Mr Murthy and the board in the recent past' and 'wishes to express that it was not its intention to cause Mr Murthy or any other affected person any personal distress or anguish while stating its point of view.'



Nilekani said he would look at the investigation report that went into the Panaya acquisition, dispassionately and take appropriate action, but did not set a timeline.

Soon after he took over, Nilekani held one-on-one interactions with senior leaders, including Interim CEO and MD U B Pravin Rao, Chief Financial Officer M D Ranganath, Merger and Acquisitions Head Deepak Padaki, and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Ravi Kumar S.



He has formed a small 'strategic group' to decide on the next strategy.



Driving the strategy would be Ravi Venkatesan, who remains as independent director, and Prahlad, chairman of EdgeVerve and an independent director. They will present their report to the board in October.



Nilekani also sought an update on each business, including the plans by former CEO Sikka, the targets set and where these plans stood in terms of execution or generating revenue.



He also gave a glimpse of his strategy when he talked of enormous opportunities to help traditional companies that have been disrupted from players like Ola, Uber, Netflix and Tesla.



He said he was also open to adopting the vision of Sikka, who had pushed Infosys to become a software plus services firm than being a pure IT services firm.



"I will ensure there are no discordant voices in the company, and everyone is on the same page. I want Infosys to be a board-managed company, with a board that will practise the highest standards of corporate governance," he said.



Nilekani is hopeful that the challenges Infosys faces are transient.



"One thing I have learnt from my time earlier at Infosys and at Aadhaar, and now, is that if you are able to deliver, everything else is insignificant," he said.



This is the second time a founder has returned to Infosys to sort out its mess after Murthy came back in 2013 to reboot confidence among employees and customers, before he handed over the baton to Sikka in 2014.



That seemed to be a short-lived experiment due to culture clash and the subsequent concerns over governance standards.



Nilekani did not give a time frame for his second stint at Infosys.

Vishal Sikka blames Narayana Murthy's 'sniping' for his exit





Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka has hit out at his predecessor N R Narayana Murthy, blaming 'sniping' from the co-founder of India's second-largest information technology services company for his abrupt resignation.



In an interview with the Financial Times, Sikka said his efforts to reshape the company would have been 'difficult if everybody was supporting it, but if the founder goes up against that then it becomes impossible.'



FT quoted Sikka as saying that he felt undermined by criticism from Murthy, who had complained of an erosion in Infosys' values of transparency and humility.



Sikka wondered what one could do if an iconic founder was questioning governance and questioning the value system in the wrong way. He added that the lesson he learnt at Infosys was that the founder's influence was very strong.

Nilekani at Infosys: Half the battle won, say analysts



Vishal Chhabria & Ujjval Jauhari report from Mumbai and New Delhi

The Street has taken Nandan Nilekani's appointment as Infosys' new non-executive chairman positively.



Talk of Nilekani re-joining Infosys was doing the rounds and reflected on the stock, which closed 2 per cent higher at Rs 912.50 on Friday, August 25, on the BSE.



Nilekani's appointment, experts said, was positive as it would help reduce uncertainties that had arisen due to the tussle between former board members and co-founder N R Narayana Murthy.



Nilekani, also a co-founder and former CEO, is seen as having strong understanding of Infosys and deep insights into the global IT services industry.



"Milekani joining the Infosys board is positive for the company in the near-term as the move will pacify concerns that would have erupted if an outsider were appointed," G Chokkalingam, founder and managing director, Equinomics Research and Advisory, said.



"Resolution of issues will be faster and will lead to a smoother transition as and when a new CEO joins."



"Finally, there is some positive news flow for Infosys with Nilekani's joining leading to near-term benefits," A K Prabhakar, head of research, IDBI Capital, said. "He will be able to resolve the differences between the board and the founders."



But that is only half the battle, say experts.



The bigger challenge is to bring in a new CEO who will drive the business and turn the firm into a leader it once was.



"With the sweeping changes that have taken place in Infosys' board, one can expect a cessation of hostilities between the founders and the board. However, Nilekani's return is in a non-executive role and he needs to expedite the search for a CEO whose command over emerging technological trends equals that of Sikka," said Ajay Bodke, CEO and chief portfolio manager, portfolio management services, Prabhudas Lilladher.



The Infosys brand has suffered in the recent past due to the public tussle between some board members and Murthy.



Nilekani has a tough job on hand of restoring confidence of stakeholders and getting the business on the fast track.



"The damage that has been afflicted on the brand can only be restored if the company introspects and makes genuine attempts to regain its place in the Indian corporate world," Bodke said.



A new CEO would hold the key to growth in new tech, which was necessary for the firm to get back to industry growth rates, Prabhakar added.

B G Srinivas, 3 others in fray for Infosys top job



Ayan Pramanik reports from Bengaluru.

Former Infosys executive B G Srinivas, interim Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer U B Pravin Rao, Deputy Chief Operating Officer Ravi Kumar S, and head of BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance), health care and life sciences Mohit Joshi could be candidates for Infosys CEO, said people familiar with the development.



Srinivas, who was in the reckoning for the top job before Vishal Sikka took over as the first non-founder chief executive of Infosys, is group managing director at PCCW Group, the holding company of Hong Kong Telecom. He left Infosys in 2014 as president, global markets.



Nandan Nilekani, Infosys co-founder who returned to the company as chairman, said the board could look at internal and external candidates and Infosys alumni for the next CEO.

Infosys has appointed executive recruitment firm Egon Zehnder to work with the nominations and remunerations committee to identify the right candidate.



Analysts said the Indian information technology services major would have to wait to attract external candidates until it had a strong board and there was clarity on the founders' feud with the board.



Nilekani, who joined the as the non-executive and non-independent chairman of the board, claimed he had been consensually invited by the founders and investors. This arguably gives the company a good start for the CEO search.



A person familiar with the developments added Anand Swaminathan, senior vice-president and head, high-tech, Infosys, could be elevated to a role similar to that of Ravi Kumar S or Mohit Joshi.



Nilekani said bringing stability and looking for a CEO were his two key priorities.

"We are confident that we will have a large pool of internal and external candidates. In the last few hours I have received many mails and we are looking for the right candidate," Nilekani said.



With Infosys' experiment with an external CEO mired by cultural differences, two former Infosys executives said "reaching out to alumni could be a better option at this juncture."

Nilekani to build confidence, say employees

Ayan Pramanik reports from Bengaluru.

Employees have lauded co-founder Nandan Nilekani's appointment as chairman of the company's board.



Many employees said even though work processes would not see any major difference, Nilekani's taking over provided them peace of mind.



Employees across all levels said what mattered were the bigger tasks of implementing client ideas.



Nilekani said he would hold discussions with customers, employees and stakeholders.



"I see my role as a holistic one," he added.



"Once the management issues are sorted out and Nilekani brings stability, we expect to hear good news on increments and variable benefits. It will not make much of a difference in terms of work," said a senior Infosys employee.



Infosys has taken up a few initiatives to boost employee morale.



Pravin Rao, the interim chief executive officer, wrote to employees seeking support to continue the company's transformation.



Infosys also posted a video on Facebook carrying messages of employees.



Some said it was business as usual and one message said, 'If they focus on deliverables we have a better tomorrow.'



'Nilekani's return will bring back confidence across all levels and on the client front. His leadership should strengthen things,' another senior employee said.



"I was praying that Nilekani comes back. He is probably one of the most intelligent leaders I have interacted with during my stint at Infosys. He has a remarkable track record with Aadhaar and many other things," said George Varghese, chief executive, ET Marlabs.

IMAGE: Nandan Nilekani, left, with Bill Gates.
The Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Community Party of India-Marxist have all called for the resignation of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar following the violence that broke out after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim on Friday.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar should be sacked for his governments complete failure in controlling the violence following Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction in a rape case.

There has been a transcended failure of governance, the Congress leader said, adding, the Haryana governments inability to maintain law and order in a situation of predictable chaos was to be blamed.

The lack of management of predictable crowd violence, where anyone could see people gathering with weapons in advance of the verdict is the major reason behind what has happened, Tharoor said.

Ultimately it is the chief minister and his cabinet who are responsible for the law and order situation in the state. It is a complete failure of the government and the CM should be sacked for it, he added.

Why wasnt any action taken first under Section 144? Why, for example, were all gatherings not prohibited? Why was there no preventive deployment of armed police on the streets? All of these are such obvious questions to be asked.

To my mind this has been a transcended failure of governance.

The CPI-M too demanded that Haryana Chief Minister Khattar be immediately sacked in view of the large-scale.

The party also demanded dissolution of the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

Despite having knowledge and widespread apprehension of trouble and violence, the BJP government and the chief minister of Haryana did not take adequate preventive measures. This serious dereliction of duty by the state government created a situation of complete breakdown of law and order, the CPI-M politburo said in a statement.

Citing media reports that the chief minister and BJP legislators had visited Singh to seek his blessings, the CPI-M said this reflected sympathetic manner in which the saffron party sought to deal with the situation.

This is the third occasion when the BJP-led state government has failed to protect the lives of innocent people and damage of public and private properties.

Clearly the state government in Haryana has lost its authority to continue. The state government and the chief minister cannot remain in office and the chief minister must be immediately sacked, the party demanded.

BSP president Mayawati also voiced a similar complaint, saying such shameful surrender to votebank politics needed to be condemned.

In a statement, she expressed deep anguish over the loss of lives. The Khattar government should be immediately dismissed for its absolute laxity and involvement leading to large-scale violence after the conviction of the Dera Sacha Sauda chief on rape charges, Mayawati said.

This kind of shameful surrender for politics of vote needed to be condemned by all, she said.
North Korea on Saturday launched three ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, United States military officials said, dispelling President Donald Trumps indication that a deal could be struck with Pyongyang to contain its rapidly expanding nuclear weapons programme.

The US Pacific Command said the missiles appeared to be short-range. The first and second missiles failed in flight and the third appears to have blown up almost immediately.

It said the North American Aerospace Defence Command determined the missile launches did not pose a threat to Guam, which the North previously warned it would target if provoked.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation.

North Korea last month fired intercontinental missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, triggering heightened rhetoric from both the sides.

Trump had warned of fire and fury and ramped up his rhetoric days later, saying maybe that statement wasnt tough enough.

But the US president this week indicated that a deal could be struck with North Korea over its nuclear weapons programme. His comments had come soon after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Norths regime has demonstrated some level of restraint in recent days, that weve not seen in the past.

Tillerson had hoped that this could be the beginning of the signal from Pyongyang the US had been looking for.

Saturdays missiles launches, though failed, reignite the possibility of increasing tensions in the peninsula.

They come during a joint military exercise between the US and South Korea. The two countries say the annual military exercise is defensive but Pyongyang condemns it as hostile, and even as a rehearsal for invasion.

In response to the ICBM launches in July, the UN Security Council unanimously imposed new sanctions on North Korea on August 5.

Image: A North Korean soldier salutes to his senior soldier. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
Tropical storm Harvey, the most powerful hurricane to hit the United States mainland in 12 years, on Saturday made landfall in central Texas coast with winds of 195 kmph, taking aim at the states oil refining industry and knocking out power in more than two lakh homes.

IMAGE: A group of people race across the street as winds from Hurricane Harvey escalated in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

The National Hurricane Centre said Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port OConnor in Texas, the US state where roughly 17 per cent of Americas crude oil output and nearly half of the countrys refining capacity is located.

Houston, the most populous city in Texas, is home to the countrys largest refinery and petrochemical complex.

The storm, a Category 4 hurricane which was later downgraded to Category 1, had maximum sustained winds of 195 kmph. Resulting floodwaters were expected to reach 6 to 12 feet above ground level along the coast.

IMAGE: A tree is seen knocked sideways during the passing of Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas. The storm was first stated as Category 4 and then brought down to Category 1. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Harvey has impacted the Electric Reliability Council of Texas electric system, with 250,000 customers without power.

It is the most powerful hurricane to hit the US mainland since 2005. Its effects could linger for days, with heavy rainfall through next week estimated to 40 inches in some areas.

Millions of residents along the south Texas coast saw hurricane-force winds that uprooted trees and power poles.

IMAGE: Stewart Adams, of San Marcos, Texas, plays in the winds from Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

They had frantically stocked up on food, water and gas, while others heading out of the storms path boarded up windows and doors of their homes and businesses.

Airlines cancelled flights, schools were shuttered while concerts and other events in Houston and other coastal cities were postponed.

Thousands of cruise ship customers waited offshore until their vessels were able to dock safely.

At least 15,000 people aboard three Carnival Cruise Line ships scheduled to return to Galveston this weekend were delayed or detoured due to the hurricane.

IMAGE: Traffic lights lie on a street after being knocked down, as Hurricane Harvey approaches in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said the city was expecting a lot of rain, not too much wind. Lets assume there will be a lot of rain. The rain could come out of the bayou and overcome our capabilities.

Harvey is the first natural disaster faced by the Donald Trump administration.

Before the landfall, Trump signed a disaster proclamation for Texas, freeing up federal funds for assistance. He tweeted that he had spoken with the governors of Texas and Louisiana and was here to assist as needed.

IMAGE: A storm chaser films himself on a camera phone as Hurricane Harvey approaches, on the boardwalk in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters

Earlier in the day, Texas Governor Greg Abbott had asked Trump to pre-emptively declare Harvey a major disaster in order to speed federal aid.

We can obviously tell already at this stage this is going to be a very major disaster, Abbot said, as more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were activated. Were going to be dealing with really record-setting flooding in multiple regions.

IMAGE: A sign blows in the wind after being partially torn from its frame by winds from Hurricane Harvey. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Highways leading from coastal areas were jammed as authorities issued urgent warnings to hundreds of thousands of residents to flee. Some highways were to be turned into one-way roads to speed the exodus from the storm zone.

A day before, oil and gas companies scrambled to prepare for Harvey, which developed so quickly in the Gulf of Mexico that many of them didnt have time to respond.

IMAGE: A person is hit by a wave churned up by approaching Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas.Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Royal Dutch Shell shut down and evacuated its 22-well Perdido oil and gas hub, the deepest floating oil platform in the world, the company said.

Other major companies, including ExxonMobil and Anadarko, also began scaling back production.

IMAGE: Debris is seen on the sidewalk during the passing of Hurricane Harvey in Corpus Christi, Texas. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Oil analysts predict it could take more than three weeks for refineries in its path to resume normal operations.
Although York County and its county seat in the city of York are well known, only few know of the legal shenanigans surrounding the city of New York, Nebraska, and how the temperance question entered the picture and ultimately won it the site of a college.

The first settler in what later would be separated from then Seward County and become York County was probably John Anderson whose homestead was in West Blue Township. In anticipation of the railroad, the South Platte Land Co., a division of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, platted the city of York in October 1869. During the summer of the following year, A.M. Ghost and a Mr. Sherwood erected a frame pre-emption cabin on the site as a requirement for filing a homestead. That August the York post office opened. The entire town consisted of the pre-emption cabin and a sod house just south of the public square on the plat map.

With a county population of 640, York County was separated from Seward County and on April 6, 1870, the first election was held. With 86 votes cast, York was chosen as the county seat. The Town Plat Company donated 200 lots for the countys use, while the Ghost home became the courthouse and the pre-emption cabin was converted to the citys first store.

Some of the countys lots were sold to raise $1,500 for a courthouse. The first small school was built in 1871. That spring the Midland Pacific Railroad proposed building a line connecting the cities of York and Seward but the voters did not approve the necessary bonds. The new frame, two-story courthouse with an outside stairway connecting to the second-floor courtroom was completed on the public square in 1872. In 1874, a second Midland Pacific bond request was approved.

The city of York grew rapidly, allowing it to incorporate as a village in 1875 with a population of 200. The population reached 600 just two years later, instituting its reincorporation as a city of second class. The growth spurt partially was due to the Midland Pacific brand of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroads opening in August 1877.

The temperance question arose in spring 1876 when an application was filed for a saloon license. The city board then consisted of five members with three against the proposition and two in favor.

F.J. Greer, at first a temperance advocate, threatened to vote for the license in a pique over a school question surrounding his son. Greer surreptitiously was lured out of town when a vote was anticipated. Threats between two councilmen then erupted nearly culminating in blows. Finally, both factions threatened to burn the houses of their rivals. Ultimately, cooler heads prevailed on both sides and temperance won the day.

Then the railroad arrived, running in a southwest to northeast arc north of Yorks northern boundary with the depot grounds outside the city limits.

The land north of York was owned by a Mr. Wooley who saw a great opportunity. In March, he platted the ambitiously large city of New York. The 48-square block plat of New York had wider streets with totally different names and much larger blocks than Yorks, meaning that streets did not line up between the two. The railroad depot on Broadway, which turned into Lincoln Street in York, was in New York.

A strip of land about 150 feet wide and the railroads right-of-way divided the two cities with the strip identified on maps as inter urbes or terra incognito. It usually was referred to as the dead line or no mans land. In March 1880, New York -- even in a different township -- was incorporated and elected a town board, clerk and treasurer in April, allowing it to immediately issue saloon licenses.

The city of York wasted no time in lining up $1,500 as a war chest to defeat the upstart New York saloons. A veritable blizzard of lawsuits followed, engineered by Mr. Creelman. They dragged New York into a string of Justice of the Peace and District Courts and at least in one event resulted in a serious physical altercation between the sides. The fight's result was that it simply became too expensive for New York to pursue its saloon plans. As the New York alcohol question faltered, the city simply gave up and in 1884 quietly became a part of York.

York built an elaborate new courthouse on the public square in 1886 at a cost of $60,000. Noted as being with one exception the finest ... in Nebraska, the 70-by-100-foot, brick and stone edifice featured an all oak interior. In August 1890, principally because York proudly boasted having no saloons, the United Brethren Church established York College there.

York continued to prosper and in 1903 claimed two banks, several hotels, four elevators, two flouring mills and The Teller, a Bryan Democrat paper.

By 1910, the census reported the population at 6,500 and noted York was served by three railroads: the Burlington; Kansas City & Omaha and the Chicago & North Western.

Today, the Baer Furniture Company, established by Charles Baer in 1879, is one of the oldest businesses in Nebraska still operating under the same name while Yorks population is at a new peak of more than 8,000.
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Saturday castigated the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deadly violence that erupted in the state, saying it had surrendered before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for political considerations.

At a special hearing, a full Bench of the court minced no words in slamming the chief minister for protecting the Dera followers and extending political patronage to them.

The court observed that the Bharatiya Janata Party government seemed to have surrendered before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda for political considerations.

This was a political surrender to allure vote bank, it observed, a day after Dera followers went on a rampage across Haryana following the conviction of the self-styled godman in a rape case by a court in Panchkula.

Thirty-two people have died so far and over 250 are injured, with curfew being imposed at several places.

The Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice S Singh Saron, Justice Avneesh Jhingan and Justice Surya Kant, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by a Panchkula resident who had raised law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district earlier despite prohibitory orders.

The high court also took note of Khattars statement on Friday in which he blamed anti-social elements for the violence, which also spilled over into neighbouring Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.

After the CBI court verdict, you immediately came to know that anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers, but how is it that you failed to take note when large number of Dera followers arrived in Panchkula, the Bench pointed out.

The large-scale build up of Dera followers in Panchkula and the lack of action to evict them was a political surrender, it said.

The court also restrained the Dera from transferring, selling or leasing out its properties, while directing it to submit a list of its movable and immovable assets.

It asked the Punjab and Haryana governments to submit their plans on avoiding such situations in the future and directed the deputy commissioners across Punjab and Haryana to invite claims for compensation for any losses suffered due to the violence.

The state government was asked to inform the Bench about any plans to sanitise the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

The court also came down heavily on the BJP government for misleading it by furnishing wrong information on the number of vehicles in the Dera heads convoy when he was travelling to the court in Panchkula from Sirsa.

The Dera chief, who earlier had Z category security, travelled in a huge convoy of vehicles which had his security guards and several followers.

The court also asked Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan whether cabinet ministers Ram Bilas Sharma and Anil Vij had each sanctioned grants of Rs 50 lakh to the Dera.

Punjab Advocate General Atul Nanda submitted in the court that there were 51 incidents in the state with 39 FIRs being registered. Nineteen people have been arrested including one Gurdev Singh, a state-level office bearer of Dera Sacha Sauda, he said.

Haryana Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan submitted that there have been 32 casualties in the state, 28 of which were from Panchkula. He said that out of the 28 bodies, one has been identified.

As many as 524 people have been arrested in Panchkula, he said. Twenty-four vehicles, five pistols with 79 rounds, and 2 rifles with 52 rounds were recovered, he submitted before the court.

Besides, iron rods, canes, hockey sticks and ten petrol bombs were also seized, he said.

The court asked the government to verify a report carried in a regional daily that alleged that five Dera leaders had instigated and mobilised followers.

The Bench directed the registration of an FIR against the instigators if the reporter stood by his report.

The court had on Friday asked the Dera to submit the list of assets and properties which can be attached in case it is found that they and their followers are responsible for damaging properties.

The next hearing will be held on August 29.

Image: A bike burns in the violence following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction in Panchkula. Photograph: PTI Photo
Dear Mr. President:

On behalf of 67 undersigned U.S.-based Sudanese and American human rights organizations, faith-based organizations and leading advocates, we write out of concern about the possibility of the United States permanently lifting sanctions on Sudan.

Since the sanctions decision was postponed until Oct. 12, we ask you to use the time to clearly test whether the government of Sudan has fundamentally changed its ways, or if it is merely agreeing to minimal changes that it can easily reverse.

As you know, the government of Sudan is led by Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. Since Bashir seized power in 1989, millions of Sudanese have been violently displaced from their homes, and millions have died due to attacks, untreated diseases and malnutrition.

Bashir has destroyed the institutions, economy and culture of Sudan and stamped out basic freedoms and human rights, while personally profiting from the revenue generated by Sudans natural resources. Bashir has welcomed terrorists to Sudan and encouraged the spread of a violent, extreme Islamist ideology that is responsible for attacks on the United States.

Bashir and his government have not changed. The government of Sudan continues to attack civilians, refuses to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need, maintains support for terrorist networks, persecutes Christians and other religious minorities and denies human rights to political opposition, civil society and marginalized people throughout the country.

The Obama administration frequently expressed grave concerns but pursued a policy of engagement, employing conciliatory diplomacy rather than confronting the regime in Sudan with consequences for genocide and crimes against humanity.

Over the last eight years, Sudans President Bashir and the ruling National Congress Party have learned that there are few or no real consequences for their actions. They have learned that they can ignore international demands while making no real changes to the policies that earned it international condemnation.

We ask that you make a clear break from President Obamas failed policy on Sudan. An improved U.S. policy on Sudan does not begin with reducing the pressure of economic sanctions, but rather with setting clear and high performance goals that include dramatic improvements in respect for human rights and civilian protection and a complete end to blocking humanitarian aid.

To evaluate what changes are truly underway in Sudan, U.S. officials must be able to travel throughout Sudan unaccompanied and unhindered by the Sudanese government. Real change, in addition to critical needs on the ground, can only be assessed independently and in partnership with credible international NGOs to serve as interlocutors.

The burden of proof of real change is on the Sudan government. Sudans failure to cooperate with the United States on even this basic requirement indicates a level of insincerity that does not fool the suffering people of Sudan and should not deceive your administration.

We urge you to ensure that strong pressures are brought to bear on the government of Sudan until it ends its support of terrorism, ends its wars against its people and demonstrates positive actions that clearly and significantly improve the lives of all Sudanese.

Lifting sanctions prematurely and allowing a genocidal government access to financial resources is dangerous and it puts Sudanese, Americans and others at considerable and unnecessary risk.
Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
In his Monday speech on Afghanistan, President Trump admitted something hes rarely faced up to: Decisions are much different when you are president than in the heat of a campaign.

The presidents original instinct, expressed repeatedly over the years, was to pull any remaining troops out of Afghanistan. The American public is understandably tired of Americas longest war that has dragged on for nearly 16 years. There are no good military options in sight.

Yet after a policy review that dragged on for seven months and bitterly divided the White House, the president finally faced up to grim reality: A full retreat from Afghanistan meant al-Qaeda and ISIS would find havens again as the Taliban seized more swaths of the country.

So Trump finally went with the advice of his generals, including National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, to boost the current 4,000 troops by a rumored 4,000 (some of the brass wanted more).

Needless to say, those numbers alone dont offer promise of reversing the current Taliban resurgence. But Trumps new policy, while vague and marked by some glaring holes, contained several shifts in direction that could make a difference on the ground.

Lets call those directional shifts the four Nos.

The first No is no deadline for troop withdrawal. President Obama made a huge error when he surged troops in Afghanistan in 2009 but announced in advance the date for their pullout. The Taliban just waited him out, as did Afghanistans mischief-making neighbor Pakistan (see below).

Given the small number of U.S. troops  and their primary role as trainers  it makes more sense to see their presence as part of a long-term investment in order to prevent a terrorist resurgence. Their presence also reminds regional neighbors Iran, Russia, India and Pakistan that America is still paying attention.

The second No refers to no more efforts at nation-building. We tried that and failed.

The few thousand remaining U.S. troops will focus on training Afghan special operations forces and commandos, and, learning from lessons in Iraq, on calling in air and artillery strikes to support Afghans. This is how a limited number of U.S. troops helped the Iraqi army finally defeat ISIS in Mosul.

The third No is the apparent veto of a bizarre idea that the president toyed with: to hire Eric Prince, founder of the notorious Blackwater private contractor outfit that shot up Baghdad, to lead a mercenary force replacing U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Most important is the fourth No: No more havens for Afghan Taliban in Pakistan. The Pakistani military and intelligence services have long played a double game, warring on Pakistani Taliban that attack their own military and civilians while giving safe haven to Afghan Taliban leaders and fighters. The Pakistanis have also hosted other Islamist terrorists that attack India, and, harbored Osama bin Laden for years.

Islamabad plays this double game because it views the Afghan Taliban and other terrorist groups as vital tools in its endless struggle against India. Both the Bush and Obama administrations tried fruitlessly to persuade Pakistan with financial carrots to shut down these terrorist safe havens.

McMaster is known to have sought a tougher line on Pakistan. And Trump proclaimed, We can no longer be silent about Pakistani safe havens for terrorists. The success of any Trump policy on Afghanistan may depend on whether his team can figure out how to change Pakistans behavior.

Which brings me to the big holes in Trumps strategy.

The president paid lip service to diplomacy, saying his policy would integrate all instruments of American power. But the troubled State Department has been denuded of expertise on South Asia, and the presidents words made clear his skepticism about diplomatic efforts.

Trump repeatedly promised to win in Afghanistan and called for outright victory. Afghanistans history shows that victory within its borders is a dubious hope.

Ultimately, the point of military progress in Afghanistan would be to provide muscle behind a diplomatic push in the region  aimed at persuading all of Afghanistans neighbors that its stability was in their interests and that they should stop backing factions on its soil.

Short of that, the best U.S. hope may be to prevent ISIS or al-Qaeda from establishing new bases, which will require a long-term U.S. presence and focus. Continued bluster about swift and outright victory will only make Americans antsy.

Afghanistan is Trumps war now, and it will require the kind of long-range thinking he hasnt demonstrated up until now.
On Friday, about a thousand people gathered in Richmond to celebrate a church leader who began in Philadelphia, spent time in Rome and was entombed in the crypt of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart by Monroe Park.

The funeral service for the Most Rev. Francis Xavier DiLorenzo, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, attracted scores of church leaders and laypeople along with family and friends who traveled from across the country to pay their respects. Former Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Catholic, sat near the front of the pews at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.

Paul DiLorenzo, speaking at the funeral Mass, recalled that Bishop DiLorenzo, his older brother, once said that if a poor person did not feel comfortable in his home, then he had failed as a bishop.

He was among those close to Bishop DiLorenzo who reflected on how the conservative reputation he garnered, given his stances on such issues as abortion rights and gay and lesbian Catholics, did not do justice to a man they remember for his intellect and good humor.

Though he is described as conservative in his approach, that really shortchanges the fact that he did some very progressive things when it came to social services, education, immigration and his absolute abhorrence for clergy who have taken advantage of children, the younger DiLorenzo said.

Monsignor Walter Barrett said before the service that Bishop DiLorenzo had been more of a centrist who celebrated diversity than a pious traditionalist.

He saw the Catholic Church as a huge umbrella where theres room for everyone, Barrett said.

Barrett said the first church Bishop DiLorenzo dedicated after he was appointed to be the 12th bishop of Richmond in 2004 was the African-American church Holy Rosary in Church Hill, and the last one was Our Lady of Vietnam Parish in Hampton. Barrett recalled Bishop DiLorenzos ability to keep people on the edge of their seats with his wide-ranging homilies peppered with zingers.

The laughter sprinkled throughout the service reflected the trademark humor of Bishop DiLorenzo, who died Aug. 17 in a Henrico County hospital at the age of 75.

He was self-deprecating, which kept him humble, Paul DiLorenzo said. He wouldnt be embarrassed to tell you that when he was a little kid, my mother bought him clothes in the husky department.

Friend and colleague the Most Rev. Joseph A. Pepe, bishop of Las Vegas, gave the homily for the funeral Mass.

Bishop Pepe described Bishop DiLorenzo as a man who was bigger than life, with an appetite for lifes smaller moments. The two bishops studied theology together in Rome, where they enjoyed bus trips around the city, meals of pasta and moviegoing.

That was Frank, Bishop Pepe said. He enjoyed those moments.

Pepe said all of the souvenir sellers at the Trevi Fountain in Rome greeted Bishop DiLorenzo with calls of Francesco! Francseco!

They loved him, Pepe said. He would take the time to express his concern and love for them.

In addition to Bishop DiLorenzos gregariousness, he possessed an intellect that his peers admired, Pepe said.

The Las Vegas bishop chose to illustrate Bishop DiLorenzos character with a reading from Romans that says, For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. So whether we live or die, we are the Lords.
A woman was shot multiple times early Saturday in downtown Richmond, according to police.

The shooting appeared to take place in a parking lot on East Franklin Street between Fourth and Fifth streets.

Witnesses reported hearing 15 to 20 gunshots, said Capt. Emmett Williams of the Richmond Police Department.

Police received a call at 2:04 a.m. about a shooting in the 100 block of North Fifth Street. The victim had been shot multiple times and was taken to VCU Medical Center, Williams said.

The victims wounds were initially considered life-threatening, but police said Saturday afternoon that she is expected to recover.

Police have no suspect and no motive, Williams said.
Jacob OConnor saw his baby brothers shoe floating in the pool first.

Then he saw his body.

It had been just a week since the 10-year-old Michigan boy last watched his favorite movie, San Andreas, an action drama that stars Dwayne The Rock Johnson rescuing his family from two hours of tragedy  an earthquake, a tsunami and, most relevant to Jacob, a near-drowning.

Johnsons character pulls his unconscious daughter from floodwaters and gives her CPR, first in a collapsing building, then in a boat. Finally, she spits up water.

So as Jacob pulled his 2-year-old brother, Dylan, from the pool and laid him on the deck, his mind channeled The Rock.

The movie just popped up in my head and I started thinking about that scene, said Jacob, of Roseville, Mich. And thats when I started doing the compressions.

For half a minute, Jacob said he pushed and pushed until Dylans heart started pumping. And then, just like The Rocks daughter, Jacobs brother vomited a little water.

Now, a month later, Dylan has fully recovered and Jacob is being hailed a hero  by his family, local law enforcement and The Rock himself.

Youre a real life hero, The Rock wrote in one of four tweets about Jacobs actions. Were all proud of you!

After the boys mother, Christa OConnor, shared details of the July 25 incident with her hometown newspaper, the Roseville-Eastpointe Eastsider, Jacobs story has been published across the country and the world.

Jacob, a rising fifth-grader, isnt so sure about all the fanfare. When asked if he feels like a hero, the boy responded with a kind of.

But Fire Chief Michael Holland is more certain.

What an amazing thing, at 10 years old, to think in that stressful situation about what the right thing to do for your younger brother is  thats stunning, Holland told C&G Newspaper.

On the day of the incident, Jacob was in between episodes of Lego Ninjago with his brothers when he realized 2-year-old Dylan was gone  and the door to the backyard was wide open.

Moments before, the toddler had been dancing in the kitchen, waiting for his grandmother to put him down for a nap. Jacob was keeping an eye on him. But somehow, the boy said, Dylan managed to open the sliding door and get in the pool.

After giving Dylan chest compressions, Jacob ran inside to retrieve his grandmother, Ellen Viau. She resumed CPR on the toddler and called 911.

OConnor was at work, cleaning a mansion 45 minutes away, when she learned what had happened. Viau, her mother, called from the ambulance as it sped toward St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit. At the hospital, she found Dylan lying in bed on oxygen with two IVs hooked up to his arm.

I lost it, she said. I bawled my eyes out.

That was before she learned what Jacob had done. Once Dylan was stabilized at the hospital, OConnor went home to talk with Jacob. They sat on the front porch, and OConnor asked her eldest son where he had learned to do chest compressions.

I saw it in a movie, she remembers him saying.

What movie? she asked.

 San Andreas,  Jacob replied. With The Rock.

Dylan was discharged from the hospital the day after the incident with no apparent neurological damage, OConnor said.
CALEDONIA  A Racine man is facing what appears to be his seventh drunken driving charge after he reportedly crashed his car into another vehicle Thursday near Gifford School.

A witness reportedly told Caledonia police that he was driving east on Northwestern Avenue when a Chevrolet coupe, driven by a man later identified as Ralph H. Ricketts 43, of the 300 block of Island Avenue, pulled in front of him and began weaving in and out of its lane.

The witness said the Chevy then turned toward the Gifford entrance, 8332 Northwestern Ave., where it crossed the center line and struck another vehicle, causing significant damage.

Ricketts then exited his car, the witness told police, and reportedly stumbled and appeared intoxicated.

According to the criminal complaint, Ricketts reportedly told police that he had come from Pewaukee, where he had drank three to four beers.

At one point he reportedly told an officer that he did not believe he should be driving.

The officer attempted to conduct field sobriety tests, but Ricketts reportedly told the officer that he was unable to complete most of the tests, including the walk-and-turn test. He reportedly refused to do the one-leg stand.

A preliminary breath test conducted at the scene reportedly revealed that Ricketts had a blood alcohol level at the time of .242  more than three times the legal limit of .08.

Ricketts, who has at least six previous convictions for operating while intoxicated  the latest a 2005 conviction for OWI-causing great bodily harm  was arrested at the scene and charged on Friday with operating while intoxicated seventh, eighth or ninth offense, as a repeater. He was also charged with operating a motor vehicle while revoked.

Probable cause was found to pursue the charges against him during an initial appearance in Racine County Circuit Court on Friday.

If convicted, Ricketts, who has previously been incarcerated, could face more than 7 years in prison.

He remained in the Racine County Jail as of Friday on a $10,000 bond. He is due in Circuit Court Wednesday for a preliminary hearing.
By Ashby Bland Crowder

In 2000, when I took my son to Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, the first building we entered was Memorial Hall, which has massive bronze plaques commemorating the Bowdoin men who fought in the Civil War.

One, with many names on it, honors those who fought for the Union. But there is another, with fewer names, honoring those from the college who fought for the South.

This inclusiveness makes the memorial all the more profound because it acknowledges that good men can be on different sides, can hear the call to duty differently. Only the meanest of souls can disparage men who were willing to risk everything for what they saw as their duty.

Richmond can enlarge Monument Avenue by giving it a profound inclusiveness.

***

It is so easy in the heat of political unrest, when hearts and minds are aflame with righteous indignation, for otherwise kind and thoughtful men to dismiss honorable men of the past as villains because they did not in their time hold views consonant with prevailing notions of rectitude in the present day.

That is what is happening when Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart are branded as symbols of racism. These men, after all, lived in the mid-19th century, and surely a fair-minded person would allow that they should be viewed in the context of their time, for there can be no integrity in judging them from a 21st-century perspective.

Before the Civil War, it was not uncommon for people to hold their state in higher esteem than the United States.

This belief that the state holds ascendency in the mind of the citizen prevailed especially in Virginia, and we see this value played out in the actions of Robert E. Lee and J.E.B. Stuart.

In 1860-61,Stuart was operating on behalf of the U. S. Army in the far West and therefore was not fully informed about the stirrings of antipathy in the East. The newspapers were old by the time they reached him.

Nevertheless, he knew that Virginia had voted several times against secession, yet the final outcome remained uncertain. Stuart was a military man, not a politician, and so his solution was simple: I go with Virginia.

His devotion to Virginia was paramount: if Virginia remained in the Union, he would remain in the United States Army; if Virginia left the Union, he would resign.

Lee also, though opposed to secession, resolved to go with his native state, which represented home and not only family but the tradition of his family.

Lee wrote, If the Union is dissolved, and the Government disrupted, I shall return to my native State and share the miseries of my people, and save in defence will draw my sword on none.

***

Although it is generally agreed that the Civil War was fought to preserve slavery, slavery was surely not in the mind of Lee and Stuart as they made the most momentous decision of their lives.

For one thing, Virginias Ordinance of Secession, unlike those of other Southern states, says nothing about slavery. The Commonwealth of Virginia simply declared itself a free and independent state. Stuart did not have any slaves, and though Lees wife inherited 196 slaves, Lee himself, as executor of his father-in-laws will, freed all of those slaves by 1862.

Some he had freed before the war, and if they had wanted to go he had sent them to Liberia. Some of their letters to Lee, telling him about their new lives, managed to get through the Union blockade during the war.

Before the war, Lee had said, Slavery as an institution is a moral and political evil in any country. After the War, he said, I am rejoiced that slavery is abolished. Clearly slavery is not the issue that motivated him to lead the Army of Northern Virginia.

I am sure he believed that if the South won the war, Virginia would resume its longstanding effort to abolish slavery and that perhaps other Southern states would follow Virginias example. (From 1831 on, Virginia had periodically grappled with the abolition of slavery, but had repeatedly put off a decision to a later time.)

I go back to the Bowdoin College model for the proper way to memorialize the heroes of the past. We should honor all of those honorable men and women who did their duty in a time of crisis as they saw it to do. And we should be inclusive about it.

Therefore it is meet and right and our bounden duty to add on Monument Avenue a proper statue of Gen. George Thomas, a Virginian who saw his duty to fight admirably for the Union. As well, Richmond should add a memorial for the slaves from Virginia who fought on behalf of the Union. We need all to be brought together, not driven apart by hard positions.
In an increasingly partisan media environment, Americans have come to rely on local news to get the facts about the issues most important to their lives. Now, with the announcement of a planned $3.9 billion merger between media giants Sinclair Broadcast Group and Tribune Media, the quality news that consumers have come to expect is under unprecedented assault.

Sinclair already owns WRLH (Fox) so Richmond residents are right to be concerned about the media giants attempt to take over yet another local news station  WTVR (CBS).

Ultimately, Sinclairs quest to control the entire local television marketplace is far more worrisome than the companys well-documented record of promoting a partisan political agenda. It is a goal openly touted by Sinclairs chairman, David Smith, who has said that if he could wish for anything it would be for an instantaneous final consolidation of the industry. That objective of creating and controlling a unified media empire is sparking intense criticism from what would seem the most unlikely of opponents given Sinclairs political bent: the conservative news media.

Conservative pundits, including Newsmaxs Christopher Ruddy and The Blazes Glenn Beck, are sounding alarm bells over this merger, with Ruddy recently telling The New York Times he has very serious concerns about competition and media diversity. An even more blunt assessment was offered by Michael Fletcher, who also serves a predominantly conservative audience: To think that they (Sinclair) will have the ability to put whatever programming and content and messaging into all of those homes is, to me, a scary thought, he told The Times.

If approved, Sinclair would control 233 local television stations across the country, reaching a staggering 72 percent of U.S. households  creating the largest local TV news monopoly in American history. Thats why a coalition of individuals and organizations from across the political spectrum have joined consumer groups to oppose this deal, before media deregulation allows Sinclairs attempted monopolization of the market to take hold.

What effect will the merger have on consumers in Richmond? It means that WRLH and WTVR would have the same parent company. Experts believe this would lead to higher costs for consumers because less competition would allow Sinclair to demand higher payments from cable, satellite, and streaming television providers, which would likely be passed on to consumers.

And what would Richmond viewers get in return for increased costs? If Sinclair carries on business as it has in numerous other markets, certainly not the quality local TV news Richmond residents have come to expect from WTVR.

Sinclair has shown disdain for decision-making at the local level. Over the years, the companys management has been forceful in its demands that local stations deliver company-mandated political talking points  leading some local news reporters to protest a lack of ethics and objectivity. This admirable defense of journalistic integrity even cost Sinclairs Washington Bureau chief his job.

Important regulations that protect Americas local television news stations and viewers are being rolled back at an alarming rate  and its time for consumers to take a stand before its too late.

The Federal Communications Commission and U.S. Department of Justice are currently considering the effects this merger will have on communities across the country. Critics have weighed in about the disastrous and likely irreversible consequences this deal will have on media diversity, consumer costs, and local news content. Those concerns should not be dismissed.

This merger must be rejected.
Despite many requests, I have made no public comment about the events in Charlottesville, until now. I chose this route because I was not interested in television arguments, political correctness, or faux debates. After so many deaths  which include those of Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, Trooper Berke Bates, both of the Virginia State Police, and Heather Heyer  it is time to concentrate solely on answers and action.

Once we have come to a consensus that it is not about statues alone  and that is the sole, true answer  only then can we begin the solutions phase with a national conversation that can knit this country together. Of the many perspectives to be included in that discourse, the voices of hate and hands of violence that marred Charlottesville should not be considered equal partners, because they have nothing constructive to add.

The tragedy we saw in Emancipation Park and all around downtown Charlottesville is a stark reminder that much needs to be done in our country to heal racial divides, which have existed since 20 captive Africans were forcibly transported to Virginias soil nearly 400 years ago (in 1619) and traded like inanimate possessions (slavery having not been common until some 50 years later and not codified until 1705).

After the events of August 12, 2017, regrettably, our leaders did little to salve a national wound or lead to any resolution of an issue that has rendered itself a miasma on the American scene. It would not be hard to argue the voice from the White House helped that rankness grow ominously.

We have to come to the inescapable conclusion that the stain of slavery in America, and its foreseeable consequences, need to be discussed without anger and absent fear. Our educational system needs to be an integral part of that conversation. Schools across America have to be open for instruction about difficult facts  not near-fictional, gauzy representations of American history that do not advance society.

Let us realize certain points are not the subject of debate:

Slavery in any form is a dehumanizing institution  period.

There is nothing moral about defending slavery any place in the world.

The South began the Civil War in defense of its reliance on the enslavement of those persons brought here from Africa.

This conversation, though, cannot rely solely on schools or government. The most basic American institution, the family, also must play a vital role. In the absence of full, open, and frank discussion  beginning with our families and our schools  we will continue this centuries-old moral divide, which might lead to more unrest.

***

I recently authored the only book I have written, Son of Virginia. Its underlying point is that I am a by-product of Virginia  everything that is Virginia, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Anything less would have been incomplete.

As a boy, I attended the segregated George Mason Elementary School in Richmonds Church Hill neighborhood. That school had outdoor toilets, no cafeteria, no auditorium, no new books  but the best teachers in the world, even though they were not paid comparably to their counterparts in other schools.

Those teachers, our families, and our communities raised us to feel like complete human beings, notwithstanding the shortcomings of the emptiness of the pledge we were obliged to recite EVERY day: One nation under God, with liberty and justice for ALL.

In todays climate, there are those who sensationalize and pimp ride race, while many times furthering the divide of our nation. The teachers, families, and communities I herein reference no longer unite to demand what is right, and to criticize what is wrong. And, they do not hold those whom they elect to represent them to the degree of responsibility requisite to those ends.

***

Eighty years ago, it was generally believed that persons of color should have no authority  elected, appointed, or derived  to correct the evils of the past. Particularly in Virginia, the officials who made all decisions were not of those they governed and purported to represent.

During the last part of the 20th century, that began to change. Laws that restricted citizens from holding public office because of race have been challenged and changed.

Those who were previously unrepresented were extended the vote and a louder voice that was supposed to equal an ultimate uplift  real participation that could lead to a broader solidification of the American Dream.

Recently an advertisement appeared requesting volunteers to help paint George Mason Elementary School, so that it might be opened in September.

It might be difficult in some quarters to imagine how that made parents and students feel about their status in the community  about their grasp of the American Dream. This is going on more than 150 years after Emancipation, and more than 50 years after the country got serious about protecting the civil rights to vote and hold office. Frankly, paint is surely not the only thing the school needs to be brought to basic American standards.

Who, today, represents the parents and students of a school that needs volunteers for something as minimal as painting? There are other areas of the city where the same and similar circumstances exist.

***

Will the removal of statues change any of this, as welcome as some might find it? Will it provide our young people a more recognizable version of the American Dream?

I was criticized by leaders of both races in 1970, one month after I was sworn in as a state senator, for objecting to Carry Me Back to Ole Virginny as the state song. But, they stopped singing the song at official events and finally rendered it to the emeritus dust bin.

Shortly thereafter, I was shocked to see youngsters out in the streets when they should be in school. I then became made aware that Virginia chose to do away with the compulsory attendance laws during massive resistance and fought to have them reinstated.

I was told I was crazy when I pushed, for eight years, to make Virginia the first legislative body in the U.S. to honor Martin Luther King Jr.s birthday.

I was continually questioned and rebuked over the Arthur Ashe monument. There were critics on all sides who fought my pushing for Ashe to be honored with a statue on Monument Avenue, where it stands today.

It is clear there has been progress and that more still needs to be done. As they say, the only thing constant is change and the only thing lasting is time.

***

In all of these cited instances, sometimes critics became supporters; wholesome dialogue turned constructive. Virginians can and must have an open dialogue, the foundation of which begins with educating ourselves about our true history.

Virginians have shown the rest of the country that they are not living in the past, that they are willing to lead, and that they are always ahead of the politicians.

My election as governor of the commonwealth spoke to this point, specifically since in Virginia at the time, only about 15 percent of registered voters were African-American, one of the lowest in the Southern states. We have endeavored to move forward, but we have never really confronted our past and dealt with it honestly and openly. It is critical that we do so now.

Also, we must agree that the questions and dialogue that will bring us together cannot be answered to the satisfaction of those who brag about the American Experiment, while destroying American ideals at the same time.

The question that faces Virginia faces our entire nation ... Whither goest thou, America?
Muslim community

condemns violence

Editor, Times-Dispatch:

Last week there were two coordinated attacks at different sites in Spain, Barcelona and Cambrils. As a result, 13 are dead and more than 100 injured. As a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, I condemn the perpetrators of this violence in the strongest terms and show my solidarity with the families of the victims. The Quran unequivocally states that the killing of one soul is equal to killing all of mankind. The Holy Prophet Muhammad counted the killing of a soul among the four major sins.

Terrorism has no religion. In fact, as a counter to the narrative, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community teaches a peaceful and true Islam. The Khalifa of the community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, stated, those who seek to justify their hateful acts in the name of Islam are serving only to defame it in the worst possible way.

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association U.S. (AMYA USA) challenges radicalization and extremists claim on Islam by showing through words and deeds the true essence of Islam. The Muslim Writers Guild of America, an auxiliary of AMYA USA, published nearly 400 pieces in U.S. newsprint media in 2016 presenting the true teachings of Islam. In that same time span, AMYA USA has fed upward of 170,000 people and collected 40,000 units of blood in service of our fellow Americans.

Faran Jalil.
Whether one has young children or grandchildren or not, it doesnt take a whole lot of looking around to see the world has changed drastically in recent years. More and more young people (and adults) spend an increasing amount of their waking moments staring down at their screens.

If you have a young child, the concerns feel extremely real. One cant ignore the stories of cyber bullying, stalking and all sorts of other atrocities. And thats before getting into the possible short- and long-term negatives of losing out on connections with the world and with other humans.

While lines form down the block with the release of the newest iPhone or Android, at the same time, the looming questions about where all this is going and the potential negative effects of too much screen time are being asked in a voice that is growing louder.

Last weekend, 50 area middle schoolers unplugged their phones and laid their tablets on the kitchen table and headed to eastern Hanover County to spend a weekend without electronics as part of Tads Kids (an area nonprofit) Camp Unplugged.

Several years ago, the board at Tads Kids began focusing its attention on the impact that technology is having on young people and changed its mission: Empowering kids to be kids again.

The rising seventh- and eighth-graders who attend Camp Unplugged are broken into groups by age and participate in group chats throughout the weekend. They discuss topics such as online safety, cyberbullying, self-esteem, reliance and interpersonal skills. These discussions are coupled with fun camp activities such as fishing, volleyball, hiking and a climbing wall.

The camp focuses not only on disconnecting from technology for the weekend, but also reconnecting with nature, with ones immediate surroundings, and with people.

We want the campers to be present, looking at the world around them instead of having their heads down, said Doug Ix, president of Tads Kids.

Hosting 38 kids in 2016 and 50 in 2017, Camp Unplugged is growing. The three-day overnight camp is free for campers.

Evan Hughes is going to Virginia Tech as a freshman this fall. He has volunteered at the camp as a counselor the past two summers.

Its great to see campers come into their own over the weekend, said Hughes, noting that things have changed dramatically with technology even since he was in middle school just a handful of years ago. Kids feel stressed putting their phones down.

Bill Gardner, a board member with Tads Kids, not only sent his rising eighth-grade son to Camp Unplugged last weekend, but volunteered as a counselor as well.

I might have learned more than the kids, Gardner said. We think we know what these kids are doing when they are looking at their tablets or playing on their phones. I realized how little I really knew listening to them talk over the weekend.

The highlight of the weekend for Gardner might have come after he got home with his son, who instead of immediately getting on the phone or watching TV, decided to head out for a jog instead.

While many outdoor camps discourage or prohibit the use of technology while at camp, Camp Unplugged focuses more on how to cope with it, rather than simply putting it away for a few days.

We know we cant take their phones away, Ix said. We want the kids to put them to good use.

Its amazing what a weekend of unpluggedness can do, Hughes said.
When Terry Walton toured a house for sale in the Fort Hill subdivision in western Henrico County back in 1971, the first feature he noticed was the propertys six-car garage.

I was always a car guy, Walton said. When I saw the six-car garage, I said, I dont need to look at the house.

With its slate roof and intricate brickwork, though, the house, located at 7301 Harlow Road, didnt look like the rest of the neighborhoods modest, midcentury houses. So after he bought the property, Walton began investigating its history. Thats when he discovered that the 1,200-square-foot house had been built on an expansive estate for a chauffeur.

Grey Skipwith Sr., a member of a prominent Virginia family, had bought a large parcel of land near the present-day intersection of Three Chopt and Skipwith roads in 1890, and his sons, Grey Skipwith Jr. and Hugh Skipwith, divided the parcel between them after his death in 1895. In the 1920s, Grey Skipwith Jr., and his wife, Kate Brander Mayo Skipwith Williams, hired Alfred Charles Bossom, an English architect with an office on New Yorks Fifth Avenue, to design a Tudor Revival-style mansion for their portion of the property, which lay east of Skipwith Road.

(In 1927, Bossom designed the Prestwould Apartments building in a modified Tudor Revival style at 612 West Franklin Street, on property that the Skipwith family owned. It was Richmonds last luxury high-rise apartment building to be built before the Great Depression.)

The Skipwiths called their mansion Bekeby, and work wrapped up on it in 1927. Waltons house was built for the Skipwiths chauffeur at the same time, behind the Skipwiths mansion.

So how did the mansion and the chauffeurs house get surrounded by suburbia less than 30 years later?

After the death of Grey Skipwith Jr.s widow in 1945, a local developer bought the property and subdivided it for a new suburb, to be called Fort Hill. A pent-up demand for housing following the end of World War II was helping to convert western Henrico from an agrarian identity to a suburban one, and the developer set out to build houses that returning veterans could afford.

Houses in Fort Hill, which is bounded by Glenside Drive, Forest Avenue and Three Chopt and Skipwith roads, sold quickly. It was nearly built out in the course of separate building phases between 1950 and 1959, said Eliza Conrad, a real estate agent with Long & Foster.

Most of the houses are Ranches, but the neighborhood also has several Capes, Conrad said.

Original square footage ranged from 900 to 1,200 square feet, although several homeowners have built additions onto the houses, she added.

The Skipwiths mansion, located at 7344 Townes Road, survived the construction boom and became a locally owned nursery school in 1960. Today, it houses Skipwith Academy.

The propertys passage from a prominent familys private estate to a midcentury neighborhood is an interesting story, but another layer of history lies beyond the Skipwiths ownership of the property.

During the Civil War, the land had been the site of a parade ground and outpost for the Confederate Army  hence the subdivisions martial name.

Theres an acre of land to the east of my house thats flat, and thats where the parade ground was, Walton said. There are still embankments in front of the main houses courtyard, too.

The fact that the earthworks are still there after 150 years is a testament to how little the area has changed, despite its transformations.

The neighborhood itself hasnt really changed at all, Walton said. The biggest difference since I moved here is that were starting to get young couples and young families moving into the neighborhood.

In the course of more than four decades, Walton has gotten a lot of use out of his houses six-car garage. Aside from the garage, though, living in a former chauffeurs house isnt all that different from calling any other house in the neighborhood home.

It has a roof and four walls, and when it rains, I stay dry, Walton said, with a laugh.

Home stats and sales

Homes frequently come on the market in Fort Hill, but if you want to buy one, youll have to act quickly.

The majority of listings in the last year were on the market for less than 10 days, Conrad said.

In the last 12 months, 14 homes have sold in the neighborhood, with three additional sales pending, based on MLS data. Recent prices have ranged from the mid $150,000s to $225,000.

Affordable prices and a prime location are helping to drive sales, Conrad said. Having access to Interstate 64 as well as the expansion of nearby Reynolds Crossing has helped to keep the neighborhood thriving. Its a great neighborhood for first-time homebuyers.

_______________
Would you like to become a member of Zonta? I was asked that question several years ago. I was too embarrassed at the time to admit that I had heard the name, but didnt know what the organization was. So I did what anyone in that situation would have done: I avoided answering the question directly. Instead, I said Id think about it and immediately turned to Google while typing, What is Zonta? After checking several sites, including the Zonta International website, I realized Zonta is so much more than a group of ladies who meet once a month for dinner.

I learned that Zonta International is an international service organization whose mission is the advancement of the status of women. The first Zonta Club was founded in Buffalo in 1919. It was patterned on the organization of Rotary Clubs, and Maria de Forest led the way as the founder of the Buffalo club. The Zonta Club of Auburn was chartered in 1925. Zonta International currently has more than 31,000 members in 65 countries.

Obviously, Zonta International has been in existence for almost 100 years and has appeal to many, locally, nationally and internationally. But why would I want to join? I knew I needed to continue my research efforts. And, exploring further, I focused next on Zontas objectives:

 To improve the legal, political, economic, educational, health and professional status of women at the global and local level through service and advocacy.

 To work for the advancement of understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of executives in business and the professions.

 To promote justice and universal respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.

To be united internationally to foster high ethical standards, to implement service programs and to provide mutual support and fellowship for members who serve their communities, their nations and the world.

Well, I couldnt quibble with the objectives of the organization. I do believe in equal pay for men and women doing the same job, and I am thankful I was born in the United States, where women (in most cases) are valued members of society, unlike many other countries. But I still wasnt convinced. I have never been a flag-waving, street-marching feminist. Could I play a role in such an organization without becoming one? That meant some soul-searching of my personal beliefs and goals. Finding my career path had been so easy. I had always known I wanted to be a teacher. But how had I known?

I realized I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. I wanted to open the doors to the worlds beyond the printed word to reluctant readers. I wanted to share the satisfaction of crafting the written word so exactly that it is communicated clearly and precisely, leaving no doubt in meaning. I wanted my students to be able to think for themselves, logically and clearly. I wanted to affect lives and change them for the better.

For 34 years I experienced some of the greatest joys in my life trying to do just that. I loved when my students would tell me they thought they were going to hate poetry, but it wasnt so bad after all. I rejoiced when the groans of starting a novel turned to questions about what was going to happen next. I know I didnt reach everyone, but I can honestly say I loved being an educator. I loved my seventh-graders, and I tried my best to make a positive difference in their lives.

Thats when I realized that being retired didnt mean I couldnt continue to make a difference. Maybe being a member of Zonta would shed a new light on an old personal goal. I decided to become a member of the Zonta Club of Auburn, and I do not regret that decision.

Over the years, I have been a club member and a co-chair of two committees. I have helped select the young women who have received our club stipend for scholarships sponsored by Zonta International. I have helped with our fundraising efforts and have experienced the satisfaction of watching these monies raised go to various individuals and organizations that work to better the lives of others in need. I have even taken on a leadership role, now serving my final year as a director on the clubs board. I am still making a difference in the lives of others.

Every Zontian has her own personal reason for becoming a member of an organization whose motto is Advancing the Status of Women Worldwide, and her own idea of what it means to be Empowering Women Through Service and Advocacy. If the idea of becoming a member of the Zonta Club of Auburn might be in your future, please contact our membership chairperson, Rita Loperfido, for more information and/or an application. You may contact her via email at rloperfido@gmail.com or by texting or calling (315) 515-0701.
RACINE  A third teen has been accused of taking part in a gang-related drive-by shooting in Uptown last month.

Dwight Person III, of the 900 block of Racine Street, was charged Friday in Racine County Circuit Court with first-degree recklessly endangering safety and disorderly conduct in connection with the July 18 incident.

Person, 15, is being charged as an adult, as is 16-year-old Tyrese West. West also faces a charge of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, as does Jordan Goines, 19, the alleged driver in the incident.

It is not clear if the alleged shooter, a suspect referred to only by the initials C.A., has been charged. If he is being charged as a juvenile, his name and the charges he is facing would be sealed to the public.

According to the criminal complaint:

Police were called to the 1500 block of Packard Avenue, near the intersection with Washington Avenue, in reference to a shots-fired complaint.

Upon arrival, officers reportedly spoke to a witness who said he was in front of a home when he heard a car engine accelerate loudly and saw a person shooting a gun out of the rear window of a gray Dodge Durango. The shooter reportedly fired at about 10 males who were on the porch of a home farther down the roadway, and then continued northbound. The witness told police that he believed the gun was a TEC-9, and police reportedly recovered about 18 9mm shell casings from the street (the TEC-9 fires 9mm ammunition). Police also found that five parked cars had been struck by bullets, the complaint states.

Later that day, police reportedly interviewed Goines, who said he was in the car with Person, West, and the person identified as C.A. Goines said they were driving down Packard when they heard shots being fired at their vehicle. The shots likely came from a member of a rival gang, Goines said, as the group was in that gangs territory.

A Racine police investigator states in the complaint that Packard Avenue is an area that the rival gang typically enforces with an excess of 70 members, and that those in the Durango drove through the area intending to shoot them.

Persons bond in the case has been set at $2,500. A preliminary hearing has been set for Aug. 30, 2017.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
RACINE  Rabbi Dena Feingold believes President Donald Trumps rhetoric encourages hate speech and she believes House Speaker Paul Ryan has the power to do something about it.

The spiritual leader of Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, Feingold said as much on Monday night on national television during Ryans town hall meeting, when she asked the Republican congressman whether he would support a resolution to censure the president based on his many sides remarks regarding the events in Charlottesville, Va., two weeks ago. Ryan said he would not support censure of Trump, calling Feingolds idea counterproductive.

If we descend this issue into some partisan hack fest, into some bickering against each other, and demean it down to some political food fight, what good does that do to unify this country? Ryan said.

Many in the crowd applauded Ryans response, but Feingold, sister of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, was not impressed.

I was disappointed in his response, Feingold said. I was disappointed he turned it into a Democrat-versus-Republican thing. He thought the president messed up and didnt say the right thing. He very strongly condemns what happened in Charlottesville. Then why wouldnt he join with his congressional colleagues to send a message to the president that the things he said were disturbing?

Feingold views censuring the president as an opportunity for Ryan and the rest of Congress to show the country that racism and hatred dont have a place in American society. She believes that Trumps rhetoric has directly emboldened groups like the white supremacists at the center of the Charlottesville tragedy.

They see the president as someone who is either implicitly or explicitly giving them the green light, she said.

Thats a view shared by Rabbi Martyn Adelberg, the leader of Beth Israel Sinai Congregation, 3009 Washington Ave., Racine. While he doesnt think Trump is directly anti-Semitic, he does think the president would do anything whatsoever to make a deal to achieve his aims.

Hes unleashed the forces of xenophobic people, Adelberg said. They were always in the shadows. Now they feel they can come to the forefront.

Neither Feingold nor Adelberg have experienced or witnessed direct instances of anti-Semitism around their congregations since Trumps rise to political prominence, but Feingold said the young members of her community feel anti-Semitic comments in social settings have become more frequent.

Somehow, its been normalized for certain people, she said. It seems like thats becoming a more common experience among our youth.

Shadows of 1930s Germany

Adelberg said that a personal friend of his who survived the Holocaust thinks 2017 America bears a resemblance to Nazi Germany. A key difference is the anonymity of the internet, which allows people to share hateful views without identity or consequence.

The internet is a double-edged sword, Adelberg said. It exposes hatred, but it also gives those people a platform.

Instead of censuring the president, Adelberg believes a more positive solution, involving a joint congressional condemnation of all hate groups and rhetoric, would send the strongest message.

(Trump) would take note, so would the country and so would the world, he said.

Feingold doesnt think Adelbergs solution would go far enough and believes Congress needs to single Trump out directly.

He needs to be held to account, and thats what the censure resolution would do, she said. It gives Congress a way to say: This is not OK coming from the President of the United States. We are the other leaders here and we dont share this view and we abhor whats coming out of the White House. 

Still, Feingold acknowledges that those served by her and Adelsons congregations  and even the entire American Jewish community  are just drops in the bucket of all of the people facing hate from groups like those at the Charlottesville rally.

This is just one communitys experience of a much greater normalization of hate, hate speech and hate protests, she said. I hope Charlottesville is a turning point and these very scary appearances of (racist, intolerant) groups will not continue.
Lacey Putney could drive through Bedford County and point out who lived in each house, said state Sen. Steve Newman. He could also tell you who lived in that house before the current occupants. He knew people, and he knew their parents and their grandparents.

It was quite remarkable to see how his mind worked, said Newman, R-Lynchburg, who used to travel the area with Putney. You saw how much he cared about people to remember them.

Putney, the longest-serving state legislator in Virginias history who earned the respect of his peers for being a courtly Southern politician, died Saturday. He was 89.

Putney, who served in the House of Delegates for 52 years, will lie in state in the Rotunda of the State Capitol, where flags will fly at half-mast in his memory. He will be the first House member to lie in state since Speaker A.L. Philpott in 1991. Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

Putney, known as the lion of Bedford County, served most of his tenure as an independent. He bolted the Democratic Party in 1967 after he refused to sign a loyalty oath committing him to support the partys candidates in all elections. He said upon that decision that the oath was an effort to force conservative officeholders to forsake their convictions, bow to the Democratic party, and support anyone who chooses to call himself a Democrat, even if it means supporting socialism, communism or the welfare state of the Great Society.

Putney ran as an independent for the remainder of his political career, even after he joined the House Republican Caucus for organizational purposes in 1998. He flirted with the idea of formally joining the GOP in the early 1970s, but the Watergate scandal deterred him and many Byrd-era Democrats who no longer felt at home in the Democratic Party. Ultimately, party identification had little impact on Putney when he ran for his seat, because the voters knew him and he knew the voters.

The voters recognized him, said former 5th District U.S. congressman Virgil Goode, a Democrat-turned-independent-turned-Republican who served in the state Senate from 1973 to 1997. He could have gotten elected on any party he ran on. It didnt matter.

Putney was born and raised in Big Island. He received his bachelors degree and law degree from Washington and Lee University, where he was a baseball star while pursuing his degrees. He also served in the Air Force from 1950 to 1954.

Conservatives recruited Putney, a Bedford attorney, to run in the Democratic primary in 1961 against an incumbent, Bedford pharmacist Charles Green. His legislative district encompassed Alleghany County, part of Bedford and Botetourt counties and the cities of Bedford and Covington.

When Putney entered the House in 1962, Democrats occupied 95 of the chambers 100 seats. He didnt imagine he would be there more than a half-century later after the emergence of two-party competition and the realignment of the states political parties. Putneys legislative career would span a period of economic and social transformation.

Throughout his 52 years in the House, Lacey came to embody what this institution stands for: productive public service, individual integrity, sound stewardship and so much more, House Speaker William Howell said in a statement. He was dedicated to the legislature as a vital and necessary institution within state government, possessed an independent voice and always acquitted himself as a wise and effective legislator. He showed compassion for all with a caring and soft heart, was a man of action and responded to all his constituents with unconditional resolve exemplifying all that a true citizen legislator can and should be.

Putney served a brief stint as interim speaker in 2003, but his real power emanated from his 48 years on the Appropriations Committee, six as chairman, allowing him to keep a watchful eye on every penny that passed through the state budget. He also served as chairman of the House Privileges and Election Committee.

He was great to work with, Goode said. He gave everyone a chance to have their say, and he listened to all sides before making a decision.

A short list of Putneys legacy would include many university buildings across the state, such as the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute in Roanoke. He sponsored a $2.6-billion statewide bond package in 2008 that included funds for many higher education buildings. He also won a provision in that bond package that held college presidents accountable for avoiding cost overruns and established a clearer process for the states financing of academic buildings. He played a key role in securing more than $4.4 million in state funds for the completion of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford.

Hes a man who had more impact on the commonwealth than anyone in my memory, Newman said. Governors come and go, but Mr. Putney was there for half a century. And its the way he did it. He had a statesman-like quality thats irreplaceable.

Putneys first wife, Elizabeth, died after a long struggle with Alzheimers disease in 2005, nearly 55 years after they married. He pressed through, and in 2007 he married Carmela Bills, the House information officer who was the primary contact for visitors to the state Capitol.

Putney batted away retirement rumors for years. In 2012, Putney was treated for early stage throat cancer. In January 2013, he suffered a minor stroke that forced him to miss the opening days of the upcoming legislative session. He returned to work and regained his health, but he announced in March that his 26th term would be his last.

Republican Terry Austin of Botetourt County succeeded Putney in the 19th District. Putney sent a congratulatory letter to Austin after the election. Austin replied with a letter of his own, telling Putney that he felt like a batter stepping up to the plate after the mighty Babe Ruth.

Lacey was more of a statesman than a politician, and he represented his people well, Austin said. The 19th is Laceys district regardless of who has the seat, Austin said.
CHARLOTTESVILLE  According to a leaked document obtained by The Daily Progress, the Charlottesville City Council entered a closed-session meeting with City Manager Maurice Jones on Thursday to raise grave concerns about how the city has handled and responded to the white nationalist rallies that have shaken the city to its core this summer.

Among the subjects raised were concerns about how the city managers office and the police department communicated with the citys elected officials and the public before the Aug. 12 rally, how they addressed concerns raised by community members before the ill-fated event and why the police seemed reluctant to intervene in the violence that took place.

Although he said it would have made things only marginally safer, Police Chief Al Thomas told Charlottesville officials in a private discussion recently that he was hesitant about moving the Unite the Right rally from Emancipation Park to McIntire Park because there wasnt enough time to plan for the event there.

The city council began asking Jones on July 13 to work on relocating the rally away from the downtown area, according to the classified memorandum sent by the council to Jones ahead of a closed session to discuss personnel issues Thursday.

Yet there was no initiative in the following weeks from the City Managers office to move the rally to McIntire, the memorandum said. Mayor [Mike] Signer also conveyed this desire in written communications to the City Attorneys office. Yet nothing happened regarding the relocation of the rally until well after Council held a closed session with staff on Wednesday, Aug. 2.

In the nine-page document, the council asks for explanations from Jones on why a number of critical issues related to the Aug. 12 Unite the Right rally have not been addressed.

The questions include assertions that Jones, who left town for a family vacation for several days but returned before the violent white nationalist rally, failed to make timely vital decisions, consequently leaving some officials, such as the police chief and the city attorney, with too little time to plan adequately.

The preparations for August 12 were akin to the preparations for a hurricane, the memo said. All hands were, or should have been, on deck.

The city did not announce its intention to relocate the rally until Aug. 7, just days ahead of the rally. That plan was then foiled after rally organizer Jason Kessler retained the services of the American Civil Liberties Union and The Rutherford Institute, which were successful in petitioning a federal court to keep the event at Emancipation Park.

Events in the park subsequently saw the death of a young woman and two police officers.

The document appears to show that councilors think Jones, his executive-level staff and the police department have been opaque in explaining how the white nationalist and Ku Klux Klan rallies this summer were handled before and after those events.

According to the document, Councilor Kristin Szakos wrote an email to Jones and Thomas on Sunday, explaining her concern about the number of reports from people who said they begged for police to break up violent fighting between ralliers and counter-protesters that day.

She said that people have told her that requests for the police to intervene were met by Palace Guard stares.

In a text message Friday morning, Signer declined to say anything about the document. He said it is totally unacceptable that it was leaked and requested that it not be publicized.

Jones did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
UNION GROVE  After receiving 20 applications, conducting five interviews and making one job offer, the Village of Union Grove is back at the drawing board to find a new village administrator, a post that has gone unfilled for 10 years.

Village President Michael Aimone said the Village Board recently made an offer, but was turned down because the candidate had personal circumstances that prevented him from relocating to Union Grove.

Each of the other applicants, they brought forth a lot of different qualifications and experience, Aimone said. But, ultimately, none of them really fit the needs of the village at this time, and it was a decision by the full (village) board to seek other candidates after they (trustees) had a chance to review the resumes of all of the five that we interviewed.

Aimone said the board came to that decision in late July. But during the review process, officials determined what they are really looking for in the position that will oversee village staff and operations on a day-to-day basis.

We learned, when we put the job posting out there, that we needed to be a little more specific in the type of experience that we were looking for and minimum qualifications for the position, Aimone said. During the interview process, we learned a lot of other things that we need to be looking at for an administrator in our community.

Aimone said the new job posting will be updated to include a key job requirement: Applicant must have previous administrative or assistant administrator experience.

Helping village to grow

Village officials determined they want someone more well-rounded with development experience, tax incremental district experience, has a general ability to reach out with contacts and know where resources are and have established contacts from previous employment.

Were looking with someone with more of an administrative background thats going to come in and help us define the future of our community, Aimone said. Theyll take direction from the board, but we need a thinking partner and an advocate that can be in Village Hall on a daily basis to further the growth of the community.

No date has been set for when the job will be reposted, but Aimone said he plans on meeting with the human resources committee on the matter soon.

Rather than fill the position now, were going to make sure we get what were looking for, Aimone said. Weve been operating without one for a number of years. We would really like to get the right candidate in as soon as possible, but were not going to settle for anything less than what were looking for.

Development, in the region is a key reason why the village is stepping up its qualifications.

With all the attention to southeast Wisconsin and the proximity of growth and development, we really feel confident that were going to be able to attract the right person for our opening, Aimone said.
SEAGLE Mickey Whitaker Jackson October 21, 1930 August 24, 2017 Mickey Whitaker Jackson Seagle, 86, of Pulaski, died Thursday, August 24, 2017 at Pulaski Health and Rehabilitation Center. She was born on October 21, 1930 and was the daughter of the late William Harold Whitaker and Nita Dixon Whitaker. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by husbands, Charles Vernon Jackson and Oscar Lyle Seagle; sister, Margaret Gladese "Patsy" Whitaker; a stepdaughter, Mrs. Les "Colleen" Eidson"; and a stepson, Everett Paxton Jackson. Mickey taught school in Pulaski County for 24 years and was a member of The First United Methodist Church, Fine Arts Center, B.P.O.E. #107, United Methodist Women, antique Automobile Club of America, State and National Republican Party, and a member of the former Order of the Eastern Star #113. She is survived by a stepdaughter, Saundra Seagle Booth and her husband William of Abita Springs, LA; a stepson, Vance L. Seagle and his fiance Shelley Goshorn of Henderson, NV; caregiver and cousin, Dr. James L. Patterson Jr. and his wife Sue of Roanoke; other devoted cousins and many friends, along with a special friend, Judy Sarver Cox of Draper. Also survived from both of her marriages are 10 stepgrandchilren; and numerous stepgreat grandchildren. Sincere appreciation to family and friends for visits, flowers, cards and contacts with support and prayers for Mickey during her illness. Thank you to the staff of the Pulaski Health and Rehabilitation Center for their professional and compassionate care. Funeral services will be held Sunday, August 27, 2017 at 3 p.m. at Seagle Funeral Home with the Rev. Richard Patterson, the Rev. Melissa Smith, and the Rev. Ty Harrison officiating. Interment will follow in Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Sunday from 2 until 3 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be given to The First United Methodist Church 135 Fourth Street, N.W. Pulaski, VA 24301. Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.seaglefuneralhome.com Arrangements by Seagle Funeral Home, Pulaski.
The search and rescue operation at the Mir Mine is discontinued, the press service of ALROSA said on Saturday. As at 9:10 local time, 37,400 cubic meters of water accumulated in the mines quarry pit. The threat of an abrupt and uncontrolled breakthrough of such a quantity of water into the underground mine makes it impossible to conduct any underground works.

According to the companys surveying service, there are washouts in the mines salt rocks, the volume of which exceeds 100,000 cubic meters. According to the calculations of geotechnical engineers, such a number of washouts involves the risk that the lower ledge of the quarry may collapse bringing about destruction of underground mine workings, which makes any further work of rescuers impossible. It was decided to prohibit pin-point blasting operations at the bottom of the quarry. The rescue operation headquarters reviewed the calculations made and all possible options for further action at its meeting at 11:00 local time on Saturday. The conclusion was that under the current conditions, it is impossible to carry out any work, including pumping out water and previously performed pin-point blasting operations.

The search and rescue operation at the Mir Mine lasted a total of three weeks. The works were conducted around the clock in three shifts. The rescue operation engaged 320 people: 170 specialists of EMERCOM and about 150 ALROSA employees. The miners and rescuers spent a total of more than 360 hours under the ground. The search was conducted at a depth of 550 and 600 meters, the rescue teams extracted 19,500 cubic meters of rock and cleared 1,191.5 meters of mine workings. The rescue operation involved more than 30 units of equipment, aviation, divers and industrial climbers. Two additional pumping units were installed in the mine in order to ensure the safety of rescuers and to prevent the flooding of the mine levels where the search was going on.

The search was complicated on August 18, when the water coming from the Metegero-Ichersky aquifer ceased to fully flow into the mine and began to accumulate at the bottom of Mirs quarry. The latter receives about 1,200 cubic meters of water per hour, of which about 1,000 cubic meters were poured into the mine, while 200 cubic meters hourly coming in gradually accumulated at the bottom of the quarry. This created the risk of an abrupt breakthrough of accumulated water into the mine and endangered the lives of miners and rescuers working underground. Russias federal industrial safety regulations prohibit rescue operations under similar conditions, therefore the search for people was suspended at 16:00 on 19 August.

All possible measures were taken to organize a controlled descent of water to avoid its abrupt breakthrough into the underground mine. At an emergency meeting on August 20, it was decided to conduct a series of local pin-point blasts. The Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostekhnadzor) issued the appropriate permit. The blasting continued for 5 days, but it was not possible to achieve a controlled discharge of the entire volume of water into the mine.

On August 25, at 16:00 local time, the mines quarry accumulated 33,000 cubic meters of water. By this time, the water level in the mine reached -222.2 meters relative to sea level, after which the automatic start sensors of the pumping station engaged the first pump installed in the cage shaft. It was assumed that the pumps on the mines level of -210 meters will maintain the water level in the mine at a certain point, protecting this tunnel from flooding.

On the same day, analyzing the data on the volume of washouts in the salt rocks, the group of geotechnical experts began to recalculate the actual margin of stability in the lower ledge of the quarry, under which the underground mine workings are located. The analysis showed, that the stability factor of the lower ledges on the southwest side of the quarry had already surpassed the critical level. As any further blasting operations could lead to a collapse of the quarrys two lower ledges, it was recognized that their further continuation was impossible.

The analysis also showed that the total volume of washouts in the mines salt rocks had already exceeded 100,000 cubic meters, and, based on an estimate of the intensity of salt rock dissolution at the current pace of brine inflow, this volume can increase at high rates. Under these conditions, pumping water out of the mine will lead to an uncontrolled increase in erosion. Based on this, the rescue operation headquarters convened a meeting and decided to stop the pumps and discontinue the search and rescue operation.

By this time, three weeks have passed since the accident. Medical experts believe that the human body is not capable to survive for such a long period without drinking water and food in the conditions of high humidity and flooding of the mine with muddy masses containing high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and salts.

President of ALROSA Sergey Ivanov:

"With a heavy heart, I am forced to say that there is no hope that it will be possible to lift the remaining workers in the mine alive to the surface. We are deeply shocked by what happened. This is a tragedy for the whole company. The realization that we have done everything possible to save the people, unfortunately, can not be a comfort to their loved ones. As the head of the company, I guarantee that the miners' families will be provided with the necessary support and material assistance - timely and in full. On behalf of ALROSA I express my sincere condolences to the families, relatives and friends of the miners. We mourn with you."

As previously reported, irrespective of the results of the search and rescue operation, the relatives of each of the miners will be paid compensation in the amount of 2 million rubles. These funds are allocated by ALROSA (in excess of payments under the Collective Agreement) and by the contractor company of Belspetsmontazh. In addition, the relatives of the miners will receive insurance payments, as well as payments from the budgets of various levels, including the budgets of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and that of the Mirny District Municipality. The families of the workers from the Belgorod Region will also receive payments from the administration of the Belgorod Region, and the families of the miners who lived in Mirny will receive payments from the budget of the Municipality of the City of Mirny.



The legal status of the miners who have remained underground after the completion of the search and rescue operation will be considered by the court in the near future.




Sergey Velikin, Head of the Vilyuysk Permafrost Research Station of the Melnikov Permafrost Institute belonging to the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences told the iz.ru portal that such an accident was not expected by anyone.

"The implemented project for protection against flooding, including a backfill, a geomembrane and a drainage tunnel had all the pertinent permits, and besides there was a safety layer over the underground mine," he said. "What is the cause of what happened is difficult to understand."

Velikin said that as an expert he was invited to a meeting which considered the proposal of the companys specialists on draining the water to continue the rescue operation, since it was impossible to carry it on without ensuring the safety of rescuers.

"All the participants of the meeting unanimously supported the proposal to discharge the water from the quarry to the mines lower levels by way of directed explosions. Directed explosions at the bottom of the quarry in the area of the washout could expand and clean it to drain the accumulated water," the expert said. "If not, the water inflow to the quarry will provoke its drainage to the mines levels, which may threaten the lives of rescuers. The rescuers have already done everything that was possible, but for their further work it was necessary to ensure its safety."

Mikhail Brook, the full member of the Russian Engineering Academy and CEO of the Corporation for Development of Southern Yakutia, agrees with Velikin. According to him, it is extremely difficult and dangerous to conduct rescue and recovery operations at the Mir Mine.

"Undoubtedly, the Mir Mine is a complex facility," Brook said in a conversation with the iz.ru portal. "This is true as far as the underground mining below the quarry is concerned, and add to this the water bearing problem, the mines considerable depth, and other specific factors."

Nina Kaledina, Professor of the Mining Safety and Ecology Department at MISiS, Russias national research technological university, when asked how she assessed the course of rescue works and all that had been done there, said, The mine rescuers performed their duty professionally and competently - within the limits of the possible, that is, as far as the technological pattern of the mine permitted. The mines tapping and preparation pattern did not provide sufficient number of emergency exits from its deep levels in the event of a serious entire-mine accident. The main attention after the withdrawal of people was given to pumping water to prevent subsequent breakthroughs of the pulp (water mixed with clay and rock fragments and stuffing material) into the mine workings that were being cleared for passage to remote workplaces where the affected miners could remain. In fact, to eliminate the consequences of the accident and restore the mine it is required to solve the same tasks.

Restoration of the mine will require its reconstruction and, first of all, the development of a new hydro-protection system, since the former, being not too reliable in itself, was disrupted during the mine operation, which led to the accident. The rescue works will not significantly affect the reconstruction solution, since the main destruction has already occurred, she added.

Yury Danilov, Ph. D., Director of the Expert Information and Analysis Center at the Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, said, There is a huge inflow of water into the Mir Mine from the Metegero-Ichersky aquifer, which accumulates at the bottom of its quarry and weighs down on the safety layer between the quarry and the underground mine. As far as I can judge by reports, the rescuers tried to drain this water and reduce the pressure to avoid its inrush into the underground mine and flooding the latter. But if it can not be done, then it is unsafe to continue the rescue work, as the water can breakthrough into the mines tunnels and flood the rescuers. This is a terrible tragedy and I am sure that rescuers have done everything possible, but there is a rule: if the rescue works carry a risk to life, they must be stopped."




Canadian stocks were lower Friday despite rising gold and oil prices.

The TSX Composite Index was down 20.17 points to 15,055.

Shares of Hudson's Bay Co. (HBC.TO) surged more than 14 percent on reports they may be going private.

In economic news, the number of Canadians receiving regular Employment Insurance benefits totalled 517,200 in June, down 7,000 (-1.3%) from May. This was the eighth consecutive monthly decline in the number of beneficiaries.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market Analysis
ICRC deplores Saudi airstrikes on residential area in Yemen's capital: statement





SANAA, Aug 26 (Saba) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) strongly deplores Aug. 25 airstrikes on the residential quarter in Yemeni the capital Sanaa, which killed 14 people and injured another 16. The casualties included at least five children, the youngest of them only three years old.



"I am deeply shocked and saddened by last night's airstrikes on a residential neighborhood in Sanaa. Eight of the victims were members of the same family, including five children between 3 and 10 years old. Seven died, while a four-year old girl was injured," the deputy head of ICRC's delegation in Yemen, Carlos Morazzani, said in a news release after visiting the site of the attack.



"Such loss of civilian life is outrageous and runs counter to the basic tenets of the law of armed conflict," he said.



The targeted site was Faj Attan, which is a residential neighborhood in the south of Sanaa where three buildings were hit by airstrikes around 2 am local time. The strikes reduced two of them to rubble, and severely damaged the third one, making the retrieval of bodies and of the injured extremely difficult.



"From what we saw on the ground, there was no apparent military target," Morazzani added.



Yemen Red Crescent Society volunteers responded to the incident and assisted in the transfer of survivors to three hospitals in Sanaa. The ICRC has provided a substantial donation of medical supplies to help treat the wounded.



The air strikes come after the ICRC earlier this month expressed public alarm at the increasing trend of airstrikes against civilians in Yemen.



The ICRC reiterates its call on all the parties to the conflict to respect the law of war and spare civilians.





Reem K./zak

Saba

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[26/August/2017]
A personal tribute to Mary Slusser (1918  2017)

We lost a prominent Kathmandu icon during the earthquake of 2015: Kasthamandap, the storied building which was then thought to be about a thousand years old, but is now believed to have existed many centuries earlier in some form.
Caan, Army to sign accord for Nijgadh airport project

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (Caan) has decided to assign the Nepal Army to build access and perimeter roads and clear trees at the proposed construction site of Nijgadh International Airport in Bara. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to be signed next week.
Deuba in Delhi!

King Deuba and our lovely queen is in India having some chai and samosas with the Desi netas and their chamchas while our folks who have been displaced by the floods and landslides across the country have not received much help from our incompetent government.
Dear Editor,

Re: China aids Samoa

I wonder what the Chinese ambassador thought about that part in Tuilaepas book where he told off the Chinese delegation in typically straight-talking Stui style at some international forum?

The Chinese were complaining about the presence of the Taiwanese delegation with badges saying Republic of China. They rang him non-stop in the middle of the night and Stui told them to bugger off.

Then next morning he met with the Chinese delegation and told them off. Then he sent in the Taiwan delegation and told them off.

They were both threatening to make a big scene at the international conference where Samoa was the chair.

Petelo Suaniu
Andrew Leota of Falealili has returned to Samoa from New Zealand where he and his family have been living for the last thirteen years.

However, this time the trip is not for a holiday. Instead he is here to make a difference to the lives of those he left behind when he migrated to New Zealand in 2004.

Leota is currently half way through his pre-trades electrical engineering course at Manukau Institute of Technology (M.I.T) in Auckland.

He was recently selected to be a part of a Maori and Pasifika Trades Training (M.P.T.T.) group to visit Samoa with Habitat for Humanity.

Leota decided almost two years ago that it was time for a career change after spending the majority of his time in New Zealand working in the public service at a prison facility in Auckland.

At 35 years of age, his focus was to find a career that would align with his beliefs and principles of being able to help people and also make a living out of it.

According to Skills, the Auckland based recruitment agency, Leota will be working alongside Habitat for Humanity by working on houses in Upolu which involve both completing unfinished homes as well as building brand new ones for families in need.

The group arrived last Saturday and will be working on the project for two weeks.

Speaking to the Weekend Observer, Leota shared their experience so far and what it means to him to be part of this project.

I decided to go back to school and learn a trade, he said.

The kids were getting old and it was time to focus on what I really wanted to do. Before I was just making money just to feed the kids but now I want to do something that makes me happy I just find it fulfilling to help people; its what keeps me going.

Yes its good to have money. For me its more fulfilling to help people in need. Electrical Engineering appealed to me because its hands on, fast paced and I can make money and help out other people.

While here, Leota has been making note of the prospects of building professional relationships with an eye for doing business in Samoa once he completes his Electrical Engineering course and has had some years working experience.

On his first day at the site, he realised when he looked around how urgent the need is for families here living in houses that were unsafe and in dire need of upgrades.

I have an entrepreneurship kind of mind and coming back here is not just to make money, its to help people. I understand Samoa has adopted the stuff from New Zealand like regulations and the laws but nobody really follows it here. I just want to come and actually just work here because a lot of the houses that we are working on over here  man, they are really unsafe.

People here, when they know a little bit then they start cutting lines. Thats their life on the line; they dont know what to do. Samoa has adopted the Electrical Code of Conduct based on New Zealands one but from what Ive seen, nobody follows it. I think you cant really ask people who dont have money to follow it but there are ways in which we keep people safe. However business wise I would love to start a business here.

Leota makes it clear that while New Zealand practices and methods are far advanced and very useful to Samoa, he believes that our ability to be resourceful and our perspective on life is something that serves as teachable moments for the New Zealand trades industry as well.

New Zealand is set in their ways. In Samoa we have to make do with what we have sometimes the cello-tape the boys use is just the normal cello-tape just to do the wires. Theyre just being resourceful and to be honest - it works. However in the long run I think its unsafe. Also I think its important to be grateful for what we have.

I know for a fact that in NZ they have everything and here we just make do with what we have and that has taught me a lot, for example one of the fuses that people are using here, New Zealand is getting rid of them.

What that has taught me is that if its there, you gotta use it. We can cry over the most expensive stuff but if its there just make do with it to get the lights on thats the value of the lesson that Ive learnt here.

Leota owes a depth of gratitude to Skills, one of the largest industry training organisations in New Zealand that work with industries to ensure that qualifications provide them and employers with the right skills.

Im here with Habitat for Humanity but Im really grateful for what Skills has done for me. Skills is the arm of the government that really pushes us and helps us Pacific Islanders and what they have done for the many Pacific Islanders back in New Zealand has been tremendous.

Im really thankful for that especially people like Tony and Isaac. If it wasnt for them, us Islanders would just shy away because there is no one that we can familiarise ourselves with and be confident that they have our interests at heart. Its never too late to learn and make money.

Finally, Leota has a message for Samoans living abroad, looking towards our Islands with interest and exploring the idea of returning home.

Come back and invest, he said. Back in New Zealand, our people are getting too comfortable, settling on the little things. There is so much knowledge in our people back in New Zealand. Build this nation into something thats great. Imagine what kind of nation we can be if we put our knowledge and skills to work in our own country.
All the way from Gore, New Zealand, is where friends and workmates, Julie and Julie are from.

They are having many breakthroughs and wow moments here in Samoa - especially for Julie Carr whose trip to Samoa marks two firsts for her: a first time to Samoa and a first time out of New Zealand.

The friends prefer to avoid the glitzy resorts and like to wander around of their own accord making no plans.

It was extremely hot when we got here and it was quite dark when we arrived so that was interesting, Julie Carr said

You felt like saying, where the heck are we going?. It was hot but I sort of expected it. We just got a car and go. We headed the wrong direction several times but it doesnt matter, its part of the experience. And its pretty funny trying to find a park here and we took a photograph just in case, she laughs.

Julie Tozer is definitely the more laid back of the two and it was clear that she had a distaste for fluff and glamour preferring to have simpler accommodation and would rather spend more time and money on exploring.

I cant be bothered with all this five star accommodation and being waited on. Accommodation is just somewhere you got to sleep. So long as you got a shower, a private bathroom and a cup of coffee  thats all you need thats all I care about.

I prefer somewhere relaxing - not the big cities and shopping centres and stuff like that. This is what I like; Samoa is ticking all the boxes for me. We definitely feel relaxed.

Julie Carr is very excited about visiting all the hotspots and being that this is her first time out of New Zealand, there were some surprises in store for her as she cruised around Apia.

Its bigger than Gore, its got traffic lights, we dont have traffic lights in Gore.

When we saw them, we were like  WOW theyve got traffic lights. Theres more multi storey buildings here than we got in Gore. We might have two storey buildings but thats about it.

Were going to the To Sua Trench and we will definitely go down Im not sure whether well be able to get out of it. Were looking forward to the beautiful beaches so we came in to town today to get some supplies and go exploring for the next couple of days.

Julie and Julie are both employed as support workers for intellectually disabled adults back in New Zealand which can be challenging at times and so the two friends were looking for a quiet Pacific getaway.

They both saved up money and leave together in order to get here.

They are really enjoying going with the flow and seeing Samoa as it is without all the frills and extras and now that Julie Carr has been bitten by the travel bug she told us that she would definitely be returning.
Relaxing in the shade in front of the S.T.A Cultural Village, couple Annie Bradley and James Dawe were only too happy to share their experience of Samoa.

We have been here in Samoa for two weeks now, they said.

They are staying at Sheraton Samoa Aggie Greys Hotel. Part of what they wanted to do was to experience the Samoan culture and thats precisely what they did during the S.T.A cultural show.

That was quite nice.

James is a chef and the couple shared how they love Samoan food.

Weve enjoyed the food. Were quite interested in food and we took an interest in trying the different food. We tried some of the Samoan food and we also tried some fusion of Samoan food mixed with some other cultures.

According to James and Annie, their trip has been fantastic so far. The big island of Savaii is a highlight.

We just came back from Savaii and we were at Manase, which was really lovely. We stayed with a few different beach fales at Lalomanu, its a beautiful beach and we went to see the To Sua which we enjoyed.

We went to the blow holes and it was wonderful.

The couple has enjoyed Samoa so much they changed their flight to do some more sightseeing.

Will they recommend Samoa to others?

We love Samoa in general and yeah we will definitely recommend Samoa, they said.
Small business youth incubator

The Old Pulenuu Fale in downtown Apia is up for replacement.

Cabinet has approved a Strategic Feasibility and Facilities Report for the construction of a Small Business Youth Incubator (S.B.Y.I) to replace and permanently remove the Pulenuu Fale.

Among the S.B.Y.Fs key mandate includes helping new and start-up businesses to progressively develop by providing services such as management training and office space.

And its also designed to open up opportunities for those with special needs who are innovated to start a small business enterprise.

The proposed plan is for the S.B.Y.I facility to be either a two or three-story structure complemented by a Samoan Fale for conferences and trainings.

Ample parking space including easy access for those with special needs and tenants are also included in the plan.

The new structure is estimated to cost $6.8 million and Cabinet has instructed the implementing agency, the Ministry of Women and Social Development to table the proposal before the Cabinet Development Committee to identify potential funding sources.

Forum to cost $1.1million

Cabinet has approved funding to host the 48th Pacific Forum Leaders Meeting in Apia from September 4th to the 8th 2017.

The allocated budget for the meeting is $1.1 million tala with Australia and New Zealand donating (AUS$200,000) $400,000 tala and (NZ$200,000) $345,000 respectively to assist Samoa host the event.

The annual forum will be attended by Pacific leaders and high level government officials from 19 Pacific Forum countries not including Forum Observers and Forum Dialogue Partners.

It is anticipated that 350 to 450 delegates including the regional and international media as well as non-government organisations will also be attending.

Food Supply contracts awarded

Cabinet has upheld the recommendations from the Tenders Board to award contracts to 13 companies who submitted tenders for food supplies to service the hospitals.

A total of 18 bids were evaluated by the Board which included the inspection of farms, plantation, wholesales and bakeries.

One bid however was disqualified because it was determined to be incomplete with its tender proposal. The winning bids recommended by the Tenders Board and approved by Cabinet include;

Frankie Company Ltd $71,396:00

Ah Liki Wholesale $533,879:00

Le Omeka Supplies $161,204:55

Tradepac Marketing $25,160:46

Lamekos Mix Farming $95,451:20

Semi Ah Lam $275, 60:00

Faamatuaina A. Suifua $29,640:00

G.M. Bakery Ltd $50,050:00

Chan Mow & Co Ltd $3,172:00

Corrina Papalii $69,888:00

Samoa Meat Supplies $113,646:00

Sara Ah Hoy $122,720:00

Ricky Westerlund $230,256:00

TOTAL $1,534,041:21

Interim Runway Apron repaired

Cabinet has given the green light to the Tenders Board recommendation to award the Interim Runway Apron Repairs Contract to Ott Construction Co. Ltd at a cost of USD$300,098.86 including VAGST.

Three bids were submitted when the contract was advertised.

And it was reviewed by the Evaluation Committee that included representatives from the Samoa Airport Authority, the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Attorney General.

The contract is funded by the World Bank under the Samoa Aviation Investment Project.
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, a New Zealand QC, a top business journalist and academics from universities in Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Fiji and the United States are among the line-up of speakers to present at Victoria University of Wellingtons second Pacific Climate Change Conference in February next year.

The conference, Pacific Ocean - Pacific Climate, follows the success of the 2016 conference, which saw approximately 240 people, including representatives from 14 Pacific nations, attend the three-day event.

Conference co-organiser Victorias Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Pasifika), Luamanuvao Winnie Laban says like the first conference, Pacific Ocean - Pacific Climate will bring together a range of voices on climate change from all over the Pacific spanning the arts, science, business, health, indigenous rights, law, media, NGOs, activist and the faith communities.

Opening keynote speaker, Prime Minister Tuilaepa says climate change is a serious challenge that Pacific Island nations cant ignore.

It is very important that our Pacific Island countries come together at this conference and all nations take action to stop climate change. Rising sea levels mean that the very survival of our island homes is at risk, he says.

Other speakers include Dr Will Steffen, Australian National University; Dr Michael Mann, Pennsylvania State University; Dr Patila Malua-Amosa, National University of Samoa, Sir Geoffrey Palmer QC, Victoria University; Rod Oram, business journalist and commentator; Sarah Thomson, climate change activist; Chris Booth, environmental artist; Dr Elisabeth Holland, University of the South Pacific and Professor James Renwick, Victoria University.

Conference co-organiser and speaker, Professor James Renwick says oceans are an appropriate theme for next years conference.

The Pacific is home to many low-lying island nations that are vulnerable to rising sea levels and sensitive to large swings in climate from year to year. Nowhere is climate change, and ocean change, a more urgent issue.

Oceans hold the vast majority of the heat in the climate system, and are home to an array of biodiversity. The global oceans hold the key to the course of climate change for centuries to come.

The 26 nation member Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P) has partnered with the University to co-host the conference.

S.P.R.E.P director general Kosi Latu says part of the Conference will be devoted to mitigation action under the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Were asking representatives of nations across the Pacific to report at the conference on steps taken at a national level to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to slow the rate of climate change.

Those wishing to present at the conference on the unfolding trends of climate change have until August 31 to submit an abstract. Visit the website for more information.
China is helping Samoa host the Pacific Forum Leaders meeting in Apia, which will coincide, with the Teuila week in September.

As part of this help, China has donated 20 brand new cars to assist government to host the 48th annual Pacific Leaders.

The vehicles have arrived with an official handing over next week.

In the meantime, Cabinet has also approved a budget of $1.1 million tala to host the Forum Leaders Meeting which starts from September 4th to the 8th .

Australia and New Zealand have also donated AUS$200,000 equivalent to $400,000 tala and NZ$200,000 or close to $345,000 respectively to assist Samoa host the event.

The annual forum will be attended by Pacific leaders and high level government officials from 19 Pacific Forum countries not including Forum Observers and Forum Dialogue Partners.

It is anticipated that 350 to 450 delegates including the regional and international media as well as non-government organisations will also be attending.
The Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti, has reassured the nation that Polynesian Airlines is on the right track.

And with Samoa Airways set to launch its international flights in November, the Minister believes the airline is financially stable to proceed with its plans.

He is also confident that Samoa Airways will mature to a point where it will be able to compete with other carriers flying to Samoa, including Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia.

We have been assured by Polynesian Airlines (Samoa Airways) they can manage the process of establishing a new airline and does not need help from the government, Sili told the Sunday Samoan.

Up until now, they havent asked the government for any financial assistance. So they are quite comfortable that they have their own resources.

Minister Sili said this is great news. It is especially so on the back of concerns that the revival of Polynesian Airlines could bankrupt the country, like what happened the last time the airline flew internationally.

Sili however reiterates the government has learnt its lesson and that Polynesian Airlines has some great plans.

This, to me is very good, he said.

However maybe down the line, they will ask for assistance and as long as its reasonable we will consider the request. After all this is our Airline and it is very much connected to our tourism industry."

For now Polynesian Airlines have their own reserves so that is good news, said Sili.

Asked about Polynesian Airlines trouble of the past, the Minister of Finance said it was time to move forward.

I know what happened in the past, he said. However we need to learn from the past and move forward and make sure that we will tick the boxes that we will not repeat that again."

I guess for me, I am being conservative because I want this to work as well because it will be good, for Samoa to have its own international airline.

It will be good for our airline to be a successful commercial airline, for it to pay itself, but I think we need to try and not dwell in the past.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele has announced that Samoa Airways will have her own aircraft a 737 from Icelandair Group.

Details of the arrangement with Icelandair have yet to be made public but in confirming the arrangement the Prime Minister Tuilaepa said that Samoa Airways will start with one aircraft.

The plan is for Samoa Airways to concentrate on the Apia Auckland, Apia-Sydney and Apia Brisbane routes, he said.

Research confirmed that the three routes have huge revenue potentials and it fits perfectly with our partnership with Fiji Airways.

That partnership is designed for both airlines to share the revenues in terms of tickets sold.

The airline launches its service on November 14 from its hub at Faleolo International Airport.

Samoa Airways will fly from Auckland to Apia on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday - and fly from Apia to Auckland on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, Friday and Sunday.

It will also include two routes between Sydney and Apia which will fly on Thursday and Saturday.

"[We] recognises the significance of both Kiwis and Aussies to Samoa's tourism industry, and the strong family, community, cultural and business links which Samoa and American Samoa have with New Zealand and Australia," the airline said in a release.

"The Airline is confident that its flights, which are mostly daytime operations, will support the ongoing development of the leisure and business segments and provide consumers across the board a competitive choice," it said.

Samoa Airways will operate using a 170-seat two-class Boeing 737-800 with eight seats in business class and 162 in economy.
The Police Force has lost a lot of experience with the decision by two Assistant Police Commissioners to resign.

Fauono Talalelei Tapu and Leiataua Fata Aviga Salale tendered their resignations last week.

Their last day at work was on Friday.

The resignation follows the decision by Parliament that only a single Deputy Commissioner is needed to support the Commissioner, Fuiavailili Egon Keil.

It was not possible to obtain a comment from the former Assistant Commissioners.

But in statement by the Police, it said the Police hosted a lunch to farewell the long serving officers last week.

Both men had served in the Samoa Police Service for more than 40 years, and have long distinguished careers with the Police Service.

AC Fata Leiataua's last assignment was Upolu Operations and Fauono Talalelei Tapu as the Savai'i Operations.

AC Fata Salale was appointed to the Police Service in 1976.

He started his career in the Prosecution section and work his way up through the ranks.

He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1984 and again to the rank of Inspector in 2002. He was assigned to work in other sections of the Police including the General Policing and Prisons before it was separated from the Police.

In 2005, he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent and was assigned to be the officer in charge of General Policing in the Police Headquarters in Apia. Fata Aviga was eventually appointed as an AC in 2010 and was assigned to the Crimes portfolio which covered Forensics, CID and Prosecution.

During his reappointment in 2013, he became the first police officer to hold the newly created AC position for Savai'i. In total, he served the police for 41 years.

AC Fauono was appointed to the Police Service in 1974 and was also climbing his way through the ladder in the Police ranks during his police career in various sections of the Police including the Prosecution, SRU and CID.

He was promoted in 1991 to the rank of Sergeant and to the rank of Inspector in 2004. In 2009, he was promoted to the rank of Superintendent and was assigned to be the officer in charge of the Traffic section.

In 2006, he was deployed to East Timor as the Police Contingent Commander to serve under UN mission for a period of 12 months. His first appointment as an Assistant Commissioner came in 2013 as the AC for the Operation portfolio. He was reappointed to the same portfolio in 2016. He served in the Police for 43 years.

The Commissioner of Police wishes to congratulate and acknowledge the two Assistant Commissioners for the services they have provided to the people of Samoa and the commitment they have shown as public servants throughout the long years they have served in the Ministry. Our Ministry wishes them all the best in their future endeavors.
Govt enters drinking water business

The government has made a foray into lucrative bottled-water business by commencing production of packaged drinking water from its own plant in Panauti Municipality of Kavrepalanchowk district.
Most people use their annual leave to take a break and enjoy life.

Not Dr. Jonathan Masters.

The Auckland based urologist; Dr. Masters is spending his holiday volunteering at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole hospital.

In Apia for five days, Dr. Masters has been performing open and endoscopic laser surgery for kidney and ureteric stones, shock wave lithotripsy, transurethral resection of prostate for benign prostate disease.

These laser treatments started last year when the hospital purchased the Laser lithotripsy machine, according to Dr. Masters.

The hospital purchased the equipment last year and its about $150,000NZ and while its expensive, this equipment saves lives. Im happy the hospital has invested in this machine, he said.

Its $40,000 NZD to send a patient overseas for the laser operation, he pointed out.

So last year I was here for a month and I was able to teach my colleagues how to operate the machine."

Aside from conducting operations, I have also taught the surgeons here on how to use the equipment, and the treatment for the patients after the surgery.

Dr. Masters told the Sunday Samoan that his colleague, Dr. Alfredo Adams, and his team are awesome people to work with.

Since I left, last year my local colleagues have done surgery for 50 patients. Again my colleagues here are amazing, they are fast learners on how to do the operation and do it successfully."

It takes skills to conduct the laser operation, its very precise you have to put the telescope into the bladder up to the ureter and treat the stones."

And they learned it really quick."

This is the latest technology in treatment of kidney stones and without treatment peopled develop kidney failure which is a common problem in Samoa.

During this short trip, Dr. Masters has managed 18 operations for large prostates.

Looking back to as far as 2007, Dr. Masters said they had to bring all the equipment.

Now the hospital has the equipment which makes a lot of difference. Also the nurses in the theater are well versed with what is needed before and after the operation, so its been good."

Im very fortunate with surgeons like Dr Alfredo Adams and our other colleagues who know how to do these operations locally.

His volunteering work is not limited to Samoa.

Dr. Masters has been helping out in Nepal, Zambia and will go to Vanuatu for the first time later this year.

He also spoke about the challenges of his job.

As a surgeon, its quite difficult because when you operate where you dont normally operate, you have to be accepting that things may be different, the equipment might be differentyou just have to be patient and accept that things may be different."

Its a little bit of the right attitude to be able to work in different places.

Dr. Masterss trips to Samoa are funded by his colleagues in Auckland who share the same love for the Samoan Community.

Like I said, I have been to Nepal, Zambia in Africa but it does not match up to the number of times Ive been to Samoa."

This is because I love Samoa, if I didnt I wouldnt be back six times already. I have a full time job in New Zealand and in order to come here I have to take personal leave."

I would save up my annual and sick leave to cover the days I come to Samoa."

I fell in love with Samoans, when I treated several of them ... they are charming, friendly and just loving people and that was the uniqueness that drew my attention to coming to Samoa with a group of physicians.

So my colleagues who are not able to come have always piled up tools and equipment for me to bring back to help our local hospital. My colleagues have saved up money for my airfare.

Dr. Masters is grateful for his colleagues, especially my wife Mandy, who knows why I do what I do I couldnt have done it without her support."

I have been married to my wife for 28 years and Im overwhelmed with the support shes given to the volunteering work I do, because of my passion to help those in need.

According to the Southern Cross Auckland hospital website, where Dr. Masters currently work, hes a surgical expert and performs a large number of radical prostatectomies for prostate cancer and major pelvic and reconstructive surgery for bladder cancer.

Masterss MD is in bladder smooth muscle physiology and he maintains this interest with urodynamic investigation and management of bladder dysfunction contributing to urinary incontinence.

He also completed courses on the use of Botulinum in bladder over activity and Interstitial Cystitis. He offers a full range of office and daycase urology including scrotal surgery, vasectomy, vasectomy reversal, flexible cystoscopy, urodynamics and TRUS biopsies.

He is involved in research with colleagues at Auckland University looking at prostate cancer prevention.
Nathaniel Goodman has learned to embrace more of the moments of his life, including the difficult ones. When he was 9, he and his parents were in a car accident that almost ended his parents lives. While he was spared from any serious injuries, hed spent the year that they were recovering doing what he could to be supportive and help out around the house, and those things helped distract him from the trauma and grief.

At first, I didnt want to preserve my memory of the accident. I wanted to move on, erasing evidence of trauma. But troubling moments become part of who we are, for better or worse, giving our lives depth and humility, he says. Thats one of the reasons I started to make movies: to preserve moments and capture emotions, even the vulnerable ones.

Today, hes the founder of Filmmaking for Good, a non-profit he started to help other non-profit organizations share stories about the work theyre doing in the community through his promotional videos. He meets with clients, spends time shooting footage and interviews, and edits the material into films that those organizations can use to raise money and awareness. That work enabled him to apply for and be selected as one of the winners of this years Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Award, in which each of the 15 recipients nationwide receives $36,000 to teens taking on global issues and working toward change.

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Goodman, 19, lives in Carmel Valley with his parents, Wende and Ira, and will be a freshman at Brown University this fall. He took some time to talk about Filmmaking for Good, what it means to him to be selected for the Diller award and how hes learned to find value in failure.

Q: Tell us about Filmmaking for Good.

A: Filmmaking for Good has one very simple goal: to promote as many nonprofit organizations and youth groups as possible to raise awareness and funds, from which more people can be served and inspired to serve. It all started in high school, when I saw there was a disparity between organizations doing good work effectively and those doing it ineffectively. I noticed that the missing piece of the puzzle was media outreach, so I thought of no better way to bridge the resource gap than to bring my skills to struggling nonprofits.

Q: Why was this kind of work something you felt like you wanted to do?

A: It combined my natural inclination to produce films with my community involvement, in a variety of settings. It was a talent that I loved practicing, and it was needed by almost every organization I participated in. People like to watch a multidimensional project involving moving pictures over reading a one-dimensional narrative, in most instances.

Q: How did you get into filmmaking?

A: From an early age, I would watch my father craft short videos of family events and observe my mother work on her still life paintings. Though I would not classify our family as artistic  my father is an eye surgeon and my mother is a substitute teacher  I was always encouraged to find a mode of expression thats dear to me, so I could march to my own drum. I picked up my first camera when I was 5, unwitting of the potential that lay within the little black box. Following my traumatic car accident, I knew I wanted to pursue storytelling because it helped me capture emotions and maintain memories; many of which make up the life that was almost swept away before my eyes. Ive found filmmaking to be instrumental to my development. Its able to convey certain emotions and realities in ways literature, photography, and music cannot.

What I love about Carmel Valley ...

I was born in Arizona, raised alongside scorpions and coyotes. While Scottsdale showed me how to get along with similar people, I didnt know how to thrive in a diverse environment until I moved to Carmel Valley. Today, I carpool with students from Beijing  adopting motivating phrases like jia you, which means work harder  and learn how to count in Arabic from my lab partner. The discussions I share here have shaped the way I value different perspectives.

Q: What happens when a non-profit has a service project they want your help with?

A: My project works not only through word of mouth in the community, but also via my website and YouTube channel. On these online platforms, prospective non-profit organizations can view my previous projects and arrange a time to meet with me, wherein we discuss ways I can visualize their project in the most compelling way possible. Overhead is pretty minimal, as I have my own camera equipment, computer and editing software. Rarely do I need to outsource my work.

Q: Were you familiar with the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards before receiving one this year?

A: I was vaguely familiar with the awards before applying. Up until my senior year, I never thought I would stand a chance winning an award bestowed to only 15 Jewish teens in the entire country. Each year in high school, I saw press releases on teens who had previously won the award. I was inspired by their dedication to service and innovation in the community, so I sought to make the most of the resources around me to create a meaningful service project, without the slightest intention of applying for the award in the future. However, upon entering senior year, my parents encouraged me to apply. They have always been an integral source of support in my life. I am forever indebted to them for giving me the support and confidence I needed to thrive in the application process and beyond.

Q: The term tikkun olam means to repair the world. When you think about this, what do you see in the world that needs repairing?

A: When I think of tikkun olam, a few things come into my mind: I think of Frederick Douglass maxim that, its easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. This quotation strikes me because Ive noticed that much of the worlds political and social problems stem from poor education of youth. That is why many of my videos focus on youth-centric non-profits and my volunteer work is devoted to at-risk youth. If we can build better youth, then we can build a better future, and thus a better world.

Q: What does it mean to you to receive the award?

A: It is such an honor to be selected and Im so grateful to the Helen Diller Family Foundation for giving me this opportunity to further my vision for helping others. Receiving this award is not only an honor, but its also a validation of the importance and potential of our work; this award allows me to carry on the Jewish tradition of tikkun olam.

Q: Whats been challenging about running your own nonprofit?

A: What is difficult about this project is putting what a youth director and I have planned into a cogent narrative. Resolving this issue requires several in-person meetings so I can fully understand what they envision. Another challenge is promotion, of not only my service project, but also the individual videos I make for organizations. I start tackling these obstacles by connecting with the community on Facebook  Ive found that just a simple share or like can go a long way in garnering viewership and awareness for a cause.

Q: Whats been rewarding about the work youve been doing?

A: Seeing people get excited about an issue because they watched my video. Because igniting some fire in the belly is the first step to making greater change. There is also a great sense of satisfaction from the process of making films itself. I love working the camera and meticulously editing a project on the computer.

Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?

A: Its taught me how to be self-sufficient, but also important is that this work has showed me that there are things that I am not good at. So, working with a team or outsourcing a project can be equally important. Ive also learned the importance of keeping my word, and being careful who I give it to. There have been times when Ive stretched myself too thin with academics, conservatory, service, etc., that I drive myself to exhaustion.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: To not let my plans interfere with lifes spontaneity and freedom because its the spontaneous encounters that may expose us to failure, and failure is the best way to learn. As Peter Diamandis says, fail early, fail often, fail forward.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: That I play ping pong almost every day.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: On Saturday, it would be to meditate with the sunrise at Torrey Pines Preserve; work out; read a book on personal development, neuroscience, or economics; go surfing with friends; hangout with my family; play ping pong; and end the night watching Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. On Sunday, it would be a walk on the beach with family, journaling to assess my failures of last week and goals for the upcoming week, work out, go to the San Diego Zoo (Ive actually never been before), and get boba tea on Convoy Street with friends, and cook Indian food with my mom.

Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderick
Mexican authorities seized their largest haul ever of fentanyl  some 140 pounds of powder and nearly 30,000 pills  that officials say was headed to Tijuana and most likely across the border to the United States.

All I can say is that this not a surprise, Tijuana is the main corridor for Mexican drug traffickers to smuggle fentanyl into the United States, said Mark Conover, deputy U.S. attorney in San Diego and head of an inter-agency fentanyl working group. All the indicators are that this load of fentanyl was destined for the city streets of the United States.

Mexican drug cartels have in recent years added fentanyl, a powerful painkiller, to their portfolio of illicit drugs, fueling the U.S. opioid crisis, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug is manufactured illicitly in Mexico with precursors obtained from China and then smuggled into the United States, said Amy Roderick, the DEAs spokeswoman in San Diego.

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The seizure, announced this week by the Mexicali-based Second Military Region, is the largest recorded by the countrys National Defense Secretariat. It comes amid U.S. government concern that international crime cartels are increasingly turning to the trafficking of fentanyl, a drug so powerful that even a tiny amount can be fatal.

The drugs were found Aug. 19 south of Yuma, Ariz., at a checkpoint in the municipality of San Luis Rio Colorado in Mexicos Sonora state.

The illicit cargo was hidden inside a tractor-trailer truck ostensibly transporting grocery supplies from Mexico City to Tijuana. Soldiers seized 29,955 pills and 140 pounds of powder, both showing characteristics of fentanyl, according to the statement.

The driver and another man were taken into custody. They were not identified.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

Dibble writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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Following Los Angeles Countys approval last month of the long-contentious Newhall Ranch development, opponents have asked a court to halt the project until additional environmental issues are remedied.

The petition, filed last week in L.A. Superior Court by Friends of the Santa Clara River and the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE), argues that the Board of Supervisors should not have approved a revised environmental impact report and permits for two of Newhalls five villages at its July 18 meeting.

The development would harm the [Santa Clara] River in very significant ways, and have substantial negative environmental impacts on water quality, on aquatic and riparian habitat, on wildlife movements, on greenhouse gas emissions, and on Native American cultural resources, the petition says. The board and county abused their discretion in approving the projects.

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Newhall Land and Farming Co., a subsidiary of Five Point Holdings, is also named in the petition.

The boards approval of the Landmark and Mission villages at Newhall Ranch followed more than two decades of debate over the planned community, which would provide up to 21,500 homes in the Santa Clarita Valley. The environmental groups legal challenge represents the last significant hurdle before construction may begin.

An environmental impact report was completed in 2011, but courts later found the developer hadnt provided sufficient evidence that the project would not affect greenhouse gas emissions and raised concerns about threats to a native fish, the unarmored threespine stickleback.

In 2016 the developer revised its environmental impact report. The supervisors approved the revised portions and authorized development of Newhalls first two villages.

In so doing, the lawsuit claims, the county failed to fulfill its obligations under the California Environmental Quality Act. The environmental groups argue that the revised analysis was too narrow and didnt take into account substantial recent changes, including Californias drought and the expansion of a nearby landfill.

Five Point has dubbed the project Net Zero Newhall, saying it will offset all greenhouse gases it generates. In their court petition, opponents say the developer cannot guarantee zero net emissions and should take additional steps to mitigate the gases.

An additional concern of the environmental groups is the developments impact on water. The petition says the areas water table has dropped approximately 90 feet since 2005 because of drought and overuse.

This drop is a strong indication that the local water supplies are not sufficient for homes and businesses already in the area, it says.

At the same time, the Legislature is considering a bill that would consolidate the Castaic Lake Water Agency and the Newhall County Water District.

Proponents say the bill would reduce duplication and benefit ratepayers. Opponents, including the groups that filed last weeks lawsuit, say the merger was negotiated with little transparency and is a ploy to enable the new development to draw on already depleted water sources.

The bill works in Trojan Horse fashion, Lynne Plambeck, president of the environmental group known as SCOPE, and former Castaic water board candidate Stacy Fortner wrote in an op-ed in the Sacramento Bee this month.

Newhall Land & Farming needs surface water and groundwater to make its mega development happen, and this bill will shore up those supplies, they wrote.

State Sen. Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), the bills author, said it has nothing to do with Newhall Ranch. Its in the best interest of rate payers and the best interest of the environment, he said.

Wilk added that the consolidated agency can achieve economies of scale, more efficiently manage water resources, and likely compete more successfully for grants.

Through a spokesperson, Five Point Holdings declined to comment. The company has repeatedly said it has ample water for the project and Chief Executive Emile Haddad said last month that Newhall Ranch would set the new standard for development with its plan for addressing greenhouse gas emissions.

Stephanie Pincetl, a professor at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, said the ultimate decision on whether the project moves forward will depend on how broadly a judge interprets the developers obligations under the California Environmental Quality Act.

Newhall  complied with the letter of the law, she said. Itll depend on the judge and if the judge is willing to look at the larger set of impacts and not rule in a very narrow way.

nina.agrawal@latimes.com

Twitter: @AgrawalNina
The first of three defendants convicted of murder and other charges linked to a break-in at a San Carlos house last year was sentenced Friday to 159 years to life in prison.

Elliott Scott Grizzle, 46, was convicted in March of first-degree murder, residential burglary and two counts of robbery in connection with the May 11, 2016 incident.

The men who broke into the house were all charged in the shooting death of Brent Adler, 33.

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Before ordering the sentence Friday afternoon, San Diego Superior Court Judge Laura Halgren denied a defense motion for a new trial that had been based on insufficient evidence and other claims.

Halgren said there was substantial evidence to support the verdict, and that Grizzle participated in the robbery that resulted in one person being killed and two more being traumatized for hours.

Grizzles sentence was particularly harsh because he has previous convictions for assault and manslaughter, and was sentenced under Californias Three Strikes Law.

Deputy District Attorneys Amy Maund and Steven Schott argued in Grizzles trial that he was among a group of people who entered the home on Tommy Drive near Bisby Lake Avenue and then bound and blindfolded two people inside.

The robbers demanded money and marijuana.

Adler arrived at the house about 2:30 p.m. when the robbery was already in progress. He put up a fight in the driveway and was shot, investigators said.

Grizzle and the others  Lawrence Johnson, 28, and Toren Eric Nieber, 32  fled after the shooting.

Prosecutors said Grizzles DNA was on several items found at the house, including a drug pipe and a glove recovered outside the home.

Johnson and Nieber were convicted last week of charges including first-degree murder, robbery and residential burglary. Johnson faces a possible sentence of 40 years to life in prison; Neiber faces 89 years to life.

They have not yet been sentenced.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
Thousands of San Diego State University freshmen rolled into their new, somewhat cramped homes Friday in an annual rite of passage they and their parents described as exciting, sad, nervous and hectic.

Oh my God, its smaller than I thought, Lori Lenihan Waidelich said as walked into her daughter Reagans dorm room.

Waidelich wasnt too surprised, however. A 1982 graduate of SDSU, she also had lived in Zura Hall as a student herself, but on another floor.

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They really didnt change the room size when they redid this place, she said, recalling how the rebuilding was under renovation when her son entered SDSU a few years ago.

Reagan, who will study business at SDSU, is the third child in the family to attend the school. She didnt seem to mind the size of her room.

I love designing my room, she said while unpacking. Its really exciting.

As the two unloaded boxes and debated where a small wardrobe should go, similar scenes were unfolding on other floors and in the 13 other housing facilities on campus.

We call it organized chaos, SDSU Office of Housing Administration Director Eric Hansen said.

About 90 percent of 4,971 freshmen who will live in dorms moved in Friday in preparation for the start of the fall semester Monday.

The school takes efforts to make the day as painless as possible for families and provides large, wheeled bins to haul items.

Throughout the morning, lines of students and parents pushed bins filled with clothes, toiletries and other personal items from the parking structure to the dorms. Some carried laundry baskets filled with pillows and blankets while others pulled wheeled suitcases or pushed office chairs with stacked boxes.

Booths from various organizations lined the walkway with information about school functions and a food truck gave out free snow cones. Nearby, campus police had their own way of making a good first impression.

Welcome to SDSU, campus Police Chief Josh Mays said, holding an open pink bakery box. Have a doughnut. Its Friday.

It all helped ease the stress of an emotional day that can find youths taking a major step into adult and parents returning home to empty nests.

It hasnt really hit me yet, said Alec James, 18, who had moved from Denver. I thought it was gong to be kind of hard to move away, but Im ready.

His parents had come with him to help in the move, and James expected saying goodbye on Sunday would be tough, especially for his mother.

I dont think its really set in yet, he said. Its going to be hard for her.

Hollis and Kandiace Blake from Sacramento had come to the school to help their daughter, Vyctoria, as she moved into her dorm.

The couple previously had said goodbye to their son when he flew off to attend college in Virginia, but Hollis admitted it was tougher to see his younger child leave.

Its different for your daughter, because shes your baby, he said.

Kandiace said she was experiencing a mixture of emotions.

Im excited and Im sacred and Im nervous and Im happy, she said. All those things. But its what we trained her to do. Go to school and leave home. But its still hard to drop your child off and know youre not going to be with her all the time.

Kelly Soto, who wore an SDSU Mom t-shirt, said she felt more anxious in the days leading up to the move.

Waiting for the moment to get here, that was the hard part, she said.

Nick Soto, 18, plans to study environmental science at the school and said there had been a lot of hype around moving day.

Im a little bit nervous, and a little bit excited, he said. Its nice to move out of the house and try something new for a change.

Nick is the second of Kelly and Eric Sotos two children to move out, leaving the couple empty nesters back home in Santa Clarita.

As much as were going to miss him, were excited for him, Kelly said.

We do have those moments where we want to press the rewind button a little bit, Eric said.

Mark and Julie Powell had come from Walnut Creek to help their daughter, Cassidy, with her move.

Its sad that shes leaving, but were happy that shes got some place exciting to be, Mark said. And its close enough that we get to visit.

Its exciting for her, but sad for us, Julie said. Shes leaving home.

Cassidy, who hasnt declared a major, said shes excited and kind of nervous about moving out. Her older sister Kira is already at the school, however, and had some advice to offer.

Dont be stressed, Kira said. Take your time. Be excited. Get involved.

Besides the convenience of living on campus, housing director Hanson said there also is an academic benefit to being in dorms.

Studies show freshmen and sophomores who live on campus have better retention, grades and graduation rates, he said. SDSU has required out-of-town freshmen to live on campus since 2010, but only 350 sophomores are in dorms now. That number will increase next year because 1,500 freshmen have committed to remain in dorms, and SDSU has a goal of increasing sophomores living on campus to 3,000.

The university has plans to build new facilities or use existing builds to meet the need.

Increasing the number of sophomores living on campus is one step the school is taking to reach a goal of improving the six-year graduation rate from 74 percent to 86 percent, Hansen said.

Cost of living on campus went up 7 percent from last year. For freshmen with a 10-meal weekly plan, the cost is $13,357 for a shared room to $17,637 for a single room a year.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

760-529-4939
Maria Solis found out she was pregnant with her fourth child days before she was targeted by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer outside her apartment.

Solis, 28, of Oceanside, has spent more than three weeks in Otay Mesa Detention Center, and she said the facility hasnt provided adequate medical care given her history of difficult pregnancies. Shes worried that if she stays in detention, shell have a miscarriage. Her family is rallying community members and asking Congressman Darrell Issa to call for her release while she pursues her case in immigration court.

I just want to go home to my daughters, Solis said during a tear-filled interview. This is just not a place for anyone in particular, especially for women, pregnant women.

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Solis was arrested as she walked to catch a bus to her job at a deli because she has a prior deportation from 2007. Since President Donald Trump expanded immigration enforcement priorities in January to include a focus on those with prior deportation orders, many like Solis, who has no criminal record, have been targeted.

A change.org petition that demands Soliss release has more than 2,600 signatures.

Immigration and Customs Enforcements policy, according to a 2016 memo, is generally to not detain pregnant women unless there are extraordinary circumstances or the case requires mandatory detention. Facilities are required to notify ICEs local field office director anytime staff learn that a detainee is pregnant.

Lauren Mack, a spokeswoman for ICE, said that Solis is in custody pending a review of her immigration case by an immigration judge.

While in ICE custody, Ms. Solis has received timely and appropriate medical care, including prenatal vitamins and lab tests related to her pregnancy, Mack said. Ms. Soliss medical records indicate she has been seen by ICE medical staff at the facility 10 times since coming into the agencys custody earlier this month.

Solis said that she didnt receive the vitamins or lab work until after media outlets began investigating her case.

The facility in Otay Mesa, operated by private prison company CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, has a history of lawsuits over medical care. The widow of a man who died from pneumonia while in custody sued the federal government earlier this year. In 2010, the federal government settled an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit that made allegations of poor medical care at the facility.

A spokesman for CoreCivic referred The San Diego Union-Tribune to ICE when asked for comment.

Solis was on bed rest for two of her previous pregnancies, Solis said, and all three were premature. Shes been cramping, which she said is a sign that this pregnancy will be similar.

Shes gone to the facility doctor repeatedly, she said, and is generally sent back to her pod with water and Tylenol.

On her last visit, she said, the doctor told her, If you have a miscarriage here, its not our fault, and theres nothing we can do about it.

Solis said shes been yelled at by facility staff for keeping her shirt untucked, which pregnant women are allowed to do to avoid pressure on their stomachs, and for having a second mattress, which pregnant women are allowed to request. One staff member who yelled at her also forced her to deep clean, which involved moving her mattresses around and aggravated her cramping, she said.

It makes it so hard to ask for help if you ever do need it, Solis said of the staff members behavior.

She was harassed by another woman in her pod, she said, and didnt report it for a week because of that fear. When she did tell the facility what was going on, staff members immediately moved her to a new pod, she said.

Solis was hesitant to come forward with her story, and her oldest sister, Izabel Solis, convinced her that she needed to share it.

Shes a voice for all the women in there going through the same situation, Izabel Solis said.

Because of an abusive ex-husband, Maria Solis may have a way to stay in the U.S. She turned him in to the police, and he was deported several years ago, she said.

She is applying for a U-visa, which is for crime victims who cooperate with law enforcement, and she has also applied for protection under the Convention Against Torture because she fears that if she goes back to Mexico, her ex-husband hurt her again. His family has a lot of power, she said, because they work in the Mexican government.

Solis has been married to her current husband, a U.S. citizen, for five years. Because Solis entered the U.S. without authorization and because of her prior deportation, her husband cannot sponsor a green card for her without her being barred from the U.S. for 10 years.

Her father is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and her mother has a green card. All of her seven siblings were either born in the U.S. or naturalized.

Solis moved to Mexico when she was 15, she said, and came back at 18. She was caught crossing and deported. She returned without authorization that same year and has lived in Oceanside since.

Solis does not know what her familys status was when she first came to the U.S. at one or two years old, she said.

She remembers that when she was about 10, her oldest daughters age, she saw her father detained by immigration officials. It traumatized her, she said, and shes worried that her detention will do the same for her daughters.

Solis has a court date on Sept. 12. If she is not released by then, she will spend her 29th birthday in detention.

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MPs demand action against corrupt customs officials

Lawmakers have demanded that the government take action against the accused involved in the use of counterfeit customs declaration forms at Bhairahawa Customs Office.
Two documents give very different forecasts for Rep. Duncan Hunters future in Congress.

The first  a search warrant for the House members campaign treasurer  is bleak, and shows that the criminal investigation into a campaign finance scandal that has dogged the Alpine Republican for more than a year has grown larger and is more legally perilous than previously known.

The other  a voter registration report  is more promising for the five-term Republican. It shows that Hunters district is one of the reddest in super-blue California. He won the 2014 midterms with a 42-point margin and last year by 27 points.

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But theres a third undocumented variable that belies both of those government records. Hunter is well-known in the district, hes a solid Republican who doesnt mince words and bears an anti-establishment streak that he borrows from the districts former representative: his father. He resonates with a lot of his constituents and can dissipate a shadow cast by a federal investigation. And he has name recognition like few others.

Theyre an honorable family, they have strong beliefs, and they dont waiver from those beliefs, said Mary Moran, conservative voter from Ramona who is not registered with any political party.

They dont go with whats trendy or politically correct, she continued. They have these strong values that resonate with all of us, especially in the backcountry.

The 2018 primary is more than nine months away and Hunter is facing at least six Democratic challengers, including two who have raised more than $100,000. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has targeted the seat, and a political action committee has formed largely to attack the incumbent  all of which is highly unusual in what should be a safe seat the incumbent.

One Republican, Sheriff Deputy Andrew Zelt, is also running; he said he has similar politics as Hunter, but he can represent the district without scandal.

Hunter, whose office did not respond to multiple requests for comment, has a growing problem. In March the House Ethics Committee announced that Hunter is under federal criminal investigation related to his campaign finances. Documents showed that his donors contributions were spent on vacations, home repairs, video games, and other expenses.

A month earlier the FBI had raided his campaign treasurers office in Northern Virginia, taking computers, electronics and records  a development in the case that was unknown until just weeks ago. The warrant revealed that the FBI was not merely investigating if Hunter inappropriately used contributions for personal expenses, but also a series of other concerns that had not been publicly known before.

According to an FBI warrant application, investigators were trying to determine if the congressman and several of his close associates were involved in a scheme to defraud First National Bank by making false statements related to video game charges which resulted in the refunding or credit of charges not properly due. The document also revealed that the investigation is looking into possible falsification of Federal Election Commission reports and falsification of records with the intent to interfere with a congressional probe.

The warrant came after about $60,000 in questionable expenses were found on Hunters finance reports. Campaign contributions were used for airfare, video games, home repairs, tuition at his childrens school, and other purchases, including a cross-country flight for a pet rabbit. Purchases were made when a campaign credit card was confused with a personal credit card with a similar appearance, according to Hunter.

As he contends with the investigation heading into the 2018 midterm elections, Hunter has the numbers on his side. His district has the third-highest Republican voter registration in California, and has the largest GOP margin over Democrats  15.67 percentage points  of any district in the state.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting the seat, but acknowledges that the voter registration margin is tough to overcome. Drew Godinich, a DCCC spokesman, said that progressives are motivated this cycle, that Hunter is vulnerable, and that they have made inroads in the district. He noted that his party has whittled a 20-point GOP advantage down to about 16 points in the last four years and voters are expected to express their frustrations with President Donald Trump in House races.

Democrats dont stand a chance in the district, and dont seem to be committed to this seat, the National Republican Campaign Committee said.

If Democrats really thought this seat was competitive, they would have put their money where their mouth is by now. Bluster isnt going to win Nancy Pelosi the majority back, NRCC spokesman Jack Pandol said of the House minority leader.

Hunter is carrying on with his campaign, and continuing to reach out to conservatives. He was at a recent ATF Night, a San Diego Young Republicans event that began at a gun range and ended at a restaurant with dinner and complimentary drinks and a cigar. Alpine Tobacco Company Cigar and Wine Bar, one of the establishments that the congressman paid with campaign money, was also a sponsor.

Hunter makes voters feel like he knows them, and many actually know him personally or feel like they do because they knew his father, said Arkan Somo, an El Cajon Republican who has known the Hunters for about two decades.

People who follow politics in East County remember how Hunter, a former Marine, was deployed through a good part of his first campaign, and how his wife stood in for him, shaking hands, meeting with donors and performing all the other chores a candidate usually does. Theyre going to stay loyal, Somo said.

The name recognition is not just his, its his dad and his grandfather. They were American patriots, and have sometimes put their own careers on the line to help their community and their country, Somo said.

This type of relationship with voters means that the constituents will give him the benefit of the doubt during the investigation, he said.

Its not just because we have a Republican advantage, Somo said.

Tom Shepard, a political consultant who works with Republican candidates but is not involved in this race, said there are two things that could make the GOPs voter registration advantage and Hunters relationship moot: If hes indicted or he resigns.

The latter could happen without the former.

The first thing a lawyer tells them is that the only leverage youve got is your office, Shepard said. The last thing an elected official wants to do is give up their office without cutting a deal with prosecutors.

The National Republican Campaign Committee is likely preparing for these possibilities, Shepard said.

I am almost certain that somebody back in D.C. at the NRCC is looking at contingency plans here, he said. The worst-case scenario there for them would be to get past the filing deadline for 2018 and Duncan Hunter is the only Republican on the ballot, and then an indictment comes down.

But until then, Shepard said, Hunter needs to keep on campaigning, and giving the impression that the seat  because of the voter registration advantages, his name recognition, and his rapport with constituents  is his to keep.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
A 19-year-old man suspected of running away before law officers fatally shot his companion in Lemon Grove Thursday was arrested Friday.

The man killed was identified Friday night as 19-year-old Isaias Raziel Ochoa of Spring Valley.

Deputies and a fugitive task force found his companion, Dominic Jones, in the middle of Lemon Grove, at Lemon Grove Avenue and Broadway, about 11:30 a.m. Friday, sheriffs homicide Lt. Kenneth Nelson said.

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Jones, who also uses the name Hearn, was booked on a warrant for probation violation from a 2016 case involving a deadly weapon, Nelson said. The warrant was issued on Monday.

Investigators believe Jones was one of three men in a Ford sedan that led a La Mesa police officer on a pursuit on Thursday. The officer saw the car stopped at a green light at Baltimore Drive and Fletcher Parkway with a door open about 1:30 a.m. Someone in the car screamed. When the officer tried to contact the trio, the car sped away.

The pursuit wound through Spring Valley and ended on Rebecca Way in Lemon Grove, a cul-de-sac. The three men ran from the car.

One of the men jumped a fence and officers chasing him heard what they thought was a gunshot, Nelson said. He said investigators still arent sure if the fleeing man did fire a shot, or for what reason.

A San Diego police officer loosed his patrol dog on the man, who started firing rounds at officers, Nelson said. The San Diego officer, two La Mesa police officers and a sheriffs sergeant returned fire, killing the man.

He was identified as Ochoa on Friday night.

Deputies also quickly caught up to another man believed to have been in the car during the pursuit, and arrested him about a block from the shooting scene. Nelson said he was questioned, then released without charges.

The third man escaped. Nelson did not say how investigators were able to identify him or how he was found in Lemon Grove on Friday.

UPDATES:

8:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 3:50 p.m.
A 40-year-old man was arrested Friday night on suspicion of killing his girlfriend, who was found lying on her bedroom floor by her children hours earlier in Mountain View, San Diego police said.

Damon Edwards was taken into custody about 7:30 p.m. at a home in San Diego where he used to live. He is expected to be booked into jail on a count of murder in Mickette Smiths slaying, homicide Lt. Todd Griffin said.

Smith, 38, is a mother of three children. She went to Kearny High School and studied radiology at San Diego Mesa College, according to her Facebook page.

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In a 45-second, heart-rending video posted on Facebook, Smiths grieving mother wept over the death of her daughter.

My baby was murdered this morning, an inconsolable Dorothy Joe Smith said. My baby, my God. My precious my precious baby. They took my baby.

Two of Mickette Smiths children, a boy and a girl under the age of 10, called an aunt after they found their mother unresponsive, homicide Lt. Todd Griffin said. Their aunt rushed to the apartment on Mayberry Court, east of 43rd Street, and called 911 soon after.

Paramedics sent to the home determined Smith was dead. During an examination of her body, they noticed she had suffered some trauma to the back of her head and upper torso, Griffin said.

Medics called police about 9:15 a.m.

On Friday afternoon, detectives got a search warrant to enter the home.

Edwards lived with Smith but is not the father of her children, police said.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez

UPDATES:

8:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details. This article was originally published at 4:30 p.m.
Bill Burr is at the top of his game.

The stand-up comedian, actor, writer and podcaster has written and starred in five critically-acclaimed stand-up specials. Walk Your Way Out, released in January 2017, is currently streaming on Netflix. His Monday Morning Podcast is among the most downloaded comedy podcasts on iTunes. And F Is For Family, an animated sitcom co-created by Burr and Michael Price, has been picked up for a third season.

I caught up with Burr while he was at a hotel gym in New Jersey. It was his second day in Red Bank, and we talked over the phone about experimentation, taking comedy seriously and playing it safe.

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Keeping it fresh

The morning before our chat, the actor, writer and stand-up comedian had stepped off an early flight from New York City only to discover a mix-up with his hotel booking.

Its around 7 a.m., he recalled, Im exhausted and have nowhere to go until check-in time. I stay in the car and keep the window cracked so I dont get too hot, or suffocate, or whatever, but Ive also got to worry about serial killers.

It was a tedious wait but, as it turned out, a fruitful one. Later that night at Red Banks historic Count Basie Theatre, Burr parlayed his misfortune into fresh material, infusing his performance with a new story no one had heard before.

Each time I get on stage, I try to completely forget what I did the night before, said Burr, then Im completely free, alive and present.

If youve watched his stand-up routines or listened to his podcasts, you know Bill Burr portrays himself as an opinionated but largely ill-informed comedic instigator. Bill Burr, the artist, on the other hand, is disciplined, rational and reflective. And foul-mouthed.

Every funny thing you say is not some f------ golden nugget, he said. You cannot hang onto s---.

Its not entirely unlike jazz

Burrs evolution as a performer began in the late 1990s when he gave up on Hollywood. The one thing I learned was that it was all up to me. Its not up to Hollywood  its not their job to fulfill your dreams.

He returned to NYC determined to get so funny that they would have to book me.

Burr admitted that for the past 20-plus years hes been committed to pushing his limits as an artist, to experimenting with material and constantly tweaking his routines.

The perpetual question: What is the effect on the audience going to be?

F Is For Family

F Is For Family affords Burr another avenue to experiment and test his limits.

Co-creator and executive producer of the series, Burr provides the voice for Francis X. Frank Murphy, a baggage handler, husband and father of three.

I love writing for the show, especially dialogue, Burr said. One of my highs is the table read. When the actors get it, its like wow, that feels really good.

Laura Dern is the voice of Franks wife, Sue. Laura is funny, really funny. But she really wants to understand her character. Its like being in the recording booth with a psychologist.

Same thing with Sam Rockwell. When his character, Vic, was having drug problems in season 2, Sam was trying to gauge his level of addiction and said something like, This guys going really deep, huh?

Live and uncensored

What should audience members expect from Burr on Sept. 2 at Harrahs Resort Southern California?

They should expect to get their moneys worth, he said. Since the last special, Walk Your Way Out, Ive developed an hour and fifteen minutes of new material.

One thing is for certain: From Burrs perspective, playing it safe will not be an option.

The minute you do that, he said, youre done.

Bill Burr Live

Where: The Events Center at Harrahs Resort SoCal , 777 S Resort Dr, Valley Center

When: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2

Tickets: Starting at $65

Online: harrahssocal.com/events/

Email: temecula@sduniontribune.com
The city of San Diego jumped to the forefront of the fight against climate change in late 2015 with adoption of its Climate Action Plan. This commitment earned the city much praise, and we at the San Diego County Taxpayers Association supported it with the caveat that we must achieve these goals cost effectively. Lets maximize our greenhouse gas reduction with as few dollars as possible; we have many public problems, like homelessness, to tackle with finite resources.

Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is one option in the Climate Action Plan to achieve 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, and because San Diegans have trusted us for three-quarters of a century to do our homework, we have several questions about the CCA proposal before the mayor and City Council. We hope city leaders are searching for the same answers we are  basic fiduciary management demands it.

Related: Power of Choice - Size matters in energy business

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Related: Power of Choice - Cheaper, cleaner renewables a win

Under CCA, the city would enter into the energy business, buying and selling power to local customers while committing to supplying power generated from renewable sources. A draft CCA report the city recently released indicates that in some scenarios CCA could be feasible or even beneficial. By the reports own assumptions, however, many unquantified risks would accompany CCA. In fact, the report highlights this concern as one of its primary conclusions.

How much would CCA cost to implement and operate, and what would ratepayers pay?

The citys draft report demonstrates some positive and some negative scenarios, and the cost uncertainty is about $3 billion. In other words, we dont know if this would be a gain of $257 million or a loss of $2.77 billion, according to the draft report. It is absolutely reasonable to demand more certainty. All of us have seen what projection errors have meant for our regional transportation agency. We dont want to repeat the same mistake.

The citys draft report shows scenarios where customers under a CCA would pay lower rates. But the report also points out that under the desired scenario of 100 percent renewable energy, SDG&Es rates would actually be cheaper than CCAs rates. With this much uncertainty on a key point, is there really enough information to justify a decision?

Would it force non-CCA customers in surrounding communities to pay more for their electricity?

One important unknown is the Power Charge Indifference Adjustment (PCIA)  an exit fee charged to customers who leave a utility for a CCA to recoup the difference for long-term production contracts it entered into to serve a specific number of customers. Low exit fees could force ratepayers from across the region to subsidize the city for opting out of SDG&E service. The California Public Utilities Commission has 18 months to establish exit fees.

Does it make sense to pursue CCA if pending state legislation would achieve the same renewable goals without any of the financial risk the city would incur under CCA?

SB 100 is a bill progressing through Sacramento that would establish a policy goal requiring California to use zero carbon energy sources by 2045. If passed, this law could reduce the future price of renewable energy, undercutting the ability of CCAs to lower costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Would the CCA be able to build new renewable energy sources (wind farms, etc.) locally? What would they cost to construct and what would the taxpayer liabilities be?

If a CCA is unable to generate positive returns, as indicated by almost half the scenarios in the draft report, investment in renewable generation could decline. Reducing greenhouse gas production through the energy supply can only be done by increasing renewable energy generation. A failure to do so defeats the primary purpose of CCA.

Are our elected leaders asking these questions, or are they leading us down a path without doing their homework?

The draft report is a good starting point, but it also highlights the fact that we need more information to determine if this is the most cost effective approach to reducing greenhouse gasses. At a minimum, city leaders owe taxpayers answers to questions like ours before deciding whether CCA makes sense for San Diego.

The city set a positive goal with the Climate Action Plan, and San Diegans should support its aims. But city leaders willing to bet they can provide greener and cheaper power for homes and business need to determine if CCA is worth the risk before they commit to plugging in.

Hong is president and CEO of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association, where Gyorffy is a policy analyst.
Is it too late to stop global warming? Were not sure, but this is not a drill. Our climate and our planet are too important for us to simply stand by as atmospheric warming poses ever-greater risks.

We need a carbon-free future sustained by clean and renewable energy from solar, wind and geothermal farms  not coal mines and oil wells  to fuel our cars, trucks, homes and businesses. So we enthusiastically embrace new ways to minimize and eliminate fossil fuel consumption.

California is home to 12 percent of Americas population and the sixth largest economy on the planet, so reducing our greenhouse gas emissions is a big deal. California leads America in the attack on greenhouse gas. In 2002, our state set a goal of 331/3 percent renewable energy by 2020, subsequently increased to 50 percent by 2030. As we write, legislation is pending in Sacramento that seeks to increase renewable electricity usage even further across the state.

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Related: Power of Choice - Cheaper, cleaner renewables a win

Related:Change could prove risky

Meanwhile, local governments are considering  and some are implementing  Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) programs. The noble reason for a city or county to create a CCA is to make clean energy a greater part of the community electricity supply. In a nutshell, a new city department guided by the mayor and city council would bypass the traditional utility, entering the energy marketplace to directly purchase the electricity required by residents and businesses.

A CCA proposal is working its way through San Diego City Hall, with hearings set this fall and a possible decision early next year. The vital question city government leaders face is whether switching from SDG&E to a CCA operating within a political system is a smart choice.

In California, there are three investor-owned utilities, plus a handful of public providers. All providers coordinate daily with the California Independent System Operator to balance energy loads and assure a dependable power supply.

If all the currently proposed California CCAs are formed, there will soon be another 30-plus, mostly small, local government entities operating within the energy purchase marketplace. The creation of these new bureaucracies strikes us as a costly and inefficient way to manage the greening of California power. Our instincts say statewide or regional co-ops would be better than multiple lone rangers. Despite our enthusiasm for a carbon-free future, we are not convinced that multiple CCAs are a safe and clear-cut improvement over the status quo  especially considering the pending clean energy bill pending in Sacramento.

In the power business, size does matter. Large utilities have greater leverage to bargain and, more importantly, pledge their huge balance sheets to support the power purchase agreements that allow large-scale and very expensive solar, wind and other renewable projects to be built in California, creating jobs and reducing emissions. CCAs must demonstrate they can generate more renewable projects. How could this happen without our city pledging its balance sheet in support of a 25-year power purchase agreement?

CCA advocates assert that government would deliver clean energy cheaper than utility companies; that a CCA could purchase 100 percent renewable energy while utilities remain partially tied to carbon technologies; and that local control would result in greater locally generated supply, stimulating local job growth.

Some industry and labor leaders have a different view. They believe CCAs would stimulate out-of-state energy production and increase consumer costs. In San Diego, costs could be a significant factor. The California Public Utilities Commission may take 18 months to decide on an exit fee structure that could cost San Diego well over $1 billion if it implements CCA.

Its also worth noting that local governments, despite best intentions, do not have an exemplary track record when they stray from core competencies.

Our goal here is not to judge the facts, or even the suitability of a San Diego CCA. Our purpose, rather, is to encourage everyone to become aware and participate in the discussion and debate.

Electricity is an essential part of our lives, something we each use every day. Before making any decisions concerning this critical commodity, the possible risks and rewards must be fully debated.

We hope that everyone  especially San Diegos City Council and mayor  will proceed with caution before they make decisions about becoming an electrical energy supplier.

Waring is a co-founder of CleanTech San Diego and is former deputy chief operating officer of the city of San Diego. Nelson served on the City of San Diego Public Utilities Advisory Commission and is a former chairman of the San Diego Unified Port District.
What if you could choose to power your home for less than SDG&Es rates, using 100 percent renewable energy? Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) enables you to do just that. CCAs are city and county agencies that buy or produce electricity on behalf of their residents, and pay the utility company to deliver it. Customers gain an unprecedented choice: purchase power from the CCA or stay with the utilitys service.

Eight CCA nonprofit agencies currently serve over 1 million customers in California. Seeing the success of this approach, Los Angeles, San Jose and others are implementing CCAs. According to a California Public Utilities Commission estimate, within three years 67 percent of the states electricity needs may be satisfied by CCAs. By the mid-2020s over 15 million customers could migrate from investor owned utility companies like SDG&E, to a CCA!

Related: Power of Choice - Size matters in energy business

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Related:Change could prove risky

Meanwhile, several innovative models of CCA (also called Community Choice Energy) have developed. Some government agencies run the program themselves  the path that San Francisco and Solana Beach have selected. More commonly, cities and counties come together to create a single joint powers authority (JPA), like Marin Clean Energy, that operates on behalf of all the member cities and counties. The cities of Lancaster and San Jacinto, meanwhile, have formed a Hybrid JPA; each city sets its own electricity rates while sharing operating costs.

As a former Solana Beach City Council member and current member of its Climate Action Commission, I was proud when our city became the first in San Diego County to move forward with a CCA this past May. The CCA will allow the city to procure renewable energy faster and more economically than SDG&E can supply it; this is essential to meet our commitment to 100 percent renewable energy, a goal shared with the cities of San Diego and Del Mar.

What about San Diego? Will the city participate in the roaring CCA transformation?

Last month the city of San Diego released the long-awaited results of a comprehensive feasibility study of Community Choice Energy. The verdict: Community Choice is a win for San Diego and will offer cheaper, cleaner energy to families and businesses. It will also create jobs and build our local economy. Recognizing the magnitude of these findings, Mayor Kevin Faulconer declared, Were moving full speed ahead to reach our ultimate goal of using 100 percent renewable energy citywide, and this study shows we have the ability to get there.

The citys feasibility study also makes a remarkable projection: a Community Choice program will generate at least $50 million to reinvest into the community! In fact, current CCAs have been generating impressive cash surpluses or profits: Marin Clean Energy CCA reported a $15 million surplus last year. Sonoma Clean Power threw off $10 million. Many CCAs plow these funds  which a utility or its shareholders would traditionally retain  back into programs that enable their residents to obtain rooftop solar, energy efficiency upgrades, and jobs.

Giving San Diego control over energy decisions will also send an unmistakable market signal to our entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors. When these forces are unleashed, we can expect new forms of energy generation, delivery and competition; accelerated clean technology development, and corresponding economic benefit for our communities.

Every groundbreaking program has risks. We cannot know for sure the future fluctuations in energy or financing costs, or unfavorable regulations. However the feasibility study shows the risks can be managed.

Some critics, such as the San Diego Taxpayers Association and Sempra, argue that the costs of a local CCA may be larger than the study estimated. They also contend that adding another CCA will not increase our renewable energy supply. These points are contradicted by the financial performance of the existing CCAs. Also, Sempra/SDG&E, at its core, is a fossil fuel company. No wonder that each of the current CCAs provides a greater portion of renewable energy than their corresponding utility companies.

The San Diego City Council will decide whether to pursue Community Choice Energy. Well-resourced special interests will fight to block its adoption. People who would like to have a choice of energy providers, who favor competition, competitive rates, clean energy, local control, and innovation and economic benefits for our region, should contact their council member and local organizations that are dedicated to these outcomes, like the Climate Action Campaign.

Energy choice has arrived. Lets bring it home!

Zahn, a former Solana Beach council member, is vice chair of the citys Climate Action Commission, and a member of Cleantech San Diegos board of directors.
Anil Giri is a reporter covering diplomacy, international relations and national politics for The Kathmandu Post. Giri has been working as a journalist for a decade-and-a-half, contributing to numerous national and international media outlets.
I didnt expect to be a teacher. My first career choice was counselor, and I specialized in helping low-income adults return to college. After two years of hearing my advisees explain how they got off track during high school, I decided if I really wanted to make a difference, I needed to work with students earlier in their educational experiences.

But like many career changers, I faced a financial hurdle. My undergraduate degree was in English, and I could not afford to take time off to pursue a masters degree in education.

Fortunately, California offers multiple pathways to teaching. I was accepted into a nontraditional teacher licensure program that allowed me to work as a teacher of record with an intern credential under the supervision of mentors while I earned my full credential. By my second year teaching, I was promoted to department chair.

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Thousands of California teachers like me enter the profession every year through a nontraditional program. We are the most diverse cohort of beginning teachers, and our students perform on par with those taught by new educators who went through the traditional credentialing programs. Yet the California Board of Education wants to single us out and label us as ineffective before we even meet our students.

This September, every state must submit a school quality plan to the U.S. Department of Education in accordance with the Every Student Succeeds Act, the law that replaced No Child Left Behind and gives states the authority to determine how to measure and explain school performance for parents and taxpayers.

One component of the plan must judge whether teachers are effective or ineffective. The California State Board of Educations school quality plan would include a rule that would make the teacher effectiveness determination solely based on a teachers credential status. In school parlance: Teachers whove completed a traditional program and have a preliminary or clear credential would pass the effectiveness threshold rule; teachers enrolled in nontraditional routes, teaching with an intern credential, would fail.

Not only is this a break from policies in nearly every other state, it also undercuts our state efforts to diversify the teaching profession and exacerbates a statewide teacher shortage.

The nontraditional, intern pathway was established almost 50 years ago to expand the pool of qualified teachers by attracting candidates who might not otherwise enter the classroom  including underrepresented minorities, those who could not enter a traditional program because of financial, family or other reasons, and those committed to teaching in high-need schools. Its working. The state teaching commission reports intern programs continue to bring proportionally more underrepresented minorities  49 percent  into teaching compared to approximately 34 percent of the current state teacher workforce.

Schools also need an expedient way to address urgent staffing needs with teachers who receive training just as extensive as traditional postgraduate preparation programs. Interns must hold a bachelors degree, demonstrate subject matter competency, and complete the same rigorous university coursework as traditional students. Moreover, studies on intern credentialed teachers in California  such as one conducted by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University  show that interns are highly effective new teachers. The standards and performance indicators are not the same for substitute teachers or emergency hires that districts rely on in times of shortages.

California is the only state currently proposing an effectiveness definition tied solely to teacher credentials, which is disappointingly misguided.

I urge state leaders to ground their definition of effectiveness in student growth and performance evaluation  what teachers produce in the classroom, not only the credential we bring to it. Ultimately, multiple licensure pathways are critical to diversifying the teacher force and to improving it.

Morgan is a special-education teacher in San San Diego. She recently served on a state task force on special education pathways at the California Commission on Teaching Credentials and earned her teaching credential through SDSU and Teach For America.
Its absolutely unacceptable that some 300 California communities with about 1 million residents  mostly in agricultural areas in the Central Valley but also including local neighborhoods near Potrero, Pauma Valley and Borrego Springs  have water as unsafe or worse than the water in Flint, Michigan. But to wait until the legislative sessions 11th hour and unveil a first-ever tax on tap water to address the problem is also absolutely unacceptable.

In a telephone interview with a Union-Tribune editorial writer, state Sen. Bill Monning, D-Monterey, said the announcement last week that new language had been added to his SB 623 that would add a maximum 95-cent fee to the monthly bills of all but low-income water customers wasnt a gut and amend late-session maneuver because SB 623 was already about improving water quality in threatened communities. Feel free to groan. This is a classic Sacramento power play, and the worthiness of the cause it addresses doesnt make it OK.

The most recent legislative analysis of the bill notes that the water tax and new fees on fertilizer and dairy products would generate about $122 million a year  one-tenth of 1 percent of the states $122 billion general fund budget. Yet Monning said a water tax was still necessary to fund water fixes because it would provide funding certainty.

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Please. In 2012, state lawmakers passed a measure declaring that every human being has the right to safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water. Now Californians are told lawmakers cant commit themselves to devoting a tiny fraction of the state budget to honor the intent of the measure, so a new category of taxation must be created. Baloney.

Yes, of course, the water problem must be addressed  but with honesty, not subterfuge.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion

UPDATES:

A factual error about the size of the proposed water fee was corrected on Aug. 27.
AUBURN  The Auburn/Cayuga Branch of the NAACP and Auburn Enlarged City School District worked in tandem Saturday afternoon to give away school supplies to children in need.

Parents and children lined up to receive backpacks, binders, pencils, erasers and shoes at the Back to School/Stay in School, School Supply Give-Away at Genesee Elementary School in Auburn.

At a table for the Auburn Police Department, two officers chatted with people. Food from BB's Pizza was also available.

Kari Brown, who got supplies with her sons, Kobi Brown, 8, and Kawhi Williams, 4, said she received a phone call about the event the night before.

If it wasn't for that call, Kari said, she wouldn't have known where to go for help, as the past year has been rough financially.

"It's hard to even know where to start. Like, where are the resources? Where are the people?" Kari Brown said.

Eli Hernandez, NAACP branch president and a member of the Auburn school district's board of education, said the NAACP has been holding this giveaway at different locations for 10 years.

"We started based on the fact that it is very difficult for parents to purchase all the necessary supplies for kids," Hernandez said.

He noted many teachers pay for supplies out of their own pockets. For many parents, Hernandez said, freeing up money that otherwise might go toward a backpack or other supplies so that parents can buy back-to-school clothes or other items can make "a world of difference."

Hernandez said he was grateful for the help of organizations like the Auburn Administrators' Association, Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Harriet Tubman Center for Justice & Peace, among others.

DeJuan Wilson, son of NAACP member and school board member Rhoda Overstreet-Wilson, was helping out at the shoe table. He said the experience was "eye-opening," as he was surprised by how many people came through the door for help.

Jackie Seal, her fiance, Chris Squires, and their family also came to the giveaway. Seal said that until recently she had been off work for a month due to an injury, which hurt their income as Squires had to spend more time at home.

"We wouldn't use this if we didn't have to," Seal said.
Nepal-India trade via Biratnagar comes to halt

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Money in Belize and Belize Currency Conversions

I get lots of questions from first-time visitors about money in Belize  does everyone accept credit cards, do shops accept US dollars, do ATM machines take US or foreign cards? Its just smart travel planning. So here is a breakdown of the basics of money and Belize Currency.

The Belize Dollar

The Belize dollar is the official currency of Belize  and it is pegged (or set) to the US Dollar. $2bzd = $1US.

Bills come in $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100  coins 1 cent, 5, 10, 25 (or a shilling), 50 cents and my favorite the $1 coin.

Yes, that is the Queen of England on the front. While Belize has been her own country since 1981, we are still part of the British Commonwealth along with 52 other countries. InterestinglyBarbados just left the commonwealth last year.

7 Very Interesting Facts (to me) About the British Commonwealth

Can I use US dollars in Belize?

Yes. Always. The two are interchangeable. Can I use US coins? No.

Youll find prices quoted in both US and BZD across the country. In general, the higher prices are quoted in US dollars  like real estate, hotel, and tour prices. And all prices at supermarkets, most restaurants and shops are quoted in local prices.

Always double-check on menus how your price is being quoted. Ask if you are unsure or if it isnt specified.

Is that price Belize or US?

Easy.

TIP: Id recommend bringing smaller bills  $1, $5, $10 and $20US in your wallet. $50US or $100US bills will be hard, often impossible to cash in smaller villages or small shops and restaurants. People dont have the change and/or these large bills are somewhat rare and can be counterfeit  no one wants to take that risk.

Make sure that your bills are in good condition! A few years ago, the Belize banks decided that they can no longer accept US bills with ANY marks or tears. So take a close look  at things you wouldnt even notice at home. For a pen mark or a tiny tear.

Nothing more annoying than being down to your last $20US bill and finding that no one will accept it.

(If you do get into that position, you will find that some of the larger supermarkets or bars  ones that deal with many tourists  will accept the bill  or help you out. Just ask them at the counter before you order.)

ATM Machines in Belize

Cash machines in Belize dispense money in Belize dollars. Never USD. There is often a $500bzd-$800bzd limit depending on the bank.

You will find ATM machines in all major tourist towns and more urban centers  San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Hopkins, San Ignacio, Punta Gorda, Dangriga, Belize City, Belmopan, etc.

Something to keep in mind, you will often be hit with two fees  one from your bank for international use (find it out before you leave) and one for the local Belize bank.

Belize dollars are not accepted outside of Belize  except at some border towns like Melchor, Guatemala, and Chetumal, Mexico  so be careful of the amount you withdraw  especially at the end of your trip.

If you are staying in a more remote area  one of the smaller cayes or a less touristy village, please ask your hotel/resort for information.

Belize Bank, Atlantic Bank and ScotiaBank all accept foreign ATM cards.

Exchanging Money in Belize

There are no official money exchanges in Belize and banks (for some reason) give a less than ideal rate for exchanging money (like $1.96BZD to $1US).

There is no reason to exchange cash in a bank  you can use your US dollars everywhere  at bars, restaurants, shops and get BZD in return.

Can I use Canadian dollars or Euros in Belize?

If I were you, I would exchange Canadian dollars or any other currency into US dollars before arriving in Belize or any Central American country. You are not going to get the most advantageous rates for exchange here  so do it before you arrive.

If for some reason, you have other currencies (Canadian dollars, Mexican pesos, UK pounds, or Euros), most banks will exchange it for Belize dollars but again, BAD RATES. Id do my best to avoid.

Travelers Checks

Waitdo they make travelers checks anymore? Would it be rude to suggest a time machine? Yesrude. But these are a major pain in the butt. Id exchange in the US and bring the US cash. That kinda defeats the whole purpose.

When can I use credit cards in Belize?

Unlike the US market, cash is still the standard form of payment in Belize.

These days all hotels, many larger restaurants, supermarkets and bars accept credits cards for payment  generally for amounts over $20bzd. Your hotel expects credit card payment, as do the larger and more expensive restaurants. It is no problem at all.

VISA and Mastercard are generally preferred and at many places, the only cards taken. American Express charges high fees to the merchant.

Banks generally assess a 3-6% fee (lower end, VISA/MC and higher end, AmEx) for use of credit cards to the merchant, so cash is ALWAYS preferred.

You might even find that for larger purchases  like art or more expensive souvenirs, the vendor will give you a small cash discount  often 5% but it can be higher.

At smaller merchants and often in smaller villages, cash is your only option.

SOHow much cash should I Bring To Belize?

No matter how experienced you are, or the careful planning you do, dont you always find you underestimate this?

Id certainly bring enough cash with me (in US dollars) to make my first few days easy  again, stick with the smaller bills. No one wants to be running around the evening they arrive looking for an ATM machine.

I cant estimate the amount for you  but budget enough for smaller meals like breakfast and lunch and shopping you might do. Check if your lodging has a safe (most do) where you can keep your cash.

If you plan to tick EVERYTHING off your bucket list, youll need more money.

You can only bring in up to $10,000USD  any amount over that must legally be declared at Customs on arrival.

And again, bring smaller bills  its nice to have $1s and $5s for tipping and smaller things like beverages or snacks as soon as you get off the plane.

Hopefully that helps. And if youve visited and have suggestions, additions or questions, please let me know!

Eat local food (AND street food), go on tours, talk to people  especially those who live here  for suggestions and local color, take the precautions that you would take visiting any new place and youll enjoy your time in Belize.

I promise.

For keeping, sharing and pinning, PIN here.
One more rhino rescued from India

One more rhino swept away to India's Balmiki Tiger Reserve by a swollen river has been rescued.
PM Deuba visits Hyderabad

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Province 2 gears up for local polls

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The jhurest year of my life

Fooling Oneself In August 1988, 29 years ago this month, I started a new phase of my life: graduate school.
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A new state law designed to battle bedbugs requires California landlords to provide tenants with written information about these blood-sucking, tenacious pests and how to report suspected infestations to the landlord.

The disclosure requirement took effect for new tenants July 1 and will apply to existing tenants Jan. 1.

The law also prevents landlords from showing or renting a vacant unit with an active infestation, and from retaliating against tenants who report bedbug problems. It does not require them to inspect rental units for bedbugs if they have not seen them or received a tenant complaint. But it does require them to notify tenants within two days of a pest inspectors findings. It also requires tenants to cooperate with the detection and treatment of bedbugs.

The law does not say what landlords must do when tenants complain. In California, however, residential leases have an implied warranty of habitability that requires landlords to maintain rental units in a condition fit for humans. That includes keeping it free of rodents and vermin, said Whitney Prout, a staff attorney with the California Apartment Association, which represents landlords.

Why bedbugs have their own law is that they are a harder pest to treat, Prout said. It requires early detection and integrated pest management between the landlord and tenant, because of how pervasively they can take over.

Bedbugs feed on blood, mostly human and usually at night. Adults are the size, shape and color of an apple seed. Eggs are the size, shape and color of a sesame seed, said Tami Stuparich, a vice president with California American Exterminator Co.

A baby bug, called a nymph, looks like an adult, but is pinhead-size and lighter in color. They turn reddish and elongated after a meal. Nymphs shed their exoskeleton five times before they become a breeding adult.

Unlike lice, bedbugs dont stay on people; they eat and run. Nor do they jump like fleas or fly. They can crawl or be carried from place to place on objects or people. Bringing in furniture from the street is a good way to get them. Because they are flat, they can hide and travel in cracks and crevices. (See article on one couples bedbug saga in San Francisco.)

They can move easily from unit to unit, and unless all affected units are treated together, theyll come back. Most places require more than one treatment.

Telltale signs include small red or brown fecal spots, molted skins, white, sticky eggs or empty eggshells. They are often found on mattresses, box springs, headboards, nightstands, linens, upholstery, walls and carpet edges.

Bedbugs do not carry disease, but some victims develop itchy red welts that could be mistaken for mosquito or flea bites. Others have no reaction, which makes them even harder to detect until theyre rampant.

Jennifer Brass found bedbugs in her San Francisco apartment in 2010. Their bites were extremely itchy and they lasted for a very long time in a very intensive way, she said. I still consider it one of the worst experiences of my life, more uncomfortable than childbirth without medication, said Brass, now a professor at Indiana University.

Bedbugs were common in the United States before World War II, but essentially vanished in the 1940s and 1950s, thanks to DDT and other potent, long-lasting pesticides that could be bought over the counter, said University of Kentucky entomologist Michael Potter.

They persisted elsewhere in the world, and decades after those pesticides were banned, made a comeback here. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, they started appearing in big-city hotels, stowing away in the clothes and luggage of international travelers. They soon spread to homes, offices, schools, libraries, anywhere they can find a meal.

They dont care about filth, like a cockroach. They feed on us, Stuparich said. Equal opportunity diners, they show up in single-room occupancy hotels and posh apartments.

Los Angeles ranked fourth and San Francisco ranked 10th on a list of U.S. cities where Orkin, a pest control company, performed the most bedbug treatments last year.

San Francisco has had a bedbug ordinance since 2012 that, in some ways, goes beyond what the state law requires.

If a prospective tenant asks about bedbugs, the landlord must disclose in writing the unit's bedbug infestation and abatement history, or lack thereof, for the previous two years.

Within two days of getting a bedbug complaint, the property owner or manager must hire a licensed pest control operator to investigate that unit and the ones above, below, next door and across the hall.

Its one of the few pests where we dont want any kind of do-it-yourselfer dealing with it, said Larry Kessler, principal health inspector with the citys Department of Public Health.

The San Francisco ordinance requires landlords to make available to tenants information on the signs and symptoms of bedbugs. Under the new state law, they will have to provide it. Many landlords have voluntarily included in lease agreements a bedbug addendum put out by the San Francisco Apartment Association. The California association has published a similar addendum for member use that complies with state law.

There are various ways to kill bedbugs. The lowest level is treating the affected areas with steam or pesticides, said Darren Van Steenwyk, technical director with Clark Pest Control. Another option is heating an entire room, apartment or house up to lethal temperature. Extreme cases might require tenting the building and fumigating.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

The cost of each treatment depends on the labor involved but can range from hundreds to many thousands of dollars, Van Steenwyk said.

William Meyer, whose company WM Properties manages apartments in San Francisco, had to treat about 10 units in two buildings, one on Nob Hill, a couple of years ago. The cost was about $1,000 per unit. Some required up to six visits over six months.

Tenants are often required to vacuum thoroughly; put their clothes, linens and stuffed animals in the washer or dryer on the highest heat possible and store other belongings in airtight containers for extended periods.

State law requires landlords to repair, at their expense, damage or problems that compromise habitability, unless they can prove that it was the tenants fault.

We find that landlords claim they are not responsible, for bedbugs, said Deepa Varma, executive director of the San Francisco Tenants Union. In multifamily dwellings, its almost impossible to prove it was the tenants who brought in the bedbugs. Because of that, generally speaking, landlords are not able to pass those costs on to tenants if tenants know their rights and fight back.

Tenants in San Francisco who think their landlords are not cooperating should contact the health department. We will make sure the landlord does what is necessary, Kessler said.

Since 2012, the department has received 1,079 complaints about bedbugs in apartments and 1,104 about hotels, including single-room occupancy hotels.

Prout, of the California Apartment Association, said that if a bedbug issue comes up and there is a dispute as to whose fault it was, our recommendation (to landlords) is to treat first and deal with the issue of who is responsible later.

The question of who is at fault is one reason neither the state nor city bedbug laws will stop the spread of bedbugs, Potter said.

The holy grail of bedbug management is proactive inspection, he said. If you rely on tenants, you can have have ticking time bombs. People dont want to report them; theyre afraid of reprisal or having to pay for eradication.

New York City requires landlords to pay for bedbug extermination, Potter said, but no city or state requires them to do periodic inspections. If you are going on a complaint-based way of dealing with bedbugs, thats how we get into these horrific problems, Potter said. Some tenant has the mother lode, never reports them, and they disperse throughout the building.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
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Bulletproof vest. Check. Arm and kneepads. Check. Two-way radio. Check.

John Cookenboo, 27, knows exactly what hes packing Saturday when he shows up to demonstrate against a group of right-wing activists in San Francisco  wherever they choose to appear  and at a similar gathering in Berkeley on Sunday.

The Oakland resident, who will be among hundreds if not thousands of counterprotesters expected to turn out for the latest mobilization of the far right under President Trump, brings his own brand of opposition. And its a far cry from the many peace vigils planned elsewhere in the Bay Area.

Cookenboo is part of whats commonly called antifa and described as an extreme movement of its own, but on the left. He will join an unknown number of people seeking to directly confront those behind Saturdays Patriot Prayer gathering, even if it means getting physical. He says he was ready when the event was initially planned for Crissy Field, and that if the group follows through with its last-minute decision to hold what it claims will be a press conference in Alamo Square instead, hell be there.

I dont have the widest build, said Cookenboo, who took a few knocks from political opponents at a recent pro-Trump rally in Berkeley and ended up spending four days in jail. But Im tall, and I know my limitations. I know how to get done what I need to get done.

Cookenboo said he speaks only for himself when he explains his goal this weekend is to make sure those who espouse hateful ideology feel unwelcome, even fearful, in the Bay Area.

The organizers of Saturdays San Francisco event insist it isnt open to racists or bigots, like those who turned out for the march in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12. A car allegedly driven by a neo-Nazirammed a crowd of counterprotesters at that rally, killing a woman and injuring 19 people.

However, some of Patriot Prayers rallies have drawn white nationalists and militia groups.

The alt-right has a tendency to wear a lot of military gear, Cookenboo said. When you see them come out like that, its definitely intimidating. You have to have people on the other side to provide a counterbalance.

The loosely connected antifa coalition that has come to include disgruntled Democrats, radical leftists and anarchists has no organized structure or strategy. Its common target, however, has become groups it sees as racist and emboldened by the Trump presidency.

Antifa made headlines in Berkeley this year when protesters, often wearing masks and dressed in black, violently clashed with Trump supporters at right-wing rallies. The protesters smashed windows and set fires in UC Berkeleys Sproul Plaza outside a hall where conservative commentator Milo Yiannopoulos was scheduled to speak in February. And they were at the center of clashes with Trump supporters in March and April at the same downtown Berkeley park where another right-wing rally is scheduled for Sunday.

Their tactics have antagonized many on the left as well as on the right.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

The antifa is incredibly disruptive and not worthy of the attention, said San Francisco resident Buck Bagot, 66, a longtime community organizer for progressive causes. In some ways, theyre taking the easy, juvenile way out.

Their violence, Bagot said, doesnt help with the difficult task of turning liberal goals into policy. When he was organizing for the recent Occupy movement and fighting for economic equality, Bagot said, similar tactics by masked black bloc elements helped turn the public against the cause.

But Cookenboo, who also was a fixture at Occupy demonstrations, said the importance of a strong resistance, and the media attention it generates, cant be understated.

Its empowering, he said.

The East Bay native said he never had any intention of coming to blows with political foes earlier this year when he attended the right-wing rallies in Berkeley. Still, in March, he went home with a welt on his head after he said he helped fellow activists injured in fights escape to safety.

In April, he was arrested on suspicion of carrying a knife and wearing a mask before a Berkeley rally started. Cookenboo said he forgot the knife was in his bag, and prosecutors have not charged him.

Every time Ive been arrested or detained, its been only for a short period, he said, noting his connection to the National Lawyers Guild, a group of attorneys readily available for activists on the left. All of the risks, theyre worth it.

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.

While many of his cohorts seek to hide their identity, Cookenboo does not. He said hes well-positioned to weather any repercussions his activism might cause: Hes single, with no children, and his employer at a cannabis processing center in Oakland isnt bothered by his political devotion.

My names out there. Ive already got the alt-right trolls giving me death threats, he said.

Cookenboo said he and his partners also keep tabs on their opponents over the Web, but stop short of provoking them online.

On Friday, Cookenboo hadnt finalized his plan for the weekend. But he said he expected to meet up in San Francisco and Berkeley with fellow activists. All will be similarly dressed in protective gear purchased at Army surplus stores or on eBay, he said.

Cookenboos crew knows what to expect. Their advance communication is being done through social media or texting, as most of the activists have been in touch  and demonstrated together  for years.

When they arrive, theyll try to stick together, as they do at events where theyre seen in online videos as clusters in black or military fatigues near the right-wing demonstrators. They also use two-way radios and instant messaging services such as Signal. But if the protest is crowded or unruly, communication can be tough.

Me and my friends are pretty good at watching each others backs, Cookenboo said. For the most part, it hasnt failed me yet.

Cookenboo said he hopes the weekend demonstrations wont bring clashes.

With all the media coverage, theres going to be an outpouring of the public coming out to stand up against hate speech, he said. I dont plan on doing anything impractical. I plan to react as needed.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
The leader of a right-wing group that had planned a Saturday rally at Crissy Field in San Francisco called off the event Friday just as local and federal officials put the finishing touches on a slate of security measures designed to head off the kind of violence seen this month in Charlottesville, Va.

But Joey Gibson of Patriot Prayer said the group will instead hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Saturday at Alamo Square Park in the Western Addition.

The announcement  which suggested the event had become a moving target, at the mercy of the whims of a fringe group  prompted the National Park Service to lift a batch of restrictions it had planned around Crissy Field on Saturday. Businesses in the Presidio can open as usual.

But it left San Francisco leaders scrambling to come up with a plan to keep the peace in Alamo Square, heading off potential clashes between the right-wing group and counterprotesters.

On Facebook Live, Gibson said the same speakers and bands who were going to appear at Crissy Field would be at Alamo Square Park. But while he was granted a special-event permit for the Presidio, he does not have one for his press conference.

Gibson and other supporters appearing with him on the Facebook feed said theyd changed their plans because of fears that violent protesters using black bloc tactics would attend their Crissy Field rally. They also said the speakers and bands scheduled to perform at the rally had been harassed.

I am calling on (city officials) to denounce antifa publicly, said Will Johnson, an event organizer, referring to antifascist protesters who have clashed with right-wing activists in recent months at events in Berkeley and around the country. We could have had this rally, and it would have been peaceful. Not a single person wants to fight. They are bringing the violence.

The organizers blamed statements by Mayor Ed Lee and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, for creating a hostile climate against them. Both politicians had called on the National Park Service to deny the group a permit for what Pelosi called a white supremacist rally.

Gibson has said his group does not espouse racist views. Its events, however, have drawn white nationalists. Violent clashes with counterprotesters have broken out at past rallies.

San Francisco Supervisor Mark Farrell, whose district borders Crissy Field, said the press conference was a blatant attempt to provoke more trouble.

Whether they hold the rally at Crissy Field or make plans elsewhere to disrupt our city, it is our responsibility to make sure every contingency is planned for, Farrell said. I was hoping they would cancel and pack up their tents and go home. This is just meant to cause further disruption to the residents of San Francisco. That is their mode of operation.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, said Patriot Prayer had showed its true colors by canceling, at the last minute. ... Patriot Prayer is not interested in simply exercising free speech. Rather, Patriot Prayer wants to create a volatile, chaotic, violent tinderbox.

He said he was deeply concerned the Alamo Square Park gathering will lead to violence.

The mayors office said late Friday that officials were still considering whether to undo safety measures that were taken around Crissy Field, including rerouting several Muni lines on Saturday.

Counterprotesters were keeping tabs on the fluid situation, responding to the change of plans by posting antihate posters at the new gathering site and vowing to turn up Saturday wherever the Patriot Prayer group landed.

Weve got them on the run, thats for sure, but theyre still holding an event, said Yvette Felarca, an organizer with the left-wing activist group By Any Means Necessary. Were still calling for everyone to come out.

As the fog and wind rolled into Alamo Square on Friday night, two San Francisco police cars were stationed along the walkways. A community organizer showed up with duct tape and flyers reading, You Will Not Divide Us.

News of the new venue wasnt received well at the site of the Painted Ladies, where tourists snapped photos of themselves and children romped on the playground.

Theyre having it here? said neighborhood resident Robert Mora, 48, as he stopped to read an antihate poster. Now I'm really pissed off. Theyre not welcome here. I know they have free speech and all, but they are just spewing hatred.

According to the city Recreation and Park Department, any gathering is considered a special event if it involves amplified sound, advertises that it is open to the public, or requires special barricades and fences, among other things. Police can disband an unpermitted event and arrest organizers.

The city requires special-event applications to be submitted at least 60 days in advance. The fee is $62.

Police Chief Bill Scott said unpermitted events happen around San Francisco and commanders must gauge whether there is a threat of violence.

What oftentimes happens is, when we get there, we have to decide to allow it or shut it down, Scott said. If there is no violence, and we dont need anything other than a police presence to facilitate safety, we will just do that. If it feels unsafe, unlawful or violent, that is when we will shut it down.

Every police officer will be on duty Saturday, he said. He declined to give specifics about the citys evolving plan.

Across the bay, it was unclear whether a separate, unpermitted rally would be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park in Berkeley  an event that Gibson said he would attend. Police were planning to respond to the No Marxism in Berkeley event with a force of hundreds of officers from the city and surrounding agencies.

However, an organizer of the Berkeley rally, Amber Cummings, said in a rambling email Friday that she was urging people not to show up, because she feared violence by counterprotesters.

It will be me alone attending, no one else please, Cummings said. In the event I am hurt or killed attending this rally, I ask you to please not retaliate on each other as a result of my injuries. Let my life be the last one lost.

Prior to the cancellation of the Crissy Field rally, San Francisco and Berkeley officials urged residents opposed to the right-wing events to send a message by joining together for peaceful gatherings in locations far from the rallies. Many such demonstrations are planned this weekend.

Yall know that some people are coming tomorrow to our city, Lee said outside City Hall on Friday, as hundreds of people gathered, stopping traffic on the street. It was a preview of a much larger counter-rally scheduled for the space Saturday.

Lee was joined by other top city and state Democratic leaders, including Wiener and Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough. Nearly two dozen men and women from the Glide Ensemble, wearing rainbow shirts and holding Unite Against Hate signs, sang gospel music.

We are at the forefront of every new social movement, Speier said of San Francisco. Hate will not infect us and become a cancer in this city. Love will win.

Across the bay, Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin said he planned to attend a counterprotest Sunday organized by nearly 60 community groups. He said he was inspired by peaceful protests last weekend in Boston, which overshadowed a right-wing rally.

What happened in Boston has changed the situation, where we have seen that a large counterprotest can have the effect of discouraging hate groups from coming into a city, Arreguin said. It sends a powerful message that communities can rise against hate.

Chronicle staff writers Vivian Ho, Michael Bodley and Kurtis Alexander contributed to this story.

Lizzie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn

This weekends events

The Bay Area is gearing up for a series of political events this weekend that have law enforcement authorities on edge, including far-right gatherings in San Francisco and Berkeley and a number of counterdemonstrations.
It was a crazy day for Joey Gibson  one that ended up with the Patriot Prayer leader appearing in the Presidio, where he had once scheduled a rally for the right-wing group.

Gibson called off that event the day before it was to have been held Saturday, saying he would hold a press conference in Alamo Square Park instead. When police closed the park, Gibson hit the road, first to an online chat with friends, then to a news conference in Pacifica and from there to Crissy Field.

There, he joined about 50 would-be rally participants, some of whom said they had come from Oregon and Washington to attend the aborted event.

They did not march, but mostly stood under the shade of a large tree in the middle of the field. The demonstrators said they have been mislabeled as white supremacists and that they were standing up for free speech.

It seems like if youre conservative in California, youre deemed as a racist, said Patrick Porcuna, a 28-year-old San Francisco resident, who identifies as libertarian and said he had voted for President Trump. Im down for people to talk and have free speech.

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Around 100 protesters were also there to greet Gibson. Park police showed up as well, with shields and batons, but there was no violence.

Im having to go from spot to spot because antifa really wants to come after me, Gibson said, referring to militant leftists who have confronted right-wing demonstrators at some rallies.

After leaving Crissy Field, Gibson added City Hall to his itinerary, showing up shortly after a large counterprotest ended.

Gibson complained that the city had made it all but impossible for him to put on an event in public.

Today has been a crazy day, he said on a Facebook Live broadcast. Everywhere we go, the police, the city, they want to shut it down.

The Patriot Prayer leader said officials such as Mayor Ed Lee and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco had focused on the safety threat his group supposedly caused while ignoring the danger from counterprotesters.

Officials countered that it was Gibson who had threatened public safety by pulling a last-minute location switch, to a spot where he had no permit for a rally.

White supremacists have been known to attend the groups rallies in Portland, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups. Gibson, a Pacific Northwest resident who identifies as Japanese American, has recently denounced white supremacists and said he is working to exclude them from his gatherings.

There were no visible signs of white nationalist members at a Patriot Prayer rally this month in Seattle, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Hamed Aleaziz and Catherine Ho are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com, cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @haleaziz, @Cat_Ho
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State officials have found that San Joaquin County is failing to properly care for its foster youth  from inadequate visits by social workers to poor monitoring of psychotropic drugs  with problems extending far beyond an emergency shelter where hundreds of abused and neglected children have been arrested and jailed for minor misdeeds.

The California Department of Social Services this month informed county leaders they had 30 days to propose reforms of their foster care system. Under the legal code cited in the states Aug. 14 letter, the state has the authority to take action against noncompliant county child welfare systems, including taking over the agency.

The state action, described by child welfare experts as extremely serious, follows a Chronicle investigation published in May that revealed hundreds of children placed in shelters across California were arrested and jailed after emotional blowups and scuffles with staff. The majority of arrests occurred at the 60-bed Mary Graham Childrens Shelter near Stockton.

We remain significantly concerned about the Countys child welfare services practices, Gregory Rose, deputy director of the states Children and Family Services Division, stated in the letter. San Joaquin County is being given just one month to respond, he wrote, due to the number of issues identified, the sensitivity of those issues and the length of time they have been occurring.

To date, the California Department of Social Services has never resorted to an administrative takeover of a county child welfare system. Only three California counties in 29 years have faced a formal threat.

Invoking the threat is extremely serious, and what it tells us is their whole child welfare system is terminally ill and children and families are being done serious injustices, said Jennifer Rodriguez, executive director of the San Francisco-based Youth Law Center, which has fought for years to improve conditions at the Mary Graham shelter. For the first time really, they are acknowledging that the shelter is just the canary in the coal mine.

San Joaquin County Human Services Agency Director Michael Miller said in an email that his county intends to respond to the states recommendations within the 30 days. He did not elaborate.

The state enforcement action follows ongoing scrutiny of the excessive use of law enforcement at the Mary Graham shelter in French Camp. The county foster care shelter is one of a handful still operating in a state that has mostly rejected them as an outmoded model of childrens care. The shelter serves as an emergency placement when no other foster or group home can be found.

In its investigation into arrests at Californias childrens shelters, The Chronicle found that abused and neglected children placed at Mary Graham had been booked at the nearby juvenile hall following relatively minor outbursts, incidents that are expected in a facility serving large groups of deeply traumatized youth. Although county leaders pledged fixes in the wake of the report, arrests have continued in 2017, including the recent jailing of a 14-year-old girl for assault after she tossed a cup of water on a counselor.

Leah Millis/The Chronicle

In June, state officials issued a health and safety citation to the Mary Graham shelter, finding it had provided inadequate mental health services for a boy who attempted to hang himself twice in one week.

In its letter to county officials, the state said that San Joaquin Countys broader failure to properly care for foster children shows up acutely in the shelter, exacerbating issues at the facility.

But problems at the shelter are a symptom of far deeper, systemic deficiencies, the state has found.

In an examination of 15 child welfare cases in April 2017 and a case file review last year that was reported to the federal government, officials found an array of deficiencies, including:

Social workers failed to meet with children in their care often enough, did not help them stay connected to their families and community, and relatives were often not sought for children removed from their parents.

Educational and mental health needs were poorly documented and could not be verified, including psychotropic and other medications that were inappropriately monitored.

Children with significant trauma did not have case plans tailored to meet their needs, and they were not given a voice in planning for their care.

Repeated reports of child abuse and neglect had been made to local authorities before children came into foster care for the first time, which may have led to trauma and behavioral needs that made placement and supportive services a challenge.

Meanwhile, runaways and overreliance on law enforcement have continued at the county-run shelter. The state determined those issues resulted from poor engagement with youth, a lack of on-site activities, failure to transport children to their schools, and insufficient attempts by staff to de-escalate emotional outbursts, resulting in children running away or lashing out.

The Youth Law Centers Rodriguez said that for too long the system has blamed children for the failures of adults who were supposed to care for them.

Every kid who has sat in juvenile hall, who has had a negative interaction with police officers, theyve been paying the consequence of the countys complete negligence in protecting and healing these kids, Rodriguez said. The negligence in the county is almost criminal, but who weve been punishing is the kids.

Under the Welfare and Institutions Code Section 10605 referred to in the states Aug. 14 letter, if the county demonstrates a lack of good faith effort to actively participate, or fails to make the improvements outlined by the Department of Social Services, a series of measured formal actions can result, potentially leading up to state administrators temporarily taking control over all or part of San Joaquin Countys Human Services Agency.

The mere mention of that authority shows the state is serious about holding San Joaquin County accountable for changes needed, child welfare experts said, but the ultimate enforcement action is considered unlikely. Indeed, the state has never taken such action before, even in counties where serious deficiencies in care have been found, including Los Angeles in 1990, San Francisco about two years later, and Alameda County in 2001.

In those counties, social workers failed to visit foster youth regularly, children were suffering abuse in the system, and medical and dental services were determined to be inadequate.

The state attention on San Joaquin County was applauded by youth advocates, who believe long-festering problems at Mary Graham may finally be addressed.

As foster youth being wards of the state, we are their children  would you do this to your own children? said Xavier Mountain, a 25-year-old who was placed in Mary Graham as a teenager in the foster care system. Mountain is now pursuing a graduate degree in social work and public administration, but he says too many foster youth get derailed by life in the system.

For them, he welcomes the states efforts to improve the San Joaquin County foster care system, so the youth may actually receive the help that they need.

Sammy Nunez, executive director of the local advocacy group Fathers and Families of San Joaquin, said he hoped the ramped-up attention and pressure from the state would finally lead to significant change in the long-troubled child welfare system.

They cant just ignore this issue any longer, Nunez said. They cannot continue to look the other way when all this harm is being done.

Karen de Sa, Cynthia Dizikes and Joaquin Palomino are staff writers on The San Francisco Chronicles investigative team. Email: kdesa@sfchronicle.com, cdizikes@sfchronicle.com, jpalomino@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @cdizikes, @JoaquinPalomino

Fostering Failure

Read The Chronicles in-depth, multimedia investigation of how Californias foster care shelters have criminalized hundreds of children: www.sfchronicle.com/fostering-failure

Contact The Chronicles investigative team: iteam@sfchronicle.com
Parts of the Bay Area could see triple-digit temperatures this weekend as unseasonably warm weather caps off San Franciscos foggiest month of the year, forecasters said Saturday.

A record was broken in Santa Rosa Saturday, where temperatures climbed to 102 degrees, beating the 100-degree record set in 1988, according to the National Weather Service. Livermore and Healdsburg both tied previous temperature records set in 1944 when they reached 105 degrees.

San Francisco will stay in the low to mid-70s Saturday and Sunday, but inland cities in the East Bay such as Antioch and Brentwood could break into the low 100s, said Roger Gass, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Monterey.

More for you Hurricane Harvey: all of Calif.'s winter rain in a few days

Our greatest threats for very warm temperatures are going to be well inland away from the bay, said Gass, noting daily heat records could be broken this weekend. Most of the major urban areas, such as San Francisco and those around the bay, are expected to stay cooler.

Temperatures are well above seasonal averages even in San Francisco, where residents have jokingly referred to the months usual overcast weather as Fogust.

The heat wave will probably extend into Monday, said Gass, who predicts temperatures in the 80s to near 90 degrees in the South Bay around San Jose. Oakland should stay in the upper 70s and low 80s, he said.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued Spare the Air alerts for Saturday and Sunday. Officials warned residents that the clearer skies, higher temperatures, light winds and smoke from Oregon wildfires can create unhealthy smog conditions.

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.

Residents are encouraged to limit outdoor exercise to the early morning hours to prevent respiratory irritation.
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Hackers have discovered that one of the most central elements of online security  the mobile phone number  is also one of the easiest to steal.

In a growing number of online attacks, hackers have been calling up Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T and asking them to transfer control of a victims phone number to a device under the control of the hackers.

Once they get control, they can reset the passwords on every account that uses the phone number as a security backup  as services like Google, Twitter and Facebook suggest.

RELATED VIDEO: This Company Just Became the First Cryptocurrency 'Unicorn'

My iPad restarted, my phone restarted and my computer restarted, and thats when I got the cold sweat and was like, OK, this is really serious, said Chris Burniske, a virtual currency investor who lost control of his phone number late last year.

A wide array of people have complained about being successfully targeted by this sort of attack, including a Black Lives Matter activist and the chief technologist of the Federal Trade Commission. The commissions own data shows that the number of phone hijackings has been rising. In January 2013, there were 1,038 such incidents reported; by January 2016, that number had increased to 2,658.

But a particularly concentrated wave of attacks has hit those with the most obviously valuable online accounts: virtual currency fanatics like Burniske.

Within minutes of getting control of Burniskes phone, his attackers had changed the password on his virtual currency wallet and drained the contents  some $150,000 at todays values.

Most victims in the virtual currency community have not wanted to acknowledge it publicly for fear of provoking their adversaries. But in interviews, dozens of prominent people in the industry acknowledged that they had been victimized in recent months.

Everybody I know in the cryptocurrency space has gotten their phone number stolen, said Joby Weeks, a bitcoin entrepreneur.

Weeks lost his phone number and about $1 million worth of virtual currency late last year, despite having asked his mobile phone provider for additional security after his wife and parents lost control of their phone numbers.

The attackers appear to be focusing on anyone who talks on social media about owning virtual currencies or anyone who is known to invest in virtual currency companies, such as venture capitalists. And virtual currency transactions are designed to be irreversible.

Accounts with banks and brokerage firms are not as vulnerable to these attacks because these institutions can usually reverse unintended or malicious transactions if they are caught within a few days.

But the attacks are exposing a vulnerability that could be exploited against almost anyone with valuable emails or other digital files  including politicians, activists and journalists.

Last year, hackers took over the Twitter account of DeRay Mckesson, a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement, by first getting his phone number.

In a number of cases involving digital money aficionados, the attackers have held email files for ransom  threatening to release naked pictures in one case, and details of a victims sexual fetishes in another.

The vulnerability of even sophisticated programmers and security experts to these attacks sets an unsettling precedent for when the assailants go after less technologically savvy victims. Security experts worry that these types of attacks will become more widespread if mobile phone operators do not make significant changes to their security procedures.

Its really highlighting the insecurity of using any kind of telephone-based security, said Michael Perklin, chief information security officer at the virtual currency exchange ShapeShift, which has seen many of its employees and customers attacked.

Mobile phone carriers have said they are taking steps to head off the attacks by making it possible to add more complex personal identification numbers, or PINs, to accounts, among other steps.

But these measures have not been enough to stop the spread and success of the culprits.

After a first wave of phone porting attacks on the virtual currency community last winter, which was reported by Forbes, their frequency appears to have ticked up, Perklin and other security experts said.

In several recent cases, the hackers have commandeered phone numbers even when the victims knew they were under attack and alerted their cell phone provider.

Adam Pokornicky, a managing partner at Cryptochain Capital, asked Verizon to put extra security measures on his account after he learned that an attacker had called in 13 times trying to move his number to a new phone.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

But just a day later, he said, the attacker persuaded a different Verizon agent to change Pokornickys number without requiring the new PIN.

A spokesman for Verizon, Richard Young, said that the company could not comment on specific cases, but that phone porting was not common.

While we work diligently to ensure customer accounts remain secure, on occasion there are instances where automated processes or human performance falls short, he said. We strive to correct these issues quickly and look for additional ways to improve security.

Perklin and other people who have investigated recent hacks said the assailants generally succeeded by delivering sob stories about an emergency that required the phone number to be moved to a new device  and by trying multiple times until a gullible agent was found.

These guys will sit and call 600 times before they get through and get an agent on the line thats an idiot, Weeks said.

Coinbase, one of the most widely used bitcoin wallets, has encouraged customers to disconnect their mobile phones from their Coinbase accounts.

But some customers who have lost money have said the companies need to take more steps by doing things like delaying transfers from accounts on which the password was recently changed.

Coinbase looks like a bank, stores millions of dollars like a bank, but you dont realize how weak its default protections are until you are robbed of thousands of dollars in minutes, said Cody Brown, a virtual reality developer who was hacked in May.

Nathaniel Popper is a New York Times writer.
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Bedbugs didnt cause the breakup of Straten Schemel and his ex-girlfriend Paige Govey, but they contributed to it, both sides agree.

The former couple said they moved from San Jose, where they were bug-free, into San Franciscos Potrero Launch apartment complex in December 2015. Part of their 63-page lease agreement included a two-page addendum about bedbugs, Schemel said. The addendum noted that there may have been a prior infestation in the dwelling or building, but it was treated by a professional and the unit was believed to be free of further infestation.

He figured that was a routine disclosure and forgot about it, even after he and Govey started getting what they thought were spider or flea bites. One day we were laying there and saw a bedbug crawling across the bed, he said.

Govey would wake up with bedbugs crawling across her skin. It was literally, exactly what a nightmare would be, she said.

Schemel contacted management. He said exterminators came out every week for at least five weeks. The couple washed and dried their clothes and other fabrics on extreme heat. We ended up burning some nice articles, including a teddy bear that Goveys grandparents gave her when she was born, he said.

They packed up most of their belongings and kept them in a storage unit and in Schemels car. During this time, someone broke into my car and stole all my clothing, he said.

More for you New California law aims to stop spread of bedbugs

After the treatments, they moved everything back in, thinking the bugs were gone, but they returned. Exterminators were sent out again, but we said we are not packing up, you can exterminate around us, Schemel said.

During the treatments, Govey said, It became us living out of boxes, living in the same three outfits, spending every night vacuuming the bedding and box springs. It was a pretty large factor in a lot of fights.

After the second round of treatments, We stopped getting bit but kept finding remnants, dead carcasses, (bug) poop. By this time I had started making friends at the apartment complex and heard others were having the same issue, Schemel said.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Govey moved out of the small apartment in early August last year. Schemel moved out after his lease expired in December, but he still gets phantom feelings of bedbugs crawling across his skin.

The apartment was treated for bedbugs in December 2015, Potrero Launch management said in an email. The pest control contractor followed their standard protocol, treating the unit three times, and inspecting adjacent units for infestation. No bedbugs were found and the issue was isolated to the one apartment. There was an apparent reinfestation of the same residents apartment in March 2016, which was treated following the same protocol. The resident moved out in December 2016 and there have been no further reports of bedbugs for any unit on the property.

Govey still has her fried teddy bear. Its a sad reminder of the torture of these bugs, she said.

For related coverage, see this article on a new California law that aims to stop the spread of bedbugs.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
The sum of its parts

This past week, the Shilpee Theatre staged a play called Nirdosh Ma, directed by Loonibha Tuladhar, which was a compilation of five different short plays, all connected by a single theme: innocence.
Legislative efforts to change the states bail system have been pushed into the next year, Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers behind the measure said Friday.

Discussions on SB10, which the Senate passed in June, are expected to continue through the end of the year, Brown said in a statement with state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys (Los Angeles County), and Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, author of the bill.

Bail reform proponents say the current system unfairly penalizes the poor, who often must remain behind bars while awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail.

The legislation seeks to eliminate jail time for people accused of nonviolent offenses by placing the basis of their pretrial release solely on whether they are a public safety or flight risk.

The current system of cash bail relies heavily on whether defendants can afford bail, which is determined primarily on the gravity of the charges.

I believe that inequities exist in Californias bail system, and I look forward to working this fall on ways to reform the system in a cost-effective and fair manner, considering public safety as well as the rights of the accused, Brown said.

Under SB10, a pretrial services agency would assess flight risk of a defendant based on the charges, past criminal history and record for showing up to past hearings. A recommendation to a judge would be made off of the assessment.

The truth is today, under the cash bail system, if you can write a check, public safety doesnt matter, Hertzberg said. We need a system that prioritizes public safety and restores justice to the pretrial process, regardless of income level.

Judges have discretion to set bail higher or lower than the recommended bail schedule. The bill, however, would require judges to set monetary bail at the least restrictive level necessary if they do not agree with the recommendation.

The bill would also require prosecutors to file a motion if they wish to seek pretrial detention, as opposed to the current system that keeps defendants in custody until they post bail. This portion of the bill has many prosecutors throughout the state joining bail bondsmen to oppose the measure, arguing that it would jeopardize public safety rather than enhance it.

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In San Francisco, all sides of the citys criminal justice system have united against the current bail system. A recent report by the city treasurer found that cash bail doesnt just hurt poor defendants, but their families as well. Only people who can afford to pay the full bail amount get a full refund if they make their court appearances, but those who manage to scrape together the 10 percent of the amount needed to pay a bail bond agent dont get their money back, even if theyre acquitted.

Since May 2016, San Francisco has been experimenting with a pretrial risk assessment tool created by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

The tool came under scrutiny this month when a Pretrial Diversion Project staff member miscalculated the score of a man who violated probation twice and was facing a new gun possession charge. The prosecutor did not object to the faulty recommendation and a judge ordered the release of the man, who was later arrested on suspicion of killing a 71-year-old photographer in an armed robbery on Twin Peaks.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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East Bay native Robert Benjamin was 25 years old when he was gunned down on Oaklands 14th Street in December 2007. His best friend Marshawn Lynch was a newly-signed first-round draft pick of the Buffalo Bills. Lynch paid for his friends funeral.

Almost a decade later, Lynch is paying homage to Benjamins memory once again, this time in what might be the most public gesture since his passing  naming a restaurant after him.

Lynch took over Emeryville soul food restaurant Scends last month and has plans to turn it into Rob Bens, a restaurant and lounge named after his friend. He announced the news via Twitter in a post saying the restaurant was looking to hire waitstaff, experienced cooks and bartenders. Scends remains open for the time being.

Turns out the project has had an active Facebook page since early August and it too shared the post requesting part-time and full-time applicants.

Assuming the name change happens (because honestly, details remain scarce at this point), and the social media aesthetics are any indication as to what Rob Bens will look like, we could be seeing the end of Scends decades-long run as an inconspicuous East Bay soul food spot.

The circulating social media post for Rob Bens includes a few colorful cocktails on a bar top and a large burger with what appears to be a Guinness in the background.

The Facebook pages logo also gives off a more hip, lounge-like vibe with gold colored dress shoes, red and white lettering, and what appears to be a Hennessy bottle with the words Rob Bens on the label.

Inside Scoop has reached out to the restaurant, and to Beast Mode and his PR team. We will update the story if he decides to break his silence. Until then, well just keep our eye on social media for more clues.

Scends: 3627 San Pable Ave.

Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips
The organizers of the latest rally in Berkeley, billed by right-wing activists as a demonstration against Marxism, have been denied a permit by the city.

In a letter, Deputy City Manager Jovan Grogan told organizers of the event planned for Sunday in Civic Center Park  the home in recent months to a growing number of such demonstrations  that the totality of circumstances prevented Berkeley from being able to safely host the event.

Organizers did not immediately return requests for comment.

On social media Thursday, the far-right event, advertised online as a No to Marxism rally, showed no signs of stopping.

Police in Berkeley have given no indications that they will stand down, and similar past events have moved forward, regardless.

Though other skirmishes in Berkeley in recent months have seen bloodshed, as well as arrests, Mayor Jesse Arreguin has expressed a heightened level of concern for this weekend.

Arreguin has said that racists are not welcome in Berkeley, and the mayor has repeatedly urged people of all political persuasions to avoid the park Sunday.

In three responses to organizers seeking to host events at the park Sunday, Grogan wrote that the applications lacked a number of measures to ensure safety.

They included, Grogan said: a lack of proper security, failing to provide proper identification of organizers and turning in applications late.

Grogan also alluded to national events in explaining the denial.

Recently, a large gathering of white supremacists and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, Va.  and the widespread condemnation of President Trumps initial refusal to denounce them specifically  have ratcheted up racial tensions in the United States. A woman died in Charlottesville.

Organizers of the Berkeley rally have denied a racial motivation and have defended the need for the event.

Some have expressed loyalty to Trump, saying that the blue Bay Area is as good a place to stand up for their president  and for free speech  as any.

How to respond to the rally planned for Sunday has divided Bay Area activists, many of them left-leaning.

The loose collective known as antifa has pledged to meet those they call white supremacists in Berkeley, including violently, if they deem it necessary.

Others have advocated a more peaceful tack, saying they will use props and humor to try to keep the peace.

Michael Bodley is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mbodley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @michael_bodley
At 8:57 a.m. on Wednesday, June 14, three minutes before her shift began, Anastacia Byrne, a veteran dispatcher at San Franciscos 911 call center, settled in at her desk and prepared to plug in her headset.

Just then, I hear another call taker say, Someones shooting people, Byrne recalls. I look around at all the other terminals, and I see theres multiple calls from one location, close to San Bruno Avenue.

She jumped on the line to take her first call. It came from the same location as the others pouring in: the United Parcel Service distribution facility at the base of Potrero Hill. These were the first moments of what would become one of the worst mass shootings in recent San Francisco history. A gunman would kill three UPS drivers  shooting one execution-style in the head  before turning the gun on himself.

Byrnes job that morning was to prevent her caller from joining the list of the dead.

Just as they are every day, Byrne and her fellow dispatchers were the first of the citys first responders that morning. If they didnt answer and manage those initial frantic calls, police and ambulance drivers wouldnt have known to respond, and the carnage could have been far worse.

But despite playing this crucial role, the citys 911 dispatchers arent classified as public safety workers like police, firefighters, sheriffs deputies and some other groups. Instead, as part of the Service Employees International Union, Local 1021, they have the same contract as clerks and other clerical workers.

This designation is not just wrong  if Byrne is a clerk, Im a rocket scientist  it isnt fair. It means dispatchers have to work 15 years longer than their public safety counterparts to qualify for their maximum pension, and it means their pensions arent as high.

For at least seven years, the dispatchers have been asking to be reclassified, arguing that an earlier retirement age and a better pension would provide an incentive to persevere in the grueling, emotionally taxing job. But theyve gotten nowhere.

Partly as a result, the San Francisco 911 call center is in crisis, not able to train enough new dispatchers to make up for the more senior ones who quit in frustration. As we have reported in previous columns, morale is terrible, and the results can be devastating to a city that desperately needs these workers to answer the phone.

The short-staffed center isnt answering the urgent calls it receives quickly enough. A quarter of 911 calls dialed in San Francisco take too long to answer. The national standard is that 90 percent of 911 calls should be answered within 10 seconds, but San Francisco has been stuck at around 75 percent, reaching 80 percent just this month. It hasnt met the national standard since 2012.

The citys police, firefighters and sheriffs deputies have their own retirement plans. The dispatchers want to join the citys miscellaneous safety plan, which includes probation officers, district attorneys investigators and juvenile court counselors.

That seems like a reasonable request. Our citys safety surely relies more on a fully staffed, well-functioning 911 call center than it does on the actions of those other three miscellaneous groups. But the dispatchers cant get the city even to price out how much the switch would cost.

Its just one more frustration in a job full of them. But those concerns must be set aside whenever the next crisis call comes in. And thats what Byrne did on the morning of June 14.

The voice on her line was a frightened woman, calling from inside the UPS facility. Theres a shooter in the building, she told Byrne. We heard multiple shots, and now were locked in a room.

Dispatchers rarely learn much about the desperate people theyre helping. Byrne thinks the womans name was Cindy or Sydney. The woman whispered that she was an office worker at the facility and had just returned to work from vacation.

Shed been in the hallway on the third floor of the building when she heard shots, she said. So she ran into an office, locked the door, hid behind a desk and dialed 911. Other workers inside the building were calling 911, too.

Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle

As they took the calls, the 911 dispatchers were the first to begin piecing together the details of the terror unfolding inside the facility. Their computer system allows them to enter information they gather from callers, as well as from police and medics over their radios, to populate a screen that all the dispatchers can view. Eventually a picture of the crisis emerged  where in the building people were hiding, where police were searching, where bodies lay dead.

Byrne could hear other dispatchers charged with working the police and fire radios yelling about how many possible victims there were, how many ambulances needed to respond. They knew there was a school close by and that terrified people were running into the street.

But at that moment, Im not really focused on that, because Im more focused on her, Byrne said of the whispering woman. Shes not in any quote-unquote physical danger at this second, but she could be, and shes just as scared as anybody else. You think youre going to die.

Byrne kept asking the woman questions: Could she hear footsteps, voices or more gunshots in the hallway? Dispatchers are trained to tell people to run from dangerous situations, but that wasnt the right advice in this case.

If you cant run, then you protect yourself, barricade as much as you can and then find something to fight with, Byrne said. She instructed the woman to try to find something heavy she could wield.

Calls like these come in on the 911 line every day. Car crashes, shootings, stabbings, apartment buildings on fire. Children who are choking or have drowned. People suffering heart attacks or strokes. People who have found a relative whos just hanged himself or shot himself in the head.

In 11 years as a dispatcher, Byrne has taken calls about babies who have stopped breathing. Shes counseled an elderly woman on how to perform CPR on her dying husband. She took a call from a man who told her hed just killed his mother. As tough as those conversations are, she said, one of the hardest parts of the job is rarely knowing the end of the story. Once shes summoned help and made sure its arrived, her job is done.

We dont have a lot of closure, she said. Sometimes you dont know if someone who jumped off a building made it. Or you dont know if the baby who stopped breathing made it.

The calls dont stop, and the buildup of stress doesnt either. Its worsened by the center being so understaffed; dispatchers are regularly required to work overtime shifts and rarely get weekends off. Byrne said she loves her job, but its a punishing routine. The 46-year-old Ingleside resident works a 14-hour shift, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Shes often missed Thanksgiving and Christmas with her two kids.

At least six San Francisco dispatchers have quit or retired since April. The center now employs about 110 fully trained dispatchers; a full staff would number 165.

The city is focused on bringing on more dispatchers, training new ones, persuading retired ones to return part time and moving employees over from other departments. Ten to 12 newly trained dispatchers should be on the job by next month, with similarly sized groups ready to start in December and again every few months throughout 2018 and 2019. But the citys Department of Emergency Management doesnt appear to be doing much to keep those already on the job.

One obvious step: At least consider an improved retirement age or pension. The citys pension calculations are complicated and vary depending on when an employee started. But in general, a recently hired dispatcher can earn a maximum of 75 percent of his or her salary at age 65. Public safety pensions can reach a maximum of 90 percent of salary at age 50.

Yes, the citys pension tab is huge, and its understandable City Hall is wary of adding any more workers to the public safety category. But theres also a matter of fairness  acknowledging the dispatchers are not doing the jobs of clerks.

I think 911 dispatchers are historically overlooked for the critical role they play in public safety. I dont think theres any question about that, said Robert Smuts, deputy director of the Department of Emergency Management.

He pointed to a study by Michelle Lilly, a psychology professor at Northern Illinois University, published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress in 2012. It showed that 911 dispatchers are at high risk for post-traumatic stress disorder despite not witnessing the traumatic events they deal with.

Smuts, the mayors office and the controllers office referred questions about a pension switch to the citys Department of Human Resources.

Susan Gard, chief of policy for the department, said the city has the utmost respect for its 911 dispatchers but that reclassifying them would require going to the ballot to ask voters to amend the City Charter.

It doesnt seem likely that voters would be interested in increasing public employee pensions at this time, she said, adding: No doubt we would have a lot of dispatcher retirements if they had this formula, exacerbating our current challenge.

Ron Davis, a dispatcher for 16 years and a union steward, said thats not necessarily true. Half of the citys 911 dispatchers have been working less than five years, he said, and the change would actually encourage them to work longer.

The city could find a compromise. The Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, Va., reclassified its 911 dispatchers  who were similarly understaffed and overworked, and suffering from terrible morale  to public safety workers in 2005.

Before the change, dispatchers had to work 35 years and make it to age 60 to earn a full pension. Only 15 people had lasted that long in the 30 years before the change, according to Steve Souder, the director of that countys Department of Public Safety Communications from 2005 until last year.

After the change, dispatchers could retire at age 50 after working 25 years. Since then, 58 dispatchers have made it to full retirement. Souder said the amount of their pension didnt change, but knowing they could retire so much earlier kept them on the job, and it evened out financially for the county because of needing fewer training classes.

Asked what he would say to San Francisco city officials who are resistant to the change here, Souder said, They need to get their heads out of the sand. The 911 call taker is the most important person in the entire public safety delivery system. It all begins there.

That was true on the morning of June 14. Byrne stayed on the call with the woman hidden behind the desk in the UPS facility for about 20 minutes, trying to keep her calm, urging her to stay hidden, updating her on what was happening in the rest of the building. She found herself crying at one point, something that can happen when the caller is particularly calm and stoic, she said.

On the computer screen, Byrne could see that officers were clearing the facility floor by floor. When they neared the womans location on the third floor, officers yelled to announce themselves.

You know, its fine. I think were good, the caller told Byrne.

I said, OK, and I told her she was amazing, Byrne said. What else do you say to somebody?

There wasnt time to say much of anything. Byrne hung up the phone and immediately picked up the next call.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com, Twitter: @hknightsf

Tell your 911 stories

Have you had trouble connecting to 911 in San Francisco when you experienced an emergency? Let us know by emailing hknight@sfchronicle.com.
The mountain of tortured reasoning sustaining Americas death penalty grew a little higher this week as Californias highest court upheld a measure designed to expedite executions.

California voters were presented with an absurd choice last fall in the form of simultaneous ballot initiatives: whether to abolish capital punishment or start killing people faster. They narrowly chose the latter.

So the state Supreme Court faced a democratic whim that is not only antithetical to the fair administration of justice but also likely to overwhelm the justices with backlogged capital cases to the exclusion of other business. Rather than strike it down on those grounds, the court strained to rescue the initiative by declaring that it doesnt say what it says.

The court found that the hard five-year appeals deadline at the heart of Proposition 66, rather than the unconstitutional abridgment of defendants rights that was sold to voters, is merely an aspirational goal  a sort of executioners mission statement. The majority opinion, by Justice Carol Corrigan, dubiously recasts this kill-by date as an exhortation to the parties and the courts to handle cases as expeditiously as is consistent with the fair and principled administration of justice.

The ruling clears the way for the initiatives other questionable steps to speed executions: compelling more lawyers to accept death penalty defendants, expanding appellate reviews from the Supreme Court to the lower courts, and curtailing the approval process for execution methods. While its not clear whether any of that will shorten the appeals process for most of the 748 prisoners on San Quentins Death Row, the ruling could, after a hiatus of more than a decade since the last execution, restart the countdown for 18 prisoners who have exhausted their appeals.

Life imprisonment offers an equally effective and less costly response to the worst crimes  as well as one that can be undone, as more than 150 convictions yielding a death sentence have been. Its the thoroughly tested standard in the rest of the free world and more than 20 states that have officially ended or suspended capital punishment. For those wondering where the alternative march toward a more expeditious death penalty might lead, Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson offered a helpful demonstration in April, executing four prisoners in eight days in a mad rush to use the states expiring supply of an increasingly scarce lethal drug.

The death penalty purports to answer a will to punish the most heinous crimes. This impulse, however, is bound to be frustrated by the legal challenges that are the inevitable consequence of the penaltys immorality, arbitrariness, and irreversibility. Thats how Californians and the high court arrived at a choice between abolition and acceleration. Gov. Jerry Brown, a once-outspoken opponent of capital punishment who has been spared the prospect of an execution during either of his tenures, may yet have an opportunity to choose more wisely.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
Californias housing crisis doesnt just affect people struggling to live and work here right now. Theres growing evidence that it could impact everyone who lives here, and elsewhere, in the future.

The authors of the new California Green Innovation Index  an annual report prepared by Beacon Economics and released by Next 10, a nonprofit group funded by the venture capitalist F. Noel Perry  found that, following years of progress on Californias ambitious climate policies, transportation-related emissions have begun to rise.

The culprit? A healthy economy  coupled with a lack of affordable housing.

Between 2006, when the Legislature and then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger passed landmark climate legislation, and 2015, Californias greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 12 percent per capita. Meanwhile, Californias per capita gross domestic product rose by nearly $5,000 per person  double the national average.

Californias feat of combining emissions reductions with strong job growth has been the subject of international attention and a source of pride for state officials.

But thanks to the states past mistakes, California may be reaching the end of this golden period.

Total emissions are still declining, but the rate of decline is slowing. Thats largely because theres been a spike in emissions from transportation. This years index found that emissions from transportation rose 2.7 percent statewide from 2014 to 2015.

At least one of the reasons for the increase is an obvious one: Californians commute times are increasing.

With commute times in California increasing by 2.8 percent from 2014 to 2015  and public transportation trips declining by 4.8 percent during that same time  the data are clear about whats happening to California workers.

Theyre having to travel farther and farther to their jobs. The decline of public transportation trips suggests that they increasingly live in places without good transit options.

The source of the problem is obvious: The states job centers dont have nearly enough housing that employees can afford.

Part of the solution will be for the state to develop more, and cleaner, transportation options.

If California is going to meet its emissions goals, it has to invest in regional transit solutions outside of the large city centers. Increased use of public transit is good for the environment and good for communities quality of life. Developing and building these solutions would be good for job production, and it could encourage innovations outside of the states usual tech hubs.

But an even bigger part of the solution will be increasing the states housing supply.

This is especially true for the coastal cities that drove the states economic recovery and increasingly drive the states job production.

Housing production in Californias coastal areas has been restricted for decades.

The reasons for the shortage have been said many times before  Proposition 13 made building housing less attractive to cities at the same time local communities increased barriers to development via byzantine regulations on local zoning, land-use rules, and various other NIMBYisms.

But it cant be said enough times that the results of this shortage have been devastating, especially for younger Californians.

The new Green Innovation Index suggests that this shortage will affect our ability to fight climate change  so it could be devastating for the next generation of Californians, too.

In the coming decade, California has to find ways to reduce emissions by 5 percent each year. This challenge will require innovation, investment in renewable sources of energy, and a determination to make communities more sustainable through proven methods, like better public transportation.

It will also require a more unusual form of sustainability: housing.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
San Mateo County Sheriffs Office / San Mateo County Sheriffs Office

About 200 people rallied in front of the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Thursday demanding to know where the sheriff stands on immigrant rights, a sheriff's spokesman and organizers with the National Day Laborer Organizing Network said.

The rally took place starting at 4:30 p.m. at 400 County Center in Redwood City and lasted for about two hours.
Charles Bentley, who in the 1950s led a team of scientists that measured the West Antarctic Ice Sheet for the first time, and who later explained the mechanics of the fast-moving ice streams that drain the sheet, died last Saturday at his home in Oakland. He was 87.

The cause was complications of Parkinsons disease, his daughter, Molly Bentley, said.

He was a doctoral candidate in geophysics at Columbia University when one of his teachers stepped out of his office and asked, Would anybody like to go to the Antarctic?

Plans were shaping up for the International Geophysical Year, an 18-month initiative to study the Earth, scheduled to begin in July 1957, and volunteers were needed for the U.S. Antarctic Expedition. Professor Bentley raised his hand. I thought that sounded like a pretty good deal, he said in a 2008 oral-history interview for the American Institute of Physics.

After boarding a ship in Panama and making his way up a new trail from Little America on the Ross Ice Shelf to Byrd Station, built for the occasion, he spent two years in West Antarctica, where he and his colleagues ventured into parts unknown on Sno-Cat tractors.

He and his team found that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, thought to be a thin layer covering high mountains, was 2 miles thick at some points and extended as far below sea level as the highest mountains rose above the surface. In their travels, they discovered a trench the size of Mexico. Now known as the Bentley Subglacial Trench, it is the deepest spot on Earth not covered by ocean.

Professor Bentley made more than 15 trips to the Antarctic, the last in 2009, mapping the structure and physical properties of the ice sheet and probing the continent beneath it. In 1986, he and several colleagues reported in a cover article in Nature magazine that the glaciers known as ice streams do not rest on rock but rather move rapidly over water-saturated till.

By explaining the mechanics of ice-stream movement, he opened the way for research into the instability of the ice sheet and its potential for collapse, a subject of increasing concern as evidence on global warming accumulated.

Charlie Bentley was the absolute polar scientist, going where nobody else had gone and measuring what nobody else had measured, Richard Alley, a former student of Professor Bentleys and now a geoscientist at Penn State University, wrote in an email. Concern about rapid sea level rise from ice-sheet collapse grew out of his early discoveries, and many of the tools to answer the big questions come from his research since then.

Charles Raymond Bentley was born on Dec. 23, 1929, in Rochester, New York. His father, also named Charles but known as Raymond, was a successful lawyer. His mother, the former Janet Everest, was the granddaughter of a founder of Vacuum Oil, which later merged with Standard Oil. She was unconventional: Before marrying, she had adopted two children on her own.

After graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., He earned a physics degree from Yale University in 1950. He planned to study law but changed his mind after spending a summer on a research ship in the Atlantic led by the oceanographer Maurice Ewing of Columbia University.

He enrolled in Columbia to study geophysics and, after spending two years on the Greenland ice shelf, where he developed a seismic method of measuring ice depth, defended his dissertation at the end of 1956. The degree was not awarded until 1959 because he had forgotten to pay a $50 dissertation fee before setting off for Antarctica.

Professor Bentley joined the department of geology and geophysics (now the department of geosciences) at the University of Wisconsin in 1961. On retiring in 2000, he became head of Ice Drilling Design and Operations, a program at the universitys Space Science and Engineering Center that designs and deploys drills for collecting ice samples.

Professor Bentleys scientific exploits combined the derring-do of the great polar explorers with the painstaking work of measurement and calibration. On his first expedition, he and his team discovered a mountain range as large as the Rockies running parallel to the Weddell Sea. They were the first to visit and partly survey the Sentinel Range, one of whose peaks was named after him.

To measure the ice shelfs depth, he set off explosions that sent sound waves to the bottom of the ice sheet. Geophones on the surface picked up the waves on their return and provided a depth reading.

It would be many decades before such discoveries captured the imagination of the general public.

There was no particular effort to reach the public at all, he told the Antarctic Sun, a newsletter published by the U.S. Antarctic Program, in 2007. Furthermore, we didnt really understand back 50 years ago the connections between the polar regions and the rest of the world. They seemed isolated and remote, and of interest as part of the earth; but it took quite a while to learn how closely related they are to the rest of the world.

In addition to his daughter, Professor Bentley is survived by a son, Alex; a grandson; and two step-grandsons.

Professor Bentley served as chairman of the Polar Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences from 1981 to 1985. His work was honored by the Soviet Academy of Sciences with the Bellingshausen-Lazarev Medal in 1971, and in 1990 the International Glaciological Society gave him its highest honor, the Seligman Crystal.

William Grimes is a New York Times writer.
A ballot measure could decriminalize psilocybin  known colloquially as "magic mushrooms"  in California as early as 2018.

Filed at the state Attorney General office on Friday, the initiative would exempt adults aged 21 and over from criminal penalties for using, possessing, selling, transporting and cultivating psilocybin.
Stephen Lam/Special to The Chronicle

Most of San Franciscos Presidio will open to the public on Saturday, the National Park Service said after a right-wing group canceled plans for a rally at Crissy Field.

Officials at Golden Gate National Recreation Area said late Friday that the organizer of the Patriot Prayer rally had relinquished his permit. Concerns that the right-wing event would draw counterprotesters and become violent prompted the park service to draw up plans to limit access to much of the Presidio.
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The Bay Areas newest transit system  Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit or SMART  rolled to a start Friday, cheered on by hundreds who attended a morning ceremony and then waited in line to ride the green-and-gray trains as they made their way from Santa Rosa to San Rafael.

SMART has faced controversy since it was little more than an idea, but the arrival of the trains, which promises to ease Highway 101 congestion in the North Bay, was greeted with excitement and happiness  emotions not usually associated with a commute.

It was great, said Elizabeth Cargay, 55, a geologist from Windsor, as she stepped off the first southbound train in downtown Petaluma. It went a lot faster than I thought it would. It was smooth, it was clean. Its great to finally have it.

The new rail systems opening day began in the morning at the downtown Santa Rosa station in the towns historic Railroad Square, where a crowd grabbed SMART memorabilia, including squishy miniature trains, plus snacks and coffee they may have needed to sit through 12 speeches by politicians and SMART officials.

Later in the day, passengers were treated with free rides along 43 miles of new rails.

During the morning ceremony, speakers praised taxpayers for funding construction of the service and the SMART staff for persevering through nine years of challenges after voters in Sonoma and Marin counties approved a quarter-cent sales tax in 2008 to pay for the system.

Those challenges included a failed effort to repeal the sales tax, feuds over station locations, mechanical troubles with the new locomotives and, finally, an extended wait for federal approval of SMARTs train control system, designed to prevent head-on collisions and accidents caused by speed.

The Federal Railroad Administration gave the go-ahead on Aug. 17, and SMART officials quickly set Friday as the opening date.

This is really happening, isnt it? said Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, as he spoke from a podium on the downtown Santa Rosa station platform. Starting today, all of us are actually going to start using the SMART train.

Rides were free on all SMART trains Friday, and through Labor Day, theyll be half price. After that, one-way fares, payable by Clipper card or a smartphone app, will range from $3.50 to $11.50.

The big question is how many people will ride SMART trains once the rail system is no longer a novelty. In July and August, free preview rides drew standing crowds, as did Fridays first train, which departed the northernmost station near Sonoma County Airport at 12:49 p.m.  just as scheduled.

A few eager people arrived at the station more than two hours before departure to make sure they had a seat on the first passenger train to travel through Marin and Sonoma counties since 1958 when the Northwestern Pacific Railroad ground to a halt.

Scott McLaughlin, 55, an appliance repairman from Santa Rosa, had the day off, so he decided to give the train a try. He was first in line, arriving at 10:30 a.m. at the Sonoma County Airport station, which is about a mile down the road from Charles M. Schulz airport.

Ive been paying for this for years with my taxes, so I thought Id see what its like, he said.

McLaughlin said he expected a smooth ride, having seen crews install new rails and concrete ties.

I dont think well hear a lot of clickety-clack, clickety-clack, he said. I think it will be a very smooth ride, not very jerky.

He was right. The three-car train hummed as it rolled, mostly smoothly between Santa Rosa and Petaluma, picking up more passengers at each stop, some of whom roamed the aisles.

Every SMART train offers a restroom, a cafe that serves snacks and beverages, including beer and wine, and hooks for bicycles. Some of the light-green upholstered seats are arranged around tables and the rest have tray tables, and recline, like those on an airplane but with more legroom.

Many of the first-day riders were either retired or on vacation, and said theyd ride SMART but not regularly.

Ill just use it for fun, said Charlotte Laverty, 68, of Santa Rosa. But if I really have to get to San Francisco, I will probably hop in my car.

SMARTs big test will start Monday when commuters give it a try and decide whether they prefer it to sitting in their cars on Highway 101.

SMART isnt done. It plans to start construction of an extension to Larkspur, within walking distance of the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco, within weeks. But until then, riders will have to take a free shuttle bus. And it also has plans to extend north to Windsor, Healdsburg and Cloverdale.

If first impressions count, the train was a hit with David Minard, 31, a photographer from Santa Rosa.

Its pretty much better than the freeway, he said. But it will be much more useful once it gets to Larkspur.

Michael Cabantuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan
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Bedbugs didnt cause the breakup of Straten Schemel and his ex-girlfriend Paige Govey, but they contributed to it, both sides agree.

The former couple said they moved from San Jose, where they were bug-free, into San Franciscos Potrero Launch apartment complex in December 2015. Part of their 63-page lease agreement included a two-page addendum about bedbugs, Schemel said. The addendum noted that there may have been a prior infestation in the dwelling or building, but it was treated by a professional and the unit was believed to be free of further infestation.

He figured that was a routine disclosure and forgot about it, even after he and Govey started getting what they thought were spider or flea bites. One day we were laying there and saw a bedbug crawling across the bed, he said.

Govey would wake up with bedbugs crawling across her skin. It was literally, exactly what a nightmare would be, she said.

Schemel contacted management. He said exterminators came out every week for at least five weeks. The couple washed and dried their clothes and other fabrics on extreme heat. We ended up burning some nice articles, including a teddy bear that Goveys grandparents gave her when she was born, he said.

More for you New California law aims to stop spread of bedbugs

They packed up most of their belongings and kept them in a storage unit and in Schemels car. During this time, someone broke into my car and stole all my clothing, he said.

After the treatments, they moved everything back in, thinking the bugs were gone, but they returned. Exterminators were sent out again, but we said we are not packing up, you can exterminate around us, Schemel said.

During the treatments, Govey said, It became us living out of boxes, living in the same three outfits, spending every night vacuuming the bedding and box springs. It was a pretty large factor in a lot of fights.

After the second round of treatments, We stopped getting bit but kept finding remnants, dead carcasses, (bug) poop. By this time I had started making friends at the apartment complex and heard others were having the same issue, Schemel said.

Govey moved out of the small apartment in early August last year. Schemel moved out after his lease expired in December, but he still gets phantom feelings of bedbugs crawling across his skin.

The apartment was treated for bedbugs in December 2015, Potrero Launch management said in an email. The pest control contractor followed their standard protocol, treating the unit three times, and inspecting adjacent units for infestation. No bedbugs were found and the issue was isolated to the one apartment. There was an apparent reinfestation of the same residents apartment in March 2016, which was treated following the same protocol. The resident moved out in December 2016 and there have been no further reports of bedbugs for any unit on the property.

Govey still has her fried teddy bear. Its a sad reminder of the torture of these bugs, she said.

For related coverage, see this article on a new California law that aims to stop the spread of bedbugs.

Kathleen Pender is a San Francisco Chronicle columnist. Email: kpender@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kathpender
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A Painted Lady was showing a little more paint than usual on Saturday.

The extra paint was on a large banner than hung from one of the famous Victorian homes across the street from Alamo Square.

Homeowner Gretchen Sisson, 33, woke up early Saturday to hang a protest banner from her third-story window.

Love Trumps Hate, the sign read, for all in the park or nearby to read.

Sisson said she was pleased to hear that the right-wing demonstrators werent going to show up and that counterprotesters were turning out in the streets around her home instead.

Now Playing: Hundreds of protesters at Fell and Steiner streets enter the vicinity of Alamo Square Park on Aug. 26, 2017. Video: San Francisco Chronicle

We were planning on staying locked inside today, said Sisson, who has two children, ages 2 and 4. When we heard that the alt-right rally was coming here, we were worried about the potential for violence.

Racism and bigotry have no place in her neighborhood or childrens lives, she said..

Theyre here in our city to capitalize on the discord, she said. Free speech is one thing. But inciting dangerous rhetoric is another.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com
Long before she became a vice president at San Franciscos Slack, April Underwood had decided to major in chemical engineering, figuring she would enjoy it because she had done well in classroom chemistry. But she quickly learned that the practical applications of chemistry might well lead to not-exactly-thrilling jobs in oil and gas fields.

So she changed majors  and lost her engineering scholarships. It was a huge leap of faith, she said. At the time it was really scary for my parents to see me do that, so I knew I needed to figure out a way to close that financial gap.

Underwood switched to management information systems, a business-centric major that enabled her to take classes in coding, finance, accounting and marketing. To make up for the lost scholarships, she got a part-time job.

Answering an ad in the college newspaper, Underwood got a gig in tech support for Austin firm TeleNetwork, where she was paid $10 an hour.

Customers would call in, Id have to walk them through exactly how to fix their computers, then theyd have to hang up the phone and try it because they only had one phone line, Underwood said. This was during the days of dial-up Internet, so Underwood learned to communicate clearly to customers what they had to do because she couldnt walk them through it in real time. She wasnt intimidated by computers or technology. While doing tech support, she even saw an opportunity to create training programs for other people in the call center.

Over the holiday break, she taught herself HTML coding from a book, and persuaded her bosses to let her build the software. They agreed, and she built it.

Underwoods senior year coincided with the height of the dot-com bubble  students were receiving lucrative job offers and signing bonuses and could have their pick of where they wanted to work. By the time she graduated, though, the bubble had burst, and a company she had interviewed with, Enron, was about to go under.

I passed on a couple of job opportunities, and my peers and professors were angry with me because they thought it was very shortsighted of me, she said. It was like the world was crumbling.

Still, with a background in business and coding, and internships at 3M and Deloitte, she scored a job at Intel in Oregon as a software engineer, working on Intels enterprise software.

Underwoods software engineering chops landed her at Intel, but she quickly learned that she wasnt content to do only software engineering. She was fascinated by the business side. She had an interest in marketing. She enjoyed and was good at communicating with people. She wanted to do something that combined all these skills. After a year at Intel she went to travel site Travelocity, again as a software engineer, but this time taking on more responsibilities, asking business questions, and serving as the bridge between the companys technical and business teams.

Youve got to have your superpower, Underwood said. Youve got to have the thing youre really good at, because you need to be useful from day one, and you need to get your foot in the door.

For Underwood, that ability was solving problems through code.

But once you get there, if you have a broader perspective and some experience or interest in other areas, youre going to stand out. That happened for me really quickly in my career, and its part of the reason I made the transition from engineering to product management a couple of years in.

Underwood moved around a lot in her career, working on business-focused companies such as Intel and now Slack, and consumer companies such as Travelocity, Google (where she spent two years) and Twitter (where she spent five years). During these job changes, she also went from solely being a software engineer, to someone who straddled engineering and business, to being focused on product.

Underwood often left companies when they were on the upward trajectory, a move that baffled some of her peers. Instead of clinging to a role at a company because of its prestige, or feeling that she had to do her time before she could move on, she asked herself three questions when deciding whether to take a new role.

The first is to ask yourself, what will you learn over the next year at the company youre at, versus what you believe you might learn somewhere else, she said.

The second is how you feel about the product the company makes. In the case of Slack, Underwood had been a longtime user before shed even considered working for the company. Now she is the companys vice president of product, working with engineering leadership to oversee a team of around 350 people.

And the third is to look at whether youve set up your team for success once you leave.

I do think theres a responsibility that you owe to your team, she said.

Underwood chalks up much of her success to her curiosity. Be really, really good at something at any given time, she said, whether its engineering, business strategy or something else entirely, and then get to know what the people next to you are working on, and develop relationships with them.

Thats when you start to get a broader perspective. People who can do what theyre assigned to do, and anticipate the problems that are overlooked, those people are gold within an organization. So be good at the thing youre good at, and be curious about the rest.

Underwood lives in Marin County, and enjoys hiking and baking. She is gluten intolerant and cannot eat most of what she makes, but it doesnt stop her from baking it.

Tracy Lien is a Los Angeles Times writer.
In the name of convenience, Amazon and Walmart are pushing people to shop by just talking to a digital assistant.

Shopping by voice means giving orders to the Alexa assistant on Amazons Echo speaker and other devices, even if your hands are tied up with dinner or dirty diapers. And next month, Walmart will start offering voice shopping, too, with the Google Assistant on the rival Home speaker.

Such voice shopping hasnt really caught on yet, but if it does, look out  you might never know if its offering you the best deal. Because these devices cant say much without tiring your ears, voice shopping precludes some of the savvy shopping practices you may have relied on to find the best bargains  in particular, researching products and comparing prices.

Youd be leaving much of the buying decision to Amazon, Walmart or other retailers.

Amazon has had more than a years head start, and dominates voice shopping. Google introduced shopping to Home in February, letting people order essentials from more than 40 retailers like Target and Costco under its Google Express program. Its partnership with Walmart means hundreds of thousands of items will be available to customers in late September.

With websites and apps, many customers place items in the cart, but change their minds before completing the order, said Lauren Beitelspacher, a marketing professor at Babson College in Massachusetts. Voice shopping eliminates those intervening steps.

And with Amazon so far ahead, voice shopping with Alexa is another way of getting you hooked on Amazon . Although Amazon allows some third-party ordering through Alexa, including pizza from Dominos and hotels through Kayak, general shopping is limited to Amazons own store. If Alexa orders diapers for you just as you run out, for instance, Amazon locks in the order before you have a chance to visit Walmart.

You cant get away from Amazon, Beitelspacher said. I dont know if gimmick is the right word, but (voice shopping) is part of a strategy to be omnipresent in consumers lives.

Ask Alexa to buy something, and it presents you with something youve bought before or an educated guess based on some undisclosed mix of price, satisfaction rating and shipping time. Amazon wont provide more details. You can get a products average customer-satisfaction rating, but not specific reviews, even on screen-equipped Echo Show devices.

Brian Elliott, general manager of Google Express, says that with most affiliated retailers, personalization occurs as the assistant learns shoppers preferences, but the integration with Walmart will happen more quickly.

In some ways, shopping by voice assistant is a throwback to the days when you were largely limited to what sales representatives recommended at a physical store.

Amazons website gives you a lot of information about most products, from color options and sizes to the specific reasons other customers hated a product youre considering. Youre able to compare similar items and choose something cheaper if youre willing to sacrifice some features or take a chance on an unknown manufacturer.

And, of course, you can also compare Amazons prices with those of other online merchants.

But with Amazons voice shopping, its back to what the companys representative recommends. Alexa can handle only a portion of Amazons full catalog, and its interactions with shoppers are constrained by the fact that listening and speaking can be a lot slower than reading and clicking.

And while Amazons website wont necessarily list the cheapest option first either, the alternatives are easier to view on a screen.

Justin Evans, an engineer in Whitman, Mass., bought oatmeal and smart plugs using Alexa to claim exclusive discounts, but he prefers browsing and reviewing products for general shopping. Im a less impulsive shopper than I think their target market is, he said.

Companies are aware that voice shopping takes getting used to. Its not natural to shout out a purchase desire and have it be fulfilled, said Ryne Misso of the Market Track retail research firm in Chicago.

Jenny Blackburn, Amazons director of voice shopping, believes it will catch on once people get used to it.

To get people started, Amazon has been offering exclusive deals through Alexa and a $10 credit on the first order. For its annual Prime Day promotion in July, Amazon gave voice shoppers a head start of two hours.

Amazon says voice shopping has grown in the year-plus its had it, though it wouldnt release figures. Were really just getting started with it, Blackburn said in an interview.

You can use Alexa for most items that come with free shipping through Amazons Prime loyalty program, but Blackburn said it works best for products with lightweight decisions, such as batteries, cat food and paper towels. Sure, Alexa can order you a TV, but youll probably want to do some research first.

Nels Romerdahl, a student at the University of Hawaii in Maui, said Alexa can be a big improvement over Amazon Dash buttons  plastic gadgets that can you place around the house and press anytime you need to reorder a specific item. But he doesnt use either Alexa or Dash for recurring items  he stocks up when his parents visit Costco every few weeks.

To prevent inadvertent orders, like the widely circulated report of a 6-year-old girl who had Alexa order a dollhouse and sugar cookies for Christmas, Amazon lets you set up a PIN you can recite to the assistant.

To boost comfort, Amazon promises free returns on voice orders; normally, Amazon charges a shipping fee for returns unless the companys at fault.

That might not satisfy everyone. Los Angeles attorney Pam Meyer, who bought some dog treats through Alexa to claim her $10 credit, said shed want something like a cash-back guarantee when Alexa doesnt offer the best price.

Anick Jesdanun is an Associated Press writer.
Legislative efforts to change the states bail system have been pushed into the next year, Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers behind the measure said Friday.

Discussions on SB10, which the Senate passed in June, are expected to continue through the end of the year, Brown said in a statement with state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys (Los Angeles County), and Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Alameda, author of the bill.

Bail reform proponents say the current system unfairly penalizes the poor, who often must remain behind bars while awaiting trial simply because they cannot afford bail.

The legislation seeks to eliminate jail time for people accused of nonviolent offenses by placing the basis of their pretrial release solely on whether they are a public safety or flight risk.

The current system of cash bail relies heavily on whether defendants can afford bail, which is determined primarily on the gravity of the charges.

I believe that inequities exist in Californias bail system, and I look forward to working this fall on ways to reform the system in a cost-effective and fair manner, considering public safety as well as the rights of the accused, Brown said.

Under SB10, a pretrial services agency would assess flight risk of a defendant based on the charges, past criminal history and record for showing up to past hearings. A recommendation to a judge would be made off of the assessment.

The truth is today, under the cash bail system, if you can write a check, public safety doesnt matter, Hertzberg said. We need a system that prioritizes public safety and restores justice to the pretrial process, regardless of income level.

Judges have discretion to set bail higher or lower than the recommended bail schedule. The bill, however, would require judges to set monetary bail at the least restrictive level necessary if they do not agree with the recommendation.

The bill would also require prosecutors to file a motion if they wish to seek pretrial detention, as opposed to the current system that keeps defendants in custody until they post bail. This portion of the bill has many prosecutors throughout the state joining bail bondsmen to oppose the measure, arguing that it would jeopardize public safety rather than enhance it.

In San Francisco, all sides of the citys criminal justice system have united against the current bail system. A recent report by the city treasurer found that cash bail doesnt just hurt poor defendants, but their families as well. Only people who can afford to pay the full bail amount get a full refund if they make their court appearances, but those who manage to scrape together the 10 percent of the amount needed to pay a bail bond agent dont get their money back, even if theyre acquitted.

Since May 2016, San Francisco has been experimenting with a pretrial risk assessment tool created by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.

The tool came under scrutiny this month when a Pretrial Diversion Project staff member miscalculated the score of a man who violated probation twice and was facing a new gun possession charge. The prosecutor did not object to the faulty recommendation and a judge ordered the release of the man, who was later arrested on suspicion of killing a 71-year-old photographer in an armed robbery on Twin Peaks.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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On her deathbed after a surgery gone awry, Jillian Kelly saw the light. It looked golden.

I knew if I shut my eyes, Id be dead, Kelly said. After that, I figured life is just too short.

Kelly set out for Gold Country, leaving behind the Bay Area where she lived for almost four decades.

That was 10 years ago. Now, "Every day is a treasure hunt."

The first four decades of Kelly's life follow a typical Silicon Valley narrative: She grew up in Palo Alto, studied advertising at Mills College, then settled in San Jose to work as a designer. Besides visits to Sutter's Mill with her father as a child, Kelly had little exposure to the mining lifestyle. But like those who came before her, she found its pull irresistible.

These days home is an RV without electricity or running water, parked in the backcountry of Foresthill, a tiny town northeast of Sacramento. It's easy to take work home here; outside her front door sits the claim she's mined and made a living from for the past eight years.

Kelly's hardly the first to plumb this land for riches. Miners flocked to Foresthill in 1850 when gold was first discovered here. Standard practice of the day involved blasting hillsides with hydraulic monitors to dislodge the gravel and, ideally, the gold therein. By 1868, the region had produced over $10 million in wealth.

Kelly, who chronicled her lifestyle in her 2015 book "The Miracle Miner," works among these gravel grave sites, on the mounds of earth left untouched by the miners who came before her. She uses power tools to gently loosen the rock  hydraulic dredging was banned in 1884 for environmental reason  and a tumbler to separate the junk from the good stuff.

The land is hardly producing millionaires today.

"Sometimes you barely make back the cost of gas," Kelly said.

It's the days you uncover a shiny nugget or a fistful of flakes that make the physically demanding work worth it.

"I know the reality of mining, how rare it is to find something," she said. "I do it for the romance, the adventure."

While Kelly admits she misses the ease of her old life, like light switches and free-flowing faucets, she's hardly left wanting.

"Most people aren't willing to give up the creature comforts of a 9-to-5 job," she said. "But what do I have to lose? Here I've got bears, eagles and mountain lions."

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.
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It may not be a full-fledged baby boom but two major hospitals in San Francisco experienced a baby bump during the first half of this year.

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital saw deliveries rise by 6 percent while UCSF's Betty Irene Moore Women's Hospital in Mission Bay experienced a 2-percent uptick, according to documents obtained by SFGATE.

The San Francisco Dept. of Pubic Health attributed the increase to better outreach to city health clinics informing them of the new state-of-the-art facilities. Zuckerberg Hospital opened in May of last year following a $75-million gift from Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Prescilla Chan.

"We were seeking more births so we were pleased with the increase," said Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Dept. of Public Health.

UCSF's Mission Bay facilities opened in February 2015 after receiving a $100-million gift from Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff in 2010 and another $100 million from the CEO in 2014 that was split between the Mission Bay and a new children's hospital in Oakland.

UCSF saw deliveries rise from 1504 in the first six months of 2016 to 1539 in the first half of this year, and in June alone recorded an increase of more than 10 percent compared to last June (284 in 2016 to 316 this year).

Kim Scurr, vice president of operations at UCSF, attributed the numbers to a population growth in the city fueled by employment and new housing that has attracted people of childbearing age.

"We definitely have had significant growth in San Francisco," Scurr said. "It's absolutely exceeded expectations. We are looking for partners right now because we are going to run out of space."

With a high demand on UCSF comes a capacity issue, meaning that when the hospital is completely full of laboring mothers, new patients may be diverted to a regional hospital closer to their home. However, Scurr said UCSF does not turn away women in active labor, regardless of space issues.

"I can tell you we are not diverting large groups of women," she said. "We are just very busy."

California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) delivers about half of all of babies in the city at its California Street and St. Luke's centers and has not yet released figures for 2017. It's impossible to say if a citywide birth rate increase is ongoing without numbers from CPMC, Kaiser and city birth centers.

Moreover, past data actually points to a decrease. Despite the rise in deliveries this year at UCSF and Zuckerberg, Sutter CPMC posted a 1-percent decline in deliveries last year (5,528 in 2015 to 5,459 in 2016) and a 6-percent decline since 2014 when the delivery count was at 5,911.

Three factors can explain last year's decline, according to James Bair, CPMC's director of service line development: families leaving the city because of the high cost of living, a steady migration of patients to Kaiser and the opening of the new Benioff Hospital. He said he does not believe the opening of the Zuckerberg Hospital has affected CPMC's delivery count as the two facilities primarily serve different populations.

CPMC's California Street center is set to move into its new Van Ness Ave. facility in 2019. Although the new hospital will have a slightly smaller capacity for deliveries, Bair said CPMC does not expect the birth rate to rise in the city in the foreseeable future.

"Our planning for the new campuses recognizes the flattening of the birth rate in San Francisco city and county, but we also plan to continue to see regional patients for high-risk deliveries," Bair said.
President Trumps end-of-the-week pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, a campaign supporter who shares Trumps hard-line views on immigration, touched off a political outcry that did not abate Saturday even as much of the nation was focused on a hurricane that pummeled Texas.

Democrats condemned the presidents decision, which was made public by the White House on Friday night as Hurricane Harvey churned ashore on the Texas coast. Some Republicans praised the move, and others criticized it, but most remained silent about a decision that further entangles the party in racial controversy.

Jesse Lehrich, a spokesman for Organizing for Action, a political group that grew out of former President Barack Obamas campaigns, said the pardon signals a disturbing tolerance for those who engage in bigotry.

It sends an unsettling message to immigrants across the country. And its a repudiation of the rule of law, he said. As a massive hurricane is hurtling toward the southern United States, the White House is focused not on saving lives, but on pardoning a man who committed unlawful acts of racial discrimination.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., echoed Lehrichs sentiment that Trump had sent a poor message about living by the rule of law. The states other Republican senator, Jeff Flake, who has been attacked by Trump and who is facing a potential primary challenge, was more muted.

Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course, Flake wrote on Twitter.

Rep. Trent Franks, another Arizona Republican, said he saw it as a just end to the saga of Arpaios legal entanglements, which included defying a court order intended to halt racial profiling of Latinos.

The president did the right thing  Joe Arpaio lived an honorable life serving our country, and he deserves an honorable retirement, Franks posted on Twitter.

Outside Arizona, most Republicans stayed quiet. Democrats, however, tore into Trump.

Paul Begala, a Democratic strategist who advised the main super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016, suggested that Trump was offering a different type of signal  one to people who might be approached by Robert Mueller, the special counsel investigating ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The Arpaio pardon was awful in and of itself, but I also think it was a signal to the targets of the Mueller investigation that I got your back, Begala said on Bill Mahers HBO program Friday night.

Arpaio was an early admirer of Trump. He appeared with him at a rally in Phoenix in 2015, and he vocally supported Trumps interest in raising false questions about whether Obama was born in the United States.

Maggie Haberman is a New York Times writer.
1 South Carolina shooting: Police on Friday identified the suspected gunman in a fatal shooting and hostage standoff at a restaurant in downtown Charleston. Thomas Demetrius Burns, 53, was shot and wounded by officers Thursday at Virginias restaurant in a tourist-heavy area of Charleston. Police spokesman Charles Francis said Burns has not yet been charged. Authorities and one of the restaurants owners said the gunman was a dishwasher who had been fired. The restaurants executive chef, 37-year-old Shane Whiddon, was killed.

2 Ocean rescue: Authorities rescued a man who was thrown out of his boat and was treading water without a life jacket 5 miles off the coast of Long Beach. The Coast Guard says it received a call Thursday about an unmanned 14-foot boat that was spotting moving in circles miles in the ocean. An air and sea search began, and a Los Angeles County sheriffs helicopter spotted a man in the water about 2 miles from the boat. The man, who was not injured, told rescuers that he fell off the boat when it hit a wave and had been using flip-flops on his hands to tread water for about 20 minutes.
1 Airport mishap: Flights were running on time again Saturday at Sacramento International Airport after delays caused when a private plane slid off a runway. Airport spokeswoman Laurie Slothower said no injuries were reported in the accident Friday. One of the airports two runways was closed for a time  causing more than a dozen flights to be either delayed or diverted. The Sacramento Bee reported the Aerostar plane slid into grass beside the landing strip. The plane had to be towed away.

2 Menthol cigarettes: Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., is calling for a ban on menthol cigarettes, arguing that tobacco companies disproportionately target African Americans when they market and promote the cigarettes. Markey is leading a group of fellow senators in calling on the Food and Drug Administration to prohibit the cigarettes, noting that African Americans suffer the greatest burden of tobacco-related mortality of any ethnic or racial group in the U.S. The letter to the FDA sent last week was also signed by fellow Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Jack Reed, Sheldon Whitehouse and Richard Blumenthal.
WASHINGTON  Sebastian Gorka, an outspoken adviser to President Trump, is no longer working at the White House, a senior administration official said Friday.

The official said the presidents chief of staff, John Kelly, had telegraphed his lack of interest in keeping Gorka over the past week in internal discussions.

Gorka, who had advised the president on national security, demonstrated a penchant for controversy. He memorably declared that the alpha males are back as an assertion of the distance between the Obama administration and the current one.

He has also been a vocal defender of the Trump administrations efforts to temporarily ban travel from some predominantly Muslim countries; he has said violence is a fundamental part of Islam and emanates from the language of the Quran. His hard-line views on Islam have prompted his critics to accuse him of Islamophobia.

Gorka, 46, who has also been accused of having links to far-right groups in Europe, declined to discuss the reasons for leaving the White House, but pointed toward excerpts from his resignation letter that were posted Friday by The Federalist website, the Associated Press reported.

Gorka wrote that the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will Make America Great Again, have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months.

Gorka is a former editor at Breitbart News, a right-wing website and a friend of Steve Bannon. Bannon, who was until last week Trumps chief strategist, has since returned to Breitbart News.

Maggie Haberman and Matt Stevens are New York Times reporters
SAN DIEGO  Active-duty transgender troops say a policy change that puts them at risk of being removed and indefinitely bars transgender people from enlisting in the military is a step backward for civil rights that will promote inequality in the armed forces.

President Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to extend a ban on transgender individuals joining the military but gave the Pentagon the authority to decide the future of openly transgender people already serving. Trump appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some transgender people who already are in uniform.

The guidance from the White House contradicts Trumps words, Army Capt. Jennifer Sims said, pointing out that he just praised the military for its tolerance when he told veterans in Nevada on Wednesday that those in uniform come from all walks of life and are united by shared values and a shared sense of duty. Sims spoke to the Associated Press on her own behalf and not on behalf of the Army.

Days earlier, Trump, speaking to thousands of soldiers at the Armys Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, in Arlington, Va., denounced prejudice, bigotry and hate in the wake of violence that erupted at a rally organized by white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va.

Its going to create this situation where there is a complete inequality in how transgender troops are treated, said Sims, 28, who is based in Germany and is preparing for her transition surgery.

That is not the militarys problem, said Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, which has opposed allowing transgender people to serve.

The armed forces are not just another equal opportunity employer, Donnelly said in a statement.

Transgender people have been allowed to serve openly in the military since June 2016. Trump, in a series of tweets on July 26, announced that he planned to end that policy.

Army Capt. Jennifer Peace, a transgender woman based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, said she deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 while transitioning, and that there are other transgender troops serving there now.

Being transgender had had absolutely no impact on my fitness for duty, Peace said, adding that there should be no transgender standard  there should be an Army standard. If I can make the Army standard, I should be able to serve.

Julie Watson and Jennifer McDermott are Associated Press writers.
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A family in Ridgecrest got quite the scare on Wednesday when they discovered a family of venomous snakes living inside their children's plastic playhouse in their backyard.

Animal Control Officer Shawna Villa-Rodriguez responded to the call and found not one, not two but 19 sidewinder rattlesnakes under the playhouse.

"I have never seen this many in one place," Villa-Rodriguez told SFGATE. "This was the first time for me seeing this many."

Villa-Rodriguez arrived at the family's residence thinking that she would be removing just one rattlesnake.

"The family heard the snake (rattling), but they didn't see it," Villa-Rodriguez said. "They said they were worried because their child had been playing in that playhouse recently."

BATHTUB DISCOVERY: California man accidentally finds snake in his bathtub

The family's father lifted the playhouse off the ground just enough to reveal an adult sidewinder, but Villa-Rodriguez failed to grab it on the first attempt. The father picked the playhouse again, this time revealing both the adult and a baby.

"At that moment, I knew that there was going to be more than two," Villa-Rodriguez said.

The father lifted the playhouse even higher off the ground, revealing six more baby snakes. When it was all said and done, Villa-Rodriguez had found and captured 18 baby snakes, each of which was three to four inches long.

"The baby snakes were no more than a couple days old," Villa-Rodriguez said. "I'm not sure if (the mother) had been there the whole time, or if she just recently brought her babies there."

WATCH: Wild video shows determined rattlesnake slithering aboard boat in Folsom Lake

Villa-Rodriguez then searched the backyard for any more adult snakes, but found none. She released the snakes off of a highway near Trona.

No injuries were reported.

Although it is commonly believed that baby snakes are more venomous than adult snakes, a number of scientific outlets report that this assumption is false, and Villa-Rodriguez agrees.

"It's a myth," she said. "Adult snakes are always more dangerous."
After the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, some tech firms and social-media sites were quick to ban white supremacists  far quicker than they were when it came to scrubbing radical Islamic terrorists.

GoDaddy, Google and even Russian internet officials booted the Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi and white-supremacist web site, after it published a despicable derogatory story about the woman killed by a white supremacist in Charlottesville.

Facebook took hits for failing to remove the event page for the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville. Even OkCupid, a dating site owned by Match.com, banned white supremacist Chris Cantwell for life for joining that rally.

"There's no room for hate in a place where you're looking for love," tweeted the folks at OkCupid.

Yet the tech companies haven't treated all "objectionable" sites equally. Even after the shooting attack that nearly killed House GOP Majority Whip Steven Scalise, or the violent rallies against conservative speakers, little if anything was done to shut down online violence-spouting left-wing extremists, such as the antifa thugs.

Which raises a key question: Can these mammoth custodians of information and public debate be trusted to fairly decide what's objectionable?

True, as private entities, these firms may be within their legal rights to decide whom they'll do business with, who gets to use their sites and how.

But given their near-monopoly status and enormous power to control thought and debate, that ought to make everyone nervous.

 The New York Post

Perhaps you were among the people in the greater Rochester area who received a Facebook message that read "Share now this just happened in gates" and included a cellphone video of two police officers struggling with a man during an arrest. Maybe you shared the unsettling video across your social media network as well.

As we now know, the viral video was incorrectly attributed to the Gates Police Department when in fact the encounter happened in Euclid, Ohio. Gates Police Chief Jim VanBrederode said the mistaken identity is understandable given that Euclid Police cars and Gates Police cars look similar and the departments' uniforms and patches look similar, too.

Unfortunately, this misidentification led to very real ugliness on social media directed at the Gates Police Department: "I am not driving through gates just watched a video of cops slamming and beating the crap out of a guy they were arresting. Police brutality at its finest, can't for certain say if the guy was white it would of went different. Teach your cops how to protect the citizen's not abuse them."

Given the historic and well-documented strained relationship between law enforcement and communities of color, the last thing this  or any  community needs is an incorrectly attributed viral video sowing more seeds of discord.

We all have a responsibility for what we share on social media. Tweets and Facebook posts have consequences, and if you're spreading misinformation, however well intentioned, you are part of a growing problem.

The next time a viral video lands in your inbox, before sharing it, ask yourself "is this real?" Google the video to see if there are other examples. Look for news coverage of whatever is contained in the video. Search for the original video and go directly to the source.

The viral video that misidentifies the Gates police could have sparked something worse than ugly commentary. To its credit, the Gates Police Department used the viral video and the difficult discussion it spawned as an opportunity to meet members of the community who may be suspicious of law enforcement by holding an ice cream social.

 Democrat & Chronicle, Rochester

Our immigration system hurts good people  people driven to take great risks for the sake of their families, so their parents will have food to eat and their children will have opportunities.

Before we judge people who have entered our country illegally or overstayed visas, we should ask ourselves a couple of questions: Who are they hurting, and what would we do in their circumstances?

Our country is being helped, not hurt, by people who work at jobs that employers say they otherwise could not fill, who contribute to our economy and our culture, who pay taxes but, because of their illegal immigration status, cannot receive the same benefits as citizens.

On Sunday, The Post-Star concludes its four-part series on immigration issues in the local area. We have seen in the first three stories that hundreds of immigrants work in the local area  at horse farms and dairy farms, in restaurants and quarries  and some of them are here legally and some illegally.

All of them would prefer to be here legally, but our immigration system does not always offer a way. Workers who come to Saratoga Springs just for the racing season, for example, can sometimes get seasonal visas, but that doesn't work for those who come to Washington County for employment on dairy farms. Dairy farmers require year-round workers.

The system is complicated, but the feelings that develop between immigrants living in this country, legally or illegally, and native-born citizens are simple and strong. People get married, have children. Lifelong friendships are formed. Employers come to value and rely on their immigrant employees.

Failure to provide a way for these valuable members of our community to become citizens does not hurt only them, it hurts us. It hurts our economy.

This series was meant to reveal that, here in upstate New York, immigrants are a substantial, if quiet, presence. We are not offering specific solutions  many improvements to our current system have been brought forward in Congress over the years, only to be defeated. We are pointing out the system isn't working, not for immigrants and not for citizens, and for the country's benefit it needs to be changed.

 The Post-Star, Glens Falls
California ranks 14th among the states when it comes to women's equality, according to a recent study compiled by WalletHub.

The state ranking was published in coordination with the observance of Women's Equality Day on Saturday, which honors the passing of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 18, 1920.

Since that historic day, when some American women were granted the right to vote, "we've come a long way, but we have a long way to go," says Nancy Kirshner-Rodriguez, executive director of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls.

The WalletHub study used 15 indicators from sources such as the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Census to determine the gender gap in every state across three main categories: "Workplace Environment", "Education and Health" and "Political Empowerment."

The ranking of 14 for a state that both Sheryl Sandberg and Nancy Pelosi call home and where socially liberal politics practically dominate may not sit right with some Californians, especially since California ranks below a number or red or purple states; North Dakota (7), Wisconsin (9), and Alaska (12) all voted for Donald Trump in the 2016. The first six states on the list voted for Hillary Clinton.

Kirshner-Rodriguez sees a number of factors that may contributed to this ranking.

For one, California is the largest state in the nation with a population of more than 38 million, while fewer than 1 million people live in Alaska, making the type of broad social and economic change a much more challenging, according to Kirshner-Rodriguez.

California is also a very diverse state. Kirshner-Rodriguez says that while diversity is one of California's greatest strengths, it means public and private efforts "need to be nimble enough to support diverse populations. Different communities may have different needs for the advancement of women."

That said, Kirshner-Rodriguez still sees California as a leader for women's equality. The state has been a leader in the affirmative consent "yes means yes" movement, and California has passed a number of laws regarding equal pay, contributing to a smaller average pay gap between men and women than the national average, she said.

But it may take longer for policy changes to translate into wide social change, which may help explain the lower ranking for the legislatively forward California. For example, "yes means yes" is now the law and the conversation surrounding consent has evolved, but it is too early to see any drops in assaults, according to Kirshner-Rodriguez.

San Francisco is a leader for more equal policy in its own right, says Kirshner-Rodriguez, who formerly chaired the city's Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. She pointed to the 1979 resolution by the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which was ratified by 187 countries, but never the United States.

In 1995, San Francisco decided to write its own ordinance, using the UN resolution as a guideline. During the next 20 years, the city has made an effort to get other cities to do the same; to date, 100 cities throughout the country have initiated such a process, according to Kirshner-Rodriguez. Additionally, state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson introduced such a resolution at the state level on Monday.

But Northern California still has gender equality problems. One of the top priorities for California from the commission's perspective is closing the gender gap in STEM and STEAM fields, especially since such jobs are one of the "economic engines" of the state.

"Just because you are a disrupter doesn't mean you don't have to be accountable," she said of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs who see themselves as breaking the rules of industry, but also sometimes end up perpetrating sexual harassment or discriminatory hiring practices.

National setbacks can make state level change more difficult, as well, said Kirshner-Rodriguez. She recalled eight months ago, when she and the commission had expected to see an ally move into the White House.

"I don't think anyone would say that's the case now," she said. "But in some ways, it gives California more of an opportunity to lead."
1. Yes. The ordinance goes against state law and is not in the best interest of the cities.

2. Yes. At the very least, it should be amended to give police officers some discretion.

3. No. Voters approved the ordinance by large majorities; the councils cant ignore that fact.

4. No. The petition process has to be given a chance to work. Leave the ordinance alone.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say how the cities should move forward regarding the ordinance.

Vote

View Results
Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

A woman who was organizing a right-wing rally scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Berkeley suddenly asked people Friday not to show up.

In a bizarre, rambling email, Amber Cummings said she feared rally attendees would be attacked by counterprotesters at her No to Marxism in Berkeley event, which was scheduled for 1 p.m. in Martin Luther King Jr. Civic Center Park. She had applied for a permit, but was rejected.
1 Mosque attack: Militants stormed a packed Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul during Friday prayers, in an attack that lasted for hours and ended with at least 20 worshipers killed and another 50 seriously wounded, many of them children, an official said. Two of the assailants blew themselves up and another two were shot to death by Afghan security forces, according to Kabul police. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest to target Afghanistans minority Shiites. The Taliban condemned the violence.

2 Venezuela sanctions: The Trump administration on Friday slapped sweeping financial sanctions on Venezuela, barring banks from any new financial deals with the government or state-run oil giant PDVSA. The sanctions Trump signed by executive order are bound to dramatically escalate tensions between Venezuela and the U.S. and exacerbate the countrys economic crisis. The actions prohibit dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company. But they stop short of cutting off U.S. imports of Venezuelan oil that are crucial both to Venezuelas economy and U.S. oil refiners. Last month the Trump administration promised to take strong economic actions if President Nicolas Maduros increasingly authoritarian government went ahead with plans to create a constitutional assembly consisting of government loyalists.
1 Nigeria attacks: Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigerias Borno state in the past week, residents said. Such attacks in recent months have pressured the government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be crushed. Boko Haram fighters attacked villages in the Nganzai area and the Guzamala local council area. Boko Harams eight-year insurgency has displaced millions in Nigeria and neighboring countries and killed more than 20,000 people.

2 American missing: A U.S. service member remains missing after a Black Hawk helicopter crashed off the coast of Yemen on Friday in what U.S. military officials are calling a training accident. U.S. forces in the region rescued five other troops who were on board the aircraft, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. A search was ongoing Saturday for the missing service member, and the U.S. military said it will investigate the incident. It was not immediately clear what caused the Black Hawk to crash. The U.S. military maintains a special operations base near Yemens port of Mukalla to facilitate an ongoing campaign targeting al Qaeda loyalists.
Sean OCallaghan, an assassin and bombmaker for the Irish Republican Army who became one of the organizations highest-ranking informants for the Irish police, and who was credited with foiling a 1983 plot to assassinate Prince Charles and Princess Diana at a Duran Duran concert in London, died Wednesday at 62.

A friend, writer Ruth Dudley Edwards, said Mr. OCallaghan drowned in a pool in Kingston, Jamaica, where he was visiting his daughter. The Jamaica Constabulary Force, the national police, could not immediately confirm the details of his death.

Mr. OCallaghans early years were guided by a lesson his grandmother imparted when he was 9: When you shoot a British policeman, dig him up and shoot him again because you can never trust them.

Within a decade, Mr. OCallaghan would take her advice to heart, firing eight shots at an alleged torture chief for the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the British-aligned police force in Northern Ireland. The police officer, Peter Flanagan, was sitting at a bar when he was killed, reading the racing pages of the Irish Independent.

Mr. OCallaghan later learned that Flanagan had in all likelihood never tortured anyone  the officer had testified against British police brutality at the European Court of Human Rights  and said the operation shook his faith in the IRA, a militant group the British government classified as a terrorist organization.

He had followed his father into the guerrilla group at 15, one of many young Catholics who joined in the late 1960s in an effort to expel the British from Northern Ireland and unite the region with its sovereign counterpart to the south, the Republic of Ireland.

Soon, Mr. OCallaghan was training other teenagers in weapons and explosives. He participated in 70 robberies and attacks on the British and their allies, by his count, including a May 1974 assault on an Ulster Defense Regiment barracks that resulted in the death of Eva Martin, a 28-year-old private. Mr. OCallaghan said he fired the mortar shell that killed her.

A breaking point came the next year, he said. Kevin McKenna, reportedly the organizations second in command, remarked that he hoped a Protestant woman killed in another attack was pregnant so that the IRA might get two Prods for the price of one.

Mr. OCallaghan left for London later that year, started a cleaning business and married a Protestant woman. It was a short-lived attempt to leave behind the three-decade conflict known as the Troubles.

The IRA wasnt really after the British, Mr. OCallaghan told the Los Angeles Times in 1997, recounting his disillusionment. It was the guy down the road who had the better land that his ancestors had taken from the Catholics. The bitterness was there all the time, rooted and deep. What they really wanted to do was to murder their neighbors. It was tribalism.

He returned to the IRA in 1976, this time as an informant for the Irish police, the Garda Siochana. According to A Secret History of the IRA, a 2002 account by journalist Ed Moloney, Mr. OCallaghan helped train and arm IRA members as a leader of the groups Southern Command.

He was credited with breaking up several major plots, including a 7-ton shipment of guns and ammunition that had traveled from Boston aboard the Marita Ann, a fishing trawler, before being intercepted off Irelands southwestern coast.

Soon after, he was reportedly named leader of the IRAs operations in England and charged with assassinating Prince Charles of Wales and his wife, Diana, in their box at a London charity concert in July 1983. He had been given detonators and 25 pounds of explosives, he told the New York Times in 1996. The operation, he said, would have worked if he had not scuttled it at the last minute.

Mr. OCallaghan was also linked to the 1985 murder of John Corcoran, an alleged police informant. Mr. OCallaghan said he was ordered by the IRA to kill Corcoran and did so to protect his cover, but he later repudiated the claim, saying he had admitted to the murder only to trigger a police investigation.

By 1988, Mr. OCallaghan sensed growing suspicion from other IRA members and turned himself in to the British police. He eventually pleaded guilty to two murders and an additional 40 IRA-related crimes and was sentenced to 539 years in prison.

If youve murdered people and blown up their businesses, you have to pay for it, he told the New Statesman in 1998. Just saying sorry isnt much cop.

Mr. OCallaghan was released in 1996  in part, critics said, to serve as a mouthpiece for conservative British politicians who opposed peace negotiations among Britain, Ireland and parties including Sinn Fein, the IRAs political arm.

I wish I could be confident about the prospects for peace, he remarked at the time, but I have sat behind too many closed doors with too many of the present leadership to be conned by the smooth presentations.

The Good Friday Agreement was ultimately signed in 1998, resulting in a power-sharing system in Northern Ireland and gradual disarmament for the IRA and other militant groups.

Mr. OCallaghan was born in the southwestern town of Tralee, in County Kerry, on Oct. 10, 1954, according to Edwards, although other sources list his birth date as Jan. 26.

His marriage ended in divorce in 1987. Survivors include a son from his marriage and a daughter from a subsequent relationship.

Mr. OCallaghan wrote a popular memoir, The Informer (1998), and a 2016 biography of James Connolly, the turn-of-the-century Irish republican leader.

Settling in London, Mr. OCallaghan said he would not be surprised if the IRA eventually killed him for spying and speaking out.

I kind of accept that the IRA has the right to kill me, he told the Los Angeles Times. If they succeed, I would say, Fair dues.

Harrison Smith is a Washington Post writer.
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The New York Giants meet the New York Jets in a preseason game on Saturday, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants are the designated home team.

Here is what you need to know:

Who: New York Jets vs. New York Giants

When: Saturday, August 26, 2017

Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford

Time: 7 p.m. Eastern

TV: NBC 4 (locally televised only)

Livestream: NFL Game Pass

What to know

This is the annual preseason meeting between the Jets and Giants. The Jets began the preseason by playing the Titans and Lions, while the Giants played the Steelers and Browns. The Jets finish with the Eagles at MetLife Stadium, while the Giants finish by visiting the Patriots.

The Giants get two true road games in the preseason this year, because they are the designated home team in this matchup with the Jets. The Jets, meanwhile, have just one true preseason road game in 2017, against the Lions.

In terms of the regular season, the Giants lead the all-time series with the Jets, 8-5. The teams first met in 1970, and they played most recently in 2015. The Jets won that 2015 matchup, which broke a five-game Giants winning streak in the series, dating to 1993.

The Jets have never won more than two consecutive regular-season games against the Giants. The Jets did that in 1974 and 1981, and then again in 1988 and 1993. The teams are not scheduled to meet again in the regular season until 2019, since the Jets-Giants regular season matchup happens every four years.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Considering officials have plans to turn St. George into a major destination for visitors, the shooting of an Italian tourist who wandered in the wrong direction after getting off the Staten Island Ferry has put the safety of the area into the spotlight.

However, NYPD officials point to a drop in crime in the North Shore's 120th Precinct and maintain they have a strong presence at the St. George Ferry Terminal to help anyone visiting the borough.

"The NYPD has visible police officers assigned to the ferries and to the Staten Island Ferry terminal which tourists can ask questions they have concerning their visit to Staten Island," said an NYPD statement. "There is also a police substation inside of the terminal that tourists can visit."

After getting off the ferry Sunday afternoon, Marino Stocco, 57, began walking with hopes of finding the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum at 420 Tompkins Ave. in Rosebank.

However, Stocco went in the wrong direction, and wandered to Mahoney Playground at the intersection of Jersey Street and Crescent Avenue, about a mile from the ferry.

While sitting on a bench at the park, he suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder when he was hit by a stray bullet.

With new tourist attractions like the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets coming to St. George, the incident, which drew significant media attention, raised questions about the safety of visitors who travel past those locations and the 120th Precinct stationhouse on Richmond Terrace.

However, police noted that as of Aug. 20, crime in the 120th Precinct as a whole is down 9.2 percent.

Within a mile of the ferry terminal, around the same distance Stocco walked, there have been five shootings, 51 felony assaults, and 32 robberies since the beginning of 2017, according to the NYPD's CompStat data.

Those five shootings all happened on Jersey Street and York Avenue, which are both about a mile from the ferry.

Of the 51 felony assaults, 31 occurred in the New Brighton section, which include Jersey and York.

The NYPD was unable to provide information on how many of the assaults in the 120 Precinct were committed by attackers known to their victims.

The majority of the 32 robberies actually occurred closer to the ferry terminal, and four occurred at either the terminal itself, or near Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, according to CompStat.

Residents interviewed by the Advance said they actually have felt safer in their neighborhood.

Darlene Thompson, who has lived in the Richmond Terrace Houses, located between Jersey and Westervelt Avenue, for the past 18 years, said she's noticed a drop in crime since she moved to the neighborhood.

"It's definitely gotten better since more cops started walking the beat," Thompson said.

Those cops are likely part of the NYPD's neighborhood policing initiative that started in 2015.

Angela Johnson, another resident of the NYCHA development, which is adjacent to the park where Stocco was shot, said in her five years at the houses there has been plenty of quality of life issues, but that she didn't think violent crime was a major problem.

"I don't really see crime like when I was living in Brooklyn," Johnson said.

She conceded that her apartment on the Westervelt side of the houses was less dangerous than the Jersey Street side.

Both the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets declined to comment about safety concerns for their two developments.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Six-year-old Farah stayed curled up in the chair, refusing to go to her dad, no matter how desperately he pleaded for an embrace.

"I don't like what he's wearing," the little girl said. "I don't like this building."

Her dad, Wael Kassem, 43, was garbed in an orange prison jumpsuit -- like a common criminal -- when his wife and three daughters went to see him recently at a New Jersey jail.

The heartbroken family has been torn apart since officials from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) took Kassem into custody on Aug. 3 for overstaying his tourist visa from 2001.

"He's hanging in there, but he's devastated," said his wife, Sherien Shady. "He's the heart behind this family."

The hard-working father has lost weight and spends his days sleeping or reading the news.

Kassem calls daily, and the talks are emotionally draining. But the visits are even more gut-wrenching.

"I cried at his visit," said Kassem's daughter, Jana, 14. "I got out really fast because I couldn't take it."

"He was crazy the first two visits, he couldn't look me in the face," his wife said. "It feels like a nightmare that he's not here."

IMMIGRATION HURDLES

In 2001, Kassem came to the United States from Egypt on a six-month tourist visa that was eventually extended to one year, said his lawyer, Paul Dwyer.

But he never left.

The following year, his wife and eldest daughter, Hana, 15, then a newborn, came to join him. Shady and Hana have also overstayed their tourist visas.

The three have pending immigration cases, Dwyer said. His other two daughters, Jana and Farah, were born here.

Dwyer said he has filed a cancellation of removal for Shady, and if it's granted, she would be able to sponsor her husband.

A stay of deportation and an asylum case have also been filed for Kassem, the lawyer said.

In the meantime, Kassem, who does not have a criminal record and has paid taxes on his wages, has no right to appear before an immigration judge, and can be sent back to Egypt, unless the government reopens his case, the lawyer said.

"They can deport him at any time," Dwyer added. "It's a race against time."

After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, then-President George W. Bush started a Muslim registry called the National Security Entry-Exit System (NSEERS), which required certain non-citizens in the U.S. to be fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed. Former President Barack Obama did away with the database before he left office in 2016.

Kassem went and registered, fearing deportation if he didn't, according to the family.

The couple then hired a high-profile immigration attorney to handle their cases. Shady said the lawyer told them their best chance would be to file an asylum case for her, and once that was approved, it would be easier for Kassem's case to be approved.

The family followed up with the attorney for several years, and was given the same advice, she said.

"He told us as long as we had work permits, as long as he doesn't get arrested, pays taxes, then we would be OK and to wait out what's going on [civil unrest] in Egypt," Shady said.

2014 ARREST

But one trip to the Staten Island Mall changed those plans.

In 2014, Shady said her husband was taken into custody after police stopped him in the mall parking lot. He was driving with an international driver's license and the officer took him in to run a background check, the family said.

The officer discovered there was an order for removal and ICE took Kassem into custody. A couple of days later, they released him under supervision.

Since that incident, he's had to check-in with an immigration probation officer every three to six months, and has never missed an appointment, Dwyer said.

During his last check-in on Aug.3 at Federal Plaza in Manhattan, he was detained.

He spent two days in solitary confinement and is being held at the Hudson County Corrections facility.

An ICE spokesman would only confirm Kassem is in the New Jersey prison. The spokesman did not respond to why he was detained.

"It's not fair for our family or any family," Shady said. "It's not like we were hiding. They've known where we are. And all of a sudden they tear us apart.

"It's a broken system. We came here for a better life. You don't take all that away."

SETTLED ON STATEN ISLAND

Kassem started out as a bus boy and lived in a basement apartment with his young family.

Prior to his arrest, he was managing two retail stores and recently moved his family into a beautiful home in New Springville.

Shady is active in the kids' school PTA and does volunteer work, but worries she won't find a job that will support the family.

"Farah sleeps in my bed because she's afraid I'm going to be taken too," Shady said. "The kids are not themselves anymore."

Hana is a standout student at Staten Island Technical High School, where she was class valedictorian twice and is president of the Rotary Interact Club. Jana is also a standout student who will be starting her first year at Susan Wagner, where she hopes to make the volleyball team.

"I haven't really processed it yet," Hana said. "I've lived here my whole life. I have never thought of going back to live there."

If deported, Kassem can not return to the United States for 10 years.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD issued a level one mobilization shortly after 9 p.m. on Friday to search for a missing 81-year-old male.

The mobilization point was set up on Drake Avenue in Castleton Corners, according to a spokeswoman for the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The missing is described as a white male, 6 feet tall with grey hair, and was last seen wearing a plaid shirt.

According to police radio transmissions, aviation was called to aid in the search.

-- This is a breaking news story. More information will be posted as it becomes available.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Veterans from the Island were shown gratitude and praise for their service on Saturday as they traded war stories and life updates over burgers and hot dogs at Willowbrook Park.

Rep. Dan Donovan and state Sen. Andrew Lanza organized the second annual barbecue to thank veterans for their service and purposefully picked a normal calendar day to do so.

"We celebrate in honor of veterans on Memorial Day and on Veterans Day, [but] we wanted to do an event on an ordinary Saturday to show veterans that we remember them everyday," Donovan (R-Staten Island/Brooklyn) said. "We can't do enough for people who have made sacrifices for our nation and protect our liberties who have gone to foreign lands to fight our enemies. This is a small gesture compared to what they've done for our country, just to show our appreciation to thank them."

He added that events like Saturday's barbecue give him the chance to talk one-on-one with Staten Island veterans over health care and Veterans Affairs.

Donovan and Lanza (R-Staten Island) have been organizing such events to honor the men and women who served the country for many years.

Lanza said that despite what has been in the news and on television lately, the United States is the greatest country in the world thanks to the Constitution and the government it set up.

"The day we stop understanding [veterans] and the day we forget appreciating and honoring the men and women of the armed services is the day that we begin to lose what makes this country the greatest country on Earth because it was really their sacrifice, they put their life on the line to standup for those words on that paper which created this system," Lanza said.

Veterans from the Vietnam War, Richie Chan and Jack Tighe, mentioned how nice it was to be appreciated and thanked.

When they returned to the states from the war, "we had no welcome home," Tighe said.

Veterans from all different wars -- even a vet from World War II -- sat together on picnic tables and exchanged hugs and laughs.

"There's no bad day ever to say thank you to our veterans and that's what today is all about," Lanza said.
Video by Rachel Shapiro

Bad intersections cause backups

Every Staten Islander gets stuck in traffic, it's a part of life on the Island, but intersections not properly designed to hold such volume get overwhelmed with cars, backing up traffic and blocking other intersections and driveways.

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Rachel Shapiro | rshapiro@siadvance.com

Long lines at turn lanes

Cars line up on Forest Hill Road at the intersection with Richmond Hill Road during evening rush hour.

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Rachel Shapiro | rshapiro@siadvance.com

One, two, three traffic lights

Cars wait at the second of three lights that drivers must get through on Targee Street, intersecting with Clove Road, Narrows Road South and Narrows Road North before getting in line in traffic to get onto the Staten Island Expressway.

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Rachel Shapiro | rshapiro@siadvance.com

Cars line up past CSI

Traffic waits on Victory Boulevard to turn onto Richmond Avenue. The line of cars waiting often backs up to the College of Staten Island down the street.

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Rachel Shapiro | rshapiro@siadvance.com

Short lights cause backups

Traffic on eastbound Forest Avenue waits at a light at Richmond Ave/Morningstar Road. Only a handful of cars get through every light cycle, leaving behind a line of cars that must wait one or two more light cycles.

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New York Wheel LLC

June 25, 2012: City eyes world's largest wheel

On June 25, 2012, the Staten Island Advance reported that the New York City Economic Development Corporation was in heavy contract negotiations for a company to build the world's largest observation wheel near the Staten Island Ferry St. George terminal.

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Advance file photo

June 30, 2012: Bloomberg calls NY Wheel a 'great' idea

On June 30, 2012, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg supported the building of the NY Wheel on Staten Island on his weekly radio show on WOR Radio. Bloomberg was quoted as saying, "This would be great" and "Hopefully it gets done."

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New York Wheel LLC

Sept. 27, 2012: It's official

On Sept. 27, 2012, the Staten Island Advance reported that the NY Wheel was officially coming to Staten Island. At the time of the report, the Wheel was expected to cost $230 million and be completed by the end of 2015.

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Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel

Feb. 28, 2013: First work on Wheel site

On Feb. 28, 2013, the Staten Island Advance reported that stability tests were being conducted, marking the first work on the NY Wheel site. NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin said that while progress was being made, groundbreaking was still over a year away.

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AP Photo

March 25, 2015 - Wheel CEO pens letter to Cuomo

On March 25, 2015, it was reported that NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin penned a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo in support of the Bus Rapid Transit Project. Marin said the project would, "create affordable, vital infrastructure necessary for Staten Islanders to commute to the North Shore for these new jobs."

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Advance file photo

July 21, 2015: Proposed changes to the project

On July 21, 2015, NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin spoke to Community Board 1 to discuss proposed changes to the project. He emphasized that the general configuration of the project had not changed.

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Courtesy of Rich Marin/New York Wheel.

Sept. 14, 2015: 'Checks and balances'

On Sept. 14, 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was unconcerned with the planned adjustments to the NY Wheel project. "We have a lot of checks and balances in our land use process, so I'm convinced those checks and balances are in place," said de Blasio.

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Advance file photo

Nov. 27, 2015: NY Wheel grabs attention of landscape artist

On Nov. 27, 2015, the Staten Island Advance publishes a story about Bill Murphy, a Staten Island landscape artist who planned to document the NY Wheel's rise through drawings. Murphy pitched the idea to NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin when he ran into him at an event at Tappan Park.

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Advance file photo

Dec. 5, 2015: Temporary pier

On Dec. 5, 2015, construction began on a temporary steel pier to be used during the construction process of the NY Wheel. The plan called for many of the Wheel's parts, including the 300-foot long legs, to be transported by water, resulting in the need for the temporary pier.

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New York Wheel LLC

Dec. 30, 2015: Investors battle in court

On Dec. 30, 2015, a court battle ensued between investors in the NY Wheel after some ponied up millions of dollars in additional funding while two others argued the development was over budget and being mishandled. Investors Eric Kaufman, under the name Vandelay Ventures, and Meier Laufer, under the name 57 NYW LLC, refused to contribute additional funds for the project and Wheel Estate, a group of five investors, sued, saying the other two parties' shares had been redistributed and decreased.

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Advance file photo

Feb. 5, 2016: Wheel CEO named in lawsuit

On Feb. 5, 2016, NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin was named in an investor lawsuit. 57 NYW LLC and Vandelay Ventures LLC filed a counter-claim to a lawsuit filed earlier by Wheel Estates -- the majority Wheel investors -- in which they alleged that Wheel Estates breached the initial contract as well as various fiduciary duties. Marin had not been named in the initial lawsuit.

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Advance file photo

June 11, 2016: 'Important' milestone

On June 11, 2016, 420 trucks filled with over 4,000 cubic yards of concrete arrived in St. George to be used in the NY Wheel's foundation. "The project has many, many milestones and this milestone is an important one because we are transitioning from creating the foundation to creating the base for the wheel," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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Advance file photo

June 22, 2016: Completion of foundation

On June 22, 2016, the Staten Island Advance reported that the final concrete pour of the NY Wheel's foundation would take place that Saturday, June 25, 2016. "Saturday's pour will mark the completion of the Wheel's foundation. Over the last 13 months, we have been working below ground to construct the Wheel's foundation," said Wheel spokeswoman Tiffany Townsend.

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New York Wheel LLC

July 8, 2016: Video shows construction process

On July 8, 2016, the NY Wheel released a video documenting the early stages of the construction process. "Later this year, Staten Islanders can expect to see the wheel physically take shape with the frame and legs being erected over a period of several weeks," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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August 12, 2016: NY Wheel parking garage opens

On Aug. 12, 2016, the NY Wheel parking garage opened after a series of delays. "We are pleased to have finally received our temporary certificate of occupancy and look forward to once again providing conveniently located parking for hundreds of Staten Island commuters and residents," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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Aug.15, 2016: Opening pushed back to April 2018

On Aug. 15, 2016, NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin announced that the opening of the NY Wheel would be pushed back to April 2018. He also provided the Staten Island Advance with a projected construction timeline. The outline stated that first the pedestals were to be delivered and installed, followed by the legs, the "A" frame, the hub and spindle, then the cable spokes and capsules.

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New York Wheel LLC

Oct. 4, 2016: The Legs arrive

On Oct. 4, 2016, all eight pieces of the four legs of the NY Wheel arrived by boat. The cost for the legs and installation is roughly $15 million of the $580 million project to construct a 630-foot observation wheel on the St. George waterfront.

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Mayor's Office

Oct. 13, 2016: Facts & figures

On Oct. 13, 2016, the Staten Island Advance took a look at the NY Wheel by the numbers, with 12 interesting facts and figures, including:

6,000 - The tons of steel that the Wheel structure will weigh.

1,440 - The maximum number of people who can ride on the Wheel.

630 - The height of the Wheel in feet.

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New York Wheel LLC

Dec. 13, 2016: Pedestals erected

On Dec. 13, 2016, the NY Wheel reached another major milestone with the installation of four 100-ton pedestals. "The pedestals were fabricated with great precision by a company called ADF in Montreal. We brought them by barge through the Erie Canal and down the Hudson," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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Dec. 15, 2016: Lawsuit settled

On Dec. 15, 2016, the investor lawsuit surrounding the construction of the NY Wheel was settled "amicably".

"I am pleased to have resolved the issues and look forward to sharing in a successful project," said Erik Kaufman, who had previously sued other investors due to inflated construction costs.

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New York Wheel LLC

Feb. 16, 2017: 400-ton 'helper' crane arrives

On Feb. 16, 2017, a 400-ton crane arrived in St. George to help put together pieces of the NY Wheel. "This is the helper crane. It's called the 1600. It's used to help us erect the much bigger 11350 crane. ...The helper crane helps tow the light end of the load," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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New York Wheel LLC

March 8, 2017: 1,000-ton crane appears

On March 8, 2017, a 460-foot, 1,000-ton crane began arriving in St. George to assist in the NY Wheel construction process. "The cranes are critically important to phase two of construction, which is where we are right now," said NY Wheel CEO Rich Marin.

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Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons

May 6, 2017: A shifting skyline

On May 6, 2017, the Staten Island Advance published a piece about how the construction of the NY Wheel is shifting the Staten Island North Shore skyline. Local residents expressed mixed opinions about the development -- some were supportive of the economic growth it could bring to the area, while others were concerned about it looking out of place.

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May 26, 2017: Contractor suspends work

On May 26, 2017, Mammoet-Starneth, the NY Wheel's designer and builder, suspended work and threatened to terminate the contract. The company alleged New York Wheel Owner LLC, the developer, had failed to make required payments.

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May 30, 2017: NY Wheel files civil complaint

On May 30, 2017, New York Wheel Owner LLC filed a civil complaint in Manhattan federal court against contractor Mammoet-Starneth. The developer maintained Mammoet has not submitted accurate and appropriate documentation, required by the contract, for reimbursement as the project progresses, according to the court filing. The NY Wheel alleged it had suffered more than $16 million in damages resulting from Mammoet's delays and $20 million in lost profits and other damages due to the designer's breach of contract.

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New York Wheel LLC

June 14, 2017: Faulty welds on legs

On June 14, 2017, the city Buildings Department reported a minor issue with the NY Wheel's legs. According to a construction source with knowledge of the project, some of the "welds are bad" on the NY Wheel legs crafted in Italy.

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New York Wheel LLC

June 20, 2017: Feud in Court

On June 20, 2017, the Staten Island Advance published an exclusive article detailing the NY Wheel feud taking place in court. District Court Judge Jesse M. Furman had yet to rule on the NY Wheel's request for a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order.

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Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons

June 26, 2017: Ohio company supplies parts

On June 26, 2017, Dana Incorporated, an Ohio-based company, announced that it would be supplying driveshaft assemblies and gearboxes for the NY Wheel. "When Dana was approached about the NY Wheel, we knew there would be very specific requirements for this distinctive project," said Aziz Aghili, president of Dana Off-Highway Drive and Motion Technologies.

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Staten Island Advance

July 7, 2017: Limited work continues

On July 7, 2017, the Staten Island Advance posted a video of the limited construction at the NY Wheel site despite the ongoing legal feud. "Construction is ongoing at the terminal building, as well as the manufacturing of components that will be shipped in when they're complete," said Cristyne Nicholas, spokesperson for the NY Wheel.

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July 12, 2017: Mammoet-Starneth is fired

On July 12, 2017, after initiating a high-stakes legal battle over project delays and work payments, the NY Wheel's developer fired the project's designer and builder, Mammoet-Starneth, and expects to incur additional costs, which could potentially jeopardize the completion of the planned $580-million tourist attraction. "The developer is committed to completing the NY Wheel and recognizes its enormous importance to the revitalization of the North Shore of Staten Island," said NY Wheel spokesperson Cristyne Nicholas.

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William Alatriste/Marketing Video Leaders

July 18, 2017: Oddo, Rose confident in Wheel's future

On July 18, 2017, the Staten Island Advance spoke to Borough President James Oddo and Councilwoman Debi Rose, who were both confident that the NY Wheel will be completed. "They are confident that an entity exists and is quite capable," said Oddo. "Clearly it's a setback for [the developer] because we're talking much more money," Rose said. "At this point they have to get it done. The will is there. They want to complete it."

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Staten Island Advance/Bill Lyons

July 27, 2017: $400M already spent on project

On July 19, 2017, the Staten Island Advance reported that $400 million of the $580 million dedicated to the project had already been spent. "The developer is prepared to take all reasonable steps necessary to bring the project to completion," said NY Wheel spokesperson Cristyne Nicholas.

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Staten Island Advance

Aug. 1, 2017: NY Wheel unlikely to be world's largest

On Aug. 1, 2017, the Staten Island Advance published a story looking at the construction of the Ain Dubai, a observation wheel in Dubai. At 689 feet, if completed on schedule, the Ain Dubai will be the world's largest observation wheel.

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Aug. 6, 2017: Discussions with new contractors

On Aug. 6, 2017, the Staten Island Advance reported that the NY Wheel was in active discussions with potential, new contractors. "The developer is in active discussions with highly qualified replacement contractors, but cannot comment further at this time, as sensitive negotiations are ongoing," said Randy Mastro, an attorney for the NY Wheel.

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AP Photo/Robert E. Klein

Aug. 9, 2017: Foreign investors could be denied green cards

On Aug. 9, 2017, the Staten Island Advance reported that if the NY Wheel is not completed, the foreign investors who had put up over $200 million for the project would be denied their green card. The project is receiving $206 million from CanAm Enterprises through the federal green card program known as EB-5. If the project doesn't create the jobs and economic viability it promises, the EB-5 investors who have not yet received their green cards would be denied them, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Department.

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AP Photo/John Locher

Aug.11, 2017: NY Wheel in discussions with American Bridge Company

On Aug. 11, 2017, the Staten Island Advance reported that the NY Wheel was in advanced negotiations to hire American Bridge Company, the builder of the Las Vegas High Roller and the new Tappan Zee Bridge. While a NY Wheel spokeswoman couldn't say when American Bridge Company is expected to sign a contract or begin work, she noted the Wheel will soon be announcing a new target date for the project's completion.
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Australia's corporate watchdog has defended a decision to hand the Commonwealth Bank an advance copy of a report into its handling of life insurance claims before it was made public.

The report, into the bank's troubled life insurance business CommInsure, was looking into the bank's practice of using outdated medical definitions to deny insurance claims, first exposed in a joint Four Corners/Fairfax Media investigation.

CBA chief executive Ian Narev. Emails between senior staff at ASIC show CBA repeatedly asked for a copy of the report and media release before it was released publicly. Credit:Bloomberg

Emails between senior staff at ASIC, obtained under freedom-of-information laws, show the Commonwealth Bank repeatedly asked for a copy of the report and media release before it was released publicly.

"[Commonwealth Bank] reiterated to me their request for a copy of ... public report the day before the release of the media release and public report by ASIC," a senior analyst at ASIC wrote in an email on March 20  three days before the report was made public.
Business partners and long-time mates Geoff Dixon and John Singleton's Australian Pub Fund is selling the popular Vic on the Park hotel in Enmore as part of the the ongoing strategy to divest non-core pub assets and reinvest the funds elsewhere.

Following its recent sales of Newtown's Marlborough Hotel to Bruce Solomon and Matt Moran's Solotel, APF directors said the large-format inner-western Sydney freehold hotel would attract a wide range of pub operators and owners.

The Australian Pub Fund is selling the Vic on the Park at Addison Road, Enmore.

This will mark the near completion of the pub selldown by APF, which has also included Kinselas, the Toxteth, the Peakhurst Inn, the Bristol Arms for $19.5 million and the Como for about $5.5 million.

Post the proposed sale of the 1247-square-metre Vic on the Park hotel, the APF Pub Fund will own and operate three freehold hotels; Balmain's Unity Hall, and Brisbane's The Elephant and Exchange hotels.
Most working Australians are too scared to ask for more flexible hours to juggle family caring responsibilities because they are worried about job security, a national survey has found.

Owen Wareham, was nervous about asking to reduce his hours in a marketing job after his daughter Harriet was born nine months ago. But his Sydney employer has been very supportive in allowing him to reduce his hours from five to four days a week at its Brisbane office.

Owen Wareham and his daughter, nine-month-old Harriet. Credit:Cole Bennetts

The arrangement allows him to care for Harriet one day a week and his wife cares for her two days, with the remaining two days spent in childcare.

Mr Wareham plans to eventually return to five days a week when Harriet is older.
There's a sad irony in the Catholic Church warning that it will fire (and not hire) married gay teachers if a "yes" vote becomes law ("Catholic gay marriage threat", Sunday Times, August 20, p1).

Since the churches are pushing the argument that allowing gay marriages will harm children, have they considered who will suffer most if they carry out their hiring and firing threats? Yes, it will be the children in church schools. Teachers ought not be hired for their adherence to a particular faith but for their ability to teach.

As long as they are good teachers, and decent and compassionate people, none of which depends on their beliefs, why should they be punished by outdated religious views? And what about heterosexual divorced teachers; shouldn't they, too, on the same scriptural grounds, also be unacceptable? Further, would un-married gay teachers keep their jobs? I don't think any school can afford to lose good teachers, regardless of their gender or martial status. Finally, do the churches plan to have a ballot, postal or otherwise, to find out what parents think?

Eric Hunter, Cook

Archbishops Hart and Costelloe, in threatening to sack teachers and parish employees if they marry their same-sex partner if gay marriage is legalised, are reported as saying that those who work for the organisation are expected to uphold the church's values totally (Sunday Canberra Times, August 20, page 1).
A majority of Catholics, Christians and other religious groups support same-sex marriage and are inclined to vote for it in the forthcoming postal survey, according to new polling commissioned by advocates.

The "yes" side starts the campaign with the backing of 66 per cent of all Australians, with support among the non-religious at 79 per cent, compared with 58 per cent among people of faith, the research shows.

Catholics and non-Christian religions were more likely to support same-sex marriage, with two thirds of both those groups indicating they were in favour. For Anglicans, Uniting Church and Church of England, the figure was 59 per cent.

Marriage equality advocates will use the findings to encourage Australia's 5 million Catholics to ignore directives from the church's leadership and instead vote with their conscience.
The vandalism of statues of Captain Cook and former NSW governor Lachlan Macquarie is a "cowardly criminal act" reminiscent of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

The statues in Sydney's Hyde Park were spray-painted with the words "Change the date" and "No pride in genocide" in the early hours of Saturday, references to the controversy over celebrating Australia Day on January 26.

NSW Police have released images of a man they want to speak to, described as being of Caucasian appearance with a full beard, wearing black sunglasses, khaki-coloured jacket with a red shirt or scarf underneath, black track pants and brown boots.

In a long and passionate Facebook post, Mr Turnbull said the graffiti was "part of a deeply disturbing and totalitarian campaign to not just challenge our history but to deny it and obliterate it".
Elyse Taylor has had a stellar modelling career since she was discovered 12 years ago. Now 30 and living in New York with her three-year-old daughter Lila, she's been the face of Estee Lauder and a Victoria's Secret Angel, walked the runway for the likes of Dolce & Gabbana and DKNY, and graced the cover of Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

We caught up with her during a recent trip to Australia in her role as the face of cosmetics brand Nude by Nature.

Moncler knit, $1400. Teva Hurricane sandals, $130. Credit:Trevor King

What attracted you to Nude by Nature?

I wear so much make-up for work and I want to balance that with products that are good for my skin. Nude by Nature has no synthetic ingredients and is also cruelty-free.
By the time you read this there will still be 119 shopping days before Christmas, but if you inhale deeply, you can already smell the profits being made from the most wonderful time of the year in that uniquely yuletide category: celebrity perfumes.

The latest of which has been a staggering success, albeit at the budget end of the market: a men's fragrance from the most unlikely of creators, radio pranksters turned television personalities Hamish Blake and Andy Lee.

Hamish Blake and Andy Lee have Nova's drive team nipping at their heels. Credit:Simon Schluter

And at just $29.99 a bottle, Andy by Hamish, billed as a "smart, casual fragrance", has been selling by the bucket load, with industry sales figures leaked to PS indicating about 30,000 bottles of the stuff was sold in its first three hours of going on the market.

Online sales have now been limited to one bottle per customer, though a cynic could argue such strategies are deliberately used to create an aura of unbridled demand for the product.
Hamilton Island's population  about 4800 people, including visitors  rises to about 5600 people during its annual race week, leaving but tumbleweeds in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Guests flocking to the Oatley family's paradise on the pristine waters off tropical north Queensland include HRH Prince Frederik of Denmark (but not his Tasmania-born wife, Mary), Terry Biviano and her husband, former NRL great Anthony Minichiello, and billionaire James Packer's niece, Francesca Packer Barham, who told Fairfax Media the event was big on her social calender.

Francesca Packer kicking back and relaxing at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week with Roxy Jacenko (left). Credit:Francesca Packer/Instagram.

"It's always such a fun week, filled with great people, great food and Hamilton is just too beautiful for words. I love the Oatley family, they're such wonderful hosts," she said.

"It's definitely a highlight of my calendar."
Not all heroes wear capes. They sometimes settle for off-the-shoulder ivory lace billowy sleeves like stylist Lana Wilkinson.

Wilkinson, Melbourne's Grace Coddington, was again responsible for the best looks seen on the red carpet for the VIP preview of the Christian Dior retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria on Saturday.

The $500-a-ticket black tie event, hosted by Vogue Australia and attended by actresses Nicole Kidman and Elizabeth Olsen, sister to famous twins Mary-Kate and Ashley, was touted as the Met Gala of Australia. What we got was the Logies for the intelligentsia.

After eating truffle fries and pizza, Wilkinson and her clients like Kylie Brown, hit the arrivals arena. Here's who did it the best and most creatively.
The Horlicks was in an overhead kitchen cupboard  one of those four-door jobbies that's undivided out the back  so when my blind hand reached in, it pushed some tea bags to one side, which pushed a can of peaches, which nudged a pack of muesli, which pressed a wine glass against a cupboard door, opening it. Out onto the sink leaped the wine glass  snapping the stem in two. I stood there blinking in disbelief. How, while being so reasonable, could I end up with such a disastrous result? It was all connected. Even the particular glass  a wedding gift from Sparkles, my first boyfriend ever. I picked up the two pieces and considered if they could somehow be fused back together. Who was I kidding? The glass was ruined. We were ruined. It had been a beautiful thing, but now it was ruined. I threw the pieces to the ground where they smashed to smithereens. Hmm. That felt good.

In the kitchen was a whole drawer dedicated to broken crockery  shards of love waiting for Araldite. Not any more. The first thing I saw was a birthday present from him, a willow-patterned Burleigh Ware cup that had lost its handle. It fitted so neatly into my hand. I pitched it into the floor where it created a most satisfying shatter. I pulled the drawer out and one by one methodically smashed the lot. Even now I can feel the shiver of pleasure that rose from deep within my guts. Anything chipped, cracked, ugly or his. Smash. Smash. Smash. An adorable Carlton Ware milk jug we bought on our honeymoon, now cracked, like us. Smash. A Wedgwood breakfast teacup, a tender something from my matron of honour, its pretty Picardy pink flowers chipped from washing it in the sink with other cups. Smash. By the time I'd cleaned out all the cupboards I was exhausted, and piled back into bed for the best sleep I'd had in months. Je ne regrette rien.

The next day was sunny and soundless as though a strong wind had blown all the noise away. I padded into the kitchen. You should have seen how much bone china was smashed on the kitchen floor. There were even shards in the bathroom. It took all morning to clean up and, with a deep spiritual calm, I stepped onto the landing holding a garbage bag full of remnants and into my neighbour, who seemed to be waiting for me.' "So, how are things?" he asked with unusual tenderness. "Good," I said. "Really good." "You're getting along all right by yourself in there?" "Yeah. No. Good. I think I'm doing all right."

"Okay. Well, take it easy then." What was I thinking? I lived in a block of flats and I'd broken every plate, mug and cup in the apartment at four in the morning. My life had completely stalled. And through the emptiness of this moment floated the word "America". It was as far away from Australia and my current life as I could imagine. I had wanted to run away from home when I was little, only my childish brain couldn't work out how to convince my mother (the love of my life) to come with me. America was where we would have gone, the land of sitcoms with happy endings and weekly comedy shows. It was Disneyland, the Muppets, and sandwiches made with that most mysterious combination  peanut butter and jelly. Growing up in Australia, everything seemed to focus outward. I could recite the American Declaration of Independence by heart. I loved Lucy. I knew the excitement of prom night and Halloween even though they weren't celebrated in my country.

As the youngest of five kids, my world was about long fights and short showers. I never saw that on TV. All I saw there was America  the real world. If I could just get there, everything would be all right. Like the memory of an old friend, that idea washed through me  run away to America. We had been trying to conceive using IVF, which had proved as fruitless as my other ventures. I worked in a production company developing television shows for executives who didn't buy them. I was in my mid-30s and I wanted more. There are some things you can do which strike a chord with everyone. Buying a flash American tank of a car and driving across the US is one. The only person who couldn't see the romantic majesty of this gesture was my mother, Joy. "Darling, if you insist on letting this problem devolve into full-blown crisis, can't you at least do it closer to home where I can keep an eye on you?" Mum and I are good friends. I love her but, more importantly, I like her. She's courageous and generous. She used to be in marketing and can put a positive spin on almost anything  but running away from your problems isn't one of them.

"This mad peregrination  you simply haven't thought it through. Where will you go? What will you use for money? Scotch may be the same in every language, but a woman can't live on whisky alone. The way I saw it, my husband had left and I was taking his cue to do the same. If Mum wanted to convince me of the folly of my plan to run away and drive across America, she'd need to helicopter in the cavalry. She went one better and called Sue. Sue came to Sydney from Wales as a "Ten Pound Pom". She was younger than Mum, but not young enough to be her daughter. I was younger than Sue, but also not young enough to be her child. "So what's this about going to America and killing yourself in a car?" Sue asked over Mum's signature pea and lettuce soup.

"Well, the plans are pretty ad hoc," I told her. It was an exaggeration  there were no plans. "There's family in LA, so I'll stay with them. I've got a school friend outside of New York  she'll put me up for a few days in Connecticut. Then I might visit Michele from the kids' show. She's studying philosophy in London. Qantas is doing this great deal where you get two cities in America and a free trip to Europe." "See," said Mum, "that's not a plan. It's barely an itinerary." Sue: "Where does the car come in?" "I'll drive from LA to New York. Americans love cars. I bet I can buy a good one for under five grand." "Five thousand dollars," said Mum. "Where are you going to get that?" "I could sell the car at the end."

"The world doesn't work like that." Mum was getting agitated, because Sue seemed to be crunching numbers on an envelope and not contributing. "You can't swan off to the Grand Canyon and then  what? Drive to New York? That's thousands of miles of deserts, and  I don't even know what's in the middle of America. What if you break down? What'll you do then?" "Meet people?" "What sort of people?" she continued.

"What if you break down in Washington or New Orleans or the Alamo? Who will you meet there?" "Harry Connick jnr? He's from New Orleans, isn't he?" Mum looked to her friend for support. "Sue!" she said. "Say something." "F--- it, I'm in." We both looked at Sue in surprise. You what? In choosing her friend to be the weapon of choice in this fight, Mum had forgotten one small thing  Sue can't say no to adventure. It doesn't matter how small. If you want a cohort in calamity, say skinny-dipping or a midnight picnic, Sue's the one you call. "Sorry, Joy," she said, apologising for the swearing, not changing camps, "we're too old to be frightened and too young to die." She turned to me. "I'll lend you the five grand.

I think I squealed. I certainly hugged her. "I'm going to America!" "And I'll give you half if you let me drive back with you." "You're going too?" Mum's voice rose like nails on a blackboard. "What about the restaurant?" "I love the restaurant, but do I own it or does it own me? If Sheridan can pick me up in New York, I'll drive back with her." Mum was waving her soup ladle in an attempt to stir up some counterargument. Droplets of pea soup and flecks of lettuce were splattering everywhere. She seemed to have run out of ideas.
It is understood about 400 asylum seekers and their children are living in Australia at present after medical transfers from offshore processing and all of these people could be hit with the new visa conditions.

While children and families are not expected to be included in the first batch of asylum seekers subject to the new visa conditions, human rights advocates and workers contracted to provide services to those seeking refugee status fear they could be next.

"The sensible and compassionate thing to do would be to let them stay. Instead, Dutton is trying to starve them out."

"[Immigration Minister Peter] Dutton knows full well he is making people destitute. It's a cruel attempt to force them to return to danger. We're talking about people who have been part of our communities for years.

"This is one of the most extreme decisions the department has made in a long time," said a source who has worked for years in welfare for asylum seekers. "Depending on how this first lot goes down the families could be next. These people are the guinea pigs. It really is playing with people's lives."

If the government were to impose the "final departure" visa condition on family groups it would put at risk the living conditions of dozens of asylum seeker children born in Australia, including the 37 babies whose photographs were published by Fairfax Media in February last year.

The new visa will provide work rights to asylum seekers to allow them to apply for jobs. But their chances of obtaining employment will be extremely low because their visa conditions until now have forbidden any paid work or access to training programs.

Those aged above 18 and subject to the new visa will not be allowed to study in Australia. This could mean asylum seeker children who have been in school may be forced to quit once they turn 18. Those under 18 will be allowed to stay in school.

"School-aged children will continue to have access to education while you are on a bridging visa living in the community. Please remind your children that they will also be required to abide by Australian values and laws. Breaking Australian laws may result in their removal from the community," the Immigration department 's letter states.
It was a glamorous musical showcase at the Sydney Opera House in front of an audience that included Nauru's President Baron Waqa.

But several members of Sydney's Chinese community claim the appearance of Taiwan's Evergreen Symphony Orchestra in July 2015 was largely funded by Teddy Junus using the proceeds of a multimillion-dollar immigration racket.

Mr Junus pictured with former trade minister Andrew Robb at a government-run networking event for Chinese businessmen. Credit:Facebook

Mr Junus  a wealthy north shore businessman who boasted of networking with Tony Abbott, Andrew Robb and Kevin Rudd  is accused of rorting the system for subclass 457 and 163 visas, taking between $15,000 and $310,000 from dozens of hopeful migrants, most of whom were left with nothing.

The case, which is being investigated by NSW Police and the federal Department of Immigration, exposes the murky world of unlicensed migration agents and visa services exploiting the tens of thousands of Chinese people who are desperate to come to Australia.
When Khatereh Rabiei arrived in Australia from her native Iran four years ago she had no job references and little English but big hopes for the future.

The qualified accountant lived in Adelaide for a year before resettling in Sydney where life was initially hard.

Khatereh Rabiei feels at home in the House of Welcome. Credit:Cole Bennetts

"I couldn't speak English at first and I couldn't find a home because I didn't have any references," she recalled. "It was a big problem for me."

A family member advised her to visit the House of Welcome, a long-running refugee and asylum seeker service in Sydney's west.
"if we can't have this conversation in a country, democratically and respectfully, then it is just disgraceful": Stan Grant. Credit:Dallas Kilponen Grant lamented the actions of a small minority, stating that they reflect poorly on those who want to have a civil, rational debate. "People who do that, they actually reflect badly, not just on themselves, but if they actually care about Indigenous people and our cause, they are the ones who damage us. It's ridiculous. You know, we should all be able to come to this properly and conduct ourselves legally and respectfully." The male captured on CCTV appeared to carry a white can in his right hand. Credit:NSW Police "If you look at the history of the Aboriginal struggle in Australia, the history of it, has been peaceful. Indigenous people have conducted themselves with dignity, and peace and honour and have sought a way to be part of this country.

"And everything I have ever written has been about allowing us to feel as if we are part of this country too because we love it too and that's been the hallmark of the Indigenous struggle. So anything that goes to vilify people or mocking people or threatening people or defacing things is not what we do in Australia." A bag was also placed on the head of Governor Macquarie. Credit:Lily Mayers/ABC News Former prime minister Tony Abbott also condemned the acts of vandalism, calling for the vandals to be charged and prosecuted. "It's what happens when politically correct activists decide to jump on a US bandwagon. What I want to hear is an unequivocal statement from [Opposition Leader] Bill Shorten that our history must be respected and strong action by NSW Police and Sydney City council to prosecute politically motivated vandals," he said. James Cook is a most unlikely candidate to be dragged back and forth like a rag doll by today's cultural warriors. Credit:Cole Bennetts

Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison also criticized the vandalism, in a statement on his Facebook page. "Enough is enough. This is a bloody disgrace. This is an insult to all fair minded Australians who don't look back on our history with ignorance or rose coloured glasses, but also rightly acknowledge our extraordinary achievements as a nation since Lt James Cook turned up almost 250 years ago." He said. The statue of Captain James Cook in Sydney's Hyde Park that was defaced, which is understood to have prompted Mr Bolt's column. Credit:Cole Bennetts "This kind of rubbish does not help keep one Indigenous child safe, in school or end up in a job. "This divisive BS political grandstanding and vandalism does nothing but indulge the egos of the perpetrators. It is an exercise in pure vanity. Grow up, you're not helping anyone or anything."

The statue of Queen Victoria was also targeted in the attack, with expletive-laden words painted onto the pedestal. Credit:Cole Bennetts Grant believes no positives will come from these acts, arguing that respectful debate is the most effective way to advance the cause of Indigenous Australians. "No good comes from illegality. And no good comes from whipping people up into a state of frenzy. What good comes from is people coming out into society and being able to speak and have rational debate without mocking people or vilifying people or threatening people or going out and defacing things. "It's just not what we do. You know, it's not what we do. And it's not how people should conduct themselves. No good comes from that sort of nonsense." The acts have largely been condemned, with many taking to Twitter to denounce the vandalism. However, many were also quick to condemn Grant for his comments throughout the week, blaming him for the vandalism.

Grant, however, argues that he has never encouraged this sort of behaviour. "I just look at it and whatever I write, whatever I try to do, is based around rational, civil, polite argument. Not mocking, hysterical, not vilifying, but saying how do we actually find a way to live together in this country. "If people want to go to anything that I've ever said, that's what they'll find. This sort of thing, and people turning it into ridiculous hysterical debate doesn't help, it's just ridiculous." NSW Police are investigating the incident, while City of Sydney council workers have finished cleaning the statues. Loading
A young Queensland man accused of setting his older brother on fire in the bedroom of a Gold Coast home has been charged with murder.

It's believed the 22-year-old poured accelerant over his brother, 26, before igniting the blaze and severely burning his alleged victim, who died in a Brisbane hospital on Saturday.

He was arrested in Brisbane and questioned for several hours before being charged with murder.

"It's an horrific event. The burns were as bad as you could get," Nerang police Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Procter said.

Police were unable to confirm reports the men's parents were injured when trying to extinguish the fire that killed their eldest son at a Nerang home.
Prominent Australian artist Ben Quilty has called for John Batman's statue to be removed from Melbourne's CBD, describing him as a mass murderer who "makes the American Confederates look friendly".

The Archibald Prize-winning painter took to social media to call for the statue of the man regarded by many as Melbourne's founder to be pulled down next January 26  39 years to the day since it was unveiled by Melbourne City Council.

The statue was installed in front of the former National Mutual building on the corner of Collins and William streets in 1979. It has been removed from the site as part of the Collins Arch development. It is not known whether the statue will be returned to the site once construction is complete.

His call follows the decision of two Melbourne city councils, Yarra and Darebin, to no longer celebrate Australia Day.
Perth have issued a warning after specialist medication that could be life threatening if ingested was stolen from a home on Friday.

Police said sometime between 3:00pm and 7:00pm a green 'Bunnings' canvas shopping bag was taken from the home in Beldon with a heart and lung monitor and 180 tablets of 20mg Frisium medication.

Police say anyone who finds or comes into contact with the items should call them immediately. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

Police advise the use of Frisium can be life-threatening if not used in accordance with medical advice.

Acting Senior Sergeant Sharon Powell from the North West Metropolitan District Control Centre said it is unlikely whoever stole the bag realised what was inside.
Foreign students are abandoning Western Australia's billion dollar education sector with new figures showing a massive slump in applications to study in the west.

Figures collected by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and supplied to WAtoday by migration agency Iscah show new student applications for WA fell from 2997 to 2309 in June - a 23 per cent reduction compared to the previous year, following a 32 per cent drop in April and 11 per cent in May.

WAPETIA said the international education sector is worth $1.39bn to WA. Credit:WAPETIA

WA's small colleges and training institutes are being hit hardest, with the Western Australian Private Education and Training Industry Association reporting up to 40 per cent reductions in student numbers at colleges in Perth teaching english.

WAPETIA's chair Malcolm Baigent said these schools are the "canary in the coalmine" for the international education sector, which the organisation has measured as having a value of $1.39bn to the local economy while generating more than eight thousand jobs.
Police have charged a man over an alleged hit and run incident near Rockingham that's left a motorcyclist with serious injuries.

Major Crash Investigators said at around 1:15pm on Friday a white Holden Statesman and a Honda motorcycle were travelling south on Read Street in Cooloongup when the two vehicles collided near the Goongarrie Drive intersection.

A 37-year-old man remains in a critical condition after the stabbing. Credit:Georgia Matts

The 36-year-old male rider of the motorcycle was seriously injured in the crash, and was taken to Royal Perth Hospital by St John Ambulance.

The car was stopped by police near the intersection of Read Street and Patterson Road in Rockingham a short time later.
Princes Harry and William on the tenth anniversary of their mother's death. Credit:Fergus Greer And there the story did not end. An estimated 2.5 billion people watched her funeral at Westminster Abbey five days later. This, the 20th anniversary, has seen a blizzard of publicity, documentaries, books and interviews, magazine and newspaper special editions, across the world. Princess Diana in 1989. Credit:AP Somehow, still, we are captivated by the story of a troubled princess who left behind two traumatised boys and  arguably  changed the way royalty, celebrity and humanitarianism work.

A travel sickness bag is mandatory for much of the recent coverage. Even the most fervent Diana fan might choke on the Mail on Sunday's declaration last weekend that Diana "swept away an old, accepted order of protocols and politenesses and ushered in a new era of compassion and liberalism". Paragraphs later, the tabloid slavered over her "sculpted curves enhanced by a new wardrobe of swimwear" in the month before her death, an editorial position somewhere between lechery and butchery. Diana and Charles at the Sydney Opera House in 1983. Credit:Lionel Cherruault Plus ca change. Her sons, Princes Harry and William, are still furious with the media, and as their role in the daily affairs of the royal family continues to grow, that fury must increasingly affect the Windsors' media strategy. Diana, Princess of Wales in 1994. Credit:AP

In the documentary 7 Days, which is due to screen on the BBC on Sunday, Harry says, "I think one of the hardest things to come to terms with is the fact that the people who chased her into the tunnel were the same people who took the photographs of her while she was still dying on the back seat of the car". William recalls his mother was deeply distressed in the years before her death after run-ins with photographers who waited "like a pack of dogs for her, chased her, harassed her, called her names, spat at her, tried to get a reaction to get that photograph of her lashing out, get her upset". In another recent documentary William said most of the times he saw his mother cry "was to do with press intrusion." "One lesson I've learned is you never let them in too far because it's very difficult to get them back out again. You've got to maintain a barrier and a boundary. If both sides cross it a lot of pain and problems can come because of it." He was obliquely referring to his mother's relationship with the media: she courted journalists and confided in them, trying to make them allies in her fight against the rest of her family. She deliberately exploited her fame to push causes. She told one interviewer she "felt compelled to perform".

The scene of the car crash in Paris. Credit:AP In her children, compulsion has become repulsion. One year on from Diana's death, the BBC's Nick Higham wrote "the public needed someone to blame [and] the media was the answer". "The red-top tabloids were shocked by the public reactions. The result was a bout of media soul-searching and promises to do better." The paparazzi did indeed back off  but they didn't go away. They sought other targets, mostly. Photographers and camera crews stayed clear of the royal children, begrudgingly.

Reporters still pried: a tabloid ruined the boys' plans for a surprise 50th birthday party for their father, for example. And the entire phone hacking saga was exposed when, on the advice of a TV reporter friend to Prince William, the palace set police to investigate whether a tabloid journalist had accessed William's voicemail for a string of royal scoops. When it came to photos, foreign outlets filled the void: spicy (Harry cavorting in Vegas) and prurient (Kate Middleton sunbathing topless). The latter case caused the royals to snap, breaking their usual silent-in-public, complain-to-editors-in-private strategy. William and Kate sued six people over the photos, which were published in two French magazines in 2012. In a statement read out to the court, Prince William said the photos were "all the more painful" in light of his mother's death and the harassment she had experienced. The verdict is due in September, and could set a precedent for celebrity paps in Europe  one way or another. But anyone who tries to argue that Diana's death doused the fires of celebrity-obsessed journalism hasn't looked at journalism lately.

And recently Hollywood has developed monarch fever: HBO's Elizabeth I, The CW's Reign, E!'s The Royals, Showtime's The Tudors, PBS' Victoria, and Starz's The White Queen, not to mention Netflix's The Crown, which promises to catch up with Diana in season 3. Beyond the media, Diana could lay claim to a deliberate, and successful, recasting of modern royalty. There are some who look at the Queen's cameo in the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, and see Diana's ghostly hand pushing her out of the helicopter. Andrew Morton, author of the scandalous (and secretly Diana-assisted) 1992 biography of the princess, told CBC radio earlier this month that Diana's "is very much a living legacy with her children". "She's kind of overshadowed or shadowed the lives of both boys, and in that sense as well, she's always been present," he said. Diana explicitly intended this. She told Bashir the royals needed to change their relationship with the public, to "walk hand-in-hand as opposed to be[ing] so distant", and she wanted to achieve that through William and Harry.

"I take them round homelessness projects, I've taken [them] to people dying of AIDS, albeit I told them it was cancer  I want them to have an understanding of people's emotions, people insecurities, people's distress and people's hopes and dreams." Charles Spencer, Diana's younger brother, told BBC radio last month that part of Diana's legacy was "she has left behind this image of what royalty can be and what it needn't be". In his eulogy at her funeral he pledged to guide her sons "so their souls can sing openly  not immersed by duty and tradition", and he now believes "it's worked out very well  Diana was in their life long enough for them to receive an enormous amount of her values and warmth and humanity and I think people see that." The wider royal family also realised they had to change after Diana's death. On the eve of Diana's funeral the Queen told the nation, "I for one believe that there are lessons to be drawn from her life and from the extraordinary and moving reaction to her death".

Floral tributes to Diana outside London's Kensington Palace in 1997. Credit:AP She was admitting the royals had badly mismanaged their response in the moment. Diana's death was the gravest royal crisis since the abdication. They had made a terrible mistake by holing up in Balmoral in Scotland  protecting William and Harry, it was later claimed, though this is hard to square with the decision to put the boys behind their mother, parading through the streets of London in Diana's funeral procession. Royal biographer Penny Junor told Radio 4 documentary A Royal Recovery, "the whole family was in danger. The minute Prince Charles heard Diana had been killed his first words were 'They are going to blame me'." One of the Queen's most trusted former advisers, Mary Francis, told the London Telegraph the royal family had feared "calls for some kind of republican action". The narrative that Diana changed the Windsors is not universally accepted. According to some palace watchers, the royal family was modernising regardless. It had a discussion group made up of senior members of the family, dubbed the "Way Ahead Group". They had made significant moves reflecting modern times: the Queen had started paying tax and she funded the repair of Windsor Castle in 1992 out of her own purse. They had brought in an accountant to straighten up the royal finances, and had cut the number of family members whose lives were paid for directly from the annual government grant known as the Civil List. Most heart-wrenchingly for the Queen, the Royal Yacht Britannia had been scrapped, and she had not asked for a replacement.

Author Monica Ali also doesn't have any truck with the theory that Diana changed the monarchy. "The monarchy is much as it was pre-Diana," she wrote recently. "Diana's life and death didn't reinvigorate the monarchy, it reignited our fascination with it." Outside palace walls, Diana's charity work has stuck with the next generation. Harry, William and Kate have founded Heads Together, a campaign that aims to "end the stigma and change the conversation on mental health". They continue working for many of the charities their mother introduced them to. But they have big boots to fill. And some argue that Diana's true successors are not William and Harry, but Bono and Angelina Jolie. The BBC's Jackie Long wrote that Diana "made giving glamorous". "She embodied the caring '90s but still hung on to some of the style-obsessed '80s. Princess Anne had trudged around the Third World doing charity work for years  she just didn't do it so beautifully."

Diana held hands with AIDS patients, wandered dangerous London streets to meet the homeless, travelled to African and Bosnian battlefields sown with land mines. Harry told a documentary this year "she had the ability to literally change the mindset of millions of people". She is widely credited with the success of an international landmine ban treaty, signed months after her death. Diana talks to amputees who lost limbs to land mines, in Angola in 1997. Credit:AP For Diana, it was where she felt she belonged. She told Martin Bashir, "I found myself being more and more involved with people who were rejected by society  with, I'd say, drug addicts, alcoholism, battered this, battered that  and I found an affinity there. "I respected very much the honesty I found on that level with people I met, because in hospices, for instance, when people are dying they're much more open and more vulnerable, and much more real than other people."

Journalist Andrew Marr wrote that Diana's life and death coincided with a shift in Britain. The country left behind the greed-is-good '80s, and was becoming "more compassionate, more informal and more image-conscious", he said. Whether she was setting the pace or sensing the trend, Diana had been at the forefront. Her death "revived the culture of public sentiment", Marr said. Andrew Morton agrees, saying "Britain's stiff upper lip brigade ended with the funeral. And we have more of a trembling lower lip." "I think that we've become a more expressive nation, a more touchy, feely nation than we were perhaps 30 or 40 years ago. And I think that Diana is a symbol of that." Earl Spencer, Princes William and Harry, and Prince Charles, at Diana's funeral.

Author Monica Ali wrote in 2011 that Diana has frequently been blamed for "our newfound emotional incontinence". "It's likely that the way she chose to speak out did accelerate a trend for greater openness, that her death had an impact on the ersatz sense of community that surrounds certain tragedies," Ali said. But she chooses to view it in a positive light. "For some people, Diana will always be the patron saint of the self-obsessed. I see her differently. I think she had a lasting influence on the public discourse, particularly in matters of mental health. When she spoke publicly about her bulimia, the effect was powerful. "Speaking out instead of shrivelling up was not just a sign of wilfulness  but of her determination to direct her loss and suffering outwards. It was a mark of her strength of character; small wonder that millions of people instinctively responded to that." Ali says Diana also fundamentally changed the world of charity.

She showed the way for the Madonna and Angelina Jolie, for George Clooney in Darfur and Bono in Washington DC. "Put simply, Diana made philanthropy sexy." Not everyone agrees that Diana changed the world. Pulitzer-winning writer Anne Applebaum has called Diana's legacy "pea-sized". She wrote in Slate magazine that "the genuinely bizarre aspect of the all-consuming Dianamania that gripped Britain [after her death] is how slight a trace it has left behind. Actually, the royal family is pretty much the same, only quieter. From Diana, they learned that there is such a thing as too much publicity. "One could argue that Diana's truest legacy is the screaming emotionalism of the British tabloids  except that it long pre-dates Diana, and in fact helped create her in the first place." Telegraph columnist Simon Heffer also swam against the tide of sentiment. Ten years ago he wrote a column titled "Diana just another dead glamorous celebrity", railing against "the absurdities of the cult" that had grown up around her. "Ludicrous ideas are voiced of her contribution to humanity," he said. "[Her death] showed just how unpleasant mass hysteria is. But worse, it revealed an increasingly ungrounded and shallow society that can attach such significance to such things."

He hoped the 10-year commemoration of Diana's death would be the last such public event, and "those who still feel the need to mourn will now be encouraged to do so privately". Ten years later, he has been proven so, so wrong. A grand family Althorp Estate, the Spencers' ancestral home in the Midlands. Credit:Althorp Estate It's often forgotten that the "people's princess" came from one of Britain's grandest families. But visitors to Althorp Estate, the Spencers' ancestral home in the Midlands, and the site for Diana's final resting place, will emerge under no illusions that she was a royal outsider  despite being the first Englishwoman to marry an heir in 300 years.

This is one of the country's grandest homes. Althorp is set in rolling English countryside (one of the first times that Charles met teenage Diana, he was visiting for a "shoot" on the grounds). Its halls and rooms are lined with endless aristocratic portraits, dating back centuries. The house was built in the 16th century but a Bose speaker system here, a bedside thriller there betray the fact this is a living aristocratic home. And some speak of its owner's anger. An exhibition enshrines the Earl Spencer's handwritten notes for the press statement he made on hearing of his older sister's death. There is a hash mark and he has added a second-thought paragraph, saying "I always believed the press would kill her in the end" and accusing every proprietor and editor who ever paid for an intrusive photo of having "blood on their hands today". At the main house, the first room is floor-to-ceiling horse and hounds paintings. But in the next room is a different, modern work: contemporary artist Mitch Griffiths's Rehab. It shows a near-naked man in crucifix position, his addictions on display including a champagne bottle in a bucket marked with the blood-red logo of The Sun newspaper. And upstairs, in a Tudor-era long room where ladies used to take their exercise when it rained, another Mitch Griffiths titled Britannia sits front and centre. It's a portrait of a haughty young woman in a short denim skirt, CCTV camera on her shoulder, police tape on her empty pram. She is the modern UK, and she's not there to be loved.
Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi has declared "terrorism" has arrived in her country's western Rakhine State, as fighting escalates between Islamic militants and security forces, triggering a fresh exodus of refugees to Bangladesh.

"I strongly condemn today's brutal attacks by terrorists on security forces in Rakhine State," said Ms Suu Kyi, who has been widely criticised for failing to condemn atrocities by Myanmar's army in the state that is home to more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims.

A border patrol guard at a police post in Kyee Kan Pyin, Buthidaung, in the Rakhine state of Myanmar. Credit:AP

At least 89 people, including a dozen security forces, have been killed since about 150 insurgents, some carrying guns and home-made explosives, attacked 30 police posts on Friday.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which also calls itself Harakah al-Yaqin, claimed responsibility for the attacks that have stoked fears Islamic militants have opened up a new battlefront in Asia.
Citizens of Vietnam have developed an unusual national pastime: Across the country and on social networks, people trade suspicions that their government is secretly giving in to an aggressive China. And lately, there has been plenty of fuel for their rumours.

Some blame a visibly diminished US presence for giving Beijing an opportunity to act behind the scenes. Many blame officials in Hanoi for putting economic cooperation or alleged communist solidarity above questions of national pride. Last month, when a valuable project overseen by the Spanish company Repsol was suspended without explanation, both theories abounded.

Domestically, China is one of the most sensitive issues for Vietnam's otherwise stable communist government. Credit:AP

"Is Trump weak, so therefore China is getting stronger? Maybe," said Dung Nguyen, a small-business owner in Hanoi who often deals with foreign countries, including China. "People even worry in the future we could have another war with China. It's all very scary."

But with Vietnam's closed political system keeping diplomatic machinations a secret, most people - even experts, by their own admission - simply don't know what's happening, providing the perfect atmosphere for wild speculation.
Claudettes release new album with show at The Acorn in Three Oaks
Diana King, left, and Micki Fellner, at right, await the start of an Aug. 25 Town of Surfside Beach meeting. The man between the two women could not be identified.
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Maputo (Mozambique), August 26, 2017 (SPS) - African Union (AU) demanded from Morocco and all partners to respect the African organization as a unified block at the regional and international levels, asking the Moroccan delegation attending the ministerial meeting of the partnership summit between the African Union and Japan to sit beside Western Sahara to show respect to the unity of AU institutions and agencies.

The African Union demanded that Morocco and all partners respect the African organization following Moroccan attempts, over three days, to impose its positions and "exclude Western Sahara from the partnership meeting between the AU and Japan."

Those attempts to redirect the unified African position adopted by the Committee of Ambassadors on 22 and 23 August, and during the consultation meetings attended by the Committee of Ambassadors and the group of African Ambassadors in Japan were failed.

The African Union also requested from the Moroccan delegation to take a seat beside its Saharawi counterpart attending the meeting.

The interministerial meetings of partnership summit between AU and Japan opened Thursday, in Maputo, in the presence of President Philipe Nyusi of Mozambique, his Foreign minister and that of Japan, in addition to representatives of the World Bank, the UN-AU liaison office and the African Commission's deputy chairman. (SPS)

062/090/APS




Trader Joe's has a long list of greatest hits, and as it enjoys its 50th anniversary year, the grocery chain is paying tribute to some of their employees' favorite items currently on store shelves.

To decide which goods earned the honor of being dubbed the best of the best, Trader Joe's asked their "customers and crew" for their suggestions. Then, the store narrowed that list down to  of course  just over 50 items.
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STAMFORD  Joseph Pellicci was a fun, outgoing person, upbeat and happy-go-lucky, but that changed in the winter of 1973.

Pellicci became less talkative, his sisters say. He seemed to be always nervous. He turned solemn.

He watched the street from the window before leaving the house. At the familys landmark West Side business, Pelliccis restaurant, he kept an eye over his shoulder. He also kept two guns.

He said something about threats, recalled one sister, Fran Gross.

He got dark, recalled the other, Toni Lupinacci.

They were dark times. Stamford was developing a reputation as a corrupt city.

Stories were rampant about police officers taking bribes and burglarizing businesses; a fire official protecting an arson ring; city officials embezzling money, stealing equipment, rigging civil-service exams and awarding contracts to their friends.

Many knew what was going on: Stamford was run by organized crime.

Characters with connections to the Genovese or Gambino crime families liked Pelliccis restaurant for its authentic Italian cuisine. One who hung around the bar was Lt. Larry Hogan, head of the Stamford Police Departments narcotics squad  and convicted drug kingpin for the mob.

So when Joseph Pellicci, a 32-year-old father of three, disappeared on a Sunday morning in February 1973, rumors started flying. When he was found a month later, shot to death beside a road in North Salem, N.Y., with a blanket tied around his head, people assumed it was a mob hit.

That is one of the most difficult aspects of the still-unsolved case, his sisters said.

Its very upsetting that they painted that picture of Joe, Lupinacci said. The mob didnt do it because Joe was not involved. He was killed because of a personal thing.

The other difficult aspect of the case, the family said, is that they know the killers. One is dead. The other still lives in Stamford, they said.

The case is steeped in mystery, myth and misinformation. The killers may have had friends in organized crime, which infiltrated the police department. One theory is that a mob boss ordered Hogan to thwart the investigation.

Beyond that, Joseph Pelliccis life was complicated. He was separated from his wife and had a girlfriend.

Its an absolutely crazy case, said Vito Colucci, a former Stamford police officer who worked on the investigation and was among those who exposed corruption in the department in the 1970s.

At one point, an officer developed important evidence and asked his lieutenant  Hogan  if he could go out of state to investigate it, Colucci said. Hogan refused and removed the officer from the case.

We didnt know at the time that Hogan was crooked, said Colucci, now a private investigator.

He and another Stamford native, attorney Robert Sciglimpaglia, are developing a pilot based on the Pellicci case for a series theyve pitched to a cable television network.

I have a contact with a network that is looking for a murder-mystery show and I submitted a proposal, said Sciglimpaglia, who handles legal work for production companies. Its about a lawyer and a P.I. working on cases together. Were waiting for the network to give us the green light.

Colucci said its a shame the Pellicci case was not pursued because it was pretty much solved.

Toni Lupinaccis husband, Anthony Butch Lupinacci, a retired Stamford police sergeant who spent many years on the detective squad, joined the police department six years after his brother-in-law was murdered, but reviewed the case several times.

Police developed two suspects even before the body was found, Butch Lupinacci said. The suspects admitted theyd been in the area of Wyndover Lane, where Pelliccis car was found. Hed been living in his parents home nearby.

According to the police report, the suspects admitted they were trying out some walkie-talkies near there, Butch Lupinacci said.

Then they went back to the home of one of them and washed his car, Lupinacci said. It was very cold  early February. After that they took the car to a car wash. The right rear passenger floor was soaking wet. The suspect claimed he left his window open in the car wash.

The blanket found on the body had a name sewn in it. The mother of one of the suspects told police shed given it to him, Lupinacci said. Green twine used to tie the blanket was found around a plant at the suspects home, he said.

Dog hair on the blanket matched that found in the suspects car, he said. Blanket fibers also were found in the car.

A page in the report said human hair was found on the blanket and in the trunk of the car. It says the hairs were tested. It looks like the next page told the results of the test, but that page was missing from the report, Lupinacci said.

Some evidence also went missing, he said.

Hogan was made lead investigator on the case but he was with the narcotics squad. I never heard of giving a murder case to a narcotics officer, Butch Lupinacci said. Hogan told people he took the case because he knew the Pellicci family. That wasnt true.

Because the body was found in Westchester County, New York state police have the case. In the 44 years since the murder, New York police once tried to reopen it but the district attorney refused, Lupinacci said. He asked, too, but was denied, he said.

They just let it drop, he said.

The family hopes the proposed TV pilot draws attention to the case, and that Stamford police ask for it to be transferred here.

Id be all for it, said Capt. Richard Conklin, head of criminal investigations for the Stamford Police Department. The case is a bigger thing for us than for New York, so I would support bringing it back.

In the meantime, Pelliccis family members say they are confronted with injustice. They know where the suspect lives and have faced him in grocery stores, on the street and elsewhere.

People still come up to us in the restaurant and ask, Did you ever find out who murdered your brother? Gross said. We say, Oh, we know.

acarella@stamfordadvocate.com
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NEW CANAAN  Joanne Gerardi is no stranger to New Canaan public schools.

Gerardi, who has lived in town 20 years, sent her children through New Canaan schools. While she started her career as a special education teacher outside Connecticut, she has spent the past 11 years as a special education administrative assistant for the New Canaan School District.

Now Gerardi will be returning to her roots as a special education teacher, this time at New Canaan High School.

Driving here, I was envisioning my first day of teaching 30 years ago, Gerardi said at new teacher orientation on Aug. 22. Im excited to start that venture again.

53 new hires

New Canaan will be welcoming 53 new staff members this school year, including a math specialist at Saxe Middle School and David Gusitsch, formerly of Westport schools, as the new assistant principal at New Canaan High School.

According to Superintendent of Schools Bryan Luizzi, the number of new hires is relatively low compared to other years. Last year, the district hired 44 new teachers, replacing around 10 percent of its staff.

The last couple of years, weve had a wave of retirees, Luizzi said.

This years hires include seven elementary school teachers, six middle school teachers, 11 high school teachers  including Gerardi  and a board-certified behavior analyst to serve the whole district.

More Information New teachers and administrators South School Madison Mulhern, grade 3 Kathryn Iapaluccio, grade 3 West School Jennifer O'Connell, reading specialist Allison Elwell, speech/language pathologist Suzanne Heckt, occupational therapist Saxe Middle School Ann Wronski, speech language pathologist Ashley Walsh, grade 7 science Rachel Kiley, math Maria DeRobertis, special education Samantha Gagliano, school psychologist Michael Tiscia, health New Canaan High School David Gusitsch, assistant principal Joanne Gerardi, special education Lindsey Rossen, speech language pathologist Katie Spaulding, Latin and French April Kish, earth science Janet McGowen, chemistry Christoper Satterlie, special education Ashley Lewis, special education Jennifer Pacelli, library media specialist Donna Burns, technology integrator Nancy Stevens, Academic Center for Excellence and Support supervisor District-wide Sarah Dunn, board-certified behavior analyst See More Collapse

Enrollment remains steady

One reason the number of new hires is low is the number of students enrolled in the district has remained relatively stable. While the district has added new sections at East and South elementary schools, the enrollment projections remain on track.

Across the board, it looks like were right on projections again, said the districts director of human resources, Gary Kass. This has been very consistent over the years. Weve been monitoring enrollment closely over the summer, meaning weekly, and weve made changes to original staffing.

The district originally projected an enrollment of 4,243 students and so far has 4,247 students enrolled for the 2017-18 school year.

Were still seeing new enrollments, but were just about on track, Luizzi said.

The 1,345 students enrolled at Saxe, one of the largest middle schools in the state, will be newly accommodated by the wing recently completed at the South Avenue building. The wing will house not only eighth-grade classrooms, but also art and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) classrooms, so all Saxe students will get the chance to enjoy the addition.

I cant wait until they see it. Its going to be great, Luizzi said. Its open; its light.

All students can take advantage of the new wing, the superintendent said.

An auditorium, part of the new addition, will be opened later in the fall, as will some existing classrooms being renovated.

At the elementary and high school level, carpeting was installed in all grade school offices, as well as the high school media center and Wagner meeting room. The carpeting, along with new playground equipment at Saxe and West, are among the over 70 small capital facilities projects the district worked on this summer.

Technology integration

Saxe will be at the receiving end of one of several new programs the district is implementing this year.

The middle school will be moving away from the model of checking out a cart of Chromebooks for a class by allowing some classrooms to have the laptops for everyday use to allow a more seamless integration of technology into the curriculum. All sixth- through eighth-grade humanities classrooms will be equipped with Chromebooks at all times. The remaining Chromebook carts are being re-purposed to be shared between math and science classrooms.

What weve done this year is really invest in the middle school technology infrastructure, Luizzi said. We feel at this point, this is the right approach at the middle school.

The district continues to look into virtual reality software for classroom use, integrating new science standards, reinventing media centers as learning commons and focusing on social and emotional growth in the district.

Even as the district gears up for the first day of school Aug. 30, it does so under the cloud of a unapproved state budget.

When the town made its appropriations, it did so anticipating cuts at the state level. Consequently, New Canaan schools should not be affected by budget cuts for the 2017-18 school year, but the burden of teacher pensions on the town could cost the district millions in the near future, the superintendent said.

Hartfords at a stalemate. Theres a lot of political posturing on all three sides and the schools are caught in the middle, Luizzi said. Its unconscionable. I feel the state should be contributing. They pass laws and mandates and expect us to follow them.

Its wrong to talk of zeroing out any districts, he said.

EKayata@hearstmedia

ct.com; @erin_kayata
The NAU CAL film series' 15th season begins, as do most seasons, with the oldest film in the schedule and will work its way up through the decades, more or less chronologically, allowing our audiences to witness the evolution of the art of cinema.

This entire years focus will be on the 20th Century Fox film studio, which has been a major industry player from its inception in 1935 to the present day. Our first film, Les Miserables was the last film produced by Twentieth Century Pictures before it merged with Fox Film Corporation to form 20th Century Fox about one month after its release.

Based on Victor Hugos 1862 novel, Les Miserables has a rich history of adaptations in an array of media, including books, radio, films, television, musicals, plays, and even games and Japanese Manga. There have been over 50 film and more than 20 television versions, including the influential 1960s TV series The Fugitive and its successful Oscar-winning 1993 film adaptation starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones.

The most successful adaptation has to be Les Mis, the popular title for the long running theatrical musical, which opened in Paris in 1980 and has gone on to become one of the most successful stage productions in history. Despite negative critical reviews at its 1985 London premier, it celebrated its 10,000th London performance in 2010 and has been produced in some 50 countries, including, of course, the U.S.A., where in a 16-year run is the fifth longest running Broadway show of all-time, winner of eight Tony awards, including Best Musical, and eventually the 2012 Oscar-winning film starring Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Russell Crowe as Javert, and Anne Hathaway as Fantine.

The 1935 version youll see Tuesday night was the 17th film adaptation. Its easy to see this storys staying power. Based on one of the greatest novels of the 19th century, it is, at its heart, an examination of the nature of law and grace, of justice and humanity. Its story is of a good man, Jean Valjean, who steals a loaf of bread to feed his starving family, is sentenced to the harshest of prison terms, and then, upon his release, takes a new name and becomes a force for good. But his failure to report for parole leads to him being hunted and hounded by the relentless policeman Javert who believes, not in justice, but in the law. A decent person receiving excessive punishment for a minor crime is a timeless and universal theme.

In 1935 Valjean was played by Fredric March, one of the sound eras early class actors who would go on to win two Oscars in a 70-year career. Its a fine performance, but it is Charles Laughtons stunning work as the ruthless Javert and Gregg Tolands Oscar nominated cinematography that makes this Best Picture nominee one of the most memorable films of its time.

Cinema had only been telling complex, feature-length stories for 20 years, and with sound just since 1927. Yet this richly atmospheric, harrowing tale of social justice, is often regarded, despite its occasional lapses into sentimentality, as the best Hollywood version of the classic work.
Its been more than 25 years since the North American Amateur Drivers Association has competed against their Hungarian counterparts, but on Friday, September 1 and Saturday, September 2, a five-man NAADA team will renew the challenge at Kincsem Park in Budapest.

The participating members of NAADA team traveling to Hungary for the International Friendship Competition next weekend include NAADA president Joe Faraldo and NAADA vice president Alan Schwartz, along with Peter Kleinhans, Paul Minore and Bob Davis.

This will be our third overseas International Friendship Competition since the late spring, noted Faraldo. Earlier this year we raced against our counterparts from France and from Italy, and as usual we were treated like royalty. Were now making plans to offer the French, the Italians, and the Hungarians a chance to come to America and let us entertain them  and race against us on our dirt.

As usual, winning is secondary in International competitions. According to Faraldo, Winning or losing is incidental in these international driving competitions. Its all about sharing the camaraderie weve fostered over the years and we, and they, look forward to these annual races in each of our countries.

(NAADA)
The Mohawk Racetrack race office would like to inform horsepeople of an immediate change to the track's qualifying schedule.

Beginning next week, qualifiers will only be held on Tuesday mornings at Mohawk Racetrack. The qualifiers will begin at 10 a.m. (Eastern).

The entry box for Tuesday qualifiers closes at 10:30 a.m. on Mondays.

Below is a list of the upcoming qualifying dates.

Tuesday, August 29  10 a.m.

Tuesday, September 5  10 a.m.

Tuesday, September 12  10 a.m.

Tuesday, September 19  10 a.m.

Tuesday, September 26  10 a.m.

(WEG)
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Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

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Emergency responders discovered a deceased individual inside a burnt vehicle after 10 p.m. on Friday, August 25.

The vehicle was in a field northwest and a short distance from the intersection of South Morrill Road and East Lyman Road, approximately 3 miles south of Morrill.

The Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Department, the Morrill Police Department and the Morrill and Lyman fire departments responded to a report received at 9:59 p.m. of a vehicle on fire. On arrival, the vehicle was fully engulfed in flames.

Once the fire was out, personnel discovered a deceased individual inside.

Deputies protected the scene overnight, and additional personnel responded to continue the investigation Saturday morning. At this time, the identity of the deceased person has not been confirmed. The vehicle has been removed to a secure indoor facility for investigation. The Nebraska State Fire Marshals office is responding to assist.

The sheriffs department confirmed that the vehicle is one reported to have been driven by a 17-year-old Morrill girl who was reported missing by her family on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 26, Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman said in a press release.
Congressman Adrian Smith announced he will host a Farm Bill telephone town hall on Monday, Sept. 11 to conclude his 2017 Farm Bill listening tour.

The call will be held at 7 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. MT Smith held Farm Bill listening tour stops in Scottsbluff, Aurora, Broken Bow, Beatrice, and South Sioux City this year.

At public meetings throughout the Third District on my Farm Bill listening tour, I have received great feedback on what producers feel is or isnt working in the current legislation, Smith said. Its important to get as many Nebraskans as possible involved in these conversations as Congress prepares to draft a new Farm Bill.

With a district spanning more than 65,000 square miles, telephone town halls offer a valuable, convenient way for Nebraskans from Harrison to Rulo to participate as though we are all in one room together. I look forward to our discussion and encourage anyone in the Third District interested in agriculture policy to join the conversation.

To register for the Farm Bill telephone town hall, Third District constituents are invited to visit Smiths website at AdrianSmith.house.gov/FarmBillCall or contact his Washington, D.C. office at 202-225-6435. Registration will close on Sept. 11 at noon CT / 11 a.m. MT.

Smith serves as founder and co-chairman of the Modern Agriculture Caucus.
Midori Dori Nagasawa, 95, of Scottsbluff, went to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, August, 19, 2017 when she departed this life at her home. A graveside memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, September 1, 2017 at the Nebraska Veterans Cemetery in Alliance. There will be no visitation as cremation has taken place in accordance with her wishes. Online condolences may be made by visiting www.jolliffefuneralhome.com.

Dori was born February 13, 1922 in Ovid, Colorado. She received her early education in Hanna, Wyoming graduating in 1939. She attended junior college to become a secretary and bookkeeper.

Dori married Sam Nagasawa in June of 1947 in Denver. They shared 69 years together.

She and Sam moved to Scottsbluff in 1954. Dori worked as a bookkeeper for several businesses in the area, was a dental assistant for Dr. Matsuyama and a personal assistant for the city of Scottsbluff. She also served as a teachers aide at Lincoln Heights and helped many children in the summer reading program.

Dori was very active in the community, volunteering as a Cub Scout Den Mother and supporting Sam and her children with Boy Scouts. She was also active in Eastern Star and JOBS Daughters for many years. Dori was a very creative seamstress, making clothes for children, friends and grandchildren. She also made Barbie clothes and scarves. Dori was an accomplished baker, making the best cinnamon rolls and pies in town.

Dori is survived by her sons, Michael (Tammy) Nagasawa of Colorado Springs and Brian Nagasawa of Scottsbluff; grandchildren, Derek (Mollie) Richardson of Littleton, CO, Dallas (Aimee) Richardson of Wray, CO, Dalyn (Paris) Richardson of Montrose, CO, Devinn Richardson of Oshkosh, Melanie Michael of Spokane, WA, Chadwick Nagasawa of Scottsbluff and Hana Nagasawa of Scottsbluff; great granddaughter, Norah Richardson of Littleton, CO; brother, Herbert Okamoto of Los Angeles, CA; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam; her parents, Manzo and Tsuya Okamoto; sisters, Sadami Kuroda, Harriet Okamoto and Nellie Nagata; brother, Robert Okamoto; brothers-in-law, Shogo Kuroda, Charles Haun and Roy Nagata; sister-in-law, Mary Haun; and her mother-in-law and father-in-law.
Red tape kills jobs. It stifles innovation. And it prohibits growth. Thats why my administrations mission is to make state government more effective, more efficient, and more customer-focused. Over the past two and a half years, weve successfully put environmental quality permitting online. Were helping nurses get licensed more quickly. And the Legislature and I partnered to abolish unnecessary professional licensing requirements for the banking, medical, and auto industries to create more opportunity for hardworking Nebraskans.

As Governor, I have also worked with the Attorney General to push back on onerous regulations created by the Obama Administration. These include the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule and the Clean Power Plan (CPP). Thankfully, Washington is reversing course on these rules under the new administration. In the past six months, the Trump Administration has moved to repeal the 2015 WOTUS rule, as well as launched a review of the controversial CPP, which was proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2014.

The decision to repeal WOTUS and review CPP will help create more certainty for and spur future growth in Nebraskas top industries. For example, WOTUS would have allowed the EPA to have regulatory power over practically any body of water in Nebraskaeven ponds, ditches, and large puddles. This power would have been easily misused by environmental activists. Not only would have CPP been a major burden to the ag producers in our number one industry, but businesses also would have been required to file expensive and unnecessary permits.

Nebraska was also at the forefront of fighting President Obamas unnecessary and misguided CPP. Under the CPP, Nebraska would have been required to show a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in less than 10 years. This would not only be nearly logistically impossible, but also expensive for Nebraskans who enjoy low utility rates thanks to our unique public power system. It takes longer to plan new power transmission lines and new sources of power than the Obama Administration was willing to give states for compliance. Additionally, studies estimated that under CPP utility bills would rise by 12 percent to 35 percent. I applaud President Trumps review of this rule, and hope that he finalizes a full repeal soon.

Both of these moves by the Trump Administration will return power back to the states, where it belongs. We live in a diverse country governed by a diverse set of governors. These governors know what solutions work best for their individual states. In Nebraska, we have clean air and clean water because state and local government have exercised common sense oversight without stifling private sector innovation and job creation. WOTUS and CPP were dramatic overreaches by Washington that threatened significant harm to job creators while providing no real protection for consumers. Regulations should work for the people, not against them.

Here in Nebraska, my administration continues to focus on identifying new ways to make government work better for the people. Thats why I recently announced a review of all regulations in my agencies. Currently, Nebraskas Administrative Code consists of 7.5 million words with more than 100,000 restrictive words. It would take someone more than 10 weeks to read the entire code! While Nebraska already boasts a growth-oriented regulatory climate, this is a great opportunity to identify additional opportunities to make state government more effective and efficient. If we cant find a legitimate reason for a rule or regulation, we will work to get rid of it.

Building a regulatory climate with the customer in mind is helping grow our state by bringing new investments here. Its just one of the reasons why companies like Facebook, Kawasaki, Costco, and Cargill are all choosing to expand or begin their operations right here in Nebraska. In fact, Nebraska has seen over $1 billion in new project announcements, groundbreakings, or ribbon cuttings so far this year.

As this review progresses, I look forward to sharing with you some of the ways that we are working to make state government work better for you. By getting government out of the way, state government can create the framework for more opportunities for you and job creators across the state. I hope that you take the time to share any feedback on red tape thats impacting you. The best way to reach me is by contacting my office by emailing pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or calling 402-471-2244. I look forward to hearing from you!
The leader of the group opposing toll lanes on Interstate 77 says a study that casts a poor light on the project isnt the silver bullet needed to halt it. But its the first step in a long process  to do the right thing, adds Kurt Naas of Widen I-77.

Naas told a packed room at the Charles Mack Citizen Center on Thursday that an independent study performed by Mercator Advisors LLC of Philadelphia gives toll opponents renewed optimism that the states $660 million construction contract with Spanish firm Cintra can be nullified.

Widen I-77 hosted the meeting as an informational session for area residents. Naas and the group offered their take on the results of the 49-page report ordered by new North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Trogdon, and which was released earlier this month.

The contract is a 50-year straightjacket on the area, Naas told attendees Thursday, pointing out previously estimated toll rates of $20 per trip to Charlotte, which he believes would affect Mooresville residents the most. The 26-mile project also boasts a non-compete clause against future road improvements on major arteries in the area.

Diving straight into the findings of Mercator Advisors LLC, the first key observation by the company states that inconsistent public engagement has undermined confidence in the P3 (public-private partnership) project delivery approach, and that much of the publics frustration with the Express Lanes project can be attributed to the limited opportunity for public input during the project development period.

Naas, addressing this point, said that the important takeaway for this point was that the grassroots opposition efforts, like Widen I-77, were the reason the study was even done in the first place.

"The continued opposition (to this project) is why the study was even done, and the response from the public is extraordinary and unprecedented, he said.

He added that their next two findings, that the planning process did not provide sufficient opportunities for the public to evaluate the relative merits of express lanes and alternatives without tolls, and that the public expressed uncertainty about the project, explained why the trust between the public and officials who pushed the project has been damaged. He then cited multiple emails between elected officials, lobbyists, and NCDOT employees that cited varying amounts that would be owed if the project was indeed cancelled, further emphasizing the damaged trust.

"The termination amount is the same amount we spent on design and construction, Naas said. We pay (about) $289 million, as its a buyout, and not a penalty.

The solutions to the contract that were suggested by Mercator Advisors LLC did not meet Naas criteria for a good answer, as they either still included tolls, gave Charlotte too much of the decision-making power, or simply stopped the project, which is an expensive, indefinite solution.

Naas believed that the solution that would best benefit the area would be a complete buyout of the project and reverting the toll lanes into general purpose lanes, which he coined the Complete and Delete  a suggestion that received a thunderous round of applause from the audience.

If only it were that easy, Naas said with a sigh. Thats why its so important that we have public involvement to push our Complete and Delete solution.

Some ground rules, as he called them, for the "Complete and Delete" solution to make it realistically possible, would be to complete the project as planned including the expensive Charlotte section, but remove the toll-specific infrastructure. Trucks would be restricted to the far two right lanes, and Cintra would be reimbursed only for cost, and not for profit.

Going by those rules, and deleting the toll infrastructure, Naas said the project would cost an estimated $466 million, rather than the currently projected $636 million. Subtracting the funds that the state was willing to put towards the toll roads ($170 million) and the bonus allocation given as an incentive to adopt the toll project ($144 million), Naas said $152 million would be needed to finish the Complete and Delete scenario.

However, Naas believes that the cost to continue the toll project would be far greater than the expenditures of Complete and Delete, as the economic impact (of the toll road) would be devastating and not good for our region.

We spend an average of $150 million each year on tax incentives for economic development, he said. Invest that here, so we dont have an economic disaster with these lanes.

Mistakes are costly, he continued, but its essential to fix them."

Former North Carolina representative Robert Brawley was praised by Naas as one of the first legislators to stand up against the toll lanes, and was on hand to speak at the meeting. He encouraged attendees to contact your legislators, town council, and county commissioners, because working together, we can stop this thing, but we need your help to get the message out.

Naas said he encouraged a "call to action," telling the crowd to send government representatives multiple emails in your own words, being respectful and speaking from the heart."

We deliberately did not give suggested talking points for emails, because speaking from the heart is much more effective than a cut and paste, he said. Your words are more important.

Several members of the audience agreed, saying they had already gotten responses from legislators such as U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, and suggested calling and sending snail mail as well.

The fact that you are all here three years later is a testimony of your resolve (to stop the toll lanes), but this will be a long process, said Naas.

Anyone who would like to contact the North Carolina Department of Transportation and offer their feedback on the toll lane project can do so by Sept. 9 at i77feedback@ncdot.gov.
Its been almost four months since Wanda Rogers got a raise.

Even so, Rogers, 46, a mother of four, is still struggling to pay her rent and worries she might be evicted from her home in the Wells-Goodfellow neighborhood. On top of that, she fears her raise  to $10 an hour from the state minimum of $7.70  is going away.

If it goes back down, then Im really gonna be in the hole, said Rogers, who was part of a small protest earlier this month outside the McDonalds restaurant at 1400 Hampton Avenue, where she works. It put an extra $200 on my check.

She and her fellow protesters have been pushing employers to keep the higher $10 minimum, but many of the estimated 30,000-plus workers in the city who saw bigger checks for several months could soon see their pay cut.

Thats because on Monday, employers in the city of St. Louis will no longer be bound by the local ordinance that mandated a minimum wage of $10 an hour in the city. A state law passed on the final day of the 2017 legislative session takes effect Monday, overriding the St. Louis ordinance and lowering the floor to $7.70 an hour.

While local minimum wage ordinances have become a popular issue among Democratic politicians in many of the countrys big cities, St. Louis situation is somewhat unique.

Its not that a Republican-leaning state legislature blocked a local law  that has happened in places such as Cleveland and Birmingham, Ala. Whats different in St. Louis is that the local ordinance will have been in effect for months before a state pre-emption law kicks in.

Now workers are in limbo and employers face the uncomfortable choice of keeping a higher payroll or cutting employee wages back to a lower minimum. Some do plan to reduce wages, but many are planning to keep the raise for the time being, said Brad Kafka, an attorney who heads Polsinellis labor and employment practice.

Its difficult for an employer to tell employees that now were going to cut your wages by $2.30 an hour, he said. I think a lot of employers are struggling with it.

Its unclear how many businesses will actually reduce wages. Workers such as Rogers say their managers arent saying much about whether they will maintain the raises. A spokesman for area McDonalds franchisees, often the target of protests organized by the Fight for $15 group that has long pushed for higher wages, did not return requests for comment.

But at least some business owners say they wont cut employee wages when the state law takes effect.

People would be angry and then they wouldnt do a good job and theyd be resentful, said Harman Moseley, whose STL Cinemas operates four local theaters, including the Chase Park Plaza, Moolah Theatre and MX Movies.

In order to keep all his employees equal, Moseley said, he already decided to pay $10 an hour to workers at his theater in the Galleria, which is in Richmond Heights and not subject to the city ordinance.

The higher minimum pushed up wages for about 70 of his 80-or-so workers, he estimated. Managers who were making more than the $10 minimum then wanted their own raises. Annual payroll, he said, will be at least $100,000 more, plus the additional payroll taxes it triggers.

Its not an easy time to be in the theater business, but Moseley is hoping keeping the higher pay translates into happier workers and thus more satisfied customers. He said STL Cinemas would just have to be more vigilant about staffing at the right level and sending people home when movies dont draw the expected crowds.

This is not going to put us out of business, Moseley said. We might not be quite as profitable as we would have been, but we feel like were doing the right thing.

State steps in

Mondays state law comes two years to the day that then-Mayor Francis Slay signed the St. Louis ordinance. Court challenges from business interests delayed the ordinances effective date until the Missouri Supreme Court ruled in February that the law could take effect, which it did in May.

Legislators in Jefferson City moved to block the St. Louis ordinance, but Democratic delay tactics and Republican lawmakers bickering with Gov. Eric Greitens, also a Republican, ultimately pushed action to the final hours of the legislative session. Greitens opted to let the bill take effect without his signature.

Now, efforts have turned to a local Save the Raise campaign urging St. Louis businesses to maintain the $10 minimum once the new state law takes effect. Dozens of mostly small, local restaurants and shops have signed on.

Other governments are looking at higher minimum wages, too. In a symbolic gesture in Kansas City, 69 percent of voters voted Aug. 8 for a higher minimum wage despite knowing the state law had already blocked local minimum wage increases. In Illinois, lawmakers passed in June a bill that would increase the states minimum wage of $8.25 to $15 an hour by 2022. Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner on Friday vetoed the bill; at least one sponsor said he will seek an override of the veto.

In Missouri, advocates of a higher minimum wage are already mobilizing a new statewide campaign to get a minimum wage measure on the November 2018 ballot. If organizers with the Raise Up Missouri campaign gather enough signatures and voters approve it next year, Missouris minimum wage would go up to $8.60 in 2019 and increase 85 cents each year until 2023, when it would hit $12 an hour.

Jake Rosenfeld, a sociology professor at Washington University who studies labor and inequality, points to the successful 2014 statewide measure raising Arkansas minimum wage as an example of the issues resonance beyond a liberal base.

What we know from polling is that minimum wage increases are incredibly popular and that they cut across, more than other issues, the ideological spectrum, Rosenfeld said. And if its on the ballot, it stands a very strong chance of passing.

St. Louis is already a heavily Democratic city, so there probably wont be backlash at the ballot box for Missouri Republicans who worked to overturn the minimum, said David Kimball, a political science professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. But if advocates can get the word out about the pre-emption effort, it could mobilize some people.

In general, raising the minimum wage polls pretty well, Kimball said. It may in the end increase support for raising the minimum wage statewide.

Lara Granich, who is leading the statewide Raise Up Missouri petition drive, said the fight over St. Louiss ordinance makes it the right time for a statewide push.

Certainly pre-emption put a lot of energy behind the statewide (petition) effort because people are actually losing money to put food on the table, Granich said.

Mixed research

A statewide approach could also be more palatable to some opponents that worried the city was shooting itself in the foot by setting a far higher minimum wage than much larger St. Louis County or even Illinois, which already has a statewide minimum 55 cents higher than Missouris.

Having something that is broader or statewide is something that we would be more interested in, said Hart Nelson, the St. Louis Regional Chambers vice president of public policy.

That said, the Chamber still doesnt want to see minimum wages in the region pushed too high.

What works in Seattle isnt necessarily the same thing as St. Louis because of our cost of living, Nelson said.

In addition, many minimum wage increase beneficiaries dont necessarily come from low-income families. An analysis from the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank found that of an estimated 42,862 city workers making less than $10 per hour, only 17,871 came from households earning below $35,000.

If the goal is to improve life for poor workers, the Chamber supports a state earned income tax credit as a more precise tool.

Steve Fazzari, a Washington University economics professor, said research is mixed on minimum wage effects. Some papers show big job losses, others show minimal job losses.

A recent study out of the University of Washington on Seattles increases toward a $15 minimum wage that found job losses led to a 6 percent net decrease in pay to lower income workers was interesting, Fazzari said. But people are already criticizing some of its data.

So far, he said, the preponderance of research appears to show minimum wage job losses dont outweigh the benefits of higher wages to remaining workers. That said, St. Louis is uniquely fragmented as a metropolitan area.

Theres a kind of conceptual issue, which is the smaller region the increase applies, in my view, the more likely you are to get job losses, he said. That does not mean there would be overwhelming job losses for St. Louis. We dont know that. It just is a reason to be a little more concerned.

Fazzari personally thinks a New Deal-style government employment program could be more effective at reducing poverty, but thats an idea only being discussed within academic circles at the moment.

If were talking about things that can make a difference for low-wage workers over the next five years, probably the minimum wage is our best bet.
Bill McClellan Bill McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Bill McClellan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Stephen Blakely grew up in Alton during the Ozzie and Harriet era. His dad was a purchasing agent for Western Cartridge Co. His mom stayed at home with Stephen and his older brother.

Stephen could make things. Give him some bubble gum and a few paper clips, and hed build something. He was in grade school when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, and as a bright young kid with mechanical aptitude, he was soon on track for a career in engineering. He majored in mechanical engineering at the University of Illinois. As an undergrad, he worked in a special program for McDonnell Douglas.

But two years before Sputnik, something else happened that would impact Blakelys life. He saw Land of the Pharaohs. It had a cast of thousands. Literally. Warner Brothers claimed there were more than 9,000 extras in one scene. William Faulkner was one of the screenwriters. But what captivated young Blakely was the Great Pyramid. How did they build that thing?

After college, Blakely worked in a number of engineering positions before finally settling into the field of medical technology. He patented a device that surgeons use to prevent damaging a patients vocal chords during thyroid surgery. He and a friend started their own company. Hes had a very successful career.

In his spare time, he might have solved the mystery of the Great Pyramid. How did they build that thing?

The Egyptians moved more than 2.3 million stones. Average weight was about 4,000 pounds. How did they do that? The problem is not just the weight of the stones, its the number. To finish in 30 years, they would have to be moving a stone every three or four minutes. And by moving, I mean lifting. This would not be an easy task.

The most common theory has involved ramps. Perhaps a long ramp on which workers would put stones on log rollers to more easily pull them up, or maybe some kind of spiral ramp that would circle the pyramid. But skeptics argue ramps would not be efficient enough. Nobody really knows.

Blakely has developed a theory that the Egyptians didnt use ramps. He believes the builders used a primitive pulley, a rounded piece of stone or wood with a groove for the rope. Workers would haul the stones up the sides of the pyramids. Ten pulleys working simultaneously and the thing could be done.

In engineering, simple is excellent, Blakely told me when we met for coffee a week ago.

Blakely is no armchair theorist. Four years ago, he went to his alma mater and asked the University of Illinois Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering to consider his theory as a senior project. The department agreed, and four senior engineering students used Blakelys design to build an Egyptian pulley with materials that would have been available to the Egyptians. The lubricant was olive oil. The students conducted tests at Marcal Rope & Rigging in Alton.

The pulley easily handled a 4,400-pound rock.

The experiment was documented in the Journal of Experimental Archaeology Digest in 2014.

The story is a bit technical for somebody who doesnt even know the three components of a conventional pulley  an axle, a grooved wheel and a support fixture for the axle  but it all sounded very positive. This is something the Egyptians could have done. The mystery of the Great Pyramid may have been solved by an engineer from Alton.

But the publication of the successful experiment was greeted with  nothing. It wasnt as if people rushed forward to denounce the theory. Or even be skeptical about it. The Egyptologists simply ignored it.

Blakely does not seem devastated. He said he imagines the Egyptian engineers would be pleased with the situation. He said the Egyptians left us plenty of information about other things. We know how they made rope. We know how they made beer. But their greatest accomplishment? He said he suspects they wanted visitors to imagine the gods were responsible, which is, Blakely pointed out, a theory promoted on late-night shows about aliens.

After his successful experiment, he learned that he was not the first to publish something about this type of pulley. Leonardo da Vinci designed a similar instrument in 1506 to study the laws of friction.

Thats not bad company.

Blakely has never been to Egypt, but he said he plans to go next year when a new museum opens. Maybe one of their artifacts would be part of a primitive pulley. Unless you know what youre looking for, you cant find it, he said.

Absent that type of irrefutable proof, Blakely faces the task of getting attention for his ideas. Hed love to be discovered by the Discovery Channel. Hed really love to give a presentation at some prestigious Egyptology conference, but he does not have the academic chops for that. Hes just an engineer. Like the guys who built the Great Pyramid.
From left, Sarah Hodgson, GAGA UK director, Hana Smiddy, GAGA fundraiser, and employee at Take Flight Aviation and Mike Roberts, managing director of Take Flight Aviation Ltd who have supported GAGA recently with their fundraising Loop the Loop Challenge which raised over 1,900 for GAGA.

HANA Smiddy, from Take Flight Aviation based at Wellesbourne, recently decided that she would join local charity GAGA UK and its director Sarah Hodgson on a trip to South Africa.

Next year, Hana will visit various projects supported by GAGA UK  Goodwill and Growth for Africa UK - including a primary school. Shell be taking her knowledge and skills as a Beavers Group leader and working with children and organisations there; shell also be interested in seeing the projects and how money raised helps individuals in rural communities.

In the run up to her trip Hana hopes to raise funds to support the projects shell visit. Shell soon be taking on the Windermere 21 challenge on 1st September which sees her circumnavigating the entire 21 miles of Lake Windermere in a kayak.

I am excited but it looks a bit scary. Ive never done anything like this before, however Im fit and healthy and will have a guide with me. Im just an average 36-year-old mum and wife and its something that needs to be done to help others, Hana said.

She will also be doing the Winter Wolf Run, along with her husband, and Sarah and some friends on 6th November at Stanford Hall, Leicestershire.

To support Hana please visit her Virgin Money Giving page: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/HanaSmiddyAfrica2018

Full story in this weeks Herald.
NASA Relies on Teradek for the Official Eclipse 2017 Multicast Live Streaming

NASA EDGE is the most popular video podcast for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It delivers episodic videos and live webcasts for NASA-related events (rocket launches, orbital maneuvers, astronomical events, etc.). Over the past ten years, NASA EDGE has produced more than 135 episodes and 25 live webcasts via Ustream.

Most of NASA EDGE's live webcasting and production needs are managed within NASAs infrastructure. However, earlier this summer, we had the opportunity to provide an off-site, live webcast using a Teradek Cube 155 we acquired from NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center. The Teradek allowed us to deliver the program feed through the firewall (negotiated) back to NASA Langley, where it was captioned and shared with all interested parties.

This capability opened several new opportunities for us. Were no longer limited to a single distribution platform. If the network strength is there, we can send our program feed back to NASA Langley to be captioned and then distributed either via broadcast and/or the web.

Before, we were not able to provide captioning, and we were limited to one stream (Ustream, Facebook, or YouTube). Teradek has given us more flexibility with regard to our broadcast location and the ability to provide better distribution.

Teradek products changed our entire approach to covering the Eclipse. For this event, we needed to provide a program feed for the audience along with four additional feeds for our telescopes (three independent solar scopes at different frequencies and one feed with processed video imagery of the eclipse).

The additional feeds were helpful for multiple reasons. First, different portions of the eclipse were more spectacular at different frequencies, so we needed constant coverage across the three frequencies. Also, we wanted to utilize each frequency for our program in addition to sharing them in the clear for fellow broadcasters. There is no way we could justify the satellite truck and transmission costs to provide all of these feeds. After our experience earlier this year, we knew we could meet everyones needs using Teradek products.

Our workflow involved us using 5 Teradek Cubes to take each telescope feed (H-Alpha, Calcium-K, White Light), a processed imagery video feed, as well as our program feed, and make them available for live broadcast.

This post-processed imagery was sourced from a computer attached to a Teradek, which sent the stunning video sequences to its own dedicated Ustream channel.

Finally, our program feed was sourced from a switcher to our captioning device. From there, it was sent to a distribution amp where the show was sent to our on-site satellite truck and to our final Cube. This final Cube sent our program feed to CORE, where it was multicasted live across multiple online sites (Ustream, Facebook, YouTube and others).

This article was submitted as an exclusive to Streaming Media by Teradek. Learn more about the filming process in this FD Times article. Learn more about the Teradek workflow here.

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Israeli Jewish Rabbi Shlomo Mlma asked Israeli Jewish settlers to poison Palestinian water resources in order to kill them. Mlma, the chairman of the Council of Rabbis in the West Bank settlements, asked the settlers to do so in order to cleans the Palestinians from the West Bank cities and villages.

According to Israeli anti-occupation organisation Breaking the Silence, the rabbi wanted the Israeli Jewish settlers to push the Palestinians to leave their villages and pave the way for settlers to take over their lands.

Dozens of similar orders were made by rabbis that called for killing Palestinians, robbing their lands and farmlands and destroying their property.

International law views the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied territories and considers all Jewish settlement building on the land to be illegal.

About 800,000 Jewish settlers currently live on more than 100 Jewish-only settlements built since Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.

Inspired by such incitement, Israeli Jewish settlers several times killed Palestinians and destroyed their properties in the occupied West Bank.
Amidst restructuring, SriLankan flies you free on 38th anniversary By Sunimalee Dias View(s): View(s):

SriLankan Airlines, currently working on its restructuring, on Thursday launched plans to celebrate the carriers 38th anniversary at the Hilton Colombo.

The airline announced an offer that allows the ticket holders partner to fly for free onboard SriLankan Airlines and which could be extended to one kid as well in partnership with the Standard Chartered Bank and Visa International.

The airlines restructuring plans are still being worked out by the authorities, SriLankan Airlines CEO Captain Suren Ratwatte said on the sidelines of the launch while talking to the Business Times.

He noted that while they wish to commence work on these plans as early as possible they were still awaiting instructions from higher authorities involved in drawing up these for which even the airlines board of directors did not have any say.

In fact he noted that Melbourne would be the last destination the carrier would be launching for some time to come. SriLankan is scheduled to fly to Melbourne from October this year.

Capt. Ratwatte pointed out that the carrier was currently operating to destinations based on its aircraft fleet and that they were unable to purchase more without which they could not expand their destination outreach.

Partner Flies Free promotion will issue 1000 free return air tickets to 14 destinations namely Melbourne, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Male, Gan Island (Maldives), Seychelles, Kunming, Hong Kong, Guangzhou (Canton), Visakhapatnam, Hyderabad and Coimbatore. Each destination is given a set quota of seats and passengers can claim their tickets on a first-come-first-served basis.

Bookings must be made between August 28 and September 6 on SriLankan Airlines dedicated webpage with any Visa credit or debit card issued in Sri Lanka for travel between August 28 and March 31, 2018.

Passengers booking with their Standard Chartered SriLankan Airlines cobranded Visa cards are eligible for the Child Flies Free offer thereby availing themselves of the partner and kid flies free offer for families planning on going on vacation overseas.
CIFC law will be challenged View(s):

Joint opposition MP Bandula Gunawardane told the Business Times that they would definitely file action in the Supreme Court against the CIFC Law challenging its constitutionality once it is gazetted.

He noted that in a recent gazette notification issued under the signature of Minister Malik Samarawickrama, it has declared that the reclaimed area will come under the authority of Urban Development Authority Act (UDA) and the proposed CIFC law.

JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said there are laws governing the reclamation of paddy land or even swamps, but there is no law for land reclamation from the sea. Therefore everyone should be cautious about the proposed CIFC law.
Constitutional amendment required for Port city laws By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

The Government is preparing history-making laws governing the administration of the under-construction Colombo Port city but could face opposition if it, as pointed by legal experts, requires Constitutional amendments.

The proposed draft bill creating the Colombo International Financial City (CIFC), formerly named Colombo Port city, and which in turn includes an International Financial Zone (IFZ) is intended to simplify procedures for foreign investors. The bill is to be presented to Parliament shortly. The project developer is the CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd.

A senior official of the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs said the zone will have its own legal, regulatory, tax and business infrastructure.

And, this is where constitutional law experts see the problem. In Sri Lanka, unless you change the Constitution, you cannot have a separate law even in a newly created area of the country, one Presidents Counsel told the Business Times, noting that arbitration decisions and judicial rulings on commercial matters should be made under the existing Sri Lankan law.

The Ministry official disclosed that the IFZ will create an environment for the international financial services industry by attracting reputed international banking and financial services companies to locate within the CIFC.

The draft is being prepared by the Ministrys legal division headed by former Attorney General Yuvanjana Wijethilake with a cadre of supporting staff of senior and junior research officers. A group of university interns is also engaged in research work during the period of devising the new law, he revealed.

The CIFC would operate under a separate set of laws with a separate court and separate arbitration centres  a city that is run under a different set of rules. The CIFC will not come under the purview of the Colombo Municipal Council and its administration will be governed by a separate authority, the official said.

This is not the first time the authorities have been contemplating separate laws to govern this development which began under the aegis of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, with moves to bring in separate laws reported by the Business Times at that time too.

Last year in a February 21 Business Times story headlined Hong Kong-based law firm to draft and revise Sri Lankas fiscal and monetary laws, it was reported that Hong Kong-based consultancy Baker McKenzie is to draft new laws on various sectors including the CIFC.

Another corporate and tax law expert told the Business Times that while amending the Constitution is inevitable in this scenario, changing the Constitution wont be an easy exercise.

He cited examples where Singapore, Dubai and China have set up separate cities with different rules based on British law to govern it by changing their Constitutions. He said this the first time that Sri Lanka is planning to govern an artificially-created city through a separate legal framework based probably on English law.

Finance Ministry sources said that Sri Lanka expects to attract investments to the tune of US$13 billion to start coming in from 2018 onwards targetting investors from South Asia, particularly India.

CIFC is a concept developed through the joint efforts of the Government and CHEC Port City Colombos parent company China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC)  a Chinese multinational corporate. The project spans 269 hectares, and is estimated to be a $15 billion investment upon completion.
Dipped Product probes sexual harassment allegations claims View(s):

A senior official at Hayleys PLC subsidiary, Dipped Products PLCs Thailand branch is being probed by Hayleys over sexual harassment allegations against a female employee in Thailand.

The individual has complained in an e-mail to the local office on an inappropriate incident with the said senior official which resulted in her being victimised in office, she says in the letter sent to Dipped Products PLC (DPL) in Colombo, which has been forwarded to the Business Times by her.

Dr. Mahesha Ranasoma, CEO DPL when contacted confirmed receiving the complaint and said the allegations are being probed.

As her English is poor, the employee has got her friend to translate and help write the said letter.

She has complained to the police and to the Labour Department in Thailand as well.

She has said that her case is a reflection of how the company is treating its staff abroad. Dr. Ranasoma said that the due procedure is being followed as the company needs to be fair by all staff concerned.

(DEC)
A ministers removal cannot heal the beggars wound of high corruption View(s):

The agitated pleas of the ruling United National Party (UNP) parliamentarians that they became fully aware of former Justice Minister Wijayadasa Rajapakshe allegedly stalling corruption cases against the Rajapaksa clan only now, must be taken with more than a pinch of that proverbial salt.

Overstepping the line a long time ago

That explanation, as rich as it is, is a tad too disingenuous to swallow in one gulp. Let me be clear. If the basis for the ejection of the Minister was the violation of the principle of collective Cabinet responsibility, that is another matter altogether. But the Government should not try to ride high on the removal and hold out that the one obstacle to a successful anti-corruption drive has now been disposed of. That will only be accepted by the exceedingly naive.

For if one fact was clear in this messy saga, it was that the former Justice Minister was overstepping the line a long time ago, with little consequences from the party hierarchy. There are many examples. Six months into the new Government being installed for instance, he questioned if it would be correct to allow former Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to be arrested under anti-terror legislation as this was a law implemented against Prabhakaran. His claim was that, if so, this would be to make a Prabhakaran out of the former Defence Secretary (Hiru talkshow programme, Salakuna, December 15, 2015).

The personal partiality and categorical bias reflected in that exchange was unbelievable. It is not the business of a Justice Minister to declare as to what individuals a particular law should apply to. That is the function of the courts. And in any event, the sham patriotic fervor in that question is contradicted in a practical sense. The Rajapaksas themselves had little compunction in using anti-terror laws against the celebrated war-winning Army Commander Sarath Fonseka. Several of his body guards were arrested under emergency law.

Is the dismissal too little, too late?

So there is no impunity protecting the former Secretary of Defence and the former Presidents brother from arrest under the law which applies to whatever offence that an individual is accused of. The law is the standard as applied/investigated/prosecuted by the very institutions that the former Minister pleads with considerable fervor that he could not have interfered with. He cannot hide behind that cover and privilege some over others. The same reasoning was evidenced in his defence of the private maritime security firm Avant Garde, accused of maintaining a floating armoury of purportedly illegal weapons in the Galle harbour, when investigations were ongoing.

So this behaviour on his part was certainly not of recent duration. Protests to the contrary do not ring very convincingly in our ears. For the Government, the question now is if this dismissal is too little, too late. Certainly there has been a huge dent in its good governance credibility shield. The former Justice Minister has protested that his removal was to pressurize the Department of the Attorney General in regard to stepping back from hard action in ongoing hearings before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry investigating the infamous Central Bank bond scam under this Government. He has claimed that the Attorney General was summoned and castigated by the Government. In turn, the Attorney General has stoutly refuted this allegation and said that it was he himself who requested a meeting on behalf of the Department with the Prime Minister. The public will wait to make a judgment on this matter.

In particular, let us see if a 2008 amendment to the COI Act (1948) which conferred new powers upon the Attorney General to institute criminal proceedings in a court of law in respect of any offence based on material collected in the course of an investigation or inquiry, as the case may be, by a Commission of Inquiry will be made use of in this regard. The fact of this amendment was first pointed to in these column spaces (The classic dilemma of the unrepentant ministers, Focus on Rights, August 6, 2017).

Addressing core failures of the legal system

And to be perfectly clear, the absence of political will is not limited to stalled corruption cases. Core problems bedeviling the criminal justice system are still not even sought to be redressed. These include chronic laws delays in emblematic cases of killings, extra-judicial executions and enforced disappearances along with pending cases on thievery of state funds.

The Ministry of Justice, other countless outfits working on the Rule of Law from 2015 hand in glove with the Government as it were, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, should have advocated for and pushed through policy changes and monitored ongoing cases. The overhaul should have been comprehensive. If this had happened in the North and East, it would have taken the sting away from the (justifiable) fury that the Government has done nothing but talk of an elusive transitional justice. Most importantly it would have alleviated the pain of family members of victims. That did not happen. That is shameful. Similarly, this effort would have deprived the Rajapaksas of their exceedingly false cry of victimhood in the South.

Human resource shortages at the Attorney Generals Department and the Criminal investigations Department are quoted as cause for why the law splutters. Rectifying that problem is the responsibility of the Justice Minister. But the former incumbent seemed to only luxuriate in inflammatory declarations with little else to show. Certainly when a Minister fails the responsibilities of his portfolio, he cannot hide behind the mantra of saying that he did not want to interfere with independent institutions.

Making up our own minds

So we return to the initial question underlying the introductory paragraphs of this column. Will the departure of this Minister make a difference to the trajectory of Sri Lankas anti-corruption efforts? As pointed out previously, the octopus-like tentacles of corruption reach into the highest places of government, then and now.

The UNPs silence for more than one and a half years while this beggars wound festered and its hysterical effort to prevent the truth regarding the Central Bank bond scandal is telling. It will take a considerable effort to rid itself of allegations of bad faith that cling so persistently to it, much like an unpleasant smell.

Undoubtedly, the people will make up their own minds about the Government as the former Justice Minister exhorted with passion following his dismissal this week. Yet, it is a stretch to think that sympathy for him will feature prominently in that equation. That much is quite evident.
Exit Wijeyadasa as JO takes aim at Rajitha drilled by JVP for starters By Chandani Kirinde - Lobby Correspondent View(s): View(s):

With the Govt of National Unity completing two years in office, growing pains seem to be setting in with the shaky arrangement between the UNP and the SLFP becoming shakier. The euphoria of August 21, 2015, the day Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn into office, along with the Cabinet of Ministers, has long evaporated and heads have begun to roll.

Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe this week became the second Minister in the past fortnight to lose his ministerial portfolio. His removal from the Cabinet by President Maithripala Sirisena came hot on the heels of the departure of Ravi Karunanayake, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, who, under pressure over his connection with controversial businessman Arjun Aloysius, stepped down on August 10. Mr. Rajapakshe was removed by President Sirisena on the insistence of the UNP, the very party from which the former Justice Minister contested for a parliamentary seat from the Colombo District and won.

Mr. Rajapakshe who also held the portfolio of Buddha Sasana, has now been relegated to the position of a backbencher in the House, just as Mr. Karunanayake. And while Mr. Rajapakshe made some bold comments as he left his ministerial duties, he did not show up in Parliament, despite speculation he would address the House to explain the circumstances that led to his sacking.

Instead, the newly appointed Minister of Justice Talata Atukorala, the first woman to hold the post, came to the Chamber on Friday, soon after taking oaths, to be warmly greeted by members on the Govt side. She was joined by Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, the new Minister of Buddha Sasana. Ms. Atukorala will retain the post of Foreign Employment Promotion & Welfare, while Mr. Perera too will retain the portfolio of Sustainable Development & Wildlife, in addition to the new responsibilities entrusted to them.

While Mr. Rajapakshes sacking looked like a tit-for-tat move in the wake of Mr. Karunanayakes forced resignation, developments in Parliament this week set the tone for more such dramas in the weeks ahead. This time the Joint Opposition (JO) group is gunning for another Cabinet Minister. The JO group which has been sympathetic towards Mr. Rajapakshes views that the Govt was working against national interests by the sell-out of the Hambantota port, wants to see the back of Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Seneratne.

Hence, 39 MPs in the JO group signed a No-Confidence motion against Dr. Senaratne and handed it over to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Wednesday.

The motion, among others, alleges the Minister used his influence to evade an investigation against him by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery & Corruption (CIAOBAC), and also accusing him of plunging the countrys Health sector into crisis, siding with the South Asian Institution of Technology & Medicine (SAITM), while neglecting State sector Medical Colleges, and not acting fast enough to prevent the Dengue epidemic in the country. Also included in the motion are several allegations relating to the time he served as the Minister of Fisheries.

It is likely the motion will be backed by JVP MPs too, given the manner in which the Partys leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka lambasted the Health Minister in Parliament this week.

The two locked horns after the Health Minister stood to respond to the allegations by the JVP lawmaker, that patients seeking treatment at govt hospitals, often have to buy medicines from private pharmacies and also have to get their medical tests done privately. The Health Ministers attempts to correct this was met with a barrage of severe criticism by the JVP MP.

If the Govt Health sector is functioning well, why did the Health Minister take Rs. 10 million from the Presidents Fund and go to Singapore to get treatment? If the hospitals here are so good, why did he not get his surgery done at the National Hospital? the JVP MP asked.

The JO has asked the Speaker to fix an early date to debate the No-Confidence motion which is likely to be taken up next month. While there is little doubt the Govt can muster enough votes to defeat such a motion, with the 20th Amendment to the Constitution tabled in the House this week, the Govt will have to work at getting the two-third majority needed to get a Constitutional amendment approved by Parliament.

On Friday, the Govt did overcome a major hurdle to holding elections to Local Authorities, by getting Parliamentary approval for the Local Govt Elections (Amendment) Bill. There were no votes against the Bill, with the JO deciding to abstain from voting.

This clears the path to holding the polls under a mixed system, with 60% of the members to be elected under the Westminster (First-past-the Post) system and 40% under the Proportional Representation (PR) system.

In September, the Govt will seek approval for another landmark piece of legislation, the Inland Revenue Bill which will introduce a new tax structure for the country.

However, given the transient nature of politics in the country today, it is hard to predict what other drama will unfold between now and September 6, when Parliament next meets.
Rajapakshe falls between two stools View(s):

The relatively swift and somewhat unceremonious dismissal of the Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister on Wednesday is one more in a somewhat long line of ministerial sackings, and another bizarre episode gripping the Government in general and the UNP in particular. The former Finance and later Foreign Minister escaped this ignominy only by a whisker a fortnight ago by resigning before getting the boot.

The now former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe dug in his heels and held his ground as his party hierarchy ganged up and rallied the troops to go for his blood. The ostensible crime he had committed was to have spoken against the party and violated principles of Cabinet collective responsibility but, the real reason was his sudden outburst on the controversial Hambantota harbour agreement signed by his Government.

The former Minister did himself no favours by saying that it is the President who can sack him  something that therefore pitched his party (UNP) leadership directly in a battle of pride with the President (SLFP). Mr. Rajapakshe, a self-made lawyer is no greenhorn in politics. He ought to have known he had signed his own political death sentence by taking that provocative position in an environment where the two coalition partners dont see eye-to-eye.

Since Independence, the country has seen resignations, crossovers and sackings of MPs aplenty. In 1959, Prime Minister S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike wanted to expel five MPs found guilty by a one-man Bribery Commission but he was assassinated before action was taken. The Civic Disabilities law was introduced only in 1965. In 1975, an entire party (LSSP) was expelled from the Cabinet and Government. Somewhat more recently, Ministers M.D.H. Jayawardene, Cyril Mathew and Ronnie de Mel were sacked from their portfolios by President J.R. Jayewardene for criticising the party. So, Mr. Rajapakshe now joins that illustrious and not-so illustrious list. To accuse him of stalling corruption investigations against the former Mahinda Rajapaksa Government is an unfair allegation making him a scapegoat for the sins of others within his party. As Minister of Justice he may have been less pro-active in the prosecution of the corrupt, but his role was only in the adjudicating process and not in the investigations being handled by another department.

The fact that influential political persona in his own party were hand-in-glove with the nefarious characters of the past Government is an open secret. Business deal-makers, government contractors and even those wanting to launder ill-gotten monies of those in the former Administration, having a cosy partnership with some UNP Ministers is what has put the party at odds with the President  and the country.

Cabinets collective responsibility is an essential prerequisite for effective governance maybe, however much it stifles the free expression of Ministers. Parliament allows a conscience vote, not so the Cabinet. During the Cabinet discussion on the move to strip former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike of her civic rights four Ministers expressed their opposition to the exercise. One of them was then front-line Minister, Gamini Dissanayake. He was ostracised for what he did by his leader, President J.R. Jayewardene for several months. Even so, Mr. Dissanayake made no public comment on the stance he took.

Mr. Rajapakshe has had to pay the price for what SLFP Ministers in the Cabinet are doing on a regular basis. Just a fortnight ago, and immediately after the Cabinet approved the 20th Amendment to the Constitution giving Parliament powers of dissolved Provincial Councils (in a veiled bid to postpone PC elections), SLFP Ministers went public opposing the Cabinet decision. Apparently, what is sauce for Mr. Rajapakshe is not sauce for the SLFP Ministers. Conversely, the UNP- run CCEM (Cabinet Committee on Economic Management) was accused of by-passing Cabinet collective responsibility by taking decisions without the Cabinets knowledge.

What Mr. Rajapakshe said in one of his interviews was absolutely right i.e. the country is bigger than the government. He was removed for his public posturing on the Hambantota agreement. But then, under fire, he wilted. He began backtracking without sticking to his position in a bid to save his portfolio.

In the process, he has fallen between two stools; that of his twin portfolios and the moral high ground he took.

Effective ways to expedite corruption probes

The outgoing Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapaksha had something succinct to say in his farewell comments to the media on Wednesday. He said that while other Justice Ministers were blamed for interfering with the Attorney General and the Judiciary, he was being blamed for not doing so. We know how former Justice Ministers humiliated judges and one more recently even ordered the AG to send out an indictment when the AG said there was no case. The entire issue revolves around the impotence of the incumbent Government to successfully prosecute corrupt wrongdoers of the previous Government. Now, leaders downplay the accusations saying election rhetoric must not be taken seriously while finding various excuses for the inaction.

We have said this before; the reasons for these delays are four-fold i.e. 1) the lack of forensic skills to follow paper trails of mega deals and banking secrecy overseas; 2) bribery within the investigations; 3) volume of files on petty thefts; and 4) political interference  not necessarily in that order resulting in half- baked files being sent up to the AGs department for indictment.

We were told in the early days of this Government that World Bank teams from the Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR) and US Federal investigators were there to identify the rogues of yesteryear and help recover the loot.

Insofar as special courts to accelerate these cases go, step one is not to have half-baked investigations sent to the AG. The Bond Commission is being skilfully handled partly because the crimes committed are local, and there is a willingness to go ahead. The long arm of the law is not long enough overseas. Examples from other countries, even China, and how they are having special courts to fight corruption, are worth studying.

There is a need to bring in the Suo Moto provisions found in India where various legal instruments exist for civil society groups and even lower court judges to initiate investigations. Some Ministers glibly talk of High Courts sitting morning, noon and afternoon. Already two Supreme Court judges of a 11-member bench are sitting in the Bond Commission. However important and onerous their work is, laws delays are a real issue for the ordinary citizen. It is time the respective age-limits of the Appellate Court and High Court justices are reviewed with a view to raising them as is happening all over the world, and also their numbers increased  without lowering standards, to accommodate the junior judicial officers to meet the demand. Over to the Government to walk the talk. Where there is a will, there is a way.
King Rajasinghe flees This article is part of a continuing series on Sri Lankan history View(s): View(s):

Pigera started conquering the camps set up by King Rajasinghe. The king arrived there, accompanied by his security forces. Meanwhile, some of the mercenary armies that were serving Pigera, deserted him. Yet, Pigera did not give up the fight. He went on attacking the Sinhala army.

A number of guns that bore the emblem of Late General Constantine de Saa, which were in the possession of the Sinhala army, were snatched by the Portuguese. King Rajasinghe knew that the battle was going to be a failure. He went back to Kandy, with the intention of making preparations for the Dalada Perahera (procession).

King Rajasinghe decided to hold the Dalada Perahera in its highest grandeur possible to establish the fact that he was the undisputed leader of the country and maintain that status. On the very day of the perahera, Pigera besieged Thumpane. The king sent the Dissawa of Peradeniya to chase him away.

By this time, the Dutch had besieged the fort in Kalutara. It was done expecting to get Pigera there. But, Pigera did not budge an inch from where he was. In the meantime, King Rajasinghe suggested holding a press conference. This was done with the intention of getting Pigera there to take part in it.

All these attempts failed. King Rajasinghe set up camp in Mawela. By this time, Pigera did not have enough soldiers in the army to continue the fight. But he made a false alarm to the effect that he was coming to besiege the king. The king believe this and fled the scene.

By Halaliye Karunathilake,

Edited and translated by Kamala Silva

Illustrated by Saman Kalubowila
AN INTIMATE GETAWAY AT YATHRA BY JETWING View(s):

While the frequent jet skiers, wind surfers, sailors and more take to the waters in Bentota for adventure activities, on the other end of the water way you will find a float which will give you a rare experience of luxury and adventure in motion  Yathra by Jetwing.

Taking the form of a houseboat, Yathra by Jetwing allows its guests to transcend into a world of tranquility passing through the scenic views along the Bentara Ganga. The boat sets sail at four in the evening towards the sunset promising breathtaking views with the pastel skies outlining the mangrove forests and little islets on the way. Guests can experience the journey in the comfort of their cabin with a balcony inclusive of minimalistic modern amenities. Feel nothing but ease in the two air-conditioned cabins with attached bathrooms as you float across the river while seated in the turquoise chairs set in the room balcony adding a private moment to the guests.

Come nightfall, dinner will be served at the front deck or under the mesmerising stars on the top deck. The chef on board specialises in serving only the finest in Sri Lankan cuisine that will only leave you asking for more. The breakfast cruise commences at seven in the morning allowing guests to laze into the day in the comfort of the lounges on the top deck. Yathra by Jetwing allows travellers to embark on a memorable journey with friends, family or significant other in a mysterious yet beautiful setting. The bamboo walls and thatch roof rustling in the wind as you cruise through the river adds to the soothing experience of a personal voyage.

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Diverse themes addressed on stage through Drama Quintet By Purnima Pilapitiya View(s): View(s):

When we meet the young actors and actresses behind Drama Quintet the latest production by the Sashi Mendis Studio of Speech and Drama the group are getting together for photographs. Their expressions match their costumes- a kakhi clad soldier gazing tormented into the horizon, two men, in everyday clothes engaged in what looks like a deeper conversation and a girl with a mess of braids. Next week, Sashi Mendiss senior students (along with a special performance by the younger students) will present an evening of five original plays.

Devised and created by Sashi and the budding performers/writers  the plays are in keeping with most of Sashis previous work will resonate with current, everyday issues and lives of teenagers and adults alike. It doesnt hurt that her group is between the ages of 14-20 years, and have worked toward writing and creating original pieces that vary from comedy, satire, to serious pieces, all held together by universal themes.

One of the performances is titled Punchi Raja. An original piece written a decade ago will be performed by Sashis younger students. The plays title character stays true to his name  Punchi Raja and follows the not so statuesque King as he tries to tower over his subjects in alternative ways. For Sashi, the play is nostalgic, with the original Punchi Raja acting in one of the evenings plays, now as a 19 year old, who is also one of her most senior students.

For Devin Jinadasa (the original Punchi Raja), the role was every short boys dream he admits disarmingly. Devins current role is a big jump from the light, folk inspired play. Together with Rumalki Fernando (15) the two will explore the lives and psyche of young people living in a war torn world. The two of them are part of the cast for Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

Based on the Sri Lankan civil war, the story follows the friendship of Aishwaran and Sunimal, two boys who are tested by the war from different sides- one as a soldier and the other as a rebel fighter. Adding to the complexity of the tested friendship is Rumalkis character Madhuri, a love interest for Aishwaran. The coming of age story set against trying and heartbreaking circumstances was the result of a lot of interpretation and devising from the students themselves. But the chance to bring the story to life was what they looked forward to most. It was the most fun part. We didnt want to miss any of it, they both add.

For most of the other cast, the writing process seems to trump everything else. Most of the time, their serious script writing sessions would find most of them collapsed in laughter says Hesandi Jayasekara (14). The bubbly teenager, her wild braids bouncing in different directions is one of many bizarre characters in the fantasy world of The Boy in the Picture. With a Dr. Seuss like kookiness and creativity that follows a boy on the search for his identity; Hesandis character is the first person he meets when he escapes into the picture. Despite her bright, crazy outer appearance and cool carelessness, she too has to face a darker fate along the way.

Kaveen Rodrigo (20) will be taking one of the more mature scripts The Day that Brian Died. A play that may resonate more with the adults in the audiences, it leans towards themes of existence, lifes purpose and the need for a balanced life. Kaveen plays one of the two main characters- an eccentric scientist to tries to live in isolation until he attends his former bullys (Brians) funeral. What begins as an accidental encounter with another equally jaded and eccentric stranger moves the plot to question the deeper questions of life.

Drama Quintet presented by the Sashi Mendis Studio of Drama and Speech will take place from September 2 to 3 at the Punchi Theatre. Tickets priced at Rs. 1000 and Rs. 600 (balcony). Tickets can be purchased through 0777009258 or at the Punchi Theatre.
School Holiday packages from Ebert Silva Holidays View(s):

With the dawn of the school vacation Ebert Silva Holidays offer two exciting and educative packages for kids and parents to have memorable experiences on the 26th and 27th of August and 2nd and 3rd of September.

An exclusive day tour covering the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage with a visit to the World Heritage City of Kandy will be a tour to remember. Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage which was begun with the initial concept of nurturing, protecting and caring for injured and abandoned wild Elephants is where the largest herd of captive Asian Elephants are found. The time spent at the Orphanage will give an insight and opportunity to witness the feeding of milk to the babies, seeing the herd in the free roaming area, watching the herd leave to the Maha Oya River to bathe. Observing the natural behaviour of these gentle giants as they play and interact with each other in the waters, in the picturesque setting is indeed a wonderful sight. After lunch in Pinnawala, the tour will leave to the historic hill capital, Kandy, where a unique open deck experience with a guided commentary and a delightful boat ride on the scenic Kandy Lake, which was once a lush paddy field, will enable the travellers to get an understanding of the historical importance, the citys arts and crafts and its continued heritage.

The second package by Ebert Silva Holidays for the school holidays is a Colombo City Fun Ride in and around the city of Colombo with treats and gifts from Elephant House. The professional commentary will include the history of the city, the showcasing of the remnants of the Portuguese, Dutch and the British and the changing skyline of the city with the latest exciting additions with quizzes and gifts to winners. The harbour area, old Colombo, Pettah area and other monuments in the city will be seen such as the Town Hall, Museum and others. Stops at the Viharamahadevi Park, the Independence Square and the Arcade will give the kids opportunities to play and enjoy whilst having the unique experience and knowledge from seeing the city on an open deck double decker making it a school vacation to remember.

For more details log onto www.ebertsilva.com
Sing-Along Fundraiser by Katubedde ACA View(s):

The Apostolic Carmel Associates(ACA) of Carmel Seth Pahana Convent Katubedde, together with its Animator Sister Pierre will present Oldies with a little bit of Country on 16th September 2017 from 7 00 pm onwards at the MJF Foundation Auditorium, Galle Road, Katubedde, Moratuwa ( behind K-Zone).

This Sing-Along will be led by Nihal Fernando an active member of the Moratuwa Arts Forum (MAF) plus a very versatile one-man-band. The show will be presented by Laksiri Fernando, also no stranger to the MAF, a drummer of yesteryear, played drums for over 10 years for Down Memory Lane , the Golden Oldies Sing-Alongs presented annually and has also compered same.

The event, is organised to raise funds to purchase a 6p land to build a house for a destitute family whose seven year old daughter has an incurable disease. As this child has to be taken for treatment to Lady Ridgway childrens hospital on a weekly basis, the ACA hopes to provide a house in Colombo District for ease of travelling.

The parents find it difficult to cope with this distressing situation and are also undergoing much hardship living with relatives This sad state of affairs melted the hearts of the ACA inspiring them to reach out to this family said a spokesperson from the Apostolic Carmel Associates.

The Apostolic Carmel (AC) is a Congregation of Sisters aggregated to the Order of Discalced Carmelites ( OCD ), founded in 1868 at Bayonne, France, by Mother Mary Veronica of the Passion, and established in Bangalore, India, in 1870, by Bishop Marie Ephrem OCD. The congregation will celebrate 150 years of its founding in 2018. Inspired by the life and example of Mother Veronica, the Carmelite sisters reach out as contemplatives in action, caring for and serving their fellow Christians and non-Christians alike expressing the fruitfulness of the Church through active apostolate in education, works of mercy and charity. AC branches are spread in various parts of India, Sri Lanka, Kuwait, Pakistan, Kenya, Rome and Bahrain.

For more details call Rev. Sister M Pierre on 0775488673

- Mary Anne Perera
Wearable art  the Lulea Kallax way By Joshua Surendraraj View(s): View(s):

Supun Ranaweerasinghes passion for travel and to introduce Sri Lanka to an international forum, through a local brand was what spurred the thought of Lulea Kallax, a Sri Lankan clothing brand which was launched recently.

The idea to start a clothing brand came with Supuns background, which is spans more than 16 years of experience in the apparel industry, within the areas of merchandising and ERP consulting. He hoped to market this brand, as he travelled.

You can come up with a brand, but building it is difficult, Supun tells us. As we talk, Supun explains that he developed a close friendship with Lakshman Wimalasena (the artist for Lulea Kallax), while they studied together at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura.

The one thing we have in common is that neither of us is scared to try out new things, Lakshman tells the audience at the launch. After their graduation the pair went on different paths, but still kept in touch.

It was just last year, when Lakshman was back in Sri Lanka, Supun had told him about his idea. The more they talked about it they realized that the products, which would come under the brand had to be unique. But neither of them knew what this sense of uniqueness could be.

A few weeks later Supun got in touch with Lakshman and told him that he had found the edge and that was Lakshmans paintings. He was very keen on Lakshmans work, thats why he decided to have his work on the clothing, Supun tells us.

Lakshman took up painting as a form of stress buster, whilst reading for his PHD at the Herriot Watt University, Scotland. His first painting, to his surprise was met with a lot of positive comments from his friends and that encouraged him to pursue the craft.

Today he always tries to do a bit of painting during the early hours of the day and sometimes during the weekend. Doing it commercially is not my main motivation, but I aim to make other people happy with my work.

Lakshmans art is unique in a sense that it colourfully captures the raw human emotion on a canvas. It also brings a fusion of colour and light, whilst relating a story. And just like their friendship Lakshmans art binds itself with ease to the high quality garments in the Lulea Kallax range.

He sometimes draws inspiration from a model, Supun tells us whilst pointing at an Angelina Jolie and an Axl Rose painting. Lakshman also paints actual people such as his niece for example, who is also featured on one of the t-shirts.

Once Supun figured out what his products were and what was going to be included on them, the next step was to come up with a brand name. Lulea is a city in Sweden and Kallax is a nearby village. Luleas airport is in Kallax, Supun explains. He adds the brand name was suggested by Lakshman after Supun had given him a few guidelines.

He came up with various names. But once he typed out Lulea Kallax, I was certain. I checked and the domain was available and thats how I decided, he recalls.

Currently Supun is the designer, founder, marketer and project manager of Lulea Kallax. He acknowledges that the products are very basic at present, but adds, he hopes to involve different designers in the future.

Lulea Kallax is a certainly a brand for those who love and appreciate art and fine quality garments. Aside from that, it is also something for those who arent afraid to dream.

The fusion of Supuns vision with Lakshmans work resulted in an original range of clothing. And Supun finally hopes to see his dream of travelling the world fulfilled, when he takes Lulea Kallax to 100 different cities across the globe, in an attempt to promote the brand.

For more details on the brand and their line of clothing log on to luleakallax.com
Dengue mosquitos next assault looms, health officials predict more infections View(s):

Sri Lanka is facing yet another peak period attack from the deadly dengue mosquito in October and November in tandem with the expected rains. So far this year, the lives of whole families have been devastated. More than 143,00 people have been infected with dengue and 350 including children have lost their lives amid severe failure in the government response, handicapped sanitation services, and underprepared, understaffed, and overwhelmed health sector officials.

A dry period and continuing campaigns to destroy mosquito breeding sites have helped to reduce the prevalence. But the respite will be short-lived. Ahead of an expected rise in dengue infections in October and November, health officials say they are preparing. The latest update from the Epidemiology Unit show that during the third week of August, 3,380 people were infected in contrast to 9,693 dengue cases reported in the last week of July.

The number of dengue cases reported this month has slumped to 15,772 until August 24 compared with 40,461 in July. Consultant Community Physician of the National Dengue Control Unit, Dr. Preshila Samaraweera, told the Sunday Times that the number of dengue cases reported island-wide has reached 143,179 and the death toll remains at 350.

We conducted a programme in Jaffna this week to plan for the monsoon as we expect an increase in the coming days, she said.

The number of cases is under control in the Western Province. Programmes will continue in the Western Province, Kurunegala, Puttalam and Jaffna, Dr. Samaraweera said.

September 20-26th has been designated as dengue control week. Schools will be cleaning up September 1-3 before they reopen.

A senior official in the epidemiology unit of the Kalutara regional director of health services, told the Sunday Times that 630 infections were reported in August and there has been 70% reduction in the number of cases.

The recent dry weather is a reason for the decline in the number of dengue patients along with the interventions, he said.

But he predicts cases could rise by 20% when the rains begin. We are ready for an outbreak. We have provided the major hospitals with sufficient resources, especially the Panadura Hospital has activated emergency protocols. Public health interventions like clean up campaigns are continuing, he said.

The spokesman of the Sabaragamuwa regional director of health services, said that in the Ratnapura District, there are more than 8,000 dengue cases with 400 reported just this month. He also noted a gradual decline in cases. November is generally the peak period. We have decided to continue the clean up programmes, he said.

Dr. Champa Aluthweera, the Kurunegala regional director of health services, said cases had been gradually declining in the MOH areas. But she added that there is a slight increase in the peripheries. Conducting preventive programmes in these areas has been difficult because of a lack of vehicles. Overall, there has been a decline in cases. She said cases are expected to rise in the peak period.

We are strengthening the curative sector, which is the hospitals, by increasing the capacity of the hospitals and improving the high dependency units. We are also strengthening the preventive sector where clean up activities are done, she explained. Fogging equipment has been purchased.

The Kandy regional director of health services, Dr. Sarath Weerabandara, noted that there had not been a vast reduction in cases. Cases have dropped overall. In Kandy, dengue cases have exceeded 8,000. About 1,300 cases were reported this month in just two weeks. Dr. Weerbandara expects more cases following the rains.
French tourist caught smuggling buffalo skull and horns View(s):

A French tourist who tried to smuggle a buffalo skull and two horns out of the country, was arrested at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on Tuesday (22).

The 56-year-old suspect was to board a flight to Dubai when he aroused suspicion during luggage checks by Security officers at the airport who informed Sri Lanka Customs. Officers from the Customs Bio-Diversity Unit checked the suspects baggage and recovered the buffalo skull and horns.

It was revealed that the suspect who holds a senior position with the French Police, told Customs officers he had purchased the skulls and horns through a friend in Colombo, and was taking them to France for his son. The items were confiscated and the Frenchman was released after a stern warning.
More than 1,300 foreigners denied entry for security reasons By Chandani Kirinde View(s): View(s):

More than 1,300 foreigners were not allowed to enter Sri Lanka by Immigration authorities last year  many of them from four countries whose citizens are subjected to clearances from the State Intelligence Service (SIS) before being issued Sri Lankan visas, according to the Department of Immigration and Emigration.

Pakistani, Afghan, Egyptian and Syrian citizens require clearance from the SIS in view of the global security situation that had arisen in 2014, the Department said in its performance report for 2016 tabled in Parliament this week. Among the 1134 foreign nationals refused entry were 239 Pakistanis, 166 Afghans, 41 Egyptians and six Syrians.

Entry was also refused to 217 Indians, 210 Chinese and 78 Nepalese, the report said. Last year, more than 2.1 million foreigners visited Sri Lanka. Of them,more than a million were Asians with around 800,000 coming from Europe.

A majority arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport with only 1,417 using the Mattala airport and about 26,000 using sea ports.

A total of 1,485,004 Sri Lankans also came back to the country and of them, only 845 used the Mattala Airport. Meanwhile, the Department issued 658,725 passports, including 401 diplomatic passports, last year.
SLT engineers threaten strike action, allege mismanagement and malpractice By Bandula Sirimanna View(s): View(s):

Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) engineers are threatening to strike on Wednesday, alleging waste, corruption, malpractice and bad investment decisions by the management. Telecommunication Engineers Union (TEU) said the majority of SLTs 21 unions were expected to join the strike if the TEUs demands are not met beforehand. The other unions were not available for comment.

In its letter addressed to the SLT Chairman, the TEU has urged him to immediately stop heavy investments leading to financial instability of the institution and unproductive operations. It has also insisted on halting the present restructuring process in the administration and conduct a probe into alleged financial frauds carried out in the institution through unsuccessful projects. Neither the Chairman nor the CEO was available for comment. The TEU says the Chairman has not responded to their demands.

The TEU alleges that, instead of taking corrective action, the present management had allowed malpractices, corruption and waste committing administrative blunders to continue, driving the SLT in the path of a collapse.
Thalatha Athukorala countrys first ever female Minister of Justice View(s):

Minister of Foreign Employment, Thalatha Athukorala was sworn in as the new Justice Minister before President Maithripala Sirisena, on Friday (25). She becomes the countrys first ever female Minister of Justice. Minister of Sustainable Development & Wildlife, Gamini Jayawickrama Perera, meanwhile, took oaths as the new Minister of Buddha Sasana that same day.

The newly appointed Ministers fill the vacancies left by Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, who was sacked from his post last Wednesday (23) by President Maithripala Sirisena, following a request by the United National Party (UNP), of which he is an MP. Ministers Atukorala and Jayawickrama Perera continue to also hold the Ministerial Portfolios they held prior to their new appointments this week.
The Colombo Defence Seminar begins tomorrow View(s):

The Colombo Defence Seminar will be declared open tomorrow at the Bandaranaike International Conference Hall (BMICH) .

Countering Violent Extremism: Global Trends is the theme of the two-day event which will be attended by more than 800 including 200 foreign participants. The sessions will be addressed by 12 foreign and 15 local experts.

Among those attending the sessions will be 22 Defence Attaches based in India, 10 Defence Attaches from Colombo and 42 foreign military delegates from across the globe. Among the key speakers will be General (Retd) Ashok Mehta, a Senior Officer of the Indian Army who was also a Commanding Officer in the Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in the late 1980s.

All Army chiefs of SAARC countries will also be attending the seminar adding a new dimension to the event.
Young adults shun polls; drop in registration By Damith Wickremesekera Lack of interest due to claims that politicians were not serving their interests, says Mahinda Deshapriya View(s): View(s):

Disillusionment among young eligible voters has led to a lower registration of electors, Elections Commission Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya said yesterday.

There has been a drop of some 18,000 persons from the Electoral Register for 2017 in the Greater Colombo area, he told the Sunday Times. Most voters, Mr Deshapriya said, showed lack of interest in taking part in the electoral process claiming that politicians were not serving their interests. There have also been instances where inaction of Grama Niladharis, who collect data for Electoral Registers, has contributed to the situation.

His remarks came as plans are under way for the conduct of local council and provincial council elections early next year.

According to Chairman Deshapriya, the drop in voter registration centred on those in the age group of 30 to 35 and covered areas like Colombo, Kotte, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia, Moratuwa, Kolonnawa, Maharagama and Kaduwela.

Another notable reason, the head of the Elections Commission said, was the non registration by would-be voters who live in flats or apartments. Grama Niladharis who deliver registration forms have had no direct access to those premises, he said.

Electoral registration forms are handed over to the security points at these apartments and we are not sure if they are delivered to the residents, Mr. Deshapriya added.

Slum areas and the plantation sector have also seen a drop in registration. The enumeration officers who have to hand over the forms, the Gram Niladhari, often skip these areas and hence the people do not get registered, he said.

Mr. Deshapriya said there was also a segment of persons who were only interested in getting their names on the electoral register till they got their children admitted to schools and after that they did not bother to re-register as they had a vote in their home towns, he said.

He urged eligible voters to ensure that their names appeared on the 2017 electoral list. They have time till September 6 to appeal to have their names included in the register, he said.
Rare sight:Kalu Muwa spotted in Wilpattu View(s):

It was a single brief sighting of about 10 minutes at the Wilpattu National Park. But it was adequate for conservationist and photographer Kithsiri Gunawardena to be overjoyed.

For, what he saw was the Black Spotted Deer or the Kalu Muwa  a very rare melanistic Spotted Deer which he was able to photograph.

Here are Kithsiris notes:

I received information from Mr. Seram who is an officer attached to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) of a black deer like animal that had been seen once or twice with a herd of Spotted Deer close to Pomparippu. No one was certain of the species of this strange animal as no one had seen such an animal in the wild. While some were of the opinion that it could be an immature sambhur, others wondered whether it is a hog deer. I had scheduled a field trip to Wilpattu from August 18-20 to engage in my study of leopards and other fauna and flora of the park and was quite keen to observe and photograph this strange animal.

I spent three days at the park with Mr. D.M. Wasantha, a DWC guide, looking for this deer and was fortunate enough to have a single brief sighting one day of this uniquely coloured animal for about 10 minutes. Having examined the images, I was able to confirm that it is an extremely rare melanistic male Spotted Deer Axis axis.

Melanism is the development of dark-coloured pigment, melanin, in the skin or its appendages and is the opposite of albinism, where the skin colour is white. While there have been a few records of albino mammals in the wild from Sri Lanka, melanistic animals such as the Black Leopard that was caught in an illegal snare in March 2009 from a village close to Deniyaya have been extremely rare.

Spotted Deer are native to the Indian subcontinent. In Sri Lanka, they are found in the dry lowlands and are commonly seen in all the Dry Zone national parks. The upper parts of their skins are golden to rufous and are covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears and tail are all white. There are a few records of white coloured (albino) Spotted Deer in the past from our jungles, including the Wilpattu National Park where a water-hole is named as sudu muwa wala after an albino Spotted Deer that was seen in the early 60s.

Wilpattu is the largest and the oldest national park in the island with a unique cluster of breathtakingly beautiful water bodies which are referred to as Villus which support a multitude of species native to Sri Lanka. It is associated with the origins of the Sinhala race and holds so many places of archaeological importance. During my ongoing study, which began in 2011, I have so far recorded many species of fauna and flora including 208 species of birds, 31 species of mammals, 92 species of butterflies, 130 species of wild flowers and nine species of wild orchids from Wilpattu. My study of leopards has so far resulted in individually identifying and studying 76 different leopards. www.wilpattu.com

This rare and unique specimen of the Black Spotted Deer or Kalu Muwa which has never been reported from any other park in the country is yet another reason for us to offer even greater protection to the Wilpattu National Park.
Bulldozer-happy RDA: Symptoms of impunity and violation of peoples rights By Ruwani Jayewardene View(s): View(s):

The recent excitement over the Road Development Authoritys bulldozing of the rich mans pond in Colombo 3, the Colombo Swimming Club (CSC), received much coverage. The rich and poor are being treated alike. At least the RDA doesnt discriminate when it comes to bulldozing.

The RDAs actions, whilst creating a stir in Colombo society, are symptomatic of a much deeper national issue that mostly affects poor and vulnerable citizens. Unfortunately, the woes of the poor are rarely heard. Unaware of the laws and their rights, they do not have the means to hire lawyers and spend years in court to seek just compensation.

Land acquisition in Sri Lanka is still governed by the 1894 Land Acquisition Act (LAA), amended from time to time. Why is Sri Lanka clinging on to a colonial law and only occasionally fiddling around with amendments? A 2013 Gazette provides relief with resettlement assistance but only for select, named projects. What about all the others and why are they being treated differently? Nineteenth century demands for land acquisition to support colonial interests are surely different from an independent Sri Lankas 21st century development requirements? The 1894 Act is not likely to give much-needed protection to the citizenry. Colonial masters had no interest in the natives except to serve their own interests. Why have successive government failed to address the failures of the LAA?

In 2001, supported by technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the cabinet approved the National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (NIRP). Then, it was the National Planning Department (NPD) that was forward-thinking, in anticipation of putting into place an urban development master plan. The NPD decided to have a policy to guide resettlement. Up to date the policy has not been legislated. Why?

Sri Lanka, being one of the first countries in the region and very few in the world to have such a policy, could not capitalise on the gains nor revise the LAA despite the ADBs continued technical assistance. India, on the other hand, having learnt painful lessons from delayed land acquisition and poorly managed involuntary resettlement, has legislated a progressive Land Acquisition and Resettlement Act and that, too, without external assistance. No doubt, implementation is another matter. However the first steps have been taken to legislate against rampant land acquisition and disregard for people.

Sri Lanka, by contrast, has regressed. A little understood fact is that most land acquisition in Sri Lanka is undertaken by issuing section 38 (a) of the LAA, which allows for emergency (to date undefined). Land is vested with the state within 48 hours with compensation to be paid at a later date (maybe never), unless land owners go to court. Further, such emergency acquisition absolves the acquiring agency from hearing objections to the project.

Why did RDA issue section 38(a) in 2010 to acquire the swimming club land? Is it an emergency when the bulldozers arrive seven years later? The routine application of the emergency clause perverts the Act itself. Why has no State agency or the Government questioned the abuse of the emergency clause and violation of peoples rights under the law? Notwithstanding all such efforts to avoid due process, land acquisition in Sri Lanka takes years to complete  often as long as five  involves multiple agencies, requires some 52 procedural steps and costs the public purse huge sums in additional interest due to delays in compensation payment.

Successive governments ignored the repercussions of abuse of the LAA including mounting costs to people and State alike. Innovative sector agencies and divisional secretaries under whose purview land acquisition is managed also resort to encouraging voluntary land donation or simply ignore the requirement to pay compensation. While the State externalises costs by impoverishing its citizens through delays or non-payment, contractors and rent seekers benefit from the callous inaction of State functionaries.

Due to delays in handing over land to contractors, the clock starts ticking and fines mount (in foreign currency to international contractors). The real costs of projects are hidden from the public as there is no disclosure of the disaggregated cost at project end. Lack of computerised information on land, State or privately-owned, insufficient information on valuation methods, land values, absence of transparency and failure to disclose public information are owing to a lack of governance and a poverty of vision.

Again, India, discloses land price guidelines on Government websites, including information regarding valuation for tax purposes, methods and procedure for valuation, etc. By contrast, check Sri Lankas Government Valuation Department website, last updated in April 2015 with no useful public information.

Government valuation is well known to be insufficient for people to replace their lost assets  so much so that if a Government agency wants to sell its asset it is not going to sell it off at the Government valuers price. It is reported that the CSC land is valued at Rs.4 mn a perch while the RDA offered Rs. 2 mn. An independent valuer found the entire plot to be worth Rs.1.4 billion but the RDAs price was Rs. 374 million and that, too, not at 2017 prices. There has been no payment to date. Why knowingly diddle the people then or, more importantly, sign up projects if there is no money to pay? After all, land acquisition can only be imposed for public purpose- presumably a public benefit.

The only time Government agencies scramble to cough up the cash is if one of the multilateral development banks  being more terrified than the Government of a public outcry and civil society action  cite their safeguard policies and push them into a corner for minimal compliance and stricter monitoring.

In addition to the Colombo Swimming Club saga, Castle Hotel at Slave Island, Yan Oya, Uma Oya and the Central Expressway Project have all been in the press recently. Why have none of these projects complied with the NIRP and prepared resettlement plans? What about the Hambantota port, Special Economic Zones and multiple urban development projects proposed in the past and future?

Some of the largest infrastructure projects amounting to millions of dollars in taxpayers money are implemented through the RDA. The Central Expressway is a four-phase project, the website says. One resettlement plan, in English, is available for Phase 1, Stage 2, and 2A (Ambepussa link road), prepared in 2016. A staggering 2,707 households are to be affected with some 253 public buildings and common property resources acquired, the cost of land acquisition and resettlement for Stage 2 is reported as Rs.34.41 billion. This is probably a conservative estimate given undervaluation of assets and absence of a detailed design and proper inventory of losses. Selection of the contractor and supervision consultant appears to be complete while the land acquisition is yet ongoing. No information is available on whether people have been paid.

Are the prices for compensation to be revised at the time of payment, since the RDA has used emergency powers for land acquisition and is, therefore, not bound to pay up before vesting the land with the State? When will they pay? For other sections, there are differing schedules with the land acquisition program being completed before the detailed engineering, presumably based on the feasibility study which could change considerably at the detailed design stage which runs into the year 2020.

In section IV for example, the land acquisition is in progress and seems to have stalled in 2016 while the detailed investigations, design and review continue through to 2019, putting the cart before the horse. Further in Stage I, the contractor is responsible for land acquisition. What arrangements were made for such unprecedented action in a public sector project? And there is no information on the Stage III of the CEP.

RDA, the various approving agencies, the Central Environment Authority, the Ministry of Lands, the Government valuer and all key players in infrastructure development must be held to account for circumventing due process and allowing the use of emergency powers for projects that are clearly not a national emergency; assessing compensation at low and outdated values; which are not updated at the time of payment; not paying people before vesting lands with the state; not complying with the NIRP; and lacking upfront public disclosure of accurate information.

The Megapolis planners would do well to look at the recent history of urban development in Colombo. Although touted as slum and shanty clearance of non-title holders, some homes in the Slave Island area were well-constructed multiple-family homes. But replacements were small apartments for the entire household. People were evicted using military force and due process was not followed. Not compensated for their previous homes, many were required to pay more than a million rupees over twenty years. There was no consultation with affected people about their preferences.

(The writer is a resttlement specialist)
In April this year two volunteers from Flagstaff, Shannon Anderson and Alice Carter, joined a team to deliver shoebox gifts to children in Togo, Africa with Samaritans Purse. The shoebox gifts are a project of Operation Christmas Child. The boxes are filled by volunteers in several countries with hygiene items, school supplies, toys and love. The boxes are delivered year round to 150 countries.
Philanthropist laments lack of support for KTSF By Bigun Menaka Gamage View(s): View(s):

Requests for kidney transplants have become the norm in the print media. The requests appear in the background of patients dying due to lack of funds, or being unable to find a suitable kidney in time. In such a scenario are there any programmes to increase the life expectations of patients? Such a programme was inaugurated by Ajith F. Perera in 2009  the Kidney Transplant Support Foundation (KTSF). The KTSF functioned in 20 hospitals islandwide, but is now ailing, says Mr. Perera.

The Organ Donation National Programme was started in 2009. The main intention behind its establishment was to save the lives of kidney patients. Any donor from any country can contribute  when the donor is alive or after death. There is a computer network that has been designed across 20 hospitals in different parts of the island. All donors were registered onto the system, for example, if a donor in Ampara wanted to donate, he could go to the Ampara hospital where he was registered on to the database. Then, this information can be accessed anywhere in the island. We also asked the doctors to enter the details of their patients into the system. This computer network provides a platform for patients and donors to meet. Patients and donors can be matched by this.

But, Mr. Perera says the system has stopped functioning over time as doctors do not contribute to the database. Proper aid from the government, would be helpful to save patients lives as donors are willingly coming forward without asking for any monetary returns.

Though some health authorities turned a blind eye, Doctors such as Dr. S.M.L Beligaswatte contributed with professional expertise to the donation programme. Dr. Beligaswatte in retirement took on the post of Chairman, National Kidney Foundation. If the programme had been implemented nationally by today it would have become the best transplant programme for kidney patients. In that way, we are very unlucky, Dr. Beligaswatte says.

According to Dr. Beligaswatte; this programme not getting the governments aid is very unfortunate. But, Mr Perera has not backed down among these challenges. He has been trying to bring in measures existing in other countries. Adding the organ donation consent to the drivers licence is one such measure. Over 12,000 licences which carry this symbol have been issued. The consent gives permission for a hospital to harvest the kidneys and liver. Consent for heart donation would also be added.

I have come to this stage after eight years of hard work. The next stage is to get the donation consent on the Driving licence. Then, the licence would state that the holder is an Organ donor. This becomes an immense help to both donors and patients in the event of an accident. Police officers at the Motor Department have already been informed of these steps taken. But, the Traffic Police is still in the dark about this. The 25 branches at the National Transport Medical Institute should be the main stakeholder in this programme. Most of the problems have sprung up in Colombo, states Mr Perera.

Ajith F. Perera hails from a family of philanthropists. His father Wilmot A. Perera was the founder of Sri Pali College, Horana and his grandfather was Arthur V. Dias. His maternal great grandfather was famous philanthropist Charles Henry De Soysa who not only donated four hospitals but also the Prince and Princess of Wales Colleges.
If Ivan Alexander goes back to school next month, the bell will ring summoning him to class. But the schoolyard will be silent, deserted.

Therell be no kids at play, no laughter, no chatter. Mr Blows, the no-nonsense schoolmaster wont be at the blackboard. Therell be no addition, subtraction, division and multiplication. And Ohauiti Primary School itself will have gone.

There will be only ghosts, memories and stories.

Ivans now 89. At present or coming up. He remembers Mr Blows well. And painfully.

Eric Blows was a disciplinarian  liked the strap. And Ivan experienced Blows displeasure firsthand. Yes, I was doing a bit of cheating  I had a problem that I couldnt get my head around. So Ivan copped it fair.

Alexander Ivan Edward, as he would have appeared in the Ohauiti Primary School roll, born in 1928, started at the single class primary school in 1933, and left when he was 14. He just might be there for the school centenary on Sunday, September 3  a celebration for a school that doesnt exist any more.

There are a dozen former pupils still alive, all probably in their 80s says reunion organiser Sue Frieswyk. But descendants of pupils are coming out of the woodwork.

Itll be a small affair  20-30 people. Not huge, says Sue. Theyll gather at the Ohauiti Settlers Hall on Sunday morning, visit the site of the old school house up the road, ring a school bell and plant a tree.

You know, theres probably never been a reunion, reflects Sue. Its almost too late but not too late.

Ohauiti Primary School closed in 1945 and all the kids trundled off seven kilometres down the hill to Tauranga Primary. And the school building itself was carted down the road and integrated into the Ohauiti Settlers Hall. Its providing sustenance of a different kind now  its the supper room. Thats where the reunion lunch will be held  the supper room, the old schoolhouse, where all this started.

You can still make out the schools entranceway in the wood pattern on the hall floor. School kids trundled back and forth to class over that very timber 100 years ago.

Ivan Alexander also remembers a Miss Stansell. She lived in Tauranga and every day she would ride the potholed, metal road to the schoolhouse on an old Indian motorcycle. That must have impressed a boy.

And what was she like? Well, we were just kids, we did as we were told, we behaved ourselves and that was about it.

Ohauiti Primary School obviously has a history, but not a written history. We do know that it cost 236 pounds, two shillings and five pence and it was over budget. The specs also said it was to be built of kauri and totara, or whatever the most conveniently-obtained timbers were available. And it was painted with three coats of Hubbucks  the best quality white lead paint and raw linseed oil. OSH wasnt even a twinkle in our eyes in those days.

Probably the same reason teachers leaving Ohauiti Primary were gifted smokers accessories  pipes and lighters and the like. In 1929 when a Mr RJ Schischka left for Kaitaia he got a silver cigarette case but a more appropriate fountain pen from the kids.

There was another teacher, Miss McCorkindale, at Ohauiti Primary. She would have all the kids singing Waltzing Matilda first thing. Was she an Aussie? asked one former pupil, Margaret E Morton QSM.

Former Prime Minister Sir Joseph Ward, who was an Aussie, dropped by the school in 1923. Blamed his lateness on the state of the roads and blathered on for an hour.

While riding home from school, Jack Webster was thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious for a day. Saddles werent commonplace those days.

Yet another teacher, Sandy Sandlant, drove to the schoolhouse from Matua each day. He would bring a crate of milk, decant it into a large pot, heat it on the potbelly and make cocoa for everyone.

Molly Bloor, another pupil, remembers an Anglican deaconess, Miss Burley, in a grey belted frock and black hat who would ride to the school in an elegant gig to give the kids religious instruction.

Outside, a landowner was having problems working a stock dog. It was told in no uncertain terms it had no pedigree. Miss Burley did her best to ignore the air pollution but I have always remembered her dignity when the odds were against her.

Ohauiti Primary School is defunct, closed its doors in 1945. But the stories live on. And many more will be spun at the school centenary on Sunday, September 3.

Meanwhile, up the road at the old schoolhouse site, a home is being constructed. A family is moving in and once again the schoolyard will sound to kids at play.

For more information or to join the reunion phone 07 544 2212 or email delaney@kinect.co.nz
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Hurricane Harvey began moved into Texas late Friday, bringing the fierce winds and torrential rain whose forecast earlier sent tens of thousands of residents fleeing a wide swath of the state's Gulf Coast in hopes of escaping its wrath.

The National Hurricane Center said the eye of the Category 4 hurricane made landfall about 10 p.m. Central about 30 mph east-northeast of Corpus Christi between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, Texas, bringing with it 130 mph sustained winds and flooding rains.

Harvey took aim at coastal areas that include oil refineries, chemical plants and dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that the monster system would be "a very major disaster," and the forecasts drew fearful comparisons to Hurricane Katrina, one of the deadliest ever to strike the U.S.

"We know that we've got millions of people who are going to feel the impact of this storm," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman and meteorologist for the National Hurricane Center. "We really pray that people are listening to their emergency managers and get out of harm's way."

#Harvey made landfall at 10 PM CDT as a category 4 hurricane near Rockport, Texas, with max winds of 130 mph and min pressure of 938 mb. pic.twitter.com/98y5wpKmBw  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 26, 2017

Patrick Rios, the mayor pro tem in Rockport, Texas, told KIII-TV of Corpus Christi earlier Friday that Harvey "is a life-threatening storm."

He said those who stay "should make some type of preparation to mark their arm with a Sharpie pen," implying that they should make it easier for rescuers to identify them.

Rockport City Manager Kevin Carruth said by phone late Friday that he had heard reports of a tree falling into a mobile home and roofs collapsing on houses. The city, about 31 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, had peak wind surges of more than 125 miles per hour, according to National Weather Service reports.

The city manager said multiple people have been taken to the county's jail for assessment and treatment after the roof of a senior housing complex collapsed.

KIII-TV reports that 10 people have been treated in Rockport since Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Gulf Coast city. The Associated Press was unable to reach an operator at the Aransas County Detention Center in Rockport just after midnight.

Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Sims said there are about 15 volunteer firefighters hunkered down at the city's fire station waiting for conditions to improve enough for their vehicles to safely travel and to assess the damage to the city of about 10,000 people.

"There's nothing we can do at this moment. We are anxious to get out there and make assessments, but we're hunkered down for now," he said.

President Donald Trump said he has signed a disaster declaration for Texas as Hurricane Harvey nears on the middle Texas coast. Trump announced his declaration in a posting on his Twitter account.

At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Fueled by warm Gulf of Mexico waters, Harvey grew rapidly, accelerating from a Category 1 early in the morning to a Category 4 by evening. Its transformation from an unnamed storm to a life-threatening behemoth took only 56 hours, an incredibly fast intensification.

In addition to devastating winds, Harvey was expected to drop prodigious amounts of rain -- up to 3 feet. The resulting flooding, one expert said, could be "the depths of which we've never seen."

Galveston-based storm surge expert Hal Needham said forecasts indicated that it was "becoming more and more likely that something really bad is going to happen."

At least one researcher predicted heavy damage that would linger for months or longer.

"In terms of economic impact, Harvey will probably be on par with Hurricane Katrina," said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy. "The Houston area and Corpus Christi are going to be a mess for a long time."

Before the storm arrived, home and business owners raced to nail plywood over windows and fill sandbags. Steady traffic filled the highways leaving Corpus Christi, but there were no apparent jams. In Houston, where mass evacuations can include changing major highways to a one-way vehicle flow, authorities left traffic patterns unchanged.

Federal health officials called in more than 400 doctors, nurses and other medical professionals from around the nation and planned to move two 250-bed medical units to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Other federal medical units are available in Dallas.

Just hours before the projected landfall, the governor and Houston leaders issued conflicting statements on evacuation.

After Abbott urged more people to flee, Houston authorities told people to remain in their homes and recommended no widespread evacuations. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday tweeted "please think twice before trying to leave Houston en masse." The spokesman of emergency operations in Harris County was even more direct, tweeting: "LOCAL LEADERS KNOW BEST."

NEW: #Harvey continues to intensify and is now a category 4 #hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph. https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/7CkJkuafTb  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 25, 2017

At a convenience store in Houston's Meyerland neighborhood, at least 12 cars lined up for fuel. Brent Borgstedte said this was the fourth gas station he had visited to try to fill up his son's car. The 55-year-old insurance agent shrugged off Harvey's risks.

"I don't think anybody is really that worried about it. I've lived here my whole life," he said. "I've been through several hurricanes."

Scientists warned that Harvey could swamp counties more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) inland and stir up dangerous surf as far away as Alabama and the Florida Panhandle, 700 miles (1,126 kilometers) from the projected landfall.

It may also spawn tornadoes. Even after weakening, the system might spin out into the Gulf and regain strength before hitting Houston a second time Wednesday as a tropical storm, forecasters said.

-- By Michael Graczyk and Frank Bajak
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Hurricane Harvey, which could cause life-threatening floods in Texas and Louisiana, will have no effect on Upstate New York, forecasters say.

"Right now it doesn't look like it's going to get anywhere near us," said John Hitchcock, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Buffalo. "It looks like it's going to get stuck down there with nothing to boot it out of the area."

The real danger of Harvey is that it will remain stalled in Texas and Louisiana; forecasters say it could dump more than 30 inches of rain in some areas, causing massive destruction. The weather service had to add a new color to its rainfall maps to accommodate the 20-plus inches predicted in parts of Texas.

Atlantic hurricanes can cause widespread flooding and damage in Upstate New York. Agnes, in 1972, and Irene, in 2011, among others, created devastating floods.

Harvey is unlikely to join that list. Computer weather models say the storm will remain stationary in Texas for a week, said Dave Nicosia, warning coordination meteorologist for the weather service in Binghamton.

"Even if the remnants came north, all global models are showing a strong west to northwest flow over our area through the next 10 days which would keep any remnant moisture away from our area," Nicosia said.

Harvey has surprised forecasters already, though, especially with the speed with which it intensified. Stay tuned to our weather page for more updates

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251
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SpaceX CEO and all-around cool guy Elon Musk has finally unveiled the company's spacesuit via Instagram while teasing that more details should arrive in the next few days.

This isn't anything similar to a spacesuit from the days of yore, that's for sure. It's certainly sleeker, more elegant, and more indicative of Musk's love of sci-fi. The company already has drone ships called "Just Read the Instructions" and "Of Course I Still Love You," both borrowed from the works of Iain M. Banks, so it's no wonder its spacesuit looks as if it's straight out of a Ridley Scott film.

SpaceX Reveals Its Spacesuit, Proves Elon Musk Is A Sci-Fi Fan

The spacesuit is white, simple, and not at all bulky  probably because it's actually not meant for spacewalks but only meant to be worn when inside SpaceX's Dragon capsule. Astronauts will wear them during transport in case the capsule depressurized. This is actually the suit NASA astronauts will put on for the commercial crew program when SpaceX starts sending and fetching people to and from the International Space Station, or ISS.

A Balance Of Design And Function

Musk noted designing its spacesuit involved a balance between aesthetics and function. He also said the suits have already passed testing in "double vacuum pressure," which only means the suit itself will maintain Earth-like levels of pressure internally despite the lack of pressure on space.

"Worth noting that this actually works (not a mockup)," said Musk.

Flights To The International Space Station

Along with SpaceX, Boeing will also be sending humans into space. Both companies are among the first private space companies to do so, having won contracts with NASA for Earth-to-ISS travel. Crewed test flights are scheduled in 2018, and flights to the station will commence sometime in 2019.

SpaceX's spacesuit design is a stark contrast to Boeing's "Boeing Blue" spacesuit, unveiled earlier this year, which unsurprisingly also looks akin to something straight out of a sci-fi flick. Both SpaceX and Boeing have designed slick-looking suits, proving space travel and engineering can still flirt with design and aesthetics. Hopefully, SpaceX can clue everybody in on how it balanced design and function. That alone could be a potentially interesting look on where form and utility merge.

What do you like or hate about SpaceX's spacesuit design? Anything you'd like to add, remove, or revise? As always, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!

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Ubisoft and Square Enix revealed that there will be a Final Fantasy XV and Assassin's Creed: Origins crossover, an unlikely collaboration that surprised fans of both well-loved franchises.

Final Fantasy XV is set to receive Assassin's Creed: Origins content, and vice versa. When Square Enix said that there were big things in store for Final Fantasy XV at Gamescom 2017, it wasn't kidding.

Final Fantasy XV, Assassin's Creed: Origins Crossover Unveiled

The announcement of a Final Fantasy XV - Assassin's Creed: Origins crossover came as a total surprise, but Ubisoft and Square Enix have apparently started planning the collaboration almost three years ago.

In an Ubisoft blog post, it was revealed that it all started in an informal meeting at the Tokyo Game Show 2014. The collaboration between the two companies culminated Gamescom 2017, where artwork was unveiled showcasing the crossover with art of Bayek from Assassin's Creed: Origins and Noctis from Final Fantasy XV.

"This collaboration is the result of being huge fans," said Ubisoft Montreal game director Ashraf Ismail, as the teams behind the two games have immense respect for each other.

Final Fantasy XV Assassin's Festival DLC

The crossover kicks off on Aug. 30 for Final Fantasy XV. Players who were able to acquire the Dream Egg from the Moogle Chocobo Carnival will receive an Assassin outfit for Noctis.

The real deal, however, happens the following day on Aug. 31, when Square Enix will release the free Assassin's Festival DLC. The event will see Lestallum transformed for the festival, with banners and other decorations. Players will be able to participate in new activities and acquire themed items and features, including another Assassin's Creed-inspired outfit.

Most importantly, Noctis will be receiving abilities that will allow him to use some of the popular skills of the Assassins, apparently including the ability to launch a Leap of Faith right in the middle of the town.

The Assassin's Festival will run until Jan. 31, giving players five whole months of Noctis and his crew running around as Assassins in Lestallum.

'Final Fantasy XV' In 'Assassin's Creed: Origins'?

The announcements did not mention what Final Fantasy XV content will come to Assassin's Creed: Origins, though the artwork might be hinting that Bayek would be able to wield some of the Royal Arms of Noctis. Could there be some Chocobos hiding in the desert as well?

We would not know for sure until further details are released, but the wait will not be too long. Assassin's Creed: Origins is set to launch on Oct. 27 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition, a mobile version of the RPG, is meanwhile set to be released later this year.

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Samsung heir apparent and de facto leader Lee Jae-yong, known in the western world as Jay Y. Lee, has received a sentence of five years imprisonment for bribery and embezzlement.

Lee, the son of Samsung chairman Lee Kun-hee who fell into a coma around three years ago, has served as the de facto boss of Samsung, the biggest business empire of South Korea.

Samsung Boss Sentenced To 5 Years In Prison

In January, Lee was arrested for crimes related to the corruption scandal that resulted in the impeachment of disgraced South Korean President Park Geun-hye last December.

The Samsung chief was accused of making illegal payments worth $36 million to a charitable foundation that was controlled by Choi Soon-sil, a close friend of Park. In return, Lee allegedly received political favors, including the ability to overhaul Samsung's shareholding structure to help keep his family in control of the conglomerate.

Samsung, while popular in most of the world for its smartphones and other electronic devices, including the recently announced Galaxy Note 8, also has businesses in insurance, shipping, and pharmaceuticals.

What Does Lee's Imprisonment Mean For South Korea And Samsung

More than two decades ago, prosecutors accused Samsung's chairman, Lee's father, for bribing the president, but he was later given a presidential pardon. A decade ago, he was once again indicted for tax evasion and embezzlement, but he again escaped imprisonment.

Lee's imprisonment, however, signals a massive change in the relationship between the government of South Korea and the country's massive conglomerates known as chaebols, which control over 80 percent of South Korea's gross domestic product. With the Samsung boss arrested, it now appears that chaebols, even the biggest one of them all, are no longer untouchable.

As for Samsung itself, it may have to scramble for a new leader as there is doubt that Lee will receive a pardon, as South Korea's new president, Moon Jae-In, won the election on the back of an anti-corruption campaign.

The short-term effect of the verdict against Lee will be minimal due to the decentralized Samsung management. Lee was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the company, so Samsung will be business as usual even in his absence.

Lee has been viewed as the lynchpin of the company's long-term strategy, and the focal point of the business relationships of the company across the world. This allowed him to seek out opportunities for the conglomerate, a role that will be very hard to find a replacement for.

The imprisonment of Lee, however, will also likely cause a massive internal struggle for who will be the next Samsung leader, at a crucial time when the company is looking to recover from the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco with the Galaxy Note 8.

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Health insurance provider Aetna is under fire for the accidental exposure of their clients' HIV status. Legal remedies are already in place as thousands of Aetna clients from various states complained about the privacy breach.

Aetna Mailer Envelopes

On July 28, about 12,000 clients of Aetna received a mailer that revealed more than the recipient's name and address. The envelopes had larger-than-usual windows, which exposed certain private medical information about their clients.

For instance, a mailer sent to a client in Brooklyn also revealed the beginning of the company's letter, evidently advising the client on HIV prescriptions. Similarly, others received mailers regarding Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV, a regimen that acts kind of like an HIV vaccine. As a result, the clients whose private medical information was exposed immediately made their complaints known.

Aetna clients from Washington DC, California, Arizona, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Georgia, and Pennsylvania made their complaints to the Legal Action Center in New York, Legal Services NYC, Lambda Legal, Whitman-Walker Health, the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, and few other legal firms.

On behalf of the Aetna clients, Legal Action Center New York and AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania sent a cease and desist letter to Aetna, demanding the company to immediately stop sending mail exposing client's private medical information as well as to take serious corrective measures to ensure that such events will not happen again.

Aetna states that 12,000 clients probably received the mailer, but they remain unsure of exactly how many people were affected.

"This type of mistake is unacceptable, and we are undertaking a full review of our processes to ensure something like this never happens again," stated Aetna in a statement.

What Are The Implications Of This Privacy Breach?

First of all, and it is clearly written in the cease and desist letter, by exposing clients' medical information, Aetna has violated the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as well as other laws regarding health information confidentiality.

Under the HIPAA, health insurance companies such as Aetna are required to honor their clients' health information. Because of the large windows that exposed certain sensitive health information, some of their clients were devastated after neighbors, roommates, and family members learned of their condition through the privacy breach.

"Aetna's privacy violation devastated people whose neighbors and family learned their intimate health information. They also were shocked that their health insurer would utterly disregard their privacy rights," said Sally Friedman of the Legal Action Center in New York.

The exposure of the clients' HIV status is considered as more than a violation of the law, as it created risks of violence, trauma, and discrimination.

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SpaceX has successfully launched FORMOSAT-5, the first fully Taiwan-made Earth observation satellite, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Aug. 24, nearly four years after its original intended late-2013 launch.

The 475-kilogram satellite was sent into a sun-synchronous, low-Earth orbit 720 kilometers above the Earth, and the mission was declared a success after a ground station in Svalbard, Norway, received the first radio signals from FORMOSAT-5 to confirm its operational condition.

Falcon 9's first stage rocket descended and successfully landed on the autonomous spaceport drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, which will bring it to port for inspection and gauge its condition for reusability.

FORMOSAT-5 Observations

FORMOSAT-5 is equipped with a remote sensing imager (RSI) and an advanced ionospheric probe (AIP) package to take high-resolution images of location all over the Earth and monitor the behavior of plasma in the ionosphere.

Data from FORMOSAT-5 will be used for various scientific and natural research as well as disaster monitoring and management, with special attention to monitoring possible earthquakes.

"The AIP is an all-in-one plasma sensor to measure ionospheric plasma concentrations, velocities, and temperatures over a wide range of spatial scales. The transient and long-term variations of ionospheric plasma can be monitored as seismic precursors associated with earthquakes," the NSPO explains.

The RIS, on the other hand, can produce 4-meter resolution colored and 2-meter resolution black-and-white images for observation and monitoring.

FORMOSAT-5's RIS function will continue the work of FORMOSAT-2, which was launched in 2004 and has been retired since 2016.

A Very Delayed Success

FORMOSAT-5 is the very first satellite that is fully developed by the NSPO, from key technologies and instruments to the development of its satellite system. It was truly intended to replace FORMOSAT-2 by 2013, but project delays on the part of NSPO affected its original date launch.

However, NSPO was not the only cause of delay because the SpaceX rocket explosion incidents also further delayed the satellite's launch, which is why all involved parties were delighted when the mission was finally declared a success.

Even Capt. Kylie Pracher from the 1st Air and Space Test Squadron, who served as the Air Force launch commander for the mission, commended the smooth launch.

"This was the first satellite manufactured and integrated entirely by Taiwan and it was also the fastest turnaround time between Falcon launches here at Space Launch Complex 4," Captain Pracher said.

Now that FORMOSAT-5 is finally in orbit, SpaceX will prepare for its Sept. 7 Falcon 9 launch at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Watch the FORMOSAT-5 mission launch below.

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Google Chrome will soon allow its users to permanently turn off the audio of websites, according to a member of the internet browser's development team.

There is currently no timetable on when the feature will be rolled out to Chrome, but it should be soon because it is already under experimentation.

Google Chrome Mute Website Feature Coming Soon

Francois Beaufort, a member of the Chrome development team, said through a Google+ post that a feature to mute websites directly from the page information bubble is currently undergoing testing.

Users who would like to try out the feature will need to have the latest Canary build of Chrome installed on their computer. It is deactivated by default but can be turned on through the --enable-features=SoundContentSetting switch.

In its early version, the mute sound feature can be accessed by clicking on the information icon at the far left of the address bar in Chrome, represented by the letter "i" in a circle. For websites with HTTPS enabled, the icon will instead appear with a padlock icon and a "Secure" label.

Clicking on the tab's icon will reveal several details regarding the website, including permissions for Location services, Flash, automatic downloads, and popups. Once the mute websites feature is activated, a "Sound" option will appear, and it can be deactivated by the user.

Users will need to mute websites one by one, but once the sound is deactivated for a certain website, it will remain muted until the user toggles the switch again. There is currently an option to mute Chrome by right-clicking on the tabs where the user wants to deactivate sound, but the audio will return for the website when the user reopens the tab or the browser.

The upcoming Google Chrome feature to mute websites will prove to be the most useful against autoplaying videos, which are very annoying for most users. Whether because the user is in a location that requires silence such as a library, or trying to concentrate on a certain matter, or in a myriad of other situations, a feature to deactivate sounds for websites will certainly have its applications.

Major Google Chrome Improvements

The feature to mute audio for websites is just one of the many improvements that the development team has planned for Chrome.

Another useful feature coming soon to the internet browser is its own ad blocker, which Google announced earlier this year. The Chrome ad blocker will focus on preventing annoying ads from being shown to users and is expected to be launched some time next year.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed that six people were killed and 53 injured in the blast. | Read More
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP)  Harvey spun deeper into Texas and unloaded extraordinary amounts of rain Saturday after the once-fearsome hurricane crashed into vulnerable homes and businesses along the coastline in a blow that killed at least two people and injured up to 14.

About 1 p.m. the system had weakened further to a tropical storm, with sustained winds of about 70 mph. By 10 p.m., its winds dropped further to 50 mph drifting east-northeastward. A drift toward the south or southeast is expected during the next couple of days, and the center of Harvey is expected to remain inland over southeastern Texas.

Additional weakening of the storm is forecast during the next 48 hours and Harvey is likely to become a tropical depression on Sunday.

Officials say they are still worried about potentially catastrophic rainfall that will continue for days, with more than 40 inches and flash flooding possible even well inland.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

The mammoth system made landfall late Friday about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi as a Category 4 storm with 130 mph (209 kph) winds. It gradually weakened over several hours to Category 1 but remained destructive, with sustained winds of 90 mph (144 kph).

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade spun across hundreds of miles of coastline where communities had prepared for life-threatening storm surges  walls of water rushing inland.

LOUISIANA LATEST

The storm is is expected to fall back toward the Gulf Coast along a similar route to its inland track before jutting out east.

Projections indicate it will take a more northeastern route, heading into eastern Texas and weakening into a tropical disturbance by Thursday morning.

A swath of southeastern Texas is still expected to receive 20 or more inches of rain, while the outlook is slightly lessened for much of southern Louisiana. As little as 2 inches of rain is possible for both the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas, although some areas could see as much as 10 inches, according to the National Weather Service. These forecasts remain subject to change.

Throughout the region between Corpus Christi and Houston, many people feared that toll was only the beginning. Authorities did not know the full scope of damage because weather conditions prevented emergency crews from getting into the hardest-hit places. And they dreaded the destruction that was yet to come from a storm that could linger for days and unload more than 40 inches (100 centimeters) of rain on cities, including dangerously flood-prone Houston, the nation's fourth-largest.

In the island community of Port Aransas, population 3,800, officials were unable to fully survey the town because of "massive" damage. Police and heavy equipment had only made it into the northernmost street.

"I can tell you I have a very bad feeling and that's about it," said Mayor Charles Bujan, who had called for a mandatory evacuation but did not know how many heeded the order.

Some of the worst damage appeared to be in Rockport, a coastal city of about 10,000 that was directly in the storm's path. The mayor said his community took a blow "right on the nose" that left "widespread devastation," including homes, businesses and schools that were heavily damaged. Some structures were destroyed.

Rockport's roads were a mess of toppled power poles. A trailer blocked much of one major intersection. Wood framing from ripped-apart houses was strewn along Route 35 on the town's southern end.

Harvey's relentless wind tore the metal sides off the high school gym and twisted the steel door frame of its auditorium.

"We're still in the very infancy stage of getting this recovery started," said Aransas County spokesman Larry Sinclair.

Can't see the video below? Click here.

Rockport Mayor Charles "C.J." Wax told The Weather Channel that the city's emergency response system had been hampered by the loss of cellphone service and other forms of communication.

A day earlier, Rockport Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Rios offered ominous advice, telling people who chose not to evacuate to mark their arms with Sharpie pens, implying that the marks would make it easier for rescuers to identify them.

One person was killed in Aransas County when in a fire at home during the storm, county Judge C.H. "Burt" Mills Jr. said. A second person died in flooding in Harris County, where Houston is located.

Gary Norman, a spokesman for the Houston emergency operations center, said late Saturday that the person was a woman appeared to have gotten out of her vehicle in high water, though authorities had not confirmed a cause of death. She was found by neighbors about 30 yards (27 meters) away from her vehicle, and Norman said she was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor who was in the area.

Mills also said as many as 14 people suffered minor injuries in his county, including slips and falls, scrapes and a broken leg.

About 300,000 customers were without power statewide. Gov. Greg Abbott said it would probably be several days before electricity is restored.

Meanwhile, the storm was barely moving. Rainfall totals varied across the region, with Corpus Christi and Galveston receiving around 3 inches (8 centimeters), Houston 7 (18 centimeters) and Aransas 10 (25 centimeters). Tiny Austwell got 15 inches (38 centimeters).

In Houston, authorities were pleading with people not to leave their homes as a flood emergency was declared.

"The streets are treacherous," Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

Elsewhere in the storm's immediate aftermath, the Coast Guard had rescued 20 people from boats and barges in distress, said Capt. Tony Hahn, commander of the Corpus Christi sector.

The Corpus Christi port was closed with extensive damage. Because the city is the third-largest petrochemical port in the nation, the agency will be on the lookout for spills, Hahn said.

The fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in more than a decade came ashore late Friday about 30 miles (48 kilometers) northeast of Corpus Christi as a mammoth Category 4 storm with 130 mph (209 kph) winds.

Harvey weakened to a tropical storm by midday Saturday. At 10 p.m., its maximum sustained winds had fallen to about 40 mph (64 kph), the National Hurricane Center said. But the storm was moving at just 1 mph (1.6) kph as it dumped torrential rain over an area that included Houston.

The hurricane posed the first major emergency management test of President Donald Trump's administration.

Trump met with his Cabinet and other senior administration officials to discuss the federal response to the damage and flooding, the White House said Saturday in a statement.

The president held a video conference from Camp David in which he instructed departments and agencies to "stay fully engaged and positioned to support his number one priority of saving lives," the statement said.

Trump, who on Friday signed a federal disaster declaration for coastal counties, also reminded department heads that the full impact of the storm will not be apparent for days. On Twitter, he commended the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for his handling of the disaster.

In Corpus Christi, the major city closest to the storm's center, wind whipped palm trees and stinging sheets of horizontal rain slapped against hotels and office buildings along the seawall as the storm made landfall.

Daybreak revealed downed lamp posts and tree limbs and roof tiles torn off buildings. Along Interstate 45 leaving Galveston, the rain was so intense that drivers stopped under bridges because they could not see in front of them.

Rain fell on Houston at nearly 3 inches (8 centimeters) an hour, leaving some streets and underpasses underwater. The many drainage channels known as bayous that carry excess water to the Gulf were flowing freely and rising.

"Flooding is a minor issue so far," Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, the chief administrator of the county that includes Houston, said. "Most of the watersheds are well within banks, but we're not out of this."

Francisco Sanchez, with the Harris County Emergency Management Office, said the storm would be around for a while.

"Someone is going to get those very high rainfall totals," he said. "Hopefully it's not us, but we're in that possibility area."

South of the city, about 4,500 inmates were evacuated from three state prisons in Brazoria County because the nearby Brazos River was rising.

The turbulent weather extended into southern Louisiana, where motorists were cautioned about the potential for high water, road hazards, high winds and tornadoes.

Harvey came ashore as the fiercest hurricane to hit the U.S. in 13 years and the strongest to strike Texas since 1961's Hurricane Carla, the most powerful Texas hurricane on record.

The storm's approach sent tens of thousands of people fleeing inland.

Just hours before landfall, the governor and Houston leaders issued conflicting statements on evacuation.

The governor urged more people to flee, but Houston officials recommended no widespread evacuations, citing greater danger in having people on roads that could flood and the fact that the hurricane was not taking direct aim at the city.

The last Category 4 storm to hit the U.S. was Hurricane Charley in August 2004 in Florida.

___

Associated Press writers Michael Graczyk, Juan Lozano and Nomaan Merchant in Houston; Tammy Webber in Chicago; David Phillip in Dickinson, Texas; and Jamie Stengle, David Warren and Claudia Lauer and in Dallas contributed to this report.
Hurricane Harvey made landfall on the Texas coast between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor around 10 p.m. Friday, according to the National Weat
A woman charged with stalking and using an electronic device to track a car has been by the court for mental health treatment.

The 38-year-old woman from Scullin faced charges of stalking and contravening a family violence order.

A man entered a classroom on Friday morning and attacked four other students. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Police said the victim noticed "ongoing suspicious behaviour conducted by a woman known to them" between July 22 and July 24 this year.

The victim found the device attached to their car and called police, who then arrested the woman.
Online secondary ticket resellers are back in the spotlight after the state government issued an urgent public warning about "unfair and unsatisfactory" sale tactics.

Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean announced the warning on Sunday, targeting online ticket reseller Viagogo, which has been among the top five most complained about businesses for five months of the past year.

Fans of Adele have previously lost out to automated ticket scalpers that snag tickets en masse, to sell at inflated prices. Credit:AP

"Complaints to date have included delayed delivery, events being cancelled, heavily marked-up prices, hidden fees, and failure to provide refunds," Mr Kean said.

He estimated around 600 consumers had lost almost $130,000.
The Flagstaff Police Department is investigating a letter with false information about "unauthorized" immigrants being at risk of immediate removal to a deportation facility if the person is reported to the Coconino County Sheriffs Office or the Flagstaff Police Department.

The letter, which has been received by at least one resident, states that officers from those local agencies are being deputized as official Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers.

The Flagstaff Police Department has confirmed that the statements made in this letter are false.

The department stated that it is not involved in any immigration enforcement activity with ICE. In a press release, the agency said it continues to hold a philosophy of not engaging in general round ups of undocumented persons. No officers with the Flagstaff Police Department have been deputized as ICE officers, according to the press release.

The letter was sent by a group called the Legal Americans Surveillance Citizens Project from a Flagstaff post office box. It states that people associated with the group are "positioned to support President Trump's agenda to rid our country - through enforcement and removal - of all who are not legal - and therefore not true citizens."

"We are organized to keep a watch in our neighborhoods and to report the suspected presence of persons residing among us without legal documentation, officially known as illegal aliens," the letter stated.

Anyone receiving one of these letters is encouraged to report it to the police department so it can be determined if a crime is being committed and if certain people are being specifically targeted due to their race or ethnicity. Please reference Departmental Report P17-12131 when making a report.

The police department dispatch number is (928) 774-1414.
Becoming a member of Federal Parliament is a big deal. You are chosen to represent 80,000 or so people in the House of Representatives or to be one of 12 senators representing your state. You vote in the Parliament on their behalf. That's a serious responsibility. If the rarity of the opportunity to do that matters, there's only been 1173 members since Federation and 594 senators.

When I entered the Senate my party had only fairly recently gone into opposition. For 12 horrible years I learnt all about it. The Old Parliament House was still in use then. The offices were dingy and there was nothing so luxurious as your own bathroom. Former senator Susan Ryan, the first Labor woman in cabinet, shared some wisdom with me in the bathroom one day. She told me that while opposition was terrible, when we got into government I would be much better off for having had that time in opposition.

When they move to opposition the reality of backbench opposition life might sink in to even the stupidest mind. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

At the time I thought, "Easy for her to say, she's in government." But she was right. There's a lot to learn in any new occupation and opposition is the place to do it in politics.

The Coalition has quite a few members and senators who came in under a Coalition government. They have no experience of opposition. On some of them, it shows. If they did have that experience they would be doing everything they could to stay in government, to stop going back to that horrid place.
The deadline for enrolment has passed, and the nation is marching ever closer to a postal opinion poll on marriage equality that is one of the most divisive, dangerous and wasteful policies in recent Australian history.

Opinion polls have already shown the overwhelming majority of Australians want marriage equality and want parliamentarians to do their job and vote on the issue. The Sunday Age has also argued a plebiscite will be divisive and damaging. The events of the past two weeks have sadly confirmed our worst fears.

Supporters join in the marriage equality rally in Melbourne on Saturday. Credit:AAP

Religious groups and some politicians have quickly moved to turn the debate  which is about equality of legal and human rights for a section of the Australian community  into a fear-mongering campaign about the safety of children. In the past fortnight we have have seen claims about "another stolen generation" should marriage equality laws eventually be passed. One such group, the Australian Marriage Forum, has advertised on regional television, asking "who will apologise to the motherless generation".

Parts of Melbourne have been plastered with posters with the offensive slogan "Stop The Fags", which distributes the lies that "92 per cent of children raised by gay parents are abused. 51 per cent have depression. 72 per cent are obese." Victorian Human Rights Commissioner Kristen Hilton has described the posters as both deeply offensive and inaccurate. The fact is no evidence exists that children raised by same-sex couples suffer at all. Indeed, the situation is quite the opposite. The largest ever study of children of same-sex parents was conducted by the University of Melbourne in 2014. It found the children of same-sex parents enjoy better levels of health and wellbeing than their peers from what religious groups deem to be "traditional family units".
The world's richest man, Bill Gates, and fellow billionaire Richard Branson have joined other business giants investing in a nascent technology to make meat from self-producing animal cells.

The Silicon Valley start-up they back hopes to tap rising consumer demand for protein that's less reliant on feed, land and water.

Richard Branson, who has said he avoids beef because of the damage livestock does to the Amazonian rain forests, reckons one day all meat will "either be clean or plant-based".

Memphis Meats produces beef, chicken and duck directly from animal cells in the lab, without raising and slaughtering livestock or poultry. The company has just raised $US17 million ($21.5 million) from investors including Gates, Branson and Cargill, one of the world's largest agricultural companies, according to a statement this week on the San Francisco-based start-up's website.

"I'm thrilled to have invested in Memphis Meats," Virgin Group boss Branson said in an email in response to questions from Bloomberg News.
A computer algorithm has replaced humans to assess the security risk of asylum seekers, criminals and visa overstayers in Australian immigration detention centres.

The new Security Risk Assessment Tool, designed to assess "individuals who are considered to pose an unacceptable risk to the community", was quietly rolled out in September.

The assessment system is in place at Melbourne's high-security Maribyrnong immigration detention centre. Credit:Shannon Morris

A spokeswoman for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said the SRAT was guided by the detainee's behaviour both during and prior to detention, any signs of violent or aggressive behaviour and their known associations.

"It also considers a each detainee's individual circumstances including age and health," she said.
The international medical company contracted to look after refugees on Manus Island has no idea who will replace it in just two months when Australia withdraws entirely from the island.

International Health and Medical Services (IHMS), which runs a round-the-clock clinic at Australia's regional processing centre (RPC) and a smaller service in Lorengau, will depart Papua New Guinea on October 31 when its contract ends.

Refugees on Manus Island currently have medical services provided by an international contractor to Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The RPC is due to close completely by that date, but about 700 refugees are still awaiting promised resettlement in the US, and the future for 250 asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected also remains uncertain.

Fairfax Media understands senior staff at IHMS are concerned that they have not been told who will take over the provision of medical services for the refugees and asylum seekers, and no handover process has commenced.
A destroyed Russian tank in Tarin Kowt in 2013. Credit:Kate Geraghty Trump deliberately did not give numbers though US media reports consistently say the president has authorised about another 4000 American troops. Trump said he expected comparable commitments from other coalition countries. Australia will likely be asked to make a further contribution. But if a request comes, it is expected to be limited and not something that will overstretch the Australian Defence Force. Any return to combat is regarded as unlikely. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week described the situation in Afghanistan as a "losing battle". Credit:AP What is Trump's plan?

Trump's approach has been broadly welcomed by analysts in the US and Australia, though most assessments say only that it is an improvement on the current state, in that it might yield a bearable outcome. The rationale for this modest optimism rests fairly heavily on the military component. Trump said that the US would use all of its power  diplomatic, economic and military  and his top diplomat Rex Tillerson followed that up with promises of "much more rigorous efforts" on combating corruption in Afghanistan. But those sentiments were secondary. As Secretary of State Tillerson himself summed it up: "This entire effort is intended to put pressure on the Taliban to have the Taliban understand: you will not win a battlefield victory. We may not win one, but neither will you." US soldiers on a military transport from Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan in 2010. Credit:New York Times The immediate question is how the coalition will deny the Taliban this victory with a force that, even after troop increases, will be a fraction of the 130,000-strong foreign forces there in 2010. The government of President Ashraf Ghani now controls barely half the country by area; it generally holds major population centres whereas the insurgents' strength is in the rural areas. IS has set up in Afghanistan and al-Qaeda still has a presence. The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Joseph Dunford, is preparing a military plan. Experts and insiders say the coalition increase will likely be a combination of special operations to kill or capture insurgent leaders and advise the Afghans, various so-called "enablers" such as intelligence, logistics and air medical evacuation, and more close air support from fighters, drones and helicopter gunships.

US Marines take a break during a patrol in Sangin, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2011. Credit:AP Trump also indicated he would free up his commanders to make quick decisions with changed rules of engagement or ROEs. A former senior US official who has served as the chief of defence intelligence at the US Embassy in Canberra and worked closely with US National Security Adviser General H.R. McMaster in Afghanistan says this will be welcomed by the Pentagon. "Operations in the theatre have been ham-strung because the previous administration had stringent ROEs for different target sets," he says. "Now, be it [IS] or al-Qaeda or the Taliban or the Haqqani [militant network] the ROE will be the same. It makes command and control much simpler and much easier for the soldiers on the point." An Afghan women is rushed from the scene of a suicide car bomb in Kabul, in 2013. Credit:The New York Times What will Australia's role be?

There will also be more training of the Afghan forces, and that is where the ADF is most likely to see a boost in numbers. Any increase would be the result of a conversation with the US, rather than a straight request from Washington. There are other countries  namely those in NATO  Trump clearly had in mind when he called for more help, but Australia is also well regarded and therefore attractive to coalition planners. US Defence Secretary James Mattis and new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly  both former Marine generals  have long and close relationships with the Australian military. They won't ask for things they know the Turnbull government can't agree to. Chief of the Australian Defence Force Mark Binskin sent a strong signal that Australia is already pulling its weight in the broad fight against Islamist terrorism around the world. He tells Fairfax Media that the previously announced increase of 30 extra trainers, taking the Australian total to 300, was "entirely consistent with President Trump's call for the international community to deploy more troops to Afghanistan". He says it is important for Australia to remain in Afghanistan but added that "we do not consider Afghanistan in isolation" - suggesting Australia's efforts needed to be balanced against what it was doing elsewhere in the world. "Terrorism is a global issue and our counter-terrorism strategies are always considered in this context."

He says the ADF has 800 people fighting IS and was flying P-3 Orion spy planes in support of Philippines forces in Mindanao, where an IS-affiliated insurgency is poised to establish an enduring splinter "caliphate" that could become a base for South-east Asia. Can the Taliban be beaten? The model of training local forces while also advising them from relatively close to the front line and providing air strikes has worked well in Iraq. There may be some useful lessons from the fight against Islamic State  a point Tillerson made this week  but experts cautioned that while Iraq had relatively well-defined military goals of retaking cities such as Mosul, the Taliban rarely fights like a conventional military that would allow the coalition and Afghans to concentrate their forces and achieve major victories. "It's not just a little different, it's very different," says Michael Crane, a retired major-general who commanded Australian forces in the Middle East including Afghanistan in 2007 and again in 2013. "Afghanistan is a very difficult problem. You have remote mountain areas, border problems, corruption, no real sense of nation. And the Taliban is a very determined enemy." Crane envisions the US forces directly pursuing IS and al-Qaeda while leaving the Taliban largely to the Afghans, though with support. It will take a long time and will depend on considerable US patience.

Rodger Shanahan, a former Army officer now with the Lowy Institute, says "nation building" wouldn't exactly be abandoned as Trump had vowed, but it would not be based on values. That message  switching nation-building for "killing terrorists"  played well on Fox News. But it also was directed clearly at Taliban leaders, Shanahan says. "The strategic message to the Taliban is that there is no end state. And some of you guys can come on board. If you can guarantee us that people who are going to harm America don't have freedom of action in Afghanistan, you can implement your view of Afghan society to some degree. "It's the only way to get them to the negotiating table  raise the cost to them by military action and reduce the moral high ground on which you sat. Is it a morally good thing? Probably not. Does it mean you can perhaps set an achievable goal? It's more likely under this direction than previously." How realistic it is to negotiate with the Taliban is a matter of debate. William Maley, a leading Afghanistan expert at the Australian National University, branded any peace deal with the Taliban as "a pipe dream" because the group's extremism was fundamentally irreconcilable with any acceptable vision of Afghanistan. They have to be defeated, he says. Most Afghans hate the Taliban. People in a country of seemingly endless war back the side they think will win, and therefore decisive military victories underscoring resolve on the part of the coalition and the Afghan government could drive the Taliban into irrelevance.

Is it a 'losing battle'? Trump's other major pitch was that he would finally stop Pakistan allowing the Taliban to cross into sanctuaries in its territory to regroup. In fact the US has been trying to do this since 2001  it's just that Trump issued his threats very publicly. However cutting off military aid and removing Pakistan's status as a favoured non-NATO partner  much less bringing arch-rival India further into the equation as Trump threatened to do  could sever that relationship and create another enemy. And while nobody wants Afghanistan with its population of 33 million people to become a haven for terrorists, Pakistan is a country of more than 200 million people with its own Islamist forces and a nuclear arsenal. Pushing Pakistan away for the sake of Afghanistan doesn't make much sense, some insiders point out. The Pakistan part, if Trump follows through, is a high-stakes gamble, but some think it could pay off. "Washington is signalling to Pakistan there's a new administration in town and the commander-in-chief is half-crazy so when we make these kinds of threats, don't think it's empty rhetoric," Shanahan says.

Everyone Fairfax spoke to, both inside and outside the Australian government and officialdom, feel Trump's approach is an improvement on the present state of affairs. No one in authority in this country has been prepared to say what Tillerson said bluntly this week: that this has been a "losing battle". Chris May, who served two tours of Afghanistan, fractured his neck and suffered post-traumatic stress disorder when the Bushmaster armoured vehicle he was commanding hit a roadside bomb about 40 kilometres north of Tarin Kowt in 2011. Like many Australian veterans of Afghanistan, he feels the coalition drew down its forces too early. Trump's new approach isn't "so much a step forward as a step sideways", he says. Loading He talks about the progress they made while they were there: building girls' schools, trade centres, a water treatment plant, roads and bridges so that farmers could get their produce to Tarin Kowt  which had been a "thriving metropolis".
Fast food giant McDonald's has defended not paying its workers weekend penalty rates as it came under pressure over a controversial wage deal estimated to leave nearly two-thirds of its workforce underpaid.

Senior executives at the burger chain were quizzed at a Senate inquiry on Friday about its agreement with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) that pays no weekend and very limited late-night penalties.

The fast food giant pays no weekend and limited late-night penalties. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The inquiry comes after a Fairfax Media investigation in 2016 found the agreement would result in nearly two-thirds of McDonald's workers being paid less than the award  the minimum pay and conditions safety net.

The findings were based on hundreds of payslips and the leaking of an entire store's roster that showed 63 per cent of employees at a large Sydney outlet were paid less than the award.
A crime scene has been established at a home on Bushmead Street, Nerang, after a fire.

Emergency services were called about 1.30am to reports of a fire.

A 26-year-old man suffered serious burns and later died at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital.

Police said a 22-year-old man was in custody and assisting with inquiries.
A Queensland woman jailed for sexually abusing her special needs son betrayed him and although she suffered horrendous treatment as a child herself, it was no excuse, a court has heard.

The middle-aged woman, who can't be identified, was on Friday sentenced to five years' jail in Brisbane District Court after pleading guilty to two counts of incest in 2015.

The woman was sentenced to five years' jail in Brisbane District Court on Friday. Credit:Louie Douvis

The court heard she had suffered through "deviant sexual practices" and extraordinarily harsh discipline as a child and gave birth after being raped by her stepfather.

Her background was described by Judge Julie Dick as "sad" and "dysfunctional".
Several shops in Brisbane's south-west have reportedly been destroyed after a blaze tore through a shopping centre on Saturday morning.

Regional duty officer for Brisbane Inspector Rob Graham said the burnt remains of the Civic Centre has been declared a crime scene.

Medical Centre owner Dr Michael Ho got off a plane at 8am this morning to receive messages of the bad news. Credit:Ruth McCosker

Fire fighters were called to Civic Centre on the corner of Wirraway Parade and Corsair Avenue about 1.30am following reports of a commercial structure fire.

"There's 10 businesses that have been well and truly damaged or destroyed, potentially this whole block might have to get locked down, those assessments will occur over the next few days," Inspector Graham said.
Glitter fluttered through the wintry air on Saturday afternoon as more than 20,000 Melburnians took to the city streets to rally for same-sex marriage ahead of a postal vote on the issue.

A sea of protesters, many draped in rainbow flags and clutching colourful balloons, gathered outside the State Library for what organisers said was Australia's largest marriage equality rally.

The event was organised by Equal Love, an organisation that has been campaigning for marriage equality for 13 years.

"It's incredible ... there is an endless sea of people," the group's convenor Ali Hogg told the crowd, which stretched down Swanston Street.
Three backpackers have been killed and another has been flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a crash in northern Victoria early on Sunday.

The 21-year-old male German driver and two passengers  both 21-year-old Canadians  were killed instantly when their Ford station wagon flipped on a single-lane road at Dingwall, near Kerang.

A 19-year-old British man was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with critical injuries, and a fifth passenger  a 29-year-old German man  is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
Washington: President Donald Trump on Friday pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former Arizona sheriff whose aggressive efforts to hunt down and detain unauthorised immigrants made him a national symbol of the divisive politics of immigration and earned him a criminal contempt conviction.

In a two-paragraph statement, the White House said that Arpaio gave "years of admirable service to our nation" and called him a "worthy candidate for a presidential pardon."

Trump called Arpaio "an American patriot" in a tweet later Friday. "He kept Arizona safe!" the president said.

In his own tweets, Arpaio thanked Trump and called his conviction "a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama Justice Department." He also pointed his supporters to a website that was accepting donations to help him pay off his legal fees.
A power generator tips as strong winds hit the region. Credit:AP Sims said power, internet and most cell phone service was out in the town of 10,000 where about two-thirds of people evacuated. Most of the senior citizens and nursing homes were among the first to be evacuated, he said. Fuelled by the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, Harvey became the first Category 4 hurricane to wallop the United States since Charley in 2004 and the first to hit Texas since Carla in 1961. The USS Lexington, an aircraft carrier turned museum, rests in Corpus Christi Bay as waters begin to turn rough around Corpus Christi, Texas. Credit:AP

About 45 km from Corpus Christi and moving northwest, Harvey caused scattered power outages both on the coast near Galveston and 160 km inland. Donald Trump, facing the first large-scale natural disaster of his presidency, said on Twitter he signed a disaster proclamation which "unleashes the full force of government help" shortly before Harvey made landfall. Twana Phillips is hit by a gust of wind while standing along the seawall in Galveston, Texas as Hurricane Harvey intensifies. Credit:AP While thousands fled the expected devastating flooding and destruction, many residents defied mandatory evacuation orders and stocked up on food, fuel and sandbags, drawing the ire of local authorities.

As a Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, Harvey could uproot trees, destroy homes and disrupt utilities for days. Logan Garcia looks for last-minute supplies at a grocery store in Corpus Christi, Texas. Credit:AP In Corpus Christi, a city of 320,000 under voluntary evacuation, strengthening winds buffeted the few trucks and cars that continued to circulate on the streets. The storm toppled wooden roadwork signs and littered the streets with pieces of palm trees as white caps rocked sailboats in their docks. About 137 km north in Victoria, Mayor Paul Polasek told CNN he estimated that 60 per cent to 65 per cent of the town's 65,000 residents defied the mandatory evacuation order. A sign above Interstate 10 in Beaumont, Texas, warns travelers to stay away from the coast as Hurricane Harvey bears down on the state. Credit:AP

Jose Rengel, a 47-year-old who works in construction, said he was one of the few people in Jamaica Beach in Galveston that did not heed a voluntary evacuation order. "All the shops are empty," he said as the sky turned black and rain fell. "It's like a tornado went in and swept everything up." Sylvia Brown, 15, walks through waves as they wash ashore near a pier. Credit:AP With the hurricane lashing the Texas coast, at least three cruise ships operated by Carnival Corp with thousands of passengers aboard were forced to change their plans to sail for the Port of Galveston. Two of them headed New Orleans to pick up fresh supplies, while the third delayed its departure from Cozumel, Mexico.

Louisiana and Texas declared states of disaster, authorizing the use of state resources to prepare. The NHC's latest tracking model shows the storm sitting southwest of Houston for more than a day, giving the nation's fourth most populous city a double dose of rain and wind. The city warned residents of flooding from close to 60 cm of rain over several days. But Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner advised residents not to leave en masse, saying "no evacuation orders have been issued for the city." Chaotic traffic from a rushed evacuation in 2005 with Hurricane Rita proved tragic. "Calm and care!" he said in a tweet. The Storm Has Rerouted Some Cruise Ships

Cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers and crew have been ordered to steer clear of the Port of Galveston. The port, which is less than 200 miles northeast of where the hurricane made landfall late Friday, was closed until the weather clears. Carnival Cruise Line diverted three ships scheduled to arrive at the port this weekend. Rather than docking in Galveston on Saturday, Carnival Valor and Carnival Freedom were to stop in New Orleans to pick up fuel, water and food, then stay at sea until the weather clears. The 3,666 passengers on Freedom and the 3,628 passengers on Valor will be allowed to end their cruise and disembark in New Orleans, though Carnival is encouraging them to stay on board to avoid the difficulty of traveling back to Galveston on their own. Carnival Breeze remained docked overnight in Cozumel, Mexico, and will set off for Texas in the afternoon, aiming to drop off its 4,660 passengers in Galveston on Sunday on schedule. In an alert, Carnival said it would dock its ships as soon as port officials reopen the port. However, "this is all fluid depending on what the storm is doing at the time," said Christine de la Huerta, a Carnival spokeswoman. Galveston is one of the busiest cruise-docking stops in the world and has the most passenger traffic in the country outside of Florida, according to the most recent annual report from Cruise Industry News. Tiffany Hsu

The New Head of FEMA Faces His First Big Test With the storm, the Trump administration faces its first test in dealing with a major natural disaster. The storm will also be the first major challenge for the Federal Emergency Management Agency under Brock Long, who was confirmed as director in June by the Senate. Long was the director of Alabama's disaster relief agency when Hurricane Katrina hit the state in 2005, and his selection has inspired confidence among lawmakers and state disaster relief officials. Lanita Lloyd, president of the International Association of Emergency Managers, a trade group, told The Times last month that Long was battle-tested. "He's someone we know and trust and will have the agency prepared for whatever disaster might hit."
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and his British counterpart Theresa May visit Borough Market in London after the attack there, which killed two Australians. Credit:Andrew Meares Caliphate crumbling Two trends spell out why: one is our record levels of travel and the other is Islamic State's shifting focus on tourists as soft targets as the military coalition against it makes progress in Iraq and Syria. Last Sunday, Iraqi forces began their final assault on Tal Afar on the remaining IS presence in Iraq. The coalition-backed Syrian Defence Forces have been fighting for three months in Raqqa, which three years ago was a magnet for foreign fighters, including Australians Neil Prakash, Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf. Belgian special forces soldiers sit on a rooftop with a guided-missile launcher, a few kilometres east of Tal Afar, Iraq, earlier this month. Credit:AP

"Our partners have momentum," Major-General Rupert Jones, the spokesperson for the coalition, said this week. "Raqqa almost had a mythical air to it. It doesn't feel so mythical right now  it's 55-60 per cent cleared." Hastily placed barriers to prevent vehicles from entering greet tourists at the Vittorio Emanuele gallery in Milan. Credit:AP "We're there to liberate towns and cities from [IS] ... to make sure that that organisation cannot direct and formally export terror into the West," General Jones said. "If you're a fighter in Raqqa right now, do you think they're plotting to attack Birmingham or Brussels? I'd wager not." But it is this very progress that is behind the increasing tempo of crude car ramming and stabbing attacks, often "inspired" by rather than orchestrated by IS.

A Belgian Army soldier stands outside Brussels Central Station. While the risk of being caught in a terror attack remains low, the perception of the public - and tourists - is another matter. Credit:AP "They know that the era of the physical caliphate is over but that doesn't mean that [IS] is over or that its ideology is over and defeated," said Julie Lenarz, an expert with two independent think tanks, the Washington-based Israel Project and the London-based Human Security Centre. "[IS] has been very explicit in recent months saying 'no longer come to the caliphate, stay put, stay in your home countries and try to carry out attacks there', and this is what we're seeing playing out on our streets at the moment." Stone blocks placed near Cologne cathedral to prevent attacks on tourists in the square. Credit:AP Ms Lenarz says even though the caliphate is crumbling, the ideology is "still kicking and alive" and can't be destroyed with "bombs, drones and ground troops".

"This is why we're seeing [IS] moving into different kind of threat, kind of al-Qaeda on steroids but quicker, faster, more lethal than ever before," she said. A woman writes a message on the ground at a tribute to those killed and wounded in the Barcelona atrocity. Credit:AP "They have learned from al-Qaeda's experience and other groups' experience in the sense that they understand you don't necessarily have to kill thousands of people at one time to cause chaos and destruction but that you can kill dozens of people at one time but do this steadily all the time. "This is going to stay with us for quite a while," she warned. Globetrotting Australians

Australians have long known they are targets for terrorists. Eighty-eight Australians were among the 202 people killed in Jemaah Islamiyah's Kuta nightclub bombings in 2002. But those attacks and the subsequent bombings at Bali in 2005 and in Jakarta in 2009 have not stopped Australians from travelling abroad in record numbers. Last year the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) recorded nearly 10 million short-term trips taken by Australians. Just five years ago that figure was 8 million. At the start of the century the number of Australians holding a passport was a mere 38 per cent, but that figure has soared to 56 per cent, with DFAT confirming that as of June 30, 2017, there were 13,864,033 passports on issue. By comparison, just 40 per cent of the US population has a passport, according to the State Department. Demographer Bernard Salt says Australia's prosperity, driven by the mining boom, combined with a desire to throw off its colonial past for a more urbane and sophisticated image is behind the country's burgeoning globetrotter status. "There's a lot of wealth, property wealth, washing over Australia so we convert that into lifestyle," he said. "We like to Instagram it, it makes us feel good about ourselves and we don't feel so cut off."

A final factor was the growth in baby boomers taking some "me time". "You now have close to five million baby boomers who are in the reward phase. They've worked for 35 to 40 years as a teacher or a nurse and they've made sacrifices, paid their mortgages and they're saying 'it's my time now'," he said. "They're aware they've got the means and a narrow time to travel." But choosing where to travel can feel like a gamble. As news of the attack washed over Barcelona, British tourist Frank Manning watched an American woman holding her baby scream out to no one in particular: "I didn't go to England because I wanted to stay away from terrorism, and now this!" The evidence is not just anecdotal. The latest data from Britain's Office of National Statistics show British tourists shunning France and favouring Spain in record numbers. Tim Jenkins from ETOA, a body representing hundreds of tourism operators across Europe, says terrorism does affect tourism but less than it did 30 years ago.

"Back in 1986 ... there was a haemorrhage of demand from North America to Europe, due to really a couple of incidents in the eastern Mediterranean, and operators saw declines of up to 50 per cent. We see nothing like that now, the impacts of these events become smaller and smaller." Whether or not travel to Europe declines as a result of the increasing attacks will be seen in the next few years of statistics. The Bali bombings have not dented Australia's love for cheap holidays in Indonesia. Travel to the country has boomed by 20 per cent per year over the last decade, compared to just four per cent growth in trips to New Zealand. That growth saw Indonesia displace the United States for second spot in the top 10 countries Australians travel to, with fourth spot going to Britain, where terrorism has claimed 35 lives this year. Julie Lenarz says it's important to keep the risk of being caught in terror attacks, which receive disproportionate media coverage, in perspective. "It's the era that we live in that we have to live with, the threat that if we are travelling to Paris or London or Washington and visiting these iconic places that we are at greater risk, but on the other hand we always have to put into perspective.
if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Grocery stores across town have brought in special deliveries to cope with the flood of customers stocking up in preparation for Hurricane Harvey.

Tropical storm-force winds and up to 15 inches of rain are expected in the area through Tuesday, which has led to lines at gas pumps and some empty shelves in stores.

The large swaths of last-minute shoppers ranged from teenagers about to begin their first year at Texas A&M to seasoned hurricane veterans evacuating their coastal homes.

Bryan resident Shanielle Veazie wasnt especially concerned about the hurricane heading into work Friday morning.

Im a little worried about it, she said. I wasnt taking it seriously until today. My coworker  shes kind of like my mom  started fussing at me, asking if I had stuff.

She found herself in the bread aisle of the HEB on Villa Maria Road in Bryan a few hours later, picking up sandwich supplies, running through a list of things she needed and grabbing a few items for her boss.

If it gets too bad, Ill just probably pray, she said with a laugh. But I am trying to prepare as much as I can, because God protects us, but its good to prepare.

HEB management at the Villa Maria location in Bryan say that theyve brought in more staff to accommodate the crowd that came, mostly in the morning, and has cut back on frozen deliveries in case of a power outage.

The location was able to replenish a nearly empty water aisle as of Friday afternoon, though management warns that stocking shelves gets difficult when possible gas shortages are factored in.

Ragan Dickens, director of national media relations for Walmart, adds that strong winds and flooding can limit delivery during stores.

For now, Dickens said Walmart stores in Bryan-College Station are seeing water, ready-to-eat foods and flashlights leave shelves as people in areas affected the most by Harvey hit the stores.

At the Target in College Station, water, above all else, has been flying off the shelf, said Katie Brown, executive team leader of human resources for the location.

She said all of the preparation the store has done for back-to-school has employees trained to move people quickly through lines, but her best advice for shoppers is to just be patient.

The lines are long, so patience is the best thing you can come in with, Brown said.
Almost 150 inmates from the Aransas County Jail have been transported to the Brazos County Detention Center in preparation for Hurricane Harvey, officials said.

According to the Brazos County Sheriff's Office, an evacuation order was issued Thursday for Aransas County as Hurricane Harvey moved toward the area. The 104 inmates from the county jail were evacuated on school buses and in multiple vans and began arriving in Brazos County late Thursday. On Friday morning, 40 more inmates arrived.

Brazos County Sheriff Chris Kirk said the relocation of the Aransas County inmates has gone smoothly, and the Brazos County jail has space for more than 250 additional inmates if needed.

About three years ago, Aransas County Sheriff Bill Mills reached out to Brazos County and asked to form an alliance and evacuation plan in case of a natural disaster. Officials in Aransas County, which is home to Rockport and northeast of Corpus Christi, wanted to have a plan in place in case of an evacuation.

Kirk accepted the request and a contract was drawn up between the two Texas entities that would allow Aransas County to transport their inmates to the local jail in the event of a hurricane or other major disaster.

"I just thought it would be the right thing to do," Kirk said.

Under the agreement, Brazos County will provide the Aransas men and women secure shelter, food, and medical care, while Aransas sends extra guards here and pays $54 per inmate per day to Brazos County. This is the first time in three years that the agreement has been brought activated, Kirk said.

Brazos County's jail has two building sections that remain unoccupied, and Aransas County inmates were placed in both locations with minimal intermingling with local jail inmates.

"We were surprised that we had a higher number of females than expected," Kirk said. "And some of the women had federal contracts... It kind of challenged us a little bit."

The 57 women, all federal prisoners, were placed in an unoccupied dormitory designated as low-risk housing. Most of the remaining male inmates were placed in a vacant dormitory with medium security.

"We assimilated some high-risk inmates into our population, maybe five to seven," Kirk said. "That's the only mingling they had to do with our prisoners."

Despite the mingling, high-risk inmates are kept separated. Aransas County sent 12 guards to accompany their inmates. Kirk noted that while the Aransas inmates and guards are in Brazos County, they fall under local jurisdiction.

"Ultimately, they're under my house," the sheriff said.

Kirk said the $54 fee per inmate has proven reasonable in covering costs of bringing 144 people to a jail already filled with 680. Though this is the largest kind of transfer Brazos County has seen, the local jail boasts 1,088 beds.

Aransas County Sheriff Bill Mills will wait and see what damage his jail sustains over the weekend to determine when the inmates can return.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott added 20 counties to the state disaster declaration on Saturday afternoon, including several Brazos Valley counties.

Among the 20 added to the declaration are: Brazos, Grimes, Leon, Madison and Washington counties.

"The addition of these counties to the state disaster declaration will continue to allow Texas to quickly deploy all available resources to those affected by this devastating storm," Abbott said.

"Hurricane Harvey has had a catastrophic impact on Texans and their property, and this declaration will help them rebuild and recover. The state will continue to provide as much aid as possible to these communities that have already lost so much."

Abbott placed 30 counties under the declaration on Friday, including several Gulf Coast counties and several in the Houston area. The declaration comes in response to Hurricane Harvey and any associated flooding.

Forecasts from the National Weather Service and the National Hurricane Center expect this storm to intensify in the coming days causing severe flooding, storm surges and damaging winds.
A 53-year-old Brazos County Jail inmate died Thursday evening after he became unresponsive in a jail dormitory and was taken to an area hospital, officials said.

According to the Brazos County Sheriff's Office, Darryl Gustavis Williams had asked a dorm officer on Wednesday if he could take over a new bed that had recently opened in one of the jail's dorms. Sheriff Chris Kirk said inmates are allowed to switch spots in the dorm if given permission by jail staff.

As Williams began packing his personal items to make the move Wednesday night, his roommate noticed he had laid down in his old bunk and appeared to be ill. Shortly after, the roommate noticed Williams had become unresponsive and called for a dorm officer, who then called jail medics. An ambulance took Williams to CHI St. Joseph Hospital in Bryan, where he died around 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

"It came as a complete surprise to us," Kirk said. "Mr. Williams had not complained about his health."

An autopsy was performed in Travis County and reports indicate there were no signs of trauma, and his death appears to be natural and related to his health, according to the sheriff's office.

Williams was in jail for 180 days on a charge of failure to pay child support.

The Texas Jail Commission has been notified of Williams' death, and the sheriff's office will send a custodial death report to the Texas Attorney General's office. The sheriff's office is performing their own internal investigation, and the Department of Public Safety Texas Ranger division is also evaluating the incident's circumstances.

The last death reported at the Brazos County Detention Center was that of Johnny Dewayne Hall, 39, who died in February. Autopsy results revealed that Hall died from a cocaine overdose that occurred just before he was booked into the jail.
The Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service has activated Texas Task Force 1 and Task Force 2 in response to Hurricane Harvey, part of approximately 250 first responders from various internal agencies deployed in several areas. Eighty emergency responders from the Texas A&M Forest Service, including staff from College Station, have been deployed across the state to respond to storm. Five hundred more responders are at the state's disposal to be sent out, and more may be called to respond this morning.

According to Forest Service spokesman Phillip Truitt, 47 of the 80 Forest Service responders are in San Antonio with the Lone Star State Incident Management Team. They are setting up resource-staging areas with food and supplies to be sent out to people in need. The remaining 33 are in Texas City, Pierce, Victoria, Corpus Christi and Weslaco for disaster district help; some of that group is in Austin to help with the state operations center.

TEEX's Task Forces 1 and 2 are each comprised of 70-person teams with 10 support staff members, and are ready with boats and other watercraft to perform water rescues should major flooding occur. According to TEEX spokeswoman Kathy Fraser, the teams are positioned at an inland staging area in preparation for Harvey's landfall.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled a Disaster Resource Center website designed to provide a searchable database of resources to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

The site can be found at www.usda.gov/topics/disaster.

Among the resources offered include the USDA Rural Development program, which can assist with providing priority hardship application processing for single-family housing. Many of the Rural Development programs can help provide financial relief to small businesses hit by natural disasters, including low-interest loans to community facilities, water environmental programs, business and cooperatives and to rural utilities. For more information, visit the program's website here.

The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Services recommends consumers take necessary steps before, during and after a power outage to reduce food waste and minimize the risk of foodborne illness. For those with questions about the safety of food in your home, call 1-888-MPHotline on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST or visit askkaren.gov to chat with a specialist.

Owners of meat and poultry producing businesses who have questions can call 1-877-FSIS-HELP, email infosource@fsis.usda.gov or visit the website.

Under some circumstances, states may request to operate a disaster household distribution program to distribute USDA foods directly to households. A state may request to implement a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program when a major disaster has been declared by the president, and state agencies may also request a number of disaster-related SNAP waivers. For more information, visit the website.
Does the presidents announced policy on Afghanistan make sense? To decide, lets look at how a national security professional would deconstruct Trumps Aug. 21 speech.

A serious national security assessment starts by reviewing what interests youre trying to protect. It doesnt necessarily start with whats already been spent and how many lives have been sacrificed. In the brutal calculus of war and peace, those are sunk costs. Lives lost can be honored. They dont come back.

Also, security spent is like insurance. Once it stops, the coverage stops. The real question is, how much more is the country willing to sacrifice? The answer depends what the sacrifice is for.

The U.S. has two critical interests in Afghanistan. One is that the country not become a source of instability in South Asia. President Barack Obama left the Middle East on fire. There is blood running in the streets of Europe. There is a madman in charge in Pyongyang. The last problem the U.S. needs is another important part of the world melting down. And a failed state in Afghanistan could be a big problem.

The second U.S. interest is keeping the country from becoming a playground for transnational terrorists. It is unthinkable to let Afghanistan become again a staging area for transnational terrorism in the manner it was for the attacks on 9/11 (where the U.S. lost in one day more lives and almost as much treasure as we spent in Afghanistan over 16 years).

Neither of these interests can be met by walking away. The U.S. tried that in Iraq. When we pulled support in 2011, ISIS rushed into fill the vacuum against a country not yet strong enough to hold it back. In the aftermath, more lives were lost. Far more money was spent. Even now, Europe still struggles with the aftermath of the caliphate spilling over most of the continent.

So the endgame is not to rebuild the Afghan nation (though we wish the Afghans well). Its not to turn country into a democracy or the land of milk and honey. Its to do enough to keep the country from again becoming a problem for us. Thats the definition of victory in this war.

So how does that get done? A strategy requires ends, ways and means. What needs to be done. How will it be done. And what will it be done with.

The goal here is to have an Afghan government competent and inclusive enough to keep the country together with a military capable enough to hold back the Taliban and allow for counterterrorism operations to hunt down al-Qaida, ISIS and the other terrorist groups we worry about.

When it comes to ways and means, the president talked about ensuring enough troops in the right place, with the right rules of engagement to help keep the Afghan military an effective fighting force. This is called the train and assist mission. Wisely, the president assigned the task of getting that right to the military, rather than micromanaging the effort from the Oval Office.

The president also talked about holding the Afghan government accountable, pressuring Pakistan to choke off terrorist safe havens, and working with India and European allies to help carry the load.

Having a plan, however, is not enough. Both President George W. Bush and Obama had plans for Afghanistan, yet neither proved very effective. A good strategy has to pass the suitable, feasible and acceptable test. Is the strategy suitable? If executed, will it achieve its goals? Given the limited objectives Trump outlined, the answer is yes.

Is the strategy feasible? Are the resources there to do this? Again. Yes.

Is the strategy acceptable? Will the people support it? It has been argued that Americans are war weary. That is wrong. Americans never get tired of being defended or supporting the fight for their vital interests. Americans are failure weary. They were angry about failures in Iraq. They are frustrated at the thought of losing ground in Afghanistan. Americans will support the president if the White House delivers results.

Walking through the strategy from top to bottom, there is a lot to recommend what the president proposes to do. When the politics and the craziness of Washington internecine partisan warfare are stripped away, there is case to be made that Trump has a real plan to fight and win a real war.

James Jay Carafano is vice president in The Heritage Foundations Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy (heritage.org). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.
The world and this community won't move backward for us

Shirley Dupriest encouraged fellow residents to "drain the swamp." I would likewise encourage us to drain the public discourse of the mischaracterization of facts and unrealistic expectations.

College Station has no central business district or city center. The university has been the hub of our community since its founding. The property surrounding the campus is highly desirable, commands higher values, and tends to favor denser development. It also is dominated by college students, faculty and staff, and their needs. It was never intended to be a quiet retirement community.

In fact, the Southside never has been a majority owner-occupied neighborhood filled with families. Instead, for decades it has been an eclectic mix of student renters, temporary visitors and a few native residents. Even now, the demographics are shifting as affluent retirees purchase homes as primary residences and game-day cottages. Many of these residents (who moved to this neighborhood during the past decade) complain about the challenges of living in an evolving neighborhood located adjacent to the fifth largest university in the nation. If they want to avoid students, redevelopment and game-day traffic, the solution is simple: move.

The truth is a residence never again will be constructed along George Bush Drive. The home subject to last week's Planning & Zoning meeting had been abandoned for years. One speaker at the meeting noted there were only a few owner-occupied homes remaining in the area. The market has spoken, and this property is unsustainable for residential use.

We can't hedge ourselves from reality. The world, and this community, won't stop for us. However, we can all be informed consumers who purchase homes in neighborhoods already meeting our expectations and needs -- rather than trying to reinvent the world around us.

SUSAN SHWARTS

College Station

At least let's be honest in talking about city decisions

Before we answer the calls to "drain the swamp," maybe we could review the facts and examine what is really taking place at College Station City Hall.

The vote that occurred at the College Station Planning and Zoning meeting on Aug. 17 was unanimous -- but of only four sitting members. Two members were absent, and one recused himself. Of the remaining four, there was a banker, an oil and gas attorney, a retired city planner and one developer.

The Planning and Zoning Commission is chosen by council members, but clearly each member of the commission is not in real estate.

With respect to the city council, two members are in academia, one owns an online retail store, one is a retired A&M development director, one is in the tech industry, one runs an engineering firm and another is in the real estate business.

Clearly, the majority of the College Station City Council does not derive its livelihood from commercial development.

Beware of misinformation. We all may not agree on the decisions that are made by the city, but let's at least be reasonable and honest enough to have a conversation based on facts and not inflammatory mischaracterization.

VICKI FRANZE

Wellborn

Not much reason to celebrate the Confederacy or KKK here

I cannot understand the controversy in The Eagle about Confederate statues, nor do I endorse the celebration of Confederate heritage month here in Bryan.

My folks in the area were slave holders and those who were able formed a squad in the 24th Texas Cavalry. They were defeated easily by Union troops in their first battle and spent most of the war in prison in Illinois, where they starved and froze.

Times were very hard for them after the war ended and they had to scratch for bacon drippings in the smoke house for some nourishment. In a way, the conflict continued. There was the white riot at Millican in 1900 which led to the death of about 75 black men and some whites, too. And the uprising in Anderson where the white man's union attempted to storm the county court house and lynch the black prisioners.

The story goes on. I know that the Klan was active here until recently. Now it is quiet. There is not much reason to celebrate this history.

MICHAEL KRAFT

Bryan
The Brazos Valley is bracing for heavy rain and strong wind throughout the weekend as Hurricane Harvey continues to churn into Texas.

The storm, which had strengthened to Category 4 with sustained winds of up to 130 miles per hour Friday evening, is expected to bring catastrophic flooding to the Texas coast once it makes landfall. The hurricane made landfall shortly after 10 p.m. Friday.

Though the Bryan-College Station area isnt expected to see the same staggering amount of rain as some areas of the state this weekend, meteorologists still predict parts of the Brazos Valley could receive up to 25 inches over a span of several days.

The problem with this storm is that it is so big, and we dont know exactly what the storm is going to do when it comes on shore, Brazos County Emergency Management Coordinator Michele Bailey-Meade said at a Friday press conference. If we get the amount of rain that has been predicted... pretty much anywhere in Brazos County is going to have a flooding issue.

Local officials stressed during the press conference that the Community Emergency Operations Center will continue to monitor the hurricane closely, and emergency officials are in regular communications with the National Weather Service and State Operations Center regarding potential impacts to Brazos County.

The National Weather Service predicts Harvey will meander near or just inland of the middle Texas coast through the weekend. Brazos, Burleson, Grimes and Washington counties were under a flash flood watch through Tuesday evening as of press time, and tornadoes are also a possibility.

Dan Oettinger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said primary threats to Brazos Valley residents will be heavy rain and wind gusts between 30 to 35 miles per hour. Rainfall was expected to begin Friday night as bands moved through the Houston area.

The worst of the weather was anticipated to begin after midnight and between 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. Shel Winkley, chief meteorologist with KBTX-TV, said residents can expect to see anywhere between 3-25 inches, depending on where the heaviest bands of rain come through, but most areas will probably see between 3-7 inches.

Its just basically a good chance for on-and-off rain through the rest of the weekend, Winkley said.

Tornadoes also arent out of the question  but tropical tornadoes are usually weak and fast-moving, Winkley said.

Areas west of the Brazos River could see wind gusts between 30-40 miles per hour, while the Bryan-College Station area will probably see sustained winds between 15-25 miles per hour.

20 mile-per-hour rain is not fun, so its just one of those things where if you dont have to be out in it, stay home, Winkley said. We do need to watch to make sure where the heaviest rain falls, and how long it lasts is gonna be key.

He said flooding is likely, but not to the same degree as the area saw in May 2016  that rainfall happened in a matter of hours, while rain associated with Hurricane Harvey will occur in an expected 48- to 72-hour period.

Oettinger, the National Weather Service meteorologist, said most Brazos Valley counties are in the same boat in terms of the amount of expected rainfall. Experts will have a better idea of the situation once the storm makes landfall, he said.

Texas State Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon, who also serves as a regents professor of atmospheric sciences at Texas A&M, said the formation stages of hurricanes are unpredictable by nature, but Hurricane Harvey is fairly unusual in that it developed a second life. The tropical storm weakened earlier this week after entering an unfavorable environment, but the remnants held together well and intensified as it reached the Gulf of Mexico. Theres a chance that the storm could move back out over the Gulf and intensify again after stalling over land, Nielsen-Gammon said.

I dont know whether it will drop below tropical storm status in the meantime while its over land, but if it ceases to be a tropical storm and then moves over water and intensifies, thatll be a third life, he said. Im not aware of any storm thats done that.

Brazos County Sheriffs Department Deputy Nathan Dennis said all local police agencies have increased the number of staff on standby in the event they are needed throughout the storm, and fire agencies have also added staffing to operate additional trucks, ambulances and boats. Bryan Texas Utilities and College Station Utilities are also prepared to respond to power outages, and the county road and bridge department is on standby with satellite stations and prepared to deploy barricades as flooding occurs.

No shelters are in place locally at this time. Amy Grace, executive director of American Red Cross serving the Heart of Texas, said two shelters were set up in preparation, but neither had been activated as of press time. Bryan and College Station are evacuation areas for residents from Port Arthur, but Grace said the Red Cross wasnt expecting those residents to evacuate for this event.

Should the shelters be activated, theyll largely be for locals who need a place to wait out the storm, Grace said.

The Red Cross will hold a shelter worker training class this morning from 9 a.m. to noon for those who wish to assist in the potential opening and operating of a shelter. The training will take place at 4240 Boonville Road in Bryan.

Late Friday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency granted Governor Greg Abbotts request for a Presidential Disaster Declaration in response to Hurricane Harvey. The governor also suspended statewide and local hotel occupancy taxes for relief-effort personnel and victims of the storm.

The local convention and visitors bureau was unable to provide information Friday about the number of remaining hotel rooms in College Station as evacuees make their ways inland.
WESTPORT  Vandals ripped down a Black Lives Matter banner displayed in front of a Unitarian Church in Westport overnight Wednesday, police said.

Police said the banner, which was hanging from a metal frame on private property, was cut and ripped down at some point between Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

First Selectman Jim Marpe said that given the current climate in this country the town would not stand for this behavior.

We will dedicate our resources to identifying the person or persons responsible for this vandalism. We urge our community to be respectful of the opinions of others and their right to express them, even if they may differ from their own. Hatred and bigotry are not welcome here, Marpe said.

Westport police said the incident is still under investigation.

We support and respect the Unitarian Church, its members and their message of inclusiveness, equality and tolerance. The police department is working with the church administration to prevent further incidents, Westport Police Chief Foti Koskinas said.

The Connecticut Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) will also work with the community to address the situation, offering its support and resources to the town, police department and the Unitarian Church.

Anyone with information regarding the identity of the party responsible is asked to contact the Westport Police Department Detective Bureau at 203-341-6080.

ptomlinson@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2570; Twitter: @Tomlinson_PE
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NORWALK  Bob Feuer returned to his car parked in a handicapped space at the Main/High Street Lot after buying a shower item at Connecticut Surgical Supplies, which abuts the 90-space municipal lot.

Feuer, who lives in Redding and walks with a cane, mulled his options should the city sell the lot at 20 Main St. to make room for apartments.

If I could walk that far I wouldnt have to come here, said Feuer, when asked about the feasibility of parking at the Yankee Doodle Garage on Burnell Boulevard.

Parking concerns

Local developer M.F. DiScala & Co. and EDG Properties plan to build 80 apartments in the Main/High Street Lot as part of Head of the Harbor North. Head of the Harbor South along Smith Street is nearing completion.

Area merchants are predicting doom for their businesses if the city closes the Main/High Street Lot.

If they take this whole lot and close it for two years, its going kill this whole street, all the merchants, its going to kill everybody, said Todd Zubrinsky, vice president of Connecticut Surgical Supplies. People that come into a store like this are not going to walk.

Zubrinsky and Connecticut Surgical Supplies President Doug Fraser have collected several hundred signatures from persons opposed to closing the parking lot.

Khanhdu Le, owner of Magic Nail Salon at 10 Main St., has circulated a similar petition asking the city to keep part of the lot open during any construction.

More Information Parking on Wall Street Yankee Doodle Garage - 410 spaces - 340 permits sold Wall/Mechanic Street Lot - 85 spaces - 63 permits sold Main/High Street Lot - 91 spaces - 65 permits sold See More Collapse

We use it greatly and I dont know how were going to survive if they take that lot away, Le said. Its about conveniency. People dont want to park over there, pay to walk all the way over here and get their nails done and wait for two hours and go back.

Not very far away

Last November, M.F. DiScala & Co. and EDG Properties submitted a report outlining existing parking conditions as well as proposed temporary and permanent parking plans related to Head of the Harbor North.

The temporary plan calls for using the Wall/Mechanic Street Lot and Yankee Doodle Garage in lieu of the Main/High Street Lot during the estimated two-year construction period.

The Wall/Mechanic Street is 250 feet west of the Main/High Street Lot, has 90 parking spaces and excess daytime and evening capacity. The Yankee Doodle Garage is 500 feet to the west, has 410 parking spaces and excess capacity during the daytime and evening hours, according to M.F. DiScala and EDG Properties.

On Thursday afternoon, 16 spaces were empty in the Mechanic Street Lot. The upper levels of the Yankee Doodle Garage were largely unoccupied. Both facilities, as well as the Main/High Street Lot, provide hourly parking as well as space for monthly permit holders.

EDG Properties Principal Jason Enters stood at Irving C. Freese Park at Main and Wall streets and pointed toward the Wall/Mechanic Street Lot and Yankee Doodle Garage. He acknowledged motorists preference not to walk.

Parking is a convenience. You want to be able to park right in front, Enters said. But thats not very far away. Thats sort of our contention with the daytime parking. We know that there are times, especially for the restaurants, where it is an inconvenience.

For Friday and Saturday nights, the development team has proposed valet parking to shuttle motorists from the municipal parking facilities as well as private lots.

Twenty evening valet parking spaces would be available at the M.F. DiScala-owned lot at 22 High St. In addition, 40 evening valet spaces would be available at 20 Smith St. and 20 such spaces at 7 Smith St. Mill Hill Historic Park and Head of the Harbor South at 6 Smith St. would offer additional valet-parking options under the temporary parking plan.

Which will more than compensate for the net loss  its a net gain actually, said M.F. DiScala President Michael F. DiScala.

The permanent parking plan calls for replacing the existing 91 non-conforming spaces within the Main/High Lot with 91 conforming spaces solely for public use. Of those, 63 spaces would be within a parking garage. Theyd be separate from spaces used for the apartments.

Future uncertainties

On Thursday afternoon, most on-street parking spaces on Main Street were occupied. Half of those on the nearby Burnell Boulevard Bridge were full. On Friday afternoon, nearly 30 spaces were open in the Main/High Street Lot.

Today there is parking capacity, said Kathryn Hebert, staff person to the Norwalk Parking Authority, referring to the Main/Wall Street neighborhood. But as we go down the road with increased activity in the district  which is happening now  that is a problem.

Hebert cited increased restaurant business along East Wall Street. She said the Parking Authority receives complaints that theres no parking available during the evening in the Main/High Street Lot.

Sophia Maragos, co-owner of 28 Wall St., acknowledged DiScalas work as a developer in Norwalk but counted the proposed new apartments and other development in the city as too much at one time.

Everything is in an uproar now, Maragos said. Isaac Street is a disaster.

The city sold the former Isaac Street Lot several years ago to a private developer for $1 to make room for Wall Street Place. Work halted last year amid financing issues. Lender Citibank is working to bring aboard a new developer to finish the apartment development.

Agreement being drafted

It remains unclear under which terms the Main/High Lot might be transferred. Timothy T. Sheehan, Norwalk Redevelopment Agency executive director, said the citys law department is drafting an agreement.

The structure that was discussed was that it would be a fair-market value, Sheehan said. Its going to be based on an appraisal. (But) theres no appraisal done and what were talking about is an option agreement.

Hebert said the temporary parking plan would need Parking Authority approval and the option agreement Common Council approval.

While there have been many discussions about the temporary and permanent parking plan nothing has been approved, Hebert said.

Thats left merchants and property owners who rely upon the Main/High Street Lot wondering whats in store for them. Maragos said shes heard nothing since she attended a Parking Authority meeting last winter at which the developers presented their plan.

Nothing has really come of that that we know, Maragos said. Weve never been contacted. They had us leave our email addresses and phone numbers. So they have not integrated anybody into whats going on.

DiScala, meanwhile, maintains theres plenty of parking now and hopes ongoing redevelopment will only increase the demand for such parking.

We hope that there is, in fact, a tight-parking situation. That means people are really surviving, DiScala said. There are so many vacancies right now. Were in a dire straight of blight. We have a blight area, this pocket, and were trying to change that.
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REDDING  Jean-Pierre Jacquet, 72, set up his easel and painting supplies at Weir Farm Historic Site on Friday afternoon, enjoying the sunlight and low 70-degree weather.

He was painting the red studio belonging to American Impressionist artist J. Alden Weir, who acquired the farm at 735 Nod Hill Road in 1882.

Since then it has been home to three generations of artists and has inspired countless others, including Jacquet. It is now a National Historic Site.

Jacquet came Friday to participate in Weir Farms inaugural Art in the Park Festival and Contest.

I think its an ideal setting. There is so much to do here. Ill definitely come back to paint on my own, the 72-year-old Greenwich man said. Long live the festival.

The festival invited painters of all ages and skill levels to submit a piece related to the theme, Impressions of Weir Farm. Being the only national park dedicated to American painting, holding an art festival and contest seemed fitting, park ranger Kristen Lessard said, especially on the National Park Services 101st birthday.

Its been a place for artists to come since 1882 and wed like to continue that tradition, Lessard said, referring to Weir Farm, Connecticuts first national park. Everybody who comes here is part of that story.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., visitors experienced Weir Farm at its best; they engaged in a demonstration led by Master Impressionist instructor Dmitri Wright, visited activity stations with free-to-use art supplies, enjoyed cake and refreshments at the open house in the historic Weir House, and were offered a chance to showcase their original artwork.

Dozens of submissions were on display during the day and were judged on the use of color, quality of work, originality, creativity and how well the work related to the theme, with Weir Farm Artist-in-Residence Mary Vaughan as a guest judge. Entries were divided into several categories based on age, with a special category for professional artists.

Dotty Young, of Branford, came with her grandchildren, James and Olivia McNally, who both submitted a piece to the contest. The 6-year-old boy painted trees and the 4-year-old girl sketched a colorful drawing from her imagination.

Its a beautiful day, stunning park  Were thrilled, Young said. We like to visit national parks.

At the end of the festival, first place winners were announced as Leslie Carone in the professional category, Martha Lord in the adult category, Alexis in the childrens category and Bobbie Eikemullen in the Visitors Choice Award category. However, all entries are eligible to be part of an exhibit at the G&B Cultural Center in Wilton in September.

The free event was sponsored by Weir Farm National Historic Site, the Friends of Weir Farm, and the Weir Farm Art Center.

skim@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2568; @stephaniehnkim
Dear Annie: Ive got three little words caught in my throat. I cant decide whether or not to tell my girlfriend I love her. Weve been dating for three months. Shes one of the kindest people Ive ever met. Shes beautiful. She makes me laugh. I have never felt so happy to be with someone. Its cloud nine all the time.

I know she really likes me  maybe even loves me. I really want to tell her that I love her, but Im afraid it would scare her off. Is three months too soon? What do you think?

 Lovesick

Dear Lovesick: Its not so much about the timeline as it is about the truth. Three weeks into a relationship would be too soon because its too soon to know someone. But youve had some time to get to know her character, and it sounds as if you treasure her heart more than her beauty. So if you love her, tell her. I hope she reciprocates, but if not, youll be better off knowing now.

Dear Annie: According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 24 children are killed in school bus accidents in an average year. One-third of those children are killed by the school bus when getting on or off the bus. One-third are killed by motorists who fail to stop for the school bus. And the rest are killed as they approach or leave the bus stop.

All educators talk about bus safety, but they dont act on it enough. In our state, the law is that children from kindergarten through grade eight can walk up to a half-mile to the bus stop even if there are no sidewalks. Snow, snowplow trucks, ice, etc.  how safe is that? Sometimes very young children are even made to cross the street to catch the bus. Is that safe?

Last year, when all school districts in the United States reported how many people ran the buses stop signs, there were 78,000 violations  just in one day! How can this be safe? Children catch the bus five times a week. Yes, it saves the school buses fuel to just go up or down one side of the street or to have kids walk a half-mile to the bus stop.

But the same people who are fine with this would flip out if a mayor said that to conserve fuel, well all need to take our garbage cans a half-mile down the road to the nearest corner so the truck can make fewer stops.

Is your child between kindergarten and eighth grade? Will he or she be one of the 24? School districts should really rethink their school bus safety.

 Bob

Dear Bob: You raise some compelling points, and Im sure Ill hear from school administrators on this subject. But Id like to take this opportunity to remind motorists just how vital it is to obey those blinking red stop signs that extend from school buses  and to use caution when passing stopped school buses even when they dont have those signs out. Be safe.

Dear Annie: I was impressed by Peacemaker in Pittsburgh, the writer who still has friends on all sides of the political spectrum, as many have become too polarized to be friendly anymore. He wrote about having trouble with these friends continual efforts to persuade everybody to come around to their points of view, dragging down social occasions.

I think he has an opportunity to change the tone of these conversations, maintain the friendships and set a positive example. We can all do this: Listen. Ask individuals why they think a certain way (how their personal values led to their viewpoints). Ask them about when certain beliefs first started for them. Give them a chance to talk. Make sure theyre done before you start. Dont interrupt them, and ask others not to interrupt or give support.

Try saying, Thats interesting. Tell me more. Ask about their goals and hopes, as there are likely to be some you share. Then explain your own frustration, too. If youve heard something that seems misguided, try saying, Hmm, thats not been my experience. Then offer an account of what values and experiences caused you to form a different opinion. Ive been helped by Essential Partners guide titled Reaching across the divide (available at http://whatisessential.org).

 Vermont Grandma

Dear Vermont Grandma: Thank you for the helpful suggestions. Im sure many people could use that guide. I look forward to hearing from readers who try incorporating those tips into their conversations.

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.
The Hastings Museum has received the Leadership & Innovation Award from the Mountain-Plains Museums Association (MPMA).

The award recognizes innovation in audience and community building, educational programs, outreach initiatives, public programs and visitor experience. The museum is being recognized for its creative collaboration with the Hastings Public Library (HPL), which was remodeled.

While the Hastings Public Librarys downtown building is remodeled, it has taken up residence in the East Gallery portion of the museum. The library temporarily closed in February 2016 and re-opened at the museum in March 2016.

During the time the two organizations shared a building, HPL and the museum partnered together for many different projects. They developed numerous Novel Film Nights, where books turned into films played in the museums theater, followed by a discussion of the book facilitated by an HPL speaker.

This couldnt come at a better time, said Becky Matticks, Hastings Museum director. Weve had such a busy month and to finish it off like this is just wonderful.

MPMA is one of six regional associations in the United States that works in conjunction with the American Alliance of Museums. The MPMA region is comprised of 10 states from Montana to Texas. Its high-profile member museums include the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the New Mexico Museum of Space History, and the National Music Museum.

The library will begin to transition to its newly remodeled building by moving out of the majority of its spaces in the museum on Sept. 11. It will keep a small portion open in the Abbott Room of the museum until Sept. 30, when it will fully close to focus on the moving process.

The Leadership & Innovation Award officially will be presented at MPMAs annual conference in October in Denver. Teresa Kreutzer-Hodson, museum curator of collections, and Russanne Hoff, curator of education, will be attending and accepting the award on behalf of the Hastings Museum.
It is one of the best celebrations that we have in our state each year, Lt. Gov. Mike Foley said at Fridays opening ceremony of the 2017 Nebraska State Fair.

Foley, along with a host of other dignitaries and State Fair officials, were on hand at the Nebraska State Fairgrounds to kick off the 11-day celebration that runs through Labor Day.

The theme of this years State Fair, and one that is being played out across the state, is Nebraskas 150th anniversary of statehood. A number of Nebraska birthday celebrations will occur during the fair  including an exhibit called Truckin Through Nebraska on the fairgrounds main boulevard. The exhibit is a fun, hands-on childrens museum experience that will provide a unique learning experience about Nebraskas 150th birthday.

Also, at 2 p.m. Saturday there will be an old-fashioned tent Chautauqua, featuring lectures by historic figures from Nebraskas past, such as Willa Cather, Buffalo Bill, Mari Sandoz and William Jennings Bryan. The event also will include music, from songs dating back to 1867 to current musical tastes. There will also be a Wild West medicine show.

Over all of these years, ever since the very first state fair way back in Nebraska City in 1868, the people of Nebraska have been so supportive of this premier event, Foley said of the Nebraska State Fair, which will be celebrating its 150th anniversary next year. There only was one year during World War II that the State Fair was not held, so actually the 150th Nebraska State Fair will be in 2019, when the fair also marks its 10th year in Grand Island.

What a great success story it has been since the fair relocated to Grand Island in 2010, he said.

Foley remembers the debate in the Legislature about moving the State Fair to Grand Island. He recalled the number of skeptics who said the move out of Lincoln could lead to the eventual end of the celebration.

The skeptics were wrong, he noted, as the State Fair has grown every year since coming to Grand Island. Last year had the largest attendance ever. with more than 360,000 people. The fair also reached the 2 millionth visitor plateau since coming to Grand Island last year.

It was announced at the opening ceremony that the Saturday night outdoor performance of Pentatonix will surpass the attendance of Keith Urbans concert in 2015  another indication of another good year attendance-wise as well, as the embrace of the State Fair by a younger generation of Nebraskans.

During this years fair, 4-H and FFA youth exhibitors will have more than 11,000 exhibits on display. Foley said the fair is a showcase for 4-H and FFA.

That is going to pay rich dividends to our state on down the road, he said. These kids are formed and molded with some great values and great options to grow this state.

Also attending the opening ceremony was Greg Ibach, director of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture. The State Fair is always one of my favorite times of the year, Ibach told the audience.

He said he has been attending the Nebraska State Fair since he was a farm youth. I dont think I ever missed more than one in all of these many years, he added.

I think that it is appropriate, as we celebrate the 150th year of Nebraska, that events like the State Fair are really rooted in our history, Ibach said.

The roots Ibach referred to started out with farmers and homemakers coming together to compete and try to find who was the best farmer or best homemaker, and it grew into a statewide event to bring people together to share agriculture ideas, he said.

The State Fair plays another important role as a bridge between rural and urban folks, showing those who live in cities, which now make up two-thirds of the states population, what modern agriculture is all about.

Ibach was referring not only to the many livestock shows that happen for both youths and open class exhibitors, but also the many agricultural displays, such as Raising Nebraska, a hands-on educational experience showing the uniqueness and diversity of the states agricultural industry.

We in agriculture embrace the State Fair because it connects our past with our future and connects us to our rural friends and neighbors, Ibach said.

Also speaking at the opening ceremony were Grand Island Mayor Jeremy Jensen; Joseph McDermott, executive director of the State Fair; Lindsey Koepke, director of the Nebraska State Fair 1868 Foundation; Regan Anson, executive director; Sara Cook, chairman of the Sesquicentennial Commission; and representatives of the Nebraska Game and Parks and the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension Service.

Also at the ceremony, the Red Cross (100 years), Nebraska Farm Bureau (100 years), Stuhr Museum (50 years) and the Smith-Hughes Act (100 years, which was an act of the U.S. Congress promoting vocational agriculture to train people) were recognized as Milestone Partners of the Nebraska State Fair.
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It's not over. Thousands of uncounted ballots remain in Bucks, Montco

Bucks County officials do not anticipate all ballots cast Tuesday will be counted - or not - until next week. Leaving House key races in limbo
With the second week of school wrapping up, Edwardsville District 7 students, teachers and parents are settling into the routines that will carry them through late May.

And for the District 7 administration, the routine has become routine.

Superintendent Lynda Andre provided the sixth-day enrollment figure for the 2017-18 school year which shows the district's student population, pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, at 7,513. That's just 31 fewer students than last year.

School districts are required to report their sixth-day enrollment number to the Illinois State Board of Education. That figure is used as part of the formula that determines how much general state aid money each district will receive.

Andre said that 7,513 figure is very consistent with what the district has seen the last several years.

"Our enrollment, for the last seven, eight years, has been very stable," Andre said. "We consider that a plus, a testament to the community, which is a good place to live, and the school district."

Edwardsville's sixth day of classes was Wednesday.

While other districts in the area  such as Alton  have seen the need to close buildings and consolidate campuses, Edwardsville continues to use all available space.

Its 2008 sixth-day enrollment figure was 7,561.

"We've seen the trend and we're happy to be holding our own," Andre said.

The first week of school can be hectic, but Andre said all parties involved were prepared and the 2017-18 school year got off to a good start.

"Things are going well," she said. "All our buildings were ready, our teachers were excited to receive students and parents and students were excited to be back."

The marquee outside Edwardsville High School proclaimed, "Learning resumes on Aug. 25," in the days prior to the start of classes and that's just what's happening now.

"The 2017-18 school year is in full swing and we're glad to have everybody back," Andre said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 26, 2017 10:03 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae02d96 1 Science & Tech Google,#Google,Wi-Fi,Google-Station Free

Google Station, the multinational tech giant's public Wi-Fi program targeting emerging markets, will soon be launched in Indonesia, following its inaugural launch in India last year.

Google will start installing the free Wi-Fi this year, initially across Java and Bali, in partnership with local internet service providers CBN and FiberStar, reported kompas.com.

"There are many obstacles in Indonesia to having good internet access. That's why we are bringing Google Station [here]," Google Indonesia country director Tony Keusgen told a press conference on Thursday in Jakarta.

Read also: Google Assistant now available in Indonesian

"This program will be launched in Jakarta, followed by Surabaya, Denpasar and Bandung, and then to other cities. We will start this year, therefore millions of people will soon have access to public Wi-Fi," said Tony.

He added that Google Station would provide a better, quality connection compared to most public Wi-Fi services, allowing its users to enjoy high-speed internet for HD video streaming and accessing basic services like email.

The program is currently available across India, where the company collaborated with local operator RailTel and Indian Railways to set up services at railway stations, followed by other locations.

"In India, we installed [Google Station] at more than 200 train stations, introducing the internet to 15,000 people in India," said Tony. (kes)
Renowned Indonesian designer Edward Hutabarat encourages people to have more knowledge about the striped woven material lurik by holding a photography, video and installation exhibition as well as a fashion show. Entitled Tangan-Tangan Renta Lurik Indonesia, the exhibition is held for six days from Aug. 23 to 28 at Pelataran Ramayana, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta.

The exhibition was opened with a fashion show featuring lurik as the material. Furthermore, within the event, the designer also displayed his photos and videos about the story of lurik makers in Klaten, Central Java, and Yogyakarta, as quoted by tempo.co. The exhibition is open to the public and is free of charge.

Read also: Celebrating Indonesia through textiles

Edward himself has traveled to different places around the country to learn about the richness of Indonesias wastra nusantara (the archipelagos traditional fabric) or he preferably uses the term of wastra peradaban nusantara (the archipelagos civilization traditional fabric). The term itself rose after his interaction with the traditional fabric makers in various locations.

We can see how the traditional fabric is present in almost every important phase of an Indonesian, from his birth until his death, Edward said in a press release. Moreover, the making process generally involves many dedicated artists. Thats why I prefer to call those fabrics as wastra peradaban [civilization fabrics] because there are many stories that can be discovered in every layer.

Previously, Edward also has successfully brought batik to the modern fashion industry and form a new interest for the younger generation. As for lurik, the designer aims for the younger generation to keep preserving the lurik as one of the traditional fabrics from Indonesia. (asw)
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Linkedin Dana Hull (Bloomberg) San Francisco, United States  Sat, August 26, 2017 16:12 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae08e0e 2 Science & Tech Elon-Musk,Neuralink,computer,technology Free

Neuralink Corp., the startup co-founded by billionaire Elon Musk, has taken steps to sell as much as $100 million in stock to fund the development of technology that connects human brains with computers.

The San Francisco-based company has already gotten $27 million in funding, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Musk said via Twitter on Friday that Neuralink isnt seeking outside investors. A spokesman didnt respond to questions about the source of the funds.

Musk, 46, is the chief executive officer of Tesla Inc. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp. and has several other pet projects, including a venture to bore tunnels for roads or tube-based transportation systems known as the hyperloop, and another project for the responsible development of artificial intelligence.

Read also: SpaceX unveils peek at sleek new spacesuit

In June, Musk said Neuralink is a priority after much more demanding commitments to his automotive and rocket companies. Boring Co. is maybe 2 percent of my time; Neuralink is 3 percent to 5 percent of my time; OpenAI is going to be a couple of percent; and then 90-plus percent is divided between SpaceX and Tesla, said Musk at the electric-car makers annual shareholder meeting.

Few details are known about Neuralink. The companys sparse website says its developing ultra-high bandwith brain-machine interfaces to connect humans and computers. Its also recruiting engineers and scientists to join the effort.

No neuroscience experience is required: talent and drive matter far more, the company says on the site. We expect most of our team to come from other areas and industries.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 26, 2017 12:15 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae06d31 4 People anniesa-hasibuan,Scam,investigation,First-Travel Free

Forbes Indonesia has removed Anniesa Hasibuan from its 2017 Inspiring Women list, after the co-founder of travel agency First Travel is named a suspect in a police investigation for carrying out an umrah (minor haj) scam.

The magazine in a press statement posted on its official Facebook page on Aug. 23 cited the ongoing legal case as a reason of consideration for the retraction.

"After considering the recent development of the First Travel fraud case, Forbes Indonesia has decided to withdraw the recognition given to Anniesa Hasibuan as our Inspiring Woman figure," the statement said.

Anniesa, the owner and director of PT First Anugerah Karya Wisata, or First Travel, has been named a fraud suspect together with her husband Andika Surachman, the president director of the company.

Read also: Court orders First Travel to repay customers

Forbes stated that the decision to include Anniesa on the list was originally made early this year when the case hadn't appeared in public.

"Forbes Indonesia endorses ethical business practices and wishes to inspire others to achieve their success through ethical means of doing business," Forbes Indonesia said.

Other figures who entered the list of Forbes Indonesia Inspirational Women include Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Deposit Insurance Corporation (LPS) commissioner Destry Damayanti. (liz/asw)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 26, 2017 05:47 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae01134 2 Politics KPK,BLBI-case,corruption,IBRA,Febri-Diansyah Free

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has stepped up its investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding the disbursement of Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) by summoning more people linked to the case.

On Friday, the antigraft body planned to question Bank Dagang National Indonesia owner Sjamsul Nursalim and his wife Itjih Nursalim as witnesses for Syafruddin Arsyad Temenggung, the former Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) chairman who has been named a suspect in the case.

We sent a summons letter to both witnesses to their places of residence in Singapore. Unfortunately, they cant come for the questioning, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said.

Read also: Government on hunt for $2.3b in BLBI funds

Besides the couple, investigators have also summoned former high-ranking IBRA official Thomas Maria to dig deeper into the process leading to the release and discharge letters at the agency.

The move was taken after the South Jakarta District Court rejected a pre-trial motion from Syafruddin in early August.

Syafruddin issued a letter for Sjamsul freeing the latter from the obligation to pay Rp 3.7 trillion (around US$277 million) in debt owed to the government, which disbursed the funds under the BLBI scheme.

The case reportedly caused Rp 3.7 trillion in state losses. (kuk)
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Linkedin Mark Ralston and Brian Knowlton (Agence France-Presse) Corpus Christi, United States  Sat, August 26, 2017 09:44 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae01fa3 2 World US,natural-disaster,Texas,evacuate Free

Hurricane Harvey, a dangerous category four storm, lashed the US Gulf Coast with powerful winds and driving rain Friday before making landfall in Texas with a force not felt on the US mainland since 2005.

President Donald Trump heeded Texas Governor Greg Abbott's call to declare a "disaster" zone in the state in order to speed federal aid to the millions of Americans in harm's way both there and in Louisiana.

The arrival of the storm -- which was packing sustained winds of 130 miles (215 kilometers) an hour -- was the first major domestic challenge for Trump, who the White House said would head to the affected region early next week.

"We can obviously tell already at this stage this is going to be a very major disaster," a somber Abbott said, as more than 1,000 National Guardsmen were activated to help with evacuation and recovery.

"We're going to be dealing with really record-setting flooding in multiple regions."

Hurricane-force winds started lashing the coast as night fell and coastal water levels rose.

Harvey, the first major storm of the annual Atlantic hurricane season, has forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes, crippled oil production in the Gulf and wreaked havoc on air travel.

As of 0100 GMT Saturday, Harvey was located about 35 miles east of Corpus Christi -- a major hub for the American oil industry -- and moving at eight miles an hour, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm was expected to make landfall early Saturday on the populous Texas coast, dumping up to 40 inches (more than 100 centimeters) of rain over the next four or five days and generating storm surges of up to 12 feet.

The NHC has warned of possible "catastrophic" flooding.

"All the advice we can give is get out, and get out now," said Patrick Rios, the mayor of Rockport, where a majority of the town's 9,500 residents had left.

Rios had blunt words for those determined to stay, telling them to "mark their arm with a Sharpie pen, put their social security number" -- to be identified if found dead.

Before the storm hit, the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepositioned emergency supplies and authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders in many areas.

As he headed to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend with his family, Trump said: "Good luck to everybody."
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) London, United Kingdom  Sat, August 26, 2017 10:19 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae04dbd 2 World security,terrorism,London,Buckingham-Palace Free

A man was arrested on Friday after attacking police with a knife outside Queen Elizabeth II's Buckingham Palace residence in London, police said.

"The man was stopped... at approximately 20:35 hours (1935 GMT) by officers outside Buckingham Palace in possession of knife," said London police statement.

Two male police officers suffered minor injuries to their arm and the man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault.

The officers were treated at the scene and did not require hospital treatment, according to police, who said it was too early to say whether the attack was terrorism.

However, social media users reported that the attacker was armed with a sword, and posted videos of a fleet of police cars and ambulances outside the world-famous palace, with the surrounding roads sealed off.

Twitter user Amir Jan Malik wrote: "Stuck outside Buckingham palace with many armed police officers. Heavy rifles on display traffic at a halt."

Eyewitness Kiana Williamson told the Press Association that "there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

"They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back," she said.

"The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road.

"I didn't see the car driving but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eye witness had said that he had driven towards the police car," she added.

The incident occurred just two hours after a knifeman attacked two soldiers in Brussels in what authorities are treating as a terrorist attack.

The Queen is at her Balmoral residence in Scotland, although the palace said it would not comment on security issues.
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Linkedin Ganug Nugroho Adi (The Jakarta Post) Boyolali, Central Java  Sat, August 26, 2017 19:50 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae0bdf1 1 National monkeys,wildlife,Boyolali,dry-season Free

A wild macaque was shot dead by personnel from the Central Java Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) in Sendang village, Karanggede district, Boyolali, Central Java, on Friday.

The animal had reportedly wreaked havoc on farms and homes and attacked dozens of residents over the past few weeks.

BKSDA Central Java conservation section head Titi Sudaryanti said killing the animal was a last resort and was justified since the animal threatened peoples lives.

The monkey was shot while it was looting a home. A day earlier, it attacked an elderly woman.

According to reports from villagers, this particular monkey was aggressive, Titi said.

Read also: Boyolali turns to Dayak people to combat monkeys

Sendang village head Sukimin said sharpshooters from the Army, police and Indonesian Target Shooting and Hunting Association (Perbakin) were quick to respond once they received information about the arrival of the monkey.

A number villages in Karanggede have been repeatedly attacked over the last two months by bands of monkeys that stole crops and looted houses.

Read also: Military, police declare war on monkeys

According to Sukimin, in Sendang alone, at least 15 people have been injured in monkey attacks.

Environmentalists said the monkeys would continue to seek food in residential areas during the dry season when water and food sources in their natural habitat were scarce because of deforestation. (bbs)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Seoul, South Korea  Sat, August 26, 2017 09:53 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae027f6 2 World North-Korea,missile-launch,kim-jong-un,trump Free

North Korea fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, the US military said, following weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.

The missile launches come as tens of thousands of South Korean and US troops take part in joint military drills in the South, which Pyongyang views as a highly provocative rehearsal for an invasion of its own territory.

Two of the missiles failed in flight and the third blew up "almost immediately", said a spokesman for US Pacific Command.

None of the missiles, which were launched near Kittaeryong, had posed a threat to either North America or the US Pacific territory of Guam, the spokesman said.

"The first and third missiles... failed in flight. The second missile launch... appears to have blown up almost immediately," said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham, adding that the launches happened over a span of 30 minutes.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said US President Donald Trump was aware of the launches.

"In regards to activity in North Korea tonight, the president has been briefed and we are monitoring the situation," she said.

The launches came as North Korea state media reported that leader Kim Jong-Un oversaw a military exercise simulating a special forces assault on South Korean border islands involving aircraft, "multiple-missile launchers" and howitzers.

Shells hit islands standing in for South Korea's Paekryong and Taeyonphyong islands while special forces landed in rubber boats or parachuted in and "wiped out the desperate enemy with various combat methods," the Korean Central News Agency said.

"Kim Jong-Un expressed great satisfaction over the successful target-striking contest," it said.

South Korea's defence ministry said "unidentified projectiles", fired at 6:49 am (2149 GMT Friday), flew some 250 kilometres (155 miles) towards the Sea of Japan.

The North's move was immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

"The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations", the ministry added.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, August 26, 2017 15:38 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae087d7 1 City drug-trafficking,shooting,West-Jakarta Free

The West Jakarta Police shot dead on Friday an alleged drug dealer, AF, who had 1,400 ecstasy pills, 2,000 nimetazepam happy five pills and 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine in his house. He was shot while resisting arrest.

Previously, the police arrested three menidentified only as KB, EL and MTo n Thursday for the possession of a package of crystal meth and five ecstasy pills. The men claimed they had purchased the drugs from AF.

AF was arrested in his house on Jl. Tanah Sereal in Tambora, West Jakarta, West Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Roycke Langie said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com, adding that AF had previously been imprisoned for four years and two months at Salemba Penitentiary in Jakarta on drug charges.

From information made available by AF, he got drugs in North Jakarta from a man, AS, who was on the polices most wanted list. (vny)
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Linkedin Timothee Kencono Malye (The Jakarta Post) Karawang, West Java  Sat, August 26 2017

To the relief of Telegram users, the government has unblocked access to the web version of the messaging service. This followed a meeting on Aug. 1 between Communications and Information Minister Rudiantara and Telegram CEO Pavel Durov, who had pledged to block all terrorist-related channels, communicate intensively with Indonesian authorities, especially on terrorism, and form a team of Indonesian-speaking moderators to supervise suspicious terror-related content.

Earlier the government had blocked access to the app following the failure of Telegram to respond to its request since last year to ban terrorist-related content. The Communications and Information Ministry said Telegram had taken down 166 channels promoting radicalism and terrorism as of Aug. 10.

Such an outcome is a really good example of what a regulator in every country should do to regulate cyberspace: impose a detailed regulation on each specific case instead of a blanket ban. However, without the threat of blocking access to their channels, such global tech giants may ignore government warnings.

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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Sat, August 26, 2017 11:08 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae0594f 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Independence-Day,carnival,Jokowi,#Jokowi Free

Tisna Sanjaya, a cultural observer and lecturer at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) together with other observers namely Aat Suratin, Joko Kurnain and several other humanists were given an assignment to design the vehicle that will be used by President Joko Widodo at the Parahyangan Charm Independence Carnival 2017 that is being held on August 26 in Bandung.

Tisna with his coworkers came up with an idea of a vehicle that symbolizes a hardworking leader who wants to bring prosperity to his people.

The head of the truck is decorated with the head of Garuda and the tail has a pile of seeng, a traditional Sundanese cooking tool that is being piled together to create the shape of a tumpeng (a cone-shaped serving of yellow rice accompanied by assorted side dishes).

There are around 99 seeng made by crafters from Tasikmalaya that are being piled together to create a tumpeng shape. Each of this seeng is filled with water taken from 99 water springs in West Java. The number 99 is an ode to Asmaul Husna (the 99 names of God), to remind us to the higher being, explained Tisna.

The water itself symbolizes spirituality among the people of West Java, as the source of life, water can be used for wudhu (ablutions), cleaning up, to drink and many more.

To symbolize prosperity, aseupan (cone- shaped container for steaming rice or other dishes that is made of bamboo) is inserted inside the seeng and then filled with crops such as grain, yam, cassava, taro and others.

To complete the overall look there will be a poem placed in front of the vehicle that talks about spirit and optimism.

The poem is currently being written, kang Aat and friends are the ones writing it. The message is: With high spirit and optimism, we are more faithful to the owner of nature, Tisna added.

For the design, Tisna is inspired by the carnivals theme, which is Nyalakan Api Semangat Kerja Bersama (Light up the Spirit of Collaboration).

If you see it from the front, it looks like the vehicle is carrying crops with Jokowi as the leader who is bringing the crops for his people, Tisna said.

The carnival also invited 2,500 people from 34 provinces and communities to take part in this event where they are seen wearing traditional garbs from different parts of the archipelago. (asw)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) File  Sat, August 26, 2017 12:14 1905 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97ae063db 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,halal-destination,tourism-promotion,China,Chinese-tourists Free

Tourism ministry is set to hold a Sales Mission event in three cities in China namely Xian, Yinchuan and Beijing from September 4 to 7.

The ministry invites 9 sellers from Indonesia and 60 buyers from each city in China to help promote halal tourist destinations in Indonesia.

Beijing, the capital city of China has a sizeable Muslim population and so does Yinchuan the capital city of Ningxia Hui which has 34 percent Muslim residents out of a total of 6.32 million.

Islam was said to enter Xi'an around the 7th century through merchants from Saudi Arabia and Persia. Xian Grand Mosque was built in the city in year 742.

Moreover, the relationship between China and Indonesian Muslims goes as far back as the 15th century.

Halal tourism is currently growing in Indonesia with plenty of destinations being set up along with supporting facilities. One of the popular destinations is Lombok that has become the nations backbone for halal tourism.

Lombok won two awards at the World Halal Travel Awards in 2015 for World's Best Halal destination and World's Best Halal Honeymoon destination categories.

Other than Lombok, there are also West Sumatra and Aceh, which were also crowned as winners at the World Halal Travel Awards 2016. West Sumatra brought home two awards for World's Best Halal Culinary and World's Best Halal Destination, while Aceh earned the title of World's Best Halal Cultural Destination.

This is what were offering in these sales missions, there are also the other three destinations that will be highlighted in this event namely Bali, Jakarta and Batam. This event is supported by the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing and Garuda Indonesia, said tourism ministry's deputy minister for Overseas Promotion, I Gde Pitana.

According to the data from the tourism ministry, throughout the years of 2013 to 2016, there had been a significant increase of 15.5 percent for halal tourism. Meanwhile, the number of Chinese tourists coming to Indonesia keeps increasing, in 2016 the number went up 27 percent to 1,452,971 people.

In 2017, the governments target number for Chinese tourists is 2,057,000 people. The Sales Mission is one of the programs that can help the tourism ministry in achieving its target, Pitana added.

Out of the overall 2017 target of 15 million overseas tourists, the government is targeting that 20 percent of them are for halal tourism, this number is still small compared to the number of tourists for halal tourism in Thailand that has reached six million people and then followed by Malaysia with five million and Singapore with four million.

By 2019, the number is expected to reach a quarter of the overall target of 20 million overseas tourists. On average, the tourist spending for halal tourism is between $ 1,500  1,700 per capita per day, higher than the spending of regular tourists with $ 1,200 per capita per day. (asw)
Police in South Australia have charged a man with unlawful possession after a number of weird items were found at his home.

While investigating a series of thefts police searched a property in Renmark, discovering items suspected to have been stolen, including antique clocks and a canoe.

Oh, and hundreds of avocados.

With an estimated street value of 8 houses. https://t.co/kDOIxGMObY  JP (@jplonie) August 25, 2017

Avocados, which have been put forward as the symbol of a generation, became somewhat controversial in Australia when columnist Bernard Salt claimed millennials spend too much money on avocado toast rather than saving for a deposit on a home.

Maybe this person was just thinking outside the box.

(SA Police)

The bizarre discovery was made on Thursday but, while the owners of the other items have been identified, the owner of the avocados is yet to come forward.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Jim Carrey released a mini-documentary about his artistic journey in the last six years. I Needed Color is a reference to a bleak and depressing day in New York, which sparked his longing for vibrant colours.

The six-minute long video sees Carrey in his art studio and features a number of stunningly colourful paintings, as well as a handful of sculptures. We are told that he took up painting, despite having sketched as a child, for the first time some years ago as a way to heal a broken heart.

The recent upload to Vimeo has made his art the subject of many articles these past few weeks, most of them providing a positive, even encouraging, response. However, this has not been the case for all.

The Guardian writer Jonathan Jones chose to write a piece, Jim Carreys art is yet more proof that Hollywood stars should avoid the canvas, in which he slated the comic actors artistic endeavours, stating that he is an astonishingly bad painter and sculptor [the video] of his artistic efforts makes for painful viewing. Going even further, he accused actors-turned-artists of lacking soul, stating that these attempts at art can only be regarded as a horrible delusion that encourages the worst kind of unexpressive, oddly impersonal pretentiousness.

Carreys venture into painting and sculpture was likely prompted by a relapse in his well-documented battle with depression, particularly in the last few years, that followed the suicide of his ex-girlfriend Cathriona White. Her death was blamed on Carrey by Whites estranged husband, and later her mother in a wrongful-death lawsuit. Hinting at some of his arts darker emotional groundings, Carrey states in the documentary that painting frees me. Free from the future, free from the past, free from regret."

Thence by extension, it is the actors usage of art as therapy for his mental health, a medium that has established medical merit, that is being shamed by Jonathan Jones. Humiliating or dismissing Carreys art, therefore, contributes to an already toxic culture of shaming mental illness sufferers, and delegitimizing an exploration of ones depression via the senses. It can, and often is, a way for depressives to work through and eventually exorcise their own negative thoughts and destructive impulses in artistic ways.

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Whilst ignoring the obvious fact that art is always subjective, and therefore can hardly be described as good or bad, contrary to The Guardians article, there can also be no place for people to take on negativity without cause. It is an uncalled for, and, frankly, useless commentary to shame anyones efforts at artistic expression.

Not everyone has to personally enjoy an artists work. One should always express their opinions regarding this art, and that should never be an issue, for art is a comprehensive platform over which to discuss a host of social, political, and economic issues - including mental health. Issues arise when people start shaming an artist for their work. It is neither positive nor constructive and thus is simply revolting behaviour.

If a journalist comments on art and implies the work is objectively bad, they place their subjective view as fact. They place themselves at the head of artistic critique and transform any attempt at analysis into a reflection of their own sensibilities, rather than the work itself. This is also why it is erroneous to call an artists art astonishingly bad since it does not even attempt an exploration beyond the critics direct, personal reaction to the work. It also ignores any positive response, of which there has been much for Carreys painting, that is evidence the art resonated with individuals, and that its expression was of benefit to the artist themselves.

As Jim Carrey very appropriately and simply explained in I Needed Color, I think what makes someone an artist is they make models of their inner life. They make something physically come into being that is inspired by their emotions, or their needs, or what they feel the audience needs. He continues, Artwork has to be servicing, you know, its like youre servicing your subconscious and in time, youre doing something that someones going to relate to, hopefully."

Overall, then, the truth is that one writers opinion does not matter. Nonetheless, it is immensely frustrating to see someone write so negatively of anothers vulnerability, of their attempt at self-expression in the hopes that it may find an echo with someone else out there in the world.

Art is and always has been subjective, but that cannot allow blatant shaming to be disguised as artistic engagement.
Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation: 510 N. Leroux St. "Question Box Sunday." Do you have something you've always wanted to ask a minister, the minister, your minister? Today's the day. Questions will be collected during the service and answered by Rev. Kevin in lieu of a sermon. Children's questions will be answered during the Time for All Ages, so encourage your little ones to bring questions as well. beaconuu.com/.

Calvary Bible Church: 6555 Townsend-Winona Road. Sunday Bible teaching by Duane Gagnon. From Matthew 11:28-30. Come-Take-Learn, adult Bible study then worship service. Evening service. AWANA begins Monday, Aug. 28. Wednesday night prayer and Bible study is studying Job. calvarybiblechurchflagstaff.com.

Christ's Church of Flagstaff: 3475 E. Soliere Ave. Our sermon series will dive into the following questions: How will I get through this? How can I be happy? How can I deal with unmet expectations? How do I know God's will? ccof.church/.

Christian Science Society of Flagstaff: 619 W. Birch Ave. We hold Sunday worship services and Sunday School (for children and young people up to the age of 20). The subject of this week's sermon is "Christ Jesus." We also have Wednesday testimony meetings at 5:30 p.m. each week. Our Christian Science Reading Room, a quiet place for prayer and study, is open from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays or by appointment. 556-0510.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon): Sunday services held at four Flagstaff locations: 4165 S. Lake Mary Road, 625 E. Cherry Ave., 2401 E. Linda Vista Dr. and, for young single adults, 239 E. Saunders Dr. Meetings are also held in Williams at 1111 Stockmens Road and at the Shrine of the Ages on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Check azdailysun.com or "Locations and Schedules" at LDS.org for meeting times by ward/branch. Sunday services consist of Sacrament Meeting, Sunday School and special instruction for various age and interest groups (Priesthood Meeting for men, Relief Society for women, Young Men/Young Women for youth and Primary for children).

Church of the Resurrection: 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Pastor Bob Norton preaches on "The Path to Humility" from Philippians 2:1-18, the fourth in our series "Jesus is our Joy." Worship leader Patty Gross leads us in singing praises. Come and say goodbye to Pastor Wes and Julia as they embark on new ministry opportunities. Pioneer Club starts Tuesday after school. "Christian scouts" group starts Sept 12. Home groups have started on Tuesday nights -- one in Ponderosa Trails and the other in Smokerise. 699-2715. cor-pca.org.

Episcopal Church of the Epiphany: 423 N. Beaver St. As we welcome NAU and CCC students back to Flagstaff, Canterbury Chaplain Brad Eubanks preaches and Priest Marianna Gronek celebrates at all services this weekend. After our Saturday service, from 9-10:15 a.m., and after the 10:30 service on Sunday, join us in Epiphany's Parish Hall to discover ways to help further the mission of Epiphany. It's also the last opportunity for Art Wilson to take you and your family's picture for our upcoming Pictorial Directory, and the conclusion of our Mission & Outreach "Summer of Generosity" School Supply Drive benefiting teachers and students at Puente de Hozho and Killip School. Be aware that Beaver Street is blocked off from Cedar to Cherry - you'll have to go around onto Humphreys to get to the church. Camterbury dinner and services resumes this evening at 6:30 p.m. 774-2911. epiphanyaz.org.

Faith Fellowship: Knoles Elementary, 4005 E. Butler Ave. Charismatic and nondenominational. Kids Church available for ages 1-12. This Sunday we will be serving communion and be speaking on "Pillars of Our Faith." In our evening service, we are speaking on "The Power of God." faithfellowshipflagstaff.com.

First Congregational Church of Flagstaff, United Church of Christ: 740 N. Turquoise Dr. Rev. Dr. George Ault will preach on "The Glow of Life" based on Acts 6: 8, 10-15 and Acts 7:54-60. In other church news: Aug. 30 (Wednesday) evening, 7 p.m. Spiritual meditation discussion and exercise. 774-0890. fccflagstaff.org.

Flagstaff Christian Fellowship: 123 S. Beaver St. "A Place of Shade for Your Children" from Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 5:25, 6:1-4 will be the message by our guest speaker Larry Caines, our Children's Ministry Coordinator. Nursery is available for both services. This is FCFKids Sunday and all children through 5th grade (except for nursery) will attend the main services. We will begin our second service with several baptisms. The adult class will start a three-week series on "Scripture: Love, Authority, & Eloquence in One Word." Martha Gushee will share about her mission work with Indian Bible College at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary and the College Group will meet in the Fireside Room for dinner, worship and a message. 774-3603. fcfonline.org.

Flagstaff Federated Community Church: 400 W. Aspen Ave. This Sunday we will have guest preachers, Brandon and Kristin Willet. Their sermon, "Get Out of the Boat," is inspired by Matthew 14:22-33. The Willets will also be sharing about the new worshiping community in Anthem that they are helping develop. Our monthly noisy can collection will go toward their ministry. Our Christian Living Class will discuss Progressive Christian faith by looking at our vision statement. Our Wired Word Class will continue to look at current events through the lens of faith. Second Breakfast for Senior High School students will continue to eat and fellowship together while exploring scripture. 774-7383. flagstafffederatedchurch.org.

Flagstaff Unity Church: 417 W. Santa Fe Ave. Rev. Gwen Ethelbah is our speaker. Her message is titled "Compassion, the Great Small Cure." Children's program is available. Fellowship follows the service. 526-8893. http://unityofflagstaff.org.

Greenlaw Baptist Church: 3400 E. Lockett Road. Sunday School classes for all ages. Pastor Barry Hall will bring the message: "Losers Weepers, Finders Keepers" from Matthew 10:40-42 and 11:1. Thursday worship service followed by dinner and breakout groups, including our Celebrate Recovery program. If you have an addiction, we can help you in this program. This is a non-judgmental, caring approach to your problem. We welcome you to join us. 526-4939.

Holy Cross Orthodox Church: 6134 Black Bill Road. '9th Hour Morning prayer' with Father Basil. Divine Liturgy with Father Basil. (480) 991-3009. holycrossflagstaff.org/.

Hope Community Church: 3700 N. Fanning Dr. Sunday morning we begin a new series on Discipleship - Following as Worshiper, Workers and Window to God. This week's sermon: "Follow Me!" Study from 2 Peter 1:1-11. 526-0677. hopeflagstaff.com.

Living Christ Lutheran Church: 6401 N. US Highway 89. We gather weekly on Sundays to worship through music, teaching, prayer and sacraments. Fellowship time after service. Pastor Kurt Fangmeier will be leading worship. 526-8595. livingchristflagstaff.org.

Peace Lutheran Church: 3430 N. Fourth St. Strike Gold. Golden Bargains Benefit Sale, today 7 a.m.-noon. Inside sale sponsored by Thrivent Action Team. Most clothing at $1 each, bed linens, household goods, exercise equipment, furniture, Barbies and kids toys, jewelry, plants, electronic transistors and more. On Sunday Pastor Brian Pape will be speaking on "Who do you say that I am?" from Paul's Letter to the Romans chapter 11. We have fellowship (with goodies and coffee) between the services and Bible class for all ages. Holy Communion will be celebrated at the second service. 526-9578. peacelutheranflagstaff.org.

Refuge: A Flagstaff Community Church: 4000 Cummings St. Non-denominational church meets weekly to enjoy God's word, fellowship and worship. Sunday school available for children. 607-5728. facebook.com/refugeinflagstaff/.

The Religious Society of Friends (Quaker): Flagstaff Friends Meeting House, 402 S. Beaver St. At our unprogrammed Quaker Meeting we meet in silence of expectant listening. A meeting may be completely silent, or, as more often happens, someone will feel moved to speak, to share something which may be of help or guidance to others. 779-3517. flagstaffquakers.org/.

San Francisco de Asis: 1600 E. Route 66. Fr. Dan and Fr. Clement will preach the Gospel of Matthew 16:13-20. 779-1341. sfdaparish.org.

Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church: 1601 N. San Francisco St. Our new pastor Adam Barnhart will be installed at the 10 a.m. service. sothflagstaff.org.

Trinity Heights United Methodist Church: 3600 N. Fourth St. Sunday traditional service or casual communion worship service. Children's Sunday School is offered for kids through 5th grade and nursery care is available at both services. We also have an Adult Sunday School class meeting. There are many mid-week Bible Studies available for mixed groups, women's groups or men's groups. 526-1397. thumc.com.

Western Navajo Bible Fellowship: September camp meetings: Sept. 1-2, Lawrence K. Gordy Memorial Camp Meeting, Cameron; 1-2, Porcupine Mesa camp meeting, Jimmie Mexicano's residence, Coppermine; 8-9, Gray Mountain Bible Church camp meeting; 15-16, Cameron all-family camp meeting, Rose Gordy's residence. Call for times or speakers. 209-3800.
Mississippi Valley Conservancy and the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge will host a paddle tour Saturday, Sept. 9, featuring the Onalaska Canoe Trail on the north side of Brice Prairie.

This event is part of Mississippi Valley Conservancys 2017 Linked to the Land series of outdoor experiences sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System  Franciscan Healthcare in La Crosse.

The Onalaska Canoe Trail was opened last year through funding by the Onalaska Tourism Commission. Refuge staff and volunteers will navigate through the backwaters of the Black River where participants can enjoy a leisurely canoe tour through the scenic backwaters. The tour will stop along the way to spot wildlife and take in the beautiful views from the river.

Canoes and kayaks will launch at 10 a.m. from Lytles Landing and paddle to Fred Funk Landing, which is 4.3 miles. There are 6 canoes, equipment and life jackets to borrow for those who register; registration will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

All boaters, even those with their own canoes, are asked to call Kathy Frise-Groth at 608-784-3606 ext. 6 or email krise@mississippivalleyconservancy.org to register by Sept. 6, to allow coordinators to best plan for event logistics and group safety.

Participants providing their own boat should plan to drop it off at Lytles Landing before 9:30 a.m. and then bring their vehicle back to Fred Funk Boat Landing. A free shuttle will bring boaters back to Lytles Landing for the tour between 8:30 and 9:45 a.m.

To get to the landing from La Crosse, follow Hwy. 53 to exit Hwy. OT. Take Hwy. OT into Midway, turn left at stop sign and follow Hwy. ZN to Hwy. Z. Take a right at stop sign and follow Hwy. Z to Lytles Landing. From Lytles Landing follow Hwy. Z and turn right on Hwy. ZB and follow Hwy. ZB to Fred Funk Landing.
The Ohio-born screenwriter, occasional actor, editor, producer, composer, and film director has won almost every Cannes award there is. Jarmusch is a minimalist director, who works with great attention to detail. The narrative of his films often incorporates dream-like sequences and settings, whereby the director often ignores strict narrative structures and traditional plot development. His films mainly focus on emotion and aesthetics. All of his works are charged with deep existential meaning, whereby the characters seemingly drift on peculiar adventures, mostly by themselves. Jarmuschs characters are outsiders, to put it broadly, who are unapologetic, fearless, and oddly relatable.His complete oeuvre exemplifies that Jim Jarmusch creates the films he truly wants and loves, instead of trying to fit into any given style, genre, or approach. Hereby are some of the directors most idiosyncratic works.Shot on 16mm film, Permanent Vacation is perhaps what every aspiring film-maker should be aiming for with their first film. Jim Jarmusch wrote, directed, and produced it right after dropping out of film school. The film later won the Josef von Sternberg Award at the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Filmfestival (1980). Permanent Vacation is considered the founding stone of Jarmuschs pioneering style and specific character schemes. The plot revolves around Allie, a young man who roams the streets of New York, and the interactions he has along the way. The film itself is beautifully shot, whereby the raw allure of old New York comes to life. Permanent Vacation is notoriously underrated, but still remains one of Jarmuschs most riveting works.Hardly any other film comes this close to a perfect representation of a lucid dream. The impeccable cinematography, intensely saturated colors, and perfectly arranged setting all contribute to the visual perfection of this work. The plot advances through a constant and pleasant air of mystery, without ever becoming confusing of tedious. The viewer follows a secretive hit man, who travels around Spain, meeting different people who give him clues about his next destination. This tasteful thriller might be developing at a slow pace for some, but there is a reason behind it. The deeper meaning of the film lies not within the final reveal, but the main character himself and the people he meets along the way. Its certainly not a film for everyone, but any Antonioni fan will surely appreciate it. Although The Limits of Control might be a challenge for some viewers, it is hard not to be inspired by the calm and surreal atmosphere of the film.Since this black-and-white masterpiece includes the following cast: Iggy Pop, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett, Tom Waits, Jack and Meg White, RZA and GZA from Wu-Tang Clan, and Steve Buscemi, it is hard to imagine how it could be anything but simply good. The film itself presents a collection of eleven vignettes, which all have in common what the title indicates: coffee and cigarettes. The interesting and often quite odd conversations arising from either chance encounters or pre arranged and expected meetings, all appear to be quite genuine and touching. Jarmuschs anthology film strangely resembles another personal favorite of mine- Ten Minutes Older: The Trumpet - where he also makes a contribution with his short film Int. Trailer. Night. Coffee and Cigarettes is one of those films which might make you laugh and cry in a time span of 5 minutes, but is certainly not bad for your health, as the titles vices might suggest.Dead Man tells the story of the rather shy accountant William Blake (Johnny Depp) who sets off on a journey west. After a number of events, including an accidental killing, Blake disappears into the wild, only to be found and befriended by the imposing Native American called Nobody, who later on states that Blake is actually the poet William Blake, whom he greatly admires. The film is a peculiar post-modern western with surreal and psychedelic hues, overall remembered for its poetic and tender existential essence. This works cult film status proves that Dead Man will remain one of Jarmuschs quintessential masterpieces, as will its haunting soundtrack by Neil Young - 'Dead Man Theme'.This work is best described by Jim Jarmusch himself in the following statement: I think Paterson is more of a film in the form of a poem rather than a poem in the form of a film, if that makes any sense. Paterson is a film about the unusual patterns and events that happen in our everyday lives. The main character Paterson (played by Adam Driver) is a bus driver in a small town of the same name (wry absurd- another specific directorial trait for Jarmusch), but in his heart, he is a gentle poet. His everyday life is documented in a subtle and nonintrusive way. Patersons life might seem repetitive at first, but at a closer look it reveals the complexity and inner chaos of everything around him, captured masterfully in his poems.Set between the romantic urban wasteland of Detroit and the alien enticement of Tangier, this film is much more than a gothic vampire love story. In fact, the extraordinary element in the film is only a means of describing Adam and Eves (another one of Jarmuschs entertaining indirect references) fascinating relationship. The lovers unconventional story marked by literature, music, existential crises, blood, and the intertwined love and death is sure to submerge you in pleasurable melancholy. As with all of Jim Jarmuschs films, the soundtrack is remarkable, but a personal favorite of mine is Jozef Van Wissems evocative and dark 'Our Hearts Condemn Us'.
Just shy of 50 years after Ian McKellen shocked the world by playing a part in the first gay kiss on British TV, we talked to the actor about LGBT activism in the media, his role in the 1970 BBC/Prospect production of Edward II and whats next in his career.

Speaking at the BFI Southbank after a special screening of the performance, McKellen jestfully recalled how he got involved with the production: I remember the audition for Edward well. Peter McKennery originally auditioned for the role of Gaveston and I thought that I wouldnt mind kissing him.

But the plan, it seems, was never for this production to be so crucial in LGBT awareness in the media: "We werent doing it because it was a gay play, it simply fitted with Prospects concurrent production of Richard II. The production caused a lot of commotion at the time of broadcast, but we were never intending to stir up trouble, the actor insisted. For me I was just following in Derek Jacobis footsteps, and continuing with the work I had done at the Marlowe society during my time at Cambridge. But, undoubtedly, McKellen's performance is now placed within that crucial timeline of LGBT exposure in the media. Aired in 1970, just a few years after the Sexual Offences Act legalised homophobia, it helped to begin normalising homosexuality in the media, as well as in peoples homes. Ive met many Americans who said the performance was crucial in their lives when it aired on PBS. But the situation we were placed in was obscene! I mean we were breaking the law in Scotland at this point! The play deals with real emotions, its not a fairy-tale; its certainly not Shakespeare, but it doesnt pretend to be. And this, McKellen thinks, is what allowed its message about sexual acceptance to be so strong. For me Marlowe is a hero, because he shows that if you deny young people the possibility of being themselves, in terms of who they are attracted to, then you danger society. Edward becomes a tyrant because his love for Gaveston is presented as evil. Marlowes lesson here is important. It was a foreign land 50 years ago, let alone when Marlowe wrote the play, and so it seems this play was needed. Perhaps thats why we sold out tickets as a result!McKellen himself did not come out until 1988, 18 years after this prolific performance. I wasnt ready. In 1988, I felt like I had to help publically fight Section 28," he revealed. It was hard. I was rather adopted as a poster boy; but I had no clue what to say. People berated him for accepting a knighthood from Thatchers conservative government even though as the second openly gay person to receive such, I thought it was an honourable position. Derek Jarman didnt quite agree: He called me a straight man in gay clothing in an article for The Guardian. He later rang and apologised for his article and McKellen wryly replied: What article would that be Derek? In 2017, LGBT representation in the media is now stronger than its ever been before. Were blessed now in this country, in fact I might even say  in the arts  that the battle is over, when fifty years ago it hadnt even begun, McKellen confessed. Indeed, it seems the 1970 production of Edward II may have started the battle. Its been slow though, the actor added. Think how long it took people to accept that the Merchant of Venice was about a gay man. Nowadays we perhaps even relish a gay scene or two; but the fight has been hard. On the flip side, though, one thing that hasnt changed is the theatre itself; despite a penchant for pyrotechnics, its heart has remained. We rehearse and perform in very much the same way now, [especially in plays by the likes of Shakespeare and Marlowe.] The only difference to Edward II fifty years ago is that Im just better at it now, or I hope I am at least. Since Edward II, McKellen's career has gone on to span across theatre, film and TV, including credits in productions of The Tempest and Tis Pity Shes A Whore, film franchises like The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and TV credits in the ITV comedy series Vicious. So whats next for McKellen? Well Ive just taken 9 months off to write my autobiography. Dont get too excited though, I ended up deciding it wasnt for me. So I just took 9 months off; it was quite nice actually. Following his lengthy break, McKellen revealed that he is now preparing to return to his theatrical roots: Im taking the lead role in King Lear at the Chichester Theatre from next month. Im in rehearsals now and I cant wait!
Google sends camera crews across the world to provide its Street View service, which gives users a first-person, ground-level look at the areas they are searching for.

With so many pictures taken and so much of the world to see, Street View is a treasure trove of quirky finds.

For some online adventurers though, things have gotten a little creepy.

Ever the fountain of knowledge, Reddit users have been offering the scariest places theyve ever found on their journey through Googles archive  heres seven of the best.

1. Try Nagoro, Japan. I wont give you specific co-ordinates, its only small. Just wander round looking at the dolls. An old lady makes a new doll every time someone in the village dies.  ithoughtyousaidgoat

(Google)

The dolls are created by Tsukimi Ayano, who has said the dolls began life as scarecrows in the village.

However, Ayano soon started to create them to replace people who had left the village or passed away  creating well over a hundred of them.

(Google)

2. El Bronx in Bogota, Colombia. I remember reading that it was raided last year and found torture chambers that were known as chop houses and used to dismember human bodies.  Photodude82

(Google)

The notorious neighbourhood of El Bronx is now being demolished by Colombian authorities, but Googles Street View crews visited before the work began.

(Google)

3. La Isla de las Munecas in Mexico, just a normal Island in the Swamp with creepy dolls hanging around  Ganjiste

(Google)

La Isla de las Munecas simply translates from Spanish to the island of the dolls  if you look carefully youll see why.

Googles cameramen even went inside some of the houses, which dont look like somewhere youd want to stay the night

(Google)

4. I remember seeing this image of an intersection somewhere in Asia where if you take a step in one direction the camera goes black and a strange figure can been seen in the darkness.  CaptainMcAnus

It turns out this area is actually in Florianopolis in Brazil, and the picture of the crossroads themselves looks innocuous.

(Google)

However, stepping into the middle of the road, in the spot shown in the above photo, reveals a dark secret

(Google)

5. Gunkanjima. Maybe not scary per se, but this town is fully deserted and its pretty well documented on Maps.  engineeredengine

(Google)

This Japanese island was originally the site of a coal mine, but was abandoned in the 1970s after its reserves of the fossil fuel became depleted.

You might recognise it from Skyfall, James Bonds 2012 outing.

(Google)

6. Some places on Street View become creepier once you go back a few years on the photo timeline to see what used to be there.

This residential street in Joplin, Missouri looks vastly different depending on whether youre looking at before or after May 22, 2011.  SmoreOfBabylon

(Google)

Joplin, Missouri was the site of a devastating tornado in 2011. The picture above shows how the area looked in 2007  while the picture below was taken in 2012.

(Google)

7. Theyre evolving  Thomas_PaineInTheAss



The street view spot Thomas linked to with this comment was a pavement in Musashino, a city on the western outskirts of the Tokyo Metropolis  take a look.

(Google)

The photo, taken in March 2013, shows a collection of eight people staring at Googles cameramen in pigeon masks

(Google)



Yes  that probably is enough internet for one day.
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Carolyn Bostrack is the picture of success, an author and career woman with an MBA and a daughter soon off to college.

But were it not for a landmark program launched shortly before her daughters birth, the pair would have likely gone off course.

Bostrack, 39, was 19 and pregnant when she learned of the Family and Childrens Center Healthy Families Program. Molested as a child, Bostrack was once again trapped in the cycle of abuse as an adult, wed to a suspicious, controlling man who isolated her from her friends and questioned her every move. While terrified to find herself pregnant in a violent situation, the pregnancy was what ultimately led her to freedom.

In 1999, when her daughter Bronte was one month old, Bostrack was referred to the Healthy Families program during a checkup at Gundersen Health System. The program, founded in 1992, is a partnership among Gundersen, Mayo Clinic, the county and FCC that offers resources and support to expecting or new mothers in high-stress situations free of charge.

The FCC was one of the original seven organizations to implement the program after the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect declared a state of emergency in 1990, and on Wednesday Healthy Families celebrated 25 years of promoting safe and successful parenting in the community.

During an afternoon ceremony at Myrick Park, Mayor Tim Kabat declared Aug. 23, 2017, as Healthy Families Day, followed by speeches from former participant Cheryl Killilea, Phillip Nielsen, a medical social worker at Mayo Clinic Health System who helped develop the screening process for the program, and Sen. Jennifer Shilling. Healthy Families participants were invited to stay afterward for a social with food, games and free school supplies.

Twenty-five years  its really an amazing accomplishment, said Tita Yutuc, president and CEO of the FCC. Because of the nature of this program and the support of the community, its stronger than ever.

Funded entirely by donations, the program, currently serving 55 families, is completely voluntary and aimed at prevention. Only one in three cases of child abuse is reported, and last year more than 1,600 cases were reported. One in 10 children is a victim of sexual abuse by the age of 18.

Prevention is so important for not only saving victims from the trauma on the front end, but the cost to taxpayers on the back end, said Jamie Korn, director of development for FCC. For every dollar invested in prevention, up to $5.70 is saved.

The program provides one-on-one support to moms via home regular home visits by a specialist to track child development, assess safety and develop goals. Every participant is assigned a primary care physician, and families remain in the program until the child is 5 years old, with visits tapering off with continued progress.

The visits from her specialist, Deb, were a source of much-needed encouragement for Bostrack, whose self esteem had been badly damaged by the incessant belittling and abuse she endured from her husband.

(Deb) asked, What do you dream about? Bostrack recalled. I had forgotten how to dream. She asked, So what do you want to dream about? I said, I dream of being the best parent possible. Healthy Families has given me that. The confidence to build on and continue to transition and learn.

Having dropped out of college at her husbands insistence, Bostrack returned to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with Debs guidance, and as her daughter neared a year old, she found the confidence to leave the relationship, taking Bronte with her.

The two of us got out, Bostrack said.

Im sure wed still be in the bad situation we were in or not around at all (without the program), Bronte said. In general I think any support for parents is good, especially support for a single mother. Our situation isnt terribly unique.

Both have made the most of their new lives. Bronte, who graduated from Aquinas last spring, is starting college at Carroll University next week with plans to study engineering and physics. Bostrack is working on her dissertation for a Ph.D. in organized leadership, employed as program manager of the Center for Cancer at Gundersen Health System and mother to two more children.

Carolyn is an incredibly amazing woman, Korn said. To look at how shes passed that strength onto her child is an inspiration. The strongest people are the ones that ask for help.

Bostrack is now sharing strength with other moms in need, serving on the Healthy Families board and as an advocate for victims of abuse.

Its my way of giving back ... its fulfilling to see other people break through, Bostrack said. Eighteen years has flown by for me, and I hope I can be here supporting the program at the 50th anniversary.
WABASHA  At the close of the fourth public comment period on U.S. Corps of Engineers dredging plans, U.S. Sen. Al Franken visited to get a closer look at the issue.

Franken, D-Minn., was one of several senators included in a letter to the Corps of Engineers asking it to reconsider its plans over the summer.

The senator met with concerned home and land owners along River View Drive South and along County Road 30 adjacent to where dredged material would be stored over the 40-year course of the plan.

Mark Jarstad, who has had his house along what would become a truck route and a stones throw from the planned sand deposit since 1986, told Franken the plan couldnt be worse for the people in the area.

(The Corps) couldnt have picked a better area ... if you wanted to adversely affect as many people as you can, Jarstad said.

The plan would increase truck traffic by an estimated 70 trucks per hour going in and out of the neighborhood during the hauling period each year, along with the additional air and noise pollution caused by the diesel trucks and large, remaining piles of sediment, the city said.

While the hauling period is 75 days, the Corps plan is estimated to be in effect for the next 30 to 40 years.

The city is not alone in its opposition to the plan, which outlines the Corps requirement to remove and permanently place more than 10 million cubic yards of dredged material from the Mississippi Rivers Lower Pool 4 during the next 40 years.

The plan would use four on-shore placement and transfer sites with river access, which include two sites closer to Wabasha, a temporary site, and the Alma Marina.

That would require about 470 acres of farmland in Minnesota and Wisconsin to permanently store the sand, and there was potential for eminent domain to be used to seize the needed property.

Franken told homeowners he was sympathetic to the complaints.

He  along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.  sent a joint letter to the Corps of Engineers chief general saying that theyve heard concerns from citizens and disagree with the Corps stance that it is obligated to go with the cheapest option  which it says studies showed this plan to be.

The senators letter argued that Corps claims that they were required to go with the least costly option was not actually the law  but rather internal regulation  so the requirement could be waived.

Franken said the Lt. General of the Corps of Engineers seemed extremely open to finding another way to do this.

I dont think theyre happy with the way they did this, Franken said.

Franken also criticized the plan for ostensibly looking toward the cheapest option but pushing the cost onto the area around the sites by reducing their property values and quality of life.

The city of Wabasha and many of the area residents have been equally unhappy and have remained vocal about it.

Since the plan was introduced May 11, the Corps first extended the comment period from June 9 to June 23, and then through July 14, then to July 28, and finally to Friday as local, state and federal officials and residents objected to the use of areas around Wabasha to hold material taken from the Mississippi River.

Wabasha city administrator Chad Springer said the city is continuing to push the argument that they can find better places, and continuing to fight to change the plans.

Were pretty confident we can find sites that are actually more affordable than this, Springer said.

In mid-July the city announced it was be pursuing what it called a comprehensive legal and political strategy to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from pursuing plans to store dredged material near the city.

Wabasha hired a team of people including Flaherty & Hood P.A., a law and government relations firm from Minneapolis which specializes in regulatory and environmental issues; Bolton & Menk, an engineering firm with offices throughout Minnesota and Iowa; and Dan McDougal, a dredging professional who started the company Dredge America.

Springer said they havent gotten a response to their questions and suggestions so far, but are hoping that with the end of the public comment period, the Corps will begin answering within the next several weeks and potentially chose alternative sites.
Ryan Beville II, 33, of Stoddard was charged Friday with burglary. According to a complaint, Beville broke into a home in the town of Holland and stole dozens of firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition as well as knives, swords and a ceremonial cannon.

Matthew M. Hernandez, 36, of Onalaska was charged Friday with felony bail jumping, misdemeanor battery and disorderly conduct. According to a complaint, Hernandez dragged a woman by her hair and punched her in the ribs; Hernandez denied beating the woman and told police her bruises were from rough sex.

Austin J. Olson, 21, of West Salem was charged Friday with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance near a jail, and possession of drug paraphernalia. According to complaints, police found more than 33 grams of meth in Olsons vehicle on Aug. 5. On Aug. 18, Olson was arrested for first-offense operating while intoxicated and jailers found a bag with 7.4 grams of meth attached to his penis with rubber bands. Possession of drugs in or near a jail carries a penalty of 100 hours of community service in addition to any fines and prison time.
Sebastian Gorka, an outspoken and combative defender of President Donald Trump's national security agenda, has left his position as a White House counterterrorism adviser, two administration officials told CNN.

The news, which came late Friday evening, was widely expected in the West Wing, which has now seen high-profile departures on successive Fridays for several weeks.

Gorka was one of Trump's most prominent cheerleaders, frequently hitting the airwaves to defend the President's policies and public statements.

But his role outside of television hits was unclear. He did not play a major policymaking role, according to administration officials, and was not a member of the National Security Council.

Gorka submitted his resignation to retired Gen. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, on Friday, a White House official said. The official said it had become clear to Gorka that he would not be allowed to have a meaningful role going forward.

Kelly, who assumed the chief of staff role in late July, has been conducting a review of the West Wing that includes assessing individual staffers' portfolios.

A person familiar with the situation said Kelly was coming up empty when it came to Gorka's role, though he recognized his efforts to promote Trump's message on television.

Gorka's TV appearances -- during which he often sparred with hosts and reporters -- were popular with Trump, however, complicating decisions about his future.

But most White House staffers came to see the departure last week of chief strategist Steve Bannon as a sign that Gorka's days were numbered.

Gorka's work for Trump goes back as far as 2015; Federal Election Commission filings showed that Gorka was paid $8,000 that October to be a policy consultant for the Trump campaign.

Gorka also was a member of the White House's Strategic Initiatives Group, which he described as a focal point for task forces collaborating with people outside government. His resignation adds to a long list of high-profile departures from the White House, including chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus and press secretary Sean Spicer.

A CNN K-File review of Gorka's public comments throughout the presidential campaign shows that even after his work for Trump, the former Breitbart national security editor offered stinging critiques of his future boss's rhetoric on key foreign policy issues from terrorism to Russia and China.

Gorka, a US citizen who was born in Britain and has Hungarian parents, was known for his dire warnings of Islamic terrorism while at Breitbart.
Hamlin senior throws standout Gracelyn Leiseth headed to Florida

Hamlin's Gracelyn Leiseth to compete in women's track and field at the University of Florida.
Bhutans Queen Mother, Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck, showered praise on late Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at a book launch here on Saturday, referring to her as a woman of great courage who had a charismatic character. Wangchuck said she was personally inspired by Gandhi.

Titled Indias Indira, the book is a collection of essays and reflections on Gandhi by eminent personalities from several quarters of the world. It has been compiled by Indian National Congress and has a foreword by Congess president Sonia Gandhi.

Congress MP and acclaimed writer, Shashi Tharoor shared the dais with the Queen Mother and the life of Indira Gandhi was briefly explored in a conversation between the two.

It is 100 years since Indira Gandhi was born. She was a lady of great courage, character and determination. She was determined to take India to great heights.

Ever since Mrs Gandhi came to Bhutan with her father, Nehruji, riding on a yak, the bonds of lasting ties between our two nations were established, Wangchuck said.

The Queen Mother further stressed that she was greatly admired and respected in the circle of international leaders.

Indira showed the world very early what women were capable of. She was a towering lady with a great personality. She personally showed me what a lady could achieve. I think like me all Bhutanese ladies need to learn from the example of Indira, she added.

The book was launched at the ongoing Mountain Echoes Literary Festival here, which concludes on Sunday.
South Koreas business and political communities were divided over a local courts ruling to put Lee Jae-yong, the heir-apparent of Samsung Group, behind bars.

Some of the business and political honchos expressed concern over its potential fallout for the national economy.

Multiple business insiders expressed shock over the Seoul Central District Courts decision to slap Lee with a five-year jail term for bribery, embezzlement and other charges in a massive corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.

The court should have considered that (Samsung) did not have criminal intention, but wanted to avoid trouble if it refused the governments request, Yonhap News Agency quoted an official from a local business group as saying on Friday.

Another official from a South Korean conglomerate said it was disappointing that the ruling came at challenging times when the country is facing diplomatic tension with China coupled with Washingtons move towards protectionism.

Samsung Electronics takes up 11.9 per cent of South Koreas manufacturing segment, and 30.7 per cent of the combined operating profits, the official pointed out, adding that the prolonged absence of Lee was expected to lead to side-effects.

South Koreas ruling party, on the other hand, cheered the decision.

The ruling targets the back-scratching alliance of government and businesses, said Choo Mi-ae, the head of the Democratic Party.

A company must be transparent to receive trust from the global community and beef up competitiveness.

The party chief expressed the hope that the case may act as an opportunity for Samsung to become a socially responsible company.

The minor opposition Peoples Party also said the business community should become more aware that South Korea is no longer tolerant of conglomerates wrongdoings as seen by the case.

Labour activists also welcomed the courts acknowledgement of Lees corruption.

Lee has personally used state authority to facilitate its power succession, resulting in massive losses to the state pension, unionised workers of Samsung Electronics Service said.

Prosecutors earlier sought 12 years against Lee, claiming Samsungs de facto leader offered or pledged $38 million to win the state pensions approval for a merger between two affiliates under terms designed to increase his control over the entire business empire.

The court ruled that Lee provided over $6 million in bribes.

The union also claimed that Lee should have received a jail term beyond 10 years if the court had considered him an ordinary criminal, rather than the head of a conglomerate.

Lee provided Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil with bribes, which was the money that could have been spent on victims suffering from work-related diseases at Samsung, said Hwang Sang-gi an activist from the Protector of Health and Human Rights of Semiconductor Workers (SHARP).

It is unacceptable that he received only five years, Sang-gi added.
Besides extending the ban on mobile data services in till Tuesday, the Punjab government on Saturday said it has beefed up security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS) chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Addressing a Press conference, Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh said 19 potential trouble makers had been taken into preventive custody and the crackdown would continue ahead of the sentencing. The main leaders of DSS, who are likely to instigate followers, are either being taken into confidence or arrested, he said.

Speaking to reporters on the latest law and order situation in the state in the wake of Fridays violence in Panchkula after Ram Rahim was declared guilty by a CBI court, the CM said there had been no trouble anywhere since last night.

Capt Amarinder, however, expressed grief at the death of seven people from Punjab in Panchkulas violence. Forty-five of the total 250-odd people injured in that violence were from Punjab, he further disclosed, citing data received from Haryana so far.

Captain Amarinder disclosed that curfew had been lifted in three districts (Muktsar, Fairdkot and Sangrur) of the state and relaxed in the other areas where it was imposed yesterday. He, however, said there would be no let-up in security in the state till after the sentencing by the court in the Ram Rahim case.

The CM said his government would not accept any nonsense or allow anyone to spread bad blood in Punjab even on Monday and this was his promise to the state and its people. Captain Amarinder revealed that police officers had visited all the 98 Naam Sacha Ghars of the DSS in the state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs.

The CM, who earlier held a review meeting with top administrative and police officials to assess the law and order situation, disclosed that 39 criminal cases had been registered against perpetrators of violence in the state. Around 52 minor incidents had been reported from the state, with no loss of life or extensive damage anywhere following the announcement of the verdict yesterday.

Reacting to Haryanas charge that Punjab did not stop vehicles carrying Dera followers from reaching Panchkula, the CM said the Haryana government, at no point in time, approached the Punjab government on this issue. Responding to another question, Captain Amarinder said there had been no contact between him and the chief minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, though the Punjab DGP had been in regular touch with his counterpart there.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Haryana following the violence there that left 31 dead after Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahims conviction in a rape case.

The meeting, held at Rajnath Singhs residence, lasted for over two and a half hours. It was attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Rajiv Jain and other Home Ministry officials.

After the meeting, Mehrishi told reporters, Three issues were discussed during the meeting.

The Home Minister discussed the law and order situation in Haryana after the court verdict. He also spoke to the Director General of Police (DGP) of the state, who told him that after the verdict the situation in Panchkula and Sirsa were tense, but now it has normalised. In this ongoing situation we cant blame anyone, the Homes Secretary said.

The security of Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan was also discussed at the meeting.

Punjab and Delhi didnt see as many incidents after the court verdict. But the small incidents that happened here were controlled in time, he said.

At least 31 people died after violence erupted in Haryanas Panchkula town after a CBI court convicted the Dera chief in a rape case.

His supporters went berserk and set ablaze vehicles and damaged properties in Panchkula.

Mehrishi said the Home Minister also discussed the ongoing gunfight in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district, where three security personnel were killed earlier in the day.

The other issue discussed was the ongoing encounter in Pulwamatwo to four terrorists are still trapped, he said, adding that a house was also set ablaze.

Two SPOs are there. Not sure whether they are safe. Some danger to their life still exists, Mehrishi added.
A grave crisis in the structure of democratic governance has erupted in Bangladesh a year before the general elections. That appears to be the major parallel with Pakistan, where the judiciary has disqualified the Prime Minister.

It has ignited the raging controversy between the judiciary and the executive, with the Bangladesh Chief Justice SK Sinha, referring to the Pakistan court order that led to Nawaz Sharifs ouster. This has implicitly emitted an unnerving signal to Prime Minister Begum Hasina and her Awami League. However, there is no call for the partys spin-doctors to cavil that the observation has been made by the countrys first Hindu Chief Justice, and thus sharpen the sectarian divisions in a country that is plagued by Islamist fundamentalism.

If to a lesser degree, the minority factor is no less insidious. Awami League supporters have already made the waters murkier by shrilling for the resignation of the Chief Justice. The crisis appears to be as grave as that in Pakistan.

The CJs remark ~ a threat to the Prime Minister? ~ has led to a confrontation between the judiciary on the one hand, and the executive and the ruling party at another remove. Less than a year before the elections, this is bound to affect the quality of governance, though it may not rock the applecart quite yet.

Whether the CJ resigns or is forced to go on leave can only be speculated upon at this juncture. The nub of the matter is pretty obvious ~ Justice Sinha is intent on buttressing the authority of the courts.

It bears recall that a Supreme Court bench, headed by the Chief Justice, had recently abrogated a constitutional amendment that was crafted to empower Parliament to impeach apex court judges. The order was bound to widen the rift between the organs of democratic governance.

The judgment was marked by observations against the political class, and this caused a flutter in the Awami roost. Comparing Bangladesh with Pakistan is not tolerable at all, is Hasinas message to the judiciary.

The fact that senior Awami leaders had then condemned the Chief Justice has doubtless provoked the latest response by the judiciary. Hence the strong reference to the Pakistan court order couched in the message that if the judiciary can remove the Prime Minister in one country, so too can it in another.

The judiciary has been very, very patient. All I am saying is that we need to be more mature, was Justice Sinhas advice to the Attorney-General.
Questions have been raised about the quality of school teachers in India. The National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE) which regulates the Teacher Education Institutions (TEI) has long been blamed for poor quality as there are B.Ed colleges which barely meet the standards required to produce quality teachers. Functioning under the nose of the authorities, most of them are still unaccredited. There are also fly-by-night TEI which virtually sell B.Ed degrees to students who do not attend any classes.

HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has said a crackdown has begun against these fly-by-night institutions. A Santhosh Mathew, the chairman of NCTE, is a political economist with extensive experience as a civil servant in the Indian Administrative Service. With a D.Phil in Development Studies from IDS, Sussex, and an MA in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, he combines teaching and research with his assignments in the civil service. Previously, he served as Joint Secretary (IT & Skills) in the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. In an interview with ABHIJEET ANAND, Mathew revealed the process through which there will be a clampdown on TEI. He also spoke about how the teaching sector can be given a stimulus.

Excerpts:

Q: It has been decided that no new B.Ed colleges will be opened for a year. What has prompted such a drastic decision?

A: It is just that we will not invite any applications. On the one hand in most parts of the country we have a surplus of colleges and on the other, a need was felt to redo the entire application process. There was arbitrariness in the way applications were processed that was leading to allegations of corruption. We took a decision to redo and digitise the process. As you upload your application you will know whether data points you need have been entered. You will not know who is taking a decision as it will be anonymous. The reason for which the application is accepted or rejected will be made public. There is lot of IT work, a lot of design. That is why we declared it a zero year.

Q: HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar has talked about flyby-night B.Ed colleges. What is NCTE doing about them?

A: One of the big decisions we took was announcing Indias first accreditation and ranking framework for Teacher Education Institutions. We have changed the regulations by which you are required to get yourself accredited within 12 months of notification. By April 2018 all colleges that do not have a valid NAAC accreditation will have to get themselves accredited. Accreditation also means that we have four different pillars on which they are marked  physical assets, academic assets, teaching quality and learning outcomes. Earlier much of the emphasis was on regulatory compliance. Now we have gone much beyond. All this together will ensure that it will be extremely difficult for fly-by-night operators to operate.

Q: Are you saying that the earlier process of accreditation was not good enough?

A: What I am saying is we did not have a sector-specific accreditation. Our accreditation was a general NAAC accreditation process. NAAC takes the entire university and accredits it. In the teacher education sector, there are specific requirements. That is why we designed one ourselves.

Q: But as part of the process, affidavits are also being sought from the colleges.

A: All colleges were asked to submit mandatory affidavits. They were asked to put in certain data. Many people did not do it. Subsequently, we asked those who did not submit it to respond to a show-cause notice. The total number of show-causes plus affidavits came to only 11,474 colleges out of 16,000 to 18,000. In the affidavits that were submitted a lot of columns were left blank. We redesigned the mandatory affidavit system and we said that unless all data fields have been entered, your submission will not be complete. The computer can check whether all the fields have been entered or not. We have extended the date of submission of affidavits from 31 July to 31 August. Mandatory affidavit system is done in such a way that all data we need for accreditation has been covered. We will do a verification of that. Then we will put these together and do the accreditation.

Q: Can you tell us about the initiative taken for ranking of B.Ed colleges?

A: Ranking and accreditation are analogous but not identical. Ranking is a once in two-year process. And accreditation is once in five years. As I said, accreditation requirement comes only after your existing NAAC accreditation expires. NAAC accreditation is for five years. If you have NAAC accreditation, we dont expect you to get accredited with us. The moment it expires, you have to come and get it. We will do scoring on the basis of that assuming that what they have said is correct. The top 400 institutions through that scoring mechanism will be inspected once in two years and the verified score will be generated. The top 200 colleges will then be published and ranked. There is a particular logic behind this  we will be able to signal to the market which are the top colleges. If we can signal this, we believe that the fly-by-night operators will go bust because students will not go to them.

Q: A four-year integrated course will soon be made mandatory for pursuing B.Ed. Is this being done to make the course more professional?

A: It is not a question of making it more professional or less professional. The qualification for pursuing diploma course is actually passing school. If you pass DElEd you become eligible to teach in primary classes. We are of the opinion that a degree should be the basic qualification of a teacher. A person who has passed only +2 school should not be eligible to become a teacher. This is a policy decision that the council will take in due course. We are seriously considering doing away with all diplomas. In the degree courses also, we are saying that the law course BA,LLB should be in the form of 3+2. With the coming of integrated law course and national law schools, the sector really got a fillip. We want to try the same thing.

There will be BA BEd, BSc BEd and B.Com BEd. In that we will allow people to specialise in pre-school, primary and secondary. We will also indicate the medium in which a person is trained and allowed to teach. This will be like one degree and multiple pathways like MBA in finance or HR. We want to introduce new specialisations like testing and assessment which is extremely important in education science. The new thing we want to introduce is BA B.Ed in special education. There are a lot of people from tribal regions coming from a particular way of life. Teaching tribals requires a great deal of expertise. We are thinking of specialisation in tribal pedagogy. Lastly, we want to introduce specialisation in Ed.Tech or education technology.
North Korea launched at least three short-range ballistic missiles that landed in the Sea of Japan, South Korean and the US military said on Saturday.

The missiles were launched from the eastern province of Kangwon at 6.49 am and travelled roughly 250 km before plunging into the sea, according to South Koreas joint chiefs of staff, Efe reported.

The US Pacific Command confirmed the launches, adding that the first and third missiles failed in flight, while the second appears to have blown up almost immediately.

The statement added that the launches did not pose a threat to North America or Guam.

The launch comes as the US and South Korean armies are conducting annual joint military drills known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian in South Korea, which began on Monday.

It was not immediately clear whether the missiles were short or long range.

South Koreas presidential office has convened a meeting of its National Security Council to discuss the matter.

The launch is the first since a nocturnal test was carried out on July 28, in which an intercontinental ballistic missile was fired into the Sea of Japan, provoking a new round of UN sanctions and rebukes from the international community.

North Korea responded by threatening to bomb the waters surrounding the US territory of Guam, which led to one of the most serious escalations in hostile rhetoric between Washington and Pyongyang in recent years.
Shahbaz Sharif, the Chief Minister of Pakistans Punjab province, has said its time to bid farewell to US aid in the wake of exaggerated statements about the financial help both at local and international levels.

The exaggerated comments being made in the national and international discourse regarding the US aid to Pakistan are tantamount to rubbing salt into the wounds of Pakistanis suffering terrorism, poverty and backwardness, Sharif said in a statement on Friday.

He said it was time Islamabad closed the chapter of the US aid by politely saying thank you (for the help).

Thats the only way the nation can avert such jibes, Sharif was quoted as saying by Dawn newspaper.

The Chief Ministers statement comes in the wake of US President Donald Trumps accusation that Pakistan has been undermining Washingtons war against terror despite receiving billions of dollars in aid.

It is time for Pakistan to politely and gratefully close the chapter on the US assistance so that the bilateral relationship can be freed from the shadow of repeated contemptuous taunts.

Pakistani people craved the opportunity to be treated fairly and honourably and remain committed to contributing to the world peace and prosperity, Sharif said.

He acknowledged the US help in improving Pakistans health, education and other service delivery areas, but added that no country should see its generosity as a justification to make unfair accusations and demands of the Pakistani people, the report said.

Meanwhile, there were demonstrations across the country on Friday against Trumps statement.

In Lahore, thousands protested outside the US consulate and staged a sit-in while demanding that Islamabad severe diplomatic ties with Washington and suspend Nato supplies.

They also demanded that Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif cancel his proposed US visit and that India-Afghan transit trade must be closed.
US President Donald Trump praised his chief of staff, John Kelly, in response to press reports about the controls the retired general has established in the White House to stop the rivalries.

General John Kelly is doing a fantastic job as Chief of Staff. There is tremendous spirit and talent in the W.H. Dont believe the Fake News, Trump said in one of his usual morning tweets.

The head of state did not specify which reports he was talking about, but his message came after media like the New York Times said Thursday that Kelly has established a system for vetting every piece of information and every person before they are admitted to the Oval Office.

Since the respected general was named White House chief of staff last July 28, the word in Washington has been that his mission is to put order in a White House shaken by opposing factions and rivalries to influence the president.

Another of Kellys jobs is to halt the constant leaks from the West Wing, which irritates Trump enormously.

What is most difficult, however, is convincing Trump to calm his rhetoric, which continues to spark almost unanimous criticism by the media, Democrats and even some important members of his own party.

Kelly himself was an example of how hard that is on August 15, when the President, during a spontaneous outburst to the press, repeated his position that many sides (the neo-Nazis, white supremacists and those protesting against them) were guilty of the racial violence on August 12 at Charlottesville, Virginia.

Photos of the generals glum expression during Trumps combative encounter with the press went viral on social networks, where users  perhaps like Kelly  could scarcely believe that the president had just said there were very fine people among the white supremacists demonstrating in that city.
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 ...
Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy

By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat
Thirty-one-year old Pravin Parmar is a farmer from central Gujarat. Last one year witnessed his income increasing by 46 per cent. He hasn't invested in shares nor have his crops fetched him something that he would not have dreamt about.

Parmar owes his rise in income to solar pump that he uses for irrigation. But, it is not only the use of solar pump that has fetched him returns; it is a co-operativeworld's first solar pump irrigators' cooperativethat has done wonders.

The excess power stored by the farmers is sold to the Gujarat government through a grid and there lies the secret of rise in income.

Dhundi Solar Energy Producers' Cooperative Society was created as part of a field research pilot implemented by Anand-based International Water Management Institute (IWMI) and funded by the CGIAR research programme on climate change, agriculture and food security.

A brainchild of Dr Tushaar Shah, senior fellow at IWMI, the co-operative has nine members. Located in Dhundi village of Anand district, the cooperative had begun with six members. According to Dr Shah, this is the first cooperative of its kind in the world.

Concerned over the severe groundwater depletion from Punjab to Tamil Nadu, Dr Shah thought of the initiative whereby the farmers can sell the surplus power generated to the electricity board and earn money. The way electricity is free and highly subsidised for the farmers, they hardly have any incentive to conserve water, says Dr Shah.

The solar pump system is such that it not only saves groundwater but also gives power to the farmers without stress, he says, adding that they do not have to depend on quality and timing of the electricity for watering their fields. Dr Shah is confident that if such a co-operative model is adopted, it would be possible to arrest the water crisis that we are likely to face in a decade and a half from now.

Parmar recalls how hesitant the farmers were when Dr Shah first approached them with the idea. People thought what if the solar pumps get damaged? What if in the process the crop gets damaged? What if the government does not purchase the surplus power. There were many questions, says Parmar, adding that once they put faith in Dr Shah's idea, time was the answer.

Parmar, who is also the secretary of the co-operative, says that in the last one year his income has increased by Rs 70,000 to Rs 80,000. Earlier, the farmers used diesel pumps and diesel cost them around Rs 65 per litre.

The farmers signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the local electricity bodyMadhya Gujarat Vij Company Limitedto sell their surplus solar power. It fetched them Rs 4.63 for every unit sold. According to Parmar, they are able to give power to the grid all round the year.

Till date, the solar pumps have generated close to one lakh kwh of green energy of which 43,897 kwh was used for irrigation. The co-operative injected more than 52,000 kwh of green energy into the grid.

While the IWMI invested Rs 46 lakh from a grant that it received, the farmers chipped in with Rs 4.65 lakh to fund the installation of 56.4 KWP solar capacity.

Says Dr Shah, The farmers have already recovered the money. It is already profitable and viable, and the amount that IWMI spent will also be recovered in a year or two. However, the investment was to show that such a project is viable.

He strongly feels that the state government should reduce the subsidy on installation of solar panels from 95 per cent to 50 per cent and the same money can be utilised in giving guarantee of power purchase to the farmers.

With the success of Dhundi, 12 villagers of Manjhkuva village, also of Anand district, have agreed to form a co-perative. Solar panels will be installed next week and they are waiting for a green nod for the power purchase.
Two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and two policemen were injured on Saturday after terrorists attacked District Police Lines in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

The militants opened fire on DPL Pulwama at around 4:30 am, resulting in injuries to a CRPF jawan and a policeman, a police officer said.

He said the security forces retaliated and cross firing was going on till last reports came in.

Extra forces have been rushed to the area, he added.

The injured personnel have been taken to the hospital.

Further details are awaited.

Meanwhile, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was seriously injured in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers in Arnia area along the International Border (IB).

"At about 1145 hours, BSF Constable K.K. Appa Rao received bullet injury in sniper firing by Pakistan Rangers", a BSF officer said.

He was discharging his duties at an observation post in Arnia sub-sector here along the IB, he said.

"He was immediately evacuated to Jammu for medical treatment. His condition is stable", the officer said.
Opposition unity? Or fight for opposition leadership? That's the question as the countdown for the Sunday rally in Patna begins.

The shamiana is there, the stage and mikes have been more or less set, and the arrangements for bringing the public from many parts of Bihar, have been finalised. But the question is who all will be there on the dais to hold their hands and raise them in a show of opposition unity. Another question, which is equalli important is, whether it is a fight for leadership of a united opposition whenever that happens.

That is the current status of the rally planned to show the strength of the opposition vis-a-vis the BJP, and the battle cry is BJP bhagao, Bharat bachaochase away the BJP and save India. The rally is slated to be held at the Gandhi Maidan in Patna .

Rahul Gandhi left for Norway on Friday, where at the invitation of the Norwegian external affairs minister, he will meet political and business leaders. So, he will have to give the opposition unity rally, convened by the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav a miss.

Though Congress president Sonia Gandhi's attendance has not been confirmed to the RJD so far, they are preparing to receive senior Ghulam Nabi Azad, LoP, Rajya Sabha, as a representative of the Congress party.

If Nitish Kumar, before dumping the opposition, had said that in the absence of an alternate plan and programme, meetings for opposition unity were meaningless, Bahujan Samaj Party Mayawati said they would stay away from the rally, till such time the details of the leadership of the opposition as well as the seat sharing formula for 2019 Lok Sabha elections was finalised. Mayawati's was a big name aimed at making a big presence at the rally.

Was she trying to keep her option of going with the NDA open, given her arch rival Akhilesh Yadav is expected to attend the rally? Or did she seriously expect these details to be finalised almost two years ahead of the elections?

Senior JDU sources say it is the latter.  It is their party affair, so they know best. But knowing her, she would want a big role, for she would be able to attract Dalit votes across the country. She may think that as of now, she is better placed than the Congress, said a Patna based source.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, chief of the Trinamool Congress, is also expected to attend the rally. With her party's win in recent elections in her state, Mamata has proven her ability to dare the BJP, and has a national stature that possibly even Nitish does not have.

The rally, ironically, was planned when the grand alliance in Bihar was very much intact, and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was to stand by the side of Lalu Prasad Yadav, and the two of them were to receive the others in Patna.

As of now, the rally is being seen as Lalu's rally. The only ally who has stuck his neck out and supported Lalu Prasad Yadav is Sharad Yadav, who is committed to building an anti-BJP alliance ahead of 2019. While Lalu is expecting him to attend the rally, JD(U) sources say it cannot be said for sure that the rebel leader will be there.

Sharad's presence in the rally will be an open show of indiscipline and an anti-party activity, and could be a ground for his expulsion from the party, and the Rajya Sabha. Sharad on Friday approached the Election Commission of India, and claimed that his followers constitute the genuine JD(U) as he had founded the party.

It may be recalled that it was Nitish Kumar, who made the first call for opposition unity at the release of Congress leader P. Chidambaram's book launch many months ago. Kumar was flanked by Chidambaram on one side and left leader Sitharam Yechury on the other. Seated in the front row before him was former prime minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Kumar had asked Rahul to take the initiative.

But by the fourth week of July, Nitish had left the opposition and soon made his JD(U) a part of the BJP -led NDA.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham (AIADMK) leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran on Saturday said that all those MLAs supporting him will teach a lesson to those who want to evict party's General Secretary V.K. Sasikala.

"They (EPS-OPS faction) cannot buy the MLAs. The MLAs with me want to teach a lesson to those who want to evict General Secretary V.K. Sasikala," Dhinakaran told media here.

The support for Dhinakaran is steadily rising with another AIADMK MLA jumping on board.

Over the last two days, two more MLAs of the AIADMK have pledged support to Dhinakaran taking the strength of his camp to 21.

MLA V.T. Kalaiselvan from Virudhachalam is the latest AIADMK leader to pledge his support to Dhinakaran.

The anger within the EPS faction over its merger with O. Panneerselvam camp was evident as the MLA publicly chided the chief minister for his decision.

Support as well as strength in the Edappadi Palanisamy-Panneerselvam camp is dwindling by the day even as the duo struggles to keep its flock together.

In the given scenario, Palanisamy is sure to lose a floor test if asked to prove majority.

While the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and the Congress have been urging the Tamil Nadu Governor to direct Chief Minister Edappadi Palanisamy to prove his majority in the House, no decision on the same has been taken yet.

Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao is expected to return to Tamil Nadu shortly, after which he is likely to ask Palanisamy to take a floor test.

This would be the second time in six months that the State Assembly would witness a floor test if asked by the Governor.

Meanwhile, 19 MLAs backing Dhinakaran continue to be lodged at a hotel in Puducherry where they moved into on Friday after vacating a resort.

Venezuela's PDVSA negotiating Curacao refinery lease, open to China partners

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA on Thursday said on Friday it was negotiating the continuation of its lease of Curacaos Isla refinery but was open to Chinese partners following a preliminary deal between the island and Chinas Guangdong Zhenrong Energy to operate the complex.

PDVSA has for decades operated the refinery, which opened in 1918, under a lease agreement.

But the cash-poor company has been reluctant to invest some $1.5 billion that Curacao authorities requested several years back to modernize the 335,000 barrels-per-day facility.

Chinas Guangdong Zhenrong Energy Co, a commodity trader with strong backing from Beijing, signed a binding framework pact with Curacaos government in November.

If the deal goes ahead, the Chinese firm would replace PDVSA as operator of Isla, tightening its grip on Venezuelas oil industry.

PDVSA has said its lease, which expires in 2019, is not up for renegotiation, but on Friday appeared to open the door to partnering with China.

There is a big business potential for an alliance with Chinese partners or any world-class investor to operate this infrastructure, PDVSA said in the statement, adding it was advancing in negotiations to continue its lease on the refinery.

Refinery Vice President Guillermo Blanco was in Curacao meeting with the islands prime minister, Eugene Rhuggenaath, PDVSA said in a statement
PHOENIX  An appeals court on Friday slapped down Arizona federal judges for ignoring their order limiting when prisoners can be shackled.

In an often sharply worded ruling, the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals blasted trial judges handling criminal cases for refusing to decide on a case-by-case basis when a pre-trial detainee actually needs to be in chains when brought into court. The appellate judges said that is directly contrary to a published  and precedent setting  opinion they issued just three months ago.

The appellate court acknowledged they had agreed to stay that order to allow federal prosecutors to appeal. But they said that did not mean trial judges could automatically continue to ignore claims by defendants that there was no legitimate reason for them to be shackled.

There was no immediate response from federal prosecutors who had fought the order.

The May ruling by the full 9th Circuit was fairly straightforward.

Before a presumptively innocent defendant may be shackled, the court must make an individualized decision that a compelling governmental purpose would be served and that shackles are the least restrictive means for maintaining security and order in the courtroom, the judges said.

Courts cannot delegate this constitutional question to those who provide security, such as the U.S. Marshals Service, the ruling read. Nor can courts institute routine shackling policies reflecting a presumption that shackles are necessary in every case.

In this latest case, three defendants requested they be unshackled, citing the May ruling. But the trial judges in each case refused, noting that there was a stay issued.

On Friday, the appellate court said that was in error.

A published decision of this court constitutes binding authority which must be followed unless and until overruled by a body competent to do so, the three judges wrote in the order.

And if there were any question about ignoring a ruling while on appeal, the judges said that is mistaken and that it is clear error for a district court to disregard a published opinion of this court.

Nor were the appellate judges swayed from their order by the fact that Raner Collins, the chief judge for federal courts in Arizona, has since issued a memorandum directing all the judges to comply with the May ruling and make individualized determinations of whether prisoners need to be shackled.

They pointed out that Collins did not issue his order until the appellate court issued an emergency injunction barring universal shackling. More to the point, the appellate judges said they needed to issue Friday's order to prevent Collins from rescinding his directive.
Poorer customers could be exempted from paying 'green' energy taxes included in bills and pay just for what they use under plans being drawn up by leading power firms.

Energy regulator Ofgem is consulting consumer groups and power companies on proposals for a 'safeguard' tariff, which would protect 2.2 million customers.

This follows on from Prime Minister Theresa May's pre-Election pledge to cut 100 from 17 million family energy bills.

Energy regulator Ofgem is consulting consumer groups and power companies on proposals for a 'safeguard' tariff, which would protect 2.2 million customers.

Now leading energy firms are preparing to tell Ofgem that vulnerable customers could have their bills cut by being made exempt from paying 'the green c**p', as former Prime Minister David Cameron famously called environmental levies.

'This 'exemption' approach means consumers literally pay for what they get and it would help get round the problem with the present situation, whereby poorer consumers pay taxes in bills which are designed to help poorer consumers,' said a source at a leading energy firm.

British Gas has said the cost of funding Government policies on environmental targets is a bigger share of household electricity bills than wholesale energy costs.

It said these policies now make up 15 per cent of the electricity part of a standard tariff dual-fuel bill, while the wholesale cost of electricity is 12 per cent.

The rest is made up of taxes, operating costs, smart meter roll-out and profit.

The Government disputes British Gas's figures.
Its often said that Jeff Bezos of Amazon is not just one step ahead of his rivals but that he plays a different game to them, too. He plays chess while the rest of them play draughts  or, as the Americans say  checkers.

Amazons 10.7bn takeover of Whole Foods looks like Bezos is playing a new game altogether, one that supermarkets have yet to work out what to call.

But they are scared Amazon will gobble them up in the same way it has eaten into the book and music retailing industries.

Happy days: Its often said that Jeff Bezos of Amazon is not just one step ahead of his rivals but that he plays a different game to them

When Amazon completes the takeover on Monday, Whole Foods will slash prices, particularly on upmarket foods such as avocados and salmon; taking healthy foods to the masses. It will also start selling Whole Foods brands on the website.

Bezos will be delighted by the waves news of his Whole Foods price cuts are making. In the UK, there are only nine Whole Food stores yet shares in all the big supermarket groups shivered as did those in Carrefour in France, where there are none.

In the US, around 8bn was wiped off the value of food sellers such as Walmart, which owns the UKs Asda, Kroger, the biggest US supermarket group, and Kelloggs. They are right to be nervous. This deal gives Bezos a food brand, warehouses and properties; just what he needs.

And if Amazon can get the same sort of scale and logistics going for food as it has done for other products, then its entry into the food market is bound to bite the supermarkets which are already being squeezed by fierce competition. This will be great for customers too who should see food prices come down as the supermarkets respond.

But Amazon is playing a longer game  it is into food as a delivery business.

Restaurants and food delivery services need to watch out. Bezos knows the public is lazy, that they love having goods delivered to the front door. He is betting they are lazier than they like to think.

In America, a recent survey predicts the online food market will grow 15 times more than the restaurant business by the end of the decade.

Thats what Amazon is banking on.

This is what Bezos wrote to shareholders in 2016: Even when they dont yet know it, customers want something better, and your desire to delight customers will drive you to invent on their behalf.

No customer ever asked Amazon to create the Prime membership program, but it sure turns out they wanted it, and I could give you many such examples.

Its almost word for word what Bezos wrote to shareholders in 1997. And he will doubtless say the same in this years letter explaining why Amazon forked out 10.7bn on Whole Foods.

Its why he calls every day Day 1.

Platos guardians

Plato would have a fit if he were alive today to see the levels of pay being awarded to top bosses. For the Greek philosopher believed that in a fair society no man was worth more than four times another.

Yet the average ratio of pay between the highest and the lowest earner in business or the public sector can be up to 400 times. In the US, the multiples are higher.

Its a multiple that has soared over the last few decades as chief executives and bankers have built up pay packages with all sorts of complex incentive schemes.

Its why the Government is again wondering whether to make public and private companies publish ratios, to shame them.

This is worthy. But will not make the slightest difference to the way chief executives, or indeed, university vice-chancellors are paid. These ratios can be worked out today by a glance at the annual report.

The problem is that most fund managers are paid as much as the chief executives so they are not going to object.

Its only when shareholders rise up in anger, that changes will be made. As Plato might have said, they are the guardians.

Is Macron worth it?

Dior, Chanel or LOreal? Which is it? Thats the question in Paris salons after the news that Emmanuel Macron spent 24,000 of taxpayers money on make-up in his first three months of office.

Expect the unions to be a little harsher when they meet to thrash out plans to reform complex labour laws which the Communist syndicats are opposed to.

Macron needs to be careful not to play the powdered Sun King too well: from absolute monarchs to the founder of the Fifth Republic, all Frances showy leaders have fallen when people marched on the streets.
It was not just shareholders in sub-prime banking group Provident Financial who got a nasty shock last week as the shares collapsed in response to a 'quadruple whammy'  a dire profits warning, a U-turn over a promised dividend, a regulatory probe into its banking subsidiary Vanquis and the resignation of chief executive Peter Crook.

Millions of investors in high-profile equity income funds were also affected, including those in the 9.8 billion Woodford Equity Income, Woodford Income Focus and a number of high-profile funds run by Invesco Perpetual.

This is because Provident Financial provided a rich source of dividends for these income hungry vehicles  and their investors  and was a top 10 holding in both Woodford funds and four key ones at Invesco.

Though Neil Woodford, founder of Woodford Investment Management and formerly of Invesco, was out of the office all week and unavailable to respond to press enquiries, he did file a comment on his firm's website about Provident Financial.

Expressing disappointment at last week's announcement, he tried to put a positive spin on it by declaring that once the company addresses some key weaknesses, the share price 'deserves to be appreciably higher than it is today'.

But will the company dig itself out of the hole it has dug for itself?

Invesco was even more tight-lipped, with a spokesperson declaring the investment house 'is not commenting on Provident Financial at present'.

We were also told Mark Barnett, Woodford's successor there and manager of mega funds Invesco Perpetual Income and High Income, would be on holiday this week.

Not even James Goldstone, a member of the UK equities team at Invesco and new manager of the Keystone Investment Trust, would speak about the key issue.

Key issue: Neil Woodford, right, left a comment on his website but Invescos Mark Barnett, left, and James Goldstone stayed silent

Indeed, Goldstone has been stony silent since taking over at Keystone on April Fool's Day. A request for an interview earlier this month was politely declined, with the excuse being given that 'for now he is focusing on his portfolio responsibilities'.

At the time of Goldstone's appointment, the trust's board, led by Beatrice Hollond, described him as a 'rising star'.

It declared he would bring his 'own portfolio construction style to Keystone', giving the trust 'a distinctive position within the investment trust universe and sustain its long-standing attractiveness to discerning investors'.

FACTS AT A GLANCE SIZE AND RETURNS: 303million. One year, +3%; three years, +9%; five years, +59%. MANAGER AND TENURE: James Goldstone since April 2017. THE BIG RIVALS: They include investment trusts Fidelity Special Values, Henderson Opportunities, Jupiter UK Growth, Mercantile and Schroder UK Growth. HOW TO INVEST: The trust is best bought via an online supermarket. The ongoing annual charge is 0.61 per cent. A platform fee may also apply.

Yet for all his focus and star attraction, Goldstone has yet to make his mark. Like Barnett, the trust's previous manager, he still holds Provident shares, though it is no longer a top 10 holding.

Sceptics will say this is hardly evidence of bringing his own 'portfolio construction' to the trust. In his defence, Provident's shares bounced on Friday.

Since April, the fund has underperformed the FTSE All-Share Index. But maybe it is too early to judge Goldstone. Meanwhile, investors should take comfort in the trust's solid  but not unblemished  income record, though Provident's scrapping of its promised dividend is bound to put a spanner in the works.

They should also be happy with the lower annual management charge  the main, but not only, fee levied. This fell from 0.6 per cent to 0.45 per cent to coincide with Goldstone's appointment.

Disappointingly, a one-way performance fee remains intact (in Invesco's favour). But underperformance does not result in Invesco handing back some of its annual fee.
Premier Inn last night vowed to press ahead with a new hotel in Britains smallest city  despite fierce opposition that has seen a petition against the plans attract more signatures than there are residents.

Whitbread, the FTSE 100 company that owns the hotel chain, wants to build a 63-room Premier Inn on the edge of St Davids in Pembrokeshire, Wales.

But the proposals have sparked a fierce backlash in a city famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral and historic centre.

Fighting back: Whitbread's proposals have sparked a fierce backlash in a city famed for its coastal views, 12th century cathedral and historic centre

Locals have vowed to fight the plans tooth and nail  claiming the hotel, on the main road into the city, will spoil the chain-free atmosphere of the area and threaten livelihoods.

They are campaigning to defeat the plans and have nearly 2,000 signatures on a petition against it  more than the estimated population of St Davids.

The row has escalated after a charm offensive by Whitbread collapsed in acrimony. Whitbread and its commercial partners insisted they still wanted to press ahead.

Bosses courted members of the community land trust, offering to pay the planning fees for an affordable housing scheme nearby if they linked their proposals with those of the hotel.

But residents have accused the land trust of a stitch-up and eventually forced it to pull out.

The petition, by the No To Premier Inn St Davids group, claims the hotel would pave the way for more big chains within our beautiful city.

A spokesman added: Premier Inn wont support local businesses, it will undermine them.

Liz Taylor, a retired management consultant who has lived in St Davids for 17 years, said people were also worried the hotel would crush local rivals and open the door to more big corporate names arriving.

She said: We want a scheme that will create jobs, not take them away. Our campaign is now going all guns blazing  we will be fighting this tooth and nail. Robert Baxter, 53, who works at The City Inn, a small pub that also offers accommodation to visiting families, said local businesses were worried they would be driven into bankruptcy by competition from the hotel.

However, some residents have voiced support in comments on the local newspapers website. One wrote: A lot of true St Davids residents are not objecting, its just the rich incomers who want to keep the place in the dark ages and keep all the tourist money for themselves.

Another said: At least a Premier Inn may bring a few people down over the winter.

Commenting on behalf of Swangate Developments, Pembrokeshire Housing Association and Whitbread, Turley planning consultant James Anderson said: The organisations are working together on a planning application for the site and further details on the proposals will be shared with residents and stakeholders in due course.
BETHLEHEM -- A state Appellate Court's rejection of an appeal by the Bethlehem Democratic Committee means two mavericks, highway department employee Dan Morin and retiree George Harder, will run as Democrats in the November election rather than the committee's choices.

The ruling, released Thursday, also means committee-endorsed candidates won't be in the Sept. 12 primary.

The committee had endorsed Councilman Giles Wagoner for highway supervisor and attorney Dan Coffey for council. But former committee member Jim Kelly successfully sued on behalf of Morin and Harder to have the committee's picks removed.

Kelly argued the committee incorrectly completed a notarized one-page form required to put Wagoner and Coffey in the primary and on the ballot. Three witnesses names were printed on three blank lines rather than signed on the page's affidavit portion.

The committee argued it followed the spirit of the law since the witnesses' signatures were on the form above the affidavit. The court rejected that view, saying printed names "were not

the equivalent of signatures establishing that they were attesting to the truth ..."

Kelly said those rules may seem inflexible, "they are rigid because what they protect, access to the ballot.

Coffey, in an email, noted he and Wagoner will be on the Working Families party line: "I will continue to run hard ... going door-to-door to meet residents and learn about what issues concern them most. I am confident the voters in November will support the best candidates, regardless of what lines the names appear on."
COLONIE -- A Queens woman driving with marijuana edibles and a felony weight of cocaine crashed into a dump truck on the Northway Saturday, State Police said.

The crash happened near Exit 6 when the car driven by Katrina C. Bobell, 36, of New York City and formerly of Ballston Spa, struck the truck, then a guiderail and then came to rest in the lane on the west side of the road, troopers said.
HAMPTON -- A Vermont man was arrested on the state border with Vermont Friday night as troopers from both states conducted a joint DWI checkpoint on Route 22A at the state line, State Police at Latham said Saturday.

New York state troopers and Vermont troopers conducted the sobriety checkpoint on the highway at the state boundary as well as roving DWI saturation patrols. The police departments from Castleton, Vt. and Fair Haven, Vt. also participated.
ALBANY - The state is deploying 104 New York Air National Guard members, airplanes and boats to aid Texas and Louisiana as the states face extreme flooding and other severe damage from Hurricane Harvey.

"As Hurricane Harvey continues to devastate the Gulf Coast, I am deploying emergency personnel and equipment to help mitigate damage and aid in the recovery effort," Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Saturday.
Courtesy of Sony

The bread and butter of the faith-based film genre is real-life stories, usually involving miracle healings or visions of Jesus himself, and often times both ("Miracles From Heaven," "90 Minutes in Heaven"). But the filmmakers of faith-based projects have been expanding their purview, in terms of genre, and in telling stories that usually depict a contemporary, inclusive representation of Christianity. The story behind "All Saints," written by Steve Armour and directed by Steve Gomer, manages to encompass all of the above.

The line between fiction and nonfiction is deliberately blurred in "All Saints," which tells the true story of a Tennessee church resurrected by unlikely saviors. The film was shot on location at the real All Saints Church in Smyrna, Tenn., and many members of the church play themselves on screen. John Corbett puts his folksy charm to the role of the Rev. Michael Spurlock, who is tasked with putting a dying church out of its misery, its mortgage astronomical and membership dwindling. It's all set to become a big box store, but with a vision from God and a few dozen immigrants from Myanmar, Michael reverses course, reviving the institution from a certain death.
"The Only Living Boy in New York," in which a misunderstood millennial man falls for his rich father's mistress, is a misfire in Manhattan, and there is nothing that its appealing cast can do to save it.

The story begins as recent college graduate Thomas (Callum Turner) is wondering what to do with his life, though money is clearly not an issue: His biggest crisis seems to be deciding whether he should live in the Lower or Upper East Side of Manhattan. There is girl trouble, too, but fortunately a wise alcoholic stranger (Jeff Bridges) has just moved in upstairs, and within seconds, Thomas has someone to confide in.

That's a good thing for our lad in distress, because he discovers that his father (Pierce Brosnan) is having an affair with the beautiful Johanna (Kate Beckinsale). Thomas stalks her, and for reasons that escape us, Beckinsale responds by basically inviting Thomas to bed. We briefly hold out hope that this relationship might turn into something interesting, but Turner and Beckinsale have zero chemistry, mainly because they have nothing to work with.

Indeed, most of the problems can be traced to the script, which is filled with silly dialogue and embarrassing narration that attempts to explain the nonsensical actions of people we care less and less about as the story moves along. The screenplay seems like it came from Woody Allen's reject pile  20 years ago.

More Information ** Movie review "The Only Living Boy in New York" Rated: R (profanity, drug material) Running time: 88 minutes See More Collapse

The actors are game, but it's difficult for them to engage when there's nothing on the page. The pointlessness of the project becomes painfully evident in the third act, when we are treated to a plot twist that seems thrown in to divert us from the fact that the older woman-younger man relationship offers nothing in the way of insight.

The best thing about "Living Boy" is the performance of Cynthia Nixon, who plays Thomas' emotionally unstable mother. Creating a character out of thin air, Nixon provides another reminder that she has been building an interesting body of work since "Sex and the City."

This is a movie that borrows from many other movies  "Manhattan" and "The Graduate," just to name a few  and there is nothing wrong with that. But director Marc Webb and writer Allan Loeb don't bring anything new to the proceedings, and worse, neither the dramatic nor the occasional comic beats hit their notes. All in all, "Living Boy" just doesn't have any life.
Washington

President Donald Trump's Mideast emissaries spent this week energetically selling his Israeli-Palestinian peace initiative throughout the Arab world, from Saudi Arabia and Egypt to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Then they got to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

At the end of their meetings in Jerusalem and Ramallah, the best that Trump's senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and his special envoy, Jason D. Greenblatt, could manage was a two-line statement saying that the Palestinians had agreed not to bolt from the U.S.-led process.

In the world of Middle East peacemaking, that qualified as a small victory.

"We were encouraged by the sense of optimism," Greenblatt said in an interview Friday, of his tour of Arab capitals. "They believe the president is serious about this. They believe the president can pull this off."

The administration's recruitment of Arab leaders made it difficult for the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, to spurn Trump at this early stage. But the lack of progress between Israel and the Palestinians showed that Trump can line up any number of cheerleaders and still fail to break the impasse between the prime antagonists.

As Kushner and Greenblatt enter the sixth month of peacemaking, they are in an indisputably stronger position with Israel's Arab neighbors than President Barack Obama was. Yet they face greater hurdles to brokering an accord than Obama did, from a weak Palestinian leader in Abbas to an Israeli leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is beset with legal troubles and unlikely to take a major risk for a deal.

Greenblatt's dogged approach is based on the correct calculation that the dialogue needs to continue anyway, said Martin S. Indyk, who served as special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations under Obama. "Maybe something will break eventually," he said.

"That's a much more realistic approach than attempting to reinvent the wheel or imagining there's a quick fix," Indyk added. But he said, "The outside-in approach is not going to work unless there is something moving between the Israelis and Palestinians."

Administration officials said they are more explicitly linking the Israeli-Palestinian track with their diplomacy in the Persian Gulf, and on this week's trip, Kushner and Greenblatt brought along Dina H. Powell, a deputy national security adviser who helped put together Trump's April visit to Riyadh.

An Egyptian-born official who speaks some Arabic, Powell could help mitigate the perception that the Trump team is stocked with pro-Israel figures like Kushner, Greenblatt, and David M. Friedman, the ambassador to Israel  all of whom are Orthodox Jews.

The delegation stopped in Qatar, which has been in the White House's bad graces because of its support for extremist groups. But Qatar is viewed as important to an eventual peace agreement because it wields influence with the Hamas militants who control the Palestinian enclave of Gaza.

The delegation also stopped in Egypt a day after the State Department held up nearly $300 million in aid to the country, a case of bad timing that some officials attributed to a lack of coordination with the White House.

Some Middle East experts said the administration has little choice but to concentrate its efforts on neighbors in the region, given the obstacles in Israel and among the Palestinians.

Netanyahu is at risk of being indicted in a corruption investigation, which analysts said would make him less likely to antagonize the right-wing members of his coalition by making concessions to win a deal. Abbas is a cautious 82-year-old politician clinging to power near the end of his career.

"Bibi, especially now, cannot and will not concede anything to the Palestinians without getting something he can point to from the Arabs," said Dennis B. Ross, a longtime Middle East negotiator, using Netanyahu's nickname. "Abu Mazen (Abbas), similarly, won't do anything toward the Israelis unless there is an Arab cover that offers him an explanation for any move."

Before the meeting, Palestinian officials complained about the lack of a U.S. plan and the refusal of the administration to reaffirm it support for a two-state solution to the conflict. There were reports that Abbas would present his visitors with an ultimatum to produce something within 45 days or face the Palestinians defecting from the process.

The Palestine Liberation Organization's envoy in Washington, Husam Zomlot, was quoted as having told reporters last week that uncertainty could lead the Palestinian leadership to resume its campaign for recognition at the United Nations.
Washington

Donald Trump started as the most unpopular new president in the history of modern polling. After seven months, things have only gotten worse.

Trump is setting records with his low approval ratings, including the lowest mark ever for a president in his first year. In fact, with four months left in the year, Trump has already spent more time under 40 percent than any other first-year president.

His early descent in the polls defies some long-standing patterns about how Americans view their president. Such plunges are often tied to external forces that the president only partially controls. In Trump's case, the economy is humming and the foreign crises have been kept to a minimum.

Americans also tend to be optimistic about their new leaders, cutting them some slack during their early days in office. Not with Trump.

"Most presidents begin with a honeymoon period and then go down from that, and Trump had no honeymoon," said Gallup editor-in-chief Frank Newport.

It's a jarring juxtaposition for the reality TV star-turned-president who spent months on the campaign trail obsessing about his poll numbers and reading them to rally crowds while vowing that he'd win so much as president Americans would get sick of it.

Trump is viewed positively by only 37 percent of Americans, according to Gallup's most recent weekly estimate. It's even lower  34 percent  in Gallup's shorter, three-day average, which includes more recent interviews but can also involve more random variation.

Approval ratings can fluctuate  sometimes dramatically. Some presidents have seen their positive reviews dip below 40 percent, only to recover strongly. Bill Clinton, whose rating fell to 37 percent in early June 1993 after policy stumbles, quickly gained ground. Later that same month, he climbed to 46 percent, and ended his eight years enjoying approval from 66 percent of the nation.

Trump has defied the trends before. But if history is a guide, his numbers don't bode well. Low approval ratings hamper a president's ability to push an agenda through Congress and make it more likely the president's party will lose seats in Congress in the midterm elections.

Scott de Marchi, who teaches political science at Duke University, says his research suggests approval ratings tend to affect whether a president can persuade Congress to do his bidding. That's primarily true with complex issues like tax reform, where Americans care about the outcome but may not have strongly formed opinions. In those cases, Americans are more likely to support whatever plan the president proposes if they broadly approve of the president himself.

"The problem with Trump is that on any area like the budget or tax policy or even health care, people need to be led to a position to support," de Marchi said.

Since Gallup began tracking presidential approval, four presidents  Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush  spent significant time below 40 percent during their first four years. Clinton's and Ronald Reagan's forays below the 40 percent mark also came during their first terms. But neither stayed there long.

Of those who spent at least a few months below 40 percent approval in a first term, only one  Truman  recovered enough to win re-election.

Still, several others reached lows at some point in their presidency that are worse than Trump's, including several who dropped below 30 percent.

Truman hit 22 percent in February 1952, during a drawn-out Korean War stalemate and accusations of corruption in his administration. Richard Nixon hit 24 percent at the height of the Watergate scandal just before his resignation in 1974. Carter bottomed out at 28 percent in the summer of 1979, amid that year's oil crisis.

Trump's average approval rating so far: Just 40 percent. That's lower than the previous average low for a first-term president, 46 percent, set by Carter.

Newport, the Gallup chief, said Trump's struggles are unusual in that such abysmal numbers can usually be tied to a single, specific issue bedeviling the country. With Trump, Newport said, "it's a more general kind of issue with the man himself and a more general dissatisfaction with the way things are going in the country."

In July, Gallup posed another question to Trump's disapprovers: Why? Nearly two-thirds cited his personality or character, while less than a third cited issues, policies or job performance.

By contrast, when Gallup asked the same question about Barack Obama in 2009 and George W. Bush in 2001, less than 2 in 10 disapprovers cited similar concerns about personal characteristics.

The vast majority of Republicans support Trump while the vast majority of Democrats oppose him. Such political polarization might be both a blessing and a curse for Trump, preventing him from achieving higher ratings but also keeping him from falling even further.

"When Trump has done things that have generated an enormous amount of attention and people have anticipated his rating could go down, it has not," Newport said. "And that's because he's being propped up by Republicans."

It's unclear whether Trump's most recent controversy  his response to racially tinged clashes in Charlottesville, Va.,  further harmed his approval ratings.
[August 25, 2017] CoreLogic Analysis Shows Between $1 Billion and $2 Billion in Estimated Insured Property Loss from Hurricane Harvey

CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, has conducted an analysis which shows that insured property losses for both residential and commercial properties from Hurricane Harvey are estimated to be between $1 billion and $2 billion from wind and storm surge damage. This does not include insured losses related to additional flooding, business interruption or contents since rainfall is projected to last for several days. Of this total, approximately 95 percent of the insurance claims are expected to be related to wind and less than 5 percent is expected to be related to storm surge. Hurricane Harvey is expected to make landfall near Corpus Christi, with relatively low exposure to Houston and other large metro areas. The table below shows the insured property loss estimates for Hurricane Harvey compared with previous storms, including Hurricanes Celia and Ike. Because Hurricane Celia was a stronger storm (category 4) and Hurricane Ike made landfall near a larger metro area (Houston), they both resulted in greater losses than the current estimates for Hurricane Harvey.







Insured Property Loss Estimates for Hurricanes Harvey, Celia and Ike Harvey (2017) Celia (1970) Ike (2008) Total (In billions of dollars) 1-2 3 11 Storm Surge (Percent of total insured losses) Less than 5% Less than 5% Less than 5% Wind (Percent of total insured losses) More than 95% More than 95% More than 95%

Methodology The CoreLogic North Atlantic Hurricane Model was used to create wind and storm surge damage footprints for Hurricane Harvey using the track forecast data from the August 25, 10:00 am CT advisory issued by the National Hurricane Center. The insured loss data was analyzed in the North Atlantic Hurricane Model to ascertain the expected loss range from the Hurricane Harvey event footprint in the model. The model provides a granular, up-to- date, detailed risk assessment for the combined perils of hurricane winds and coastal storm surge flooding. The model has been certified by the Florida Commission Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology (FCHLPM) since the inception of the process in 1997. About CoreLogic CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX) is a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider. The company's combined data from public, contributory and proprietary sources includes over 4.5 billion records spanning more than 50 years, providing detailed coverage of property, mortgages and other encumbrances, consumer credit, tenancy, location, hazard risk and related performance information. The markets CoreLogic serves include real estate and mortgage finance, insurance, capital markets, and the public sector. CoreLogic delivers value to clients through unique data, analytics, workflow technology, advisory and managed services. Clients rely on CoreLogic to help identify and manage growth opportunities, improve performance and mitigate risk. Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., CoreLogic operates in North America, Western Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit www.corelogic.com. CORELOGIC and the CoreLogic logo are trademarks of CoreLogic, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170825005706/en/

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IMPORTANT SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Khang & Khang LLP Announces an Investigation of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited and Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm

Khang & Khang LLP (the "Firm") announces that it is investigating claims against Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited ("Dr. Reddy's" or the "Company") (NYSE: RDY) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.

If you purchased shares of Dr. Reddy's and want more information, please contact Joon M. Khang, Esquire, of Khang & Khang LLP, 4000 Barranca Parkway, Suite 250 Irvine, CA (News - Alert) 92604, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or by e-mail at [email protected].

The investigation concerns whether Dr. Reddy's and certain of its officers and/or directors violated federal securities laws. On November 6, 2015, the Company annonced that it received a warning letter issued by the Food and Drug Administration concerning inadequate quality control standards at three of the Company's manufacturing plants in India. On this news, shares of Dr. Reddy's fell in value. On August 10, 2017, the Company disclosed that the Regulatory of Germany (Regierung von Oberbayern) did not renew the good manufacturing practices compliance certificate of a formulations manufacturing unit of its German subsidiary Betapharm Arzneimittel, located in Hyderabad, India, following a recent inspection of the plant. When this news was announced, shares of Dr. Reddy's declined in value.







If you have any questions concerning this notice or your rights, please contact Joon M. Khang, a prominent litigator for almost two decades, by telephone: (949) 419-3834, or by e-mail at [email protected].

This press release may constitute Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170825005723/en/
[August 25, 2017] LEXMARK INTERNATIONAL SHAREHOLDER ALERT by Former Louisiana Attorney General: Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Reminds Investors with Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Lexmark International, Inc. - (LXK)

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until September 19, 2017 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Lexmark International (News - Alert), Inc. (NYSE: LXK), if they purchased the Company's securities between August 1, 2014 and July 20, 2015, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Lexmark and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit http://ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-lxk to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action, you must petition the Court by September 19, 2017.



About the Lawsuit Lexmark and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that: (i) there were significant declines in demand and growth for the Company's supplies business; (ii) supplies revenue growth was not caused primarily by demand, but by advance buying ahead of scheduled price increases; (iii) this buying practice resulted in excessive inventory levels at its wholesale distributors; and (iv) as a result of the foregoing, Lexmark's financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. About Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC KSF, whose partners include the former Louisiana Attorney General Charles C. Foti, Jr., is a law firm focused on securities, antitrust and consumer class actions, along with merger & acquisition and breach of fiduciary litigation against publicly traded companies on behalf of shareholders. The firm has offices in New York, California and Louisiana. To learn more about KSF, you may visit www.ksfcounsel.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170825005703/en/

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BNL girls thump Mitchell at The Hive

Bedford North Lawrence defeated Mitchell 78-20 at the Hive on Saturday evening. The win moved the Stars to 3-0 on the season.
SHAWNEE, Kan. -- Hakeem Malik, 21, was sentenced Friday to life in prison, eligible for parole after 25 years, for the murder of 'She's A Pistol' gun shop owner Jon Bieker in January 2015. In May, Malik pleaded guilty to the charges; part of his plea agreement included a sentence recommendation of a "Hard 25" like one of his co-conspirators received.
Woman's body found in parked car, Kansas City police say Kansas City police are investigating after a woman was found dead in a parked car late Friday morning. Police officers were called at 11:56 a.m. to the 300 block of West 39th Terrace on a report of a body found. Investigators said the woman's exact age is not yet known.

Death investigation and not yet counted as a homicide given the overall despair and junkies who congregate in this area. Take a look:
Each year millions of visitors from all over the planet travel to Greece in order to enjoy the sun and the sea in the multitude of the Aegean Sea islands. In the mountainous areas of those islands, lovely villages command the landscape and ooze culture and tradition not to mention the amazing natural surroundings. Here are the five most typical villages, although making a selection has been quite a tough job

Ikaria Island

Christos Rachon  the village that stays up!

Ikaria has been called the island that turns the tide and rightly so! Not obeying to norms and conventions, living a stress & haste-free life, the islanders have a laid-back attitude on life, which is evident in their daily activities and in their famed festivals. Against this backdrop, there is a village with an added feature: it has literally turned night into day!

Christos Rachon is a mountainous small town, among the most beautiful on the island and built amphitheatrically in a green area which has been holding for the past thirty years a world record: the shops are open at night-time (from sunset until next sunrise). Everyday life begins at about 7 pm and around midnight all stores are open and the villagers are free to shop until the early morning hours; its as if time has stopped.

This is where you will find probably the only self service bakery; the owner makes the bread, opens his shop and then goes away! Whoever wishes to buy bread can come in and  leave the money on the counter on his/her way out! Naturally, the village attracts all nightbirds on the island, who have a great time at the local festivals until dawn, the best known one being the festival held on August 6: it begins at 1 a.m. and the revelling goes on until next noon.

Karpathos Island

Olympos  the ark of tradition

Located on the northernmost tip of Karpathos Island, at the neck of Mt. Profitis Ilias, lies Olympos, a living folk culture museum which exists by the same name since antiquity. The geographical isolation from the rest of the villages on the island has contributed greatly to maintaining  to this day  its singular cultural identity intact.

The archaic dialect, the music, customs and architecture showcase the singularity of the community. Women wear traditionally woven costumes in their everyday life. Wedding traditions, Easter customs and the ceremony of the name-giving of the seven which takes place on each of the seven first days of life of a newborn are the most important among the array of customary practices.

The villages main social centre is the church. Every religious and social event takes place in the church precincts. The biggest festival is Ai Giannis feast held on August 29; it takes place next to a country chapel far away from the village. A special ceremony is performed during the festival, which attracts ordinary visitors as well as anthropologists and ethnologists who are interested in a field study of local customs.

Naxos Island

Apeiranthos  the marble village

Apeiranthos or t Aperathou is considered the most traditional village on Naxos Island and is one of the most beautiful traditional communities of Greece; it has managed to keep its special character almost intact ever since the period of Venetian rule. It is a mountainous almost cut-off community located at the foot of Mt Fanari, and covers the area around the two circa 17th century towers.

Every part of it is a fine example of vernacular architecture where marble is the main building material! Stroll about the community, particularly on Apano Chorio quarter, and you will no doubt feel admiration for the marble-laid cobbled narrow streets below archways, the tree-shaded squares, the elaborate chimneys in a particular shape and colour and the well-preserved mansions.

Make sure you visit the villages five (!) museums as well as Agia Kyriaki, a monument unique in the Balkans as there are nonfigural decorations of birds with ribbons around their necks. Apeiranthos dialect contains ancient Greek and Byzantine elements. Other noteworthy points to visitors are an ancient local custom called Koudounatoi practiced during the Carnival Period, the fine local weaving tradition and especially Aperathitiko singing which is about local men and women speaking in verse.

Chios Island

Mastichochoria  made of mastic tears

Mastichochoria is a group of villages on Chios Island, cloaked in legend and known the world over for their precious product, the mastic. Tour the medieval complex of houses which dates back to the mid-14th century, built by Genovese conquerors in order to provide housing for the families of mastic tree growers and the local rulers who managed the crop yields.

The exemplary architecture which provided protection from pirates plundering the Aegean Sea Islands is truly impressive. Today, out of the 24 Mastochochoria villages, the best preserved ones are those who did not suffer great damages during the 1881 disastrous earthquake. Mesta, Pyrgi, Olympoi, Kalamoti, Vessa, Patrika, Vouno, Elata and Koini are some of the most significant medieval communities in Greece. And dont forget: visitors to Mastichochoria are welcome to witness the age-old process of mastic making which remains the same over 2,500 years.

Tinos Island

Volakas  the wonders of nature

On a small plateau in central Tinos lies a small village, unique in the whole world, on accounts of its terrain particularity. Round granite rocks of volcanic origin are scattered like thrown marbles on the arid land, covering an area of many kilometres and forming an impressive lunar type of landscape.

White-washed little houses with blooming flowerbeds nestle among the granite boulders creating an unusual architectural complex. Domestic and international Press have made extensive reportages on the village. National Geographic is one of them describing Volakas as one of the most impressive and quaint villages the world over.

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: Sevela.p s License: CC-BY-SA

Source: visitgreece.gr
The aim is to have all students registered to the programme by October

Greek Digital Policy Minister Nikos Pappas and Education Minister Kostas Gavroglou announced on Friday the provision of a monthly grant for internet access to 72,000 first year university students.

"It is a great pleasure to provide technology for everyone. We will offer free internet even to the remote islands," Pappas said adding that the subsidy (covering 80 pct of the cost of the internet programmes) will not burden the tax payers. The funds are provided by the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission, Pappas noted.

On his part, the president of the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission Panagiotis Tsanakas added that the subsidy will apply for 12 months. The aim is to have all students registered to the programme by October.

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: janeb13 License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
Construction work on an aquaculture plant in Oman is expected to start before the end of this year or early in 2018, according to a high-level executive of Al Hosn Investment Company.



The company are initially looking at producing around 750 tonnes per annum of barramundi, rising to 1,500 tonnes in the next stage, Rumaitha al Busaidi, Aquaculture Specialist, was quoted as saying in an Oman Daily Observer report.



Al Busaidi revealed that the goal is to be operational by 2019.



She said that the project will be based on recirculating aquaculture technology supplied by its technical partner, Denmark-based Inter Aqua Advance.



She added that this is a land-based recirculating system technology, which they chose based on the values of Al Hosn, which is to protect the local environment. With the use of a recirculating and integrated system, there is very little effluent that goes into the sea.



Barramundi, the consumption of which is presently limited in the sultanate, is primarily destined for export markets, according to the aquaculture specialist.



The Ministry of Agriculture of Fisheries has already approved six of these projects for early execution, with the remainder currently in various stages of review. They include ventures backed by international investors and technical partners.



Significantly, the project is among a portfolio of 24 private and public sector fish-farming ventures collectively valued at over $2 billion that are planned for implementation around the Sultanate over the coming years, added the report.
Viva Bahrain, a top telecom operator has entered into a strategic business relationship with the Capital Club, Bahrains premier private city club as its exclusive telecom partner, offering its members latest connectivity solutions.



The two-year alliance was formalized at a signing ceremony held at the premises of Capital Club, attended by Viva CEO Ulaiyan Al Wetaid and Capital Club Bahrain general manager Sumeet Jhingan along with other management members from both organizations.



By partnering with Viva, Capital Club members will have access to high-speed and advanced 4G+ LTE data network solutions allowing its members to experience seamless, superfast connectivity and Vivas business mobility services that Capital Clubs business clientele demand.



Moreover, one of the clubs members rooms will be powered by Viva  a platform to highlight its latest ICT solutions to help organizations increase their efficiency and productivity with latest connectivity solutions. This will be leveraged by the telecom operator through an exclusive series of key speaking opportunities, business-networking forums and other club-sponsored programs.



Al Wetaid said: Today, technology is crucial to realizing business productivity and success. Organizations are keen to accept technological solutions for enhanced business growth and engagement with their customers. Our recent alliance with the Capital Club will help boost technology business requirements of the corporate sector and most importantly members of the club, with greater connectivity to help them achieve higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness.



Jhingan said: We are honoured to have collaborated with one of the largest telecommunications in the region offering the latest connectivity solutions for the Clubs elite members in Bahrain and KSA. We are confident that our relationship grows stronger over the period and we look forward to work with Viva for various other exciting projects regionally.



This partnership reiterates Vivas strategic commitment towards empowering Bahrains business sector with an array of ICT-enabled enterprise products and services, while contributing towards sustainable growth of the local economy.



For the Capital Club, as Bahrains premier private business club, alliance with Viva will be an added value to its offerings, enabling a more secure and business networking environment, and supported with high-quality and efficient communications experience.  TradeArabia News Service
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.
LEXINGTON  A woman with a flair for fashion has opened a womens boutique in Lexington.

Plum Pretty, located at 109 Cattlemen Drive Suite 5, opened Tuesday and has a grand opening scheduled for today with store specials, balloon pop prizes, food, drinks and drawings for gift certificates.

Store owner Vicki Peterson said she has always been drawn to fashion. She grew up looking at lots of magazines and was careful in coordinating how she dressed. She said she is the one people often come to for advice on clothes and the question, "Does this outfit look OK?"

After friends suggested, "You should be a stylist. You should own a clothing store," she started toying with the idea and decided to give it a try.

"I have a passion for fashion and I just decided to give it a whirl," said Peterson. "Honestly, its not because this was always my dream."

She previously worked for Buckle in Kearney as a part-time freight coordinator.

Peterson, who has lived her whole life in Bertrand, said she chose to establish the business in Lexington because of her ties to the community developed through years of YMCA membership, which extend to before the new facility was built at Lexington Middle School.

She said through interacting with Lexington friends she knew there was a need for a clothing store and of peoples desire to shop local.

In past conversations about where to shop for clothes, when she pointed out people needed to leave town to shop for clothes, she said the response was, "But we want to be able to buy everything in Lexington."

Plum Pretty offers casual to business casual clothing items along with some dresses suitable for special events.

Peterson said there are a lot of denim styles and things that coordinate with denim. Jean brands available, so far, are Kan Can, Articles of Society and Rubberband  which are all a stretchy jean.

She said she is still searching for a heavier denim jean for those who like a stiffer feel.

The store also sells jewelry, purses and clear stadium bags.

Peterson leases the store space and began readying in the interior in May with the help of her husband, Matt, and their three children: Miles, Mariah and Mattison. "Its been a busy summer," she said, noting the location was formerly a liquor store.

Peterson said Kagan Seim of Lexington was helpful, instrumental and encouraging in launching the boutique. She said people often mistake them for sisters, and the two friends call themselves "soul sisters" because of their connection.

"Ive heard tons of positive feedback on that," Peterson said of calling the store Plum Pretty. She said the name was selected after family members brainstormed together. Her husband had suggested Plum Crazy as they played with potential names and she liked the plum part so they kept working on other plum combinations. Plum Pretty is the one that stuck.

Peterson said she likes the plum symbol that is prominent in Lexington, linked to its history of once being called Plum Creek. "I like the plum. It ties to everything in Lexington," she said.

Peterson, along with her daughters, traveled to market in Dallas to select items to stock in the store. She said she is someone who likes to see, touch and feel clothing items so she prefers finding merchandise in person versus ordering it online.

In the first few days of being open, Peterson said she has had a lot of inquiries and requests for extended sizes, so next time she is at market she will shop for that too.

Peterson said she has learned that it is hard to judge what something on a hanger will look like on a body so she recommends trying things on with an open mind. "Sometimes what you love on the hanger, you dont love on yourself. And some things you dont think you will like, you love," she said.

She tells people, "You have to try things on because you never know how it will look on you."

Peterson said she has a difficult time answering the question about who she tries to target as a customer because she has never been traditional when it comes to clothing.

"I have a very hard time answering that because my daughters and I have always swapped clothes," she said.

She said not every 18 year old wants cropped tops and not every 50 year old wants skinny jeans.

She said it will be interesting to see how the younger generation or high school students respond when they come in.

She knows in her own clothing style that she likes to step outside the box and be different.

Plum Pretty is open noon to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It is closed Sundays and Mondays. The phone number is 308-746-7255.

In addition to Peterson, her daughters will work at the shop, along with a niece Atlee High of Bertrand.

"I thank the businesses and friends that have sent flowers and welcomed me to the business world," said Peterson. "Thats one thing I like about Lexington: Its so friendly."
LEXINGTON  A Lexington man was honored for 48 years of service in Rotary International during a surprise reception at Macs Creek Winery and Vineyard Aug. 3.

Although the event was held in Lexington, it was organized by the Kearney Dawn Rotary Club, where Jim Biehl spent the last five years of his Rotary career.

He previously volunteered with the Lexington Rotary Club for 43 years.

Biehl said he was taken off-guard by the recognition at the meeting but said he was happy to see many past district governors at the event.

Having a father involved with Rotary gave him an insight into the good the club did, he said. After a neighbor invited him to a Rotary meeting, he got interested, joined, got involved and was eventually promoted to club president, director and district governor, Biehl said.

It was "quite an honor" to be selected as the district governor, he said of reaching a high post in his Rotary career.

He said his long and fruitful Rotary career, especially taking on leadership posts, would not have been possible without the support of his wife, Marilyn Biehl.

He said his wife was a big help, "I couldnt have been district governor without her."

"Harvest cuts into Rotary a little thinner," he said about one of his busiest times of the year.

The impeccable reputation of the Rotary Club Foundation, was something he said he was proud of.

"The Rotary Foundation is in the top 50 foundations in the whole world. They handle their money very wisely," Biehl said.

Over the years, Biehl made his fair share of donations to the foundation. He said he has obtained Paul Harris Fellows, by donating $1,000 to the foundation, for many of his family members  including all eight of his grandchildren.

Even when out-of-town, Biehl said he still strived to go to a Rotary Club meeting at other clubs around the world. He once bought a raffle ticket from a Rotary Club in Alaska. Later, when he got home, he received a call from the clubs president informing him that he was the grand prize winner of $2,500.

"I always tell everyone it pays to make it to meetings," he said jokingly.

During his tenure with the Lexington Rotary Club, he said he was proud to have funded the construction of a gazebo located at Kirkpatrick Memorial Park and helping to fund the purchase of a used fire truck.

The fire truck was driven by rotary members, himself included, to the Texas-Mexico border, to be donated to a community in Mexico, with the help of a Mexican Rotary Club, Biehl said.

A priority of the Rotary Club, eradicating polio, was started in 1986, he said.

Less than a handful of countries, including Afghanistan, were still dealing with polio and the spread of the illness in the world, Biehl said.

He said Rotary Clubs around the world have raised more than half a billion dollars in their fight to end polio around the world.

One of the most memorable experiences for him in Rotary was attending the International Rotary Convention the year it was held in Calgary because he and four others packed into a car and drove there. He also attended almost all the district conventions in Nebraska.

It wasnt until the early 1990s or late 1980s that a rule change allowed women to join and become Rotary members, he said. This was a very positive change for Rotary, Biehl said.

"When a woman says shes going to do something, she gets it done," Biehl said.

He said he would miss his involvement with Rotary but was proud of his time with the group.

"When someone talks about Rotary I pump it up. I feel like 48 years might have done some good somewhere," he said.
Vishal Joshi and

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, August 26

District administrations of Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra shut down some 18 naam charcha ghars on Saturday, as law enforcement agencies cracked down on the cults centres a day after 30 people were killed in violence that rocked Panchkula.

Deputy Commissioner Rohtash Singh Kharb said that after sealing gates of the centres: We have evacuated seven naam charcha ghars from Dera followers and sealed them. I have also asked the concerned SHOs to ensure that no Dera follower or no other person should enter in naam charcha ghars.

Several hundred Dera followers, mostly from Uttar Pradesh, arrived at Yamunanagar from Panchkula on Friday night.

Police arranged twelve vehicles to have them sent onward.

Some 300 policemen are currently stationed in Panchkula, which remains quiet after the violence.

The state government has sent 160 under-training cops here from Karnal to assist district police in maintaining law and order situation, said Kharb.

Police held flag marches in Yamunanagar and Jagadhri on Friday night.

Shops and business establishments remained closed on Saturday.

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria said security forces had evacuated the dera centres and impounded 5,000 lathis and sharp-edge stones in search operations. The raids have been taped.

Curfew remains imposed in Kurukshetra.

Activities inside the Dera centres remain suspended indefinitely.

Some 31 people were killed in violence that followed Dera Sacha Saudas chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singhs conviction in a rape case on Friday.

While most of the deaths were reported in Panchkula, where the court that pronounced the verdict was located, at least three people are believed to have died in Sirsa  the Deras headquarters.

Army, police and paramilitary troopers are currently stationed outside the Dera headquarters in Sirsa to prevent escalation of tension.
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 26

After the Punjab and Haryana High Court came down heavily on Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for protecting the Dera followers and extending political patronage, social media also erupted demanding his resignation.

Journalists, politicians and common folk took to Twitter to lambast the Haryana Chief Minister for his 'lack of competence'. This is the second time after the Jat agitation last year when the BJP goverment has come under fire for failing to handle mobs and preventing violence.

Is this true that #khattar govt has provided assistant to #RamRahim in jail , allowed him to wear his own clothes and giving outside food?  Jishan Sidhu (@sidhujishan) August 26, 2017

If Khattar is not willing to resign for #DeraViolence then he can resign for not fixing Gurgaon roads   Ashad Hussain Shahi (@ashad_shahi) August 26, 2017

Of course. Modi is stone deaf. The moment he demands the resignation - Khattar will ask the same question - did you resign after 2002 ?  KAMLESH DESAI (@KAMLESHDESAI9) August 26, 2017

Khattar possibly forgot that the Internet services are suspended in Haryana!#Deraviolence pic.twitter.com/WgAN4o0qfo  PrashantPratap Singh (@iPrashantSingh) August 26, 2017

All those who gathered in Panchkula were not only #RamRahim supporters but BJP voters too,How #Khattar could stop them.?#KhattarMustResign  Being Commoner.... (@subhash_kota) August 26, 2017

This violence by Dera goons is fully abetted by Khattar & BJP leaders who supported him for votes. Khattar must resign & be prosecuted https://t.co/toauuAKtnO  Prashant Bhushan (@pbhushan1) August 25, 2017

Khattar was either criminally complicit in enabling the carnage to develop over last 3 days or he was criminally negligent. He should resign  deepak gogoi (@dgog61) August 25, 2017

Hard to see how Khattar can survive.I am guessing Modi will sacrifice him to retain his good governance image. Let's see ...  vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) August 25, 2017

BJP spokespersons keep saying Khattar is honest. Honesty cannot mask incompetence. For repeatedly proving incompetent Khattar must resign.  Rahul Kanwal (@rahulkanwal) August 25, 2017

This is NOT spontaneous rioting. This chaos was PERMITTED. Remember court said Khattar administration "colluded" with Dera supporters  barkha dutt (@BDUTT) August 25, 2017
Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, August 26

The Dera Sacha Sauda chairperson, Vipsana Insan, in a video massage released on Saturday alleged that anti-social elements mixed with the peaceful followers and resorted to violence.

The DSS chairperson said it was the anti-social elements that damaged the public property.

We condemn the incident in strong words and appeal to the followers and common people to maintain peace, she said in the video.

At least 28 people died in Panchkula and three deaths were reported in Hisar after the court pronounced a guilty verdict for Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Raheem Singh.
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 26

Doctors of the Zonal Hospital here continued their strike and raised slogans against the district administration for not being able to apprehend the culprits who heckled an ortho-surgeon on Thursday.

The ADM, Dharamsala, went on to meet the striking hospital staff and doctors last morning. There was an exchange of words between the protesters and the ADM following which the former raised slogans and refused to talk till the culprits, who heckled the doctor, were arrested. Though they attended emergency cases, the doctors did not attend outdoor patients.

They had gone on strike to protest the alleged heckling of ortho-surgeon Dr Amit Verma. A woman with injury was brought to the hospital by some people. Those accompanying her asked Dr Verma to attend her immediately. The doctor asked the attendants to wait for sometime as he was busy attending some other patient.

The delay on the part of the doctor infuriated them who allegedly resorted to heckling of the doctor. Due to ruckus created in the hospital, other doctors and paramedical staff rushed to the spot. Seeing the hospital staff gathering, the attendants fled with the patient.

The doctors and paramedical staff of the hospital, however, protested the heckling of their colleague and struck work. They demanded that action should be taken against those who heckled the doctor under the Medipersons Act.
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, August 26

The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has resumed its bus services today. Minister for Transport GS Bali made this announcement while addressing a press conference here.

The minister said the bus service to Delhi and other neighbouring states were suspended on August 24, apprehending deteriorating law and order situation due to mass gathering of Ram Rahim's followers in Panchkula. The decision of the HRTC had saved commuters as well as buses from getting damaged in violence.

I have been getting calls from residents of Himachal who were stranded in Delhi or Chandigarh. Keeping in view the improved situation, we have decided to resume the bus service, Bali said.

The minister said about 50 per cent of the HRTC buses, including super luxury buses, would start this evening and rest be made operational by tomorrow.

Keeping in view the tense situation, drivers had been directed against taking buses to bus stands in Haryana. The buses would ply on national highways, he said.

Control rooms had been established in Shimla, Dharamsala and Mandi to monitor the situation. People had been advised to provide information at 0177-2658765, 94180-00529, 9418000590, 9418000528, 9418000520 and 9418000516 in case of any emergency, the minister said.
Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 26

The excellence centre will be a boon for the unemployed and provide them a platform for undertaking training as per the requirement of the industrial houses, said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after laying the foundation stone of Rs 40 crore Centre of Excellence at Anandpur near Tara Devi in Shimla today.

He said the industrial houses would train unemployed as per their need and thereafter they would be employed.

The centre would be opened under the ambitious Asian Development Bank-funded Himachal Pradesh Kaushal Vikas Nigam (HPKVN).

The objective of this project was to empower all individuals between 15 and 45 years of age and enhance learning and lifelong employment opportunities so as to increase the workforce to take part in the economic growth of Himachal Pradesh, he added.

The state government was committed to providing equal opportunities to marginalised section of the community to promote social equity and ensure that the benefits of the scheme reached to one and all, he said.

Later addressing a gathering at Kot, he also announced science and commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Kot.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated Rs 25 lakh Lift Water Supply Scheme for Madak Devi temple in Kot and inaugurated LWSS Dograpul-Bhaad- Dhanawal-Dochi completed with a cost of Rs 28 lakh.

The Chief Minister also announced block-level resource centre under the nigam at Jubbarhatti. He also inspected the ongoing renovation of the Tara Devi temple and directed to complete the work soon. He also paid obeisance at the temple and performed prayers.
Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, August 26

While violence erupted in Haryana after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim in Panchkula in a rape case, Himachal too suffered losses. The violence in Panchkula, just 10 km from the Himachal border, did not spill over to the state but transport services were badly hit and hundreds of people faced inconvenience.

The HRTC had cancelled its bus services to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, causing losses to exchequer, said Divisional Manager Pankaj Singhal.

The HRTC booking office was flooded with enquiries regarding plying of buses and hundreds of calls had been received. As many as 30 buses of the HRTC, which were to start from Delhi and Chandigarh to different parts of the state, were also stranded.

The patients going to the PGI for treatment were the worst affected as they were not sure of their safety. I was to take my father to the PGI yesterday for a check-up but the programme had to be cancelled as roads were closed and violence erupted at many places, said Kamal Sharma, a local resident.

More than 50 taxis were stranded at the Chandigarh airport, said Mangal Singh from Kalka-Shimla Taxi Union, adding that the taxis were going to Chandigarh but the route was diverted via Kalka-Sisun-Kurali-Chandigarh. Adequate security arrangements were on place on the border of Himachal to avoid any untoward incident.

The supply of essential commodities like milk, bread, butter, etc to Shimla and upper areas were also disrupted. However, newspapers reached on time.

Following the outburst of dera followers at Panchkula and reports of curfew at many places in Haryana and Punjab, all hotel bookings had been cancelled and the occupancy had come down to 5 per cent, said president, Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association, MK Seth, adding that the tourism sector would revive only after the situation calmed down.

Supplies, transport affected

The HRTC had cancelled its bus services on 308 routes

Volvo buses were not plied on 48 routes

Online booking of 530 buses had been suspended

Patients going to the PGI for treatment were the worst affected

Supply of milk, bread etc. to Shimla and upper areas were disrupted

All hotel bookings had been cancelled and the room occupancy had come down to 5 per cent

Residentspeak

I was to take my father to the PGI yesterday for a check-up but the visit had to be cancelled as roads were closed and violence erupted in Panchkula. -- Kamal Sharma, resident

All well, Baddi cops still on alert

Solan: The police in Parwanoo and Baddi heaved a sigh of relief with the volatile situation in Panchkula, arising out of the sentence of Dera Sacha Sauda chief, being under control. Though some private buses carrying dera supporters were seen in Haryana at Marrawala last evening, the supporters preferred to head back to their homes rather than cross over to Baddi and Barotiwala. They were dropped here after being flushed out of Panchkula by security forces. Superintendent of Police, Baddi, Rahul Nath, said the situation was peaceful but they were still keeping three reserves forces stationed in this industrial belt as a precaution. Being a bordering area, they could not take chances at least till Monday. He said intense patrolling was carried out by the staff and no untoward movement of any dera supporter was noticed from anywhere. Road transport services resumed this evening and the Nalagarh Truck Operators Union also began sending their vehicles to other states. Attendance in the industries remained low for the third day today as majority of the workforce, which comes from the Tricity, preferred to stay indoors. Investors were hopeful that usual business would resume by Monday. TNS


Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 26

Eight security men were killed in an ongoing gunfight after 'fidayeen' stormed a police installation in south Kashmir's Pulwama district in the wee hours on Saturday.

Four policemen, as many personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and two militants have been killed so far in the gun battle.

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Sources said at around 4 am a group of militants attacked the District Police Lines Pulwama, some 35 kms from Srinagar, and two to three Fidayeen managed to enter the residential complex in the DPL. There are reports that militant stormed the heavily guarded installation from the backside.

Three of the cops killed were identified as constable Imtiyaz Ahmad, a resident Qazigund Kulgam, Jaswant Singh, from Shekhupur Mari village in Haryanas Gurugram district and Dhanawade Ravindra Baban from Satara, Maharashtra.

Wounded security men were taken to Army's 92 base hospital in Srinagar.

The authorities have also snapped mobile internet services in the district to ensure no law and order problem.

Police chief rules out security lapse

Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid asserted that there was "no security lapse" in the 'fidayeen' (suicide) attack on a district police complex in south Kashmir's Pulwama.

"You cannot prevent (an attack) if somebody is ready to die," he told reporters here.

He said the militants had taken shelter in the family quarters of the complex.

"The security forces together evacuated everybody from those blocks and in the process, we have suffered some casualties, but the terrorists have been eliminated," he said. (With PTI inputs)
Jitendra K Shrivastava

Tribune news service

Patna, August 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday conducted an aerial survey of flood-hit districts in Bihar and later reviewed the situation.

PM @narendramodi undertook an aerial survey to take stock of the situation arising due to the floods in Bihar. pic.twitter.com/gi1UXgrTgp  PIB India (@PIB_India) August 26, 2017

Modi, along with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi, took the survey of Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar and Araria districts of Seemanchal regionthe worst hit.

Prime Minister Modi announced Rs 500 crore for flood relief operations after review meeting in Purnea.

After ground survey and estimation of the loss due to flood in Bihar, the Centre may increase the assistance to Bihar government.

Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The aerial survey took nearly 50 minutes as the leaders took stock of the situation, an official of the Bihar disaster management department said.

Following the survey, Modi met top central and state officials along with Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi at the conference hall of Chunapur airport in Purnea to review aid management.

Earlier, Modi was received by Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar Modi at the Purnea airport.

The death toll due to floods in Bihar stands at 418 in 19 districts.

After review the meeting, PM Modi returned to Delhi
Jasmine Singh

Kanhaiya Kumar was like any other student leader who usually dot most Indian campuses looking for their 15 minutes under the sun. He got many more than he must have hoped for when an overzealous government slapped him with sedition charges for allegedly raising anti-national slogans on the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) campus to mark the third anniversary of Afzal Gurus hanging. From just another student leader, Kanhaiya, former president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU), suddenly became the most-talked about student leader of the country.

However, this was not the first time that a student leader had made his presence felt on the national political scene, young enthusiastic students had actively participated in the freedom struggle of India. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a student when he first protested against the treatment meted out to the Indian students at the Presidency College, Calcutta, by the British. Yet another student, Chittaranjan Das, had mobilised thousands of youngsters during the Satyagraha movement with his rousing slogan, Exams can wait but freedom cannot.

Young voices

After Independence, political parties were quick to cash in on this young energy and mobilise this activism for their own benefit. Idealistic young student leaders raising their voice against evil social practices may have seemed as a threat to a political system where corruption had become the bedrock. It was but natural for political parties to try and influence or even capture student election scenario.

Their involvement in student politics have only increased over the years, in a way defeating the entire purpose of student elections. Does this call for a blanket ban on student election on the campuses? Or, is it a necessary evil in the democracy that we cannot do without?

The Lyngdoh Committee set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2006 came with the objective of reforming student union elections by keeping money and muscle power away from these polls. But this is not what seems to be happening these days, as the line between student politics and party politics has become blurred.

Most national political parties are known to patronise student unions, decide their agenda and provide them with not only aims and objectives but money, too, for their elections. Almost all major parties like the BJP and the Congress have their own youth wings with large membership across major universities. Even the newbie AAP, formally launched in 2012, has its student wing Chhatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS).

Party politics

Kuljit Singh Nagra, a former president of the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), Chandigarh, (1989-1995) admits to political interference in student elections. Nagra, an MLA from Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, calls this interference bad for the health of student politics. We didnt run after political parties. In fact, they would be chasing us. There was no money or muscle power involved in student elections at that time.

Yet another former student leader, Dalvir Singh Khangura, who was part of Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU), seconds Nagra. Khangura, the sitting MLA from Dhuri, Sangrur, sees a marked change in the student election scenario in universities. Student elections are politically driven these days.

Does this mean that we should discourage student activism? While some people believe that politics on the campus can distract students, others feel educational institutions are grounds for learning life skills.

Bhupali Magare, a research scholar at JNU and the president of the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association (BAPSA), says students are not isolated from society. Like any other citizen, it is the responsibility of students to participate in nation building. To Bhupali, students elections play an important role in the democracy. It is a platform to talk about our ideologies. Institutions not only impart education, these prepare students to deal with the realities of life as well. It is, thus, important that students discuss and deliberate on issues, an essential activity in the democratic process.

With the youth of the country standing up for their rights, voicing concerns over the political degradation of the country, our democratic set-up cannot ignore student unions and organisations, which do not want to their rights to be overtaken by party agendas.

The only way the government can understand the youth of the country and formulate policies favourable for their growth is by recognising the effects of student politics, asserts Tejwant Gill, a literary critic. Organised student movements have always played an important role in every country. Students have always been the first ones to respond to any injustice. It was students in the US who raised their voice against the Vietnam War. In France and Germany in the 1960s, protests by students did away with decades-old conservative rule in these two countries. And how can one forget that the Naxalite movement in Punjab was heavily dependent on the student movement, he adds.

While on one hand, the role of student movements, whether in the pre-Independence times or in the current scenario, cannot be dismissed, on the other the influence of political parties in academic institutions has grown manifold.

And that is a cause for concern as this influence has brought its own share of conflicts. Electoral process may be alright but young usually know how to settle scores only one way.

Power games

This has given rise to violent incidents across campuses. Many people attribute this to criminalisation of student politics. What we see today is leader-based politics. Most student leaders have nothing to do with the issues of students; they are just hungry for power. Political parties patronise such leaders and exploit this hunger. As a result, we see the rise of muscle power. Fights within the student groups are common now, and this is what has led to the criminalisation of student elections, says Nagra. I never allowed any political interference during my time at PUSU, and I still hold that student politics should be independent of party politics.

Even though many student leaders are trying their best to keep interference by various political parties out of student elections, this seems an inevitable happening. On a larger scale, student elections are also seen as the breeding ground for aspiring student leaders who look at politics as their ultimate goal.

Saket Bahuguna, national media convener of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), is full of praise for all such national-level political leaders who have risen from student politics. These are the leaders who are not neta-putras and do not come from influential political families. They know about the ground realities. These are the leaders who have created a space for themselves in the national arena. Producing political leaders is also an important part of student politics but not the only one. Another task of student politics is to make them socially aware so that they can stand up for their rights, and also for the rights of others.

From time to time, student politics on campuses has been questioned but the fact remains that without elected student bodies and leaders, students will have no platform to voice their concerns and the wrongs being done to them.
Ranjita Biswas

Autumn in Bengal is special. A suppressed excitement pervades the air as the blue sky and cotton-wool clouds remind that monsoon is almost over. Now is the time to get ready to celebrate Durga Puja, the biggest festival for Bengalis. The 10-handed goddess, flanked by her sons and daughters  Ganesh, Kartick, Laxmi, Saraswati rule supreme during the four-day festival.

In her warrior image, Durga is the slayer of evil killing demon Mahishasur but she is also a benevolent goddess promising abundance of food, her golden glow the colour of ripening paddy.

The place where idols take shape is Kumartuli in north Kolkata. From outside, the area could look old and decrepit. Inside, the makeshift karkhanas (workshop) give glimpses of the still wet contours of the idols, some huge, some small, from behind the tarpaulin covers and bamboo scaffoldings. At this moment, its difficult to imagine the end-result, the hand-crafted image of the devi, resplendent with intricate ornaments.

Go after lunch hour and you will find workers sleeping on earthen floors. But soon they will stir and work till midnight. Just before the pujas when the frenzy reaches a crescendo, the artisans work all-through the night.

Many of the artisans are hired from villages in West Bengal as early as spring. For the rest of the year after the Kali puja (Diwali) they could be working in the fields or be at some part-time job. Many of them are Muslims; they are particularly good at making ornaments.

Even without any formal training, the master artisans are uncannily correct when they measure the geometric proportion of the hands to the face of the goddess indicated by protruding thin bamboo sticks. They have inherited the skill by belonging to traditional potter families, they say. You watch them drawing expertly the outlines of her lotus eyes, or moulding the beauty of her chin in the still-moist clay, and marvel at their skill.

Pal and Rudrapal are common surnames of the potter families. Then there are the craftsmen known as Malakars. They traditionally make ornaments  daker saaj out of shola (white pith from a water plant) and have gradually taken to making idols too.

In Kumartuli, there is a strict division of labour. Some only mould the idols, some do the painting while some prepare the adornments.

Kumartuli and Kolkata have almost grown up together. Although there is no recorded evidence, its believed that traditional clay artisans from Krishnanagar in the Nadia district settled down here. The potters first settled in the village of Govindapur in the mid-18th century and then shifted to Sutanuti. Since boats plying along the Bhagirathi-Hooghly, bringing along the clay and straw, it was convenient for them to settle down on the banks of the river. As the three villages Sutanuti, Govindapur and Kolikata merged to form the city of Kolkata (Calcutta), the potters colony became known as Kumartuli (kumar in Bengali means potter). The potters from then East Pakistan joined the original settlers after partition.

Once the preserve of rich zamindars, celebrations of Durga puja by neighbourhood communities was started by a group of 12 (baro) friends (yaars). Thus, its often referred as baroari puja in Bengal.

It has proved to be a boon to Kumartuli. Almost every locality holds a puja, and hence more demand. Today there is competition, too, as many well-known companies sponsor awards, a prestige issue for the organisers. This has launched experiments in the design of the idols and adornments. Many second generation artisans are students of the citys art colleges and the influence is palpable.

Demand from abroad is another phenomena. Be it the US, the UK, Germany or Mauritius, Bengali ex-pats celebrate Durga puja with fervour. For easy transportation, the images are not made of clay but fibreglass and the parts can be put together easily. Plywood boxes are made to order so that the idols can fit into the groove. Kumartuli, too, has evolved with time but it has retained its essence as a premium idol makers hub.
Pushpa Girimaji

Recently, there were media reports about the Reserve Bank of India as well as a number of public sector banks saying, in reply to a query under the Right to Information Act, that the banks are not liable for loss of valuables kept in their safe deposit lockers. The banks are also saying in their terms and conditions that they are not responsible for the contents of the locker and that the customers should insure the valuables in the locker. Does it mean that if there is a robbery in a bank and the contents of the locker are stolen, the bank will not take any responsibility for it?

I would interpret it this way: if there is loss of valuables kept in the safe deposit locker of a bank on account of the negligence of the consumer, such as leaving the locker open or leaving behind some contents outside the locker, then, obviously, it constitutes negligence on the part of the customer and in such cases, the bank may not take responsibility for the loss.

However, if the contents are lost because of the negligence of the bank, then the bank has to take responsibility and compensate the consumer, whatever the unilateral terms thrust on the customer may say. Such negligence includes failure to have proper security arrangements in place, leading to robbery and theft of the contents of the locker; not doing due diligence in hiring the staff; not securing the keys to the strong room and the lockers; not changing the lock and the key when the locker changes hands, not following the Reserve Banks directions on security arrangements, etc.

Rest assured, whatever the banks may say, courts will ensure that banks pay for their negligence. In fact, corporate minister Arun Jaitley, while replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on August 8, clarified: banks have been advised by the RBI that it would be the responsibility of the banks to ensure that the lockers remain safe and there is no negligence in the matter of safeguarding the lockers that could render the banks concerned liable to claims by locker holders.

Banks that offer safe deposit lockers have the responsibility of ensuring a fool-proof security system. However, the very fact that there have been so many bank robberies in recent years in public sector banks, highlights the fact that banks are negligent in the discharge of this duty. As a result, almost every year, there are reports of locker thefts. And in almost all such cases, police investigations have pointed to the negligence of the banks.

And in all such cases, banks have to take responsibility for their deficient service. After all, they do not give the locker free of charge, as a charity! They collect hiring charges! Besides, the very purpose of keeping valuables in a locker is to ensure their safety. So if the customer has to take an insurance, he or she might as well keep the jewellery at home and save on the locker hiring charges. Banks must also know that the courts have struck down unfair conditions in standard contracts between a strong and a weak party.

Having said that, I would advise consumers to start questioning the banks about the security arrangements. If you find them to be unsatisfactory, complain to the bank in writing and send a copy to the banking regulator. In fact, I would expect the RBI to monitor the security arrangements put in place by banks that offer safe deposit lockers and penalise those who are negligent and not come to their rescue!

Have there been any consumer court judgements in cases pertaining to loss of valuables kept in a locker?

In Punjab National Bank, Bombay Vs K.V. Shetty (FA No 7 of 1991), the apex consumer court dismissed the banks contention that according to the agreement signed with the customer, the bank was not responsible for the loss of contents in the locker. The Commission awarded the consumer, who found the jewellery kept in the locker missing, a compensation of Rs 1,26,017 along with interest calculated at the rate of 18 per cent.

Similarly, in Union Bank of India Vs Smt Kanak Choudhary (RP no 889 of 2000), the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission reiterated that the bank was bound to ensure that the locker remained safe in all respects and awarded compensation for the loss of currency notes and important papers eaten up by termites in the locker.
Best ever since American Gangster

Jay-Z  4:44 (Roc Nation)

4:44 finds Jay-Z discarding his trendy tendencies, exploring matters of race and politics with newfound clearness, and turning a merciless witness to his own failures rather than simply boating about his accomplishments. The crux of the album has Jay apologising to Beyonce and his daughter Blue Ivy in the form of a lyrical love letter. Jay-Z unexpectedly offers himself up, completely and without reservation. The albums opening salvo, Kill Jay Z, mirrors his sentiments from Vol. 3 Life and Times of S. Carter, on which he vowed to revert back to Shawn Carter. The title track is named so because he woke up at exactly 4:44 one morning and the words just came to his mind: Look, I apologize, often womanize/ Took for my child to be born/To see through a womans eyes. Caught Their Eyes featuring Frank Ocean starts off with Jay comparing Beyonce to Mona Lisa before evolving into a raw track about being alert of your surroundings. Bam has major reggae vibes, thanks to Damian Marley, Bob Marleys youngest son, while Family Feud refers to rivalry in todays rap world, pushing the phrase: No one wins when the family feuds. Elsewhere, he takes a lyrical stroll down memory lane (Marcy Me) and tackles race and financial freedom (The Story of OJ). Beyonces older daughter, Blue Ivy, introduces the dramatic closer Legacy by asking in a five-year-olds singsong, Daddy, whats a will? The track manages to cover black economic liberation, generational wealth, and redefines Jays troubled relationship with his father: See how the universe works? It takes my hurt and helps me find more of myself.

Essential track: Kill Jay Z, 4:44, Legacy, Moonlight

Rating ****

A work crafted with utmost care and insight

Lorde  Melodrama (Republic)

The 20-year-old kiwi officially named Ella Yellich-OConnor doesnt overtly stray away from the sounds that portrayed her 2013 debut, Pure Heroine, though it does expand its horizon to include louder melodies, more audacious keys, heavier drums and massive hooks. On this, she has switched producer and co-writer, and has parted ways with songwriter Joel Little. It is an astonishingly consistent narrative of the journey from teenage to adulthood. The album is far more sophisticated than its predecessor and is bookended by the two most boldly upbeat tracks, Green Light and Perfect Places. An uptempo highlight, The Louvre, starts with guitar strumming and electro keyboards. Hard Feelings/Loveless is one of the most ambitious pop songs this year. It sews together a ballad about a relationship falling apart. The sonic touches on Melodrama are as strong as the vocals. In Homemade Dynamite, the music drops away and Lorde softly imitates the sound of an explosion before the chorus kicks back. However, her finest moment comes on Supercut that carries a punching energy.

Essential track: Green Light, Writer In The Dark, Supercut

Rating ****

A thrillingly unpredictable ride

Kesha  Rainbow (RCA)

Five years since her last album Warrior, and three years since she became enmeshed in a famous lawsuit with longtime producer Dr. Luke, Kesha releases blatant long-promised new album. The opening track sees Kesha returning to her country roots in this acoustic ballad about not letting the bad guys win. Let em Talk is a high-energy pop-rock anthem preaching: Dont care if they talk about it... do your thing. The tough message of positivity and confidence continues through her female empowerment anthem Woman, which features the Dap-Kings Horns. There is abundance of country flavour on Rainbow and it works well. Kesha has never sounded so harmonically rich, especially on the smoothly descending Hunt You Down. Dolly Parton provides backup on Old Flames Cant Hold a Candle to You, a song penned by Keshas mother Pebe Sebert and popularised by the Tennessee country star herself in 1980. Only the joyously uplifting Learn to Let Go proves that Kesha can still deliver the goods as a pop star and comes anywhere close to the radio-friendly sound that she previously pursued. The album closes with Spaceship, on which she says her people are coming to take her away: Lord knows this planet feels like a hopeless place/Thank God Im going back home to outer space. Rainbow is a ray of optimism and it stays upbeat, shuffling through genres.

Essential track: Hunt You Down, Old Flames, Let Em Talk

Rating ***

Consistently brilliant rock n roll!

Sheer Mag  Need To Feel Your Love (Revolver Records)

Since emerging on the scene in 2014, the Philadelphia quintet has pleased fans with one consecutive EP after another, amassing upbeat melodies and raw guitar riffs that have been the staple of its sound. After a stunning compilation of their first three EPs earlier in the year, the band continues its run of expressive and poignant garage rock classics and wastes no time getting right down to business in the opening track, Meet Me in the Streets. A thunderous rocker about the post-inauguration chaos in Washington DC, it comes complete with riotously buzzing guitars and Tina Halladays soulful screams. The band is versatile enough to match her fiery vocals and dares you to guess what lies ahead. The quintet doesnt shy away from difficult conversations about social change. Suffer Me is written by Palmer to commemorate the Stonewall riots in New York, while Expect the Bayonet lays focus to the US presidential election, specifically issues surrounding the voting system. Its clear from the overtly clever Turn It Up that their simple act of playing music delivers essential sentiments of the band, with lyrics like: Before you get smart, listen to me/Now Ive got a bone to pick/Cause I hear you snigger behind my back/Keep it to yourself, see who gets the last laugh. The most pleasing moments on the record are when the guitars are given just a little bit of room to breathe on their own, like on the chorus of Rank on File, or in the temperamental Just Cant Get Enough. Need to Feel Your Love harnesses the strengths of the bands earlier work and builds on it significantly.

Essential track: Expect The Bayonet, Turn It Up, Meet Me In The Streets

Rating ***

Top 10 Singles

Despacito.............................Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber (CU)

Wild Thoughts...............................DJ Khaled feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller (NM)

Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)........................................................Cardi B (CU)

Unforgettable French Montana feat.............................................Swae Lee (FD)

Believer..........................................................................Imaging Dragons (FD)

Attention...............................................................................Charlie Puth (NM)

Shape of You..........................................................................Ed Sheeran (NM)

Bank Account 21............................................................................Savage (NE)

Thats What I Like....................................................................Bruno Mars (FD)

Praying...........................................................................................Kesha (CU)

Legend: CU): Climbing Up (FD): Falling Down (NM): Non-mover (NE): New Entry
Sanaa, August 26

Her bruised eyes still swollen shut, Buthaina Muhammad Mansour, believed to be four or five, doesnt yet know that her parents, five siblings and uncle were killed when an air strike flattened their home in Yemens capital.

Despite concussion and skull fractures, doctors think Buthaina will pull throughher familys sole survivor of the August 25 attack on an apartment building that residents blame on a Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen since 2015.

The alliance said in a statement it would investigate the air strike, which killed at least 12 civilians.

Yemens long war involving competing Yemeni factions and regional power struggles has killed at least 10,000 people.

Millions more have been forced to leave their homes and face disease and hunger.

Aid agencies have called for a speedy resolution to the conflict, warning that the impoverished country is now victim to the worlds greatest man-made humanitarian disaster.

Lying disoriented in her hospital bed on Saturday, Buthaina called out for her uncle, Mounir, who was among those killed in the attack.

Another uncle, Saleh Muhammad Saad, told Reuters Mounir had rushed to the familys house when Buthainas father called him at 2 am to say war planes were bombing their neighbourhood in Sanaas Faj Attan district. He never returned.

By the time Saleh got to the house, it was a ruin of broken concrete blocks and wooden planks. Hearing survivors groaning from beneath the rubble, he battled to free them.

I could hear the shouts of one of their neighbors from under the rubble, and tried to remove the rubble from on top of (Buthainas father) and his wife, but I couldnt. They died, he said.

We lifted the rubble and saw first her brother Ammar, who was three, and her four sisters, all of them dead. I paused a little and just screamed out from the pain. But I pulled myself together, got back there and then heard Buthaina calling.

He said her survival had given him some solace as he mourned the rest of the family.

Her sister Raghad always used to come up and hug me and kiss me when I visited. I used to say to her, Come on, thats enough. And she would say Oh no it isnt! and just keep hugging and kissing.  Reuters
Baghdad, August 26

Iraqi forces have driven the Islamic State from central Tal Afar and its historic citadel, they said today, placing them on the verge of fully recapturing one of the last IS strongholds in the country.

The advance, just days into an assault on the strategic town, comes six weeks after Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over the jihadists in second city Mosul, where the jihadist group declared its caliphate in 2014.

Units of the Counter-Terrorism Service liberated the Citadel and Basatin districts and raised the Iraqi flag on top of the citadel, operation commander General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement. The CTS and federal police units had also seized three northern districts and the Al-Rabia neighbourhood west of the citadel, a day after taking the district of Al-Talia to the south.

Clashes were ongoing on the northern outskirts and Iraqi forces were dealing with final pockets of jihadists inside the city, Yarallah said.

Tal Afar sits on a strategic route between IS-controlled territories in Syria and Mosul, 70 km further east.

Officials have said they hope to announce victory in Tal Afar by Eid al-Adha, the Muslim holiday set to start in Iraq on September 2.  AFP

Hawija next on agenda
Caracas, August 26

Venezuela kicks off two days of military drills today in response to US President Donald Trumps threat of military action and newly announced sanctions on the crisis-stricken nation.

Trump warned on August 11 that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela, including a possible military option if necessary.

His Vice President Mike Pence later played down the threat, insisting that Washington was prioritising a diplomatic solution and economic sanctions.

National security advisor HR McMaster followed suit, saying no military actions are anticipated in the near future.

But tension only surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first- ever sanctions to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle.

The measures ban trade in new bonds issued by the Venezuelan government or its cash-cow oil company, PDVSA.

That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default.

Venezuela called the measures the worst aggression yet.

We will protect our people and the people of the republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, are going to stand up, said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

Trumps threat of military force has bolstered Maduros oft-repeated claim that Washington is plotting to topple him and wants to grab control of Venezuelas oilthe largest proven reserves in the world.

Maduro is under international pressure over his handling of an economic and political crisis.

The socialist president is resisting opposition calls for early elections to replace him.

The center right-led opposition and international powers including the US say he is turning Venezuela into a dictatorship.

Maduros opponents accuse military police and pro-Maduro militia of beating and killing anti-government protesters.

Protest clashes have left 125 people dead so far this year, according to prosecutors.

Maduro says the violence and the economic crisis are a US-backed conspiracy.

Maduro, the political heir to the late Hugo Chavez, has managed to hang onto power through it all, despite food shortages and social upheaval.

His grip is largely thanks to the support of the military, which holds vast powers in his government, including over food distribution.

The opposition has repeatedly called on the army to abandon Maduroso far to no avail.

He has only faced low-level dissent, such as from the two rebel officers who staged a raid on an army base this month.

On Thursday, the president issued a stern warning to the armed forces not to break ranks.

We must be clear, especially for the youth in the military, that we must close ranks within the homelandthat this is no time for any fissures and that those with doubts should leave the armed forces immediately, he said in a speech to the top military brass.

You are with Trump and the imperialists, or you are with the Bolivarian national armed forces and the homeland, he added. Never before has Venezuela been threatened in such a way.

Maduros critics accuse him of coopting the military with top cabinet posts, as well as hijacking state institutions, such as by installing a new constituent assembly packed with loyalists.  AFP
Seoul/Washington, August 26

North Korea fired several short-range missiles into the sea off its east coast early on Saturday, South Korea and the US military said, as the two allies conducted annual joint military drills that the North denounces as preparation for war.

The US militarys Pacific Command said it had detected three short-range ballistic missiles, fired over a 20 minute period. All of the missiles failed, with one blowing up almost immediately after launch, while two others failed in flight, it added.

The South Korean Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were launched from the Norths eastern Kangwon province and flew in a northeasterly direction about 250 km (155 miles) into the sea.

Later on Saturday, the South Korean Presidential Blue House said the North may have fired an upgraded 300-mm calibre multiple rocket launcher but the military was still analysing the precise details of the projectiles.

Pacific Command said the missiles did not pose a threat to the US mainland or to the Pacific territory of Guam, which North Korea had threatened earlier this month to surround in a sea of fire.

Tensions had eased somewhat since a harsh exchange of words between Pyongyang and Washington after US President Donald Trump had warned North Korean leader Kim Jong Un he would face fire and fury if he threatened the United States.

North Koreas last missile test on July 28 was for an intercontinental ballistic missile designed to fly 10,000 km (6,200 miles). That would put parts of the US mainland within reach and prompted heated exchanges that raised fears of a new conflict on the peninsula.

Japans Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missiles did not reach its territory or exclusive economic zone and did not pose a threat to Japans safety.

Military drills

The South Korean and US militaries are in the midst of the annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian drills, which the North routinely describes as preparation for invasion, that involve computer simulations of a war to test readiness and run until Aug. 31.

The region where the missiles were launched, Kittaeryong, is a known military test site frequently used by the North for short-range missile drills, said Kim Dong-yub, a military expert at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies in Seoul.

So rather than a newly developed missile, it looks to be short range missiles they fired as part of their summer exercise and also in response to the Ulchi Freedom Guardian drill, he said.

The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with the North because their 1950-53 conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North routinely says it will never give up its weapons programmes, saying they are necessary to counter perceived US hostility.

Washington has repeatedly urged China, North Koreas main ally and trading partner, to do more to rein in Pyongyang.

Chinas commerce ministry late on Friday banned North Korean individuals and enterprises from doing new business in China, in line with United Nations Security Council sanctions passed earlier this month.

Trump briefed

The White House said Trump had been briefed about the latest missiles but did not immediately have further comment.

The US State Department did not immediately comment about the Saturday launches. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier this week credited the North with showing restraint by not launching a missile since the July ICBM test.

Tillerson had said he hoped that the lack of missiles launches or other provocative acts by Pyongyang could mean a path could be opening for dialogue sometime in the near future.

Trump also expressed optimism earlier this week about a possible improvement in relations. I respect the fact that he is starting to respect us, Trump said of Kim.

North Koreas state media reported on Saturday that Kim had guided a contest of amphibious landing and aerial strike by its army against targets modelled after South Korean islands near the sea border on the west coast.

In a report that lacked the Norths usual belligerent threat against the United States, its official KCNA news agency quoted Kim as telling its Army that it should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea.

A new poster on a North Korean propaganda website on Saturday showed a missile dealing a retaliatory strike of justice against the US mainland, threatening to wipe out the United States, the source of evil, without a trace. On Wednesday, Kim ordered the production of more rocket engines and missile warheads during a visit to a chemical institute of the Academy of Defence Science, an agency that he fostered to develop its ballistic missile programme.

Diagrams and what appeared to be missile parts shown in photographs published in the Norths state media suggested Pyongyang was pressing ahead with building a longer-range ballistic missile that could potentially reach any part of the US mainland including Washington.

It is also believed to be developing a new solid-fuel missile of a class that it has previously tested in submarine launches. Reuters
Riyadh, August 26

The Saudi-led Arab military coalition today admitted responsibility for an air strike the previous day in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it as a technical mistake.

The attack was the latest in a wave of deadly raids on residential areas of Yemen blamed on the coalition, drawing strong international condemnation.

The coalition, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, said a review of the strike investigators had found that a technical mistake was behind the accident.

Witnesses and medics in Sanaa said several children were among 14 people killed in yesterdays air strike that toppled residential blocks in Sanaa.

Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Malki had told AFP yesterday that he would review the information about the strike.

Today, he said in the statement that the coalition regrets the collateral damage caused by this involuntary accident and offers its condolences to the families and relatives of the victims.

Yesterdays raid targeted Faj Attan, a residential neighbourhood in the south of the capital that has been controlled since 2014 by Huthi rebels.

The coalition today accused the rebels of setting up a command and communications centre in the middle of this residential area to use civilians as human shields.

The International Committee of the Red Cross yesterday condemned the raid as outrageous.

Rights group Amnesty Internationals Middle East research director, Lynn Maalouf, said the coalition rained down bombs on civilians while they slept.

She called in a statement for the UN to take action against Saudi Arabia over the list of civilian facilities struck in deadly air raids over the past two years.

Mohammed Ahmad, who lived in one of the buildings, said he was among those who had taken nine bodies to a hospital.

We extracted them one by one from under the rubble, he said.

Diggers worked at the site for hours after the raid as medics and residents searched for the missing.

The coalition entered Yemens war in 2015 in support of the government against the Iran-backed rebels, who seized Sanaa the previous year after forming a fragile alliance with troops loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The World Health Organization estimates that nearly 8,400 civilians have been killed and 47,800 wounded since the Saudi-led alliance intervened in the Yemen conflict.

Yesterdays raid came two days after at least 35 people died in a series of strikes on Sanaa and a nearby hotel that rebels also blamed on the coalition.

The coalition has come under massive pressure from international organisations including the United Nations over the raids.

The UN has said the coalition was probably responsible for a July attack on the southwestern Taez province that killed 20 people, including children.

In the week from August 17 to August 24, 58 civilians have been killed, including 42 by the Saudi-led coalition, UN human rights office spokeswoman Liz Throssell told reporters in Geneva yesterday.

Yemen, long the poorest country in the Arab world, also faces a deadly cholera outbreak that has claimed nearly 2,000 lives and affected more than half a million people since late April.  AFP
Bangkok, August 25

Thailands ex-prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra missed a court appearance in a negligence trial on Friday that could have seen her jailed, prompting the Supreme Court to issue an arrest warrant amid snowballing speculation that she has fled the country.

Thousands of supporters  outnumbered by security forces  waited from dawn for a glimpse of Thailands first woman prime minister, but she did not show, with a senior party source telling AFP she is likely in Singapore.

If her flight is confirmed, Yingluck will have joined her billionaire brother Thaksin in self-exile - a knock-out blow to the family and their political ambitions.

Thailand is deeply divided between the Shinawatras and their political base, which is mainly drawn from the rural poor; and a royalist army-aligned elite, who loathe the clan and refuse to cede power to democratic governments.

Yinglucks government was removed by a military coup in 2014. In a day of high drama, Yingluck ducked her court hearing for negligence over a flagship rice subsidy policy, which carried up to 10 years in prison and a life ban from politics.

Her lawyer said she is sick and asked to delay the ruling... the court does not believe she is sick... and has decided to issue an arrest warrant, fearing she may flee the country, lead judge Cheep Chulamon told the court, rescheduling the verdict to September 27. A minister in her government was jailed hours later for 42 years in a separate trial for corruption linked to the policy.

Thai junta chief Prayut Chan-O-Cha denied knowledge of her whereabouts but ordered border checkpoints to be stepped up, while his number-two Prawit Wongsuwon said it was possible Yingluck had fled through neighbouring Cambodia.  AFP
The numbers tell it all.

Falls Creek, the Baptist camp celebrating its 100th anniversary next weekend, has been called the largest youth camp in the world.

It draws more than 50,000 young people and sponsors each summer to its 360-acre site in the scenic Arbuckle Mountains near Davis. That represents some 10 to 15 percent of all the young people in the state.

Another 50,000 attend other events each year, a summer childrens camp, mens and womens retreats, conferences and special events held during the non-summer months. A Native American week is said to be the largest gathering of Christian Native Americans.

Falls Creek is not only one of the most significant things we do, as Oklahoma Baptists, but it also impacts the whole world, said the Rev. Anthony Jordan, executive director/treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, which owns and operates the Falls Creek Baptist Conference Center.

Our International Mission Board (of the Baptist General Convention) tells us that more missionaries have been called to missions at Falls Creek than at any other place on Earth, Jordan said.

We did a study several years ago in which 39 percent of the pastors, youth pastors and staff members in our Oklahoma churches were either saved or called to the ministry at Falls Creek, he said.

Since the camp was founded in 1917, 2.4 million youths have attended, 67,000 people have made professions of faith, 36,000 have been called to ministry and missions, and 270,000 have made spiritual decisions of some kind, he said.

It has a huge impact, he said.

Why is Oklahoma home to one of the most influential youth camps in the world?

Im going to give you a spiritual reason, because I believe that is the reason, Jordan said in a phone interview last week.

God chose to give Oklahoma Baptists Falls Creek, and we have been faithful and good stewards of that camp over these 100 years.

There has been a constant effort. It has been one of our premier ministries almost from the time it began.

Jordan said Falls Creek has grown steadily since it began in 1917 with 216 young people, with a big jump in attendance in the years after World War II.

He said attendance during summer months has plateaued because of space, but growth continues in non-summer months.

Weve grown in attendance; weve grown in impact; weve grown in facilities over the last years, Jordan said.

The BGCO has made nearly $60 million in upgrades in the property over the past 20 years, including new hotels and a new worship center that has 4.5 acres under roof and a 7,200-seat auditorium.

And many Oklahoma churches that own the 135 cabins on the property have also upgraded to beautiful new facilities, he said.

Young people who come to the weeklong summer camp sessions participate in programming and recreational activities provided by the BGCO.

Among the dignitaries at next weekends celebration will be U.S. Sen. James Lankford, who was director of the Falls Creek Youth Camp for 13 summers, through 2009.

There is no place on earth like Falls Creek, Lankford said.

No matter what title I have in my life, being the program director at Falls Creek is one of my fondest memories.

The greatest memories of Falls Creek always revolve around life-changing moments like the evening invitation, watching a teenager weep while embracing their parent, or seeing two students pray together, he said.

I think our state will never fully understand what it has meant to Oklahoma to have so many students for so many decades spend a week of their summer focusing on what really matters most in life.

Danny Ringer, volunteer chairman of the centennial celebration, said Falls Creek has always been a multi-generational experience.

My mother went to Falls Creek as a child when they stayed in tents. They rode in the back of a truck. She tells me the story of how they took chickens for the week and had eggs, and how Friday night they had fried chicken.

Ringer said he accepted Christ as a second-grader, and made his first public declaration of faith at Falls Creek.

Its amazing when you think that God had his hand on a place in the Arbuckles of Oklahoma 100 years ago, and anointed it for a special camp to reach the entire world for Christ, he said.

Thats humbling, said Ringer, who is director of missions for the Beckham-Mills Baptist Association in western Oklahoma.

Ringer said a 120-page coffee table book has been prepared to commemorate the centennial, 100 Years of Falls Creek A legacy of Faith, available at the BGCO.org.
Troy Petit has learned a few things in 52 years as a teacher.

Some kids just dont have the opportunity for hugs, he said. They just dont get to feel a hug for whatever reason.

Petit, a school counselor at Walt Disney Elementary in east Tulsa, has been singing a song about hugs for years. He shares it with many of his students, kindergarten through third grade.

Petit just finished the manuscript for a childrens book about hugs, which should be released during the school year.

So, through a little song and now with this book, maybe we can help bring out that feeling for kids, Petit said. The song and book are about a little kid who has learned through hugs  the value of love, and hes going to try it.

In 2003, Petit released an album of 10 childrens songs titled Bedtime Songs for Children. Hugs of Love has been the most popular song on the album, and he teaches it to young elementary students at the start of every school year.

Even after a half century of working with students, he cant imagine doing anything else.

I just feel very strongly about it, said Petit, who started teaching in 1963. We have to understand as educators that many children today are in different situations. Not all of them get the hugs they deserve and need.

Petit knows a few things about children and education.

He started out teaching in middle school before moving to high school and eventually to Northeastern State University. He became a counselor at the University of Tulsa in 1977 and stayed more than 20 years.

After a brief retirement, he realized his true love was teaching and helping students. So he returned, going to work as a counselor at Booker T. Washington High School.

Honestly, I got bored, Petit said. And Im one of those people that really doesnt like being bored.

What I really liked was what I had been doing my entire life. So I started looking to get a job working with kids, and I was really interested in early childhood development.

It sort of completes the circle for Petit.

I have run the gamut, he said, from grad students at TU now all the way down to kindergarten kids.

I really enjoy working with the really little kids. I think thats where my heart really is when it comes to teaching.

Petits childrens music grew out of his desire to learn something new. He taught himself how to play the guitar. Then, working with some friends, he wrote and recorded Hugs of Love, sort of his theme song. He added a handful of other childrens songs, too.

Now he has added childrens books to his to-do list and recently completed the manuscript for Hugs of Love.

Same theme. Different delivery.

I would love to write more books, Petit said. Im looking forward to getting the book and getting it out to kids.

Thats one of the reasons why I continue to work in education. I enjoy the type of relationship to reach kids, let them know that people care. Im able to reach out to more kids by continuing to work.

As a school counselor, Petit is able to promote character in his message to the kids.

When I sing my songs, they all sing along, he said. What Ive learned is that you can reach people at all ages. They understand how important it is to care for people.

Little kids are so trusting. I enjoy people at every age, but I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing us reach these young kids.

And he is always amazed at how interested the young students are to learn and the questions they ask.

There is never a dull moment at work, Petit said. Young children can be so forgiving and kind. They dont hold grudges.
Two school-shooting plots were foiled this week by school officials and law enforcement officers in northeastern Oklahoma.

Although the perceived threats are believed to be unrelated, local authorities were able to put a stop to them after school districts in Rogers and Mayes counties discovered and reported the plans.

Rogers County sheriffs deputies detained three teenagers after investigating a reported shooting plot targeting Sequoyah Public Schools on Thursday.

District officials notified the Sheriffs Office after a student came forward with information about an apparent plan to carry out a shooting at one of the schools. An investigation quickly led to three eighth-grade boys who had spent a little time putting some thought in it, Sheriff Scott Walton said.

The Sheriffs Office detained the boys, who reportedly corroborated the details of their plan.

I think their motive was being angry after one of them had received detention as punishment for something, Walton said.

Authorities contacted the Office of Juvenile Affairs and released the children to their parents. Investigators on Friday were awaiting further instruction from the OJA on how to proceed.

Walton said the primary goal was ensuring the safety of students and school employees. He stressed the importance of taking all threats involving schools seriously and lauded the Sequoyah districts efforts in helping bring a quick resolution.

As seen across the country, he said, school shootings can happen anywhere, regardless of the population size.

People ask you, Was it a real threat? Its a hard judgment call to make, he said. I dont think anybody can look at someones mind and determine with a lot of accuracy how much of a threat they are. But in todays times, we cannot and will not laugh something like this off and just say, Well, theyre just kids. 

Walton did not know specific details of the plot and wasnt sure how the student who made the initial report knew about it. He did say the information was deemed accurate because the three boys gave up information to investigators when confronted.

A group of students in Locust Grove also were taken into custody this week after being accused of threatening a school.

Locust Grove Public Schools notified the Mayes County Sheriffs Office before class Tuesday about a threat made on social media, according to a post on the districts Facebook page.

Deputies reportedly took the students into custody and did not believe there was a reason to initiate a lockdown.

District officials say there has been a police presence at the schools each day since the start of the investigation.
Senderwahl Das Erste ZDF RTL SAT.1 ProSieben kabel eins RTL II VOX 3sat ARTE ZDFneo ONE sixx DMAX TELE 5 ServusTV Deutschland ProSieben MAXX NITRO RTLup SAT.1 Gold COMEDY CENTRAL NDR WDR BR SWR/SR HR MDR RBB SPORT1 SPORT1+ Eurosport 1 Eurosport 2 DAZN Sky Sport News Sky Sport HD 1 Sky Sport HD 2 EXTREME SPORTS Sky Sport Austria Bundesliga HD 1 sportdigital Auto Motor Sport Ch. eSports1 Sky Sport Top Event Fuball.TV1 Sky Sport Golf Sky Sport Mix Sky Sport Premier Leaque Sky Sport Tennis ARD-alpha tagesschau24 ZDFinfo PHOENIX WELT N24 Doku n-tv kabel eins Doku DW (Europe) euronews BBC News Bild TV SUPER RTL KiKA Disney Channel nick/MTV+ RiC TOGGO plus Nick Jr. Nicktoons Junior Cartoon Network Fix & Foxi ORF eins ORF 2 ORF III ORF SPORT + PULS 4 ATV ATV II oe24.TV SRF 1 SRF zwei STAR TV PULS acht 3+ tv.berlin Hamburg 1 munchen.tv Leipzig Fernsehen rheinmain tv Rhein-Neckar Fernsehen Al Jazeera BBC World News Bloomberg Europe TV CNBC CNN International France 24 (franz.) France 24 (engl.) NHK WORLD TV CNN Turk Deutsches Musik Ferns. MTV Base Club MTV MTV Hits MTV MTV Live HD DELUXE MUSIC VH1 Classic Animal Planet ANIXE Bibel TV Discovery HD More than Sports TV GEO Television Crime + Investigation Health TV K-TV Marco Polo TV Nat Geo HD NAT GEO WILD Curiosity Channel SPIEGEL Geschichte TLC travelxp 4K UHD1 Welt der Wunder Home & Garden TV VOXup Rocket Beans TV 123.tv Channel21 HSE24 QVC QVC2 sonnenklar.TV Belgien 1 DR1 TV2 TV5 Monde Canal+ Sport BBC Two Canale 5 BBC One Canal+ Canal+Cinema Euro D Euro Star France 4 France 5 Show Turk France 3 BBC four Canal+ Decale Turkmax Gurme France 2 Servus TV Sky Cinema Premieren Sky Cinema Premieren +24 Sky Action Sky 1 Sky Atlantic HD Sky Cinema Fun Sky Family Sky Cinema Best Of Sky Cinema Classics Sky Comedy Sky Krimi E! Entertainm. HISTORY HD Heimatkanal 13TH STREET Beate-Uhse.TV kabel eins CLASSICS ProSieben Fun Syfy KinoweltTV Warner TV Comedy Warner TV Film Warner TV Serie Motorvision TV Romance TV Universal Channel HD Sky Crime Sky Cinema Special HD SKY Sport F1 Sky Cinema Thriller HD Sky Documentaries Sky Nature sky showcase sky replay Adult Channel AXN BBC Entertainm. BonGusto Classica Fashion TV GoldStar TV Gute Laune TV Jukebox LUST PUR Mezzo Nautical Channel NOW US Playboy TV RTL Passion SAT.1 emotions Silverline Sony Channel RTL Crime Trace TV RTL Living Bergblick 123.tv 13TH STREET 3+ 3sat Adult Channel Al Jazeera Animal Planet ANIXE ARD-alpha ARTE ATV ATV II Auto Motor Sport Ch. AXN BBC Entertainm. BBC four BBC News BBC One BBC Two BBC World News Beate-Uhse.TV Belgien 1 Bergblick Bibel TV Bild TV Bloomberg Europe TV BonGusto BR Bundesliga HD 1 Canal+ Canal+ Decale Canal+ Sport Canal+Cinema Canale 5 Cartoon Network Channel21 Classica Club MTV CNBC CNN International CNN Turk COMEDY CENTRAL Crime + Investigation Curiosity Channel Das Erste DAZN DELUXE MUSIC Deutsches Musik Ferns. Discovery HD Disney Channel DMAX DR1 DW (Europe) E! Entertainm. eSports1 Euro D Euro Star euronews Eurosport 1 Eurosport 2 EXTREME SPORTS Fashion TV Fix & Foxi France 2 France 24 (engl.) France 24 (franz.) France 3 France 4 France 5 Fuball.TV1 GEO Television GoldStar TV Gute Laune TV Hamburg 1 Health TV Heimatkanal HISTORY HD Home & Garden TV HR HSE24 Jukebox Junior K-TV kabel eins kabel eins CLASSICS kabel eins Doku KiKA KinoweltTV Leipzig Fernsehen LUST PUR Marco Polo TV MDR Mezzo More than Sports TV Motorvision TV MTV MTV Base MTV Hits MTV Live HD munchen.tv n-tv N24 Doku Nat Geo HD NAT GEO WILD Nautical Channel NDR NHK WORLD TV Nick Jr. nick/MTV+ Nicktoons NITRO NOW US oe24.TV ONE ORF 2 ORF eins ORF III ORF SPORT + PHOENIX Playboy TV ProSieben ProSieben Fun ProSieben MAXX PULS 4 PULS acht QVC QVC2 RBB Rhein-Neckar Fernsehen rheinmain tv RiC Rocket Beans TV Romance TV RTL RTL Crime RTL II RTL Living RTL Passion RTLup SAT.1 SAT.1 emotions SAT.1 Gold Servus TV ServusTV Deutschland Show Turk Silverline sixx Sky 1 Sky Action Sky Atlantic HD Sky Cinema Best Of Sky Cinema Classics Sky Cinema Fun Sky Cinema Premieren Sky Cinema Premieren +24 Sky Cinema Special HD Sky Cinema Thriller HD Sky Comedy Sky Crime Sky Documentaries Sky Family Sky Krimi Sky Nature sky replay sky showcase Sky Sport Austria SKY Sport F1 Sky Sport Golf Sky Sport HD 1 Sky Sport HD 2 Sky Sport Mix Sky Sport News Sky Sport Premier Leaque Sky Sport Tennis Sky Sport Top Event sonnenklar.TV Sony Channel SPIEGEL Geschichte SPORT1 SPORT1+ sportdigital SRF 1 SRF zwei STAR TV SUPER RTL SWR/SR Syfy tagesschau24 TELE 5 TLC TOGGO plus Trace TV travelxp 4K Turkmax Gurme tv.berlin TV2 TV5 Monde UHD1 Universal Channel HD VH1 Classic VOX VOXup Warner TV Comedy Warner TV Film Warner TV Serie WDR WELT Welt der Wunder ZDF ZDFinfo ZDFneo
Who's in Group G?

Real Madrid (ESP)

 UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2016/17): 1

 How they qualified: holders/first in Spanish Liga

 Previous group stage campaigns: 21 (last appearance: 2016/17)

 Last season: UEFA Champions League winners

 Best European Cup performance: winners x 12 (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17)

Borussia Dortmund (GER)

 UEFA coefficient ranking: 7

 How they qualified: third in German Bundesliga

 Previous group stage campaigns: 11 (last appearance: 2016/17)

 Last season: UEFA Champions League quarter-finals

 Best European Cup performance: winners x 1 (1996/97)

Gareth Bale: Six of his best goals for Real Madrid and Tottenham

Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)

 UEFA coefficient ranking: 20

 How they qualified: second in English Premier League

 Previous group stage campaigns: 2 (last appearance: 2016/17)

 Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage/UEFA Europa League round of 32

 Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (1961/62)

APOEL (CYP)

 UEFA coefficient ranking: 82

 How they qualified: first in Cypriot First Division, play-off winners

 Previous group stage campaigns: 3 (last appearance: 2014/15)

 Last season: UEFA Champions League play-offs/UEFA Europa League round of 16

 Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2011/12)

Matchday one fixtures (Wednesday 13 September)

Real Madrid v APOEL

Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund

Key facts

 This is the second year in a row that Madrid and Dortmund have played in the group stage  in 2016/17 the teams played out two 2-2 draws. The matchday six draw in Spain left Dortmund first in the group, eventual champions Madrid second.

 Madrid beat Dortmund in the 2013/14 quarter-finals (3-0 home, 0-2 away) having lost 4-3 on aggregate to the German club in the semi-finals the previous season (1-4 away, 2-0 home).

 Overall Madrid and Dortmund have met 12 times, Madrid winning four matches to Dortmund's three, with the remaining five draws.

 Madrid ended Tottenham's first UEFA Champions League campaign, winning 5-0 on aggregate in the 2010/11 quarter-finals.

 Gareth Bale made 146 Premier League appearances for Tottenham between 2007 and 2013, scoring 42 goals  including 21 in his final season in 2012/13, at the end of which he moved to Madrid.

 Dortmund eliminated Tottenham in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League round of 16, winning the home first leg 3-0 before a 2-1 success in London.

 APOEL's odyssey to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2011/12 was ended by Madrid, who won 3-0 in Cyprus and 5-2 in Spain.

 APOEL have never played Dortmund or Tottenham.
Bui Trong Kham sued Sony for almost $24,000 (Illustration photo)

Customer submits hefty claim

According to Kham, on October 2, 2014, he bought a Sony KDL 42 W700 television from an agency of Sony in Pham Ngu Lao street, Hai Duong province. The warranty period was 24 months after the TV was bought.

On July 10, 2015, the TV broke down and he promptly called the Sony warranty centre in Hai Duong and the centres employees came out and fixed the problem. However, on September 21, 2015, his TV broke down once again. The centres employees came, took some pictures of the TV and said that the information and pictures would be forwarded to the warranty centre.

Two days later, on September 23, 2015, the Sony warranty centre called Kham and refused to fix the TV, saying that Kham allowed liquid damage to the TV. Sonys warranty staff informed Kham that it would cost VND7.345 million ($323) to fix his TV at home and VND6.9 million ($303.6) to fix it at the Sony warranty centre.

Kham declined Sonys offer and in the afternoon of September 23, 2015, he personally visited the centre expecting to arrange a better solution, but Sony was unwilling to change its decision.

Afterwards, in December 2015, Kham once again visited the centre, this with his lawyer, asking for a free repair of his TV but was declined.

Saying that his contractual rights were violated, in 2016, Kham sued Sony and asked for a temporarily estimated compensation of VND172 million ($7,568). His petition was sent to the District 1 Peoples Court, Ho Chi Minh City, where Sonys headquarters are located.

The lawsuit was considered a requirement of compensation that had not been specified in the contract between the parties, in accordance with Article 30(1d) and the Article 41 of the Civil Procedure Code 2015. The District 1 Peoples Court transferred the lawsuits petition and other related materials and evidence to the Cam Giang Peoples Court in Cam Giang district, Hai Duong province, where Kham lives.

According to the additional petition submitted on June 21, 2017, Kham said that the lawsuit and Sonys behaviour during the last 21 months caused him mental stress and trauma. Thus, he claimed an additional compensation of VND210 million ($9,240). In total, Khams claim against Sony stands at VND542.3 million ($23,861), including the cost of the TV, the preparation of the necessary documents, litigation fees, and the compensation for mental stress.

Where does the fault lie?

Kham sued Sony based on Article 8 of the Law on Protection of Consumers Rights as he accused Sony of violating its warranty policy.

During the mediation process, Sony denied violating its warranty policy. Right after being notified by Kham, the company dispatched employees to check the device for warranty.

In September 2015, the second time Khams TV was broken again, company employees found the inside of the TV rusty and made appropriate records which Kham also confirmed in the service paper. According to Article 7(2) of the warranty policy, Sony can refuse warranty for liquid damage.

Sony added that it had offered Kham a free warranty at its warranty centre for his TV this time and no more time later. However, Kham declined the offer, which Sony considered as a refusal to get a warranty for his TV.

Sony maintains that it does not lie to customers. Its deal with Kham was featured in the papers and there had not been any private deals between the two parties. Thus, Sony protested Khams compensation claim.

As the sides cannot reach a mutual agreement, the instance trial will take place on August 30, 2017.
Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet (L) and Indonesian President Bambang Yudhoyono inspect guards of honor, Hanoi, October 27, 2010  Photo: VNA

The Vietnamese Head of State made the commitment during the talks with his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who is paying an official visit to Vietnam.

The two leaders discussed solutions to lift the two countries friendly ties and cooperation to a new level, especially in such fields as economics, trade, investment, national defense, agriculture, culture and tourism.

Both Triet and Bambang Yudhoyono determined to maintain peace and stability in the Eastern Sea, strengthen political dialogues, enhance regional integration, and back conflict settlement via peaceful negotiations.

Vietnamese State President Nguyen Minh Triet (R) and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (L) witness the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on Sea and Fish Farming, Hanoi, October 27, 2010  Photo: VNA

There are wide doors for Vietnamese and Indonesian businesses to shake hands in the domains of trade and industry, said Triet while adding that Vietnam is eager to cooperate with Indonesia in coal and petroleum exploitation.

The Vietnamese State President suggested the two sides spur linkages in agriculture, food security, culture and tourism.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono congratulated Vietnam for her successful Presidency of ASEAN in 2010 and expressed his aspiration to seek experience and assistance from Vietnam in 2011 when his country takes the position.

Right after the talks, the leaders witnessed the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on sea issues and fish farming between the two governments, and another MoU on national defense cooperation and related activities.
This picture taken from the Twitter account of Matt Vincent, shows policemen stand guarding the streets outside Buckingham Palace in London, on Aug 25, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Matt Vincent)

This picture taken from the Twitter account of Matt Vincent, shows policemen stand guarding the streets outside Buckingham Palace in London, on Aug 25, 2017. (Photo: AFP/Matt Vincent)

The attacker, believed to be aged in his early twenties, stopped his car near a police vehicle outside the world famous palace at around 8.35pm (1935 GMT), according to a Metropolitan Police statement.

"Officers spotted a large knife in his vehicle and went to arrest him," said the statement. "During the course of detaining the man, two male police officers suffered minor injuries to their arm."

The officers required hospital treatment, according to police, who said it was too early to say whether the attack was an act of terrorism.

The attack comes with Britain and much of Europe on high alert following a string of major attacks over the past two years, most of which have been claimed by, or blamed on jihadists:

In Britain alone a total of 35 people have been killed three attacks in London and Manchester since March. Two of those involved a vehicle ploughing into pedestrians.

The other attack was a bombing in May at a pop concert by US star Ariana Grande in the Manchester which killed 22 people including children..

'BRAVE ACTIONS OF OFFICERS'

The assailant in Friday's attack was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault and taken by to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He will then be taken to a London police station for questioning.

"The quick and brave actions of both officers meant that the suspect was detained very quickly," said police officer Guy Collings.

"No members of the public had any interaction with this individual at the scene. It is too early in this investigation to speculate any further."

Social media users posted videos of a fleet of police cars and ambulances outside the palace, with the surrounding roads sealed off as police searched the area.

Twitter user Amir Jan Malik wrote: "Stuck outside Buckingham palace with many armed police officers. Heavy rifles on display traffic at a halt."

Eyewitness Kiana Williamson told the Press Association that "there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

"They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back," she said. "The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road.

"I didn't see the car driving but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eye witness had said that he had driven towards the police car," she added.

The incident occurred just two hours after a knifeman attacked two soldiers in Brussels in what authorities are treating as a terrorist attack.

The Queen was at her Balmoral residence in Scotland, although the palace said it would not comment on security issues.
The Ministry of Finance plans to cut import taxes on auto parts, in line with the World Trade Organisations rules. - Photo bnews.vn

Its WTO commitments require Viet Nam to maintain a tax level on import auto components between zero per cent and 30 per cent. Officials say the tax changes will also serve domestic interests.

Speaking at a press conference at Smart Industry World 2017 in Ha Noi on Wednesday, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade o Thang Hai said the import tax cuts would bolster auto production in Viet Nam by leveling the playing field between imported vehicles and vehicles made in the country with imported parts.

Automakers said that they had not received much support from the State, but the Governments coming document will create fair play for businesses, Hai said, according to plo.vn. Automakers and auto assemblers only need to be treated as fairly as auto importers.

The automakers have invested thousand, even dozen thousand billions of ong , but there is still an unreasonable thing that the import tax on auto parts is higher than that of complete built-up units, said Hai.

In a draft document currently being sent to relevant ministries, sectors and associations to collect ideas, the finance ministry presents two methods for implementing the tax cuts, which will apply to parts that are used to assemble cars with nine seats or fewer and trucks with capacity of five tonnes and below in Viet Nam. The document will be submitted to the Prime Minister for approval in the future and would be in effect from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2022.

In the ministrys first proposed method, the import tariffs on 163 auto parts will be down to zero per cent. Accordingly, the average tariff of the set of auto components will be reduced from 14-16 per cent to 7 per cent for the nine-seat cars and to 1 per cent for trucks.

In the second method, the ministry wants to decrease import tariffs on 19 parts including engine, gear-box, automatic transmission system and fuel injection pump, which are not produced in Viet Nam, from 3-50 per cent currently to 0 per cent. Under this plan, the average import tax on the set of auto components would decrease from 14-16 per cent to 9-11 per cent for cars and to 7.9 per cent for trucks.

According to the finance ministry, both methods encourage businesses to manufacture and assemble autos locally. Officials say the cuts would increase competitiveness with imported cars, support the local industry, increase domestic consumption and promote exports.

Comparing the two methods, the ministry said the first method would help automakers cut costs more significantly than the second method.

The first method would decrease total import taxes on components for both kinds of vehicles by an estimated VN5.23 trillion (US$229.79 million). It would result in VN535 billion more in corporate income as production increased. As for the second method, the total import tax would be reduced by VN3.5 trillion and corporate income would increase by VN535 billion.

Requirements for automakers

To benefit from the tax cuts, the ministry said the automakers would have to reach an annual growth rate of 16-18 per cent and 40 per cent of production value must be accrue locally, in line with the national automobile industry development programme. Automakers that dont hit the targets will pay higher taxes on imported parts.

Manufacturers of cars must reach an annual growth rate of 16 per cent, with a minimum output of 34,000 units by 2018. Output must rise steadily each year to hit 61,000 units by 2022.

With this requirement, the ministry said three may be already qualified to join in the programme. According to the Tien Phong (Vanguard) Newspaper, they are Toyota Motor Viet Nam, Hyundai Thanh Cong and the Truong Hai Automobile Corporation.

As for trucks, the ministry requires the manufacturers to achieve an annual growth rate of 18 per cent, with a minimum output of 8,000 units in 2018, raised to 15,000 by 2020.

There may be one business qualified under these regulations, said the ministry.

Autos must also meet emissions and fuel consumption standards. The cars are required to have engine displacement of 2,000cc and below, meaning they must be relatively fuel efficient. The cars must also consume less than seven litres to travel 100km, and cars and trucks must meet strict European exhaust emission standards.
A polar bear tests the strength of thin sea ice in the Arctic. (Photo: AFP/Mario Hoppman)

When a group of tourists on a snowmobile expedition in May spotted a bear standing still, 900m away, their guide decided to approach the predator to take a closer look.

The animal, spotted on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, fled the scene.

"The regulations say that it is forbidden to approach polar bears in such a way that they are disturbed, regardless of the distance," the Svalbard governor's office said in a statement.

Located 1,600 km from the North Pole and twice the size of Belgium, Svalbard is, according to 2015 state figures, home to nearly 1,000 polar bears, a protected species since 1973.

Five deadly attacks on people have been recorded in about 40 years.
Unlike the North Asian markets of China, Taiwan and the Republic of Korea, which posted robust growth, online commerce is still dwarfed by other non-digital channels in the Vietnamese market where its development faces numerous challenges.

Across Asia, the report said consumers focus most on convenience  either digital or physical proximity  when it comes to purchasing FMCGs.

However, in Vietnam the convenience of digital technology and the use of the internet or smartphones to place orders does not outweigh the benefit of physical proximity of stopping by a brick and mortar store to purchase FMCGs.

In other words, shoppers in Vietnam find it more convenient to stop by a physical convenience store and make their purchases rather than bother placing an order online and dealing with the hassles of payment and delivery.

Modern convenient store chains such as Vinmart, independent (non-chain) minimarkets and traditional mom and pop shops are still perceived by most Vietnamese shoppers as more expedient.

In terms of growth, these latter physical channels far outperformed ecommerce in terms of growth rates over the past five years, said the report.

The findings of the report are consistent with findings of the Vietnam Ecommerce and Information Technology Agency, which reported that last year only 6% of metropolitan households in the country shopped online for FMCG products.

The numbers of shoppers who purchase FMCGs online remains markedly low even though according to the Agencys estimates, 94% of urban households and 69% of rural households across Vietnam have access to the web.

The figures of the Agency and the Kantar Worldpanel report both support the opinion of most experts that say there is absolutely no correlation between the number of people in a country such as Vietnam that have access to the internet and the amount of ecommerce purchases.

These authorities do, however, support the proposition that there is a high correlation between wealth and online sales.

During an ideal purchase at a physical brick and mortar retailer, store associates play a vital role in engaging with customers by creating personal and memorable experiences, which generates retail customer loyalty and goodwill.

It is the store associates advice, feedback and recommendations, according to these authorities, that drive shopper sales and keep them returning to purchase their FMCGs on a regular basis.

Notably, shoppers with lower incomes tend to be more appreciative of store associates than their well-to-do counterparts.

Wealthy customers on the other hand feel that most sales and service staff do not make positive connections with them, and as a result, they prefer to bypass them altogether by shopping online.

The more affluent Vietnamese shoppers also have a propensity to select international imported FMCG brands because they perceive them as of higher quality.

The costlier international brands are generally not stocked in local metropolitan brick and mortar stores and consequently the wealthier are forced to order them on the internet as it is their only option.
The Dangerous Side-Effects of Plastics, and How to Minimize Their Toxic Impact

Plastics are not only an environmental disaster; these man-made conveniences introduced a century ago are also harming our physical and mental health. Phthalates  chemical compounds used to make plastic more flexible and durable  are found in more products than you might imagine, and have become the human bodys
Florida Welcome Centers

Planning a visit to Florida? Be sure to stop by one of the state's welcome centers for information, maps - and a free cup of Florida citrus juice.

Since 1949, millions of auto travelers entering Florida along the major thoroughfares have found a warm greeting at the Official Florida Welcome Centers. In addition to the traditional cup of complimentary Florida citrus juice, these visitors have found friendly, informative staff people and a vast assortment of brochures promoting all the state has to offer.



Today, that tradition continues at the Official Florida Welcome Centers located on I-10 west of Pensacola, I-75 at Jennings (near Lake City) and I-95 north of Yulee (near Jacksonville). Another center is located at the west entrance of the State Capitol Building in Tallahassee. Each center is staffed by personnel who have undergone rigorous training to receive national Information Specialist certification. Along with in-person information, Welcome Center visitors learn about the states diverse destinations.



In an effort to build on the success of our hospitality and demonstrate our desire to further welcome visitors traveling with small children, each of the three highway Welcome Centers has a designated area for visitors traveling with children. VISIT FLORIDA Kid's Corner offers a "play" area to educate and entertain the children.



The Official Florida Welcome Centers also provide Official Florida Transportation Maps to all visitors (or click here to order a map and VISIT FLORIDA Magazine in advance of your visit).



Our highway Welcome Centers offer clean, well maintained restroom facilities and all are handicapped accessible. Vending machines and payphones are on-site. Designated areas in each parking lot accommodate large bus, RV and truck parking.
Photo: Big Machine Records/GMA/Twitter

Whether you love or loathe Taylor Swifts return-from-the-media-silence single Look What You Made Me Do  we like to think of it as Disney villain karaoke  itll likely be all anyone talks about over the next few weeks, especially with the songs accompanying music video debuting at the MTV Video Music Awards this Sunday. To psych up her legion of fans, Swift teased a snippet of the video on her social-media accounts, which features the songstress in a black-leotard ensemble flanked by a group of backup dancers in an opulent room. Interestingly, this brief moment got many people scratching their heads: Was she trying to pull a Beyonce in Formation? Twitter took notice with many quips.

"My daddy Pennsylvania,

momma from Pennsylvania,

You mix that Pennsyl with a Vania I am from Pennylvaniaaaa" pic.twitter.com/uJZ2K9fJX7  Marcia Belsky (@MarciaBelsky) August 25, 2017

While the comparisons were nothing more than jokey social-media speculation at the time, it has now actually gained major traction: The director of Look What You Made Me Do, industry veteran Joseph Kahn, took to social media to flatly deny that he looked at Beys Lemonade visuals for inspiration. Ive worked with Beyonce a few times. Shes an amazing person. The # LWYMMDvideo is not in her art space. Love and respect to Bey, he tweeted. Also theres something to that Formation shot I painted out and you havent seen yet. Stay tuned Sunday.

I've worked with Beyonce a few times. She's an amazing person. The #LWYMMDvideo is not in her art space. Love and respect to Bey.  Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) August 26, 2017

Also there's something to that "formation" shot I painted out and you haven't seen yet. Stay tuned Sunday :)#LWYMMDvideo#SneakyAsian  Joseph Kahn (@JosephKahn) August 26, 2017

At least Swift has Right Said Fred fans on her side?
The Central Texas Choral Society will hold fall auditions from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at Central United Methodist Church, 5740 Bagby Ave.

The community choir will perform a concert of choral classics on Nov. 13 and will be involved with the Sing-A-Long Messiah at Seventh & James Baptist Church in December.

To sign up for an audition, email centraltexaschoralsociety@yahoo.com.

Storytelling Guild meeting

The Heart of Texas Storytelling Guild will meet from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at the South Waco Library, 2737 S. 18th St. A youth meeting will follow from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The guild meets monthly to learn, tell and listen to stories.

For more information, contact Vivian Rutherford at 717-1763.

NAACP Homecoming

Everyone is invited to the Waco NAACPs Homecoming night at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Texas Ranger Education Center, 100 Texas Ranger Trail. The event is free. Call 733-5261 for more information.

Submit items in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com.

Rotary meeting

The Waco Rotary Club meeting Monday will include a visit from Rotary District Gov. Gene Holiman. The meeting will be from noon to 1 p.m. at the Lions Den, 1716 N. 42nd St. and cost $10. For more information, call 776-2115.

Long term care seminar

The Area Agency on Aging of the Heart of Texas will have a legal seminar titled Long Term Care: Essential Documents and How to Survive Financially from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday. The event is free, but space is limited. Call 292-1843 to reserve a spot.

Disaster preparedness

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District and the Communication Axess Ability Group will partner to present a training on disaster preparedness for the deaf, hard of hearing and late-deafened. The free training program will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Public Health District building, 225 W. Waco Drive.

For real-time captions or a voice interpreter please call 512-481-7700. Requests must be received by noon Friday.

Submit items in printed or typed form to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco 76702-2588; fax to 757-0302; or email to goingson@wacotrib.com.
Manuel Mendez could be just another line worker at Cocos as he uses a funnel to shape a cup full of fluffy shaved ice, then drenches it in neon-bright syrup.

In fact, hes the boss of the place.

Thirteen years after opening Cocos on Bosque Boulevard, he has opened an imposing new flagship store at 2324 W. Waco Drive, adding a frozen yogurt buffet to his menu of ice cream and snow cones with flavors such as tiger blood and the bright green Incredible Hulk.

But hes still a hands-on entrepreneur, same as he was more than two decades ago when he quit his factory job and bought a fleet of used ice cream trucks.

Now he is hoping to expand an already loyal fan base in Waco and beyond.

Were going to try to expand to other cities, maybe even Austin and Dallas, he said.

The Waco Drive location opened to large crowds Aug. 16 and has seen steady traffic since then, especially after school hours. The 2,500-square-foot store has plenty of indoor seating, unlike the original location 3824 Bosque Blvd., a tiny former gas station that has outdoor seating only.

Both locations offer wooden playgrounds for younger children.

Mendez said he thinks the Waco Drive business is unique in offering shaved ice and frozen yogurt both through a drive-thru window and a self-serve yogurt bar, including a choice of candy, nuts and fruit.

Mendez said he has seen some of his longtime customers come by the new location, but the original location continues to do a brisk business.

We get different traffic here, he said. Its not far from Bosque, but its a different traffic flow. I was a little afraid people were going to move away from the original Cocos, but that hasnt happened.

Among the new customers who discovered Cocos this week was Melissa McDaniel, a nurse and mother of three young children. She met up after school and work on Thursday with her friend, Sarah Dodds.

I like it, especially with the playground, she said, adding that she would be back.

Dodds, a stay-at-home mom, said she likes the wide selection of snow cones, ice cream and frozen yogurt, as well as the playground for her children, ages 4 and 8.

They need a place to burn the sugar off, she said.

Mendez is partnering on the new Cocos with local businessman Enrique Medina, who bought the land along with the adjacent El Ranchito restaurant building a couple of years ago.

Medina, a McGregor roofer, built the new building to lease to the business, which itself is now a partnership between Medina and Mendez.

Mendez said they were hoping to open the new location before summer started, but delays in permitting and subcontracting led to a late summer opening.

But Mendez is used to success taking time. He built his business with equal parts hard work and frugality, even to the point of selling his house to start the first Cocos debt-free.

He named Cocos based on his memories growing up in the coastal town of Sonsonate, El Salvador.

There were coconut trees everywhere, Mendez said. I miss it sometimes. I miss the pupusas (stuffed tortillas) and the fresh coconuts.

But his home country was a place of brutal violence in his teen years, as the decade-long civil war raged between leftist guerrillas and government militias.

Back at that time, I remember, if you go to the Army and say, That guy is a guerrilla, theyd come the next day and get him, Mendez said. They didnt ask questions. Same thing with the guerrillas, if you told them someone was with the Army.

In 1986, the 18-year-old Mendez fled to the U.S., where his brother was working on a visa. He said he came illegally but later got amnesty through the Reagan-era Immigration Reform and Control Act. He now has a green card and is able to travel back to El Salvador to see his family.

Mendez worked for several years at a Waco cardboard company, often working overtime on weekends. In 1993, he quit to start his ice cream truck business, working as a driver and hiring other drivers.

I did that about 10 years, he said. I got to know Waco like the palm of my hand.  It was a lot of work.

He also branched out into Killeen, which lacked ice cream trucks and turned out to be ripe for his business.

I try to find those places where nobody else goes, Mendez said.

By 2004, he was ready for a job with less driving. He saw the old gas station on Bosque Boulevard was for lease, and he contacted owner Clifford Allen. Mendez painted it with bright colors and installed a playground and a fake palm tree.

When I opened on Bosque, a lot of neighbors congratulated me, he said. They said you bring color to this neighborhood.

Mendez runs the business with his wife and his son, Ulysses, who will run the Waco Drive location.

Waco city Councilman Dillon Meek, who lives around the corner on Austin Avenue, said he has already been to the new Cocos a couple of times for an after-dinner treat.

I love everything about Cocos, Meek said. I couldnt be more thrilled for them to be in the location where they are. I think Waco Drive continues to be a critical corridor, and its good to see positive businesses going in there. Its going to be a neighborhood hub for Sanger Heights, Austin Avenue and Brookview.
For years, residents have hoped the Texas-based Pappas family would bring one of its popular restaurants to Waco, either Pappadeaux, Pappasitos Cantina, Pappas Seafood House or Pappas Bros. Steakhouse, just to name those mentioned most.

Those dining options seemingly always make the list when people talk about what Waco needs or wants.

Local real estate agent Bland Cromwell has said he once invited a Pappas brother to Waco, gave him the grand tour of the city and touted what he considered some of the prime development sites.

As Cromwell tells it, the Pappas family member was polite but mentioned his doubts about whether Waco could support the chains lunchtime price points. Dinner? Any restaurant in the Pappas chain likely would attract a sizable evening crowd, but lunch was a sticking point that neither Cromwell nor other local suitors have overcome.

But Cromwell said during a recent interview hes going to take another stab at enticing the Pappas clan to reconsider the city. Much has changed since he last put on a full-court press, he said. Baylor Universitys McLane Stadium now rises gleaming on the banks of Lake Brazos; downtown has come alive with new shops, restaurants and lofts, with promises of more development to come; and Magnolia Market, Fixer Upper and Chip and Joanna Gaines have become national hits.

The Dallas-based Stainback Organization is also taking steps to develop a 200-acre site on Interstate 35, right across the highway from Central Texas Marketplace. Chairman and CEO Kent Stainback, a Baylor University graduate, reportedly joined Cromwell in meeting recently with Waco City Manager Dale Fisseler, among others, to talk in general terms about what they envision for the development.

Fisseler said he was impressed with the presentation. Cromwell said some head-turning, upscale names in the retail industry are being tossed around, and Kent Stainback is pursuing prospects like someone on a mission. He expects exciting announcements in 60 to 90 days.

With that scenario as the backdrop, Cromwell said he believes the Pappas family would look with favor on joining Wacos momentum. He said interstate traffic would generate potential customers from all over, a good percentage of whom could afford steak or seafood at the noon hour.

P.F. Changs

The Tribune-Herald reported last week that P.F. Changs will open a restaurant on the lake at Legends Crossing, the upscale development at West Loop 340 and Interstate 35 that already features a Chuys, a Saltgrass Steak House and a Heitmillers.

Many readers mentioned P.F. Changs affiliation with Pei Wei, a chain with a location near Valley Mills and Waco drives.

True, P.F. Changs launched Pei Wei in 2000, hoping to make inroads in the fast-casual industry. It has grown to having a presence in more than 200 markets, making it comparable in size to P.F. Changs, and both are headquartered in Arizona.

P.F. Changs creates a more formal setting for dining on dishes prepared on a wok heated to 2,000 degrees, according to the chains website.

P.F. Changs, by the way, is named for founders Paul Fleming and Philip Chang. Besides serving entrees such as Chicken Lettuce Wraps, a favorite of several people who have written emails, P.F. Changs offers Asian beers, sake, specialty drinks and espresso.

It is expected to open in Legends Crossing next summer.

Pinot, Pizza & Policy

The public is invited to a meeting called Pinot, Pizza & Policy at 5 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce headquarters downtown, according to a press release from the chamber.

Speakers are Waco Mayor Kyle Deaver and local attorney Rick Brophy, who chairs the Waco Business League Appointed Office Committee.

They will discuss the work of the Governors Office of Appointments and the process for being named to boards and commissions in the city of Waco.

For more information, call Jessica Attas at 757-5600. Registration is appreciated but not required.
The judge presiding over what is scheduled to be the first Twin Peaks biker trial postponed for a week the reporting date for a panel of 600 potential jurors after a contentious hearing in the case Thursday.

Judge Ralph Strother of Wacos 19th State District Court ordered the potential jurors to report Sept. 1 to be impaneled and to fill out questionnaires. The group had been set to report Friday morning.

While he postponed the date of impaneling, Strother kept the Sept. 12 date for jury selection in Christopher Jacob Carrizals trial to begin, despite motions to stay the proceedings from Carrizals attorney and her promises to file an 11th-hour motion to recuse Strother from presiding over the trial.

The judge has previously referred to a Sept. 11 start date for the trial, but since its scheduling, jury selection has been expected to start Sept. 12. Jury panels typically report on Mondays, but the courthouse cant accommodate the large Twin Peaks panel at the same time as panels for other cases.

Like recent hearings in the Carrizal case, prosecutors, defense attorney Casie Gotro and the judge exchanged arguments Thursday that grew more heated as the hearing progressed.

Strother ordered Gotro and Carrizal to be in court Thursday morning after neither showed up for a hearing earlier this week. The judge threatened to revoke his bond if Carrizal, Dallas chapter president of the Bandidos motorcycle group, failed to appear Thursday.

Gotro continued to assert that prosecutors have failed to produce evidence she needs to prepare for trial and criticized the judge for not ordering the state to comply with her subpoenas for records in the complex case.

McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna and his first assistant, Michael Jarrett, renewed their assurances to the court that they have given Gotro and other attorneys representing the 154 other Twin Peaks defendants all the evidence and other materials that they are entitled to and that is available.

Gotro insisted that four videos from the Department of Public Safety that she only received last week after repeated requests contain evidence favorable to her client.

Jarrett quickly objected, saying it is not realistic to think that anything on the tapes is exculpatory.

Gotro said she cant be ready to proceed with jury selection until she is convinced the state has provided the evidence she is entitled to, hinting that the state is committing prosecutorial misconduct.

Gotro also went after the judge, saying she feels like Carrizal has no judge in his case and that she is going up against two prosecutors. She charged the judge with favoring the prosecution and said she will file a motion to recuse Strother.

No recusal motion had been filed by the end of the work day Thursday.

I am bending over backward to make sure everybody gets a fair trial, Strother said.

The judge asked Gotro on several occasions what specific evidence she thinks she is not being provided by the state. She answered only that the information she seeks is outlined in her subpoenas.

So where it the name of God does that leave us? a frustrated Strother asked. What are we supposed to do about tomorrow and the jury panel? How do we ever get to the point that we can ever go to trial in this matter?

As the debate grew more contentious, Strother asked the parties to meet with him in his chambers. Gotro said she wanted her client with her in the judges office and asked that the meeting be recorded by a court reporter.

Strother agreed. The group met behind closed doors for about 45 minutes, and the judge announced the postponement of the jury impaneling.

Gotro gave the court assurances last week that she would be ready for the Sept. 12 trial date. However, if she files a recusal motion and a subsequent application for writ of mandamus with Wacos 10th Court of Appeals in an attempt to get the court to order the release of the evidence she feels she lacks, that trial date could be in limbo.
Local and state leaders are backing a plan that would convert the vacant former Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center into a state-owned mental health facility, a proposal that could ease a statewide mental health crisis and add 1,000 new jobs to the area.

Trying to reverse a troubling trend that has left shortages in mental health beds across the state, Texas lawmakers appropriated $300 million during the past session to upgrade inpatient mental health services.

Charles Smith, executive commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, has recommended that $1 million of that go toward buying the former Hillcrest hospital building on Herring Avenue and another $1 million go to architects, consultants and others to draft plans to renovate the nine-floor, 600,000 square-foot facility.

If plans go as local officials hope, the state will buy the facility this year, then the Legislature will appropriate $65 million in the next legislative session to turn the vacant building into a 339-bed mental health hospital. The facility could become one of the 10 largest employers in Central Texas over the next four to six years, officials said.

Led by State Rep. Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco, the proposal has been driven by Baylor Scott & White Waco President Glenn Robinson, McLennan County Judge Scott Felton, Waco City Manager Dale Fisseler, Baylor Scott & White board member and civic leader Lyndon Olson Jr., Waco businessman Bill Clifton and Heart of Texas MHMR officials.

We have been planning and we have been hoping this would come to fruition, Robinson said. We learned early in this past session that the Legislature was doing a great amount of work to develop appropriations to expand mental health beds. So we contacted Doc, and he just immediately wrapped his arms around the project.

In less than a week after Anderson got to work on the proposal, the deputy commissioner for Health and Human Services, a chief nursing officer and an operations director at state mental hospitals and the architect who works with the state on medical facility renovations spent a full day touring the Herring Avenue facility. Afterward, they made favorable recommendations to the executive commissioner, Robinson said.

The HHS commissioner could not be reached for comment Friday.

Sale proposal

Robinson said Baylor Scott & White is proposing to sell the building and about 14 acres of land to the state for $975,000. Robinson said Baylor Scott & White promised city of Waco officials it would demolish the building if it still is vacant in 2018, about three years after it closed.

Fisseler said the city has extended that deadline and will continue to work with the health care system and the state to try to make the proposal a reality. While city leaders feared what the vacant facility would mean for the surrounding neighborhoods, the proposed mental health hospital will energize the area with psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and other employees looking for homes near the hospital, Fisseler said.

If you think about building a brand new facility somewhere, then the taxpayers and rate payers are on the hook for extending the infrastructure down to it, Fisseler said. What we have here is great infrastructure, and we are actually redoing the water storage facility there, but if you dont re-utilize those things, if it just gets torn down, all that infrastructure is just sitting there basically unused and we have already paid for it. So this really establishes the use of those facilities that the taxpayers and rate payers have already paid for.

Robinson said the proposal makes sense to the state because Texas sorely needs mental health beds to accommodate increasing needs. It is is also getting the facility at a relative bargain because building a new, 300-bed facility would cost a minimum of $300 million, he said.

Anderson said the state could choose to fund the project in stages, so lawmakers wouldnt have to appropriate the entire $65 million at once to renovate the whole building. If they choose to fund a third of the project at first, the number of jobs created would be closer to 300 initially, he said.

HHS officials estimate it would cost $190 million per biennium to operate the facility. According to HHS figures, if the state agency purchases the building but renovation funds are not appropriated, HHS will own the facility and be responsible for upkeep of the vacant building, estimated at a cost of $490,000 per year.

Baylor Scott & White Hillcrest Medical Center moved into its new building near Interstate 35 in 2009. It left behind only its skilled nursing facility, an inpatient rehab facility and outpatient rehab services. Those departments left the building almost two years ago, but officials have left heating and cooling systems on and have a full-time maintenance worker taking care of the facility, Robinson said.

Hospitals, police agencies, city and county jails and mental health care providers have waged an uphill battle for years about what to do with the burgeoning number of people with mental health issues, many with symptoms exacerbated by drug abuse.

Police struggles

When police receive calls about people showing symptoms of mental health problems, even if a person has committed no crime or a minor offense such as criminal trespassing, city and county law enforcement officials struggle with finding facilities to accept them, especially in the states overcrowded mental hospitals.

Officers can be tied up for hours with a mental health patient or be forced to drive for hours at a time to take them to a facility with a bed open.

Up to 30 percent of all patients brought to acute-care hospitals have underlying mental health issues, Robinson said. Those facilities are ill-equipped to care for them, so many patients just wait in emergency rooms across the state for hours or days until another facility is found to accept them, he said.

McLennan County officials have tried to stem the problem by having MHMR officials assisting at the county jail and through a district attorneys office mental health diversion program, designed to keep those with mental health issues who may have committed minor infractions out of the criminal justice system.

That is why the proposed facility in Waco would be so important, Robinson said. It would increase the number of beds available to mental health patients in a centrally located area along a major interstate, he said.

There are eight hospitals in the state providing inpatient psychiatric services to a mix of patients committed under civil or criminal orders. Those include facilities in Austin, Big Spring, El Paso, Rusk, San Antonio, Terrell, Wichita Falls and Harlingen.

The facilities in Austin, El Paso, Wichita Falls, San Antonio and Terrell also provide inpatient psychiatric services to children and adolescents. The North Texas State Hospital in Vernon and the Kerrville State Hospital are maximum-security inpatient facilities for those sent for psychiatric treatment through the criminal justice system, while the Waco Center for Youth provides adolescent residential treatment services, according to HHS.

Transitional facility

The facility in Waco is proposed to be a transitional facility and would not accept patients who have been involved with the criminal justice system, the officials said.

Transitional care is a new model, Robinson said. I can see the Hillcrest Herring campus being that type of care. Patients may have been at another hospital and are getting better. They no longer need acute services and want to get back to loved ones close to them. They would transfer to a transitional facility until they are ready to be released and get back to their loved ones.

Anderson said it is important to legislative leaders that local authorities and the community support the project when they decide whether it will be funded.

Besides being a perfect use for a huge vacant building, the added jobs and other ancillary benefits to the local economy, the new facility also could provide opportunities for area nursing programs, including those at McLennan Community College, Hill College, Temple College and Navarro College, to retool their departments to produce psychiatric nurses and psychiatric technicians, who could go on to work at the facility, officials said.

Baylor Scott & White has its own teaching program in Temple, which could expand its residency program to include the new facility in Waco, Robinson said. The residents could go on to supplement state staffing requirements at the Waco hospital, he said.

Olson and Clifton said mental health issues have been ignored and underfunded by the Legislature for too long, adding that few want to consider the controversial matter until it involves a member of their family. Anderson said the Legislature initially proposed $750 million toward mental health facilities, but that number dwindled to $300 million as the session continued.

Olson credits a major initiative by the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, which spent millions of dollars to fund a comprehensive study over the past five years, to open lawmakers eyes to the mental health crisis.

When you look and see how much consternation there was across this legislative process, and then you see that the one issue that everybody, Republicans, Democrats, all agreed on, was mental health, Olson said. And I think it is probably because mental health is one thing that touches everyone of us in this state.
Jane Godsey

Dec. 11, 1939 - Aug. 17, 2017

Jane Pastor Godsey, 77, died peacefully in the care of her family, friends, and hospice on August 17, 2017 in Waco, Texas.

Jane was born on December 11, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, to Julius W. Pastor and Lillian Thomas Pastor. She lived most of her young life in Florida, graduating from Boca Ciega High School in St. Petersburg. She taught second grade after graduating from the University of Florida in 1961 with a Degree in Education. After moving to Waco in 1977, Jane felt called to work in healthcare. She was employed at Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center for many years making valued friends and memories. Jane was known as "mom" to many people, and her friends and coworkers remember her as a kind and compassionate person who was always there for someone when needed.

Jane will be remembered as a generous individual who loved her friends and family and who was passionate about spending quality time with them. Some of her favorite memories were made on vacation. She loved her trip to Paris with her son and friends, playing the penny slot machines with her friends, and her annual birthday cruise, putting her "toes in the sand" at the beach with the girls. She would also spend weekends cooking and playing games with family.

Jane is survived by her children, Bill Godsey (Richard Seghers) of San Diego, California, Diane Schmaus (Jim) of Robinson, Texas, and Michelle Myers (David) of Robinson, Texas. She is also survived by her four grandchildren: Elizabeth Rodriquez (Eric) of Robinson, Texas, Scott Bray (Julia) of Bryan, Texas, William Schmaus of Robinson, Texas, and James Myers of Robinson, Texas; as well as one great-grandson, Gavin Rodriguez.

A celebration of Jane's life will be from 12 to 4 p.m., Sunday, August 27, at her home. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Jane's life.

The family would like to thank the staff at Providence Health Center, Providence Hospice, St. Catherine's, and the many friends that have reached out to Jane and her family for their support during the past few months.

Memorial donations may be made to the McLennan Community College Foundation, Medical Laboratory Technician scholarship fund.
Estelle Mildred Marek, age 87, of West, passed away on Monday, August 21, 2017 in Waco. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, August 26, at St. Mary's Catholic Church of the Assumption in West. Burial will follow at St. Mary's Cemetery in West. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to West Ambulance Association, St. Catherine's Center, McLennan-Hill Czech Heritage Society, or JCDA Adopted Grandparent Program.
(Deep State Newswire)  Below is a transcript obtained by the National Security Agency and leaked to the totally fake media of a secret meeting held far, far away in New Jersey

[Muffled noises; chairs scraping on concrete; coughing]

Unknown woman: Shall we get started?

Group: God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Anthony Scaramucci: What a load of horses--t.

Reince Priebus: Tony! Weve discussed this. Its important we turn over our recovery to a higher power. Now, please, lets welcome our newest member, Steve.

Steve Bannon: Hi, Im Steve. AND THERE IS NO HIGHER POWER THAN ME. I MADE THIS FREAKING PRESIDENCY POSSIBLE AND I CAN TAKE IT AWAY!

Group: Hello, Steve.

Woman: Um, yes. Well review the 12 steps later...OK, lets get started. Jim, do you want to go first?

James Comey: My name is James Comey and I was fired by Donald Trump.

Group: Hello, James.

Michael Flynn: Hello, testing one, two, three. Testing. Can anyone hear me? Is it on?

Sally Yates: Point of order. I think we start with our name and then that we were fired by Trump.

[Sound of rustling shrubbery; mans voice]: My name is Sean and I was fired by Donald Trump after his popular vote landslide and hugely attended inauguration, which photographs prove if you look at them with one eye closed.

Priebus: Sean, weve all been fired. We dont have to lie anymore.

Scaramucci: My name is Anthony and I was fired by Donald Trump. Its been three f----ing days since I lied.

Group: (Applause) Hello, Anthony.

Yates: Guys, were here to move past our problems, not rehash them. And that was a lie, too, Tony.

Comey: According to my contemporaneous notes, there was no agreement not to rehash problems.

Bannon: To betray me after all I did to get him elected! Probably did it for 30 pieces of silver from Jared.

Priebus: Steve! That kind of anti-Semitic talk is wrong. Independents hate it and we have a mid-term in just over a year.

Chris Christie: Hey guys! I was just wandering around because some idiot closed the beach! And the traffic on the bridge is a killer. Whats going on here?

Yates: Point of order. Governor, this is for people who have been sacked for insufficient loyalty, thrown under the bus or otherwise scapegoated by the president.

Christie: How about being deep-fried and kicked to the curb by him? Does that qualify?

Group: Hello, Chris.

Scaramucci: But it wasnt him! I still support the president 110 percent. It was the g-dd--n lame-stream media that got me fired.

Comey: Can you all promise me no one will get their book out before mine hits the stands?

Yates: Can you all promise me that none of the rest of you will run for Senate before I do?

Priebus: Books? I signed a non-disclosure agreement. [muffled sobbing sound]

Bannon: And if you read it, youll remember it authorizes me to garrote you for even disclosing it exists.

Priebus: Ummmbut now that youre out, Mr. Bannon, youre no longer bound by that? Right?

Christie: Bring it, Dimbart Man. Youll have to get through me to beat up this poor little Priebus kid.

Comey: So many threats. Youd think this was the Gambino crime family.

Scaramucci: They were the best 10 days of my life [sobbing].

Flynn: Is it hot in here? My shirt is itchy.

[Door knocking; unidentified woman speaking]: May we help you?

[Multiple voices]: Were the presidents manufacturing council. Theres another limousine behind us  I think its the council on culture and arts. And a few more behind that one, too. Weve all quit.

Yates: Technically, this group is for those he sacked, not those who quit. Were going to need a lot more chairs if we invite everyone who now feels disappointed, let down or appalled by him since the election.

Priebus: Yeah, several million more chairs, based on the latest polls.

Bannon: Why the hell are we all here? We have nothing in common.

Comey: Well, we all got fired by you-know-who. Sally and I were not loyal enough and threatened to do our jobs.

Sean Spicer: And me, Tony and Reince  am I saying your name right?  we got the axe because we couldnt control the fake news. Or the leaks. Or the things tweeted at 3 a.m. from the White House mens room.

Christie: I wonder if he always planned on tossing me overboard, or Jared just pulled him aside and

Priebus: I went from leader of the Republicans to presidential floor mat and flyswatter. So dont feel special.

Scaramucci: Wait! I think I hear another f---ing limousine parking outside this f---ing place.

Comey: I wonder who his next victim could be  seems like nobody is safe from his sociopathy.

Yates: Is that who I think it is?

Priebus: I think it might be  I would recognize that profile anywhere.

Bannon: I guess there really is no hiding from the past.

[Sound of door opening]

Group: Good evening, Mr. President!

Flynn: Come in base camp. Come in base camp. The package has arrived. Repeat, the package has arrived. Video drop was successful.

[End of transmission]

[P.S.  A thank you to Greg Dauphin for suggesting we assemble this crew.]
Opposition claim surprise move proves Raggi's "negative record" in office.

Rome's mayor Virginia Raggi has appointed Gianni Lemmetti as new budget councillor for the capital, the fourth person in a year to hold the position.

Raggi apparently made the appointment without notifying Andrea Mazzillo, who occupied the role until the mayor's surprise appointment was made on 23 August.

Mazzillo told Italian news agency ANSA that he was unaware he was being replaced and knew nothing of Lemmetti's appointment until Raggi posted the news on her Facebook page.

Lemmetti, who takes control of Rome's budget and accounts, moves to the capital from the Livorno city administration, run by Raggi's anti-establishment Movimento 5 Stelle.

Raggi's latest reshuffle has prompted a storm of criticism from centre-left Partito Democratico politicians who claim it proves a continuation of her "negative record" in office.
New details about the family network that surrounded missing toddler William Tyrrell have been revealed as police stress his foster carers played no part in his disappearance.

Three-year-old William vanished from his foster grandmother's backyard on the NSW mid north coast in 2014.

The disappearance of the toddler in a quiet cul-de-sac in the sleepy town of Kendall sparked an intense and ongoing homicide investigation.

Police now believe William, who was dressed in a Spiderman suit at the time, was abducted while playing outside his grandmother's home.
Solicitor Ron Tait (right) was a long-time friend and associate of Francine McNiff. His son Brett (left), also a solicitor, was mentored by Francine. Credit:Eddie Jim And on Monday, Monash University Vice Chancellor Professor Margaret Gardner will announce that Ms McNiff bequeathed her remaining estate of $3.8 million to her alma mater, Monash University. It is Monash's biggest bequest from an alumnus. Of that, $2 million will establish a Francine McNiff Chair in Criminal Jurisprudence. The unit in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs where millionaire barrister Francine McNiff lived before her 2015 death. Credit:Eddie Jim And $1.8 million will support two PhD students from disadvantaged backgrounds annually to study criminology.

Ron Tait, a friend of Ms McNiff from her time studying law at Monash from 1966, says she stood out for her intellect, her red hair, her vivacity and as one of the few female students. Francine McNiff, pictured in The Age in 1983, after becoming the first woman appointed to a judicial post in Victoria. Credit:Fairfax Photographic After finishing her degree in 1971, she lectured at Monash for 10 years, earning a Master of Laws in 1978. In 1983, age 35, she became the first Victorian woman appointed to a judicial post when made a children's court stipendiary magistrate. She became a criminal barrister in 1987, specialising in sex crime cases.

For seven years, from 2002, she mentored Ron Tait's solicitor son Brett, who was Ms McNiff's associate in many court cases. Brett remembers her talking strategy at cafes during lunch breaks as she chain smoked menthol cigarettes and sipped black tea with lemon. "She would never eat lunch during a trial," he says. Ms McNiff was also a "technophobe" who preferred to use a typewriter and a fax machine. "She wouldn't have a mobile phone so her clerk got her a pager. She would handwrite on stuff you sent her, and send it back," he says, although she wanted a computer towards the end.

Ron says she was respected by all her clients, even underworld figures. He remembers talking to her outside the County Court in William Street one morning in 2004 when notorious criminal Andrew 'Benji' Veniamin approached her. "Veniamin said: 'Hi, Miss NcNiff, how are you?'" Ron says. "To which she replied: 'Fine, Benji, how are you?'" Hours later, Veniamin was shot dead in self defence by gangland identity Mick Gatto.

About six months ago, a woman whom Ms McNiff had successfully defended in the early 1990s on a murder charge (she was acquitted) asked Ron how Ms McNiff was. When told she had passed away, the woman burst into tears, Ron says. Brett Tait says Ms McNiff could, at first, come across as a cold person. "But once you got to know her she was a very warm person. Just extremely private," Brett says. "She didn't socialise. She had a very small group of very close people around her who would do anything for her. "I count myself as one of them."

Ron believes her Monash days in the 1960s were happy ones. The university comprised a much smaller number of buildings surrounded by paddocks, and the law faculty was a close-knit community at a time of anti-Vietnam war protests, when students would hang out at the "Nott" pub and the uni's sole "caf". When he acted as a solicitor in court Ron says "Francine was my criminal barrister of choice, because she was so good. Because her knowledge of the law, of the rules of evidence and whatnot, was spot on." A desperate judge once had his associate discreetly ask her to help write his "charge" to the jury  the speech summing up the evidence  towards the end of a sex crime trial that she was not involved in. She declined. Ron says the bequest to Monash made him smile, given Ms McNiff's terse death notice and no-frills send-off  six people watched her coffin being lowered at Brighton Cemetery. "These scholarship students, their lives will be changed forever because of what she's done," he says.
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten has been criticised for sitting on the fence about Western Australia's share of the GST carve-up, but is now promising to invest in a $1.6 billion Fair Share for WA Fund in a bid to win votes.

WA receives 34 cents for every dollar of GST revenue it collects, and while Labor's policy does not change the current formula, Mr Shorten says it will bring commonwealth funding for the state up to the equivalent of a 70 cent floor.

Mr Shorten says he'll consider the Productivity Commission review findings on the GST. Credit:AAP

Mr Shorten says Labor will also consider the Productivity Commission review findings on the GST.

Under a federal Labor government, the Fair Share for WA Fund will be legislated and include a statutory obligation to invest all proceeds into WA infrastructure projects.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 26, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 26, 2017 | 12:16 AM | PADUCAH, KY

A man was assaulted, an apartment was broken into, and another man was arrested Friday night after a standoff with police.



Deputies from the McCracken County Sheriff's Department were called to Fisher Boulevard in Reidland just after 7 pm because a man had reportedly been assaulted and was unresponsive. They found the man behind an apartment building, and then were notified that a 911 call had been received saying a man had just broken into an apartment in the same complex.



Deputies went to the apartment and found the front door had been kicked in, then barricaded from inside. State Police were called to assist at the scene while deputies made contact with the resident, who said she and three children had barricaded themselves in a bedroom. The woman said the man was still there, and would not let them out.



Reidland Fire Department was called to the scene, and they provided ladders that were used to reach the 2nd floor window to evacuate the woman and children. Once they were out, police continued attempts to get the man to come out peacefully. Eventually, police entered the apartment and found 28-year-old Terry M. Scates of Paducah hiding in a closet. When he began suffering from a medical problem, Scates was taken to a local hospital for treatment, where he remains under guard.



Police determined that Scates assaulted the man outside the apartment building, then broke into the woman's apartment to hide when deputies arrived. When released from the hospital, Scates will face charges of burglary, assault, and unlawful imprisonment. The Sheriff's Department said more charges are possible, and said there are several active warrants for his arrest, including one from a few weeks ago involving a pursuit from southern Illinois into McCracken County.



According the the Sheriff's Department, the woman and children were emotionally shaken from the incident, but were not injured.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 26, 2017 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 26, 2017 | 10:40 AM | PADUCAH, KY

Paducah native Randy Bridges has announced his candidacy for the office of State Representative for the 3rd District Kentucky.



Bridges made the announcement at the Paducah Gazebo Friday evening. A lifetime resident of McCracken County, Bridges said he cherishes the community and what it has to offer, and feels moved to help the area reach its potential.



Bridges said, I love our community and want what is best for every one of us.



Key issues for Bridges include resolving the pension crisis, tax reform for job and business growth, and fighting the drug epidemic he says is, "plaguing our state."



Bridges said, We must use all the assets that our community has to offer such as its proximity to river, roads, and rails, our extensive skilled labor pool, as well as one of the best community colleges and the top chamber of commerce in the nation.



He said the potential is unlimited if everyone unites to move forward, and he hopes this area can be a "great example on how we put partisan politics aside for the greater need and good for our community."



Democrat Gerald Watkins currently represents the 3rd district, but has announced he will not seek another term. As a Republican, Bridges ran against Watkins in 2014.



Part of McCracken County is represented by this office, with other parts of the county included in districts 1 and 3.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 26, 2017 | 12:49 AM | MAYFIELD, KY





A woman was briefly able to elude being arrested in Mayfield on Friday.Deputies from the Graves County Sheriff's Department went to a home on 17th Street to serve an arrest warrant on 29-year-old Brittany Yonts. They found her and 60-year-old David McCampbell there, and he had a knife. McCampbell began struggling with deputies as they tried to disarm him, and Yonts ran out the back door. She was detained by another deputy, but as both deputies tried to restrain McCampbell, Yonts ran away again and wasn't immediately found.McCampbell was arrested and charged with trafficking in a controlled substance - methamphetamine, two counts of assault 3rd degree on an officer, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance - cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and disorderly conduct.Deputies eventually found Yonts at a Mayfield home about 9:30 pm Friday and she was arrested. She faces charges of escape, tampering with evidence, theft by unlawful taking and possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine.Both people were taken to Graves County Jail.
BISMARCK, N.D.  A Minnesota towing and hauling company is teaming up with a Plains farm aid nonprofit this weekend to ship tons of hay to about a dozen drought-stricken ranchers in North Dakota.

Beyer Towing in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, and Farm Rescue have organized a convoy of 14 semi-loads of hay on Saturday and another half-dozen on Sunday. The cattle feed being sold at a reduced price will be trucked about 225 miles from Rothsay, Minnesota, to Menoken, North Dakota.

Justin Beyer, part of the family owned towing operation, arranged for the hay from Minnesota farmers and also for the trucking.

We were just spit-balling, talking about it at lunch one time, and all of a sudden weve got 20 loads of hay going to North Dakota, said Beyer, who will drive one of the trucks himself.

North Dakota-based Farm Rescue provides services including crop planting and harvesting and hay-hauling for farmers in need in both Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, eastern Montana and Nebraska. The nonprofit is providing two trucks for the convoy and paying for fuel, with the help of a $50,000 anonymous donation.

Its just a collection of efforts to get the hay over, Farm Rescue Operations Director Carol Wielenga said. This is a huge financial burden off the farmers. They can either buy more hay with the money theyre saving or not sell off so many cattle.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows 63 percent of North Dakota in some form of drought. Nearly one-fourth of the state is in extreme or exceptional drought, the two worst categories. Many ranchers have been forced to sell off cattle because they have no hay crop or cant afford to buy hay with demand pushing prices to as high as double the normal cost.

State officials this week approved $1.5 million in aid to help North Dakota ranchers with hay-hauling costs. Farm Rescue also has been helping ranchers in the region as donations allow.

We have about 100 applications in, and about 150 ranchers have contacted us, Wielenga said. Were just getting started.
WABASHA  At the close of the fourth public comment period on U.S. Corps of Engineers dredging plans, U.S. Sen. Al Franken visited to get a closer look at the issue.

Franken, D-Minn., was one of several senators included in a letter to the Corps asking them to reconsider their plans over the summer.

The senator met with concerned home and land owners along River View Drive South and along County Road 30 adjacent to where dredged material would be stored over the 40-year course of the plan.

Mark Jarstad, who has had his house along what would become a truck route and a stones throw from the planned sand deposit since 1986, told Franken the plan couldnt be worse for the people in the area.

(The Corps) couldnt have picked a better area ... if you wanted to adversely affect as many people as you can, Jarstad said.

The plan would increase truck traffic by an estimated 70 trucks per hour going in and out of the neighborhood during the hauling period each year, along with the additional air and noise pollution caused by the diesel trucks and large, remaining piles of sediment, the city said.

While the hauling period is 75 days, the Corps plan is estimated to be in effect for the next 30 to 40 years.

The city is not alone in its opposition to the plan, which outlines the Corps requirement to remove and permanently place more than 10 million cubic yards of dredged material from the Mississippi Rivers Lower Pool 4 during the next 40 years.

The plan would use four on-shore placement and transfer sites with river access, which include two sites closer to Wabasha, a temporary site, and the Alma Marina.

That would require about 470 acres of farmland in Minnesota and Wisconsin to permanently store the sand, and there was potential for eminent domain to be used to seize the needed property.

Franken told homeowners he was sympathetic to the complaints.

He  along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.  sent a joint letter to the Corps of Engineers chief general saying that theyve heard concerns from citizens and disagree with the Corps stance that it is obligated to go with the cheapest option  which it says studies showed this plan to be.

The senators letter argued that Corps claims that they were required to go with the least costly option was not actually the law  but rather internal regulation  so the requirement could be waived.

Franken said the Lt. General of the Corps of Engineers seemed extremely open to finding another way to do this.

I dont think theyre happy with the way they did this, Franken said.

Franken also criticized the plan for ostensibly looking towards the cheapest option but pushing the cost onto the area around the sites by reducing their property values and quality of life.

The city of Wabasha and many of the area residents have been equally unhappy and have remained vocal about it.

Since the plan was introduced May 11, the Corps first extended the comment period from June 9 to June 23, and then through July 14, then to July 28, and finally to Friday as local, state and federal officials and residents objected to the use of areas around Wabasha to hold material dredged from the Mississippi River.

Wabasha city administrator Chad Springer said the city is continuing to push the argument that they can find better places, and continuing to fight to change the plans.

Were pretty confident we can find sites that are actually more affordable than this, Springer said.

In mid-July the city announced it was be pursuing what it called a comprehensive legal and political strategy to stop the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers from pursuing plans to store dredged material near the city.

Wabasha hired a team of people including Flaherty & Hood P.A., a law and government relations firm from Minneapolis which specializes in regulatory and environmental issues; Bolton & Menk, an engineering firm with offices throughout Minnesota and Iowa; and Dan McDougal, a dredging professional who started the company Dredge America.

Springer said they havent gotten a response to their questions and suggestions so far, but are hoping that with the end of the public comment period, the Corps will begin answering within the next several weeks and potentially chose alternative sites.
While it continues to work at fundraising for a new building, the Winona YMCA will be seeing a change in leadership.

Derek Madsen, YMCA CEO for the past four years, will be moving on to a job at Commonbond Communities in St. Paul in September.

Commonbond a 46-year-old St. Paul-based, nonprofit affordable housing provider which owns, manages or has developed more than 6,000 affordable rental apartments and townhomes throughout 52 cities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Madsen will be working as executive vice president for resource development at the company.

He said his time at the Y was a great experience and the chance to work with Commonbond had developed quickly over the past several months.

Its been a tremendous opportunity, Madsen said. Im really appreciative of the support Ive gotten.

Madsen said that these were exciting times for the YMCA and neither the fundraising nor the day-to-day operations would be changed or disrupted at all.

In the interim, former 28-year executive director Andy Blomsness will be taking charge of the fundraising efforts along with capital campaign co-chairs Will Oberten and Ken Mogren.

While theyre continuing to lead the fundraising effort forward, the La Crosse YMCA leadership will be helping with business direction and support.

Madsen said that is a somewhat common arrangement during interim periods at YMCAs and that no other staff would be affected by the change while the Ys Board of Directors makes a decision on a new head for the organization.

I think that, ultimately, the real focus is to move forward with the campaign, Madsen said. The boards plan for the transition is really strong and it provides for continuity.

In an email to members, YMCA board president Scott Hannon said the board was confident in the plan and would be continuing to push for engagement and participation going forward.

Hannon also said the agreement with La Crosse shows a maintained commitment to healthy living and the people of Winona.

CEO Bill Soper of the La Crosse YMCA is an established and well-respected leader with decades of successful YMCA management and multiple successfully completed capital campaigns, Hannon wrote. We are confident that our team and theirs will be able to work closely to steward our Y forward.

Hannon said that while the Y has struggled in the past several years, it is continuing to move toward a healthy future.

The YMCA has announced several large steps over the summer on the way towards a new facility on Winonas east end.

It announced in early May that it was negotiating with a new buyer for its present building.

Partners In Excellence is an autism treatment center with facilities in La Crosse, North St. Paul, Burnsville and Minnetonka. Since 2001, it has operated fully inclusive, center-based autism programming that ranges from intensive one-on-one therapy services to interaction in natural and small group settings.

The Y also announced in mid-July that, in addition to the previously planned partnership with Winona Health, the building will also have offices of the American Red Cross and Live Well Winona in the new facility.

According to the tentative timeline, the new buyer should take over the Ys present facility in January 2019, allowing the construction of the new Y without a lapse in services.

The YMCA expects to seek out bids for construction of the new facility near Winona Health  between Lake Winona, Dairy Queen and Wells Fargo  by the end of 2017.

Madsen said that is still the goal and it shouldnt be affected by the leadership change.
Doris Dorie Jean Strook, 74, Ladoga, went to be with Jesus on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017, passing away peacefully at home with family by her side.

Dories passion was for people and her life mission was to care for others. In the last seven weeks of her life, her family was able to return the blessing and care for her as she experienced the side effects of multiple strokes and blood clots.

Dorie was born Oct. 8, 1942, in Fond du Lac, the daughter of Sylvester and Dorothy (Burns) Hoch. She was the beloved sister to Mary and Jack. Growing up she learned about Jesus love and grace, and her faith  instilled in her as a child  would be used for decades to inspire many others to love and serve the Lord.

She met Martin Marty Strook while figure skating with her cousins and she and Marty were married Dec. 29, 1961, in Rosendale. They welcomed three children  Kelly, Wendy and Douglas  into this world and, in the 1970s, they opened their home to 28 foster children. Mama Duke was so cherished that the foster boys continued relationships with her throughout their adult lives, even driving up and flying in during her last days.

In 1991, Dorie and Marty built, opened and operated Friendship Haven, a community-based residential facility in Waupun. Here Dorie was able to love on the residents needing assisted living services. She was relentless in ensuring they had fun and were taken care of; from going on pontoon boat rides and having special birthday lunches, to giving Christmas gifts and doing their nails. Even though she and Marty transferred Friendship Havens day-to-day operations to Marvins Manor in 2011, Dorie continued to show up, help out and care for the residents until the time of her stroke.

Dorie made time to be the best grandma and great-grandma anyone could ask for, always extending an invitation to sleep over and making sure she was there for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during good, difficult, funny and scary moments. The best times were spent having grandma say a prayer for you, sitting at the kitchen counter eating her famous pancakes, or listening to her sing crazy songs trying to make her grandchildren and great-grandchildren laugh.

Dorie was an active member of CrossRoads Fellowship Church, stepping in wherever needed. Throughout the years she taught Sunday school, joined the choir, hosted youth group hay rides and church picnics, and in June 2017, started the Childrens Bible Fund ensuring that every kid at CrossRoads had their own Bible.

Dories love was deep. And it was shown throughout her actions to her family, her friends, her church, her neighbors and strangers. Anyone who met Dorie was shown kindness, extended an invitation to come over for lunch, or to be prayed for.

She is survived by her husband, Marty; her children, Kelly Strook, Wendy Strook, Douglas (Teresa) Strook; grandchildren, Jezay Johnson, Joshua Johnson, Kimberly (Tom) Bresser, Casey Despres (special friend Austin Koehler), Ashley Despres, Trenten Strook and Jarrod Vis; great-grandchildren, Anthony Williams, Ryan White, Ronald Mcdaniels, Jezonie Mcdaniels, Ceara Johnson, Joshua Johnson Jr., Evoniey Johnson, Raymond Johnson, and Aldean Bresser; brother-in-law, Melvin Sprague; Debbie (Mike) Schmalzer, Tami Owens, Tom (Holly) Hoch; Darold (Charlene) Strook, Marlene (Raymond) Keller, Richard Strook, Rosie (Mike) Scharschmidt, Robert Strook, Lyle (Kathy) Strook and Barb Strook; nieces, nephews, cousins, her extended Friendship Haven family, and of course, her chihuahua, Domita, and her great-granddog, Beans.

Greeting Dorie in heaven are her parents, Sylvester and Dorothy Hoch; a son lost during pregnancy; special uncle, Chester Hoch; sister, Mary Sprague; brother, Jack Hoch; and nephew, Timothy Hoch. As well as her brothers-in-law, David Strook, Donald Strook, Dale Strook; and sister-in-law, Doris Strook.

We will forever miss Dories gorgeous big, blue eyes and her desire to care for others but we will honor her memory by living the way she showed us how to: spreading kindness to others, praying without ceasing and serving the Lord.

Romans 15:13, May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Visitation will be held at CrossRoads Fellowship Church, 846 E. Main St., Waupun, Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 4-8 p.m., and again from 9-11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30. Dories celebration of life memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 30, at CrossRoads Fellowship Church. Memorials may be made to Agnesian HealthCares Hospice Home of Hope or CrossRoads Fellowships Childrens Bible Fund.

Werner-Harmsen Funeral Home of Waupun is serving the family. Please visit our website at www.wernerharmsenfuneralhome.com for further information and to send condolences.
Edith May Gossink, 96, passed away on Saturday, Aug. 5, 2017. She was born to Walter and Esther (Mussehl) Zimmerman on April 7, 1921, in Beaver Dam. Edith married Warren Gossink on Feb. 21, 1948, and they made their home in Randolph. She had worked at Wandreis Cafe and also Feils Supper Club. She also at one time opened her own root beer stand on Highway 73 near their home.

Edith was a longtime member of Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church. She loved to bake, sew, play cards and her favorite place to go was Dairy Queen. She was an avid Packers backer, and had a Packers shrine in one room of her house.

Edith is survived by her five children, Priscilla (Taylor) Eveland, David (Sandy) Eveland, Jim (Mary) Gossink, Gordy (fiancee Renae) Gossink and Rhonda Kieson; 13 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren; brother John and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband; sister Joyce; brother Leon and sister-in-law Nelda Zimmerman.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 30, with visitation from 10 a.m. until the time of service at Friedens Evangelical Lutheran Church, 327 Jones Drive, Randolph. Burial will follow in the Randolph Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to the church would be appreciated.

Family thanks the staff of American Way and Generations Hospice Staff for their care of our mother. Special thanks to her son Gordy, for the care he extended for the past 15 years.

Randolph Community Funeral Home is assisting the family, randolphfh.com.
As a representative of the First Presbyterian Church of this fine city, I would like to thank our community for the wonder turnout we experienced for Pastor Carol Hermann's last service. I can report that our dear pastor was extremely touched and a bit taken aback by the outpouring of love shown to her.

The luncheon held afterwards was a treasure trove of memories both re-told and new for all of us who could attend. It was such a happy atmosphere, few of us showed sadness. It was all about honor and love.

Next year, out beloved little Welsh church will be celebrating 150 years of services and memories for this city. Please be thinking if there is some way for you all to help evoke memories as well. If you have artifacts, stories or pictures which could help in celebrating our rich history, please call our church at 623-3350. If you leave a message, a member of our church will contact you.

Let us all encourage our newest pastors in the community to continue the ecumenical cooperation we love.

Ellie Kluetzman

Elder, First Presbyterian Church
Around Portage on Friday, kids lined up for hot slices of pizza as the Free Summer Lunch program wrapped up one of its last two weeks of the year, for the first time without help from its parent program in Wisconsin Dells.

I love pizza, a 6-year-old girl told volunteers serving pizza and bowls of peaches at Goodyear Park while her twin brother pulled up a seat, plopping down in the patchy grass directly in front of the table.

Kids are supposed to eat their lunches at the site and the siblings seemed to take the instruction to the letter.

Karen Nelson with the University of Wisconsin Extension suggested they could take their lunches to a shady spot next to a nearby tree or the shelter next to the splash pad, but they already were occupied with their pizza.

It wasnt bad, David Hankins, pastor of the Portage Presbyterian Church, said after Thursdays lunch. What I think weve discovered is that a number of the young people who had come on a regular basis, for whatever reason, seem to have misunderstood and thought the lunches had concluded last week.

This came up at the first stop on Friday as Hankins took pizzas to the Portage Public Library. While kids milled about in the childrens library waiting for the activity room to open, librarian Dawn Foster made a point to remind everyone that Friday would not be the last day.

I think that part of what we ran into was that the school district in the Dells, which had been providing the food for us, are not serving the last two weeks, Hankins said Thursday. And there was a misunderstanding that since they were not serving, that it was done.

As the program committee met throughout the year ahead of its third summer, a consensus emerged that there was a greater demand to be met, and members wanted to expand lunch sites to Lincoln Park and the Columbia County Fairgrounds, as well as provide meals for the last two weeks of summer before school starts. This took the organization into new territory as the schedule of the Dells-based parent program stops serving the last two weeks. Discussion also expanded to include weekend snack pack programs, which eventually broke off into its own separate committee.

We have volunteers who are going to Northwoods (Catering) to pick up the food and bringing it back to the library and then we divide it out to the various sites, Hankins said. We basically follow the same schedule that we had and it seems to be going very, very well.

For the last two Fridays, the operation is the same, but featuring donated pizzas from Pizza Ranch.

As of Aug. 18, the program has served 5,020 meals, with Nelson estimating about 70 per day for the last two weeks.

My favorite part is just meeting all the people who get involved and are volunteering, Nelson said.

Volunteer Karen Meierdirk, a teaching assistant with Portage Academy of Achievement, told Hankins and Nelson that one child was overjoyed about going to Subway because he had never been to a restaurant.

A boy in swimming trunks came running across the field, dried out by the time he reached the table. Can I have a milk? he asked.

Sure, Nelson replied, opening up a cooler for him.

I like Sunny Delight more, so I got that first, the boy said.

On Thursday, Hankins said that after next week, with the three-month experiment over, the group will look at its data to see if any changes are warranted for next year.

What I anticipate is that we will do an evaluation of the summer  what has worked well and what, maybe, we need to tweak a bit or look at or reconsider, and then well begin to think: What about next year? Hankins said. And I think it is good to have those conversations while it is still fresh in our minds rather than wait a couple of months and try to come back to it.
Portage Mayor Rick Dodd is issuing an invitation to Portage residents: Come on in and talk it over.

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dodd will be in the lower level of the Portage Municipal Building, 115 W. Pleasant St., to hear what people have to say about any city-related matter.

This will be the third or fourth public forum that Dodd has held since he became mayor in April 2016. It was one of his campaign promises, and he said he aims to hold such informal sessions at least four times a year.

Theres no agenda, other than the one attendees set.

Its whatever people would like to talk about or learn about, Dodd said.

Past sessions have included topics such as the Portage Canal, downtown redevelopment, parks and major state highway projects that affect segments of the roads that lie within the city limits.

Dodd said its typically streets, sidewalks and run-down properties that pique peoples interest.

People are concerned about properties that arent properly taken care of, he said. And many people arent necessarily against a sidewalk, but they want to make sure theyre kept up.

The wheel tax  a $20 surcharge on vehicle registrations, collected starting this year to generate revenue for street improvements  is almost certain to be a topic of interest, Dodd said.

City Administrator Shawn Murphy plans to be at the session, too, to help Dodd answer peoples questions about whats happening in the city and why.

The citys nine Common Council members also are welcome, and some of them have attended Dodds listening sessions in the past. But in the event theres a quorum of the council or any city committee in the room, those bodies will conduct no business and make no decisions, he said.

Dodd, after several years of being an alderman and past president of the Common Council, defeated incumbent Mayor Bill Tierney in April 2016.

Shortly after the election returns came in, Dodd mused that he hoped the listening posts wouldnt become gripe sessions, and for the most part, they havent been.

Attendance at previous sessions has been sparse. Sessions in June 2016 and May of this year each attracted about a dozen attendees, and a January session, on a bitterly cold winter day, brought in seven.

Dodd said light refreshments  cookies, coffee and water  are expected to be available for attendees of Wednesdays session.




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Minidoka County

Felony sentencings

Joshua Brock Winmill; felony unlawful possession of weapon by convicted felon, guilty, $245.50 costs, indeterminate five years, 359 days; felony aggravated attempted strangulation amended felony aggravated assault, $5,000 restitution,

Joshua Brock Winmill; felony aggravated battery, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; felony aggravated battery or assault enhancement in the presence of a child, dismissed on motion of the prosecutor; $5,000 restitution; felony domestic violence inflicting traumatic injury, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; felony aggravated assault, guilty, $245.50 costs, $5,000 restitution, five years determinate time, 0 years indeterminate time, $245.50 costs, 359 days credited; felony aggravated assault, guilty, $245.50 costs, $5000 restitution, one year determinate time, four years indeterminate time, 359 days credited.

Miguel Angel Vergara; misdemeanor petit theft amended felony burglary, guilty, $245.50 costs, four years probation, two years determinate time, three years indeterminate time, one day credited, penitentiary suspended; misdemeanor malicious injury to property, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor resisting or obstructing officers amended malicious injury to property; misdemeanor malicious injury to property, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.

Driving under the influence sentencings

Whitney C. Brower; misdemeanor driving under the influence (second offense) , guilty, (second offense), guilty, $400 suspended, $202.50 costs, 365 days driver's license suspended, 24 months probation, 365 days jail, other time 30 days, one day credited, one day credited, ten hours community service, 30 days community service ordered, 20 days suspended; misdemeanor driving without privileges, dismissed on motion of prosecutor; misdemeanor probation violation, guilty, 365 days jail, 49 days credited, 49 days credited.

Bryan Scott Dayley; misdemeanor driving under the influence, guilty, $200 fine, $200 suspended, $252.50 costs, 90 days driver's license suspended, 12 months probation, 120 days jail, 110 days suspended, 20 days other time, two days credited, two days credited, 20 days community service ordered/suspended; infraction, fail to provide proof of automobile insurance, guilty.

Mario Rey Rendon; felony flee officer or attempt to elude a police officer in a motor vehicle, dismissed on motion of prosecutor.
Community groups in Wrexham urged to bid for cash seized from criminals

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Aug 26th, 2017

Community groups across Wrexham are being invited to bid for a special fund to help fight crime in North Wales  using cash seized from criminals.

The Your Community, Your Choice Awards is again offering 40,000 for local groups across the region  with North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones urging communities to bid for the cash.

The Community Fund is again being set up jointly by Mr Jones, North Wales Police and the North Wales Police and Community Trust (PACT).

Each of the regions six counties will have 2,500 apiece for two groups with 5,000 each for two organisations that operate across North Wales.

The successful groups are chosen by public vote and entries open on Monday, September 4, and close on Saturday, September 30, with the Your Community, Your Choice entry form available on the North Wales Police website with a link to it on the Police Commissioners website.

A shortlist of applicants will be chosen by a special panel and voting opens to the public on October 30 and runs until December 1 with that vote deciding the winners.

The cash for the awards comes partly from money seized by the courts through the Proceeds of Crime Act with the rest from the Police Commissioners Fund.

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Arfon Jones said: These awards are important because they involve the community and the communities decide where the money can best be spent.

A lot of what we fund is aimed at providing something for young people to get involved with in their spare time rather than being tempted to commit crime or indulge in anti-social behaviour.

We want to support communities so they are able to take responsibility for their own areas.

Smaller community groups like them can do a great deal to make communities safer, reduce crime and reduce re-offending, It also sends a good message to the communities because it shows we are listening to them.

His message was backed by Assistant Chief Constable Richard Debicki who said: This is the fifth year of the scheme and it has been a great success because it gives the public and local communities the chance to have a stake in how local issues are addressed and how we together tackle crime and disorder.

I get particular satisfaction that part of the funding comes from the proceeds of crime, so that money is taken out of the pockets of criminals and their ill-gotten gains by the courts and is put back into community initiatives.

Its turning bad money into good and its making a real difference because it is local people who recognise and understand their local issues and how to solve them.

This is a really positive aspect of the scheme and it helps bring us closer to those communities.

The opening date is September 4 and completed applications must be returned by e-mail to yourcommunityyourchoice@nthwales.pnn.police.uk by 5pm on the closing date of September 30.
Keep an eye out for fishy rogue traders doing the rounds in Wrexham

This article is old - Published: Saturday, Aug 26th, 2017

Residents across Wrexham are being warned of a group of fishy rogue traders who are currently doing the rounds in the area.

The Trading Standards team at Wrexham Council is warning people to beware of rogue traders trying to pressure householders into buying fresh fish.

Reports to North Wales Police mention door-to-door traders asking residents  including the elderly and the vulnerable  if they would like to buy fish.

But usually, these traders tend to be selling fish of poor or sub-standard quality, and try to pressurise people into buying far more than they would need or want.

Rebecca Pomeroy, Food and Farming Lead in Wrexham Councils Public Protection Service, said: We are concerned regarding this matter, especially as to whether or not the sellers are registered as a food business operator  a legal requirement  and if they are adhering to all proper safety and hygiene regulations.

When buying fish from door-to-door salesmen, the buyer will not have any way of checking how the fish have been stored and whether or not they are safe to eat. Such bogus salespeople tend to use non-refrigerated vans, and there are likely issues with the labelling, quality and descriptions of the fish  and they may pressurise vulnerable residents to buy more than they actually need.

As with any doorstep caller we would urge people not to be tempted to buy and ask them to leave. The best place to buy fish is from a reputable fishmonger at an established shop or stall, or even with a trader with a regular prearranged round.

Anyone wanting advice on doorstep trading or wishing to report an incident can contact the Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06 (03454 04 05 05 for Welsh language) which gives free, independent and impartial advice on all consumer issues.

Alternatively, they may also call police on 101.

Any person feeling intimidated or threatened by any doorstep seller should shut the door and call the police emergency number 999.
TWIN FALLS  Eight south-central Idaho elementary school libraries will receive grant money to buy new books and for other initiatives.

The Idaho Commission for Libraries announced Thursday it has awarded a total of $200,000 to 43 school libraries, with funding from the state legislature.

Each school will receive between $3,000 and $5,000.

Money will be used at 28 schools to buy books and change school policy to allow students to check out books to take home.

For 15 of the grant recipients, money will be used to buy books and keep its school library open during summer 2018.

With book budgets that typically range from $100 to $1,000 per year and an average book cost of more than $17 each, the majority of Idahos public school libraries are unable to provide enough fiction and non-fiction books to meet the needs of Idahos students, the commission said in a statement.

In total, the Idaho Commission for Libraries received 57 grant requests and funded 43 of them.

Heres a list of the recipients:

School library access grant (school year):

Blaine County School District: Alturas Elementary School, $5,000; Carey School, $5,000

School library access grant (summer 2018):
In the aftermath of the June 14 Grenfell Tower fire disaster in London, Australian federal and state governments scrambled to cover up their inaction and culpability over the widespread use of dangerous aluminium composite panel cladding. Three months on, government officials continue to feign concern while issuing empty promises in an attempt to politically deflect widespread anger and concerns of residents and workers over at-risk buildings.

Contrary to their denials, Australian governments have been fully aware of the dangers of this material for years and have done nothing to prevent its use. In fact, the deregulation of building inspection and other vital aspects of the construction industry by federal and state governments, Liberal and Labor, during the mid-1990s opened the way for widespread use of dangerous materials and construction methods.

As the WSWS has explained in numerous articles, the dangerous character of this aluminium composite cladding has been well known to building safety experts and government authorities for at least two decades. This has been confirmed by several highly publicised blazes, including one at the 23-storey Lacrosse apartment tower in Melbourne in 2014. Three years since that fire the cladding remains in place and the buildings residents face the same danger.

While various estimates have been made about the number of buildings in Australian cities covered with the cladding, very few have been publicly named and few details about any rectification works have been provided. This response is to ensure that nothing threatens the profitability of Australias increasingly fragile housing bubble.

Two weeks ago, the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government announced that there was flammable cladding on the Centenary Hospital in Canberra and that it would be replaced. The womens and childrens facility opened in 2012, three years after the ACT government declared it had clamped down on the use of flammable cladding.

In Queensland, the state Labor government claims it has initiated Australias best response to the flammable cladding issue and declared that 44 buildings23 government and 21 private constructionsare currently being investigated.

The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane has up to 24,000 square metres of combustible cladding. Three other health facilities in the stateLady Cilento Childrens Hospital in South Brisbane and hospitals in Cairns and Mackayhave also been named. Apart from these facilities, none of the remaining 40 buildings have been identified.

In Victoria, the state Labor government has established a taskforce headed by former Premier Ted Baillieu and former Deputy Premier John Thwaites, both of whom presided over governments that deregulated the building industry. An inner-city building audit conducted in response to the Lacrosse fire found that 87 out of 170 high-rise buildings were covered with flammable cladding. The audit results, however, are far from transparent.

Only 24 of the 87 identified buildings are listed on the Victorian Building Authority website. Audit findings tabulated in 19 cases state that the Municipal Building Surveyor (MBS) determined that these buildings were safe for occupation and no further action was required. Another four were deemed to be safe for occupation while the MBS is determining the appropriate action.

Only one building, the Harvest Apartments in South Melbourne, was deemed safe conditional upon certain works being undertaken. Details of these works are not provided.

The New South Wales Liberal government has established a Fire Safety and External Wall Cladding Taskforce. A database audit identified 1,011 buildings with potential flammable cladding. The list, however, has not been made public.

Conducted by the NSW Data Analytics Centre, the low-cost audit reportedly saved months of work. According to one media story, it involved experts in demography, mathematics, data science and spatial analytics.

The team used aluminium cladding word searches of more than 170,000 records of development approvals, geospatial surveys, and government-owned and managed residential properties from 1985. Irrespective of the value or veracity of this word search audit, it is not clear whether there have been any fire tests of the cladding on any of the identified buildings.

Following this audit, the NSW government in late July released a highly publicised Ten-point plan for fire safety reforms. NSW Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean claimed that it was the toughest certification reform in Australia and that the Liberal government was ensuring people are safe in their homes.

The media and building safety peak bodies favourably responded to the governments bogus claims. SkyNews declared that the NSW government was engaged in a crack down on flammable cladding while the Fire Protection Association Australia said the package was a significant, positive step.

Scrutiny of the plan, however, exposes it as another cynical manoeuvre and one that ensures the government does not have to rectify at-risk buildings and entrenches its strategy of making residents responsible for their own safety.

One proposal simply instructs all government departments to audit their buildings and determine if they have aluminium cladding, with an initial focus on social housing. The government is not committed, however, to do anything in terms of replacing the cladding, vacating dangerous buildings or providing accommodation to residents.

The plan also states that the government will contact strata (condominium) managers or the owners of buildings that may have dangerous cladding and encourage them to inspect the cladding and installation of cladding.

A new fire safety declaration will also require high-rise residential buildings to inform state and local governments, as well as NSW Fire and Rescue if their building has cladding on it. In other words, the onus is placed on building owners to identify and rectify problems.

To emphasise this point, Kean said, Were not proposing any changes to the defects rules at the moment.

This is a clear commitment to property developers that they will not be held responsible for buildings with flammable cladding in line with modifications to building guarantee laws in 2015. That year the NSW government retrospectively slashed building defect warranties from six years to just two. This means that developers who erected buildings with flammable cladding more than two years old are not liable to pay for the removal of the dangerous material.

The plan also calls for a comprehensive building product safety scheme. This is so much hot air.

Regulations already exist on the use of flammable cladding but, as the ongoing Senate inquiry into non-conforming building products has revealed, enforcement and policing of these laws are either totally inadequate or non-existent.

Witness after witness at the Senate inquiry revealed the widespread use of fraudulent product safety certificates and that when government authorities have been notified they failed to prosecute anyone.

Flammable cladding, in fact, is legally installed on buildings and approved as safe on the basis of performance-based building certification rules. These weaker certification rules were introduced by the Australian government in the 1990s to cut building costs and boost profits for property developers and the construction industry.

Under the NSW governments ten-point plan, NSW Fire and Rescue are directed to visit flammable-clad buildings to prepare for a potential fire and provide additional information to building owners. Given that external fires on high-rise buildings cannot be extinguished due to the restricted reach of firefighting equipment, this measure amounts to the fire brigade telling residents and occupants that their buildings could catch fire.

The NSW government plan also states that it will speed up reforms to toughen the regulation of building certifiers. This is another bogus pledge.

The reality is that governments across Australia have created the conditions for the use of dangerous building materials by weakening the regulatory framework through privatisation, self-regulation and performance-based solutions.

Taken together, the NSW governments ten-point plan and the various proclamations made by other state governments and the federal administration will do nothing to change to the current situation where thousands of people work and live in unsafe buildings.

The principal concern of Australias political elite is to dissipate the growing popular anger and concerns following the Grenfell disaster and ensure that the profits of the banks, the construction industry and property developers are maintained.

The author recommends:

Australian inquiry into dangerous building products: An exercise in political damage control

[27 July 2017]

Australian building experts discuss the Grenfell Tower fire

[12 July 2017]

The political implications of the Grenfell Tower fire

[27 June 2017]
Yesterdays speech by Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen to the conclave of central bankers at Jackson Hole, Wyoming recalled events at the gathering 12 years ago. At that meeting, the growing signs of the devastating financial crisis that was to strike in 2008 were completely ignored. That was likewise the situation at this years meeting, held under conditions where the surge in stock markets is bringing warnings of a major collapse.

The 2005 meeting was organised as a celebration of the achievements of the "Maestro, Fed chief Alan Greenspan, whose policies, it was claimed, had brought a new era of prosperity to the global economy. Only one discordant note was sounded in remarks by the then-International Monetary Fund economist Raghuram Rajan, who warned that easy money might be creating the conditions for a financial crisis. But he was firmly put in his place.

This years address by Yellen is widely expected to be her last as Fed chairwoman, as her current term expires in February next year and President Trump, who decides on the position, has denounced her in the past.

The circumstances of this years conclave are, of course, very different from those of 12 years ago, coming as they do after the eruption of the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Nonetheless, there are similarities between the two.

Yellens speech could be described as a celebration of the achievements of the Fed and other regulatory authorities in putting in place measures to prevent any recurrence of the events of 2008, while totally ignoring the growing signs of the buildup of conditions for another financial disaster.

Yellen began her remarks with a reference to the crisis of a decade ago and then went to a defence of the limited regulations introduced since then, which are now threatened by the plans of the Trump administration to introduce sweeping deregulation.

The measures introduced over the past decade both in the US and around the world had improved financial regulation to limit both the probability and the adverse consequences of future financial crises, she claimed.

These reforms had strengthened the financial system. Credit was broadly available on good terms and lending had advanced in line with economic activity, contributing to todays strong economy.

She did not even think it worthy of a reference, let alone an explanation, for why, in view of this strong economy, hundreds of millions of ordinary working people in the US and around the world are seething with discontent and anger over an economic system that is continually reducing their living standards and social conditions, while the financial speculators, responsible for the crisis, accumulate vast wealth.

According to Yellen, the resilience of the financial system had been boosted, banks were safer, the problem of too big to fail" had been reduced, and a system had been put in place to effectively monitor and address risks that arise outside the regulatory perimeter.

Our resilient financial system is better prepared to absorb, rather than amplify, adverse shocks, as has been illustrated during periods of market turbulence in recent years, she declared.

Of course, Yellen could not maintain, as was the case 12 years ago, that the threat of financial crisis had been overcome. The memories are still much too fresh amid the ongoing impact of the disaster, and, as she herself acknowledged, even at the Jackson Hole gathering of 2007 the discussion was fairly optimistic about the possible economic fallout from stresses in the financial system.

So, while we can never be sure that new crises will not occur, if the lessons of the past are kept in mind, we have reason to hope that the financial system and economy will experience fewer crises and recover from any future crisis more quickly, sparing households and businesses some of the pain they endured during the crisis that struck a decade ago.

Yellens speech was the promotion of illusion over reality. It was entitled Financial Stability a Decade after the Onset of the Crisis, but the Fed chairwoman passed over without comment one of the most significant financial developments in economic historythe massive accumulation of financial assets by the Fed and other central banks around the world.

One of the reasons Yellen did not even touch on this issue could well be that markets are now so fragile that any indication of how the Fed plans to reduce its asset holdings could itself touch off a financial panic by reducing the cash flows on which speculation has fed.

The Feds balance sheet has expanded to $4.5 trillion from around $800 billion before the crisis, while the combined balance sheets of the top four central banks--the Fed, the ECB, the Bank of Japan and the Bank of England--now exceeds $13 trillion. These assets comprise 36 percent of the combined gross domestic product of these countries, triple the share in 2007.

Last year, according to a report by Bloomberg, the worlds 10 largest central banks increased their asset holdings to $21.4 trillion, a 10 percent increase over the previous year.

This further increase in central bank holdings has coincided with the global rise in equity markets, fuelling growing concerns that the formation of a new financial bubble is well advanced.

The warnings come from a number of quarters. In a report prepared for its most recent meeting, Fed staff stated that vulnerabilities associated with asset valuation pressures had edged up from notable to elevated.

A report published this week in the Financial Times noted: The cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio of the US stock market has been higher only during the peak of the dotcom boom, and with bond yields still near record lows, there is mounting evidence of investors turning to convoluted, potentially risky bets in search of precious returns.

Among those risky bets is a return to investment in credit default swaps, which played a critical role in the financial crisis of 2008, along with new forms of speculation such as purchases of the cryptocurrency bitcoin.

This week, Bloomberg published a report that three major banks--HSBC, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley--see mounting evidence of a major downturn in the business cycle.

Analysts at the Wall Street behemoths cite signals including the breakdown of long-standing relationships between stocks, bonds, and commodities as well as investors ignoring valuation fundamentals and data. It all means stock and credit markets are at risk of a painful drop, the report stated.

Andrew Sheets, a market strategist at Morgan Stanley, linked conditions to those that prevailed between 2005 and 2007.

But even as they warn of what is to come, the major banks and finance houses continue on the path to disaster, recalling the infamous remarks of Citigroup chief Chuck Prince in July 2007 that as long the music is playing, youve got to get up and dance.

The 2008 financial crisis caught the American and international working class by surprise and it was unprepared for the social devastation that followed. Now, the lessons of the past decade must be drawn and acted upon. Not only do the ruling political and financial elites have no answer to the contradictions of the profit system over which they preside, their very actions have prepared the conditions for an even bigger disaster.

No one can predict when a new financial crash will strike, but the conditions for it are well advanced. It will bring an eruption of social struggles and intensified class conflicts in which the decisive question is the fight for a socialist program and the construction of a revolutionary leadership.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere ordered the shutdown Friday morning of the left-wing website linksunten.indymedia.org. The website, one of the two German subsidiaries of the global media site Indymedia, was removed from the internet shortly afterwards and will not be accessible until further notice.

In the early hours of the morning, units of the Baden-Wurttemberg police and the federal police reportedly raided the homes of the alleged administrators of the site in Freiburg, and confiscated computers and other objects. Later, the Baden-Wurttemberg state police office presented knives, batons, pipes and slingshots to prove the alleged left-wing extremist background of linksunten.indymedia.org.

In a press statement, de Maiziere thanked all police forces involved in the operation and the intensive preparatory work by the Federal Office for Domestic Intelligence, without which todays measures would not have been possible.

De Maiziere formally justified the ban by asserting that the website was directed against the constitutional order and was in its intent and activity acting contrary to criminal law. The site had been used for years to sow hate against those who think differently and the countrys representatives. Ultimately, the events at the G20 summit in Hamburg showed the consequences that such agitation can have.

The reference to Hamburg is sufficient to make clear that the banning of linksunten.indymedia is part of a right-wing political campaign. For weeks, the so-called events in Hamburg have been vastly exaggerated by politicians and in the media to spread the fairytale of violence by left-wing extremists, strengthen the state apparatus, and restrict basic democratic rights. Four weeks prior to the federal election, the government is now moving to openly criminalise and ban left-wing, anti-fascist and anti-militarist websites.

The second German subsidiary of Indymedia, de.indymedia.org, which was not affected by the ban, described the shutdown of linksunten.indymedia.org as a serious attack on the left-wing movement and press freedom. The website was seen as the most widely circulating platform for left-wingers in Germany, where articles could be posted by anyone and were minimally moderated.

The statement pointed out that Indymedias roots were in the anti-globalisation movement that emerged from the protests against the World Trade Organisation in Seattle in 1999. The media platform was established to make independent reporting on the summit protests possible. Since then, hundreds of Indymedias have been founded around the world to provide a platform for left-wing protest.

The now banned linksunten.indymedia.org was initially founded as a platform specifically for southern Germany. Over recent years, the website had however expanded its reach, and published reports on demonstrations, commentaries on political events, statements by organisations, as well as statements claiming responsibility for militant attacks.

A central focus of the publications on linksunten.indymedia.org, which are no longer accessible, was the struggle against right-wing extremism. Many articles called for protests against the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and other right-wing extremist organizations, criticised Germanys federal refugee policy, or presented background research on the National Socialist Underground terrorist organisation. Other subjects included the struggle against war and militarism.

The fact that statements claiming responsibility for militant attacks appeared on linksunten.indymedia.org made it a relatively easy target for de Maiziere. The Interior Ministry declared in a press release that on the website, under the protection of anonymity statements of responsibility for crimes committed nationwide were published.

However, it remains entirely unclear how many of these statements actually came from violent anarchist and autonomist groups, or whether they emerged from right-wing or even state-sponsored provocateurs. A statement claiming responsibility for an attack on the Fatih mosque and International Conference Centre in Dresden in the name of Dresden Antifa and the Anti-Unification Celebration Alliance 3Oct (October 3 is the day when German reunification is commemorated), which appeared on the site, turned out to be a fake. It later emerged that a spokesperson for the right-wing Pegida movement, which enjoys close ties to the Saxony state police and intelligence services, was behind the attack.

The state censorship of linksunten.indymedia.org is a dangerous development and could well form the prelude to much more wide-ranging measures against left-wing and progressive websites and organisations. Under conditions of growing opposition to inequality and militarism, any critical voice raised against war and militarism is to be silenced. The initial responses from the media and politicians leave no doubt about this.

Social Democratic (SPD) Justice Minister Heiko Mas, who introduced the so-called Network Enforcement Law in July and called for the creation of a European-wide database for left-wing extremists in the wake of the Hamburg events, wrote on Twitter, Important strike against left-wing extremists prepared to commit violence. Extremism, regardless from which side, can have no place with usnot even online.

Andreas Geisel, the Social Democratic interior minister in the red-red-green Berlin state government, also explicitly welcomed the ban and spoke of a step in the right direction. Left-wing extremists used the site to plan assaults and attacks and to boast about them afterwards. We know this only too well in Berlin, he noted in a statement.

The AfD (Alternative for Germany) parliamentary group in Thuringia issued a statement that made clear the direction in which the ruling class is moving. The ban was only the first step on the path to classifying the entire Antifa movement as a terrorist organization, it wrote. The federal government must now prove that the ban was not an electoral tactic. They must take decisive action against Antifa if they want to be credible, said AfD interior policy spokesman Jorg Henke.
Forty percent of employees in Germany earn less than they did 20 years ago. This statistic comes from a paper from the Federal Labour Ministry, which was released to the public this week.

According to the paper, the gross wages of the bottom 40 percent in 2015 were up to 7 percent lower than they were in 1995, while the wages of the top 60 percent rose by 10 percent. Wage disparities are thus growing rapidly.

The difference in household net income is even more striking. Households with low incomes suffered real-terms income declines of between 5 and 10 percent from 1991 to 2014. By contrast, households with high incomes saw income growth in real terms of more than 25 percent.

Wage inequality increased significantly until 2010 and has remained at historically high levels since, the paper stated. While high-earners and owners of capital recorded significant income increases, the incomes of low-wage earners have declined over the past 20 years.

Overall, the purchasing power of hourly wages remained stagnant from 1996 to 2007, even though labour productivity rose during the same period by 20 percent. Only corporations and capital owners benefited.

The growing disparity in wages is bound up with the growth of a massive low-wage sector. While in the mid-1990s, 16 percent of the working population earned less than two-thirds of the median hourly wage, this figure has hovered around 22 percent since 2006. This means that more than one in five workers labours for less than 10 per hour.

The data confirms what the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) is experiencing on a daily basis during its election campaign. Those affected repeatedly detail the terrible working conditions at delivery companies or online retailers like Amazon or Zalando, in call centres, airports, and in the construction sector. Contract workers speak of precarious working relations and low wages. Students complain of the stress to which they are subjected because of constantly having to work low-wage jobs while studying. This does not even take account of the retirees, unemployed, and single parents who have to struggle daily to make ends meet.

The SGPs election statement declares, For years, wages have been in decline, work speed-up has been on the rise, the low-wage sector has grown, and schools and hospitals have fallen into disrepair, while a tiny elite has enriched itself fabulously. Data from the Ministry for Economic Affairs confirms this.

The paper from the Ministry for Economic Affairs, which is led by the Social Democrat Brigitte Zypries, provides a devastating indictment of her own party. Over the past 19 years, the Social Democratic Party (SPD) has been in government for 14. For seven years, the SPD held the position of chancellor. Throughout the entire 14 years, they led the Labour Ministry. All of the laws that have resulted in the lowering of wages, increase in the retirement age, and the formation of a huge low-wage sector were therefore authored by the SPD.

The Agenda 2010 reforms of Chancellor Gerhard Schroder (SPD) ensured that an ever-growing number of workers have to labour under worsening and humiliating conditions to avoid falling into the category of Hartz IV welfare claimants. At the same time, the Schroder government eased the burden on high-income earners with a comprehensive tax reform, contributing to a vast distribution of wealth from the bottom to the top.

Yet the economy ministrys paper underestimates the situation. Even the Financial Times, which is hardly considered a friend of the poor, reported on the disparities between rich and poor which loom large for many Germans in a piece headlined The hidden divide in Europes richest country, which noted that inequality would be a key issue in the upcoming federal election.

Inequality in household income in Germany is approximately the European Union average, the FT wrote. But on wealth, Germany is significantly less equal than its EU peers, with richer households controlling a bigger share of assets than in most other west European states. The bottom 40 percent of Germans have almost no assets at all, not even bank savings.

In education and health care, according to the FT, there is a deep divide between rich and poor that seems greater in Germany than the EU average.

A striking role in reducing unemploymentand in raising employmenthas been the expansion of mini jobs, lightly-regulated part-time posts, from 4.1m in 2002 to over 7.5m this year, the FT notes. While advocates praise the new job opportunities they have produced, critics argue that mini jobs have often replaced full-time posts  and become a dead end for employees.

SPD chancellor candidate Martin Schulz is aware of the problem, but is seeking to deal with it carefully. The FT continues. His main inequality-tackling campaign pledge is to raise taxes on the well-paid to finance tax cuts for those on low and middling incomes.

Zypries ministry is now seeking to back up Schulz. Her ministry published a 10-point plan for inclusive growth, which at least talks about the problem of growing social inequality. Economic success is not reflected in the reality of many peoples lives, it states at the outset.

However, this is followed up with a continuation of Schroders Agenda 2010 policies. None of the Hartz laws will be withdrawn. Instead, the paper appeals for economic growth, flexible labour practices, free trade and a pro-growth tax system.

After two decades of experience, nobody believes the SPD any longer when the party promises more social justice on its election posters and in campaign speeches. Thisand the partys support for law-and-order policies and militarismis the reason why Schulz cannot lead the party out of its low poll ratings, despite his determined efforts.

The SPD is a right-wing, capitalist party that wants to prove to the ruling elite that it can better uphold its interests at home and abroad than the other parties. Anyone seeking to combat the growth of social inequality, dictatorship, and war must build a new, socialist party.

The Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei is standing in the federal election to achieve this goal. The SGPs election programme states: The SGP fights for a society in which the needs of the many stand higher than the profit interests of big business. The super-rich, the banks and the corporations must be expropriated and placed under the democratic control of the population. Only in this way can the social rights of all be secured. These include the right to an adequately paid job, a first-class education, affordable housing, a secure pension, high quality old-age provisions and access to culture.
Asia

Freeport Indonesia workers clash with police

Hundreds of sacked workers from Freeport Indonesias Grasberg gold and copper mine in West Papua, Indonesia were attacked by police on August 19 when they attempted to blockade the mine entrance and force the company to negotiate. Several miners were injured with rubber bullets, and office buildings and a number of vehicles were set alight.

More than 8,000 permanent and contract workers at the mine struck on May 1 over 2,000 previous lay-offs. At least 4,000 strikers are now sacked after Freeport claimed that the industrial action was illegal. Workers and their families have been without income, access to credit, accommodation, education or medical care for four months, and several people are believed to have died as a result.

Freeport claimed that the pre-strike sackings were in response to production cuts caused by an ongoing contract dispute with the Indonesian government. The present export license expires in October. The government required divestment of a 51 percent stake, the building of a second copper smelter, arbitration rights relinquished and new taxes and royalties paid for the new permit.

The Indonesian government announced last week that Freeports contract to run the mine had been extended until 2041 after the company agreed to divest 51 percent of its shares to Indonesian entities and construct an additional copper smelter.

PT Freeport Indonesia, the local subsidiary of Phoenix, USA-based Freeport-McMoRan, employs 12,000 permanent workers, and 20,000 contractors. The massive open cut and underground copper/gold mine produced more than 500,000 tonnes of copper and over 1 million ounces of gold in 2016.

Uber drivers in Indonesia strike

Uber drivers across Indonesia stopped work on August 20 to demand better pay and conditions. Around 200 drivers demonstrated in the Jakarta while drivers unable to participate in demonstrations in other cities showed solidarity by turning off their Uber communication radios. The action followed two protests in May.

Drivers said they face the same main grievances that have led to protest action in other cities around the world. They complained that Uber unilaterally determines basic pay rates and there is lack of clarity of drivers employment status.

The drivers issued a list of 14 demands, including a basic rate of 2,500 rupiah (19 US cents) per km, an end to high commissions and fees, and the provision of office administration and safety support. A delegation of 10 drivers met with management, but was denied access for their legal advisor.

The drivers have organised themselves into the KUMAN drivers collective. They held a mass meeting on Tuesday to discuss the concession and next steps in the dispute.

South Korea: Workers at Kia Motors strike

Unionised workers at Kia Motors held limited strike action on Tuesday after the companys 28,240-strong union and management failed to reach agreement over wages and other benefits in collective bargaining negotiations.

Auto unions at Kia Motors and sister company Hyundai Motor, which are affiliated to the Korean Metal Workers Union, want their monthly basic wage increased by 154,883 won ($US136) and 30 percent of the companys 2016 full-year net profit as a bonus. They also want their regularly paid bonuses to be counted as part of the basic salary.

The auto union took legal action in late 2011 over whether regular bonuses were part of workers basic wage. The Seoul Central District Court is considering the case and was expected to announce its decision on Thursday.

Migrant workers in Seoul protest

Around 500 migrant workers demonstrated in downtown Seoul on Sunday demanding abolition of the Employment Permit System (EPS). The protest was sparked after a Nepali worker, forced to remain with his ill-treating employer, committed suicide earlier this month. The demonstration was organised by the Alliance for Migrants Equality and Human Rights and Korean Confederation of Trade Unions.

Protesters complained that the EPS stops workers from changing their workplaces without their employers agreement, forcing slave-like working conditions upon them. The EPS invites unskilled workers from 15 countries but they are only allowed to change their workplace three times during a three-year period.

A group of 70 migrant workers from the construction and manufacturing sectors demonstrated in Seoul in July over the treatment of migrant workers. They demanded an end to the arrest and deportation of workers who overstay their visas and called for establishment of a work-permit system that recognises them as legal employees with the same rights and benefits as local workers.

India: Public sector bank workers strike

Around one million bank employees held a national strike on Tuesday to oppose the privatisation and merger of public sector banks. Although private owned banks remained open, foreign exchange, import and export bill exchange and clearing house operations were affected. The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), which includes nine unions, called the strike with a 17-point charter of demands.

Over one million public sector bank workers held a national strike in February over the same issues. Workers fear that a proposed merger of five state banks would result in the closure of a large number of branches, loss of employment opportunities and curtail banking services to common customers, particularly for the rural sector.

Delhi rail construction workers on strike

Around 1,600 construction workers employed in Phase III of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project are on strike to demand nine months unpaid salaries. Sub-contractors have joined the strike saying they are in debt because they have not received payments from the main contractor FEMC Pratibha and DMRC. All work on the nine Phase III Metro Stations has ceased. Workers threatened to lie on the rail tracks and block rail services if they were not paid.

Tens of thousands of Tamil Nadu government employees walk out

Around 10,000 government employees responded to a strike call from the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTO-GEO) on August 22. Workers from government offices and government run and aided schools staged protest marches in several regions of the state including in Pollachi, Valparai, Mettupalayam, Sulur, Annur and Kinathukadavu.

JACTO-GEO wants a new contributory pension scheme scrapped and the previous system restored. Workers complained that the new pension scheme does not benefit employees or their next of kin. JACTO-GEO has also called on the state government to implement the Eighth Pay Commission and provide a 20 percent interim relief payment.

JACTO-GEO has threatened to call an indefinite strike if its demands are not granted by September 7.

Sri Lanka: Southern Province health workers strike

Health workers affiliated to Supplementary Medical Services, including pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers and nurses, struck for 48 hours on August 22 in the Southern Provinces. Their demands include higher overtime pay and implementation of long outstanding transfer orders. In addition to increased overtime pay, the striking nurses have called for the re-implementation Grade One and Supra Grade promotions back-dated to 2010, official residences for all nursing categories and changes in the attendance register.

The walkout was coordinated by the Supplementary Medical Services Joint Trade Union Federation, which includes 12 trade unions. Union leaders said that there was no government response to the strike and warned that further action would be taken if workers grievances were not addressed.

Bangladeshi garment workers attacked by company goons

Over 50 garment workers from the Korean-owned Haesong Corporation were seriously injured after being attacked by alleged company hired goons during a demonstration outside their factory on August 16. A National Garment Workers Federation (NGWF) spokesperson said that union delegates were targeted and an NGWF organiser was kidnapped but released several hours later.

The demonstration is over Haesongs suspension of 218 workers on April 4 after they had demanded payment for last years unused leave. After a protest in June the company promised to pay the suspended workers all entitlements by July 4 and then moved this deadline to August 4. The workers have still not been paid.

Swan Garments workers demonstrate in Bangladesh

Several hundred workers from Swan Garments at Uttara in Dhaka and Dody Export Wear in Gazipur demonstrated outside the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) in Dhaka on Wednesday, demanding unpaid wages and termination entitlements.

The Garment Workers Trade Union Centre suspended the protest until August 28, after the BGMEA claimed it would settle the issue with the government as early as possible.

Swan Garment workers said the owners suddenly shut the factory on April 2015 without paying its 1,300 workers. After workers began demonstrating, the government arranged for one months salary and falsely assured them of full payment. Dody Export Wear workers said factory authorities then relocated their factory without informing its 600 employees. When some workers refused to move to the new factory, they were terminated without entitlements.

Terminated workers from Ericsson Bangladesh protest

Fifty sacked workers from Ericsson Bangladesh demonstrated outside the companys head office in Gulshan, Dhaka on Monday after being informed by email that they were terminated. Protesters demanded the company introduce a voluntary separation scheme.

A company source told the media that Ericsson has axed 250 permanent and temporary employees in the last 12 months to maintain its profits.

Pakistan: Power loom workers union accepts reduced pay rise

The lockout of thousands of power loom workers in Faisalabad ended on August 19 after the unions accepted verbal assurances from factory owners to increase wages by 7.14 percent and to issue social security and health care cards within a month and a half. The locked out employees had been protesting outside the deputy commissioners office since August 14.

Power loom workers from 17 industrial centres in Faisalabad were locked out on August 7 after factory owners ignored a district commissioners directive that loom workers wages be increased by 10 percent. The order was in response to several weeks of protests and strike action by power loom workers. Workers also demanded health and social security benefits, better working conditions and facilities.

Australia and the Pacific

Queensland: Glencore mine lockout in eleventh week

Multinational mining giant Glencore is continuing its lockout of 190 Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) members at its Oaky North underground coal mine in Central Queensland. The CFMEU members have been locked out since June 9, following limited industrial action that began on May10 over an enterprise agreement (EA). The lockout was due to be lifted on July 28 but has been extended twice by the company.

The union alleged that Glencore has stripped away 50 percent of working conditions from a version of an agreement that the Oaky North workforce previously rejected overwhelmingly. The CFMEU wants 3 percent per annum pay increases but indicated it would accept a two-year pay freeze if the current enterprise agreement was rolled over.

Glencore has hired a replacement, contract-based workforce and used staff employees to maintain production. It claims the mine is maintaining normal production.

Pathology workers union shuts down strike in Victoria

The Health Workers Union, covering over 600 striking workers from Dorevitch Pathologys 300 facilities across Victoria, ordered its members back to work on Thursday as an act of good faith. The union told workers that negotiations with the company would resume.

The unions return-to-work directive followed a state Labor governments announcement that it had applied to the Fair Work Commission to end industrial action, saying it was threatening patient safety.

Dorevitch workers began an indefinite strike on August 18 in a decade-long dispute for a new enterprise agreement. The action followed the lockout of over 80 striking workers at 20 facilities in Gippsland two weeks earlier, followed by a 48-hour state-wide walkout. The union told Dorevitch management that if a fair pay rise was not offered and locked out workers able to return by August 19 there would be further strike action.

The strikers included laboratory assistants, cleaners, couriers, maintenance and clerical staff, who have not had a pay rise since their enterprise agreement expired in 2007. The company has refused to offer any increase and is demanding cuts to sick leave and other entitlements.

Queensland: Gold Coast council workers protest

About 200 Gold Coast City Council workers downed tools at midday on Tuesday and demonstrated outside the council building at Evandale in their dispute over a proposed new enterprise agreement. The protest coincided with a council meeting by the CEO to discuss council reform, cost cutting and job destruction.

The strike involved members from the seven unions that are demanding a 3.5 percent pay rise, guaranteed job security for temporary workers, less outsourcing and more control over work hours.

New South Wales truck drivers in Aldi protest

More than 500 truck drivers and Transport Workers Union (TWU) members demonstrated outside Aldis Mt Druitt supermarket in Sydneys west on Thursday. The protesters accused the supermarket giant of endangering the safety of its truck drivers.

A TWU representative told the rally that Aldi pressures drivers into unsafe practices to meet tight deadlines, potentially resulting in fatigue, law breaches and speeding. He said low-cost contracts are forcing transport companies and drivers to not properly maintain vehicles and skip mandatory rest breaks.

Around 100 truck drivers and other transport workers demonstrated outside the supermarket giants Adelaide distribution centre in Regent Park on August 16 over the same issue. A similar demonstration was held in May in Fremantle, Western Australia.

More than 2,500 truck drivers and other road users died in truck crashes in the 10 years to 2014 and there has been a 7 percent increase in road deaths involving articulated vehicles so far this year.
One in every five of the Los Angeles Community College Districts (LACCD) 230,000 students are homeless and nearly two thirds cant afford regular meals. These are the results of a fall 2016 survey of LACCDs nine campuses conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and released earlier this year. More than 6,000 students took part in the survey and reported crisis levels of social neglect related to the high cost of living in Los Angeles.

In regard to housing, 19 percent of those surveyed are or were recently homeless. Eight percent had been thrown out of family homes; 4 percent had been evicted from rental housing; 3 percent were living in shelters; 6 percent had resorted to living in abandoned buildings, cars or other locations not meant for habitation; and 11 percent did not know where they would be sleeping on a night-to-night basis.

Since 1980, median real rent for an apartment in Los Angeles has increased by 55 percent to $2,511, while income levels increased only 13 percent in that time. Nationally, the decade with the greatest rent-wage discrepancy was 2000-2010, when rents increased 12 percent while incomes actually declined 7 percent. These are some of the most striking indications of the destruction of living standards resulting from the 2008 global recession.

As of 2017, Los Angeles has the highest rent burden of any city in the country, with the average tenant paying 48.7 percent of their income to rent. The citys large and overwhelmingly working class black and Latino communities spend an astronomical 63 percent of average household income on rent.

Recent Los Angeles City College graduate, Andre Medina, reported, When I started at LACC a few years ago I moved into a studio across from campus for about $800 per month. A new tenant I spoke with last week is now paying $1,200 for a similar unit. Living near campus has become impossibly expensive.

The Los Angeles County Housing Authority is responsible for the disbursement of Section 8 vouchers, the federal governments housing assistant program. As of April this year the Housing Authority had a waiting list of 40,000 people, with an average wait of 11 years before receiving a voucher. Because of the backlog they have stopped accepting new names for the waiting list.

The Trump administration plans to cut $6 billion from the 2018 budget of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which would include a $974 million reduction in funding for Section 8 vouchers.

According to various studies, homelessness in Los Angeles County has reached epidemic proportions, with estimates in the range of 47,000-58,000 homeless on any given night. (See: Homelessness sharply increases in Los Angeles County)

The housing crisis forces residents to make difficult budgetary choices, and is a significant cause of food insecurity. Fifty-nine percent of those surveyed reported being unable to afford enough food, 65 percent couldnt eat balanced meals, 52 percent skipped meals to save money, 50 percent ate less than they felt they should, and 42 percent reported being regularly hungry.

According to Rachael Garcia, another recent graduate from LACC, When I first moved into LA to be closer to LACC, I moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Hollywood. I shared a bedroom with my boyfriend for $1,200 a month. Food was a constant issue. I had to cook for every meal including bringing my lunch to school, which is a really difficult demand on your time when youre juggling school and a full-time job, considering how long it takes using public transportation in LA. When I didnt have time to cook, the only option was getting a taco or something at a fast food restaurant and its just not enough food. You get used to being hungry, really.

Once I went into the pizzeria by school and my card got declined because my financial aid was late. The guy behind the counter commented how often hes been seeing that happen with students lately. Last semester I didnt see a dime of my financial aid until the school year was already over! I was lucky that my dad was able to help out with some money to get by, but I cant imagine what I would have done otherwise, which is the situation many of my friends are in that dont have family to help out.

The recent study of LACCD students is entirely in line with other recent studies, including a 2016 study from the University of California that concluded four in 10 UC students cannot afford to get enough to eat, while a 2015 study from the California State University system revealed that 21 percent of CSU students experienced food insecurity.

Despite the growing levels of poverty among college and university students revealed by these studies, this year school officials moved to raise tuitions in both UC and CSU university systems. The UC regents approved a 2.5 percent tuition increase, the first increase in six years, while the CSU Board of Trustees moved to raise tuitions by 5 percent.

Shifting the financial burden of running the school systems onto the backs of the students has been the deliberate policy of Californias Democratic Party leadership. In response to the 2008 recession, the state slashed nearly one third of its support to the CSU system while more than doubling its tuition, to $5,472, between 2006 and 2011.

The shifting of the burden to the students is reflected even more drastically in the punishing funding cuts Democratic Governor Jerry Brown has inflicted on the states community colleges. In the years 2007 to 2013, a combined $1.5 billion was sliced from the budgets of the community college districts, this despite a near doubling of tuition over the last decade.
The following are the closing remarks of Socialist Equality Party National Secretary Chris Marsden to its August 19 public meeting in London on the Grenfell Tower fire.

Everyone here is on the same page regarding the official inquiry into the Grenfell fireit is a fraud. The terms of reference have been set by [Conservative Prime Minister] Theresa May. The government has picked the judge and it determines what can happen.

The police have chosen to frame their investigation around the case for corporate manslaughter, which means there is no individual responsibility assigned, even if there is a criminal investigation. And as the last gentleman who spoke indicated, these cases can take decades. Six people have finally been prosecuted over Hillsborough after 27 years, but hearing their cases has not even begun.

There is no possibility of any serious prosecutions taking place. I remember a few weeks ago, the police made this announcement about their investigation and they said: Weve got to interview hundreds of people including all of the firefighters that were there on the night, police officers, everybody involved. Weve got databases of so many terabytes and all of that has got to be gone through before we can decide what we are going to do about it.

Well Im sorry, but we all know where David Cameron lives. We all know where Theresa May lives. We all know where all the guilty live. Their record has been forensically examined in the worlds newspapers. Masses of documents are in public circulation. Many people in this room, if they were given the opportunity to do so, could present a serious case for the prosecution against those involved in the crime that was Grenfell Tower.

This is a massive cover-up and its going to continue. The issue is what we do about it.

I just want to take up two points. The gentleman there asked what do the working class do? Why is there inactivity by the working class?

Someone else countered by saying that workers are marching, they are fighting, they are disagreeing with things. It might be that they support the wrong parties, of the left or rightBernie Sanders and then Donald Trump, Syriza in Greece, Corbyn and Labour here.

Those two issues are related.

There is fight in the working class. There is enormous anger in the working class. Grenfell has shown one thing above alland that is the enormous ingenuity, dedication and seriousness of the working class. This is a crisis in which people were failed by the official system. And everything good that happened here happened because of the activity of local residents, because of what they did.

We know that the capacity exists, but I would say this: If you list the movements which workers have backed, put their confidence in, and what those movements have then done, then you can understand why it has been so difficult, over an entire historical period, for the working class to put its mark on society.

You just cant talk about Syriza as an expression of something positive, because millions of Greek people supported Syriza on an anti-austerity ticket and then they signed up for worse austerity measures than those put forward by the previous government! And you cant turn to Bernie Sanders who then backed Hillary Clintonor Donald Trump to rescue the rust-belt workers when he is a multimillionaire, right-wing fascist sympathizer whos planning wars all over the world.

The issue that we are confronting here is a crisis of political leadership. Its not because workers wont fight. Its because there isnt a political tendency outside of this one thats prepared for a political struggle against the systemnot this politician or that politicianthe capitalist system. A fight for socialism: thats whats required. That is what Grenfell is bound up with.

What we intend to do from this meeting is to organise regular discussions where residents can come together. This public inquiry is going to proceed. Its a fraud. We will dissect that inquiry. We will oppose it. We will counter their propaganda with the truth. We will organise leafleting campaigns. We will do everything we can to make sure that this criminal venture thats been conducted by Kensington and Chelsea council, by the May government, by their predecessors, is not going to go without answer.

We are not going to have a Hillsborough scenario. Theyre not going to put this on the backburner, hoping its going to go away. This has been too painful, affected too many people. Its encouraged outrage among broad masses of the population, not just in Britain, but throughout the world.

Grenfell Tower is a symbol of everything that is wrong with this society. Its understood in those terms. We have to give it that political focus. We must build the leadership that the working class deserves, one that wont betray, but will fight.
The August 18 edition of the Guardian featured an interview with Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. Its headline quote was the Labour Party number two declaiming, The government could collapse at any time. Weve got to divide and demoralise them.

That is where any trace of a fight against anyone ends. Instead, the interview features McDonnell combining a British version of President Barack Obamas Hope and Change we can believe in rhetoric with overtures to both Labours right wing and the financial speculators in the City of London.

Interviewer Heather Stewart writes that the lifelong radical and ardent critic of austerity is ready to seize power from the incompetent Tories. But to what end? McDonnells answers refute all attempts to repackage the Labour Party under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn as a left-wing anti-austerity party.

He speaks of how Labours election manifesto appealed to peoples sense of insecurity, after seven years of hard, hard austerity, with wages worth less now than before the recession, public services cut to shreds and in absolute crisis.

As he later states, in true Obama style, We gave people a bit of hope, but, We wont hold on to that feeling of hope unless we can go back to them and say, That hope has a secure foundation.

He first offers as a secure foundation for hope the prospect of exploiting Conservative Prime Minister Theresa Mays weakness by, in Stewarts words, striking up alliances with disgruntled Tory backbenchers, These individuals, according to McDonnell, are supposedly coming back from their constituencies and confronting the same issues as the rest of us and will be animated by concern over homelessness, food banks, low wages and rising household debt.

One is left to wonder just who these Tory humanitarians are. McDonnell however continues with his fantasy scenario by suggesting, Theyre coming back thinking: Weve been at this seven years now and it hasnt worked.

Stewart too is caught up in McDonnells vision, writing of how Senior Conservatives, liberated from the dominance of Mays advisers, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, are starting to think aloud about economic reform 

Into the fray steps McDonnell, offering to rally the discontented behind Labour in a series of votes.

McDonnell issues the by-now-obligatory appeal to the right wing of the Labour Party, with Stewart writing that he will be asking veterans of previous Labour governments to offer their advice to what is still a relatively young, inexperienced shadow cabinet of Corbyn loyalists 

In addition, Stewart defends McDonnell from the false belief of the right wing that he would rather stir up a revolution on the streets than win a peaceful victory at the ballot box. No so. He wants an end to divisions, over Brexit and other issues, so that the party can take on the Tories:

Were working on the basis that the government could collapse at any time  Weve got to do everything we possibly can to divide and demoralise them, and push that collapse, because thats coming. But do that in a way that demonstrates that we are an alternative government, ready to go in.

Who must McDonnell convince and what demonstration of a fitness for government is he referring to? Stewart answers that McDonnell and his team have been out and about in the City, offering reassurance that their policies would not destabilise the economyand obviate the risk that nervous investors would react with panic to a Labour victory at the polls.

From here on in, all pretensions of radicalism are junked as McDonnell insists, The issue for us is to stabilise the markets before we get into government, so there are no short-term shocks  Were sitting down with people in the Cityasset managers, fund managers and others. Ive been to the London Stock Exchange. Ive said: Look, if I believed half the stuff in the Daily Mail about myself, not only would I not vote for myself but Id be terrified as well. But let me reassure you, this is what our plan is.

Labours plan was never the radical anti-austerity package it was portrayed as by the pseudo-left cheerleaders for Corbyn. The manifesto for the June 6 general election reaffirmed Labours commitment to NATO, to spending two percent of GDP on defence and the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system. It declared, Labour understands that wealth creation is a collective endeavourbetween investors, workers, public services, and government and pledged an industrial strategy [that] will make Britain a better place to do business, and give businesses the confidence to invest in Britain.

Corporation tax would be kept among the lowest of the major economies, while all public spending commitments, including a 250 billion ten-year national investment plan to upgrade Britains economywould be subject to a Fiscal Credibility Rule that Government should not be borrowing for day-to-day spending.

With Corbyn himself speaking to the Confederation of British Industry, promising to hike up productivity while focusing on the partys 250 billion National Transformation Fund to boost industrial investment, McDonnell chose to close his own big business charm offensive with closed-door appearances in July before the London Stock Exchange.

According to eyewitness reports to Reuters, McDonnell focused on floating the idea of a tax on financial transactionsknown as either a Tobin Tax or sometimes a Robin Hood Tax.

Robin Hood would laugh loud enough to shake the leaves from every tree in Sherwood Forest at the pathetic proposal bearing his name.

McDonnell, Reuters writes, told executives from Standard Chartered, the London Stock Exchange, the City of London Corporation, lawyers, lobbyists and accountants that the tax was proposed to be around half of a percentage point or less on the value of a trade. Or, to be more precise, 0.2 percent of the value of trades for banks, hedge funds and other financial companies, and 0.5 percent for non-financial businesses.

Even this paltry proposal was given short shrift. Richard Benson, co-head of portfolio investment at currency managers Millennium Global, said it would send trading activity away from Britain and could be straw that breaks the camels back post-Brexit.

Others were less inclined to balk at McDonnells face-saving proposal and focused instead on his real message to the City. An executive who attended one of the meetings with McDonnell noted that Labour are actively encouraging feedback and wanting to meet people further to discuss feedback. I thought that was a very positive message.

In the same vein, Therese Raphael wrote for the business news service Bloomberg on July 31, If he does eventually lead a government, Corbyn is not going to be as chummy with the City as Tony Blair once was, but nor is he as impervious to argument or as resistant to change as many believe. He increasingly dons crisp white shirts and red tie for major engagements; he has shown pragmatism in policy when its called for. The Citys unfriendly neighbour is, after all, a politician. Its time they talk.

More pointedly still Reuters noted how, Some bankers predicted that if Labour were to be elected, it would adopt a more centrist approach like former French President Francois Hollande or Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

This is a devastating observation. The Socialist Workers Party, the Socialist Party et al dedicate their every effort to boosting Jeremy and insisting that Labour under his leadership is so very different from Greeces Syriza and will not betray. In contrast, leading representatives of big business have met with McDonnell and concluded that Corbyn is indeed the British equivalent of Alexis Tsipras and that his anti-austerity pose is just as worthless.
The August 21 collision between the Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker in the Strait of Malacca, near Singapore, is the fourth such collision this year involving a major vessel of the US Seventh Fleet, which conducts operations in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Ten sailors are believed killed in the collision, which had a devastating impact on the destroyer, which is only one-third the size of the tanker that struck it nearly broadside in the predawn hours of Monday. Some of the bodies have been recovered and the others are believed trapped in flooded compartments of the John S. McCain, where divers are conducting recovery operations.

Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, commander of the Seventh Fleet, was relieved of duty Wednesday and replaced by his deputy, Rear Admiral Phil Sawyer. Aucoin was due to retire September 7 and Sawyer was scheduled to replace him. The overall command structure of the Navy is unaffected, with Admiral Scott Swift remaining as commander of the Pacific Fleet, in charge of the largest regional component of the Navy.

While Aucoins dismissal has a cosmetic character, it is believed to be the first time that a fleet commander has been removed since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The highly unusual step, along with the accident itself, points to a deep erosion of morale as the navy has been engaged in a high tempo of operations, particularly as the Trump administration has intensified the confrontation with North Korea.

The McCain disaster follows three other collisions involving Navy ships in the Seventh Fleet this year: a January 31 accident in which the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay; a May 9 collision between the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and a smaller South Korean fishing vessel; and the June 17 collision in Japanese waters between the destroyer USS Fitzgerald and a much larger Philippine container cargo ship, in which seven sailors died.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, the Navys overall commander, announced a brief operational pause for all 277 ships worldwide to review procedures at sea, proper staffing of the bridge, navigation and lookouts, and other fundamentals.

A full-scale investigation into the series of accidents is also under way, but Navy officials denied the obvious conclusion that ship crews were being overworked and overstressed by the rapid escalation of naval operations in the South China Sea and near the Korean peninsula.

As tensions with North Korea have sharpened, warships have been effectively on a war footing for months, with their crews constantly on edge facing the prospect of being flung into a major conflict.

The USS McCain had just arrived in the Singapore area after a tour of duty in the South China Sea, where the Navy has stepped up patrols over the past year.

In concert with the stepped-up US war threats against North Korea and the series of freedom of navigation operations near Chinese-held islets in the South China Sea, as well as increased operations in the Middle East, Black Sea and Baltic Sea, the average duration of deployment overseas for Navy ships has increased from six months to nearly a year. This means both tired crews and delays of major maintenance, which waits until a ship returns to its home port.

After initially ignoring the issue, the US corporate media began to give significant attention Friday, with the New York Times publishing a lengthy front-page report suggesting that US Navy ships, because of their stealth technology and low radar profile, could not be easily seen by the large commercial vessels that collided with them.

This is a red herring, since the obvious question is why Navy ships, supposedly operating on a hair trigger, ready to fight on a moments notice, failed to detect huge ships bearing down on them while they were navigating busy waterways like Tokyo Bay and the Strait of Malacca, when alertness and constant watch would presumably be standard procedure.

Whatever combination of overwork and negligence is involved is not limited to the Seventh Fleet or even the Navy. The McCain disaster is at least the fourth mass casualty disaster to affect the US military in the last three months.

An Army UH-60 Black Hawk crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Honolulu, Hawaii August 15, killing five soldiers, three men and two women, engaged in a night training exercise. An extensive search effort was mounted over the next week but finally called off after scanning 72,000 nautical miles without finding anything more than a few scraps of fuselage, indicating a crash in which the helicopter and its crew were torn to pieces.

On July 10, 15 Marines and one Navy corpsman were killed when their KC-130 airplane, a refueling tanker, crashed into a soybean field about 85 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi. The impact was so devastating that debris was scattered in a radius of nearly five miles. The tankers fuel payload and ammunition on board contributed to the scale of the blast. Body parts were recovered more than a mile from the impact site. Aviation officials said the aircraft suffered a structural failure at 20,000 feet and then plummeted to the ground.

The death toll from these recent accidents alone is greater than the 23 US soldiers killed in the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan so far this year.

Besides these publicly acknowledged disasters, there is the steady toll of death inflicted on its own personnel by the day-to-day operations of the US military machine.

At Fort Hood, Texas, for example, 11 soldiers died of noncombat-related causes during a three-month period from November 2016 through January 2017. Two died of illness, two from vehicle accidents, and the other seven died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds or other forms of suicide. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 32. The suspected suicides were all aged 20 to 24. For the calendar year 2016 there were 18 suicides at the base, although five were unconfirmed pending investigation.
In a chilling attack on free speech, a District of Columbia Superior Court judge Thursday ordered the web hosting company DreamHost to make available to the Trump administration vast amounts of data related to a website, disruptj20.org, which organized protests against Trumps inauguration in January.

The governments request first became known on August 14, when DreamHost revealed the content of a warrant issued in July demanding that the company turn over all the data on disruptj20.org, including visitor logs and IP addresses from 1.3 million people who visited the site, which can be used to identify individuals. It also demanded access to emails, photos and other data of those involved in contributing to and producing the site.

Following public exposure of the Department of Justices warrant, the government clarified its request, stating that it does not want IP addresses, but still demands all records or other information, pertaining to the Account, including all files, databases, and database records stored by DreamHost in relation to that Account.

The judge, Robert Morin, a Clinton appointee, has granted the warrant, with the empty stipulation that the court will oversee the governments methods for searching the data.

DreamHost, a private company that hosts more than 1.5 million websites, has agreed to abide by the warrant and begin turning over data, claiming that the judges decision is a win for privacy. Nothing could be further from the truth. As the companys own lawyer, Raymond Aghaian, stated in court Thursday, the information that the government is demanding and will now receive is tantamount to the membership list of an advocacy group.

The government request amounts, Aghaian noted, to a general warrant, that is, a demand for sweeping information not related to any specific crime or individual. Such warrants were outlawed in Britain in the 18th century. They are proscribed in the Fourth Amendment of the US Constitution, which prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires that all warrants be based on probable cause particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The government now has a legal precedent for demanding similar information from any website organizing or supporting protests and other oppositional activity, using the pretext of alleged violent actionsoften the result of police provocateursto effectively criminalize dissent.

The DC court ruling takes place in the context of coordinated efforts by the ruling class internationally to suppress and outlaw political opposition. On Friday, the German government took the extraordinary step of shutting down the German Indymedia site, claiming that it helped organize violent protests in Hamburg, Germany during the G20 protests in July.

In the weeks since the G20 summit, the governments claims of violent demonstrators have been thoroughly debunked. In fact, the protests were the occasion for a police riot, supported by all factions of the political establishment in Germany, which is using supposed "left-wing violence" to crack down on left extremists.

In a statement befitting an authoritarian regime, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere declared that the site had to be shut down because it was sowing hate against different opinions and representatives of the countrythat is, it advocated political opposition to the government.

In the US, the far-reaching implications of the DC court decision contrast sharply with the almost complete absence of coverage and comment in the corporate media and political establishment. No leading Democrats have issued statements opposing the decision.

In one of the few commentaries on the ruling, the Washington Post published an editorial Friday under the headline, Dont believe the hype: The Justice Department isnt cracking down on anti-Trump dissent. The Post accepts the governments argument that prosecutors are investigating serious violations of public order justifying the search, only mildly criticizing the broad scope of the original order. The clarification of the governments case has made it substantially stronger, the Post argues.

The editorial concludes with a call for the institutionalization of the type of search demanded by the government. The courts and Congress should contemplate how to make [the procedures approved by the court] a clear rule of the road.

While the Trump administration represents a grave threat to the democratic rights of the working class, it is itself a product of a protracted collapse of democratic forms of rule in the United States, to the point where clear and egregious violations of the Constitution do not even provoke commentary, let alone opposition.

Nowhere in the official political debate since Trumps election has there been any discussion of the massive growth of the intelligence apparatus, including the illegal and unconstitutional domestic surveillance by the National Security Agency exposed by Edward Snowden four years ago. The demands of the Justice Department in the DreamHost case are an expression of the central purpose of the spying apparatus supported and expanded by the Obama administration: the crackdown on domestic dissent.

Throughout the seven months since Trump took office, the Democratic Party and the media have sought to cover up the real character and social basis of his administrationa government of the corporate and financial oligarchy, determined to vastly expand war abroad and social counter-revolution within the United States. Their criticism of Trump has centered on differences over foreign policy, with denunciations of Trump for coming into conflict with sections of the military and intelligence agencies.

In the aftermath of the neo-Nazi violence in Charlottesville two weeks ago, the Democrats have supported the restructuring of the Trump administration to place it even more directly under the control of the military and financial aristocracy.

Trumps actions against political protesters, moreover, are entirely in line with the campaign of Internet companies, supported by the Democratic Party and affiliated media, to implement a far-reaching program of Internet censorship under the guise of combatting fake news. Most prominent are the actions of Google to manipulate search results to block and blacklist left-wing websites, above all the World Socialist Web Site.

The overriding threat to the interests of the ruling elite, in the US and internationally, is the emergence of a politically independent and organized working class, armed with a socialist program. It is to block and preempt the creation of such a movement that the repressive actions of the state are directed.
Senator Bernie Sanders spoke Tuesday before a crowd of more than 1,000 people at a town hall meeting in Detroit. The event, where Sanders appeared alongside long-time Democratic Representative John Conyers, focused on Sanders Medicare for All campaign, which proposes to expand the federal health care program for the elderly into a universal, single-payer health care program.

Since the Democratic Party debacle in the 2016 elections, Sanders has become the de facto leader of an effort to prop up the partyto which he does not formally belongand overcome the (correct) popular sentiment that the Democrats are completely indifferent to poverty and social distress, which was greatly exacerbated under eight years of pro-Wall Street policies of the Obama administration.

Sanders and his supporters have seized upon the issue of health care in order to bolster the Democrats flagging credentials as a peoples party committed to a program of social reform. In part this is to salvage the electoral fortunes of the Democrats in 2018 and 2020, but the more important goal is to impede any break by working people from the whole structure of the two-party system.

While polls have shown that Sanders remains the most popular politician in the country, the composition of the crowd suggested that his post-election efforts have had a limited impact among broader layers of the population. While reporters for the World Socialist Web Site encountered some students and young people, the capacity crowd was dominated for the most part by those with a direct interest in efforts to salvage the Democratic Party as an institution: trade union functionaries, aging 1960s-era radicals, and pseudo-left groups oriented towards the Democrats, who promoted Sanders during the primary elections last year. Despite the fact that the meeting itself was held in a predominantly working-class area, workers were largely absent.

Sanders and Conyers presented a universal, single-payer health care system as a logical extension of the advances supposedly made in access to health care under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Thank god we were able to beat back these ugly and horrific Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Sanders declared. But what we have to recognize is that even with the gains of the Affordable Care Act  today 28 million people still have no health insurance.

In reality, the Affordable Care Act was a reactionary piece of legislation aimed at bolstering the profits of the health care and insurance industries and corporate America more generally. It included more than $700 billion in cuts to Medicare over 10 years, and sought to shift the cost of health care coverage from the employers and the government to working people.

Sanders and company were unable to totally paper over the devastating impact of the policies of the Obama administration, which oversaw the largest transfer of wealth from the poor to the rich in American history, has had on broad layers of workers, particularly youth. The meeting began with testimonials purporting to show how the Affordable Care Act has made a positive impact in peoples lives. One of the hand-picked speakers, Candice Adams, told the meeting how she is tens of thousands of dollars in debt from student loans, is unable to find work in her field, and was recently laid off from an auto parts supplier. She thanked Obamacare for allowing her to pay for at least some sort of health insurance, to the enthusiastic applause of the audience.

Sanders remarks were noteworthy as much for what they glossed over or omitted entirely as for what they focused on. Listening to the self-described socialists remarks, one would have no idea that the ruling class is embroiled in the most intense factional political warfare since the Civil War, that a US nuclear attack on North Korea is being considered as a real possibility, or that the specter of military dictatorship has arisen, primarily with the support of the Democrats, in the aftermath of Trumps support for the fascist demonstration in Charlottesville.

After making only two tersely-worded press releases in the week after the Nazi rampage in Charlottesville, Sanders delivered somewhat lengthier remarks at the Detroit meeting denouncing Trumps failure to distance himself from the fascist demonstrators, which were widely reported in the national press. What was even worse than seeing Nazis march, what we have never seen before, whether the president was a Democrat or Republican, was a president who could not condemn in the strongest possible terms Nazis and white supremacists, Sanders exclaimed, adding that four hundred thousand Americans died fighting against Hitler and Nazism and fascism.

These remarks reflect anxieties within the ruling class that Trumps open solidarizing with neo-Nazi layers has damaged the political authority and legitimacy of the American imperialist state, inviting mass unrest at home and undermining American prestige abroad. For all the nationalist mythologizing of Americas entry into World War II as a war against fascism, leading US industrialists like Henry Ford had been supporters and even business partners with the Nazi regime before the outbreak of war. The comments by Sanders, like those of Republican senators and the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reflect concerns that the promotion of American imperialist interventions as wars for democracy against new incarnations of Adolf Hitler has been dealt a serious blow.

In the days following the events in Charlottesville, the cabal of military figures in Trumps cabinet, openly cheered on and supported by the Democrats and the liberal media, has been to consolidate their control over the executive branch, undermining civilian control over the military. This raises even more serious and immediate dangers to democratic rights than Trumps promotion of fascism, which is not yet a mass movement in the United States. Yet Sanders did not even acknowledge this in his remarks.

In fact, Sanders bears a particular political responsibility for allowing Trump a free hand to attempt to cultivate a new far-right movement. His winding down of his primary campaign, which appealed to the growing popular opposition to poverty and social inequality, and his embrace of Hillary Clinton in the general election, the choice of Wall Street and the military-intelligence apparatus, guaranteed that the immense social discontent in the US could only find expression, within the confines of the American two-party system, in Trumps right-wing populist campaign.

Sanders has long been associated with economic nationalist appeals, blaming workers in China and Mexico for the impoverishment of workers in the United States, and identifying the interests of American workers with those of American corporations. He has frequently co-sponsored bills with right-wing Republicans attacking legal immigration and free trade. In the aftermath of Trumps election victory, Sanders declared in a televised town hall that he was prepared to work with him and with anybody who wants to work together to develop a trade policy which tells corporate America they have to look beyond their greed.

As usual, Sanders said nothing about foreign policy, despite the fact that Trump announced a major new troop buildup in Afghanistan the night before. His claim to be a socialist is belied most directly by his longstanding support for Americas imperialist wars, beginning with the NATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s, which he seeks to cover up by avoiding public discussion of foreign policy as much as possible. Sanderss support for wars fought in the interests of American capitalism is closely tied to his economic nationalism.

It is also noteworthy that Sanders, speaking in the center of the American auto industry in front of a crowd that included many trade union functionaries, said nothing about the massive and growing bribery scandal surrounding the United Auto Workers union, or the UAWs debacle in a failed union certification vote at a Nissan plant in Mississippi, which Sanders himself campaigned heavily for. These two events, the bribery by Fiat-Chrysler of top UAW negotiators, and the decisive rejection of the UAW by Mississippi workers, who felt no reason to join an organization responsible for wages at the major Detroit automakers that are even lower than at the non-union Nissan plant, demonstrate that the UAW is a corporatist organization dedicated to enforcing managements dictates against its own members.

The town hall meeting showed that Sanders is attempting to prop up the Democratic Party under conditions of mounting popular disaffection with the entire official political system. He reiterated his calls to improve voter turnout in order to ensure higher returns for Democratic candidates, and called upon younger people attracted to his campaign to run as Democrats in local elections. In response to an audience question calling on him to found a new peoples party, Sanders responded, I dont want Trump around for another four years. I dont want Republicans in control of the House and Senate. I want Democrats to open the door; I want Democrats to be the party not of corporate interests, but of the working class.

Sanders ran for office as an independent (at least in name) for decades, while caucusing with the Democrats. Now he abandons even the fig leaf of independence out of concern that any breach in the political monopoly of the Democrats and Republicans would lead to the emergence of a mass political movement of the working class that escapes the control of bourgeoisie.
PALM COAST, Fla. (AP) -- Police say a 22-year-old Florida man stabbed his mom to death in what they called a violent and angry murder.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said Michele Shimmel confronted her son, Nathaniel Shimmel, at their home Wednesday and asked why he was not looking for a job. Authorities say she threatened to kick him out of the house.

Nathaniel told a detective he grabbed her when she tried to get away and kept stabbing her and just watched her die. The sheriff said she collapsed outside the front door and that Nathaniel stabbed her one last time in the back.

The Daytona Beach News-Journal reports Nathaniel called 911 and initially said it was a robber but later confessed.

Shimmel was charged with first-degree murder and has been denied bail. It's unclear if he had retained an attorney to comment on the charges.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - With classes starting Monday at Florida A&M University, the interim president says more than 100 units of a recently reopened housing complex are now safe for students to move into.

The university had to push back the process after several issues were discovered earlier this week at Palmetto North.

About 45 students had to be put up in hotels after mold and mildew were spotted in several units.

FAMU set a deadline of noon today to resolve all issues.

In a meeting with the media, Dr. Larry Robinson said 120 to 130 units have been inspected and deemed safe, but around 70 still are not ready.

"This wasn't FAMU's best day, but the opportunities for the students to come here and get a world-class education still was available, and we wanted to do everything we could to accommodate that," explained Dr. Robinson.

He said he's apologized to the students and parents affected by the delays, adding reopening Palmetto North became a necessity to provide more on-campus housing for new and incoming students.

Palmetto North had been closed since 2014.

Dr. Robinson said the university will have a facility ready by noon on Saturday to house students who's units still have not been cleaned.
MADISON, Fla. (WTXL) - Four Florida men have been arrested in connection with a bank robbery in Madison.

Madison County deputies responded to the initial call around 2 p.m. Friday at the Wells Fargo on Highway 90. Later that day, deputies made a traffic stop at the truck stop on Interstate 10 and Highway 255 and took four suspects, all from Mt. Dora, Fla., into custody.

The four have been identified as Jeremy Jamal Lawson, 28; Robert Leo Watson, 39; Travonta Shavi Harley, 28; and Don'Vell Lenard Johnson, 28.

The investigation is being handled by the Madison Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Stick with WTXL for updates on this developing story.
Glanbia supports community

Glanbia is known for its cheese, but it certainly isnt cheesy about supporting our community.

Rock Creek Food Bank was among those who were the beneficiaries of Glanbias latest donations. Rock Creek Food Bank provides food for those in need in the Kimberly, Hansen, Eden and Hazelton area. Although the recipients change as their financial circumstances change, the RCFB provides about 40 families with food assistance twice a month. As RCFB depends entirely upon volunteers and donations from the community, this generous gift of $7,500 from Glanbia is much needed and appreciated. It will provide many healthy meals for those in need. We thank Glanbia for their generous support to Rock Creek Food Bank and for their support of the many other organizations which benefit from their community spirit. We are fortunate to live in a community that cares about all of its residents.

Robyn Moss, chairwoman

RCFB board of directors

Thank you for a great Beer Fest

The Blue Lakes Rotary hosted their 6th Annual Magic Valley Beer Festival fundraiser on Aug. 5 under the shade trees of Twin Falls City Park. It was a gorgeous day with an amazing selection of beers to sample, live music to dance to, games to play and great local food to enjoy. We, the members of Blue Lakes Rotary Club, would like to express our appreciation to those who made our event such a success!

Thank you to our generous sponsors.

Golden Barrel: Barry Equipment & Rental and Coburg Fence

Silver Pitcher: Standard Printing Solutions, Watkins Distributing, TEC Distributing, Hayden Beverage, Craig Stein Beverage, Pepsi, Fishers Technology and Clif Bar

Bronze Pint: Falls Brand, S & S Audio, Gem State Welders Supply, Argo, Idaho Power, and Make-a-Fish Foundation

Friends of Blue Lakes Rotary: ProMasters,Tour Ice, Worst, Fitzgerald & Stover, TitleFact, Inc, Alliance Title & Escrow, Service Master and Clear Springs Foods

Thanks to all who contributed silent auction and raffle items, and to the Southern Idaho Parrotheads for volunteering to pour beer. Also, cheers to the nearly 1,400 people in attendance. Your patronage is the reward for our efforts and makes possible our support for numerous charitable projects.

Michelle Carpenter and Marianne Barker

Blue Lakes Rotary Club

Beer Festival chairwomen

Thanks for the sod

I would like to thank Raft River Sod for donating sod to the Cassia County Fairgrounds. The sod was laid behind the new bleachers in the rodeo arena as part of my Eagle Scout project. Please support this business, as they are supporters of our community.

Thank you again.

Deegan Hanks

Thanks for the help

Thank you to the couple that helped me when I fell in front of Shopko Sunday. You were angels.

Betty Albee

Buhl
Miguel Angel Velasquez, Honorary Consul General of Peru, far left, Claudia Gatica, Consul of Guatemala, listen as Roberto Dondisch Glowinski, Consul of Mexico, speaks about their three-day visit to immigrant workers around the state in Sunnyside, Wash., Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. (SHAWN GUST/Yakima Herald-Republic)
Belgian soldiers shot a man in downtown Brussels on Friday evening after he attacked the troops with a knife, federal police said. The man reportedly yelled "Allahu Akbar!" as he attacked.

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"A man armed with a knife attacked a group of soldiers. The soldiers fired at him and neutralized the individual," said Belgian Federal Police spokesman, Jonathan Pfunde.

The attacker being neutralized (Photo: AFP)

He declined to say whether the man was shot dead.

Belgium's anti-terror crisis center also said in a tweet that the soldiers had "neutralized" the man and that the "situation is under control."





Photo: AFP

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: "All our support is with our soldiers. Our security services remain on alert. We are following the situation closely."





Brussels Police (Photo: AP)

Associated Press television images from central Brussels showed that police have sealed off a main street not far from the Belgian capital's main Grand Place tourist attraction.

Belgium has been on high alert since suicide bombers killed 32 people in attacks on March 22, 2016 on the Brussels main airport and subway system.

The Federal Prosecutor's office, which handles terror probes in Belgium, could not be immediately reached for confirmation.
Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton says the presidential pardon of the metro area's former sheriff "is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County."

He says it's especially a slap in the face of the Latino community and those ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio "victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights."

In a statement, Stanton says Arpaio received "a fair trial and a justifiable conviction" and there's nothing President Donald Trump can do "to change that awful legacy and the stain he has left on our community."

Stanton says it's not a proud day for Phoenix and "the city is moving on and moving forward from the divisiveness that defined the Arpaio era."
Western Europe accounted for less than one percent of the 34,676 people killed in terror attacks in 2016 and only two percent of attacks, according to a new report.

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The Middle East and North Africa bore the brunt of last year's extremist violence, according to figures from the Global Terrorism Database maintained by the University of Maryland.

Policemen at the site of the Aug. 17 attack in Barcelona, Spain (Photo: EPA)

The report offers a different perspective after carnage in France Britain and other European countries including Spain , where police are probing a terror cell behind attacks last week.

Western Europe suffered two percent of the attacks in 2016269 out of a total of 13,488and fewer than one percent of victims: 238 out of 34,676 (0.7 percent).

In contrast, terror attacks killed 19,121 people in North Africa and the Middle East55 percent of the total.

Iraq alone suffered nine of the 11 deadliest attacks in 2016, each carried out by the Islamic State group, the report said.

The deadliest attack was also in Iraq, where a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden truck outside a Baghdad shopping centre, killing at least 382 people.

So-called Islamic State was the deadliest group in 2016, its "core" operatives carrying out more than 1,400 atrocities that killed 11,700 people, including the attackers.

In South Asia, Pakistan was the worst-affected country, with more than 1,100 people killed, while in sub-Saharan Africa the attacks were concentrated mainly in Nigeria and Somalia.

Vigil at the scene of the Aug. 18 attack in Turku, Finland (Photo: AFP)

While Western Europe accounted for only a small proportion of the total bloodshed, the study noted the spike in the use of vehicles as killing machines in attacks on the continent.

Last week's attacks in Catalonia used cars.

"Although this tactic is not unprecedented, there has been a marked increase in the frequency and lethality of these attacks," the report said.
US Ambassador Nikki Haley sharply criticized the UN peacekeeping commander in Lebanon on Friday, saying he is blind to the spread of illegal arms and reiterating a call for the force to do more about it. He says theres no evidence its actually happening.

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With the peacekeeping mission up for renewal next week, the United States has been pressing to step up efforts to tackle what Haley describes as a massive flow of illegal weapons to Hezbollah-dominated southern Lebanon, where neighboring Israel has long complained that the militant group operates with impunity.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley (Photo: EPA)

But the peacekeeping commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, pushed back this week on US and Israeli criticism. The Irish general told The Associated Press that his force has no evidence of weapons being illegally transferred and stockpiled in the area, and that if there was a large cache of weapons, we would know about it.

But Haley said theres plenty of evidence including Hezbollahs own boasts and Beary displayed an embarrassing lack of understanding of whats going on.

He seems to be the only person in south Lebanon who is blind to what Hezbollah is doing, she said, adding that his view of the situation shows that we need to have changes in the mission.

Asked about her comments, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the organization has full confidence in Bearys work and noted that debate over the mission would play out in the Security Council.

Antonio Guterres with US Ambassador Haley (Photo: EPA)

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council in a letter that he intends to look at ways for the peacekeeping force to enhance its efforts, but he stressed that its primarily the Lebanese militarys responsibility to ensure the south is free of unauthorized weapons.

The peacekeeping mission, known as UNIFIL, dates to 1978. It was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah so that peacekeepers could deploy along the border with Israel to help Lebanese troops extend their authority into the south for the first time in decades.

Haley has said the United States wants significant improvements to the peacekeeping force, though she said Friday that doesnt mean changing the overall mandate but rather some language.

Its time the Security Council puts teeth in the UNIFIL operation, she said. We dont need to be giving terrorists a pass.

Hezbollah militants in Syria (Photo AP)

Discussions are ongoing, and its not clear how keen the council will be on the US approach.

Russias UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said Wednesday that the mandate should be renewed as is and added that other countries had voiced the same view during a council discussion.

French Deputy Ambassador Anne Gueguen, whose country is in charge of drafting a proposed renewal, said Wednesday it was of paramount importance for the stability of Lebanon and the region, and in the best interest of all, that UNIFIL keeps its mandate and is in a position to fulfill it.
North Korea fired several rockets into the sea Saturday in the continuation of its rapid nuclear and missile expansion, prompting South Korea to press ahead with military drills involving US troops that have angered Pyongyang.

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The US Pacific Command revised its initial assessment that the first and third short-range missiles failed during flight to say they flew about 250 kilometers (155 miles). It said that the second missile appears to have blown up immediately and that none posed threat to the US territory of Guam, which the North had previously warned it would fire missiles toward.





North Korea test-launches missile, July 2017 (Photo: Reuters)

South Koreas presidential office and military said North Korea fired several projectiles in what was presumed as a test of its 300-millimeter rocket artillery system.

Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean military official who is now an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies, said that South Korean assessment doesnt necessarily contradict the US evaluation that the launches involved ballistic missiles. North Koreas large-sized artillery rockets blur the boundaries between artillery systems and ballistic missiles because they create their own thrust and are guided during delivery, Kim said.

The presidential office in Seoul said the US and South Korean militaries will proceed with their ongoing war games even more thoroughly in response to the launch. They are the first known missile firings since July, when the North successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the US mainland when perfected.

The White House said that President Donald Trumpwho has warned that he would unleash  fire and fury  if the North continued its threatswas briefed on the latest North Korean activity and we are monitoring the situation.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP)

The rival Koreas recently saw their always testy relationship get worse after Trump traded warlike threats. Saturdays launch comes during an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that the North condemns as an invasion rehearsal, and weeks after Pyongyang threatened to lob missiles toward Guam.

North Korea had walked back from the threat to lob missiles toward Guam, but there had been concerns that hostility will flare up again during the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian drills between the allies that run through Aug. 31.

However, some experts say North Korea is now mainly focused on the bigger picture of testing its bargaining power against the United States with its new long-range missiles and likely has no interest in letting things get too tense during the drills. They say the North may limit its reactions to low-level provocations like artillery and short-range missile launches.

While the projectile that supposedly blew up immediately after launch was clearly a failure, Kim, the analyst, said the North with the other missiles could have been experimenting with developmental technologies or deliberately detonated the warheads at certain heights and locations. If the South Korean assessments are correct, the North might have conducted tests to expand the range of its 300-millimeter multiple rocket launchers, which are believed to have a radius of up to 200 kilometers (124 miles), Kim said.

North Koreas state media earlier Saturday said that leader Kim Jong Un inspected a special operation forces training of the countrys army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing US-South Korea war games.

North Korea leader Kim Jong Un (Photo: AFP)

Kim reportedly told his troops that they should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency said that the target striking contest involved war planes, multiple-rocket launchers and self-propelled guns that attacked targets meant to represent South Koreas Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands before special operation combatants landed by surprise on rubber boats.

The border islands have occasionally seen military skirmishes between the rivals, including a North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong in 2010 that left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.

In response to North Koreas expanding nuclear weapons program, South Korea has been moving to strengthen its own capabilities, planning talks with the United States on raising the warhead limits on its missiles and taking steps to place additional launchers to a US anti-missile defense system in the countrys southeast.

South Korea has also been testing new missiles of its own, including the 800-kilometer (497 mile)-range Hyunmoo-2. Although the missile has not been operationally deployed yet, it is considered a key component to the so-called kill chain pre-emptive strike capability the South is pursuing to cope with the Norths growing nuclear and missile threat.
Western diplomatic sources claim that the US delegation made it clear to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that a halt to construction in the settlements is impossible, as it will bring about the collapse of Benjamin Netanyahu's administration.

In an interview with the Al-Hayat newspaper, the sources said that the delegation had not made significant progress in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians during the official visit to Ramallah.

The US delegation told Abbas that it would work to consolidate economic, security and diplomatic relations with Israel before the talks begin.
The family of Lt. Hadar Goldin, whose body was abducted by Hamas terrorists in Operation Protective Edge in 2014 after he was killed, reacted with great disappointment on Thursday to the resignation of POWs and MIAs coordinator Colonel (res.) Lior Lotan.

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"We would like to thank Lior Lotan for the intensive work he has done voluntarily over the last three years," said the Goldin family Thursday night, adding that "following his resignation, we feel that we have been abandoned by the government."

Lior Lotan (Photo: Avi Rokah)

"Lotan's resignation is not surprising given recent events," the family stated. "Behind the words 'The government is doing everything to bring back Hadar and Oron (Shaul)' exits a sad reality in which nothing is done to bring our boys back home.

"We demand that (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu and (Defense Minister Avigdor) Lieberman urgently appoint a replacement, implement the cabinet decisions passed in January, and pressure Hamas in every possible and effective way to bring our boys back to Israel."

L to R: Hadar Goldin, Oron Shaul, and Abera Mengistu. Goldin and Shaul fell in battle and their bodies were abducted by Hamas, while Mengistu was apprehended by Hamas after crossing into Gaza.

During his resignation, Lotan explained to Netanyahu that the position of POWs and MIAs coordinator is a very demanding one, both professionally and emotionally, and that in his opinion it would be correct to replace the coordinator every few years.

"My deep acquaintance with the families of the POWs and MIAs and the right to serve their fateful missionbringing their sons back homehas left me with a deep impression and commitment to them," Lotan wrote in his resignation letter, noting that he was also "exposed to the cruelty and cynicism with which Hamas operates on the issue of POWs and MIAs."

He ended the letter by thanking Netanyahu for his trust in him and being given the chance to serve his country and people.

The prime minister thanked Lotan and assured him that he will keep the return of POWs and MIAs home a priority. Netanyahu then instructed his military secretary, Brigadier General Eliezer Toledano, to coordinate his resignation and replacement.
A US delegation led by President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner has reportedly told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that a halt in settlement construction in the West Bank is impossible, because it could bring about the collapse of Benjamin Netanyahu's government, Western diplomatic sources told the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper.

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The Western sources also told the paper the delegation had not made significant progress in the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians during the official visit to Ramallah.

The US delegation told Abbas that it would work to consolidate economic, security and diplomatic relations between Israel and the Palestinians before the talks begin. The Palestinians, for their part, sought economic freedom in Area C and a change in economic agreements.

Jared Kushner with Mahmoud Abbas, during his visit to the Middle East

In addition, the newspaper reported the American delegation expressed willingness to reach a two-state solution, despite the clarification that a settlement construction halt was not possible.

Al-Haya further reported the Americans refused to set the borders of the future Palestinian state based on the 1967 lines, and decided to leave this issue open to discussion by the two sides.

The US delegation, headed by Kushner and Trump's envoy to the Middle East Jason Greenblatt, met separately on Thursday with Netanyahu and with Abbas in an effort to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace, something Trump referred to as "the ultimate deal."

A statement by the US Consulate General in Jerusalem called the meeting between the American delegation and the Palestinians "productive," noting that "Both sides agreed to continue with the US-led conversations as the best way to reach a comprehensive peace deal."

Jared Kushner with Benjamin Netanyahu (Amos Ben Gershom/GPO)

However, Palestinian officials were frustrated by the fact the American delegation refrained from committing to a two-state solution, telling the Washington Post that "negotiations without any set parameters would benefit only the Israeli side."

Ashraf Khatib, a spokesman for the PLO's Negotiations Affairs Department, told the Post, "We have clearly emphasized to the Americans the importance of having a public statement that has a commitment to the two-state solution. There hasn't been any."

Khatib further warned that "Without a vision, it will be negotiations for negotiations sake."

On Friday evening, Abbas spoke on the phone with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and updated him on his meeting with the American delegation.

The Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported the phone call was part of ongoing consultations between the Palestinians and the Saudis, and that the two agreed to continue these consultations.

Earlier in the day, Abbas spoke to the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, also updating him on the talks with the American delegation.
BAGHDAD - Iraq's military said Saturday it has driven Islamic State militants out of 90 percent of the northern town of Tal Afar and retaken the town center.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, a military spokesman, spoke hours after Iraq's foreign minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said that 70 percent of the town west of Mosul had been retaken. Al-Jaafari spoke during a news conference with his French counterpart.

Iraqi officials often declare areas liberated before the fighting has completely ended, and the militants have been known to carry out surprise counterattacks.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon called on the UN Security Council on Saturday to approve a "more effective" mandate for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

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With the peacekeeping mission up for renewal next week, the United States has been pressing to step up efforts to tackle what Ambassador Nikki Haley described as a "massive flow of illegal weapons" to Hezbollah-dominated southern Lebanon, where neighboring Israel has long complained that the militant group operates with impunity.

On Friday, Haley sharply criticized the UN peacekeeping commander in Lebanon, saying he is "blind" to the spread of illegal arms and reiterating a call for the force to do more about it.





UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon (Photo: AFP)

"Ambassador Haley is right. UNIFIL cannot remain blind in the face of Hezbollah's dangerous armament in southern Lebanon," Danon said Saturday. "The UN forces must do their job and put an end to Hezbollah's violations to ensure the quiet in the area remains."

The peacekeeping commander, Maj. Gen. Michael Beary, pushed back earlier this week on US and Israeli criticism. The Irish general told The Associated Press that his force has no evidence of weapons being illegally transferred and stockpiled in the area, and that "if there was a large cache of weapons, we would know about it."

Haley, meanwhile, said there's plenty of evidence including Hezbollahs own boasts, accusing Beary of displaying "an embarrassing lack of understanding of what's going on."

"He seems to be the only person in south Lebanon who is blind to what Hezbollah is doing," she said, adding that his view of the situation "shows that we need to have changes" in the mission.

UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon (Photo: Reuters)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the council in a letter that he intends to look at ways for the peacekeeping force to "enhance its efforts," but he stressed that it's primarily the Lebanese military's responsibility to ensure the south is free of unauthorized weapons.

Israel has provided the Security Council with evidence of Hezbollah's violations, including photos of observation posts set up along the Israel-Lebanon border under the guise of a civilian organization called Green Without Borders. The UN has rejected Israel's claims.

The Hezbollah-funded organization's declared goal is to expand the green areas of Lebanon and raise awareness to environmental protection. It also promotes agriculture and collects ecological data.

One of the observation posts (Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office)

In a letter to members of the UN Security Council sent in June, Danon described an incident that occurred in April, when a group of civilians denied the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL) access to an observation post belonging to Green Without Borders.

The letter included photos of the observation posts and maps detailing their exact locations.

Map detailing the observation posts along the border.

"This evidence proves Hezbollah is working along the Blue Line under the guise of civilian activity, while violating UN Security Council resolutions 1701 and 1559," Danon wrote.

"Hezbollah continues to grow its strength in southern Lebanon and is threatening the stability of the entire region. The international community must not turn a blind eye to these dangerous threats," he added.

A Hezbollah lookout station in southern Lebanon (:  ")

X

The peacekeeping mission dates to 1978. It was expanded after the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah so that peacekeepers could deploy along the border with Israel to help Lebanese troops extend their authority into the south for the first time in decades.
BARCELONA - Hundreds of thousands marched in Barcelona in a show of unity on Saturday evening amid chants of 'I am not afraid' after two Islamist militant attacks in the Spanish region of Catalonia last week left 15 dead.

The march was led by shopkeepers and residents of the city's well-known Las Ramblas boulevard, where a van ploughed into pedestrians on Aug. 17, killing 13 and injuring over a hundred. The crowd applauded representatives of the police, fire services and medical professions who also led the march.

Spain's King Felipe, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and the head of Catalonia's regional government Carles Puigdemont, dressed in dark suits, walked in the throng as people cheered and bore red, yellow and white roses - the colours of Spain's second-biggest city.

Police estimated the march at half a million people.
Some 2,000 people demonstrated on Saturday night at Goren Square in Petah Tikva, near the home of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, protesting against what they say is his hesitant and slow conduct on the investigations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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The protesters were carrying signs that said, among other things: "A king needs slaves" and "Corrupt people, go home."

Police said the protesters were violating the terms set by the High Court. In addition to hundreds more people arriving to demonstrate than permitted, protesters were using more than two megaphones, spread out onto the road and began their demonstration at 7pm instead of 8pm.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Some 500 people were protesting in a fenced area allocated for the demonstration, and some 1,500 others have also arrived and were protesting outside the allocated area.

About 20 Likud supporters were holding a counter-protest.

Protest organizers rejected police accusations, saying 500 protesters were at the Goren Square, while the others were in a nearby area "in accordance with the law and the plan ordered by the High Court."

"The claim that the leaders of the protest are supposed to instruct people to remain at home is ridiculous, unreasonable, and mostly undemocratic," the organizers said in a statement.

"It is the right of thousands of citizens in a democratic country to arrive at the city center to protest," they went on to say, allowing that protesters "must obey police instructions on the exact location of the protest."

The protest organizers went on to argue it was the police's job to manage the crowds, directing people to Goren Square and to additional areas outside of it.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

What began as a gathering of a handful of good governance activists outside the home has now, in its 40th week, swelled into a powerful display of flag-waving Israelis each Saturday night that has drawn heavy media coverage, sparked counter pro-Netanyahu protests and unnerved police.

The High Court of Justice issued a temporary injunction on Thursday allowing up to 500 protesters to continue demonstrating at Gorden Square in Petah Tikva without needing special police authorization until a decision is made on a petition by the Movement for Quality Government in Israel, which appeals police decision to bar them from the square.

"The neighbors' right for quiet doesn't come close to the right for the freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate," Judge Yoram Danziger said during Thursday's hearing, noting that on a grander scheme, the right for quiet is lower on the scale than the freedom of expression.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

A resident of the Kfar Ganim neighborhood in Petah Tikva recently filed a petition to the High Court against the police over the noise caused by the thousands of people who arrive to Goren Square in the neighborhood every Saturday night to protest.

In response to the petition, the police informed protest organizers they would no longer allow demonstrations to be held without a permit, and then refused to give a permit for more than 50 people to demonstrate at Goren Square.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

Protestors tried arriving at the square last week despite police blockages and closures, later congregating in the alterative location the police had approved. Two of the protesters' organizers, attorney Eldad Yaniv and former PMO chief caretaker Meni Naftali, were detained for questioning on the night of the protest.

Yaniv and Naftali were released from police custody on Sunday after reaching an agreement with the police: The two agreed not call on demonstrators to attend an illegal protest until the following Sunday, and in return they were released without bail or restrictions.
Some 100 people, residents of south Tel Aviv and their supporters, gathered outside the home of Supreme Court Chief Justice Miriam Naor in Jerusalem on Saturday night to protest the drawn out legal proceedings concerning illegal African migrants who have flooded their neighborhoods.

The protesters were carrying signs saying: "High Court against the people, the people against the High Court," "The elderly in the neighborhood want to live too."
Iran is taking over Syria. The distant enemy is coming closer. The US is out of the picture. Those who put their trust in the new world sheriff, Donald Trump, have to admit he appears to be far more concerned with the American media than the Iranian imperialism. That is who he is.

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The world's sheriff is not whoever has more powerthe United States has a lot morebut whoever uses the power he has.

Netanyahu had to go to Vladimir Putin this week again for another round of talks with the Russian leader during his vacation in Sochi. It's not clear whether Putin is going to stop the Iranian threat. It is clear, however, that he's the only one there is any point in talking to.

Iranian President Rouhani (Photo: AFP)

The strengthening and spreading of Iran's influence were made possible, inter alia, because of the nuclear deal. European nations were quick to court the country that got Barack Obama and John Kerry's stamp of approval. Most of the sanctions were lifted. Europe rushed to renew the massive deals and oil purchases. In the five months that followed the sanctions' removal, Iranian exportsexcluding oilgrew by $19 billion. The oil production soared from an average of 2.5 million barrels a day during the sanctions to close to 4 million barrels a day in recent months. The billions increased accordingly.

Iranian troops fighting ISIS in Syria.

Many of the heads of Israel's defense establishment, unlike Netanyahu, determined the nuclear deal was the lesser of evils. Its advantages, they claimed, outweigh its shortcomings.

I'm afraid they were wrong. The Iranian threat was twofold: Both the development of nuclear weapons and regional subversion. It is possible there is a temporary waning of the first threat. The second threat, meanwhile, continues growing. Iran is stirring the pot: it has militant affiliates in Yemen; it is fighting in Iraq and turning it into a protected state; Syria is also becoming a protected state; and Lebanon, for a long time now, has been under the control of Iran's proxy, Hezbollah.

The Iranian architects of the nuclear deal: Foreign Minister Zarif and nuclear chief Salehi (Photo: AP)

Between Iran and Israel there is a growing, ever expanding territorial corridor under Iranian control, and the Shiite nation is planning on building a sea port in Syria, perhaps an airport as well.

This didn't happen because of the nuclear agreement, but there is no doubt the nuclear agreement served to bolster Iran and its expansionist aspirations.

Obama and Kerry managed to mislead the international community in generaland the American public in particularby claiming the alternative to the agreement was war. That's not true. The alternative was continuing and the sanctions and imposing additional, harsher sanctions. Only then, it might have been possible to deal with both threats. Now, it is too late.

Misled the international community: Obama and Kerry (Photo: AP)

Most of the time, Netanyahu's conduct was appropriate. He was among those who pushed for the sanctions on Iran. He spurred the international community into action.

But at some point, something went wrong. Netanyahu became a nuisance. Instead of showing a little more flexibility on the Palestinian issue, in order to get more on the Iranian issue, he made himself the American administration's enemy on both matters. The result was a complete failure. Iran's nuclear capabilities were not curbed, and Tehran is now turning into a regional power.

Chamberlain, said Winston Churchill, was "given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, and you will have war."

As time goes on, it becomes all the more apparent Obama has chosen dishonor. Iran is becoming a world power, and Israel might pay with another war.
YORK  The York County Commissioners will be meeting with department heads on Tuesday, Aug. 29, when they hold a budget workshop in the afternoon after the regular meeting in the morning.

The budget still remains in the preliminary stages and will not be finalized and formally approved until September.

While many agencies have made their annual budget requests during regular county board meetings, this will be the first official look at what the budget committee is proposing.

During the regular meeting of the county board, they will adopt a resolution that sets the preliminary levies for all of the political subdivisions in the county. This includes the levies for cities, villages, school districts, cemetery districts, etc.

They will also meet with Laura McDougal, director of the Four Corners Health Department, who will be providing them with an update on the agencys programs and events.

They will also readdress the request from Judge James Stecker regarding the hiring of a bailiff who would assist him in administrative matters. The position would be financially supported by both York and Seward Counties, should it be created. During an earlier meeting, the commissioners said they wanted to first see what Seward officials wanted to do before they proceeded. They also noted that they wanted to see a formal request in writing and a written interlocal agreement before making any sort of decision.

Also to be considered will be payroll and vendor claims, as well as general assistance applications if there are any.

The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will start at 8:30 a.m., in the basement of the courthouse. The budget workshop will start at 1 p.m.
YORK  Darcy McBride retired seven years ago after 28 years in classrooms at York Public Schools. She went on uninterrupted, however, teaching one subject especially dear to her heart.

Other than nine years during which she taught at the high school and had to rely upon others to keep her pet program afloat, McBride taught every fourth- and fifth-grader at York Elementary to swim, often with the help of husband Tom.

YES Principal Kris Friesen, leading the cheers Friday morning on the Family Aquatic Centers pool deck, told the kids they are the last of some 6,000 students in those grades who were taught to swim by McBride, who is handing the program off to elementary PE teacher Kim Brehm.

Friesen said after retiring, McBride continued teaching lessons to fourth graders in the spring and fifth graders in the fall, driving from Lincoln each day swim classes were scheduled.

There comes a time , said McBride about her decision to step aside. Kim was ready to take it on, she said, adding, Its been a great partnership with Kim.

Tom McBride, she said, has always taught a class or two and their son Thatcher has done the same over the years.

Darcy McBride credits Woody Ziegler, then principal at Willard Elementary when grade school was taught at three different locations in town, with being receptive to her idea for the program back in 1983-84.

So receptive was Ziegler, in fact, that he taught classes himself from time to time. Its been the same for para-educators, community volunteers, former members of McBrides youth swim team who returned to help as college students and many others.

It really is a community effort, she said, not just the school. And the city has been gracious allowing us to use their facilities from the get-go.

Kids were taught indoors at the Community Center from the beginning until the outdoor Family Aquatic Centers second year of operation. Thats when the switch was made.

Each years session runs four days for every student in those two grades with exceptions made if the case of a health issue or injury.

This year, for example, Brehm said one youngster must sit out because of an allergy to chlorine.

Each of the present fourth and fifth classes walked across the street to give McBride a raucous thank you, loudly proclaim her Super Hero status, present the out-sized whistle she wears in the accompany photo and, best of all, to bestow endless hugs Friday morning.

Through tears McBride said, Ive loved every minute. Thank you everybody for all you have done to make this a part of York Public Schools for years and years.
The following questions were asked recently on the Wonderline:

Q: Does the city make much off of having keno? And if they do, what is that money spent on?

A: According to this years budget documents, the city has a current balance of $28,700 in keno funds that have already been received.

It is expected that the city will take in approximately $10,500 in the next year, in keno receipts.

In the budget for the next year, there are expenditures for equipment at the community center which would be covered by keno funds. Those expenditures include a new treadmill, as part of the annual rotation of equipment in the weight room (costing about $4,100); a new elliptical (about the same price, for the weight room); and a new upright bike (which would cost about $2,000, for the weight room).

Q: I have appreciated all the stories about the details of the citys budget. Can you do the same for the countys budget?

A: That will happen, just as soon as those figures are put together and made available.

Q: I understand that last weekend all the hotel rooms in York were taken up for the eclipse. So that begs the question  how many hotel rooms are there in York?

A: There are 638 hotel rooms in York.

Q: Many years ago, I remember reading a story about how the man who invented ranch dressing was from Thayer. It was a fascinating story but I cant remember the details. Ive tried to tell it to my friends, but I cant remember enough of the facts to tell it correctly. Could you possibly find the story and put the details in the Wonderline?

A: Kenneth Henson of Thayer invented Hidden Valley dressing.

In 1949, Henson went to Alaska for three years to work as a plumbing contractor  a job that included cooking for his fellow workers. While cooking in Alaska, he refined a recipe for buttermilk dressing.

This dressing became the house dressing at Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch that he and his wife, Gayle, purchased near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1954. For many years, they hosted guests from near and far who came to enjoy the ranch and the meals.

They started to get so many requests for the dressing, they created a dry packaged mix, which they sold to stores and individual customers.

Kelleys Korner in Santa Barbara was the first store to sell the packaged mix. The packages sold out so fast that the store owner though his staff was stealing it.

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing quickly became very popular.

The name was originally trademarked by Henson.

The ranch itself was sold in the early 1970s.

In October, 1973, Henson sold the brand and product to Clorox for $8 million.

Q: How old is the aquatic center in York?

A: It is in its 12th year of business. It opened for business on May 28, 2005.

Q: Is the traffic light at Lincoln Avenue and the bypass traffic-activated? Or is it set by time?

A: It is traffic-activated.

Q: How many eggs does a chicken lay in a year?

A: According to the American Egg Board, the average hen lays one egg every 24 hours, so about 365 a year.

Q: There is so much construction going on in the area of the convention center. I was wondering how much land is solely dedicated to the convention center property itself.

A: The convention center sits on approximately 13 acres, which is dedicated to the property.

Q: I think the old church that sits at your history farm in York is just a great addition. I drive by there every once in a while, as I frequently go through York on Highway 81. Anyway, its just so pretty and I imagine its quite something to see on the inside as well. I was just curious as to whether you could tell people like me who are just passing by a little something about the church. How old is it? Where did it come from? Im sure people around there know all about it. I was just curious.

A: The church was the Zion Lutheran Church at Thayer.

On July 14, 1901, residents met with a pastor and organized the congregation. Two acres of ground were obtained in the northwest part of Thayer, a church west of town was purchased and moved in.

In the spring of 1902, a small parsonage was built.

Disaster struck in September, 1904, when lightning struck the church and reduced it to ashes. The congregation decided to build a new church and after that a new school.

Herman Ziemke hauled the steeple from York on a lumber wagon.

On Nov. 27, 1904, the cornerstone was laid. The cost of the church and its furnishings was $4,052.61.

The church was dedicated on April 9, 1905, with three services in the German language.

An 800-pound bell was installed in 1913.

And a new pipe organ was installed in 1914.

For the churchs 50th anniversary, a basement was added.

The final services were held at the Thayer site in August, 2013. The congregation agreed that the church should be moved to the site just south of York.

The church was then moved to the Wessels Living History Farm.

Q: Are the York County Judge, York District Judge and the York public defender elected officials or are they contracted? If so, when and how often do they go up for election? Who decides the chosen court officials?

A: The public defender is an elected position and is on the ballot every four years. The position will be in the election cycle of 2018.

The judges are not elected. When there becomes a judicial vacancy (due to the retirement or death of a sitting judge), interested attorneys apply for the judgeship and the applicants are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission. That commission recommends finalists to the governor who ultimately decides who will fulfill that judgeship.

The question of whether a judge should be retained is included on the ballot every six years.
Columbia: The White House on Friday amped up pressure on Venezuela's cash-strapped government, restricting access to vital US capital markets and escalating a standoff between Washington and Caracas.

In a move aimed at leveraging America's vast financial power against Nicolas Maduro`s regime, President Donald Trump banned US trade in new bonds issued by the government or its cash-cow oil company PDVSA.

That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default.

Maduro`s government -- which has faced months of deadly mass protests -- has been accused of hijacking state institutions and moving ever deeper into autocratic rule.

The measures will "deny the Maduro dictatorship a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule," the White House said in a statement.

Venezuela denounced the new US sanctions as the "worst aggression" against the country`s people and accused Washington of trying to stoke a humanitarian crisis in the oil-rich, cash-poor country.

"What do they want? They want to starve the Venezuelan people? What is it they`re looking for?" said Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza after talks with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York.

Maduro`s government has been keen to blame the United States for its economic woes and leapt on Trump`s recent suggestions that Washington could intervene militarily -- using that as a tool to unite the military.

"You are with Trump and the imperialists, or youare with the Bolivarian national armed forces and the homeland," he said. "Never before has Venezuela been threatened in such a way."

Trump`s national security advisor HR McMaster played down the prospect of an armed intervention, saying "no military actions are anticipated in the near future."

But Trump`s order will ratchet up the fight on another front.Venezuela`s outstanding debt is estimated at over $100 billion, while oil revenues have declined and currency reserves have shrunk to just $10 billion.

October and November will be a crunch period for repayments. That`s when a hefty $3.8 billion in bond payments need to be paid by Venezuela and PDVSA.

S&P Global Ratings predicted a contraction in the country`s gross domestic product of around six percent this year and the need to finance around $7 billion in debt in 2018.

The agency earlier this year lowered Venezuela`s sovereign debt ratings, warning of the risk of default.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin confirmed that the measures could apply to any future debt restructuring, shutting one possible escape hatch for the government.

But a carve-out for Wall Street banks for existing deals will dull the short-term impact of the ban.

"It will have a limited immediate impact," said economist Henkel Garcia. But "it closes the doors to new financing."

Still, the message, he said, seems to be that those holding Venezuelan debt should think carefully.

US officials said the latest sanctions were also designed to stop the government from stripping state assets in order to pay the bills.

Maduro`s "officials are now resorting to opaque financing schemes and liquidating the country`s assets at fire sale prices," one official said.

Earlier this week, US Vice President Mike Pence vowed that Washington would not allow "the collapse of Venezuela," saying such an event would "endanger" countries in the wider region.

Clashes in Venezuela between anti-government protesters and police this year have left 125 people dead, according to prosecutors.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has signed a memo ordering the Pentagon to ban an Obama-era plan of recruiting transgender individuals in the military, a move Democrats said was "cruel" and meant to "hurt and humiliate" American soldiers.

In a memorandum, a copy of which was released by the White House, Trump directed the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the US Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place prior to June 2016.

In the memorandum, Trump alleged that his predecessor Barack Obama dismantled the Defense Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorising the use of its resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, 2017.

"In my judgement, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the?departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those?negative effects," Trump said.

The memorandum has requested the Pentagon to develop an implementation plan for the ban by?February 21, 2018, which should be put in place on?March 23, 2018.

Last month Trump had announced his decision in this regard on Twitter.

Pentagon Press Secretary Dana White said the Department of Defense has received formal guidance from the White House in reference to transgender personnel serving in the military.

"More information will be forthcoming," she said.

Criticising the decision, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said Trump's memorandum is ordering the Pentagon to hurt and humiliate thousands of Americans who serve in US military with strength and courage.

"Prejudice, not national defense, is behind President Trump's cruel decision to kick transgender troops out of the military," she said.

"A study commissioned by the Department of Defense itself found that the cost of providing medically necessary care for transgender troops would be miniscule. In fact, every year, the Pentagon spends five times more on Viagra than they would for transition-related care," Pelosi said.

"This is a political decision that's more about attacking transgender Americans than keeping us safe. If you doubt the ability of transgender troops to complete their mission, you should do your homework. Transgender troops have served in some of our most elite units and graduated from our premier military academies - preventing them from serving is wrong and it's un-American," said Democratic Congressman Patrick Maloney.

Maloney is the first openly gay member of Congress from New York and a Co-chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus.

After 22 years together, he married his husband Randy Florke in June 2014 in Cold Spring, New York where they live with their three children.

Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler said that military service is a privilege, not a right.

"I'm pleased to see the president putting military readiness first and making sure our defense dollars are spent keeping us safe. With the growing threats from Iran, North Korea, China and others, the US military cannot afford to divert precious defense dollars from our national security," she said.

"Every dollar must be spent investing in new military technology, getting the right equipment for our troops, and making sure we are protected from threats across the globe," Hartzler said.

Last year, former US President Barack Obama had decided to allow transgenders to serve in the US military.

Announcing the decision on June 30, 2016, the then Defense Secretary Ashton Carter had said that the Defense Department and the military need to avail ourselves of all talent possible in order to remain the finest fighting force the world has ever known.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Rs 500 crore relief for flood-hit Bihar after reviewing the situation in the state where hundreds of people were killed and lakhs of others were displaced.

The centre's relief package comes after Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi requested for help.

The death toll on Monday rose to over 300 and nearly 1.2 crore people have been rendered homeless across 20 districts.

PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured grievously by the floods, reported ANI.
Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will come up with a law to protect small savers who have deposited up to Rs 1 lakh in urban cooperative banks (UCBs), a minister has said.

Most of the UCBs have small deposit amounts and savers are adversely affected whenever these banks face financial constraints, Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh has said.

He was speaking at a meeting of representatives of UCBs in Pune on Thursday. The meeting was called to discuss measures to protect deposits in such banks.

"Deposits up to Rs 1 lakh in UCBs will be protected with some legislation. The state government is working on it. We are working on some mechanism through the Maharashtra Cooperation Development Corporation. It would frame guidelines and rules for UCbs to bring some uniformity," Deshmukh said.

He said there are nearly Rs 25,000-crore deposits in the urban cooperative banks in the state.

In the last 10 years, several UCBs have undergone financial crisis, especially after the Reserve Bank placed some of them under moratorium.

"The government will extend support to the UCBs as they cater to the weaker sections. We will work out some legislation for it," Deshmukh said.
Baghdad: France will assist in reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in Iraq as it emerges from the war with Islamic State, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday after talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad.

France is a main partner in the US-led coalition helping Baghdad to fight the militants who seized parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The coalition provided key air and ground support for Iraqi forces in the nine-month campaign to take back Mosul, Islamic State`s capital in Iraq.

The fall of Mosul, in July, in effect marked the end of the "caliphate" declared by Islamic State`s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, over parts of Iraq and Syria. The town of Tal Afar was cut-off from the rest of IS-held territory in June.

"We are present in the war and we will be present in the peace," Le Drian told a news conference in Baghdad with French Defence Minister Florence Parly and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari.

"Even if our joint combat against Daesh is not finished, it is entering a phase of stabilization, of reconciliation, of reconstruction, a phase of peace," Le Drian said, referring to Islamic State by its Arabic acronym.

The French ministers were also due to meet Iraqi Kurdish leaders in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, whose Peshmerga fighters have also played a key part in the fight against Islamic State.

France and other western countries are worried that the Kurdistan Regional Government`s (KRG) plan to hold an independence referendum next month could ignite fresh conflict with Baghdad and neighbouring states who host sizeable Kurdish communities, mainly Iran and Turkey.

A diplomat familiar with French policy said Le Drian and Parly will convey to KRG President Massoud Barzani the French position in favour of an autonomous Kurdistan that remains part of the Iraqi state.

The French ministers and Jaafari did not mention the fate of families of French citizens who fought with Islamic State, found in Mosul and other areas taken back from the militants. Several hundreds French nationals are believed to have joined the group.
London: A 26-year-old sword-wielding man attacked and wounded three police officers outside Buckingham Palace in London before being arrested, prompting Scotland Yard to launch a terror investigation.

The man initially held on suspicion of grievous bodily harm (GBH) and assault on police has now been re- arrested under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, the Metropolitan Police said.

"A car deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill near Buckingham Palace. The officers, who were unarmed police constables and from Westminster borough, got out of the van and approached the car, a blue Toyota Prius," the police said.

"As they challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," it said.

During a struggle, three officers sustained minor injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with tear gas.

Two of the officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later. The third officer did not require hospital treatment.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries and has now been taken to a central London police station for questioning.

"No members of the public at the scene are believed had any interaction with the arrested man. There are no other reported injuries," the Met Police said.

Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family were not in Buckingham Palace at the time.

The 91-year-old monarch is at Balmoral Castle in Scotland and other senior members of the royal family are also away during the summer holiday season in the UK.

A Palace spokesperson said the summer opening hours and tours of the Queen's London residence will go ahead on schedule, adding that it will be "business as usual".

Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said, "Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today.

"We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do  this will be determined during the course of the investigation  it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time," he said.

Eyewitnesses have reported seeing a sword-like weapon in the suspect's car. The man had stopped his car in a "restricted area" when police saw the weapon.

The area was surrounded immediately by armed police and other security services and tourists were ushered away from the area.

Europe is on high alert following a spate of recent terror attacks.

A terror cell launched an attack on Barcelona's famous Las Ramblas street last Wednesday, and at a nearby seaside town, leaving 14 people dead.

On Saturday night in Brussels, a man armed with a machete attacked a group of soldiers.

He was shot dead at the scene, while two soldiers were not seriously injured.

Britain has also been the scene of a series of terror attacks this year alone.

In March, a terrorist drove a car into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge in London, killing four people.

Khalid Masood then ran into the grounds of the Parliament, where he fatally stabbed an unarmed police officer.

He was shot dead by an armed officer.

A concert by pop star Ariana Grande in Manchester was attacked by a terrorist in May.

Suicide bomber Salman Ramadan Abedi detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb at the entrance to the concert, leaving 23 dead and 250 injured.

In June, three terrorists in a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and then ran to Borough Market, where they stabbed people.

Eight people were killed and the three terrorists were shot dead by police.
Chandigarh: CBI Judge Jagdeep Singh will be flown to the Sunaria jail in Rohtak on Monday for the quantum of sentencing of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the rape case for which he has been convicted.

The government has been told to make all security arrangements at the jail and also to make travel arrangements by air of Singh and his two staff members.

As per the notification issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court registrar on Saturday, following directions from the Acting Chief Justice of the court, "the District Jail, Rohtak at Sunaria is the place for the sitting of the CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula, for the purpose of hearing of quantum of sentence...." in the conviction case of the sect chief.

Notification on District Jail,Sunaria as place of sitting of CBI Court, Panchkula for pronouncement of quantum of sentence against #RamRahim pic.twitter.com/V67I3eoiNe  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

The move comes after Dera followers indulged in large-scale violence yesterday after Rahim`s conviction on two counts in the rape case.

After the verdict, Ram Rahim was also flown to the jail in a private chopper.

Earlier today, the Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) BS Sandhu had apprised that Dera Sacha Sauda chief would receive the punishment through video conferencing.

Addressing the press conference, Sandhu had said,"Our efforts remain to make judgement possible through video-conferencing, if the court says, then everything will take place in the jail."

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary of Haryana Depinder Singh Dhesi had asserted that no special treatment is being provided to self-styled 'godman' and had added that action will be taken against those personnel who were lenient in their duties during the violence.

"Gurmeet Ram Rahim has not been given special treatment in jail. He has been kept like a normal prisoner. In the whole case, if anyone had done any sort of leniency in his duty, then required action will be taken. After 6:30 pm, neither Panchkula nor other parts of Haryana had faced any violation of law and order. Law and order is being completely maintained in the entire state," Dhesi told the media, as per ANI.

CBI judge Jagdeep Singh had yesterday held Ram Rahim, 50, guilty in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited two female followers.

On the basis of the report, a case was registered against him in December 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana HC.

The quantum of sentence against Ram Rahim will be pronounced on August 28.

The punishment can be a jail term not less than seven years but may even extend to life imprisonment.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: From a successful entrepreneur to becoming 'Messenger of God', Dera chief Ram Rahim has charted a path which would make others envious.

His sharp business acumen has propelled him to build a vast business empire which stretches from cosmetics, schools, hospitals and confectioneries to films.

Besides offering a variety of products like shampoos, hair oil, grocery items, clothes and batteries, mostly under the brand name MSG, his quasi-religious cult Dera Sacha Sauda also reportedly runs 11 schools and two colleges.

The group also has confectionery factories on the outskirts of Sirsa in Haryana, the Hindustan Times reported citing the Dera website.

Ram Rahim, who studied only up to the 10th standard, debuted in his 2014 film Messenger of God or MSG, which he co-produced, directed and acted in. And since then, he reportedly directed and appeared as the hero in four films.

A fifth movie was slated to be released later this year.

The Dera claims that all his films crossed the Rs 100-crore mark.

The confectionery factories, housed in his sprawling Dera headquarters in Sirsa, produces biscuits, toffees and other products.

According to the website, the MSG All Trading International Pvt Ltd, a Dera Sacha Sauda firm, launched 151 products, including food items, last year.

The group also runs three hospitals including an Ayurveda centre in Sirsa.

The educational institutes are in Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

Though nominal amounts are charged for the services in hospitals and schools, this is mostly charitable work, HT quoted a Dera supporter as saying.

Ram Rahim was convicted by a CBI court in Panchkula on Friday in a 2002 rape case. The conviction triggered widespread violence in which 28 people were killed and over 200 others were injured.
Panchkula/Sirsa: A day after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted in a rape case, more than thirty congregation centres of Dera Sacha Sauda across Haryana were sealed on Friday.

At the same time, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today castigated the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deadly violence that erupted in the state, saying it had 'surrendered' before the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda head for 'political considerations'.

A full bench of the court, at a special hearing, a minced no words in slamming the CM for 'protecting' the Dera followers and extending political patronage to them.

"This was a political surrender to allure vote bank," it observed, a day after Dera followers went on a rampage across Haryana following the conviction of the self-styled 'godman' in Panchkula.

The Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice S Singh Saron, Justice Avneesh Jhingan and Justice Surya Kant, was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Panchkula resident who had raised law and order concerns and stated that over 1.5 lakh people had reportedly entered the district earlier despite prohibitory orders.

The HC also took note of Khattar's statement yesterday in which he blamed anti-social elements for the violence, which also spilled over into neighbouring Punjab, Rajasthan and Delhi.

"After the CBI court verdict, you immediately came to know that anti-social elements got mixed up with the followers, but how is it that you failed to take note when large number of Dera followers arrived in Panchkula," the Bench pointed out.

Over 30 congregation centres of Dera sealed

Meanwhile, among the centres that have been locked, 13 were in Ambala, 10 in Kurukshetra and eight in Yamunanagar district.

Also, over 3,000 'lathis' (wooden staffs), diesel and petrol were recovered from Kurukshetra alone.

The crackdown was launched both by Haryana and Punjab on the Dera centres, a day after violence in Panchkula and Sirsa districts claimed over 30 lives and left scores injured.

Punjab police also said that rods, axes etc were also recovered from 98 Dera centres spread across the state.

"We have recovered one AK 47 rifle and one Mauser (rifle) from the vehicle of a Dera follower and two rifles and five pistols from another vehicle during the operations," Haryana DGP BS Sandhu said.

He was addressing a joint press conference along with Haryana Chief Secretary DS Dhesi and Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Ram Niwas.

Dhesi disclosed that two cases of sedition had been registered against Dera followers, as per PTI.

Niwas was asked if searches were also being carried out at the Dera headquarters in Sirsa to which he replied in the negative.

"Security personnel are patrolling the outer area of the sect headquarters and keeping a close vigil," he said.

As many as 552 persons have been arrested in connection with yesterday's violence and further investigations are underway, the DGP said.

Panchkula DCP suspended for 'lapse'

On the other hand, the Haryana government today suspended the DCP of Panchkula over yesterday's violence.

The Haryana government was also forced to terminate the services of the state's Deputy Advocate General, Gurdas Salwara, for allegedly 'accompanying' Ram Rahim yesterday after his conviction.

The Army, meanwhile, said it had no immediate plan of entering Dera headquarters in Sirsa and that was focusing on maintaining law and order, reacting to reports that it had entered the premises.

Searches carried out in Punjab

Punjab also launched a crackdown on Dera centres, with Chief Minister Amarinder Singh stating that state police offices had visited all the 98 'Naam Sacha Ghars' (congregation centres) of the Dera in the state and recovered lathis, pipes and rods, axes and petrol bombs.

Punjab has tightened security at vital installations and is ready to enforce curfew again in sensitive areas of the state on Monday, if needed, in view of the upcoming sentencing of Ram Rahim, he said.

Singh added that Punjab remained peaceful and no loss of life was reported from any part of the state.

HC notifies Rohtak jail for court sitting on Monday

Meanwhile, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today said that the District Jail at Sunaria near Rohtak will be the place for sitting of the CBI special court for the sentencing of Ram Rahim Singh.



The sentencing is scheduled for Monday.



As per the notification issued by the High Court registrar, following directions from the Acting Chief Justice of the court, "the district jail, Rohtak at Sunaria is the place for the sitting of the CBI court of Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula, for the purpose of hearing of quantum of sentence...." in the conviction case of the sect chief, as per IANS.



The Haryana government has been directed by the HC to make travel arrangements by air of the CBI court judge, Jagdeep Singh, and his two staff members to Rohtak on Monday.



Ram Rahim was flown in a helicopter, specially arranged by the Haryana government, to Rohtak on Friday evening.



CBI judge had yesterday held Ram Rahim, 50, guilty in a case that was registered on the basis of an anonymous written complaint in 2002 that he had sexually exploited female followers.

On the basis of the report, a case was registered against him in December 2002 by the CBI on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana HC.

The punishment can be a jail term not less than seven years but may even extend to life imprisonment.

(With Agency inputs)
New Delhi: An anonymous letter of a rape victim, which became the basis for a long-drawn CBI probe into the crimes of Dera chief Ram Rahim, describes how she had been betrayed and physically abused by the self-styled godman.

She had sent her heart-wrenching letter about her physical exploitation and abuses to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Her letter has been in the news again after the Dera chief on Friday was convicted of rape by a CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana.

The following is the full text of her letter published by India Today on its website.

To,

Honourable Prime Minister

Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee (Government of India)

Subject: Request for probe into rape of hundreds of girls by Dera chief (Ram Rahim)

I am a girl hailing from Punjab and I have been serving as a sadhvi at Dera Sacha Sauda, Sirsa (Haryana) for the last five years. There are hundreds of other girls, who serve for 16-18 hours a day at the Dera. We are being physically exploited here. Dera Maharaj Gurmeet Singh rapes girls at the Dera. I am a graduate girl. My family members are blind followers of Maharaj (Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh). I became a sadhvi at my family's bidding.

Two years after I became a sadhvi, Maharaj Gurmeet Singh's close woman-disciple Gurjot told me one night around 10 pm that I had been summoned to 'Gufa' (residence of Gurmeet Ram Rahim). As I was going there for the first time, I was elated that God himself had sent out for me. When I went upstairs, I saw Maharaj sitting on the bed holding a remote control in hand and watching a blue film on TV. Beside his pillow on the bed, lay a revolver. Seeing all this, I was stunned, felt dizziness, and felt as if the earth has moved from beneath my feet. I wondered what at all was happening here.

I had never imagined that Maharaj would be such a person. Maharaj switched off the TV and seated me beside him. He offered me water and said that he had called me because he considered me very dear to him. This was my first day (experience).

Maharaj took me in his arms and said that he loved me from the core of his heart. He also said that he wanted to make love with me. He told me that at the time of becoming his disciple, I had dedicated my wealth, body and soul to him and he had accepted my offering. By this logic, your body is mine now.

When I objected he said, "There is no doubt that I am God." When I asked if God also indulges in such acts, he shot back:

1. Sri Krishna too was God and he had 360 gopis (milkmaids) with whom he staged Prem Lila (love drama). Even then people regarded him as God. This is not a new thing.

2. I can kill you with this revolver and cremate you here. The members of your family are my devoted followers and they have such blind faith in me that they are my slaves. You know it very well that your family members cannot go against me.

3. I have considerable influence in the governments. The chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana, and central Ministers touch my feet. Politicians seek my support and take money from me.

They cannot take any action against me. We will get your family members dismissed from government jobs. I will get them killed and wouldn't leave any evidence behind. You know it very well that I had got Dera manager Fakir Chand killed earlier. No one knows anything about him till date. Neither there is any evidence of the murder. By money power, I can buy politicians, police and justice.

Thus, he raped me. For the past three months, my turn comes every 25-30 days. Now, I realise that he has been raping other girls staying with him.

Around 35-40 women living at the Dera are over 35-40 years old and past the marriageable age. They have compromised with their lives at the Dera. Most of the girls are educated and have secured BA, MA, BEd degrees. But they are living a life of hell at the Dera because their family members are fanatic followers. We wear white clothes, cover heads with scarf, forbidden to look at men and keep a distance of 5-10 feet from men as per Maharaj's commands.

We appear like devis (pious women), but our situation is that of prostitutes. I tried once to tell my family members that all was not well at the Dera. But, they got angry with me saying that if God's company is not worth enjoying then which place would be. It seems your mind has become corrupt, recite the name of satguru (the real teacher), they told me. I am helpless. I have to obey every command of the Maharaj.

No girl is permitted to talk to another. As per the commands of the Maharaj, girls are not permitted to talk to their families even over telephone. If a girl talks about the reality of the Dera, she is punished under the commands of the Maharaj. Just a few days ago, a Bathinda girl spoke about the wrongdoings of the Maharaj, she was thrashed by women-disciples. She is still bed-ridden at her home due to this assault. Her father has left his service as a sevadar (servant of Dera). She is not telling anyone anything for the fear of Maharaj.

Similarly, a girl from Kurukshetra district has also left the Dera and went back home. When she narrated her sufferings at the Dera to her family, her brother who worked as a sevadar, gave up his job. When a Sangrur girl left the Dera, went home and narrated the wrongdoings at the Dera to the people, the Dera's armed sewadar hooligans visited the girl's home and threatened to kill her. They warned her not to tell anyone anything about the Dera.

Similarly, girls from Mansa, Ferozepur, Patiala and Ludhiana districts (of Punjab) have gone back home and are keeping mum as they have threat to their lives. Same is the fate of girls from Sirsa, Hissar, Fatehabad, Hanumangarh and Meerut who are not uttering a word due to muscle power of the Dera goondas.

If I reveal my name (and) my address, my family and I will be killed. I can't keep quiet and I also don't want to die, but I want to expose the reality (of Dera). If a probe is conducted by the press or some government agency, 40 to 45 girls - living in utmost fear at the Dera -, if they are convinced, are willing to tell the truth.

Our medical examination should be conducted so that our guardians and the people would know whether we are still celibate disciples or not. If we are no longer virgins, it should be probed as to who violated our chastity. The truth will then come out that Maharaj Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of Sacha Sauda has ruined our lives.
Sirsa: A day after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, leader of Dera Sacha Sauda sect, was convicted of raping two sadhvis (female followers), the Army gheraoed the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Haryana's Sirsa on Saturday morning.

The army has asked Dera followers to evacuate the headquarters peacefully. Several buses have been stationed to transport thousands of followers residing inside the headquarters.

However, the followers are refusing the leave premises.

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Here's how convicted rapist 'baba' spent first night in jail

The Army, Rapid Action Force (RAF) and police personnel have been deployed on site.

At least 31 people died and over 250 were injured after thousands of Dera supporters went on a rampage on Friday, torching vehicles and destroying public properties.

Section 144 has been imposed in several districts of Punjab, Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the violence and urged everyone to maintain peace. "The instances of violence today are deeply distressing. I strongly condemn the violence and urge everyone to maintain peace," he said in series of tweets.
New Delhi: Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was yesterday convicted by special CBI court in a 15-year-old rape case, remained silent on his first night in jail.

The rape convict was shifted to a special cell in Rohtak prison late in the evening. According to the reports of the leading portal, the controversial self-styled godman was given bottled mineral water on arrival. He did not talk to anyone and avoided throwing tantrums inside the cell.



As per the sources in Haryana jail, Dera chief's assistant has been allowed to stay with him. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that a special cell will be allotted to Gurmeet Ram Rahim as he is unlikely to stay with other prisoners due to security concerns.

Earlier on Thursday, the CBI special court in Panchkula, adjoining Chandigarh, held Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty in the case of rape and sexual exploitation of two female disciples. Following the verdict, violence erupted in Haryana and Punjab in which 30 people lost their lives and more than 250 were left injured.



The quantum of sentence will be announced on Monday.
Tirupati: Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Saturday offered prayers at the famous hill temple of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala near here.

Deuba, who has been on a four-day visit to India since August 23, his first trip abroad after assuming office in June, arrived here with wife Arzu Rana Deuba, family members and officials.

Andhra Pradesh Information and Public Relations Minister Kalva Srinivasulu accompanied Deuba during his visit here.

On his arrival at the temple, he was accorded a ceremonial welcome by the temple management.

He was honoured with a sacred silk cloth, a photo of the presiding deity and 'prasadams' by the temple Executive Officer Anil Kumar Singhal, sources said.

Deuba said he prayed to Lord Venkateswara to bestow blessings for the progress and prosperity of Nepal.

He said the relationship between India and Nepal has been very cordial as the roots and culture of both countries are almost alike.

In a brief chat with reporters outside the temple, the Nepalese Prime Minister said that the issue of the standoff between the troops of India and China at Doklam in the Sikkim sector has to be resolved through dialogue.

After offering prayers at the temple, he left for Gaya.
Sirsa: Surender Kaur is unable to withdraw money from banks or ATMs for meet her daily household needs for the last two days while Manjeet Singh is not able to get the fuel tank of his motorbike filled at petrol pumps which are closed after authorities clamped strict restrictions in this town.

Normal life in Sirsa, which is the headquarters of Dera Sacha Sauda sect, has come to a standstill after curfew-like restrictions were imposed to prevent any untoward incident after the large scale violence by the followers of sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted by CBI court in a 15-year-old rape case.

Milk supply has also been affected adversely in several areas as the agitated followers set a milk plant on fire, located near the sect headquarters.

After the CBI court in Punchkula pronounced the Dera Sacha Sauda chief guilty in the sexual exploitation case, followers went violent and set a milk plant on fire, police said, adding that flames were doused within a few hours.

Hotels here too are facing the brunt as they are running out of supply of essential items. Also, hotel staff are not able to reach their workplace due to the restrictions.

"For the last two days, I am unable to buy essential items for my household as I have ran out of money and also banks and ATMs are closed. Authorities should ensure that essential facilities are open so that people won't have to face any problem," said Kaur, whose house is about four km away from the Dera headquarters.

Apart from Kaur, Rajesh Kumar, who runs a hotel in the vicinity of the sect headquarters, said, "As there have been huge shortage of vegetables and essential items. We are only providing accommodation to our guests and not lunch, breakfast and dinner since Thursday night."

Schools, colleges, cinema halls, petrol pumps have also been shut as a precautionary measure.

Authorities have imposed curfew in areas, which are in the vicinity of the Dera headquarters, on Thursday.

People have been asked to stay indoors in the wake of violent protest by Dera followers last evening.

Two companies of Army from Hisar district, ten companies of paramilitary forces the CRPF and the BSF, the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and several companies of Haryana police have been deployed to maintain law and order in Sirsa district.

In the violence last night, two Dera followers have been killed so far while seven injured, authorities said.

Out of seven, the conditions are three Dera followers are said to be critical.

Inspector General (Hisar range) A S Dillion said that police have been monitoring the situation in and around Dera headquarters.

Sirsa SP Ashwin Shenvi said that army has been called to maintain law and order situation in the district.
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Sirsa: Police have detained 15 Dera Sacha Sauda followers since last night here even as the authorities have appealed to over one lakh supporters still present in the sect headquarters to vacate the premises.

The situation in Sirsa remained tense but under control, according to police.

"Police have detained 15 anti-social elements since last night," Sirsa SP Ashwin Shenvi told PTI.

Another senior police official said the authorities have appealed the Dera followers to vacate the compound of sect headquarters.

Army has taken control of the area after two people died is Sirsa yesterday following violence triggered by the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a sexual exploitation case.

At least 31 people have been killed and 250 injured in widespread violence, arson and police firing in Haryana yesterday.

While 29 people were killed in Panchkula, the epicentre of the violence, two died in Sirsa.

Arson by the frenzied followers of the head of Dera Sacha Sauda was also witnessed in some parts of Delhi, Punjab and Rajasthan within a few hours of the pronouncement of the judgement by the CBI court here in the 2002 case.
New Delhi: The statements of the two 'sadhvis' before CBI judges have revealed the horrifying tale of self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who was convicted by the court in rape case on Friday.

If reports are to be believed, the victims stated sequences of events and had recounted the stories how the Dera chief used to rape them and other women of the outfit inside his 'gufa' (a customised underground chamber that was Ram Rahim Singh's personal residence).

"Only female disciples were deployed to guard Ram Rahim's underground living quarters. 'Maafi' (Pardon) was the code word used among disciples to describe rapes," claimed reports in leading daily Times of India, which has copies of victims' statements.

In her statement to CBI judge A K Verma on February 28, 2009, one of the survivors who hailed from Yamunanagar, Haryana said that she started living in the dera in July 1999 because of her brother, who was reportedly killed after he sought justice for his sister.

"I did not understand when other female disciples used to ask me if I had been 'granted maafi by pitaji' until I was raped by Gurmeet on August 28/29 1999, inside the gufa," TOI quoted Sadhvi's statement.

Another sadhvi from Sirsa, who was renamed as Nazam by Dera chief said that in September 1999 she was called inside the 'gufa' and raped by Ram Rahim Singh. He even threatened her not to reveal the crime to anyone.

At least 30 people were killed on Friday as security forces fired at rampaging mobs in Panchkula town in Haryana after a court held self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh guilty of rape and sexual exploitation. The violence also gripped parts of Haryana and Punjab, leaving more than 250 people injured.
New Delhi: At a time when devastating floods have claimed over 700 lives in parts of the country, Union minister Uma Bharti on Saturday made a strong pitch for desilting and interlinking of rivers to combat the problem in the long run.

In view of the floods in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Water Resources Minister Bharti urged the two northeastern states to agree for the Middle Siang project, which she said, will tackle the calamity as well as solve their water woes.

"The flood situation is being witnessed this year also in states where the calamity was not reported earlier. And states which reported floods in the past, the situation there has deteriorated," she told reporters here.

The minister said such a situation has emerged mainly because accumulation of silt in huge quantities in rivers, particularly the Ganga and its tributaries.

"These rivers need to be desilted. River interlinking is quite important using monsoon water," she added.

On the Middle Siang, Bharti said she will pursue the two state governments to agree on realising the project that would be able to produce 9,600 megawatts of power, besides being helpful in controlling floods caused by trans-boundary river Brahmaputra.

The minister said the "big problem" in taking forward the project has been the rumour that entire Assam and Arunachal Pradesh will be "underwater if the dam bursts".

"But I want to assure the people, we have all the reports of the world which suggest that there is no such threat looming. The project will rather help to deal with the flooding effectively," she added.

She further said that her ministry is focusing more on making preparations before the period when flooding happens than managing it after the crisis occurs.

"I myself will visit the entire flood-prone areas after 15 days to figure out what preparations to do in view of possible flood situation," she added.

Till yesterday, the devastating floods this year had claimed 418, 156, 90, and 72 lives in Bihar, Assam, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.
New Delhi: WikiLeaks on Friday published documents that claims the United State's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is using specific tools to secretly collect Aadhaar data. These claims have been dismissed by the government.

Wikileaks documents say CIA used ExpressLane  a tool devised by Cross Match Technologies  to cyber spy. ExpressLane is a covert information collection tool that is used by the CIA to secretly exfiltrate data collections from such systems provided to liaison services," says the published document.

Cross Match Technologies, a US company specialising in biometric software, was one of the first suppliers of biometric devices certified by UIDAI for Aadhaar program.

Another article, Wikileaks states, UIDAI, as far as is known, did not do a background check on these companies or their business, professional and personal associations.

It further claims CIA agents can access Aadhaar database in real-time.

Earlier on Friday Wikileaks tweeted:

A few minutes later, another tweet read:

In 2011, Cross Match Technologies hit the headlines when it was reported that the US military used a Cross Match product to identify Osama bin Laden during the assassination operation in Pakistan.
Seoul: South Korea`s business and political communities were divided over a local court`s ruling to put Lee Jae-yong, the heir-apparent of Samsung Group, behind bars.

Some of the business and political honchos expressed concern over its potential fallout for the national economy.

Multiple business insiders expressed shock over the Seoul Central District Court`s decision to slap Lee with a five-year jail term for bribery, embezzlement and other charges in a massive corruption scandal that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye.

"The court should have considered that (Samsung) did not have criminal intention, but wanted to avoid trouble if it refused the government`s request," Yonhap News Agency quoted an official from a local business group as saying on Friday.

Another official from a South Korean conglomerate said it was disappointing that the ruling came at challenging times when the country is facing diplomatic tension with China coupled with Washington`s move towards protectionism.

"Samsung Electronics takes up 11.9 per cent of South Korea`s manufacturing segment, and 30.7 per cent of the combined operating profits," the official pointed out, adding that the prolonged absence of Lee was expected to lead to side-effects.

South Korea`s ruling party, on the other hand, cheered the decision.

"The ruling targets the back-scratching alliance of government and businesses," said Choo Mi-ae, the head of the Democratic Party.

"A company must be transparent to receive trust from the global community and beef up competitiveness."

The party chief expressed the hope that the case may act as an opportunity for Samsung to become a socially responsible company.

The minor opposition People`s Party also said the business community should become more aware that South Korea is no longer tolerant of conglomerates` wrongdoings as seen by the case.

Labour activists also welcomed the court`s acknowledgment of Lee`s corruption.

"Lee has personally used state authority to facilitate its power succession, resulting in massive losses to the state pension," unionised workers of Samsung Electronics Service said.

Prosecutors earlier sought 12 years against Lee, claiming Samsung`s de facto leader offered or pledged $38 million to win the state pension`s approval for a merger between two affiliates under terms designed to increase his control over the entire business empire.

The court ruled that Lee provided over $6 million in bribes.

The union also claimed that Lee should have received a jail term beyond 10 years if the court had considered him an ordinary criminal, rather than the head of a conglomerate.

"Lee provided Park and her confidante Choi Soon-sil with bribes, which was the money that could have been spent on victims suffering from work-related diseases at Samsung," said Hwang Sang-gi an activist from the Protector of Health and Human Rights of Semiconductor Workers (SHARP).

"It is unacceptable that he received only five years," Sang-gi added.
Jammu: Eight security personnel and two militants were killed in a gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday.

Four Jammu and Kashmir police officers and four Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans lost their lives during the encounter. As per PTI, five security personnel were also injured during the gunbattle.

The terror strike took place at the crack of dawn when the militants, believed to be foreign mercenaries, entered the police complex in Pulwama, 25 km from here.

Police, CRPF and Army personnel quickly swung into action and cornered the militants and ensured that family members of the police personnel living within the complex were taken out to safety.

By afternoon, the security personnel neutralised one of the three terrorist while another militant's body was recovered after 5 PM, officials said, adding the firing had stopped and the third body would be recovered soon.

The militants had entrenched themselves in all the three blocks of the police complex and were firing at the approaching troops, they said.

Lt Gen J S Sandhu, General officer Commanding of Srinagar-based XV Corps, said it is a "fidayeen" (suicide) attack.

Among those killed four were from the CRPF, one was a constable of Jammu and Kashmir Police and three were Special Police Officers working with the state police.

The ANI released photos of two CRPF jawans - Dhanawade Ravindra and Jaswant Singh, who lost their lives in the Pulwama encounter today.

CRPF jawans Dhanawade Ravindra and Jaswant Singh who lost their lives in #Pulwama encounter today. pic.twitter.com/0BC1xGwEh4  ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2017

Two of the four CRPF personnel were killed at the fag end of the operation when they were defusing one of the improvised explosive devices planted by the militants.

Director General of Police SP Vaid said it was a sad day for security forces who suffered such a heavy causality. "However, the boys fought bravely and we are only more determined to wipe out militancy from the entire state," he said.

A police official said that one of the militants came out of a building and fired indiscriminately during the encounter. "He was gunned down on the spot," the official said.

The authorities have suspended mobile internet services in the district as a precautionary measure.

Earlier today, the Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted that there is no hostage situation and all the families have been evacuated. The tweet further added that the operation is currently underway.

A CRPF spokesperson has informed that some members of the security forces were injured in the operation.

Meanwhile, in yet another incident of ceasefire violation, the Pakistani troops opened fire at Pargawal area of Jammu region. As per the report, the Border Security Force (BSF) responded accurately to the firing.

BSF retaliated during cross border firing and shot dead at least three Pakistan Rangers in Dewra village in Sunderbani of Rajouri district, today.

(With Agency inputs)
Srinagar: Two jawans died and at least five security personnel were injured after they were attacked by terrorists in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday in Pulwama district of Kashmir. Cross firing is currently underway.

The militants opened fire on District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama at around 4:20 am, resulting in injuries to three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and three policemen - the security personnel, a police official told PTI.

Two to three terrorists are reportedly hiding inside the Pulwama DPL.

According to the latest update, the terrorists have been localised into two blocks. "Efforts to evacuate people in progress. Intermittent firing on," tweeted ANI.

The official informed that security forces have retaliated and cross firing was going on. The entire area has been cordoned off by police.

More forces have been rushed to the area, he added.

With agency inputs
New Delhi: At least three Pakistani Rangers were killed on Saturday when BSF jawans retaliated after a cross-border firing along the international border in Jammu, an official said.

The incident took place along the border in Dewra village in Kashmir's Rajouri district.

BSF gave a 'befitting' reply to the Pak rangers following their unprovoked firing around 3 pm, PTI quoted an officer as saying.

At least half-a-dozen mortar shells were fired at the Dewra village by the Pak Rangers, a BSF spokesperson said.

"The force retaliated strongly during cross-border firing and shot dead at least three Pakistan Rangers," he added.
Mumbai: A six-storey structure at Sakinaka suburban in Mumbai collapsed during demolition on Saturday evening leaving several people injured and many trapped inside.

According to ANI, while two people were rescued by the Mumbai fire brigade and admitted to Rajawadi hospital, several others are feared to be trapped inside the debris.

Mumbai: 6-storey building collapsed during demolition in Sangharsh Nagar, 5 reported to be trapped, 1 rescued; 2 JCB, 1 Poclain under debris pic.twitter.com/De6mrelJm2 August 26, 2017

One of them, a 20-year-old Gaurav was declared brought dead by the doctors while other two, aged between 19 and 25 years, sustained fractures in their legs.

The building, Crystal Business Park, at Chandivali in north-central Mumbai, was being demolished at the time of the incident, said an official of BMC Disaster Control.

The city had received heavy showers in the past two days.

Mumbai fire brigade chief PS Rahangdale put the number of people feared trapped inside at around five. "A JCB machine and a Poclain machine (used for gathering and lifting soil or debris) were also trapped under the debris," he said.

"Hanging portion of the remaining building is posing risk to the rescue operation," he said, adding that eight fire engines, a rescue van, a quick response vehicle, 50 workers and ward office staff have been pressed into service at the spot.

According to a local eyewitness PS Menon, the tragedy occurred when one of the four massive cranes working atop the building suddenly started wobbling and then hurtled down from the top floor of the skeletal structure.



The weight and impact of the falling crane led to at least three slabs of the building crashing down with it around 5.15 p.m., causing the remaining structure to tilt dangerously in the direction of an adjoining residential building, Woodland Heights.



"We had lodged several complaints to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, local police and Maharashtra Pollution Control Board on the dangerous condition of this unoccupied building in the past one year. But nobody took any action in the matter," said Menon.



Teams of Mumbai Fire Brigade and other disaster relief agencies which rushed to the site are continuing operations to rescue some more people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
New Delhi: Though millions of people have pre-booked the Reliance JioPhone on its website, the registration for the same remains suspended now.

The Jio website says We will inform you when the pre-booking resumes.

The pre-bookings for Reliance's 4G feature phone named JioPhone crossed over three million mark, within just a couple of hours of opening on Thursday, media reports said.

A store in central Delhi claimed to have booked about 100 phones in offline mode within 15-20 minutes.

However, website of Reliance Jio crashed soon after the pre-bookings opened. The website displayed "Content Server Error" a couple of minutes after commencement of pre-booking.

Reliance Retail started pre-booking of JioPhone though its stores, franchisees, Jio website and application against refundable deposit of Rs 500. The customers will be required to pay another Rs 1,000 at the time of delivery of the phone in September.

The entire Rs 1,500 will be refunded to the buyer after 36 months on returning the phone.
New Delhi: After the Supreme Court this week unanimously ruled that individual privacy is a fundamental right, a lot of people must be worrying about its implications particularly on the use of the world's largest biometric ID card programme Aadhaar and its mandatory linkage with PAN.

The government had mandated linking of PAN with Aadhaar by the extended deadline of August 31.

Elaborating on this, UIDAI CEO Ajay Bhushan Pandey has said that tax payers will have to link their PAN with Aadhaar by the stipulated deadline, which is this month-end, as the Supreme Court verdict on privacy has no bearing on the requirement.

"There also, linking of PAN to Aadhaar is mandated by an amendment in income tax act...The linking will continue under that act and law. There is no change", Pandey said.

The requirement for Aadhaar being quoted for availing government subsidies, welfare schemes and other benefits will also continue unhindered for now, he told PTI.

The biometric identifier is currently required for services ranging from getting subsidised cooking gas to opening bank account and obtaining a new phone number.

Chetan Chandak, Head of Tax Research, H&R Block, India, told Zee Media that till the supreme court decides on the issues whether Aadhaar violates the right to privacy of an individual there is no change in the current situation.

Though this judgement has raised big questions on governments decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for various financial transactions, welfare schemes, PAN application, processing of tax returns, etc, Chandak said.

Therefore the income tax departments decision mandating linking of their PAN with Aadhaar byAugust 31, 2017 still holds good and the returns will not be processed unless the PAN is linked with Aadhaar.

Those taxpayer who wish to file the tax return immediately but have not linked their PAN and Aadhaar as yet will have to quote either their Aadhaar or Enrollment ID in their tax return without which they will not be able to file the tax return and delaying the tax return further may lead to paying additional interest on the tax dues.

Further as per the existing situation their return and consequent refunds will not be processed if they dont link their PAN and Aadhaar by 31st August. So it is in the interest of an honest taxpayer to be compliant with current law.

But if one has serious concerns on privacy related issue and if he doesnt wish to apply for Aadhaar or quote it in his tax return he can wait till the supreme court decides on the validity of Aadhaar. But one should carefully analyse the related tax consequences before he does so, Chandak added.
New Delhi: The 'Festival of Harvest' is more famously known as Nuakhai in Odisha where people celebrate it full gusto and spirit.

The name 'Nuakhai' is a combination of two words, 'Nua' meaning new and 'khai' which means food. When put together, Nuakhai stands for new rice, further suggesting that the farmers in possession of newly harvested rice.

People worship food grain on this auspicious day which is looked upon as a new ray of hope. Also, farmers offer the first produce from their lands to goddess Samaleswari, to whom the festival is dedicated. Following the Hindu calendar, the day falls on the Panchami Tithi of the lunar fortnight in Bhadrapada (AugustSeptember) months, the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.

On this special festival, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to extend his good wishes to the people of Odisha.

Here is his Twitter post:

Nuakhai Juhar! Good wishes to Odia friends on the festival of Nuakhai. May this festival bring happiness and prosperity in everyones lives.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 26, 2017

Even though the entire state celebrates this festival, it is most important for people hailing from Western Odisha.


Chennai: Sidelined AIADMK deputy general secretary TTV Dhinakaran on Saturday removed chief government whip S Rajendran from a key party post, two days after the latter sought disqualification of the 19 MLAs owing allegiance to him.

Rajendran was being "relieved" as the district secretary of Ariyalur, Dhinakaran said in a statement, while continuing to effect changes in the party ranks.

He appointed P Muthiayan in Rajendran's place.

On Thursday, Rajendran had petitioned Assembly Speaker P Dhanapal for the disqualification of the 19 pro-Dhinakaran MLAs who had revolted against Chief Minister K Palaniswami.

The Dhinakaran-loyalist MLAs had met Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao seeking removal of Palaniswami as the chief minister.

Following Rajendran's plea, the Speaker had issued notices to all the 19 MLAs, seeking their response on the matter.

Citing reports, Rajendran had said the MLAs told Rao they were "withdrawing" support to Palaniswami even as there was no change in the party's February 14 unanimous decision to elect him as AIADMK Legislature Party Leader.

The legislators had also addressed the media, which was an "anti-party activity" and the act implied "voluntary relinquishing of membership", Rajendran had said.

They were therefore liable to be disqualified under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, he had said in his petition to the Speaker, besides quoting from a Tamil Nadu anti- defection law.

Today, Dhinakaran removed AIADMK's district secretaries of Villupuram (South) and Sivaganga.

Villupuram (South) functionary and MLA R Kumaraguru was being replaced by K G P Gnanamoorthy, Dhinakaran said.

He also removed Lok Sabha MP P R Senthilnathan as the party's Sivaganga district secretary. K K Umadevan has been declared the new district secretary.

All the changes were being made with the "approval" of party chief VK Sasikala, Dhinakaran said.

Dhinakaran, who is involved in a tussle for power with Palaniswami, has been reshuffling the party ranks in the past few days. He has removed, among others, five ministers, from party posts and replaced them with his supporters.
Kolkata: A five-member delegation of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) will attend the August 29 all-party meeting convened by the West Bengal government on the Darjeeling issue, and raise the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland during the parleys.

"A five member delegation led by me will attend the meeting and raise the demand for Gorkhaland," GJM Joint Secretary Binay Tamang told IANS oN Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) state Secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra said the party was "in favour of a tripartite meeting "between the hills" parties, state and central government to resolve the crisis.

"We hope for a positive outcome of the meeting. The central government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both are prepared to help," BJP state President Dilip Ghosh said.

Normal life has been paralysed in the hills covering large areas in Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts following the indefinite shutdown called by the GJM since June 12 on the statehood demand.

The Gorkhaland Movement Co-ordination Committee(GMCC) formed later to broadbase the movement by roping in other parties, has also backed the stir which has greatly impacted the hills` three economic mainstays  tea, timber and tourism.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government would hold talks with "all major political parties" on August 29.

However, the GMCC would meet on Sunday at Kalimpong.
Finland: Finnish police have released three of the seven suspects held following a stabbing spree that killed two people last week, they said in a statement Saturday.

But four men are still in custody after last week`s attack in the southwestern city of Turku, which investigators are treating as the country`s first terror attack.

They include the main suspect in the attack, which took place on August 18, a man police initially identified as Abderrahman Mechkah, an 18-year-old Moroccan asylum seeker.

Police say he deliberately targeted women in the attack, in a market square in the port city.

But officials have not responded to media reports that the authorities had refused the man asylum.

Reports in the Finnish media also say that while the man has acknowledged making the attacks, he said he had not intended to kill anyone and denied any terror motive.

Two of the men released were a Moroccan national and an Algerian detained on Wednesday.
Baghdad: The foreign and defence ministers of France are to affirm their country`s support in the fight against the Islamic State group during a visit to Baghdad on Saturday.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and Defence Minister Florence Parly, who arrived in the Iraqi capital on Friday evening, are scheduled to meet Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Their visit comes as Iraqi forces battle to seize the northern city of Tal Afar from IS following their July victory over the group in second city Mosul.

Speaking on the plane to Baghdad, Le Drian said Iraq faced the dual challenge of "a war that is coming to an end and the beginning of the stabilisation and reconstruction of the country".

The ministers will also meet Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani in Arbil, where they are to echo calls by Pentagon chief Jim Mattis for the postponement of next month`s independence referendum.

France is a key member of a coalition backing Iraqi forces in their campaign to retake vast tracts of Iraq that the jihadists grabbed in a 2014 offensive.

French forces have carried out air and artillery strikes in support of Iraqi operations.

"As long as our common enemy has not been eradicated, France will continue to take part" in the campaign, Parly said.

France, which refused to take part in the 2003 American-led invasion that brought down dictator Saddam Hussein, is keen to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq.

The cost of reconstruction has been estimated at between $700 billion and $1 trillion (590 to 840 billion euros).

The ministers are also set to discuss the fate of a small number of French jihadists captured by Iraqi forces, according to a French diplomatic source.

Paris says up to 700 French nationals are fighting for IS in Syria and Iraq, where around 300 French jihadists have been killed since 2014.




Lahore: Maryam Nawaz, the political heir apparent of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has begun campaigning for the Lahore National Assembly seat by-poll which is being contested by her ailing mother.

Sharif's wife Kulsoom Nawaz, who is under treatment for throat cancer in London, will contest the September 17 election for the National Assembly seat despite her ailment.

Maryam, 43, is likely to play a key role in campaigning for the election for the NA-120 seat which felt vacant after the Supreme Court disqualified Sharif on July 28 in the Panama Papers case.

Sharif reportedly pitched his wife to make his come back in the Prime Minister's house as 'first gentleman'.

Maryam held meetings with the PML-N workers of the NA-120 and motivated them for running an aggressive campaign to make her mother win the by-poll.

Maryam directed the party workers to do door-to-door campaigning and listened to the people's problems. She said she would also visit the constituency on a regular basis.

"My father is innocent. Nawaz Sharif is betrayed by whom he gave love. Those conspiring against him will be exposed soon," Maryam said.

She asked the workers to pray for the health of her mother.

Maryam has replaced her cousin Hamza Shahbaz in running the campaign of her mother amid reports that Sharif counts much on his daughter than his nephew.

Media reports had earlier said that Sharif had "smartly" denied his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif, chief minister of Punjab, of becoming premier despite nominating him as his successor.

Sharif is set to leave for London, where his wife is being treat. He has reportedly booked tickets for tonight and August 28.

"We have asked Nawaz Sharif to go to London to see Begum Kulsoom in London," Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique told reporters.

He, however, denied that Sharif would leave the country under some deal.

"These are rumours as Nawaz Sharif will only go to London to see his wife," he said.

Sharif's political secretary Senator Dr Asif Karmani said earlier this week that Kulsoom may not be able to participate in election campaign because of her cancer treatment?but she would contest the election for sure and win it.

The former first lady, in her mid-60s, is being tipped as next prime minister replacing Shahid Khakan Abbasi after winning September 17 by-poll.
Cox`s Bazar: Myanmar troops opened fire on hundreds of fleeing Rohingya villagers with mortar shells and machine guns on Saturday, an AFP reporter at the scene and Bangladesh border guards said.

The firing occurred at Ghumdhum border post where the villagers have been stranded since Friday after fresh violence broke out in Myanmar`s northern Rakhine state.

An AFP reporter in Ghumdum witnessed civilians running for their lives as the troops opened fire.

It was not immediately clear if there were any injuries.

"They have fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the (border) zero line," Border Guard Bangladesh`s (BGB) station chief Manzurul Hassan told AFP.

"They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targetting the civilians. They have not consulted with the BGB," he added.
London: A Pakistani national known as "the Sultan" in the global drug-trafficking network has been arrested in a major joint UK-US operation in London, authorities have announced.

Muhammad Asif Hafeez, who was arrested in London's Regent's Park area, faces extradition to the US.

Hafeez, 58, is alleged to be the head of an organisation spanning Europe, Africa, Asia and North America, that produced and smuggled drugs including heroin, methamphetamine, or crystal meth, and ephedrine.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) in London said it worked with the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to investigate Hafeez after he was allegedly identified as the source of large quantities of heroin being smuggled into Kenya from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In New York, officials said Hafeez was arrested based on his participation in drug-trafficking activities involving large, and in some instances multi-tonne, quantities of heroin, methamphetamine, and methamphetamine precursor chemicals.

Each charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.

The United States plans to seek Hafeez's extradition from the United Kingdom, they said.

"The arrest of Muhammad Asif Hafeez is another win in the fight against global criminals and one of DEA's priority targets," said DEA Special Operations Division Special Agent- in-Charge Raymond Donovan.

"He has been allegedly linked to a transnational criminal organisation responsible for manufacturing and distributing ton quantities of narcotics. Removing criminals like Hafeez benefits not just the citizens of London, but communities worldwide," he said.

Acting Manhattan US Attorney Joon H Kim said, Hafeez was a "long-time, priority target of the DEA known as the 'Sultan,' trafficked in drugs on a massive and global scale to manufacture and distribute enormous quantities of heroin and methamphetamine around the world and into the United States.

Prosecutors said Hafeez and some co-conspirators tried to establish a methamphetamine-production facility in Mozambique as part of the conspiracy to import methamphetamine into the US, but were forced to abandon the plan after authorities seized about 18 tonnes of ephedrine from a factory in Solapur, Maharashtra.

Hafeez is said to own two properties in London, and spend most of his time in Dubai, the Guardian reported.

He appeared at Westminster magistrates court yesterday for the start of extradition proceedings to the US, it said.

From Kenya and Mozambique to London and New York, Hafeez's alleged drug operation saw no borders or boundaries until now, the DEA said in a press release.
Kabul: A suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance to a Shi`ite Muslim mosque in Kabul as other attackers stormed the building, killing at least 30 people including worshippers gathering for Friday prayers, officials said.

Islamic State, which has launched several attacks against minority Shi`ite targets in Afghanistan, claimed responsibility, the jihadist group`s news agency said.

The assault sparked chaos as worshippers fled and others frantically searched for missing family members.

"The attackers are slaughtering people like sheep but there`s no one to go and rescue them," said Murtaza, a young boy whose parents were trapped inside as the attack unfolded.

"A lot of people are on the ground and no one is trying to rescue them."

By Friday evening police said they had secured the mosque in the Khair Khana area of the capital, and all three attackers were dead.

Witnesses said they had thrown grenades, and police officials said a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate.

A second suicide bomber detonated among a group of women in the mosque, an official said.

Security sources put the overall toll at 30 people killed and "dozens" wounded.

At least 10 civilians were killed, including women and children, while another 30 were wounded, Ministry of Interior spokesman Najib Danish said earlier in the day. At least three policemen were also killed and eight wounded, he said.

Police said they rescued more than 100 worshippers.

At least 15 of the wounded were taken to city hospitals, said Ismail Kawosi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health.

One witness, Sayed Pacha, said four attackers had entered the mosque.

"At first a suicide bomber opened fire and martyred two security guards at the entrance of the mosque and then they entered inside," he told Reuters.

Human rights activists condemned the attack, the latest in a campaign of sectarian violence.

"Insurgents who carry out atrocities against a specific ethnic or religious community are committing war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity," Patricia Gossman, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
Bangkok: Thailand`s former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled to Dubai, senior members of her party said on Saturday, a day after she failed to show up for a negligence ruling in which she faced up to 10 years in prison.

Puea Thai Party sources said Yingluck left Thailand last week and flew via Singapore to Dubai where her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a 2008 jail sentence for corruption, has a home.

"We heard that she went to Cambodia and then Singapore from where she flew to Dubai. She has arrived safely and is there now," said a senior member of the Puea Thai Party who declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Deputy national police chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul said police had no record of Yingluck, 50, leaving the country and were following developments closely.

A Reuters reporter was stopped by security at the exclusive Emirates Hills community in Dubai, where Thaksin has a home.

A Thaksin spokesperson in Dubai did not respond to attempts by Reuters to contact Thaksin.

Police estimate that up to 3,000 supporters had gathered outside the court in Bangkok on Friday where Yingluck was due to hear a verdict in a negligence trial against her involving a rice buying policy of her administration.

But Yingluck did not show up at the appointed hour and the court quickly issued a statement saying she had cited an ear problem as the reason for her no-show.

The court rejected the excuse and moved the verdict reading to September 27. It later issued an arrest warrant for Yingluck.

Immigration police said they would arrest Yingluck on the spot if she is found.

Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the government "should not comment" on Yingluck`s case and her whereabouts.

"It`s a matter for police to proceed with the arrest warrant," Wissanu told reporters, adding that her whereabouts "will be clear soon".

National police spokesman Dechnarong Suticharnbancha said on Saturday police were still investigating reports that Yingluck had either fled to Singapore or Dubai and said police had no new information on the matter.

Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the junta or National Council for Peace and Order, said there had been no security meeting to address Yingluck`s disappearance.

"You must understand that the border is long  What we know about Yingluck`s escape is only what is being reported by the media," he added.

NOT SURPRISED

Overthrown in 2014, Yingluck had faced up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Her former commerce minister was jailed in a related case for 42 years on Friday.

Political parties led or backed by the Shinawatras have dominated Thai politics, winning every general election since 2001.

The Shinawatras have been accused of corruption and nepotism by the Bangkok-based establishment who loath Thaksin. The family command huge support in the poorer, rural north and northeast.

The rice buying scheme, a flagship policy of Yingluck`s administration, proved popular with rural voters but the military government says it incurred $8 billion in losses.

Yingluck pleaded innocent to the charges against her and said she was the victim of political persecution.

The military government has used sweeping powers to silence critics, including supporters of the Shinawatras, since 2014.

The mood in the northeast, a Shinawatra stronghold, was somber on Saturday. Leaders of the red-shirt United Front For Democracy there said they weren`t surprised Yingluck fled.

"Most people I know feel glad that Yingluck has left the country," said one red shirt leader, who declined to be named for safety reasons.

"For now there will be less activity from the red shirts because of military suppression." (Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in KHON KAEN and William Maclean in DUBAI; Editing by Michael Perry and Stephen Coates)




Kabul: Retired US Army colonel and former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Colonel Lawrence B. Larry Wilkerson, has said the United States might stay for over 50 years in Afghanistan.

Tolo News quoted Wilkerson as saying in an interview that the United States might stay for over 50 years in Afghanistan, because according to its strategic location, Afghanistan is the only place from where the US can take action against Russia and China.

Wilkerson also warned over the possible fight between the world and region super-power countries in Afghanistan.

"What we have seen right now is a begging of the new great game that it involves China, it involves Russia, it involve the United States and it involves all those people who get in the way in Central Asia. The United States will probably be in Afghanistan, I have said repeatedly, for the next fifty plus years. Because it is the only place geographically speaking in that region from which the United State with high military power can affect China`s .One Belt One Road," said Wilkerson.

Earlier, United States President Trump, while giving an address at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, a US military base adjacent to the Arlington National Cemetery, proclaimed the fight against terrorism in Afghanistan, saying that the objectives will include "obliterating ISIS" and "preventing the Taliban from taking over Afghanistan.

"Trump made it clear that he would not announce dates of military operations in advance and went on to say that he would not discuss troop levels or further plans for military activities."I will not say when we are going to attack, but attack we will," Trump said.

Trump further said that to achieve these goals, he would expand the authority for the US to target criminal and terrorist networks in Afghanistan.He also said, "Afghan will secure and build their own nation and define their own future. We want them to succeed. But we will no longer use the American military to construct democracies in faraway lands or try to rebuild other country in our own image."

Trump further said, "Those days are now over," adding that America will instead work with allies and partners to protect their "shared interests".T

rump also said that a rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan is not feasible, pointing to the lessons the US learned from Iraq."The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable," Trump said.

"We cannot repeat in Afghanistan the mistake we made in Iraq." Pointing out to the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan, Trump said, "They are nothing but thugs and criminals and predators and, that`s right, losers."

Trump`s decision came, when Taliban militants have been resurgent in recent months, posting a series of recent gains against Afghan government forces, which are backed by a US-led coalition of NATO allies.

About 8,400 US troops are currently deployed in Afghanistan.The majority of about 6,900 are assigned to the NATO mission to train and advise Afghan security forces alongside approximately 6,000 troops from other NATO countries.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 26, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan visited on August 26 the training and recreation complex of Yerkrapah Volunteers' Union "Young Yerkrapah" in Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian Presidents Office, the President congratulated the Yerkrapahs (volunteers) on the occasion of the successful conduct of the trainings. Following the welcome speech of different generations of the Yerkrapah and the solemn march of the young yerkrapahs, President Sargsyan familiarized himself with the works done at the camp, the daily life of the camp, and watched classes delivered in different classrooms. Serzh Sargsyan laid flowers at the cross-stone dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide erected in the area of the camp.

In the evening the President will also visit the participants of the BASE pan-Armenian youth gathering in Kotayk Province organized by the Armenian Youth Foundation.
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.
WASHINGTON, NC Future Wolfpack who want to earn a bachelor's degree in their choice of 13 majors at North Carolina State University can now start their coursework at Beaufort County Community College. The two institutions have partnered on a program called PackTrac, a collaboration that will help students seamlessly transfer their coursework from BCCC to NC State. All 13 of the majors are in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. BCCC is only the third community college to finalize its PackTrac program with NC State. The program already has enrolled its first student: Brooke Butler, who plans to major in agricultural education.Colleges around the state may have different required coursework tied to a major. PackTrac provides admission of BCCC students into NC State who meet the criteria and are going into majors with the most job opportunities. The PackTrac program clearly defines all of the classes and requirements students will need to transfer. The program also sets up advisors on both sides to help with the transition.Among the degrees that students can pursue are agricultural business management, agricultural & environmental technology, animal science, horticultural science and plant biology. These degrees can set students up for careers in livestock management, agribusiness and crop management, as well as other life sciences. With growing populations, a limited amount of farmland, and an increased concern for water quality and healthy foods, the field is full of opportunities for innovation. The future of farming will see more technological integration, including drones and other "smart" technologies.said Lisa Hill, Dean of Arts and Sciences at BCCC and the advisor for the PackTrac program.Hill continued.said Dr. Richard Linton, Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at NC State.John Dole, Associate Dean & Director of CALS Academic Programs, appreciated the program, as he completed his first year at a community college.he said.NC State was founded with a purpose: to create economic, societal and intellectual prosperity for the people of North Carolina. It began as a land-grant institution teaching the agricultural and mechanical arts. Today, the pre-eminent research university excels in science, technology, engineering, math, design, the humanities and social sciences, textiles and veterinary medicine.Beaufort County Community College provides accessible and affordable quality education, effective teaching, relevant training and lifelong learning opportunities to the people of Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell and Washington Counties.
Brown sends an invitation to anyone who checked off a nonwhite box [which] has a really real effect of creating fault lines cross races in the university. It makes it so that all the students who went to the Third World Transition Program got to know each other a week before anyone else came to campus. So when most people come onto campus...these people already have a friend group.

seem to implicitly view affirmative action as a trade-off, which they support as long as it benefits themselves. Under the diversity bargain, underrepresented minority students can be admitted with lower SAT scores or GPAs, as long as those students then contribute to the educational experiences of their peers.... To many white students, minority students do not uphold their end of the diversity bargain when they join the Black Students Association or sit together in the cafeteria.

[It] was just amazing to see different student groups celebrate ethnic heritage and cultural life on stage. There were Chinese fan dances, Irish dancers. There was just the whole spectrum of all these different cultures. And one of the most moving parts of the show for me was the grand finale where different groups danced with each other and blended their different styles.

In my personal experience, it's really cool hearing my roommate talk about Turkey. Or like, my other roommate is very, very Jewish, and I actually don't know anything about the Jewish faith, but then she tells me things like, they don't believe in heaven, and like, whoa! So it's cool. You know all these different things, all these different worlds, all these different ways of living and ideas and food [laugh] that you wouldn't have been exposed to otherwise.

The obsession with diversity is so widespread among American colleges that it has become a normal part of campus life. Just what "normal" looks like is revealed in a new book based on extensive interviews with "whites" and "students of color" at Harvard University and Brown University, The Diversity Bargain: And Other Dilemmas of Race, Admissions, and Meritocracy at Elite Universities. It is unwittingly and depressingly useful.A reader might be tempted to predict the book's conclusions simply by looking at the author's resume and a few autobiographical comments. Professor Natasha K. Warikoo -Brown undergraduate, Harvard sociology Ph.D., associate professor of education at Harvard's Graduate School of Education-tells us on the first page of her introduction that shewhere she learned that she was "an outsider" whoRather than feeling bad, however, she "became angry." She writes,In other words, Warikoo was a perfect fit for Brown, which she entered as a freshman in 1991 and where she learned that she "was not an outsider at all." Based on her interviews with current students, Brown doesn't seem to have changed much. Some students said they were "rocked" by its culture of diversity.A few Brown students, however, were unrocked by their immersion in grievance ideology. To Warikoo's credit, she quotes some of them.Kelly, an Asian American junior, called Brown's race-identified programs "polarizing" exercises in which students of color gathered to discuss "the white problem."Jeff, a white math major, also found fault with the university's obsession with diversity:According to Warikoo, these criticisms are a complaint that the self-segregating students of color contravene what she calls, with some fanfare,The self-segregation of minorities, she writes,which after all is the rationale for race-based preferential treatment. Thus she quotes Dexter, a Harvard sophomore, who said, "Harvard doesn't need to send some white guy to Wall Street who has never interacted with a black person," and writes that Craig, another Harvard student,Most white students, she claims,Despite her publisher's claim that Warikoo's discovery of a "diversity bargain"-in which white students reluctantly agree with racial preference as long as it benefits them-is an original, major contribution, it is not in fact a new idea. In our 2012 essay for the National Association of Scholars, "Against Diversity," Roger Clegg and I argued that diversity "us[es] blacks for the benefit of whites" and I've been making that point on my blog since 2002 In addition to exaggerating its originality, Warikoo misses a number of problems with this concept.First, the preponderance of Warikoo's subjects, who are students of color, reject this "bargain" altogether. In fact, she acknowledges that minority studentsToo bad she neglected to ask her minority interviewees why, since they don't buy into the diversity bargain, they believe that admission barriers should be lowered for them.Nor does Warikoo explore in any depth the benefits that allegedly flow from diversity. She quotes from students gushing about it, but what they say is almost embarrassingly sophomoric, or worse. For example, Grace, a Korean American student at Harvard, thought:Brandon, a black Brown sophomore, was similarly, sophomorically impressed.And Marie, a black Harvard student, stated:Thomas, a white Harvard student, also appreciated being exposed toArtistic and gastronomic diversity are nice for these students. But there are less expensive and less divisive ways of providing them than racial preferences that refuse admission to some whites and Asians in order to admit more blacks and Hispanics so that whites and Asians can receive the benefit of exposure to them.Many of the quoted statements by Warikoo's interviewees are interesting-often nearly incoherent ("Like, whoa!"), but revealing the sad state of race on college campuses today. Her own analysis of these comments-primarily, an awkward social-sciency construction of "race frames"-is far from helpful.She puts all of her students into one, sometimes two, of the following "race frames": a "diversity frame," "color-blindness frame," "culture of poverty" frame, or, her favorite, a "power analysis" frame. That categorization of the students, although the framework of her entire analysis, adds little or nothing to what the students actually say.When Warikoo goes beyond reporting what her subjects believe, her analysis is marred by errors large and small. Tellingly, she mischaracterizes colorblindness, claiming it is a "frame" in which the student assumes both thatandOn the contrary, no advocate of colorblindness believes race "does not" play a role in society, but only that it should not. That misunderstanding then leads to some inanities, such as describing Pat, a white Brown student, as someone whoThat negative assessment seems very uncharitable toward the student, but it helps shore up the author's belief that America still needs racial preferences.Some of the book's errors are small-Tougaloo College, with whom Brown has long had a partnership, is in Mississippi, not Alabama-but others are more glaring, such as Warikoo's claim thatEven aside from her troubling assumption that elite institutions should mirror the nation's demography, whites are actually underrepresented. According to the most recent U.S. Census Quick Facts , 76.9 percent of the U.S. population is "white alone," but 53 percent of new admits at Princeton and Cornell and 50.9 percent at Harvard are non-white. And only 36 percent of students at Stanford , 24 percent at Berkeley , and 26 percent at UCLA are white.You shouldn't judge a book either by its cover or its author, but if you succumb to the temptation to predict the argument of The Diversity Bargain based on Warikoo's resume, you'd probably come close.That says something depressing about the infatuation with race in our elite institutions. But even more disturbing than the book's predictability is that the picture it presents of what most students at elite universities believe about race and merit is largely accurate.
India, the world's largest democracy, declares freedom of sexual orientation of fundamental right.

India's Supreme Court has given the country's gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans community the freedom to safely express their sexual orientation. In a historic decision on Thursday, the nine-judge panel declared that an individual's sexual orientation is protected under the country's Right to Privacy law.

"Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy," the decision reads. "Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual. Equality demands that the sexual orientation of each individual in society must be protected on an even platform."
North Korea has launched what is likely to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast into the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea's military.

From Yonhap news:

North Korea launched what seems to be short-range missiles into the East Sea on Saturday morning, according to South Korea's military.

The North fired several "unidentified projectiles" from the vicinity Gitdaeryong in Gangwon Province at around 6:49 a.m., said the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

Those flew more than 250 kilometers in the northeastern direction, it added.

South Korea and U.S. militaries are analyzing additional information.

The North's move was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, added the JCS.
Japan is already known for being at the forefront of humanoid robots that take over traditionally human jobs (hotel concierge and elderly companions, for instance). Now they can add robot funeral priests to their list.

Japan's telecommunications company SoftBank just unveiled "Pepper," its robot priest, dressed in Buddhist robes, that can chant Buddhist scriptures, play the drum, and livestream the ceremony for people who can't attend the funeral in person. The demo took place at Japan's "Life Ending Industry Expo" in Tokyo last Wednesday.

According to The Guardian:

The robot was on display on Wednesday at a funeral industry fair, the Life Ending Industry Expo, in Tokyo, shown off by plastic molding maker Nissei Eco. With the average cost of a funeral in Japan reaching in excess of 20,000, according to data from Japan's Consumer Association in 2008, and human priests costing 1,700, Nissei Eco is looking to undercut the market with Pepper available for just 350 per funeral.

Pepper (not a name I'd expect a Buddhist priest to have, but this is a robot we're talking about after all) has not yet been hired for a real funeral.
By Luiza Ilie BUCHAREST (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron got lukewarm support from Romania on Thursday for his push to tighten EU rules over the employment abroad of workers from low-pay countries, but enough for him to express confidence of a deal by year-end. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said the concerns of countries in the east needed addressing, as well as those of the west, but gave no details on what he would deem acceptable after meeting Macron. Macron wants to overhaul a system which allows "posted" workers to work in other European Union countries on contracts that need only guarantee the host country's minimum wage, and allow taxes and social charges to be paid in the home nation. He says the system creates unfair competition in wealthier nations like France and Germany. "I'm convinced we can reach an agreement before the end of the year," Macron told a joint news conference. Although "posted" workers make up only 1 percent of the EU workforce, the politically sensitive issue, which in recent years has deepened the divide between the rich west and poor east, is a first step in the French leader's drive to re-shape Europe. "It is very important to avoid useless simplification," Iohannis said. "On the one hand, there is discontent in France over undeclared workers, on the other hand there are many people in Eastern Europe, in Romania, who want to work in France, Germany, Spain. "It is clear the directive needs to be improved." On Wednesday, Macron won the backing of Slovakia and the Czech Republic, scoring a symbolic victory over the eurosceptic governments of Poland and Hungary which have led efforts in the region to block reform of the labor directive. Macron told Iohannis he was open to Romania joining Europe's open-borders Schengen group and said it was in the eastern European country's interest to be a part of a more deeply integrated Europe. Failure to reform the EU would threaten the bloc's future, he said. "Part of Britain's Brexit vote was down to the poor functioning of the single market on posted worker rules, and the rules we have on social rights," Macron said. CENTRAL EUROPE DIVIDE Macron's election win revived the EU's Franco-German axis but in central and eastern Europe it fanned fears of a "multi-speed" Europe that could mean reduced influence, financial support and economic competitiveness. Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday that Poland would not change its position regarding the EU's directive on posted workers. The Poland-based think-tank Labour Mobility Initiative estimates that by 2020, over 1 million people would lose their current jobs in CEE companies because of the changes in the posted workers directive currently proposed by the European Commission. ""We will defend our position to the very end, because it is a position that is in the interests of Polish workers," said Szydlo. Macron signaled on Wednesday that those countries which rallied behind his push for deeper integration would have their place at the negotiation table. Some leaders have made clear they don't want to be left out. "In Salzburg, I declared the strong interest of the Czech Republic to be present at the discussion about the future of Europe and also to influence it," Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said on Twitter after meeting Macron. Sobotka's government has floated a plan to gain euro zone observer status, a further sign it does not want to be sidelined. Meanwhile Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, who once said Brussels bureaucrats were "detached from reality", has warmed towards the EU after Britain's Brexit vote and Macron's election. He now says he wants Slovakia's future to lie "close to the (EU) core, close to France, close to Germany." Slovakia and Czech Republic's re-positioning closer to the heart of Europe leaves Poland and Hungary -- both of which Macron is shunning on his trip -- appearing increasingly isolated. The four countries make up the Visegrad 4 group. Polish and Hungarian officials sought to downplay any divide. "The Visegrad members differ on some issues and present diverse positions," said Ryszard Czarnecki, a deputy speaker in the European Parliament from Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party: "Let's not fall into hysterics. The Visegrad group works together on the most important cases." An eventual new directive on posted workers will be decided by a majority vote, rather than unanimity. Even if the Visegrad 4, Romania and Bulgaria joined forces, they could not block it on their own, according to Reuters calculations. (Additional reporting by Richard Lough and Michel Rose in Paris; Pawel Sobczak and Lidia Kelly in Warsaw; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
By Lisa Lambert WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump, facing his first major test in coping with a natural disaster, pushed federal emergency officials on Friday to be ready to help Gulf Coast residents as Hurricane Harvey bore down on the region. Trump said on Twitter he was following the storm's progress from the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, and the White House said he spoke with the governors of Texas and Louisiana and took briefings from emergency experts. "His questions aren't about the geopolitical issues or about large political consequences," Tom Bossert, the White House Homeland Security adviser, told a news conference. "His questions are: 'Are you doing what it takes to help the people that are going to be affected by this storm?'" The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which coordinates the response to major disasters, said it had sent more than 96,000 liters of water, 306,000 meals and 4,500 tarps to support bases in Texas and Louisiana with additional supplies being readied in case they are needed. Major storms have posed severe challenges to previous presidents. The flawed response to Hurricane Katrina, which killed well over 1,000 people and wrecked parts of New Orleans in 2005, tainted the remainder of George W. Bush's presidency. Republican Senator Chuck Grassley warned Trump on Friday to do better than that. "Keep on top of Hurricane Harvey dont make same mistake Pres Bush made w Katrina," he said in a tweet to the president. The Trump administration earlier this year proposed cutting billions of dollars in funding for FEMA, and it has not yet filled key posts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, both of which closely track major weather events and coordinate with other government agencies. But the U.S. Congress has mostly rejected the government's proposed cuts to FEMA's budget, and the agency is led by Brock Long, who has considerable experience in disaster management and was overwhelmingly confirmed by the U.S. Senate in June. Some critics said Hurricane Harvey might show the administration the importance of maintaining well-financed emergency response agencies. "Maybe this will be a moment where they sober up and realize the real-life human impact of those decisions," said Rachel Cleetus, an economist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a science-based advocacy group. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Arkansas' governor says he intends to spare the life of a death row inmate the state had planned to execute in April.





Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Friday said he planned to grant clemency to Jason McGehee, commuting his sentence from death to life without parole.





McGehee had been sentenced to death in the 1996 beating death of 15-year-old Johnny Melbourne Jr.





After Melbourne was caught stealing shoes on McGehee's behalf with a stolen check, the teenager told police about more stolen checks and property at McGehee's home.



McGehee and his friends tricked Melbourne into coming back to the house, where they beat him to death "to teach him not to 'snitch.'"





McGehee was among eight death row inmates Arkansas intended to execute in April, but had been spared after a federal judge put his execution on hold.





Arkansas put four inmates to death in April. Hutchinson earlier Friday set another execution for November.





The Arkansas Parole Board had recommended that Hutchinson grant McGehee clemency.





The judge said McGehee was entitled to a 30-day comment period before Hutchinson made his decision.





Arkansas put four inmates to death in April. Hutchinson earlier Friday set another execution for November.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

Associated Press, August 25, 2017
TOLEDO, OHIO - Ohio will not be relocating its death row for the third time in little more than a decade, state officials said Friday.





A shift in population strategies makes the move from Chillicothe in southern Ohio to a newer prison in Toledo unnecessary, according to the prisons department.





The move announced last October and expected to be finished before the end of last year was opposed by the union representing Ohio prison guards. A death row inmate who killed himself in March didn't want to make the move to a new prison and was upset about a legal setback, records showed.





But the change of plans came about because the state found it could shift some high-security inmates to a privately operated prison in Youngstown and turn its Toledo prison into a maximum-security facility, said Ed Voorhies, operations director for the state prisons department.





Abandoning the move will allow the prison system to reduce inmate density in high level security prisons, he said.





Prison officials said last year they hoped the move to Toledo would help reduce crowding at the Chillicothe prison and other sites across the state and provide space that is more suited to death row inmates with physical and mobility limitations, including those in wheelchairs.





There are 139 inmates on death row, and the average age is around 50.





Death row was moved from the supermax prison in Youngstown, where it had been since 2005, to the Chillicothe Correctional Institution at the beginning of 2012. Executions are carried out at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville, which is much closer to the current death row.





The Toledo Correctional Institution will become a maximum-security facility and hold higher-security inmates who require more supervision.





The prison already has added more guards to deal with the additional higher-security inmates, Voorhies said.





An area for lower-level offenders will be closing at the Toledo prison in November and new inmates will be moved in shortly afterward, he said. About 200 of the higher-security inmates already are being housed in Toledo.

 | 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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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed, but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

Associated Press, John Seewer, August 25, 2017
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and to all the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Moldova  Independence Day, said President Aliyev in his letter.

I believe that friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Moldova will continue developing and expanding in the best interests of our nations, noted the president.

I wish you the best of health, success in your activities and the friendly people of Moldova peace and prosperity, said the head of state.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

Trend:

Official opening ceremony of customs laboratory of the Central Customs Examination Department took place in Zagatala district of Azerbaijan.

The press service of Azerbaijans State Customs Committee told Trend Aug. 26 that the ceremony was attended by the Committees Chairman Aydin Aliyev, officials, entrepreneurs of the district and others.

Addressing the event, Mehriban Alizade, head of the Central Customs Examination Department of the State Customs Committee, said that the purpose of creating the laboratory is to increase the export potential of hazelnut and hazelnut products produced in the country, improve the business environment and facilitate the work of entrepreneurs.

An accurate laboratory analysis of the product, being grown in Azerbaijan, should be conducted in order to improve the export of high-quality hazelnut products.

It should be noted that hazelnut became the most exported agricultural product in 2016. Hazelnut products worth 105 million manats were exported last year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 25

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

Credit unions in Azerbaijan need centralized funding, Jalil Suleymanov, chairman of Azerbaijan Credit Unions Association (AKIA), told Trend.

At present, difficulties in funding are the main problem of credit unions, Suleymanov said. Currently, only 30-35 of the credit unions operating in Azerbaijan managed to establish strong ties with donors and operate in normal mode. The remaining credit unions are gradually leaving the market.

He added that credit unions are necessary for Azerbaijan as financial institution, since they allow providing necessary funds to low-income population.

Lending via credit unions is very simple and affordable for low-income population, especially for farmers, as there are no collateral and trustee obligations, Suleymanov noted. At present, there are no banks or NBCOs (non-banking credit organizations) in Azerbaijan that provide farmers with such a fast, timely and inexpensive line of credit as credit unions do.

However, we need funding to continue our activity, he added. For now, we are looking for new donors, and we are also appealing to Turkish companies. In addition, negotiations are underway with Ziraat Bank Azerbaijan and other banks, but so far the talks have given no results. Foreign donors offer lending in US dollars, but this entails a great number of risks the credit unions cannot cover.

According to the Financial Market Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan, there are 76 credit unions operating in Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 25

By Seba Aghayeva  Trend:

Azerbaijan and the EU plan to hold another round of negotiations on the Common Aviation Area Agreement, a diplomatic source told Trend.

The sides are expected to coordinate the final version of the agreement during the Baku meeting.

In July, Brussels hosted the second round of talks on the Common Aviation Area Agreement. From the Azerbaijani side, a delegation led by Director of the State Civil Aviation Administration Arif Mammadov took part in the negotiations.

Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev had earlier said that the country intends to conclude the negotiations on the Common Aviation Area Agreement before the Eastern Partnership Summit, to be held in Brussels in November.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

In January-July 2017, the export of fruits and vegetables of Azerbaijani origin grew by 62 percent in weight, compared to the same period of last year, Aydin Aliyev, head of Azerbaijans State Customs Committee, said at a meeting with exporters in the countrys Yevlakh district, the Committee reported.

He also stressed that, at present, Azerbaijan has paved its way to new major markets.

$360 million worth of [Azerbaijan made] products had been exported to China, Aliyev said. These were not fruits and vegetables, but alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as other non-oil products, which in turn is related to the development of the non-oil sector. Other countries, in particular Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, also show interest in Azerbaijans food products.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Huseyn Veliyev  Trend:

Secretariat of the Consortium for the Export of Azerbaijani innovations will be involved in the study of foreign markets, in order to create necessary conditions for the expansion of local IT business beyond the countrys borders, Ismayil Alakbarov, head of Neuron Technologies company told Trend.

According to Alakbarov, the Secretariats staff includes market researchers, who will directly contact Azerbaijans embassies in various countries.

This will create the opportunity for joint participation of local businesses at international tenders, exhibitions, lobbying our interests in foreign markets and others. Main goal of the consortium is to export innovative products and solutions of local IT companies in a centralized manner. Of course, today local companies have access to the international markets, but, in certain sense, its chaotic, noted the companys head.

He added that, the other important issue is comprised of the felt state support.

According to Alakbarov, the chairman of Supervisory Council of the Consortium will be elected once every six months. Currently, Head of the BestComp Group Rauf Hasanov hold this post.

The consortium has specific goals for the near future, including the development of a strategy, the creation of a web portal, logo, the publication of a magazine and brochures, etc. Currently, we are actively working in this direction and believe that this will produce a great effect in the coming years. Moreover, this year we intend to participate in the BakuTel exhibition, not as a separate company, but as a consortium, added Alakbarov.

The Memorandum on Cooperation, as part of creating the Consortium for the Export of Azerbaijani innovations, among 10 specialized IT companies of the country, was signed in late June.

The Memorandum was signed by the companies: Neuron Technologies, SINAM, Ultra Technologies, BestComp Group, Cybernet, GoldenPay, R.I.S.K. Company, IDRAK Technology Transfer, B.EST Solutions and Innovation Center of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Huseyn Veliyev  Trend:

Azerbaijans Neuron Technologies IT company told Trend that it has submitted proposals to the authorized state body of Afghanistan for the creation of Asan Khedmat call center.

The company is participating in a tender for the creation of the call center together with an Afghan company.

Azerbaijani IT companys competitors in the tender are comprised of the companies from India, the company said. The tender results will be announced in the near future.

Asan Khedmat, which operates in Afghanistan, is an analogue of Azerbaijans ASAN Service.

ASAN (Azerbaijan Service and Assessment Network) is a state agency for government services to citizens in Azerbaijan.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Post-Karimov Uzbekistan is eager to develop relations with Kyrgyzstan, Dr. Mukesh Kumar Mishra, New Delhi-based expert on Central Asia, told Trend.

Although Uzbek-Kyrgyz relations have been in a sorry state during the last couple of decades because of the dispute over the border issue, the recent thaw in their bilateral ties started ever since Shavkat Mirziyoyev came to power in Uzbekistan in September 2016, he said.

The expert pointed out that the big question that needs to be examined is what motivates Uzbekistan to pursue a favorable policy toward Kyrgyzstan.

The answer lies into fact that Mirziyoyev wants Uzbekistan to have friendly relations with all its neighbors, and hence the border talks were resumed last September paving the way to maintain calmness along the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border that has not been seen since the first years of independence, he said.

Under the new leadership Uzbekistan appears to be adopting a pragmatic approach because there is nothing to gain in continuing the antagonism with Kyrgyzstan, according to the expert.

The positive signs have been emerging now as the long-awaited China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is finally making progress. This will be a shorter route for Uzbekistan to export goods to China than the current route through Kazakhstan, though it needs cooperation with Kyrgyzstan, he added.

Uzbekistan is also buying electricity from Kyrgyzstan in addition to increasing trade ties, expert believes.

He also stressed that the trade between the two countries has significantly increased by 1.5 times in 2017 compared to 2016.

The growing Uzbek-Kyrgyz ties are also influenced by the efforts of the regional countries to be more unified, particularly in the economic sphere. Other reason could be the desire of all the Central Asian states to integrate further so that they could be more attractive to Chinas investments in the region as part of the One Belt - One Road initiative, the expert said.

For Uzbekistan, being able to trade openly with partners on the other side of its border will prove to be beneficial in the long run, he concluded.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov met with Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev who arrived in Uzbekistan to participate in international events in Samarkand Aug. 26.

He is expected to attend the conference "Central Asian Renaissance in the History of World Civilization" and the "Shark Taronalari" music festival.

During the meeting, topical issues of the agenda of the CIS as well as the preparations for the upcoming meetings of the Council of Heads of State (in Sochi), the Council of Heads of Government (in Tashkent) and the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth countries were discussed.

The sides exchanged views on the promising areas of further development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the CIS.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Turkey had increased gas import from Iran by 56.53 percent to 751.18 million cubic meters in June, year-on-year.

The countrys gas import from Iran in January-June 2017 stood at 4.701 billion cubic meters (bcm), according to the report, released by Turkeys Energy Market Regulatory Body.

Natural gas imports from Iran accounted for 20.8 percent of the countrys total imports in the 1-month period.

Turkeys total natural gas imports also stood at 3.61 bcm in June, registering a rise by 13.76 percent year-on-year.

Sources June Share Y/Y change Azerbaijan 575.5 15,93 10,77 Algeria 162.56 4.50 -31.25 Iran 751.18 20.81 56.53 Qatar 133.41 3.70 100.00 Nigeria 86.74 2.40 -55.37 Russia 1,900.94 52.66 9.04 Total imports 3,609.89 100 13.76

Turkeys gas imports in June mcm

Turkey also exported 55.46 million cubic meters of gas to Greece in June, indicating a fall by 21.25 percent.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 25

By Umid Niayesh Trend:

The latest statistics of Iran Custom Administration indicate that Irans non-oil trade balance has became negative again in the first 4 months of current fiscal year (March 20-July 21), after it was positive during the last fiscal year.

While non-oil exports (including gas condensate, also known as ultra-light oil) has decreased by 9.5 percent, imports have significantly increased, by 24 percent, in terms of value.

Should Iran be concerned with the reappearance of deficit in its trade balance?

Mehrdad Emadi, a consultant at the UK-based Betamatrix International Consultancy, believes that the 4-month statistics, which reveal a sharp rise in Irans foreign trade driven by increased imports is a result of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action aka nuclear deal) which came into force in 2016.

"The rise was both expected and hoped for since it confirms that the removal of the trade and the financial restrictions imposed on Iran as a result of sanctions would enable the Iranian businesses and state-owned-enterprises (SOE) to trade more directly with their counter parts outside the country, in particular with their European counter parts without the need to pay heavy handling costs to the intermediaries and agents that often charged exorbitant fees to facilitate Irans foreign trade," said Emadi in an exclusive interview with Trend.

"In this context, the rise in imports could be considered a positive and perhaps the most significant outcome of the JCPOA following the Agreement with the P5+1," he said.

 The Agreement undoubtedly has reduced the risk of trading with Iran, Emadi underlined.

He also named two reasons for considering the unimpeded trade and financial transactions with the rest of the world as the most significant benefit from the JCPOA.

"First, the Agreement has enabled Iran to speed up its industrialisation and technological upgrading through trading directly with world leading firms in the EU, the Republic of Korea and Japan on a more competitive basis that is very close to their world prices and avoid paying shell companies and enter opaque contracts which only facilitated rent-seeking activities both inside and outside the country," he said.

Coming to the second reason, Emadi said that through reconnecting its industrial firms with the technologically advanced economies in the European Union and the East Asia, Iranian authorities have stated that they intend to focus on the import of capital goods and gradually moving away from the import of consumer goods.

"This is a more efficient allocation of Irans revenue from the sale of non-renewable resources most notably crude oil and gas. However this path has not been without its challenges," Emadi said.

Top trade partners and rising share of the EU

"For the period presented in the report, we observe a fall of 9.5 percent in the combined value of Iranian exports of non-oil goods whilst imports show a rise of 24 percent. Effectively this gap between the rising costs of imports and shrinking revenue from exports has brought back Irans chronic deficit in non-oil trade," Emadi noted.

"A closer examination of the distribution of exports of the country and its imports reveals that China, Iraq, UAE, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and India have a combined share of nearly 69 percent in absorbing Irans non-oil exports. As for the key exporters to the Iran, China, UAE, ROK, Turkey and India have a combined share of 59.5 percent and China remains Irans largest trade partner in both export and import of non-oil," he said.

"I suggest a big part of the leading position of China in Irans foreign trade stems from the 20 years Trade Agreement signed by the previous Iranian government as a means to secure a stable trade link for Iran though at a very high cost to the industry and agriculture but at the same time ensuring that China would refuse pressures to join the sanction club against Iran," Emadi said, adding that through this agreement China has been able to import minerals and raw material on a preferential basis from Iran and in return almost in the majority of cases sell Chinese goods (sometimes a direct barter)," he explained.

The expert further said that a second observation is the role of the UAE in both supplying consumer goods to the Iranian businesses as well as acting as the third largest importer of Iranian goods.

"It has been suggested and the available data on secondary trade supports the view that most of the trade by the UAE is via Iranian network of traders who set up offices in the Emirate to reduce the bit of sanctions on the economy," Emadi said.

It has also been suggested that a noticeable part of these agents have had links with the quasi-state entities inside Iran, he added.

"It is noticeable that one of the dimensions of the new US sanctions against Iran introduced by the Congress-which clearly undermines the ethos and the spirit of the JCPOA framework- is its referral to the suggested links in trade with entities alleged to have links with the security and defence forces," Emadi said.

"This makes the UAE share in the Iranian trade both an assets that in the past proved useful during the sanction era but at the same time should it come to be used against Iran it could become a liability in future since it is always more difficult to prove absence of links rather than proving their existence. And effectively the US proposed sanctions demand proof of non-linkage," the expert said.

He went on to say that a more interesting point in the Custom Administration report may be the rise in trade with the leading economies of Europe.

"Data for this period show that the rise in imports from Italy (26%), Germany (29%), France (51) and England (200%) were largely based on capital good and consumer durables," Emadi said.

Both of these categories can help with the transfer of advance technology and upgrading in the competiveness of the economy, he added.

Emadi went on to add that in almost all of the new agreements in manufacturing, Iran has succeeded in including clauses that explicitly set out time lines for joint production inside Iran and partial export of the manufactured final goods sometimes under an Iranian brand.

"Underlining that this is an important vehicle for the transfer of technology and the key requirement to enhance the export capabilities of the economy in the medium and long term especially in the case of Germany, France and Italy," he said.

Coming to the data on UK, Emadi said that the rise in the value of imports from England is less significant since the base line was very small to begin with.

"If the increased import is part of flow of capital goods in the oil and gas industries, Iran could leap-frog in its energy projects well in advance of its target. However, this requires a more business-driven view of the gains from trading with Iran in the UK than shown so far by the business community in Britain," he said.

According to Emadi had the trade with Iran reflected the relative size of the British economy in Europe in comparison with Germany and France and patterns of trade with the Arab countries of the Persian Gulf, British exports to Iran would had risen by more than 1100 percent in this period, solely based on the energy sector needs of Iran and the existing capacity in the UK reaching a ceiling of 6 billion Euros in three years.

"So far Whitehall has shown a remarkable indifference to the significance of trade with Iran and its impact on reducing the growing trade deficit of the UK economy. Even so, the doubling of trade with the Britain and the double digit increase in import from Italy, Germany and France all reflect the desire of these economies to expand their trade with Iran in the post-JCPOA era."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 25

By Umid Niayesh Trend:

Raw materials still share the dominant part of Irans non-oil export basket, the latest report of Iran Custom Administration, which covers a period from March 20 to July 21, indicates.

Gas condensates, propane, butane and some other raw petroleum products - which Iran puts in the non-oil exports basket- made the countrys top exported goods during the 4-month period.

It is also notable that the exports from the petrochemical, and industry, the two key sectors in the economy show a decline of 3.7 and 17.7 percent in value during this period compared with the similar period a year earlier whilst the mining sector and traditional commodities (carpets and traditional craft) show increases in the value of 36.7 and 6.6 percent.

"Should the industry and petrochemical products do not recover a positive growth rate in their export earnings, then the trend could suggest a return to the export of unprocessed material and traditional products in the economy," Mehrdad Emadi, a consultant at the UK-based Betamatrix International Consultancy, told Trend commenting on the issue.

"This re-focus on the export of semiprocessed goods directly counters the objectives of the current governments economic policy toward the creation of a more diverse and globally competitive economy as well as it is incongruent with the objectives set out in the brief that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei provided the road map for improving the resilience of the economy against future shocks and restrictions," Emadi said.

However, it is early to consider the data as part of a trend and it could well be a short-term dynamics that will prove to be part of the structural adjustment as well as regional change in the direction of Iranian exports, he added.

Emadi further said that at the same time, the dynamics of export data are not encouraging for Iran's manufacturing sector.

"It may be worth mentioning that even with the decline in the value of exports, data on the metal-based semi-processed exports suggest a robust increase which is encouraging for the firms in this sector."

The expert also underlined that the unit cost of export shows a rise in earning of 2.3 percent whilst the metric for imports show a rise of 9 percent.

"Terms of trade in Iranian foreign trade show deterioration. One explanation may be that the country imports higher quality products which have a higher value. But the objective should be achieving a sharper rise in the unit value, indicating that the country is exporting products with higher added-value," Emadi explained.

The expert also touched upon the issue of Iran's negative trade balance during the last four months, which has raised certain concerns in the country.

While responding to the question of whether the Iranian policy-makers should be worried about the trade deficit, Emadi said that "from a policy-makers point of view my cautious answer is, not yet."

"Repressed demand for foreign, especially Western goods was always going to show its effects and translate into more purchase of such goods. Also the adjustment period from an economy under sanctions and controlled by oligarchs in its foreign trade to a more dynamic and competitive economy was never going to be easy or quick," he said.

But the metrics available on trade and investment point to the right direction, Emadi said, adding that Iran is importing more capital goods.

He further said that there are more joint venture agreements each quarter most of which actually have export clauses which require enhanced competitive to facilitate exporting more from Iranian plants. 

The key infrastructure projects in Iran are almost all tailored to facilitate trade with outside world at lower cost and more efficiently especially to facilitate exports, according to Emadi.

"And there has emerged an acceptance inside the policy-circle, be it not yet widely supported, that the path toward sustainable growth and rapid catch up goes through redirecting the economy toward becoming a major exporter in selected industries," he said underling that the path is neither straight nor easy as it was not easy for India, Vietnam, China, Republic of Korea, Mexico and Brazil.

Emadi noted that domestic opponents and those outside the country who wish to see Iran as a weak country hollowed out by cheap imports, suffering from sluggish production, chronic unemployment and falling real wages, have been quite vocal and active in their opposition.

"Yet, I am hopeful that increased awareness of the value and role of good economic governance shall overcome the obstacles," he said.

A prosperous economy in Iran could act as an engine of growth for the region as well as benefiting the advanced industrial economies of the world to expand their trade links in the region, he said, underlining that "this has the potential for being a win-win outcome."
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Nobody can know for sure what the consequences of Washington-Tehran growing tensions would be as US President Donald Trump has been fairly unpredictable and full of surprises, a US academic, author, historian, and international relations scholar said while commenting on the possibility of US declaring Irans non-compliance with the JCPOA, aka the nuclear deal.

It now seems quite possible, if not likely, that he will declare Iran non-compliant in the near future, Robert English, an associate professor of International Foreign Policy and Defense Analysis at the University of Southern California, told Trend.

However, the expert believes that this could be very problematic, and complicate the US relations with many countries unnecessarily.

European allies will not follow along, and so it will cause a Transatlantic rift. On top of disagreements over policy toward Russia is a dispute over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which could become yet another source of serious friction, he said.

Taken altogether, Trump could be poised to alienate the allies he needs globally, just as he seems to alienate the allies he needs in the US Senate domestically, according to the expert.

His style is proving to be a very aggressive, 'undiplomatic' and that could backfire on the US, he added.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia  plus Germany signed the nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

The agreement limits Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

The US Congress requires the administrations certification (every 90 days) of Irans compliance with the nuclear deal. Trumps administration has already declared Iran in compliance, as required by law, twice during his tenure.

Nonetheless, Trumps remarks forecasting that the US would declare Iran non-compliant when the next review is due in September, have cast shadow over the future of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.
Tehran, Iran, Aug. 26

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

The threat of a referendum in the Iraqi Kurdistan has been the major issue that brought Iran and Turkey together, however limitedly, after long years of disagreement, Reza Abedi Gonabad, a Turkish affairs expert, told Trend Aug. 26.

This comes against the backdrop of the Syrian conflict, in which Turkey has been at odds with Iran since the outbreak of the crisis in 2011. However, Ankara have made transitory shifts in their policies and approached Tehran, and considering the fact that the Kurdish referendum poses a territorial threat to these two countries, the shift in Ankaras policies is not hard to justify, Gonabad noted.

Iran and Turkey have been supporting opposite sides in the Syrian conflict, Tehran attempting to keep Bashar al-Assad as president, while Ankara pushing to oust him.

The Kurdish Regional Government has announced plan to hold a referendum on September 25. Iran and Turkey have spoken against the decision.

In mid-August, Head of the Iranian Staff of Armed Forces Mohammad Bagheri traveled to Turkey to hold high-level talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli, and to discuss a range of regional issues including the Kurdish referendum decision.
The Saudi-led coalition admits it has attacked a neighborhood in Yemeni capital Sana by mistake and blames Houthi rebels for the incident, Turki Maliki, the spokesman of the coalition said Saturday, Sputnik reported.

The coalition airstrike hit a residential area in the south of Sana on Friday, killing at least 14 people. Following the reports about casualties among civilians, the coalition announced that it had launched a probe into the incident.

"The technical mistake led to an unintentional incident because of Houthi [rebels] who set their military objects in residential neighborhoods, using the civilians as human shields," Maliki said in a statement.

The spokesman noted that it was not a direct hit and expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims. He added that a special commission will assess the inflicted damage.
Muslim militants in Myanmar staged a coordinated attack on 30 police posts and an army base in Rakhine state on Friday, and at least 59 of the insurgents and 12 members of the security forces were killed, the army and government said.

The fighting - still going on in some areas - marked a major escalation in a simmering conflict in the northwestern state since last October, when similar attacks prompted a big military sweep beset by allegations of serious human rights abuses.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin, which instigated the October attacks, claimed responsibility for the early morning offensive, and warned of more.

The treatment of approximately 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya has emerged as majority Buddhist Myanmars most contentious human rights issue as it makes a transition from decades of harsh military rule.

It now appears to have spawned a potent insurgency which has grown in size, observers say.

They worry that the attacks - much larger and better organized than those in October - will spark an even more aggressive army response and trigger communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhist ethnic Rakhines.

A news team affiliated with the office of national leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said that one soldier, one immigration officer, 10 policemen and 59 insurgents had been killed in the fighting.

In the early morning at 1 a.m., the extremist Bengali insurgents started their attack on the police post ... with the man-made bombs and small weapons, said the army in a separate statement, referring to the Rohingya by a derogatory term implying they are interlopers from Bangladesh.

The militants also used sticks and swords and destroyed bridges with explosives, the army said.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship and are seen by many in Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite claiming roots in the region that go back centuries, with communities marginalized and occasionally subjected to communal violence.
Iraqi city of Tal Afar has been fully liberated from militants of Daesh terrorist group, Brig. Gen. Najim Jubouri told Sputnik on Saturday.

"On the [Tal Afar] city plan, nothing is left [seized by terrorists], the cleanup is underway," Jubouri said.

On August 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi announced that the Iraqi government forces started the military offensive aimed at retaking Tal Afar, which is located 30 miles away from recently liberated Mosul. The city is the last major Daesh stronghold near the Iraqi-Syrian border.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

A tourist yacht has burnt down in the Turkish province of Mugla, the countrys media reported, Aug. 26.

According to the report, two tourists were injured in the yacht fire. It is reported that, the wounded are Turkish citizens and they were taken to the nearest hospital.

The yacht caught fire as a result of an engine explosion, the report noted.
Chinas Strategy for the Global Economy

In the fall of 1993, I was sitting in class in grad school. We were using case studies to explore business management decisions. My professor walked through the history of Otis Elevators, noting that the company had reached market saturation and had choices to make.



I was sort of paying attention sort of not.



Then he called on me.Rodney! What should a company do when it reaches market saturation?!I fumbled. Develop a new product or service?He thundered back, Find another market!His point was that Otis Elevators had saturated the U.S. market, but had all of Europe to explore. It would be much easier to exploit untapped markets with a product they already provided than it would be to introduce a new product or service theyd need to develop.I think the Chinese took the same class.In 2013, the Chinese government introduced the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative, which has been shortened to One Belt, One Road.The plan was to develop infrastructure to facilitate trade among many players in Eurasia and Northern Africa. Or so thats what the Chinese government told everyone. The details indicated other immediate goals, with trade as a long-term, add-on benefit.After the financial crisis, China poured on the monetary coals to propel its economic engine. The county expanded credit at a torrid pace, fueling an unprecedented building boom. Roads, bridges, and condominiums sprung from the ground.China produced and used more cement between 2011 and 2013 than the United States did in all of the 20th century.Thats a lot of concrete.But even in a land of 1.3 billion people, that pace of building couldnt last.Eventually, there would be a dramatic slowdown.China now has empty cities. Not because everyone left, but because they built them and no one came.Now, as their domestic expansion slows down, the Chinese have created an outlet for all of their resources and construction know-howUnder the One Belt, One Road Initiative, the Chinese provide the resources, expertise, and much of the labor to build roads, bridges, ports, and other infrastructure in Pakistan, Kenya, India, Malaysia, and even Russia and Greece.The initiative is expected to touch 68 countries and billions of people.Of course, many of those countries cant pay for expensive new ports and roads, but thats not an obstacle, its an opportunity, if youre the Chinese.China will not only provide the materials, expertise, and labor, but also the funding! Through the Asian Development Bank and other entities, China is loaning money to foreign nations that then use the capital to buy stuff from China.And once those projects are completed, guess which country will have a claim on the assets to repay the loans, and also have priority status when it comes to trade?And the strategy doesnt end there.China has another issue that its turning into an opportunity.The country is pretty good at building coal-fired electric plants. But, as one of the vocal members of the Paris Climate Accord, building a bunch of new coal plants creates bad optics. At least, when you build them at home.The country also already has a lot of electricity generation capacity, and a fair amount of renewable energy. So as with their other spare capacity, they went looking elsewhere.Over the next 10 years, China expects to build 700 new coal-fired electric plants, but 20% of the capacity will be overseas. While the new plants (with all of the environmental issues that come with them) will benefit the local populations, theyll also support operations along the trade routes that will carry Chinese goods.And Im guessing that the plants in foreign countries will buy their coal from the Chinese.The strategy is bold, but not without risks. What happens when locals in Pakistan get annoyed with Chinese workers? What happens when a friendly foreign government is toppled by a political foe that doesnt want to honor previous arrangements?These legacy issues will be interesting to watch. Will China be better at dealing with them than, say, every other nation in history thats tried the same thing? Well see.For now, its impressive to watch the Chinese implement their plans in so many locations, providing a much-needed outlet for their overcapacity at home.For anyone interested, the Chinese are touting the initiatives as some sort of global, hand-holding, kumbaya thing that will unite the planet.Theyve even released videos and songs to promote it, like this one . That way, people can feel good about helping the Chinese cement their hold on global trade for decades to come.

Rodney

Follow me on Twitter ;@RJHSDent

By Rodney Johnson, Senior Editor of Economy & Markets

http://economyandmarkets.com

Copyright  2017 Rodney Johnson - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors.

Rodney Johnson Archive

 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.




Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Ankara is deploying additional troops to the Syrian border in the Kilis province in the south of Turkey, the countrys media reported Aug. 26.

According to the information, rocket artillery systems have been delivered to the border with Syria.

It is also reported that, the Turkish armed forces were put in a state of high alert on the border with Syria.

Turkey has been deploying military equipment to the border with Syria since June 21. Military equipment is dislocated in Turkeys south-central province of Kilis, which borders Syrian territories controlled by the YPG and PYD.

On Aug. 24, 2016, Turkish Armed Forces, with the support of the Syrian opposition, has launched the Euphrates Shield operation against the IS (Islamic State, aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) militants and liberated the city of Jarabulus, as well as the city of Al-Bab in northern Syria.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 26

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Turkey will launch its first domestic submarine called Piri Reis in late 2018, the countrys media reported, Aug. 26.

According to the information, construction of the submarine started in October of 2015.

Turkey plans to build six more submarines until 2025, the report noted.

The cost of the project is not reported.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2017 - 16:41 | Feature, All, Japan

Residents on a tiny western Japan island in the Seto Inland Sea are trying to woo new settlers to revive the community and save their hometown from being deserted.

The locals have launched initiatives to promote tourism and encourage settlement, aiming to boost the population to 30, for now, on Shishi Island in Kagawa Prefecture.

Although 24 people are officially registered on the island, where there are no automobile roads or traffic lights, only 17 actually live there.

Having thrived on the production of calendula and chrysanthemum following the end of World War II, Shishi Island was once known as "the island of flowers," with its population reaching around 1,000 at the peak.

However, as young people moved to Tokyo and other major cities such as Osaka, some 80 stray cats now outnumber human residents. It is now called the "island of cats."

Tsuneyasu Yamaji, a 65-year-old native of Shishi Island, left his hometown at the age of 4 but moved back from Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, in 2008.

Seeing the abandoned community where he spent his early childhood, Yamaji felt he must attract young people to revitalize the island.

Yamaji, together with 77-year-old Shoichi Kitano, who returned to the community in 2015, set up a company to boost tourism and promote relocation to the island.

Although the island boasts such tourist attractions as a 1,200-year-old camphor tree, no accommodation was available for travelers to stay overnight.

Yamaji and his colleagues have raised about 1.8 million yen ($16,500) through crowdfunding and renovated a roughly 150-year-old house into an accommodation. About 150 people took part when they held an event last year at the facility to offer a taste of island life.

As a result, two women in their 30s and 40s as well as a man in his 60s moved in. But without major job opportunities, the three are commuting to their workplaces outside the island.

Yamaji received more than 10 inquiries this year from people interested in relocating there but he hopes they will move in only after fully understanding the reality on the island.

"It's necessary to warn them that the actual life would be tough," said Yamaji.

Yamaji said his ultimate goal is to create a local industry and restore the island of flowers by growing them with young newcomers.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 26, 2017 - 11:35 | World, All

North Korea fired several short-range missiles early Saturday off its east coast, officials in South Korea said, indicating a possible resumption of sabre-rattling by the North after a nearly month-long hiatus.

The launches took place amid an annual joint military exercise between South Korea and the United States. While the allies say the training is defensive in nature, the North has condemned it as a rehearsal for an invasion.

The South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired "several unidentified projectiles" from the vicinity of Gitdaeryong in its eastern province of Gangwon starting at around 6:49 a.m.

The projectiles flew more than 250 kilometers in a northeastern direction, it added.

The presidential office said that the projectiles are believed to be artillery rockets from a multiple-rocket launcher.

The U.S. Pacific Command in Hawaii said the North fired three short-range ballistic missiles between 6:49 a.m. and 7:19 a.m., of which two flew approximately 250 km in a northeastern direction.

The command added that the missiles did not pose a threat to North America or Guam, which the North earlier this month threatened with a missile strike.

In its earlier assessment soon after the test, it said the first and third missiles failed in flight and the second blew up "almost immediately."

U.N. resolutions ban North Korea from any use of ballistic missile technology, while short-range missile launches are not prohibited.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the presidential office said in a statement following a National Security Council meeting that officials decided to proceed "more thoroughly" with the South Korea-U.S. combined military drill that kicked off Monday.

In Tokyo, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera told reporters he believes North Korea fired "multiple short-range ballistic missiles or rockets," indicating the difficulty in determining whether the missiles were ballistic.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the missiles did not fall within Japan's territory or exclusive economic zone and would not have a direct impact on Japan's security.

The Japanese government top spokesman also explained that Prime Minster Shinzo Abe instructed him to maintain high levels of alert to "protect the lives and property of the Japanese people."

A Japanese government source said the launches appeared to have been conducted as part of drill by the North Korean military.

In Washington, the White House said U.S. President Donald Trump was briefed on the launches and that the administration is monitoring the situation.

Tensions remain high in the region as North Korea said earlier this month it was considering launching ballistic missiles over the Japanese archipelago into waters near Guam, a U.S. territory in the western Pacific.

Prior to Saturday, the most recent missile launch by North Korea was on July 28, when it test-fired a Hwasong-14 intercontinental ballistic missile, the second such test that month.

The hiatus prompted U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson this week to hail Pyongyang's restraint with its weapons programs.

The two ICBM launches prompted the U.N. Security Council to impose fresh sanctions on Pyongyang that aim to slash the country's $3 billion annual export revenue by a third.

The United States, Japan and South Korea have been on heightened alert against possible provocative acts by the North as Friday marked the anniversary of its "Songun" (military-first) policy.

Last year, Pyongyang fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile on Aug. 24, a day before the anniversary, and went on to carry out its fifth nuclear test on Sept. 9, the country's founding day.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Fuels that are produced from nonpetroleum-based biological sources may become greener and more affordable, thanks to research performed at the University of Illinois' Prairie Research Institute that examines the use of a processing catalyst made from palladium metal and bacteria.

Biofuels are made from renewable materials such as plants or algae, and offer an alternative to petroleum-based sources. However, many biofuels are costly to produce because the precursor product, bio-oil, must be processed before it is sent to the refinery to be turned into liquid fuel. Illinois Sustainability Technology Center researcher B.K. Sharma and his co-authors have identified and tested a new processing method.

"Bio-oil forms from the same chemical reaction that forms petroleum," Sharma said. "But what takes millions of years naturally in the ground takes only minutes in the lab using a process that is very similar to pressure cooking."

Published in the journal Fuel, their findings point to a cheaper, more environmentally friendly and renewable catalyst for processing that uses common bacteria and the metal palladium, which can be recovered from waste sources such as discarded electronics, catalytic converters, street sweeper dust and processed sewage.

The bio-oil produced in the lab from algae contains impurities like nitrogen and oxygen, but treating it with palladium as a catalyst during processing helps remove those impurities to meet clean-air requirements, Sharma said.

For the palladium to do its job, the bio-oil needs to flow past it during processing. Previous studies have shown that allowing the oil flow through porous carbon particles infused with palladium is an effective method, but those carbon particles are not cheap, Sharma said.

"Instead of using commercially produced carbon particles, we can use bacteria cell masses as a sort of biologic scaffolding for the palladium to hold on to," Sharma said. "The oil can flow through the palladium-decorated bacteria masses as it does through the carbon particles."

To test the effectiveness of the new method, Sharma and his co-authors performed a variety of chemical and physical analyses to determine if their new processing treatment produced a liquid fuel that is comparable in quality to one made using the commercially produced catalyst.

"We found our product to be as good or even slightly better," Sharma said. "We were able to remove the oxygen and nitrogen impurities at a comparable rate, and yielded the same volume of product using our cheaper, greener catalyst as is observed using the more expensive commercial catalyst."

The more costly commercial catalyst has the added benefit that it can be used over and over without extensive processing, whereas the Sharma group's palladium-on-bacteria catalyst will need to undergo processing to be reused.

"It is a minor caveat," Sharma said. "The fact that we have shown the potential of making refinery-ready crude oil from algae bio-oil using a catalyst that can be prepared from low-grade recycled metals and green and economical bacterial biomass proves that this is a very promising advancement. In addition, this bio-catalyst would work equally well in petrochemical processing."

###

The work was conducted in collaboration with professors Joe Wood and Lynne Macaskie from the University of Birmingham, funded through the Birmingham-Illinois Partnership for Discovery, Engagement and Education program. The Natural Environment Research Council, UK also supported this research.

Editor's notes: To reach B.K. Sharma, call 217-265-6810; bksharma@illinois.edu.

The paper "Nanoparticles of Pd supported on bacterial biomass for hydroprocessing crude bio-oil" is available online and from the U. of I. News Bureau. DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2017.08.007
Several media outlets in Europe continue to sow confusion and amalgams following the terrorist attacks that hit Barcelona and Cambril. The Moroccan origins of the radicalized youth involved in these attacks offered far-right journalists and anti-migrant groups a scapegoat and a lazy way to explain the attacks.

By doing so, they failed to consider the deep roots of radicalization in their home countries. The fact that radicalization took place in Spain and not in Morocco and that the attacks were plotted in Europe highlights the need for a thorough analysis of Spains domestic radicalization problem.

The youth perpetrating the Barcelona and Cambril attacks are more Spanish then they are Moroccan. Some of them have been born and others were raised in Spain attending Catalan schools and living among Spaniards. Spanish authorities say that they have been radicalized in a local mosque in Ripol. The Imam of the mosque, Abdelbaki Es Satty, have been subject to numerous investigations. Yet, he managed to stay in Spain leading young Muslims astray.

The Catalan interior ministry has confirmed that it was warned by Belgian authorities in March 2016 about the imam who later formed, radicalized and organized the terror cell that killed 15 people in north-east Spain last week. These disillusioned youth could have posed a danger to any country in the world that does not share the same ideological vision of ISIS, which claimed responsibility for the attacks. Their allegiance goes to IS Jihadist ideology, a global calamity that requires international coordination.

The recent attacks that shook Spain bring back memories of 11 March 2004, when 191 people were killed and more than 1,800 others injured in a series of train bombings in Madrid, carried out by al-Qaida, which came to represent an unprecedented form of Global Jihadism threatening the whole world.

Thirteen years may have passed since the Madrid bombings, but Spain was yet again a prey of another abhorrent terror attack. Barely a week goes by without police announcing the arrests of people who have become radicalized online. More than 720 people have been detained in Spain in connection with jihadi terrorism since the carnage in Madrid, and almost a quarter of the 178 people arrested for terrorism-related activities over the past three years are from Barcelona.

A recent study from West Points Combating Terrorism Center found that most of those arrested on charges of terrorism have been radicalized in Spain through the internet or via contact with radicalizing agents in their ghettos. Nine out of every 10 detainees included in the survey have been radicalized partly or fully while inside Spain.

The Barcelona and Cambril attacks also indicate an intelligence failure. These attacks are no lone wolf plots as they have been coordinated in a larger cell. Spanish authorities failure to intercept the terrorists is largely ascribed to the decentralized character of the Spanish law enforcement forces, especially in Catalonia, which is bracing for a fully-fledged independence from Spain.

Spain, Britain and Germany to a large extent have decentralized intelligence and police communities, as opposed to France, which has a more centralized system. This decentralization slows rapid action against terrorist cells.

The lack of oversight over the religious discourse at mosques and the tolerance of radicalizing agents are also to blame for the recent terrorist attacks.

On the other hand, there is no exaggeration in saying that without Moroccos cooperation, Spain and Europe will be a blood bath. The effectiveness of Moroccan intelligence agencies and their pro-activeness helped Spain dismantle several terrorist cells in its territories and thwart attacks that could have claimed thousands of lives. By acting on the Jihadists in Europe, Morocco is also protecting its own security as most of these terrorists are seeking easy preys whenever they are whether in Morocco or Spain. In their Jihadist view, they are both heretic states.

It was Moroccan intelligence that helped locate Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the mastermind of the November 2015 attacks in Paris. Moroccos intelligence service also alerted German counterparts in September 2016 that Anas Amiri was about to perpetrate a terrorist attack on German soil three months before he did.

Yet, despite being an IS target itself, Morocco remained insulated from terrorist attacks since the creation of the terrorist group in 2014. Thanks to a comprehensive strategy combining social, economic and security aspects besides a reform of the religious sphere, Morocco managed to counter radicalization. The Kindgom has also updated its legal apparatus against foreign fighters who face imprisonment upon their return home.

The creation of the Moroccan Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation (BCIJ), Moroccos counter-terrorism agency, in 2015, played a key role in boosting international cooperation with international partners leading to numerous disruptions of alleged terrorist cells and prosecutions of associated individuals.

Morocco and its security services are indispensable for Spains and the EUs fight against terrorism. The decades of laxity by European authorities let the Muslim, including Maghreban expatriates, a prey to radicalized Imams and associations.

These radicalized migrants now pose a threat to Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya as much as they threaten Europe. Hence the need for sustained cooperation in terms of intelligence sharing, de-radicalization and joint operations as well as efforts to further integrate the Muslim community.

The spread of confusion by highlighting every now and then the origins of the terrorists will backfire. Spreading such amalgams plays into the discourse of far-right groups who are seeking to pin all that goes wrong in the Western societies on Muslim immigrants. The backlash against Moroccans has effectively started following the Barcelona attacks. Such discrimination, if not contained, will result in a counter-reaction and an increased stigmatization, which could lead to radicalization. The wise thing to do is to tackle terrorism as a global problem requiring the help and contribution of the Muslim diaspora, authorities and the media.
Amazon says Whole Foods deal will close Monday, with discounts to begin then

Amazon (AMZN) announced on Thursday that its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods (WFM) will close on Monday.

As the two companies work to integrate their business, all customers will immediately see "lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples across [Whole Foods] stores."

And Amazon promises "more to come," as the internet giant begins to integrate Prime into the Whole Foods ecosystem. Eventually, Prime members will receive "special savings and in-store benefits."

Amazon didn't disclose how long that would take, but said it would first need to integrate Amazon Prime into the Whole Foods point-of-sale system. Once complete, the offers will begin and eventually Prime will become Whole Foods' customer rewards program.

Grocery stocks immediately tumbled Thursday afternoon on the news. Shares of Kroger (KR), Costco (COST), Sprouts Farmers (SFM) and Supervalu (SVU) were all seen trading at session lows. Big-box retailers Target (TGT) and Wal-Mart (WMT) also watched their stocks fall.

Amazon promising immediate price cuts puts pressure on traditional grocers that are already operating in a thin-margin business. Meal-kit businesses, like Blue Apron (APRN), have also taken a beating after Amazon announced it would be creating a similar service.

On Wednesday, Whole Foods shareholders voted to advance Amazon's acquisition of the grocery chain, moving the proposal one step closer to reality. Amazon shareholders didn't need to sign off on the deal.

The two parties were saying they expected to finalize their merger during the second half of 2017. Though, a source familiar with the matter told CNBC the deal could happen "sooner rather than later."

Just hours after Wednesday's shareholders vote, the Federal Trade Commission said it would allow the Amazon-Whole Foods deal to proceed. The FTC had been conducting an investigation to gauge whether the merger would decrease competition under federal regulations.

A spokesperson from Amazon told CNBC on Thursday that it has no plans for layoffs or to use automation to replace Whole Foods' cashiers. This was a widely held concern that sparked debate when the acquisition was first announced.

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Looking at the future of Whole Foods stores, Amazon said that soon Amazon Lockers will be available in select locations. Using these, shoppers can either have products shipped from Amazon.com to their local Whole Foods, or return items back to Amazon during a trip to the grocer.

Whole Foods' private-label products will also now be available through Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry and Prime Now. A move like this could put more pressure on competitors on the low-price end of the supermarket spectrum, like Wal-Mart, and German-based Aldi and Lidl.

And this is particularly concerning for those companies, like Sprouts, that operate neck and neck with Whole Foods in organic. Here, prices have tended to be higher than with conventional and nonperishable items.

"The bottom line is that this isn't theory any more," GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders told CNBC. "The deal is happening and it will drive change in the grocery sector. Competitors will need to think about what that means for them and respond accordingly."

Among many things, this deal will provide Amazon a much more extensive real estate footprint. However, Amazon is entering the brick-and-mortar world at a time when many are saying the supermarket space is overcrowded.

Some of the bigger names in grocery are already trimming plans for expansion. Kroger, for example, has said it will cut its store openings in 2017 to 55 from 100, opting to invest less in its physical retail and more in digital initiatives. Even Whole Foods had scaled back its own expansion plans prior to Amazon arriving on the scene.

In its press release on Thursday, Amazon didn't mention exactly how it would use Whole Foods' portfolio of more than 450 stores  whether it would keep all locations open, or transform them over time.

Read the full release from Amazon:

Amazon and Whole Foods Market today announced that Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods Market will close on Monday August 28, 2017, and the two companies will together pursue the vision of making Whole Foods Market's high-quality, natural and organic food affordable for everyone. As a down payment on that vision, Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices starting Monday on a selection of best-selling grocery staples across its stores, with more to come. In addition, Amazon and Whole Foods Market technology teams will begin to integrate Amazon Prime into the Whole Foods Market point-of-sale system, and when this work is complete, Prime members will receive special savings and in-store benefits. The two companies will invent in additional areas over time, including in merchandising and logistics, to enable lower prices for Whole Foods Market customers. "We're determined to make healthy and organic food affordable for everyone. Everybody should be able to eat Whole Foods Market quality  we will lower prices without compromising Whole Foods Market's long-held commitment to the highest standards," said Jeff Wilke, CEO of Amazon Worldwide Consumer. "To get started, we're going to lower prices beginning Monday on a selection of best-selling grocery staples, including Whole Trade organic bananas, responsibly-farmed salmon, organic large brown eggs, animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef, and more. And this is just the beginning  we will make Amazon Prime the customer rewards program at Whole Foods Market and continuously lower prices as we invent together. There is significant work and opportunity ahead, and we're thrilled to get started." "It's been our mission for 39 years at Whole Foods Market to bring the highest quality food to our customers," said John Mackey, Whole Foods Market co-founder and CEO. "By working together with Amazon and integrating in several key areas, we can lower prices and double down on that mission and reach more people with Whole Foods Market's high-quality, natural and organic food. As part of our commitment to quality, we'll continue to expand our efforts to support and promote local products and suppliers. We can't wait to start showing customers what's possible when Whole Foods Market and Amazon innovate together." Here's what will be new in Whole Foods Market stores on Monday and what customers can expect over time as the two companies integrate: Starting Monday, Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples across its stores, with much more to come. Customers will enjoy lower prices on products like Whole Trade bananas, organic avocados, organic large brown eggs, organic responsibly-farmed salmon and tilapia, organic baby kale and baby lettuce, animal-welfare-rated 85% lean ground beef, creamy and crunchy almond butter, organic Gala and Fuji apples, organic rotisserie chicken, 365 Everyday Value organic butter, and much more. In the future, after certain technical integration work is complete, Amazon Prime will become Whole Foods Market's customer rewards program, providing Prime members with special savings and other in-store benefits. Whole Foods Market's healthy and high-quality private label products  including 365 Everyday Value, Whole Foods Market, Whole Paws and Whole Catch  will be available through Amazon.com, AmazonFresh, Prime Pantry and Prime Now. Amazon Lockers will be available in select Whole Foods Market stores. Customers can have products shipped from Amazon.com to their local Whole Foods Market store for pick up or send returns back to Amazon during a trip to the store. This is just the beginning  Amazon and Whole Foods Market plan to offer more in-store benefits and lower prices for customers over time as the two companies integrate logistics and point-of-sale and merchandising systems.

 CNBC's Deirdre Bosa and Sarah Whitten contributed to this reporting.

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jeff flake Dr. Kelli Ward is challenging Sen. Jeff Flake in Arizon's GOP primary.

Ward has increasingly garnered support from right-wing pundits and analysts.

Flake has the backing of GOP leadership in the senate.

Top conservative media figures have increasingly lined up against one of the most vocal critics of President Donald Trump in the Senate.

Since the beginning of Trump's presidential campaign in 2015, Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona has consistently criticized his rhetoric and policy positions on issues like immigration.

He called for Trump to drop out following the Access Hollywood tape that leaked in October, and he released a book that was largely seen as a rebuke of Trump's ideology and style of governance.

Now, Flake's Senate seat is under threat and Trump's boosters are trying to help get the embattled senator's primary opponent elected in his place.

On his radio show on Wednesday, Fox News host Sean Hannity endorsed Kelli Ward, a former state senator who is challenging Flake from the right.

"I cannot any longer support weak Republicans," Hannity said. "I will not support people who break their promises, I will not support people who don't keep their their word."

Hannity was the second right-wing figure this week to throw their weight behind Ward, whom he said "welcomed the president to the state, unlike [Sen. John] McCain and Flake."

On her radio show on Tuesday, Laura Ingraham, the conservative radio host who is rumored to be in talks for a primetime show at Fox News, also endorsed Ward.

Two endorsements on syndicated conservative talk radio aren't likely to have a huge impact on an election almost a year away, but they are a marked shift in the far-right's willingness to publicly challenge figures who are supported by Senate leaders like Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee Cory Gardner, both of whom have publicly backed Flake.

The endorsements are the most high-profile that Ward has received since seeking higher office.

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When Ward challenged McCain last year, she received almost no major national endorsements aside from Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who lost the 2014 Mississippi GOP primary to Sen. Thad Cochran (Hannity hosted Ward on his radio program last year, but didn't explicitly call for McCain's ouster).

Trump himself has very publicly flirted with crossing McConnell to target Flake, meeting with several other potential Republican primary challengers backstage at his Arizona rally on Tuesday. And last week, he said he supported Ward's entrance into the race.

Trump previously promised to spend as much as $10 million against Flake, and top Republican donor Robert Mercer donated $300,000 to a pro-Ward super PAC.

In recent weeks, Trump has also repeatedly blasted Flake on Twitter.

"Phoenix crowd last night was amazing - a packed house," Trump tweeted. "I love the Great State of Arizona. Not a fan of Jeff Flake, weak on crime & border!"

Ward has embraced the support, running a campaign highly critical of Flake's denunciation of Trump.

On Hannity's show on Wednesday, Ward described Flake as a "pretty weak senator," and said it was "amazing" to see Trump's criticism of Flake.

"Jeff Flake and John McCain insult Republican voters again, and again, and again, because they tell us what they say we should think," Ward said. "I think times are changing. I think Donald Trump's election to be president of the United States was like storming the beach at Normandy."

Flake has already attempted to cast Ward as a right-wing fringe candidate.

In an ad released earlier this week, Flake cast Ward as a conspiracy theorist, releasing an ad dubbing Ward "chemtrail Kelly," a reference to a town-hall she organized to discuss the "chemtrail" theory, an anti-government conspiracy that speculates that the federal government using jets to spray chemicals on citizens.

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costco

Costco is known for its no-frills approach  concrete floors, fluorescent lighting, and product stacked high in its warehouse-like stores.

But Costco's no-frills approach could backfire when it comes to online, reports Matthew Boyle at Bloomberg Businessweek.

Costco has largely enjoyed growing sales and customer loyalty in recent years.

But as Amazon becomes a looming threat to the grocery industry, some are concerned about Costco's failure to adopt e-commerce.

Amazon just acquired Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, cementing its status as a growing threat in the grocery world. The organic grocer's private label products will also be available on Amazon, and will likely bolster the network for grocery delivery service AmazonFresh.

Though Costco offers products on some online platforms like the newly-revamped Google Express and Instacart, its online presence is lackluster.

Costco only offers 10,000 products online, according to Bloomberg, which pales in comparison to the millions that Amazon and other competitors offer.

Coscto's online business has only been growing 11% a year, which is slower than most big competitors and the wider market rate of 15%. Ecommerce is growing up to three times more than the rest of retail, according to Business Insider Intelligence, and it seems like Costco is leaving money on the table by not embracing online sales.

The dramatic rise of Amazon Prime is also a threat to the business. Over half of Costco members also have a Prime account, which mirrors the percent of US households that will have prime by the year's end.

costco employee sample shopping

One reason why Costco may be slow to adapt is the difficulty in transitioning the low-cost, high-ounce wholesale model.

Bulk items are expensive to ship, and now that online customers are used to free two-day shipping, getting them to pay for it is a tough proposition.

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The way their business is set up, theres no easy way to step into e-commerce, Kirthi Kalyanam, a retail expert at Santa Clara University, told Businessweek. The economics are not viable.

The company's CFO, Richard Galanti, told Businessweek that it's "a little stubborn" when it comes to e-commerce, adding that he would prefer customers to come to stores.

I think we have been moving faster in the last few years, Galanti said.

If they don't start to move faster, analysts say Amazon, Walmart, Target, and others will swoop in.

E-commerce is a hard game to catch up on, and as Amazon builds its Prime paradise, customers may balk at the price of its $60 membership when they can get so much more from Amazon's service.

"If Costco waits too long, they might find themselves too far behind," Robin Sherk, an analyst at consultant Kantar Retail, told Businessweek.

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As Hurricane Harvey lingers around the southeast coast of Texas, thousands are stranded as they wait for the storm to pass.

Three cruise ships from the Carnival Cruise Line and one from Royal Caribbean International were scheduled to arrive at the Port of Galveston this weekend, which closed earlier this week in preparation for Harveys arrival, according to the Miami Herald. About 15,000 people are on the four stranded cruise ships.

The cruise lines are expected to stay near the port and wait until the storm clears, and at least some of them will head to New Orleans to stock up on fuel, water and other supplies, the Herald reports.

Passengers can get off the ship there if they want, according to the report, or wait until the port reopens on the cruise.

Harvey is expected to remain along Texass Gulf of Mexico coast for several days, and is expected to be one of the worst hurricanes to hit the United States in several years.
Hurricane Harvey is rerouting cruise ships headed for Texas this weekend.

The Port of Galveston in Texas has been closed because a Category 3 hurricane is barreling toward it. Harvey is currently about 70 miles east-southeast of Corpus Christi, Texas , according to the National Hurricane Center. It is expected to make landfall late Friday or early Saturday on the central Texas coast.

Carnival Cruise Line (NYSE: CCL)'s Freedom and Valor ships were supposed to disembark in Galveston on Saturday. They are currently at sea and "will remain a safe distance from the storm," a spokesperson said in an email.

Both ships will stop in New Orleans on Saturday to replenish fuel, fresh water and food supplies. Guests have the option to end their cruise there.

"However, given the severity and projected path of the storm along with potential challenges guests may encounter attempting to travel back to Galveston independently, we are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible," the spokesperson said.

Carnival will shorten both ships' upcoming trips. Passengers will receive a refund based on the number of cruise days missed. They also have the option to cancel without a penalty and will receive a future cruise credit, the spokesperson said.

Carnival Breeze was supposed to return to Galveston on Sunday. The ship is currently docked in Cozumel and will now stay overnight there. It plans to leave for Galveston on Saturday to be in position to debark guests when the port reopens, the spokesperson said.

Royal Caribbean' (NYSE: RCL)s Liberty of the Seas is also scheduled to arrive in Galveston on Sunday. The cruise line is "still actively monitoring path and progression" of the hurricane, a spokesperson said in an email. The ship plans to leave Cozumel on Friday night and start its journey back to Galveston.

"At this time, Liberty of the Seas will keep her original schedule for Sunday's turnaround in Galveston, Texas," the spokesperson said. "Should we make any changes to Liberty of the Seas' itinerary, we will make sure to inform our guests."

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Who is to Blame for Terror Upsurge in Europe?

Terror attacks have been recurrent in Europe over the past two years: Paris in November 2015, Brussels in March 2016, and this August 2017, Barcelona and Cambril in Spain, the city of Turku in Finland, the city of Surgut in Russia and again Brussels no later than Friday August 25.

This terrorist violence resulted in some 40 terrorist attacks that cost the life of dozens of Europeans, from different religions and different communities.

It is true that the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts played as a catalyst for this unprecedented terrorist surge that hit Europe, giving ISIS, and to a lesser extent al Qaeda, ground to promote new ideological concepts that consider European Countries as the apostates responsible for all the ills of Muslim societies.

Yet, Europe, with its politicians and societies, is also responsible for the spread of this global jihadism thought among certain strata of the Muslim communities, particularly the strong Maghreb communities settled in France, Belgium, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.

All the attacks perpetrated in Europe were claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, which found a breeding ground for new recruits in Europes Ghettos, populated by disenfranchised youths, most of them of foreign origin for sure but all of them of European breeding.

These Algerian, Moroccan, or Tunisian youths were brought to Europe by their parents, who were then welcomed with open arms to do the dirty and unsafe work that nobody among the indigenous Europeans really wanted to do, or were born in Europe.

It is there that they were brought up and went to school, and it is there that they started experiencing discrimination, segregation and the feeling of being alien in the countries they thought were theirs.

Those who succeeded to graduate despite their belonging to lower social strata, found it very hard to enter the job market. Some had to change their names on their resumes to have a chance to be called for a job interview. The same goes for renting a house, or even have a seat in public transports.

Left with no identity, no prospects for their future, most of these youths found refuge in religion, becoming therefore an easy prey for extremist preachers and terrorist recruiters.

And when terrorism strikes in Europe, rightist media outlets and chauvinistic analysts find it easy to put the blame on the country of origin of the radicalized youth, instead of lambasting Europes failed migration policies, the poor functioning of central governments and the weakness of regional authorities, in addition to intelligence failures.

As advised by several analysts, instead of creating amalgams and criticizing Morocco, detractors should rather urge European countries to take Morocco as a model in view of the Kingdoms successful fight against terrorism.

Actually, Morocco adopted, over a decade ago, a multidimensional approach to address the terrorism phenomenon and took measures to tackle the root causes of extremism, mainly through rehabilitating the religious field and training imams.

Morocco has robust security services and comprehensive counterterrorism strategy that made the country the most insulated against ISIS attacks in the region, underscored the Brussels-based think tank, The International Crisis Group, in an analysis published early August.

Since the 2003 Casablanca bombings, Morocco has improved its policing and intelligence and, more recently, begun to address its prison radicalization problem, noted the report.

Given all the efforts made by Morocco to fight terrorism at home and abroad, and given the fact that the young Europeans of Moroccan origin involved in the recent terror attacks in Europe left their native country as toddlers or were born in their parents European host countries, Morocco cannot be held responsible for their radicalization. They are rather the product of the society where they grew up.

Now, instead of indulging in baseless accusations on the origins of a terrorism, inherent to Europe, it should be judicious to consolidate the successful dynamic of Europe-Morocco cooperation in the field of security, a cooperation that helped thwart a number of ISIS terrorist attacks.
Mike Pompeo

After numerous CIA officials expressed concern about Director Mike Pompeo's close ties to President Donald Trump to The Washington Post, the CIA dismissed the story as "ridiculous."

Confirmed not long after Trump's inauguration, Pompeo has been overseeing the Counterintelligence Mission Center, a role that puts him close to the FBI's ongoing investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia.

The center has followed the investigation closely, and it tipped off the FBI about potential collusion between Russian agents and Trump's campaign, according to The Post.

But now, CIA officials who spoke to the Post have started to worry that Pompeo  who once said Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election was "no news" and part of a pattern  could be tested by his ties to Trump. The center, which is pursuing information about the election interference, reports directly to Pompeo.

"People have to watch him," an unnamed CIA official told The Post. "It's almost as if he can't resist the impulse to be political."

But Director of the CIA Office of Public Affairs Dean Boyd told Business Insider that Boyd decided to oversee the CIMC to "strengthen counterintelligence mechanisms and safeguards at CIA" and crack down on "dangerous leaks."

Boyd also throughly shot down assertions that the CIA was leading the charge in the Russia probe. "The FBI and Special Counsels office are leading the law enforcement investigation into the Russia matter  not CIA," said Boyd. Boyd insisted the CIA would execute all of its duties in regard to the investigation "relentlessly."

A second official told the Post that many at the agency were concerned that "if you were passing on something too dicey" to Pompeo, "he would go to the White House with it," but the CIA took issue with that as well.

"The CIA is not authorized to and shall not engage in any intelligence activity, including dissemination of information to the Executive Office of the President, for the purpose of affecting the political process in the United States," wrote Boyd.

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But Pompeo has had a closer relationship with the president than other top intelligence officials do, according to The Post, and his publicly expressed views mirror many of the White House's official stances on issues such as North Korea, Russia's role in Syria, and leak prevention.

"It is always a balancing act between a director's access to the president and the need to protect CIA's sensitive equities," John Sipher, a former senior CIA official, told The Post. "Pompeo clearly has a more difficult challenge in maintaining that balance than his predecessors given the obvious concerns with this president's unique personality, obsession with charges against him, lack of knowledge and tendency to take impulsive action."

Update: This story has been changed to reflect comments from the CIA.

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These small businesses in Texas are bracing to help others rebuild after Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey is headed directly toward the coast of Texas, and the category 3 storm is expected to bring up to 35 inches of rain in certain areas, as well as winds at 125 miles per hour and sea levels as high as 12 feet.

For many small business owners, the effects could be devastating. Nearly 40 percent of small businesses don't reopen after a natural disaster because of the cost to repair damages, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But these small businesses are getting ready to help to rebuild.

Andy Crocker is the owner of Crocker Moving and Storage in coastal city Corpus Christi, which is directly in the predicted path of the storm.

His family has been running the business since 1910 and the company moved into its current building in 1956, he tells CNBC Make It. Crocker can tick off the storms the structure has withstood.

"Hurricane Carla, Hurricane Celia, Hurricane Beulah," he says, in 1961, 1983 and 1967, respectively. And the list goes on.

Crocker is taking precautions and has back-up generators in place. "About two days ago we started shutting things down," he says. "We started moving things around, away from doorways and away from windows."

He has no moving jobs booked for Monday or Tuesday. But by Wednesday, Crocker plans to be back to business, he says. He's even hoping to have employees who evacuated return.

That's because in the aftermath of the storm, customers might need him. "If [residents] do have household damage, they need to have their furniture removed for repairs," Crocker says. He plans to be ready.

It's a similar situation for Art Ramirez, the owner of Summit Construction, also in Corpus Christi. He is expecting to be busy with repairs and rebuilding jobs after the storm.

"I anticipate for our phone to be ringing a whole lot," he says. "We have a pretty large team of contractors and sub-contractors and we've already contacted a lot of them letting them know that extra work is going to be coming."

Story continues

He hopes that residents will support other local business too.

"The good thing about Corpus Christie is no matter what we go through, we are a pretty tight knit community," he says. "People are going to go back to the restaurants, people are going to go back to the mall, people are going to go back to their every-day lives."

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Is Whole Foods shedding the Whole Paycheck nickname?

Less than a day after federal regulators in the US approved Amazons $13.7 billion takeover bid for Whole Foods, the Silicon Valley retail titan wasted no time in saying it would lower prices at the upscale grocery chain. The change is expected to impact the cost of a range of foods, including avocados, eggs, salmon, ground beef, and more.

Starting Monday, Whole Foods Market will offer lower prices on a selection of best-selling staples across its stores, with much more to come, the company said in a statement.

Its a familiar tale from Amazon, which disrupted books and other household staples by offering more competitive prices than brick-and-mortar stores. The move sends a clear message to the US grocery industryAmazon is ready to begin its foray into the market in much the same fashion. The company also said its Amazon Prime service subscribers will be eligible for Whole Foods customer rewards, giving them extra savings and in-store benefits that have yet to be announced. Also on the horizon are Amazon-branded lockers in Whole Foods stores where customers can pick up orders they made online.

The benefits of Amazons backing stand to make shopping at Whole Foods more affordable and convenient, but consumers can also anticipate speedy delivery of groceries to be roped into the deal. When Amazon purchased Whole Foods, the chain had about 460 standalone stores. Those now effectively function as warehouses for the Amazon Fresh delivery service, says Phil Lempert, a grocery industry analyst.

A major boon: 90% of Amazon Prime subscribers live within 10 miles (16 km) of a Whole Foods store. So expect prices in store to go down, prices on delivery to go down, and shoppers to win big in both arenas, Lempert says.

The decision to lower prices at Whole Foods strikes at one of the significant public perception problems that has dogged the grocery chain for years. Often called Whole Paycheck, the company had gained a reputation for its sky-high prices. Now, with Amazons backing, the chain stands to become a formidable competitor in whats shaping up to be a grocery-industry war.

Story continues

Already, foreign discountersincluding Lidl and Aldiare expanding their footprints in the US, putting established chains such as Walmart, Kroger, Meijer, and Publix on defense.

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GENE BLEVINS | AFP | Getty Images. Teams developing pods to work on the superfast transport system hyperloop are heading to California to test their devices at SpaceX's test track.

More than 20 teams developing pods to work on the hyperloop, the superfast transport system, are heading to California this weekend to test their devices at SpaceX's test track.

The student teams from universities and technology colleges around the world will be testing their pods to see who can achieve the maximum speed on the test track (without crashing).

SpaceX founder Elon Musk promoted the idea of the hyperloop in 2013. It involves using magnetic levitation to propel a pod through a vacuum tube at speeds of more than 700 miles per hour. Proponents of the idea suggest it will revolutionize the transportations of goods and people.

"It will change the way people work and commute. Imagine distances that were 5 hours away by car that become 15 minutes to 20 minutes away. It becomes something you can imagine yourself using to commute every day," Thomas Lambot, engineering lead at rLoop, an online think tank working on the hyperloop , told CNBC during a phone interview.

"At the same time, the efficiency and the point-to-point transportation just allows you to move things very fast, very quickly and in a smart way."

A team from rLoop will be attending this weekend in order to test their prototype pod called the rPod, which has been designed as a scalable solution for transportation on the hyperloop.

"The focus of the competition is speed and most of the pods you will see are built just to go fast, but we've come with a complex system that is designed to be scalable," Brent Lessard, project lead at rLoop, told CNBC during a phone call.

"It doesn't lend itself to just being the fastest pod there. We've been focused on accessing those testing facilities and extracting as much data as we can."

The rPod is also able to run outside of the hyperloop vacuum tube, although it would run at a lower speed, closer to a high-speed vehicle, rather than the superfast speeds capable within the controlled environment of a tube.

"The levitating mechanism is an active system and allows us to actually levitate on any conducting service, so you don't have to be within the hyperloop tube itself," Lessard explained.

Story continues

"The tube itself would allow us to control the environment within, to make it optimal for elegant energy usage and achieve those higher speeds. Outside of the tube it would be like an automobile."

When will the hyperloop become publically available?

While these teams, along with larger companies such as Hyperloop One and Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, are working on solving the technical issues of the hyperloop , other challenges exist ahead for the transportations system.

"At the moment we see challenges in the financial and political sphere. We'll have to make sure, that the tube and overall system comply with regulations and won't impair people (visual and landscape issues if overground)," Luca Di Tizio, CEO of Swissloop, a team of students Switzerland, told CNBC via email.

"We expect a fully commercial, European Hyperloop System to be market ready in five to ten years. Built and having its maiden voyage, I'd say 15 to 20 years.

Lambot and Lessard from rLoop also predicted a hyperloop being built within five to ten years .

"Some people speak optimistically about it being available in the next couple years but the reality is five to ten years is probably a good ballpark. There will be extensive testing and regulation issues to cover before there is any sort of public use of it," Lessard said.

Excitement ahead for the hyperloop competition

This weekend's competition is the second to be held by SpaceX. Several of the teams attending this weekend are returning with newly designed prototypes, such as the WARR Hyperloop team at the Technical University of Munich.

"WARR's first prototype won prizes for Fastest Pod and Best Performance in Flight. Building on their past success in the speed category, in March a new WARR teamthirty students from eleven countriespassed the initial design stage with a completely new design," said WARR in a press release published July.

"The team and their pod will travel in mid-August to SpaceX headquarters, where they will attempt to post the winning time in the 1250m long test tube."

Another team attending the competition is the Hyp-ED team from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.

"We are super excited with the competition and being in California. We watched a (SpaceX rocket) Falcon 9 launch today with SpaceX employees and we were around 1km from the actual control room of the launch," Adam Anyszewski, president of the team, told CNBC on Thursday.

"We have a workshop here where we work and have access to machinery, tools and materials (Urban Workshop in Costa Mesa). Overall, the preparations, however stressful and energy draining are going well and we feel proud of our progress and performance so far."

Anyszewski also discussed the outlook for a hyperloop system to be developed in the U.K. He says a hyperloop would enable the country to "future-proof" infrastructure and create a competitive economy. However, he warns it will be a long process requiring large amounts of investment and public spending.

"I'm happy to say that the U.K. public should see some progress on country's Hyperloop in the next couple of years and hopefully the first full scale systems running in a few. One thing to realise is that the first hyperloops might be optimised for cargo, not passengers, to ensure the system can be reliably operated."

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U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he walks from Air Force One as he arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Virginia, U.S., August 23, 2017. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts

By David Alexander and Makini Brice

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump picked a new fight on Thursday with his fellow Republicans, saying congressional leaders could have avoided a "mess" over raising the U.S. debt ceiling if they had taken his advice.

In the latest in a stream of criticisms that could undermine his aims to cut taxes, pass a budget and rebuild infrastructure, Trump sought to blame party leaders if Congress fails to agree to raise the cap on how much the federal government may borrow.

The Treasury Department has said the ceiling must be raised by Sept. 29. If not, the government would be unable to borrow more money or pay its bills, including its debt payments. That could hurt the United States' credit rating, cause financial turmoil, harm the U.S. economy and possibly trigger a recession.

Trump said he had advised Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan to link passage of legislation raising the debt ceiling to a bill on veterans affairs that he signed into law on Aug. 12.

"They ... didn't do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval. Could have been so easy-now a mess!" Trump said in Twitter posts.

Recent media reports suggest that Trump's relationship with McConnell has deteriorated amid repeated attacks by Trump on the Republican Senate majority leader for, among other things, failing to get a healthcare bill passed.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that McConnell and Trump were locked in a political "cold war," especially after an Aug. 9 phone call that it said devolved into a shouting match. On the 9th and the 10th Trump assailed McConnell via Twitter, angered by a speech in which McConnell said Trump had "excessive expectations" of Congress.

Trump's salvo ran counter to efforts this week by the White House and McConnell's office to play down reports of discord.

A spokesman for McConnell noted the Senate majority leader had said earlier this week, in an appearance with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, that the debt ceiling would be raised.

Story continues

McConnell was "unequivocal" about it, said spokesman Don Stewart. He said McConnell mentioned it again on Wednesday in a statement the Senate leader issued about his "shared goals" with Trump.

Ryan, speaking at a town hall meeting on tax reform at a Boeing plant in Washington state, also said Congress would pass legislation to raise the ceiling in time to ensure debt payment.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders denied there was any need to repair ties between Trump and top Republican lawmakers.

"I think the relationships are fine," she told reporters. "Certainly there are going to be some policy differences, but there are also a lot of shared goals and that's what we're focused on."

DEADLINES LOOM

Raising the debt ceiling is one of the must-pass measures Congress will take up when it returns on Sept. 5.

Congress will have about 12 working days from its return to approve spending measures to keep the government open. While the budget and debt cap are separate, they are likely to become entangled, with Republican opponents of a debt ceiling increase expected to demand federal spending cuts.

Trump threatened on Tuesday to shut down the government if Congress failed to secure funding for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexican border. His threat added a new wrinkle to the Republicans' months-long struggle to reach a budget deal, rattling markets and drawing rebukes from some Republicans.

Democrats, solidly opposed to funding the wall, have slammed Trump over his comments.

Both the spending and debt ceiling bills could pass the Republican-led House by a simple majority vote, but will need 60 votes to pass the Senate, where Republicans hold 52 of 100 seats, meaning they will need some Democratic support.

A respected think tank said in a report on Thursday the government might not have enough money to pay all its bills on Oct. 2 if Washington does not raise the debt cap. The Treasury might not have enough money on that day to make a roughly $80 billion payment that will be due to a military retirement fund, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center.

Moody's Investors Service said it would consider stripping the United States of its top-notch rating in the event of a default but not over late or skipped payments on non-debt obligations if the government ran short of funds. The warning about a possible U.S. downgrade seemed less dire and narrower in scope than one issued on Wednesday by Fitch Ratings.

SWIPE AT MCCONNELL

Trump has often expressed frustration that Congress has not passed significant legislation since he took office in January, particularly its failure to pass a bill to replace Democratic former President Barack Obama's healthcare law - something that Trump had promised to accomplish.

"The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal & Replace for 7 years, he failed! That should NEVER have happened!" Trump said in a tweet on Thursday, echoing criticisms he made earlier this month.

McConnell offered muted criticism of Trump on Thursday, saying he was "a little concerned about some of the trade rhetoric" by the president, who has repeatedly condemned trade deals he believes are bad for the United States, and by others.

"Trade is a winner for America," McConnell told Kentucky farmers and lawmakers. "The assumption that every free-trade agreement is a loser for America is largely untrue."

(Reporting by David Alexander, Makini Brice, Makini Brice, Susan Cornwell, Steve Holland, David Morgan and Ayesha Rascoe in Washington and Karen Brettell and Megan Davies in New York; Writing by Frances Kerry and Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Andrew Hay and Leslie Adler)
U.S. multinationals with plants in Venezuela are likely on edge Thursday, after American automaker General Motors (NYSE:GM) pulled the plug on its operations in the poverty-stricken country, following a government takeover of its plant amid large-scale violent protests.

President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Friday, imposing new financial sanctions on President Nicolas Maduros government in Venezuela.

We will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement Friday. The Presidents new action prohibits dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company. It also prohibits dealings in certain existing bonds owned by the Venezuelan public sector, as well as dividend payments to the government of Venezuela.

The new sanctions prohibit banks from fostering new deals, including those involving debt and equity, with the government and the countrys state-run oil company, PDVSA.

Under the order, the Treasury Department intends to cut off financing to the illegitimate Maduro government. However, it will issue licenses allowing for a 30-day wind down period, financing for most commercial trade  including petroleum transactions involving Citgo  dealings in select existing Venezuelan debts and funding for humanitarian efforts. The purpose of these general licenses is to limit harm passed on to the Venezuelan and American people, the White House said.

The sanctions have been issued in response to Maduros decision to create a National Constituent Assembly with powers to rewrite the countrys constitution. Earlier this month, that body declared its powers superior to all other branches of government.

The regimes decision to create an illegitimate Constituent Assemblyand most recently to have that body usurp the powers of the democratically-elected National Assemblyrepresents a fundamental break in Venezuelas legitimate constitutional order, Sanders said.

The U.S. Treasury Department issued financial sanctions on individuals in the run-up to, and aftermath of, the election of the National Constituent Assembly, including against Maduro himself. President Trump promised swift economic action on behalf of the United States if Maduro followed through with that election, which was viewed by the administration as a blatant suppression of democracy and human rights.

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Sheriff Joe Arpaio

President Donald Trump on Friday night granted a presidential pardon to the controversial former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Arpaio, 85, who once led the Maricopa County sheriff's department, was found guilty last month of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case. He lost a re-election bid last year.

Trump earlier this week held out the possibility of a pardon for Arpaio, but at a campaign-style rally in Phoenix on Tuesday, Trump hinted that Arpaio would be "just fine," immediately prompting speculation that a presidential pardon was imminent.

The US Constitution gives presidents wide latitude for pardons and does not require them to check with the Justice Department beforehand. "The President executed his lawful authority and we respect his decision," the DOJ said on Friday.

Arpaio gained notoriety as a vocal critic of illegal immigration and has been accused of encouraging racial profiling of Latinos in Arizona. Arpaio has a long, checkered history as sheriff in Arizona, as noted by the Phoenix New Times on Friday.

"He should have had a jury, Trump said at his Tuesday rally. "But you know what, I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine, OK?"

"But I won't do it tonight because I don't want to cause any controversy," Trump continued. "Is that OK? All right? But Sheriff Joe can feel good."

Arpaio thanked the president after the White House announced his pardon on Friday: "I have to thank the president for standing by me and standing by law enforcement. And I'm very humbled," Arpaio said.

The pardon was not received well among some groups, including Latino activists who worked to have Arpaio ousted. Critics called the pardon a "political move," and questioned whether Trump recognizes the gravity of a presidential pardon. MSNBC political analyst said the Arpaio pardon "seems like a dry run - a test of his power for future use."

Story continues

Jeff Flake, the junior senator from Arizona who recently found himself in Trump's crosshairs, said "I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course." Flake's primary opponent Kelli Ward, however, commended Trump for the move.

Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts' 4th Congressional District said, "Nobody is above the law, period. Tonight, @POTUS put bigotry before justice."

Sen. John McCain said in a statement that Trump's pardon "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions."

Read Trump's full statement on the pardon below:

"Today, President Donald J. Trump granted a Presidential pardon to Joe Arpaio, former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service. After serving in the Army, Arpaio became a police officer in Washington, D.C. and Las Vegas, NV and later served as a Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), formerly the Bureau of Narcotics. After 25 years of admirable service, Arpaio went on to lead the DEAs branch in Arizona. In 1992, the problems facing his community pulled Arpaio out of retirement to return to law enforcement. He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon."

David Choi contributed to this report.

NOW WATCH: Steve Bannon is out  here are all the casualties of the Trump administration so far





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A court ruling on Friday has cleared a path for Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize in Seattle.

For the second time this month, a federal judge has rejected a challenge to Seattle's first-in-the-nation law allowing drivers of ride-hailing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, to unionize over pay and working conditions.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik late Thursday rejected a challenge brought by 11 drivers. He earlier rejected a challenge brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The organization is appealing that decision. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, which represents the drivers, said Friday that it would appeal too.

But the judge declined to keep Seattle's law on hold pending the appeals, clearing the way for the drivers to unionize unless the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals says otherwise.

The 2015 law requires companies that hire or contract with drivers of taxis, for-hire transportation companies and app-based services to bargain with them if a majority show they want to be represented.

Uber, which has been entangled in controversy this year, recently introduced a new feature in its mobile app that allows customers to tip their drivers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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White House still won't rule out Mexico paying for border wall, even after Trump shutdown threat

The White House still won't rule out Mexico paying for President Donald Trump 's proposed border wall, even as the president threatens to shut down the government over federal funding for the project .

On Tuesday, Trump said, "If we have to close down our government, we're building that wall." Democrats are insisting that funding for the controversial barrier is not included in a bill to keep the government running past the Sept. 30 deadline.

During a briefing Thursday, reporters repeatedly pushed press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders about why Trump would threaten a shutdown after he promised as a candidate that Mexico would fund the wall. Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has insisted that Mexico will not pay for the project, and Trump himself appeared resigned to that during a private call with his counterpart.

Asked multiple questions about the pledge to make Mexico pay, Sanders first responded that Trump would make sure the wall gets completed and that he would fight for the funding.

"The president's committed to making sure this gets done," she said, without addressing how the United States' southern neighbor would fit in.

Pressed again about the project, she said, "I certainly don't think any efforts have been abandoned" to force Mexico to pay for the barrier.

Later, when a reporter noted that Trump has stopped saying Mexico would fund the wall, Sanders responded: "He hasn't said they're not, either."

There is currently no indication that funding for the wall would come from anywhere other than the U.S. government.

As a candidate, the president pledged to build a physical barrier along the entire U.S.- Mexico border as part of his push to crack down on illegal immigration. Lawmakers whose districts sit along the border, including Republicans, have questioned the effectiveness of a physical wall.

WATCH: White House committed to wall





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The Afghan Health Ministry says the number of people killed in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in the capital Kabul, has risen to 28, up from 20.

Health Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ismail Kawoosi said more than 50 were also wounded, including over a dozen women and children, in the hours-long attack on August 25.

Mohammad Salim Rasuli, chief of Kabul's hospitals, confirmed the latest death toll and said the number of casualties could still rise.

The Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which has targeted the country's Shi'ite minority with deadly attacks in recent years, claimed responsibility for the attack.

Police said two suicide bombers blew themselves up at the entrance of the Imam Zaman Mosque in Kabul's Qala-e Najara district. Two other attackers who stormed the building were later shot by security forces.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Human Rights Watch strongly condemned the attack.

"This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shi'a community at worship has no possible justification," said Toby Lanzer, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA, on August 26.

"Such attacks directed against congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes," he added.

In a statement on August 25, Human Rights Watch said the attack was "a serious violation of the laws of war, and an apparent war crime."

The attack took place when worshippers had gathered for Friday Prayers.

Danish said two police officers were among the dead.

A cleric who was leading the service in the mosque was among those killed.

The IS-linked Amaq news agency said the group's affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Shi'a are a minority in Afghanistan who have been threatened and attacked in the past by various Sunni militant groups -- including IS and Taliban extremists.

Last month, IS militants attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul, killing two local employees and later threatening to attack Shi'ite places of worship in Afghanistan.

And on August 1, at least 32 people were killed and more than 60 injured by a suicide bomber and a gunman who targeted a Shi'ite mosque in the western city of Herat in an attack claimed by the IS group.

The August 25 assault comes after President Donald Trump outlined earlier this week the new U.S. strategy for the war-torn country.

It also underscores increased insecurity in Afghanistan as a resurgent Taliban steps up offensives across the country.

With reporting by AP and AFP


Today, we will discuss the question we left you with last week. It involves a lot of different concepts  remainder on division by 5, cyclicity and negative remainders. Since we did not get any replies with the solution, we are assuming that it turned out to be a little hard.



It actually is a little harder than your standard GMAT questions but the point is that it can be easily solved using all concepts relevant to GMAT. Hence it certainly makes sense to understand how to solve it.







Question: What is the remainder when 3^(7^11) is divided by 5? (here, 3 is raised to the power (7^11))



(A) 0



(B) 1



(C) 2



(D) 3



(E) 4



Solution: As we said last week, this question can easily be solved using cyclicity and negative remainders. What is the remainder when a number is divided by 5? Say, what is the remainder when 2387646 is divided by 5? Are you going to do this division to find the remainder? No! Note that every number ending in 5 or 0 is divisible by 5.



2387646 = 2387645 + 1



i.e. the given number is 1 more than a multiple of 5. Obviously then, when the number is divided by 5, the remainder will be 1. Hence the last digit of a number decides what the remainder is when the number is divided by 5.



On the same lines,



What is the remainder when 36793 is divided by 5? It is 3 (since it is 3 more than 36790  a multiple of 5).



What is the remainder when 46^8 is divided by 5? It is 1. Why? Because 46 to any power will always end with 6 so it will always be 1 more than a multiple of 5.



On the same lines, if we can find the last digit of 3^(7^11), we will be able to find the remainder when it is divided by 5.



Recall from the discussion in your books, 3 has a cyclicity of 4 i.e. the last digit of 3 to any power takes one of 4 values in succession.



3^1 = 3



3^2 = 9



3^3 = 27



3^4 = 81



3^5 = 243



3^6 = 729



and so on The last digits of powers of 3 are 3, 9, 7, 1, 3, 9, 7, 1  Every time the power is a multiple of 4, the last digit is 1. If it is 1 more than a multiple of 4, the last digit is 3. If it is 2 more than a multiple of 4, the last digit is 9 and if it 3 more than a multiple of 4, the last digit is 7.



What about the power here 7^(11)? Is it a multiple of 4, 1 more than a multiple of 4, 2 more than a multiple of 4 or 3 more than a multiple of 4? We need to find the remainder when 7^(11) is divided by 4 to know that.



Do you remember the binomial theorem concept we discussed many weeks back? If no, check it out here.



7^(11) = (8  1)^(11)



When this is divided by 4, the remainder will be the last term of this expansion which will be (-1)^11. A remainder of -1 means a positive remainder of 3 (if you are not sure why this is so, check last weeks post here). Mind you, you are not to mark the answer as (D) here and move on! The solution is not complete yet. 3 is just the remainder when 7^(11) is divided by 4.



So 7^(11) is 3 more than a multiple of 4.



Review what we just discussed above: If the power of 3 is 3 more than a multiple of 4, the last digit of 3^(power) will be 7.



So the last digit of 3^(7^11) is 7.



If the last digit of a number is 7, when it is divided by 5, the remainder will be 2. Now we got the answer!



Answer (C)



Interesting question, isnt it?



Karishma, a Computer Engineer with a keen interest in alternative Mathematical approaches, has mentored students in the continents of Asia, Europe and North America. She teaches the GMAT for Veritas Prep and regularly participates in content development projects such as this blog!
-----------------------------------------------------

P1

Purpose:

P2

Purpose:

P3

However

Purpose

P4

Purpose:

P5

Purpose:

Main point

The main point of this passage is to investigate the reasons why among the canon lawyers there was a lack of enforcement of standards.

-----------------------------------------------------



1. Which one of the following best states the main conclusion of the passage?



Pre-thinking



Main point question



The main point of this passage is to investigate the reasons why among the canon lawyers there was a lack of enforcement of standards.



(A) Professional organizations of medieval canon lawyers probably only enforced ethical standards among their own members when provoked to do so by outside criticisms.

Tricky but the question is inconsistent as canon lawyers when provoked to enforce standards did the opposite



(B) Professional organizations of medieval civil lawyers seem to have maintained stricter ethical standards for their own members than did professional organizations of medieval canon lawyers.

Out of scope



(C) Professional organizations of medieval canon lawyers apparently served to defend their members against critics attacks rather than to enforce ethical standards.

Correct, throughout all the passage the author investigates the reasons behind this lack of enforcement and this is the answer to the author's quest.



(D) The ethical standards maintained by professional associations of medieval canon lawyers were chiefly laid down in papal constitutions.

out of context and wrong



(E) Ethical standards for medieval canon lawyers were not laid down until professional organizations for these lawyers had been formed.

out of scope



-----------------------------------------------------



2. According to the passage, which one of the following statements about law courts in medieval England is true?



Pre-thinking



Detail question



Law courts in medieval England are discussed in P3 and in P4.



(A) Some English lawyers who practiced in civil courts also practiced in church courts, but others served exclusively in one court or the other.

From P3: The alternative inference, namely, that ecclesiastical advocates were less prone to ethical lapses than their counterparts in the civil courts, seems inherently weak, especially since there was some overlap of personnel between the civil bar and the ecclesiastical bar.



(B) English canon lawyers were more likely to initiate disciplinary proceedings against their colleagues than were English civil lawyers.

Never mentioned



(C) English civil lawyers maintained more stringent ethical standards than did civil lawyers in the rest of Europe.

Never mentioned



(D) English ecclesiastical courts had originally been modeled upon English civil courts.

Never mentioned



(E) English ecclesiastical courts kept richer and more thorough records than did English civil courts.

Never mentioned



-----------------------------------------------------



3. The author refers to the Florentine guild of lawyers in the first paragraph most probably in order to



Pre-thinking



Function question



As usual when we are asked for the function of an element in the passage it is useful to evaluate the sentences before that element.

In this case: " Some even attempted to hobble efforts at enforcement."



(A) introduce a theory about to be promoted

Not in line with pre-thinking



(B) illustrate the type of action referred to in the previous sentence

in line with pre-thinking



(C) underline the universality of a method discussed throughout the paragraph

Not in line with pre-thinking



(D) point out a flaw in an argument presented earlier in the paragraph

Not in line with pre-thinking



(E) rebut an anticipated objection to a thesis just proposed

Not in line with pre-thinking



-----------------------------------------------------



4. The author refers to the Council of Basel (Highlighted) primarily in order to



Pre-thinking



Function question



The usage of this example is functional to strengthen this claim from P4: " Second, church authorities themselves complained about the failure of advocates to measure up to ethical standards and deplored the shortcomings of the disciplinary system."



The tricky part of this question is that the above statement reinforces itself the idea that the second explanation is more plausible. What was the second explanation? Alternatively, it is possible that deviations from the established standards of behavior were not uncommon, but that canonical disciplinary mechanisms were so inefficient that most delinquents escaped detection and punishment.





(A) provide an example of the type of action needed to establish professional standards for canon lawyers

As per the passage such actions were counterproductive in the end. OUT



(B) contrast the reactions of English church authorities with the reactions of other bodies to violations of professional standards by canon lawyers

Out of scope



(C) bolster the argument that violations of professional standards by canon lawyers did take place

In line with pre-thinking



(D) explain how rules of conduct for canon lawyers were established

Not in line with pre-thinking



(E) describe the development of a disciplinary system to enforce professional standards among canon lawyers

Not in line with pre-thinking



-----------------------------------------------------



5. According to the information in the passage, for which one of the following ethical violations would documentation of disciplinary action against a canon lawyer be most likely to exist?



Pre-thinking



Detail question



Tricky to find but here it is: " In the few recorded episodes of disciplinary enforcement, the initiative for disciplinary action apparently came from a dissatisfied client, not from fellow lawyers.

"



(A) betraying a clients secrets to the opposing party

In line with pre-thinking



(B) bribing the judge to rule in favor of a client

Not in line with pre-thinking



(C) misrepresenting credentials in order to gain admission to the lawyers guild

Not in line with pre-thinking



(D) spreading rumors in order to discredit an opposing lawyer

Not in line with pre-thinking



(E) knowingly helping a client to misrepresent the truth

Not in line with pre-thinking



-----------------------------------------------------



6. Which one of the following is most analogous to the professional solidarity (Highlighted)?



Pre-thinking



Analogous statement question



Professional solidarity refers to those lawyers that when attacked from whoever decided to group together to defend themselves by such attacks.



(A) Members of a teachers union go on strike when they believe one of their colleagues to be falsely accused of using an inappropriate textbook.

Lawyers are not falsely accused



(B) In order to protect the reputation of the press in the face of a largely hostile public, a journalist conceals distortions in a colleagues news article.

Here we have the element of attack and defense. Correct



(C) Several dozen recording artists agree to participate in a concert to benefit an endangered environmental habitat.

not in line with pre-thinking



(D) In order to expedite governmental approval of a drug, a government official is persuaded to look the other way when a pharmaceutical manufacturer conceals evidence that the drug may have minor side effects.

not in line with pre-thinking



(E) A popular politician agrees to campaign for another, less popular politician belonging to the same political party.

not in line with pre-thinking



-----------------------------------------------------



7. The passage suggests that which one of the following is most likely to have been true of medieval guilds?



Pre-thinking



Inference questions



From P1: " One might expect that the professional associations would play a prominent role in enforcing these standards of conduct, as other guilds often did, and as modern professional associations do, but that seems not to have happened. "



(A) Few guilds of any importance existed before the mid-fourteenth century.

Out of scope



(B) Many medieval guilds exercised influence over the actions of their members.

The statement above suggests that the guilds were able to enforce standards of conduct, hence they were able to influence their members



(C) Most medieval guilds maintained more exacting ethical standards than did the associations of canon lawyers.

Most is too extreme



(D) Medieval guilds found it difficult to enforce discipline among their members.

Cannot be inferred



(E) The ethical standards of medieval guilds varied from one city to another.

Cannot be inferred



-----------------------------------------------------



8. The author would be most likely to agree with which one of the following regarding the hypothesis that medieval canon lawyers observed standards of professional conduct scrupulously?



Pre-thinking



Inference question



The author clearly states that it is not plausible because of the overlapse



(A) It is untrue because it is contradicted by documents obtained from the ecclesiastical courts.

Too extreme



(B) It is unlikely because it describes behavior markedly different from behavior observed in the same situation in modern society.

Inconsistent



(C) It is unlikely because it describes behavior markedly different from behavior observed in a similar area of medieval society.

Yes, as there was overlaps with such area it is unlikely that the same people would behave differently in the two areas



(D) It is impossible to assess intelligently because of the dearth of civil and ecclesiastical documents.

Too extreme



(E) It is directly supported by documents obtained from civil and ecclesiastical courts.

incorrect



-----------------------------------------------------

[b] It is a good day to be alive!

Hi everyone,Got 5/8 correct in 19 minutes.In paragraph one we are given who the canon lawyers are and the fact that they were subjected to standards. Nonetheless, they were not interested in enforcing such standards among themselves and sometimes they even try to hobble the enforcement of such standards.The purpose is to present the canon lawyers and to claim that they were not interested in enforcing standards.Here we are given two possible explanations:#1: canon lawyers already followed standards very strictly#2: following such standards was counterproductiveThe purpose of this paragraph is to present two possible explanations for a phenomenon described in the previous paragraphIn this paragraph the author claims that the second explanation is more likely than the first one. The author then cites 2 evidence to strengthen this idea:#1 In face of ethical violations, civil lawyers were subjects to punishments while their ecclesiastical counterparts were not.One possible inference is that Ecclesiastical lawyers did not commit ethical violations while their civil counterparts did and that's why they were subjected to such punishments.we know that it is probable that #2 is not correct as many times people working in the civil area worked in the ecclesiastical area and vice versa.: The purpose of this paragraph is to offer the first consideration to strengthen the idea that the second explanation given in the previous paragraph is the most plausible.The second consideration is that church members themselves complained about the faultiness of this system. They did so in the council of Basel. Plus we are given that in England we had a similar situation.The purpose of this paragraph is to present the second consideration in favor of the second theory.Here the author suggests that critics to the lack of enforcement of standards might have been counterproductive. As a matter of facts lawyers probably created associations to defend themselves and maybe they did not educate their members because they were too busy defending themselves from various attacks.The purpose of this paragraph is to suggest that critics and opposers of the lack of enforcement of standards might have been counterproductive[/b]
janet1511 wrote:

The violent crime rate (number of violent crimes per 1,000 residents) in Meadowbrook is 60 percent higher now than it was four years ago. The corresponding increase for Parkdale is only 10 percent. These figures support the conclusion that residents of Meadowbrook are more likely to become victims of violent crime than are residents of Parkdale.



The argument above is flawed because it fails to take into account





(A) changes in the population density of both Parkdale and Meadowbrook over the past four years



(B) how the rate of population growth in Meadowbrook over the past four years compares to the corresponding rate for Parkdale



(C) the ratio of violent to nonviolent crimes committed during the past four years in Meadowbrook and Parkdale



(D) the violent crime rates in Meadowbrook and Parkdale four years ago



(E) how Meadowbrooks expenditures for crime prevention over the past four years compare to Parkdales expenditures





Source : GMATPrep Default Exam Pack

Mind-map:

Missing link:

Expectation from the correct answer choice:

Choice A:

Choice B:

Choice C:

Choice D:

Choice E:

Hence, D is the best answer choice.

Dear Friends,Here is the detailed explanation to this question-Meadowbrooks violent crime rate % increase > Parkdales  Meadowbrook residents chances of facing violent crime > ParkdalesBetween greater % increase in Meadowbrooks crime rate than in Parkdales and conclusion that Meadowbrooks citizens are more likely to face violent crime.To undermine conclusion that Meadowbrooks greater percentage violent crime rate increase means its citizens are more likely to face said crimes.This answer choice only provides for different change rates of the cities respective population densities, which would not affect the likelihood of citizens to face violent crime; population density measures the number of people located in a specific region of the city relative to other regions, while the likelihood of citizens to face violent crime takes into account the ratio of violent crimes to the population of the city as a whole; this answer choice does not address the link between the greater percentage increase in Meadowbrooks violent crime rate and the corresponding greater likelihood of its citizens to face violent crime; therefore, it is an incorrect answer choice.This answer choice provides for differential changes in the cities respective population growth rates, but this would have no effect on the violent crime rate, as violent crime rates are calculated per 1000 citizens, and the population growth rate only measures changes in the absolute number of citizens; as it does not undermine the conclusion that Meadowbrooks greater percentage violent crime rate increase means its citizens are more likely to face said crimes, it is an incorrect answer choice.This answer choice only provides for the relative difference between violent and non-violent crime occurrences in the given cities, thereby only allowing us insight into the likelihood of citizens to face violent crime as opposed to non-violent crime within either city; it has no bearing on the comparative likelihood of citizens of Meadowbrook and Parkdale to face violent crime; as it thereby fails to undermine the conclusion that Meadowbrooks greater percentage violent crime rate increase means its citizens are more likely to face said crimes, it is an incorrect answer choice.This answer choice would allow one to look at older absolute values for violent crimes and contextualize the current percentage increases in absolute numerical terms as well; for example, if the respective violent crime rates in Meadowbrook and Parkdale four years ago stood at 200 and 2000 respectively, current violent crime rates at the respective percentage increases of 60% and 10% would be 320 and 2200, contradicting the argument in the passage; thereby, it undermines the conclusion that Meadowbrooks greater percentage violent crime rate increase means its citizens are more likely to face said crimes and is the correct answer choice.This answer choice is irrelevant as it only provides for changes in crime prevention expenditure, and does not signify to what extent this expenditure has affected the violent crime rate in each city; it has no bearing on the current absolute violent crime rates in the cities and consequently, does not address the conclusion that Meadowbrooks greater percentage violent crime rate increase means its citizens are more likely to face said crimes, making it an incorrect answer choice.To understand the concept of Characteristics of an Evaluation Statement on GMAT Critical Reasoning, you may want to watch the following video (~3 minutes):All the best!Team_________________
George Soros gave Ivanka's husband's business a $250 million credit line in 2015 per WSJ. Soros is also an investor in Jared's business.
Where To Go When Your Local Emergency Room Goes Bankrupt?" During the past ten years 84 California hospitals have declared bankruptcy and closed their Emergency Rooms forever. Financially crippled by legislative and judicial mandates to treat illegal aliens have bankrupted hospitals! In 2010, in Los Angeles County alone, over 2 million illegal aliens recorded visits to county emergency rooms for both routine and emergency care. The cost is $1,000 dollars for every taxpayer. VIVA LA RAZA?
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
1 Gorilla "Mjukuu" and her baby "Alika" check out a measuring device in an enclosure during a photocall at London Zoo to promote the zoo's annual weigh-in event.
In a factory near Tokyo, thousands of cans are filled with beer, capped, washed, and put into boxes at speeds of 1,500 cans a minute.

However, there are hardly any people in sight as the cans speed through processing.

Japans Asahi Breweries operates the factory. The machines do almost all of the physical work. Humans make sure that the machines do the work right, and the automated sensing devices are working correctly.

Basically, nothing goes wrong. The lines are up and running 96 percent, said Shinichi Uno, a manager at the factory. Although machines make things, human beings oversee the machines.

Leading the field

While some countries, like the U.S., are debating the issue of robots taking jobs from humans, in Japan, the discussion is much different.

Birth rates in Japan have been decreasing for many years. This has caused many in the country to fear the possibility of a labor shortage.

The introduction of robots has filled this need for labor. The robots appear to be a welcomed addition to the workforce in Japan.

Starting in the 1990s, Japan began a big push to develop robots for the workforce. It currently leads the world in the use of robots.

There are 1,562 robots for every 10,000 human workers. This is higher than Germany, with 1,133 robots, or the U.S., with 1,091 for every worker. The numbers come from a White House report submitted to Congress last year.

The report says Japan also was ahead in robots used outside of the automobile industry, with 219 robots per 10,000 workers, compared to 76 for the U.S. and 147 for Germany.

A different work culture

There are some differences with Japans work culture that might influence Japanese opinions about giving jobs to robots. One important difference is their lifetime employment system.

In Japan, many major companies often keep their workers, even if their skills become outdated. They will use them instead for other tasks, said Koichi Iwamoto, a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, gathers information about the use of robots in its member countries.

The information shows that increasing the use of robots or computer programs at work decreases the demand for mid-level or repetitive work tasks, such as operating assembly lines. But it increases the demand for low-and high-skilled jobs.

However, the OECD data showed employment conditions remained almost unchanged for Japan for the period from 2002 to 2014.

That means companies in Japan were not trying as hard as those in the U.S. to replace humans with robots. Clerical workers, for example, were keeping their jobs although computers might do their jobs better.

Another example is how Japanese society has so far preferred to keep taxis instead of shifting to online ride services.

A reflective stage

But, machines have increasingly replaced people in Japan. Iwamoto says the country now has entered a reflective stage. He says people are actually interested in having human harmony with machines.

Some tasks may be better performed by people, after all, said Iwamoto.

Kiyoshi Sakai also is an Asahi employee. He has worked at the company for 29 years. He said that in the past can caps were put into machines by hand. This was a repetitive task that was hard on the body and the mind.

Now, machines have replaced many of those jobs, and he is grateful for the changes to his work life. Machines at the plant have become more than 50 percent smaller over the years. They are faster and more precise than 30 years ago.

He said in the past, things used to go wrong all the time and people had to check the machines every 10 to 15 minutes. Now, problems with machines are so rare that people do not need to worry.

Like many workers in Japan, Sakai is not worried about his job disappearing. After people no longer needed to work on assembly lines, his position was upgraded to the general affairs section, a common administrative department in Japanese companies.

I remember the work being so hard. But when I think back, and it was all about delivering great beer to everyone, it makes me so proud, said Sakai, who drinks beer every day.

I have no regrets. This is a stable job.

Im Phil Dierking. And I'm Alice Bryant.

This story was originally written by Yuri Kageyama for the Associated Press. Phil Dierking adapted the story for VOA Learning English from an Associated Press report. Mario Ritter was the editor.

Do you think more jobs should be replaced by machines, if the machines can do them better? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

manager -n. someone who is in charge of a business, department, etc.

assembly lines n. a series of workers and machines in a factory by which a succession of identical items is progressively assembled.

automate v. to run or operate (something, such as a factory or system) by using machines, computers, etc., instead of people to do the work

can n. a closed metal container that is usually shaped like a cylinder and that holds food or drink

cap v. to cover the top or end of

clerical adj. of or relating to a clerk or office worker

precise adj. very accurate and exact

stable adj. in a good state or condition that is not easily changed or likely to change


At most American colleges, teachers give students grades that evaluate their performance in class. The grades range from A to F  with A the highest and F signaling failure.

But some colleges do not use grades. Instead, teachers write reports on what the students did well and what they did not do well. The reports also include suggestions on how students can do better.

Students and teachers say the written reports provide much more information than letter grades on how students are doing. But some students admit that their parents complain they cannot brag to family and friends that their child is an A student.

Students praise feedback

Jessica Wewers, 21, is an early education major at Alverno College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Alverno is a small Catholic college serving female students.

Wewers said when she returns to her home in Illinois, some friends tell her they think it is strange she does not receive letter grades.

But Wewers likes the detailed information her teachers provide. It has already helped her prepare teaching plans simple enough for young children to understand.

I was asking a little too much of younger children, Wewers said.

Her classmate, Angelina Nuno, transferred from a large state college, where she struggled with her writing. Detailed suggestions from her Alverno teachers helped her write clearly. Soon, Nuno expects to begin tutoring fellow students to help with their writing problems.

Student willing to take difficult classes

Ben Stumpf is a senior at Hampshire College in Massachusetts.

He said that he received traditional A through F grades at high school. But in many cases, he could not explain why he received the grades he did.

Stumpf said students at Hampshire and other colleges without letter grades are more willing to take difficult classes. For example, Stumpf said he struggled in high school with science. But he was willing to take a science class in college because he did not risk getting a bad grade that could hurt his grade point average.

And, he found that he not only enjoyed the science class, but had the skills to successfully complete scientific research.

Other schools that provide written reports instead of letter grades include Antioch University with campuses in Los Angles, California and four other locations; New College of Florida; Prescott College in Arizona; Goddard College in Vermont and Washington; and Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies and Evergreen State College, both in Washington State.

Indiana University did a report on the history of grading in America. It said Yale University in Connecticut was the first college to give out grades to differentiate student performance. In other words, it wanted to show how students compared to each other. Yale started in the late 1700s with a top grade of optimi and a grade of "inferiores" for students not doing very well.

International students

Mark Hower is interim provost at Antioch University in Los Angeles.

He said international students often must adjust to college life in America. Written evaluations can help them understand what is expected of them better than a letter grade that tells them very little, Hower said.

Nevertheless, some people worry what will happen to Antioch students when they apply for graduate school and jobs. Will they be able to compete with students who have traditional grades?

Hower says yes. Most admissions officers and employers welcome the more detailed information Antioch provides, he added.

Rachel Rubinstein is dean of academic support at Hampshire College. She said people running companies do not use letter grades to evaluate their workers. They value employees based on whether they can do their jobs well.

Rubinstein said colleges should do the same. Letter grades do not tell you nearly enough about how students are doing."

Do students need the reward of good grades to work hard?

William Coplin is director of the Public Affairs Program of the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York.

He said most colleges do not give students enough information about how grades are determined.

But he questions if students will work hard if they are not worrying about getting good grades. Kids are motivated by grades, Coplin said. There are very few kids who are self-motivated.

Vanessa Rios, 32, earned an undergraduate degree from Antioch University in Los Angeles. She is now working toward her masters degree at Antioch.

Rios said just because students are not getting letter grades does not mean students can get away without working hard. The detailed reviews by teachers mean they need to understand what is being taught, she said.

What it (not having grades) does do is reduce the anxiety level, Rios said.

Students expecting less work will be disappointed

Kathy Lake is vice president for academic affairs at Alverno.

She said students will be disappointed if they think no grades means less work. At many colleges, students stay up all night before big exams to try to learn information they were supposed to learn over months in the classroom.

That just doesnt work at Alverno, Lake said. At Alverno, teachers evaluate students at each class -- meaning one night of studying will not be nearly enough, she said.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

And I'm Jill Robbins.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. Would you like to attend school that does not provide letter grades? Do you think youd learn more about your performance from written reports?

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

brag - v. to talk about yourself, your achievements, your family and other things in a way that shows too much pride

tutor - v. to work with a student to help him/her learn

campus - n. the area and buildings around a university, college, school

adjust - v. to make necessary changes

evaluation - n. to judge the value or condition of someone in a careful and thoughtful way

academic - adj. relating to schools and education

anxiety - n. fear or nervousness about what might happen
Qatar announced this Thursday the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Iran and the return of its ambassador to Tehran, on the background of the crisis opposing Doha to three of its Gulf neighbors plus Egypt.

In a short statement, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said that Qatar wants to further strengthen relations in all fields with Iran, the country with which it shares the largest gas field in the world.

Earlier, the ministry announced on its website that its ambassador to Tehran will return to resume his diplomatic duties.

Iranian state media acknowledged the development, without elaborating.

Qatars ambassador to Tehran was recalled in January 2016 following attacks staged against Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran in protest against the execution of prominent Shiite leader Nimr al-Nimre by Saudi Arabia.

Qatar is headed, like Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states, by a Sunni dynasty, while Iran is a predominantly Shiite country.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia and its allies, namely the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, broke off relations with Qatar, and enforced a land, sea and air blockade on the tiny Emirate that they accuse of supporting extremist groups and getting closer to Iran.

The Saudi-led bloc later on released a list of demands, including reducing ties with Iran, that Qatar should fulfil prior to any normalization of relations.

Qatar turned down the demands as an infringement on its sovereignty and has, since the beginning of the Gulf crisis, turned to Iran and Turkey, which both expressed strong solidarity with the Emirate.
Drug cartels and street gangs in Mexico are creating their own religions and altering beliefs in existing Catholic saints, in a move to create a new narcoculture that tries to morally justify crime and violence.

Some of these new figures of worship are existing Catholic saints, most of which have had their meaning altered for the narcoculture. Some are pulled from Aztec gods worshipped through human sacrifice, while others are new creations altogether.

The two most popular figures of worship in Mexico are products of this new narcoculture. The most popular is St. Jude Thaddeus, also called Saint Judas, while the second most popular is a newly created folk saint called Santa Muerte, Saint Death.

For the rest of Mexico, the growth in popularity of narco saints presents a moral crisis, since they are not only being used to alter the traditional, morally based faiths, but also to create a new system of morals that supports violent crime.

What is taking place in Mexico is a form of spiritual appropriation, whereby the existing religion is being altered to justify a criminal insurgency, according to Robert J. Bunker, adjunct research professor at the Strategic Studies Institute at U.S. Army War College.

There is a spectrum of beliefs in Mexico that ties directly to the growth of crime. Bunker said at one extreme, there are those who adhere to traditional Catholicism and other morally based religions. At the other extreme would be those individuals whom we consider to be evil in their value system.

Yet as the narcoculture continues to develop, it is becoming harder for people to differentiate the legitimate figures from the newly created narco saints. Bunker noted the case of Saint Judas, a legitimate Catholic saint now commonly worshipped for protection by smugglers, bandits, gangs, and drug cartel members.

He said a slightly more extreme case is the new bandit saint, Santo Nino Huachicolero, which is an alteration of a legitimate Catholic saint, Santo Nino de Atocha, or Holy Child of Atocha.

The Catholic News Service warned of the newly altered saint on May 12, noting that it was created by a gang of gasoline thieves known as huachicoleros southeast of Mexico City who altered the image of the Christ child to show him holding a gas can and hose. It cites Father Paulo Carvajal, archdiocesan spokesman, as stating: This image can never be accepted. Being a huachicolero is practically a crime. The church cannot be in favor of this, much less be in favor that images are used in this way.

Carvajal said the new saint is being used to deceive people. Locals following the new saint have even protested to defend the gas thieves from law enforcement.

Bunker noted the significance of the phenomena, saying, A venerated 13th-century Catholic saint has just been spiritually hijacked by criminal elements in Mexico and recast as the patron deity of gasoline thieves before our eyes.

With the creation of the new saint, another demographic, albeit a relatively small one, has just further rationalized their criminal behaviorswhich are at odds with state authorityby having someone to pray to in order to achieve success in their gasoline-stealing endeavors, he said.

From a Catholic Church and traditional Mexican societal perspective, another grouping of people just jumped ship and went over to the narco and criminal elements of society in both their hearts and minds.

Left-Hand Saints

The cases of sanctioned Catholic saints relate to spiritual appropriation, according to Bunker, whereby people are altering religions to justify actssuch as theft and smugglingthat would traditionally violate the religion.

On a spectrum that classifies beliefs on a left-hand path as ones that could be viewed as purely evil and on a right-hand path as ones of traditional morals, these new saints and figures fall from the middle to the left.

Bunker describes the spectrum of narco saints in the book Blood Sacrifices: Violent Non-State Actors and Dark Magico-Religious Activities, published in 2016.

Many cartels and criminal organizations in Mexico can no longer be viewed as merely conventional criminal groups, since many of them use narco saints to try to justify, or even sanctify, their crimes.

The Familia Michoacana cartel and the Caballeros Templarios cartel, which are two of the largest drug cartels in Mexico, worship the newly created San Nazario, The Craziest One. Their crimes play a direct role in their worship of their manufactured saint, who they believe requires torture, ritual killing, and cannibalism.

The Sinaloa cartel worships an unsanctioned saint of drug traffickers, bandits, and outlaws that they refer to as Jesus Malverde, also known as Generous Bandit.

Even Saint Death, which carries the image of the grim reaper, has a strong criminal following. According to Blood Sacrifices, the new folk saint is worshipped by the Los Zetas cartel, the El Gulfo cartel factions, and by many other gangs. Their worship often includes ritual killing, offering of human body parts, and cannibalism.

Mid-sized Mexican gangs and criminal outfits also have their manufactured saints. The Mexican Mafia, the Surenos, and Barrio Azteca, for example, worship the Aztec war god Huitzilopochtli. Bunker notes that while the deitys requirements are often less gruesome than the new saints worshipped by many cartels, it is still used to justify the ideology of violent crime.

A Social Dilemma

For the rest of Mexico, the growth in popularity of narco saints presents a moral crisis, since they are not only being used to alter the traditional, morally based faiths, but also to create a new system of morals that supports violent crime.

In the conventional view of crime in the United States, people in criminal gangs are often motivated by financial gain, are pulled into lives of crime due to poverty or poor education, or join the gangs for a sense of belonging.

Bunker noted that while this conventional understanding of gangs and organized crime may still be largely accurate in the United States, it cannot be used to understand Mexican cartels or related Latin American gangs such as MS-13 and 18th Street.

These groups, he said, are evolving into something much more dangerous that blurs our understanding of criminal activity and warfare. He said they have become challengers to the state and have carved out their own territories in many countries where they can act with impunity.

The creation of new religions only adds to the severity of the threat. He said the groups criminality is no longer just secular, since they have added a new spiritual component to their actions, and they are now spreading these new ideologies among the general populationcreating warped, criminalized societies.

Bunker noted that Americans and Europeans often see the world through utilitarian, rationalistic, liberal democratic and secular colored lenses, and these perceptual biases often prevent them from seeing that some groups may have perceptions completely different from their own.

This is whyas a nationthe U.S. falls into recurrent traps of our own making, he said, noting the U.S. attempts at nation-building in countries like Afghanistan that have often overlooked the tribal and factional cultures in those countries and their illicit markets in opium production.

The same has applied to other areas, including with drug cartels and terrorist groups. He said this perceptual bias has prevented many in the United States from being able to understand that some people, such as members of a specific cartel or a terrorist group, may kill for sport and pleasureas in the case of Los Zetasor truly believe that they are doing gods work while beheading someone, as in the case of Islamic State adherents.





ONE AMERICAN COUNTY.under Mex occupation





LOS ANGELES COUNTY HANDS MEXICOS ANCHOR BABY BREEDERS MORE THAN A BILLION PER YEAR.




Former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh Thursday was reaffirmed as key player in restoration of peace in the poorest Arab country as thousands of supporters of the deposed leader turned up at a rally in capital Sanaa to defy Shia rebel Houthis who have called for his death despite being an ally.

Supporters who arrived in throngs from all sides of the country cheered the 75-year old strongman who addressed the gathering from bulletproof glass, surrounded by heavily armed guards.

The supporters waived blue flags of Salehs Arab nationalist General Peoples Congress (GPC) as the rally also marked the 35th anniversary of the party.

We are political pioneers with a solid anchor, and we have been facing conspiracies against us since 2011, Saleh said.

Analysts say the rally is a defying sign towards Shia Houthi rebel group now in control of the Yemeni capital.

Saleh joined the Iran-backed rebel group in 2014 to ouster Saudi-Arabia-backed President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The coalition drove President Hadi out of capital Sanaa in 2015 and the Yemeni leader had to relocate in the second city of the country, Aden.

The alliance has established National Salvation Government in Sanaa in parallel to Hadis government in Aden. The Salvation Government is not recognised by the international community.

Tension has brewed between the GPC and the Houthis recently. The Shia rebels have vowed death to Saleh whom they accused of negotiating with Saudi Arabia, which leads an international coalition of Arab countries fighting the Iran-backed rebels and GPC.

The GPC also has accused the rebels of monopolizing the government and media organs.

GPC refused to be a junior partner in its alliance with the Houthis against the Saudi-backed government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the GPCs Secretary General Arif al-Zouka noted.

The alliance has also fallen apart over the GPCs contribution to the war, representation in peace consultations, judicial issues and educational curricula, reports say.

Saleh was forced to step down in 2012 after surviving the Arab Spring.

Yemen has been in a state of war since 2014 and UN peace efforts have so far failed. Over 10,000 people have been killed since 2015 according to the UN.

The poor country has been also struck by a cholera outbreak, which has killed so far more than 2,000 people.
The Qatari embassy in Ndjamena was closed on Wednesday (August 23) and Qatari diplomats were given 10 days to leave Chad and the following day, Qatar announced the closure of the Chadian diplomatic mission in Doha giving 72 hours to its occupants to leave.

NDjamena busted ties with the Gulf Emirate it accuses of seeking to destabilize its territory from Libya, according to Hissein Brahim Taha, Chadian Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In order to safeguard peace and stability in the region, we call upon Qatar to cease all actions that could undermine our internal security as well as those of the countries of the Lake Chad and Sahel basin, said the Chadian Foreign Affairs.

Qatar rejects and condemns the reasons contained in the statement issued by the Chadian Foreign Ministry justifying the closure of Qatars Embassy in NDjamena, the Qatari Foreign Ministry said.

Several Chadian soldiers were killed last weekend near the Libyan border by a heavily armed group said opposed to President Idriss Deby.

The violent clash resulted in the death of 2 officers and 7 soldiers in the ranks of the Chadian army and losses of war material.

According to press reports, Chadian opponents were arrested in Sebha and al-Jofra in Libya by the men of Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the strongman of eastern Libya.

Ndjamena, believed close to Libyas United Arab Emirates-backed Khalifa Haftar, blamed Qatar for supporting the Libya-based group to ouster the Deby regime.

Qatar rejected the blame arguing that the accusation is baseless and is a political blackmail against the State of Qatar with the intention of joining the sieging countries for very well-known reasons.

Qatar has been embroiled in regional diplomatic dispute with its neighbors namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain plus Egypt since early June after the four countries accused it of supporting terrorism and destabilisation.

Chad had recalled its ambassador on June 8, aligning itself with the position of the Saudi-led bloc.

Several other Muslim countries including Mauritania and Senegal also severed ties with the tiny-gas rich country.

However, Senegal this week decided to send back its ambassador to Doha. The thaw in ties followed a phone conversation between the two countries leaders.
Sierra Leone, Anchen Muller, and sport trended on Google search in South Africa this week.

The trending searches over the past week were:

Saturday  Manchester United

 Manchester United Sunday  Chelsea, Arsenal, and Kaizer Chiefs

 Chelsea, Arsenal, and Kaizer Chiefs Monday  Mzwanele Manyi, and solar eclipse

 Mzwanele Manyi, and solar eclipse Tuesday  Anchen Muller

 Anchen Muller Wednesday  Sierra Leone

 Sierra Leone Thursday  Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Search trends in South Africa tend to be news and sports-driven, said Google.

Google processes over 40,000 search queries every second. This translates to 1.2 trillion searches per year. Google trends data is updated hourly.
Number of injured in Istanbul blast rises to 81

Paul McCartney sells guitar for $77,000 to support Ukraine

Erdogan says preliminary findings after Istanbul bombing point to terrorist attack

Erdogan says number of victims of Istanbul bombing rises to six

Authorities forbid TV channels to broadcast from Istanbul bombing site

Istanbul blast: Governor reports 4 dead and 38 wounded

Media: Terrorist attack considered as one of versions of bombing in Istanbul

Blast in Istanbul: victims reported

Reuters: National Bank of Ukraine prepares banking system for power outages

Explosion hits pedestrian street in Istanbul

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin calls for Turkey to be recognized as sponsor of terrorism

Bloomberg columnist says Japan may be preparing for war with China

Reuters: U.S. to demand EU colleagues to continue aid to Kyiv at G20

Washington Post: U.S. intelligence believes UAE tried to interfere in U.S. politics

Yeni Safak: Turkey increases sales of winter products, blankets in EU by almost third since beginning of year

Fox News: Trump has been silent on social media for over 24 hours amid Republican failures

Lebanon extradites to Iraq relative of Saddam Hussein

Financial Times: Kyiv plans to nationalize more private companies

U.S. Senate declares 'death' of Republican Party after congressional elections

Head of U.S. Customs resigned

President of Georgia Zourabichvili says about 100 thousand Russians settled in country

CNN: Democrats to retain control of Senate after congressional elections

Alen Simonyan: We are truly and sincerely committed to the peace agenda

Artak Beglaryan: Genocidal purpose is apparent

French maritime services rescue more than 140 migrants trying to swim across English Channel

Biden says he is satisfied with results of midterm elections in U.S.

Slovenia holds second round of presidential elections

'Witch' burned alive in India, 14 arrested

COVID-19 cases are expected to surge in Germany this winter

Dollar makes worst showing in week since early days of COVID-19 pandemic

Macron confirms France's readiness to support normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku

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

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)

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

Scholz is against establishment of ceasefire in Ukraine on Kremlin's terms

Turkologist: Turkey does not support agenda of achieving peace with Armenians

Sweden to not permit deployment of nuclear weapons on its territory after joining NATO

Erdogan signs decree on appointing Turkey ambassador to Israel

Information security expert: Some Armenia officials received letter that they were victims of national hackers attack

Armenia FM meets with France minister of foreign trade

Foreign Policy: US to resume nuclear arms control talks with Russia

Armenia opposition MP: Artsakh army reduction is impermissible

Biden to warn Chinas Xi that North Korea path could lead to increase in US military presence

US Treasury chief: India can buy as much Russian oil as it wants

Newspaper: Armenia authorities trying to find legal grounds for signing peace treaty

Newspaper: People of Karabakh not going to tolerate final destruction of their army

Texas woman sentenced to death for killing pregnant woman, removing fetus from victim

Van Gogh's painting sold for a record $117 million

Gentiloni: EU countries have accumulated enough gas to get through the coming winter

Several dozen activists detained at protest rally in Baku: They chant slogans 'Freedom!', 'Resign!'

Princess Haya seeks asylum in Wales

Pashinyan: Iran is concerned about the presence of other actors in our region, which are not in the territory of Armenia

Pashinyan: Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan listened to presented proposals

Volvo reveals its flagship EX90 electric crossover

Pashinyan: Yerevan supports Russia's proposals for Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement

Pashinyan: Russia cannot withdraw from Karabakh unless it creates additional guarantees for peacekeeping mission

Pashinyan: We will do everything to Armenia-Azerbaijan sign peace treaty by end of year

Russia bans entry of Biden's family and White House press secretary

Pashinyan: We believe there should be a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

Pashinyan says positions voiced by some member countries of CSTO are unacceptable

19 countries that use euro currency will slide into recession over winter

Pashinyan to Baku: If 1991 border is mutually recognized, what are your troops doing near Jermuk?

Pashinyan: If the Karabakh issue is solved, why is Azerbaijani Armed Forces shooting at Karabakh residents?

Pashinyan: Russia should say whether their version of peace settlement is still circulating?

Pashinyan: Maybe Azerbaijan doesn't want Armenia to receive revenues?

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from Armenia

Pashinyan: My yesterday's speech served its purpose, Azerbaijani MFA no longer uses 'corridor' term

Microsoft founder Paul Allen's collection of world masterpieces sold for $1.6 billion

Public TV of Armenia hosts Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan

China shows drone killer

Armenian FM meets his French counterpart

Rishi Sunak decides to close hole in British budget through austerity

Delegation of Russian MPs visits Jermuk resort town

Lavrov and Mirzoyan discuss regional agenda

Harut Sasunyan: The best way to achieve peace is to be prepared for war

Turkish prosecutor demands court to ban Istanbul mayor from political activities

German business leaders warn against leaving China

Sasunyan: Russia and US pursue their own interests in South Caucasus

British economy shrinks in three months, foretelling prolonged recession

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan summoned to Foreign Ministry

Euro rises above dollar for first time in long time

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister calls Council of Turkic States 'forum of peace' and praises Turkey

EU embargo on Russian oil will be a boon for OPEC

Armenia defense minister receives China ambassador, military attache

Lemkin Institute condemns Azerbaijan president's genocidal rhetoric

Dollar goes up, euro rises sharply in Armenia

U.S. warns Europe that conflict over Taiwan will cause massive global economic shock

EU calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to moderate their rhetoric

Erdogan says Turkey has been waiting at door of EU for 52 years and will give answer when time comes

U.S. fears that European support for Ukrainian strategy will begin to weaken
@alextdaugherty

A South Florida federal judge threw out a lawsuit on Friday that alleged Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and the Democratic National Committee committed fraud after leaked emails showed former DNC staffers discussing ways to hurt Bernie Sanders' campaign for president.

Federal judge William Bloch stated in an order that even if the allegations are true, the court cannot find an injury to supporters of Sanders from the DNC or Wasserman Schultz "that is traceable to the DNC and its former chairs conduct" so the lawsuit cannot be tested in court.

"Plaintiffs have not presented a live case or controversy and the Court must dismiss the case for lack of subject matter jurisdiction," the order said.

Wasserman Schultz left her post as DNC chair in August 2016 after leaked emails from Wikileaks riled supporters of Sanders, who lost the Democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton. She then defeated law professor Tim Canova, who argued the DNC had rigged the primary in favor of Clinton. Canova is challenging Wasserman Schultz again in 2018 after losing by 13 percentage points in the 2016 Democratic primary.
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Desir today called for the immediate release of prominent Azerbaijani journalist and media expert Mehman Aliyev.

There is every reason to believe that Mehman Aliyevs detention and arrest is politically motivated and I respectfully call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and unconditionally release the journalist and guarantee that his fundamental freedoms are not violated further, Desir said. He noted that there is no need to keep a journalist in detention for the sake of the investigation, or to block the activities of the Azerbaijani privately-owned news agency Turan, of which Mehman Aliyev is the director.

Mehman Aliyev was detained on 24 August. Today, the Yasamal district court decided to arrest him for an initial period of three months. He is charged with economic crimes.

Earlier tax officials claimed that the news agency had not paid taxes and owed the State an amount equivalent to approximately 18,600 euros. The officials also searched the news agency's office and seized documents. Turan has denied any wrongdoing and later announced that it would have to suspend its activities as of September.

In a letter to the authorities sent on 17 August, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media urged authorities to carefully review the charges brought against Turan and to refrain from any measure that could impede the work of the news agency which contributes to media pluralism in the country.

Mehman Aliyev has frequently been invited as a speaker and expert to the South Caucasus Media Conferences held by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, most recently in May 2017, and at the OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meetings. He is known to be a thoughtful, trusted and deeply respected colleague, the Representative said.

Desir also stressed that his Office remains ready to assist Azerbaijan in improving media freedom and journalists safety and that he looks forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the authorities both in Vienna and in Baku.
Just as I prefer to read good travel writing more than I like to travel, I look to poems to offer me experiences I'm quite likely never to have. Here's a poem by Rebecca Macijeski, a native New Englander, about just such an experience, and a poignant one, too. I'll never disassemble a piano, but I've experienced doing it, here.

***

My mother and I sit on the back porch,

bare feet in summer grass

as we take the upright down to pieces,

breeze humming through its strings.

***

I extract each melodic tooth and sort them

in octaves for rinsing, tidy enclosure in boxes,

remembering in each how my young fingers

rioted over them searching for sound

***

and the way it grows like its own

unruly animal. The old piano

lies open to Sunday morning sun,

swallowing blossoms that drift over like stars

***

from the apple tree I climbed as a girl.

My mother and I sit here in a quiet

usually reserved for churches,

hands moving slowly over what we gather

***

 piles of soft hammers, odd coils of wire.

We take up wet rags and wash each wooden key

down its surface, wet music

pooling onto our skin.
By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - France will help reconstruction and reconciliation efforts in Iraq as it emerges from the war against Islamic State, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday after talks with Iraqi officials in Baghdad. France is a main partner in the U.S.-led coalition helping Baghdad fight the militants who seized parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014. The coalition provided key air and ground support to Iraqi forces in the nine-month campaign to take back Mosul, Islamic State's capital in Iraq. The city's fall in July effectively marked the end of the "caliphate" declared by Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi over parts of Iraq and Syria. Iraqi forces were close to taking back full control of IS's northwestern stronghold of Tal Afar on Saturday. "We are present in the war and we will be present in the peace," Le Drian told a news conference in Baghdad with French Defence Minister Florence Parly and Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari. "Even if our joint combat against Daesh is not finished, it is entering a phase of stabilisation, of reconciliation, of reconstruction, a phase of peace," Le Drian said, calling Islamic State by its Arabic acronym. During the talks, Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder al-Abadi urged France to invest in Iraq, "at the economic, commercial and investment levels," according to a statement from his office. France will give a 430 million euro ($513 million) loan to Iraq before the end of the year, a French diplomatic source said. The French ministers were also due to meet Iraqi Kurdish leaders in Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region, whose Peshmerga fighters have played a prominent role in the fight against Islamic State. During the meeting with Abadi, the French delegation "expressed its commitment to a unified Iraq," according to the Iraqi premier's statement. France and other western countries are worried that the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) plan to hold an independence referendum next month could ignite fresh conflict with Baghdad and neighbouring states with sizeable Kurdish communities, mainly Iran and Turkey. A diplomat familiar with French policy said Le Drian and Parly will convey to KRG President Massoud Barzani the French position in favour of an autonomous Kurdistan that remains part of the Iraqi state. The French ministers and Jaafari did not mention the fate of families of French citizens who fought with Islamic State, found in Mosul and other areas taken back from the militants. Several hundreds French nationals are believed to have joined the group. ($1 = 0.8386 euros) (Additional reporting by John Irish in Paris and Raya Jalabi in Erbil; Editing by Andrew Bolton and Helen Popper)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army and allied forces have captured one of the last major Islamic State enclaves in the central Syrian desert, a monitor and a Hezbollah military media unit said on Saturday. The pocket of territory totals around 2,000 square km (770 square miles), said the media unit run by Hezbollah, which fights alongside Syrian government forces in the war. Earlier this week, the army and its allies encircled the IS militants after advancing southward to join up with their forces near al-Sukhna town in Homs province. The enclave extends from the west of al-Sukhna into nearby Hama province. The Syrian army -- supported by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias -- secured al-Sukhna this month. It was the last major town in Homs province that Islamic State held. The Syrian Observatory for Human rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the army has seized dozens of hills and positions in that region in central Syria. Now, the only significant Islamic State presence remaining in Homs was another nearby enclave on the provincial border with Hama, also under siege by the army and its allies, the monitoring group said. Over the past year, Islamic State has lost ground to various separate enemies including Syrian government forces with their allies, and U.S.-backed militias. IS militants still control most of Deir al-Zor province, which borders Iraq. (Reporting by Ellen Francis Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Christopher Lee and wife Fann Wong. Lee plays a closeted gay man in the Taiwanese telemovie The Long Goodbye. (Photo: Cinema Online)

Former Mediacorp star Christopher Lee has been nominated for the Best Actor award at Taiwans prestigious Golden Bell Awards.

He is up for the category Best Actor in a Mini-series or TV Film, for his role as a closeted gay man in the telemovie The Long Goodbye, The Straits Times reported on 25 August.

This is Lees third nomination at the annual awards for Taiwanese television. He previously won Best Actor in 2014 for the drama A Good Wife, and was nominated for Best Actor in 2012 for the mini-series Forgotten.

Lee told The Straits Times that he was feeling pretty confident about his chances, adding that if I dont win, I wont be too disappointed. I am honoured and excited about being nominated again, the 46-year-old actor said.

The Long Goodbye is about a man who returns to his hometown after receiving news that his crush in college has died.

The other nominees in the Best Actor category are Taiwanese actors Wu Kang-ren, Alex Ko, Fu Meng-po and Lan Wei-hua. The Golden Bell Awards will be held on 30 September.

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An engineer from Oslo attempts to disrupt the Nazi war machine at the height of World War II in "The Saboteur," the latest historical thriller by Andrew Gross.

Kurt Nordstrum has lost his fiancee, and much of everything else he holds dear. He sneaks back into his hometown and sees the full integration of German forces. Nordstrum learns of an isolated factory hidden inside Norway where the Nazis are building a terrifying weapon. With a few close friends, he hijacks a passenger ship bound for Germany and steers it toward England. With the help of some British forces, they arrive in Scotland. With the information in hand, they join a team of Norwegian Freedom Fighters with a suicidal mission to take out the factory.

Nordstrum becomes the go-to guy for the impossible missions to stop the onslaught and assist the Allied forces. If he succeeds, his efforts will make the path to victory easier. If he fails, the Germans will have a path to full domination.

Gross takes readers back in time to a turbulent and terrifying era. Like his previous novel, "The One Man," he immerses the reader in the 1940s with sympathetic characters while focusing on the lone wolf who faces impossible odds, but has no other choice. He also uses real historical figures and events with some slight name changes, demonstrating that with a talented writer at the helm, the past can truly come alive.

"The Saboteur" is a terrific thriller.
Corning Incorporated engages in display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, including cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories. This segment also offers its products to businesses, governments, and individuals. Its Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, software; as well as ultra-thin and ultra-flat glass wafers, substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products. This segment serves various industries, including mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables; aerospace and defense optics; radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. The company's Environmental Technologies segment offers ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products comprising consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware and equipment under the Corning, Falcon, Pyrex, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.
A decree that will open up an area of the Amazon roughly the size of Denmark to mining has been widely criticized by everyone from supermodel Gisele Bundchen to lawmakers. Brazils government has defended the decision that was passed on Friday, though grave concerns remain around the threat now facing the worlds largest rainforest.

Referring to the land mass as one of riches may become more literal than figurative with the abolishment of the National Reserve of Copper and Associates (Renca), that will now be vulnerable to legal destruction for the purpose of mining the many resources in its reserves. Renca protects the area which is approximately 17,800 square miles (46,000 square km), and has done so since 1984.

President Michel Temers defiant decision to open the areas of Amapa and Para, which is believed to be a significant resource of gold, copper, iron ore and other minerals, has angered environmentalists in particular, who say the area is abounding in biodiversity and is home to myriad species that have yet to be studied. In addition to compromising the indigenous areas (Rio Paru DEste and Waiapi) that fall within its borders, environmentalists are also fearful of the potential for deforestation, destruction and even the potential of a gold rush that could result from this official order, as well as the additional pressure on social problems.

Fernando Coelho Filho, Brazils Mining and Energy Minister, says there is some relief that protects the area from illegal mining operations. In an area that mining is permitted, they must follow the law, period, Coelho said.

The authorization was legitimized in two ways: firstly in the governments justification of mining activity that avoids a shortage of mineral resources for the nation, and secondly in the hope that allowing legal mining would assist in combating illegal exploration.

Renca is not a paradise, as some would wrongly like to make it appear, a statement from the Brazillian government said, according to Reuters.

Story continues

Analysts remain skeptical that much, if any, positive outcome will result from a president who is known for staking his political survival by increasingly leaning on the powerful agro-industrial lobby, particularly in the midst of turgid corruption scandals. Rodrigues, a member of the opposition Rede party (led by former presidential candidate and environment minister Marina Silva), has proposed blocking the presidents decree, and plans to file lawsuits in Amapa and Para to carry out the preventative measure. Further, supermodel Gisele Bundchen spoke out on Twitter, calling on Brazilians to protect the Amazon and again about the auctioning of our Amazon.

Shame! They are auctioning our Amazon! We cannot destroy protected areas for private interests, Bundchen wrote in a tweet.

In June, President Temer had tweeted the model articulating intent to veto a measure to reduce protections of other national forests when she criticized the move. This was followed up by a compromise by the President to reduce the protected area by a lesser amount than was originally proposed.

In a 2010 government report, 69% of the Renca area in Amapa state comes under a number of other protections. For this reason, even the simple act of allowing mining near protected areas has potential to generate conflict and put them under threat, according to statements by WWF and Greenpeace. The measure will accelerate the arrival of infrastructure and people for mining activities in areas of native forest, reproducing in the region the same lack of governance that permits the advance of deforestation and land grabs (elsewhere) in the Amazon, Greenpeace said in a report by Reuters.
By Stephen Eisenhammer LUANDA (Reuters) - Angola's ruling MPLA party won national elections by a clear margin, its electoral commission said on Friday, citing a provisional tally that the two main opposition parties however rejected. Two days after a ballot that passed peacefully, with almost all votes counted and the public mood predominantly calm, the result maintained the party's unbroken hold on power since sub-Saharan Africas third-largest economy gained independence from Portugal in 1975. Tarnished by political cronyism, its share of the vote fell, but president-in-waiting Joao Lourenco retained the strong parliamentary majority he will need to make good on campaign pledges to reform a battered economy. A former defence minister, Lourenco will become the country's first new president for 38 years. The long-time leader he is replacing, Jose Eduardo dos Santos, will however continue as head of the Peoples Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). With close to 98 percent of the vote counted, the MPLA held a 61.1 percent share against the opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) partys 26.7 percent, said National Electoral Commission spokeswoman Julia Ferreira. International observers described the election as reasonably free and fair and the streets of the capital Luanda and other cities were calm. But UNITA said the results had not been gathered transparently and did not tally with its count. "We reject completely these provisional results," Raul Danda, the party's candidate for vice president, told Reuters. "We dont know where they come from." CASA-CE, a smaller opposition party that polled 9.46 percent of votes, also rejected the provisional results and said it would release its own tally. The MPLA, which emerged victorious over UNITA after 27 years of civil war in 2002, dismissed the complaints. 'DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES VIOLATED' According to the electoral commission, the MPLA won 150 of 220 parliamentary seats -- 25 fewer than in the previous election in 2012 but retaining the two thirds majority needed to pass any legislation. But the party lost its majority in Luanda for the first time, winning 48 percent, while UNITA increased its total of lawmakers to 51 from 32. "Its a good result for the MPLA, but its not a massive tidal wave majority," said Alex Vines, head of the Africa Program at Londons Chatham House. "They know theyve got to get serious reform in," he added, saying Lourenco would have to attract investments to stave off a forecast decline in oil production. Claudio Silva, who sits on the electoral commission as a UNITA representative, said the provisional results had been processed without the involvement of some members of the commissions board or the input of provincial counting centres. "The process violated the law and the principles of democracy," he told Reuters. Joao Martins, MPLA secretary for political and electoral affairs, said the final result should be awaited calmly. "If they (UNITA) have complaints there are official channels to make them, rather than doing so in public, which seems to be the strategy of the opposition," he added. Angola has been mostly peaceful since the end of the war in 2002, but the OPEC state - Africa's second largest oil producer - is in dire need of reforms to boost an economy hammered in the last three years by low crude prices. Lourenco has promised to kick-start the economy and has not ruled out deals with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to help restructure it. Angola imports everything from washing powder to long-life milk at huge cost. A quiet 63-year-old more used to army barracks and the closed doors of party politics than the public spotlight, Lourenco has denied he will remain in dos Santos' shadow. Others are not sure. "The influence of the party elite and the dos Santos family will limit (Lourenco's) room for manoeuvre, John Ashbourne, analyst at Capital Economics, said in a note. (Editing by James Macharia and John Stonestreet)
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - The European Commission has asked the Romanian government for more detail of a proposed overhaul of the judiciary, expressing concern it may be a step back in the fight against corruption. Romania is seen as one of the EU's most corrupt states and Brussels keeps its justice system under special monitoring. French President Emmanuel Macron mirrored the concerns during an official visit to capital Bucharest on Thursday. "I have talked with the president and prime minister over the justice system reform project that is not coherent with a will to fight against corruption. Both have guaranteed their commitment to continue what they started, to reduce corruption," local news agency Mediafax quoted Macron as saying at a reception at the French embassy. The planned overhaul, presented by Justice Minister Tudorel Toader on Wednesday, included giving him control over the judicial inspection unit, currently managed by the Superior Magistrates' Council (CSM), the country's judicial watchdog. Other changes included the way in which chief prosecutors are appointed and setting up a special prosecuting unit for crimes committed by magistrates. President Klaus Iohannis said that if the measures are approved they will set reform efforts back by a decade. The proposals triggered a small street protest outside government headquarter late on Wednesday and drew criticism from magistrates, opposition politicians and analysts. In a statement on Thursday, the Commission said: "We are asking the Romanian authorities for the draft laws and additional explanations." "The irreversibility of the progress achieved by Romania in the fight against corruption in the last ten years is essential for the Commission," it said. The measures come half a year after attempts by the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and junior partner ALDE to weaken a crackdown on high-level corruption triggered Romania's largest street protests in decades. Social Democrat Party leader Liviu Dragnea said on Thursday the announced measures were merely principles and that critics were too quick to draw judgement. "It is only the beginning of a process that will not be simple," Dragnea told reporters. He said it would be reviewed by the Superior Magistrates' Council, the top judicial watchdog, before going to parliament. Toader has yet to publish the draft of the proposals. (Reporting by Luiza Ilie and Robert Jan Bartunek; Editing by Richard Balmforth)
By Samia Errazzouki MELILLA, Spain (Reuters) - In a winding early-morning queue, Jemaa Laalaoua hunches over with 50 kg (110 lb) of kitchenware on her back, waiting to cross back into Morocco from the Spanish enclave of Melilla. The 41-year-old mother of eight is one of thousands of Moroccans who eke out a living by walking loads of merchandise from Melilla into the northern Moroccan province of Nador. Goods including metal kettles that Laalaoua was carrying are counted as personal luggage and are not taxed, allowing for a small mark-up when they are shipped on and sold on across Morocco. "On average, I earn about 70 dirhams ($7.40) per trip, carrying anywhere between 40 to 70 kg," says Laalaoua. "But most days, we never know how much we will make." The work is backbreaking and fraught with risk. Some traders have died in stampedes through the tight border crossing. "We say our prayers in the morning and brace for the day, not knowing if we will come out dead or alive," Laalaoua says. She lifts undergarments to display bruises on her leg from a Spanish Civil Guard's truncheon. She says she was beaten for attempting to advance towards the front of the queue. No one from the Civil Guard in Melilla was available to comment. When Laalaoua finally gets through the narrowly caged border crossing, she weaves through the crowd to drop off her cargo inside the bustling Beni Ansar market, before rushing back to a Melilla warehouse where she will load up for her last trip of the day. Locals with an address in the Nador province are allowed to cross through into Melilla without a visa, but cannot spend more than a day in the Spanish enclave. They can cross for five hours a day, four days a week. In total, there are between 30,000-40,000 crossings daily, according to the Spanish border police. The practice has been going on for decades. Before, it was dominated by single mothers known locally as "mule women", who struggled to make a living elsewhere. But as unemployment has climbed, the women have increasingly found themselves in competition with young men. Each morning the women report to a boss who tasks them with transporting an assigned quantity of goods, coordinating with warehouse owners and shippers. By 5 a.m. crowds of hundreds swell to thousands, as people wait for Spanish guards to open the border gates. Male traders fight and women shout and scream as the jostle for a place in the crush. Most manage to make two or three crossings before the border shuts again. The merchandise spans everything from simple household goods such as towels, toilet paper, and soap, to illicit wares including alcohol and plastic bags, which have been banned in Morocco since last year. Laalaoua lives nearly 27 km (17 miles) from the border, waking up at 2 a.m. to prepare for her commute, by foot then taxi or bus. Her husband Mohammed Zoubah, 57, fell ill six years ago, forcing Laalaoua to become the primary breadwinner. "She's strong, she's protecting this household," he says. "May God bless her with patience." (Editing by Aidan Lewis and Alison Williams)
DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's attorney general said Turkey has detained five suspects in connection with the hacking of Qatar's state news agency in May. The hacking helped precipitate the diplomatic rift that has since opened up between Qatar and some of its powerful Arab neighbours. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar in June over comments briefly posted on the Qatar News Agency attributed to its ruler in which he allegedly praised their arch-foe Iran. Qatar said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani did not make the statements and that hackers had posted a false story on QNA. In comments published by QNA on Saturday, Qatar's Attorney General Ali Bin Fetais al-Marri said the suspects were being interrogated, without specifying their nationalities or any other details. "Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago. Five people were detained and they are being investigated. Qatari prosecutors are working with Turkish authorities to follow this case," he was quoted as saying by Qatari media. Marri has said Qatar has evidence that the hack was linked to countries that have severed ties with Doha for allegedly supporting Islamist militant groups and advancing the agenda of their arch-rival Iran in the region - charges Doha denies. The dispute has defied mediation attempts by the United States and Kuwait. (Writing by Stephen Kalin Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
By Daina Beth Solomon and Lizbeth Diaz MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The United States and other wealthy nations should do more to resettle migrants and refugees forced to flee their homelands, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Friday. "We must count on U.S. leadership in refugee protection," Grandi told Reuters in an interview in Mexico City. "Forced displacement is a poor people problem, not a rich people problem. But we need the rich people to do more to share that burden." During his first official visit to the region since assuming the post last year, the U.N. official said Mexico also needs to step up protection for asylum and refugee applicants, especially along its southern border. Every year thousands of people from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, some of the world's most impoverished and violent nations, head north in search of a better life. But that journey has become increasingly dangerous and expensive, with criminals assaulting, extorting and kidnapping migrants as they attempt to pass through Mexico, forcing some to remain south of the U.S. border. U.N. figures show some 8,000 people applied for refugee status last year in Mexico, up 5,000 from 2015. Asylum applications in Mexico jumped 150 percent between November 2016 and March 2017, according to Mexican refugee agency COMAR. "There's been an increase because of the causes that push people to flee - the unbelievable violence perpetrated against civilians in countries like Honduras and El Salvador," Grandi said. Grappling with drug trafficking, extortion and kidnapping, Mexico is witnessing one of its worst periods of violence, and has suffered an estimated 150,000 gang-related murders and about 30,000 disappearances in the past decade. Washington, meanwhile, has heralded a drop in unauthorised southern border crossings as proof its crackdown on illegal immigration is working. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has also lowered the cap on refugee admissions, setting the limit at 50,000 compared with about 85,000 approved in 2016. U.S. officials have said they plan to review the migrant-vetting process as well to counter the risk of admitting terrorists. Grandi said he supported the push to improve security, but urged the United States to expand its refugee resettlement programme. Mexico is among the countries that could wind up accepting more refugees and asylum seekers if the United States continues toughening its migration policies. "If less people go to the United States ... there is a possibility that Mexico will host more," Grandi said. (Editing by Dave Graham and James Dalgleish)
Uptown Station Oakland

Uptown Station/YouTube

Uber has abandoned plans to move into a massive building in Oakland, California and is instead "exploring several options" for the site, including a sale.

The company had planned to turn Uptown Station, a 380,000-square foot building which formerly housed a Sears department store, into an extension of its global headquarters. Uber's more modest current headquarters are located on San Francisco's Market Street.

But Business Insider understands the change of plan is because Uber needs to cut its losses and hit profitability. The company remains hugely unprofitable and is dealing with board-level squabbles over who should be its new CEO, and how to raise future funds.

A spokeswoman told Business Insider: "As we look to strengthen our financial position so we can better serve riders and drivers for the long term, we're exploring several options for Uptown Station, including a sale. We remain committed to serving Oakland and our broader hometown Bay Area community."

We first saw the news on The San Francisco Business Times, which reported that Uber had originally paid $123.5 million (96 million) for the building.

Rather than having two buildings, Uber will reportedly consolidate its headquarters into a new facility somewhere else in San Francisco.

The ride-hailing firm first announced the Oakland expansion in 2015, promising space for 2,000 to 3,000 employees. But it curtailed its plans in March this year, saying it would downsize to just a few hundred employees in Oakland, though it didn't explain why. The plan then was to lease about half the new office space.

It's not just a disappointment for Uber. Oakland is linked to San Francisco via the Bay Bridge and is seen as its more downmarket, poorer sister. Uber's move was described by Oakland mayor Libby Schaaf as a "game changer" for the city.

The company reported a $645 million (503 million) loss on Wednesday for the second quarter  lower than previous quarters  on gross ride bookings of $8.7 billion (6.7 billion).

Story continues

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Rain and relief were Fridays words of the day as much of the smoke has left Missoula Valley for the moment.

And, at 6 p.m. Friday, the Missoula County Sheriff's Office downgraded the evacuation order for Highway 12 residents to a warning, meaning that people living there  including those in the Elk Meadows and Mill Creek areas  could return home.

However, the sheriff's office warned those residents to be prepared for a short-notice evacuation order if conditions on the Lolo Peak fire changed.

As for air quality, Ben Schmidt, the specialist at the Missoula City-County Health Department said in his daily email that it was moderate in most of the county, except for Seeley Lake.

Lolo and Florence had much better air quality than in previous days this week as the air was actually breathable, as visual observations indicate that Lolo has good air quality (Friday) morning and Florence has a smoky smell with moderate air quality, according to Schmidt.

Weather forecasts predicted low pressure and light winds after 4 p.m. Friday, which will keep air quality acceptable throughout the county. Smoke was expected to clear out of Seeley Lake late Friday afternoon as the inversion lifted.

Saturday is when things will get hairy again, according to Schmidt's update a high-pressure ridge is coming into the area and, with fires waking up after a day of relief, smoke will start building up in Missoula and the surrounding areas. Schmidt did offer up a bit of good news, however. Instead of the ridge sticking around until the middle of next week, it might break up by Sunday night.

Right now however, it seems like the best idea is for people to enjoy the clear air while they can.

***

Now, to the fires around western Montana, with updates from Inciweb, the national wildfire information service:

Bitterroot National Forest: Five new lightning-caused fires drew attention from initial attack crews on Friday, according to Bitterroot Forest spokesman Tod McKay. However, all five were kept to less than a tenth of an acre and none threatened structures. Four fires are located on the southern end of the forest on the West Fork Ranger District and one is in the Sapphire Mountains on the Stevensville Ranger District. Lightning activity was strongest near Stevensville and the southern tip of the national forest, so crews are scanning those areas for additional spot fires over the weekend.

Rice Ridge fire: An evacuation was ordered for two cabins late Thursday afternoon.

A spot fire popped up Wednesday that fire operations were keeping an eye on. After a day of observation, fire operations and the Missoula County Sheriffs Office decided to call the evacuation.

Public information officer Erin Fryer said that rather than waiting, it was better to be proactive in this situation. As the cabins were not permanent residences, it made more sense to evacuate sooner.

The weather Thursday helped the fire, cooling the area and letting firefighters gain ground. The Rice Ridge fire is currently at 17,991 acres and is 16 percent contained.

Lolo Peak fire: In addition to Friday's downgrade for Highway 12 residents, evacuation orders were downgraded Thursday to warning status for residents west of the Old Highway 93 from West County Line Road to the north side of Tie Chute lane.

The precipitation that dropped Thursday night helped ease fire concerns as the rain brought higher humidity to the area. Firefighters mopped up hot spots Friday and sought to finish burnout operations around the area before dry, hot weather comes back over the weekend. Friday's drier air was expected to boost fire activity along Elk Meadows Road in the Lolo Creek drainage on the fire's western perimeter, as well as the mountains above Florence on its eastern edge.

More than 1 million gallons of retardant have been dropped since the fire began in July. The Lolo Peak fire measured 34,356 acres on Friday and was 16 percent contained.

Sunrise fire: The Sunrise fire might see increased fire activity over the next few days as dry weather returns to the 57 percent-contained fire area. It has burned 25,540 acres to date and has a crew of 550 people assigned.

Crews are continuing to push line construction to the north and burn out areas when possible, and are trying to keep the fire north of Quartz Creek. The most extensive suppression activities occurred along the southwestern perimeter of the fire from Eagle Rock to Sunrise Mountain.

Suppression repair activities are going smoothly, according to Inciweb, as crews bring in hose and equipment that are no longer needed. Repair work includes chipping or burning slash left over from firefighting operations, spreading cut vegetation over fire control lines, and building water-bars to help prevent erosion.

Sprague fire: Glacier National Park's biggest fire this year continues to block the popular trails to Sperry Chalet and Gunsight Pass on the Lake McDonald side of the park. It has burned 1,537 acres and has a crew of 120 assigned. Travel along the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open, although motorists should watch for smoke and fire equipment. While less than 1 percent of Glacier's interior has been affected, the fire can be seen from numerous vantage points on the western side of the park.

Meyers fire: The Meyers fire has burned 16,083 acres and is currently at 3 percent containment.

Direct line construction continues around Moose Meadow Creek and Zekes Meadow. Fire activity was minimal Thursday even as a storm cell passed through the area. Firefighters are being careful about other storm systems moving through the area in the coming days, especially if the storm cells do not drop any precipitation.

The Meyers fire crews are removing logs and wood from firelines and are leaving it for residents just off Moose Lake Road and a quarter-mile south of Skalkaho Highway. Wood gatherers need a free-use wood permit from the Pintler Ranger District office in Philipsburg before getting wood.

Wood was offered beginning on Friday until the wood is gone.

Liberty fire: The Liberty fire has burned 9,386 acres and is 10 percent contained.

Weather conditions helped firefighters Thursday as higher humidity and lower temperatures quieted fire activity. Fire crews made significant progress on the fire, according to Inciweb, including line construction, burn-out operations and scouting for spot fires.

Friday, crews worked at completing a mechanical line as well as a firing operation.

Blue Bay fire: The Blue Bay fire in the Flathead Agency has stayed steady at 490 acres and 40 percent containment over the last few days.

Aircraft are the key to fighting this fire, as it is in mostly inaccessible territory. Helicopters have dropped water on hot spots, allowing firefighters to construct line in safer conditions.

Bulldozers are building indirect line north of the fire, and firefighters are working with air operations to secure slopover from the fire as well as patrolling for additional spotting and other fire activity.
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NEW ORLEANS  With a dangerous Hurricane Harvey churning the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, trucks carrying cattle to higher ground lined a road in southwest Louisiana where a mandatory evacuation was ordered. Residents in flood-weary New Orleans filled sandbags and hoped they wouldnt be needed.

Sections of New Orleans were still recovering from flash floods on Aug. 5 that caught many by surprise and revealed problems with the citys elaborate drainage system, including inoperative pumps. The revelations led to firings and the abrupt retirement of an agency head.

Thats just sheer severe neglect for many years, so Im kind of glad a few people got the boot they needed to, resident Steve Neighoff said as he hefted sandbags into his car. Im OK with the mayor. I dont think he can do everything. Hes not a technician, and he has to believe what people tell him. So do we, unfortunately.

Harvey was headed for a Texas landfall but rain bands moved over Louisiana Friday and officials there also braced for possible days of rain. Officials in Cameron Parish, on the coast at the Texas state line, ordered an evacuation south of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Livestock, as well as people, were a big concern.

This morning we had trucks lined up on the side of the highway, all with cow trailers and horse trailers, said Lori Boullion, a worker at Caniks Feed & Grocery in the Creole community.

Chief Deputy Chris Savoie of the Cameron Parish Sheriffs Office said roughly 3,500 residents were covered by the evacuation order. Later Friday, a voluntary evacuation was ordered for part of neighboring Vermilion Parish, affecting an estimated 10,000 people.

Forecasters said southwest Louisiana could get 15 inches to 20 inches of rain over the next several days, along with possible storm surges of more than a foot. They raised fears that the storm could stall and eventually meander eastward after landfall, inundating Louisiana with rain well into next week.

Forecasts called for anywhere from four to 10 inches of rain in and around New Orleans over the next week.

Improvements to the drainage system are ongoing, but officials say the system still isnt functioning at full capacity.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, who issued an emergency declaration to prepare for the storm Thursday, traveled to southwest Louisiana on Friday. He met with emergency response officials in Calcasieu Parish, north of Cameron Parish.

Edwards, during a news briefing in Lake Charles, said he had spoken to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday and offered any additional resources they need, in terms of personnel or assets.

Edwards said he also had a conversation Thursday evening with President Donald Trump, who called and checked on things in Louisiana.

He wanted to make sure that any requests for assistance that we needed from the federal government were being met, and obviously that is the case, Edwards said.

Edwards said the greatest risk for Louisiana is complacency given the hurricanes uncertain path after landfall in Texas.

___

Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge. AP Television News reporter Stacey Plaisance in New Orleans contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON  A top economic adviser to President Donald Trump said hes come under enormous pressure both to quit and to remain at the White House following the administrations widely criticized response to violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

White House economic adviser Gary Cohn said in an interview with the Financial Times: As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting Jews will not replace us to cause this Jew to leave his job.

Cohn said he was reluctant to leave also because he feels a duty to his job. But, he said, he felt compelled to voice my distress over the Charlottesville incident, adding citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK.

Trump initially said both sides were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville. He later blamed the media for the condemnation of his response to the violent protests, saying in Phoenix hed openly called for healing unity and love in the immediate aftermath.

Cohn told the newspaper that the Trump administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups and do everything we can to heal the deep divisions that exist in our communities.

Cohn, the director of the National Economic Council, outlined the administrations upcoming push to overhaul the nations tax code in the interview. He said the bill could be passed in the House and Senate in 2017, pushing back the administrations timetable for a bill to reach the presidents desk. The White House had said previously that it expected final passage in November.

Cohn said the tax overhaul is the White Houses number one focus right now and said the president will be making a major push for changing the nations tax system beginning next week. Trump is expected to rally support for a tax overhaul at an event next Wednesday in Springfield, Missouri. Administration officials have argued that lowering personal and business tax rates would generate millions of jobs and spur faster economic growth.

__

On Twitter follow Ken Thomas at https://twitter.com/KThomasDC
SANTA FE  A Santa Fe man was arrested Thursday after neighbors say he terrorized their neighborhood on Maez Road by declaring himself a white supremacist, using racial slurs, threatening to shoot them and at one point discharging a gun.

Zachary Stanton, 40, was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, two counts of tampering with evidence and a count of assault on a peace officer after he surrendered to police responding to calls about 11 a.m. Thursday.

One witness said Stanton was saying that he was a white supremacist and threatened to shoot her whole family. Another said he saw the man arguing with neighbors and pointing a gun in their direction.

The male was marching like he was Hitler and saying he had friends who are KKK and skinheads and he would burn all the Mexican houses down, according to the criminal complaint. The witnesses are Hispanic, according to the report.

Stanton was described as saluting like a Nazi and yelling racial slurs at neighbors. He told them that they were on his land and if they stepped in his yard, he would shoot them. At one point, Stanton went back into his house and returned with a handgun. Two witnesses said they then ran back into their homes and heard multiple gunshots.

A Santa Fe Police Department spokesman said because of that Stanton could also be charged with a hate crime, but that would be up to the district attorney and jury to decide.

A surveillance video police viewed showed Stanton had appeared in front of his house with a cellphone in one had and a silver handgun in the other. It was visible (that) Mr. Stanton was pointing the handgun and cell phone in the direction of the neighbors, the police report states. Mr. Stanton also appeared to be recording the incident on his cell phone.

Officers later defused the situation, getting Stanton to go to his knees and place his hands behind his head before handcuffing him. As he was being placed in a police car to be taken to the hospital for evaluation, he allegedly spit in the face of an officer. Stanton was being held at the Santa Fe County jail, apparently in a medical unit, on $5,000 bond, jail records show. He said in a restraining order complaint last year that he is disabled and suffers from PTSD.
A police officer received a dog bite Friday evening while arresting car thief suspects in southeast Albuquerque, according to an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman.

Daren DeAguero said police were arresting three people for stealing a car, near Wyoming and Lomas, when the officer was bit.

All three subjects inside the vehicle were taken into custody without incident, he said. Unfortunately, as this was being done, one officer did receive a dog bite.

DeAguero said the officer was taken to a local hospital and is OK.

He said around 4:46 p.m. police found a stolen vehicle and it was followed by an APD helicopter until it stopped on Wyoming near Lomas NE.

During that time the intersection of Wyoming and Lomas NE was closed, but has been reopened.
A study measuring sound levels along a half-mile stretch of Unser Boulevard in the Paradise Hills area had locals bringing the noise to a public meeting.

The Wednesday meeting hosted by Bernalillo County had engineers speaking to more than 20 residents about the study that focused on Unser NW, between Paradise and Irving, to determine whether walls are necessary to mitigate traffic noise for neighbors.

This is what were talking about, Bernalillo County engineer Howard Cake said, as images of the proposed wall were projected on a screen behind him.

At the Paradise Hills Community Center, Cake and others discussed the potential positive and negative impacts of such a project before giving area residents a chance to vote on building the wall.

If built, the wall will be different heights, from 5 feet to 9 feet tall, depending on the noise level on that specific stretch of road, he said. Current walls and fences along the road are not adequate, due to gaps and spaces, to keep sound out.

It has to be a solid wall, Cake said.

Benefits for residents include less noise and more privacy, he explained, while negatives involve getting the easements to build the walls and blocked views.

Residents brought forth a litany of concerns  from the loss of trees and access to backyard gates to who will pay for it  often speaking over engineers and each other as they expressed themselves.

The feedback wasnt unexpected, Cake said, calling it typical of such public meetings.

He said its beneficial to hear those complaints because it allows them to change the direction and approach of project, he said. Residents were encouraged to write down any concerns on the same paper they used to vote on the issue.

For many present, the traffic noise has risen far above just being a nuisance.

Michael Madrid said the pictures on the wall of his home rattle when a car with loud speakers or a large truck pass by.

When we moved here, he said, there was no Unser.

He and his wife, Gloria, have lived in the area for nearly 50 years, he said. In the last decade, they have seen traffic increase exponentially.

Most definitely, Madrid said, with the worst of it during morning rush hour.

Cake said the sound study began in late 2016 after Bernalillo County Commissioner Lonnie Talbert received complaints about traffic noise.

The study involved measuring noise levels, in decibels, and creating a model based on sound location and house height in relation to sound source, he said. To warrant the wall, levels must have measured higher than 66 decibels.

Madrid said the proposed wall would be 5 feet tall outside his home, but he doesnt believe thats high enough  considering there are plans to widen Irving to four lanes.

Its going to be even noisier, he said, adding that he will vote yes if the county agrees to build it 8 feet. Anything that would cut down the noise would certainly help.

To move forward on the project, they need a 51 percent majority vote from impacted residents and then they could start to look for funding and possible designs, Cake said. For those that werent at the meeting, the county will continue to try to contact property owners.

I can understand reasons why people would say no,  he said, adding that residents asking for a taller wall could jeopardize the project.

Cake said an adjustment to 6 feet, maybe 7, is possible but anything higher complicates matters.

It starts to become really expensive, he said, due to increased stabilization and construction required.

While Madrid would settle for 8 feet, some residents at the meeting were aiming even higher  at 9 feet.

We kind of run into an issue, Cake said. It is possible for one person to kill a project.
Rio Rancho Public Schools has improved its school grades over the past year, though the results are still well below 2015, when half the districts schools earned As.

Overall, 28 percent of RRPS received the top grade this year  the same percentage as 2016, according to results released by the Public Education Department on Tuesday. Bs rose from 28 percent to 44 percent, while Cs declined from 33 percent to 22 percent. Only one school earned a D this year  Rio Rancho Elementary. The district has never received an F.

We saw gains in many more areas than declines, said Carl Leppelman, associate superintendent of curriculum and instruction. Our staff is working hard, and it shows in the scores.

Across the state, 16 percent of public schools received failing grades, up from 13 percent in 2016. The number of A-rated schools held steady at 14 percent.

Overall, 127,882 New Mexico students attend an A- or B-rated school today  roughly 32,000 more than in 2012, the year New Mexico launched school grades. The group in D and F schools is nearly as large  115,899 students. Statewide, 88,397 students attend C schools.

While Rio Rancho is still one of New Mexicos highest performing districts, its grades were better two years ago.

In 2015, 50 percent of the districts schools received an A, 33 percent received a B and 17 percent a C. The results slipped dramatically in 2016.

Happy Miller, RRPS accountability chief, attributed the decline to a switch from paper-and-pencil to computerized testing.

Research has shown that test format impacts scores, particularly among children who dont have computers at home.

You do have to be cautious comparing years because we did have different formats, Miller said. Now we are looking at how do we get technology in the hands of all students.

School grades are calculated primarily based on test score growth  improvement from year to year. But the Public Education Department has been steadily increasing the weight of proficiency  the raw test scores.

In 2019, proficiency will make up 33 percent of middle or elementary school grades, up from 15 percent in 2015. High schools will see proficiency grow to 25 percent in 2019, compared to 10 percent in 2015.

Acting secretary of education Christopher Ruszkowski told the Journal that some districts are meeting tougher standards and others are not.

There is a growing disparity, he said.

 Albuquerque Public Schools saw Fs rise from 25 percent in 2016 to 34 percent this year. In 2012, just 11 percent of APS schools earned Fs. The new report awarded A grades to 9 percent of APS schools.

 Santa Fe had a mixed picture. F grades climbed from 17 percent in 2016 to 23 percent in 2017, while As dropped from 17 percent to 13 percent. Bs dramatically increased from 7 percent in 2016 to 23 percent in 2017.

 Bernalillo Public Schools received one A, two Bs, two Cs, one D and two Fs this year. Placitas Elementary has been a consistent success story, earning three As in a row. On the other side, Bernalillo Middle School got Ds in 2015 and 2016, then fell to an F this year.

Rio Rancho Superintendent Sue Cleveland said she is not satisfied with her districts grades. She stressed that she pushes for improvement each year, but the reality is that it is hard to achieve.

The statewide teacher shortage is a significant factor, according to Cleveland.

We have some really good substitutes, but they are not always certified in all the areas that they are required to teach, Cleveland said. Nothing is more important than having that highly qualified teacher in the classroom.
History has been breaking news lately in Montana. The publicity revealed some of the best and the worst ideas circulating in our state.

First, Helena city commissioners ordered the removal of a century-old fountain erected by a group that supported the Ku Klux Klan to honor Confederate soldiers who fought against the United States in the Civil War. Two years ago, the commission had decided that the Confederate memorial should have a sign to describe its history. Most unfortunately, that informative signage was never added. In the wake of violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, over plans to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, Helena leaders quickly decided to remove the memorial from a city park for public safety.

Native American state lawmakers united in an eloquent call to remove that monument to racism and defenders of slavery. Other Montanans decried the loss of history with the memorials removal. The angriest comments indicated ignorance of Civil War history.

The Ku Klux Klan history is racist and anti-Catholic, and, more recently, anti-LGBTQ. The Klan was active in Montana through the 1920s and beyond. Forty-two different Klan groups were operating in 22 states as of June this year, but none was in Montana, according to a report from the Anti-Defamation League.

After the Helena memorial story came welcome news of Montanans striving to present history accurately, to teach tolerance by informing new generations about the Holocaust. The Holocaust Museum of Montana, based in Bozeman, announced a board with members including former U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, his wife, Melodee Hanes, mountaineer Conrad Anker, Montana State University President Waded Cruzado, former U.S. Rep. Rick Hill and former Billings Mayor Chuck Tooley.

Our state and nation are in dire need of honest and accurate portrayals of history. Let there be no equivocating: The Nazis brutally murdered 6 million Jews, plus other people who didnt fit the Nazi definition of pure white. Nazis started World War II, the war that took 60 million lives in battle, disease and famine.

Executive Director Chavie Bruk, wife of a Bozeman rabbi, said the museum will present history to teach people to build a better future. The goal is education, teaching tolerance and love, accepting people for who they are, Bruk said. Its OK to have differences. We can still love and respect each other.

Development plans include two classrooms, a multimedia room and exhibit gallery. Bruk wants visitors to do more than just walk through. She envisions engaging folks with interactive exhibits, lectures, discussions and other activities.

In a video promoting the Holocaust Museum of Montana, Georgette Cassen, a Holocaust survivor now living in Bozeman, says: You have to remember because it could happen again. There is enough hatred in this world it could happen again.

Cassen is correct. There is no room in a free society for denying the Holocaust. No place for glorifying slavery, racism or secession from the United States. Montanans who value the Constitution must marginalize hate speech and embrace the equal protections our U.S. laws guarantee to all citizens.
Pick one: Yes or No. Thats it. Thats all the input Albuquerque voters will get on the proposed sick-leave ordinance appearing on this years municipal-election ballot.

Why would OLE (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment)  formerly known as ACORN before this progressive group went bankrupt for misleading voters in the late 2000s  be against an Albuquerque City Council alternative sick-leave ballot question that ensured a public process of citizen input and involvement?

Probably for the same reasons the group fought to keep the full text of the proposed ordinance off the ballot. Is it because members dont think the average voter will understand the hidden mandates and legal penalties in their seven-page ordinance and, therefore, will vote to pass it without reading it? Or is it because the organizers are well aware that no city council would ever enact this extreme and onerous proposal drafted by out-of-state attorneys?

The City Council passed, in a 7-1 vote, an advisory question to go on the ballot in October: Shall the governing body of the city of Albuquerque promptly enact a sick leave ordinance in a manner that promotes public participation, public hearings, transparency and fairness so that a wise and workable sick leave policy is adopted and effective no later than Jan. 1, 2019?

Our 30-plus-member coalition of business and trade groups thinks paid sick leave should be a business decision, not a local government mandate. But where mandates are the will of the voters, we would much rather have all stakeholders work in a transparent, public process toward a fair, workable law. Who wouldnt?

OLE, thats who. Although OLE purports to be in favor of a sick-leave law, the organization went to court to have this advisory question, which simply invited the public to help write the best law possible if a law is what the public wants, stricken from the ballot.

I sat in the courtroom and listened to OLEs political-science expert, University of New Mexico Professor Gabriel Sanchez, testify under oath that Ballot measures tend to be written in a very complex fashion with a lot of legalistic terminology that most of the average voting population cannot comprehend easily. In fact, the (academic) literature has suggested when they reviewed ballot-initiative language across the country, the reading comprehension level required is much higher than the  average voting American. OLEs own expert witness said in court testimony that OLEs seven-page ordinance, full of indecipherable legalese, is bad for voters.

Professor Sanchez was unequivocal in his praise of the City Councils advisory-question approach: The advisory question, because it is in line with the political science research on the subject  shorter, more concise and written in a clearer fashion that voters can understand  will be answered by a much wider segment of the voting population than the full ordinance, which is the opposite of that  very lengthy and very technical language.

Unfortunately and despite our argument that the clear, concise advisory question would be fair, given the long, complex, hard-to-read ordinance from OLEs out-of-state lawyers, the simple, understandable question was struck from the ballot, leaving voters to vote ONLY on OLEs our way or no way question.

Last month our hometown daily newspaper ran a story that Denver is a more attractive city and that Albuquerqueans are increasingly finding reasons to head north.

If Denver is a city Albuquerque should emulate to keep more of our best and brightest, we need to note that Denver voters overwhelmingly rejected a similar sick-leave mandate in 2011.

When our only choices regarding sick leave are Yes/OLEs way and No/lets find another way, we must follow Denver and turn the ballot over and vote no.
Reader reaction to my last column on voter fraud precisely proved my point.

We have become so consumed with spewing political snark in this country that were often blinded to our problems. Were so busy throwing darts at those who dont think exactly as we do that we fail to see the unraveling of our most basic systems.

Voter suppression exists. Not voter fraud, wrote reader Elizabeth Blackburn. Its just an excuse to keep minorities from voting.

She missed my point. Voter suppression was not the topic of my last column, but I dont doubt it exists. The last presidential election was also not mentioned, but that didnt stop readers from taking a partisan leap after I expressed concern about the existence of voter fraud in American elections.

Did you notice that the nation is in an actual crisis over the moral bankruptcy of our fascist, racist, isolationist president, Whitney Buchanan wrote to scold me. Or maybe you think everything is fine because your head is also buried in the sand. She then wished me a speedy recovery. Cute, but again way off the point.

It is as if Blackburn, Buchanan and the many others who wrote hadnt even read the column in which I reported voter fraud facts from Ohio, California, North Carolina and Virginia. Officials in those states admit they have had a problem.

The names of dead citizens remain on the voter rolls and records show votes have been cast using their names. How is that not fraud?

Yet reader Critz George wrote to declare, Academics have done research on this and none have turned up any evidence for more than a trivial rate of improper votes cast. That made me wonder how many fraudulent votes we should feel comfortable with. My answer would be: none. But then George seemed to say illegal voters should be rewarded!

If that few care that much for the public weal, one could argue that they deserve a medal. So, we should applaud those who illegally vote? I dont think so, Mr. George.

I had reported another type of voter fraud, as well. Election records show that some citizens who are registered to vote in more than one state cast ballots in two states in the same election. Maybe they got a mail-in ballot in one state and showed up at the polls to vote in the other state. Or someone could have stolen their identity and cast a ballot in their absence. Either way, that is fraud. Disturbingly, when this criminal activity is detected, there are few prosecutions.

If voter fraud is happening in the four states I mentioned, you can bet it is happening in other states, too.

This is the sloppy way in which we treat one of our most revered American rights? Common sense tells us that our right, and duty, to vote is one of the most important components of our Republic. We do not take sufficient care of that sacred system, in my opinion.

Voting rolls across the country are flawed and little, or next to nothing, is being done about it because everyone is too busy hurling politically motivated putdowns. Disturbingly, we have begun to embrace a deflect-from-the-topic way of thinking and conversing with each other  deflectivity, if I may coin a phrase. Example: I say Id like to improve my glass of milk by adding chocolate syrup and someone automatically argues, But what about the rising rate of childhood obesity? Its a completely off-the-point conversation. Its as if weve lost our ability to focus.

Back to my original topic. Do we investigate and really get to the bottom of how prevalent voter fraud is in this country, or do we allow the problem to grow and fester?

I say every state should take a serious deep dive look into their particular situation. First, purge dead peoples names from the voter rolls with a quick check of the states death records. That should be easy to do. And maybe Congress passes a law banning voter registration in more than one state. If youre lucky enough to own two homes, pick one state in which you register to vote. If you move your residence from one state to another, you should be responsible for removing your name from the voting rolls in the state you are leaving. Then, when you register in your new community, you must swear, under penalty of law, that you are registered in only one state. Finally, prosecutors must make it a priority to arrest and seek convictions for those who participate in voter fraud.

These are some solid suggestions on how to strengthen our voting system. No snark, no political sniping  just solid ideas on how we might make the system more reliable. It doesnt mean we ignore instances of voter suppression or the annoying boasts of a president who continues to crow about his victory. It just means we tackle one problem at a time. Really, thats the only way things get done.

www.DianeDimond.com; email to Diane@DianeDimond.com.
Much of the country has demanded the elimination of references to, and images of, people of the past who do not meet our evolving standards of probity.

In some cases, such damnation may be understandable if done calmly and peacefully  and democratically, by a majority vote of elected representatives.

Few probably wish to see a statue in a public park honoring Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the founding members of the Ku Klux Klan, or Supreme Court Justice Roger B. Taney, who wrote the majority opinion in the racist Dred Scott decision that set the stage for the Civil War four years later.

But cleansing the past is a dangerous business. The wide liberal search for more enemies of the past may soon take progressives down hypocritical pathways they would prefer not to walk.

In the present climate of auditing the past, it is inevitable that Margaret Sangers Planned Parenthood will have to be disassociated from its founder. Sanger was an racist and eugenicist who pushed abortion to reduce the non-white population.

Should we ask that Ruth Bader Ginsburg resign from the Supreme Court? Ginsburg echoed Sanger in a racist reference to abortion  growth in populations that we dont want to have too many of.

Why did we mint a Susan B. Anthony dollar? The progressive suffragist once said, I will cut off this right arm of mine before I will ever work or demand the ballot for the Negro and not the woman.

Liberal icon and Supreme Court Justice Earl Warren pushed for the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II while he was Californias attorney general.

President Woodrow Wilson ensured that the Armed Forces were not integrated. He also segregated civil service agencies. Why, then, does Princeton University still cling to its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs? To honor a progressive who did a great deal of harm to African-American causes?

Wilsons progressive racism, dressed up in pseudo-scientific theories, was perhaps more pernicious than that of the old tribal racists of the South, given that it was not regionally centered and was professed to be fact-based and ecumenical, with the power of the presidency behind it.

In the current logic, Klan membership certainly should be a disqualifier of public commemoration. Why are there public buildings and roads still dedicated to the late Democratic Senator Robert Byrd, former exalted cyclops of his local Klan affiliate, who reportedly never shook his lifelong habit of using the N-word?

Why is 20th century Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, once a Klansman, still honored as a progressive hero?

So, what are the proper rules of exemption for progressives when waging war against the dead?

Do they tally up the deads good and bad behaviors to see if someone makes the 51 percent good progressive cutoff that exempts him? Or do some reactionary sins cancel out all the progressive good?

Are the supposedly oppressed exempt from charges of oppression?

Farm-labor icon Cesar Chavez once sent union thugs to the border to physically bar U.S. entry to undocumented Mexican immigrants, whom he derided as wetbacks in a fashion that would today surely earn Chavez progressive ostracism as a xenophobe.

Kendrick Lamar, one of the favorite rappers of former President Barack Obama, had an album cover featuring a presumably dead white judge with both of his eyes Xd out, surrounded by black men celebrating on the White House lawn. Should such a divisive racialist have been honored with a White House invitation?

What is the ultimate purpose of progressives condemning the past?

Does toppling the statue of a Confederate general  without a referendum or a majority vote of an elected council  improve racial relations? Does renaming a bridge or building reduce unemployment in the inner city?

Do progressives have their own logical set of selective rules and extenuating circumstances that damn or exempt particular historical figures? If so, what are they?

Does selectively warring against the illiberal past make us feel better about doing something symbolic when we cant do something substantive? Or is it a sign of raw power and ego when activists force authorities to cave to their threats and remove images and names in the dead of night?

Does damning the dead send a flashy signal of our superior virtue?

And will toppling statues and erasing names cease only when modern progressives are forced to blot out the memories of racist progressive heroes?
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

The standoff over a nationally rated charter schools attempt to expand into Rio Rancho continues to heat up.

The latest salvo was delivered by the attorney for the Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics and Science to the Rio Rancho School Board, contending that the boards original vote to file a lawsuit halting the second school was illegal and the lawsuit should be void.

AIMS attorney Marty Esquivel says the Board of Education was required to hold a public vote to approve the lawsuit in 2014, but he can find no record of it.

Last week, Esquivel sent Rio Rancho Public Schools attorney Charlotte Hetherington a letter threatening to sue for an open meetings violation if he did not receive an explanation by Aug. 30.

It is incumbent upon the Board to acknowledge its violation and withdraw its lawsuit on that basis, he wrote.

In 2014, the district sued the state Public Education Department in Santa Fes 1st Judicial District Court over a waiver granted to AIMS, a top-rated college preparatory school housed on the UNM South campus in Albuquerque.

The waiver gave AIMS permission to open a second location at UNM West  within Rio Ranchos boundaries  without applying for a new charter. Typically, charter schools must be reauthorized if they expand outside their original district.

In May, Judge David K. Thomson ruled in AIMS favor, saying former Education Secretary Hanna Skandera and her department acted within their authority in granting the waiver. Public interest in this case would be subverted by allowing the Plaintiff-Appellant (the Rio Rancho Public Schools Board) to delay an appropriate exercise of the waiver authority of the Secretary, Thomson wrote in his ruling.

The order pointed out that AIMS had received a Daniels Fund grant to try to replicate the success of its first school by using a different location, teachers and students. If it can be established that the model will lead to success in more than one environment, it may be possible to provide this model, this option, to more students in New Mexico, the order said.

The school board appealed, claiming Thomsons ruling used an overbroad interpretation of the scope of the Secretarys authority. The Court of Appeals has agreed to hear the case.

Regarding Esquivels contention that the original vote was illegal, Rancho Public Schools spokeswoman Kim Vesely told the Journal that the district believes the board is not required to publicly vote on threatened or pending litigation.

Esquivel disagreed and said discussions about defending a lawsuit can be held in a private executive session, but state law requires a boards policy decision to spend money  even to initiate a lawsuit  must be made publicly.

I think if a school district is going to file a lawsuit with taxpayer money, which has the net effect of blocking a charter school which can offer more AP options to students in Rio Rancho, then that is something that needs to be discussed in the open before its community, Esquivel said. It shouldnt be a secretly conducted discussion and decision by policy makers in a vacuum.

New Mexico Foundation for Open Government executive director Peter St. Cyr agreed that the lawsuit is moot without a public vote.

He added that NMFOG supports public discussions of potential policies.

We dont want public policies being decided behind closed doors, St. Cyr said. The public has the right to know what is informing, shaping and directing these kinds of decisions and to hold their school board members accountable for the votes they make.

AIMS director Kathy Sandoval has said she believes the districts objection is really all about turf.

Everyone in Rio Rancho was welcoming except the school district, she said.

Gary Tripp, the districts chief of staff and engagement, stressed that administrators want charter schools to follow proper procedure and they have nothing against AIMS specifically.

I dont think this is a turf war, he said. There is a process that is clearly defined. We want to make sure the process is followed.

Rio Ranchos ASK Academy charter school adhered to the procedure and has a good relationship with the district, Tripp said.

The New Mexico School Superintendents Association and the New Mexico School Boards Association both support the districts position on AIMS attempt to locate in Rio Rancho.

Sandoval said Rio Rancho Public Schools heavy hand is denying families access to a proven, flexible and accountable education system.

Over 1,800 children are on a wait list to attend AIMS.

The Washington Post recently rated AIMS the best school in New Mexico and 43rd in the nation. Currently, AIMS has about 350 students in grades six through 12.

Sandoval vowed to keep pushing to open the UNM West location.

Originally, the site was slated to launch in fall 2014 with 40 sixth-graders, adding a new grade each year until the school enrolled about 350 students.

UNM West had given AIMS two classrooms, and Sandoval said some of her teachers had moved to Rio Rancho.

Rio Rancho parents and students have told us they want our type of education, Sandoval said. The Rio Rancho City Council has embraced us. There is obviously a need and a strong desire for our school.
A grandmother who serves children at a local elementary school, a city employee who helped save the life of a dog hit by a car and a police officer who used his own money to replace stolen bicycles for two distraught children were recognized by the Mayors Office on Friday for their unselfish acts.

Evelina Gonzalez

was named Albuquerques Volunteer of the Month for making sure students at Inez Elementary School, where her grandson attended school, had enough to eat during weekends.

She began volunteering in her grandsons classroom by performing simple tasks such as making copies and helping with any other classroom needs. When the school partnered with Childrens Choice Child Care Services, Gonzalez began volunteering with the organizations before- and after-school programs.

Later, she helped spearhead the schools Weekend Food Backpack program, organizing and packing about 50 backpacks weekly with two breakfasts, two lunches and additional snacks for each child in a family. Now retired after working 40 years at Central New Mexico Community College, Gonzalez has donated more than 1,400 hours in the last three years.

Elizabeth Jones, an accountant in the citys Environmental Health Department, was named this weeks Good Samaritan.

While en route to work last month, Jones came upon a badly injured dog in the middle of Comanche west of Moon. The German shepherd was apparently hit by a vehicle. Even as other cars passed by, Jones stopped. A passing jogger helped her lift the large animal into her car, which she drove to a nearby veterinary hospital. Later in the day, Jones called the hospital to check on the dogs status and learned that the veterinary staff was able to save its life. Because the dog had been microchipped, the staff was also able to locate the dogs owners.

Albuquerque police officer Paul Haugh recognized a young brother and sister who were distraught as they stood in front of a Southeast Heights Wal-Mart. The children told the officer that they had locked up their bikes before going inside and when they returned about 20 minutes later they found that their bicycles had been stolen and only a piece of the lock remained. The 10-year police veteran had the children call a parent to pick them up, and while they were waiting, he took the children inside the store, had them pick out new bicycles and purchased them out of his own pocket, along with sturdy new locks. For that act of kindness and compassion, Haugh was named Fridays Hero.

The awards were presented in City Hall by Albuquerques Chief Administrative Officer Rob Perry, filling in for Mayor Richard Berry who was tied up with other city business.

We welcome suggestions for the daily Bright Spot. Send to newsroom@abqjournal.com.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Susan Wheeler-Deichsels run for mayor didnt start until after she tried recruiting a couple of other candidates.

They both said, Well, Susan, why not you?  Wheeler-Deichsel recalls. I thought about it for a while, and then the light came on.

Shes now one of eight candidates on the ballot to succeed Richard Berry as mayor of Albuquerque.

Wheeler-Deichsel, 65, is a Downtown resident, co-founder of the civic group Urban ABQ and an entrepreneur. She has started and run businesses in insurance, cleaning and food delivery.

And she attracted attention at City Hall a few years ago when she led the effort to spruce up the Lowes grocery store at 11th and Lomas on the outskirts of the Downtown core  an experience she says demonstrates her ability to collaborate and get things done.

But her candidacy also faces some challenges  fundraising, among them, she acknowledges.

Wheeler-Deichsel, an independent, says shes committed to the nonpartisan system of government in Albuquerque, where party affiliation doesnt appear on the ballot and theres no primary election to choose nominees. And her refusal to embrace a political party  shes mostly a centrist, she says  has made it difficult to hire a campaign manager.

Nonetheless, she says, she has a strong group of volunteers and, in a recent interview, she made it clear that she believes she has the skills to serve as mayor of New Mexicos largest city.

Can I win? she said, repeating an interviewers question. Donald Trump is president. I mean, really.

Eight candidates

Albuquerque voters will head to the polls Oct. 3 in whats likely to be the first of two rounds of voting. If no one gets a majority of votes in October, the top two candidates will compete in a runoff election in November.

On the ballot are:

 Independents Wheeler-Deichsel and Michelle Garcia Holmes, a former chief of staff for the state attorney general and a retired Albuquerque police detective.

 Democrats Brian Colon, an attorney and former state Democratic Party chairman; Tim Keller, the state auditor and a former state senator; and Gus Pedrotty, a recent University of New Mexico graduate.

 Republicans Ricardo Chaves, founder of Parking Co. of America; County Commissioner Wayne Johnson; and City Councilor Dan Lewis.

Accomplishments

Wheeler-Deichsel grew up in Sacramento, Calif. Her family was poor, she said, and she dropped out of high school twice before going to night school and earning her diploma.

Her youth included peace marches in the 1960s, three Beatles concerts and a stint dating a musician who would later join the Eagles, Timothy B. Schmit.

Wheeler-Deichsel said she eventually earned a bachelors degree in psychology. She has generally been self-employed, she said, operating a variety of small businesses.

She had a Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy in the 1980s but paid off her debts, she said.

Wheeler-Deichsel and her husband, Richard, moved to Albuquerque about 11 years ago and live in the Downtown area, a few blocks from the Lowes grocery store that would thrust her into neighborhood politics.

The store had a limited produce section at the time and lacked some fancy touches  such as an olive bar  but it was the closest thing Downtown had to a full grocery store then.

Wheeler-Deichsel got in touch with the owner and succeeded in persuading him to renovate the place into a more modern store that matches the historic, hip neighborhood nearby.

But she faced opposition, too, because the renovation included government approval to sell alcohol.

I had no background in any of this, she said. I had to teach myself from the ground up how to maneuver in a landscape like that, and, in the end, it was a huge triumph.

She later helped found Urban ABQ, a volunteer group that promotes pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development and projects.

Community organizer

Wheeler-Deichsel said she would bring a nonpartisan approach to City Hall. Her self-employed background, she said, gives her a good grasp on financial matters, and she would hire smart professionals to help her run the city well.

Crime and public safety are the biggest issues facing the city, Wheeler-Deichsel said, and she would replace Police Chief Gorden Eden and focus on meeting or exceeding the terms of a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, which is requiring Albuquerque to enact a series of police reforms.

Wheeler-Deichsel supports the Albuquerque Rapid Transit project and says it could be a financial boost to struggling families that could take the bus rather than pay to own a car.

Gross receipts taxes should be raised only with voter approval, she said.

Rob Dickson, who redeveloped the old Albuquerque High School, described Wheeler-Deichsel as an effective community organizer. He has worked with Wheeler-Deichsel on efforts to revitalize Downtown Albuquerque and make it more pedestrian-friendly.

I think she intellectually is the kind of person who looks both within and outside of Albuquerque for best practices and potential solutions to the challenges we face as a community, Dickson said in an interview. Shes an intelligent person with a good heart.

Finances

Wheeler-Deichsel hasnt raised much money for her campaign so far. Her campaign reported a negative balance earlier this month, putting her last among the eight candidates in cash on hand.

But she said she remains capable of winning the race.

I want to serve the people of this city, Wheeler-Deichsel said. I believe Im perfectly well-qualified.
In the span of three hours, as Hurricane Harvey barreled toward landfall in Texas on Friday night, the White House dropped three controversial stories  taking the classic tactic of burying news on a Friday night to new heights.

As the nation watched and worried about one of the strongest hurricanes to strike the U.S. in more than a decade, the White House announced banning new transgender recruits in the military and the pardon of convicted Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. At the same time, news leaked that a contentious far-right aide to the president, Sebastian Gorka, has left his job. Word of a North Korean missile launch added to the sense of drama. Some hours earlier, the administration had unveiled more sanctions against Venezuela.

All the while, President Donald Trump seemed determined to show hes on the case of monitoring the storm  to avoid the mistakes made by George W. Bush when Katrina flooded New Orleans in 2005 and killed almost 2,000 people. Trump signed a disaster declaration for Texas and sent out seven tweets about the storm and the federal governments response.

Trumps critics, mostly Democrats but some Republicans as well, were quick to criticize Trumps decisions, particularly the pardon of Arpaio. Senate Democratic leader Charles Schumer mocked Trump for using the hurricane as a shield when delivering the news.

As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a courts order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nations Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David, Schumer, of New York, said in a series of tweets. The only reason to do these right now is to use the cover of Hurricane Harvey to avoid scrutiny. So sad, so weak.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders didnt respond to emails asking about the timing of the announcements.

Hurricane Harvey made landfall at about 10 p.m. local time Friday night, striking between Port Aransas and Port OConnor as a Category 4 storm  one level below the strongest  with Houston, Corpus Christi and Galveston in its sights. Those Texas cities have more than 2.6 million inhabitants combined.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, a Republican who has clashed with Trump, said that while Trump may have the authority to pardon Arpaio, doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

About two hours after Trump boarded Marine One for his trip to Camp David on Friday afternoon  as Harvey spun toward Texas  administration officials briefed reporters on the guidance the White House was giving to the Pentagon to implement the presidents order to bar recruitment of transgender people in the military.

Three hours later, at 8 p.m. Washington time, the press office released a statement about the Arpaio pardon. About the same time, the conservative magazine Federalist published a story on its website that Gorka was resigning from the administration.

Gorka was known for his strident defense of the president and criticism of the press, particularly on terrorism issues. That endeared him to the president, but critics in the foreign policy community questioned his credentials and the far-right policies he frequently espoused.

The transgender policy, reversing a directive of former President Barack Obama, and Arpaios pardon drew quick fire from Trumps critics in both parties, but both decision are sure to win praise from the presidents core supporters. But the departure of Gorka risks creating more fractures in Trumps base, coming on the heels of former strategist Stephen Bannons ouster one week ago.

Much of the criticism of Trumps transgender ban had already been aired since he first announced it in a tweet a month ago. In the more formal directive to the military released Friday, Trump rejected openly transgender individuals as new recruits but authorized Defense Secretary James Mattis to decide in the next six months how to handle transgender personnel already serving in the armed forces.

Trump, who often turns the signing of presidential directives into media events, in this case issued the memorandum out of sight. Rather than say anything about it in the immediate aftermath, he tweeted about the hurricane.

Storm turned Hurricane is getting much bigger and more powerful than projected. Federal Government is on site and ready to respond. Be safe! he said.

Trump also had telegraphed his decision about pardoning Arpaio, who was convicted of federal misdemeanor criminal contempt this year after a judge found he had defied a court order to stop using racial profiling in targeting Hispanics he suspected were undocumented immigrants.

Donald Trump is a coward for releasing this news on a Friday when the nations attention is rightly focused on Hurricane Harvey and the people who are in its path, Arizona Congressman Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, said in a statement.

By pardoning Arpaio, Trump threatened to further inflame national tensions over race and immigration while also alienating some of the Republicans who have touted the importance of the rule of law.

Arpaio, who served for 24 years as the sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, was defeated in last years election.

I have to thank the president of the United States, Arpaio said in a telephone interview. I feel vindicated.
LONDON  The shock came late on a summer evening: After an idyllic Mediterranean holiday, Princess Diana had been in a car crash in Paris. Her boyfriend was dead; she was hospitalized, condition unclear.

She died a few hours later on Aug. 31, 1997, plunging Britain into grief that lingers to this day. Twenty years later, the memory of Diana  a youthful mother cut down, leaving two children behind  remains vital, her influence still felt.

Time has blurred the memories, but people around the world still remember Diana as a young bride, so taken with Prince Charles, and as a glamorous trendsetter dancing at the White House with John Travolta. She was the fun-loving mom taking her two boys on amusement park rides, and the tireless charity worker who reached out to AIDS patients when they were shunned by much of society.

The sons Diana left behind  Prince William, now 35, and Prince Harry, 32  are playing increasingly important roles in Britains national life as the public focuses on the next generation of royals, sometimes at the expense of William and Harrys father, Prince Charles.

Her essential legacy is her children and the fact is that they have become known more as her children than as his, in the sense that the charity work they are doing resonates with what she was doing  difficult issues like mental health, just like she took on AIDS, Diana biographer Andrew Morton said. So she has a living legacy.

Mortons 1992 book about Diana revealed the depth of her despair: her struggle with a serious eating disorder, attempts at self-harm, and what he calls the deep unhappiness of her union with Charles, which ended in a bitter divorce in 1996.

It was supposed to be so different. Charles was heir to the throne, and Dianas entry into the royal family meant she was likely to become queen one day.

Theirs was perhaps a common story of infidelity and broken vows, but played out on an uncommonly public stage. Each used TV interviews and books by favored authors as megaphones in their bids for public sympathy.

Charles, with his somewhat stiff demeanor and unapproachable public persona, could never compete with Dianas doe-eyed appeal, especially when she famously complained there had always been three people in this marriage  an arch reference to Camilla Parker Bowles, who would marry Charles eight years after Dianas sudden death.

Many saw Diana as a young mother wronged by a privileged older husbands refusal to give up his lifelong mistress  even though the princess admitted to affairs of her own.

Refusing to fit the Windsor mold, she sought new ways to cope with fabulous wealth, worldwide fame, and sky-high expectations. She reached out and actually touched AIDS patients  a taboo at the time  and travelled to former combat zones to highlight the dangers land mines posed to civilians.

Many felt they could relate to her when she recounted her own battles with bulimia and talked openly of her disappointment and loneliness.

Some remember her for bringing a refreshing informality to the royal family  for example, taking young William and Harry in 1993 to Thorpe Park, a popular amusement center near London where they squealed and screamed along with everyone else on the water rides.

Carol Meredith, a nurse who recently visited the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain in Hyde Park with her husband, said that in the past senior royals would have had the amusement park cleared so they could enjoy it without mingling with the public.

Today, she said, the royals arent like that.

Diana changed that, she said. When she used to take her kids to Thorpe Park, she enjoyed being with everybody else and doing the same as everybody else. She changed what you think of the royal family.

Merediths husband, Andrew, said Diana was different from other royals.

They were a little bit staid, he said. They were a little bit, you know, We are the royalty, here to be seen but not to be spoken to or touched. At least with Diana, you felt as if she was touchable. She was within reach.

The difference between the two approaches  and the depth of the publics affection for Diana  crystallized in the days after her death, when tens of thousands of mourners paid tribute to Diana by placing flowers outside Londons Kensington Palace, where she had lived.

Queen Elizabeth II was on vacation in Scotland at the time of the accident, and she remained there for several days. She declined to lower the flag atop Buckingham Palace to half-staff, citing protocol, as rare public anger mounted against the monarch.

Elizabeth seemed, publicly at least, unmoved by Dianas death, even as the prime minister  media-savvy Tony Blair  coined a memorable phrase in describing Diana as the peoples princess.

The queen eventually relented and came to London to pay her respects. The royal family then took steps to regain public favor, in part by adopting the more people-friendly approach Diana had used.

Chloe Dyson, a secondary school teacher also visiting Hyde Park, said Diana remains an inspirational figure two decades after her death.

She still obviously has a strong image in the British psyche, Dyson said, adding that Dianas accessible approach brought her closer to the British people than other royals.

People felt they could identify with her, Dyson said, remembering the impact of Dianas charitable endeavors, including visits to hospitals and homeless shelters. She was doing good work.

___

Associated Press writer Leonore Schick contributed to this report.
Integrated marketing agency Brand Street India has launched Rural Street, a new identity for its rural marketing branch. Rajesh Dogra has been tasked with the agencys planning and implementation of rural projects nationally. After having run a few successful rural campaigns in the past for TVS Motor Company, Tata Motors, and TI Cycles, Brand Street India is all set to create new channels.

With more than two decades of experience in planning and implementation at hand, Dogra has worked with the rural teams of Dentsu Aegis Network, Percept Out of Home, Dr. Jains Video on Wheels and more.

Speaking about the new identity, Surendra Singh, National Head, Brand Street India, said, Rural marketing has always been on our agenda; however we had to wait for the right time to see our growth path before making it a priority. Rural consumers are aspiring to purchase high quality products, therefore, we are optimistic about the growth of the countrys rural consumer markets. Now is the perfect time for us to allocate required dedication and resources towards it.

Commenting on the new division, Argha Sengupta, Business Director, Brand Street India, said, Theres a little bit of rural in all of Brand Street Indias members. We have executed some good rural campaigns in the past and continue to do so, but our clients do not perceive us as a dedicated rural agency, yet. We are now building a dedicated rural team that will be headed by Rajesh Dogra. He is a very senior member in the rural domain and I am sure it will take the agency to greater heights in the rural markets.

Commenting on his association, Rajesh Dogra, Senior Manager, Rural Street, said, The rural consumer is evolving, and they are increasingly changing their consumption patterns. I am glad that Brand Street India has chosen me to drive their rural initiatives as I will be able to utilise my extensive knowledge and experience to pioneer innovations that will take rural marketing to an altogether different horizon.

Currently, the agency is involved with the execution of a dealer-led advertising for a leading two-wheeler brand. They are reaching out to consumers in remote areas of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa with promotional boards across kirana shops.

Based out of Gurgaon, India with other branches in Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai, Brand Street India aims to come out with five to seven rural campaigns by year end.
India Today Television, one of Indias premier English news channels, announced the second season of Indias first News Quiz Show - NEWS WIZ. Veteran journalist and an avid quiz buff Mr. Rajdeep Sardesai will host the 13-episode show that is set to air every Saturday evening Prime Time starting August 26th on India Today Television. This season is conceptualised by Mr. Siddharth Basus Tree of Knowledge and Big Synergy.

This second season has doubled the outreach, with more than 500 schools participating along with interactions on digital popular platforms like facebook and twitter! News Wiz reached out to tens of thousands of students across mediums, from all over the country right from city of Srinagar in J&K up to  Kavaratti in Lakshwadeep. Young, bright and effervescent girls & boys of classes IX XII formed teams, registered & after going through levels of tests, the top teams from across the country will now be vying for the top honors.

High energy ground activations across schools will be under the main theme If your knowledge is Sound, Make the Noise. News Wiz is going to the schools with Buzzers in place giving it in totality, a real feel of News Wiz 2017.

Commenting on the announcement, Ms. Kalli Purie, Group Editorial Director (Broadcast& New Media), India Today Group said, Post the huge success of Season 1 of News Wiz, we are excited and thrilled to announce the launch of another season with greater action and zeal. Young minds of the nation will be encouraged to learn more about news and connect with it on a much larger scale with return of News Wiz 2017."

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Siddhartha Basu, Director, Tree of Knowledge.com Pvt. Ltd  News wiz is not just the first and only news quiz in the country, its also at this time the only nationwide inter-school quiz on TV. Over the next quarter, viewers can look forward to keen competition among the best and brightest young minds from schools across the country

This season of News Wiz will have exciting prizes for runner ups including laptops and printers including a special bumper prize for the ones who will become this years News Wiz 2017. The telecast times are Saturday 8pm and the repeat will be on Sunday at 10 am and 10 pm.
To be more precise, an example of the Raging Bull has recently been unleashed on one of the world's best driving roads.The Lambo was put through its paces in the Col de Turini, with France's infamous mountain pass providing a sweet playground for the Huracan Performante.Sure, the high altitude of the area (think: 1,607 meters) might not be ideal for the naturally-aspirated heart of the supercar, but the Lambo doesn't even seem to break a sweat while flying from one corner to another. After all, the Performante is the kind of contraption that can lap the Green Hell in 6:52 ...In fact, the scream of the V10 fills up the entire pass, which is why we're advising you to turn up the volume for the full enchilada.The Huracan Performante gets chased by what could be another supercar (judging by the pace), with the two encountering light traffic in their sprinting adventure. So yes, this adventure is a real world-flavored as they get.Returning to the aural side of the stunt, the Italian automotive producer is currently working towards the goal of allowing Huracan Performante owners to enjoy the voice of their machines even more.The Raging Bull will hit this goal with the help of the Huracan Performante Spyder. As for the nameplate of the land-land missile we're discussing there, the company could always revive the Gallardo's Spyder Performante moniker, though.The freshest spyshots of the open-top supercar landed earlier this week, while the beast is expected to make its debut next month, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
While the aviation industry in the U.S. is fighting hard to oppose proposals to privatize the air traffic system, Nav Canada, the private not-for-profit company that runs Canadas ATC, said recently it will refund $60 million in fees to its customers this year. Higher than expected traffic growth this year has put us in a position to be able to refund [these fees] to our customers, said CEO Neil Wilson, in a news release on Aug. 11. In the past, Nav Canada has spread the return of previous years surpluses, when applicable, by temporarily reducing rates for the coming year. With the unusually high traffic growth, we decided to implement a refund, which will enable our customers to fully benefit sooner. Fees are also going down, effective Sept. 1, with a 3.5 percent average reduction to base rates and a 0.4 percent one-time rate reduction.

Nav Canada was established in 1996 to provide air traffic control, airport advisory services, weather briefings and aeronautical information services for Canadas domestic and international airspace. The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association recently told AOPA they should stop citing Canadas system as an example of failure. COPA President Bernard Gervais said his 17,000 members are largely satisfied with the service they receive from Nav Canada, although COPA has had some issues with Nav Canadas restriction of VFR access to some of Canadas major airports in recent months. General aviation advocacy groups in the U.S. are united in opposition to efforts to privatize the U.S. system. The groups warn that the proposed new corporation would be dominated by the airlines and GA needs would be secondary.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said several "projectiles" have been fired into the sea between the Koreas and Japan, per the AP. U.S. Pacific Command spokesman, Commander David Benham, said there were three short-range ballistic missile launches, the NYT reports. Two of them may have failed in flight, one appears to have blown up almost immediately, and they did not pose a threat to North America or Guam, per Benham. Pacific Command is still assessing whether the first two failed in flight.

Why it matters: This comes during the U.S.-South Korean joint military exercises, which North Korea tends to perceive as rehearsals for invasion  the North has already responded by likening the drills to "pouring gasoline on fire." This launch could be bluster and propaganda, a demonstration of force, or a real test of capability. Last year North Korea tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile during the biannual exercises.
Trump signed an official memo directing the military to not recruit transgender individuals Friday, per the AP. Trump appeared to leave those currently serving in limbo:

Trump said the decision about those currently serving should be made by the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security "based on military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant," a White House official told CNN.

Trump banned the Pentagon from using resources for medical treatment for transgender individuals currently serving.

A Pentagon official indicated this is a return to the pre-2016 policy under which no transgender individuals were allowed to serve openly in the military, per CNN.

This comes a month after Trump's original announcement over Twitter that he intended to implement such a ban, which he announced without consulting the DOD.
26 August 2017 12:36 (UTC+04:00)

By Azertac

The establishment and development of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO

Preservation and development of the rich traditions of Azerbaijani people's national and spiritual values in the modern era in facing serious threats to national and moral values are particularly relevant. According to the geo-strategic position Azerbaijan became one of the most tolerant countries in the world for its different outlook and lifestyle, national and cultural values, religious beliefs, national and ethnic composition. Preserving its culture, values, traditions Azerbaijani people showing greater tolerance of religious diversity striving for modernity and innovation.

In modern times, UNESCO serves for the strengthening peace and security by expanding cooperation among people in educational, scientific and cultural fields. Azerbaijan's relations with UNESCO dates at about the previous years before the admission to the United Nations, being part of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan has been involved in the activities of UNESCO in the 60s of the XX century being part of the Soviet Union. Exhibitions dedicated to Azerbaijani carpets (1981), Azerbaijani manuscripts (1985) held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, and that depicting the Architecture of Baku held later in London, were consecutively arranged under the auspices of UNESCO. During the Soviet era UNESCO provided financial assistance to Azerbaijan in holding A Language and a City (1981), and the Oriental Carpet Art (1983), conferences. The nationwide leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev greatly contributed to the development of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO during the Soviet period.

In 1983, at the First International Symposium dedicated to the Art of the Oriental Carpet, in Baku Haydar Aliyev member of Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union met with the Special Adviser to the Director-General of UNESCO Mr. Frederico Mayor. This friendly relation after gaining independence influenced greatly on relation between Azerbaijan and UNESCO, and thus laid the foundation for the success of Azerbaijan in the organization.

The Republic of Azerbaijan after gaining its independence on October 18, 1991, became a member of the United Nations specialized agency UNESCO on 3 July 1992. The development of Azerbaijan's relations with UNESCO started in the second half of 1993, after the return of power to the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. Thus, the most important step in the development of Azerbaijan-UNESCO relations was the first official vizit of Heydar Aliyev to the Republic of France in 1993, which lasted from December 19 to 21, meeting the Director-General of UNESCO Federico Mayor.

Meetings of nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev with Director-General Federico Mayor in the development of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO was very important. Educational, scientific and cultural spheres of Azerbaijan were discussed in the meetings. On November 18, 1996, the Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and UNESCO Director General Federico Mayor signed a memorandum on cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and UNESCO. The Memorandum aimed at rendering support to Azerbaijan in scientific, cultural and other spheres. Moreover, assistance in preservation and restoration of cultural monuments of Azerbaijan were also reflected in the document (MFA). In addition, cooperation with UNESCO according to the international convention on the Means of prohibiting the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property is extremely essential to restoration and preservation of cultural monuments in the occupied territories of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, signed agreement about Azerbaijan-UNESCO cooperation in educational, scientific, cultural and humanitarian fields was the beginning of a new stage. It is no coincidence that after this for reconstruction of higher education in Azerbaijan in accordance with TACIS and TEMPUS programs two projects were realized. The Great Silk Road TRACECA year was declared in 2000, by UNESCO.

Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev on September 3, 1997, in his letter to the Director-General of UNESCO Federico Mayor endorsed the proposal of Declaration on the Right of People for Peace of UNESCO and brought to the attention of the Director General his support for the declaration project. In addition, it was noted in the letter that the Republic of Azerbaijan as the democratic, legal, secular state would continue its policy for maintaining peace. Haydar Aliyev stated in his letter peaceful policy of Azerbaijan, the country's political stability, civil solidarity achievement, a peaceful solution to the conflict in spite of military aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, occupation of 20 percent of our territory, more than 1 million IDPs, the destruction of cultural resources.

The next action for informing the world community about cultural heritage of Azerbaijan was Heydar Aliyevs 20 April, 1997 Decree on celebration of the

1300 th anniversary of the Book of Dede Gorgud. 1300 th jubilee celebrations of theBook of Dede Gorgud were held in Dresden, Moscow, in different cities of Turkey in the framework of UNESCO in 2000. These events ended with a meeting with VI Summit of Heads of Turkic Speaking Counties at the jubilee ceremony.

In 1998, an international conference dedicated to Great Silk Road initiated by Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev, was an important contribution to the regional cooperation, the East-West dialogue, integration of Europe and Asia. An international conference with the participation of 32 countries, heads of 9 states, delegations of 13 international organizations was the strategic goal of globalization, which is located on the historic Silk Road peoples and opening dialogue between different cultures and communication. It is no coincidence that a number of international cultural events, music festivals, symposiums and conferences, the tourist routes hosted by our country based on the Silk Road idea, integrative mission of Azerbaijan.

The new phase of relations between Azerbaijan and UNESCO

The protection of cultural and natural heritage of Azerbaijan is one of the main directions of cooperation with UNESCO. In this regard, The Walled City complex of Baku city was inscribed on the UNESCOs World Cultural Heritage list in December, 2000. As a result of the earthquake in Azerbaijan, and the damage to a number of architectural monuments to the Walled City complex of Baku at the 27th session of the World Heritage Committee the Walled City complex was inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger of UNESCO on July 4, 2003. On June 22- 30, 2009 within the 33rd session of the World Heritage Committee , the Walled City complex removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger in Seville, Spain. In 2007, within the 31st session of the World Heritage Committee, Gobustan Rock Art Cultural Landscape was inscribed on the UNESCOs World Cultural Heritage list in New Zealand.

On November 7, 2003, Azerbaijani Mugam inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. On September 28 to October 2, 2009 within the 4th session of the Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage of UNESCO in Abu Dhabi city of the United Arab Emirates, international Nowruz holiday officially registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, it should be considered an important event for Azerbaijani culture.

The ancient and rich culture of Azerbaijan turned from national into international level, being a part of world culture. UNESCO being a multilateral organization established mutual cooperation of different countries. As a result of it, the Republic of Azerbaijan builds and expands its ties in the educational, scientific and cultural fields with UNESCO and various countries. Not surprisingly, developing intercultural dialogue and multiculturalism among nations and to support it, is an important part of governments policy nowadays for the sake of future of all the people.

The First Vce President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO, President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva's activity, global projects for the development of science, education and culture established a new stage in relations with UNESCO. It is no coincidence that this influential organization attaches great importance in cooperation with Azerbaijan over recent years and supports a number of projects. The President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva renders great services in the promotion of cultural heritage of Azerbaijan, ensures the protection of it on the national and regional levels. In order to promote the traditional classical music of Azerbaijan around the world Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva initiated the establishment of the International Mugham Center in Baku.

On October 19, 2006 at the Headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, at a event dedicated to the 60th anniversary of UNESCO a Day of Azerbaijan was held under the name of Azerbaijan: at the intersection of cultures and civilizations within the framework of the week of Dialogue among Civilizations. President of Heydar Aliyev Foundation, Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO and ISESCO Mehriban Aliyeva expressed that Azerbaijan is an ancient land characterized by rich cultural heritage and traditions. For centuries Azerbaijan played an important role in holding dialogue among civilizations. Our country is at the crossroads of East and West.Today Azerbaijan is a secular state accepting values of Europe. Religious and ethnic tolerance is a key element of our success, and this is our wealth.

On November 4, 2006 Mrs.Mehriban Aliyeva was awarded the title of Goodwill Ambassador of ISESCO for the wide-scale and selfless activity in different spheres, including the dialogue among civilizations, the attention towards the children in need of care, great support to improve their living conditions, as well as the activities carried out in the Islamic world. On November 26, 2006, as a result of these activities, the Director General of ISESCO Abdulaziz bin Othman Altwaijri, presented a diploma of Goodwill Ambassador of ISESCO to Mrs. Merriban Aliyeva for her contribution to the promotion of dialogue among civilizations.

In 2009, Baku was declared the capital of Islamic culture. As the establishment of Silk Road connecting East and West was laid in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan has turned into the center for the art festivals, international, scientific conferences. On 30 July, 2010 in recognition of her selfless activities, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva was consecutively awarded with the Golden Mozart Medal by Director-General Irina Bokova.

The World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue was initiated by Ilham Aliyev the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan to host a conference of ministers responsible for culture on December 2-3, 2008, in Baku with the theme of Intercultural dialogue as a basis for peace and sustainable development in Europe and its neighboring regions. Baku Process initiative is a good example of the Azerbaijani leaderships attention to the dialogue between cultures and civilizations. Azerbaijan established global intercultural dialogue by inviting a number of Ministers of Culture of Muslim countries. Hosting great international events Azerbaijan plays the role of a "bridge". So, it is very important to highlight the importance of international events such as Intercultural Dialogue and Baku International Humanitarian Forum in the humanitarian field which was held with the support of UNESCO in Azerbaijan. In recent years, UNESCO not only supports Azerbaijan but also participates at the events by a large number of delegation.

Implementing of measures to increase the international prestige of the country, revealing countrys realities to the world community has been a priority in the direction of the Foundations activity. In recent years, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has taken successful steps in science sector development strategy, the country's ancient history, natural resources and geopolitical location, maintaining and developing the culture. The Foundation cooperating with UNESCO, ISESCO, other international organizations and foundations supports learning achievements and experience of world science, implementing of it in a wide range of socio-economic area of the republic, developing the relations with the science centers of foregin countries.

Global initiatives of Heydar Aliyev Foundation is introducing Azerbaijan as a tolerant and multicultural in the world. Heydar Aliyev Foundation giving special attention to the mutual enrichment of cultures and civilizations of different nations, to the deepening of the dialogue between the two nations, attaching importance to the preservation of the traditions of tolerance holds the Address of tolerance  Azerbaijan project. The religious monuments and sanctuaries have been restored within the framework of the project, the exhibitions are organized in this area. Azerbaijan's position between Eastern and Western cultures, having two of the world's rich cultural heritage increases the importance of cultural diplomacy of our country.

Giving special attention to the preservation of the traditions of tolerance and multiculturalism in Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev Foundation holds the Address of tolerance  Azerbaijan project successfully. Under the project, the repair work was carried out of the Orthodox Church, in Baku, with the International Foundation the Or-Avner education center was built for Jewish children in the 600-seat Azerbaijan a model of tolerance with the help of Heydar Aliyev Foundation demonstrating its respect for cultural diversity and universal values restores monuments in the park of the Palace of Versailles in Paris, provides assistance for the reconstruction of the Cathedral of St. Mary, dealing with the consequences of an earthquake rebuilds a school for girls in Pakistan, modernizes educational institutions in the Netherlands, Russia, Georgia, Romania, Egypt and in other countries.The multilateral activity of the Russian Representative Office of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation pays special attention to intercultural dialogue, tolerance, multiculturalism too.

In addition, Haydar Aliyev Foundation involves closely in preservation of historic monuments. The Heydar Aliyev Foundations activities in the field of culture cover a few major areas: preserving national and moral values and the countrys cultural legacy, restoring historic monuments in the country and in other parts of the world, building new cultural facilities, and introducing Azerbaijani culture to the global community. Successful projects include the opening of the International Mugham Center designed to develop and promote traditional Azerbaijani music, which was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the establishment of the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Azerbaijan Carpets and Applied Art, and the Gala Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum Complex.

At the same time, The Heydar Aliyev Foundation is an organization, which operates at an international level. The Foundation has offices in the USA, Romania, Russia and Turkey; The Foundation maintains close cooperation with the UN Development Program, UNESCO, ISESCO and other international organizations. The Foundation maintains close cooperation with the UN Development Program, UNESCO, ISESCO, and other international organizations, and is carrying out important programs and projects in foreign countries. Its activities abroad focus around three priorities: promoting Azerbaijan, including raising the international communitys awareness of the truth about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, restoring and preserving the historical and cultural legacy related to Azerbaijan and its citizens, and fostering humanitarian and social development.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation implements social projects in foregin countries. It financially assisted Haiti in dealing with the consequences of an earthquake, and Romania in tackling the consequences of a natural disaster. In September 2011, the Foundation provided financial aid as assistance to the French Association for the Victims of Terrorism to help it organize the 7th International Congress for the Victims of Terrorism in Paris. Social projects implemented by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in a number of cities of France, Russia, Hungary, Italy, and Germany contribute to bringing nations together, and the successful integration of cultures. Projects related to the design of parks and the restoration of historical monuments are of moral significance, and becoming a kind of symbol for calling for friendship and peace all over the world.

The Foundation, which places a special emphasis on making the truth about the Armenia Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict known to the world community, has been carrying out commemorative campaigns about Khojaly in prominent cities across the world since 2007. These campaigns feature the presentation of the Khojaly Genocide film, photos documenting atrocities committed by Armenians in Khojaly, articles on the Khojaly tragedy issued by leading foreign editions, the Truth about Garabagh series, and the War Against Azerbaijan: Targeting Cultural Heritage book. In February of 2012, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation initiated the erection of a memorial commemorating the victims of the Srebrenica genocide in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the Khojaly genocide in Nagorno-Karabakh. The events dedicated to the genocide carried out by the basis of propaganda of the foundation, on making the truth about the Khojaly Genocide known to the world community, spread of it internationally, as well as the continued steps have been taken to give an objective assessment of the genocide.

People of different religions, nations, ethnic minorities live in the Republic of Azerbaijan in peace. All conditions to preserve their customs, traditions, languages have been created by the government of Azerbaiajn. Ethnic minorities have equal cultural rights and right to use the country's cultural heritage. Extended inter-religious dialogue is one of the factors playing an important role in shaping the culture of religious tolerance. The expansion of inter-religious dialogue is very important both theoretical and practical aspects in the present era of globalization.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation promoting the Azerbaijani culture in the world, operating in a systematic way in a short period of time, contributing cultural diplomacy and intercultural dialogue, holding the multicultural projects which has no analogue in the Caucasus and former Soviet Union make known to the world. For Strengthening of Azerbaijan-UNESCO cooperation the diverse activity of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation plays a key role in the development of our country's international relations. For 13 years, the Foundation initiated and held events to eliminate illiteracy, gender equality, national and cultural diversity, as well as the protection of children's rights, enhancing dialogue among civilizations, ethnic, religious and racial discrimination organized by the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and other international organizations in Baku.

In 2015, 70 years have passed since the adoption of the Charter of UNESCO. At the Leaders' Forum of the 38th Session of UNESCO General Conference, the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan signed and ratified almost all the conventions and other legal instruments of UNESCO. In 2003, Azerbaijan and UNESCO signed the framework agreement on cooperation in the areas of culture, science, education and communication, which allowed Azerbaijan to become one of the donors of UNESCO. This is our obligation and commitment in front of the least developed countries.

The 7th Global Forum of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations held in Baku on 25-27 April 2016, was a new stage in the promotion of Azerbaijan in the world. Heads of state and government of the member states of the UN, political leaders, partner organizations, international and regional organizations, the private sector, the representatives of arts, media and academies, including donor organizations and foundations, about 2,000 delegates representing 140 countries attended the forum. The Baku Declaration was signed at the end of the event, and it became not only the political history of our country but also an important event in the history of world culture. In addition, the 7th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations confirmed the tolerance and multicultural values of Azerbaijan once again.

Nowadays, Azerbaijan contributes to the intercultural dialogue, muliticulturalism, as well as with the rich national and cultural values, it is known as a place of understanding. In the foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan according to the adopted norms and principles of UNESCO co-existence of different cultures, religious tolerance and basic human rights, education and copyright, sustainable development in economic and social spheres occupies an important place. This allows to achieve new goals and success in Azerbaijan-UNESCO relations in all the priority areas of the organization.

Aynur Farmanova

The Academy of Public Administration under

the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

Ph.D in political science, Senior lecturer

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26 August 2017 16:31 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan and the UK have discussed ways of expanding interparliamentary relations as the ambassador to Pakistan Ali Alizade met with British MPs Yasmin Qureshi, Graham Jones, Faisal Rasheed and Muhammad Yasin who are on a visit to the country.

Ambassador Alizade hailed friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UK. He emphasized the importance of expanding the activity of the interparliamentary friendship group, Azertac reported.

The Azerbaijani ambassador also highlighted the development of Azerbaijan-Pakistan friendly relations. Ambassador Alizade hailed Pakistan's constant support for Azerbaijan's fair stance on the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, saying that Pakistan does not recognize the aggressor Armenia as a state. He drew the British parliamentarians' attention to the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute as well as Armenia's ongoing aggressive policy. Ambassador Alizade underlined that the settlement of the Kashmir conflict as well as the Nagorno-Karabakh dispute will positively contribute to the restoration of peace and stability in the region. Ambassador Alizade noted the necessity of implementing the UN Security Council resolutions, and underlined the importance of the international community's exerting pressure on aggressive Armenia.

The British MPs praised the UK's and Pakistan's fruitful cooperation with Azerbaijan. They underlined the significance of developing interparliamentary ties and intensifying the activities of friendship groups.

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26 August 2017 16:56 (UTC+04:00)

President of Suriname Desire Delano Bouterse has emphasized the opportunities for developing relations with Azerbaijan as he received credentials of ambassador Elkhan Polukhov.

President Delano Bouterse asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the President and people of Azerbaijan, Azertac reported.

Ambassador Polukhov said he would spare no efforts to contribute to deepening Azerbaijan-Suriname ties.

The Suriname President and the Azerbaijani ambassador discussed a wide range of issues relating to bilateral relations between the two countries.

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26 August 2017 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Mexico and Canada may discount US President Donald Trumps remarks about the countrys withdrawal from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Russell A. Green, Will Clayton Fellow in International Economics at Rice University's Baker Institute (Houston) told Trend.

"Trumps threat to withdraw completely from NAFTA should be taken seriously. Nonetheless, there are reasons Mexico and Canada may discount his remarks. First, the remarks came during a political rally and may have been directed more at supporters than the negotiations. Second, there is very little support for withdrawing from NAFTA in Congress, so Trump risks further alienating significant portions of his own party. Third, some legal scholars have offered that the president does not even have the power to do so. While foreign policy treaties like alliances may be canceled by the president autonomously, trade treaties are not the same. They fall under the Commerce Clause in the US Constitution, which stipulates that Congress has authority," the expert explained.

The most likely outcome of the NAFTA negotiations is a re-vamped, modernized treaty that promotes efficient trade relationships, resembling the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Green believes.

The US is unlikely to make much headway on its more controversial anti-trade measures, though some watered-down demands may make it into the final document, he added.

"Mexico is by far the most exposed to NAFTA trade. The majority of Mexican exports go to the US. It is the trade deficit with Mexico which inspired Trumps interest in renegotiation, and balancing it through anti-trade measures would harm Mexican export industries," said Green.

He pointed out that US agriculture, automotives and electronics industries depend heavily on NAFTA trade.

"Agriculture, however, may take a big hit as US agricultural products may not be competitive in Mexico with higher tariffs," the expert believes.

US President Donald Trump has revived a threat to pull the US out of the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico just days after officials from the three countries began the process of renegotiating the deal.

"Personally, I dont think we can make a deal. I think well end up probably terminating NAFTA at some point," he told supporters in Arizona.

The United States commenced bilateral trade negotiations with Canada more than 30 years ago, resulting in the US-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 1989. In 1991, bilateral talks began with Mexico, which Canada joined. The NAFTA followed, entering into force on January 1, 1994. Tariffs were eliminated progressively and all duties and quantitative restrictions, with the exception of those on a limited number of agricultural products traded with Canada, were eliminated by 2008.

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26 August 2017 11:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The reason for better Uzbek-Kyrgyz trade relations is Uzbekistans new president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, said Bruce Pannier, a Central Asia expert.

His administrations foreign policy, especially towards immediate neighbors in Central Asia, is a drastic departure from his predecessor Islam Karimov, Pannier told Trend.

The expert recalled that Mirziyoyev during his first days as Uzbek leader said that he would seek to improve ties with all neighbor countries.

Uzbek-Kyrgyz ties were very bad in the last years of Karimovs presidency. Their common border, more than 1,300 kilometers, was almost entirely closed, Pannier said.

Since Mirziyoyev took over, officials from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have been meeting regularly to discuss the border, he noted.

Moreover, flights between the two countries are being increased and there is a chance that railway connections will be opened again soon.

Pannier further noted that Mirziyoyevs policy is about more than friendship.

Uzbekistan is located in the center of Central Asia, a location that makes it a natural hub for trade in the region. Uzbekistan has not been a trade hub because of Karimovs policies, but Mirziyoyev is trying to change this for economic reasons, he said.

Tashkent could make a good amount of money from transit fees for goods being carried by road and rail through Uzbekistan to other Central Asian states, says the expert.

Commenting on possible restoration of the unified energy system in Central Asia, Pannier said that Mirziyoyevs focus on regional issues could give the idea the impetus it needs to move forward.

A central energy grid from the Soviet era was already in place in Central Asia until 2009 when Uzbekistan unilaterally withdrew from it, he said.

In theory, it should be relatively easy to restore the system although it does date back to Soviet times and undoubtedly is in need of upgrades and repair, added Pannier.

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26 August 2017 12:09 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The increasing tensions between the US and Iran will possibly lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, Dr. David Criekemans, an expert in foreign relations and Assistant Professor in International Politics at the University of Antwerp, told Trend.

If the US would threaten even more sanctions than today, Iranian President Rouhani has stated that Tehran may reactivate its nuclear program. The pattern of the George W. Bush presidency would then be repeated whereby more radical figures and policies would over time again gain momentum in Iran, he said.

One cannot see this separate from the new geopolitics in the Middle East, according to the expert.

Obama promoted the JCPOA as an instrument to allow Iran back into the mainstream of international relations. This corrected the geopolitical dominance of Saudi Arabia in the Middle East, he said.

The expert noted that Trump has demolished this Obama policy and has returned to the old approach of George W. Bush.

The bond with both Israel and Saudi Arabia was reconfirmed early in the Trump presidency. However, US foreign policy now risks becoming subservient to the foreign policy goals of Tel Aviv and Riyadh, he added.

Moreover, Criekemans explained some reasons behind Trumps recent remarks about possibility of declaring Iran non-compliant in September.

He could for instance state there are incremental violations, but then he would need to become much more specific, he said.

Trump has labeled the JCPOA as fatally flawed and perhaps wants to create an incident to be able to renegotiate it to close the loopholes, according to the expert.

If the US would take such a stand, it would quite probably create a rift between Washington and other international parties to the deal. Much, however, depends on Irans continuing commitment to the obligations enshrined into the JPOA, he said.

Countries such as France and Germany now have direct economic interests, the expert believes.

Renault is again becoming active in Iran. Airbus is also poised to sell 73 airliners to two Iranian airlines. There is a genuine European interest to further develop the relationship with Iran, he said.

Also, Moscow and Beijing both support Iranian membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), a security alliance with Russia and the Central Asian States, Criekemans noted.

Chances are the US would isolate itself vis-a-vis the other major powers. If this would happen, it could also even erode Washingtons power position over time  as we have also recently seen in climate change issues, he added.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia  plus Germany signed the nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

The agreement limits Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

The US Congress requires the administrations certification (every 90 days) of Irans compliance with the nuclear deal. Trumps administration has already declared Iran in compliance, as required by law, twice during his tenure.

Nonetheless, Trumps remarks forecasting that the US would declare Iran non-compliant when the next review is due in September, have cast shadow over the future of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.

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26 August 2017 12:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

During the first four months of the current fiscal year (March 20-July 21) the United Kingdoms exports to Iran had registered a big rise by 200 percent and stood at $432 million.

The UK was the ninth top goods exporter to Iran during the period, with 2.7 percent share of Irans overall imports, which amounted to $15.813 billion, according to the latest statistics released by the Trade Promotion Organization of Iran.

Besides UK, Germany ($864 million, 29 percent increase y/y), Switzerland ($663 million, 81 percent increase), France ($456 million, 51 percent increase) and Italy ($420 million, 26 percent increase) were the European countries that took place among the top exporters of goods to Iran, in the period.

Iran had purchased 59.5 percent of its imported goods during the 4-month period from five countries  China, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Turkey and India.

China was the main exporter of goods to Iran in the mentioned period. Chinas exports accounted for 22.1 percent of Iran's total imports in terms of value.

During the 4-month period, Iran had imported $3.495 billion worth of goods from China, indicating a 19 percent increase, year-on-year.

Iran had also imported $2.992 billion worth of goods from the UAE (a 42 percent increase), which makes 18.9 percent of Irans total imports value.

South Korea and Turkey exported $1.074 billion and $958 million worth of goods to Tehran, respectively.

South Korean exports to Iran indicated a rise of 15 percent, while imports from Turkey registered an increase of 11 percent.

Irans trade balance witnessed a fall by 211 percent and became negative (-$2.354 million), after experiencing a positive balance previous year.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
26 August 2017 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Uzbekistans Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov met with Executive Secretary of the Commonwealth of Independent States Sergey Lebedev who arrived in Uzbekistan to participate in international events in Samarkand on August 26.

He is expected to attend the conference "Central Asian Renaissance in the History of World Civilization" and the "Shark Taronalari" music festival.

During the meeting, topical issues of the agenda of the CIS as well as the preparations for the upcoming meetings of the Council of Heads of State (in Sochi), the Council of Heads of Government (in Tashkent) and the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Commonwealth countries were discussed.

The sides exchanged views on the promising areas of further development of cooperation between Uzbekistan and the CIS.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
August 24, 2017  Ottawa, ON  As Canadians, we know that protecting and promoting fundamental human rights is an imperative for governments and individuals alike. This includes gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation.

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, today announced that the Government of Canada will be working to implement an X gender designation in Canadian passports, as well as other documents issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to support LGBTQ2 rights and advance the Governments agenda on gender equality, diversity and inclusion. An X will make it easier for people who do not identify as female (F) or male (M) to acquire passports and other government-issued documents that better reflect their gender identity.

Starting August 31, 2017, IRCC will be the first Government of Canada department to introduce interim measures, which include allowing individuals to add an observation to their passport stating their sex should be identified as X, indicating that it is unspecified. Interim measures will be available until IRCC is able to print documents with an X.

Todays announcement follows steps to protect Canadians in their right to the gender identity of their choice, and freedom of gender expression. Earlier this summer, Bill C-16 amended the Canadian Human Rights Act and added gender identity and gender expression to the list of prohibited grounds of discrimination.

In the coming months, the Government of Canada will continue this important work in developing a consistent federal approach to how its programs and services collect, use and display sex and gender information so Canadians can have their gender more accurately reflected in government documents while also protecting their privacy. Our government is committed to better reflecting the gender identity and gender diversity of Canadians.
The Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE) has invited the application for the recruitment of candidates for the post of Conservator of Forest and Deputy Conservator of Forest posts, on deputation basis. The interested candidates can apply for the posts on or before October 31, 2017.

Candidates are requested to check for the official notification and read through the information provided in it. The candidates are requested to make sure that they are eligible to apply for the post before they send in the application.

Incomplete applications or applications that are received after the deadline will be disqualified. Candidates should know that the job location for Conservator of Forest and Deputy Conservator of Forest posts will be all over India.

Vacancies and Pay Scale for ICFRE Recruitment 2017

The post of Conservator of Forest

There are a total of 23 vacancies available and the pay scale for Level 13 is Rs. 37400 to Rs.67,000 with a grade pay of Rs. 8900.

For the post of Deputy Conservator of Forest posts

There are 13 vacancies. The pay scale for Level 13 is Rs. 37400 to Rs.67,000 with a grade pay of Rs. 8900.

For level 12, the pay scale is Rs. 15600 to Rs.39100 with a grade pay of Rs.8700.

For the level 11, the pay scale is Rs.15,600 to Rs.39100 with a grade pay of Rs.6600.

Eligibility for ICFRE Recruitment 2017

The candidates need to check the official notification for information related to educational qualification.

The Selection Process for ICFRE Recruitment 2017

The selection process for the recruitment of candidates will be based on personal interview.

Application Fee for ICFRE Recruitment 2017

The application fee for the ICFRE recruitment is Rs. 200. The mode of payment of the fee is offline through a Demanded draft.

How to Apply for ICFRE Recruitment 2017 ?

The candidates will have to visit the official website - www.icfre.gov.in.

On the home page click on careers page which will lead to new recruitment

Find the Recruitment notification and read it carefully

Download the application form

Fill in the important details and attach the important documents

Send the application to the following address by post - The Secretary, Indian Council of Forestry Research Education (ICFRE), P. O. New Forest, Dehra Dun - 248006.

Do not forget to super scribe on the envelope "Accounts officers, ICFRE and payable at Dehra Dun".

Also Read: Narcotics Control Bureau Recruitment for Superintendent Posts: Apply Now!
Through the continuing generosity of an alumnus, Butte Central Catholic Schools are embarking on the yet another phase of a technological transformation.

On Friday, the schools announced a $150,000 gift from Roy Simperman to enhance classroom computer technology and teacher training.

Simperman, a 1958 Butte Central High School graduate and co-founder of the Semaphore Corporation, has made major contributions over the past two years to the schools computer equipment and training. In 2016, Simperman provided a $225,000 gift to upgrade three computer labs and purchase interactive Smartboards, Chromebook labs, and science lab equipment. That grant also enabled the schools to install high-speed internet capacity and upgrade their teacher training.

Its just incredible for our school. Hes singlehandedly transformed our school, from a technology standpoint, Butte Central superintendent Don Peoples Jr. said Friday.

Peoples and Butte Central High School Principal Kevin St. John went to Seattle earlier this year to tour Bishop ODea Catholic High School, where Simpermans generosity has also powered great advances in education technology.

One of the things were most excited about is the ability to train our teachers to implement technology in their classrooms and instruction, Peoples said.

The latest gift from Simperman will add three Chromebook mobile labs, one laptop mobile lab, and an iPad mobile lab to the Central Elementary program. The school will also install a state-of-the-art classroom amplification system for its kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms.

The amplification systems distribute the teachers speech equally throughout the classroom to all students. Teachers wear wireless microphones. Studies have shown that the systems dramatically improve learning for the entire classroom, Peoples said.

We are thrilled to open the school year with amazing upgrades in technology, said Central Elementary Principal Susie Hogart. Counting our new iPads, laptops, Chromebooks, and personal computers, we have over 250 devices available for students.

Simperman, who has lived on Mercer Island in Seattle since 1965, founded the Semaphore Company in 1994 with partner Garth Brown. Semaphore is a network engineering company that designs online networks for video, voice, and data.

Simperman, 76, earned a math degree from Carroll College, a masters in physics from the University of Nebraska, and an MBA in economics and finance from the University of Washington. He also worked for Boeing.

Simperman attended Sacred Heart Grade School before going to Butte Central High School.
Bible belonging to WWII Scottish war-hero 'The Tartan Pimpernel' makes historic homecoming

A Bible belonging to a heroic Scottish Christian minister of the Second World War has been returned to his former church.

The Rev Dr Donald Caskie was known in WWII as the 'Tartan Pimpernel', remembered for helping save more than 2,000 lives during the war.

Now his nephew, Tom Caskie, has gifted the reverend's Gaelic Bible to the Scots Kirk in Paris, the church Donald led when Germany invaded France in 1940, according to the Church of Scotland.

This Bible was used by the reverend at the time, who used the Gaelic language to hide sensitive information from the enemy, Tom said. Caskie had denounced the Nazis from his pulpit, and had to flee when the Germans invaded.

But instead of seeking safety in the UK, Donald remained on mainland Europe and instead went to Marsaille, France where he lived a double life, running a Seaman's Mission and secretly helping British and Allied soldiers through the mountains and into Spain.

He was later recruited by British Intelligence to continue in his work protecting the military there.

Caskie was eventually betrayed and subsequently arrested by the Nazi-aligned Vichy police. They had him banished from Marsaille, but his work continued when he went to Grenoble, where as a university chaplain he secretly helped allied soldiers, seamen and airmen escape.

The reverend narrowly escaped a death sentence from the Gestapo and was a prisoner of war before returning to Scotland when the war finished, where he died in 1983. The tales of his wartime exploits were documented in Donald's autobiography, The Tartan Pimpernel, still in print today.

'Donald was motivated and sustained by his Christian faith,' said Thomas Caskie.

'He was a very gentle person and clearly he loved humanity and would help anyone he could. Donald rejected the chance of personal safety and risked his life time and again to ensure others could be safe and free.'

Thomas inherited the Bible from his father, who had received it from his brother, Donald.

'When I heard that the Scots Kirk wanted to install a permanent memorial to my uncle, I thought it was more appropriate that the Bible lived there rather than anywhere else,' he said.

The Rev Jan Steyn, 56, the current minister of Scots Kirk, was delighted about the gift.

'I gladly accepted it and as the inscription in the front of the Bible indicates, he acquired it while still in Paris,' he said.

'Its return marks a homecoming after more than 50 years.'
Sayeeda Warsi at Greenbelt: Passionate Muslim peer blasts UK politicians, 'homophobic' Tories, Trump and Daily Mail

Sayeeda Warsi, the Conservative former Cabinet minister, has demanded that politicians 'stop engaging with the Muslim community through the prism of terrorism and extremism' and warned against 'a policy of disengagement' which is 'fundamentally wrong'.

The comments from Baroness Warsi, who is a Muslim, came as she spoke about her new book The Enemy Within: A Tale of Muslim Britain to a packed audience of hundreds of Christians at the Greenbelt festival in Northamptonshire last night.

The life peer, who was appointed to the House of Lords at the age of 36 by the then prime minister David Cameron in 2007, also repeatedly condemned the populism of Donald Trump, elements of the tabloid press and Nigel Farage during an impassioned hour-long session in which she read extracts from her book.

Warsi, who was introduced on stage by Christian Today's Andy Walton, opened up about her faith, saying that she has 'never hit the prayer mat' as much as over this summer after her father suffered a stroke seven months ago. She also revealed that as a moderate Muslim, she features on the ISIS 'kill list'.

And she described her 'journey' over the issue of homosexuality, declaring: 'I learned my homophobia in the religion of the Conservative party.'

To laughter from those gathered at this liberal-leaning festival, Warsi added: 'It's not easy being a Tory at Greenbelt'.

The Baroness outlined how she had named the book The Enemy Within after Tory criticism of her to that effect in 2013 after the murder of Brigadier Lee Rigby on the streets of London, and a 'rightwing journalist' asked: 'How can we deal with this issue of terrorism when we have Sayeeda Warsi around the Cabinet table?'

Warsi, who served as minister without portfolio and then in the Foreign Office and resigned over policy towards Gaza in 2014, reflected last night: 'It was the worst form of insult because what it said was "We don't trust you; you don't belong."...Using it as the title was the best way of owning it.'

As a Muslim, she said, 'I still feel that every day I'm having to sit a loyalty test.'

Her internal Tory critics had been on the attack for years by the time the inspiration for the book's title came in 2013, however.

Throughout her time in Cabinet, Warsi faced a lengthy battle with neo-conservative ministers, especially Michael Gove as well as George Osborne and Jeremy Hunt, who were allies of the right-wing media proprietor Rupert Murdoch.

And even in 2007, after she was first appointed to the shadow cabinet, the influential 'ConservativeHome' website ran a statement by the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom saying that Warsi's presence at the top of the party ranks sends 'the wrong signal at a time when Britain is fighting a global war against Islamic terrorism and extremism. Mrs Warsi has been a fierce critic of British anti-terror policy, stating that anti-terrorism legislation had turned Britain into a "police state".'

In fact, though she was critical of the counter-terrorism 'Prevent' strategy last night, saying that it 'was always supposed to be an engaged community-led battle of ideas' and that has failed to be that, she added that ultimately and contrary to 'myths', she 'supported' the controversial strategy.

The child of Pakistani immigrants, Warsi said of contemporary Britain: 'I know that there is nowhere else in this world that I could call home...But I also know that Britain could be better.'

Her book outlines how Muslims are the new 'outsiders' as Jews and Catholics and even homosexuals have been in the past.

But she is not afraid to challenge the Muslim community. The solution, she said, 'is to press the restart button' and tackle issues such as misogyny, homophobia and child sexual exploitation. 'I genuinely sense a need for change' within the community which needs to show it is 'fit for purpose,' she said.

Nonetheless, Warsi revealed that she has not received a single word of condemnation over her book from any imam or leading Muslim.

Warsi was keen to emphasise one of the key themes of her book, which is that Britain's Muslims are not a 'monolithic block'.

She hit out at the Daily Mail for portraying Muslims as 'weird aliens,' adding that Muslims 'are not what the Daily Mail would like you to believe [them to be]'.

On Trump, Warsi said that in February last year when she first submitted a draft of her book, her editor felt she needed to 'tone down' some of the content. But then in November 2016 after Trump's victory in the presidential election, 'the draft seemed timid because the world had gone mad'.

Referring to the clashes earlier this month in Charlottesville, Virginia, she continued: 'Did we ever think we would end up with a man in the White House who thought fascists and anti-fascists were equally to blame?...Where evidence is just an inconvenience, where facts just got in the way of a good headline?'

In the book, she writes that 'the fog of fascism is coming from east and west' and that this has been vindicated by Charlottesville. 'We've all got a vested interest in saying fascists are fascists,' she said.

In the wide-ranging discussion, Warsi also reflected on the resignation in June as Liberal Democrat leader of Tim Farron, describing his treatment as an evenagelical Christian as 'appalling' and asking, as she does in the book: 'Does Britain now have a problem with religion?'

Warsi said that she has had to live with being on the ISIS 'kill list' for about a year and a half, adding: 'No amount of criticism from the likes of Nigel Farage and the Daily Mail could bring my religion into disrepute like ISIS do.'
Indian activists of the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party protest outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi on July 7, 2017, in the wake of border tensions between the neighboring countries.

An India-China border standoff in the Himalayas is now going on three months, and while both sides have yet to pull troops, there's hope the dispute may be resolved soon.

China has insisted that India first remove its troops as a precondition for formal talks, but there already appears to be back-channel dialogue underway.

"There are some indications that the two (India and China) are engaged in back-channel dialogue and negotiations to try to resolve this," said Jeff Smith, director of Asian security programs at the American Foreign Policy Council, a Washington-based conservative think tank.

India and China have little reason to go to war today, but that's exactly what happened in the 1960s. Experts insist a full-blown war today seems very unlikely since the costs for both sides could be high.

"This is serious, going by how aggressive and vulgar the statements are coming out of the Chinese," said veteran Indian diplomat Neelam Deo, director of Gateway House, a Mumbai-based foreign policy think tank. "Nothing can be ruled out, but chances are not high of a real military conflict."

Deo, a former Indian ambassador to Denmark and Ivory Coast, said the border dispute so far has been limited to soldiers going after each other throwing punches or stones.

"We haven't had a shooting war in a long time with China," she said.

The border dispute involves a plateau area known as Doklam in the western Himalayas. The standoff started when Chinese troops in June reportedly tried to build a road in territory claimed by Bhutan, an ally of India. India brought in its own bulldozers to build a military road and also blocked soldiers from China, which has territorial claims to Doklam.

China has been urging India to withdraw more than 270 troops that crossed into the disputed area.

On Friday, China's official news agency, Xinhua, in an op-ed accused India of "insincerity and self-contradictions in resolving the Sino-India border issue peacefully."

Xinhua stirred up controversy last week when it released a propaganda video that mocked India's Sikh community. Indian papers charged that the video was "racist."

Smith, author of the 2014 book "Cold Peace: Sino-Indian Rivalry in the 21st Century," said the outbursts by China's official media outlets were unusual because they typically are "more restrained." Also, he said nonofficial media in China also weighed in and became "quite outspoken, nationalistic and confrontational."

The U.S. State Department has been urging both sides to "work together to try to come up with some better sort of arrangement for peace."

Earlier this week, President Donald Trump gave a national address in which he discussed Afghanistan and South Asia strategy, and one of the points he made was India, the world's largest democracy, was also "a key security and economic partner of the United States."

While India is a nuclear power, it would probably come up short in conventional military power in a conflict with China, say defense analysts.

Regardless, it's uncertain if the U.S. would get involved militarily to help India if there were a wider conflict.

Experts say the Trump administration might want to steer clear of upsetting Beijing, especially given it wants help resolving the North Korean nuclear threat.

The Pentagon didn't respond to a request for comment.

"The U.S. reaction would depend very much on the exact circumstances," said Smith. Factors that would matter include who initiated the conflict, where it's taking place and whether it's contained to the disputed area or spilling over into Indian territory, he said.

Beijing has reportedly tried to resolve the dispute by offering money to Bhutan, which is roughly the size of Switzerland.

"China values peace and the interests of innocent people on both sides of the border, that is why it has remained patient in the face of such encroachment," said Xinhua. "China has never made the first move in wars fought since 1949 but it would not flinch if a war were to be inflicted upon its people."

The two countries together represent about a third of the world's population. They also have bilateral trade in excess of $70 billion annually, although it has been declining in recent years.

In India, there have been recent calls by some groups to boycott Chinese products.

A BRICS Summit starting Sept. 3 and hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping could be a chance for the leaders of the two nuclear superpowers to meet face to face. BRICS is a group of major emerging economies that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Deo, the ex-ambassador, said there's discussion in New Delhi about whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi should attend given the rhetoric coming from Beijing.

"The Indian government should think about it pretty seriously on whether you want to go and act like everything is business as usual," she said. "Because it's not."
problems facing human beings. US and China are the first and second largest economies in the world, and have obligations and responsibilties to work together to solve all conflicts present today. Just like in the World War II, US and China stood together shoulders to shoulders to defeat the Japanese intruders that killed numerous Asian civilians including people in Korea, Vietnam, Russia (former Soviet Union), Philippines,

China (and her Taiwan province), Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, etc. Today, US and China should do the same as they fighted together in the past.

Obviously, President Trump has the vision and mission to make America great again. He knows the problems facing American people, and has solutions to these by creating more well-paid jobs, reducing trade deficits, reducing the national debts, and improving economic situation of American people.

Trade deficit is a decease of economy, reducing a nation's GDP. However, it is not difficult for President Trump to conque this problem because he was a successful business man before elected as the US president by American people.

It is evident that The trade relationship between US and China is complementary,and has mutual benefit, although it is also competitive. US enjoys the most advanced technology, high-productivity, and high-value added manufacturing sectors in the world, and has GDP almost two times higher than China counterpart (based on nominal dollar value or exchange rate). However, US does not permit to export high-tech products and services to China, resulting in its trade deficit with China that exports, however, tonns of low-end daily life needs products, like shoes, cloths, to the US. Goods imported from China are cheap, greatly reducing the living costs of American people. The trade between US and China is complementary and mutual benefitiary. A simple solution to the US trade deficits is to lift the restriction of high-tech export to China. That is it.
Library hosts three book clubs

The Butte-Silver Bow Public Library now has three opportunities each month for those interested in book clubs. Copies of the featured books can be checked out at the circulation desk on the first floor.

The After Hours Book Club meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, in the Carle Gallery on the third floor. This month the group will be reading Touch by Alexi Zentner.

BSBPLs Book Club meets the third Friday of the month at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, in the Frank Little room on the third floor. Timothy Egans Immortal Irishman will be discussed.

The newest book club, The Recipes Writers, is a twist on the traditional book club as its a cookbook club. This months theme is Julia Child, and the group meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11, at a group members home. Those interested are encouraged to create one of her recipes, share it, and discuss it. Please call the library for location details.

Nerd Herd now meets at Belmont

Having technical issues? Want to find out how to share photos? Cell phone have you baffled? Do you want to learn more about your iPad? Come visit the Butte-Silver Bow Public Librarys Nerd Herd from 10 a.m. until noon on the first Thursday of the month at the Belmont Senior Center, 615 E. Mercury St.

Church features Barnicoat sermon

John Barnicoat will tell his story, He Went to the Other Side and Came Back, at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 27, the Butte Unity Church, 300 S. Montana.

Silent film featured at Bannack

DILLON  Montana State Parks will host a movie night featuring Charlie Chaplins 1925 The Gold Rush at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2, at Bannack State Park, 721 Bannack Rd., Dillon.

The hilarious, silent classic features a lone prospector who ventures into Alaska looking for gold. Once there, he gets mixed up with some burly characters, falls in love with the beautiful Georgia, and tries to win her heart with his singular charm. Classic cartoons begin at 6:30 p.m., and the feature film will start at 7.

Details: 406-834-3413.
Facebook has recently hired former New York Times public editor Liz Spayd on a consulting basis to help manage the company's efforts around giving users more "transparency" into how the massive social network makes decisions.

A Facebook spokesperson said that her job would be to help expand early moves to chronicle what it does related to everything from terrorism to fake news to privacy. Her charge is basically to move the company out of its comfort zone in disclosing how it works internally.

Translation: To get Facebook to share more about itself.

More from Recode:

The company has been trying to do that a lot more since it was widely criticized for enabling the proliferation of so-called "fake news" during last fall's U.S. presidential election. Even before that, it was wrangling with allegations that the company suppressed conservative content from its trending news section, a troubling accusation considering Facebook has become one of the world's largest news sources.

As part of its effort to look and feel more open to its user base, Facebook has talked a lot about its efforts to fight fake news, and recently launched a blog post series titled "Hard Questions," where the company talks a bit about hot-button issues like hate speech or terrorism. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also been traveling the country meeting with regular people in America's heartland to better understand life outside of the Silicon Valley bubble.

Zuckerberg has talked publicly and also wrote a massive blog post about Facebook's broader mission and responsibility to use technology like artificial intelligence to help fight things like fake news, but also encourage more people to have conversations about controversial topics.

He and other Facebook execs have been debating internally how best to communicate this and more, although it is unlikely we will get the down and dirty on every decision that impacts users.

(Suggestion: One thing we could use some transparency on is how Facebook seems to be so specific when suggesting people for you to connect with.)

Still, Facebook plans to expand from the "Hard Questions" blog to do more, including posts from guest commentators who disagree with the company (egads!) and how things like its algorithm work. It is also considering related events, studies and more.

While not an exact comparison, since it is more limited, Google has tried to do similar things related to its news offerings, such as the Google News Lab. That unit works on things like data journalism and immersive storytelling.

Spayd is an interesting choice for the job. She had been the latest to pen an independent column about the newsgathering process at the news organization, representing its readers. But the position was eliminated altogether by the Times brass earlier this summer.

Spayd has also been one of the more controversial public editors to have served at the Times, attracting criticism for a number of columns. She noted that in her last column:

I leave this job plenty aware that I have opinions  especially about partisan journalism  that don't always go over well with some of the media critics in New York and Washington. I'm not prone to worry much about stepping in line with conventional thinking. I try to hold an independent voice, to not cave to outside  or inside  pressure, and to say what I think, hopefully backed by an argument and at least a few facts. In this job, I started to know which columns would land like a grenade, and I'm glad to have stirred things up. I'll wear it like a badge.

She arrived at Facebook only weeks ago and is working in a consulting role from its Silicon Valley HQ and also from New York, where she lives.

Interestingly, she is unlikely to write a lot on Facebook's blog, said the spokesperson, who noted she is not meant to have a highly visible role  such as recently hired former TV journalist Campbell Brown, who was hired as the company's head of news partnerships in January.

Instead, Spayd's role will be as an outsider who is inside, one who pushes boundaries at Facebook.

Presumably, we'll see how hard she is allowed to do that in the months to come. It is clear that Facebook is also doing this to be more thoughtful about its major impact on society, but also because it looks good to do so.

(Full disclosure: Spayd and Kara Swisher worked together at the Washington Post's business section almost 25 years ago, where Swisher was a nascent but already annoying reporter and Spayd was a patient top editor. Remarkably, they still get along.)

By Kara Swisher and Kurt Wagner, Re/code.net.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
The internet has revolutionized the world of dating, but it is also a new breeding ground for scams. The FBI says romance scams are rampant online, with an estimated $230 million in losses last year.

"Even in the last decade, so many more people meet other people online for the purpose of dating," said New York attorney Jonathan Hood, who has written extensively on internet fraud. "It just makes it so much easier for people to connect without ever meeting in person, and sort of as a result, never really verifying that the other person is who they say they are."

In the latest twist, reported on the next episode of CNBC's "American Greed," con artists are exploiting Americans' respect for the military.

"The M.O. is all the same," said Christopher Grey of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command. "I'm a single father. I'm a widower. I'm raising a five-year-old girl. And they play on the emotions of the victims. Most people are very trusting of U.S. military personnel."

"I think there's  something to be said for a man in uniform. I mean, everybody loves a man in uniform, right?" said Amy Bushatz, a reporter and editor for Military.com.

Illinois chiropractor Lilo Schuster fell for it, and fell hard. She began a relationship online with a military officer serving in Afghanistan named Adam Smith.

"He has a child and he's in Afghanistan and he's fighting the terrorists and he's a pilot, and I thought my prayers had been answered," Schuster said.

The relationship continued to blossom online. Eventually, Smith asked Schuster to wire him some money to help support his daughter. Schuster complied, and the requests continued. She had sent him nearly $23,000 before she finally realized the whole thing was a scam.

"I was pretty upset because I felt so excited that I thought that I had met somebody," she said. "I was really embarrassed that I could let this happen to me."

Before you say to yourself, "That could never happen to me," consider the fact that the FBI recorded some 15,000 romance scams last year, a jump of 2,500 from the year before. And that is just the scams reported to the feds.

Because it is practically impossible nowadays to date without some use of the internet, experts warn that you need to take precautions before jumping into the dating game.

Keep your guard up

We love to post on social media about our hopes, our dreams, our passions and our politics. If you are also using an online dating site, it is easy for a scam artist to cross-check your name with your Facebook profile. Suddenly, you and your new online beau have an "uncanny" connection. But in fact, that person is a con artist who learned about your love for cats, or Jane Austen, or the U.S. military by reading your social media posts.

Be careful about how much you reveal about yourself online. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center said in an alert earlier this year that users of social media and online dating sites should always assume that con artists are watching, and trolling for victims.

"The criminals who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do," the agency says. "They spend hours honing their skills and sometimes keep journals on their victims to better understand how to manipulate and exploit them."
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is joined onstage by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio (L) at a campaign rally in Marshalltown, Iowa January 26, 2016, after Arpaio endorsed Trump.

President Donald Trump is under fire for pardoning the former Phoenix Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Friday.

Arpaio, 85, who served as sheriff of Maricopa County for 24 years, was convicted of criminal contempt of court for defying a judge's orders that he stop arresting immigrants on the suspicion that they were in the U.S. illegally.

Trump announced the pardon Friday night, just as the Texas Gulf Coast was bracing for impact from Category 4 Hurricane Harvey.

The president, whose approval rating is at historic lows, was quickly criticized on Twitter by Democrats in Congress.

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Sally Yates, the former acting U.S. attorney general whom Trump fired earlier this year, tweeted that the pardon "reveals his own contempt for our Constitution."

Yates tweet

But the president also heard criticism from lawmakers in his own party. Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain, frequently a thorn in Trump's side, was among the most vocal critics. Trump pardoning the sheriff "undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law," McCain tweeted.

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Jeff Flake, McCain's fellow Republican Arizona senator and a frequent target of Trump's ire, also took issue with the decision:

Flake tweet

The Arizona Republic, the largest newspaper in Arpaio's home state, denounced the pardon, saying it placed the former sheriff in "the pantheon of those who see institutional racism as something that made America great."

The pardon "elevated the disgraced former Maricopa County sheriff to monument status among the immigration hardliners and nationalists in Trump's base," wrote the editorial board. "This erases any doubt about whether Trump meant to empower them after the violence in Charlottesville."

The newspaper's editorial board has been critical of Trump before. Last year, it backed Hillary Clinton in the general election, the first time it endorsed a Democrat for president during the paper's 125-plus-year history.

Meanwhile, Arizona governor Doug Ducey and congressman Andy Biggs said they supported the presidential pardon. Ducey said in a statement that Arpaio "deserves credit for helping to reduce crime in Maricopa County over his long career in law enforcement and public office."

As for the residents of Arizona, only 21 percent were in support of the pardon, according to a survey from last week.

The Associated Press and CNBC's Mike Calia contributed to this report.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (2nd R) inspecting the test-fire of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 on July 4, 2017

North Korea launched three ballistic missiles toward the East Sea near Japan on Saturday morning, according to U.S. and South Korean military.

The U.S. Pacific Command revised its earlier assessment of the latest North Korean missile launches, saying the first and third projectiles did not fail in flight.

Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. Dave Benham says the two missiles flew about 155 miles. It said earlier that the third missile appears to have blown up immediately.

More from USA Today:

North Korea, US curb military threats but diplomatic progress remains elusive

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford: War with North Korea 'horrific'

Trump says Kim Jong Un made 'wise decision' in backing off plan to fire missiles at Guam

The North American Aerospace Command (NORAD) determined the missiles "did not pose a threat to North America."

South Korean officials convened a National Security Council meeting Saturday to discuss the issue. Presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan told reporters that officials "reviewed the defense posture" of South Korean troops.

He said that military would "proceed more thoroughly" with the ongoing Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise, a joint training drill between South Korea and the U.S. that started Monday.

The incident happened amid rising tensions between the U.S. and North Korea, which has been warned by President Trump about missile build-up and development of nuclear armaments.

North Korea's military had threatened missile launches toward the U.S. territory of Guam, where the U.S. has several military installations. It's unclear where the three missiles fired Saturday were targeted, although the U.S. Pacific Command said the missiles posed no threat to Guam.

Guam Homeland Security Advisor George Charfauros said the island territory will be watching the situation closely.

"Although the launches were no threat to Guam, it reminds us that we cannot be complacent," Charfauros said. "We place confidence in our U.S. Department of Defense capabilities and continue open communications with our federal and military partners."

The White House said Trump was briefed on the latest North Korean activity and "we are monitoring the situation."

South Korean military leaders said the missiles were fired from a site in the eastern province of Gangwon. At least one of them flew about 250 miles before crashing into the sea, South Korean military leaders said.

"The military is keeping a tight surveillance over the North to cope with further provocations", the South Korean defense ministry said.

Contributing: Jim Michaels and Thomas Maresca, USA TODAY; Dana Williams of the Pacific Daily News.
A federal judge in Detroit sentenced former engineer James Liang to 40 months in prison on Friday for his role in Volkswagen AG's multiyear scheme to sell diesel cars that generated more pollution than U.S. clean air rules allowed.

U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox also ordered Liang to pay a $200,000 fine, 10 times the amount sought by federal prosecutors. Cox said he hoped the prison sentence and fine would deter other auto industry engineers and executives from similar schemes to deceive regulators and consumers.

Liang was part of a long-term conspiracy that perpetrated a "stunning fraud on the American consumer," Cox said, as the defendant's family looked on in the courtroom. "This is a very serious and troubling crime against our economic system."

Liang pleaded guilty earlier this year to misleading regulators, and had cooperated with U.S. law enforcement officials investigating Volkswagen.

Prosecutors last week recommended that Liang, 63, receive a three-year prison sentence, reflecting credit for his months of cooperation with the U.S. investigation of Volkswagen's diesel emissions fraud. Liang could have received a five-year prison term under federal sentencing guidelines. Liang's lawyers had asked for a sentence of home detention and community service.

Liang can appeal the sentence, Cox said.

Volkswagen pleaded guilty in March to three felony charges under an agreement with prosecutors to resolve the U.S. criminal probe of the company itself. It agreed to spend as much as $25 billion in the United States to resolve claims from owners and regulators and offered to buy back about 500,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen has admitted that it used software to deceive regulators in the United States and Europe from 2006 to 2015. The ruse allowed the automaker to sell diesel-equipped cars and sport utilities without installing emissions control systems that could have compromised performance or posed an inconvenience to customers, prosecutors charged.

Prosecutors said the deception lasted a decade and first impacted vehicles in the 2009 model year in the United States.

The German automaker declined to comment on Liang's sentence on Friday. "Volkswagen continues to cooperate with investigations by the Department of Justice into the conduct of individuals. It would not be appropriate to discuss personnel matters," the company said in a statement.
Whilst the Libyan militarys cringe-inducing attempt at God Save the Queen has become the must-see highlight of Boris Johnsons latest overseas visit, it shouldnt overshadow his remarks about the British intervention there.

According to The Times, the Foreign Secretary has said that the United Kingdom was over-optimistic about what could be achieved by overthrowing Colonel Muammar Gaddafi  and suggested that the push towards democracy had been counter-productive:

I certainly think we were way over-optimistic of what would happen when we got rid of Gaddafi. We thought elections in 2014 would be a solution and actually they made things worse.

Scepticism about overseas intervention has been the dominant sentiment since the collapse in enthusiasm for the Iraq War, but its interesting that Johnson is so willing to identify the push for rapid westernisation as a fundamental weakness in the post-intervention reconstruction effort.

A hallmark of the neoconservative era of American intervention, as opposed to its hard-nosed and amoral Cold War precursor, has been sincere attempts to establish functioning, American-ish democracies in the countries invaded. Whilst a threat to the West might justify the initial invasion (although not in Libyas case), the new Anglo-American doctrine of war was that we had to leave countries we invaded in a better, and more western, state than we found them.

This noble goal causes many problems. By necessity it makes any post-intervention occupation both long and expensive, and sets the bar for success so high that it is very difficult to achieve. The insistence on the rapid introduction of US-style republican democracy also has its drawbacks: the social and institutional foundations for a functioning democracy are sometimes weak or nonexistent, and liberal-minded monarchs who might have played a unifying role in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya are excluded for the sake of American doctrine.

In Iraq and Libya, the lack of a coherent demos has seen the introduction of democracy lead to great division and instability. In Egypt, during the Arab Spring, the West ended up quietly accepting a military coup after a democratic election returned the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood to office.

Despite all this, intervention doesnt deserve to be dismissed. That the shortcomings of post-intervention societies are on display, whilst the horrors an intervention may have prevented are mere counter-factuals, should not lead us to conclude that we ought always to keep the troops at home.

Nor need we fully embrace the old Cold War doctrine, when the imperative of defeating global Communism led us to back any monster as long as they were our monster. For all Russias posturing and Chinas ambition, the world doesnt face any threat that might necessitate a return to full-fat realism.

But what Johnsons comments illustrate is that advocates of intervention need to come up with a more plausible win condition than turning Saddam Husseins Iraq into America-on-the-Tigris. They need to define an outcome which can give Western strategists a realistic blueprint for a successful intervention.

In many instances, that may involve establishing or doing business with a regime which isnt democratic. But if it upholds the rule of law, respects the rights of its citizens, and creates the conditions for reconstruction and growth, perhaps thats good enough.
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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.
South Jersey Industries, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides energy-related products and services. The company engages in the purchase, transmission, and sale of natural gas. It also sells natural gas and pipeline transportation capacity on a wholesale basis to residential, commercial, and industrial customers on the interstate pipeline system, as well as transports natural gas purchased directly from producers or suppliers to customers. As of December 31, 2021, the company had approximately 147 miles of mains in the transmission system and 6,815 miles of mains in the distribution system; and served 384,062 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in southern New Jersey. In addition, it markets natural gas storage, commodity, and transportation assets on a wholesale basis for energy marketers, electric and gas utilities, power plants, and natural gas producers in the mid-Atlantic, Appalachian, and southern regions of the United States. Further, the company owns and operates rooftop solar-generation sites. Additionally, it owns oil, gas, and mineral rights in the Marcellus Shale region of Pennsylvania; acquires and markets natural gas and electricity to retail end users, as well as provides total energy management, fuel management, and energy procurement and cost reduction services. The company was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Folsom, New Jersey.
The following companies are subsidiares of American International Group: AGC Life Insurance Company, AIG APAC HOLDINGS PTE. LTD., AIG Aerospace Insurance Services Inc., AIG Asia Pacific Insurance Pte. Ltd., AIG Asset Management (Europe) Limited, AIG Asset Management (U.S.) LLC, AIG Assurance Company, AIG Australia Limited, AIG Brazil Holding I LLC, AIG CIS Investments LLC, AIG Canada Holdings Inc., AIG Capital Corporation, AIG Capital Services Inc., AIG Claims Inc., AIG Credit Management LLC, AIG Egypt Insurance Company S.A.E., AIG Employee Services Inc., AIG Europe Holdings S.a.r.l, AIG Europe S.A., AIG Federal Savings Bank, AIG Financial Products Corp., AIG General Insurance Co. Ltd., AIG Global Asset Management Holdings Corp., AIG Global Operations Inc., AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp., AIG Global Reinsurance Operations, AIG Holdings Europe Limited, AIG Insurance (Thailand) Public Company Limited, AIG Insurance Company China Limited, AIG Insurance Company JSC, AIG Insurance Company of Canada, AIG Insurance Company-Puerto Rico, AIG Insurance Hong Kong Limited, AIG Insurance Management Services Inc., AIG Insurance New Zealand Limited, AIG International Holdings GmbH, AIG Investments UK Limited, AIG Israel Insurance Company Ltd, AIG Japan Holdings Kabushiki Kaisha, AIG Kenya Insurance Company Limited, AIG Korea Inc., AIG Latin America I.I., AIG Latin America Investments S.L., AIG Lebanon SAL, AIG Life Holdings Inc., AIG Life Limited, AIG Life South Africa Limited, AIG Life of Bermuda Ltd., AIG MEA Holdings Limited, AIG MEA Limited, AIG Malaysia Insurance Berhad, AIG Markets Inc., AIG Matched Funding Corp., AIG PC Global Services Inc., AIG Philippines Insurance Inc., AIG Property Casualty Company, AIG Property Casualty Inc., AIG Property Casualty International LLC, AIG Property Casualty U.S. Inc., AIG Re-Takaful (L) Berhad, AIG Resseguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Brasil S.A., AIG Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., AIG South Africa Limited, AIG Specialty Insurance Company, AIG Technologies Inc., AIG Travel Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., AIG Travel Assist Inc., AIG Travel Assist Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., AIG Travel EMEA Limited, AIG Travel Inc., AIG Uganda Limited, AIG Vietnam Insurance Company Limited, AIG WarrantyGuard Inc., AIG-FP Pinestead Holdings Corp., AIG-Metropolitana Cia. de Seguros y Reaseguros S.A., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund I GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE Europe Real Estate Fund II GP S.a r.l., AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund I GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund II GP LLC, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund III GP LP, AIGGRE U.S. Real Estate Fund IV GP LLC, AIU Insurance Company, AM Holdings LLC, Ageas Protect, AlphaCat Managers Ltd., American General Corporation, American General Life Insurance Company, American Home Assurance Co. Ltd., American Home Assurance Company, American International Group UK Limited, American International Realty LLC, American International Reinsurance Company Ltd., American International Underwriters del Ecuador-Holding S.A. en Liquidacion S.A., Arthur J. Glatfelter Agency Inc., Blackboard Insurance Company, Blackboard Specialty Insurance Company, Blackboard U.S. Holdings Inc., C.A. de Seguros American International, Commerce and Industry Insurance Company, Crop Risk Services Inc., Eaglestone Reinsurance Company, Ellipse, Franklin Life Insurance Company, Fuji Fire and Marine, Glatfelter Insurance Group, Glatfelter Underwriting Services Inc., Globe and Rutgers Insurance Group, Grand Isle SAC Limited, Granite State Insurance Company, Illinois National Insurance Co., Inversiones Segucasai C.A., Johannesburg Insurance Holdings (Proprietary) Limited, Laya Healthcare Limited, Lexington Insurance Company, Lexington Specialty Insurance Agency Inc., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh Pa., National Union Fire Insurance Company of Vermont, New Hampshire Insurance Company, PCG 2019 Corporate Member Limited, PT AIG Insurance Indonesia, Pine Street Real Estate Holdings Corp., Risk Specialists Companies Insurance Agency Inc., SAFG Capital LLC, SAFG Retirement Services Inc., Service Net Warranty LLC, Stratford Insurance Company, SunAmerica Asset Management LLC, Talbot Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Holdings Ltd., Talbot Underwriting Ltd., The Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania, The United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, The Variable Annuity Life Insurance Company, Travel Guard, Travel Guard Group Canada Inc./Groupe Garde Voyage du Canada Inc., Travel Guard Group Inc., Tudor Insurance Company, VALIC Financial Advisors Inc., Valic Retirement Services Company, Validus Holdings, Validus Holdings (UK) Ltd., Validus Holdings Ltd., Validus Reinsurance (Switzerland) Ltd, Validus Reinsurance Ltd., Validus Ventures Ltd., Volunteer Firemen's Insurance Services Inc., and Western World Insurance Company.

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Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment produces and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, cyclohexane, styrene, and polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals used in drilling and mining. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, aviation, and renewable fuels at 12 refineries in the United States and Europe. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products, including gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels primarily in the United States and Europe. This segment also manufactures and markets specialty products, such as base oils and lubricants. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence.

Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since.

Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank.

Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022.

As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users.

Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. operates as an omni-channel specialty retailer of various products for home. It offers cooking, dining, and entertaining products, such as cookware, tools, electrics, cutlery, tabletop and bar, outdoor, furniture, and a library of cookbooks under the Williams Sonoma Home brand, as well as home furnishings and decorative accessories under the Williams Sonoma lifestyle brand; and furniture, bedding, lighting, rugs, table essentials, and decorative accessories under the Pottery Barn brand. The company also provides home decor products under the West Elm brand; kids accessories under the Pottery Barn Kids brand; and an organic bedding to multi-purpose furniture under the Pottery Barn Teen brand. In addition, it offers made-to-order lighting, hardware, furniture, and home decors inspired by history under the Rejuvenation brand; and women's and men's accessories, travel, entertaining and bar, home decor, and seasonal items under the Mark and Graham brand, as well as operates a 3-D imaging and augmented reality platform for the home furnishings and decor industry. The company markets its products through e-commerce websites, direct-mail catalogs, and retail stores. It operates 544 stores comprising 502 stores in 41states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico; 20 stores in Canada; 19 stores in Australia; 3 stores in the United Kingdom; and 139 franchised stores, as well as e-commerce websites in various countries in the Middle East, the Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, and India. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. was founded in 1956 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Citigroup Inc. is one of the worlds largest financial institutions. It is the 13th largest bank globally by assets and 8th by market cap with operations in consumer and institutional banking. In the US, Citigroup is the 3rd largest bank by assets and one of the Big Four deemed systemically important and too big to fail.

Citigroup Inc. was founded in 1812 as the City Bank of New York. The bank was run by Samuel Osgood who led the company with success for many years, even throughout the War of 1812. The bank was later renamed the National City Bank of New York in 1865 and by 1895 is the largest bank in the US. In 1913 it was the first contributor to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and a few years later it began to expand into overseas territories.

The bank became the First National City Bank of New York after another merger in 1955 and then later, the New York part was dropped off as part of the 150th-anniversary celebration. By 1974 the company is known as Citicorp which is still the operational branch of the business and a global banking powerhouse. A merger with Travelers insurance group in 1998 resulted in the name Citigroup but the joint venture did not last. By 2002 Travelers was publicly traded once again but Citigroup retained the new name.

Today, the company is headquartered in New York, New York but boasts more than 200 million customer accounts in 160 countries worldwide. As of mid-2022, it operated 2,649 branches in the United States, Mexico, and Asia. The company reports nearly 725 branches in the US and 1499 in Mexico with the rest scattered throughout its territory. Total annual revenue topped $75 billion in 2022.

Citigroup is a diversified financial services holding company that owns Citicorp among other assets. The companys mission is to serve as a trusted partner providing responsible financial solutions to its clients. Citigroup provides financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. The company operates in two segments, Global Consumer Banking (GCB) and Institutional Clients Group (ICG).

The GCB segment offers traditional banking services including deposit and saving accounts, credit cards, personal loans, home loans, and investment services. This segment operates through local branches and digital means. The ICG segment offers wholesale banking products and services to corporate, institutional, public sector, and high-net-worth clients.
NextEra Energy, Inc. is the largest electric utility holding company in the US. It operates a network of power generation and distribution facilities that include fossil-fuel-generated and green energy. As of mid-2022, the company was capable of generating 58 GW of electricity with nearly 60% of the load produced by green sources including wind and solar. In their view, going green isnt an option, its the solution. NextEra Energy has been recognized multiple times as a leader in clean energy and ESG practices and was ranked the #1 electric and gas utility on the Forbes list of Most Admired Companies.

The company is the result of several mergers that begin with FPL Group. FPL Group is now a subsidiary of NextEra Energy and the third-largest provider of electricity in the US servicing nearly half of Florida. FPL and its affiliates are the single largest provider of renewable energy generated from wind and sun. The group changed its name in 2010 following a decision to shift focus onto renewable energy sources.

Today, NextEra Energy, Inc through its subsidiary FPL serves about 12 million people in eastern and southwestern Florida. The company employs nearly 14,900 people who service 5.8 million accounts. The company is in business to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity to retail and wholesale clients. Electricity is generated through wind, solar, nuclear, natural gas, and coal-fired facilities.

The company is also engaged in the construction and operation of new facilities, specifically renewable power generation, storage, and delivery facilities, and can offer custom solutions tailored to any need. Offerings include tailored services to assist businesses with their transition to clean energy.

NextEra Energy also owns and operates 7 nuclear power stations in Florida, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin generating power for the wholesale market.

Unlike other companies that are targeting net-zero emissions, NextEra Energy has a plan to reach real zero and is investing heavily to reach that goal by 2045. The company had invested nearly $50 billion in green energy infrastructure and initiatives by mid-2022. The plan is to first work on reducing its own emissions and then take its knowledge and expertise to the world.
BlackRock, Inc. is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. It also provides global risk management and advisory services. The firm manages separate client-focused equity, fixed income, and balanced portfolios. It also launches and manages open-end and closed-end mutual funds, offshore funds, unit trusts, and alternative investment vehicles including structured funds. The firm launches equity, fixed income, balanced, and real estate mutual funds. It also launches equity, fixed income, balanced, currency, commodity, and multi-asset exchange traded funds. The firm also launches and manages hedge funds. It invests in the public equity, fixed income, real estate, currency, commodity, and alternative markets across the globe. The firm primarily invests in growth and value stocks of small-cap, mid-cap, SMID-cap, large-cap, and multi-cap companies. It also invests in dividend-paying equity securities. The firm invests in investment grade municipal securities, government securities including securities issued or guaranteed by a government or a government agency or instrumentality, corporate bonds, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities. It employs fundamental and quantitative analysis with a focus on bottom-up and top-down approach to make its investments. The firm employs liquidity, asset allocation, balanced, real estate, and alternative strategies to make its investments. In real estate sector, it seeks to invest in Poland and Germany. The firm benchmarks the performance of its portfolios against various S&P, Russell, Barclays, MSCI, Citigroup, and Merrill Lynch indices. BlackRock, Inc. was founded in 1988 and is based in New York City with additional offices in Boston, Massachusetts; London, United Kingdom; Gurgaon, India; Hong Kong; Greenwich, Connecticut; Princeton, New Jersey; Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Sydney, Australia; Taipei, Taiwan; Singapore; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Washington, District of Columbia; Toronto, Canada; Wilmington, Delaware; and San Francisco, California.
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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When the great-named storms surge against the Texas coast, the rising water might stir up a few ghosts. Harvey's landfall, not far from Matagorda Bay, will be an historical reminder of how the state has been shaped by hurricanes and meteorological tragedy.

About midway between Galveston and Corpus Christi, Matagorda Bay became the site of a thriving settlement during America's westward expansion. A port named Indianola, founded in 1846, grew quickly to 5,000 residents, and was a destination point for the Morgan steamer lines of New York City. The town site felt protected from the Gulf of Mexico by barrier islands and its location a few miles inland, and it began to grow and prosper.

Docks were built to carry a train out to meet ship passengers; four newspapers were publishing the year before the town was incorporated in 1852; German immigrants by the thousands landed at Indianola and moved inland to settle farms; fine places of dining and hotels did bustling business; and in 1869 the world's first mechanically refrigerated shipment of beef went from Indianola to New Orleans.

And then the first hurricane arrived.

On September 16, 1875, a storm described by a Kansas paper as "the most severe flood since the days of Noah," destroyed Indianola. The loss of life was never accurately calculated, but the community once described as "The Queen City of the West," was devastated by wind and water.

"We are destitute, and our town is gone," District Attorney D.W. Curin said in a message pleading for help. "One tenth of the people are gone. Dead bodies are strewn for twenty miles along the bay. Nine tenths of the houses are destroyed. Send us help, for God's sake."

Indianola rebuilt. But it was doomed to become a victim of its geography. Eleven years later, on August 19, 1886, another hurricane moved into the bay and pushed water with wind and made meaningless all the dreams born on that low, sandy spot. The loss was turned even more profound by a fire caused by a windblown lantern.

Indianola might have become a great American city had it built a seawall, a lesson which Galveston had not learned when the island was inundated by a 1900 storm. "The Great Galveston Hurricane" killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people and remains the worst natural disaster in American history. The tidal surge was estimated at 15 feet on the back of 145 mph winds, which destroyed 3,600 homes.

Galveston's weather bureau director at the time, Isaac Cline, had written an 1891 article for the island's daily newspaper to make an argument no seawall was needed because a hurricane of significant strength would never strike the island. Cline has been immortalized in ignominy by Erik Larson's book on the Galveston hurricane, which names the tragedy "Isaac's Storm."

Giant hurricanes appear attracted by our outsized state. The worst storm ever recorded in the US on the Hurricane Severity Index was Carla, which made landfall in September 1961 at Port O'Connor with a recorded, constant wind speed of 180 mph. Carla made another kind of history when young TV journalist Dan Rather had a camera pointed at a radar screen over his improvised map of the Gulf of Mexico. He showed the cyclone reaching almost from Florida to Texas, and launched his career as a CBS News correspondent with his ingenuity.

Texans live with these storms and their superlative descriptions and we remember their power. We know Ike and Celia and Allison and Bonnie and Beulah and all the others with their benign and unforgettable names, and we won't forget what they have done to our lives. Our collective sense of helplessness has become more instructive through the years. We tend now toward readiness.

In 1977, I hid out on South Padre Island after it had been ordered evacuated and called in network radio reports from a phone booth as Hurricane Anita made landfall. The exposure led to a TV news career, and a few decades later, I was broadcasting the story of Indianola.

Our camera showed an historic plaque at the town site, an old cistern, once a source of fresh water, and a concrete piling that had helped hold up the great docks that reached out to meet arriving ships.

But what we could not record, or ever communicate, was what might have been.

CNN's Joe Sterling, Amanda Jackson, Matt Rehbein, AnneClaire Stapleton, Dakin Andone, David Williams, David Shortell, Eliott C. McLaughlin, Nick Valencia and Keith Allen contributed to this report.
Croda International Plc creates, makes, and sells specialty chemicals in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, North America, Asia, and Latin America. It operates through four segments: Consumer Care, Life Sciences, Performance Technologies, and Industrial Chemicals. The company offers adhesives; crop protection additives and adjuvants, seed enhancement and animal health chemicals, chemical bio-stimulants, and specialty additives for agricultural films; and lubricant additives, coatings and polymers, vehicle cleaning chemicals, and products for automotive textiles and fibers, as well as specialty additives for plastics, and battery and catalyst industries. It also provides specialty ingredients for self-tanning, color cosmetics, bath and shower, deodorants, anti-perspirants, depilatories, men's grooming, and oral hygiene, as well as skin, hair, sun, body, and baby care applications; construction chemicals and bitumen additives; dietary supplements; and materials and polymer additives for electronics and devices. In addition, the company offers chemistries, emulsifiers, fuel and power generation additives, and polymer additives; food additives; specialty polymer additives for furniture and wood applications; household, industrial, and institutional cleaning products; lubricants; oleochemicals; and packaging, print, and paper chemicals. Further, it provides paints and coatings; active pharmaceutical ingredients; thermal management products; plastic and rubber products; skin health products; hygiene and industrial nonwovens, botanical extracts, tissues, and textile auxiliaries; and water treatment chemicals. Additionally, the company offers bio-based phase change materials for buildings and ventilation, clothing and healthcare, electronics and devices, food and refrigeration, energy storage and recovery, temperature controlled packaging, and vehicles and automotive applications. The company was incorporated in 1925 and is headquartered in Goole, the United Kingdom.
Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao engages in the retail of food, clothing, home appliances, electronics, and other products through its chain of supermarkets, specialized stores, and department stores in Brazil. It operates in Brazilian Retail, Grupo Exito, and Other Businesses segments. The company sells non-perishables, beverages, fruits, vegetables, meat, breads, cold cuts, dairy products, cleaning products, disposable products, and personal care products; and home appliances and other non-food products, such as clothing and baby items, shoes and accessories, household articles, books, magazines, CDs and DVDs, stationery, toys, sports and camping gears, furniture, mobile phones, mattresses, pet products, and gardening equipment and tools, as well as electronic products, including personal computers, software, computer accessories, and sound and image systems. It also offers medications and cosmetics at its drugstores; and non-food products at gas stations, as well as rents commercial spaces and e-commerce sales. The company operates its supermarkets under the banners of Pao de Acucar, Extra Supermercado, Mercado Extra, and Compre Bem; hypermarkets under the banner of Extra Hiper; and proximity stores under the banners of Mini Extra, Minuto Pao de Acucar, Pao de Acucar Adega, and Aliados Minimercado; and gas stations and drugstores under the banners of Extra and Pao de Acucar, as well as sells its products through its Websites. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 667 stores, 74 gas stations, and 68 drugstores in 16 Brazilian states and the Federal District, as well as 15 distribution centers and warehouses across Brazil. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Companhia Brasileira de Distribuicao operates as a subsidiary of Casino, Guichard-Perrachon S.A.
Avangrid, Inc., an energy services holding company, engages in the regulated energy transmission and distribution, and renewable energy generation businesses in the United States. The company operates through Networks and Renewables segments. It is involved in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity; and distribution, transportation, and sale of natural gas. The company also operates renewable energy generation facilities primarily using onshore wind power, as well as solar, biomass, and thermal power. It delivers natural gas and electricity to residential, commercial, and institutional customers through its regulated utilities in New York, Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts; and sells its output to investor-owned utilities, public utilities, and other credit-worthy entities. In addition, the company generates and provides power and other services to federal and state agencies, as well as institutional retail and joint action agencies; and delivers thermal output to wholesale customers in the Western United States. It owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving 3.3 million customers in New York and New England, as well as owns and operates 8.8 gigawatts of electricity capacity primarily through wind power in 22 states. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is headquartered in Orange, Connecticut. Avangrid, Inc. is a subsidiary of Iberdrola, S.A.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
General Mills, Inc. manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates in five segments: North America Retail; Convenience Stores & Foodservice; Europe & Australia; Asia & Latin America; and Pet. It offers ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream, nutrition bars, wellness beverages, and savory and grain snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. It also supplies branded and unbranded food products to the North American foodservice and commercial baking industries; and manufactures and markets pet food products, including dog and cat food. The company markets its products under the Annie's, Betty Crocker, Bisquick, Blue Buffalo, Blue Basics, Blue Freedom, Bugles, Cascadian Farm, Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, Cookie Crisp, EPIC, Fiber One, Food Should Taste Good, Fruit by the Foot, Fruit Gushers, Fruit Roll-Ups, Gardetto's, Go-Gurt, Gold Medal, Golden Grahams, Haagen-Dazs, Helpers, Jus-Rol, Kitano, Kix, Larabar, Latina, Liberte, Lucky Charms, Muir Glen, Nature Valley, Oatmeal Crisp, Old El Paso, Oui, Pillsbury, Progresso, Raisin Nut Bran, Total, Totino's, Trix, Wanchai Ferry, Wheaties, Wilderness, Yoki, and Yoplait trademarks. It sells its products directly, as well as through broker and distribution arrangements to grocery stores, mass merchandisers, membership stores, natural food chains, e-commerce retailers, commercial and noncommercial foodservice distributors and operators, restaurants, convenience stores, and pet specialty stores, as well as drug, dollar, and discount chains. The company operates 466 leased and 392 franchise ice cream parlors. General Mills, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the electric utility, banking, and renewable/sustainable infrastructure investment businesses in the state of Hawaii. It operates in three segments: Electric Utility, Bank, and Other. The Electric Utility segment engages in the production, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, Maui, Lanai, and Molokai. Its renewable energy sources and potential sources include wind, solar, photovoltaic, geothermal, wave, hydroelectric, municipal waste, and other biofuels. This segment serves suburban communities, resorts, the United States armed forces installations, and agricultural operations. The Bank segment operates a community bank that offers banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses, including savings and checking accounts; and loans comprising residential and commercial real estate, residential mortgage, construction and development, multifamily residential and commercial real estate, consumer, and commercial loans. This segment operates 42 branches, including 29 branches in Oahu, 6 branches in Maui, 4 branches in Hawaii, 2 branches in Kauai, and 1 branch in Molokai. The Other segment invests in non-regulated renewable energy and sustainable infrastructure in the State of Hawaii. Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. was incorporated in 1891 and is headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii.
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.
Manx Telecom plc provides a range of telecommunications services to consumers, businesses, and the public sector in the Isle of Man and internationally. It operates through five segments: Fixed Line, Broadband and Data; Mobile; Global Solutions; Data Centre; and Other. The Fixed Line, Broadband and Data segment offers fixed line, broadband, and connectivity services to approximately 37,000 homes and 4,000 businesses. It provides ADSL and VDSL, fixed line, and private circuit rental and connection services. The Mobile segment offers pre-paid and post-paid tariffs to various market segments; supports inbound roaming traffic; and sells mobile handsets, laptops, and accessories. It provides mobile calls, SMS, data, and mobile rental services. The Global Solutions segment offers wholesale SMS and voice, international traveler market, machine to machine, and signal mobile services, as well as mobile termination products, such as Chameleon. The Data Centre segment offers co-location, managed hosting, cloud, storage, disaster recovery, and business continuity services to corporate clients through three data centers. The Other segment provides phone book and business directory services; and operates MTTV, an online news channel, as well as manx.net portal. It also sells hardware equipment; and offers managed and interconnection services. The company was formerly known as Trafford Equityco Limited and changed its name to Manx Telecom plc in February 2014. Manx Telecom plc is headquartered in Braddan, the Isle of Man.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., through its subsidiaries, produces, markets, and distributes fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Fresh and Value-Added Products, Banana, and Other Products and Services. It offers pineapples, fresh-cut fruit, fresh-cut vegetables, melons, and vegetables; non-tropical fruits, such as grapes, apples, citrus, blueberries, strawberries, pears, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, and kiwis; other fruit and vegetables, and avocados; and prepared fruit and vegetables, juices, other beverages, and meals and snacks. The company also engages in the sale of poultry and meat products; and third-party freight services business. In addition, it manufactures and sells plastic and box products, such as bins, trays, bags, and boxes. The company offers its products under the Del Monte brand, as well as under other brands, such as UTC, Rosy, Fruit Express, Just Juice, Fruitini, Mann's Logo, Arcadian Harvest, Nourish Bowls, Broccolini, Caulilini, Better Burger Leaf, RomaLeaf, and other regional brands. It markets and distributes its products to retail stores, club stores, convenience stores, wholesalers, distributors, and foodservice operators. Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. was founded in 1886 and is based in George Town, Cayman Islands.
Mistras Group, Inc. provides technology-enabled asset protection solutions worldwide. The company operates through three segments: Services, International, and Products and Systems. It offers non-destructive testing services; predictive maintenance assessments of fixed and rotating assets; inline inspection for pipelines; and develops enterprise inspection database management software and plant condition management software. The company also provides maintenance and light mechanical services, such as corrosion removal, mitigation and prevention, insulation installation and removal, electrical, heat tracing, industrial cleaning, pipefitting, and welding; engineering consulting services primarily for process equipment, technologies, and facilities; and utilizes scaffolding and rope access to access at-height and confined assets. In addition, it offers certified divers for subsea inspection and maintenance; unmanned aerial, land-based, and subsea systems for inspection applications; online condition-monitoring solutions; quality assurance and quality control solutions for new and existing metal and alloy components, materials, and composites. Further, the company designs and installs monitoring systems, as well as provides commissioning, training, reporting, technical support, and annual maintenance services; Web-based solutions; and custom-developed software. Additionally, it designs, manufactures, and sells acoustic emission sensors, instruments, and turnkey systems for monitoring and testing materials, pressure components, processes, and structures, as well as automated ultrasonic systems and scanners. The company serves oil and gas, commercial aerospace and defense, fossil and nuclear power, alternative and renewable energy, industrial, public infrastructure, petrochemical, transportation, and process industries, as well as research and engineering institutions. Mistras Group, Inc. was founded in 1978 and is headquartered in Princeton Junction, New Jersey.
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 []
PPG Industries, Inc. manufactures and distributes paints, coatings, and specialty materials worldwide. The company's Performance Coatings segment offers coatings, solvents, adhesives, sealants, sundries, and software for automotive and commercial transport/fleet repair and refurbishing, light industrial coatings, and specialty coatings for signs; and coatings, sealants, transparencies, transparent armor, adhesives, engineered materials, and packaging and chemical management services for commercial, military, regional jet, and general aviation aircraft. It also provides coatings and finishes for the protection of metals and structures, such as metal fabricators, heavy duty maintenance contractors, and manufacturers of ships, bridges, and rail cars; paints, wood stains, adhesives, and purchased sundries for painting and maintenance contractors, and consumers for decoration and maintenance of residential and commercial building structures; and paints, thermoplastics, pavement marking products, and other technologies for pavement marking. The company's Industrial Coatings segment offers coatings, adhesives and sealants, and metal pretreatments, as well as services and coatings applications for appliances, agricultural and construction equipment, consumer electronics, automotive parts and accessories, building products, kitchenware, and transportation vehicles and other finished products; and on-site coatings services. It also provides coatings for metal cans, closures, plastic tubes, and promotional and specialty packaging; amorphous precipitated silica for tire, battery separator, and other end-uses; TESLIN substrates for labels, e-passports, drivers' licenses, breathable membranes, and loyalty and identification cards; and organic light emitting diode materials, displays and lighting lens materials, optical lenses, color-change products, and photochromic dyes. The company was incorporated in 1883 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
ALLETE, Inc. operates as an energy company. The company operates through Regulated Operations, ALLETE Clean Energy, and Corporate and Other segments. It generates electricity from coal-fired, biomass co-fired / natural gas, hydroelectric, wind, and solar. The company provides regulated utility electric services in northwestern Wisconsin to approximately 15,000 electric customers, 13,000 natural gas customers, and 10,000 water customers, as well as regulated utility electric services in northeastern Minnesota to approximately 145,000 retail customers and 15 non-affiliated municipal customers. It also owns and maintains electric transmission assets in Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, and Illinois. In addition, the company focuses on developing, acquiring, and operating clean and renewable energy projects; and owns and operates approximately 1,000 megawatts of wind energy generation facility. Further, it is involved in the coal mining operations in North Dakota; and real estate investment activities in Florida. The company owns and operates 158 substations with a total capacity of 10,066 megavolt amperes. It serves taconite mining, paper, pulp and secondary wood products, pipeline, and other industries. The company was formerly known as Minnesota Power, Inc. and changed its name to ALLETE, Inc. in May 2001. ALLETE, Inc. was incorporated in 1906 and is headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota.
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.
United Parcel Service, Inc. provides letter and package delivery, transportation, logistics, and related services. It operates through two segments, U.S. Domestic Package and International Package. The U.S. Domestic Package segment offers time-definite delivery of letters, documents, small packages, and palletized freight through air and ground services in the United States. The International Package segment provides guaranteed day and time-definite international shipping services in Europe, the Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, and Africa. This segment offers guaranteed time-definite express options. The company also provides international air and ocean freight forwarding, customs brokerage, distribution and post-sales, and mail and consulting services in approximately 200 countries and territories. In addition, it offers truckload brokerage services; supply chain solutions to the healthcare and life sciences industry; shipping, visibility, and billing technologies; and financial and insurance services. The company operates a fleet of approximately 121,000 package cars, vans, tractors, and motorcycles; and owns 59,000 containers that are used to transport cargo in its aircraft. United Parcel Service, Inc. was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
By Leah Schleifer

Droughts in Somalia. Water rationing in Rome. Flooding in Jakarta. It doesnt take a hydrologist to realize that there is a growing global water crisis. Each August, water experts, industry innovators and researchers gather in Stockholm for World Water Week to tackle the planets most pressing water issues.

What are they up against this year? Heres a quick rundown on the growing global water crisis.

1) Were Changing the Climate, Making Dry Areas Drier and Precipitation More Variable and Extreme

Climate change is warming the planet, making the worlds hottest geographies even more scorching. At the same time, clouds are moving away from the equator toward the poles, due to a climate-change driven phenomenon called Hadley Cell expansion. This deprives equatorial regions like sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Central America of life-giving rainwater.

Paradoxically, climate change is also increasing precipitation in other areas, and people who live near rivers and streams have the most to lose. Currently, at least 21 million people worldwide are at risk of river flooding each year. That number could increase to 54 million by 2030. All countries with the greatest exposure to river floods are least developed or developing countrieswhich makes them even more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters. This summer, extreme flooding submerged over a third of Bangladesh, claiming more than 115 lives and affecting 5.7 million citizens.

2) More People + More Money = More Water Demand

Its a simple equation: As populations increase and incomes grow, so does water demand. The worlds population, now at 7.5 billion, is projected to add 2.3 billion more people by 2050. How can the planet satisfy their thirst? Growing incomes also exacerbate the water problem, because of the water-intensive productslike meat and energy from fossil fuelsthat richer populations demand.

3) Groundwater Is Being Depleted

About 30 percent of Earths fresh water lies deep underground in aquifers. And its extracted daily for farming, drinking and industrial processesoften at dangerously unsustainable rates. Nowhere is this more evident than India, which guzzles more groundwater than any other country. 54 percent of Indias groundwater wells are decreasing, meaning that water is used faster than its replenished. Unless patterns shift, in 20 years 60 percent of Indias aquifers will be in critical condition.

Unlike an incoming hurricane or a drained lake, the naked eye cannot see when groundwater reserves in aquifers are declining. Global water supplies are susceptible to this hidden and growing threat.

4) Water Infrastructure Is in a Dismal State of Disrepair

Having enough water to go around is only the beginning. That water also needs to be transported, treated and discharged. Around the world, water infrastructuretreatment plants, pipes and sewer systemsis in a state of disrepair. In the U.S., six billion gallons of treated water are lost per day from leaky pipes alone. Built infrastructure is notoriously expensive to install and repair, meaning that many localities ignore growing infrastructure issues until disaster strikes, as it did in California earlier this year.

5) And Natural Infrastructure Is Being Ignored

Heavy machinery removing trees in Ecuador Flickr / CIFOR

Healthy ecosystems are natural infrastructure and vital to clean, plentiful water. They filter pollutants, buffer against floods and storms, and regulate water supply. Plants and trees are essential for replenishing groundwater; without them, rainfall will slide across dry land, instead of seeping into the soil. Loss of vegetation from deforestation, overgrazing and urbanization is limiting our natural infrastructure and the benefits that it provides. Forested watersheds around the world are under threat: watersheds have lost up to 22 percent of their forests in the past 14 years.

6) Water Is Wasted



Although its true that water is a renewable resource, its often wasted. Inefficient practices like flood irrigation and water-intensive wet cooling at thermal power plants use more water than necessary. Whats more, as we pollute our available water at an alarming rate, we also fail to treat it. About 80 percent of the worlds wastewater is discharged back into nature without further treatment or reuse. In many countries, its cheaper to receive clean drinking water than to treat and dispose of wastewater, which encourages water waste. This brings us to the next issue:

7) The Price Is Wrong

Globally, water is seriously undervalued. Its price does not reflect the true, total cost of service, from its transport via infrastructure to its treatment and disposal. This has led to misallocation of water, and a lack of investments in infrastructure and new water technologies that use water more efficiently. After all, why would a company or government invest in expensive water-saving technologies, when water is cheaper than the technology in question? When the price of receiving clean water is closer to its actual service cost, efficient water use will be incentivized. And on the flip side, the poor often end up paying disproportionately high prices for water, stunting development.

Its Not Too Late

Amidst these seven deadly water sins, there is good news: governments, businesses, universities and citizens around the world are waking up to water challenges, and beginning to take action. Each year brings more solutionslike using wastewater for energy, using restoration to bring water back to dry topographies, and monitoring groundwater levels more closely. However, even the best solutions will not implement themselves. Along with fresh water, political will and public pressure are critical resources in ensuring a sustainable future for all.
I grew up on a farm outside of Plains, Georgia. It was the Great Depression years; we didnt have electricity or running water. The first appliance we had was a windmill, for piping water into our house.

In fact, we didnt have any gasoline or diesel motors for a number of decades; mules and horses did all the work. We got all our energy from growing cornthe animals that we worked, the animals that we ate, and all the human beings depended on corn as just about our only fuel. We were totally renewable back then.

So when I became president, it was natural for me to want to extend this capability to people who were in danger of losing their energy supply. Because we had a good relationship with IsraelI tried to bring peace between Israel and Egyptwe had oil embargos. We lost our customary supply of oil, so I was very interested in seeing America be energy secure. It was a national security issueall our tanks, our ships, our trains depended on oil back in those days.

I was the driving force for renewable energy when I was president. I made a series of speeches about it, my staff wrote the legislation, and we got various members of Congress to offer their support. Its important for the president to set an example, so in 1979, I installed 32 solar panels on the roof of the White House. I made a public commitment in 1979 that by the year 2000 we would have at least 20 percent of the nations energy coming from renewable sourcesfrom geothermal, or from the wind or the sunshine.

We had special programs that I got through Congress to give bonuses for finding new kinds of energy. We were well on the way to meeting that 20 percent target when I left office. Ronald Reagan wanted to abandon all of those commitments (some were written in law, and he couldnt do away with them). Later on, President Barack Obama started talking about 20 percent by 2020, so we were delayed in the process of moving to renewable energy by at least 20 years. I dont know whats going to happen in the future.

We now have in the neighborhood of 3,500 solar panels on 13 and a half acres of my farm in Plains, maybe 150 yards from my house, in what was formerly a peanut and soybean field. On a good day we can produce about 1.3 megawatts. We have 215 houses in Plains, and these solar panels at full power would provide enough energy for 200 of them. Im very proud of our systemour solar panels rotate during the day, following the sun across the sky. Its much more productive per acre than systems with fixed panels.

I was there every day when they were installing the systemit took about three months. I worked very closely with the guys that own SolAmerica, the company thats the link between landowners and the power company. We just rent our land to them for so much per acre per year for a period of 25 years; they paid for the complete installation. I helped the contractors drive in the six-inch I beams and put in the cross braces to install the rotating systems and that sort of thing.

In the future, we could go up to five megawatts; that would take about 50 acres. The lands already set aside. Im ready to expand whenever our major power company, Georgia Power, is ready to accept it. Theyd been quite reluctant to encourage the use of solar power. Even when I, a former president, was quite interested in it as a personal project, it still took three years to get Georgia Power to accept the energy from my solar panels.

In some states where I have built Habitat [for Humanity] houses, we know that we can put solar panels on a house and in six or seven years theyll pay for themselves. Some power companies are encouraging homeowners to put solar panels on their houses. In Georgia, thats not the case.

Ive been very proud of the project in Plains. I hope that my example as a former president will encourage others to pursue the same route. And I hope that the major power companies will adopt this as a commitment.

Reposted with permission from our media associate Sierra magazine.
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Exports of beef, lamb and pork from the UK have surpassed the 500 million mark for the first six months of 2017  up 18 per cent year-on-year.

The new data from HMRC shows that exports to non-EU countries have also risen, with the Asian markets continuing to offer exciting opportunities for beef, lamb and pork.

According to figures, there has also been a 21 per cent increase in offal exports, taking the total value of shipments from the three sectors to 582 million.

In the first half of the year, beef exports to countries outside of Europe are up 45 per cent year-on-year to almost 8,000 tonnes. This has resulted in a 62 per cent rise in value to 23.5 million.

Third country pork exports rose by nearly 4 per cent in volume to 41,000 tonnes  more than half of which has gone to China where there has been a 6 per cent rise in exports in the first half of the year, worth 24 million.

Total recorded lamb exports to both European and non-EU countries have performed well for the first half of 2017, with volumes up 18 per cent valued at 178 million.

And while its a lower proportion, exports of sheep meat to non-EU countries have doubled in 2017 so far.

'Positive picture'

AHDBs Head of Livestock Export Trade Development Jean-Pierre Garnier said the lhese latest figures 'paint a positive picture' for the meat export industry.

It is very encouraging to see an increase in exports to non-EU countries and a strong progression in value as this is an important area for our meat exports with the challenge of Brexit.

AHDB recognises the importance of developing balanced international trade that does not rely solely on the EU, but we also cannot underestimate the importance of Europe as two-thirds of our meat exports are still destined for the EU.

However, we understand the challenges that our meat industry faces and we must look at new exports deals and continue to work towards securing access to third countries.

Key Asian markets

Key target markets such as Hong Kong and China have led the growth of exports to non-EU countries this year  with the latest data showing a four-fold increase in chilled beef exports to Hong Kong as well as a 91 per cent rise in chilled lamb.

Non-EU exports are expected to rise even further following the recent announcement of a 200 million trade deal for pork access to China and a 34 million deal to export beef to the Philippines.

AHDB Exports has been attending numerous world-leading food and drink events around the world during 2017 in a bid to showcase the UKs high quality meat on a global stage.

Next month, AHDB will be attending Asias leading hospitality expo - the three-day Restaurant and Bar trade show in Hong Kong.

It follows on from the Speciality Fine Food Show in Singapore last month and the world-famous SIAL exhibition in China in May.

American Food Fair

AHDB is also leading a mission of meat exporters to key African markets next month to meet with leading supply chain participants.

AHDB Pork also attended the American Food Fair in Chicago earlier this year in a bid to boost pig meat exports. The USA is a growing market for pork with exports up by 2.6 per cent in the first six months of the year to 4,500 tonnes.

Mr Garnier added: We are targeting key markets outside of the EU where we are confident meat exports can continue to add value. Working with government and other organisations in the UK we have been able to help open up markets which have been closed to us for many years.
Producers see losses increase to 26-28 per pig, estimates show
Ranbir Kapoor's Dapper Avatar

The Kapoor scion looks absolutely handsome in his black kurta. He is seen here posing for a picture with his sister Riddhima and his mom Neetu Kapoor's friend, Dipti Sandesara.

Recommended Video Ranbir Kapoor REVEALS sister Riddhima Kapoor find THIS thing IRRITATING | FilmiBeat

One More Picture

It looks like the brother-sister duo couldn't stop clicking photos!

A Glimpse Of Their Ganpati

Riddhima even shared a picture of their Ganpati idol. Check it out here.

Ranbir At Ambani's Ganpati Bash

Last night, the 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' actor was also spotted at the festive bash thrown by the Ambanis at their residence, Antilla.

Last Year's Controversy

Last year, Ranbir and his father Rishi ended up grabbing headlines for wrong reasons when they were accused of slapping journalists during the Ganpati visarjan procession. But Rishi Kapoor had clarified saying, "They say Ranbir hit them, Ranbir would not hit a fly, how would he hit them".

On The Work Front

Ranbir is currently busy filming for the Dutt biopic. A leading daily had earlier quoted him as saying, ""It was surreal for me. You're acting like him, and the director calls cut, you look up, and suddenly there's Sanjay Dutt actually sitting behind the monitor! But then I'd got so obsessed with him.

Every time I'd see him, I'd start observing him like a hawk - the way he scratches his beard, twitches his eye, drinks water, hugs... It'd become a bit of a sickness for me. But that obsession is necessary for acting, or any form of art - that madness to get something right. You may still fall flat on your face, but it's necessary."
Hina Khan

Hina Khan shared a picture with her alleged boyfriend Rocky and wrote, "Ganpati Bappa Morya  @rockyj1."

Devoleena

Saath Nibhana Saathiya actress, Devoleena wrote, "Wish you all A very happy Ganesh Chaturthi#ganpatibappamorya #5thyear."

Rubina

Shakti actress shared Lord Ganesha's picture and wrote, "May all our worries and weakness disappear in the light of divinity........."

Divyanka & Vivek

Divyanka and Vivek visited Ravi Dubey's house to seek the lord's blessings. Sharing this picture Divyanka wrote, "Congratulations for your first #Ganpati Mr and Mrs Dubey."

Divyanka

Sharing this picture Divyanka further wrote, "Yesterday we planned to visit 10 Ganpati jis... Achieved 3!@vikaaskalantri and @priyankavikaaskalantri hope a baby Ganu visits you soon! ."

Vivek Dahiya

Vivek too, shared a few pictures and wrote, "Love the positivity and vibe of Mumbai during this festive season. Thank you for the beautiful darshans! #GanpatiBappaMorya #Festivity." "And the beautiful darshans continue "

Bharti & Harsh

Bharti shared this picture and wrote, "Modak for energy and taste, Boondi Laddoo to drown your sorrows and Peda to relish worldly offerings...Happy Ganesh Chaturthi! #myfriendganesha."

Kamya Punjabi With Kushal Tandon

Sharing this picture Kamya wrote, "Bappa at my Bhai's @therealkushaltandon."

Tejaswi Prakash

Tejaswi shared this picture and wrote, "The only person I believe in sharing my secrets and sorrows with #blessed."

Niti Taylor

"Stay kind, it makes you beautiful #lifeisbeautiful#youarebeautiful#staybeautiful#GaneshChaturthi#ganeshpuja#posing#lovemyoutfit#outfitoftheday#peace#love#life#with#my#favorite @reporter_nawathepooja you're the best Outfit from @vastrabymilonee  I did actually shop alot! I still have one more pending."

Mona & Vikrant

"Like each year, welcoming lord ganesha to our humble abode! Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all!  #Ganeshotsav."

Rithvik & Raqesh

Rithvik and Raqesh welcomed Lord Ganesha in their style. Sharing this picture Rithvik wrote, "_dfinally he's here!!!!!!!!! ganpati bappa morya!!! thank you @raqeshbapat ."

Himanshu Malhotra & Sriti Jha

Sriti visited Himanshu's house to seek the Lord's blessing. Himanshu shared this picture and wrote, "Ganpati Bappa Morya @itisriti ! Was truly wonderful to meet her after really long ! She's been an epitome if the craft of acting in our TV fraternity. Focused and dead serious about her work yet an equally chilled out and sweet gal ! Love & Hugs #ganpatibappamorya #ganeshchaturthi."
Lewis Hamilton said Michael Schumacher will remain one of the greatest of all time after he matched the seven-time champions all-time pole position record at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday.

Hamiltons fourth Belgian pole was the 68th of the Mercedes stars career, and after delivering it his (and Schumachers) former team boss Ross Brawn was on hand to share in the historic moment.

Im here to deliver a very special message from Corinna Schumacher and the Schumacher family, who want to congratulate you on equalling Michaels record, said Brawn.

As they said, Michael always said that records are there to be broken, so they want to send their very special thanks.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact official renders and pricing leaked News oi -Chandrika Sony will unveil the smartphone during the IFA Berlin 2017.

Sony is expected to unveil three smartphones at this year's IFA Berlin. The Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is one of them. With just a few days away from the launch, official renders of the smartphone have surfaced online.

Reliable tipster Roland Quandt has posted the images on his Twitter account. This is the same person who leaked the Sony Xperia XZ1 images a couple of days ago. Well, as you can see, the Xperia XZ1 Compact and Xperia XZ1 look quite similar in terms of design. However, the former has a thicker body. The handset seems to have a polycarbonate body with a matte finish.

If you remember, the Xperia XA1 Ultra also had a same kind of design. So we would not be surprised if the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact comes with a NFC chip at the center of its rear panel. Up front, the smartphone is shown to be featuring thick top and bottom bezel. The side bezels are thin though.

While the images show the phone in Pink color. The tipster says the Xperia XZ1 Compact will be launched in three more color variants; Black, Silver and Blue. He has even revealed the pricing of the smartphone. It is said to carry a price tag of 499 GBP (approximately Rs. 41,000).

Well, talking about specifications, the Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact is said to arrive with a rather small 4.6-inch display with the resolution density of 720p. Under its hood, the smartphone is likely to be powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor clubbed with 4GB of RAM.

It is speculated, the device will run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS right out of the box and will be backed by a 2,600mAH battery.

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 could launch on the same day as iPhone 8 News oi -Chandrika The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has already received a 3C certification.

Well, the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has been appearing in leaks for quite a while now. The smartphone has been spotted on various benchmark sites as well. Earlier this week, it even received its 3C certification. So it is safe to say that its launch is fast approaching.

However, Xiaomi is yet to announce a launch date for the Mi Mix 2. According to a report by a Chinese website called techweb.com, the smartphone will share its unveiling date with the iPhone 8. The iPhone 8 is said to launch on September 12. This means Xiaomi will also take the wraps off its next flagship on the same day. Of course, the authenticity of this verified yet, but we are not tossing out the possibility.

A few days back we came across another report that suggested the same thing. Presumably, Xiaomi has decided to snatch some market shares from Apple by releasing the device around the same time as the iPhone 8.

To be honest, this would be a huge risk for the Xiaomi. Being the 10th-anniversary model, the hype around the iPhone 8 is huge. So we don't think the Chinese smartphone manufacturer has any chance of overshadowing the launch of Apple's upcoming flagship. It is likely to be the other way round.

So it would be better if Xiaomi launches the Mi Mix 2 a few days before the launch of Apple iPhone 8. There is no doubt that Xiaomi is a big brand, but it could no way compete with the Cupertino-giant.

In any case, we would have to wait a few more days to know the real deal.

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Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 leaked render shows full-screen design News oi -Chandrika The smartphone has already received a 3C certification.

Xiaomi devices are always highly anticipated and the upcoming Mi Mix 2 is no exception. The smartphone has already received the 3C certification, which means its launch is imminent.

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 has appeared in a number of leaks as well. Yesterday, we came across a picture showing the rear panel of the smartphone. Today, its picture has been spotted again. This time, the front-side of the Mi Mix 2 has been revealed. A publication called BoxerTech has obtained the image from Weibo. Well, as you can see, the smartphone is shown sporting a bezel-less, full-screen design.

Previous reports had suggested that the Xiaomi Mi Mix 2's display will have an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 95%. However, the size of the display will stay the same as that of its predecessor. This means we will get to see a 6.4-inch dual curved AMOLED 2K display on the Mi Mix 2.

Talking about other features, the smartphone could come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor. The phone is said to come in two different memory variants. The standard one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of inbuilt storage space.

To remind you, the device was also listed with the same configuration on GeekBench. The higher version, on the other hand, will have 8GB of RAM and 256GB of native storage.

As for software, the Mi Mix 2 is likely to run on Android 7.1.1 Nougat OS with the layer of MIUI 9 on top. A 3,400mAh battery is said to power the smartphone.

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TRAI instructs Idea to deposit Rs 2.97 crore for overcharging its subscribers News oi -Priyanka Telecom tribunal TDSAT dismissed COAIs appeal following which the industry body moved the Supreme Court.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has instructed Idea Cellular to deposit Rs 2.97 crore for overcharging its subscribers to making calls to BSNL and MTNL networks.

TRAI also received complaints from subscribers regarding the differential higher tariffs being levied by private GSM operators for calls from one service area to another service area within the same State terminating in BSNL MTNL network.

"the Authority hereby directs Idea to deposit the amount of Rs. 2,97,90,173, charged in excess from its subscribers during the period from May 2005 to January 2007, as computed by M/s Idea, in TCEPF and report compliance within 15 days of issue of this direction," said the order dated August 24, 2017, signed by Trais adviser ST Abbas."

Trai, in February 2006, directed mobile service providers asked mobile service providers to differ the rates being levied by them on subscribers. The regulator even asked operators to refund excess amount which they charged to the customers.

"The direction was challenged by the Cellular Operators Association of India and other telecom operators while they continued charging higher rates to consumers," says the PTI report.

Telecom tribunal TDSAT dismissed COAI's appeal following which the industry body moved the Supreme Court. The apex court dismissed the appeal in January 2015, the report further added.

Idea Cellular, however, denied the request to of transferring the amount to its customers because the call data records of that particular period are not available. This resulted in Trai asking the operator to deposit the amount in Telecom Consumers Education and Protection Fund (TCEPF).

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Haiti - News : Zapping...





Nolle prosequi Mayor Josue Alusma

The titular Mayor of Port-de-Paix, Josue Alusma, was given a nod. The investigating judge Vinx Etienne has made an order of dismissal (nolle prosequi) 432/5000

The titular Mayor of Port-de-Paix, Josue Alusma, was given a nod. The investigating judge Vinx Etienne has made an order of dismissal, no charge having been withheld against the aedile of this commune. The mayor was imprisoned on 3 August 2017 under the charge of having opened fire on 3 August 2017 on the Papayo bus the route Port-de-Paix / Port-au-Prince and injuring a young passenger, Beethoven Noel https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21714-haiti-flash-mayor-josue-alusma-in-custody.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21840-haiti-news-zapping.html



Former soldiers demand their integration

Former demobilized soldiers demanded their integration into the new armed force of Haiti and threatened of actions, without specifying which, if the Government did not accede to their demand. To avoid social unrest, the Head of State by presidential decree appointed this week a Council of three members to manage this situation before it degenerates...



Caribbean : Haiti big beneficiary of the EDF

Did you know ? Haiti receives approximately 42% of the financial aid allocated to the Caribbean region under the 11th European Development Fund (2014-2020)



DGI : Revenue exceeds estimates

The Directorate General of Taxes (DGI) announces a surplus of nearly 560 million Gourdes of revenues compared to the forecast of 33 billion, for the year 2016-2017... The increase of the prices of the fuel being undoubtedly no stranger to this surplus.



PM speaks with the American charge d'affaires

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant met with Robin Dallio, the new US Charge d'Affaires. Strengthening Haitian-American cooperation and other topical issues in Haiti was at the heart of the meeting.



MUPANAH Summer Camp

Because in its objectives, the Museum of the Haitian National Pantheon (MUPANAH) is required to promote the identity values of the Haitian nation and that the children of today are the citizens of tomorrow, the Museum has partnered with Heritage Nou, to offer the young public, aged 5 to 15, a summer camp with the theme "Kilti m se fos mwen". This summer activity includes traditional dance workshops, drawings, painting, pottery, handicrafts, physical education, chat and theater, began on August 14 and will end on Friday, August 25, 2017.



HL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - Education : 19 Haitian scholars on the left for Taiwan





Thursday at the Kinam Hotel Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, Minister of National Education, Stephanie Auguste Minister of Haitians Living Abroad and Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), Hao Cheng Hu wanted during a ceremony, wish in the presence of relatives of the recipients, good studies to the 19 new Haitian scholars who will leave the country Saturday for Taiwan.



These 19 scholars boys and girls, who were selected on competition, bring to 260 the total number of beneficiaries of a Taiwanese scholarship since the signing of the bilateral agreement signed in 2004 between the two countries.



From this group, 6 students will begin their university studies, 12 will pursue their studies at the master's level (3 years) and 1 will do its doctorate (5 years).



TB/ HaitiLibre


















Ask Matt ... about Publix's plans for drainage

Q. Will the runoff from the Publix grocery store parking lot affect the flooding on Greenville Highway such as from the big July 8 storm?

I asked Hendersonville City Engineer Brendan Shanahan about the project. Shanahan rolled out the drawings for the 6.9 acre Publix property and pointed out two locations for detention devices  one along Greenville Highway and another behind the store near Mud Creek. Plans call for a high tech underground system of collection chambers that will occupy an area equivalent to about 25 parking spaces. Yes, right under the parking lot! You can see them on the ground now, looking like rows of bright yellow plastic dog houses.

Heres how it works. Water runs off the asphalt surface and is collected in long plastic chambers buried 24 inches below the surface. These chambers are made of high strength half-pipe sections interconnected and set on a bed of gravel. The idea is to slow the stormwater entering Mud Creek and of course, Greenville Highway. Shanahan said that the Publix system is designed to detain 10,275 cubic feet of water or  for us non-engineers  the first 1.3 inches of rainfall. Eventually the impounded water seeps into the ground or is slowly discharged into Mud Creek flowing northward under the Steinmart-Fresh Market parking lot towards downtown Hendersonville.

Shanahan added that the system is designed to trap parking lot debris and suspended solids. In other words, to keep the trash and mud out of Mud Creek. Maintenance of the entire system falls on Publix. The city will do annual inspections. If you want to see a neat clip on how the system works, search for StormTech pipe animation video.

Whenever you disturb an acre of land, stormwater rules kick in. Above-ground retention ponds can usually be constructed at minimal cost but if the site is low-lying there are fewer options and stormwater detention gets expensive. The former Atha Plaza shops and adjacent buildings held back very little stormwater so what Publix is doing could improve conditions. It wont take long to see what those little underground dog houses can do.

Q. How do you pronounce the name of the new brewery being built on Seventh Avenue?

Triskelion, according to brewery owner Jonathan Ayers, is pronounced tris-kell-ee-on with the emphasis on Tris as in Triscuit crackers. The word is of Greek origin meaning three legs but many historians consider it Celtic because the symbol was used in the late 19th century in Britain and Ireland. The triskelion symbol is captured on the current flag of Sicily which, of course, is a region of Italy. Need help saying words? Just go online and YouTube will pronounce it for you.

* * *





Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com.
Doing Homework on Vaccines this Back-to-School Season? Here are 10 Ways to Separate Fact from Fiction.
Boston, Aug 26 (IBNS): Women with higher urinary concentrations of a common type of flame retardant had reduced likelihood of clinical pregnancy and live birth than those with lower concentrations, according to researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the first to examine associations between organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs)which are used in polyurethane foam in many products, including upholstered furniture, baby products, and gym matsand reproductive outcomes in women.

These findings suggest that exposure to PFRs may be one of many risk factors for lower reproductive success, said first author Courtney Carignan, who conducted the work while a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard Chan School and now is an assistant professor at Michigan State University. They also add to the body of evidence indicating a need to reduce the use of these flame retardants and identify safer alternatives.

The study will be published online August 25, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

One in six couples struggles with infertilitya proportion likely to rise as increasing numbers of people in developed countries delay childbearing.

Previous studies have linked exposure to products containing hormone-disrupting chemicals, such as pesticides and phthalates, to infertility and poorer reproductive success.

The flame retardant PentaBDE, used in polyurethane foam, was phased out more than a decade ago after it was linked with negative health effects in animal and epidemiologic studies.

PFRs were introduced as a safer alternative, but they have been found in animal studies to cause hormone disruption. Studies have also shown that PFRs can migrate out of furniture and other products into the air and dust of indoor environments.

For this study, the researchers analyzed urine samples from 211 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2005 and 2015. The women were enrolled in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study, which looks at how environmental chemicals and lifestyle choices affect reproductive health. The statistical analysis took into consideration factors including maternal age and race, smoking history, and body mass index (BMI).

The researchers found that the urinary metabolites (products of a chemical that has been metabolized) of three PFRs TDCIPP, TPHP, and mono-ITPwere detected in more than 80% of participants. On average, compared to women with lower concentrations of these metabolites, women with higher concentrations had a 10% reduced probability of successful fertilization, 31% reduced probability of implantation of the embryo, and a 41% and 38% decrease in clinical pregnancy (fetal heartbeat confirmed by ultrasound) and live birth.

Couples undergoing IVF and trying to improve their chances of success by reducing their exposure to environmental chemicals may want to opt for products that are flame-retardant free, said senior author Russ Hauser, Frederick Lee Hisaw professor of reproductive physiology and acting chair, Department of Environmental Health.

Further research is needed on the potential impact of male partners exposure to flame retardant chemicals and on the joint effects on both men and women of exposure to different types of environmental chemicals, the researchers said.

Other Harvard Chan authors include Lidia Minguez-Alarcon, Paige Williams, and Jennifer Ford.

Image:HDgallery
Panchkula/Sirsa, Aug 26 (IBNS): No further violence was noticed since last night after the death of 31 Dera followers and injury to more than 200 following Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction in a rape case, media reports said.

The media report said there has been no further escalation of violence after Panchkula and Sirsa witnessed a riot which occurred immediately after Ram Rahim was convicted on Friday.

While 28 Dera followers died in Panchkula, three lost their lives in Dera headquarters Sirsa.

Col. Abhimanya Shekhawat, Commanding Officer in Sirsa, told NDTV: "Situation is better and improving. Army is doing flag march."

Curfew is still underway in both Panchkula and Sirsa.

On the other hand, Ram Rahim, who was arrested a day ago, has been kept in Rohtak jail. Several news channels shown last night how the self declared spiritual leader was getting the VVIP treatment.

In the footage, Ram Rahim was seen not to wear the prison clothes.

Ram Rahim has been convicted by the court for raping two women followers in 2002. He will be sentenced on Monday.

Ram Rahim might face a jail term up to seven years or life imprisonment.

Following the conviction, the self-styled spiritual leader was flown out of Panchkula in a government helicopter to a makeshift jail in Rohtak.

After the conviction, his followers went on a rampage as they attacked police, journalists and even destroyed vehicles.

Several OB vans were also damaged by the attackers.

In order to gain control over the incident, the army was called in to Panchkula, on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

Before that, the police used tear gas and water cannons to try and disperse mobs of Ram Rahim supporters.

However, their efforts went in vain as they were outnumbered near the courthouse.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar have urged people in the states to maintain peace.

They briefed Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh over the issue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident as 'deeply distressing'.
New Delhi, Aug 26 (IBNS): A day after self styled Godman and chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda clan Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted in a rape case by a court in Panchkula, Haryana, dark tales about him and the organisation he heads are slowly surfacing.

According to a rape victim, 'pardon' was the code-word for rapes inside the Dera campus.

Speaking to Times Of India, the survivor said that rape was a common thing inside the campus and was commonly referred to as 'Pitaji ki Maafi' (literally translates to father's pardon).

The survivor, who hails from Yamunanagar, Haryana, deposed before special CBI judge A K Verma on February 28, 2009, a decade after she was raped by Gurmeet.

She also said that most girls chose to stay with the organisation after being enamoured by Ram Rahim's larger-than-life stature.

However, some of them were forced to stay due to family pressure.

Meanwhile, at least 30 people have died so far in Haryana following the conviction of the Dera chief.

As clashes erupted, several public properties were vandalised by Dera supporters, resulting in the injuries of at least 200 people.

Cars and railway stations were also set alight, forcing the cancellations of several trains.

Clashes have also erupted in the neighbouring state of Punjab and in some places in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

The Dera Sacha Sauda claims to have over 50 million followers globally.

It hails itself as a pro-human organisation, with most number of followers from the backward caste.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim was just 23 years old when he took over as the chief of the order.

He however is no stranger to controversy.

He has been accused of rape, murder and forcing some 400 men to undergo castration 'in order to have a closer connection with God'.

Even though Ram Rahim directs his followers to lead a simple life, his flashy nature and over-the-top public appearance speaks otherwise.

The Godman has also been accused of asking gaymen to sign contract and 'give up homosexuality'.

He has also mocked Sikh and Hindu deities and invoked ire from both the religions.

In 2007 Gurmeet Ram Rahim appeared in an advert dressed like Guru Gobind Singh, a revered Sikh Guru.

In 2015, Hindu organisations cried foul after the Dera chief was found in a video posing as Hindu God Vishnu.

The Godman has also dabbled in films, self producing and starring in three ungainly, hagiographic movies.


Image: Creative Commons.

New Delhi, Aug 26 (IBNS): Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested a meat exporter, Moin Qureshi, in connection with a money laundering case, media reports said.

Qureshi will be produced in Delhi's Patiala House Court on Saturday.

The probe has been made against Qureshi for allegedly sending funds to several countries through hawala channels.

The case against Qureshi was registered by the ED under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) two years ago over the allegations of illegal forex dealings and tax evasion.
Srinagar, Aug 26 (IBNS): Three security personnel were killed in the terror attack in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, media reports said.

Report said at least three heavily armed attackers launched a pre-dawn attack on the Pulwama police lines where several security personnel were present..

The terrorists fired indiscriminately and threw grenades, killing two Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and one policeman.

Inspector General of Police, Munir Ahmad Khan, was quoted by NDTV: "We are evacuating people. Both CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir (personnel) are stationed in police lines."
Patna, Aug 26 (TheABiharPost/IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a relief package of Rs 500 crore after conducting an aerial survey of flood-affected areas of Bihar, officials said.

However, many say the relief amount is inadequate given the gravity of the situation, citing that even former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced Rs 1,000 crore relief package for the 2008 Kosi flood victims.

According to a report of Disaster Management Department, the floods have affected 1.67 crore population settled across 19 districts of Bihar and claimed 418 lives till date.

The PM landed in Purnia around 10 in the morning after which he conducted an aerial survey of the flooded region for about an hour in the company of chief minister Nitish Kumar and others.

Subsequently, he held a review meeting with the officials before announcing the relief package.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad described the PM's programme as a "drama" saying Modi is coming at a time when flood water is receding.

"It is a drama and the flood is an excuse. He will visit flood victims as the floodwaters are receding. Where was he when nearly 400 people died and lakhs of people were forced to flee their homes?" he asked.

The PM's visit assumes a political significance since it takes place a day before Lalu Prasad's "anti-BJP rally" on Sunday.

The rally has been called to strike unity among all non-BJP parties in the background of the volte face by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose maneuvering has severely shaken the opposition unity.

However, that Modi does not want his visit to be interpreted in a different light can be measured from that he is going to skip a luncheon that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had offered to have together.

A meeting between the two even over a lunch would have left some scopes for the opposition to point the finger at "politicking" at the time of natural calamities, which Modi may have wanted to avoid and keep a clean slate.



thebiharpost.com
Patna, Aug 26 (thebiharpost.com/IBNS): The CBI has begun an investigation into the alleged Rs 1,000 crore Srijan scam involving transfer of government funds to an account of a Bhagalpur-based NGO in Bihar.

CBI has registered a formal FIR in the case.

According to media reports on Saturday, CBI has registered an FIR against Srijan Mahila Vikas Samiti (Bhagalpur) & Director, Bank of Baroda (Saharsa) in the Srijan case.

The investigating agency also registered cases against ex-director of the Bank of Baroda (Bhagalpur), ex-cashier and head assistant of Land Acquisition office (Saharsa), as per reports.

The investigating agency took up the case after Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar recommended for a CBI probe into the scam. Many political bigwigs and high-profile officials are alleged to be involved in the mega scam.

So far the case was being probed the Special Investigation Team of Bihar police.

During the course of investigation, SIT arrested of over 15 persons including the stenographer of Bhagalpur DM.

However, RJD chief Lalu Prasad accused the chief minister of destroying evidences related to the scam by engaging favourable and tainted officials in the investigation and has also sought for resignation of chief minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi for a fair investigation.



thebiharpost.com/IBNS
Chandigarh, Aug 26 (IBNS) : The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Saturday slammed the Haryanaas Manohar Lal Khattar government blaming it for deliberately let Panchkula "burn for political benefits," while the Army entered the premises of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters appealing the followers to leave the place, reports said.

While asking the Haryana Government to present the full list of movable and immovable properties owned by Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the High Court said, you let Panchkula burn for political benefits.

The High Court wanted the list to be submitted by August 29 for attachment towards the compensation of the widespread damage of Government property by Dera followers.

At least 31 people were killed and more than 250 wounded in an orgy of violence that erupted after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim, a self-declared and controversial spiritual leader, for the rape of two women followers in the sect's Sirsa headquarters in 2002.

The quantum of punishment for Gurmeet Ram Rahim has been kept reserved for August 28.

Police resorted to tear gas to quell violent mobs in Panchkula. Media vehicles were vandalised by Dera supporters, and some OB vans were set ablaze.

Curfew has been imposed in Patiala, Panchkula, Sirsa, Bhatinda, Ferozpur, Sirsa, Mansa, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat.

A day later, security forces entered the premises of the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, appealing to the followers to vacate the area.

The forces include the Army, Rapid Action Force and the Police.

An estimated one lakh people, including women and children, are said to be present in the sect headquarters.

According to media reports, the army and district authorities have been making announcements through loudspeakers, asking those inside to leave the premises.

In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in north India, particularly Haryana where violence following the conviction of Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in a rape case has claimed 31 lives and left at least 250 wounded.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi and Intelligence Bureau chief Rajiv Jain and chiefs of paramilitary forces were among others, present at the meeting, media reports said.
Srinagar, Aug 26 (IBNS): A militant was killed in an ongoing gunfight inside the District Police Lines (DPL) Pulwama, in Jammu and Kashmir, said an official.

PRO of the CRPF said that a militant has been killed in the gunfight.

The operation is going on, he said.

According to officials, heavily armed militants stormed the District Police Line situated in a high security area and close to DC and SSP office on Shopian Pulwama highway around 3:45 am on Saturday.

Two CRPF Jawans, Head Constable of 182 BN and Constable of 183 BN, succumbed during an ongoing encounter with militants in Pulwama Police Line.

Six others, including two cops of Jammu and Kashmir police and three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men, were injured after militants believed to be fidayeens, attacked District Police Lines (DPL) in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.



(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri)
New Delhi, Aug 26 (IBNS): Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday reviewed the internal security and law and order situation in the country in general and in Haryana and adjoining areas, and Jammu & Kashmir in particular.

The situation in Haryana was assessed at present to be under control, though it is being carefully monitored.

The Home Minister took note of the assurance of DGP, Haryana that the law & order situation in Haryana would be kept in control.

The Home Minister also reviewed the on-going encounter in Pulwama, J&K.

He expressed his profound sorrow over the martyrdom of one personnel of J&K Police and two personnel of CRPF, and expressed his heart-felt condolences to the families of these brave policemen.

The terrorists have been cornered in a set of Government quarters and action to flush them out is in process.

The exact number of terrorists is still not known.

Two SPOs of J&K are trapped in the building where the terrorists have been cornered.

The Home Minister expressed the hope that these two SPOs would be rescued safely soon.
London, Aug 26 (IBNS): Understanding a cybercriminalas 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 Oxfords 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 countrys 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 regions 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 Europes 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 Internationals 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 fixers 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 isnt 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 countrys 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."

Image:wikimedia commons
New Delhi, Aug 26 (IBNS): Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu said that Parliament and Legislative bodies should be platforms for debates and not disruption.

He was addressing the State Reception hosted by the Government of Andhra Pradesh in his honour, in Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh, on Saturday.

The Governor of Andhra Pradesh, E.S.L. Narasimhan, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradedh, N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati, the Minister of State for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, Y.S. Chowdary and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

The Vice President cautioned the lawmakers that people were getting disillusioned with frequent disruptions of legislative bodies and emphasised that obstruction was not a solution for any problem.

He further said that the ballot was more powerful than a bullet and what required was constructive debates.

In politics there were no enemies but only rivals and asked them not to indulge in personal attacks, he added.

The Vice President said that our freedom fighters have sacrificed their life for attaining Independence for the country and now the Swarajya should be converted in to Surajya.

The House should debate, discuss and decide and there should be no scope for disruption, he added.

The Vice President said that that the country was grappling with the problems of poverty, illiteracy, corruption, social discrimination and economic disparities even after 70 years of Independence, and called for eradicating them and uplifting the poorest of the poor.

He further said that people to supplement the efforts of the governments in quickening the pace of development.

The fight against corruption must be taken to its logical end and the cleansing process must go on, he added.
Kolkata, Aug 26 (IBNS): Two loud explosions were reported off Digha coast in West Bengal's East Medinipur district on Saturday morning, officials said.

According to reports, locals and tourists heard a boom at Old Digha and its adjoining areas at around 11:10 am. and felt mild tremor that lasted for at least seven seconds.

Minutes after the first one, another loud explosion was heard from Old Digha and its nearby areas, including Tajpur and Ramnagar.

After the incident was reported, police from Digha, Ramnagar and Digha Coastal Police Stations, as many as two fire tender engines and Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel rushed to the coastal area and evacuated the entire beach.

"A couple of loud explosion was heard off Digha coast today morning. No casualty was reported in the incident while glass panes of nearby hotels' windows were shattered due to explosions' vibration and cracks were spotted in the walls of few establishments," a local police official told IBNS.

Local police, however, have started probe into the reason behind the twin explosion which widespread a huge panic among the tourists in the weekend.

East Medinipur district SP Alok Rajoria told IBNS, "We are currently investigating the matter and have informed the coast guard about the incident."

"Exact reason behind the explosions is yet to be established," Rajoria added.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Image from archive)


Srinagar, Aug 26 (IBNS): At least eight security forces and two militants were killed in a fierce gun battle inside District Police Lines Pulwama in South Kashmir on Saturday.

Nine security personnel have sustained injuries and are being treated in the hospital.

Official sources said that a group of militants, believed to be fidayeen, attacked a camp close to the District Police Lines.

Some more militants are believed to be holed up as gunfight was in progress till the filing of this report.

DGP S P Vaid said that a policeman, four Kahsmir police cops, four CRPF men and two militants have been killed in the operation so far.

Jammu and Kashmir Police tweeted saying theres no hostage situation, all families evacuated, operation on.

Extra forces have been rushed to the spot.

The Ministry of Home Affairs, in a statement to the media, said that militants have been cornered in a set of government quarters and action to flush them out is in process, adding that exact number of militants is still not known.

Locals said the firing started around 4 am.

The camp, that has been attacked, is situated in a high security area and close to DC and SSP office on Shopian Pulwama highway.

An army camp is also located close to the encounter site.

Eyewitnesses said that choppers were seen hovering over the encounter site.

Two building caught fire while intermittent firing and explosions rocked the district.

A police official said that militants also fired an UBGL RD which got blown up in the DPL ground.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that beises two militants, four policemen and two para-military troopers have been killed.

During the gun fight scores of youth hit to roads and clashed with government forces who retaliated with tear-smoke shelling and aerial firing.

Youth pelted stones on the government forces deployed near the encounter site.

It will be premature to say anything at this stage. The gunfight is on and exactly it is not clear how many militants and the security men have been killed, said a police official from district Pulwama.



(Reporting by Saleem Qadri)


Mumbai, Aug 26 (IBNS): Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has slammed all self proclaimed godmen by calling them "criminals" following the conviction of Dara Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on charges of raping his two Sadhvis (female followers) 15 years ago.

Ram Rahim has been convicted by the CBI court a day ago whose punishment will be declared on Monday.

Kapoor took to Twitter to attack all self proclaimed Godmen and his list includes not only Dera chief but also Sukhwinder Kaur (Radhema), Gurmeet, Asaram Bapu, Nityananda.

He said on Twitter: "Frauds. Blind faith in con people. Government must punish these fraudsters. Sukhwinder Kaur (Radhema) Gurmeet, Asaram, Nityananda. All Criminals!"

Frauds.Blind faith in con people.Government must punish these fraudsters.Sukhwinder Kaur(Radhema)Gurmeet,Asaram,Nityananda.All Criminals! pic.twitter.com/1Sm2gqagBq  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) August 25, 2017

Asaram Bapu, a religious leader, was arrested in 2013 after a 16-year old girl accused the former of sexually assaulting her.

Sukhwinder Kaur also known as Radhe Ma, a self declared female guru from suburbs of Mumbai, was embroiled in controversy when complaints were lodged against her for running a parallel business in disguise of religious activities and videos of her with improper conducts went viral.

After the conviction on Friday afternoon, Ram Rahim's followers went on a rampage as they attacked police, journalists and even destroyed vehicles, leaving at least 31 dead.

Several OB vans were also damaged by the attackers.

In order to gain control over the incident, the army was called in to Panchkula, on the outskirts of Chandigarh.

Before that, the police used tear gas and water cannons to try and disperse mobs of Ram Rahim supporters.

Kapoor also said on Twitter that the Dera properties must be attached to compensate the loss after the vandalism by the Ram Rahim's followers. "Attach all Dera properties and sell them to compensate the national loss by arson and vandalism. Shame Gurmeet followers. No respect for you."

Attach all Dera properties and sell them to compensate the national loss by arson and vandalism. Shame Gurmeet followers. No respect for you pic.twitter.com/Tgl03SYTpt  Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) August 25, 2017

Ram Rahim might face a jail term up to seven years or life imprisonment.
New York, Aug 26(Just Earth News): United Nations Secretary-general AntAnio Guterres on Friday strongly condemned the attacks carried out against the Myanmar security forces in northern areas of Rakhine State, expressing concern about escalating tensions in the region.

In a statement from his spokesperson, the Secretary-General called the attacks unacceptable and said he hoped those responsible would be brought to justice.

Guterres reiterates the importance of addressing the root causes of violence, in particular issues related to identity and citizenship, and reducing inter-communal tensions, his spokesperson said. He strongly urges all the communities in Rakhine State to choose the path of peace.

The statement also noted, however, that while taking the necessary measures to curb attacks by criminal elements in the region, forces much protect civilians at all times, in line with international humanitarian and human rights law.

Also on Friday, Resident Coordinator Renata Lok-Dessallien  the top UN humanitarian official in Myanmar  condemned in the strongest terms the series of coordinated attacks.

The Resident Coordinator urged all parties to refrain from violence, protect civilians, restore law and order and resolve issues through dialogue and peaceful means, according to a spokesperson from the UN Office in Geneva.

The grave events confirmed the significance of the government's commitment to implement the recommendations of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine state for the betterment of all communities, spokesperson Alessandra Vellucci said.

Yesterday, the Advisory Commission, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, released a report outlining recommendations for how to overcome political, socio-economic and humanitarian challenges.

Photo: IRIN/Khine Thurein

Source: www.justearthnews.com
New York, Aug 26(Just Earth News): Six and a half years of war in Syria has inflicted untold suffering on the country's children, a senior United Nations official said on Friday, urging parties to the conflict to stop the violence and live up to their legal obligations to children.

The impact of war on children across Syria is staggering, said Fran Equiza, the UN Children's Fund's (UNICEF) Representative in Syria.

Ongoing and heavy fighting has displaced thousands of families from Raqqa city and Deir-ez-Zor.

I have just completed a visit to the camps in Areesha, Ein Issa and Mabrouka where I met with displaced children and oversaw UNICEF's lifesaving efforts on the ground, continued Equiza.

I am overwhelmed by the profoundly traumatising experiences these children have been through. They have endured brutal violence, lost friends and family members, she elaborated, adding They are terrified, yet hopeful.

The UNICEF representative relayed that an 11-year old displaced girl who fled Raqqa told her, Before we used to play, but then the darkness came.

According to reports UNICEF is receiving from inside Raqqa city, several thousand children continue to be trapped  caught in the direct line of fire.

With no access for humanitarian agencies, the city is completely cut off from lifesaving assistance.

As the conflict further intensifies, children and families have little or no safe water, while food supplies are running out fast. Moreover, trapped children increasingly risk death and injury.

Children and families who wish to leave Raqqa city must be allowed to do so in safety and in dignity, he stressed, adding: Parties to the conflict must protect them and facilitate safe passage for civilians to move to safety.

Equiza underscored that parties to the conflict must stop the violence all over Syria and live up to their legal obligations to children.

All children in Syria, regardless of their location or their families' affiliation must be protected at all times, she concluded.

Photo: UNICEF MENA

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Brussels, Aug 26 (IBNS) A man who attacked two soldiers in Brussels city centre in the capital of Belgium with a knife shouting "Allahu Akbar" was shot dead on Friday, said officials.

The two wounded soldiers are out of danger, said reports.

Following close on the heels of the Barcelona attack, the incident is being treated as a terror attack, said Belgium's federal prosecutor's office.

While the attacker was "not known for terrorist activities previously, he attacked the soldiers on patrol yelling "Allahu Akbar" ( Arabic for God is Greatest).

Belgium witnessed one of the worst terror strikes in March 2016 when a coordinated strike at the airport and a metro station killed at least 31 people and injured over 300.

Prime Minister Charles Michel tweeted: "Incident in # Brussels. Soldiers have neutralized individuals. Situation under control.



"All our support for our military. Our security services remain attentive. We monitor the situation closely."

Incident in #Brussel. Militairen hebben individu geneutraliseerd. Situatie onder controle.  CrisisCenter Belgium (@CrisiscenterBE) August 25, 2017

Crisis Center Belgium said in a media release that there is a continuous follow-up after the terrorist act.

"Following the incident in the center of Brussels on the evening of Friday, 25 August 2017, a coordination meeting was held at the Crisis Center. This incident is considered a terrorist act. The investigation is in the hands of the Federal Prosecutor's Office," it said.

#Bruxelles Suivi continu apres cet acte terroriste. https://t.co/1fIVtloyx2 Nos pensees vont aux militaires blesses. Merci. #UnitedWeStand  CrisisCenter Belgium (@CrisiscenterBE) August 25, 2017

"During the terrorist attack, two soldiers were wounded. The attacker was neutralized by the military and died as a result of his injuries."

It said the threat now is serious and taken as such by all security authorities and services.

Meanwhile, following the Barcelona attack, the Mayor of Venice said anyone shouting Allahu Akbar would be treated as potential terrorists and be shot dead on four paces.

"Anyone who shouts Allahu Akbar in St Mark's Square can expect to be gunned down by snipers within four paces," said Luigi Brugnaro, mayor of Venice.
Washington, Aug 26 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump signed a memo directing the US military not to accept transgender men and women as recruits, according to media reports on Saturday.

He signed the memorandum on Friday, which also stopped the use of government funds for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel , media reported.

This decision of President Trump reverses an Obama-era policy that was paving the way for advancements of rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the U.S. military.



Image: The Hill/Twitter
London, Aug 26 (IBNS): The Metropolitan Police on Saturday said a man who was arrested outside the Buckingham Palace was brandishing a sword.

The police said the arrested person even repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar.

Detectives from the Mets Counter Terrorism Command are investigating after three officers were injured during a terrorist incident on the Mall last night.

"Just after 8.30pm, a car deliberately drove at a police van and stopped in front of it in a restricted area on Constitution Hill near Buckingham Palace," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

The officers, who were unarmed police constables and from Westminster borough, got out of the van and approached the car, a blue Toyota Prius.

"As they challenged the driver, who was the only occupant in the car, he reached for what we now know to be a four-foot sword which was in the front passenger foot well," the police said.

The officers acted very quickly to detain him.

During a struggle the three officers sustained minor injuries. The man, who repeatedly shouted Allahu Akbar, was incapacitated with CS spray, the police said.

Two of the officers were taken by ambulance to hospital with minor cuts and discharged a short time later. The third officer did not require hospital treatment.

The man, who is aged 26 and from the Luton area, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police.

He was further arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 and detectives from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command are now leading the investigation into this incident.

He remains in custody at a central London police station.

The incident is being treated as terrorism but we will remain open minded while the investigation continues.

Commander Dean Haydon, the head of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said: I would like to pay tribute to the bravery and professionalism of these officers who quickly brought this incident under control. Their vigilance, courage and the swiftness of their response demonstrates how our officers are protecting the public at this time."

Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today," Dean Haydon said.

We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage. While we cannot speculate on what the man was intending to do - this will be determined during the course of the investigation - it is only right that we investigate this as a terrorist incident at this time," Haydon said.

I would urge anybody who witnessed the incident or has any information or images that may assist the investigation to contact the confidential hotline on 0800 789 321," Haydon said.



Image: Wikimedia Commons
New York, Aug 26(Just Earth News): The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned the attack during Friday prayer at Imam Zaman mosque in Kabul that killed at least 20 civilians a including seven women and one child a and injured more than 30 others.

These preliminary figures may rise, the Mission said today, explaining that at least two attackers wearing police uniforms stormed the Shi'a mosque while several hundred worshippers, including many women and children, were at Friday prayer.

According to UNAMA, one assailant detonated his suicide vest outside the mosque, while another continued inside, indiscriminately killing and wounding people. The Mission expressed its condolences to the loved ones of those killed in the attack and wishes a full and speedy recovery to those injured.

Islamic State-Khorasan Province claimed responsibility, stating that two of its suicide attackers targeted a Shi'a mosque in Kabul, noted the Mission.

This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shi'a community at worship has no possible justification, said Toby Lanzer, the UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA.

Such attacks directed against congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes, he emphasized.

International humanitarian law prohibits deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian property, including places of worship, and also places a specific obligation on parties to enable religious personnel to carry out their work.

Yesterday's attack was the sixth attack this year targeting Shi'a mosques in Afghanistan, killing a total of at least 64 civilians and injuring at least 118, according to UNAMA. Four of the attacks occurred in Herat and the other two in Kabul. Islamic State-Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for three of the six, including yesterday's attack.

Photo UNAMA/Fardin Waezi

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Image: Screen Grab from www.YouTube.com

Pyongyang, Aug 26 (IBNS): North Korea has fired three short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) into the sea, according to the US military.

The short-range missiles were launched from Gangwon province.

The missiles flew for about 250km, South Korean officials said.

The missiles were tested amid high tensions between North Korea and the US, as the former had threatened to attack Guam, the latter's territory in the Pacific.

However, the latest gig failed to excite the US, military officials said.

South Korean Defence Ministry said that the missiles were first launched on Saturday morning at around 06:50.

The ministry also added that they are keeping a strict watch.

Commander Dave Benham of the US Pacific Command said that the drill was a failure.

"The first and third missiles... failed in flight. The second missile launch... appears to have blown up almost immediately," he said.


Image: Screen Grab from www.YouTube.com

Austin, Aug 26 (IBNS): Hurricane Harvey has made landfall in Texas with windspeed upto 215 km/hr, reports said.

The hurricane is expected to cause severe damage.

Sounding alert, Governor Greg Abbott has warned citizens of record flooding.

US President Donald Trump has signed a disaster proclamation for the state and said he is monitoring the situation closely.

"At the request of the Governor of Texas, I have signed the Disaster Proclamation, which unleashes the full force of government help!" Trump's tweet read.

The US president has also urged Texans to live safely.

"We will remain fully engaged w/ open lines of communication as #HurricaneHarvey makes landfall. America is w/ you! @GovAbbott @FEMA @DHSgov," another tweet read.

Trump is expected to visit Texas early next week.

The category four storm has already uprooted several trees in Corpus Christi.

Thousands have been evacuated so far.

Meanwhile, a city manager said that few people were trapped inside an old-age facility after the roof of the building collapsed.

Rescue team members were quoted as saying that they were unable to gain access.

The hurricane is deemed the worst to hit Texas in 12 years, with an expected rainfall of over 40 inches in the next couple of days.

At least 1,000 National Guardsmen have been deployed by the state to tackle the situation.

Hurricane Harvey has also hampered operations in Gulf of Mexico oil production and air travel.

The National Hurricane Center has warned that the storm may be bring life-threatening floods in and around Houston.

Forecasters said that the path of the hurricane is uncertain as of now, but expect it to be near the middle of Texas coast.



How to deem the category of a storm:

There are five categories in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale.

Category One: Wind speed upto 153 km/hr. Slight damage and power cuts.

Category Two: Wind speed 154-177 km/hr. Significant damage.

Category Three: Wind speed 178-208 km/hr. Building suffering major damage.

Category Four: Wind Speed 209-251 km/hr. Trees blown over. Building suffering major damage.

Category Five: Wind Speed 252+ km/hr. Trees blown over. Building suffering major damage. Major roads cut off.
Ottawa, Aug 26 (IBNS): Health Canada has issued a warning about the risk of suffocation due to baby nets, baby pods, soft, padded sides, media reports said.

Health Canada said the soft pad on the baby nest might cause suffocation.

Spokesperson Gary Holub, however, said there had been no such event in Canada.

In an email interaction to The Canadian Press, he said: "We are aware of open investigations in another (international) jurisdiction regarding baby nest incidents."

"We do not have details of these investigations, but remain in contact with our international partners to learn as much as we can," Holub added.

Holub said the babies should always be kept with an attendant and the nets should never be placed inside other products.

He found out in the research that the sharing of room by the baby and one or two caregivers could reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Holub was quoted by Huffington Post as saying: "Health Canada will continue to monitor the situation and will take action to protect the health and safety of Canadians, as needed."



(Reporting by Souvik Ghosh)
Dateline Who Can Bring Stability to Rakhine State?

The Irrawaddy discusses the recent military deployment to northern Rakhine State, seemingly at the request of the Arakan National Party.

Kyaw Zwa Moe: Welcome to Dateline Irrawaddy! On Aug. 8, The Arakan National Party (ANP) called for tightened security measures in Rakhine State. Promptly, the military dispatched troops to Rakhine. There are criticisms that the government and the parliament have not been responsive enough to the ANPs request. We will discuss if there are political tricks behind the militarys move and the state of stability and rule of law in Rakhine State. Ethnic affairs analyst U Maung Maung Soe, who recently visited Rakhine States Mayu mountain range, and journalist Ko Thiha will join me to discuss this issue. Im Irrawaddy English editor Kyaw Zwa Moe.

Dateline Irrawaddy :                       (25)   Posted by The Irrawaddy  Burmese Edition on Friday, August 25, 2017

The ANP called for heightened security measures in Rakhine State on Aug. 8, and the Tatmadaw [Myanmar Army] sent troops on Aug 9. That same day, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi summoned a cabinet meeting on the issue. The Tatmadaw took immediate action and dispatched troops. U Maung Maung Soe, you recently visited the area. How is the administration operating on the ground and did you see weaknesses in security?

U Maung Maung Soe: The [Rakhine State] problem originated in 2012. Many [Rohingya Muslims] were placed into internally displaced persons [IDP] camps after renewed conflict between Rakhine people and Bengalis.

[Editors Note: The Rohingya Muslim community in Rakhine is referred to by many, including the government, as Bengali to suggest they are interlopers from Bangladesh.]

Then, Bengalis had their white cards [temporary identity documents] seized and their movement was restricted. This situation has continued for five years. U Thein Seins government had about four years to solve the issue, but could not find an answer. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is still trying to solve the problem more than one year after she took office. The situation has actually got worse. In Maungdaw Township, there are around 500,000 Bengalis while the population of indigenous people [ethnic Rakhine Buddhists] is only around 30,000.

KZM: Indigenous ethnic Rakhine people?

MMS: Yes, indigenous people belonging to the Rakhine ethnic group. In Buthidaung Township, the Bengali population is around 250,000, and the population of indigenous peoples is around 45,000. There are only these two townships in Maungdaw District. While the total Bengali population is 750,000 there, the population of indigenous people is just around 75,000only one in ten.

As the Rakhine problem continued unsolved, a militant attack occurred in 2016. There were attacks on police border posts. Since early 2017, the authority of the General Administration Department [GAD] and the police force over Bengali villages has gradually declined. Bengali village administrators who worked under the township GAD were killed, and ethnic Rakhine villagers, who went into forests to collect firewood, hunt and fish, were also killed. This problem has intensified.

Before the killing of eight ethnic Mro villagers in Kai Gyee village [earlier this month], a villager from Zedipyin went missing, and was not recovered. About three suspected militant hideouts were discovered on Mayu Mountain. On Aug. 3, eight ethnic Mro villagers from Kai Gyee were killed. On Aug. 4, villagers surrounded around 40 policemen who came and arrested six suspects in Outt Nan Yar village. Around 400 to 500 villagers grabbed the suspects and two suspects got away. Police had to fire warning shots and flee. This shows that [government] administration collapsed in those villages. The following day, ethnic Rakhine in small nearby villages fled to villages, which had police stations. Around 600 ethnic Rakhine villagers fled. ANP lawmakers raised this issue in the Lower House but the debate is pending. It is only recently that the Upper House has started discussing this issue. One month ago, Buthidaung Township lawmakers raised this issue at the Rakhine State Parliament, but the Rakhine State government said security was good and there was nothing to worry about. In the meantime, these killings happened.

KZM: The situation has become worse.

MMS: Yes, it has. The ANP requested a meeting with the army commander-in-chief on Aug. 8. They met on Aug. 9 and military troops were dispatched on August 10. The main cause of the problem is that we were not able to solve the Bengali issuewhich originated in 2012correctly in line with the law over the past five years. The second is an outbreak of militant attacks, and the third one is the collapse of administrative mechanisms in Bengali villages in Maungdaw Township.

KZM: Politically, the ANP has raised this issue in parliament, but the National League for Democracy (NLD)-dominated parliament only paid scant attention and didnt treat it seriously. The ANP took steps to directly meet the army commander-in-chief, and they did meet him. Ko Thiha, why do you think the NLD-dominated parliament is less responsive? Daw Aung San Suu Kyi did hold a cabinet meeting on this issue on Aug. 9, but there are criticisms that the government is slow in its response. Some say that the military has got political gain by making an immediate response. What is your assessment?

Thiha: The government needs to frankly admit that it is not doing enough. The reason is because it is still in the process of implementing the recommendations of Kofi Annans Advisory Commission on Rakhine State [from its interim report]. Kofi Annan has given a lot of recommendations to ease tensions in the area.

As the government is working on the idea of easing tensions, it seems it has underestimated the possibility of conflict and militant attacks. Their approach is not to attack, but to ease the tensions in the area. In fact, we should treat the militancy with extra attention so as to make a prompt response. But their approach solely focuses on easing tensions, and therefore did not put some factors into consideration. Maybe it is because of the lack of cooperation with the military or that they have no information about the situation on the ground. This coincides with parliaments negligence and the Rakhine State governments failure to cooperate with locals and strong parties in the state. As a result, things have developed into todays situation, I think.

KZM: We can conclude that the ANP had to approach to the military because it could not approach the government and the NLD-dominated parliament. U Maung Muang Soe, according to what you have discussed, do you think a dispatch of military troops was necessary?

MMS: While an armed insurgency of Bengali militants has risen in the area, and while locals are in a state of panic, and while there are reports about Arakan Rohingya Salvation Armys operations with around 400 to 500 troops, military [intervention] is required, I think, because the Mayu mountains are important for security in this region. To the north, the Mayu mountain range stretches hundreds of miles from mile post No. 50 on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border to Agnumaw. There are dense forests and herds of elephants in its north. The Mayu mountains end in Angumaw and the Mayu River drains into the Bay of Bengal. Maungdaw lies in the west of Mayu River, and Buthidaung lies in the east. Rathedaung lies downstream of Mayu River. So, the mountain range is important for security of those three townships. Besides this, on the opposite bank of the Mayu River to Agnumaw is Yay Chan Byin Jettyjust a 40-minute boat ride to Sittwe Island. Access to the Mayu mountains is a military threat to Sittwe Island, and Sittwe Township. So, it is important that there is military control of Mayu to avoid militancy.

Taking a look at the activities of the military, troops entered Maungdaw on Aug. 10, but there was no [apparent] clashes or clearance operations. I think the military is preparing to build military outposts in the Mayu mountain range rather than conducting clearance operations in villages. Between 1950 and 1960 under the government of the Anti-Fascist Peoples Freedom League, there was the Mujahideen insurgency. They were also based in the Mayu mountain range.

There is a big Bengali village called Maung Hnama upstream of Kyee Kan Pyin village where the border police force is headquartered. There is a mountain to the east of the village. Locals call it Kasim after a Mujahideen leader. Locals know that there are caves on Mt. Kasim because it has been the hideout of Mujahideen insurgents in the past. So, I think the military will establish outposts and build roads on the Mayu mountains to keep the area under surveillance.

KZM: Rakhine State has witnessed troubles since 2012, but, at the same time, there are clashes in Kachin State and other places. There were also clashes in Karen and Mon states. In the case of Rakhine State, if local parties or organizations approach directly to the army commander-in-chief out of concerns for security of their region they can also approach the government such as the defense minister and home affairs minister. So, Ko Thiha, this procedure is?

Thiha: Id set aside the other things, the only thing Id like to point out is that the Tatmadaw is allowed to take actions freely to operate its troops and take security measures under the constitution. It only needs to report to the president in real time. Will the military go there only when it is called? I mean, Maungdaw is a territory of our country.

It is the 24-hour duty of the Tatmadaw to protect the borders of the entire country and monitor and take actions as necessary without delay. There is the risk of troops of other countries trespassing into our territory. There are lots of problems. The Tatmadaw is fundamentally responsible for all of these, not only when it is requested to take responsibility. If the Tatmadaw thinks it is necessary the government is a civilian government and it is just one year and a half in office. If it is not good at handling such an issue, the military has to give advice to them, and urge them to take their advice. This is something they have to do internally.

The ANP is a political party based in the city. Yes, it has members in the villages. Their information may be good. But there is the professional force of the Tatmadaw, and the government, which has power and responsibility. They can coordinate internally. I think [the ANPs request to meet the commander-in-chief] was politically motivated.

KZM: What do you think, U Maung Maung Soe?

MMS: I think the ANP did what it could do because ethnic Rakhine people had already fled out of fear while there was no progress in parliament. But, the ANP met the army commander-in-chief on Aug. 9, and he sent the troops immediately the following day. So, I think the military had already prepared for [operations in Maungdaw], not only after the ANP requested it. The military conducted clearance operations last year, but has almost ceased operations because of allegations of human rights abuses. So, the ANPwhich has a mandate from the majority of local peoplegave the military reason to continue operations for the time being. The military sent troops under these circumstances.

KZM: The State Counselors Office has released a statement about the issue, saying it has plans for the security and development of the region. Plans include easing of tensions with the help of Kofi Annans commission. This is more like a long-term plan. What do you think are the [governments] short-term plans, Ko Thiha?

Thiha: Im particularly concerned about the collapse of civil administration. Ive been watching this with deep anxiety. In the attacks on police outposts and in some small clashes, civilian villagers attacked with sticks and knives. This is a bad sign. I dont like it because it could be developing into a public movement. If an attack is conspired by a militant group, it is not a problem. But it is very difficult to solve problems when the local people are involved, and it also paves the way for intervention from the international community. I dont want these things to happen.

It is a matter of life and death for the ANP, the government, and the military to join hands to ensure civil administration. If it collapsed and every person and household killed others nearby with any weapon available such as sticks and knives, the state would be plunged into chaos. Even if the military could take control of it, we will find it hard to claim it as our territory if there is no civil administration. It is a real cause for concern.

KZM: These problems originated a long time ago, most recently in 2012. But these issues existed before that. One of the causes of these problems is that the State Peace and Development Council government issued a lot of white cards [temporary identity documents] to Rohingya. Those cards served as a living permit, but also allowed voting. This contradicted international norms. The military issued white cards to around 500,000 people. Under such circumstances, will it be easy to retrieve civil administration or rule of law?

MMS: In fact, the NLD government and the military have to cooperate with ethnic Rakhine people. For the time being, the ANP has the mandate of the majority of ethnic Rakhine people, and we have to cooperate with the ANP. Whether individual [party members] of the ANP have weakness or not, we have to cooperate with the ANP because the majority of ethnic Rakhine people have given it a mandate. And at the same time, Bengali representatives must be involved. The problem now is that we dont know who their representatives are. We have to work together with those representatives. This is a basic problem that calls for cooperation.

The second problem is about citizenshiphow we can solve the citizenship problem in line with existing laws and retrieve the administration. Without administrative mechanisms, the military approach can only alleviate the problem in the short-term, but will not solve the problem. To solve the problem in the long-term, I think it is important that representatives from all sides cooperate, and implement civil administration and solve citizenship problem in line with law.

Kofi Annans Commission focused on granting [Rohingya] free movement and providing access to health and education. But it doesnt provide input for the citizenship problem [in its interim report]. In any country, you need ID to show you are a citizen. For example, if I go to the United States and I have no document, they wont give me citizenship. Likewise, you need citizenship documents in European countries no matter how much they pay heed to human rights. In Myanmar, whether Bamar or Kachin or Shan you need documents to apply for citizenship. Only when there is a definite answer for this, will this problem be solved, I think.

KZM: This problem is still burning. As you two have said, this problem calls for cooperation among the central and state governments, as well as elected parties and representatives of both communities in Rakhine State and security forces. We should, however, look forward with optimism. Thank you for your contribution.
News This Week in Parliament (August 21  25)

A Myanmar border guard police officer stands guard in front of the remains of a house burned down in a clash between suspected militants and security forces in Tin May village, Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine State, on July 14, 2017. Rakhine lawmakers urged Parliament increase security forces presence in the state this week; the proposal was voted down. / Simon Lewis / Reuters

Monday (August 21)

In response to question from Nganzun Township MP U Min Thein about the usage of farmlands rented by citizens to non-citizens, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Hla Kyaw said that owners may report to nearby agricultural departments if non-citizen tenants exploit the land and cause soil degradation. He added that the agricultural departments may also take legal action against the breach of fertilizer and pesticide laws.

In the Upper House, in response to a question by MP U Kin Shein of Tanintharyi Region (9) about the provision of loans for township municipalities to carry out development work, Deputy Finance Minister U Hset Aung said that there is no current plan to take on foreign loans. The governments priority, he said, is to focus on the economic development of the country.

Tuesday (August 22)

In response to Kawlin Township MP U Myo Zaw Aungs question about the governments plan to disseminate digital and information literacy on a wide scale among communities and students, Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications said that the information ministry operates a website, Facebook page, Twitter account and blog. Meanwhile, the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation has provided a digital information literacy master training to library staff of the information and public relations department who are tasked with disseminating information and promoting this type of literacy.

Lawmakers discussed the proposal of Arakanese lawmaker U Khin Maung Latt of the Arakan National Party, urging the Union government to take action against insurgents in Maungdaw, Buthidaung and Rathedaung townships in line with the 2014 Counter-Terrorism Law. Military representative Maj-Gen Than Soe raise objections to the discussion points raised by Daw Ei Ei Pyone of the National League for Democracy as she described the problems in Rakhine State as part of a legacy of dictatorship and criticized the military for not doing enough to protect local people despite its huge defense budget.

Wednesday (August 23)

MP U Aung Win of Hmawbi Township questioned asked about the prosecution of original farmland owners by those who confiscated their land while review committees continue to investigate the cases. Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Aung Soe replied that land confiscation review committees are only responsible for reviewing the cases if lands are confiscated in line with the law, but not for solving land disputes and conflicts over inheritance. The committees cannot intervene in lawsuits filed by individuals and associations.

Lower House speaker U Win Myint criticized the deputy ministers answer, saying it is ridiculous that poor farmers whose farmlands are grabbed illegally could be sued by those who grab their lands. We should have sympathy for them, he said.

U Khin Myo Win of Tanintharyi Region (12) asked about the governments plans to prevent illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation U Hla Kyaw replied that his ministry has installed a vessel monitoring system for foreign fishing trawlers, and is also conducting a feasibility study in cooperation with the French Development Agency to install the system for local fishing trawlers.

Thursday (August 24)

The Lower House voted down Rathedaung Township MP Daw Khin Saw Wais proposal urging the Union government to intensify administrative and security efforts in northern Rakhine State.

In the Upper House, lawmakers discussed in favor of the proposal of Dr. Win Myint of Bago Region (11), which urged the government to establish a university solely focused on the sustainable development of the countrys fishery industry.

The Upper House passed a bill amending the 2013 Telecommunications Law, as per the amendments sent back from the Lower House.

Friday (August 25)

MP U Thaung Aye of the Union Solidarity and Development Party made an abortive attempt to submit an urgent proposal to the Union Parliament following attacks by Muslim militants on police and military targets in Rakhine State Thursday night and Friday morning.

The Union Parliament passed the bill amending the 2013 Telecommunications Law.
Opinion With Rakhine Under Siege, Will Govt Call a Security Council Meeting?

A Myanmar border guard police officer stands guard in Tin May village, Buthidaung Township, northern Rakhine State, on July 14, 2017. / Simon Lewis / Reuters

Fridays midnight attacks on police and military targets by militants could be a game-changing event for Myanmar.

If the National League for Democracy (NLD) government cannot act swiftly to quell the unrest, the military is likely to step in to ensure that its presence is at the forefront, and will take control of the situation.

The coordinated attacks, which left a dozen members of security forces and 59 suspected militants dead, coincided with the release of the final report on Thursday published by the Rakhine State Advisory Commission, led by former UN chief Kofi Annan. The commission detailed recommendations for addressing longstanding tension and injustices in the region.

As Chair of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, I am gravely concerned by, and strongly condemn, the recent attacks in Rakhine State. I am saddened to hear of the loss of life of members of the security forces, Kofi Annan said in a statement.

In a statement from the State Counselors Office on Friday, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi said she also strongly condemn[ed] what she described as brutal attacks by terrorists on security forces in Rakhine State.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi held an urgent meeting on Friday with Union ministers of defense, home affairs and border affairs, as well as her national security adviser. The State Counselors Office also said that the government had been aware of a risk of attacks coinciding with the release of the commissions final report, and that the current administration remains committed to finding meaningful and lasting solutions for conflict-torn Rakhine.

These latest attacks will undoubtedly have far-reaching consequences for residents of the region, as well as for Myanmar and beyond, testing the governments ability to control the troubled state.

Questions have inevitably been raised. Will the NLD administration be able to bring law and order, ensure the safety of fleeing locals, and protect the nations sovereignty? Perhaps more importantly, how will counter-terrorism measures be implemented? Are Myanmars security forces sufficiently prepared to secure the area?

Arakanese politicians who feel that the countrys western border has been compromised in northern Rakhine State are among those urging for the convening of the National Defense and Security Council (NDSC). Many seasoned political observers feel the same.

According to the 2008 Constitution, the rapidly changing situation in Rakhine State demands that the President exercise executive power to call an NDSC meeting; will U Htin Kyaw do just this?

Meetings of the NDSC have been put on hold since the NLD government took office in 2016. Instead, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has relied on ad hoc security briefings, and her working relations with army leaders are at odds. President U Htin Kyaw, a close confident of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, will likely to wait for a cue from the State Counselor regarding any action with the NDSC.

Mandated by the 2008 Constitution, the 11-member security council was formed under former President U Thein Seins administration, during which it held regular meetings to discuss security issues in the country, including the right to petition the President to declare a nationwide state of emergency. The military commands a 6-5 majority in the council, but it is understood that there is no voting exercise. Some political observers feel it is the best platform to discuss the developing situation in the country, as the council is comprised of civilian and military leaders.

The council members include the President, two vice presidents, two parliamentary speakers, the foreign minister, and the military-appointed ministers for home affairs, border affairs, and defense, as well as the militarys commander-in-chief. As foreign minister, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be present at NDSC meetings.

The developing situation in Rakhine State was also discussed in Parliament, when military MPs and Arakanese politicians proposed that administrative and security measures be intensified in northern Rakhine State.

Maj Aung Kyaw Hnin, an army representative, was among those who debated alongside members of the Arakan National Party in favor of the proposal.

In dealing with the affairs of Rakhine State, security matters should be prioritized for protecting national sovereignty and the depredation towards local Rakhine nationals from the danger of terrorists, instead of feeling fear of international pressure, he said in the legislature.

The NLD-dominated Lower House voted down the proposal on Thursday.

However, demands to convene the NDSC are growing as the security situation in northern Rakhine State requires more attention from the top command. Calling such a meeting should be of no harm to the country or its people.
What happens if your boss asks you to write code that could be used to bypass the law? Do you follow his/her instructions blindly and keep your job or object and possibly receive marching orders?

An executive of a software company has raised the issue in a tweet, pointing to the fate of James Liang, an engineer at Volkswagen who helped design systems that allowed the carmaker to bypass pollution standards and still appear to be following the rules.

Ted Neward's tweet said: "Every. Single. Software developer. Must. Take. Note. You can go to jail for the code your boss tells you to write."

Liang was sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the Volkswagen deception, according to Reuters.

Every. Single. Software developer. Must. Take. Note.



YOU can go to jail for the code YOUR BOSS tells you to write. https://t.co/3MZGHqI4dy  Ted Neward (@tedneward) 25 August 2017

He was said to be "a pivotal figure" in the scheme that resulted in vehicles emitting up to 40 times the permitted amounts of smog-forming compounds during normal driving while still appearing to adhere to standards.

Volkswagen has admitted that it used software to bypass environmental regulations in Europe and the US from 2006 to 2015.

The company faced charges that it sold diesel cars and four-wheel drive vehicles without emissions control systems that could have compromised performance or inconvenienced customers.

Volkswagen avoided commenting on Liang's sentence, saying: "Volkswagen continues to cooperate with investigations by the Department of Justice into the conduct of individuals. It would not be appropriate to discuss personnel matters."

Liang is no longer an engineer at the German company but is still employed there.

Eight former and current employees have been charged in the case.
Iraqs education ministry has quietly dropped a chapter about evolution from its biology textbooks. The ministry has so far given no explanation but the change has brought complaints and ridicule from Iraqis on social media.

Among the complainers, Dr Mohammed Fawzi, who studied genetic engineering, bioinformatics and biotechnology at Bahgdad University, posted this sarcastic comment in Arabic on Facebook:

We congratulate our people on deleting the chapter on evolution from the sixth grade textbook, because we have no need to evolve. Backwardness is beautiful! Congratulations to us on our stance against the greatest scientific truths. Then come those who say: Why are our people backward?

Photographs of the revised textbooks index page have been circulating on the internet. They show it contains chapters on cells, tissue, reproduction, embryology and genetics.

The omitted chapter had four sections, according to school student Abdulrahman al-Makhzomy who has a copy of the old textbook:

An introduction to evolution

The idea of organic evolution

Evidence of evolution

Mechanism of evolution

The education ministry ought to be modernising teaching methods in Iraq and giving students a better understanding of science, but what we are seeing is the contrary of that, Makhzomy wrote in a post on Medium.

Deletion of the chapter seems to be partly to appease religious sensitivities but it may also signal official recognition of everyday realities in Iraq. In practice most teachers already avoid discussing evolution in class on the grounds that it conflicts with Islam, some dismiss it as just a theory and only a few teach it properly, Makhzomy told al-bab. The ministry had previously reduced the number of marks allocated to evolution in exams.

In 2014, ISIS/Daesh ordered drastic changes to the curriculum for parts of Iraq that were under its control. These included removing references to Darwinism and evolution from science books and replacing them with statements that God was the creator of everything.

Historically, Islams relationship with science has been less problematic than that of Christianity, and Iraq under the Abbasid caliphs was renowned as a centre of scientific knowledge.

Publication of Charles Darwins book, On the Origin of Species, in 1859 drew a variety of responses from Muslims  some predictable, some less so. One early Muslim critique  from Jamal al-Din Afghani in 1881  cited the continued existence of male foreskins as evidence that Darwins ideas on natural selection must be wrong: Is this wretch [Darwin] deaf to the fact that the Arabs and Jews for several thousand years have practised circumcision, and despite this until now not a single one of them has been born circumcised?

On the other hand, Hussein al-Jisr, a nineteenth-century Lebanese Shia scholar who advocated combining religious education with modern science, saw room for an accommodation between evolution and scripture. There is no evidence in the Quran, he wrote, to suggest whether all species, each of which exists by the grace of God, were created all at once or gradually.

Some Muslims even went so far as to claim that Darwins ideas had Islamic roots.

Widespread rejection of evolution by Muslims seems to be a fairly recent development, probably influenced by the spread of religiosity but also by ideas from American Christian creationists. Its an area where Arab schools, universities and media nowadays tread warily and often timidly for fear of provoking complaints. (This is discussed in more detail here, in a chapter from my book, Arabs Without God.)

Iraq is not an exceptional case. In other Arab countries teaching about evolution can range from cautious to non-existent. Ahmad Saeed, a Yemeni, recalled that his biology textbook contained a chapter on natural selection which students were told to ignore.

Mohammed Ramadan, who studied at a state school in Egypt, said:

They have a chapter [in the textbook]  the final chapter  and its all done in a kind of comic way. Most of it doesnt come in the exams, but if it does its mostly about the birds that migrated from certain places and how they changed their colours  a very, very superficial concept of evolution. Some of the teachers accept that evolution may happen through adaptation but they say even if its likely to happen in animals it wont happen in humans, because humans are special.

Egyptian universities are not exactly crawling with evolutionists either, according to Nour Youssef in a post on the Arabist blog: Professors almost always introduce the subject as an obsolete, wrong theory, misrepresent it and then conclude with things like: Why are monkeys still around if we came from them?

In 2010, a study of evolution teaching in the Middle East found striking differences between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Its author, Elise Burton, cited a two-page section on The Origin of Humanity in the highest-level biology textbook used in Saudi schools which presented evolution theory as a form of blasphemy:

In the West appeared what is called the theory of evolution, which was derived by the Englishman Charles Darwin, who denied Allahs creation of humanity, saying that all living things and humans are from a single origin. We do not need to pursue such a theory because we have in the Book of Allah the final say regarding the origin of life, that all living things are Allahs creation.

The book went on to suggest that Darwins theory is now largely discredited:

Due to this theorys deviant character and its contradictions to intuition and reason, there were many Western scientists who stood against it and exposed its fallacies in scientific research and rational inferences 

On the other hand, Burton found the treatment of evolution in Iranian textbooks was far more straightforward:

An especially telling comparison between the Iranian and Saudi advanced biology textbooks emerges in the characterisation of Darwin and his contemporaries, and the development of support for Darwins ideas by later scientists. The Iranian textbook humanises Darwin with a relatively detailed account of his life and a discussion of its historical context  Fascinatingly, where the Saudi textbook dismisses evolution as fraudulent science, the Iranian text announces nearly all biologists today have accepted that Darwins theory can explain the basis of diversity of life on earth.

However, Burton noted that while Iranian textbooks accepted that natural selection applies to humans, they avoided explicit attempts to place humans within the larger picture of the evolution of life. (Among Muslims who accept evolution in general there is a common belief that humans, unlike all other forms of life, did not evolve but were created.)

Burton suggested several factors that could explain these Saudi-Iranian differences  including social differences and differing historical experiences. Clearly, though, theological differences and the ways that religion is organised in these two countries plays an important part. The wahhabi/salafi version of sunni Islam that dominates in Saudi Arabia is especially rigid while shia Islam, which dominates in Iran is a lot more flexible in its approach to interpreting scripture.

Iraq, with a mixed sunni-shia population falls somewhere in between  which may be another reason why the education ministry, rather than taking sides, prefers to keep evolution out of the classroom.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Licence.

Via ( Al-Bab

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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

Eminent climate scientist Michael Mann of Penn State noticed not one but two horrible things about Friday evening.

You never want to see a Hurricane that looks like this at landfall.

I fear #Harvey will take a heavy toll. Be safe folks. pic.twitter.com/1r0CXvhghm  Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 26, 2017

The second one was that Trump dropped a load of shady announcements while eyes and cameras were on the Texas coast:

Bush may have botched #Katrina, but at least he didn't exploit in heinous manner Trump has just exploited #Harvey: https://t.co/k8Sih3iTc3  Michael E. Mann (@MichaelEMann) August 26, 2017

Thats right, instead of hunkering down with an emergency response team or consulting FEMA as category 4 Hurricane Harvey made landfall, Trumps mind was on voiding the criminal contempt of court verdict against former sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County.

Even if the timing had not made the move gauche, it was objectionable on a large number of grounds.

First, the criminal contempt of court sentence was issued by the judiciary, and Trump voided it even though Arpaio had not been sentenced or served any time. Many observers saw this high-handed intervention not as a pardon so much as it was a blatant shredding of the separation of powers.

Second, Arpaio is charged with a whole series of serious offenses. Although he is no longer sheriff, his legacy is a dangerous one and you would not want to see other sheriffs encouraged that they could get away with this behavior.

The Phoenix New Times newspaper has been reporting on Arpaio for years, and its editors recalled his many alleged crimes.

Arpaio illegally and routinely engaged in profiling Arizona Latinos, arresting them for existing while Latin.

For instance, he rounded up people and put them in a tent city that Arpaio himself admitted was a concentration camp.

Or, there was that suspiciously high rate of suicides among the prisoners in his jail, far more than in any similar institution.

Arpaio even wrongly arrested the reporters the newspaper sent to cover him, and the county had to pay the newspapers owners nearly $4 million in damages for false arrest.

Even after having been found guilty of profiling Latinos, he went on doing it. That behavior resulted in his being found guilty of criminal contempt of court.

And that was when Trump cavalierly wished the people of Texas good luck and turned his attention to pardoning Arpaio.

_____

Related video:

Donald Trump Sends Message To Robert Mueller Targets With Joe Arpaio Pardon | Rachel Maddow | MSNBC
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By TeleSur |  

Following the joint offensive, the Islamic State group only controls 40 square kilometers on the Syrian side, and 20 on the Lebanese side.

A joint offensive between Shia resistance movement Hezbollah and the Syrian army has liberated the majority of a significant enclave controlled by the so-called Islamic State group, the Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced in a televised speech on Thursday.

According to Nasrallah, since the offensive began last week to clear out the area around the border of Syria and Lebanon from armed terrorists, around 100 square kilometers previously controlled by the Islamic State group on the Lebanese side has been freed, and the terrorist group now only controls 20 square kilometers.

On the Syrian side of the border, the Islamic State group currently controls around 40 square kilometers following the offensive.

Praising the resolve of the soldiers in both armies, Nasrallah said that the remaining fight would not be easy because of the high presence of civilians, and the Islamic State groups use of them as human shields.

The narrower the battle area, the bigger the cost, because of the presence of civilians and because the Islamic State group uses those civilians as human shields, like it did in Iraq, Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah also went on to explain that talks for a truce with the Islamic State had occured, however a military victory was appearing more likely. Hezbollah will not commit to any negotiations with the terrorist group until the terrorist group reveals the fate of the kidnapped Lebanese soldiers.

In 2014, Islamic State and al-Nusra Front militant groups took over the Lebanese border town of Arsal, and took nine Lebanese soldiers captive.

Hezbollah has been one of the most effective forces fighting Islamic State forces along the Syrian border, in collaboration with the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad. Earlier this month, a Hezbollah offensive drove out numerous al-Nusra Front militants from a border region of Lebanon.

The United States backed Lebanese army is not participating in the offensive with the Syrian army or with Hezbollah, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization.

Hezbollah leadership has pressured the U.S.-backed Lebanese state to resume relations with the Syrian government, ending its policy of neutrality toward the Syrian war.

The Islamic State group is currently on the defensive, rapidly losing ground to Syrian government forces and its allies. Its last major stronghold is in the Deir al-Zor province, the capital of which has been under a three-year long ongoing siege by the militants.

Via TeleSur



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CGTN: Hezbollah: Much of ISIL enclave seized on Syrian side of border with Lebanon
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By Adil E. Shamoo and Bonnie Bricker | ( Foreign Policy in Focus ) |  

The slide towards bleak historical periods can be difficult to recognize in the moment. But in this moment, its glaringly obvious.

The slide towards bleak historical periods can be difficult to recognize in the moment  often it only seems obvious in retrospect. But its hard to miss in the U.S. in this early part of the 21st century.

Dangerous signs are everywhere. In the New Yorker, Robin Wright writes of a coming Civil War. Holocaust survivors are issuing warnings about the similarities of this period to the rise of the Nazi era.

While no two events are the same, there are lessons and events in history that can be used to shine a light on the present. Those lights, if we choose to follow them, can guide us to avoid the tragic errors of the past.

The presidency of Donald J. Trump, hoisted on the shoulders of white supremacists, is a glaringly dangerous period for our country. Its important to recognize this dangerous mix of moral turpitude, dereliction of duty, and incompetence before we fall deeper into fascism and moral tragedy.

Similarities to Hitler

There are some similarities between both Hitlers and Trumps rise to power.

For starters, both rose to power with minority support. The Nazi party received just 3 percent of the vote in the 1924 parliamentary election; in the 1933 election, the party won 33 percent of the votes. At his peak, Hitler managed to muster just 39 percent. (Contrary to myth, he never won a popular election outright.)

Trump took over the Republican Party with a similar style of demagoguery and dumb luck, ultimately winning the presidency with 3 million fewer votes than Hillary Clinton due to the arcane Electoral College process.

Likewise, both Hitler and Trump used decrees as a tool for consolidating authoritarian powers and disorienting the opposition. Trumps continual issuance of executive orders, starting from the first days of his presidency, has served to not only subvert the normal legislative process, but to destabilize opposition by scattering the efforts of the left. By comparison, Hitler issued more than 400 decrees against Jews over a six-year period, in a constant and brutal decimation of rights, and ultimately, lives.

Trumps recent move to try to compel the Department of Justice to seize 1.3 million IP addresses on a Trump protest sites visitor logs is just the most recent nibble at the rights of his opposition. The department was forced to back off that request under pressure, but more efforts will follow.

Both Hitler and Trump have used bullying and threats to keep government officials in line. Nazi supporters intimidated, beat, and assassinated some of their opponents. Trump is no Hitler  not yet  but hes turned his Twitter account into an intimidation tool and managed to keep the majority of his party in line with him, even with neo-Nazis chanting Heil Trump in the streets.

Where Hitler manipulated weak top officials by joining the conservatives to win the majority in parliament, Trump has co-opted GOP leaders by allowing some to call the shots on their favored foreign and domestic policies.

Trumps Rise to Power

What were the conditions that brought us to a Donald Trump presidency?

First, Republicans systematically weakened the labor class and their unions with a relentless dismantling of many of their hard-fought rights, beginning in the 1980s during the Reagan administration.

Second, the Democratic Party took labor for granted. During the Clinton administration the ill-conceived North American Free Trade Agreement was signed in 1993, and the World Trade Organization (WTO) was formed in 1995. While both garnered support as a means for more U.S. jobs, the reality was a loss of jobs or a decline in wages for many, causing hourly labor wages to decline from $40-50 to $10-15 an hour in some sectors.

Democrats continued on the same path during the Obama administration, pushing new and even more ambitious trade pacts like the Trans Pacific Partnership.

The result of this decades-long assault? Millions have moved from the middle class to lower middle class and into poverty, while upper corporate executives and stockholders reap the rewards. Is it any wonder that disaffected Democrats moved away from their party?

In his 2004 campaign for president, candidate Howard Dean (full disclosure: one of us privately worked for his campaign in Maryland) recognized the rising anger among the poor and lower-middle class at forces beyond their reach. Dean described his approach in 2003 by saying that he wants to be a candidate for the guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks. The corporate media widely panned his description, and yet Deans remark predicted Trumps rise in this last election.

Later, Barack Obama pointed out that same group of Americans at a private campaign fundraiser in California in 2008, albeit in more disparaging terms. They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who arent like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations, Obama suggested, seemingly embodying the exact sort of condescension these voters suspected top Democrats of harboring for them.

Recognized but not addressed, these groups fled the Democrats who failed to acknowledge the degradation of jobs and lives for a large swath of America. Many ran right into the arms of a demagogue.

Charlottesville

Yet recent events prove that its not just economic inequality that threatens the foundations of our society. Also to blame is a resurgent white nationalist movement thats been emboldened by this administrations refusal to condemn it. Charlottesville was ground zero in a clash of fascism versus movements for equality, peace, and justice.

Yet for traditionally minded Americans, including many conservatives, seeing the home of Thomas Jefferson overrun by Nazi symbols can be a catalyst for change  if more Republicans find their moral courage and Democrats develop a consensus to begin to address the needs of Americans who have been forgotten.

Trumps impromptu news conference on August 14 exposed a president denuded of any principles and knowledge of our history. Extolling racism and favoring fascism, Trump solidly demonstrated his unwillingness to change. A few Republicans have begun to publicly express their repugnance, notably Senators Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake, and Bob Corker. Corker gave perhaps the strongest statement, declaring, The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.

Where are the rest? Heather Heyer, the young woman who died in Charlottesville when she was mowed over by a fascist terrorist, had more courage in her convictions than any of Trumps miserable looking staffers and congressional cronies.

The great enablers of Trump must be exposed for their immorality and lack of courage. More members of the Republican Party must gather their courage and come together with Democrats and independents to hold Trump and his lackeys accountable. Meanwhile, progressives need to come up with a compelling left populist alternative to the far rights racially tinged fascism.

The signs are evident, and the time is now, before it is too late. We have no time to waste.



Adil E. Shamoo is an associate fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies, a senior analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus, and the author of Equal Worth  When Humanity Will Have Peace. Download a free copy. His email is ashamoo@som.umaryland.edu.

Bonnie Bricker is a contributor to FPIF.

Via Foreign Policy in Focus

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TORONTO, Aug. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd. (TSX:WDO) is pleased to update drilling progress in the 300W area of its wholly-owned Eagle River Mine, Wawa, Ontario.

Figure 1. 300 West Structure Recent Results, Longitudinal View Looking North





Since the up-plunge potential of the 300W area was initially recognized (Press Release dated Sept 15, 2016), drilling has continued to confirm potential (Press Release dated April 27, 2017). We have now traced the zone 300 metres up-plunge where it appears to lengthen and remains open (Figure 1).

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Hole 890-E-72 48.14 g/t Au cut over 1.82 m True Width

Hole 890-E-80 23.39 g/t Au cut over 1.52 m True Width

Hole 890-E-96 23.50 g/t Au cut over 1.49 m True Width

Hole 890-E-97 35.38 g/t Au cut over 1.52 m True Width

Hole 890-E-102 18.20 g/t Au cut over 1.52 m True Width

Hole 890-E-103 30.81 g/t Au cut over 1.51 m True Width

Hole 890-E-104 41.99 g/t Au cut over 2.72 m True Width

Hole 890-E-107 30.58 g/t Au cut over 1.51 m True Width

* high assays are cut (capped) at 140 g/t Au

Complete new drilling data is provided in Table 1 with locations shown in Figure 1.

Duncan Middlemiss, President and CEO, commented These new results are in a very desirable location with respect to existing development. We are currently developing an exploration/access drive to this area on the 750 m level. Expanding resources at shallower depth that remain open and easily accessible support our plan to open up new working areas and increase underground production. Additionally, the grades of this 300 West extension are above the existing mine reserve grade which bode well for near term production.

The recent exploration success and near term potential of the Eagle River Mine parallel zones, which includes the high grade and above average width 300 E Zone, and the 7 Zone, have certainly given us cause to re-evaluate our near term plans. The 300 and 7 Zones are located north of the 8 Zone, which has been in production for the majority of the mine life and extends to the eastern extents of the mine diorite. Our focus will be to systematically explore for the presence of the parallel zones to the east with the goal of adding additional workplaces and increasing our production profile.

The 300W area consists of steeply dipping, tabular, shear hosted quartz veins which occur in a quartz diorite stock near its contact with volcanic rocks. The 300W remains open to the west and above as illustrated in Figure 1.

TECHNICAL DISCLOSURE

All assays are performed by fire assay on 25 gram aliquots at the Eagle River Mine assay office. Duplicates, replicates and blanks are routinely employed to monitor quality control. The technical content of this release has been compiled, reviewed and approved by George N. Mannard, P.Geo, Vice-President Exploration and Qualified Person as defined and required by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

ABOUT WESDOME

Wesdome Gold Mines is in its 30th year of continuous gold mining operations in Canada. The Company is 100% Canadian focused with a pipeline of projects in various stages of development. The Eagle River Complex in Wawa, Ontario is currently producing gold from two mines, the Eagle River Underground Mine and the Mishi Open pit, from a central mill. Wesdome is actively exploring its brownfields asset, the Kiena Complex in Val dOr, Quebec. The Kiena Complex is a fully permitted former mine with a 930 metre shaft and 2,000 tonne per day mill. The Company has further upside at its Moss Lake gold deposit, located 100 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, Ontario, which is being explored and evaluated to be developed in the appropriate gold price environment. The Company has approximately 133.9 million shares issued and outstanding and trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol WDO.
Vancouver, British Columbia, August 25, 2017  Prophecy Development Corp. (Prophecy or the Company) (TSX:PCY, OTCPK:PRPCF, Frankfurt:1P2N) has entered into a binding letter agreement (the Letter Agreement) with an arms-length party (the Seller) to acquire the Dabolava gold project located in the Republic of Madagascar (the Dabolava Project).

Transaction Summary

Under the Letter Agreement, Prophecy will acquire 6 mining claims covering 375 sq km and other assets, which together constitute the Dabolava Project, by paying Seller the following:

(a) upon transaction closing $1,000,000;

(b) on the 1-year anniversary of the closing date, $1,000,000;

(c) on the 2-year anniversary of the closing date, $1,000,000;

(d) on Prophecy obtaining its first Dabolava Project mining license, $2,000,000; and

(e) for every troy-ounce of gold reserve that is compliant with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) from the Dabolava Project by the dates to be agreed to in a definitive agreement to be executed, a one-time payment of $2 per troy-ounce shall be paid to the Seller. This payment is subject to a minimum cumulative discovery of 1 million ounces.

Dabolava Project Summary

The Dabolava Project is located approximately 200 km west-southwest of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar and is accessed via 400 km of paved highways, a portion of which traverses the property. The Dabolava Project is located 140 km west of the town of Antsirabe that hosts an airport and residents with mining experience. Gold has been mined at the Dabolava Project since 1900 and continues to be mined on a very limited scale.

The Dabolava Project covers 375 sq km in 6 permits and consists of several mineralized areas, the most explored being Dabolava East, Takadora, Mountain of Gold and Anjoma. The exploration included airborne geophysical surveys covering 553 sq km, approximately 27 sq km of ground magnetometer survey, 40.4 line km of IP surveys, and 11,349 soil samples. The work was carried out from 2004 to 2008 by Pan African Mining Corp. (PAF) with Sprott Asset Management as a shareholder. PAF only completed 11,863 meters of diamond drilling (97 diamond drill holes) mostly focused on the Dabolava East area before it was acquired by the Seller in 2008, which is a major coal mining company for approximately $157 million in cash. The Dabolava Project has been placed on care and maintenance since late 2008.

In the Dabolava East, Takadora and Mountain of Gold mineralized areas, the gold occurs in silicified dilational features within a broad ductile shear zone that cuts a tonalite-granodiorite orthogneiss host rock. The zones of mineralized dilational features range from 1 to 15 m in drilled width.

Ajoma is a metasediment-hosted bulk-tonnage prospect, where the gold is associated with a post-metamorphism hydrothermal stock work where small quartz veinlets contain disseminated gold between the metamorphic foliations.

Dabolava East (300meter by 300meter)

The Dabolava East mineralized area is approximately 300m x 300 m based on mapping and soil samples. Numerous gold mineralization intersections from 33 diamond drill holes (5,204 m of total drilling) indicated a zone of 1 and 15 m wide (drilled width) between 30 to 70 m depth from surface. The known vertical extension is approximately 50 m and is open at depth and to the surface. Prophecy intends to commission a preliminary economic assessment on Dabolava East and potentially fast track Dabolava East through the permitting process.

Drilling highlights:

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True DE-D-07-035 574757 7827338 323 -47 86.9 98.2 11.4 9.5 12.0 including 88.1 88.6 0.5 0.4 177.0 including 96.4 98.2 1.8 1.5 21.2 DE-D-011 574746 7827333 322 -47 86.3 91.8 5.5 Unk 50.8 including 88.3 90.8 2.5 Unk 106.1 and 97.2 97.6 0.4 Unk 8.7 DE-D-004 574663 7827454 143 -44 44.9 49.4 4.5 Unk 2.0 and 127.1 131.4 4.3 Unk 10.5 including 128.2 128.4 0.2 Unk 139.0 DE-D-023 574774 7827347 344 -45 83.6 91.9 8.3 Unk 14.7 including 83.6 84.8 1.2 Unk 51.5 including 87.5 88.9 1.4 Unk 40.5 DE-D-012 574737 7827489 152 -45 103.7 104.8 1.1 Unk 20.6 DE-D-006 574709 7827459 155 -45 25.7 42.9 17.2 Unk 4.0 including 25.7 26.6 0.9 Unk 13.8 including 30.5 36.2 5.7 Unk 5.1 including 41.3 42.9 1.6 Unk 17.1 DE-D-07-039 574777 7827346 320 -45 86.9 92.9 6.0 5.0 12.4 including 86.9 88.9 2.1 1.7 24.0 DE-D-07-037 574702 7827378 320 -45 80.5 83.3 2.8 2.3 5.1 including 82.8 83.3 0.5 0.4 25.7 DE-D-08-049 574651 7827374 0 -45 41.0 43.2 2.2 Unk 14.2 including 41.0 41.4 0.4 Unk 31.8 including 42.5 43.2 0.7 Unk 26.8 DE-D-016 574772 7827475 165 -55 56.0 61.6 5.6 Unk 9.5 DE-D-017 574792 7827395 343 -55 83.5 84.5 1.0 Unk 7.6 DE-D-08-050 574733 7827360 0 -45 36.4 36.8 0.4 Unk 23.0 DE-D-08-048 574669 7827376 0 -45 75.6 76.0 0.5 Unk 10.0 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

These assay results were previously disclosed by PAF in its May 11, 2005, November 6, 2006, April 25, 2007 and September 11, 2007 news releases. There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Drilling, sampling, and assay methods and information are described in the news releases and considered acceptable. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (NI 43-101).

Takodara (1,500 meter x 200 meter)

The Takodara mineralized area is approximately 1,500 m x 200 m in size based on mapping and soil samples. Gold mineralization was encountered in 15 diamond drill holes (2,029 m total drilling) from 40 to 60 m depth. The vertical extent of the mineralization to surface and at depth have not yet been tested. Drill holes DE-D-001, DE-D-003, DE-07-033 and DE-D-08-063 were drilled approximately 150 meters apart along the strike, with no other drill holes in between. Prophecy intends to conduct infill drilling and expansion drilling to test the length and depth of the mineralization.

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True DE-D-001 575668 7828539 353 -45 57.3 58.2 0.9 Unk 32.3 including 57.8 58.2 0.5 Unk 61.9 DE-D-003 575921 7828572 338 -45 51.0 52.0 1.0 Unk 12.2 including 51.0 51.5 0.5 Unk 22.4 DE-D-07-033 576029 7828665 180 -45 86.3 88.4 2.1 1.1 28.7 DE-D-08-063 575537 7828495 350 -45 66.9 67.8 0.9 Unk 13.2 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

The assay results for drill holes DE-D-001, DE-D-003 and DE-D-07-033 were previously disclosed by PAF in its May 11, 2005 and September 11, 2007 news releases. There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. Drilling, sampling, and assay methods and information are described in the news releases and considered acceptable. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Mountain of Gold (8,500 meter x 2,000 meter)

The Mountain of Gold mineralized area is approximately 8,500 m x 2,000 m in size based on mapping and soil samples. Gold mineralization was found in 20 diamond drill holes (1,191 m) that tested the southeast corner of the area from 10 to 40 m at depth from surface. The vertical extent of mineralization to the surface and to depth is unknown and 95% of the mineralized area has yet to be drilled.

Given the large area of Mountain of Gold, Prophecy intends to review the geophysical, soil sampling, trenching and old workings information to model the mineralization internally to prioritize a number of well qualified drill locations.

Drilling highlights:

Drill Hole Number Coordinates (1) Azimuth Dip Drilled Depth (m) Width (m) (2) Au (g/t) Easting Northing From To Drilled True ADK-B-001 568312 7835063 190 -50 15.1 15.4 0.4 Unk 4.1 and 15.4 15.7 0.3 Unk 26.9 ADK-D-011 568574 7833814 0 -90 20.3 20.6 0.3 Unk 7.1 ADK-D-007 568530 7835192 200 -45 46.8 47.8 1.0 Unk 5.3 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection (2) Unk=unknown because of insufficient information

Sampling highlights:

Sample Number Coordinates Sample Type Sampled Area Au (g/t) Easting Northing S-01317 566157 7835561 Grab rock 71.6 S-02544 564174 7836543 Channel along QV 2 x 50cm 26.1 S-01318 563132 7834767 Grab 40cm x 20cm 25.6 G4303 562151 7835819 Grab rock 21.5 S-02084 563587 7836459 Grab 20 x 40cm 18.8 S-01649 565785 7836142 Grab 40 x 10cm 14.65 S-01898 563653 7834720 Panel 1m x 1m 14.3 S-01818 566093 7832995 Panel 1 x 0.2m 11.75 S-02461 561834 7836748 Grab 30 x 50 cm 9.64 S-12452 558737 7837190 Channel 5cm x 50cm 9.11 S-12456 564150 7836461 Channel 1m x 2cm 9.08 S-01456 562767 7836406 Panel 1m x 1m 8.15 S-11187 567184 7835580 Channel 10cm x 1m 7.84 S-02131 565768 7833380 Grab 20 x 40 cm 7.28 S-12451 558737 7837190 Grab 30 x 20 cm 7.01 S-02523 564424 7836432 Channel 1cm x 30cm 6.93 S-01309 559470 7832075 Panel 1m x 1m 6.85 S-07244 561932 7834782 Panel 1m x 1m 6.57 S-01204 560799 7834413 Channel 1m x 10cm 6.46 S-01230 563903 7836416 Panel 1m x 1m 6.22 S-11173 567559 7835791 Grab 20cm x 30cm 5.96 S-01944 566625 7829509 Grab 0.15 x 0.2cm 5.94 BT024 568540 7835155 Grab rock 5.88 S-04721 568139 7835006 Panel 1.5m x 1m 5.85 S-01874 566292 7835516 Panel 1m x 1m 5.25 S-02321 568834 7835000 Grab 20cm x 30 cm 5.08 S-01758 567657 7835467 Panel 1m x 0,5m 5.04

There are no known drilling, sampling, recovery or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. The drilling, sampling, and assay methods are considered acceptable by Prophecy. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Anjoma (2,000 m x 250 m)

For the metasediment-hosted prospects, the gold is associated with a post-metamorphism hydrothermal stock work where small quartz veinlets contain disseminated gold between the metamorphic foliations.

The Anjoma bulk-tonnage prospect has estimated dimensions of 2,000 m long and 250 m wide based on 95 soil samples. Depth is unknown.

Prophecy intends to review the geophysical and rock sample data then drill test Anjoma as a potential bulk-tonnage disseminated near-surface gold prospect.

Anjoma rock sample assay highlights:

Sample Number Coordinates (1) Sample Type Sampled Area Au (g/t) Easting Northing S-02222 601555 7824429 Grab 20cm x 50cm 42.90 S-03123 600227 7829619 Grab 20cm x 40cm 40.00 S-03129 596768 7820527 Channel 5cm x 50cm 33.20 S-03120 596819 7820733 Grab 20cm x 40cm 26.20 S-02252 601118 7824403 Grab 20cm x 30cm 19.45 S-03118 596838 7820732 Grab 20cm x 40cm 9.85 S-03130 596764 7820526 Channel 5cm x 50cm 6.33 S-02106 602002 7823822 Panel 1m x 50cm 5.18 M-6 599627 7827488 Grab Rock 4.62 S-02205 601726 7824237 Grab 20cm x 40cm 4.50 S-02118 601989 7827722 Grab 30cm x 40cm 4.21 S-02109 602005 7823924 Grab 30cm x 40cm 4.20 S-02204 601730 7824224 Grab 20cm x 50cm 4.07 S-03155 595033 7823804 Grab 30cm x 20cm 3.27 S-02207 601949 7823957 Grab 30cm x 50cm 3.20 S-03124 600233 7829613 Grab 20cm x 40cm 3.05 S-03087 600228 7829624 Channel 8cm x 60cm 2.90 S-02211 601799 7824205 Grab 30cm x 40cm 2.81 S-03073 600235 7829605 Grab 15cm x 20cm 2.50 S-03071 598671 7825750 Panel 1m x 50cm 2.33 S-03122 600221 7829642 Grab 20cm x 40cm 1.80 S-02202 601828 7824521 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.76 S-03131 596790 7820525 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.69 S-03133 596737 7820531 Grab 20cm x 50cm 1.66 S-03085 600209 7829652 Channel 8cm x 60cm 1.58 S-03152 594937 7823789 Grab 20cm x 30cm 1.40 S-02956 596660 7822774 Channel 3cm x 50cm 1.16 S-03084 596787 7820768 Grab 20cm x 40cm 1.16 S-03145 594845 7823794 Grab 30cm x 20cm 1.09 (1) Coordinates are in UTM system (meters) Zone 38K WGS84 projection

A description of sampling and analytical methods is not known. The following description is based on review of internal reports. Samples were obtained using a hand pick by chipping rock randomly over the sampled area to obtain a representative sample of approximately 2 kg size. Samples were placed in plastic bags and identification information placed on the bag. A chain of custody was used to document sample possession. There is not sufficient information to determine whether sampling factors exist that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data. The raw samples were initially prepared by crushing to -2 mm and splitting a representative sample for assay at Pan Africans laboratory located in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Assays were performed by the ALS Chemex, Johannesburg South Africa laboratory using fire assay with an atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS) finish (some with inductively coupled plasma (ICP) finish) for gold and aqua regia digestion with inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish for a 34-element suite. The laboratory was independent of PAF at the time the assays were performed. Drilling, sampling and initial sample preparation was performed and overseen by qualified persons as defined in NI 43-101.

Further Details Regarding the Proposed Transaction

The proposed transaction is subject to Prophecy being satisfied with the results of its due diligence inquiries into the Dabolava project.

The Seller and Prophecy have agreed to replace the Letter Agreement by entering into a more comprehensive definitive agreement by November 30, 2017.

The Letter Agreement includes a break-fee provision and a commitment by the Seller to not solicit, pursue or negotiate alternative offers with other parties for the Dabolava Project.

John Lee, Prophecys Executive Chairman comments:

Prior work on Dabolava had shown over 10 km of gold-bearing trends highlighted by quartz gold drill intercepts of over 100g/t Au. Both Dabolavas size and grade are on similar to Terrax Minerals recent Yellowknife City Gold Discovery.

In addition to Dabolava East, Takadora, Mountain of Gold and Anjoma, the large 375 sq km land package contains several other prospective areas with extensive artisanal historic mine workings that warrant consideration for exploration.

While the project development is at an early stage, there are promising signs that Prophecy is embarking on a very unique district-scale gold project that draws very few modern and historical comparisons.

Qualified Persons

The technical content of this news release was reviewed and approved by Christopher M. Kravits, CPG, LPG, who is a Qualified Person within the meaning of NI 43-101. Mr. Kravits is a consultant to the Company and is not independent of the Company in that most of his income is derived from the Company. Mr. Kravits serves as its Qualified Person and General Mining Manager.

About Prophecy

Prophecy Development Corp. is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange that is engaged in developing mining and energy projects in Mongolia, Bolivia and Canada. Further information on Prophecy can be found at www.prophecydev.com.
By Yi Whan-woo



South Korea and China may find it difficult to fully restore their ties even if they manage to resolve the ongoing row over the deployment of a U.S. missile shield here, analysts said Thursday.



The two countries notably toned down celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.



Presidents Moon Jae-Jae in and Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with each other, while Foreign Ministers Kang Kyung-kwa and Wang Yi also did the same.



But the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party, did not comment about it amid deteriorated ties between the two nations over the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in South Korea.



The daily only briefly mentioned a reception hosted by a private Chinese diplomatic association, Wednesday, to commemorate the treaty.



The South Korean Embassy in Beijing and Chinese Embassy in Seoul scaled down their own ceremonies as well.



Although foreign ministers of the two countries joined each other's ceremonies on the 20th anniversary, First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam led the South Korean delegation on behalf of Kang to a reception run by the Chinese Embassy here.



In Beijing, Wan Gang, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a political advisory body, represented his country instead of Wang Yi at a ceremony organized by the South Korean Embassy.



Given this climate, analysts speculate that Seoul and Beijing, even if they manage to settle the row over THAAD, are unlikely to fully restore the friendship they built since the establishment of relations in August 1992.



They said the dispute over THAAD hints at a greater risk of victimization for Seoul as the row between Beijing and Washington intensifies in the region.



"The THAAD deployment comes as part of U.S. policy in East Asia. The U.S. will continue to expand its influence in the region while China will try to prevent that, possibly by pressing South Korea," said Kwak Jin-o, a senior researcher at the Northeast Asian History Foundation. "The THAAD dispute is only a piece of possible, forthcoming conflicts involving the three parties."



Speaking on condition of anonymity, a researcher at the Korean National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) said President Moon Jae-in added to the THAAD conflict by "sending the wrong signal."



"He opposed THAAD before he was elected president, took a dubious stance as president and then suddenly ordered the deployment of additional THAAD launchers," the researcher said. "It apparently was a snub to China that was already upset when the first batch of THAAD components arrived in March."



Hwang Jae-ho, a professor of international relations studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, said the difference between the U.S. and China in their strategies to curb North Korea's military threat could also complicate the Seoul-Beijing relations.



China refused to accept the U.S argument that THAAD is only aimed at deterring North Korea's ballistic missile attacks and has been bullying the South for its joint decision to set up the battery.



Kim Han-kwon, also a researcher at the KNDA, said that the THAAD dispute is "tougher to handle" than the trade war between Seoul and Beijing in 2000 over the former's safeguard measure taken against Chinese garlic to protect its market.



It was touted as the biggest clash between the two sides before the THAAD row emerged.



"THAAD involves both Koreas as well as the U.S. and China, while the dispute over garlic only concerned Seoul and Beijing," Kim said.



Several analysts remained skeptical whether Moon and Xi can hold a summit this year.



The two leaders only met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Germany in early July.



"I'd say Moon and Xi will be able to hold talks beginning next year at the earliest," Kwak said.



However, he warned of being hasty to run a summit and urged focusing on revising the China policy.



"The general consensus among opinion leaders is to be patient regarding a summit because such talks in an untimely manner could only further damage our national interest," Kwak said.



To mend ties, experts stressed raising awareness toward a rising China and refreshing Seoul's policy toward Beijing accordingly.



"China, as a world power, apparently wants respect from South Korea as it shows to the U.S. But in our view, Beijing tends to remain as a huge yet poor country in the 1990s that had a lot to do to catch up with Seoul," Hwang said. "We should take it to heart that China can be seen as a threat in terms of military, economic and foreign policy."




Demand to enroll at Napas River School  the Napa Valley Unified School Districts only charter middle school  has skyrocketed.

Before this school year started last week, 229 students had hoped to attend the small school, which usually admits 120 incoming sixth-graders via lottery. That left 129 on a temporary waiting list, ultimately to be assigned to other local middle schools.

The previous school year, the wait list totaled about 40 students, said Celeste Akiu, school principal.

The school has an estimated 393 students total.

Akiu said the schools administration wasnt expecting such a surge in interest.

We were quite surprised, said Akiu. But at the same time, Were just really proud and have an awesome program.

Akiu and her staff havent yet pinpointed any one particular reason for the increase. Theres been a greater interest with Harvest Middle School as it moves into international baccalaureate and dual immersion programs, said Maren Rocca-Hunt, the NVUSDs director of elementary education.

There was an even distribution of interest from all the elementary schools, she noted.

On the second day of the new school year, River School parents also said they werent sure why the school had suddenly become more popular.

Maybe they heard about the benefits of smaller schools, and the amount of parental involvement, said Kelly Hurst, a River School parent.

Compared to the 393 students at River, Harvest Middle School has approximately 791 students, Redwood has 955, Silverado has 891 and American Canyon Middle School has 1,008.

Hurst said she chose River School because it is smaller than other middle schools. I had heard great things, she said. I was happy that her daughter  now a seventh-grader  was able to enroll.

Im not surprised to hear demand at the school has risen, said Hurst. People are always looking for the best for their kids.

I have no idea why demand surged, said River School parent Mark Shakeri. Im curious to know the reasons, he said.

Shakeri said the school has been a good fit for his seventh grade twin boys. River School brings out the best in them, he said. They have flourished here.

Miriam Solorio, another River School parent, wondered if interest has risen because word has gotten out that the school will eventually expand when it moves to the Salvador Elementary campus in 2019.

Salvador School will complete its consolidation with the nearby El Centro campus in north Napa in the 2018-2019 school year. River School will then relocate to the former Salvador campus.

With the move to the Salvador site, River School will be able to accommodate more students. Enrollment will expand to 540 students.

There will be more openings for children to come into our program. Were really looking forward to that, Akiu said.

When she heard her first son was able to enroll at River School, I was so excited, Solorio said. Im really happy with the school.

Solorio said she chose River School because of its size and philosophy. Among other attributes, They teach the kids to be responsible, she said. It definitely makes them more independent.

I think parents are becoming more aware of different programs in the district and looking for the right program for their child, said Akiu.

River School offers a combination of several features that parents seem to be responding to. It focuses on the arts, she noted. Thats something were really proud of. Every single student in our school is enrolled in an arts class, said Akiu.

The charter school offers project-based learning. The school focuses on four key concepts: responsible, respectful, resourceful, and responsive. Its also a New Tech Network middle school.

As for the remaining 129 incoming sixth-graders who had hoped to enroll at River School, they are assigned to one of the other NVUSD middle schools.

I wish we could take them all, Akiu said.

We do our best to accommodate, said Elizabeth Emmett, director of communications and community engagement for the Napa Valley Unified School District. It can be frustrating to parents, we understand that.

Its very difficult when you dont get the choice you want, said Rocca-Hunt. It is hard. We try. But we cant accommodate everyone.

While she wasnt certain why there was increased demand at River School this year, Rocca-Hunt noted that there have been many more people applying for open enrollment in all of our NVUSD schools.

There was a 20 percent increase in open enrollment applications over the past three school years, said Emmett.

There are a lot of different kinds of learners out there and were trying offer different educational experiences, said Emmett.

Schools that saw an increase in enrollment interest included magnet schools such as Napa Junction, Alta Heights, Pueblo Vista, Salvador and Bel Aire elementary.

The dual immersion program at Napa Valley Language Academy is also very popular, she said.

Applications at Pueblo Vista increased 100 percent over the past four open enrollment periods. Open enrollment typically happens in the fall for the following school year.

As for middle schools, Harvest saw a 40 percent increase in applications over the past four open enrollment periods.

As with River School, both Pueblo Vista and Harvest were unable to accept all applicants, she noted.
Troy is an ancient city and archaeological site in modern-day Turkey, but is also famously the setting for the legendary Trojan War in Homer's epic poems the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey."

In legend, the city of Troy was besieged for 10 years and eventually conquered by a Greek army led by King Agamemnon. This "Trojan War erupted because Helen, a queen from Sparta , was abducted by Paris, the son of Troy's King Priam, according to Homer's epic poem "Iliad." Throughout the "Iliad," the gods constantly intervene in support of characters on both sides of the conflict.

Troy also refers to a real ancient city, also known as Hisarlik, located on the northwest coast of Turkey, which has been identified by many as the legendary Troy featured in Homer's poems." Whether the Trojan War actually took place, and whether the site in northwest Turkey is the same Troy, are matters of debate.

The idea that Hisarlik is the real-life location of the city portrayed by Homer goes back at least 2,700 years, when the ancient Greeks were colonizing the west coast of what is now Turkey. In the 19th century, the idea again came to popular attention when Heinrich Schliemann, a German businessman and early archaeologist, conducted a series of excavations at Hisarlik and discovered treasures he claimed belonged to King Priam.

The legend of Troy and the Trojan horse

The Trojan War is thought to have taken place near the end of the Bronze Age, around or before 1200 B.C. At that time, a Greek civilization we call the Mycenaean was collapsing . The Mycenaens built great palaces and developed a system of writing, and their culture dominated the Greek world for about 300 years before their decline. In the "Iliad," the Greek forces are led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae.

The earliest accounts of this war come from Homer, a Greek author who lived around the eighth century B.C.  several centuries after the war supposedly took place. Homer's works were told through oral stories and do not appear to have been written down until even later, likely during the sixth century B.C.

Homer's "Iliad" is set in the 10th year of the Greeks' siege of Troy and tells of a series of events that appear to take place over a few weeks. The story makes clear that the siege had taken its toll on the Greek force sent to recover Helen. The "timbers of our ships have rotted away and the cables are broken and far away are our wives and our young children," the poem says (translation by (opens in new tab) Richmond Lattimore).

By this point, the war had essentially become a stalemate, with the Greeks unable to take the city and the Trojans unable to drive the invading force into the sea. We "sons of the Achaians [Greeks] outnumber the Trojans  those who live in the city; but there are companions from other cities in their numbers, wielders of the spear to help them," the "Iliad" says (translation by Eric Robinson).

A number of key events happen in the poem, including a duel between the Trojan Prince Paris and Menelaos (or Menelaus), the king of Sparta and husband of Helen. The winner is supposed to receive Helen as a prize, ending the war. However, the gods intervene to break up the duel before it is finished, and the war continues.

Another important duel occurs near the end of the poem between Achilleus (or Achilles) and a great Trojan warrior named Hektor (or Hector). The Trojan knows that he's no match for the Greek warrior and initially runs three laps around Troy, with Achilleus chasing him. Finally, the gods force him to face the Greek warrior, and Hektor is killed.

The Trojan horse, the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy is shown in this 19th-century engraving. (Image credit: Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images)

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Contrary to popular belief, the "Iliad" does not end with the destruction of Troy but with a temporary truce, after which the fighting presumably continues. Another Homeric epic poem called the "Odyssey" is set after the destruction of the city and features the Greek hero Odysseus trying to get home. That poem briefly references how the Greeks took Troy using the famous "Trojan Horse." The Greeks left a gift to the Trojans "of a giant wooden horse as an offering to the goddess Athena" that concealed Greek warriors within, while the "Greek army, encamped outside the city walls, made as if to sail home," Armand D'angour, professor of Classics at Oxford University, wrote in a BBC article (opens in new tab) in 2014. The Trojans took the offering into the city, and the Greeks emerged from the horse and attacked the unsuspecting Trojans.

"What a thing was this, too, which that mighty man wrought and endured in the carven horse, wherein all we chiefs of the Argives were sitting, bearing to the Trojans death and fate!" reads part of the poem (Translation by A.T. Murray through Perseus Digital Library).

Like the "Iliad," the "Odyssey" was also probably not written down until sometime after the death of Homer. One of the earliest surviving copies of the "Odyssey" is a fragment of the text that appears on a fifth century B.C. pottery shard found at Olbia in modern-day Ukraine.

The city's origin

The site of Hisarlik, in northwest Turkey, has been identified as the site of the legendary Troy since ancient times. Archaeological research shows that it was inhabited for almost 4,000 years, starting around 3500 B.C. The city was constantly changing, and the settlement was destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly: After one city was destroyed, a new city would be built on top of it, creating a human-made mound called a "tell."

"There is no one single Troy; there are at least 10, lying in layers on top of each other," Gert Jan van Wijngaarden, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, wrote in a chapter of the book "Troy: City, Homer and Turkey" (W Books, 2013).

Van Wijngaarden noted that archaeologists have had to dig deep to find remains of the first settlement, and from what they can tell it was a "small city surrounded by a defensive wall of unworked stone." Outside the largest gate was a stone with an image of a face  perhaps a deity welcoming visitors to the city.

Troy took off in the period after 2550 B.C. The city "was considerably enlarged and furnished with a massive defensive wall made of cut blocks of stone and rectangular clay bricks," van Wijngaarden wrote. He noted that the settlement's citadel featured houses of the "megaron" type, which contained "an elongated room with a hearth and open forecourt."

When Heinrich Schliemann excavated this level of Troy in 1873, he discovered a cache of treasure, which he believed belonged to King Priam. "The collection of weapons, gold, silver, electrum, copper and bronze vessels, gold jewellery, including thousands of gold rings, and a range of other objects made of precious materials apparently came to light close to the outer side of the city wall near the building which Schliemann designated as the royal palace," Trevor Bryce, a researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia, wrote in his book " The Trojans and their Neighbours (opens in new tab)" (Routledge, 2006).

Some researchers have speculated that these treasures were not found all in one hoard but were rather precious objects from across the site, which Schliemann gathered over a number of weeks. While Schliemann believed he had found Priam's treasures, it became clear in the following decades that these artifacts date back more than 4,000 years  a millennium too early for Priam.

Homer's Troy?

Two other phases, or layers, of Troy that date between roughly 1700 B.C. and 1190 B.C. may be the city that featured in Homer's works. Bryce noted that during this period the city's defenses were formidable.

"The walls, surmounted by mud-brick breastworks, once reached a height of nine meters (30 feet). Several watchtowers were built into these walls, the most imposing of which is the northeastern bastion, which served to reinforce the citadel's defences as well as offer a commanding view over the Trojan plain," he wrote.

The exact size of the city is disputed. Archaeological work on the site shows that there was a "lower city" beyond the citadel, bringing its total size to about 30 hectares (74 acres), archaeologist Manfred Korfmann, who led excavations at the site, wrote in a study published in the book "Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic" (Blackwell Publishing, 2007).

"This Troy had a large residential area below a strongly fortified citadel. As far as we know today, the citadel was unparalleled in its region and in all of southeastern Europe," he wrote. The extent of the residential area is a topic of debate among scholars, with some arguing that Korfmann overestimated its extent.

But was this really the same city as the one depicted by Homer? While scholars have noted that the topography of Troy as told in the legend does seem to generally match that of the real-life city, a key problem with identifying it as Homer's Troy is the way the city was destroyed. Cracks in its walls suggest that it was hit by an earthquake around 1300 B.C., possibly followed by an uprising or attack. "There are also some indications of fire, and slingstones in the destruction layer (suggesting) the possibility that there might have been some fighting," van Wijngaarden wrote. "Nevertheless an earthquake appears to have caused the most damage." An interesting fact is that the city was rebuilt after its destruction by the same population groups as before, rather than by a foreign Greek force, van Wijngaarden noted.

While there is also archaeological evidence that the city was attacked in 1190 B.C., there are once again problems with the idea that it was carried out by a Greek force. By this time, Greece's Mycenaean civilization had collapsed. Additionally, archaeologists have found ceramics and bronze axes at Troy that originate from southeast Europe, suggesting that people from this area may have conquered, or otherwise moved into the city around this time. Around 1190 B.C. the Hittite Empire was in decline and may not have been able to assist Troy.

Later Troy: A venerated site

Here, the ruins of the ancient legendary city of Troy in Canakkale, Turkey. (Image credit: skaman306/Getty Images)

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Troy was abandoned around 1000 B.C. but was reoccupied in the eighth century B.C., around the time Homer lived. The Greeks called the reoccupied city "Ilion."

Many scholars believe that the people who resettled Troy were Greek colonists, although there is some evidence that people who already lived in the area also settled in the reoccupied settlement. In 2014, a team of scholars published research in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology that examined amphorae at Troy dating to after 1000 B.C., and found that they were locally made rather than imported from Greece, leading the researchers to conclude that the new settlers were not exclusively from Greece.

For its first few centuries, Ilion was a modest settlement, although it later grew thanks to its association with Homer's works. The "new settlers had no doubt that the place they were preparing to occupy was the fabled setting of the Trojan War," Bryce wrote, and in later times its inhabitants took advantage of this to draw in political support and ancient tourists.

Xerxes, the Persian king (lived 519-466 B.C.), stopped to pay homage to Troy on his way to attack Greece around 480 B.C., and, most notably, Alexander the Great (356 to 323 B.C.) did the same on his way to conquer the Persian Empire, and he granted it special status within his empire.

"It is said that the city of the present Ilians was for a time a mere village, having its temple of Athena, a small and cheap temple," wrote Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer and historian who lived from 64 B.C. to A.D. 23 . When "Alexander went up there after his victory at the Granicus River he adorned the temple with votive offerings, gave the village the title of city, and ordered those in charge to improve it with buildings, and that he adjudged it free and exempt from tribute; and that later, after the overthrow of the Persians, he sent down a kindly letter to the place, promising to make a great city of it." (Translation by H.L. Jones, through Perseus Digital Library)

Troy's special status continued into the period of Roman rule, when the Romans conquered the region in 129 B.C. The Romans believed that Aeneas, one of Troy's heroes, was an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, ancient Rome's legendary founders. Troy's inhabitants took advantage of this mythology, and it became a "popular destination for pilgrims and tourists," Bryce wrote. He noted that in this phase the city became larger than at any time before, including when the Trojan War was said to have taken place.

However, during the Middle Ages, Troy fell into decline, and by the 13th century, the city had been reduced to a modest farming community.

Troy today

In the 1860s Frank Calvert carried out excavations at the site and was convinced that the site was likely Troy and his work helped persuade Heinrich Schliemann to carry larger excavations at the site starting in 1870. Schliemann dug deep into the city, most famously unearthing treasures that he incorrectly attributed to King Priam. His work greatly increased the fame of the site.

Archaeological work continued off and on over the next 150 years. As archaeological techniques were refined and new scientific tests such as radiocarbon dating  were discovered the different levels of Troy could be more accurately dated. This dating was important as it showed what levels could be associated with the Trojan war and what levels were too early. They also proved that the artifacts that Schliemann attributed to King Priam were created almost a millennium before Priam lived.

Today, Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular attraction for tourists. Excavations continue at Troy but are now led by archaeologists from Turkey, the most recent digs being led by Rustem Aslan, a professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi. The fact that work is now led by Turkish archaeologists is important as historically work was led by archaeologists from Europe or the United States. Aslan's team found that Troy may have been founded around 3500 B.C., which makes it about 600 years older than originally believed, says a report in Hurriyet Daily News (opens in new tab).

A new museum was opened at Troy in 2018; its displays include a collection of gold jewelry that was repatriated to Turkey from the Penn Museum. The jewelry was returned after research revealed that it was taken from Troy sometime in the early-mid 20th century, C. Brian Rose, a professor of archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in an article published in 2017 in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies.

Was there a Trojan War?

German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann sketches the remains of ancient Troy. (Image credit: Bettmann / Getty Images)

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The big question researchers still face is, was there ever a Trojan War?

Unfortunately, there are few written clues for scholars to go on. The only written record found at Troy that dates to before the Greek colonization in the eighth century B.C., is a seal written in a language called Luwian, which was perhaps brought to Troy from elsewhere in Turkey.

Archaeologists unearthed historical records at Hattusa, the capital city of the Hittite Empire, in modern-day Turkey in the late 19th and early centuries. The Hittite Empire thrived in the region from roughly 1750 B.C. to 1200 B.C, and Hittite records claim that Troy (which the Hittites called "Wilusa") was likely a vassal state of the empire around the time of the Trojan War, British Museum curators Lesley Fitton and Alexandra Villing wrote in a blog (opens in new tab) post.

This means that Troy may not have been an independent kingdom, something that contradicts the story told by Homer. The records do, however, mention fighting between the Hittites and people from Greece over Wilusa, the curators noted, suggesting that it's possible that this fighting could have served as a basis for the Trojan War stories.

As mentioned earlier, the archaeological evidence at Harsalik is ambiguous regarding the Trojan War: While there is evidence that Troy was attacked around the time period the stories are set in, there is no strong evidence that the city was assailed by a Greek force.

These issues leave researchers with a mystery about the truth of the Trojan War. "At one end of the spectrum of opinion is the conviction that there was indeed a war and that it was pretty much as the poet described it," Bryce wrote. "From that we pass through varying degrees of scepticism and agnosticism to the other end of the spectrum where the tradition is consigned wholly to the realm of fantasy."

Korfmann, a modern-day excavator of Hisarlik, believes that the story of the Trojan War contains some truth. "According to the current state of our knowledge, the story told in the "Iliad" most likely contains a kernel of historical truth or, to put it differently, a historical substrate," he wrote. "Any future discussions about the historicity of the Trojan War only make sense if they ask what exactly we understand this kernel or substrate to be."

Additional resources

Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its entry can be read here (opens in new tab). The site of the lost city of Tenea was discovered in Greece in 2018. Ancient historians say that the people of Tenea believed that they were descendants of Trojan prisoners taken to the city. Another recent find (opens in new tab) is a woman who died at Troy of a pregnancy related cause during the Middle Ages.

Bibliography

Bryce, Trevor "The Trojans & Their Neighbours" Routledge, 2006

Carolyn Aslan, Lisa Kealhofer and Peter Grave "The Early Iron Age at Troy Reconsidered" Oxford Journal of Archaeology 33, 3, August 2014

Gunay Uslu, Jorrit Kelder and Omer Faruk Saroglu eds., "Troy: City, Homer and Turkey" W Books, 2013

Rose, Brian C, "Beyond the UNESCO Convention: The Case of the Troy Gold in the Penn Museum" Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 5, no 1, 2017

Winkler, Martin ed., "Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic" Blackwell Publishing, 2007
With its reputation and millions of dollars on the line, mobile ad firm Kargo is fighting a gender discrimination suit filed by former sales SVP Alexis Berger.

This summer, Berger was awarded more than $40 million in a third-party ruling.

In response, Kargo is now moving to vacate or substantially modify the arbitration award, according to a new request filed with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Regardless of her gender, Kargos lawyers make the case that Bergers leadership skills left much to be desired.

For over a year, female subordinates complained strongly about [Bergers] management style, including unprofessional and abusive conduct, they write in the filing.

Kargos lawyers contend that the firm was forced to reassign Berger to a non-managerial role after two of her female subordinates threatened to leave the company.

Ultimately, Berger was fired after refusing to accept a less prominent position, according to Kargos lawyers.

advertisement advertisement

Kargos lawyers also take issue with the arbitrator in the case, Judge Billie Colombaro, for permitting an original claim of roughly $3 million to mushroom into a $41 million award.

"This is an arbitrator who  demonstrated 'evident partiality' in favor of Petitioner  by permitting a $3 million initial claim to transform into a $41 million award," they assert.

In addition, the award was "based in major part upon invocation of quadruple damages under the New York Labor Law -- a statute which had no applicability to Petitioner, an out-of-state employee," Kargos legal team argues.

Put simply, the New York Labor Law has absolutely no applicability to an employee located in Illinois, they state.

Based out of Chicago, Berger previously served as Kargos SVP of sales covering the Midwest and West Coast.

The filing does not dispute Bergers reputation as an excellent salesperson and acknowledges that her teams were slated to generate half of Kargos revenue in 2016 -- approximately $80 million.

Berger filed her original claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May 2016, then filed her arbitration complaint a month later.

Neither Berger nor her lawyers could be reached for comment by press time.

Adweek first reported the existence of the filing, on Friday.
The Josh Newman recall drive is one of those petty, self-serving political exercises that feed the publics cynicism.

All of those involved  save, perhaps, Newman himself  should be ashamed of themselves for wasting the publics time and money.

To recap: Democrat Newman very narrowly won an Orange County-centered state Senate seat last year, one that had been in Republican hands for as long as anyone can remember. After besting the Democratic Partys preferred candidate in the June primary election, he edged a Republican assemblywoman, Ling Ling Chang, in the November runoff.

Newmans win embarrassed Republicans and restored the two-thirds Democratic supermajority in the Senate. And after Newman voted to raise gasoline taxes for highway maintenance, the GOP launched a drive to recall him, assuming that a special elections ultra-low voter turnout would make it difficult for Newman to survive.

His vote for the unpopular gas tax was the recall signature drives misleading rationale, alleging that he was the decisive factor in approval, even though it was the vote of one Republican senator that actually did the deed. Newman was singled out only because his win last year sealed the Democratic supermajority and his districts conservative leanings would make him vulnerable.

In brief, Newman did nothing to warrant being recalled, but the Legislatures majority Democrats and Gov. Jerry Brown soon compounded the Republicans political malpractice.

They enacted some changes in political law to kneecap the recall petition signature drive and/or push a recall election into the regular 2018 election cycle, when voter turnout would be higher.

The Democrats also petitioned the Fair Political Practices Commission to change a long-standing rule that would limit the ability of Newmans fellow officeholders to pump his recall defense fund full of money, citing an opinion from the Legislatures own lawyer than the rule wrongly interpreted state law.

Even though the FPPC staff and its chairwoman, Jodi Remke, were leery about changing a rule to affect one pending election, the commission voted 3-1 in July to adopt the legislative lawyers version.

Later, however, the Sacramento Bee revealed that a lawyer for the Senate Democrats, Richard Rios, had communicated secretly with FPPC Commissioner Brian Hatch, a former firefighters union lobbyist. Their emails, released via a Public Records Act demand, implied that they were colluding to force a rule change over Remkes opposition.

Last Thursday, after polite but pointed exchanges among commissioners and lawyers for the contending parties, the FPPC voted 3-1 to finalize the revised rule, thus allowing virtually unlimited financing for Newmans defense  unless the courts intervene. Remke, in opposing the action, said it was the wrong time and the wrong venue.

Newman may need that extra money soon because earlier in the week, state Appellate Court Justice Vance Raye set aside the Legislatures pro-Newman election law changes, pending a full hearing some months hence. If Rayes order is not withdrawn or overturned, it likely means that the recall election will be held later this year, with a low turnout, since proponents have submitted enough signatures.

However, the Legislature also returns to the Capitol this week for the last month of the 2017 session and its entirely possible that Brown and his fellow Democrats will gin up some new scheme to tilt the election Newmans way.

This is a hot mess of short-sighted political gamesmanship. A baseless recall and self-interested changes in political law undermine the integrity of the electoral system, making California seem more like a banana republic than its self-proclaimed status as global exemplar.
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Weeks after declaring his intention to run for the governorship position in Anambra state, Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, has picked up his partys nomination form.

Yul Edochie openly declared his intention to participate in the upcoming Anambra gubernatorial elections on July 14, and hasnt looked back since then.

The actor who is the son of veteran Nollywood actor, Pete Edochie, has been campaigning a lot via social media, addressing Anambra people in videos from time to time.

According to posts shared via his Instagram page, Yul who turned 35 recently, was at the Democratic Peoples Congress (DCP) party headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, on Tuesday, August 22, to pick up his nomination form, proving he means business.

Speaking to Premium Times in a phone interview, Yul reportedly confirmed the event, stating that he was on a mission to liberate the people of Anambra state.

He said: My nomination form event, as anticipated, amassed a large number of Igbo youth who are pledging allegiance to their 35-year-old gubernatorial aspirant; which is my humble self.

Asked why he decided to run for governor, Yul said: Politicians have failed us. So, I am in the race to touch the lives of Anambra people positively. The people are tired of stories. The Anambra youth have an opportunity to show Nigerians if truly they feel it's their time to rule or not. It's time for the youth to take over.

I joined the race to harness the creative potentials of the youths and the resource-endowment of Anambra to move the state to the next level of development.

I will also ensure the provision of infrastructure and development of critical sectors in the state is my agenda if elected.

Credit : naij.com
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Struggling Ghanaian students on Ghana Education Trust Fund scholarships abroad have given themselves a much bigger voice by utilising two of the world's most popular social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook.

The account names, GhanaStudentsAbroad on Twitter, and SOS ghanascholarshipsecretariat on Facebook have been highlighting struggles of the students and the apparent neglect by the government.

The accounts are being run by students in Algeria, China, Cuba, Morroco and Russia and looking to give a more sustained voice to their advocacy for a better commitment from the government and the Scholarship Secretariat.

Posts on the students accounts lament what they describe as a humanitarian situation, as they say, as an example, students in Algeria and Morocco have been evicted from their apartments and rendered homeless due to accumulated rent.

The students say all other avenues, which included statements and petitions to media houses and state institutions, have borne little fruit and they hope to garner some support and exposure via social media mediums

The most recent plea from the students on government scholarships came from Cuba , where they have expressed their discontent because of their seeming abandonment by the government.

They called for a review of the Cuban-Ghana scholarship program to make it more useful and stress-free.

In a statement copied to citifmonline.com, the President of the National Union of Ghana Students in Cuba, Nyarko Quansah said only two out of eight months allowances due them have been paid for this year.

He said the students, most of whom are studying medicine, are unhappy about their condition and believe it is as a result of the many lapses in the administration of the policy for the stay in Cuba.

Ghanaian students on government scholarships in other countries are complaining of maltreatment from the Ghanaian government .

Most have had to endure months of non-payment of their monthly allowances while others have been forced out of their residence due to non-payment of rents.

The government has on several occasions promised to address the problem but it has become recurrent as successive governments have all struggled to deal with it.

The government has not made any time-based commitments to these students and a deputy Minister of Finance, Kwaku Kwarteng, speaking to Citi News in July at the mid-year budget review toed a familiar line.

Kwaku Kwarteng, MP and Deputy Finance Minister

those who are being owed now, we will have to find money to pay them. We met a lot of indebtedness. We are mobilising as much money as we can get. We have competing needs but we will pay all the commitments we have to meet.

Mr. Kwarteng said however only said these settlements would be done as quickly as we can.

these are things you can do as and when money comes in so we will continue to work as quickly as we have done to ensure that we clear this once and for all so that we do not have the kind of backlog that will put any backlog on a new government as we have had it.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Freddie Blay

26.08.2017 LISTEN

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) yesterday set the ball rolling for its National Delegates' Conference, which is taking place in Cape Coast, the Central Regional capital.

The Cape Coast conference is taking place at a time the 'elephant' party is celebrating the 25th year of its formation and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the forebear of the NPP.

Delegates attending the historic conference include members of the party's National Council, the National Executive Committee, all members of the regional executive committee, the constituency executives and 15 members from the party's Council of Elders, among others.

Earlier, the Acting General Secretary, John Boadu, had told journalists at a press conference in Accra that the party, having put in place all necessary arrangements, is very confident that the 2017 National Annual Delegates' Conference and the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the NPP shall be a remarkable success.

The conference, under the theme: 'NPP, delivering on our promises, our roots, our strength, our future,' is expected to end on Sunday, August 27, 2017, with a thanksgiving service.

The first day of the conference was used for Muslim prayers (Jummah) and other social events.

Today, Saturday, the main conference is expected to take place at the medical school auditorium of the University of Cape Coast and end at about 4:00 pm.

There would then be a mammoth rally at the Victoria Park to be addressed by the leadership of the party, including the president, the vice, ministers of state and other key government appointees, DAILY GUIDE gathered.

On Sunday, church and thanksgiving service would be held at the Calvary Methodist Church, Cape Coast.

Issues For Deliberation

The conference, per Article 9 (4), shall deliberate and make appropriate resolutions on national chairman's report, national treasurer's statement of accounts and general secretary's report.

Participants would also deliberate on resolutions from all the 10 regions and consider proposals for amendments to the party's constitution which have been received and circulated to all stakeholders, according to the statement.

It is being speculated that those making the proposals are demanding that deputy national executive positions in the party be made elective.

Also, there are proposals requesting that all delegates be allowed to the national congress to, as it were, participate in the election of the party's national youth organizer and the women's organizer.

Warning

Meanwhile, the leadership of the NPP has warned prospective candidates for various executive positions not to use the conference for their campaign activities.

In view of the foregoing, the party is appealing to all prospective candidates to desist from repeating this undemocratic and untidy enterprise at the National Delegates' Conference. The party reserves the right to reprimand or sanction anyone, who flouts this directive, a statement has indicated.

Acting National Chairman, Freddie Blay, said the conference would not seek to make acting positions in the leadership structure of the party substantive, even though the suspended officers remain in suspension.

Suspension

Speaking on Thursday on Accra-based Citi FM, the acting chairman said, I am not sure that is going to happen.

The one whom I replaced was suspended and will remain suspended as far as I am concerned, I am okay acting as a national chairman. His reinstatement will be unwise, Mr Blay underscored.

If you needed people to undertake the biggest battle of an election and you thought that those that were in-charge would not contribute to winning so you put them aside and you put other people in-charge and they go to the battle and they are victorious, I do not see the wisdom that we should go back for people we thought would not help, he submitted.

He blasted the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for not being responsible in opposition.

The Acting Chairman said though he'd never expected much from the NDC, the party could have been measured in its pronouncements and conduct in its bid to hold the government in check.

I'm not expecting too much from them, so farsometimes a bit reckless but why not? For example, talking about Nana Akufo-Addo putting up a private army which is not the case. I don't think they should go to such extreme. It is good though for them to sometimes play such opposition roles; it helps us to be more careful and I thank them for that. They're not being too responsible, but I think it's okay.

Ashanti Arrives With 25 Buses

Meanwhile, 25 buses have been hired to ferry the Ashanti Regional delegates to Cape Coast for the confab.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, fondly called Chairman Wontumi in political circles, had earlier stated that the region would send a powerful delegation to the conference.

He pointed out that the party executives from all the 47 constituencies and other identifiably groups in the ruling political party in the region would make the historic journey to Cape Coast.

In a chat with DAILY GUIDE, Wontumi disclosed, We have 45-seater buses to take our executives from the various constituencies of our great party to the historic conference, starting Friday.

The party, ideally, hired 17 big busses to take the party executives but I decided to hire additional eight buses with my money to take other equally important people to the programme.

These additional buses will carry identifiable groups in the party, including serial callers, security groups and media practitioners from the Ashanti Region to the event venue to make it grand, he stressed.

Wontumi stated that the Ashanti Region would enter the conference venue in grand style to announce to Ghanaians and the world that the region remains the strongest base of the ruling political party.

By Melvin Tarlue & I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi
Former President John Agyekum Kufuor has launched a scathing attack on the erstwhile Mahama administration for misusing borrowed funds.

According to him, ideally countries borrow monies to embark on developmental projects so as to rapidly transform the country to improve the lives of the citizens.

Mr. Kufuor pointed out that the NDC administration did not apply the borrowed monies properly so the populace did not benefit from the huge borrowing, adding that they (NDC) left behind colossal debts.

We borrow and use the borrowed funds to inject into projects which can lead to massive transformation of the country, but sadly Ghanaians did not experience that when the NDC were in political power, he told Silver FM.

The Mahama-led NDC administration left over GHC123billion debt stock.

Defends NPP

The former president flatly debunked NDC's recent argument that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has no moral right to borrow after the party chastised the NDC for massively borrowing.

Setting the records straight, Mr Kufuor noted that the NPP condemned the NDC for misusing borrowed funds.

They (NPP) did not state that borrowing is bad as the NDC is trying to portray now. The NPP at no point in time condemned borrowing, they (NPP) only descended on the NDC administration for borrowing recklessly which did not result in any transformation in the lives of the citizenry, the ex-Ghana leader declared.

It is not right for monies borrowed in the name of the country to benefit a chosen few to the neglect of the suffering masses.

According to him, the NPP was compelled under the circumstances to kick against the reckless expenditure of the previous Mahama administration.

Mr. Kufuor stated categorically that the NPP administration, led by Nana Akufo-Addo, would borrow money and expend it effectively so that there will be transformation in the country for all to enjoy.

According to him, the NPP administration has the competent men with expertise to transform the country's economy to enjoy from well-planned policies and programmes, urging the people to exercise patience.

He called for the implementation of the National Identification programme, stating that the policy would stimulate growth, since government, at any point in time, would have information on the citizenry to plan for development.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


Kankakee Biney (right), Farm Manager, Ekumfi Fruits Processing Company Limited, briefing President Akufo- Addo on the pineapple farm. With them is Daniel Kwarteng (left), Managing Director of the company

President Akufo-Addo has successfully launched one of the New Patriotic Party's (NPP's) flagship policies  the 'One District, One Factory (1D1F)'  as part of the efforts to industrialize Ghana and help create more jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

The launch of the Ekumfi Fruit Processing Factory at Ekumfi Eyisam in the Central Region signifies the beginning of the take-off of all the factories that are going to be built by the NPP government.

The Ekumfi project is expected to benefit from the $2 billion Chinese Exim Bank loan as it gets $5 million payable in seven years, according to the General Manager, Daniel Kwarteng.

The 1D1F National Coordinator, Gifty Ohene-Konadu, has said the Ekumfi project is expected to create about 5,400 job opportunities directly and indirectly.

This is indeed good news for the community as the unemployed youth who have been suffering for far too long will heave a sigh of relief.

The excitement that greeted the official launch of the initiative at Ekumfi Eyisam by President Akufo-Addo yesterday suggests that the people themselves are prepared to ensure that everything goes right.

The Akufo-Addo government has indeed shown commitment to this policy, providing a roadmap for its implementation within its first 100 days in office. The policy has also been under scrutiny by various sections of society and has received significant coverage in the media.

The initiative has been embraced with much interest, with many private investors  both home and abroad  reportedly stampeding the corridors of the institution in-charge of its implementation.

In our opinion, it is critical to note that just like many well-intended developmental agenda pursued by past governments, we all have to put our shoulders to the wheel to enable the government fully implement the 1D1F since the whole country stands to gain from this brilliant strategy in terms of development and as a panacea to the rising unemployment phenomenon.

The president's vision to transform Ghana's economy and build factories to feed on the raw materials that are in abundance in the country, will play a key role in the industrialization drive.

It is however, important to revisit Ghanas attempts at industrialization in the past to enable a dispassionate dialogue on the 1D1F policy for a better implementation. This is necessary as the past often provides a blueprint for the future either as a guide in repeating past successes or avoiding mistakes.

The issue of access to market for the produce of our hardworking farmers must not be glossed over. We have a strong belief that this government will learn from past experiences and ensure that the efforts of farmers and the huge investments made do not go waste.

The foundations of rapid industrialization and its attendant economic growth hinge on infrastructural development. Foreign direct investments are attracted with ease when adequate amenities, including good roads, efficient transport systems, and well planned industrial zones are available, coupled with reliable and affordable energy.

The campaign to buy locally produced goods remains a paradox and a lip service rendered by successive governments, but knowing the caliber of person President Akufo-Addo is, we are very confident that he will lead the marketing drive himself to motivate the factories to produce more for local consumption and export.




Accra, Aug. 24, GNA - Mr Boakye Kyeremanteng Agyarko, the Minister of Energy, has called on the Petroleum Commission to facilitate the development of upstream petroleum regulations in its bid to ensure compliance of national laws and agreements relating to petroleum activities.

The upstream sector refers to the effective management of the oil and gas resources as well as accelerating exploitation of hydrocarbon resources.

Mr Agyarko noted that since the promulgation of the Petroleum Exploration and Production Law in 1983, no upstream petroleum regulations had been developed and that was creating impediments in the Commission's mandate.

'I, therefore, challenge the Board to build a highly technical human resource base that will ensure compliance with the applicable laws and standards in the upstream industry.

'Take steps to implement the new regime for allocating petroleum rights, finalise regulations on competitive public tender process and develop modalities for the management of the Local Content Fund that would provide resources for citizens and indigenous companies engaged in the petroleum activities,' the Sector Minister said.

Mr Agyarko was speaking at the inauguration of a seven-member board of the Petroleum Commission at the Ministry on Thursday.

He said the situation pertaining to upstream petroleum regulation was, however, being improved as the Commission and the Ministry had facilitated the passage of the Exploration and Production Law, 2016 (Act 919) and its regulations.

Currently the Commission is working to lay before Parliament the Data Management Regulation, Health and Safety Regulations by December, this year, and ensure their passage into law.

The Minister expressed unhappiness with legislations that were saddled with conflicting mandates of most institutions and that it was frustrating industry players and stifling foreign direct investment in the Energy sector.

According to him, the memo would shortly be forwarded to Cabinet by the Ministry for discussion.

Mr Agyarko decried minimal budgetary support to the Commission, noting that 'Budgetary allocation for the upstream petroleum regulator is key to the development of upstream petroleum industry in the country.

'In the light of disruptions arising from budgetary allocation and recent challenges being encountered from the capping of Internally Generated Funds of the Commission by the Ministry of Finance, it is imperative that the Board works with management to wean off the Commission from government subvention.'

He challenged the Board to restructure all capacity building programmes into one that would be called 'Accelerated Oil Capacity Development Programme (AOCD)'.

The OACD, a manifesto promise, would serve as a blue print for increasing Ghanaian participation in the oil and gas industry, he said.

Mr Agyarko announced that the Central Tender Board had given approval for the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation to go ahead with the planned seismic programme in the Volta Basin.

He appealed to the Board Members to promote the implementation of the Local Content and Participation Act (LI 2204) as well as develop a public register of petroleum contacts and ensure that those contacts were published as prescribed by law.

The Board Chairman, Mr Stephen Sekyere Abankwah, the Managing Director of Prudential Bank Limited, on behalf of the members, pledged to live up to expectation.

He said the Board would ensure the quick implementation of policy decisions to achieve effective regulation and optimal development of the upstream petroleum sector for the benefit of all Ghanaians.

Mr Abankwah encouraged companies who have been allocated with oil blocs to avoid delays in their work adding that the Board would not tolerate any delays.

According to him, companies who delayed in their work would be sanctioned in accordance with the Petroleum Agreements including repossession of their work.

The Board Members are Mr Egbert Faibille Junior, Chief Executive Officer of the Petroleum Commission, Professor Daniel Asiedu, a Geologist at the University of Ghana, Dr Jemima Nunoo of GIMPA, Mr Mahami Salifu, a Lawyer, and Mohammed Hardi Tuferi and Mr John Alexis Pwamang, Deputy Executive Directors of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The Board was sworn in by Mrs Anita Lokko, the Deputy Director of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Energy.

GNA

By Joyce Danso, GNA
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - Karpowership Ghana Company Limited has announced the arrival of the world's largest Powership, the 470 MW Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan to Ghana.

A statement from the Company said the Powership will start operating in the Tema Fishing Harbour in September.

The arrival of Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan is in line with the Power Purchase Agreement signed with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) requiring Karpowership Ghana Company Limited to provide a total of 450MW capacity and directly feed it into the national grid for 10 years.

Karpowership has a proven track record of supplying sustainable, reliable and affordable electricity with its operational 235 MW Karadeniz Powership Aysegul Sultan, which is moored in Tema Fishing Harbour.

The 470 MW Powership will supply uninterrupted and reliable electricity at one of the lowest cost to Ghana for thermal power generation with its dual fuel engines and combined cycle power generation technology.

The Powership will initially use low Sulphur Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) to generate electricity but the fuel will be converted to Natural Gas as soon as local Natural Gas supplies become available, ensuring cost savings for Ghana.

The operations of 470 MW Karadeniz Powership Osman Khan will have a significant contribution to Ghana's electricity supply as the most reliable power plant in the country and create more employment opportunities.

Karpowership is a socially responsible company that is also committed to giving back to the community.

Since it began operations in Ghana on December 2015, the company has been engaged in several projects such as providing bursary for brilliant but needy students, providing school supplies, and furnishing a computer laboratory.

As a strategic partner, Karpowership Ghana Company Limited says it was committed to Ghana's development and will continue to provide all Ghanaians with reliable, sustainable, and affordable electricity.

GNA
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - The 15th Ghana International Book Fair has opened in Accra with a call on parents to inculcate reading habits in their children by developing interest in reading books themselves.

Dr Margaret Nkrumah, Former Vice President of SOS-Kinderdorf International, who made the call, said parents should give books to their children at a very tender age to whip up their interest as they grow.

She said 'the digital age has impacted on the way we live, read and every facet of our lives' and emphasised on the need to properly document the country's culture and history.

The four-day event on the theme 'Books and Culture in the Digital Age' is being organised by Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA) to create a market-place for publishers, writers, printers, booksellers, librarians and other stakeholders in the industry to interact and foster strong links.

It is also to create a conducive climate through seminars, conferences, symposia, workshops and other competitions where the intellectual potentials in the book industry can find firm roots to grow.

The fair, a flagship event of the Book Industry in Ghana, was first organised in November 1996 to revive the ailing indigenous book industry.

Mr Elliot Agyare, President of GBPA, said the event was characterised with rich arrays of workshops and seminars to help grow their businesses and urged all participants and the public to take advantage of them.

He announced that there would be a special meeting to brainstorm on how to mainstream book sellers into the industry chain.

He said book fairs were very important events held worldwide and Ghana should not be an exemption and called for support for the sector and industry players so that they would continue to develop.

Mr Agyare also called for collaboration between the Ministry of Education and the Publishers to raise standards of education in the country.

Nana Kwesi Gyan Apenteng, Chairman of National Media Commission, said it was very important to understand the benefits of books in the development of any country.

He said book publishing was at the centre of the digital economy and called for deep reflection on the theme.

Nana Apenteng, who is also the President of the Ghana Writers Association, announced that the Association would organise a Book Festival on September 21, in Accra.

The Association, he said, had organised similar festivals in the Western and the Upper West Regions, and the next regional festival would be held in the Volta.

Mr Peter S. Dery, Deputy Managing Director of the Heritage Bank, Sponsors of the Fair, said the success of every country depended on 'how well we inculcate reading of books in our children'.

He, therefore, pledged the Bank's support in that direction.

Mr Yoofi Grant, Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Investment Promotion Council, said the digital platform had created a bigger platform for the youth to read widely and urged them to take advantage of the positive side of social media to enhance their lots.

He advised the GBPA to turn their challenges into opportunities because without them, 'nothing happens', adding, 'we are actively seeking investment to deepening the industry'.

Nana Osei Bonsu, President of Private Enterprise Federation, said the GBPA has a critical role to play in the development of the country's culture and history.

He blamed inadequacies in the country's norm and practices on the lack of documentation of the country's culture and history and urged the Association to bridge that gap.

'Publishers' relevance depends on the government of the day,' he said, and urged government to come up with policies gearing towards acquisition of local books for schools.

'We cannot continue to depend on foreign publishers since independence till date,' he said, and called for government's support to grow the industry.

GNA

By Patience Gbeze/William Fiabu, GNA
Accra, Aug.25, GNA - The Ministry of the Interior has declared Friday September 1, as a statutory public holiday to pave way for the celebration of the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice.

A statement issued on Friday and signed by Mr Ambrose Dery, Minister of the Interior and copied to the Ghana News Agency, said the holiday marks the celebration of Eid ul-Adha.

The statement entreated all and sundry to observe the holiday throughout the country.

Eid ul-Adha is an Islamic religious festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah's command to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

Muslims around the world observe this event characterised with the sacrifice of sheep, cow, buffalo or camel and the offering of Eid prayers.

Eid ul-Adha, also known as the Festival of Sacrifice, Sacrifice Feast or the Greater Eid is an annual event of the Islamic religion.

GNA
Accra, Aug.25, GNA - Airtel Ghana has donated assorted items to the National Hajj Board to support Ghanaian pilgrims embarking on this year's Hajj.

The items which include toiletries, sanitizers, disinfectants and cash was in line with the company's yearly commitment to support the Muslim community and pilgrims.

Mr Kwame Osafo-Amoah, the Zonal Business Manager for Greater Accra Region, who presented the items on behalf of the company, said the annual holy pilgrimage was an important national activity that Airtel Ghana had been part of over the years.

'Consistent with our annual tradition, we are here to support this year's event and to wish all pilgrims the very best as they embark on this special assignment.

In Addition to the donations, Airtel Ghana recently launched a special Hajj Bundle offering all pilgrims who subscribed to it, 200 per cent discount on calls from Saudi Arabia to Ghana.

'This is our way of ensuring that our customers stay in touch with their family and friends during the pilgrimage,' he said.

Mr Osafo-Amoah said the Hajj Bundle was opened to all new and existing customers and came with up to 100 minutes of free incoming calls to Ghana with subscribers roaming either on Zain or STC Saudi Arabia whilst in Mecca.

He, therefore, urged Airtel customers to subscribe to the bundle by simply recharging with GH50 or GH100, dialing *151# and selecting 'roaming pack' and the Hajj Bundle option.

'Airtel Ghana has the best roaming services at the most competitive rates offering customers the best value and unrivalled convenience as they travel,' he stated.

Mr Eric Yaw Gyarteng, representative of the Hajj Board, receiving the items commended Airtel Ghana for consistently supporting the work of the Board and for introducing a bespoke voice and data bundle that would ensure that pilgrims were always in touch with their loved ones.

GNA

By Samira Larbie, GNA
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - Government could develop an effective labour market for the export of Ghanaian expertise to earn forex towards boosting the national economy.

This was recommended by Se Eye Woba AnKa (SEWA) Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, committed to the eradication of human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Mr Jones Owusu Yeboah, the President of SEWA Foundation, said the Foundation had developed a strategic solution to curtail human trafficking, boost the economy, and reduce unemployment.

Mr Owusu Yeboah said this when a delegation of the Foundation paid a courtesy call on Alhaji Saddique Boniface, the Minister of Inner-city and Zongo Development, at his office in Accra, to present to him a certificate of appreciation for his contribution towards combating human trafficking and modern day slavery.

He said countries including Philippines, Ethiopia and Bangladesh had adopted labour export to boost their economies and Ghana could emulate them to curb the menace and provide employment.

Mr Yeboah said government could train the unskilled labour, register the number travelling outside and sign a memorandum of understanding with the countries they would travel to, to ensure good conditions for them.

He said the Foundation would collaborate with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Inter-City and Zongo to seek their inputs towards the solution.

He said after consultation with the Ministries, the report would be presented to the President.

Alhaji Boniface, in a response expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the honour.

He said some foreign countries had identified various disciplines which they capitalise on.

He noted that United Kingdom had skewed away from industries to financial market and comparatively Ghana could train people and export the expertise, as well as account for their numbers and be able to monitor their wellbeing.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh, GNA
Accra, Aug, 25, GNA - The Ministry of Roads and Highways has cautioned the public against the indiscriminate disposal of garbage along roads and highways with emphasis on the Accra-Tema Motorway.

In a statement signed by Mr Kwasi Amoako-Attah, the Sector Minister, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Thursday, said the existing laws would be used to sanction offenders of the above irregularity.

The Ministry therefore entreated the public to change their attitude towards the disposal of waste and garbage and dispose their solid waste in the appropriate place rather than along all highways within the various metropolises.

The statement noted: 'In accordance with the various bye laws of the District Assemblies, such acts are offences and offenders will be sanctioned accordingly.

Motorists are encouraged to report any such actions by unpatriotic citizens to the Public Affairs Unit of the Ghana Highway Authority on 0302 666591-4/0302664620 for action to be taken.'

The Ministry noted that it had observed that motorists constantly threw rubbish out of vehicles without regard to other road users.

It said this, coupled with the garbage disposed of by residents within the environs as well as street hawkers, mars the aesthetics of the road network.

It said such actions blocked the drainage systems of the road and led to earlier deterioration of roads; not to mention the insanitary condition being created with its attendant health hazards.

The Ministry therefore called for all citizenry to join the campaign in safeguarding roads and the environment to ensure durability and clean environment.

GNA
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - The 2016/2017 Batch of National Service Personnel, who served in the Newsroom of the Ghana News Agency's Head Office, in Accra, have donated a set of furniture to the Agency to improve the work environment of reporters.

Making the presentation, which comprises a desk with four chairs, Mr Julius K. Satsi, the Coordinator of the Group, said in considering how best to facilitate the work of the nation's only news agency, they deemed it fit to replace the broken down furniture at its Interview Desk.

Mr Satsi said the Group appreciated the knowledge and skills they had received from the Agency to prepare them for the world of work, despite the many logistical challenges that the Editorial Department faced.

'We feel highly indebted to you for the manner in which you embraced us and built our capacities to become better professional journalists; so we put together our widow's mites from our monthly allowances to also give back so that the GNA can deliver on its mandate more efficiently,' he said.

Mr Rex Annan, the Acting General Manager, who received the donation, lauded them for their goodwill and assured them that those excelled in their output during their tenure would be considered for employment should the Agency be granted the opportunity to replace its manpower deficit.

Mrs Yaa Oforiwah Asare-Peasah, the Head of the Editorial Department, expressed excitement at the gesture, saying she was dumbfounded because it was the first time the Agency had received a gift of that magnitude from outgoing National Service Personnel.

She described the group as 'a unique one' and commended them for their discipline and good attitude to work.

She wished them the Management's best wishes and support in their endeavours.

Mrs Beatrice Akua Asamani Savage, the News Editor, said their sacrifices had given a meaning to the sound advice of, 'Don't only think of what your nation can do for you; but what you can do for your nation.'

She said their commendable sacrifice was an indication that Ghana had a bright future in its youth because a great nation was mainly built on sacrifices and patriotism, which they had demonstrated astoundingly.

Mr Gideon Ahenkorah, a Member of the Group, on behalf of his colleagues, commended the Leadership of the Agency, for their commitment towards instilling discipline and promoting good working habits.

He assured them that the knowledge and skills acquired had positioned them to contribute their quota to nation building.

GNA

By Ernestina Serwaa Asante, GNA
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - Dr David Mensah, Chairman of the Management of The Keeper's House Chapel International, has called on religious leaders to desist from all forms of negative tendencies that may tarnish the image of the clergy.

He said selling of ''holy water'', anointing oil and holy candles were not Biblical and must not be entertained.

Dr Mensah was speaking at the launch of the Second anniversary celebration of the church at Madina in Accra on Wednesday.

The one-week celebration dubbed 'Take-Off Convention 2017'' which is being held under the theme ''Mighty Loyal Favoured'' begins on Sunday, August 27 and ends on Sunday, September three.

Some of the activities lined up for the celebration includes free medical screening, donation to orphanages, blood donation, soup kitchen, clean-up exercise and thanksgiving service.

Dr Mensah said God in his own will gave unto us free and we must also reciprocate by offering free services at all times'.

He urged Ghanaians to reject all forms of mob justice because it was against human right.

He said mob justice did not only show disrespect for justice delivery but was an indictment on the conscience of the public.

Dr Mensah urged Ghanaians to support the government in its efforts to eliminate the illegal mining in the country.

He said the church established in 2015 has been supporting the poor and the needy as part of its social responsibilities and that the church would soon establish a school and a hospital to cater for the educational and the health needs of the people in the community.

GNA
Members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will today, Saturday, converge at the Central Regional capital, Cape Coast to take part in the party's national delegates conference.

The conference is to help the party to among other things take stock of its achievements in the last few years.

The event will be in two sessions with the first one being a meeting of the National Council and National Executive Council (NEC) where a few amendments have been tabled for discussion.



Citifmonline.com understands that if the amendment motions are accepted the party will amend its constitution.

The party at this session will also receive presentations from the Acting National Chairman of the NPP, General Secretary and Treasurer where the aforementioned persons will give accounts of their stewardship in the last one year.

During the second session, a rally will be held at Victoria Park where the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as well as some ministers of State will take turns to address the gathering.

We'll sanction aspirants who campaign

The General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu had earlier warned that their leadership will punish aspiring candidates who use the event to campaign.

Speaking to Citi News, John Boadu said the party will punish persons who flout the laws, by campaigning ahead of the party's internal elections.

The party and in particular National Council has noted with concern, the rate at which prospective candidates for various executive positions in the party display the campaign posters and banners at the just ended constituency and regional delegates' conference as if we are holding internal elections. The party reserves the right to sanction or reprimand anyone who flouts this directive. It is a directive of the National Council and I think if you are a true party member, you have to respect our party because that is what our constitution says, he added.

The NPPs national delegates conference has been themed: NPP, delivering on our promises, our roots, our strength, our future.



By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
A 32-year-old man is in hot waters after he was nabbed with 136 parcels which contained dried leaves, suspected to be Indian Hemp also known as 'Wee.'

The Mankranso Police, acting upon a tip-off, apprehended Kofi Berko in his house at Mpasaaso Number One in the early hours of Thursday and found the illegal items in three big fertilizer bags.

Berko was conveyed to the police station at Mankranso with the illegal substances.

Upon interrogation, Berko claimed ownership of the illegal substances, explaining that his supplier, who he failed to identify, was based in the Brong Ahafo Region.

The police would arraign him before court on Friday morning, the Ahafo Ano South District Police Commander, Supt. John Adusei, told DAILY GUIDE in an interview.

According to Supt Adusei, the police at Mankranso received countless reports from various people about the nefarious activities of Berko at Mpasaaso Number One, who was enriching himself.

Armed with the vital information, he stated that the police placed surveillance on Berko, and on Thursday, around 5 am, they had the green light to confront the suspect, who was said to have taken delivery of quantities of Wee.

Supt Adusei noted that a group of policemen stormed Berko's house in a dawn raid and found three big fertilizer bags containing the parcels.

The Ahano Ano South Police Commander stated that the police removed the cellotape on one of the parcels and discovered the dried leaves suspected to be Indian Hemp.

From I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi


26.08.2017 LISTEN

GCB Bank Limited says it has put in place pragmatic measures to review the lending rates of the newly-acquired UT and Capital banks downwards to support private businesses.

According to the bank, with the most branches in the country, the move will ensure that customers of these institutions benefit greatly from GCB's range of products and services, such as e-banking and other payment platforms.

Anselm Ray Sowah, Managing Director (MD) of GCB Bank Limited, disclosed this while addressing stakeholders at a corporate breakfast engagement at Movenpick Ambassador Hotel in Accra yesterday.

Mr Sowah indicated that GCB Bank was working side by side with staff of the two institutions to ensure the smooth transfer and integration.

As part of the integration programme, he said GCB Bank will use six months to fully assimilate customers of the former Capital and UT banks into its system, adding, this will provide a wider scope to operate from than previously.

To the new costumers of GCB, he said: You will find our exchange rates very competitive. These are negotiable, and I know you will engage the treasurer to secure the best rates.

The MD further stated that GCB has the passion to grow local businesses through relationships-building to support the national economy.

Mr Sowah hinted that to ensure that GCB Bank, which was founded six decades ago to aid local businesses, achieve this aim, it had embarked on a massive campaign to win, nurture, and support the growth of Ghanaian enterprises.

Sam Sarpong, Chief Operations Officer of the bank explained that GCB had adopted a well-built security system that will safeguard transaction of data.

He stated that most of the electronic transaction systems had been restored and opened to the customers of these institutions to provide them with the services they need.

The Chief Operations Officer reiterated GCB Bank's position as the local bank that is strong and resilient to grow Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs).

By Bernice Bessey & Joanlisa Quarshie.
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Last Saturday morning, 70-year-old Adjoa Nyarko, mother of three children and grandmother of four, wanted to buy some groceries from the Kaneshie market. But on second thoughts, something compelled her to reconsider her decision  the overhead footbridge.

Hmm!! That footbridge, she exclaimed! I'd rather chose another market ooh! Will these arthritis knees be able to climb and descend the overhead bridge, especially, when returning with my groceries?

After pondering over this challenge for some time, Mrs Nyarko decided to either alight at the Kaneshie First Light or Mpamprom bus stops, which are each about 400 metres away from the market.

Her condition was that she had a phobia for heights, which results in her experiencing excruciating headaches and dizziness anytime she attempts to use the overhead bridges. In the midst of these challenges, hawkers, beggars and preachers also occupied most parts of the bridge, leaving a very small space for pedestrians to jostle through.

To her, overhead footbridges, are more of a nuisance than the benefits they are to serve.

While telling me all these in a trotro (mini bus) we boarded together, she asked: My daughter can't they (government) do anything about these footbridges?

I told her something great can be done. Answering her, I said the road can either be redesigned for passengers to go under the bridge or the footbridge demolished and be replaced with traffic lights to enable people -the aged, children and persons with disability- to cross with ease.

I perfectly agree with Madam Adjoa's plight, as the overhead bridges are disability-unfriendly, and they sometimes deteriorate to become death traps. I am not half her age, but I stopped shopping and patronising the bus terminal at Kaneshie because of the bridges.

The Kaneshie market is a densely populated businesses centre in the Accra Metropolis, which attracts all people from all walks of life to trade and commute to other parts of the country. Its strategic location makes it one of the well-known markets in the capital, and the country at large.

However, one of the problems is the two footbridges. In this day and age when business is becoming more competitive, traders in markets like Makola and Agbogboloshie will continue to have advantages over that of Kaneshie, because of accessibility.

The terrifying and horrifying thing about the bridges are that the mental rails often corrode, and the concrete pavement wears out, making it possible for pedestrians to see through the holes created in them.

Furthermore, it is entrenched in the constitution that all people are equal and must be given equal treatment. Yet, some people are not treated equally at all. Imagine how can a person with disability board a bus or even shop at Kaneshie, meaning it is a no-go area for him or her.

The footbridges are well positioned to barricade his or her right as citizen of Ghana to enjoy freedom of movement. These bridges are best described as dismal.

Discrimination against persons with disability is against the supreme law of the country. The 1992 Constitution, Article 17(1) states: All persons shall be equal before the law. (2) a person shall not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, religion, creed, or social or economic status.

The rights of Persons with Disability (PWD) is further expound in PWD Act, 2006, Act 715 sections 6 &7, which states: The owner or occupier of a place to which the public has access shall provide appropriate facilities that makes the place accessible to and available for use by a person with disability.

A person who provides service to the public shall put in place the necessary facilities that make the service available and accessible to a person with disability.

Clearly, per these clauses, the siting of these footbridges are not only disability friendly, but also illegal under Act 715. Obviously, one may think the government cannot satisfy everyone, however, if that must be the case, we should all aver that the solution to our social problems don't lie with the government.

Nevertheless, everyone, I mean everyone  healthy, sick, old, strong, weak, able, disable, young, rich or poor  must have access to a road design that will assure his or her health and safety.

On this note, I plead, can the Kaneshie footbridges receive a facelift for the pedestrian's comfort.

By Bernice Bessey.
Ex-President John Dramani Mahama, in November 2013, used a platform offered him by the Catholic Archdiocese in Accra to tell Ghanaians that it was their responsibility to check crime, instead of leaving that on the shoulders of only the government and state agencies.

According to him, it was unfortunate that people sometimes looked on when crimes were being committed in broad daylight, and yet turned around to accuse the government and state agencies of doing nothing at all.

He made reference to the streets bulbs on the George Walker Bush highway, which had then been stolen by thieves, and noted that the crime was committed on broad daylight, yet, nobody bothered to report the miscreants to the police.

He revealed that the replacement of the bulbs, mostly on the stretch from the Tetteh Circle to Dimples Junction, would cost the nation GH400,000  a cost that could have been avoided, if those who use the road had acted promptly by reporting the thieves to the police. Following this presidential reprimand, the police appealed to Ghanaians to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of the perpetrators of the crime.

They also promised that, next time, when officials of the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) or contractors they have contracted are working on any of our streetlights, police personnel would be deployed to the spot to assure the public that the workers were doing genuine business. But, if anyone is seen or working on streetlights without the presence of the police, such a person should be considered a thief and reported to the police accordingly.

The presence of the police was necessitated by the fact that though the general public or motorists saw the thieves using cranes to remove the bulbs, they thought they were genuine workers from the ECG, and could, therefore, not question them. Street bulbs play an important role when it comes to management of security in our metropolis.

Crimes are always high on streets that are not well lit. Just yesterday, we carried a story from Takoradi about the attacks on motorists around the Takoradi public cemetery due to the absence of streetlights on the highway that passes through the area. When the street is well illuminated, crime is brought to its barest minimum.

Back in Accra, The Chronicle is happy that the street lights on the N1, which were stolen, had been fixed, thus making it easy to drive on the stretch during the night.

We are, however, unhappy that the police have failed to honour their promise to make themselves available anytime EC officials or their assigned agents are going to work on the street lights. Nowadays, supposed workers of ECG are seen all over Accra using cranes to either remove or fix street lights without the presence of the police. The development is also making it impossible for the general public to determine whether these workers are indeed genuine ones or not.

Should any patriotic citizen also dare to confront them, the person would be subjected to vitriolic attacks. To void this kind of public humiliation, most Ghanaians pass by these works of removing street bulbs without a whimper of protest, when, in fact, they could have been thieves, as it happened on the NI some few years back.

The Chronicle is, therefore, appealing to the police administration to honour its promise to accompany ECG officials on such duties, so that the public would know that they are not thieves, but genuine workers fixing the streetlights.

If they fail to do this, the thieves can take advantage of the situation to embark on another exercise to remove street bulbs, which would, again, come at a great cost to the tax payer to fix, as happened on the George Walker Bush Highway. Should that happen, no high-ranking government officials should mount platforms to castigate Ghanaians for looking on unconcerned when a crime is being committed. We rest our case!
26.08.2017 LISTEN

President Akufo-Addo says he has a soft spot for issues of Technical and Vocational training, because those areas require the most urgent attention in the educational sector.

The President made this assertion when he addressed the 8th General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, held at the Trinity Theological Seminary in Accra, yesterday.

The Presidents comment followed a plea from the Moderator of the General Assembly, Rev. Dr. S.S. Agidi, who asked that the President intervene to help the vocational and technical training schools in the Volta Region.

President Akufo-Addo responded positively, whilst charging the church to exhibit the spirit it was known for, to help build the nation.

According to the President, a lot could be learnt from the early Presbyterians in the country and their forward-looking attitudes.

I ask you to capture the spirit you were known for, and let us build the self-confident and prosperous Ghana we all desire.

And, yes, I hear you, Moderator; I hear you loud and clear about the sad state of Amedzofe College of Education and the Technical and Vocational Training School at Alavanyo.

You know, you touch a nerve close to my heart, when you talk about the training of teachers and technical and vocational training. Those are the areas that require urgent attention.

I promise I shall alert the Minister of Education, and urge him to put Amedzofe and Alavanyo on his to-do-list, he stated.

The President also commended the church for its collaboration, so far with the Peace Council, in resolving the age-old conflicts at Nkonya, Alavanyo and Bimbilla.

He noted that since it was established in 1847, the Evangelical Presbyterian Church had espoused its mission of bringing light to where there is darkness, by spreading its tentacles across the entire country to establish churches, alongside educational institutions.

But, but was quick to add that the church had gone beyond religious and educational affairs, and was active in health, agriculture, afforestation and climate change as well.

To this end, the President said he was exceptionally impressed by your collaboration with the Peace Councils at [the] regional and national levels, and the particular efforts you have made, and are making, in seeking peaceful resolutions to conflicts in Alavanyo, Nkonya, Bimbilla and other areas.

However, he urged churches to invest more in the early childhood stage of children, and inculcate in them the habit of nation-building.

Though the churches have a proven track record in this sector, he again urged them to go back there, saying that their expertise was sorely needed.

I am aware that the growth of the church is, quite properly, a big consideration in the decisions that you take. The theme of this General Assembly is Breaking New Grounds, and I offer you the famous saying of St Francis Xavier: Give me a child until he is seven, and I will show you the man.

In other words, catch them young, catch them at pre-school and at kindergarten, and you have them for life. There is an urgent need for solid churches to step up and take the children until they are seven, and mould the men and women that would build a successful Ghana, he remarked.

By Maxwell Ofori.
From Congress to newsrooms to social media, a type of impeachment fever has taken hold. Various proposals have been put forward for removing Donald Trump from office, with reasons ranging from alleged "collusion" with Russians to the president's response to Charlottesville. One poll shows support for impeachment at as much as 40 percent. Newsweek ran a headline proclaiming, "Trump Is Just Six Senate Votes Away From Impeachment," and Slate has a running feature called "Today's Impeach-O-Meter."

While such talk may be therapeutic for those still suffering post-election stress disorder, it is a dangerous course that could fundamentally alter our constitutional and political systems. Even if one were to agree with the litany of complaints against Trump, the only thing worse than Trump continuing in office would be his removal from it.

There is a mechanism under which a head of government can be removed midterm. Parliamentary systems, like Great Britain's, allow for "no confidence" motions to remove prime ministers. Parliament can pass a resolution stating "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government."

But that's not our system, and it's doubtful that the members of Congress calling for Trump's impeachment would relish a parliamentary approach: When such a vote succeeds, the prime minister isn't necessarily the only politician to go. If the existing members of parliament can't form a new government in 14 days, the entire legislative body is dissolved pending a general election. And that's leaving aside the fact that Trump is still more popular than Congress as a whole: In the Real Clear Politics polling average, his job approval rating is under 40 percent while Congress's wallows at around 15 percent.

The Constitution's framers were certainly familiar with votes of no confidence, but despite their general aim to limit the authority of the presidency, they opted for a different course. They saw a danger in presidents being impeached due to shifts in political support and insulated presidents from removal by limiting the basis for impeachment and demanding a high vote threshold for removal.

There would be no impulse-buy removals under the Constitution. Instead, the House of Representatives would have to impeach and the Senate convict (by two-thirds vote) based on "Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes or Misdemeanors."

The Framers were wise in this regard. Consider Rep. Steve Cohen's, D-Tenn., statement, in the wake of Charlottesville, explaining why he supports impeachment: "If the president can't recognize the difference between these domestic terrorists and the people who oppose their anti-American attitudes, then he cannot defend us."

Cohen doesn't articulate a high crime or misdemeanor, let alone prove one. He appears willing to impeach Trump because the president is viewed as insufficiently opposed to far-right or racist groups. If that were the standard, any member of an opposition party could cite unacceptable views as the basis for removal from office. Cohen's reasoning is no better than that of former congressman Kerry Bentivolio, R-Mich., who was quoted in 2013 telling a constituent that if he "could write a bill" to impeach then-President Barack Obama, "it would be a dream come true."

Though clearly farcical, the suggestion by USA Today's Jill Lawrence that "Trump is doing an excellent impression of a president who desperately wishes to be impeached" - that his comportment in office is some sort of thinly veiled cry for help - obscures the gravity of what's at stake with impeachment. Lowering the standard would fundamentally alter the presidency, potentially setting up future presidents to face impeachment inquiries or even removal whenever the political winds shifted against them.

Especially alarming is the argument that, "Yes, Trump Could Be Impeached for Pro-Nazi Talk." This week, the Daily Beast's Michael Tomasky evaluated the impeachment of Andrew Johnson to demonstrate why some experts believe presidents can be impeached over purely "political disagreements" - more or less reducing impeachment to the equivalent of being voted off the island on an episode of "Survivor: Beltway."

Johnson was a thoroughly obnoxious president who took office after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. He was opposed by the Radical Republicans in Congress who sought to extend voting rights to freed slaves and limit the political power of former Confederates. Johnson was impeached by the House, but he was spared conviction (by one vote) in the Senate, which recognized, properly, that however valid opposition to the president was, in the end it amounted to a political disagreement. Had he been removed from office, it would have been an abuse of Congress's power; and while abuses can happen, they remain abuse.

As the last lead counsel in an impeachment case - I defended U.S. District Judge Thomas Porteous in 2010 - even the theoretical revival of Johnson's impeachment is chilling: There is no clear way to defend against having insufficient values.

Tomasky quotes constitutional lawyer Bruce Fein, who floats the possibility that a president might be impeached for views demonstrated to be "sabotaging, not defending the Constitution - including its separation of powers, due process, and equal protection - by applauding the ideas or actions of tyrants from his bully pulpit."

But imagine what could happen if that were true. Any presidential remark deemed objectionable could be characterized as "sabotaging" constitutional values. Rather than requiring unconstitutional acts, we would impeach for unconstitutional thoughts, even though our Constitution's standard certainly isn't high thought crimes and misdemeanors.

This can seem weirdly incongruous, given the other presidential impeachment in our history: Bill Clinton was impeached for lying under oath about something relatively trivial; many view Trump as opposing fundamental American values.

But Clinton deserved impeachment because he lied under oath. I was one of the experts who testified before Congress during Clinton's impeachment hearings and, despite voting for Clinton, I maintained that perjury clearly fell within the standard regardless of the subject. Presidents don't get to lie under oath any more than Congress gets to choose impeachment standards depending on the president.

While this may be frustrating and inconvenient, there is no proof Trump has committed any crime or otherwise impeachable offense.

Impeaching a president on the grounds of high contempt or misbehaviors would leave the presidency weakened. Trump won't be our last president and we shouldn't count on making the presidency great again if we add a no confidence option to impeachment.
26.08.2017 LISTEN

The chiefs and people of Ekumfi, and its environs in the Central Region, have lauded President Akufo-Addo for choosing their district as the first point of call for one of his flagship programmes  'One District, One Factory'.

According to the chiefs, the proposed pineapple factory will create jobs for their teeming unemployed youth, create ready markets for the people within the catchment areas, and improve the standard of living.

The Acting President of the Ekumfi Traditional Council, Nana Idun VI, made this known in an exclusive interview with The Chronicle, ahead of the official groundbreaking ceremony by the President to commence the construction of the 'One District, One Factory' project today.

Just as the old Fante adage says: Nobody hates good and refreshing news, we are overwhelmed and most grateful to the President for bringing the first 'One District, One Factory' to Ekumfi, Nana Idun told this reporter.

He added: I pledge, on behalf of my Nananom and the people of Ekumfi, that we will do everything within our means to protect, sustain and maintain the project, so that it does not become a nine-day wonder.

He further appealed to farmers within the catchment areas, who are predominantly pineapple growers, to take advantage of the incoming factory and maximise their efforts, so that they can increase their outputs for maximum profits.

The Chief of Ekumfi Nanaben, Nana Gyasi, told this reporter that his people received the news of the factory with a kind of joy that cannot be estimated, and thanked all those who mooted the laudable idea.

He explained that the history of pineapple cultivation in the country cannot be told without the mention of Ekumfi Nanaben, adding that the factory has been brought home.

Years ago, when the Nsawam Cannery was operational, farmers of Nanaben were constant and reliable suppliers of quality pineapple to the cannery. The records are there, so anybody who doubts can verify, he pointed out.

He appealed to the authorities to involve natives within the catchment areas in the processes of building the factory, so that they would see it as their bona fide property and protect it with all their might.

The District Chief Executive of the area, Mr. Bernard Bright Grant, posited that his constituents, who are predominantly pineapple growers, are heaving sighs of relief, following the upcoming project, which sod will be cut today.

He estimated that the factory would provide about 5,500 direct and indirect jobs for the youth in the area, and thanked the President for selecting his district for the delivery of the first major project under the transformation agenda.

Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle ahead of today's event, Mr. Grant said the vast lands the district had were suitable for cultivation of sugar-loaf pineapple, and that the main occupation of many farmers in the district was pineapple cultivation, stressing, most of them had become discouraged.

This, he said, happened because of the post-harvest losses most of the farmers have been enduring, due to the absence of ready markets for their produce.

He encouraged farmers in the area, especially, the youth, to take advantage of the factory and plant more pineapples, because they would not go waste.

He said: The era where some market women bought the pineapple cheaply from the farmers would be a thing of the past, because, now, there would be a factory waiting for their produce.

He hinted that setting up of the factory in his district was going to lead to the outburst of other factories to the area, adding that a factory that would use the residue of the crushed pineapples to produce another product was planning to come to the area.

If you look at the CDD District Assembly League Table, you can see clearly that Ekumfi is not performing well at all, and this is because we are poor. We are poor, not because we don't want to work, but because there are no jobs around, he explained.

Out of the 270 districts, the Ekumfi District is always around 214 to 216, which is not encouraging. But, I am sure, this time round, the proposed factory will help us to improve, he noted.

The DCE observed: The coming of the factory will help us stem the tide and improve the living standard of our people. I have not regretted voting for Nana Addo and the NPP.

President Akufo-Addo will later today launch the 'One District, One Factory' programme, and cut the sod for the commencement of the Ekumfi Fruit Processing Factory, which will process pineapples for the local and international markets.

The programme will be the formal launch of the implementation of the 'One District, One Factory' policy, in fulfillment of a pledge by President Akufo-Addo to see the actualisation of the industrilisation of Ghana, as part of the transformational process.

From Naabenyin Joojo Amissah, Ekumfi

([email protected]) .
26.08.2017 LISTEN

The Executive President of the Ghana Baptist Convention, Rev Dr Ernest Adu-Gyamfi, has cautioned the security agencies to take the rumour about a possible terrorist attack on Ghana serious. According to him, though the country is enjoying relative peace, it would still be dangerous for the security apparatus to ignore such rumours, and that they must act fast to ensure the safety of Ghanaians.

The Chronicle reported recently that some residents of Ghana's border town of Paga, in the Kassena-Nankana West District of the Upper East Region, were living in fear, following a terrorist attack that killed 18 people in neighbouring Burkina Faso on Sunday.

Though residents were seen going about their normal businesses when The Chronicle visited the town on Monday (August 14), they said they were living in fear, because they could not tell whether the terrorists would extend their dastardly act to the border town.

The attack on the Aziz Istanbul Restaurant in the Burkinabe capital, Ouagadougou, came barely a year after a similar attack on January 15, 2016. In that attack on the Cappuccino Restaurant and the Splendid Hotel in the heart of Ouagadougou, at least, 30 people were killed, whilst about 56 others were wounded. A similar attack also occurred in Ivory Coast, where innocent people lost their lives.

Speaking at the 54th Annual Session of the Ghana Baptist Convention at Ejura in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, President Adu Gyamfi said the fact that such claims about a possible terrorist attack on Ghana are emanating from the social media did not mean the security agencies should sit idle, warning that the country could pay dearly for it, and that the earlier the security agencies sat up, the better it would be for the country.

Reverend Adu-Gyamfi also urged Members of Parliament, who are representatives of the people, to build bi-partisan consensus on key national issues to help build the nation. He, therefore, appealed to the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Aron Mike Oquaye, to ensure that key issues like education, health and the problem of rent advance in the country were settled once and for all.

The annual session brought together delegates from the various Baptist member churches, as well as senior pastors, members of denominational boards and sector heads. It was under the theme: 'Christian Discipline for Holistic Development.'

The Executive President said a national policy was there to guide the forward going of the nation, irrespective of whichever political party was in power, and that such policies should have nothing to do with politics.

Rev Adu-Gyamfi said the argument over three or four years and a free Senior High School is not serving the nation any good. Rather, it is toying with the lives of the youth in the country. He also asked: Where else in the world do people pay two to five years rent advance, apart from Ghana.

Touching on Ghana Baptist Convention issues, he said his presidency believed that the key mandate of the church was evangelism and mission, and that the convention had about 2,500 churches across the country. To him, the provision of holistic gospel preaching must go hand in hand with the needs of people. Rev Yaw Opuni-Frimpong, General Secretary of the Christian Council, called for unity among the Christendom, and appealed to pastors to instill the best cultural and practices of Christianity in the coming generations.

He said Ghanaians were preaching about peace and unity only during elections, and that this must be replicated through the traditional authorities, in churches, and also in in-faiths, to strengthen national cohesion.

Rev Opuni-Frimpong said some churches were discouraging their members from marrying from other churches, which, to him, is breading sharp divisions in the Christian religion.

Alhaji Mohammed Salisu Bamba, Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ejura-Sekyedumasi, said the Municipal Assembly recognises the massive infrastructure and investment made by the Ghana Baptist Convention in the municipality.

He said the Municipality was the food basket of the country, and urged the Baptist Convention to take advantage of marketing activities in the area.

The MCE also requested the Convention to construct a health facility in the municipality, and called for discipline among all faiths in the country.

By Emmanuel Akli
The conference organized by the Sickle Cell Support Society of Nigeria, SCSSN, has ended in Enugu with lots of sterling outcomes on the treatment, management and control of sickle cell disease in Nigeria.

The conference held from August 23-25, drew participants, stakeholders, partners and sponsors from different parts of the world.

The theme of the conference: Reducing the Burden of Sickle Cell Disease in our Communities, was anchored on raising awareness for sickle cell disease, SCD, in Enugu areas, increase understanding of the disease among community health workers, to review the activities of the society since the last one held was two years ago, with a view to hearing from SCSSN members who were sponsored on scholarship to pursue their postgraduate degrees in Brazil, to outline research and training priorities, update current level of knowledge about the different aspects of the pathophysiology and management of sickle cell disease and to hold a meeting of the West African Sickle Cell Network, which Nigeria is a host country.

The 3-day conference was kicked off with a pre-conference workshop with community health workers in the State.

Meanwhile the keynote speaker, Prof Lucio Luzzatto, was in accord with the call by concerned stakeholders for the government to pass a bill on sickle cell control and management to better insure the life of the people living with the disease.

The Medical Director of Pfizer, Dr. Kodjo Soroh, has advised that the high death rate of sickle cell disorder can be prevented through proper management and increased disease awareness programmes in rural areas.

The Medical expert stressed that his company will continue to support activities on how policies can be improved to adequately impact on sickle cell patients. He said that there was no way governments can better manage the situation without making policies that will guarantee treatment for people living with the disease.

Pfizer, a major sponsor of the 2017 SCSSN Conference expressed their commitment to partner with the government and stakeholders that are willing to make feasible policies towards reducing the burden of sickle cell in the country.

Reacting to the call for support for people with SCD, the Chairman of SCSSN, Prof. Kunle Adekile identified poor leadership on the part of the government as being responsible for the snail paced action against sickle cell in Nigeria and called on the National Assembly to revisit the Sickle Cell Act brought before the house four years ago with a view to passing it.

"The chunk of the problem lies on the government because over the years, they have paid lip service to sickle cell disease control and management. The government should make policies on SCD a serious one so that the life of patients can be insured. The National Assembly should revisit and possibly pass the Sickle Cell Act to ensure that people with the disease are covered," he said.

The Marketing Officer of Assene-Laborex Limited, a subsidiary of BioMedomics, Pharm. Santos Onuigbo, charged young people to know their genotype early enough before going into marriage, adding that the company is committed to ensuring that people get the awareness about their state and better treatment against the disease.

He maintained that the company is partnering with Non Governmental Organizations to get maximum grassroots mobilization against the disease.

A participant at the conference, Miss Grace Ocheigbo, a student participant from the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, was all praise to SCSSN for another opportunity to interact and meet people that would have cost much to meet were it not for the meeting. The student participant said that students have a greater role to play in curbing the burden of the disease.

"I want stakeholders to use students in the campaign to reduce the burden of the disease in the country because they are more vibrant and are closer to SCD patients than older people. Young people relate more their problems to their peers and when these students are speaking, it will have more effect because youths are naturally keen to listen to their mates on an issue. By so doing, they open up on their problem. When they open up, the students will then know how to follow them up," she said.

She appealed to the government and the NGOs to make screening materials available to medical students so that they can be fully engaged in the process in as much as grassroots mobilization is concerned.

Other participants at the conference praised the meeting and said it gave them the opportunity to table questions pertaining to clinical practice which were answered by seasoned practitioners. They also said the meeting enabled them to network and be involved in collaborative research into new trends in sickle cell disease.

Sickle cell is a disease that is not as popular as malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS but tons of babies born each year inherit the disease.
The Madina Divisional Police Command has arrested about 26 Nigerians suspected to be fraudsters.

The suspects are aged between 19 and 36. They were arrested in a swoop carried out by the police at Ashaley Botwe on Friday.

According to the police, they seized 36 laptops, 26 mobile phones and a number pen drives in the exercise.

According to the Madina Divisional Crime Officer, SP Joseph Oppong, the exercise was carried out upon tip off.

He said the suspects will assist the police in further investigations.

He revealed that all the suspects were arrested in a single large room in the area.

Meanwhile, the computer and pen drives have been handed over to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Ghana Police Service for further investigation.

The suspects are being processed for court.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The acting National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay has urged the president, Nana Akufo-Addo to prioritize loyalists of the NPP in the government's programs.

According to him, it is only fair that those who worked for the government to be in power to be first time beneficiaries of the government's policy programs.

Delivering his opening address at the NPP's National Delegates' Congress in the Central Region, Freddy Blay said such party members must also be made ambassadors for the party's policy programs in their respective communities.

It is only fair that those who worked for the government to be in power, who believes in the policies and support of its implementation, must be first time beneficiaries and channels /of communication of government programs in our communities, he said.

It is advisable and imperative that our government recognizes the creative and entrepreneurial abilities of members of our party and economically empower them so that they can be an example of the prosperity we seek to deliver to Ghanaians, he added.

Freddie Blay's comment comes to support one made in April this year by the Deputy Minister for Roads and Highways, Anthony Abayifa Karbo who implored DCE's to consider hard working party members first in employment opportunities.

Freddie Blay noted that there has been growing concerns from some members of the party that they do not have jobs despite working hard to get the party into government.

He said there are growing complaints about access to government functionaries and lack of employment which we inherited from the NDC administration. This is disturbing but related to the economic problem.



Gov't engaging in cronyism  NDC MP

The MP for Sagnarigu, A.B.A Fuseini on Friday accused the New Patriotic Party government of engaging in nepotism, cronyism and selective politics  following new guidelines for the selection of caterers for the governments School Feeding Programme.

The guidelines called for earmarking 30 percent of the schools in each district as a protocol allocation for the Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection, according to a letter sighted by citifmonline.com.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Bechem United are desperately in need of all the points at stake on Sunday when they welcome Ashanti Gold SC to the Nana Fosu Gyeabour park.

Recording a win this weekend mean the Hunters will be shrugging off a relegation threat with a top four finish aspirations possible on the cards.

A lose this weekend can push them to the 13th position with just a point above the danger zone.

A victory on Sunday will also mean Bechem United have gone three consecutive home matches without dropping a single point for the first time this campaign.

They will be missing the services of dependable defender Alfred Nelson who is nursing an injury.

Aside him, all the other players are available for the important fixture.

Ashanti Gold SC are traveling to Bechem with high hopes of picking at least a point as they have done in each of their previous three visits in the premier league.

The Miners are currently out of the relegation zone as they sit 12th on the league table but a defeat this weekend will see them slip into the drop zone once again.

Centre back Samuel Abeiku Ainoonson is expected back in the lineup for Sunday's fixture after serving a suspension in the last league game.

Prince Owusu has recovered from a knock he sustained in their last fixture against WAFA SC. He is available for selection.

Midfielder Appiah McCarthy has also recovered fully from a lengthy lay off due to an injury.

MATCH FACTS

HEAD TO HEAD

Total league meetings = 9

Bechem United wins = 3

Ashanti Gold SC wins = 2

Drawn games = 4

~ Bechem United have just two wins in their last seven matches in the premier league.

(W2 D1 L4)

~ Ashanti Gold SC have suffered only two losses in their last ten fixtures in the premier league.

(W7 D1 L2)

~ Bechem United are unbeaten in their last seven home games in the premiership. They have won three of their last four.

(W4 D3 L0)

~ Ashanti Gold SC have lost only one of their last five premier league fixtures as the visitors.

(W3 D1 L1)

~ Bechem United have been beaten by Ashanti Gold SC just once in their last seven meetings in the premiership.

(W2 D4 L1)

~ Ashanti Gold SC have not won in any of their four visits to Bechem United in the league. They have not lost in any of their last three.

(W0 D3 L1)

~ Bechem United have managed to keep eight clean sheets in their twelve home matches in the league this term.

~ Ashanti Gold SC have kept only three clean sheets out of their twelve premier league games at away this season.

By Nuhu Adams
26.08.2017 LISTEN

There was pure drama at the Accra Technical University as the 25th Delegates Congress of the Ghana National Union of Technical Students (GNUTS) which commenced from Tuesday 22nd August 2017 ended in Chaos on Friday.

GNUTS, which happens to be the umbrella student association working in the interest of Technical Students in Technical Universities had assembled delegates to elect its next line of leaders to make way for new executives.

Some misunderstandings ensued and following the turn of events at the congress, four institutions have officially parted ways with the umbrella student association championing the course of University Technical students.

The chaos also saw an electoral commission member resigning including 8 other aspirants.

The the 4-days congress was on the theme: 'Equipping Technical Universities/Polytechnics: The Key To Ghanas Industrialization Agenda.'

The breakaway institutions include the Accra Technical University, Ho Technical University, Cape Coast Technical University and the Takoradi Technical University.

The breakaway Technical Universities claim that the Union is not championing the course of seeking the welfare of students as it is supposed to function.

They further alleged that rather some individuals have turned the association into a gold mine making huge profits from dues paid by already poor students.

GNUTS was formed some 25-years ago when some Allumni students of the then Accra Polytechnic realized that dues paid to the National Union Of Ghana Students (NUGS) was being mismanaged and moreover executives didn't work in the interest of technical students.

The association, which formerly had 9 Technical Universities as members as it stands, has only student memberships from 5 institutions.
The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has given the security agencies a directive to investigate any official within his administration who will be accused of corruption.

The directive is part of Nana Addos promise to run an incorruptible government.

President Akufo-Addo also stated that persons who make allegations of corruption against his officials should also be prepared to give evidence when called upon.

We are told that there is corruption in the Akufo-Addo government. Let me reassure you of one thing. Any allegation about corruption against any official member of my government will be investigated by the law enforcement agencies. And those who made that allegation better be prepared to support it when they are making these allegations of corruption because nobody is going to get away with it.

I am not going to preside over a government that will support corruption in our country. Every allegation of corruption that is made against any of my officials, I have given instructions to the law enforcement agencies that they should investigate each and every one of them, he added.

The president made these revelations when he addressed members of the NPP at the party's annual National Delegates Conference in Cape Coast on Saturday.

Prosecutions of corrupt officials to begin in October

Deputy Attorney General, Joseph Kpemka had earlier disclosed government will in the next two months begin the prosecution of officials in the Mahama administration who have been found to have wasted the public funds with impunity.

According to him, government is currently building cases against such officials and will put them before court in October .

By October when we start moving to court with some of the cases, Ghanaians will know that we are serious and we are ready to fight corruption as a canker in this country and uproot it once and for all, he added in a Citi News interview.



By: Godwin Akweiteh Allotey/citifmonline.com/Ghana

Follow @AlloteyGodwin
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Brong-Ahafo Region recorded the highest rate of child labour, according to findings from the Ghana Living Standards Survey round six (GLSS -6).

The region recorded 302,972 children engaged in hazardous work, the survey conducted in 2014 reveals.

Children, 33.5 per cent between the ages of five and 17 years including girls in the region, are engaged in exploitative labour in areas such as agriculture, fishing, mining and forced marriages.

Many children are trafficked to the region from elsewhere to work for their masters particularly in the areas of fishing and mining,

Though the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights provide that governments have the duty to protect children against the violation of their rights and freedoms, child labour remain a silent nightmare of many victims in Brong-Ahafo.

Undeniably, opposing victims of child labour and exploitation go through worst forms of abuses, including denial of formal education, food and shelter.

The psychological effects of child labour are enormous as sometimes one cannot stand to look at the scars at the back, thigh, forehead and stomach of some of the victims.

Indeed, these innocent and unsuspecting children go through worst forms of torture and molestations in the hands of their masters.

The disheartening situation is gaining prominence in the region, as perpetrators used the victims, mostly below 15 years, for commercial fishing at Pru District, illegal mining activities at Asutifi South District, and forced marriage at Banda District of the region.

In Banda district, many girls from 10 to 15 years are mostly into polygamous marriages.

These marriages are orchestrated by parents of the victims and close relatives, ostensibly to preserve traditional values and heritage, according to investigations by this columnist.

The husbands of the victims are mostly from 45 to 65 years and many of them are already married to two or more wives with children and grandchildren.

Girls who resist such marriages are either molested by their parents or were stigmatized. This is because it is believed to be a taboo for a girl to fail to go into the marriage, and the only way for her to escape is to run away from the community.

Aside the psychological trauma victims go through forced marriage has also impeded the growth and development of many young girls in the area.

The situation, is however different at the Pru District, as mostly school-going-age boys are trafficked by their master to fish on the Volta Lake at Yeji and surrounding fishing settlements.

In most cases, families lured unsuspecting victims to go and stay with their masters with the promise that their masters who are mostly relatives will cater for their education and fend for their upkeep.

Some of these cases are notably reported in broken homes.

The victims and their masters travelled several kilometers to the fishing communities. Many of the victims cannot trace their way back home so they grow in the community, marry and become fishermen.

Investigation's show that some of the children follow their master at dawn to fish on the Lake and return 1100 hours every morning.

Those of them (victims) who resisted attempt to follow their masters for fishing are subjected to severe beatings and sometimes they are denied food.

Recently, MIHOSO International, a non-governmental organization successfully rescues two boys of 12 and 13 years from trafficking on the Volta Lake from their masters.

The victims, only known as Kwame Remember, 12, and Kwadwo Abraham, 13, are currently in the custody of the Pru District office of the Department of Social Welfare and they are doing.

They are yet to be reintegrated with their families at Tegbui Kpota, near Keta, and Winneba respectively.

In an interview, Dr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, the Chief Executive Officer of MIHOSO International emphasised that progress on the elimination of child labour required effective governance, social dialogue, collaboration, and commitment and co-ordination among all stakeholders.

He said his NGO was working on a project titled MIHOSO/STAR- Ghana: Responding to child labour, trafficking and forced marriage, in three districts in the region.

They are Jaman North, Banda and Asutifi South Districts.

The one-year project is aimed at ensuring that the practices are either alleviated or reduced to the barest minimum by the end of May 2018.

Dr Benarkuu said the alarming rate of child labour and its debilitating health and social effects on victims required concerted and radical approach to tackle and bring the practice under control.

It was also reported that early this year, Challenging Heights, another NGO rescued 18 more trafficked children from the Volta Lake.

Already, the organisation has rescued over 1,500 in the last twelve years.

These 18 children, who are between the ages of 5 and 17, are currently going through rehabilitation at the organisations rehabilitation centre.

Also the practice has different twist in the Asutifi South and Asutifi North Districts of the region.

Perpetrators used the victims mostly between 10 and 14 years for illegal mining activities.

They have develop separate illegal mining sites at Hwidiem, Acherensua, Worommuso, Nkasiem, Oseikrom, Ahiatua, Mehami, Krapo and Nkrankrom in the Asutifi South District where the practice of child labour, especially for illegal mining operations or Galamsey is rampant.

The problem is not different at Obengkrom, Nfahun-faka, Donkorkrom, Kenyase Numbers One and Two, Ntotroso, Gyedu and Wamahinso in the Asutifi North District.

These children used shovels, holes and other implements to aid their masters to prospect for gold at the sites.

Mr Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the CEO of Global Media Foundation, another human rights and media advocacy NGO, said outmoded traditional practices which fuel forced and early marriages ought resisted.

He observed that because of the widespread ignorance of the populace with regard to the consequences of illegal mining and child labour on the society, the twin menace continued to prevail in mining areas.

Mr Ahenu underlined the need for security agencies to intensify patrol in areas where the practice was common, not only to rescue victims, but also identify and prosecute perpetrators as well.

He added that child labour and forced marriage were serious offence under the Childrens Act and other international conventions and culprits must not be spared.
President Akufo-Addo is urging members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to conduct themselves in a manner that will ensure the success of the government.

According to him, the performance of the party will determine whether New Patriotic Party (NPP) will remain a relevant political force in the country.

He issued a stern warning to members of the party who sabotage his government's efforts.

The future of the party is about the success of our government. And the success of the government is about our conduct. Each one of us beginning with me, through the Vice President, Chief of Staff, Ministers of State and the Deputies. Our conduct is what will determine the success of our government, he said.

If we conduct ourselves well and respect the wishes and aspirations of the Ghanaian people that brought us here today and comport ourselves with dignity and humility as people who have come to provide service to our nation, that is the foundation that will allow us to build victory upon victory, he added.

The President made the statement during the NPPs 25th annual delegates conference held at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Saturday.

Akufo-Addo said he would not relent in his effort to ensure that the government is not plunged into a pool of corruption scandals.

He said he will not shield any of his appointees from facing the rigors of the law if they are found culpable in any act of corruption, adding that anyone who alleges corruption against any official in his government must be ready to provide proof to ensure proper investigation and prosecution.



By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Four and a half years ago I came here with nothing but half a saddle bag of clothes and a broken heart. I rolled into town on a Harley Davidson, arriving at the Pathway Program in Yountville for treatment.

I had lost my home, my life savings and, before arriving in Napa, my freedom after 23 years of service in the United States Army and Navy. During the six months that followed, I slowly met one good person after another in this beautiful valley. People didnt seem to care that I was recovering from an addiction to pain pills and dealing with legal ramifications of that addiction. People treated me like one of their own.

By getting involved in local charities like Operation With Love From Home, for which I was the spokesperson, I was invited to speak in the schools, Rotary clubs and radio stations about my experiences as a combat soldier and how important support like the care packages are to the young men and women far from home. It also provided an opportunity to meet many amazing people in this wonderful community.

Being of service to Operation With Love From Home and other organizations, like The Table and Silverado Veterinary Center, gave me the confidence to go back to family court and regain custody of my daughter and resolve my legal issues.

I was offered help by many gracious people in Napa. I received letters from local politicians, the chief of police, the district attorney and especially Liz Alessio, of Community Outreach at Queen of the Valley Hospital, who was with me every step of the way. Because they believed in me enough to stand up for me, I was able to believe in myself.

I have been treated with the truest kindness I have ever experienced. In the 52 countries I have traveled in my lifetime, I have never experienced anything like Napa. Some of the simple acts like the mayor of Napa hugging me every time she sees me and the owner of Napa Valley Jewelers giving me free watch batteries and asking me how I was doing helped me to become a whole person.

The kindness shown to me, recognizing me on the street, inviting me to events and just a smile across the room acknowledging that I am here has helped me heal. I have become a good father, with 51 months of sobriety whose legal troubles are in the past.

Those who know and follow me know that I travel often. I am currently the West Coast Ambassador for Friends in Service of Heroes, an organization which provides Veterans with service dogs and wheelchairs across the United States. I also travel with my daughter Jessy or sometimes just to see whats around the next bend. Whenever I return, the second I cross the Napa County line my heart gets warmer, my thoughts get slower and for the first time I actually feel at home. The incredible kindness shown to me in this Valley is how Napa saved a soldier.

Steven Roy

Napa
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - A comprehensive study on Ghanaian seas and air ports has revealed the need for the country to quicken up pace for implementation of the paperless policy to improve efficiency.

The research report produced by the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI) provided detailed analysis of the situation at Ghana's three main port facilities.

Mr Julius Bradford Lamptey, a researcher of GNCCI, presented the reports at a stakeholder workshop on Thursday.

The three main ports in the country captured in the report include Tema and Takoradi Seaports as well as the Kotoka International Airport.

Mr Lamptey presented the reports as follows: the study was undertaken in response to the growing response to the growing concerns by the business community about the difficulty or otherwise of doing business at the ports and the use of findings for advocacy aimed at easing constraints importers and exporters face when undertaking imports or exports.

The main aspects of port operations were examined as part of the study. These are the facilities at the ports, the procedures for doing imports and exporters when using the facilities. Two main methods were employed in the analyses.

First, we reviewed the extensive literature on international trade in Ghana with particular focus on port operations.

The second approach involves a survey of importers and exporters from across four regions including Western, Greater Accra, Central and Eastern regions.

The methodology also involved in port operations in Ghana and two validations workshops in Takarodi and Tema.

In the last few years Ghana has experienced growing levels of trade, imports volumes have gone by about 14 percent 2010 and 2016. Exports volumes have increased by 64 percent over the same period.

In terms of value, both imports and exports have gone up by more than six times. Port facilities have not seen upgrade commensurate with the fast pace facilities compares favourably with port facilities in the comparator countries in the West Africa region.

Importers and exporters largely support this view and over 70 percent of our survey respondents described Ghana's port facilities as good, a few thought they are excellent.

However, in spite of the relatively strong infrastructure, the study also identified long container dwell times at the two main seaports.

Takoradi has container dwell time of 25 days with Tema having 20 days and these compare unfavourably with container dwell time of four days in Durban, 11 days in Mombasa, 14 days in Dar El salaam and 18 days in LomA.

The relatively long dwell time in Ghana is as a result of several factors and these includes the long and complicated procedures, which have been mounted by the authorities to check abuses by stakeholders in the import and export trade.

For example, importers are supposed to go through over 20 different procedures before getting their containers out of the ports.

Other factors include the activities of shippers and importers/exporters who tend to use the port area as cheap source of warehousing.

These are also importers who deliberately delay clearance of containers either because they lack the finances to pay the custom duties and other required fees and charges or actively seeking to have their charges reduced by corrupt customs officials.

Also, the standard dwell time offered by Ghana Ports Harbours Authority (GPHA) is unrealistic from the point of view of importers and exporters.

The standard dwell time for which containers can remain in the port without the payment of demurrages is seven days and it includes weekends and public holidays; days for which all port officials are absent from official duties.

But too many of the port users have little knowledge about port procedures, which contribute to container dwell time.

The long dwell time has cost implications for importers and exporters and other users of port facilities in Ghana and more than half of the businesses surveyed were of the view that the cost of doing business at the country's ports ''too high''.

The other institutions involved in the imports and export business corroborate their assessment. The Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) described the cost of doing business at Ghana's ports ''too high and unbearable''.

For John Biter, a free zone engaged in the export of wood products, ''one of the major challenges facing it [company] is the payment of the port rent charges to GPHA.

The high charges is also attributed to the multiplicity of institutions involved in the import and export trade, as well as the centrality of the agency system in port operations.

The import and export business at the port boasts of about 16 different institutions of state. In the words of GIFF, ''involvement of many agencies does not make the system efficient and effective''.

It said, 'These agencies caused a lot of delays, particularly on import leading to the payment of demurrage and excess rent''. Some of these state institutions use the import and export as source of internally generated funds [IGF] to fund their statutory operations and increases the cost for business. The use of agents as required by the customs Act [Act 891, 2015] appears to complicate the system and raises costs.

Given that many importers and exporters are not knowledgeable about the procedures at the ports, there is information gap between the importers and exporters on one hand and the agents on the hand.

The view is that the agents tend to exploit the information gap to their advantage and increase costs for importers and exporters.

Going forward, we recommend a number of measures to address the concerns of importers and exporters and make the ports in Ghana efficient.

First, while acknowledging the on-going port expansion programmes, we recommend that given the growing levels of international trade, port expansion programmes should be undertaken by government on a continuous basis. The expansion works must consider both equipment and the physical space within the ports and the adjoining communities.

Second, there is a need for streamlining and simplification of procedures at the ports which require automation.

This should be done by taking on board the concerns of stakeholders for an effective implementation.

Third, a review of the institutions at the ports must be undertaken with a view to eliminating some of them and avoiding costly duplications.

The supporting agencies should not be allowed to use importers and exporters as cash cows for internally generated funds.

The GNCCI also called for urgent review of the agency system saying the one way out is extensive education programme to bridge the information gap between agents and all other users of the ports in Ghana. GNA

By D.I. Laary/Wendy Sarkodie, GNA
Lome (Togo), Aug. 25, GNA - Lome, the Togolese national capital and its suburbs, on Friday became virtually 'ghost' towns as residents stayed indoors for fear of the 'unknown' following a planned anti-government demonstration.

A ride by the GNA between 0700 and 0900 hours found the capital and Nyekornakpoe, Ahanokofe, Dulasame, Botege-Yi-Zongo, and Dekor- famous political hotspots 'dry' of both vehicular and human traffic.

Shops and business centres at the main commercial district-Asigame, in Lome were closed.

There were also no signs of demonstrators anywhere with the streets also empty except for few commercial motorbike riders plying the streets.

There were, however, widespread presence of heavily armed security personnel patrolling the streets in armoured and other military vehicles including motorbikes.

The personnel were armed with anti-riot equipment including shields, water cannons, weapons, and helmets.

Security personnel were also stationed at road intersections and medians.

At Life and the central security station suburbs, the GNA observed detachments of gerdarmaries receiving instructions from their commanders under trees.

A few residents told the GNA that the citizens were scared of a repeat of the heavy handedness of the security personnel on government's opponents and demonstrators as witnessed last week.

The motor rider, who assisted the GNA as it toured the various towns, said last week's demonstrations claimed the life of his friend, one Korsi, who he claimed was shot in the head.

Meanwhile human and business activities at both ends of the border at Aflao were also slow-moving.

GNA

By Dominic Adoboli, GNA
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Aflao (V/R), Aug. 25, GNA - Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security, on Friday led a high powered government delegation to the Republic of Togo, Border Security Committee (BODSEC) sources told the Ghana News Agency.

The source said the delegation comprising security chiefs in Ghana and the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive were ushered into Togo by Togolese security authorities around mid-day.

Reports say the team from Ghana was on a mediation mission between the Togolese government and the opposition.

Last week, Togolese across the globe staged street protests demanding term limits for presidents.

At a similar protest at Atakpame-Sokode, some kilometres from the national capital, Lome, two civilians and seven security persons were reportedly killed.

There have been political protests in Togo since 2014 for term limits that will bar President Faure Gnassingbe from seeking another term in office after the Constitution was amended for open term of office for presidents.

Meanwhile, a planned 'mother of all demonstrations' by the opposition in Lome on Friday is yet to take place.

GNA

By Dominic Adoboli, GNA
Accra, Aug 25, GNA - Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi, has underlined the need to put premium on quality seed production to help transform the nation's agriculture.

He said it was the way forward to substantially increase the per hectare yield of crops and returns to the farmer.

He was speaking at the launch of the National Seed Trade Association of Ghana (NASTAG) in Accra.

It is an umbrella body for players in the seed industry - researchers, farmers, marketers, exporters and importers.

They have come together with the common goal of working to achieve efficiency and create the right environment for the seed industry to thrive.

The Deputy Minister cautioned against seed adulteration and poor packaging, adding that, everything should be done to ensure that high standards were maintained.

Mr. Thomas Havor, National President of NASTAG, promised to work closely with parliament to get a Legislative Instrument to back the implementation of the Plant and Fertilizer Act.

He appealed to the government to move quickly to establish the Seed Council and the Seed Fund to support the growth of the seed sector.

Mr. William Kotey, a member of the immediate past Interim Executive of the Association, said NASTAG's vision was to increase seed adaptation by farmers across the country from 11 per cent to over 50 per cent.

Mrs. Azara Ali-Mamshie, who chaired the ceremony, urged the body to focus on attracting strong financial support for the agricultural sector.

Mr. Havor of Yoni farms, had earlier been elected President of the Association by the members.

Other elected officers included Mrs. Felicia Afia Nyantakyi-Owusu, Vice-President, Mr. Roland Quaye, Secretary, Mr. Mackeown Frimpong, Treasurer, Mr. Abdoulaye Antiku, representative of the Northern Zone, Mr. Amos Azinu, representative for the Middle Zone and Mr. Simon Abdulai, representative of the Southern Zone. GNA

By Edmund Quaynor, GNA
Cape Coast, Aug. 25, GNA - Delegates of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have started arriving for the Annual Delegates Conference at the University of Cape Coast in the Central Region.

The Ghana News Agency's visit to the venue of the programme on Friday afternoon visibly showed that a major event was about to take place.

The Party's colours of red, blue and white had been draped on light poles and trees leading to the venue.

Some traders had set up their tables on pavements and displayed their wares, which includes bangles, caps, party flags, vuvuzelas, and other party paraphernalia ready to do brisk business.

Mr Yaw Ofori Agyeman, a trader from Obuasi, told the GNA that he had just arrived and had not made any sales but hoped sales would pick up in the course of the day.

A nine-year old boy from Kumasi was also holding some paraphernalia going round the venue to sell.

Kwame Asare, a cloth seller, had hanged his wares ready to cash in on the upcoming conference.

He sells clothes designed with NPP colours and Ghana at 60 clothes.

He told the news team that 12 yards of NPP cloth with the inscription, "Victory, the battle is for the Lord's" cost GH200.00.

There were other traders selling food items and drinks while some telecommunication companies had also mounted their stands selling their SIM cards and other services.

The police presence was heavily felt with their patrol cars moving up and down the venue and its immediate surroundings, while barricades had been mounted close to the venue of the conference.

They were smartly dressed and strategically positioned behind the barricades.

Some police officers were seen at some traffic intersections in town directing both human and vehicular traffic.

The New Examination Centre (NEC), the venue for the conference, had a giant billboard mounted at the entrance with the portraits of the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his vice Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on it wearing white clothes with their hands raised.

The auditorium was beautifully decorated with the Party's colours with chairs neatly arranged.

Some workers were seen busily scrubbing the floor while others were cleaning the chairs.

The sounds of the party campaign songs were being heard from the sound systems.

People were trooping in and out of the venue with huge VVIP buses parked around the venue.

GNA

By Godwill Arthur- Mensah/Isaac Arkoh, GNA
Accra, Aug 24, GNA - Christians have been urged to be sure they are free of blame, before accusing the devil and other unseen forces for their failures.

'We all have our unique excuses that prevent us from achieving our best, in the midst of our God-given potentials and opportunities available to us for our growth and development.'

The Right Reverend Dr. Seth Senyo Agidi, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Evangelical Presbyterian (E. P.) Church, said this at the opening of the Eighth General Assembly of the Church in Accra on Thursday.

It is on the theme: 'Breaking New Grounds Revisited, Now It's Our Turn.'

He noted that many Christians were always waiting on the Lord, 'even when it is so clear that the Lord has given the go ahead.'

The Rt. Rev Agidi said excuse making, in the form of vindications and explanations to cover up our failures so we do not look bad, was also another habit that Christians needed to do away with.

He said negative tendencies such as fear, laziness, procrastination and playing the blame game had to be entirely done away with, because they were the key enemies of progress.

The E. P. Church Moderator said God had endowed us with gifts, talents as well as unlimited opportunities and potentials to break new grounds, produce goods and services and create new things.

He said if advanced technological innovation such as space and air travel amongst others could be achieved in other parts of the world, 'why should we be finding it difficult in Ghana and Africa, to develop massively and improve upon our mission and ministry, as well as our socio-political and economic conditions?'

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Agidi said the theme for the occasion, signified a call to go beyond the ordinary in God's ministry, to bring about a dramatic change, a renewal and transformation that would better the lives of people both in and out of the Church.

He said the E.P. Church, in the light of this, had developed a new strategic plan with new vision, mission and core values, to meet the needs and changing demands of our times.

The strategic plan has provision for the development of our human resources, conditions of service, financial and other resource mobilization, to improve upon our creative abilities in the business of breaking new grounds, said Rt. Rev Agidi.

'I therefore call on all members to take seriously all that has been incorporated into the strategic plan, for effectiveness and efficiency in our ministry and mission in the Church and in our communities,' he said.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, graced the occasion as the Special Guest of Honour. GNA

By Robert Anane/Elsie Appiah-Osei
Accra, Aug. 25, GNA - A High Court in Accra has dismissed an application for abridgement of time and directed the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) to grant the embattled Indian businessman a temporal residence permit.

This means that Mr Ashok Kumar Sivaram can go about to fight for his business and other legal matters before the court.

Mr Sivaram is, however, expected to go to the GIS Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, August 29, this year at the Service's Processing Section for examination and regularization of permits.

The court presided over by Mrs Justice Naa Adoley Addo opined that the country has an obligation to provide protection for genuine businessmen who may have their investments in the Ghana.

'I want the applicant to acquire some legal status until the application for mandamus was heard else we will be sending signals to people that aliens are not being treated on humanitarian grounds,' the court added.

Meanwhile, the court has scheduled September 8, to commence hearing of the writ of mandamus filed against the Ghana Immigrations Service.

On June 1, this year the GIS following an order by the Interior Ministry deported Mr Sivaram on the premise that he had forged his marriage certificate in an application for citizenship.

The Indian businessman therefore contested his deportation by filing a judicial review through an order of Certiorari.

Mr Justice Kweku Ackah-Boafo upheld the businessman's application and quashed his deportation order on July 31, this year on the grounds that the Interior Ministry exceeded its jurisdiction.

Mr Sivaram was deported by the GIS on June 1, 2017, following an order by Mr Dery on the basis that he used a forged marriage certificate to support his application for citizenship.

Not happy with the deportation, lawyers for Mr Sivaram filed an application for judicial review by way of certiorari for the order to be nullified by the Accra High Court.

Mr Gary Nimako, counsel for the businessman argued before the court that his client had valid business/ residence permit prior to his arrest in June 1, this year.

According to Mr Nimako, his client has a valid application before another High Court over the valuation of his company.

Ms Jasmine Armah an Attorney from the Attorney General's Office prayed the court to grant them ample time within the rules of the court so they could contest the writ of Mandamus.

GNA

By Joyce Danso, GNA
26.08.2017 LISTEN

Undoubtedly and unarguably tribalism and religion are artificial problems created by selfish leaders for their own personal interest. There are only two major tribes in Nigeria. The Elites and the Masses. Once you make lots of money, you belong to the elite tribe. When you are a commoner or suffering, you belong to the tribe of the masses.

If you are an elite, and you need more power, or elective position, you sow seeds of tribalism and religion among the masses, so as to sway their emotion for your personal victory.

This happens at both the national and state level. Unfortunately, after the election when they have won and joined their sworn enemies to drink and party, the gullible masses continue to fight each other. Even smart people who belong to the masses, sometimes will sow seeds of tribalism and religion among the masses, and then the masses will carry them up until they belong to the elite class.

It is a classic strategy used over 3000 years ago in the art of war. A commoner who aspires to sit with the elites, could stir up powerful tribal or religious sentiments, such wave if properly utilized either by shedding blood or destabilizing the elites, carries the commoner to the elite class. But once there, he immediately mingles and makes peace with the elite tribe, and turn his back on the same masses that helped him get there.

Youths are the worst victim of this powerplay, they kill each other, call other tribes unprintable names, do terrible things and sometimes, even lose their life, thinking they are fighting for their right, not knowing that they are fighting for the personal welfare of someone, whose own children are probably safe in America or London. So youths, dont invest your hope on the government.

If you dont have a job, create one. There is abject poverty in the south as well as the north, whether Ogoni or Maidugri. At the same time, there is massive wealth in Lagos, Onitsha, Nnewi, Aba, Kano, Abuja, irrespective of zone. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it well and never remain idle. No job is too low for an idle hand, or else the devil will find work for you.

As you become independent, and grow your capacity, do not lose hope in Nigeria. We are the largest economy in Africa and soon the world will fear us. Western powers, dont like big economies that threaten them, America will do anything to break China, but China is wise to resist that. China has 1.6 billion people, we have only 170 million, and we are talking of breaking. China has 5 major religions which are Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Islam and Christianity.

Nigeria has only 2 major religions, Christianity and Islam. Yet we claim that religion is our problem. America, the strongest economy is comprised of every tribe in the world, since they accept anybody from any part of the world. Yet they are united and extremely patriotic.

Nigeria has only 3 major tribes, and we claim tribalism. Think clearly and deeply, and you will realize that empowering yourself is the best course of action, not fighting each other. And once the youths are empowered, they can begin to take back their future from the hands of the old and corrupt generation that has been blinding Nigerians with hatred, while looting all her resources.

Late General Sani Abachas loot is still stashed away in Switzerland, did he use it to develop the north? Those that stole billions under the previous administration of Goodluck Jonathan stashed it away in foreign banks, bought expensive toys, jets and foreign homes, are they using it to develop the south?

Now the ones stealing currently, including the grasscutters, are looking for Ikoyi apartments, abandoned houses, and pit toilets to hide it, are they using it for the youths in their tribe? NO! I call on us the Youths to shine our eyes! Dont always fall for this tribal, religious sentiments over and over again. Nigeria is bigger than these corrupt elites. They are the problem, not the poor masses.
Event Theme: Ghana @60: Eradicating corruption for sustainable development

On 6th March 1957, sixty (60) years since we had our independence, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of the Republic of Ghana, made this thought provoking statement We have awakened. We will not sleep anymore. Today, from now on, there is a new African in the world! That new African is ready to fight her own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs. We are going to demonstrate to the world, to the other nations, that we are prepared to lay our own foundation.

About Three years later, on the 1stof July, 1960, 57 years ago, they gave to us what we were asking for, they gave us freedom, they left us to manage our own Affairs. Ghanaians were left to manage their own country.

In this sixty and fifty-seven years of struggle in Independence and being a Republic country respectively, one of our critical problems as a nation has always been corruption. It has become the chronic cancer of this Republic country.

Corruption has gained roots in Ghana as if it is a subject that is taught in Ghana schools. Corruption has turned this country upside down and only those who have eyes can see. Corruption is one of the key reasons why Africa has remained the poorest continent on the face of the earth and Ghana is not an exception.

For many of us, corruption is the means by which we survive; we eat corruption; we breathe corruption; we drink corruption; in fact, corruption has become our life. Everything about us has got something to do with corruption

Corruption is something that exists, it is something we discuss, it is something we complain about, it is something whose negative impact we recognise, it is something we know to be a bad thing, but the unfortunate thing is that, those who engage in corruption enjoy it. Those who do not engage in corruption directly,entertain it. Corruption has taken over this country. You must be a stranger in this Jerusalem not to know this.

We live in a country where men and women sell their integrity for money, food, sex and wealth. We live in a country where even the market woman is corrupt. They fill their measuring bottles with candle wax before measuring a bottle of palm oil for their customers. We live in a country where those in public offices have become armed robbers with pens as their weapons. They are able to save over billions of cedis in weeks yet their monthly salaries are a little of thousand. We live in a country where those in black uniforms do not check anything on vehicles than to skilfully remove a cedi from license booklets. We live in a country where the boss sleeps with the young femalesubordinate before offering her a job. We live in a country where the lecturer sleeps with his female student to award grades. We live in a country where the cocoa farmer adds stones to his cocoa seeds just for it to gain weight before selling. We live in a country where the minds of its citizens are affected with a virus called only my stomach matters What has become of the Blackman, the Ghanaian? We do evil works on week days and go to the church or mosque to disturb God on weekends. Corruption has become the three square meal of most of us yet we are called a Christian nation. I will say with no apology, we the Christians and Muslims are the problem of this country. It will surprise you to know, that a lot of us who engage in corruption are either elders in our various denominations or leaders at the Mosque. Corruption has taken over this country.

My brothers and sisters, I want to say clearly with no apology, corruption is a sickness, it is a cancer of the mind, and whoever is corrupt is sick and needs a national health insurance card to visit the hospital. The time has come that we give Malaria, AIDS and Corruption the same attention. This is due to the fact that, Malaria and AIDS are not dangerous as Corruption.

Today, we have gathered here to find a solution to this chronic cancer that has affected the mindof this countrys citizens.

Ghana @60: Eradicating corruption for sustainable development

In this part of the world, sixty has got a definition, it is noted for RETIREMENT.

If sixty implies retirement in our country, permit me to do a little substitution on our theme. Our new theme is

Ghana @Retirement: Eradicating corruption for sustainable development.

My fellow Ghanaian, you would agree with me that, at age sixty (retirement), there is usually no sign of proper strength for any serious work. How is Ghana going to fight corruption at age sixty? I see a parent who starts to work so hard or correct his mistakes after retirement. What great thing can you do when your strength is no more?

It is very true that when a person turnssixty, there is no sign of great strength to work more effectively and efficiently, however, mother Ghana is not a single individual who turns 60 and loses her strength, there are still an uncountable number of young men and women who can give their all for this important course. Eradicating corruption for sustainable development.

My fellow Ghanaians, this is not the first time a program is being organised on corruption. As a result, the question for us this evening is:

What difference can this program make? Is it going to be like one of these unproductive concerts that are organised just to engage the people because they have nowhere to go on holidays?

No , no, no!

How then do we make the difference?

It is our duty not to only speak against corruption, but to act against corruption anytime and anywhere.

Corruption cannot be eradicated by one person, it demands the hands of every one of us. If you stop corruption and I continue in it, I give corruption oxygen to survive. If I stop corruption and you continue, you give corruption oxygen to survive. Corruption will stop if we all decide to fight it. Let us together strip corruption naked, lets suffocate corruption.

Thank you.

The Wills Anti-corruption Foundation: integrity is not for sale!

Organization: The Wills Anti-corruption Foundation (The WAF)

Writer: Williams Osei

Editors: Christopher Nyame, (Teacher), My own GiovHONEY (Spoken Word Artist)

Tel: + 233 545 322 678.

End corruption, it is a sickness, it is a canker.

The Wills Anti-corruption Foundation is an up-coming non-profit organization that seeks to fight corruption, injustice, laziness and other poor attitudes among Ghanaians and Africa as a whole. We give free public lectures on corruption, injustice, laziness and other poor attitudes and how they can be curbed. You can search for The Wills Anti-Corruption Foundation on Facebook to get access to other wonderful write-ups. Thank you.

Below is a list of some published articles

When a black and white uniform replaces the integrity of the Blackman.

When the Blackman thinks the key to success is the White man.

When the Blackman owns nothing. Africa, what do you have?

When a continent trains its own thieves. Is Africa thinking?

What my politician never told me. Is Africa thinking?
Thousands of members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Saturday partook in the party's Annual National Delegates Conference at Cape Coast in the Central Region.

The conference gave the party the opportunity to take stock of its achievement in the last few years.

The conference which was themed: NPP, delivering on our promises, our roots, our strength, our future was in two sessions with the first being a meeting of the National Council and National Executive Council (NEC) where the national leaders accounted for their stewardship to the party.

President Akufo-Addo and his Vice also addressed the gathering.

The second session had a a rally held at Victoria Park where the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, his Vice, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as well as some ministers of State, took turns to address the gathering.



Photos by Joseph Ackon Mensah/citifmonline.com/Ghana
The phrase "I am incorruptible" was persistently used by the sitting President and still repeating it in office. Repetition is what makes fake news work and it seems the President and his propagandists use it as a stable of political propaganda. Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf, "Slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea" I have written several articles on the President's eloquence and how he is using that natural gift to manipulate the masses.

It is a phenomenon the opposition and all who genuinely want to see corruption buried, must watch carefully. Hearing and hearing again can trump reality. Leaders use their power to get things done to their advantage. The President per what his own lieutenants tell Ghanaians openly, is using personalised power to make personal gains. He repeatedly tell us he is working for our greater good but engaging in behavior that are morally wrong.

We all heard the President's comments when the BOST issue came up, we heard how he cleverly crashed the "whining issue" how he nicely combined humour with eloquence to rubbish the issue, we saw how he constantly praised his cousin the Finance Minister when the $2.25 billion bond issue broke up, we saw how he danced around the vigilante (Delta force/Invisible force) issue and addressing delegates at their delegates conference, we heard what he said about corruption few hours after his own lieutenant Kennedy Agyepong, has told Ghanaians that his cousin[Nana Akufo-Addo] Gabby Otchere-Darko and one Duke, collect $30,000 from people who request to see the President before they are granted permission and access to the President.

Civil Society Organizations, pastors, journalists etc who vehemently attacked and chastised Mr Mahama and his appointees over unsubstantiated corruption allegations reported in the media, have suddenly lost their corruption fight appetite.

I am just imagining what would have happened if same allegation was made against Mr Mahama by his close aide during his tenure. What our pastors and CSO's should know is that leaders can become intoxicated by power and may engage in wrong behavior simply because they can get away with it and that is exactly what we are witnessing.

His party members and leadership are willing to collude and make things appear okay because he is the President. Ken Agyepong, told us associates of the President have established 800 oil marketing companies and told us why the BOST boss must not be touched by the President and we all saw how the matter ended, we saw how state agencies NPA included, were forced to circumvent their regulations to protect the BOST boss. Can we sincerely describe our President as incorruptible with all these revelations?

I hope those who hold the phrase "I am incorruptible", saw the Chinese at the Npp delegates conference with the Npp colours. They should find out how the Chinese use kickbacks, bribes to manipulate African leaders, they should read about the Siemen's manipulation system in Africa how the company manipulate African leaders with a special fund allocated for overseas contracts. It is no secret that China is propagating corruption in Africa and Ghana is not excluded.

The Vice- President his calabash begging expedition in China in opposition, now tell us the $19billion government is taking from China is not a loan facility and our anti- corruption crusaders are quiet. In Angola, same issue came up China proposed low-cost loans of about 1.5% to be paid back in oil. This deal was opaquely handled and the facilitator was a daughter of the Angolan President who is currently rated the richest woman on the continent.

The Chinese in collaboration with the Angolan government made sure the deal was sealed devoid of public scrutiny and that is exactly what this President and his government are doing with the so called "Leveraging deal" with their Chinese counterparts. This administration has started giving huge contracts to some Chinese companies without due diligence and competitive bidding.

The Procurement ministry was strategically established to daze anti corruption crusaders. So far, all contracts offered these Chinese did not go through competitive bidding and our procurement tenets were not followed. We all heard the Vice- President and lies he told the delegates. When did proposals and targeted policies become achievements. The mentioned state electricity etc.

How many megawatts of power has the new administration added to what it inherited? Policies they are going to implement in September, were mentioned as achievements of the new administration. I am sure the President has heard Otiko Djaba's 30% school feeding job protocol allocation. I am still imagining what our anti corruption crusaders would have said if this obnoxious directive was given under Mr Mahama.
Kinshasa (AFP) - The number of people displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, mainly in the volatile Kasai region, has nearly doubled in the past six months to 3.8 million, a United Nations official said Saturday.

George Okoth-Obbo, the number two official at the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR), said food and clothing was needed for the 1.4 million in Kasai who have fled their homes in violence that has killed more than 3,000 people.

"Immediate protection" was required, he told AFP on the last day of a three-day visit to the country, in particular for children "who are sleeping in conditions that are difficult to imagine".

In the southeastern province of Tanganyika, clashes between Bantus and Pygmies have also forced thousands to flee, as has the long-running violence in the Kivu region, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council, an NGO.

In Kasai, violence erupted last September after the death of a tribal chieftain, known as the Kamwina Nsapu, who rebelled against the authority of President Joseph Kabila's regime in Kinshasa and its local representatives.

The killing sparked violence that has escalated, including alleged violations of human rights such as extrajudicial killings, rapes, torture and the use of child soldiers.

In addition, about 33,000 Congolese have fled Kasai for Angola, and "the conditions today in Kasai are such that we cannot encourage or promote the return of refugees," Okoth-Obbo said.

At the same time, the country is also having to cope with the arrival of about 500,000 refugees fleeing fighting in Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan and the Central African Republic -- where about 60,000 people have fled to DR Congo this year, he said.
Some countries have come to believe that for its country to grow, they need to diversify into other sectors and make it attractive for people to visit all in the name of tourism and that has been working.

We have seen many Nigerians travel either to other African countries or abroad on vacation and what they do is to go visiting various tourist sites which has been grossing huge amount to the developed countries.

When it comes to things in Nigeria, the government believes that oil is the only way forward and even the money that comes from oil is being mismanaged by these public office holders and Nollywood actor, Yomi Fash Lanso is really bitter about this.

The actor paid a visit to Ondo state recently and he was amazed by the beautiful mountain the state is blessed with yet the government cannot capitalize on such to build tourist attraction sites.

In his words, A visit to this place in Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State will leave you spellbound. Pure natural beauty with a captivating mountain. An alluring scenery. Our government needs to start paying attention to TOURISM, and if dem no know HOW make dem consult ME o jare
Nigerian base Nollywood actor, Hank Anuku, is really looking cute than when he was having his dread lock on as he recently stepped out for an interview session with Ghana TV channel.

The actor in a recent interview with Nollywoodgists.com disclosed that he took off his dreadlocks after God told him during a prayer session on the mountain.

There is every possibility that the actor best fits the pulpit looking at the way he now goes around like a pastor in his fashion outfits.
Nollywood actor, Nosa Rex, cant seat back to count his blessings because the good Lord has been so faithful with his family and has spared his life to celebrate with them.

The actor and wife recently celebrated their 2nd year wedding anniversary as they are also blessed with a cute baby girl as they are expecting baby number 2.

How would the year 2017 have been like if the actor had passed away 2016, after he and his friends were involved in a fatal accident along Benin road.

Thank you for putting up with all my faults and celebrating all my good qualities ... Big things all day baby .... #2years #happyweddinganniversary , he shared.
Nollywood actress, Lizzy Anjorin, since converting to Islam, has been able to remain committed to the religion that she has the grace to travel to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage.

When many are busy waiting on the government to take them for the Holy pilgrimage, the actress made her own journey to avoid stories that torches the heart of flight delayed or lack of funds.

Sharing some photos from the Holy land, the actress was seen filled with joy as she had her 1st Jumat in medina, knowing that Allah has been very good to her and everything that concerns her even sparing the life of her daughter who is doing fine in the university.
In todays Money MorningRussia getting in on the crypto gamea different breed of digital currencywho wants to buy a central-bank controlled cryptocurrency?and more

The Russian government is getting in on the crypto boom.

First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov was quoted by Russian news agency RBC saying he supported a crypto-ruble. A Russian national cryptocurrency. But it should develop in such a way that the national economy cannot be put under attack, but rather make it stronger. (Translated.)

Is this the moment that crypto truly goes legit? Or are they missing the point entirely?

Lets look at a little bit of history to find out.

Bitcoin was born in obscurity eight years ago, somewhere on the internet. Some details are vague, and probably always will be. Even the creator (or creators) remain a mystery. We only know their pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto.

One thing that we know for sure are the reasons it was created. Bitcoin was, originally at least, an alternative to central banks and government controlled currencies. Thats clear from the original whitepaper when it was launched. And its always been a major theme in online discussions around bitcoin and other cryptos.

Today, the crypto world is closer than ever to becoming a full alternative. But its not there yet.

As far as we know, theres no one on earth who has migrated fully into bitcoin, or any other currency. There are an increasing number of retailers accepting bitcoin, especially online. But I suspect that it still isnt possible to live your whole life in the crypto-economy, without ever resorting to fiat currency.

Were on the way, but nowhere near that world yet.

A major nation producing their own officially-approved cryptocurrency would definitely accelerate mainstream adoption. Many of the conveniences of cryptocurrencies would be a part of this proposed Russian crypto. Fast, more secure online transactions with vastly lower costs. A purely digital currency without as much need for physical infrastructure.

But distributed, community led control of the currency is, obviously, not part of the plan. First Deputy Prime Minister Shuvalov says that this is to prevent the economy being attacked, and make it stronger.

That doesnt sound to me like someone who intends to let the crowd freely decide what they want.

The focus on anonymity for users will also likely fall by the wayside. Governments dont typically like to trust people with anonymous transactions. And the Russian government doesnt strike me as a likely exception.

Anonymity and freedom from central control are vital to the appeal of bitcoin, and other cryptos. I dont see many international users dropping bitcoin for crypto-rubles, or whatever it will be called.

With the full backing of the Russian government, their state crypto is likely to succeed. Within Russia, at least. But what happens to every other cryptocurrency? Would the Russian government allow Russians to keep using bitcoin alongside their more restricted, supervised crypto?

In reality, they probably couldnt stop them. Cryptos havent had much trouble spreading around the world without government blessing so far. I cant see anyone successfully regulating a digital asset designed from the start to be anonymous and beyond government control.

Any more than I can imagine the global crypto community embracing a government controlled crypto.

Obviously I cant see the future, but I dont predict that crypto-rubles will make a serious dent in other cryptocurrencies, or their increasing place in the online economy.

To learn more about cryptocurrencys incredible potential, and the very real risks for investors, check out Sam Volkerings latest special report.

This week in Money Morning

On Monday Ryan wrote about the efficient market hypothesis, and why he doesnt think its all that its made out to be. Ryan argues that, in reality, information is consumed and understood at different rates by different people. And those people come to wildly different conclusions based on the same information. Simple examples from real life show why. And Ryan explains why this means you have a unique advantage as an individual investor. An advantage that most investors fail to use. To read how you can use it to your benefit, check out Mondays Money Morning here.

Are electric cars killing the oil market? Will they?

Its not hard to find headlines claiming that they are, or soon will. But Ryan argues that this story may be overblown. And hes got the numbers to back him up. In Tuesdays article, he explains why you should take another look at oil.

Your own expectations can be your greatest enemies when investing. The collective expectations of the markets can lead to disaster  or opportunity. On Wednesday Ryan looked at how cognitive biases can anchor or shift our expectations as investors. And he explains why its the truly unexpected events, not the ones that everyone is already wary of, that can confound expectations, and really move the markets. Read the details here.

Thursdays article looked at insiders, and why you should pay attention to their actions. Ryan isnt suggesting that these insiders are illegally trading based on information that hasnt been disclosed to the market. No, its just that the CEO and board of a company are more likely to fully understand that information, understand its context, and invest accordingly.

This isnt just speculation on Ryans part. As he explained, a recent Harvard Business School study of US stock markets showed that insiders trading their own companys stock beat the index by 6% a year.

Which is interesting, when you look at the oil sector. As was discussed earlier in the week, the oil sector is pretty unloved at the moment. Popular sentiment isnt strong.

So why, then, are insiders across the oil industry buying? Ryan thinks he knows. To read his explanation, you can find Thursdays Money Morning here.

On Friday, Ryan looked at how one commoditys strong performance could be a bullish sign for the global economy. And an indicator of a recovery for the wider resources market.

Its a big call.

Ryan does note that its too early to be sure. But if you wait until everything is certain, the best opportunities will be gone. To read Ryans argument, and the possibilities for your investments, click here.

Regards,

Tyler Jefferson,

Editor, Money Weekend
'The big truck is still on ...
- JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede explains how the exam body has regularised over 400,000 admissions for students among various irregularities in the last one year

- The registrar claims many universities and other tertiary institutions engage in irregular admission of candidates

- He also stated that the recent lowering of cut-off marks to 120 and 100 would give schools the opportunity to do what's right

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has said that in the last one year that the exam body has regularised over 400,000 admissions for students who had scored below cut-off marks, among various irregularities.

The registrar speaking in an interview with The Punch on Friday, August 25, said many universities and other tertiary institutions had engaged in the irregular admission of candidates for 10 years.

Legit.ng gathered that the former vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin also said within his first six weeks of resumption as JAMBs Registrar, at least 100 tertiary institutions had asked the board to regularise the admissions of 17, 160 students, who had similarly not been admitted the proper way.

READ ALSO: Governor Fayose reveals why he did not attend President Buhari's meeting with state governors

Oloyede said such institutions had been making pronouncements on cut-off marks that they had failed to follow, adding that the recent lowering of cut-off marks for the boards Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination from 180 to 120 and 100 would give schools the chance to do the right thing.

He said: We have cleared over 400,000 of such cases and it had been going on for 10 years. And because we asked them to come forward with these cases, they came forward. They did not score the publicised cut-off marks and they were in the universities, but we did not have their statistics because we were imposing a centralised cut-off mark on them.

They (VCs) will leave you in Abuja with your centralised cut-off mark, admit who they want and graduate them. They have been doing that, but we are saying, Let us do things properly.

Oloyede said he was surprised upon his appointment as JAMB Registrar that institutions had been conducting such admissions.

He, however, noted that some universities in the country had been strictly following rules, including refusing to admit any candidate who scored below cut-off marks. He said, I can give you the statistics of all the universities that have admitted candidates with 120, 130, 140 (UTME) scores in the last 10 years. They have come to JAMB to regularise. If they want to challenge me, by the time we bring out evidence, some of them will be ashamed.

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Legit.ng previously reported that JAMB revealed that the decision to reduce the cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions was done by stakeholders in the education sector.

The examination body had been criticised for the new cut of mark it released for the 2017/2018 academic session but it revealed that this was done to make the process more flexible.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians complaining about the hassle of JAMB registration:

Source: Legit.ng
- The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has issued a strong warning to candidates over the 120 cut-off mark

- The exam body stated that the 120 cut-off mark does not guarantee automatic admission

- JAMB also announced that admission processes for 2017/2018 will begin on September 15

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned candidates that the 120 cut-off mark, does not guarantee automatic admission into higher institutions.

JAMB, through its official Twitter account stated this, however the exam body offered more explanation.

The statement read: The 120 cut off mark doesnt mean an automatic ticket for admission. Institutions will still admit using established criteria of merit and others.

READ ALSO: 400,000 irregular admissions for students was rectified in one year  JAMB registrar

Candidates with higher marks will be considered first.

Meanwhile JAMB also announced that the admission processes for 2017/2018 will start on September 15, 2017 and close on January 31, 2018.

The exam body also added that the direct entry applications for admission would close on September 15.

The Head of JAMB Information and Media, Dr Fabian Benjamin, explained that students could only secure admission after they might have passed through the rudiments of admission processes.

According to The Nation, Benjamin explained the admission process saying: We have come up with the Central Admission Processing System (CAPS) this year.

This entails that once candidates are admitted and the institution approves, then JAMB will approve. The information about the candidates will be keyed into CAPS automatically.

Candidates can monitor their admission process through CAPS online and those who want to get admission letter can do so by printing such online.

According to him, CAPS will make record gathering easy and give easy access to students to print their admission letters, among other things.

Legit.ng had reported that JAMB revealed that the decision to reduce the cut-off marks for admission into tertiary institutions was done by stakeholders in the education sector.

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The examination body had been criticised for the new cut of mark it released for the 2017/2018 academic session but it revealed that this was done to make the process more flexible.

Prof. Ishaq Oloyede who is the registrar of JAMB said the board recommendation was to only provide the institutions with a benchmark and that universities could raise their cut off marks above 120 but not more than 180.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians complaining about the hassle of JAMB registration:

Source: Legit.ng
Saturday

Atonement Lutheran Church, 1290 Sierra Granda Blvd.: The youth ministrys fall kick-off event takes place at 7 p.m. All youth in seventh through 12th grade are invited. For more information, call Jon at 245-7004.

Sunday

Free Day at the Zoo, at Faith E Church, 3145 Sweet Water Drive: Everyone is invited for coffee and donuts at 10 a.m., music and teaching at 11 a.m., and a free lunch and free access to ZooMontana for the day, starting at noon. For more information, go to faithe.org.

Billings Association of Humanists meeting at First Congregational Church, 310 N. 27th St.: Humanists in History: Thurgood Marshall is the topic at 1 p.m., examining the life and impact of Thurgood Marshall on the 50th anniversary of his appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court. A Biography Channel video about his life is shown, and a discussion of his legacy and the current state of civil rights in the United States also takes place.

St. Johns Lutheran Ministries, 3940 Rimrock Road: Pastor Marci Muir, staff chaplain, leads worship in the Ocee Johnson Chapel at 7 p.m.

Atonement Lutheran Church, 1290 Sierra Granda Blvd.: Confirmation orientation begins at 5 p.m. For more information, call the church at 245-7004.

Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2032 Central Ave.: Woody Henry presents Civility and Civil Disobedience: Where Do We Stand? at the 10:30 a.m. service. Unitarian Universalists have a long history of promoting social justice in America. Beginning with activism in the abolitionist movement to end the evils of slavery and involvement in the Underground Railroad prior to the American Civil War, many Unitarians, along with Quakers and other religious groups, actively engaged in promoting social justice.

Pilgrim Congregational Church, 409 36th St. S.: After the 9 a.m. coffee fellowship, Pastor Steve Heppner leads the 10 a.m. worship service themed God is worshiped because he reveals himself through us, based on Matthew 16:13-20. Julie Bender and Hunter Braaton give scripture readings, Revelations From Catechism for Confirmation, and Sharon Baldwin leads special music.

Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, 2940 Poly Drive: The Rev. Stacy Seibrasse is the guest speaker at the 10 a.m. worship service. August birthdays are celebrated at a coffee fellowship after the service.

First English Lutheran Church, 1243 N. 31st St.: The Rev. Ken Crouch, pastor of Mayflower Congregational UCC, is the guest pastor at the 10 a.m. worship service. All are welcome.

American Lutheran Church, 5 Lewis Ave.: Kids of all ages are encouraged to bring their backpacks to the church services at 8:30 and 10 a.m. Pastor Tim Tostengard and Pastor Elizabeth Sillerud will bless each of the children and help them start off the school year under Christ's guidance. All children and educators are welcome.

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 180 24th St. W.: At the 9:30 a.m. worship service, the Rev. Dr. James McDonald, president of San Francisco Theological Seminary, preaches his sermon Therefore, based on Exodus 3:1-15, the story of the burning bush, and Romans 12:1-3 and 9-21, focusing on overcoming evil with good. McDonald worked for 13 years at Bread for the World, a faith-based grassroots advocacy organization in Washington, D.C., that urges policymakers to reduce hunger in this country and around the world. In addition to being a seminary president, he is an international policy analyst and led a broad legislative coalition that secured substantial debt relief for the worlds poorest countries.

Monday

Atonement Lutheran meal at the Play Inn, 1422 Main St.: The Marvelous Monday Meal takes place at 6 p.m. For more information, call the church at 245-7004.

Wednesday

Billings Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2032 Central Ave.: Tippet Rise, an Outdoor Art Museum is the theme of the Community Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Woody Henry shares photos from a recent trip to the site, and Leila Farnum offers information about some of the artists and their works.

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, 180 24th St. W.: Pastor Susan Barnes leads a Bible study and discussion of Genesis 16-17 at 3 p.m.

Thursday

Alzheimers presentation at WyndStone Theater, 1920 Wyndstone Way: A special showing of Alzheimers: Every Minute Counts, a short documentary, and a discussion led by the Alzheimers Association takes place from 2-3:30 p.m. To reserve a spot, call Vivian at 655-7700.

Other news

Eyeglasses collection at Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ, 2940 Poly Drive: Mary Helgeson is collecting new and used eyeglasses to take to Madagascar, where shell visit Peace Corps volunteers. Donate glasses of any kind, including sunglasses, at the church 8:30 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at the 10 a.m. Sunday services, through Sept. 10.

Financial Peace University at Shiloh United Methodist Church, 1810 Shiloh Road: Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University will take place at the church at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays starting Sept. 5. The first class is on "Super Saving" and is free. Childcare will be provided. For information, call the church at 656-0050.

To submit items

The deadline for submitting information for the Faith Guide is noon Tuesday for consideration for publication in the upcoming Saturday edition. The items should be special events open to the public and of interest to readers outside your congregation.

You may mail information to: Faith Guide; Billings Gazette newsroom; P.O. Box 36300; Billings, MT 59107. Items also may be faxed to 657-1208 or emailed to citynews@billingsgazette.com. Be sure to address faxes or emails to the Faith Guide. Or you may drop off your item at The Gazette, 401 N. Broadway; please mark it to the attention of Rachelle Lacy.

Items are used as space is available.
- The IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu has reacted to the Nigerian governments call to revoke his bail conditions

- He also said that the IPOB will continue to use civil disobedience as a potent weapon in the protection of Biafran people

- Kanu insisted that his election boycott order on November 18 Anambra governorship elections still remains

The leader of Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, has reacted to the federal governments call to revoke his bail conditions.

Legit.ng gathered that in a statement personally signed by Kanu in reaction to the federal governments call for the revocation of his bail, the IPOB leader said pro-Biafra agitators will continue to use civil disobedience as a potent weapon in the protection of Biafran people from the dictatorial tendencies of the Buhari administration.

READ ALSO: Governor Fayose reveals why he did not attend President Buhari's meeting with state governors

His words: The directive to service chiefs to clamp down on IPOB is a continuation of the Buharis dictatorial and un- democratic approach to governance. I find it unacceptable, abhorrent, and insulting that somebody elected by the people can turn around to dictate to them.

Buhari was elected to govern Nigeria; he should get on with the business of governance and not try to instigate another war.

I insist on the boycott of November 18 Anambra governorship elections, because only the beneficiaries of the crumbs from Aso Rock will support those calling on me to rescind the boycott order.

The call for boycott of the election is our legitimate right. IPOB has only one weapon with which to fight Nigeria, and that is civil disobedience not armed conflict. If we decide not to vote in Anambra, it is our prerogative. It is not targeted at Governor Willie Obiano or anybody.

We have refused to be provoked to arms rebellion. That is what Buhari is looking for. Buhari wants a war but we wont oblige him because we are civilised people. We are democrats at heart by nature and by essence.

No amount of threat or intimidation would make him give up the struggle for Biafra autonomy because it is a genuine cause.

We are not armed and we can never be armed. IPOB has done a lot to free other ethnic nationalities from the Caliphates bondage of retrogression and economic emasculation. Other ethnic nationalities should be grateful to IPOB for giving them the courage and the heart to speak up and say they are not slaves.

We are not afraid because IPOB is a peaceful mass movement and not a violent arms group. IPOB is a non-violent peaceful mass movement. There is no recorded event of an injury sustained in any of the numerous IPOB gatherings. People converge in their millions to listen to this gospel of the restoration of Biafra.

We are the most disciplined, most well behaved mass movement anywhere on the face of the earth despite the genocidal killings, arbitrary arrests, illegal detentions with- out trial.

We are not fighting Nigeria as a state. We are not fighting any governor. We are not fighting any individual because we are a global organisation.

We are fighting a lopsided, fundamentally corrupt system that has held people down in abject poverty for decades, leading to premature deaths, high scale unemployment, and complete decimation of the economic landscape. We are fighting a system which has made the rest of us slaves to people who are not qualified to hold public office.

Do you think that if things were working very well that anybody would want to leave Nigeria? I am a pan Africanist. I want to establish good governance that will extend to the ends of Africa. The way Nigeria was formed and handed over to a band of scavengers can no longer be tolerated.

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The agitation is not against anybody. We are pursuing an ideal nation where hospitals and schools can function.

"IPOB is building roads but the media will not report that. We dont molest people because we are under oath to defend those that cannot defend themselves. We cannot bring one to our people but we must agitate.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the federal government of Nigeria listed the reasons why it wants the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to be re-arrested and detained.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians speaking about Kanu's Biafra secret service:

Source: Legit.ng
- Misau is accused by police of being a lying ex-officer who did not leave the force properly

- The police wants Nigerian Senate to release the lawmaker for questioning in order to answer for allegations of forgery

- The Force says Misau does not qualify to be a senator because his name is still on the police register

Senator Isa Hamman Misau representing Bauchi Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly has been declared wanted for questioning by the Nigeria Police Force.

Reports say the police want to speak with Misau over alleged forgery and desertion from the force among other things.

Misaus trouble began after he told National Assembly Correspondents on Friday, August 25 that there is huge corruption in the police involving payments for special security services to corporate bodies, oil firms and highly placed citizens in the country.

The lawmaker also accused Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris of being involved in high-level extortion.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu reacts to federal governments call for his rearrest, says IPOB will fight back

But police spokesman Jimoh Moshood says Misaus accusations are all false.

Moshood said: His real name in the Police is DSP Mohammed Isa Hamman, with Police number AP No. 57300. He is still a Police Officer and not a Senator because his name is still in the Police Service.

Senate will do the nation good by asking him to return to the Nigeria Police Force to face disciplinary committee and answer all the charges bordering on serious misconduct, unprofessional wrong doings as earlier contained in our press statement released today.

We want the public to know that he is not fit and proper to be a Senator of the federal republic of Nigeria; because that purported retirement letter he displayed today was forged.

All DSP Hamman was saying were cheap blackmail, distraction and deliberate acts to derail investigation.

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So the force will want the Senate Ethics and Privileges committee which we have confidence and trust into see reason to ask him to dress up in his police uniform to come and appear before police disciplinary committee to answer charges against him.

The IGP has no use to distractions DSP Hamman is instituting before the public, and no matter the position any person is, once he or she runs afoul of the law, he will be made to answer the charges.

Recall that Legit.ng had reported on Friday, August 25 that the police high command submitted a petition to the senate to order its committee on ethics and privileges to probe Senator Isah Misau, representing Bauchi central.

The police made this demand as result of allegation by the senator accusing its engagement in high level corruption in the recent promotion exercise.

Legit.ng gathered this in statement signed by Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) in Abuja, on Thursday, August 24.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians sharing their opinion on whether the Senate should be scrapped or not

Source: Legit.ng
- Former Kaduna governor Balarabe Musa has revealed why some ethnic groups are issuing quit notice to other ethnic groups in Nigeria

- He described the groups as saboteurs who want to destroy the country

- The former governor urged the government to take the right steps to arrest the development in the interest of peace and progress

Former Kaduna governor Balarabe Musa has said that saboteurs were behind groups issuing quit notices to Nigerians living in some parts of the country.

Daily Trust reports that Musa, who condemned such notices in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday August 26, said that the development was a threat to Nigerias unity.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu reacts to federal governments call for his rearrest, says IPOB will fight back

Legit.ng gathered that the People Redemption Party (PRP) leader was reacting to the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB)s reported rejection of the withdrawal of quit notice given to Igbos to leave the north, and a fresh quit notice given to Yoruba and Hausa persons resident in the Niger Delta to quit the region before October 1.

The quit notices are designed to escalate tension in the country and promote disaffection among citizens. Clearly, the issuers of such notices are irresponsible groups being backed by some people in their respective regions to issue the notices.

Such backers are saboteurs ready to undermine the unity of the country for their own parochial ethnic and political interests. It is sad that issuance of quit notices to Nigerians resident in other states is now the order of the day.The development threatens the unity of the country and the peaceful co-existence of all citizens.

The groups issuing the threats are not doing that alone. They are actually acting scripts by some people in their regions who are supposed to be leaders. These backers are saboteurs who are bent on undermining the unity of the country for their personal and parochial interests, he said.

The former governor urged the government to take the right steps to arrest the development in the interest of peace and progress.

On the rejection of quit notice withdrawal by IPOB, Musa said that such rejection was not relevant because IPOB could not force Igbos, who had chosen to live in the North, to leave by October 1.

The former governor noted, however, that the northern youth group that issued the quit notice did not have the power to implement their threat.

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All these groups issuing quit notices and threats do not have the powers to do anything.They only create tension in the polity and threaten the peace of the country. They cant tell people where to live. They are nonentities who are just claiming an influence they do not have, he said.

He said that the responsibility to keep the country together was that of every citizen, and urged leaders and politicians to promote peaceful co-existence in their respective regions (NAN)

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the pan-Igbo organisation Ohaneze Ndigbo has accused the federal government of being biased in the latest move to get IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu arrested.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nnamdi Kanu being released from Kuje prison in May this year after meeting his bail conditions:

Source: Legit.ng
- Ekiti state Governor, Ayo Fayose has declared that he would not leave behind any abandoned project in the state

- Fayoses tenure as Ekiti governor would end in October 2018

- He also said that he would still do many projects that would distinguish the state capital from other towns before the expiration of his tenure

Ekiti state Governor, Ayo Fayose, on Saturday August 26 promised that all ongoing projects embarked upon by his administration would be completed and handed over to his successor in good condition next year.

Fayose, who spoke at the Grand- Finale of the 2017 edition of the Udiroko Cultural Festival in Ado Ekiti, said no single development project embarked upon by his administration would be abandoned; the biting economic recession notwithstanding.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu reacts to federal governments call for his rearrest, says IPOB will fight back

Legit.ng gathered that the governor was the chief host at the cultural event in his capacity as the newly installed Apesin chieftaincy title holder in Ado Ekiti.

He listed his administrations projects to include the N5.7bn over-head bridge (fly- over) in Ado Ekiti as well as the N3.8bn ultra-modern Kings Market in Ado Ekiti.

Fayose also cited the new High Court Headquarters project in Ado Ekiti and the local government headquarters dual road projects across the state, among others.

He said that he would still do many other things that would distinguish the state capital from other towns before the expiration of his second term as governor in October 2018.

The governor asked for the continued support and cooperation of all residents, including traditional rulers, toward taking the state to a higher pedestal.

The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe, in an opening address, thanked the governor and his administration for always supporting and committing funds to the Uditoko festival since coming into office.

He commended the governor for his ability to maintain peace and tranquility among the different segments in the state since coming to office.

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Adejugbe also commended the state police command for living to expectation in securing lives and property.

Highlights of the celebration included paying of homage to the king by his chiefs, shooting of local gun into the air, exchange of traditional and cultural greetings as well as cultural dance and display, among others (NAN).

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that Governor Ayodele Fayose revealed why he did not attend the meeting President Muhammadu Buhari had with the 36 states governors.

Watch the Legit.ng TV video below to see how some Nigerians reacted when asked who they would go for between Fayose and Buhari in the 2019 presidential election:

Source: Legit.ng
- Onwuemeodo, Okorocha's media aide, says there were no deaths recorded

- After denying the reports, the state government also ordered security agencies to investigate the matter

- Earlier reports had claimed that at least one life was lost during the demolition exercise which was reportedly resisted by some traders

Imo governor Rochas Okorocha has denied reports that at least one life was lost when a stray bullet hit a boy during the demolition of a market in Owerri, the state capital on Saturday, August 26.

In a press statement released late on Saturday by Governor Rochas Okorocha's chief press secretary Sam Onwuemeodo, the state government denied any death.

It described reports of death as 'wicked rumours'.

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu reacts to federal governments call for his rearrest, says IPOB will fight back

The statement read: "It has come to our knowledge, the deliberate and Concerted effort being made by some elements who do not love Progress to use the relocation of the Ekeukwu Owerri market, to blackmail the government of the day and perhaps cause undue tension in the State.

Governor Okorocha wearing a smile amid heavily armed security at the demolition on Saturday, August 26. Photo: Laila's blog

"These people who have refused or failed to appreciate the good of relocating Ekeukwu market Owerri to a more acceptable area have been dishing out rumours upon rumours including rumours of people being shot dead. These are wicked rumours.

"The truth is that the Market is governments Property and it is the decision of the government to relocate it to a better place and such action could not have led to such incident.

"The Security Personnel around the market were there to ensure peace and they played that role professionally.

"We are also aware that before now the hoodlums who have been using the market and environs as areas of their Operations have been threatening fire and brimstone over the governments decision to move the market.

Traders locked out of the market on Saturday. Photo: Laila's blog

"These hoodlums had also embarked on looting which led their being Confronted by some of the traders and it took the timely intervention of the Security Personnel to restore Order in that part of the market.

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"Unfortunately, those who hate progress have gone out with certain disturbing Claims and have also posted some photographs that have nothing to do with the Owerri issue on the social media just to see if they could discredit the government and the patriotic action taken in the overall interest of the State.

"And Nigerians who have been following events in the State would attest that for almost two years the government has been announcing its intention to relocate the Ekeukwu Market to a better place.

The market after the demolition on Saturday, August 26. Photo: Laila's blog

The governor has asked the Security agencies in the State to investigate the rumours for the truth to be ascertained."

Recall that Legit.ng had earlier reported that a young Nigerian boy was reportedly hit and killed by a stray bullet in Imo state.

The innocent boy was said to have gone into the market to help his mother move her wares after the government began the demolition of the ancient Eke Ukwu market in Owerri.

Armed security operatives at the demolition. Photo: Laila's blog

While the traders and occupants of the market protested wildly against the move, the demolition still took place.

A huge number of soldiers were said to have been deployed to the market area ahead of the demolition.

Other reports claimed the death toll was higher.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video of Nigerians' reaction to rats in the presidential villa

Source: Legit.ng
The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on August 21 regarding its proposed rule changes on Medicare payment and delivery reform enacted by MACRA (Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act). The MACRA legislation represented a complete overhaul of the structure of physician payments under Medicare with a new framework called the Quality Payment Program (QPP), which went into effect January 1, 2017. AANEM provided extensive comments and suggestions to CMS on how to improve the performance-based payments for all physicians but, specifically, for neuromuscular and EDX physicians. Many AANEM members have struggled to meet the various requirements of the current QPP and past Medicare value-based programs ("Meaningful Use of EHRs," PQRS and Value-Based Modifier) because the programs simply weren't designed with most specialists or sub-specialists in mind. While the changes proposed in this rule demonstrate that CMS is beginning to listen to specialists and organizations, like AANEM, there are still improvements to be made. For a summary of the changes in the rule, please visit CMS's website: https://qpp.cms.gov/docs/QPP_Proposed_Rule_for_QPP_Year_2.pdf.

The Final Rule implementing MACRA is due to be released this fall. In the meantime, AANEM will begin updating the MACRA/QPP member resources on its website: http://www.aanem.org/Practice/Medicare/MACRA.

Source: https://www.aanem.org/News/Advocacy/AANEM-Comments-on-2018-MACRA-Proposed-Rule
Radiologists and medical imaging business managers will learn strategies to overcome professional challenges in reimbursement, practice sustainability and demonstrating value at the ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum.

Registration is open for the third joint meeting of the American College of Radiology (ACR) and Radiology Business Management Association (RBMA). It will be held Jan. 1214, 2018, in Phoenix, AZ.

"The ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum provides a unique educational experience for top radiologists and radiology business managers. Every year the forum brings together nationally recognized experts to address the hard questions that radiology is facing," said Frank J. Lexa, MD, MBA, program cochair and chief medical officer for the ACR Radiology Leadership Institute. "This interactive program will equip attendees to succeed in tackling challenges ranging from reimbursement and regulation to burnout and team performance," he added.

"Practice Leaders Forum attendees will assess the needs of their practices, set goals and develop value-infused action plans that address performance gaps," said Keith Chew, MHA, CMPE, FRBMA, program co-chair and past president of the RBMA.

Sessions will cover:

Lessons learned from the first year of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the Quality Payment Program (QPP)

Economic shifts and how to succeed in new practice models

Strategies to better demonstrate the value of radiology

Solutions for recruitment and retention issues

Learn more about the ACR-RBMA Practice Leaders Forum, including registration, team pricing, program schedule and faculty information. Early-bird registration ends Oct. 9; attendees may earn 18.5 CME, RBMA Credits and Category A Credits.
Dr. Richard A. McIndoe, bioinformatics expert and associate director of the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, has received a $12.8 million grant to continue to lead a national research initiative focused on reducing the complications of diabetes.

This is the fourth time McIndoe has been selected to lead the administrative, scientific and informatics infrastructure for the Diabetic Complications Consortium, a program of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Nearly 10 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Complications from the pervasive disease include nerve and kidney damage, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and stroke as well as skin and eye complications, according to the American Diabetes Association.

The Diabetic Complications Consortium (see http://www. diacomp. org) provides a cross section of support designed to move science and ultimately patient care forward, including funding short-term studies in animals or humans to better understand and prevent complications, the primary cause of diabetes-related deaths, says McIndoe, who is also a Regents Professor in the MCG Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

DiaComp also supports summer programs for medical students to inspire the next generation of diabetes complications investigators as well as scientific gatherings on relevant topics. The consortium's Pilot & Feasibility Program is a competitive, peer-reviewed program that provides $100,000 in funding for one year to enable researchers to pursue novel complications treatment and prevention strategies. About 20 grants are awarded each year from more than 80 proposals, a roughly 20 percent funding rate that is slightly above the average 18.1 percent success rate for the National Institutes of Health's research project grant. The research project grant, commonly called RO1, is the NIH's oldest grant mechanism for supporting health-related research and the NIH's largest single category of support. RO1s, which average today about $428,000, typically require significant justifying data be in hand when an application is made. One goal of the Pilot & Feasibility Program is to enable investigators to obtain the pilot data needed to secure an RO1, McIndoe says.

"There are some very clever people with some very good ideas but they just don't have enough data to be able to submit for a full RO1," he says.

A recent five-year analysis indicates the consortium's approach works: 59 percent of consortium awardees submitted new NIH grants within five years and 37 percent received funding.

"Not every grant is going to result in a larger grant and significant scientific findings that will translate to healthier patients, and we know that going into it. But if you hit more often than not, which we have been successful at doing, it will move the science forward," McIndoe says. "It's a wonderful program to build the knowledge base about diabetic complications."

Early in the process each cycle, the consortium's External Evaluation Committee determines a short list of high impact areas of diabetic complications research that fall within the realm of the NIDDK and are eligible for DiaComp support. Applications are submitted in June, and award notices typically go out in September. This year's foci include innovative technologies to analyze tissue from organs most affected by diabetes, such as the kidneys, and biosensors that can improve understanding of the damage diabetes does to various cell types. Others include thin bacterial films called biofilms, a virulent community of microorganisms that's role in diabetic complications has not been well explored; the relationship between insulin resistance, an early indicator particularly of type 2 diabetes, and neurological problems like dementia; and novel ways to block diabetic complications.

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The consortium's Summer Student Program provides support to first- and second-year medical students who want to do research at the nation's NIDDK Diabetes Centers, see niddk.nih.gov/research-funding/research-programs/diabetes-centers, over the summer. This program funds about 18-20 students annually and concludes with an annual August gathering and poster presentation at Vanderbilt University. A big message at that conference is encouraging students to become physician-scientists, McIndoe says. There also are roundtable discussions with residency program representatives about what they look for in future residents as well as future funding opportunities for the young investigators.

The Conference Support Program enables organizations to start new conferences in the area of diabetic complications. The Collaborative Funding Program looks to support novel clinical trials that will improve the outcome of diabetic foot ulcers, a common cause of lower leg amputation in patients with diabetes that can result from poor circulation and nerve damage.

McIndoe manages the myriad of information generated, disseminated and received through programs like the funding and student programs and has developed automated or semi-automated programs to ease the processes. This cycle he also plans to update the consortium's website. The extensive raw scientific data generated through the work of the consortium and its awardees is shared broadly with the scientific community. "I like the idea of providing a clearinghouse for diabetic complications data; there really is no other place that does that. You can think of it like an electronic lab notebook," McIndoe says.

Unlike data published in journals, which only provides a glimpse of the actual information obtained, the consortium makes complete data sets available to scientists who may have a different interest or angle. It also helps scientists reduce unnecessary replication and fine-tune their work.

Diabetes has been McIndoe's career-long focus, beginning with his PhD work in immunology and molecular pathology at the University of Florida, which he completed in 1991. He joined the MCG faculty in 2002 and in 2008 was recognized as an emerging research and development leader at a Georgia research university with a Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator Award.
Hokkaido University scientists has developed a new mathematical model which accurately forecasted that a devastating cholera epidemic in Yemen would peak by early July, the 26th week of 2017 and the cumulative incidence would be the order of 700-800 thousand cases.

Cholera, which is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae, infects the small intestine through water and food. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal cramps and dehydration. Yemen has been hit by one of the world's worst cholera epidemics, in particular since April 2017. A total of 356,591 suspected cases were reported between April 27 and July 17, of which 1,802 people died.

Epidemiologic research has been conducted globally, using mathematical modeling to study transmission dynamics of major cholera epidemics, mostly with regard to the 2010 epidemic in Haiti. Many studies were conducted to study and evaluate measures to contain cholera epidemics, with most centering on how best to distribute limited resources. But virtually no real-time analyses of data from devastating outbreaks, like the one in Yemen, were conducted to frequently provide updated forecasts.

After the cholera outbreak in Yemen, the team compiled a real-time forecast based on weekly data collected by the World Health Organization (WHO) about suspected cases and fatalities between April 16 (16th week of the outbreak) and July 1 (26th week). The team incorporated reporting delays--time lags between the onset of the disease and the reporting of cases--in the mathematical model by analyzing the epidemic curve that was updated every week. It also discovered a method, through the study of weekly death rates, to adjust the ascertainment bias--the tendency that more cholera cases likely will be reported after many cases have already been reported rather than in the initial phase of the outbreak. Incorporated in the epidemic curve is a logistic curve or generalized logistic (Richards) curve.

The team estimated the cumulative cholera cases at the end of the epidemic would be 790,778 on the logistic model and 767,029 on the Richards model. The researchers estimated the epidemic curve would peak by the 26th week of 2017 and then drop monotonically in the subsequent weeks. The forecasted monotonic decline has been actually seen in WHO data by mid-August 2017.

"Our model succeeded in excluding two biases for the first time and the resulting forecast has been proven reliable so far. Real-time forecasting could assist enhancing situation awareness about the ongoing epidemic communication between experts and citizens while avoiding excessive pessimism, in addition to crafting future measures against cholera," says Hiroshi Nishiura of the research team.
A pan-European initiative led by the University of Plymouth designed to train the next generation of brain tumor researchers, has received funding of almost 3.7 million from the European Commission's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Program.

Together with partner organizations in China, the initiative is called AiPBAND and will train a new generation of entrepreneurial and innovative early-stage researchers in the early diagnosis of brain tumors.

The four-year initiative will focus on gliomas, a range of devastating and progressive brain tumors affecting around 25,000 people each year in Europe and responsible for the majority of deaths from primary brain tumors.

The potential for this project to boost research into brain tumors is significant - currently in the UK around one per cent of the total research spend on cancer is spent on brain tumors, yet they are the biggest cancer killer of children and young people under the age of 40. The creation of a new, skilled and entrepreneurially-minded generation of brain tumor researchers bodes well for the future of research into brain tumors and offers hope to millions around the world.

Some 14 fellows will be trained by experts in nine academic and three non-academic organizations participating in AiPBAND, belonging to five EU member states and six partner organizations (four in the private sectors and two international academic), with fields ranging from neuroscience, engineering (including big data science), healthcare to economics.

AiPBAND aims to address four key objectives. The first is to identify new blood biomarkers from patients with gliomas. Secondly those involved with the initiative will design three types of multiplex biosensor - plasmonic-based (which uses surface plasmons to achieve optical properties not seen in nature), graphene-based, and digital ELISA assay-based (a biochemical technique used mainly in immunology to detect the presence of an antibody or an antigen in a sample).

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Third and fourth are the development of a big data-empowered intelligent data management infrastructure, and cloud-based diagnostic systems.

Accuracy, sensitivity and specificity will be assessed through clinical trials. Individual research projects under the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (which supports those undertaking a doctorate, are a member of research staff, pursuing an academic career or thinking about applying the skills developed during their PhD in another career) will be carefully arranged into local training courses, network wide events, secondments, personalized career development plans and with strong involvement of the private sector.

This approach will ensure exploitation of AiPBAND's achievements, maximising the abilities of early-stage researchers in creative and innovative thinking, knowledge transformation, while encouraging a business-orientated mind-set and entrepreneurship.

AiPBAND includes participants from the UK, Sweden, Italy, The Netherlands and Belgium, as well as partnerships with organizations in China, Germany and The Netherlands.

Leading the project is Dr Xinzhong Li, Lecturer in Medical Statistics and Bioinformatics at Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry. He said: "This is an exciting bringing-together of a wide range of international inter-professional and inter-discipline expertise with one aim in mind - to futureproof research into brain tumors by creating a whole new generation of researchers. We are very grateful to the European Commission's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Program for this funding. We are looking forward to working with our partners on this game-changing project."
Women with higher urinary concentrations of a common type of flame retardant had reduced likelihood of clinical pregnancy and live birth than those with lower concentrations, according to researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The study, conducted in the Fertility Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital, is the first to examine associations between organophosphate flame retardants (PFRs) -- which are used in polyurethane foam in many products, including upholstered furniture, baby products, and gym mats -- and reproductive outcomes in women.

"These findings suggest that exposure to PFRs may be one of many risk factors for lower reproductive success," said first author Courtney Carignan, a research fellow in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard Chan School. "They also add to the body of evidence indicating a need to reduce the use of these flame retardants and identify safer alternatives."

The study will be published online August 25, 2017 in Environmental Health Perspectives.

One in six couples struggles with infertility--a proportion likely to rise as increasing numbers of people in developed countries delay childbearing. Previous studies have linked exposure to products containing hormone-disrupting chemicals, such as pesticides and phthalates, to infertility and poorer reproductive success.

The flame retardant PentaBDE, used in polyurethane foam, was phased out more than a decade ago after it was linked with negative health effects in animal and epidemiologic studies. PFRs were introduced as a safer alternative, but they have been found in animal studies to cause hormone disruption. Studies have also shown that PFRs can migrate out of furniture and other products into the air and dust of indoor environments.

For this study, the researchers analyzed urine samples from 211 women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center between 2005 and 2015. The women were enrolled in the Environment and Reproductive Health (EARTH) study, which looks at how environmental chemicals and lifestyle choices affect reproductive health. The statistical analysis took into consideration factors including maternal age and race, smoking history, and body mass index (BMI).

The researchers found that the urinary metabolites (products of a chemical that has been metabolized) of three PFRs-- TDCIPP, TPHP, and mono-ITP--were detected in more than 80% of participants. On average, compared to women with lower concentrations of these metabolites, women with higher concentrations had a 10% reduced probability of successful fertilization, 31% reduced probability of implantation of the embryo, and a 41% and 38% decrease in clinical pregnancy (fetal heartbeat confirmed by ultrasound) and live birth.

"Couples undergoing IVF and trying to improve their chances of success by reducing their exposure to environmental chemicals may want to opt for products that are flame-retardant free," said senior author Russ Hauser, Frederick Lee Hisaw professor of reproductive physiology and acting chair, Department of Environmental Health.

Further research is needed on the potential impact of male partners' exposure to flame retardant chemicals and on the joint effects on both men and women of exposure to different types of environmental chemicals, the researchers said.
When Coleen Anegon's husband, Tim, received a liver donation as a patient at the University of Michigan in 2014, she immediately felt indebted to the donor who gave him the gift of life.

She returned the favor when Tim passed away due to complications following the transplant, providing her husband's body as an organ and tissue donor.

Tim's daughter, Courtney Anegon, admitted she was disappointed when she heard her father's eye tissue would be used by researchers working to cure eye diseases instead of going to a specific person. That was until she discovered that tissue could help millions suffering from diabetic eye disease.

The Anegons recently learned of the gift's outsized impact when they met with Patrice Fort, Ph.D., whose laboratory at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center relies on tissue donation in its fight against vision loss.

"In research, we start with animal models and cell models, but those have limitations," says Fort, a research assistant professor in ophthalmology and visual sciences. "If we want to understand how diabetes affects the human retina, we will find the most meaningful answers with human tissue from eye donation."

Today, more than 32 million people worldwide are blind and 200 million others have moderate to severe visual impairment, according to Eversight.

Eye donation has fueled major advances in understanding blinding diseases such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. But researchers face a shortage of human eye tissue as the number of eyes donated for research continues to decline, according to a recent paper in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Donating hope

Through organ and tissue donation, families donate for a chance at cures or a new life for recipients. In Tim Anegon's case, he was on both sides of the process.

When Anegon, of Saginaw, Michigan, received a liver transplant, his family understood it was only possible because a donor gave the gift of life. Anegon died of complications after the transplant, and his family decided to be an organ donor family.

"He was 50 when he got sick. He had just turned 54 when he passed," says his wife, Coleen Anegon. "He lived a lot of life in those 54 years. He lived well and loved his children."

Meeting with researchers helped his family continue his story.

"Donating his cornea and eye tissue seemed so insignificant compared to an organ," says daughter Courtney Anegon. "But we realized from the researchers today that improving someone's quality of life is huge, in ways that we can't even begin to understand."

From donation to vision research

Fort says many people diagnosed with diabetes will experience retinal issues during the course of their disease, which causes varying degrees of vision loss.

"They start losing vision at some point, to some degree," he says. "For some of them it's going to be complete blindness, for others it's going to be a little bit more subtle, but all of them virtually will have problems with their vision."

At Kellogg, a repository of eye tissue that includes Anegon's is being developed to investigate aspects of diabetic retinopathy, including damage to blood vessels in the eye, inflammation and retinal cell death. The collection will include nondiabetic and diabetic tissue and is expected to be used for years to come.

Meanwhile, Eversight is working to increase the number of people who join the donor registry and consent to research to increase accessibility to eye tissue. The organization arranged the meeting between the Anegon family and Fort as part of its Hope and Healing program, which celebrates the gift of donated eye tissue to research.

"The Hope and Healing program gives families a chance to see the real impact of research donation," says Colleen Vrba, Eversight research programs manager. "Knowing that your loved one's donation is helping to find therapies and treatments for blinding eye diseases has a tremendous meaning for families."
Joanna Joshua, 39, panicked when she opened a letter from her family's insurer, Cigna, only to learn it was pulling out of California's individual market next year.

The Santa Clarita resident would have no choice but to change health plans.

"What am I going to do?" Joshua wondered. Her 2-year-old daughter, Jasmine Winning, needs heart surgery next year because of a rare disease she's had since birth. The toddler has had two heart operations already because she was born with a malformed heart  a condition resulting from Heterotaxy syndrome, in which internal organs are not where they should be.

Joshua believes it's critical to keep the same doctors for her daughter because they know her unique anatomy. Disrupting the relationship between Jasmine and her medical team would be a "threat to her life," the girl's mother said.

Cigna's decision, along with the recent news that Anthem Blue Cross will pull out of the individual market across a large swath of California, has prompted a key state lawmaker to propose legislation that would help seriously ill patients like Jasmine keep their doctors even if those doctors don't contract with the new health plan.

Anthem cited market instability, tied to uncertainty about federal policy, as a principal reason for pulling out. Cigna also cited instability. State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-West Covina) said the new bill, which he introduced, would protect vulnerable patients from being harmed by it.

"We have to make sure there's stability and some calm [for] the consumer," said Hernandez, chairman of the Senate Health Committee.

For people who buy their own insurance and have to switch plans because their insurer is pulling up stakes, the Hernandez bill would require the new plan to cover treatment by the same physicians, even if they are not in the new insurer's network.

The provision would apply for enrollees under treatment for a chronic, acute or terminal illness, and in cases of pregnancy. The coverage would be contingent on the doctor accepting the payment offered by the new health plan, and the insurer would have to continue covering the services of that provider for up to one year. The coverage could extend beyond a year if the patient were terminally ill.

Similar protections already exist for people with job-based insurance policies that are under the purview of state regulators.

Jasmine Winning is the poster child for the proposed new law  literally. If passed, it would be dubbed "Jasmine's Law."

Her two operations were performed by Dr. Frank Hanley, a pediatric cardiac surgeon at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Hanley is not covered by other health insurers selling in the ZIP code where Jasmine and her family live, the girl's mother said.

Individual policyholders in many other parts of the country could also be scrambling to keep their doctors next year. In Texas, eight health insurers pulled out of the individual market. By next year, Aetna will have completely withdrawn from the 15 subsidized marketplaces where it has sold at one time or another since 2014. Thousands of people in Nevada will not be able to buy subsidized health plans after Anthem pulled back from many counties in that state's insurance exchange.

The California bill would also modify an existing law that protects patients awaiting organ transplants. Under current statute, people in job-based coverage who are forced to switch health plans can keep their medical teams for up to a year if they're on a transplant waiting list. The proposed legislation would apply the same rule to people who buy their own insurance. And it would allow both employer-based and individual market enrollees to keep their doctors even longer if it took more than a year for them to get the transplant. They could receive follow-up care from the same medical team after the procedure.

California insurers are particularly concerned about the transplant provision of the bill, saying it could allow patients to see out-of-network providers "potentially for decades."

Mary Ellen Grant, a spokeswoman for the California Association of Health Plans, said in an email that the transplant patient provision would hamper insurers' ability to manage the cost of care for all their members.

Roughly 6,000 customers who have individual policies through Cigna will have to find new coverage next year, according to the California Department of Insurance. This year, Cigna is selling individual and family coverage in California's large urban regions, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego. It does not sell policies on the state's insurance exchange, Covered California.

A spokesman for the company, Joe Mondy, said in an email that Cigna is discontinuing service to individual consumers next year because of "the relative instability" of the marketplace. People who have job-sponsored coverage with Cigna will not be affected by the decision.

Cigna's footprint in the state's individual market has been shrinking for years, said Janice Rocco, deputy commissioner of health policy at the California Department of Insurance (CDI). That may be due in part to the fact that the company declined to participate in Covered California, she said.

In California, it has been more common for insurers to pull out from certain geographic areas than to leave the individual market altogether, Rocco said. But complete withdrawal is not unheard of. Right before Covered California opened for business in 2014, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare stopped selling to individuals, though UnitedHealthcare returned temporarily in 2016 before exiting again this year.

Next year, Anthem Blue Cross plans to close shop for almost 300,000 individual policyholders in about half of California's counties, and will sell only Exclusive Provider Organization plans (EPOs) in the areas where it remains.

Health consumer advocates say the retreat by the two insurers in California will be a "huge disruption" for patients, and now is the time to protect them with new legislation.

Angela Perry, a policy analyst at Consumers Union, said seriously ill patients should be guaranteed coverage that allows them to stay with providers they know and trust.

"There may be a treatment plan that's been designed to go on a long period of time," Perry said. "Changing the provider  throws all of the patient's treatment into disarray."

Jasmine Winning's mom, Joanna Joshua, doesn't know what she will do about her daughter's pending surgery at Stanford next year if she can't find a plan that will cover it.

That's why after getting the letter from Cigna in June, she drove 350 miles up to Sacramento to knock on the doors of state lawmakers.

Sen. Hernandez loaned her a sympathetic ear.

'"It's not just this kid," he said. "I'm sure there's other families that could potentially be facing similar situations."

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
Earth, wind, sky, clouds, rocks

Have me,

If you will.

This body  no longer young

Not quite old.

From the Earth we come, (capital E)

To the Earth we'll return.

When Lynn Scozzari wrote the beginning lines of that poem, "The Offering," in 2013, she was staring at a photo of a naked woman seated on a rock, her arms thrust open to a valley below. Scozzari herself was in a conference room of the cancer center at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif., seated at a table stocked with coffee and tissues.

The year before, Scozzari had finished treatment for stage 4 breast cancer. Now, she was meeting with other patients and survivors who were also writing about their cancer experiences. Their assignment was to pick a black-and-white photo from a collection of images spread out on the table and write about it.

"I remember I was very guarded because I had felt extremely vulnerable during my treatment," said Scozzari, describing how she felt when she joined the writing group. "The whole experience of being shuffled from doctor to doctor and poked and prodded  left me self-conscious and very protective."

But she quickly relaxed  and then she found her inspiration. She still keeps an electronic copy of the poem she wrote that day. "The photo spoke to me, and I was able to express something inside of me," she said. "The group helped me open up."

Scozzari credits the group's organizer, Sharon Bray, for that. Bray, a woman in her early 70s with a soft, gray bob and glasses, has led cancer patients and survivors in "expressive writing" workshops for more than 15 years. She has founded writing programs at three health care facilities in California.

She shares with her students a passion for writing, as well as that more harrowing kinship: In 2000, she learned she had a preliminary, noninvasive form of breast cancer known as ductal carcinoma in situ, in which abnormal cells appear in the breast milk ducts.

After writing throughout her radiation therapy, Bray now helps others write through their illnesses by leading workshops, authoring a column and maintaining a blog.

During her time in radiation, "I was asking big questions like 'Where do I want my life to go next?'" Bray said. "And I think that in the cancer groups that I lead, people are also asking, 'What will my life be about if I survive this?' and 'What will my life be about if I don't survive this?'"

Bray believes writing can help people cope with these difficult questions.

Expressive writing is about emotional disclosure, said Dr. Adrienne Hampton, an assistant professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Wisconsin. "It can be trauma-focused, or it can be aspiration-focused," Hampton said. "Really, the key is just that it involves either conscious or subconscious emotional processing around a given topic."

Expressive writing gained the attention of psychologists and medical doctors in the 1990s, when psychology professor James Pennebaker wrote a series of articles about the value of disclosure and writing in the healing process. Since then, multiple studies have revealed writing's salutary effects on people who are combating illnesses.

In a study of 107 patients with asthma or rheumatoid arthritis, participants were asked to write either about the most stressful event of their lives or their day-to-day experiences. The group that wrote about a traumatic experience had less severe symptoms four months later.

Researchers have found writing can reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, speed healing of wounds and improve the chances of quick re-employment after being laid off.

After her breast cancer diagnosis, Bray began reading about the work of Pennebaker. "All the light bulbs went off," she said, "and I thought, 'This is my work.' It was like a calling." She began by leading programs pro bono in 2001 at a Palo Alto nonprofit now known as Bay Area Cancer Connections.

In 2004, she founded a writing program at Stanford Cancer Center, and has since launched programs at Scripps Green and at the University of California-San Diego's Moores Cancer Center. She has also published two books about writing and cancer.

Cancer was not the first challenge Bray tackled with writing therapy. In 1968, she left her native California for Canada to protest the Vietnam War and accompany her husband, Larry, during his doctoral studies. He drowned while swimming one night about 13 years later, leaving Bray alone with their two young daughters. She began seeing a therapist and, as a result of her sessions, started writing poetry about her marriage and her husband's death.

It helped that her therapist looked like Robert Redford, Bray mused. But she especially appreciated a ritual they developed, in which she would write a poem and read it aloud at the beginning of a session, after which the therapist would say "thank you."

Bray found that simple response unobtrusive and affirming. She would later adopt it in her own workshops.

In 1989, eight years after Larry's death, Bray remarried and moved back to California with her new husband  also a native Californian.

Writing seems like a natural fit for Bray, who has some of an essayist's peculiarities. She begins an interview by warning that she may "wax eloquent ad infinitum" about her work, and she responds to bullet-pointed emails with long, narrative paragraphs in a fanciful Candara font.

But it took a while for Bray to become a full-time writer. She went through a string of occupations first: elementary school teacher, doctoral student in applied educational psychology and employee at an international career transition firm.

Most of Bray's workshops have 10 to 12 participants, run from two to three hours per session and last for 10 weeks. Participants learn about the groups in different ways, including online searches, physician referrals and fliers Bray puts up around the hospital.

People undergoing any kind of cancer treatment are welcome to attend, as are survivors up to five years out of treatment. The only people Bray discourages from participating are the newly diagnosed, because they are usually too overwhelmed with the immediate decisions confronting them to focus on a writing group.

Bray starts each meeting with a short, guided meditation and a quick warmup writing exercise. Then, the participants engage in a longer writing session based on a prompt. Afterward, Bray invites volunteers to read aloud what they've written and picks out one thing she especially likes about each person's work. Then she says "thank you."

Bray uses a wide variety of prompts: childhood memories, what you want most in a doctor, how you would approach cancer if it were a country. For the first class, the prompt is always the same: Write about the moment you learned you had cancer.

Tom Friedman, a licensed clinical social worker at Scripps who worked with Bray, said participants often told him how much they loved her program.

"It's not just a support group; she has a real curriculum that she's developed," Friedman said. "It requires a high degree of sensitivity and professionalism."

Sometimes workshop participants write essays, and sometimes they turn to verse. "I've had some of the most extraordinary poetry from people who are dying," said Bray. "When they read aloud, it brings the entire group to tears."

Some participants publish their work. One of them, Ann Emerson, was published in The American Poetry Review a few weeks before she died.

Bray's sessions often enhance the physical and emotional well-being of the participants. Cathy, a patient with breast and bladder cancer who asked to go by a pseudonym to protect her medical privacy, said she slept better on nights after the writing sessions. Scozzari said she felt more comfortable opening up to people about her cancer than she had throughout her treatment.

Cathy and Scozzari say the members of their respective groups have stayed in touch.

This summer, Bray moved from California back to Canada to be close to family. Friedman said Scripps Green has been unable to find a suitable substitute to lead its writing program.

Bray hopes to start a similar program in Toronto, helping new groups of patients and survivors explore their feelings about the most challenging  and in some cases, the last  chapter of their lives.

Ann Emerson, in the opening lines of one of her poems, summed up the grim yet hopeful perspective of many cancer patients:

I stand at the window where

the world ends, barely breathing,

reciting a poem to myself:

I believe in this ordinary day,

a day I can still make it outdoors alive.

This story was produced by Kaiser Health News, which publishes California Healthline, an editorially independent service of the California Health Care Foundation.
The Microbiome Immunity Project is a new, IBM-facilitated citizen science project by scientists from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, University of California San Diego, and the Simons Foundations Flatiron Institute. It will use the surplus processing power on volunteers computers to conduct millions of virtual experiments on behalf of the researchers. These experiments aim to map the three million bacterial genes found in the human microbiome and predict the structure of their associated proteins. The project will begin with the analysis of the microbiome in the digestive system.

This study aims to help scientists better understand the microbiomes interaction with human biochemistry and determine how that interaction may contribute to autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, Crohns disease, and ulcerative colitisillnesses that affect hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and that are being diagnosed with increasing frequency. With better understanding, scientists might be able to more easily prevent and treat these diseases.

Because studying the entire human microbiome would be almost impossible with traditional methods, massive supercomputing processing power is being crowdsourced via IBMs World Community Grid. Anyone in the world can help by simply volunteering to provide compute power. Heres how it works: People download a secure software program that automatically detects when a computer can offer spare processing power, then taps it to run virtual experiments on behalf of researchers.

The resulting data from millions of these experiments will be analyzed by the projects research team. The researchers will make that data publicly available to other scientists, accelerating the advancement of scientific knowledge and ultimately improved treatments of autoimmune diseases.

This type of research on the human microbiome, on this scale, has not been done before, said Dr. Ramnik Xavier, Institute Member and Co-Director of the Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard; Chief, Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital; and Director, Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Its only possible with massive computational power.

According to Dr. Rob Knight, Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Computer Science & Engineering and Director of the Center for Microbiome Innovation at UC San Diego, Had World Community Grid not existed, we wouldnt have even contemplated this project. By harnessing the efforts of volunteers, we can do something that exceeds the scale of what we have access to by a factor of thousands. For the first time, were bringing a comprehensive structural biology picture to the whole microbiome, rather than solving structures one at a time in a piecemeal fashion. 

The projects third principal investigator, Dr. Rich Bonneau, Group Leader for Systems Biology at the Center for Computational Biology at the Flatiron Institute in New York City, and Professor at New York University, ran World Community Grids first project, which studied the folding of proteins in the human body and has been cited by other experts in the field of protein function.

Anyone with a computer and an internet connection can join World Community Grid and sign up to support the Microbiome Immunity Project.

Since its founding in 2004, World Community Grid has supported 29 research projects in areas such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, Zika, clean water, renewable energy and other humanitarian challenges. To date, World Community Grid, hosted by IBM Cloud, has connected researchers to $500 million U.S. dollars worth of free supercomputing power. More than 730,000 individuals and 430 institutions from 80 countries have donated more than one million years of computing time from more than three million computers and Android devices. Volunteer participation has helped researchers to identify potential treatments for childhood cancer, more efficient solar cells, and more efficient water filtration.
Civil rights groups and Democrats Friday condemned President Donald Trump's decision to pardon former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of disobeying a court verdict ordering his agency to stop racially profiling Latinos.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) tweeted the move "makes a mockery of rule of law, & says communities of color can be targeted & abused w/ total impunity."

Tom Perez, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, noted that Trump announced the pardon "during a natural disaster that could hurt millions." "That's not presidential, that's a coward," said Perez, who sued Arpaio while serving in the Obama Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

A joint statement was issued by leading civil rights and racial justice organizations condemning Sheriff Joe Arpaio pardon. The statement said:

"For 24 years, Sheriff Joe Arpaio ruled Maricopa County with an iron fist. His desire to embody a "tough" image and quest for fame led Arpaio to become one of the most famous and nefarious Sheriffs in America. Entrusted with the safety and well-being of the over four million residents of Maricopa County, Arpaio instead turned the county into a breeding ground of humiliation, intimidation and racial profiling. And, his jails became inhumane facilities operating under a culture of cruelty. Communities were terrified by his illegal and mismanaged immigration enforcement, inmates died in his jails, and he used his leverage as a "law and order" proponent to become a heavy hitter in federal politics and raise vast sums for his reelection campaigns. A Presidential pardon of Joe Arpaio is a grave miscarriage of justice."

'In pardoning Joe Arpaio, Trump further clarifies his twisted view of what America should look like," said Judith Browne Dianis, Executive Director of Advancement Project's national office. "He envisions a country where white nationalists get a nod from the White House and rogue cops are encouraged to abuse their power and profile people of color. This move signals to police that even if the courts find them guilty of racial profiling, they will have the backing of the president of the United States."

The Joint Statement was issued by the following organizations: Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Heather McGhee, Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at UC Berkeley, National Congress of American Indians, National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA), National Urban League, PICO National Network, Race Forward, Race Research Action Council.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), one of Arpaio's legal foes over the years, called Trump's pardon a "presidential endorsement of racism." The ACLU, said pardoning the former sheriff "would just be the latest injustice to befall the countless people wronged by his years of racism, lawlessness, and abuse." Cecilia Wang, the deputy legal director of the ACLU, said the president "has chosen lawlessness over justice" and that the pardon amounted to "a presidential endorsement of racism."

Interim NAACP president Derrick Johnson said in a statement: "In the wake of the riot in Charlottesville started by domestic terrorists, neo-Nazis and white supremacists, Trump has once again shown us his true colors and his support for racism and violence. By pardoning Arpaio, Trump has endorsed Arpaio's abhorrent behavior and has opened the gates for other bigots to follow in his footsteps."

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, condemning President Trump's pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio said: "The unconscionable pardon of Joe Arpaio once again sends the troubling message that Mr. Trump sees himself not as president of the United States, but as the leader of a resurgent racist movement within our nation. It is even more disturbing that President Trump would use the cover of a potential natural disaster impacting millions of Americans to avoid public scrutiny of his reprehensible action.

"Joe Arpaio must be held accountable for his long record of violating the civil rights of Maricopa County's Latinx population, and carrying out a hate-filled agenda through extreme racial profiling," said H Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Senior Vice President for Policy and Political Affairs JoDee Winterhof.

"During his tenure, Arpaio has attacked nearly every marginalized community, including using anti-LGBTQ schemes to humiliate inmates at his 'Tent City' prison. By pardoning Arpaio, Trump is again aligning himself with his nationalist, racist, anti-LGBTQ supporters -- only two weeks after the violent extremism in Charlottesville."

The Hill pointed out that the pardon is Trump's first since taking office, breaking a barrier relatively early in his tenure. "Almost two years passed before Barack Obama issued nine pardons to people convicted of relatively minor offenses; George W. Bush waited only a few days longer into his first term to erase convictions for selling moonshine and stealing $11. But Trump eschewed his predecessors' modest lead, instead wiping clean a guilty verdict for criminal contempt of court for one of his staunchest political supporters after only eight months in office," the Hill said adding:

"Arpaio, who left office in January, ranks among the most controversial law-enforcement officials in American history. Phoenix-area voters elected him six times to lead the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department, which he governed as a proto-Trumpian figure for almost a quarter-century. Arpaio's harsh treatment of undocumented immigrants and criminal suspects brought him the adoration of Fox News viewers and multiple civil-rights lawsuits. He claimed former President Barack Obama's birth certificate was a forgery even after Trump himself had publicly abandoned that stance. And he shared Trump's disdain for the federal judiciary, frequently castigating the judges who oversaw lawsuits against him."

According to the Hill, Trump's pardon of Arpaio will likely rank among the most controversial exercises of the power. Other presidents have used it to absolve pirates, participants in tax rebellions, ex-Confederates, polygamous Mormons, socialists, anarchists, rumrunners, Puerto Rican nationalists, Vietnam War draft-dodgers, and Jimmy Hoffa. But only rarely has it been used to absolve a prominent political backer--much less one as divisive as Arpaio.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Putting real power into the hands of voters and consumers, has made bottom-up approaches massively disruptive for politics and brands. It's the present and future of politics and business. Rob Kall's book Bottom-Up pulls together the wisdom and experience of some of the leading thinkers who have brought the bottom-up revolution to full bloom."



Joe Trippi, pioneering Internet campaign manager of Howard Dean, digital campaign consultant
From Reader Supported News



Attorney General Jeff Sessions

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Just when you thought Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III couldn't get any worse, he did. Sessions last week urged the White House to nominate a federal judge and former "tough on crime" prosecutor nicknamed (I'm not kidding) "Hang 'Em High" Henry Hudson to an independent, bipartisan panel that issues sentencing guidelines for federal crimes.

Sessions' recommendation is for one of three openings on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which, during the Obama administration, recommended reductions in mandatory minimum sentences, especially for drug offenses, and which implemented an across-the-board reduction in sentences for nonviolent drug offenders.

More specifically, Sessions has ordered the Justice Department to urge the Commission to toughen sentences, especially for violent criminals, drug offenders, undocumented immigrant smugglers, and "career criminals." We probably can all agree that sentences should be tough for those people using violence in the commission of a crime or for those involved in human trafficking. But reinstating harsh mandatory minimums for nonviolent and/or first-time drug offenders is a mistake.

The problems with enhancing sentences for drug offenders and so-called career criminals are twofold. First, tough mandatory minimums simply don't work to reduce the crime rate. That's a proven fact. What does work, though, is rehabilitation and education, two things that are not found in the federal prison system.

When a person does 10 or 20 years (or longer) for a nonviolent drug offense, doesn't learn a skill in prison, or even how to read, and then returns home at the end of his sentence, what does Sessions think he'll do? He'll sell drugs, of course. It's the only thing he knows how to do. And in the meantime, the prisons are already full to bursting. The Bureau of Prisons accounts for a quarter of the Justice Department's entire budget. And its only accomplishment is to keep people in chains.

Second, what exactly is a "career criminal?" According to the Justice Department, it's any person with at least three arrests. It doesn't matter what those arrests are for, though. Do you have a DUI or trespassing charge from college? Strike one. Have you been arrested for protesting at a federal facility? Strike two. Any other federal arrest is strike three. Not only are you elevated on the federal sentencing chart, giving you a longer sentence, you face a tougher mandatory minimum, and your sentencing judge is not permitted any leeway in that sentence. You're treated the same way as somebody whose three crimes were murder, rape, and armed robbery. And remember, there's no such thing as federal parole.

The U.S. Sentencing Commission has seven members, but three of those slots are vacant; two more become vacant on October 31. By law, three of the members must be federal judges and no more than four can be members of the same political party. It's easy to get around that last proviso by simply naming a conservative Democrat or independent to the panel. The bottom line, though, is clear: Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions will control the Sentencing Commission in the next two months.

The only hope for holding off reimposition of the tough mandatory minimums that were lifted or eased during the Obama administration is through Congressional action. But don't hold your breath. Neither Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) nor House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has been able or willing to push an already-popular bipartisan sentencing bill to his respective floor for a vote. And even if they did, Donald Trump would veto it.

Reader Supported News is the Publication of Origin for this work. Permission to republish is freely granted with credit and a link back to Reader Supported News.
From Dispatches From The Edge

When the Catalans go to the polls Oct. 1, much more than independence for Spain's restive province will be at stake. In many ways the vote will be a sounding board for Spain's future, but it is also a test of whether the European Union -- divided between north and south, east and west -- can long endure.

In some ways, the referendum on Catalan independence is a very Spanish affair, with grievances that run all the way back to Catalonia's loss of independence in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). But the Catalans lost more than their political freedom when the combined French and Spanish army took Barcelona, they lost much of their language and culture, particularly during the long and brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco from 1939 to 1975.

The current independence crisis dates back to 2010, when, at the urging of the rightwing Popular Party, the Spanish Constitutional Court overturned an autonomy agreement that had been endorsed by the Spanish and Catalan parliaments. Since then, the Catalans have elected a pro-independence government and narrowly defeated an initiative in 2014 calling for the creation of a free republic. The Oct. 1 vote will re-visit that vote.

But the backdrop for the upcoming election has much of Europe looking attentively, in part because there are other restive independence movements in places like Scotland, Belgium and Italy, and in part because many of the economic policies of the EU will be on the line, especially austerity, regressive taxation, and privatization of public resources as a strategy for economic recovery.

When the economic meltdown of 2008 struck, there were few countries harder hit than Spain. At the time Spain had a healthy debt burden and a booming economy, but one mainly based on real estate speculation fed by German, Austrian, French, British and U.S. banks. Real estate prices ballooned 500 percent. Such balloons are bound to pop, and this one did in a most spectacular fashion, forcing Spain to swallow a bailout from the EU's "troika" -- the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission, and the European Bank.

The price of the bailout -- the bulk of which went to pay off the banks whose speculation had fed the bubble in the first place -- was a troika-enforced policy of massive austerity, huge tax hikes, and what one commentator called "sado-monetarism." The results were catastrophic. The economy tanked, unemployment rose to 27 percent -- over 50 percent for youth -- and some 400,000 people were forced to emigrate.

While the austerity bred widespread misery, it also jump-started the Left Podemos Party, now the third largest in the Spanish parliament and currently running neck and neck with the Spanish Socialist party. Podemos-allied mayors control most of Spain's largest cities, including Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona.

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00:28





Official sources said no casualty has been reported from Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, adding that no curfew has been imposed in these regions.





According to a spokesperson of the home ministry, Section 144 of CrPC has been imposed in nine districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Meerut, Saharanpur, Samli, Muzaffarnagar, Ghaziabad, Gautam Buddha, Bulandshahar, Baghpat and Hapur.





Under the section, assembly of four or more persons is prohibited. The situation in Uttar Pradesh is under control, the spokesperson said.





According to the command room in Delhi, section 144 CrPC has been imposed in all districts of the national capital, except central and north districts, he said.





In Rajasthan, as per state DGP control room in Jaipur, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Hanumangarh district, the spokesperson said.





Besides, three to four unidentified persons set ablaze office of station master at Bohra railway station in Kota rural district, where the situation is now under control, he added.





Maverick self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of rape by a court in Punchkula, triggering widespread violence and arson in Haryana where 30 people were killed and over 250 injured.

Prohibitory orders were imposed in all but two districts of Delhi, nine districts of Uttar Pradesh and a district of Rajasthan following widespread violence in Haryana and other places after the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief in a rape case.
Sherriff Joe Arpaio has been pardoned.

What does this signify?

Trump has assaulted the system of justice in the United States.

Arpaio's crime was repeatedly disobeying a specific, personal court order and ordering the people he supervqised to continue violating the constitutional rights of American citizens if they didn't look white enough. It wasn't a violation of an existing law. It was a direct repudiation and failure to obey the court. One might consider that more of an affront to the justice system than violating a law like possession of a gun or selling drugs.

Trump's pardon of Arpaio's is a direct attack on the institution of the judiciary branch. Perhaps his goal is to damage the reputation of the judiciary system so, when he is found guilty on multiple charges, people will not trust or accept the judicial decision.

This pardon sends a message that racial profiling is okay. It sends a message that police can violate citizens constitutional rights and get away with it.

Trump has the right to pardon anyone. But pardon power was not, in my opinion, given by the writers of the constitution to the president to be used as Trump has used it, to make a political statement, to garner political good will. As far as I know his abuse of the power is a first in history.

This grotesque abuse of power is a harbinger of what is to come. Trump has already been making inquiries into whether he can pardon himself. And it's hard to imagine that Trump has not already told anyone who would be a witness against him that he will pardon them. If that happens there will be a crisis worse than we already face. Or perhaps, the way to put it is that the crisis we are currently experiencing will metamorphosize to the next stage, where any semblance of the nations ability to hold Trump accountable, with the aiding and abetting of the party controlling the House and Senate laid nakedly evident. Unless the leadership of the Republican party takes action they will be surrendering their power and abrogating their responsibility to protect the institutions of justice.

Trump is wreaking a path of destruction on a road to fascism. Who can stop him? Currently, the only answer is the Republican leadership. So the question becomes 'How do the American people make them realize what they must do?'

What do you think?

RT @JohnWDean: Pardoning Arpaio goes way beyond his being a racist, a bigot, and defying the law. It's an attack on the Federal Courts' enf at  Ann Kallevig (@energy_ann) August 26, 2017

RT @NancyPelosi: .@POTUS pardon of fellow birther Arpaio makes mockery of rule of law, & says communities of color can be targeted & abused at  Kelley (@MsRainmist) August 26, 2017

RT @BernieSanders: By pardoning Sheriff Arpaio, President Trump has once again made clear where he stands: on the side of racism and discri at

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From Mike Malloy Website



Donald Trump

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TV pundits and politicians are speculating a lot lately about Trump's mental faculties, extending the line of questioning to press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders today. Of course she responded with multiple insults to Sen. Corker for his very real and rational concerns. The main symptom cited is his sudden jump in "tone," from somber to psychopathic from speech to speech and tweet to tweet.

Can we just settle this right now? Seems so obvious the question itself is crazy. Look -- Trump is Trump is Trump. There are no "two Trumps." There is no multiple personality disorder. There is, however, a TelePromptR. Whenever Trump sounds rational -- he is reading. That's the end of it. He doesn't care about what he's reading, often seems like he barely understands the speeches his handlers put in front of him. He's not invested in those sentiments -- he's likely seeing them for the first time. Sure sounds like it.

That is the "Fake Trump." He shows up whenever his staff shoves a paper in his hand or points him toward a screen and he dutifully -- sometimes painfully -- follows the words before him. This guy seems normal and "presidential" because the words he was given to read are rational -- he didn't write them. I'm sure Charles Manson could read the same words. Can't really give him a gold star for his ability to read, can we?

When he speaks off the cuff -- that's the "real Trump." Which, again, is the only Trump. The racist Trump. The p*ssy-grabber. The fake university president. The scam artist. He's a gold-plated grifter. This is the guy who built his fortune dispossessing black people early in his career. He's not a president, he's a shifty real estate mogul. He's a personality, a reality TV star -- and that is the role he covets.

Trump has one goal -- constant attention from as many sources as possible. He wants to lead every news cycle, and he does. He wants to be the #1 pop icon celebrity in the world, and he just might be. This is Donald Trump, Superstar. He cares nothing about being president, of Making America Great Again, of improving the lives of American citizens, or the infrastructure. All he craves is the power and the glory and the praise and the worship forever and ever, hallelujah, amen. Full stop. Does that make him crazy? Sure sounds like a psychopath with delusions of grandeur to me:

"Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which the patient presents with delusions...Delusions are a specific symptom of psychosis. Apart from their delusions, people with delusional disorder may continue to socialize and function in a normal manner and their behavior does not necessarily generally seem odd. However, the preoccupation with delusional ideas can be disruptive to their overall lives. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) defines six subtypes of the disorder characterized as erotomanic (believes that someone is in love with them), grandiose (believes that they are the greatest, strongest, fastest, richest, and/or most intelligent person ever), jealous (believes that the love partner is cheating on them), persecutory (delusions that the person or someone to whom the person is close is being malevolently treated in some way), somatic (believes that they have a disease or medical condition), and mixed, i.e., having features of more than one subtype.[2] "Psychopathy is among the most difficult disorders to spot. The psychopath can appear normal, even charming. Underneath, he lacks conscience and empathy, making him manipulative, volatile and often (but by no means always) criminal. Psychopathy is the most dangerous of all antisocial personality disorders because of the way psychopaths dissociate emotionally from their actions, regardless of how terrible those actions may be. "Psychopathy is a spectrum disorder and can be diagnosed only using the 20-item Hare Psychopathy Checklist, which is considered by clinicians and researchers worldwide to be the 'gold standard' in assessing psychopathy. On each criterion, the subject is ranked on a 3-point scale: (0 = item does not apply, 1 = item applies somewhat, 2 = item definitely applies). The scores are summed to create a rank of zero to 40. The bar for clinical psychopathy is a score of 30 or more. "The Robert Hare Psychopathy Checklist -- Revised: These are the 20 criteria: "-- Do you exhibit glib and superficial charm? "-- Do you have a grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self? "-- Do you have a constant need for stimulation? "-- Are you a pathological liar? "-- Are you cunning and manipulative?

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From WSWS

The August 21 collision between the Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain and an oil tanker in the Strait of Malacca, near Singapore, is the fourth such collision this year involving a major vessel of the US Seventh Fleet, which conducts operations in the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Ten sailors are believed killed in the collision, which had a devastating impact on the destroyer, which is only one-third the size of the tanker that struck it nearly broadside in the predawn hours of Monday. Some of the bodies have been recovered and the others are believed trapped in flooded compartments of the John S. McCain, where divers are conducting recovery operations.

Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, commander of the Seventh Fleet, was relieved of duty Wednesday and replaced by his deputy, Rear Admiral Phil Sawyer. Aucoin was due to retire September 7 and Sawyer was scheduled to replace him. The overall command structure of the Navy is unaffected, with Admiral Scott Swift remaining as commander of the Pacific Fleet, in charge of the largest regional component of the Navy.

While Aucoin's dismissal has a cosmetic character, it is believed to be the first time that a fleet commander has been removed since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. The highly unusual step, along with the accident itself, points to a deep erosion of morale as the navy has been engaged in a high tempo of operations, particularly as the Trump administration has intensified the confrontation with North Korea.

The McCain disaster follows three other collisions involving Navy ships in the Seventh Fleet this year: a January 31 accident in which the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam ran aground in Tokyo Bay; a May 9 collision between the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and a smaller South Korean fishing vessel; and the June 17 collision in Japanese waters between the destroyer USS Fitzgerald and a much larger Philippine container cargo ship, in which seven sailors died.

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson, the Navy's overall commander, announced a brief "operational pause" for all 277 ships worldwide to review procedures at sea, proper staffing of the bridge, navigation and lookouts, and other "fundamentals."

A full-scale investigation into the series of accidents is also underway, but Navy officials denied the obvious conclusion that ship crews were being overworked and overstressed by the rapid escalation of naval operations in the South China Sea and near the Korean peninsula.

As tensions with North Korea have sharpened, warships have been effectively on a war footing for months, with their crews constantly on edge facing the prospect of being flung into a major conflict.

The USS McCain had just arrived in the Singapore area after a tour of duty in the South China Sea, where the Navy has stepped up patrols over the past year.

In concert with the stepped-up US war threats against North Korea and the series of "freedom of navigation operations" near Chinese-held islets in the South China Sea, as well as increased operations in the Middle East, Black Sea and Baltic Sea, the average duration of deployment overseas for Navy ships has increased from six months to nearly a year. This means both tired crews and delays of major maintenance, which waits until a ship returns to its home port.

After initially ignoring the issue, the US corporate media began to give significant attention Friday, with the New York Times publishing a lengthy front-page report suggesting that US Navy ships, because of their stealth technology and low radar profile, could not be easily seen by the large commercial vessels that collided with them.

This is a red herring, since the obvious question is why Navy ships, supposedly operating on a hair trigger, "ready to fight" on a moment's notice, failed to detect huge ships bearing down on them while they were navigating busy waterways like Tokyo Bay and the Strait of Malacca, when alertness and constant watch would presumably be standard procedure.

Whatever combination of overwork and negligence is involved is not limited to the Seventh Fleet or even the Navy. The McCain disaster is at least the fourth mass casualty disaster to affect the US military in the last three months.

An Army UH-60 Black Hawk crashed into the Pacific Ocean off Honolulu, Hawaii August 15, killing five soldiers, three men and two women, engaged in a night training exercise. An extensive search effort was mounted over the next week but finally called off after scanning 72,000 nautical miles without finding anything more than a few scraps of fuselage, indicating a crash in which the helicopter and its crew were torn to pieces.

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Trump has become infamous for his outlandish statements. His reasoning is batty. And how can we even begin to describe the sheer volume of his proven to be false statements. He is the single greatest promoter of Fake News. Ever.



And, most importantly, his intent is precisely to anger people -- so he can manipulate them. And what is his favorite way to get people angry? Scapegoating non-white people using loathsome, outrageous falsehoods. He divides people according to their racial, ethnic and religious identity and sets them against each other. He's the Divider-in-Chief.



The fake stories he uses (which he gets from the right-wing/alt-right/white- racist media) to slander non-whites aren't just false. They are monumentally false.



He started this last campaign by repeating the right-wing fake news story that Mexico deliberately sends it's worst criminals into our country. Politifact (as well as other fact-checkers) did a well researched fact-check and rated the claim "Pants on Fire."



He said, in effect, that most, if not all, Mexican undocumented immigrants are drug bringing criminal rapists. The New York Times and many other news organizations cited statistics from various organizations like the Migration Policy Institute that show only 2.7% of undocumented immigrants have been convicted of a felony compared with 6% of the overall population.



Despite these facts, Trump not only wants you to believe his fake news story about criminal Mexicans, he wants you to think that they are after you white people. He has paraded out crime victims of illegal immigrants who just happen to be mostly white. But it is a well known fact that the vast majority of crimes committed by all racial/ethnic groups are committed against those same groups because most crime victims know their attacker. As Politifact stated, "these trends have been observed for decades."



You'd think that Trump, an avid news watcher, would know this. But then he saw a fake news site that reported outrageously false Black on White murder statistics which exaggerated the percentage of Black killers by a factor of 5.4 times. The site was traced to some neo-Nazi scumbag who wrote "Should have listened to the Austrian chap with the little mustache." Like all the other times Trump came across a right-wing/alt-right/racist- right fake news story, he bought it hook, line and sinker then promoted it like it had his name on it.







Then we have the infamous fake story that "thousands and thousands" of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the 9/11 attack as the world Trade Center came down. Again, a falsehood of monumental proportions that had been going around the right-wing/alt-right/racist- right fake news media for years. Trump was called out on it immediately because of its obvious falsity. But the right-wing/alt-right/racist- right media came to Trump's defense with "proof" that this was true. They found several reports of uncorroborated allegations of small groups of people celebrating. Police investigators took no action. Trump supporters called the radio stations swearing they saw small groups of Muslims celebrating, too. See? Trump was right! The only thing is, even if we accept these unverified allegations, Trump and his supporters are still short by a factor of "thousands and thousands."



How many is "thousands and thousands" anyway? I've asked several people their opinion because even Trump's critics were low balling that number. Politifact generously assumed that Trump meant only two thousand. They printed this graph to illustrate how that number compared with the most credible report they could find -- eight men celebrating on a rooftop:









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But Trump said "Thousands AND thousands". Other people suggested that number should be ten thousand or twenty thousand or fifty thousand or even more. Well I heard Trump himself tell us how many "thousand and thousands" are. Remember when he was complaining that the International climate agreement required participating countries to contribute a total of 100 billion dollars? He later referred to that number (100 billion) as "billions and billions and billions." So, simple arithmetic says he meant 66 thousand Muslims celebrated. And he saw it on TV.



I read a Breitbart article that defended Trump. The writer was attacking the Washington Post fact checker for giving Trump four Pinocchios for that whopper. But a Washington Post article from back then was found about allegations of a "tailgate style party" on an apartment rooftop which the fact checker failed to mention. So, sure Trump had "exaggerated" but that fact checker was a liar! The Breitbart writer then engaged in some interesting logic that unintentionally exposed the true nature of Trump's monstrous lie. He said, yeah, so Trump exaggerated somewhat but those "dozens" of celebrators represented many more Muslims who felt just like them but didn't actually come out to celebrate.



He had no real proof of even "dozens" of celebrators and even less proof that an exponential number of Muslims felt the same way. But if Trump wants his supporters to believe that the actual number was indeed "thousands and thousands" as he continued to insist even in the face of common sense and the lack of evidence, what does he want them to think about the Muslim American population in general? By your own logic, Mr Breitbart writer, Trump wants them to think that practically all the Muslims in this country want all of us non Muslims to die. That would justify the ban, the registry of Muslims and the crackdown on mosques he wants.

If you google "Obama most divisive President in history" you will find 388,000 results with countless Republicans and conservatives offering this opinion. According to them, race is the issue Obama is most divisive on. By their own measure, do you think Trump has Obama beat? Do you think they would admit it? Should we be referring to Trump as The Divider-in-Chief from now on?





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Donald Trump recently declared that those racists and fascists who carried torches and swastika flags in Charlottesville included some "very fine people." He is thus an American president now speaking with sympathy and admiration for neo-Nazis, while putting these fascists on a moral par with those opposing them.

For 70 years, since the end of World War II, a consensus held across the democratic world that seemed so obvious it barely needed stating: Some ideas are beyond the pale, that certain beliefs are taboo because they are unconscionable.

Whatever else we might disagree on, all but a tiny, isolated fringe understood and accepted that Hitlerism was out of bounds. Trump has now ditched that understanding, and by praising those marchers has stomped all over that taboo.

We need to teach one of the darkest chapters in human history with renewed vigor, as if for the first time. And we have to do it with the urgent understanding that this is no longer about the past -- but about averting a deadly future. [Paraphrased from The Guardian click here]

I can't help but note that Trump has in effect and in reality crapped on what has been called "The Greatest Generation." While I have many personal caveats about that appellation for the generation that brought us the atom bomb, the CIA, the FBI, the beginnings of unfettered capitalism, and more, I hold respect for those who truly believed in what they were doing, as they put their lives on the line believing they were defending our country.

I further note that in my Dad's case, he didn't have to join the infantry; the Army liked him working on search lights somewhere on Long Island, as he was doing an exemplary job at it. But war fever was still running high in 1944, and many or most of my Dad's friends had joined to fight in Europe. Those were the reasons he gave me when I asked why he joined the armed forces.

My Dad earned several medals of honor, including a Purple Heart, along with a machine gun bullet through his chest--narrowly missing his heart, as the bullet deflecting off his hand grenade belt--and and another that caused permanent disability in his left arm. The mental scars I can't imagine, as he watched several of his personal buddies get blown away by grenades, as he lay freezing his ass off in the trenches. He said that was one time he actually pissed his pants. I can personally not even imagine the horrors he witnessed. He was also amongst the soldiers called "The Iron Men of Metz," in reference to an attack on one of Hitler's strongest fortifications, that included many bunkers with seven foot concrete walls, tightly surrounded with mine fields and vast tangles of barbed wire. More on that below, but here is a story my Dad wrote from the time he was enlisted as a truck driver.

Red Ball Express, by Walter Geery

Shortly after we landed at Omaha Beach, we were bivouacked in between hedgerows where we had spent a night in pup tents, when Sgt. Broer came through calling out names. Jim Averell, Ned Herion, Lou Pallaro, and yours truly. These are the names I remember, there were more. The Sgt. told us to grab our duffel bags and our rifles and go down the road to another bridge where there was a Lieut. waiting for us. When we got there the lieutenant told us we were now truck drivers. If we had never driven a truck before, we were to get into one of this those standing in between the hedgerows and practice driving the "6 x 6" 2 ton trucks. I have never driven a truck so I practiced. Within a short time we were put in a convoy formation. Sixteen trucks to convoy and we were on our way to someplace along the coast to pick up supplies for Patton's men and the tanks. We established a base along the road just south of a town called Versailles. I do not remember how many runs we made, but we made quite a few from various places along the coast to just behind the battle lines. We hauled three different supplies: ammunition, food, and fuel to Patton's army. Patton's army used 400,000 gallons of fuel a day during August 1944. Lou Pallaro and I were assigned to the same truck. Lou had driven trucks since he was a little guy back on a ranch in Colorado. It was a pleasure being with Lou, he was a very good driver and a great guy to get along with. He taught me a lot about driving trucks. In the convoy we drove 24 hours a day three hours on three hours off, with the accelerator on the floor. We did slow down a bit going through towns. At night we traveled with no lights. As we went through towns in the dark there were MPs waving us through with flashlights.

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"It is the sense of Congress," according to the annual Intelligence Authorization Act now working its way through the US Senate, "that WikiLeaks and the senior leadership of WikiLeaks resemble a non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors and should be treated as such a service by the United States."

US Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) was the lone dissenting vote on the bill, which was approved by the Senate Intelligence Committee in late August. Wyden is on board with Congress's general anti-Russia/anti-WikiLeaks hatefest, but worries that the bill's "novel" phraseology might be "applied to journalists inquiring about secrets." That's a valid concern as far as it goes, but it doesn't go nearly far enough.

Simply put the US government's problem with WikiLeaks -- the basis for its claim of hostility -- is that WikiLeaks tells the truth about the US government.

WikiLeaks's disclosures include material on US war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan, torture at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, and US spy operations against putative allies (including a scheme cooked up by the CIA and then Secretary of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to spy on United Nations officials).

"Vault 7," the current round of WikiLeaks disclosures, reveals the tools the Central Intelligence Agency uses to compromise our computers, our telephones, even our televisions, Not to mention the tools it uses to spy on, get this, other US intelligence agencies.

Not that the US government is the sole target of this "non-state hostile intelligence service." WikiLeaks embarrasses governments around the world by showing their subjects the secrets those governments (yes, including Russia's) don't want them to see.

Ever since passage of the National Security Act of 1947, the US government's "defense" and "intelligence" apparatuses have accustomed themselves to growing and operating absent any obligation or accountability to the citizens and taxpayers who pay -- in treasure, and sometimes in blood -- for their games.

Bottom line: The CIA, the NSA and the other "alphabet soup" agencies of the US government spy on you, lie to you, and commit crimes in your name with presumed impunity. WikiLeaks merely shows you what they're doing, and has yet to be caught in a lie.

When the US Senate Intelligence Committee declares WikiLeaks "hostile," the obvious question is "hostile to whom?" WikiLeaks is allied with the American people, while the US intelligence community -- and, for the moment at least, the US Senate Intelligence Committee -- is our enemy.
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Mr Albert Kan-Dapaah, Minister for National Security, on Friday led a high powered government delegation to the Republic of Togo, Border Security Committee (BODSEC) sources told the Ghana News Agency.



The source said the delegation comprising security chiefs in Ghana and the Ketu South Municipal Chief Executive were ushered into Togo by Togolese security authorities around mid-day.



Reports say the team from Ghana was on a mediation mission between the Togolese government and the opposition.

Last week, Togolese across the globe staged street protests demanding term limits for presidents.



At a similar protest at Atakpame-Sokode, some kilometres from the national capital, Lome, two civilians and seven security persons were reportedly killed.



There have been political protests in Togo since 2014 for term limits that will bar President Faure Gnassingbe from seeking another term in office after the Constitution was amended for open term of office for presidents.



Meanwhile, a planned mother of all demonstrations by the opposition in Lome on Friday is yet to take place.

Source: GNA









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Activities at the Ghana-Togo border at Aflao early hours of Friday were sluggish as travellers apparently shy away for fear of danger following news of planned anti-government demonstrations in Togos national capital-Lome and other towns.



There were no queues at the frontier when the Ghana News Agency (GNA) visited the area in the usual morning rush hours.



The GNA spotted a few Togolese security personnel in reflectors and their Ghanaian counterparts who were virtually on holidays with only a few locals crossing.



The main bus terminal in Aflao was also empty with food vendors and other businesses complaining of low patronage.



Fridays planned demonstrations follow last weeks which went deadly claiming the lives of civilians and security men in Atakpame-Sokode, a commercial town some kilometres away from the capital.



The protesters are demanding term limits for Togolese presidents to end the Gnassingbes 50-year dynasty.

Source: GNA









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The 257 sq. miles lush valley in the Himalayan foothills of central Nepal has everything to experience Nepal in concise. For those on a business trip or taking a short escape from their work, Kathmandu valley offers beautiful short treks, White water rafting, Paragliding, Bungee jumping and cultural immersion tours. In additional day or two over weekend, one can even plan quick peak climbing or heli  trek in the nearby national park.

Himalayas seen from the short trek around Kathmandu valley

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Kathmandu valley is located at the altitude of 1,350 m in the hilly region of central Nepal. The valley is surrounded by lush hills rising up to 2,700 m and overlooking at the widest Himalayan range. Newars the aboriginals of Kathmandu, were recognized artists craftsmen during the ancient and medieval period. The valley is teeming with beautiful palaces, pagodas, stupas, pavilions and shrunken water spouts bedecked in century old art and crafts of Newars. Some writers truely said There are more festivals than the days in the calendar and there are more temples than the houses. The seven groups of monuments of Kathmandu valley were recognized as UNESCO Heritage Site in 1979.Things to do in and around KathmanduShort trek and hikesKathmandu valley is surrounded by lush hills rich in flora and fauna. Most of it is being preserved as Shivapuri National park. The park is famous for a scenic and short Kathmandu valley trek. There are beautiful day hikes to Nagarkot, Shivapuri, Namobuddha, Champadevi and Phulchoki hills. The day hikes and treks in Kathmandu valley provides true insight into country side lifestyle and landscape with panoramic view of central Himalayas.https://www.itournepal.com/tours/shivapurinationalpark.phpKathmandu sightseeingThe UNESCO Heritage sites of Kathmandu are known as living heritage for they are still part of people day to day life even after hundreds of years. It takes two full days to visit all of those seven groups of monuments. Each of them are different and overwhelming. Out of the seven, three of them are medieval palace squares of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Patan. They are at least 500 years old and exhibits rich architecture and wooden crafts. Pashuatinath and Changunarayan is temple complex with beautiful sculptures. Pashupatinath is the most preferred cremation site for Hindus. Here one can observe people from different walk of life carrying on the colorful rituals. Similarly Boudhanath and Swyambhunath are two biggest and must to visit pilgrimage sites for Buddhists.A day rafting tripTrishuli is the most popular white water rafting river in Nepal. Being short drive away along the highway to Chitwan and Pokhara, there is group joining rafting trip everyday throughout the year. The river is moderate in grade and is suitable for both beginners and intermediate.Bungee jumpingAbout 80 km northeast of Kathmandu, one can get the adventure of 160 m bungee jumping. This is second highest jump in the world but for sure is the most exciting. There is a fixed departure package trip with round trip transportation and lunch that individuals can join.Everest sightseeing FlightMt Everest is about 100 miles east of Kathmandu valley. Even though you will see the range with Mt Everest in one of the day hike or short trek around Kathmandu, it is quiet far to distinguish with naked eyes.However Mountain Flight or Everest sightseeing Flight is the best way to see Mt Everest while you are in Kathmandu. There are fixed wing regular flights leaving from as early as 6:00 am for the sightseeing of Himalayas east of Kathmandu till Mt Everest. Window seat is guaranteed and they also allow you to have cockpit view of Mt Everest.This is guaranteed flight that refunds you 100% in case of bad weather or Everest being not visible.Helicopter sightseeing and Heli-trekIt is also popular among tourists to take private Helicopter to Everest base camp, land there and fly back after having breakfast in Everest view Hotel the hotel at the highest point in the world.It is also possible to fly to higher and inner valleys in the Himalayas and just do short, scenic final part of the popular treks.Quick climbing trip from KathmanduWith the extension of dirt road, it is possible to drive further north from Kathmandu and climb some of the pristine peaks. One of such trip is climb to 3,800 m Ama Yangri Peak. It just takes 2  3 days round trip from Kathmandu. The base village Tarkeyghang is at 2,500 m is about 5 hrs drive away from Kathmandu. Spending a night in the village it takes about 6  7 hrs to climb the peak next day.https://www.itournepal.com/tour/kathmandutour.php
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Prophecy Development Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX:PCY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Prophecy Announces $3,108,000 Private PlacementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Prophecy Development Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Prophecy Development Corp.Source: Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX: PCY, OTC Pink: PRPCF, FWB: 1P2N, WKN: A2ALPW)Date: August 25, 2017Time: 11:15 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Prophecy Development Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Prophecy Development Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver, British Columbia (FSCWire) - Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX:PCY). has issued a press release with the following headline:Prophecy to Acquire Mountain of Gold Project in MadagascarTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Prophecy Development Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Prophecy Development Corp.Source: Prophecy Development Corp. (TSX: PCY, OTC Pink: PRPCF, FWB: 1P2N, WKN: A2ALPW)Date: August 25, 2017Time: 7:35 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Prophecy Development Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
The special celebration will highlight the importance that animals play in our world and provide opportunities to help and support local organizations and communities in Washington.

By: Animal World USA

Contact

Animal World USA

***@comcast.net Animal World USA

End

-- Animal World USA is pleased to announce that the 4th Annual Washington Week for the Animals is August 19-27, 2017! During the exciting governor-proclaimed week animal shelters, rescue groups, and humane organizations across the state will be hosting a multiple of fun-filled animal-related events. Clear the Shelters and International Homeless Animals Day kick off the weekend.During the exciting week, animal shelters, rescue groups, and humane organizations across the state will be hosting over 75 fun-filled, animal-related events. Educators, students, businesses and caring citizens will be joining in, as well, celebrating and helping animals. Events will include International Homeless Animals Day, Clear the Shelters, Olympia Pet Parade "Pets in Space", rescue group adoption days, spay/neuter low-cost events, shelter adoption/drive days, R.E.A.D. dog programs & book displays in libraries, Dog Days of summer, BarkFest & Rover Romp, PawsWalk, educational wolf tours, horse assisted therapy, birding activities, ways to help/adopt horses and farm animals, therapy dogs visiting hospitals & living-assisted homes, and a salute to our military and working K-9's.Also included in the spotlight are pet food drive/opportunities, veggie events & markets, low cost clinics, and themed events for families to come, help and enjoy the amazing animals! Please note we will be adding events and activities right up to & through the week. For more info, to become involved and see calendar, visit the website at http://www.waanimals.org/
During the exciting week, animal shelters, rescue groups, and humane organizations across the great state of Arkansas will be hosting over 50 fun-filled, animal-related events

By: Animal World USA

Contact

Animal World USA

***@comcast.net Animal World USA

End

-- Arkansas Week for the Animals has been proclaimed by Governor Asa Hutchinson! Educators, students, businesses and caring citizens are joining in, as well, celebrating and helping animals.Events include International Homeless Animals Day, Clear the Shelters, Soggy Doggy Pool Party, Horses for Healing Therapy rescue group adoption days, Solar Eclipse Weekend, spay/neuter free & low-cost events, shelter adoption/drive days, R.E.A.D. dog programs & book displays in libraries, Greyhound Adoptions and Meet n Greets, Owl Prowl, educational wildlife activities in parks, animal assisted therapy, birding activities, ways to help/adopt horses and farm animals, therapy dogs visiting hospitals & living-assisted homes, and a salute to our military and working K-9's.Also to be in the spotlight are pet food drive/opportunities, veggie events,and themed pet events for families to come, help and enjoy the amazing animals! Please note that events and activities will be added through the week.Please visit http://www.arkansasanimals.org/
Contact

Cirenia Aparicio Miranda DDS

***@trustdentalcare.com Cirenia Aparicio Miranda DDS

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-- For a dental practice in Mexico, it's highly important to keep up to date with the latest and most innovative procedures in the dentistry world on a global scale. For Trust Dental Care it's not enough to be the best clinic in the area, but we strive for being above the competition all over the world, this way we can provide the best service available. Period.Dr. Cirenia Aparicio Miranda, one of the leading dentists in Mexico, has always been a perfectionist and has been working hand to hand with Nobel Biocare, one of the world's most prestigious brands for dentistry equipment and research, to provide you with the very best for all your dentistry needs. Of course, involves a constant education that includes seminars and updates on equipment and procedures so you can have the best dentist in Tijuana.The On1 restorative concept seminar was held this past week by Prof Eric Rompen, head of the department of Periodontology,Dental Surgery and Dental Medicine and a Professor of Periodontology Dental Surgery at the University of Liege, Belgium, and Dr. Cirenia Aparicio Miranda was able to attend to keep improving her skills on this innovative procedure that Nobel Biocare is implementing on dental implants in Mexico.It moves the restorative platform of Nobel Biocare conical connection implants from bone level to tissue level. It remains in position from implant placement to finalization, which leaves the soft tissue undisturbed for optimized healing. The On1 restorative concept was first showcased at the Nobel Biocare Symposium in 2016.One of the experts behind the On1 concept, Dr. Bernard Touati, who is based in Paris, held a one-on-one Q&A session, answering delegates' questions on the concept. He then took to the stage during the Nobel Biocare Satellite Symposium to further explore the clinical benefits offered by this new solution.Dr. Hadi Antoun moderated the symposium. Preceding Dr. Touati on stage was Dr. Bart Vandenberghe from Belgium, who discussed the key considerations when using CBCT scanners for diagnostic imaging.Professor Eric Roman's seminar focused on the advantages this new procedure brings to the lives of patients while also making work much easier for dentists that are getting with the program.Trust Dental Care as always is on the vanguard for your convenience, providing the highest quality service by a dentist in Mexico. That's why we always keep improving and refining our methods, so you can be assured the treatment you get will always be up to the highest standards of international dentistry.For more information visit https://trustdentalcare.com/ dental-implants- mexico
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-25 20:03:58|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BERLIN, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Germany's budget surplus hit a record of 18.3 billion euros (21.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2017 thanks to its strong economy growth, German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) announced Friday.

The surplus, which represents 1.1 percent of the country's entire budget, provide a boost for German Chancellor Angela Merkel in her campaign for the next month's election, German analysts commented.

According to provisional results of Destatis, the revenue of German general government rose by 29.6 billion euros (34.9 billion dollars) to 723.8 billion euros (854.3 billion dollars) in the first six months, up by 4.3 percent on the same period a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the government expenditure in the first half has also seen a 4.3-percent growth to stand at 705.4 billion euros (832.6 billion dollars), Destatis said.

However, other Western countries are critical of Germany's finances, saying it is hoarding money when it should be spending more on infrastructure and public projects to boost the global economy.
Janelle Diller and Lisa Travis were friends long before they were coauthors. The creators of the Pack-n-Go Girls series of chapter books, aimed at girls ages six to nine (of course, boys are welcome, too), met more than 20 years ago. The two have a long professional relationship, having worked together at a community college, a tech firm, and a talent management firm. Perhaps most importantly, they also have a mutual love for world travel.

So, when Travis came up with the idea to write a childrens book series that features diverse girl characters on travel adventures, Dillerwho has published novels for adults, including Never Enough Flamingos and The Virus was right on board: Both of us have lived abroad and traveled extensively, Diller says. We know how travel stretches our thinking. We knew that if we could give any gift to young kids it would be [to encourage them to] be curious, travel, and get out of their comfort zones.

The first Pack-n-Go Girls book, The Mystery of the Ballerina Ghost (2013), features a Native American girl named Brooke who travels to Austria. Subsequent titles in the series feature Jess, an African-American girl who visits Thailand; Sofia, a Cuban-American who visits Brazil; and Wendy, a Chinese-American who travels to Australia. In the books, each nine-year-old protagonist meets another nine-year-old girl in the country that she visits and a mystery unfolds. So far, there are nine chapter books, as well as a coloring and activity book, with more on the way.

The authors planned to self-publish the series from the beginning. Part of this decision had to do with their desire to expand beyond the parameters of book publishing: We may be a book company, but were so much more, Travis says. In addition to the books and supplemental tools, they are also developing Pack-n-Go Girl toysa merchandising venture that they are modeling after companies such as American Girl. They learned that many publishing companies didnt want to deal with toys, and toy companies didnt want to deal with books, Travis says.

Choosing to publish on their own terms gave them more creative control and more responsibilitysomething they both take very seriously. When selecting an illustrator for the series, they compiled a focus group of second and third graders, having them look at sample art from several different artists. Adam [Turner] was their clear favorite, Diller says. We were glad, because he was our clear favorite, too.

Travis and Diller have focused on creating quality books that align with their mission while also ramping up their innovative marketing and outreach efforts. They regularly attend signings at bookstores and do author visits at schools, libraries, and special events. In order to broaden the classroom appeal of the books, they have created an exploration kit for each of the featured countries, with activities in math, science, reading, writing, geography, and art. They have been very active on social media, drawing attention to the Pack-n-Go Girls books on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. The Pack-n-Go Girls website is also a way for readers to find additional content relating to the travel destinations and to connect with a community of fans.

Using social media has also allowed Diller and Travis to better connect with writers, publishers, librarians, and educators who share their desire for more diversity in childrens books. When the We Need Diverse Books campaign started a few years ago, Diller and Travis began sharing the Pack-n-Go Girls books through associated networks. They have also been involved with the Multicultural Kid Blogs community and for the past three years have been sponsors of Multicultural Childrens Book Day.

Some Sanguine Advice

Their outreach has paid off. Though they didnt start out with money on their minds, Diller says, weve doubled our revenue every yearwere quite pleased with the trajectory. The duo began selling on Amazon and have added Ingram as a distributor to major and indie bookstores. They have also paired up with Follett and Mackin for the school and library distribution markets. This year they have added hardcover books to their paperback and e-book selections and intend to move on to audio adaptations for next summer, with the toys to follow.

Having found a successful business model that allows them the freedom to market and expand their franchise as they see fit, Diller and Travis have some advice for potential self-publishers. First off, a book must be well written, well designed, and error-free, Travis says. Professional editing, illustrating, and designing gets you noticed, she adds. Hard work and innovative marketing take you to the next level. Diller says passionsomething they bring to each new journeyis essential to a projects success.

And they themselves seek out adventures. Diller has visited more than 45 countries and lives on a sailboat in Mexico with her husband each winter; Travis has studied in Germany, traveled around the U.S. in a Volkswagen camper, and lived in South Korea. And, through the series, they and their readers have toured haunted castles in Austria, caught thieves in Mexico, saved dolphins and turtles in Brazil, searched for lost golden temples in Thailand, and chased aliens in Australia, Travis says. In addition to the adventures in the books, Travis adds, they hope to inspire readers to embrace adventure, be curious, value what unites us, and celebrate the differences that make us unique.

Were lucky in that, even beyond a story to tell, we have a mission behind our books, Diller adds. We really do want to change the world one reader at a time.
Reach for the Sky

N.K. Jemisins Broken Earth trilogy concludes with The Stone Sky, which debuts at #11 on our Trade Paperback list. The first and second books in the series won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2016 and 2017, with the second award coming just days before the new book pubbed. The accolades, which were both well-timed and well-deserved (PW starred all three books) helped the third book garner the best opening-week sales of the trilogy.

(See all of this week's bestselling books.)

Fortune Favors the Brave

Stella Parks, a James Beard Awardnominated writer for Serious Eats, debuts at #8 on our Hardcover Nonfiction list with her first cookbook, BraveTart. Our starred review praised Parkss ingenuity and whimsy, evident in her homemade recreations of American supermarket treats such as Twinkies and Oreo cookies. Judge them however you want, but theyre a valid and deeply ingrained part of our culture and our culinary heritage, Parks recently told PW. I wanted to reclaim those things.

Movie Watch

The movie tie-in edition of The Mountain Between Us, the 2011 romance-disaster novel by Charles Martin, debuts at #15 on our Mass Market list. The film stars Idris Elba and Kate Winslet as survivors of a plane crash in Utahs Uinta Mountains. After its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, the movie will open in the U.S. October 6.

New & Notable

Hail to the Chin

Bruce Campbell

#9 Hardcover Nonfiction

The star of the Evil Dead franchise and author of books including 2001s If Chins Could Kill (164K print copies sold) recently described his dichotomous personality to PW: I play tough guys, but I also have lavender on my property and I think it smells good."

A Stranger in the House

Shari Lapena

#12 Hardcover Fiction

Lapena follows her debut, The Couple Next Door (currently #5 on our Trade Paperback list), with another domestic thriller, which our review called well-plotted if workmanlike, with plentiful plot twists making for a diverting page-turner.

Top 10 Overall

Rank Title Author Imprint Units 1 Wonder R.J. Palacio Knopf 25,464 2 The Store Patterson/DiLallo Little, Brown 23,366 3 Seeing Red Sandra Brown Grand Central 22,621 4 Two by Two Nicholas Sparks Grand Central 20,343 5 Milk and Honey Rupi Kaur Andrews McMeel 19,186 6 The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware Scout 18,071 7 What Do You Do With a Problem? Kobi Yamada Compendium 17,333 8 The Whistler John Grisham Dell 16,979 9 The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls Scribner 16,405 10 The Award Danielle Steel Dell 14,564

All unit sales per Nielsen BookScan except where noted.
With 12 stores and counting, Japanese bookseller Kinokuniya is slowly expanding its footprint in the U.S. The most recently opened locations are in Texas. The first site it picked was in Plano, but the company soon realized it was too small so it found a larger location. The 5,000-sq.-ft. outlet in Carrollton opened in February and an 1,800-sq.-ft. shop in nearby Plano opened in April.

Asked why the company opened two stores in such close proximity to each other, Shige Ono, general manager of Kinokuniya USA, said it was a pragmatic decision. Toyota moved its headquarters from Torrance, Calif., to Plano last year, so we saw an opportunity to cater to the thousands of Japanese engineers, executives, and members of their families who will be moving there.

Kinokuniya is headquartered in Tokyo and has 100 stores worldwide, including locations across Asia, in the U.S., and in Dubai. Its first American store opened in San Francisco in 1969, and today its American head office is in New York City, at the chains branch near Bryant Park, which, at 26,000 sq. ft., is its largest location in the U.S. Other locations in the U.S. include five stores in California and one each in Chicago, New Jersey, Portland, and Seattle, as well as five stationery stores under the brand name Mitsuwa.

We are expanding slowly and deliberately, Ono said. Just one or two stores per year. Last year was phenomenal, as we saw double-digit percentage increases at our stores. This years increases are more modest, ranging from about 5%-8%, depending on the store, but we are still very happy with the continuous growth. Adding new stores helped further increase the total sales for the company.

The product mix at Kinokuniya stores encompasses a wide range of booksof which 30% are in Japaneseand sidelines, including manga, anime-related toys, games, and other media. Our line of Japanese manga and anime is unsurpassed in North America, Ono said. A big part of the appeal for customers is that we have things you cannot buy anywhere else. We have a special relationship with [publisher] Kadokawa, and they work exclusively with us on many items. Manga is definitely the strongest category, but fashion and design is also very popular. Another strong category is literature; what makes us unique is that we specialize in literary works from around the world, especially Japanese and Asian authors.

Ono stresses that the authentic Japanese products are part of what has helped the company keep a foothold in a very competitive marketplace. Still, the retailer is a bookseller first, with nonbook items representing 20%40% of stock, depending on location.

The stores, said Ono, serve as ambassadors for Japanese culture to American shoppers. The demographic of customers shopping at the stores has changed over time. My impression is that, 20 years ago, more than half of our customers came from Japanese backgrounds, Ono said. Today, that number is probably down to about 20% or less.

As such, Kinokuniya is becoming more active in its stores communities. The two bookstores in Texas recently participated in Texas Independent Bookstore Day, the New York store routinely holds author events and book signings in conjunction with Bryant Park, and several of the California stores hold children story-time readings and offer classes in Japanese subjects, such as origami paper folding.

The stores are in no way standardized. Our goal is to give each store the appeal of an independent bookstore, rather than the cold feel of a massive corporation, Ono said. Our slogan is read books, meet people, and tailoring our stores to the surrounding communities is a key part of making that slogan a reality. If you compare our stores in Texas, New York, Tokyo, and Singapore, you will be surprised at how much they differ. But they, as a whole, form the Kinokuniya brand, of which we are very proud. We strive to make Kinokuniya not just a place to buy books, but a place where people come together and enjoy the experience.
Three years ago, an unpublished poet from Toronto took the stage at the semifinals for the National Poetry Slam in Oakland, Calif. Sabrina Benaim was visibly nervous as she read Explaining My Depression to My Mother aloud for the first time, delivering the deeply personal poem in a breathless burst that has been immortalized in a YouTube video recorded at the event.

I honestly cant remember, she said when asked by PW to describe the experience. I was panicking. I was just so nervous and afraid. Her performance went viral, racking up more than 5.7 million views on YouTube and an estimated 50 million views across all social media platforms.

For the next few years, Benaim worked on a poetry manuscript and stayed in contact with the thousands of people who discovered her through the video, including young people coping with depression and parents grateful for a glimpse into a childs struggle with it. If you find art that you can connect with, then the artist can be available for you to say thank you,  Benaim says. Because we are all really just the same. Even though we dont know each other, were still going through the same stuff. She still receives about 100 fan messages every week on social media, and spends an hour a day answering them.

Explaining My Depression to My Mother is the cornerstone of Benaims first collection of poetry, Depression & Other Magic Tricks. Minneapolis poetry press Button Poetrywhich shot and uploaded her inspirational video back in 2014released the book August 22. Her viral success helped Benaim cultivate a community of dedicated fans, and preorders on Amazon topped 5,000. Given the demand, Button Poetry augmented the initial first printing of 25,000 copies with a second run of 15,000.

Button Poetry has video in its DNA. The organization launched in 2011 as a scrappy group of poets sharing performance poetry videos online. It didnt start publishing books until 2013, but the publisher now has nine employees and additional contractors.

Its easy to think that poetry is static or dead or not engaging, said founder Sam Cook. But seeing someone perform their own work is a very visceral, very visual, [and] very compelling experience.

Benaims book will be Buttons 16th release. The publisher will publish six books this year and 10 books scheduled in 2018. Button Poetry has nurtured a large social media community for this list of poets. It has accrued more than 1.2 million Facebook followers, more than 774,000 YouTube subscribers; and, since 2011, almost 163 million video views.

Much as movie trailers engage fans before a films release, Button Poetry reaches out to potential readers a year or more before each book is actually published. We broadcast videos of the authors we publish, Cook said. We can get video in front of the eyes of millions of people over the course of a year. We can find the people who care about the poet wherever they are and bring the video to them.

Once a book is published, the press supports new authors with monthly live poetry events, livestreamed online events with authors, YouTube video features, and hundreds of shareable digital miniposters quoting Button poets. For Benaims book, it scheduled a book release party in Toronto with a night of readings.

Button Poetry is distributed by Los Angelesbased SCB Distributors. We have distributed poetry books since our beginning 30 years ago, said SCB sales and marketing manager Gabriel Wilmoth. But we have only seen the genre really take off in the last several years.

Both Cook and Wilmoth see Benaims early success as part of the poetry publishers upward trend. According to Cook, two other Button titles have sold well this year: New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood and Autopsy by Donte Collins. The Academy of American Poets recently gave Collins its Most Promising Young Poet award. Wilmoth also predicts that Rudy Franciscos October 2017 title Helium will be another hit for the publisher.

On the heels of these poetry success stories, one sales rep for SCB suggested the creation of a poetry-focused sell sheet. Given the surge in sales, the rep coined a new catchphrase for the trend: Poetry is the new adult coloring book.
When Michael Jacobs took over as CEO of Harry Abrams in 2004, an important part of his mandate was to diversify what was then the leading illustrated book publisher in the country. By 2009the companys 60th anniversarythe publisher had created a respected childrens division and expanded into such categories as crafts and cooking, while scaling back on the number of illustrated books it released.

Jacobs has kept up the pace of diversification, and the expansion of the company is one reason Abrams left its Chelsea offices in late June for new headquarters on lower Broadway in Manhattan. This is a dynamic time for us, Jacobs said in an interview in his offices at 195 Broadway. We are doing more publishing and have more employees and more revenue than in 2009. Though Jacobs didnt disclose salesthe publisher is owned by the privately held Le Martiniere Groupehe did say Abrams now has 140 employees, up from 100 in 2009.

Abramss most recent round of expansion began last October, when it announced the creation of a text-driven imprint (now called Abrams Press) under the direction of Jamison Stoltz and the formation of the Abrams Plus group to house the publishers gift and stationery line (Noterie), its calendar holdings, and its e-book and digital businesses under the direction of Jess Brallier.

Abrams Press released its first book, Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, on May 16. Jacobs said Grocery is a good example of the type of book the imprint is looking to publish: narrative nonfiction in a category in which the publisher already has a presence. He expects the line to eventually publish 3035 titles a year and did not rule out doing an occasional fiction title. The creation of Abrams Press will allow us to publish more authors, Jacobs said. We are now at a place where we have the bandwidth to effectively promote and market these titles.

The calendar and stationery units have been solid performers for Abrams; as Jacobs noted, the companys popular adult coloring books came out of the stationery unit. He acknowledged that the digital business is not an obvious fit with the stationery and calendar lines, but he explained that grouping them would allow them to benefit from the direction of Brallier, who can give the businesses a focus and set goals.

The biggest driver of sales growth in recent years has been the childrens division, whose annual revenue has increased by double-digit percentages in each of the past 10 years. The childrens group now releases approximately 160 titles per year, compared to 110 on the adult side (a number that has risen in recent years after being cut back).

An important factor in the sales growth in the childrens division has been the success of Jeff Kinneys Wimpy Kid series, which has sold more than 180 million copies worldwide. The 12th book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway, will be released in November. While sales of the series have slipped a bit, the 11th title, Double Down, sold more than one million copies, and Jacobs is convinced the series will remain a bestseller. Asked how long the series might run, Jacobs said Kinney told him he would like to do 20 books. I hope he does, Jacobs said.

The childrens division also went through a bit of a reorganization recently. The November 2016 departure of Jason Wells, who oversaw marketing and publicity at Abrams Books for Young Readers for the past 14 years, provided the opportunity to change things up. In March, Melanie Chang left Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and joined Abrams as v-p of childrens marketing and publicity. Steve Tager, senior v-p and chief marketing officer, gave up oversight of childrens marketing and publicity to focus on marketing and publicity for Abramss adult businesses. Jacobs said Chang has been building her team, and one area of likely expansion is license publishing.

The addition of Chang, Brallier, Stoltz, and others is important to Jacobs. New people bring fresh ideas to the company, he explained. Bringing in new talent and finding new leaders is one of Jacobss priorities.

After conducting a recent employee survey, Abrams stepped up its human resource efforts in such areas as diversity among staff and engagement with millennial employees. One benefit of the new office space, Jacobs said, is that it provides more opportunities for collaboration among different parts of the company, which appeals to millennials. Jacobs said he has been encouraged that young people remain interested in book publishing. The caliber of candidates [for open positions] has been quite high, he said.

As for other potential areas for expansion, Abrams is looking at getting into the fast-growing audiobook market and may beef up its e-book business. Jacobs noted that, to date, e-books have been a very small part of the companys revenue, so even a modest increase would be a nice boost to sales. The company is also looking to do more special sales and find more new traditional outlets, including looking for someone to be its eyes and ears in the ABA market, Jacobs said. Another potential area for expansioninternational salesleads back to Abramss original area of expertise: illustrated books, which travel well overseas.

Sales for the first half of 2017 were a little soft, Jacobs said, but he is expecting a good finish to the year. The place feels vibrant, Jacobs said. Everyone is very passionate about what we do.
Wiley was founded in 1807 and competes in three markets represented by its core divisions of Research, Professional Development, and Education. The Research segment produces scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, reference works, books, and database services such as Wiley Online Library, the companys online publishing platform that delivers access to 7 million articles from approximately 1,700 journals and 19,000 e-books.

The Professional Development segment publishes digital and print books and provides employment talent solutions, online learning, assessment and training services, and test prep and certification. The Education segment provides print and digital content and education solutions including online program management services for higher education institutions and course management tools for instructors and students.

The company is based primarily in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

Analysis & Key Developments

Financial

In 2016, Wileys adjusted revenues decreased 5%, or 2% excluding the unfavourable impact of foreign exchange. Total revenues were 1.7 billion USD, down from 1.8 billion USD in 2015. The decrease was mainly due to a decline in print books, and the transition to time-based digital journal subscription agreements for calendar year 2016, which was made to simplify the contracting and administration of digital journal subscriptions. Furthermore the loss was partially offset by growth in Online Program Management, Corporate Learning, online test preparation and certification and new product formats in the Education segment.

Book products and other book publishing revenue, such as advertising and the sale of publishing rights, accounted for approximately 41% of Wileys consolidated fiscal year 2016 revenue.

Research revenue for fiscal year 2016 decreased 7% to 965 million USD or 3% excluding the unfavorable impact of foreign exchange. The decrease was driven by the companys transition from issue-based to time-based digital journal subscription agreements for calendar year 2016.

The Professional Development segment recorded decreasing revenues by 1% to 404 million USD, or a 2% increase excluding the impact of foreign exchange. The increase was driven by growth in Talent Solutions and Online Test Preparation and Certification, though it was partially offset by a decline in book revenue.

Education revenue decreased 5% to 358 million USD, or 2% excluding the exchange impact. Print textbooks decreased 20% to 108 million USD. Digital books increased 5% to 35 million USD.

Internal Organization

In May 2017 Mark Allin, John Wiley & Sons president and CEO, announced his immediate retirement due to family reasons. Matthew Kissner, chairman of the board, was named interim CEO.

Acquisition

In August 2016 John Wiley & Sons acquired Atypon, a Silicon Valley-based publishing software company, in a 120 million USD cash deal. Atypon's Literatum platform hosts nearly 9,000 journals, 13 million journal articles, and more than 1,800 publication web sites for over 1,500 societies and publishers.

In September 2016 the company bought Ranku, an EdTech start-up from Seattle. Ranku licenses recruitment technology and predictive analytics to Universities and State Systems to scale online degree enrollment.

International

The companys publications and services are sold throughout most of the world. Wileys operations outside the United States are located in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Singapore, Russia, India and China. The company operates businesses in Brazil, Denmark, Dubai, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan. All operations market their indigenous publications, as well as publications produced by other publishing locations of the company. Approximately 49% of the companys consolidated fiscal year 2016 revenue came from non-U.S. markets.

Digital

During fiscal 2016, Wileys percentage of full-year revenue from digital products rose to 63%, 3% more than in 2015, while the print books contribution fell to 23% (25% in 2015). Revenues from digital products in 2016 are accounted for as follows: Research (5%), Professional Development (12%), and Education (10%).Wiley develops content in a digital format that can be used for both digital and print products. The companys book content is mainly available online through the platforms Wiley Online Library, WileyPLUS, Wiley Custom Select and others. Digital books are delivered to intermediaries including Amazon, Apple and Google, as well as to libraries through aggregators. Wiley serves the academic market with specialized formats for digital textbooks. Digital book collections are sold by subscription through independent third-party aggregators servicing distinct communities.

Return to the full listing of the world's largest publishers.
Ask any New Yorker whos had to dodge masses of tourists on her way to her midtown office, or a Londoner squeezing onto the increasingly crowded Tube: cities remain popular vacation destinations. City travel fits in with peoples fast-paced lives, says Piers Pickard, managing director of publishing at Lonely Planet. Wed all love to go to Australia for a month, but not everyone can afford the trip or take the time. Cities are fast-changing, and you can fit a great experience into a three-day trip.

This season, Lonely Planet has new Pocket Guidesbooks that help travelers get the most out of short visitsto Austin, Miami, and Havana, and Brisbane and Hobart in Australia. And it has updated Pocket titles for several cities in the U.S. and other countries.

Pickard says that recent sales of the publishers city guides reflect the increased interest in urban vacations. Ride- and home-sharing services, he adds, have made it easier for visitors to explore neighborhoods outside of city centers for a more immersive experience.

Other publishers are also mindful of the travelers who are forgoing hotel stays in favor of booking a room via Airbnb or VRBO. Frommers has new and updated Easy Guides to New Orleans; New York; Washington, D.C.; Florence; Rome; Venice; and Paris coming out his fall. The books highlight relevant details about individual neighborhoods, to help readers decide what area of town theyd like to stay in, rather than choosing based on a hotel. The guide also helps visitors navigate rental sites.

While we cant review every room, says Pauline Frommer, editorial director of the Frommer guidebooks, we can warn people about the gotchas of renting apartmentsand give advice on the perks. One piece of advice: visitors to New York City should look across the Hudson River in Jersey City or Hoboken for short-term apartment stays, because N.Y.C. has been cracking down on illegal home rentals.

Moon Travel is also emphasizing urban experiences, with its new City Walks line. Launching in October with the tagline See the city like a local, the first guides cover New York, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris, and Rome. The new series is aimed at millennials, who are driving the boom in city tourism, says Donna Galassi, v-p and associate publisher at Avalon Travel, which publishes Moon as well as Rick Steves guides.

Travelers are hyperinformed because of all of the online content and blogs and user-generated reviews, Galassi explains. As travel publishers, we can curate content in a way that gives travelers more meaningful experiences.

The books suggest meandering walks, and cafes and shops to stop in at along the way, emphasizing neighborhoods over tourist attractions. These titles offer a different way to see popular marquee cities, Galassi says. The experience is about hanging out in a neighborhood. You are not sightseeing, although youll see plenty of sights along the way.

Rick Steves Berlin, out in September, is a deep dive into a city that the travel website Culture Trip called a millennial mecca. Rick said Berlin is one of the most dynamic and changing cities in Europe, Galassi says, so he decided to expand his coverage. At 400 pages, the guide is double the length of last years Berlin Snapshot, which is going out of print to make way for the expanded title.

New Horizons

In addition to seeking new ways to experience perennial favorites such as New York, London, and Paris, travelers are also venturing to less familiar settings.

Several publishers mentioned Portugal as a popular destination. The Rough Guide to Portugal, for example, is Rough Guides bestselling guidebook of 2017 so far, and the Pocket Rough Guide Lisbon is the publishers fifth bestselling guide.

Next up: Porto. Visits to Portugals second city are 55 percent higher in 2017 than they were in 2016, according to the Portugal Tourist Board. Porto is becoming more of a hot city to go to, and several new airlines have started flying there, says Olivia Rawes, who edited Pocket Rough Guide Porto (Feb. 2018).

Herb Lester, which already had an annotated Lisbon map, has just released one of Porto. (For more about the publisher, see Map Quest.)

Emons Publishings 111 Places series highlights the must-sees in both major tourist cities and less-trafficked locales; the coming months bring guides to Sheffield, England; Baltimore; Minneapolis and St. Paul; and Queens, N.Y., written by resident experts.

The idea is to help locals rediscover the place where they live, says Karen Seiger, North America editor-in-chief at 111 Places, and also to help the visitor live like a local. The Queens guide (Dec.), for instance, is by borough resident Joe DiStefano, a food writer and local culinary tour guide. Journalist Elizabeth Foy Larsen, a Minnesota native, wrote the Twin Cities guide (Feb. 2018).

Drinking It All In

Sampling local food and drink is a key component of travel for many; some people even build their entire trip around gustatory pursuits.

If someone is really into craft beer, that might lead to a trip to Brussels, says Lisa Thomas, publisher and editorial director of adult books at National Geographic. Then theyll post photos on social media about all of the different types of crazy beer theyve tried.

To reach the target readership for Atlas of Beer by Nancy Hoalst-Pullen and Mark Patterson (Sept.), the publisher will market the book to consumers on Untapped, a social media site for beer enthusiasts. The title leads hop lovers to breweries, festivals, and pubs across six continents; Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver contributes the foreword and tasting tips.

Other publishers are also reaching out to thirsty travelers this season. Emons is releasing 111 London Pubs and Bars That You Shouldnt Miss (Jan. 2018) by Laura Richards, drinks editor at Time Out London, who highlights breweries, wine bars, speakeasies, and more across the British capital.

In September, Phaidon follows Where Chefs Eat (2015), Where to Eat Pizza (2016), and Marchs Where Bartenders Drink (2017) with a title for the morning after: Where to Drink Coffee includes recommendations from 150 baristas for 600 spots in 50 countries. The books author, Liz Clayton, says that, before arriving in a new city, the one thing a traveler must do is suss out the location of a citys good coffee shops, because the people who work at the good restaurants, art galleries, record stores, and other venues all start their day there.

Coffee places are both destinations and waypoints, Clayton says. When I go to a new town, I go straight to the good coffee place Ive heard about, and within 10 minutes, Im invited to a birthday party, I know where Im eating dinner that night, and where the great music store is.

The books in Hardie Grants Precincts series say right on the cover what readers will find inside: the citys best cultural hangouts, shops, bars and eateries. September brings the pocket-size Kyoto Precincts and full-size Melbourne Precincts.

People want unique experiences, says Melissa Kayser, a publisher at Hardie Grant. In the past people would spend their money on more material thingsnow a lot of people are using their disposable income for great experiences.

Return to the main feature.
It began with a couple of dozen protesters and a giant papier-mache tomato in front of a Taco Bell amid strip malls on Route 41 in Fort Myers, Florida. It was a colorful and appropriately humble backdrop for the announcement of a fast-food boycott that would grow into a nationwide campaign. With that boycott 17 years ago, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers kicked off its Campaign for Fair Food and demanded that Taco Bell and other fast-food giants take responsibility for their supply chainsand the people within them.

The goals of the coalition, a Florida-based human rights group, were relatively straightforward. They wanted corporations to acknowledge farmworkers have basic human rightsfreedom from wage theft, sexual assault, gun violence and forced labor in America's farm fields. They wanted the top of the food chain to demonstrate its responsibility for farmworkers by paying a penny per pound more for tomatoes, to bring farmworkers closer to a living wage. And for buyers to use their market power to hold growers accountable for following this code of conduct.

Four years later, Taco Bell signed the Fair Food agreement. Other big names joined, including Burger King and McDonald's. By 2008, Whole Foods Markets had signed on. Wal-Mart came aboard in 2014, followed by other supermarket chains.

In 2010, growersmajor corporate producers and farm ownersagreed to comply with the farmworker-driven code of conduct. The action was in response to market pressure from corporate food buyers, which now includes half of U.S. grocery stores. But it also was a reaction to the coalition's exposure of modern-day slavery in America's farm fields, to reports of workers having wages stolen or being threatened with violence if they tried to leave work crews.

Together, the coalition, growers and corporate buyers built what became the Fair Food Program. The results? Virtual elimination of the abuses farmworkers had lived with for much of the nation's history, and worker wages that allow them to support their families. Growers gained a more stable and trained workforce and more efficient operations. And the fast-food giants? Confidence in the integrity of their supply chain for U.S.-grown tomatoes, a quality customers increasingly demand.

As the years ticked by, four of the five largest food corporations became partners in the Fair Food ProgramSubway and Yum Brands (parent company of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC) joined Burger King and McDonald's. The missing link remains Wendy's. The company's initial public response to coalition-led protests aimed at pressuring Wendy's to join the program was to shift its purchases of tomatoes from Florida to Mexicothe very fields where prize-winning Los Angeles Times reporting documented rampant farmworker abuse.

In early 2016 the Campaign for Fair Food called for its second boycott, this time against Wendy's. Within a year, Wendy's had announced its own enhanced supplier code of conduct. On the company's Square Deal blog, chief communications officer Liliana Esposito essentially said Wendy's refrained from joining the Fair Food Program because of the extra penny per pound paid farmworkers. We don't believe we should pay another company's employeesjust as we do not pay factory workers, truck drivers or maintenance personnel that work for our other suppliers, she wrote.

The Wendy's code falls squarely within the tradition of corporate social responsibilityits reasonable set of standards has little chance of being effective since it relies on occasional third-party audits without active monitoring by those in the fields or factories. Also missing are strong penalties for suppliers who do not comply. The code was beefed-up, but it does not feel like enough.

The Fair Food Program is distinctly effective at bringing about fundamental change.

After extensively researching the Fair Food Program I've concluded it is uniquely comprehensive and, therefore, distinctly effective at bringing about fundamental change. Workers, growers and buyers collaborate on a code of conduct that reflects the reality of America's fields. The monitoring system harnesses the power of 30,000 or more workers and the rapid investigation and response of the Fair Food Standards Council. The power of explicit market sanctions back up the code and its protection of farmworkers' human rights.

The Fair Food Program has transformed fields from Florida to New Jersey. It protects farmworkers while providing the major participating corporations with transparency in their supply chains and tremendous brand protection. The program has been widely recognized for vastly improving agricultural working conditions, and for changing the culture of America's farm fields.

The seeming reluctance of Wendy's to become allied with a program that has significantly changed lives for the better is disconcerting. Wendy's latest slogan may well be deliciously different, but burgers that take into account human rights would be even more palatableand marketable.

Susan L. Marquis is dean of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and vice president for Innovation at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Her book, I Am Not a Tractor!, about farmworkers in Florida who are transforming American agriculture, is set to be published in December by Cornell University Press.

This commentary originally appeared on Tampa Bay Times on August 19, 2017. Commentary gives RAND researchers a platform to convey insights based on their professional expertise and often on their peer-reviewed research and analysis.
Colombias RCN and Caracol TV have gone dark in Venezuela, after the national telecom authority Conatel told pay-TV operators to remove them from their line-ups.

Although Conatel has not yet given a public explanation, both RCN and Caracol TV have interpreted the censoring move as a consequence of the tense political relationships between Colombia and Venezuela. Colombias president Juan Manuel Santos recently increased criticism of Nicolas Maduros government, becoming one of the most judgemental Latin American leaders. According to RCN , it wasn't informed about Conatels decision, and had to find out though Venezuelas pay-TV operators, which had been told to remove RCNs international feed, Nuestra Tele.Its not the first time the Colombian media group has been censored by Maduros government. The systemic censorship against RCN, Noticias RCN and RCNs international feeds began on 12 February, 2014, when Conatel decided to switch off NTN24, said the company in a public statement. As for Caracol TV , the Bogota-based leading network has seen a direct link between what Maduro has called an aggressive campaign against Venezuelas government and Conatels decision.2017 has been a troubled year for freedom of speech in Venezuela. In February, CNNs Spanish-language feed went dark for being too harsh on Maduros administration, while in April Colombias El Tiempo and Argentinas Todo Noticias shared the same fate.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-25 21:09:54|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MANILA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) said on Friday that 34 poultry workers who showed signs of flu-like symptoms tested negative for bird flu.

As of Aug. 24, the health department said "there has been no confirmed human case due to influenza A (H5N6)."

Since the Department of Agriculture (DA) declared the bird flu outbreaks in the country early this month, the health department said it identified 34 suspect cases, 30 from Pampanga and four from Nueva Ecija provinces.

The DOH said the 34 people were immediately isolated as part of precautionary measures to avert any possible human-to-human transmission of infection.

An assessment of suspect cases were done and specimen were collected for laboratory diagnosis. "Thus, they were also started on the antiviral Oseltamivir while awaiting the laboratory results from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine," the DOH said in a statement.

Nevertheless, the DOH said the monitoring and testing will continue.

In response to the health threat, Health Secretary Jean Ubial said her department is closely working with DA to ensure that poultry and poultry by products are safe for consumption.

She said the DOH epidemiologist surveillance and response team is active and in place. "Trained diseases surveillance officers and health workers have been alerted to investigate and report suspected human cases within 24 to 48 hours," Ubial said.

Ubial again urged the public to be vigilant, follow the government advisories and be properly informed by the disease.

As a precautionary measure for those who had direct contact with infected poultry and had developed any flu symptoms, Ubial also urged the public to report to the DOH or government agencies in their respective areas to seek immediate consultation.

The DA said on Thursday that the strain of bird flu found on poultry farms in the Philippines has been identified as H5N6, the type which could potentially be transmitted to humans. However, it said the possibility of transmission "is very, very low."

The Philippines reported on Aug. 11 its first outbreak of bird flu on poultry farms in Pampanga, a province in the main Luzon island north of Manila. A few days later, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Pinol said bird flu has also been found on another poultry farm in nearby Nueva Ecija province just north of Pampanga.

Pinol has ordered the culling of more than 400,000 infected chickens, quails and ducks in the affected provinces.
A funeral was held on August 26 for people killed in an attack on a Shi'ite mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul the previous day. The Islamic State (IS) extremist group, which has targeted the country's Shi'ite minority with deadly attacks in recent years, claimed responsibility for the attack. (RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan)
When students at the former Dobrosevici Elementary School on the outskirts of Sarajevo return to class after their summer break, they'll see familiar faces, textbooks, and desks.

What won't be familiar is the nameplate on the school itself.

In a controversial move, the authorities renamed the school last week after Mustafa Busuladzic, a Bosniak activist whose fascist and anti-Semitic views during World War II ended with his execution in 1946.

The change in name came after a heated battle in the city council over whether Busuladzic's role as a distinguished Muslim intellectual outweighed his support of Adolf Hitler and Germany's Third Reich during the war.

Busuladzic was arrested but never legally convicted for his actions. Some in Bosnia-Herzegovina consider him a martyr.

"It is truly embarrassing that Sarajevo has joined this pervasive global trend of historical revisionism and the celebration of those who certainly should not be celebrated. These are names associated with the celebration of the fascist regime," says Sabina Cudic, a member of the regional council that debated the name change.

The initiative came from parents of students at the school, as well as others who say Busuladzic was "misunderstood."

In the council debate on the renaming of the school, members of the conservative Bosniak Party of Democratic Action (SDA) said it was time to rehabilitate "Bosniak intellectuals who were ideologically opposed to the previous regime."

They also pointed out that many people from a Muslim group that he was a member of -- including the first Bosnian president, Alija Izetbegovic -- have had streets named after them.

Indeed, Busuladzic isn't the only controversial figure to have a school named in his honor in Bosnia.

Hussein Dozo, a Nazi SS officer who later worked as a professor known for his role in interpreting the Koran, has a school named after him in Goradze.

Swapping Old Bad Ideas For New Bad Ones

Changing the names of streets and public buildings has been commonplace across Eastern Europe in the years since the fall of communism.

In the former Yugoslavia, many cities and towns have sped to erase signs of the now-dissolved country, including removing monuments and memorials to its former strongman leader, Josip Broz Tito.

In neighboring Montenegro, a 1991 referendum saw about 90 percent vote in favor of changing the name of the capital from Titograd back to its previous name, Podgorica.

But some warn that political regimes have used changes in the names of streets, towns, and buildings to impose their own ideology or values on the public. The moves are also seen sometimes as a way of quietly rehabilitating legacies.

Following the 1992-95 war that tore Bosnia into ethnic shreds after it declared its independence, the country remains a fragile state reliant on external aid with an economy hobbled by a complex and unwieldy power-sharing system.

Many say that system perpetuates wartime divisions and has allowed nationalist parties, who have failed to reform their wartime goals into peacetime platforms, to cling to power.

"We are deeply disappointed that the Sarajevo cantonal authorities went ahead and named as school after such a controversial person," the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia said in a tweet on August 17.

Written by Alan Crosby based on reporting by Dzenana Halimovic
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is also a former governor of Ukraine's Odesa region, has accused the authorities of Georgia and Ukraine of planning to accuse him of planning a coup in Georgia.



Saakashvili wrote on Facebook on August 26 that the Georgian authorities "in complete coordination with officials in Ukraine" were planning to make the accusation soon.



"They promised [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko that they would file the charges before September 10," he wrote.



He said the charges would give Ukrainian authorities "a legal basis" for detaining him if he entered Ukraine.



He added that the charges were risible and politically motivated.



Earlier the same day, Nika Gvaramia, the head of Georgia's Rustavi-2 television, said he believed charges of plotting a coup might be filed against Saakashvili.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari says government forces have recaptured 70 percent of Tal Afar, a stronghold of Islami State (IS) militants in northwestern Iraq.

"God willing, the remaining part will be liberated soon," Jaafari said at a news conference in Baghdad on August 26.

General Abdulamir Yarallah, the commander leading the offensive to retake Tal Afar, said in a statement on August 26 that government troops had recaptured the city's center and its citadel.

Iraqi troops backed by a U.S.-led international coalition dislodged IS from Mosul last month after a nine-month fight for Iraq's second city.

They launched an offensive August 20 to recapture Tal Afar, once a key IS supply hub between Mosul -- around 70 kilometers further east -- and the Syrian border to the west.

IS fighters inside Tal Afar are estimated to number around 1,000.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has signed a decree appointing Sapar Isakov as the country's new prime minister.



Atambaev officially released Isakov from his position as the president's chief of staff in a decree issued on August 26.



Kyrgyzstan's parliament on August 25 approved Isakov as the new premier, but Atambaev needed to sign off on the move.



Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved Isakov and his proposed cabinet in a vote on August 25, days after Prime Minister Sooronbai Jeenbekov stepped down so he can run in the country's October 15 presidential election.



Of the 102 lawmakers present, 97 voted in favor of Isakov, a member of the ruling Social Democratic Party.



The 40-year-old Isakov is a career diplomat and had previously overseen foreign policy at Atambaev's office. He is seen as a loyal ally of Atambaev.



Atambaev's presidential term ends later this year and he cannot seek reelection. Some critics fear he seek to maintain power by positioning himself to become the next prime minister or installing an ally in the role.



In 2016, Atambaev proposed constitutional amendments  approved in a December 2016 referendum -- that boosted the powers of the prime minister.



Opponents fear the amendments are designed to keep him and his allies in power indefinitely.

With reporting by Kabar
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
Turkmenistan has just officially registered its first animal shelter, which is in itself welcome news, but there is something else unique about it.

The Island of Hope shelter has been operating informally for several years as the result of private initiative.

In a country where the government controls so much of society and where the government seems to be the originator of every organization or so-called grassroots movement, it is interesting to see such personal initiative.

Suspect, however, is the timing of the announcement that officially registered the shelter.

Turkmenistan is hosting the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games from September 17-27 and the country can certainly use all the positive press it can get.

Turkmenistan is best known as an isolated country where the government is a rights abuser, an enemy of the press, and, according to some reports in the run-up to the Asian Games, also a butcher of stray animals in the capital.

EurasiaNet did a great job of explaining the situation regarding animal rights, or lack thereof, in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat.

The quandary at the Qishloq is how has Tatyana Galberg, her husband Nikolai, and daughters Irina and Katya been able to operate an unofficial shelter that cares for more than 100 dogs and some 50 cats found on the streets, without any seeming interference from officials.

OK -- it's an animal shelter and presumably a nonprofit venture, a charity really, so there's nothing that would directly interest anyone in the Turkmen government.

But people in Turkmenistan are not encouraged to come up with plans or projects, no matter how well-intentioned, and enact them without any involvement of the authorities.

Now that the government has announced the registration of Island of Hope, Turkmen officials are also promising the shelter -- located some 30 kilometers outside Ashgabat -- will get a plot of land, a free supply of medicine, food, and materials needed to house animals.

The shelter could use the help, as currently the main source of food for the animals is macaroni. But help is likely not coming from the government anytime soon.

Turkmenistan is facing tough economic times, with some state employees not being paid on time.

At the Qishloq we are rooting for the Galberg family and their kindhearted project and we wish she could have spoken with us more than just to simply say she had been advised (she did not say by whom) not to speak with the press about the shelter.

Island of Hope has saved many animals from being poisoned or clubbed to death by roving municipal animal-extermination squads, as detailed in the EurasiaNet article.

And if the Galbergs can continue to care for animals at the shelter, as they have for several years, maybe the Turkmen government will promote the idea of local or personal initiatives aimed at improving the country and its society, especially if they pose no threat whatsoever to the regime.

RFE/RL's Turkmen Service contributed to this report. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL
Several people have reportedly been detained in Moscow at a sanctioned demonstration in support of Internet freedom.



One demonstrator was detained on August 26 while wearing a T-shirt reading, "Putin is worse than Hitler," referring to President Vladimir Putin.

Several other demonstrators were detained while wearing symbols supporting equal rights for the LGBT community.



According to Moscow officials, about 1,000 people attended the rally, TASS reported.



Similar demonstrations were held in several other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Izhevsk, and others.



Demonstrators were calling for changes to legislation restricting the Internet that were included in the so-called Yarovaya package of laws -- named after conservative State Duma member Irina Yarovaya.

They also called for the release of people jailed for purportedly disseminating "extremist" material via the Internet and for the resignations of the leadership of Roskomnadzor, the state agency that monitors and regulates the Internet.
BOZEMAN  A southwestern Montana police officer has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge for a reported confrontation with his wife last weekend.

The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports the Aug. 18 arrest of 34-year-old Nathanael Gaukler came just three weeks after another Bozeman police officer killed his wife and then himself.

Gaukler pleaded not guilty Monday to partner or family member assault and posted $500 bail.

Court records say Gaukler told investigators that the two had been fighting and he acknowledged telling her: "Don't you dare go to sleep." He also told investigators that he had negligently shot a firearm in his house about a month earlier.

Police Chief Steve Crawford says Gaukler is on leave. He has served as a school resource officer for the past two of his eight years on the force.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-25 21:55:18|Editor: ying

Civilians gather the site of an attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 25,2017. Terrorist attack on a mosque in Kabul on Friday claimed 12 lives, including two attackers and wounded 23 others, a security official said. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Terrorist attack on a mosque in Kabul on Friday claimed 12 lives, including two attackers, and wounded 23 others, a security official said.

"We can confirmed that 10 people, including five women, were killed and 23 others, including five security personnel, sustained injuries in the attack on Imam-e-Zaman mosque in Khair Khana neighborhood of Kabu city today," chief of Kabul garrison Gen. Afzal Aman told reporters at the site of the bloody incident.

He also noted that two terrorists who targeted the mosque were also killed in the firefight and the situation was under control.

The bloody attack happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (0900 GMT) when scores of Muslims gathered inside the mosque to offer Friday prayer.

The hardliner Islamic State (IS) group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
In an interview with RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan, the top U.S. Army commander in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, spoke on August 26 about the new U.S. strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia that was recently announced by President Donald Trump. He asked the countries in the region to "support the Afghan government and its security forces" in their fight against Islamic State militants.
Welcome back to The Farda Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that tracks the key issues in Iran and explains why they matter. To subscribe, click here.

I'm RFE/RL correspondent Golnaz Esfandiari. Here's what I've been following during the past week and what I'm watching for in the days ahead.

The Big Issue

Iran has for the first time admitted that it sent "a small number" of drones to Russia, but it said they were supplied months before Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February. Kyiv and its Western allies have accused Russian forces of using Iranian-made combat drones to destroy civilian infrastructure in Ukraine in recent weeks.

Following Iran's admission, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Tehran was lying about the number of drones it had supplied Russia. He said Ukrainian air defenses shoot down at least 10 Iranian-made drones every day. The U.S. envoy to Iran, Rob Malley, said Iran had transferred dozens of drones to Russia in recent months and deployed military personnel to help Russia use the drones.

Why It Matters: Iran's decision to supply combat drones -- and potentially ballistic missiles -- to Russia is a sign of the deepening ties between Tehran and Moscow. Both countries, which have pledged to work together against the West, have been hit by international sanctions and isolation.

The move also reflects Tehran's policy of looking to the East -- turning to allies Russia and China -- after then-U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions in 2018.

Ali Vaez, the director of the Iran project at the International Crisis Group, told me Tehran has concluded that Russia's potential defeat in Ukraine would "weaken Iran." Raz Zimmt, a research associate at Tel Aviv University, said Tehran is looking to exploit Russia's "weakness in Ukraine in order to make their relations with Moscow more equal and beneficial toward Iran."

He added that Tehran can also "now show that it has the ability of using its military asymmetric capabilities even outside the Middle East."

What's Next: Britain and the European Union have imposed sanctions on Iran for supplying Iranian-made drones to Russia that are being used in attacks on Ukraine. Tehran could face further punitive measures from the West, but it is unlikely to change course.

Henry Rome, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told me that "Iran probably calculates that the strategic and security benefits outweigh greater opprobrium from the West." Rome also said Iran's decision to send drones to Russia allows Tehran to deepen its relationship with Moscow, "a country that the leadership likely considers essential to Iran's geopolitical and security interests, especially in a world in which the [nuclear deal] is not revived."

Stories You Might Have Missed

A new investigation by Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, found that the Iranian combat drones Russia is deploying in its war against Ukraine use Western components, raising questions about how Tehran obtains this technology despite sanctions. Iran's Mohajer-6 drones contain components produced by companies from the United States and the European Union, both of which have sanctions restricting the export of such technology to Iran.

A resident of Iran's Kurdistan region, Yahya Rahimi, was allegedly shot dead by security forces for honking his car horn in support of the ongoing anti-government protests. His father, Ahmad Rahimi, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the authorities had pressured him to declare his son was a member of the Basij paramilitary forces, a branch of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), in an apparent attempt to blame his death on protesters.

What We're Watching

Iranian lawmakers urged the judiciary on November 6 to "deal decisively" with anti-government protesters as the authorities struggle to suppress the biggest show of dissent in years. A majority of 227 lawmakers from Iran's 290-seat, hard-line parliament made the request. The lawmakers called for the judiciary to enforce the Islamic "eye for an eye" retribution law. Separately, a judicial spokesman said sentences against "rioters" should create "regrets" and teach them a lesson.

Why It Matters: At least 300 people have been killed and several thousand arrested in the state's violent crackdown on nationwide protests since mid-September. Yet, the protests have continued. The call by lawmakers for harsher sentences appears to be an attempt by the establishment to stoke fear and pressure protesters to end the rallies.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have.

Until next time,



Golnaz Esfandiari



If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe here. It will be sent to your inbox every Wednesday.
Dylan: A New Language Is Blowin' in the Wind

Cupertino, Calif.  Programmers will be able to use a new computer language called Dylan to build applications on the Newton Personal Digital Assistants. While this language incorporates numerous advances from the world of academia, many developers wonder how well it will perform in the real world.

Dylan is an object-oriented dynamic language  one that makes it possible to modify programs, at the source-code level, on the fly. (In fact, the name Dylan is short for dynamic language.) It retains much of the basic syntax of LISP, the language from which it is derived, but it offers far more power, its developers say.

According to Apple, Dylan will run efficiently on a variety of hardware platforms, including small machines with limited power and memory capacity. And because Dylan is dynamic, it will allow programmers to prototype designs, reuse pieces of code and rapidly build programs out of those code objects.

In the mid-1980s, Cambridge, Mass.-based Coral Software Inc. created a Mac implementation of Common LISP. It was fast, required only small amounts of memory, incorporated object-oriented technology and was thoroughly integrated with the Mac environment.

Apple acquired Coral in 1989, hired most of the staff and rechristened it the Apple Advanced Technology Group East. The group has since been renamed Apple Computer Cambridge Research and Development.

At its inception, ATG East had two missions. It continued development of Corals LISP, which eventually led to this years release of Macintosh Common LISP 2.0. It also began wor ing n a new set of design criteria, which led to Dylan.

We certainly dont invent new languages lightly, but no existing language met our needs, said Ike Nassi, director of research and technology for Apple Computer Cambridge Research and Development. We wanted a language that provided the benefits of Smalltalk and Common LISP and that would attract static-language programmers.

While its similarity to LISP will make it easier for LISP programmers to learn Dylan, C and Pascal developers werent impressed with Dylans LISP heritage. The syntax is unreadable, said Howard Shere, president of Green Dragon Creations Inc., a Mac software company based in Lake in the Hills, Ill.

Nassi responded: We are less concerned about the syntax than the underlying structure. There are other syntaxes that we can apply to Dylan. An ALGOL-like syntax and a Smalltalk-like syntax are possibilities, he said.

Developers said they welcome alternate syntax options but wonder about Apples support for them. I dont know whether that is something they intend to deliver or something that we are going to have to do ourselves, said Jeff Alger, a Palo Alto, Calif., consultant and co-author of Developing Object-Oriented Software for the Macintosh.

Key advantages of Dylan include:

Complete object orientation. Unlike many other object-oriented languages, Dylan is object-oriented throughout its design. The programming environment presents debugging information in terms of objects, it treats Dylan programs as object collections, and it includes tools for inspecting and monitoring the performance of individual objects. Dylan also supports tools  both pre-existing libraries that all applications use and custom-developed libraries  for organizing objects. All these features integrate to form what Apple calls an organic whole, meaning that Dylan objects are mutually supportive: The simplest implementation of each depends on the existence of the others.

Unlike many other object-oriented languages, Dylan is object-oriented throughout its design. The programming environment presents debugging information in terms of objects, it treats Dylan programs as object collections, and it includes tools for inspecting and monitoring the performance of individual objects. Dynamism. To achieve this level of integration, Dylans designers abandoned standard language techniques. Traditional static languages discard most of the information about objects during compilation, so programs cannot be easily modified and debugged, Nassi said. Dylans dynamic nature retains the object-oriented structure of programs from design to the final application. With a static language, programmers must write a complete program before they can compile and test it. With a dynamic language, the programming process is more interactive. A Dylan programmer will be able to design and test each object on the fly, as well as add and delete components without having to go through tedious recompile cycles. I think that C++ is the Cobol of the 90s. People have hammered at the static-language model for years, Alger said. A dynamic language opens a new set of possibilities. Shere said: I like the ability to dynamically redefine classes and methods. Anything I can do with a conventional language before compile time, I could do with Dylan at execution time.

To achieve this level of integration, Dylans designers abandoned standard language techniques. Efficiency. Programmers normally view dynamic languages as slow memory hogs. According to Apple, Dylan is neither. Weve designed Dylan so a variety of implementation techniques are possible. We can optimize it for each hardware platform, Nassi said. Nassi downplayed the rumors that programs written in Dylan would somehow consume less battery power than equivalent programs written in C++. However, he said, We can develop implementation strategies that could take into account different power-consumption profiles for different machines. For example, on a machine where battery life is critical, such as a PowerBook, Dylans memory management could use the disk drive less frequently. What we have done is engineered Dylan for a wide variety of computers. We have taken into account the needs of both small and large machines, Nassi said.

Although Apple CEO John Sculley has talked publicly about Dylan, Apple has made it clear that Dylan is not an announced product. Nor has it announced that Dylan will be the Newton language of choice.

We wanted to announce things that we thought were reasonably polished, Nassi said.

Even so, Dylan represents the kind of programming language needed to develop a single piece of software for different machines with different hardware requirements, as reportedly will be the case with the variety of intelligent devices expected to use Newton technology.

For Mac developers Dylan means mastering a new language, but most contacted said they are excited at the prospect. We have to keep defining new languages because concepts keep changing, Shere said. If youre a good programmer, its just another language to learn.

Categories: Non-Security Articles
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A Small Place Introduction

Doesn't a tropical vacation sound great right about now? Warm breezes, sand between your toes, lots of time to nap

Not to rain on your daydream parade, but we have bad news for you: Sometimes the very places we fantasize about escaping to for a week or so are inhabited by people who are systematically oppressed. So what might be a nice place to visit can actually be a pretty terrible place to live. Enter A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid.

Published in 1988, A Small Place takes the genres of autobiography, fiction, and travel guide, tosses them into the brutal blender of history, and presents a no-holds-barred portrait of Antigua, the small island nation she was born and raised in. And while the island may be naturally beautiful, what emerges is a grim picture, riddled with racism, drought, wealth inequities, and callous disregard for the people who truly call Antigua their home.

Born Elaine Potter Richardson, Kincaid came to New York City in 1966 because her mother wanted her to work as a maid and send her wages back home to Antiguabut Kincaid had no interest in this arrangement and cut off contact with her family as soon as she arrived. Crazy story, right? It gets crazier: She went on to publish her first piece in 1973 and was writing for The New Yorker by 1976. You go, girl.

But Kincaid had other things on her mind. After hundreds of years of British rule, her home country of Antigua finally became an independent nation in 1981. Should be cause for celebration, right? But even with the Britain gone, Antigua still has a lot to deal with, like the tourism industry, the rise of corrupt politicians, and growing poverty. A Small Place is Kincaid's attempt to push back against these things and preserve some tiny piece of the Antigua she loved.

She ran into a few roadblocks along the way to the printing press, however. First, The New Yorker refused to publish the book, saying that it was too critical. And thenonce it finally reached bookshelvesit earned her a five-year ban from the country of her birth. Oops. Insofar as the book is Kincaid pushing back, we'd wager this is a sign of her success in doing so.

Utilizing the rare second-person perspective, A Small Place is a travel guide with a chip on its shoulder. At times, it's an indictment of the modern tourism industry, at others, it's a retelling of Antiguan history, and at others still, it's a personal account of life in Antigua. But the specifics don't matter: It's always an engaging journey, no matter where you end up.
Boumerdes, August 23, 2017 (SPS) - The Saharawi human rights activist Aminatou Haidar hailed on Wednesday in Boumerdes the "unwavering" support of the Algerian people and government for the Saharawi people's struggle for self-determination, saying that this support stems from the principles of the Algerian Revolution, which inspired many colonized peoples.

Expressing her happiness for being in Algeria, Haidar said that the heroic struggle of the Algerian people for their freedom "is a model to follow", recalling the position of Algeria vis-a-vis the Saharawi refugees for more than 40 years.

"We have a great respect for Algeria for its positions of principle and the reception of refugees. This is a historical position that participates in a human will that take into account the crimes committed against the Saharawi people," stated Haidar at the closing ceremony of the Summer School of the executives of the Frente POLISARIO and the Saharawi State held on 10-23 August in Boumerdes.

She stressed that Algeria's support to the Saharawi people "has never ceased and has been shown in particular through the reception of pupils and students in Algerian schools and academies so that they contribute to the" development of Saharawi institutions."

She also said that "the oppression in which Morocco is engaged will not dissuade the Saharawi people who are determined to continue their struggle for independence and freedom", denouncing at the same time the unjust sentences pronounced against the prisoners of Gdeim Izik group.SPS

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Moscow, August 24, 2017 (SPS) - The Frente POLISARIO in Moscow received a solidarity statement from the Russian anti-globalization movement expressing its unconditional solidarity with the Sahrawi people's struggle and their strong condemnation of the illegal practices of the Moroccan occupation regime against the Sahrawi citizens in the occupied part of Western Sahara.

The Russian anti-globalization movement expressed deep respect for the struggle of the Saharawi people under the leadership of the POLISARIO for the exercise of national sovereignty throughout the occupied country, condemning the unfair sentences against the Saharawi group of political prisoners Gdeim Izik, which violate the international law.

The movement's statement pointed out that Morocco has made a serious mistake in prosecuting activists who demand only the right of self-determination guaranteed by all international conventions, knowing that the Moroccan occupation does not have the legitimacy of the trial of the Sahrawis either in civil courts or in military one because Morocco is an occupying force .

The Russian anti-globalization movement also appeals to the international community to enable the Saharawi people to fully independence and demands the immediate release of the Gdeim Izik group, who were arbitrarily sentenced and jailed in July and the release of all Sahrawi political prisoners in Moroccan prisons.

At the end of the statement, the Russian anti-globalization movement affirmed its absolute solidarity with the struggle of the Saharawi people and its willingness to reveals the Moroccan occupation policy in the occupied part of Western Sahara, which characterized by the lack of respect for human rights, racism, marginalization and exploitation of the natural resources of the territory.

The Russian anti-globalization movement has on many occasions expressed its full solidarity with the Saharawi people in their just struggle for freedom and independence. SPS

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-25 22:40:35|Editor: Mengjie

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Chinese State Councilor Guo Shengkun (R) meets with the U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor Guo Shengkun met with the U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad in Beijing Friday, discussing the preparation for the first round of Sino-U.S. law enforcement and cyber security dialogue.

The dialogue is one of four high-level communication mechanisms between the two countries.

Guo, also minister of public security, expressed hope that the two sides can implement the consensus reached by leaders of the two countries and strengthen communication and coordination, to ensure a successful, on-schedule dialogue.

Branstad pledged to make comprehensive preparations for the law enforcement and cyber security dialogue, so as to contribute to the development of bilateral relations.
A young man has died after being shot on a quiet road near an east London station.

Armed police descended on the scene of the incident near Maryland station in Stratford at 10.40pm on Friday.

Paramedics also raced to the incident in Well Street, and a 19-year-old man was rushed to an east London hospital.

Scotland Yard said no arrests have been made.

A spokesman said: Police are in the process of informing next of kin.

A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. Formal identification awaits.

Detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command are investigating.

There have been no arrests and enquiries continue.

Any witnesses, or anyone with any information, are urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4005.

To give information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or visit crimestoppers-uk.org.
T ravel chaos could erupt in London over the remainder of the Bank Holiday weekend, with bus staff set strike for 48 hours from Sunday.

The walkout, which coincides with Notting Hill Carnival and Clapham's South West Four festival, will begin at 12.01am on Sunday and is expected to last until the end of Monday.

More than two million people will descend on west London for the carnival, leading to fears of significant transport issues.

Over 400 controllers are set to strike in a row over pay sparking fears of widespread disruption across the capital, Unite the union said.

And staff responsible for rerouting buses for Notting Hill Carnival are among those involved in a dispute over an unfair pay rise offered to workers by Transport for London.

The 3.5-mile long parade will shut down huge swathes of Notting Hill, Westbourne Park and Labroke Grove.

Tube stations will operate an exit only policy at certain times during the event leaving revellers reliant on buses to get around.

Bus station controllers, traffic controllers and traffic enforcement officers are among those who have been offered a 250-per-year non-consolidated payment compared to a 3.2 per cent increase for London Underground workers.

Unite Regional officer Hugh Roberts said: Hard working TfL staff who perform crucial work keeping bus drivers safe and the network running smoothly, are fed up with being treated as the poor relations.

TfL management must understand that our members are not going to accept a few crumbs from the rich mans table. They deserve a decent pay rise.

"The non-consolidated offer is particularly insulting as after the two year pay deal the workers pay will still be stuck at current levels.

The ball is firmly in TfL managements court, the inevitable disruption this strike will cause can be avoided, by the organisation entering into meaningful negotiations.

Claire Mann, TfLs Director of Bus Service Delivery and Operations, said: We have made a fair offer to staff, which maintains pay and conditions, improves work-life balance, brings salaries in line with similar roles and reflects the tough financial environment in which we operate.

Discussions have been underway for the past 18 months and we continue to be available for further talks. We are putting plans in place to ensure minimal disruption to bus services over the bank holiday weekend should the strike action go ahead.
N otting Hill Carnival will provide a healing opportunity for survivors of the Grenfell Tower blaze, community leaders have said.

Police officers will form a ring of care around the burnt out husk of the 24-storey building while a reflection zone will be set up near the blacked high rise.

Hundreds of hand-drawn tributes, candles and flowers will be protected by fencing while the NHS will provide mental health first aid for those affected the inferno.

Posters have been put up at spots where the tower can be seen, asking the public not to take photographs "at the site of our great loss" - an activity which has distressed locals.

Support: Mourners hug in the shadow of the burnt-out tower block / Getty Images

And the Metropolitan Police said a dedicated area will be put in place for people to leave tributes without obstructing the carnival flow.

Huey Walker, a local resident and volunteer who has been involved in the run-up to carnival, said some of the survivors were "real carnivalists" who wanted to participate.

Second vigil in Notting Hill for Grenfell Tower tragedy 1 /13 Second vigil in Notting Hill for Grenfell Tower tragedy Emotions run high as people attend a candle lit vigil outside Notting Hill Methodist Church near the 24 storey residential Grenfell Tower block in Latimer Road, West London Getty Images People light candles as they observe a vigil outside Notting hill Methodist Church following the blaze at Grenfell Tower, a residential tower block in west London AFP/Getty Images People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images People attend a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images Friends hug each other at a vigil to those killed, dead and missing and also to the emergency services and volunteers after the Grenfell Tower block fire Nigel Howard A woman lays flowers at a vigil to those killed, dead and missing and also to the emergency services and volunteers after the Grenfell Tower block fire Nigel Howard People arrive for a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Towe Getty Images A small child tapes flowers to railings at a vigil to those killed, dead and missing and also to the emergency services and volunteers after the Grenfell Tower block fire Nigel Howard A woman leaves flowers as people arrive for a vigil at Notting Hill Methodist Church near Grenfell Tower Getty Images Reverend Mike Long leads a vigil to those killed, dead and missing and also to the emergency services and volunteers after the Grenfell Tower block fire Nigel Howard

The 39-year-old who lives near Kensal Green said: "I think people see it as an opportunity to continue the healing of what's happened in the community and keep the message of what's happened in the public eye as well.

"People are still struggling with being rehoused, they are still pursuing justice, this is ongoing.

"And even for those people who don't like carnival, these actions are important to show the carnival isn't just going on regardless, it's showing regard and respect to what's happening."

Grenfell Tower tribute messages - In pictures 1 /18 Grenfell Tower tribute messages - In pictures Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower PA Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower AP Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jeremy Selwyn Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower PA Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower PA Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell Tributes left close to Grenfell Tower Jonathan Mitchell

The carnival will open on Sunday morning with a multi-faith prayer and release of doves as a "small act of remembrance", and a speech by local MP Emma Dent Coad.

At 3pm on both days hundreds of thousands of revellers along the route are expected to pause and observe a minute's silence to mark the tragedy, in which at least 80 people died.

Organisers are encouraging attendees to wear or accessorise in "green for Grenfell" in a display of "reverence and respect amidst the revelry".

People look over flowers and tributes on Saturday, three days after the tragedy. / EPA

Chair of the carnival trust Pepe Francis said he hoped the festivities would "lift the spirits of people".

Asked how members of the Grenfell community he had spoken to felt about the event, he said: "They just want carnival to go ahead as normal.

"Obviously there's varying views, some people feel it shouldn't. But the majority feel it should, and it should be one of the best carnivals.

Notting Hill Carnival over the years - In pictures 1 /53 Notting Hill Carnival over the years - In pictures 1972 Charlie Gillett/Redferns 1975 Richard Braine/PYMCA/Rex 1976 Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1977 Associated Newspaper 1977 Daily Mail 1978 Frank Barratt/Getty Images 1978 Bill Johnson/Associated Newspapers 1978 Frank Barratt/Evening Standard 1980 Stuart Nicol/Evening Standard 1980 Evening Standard 1980 Evening Standard 1983 Peter Anderson/PYMCA/Rex 1984 John Minihan/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1994 Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1994 Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 1995 Steve Eason/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 2003 Scott Barbour/Getty Images 2004 Graeme Robertson/Getty Images 2005 Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images 2005 Chris Jackson/Getty Images 2006 Miles Willis/Getty Images 2006 Miles Willis/Getty Images 2006 Miles Willis/Getty Images 2006 Chris Jackson/Getty Images 2007 Chris Jackson/Getty Images 2009 Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images 2011 Oli Scarff/Getty Images 2012 Oli Scarff/Getty Images 2015 Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images 2015 Daniel C Sims/Getty Images 2017 Getty Images 2017 Getty Images 2017 Getty Images for RedBull 2017 Getty Images for RedBull 2017 AFP/Getty Images 2018 Getty Images for Redbull 2018 Getty Images 2018 Reuters 2019 Getty Images 2019 Reuters

"Even the people who come to carnival and whatever reason cause trouble, even they, I think it's a reason for them to respect that."

He added: "I think, because of Grenfell, I would like to see carnival this year one of the most successful ones ever, because I think it will pay a lot of tribute to what a festival like this can do to ease the minds of the people (who are) the victims."

A spokesman for Grenfell United, a residents and survivors group, said: "We hope people will follow these requests from us and our friends and family in the wider community.

"They will enable people to pay their respects; be conscious of our vulnerability; and show solidarity for our ongoing demands for housing and full justice, in the creative spirit of Carnival".

Staff from central and north west London NHS foundation trust (CNWL) will be on hand to provide "mental health first aid" for those affected by the recent fire.

More than 70 volunteers wearing bright orange T-shirts, including consultants, nurses, and occupational therapists, will be dotted along the carnival route to direct those who want help to two "safe" locations.

As part of the police's overall plan, steel barriers, concrete blocks and weapons checks will help protect the carnival from the threat of a Barcelona-style terror incident and acid attacks.
L abour has performed a dramatic shift in policy by committing itself to continued UK membership of the EU single market during any transition period following Brexit.

The party's shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer has announced that a Labour government would abide by "the same basic terms" of Britain's current EU membership during the transition, which some observers expect to last as long as four or five years.

This will come after the official Brexit date of March 2019.

In an article for The Observer, he made clear that the party is open to the possibility of negotiating new single market and customs union terms which the UK could sign up to on a permanent basis.

At June's general election, Labour promised to seek to "retain the benefits" of the single market and customs union as part of a "jobs-first" Brexit, but leader Jeremy Corbyn has so far stopped short of committing to continued membership beyond the date of Brexit.

He is coming under pressure from some parts of the party to adopt a more pro-EU stance, with a new group backed by former shadow health secretary Heidi Alexander and Wirral South MP Alison McGovern calling for a policy of "unequivocal" support for membership of the single market, customs union and European Economic Area.

Sir Keir told The Observer that the Tory position, set out by Chancellor Philip Hammond and International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, of taking the UK outside the single market and customs union for the transition period would be "unnecessary and a highly risky path to take".

The shadow Brexit secretary wrote: "Labour would seek a transitional deal that maintains the same basic terms that we currently enjoy with the EU. That means we would seek to remain in a customs union with the EU and within the single market during this period. It means we would abide by the common rules of both."

And he added: "We will always put jobs and the economy first. That means remaining in a form of customs union with the EU is a possible end destination for Labour, but that must be subject to negotiations.

"It also means that Labour is flexible as to whether the benefits of the single market are best retained by negotiating a new single market relationship or by working up from a bespoke trade deal."

Mr Corbyn's office confirmed that the proposals set out by the shadow Brexit secretary had been agreed with the party leader and had the status of official policy.

Sir Keir said that under Labour, the transition period before the final shift to a new UK-EU relationship would be "as short as possible, but as long as is necessary" and would be time-limited in order to prevent it becoming "a kind of never-ending purgatory".

A final deal would have to involve "more effective management of migration" while retaining the benefits of the customs union and single market as part of a "strong and lasting new relationship", he said.

Critics of continued customs union membership argue that it would prevent the UK from striking new trade deals with non-EU countries.

But Sir Keir said it would ensure the continued flow of goods and services without the burden of additional red tape and tariffs during the transition.

The "fanciful and unachievable" proposals on customs set out by David Davis in the Department for Exiting the EU's series of position papers on EU withdrawal showed that the Government was willing to take "colossal risks" with the economy and jobs, said Sir Keir.

He warned that Prime Minister Theresa May's "ideological obsession" with taking Britain outside of all of the EU's structures in March 2019 mean that "the options to deliver a good deal for Britain are diminishing fast".

Additional reporting by Press Association
T he alcohol content of Carling lager is weaker than advertised, it has emerged.

While the flagship British lager advertises at 4 per cent alcohol strength, it has been brewed at 3.7 per cent for the last five years, its US owners Molson Coors have said.

The firm made the admission during a hearing brought by HMRC amid claims of underpaid tax.

The government department argued Carling owed more than 50m because it had paid tax on the 3.7 per cent level  not the advertised 4 per cent level  between September 2012 and January 2015.

Philip Rutherford, the Molson Coor's vice president of tax, admitted the alcohol strength was reduced in 2012 in order to save on taxes.

However the strength recorded on Carling labels wasn't changed over fears customers would "demand a slice" of the saving, tribunal documents said.

The firm successfully argued that it was right to pay less tax because it should pay according to the true alcohol by volume (ABV), allowing a variation of 0.5 per cent.

The tribunal found in favour of Molson Coors.

Molson Coors said in a statement: "As a major brand, the trust of our consumers is paramount. We abide by all legal requirements in the brewing and labelling of Carling.

"The natural process of brewing means all batches of Carling vary fractionally in alcohol content - the variation range for Carling is less than a quarter of 1 per cent (0.23 per cent).

"It is completely normal for consumable products to have a slight variation. For example, the allowed variation for wine is 1 per cent."
E ton College's deputy headmaster has left the school amid claims he leaked questions from an economics exam, it has been reported.

Mo Tanweer, head of economics and deputy headmaster of academics at the public school, following an investigation over claims exam questions were shared with other teachers.

The probe was carried out by the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) regarding allegations of sharing the questions ahead of an upcoming A-level equivalent exam, the Guardian said.

In a statement Eton College confirmed a teacher had left the school, which was attended by Princes William and Harry, over a breach of exam security.

It read: "Eton College can confirm that following an investigation by the Cambridge International Examinations Board into maladministration, the board concluded that there had been a breach of exam security by one of Eton's teachers in relation to one of the Pre-U Economics papers.

"Eton took this matter extremely seriously and co-operated fully with CIE's investigation throughout.

"The teacher concerned has left the school. Whilst pupils had done nothing wrong, they were inadvertent recipients of confidential information and so the board awarded them assessed marks for that paper according to its established method. Eton College deeply regrets that this incident occurred. "

CIE runs international education programmes and qualifications including the Cambridge Pre-U which is used as an alternative to A-levels.

According to an online profile, Mr Tanweer graduated in economics from St Catharines College, Cambridge, in 2004 before working as an investment banker.

He started teaching economics at Merchant Taylors school in Northwood, Hertfordshire, by 2006.

Between 2010 and 2015 he was head of economics at Oundle school in Northamptonshire, another boarding school.

Mr Tanweer joined Eton in 2015 as an economics teacher and was swiftly promoted to a senior post as a deputy head last year.

Additional reporting by Press Association.
T his is the heart wrenching moment the father of the youngest victim of the Spain terror attack hugs an imam.

Javier Martinezs three-year-old son Xavi died when a van rammed into pedestrians in Las Ramblas earlier this month.

At the time Xavi and his parents were in Barcelona visiting family.

He was the youngest victim of the horrific attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils on August 17, which left 15 dead.

His great uncle, Francisco Lopez Rodriguez, also died after being struck in Las Ramblas.

The BBC has posted the video of Martinez hugging local Imam Driss Salym in Rubi, Barcelona.

In the moving footage, both Martinez and Salym are reduced to tears.

According to local website El Periodico, Martinez delivered an emotional speech thanking the emergency services that helped the victims of the attack,

He said: "Thank you all. I love to see that the Rambla is full again. There is no place for fear or rancour."

Martinez added that he didn't want his son to have died in vain and said: "I need to hug a Muslim. These people should not have fear."

A total of 15 people were killed in the attacks, with the victims coming from 34 countries around the world, including British-born seven-year-old Julian Cadman.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 00:56:45|Editor: Yamei

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Supporters present flowers to Former Thai prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra upon her arrival at the Thai Supreme Court in Bangkok, Thailand, July 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang)

DUBAI, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled from Thailand to Dubai, U.S. news channel CNN reported Friday.

Yingluck's escape came just two days before a Thai court is due to deliver a verdict over her case of rice subsidies, CNN quoted "a highly-placed source" in Yinluck's Pheu Thai party as saying on Friday.

She allegedly escaped on Aug. 23 with her 15-year-old son over Singapore and flew from there directly to Dubai, CNN said.

There was yet no official comment available from the UAE or by the UAE's state media about the CNN report.

In the past, the UAE had been the destination for several politicians seeking refuge.

In 2003, shortly after a U.S.-led coalition toppled the Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein, his former Minister of Information Muhammad Al-Sahaf, known as "Baghdad Bob" or "Comical Ali," fled to the UAE capital Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto relocated to Dubai after she lost elections in 1997, where she resided with her family until her return to her country in 2007.
Three years after ISIL(Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) surprised a lot of people, especially the Iraqis by quickly seizing Mosul in mid-2014 American intel analysts believe that attacks against key ISIL personnel since then played a major and largely unreported role in the defeat of ISIL. These attacks became more frequent and more effective as ISIL lost most of its territory in Syria and Iraq. This gave key people fewer places to hide and even more importantly forced them to move more frequently and often without the careful planning and preparation they had learned was essential for survival. By early 2017 the impact of the damage was pretty obvious.

While the hunt for the senior leadership got the most publicity these men, especially ISIL founder and leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, were not the most important target (unless you goal was headlines and maximum media audiences). The key to crippling ISIL as an organization were those leaders responsible for finance, logistics and media. These were harder to replace and the senior ISIL leaders knew that success at raising huge amounts of cash (mainly via looting and smuggling, but also extortion and ransoms paid to free kidnapping victims and slaves) and maintaining effective communications for the finance and recruiting operations were more important. The logistics included obtaining weapons and explosives and moving them to where they would be most effective.

For example a number of attacks carried out in the months before Mosul fell (and Raqqa was surrounded) in July led to loss of several key people who managed and ran the ISIL media networks. This included Internet distribution of propaganda and ISIL documents as well as the ISIL Amaq News Agency. Attacks against these media networks have been going on for nearly three years although the results were often kept secret (short or long term) in order to exploit the confusion these losses created within ISIL. Even ISIL would often deny accurate reports of their key people dying or being captured in order to maintain morale.

Early on in this campaign the targets were often technical experts, which ISIL never had enough of. For example in August 2015 a U.S. UAV missile attack in eastern Syria (near Raqqa) killed Juanaid Hussain, a British citizen believed to be the most skilled computer hacker working for ISIL at that time. Hussain was one of the key people in ISILs twitter based recruiting and publicity operation. Hussain did not have world class hacking skills but he came to Syria in 2013 as a bright British teenager who had a talent for hacking, good knowledge of Internet culture and eager to defend Islam any way he could. The U.S. kept the news of Husseins death quiet for a few weeks in order to take advantage of the confusion within the ISIL Internet based networks created by the sudden disappearance of such a key person.

People like Hussian were sought out and killed because of the known effectiveness of these decapitation tactics. This had been perfected and proven in Iraq before U.S. troops left in 2011 and earlier in Israel where it was developed to deal with the Palestinian terror campaign that began in 2000. The Israelis were very successful with their decapitation program, which reduced Israeli civilian terrorist deaths within five years from over 400 a year to less than ten. The Israeli and American decapitation tactics adapted to the techniques and tactics of current Islamic terrorism.

The modern version of decapitation had to adapt to new technologies (Internet, cell phones, laptops) that the Islamic terrorists, especially in Iraq, made use of. The Israelis realized this early on and came up with new investigation and analysis tools to cope. The Israelis had to quickly perfect and put their new tactics to work. Put simply, go after a specific combination of key people to achieve a specific goal. For example, if you want minimize Israeli civilian casualties you have to concentrate on bomb makers and the team leaders who recruit, train and deploy the bomb placers or suicide bombers. If you want to diminish terrorist threats longer term go after more senior leaders, especially the media, financial, intelligence, recruiting and logistics specialists. For other goals you went after a different collection of people. At the same time every arrest or dead terrorist was investigated for more information and Israeli intelligence had some of the most advanced data analysis software available and many of the people inventing and maintaining such software products (which were lucrative products sold mainly to businesses and researchers) were military reservists. Thus the Israelis had the ability to quickly modify the new tech. Same deal with cell phones and PCs in general. Islamic terrorists soon learned that if the Israelis, and later the Americans, got their hands on your cell phones, PCs or whatever they would quickly extract and put to use information that led to the next target. This made decapitation tactics move more quickly than ever before.

Despite all the new tech decapitation tactics are an ancient practice. American troops have used them many times in the past (in World War II, 1960s Vietnam, the Philippines over a century ago, and in 18th century colonial America) but tend to forget after a generation or so. Some things had to be relearned.

So successful has decapitation been that in 2013 Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan openly called for supporters to help develop methods (electronic or otherwise) to deal with the American UAVs that constantly patrolled terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan (Waziristan) and Afghanistan (the Pakistani border area) and constantly found and killed Islamic terrorist leaders with missiles. This has led to the deaths of hundreds of key terrorist personnel and, despite the heavy use of civilians as human shields, few civilian deaths. The Taliban were increasingly frustrated at their inability to deal with this. Decapitation tactics work and while the tactic is ancient they have become more common in irregular warfare because of new technology. This has changed attitudes towards decapitation tactics.

What changed everything were some new technologies unique in military history. Wars have always included attempts to gain victory, or at least an edge, by going after the enemy leaders and other key people. This has always been difficult because the enemy leaders know they are targets and take extensive precautions to protect themselves. This includes thing like the royal guard, food tasters, and all that. This no longer works and terrorist leaders are scrambling to find ways to avoid this lethal retribution for their wickedness. Islamic terrorists also use decapitation but their favored weapon is the suicide bomber or other lone assassin. But it is easier for key people to avoid a suicide bomber than it is when UAVs armed with guided missiles are used.

The increased use of UAVs to find, identify, and kill terrorists (or enemies in general) led many people in the West and in the Moslem world to assert that this is not effective, fair, or whatever. Some call it murder. But war is murder, and for centuries those involved have recognized that going to war is a messy business, especially once you are in the midst of it. In war the survivors quickly learn two things; those who kill first are less likely to be killed later and those who can kill more of the opponent's leaders will most likely win. Current terrorist leaders may be homicidal fanatics but they know how to count. If the Americans come after them, especially because their organization carried out an attack in the United States that generated a widespread demand from Americans for revenge, the terrorist leaders are dead men walking. The belief is that the Americans will eventually get you, and most terrorist leaders dont want to be killed. Suicide attack duty is for the little people, not the leaders or their children. So the Islamic terrorist propaganda specialists do what they can to protect their bosses. This helped with recruiting, especially among your Moslem men living in the West. But since most of the victims of Islamic terrorist violence are Moslems in Moslem countries, those Moslems who were likely targets of the terrorist violence wanted the decapitation tactics to continue and sought to get the aircraft and missiles so they could do it themselves. This is what the Iraqi and Afghan government did once most foreign troops left. While the aerial surveillance and laser guided missiles worked for the Iraqis and Afghans, it was also discovered that the powerful information gathering and analysis tools were not so easily adopted and used other countries. Those skills require a lot of skilled computer hardware and software personnel and it turned out few nations could match the way the Israelis and Americans adopted, deployed and continued to develop these new systems.

Some components of the new decapitation tactics are easier for others to adopt. Since the late 1990s UAVs, and before that space satellites and high-flying, long endurance recon aircraft (like the U-2 and SR-71), made it possible to find and identify key enemy personnel. But until armed UAVs came along in 2001 there was no way to quickly act on that information. Many opportunities to kill key enemy personnel were missed. Now, with Hellfire missiles (and several other similar weapons) on these UAVs, you can promptly kill what you find. Some pundits find this unsporting, morally indefensible, or otherwise wrong. For military personnel, risking their lives fighting a determined enemy, it's just another way to kill the enemy leadership before the enemy succeeds.

That civilians are also killed is nothing new. During the allied invasion of France in 1944, the several months of fighting required to destroy the German armies in France also left 15,000 French civilians dead in the invasion area and more than that in the rest of France. The Germans did not normally try and hide among civilians, while Islamic terrorists do. The Germans knew they would be attacked no matter where they were. Islamic terrorists do sometimes get away because of the successful use of human shields (and because the order to fire is not given). This attitude ignores the civilians who die because terrorists escape to keep killing. Thus, in war, you can avoid killing civilians, but you do so at the cost of giving enemy personnel immunity that just gets more people killed down the road.
In the northwest (Rakhine State) over 3,000 Rohingya have fled to neighboring Bangladesh in the last two weeks to escape another crackdown on what many Buddhist Burmese call Islamic terrorists. Rohingya believe the people the troops are looking for belong to a known group of Rohingya rebels who have organized and armed themselves like so many other ethnic groups in the north, and fought back against the government (dominated by the ethnic Burmese majority that is nearly all Buddhist) violence. Some government officials have admitted that there are Rohingya rebels but that doesnt matter to most Burmese Buddhists who agree that the Rohingya dont belong in Burma. The government did invite the UN to study the matter and prepare a report (delivered yesterday) on the situation. The immediate reaction to the report (which largely reported what everyone already knew) was a call for more discussions.

The army believes that someone is supplying cash to buy arms and otherwise support Rohingya rebels. The army prefers to call them Islamic terrorists but so far there has not been much, if any, religious aspect to the armed Rohingya resistance. The army has responded with continued searches for rebels or supporters and applied its usual methods of persuading northern minorities to cooperate. This includes lots of random violence and frequent blockades to keep out food and other essential supplies.

What is happening in Rakhine State is a side effect of the current worldwide outbreak of Islamic radicalism and terrorism. Burmese Hindu nationalists have used the threat of Islamic terrorism to revive a decades old effort to expel most of its Moslem minority because many Burmese fear the Rohingya Moslem minority will be a source of Islamic terrorists. While Moslem majority neighbor Bangladesh has arrested a few Pakistan trained Rohingya Islamic terrorists the Rohingya in Burma have largely avoided Islamic terrorism. Bangladesh borders Burmas Rakhine State which contains most of the Burmese Rohingya. Burma insists the Rohingya are Bangladeshis who are in Burma illegally. Bangladesh has never agreed with that. This is a dispute that goes back to the 19th century and is still unresolved.

The current violence (mostly by the security forces) in Rakhine State began in October 2016 when Rohingya fought back in a particularly shocking way. Over 500 Rohingya were arrested (and many more are still being sought) in the aftermath of the October 9th attack on three guard posts along the Bangladesh border. Apparently over 200 Rohingya men armed with a few firearms and, for most of them, swords, spears and clubs were involved and they killed nine border guards. At least four soldiers died during operations immediately after the attacks. All the weapons (fifty firearms and 10,000 rounds of ammo) and equipment at guard posts were taken as the attackers fled. Army and police reinforcements were sent to Rakhine State and the border area where the attacks took place.

The government says that October security operation was over by February 2017 but that was not entirely true. Violence in general had declined by then but large parts of Rakhine State were still under what amounted to military occupation. Foreign journalists (and foreigners in general) were kept out of the area. This was supposed to be temporary, for as long as it took to find the rebels. But that search has never really ended. This led 75,000 more Rohingya to flee the country (so far). This is largely because threats towards Rohingya, mainly by Buddhist vigilantes, also continued. Whoever the Rohingya terrorists are, they are not taking credit for the violence or identifying themselves. One of the few visible (at least on the Internet) Rohingya militant groups, the ARSA (Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army) denies any connection with the violence and there is no evidence to contradict that claim.

Meanwhile there are still Rohingya terrorists (the Islamic angle is not yet established) in action and they have so far (since last October) been responsible for than sixty Rohingya being murdered or kidnapped. These actions are apparently directed at Rohingya seen as collaborating with the government. That includes local Rohingya leaders and Rohingya who work for the government or foreign aid organizations.

Since 2012, when the anti-Rohingya violence began, over a 200 Rohingya have been killed by Buddhist vigilantes and nearly a thousand more by Burmese security forces during their counter-terror operation. That sort of thing has diminished but not disappeared while the Rohingya vigilante violence against other Rohingya has become a larger problem. Meanwhile over 400,000 Rohingya have fled the country, mostly to Bangladesh, which is pressuring Burma to deal with the problem.

The Rohingya, who trace their origin to Bangladesh, have suffered increased persecution in Burma since the 1980s, and especially since the 2011 elections that restored democracy and got lot of anti-Moslem Buddhist nationalists elected. Most Rohingyas are Bengalis, or people from Bengal (now Bangladesh) who began migrating to Burma during the 19th century. At that time the British colonial government ran Bangladesh and Burma, and allowed this movement, even though the Buddhist Burmese opposed it. Britain recognized the problem too late, and the Bengali Moslems were still in Burma when Britain gave up its South Asian colonies after World War II (1939-45). Any kind of peace deal with the Rohingya is unlikely as far as most Burmese are concerned. There is growing popular anger among Burmese towards Moslems in general and the Rohingya in particular. This is fed by the continuing reports of Islamic terrorism word-wide and especially in the region (Thailand, India, Bangladesh and China). Foreign criticism, especially from Moslem majority nations is largely ignored, in part because Burma depends on non-Moslem nations (like China, Thailand and India) for most of its trade and foreign investments. What is happening with the Rohingya is not unique and has happened frequently in South Asia over the last few centuries, even during periods of colonial rule.

Dealing With The Dragon

One thing all Burmese can agree on is the threat posed by an increasingly aggressive China. For thousands of years ambitious Chinese referred to themselves as dragons and that term entered the slang of neighboring countries when threatened by Chinese. Many of the northern tribes are ethnically Chinese and settled in northern Burma after fleeing Chinese imperial rule or yet another civil war. China is surrounded by such dissident groups, which is always a side effect of empire building. China is wealthier and militarily stronger now than it has been since the 1700s and Burma is feeling the heat. China is now demanding several things from Burma and is willing to pay, but not enough to satisfy all Burmese. This is causing growing friction between China and Burma. Burma did agree to support (by not criticizing) China regarding the South China Sea dispute but that only calmed down the Chinese a bit. Negotiations continued.

Historically China has preferred to win its disputes with neighbors without resorting to invasion or threats of that. This is still being practiced, although China is deploying more and more military forces to the South China Sea to back its illegal (according to international law) claims. Burma is another matter. In early September 2016 Aung San Suu Kyi, the most powerful Burmese politician, visited China in an effort to negotiate terms for China to restart work on the $3.6 billion Myitsone hydroelectric dam complex in northern Burma. These negotiations did not go well but that did not halt efforts to work something out. .

The dam project was the result of studies done in the late 1990s to develop the border areas and control flooding. Originally scheduled to be operational by 2017 the Myitsone project has been shut down since 2011 because of corruption charges (largely true) and armed resistance from local tribal rebels. China was always willing to make concessions to save the dam project but has been unable to agree with Burma on terms. Meanwhile conditions in China have changed. Originally China needed the 6,000 MW of electrical power generated by Myitsone and 90 percent of it was going to China. But in the last few years Chinese economic growth has slowed and with that the need for additional electric power. Actually there are now electricity surpluses in parts of China bordering Burma and the Chinese have been offering to export some of that electric power to northern Burma (which still has an electricity shortage). Because of this many similar Chinese development projects in northern Burma (other dams, new mines and lots of road and bridge building to support it all) are no longer as important to China.

Burma is willing to let Chinese development projects to go forward in the north as long as there is minimal corruption and misbehavior. That means compensating the local landowners (mainly tribes that have been in the area for centuries) fairly. China, however, wanted more than just the electrical power and profits from these investments. China also wants some diplomatic assistance, apparently (regarding North Korea, South China Sea and other sensitive matters. Details on those negotiations are less likely to be publicized. China is willing to negotiate with Burma and compromise on its unpopular economic activities, mainly in the north. China is also offering good deals (low prices) on modern military equipment and that has the Burmese military leadership interested. Meanwhile the border tribes have to go along with any Chinese settlement and the tribes dont want the Burmese troops to have more effective weapons.

Some concessions are easy to make. For example a major anti-corruption effort going on in China since 2012 has resulted in illegal jade jewelry and expensive imported lumber from Burma becoming a featured covered story in the Chinese media. This is an issue because China has openly accused corrupt Chinese officials (and by implication their Burmese counterparts) of profiting from this illegal trade. Both the jade and the illegal lumber are major, untaxed, Burmese exports. The smuggling operation is dominated by Chinese because most of the demand is in China. Jade and rare timber no longer have much of a market in China because of the crackdown on corrupt officials and the collapse in demand is being felt in northern Burma. As a result jade and exotic timber joined the dams and other investments in northern Burma which are no longer considered vital by China. But China wants something in return for this cooperation. Both China and Burma remember that, historically, China demanding a debt be repaid is often a prelude to war if payment is not made. You can make deals with the dragon as long as you never stop fearing the dragon.

August 22, 2017: In the northwest (Chin State) two tribal militias clashed. The pro-government ALA (Arakan Liberation Army) saw its headquarters attacked by the rebel Arakan Army. Four ALA militiamen were killed. The two groups last clashed in 2015 and then arranged a ceasefire which appears to have collapsed. These two militias also operate in Rakhine state (south of Chin) and have long feuded with each oher.

August 12, 2017: In the northwest (Rakhine State) several hundred more troops began arriving to deal with the threat of increased violence. The UN, alerted by contacts it had in the government, texted 300 UN officials and aid workers in the area to prepare for more violence. Those who received it showed the text to other aid workers, foreigners or journalists as well as Rohingya they worked with. The warning were essential because foreigners are often not familiar with how the Burmese military operates in the tribal north. Basically the soldiers will shoot (or loot and rape) first and maybe ask questions later. This is why there are so many heavily armed tribal militias in the north. If foreigners disappear or get killed during one of these operations the government will try to blame it on the rebels (who are rarely guilty of such bad behavior, unless, occasionally, when the foreigners are Chinese).

August 11, 2017: In the north (Kachin State) soldiers and tribal rebels from the KIA clashed again. This forced about a thousand villagers to flee and these civilians were not able to return for about ten days.

August 9, 2017: India announced that it was going ahead with its plans to forcibly send 40,000 Rohingya back to Burma because those Rohingya had entered India illegally and become a political liability. The UN has been trying to persuade India to not do this. India points out that many nations worldwide do this because of local politics and to discourage more illegal migration. India is willing to accept refugees, but on Indian terms, not those dictated by foreigners.

August 5, 2017: In the north (Shan state) fighting broke out between TNLA rebels and soldiers and continued over the weekend. One civilian died from army artillery shells landing near a village. Some soldiers and rebels may have been wounded but no additional deaths were reported.

August 4, 2017: In the northwest (Rakhine State) troops, while searching for six suspected members of a Rohingya rebel group, found themselves surrounded by hundreds of angry Moslem civilians. The Rohingya rebels (or Islamic terrorists, as many Burmese believe) were believed responsible for six local Buddhists being killed recently (and two more missing). This encounter escalated until by the end of August the army was again actively, widely and violently looking for Rohingya rebels.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 01:16:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Joy Nabukewa

MOMBASA, Kenya, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan court on Friday sentenced a key terror suspect to 22 years in prison over a foiled Al-Shabaab attack in 2014 in the coastal city of Mombasa.

Abdiaziz Abdullahi was convicted by Mombasa Magistrate Court on five counts including illegal possession of six hand grenades, an AK-47 rifle and 270 bullets.

Police said Abdullahi was found with a vehicle loaded with explosives, which was later detonated by anti-terrorism police officers

Senior Principal Magistrate Francis Kyambia said Abdullahi deserved the punishment considering the seriousness of the offenses.

Abdullahi was charged alongside Isaak Noor who was acquitted after the prosecution failed to link him to the crimes.

According to police sources, the two were being monitored after Kenyan security agencies were tipped over an impending terror attack by U.S. Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 02:02:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NAIROBI, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A Kenyan High Court on Friday dismissed a suit filed by industrialists seeking to suspend ban on plastic bags set to take effect next Monday.

High Court Judge Mweresa Eboso said the petition by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) will injure the public interest which requires state protection.

Eboso said the need to conserve the environment overrides commercial interests, stressing that environmental conservation will be gravely undermined if the regulation is suspended.

Plastic manufacturers and importers wanted the notice by the environment ministry, which will take effect on Aug. 28, temporarily stopped until their case is heard and determined.

KAM argued that the gazette notice issued earlier this year on the ban of plastic bags is tantamount to economic sabotage to Kenyans who have either invested heavily or depend on plastics bags for a living.

However, Eboso dismissed the claims by KAM that they stand to suffer irreparable economic loss if the injunction is not granted pending determination of the case.

"This would mean that the offensive plastic bags continue to suffocate the environment to the detriment of the Kenyan population while serving the commercial interests of a section of the plastic bags dealers," he said.

KAM had submitted that the ban would lead to the loss of about 60,000 jobs directly, and another 400,000 jobs indirectly. They further claimed that the government had not given out an alternative to plastic bags, adding that the notice is unconstitutional.

Kenya has given manufacturers a six-month grace period before the ban takes effect on Aug. 28.

The ministry has banned the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging.

The ban targeted carrier bags with handles, with or without gussets, or flat bags without handles and with or without gussets.

But through an affidavit by Association CEO, Phyllis Wakiaga, KAM claimed there are gaps in the adopted regulation and weak enforcement mechanisms.

The ministry of environment, in its response, dismissed the application by manufacturers saying there was sufficient public participation before the law was passed.

Eboso said players in plastic sector were adequately represented, noting that the question whether criteria for public participation was met is something to be raised at the time of hearing that he set on Sept. 21.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 02:02:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Macedonian government wants to use at least 90 percent of the funds made available by the European Union (EU) through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), according to Macedonian Vice Prime Minister Bujar Osmani on Friday.

"We mustn't allow a single Euro from the IPA funds being wasted because we must use this money to make our country more European," Osmani told reporters at a round table.

He said that the process of using the funds should be transparent to the public.

The vice prime minister also said that the Macedonian government was working on drafting a master plan aimed at improving Macedonia's capacities to fully use EU's funds.

He admitted problems with management of EU funds in the past, stressing that any misuse of funds would be strongly denounced.

The Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) is the main financial instrument that the European Union has established to provide support and help through grants the beneficiaries in implementing reforms with a view to EU membership.

For the 2014 - 2020 period, European Union has projected a fund of 644 million euros (760 million U.S. dollars) for projects in Macedonia, according to European Commission website.

Projects financed by EU are mainly focused on democracy and governance, rule of law and fundamental rights, environment, transport, competition, agriculture, etc.

However, speaking in overall terms, Macedonia is still lagging behind with the use of IPA funds. Under the first IPA program (2007-2013) EU allocated 622 million euros but only 47 percent of these funds were used, according to official data.

On the reasons,economy experts here said there is a confusion about who manages the funds, which ministry or agency.

Another problem is the lack of strategic documents, and there is no clear definition of priority sectors or projects, the experts said.

They have suggested more public advertising of IPA funding schemes as well as a better coordination of projects and consultations with the interested parties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 02:17:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TIRANA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Albania will host an informal meeting on Saturday that will bring together leaders of Western Balkans as well as Johannes Hahn, commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, a press release of Albanian government said Friday.

The main goal is to deepen regional integration with special focus on economy and trade.

According to the press release, the working sessions of the meeting will focus on trade, services, investments and digital economy.

This meeting follows the one last month in Trieste, Italy.

Economic experts said Friday that this meeting was expected to be another opportunity for the leaders to further discuss and reassure their strong commitment to the implementation of the Regional Economic Area that was agreed in Trieste.

The creation of a Regional Economic Area was considered as a means to provide new opportunities for businesses and citizens alike and strengthen growth and jobs.

Under such agreement, the next concrete steps would be the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, identifying and scrapping red tape and regulatory barriers that impede trade and investment in the region, setting up a regional dialogue on digital transformation, and launching negotiations on a dispute settlement mechanism.
Pippi: The Strongest Girl in the World

Written and adapted by Annie Tuma and Lena Maripuu, based on the stories by Astrid Lindgren. Music by Landon Doak. Until Sept. 4 at Pirate Life, 333 Lakeshore Blvd. E. Tickets at fourthgorgon.com.

Pippi Longstocking, the red-haired adventurer made famous in Astrid Lindgrens stories, is famously the strongest girl in the world and able to lift up her horse with one arm.

Pippi: The Strongest Girl in the World, the new musical by young company Fourth Gorgon Theatre, obviously celebrates this title and even includes clever gags to illustrate the sheer muscle power of this small but fiery nine-year-old girl. But Pippis strength goes beyond lifting weights, and thats where this new musical for young audiences finds its own strength.

Placing the intimate audience on an actual boat on Torontos lakeshore, Pippis creators, Annie Tuma (who plays Pippi herself), Lena Maripuu and director Jocelyn Adema, ask the viewers to enter uncharted territory, adapt to new surroundings and go with the flow  all traits that Pippi demonstrates throughout the performance.

Beginning with the story of Pippis orphaned life, those unfamiliar with the character will learn of her mothers death and her fathers shipwreck, leaving him lost at sea and separated from his daughter. After a life at sea, Pippi now waits for his return on land, where she has befriended landlubbers Tommy (Lucas Penner) and Annika (Tymika Mckenzie-Clunis).

In the musical, this trio meets Pippis pirate pals Flicka (Maripuu), Astrid (Kelsey Tuma), Melker (Mike Ricci) and Rolig (Kit Boulter and Rielle Ritchie, alternating in the role that steers the ship when it pulls out from the harbour).

Tommy and Annika learn how to swab the deck, the pirates learn how to play make-believe at a fancy coffee party and Pippi navigates the collision of her two lives: the one she knew at sea and the one shes discovering on land.

Throughout the high energy, joyous music by Landon Doak, with rhymes and lyrics so fast that any Hamilton fan could appreciate them, Pippi keeps the peace between these two groups as differences flare, all while maintaining hope that one day she and her father will be reunited.

Tuma and Maripuu make sure to balance the fun and games made for pint-sized pirates with the gravity of Pippis story, for the shipmates who are old enough to grasp it, and they evidently display their admiration for this young girl who stands on her own just as much as her own braided pigtails do.

Only an hour long, Pippi: The Strongest Girl in the World could use a more developed plot and storyline, and emphasize the conflict between Pippis two groups of friends  as it is right now, they get along a little too swimmingly. But the at-sea experience is almost enough to plug the plot holes, not to mention the water cannons.

With a selection of creators that were involved with last seasons hit childrens musical Peter Pan by Bad Hats Theatre (featuring music by Doak, performances by Adema and Maripuu, and written by Pippis choreographer, Reanne Spitzer), which won three Dora Awards and will return this winter at Soulpepper Theatre, theres momentum in this young group of musical creators for development and expansion. This maiden voyage of Pippi: The Strongest Girl in the World proves that this crew has a solid course set out in front of them  theyre just going to need a bigger boat.

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She started at the bottom.

Really, she did.

Underground, Liloo Alim confirms.

Now one of Torontos most enduring of characters, and as close to a one-woman vault as this town has, shes reminding me that she was hired to be a parking cashier (now its all automated), at a still-nascent Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville, 39 remarkable years ago.

Can you add? asked the guy who was interviewing her at the time, she recalls. She sure could.

More pertinently, Alim  new to Canada, newly vamoosed from a marriage, and a fresh new mom to a toddler  had personality in spades, not to mention a certain disposition. It wasnt long before she was moving up in the hotel ranks, eventually easing her way into a position that made her the first female concierge of a hotel in Canada.

They saw something. They saw something, she repeats, regarding her swift ascension, adding that for her, the gig in parking grew solely out of desperation. I needed a job. Everywhere I went, Canadian experience, Canadian experience. Its all I got. I had no friends here, and a huge culture shock. Id never seen snow . . . plus, Id never lived a day alone in my life, and I had a little baby.

Ever since, shes been inextricable from the Four Seasons, a hotel brand that sprouted here. Its hard to imagine the Toronto flagship without the woman who measures about Dolly Parton-short in terms of vertical reach, and whose natural enthusiasm is one that cannot be replicated in emojis. Alas, soon well have to: Alim just made official her decision to retire, come October.

Over hot water and ginger, and flaunting a voice that still has timbres of her native Mumbai, the legend filled me in at  where else?  the Four Seasons: I kept spinning my wheels (about leaving)  one week, I was like, yes, yes, yes. The next, no, no, no. But then, Ive always thought: everybody has a shelf-life, and I want to go before my shelf-life is done. I want to go when, inside of me, I know Im still at the top, and before Im redundant.

Few would use the R-word about Alim. The hotels general manager, Konrad Gstrein, uses an M-word, among many, to describe her instead: magician.

As famous for her determination as she is for her warm smile . . . its hard to imagine the number of requests shes fulfilled on behalf of our guest over the span of her career, he wrote recently in a company-wide email. No matter how small or complex or seeming impossible they are, her telltale response has always been, Let me see what I can do for you, before moving quickly to, as she likes to say, start pulling rabbits out of hats.

Its only the particular rabbits that have changed, presumably. Sitting with Alim, now a grandmother, it strikes me how much of the history of aspirational Toronto lies between her ears.

In the 80s, she was the woman working the phones, no doubt, to snag a pair of prized tickets to The Phantom of the Opera.

In 1994, she was likely working to reserve just the right table for just the right people at the see-and-be-seen Prego Della Piazza, hidden away in the courtyard behind the Church of the Redeemer, and owned by the then-infamous Michael Carlevalle.

In the aughts  who knows?  she was probably doing her thing to procure the odd guest some Uggs.

Alim outlasted the original location  the Four Seasons moved a few years ago from its Avenue Road digs to Yorkville Ave. at Bay St.  and even shoehorned some time in Ottawa, where she held down the concierge at the capitals short-lived Four Seasons.

The boldface shes seen come and go? Its ranged from Pierre Trudeau to Justin Trudeau, and from standard-bearer Tony Bennett to young Jaden Smith, who made a bit of ruckus earlier this year  possibly you heard?  when he claimed that the hotel spiked his pancakes with cheese!

Asked what the secret to being a concierge is, the lady has one above all: Attitude. Simple.

Its a foundational principle that came into further clarity when Alim was dispatched a few years ago to Mumbai to help launch a new Four Seasons, Indias first. Not only did the experience of going back to her hometown help underline just how much her own confidence had grown since leaving the megalopolis as a young girl, but working with the young staff at the hotel was an eye-opener in itself.

The biggest challenge was telling them how not to just be friendly, but efficient. Theyre very, very friendly in Mumbai, and apologetic. So sorry, so sorry. But because of the built-in caste system, to some extent, I found they were reluctant talking directly to the guests and VIPs . . . so I had to show them, you have to ask the guests questions. Probing questions. How are you going to know what they really want, otherwise?

Her months in India, and seeing the transformation of the city, is something she calls one of the highlights of my life.

On that highlight reel, too, close to four decades later: seriously getting into the Toronto International Film Festival, through her time at the old Four Seasons (where much of the talent was housed), and becoming one of its biggest champs.

Alim is easily one of the most dedicated cinephiles in town. Bollywood: what she says she was raised on. Her first film at TIFF? She remembers it vividly.

Ill never forget: someone gave me passes . . . and I exchanged them for tickets to a Korean movie (at the long-gone University Theatre on Bloor St.). That was that moment when I realized: Oh my God. This is what I loved. It was an amazing movie  with two brothers. Three hours long. And then it was the next year, and the next year . . . and the next year.

Most years, she sees about 30 movies during the fest, and counts as one of her best memories getting hugs, one by one, from the whole cast of Slumdog Millionaire (including Dev Patel), when they were passing through the hotel to go to a press conference, shortly after shed seen their buzz-catching movie.

She has one more TIFF left, at least in her official capacity at the Four Seasons. Shes almost giddy talking about.

Meanwhile, theres also a retirement party on the horizon, and  irony of ironies being what they are  she tells a funny story about the guy who runs human resources at her hotel, and is now organizing that very party: turns out its the same guy whom Alim herself hired as a bellman years and years ago. Full circles or what?

Correction  September 7, 2017: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the name of the movie Slumdog Millionaire

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Unnoticed by passersby and often unmarked by plaques, numerous Toronto addresses with big parts to play in cultural history sit mostly uncelebrated. In our series Local Legends, we put them on your mental map.

It might be hard to believe now, but Bay and Wellesley was once the citys most glamorous intersection. On one side was the Parisian-styled Bistro 990; on the other, the Sutton Place Hotel. Every September in the 1980s and 90s, when celebrities came to town, thats where they stayed.

From the handsome Christopher Plummer, to the blue-eyed Paul Newman and the striking Sophia Loren, Sutton Places guest list read like a whos who of the time  especially during the Toronto International Film Festival.

These were exciting times in the city as the film festival started to grow to what it is today, said Hans Gerhardt, the hotels general manager from 1986 to 1993.

The film boom at the time was amazing.

Those were the glory days of Sutton Place, when for a brief, frenzied period each year during the festival, A-listers, publicists and media would make the hotel their home and where theyd gather each day for press conferences and parties.

It had a great vibe. Like just a great vibe, recalled Barbara Hershenhorn, the president of Party Barbara Co., whos been planning TIFF parties for more than three decades.

You didnt walk through the lobby without running into someone you knew from yet another part of the world, said Hershenhorn, who in 1992 ran the festivals parties from her bed in a suite at the hotel while recovering from emergency appendix surgery.

Everything went off without a hitch to the best of my knowledge because I couldnt witness it first hand, she laughed.

Piers Handling, TIFFs director and CEO, remembered the hotels holiday camp atmosphere because all the staffers of the festival  then called the Festival of Festivals  would be holed up there, working.

The great thing about Sutton was it was the site of our hospitality suite where everyone had breakfast and free alcohol, recalled Handling, calling it party central.

The suite would open at night and would become a hotspot where you could rub shoulders with famous actors.

It was almost like a speakeasy, Handling said. That was where we had some of the most fun times.

The festival eventually outgrew the hotel and expanded into Yorkville, before settling in its own permanent location at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in 2010. But memories of Sutton Place remain.

You cant have all the festival guests in the same hotel anymore, like it used to be in the old days, said Handling.

The Sutton played host to occasional festival intrigue. In 1994, Robert Downey Jr. threw a wall-punching tantrum over a minor mix-up at the front desk. In 2006, the hotel was fined more than $600 for allowing actor Sean Penn to light up a cigarette during a press conference.

After the lights dimmed on the film festival each year, Sutton Place  which focused primarily on extended stays  still hosted Hollywoods elite, who often stayed for weeks on end while they starred in movies being made in the area.

Films like Sea of Love with Al Pacino and Three Men and a Baby had scenes filmed in the hotel. And actor Dudley Moore even played piano in six sold-out shows during the film festival one year after losing a bet to Gerhardt.

The hotel was very traditional in the European sense, recalled the former manager. It had gleaming marble floors, crystal chandeliers throughout, a dining room with a piano, surrounded with fresh azalea flowers year-round and a ballroom where countless parties were held.

It even had a butler, something unique at the time, recalled Gerhardt. He was a character. People loved him and he became friends and drinking partners with many.

Across Bay Street was another celebrity hotspot, Bistro 990.

The French restaurant was legendary in terms of the film festival and the talent, said Hershenhorn, recalling during TIFF it used to open for breakfast and serve coffee and croissants, something they didnt do normally.

The bistro was perhaps best known for its roast chicken, a dish actress Meg Ryan had delivered to the set of Against the Ropes in Hamilton daily.

Back then, an average night at the hotel cost about $170, or $300-plus in todays age, said Gerhardt.

The rates were relatively low, he said, adding, And we were a no-name brand combating all these franchised systems.

The hotels primary competitor in the luxury market in those days was the nearby boutique hotel Windsor Arms and the much larger Four Seasons in Yorkville. But as the economy soured in the 1990s and more luxury chain hotels arrived, Sutton Places fortunes began to change.

Once dubbed one of the best in the world by the TV series Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, Sutton Place closed its doors for good in 2012. This year would have marked the hotels 50th anniversary.

Today, there is no hint of the old glamour. The building has been stripped down and is being turned into a condo called The Britt by Lanterra Developments. The handsome bistro across the street closed the same year, replaced by a glass-walled condominium tower.

The city today changed so much but does the hotel warrant to be in the neighbourhood and would the Sutton Place have the allure and the reputation to continue in the more modern set-up? Gerhardt wonders.

Yes, he answers. A lot of people met there and went on dates there, married there and got divorces there, had their affairs there . . . It would have been nice, but its a changing time so you cant hold onto something.

With files from Star archives

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A news story went viral this week about a young Toronto family living the life of Cheech and Chong against their will.

According to the CBC, Toronto condo resident Paul Bradshaw, along with his wife and 7-year-old son, have had to put up with pot smoke seeping into their condo from their next-door neighbours unit for nearly five years. Bradshaw told the CBC the smoke seeps into the familys condo unit not only through the front door, but also through windows and electrical sockets, and into his kids room.

It wakes him up from a dead sleep, Bradshaw said in an interview with the national broadcaster. We have an air purifier but it has very little effect. Its potent. It hits you.

Unfortunately, little can be done to legally stop the stoner next door. Repairs to the condo units walls havent prevented smoke from seeping into Bradshaws sons room. The Smoke-Free Ontario Act prohibits smoking in common areas of condominiums, but not in individual units themselves. (Condos can create rules around smoking in individual units, but according to the CBC, Bradshaws has not.)

A terminal cynic might suggest, by way of consolation for the Bradshaws, that their sons early exposure to pot smoke, as a companion bedtime ritual to brushing his teeth and putting on his pyjamas, might immunize him against marijuanas cool factor. When he gets to high school and somebody passes him a joint, he can honestly say, no thanks, I had my fill in the second grade.

Joking aside, the Bradshaws dilemma brings to mind two major issues facing our city.

The first is the nation-wide legalization of marijuana. We are now less than a year away from legal pot, and its not unlikely, come July 1, 2018, that people who smoke up in their apartments may feel more entitled when neighbours complain about the telltale odour wafting in from next door. Why not? Legalization will validate their pot use and erode the social stigma around it.

But the Bradshaws problem impinges on an issue thats far more mainstream than the legalization of marijuana: affordable housing.

Moving forward, I wouldnt be surprised if complaints like Paul Bradshaws become more commonplace precisely because were facing an affordable housing crisis.

As things stand now, many young families cant afford to buy homes, so they rent living accommodation instead. This means the apartments or condos in which they partied their twenties away now have to serve as starter family homes, especially if they choose to have kids. This would be OK (albeit a little cramped) if everyone in the city was the same age, or matured at the same rate, but obviously this isnt the case.

Which means that many couples with new babies who cant find afford to move, will end up staying put in downtown rental buildings, where few people go to bed before 10 oclock, and where it isnt uncommon for some residents to drink and crank up Spotify playlists with titles like Songs for Drunk White Girls on a Tuesday night. And, of course, smoke marijuana.

My wife and I are in this situation right now.

We live in a condo building thats relatively young (most residents appear to be between 25 and 40). We moved into our unit when we were 24 and received regular noise complaints in response to our own weeknight partying. Now, on the cusp of 30, were the ones making the noise complaints.

Where our smoke used to seep out into the hallway, now our younger neighbours does. This may simply be the great circle of urban life, but its bound to become greater and more circular as the accelerating lack of affordable housing suited to families, and the increasing number of urban millennials with young children collide.

The question is, what can those of us whod like to lead a quiet family life (in a city where only the rich can afford houses) do about it?

I propose a Toronto Condo Party Registry. Not unlike the Bed Bug registry, an online database of Toronto apartment buildings and hotels potentially infected with bed bugs, the Party Registry would inform Torontonians about apartment and condo buildings prone to weeknight bacchanals.

Whats more, it would alert you to the ambience of revelry specific to the rental accommodation being considered, from the type of tunes blasting within its walls, to the substances consumed.

If you were looking at a building close to the financial district, for instance, the registry might let you know youd better get used to the smell of stale beer, discarded bounce tubes, and the eternal bro chant Ole! Ole! Ole!

If you were looking at a building in the hipper west, the registry might warn you about the e-cigarette smoke hazard. And if you were moving north, Avenue Road-ish say, youd be alerted to the possibility of being woken up in the middle of the night by the voice of Mariska Hargitay of Law and Order SVU, the result of an elderly neighbour whod left the TV on again at maximum volume, because theyre asleep, hard of hearing, or worse.

Marijuana to Mariska  as a renter and/or new parent, all you can do is to pick your poison.

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OTTAWAQuebecs ongoing political fixation with secularism and religious symbols has jumped into the federal NDP leadership race, creating a new schism among candidates on the eve of the contests only entirely French debate in Montreal on Sunday.

This week, Quebec MP Guy Caron resurrected the discussion at the federal level, prompting a rehash among contenders of the lingering question  playing out currently in Quebec City  of religious symbols such as the niqab and their place in the public service.

The only politician from the province in the race, Caron put out a Quebec 2019 platform. It included a section on secularism, which stated that a political consensus is emerging among leading right- and left-wing parties in the province to support a government bill that bans face coverings such as the niqab in the public service.

Caron said that although he personally disagrees with the bill he would respect a Quebec decision to restrict what religious symbols a public employee can wear to work. This is in line with Carons plan to modernize the NDPs stance on Quebec, where the party would recognize the provinces distinct history and its authority to legislate on issues of secularism.

Read more:

Religious rights may dominate remaining weeks of NDP leadership campaign: Hebert

I do not believe that the state should dictate what people can wear, his platform states. Many Quebecers agree with me, but in the end I am convinced that the final decision must remain with Quebecs National Assembly.

That has Caron at odds with at least two of his opponents in the leadership race. Ontario MP Charlie Angus told the Star he values the separation of religion and state, having been threatened with excommunication by his own church when he voted in favour of marriage equality in 2005.

Angus added, however, that questions of religious accommodation and minority rights  in this case the right to wear religious symbols such as the niqab  are best left to the courts.

I dont trust politicians to tell women how to dress. I also know that any legislation at the provincial or federal level has to be charter compliant and thats the way it should be, Angus said in the statement.

I joined the NDP because of our long tradition of fighting for minority rights even when such issues werent popular. I will continue that proud tradition as NDP leader.

Manitoba MP Niki Ashton, also in the running for federal leader, said Friday she also opposes the idea of a government restricting what people can wear when working for the public service.

For me, thats simply a line in the sand that cant be crossed, Ashton said, adding that, at the same time, she is troubled by suggestions that people in Quebec with strong opinions on secularism are somehow intolerant.

Ultimately what we have to be doing is fighting against discrimination, including Islamophobia, including racism, which of course continues to be prevalent across the country, she said.

The final candidate in the race, Ontario MPP Jagmeet Singh, did not respond to questions about secularism and religious symbols, but a campaign spokesperson said he would be available to comment Saturday.

The issue of state secularism has roiled Quebec since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s, when the government began to be uncoupled from the Catholic Church, which provided schooling and social services for decades in the province. More recently, the Parti Quebecois courted controversy with its proposed secularism charter, which sought to bar some religious symbols, such as burkas and niqabs, from the public service, during a failed bid to retain power in the 2014 provincial election.

A similar discussion rumbled through the 2015 federal election, when NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair came out forcefully against a proposed ban on face coverings  such as a niqab  when people vote or become citizens. Some NDP insiders, including Olivia Chow, a former MP and widow of Mulcairs predecessor, the revered leader Jack Layton, have argued Mulcairs position led to a marked decline in support from Quebec voters.

Karl Belanger, a former NDP operative who worked with Layton and Mulcair, said it is not surprising that an issue dominating the political conversation in Quebec would leak into the federal leadership race.

No single issue cost more votes to the NDP (in 2015) than this one, so of course it is resonating today, because there is no solution to this debate at this point, he said.

At the end of the day, theres no clear path forward for the party to deal with the issue.

Aside from the likelihood of discussion on secularism and religious rights, the debate will be closely watched for the performance of anglophone candidates, said political analyst and former NDP operative Ian Capstick.

This particularly applies to Angus and Singh, who are generally perceived to be less fluent in French than Ashton and  obviously  Caron, he said.

Im not certain that either of them has demonstrated proficiency in the French language up to this point, and they have one chance to fix that  this weekend, Capstick said.

This is critical. This will be the real test to see how well those men can actually speak French.

The debate is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. Sunday.

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Surrounded by police at a Willowdale residence, a man wanted for attempted murder evaded inevitable arrest by slamming his car into a police cruiser and speeding away.

Toronto police Const. David Hopkinson said police had been searching for Tyrell Evans, 28, since an incident in April. When police received information that he was at an address in the Yonge St. and Avondale Rd. area, they surrounded the house late Friday.

We were in the process of getting the proper warrants to go in, Hopkinson said. While we were doing that, he was able to escape.

Hopkinson asid Evans got into a black Maserati and rammed it into police vehicles blocking his path in order to get away.

What if somebody was walking in front of the house as hes leaving and doing all this stuff, right? Hopkinson said. He has absolutely no regard for our rule of law, human life. Thats what hes showing, thats what hes exhibiting.

The dramatic scene was a culmination of police efforts after an initial warrant for Evans arrest was placed on April 9, when police received a report of a person with a gun in the Queen St. W and John St. area. Police said a man was involved in an altercation with a group of people when he pulled out a handgun and aimed it at a 33-year-old man. The trigger was pulled twice, but the gun did not fire, possibly due to jamming. The man, allegedly Evans, then fled the scene.

It wasnt a fight, I believe it was just verbal, Hopkinson said. Over an argument, he was willing to shoot a stranger.

The gun was never recovered from the first incident. Police believe it may still be in his possession.

Evans faces ten charges including attempted murder, assault with a weapon, possession of a firearm obtained by crime, and failure to comply with probation. He is now also wanted for dangerous driving after Fridays incident.

Police describe him as six foot, with a muscular build, a beard and a shaved head. His cars license plate is CBBH 661, and it should have damage to the drivers-side door after the collision with police vehicles.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police, but police are urging people to be cautious.

If anybody sees (him), we absolutely do not want them to approach. They see the carand lets face it, a Maserati is not a common carthey see the car, call 911 immediately. Hopkinson said. He is going to harm someone if we dont catch him.

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Although Pam McConnell will be remembered by many as a force for good in Toronto, her family and close friends also think of her as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend.

She loved to smile, to laugh, and to tell stories, said her daughter Heather Ann, at a celebration of her mothers life Friday afternoon.

She was an ordinary person, but she lived an extraordinary life, she said.

McConnell, who represented Ward 28 (Toronto Centre-Rosedale), died on July 7 from a continuing problem with her lungs. She was 71.

Hundreds of people packed the Cathedral Church of St. James to celebrate the life of McConnell, among them dignitaries, such as Mayor John Tory and Premier Kathleen Wynne, her council colleagues, and constituents, friends, and her family.

Throughout her career, McConnell made sure to set aside time for her family  her two daughters, Heather Ann and Madelyn, and her husband Jim  even when her busy public life sometimes made it difficult, said Heather Ann, who spoke fondly of annual summer trips to Florida.

In recent years, her focus on family grew as she sought quality time with her grandchildren. She loved being a grandma, Heather Ann said.

McConnells brother Phil Ritchie, who shared tales of a warm, caring sister, had a message of comfort for her grandchildren: their grandma is watching over them, and, no matter what, she would always be there, wanting to make things better.

McConnell will also be remembered by the thousands of Torontonians whose lives she worked tirelessly to improve.

Mom didnt have a fancy degree, attend ivy-league schools, or come from a family of status. What mom had was passion, compassion, dedication, a deep-seated belief in humanity and a social call to duty, said Heather Ann.

What I hope my moms life has taught us, is that, with these basic ingredients, anyone and everyone can make a difference, she said.

Throughout her many years as a city councillor, a school trustee, and, before that, as a community advocate and school teacher, McConnell worked to make a difference both communally and in the lives of individuals.

For Pam, people were always at the heart of what she would advocate for, said Noreen Dunphy, one of McConnells longtime friends, who added that McConnell always approached her work with high spirits and energy.

Her work isnt done; she left behind a list, said Paula Fletcher, McConnells friend and fellow city councillor: build more affordable housing; eradicate poverty, and elect more women to city council.

Its up to us now to accomplish Pams list, said Fletcher, I mean all of us, because as Pam knew well, city-building is a big-tent affair.

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NEW YORKBy the dawns early light, I searched the kitchen of Donald Trumps childhood home in Queens for a coffee mug.

There were none to be found, so I drank my coffee from a President Donald J. Trump Childhood Home insignia water glass and fixed myself a bowl of Wheaties from one of the five boxes on the counter.

It had been a restless night. I had fallen asleep in the bedroom where, according to a plaque on the wall, President Donald J. Trump was likely conceived. I awoke in the darkness feeling as if Id been chasing a ghost.

New York City practically abounds in presidential dwellings. Theres the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace in Manhattan, where young Teedies red velvet reading chair is on display. There are several unremarkable apartments where Barack Obama lived as a Columbia University undergraduate.

There is the town house on Lexington Ave. where Vice-President Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as the 21st president, which is now home to an Indian grocery store.

But there is only one that you can rent by the night, if you have $815 (U.S.) to spare.

The two-storey mock-Tudor house in the verdant precincts of Jamaica Estates that the presidents father built, and where young Donald lived until age 4, is now available on Airbnb. The host and owner have no connection to the Trump empire.

Not much has been changed since the Trumps lived here, the listing promises.

But the Trumps left the house on Wareham Place in 1950, and between later owners renovations and the off-the-shelf Trump memorabilia the hosts have crammed into the place, the essence of little Donny Trump is difficult to detect.

As I entered the access code and pushed open the door Saturday afternoon, I felt a silence envelop me. There was a living room decorated with red-and-gold, Ethan-Allen-ish chairs and couches and a chaise longue meant to invoke a degree of midcentury splendour. Behind it was a dining room table with a large American flag folded across it. (Displaying the American flag on a dining table violates several provisions of the federal law known as the U.S. Flag Code, said Michael Buss, a flag expert and deputy director at the American Legion.)

And from practically every surface gazed the visage of the adult Donald Trump. Photos of Trump, the swinging 80s developer; a framed People magazine cover that says At Home With the Trumps!; multiple paperback copies of Art of the Deal; a Warhol-inspired print of cartoon-colored Donalds; and, next to the flat-screen TV, a life-size cardboard cut-out of the man.

As my wife and 12-year-old daughter explored the first floor, occasionally emitting startled yelps, I went upstairs to what another plaque said was likely the childhood bedroom President Donald J. Trump. On the wall was a photo of Trump with Michael Jackson.

I sat down and closed my eyes and tried to imagine young Donald, a beautiful little boy, very blond and buttery, as his preschool teacher would remember him, taking his first steps, tagging after his older siblings, stealing his younger brothers blocks.

The house, while solid, is a modest affair, especially by Trump standards, with normal-size rooms and a tiny front yard. Fred C. Trump built it in 1940 for his wife and their first two children. It had four bedrooms, possibly only three originally. By the time Donald, child No. 4, was born in 1946, things were getting crowded, and after the youngest Trump, Robert, was born in 1948, Fred Trump, now very wealthy, bought two lots behind his backyard and built a colonnaded 23-room brick mansion where Donald spent the rest of his childhood.

In the small backyard, I looked over the fence at the mansion. I pictured Donny as a teenager looking from the mansions yard back at the house where he used to live and thinking, with a mix of wistfulness and contempt, Thats where I came from, and look where I live now. As made-up insights go, it would have to do.

The doorbell rang. It was a man who grew up in the house in the 1980s and 1990s. I had invited him over to walk through it. The man, who asked not to be named, citing concern for his familys privacy, pointed out the renovations his father had done, including one of the houses few seemingly Trump-like features, a Jacuzzi with gold trim. He seemed both amused and chagrined to see his childhood home turned into a makeshift shrine.

Fred Trump lived in the mansion until his death in 1999, and I asked the man if he had met him. Not directly, he said, but I came home from high school one day and there was some sort of a subpoena for Fred Trump taped to the door. The experience may have influenced him: He is now a corporate lawyer.

Living in the shadow of greatness, or at least prominence, can be inspiring. Christopher Sweatt, a 28-year-old piano teacher, rented the two-bedroom apartment with an uneven floor and a temperamental toilet on West 109th St. that was briefly home to Obama, from 2014 until a few weeks ago.

It made me want to make the most of the time that I had there and work hard and put my energy to good use, he said. Just knowing at the time that he lived there that he probably had no idea what really he was going to go on to accomplish in his life  maybe super cool things can happen to anybody.

A few cool things happened even during Sweatts tenancy, he said.  Do you want to go back to Obamas? is probably the greatest pickup line of all time.

The man behind the Trump Airbnb is a developer named Michael Davis, who bought the house in 2016 after the election for just under $1.4 million, flipped it for $2.14 million, and is now leasing it from the anonymous current owner for $4,000 a month. At $725 per night (the base price), he may make a profit if he rents it at least six nights a month. He has been doing a brisk business with journalists, including not only me, but reporters from Newsweek and the New York Post.

As $725 Airbnb rentals go, the place is still a bit shy of five stars. Two of the toilets run unless you jiggle the handles. The refrigerator dispenses no ice. More troublingly, there was no gas, which meant no hot water or stove (the host, an associate of Daviss, had apologized for the inconvenience the day of the rental). So for dinner, we got takeout Indian food and moved the American flag off the table and ate spinach paneer and garlic naan. I thought of Donald Trumps formidably formal father, who wore a jacket and tie to family dinners every night. I could not bring myself to sit at the head of the table.

After dinner, I turned on Fox News. A Republican congressman was talking about the person who for four years had occupied the same piece of real estate where I was sprawled on a couch. Hes going to keep racking up big wins, the congressman said.

In the morning, after breakfast, I washed the presidential glasses and the Wheaties bowl. I jiggled the handles on the toilets one more time, helped my family gather our belongings and said goodbye to the cardboard cut-out by the TV.

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SEOULThree North Korea short-range ballistic missiles failed on Saturday, U.S. military officials said, which, if true, would be a temporary setback to Pyongyangs rapid nuclear and missile expansion.

The U.S. Pacific Command said in a statement that two of the Norths missiles failed in flight after an unspecified distance, and another appeared to have blown up immediately. It added that the missile posed no threat to the U.S. territory of Guam, which the North had previously warned it would fire missiles toward.

Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the projectiles fired from the Norths eastern coast flew about 250 kilometres, though it did not mention any failures. It said South Korea and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launch and didnt immediately provide more details.

South Koreas presidential office said the U.S. and South Korean militaries will proceed with their ongoing war games even more thoroughly in response to the latest launch. They are the first known missile firings since July, when the North successfully flight tested a pair of intercontinental ballistic missiles that analysts say could reach deep into the U.S. mainland when perfected.

The White House said that U.S. President Donald Trump  who has warned that he would unleash fire and fury if the North continued its threats  was briefed on the latest North Korean activity and we are monitoring the situation.

The rival Koreas recently saw their always testy relationship get worse after Trump traded warlike threats. Saturdays launch comes during an annual joint military exercise between the United States and South Korea that the North condemns as an invasion rehearsal, and weeks after Pyongyang threatened to lob missiles toward Guam.

North Korea had walked back from the threat to lob missiles toward Guam, but there had been concerns that hostility will flare up again during the Ulchi-Freedom Guardian drills between the allies that run through Aug. 31.

However, some experts say North Korea is now mainly focused on the bigger picture of testing its bargaining power against the United States with its new long-range missiles and likely has no interest in letting things get too tense during the drills. They say the North may limit its reactions to low-level provocations like artillery and short-range missile launches.

Early assessments from the U.S. and South Korean militaries suggest that the North Korean launches could be short-range Scud-B or solid-fuel KN-02 missiles, said Kim Dong-yub, a former South Korean military official who is now an analyst at Seouls Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

While the missile that supposedly blew up immediately after launch was clearly a failure, Kim said its too early to judge the flights of the other two missiles, since the North could have been experimenting with developmental technologies or deliberately detonated the warheads at certain heights and locations.

North Koreas state media earlier Saturday said that leader Kim Jong Un inspected a special operation forces training of the countrys army that simulated attacks on South Korean islands along the countries western sea border in what appeared to be in response to the ongoing U.S.-South Korea war games.

Kim reportedly told his troops that they should think of mercilessly wiping out the enemy with arms only and occupying Seoul at one go and the southern half of Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency said that the target striking contest involved war planes, multiple-rocket launchers and self-propelled guns that attacked targets meant to represent South Koreas Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands before special operation combatants landed by surprise on rubber boats.

The border islands have occasionally seen military skirmishes between the rivals, including a North Korean artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong in 2010 that left two South Korean marines and two civilians dead.

In response to North Koreas expanding nuclear weapons program, South Korea has been moving to strengthen its own capabilities, planning talks with the United States on raising the warhead limits on its missiles and taking steps to place additional launchers to a U.S. anti-missile defence system in the countrys southeast.

South Korea has also been testing new missiles of its own, including the 800-kilometre-range Hyunmoo-2. Although the missile has not been operationally deployed yet, it is considered a key component to the so-called kill chain pre-emptive strike capability the South is pursuing to cope with the Norths growing nuclear and missile threat.

Read more:

Canada should join ballistic missile defence program, Romeo Dallaire says

U.S. praises North Korea on recently demonstrated restraint

North Korean threat puts spotlight back on whether Canada should join missile defence program

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John Hoatson recalls the day it all began with perfect clarity.

His mother woke him when it was barely light outside on July 29, 1981, telling the 8-year-old there was something he needed to see for historical purposes.

Along with an estimated 750 million others around the globe, he planted himself in front of the TV for hours as the wedding of Lady Diana and Prince Charles unfolded across the pond.

I fell in love with (Diana) right then. She was the prettiest person in the world, Hoatson, now 44, said. I followed her entire life. I loved her humanitarian work. I had a photo of her on my nightstand throughout college.

Read more: Would Princess Diana have retained her royal magic 20 years later? DiManno

Hoatson, an alumni director for Kaiser College, is now owner of an extensive collection of items related to Princess Di and the royal family, filling his Fort Lauderdale home with more than 13,000 pieces. In 2011, a museum valued the collection at $500,000.

The Tampa Bay Times spoke to him by phone to find out more.

Where does it all come from?

When Diana died, I started writing to people who knew her with the hope of gathering signatures, along with a portfolio of remembrances from people who knew her. Along the way, people started sending other things, starting with her friend and confidante Simone Simmons sending me signed birthday cards, Dianas T-shirt and a notepad Diana got when she vacationed at the K Club in Barbuda in 1996. I also have a bar of soap from that trip that Diana had washed her hands with. I think it helps that people know Im not going to sell any of it. Thats not what this is about. . . . Of course, much of it comes from various auction houses.

Whats your favourite piece?

I think the slice of their wedding cake. Its fruitcake. It will never get old. Its preserved by the air. I sent the cake to England and the box was signed by two of her bridesmaids, India Hicks and Clemmie Hambro, who was of course her littlest bridesmaid at 5 years old. I really like the letters and cards. She was a huge card writer. I have an engagement letter from right after she was engaged to Charles. Its signed Lady Diana.

Have you tried the cake?

No, and everyone asks me that. But its 36-year-old fruitcake, and it looks really bad.

What was the most difficult piece to obtain?

It took me seven years to finally get a tiny swatch of fabric from Stephen Walters & Sons from her dress. . . . The swatches are from the same bolt of fabric, the taffeta that made her wedding dress.

Whats the market like for Diana items right now?

Its hard this year with the anniversary, because people are trying to cash in on it, and as time goes on since her death its going to get harder and harder to find things. Ive seen signed pictures of her, and people are asking $20,000, or cards are going for $8,000. I look for things that are affordable. I want to reflect that she was Princess of Wales, and the Duchess of Cornwall, but also a mother.

Why are you doing this?

I want to do my part to preserve history and Dianas story so that we learn from it. I remember that morning of the wedding in 1981, my mother said to me, These are the people we fought in the revolution. I thought, Wow, they still have the pomp and pageantry. And carriages! Theyre so tied into their history, and were such a young nation. It fascinated me. Im really hoping I can travel to England later this month for the anniversary. I went in 1996, and tried so hard to track her down, so I could see her somewhere, but I never did. Buckingham Palace has her desk on display. Id want to see that.

You went to Beverly Hills and had a private tea with Sarah Fergie Ferguson. What do you talk about with the Duchess of York?

The tea was a very special occasion. We arrived at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif. She came around 4:30 p.m. She wore no makeup and looked amazing. We spoke about Diana and the collection. We also spoke about events and charity work that she did at the time. It was an honour to be introduced to her dresser.

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 02:22:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NICOSIA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) that Britain maintains on Cyprus said Friday that there would be no respite for hunting down poachers catching songbirds.

SBA spokesman Sean Tally said in a statement that authorities had already started their campaign against trappers by pulling out two kilometers of irrigation pipes laid by "criminal gangs" to prepare for poaching at the start of the bird's migratory season.

Tally said the irrigation pipes were placed illegally to help acacia trees grow quickly so as to be used for the spreading of mist nets.

Catching songbirds, which are sold in restaurants as a gourmet delicacy, is illegal in Cyprus under European Union (EU) legislation.

Poachers and those with songbirds in their possession face steep fines and prison sentences.

However, many millions of birds are trapped, mostly during the months of September and October, during their temporary stay on the island.

Sources familiar with the issue say that restaurants, which are known only to a closed circle, charge up to 10 euros for each bird, thus making poaching a lucrative business.

Both Cypriot and SBA authorities cooperate closely in fighting poaching but are always one-step behind the trappers who protect each other.

Tally said that the SBA anti-poaching police squad had confiscated more than 800 mist nets and other poaching material worth 75,000 euros from September 2016 to March 2017.

Specialists estimate that the confiscated mist nets could trap up to 400,000 birds.
MANILA, PHILIPPINESThousands of Filipinos poured out of their homes to join a funeral march Saturday for Kian Loyd delos Santos, the 17-year-old boy whose death at the hands of police has galvanized opposition to President Rodrigo Dutertes brutal war on drugs.

Students joined nuns, activists and even supporters of Duterte as an estimated 5,000 people marched in light rain, demanding accountability from the president, who has appeared to soften his tough anti-crime rhetoric and has ordered the detention of three police officers pending an investigation into the killing.

I hope that what happened to my son will not happen to members of their families, Saldy delos Santos, the boys father, said of the police officers. He wore a white shirt with the words Justice for Kian written on an image of a black ribbon.

The whole village knows my son as a good boy, he added. All he knows is how to help the family. How can they say he was on drugs?

Next to him was his wife, Lorenza delos Santos, who wept silently as a stream of mourners stopped by a small neighborhood church in Caloocan, a mostly poor, northern Manila suburb, where a funeral mass was offered for their son.

The teenager was among 96 people killed in the Manila area in what police called a one-time, big-time crackdown on drug dealers and addicts in the capital and in several sprawling suburbs.

His death has rankled the government and forced Duterte to acknowledge publicly that there may have been lapses. On Saturday, the presidents spokesman, Ernesto Abella, said the government would not tolerate wrongdoings or illegal acts from any law enforcement officer.

That statement was a reversal from Dutertes words last week, when he appeared to encourage police to kill more drug suspects after praising them for a bloody anti-narcotics operation that has left nearly 100 people dead  the bloodiest siege since he began the campaign last year.

Delos Santos death has raised serious questions about how police conduct raids. Abella said the governments public prosecutor had filed criminal complaints of murder against the officers involved at the Justice Department  underscoring the resolve of the government, he added.

Let us allow the legal process to run its course, and trust the justice system under the Duterte presidency, Abella said.

The complaint followed a Senate inquiry Thursday during which forensics investigators and the public attorneys office testified that delos Santos had been shot at close range while kneeling.

That account contradicted polices narrative that he had been shot because he had fought with the officers. Pictures provided by investigators showed the dead teenager with a gun in his left hand, even though the boy was right-handed.

A closed-circuit television camera showed police officers leading the boy away minutes before he was found lifeless in a nearby cul-de-sac with at least two gunshot wounds to the head and torso. Three witnesses, two of them minors, came forward to testify against police.

My son was begging them, the elder delos Santos said at the march. He said he wanted to go home because his father was looking for him. To the policemen who killed an innocent person, go to church. Its not too late to ask for forgiveness.

The politically influential Roman Catholic Church, which counts 80 per cent of Filipinos as members, has used the death of the teenager to call on Duterte to stop what it called his ill-conceived war on drugs. On Saturday, one of its most outspoken priests, Rev. Robert Reyes, led the funeral march and attacked Dutertes campaign against crime, which he said was clearly, a war on the poor.

I think if you look around, the majority of those who joined the march are from the ranks of the poor, he said. All were shouting, Justice for Kian. People may be wondering, Is this boy the new Ninoy?

He was referring to Benigno Aquino Jr., known as Ninoy, who staunchly opposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino was gunned down in 1983 on the tarmac of the Manila airport upon returning from exile in the United States. Marcos was widely blamed for the assassination.

His death united the opposition, and the effort grew into a people power revolution that toppled Marcos three years later. Aquinos widow later became president, and his son and namesake preceded Duterte in the position.

Whether delos Santos death will translate into a united front against Duterte is unclear.

The call for justice has begun, said Edwin Lacierda, a political strategist and former spokesman for the younger Aquino. The Senate hearings and rallies have seen to that. That call for change has likewise begun, both from the people and those within the government.

Where it leads, we do not know, he added. But certainly, the people can no longer tolerate the binary attitude of condemning the killings but not calling to account Duterte.

For the time being, he said, the boys death had forced the public to face and confront reality, no longer with timidity.

On Saturday, supporters of Duterte joined the crowd at the funeral march and cried with the boys father. Some, including Michael Alberto Darang, a 20-year-old college student, said he had voted for Duterte. He displayed a wristband bearing the presidents name.

I used to believe in Dutertes promise to end crime, he said, and in fact, I think that is partly true. But I never wanted deaths for the innocent. Stop these killings. Instead, arrest drug lords and others.

He said it was clear that delos Santos had been a victim of the police wanting to impress Duterte.

He promised us a better life, Darang said of Duterte. Death for the innocent is not the change we want.

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BARCELONA, SPAINHundreds of thousands of peace marchers flooded the heart of Barcelona on Saturday shouting Im not afraid  a public rejection of violence following extremist attacks that killed 15 people, Spains deadliest in more than a decade.

Emergency workers, taxis drivers, police and ordinary citizens who helped immediately after the attack on Aug. 17 in the citys famed Las Ramblas boulevard led the march. They carried a street-wide banner with black capital letters reading No Tinc Por, which means Im not afraid in the local Catalan language.

The phrase has grown from a spontaneous civic answer to violence into a slogan that Spains entire political class has unanimously embraced.

Read more: Canadian victim of Barcelona attack mourned as family man, lover of books, beer, debate

Spains central, regional and local authorities tried to send an image of unity Saturday by walking behind emergency workers, despite earlier criticism that national and regional authorities had not shared information about the attackers well enough with each other.

In a first for a Spanish monarch, King Felipe VI joined a public demonstration, along with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and other Spanish and Catalan regional officials.

Still, some citizens whistled their displeasure as authorities passed by and held banners criticizing the kings role in promoting military exports to Saudi Arabia.

Barcelona police said 500,000 people showed up to the march Saturday.

Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has claimed the vehicle attacks in Barcelona and hours later in the coastal town of Cambrils that left 15 dead and more than 120 wounded. The investigation into the Islamic extremist cell behind the attacks has shown that the group planned even more deadly carnage, but accidentally blew up a house in Alcanar where explosives were being built and gas tanks were being stored.

Eight suspects are dead, two are jailed under preliminary charges of terrorism and homicide and two more were freed by a judge but will remain under investigation.

Medical authorities said Saturday that 22 people wounded in the attacks are still being treated in hospitals. Six of them remain in critical condition.

In the northeastern town of Ripoll, home for many of the attackers, members of the local Muslim community and other residents gathered Saturday in a central square to condemn the deadly attacks. Nestled in the foothills of the Pyrenees, the town is where most suspects came under the influence of a radical imam, investigators say.

The sister of two of the alleged extremists gave an emotional speech thanking her neighbours for the support shown to Muslim families in Ripoll.

We share the same grief and the (need) for an understanding of what happened, said Hafida Oukabir, whose younger brother Moussa was shot dead by police in Cambrils and whose elder brother Driss is in custody facing terrorism charges. We must all work together to stop this from ever happening again.

Her sobbing speech was met with applause.

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.As a Jewish musician sang a prayer for healing, Beth Epstein started to cry.

She didnt realize how broken she felt until now.

Two weeks ago, neo-Nazis marched past her synagogue on Shabbat chanting Sieg Heil while on their way to a white supremacist rally at Emancipation Park, one block away.

Epstein, 51, remembers looking out the window from the room she was now sitting in at Congregation Beth Israel and glimpsing a swastika. Later that day, 32-year-old Heather Heyer would be killed when a driver with ties to the neo-Nazi movement allegedly plowed into a crowd. Two state troopers would also die that day.

Congregation Beth Israel is the sole synagogue in Charlottesville and, although the sounds and sights of bigotry and hatred that stirred fear in worshippers as they prayed that day remain fresh, the community is now focused on moving forward.

More than 250 peoplemuch larger than a usual Shabbat crowd at the Reform synagogueshowed up Friday night to draw inspiration and comfort from prayer and music by artists who journeyed there from around the country.

My general feeling is that the Jewish community will come back stronger from this threat just like America will, said Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer, a member of the synagogue who attended the healing service.

The white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched on the town Aug. 12 had chanted threats aimed directly at Jews: Blood and Soil! and Jews will not replace us! They held signs reading the Goyim know, a slur referring to non-Jewish people, and the Jewish media is going down.

The synagogue had felt it was important to continue weekly services that day, but leaders had taken certain precautions, said synagogue president Alan Zimmerman. Services started an hour early, and they moved Torahs, including a Holocaust scroll they knew was irreplaceable, to a congregants house for safekeeping.

As the white supremacist ralliers raged, Zimmerman stood outside the synagogue with an armed security guard hired by the congregation because he was concerned for his congregants praying inside, he said. Men in fatigues armed with semiautomatic rifles passed by, Zimmerman said, and he recalled hearing one shout: Theres the synagogue.

I had no choice but to be out there, Zimmerman said. Im not suggesting I could have done anything, affected anything, but there was no other place that I could be at that moment.

Zimmerman felt close to crying, he said, as he later told the roughly 40 people gathered in the synagogue that it would be best for them to leave through the back door after services and travel in groups.

Signer said he had requested a police car and an officer at the synagogue that day, but the department was unable to fulfill the request, Signer said. There has been intense scrutiny over what many have criticized as a lack of police response to the eruptions of violence throughout that day.

I am very frustrated and have called for accountability for those failures here, Signer said. City Manager Maurice Jones countered in an Aug. 17 statement that police were stationed within just a few blocks of the synagogue that day.

As worshippers attended services, Beth Israel rabbi Rachel Schmelkin stood on the steps of the First United Methodist Church gazing out at the chanting protesters, as she sought to drown out the hate with music. Wearing her prayer shawl and carrying a guitar, she played more than 20 songs with themes of love and kindness. Despite the outward displays of hate, Schmelkin said, she was reassured by the other clergy supporting her, including rabbi Tom Gutherz, who was attending services that day, and the broader Jewish community. We arent alone, she recalled thinking.

Now, she said, Im now thinking of how do we heal? How do we start to heal as a Jewish community?

Schmelkin, Zimmerman and Signer were in the crowd Friday evening enjoying prayer, songs and poems of hope. The artists had travelled to the service in Charlottesville, from Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland and Chicago to help the community the best way they know how: music.

Our reaction to violence and our reaction to hatred is that we sing louder and we make better music and we just we throw more love at it, said Los Angeles musician Julie Silver, paraphrasing a quote by another Jewish musician, Leonard Bernstein.

Good and evil exist in the world, she said. We just have to make sure that our good shines and thats the best we can do.

Though Jewish people are always aware that anti-Semitism exists, the brazen chants from that weekend seemed to have brought that threat to the forefront of the Jewish collective conscience across the country, said rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

In the days after the Charlottesville rally, the Anti-Defamation League tracked instances of anti-Semitism, including a man urinating on a Philadelphia synagogue, a swastika drawn on a California high school campus and a bomb threat written on dorm walls at Washington State University.

What Charlottesville did was really shake our community to realize its not simply a historical memory or a small thing, Jacobs said. People woke up as this is something we need to be paying attention to.

Wendy Tanson travelled from Chapel Hill, N.C., with her husband, James Falek, on Friday to participate in the musical services and reflect on what happened. Recent threats to Jewish communities nationwide, such as the act of vandalism at the Boston Holocaust Museum, have shown Tanson, 54, that what happened in Charlottesville can happen anywhere.

This synagogue specifically was threatened in a profound way two weeks ago, in a way that shouldnt happen in 2017, Tanson said. We felt it was important to be here and stand up and be counted.

Over the past two weeks, the events of Aug. 12 have reverberated for others who attended the healing service on Friday.

Dana Mich, 30, said she has been thinking a lot about her grandfather, who survived the Holocaust. Jan Dorman, 60, said that during walks on the downtown mall she pictures the violence she saw on the news versus what she knows about the city shes lived in for decades. Sara Rimm-Kaufman, 47, recalled waking up in the middle of the night before the Friday services, worrying that the synagogue would be a target for anti-Semitic acts this Shabbat.

After formal prayer services, Silver led the congregation in singing uplifting songs of hope. People got out of their chairs, linked hands, smiled and danced around the room, and Silver thought: We are a resilient people.

We have a strong, vibrant Jewish community here, said longtime congregant Fred Epstein, 50.

His wife, Beth Epstein, agreed. Though she was brought to tears earlier in the services, she joined in the dancing by the end. I hope it continues, she said. Its really special.

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NEW YORKMark Cuban isnt ready to launch a formal campaign to challenge U.S. President Donald Trump.

Yet Cuban, an outspoken Texas billionaire who describes himself as fiercely independent politically, sees an opportunity for someone to take down the Republican president, who is increasingly viewed as divisive and incompetent even within his own party.

His base wont turn on him, but if there is someone they can connect to and feel confident in, they might turn away from him, Cuban told The Associated Press. The door is wide open. Its just a question of who can pull it off.

Read the latest on U.S. President Donald Trump

Indeed, just seven months into the Trump presidency, Republicans and right-leaning independents have begun to contemplate the possibility of an organized bid to take down the sitting president in 2020. It is a Herculean task, some say a fantasy: No president in the modern era has been defeated by a member of his own party, and significant political and practical barriers stand in the way.

Read more: Growing rift between Trump, GOP leaders could make it difficult to raise the debt ceiling

Trump orders Pentagon to indefinitely ban transgender military recruits

Trump adviser Seb Gorka resigns from White House

The Republican National Committee, now run by Trump loyalists, owns the rulebook for nominating the partys standard-bearer and is working with the White House to ensure a process favourable to the president.

Yet Trumps muddled response to a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month has emboldened his critics to talk about the once unthinkable.

GOP officials from New Hampshire to Arizona have wondered aloud in recent days about the possibility of a 2020 primary challenge from a fellow Republican or right-leaning independent. No one has stepped forward yet, however, and the list of potential prospects remains small.

Ohios GOP Gov. John Kasich has not ruled out a second run in 2020. Another Republican and frequent Trump critic, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, last month visited Iowa, which hosts the nations first presidential caucuses. And a handful of wealthy outsiders including Cuban and wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne The Rock Johnson, are being encouraged to join the fray.

Trumps comments about Charlottesville frightened many Republicans in New Hampshire, said Tom Rath, a veteran Republican strategist in the state that traditionally hosts the nations first presidential primary election.

While he has support from his people, the party itself is not married to him, Rath said of his partys president.

Trump denounced bigotry after the Virginia protests, but he also said very fine people were on both sides of the demonstrations, which drew neo-Nazis, white nationalists and members of the Ku Klux Klan. One woman was killed when a man drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters.

Even before the divisive remarks, Trumps public approval ratings were bad. Gallup found in mid-August that the president earned the approval of just 34 per cent of all adults and 79 per cent of Republicans. Both numbers marked personal lows. And as he lashes out at members of his own party with increasing frequency, frustrated Republican officials have raised questions about the first-term presidents political future.

On Monday, Maine Sen. Susan Collins said its too early to tell whether Trump would be the GOP presidential nominee in 2020. On Wednesday, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake said Trumps divisive governing style was inviting a primary challenge. And on Thursday night, former Sen. John Danforth, of Missouri, called Trump the most divisive president in our history in a Washington Post op-ed.

There hasnt been a more divisive person in national politics since George Wallace, Danforth wrote.

Trump has also disappointed The Rock, a former Republican-turned-independent, who told Vanity Fair in May that hed like to see a better leadership from the Republican president.

Trumps response to Charlottesville felt like a turning point among those thinking about 2020, said Kenton Tilford, a West Virginia political consultant who founded Run The Rock 2020. He said the group has already organized volunteers in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Hes vulnerable, Tilford said of the president.

Yet there is good reason why no sitting president since Franklin Pierce in 1852 has been defeated by a member of his own party. As is almost always the case, the most passionate voters in the presidents party remain loyal. And in Trumps case, activists across the country are starting to come around.

The president has personally installed his own leadership team at the Republican National Committee and in states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire, where new GOP chairmen are more devout Trump supporters than their predecessors.

As RNC members from across the country gathered in Tennessee this week, leaders had already begun focusing on protecting Trump in 2020.

RNC co-chairman Bob Paduchik, who ran Trumps winning campaign for Ohio last year, was named to lead an RNC effort to review the presidential nominating process in conjunction with White House political advisers.

An RNC rule allows the committee to revisit its delegate selection system and make changes to the plans established last year. It was last invoked before the 2004 election, when President George W. Bush was seeking re-election.

In that year, for instance, the RNC set the date of the Republican National Convention for late August, which allowed Bush to spend millions in federal matching dollars over a shorter, more concentrated, period of the fall campaign.

RNC chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel suggested that the blowback for Trumps Charlottesville comments only reminded his hardcore supporters what they like most about him.

Hes not filtered. Hes not poll-testing everything. Thats part of the appeal he has, McDaniel said. He has a great understanding of the pulse of the grassroots Republicans right now.

Other RNC members seemed more concerned about the presidents statement there were very fine people on both sides of the white supremacist rally.

New Jersey RNC member Bill Palatucci said Trump got it wrong in his initial comments, but he stands by the presidents agenda, especially business deregulation and his recent decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Mississippi RNC member Henry Barbour said the confusion following Trumps response to Charlottesville was a huge distraction. The presidents future will brighten, he said, if the GOP-controlled Congress overhauls the tax code and approves sweeping public building projects.

If he doesnt get those done, were going to have trouble, Barbour said.

Yet few predicted a significant primary challenge in the most important early voting states.

New Hampshire RNC member Steve Duprey said hes heard no serious talk of one. Said Iowa RNC committeewoman Tamara Scott, I firmly stand behind my president.

Beaumont reported in Nashville, Tennessee.

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Re: Cornwall demands answers to influx of asylum seekers, Aug. 22

Cornwall demands answers to influx of asylum seekers, Aug. 22

Most Canadians feel proud that we take in refugees from war-torn countries, people who are fleeing areas where they and their families are in great danger. They give up everything to find a country where they can feel safe and raise their families in peace. These are the genuine refugees and we welcome them.

Unfortunately, there are fake ones who try to take advantage of our generosity. Haitians are flooding our border from the United States, not because they are in any danger but because they think they can get a better deal in Canada.

When Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake in 2010, Canada and the United States took in Haitians on a temporary basis, until Haiti could rebuild its infrastructure. Everyone who came agreed to go back once their country was back on its feet.

Now these refugees fear the U.S. will send them back home and, even though they had agreed to go back, they now dont want to go.

They fear the Americans will make them do what they promised to do, so theyve fled to Canada because they think we are a softer touch.

Instead of supporting illegal migrants, we should be supporting our own Indigenous peoples, many of whom are living in worse conditions than these Haitians face back home.

Larry Prout, Peterborough, Ont.

Who can blame the illegal refugee claimants for jumping the immigration queue when there is no personal risk and the immediate rewards are free accommodation, free health care, free social assistance and free education for their children?

Sure, there is uncertainty about what will happen in the future, but the wheels of government bureaucracy grind away so slowly.

You would think the owners of Hotel Canada would insist that non-persecuted clients must book ahead, or at the very least come through the front door, but the staff seem content to treat back-door gate crashers with the same, or even more, deference than that given to clients who follow the rules.

Even though there are more than half a billion people living below the U.S.s southern border (many of them in politically unstable countries), nobody at Hotel Canada seems concerned that this nonchalant access will be abused.

In Europe, people-smuggling and human trafficking are out of control, which has added fuel to the right-wing populist movements. If you are convinced Hotel Canada is doing the proper thing, then open up your heart (and your wallet) and let the sun shine in.

Lloyd Atkins, Vernon, B.C.

Let me get this straight. About 10,000 illegal immigrants, mostly from the U.S., have invaded Canada, and our government welcomes them with heated tents.

How many Canadians live on park benches, over heat vents or under overpasses? You know the ones. They are invisible to us when they ask for a handout.

As long as the small, loud minority cry out for the line jumpers, and the silent, apathetic majority stay silent, this will keep going on. Next time you walk by someone sleeping on a heat vent or park bench, stop and see what your silence has caused. Start to make a noise, Canada!

G. Shannon, Peterborough, Ont.

Canadas undefended border a fantasy, Cohn, Aug. 19

Perhaps in his next column, Martin Regg Cohn can update taxpayers on what it is costing us to have tens of thousands of refugees waltz across the border in Quebec and Manitoba. Apparently, we are now housing people in Ontario because Quebec cant handle them all.

I wonder how many refugees will never ever be found so they can be returned home once their claim has been denied.

My sympathy to anybody who has been in the queue for years waiting to join our country through legal channels.

Steve Panchuk, Brampton

Far-right rally sparks clashes in Quebec City, Aug. 21

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ignoring the huge under-current of frustration that his governments inaction is stoking. Its not an anti-immigrant issue, its a refugee issue cloaked in the honeyed phrase of asylum seeker.

The vast majority of border crossers are Haitian. Canada and the U.S. gave temporary refuge to Haitians following the devastating 2010 earthquake. Canada wound down its program in December 2014 but the U.S. has only recently followed suit.

Canada and the international community spent more than $15 billion to repair the damage from the earthquake. Haiti was deemed safe before the earthquake and is deemed safe today. These people are simply taking advantage of Canadas inability to quickly weed out and dispose of queue-jumpers and economic migrants, in the hopes of extending their stay in North America.

The tragedy is that real refugees, who are in unimaginably dire straits, are left to wait in line in squalid refugee camps even longer. And all the legal arguments and excuses do not make that right.

Don Mustill, Markham

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The U.S. Air Force awarded both Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT) - Get Free Report and Raytheon Co (RTN) - Get Free Report a $900 million, 54-month contract to develop a new nuclear cruise missile for long-range bombers, the Air Force said in a statement.

The missiles will be designed to replace Boeing Co's (BA) - Get Free Report out-of-date weapon in use today. Boeing said it was "disappointed it was not chosen," a spokeswoman told Bloomberg.

After the 54 months are up and both Lockheed and Raytheon have developed a new Long-Range Standoff missile, the Air Force will choose one of the contractors to enter full production of as many as 1,000 missiles in an acquisition valued at about $10 billion. Not all the missiles will be topped by nuclear warheads.

The announcement of Lockheed's and Raytheon's contracts comes days after Boeing and Northrup Grumman Corp (NOC) - Get Free Report won contracts to refine concepts for a new intercontinental ballistic missile from the Air Force.

Lockheed stock closed trading down 0.11% to $302.50 and Boeing was little changed, up 0.26% to $238.72 Thursday. Raytheon shares were down 0.08% to $178.04.

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Hours away from the Friday close, its shares are up 1%, at $152.84.

That said, shares of membership warehouses operator Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) - Get Free Report have been under tremendous pressure over the last three months with the stock dropping sharply by 13.5%.

That sharp drop all started when Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) - Get Free Report announced it was buying high-end grocery store player Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM) for somewhere in the neighborhood of $13 billion. Short-sellers immediately targeted COST as easy prey, since anytime Amazon.com enters a new market, it's going to cause disruption and price wars. Amazon.com loves to cut prices to put pressure on its competitors, even if that comes at the cost of making actual profits.

Thursday Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market announced they would lower prices on items including avocados, bananas, organic baby kale, almond butter, brown eggs and salmon in an effort to make organic food more affordable, and the newly combined company will make Amazon Prime the customer rewards program at Whole Foods Market. This news wiped away billions in market cap as stocks like Kroger Co. (KR) - Get Free Report and Costco dropped once again sharply.

Investors and traders continue to shoot first and ask questions later when it comes to selling grocery store and warehouse membership store stocks off any Amazon.com news related to those sectors. Most of the Whole Foods Market buyout was already priced in by the markets the day it was announced back in June, as it's universally common knowledge that Amazon.com lowers prices like its a religion.

Furthermore, most people who have shopped at a Whole Foods Market and a Costco know that the overlap between the two in products is minimal at best, and the shopping experience and business model between the two are completely different.

Maybe investors should look at the price cuts on organic products as a desperate move by Whole Foods Market to compete with Costco, not the other way around. Whole Foods Market is notorious for high prices and Costco sells in bulk, which allows them a pricing advantage tied to their unique business model.

If you take a look at the chart for COST, you'll notice that the daily chart has now started to show some selling pressure below a key uptrend line that dates back to 2015. Now, the stock hasn't dipped much below that trend line, so it's going to be key to see if shares of COST can recapture that trend line in the coming sessions, or trend substantially below it, losing that key longer-term support level.

I would look for long-biased trades in COST and buy any overblown selloff if this stock starts to trend and close back above $155 a share. That type of action would suggests that the bulls are defending the stock at this key trend line and the overall strong uptrend for COST is back in play.

On the flipside, if this stock can't recapture that trend line soon, I would avoid it for now on a close below some key near-term support at $149.52 a share. A close below that level will mean there are likely bigger problems at Costco that are Amazon.com-related or not.

The bottom line, the Whole Foods Market deal is likely priced into COST here if this stock can now catch a bid at a key uptrend line that dates back to 2015. Watch this stock very closely in the near term and see if it holds. If it does, buy this dip aggressively with a reasonable stop on a close back over $155 a share with decent volume. If that trend line gets defended and holds, I fully expect shares of COST to be trending north of $185 very soon.

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This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Cupertino, Calif-based Apple (AAPL) - Get Free Report announced on Thursday that it planned to build two new data centers in an unlikely city: Waukee, Iowa.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said at an event on Thursday in Waukee that the 2000-acre, $1.4 billion building project will run 100% on renewable energy. Construction will begin on the project in early 2018 and should be completed in 2020. Surprisingly, Apple is the fourth tech giant to build a data center in Iowa, following Google, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL) - Get Free Report , Facebook (FB) - Get Free Report , and Microsoft (MSFT) - Get Free Report . So, why Iowa?

At the event on Thursday, Cook cited Iowa's "world-class power grid," as well as the state's efforts to develop creative computer programmers. "At Apple, we admire what you guys have accomplished and we want to be a part of it," Cook told the Iowa crowd.

Apple, Alphabet and Facebook are holdings in Jim Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio. Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL, GOOGL or FB? Learn more now.

The midwestern state is the prime location for renewable energy projects. Iowa passed one of the first Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) in the country in 1983. The state is also ranked first in the U.S. for wind energy with 36% of its electricity coming from wind power, meaning Iowa can provide the renewable energy Apple and other tech giants need more than other states.

Fellow Silicon Valley giants Google and Facebook have deals with Iowa that let them run their data centers completely on renewable energy. Together, the two companies buy 548 MW of wind energy from MidAmerican, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) - Get Free Report , (BRK.B) - Get Free Report .

Iowa was also ranked number nine overall on CNBC's "Top States for Business" list based on 60 measurements of competitiveness and ranked number two for the "Cost of Doing Business." Apple is certainly getting a good deal to build in The Hawkeye State. The company is getting a $208 million tax break to build the two data centers that will create at least 50 jobs.

"Apple's significant investment and commitment to grow in Iowa is a clear vote of confidence in our state," Gov. Kim Reynolds said in the announcement. "This announcement further solidifies Iowa as a hub where innovation and technology flourish and demonstrates this is a place where world-class companies can thrive."

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President Trump late Friday pardoned Joe Arpaio, the controversial ex-Arizona sheriff, the New York Times reported.

In a short statement, the White House said that with Mr. Arpaio's years of "admirable service to our nation, he is worthy candidate for a presidential pardon," the Times said.

Arpaio's "aggressive efforts to hunt down and detain undocumented immigrants made him a national symbol of the divisive politics of immigration and earned him a criminal contempt conviction," the Times said in its report.

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This article was written by a staff member of TheStreet.
The debt ceiling needs to be hiked by Sept. 29 and a spending bill signed by Sept. 30 to avoid a government shutdown. Economists at Goldman Sachs think there's only a 50-50 chance that Congress will get it done in time.

"There are several arguments against a shutdown, particularly that Congress simply kicks the can with a temporary extension, delaying the real debate until later this year," Goldman's Jan Hatzius wrote on Friday, Aug. 25. "However, with little chance that Congress will fund the border wall, a fractured Republican majority in Congress and a decision that ultimately rests with the President, the outcome is hard to predict."

That's a more pessimistic outlook than that of Deutsche Bank economists, who predict a 32.5% chance of no deal emerging.

The debt ceiling is the issue of less concern, Hatzius wrote, "simply because most lawmakers and the White House generally agree it must be raised and it can always be addressed separately from the more contentious spending bill."

The overall economic impact of a shutdown is minor, with Hatzius estimating that a weeklong shutdown would shave 0.2% off fourth-quarter real GDP. Barclays analysts pegged the potential loss at 0.1%. Still, Hatzius added, "these deadlines will consume additional time and energy and distract from other issues like tax reform."

While House Speaker Paul Ryan said Wednesday that he doesn't think a shutdown is "necessary" and implied Congress can come up with stopgap measures until the winter, President Trump threatened -- in a Tuesday speech in Arizona -- to shut down the government if Congress won't fund a border wall. Mexico is supposed to fund Trump's signature policy, but the White House now says the United States will fund it initially and Mexico will recoup the costs.

The president is also publicly feuding with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and several of his colleagues, further complicating the prospect of legislative consensus.

Congressional Republicans were widely blamed for the most recent government shutdown, in the fall of 2013, a 16-day budget fight which caused 800,000 government employees to be furloughed and over 1 million to work without pay. Repeated impasses over the debt ceiling cost former Speaker John Boehner his job.

Congress returns from its summer recess on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 03:42:47|Editor: Zhou Xin

Soo Wong, a member of Provincial Parliament of Canada's Ontario province, is interviewed with Xinhua in Toronto, Canada, on Aug. 24, 2017. "It is important for Ontarians to reflect and educate themselves about the enduring lessons of the Nanjing Massacre," said Ms. Soo Wong, who is a member of Provincial Parliament of Canada's Ontario province. Wong has devoted her efforts introducing a private member's Bill No. 79 to designate December 13 as Nanjing Massacre Commemoration Day here in Ontario in southeast Canada. The bill passed the second hearing last December, and will go through a third hearing later this year. If passed, December 13 will become an official commemorative day in the province. Up to date, more than 90,000 signatures have been collected across the province in support of the bill. (Xinhua/Li Haitao)

By Li Baodong

Ottawa, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- "It is important for Ontarians to reflect and educate themselves about the enduring lessons of the Nanjing Massacre," said Ms. Soo Wong, who is a member of Provincial Parliament of Canada's Ontario province.

Wong has devoted her efforts introducing a private member's Bill No. 79 to designate December 13 as Nanjing Massacre Commemoration Day here in Ontaria in southeast Canada.

The bill passed the second hearing last December, and will go through a third hearing later this year. If passed, December 13 will become an official commemorative day in the province. Up to date, more than 90,000 signatures have been collected across the province in support of the bill.

Ontario is home to Canada's largest Asian community. It is reported that there are nearly three million Asian Canadians, including almost one million population of Chinese origin. Some Ontarians have direct relationship with victims and survivors of Nanjing Massacre.

The Nanjing Massacre is also known as the Rape of Nanking in the Western world. In December 1937, Japanese troops captured the city of Nanjing, then capital of China, and committed mass murder and raping with more than 300,000 local Chinese being killed.

The bill for the commemorative day has encountered strong opposition from Japan. Some Japanese lawmakers reportedly have sent a letter to the Ontario government against the bill and Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party will send its lawmakers to Canada to lobby against the designation of the Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua Thursday, Soo Wong said she had heard of a letter being sent from Japanese MPs to Ontario.

Wong is the first female Chinese-Canadian to be elected to the Ontario Legislature. She serves as deputy speaker and parliamentary assistant to Ontario minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

"I'm not going to comment on something I haven't read. I'm going to comment on the fact that this is about Ontario government and as a member of Ontario provincial parliament, I do have the ability and authority to introduce private member's bill on matters that are factual, and based on evidence," Wong said.

However, Wong said she had received a postcard from Japan with no signature on it, which gives an alternative number of deaths killed in Nanjing during the Second World War.

"We know the history, we also know the fact," she said.

She said the designation of Nanjing Massacre Commemorative Day in Ontario will provide an opportunity for all Ontarians, especially the Asian community, to remember and honor the victims and families affected by the Nanjing Massacre.

However, supporters of the bill are worried that Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne will not push hard for the legislation to pass.

Dr. Joseph Wong, founder of Toronto Alpha (Association for Learning and Preserving the History of the Second World War in Asia) told Xinhua Thursday that he is concerned with the influence from the Japanese government.

Dr. Wong said the letter from the Japanese ruling party should not cause any ripple in the Ontario government, which should be intelligent enough not to be influenced by any foreign interference.

After Bill No. 79 passed second reading, Dr. Wong has met Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown and New Democratic Leader Andrea Horwath in Ontario Parliament. Both leaders, he said, have promised that their caucuses would support the bill without reservation.

"This is the human rights legislation," said Dr. Wong.

However, Dr Wong said a meeting with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne made him feel that she is reluctant to let it pass.

Dr. Wong said the premier was concerned the bill adoption would be "divisive" for Ontario's Japanese and Chinese communities.

He assured the premier that will not happen, as remembering the Nanjing Massacre will promote dialogue between local Japanese and Chinese communities. "We don't see Germans and Jews fighting on the streets of Canada because of Holocaust education," he stressed.

Toronto author Joy Kogawa, who is Japanese Canadian, told a news conference last month that she fully supported the bill to designate December 13 as Nanjing Massacre Commemoration Day, even though that means people in Japan think she's a traitor.

"The facts are the facts, and it is wrong to deny them," said Kogawa, who's been awarded the Order of Canada and Japan's Order of the Rising Sun.

It's time for atrocities in Asia to be as well-known as those in Europe or Canada, Kogawa said, adding she has met and argued with many Japanese people who think the Rape of Nanking did not exist.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 03:52:52|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BAGHDAD, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi military investigators discovered two mass graves containing the remains of some 500 decapitated bodies near the newly-freed city of Mosul, a military statement said Friday.

The two graves were found near Badoush prison site in the northwest of Mosul, where one contained 470 bodies and the other contained 30, the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a brief statement.

The bodies are believed to be prisoners executed by Islamic State (IS) militants, according to the statement.

The Badoush prison is known as the site of an IS massacre of more than 600 inmates on June 10, 2014 when the terrorist group was sweeping Iraq's northern province of Nineveh.
Billings firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 78 Goldstrike Drive at 1:07 a.m., said Deputy Fire Marshal Jaime Fender of the Billings Fire Department. No one was injured in the blaze that caused heavy fire and smoke damage to the bedroom of the residence.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 04:23:06|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HOUSTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Consulate general of China in Houston issued an emergency warning Friday, asking Chinese citizens in Texas to be prepared as Hurricane Harvey is expected a landfall Friday night.

Hurricane Harvey has intensified into a powerful category 3 storm, with maximum sustained winds reaching 120 mph (193.11 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Friday

Published on its official website, the warning urged all Chinese including students and tourists in the coastal area of Texas to take precautious measures.

According to the consulate, people need to prepare food, water, medicine and other necessary goods at home. Personal belongings and IDs should be securely stored. Furthermore, people are recommended to closely follow the weather forecast and orders issued by local government.

Consulate General of China will provide any necessary help to people in need, said the Consulate general.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Friday said in a press conference in Austin that President Donald Trump promised to offer federal resources to Texas ahead of Hurricane Harvey's arrival.

The federal support would be available to help the state assist in preparation, rescue and recovery efforts.

The storm system has prompted officials to issue voluntary and mandatory evacuations of some coastal areas, school districts to postpone a return to classes and local governments to brace for life-threatening floods that could last through Monday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 04:43:20|Editor: ying

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza addresses a press encounter at the United Nations headquarters in New York, on Aug. 25, 2017. New U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela on Friday as well as U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat of military force against the South American country are "absurd, hostile" against a "peaceful nation," said Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza here on Friday. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- New U.S. economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela on Friday as well as U.S. President Donald Trump's recent threat of military force against the South American country are "absurd, hostile" against a "peaceful nation," said Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza here on Friday.

He had just finished a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN Headquarters in New York, where, a spokesman said Arreaza and Guterres had discussed the situation in the country.

After months of frequently violent, anti-government demonstrations in Caracas, a National Constituent Assembly was voted in, replacing the opposition-controlled parliament, which prompted Washington to impose sanctions on Venezuela.

"The secretary-general reiterated his view that a political solution based on dialogue and compromise between the government and the opposition is essential and urgent to address the challenges faced by the country in a context of respect for rule of law and human rights," a UN spokesman said.

The secretary-general "expressed support for ongoing regional efforts and the work of the international facilitators who are assisting the parties in trying to reactivate a process of negotiation," he said.

Arreaza told reporters that he and the UN chief talked about "the threats of the United States and its president ... and how absurd, hostile the threat of the use of force against a peaceful nation as Venezuela in a peaceful region as Latin America and the Caribbean."

A statement from the White House earlier in the day said the new measures were carefully calibrated to deny the Venezuelan government "a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule."

While admitting there were divisions in the nation, Arreaza said, "our country is united when it comes to threats, military threats, financial threats. Although some people in the opposition, I must confess, wanted these sanctions against its own people."

He also said President Nicolas Maduro has been constant with the intention of "having relations of mutual respect with the government of President Donald Trump," adding Maduro has "tried to contact, to talk; he is going to send a letter to President Trump."

He also said, "We believe that in the 21st century in this world all the issues have to be resolved through dialogue, through diplomacy and not through threats of war."

Also on Friday, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, called the U.S. sanctions a "strong message to the people of Venezuela" from the U.S. president.

"We will use our diplomatic and economic tools to hold Maduro accountable and do whatever we can to lift up the Venezuelan people, who have suffered too long," Haley said.
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Police guard Boulevard Emile Jacqmain in downtown of Brussels, Belgium, Aug. 25, 2017. A knife-wielding man attacked soldiers here on Friday before being neutralized by troops at the scene.(Xinhua/Ye Pingfan)

BRUSSELS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- A man was shot, and seriously injured, by Belgian soldiers on Friday evening after trying to assault them with a machete in downtown Brussels.

He later died at hospital, according to the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium, calling him "terrorist".

The incident took place at 8:20 p.m. local time at Emile Jacqmain Boulevard in downtown Brussels. The man attacked a patrol of two soldiers while shouting "Allah Akbar" twice. The soldiers fired back and shot him.

"We think it is a terrorist attack," the prosecutor said in a statement. The prosecutor's office opened an investigation into "attempted assassination in a terrorist context".

The neutralized man, a Somali born in 1987, is not known for terrorism, according to Brussels prosecutor's office.

"All our support to our military. Our security services remain attentive. We follow the situation closely with the crisis center of Belgium," Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said on Twitter.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 06:33:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Brazilian authorities on Friday arrested a man accused of keeping his wife and six children imprisoned for nearly two decades in their apartment in Fortaleza, capital of northeast Ceara state.

An anonymous tip led authorities to the home of Massaharu Nogueira Adachi, who was arrested but released after questioning, the news website Globo said.

At the home, police found two guns whose licenses had expired, the violation Nogueira was arrested for.

According to the public defender's office, the suspect, who is of Japanese origin, is believed to have kept the family imprisoned for 19 years, since his first child was born and they moved to Fortaleza.

The children, ranging in age from four to 19, were barred from having contact with anyone on the outside, the daily said.

"These children had no contact with relatives, friends or the outside world. They don't study. They don't go to health centers, they don't go to school," public defender Ana Cristina Barreto told reporters.

The man is believed to be suffering from a mental disorder.

The mother and oldest daughter were taken to a women's treatment center and the other children are to be placed in protective custody, while police investigate further.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 07:08:57|Editor: ying

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo that effectively bans transgender individuals from joining the military.

The memo bars transgender people from joining military service, but instructs Secretary of Defense James Mattis to explore ways to handle transgender service member already serving up to the Pentagon.

It also orders a stop for payment on gender reassignment surgeries.

The move came a month after Trump tweeted that he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military in any capacity.
- Uhuru filed at the Supreme Court maps of Kenya painted red as response to Raila's petition

- The maps show that Jubilee performed better than NASA in almost all the elective seats

- Most of the regions in the maps are painted red to represent Jubilee party colours

- Raila has claimed Uhuru was rigged in by the IEBC

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, August 24, filed his responses to a petition filed by his rival Raila Odinga challenging his re-election in the August 8 polls.

As reported by TUKO.co.ke, unlike NASA who filed 25000 pages of evidence, Uhuru responded in just 10 pages.

And in the pages, TUKO.co.ke has learnt that Uhuru used maps of Kenya mostly painted in red colours which are synonymous with his Jubilee party.

READ ALSO: Uhuru responds to Raila's 25,000-page petition with a 10 pages

The red colours represented how Jubilee dominated in almost all the elective seats in most parts of the country.

In the presidential race, the map indicates Uhuru trounced Raila Odinga in most parts of the country.

The map that shows Jubilee beat NASA in most parts of the country

READ ALSO: Supreme Court forced to begin petition hearing process late due to CJ Maraga's religious beliefs

On governorship seat, Jubilee as a party and its affiliates apparently beat NASA and its affiliates overall.

Jubilee's map on governors

On senators, Jubilee still trounced NASA.

Uhuru told Supreme Court Jubilee had more senators than NASA

READ ALSO: Nairobi Police Commander has no powers to ban our Supreme Court prayer service -NASA

The same scenario was with MPs.

Jubilee won more parliamentary seats than NASA

Still, Uhuru says his Jubilee party won more woman rep seats than NASA.

Jubilee's map on woman rep seats

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Raila Odinga has sensationally claimed that the election was a sham and was rigged to favour Uhuru Kenyatta.

The Supreme Court is set to start hearing the petition on Saturday, August 26 with the ruling set for Friday, September 1.

NASA has hinted at calling for mass action should the Supreme Court uphold Uhuru's win.

I got rid of two men but made peace with God

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The Airports Authority has successfully carried out a simulation of a crash landing at Piarco.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 07:08:58|Editor: ying

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) have found the bacterial communities that live inside everyone are quite similar and stable when times are good, but when stress enters the equation, those communities can react very differently from person to person.

Published this week in Nature Microbiology and referred to as a microbiological version of the "Anna Karenina principle," the new paradigm gets its name from the opening line of the novel "Anna Karenina" by 19th century Russian author Leo Tolstoy: "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."

"When microbiologists have looked at how microbiomes change when their hosts are stressed from any number of factors - temperature, smoking, diabetes, for example - they've tended to assume directional and predictive changes in the community," explained Rebecca Vega Thurber, an assistant professor at OSU and corresponding author on the study.

However, Vega Thurber noted in a news release, "after tracking many datasets of our own we never seemed to find this pattern but rather a distinct one where microbiomes actually change in a stochastic, or random, way."

By surveying the literature on microbial changes caused by perturbation, lead author Jesse Zaneveld of the University of Washington-Bothell, Vega Thurber and her student Ryan McMinds at OSU found those stochastic changes to be a common occurrence.

The findings, Vega Thurber said, indicate that "when microbiomes are happy they are all similar in their composition but during stress or unhappiness they change in a multitude of distinct ways... We think this is an important emerging paradigm for thinking about microbiome data."

Similarly, in humans, when healthy our microbiomes look alike, "but when stressed each one of us has our own microbial snowflake," she said. "You or I could be put under the same stress, and our microbiomes will respond in different ways - that's a very important facet to consider for managing approaches to personalized medicine. Stressors like antibiotics or diabetes can cause different people's microbiomes to react in very different ways."

Humans and animals are filled with symbiotic communities of microorganisms that often fill key roles in normal physiological function and influence susceptibility to disease.

Studies of microbiome dynamics have typically looked for patterns that shift microbiomes from a healthy stable state to a dysbiotic stable state; dysbiosis refers to the microbial communities being out of their natural balance, which can result in the interruption of basic biological functions for the host person or animal.

The researchers believe their new paradigm has key implications for a more personalized approach to antibiotic therapy, management of chronic diseases and other aspects of medical care.
Militants launched 18 attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in ATO area in Donbas over the past day. Two Ukrainian soldiers were wounded.

This is reported by the ATO press center.

In Mariupol direction, militants with small arms tried to provoke our military near Talakivka (20km north-west of Mariupol), Hnutove (19km north-west of Mariupol), Pavlopol (30 km northeast of Mariupol), Lebedynske (16km north-east of Mariupol), Shyrokyne (20km east of Mariupol) and Chermalyk (31km north-east of Mariupol).

The tensest situation was still observed in Donetsk direction, where illegal armed formations used mortars and grenade launchers to shell Ukrainian positions in the industrial area of Avdiivka (18km north of Donetsk). The enemy also launched attacks on ATO troops near Butovka coal mine (11.4km north-west of Donetsk).

In Luhansk direction, militants almost completely adhered to the ceasefire regime. For the past day, the enemy only once used arms in the area of Malynove (19km north-east of Luhansk).

ish
European Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn, Head of the Support Group for Ukraine at the European Commission Peter Wagner, Chairman of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker and President of the European Council Donald Tusk offer Ukraine EUR 100 million for energy efficiency.

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing Hennadiy Zubko announced this, the governmental portal reported.

"The EU is ready to finance the Energy Efficiency Fund in order to recover expenses of the citizens for the energy efficiency. The first part of funds that the Energy Efficiency Fund will receive is EUR 50 million. At the end of this year, the EU should take an appropriate decision. And at the beginning of the next year, the funds must be received. The EU is also ready to create in Ukraine a network of 25 regional centers for energy efficiency to provide free consultations to citizens," Zubko said.

He stresses that it is important for the state that the Energy Efficiency Fund could make a progress at the level of the country. "The Fund's task is not only to develop products but also to monitor the reform and its results in order to show how investments are returned to the state budget," Zubko said.

The official also estimated Ukraine's needs for investments in renovation and modernization of buildings at EUR 30 billion for the next 10 years.

ish
Russia is blocking the deployment of UN peacekeepers in the conflict zone in Donbas.

Ukrainian First Deputy Foreign Minister, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to NATO Vadym Prystaiko stated this on the air of Radio Liberty.

According to him, the Ukrainian government is considering various additional mechanisms to end the war in Donbas.

"If the Minsk agreements have not brought peace for three years, then maybe there are some additional mechanisms that the Ukrainian government must use to let our people live in peace. That is why we are talking about peacekeeping forces in any format ... The option of arming the OSCE mission (current or a new one) was discussed, so that they could feel more confident and visit those places they should. Another option is a UN peacekeeping mission. Of course, we know who is blocking, this is Russia that supports the militants," he said.

As reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko stated on August 22 that the idea of deploying a UN peacekeeping mission in Donbas would be presented at a meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

ish
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 07:34:01|Editor: ying

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Friday criticized the chief UN peacekeeper in Lebanon for not acting against reports of Hezbollah weaponry but UN spokesman replied by saying they "stand by the general."

"We need to have changes in UNIFIL (the UN Interim Force in Lebanon)," Haley told reporters following her recent trip to Europe and the Middle East, including Israel and neighboring Lebanon. "The bottomline is, UNIFIL is not doing its job effectively as we need it to."

But, UN Secretary-General's spokesman Stephane Dujarric defended the head of UNIFIL, Force Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary of Ireland.

"We obviously stand by the force commander in UNIFIL and we have full confidence in his work," the spokesman said. "I think the men and women of UNIFIL are doing work in a very delicate area. They report regularly and faithfully on what they see and on what they observe."

Beary "continues his work with the full support of the (UN) secretary-general," Dujarric added.

The U.S. ambassador said she was in negotiations over renewal of the UNIFIL mandate in the Security Council, charged with maintaining international peace and security.

"We talk a lot around here about prevention of conflict," Haley said. "It's true there has been no conflict in south Lebanon since 2006 but that's not the same as peace and security. Since 2006 there has been a massive flow of illegal weapons to Hezbollah mostly smuggled in by Iran. That is not prevention of war, that is preparation of war."

She said UNIFIL is supposed to work with the Lebanese armed forces to stop violations of a Security Council resolution or at least report of them. "Yet we have not seen one single instance that UNIFIL is doing that."

"What I find totally baffling is the view of the UNIFIL commander, Gen. Beary," she said, adding "it's time the Security Council puts teeth in the UNIFIL operation."
U.S. lawmakers have criticized Prime Minister Hun Sens government over a campaign targeting a U.S.-funded democracy promotion group and several media outlets.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) has been ordered to close for allegedly violating the law on NGOs, while the Cambodia Daily newspaper also faces closure over an apparent unpaid tax bill.

Other media outlets, including VOA, have also been handed bills for alleged back taxes.

Critics of the move say Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party is seeking to silence dissent ahead of a crucial general election next year.

U.S. Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement that he was concerned and disappointed by the decision to close the NDI.

NDI is committed to the rule of law and fostering democracy around the world and they do valuable and important work in Cambodia to ensure the integrity of the electoral process, he said.

This is just the latest action in the governments campaign to silence proponents of democracy, harass civil society, and restrict the media in an effort to inhibit a free and open process in national elections scheduled for next year.

By expelling the NDI staff, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is only demonstrating that he is afraid of open society and debate and that he is willing to use authoritarian tactics to suppress them, he added.

The Trump administration must send a strong message that the United States is committed to promoting democracy, human rights, and rule of law in Cambodia and throughout the world.

Separately, in a joint statement also on Friday, Congressmen Alan Lowenthal and Steve Chabot, co-chairs of the Congressional Cambodia Caucus,

The recent expulsion of the non-profit National Democratic Institute is only one more offense in a long series of efforts by the Hun Sen government specifically targeted at groups dedicated to free speech and transparency, they said.

Radio stations, NGOs, newspapers, and independent news outlets such as Radio Free Asia and the Voice of America, have all fallen into the Hun Sen regimes crosshairs. This pattern of constitutional abuse by the Cambodian government, while not new, is deeply worrisome as the nation moves into the 2018 general elections.

The NDI responded to the government decision, saying it was surprised and saddened by the decision.

"For 25 years in Cambodia, NDI has worked with all major political parties, including the ruling party. We have been transparent in our work, and have made every attempt to comply with the law. It is our sincere hope the Cambodian government will review its decision," said Kenneth Wollack, NDI president.

NDIs efforts help strengthen democratic processes and institutions and not a particular electoral outcome, he said, adding that NDI had fulfilled its legal obligations by submitting registration papers in September 2016.

The group was told to cease operations because it had continued to carry out its work despite not being granted official NGO registration since it applied.

Meanwhile, the Cambodia Daily, an English-language local newspaper, was told earlier this week that it had until September 4 to pay $6 million allegedly owes in back taxes, a figure the papers management disputes.
Prominent Washington correspondents discuss the administrations decision to change military policy in Afghanistan and the possibility of a government shutdown over a proposed border wall between Mexico and the United States. Join moderator David Rennie of the Economist, and panelists Michael Williams of CBS Radio and Tom DeFrank of the National Journal for a lively discussion on Issues in the News.
Afghan officials raised the death toll from a suicide attack on a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul Friday to at least 28 people.More than 50 others were wounded during Friday prayers.

Women, children and two police officers were among the victims.

Mourners gathered Saturday to bury the dead inside the mosque compound.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Two of four attackers blew themselves up at the gate of the Imam Zaman mosque and the others were shot dead by Afghan security forces.

Police cordoned off the area soon after the assault. Residents of the area reported hearing gunfire from inside the mosque.

Imam Zaman is one of the main Shi'ite mosques in the area and more people attend mosques on a Friday, the Muslim holy day of the week.

The attack came days after U.S. President Donald Trump announced his new policy for Afghanistan in which he gave battlefield decision-making powers to his ground commanders, demanded Pakistan immediately change its behavior and stop providing havens to the Afghan Taliban, and asked the Afghan government to hasten reform and not take American support for granted.
The night after a series of coordinated attacks by Rohingya insurgents in northern Rakhine State, frightened residents of one area found themselves trapped by attackers land mines, and those evacuated from another area gathered in a nearby town patrolled by the army and police.

Authorities said police posts came under attack in the early hours Friday by an estimated 150 insurgents armed with guns and homemade explosives. The attackers were believed to be Muslim, a minority in Rakhine State, where a religious divide centers on the stateless Rohingya, who are disdained by many Buddhists and seen as illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh.

The attacks resulted in at least 71 deaths, with Burmese officials saying 59 of them were insurgents and the rest security personnel.

Members of the local Buddhist community, who are a minority in the Maungdaw area, spent a fearful night after officials warned them that attackers had mined roads in the rugged coastal area.

We dont want people to get hurt, Maung Ohn, the Maungdaw representative in the Rakhine State legislature, told VOA Burmese. Now they are trapped inside the town.

One Maungdaw resident, a provincial government employee, told VOA that although Buddhist Rakhines fear for their safety, there is no way out of here. We heard about land mines and roadside bombs planted along main roads. Not even one vehicle dares to drive to Buthee Taung, two hours away. We cant go until the mines are cleared.

Patrolling town

Some areas of Buthee Taung remain outside official control, said Tun Aung Thein, who represents the town in the legislature. There are places in a Buthee Taung suburb where security forces cannot reach, and people from there have moved into the town proper. Thats where about 100 people from three villages, Thabeit Taung, Kin Chaung and Thabawh Chaung, have taken refuge, too.

Weve got the army and police patrolling the downtown area because everyones worried  because the attacks last night were around 1:30 in the morning. Nobody dares to sleep. They are frightened, Tun Aung Thein said.

The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) claimed responsibility for the assaults, and warned of more.

ARSA, previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin, or Faith Movement, emerged last October claiming to lead an insurgency based in the remote May Yu mountain range bordering Bangladesh.

Myanmars commander in chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said on his Facebook page late Friday that the attacks were planned to coincide with the release of a report by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and to gain attention during the General Assembly next month.

After the attacks, government forces evacuated several dozen government staffers and their families, as well as some 400 villagers from near the Nanthataung Philanthropic School, according to the State Counsellor Office Information Committee in Rangoon.

Myanmar's de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, condemned the attacks.

It is clear that todays attacks are a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine State. We must not allow our work to be derailed by the violent actions of extremists, she said.

The violence follows the release of a report by the Annan commission on the conditions in Rakhine State.

Urging action to heal divides

The report urged the government to take immediate action to heal the divides and to abolish the restrictions of movement and citizenship imposed on 1 million Rohingya in Rakhine.

After meeting with Annan on Thursday, General Min Aung Hlaing expressed displeasure with the findings, saying Annan and others had failed to understand what was happening on the ground in Rakhine.

Annan commission member Aye Lwin, a prominent Muslim and interfaith leader, told VOA Burmese on Friday that the army and police need to mount a security operation in the area to prevent further attacks.

I think the best way to resolve this conflict is to implement our recommendation as soon as possible, Lwin said. As militant attacks escalate in Rakhine State, we need to tackle the situation from all angles. Any clearance or security operation must be handled systematically but wisely and delicately if this is to be contained.

The U.N. condemned Friday's attacks and said they confirm "the significance of the government's commitment to implement" the Annan commission recommendations.

Amnesty International said the attacks marked a dangerous escalation of violence in the area.

"We urge all sides to show the utmost restraint and ensure that ordinary people are protected from human rights violations and abuses," the rights group said.

The area of Rakhine closest to Bangladesh has been in lockdown since October 2016, when years of friction between the Rohingya and Myanmar's Buddhist majority exploded with a military crackdown in response to attacks on border police stations that left nine police officers dead. During the crackdown, thousands of Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh, complaining of systematic killings, arson and rapes by Myanmar military forces.

The U.N. said the security forces' clearances have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

The army and the Myanmars civilian government deny allegations of widespread abuses, including rapes and murders.
The way Bana Umar tells it, VOA and other broadcasters helped convince him to leave Boko Haram.

Until the night of August 18, Umar was a fighter for the Islamist radical group, living at a camp in the vast Sambisa Forest, one of the group's long-time strongholds in northeastern Nigeria.

The experience was certainly exciting. Umar says he served as a bodyguard for a commander, Abu Geidam, who he describes as very close to Abubakar Shekau, Boko Haram's best known leader.

And he saw action across Nigeria's Borno State. "I have been to war about six times," he says. "I fought in Wulari. I fought in Bita. I participated in the fighting around Chad. I was in the group that repelled Nigerian soldiers whenever they ventured into Sambisa."

But his conscience was just as active as his gun. When asked if what Boko Haram does is good and right, he says it is not, because the group attacks people "mercilessly and unjustly," and in his view, manipulates Islam to its own violent ends.

Radio prompted him to make an escape plan. Umar says he heard promises from the Nigerian chief of army staff, General Tukur Buratai, that defectors from Boko Haram would be welcomed, not punished. And he heard how Boko Haram's deadly ambushes and suicide bombings were received in the outside world.

"Many of us listened to radio stations like BBC and VOA," he says. "I listened to these radio stations frequently to the extent that when I laid down to sleep I would be thinking of what I heard. I realized that all our activities were evil. We killed. We stole. We dispossessed people of their properties in the name of religion. But what we are doing is not religion. Finally I got fed up with the group."

Umar is now in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri, after fleeing the Boko Haram camp. He described his experiences this week in an interview with VOA Hausa Service reporter Haruna Dauda. His comments, translated from Hausa, provide insight into how the militants recruit and retain fighters and are managing to survive in the face of a multi-nation offensive.

Persuaded to join, scared to leave

Umar is 27 years old and hails from Banki, a town on Nigeria's border with Cameroon. Until 2014, he made his living as a cell phone repairman and burning CDs.

But that year, Boko Haram overran the town. Umar says his friend, Abu Mujaheed, lured him into becoming a member of the group. All Nigerians are infidels, and only the followers of Abubakar Shekau are true Muslims, Mujaheed said. Join and you can fight to kill all the infidels.

Umar joined, but says he quickly got scared and wanted to run. He didn't, he says, because Abu Mujaheed told him he would be killed if he tried to escape.

Asked this week if that was true, Umar said there is no doubt about it. "Even mere rumor or allegation that someone is contemplating leaving the group would lead to the killing of the person," he says.

He says Boko Haram also discouraged defectors by telling them General Buratais promise of amnesty for any escapee was a ruse.

There are more than 1,000 Boko Haram members who would like to leave the group, Umar says. "There are many people that were abducted from their home towns who dont know the way back to their places of origin. They [Boko Haram leaders] preach to such people not to leave, as if it was divine for them to be there."

He adds: "Even some original members of the sect now want to leave because soldiers have intensified the war against them unlike in the past."

All Boko Haram members must take new names when they join the group, and Bana Umar's name was changed to Abu Mustapha. He says he became a fighter, not a commander. He said the militants were living in the Jimiya section of the Sambisa Forest, which, according to him, was the headquarters for Boko Haram.

At one time, he implies, living conditions were decent. In 2014, Boko Haram ruled large parts of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, and could operate almost at will.

Now, he says, "Life is difficult. It is not what it used to be in the past. Food is difficult for everyone."

Some militants grow their own food, he says. "But even when you farm, your leader could take all your farm produce from you in the name of religion. You are always told that your leader has rights over all you have and yourself," he says.

Boko Haram leaders also use religion as a prod to violence, he says.

"They use religion to tell us to kill with the promise of going to paradise. Leaders quote profusely from the Quran and the sayings of the prophet [Mohammed] to support their arguments. As they explain to make us understand their own point of view as the absolute truth, we must keep saying Allah is great, Allah is great. Then we would go out to kill," he says.

A call to 'repent'

Boko Haram has killed at least 20,000 people across Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger since it launched its insurgency against the Nigerian government in 2009. Attacks and bombings continue, even though the joint task force sponsored by those countries and Benin has stripped Boko Haram of nearly all the territory it once controlled, which leader Abubakar Shekau said would form the base of a "caliphate."

With the weight of the group's deeds bearing down on him, Bana Umar felt a growing need to flee. He didn't act, however, until someone else encouraged him to believe what General Buratai promised.

He escaped on the night of August 18 with that person -- the wife of his commander, Abu Geidam. On the 20th, they turned themselves in at a Nigerian army base in Maiduguri.

Asked what he would say to Boko Haram fighters still in the Sambisa Forest, Umar says: "I am calling them to repent, especially those who want to come out but are afraid... Let people know that soldiers would not do anything to whoever voluntarily repents. I came out and no one harms me. Not one single soldier lays his hand on me."

Nigerian officials are currently debriefing Bana Umar, as they do with all Boko Haram members who leave the group voluntarily. When they finish, he will be reintegrated into Nigerian society, although not in his hometown of Banki. He will be taken to another location where he isn't known, to make a fresh start.
The EUs commissioner for migration says Brussels may withhold development aid and impose trade and visa restrictions on migrant-source countries in Africa and Asia to force them to take back failed asylum-seekers.

In an interview with Britains The Times published Saturday, Dimitris Avramopoulos said EU chiefs are considering stopping funding of major development projects. We invested in these regions to create opportunities and keep people there.

He said countries which failed to cooperate with repatriations could face blanket visa restrictions. Germany recently threatened to withhold visas from the ruling elites of migrant-source countries that do not accept returnees.

But Avramopoulos appeared to indicate a much broader visa embargo is now being contemplated, saying thousands of foreigners, from diplomats and doctors to students and researchers would be impacted by the travel restrictions now under discussion.

The EU is not afraid to make use of leverages in trade or visa policy. Lets be honest: it is neither good for Africa nor for Europe that so many people cross the Mediterranean, he said.

This is the first time EU commissioners have threatened to block access to European markets in response to a long-running migration crisis thats roiling the continent and threatening to upend traditional party politics and empower populist nationalists.

The hard borders approach now being considered is being condemned by humanitarian NGOs, which often embrace a no border ideology.

On Monday, President Emmanuel Macron of France will chair talks featuring European and African leaders in Paris in a renewed bid to thrash out a more effective strategy to stem migrant flows. African leaders are likely to argue they need more development aid.

Italy's dilemma

The following day EU national leaders will hold one of their regular summits in which the migration issue will figure prominently. Both Italy and Germany have national elections in coming months and Italys Paolo Gentiloni and Germanys Angela Merkel will likely want to show voters they are shutting down migrant routes.

Italy will push the EU to try to replicate with Libya a deal that was struck with Turkey last year, which largely shut down the migrant route through the Balkans. But analysts say such a deal would be unworkable when it comes to Libya given the lack of an effective central authority in the northern Africa state.

The migration influx has morphed into a political crisis for Italys left-leaning coalition government. In municipal elections earlier this year the coalition lost ground to center-right parties such as Matteo Salvinis Northern League, which has called for a stop to the invasion.

Italys right-wing Forza Italia party has campaigned for the denial of landing rights to NGO ships carrying migrants. And even the maverick radical Five Star Movement is moving to an anti-immigrant position, calling for a halt to any new migrants being lodged in Rome.

Gentiloni has accused fellow EU nations of looking the other way, and not doing enough to assist Italy with the surge in migrants crossing the Mediterranean. A burden-sharing system across the EU has failed with just a few thousand taken off Italys hands by other EU member states.

Libya has become the main gateway to Europe for migrants and refugees from across sub-Saharan Africa, and also from the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Syria and Bangladesh. Many are fleeing war and persecution, but most who are using Libya are seeking to escape poverty. Italy has become the main point of arrival of those rescued off the coast of Libya.

As the economic migration has grown, with only a small proportion of asylum-seekers coming from countries engulfed in war, so sentiment in Italy has shifted with Italians becoming enraged at the strain the influx is having on the countrys migrant facilities, which are now all full, and the appearance of migrants even in far-flung villages.

600,000 asylum seekers

This week, police evicted more than a hundred Eritreans and Ethiopians from an abandoned office building near Romes central railway station. The occupants  who had been given refugee status  complained that Italy doesn't help asylum-seekers integrate, fails to house them and provide language classes.

In fact, the Italian authorities do, housing many in villages across the country, providing months-long language tuition and up to 45 euros a day per refugee. But many refugees bolt the system, preferring to live in large cities such as Rome, Naples, Milan and Bologna and to try their luck.

The sheer numbers  more than 600,000 asylum-seekers have entered Italy since 2014  are overwhelming. And the assistance asylum-seekers do receive is increasingly infuriating ordinary Italians in villages migrants are sent to for temporary periods. I dont get that money from the government and we are struggling as well  we dont have enough jobs for our kids and now migrant kids will be competing for the few jobs that are around, says Anna-Maria Bianchi, a mother-of-two from a Lazio village just north of Rome.

The only good news as far as Italian authorities are concerned is that there has been a fall-off in the rate of new arrivals this August and July. Official figures show arrivals in Italy from North Africa dropped by more than 50 percent in July from a year earlier and August arrivals are down even further, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The decline is being put down to several factors  from changeable sea conditions to a heightened Libyan coastguard presence and a reduction in humanitarian rescue-refugee operations. There are also several probes by Italian authorities, who say NGOs have been colluding with people-traffickers.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is also a former governor of Ukraine's Odesa region, has accused the authorities of Georgia and Ukraine of planning to accuse of planning a coup in Georgia.

Saakashvili wrote on Facebook on Saturday that the Georgian authorities "in complete coordination with officials in Ukraine" were planning to make the accusation soon.

"They promised [Ukrainian President Petro] Poroshenko that they would file the charges before September 10," he wrote.

Saakashvili said the charges would give Ukrainian authorities "a legal basis" for detaining him if he entered Ukraine.

He added that the charges were risible and politically motivated.

Earlier the same day, Nika Gvaramia, the head of Georgia's Rustavi-2 television, said he believed charges of plotting a coup might be filed against Saakashvili.

Background

Saakashvili, 49, once a lauded pro-Western reformist, served two terms as Georgia's president, from January 2004 to November 2013.

His popularity declined toward the end of his second term, in part because of a five-day war with Russia during which Moscow's forces drove deep into the South Caucasus country, and his long-ruling party was voted out of power in a 2012 parliamentary election.

In 2015, Saakashvili forfeited his Georgian citizenship by accepting an offer from his old college friend, Poroshenko, to become governor of Ukraine's southwestern Odessa Oblast province  a post that required Ukrainian citizenship.

Saakashvili, who harbors Ukrainian political ambitions, resigned as governor of Odessa in November 2016, complaining of official obstruction and corruption. He accused Poroshenko of dishonesty and said his central government had sabotaged democratic reforms required for membership to the European Union and NATO.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Israeli attorney general's home Saturday to demand he indict Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on corruption charges.

The weekly vigils have become the vanguard of a grass-roots protest movement against Netanyahu's alleged financial misdeeds and illicit ties to executives in media, international business and Hollywood.

Netanyahu has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and called the accusations against him a witch hunt orchestrated by a hostile media. The scandal has yet to threaten his lengthy rule, but has harmed his public approval ratings.

Saturday night's demonstration came a week after a pair of high-profile organizers were arrested and after Israel's Supreme Court ruled the protests could continue as long as they didn't exceed 500 people or include the use of loudspeakers in the residential area.

Louder, bigger protest

Israeli police said far more than that number arrived Saturday, with 2,000 attending. They also said protesters violated the other conditions set by the court, using loudspeakers and spreading out to adjacent streets.

What began as a gathering of a handful of good-governance activists outside the home has now, in its 40th week, swelled into a powerful display of flag-waving Israelis each Saturday night that has drawn heavy media coverage, sparked counter pro-Netanyahu protests and unnerved police.

Israel law says the prime minister can be removed only by parliament, though the Supreme Court has since ruled that government ministers and mayors had to resign if indicted.

Israel's justice minister has said the prime minister is not compelled to do so. But should the attorney general issue an indictment, there will be a legal challenge and public pressure for him to step aside. The weekly protests are ostensibly aimed at encouraging an indictment.
Government security forces in the Philippines city of Marawi have been fighting for the past three months to rout militants suspected of ties to the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the region.

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in May declared the country's restive south under martial rule for 60 days  which, in July, was extended through the end of the year -- after an attempt by security forces to capture an IS-linked militant leader failed. That set off clashes that left the city under siege.

A number of IS affiliates from Indonesia have reportedly crossed into the Philippines to support the local militants who are fighting against the Philippines military in the Marawi region.

Analysts say as IS militants are losing ground in Syria and Iraq, the terror group is attempting to expand in Southeast Asia, which is home to a number of separatist and militant groups.

This is an evidence that the people under Jamaah Islamiyah in Indonesia now have a new flag operating under ISIS, in this case, ISIS of the Philippines, said Ridwan Habib, a terrorism analyst at the University of Indonesia.

"Something serious is brewing and the government needs to anticipate what could happen next," he said. "Were worried that this new identity."

Extremist militant group

Jammah Islamiyah is an extremist militant group in Southeast Asia with links to al-Qaida, and has carried out numerous bomb attacks in Indonesia and elsewhere in the region, including the 2002 Bali attacks that killed more than 200 people.

IS has already shown signs of expanding in the region through local affiliates and sympathizers.

The group has been recruiting in Indonesia, with more than 380 people joining the terror group by January, according to the country's counterterrorism agency. Most of those recruits have traveled to Syria and Iraq.

Greg Fealy, an associate professor at the Australian National University who studies terrorism in Indonesia, said the IS terror threat in the country has been on the rise since mid-2014.



IS has reportedly tapped a leader in the Abu Sayyaf group -- an extremist militant group in the region known for kidnapping and beheading foreign tourists -- as its Southeast Asia chief.



Indonesian authorities also confirmed that IS posed a threat to their country.

The terror group claimed responsibility for a coordinated bomb and gun attack in central Jakarta in January that killed eight people, including the four attackers.



In March, U.S. Treasury authorities added Bahrun Naim, a prominent Indonesian militant, to the global terrorist list, saying he provided financial and operational support for IS in Indonesia and funneled money through Southeast Asia to recruit people to IS battlefields.



In the Philippines, IS has endorsed Isnilon Hapilon -- the country's most-wanted man who has a $5 million bounty placed on his head by the U.S. for alleged terrorist acts against American citizens -- as the leader of a loosely affiliated association of small groups that have sprouted in the past three to four years around the central and southern Philippines.

Hapilon swore allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a July 2014 video, according to the U.S. State Department.

Philippines as a new destination

Some analysts say that many extremists in Indonesia who wish to join IS are now heading to the Philippines instead of Syria and Iraq, because conditions in the terror groups former strongholds have degraded due to the ongoing multifront military campaign against the group in the region.

In terms of costs, distance and access, the Philippines is more feasible, Ridwan Habib of the University of Indonesia said. Therefore, many jihadists from Indonesia chose to go to Marawi instead of going to Syria.

Habib warned that the situation could get worse if the ongoing conflict in Marawi is not tackled and managed properly.

The analyst claimed that Mahmud Ahmad, a Malaysian militant in the Philippines who has studied in Islamabad, Pakistan, has been attempting to help establish an IS presence in the Southeast Asia region.

Ahmad was reported to have been killed in the Marawi battle in June, but Khalild Abu Bakar, a Malaysian police chief, told media that he believes Ahmad is still alive.

Gen. Eduardo Ano, chief of staff of the Philippines armed forces, said Ahmad channeled more than $600,000 from the IS group to acquire firearms, food and other supplies for the attack in Marawi, according to The Associated Press.

Returning IS fighters dilemma

Many fighters from Southeast Asia who had traveled to fight with IS in Syria and Iraq are returning to their home countries as the terror group is losing ground in the Middle East.

Indonesia's government reported last year that between 169 and 300 Indonesians who fought for IS have returned home.

Though I have said there are 50 (IS affiliates) in Bali, 25 in NTT (East Nusa Tenggara) and 600 in NTB (Nusa Tenggara Barat), their whereabouts are known to us and under control, Major General Simandjuntak, a military commander in Bali, told reporters last week.

They are in a sleep or inactive mode, he added.

Abdul Haris Masyhari, chairman of the committee on defense and foreign relations in Indonesias parliament, worried that returning IS fighters could set up cells in their hometowns.

In reference to Bali, I hope law enforcement would take action and preventive measures to thwart terror plots, Masyhari said.

Opposition to Islamic State is growing in Indonesia amongst the public.

In May, a survey of 1,350 adults suggested nearly 90 percent of the participants viewed IS as a serious threat to their country. Meanwhile, several surveys conducted in the country indicate an increase in extremist ideology among the youth, who are idolizing radical figures.

Irna Sinulingga with VOAs Indonesian service contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 08:04:10|Editor: ying

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KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of an attack at a mosque on Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan has risen to 13 while 38 others were wounded, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

Among the killed, 10 were worshippers and three were police personnel, while 30 civilians and eight policemen were injured during the clashes, Danish said in a statement.

The attack came when two suicide bombers stormed a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers at around midday in the northern area of Kabul.

According to Danish, some 107 worshippers were rescued by special operation police forces.

The counter-attack and rescue operation ended late Friday.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Privacy Supreme," "Supreme Court Gives India a Private Life" screamed banner headlines after India's top court ruled that privacy is a fundamental right, overturning a 63-year-old verdict.

Jubilant lawyers and commentators said the unanimous nine-bench ruling would have far reaching implications on civil rights, ranging from the way personal data is handled to gay rights in the world's largest democracy.

The ruling is seen as a setback to what some feared could be the emergence of a "surveillance state" after the government massively scaled up the use of the world's largest biometric identity citizen database and argued that privacy was not a standalone fundamental right.

Under India's ambitious "Aadhar" scheme, some 1.13 billion citizens have been issued 12 digit identity numbers after their fingerprints and iris scans were collected. It is not the only country to take biometric data  some 60 other countries do so as well.

But what began as a voluntary program meant to cut out middle men and eliminate fraud in welfare schemes for poor people became mired in controversy after a new law passed last year made the digital card mandatory for a range of services such as opening bank accounts, filing tax returns, securing loans and getting access to state benefits.

Petitioners hope the judgment will limit the government's power to use the widely expanding data base. They had argued the pervasive use of the "Aadhar" card could become a powerful tool in the hands of the state, result in profiling -- for example of a person's spending habits, and open the door to more state intrusion.

Although the Supreme Court is hearing a separate case on restricting the use of "Aadhar," the privacy judgment will have an important bearing on that verdict.

After the judgment was read out, the government reiterated that the project has been a boon for millions of poor people and said concerns that the scheme violates privacy are overblown.

"It works on a principle of minimum information, maximum use. The poor are happy, they are feeling empowered," said Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad.

He said India had effectively used modern technology to ensure that subsidies reach people who had no way to claim benefits because they did not have any identification such as bank accounts and driving licenses.

Pointing out that it has curbed corruption, he said, "In the last nearly three years we have saved close nearly 57,000 crores ($9 billion) which used to be pocketed by middlemen or fictitious persons."

Meanwhile, for the country's gay community, it was not the controversy over the biometric card, but the observation that privacy must protect family, marriage, procreation and sexual orientation that ignited fresh hope that a British era law that considers gay sex a criminal offense might finally be overturned.

"Clearly I was over the moon," said activist Anjali Gopalan, who has led the battle to scrap the archaic law. She expressed optimism that the ruling has set the stage for the Supreme Court to overturn that act. "It will have a positive impact," said Gopalan.

Significantly, upholding privacy as a fundamental right will also have a bearing on some contentious concerns that have emerged under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government. For example, several state governments have imposed bans on the consumption and sale of beef because Hindus consider the cow a holy animal. That has angered liberal sections of society who say the state must not dictate personal choices.

Opponents of such moves took heart from the judgment which said that nobody would like to be told what to eat or how to dress. Lawyers said the observations could result in challenges to the beef ban.

In the months and years to come, the ruling will also shape the way companies in India collate and handle personal data after judges flagged the need for personal space in an age when companies like Google want to glean personal data from the Internet to sell online advertising services and items tailored to individual users.

The wide sweep of the judgment led many to echo what the Times of India said  the ruling had propelled India into the ranks of progressive societies.
National security aide Sebastian Gorka says he has quit the Trump White House, making him the latest official to exit the administration of President Donald Trump.

In a letter of resignation written by Gorka and obtained by a number of media outlets, he said Trumps decision to send more troops to Afghanistan left him dissatisfied with the direction the administrations foreign policy is headed.

Regrettably, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will Make America Great Again, have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week, Gorka wrote in the letter to Trump.

Gorka said the term radical Islamic terror had been scrubbed from the speech. This, according to Gorka, showed that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost.

This omission should seriously disturb any national security professional, and any American who is unsatisfied with the last 16 years of disastrous policy decisions, Gorka wrote.

While Gorka maintains he resigned his post, numerous media outlets  citing anonymous administration sources  are reporting that Gorka was pushed out.

One source told the Associated Press Gorka didnt resign but he no longer works at the White House.

Gorka, a former editor at the conservative website Breitbart, joined the Trump administration as a counterterrorism adviser with hardline views on terrorism.

He concluded, in his letter, that the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the people's house.

Gorka is the latest administration official to leave the White House, following chief strategist Steve Bannon, who quickly returned to his previous job at Breitbart News following his exit from the administration.

Similar to Gorka, Bannon, upon his exit, said he would be better equipped to support Trump and his agenda outside the White House.
The Republican National Committee on Friday denounced white supremacist groups but made no mention of President Donald Trump's statements about the Charlottesville, Virginia, violence earlier this month.

Meeting in Nashville, Tennessee, the RNC approved a host of resolutions, including one that says, Nazis, the KKK, white supremacists and others are repulsive, evil and have no fruitful place in the United States.

No mention of Trump

The resolution made no mention about Trump's response to the events in Charlottesville, in which a white supremacist allegedly ran his car into a group of counterprotesters leaving a rally, leaving one person dead.

This has nothing to do with the president, said the resolution's sponsor, Bill Palatucci, an RNC committeeman from New Jersey. This is the RNC saying that racism and bigotry have no place in America.

Trump was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats because he didn't immediately denounce the white nationalist groups that organized the rally in Charlottesville. The president later said on several occasions that he condemns white supremacist groups and believes all racist sentiment is evil.

'Mutually combating individuals'

Trump was also criticized for blaming many sides for the violence. The president has contended there were people fomenting violence on both sides of the conflict in Charlottesville, which saw members of the white supremacist groups violently engaging with counterprotesters.

Members of both the white supremacist groups and the counterprotest groups could be seen wielding weapons. Several large brawls broke out between the two sides throughout the duration of the rally. The police chief in Charlottesville said there were "mutually combating individuals in the crowd" when fighting broke out.

The Associated Press reports that although Friday's resolution by the RNC against white supremacists was unanimous, there were some Republicans who thought it was unnecessary and counterproductive for the party.

It's amazing that we have been lured into this argument that we're not racists. It's absurd, Colorado Republican Chairman Jeff Hays said. Why would we feel compelled to do that?"
Several people have reportedly been detained in Moscow at a sanctioned demonstration in support of internet freedom.

One demonstrator was detained on Saturday while wearing a T-shirt reading, "Putin is worse than Hitler," referring to President Vladimir Putin.

Several other demonstrators were detained while wearing symbols supporting equal rights for the LGBT community.

Some at the rally, which had been approved by local officials, shouted, "Russia will be free," and "Russia without censorship."

According to Moscow officials, about 1,000 people attended the rally.

Similar demonstrations were held in several other Russian cities, including St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Izhevsk and others.

Demonstrators were calling for changes to legislation restricting the internet that were included in the so-called Yarovaya package of laws  named after conservative State Duma member Irina Yarovaya.

Last month, Russia's parliament approved legislation that forbids the use of certain web tools that allow internet users to access certain websites that have been banned by officials.

Protesters also called for the release of people jailed for purportedly disseminating "extremist" material via the internet and for the resignations of the leadership of Roskomnadzor, the state agency that monitors and regulates the internet.
The leaders of right-wing and anti-Marxist groups scheduled to hold rallies in the San Francisco Bay Area Saturday have called the events off.

Joey Gibson, founder of the group Patriot Prayer, announced Friday that the speakers initially scheduled to speak at Crissy Field in the city's Presidio national park area will now be featured at a news conference.

The announced location of the news conference, Alamo Square, is in the center of town -- far from the bayside park where the rally was planned.

When he cancelled the so-called free speech rally, Gibson said his followers would instead attend an anti-Marxist rally in Berkeley Sunday, but the organizer of that rally called it off a short time later.

Fears of violence

Gibson made the announcement on the group's Facebook feed. He said group leaders had changed their plans because of fears that violent protesters would disrupt the rally. He also said speakers and musicians expected to appear at the rally had undergone harassment.

Will Johnson, another event organizer, called on city officials to denounce the counterprotesters, saying, "They are bringing the violence."

With the rally canceled, it is unclear whether extensive closures in the Presidio park will continue through the weekend. The park service was planning on shutting down public access to parking lots, bike paths, dog-walking areas, restaurants, museums, and even a bowling alley in the park.

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee had urged area residents to boycott the rally, after failing to convince the National Park Service to deny the group an event permit.

Patriot Prayer's organizer Joey Gibson, has said the group is neither racist nor neo-Nazi. But critics, including local U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi, called the gathering a white nationalist rally. Counterprotesters also planned to gather at Crissy Field on Saturday, setting the stage for possible violence.

The weekend's events kicked off on Friday with a Unite Against Hate rally at the San Francisco Civic Center.

Competing rallies

Still scheduled Saturday is a unity rally in the city's Castro District, historic headquarters of San Francisco's gay community. Other groups are sponsoring counterevents centered on dance, flowers, boats and a even a "heart-shaped human banner."

Opponents of the right-wing groups are still planning to gather at Berkeley's civic center and also on the campus at the University of California Berkeley on Sunday.

On the East Coast Monday, the Rev. Al Sharpton is organizing the One Thousand Ministers March for Justice in Washington, D.C.

More than 1,000 religious leaders from multiple faiths will hold a rally in front of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, which is located along the Tidal Basin on the southwest side of the National Mall.

The march also commemorates the 54th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his I Have a Dream speech. More than 200,000 people took part in that march, which was held August 28, 1963.
Relatives and elders protesting the deaths of 10 Somali civilians allegedly killed in a raid by Somali and U.S. troops say the bodies of the victims will not be buried until the perpetrators apologize.

Holding a news conference after meeting in Mogadishu Saturday, more than 300 Somali community leaders and relatives of the dead accused Somali troops, accompanied by U.S. military advisors, of having killed the 10 civilians during a raid on a farm early Friday in Bariire, 55 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu.

Until the government admits the victims were innocent civilians and its troops killed, we will not bury them, said Ibrahim Qureysh, a relative of 60-year-old Ali Ibrahim, one of the civilians killed in the incident.

We met with the prime minister [Hassan Ali Khayre] on Friday night and he told us that the government will respond to the massacre against the civilians within 24 hours and we are still awaiting that, said Barlin Abdullaahi, a relative of one of the other slain civilians.

Somali officials initially said Friday that troops had killed eight al-Shabab militants during an overnight operation. Statements from the ministers of defense and information said the government troops had come under fire from jihadists while on patrol, insisting that no civilians had been killed.

Later, the Somali army said its forces, supported by U.S. troops, mistakenly shot dead 10 civilians, including three children.

Somali army chief General Ahmed Jimale Irfid, speaking to VOA from Mogadishu, confirmed the civilians were killed during the raid in Bariire.

It was not a deliberate action. It was an accident and misunderstanding between the forces and local farmers in the area, the general said. It was early Friday morning while it was dark, our forces mistook the local farmers as al-Shabab members; some farmers were armed; there was a shoot-out, we dont know who started the shooting and that is how the incident started.

Conflicting accounts trigger anger

The governments conflicting statements on the incident have triggered public anger and protests.

Hundreds of people demonstrated Saturday in Afgoye, 30 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu, demanding justice for those killed.

My brother was killed. He had no connection to any group, he was a mere laborer in the farmlands, said Mayow Nur, a resident of Afgoye.

How can one describe children as terrorists and kill, said Fadumo Ahmed, one of the protestors. God will avenge our dead against the Americans and the government, she said.

Also, civil society groups are calling for Somali lawmakers to review to introduce a bill that holds troops involved in civilian deaths accountable.

The sides involving into the fight against al-Shabab killed more than 3000 civilians [since the war began]" said Dini Mohamed Dini, chairman of an association of Somali civil society groups. "The unconfirmed number of civilians killed indiscriminately could be around ten thousand."

The U.S. Africa Command confirmed in an email message to VOA Somali that American forces played a "supporting role" during the operation at the farm near Bariire.

"We are aware of the civilian casualty allegations near Bariire, Somalia. We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground," AFRICOM said in a statement issued on Friday night.

A reporter for VOA in Mogadishu says Prime Minister Khayre has called for an urgent meeting to discuss the incident.



Abdulaziz Osman and Hassan Qoyste contributed to this report.
South Africa's first online auction of rhino horn ends Friday, and thousands of bidders reportedly have shown interest. The three-day online auction was the first of its kind since South Africa banned the domestic trade in rhino horn in 2009.

Hundreds of horns weighing 500 kilograms were for sale. John Hume, the rhino breeder selling his stock, told VOA the rhinos were tranquilized before their horns were harvested. To participate in the auction, bidders were required to put down about $7,000 as a deposit.

Environmental groups have reacted angrily.

"We are concerned that the online auction is proceeding despite calls from all sides of the country," said Joe Shaw, rhino program manager at the World Wildlife Fund. "We advise the reinstatement of the domestic moratorium, at least until all the necessary control mechanisms, identified by the commission of inquiry into international trade, have been instated."



But Hume argues that the complete domestic ban had little impact.

South Africa is home to 80 percent of the world's remaining rhinos. However, according to government statistics, the country loses rhinos to poachers eager to traffic the horns to Asian countries where they are believed to treat various ailments, despite lack of scientific backing.

Hume says proceeds from the 264 horns in the online auction will help cover the $170,000 he spends each month to protect the herd of rhino on his land.

"If I don't sell rhino horn, in 10 years' time, my 1,535 rhinos out there are all going to be dead," he said.

Hume successfully challenged the domestic ban in court in 2015. In April of this year, parliament passed a law following the court order to allow limited domestic trade in rhino horn. Hume returned to the courts earlier this month to compel the Department of Environmental Affairs to issue him a permit for the auction.

Buyers at the online auction must agree that the horn will remain in South Africa after purchase.

However, WWF's Shaw and other animal rights activists argue that the government cannot ensure that the purchased horns do not find their way to China or Vietnam, where a kilogram can fetch up to $60,000 on the black market.

"We are worried about the capacity of the enforcement officials to manage this legal trade on top of all those existing challenges related to poaching and illicit trafficking of the horn, as well as potential risks to our wild populations, should horn laundering happen through these channels," Shaw said.

International trade in rhino horn has been banned since 1977.
President Donald Trump spared former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio the prospect of serving jail time in granting the first pardon of his turbulent tenure, wiping away the lawman's recent federal conviction stemming from his immigration patrols that focused on Latinos.

The White House said 85-year-old Arpaio was a "worthy candidate" for the pardon, citing his "life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration." Trump granted the pardon less than a month after a judge found Arpaio guilty of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge in a trial that was prosecuted by the president's own Justice Department.

"I appreciate what the president did," Arpaio told The Associated Press as he celebrated the news over an Italian restaurant meal and someone in his party ordered champagne. "I have to put it out there: Pardon, no pardon  I'll be with him as long as he's president."

The pardon drew a swift and harsh denunciation from an array of Latinos and political leaders, who said it amounted to presidential approval of racism by eliminating the conviction of a law officer who the courts said had used immigration patrols to racially profile Latinos. And it overturned what critics saw as a long-awaited comeuppance for a lawman who long escaped accountability for his use of headline-grabbing tactics as sheriff in Phoenix.

"Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights," Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said.

The White House announced the pardon late Friday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane threatened Texas with severe flooding and on the same day Trump fleshed out the details of his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, another move that will cheer his conservative base. The decision followed the uproar that ensued after Trump assigned blame to "both sides" participating in race-fueled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month.

Trump has been plagued by poor job approval ratings, currently at 34 percent, the lowest mark ever for a president in his first year.

His decision on the former sheriff may also serve to energize supporters dispirited by the president's dismissal a week ago of chief strategist Steve Bannon, a favorite on the far right wing of the Republican Party.

GOP leaders were mixed in reacting to the pardon. Sen. John McCain criticized the move and said it undermines Trump's "claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions."

Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Arpaio should be given credit for his crime-fighting efforts and allowed to "move on" and enjoy his retirement.

Arpaio earned a national reputation by taking aggressive action to arrest immigrants in the country illegally. But years of legal issues and related costs took a toll on his political power at home, and he was handily defeated by a Democrat in the 2016 election.

The loss coincided with Trump's election, based in large part on his anti-immigrant rhetoric. Arpaio campaigned for him around the country and spoke at the Republican National Convention.

Arpaio defied court orders that he stop the patrols and has been pardoned by a president who has shown a lack of respect for judges with whom he disagrees. Trump has had harsh words about judges overseeing the case against his now-defunct Trump University and his travel ban.

"So Sheriff Joe was convicted for doing his job?" Trump asked supporters at Tuesday's rally. "I'll make a prediction. I think he's going to be just fine, OK."

Trump issued the pardon seven months after taking office, though it is not unprecedented for a president to issue a pardon in their first year in office.

George H. W. Bush granted clemency after seven months in office, said Jeffrey Crouch, a professor of politics at American University who wrote a book on presidential pardons.

Asked whether Trump sought a recommendation from the Justice Department's pardon attorney or the deputy attorney general, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday: "I would imagine they go through the thorough and standard process."

It is not unheard of for a president to exercise his broad power to grant pardons without formal input from the Justice Department, particularly when it involves an associate or a friend. President Bill Clinton ignited a major controversy on his final day in office with a last-minute pardon for fugitive financier Marc Rich, the ex-husband of a major Democratic fundraiser.

Former President George W. Bush set off a political backlash over his decision to commute the prison sentence of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby on a perjury and obstruction of justice case that stemmed from a CIA leak. And Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate scandal just days after taking over for his predecessor.

Critics say the Arpaio pardon removed the last opportunity to hold the lawman accountable for what they say is a long history of misconduct, including a 2013 civil verdict in which the sheriff's officers were found to have racially profiled Latinos in his immigration patrols.

Arpaio was accused of prolonging the patrols for 17 months after a judge had ordered them stopped so that he could promote his immigration enforcement efforts in a bid to boost his successful 2012 re-election campaign.

Arpaio acknowledged extending the patrols, but insisted it wasn't intentional. He blamed a former attorney for not properly explaining the importance of the court order and brushing off the conviction as a "petty crime."

He accused then-President Barack Obama of trying to influence the 2016 sheriff's race by announcing in court weeks before Election Day that it was willing to prosecute Arpaio. Prosecutors never filed criminal charges. They were instead recommended by the judge who presided over the profiling case, which began in the Bush administration. The judge in the profiling case was a Bush appointee as well.

Lawyers in Trump's Justice Department prosecuted the case during a five-day trial this summer, and the judge handed down the conviction last month. Arpaio said he'll discuss the case in more detail next week. He said he'll remain involved in the political scene now that he's no longer facing jail time.

"I don't fish," Arpaio said. "I'll be very active."
THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 25, 2017

MEMORANDUM FOR THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

THE SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

SUBJECT: Military Service by Transgender Individuals

Section 1. Policy. (a) Until June 2016, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (collectively, the Departments) generally prohibited openly transgender individuals from accession into the United States military and authorized the discharge of such individuals. Shortly before President Obama left office, however, his Administration dismantled the Departments' established framework by permitting transgender individuals to serve openly in the military, authorizing the use of the Departments' resources to fund sex-reassignment surgical procedures, and permitting accession of such individuals after July 1, 2017. The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security have since extended the deadline to alter the currently effective accession policy to January 1, 2018, while the Departments continue to study the issue.

In my judgment, the previous Administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the Departments' longstanding policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness and lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, or tax military resources, and there remain meaningful concerns that further study is needed to ensure that continued implementation of last year's policy change would not have those negative effects.

(b) Accordingly, by the authority vested in me as President and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States under the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including Article II of the Constitution, I am directing the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the U.S. Coast Guard, to return to the longstanding policy and practice on military service by transgender individuals that was in place prior to June 2016 until such time as a sufficient basis exists upon which to conclude that terminating that policy and practice would not have the negative effects discussed above. The Secretary of Defense, after consulting with the Secretary of Homeland Security, may advise me at any time, in writing, that a change to this policy is warranted.

Sec. 2. Directives. The Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Homeland Security with respect to the U.S. Coast Guard, shall:

(a) maintain the currently effective policy regarding accession of transgender individuals into military service beyond January 1, 2018, until such time as the Secretary of Defense, after consulting with the Secretary of Homeland Security, provides a recommendation to the contrary that I find convincing; and

(b) halt all use of DoD or DHS resources to fund sex reassignment surgical procedures for military personnel, except to the extent necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun a course of treatment to reassign his or her sex.

Sec. 3. Effective Dates and Implementation. Section 2(a) of this memorandum shall take effect on January 1, 2018. Sections 1(b) and 2(b) of this memorandum shall take effect on March 23, 2018. By February 21, 2018, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall submit to me a plan for implementing both the general policy set forth in section 1(b) of this memorandum and the specific directives set forth in section 2 of this memorandum. The implementation plan shall adhere to the determinations of the Secretary of Defense, made in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, as to what steps are appropriate and consistent with military effectiveness and lethality, budgetary constraints, and applicable law. As part of the implementation plan, the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall determine how to address transgender individuals currently serving in the United States military. Until the Secretary has made that determination, no action may be taken against such individuals under the policy set forth in section 1(b) of this memorandum.

Sec. 4. Severability. If any provision of this memorandum, or the application of any provision of this memorandum, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this memorandum and other dissimilar applications of the provision shall not be affected.

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this memorandum shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d) The Secretary of Defense is authorized and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register.

DONALD J. TRUMP
President Donald Trump on Friday granted a pardon to former Arizona lawman and political ally Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in America," less than a month after he was convicted of criminal contempt in a case involving his department's racial profiling policy.

Trump had signaled this week that the first presidential pardon of his administration would go to Arpaio, 85, whom he has frequently praised for his hard-line immigration stance.

"Throughout his time as sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration," said the White House statement announcing Arpaio's pardon.

Arpaio, who lost a bid for re-election in Arizona's Maricopa County in November after 24 years in office, was known for his crackdown on undocumented immigrants and investigating unfounded Trump-supported claims questioning former President Barack Obama's citizenship.

Before Trump granted the pardon, the American Civil Liberties Union, which sought the court injunction against Arpaio, said it would be "a presidential endorsement of racism."

Arpaio, who campaigned for Trump in 2016, was convicted on July 31 by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, who ruled he had willfully violated a 2011 injunction barring his officers from stopping and detaining Latino motorists solely on suspicion that they were in the country illegally.

Arpaio admitted to inadvertently disobeying the court order but said his behavior did not meet a criminal standard. He said the prosecution was a politically motivated attempt by the Obama administration to undermine his re-election bid.

Arpaio had been scheduled to be sentenced October 5 and faced a fine and maximum sentence of six months in jail.

His controversial tenure as sheriff brought Arpaio national headlines for massive roundups of suspected illegal immigrants and for the way he ran the Maricopa County jail.

He reinstated chain gangs, made inmates wear uniforms that were pink or old-fashioned black-and-white-striped, and forbade them from having coffee, salt and pepper.
DPRK leader Kim Jong Un reacts with scientists and technicians of the DPRK Academy of Defence Science after the test-launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile Hwasong-14 in this undated photo released by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) in Pyongyang July, 5, 2017. KCNA/via (REUTERS/File Photo)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Pacific Command said the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched three missiles earlier Friday but none of them had posed a threat.

"The first and third missiles...failed in flight," said the spokesman, Commander Dave Benham.

"The second missile launch... appear to have blown up almost immediately," he said.
President Donald Trump on Friday directed the Pentagon to declare an indefinite ban on transgender individuals joining the military, but he appeared to leave open the possibility of allowing some already in uniform to remain in the military.

The Obama administration in June 2016 had changed longstanding policy, declaring that troops could serve openly as transgender individuals. And it set a July 2017 deadline for determining whether transgender people could be allowed to enter the military. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis delayed that to Jan. 1, 2018, and Trump has now instructed Mattis to extend it indefinitely.

But on the question of what will happen to those transgender individuals who already are serving openly  estimated to number in the low hundreds  Trump seemed to leave some wiggle room for exceptions. A White House official who briefed reporters on the presidential order would not say whether Trump would permit any exceptions.

That official, who spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said Mattis has been directed to take a number of factors into consideration in determining how to deal with transgender individuals already serving. Those factors are to include broad measures such as military effectiveness, budgetary constraints, and unit cohesion, as well as other factors Mattis deems relevant. It was not clear whether that means it is possible for Mattis to come to the conclusion that some transgender troops should be allowed to remain.

Trump gave Mattis six months to come up with a policy on those currently serving, and he must implement it by March 23, 2018, the official said.

In a tweet last month, Trump said the federal government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve ``in any capacity'' in the military.

Two-sentence statement

The White House official on Friday said Trump also directed Mattis to halt the use of federal funds to pay for sexual reassignment surgeries and medications, except in cases where it is deemed necessary to protect the health of an individual who has already begun the transition. That policy is to be written within six months and implemented by March 23.

The Pentagon had little to say on the subject Friday. Dana W. White, the main spokeswoman for Mattis, issued a two-sentence statement saying Mattis had received White House guidance on transgender policy, adding, More information will be forthcoming.

Only one year ago, in June 2016, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that transgender individuals could serve openly for the first time. Prior to that, most transgender people in the military had been forced to keep their status secret to avoid being discharged; Trump's order appears to have returned the military to that same situation.

Since Carter's policy change, some troops  possibly a couple hundred have openly declared their status as transgender individuals.

Carter also had given the military services until July 1 of this year to present plans for allowing transgender individuals to join the military. Shortly before that date, Mattis extended the study period to the end of this year. And shortly after that, Trump went to Twitter to announce a total ban, without having used the customary interagency policy process.

Recent meetings lead to policy

At the time of Trump's tweet, the Pentagon was not prepared to change its policy. A flurry of White House meetings ensued, with participation by representatives of the Defense Department, to translate Trump's announcement into guidance that could be implemented and would stand up to expected legal challenges.

Just last week, Mattis suggested he was open to the possibility of allowing some transgender troops to remain in uniform.

The policy is going to address whether or not transgenders can serve under what conditions, what medical support they require, how much time would they be perhaps non-deployable, leaving others to pick up their share of everything, he said Aug. 14. There's a host of issues. And I'm learning more about this than I ever thought I would. And it's obviously very complex, including the privacy issues, which we respect.

Estimates of the number of transgender troops in the service vary widely. A Rand Corp. study said roughly 2,500 transgender personnel may be serving in active duty, and 1,500 in the reserves. It estimated only 30 to 130 active-duty troops out of a force of 1.3 million would seek transition-related health care each year. Costs could be $2.4 million to $8.4 million, it estimated.

'Massive social experiment'

Among those who have cheered Trump's tweet, Elaine Donnelly said the president is halting a massive social experiment.

Expensive, lifelong hormone treatments and irreversible surgeries associated with gender dysphoria would negatively affect personal deployability and mission readiness, without resolving underlying psychological problems, including high risks of suicide, said Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., an Army combat veteran, said the Pentagon should not exclude people based on gender status.

If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve  no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation, she said Thursday. Anything else is not just discriminatory, it is disruptive to our military and it is counterproductive to our national security.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday that he believes Congress will raise the government's debt ceiling in September, ahead of a deadline for default.

Mnuchin told reporters at the White House that he'd had talks with House and Senate congressional leaders from both parties and said everyone was on the same page.

The government intends to pay its debts and the debt ceiling will be raised, he said.

Mnuchin said his preference was for a bill that does not include unrelated items, a tactic sometimes used by lawmakers to help their agendas.

My strong preference is that we have a clean debt ceiling [increase], but the most important issue is the debt ceiling will be raised in September, Mnuchin said.

His comments came a day after President Donald Trump lashed out at Republican lawmakers for creating a mess of the debt ceiling legislation process.

In a series of tweets on Thursday, Trump scolded Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan for not attaching debt ceiling legislation to a recently signed bill that aims to assist veterans.

If Congress does not raise the debt ceiling by the end of September, the federal government may not be able to pay some of its bills, including payments on its debts, which could hurt the U.S. credit rating.

Separately, a measure to keep the federal government open once appropriations run out on September 30 must also be passed.

The deadlines represent a showdown for Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Republicans over budget priorities.
A South African model who has said she was whipped with an electric cord by Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe has filed court papers challenging the government's decision to grant her diplomatic immunity, advocacy group Afriforum said.

Police had placed border posts on "red alert" to prevent Mrs. Mugabe from leaving but South Africa's international relations minister said she had granted diplomatic immunity to the wife of Zimbabwe's 93-year-old President Robert Mugabe.

Afriforum has given legal backing to Gabriella Engels, the 20-year-old woman behind the assault allegation, and is working on the case with Gerrie Nel. He was the prosecutor who secured a murder conviction against Olympic and Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius.

"We want to set aside the granting of diplomatic immunity to Grace Mugabe," said Afriforum CEO Kallie Kriel adding that it could take months before the case is heard in court and that no date for the hearing had been set.

Mrs. Mugabe returned home from South Africa early on Sunday, but her immunity was widely-criticized in South Africa, where August has been designated Women's Month to highlight concerns around gender violence and abuse.

Engels has accused Grace Mugabe of whipping her with an electric extension cable as she waited with two friends in a luxury hotel suite to meet one of Mugabe's adult sons.

Harare has made no official comment on the issue and requests for comment from Zimbabwean government officials have gone unanswered.
Zimbabwe's first lady has made her first public appearance since leaving South Africa following allegations that she assaulted a young model at a Johannesburg hotel.



Grace Mugabe appeared cheerful on Friday as she toured exhibition stands at an agricultural show in the capital, Harare. The show is set to be officially opened by President Robert Mugabe, who returned to Zimbabwe with his wife last weekend after South Africa granted her diplomatic immunity.



There were calls in South Africa for Grace Mugabe to be prosecuted for the alleged attack on August 13. A group representing the model has gone to court in the hope of complicating any attempt by Zimbabwe's first lady to return to South Africa.



Zimbabwe's state media have been silent on the scandal.


Bob Fragala, 53, of Mooresville, Mich, leads a drill for Confederate solider reenactors as they march to battle in Three Oaks, Mich. (Mark Guarino)

In a small town park, Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee ends his story with his death. Then he takes questions.

Adam Justus, 27, is sitting on a picnic table listening. He is dressed in Civil War garb, the only hint he is a product of the late 20th century are the tattoos on his fingers and those peeking out from the cuffs of his shirt. He made this Saturday in late August his first Civil War reenactment because it has long been a passion of his father, who stands nearby. Old men in white beards and round bellies huddle around benches or lounge on the grass, all of them decades older than the soldiers they portray. Two hours earlier, they reenacted a fictitious battle between the Blue and the Gray, and two hours from now theyll stand in formation and do it again, as they have for decades.

Justus is well aware he is among the youngest here. Theyre all certain its going to die out with them, he says. He is not likely to pick it up, because, in light of the outcry over the Confederate statues in the South, he fears being misjudged as racist.

My generation cant talk to each other. They dont want to hear another perspective. If you label yourself a conservative or a libertarian, they dont want to talk to you, he says.

Civil War reenactments are as old as the war itself. The first reenactments are recorded as far back as 1861. They were a bloodless form of theater referred to as sham battles, which served multiple purposes: to recruit new soldiers, entertain audiences and give people back home a sense of what their loved ones were experiencing on the battlefront.

Adam Justus of Grand Rapids. (Mark Guarino)

Since those days, reenactments have grown in scale, and instead of providing relief to the people whose lives would be irreparably changed by the war, the staged battles emerged as a novel form of living history. In every part of the country almost every weekend of the year, participants push aside historic dates and names and instead concentrate on more tangential learning: how a soldier felt charging across grass into battle, down to what he ate at the campfire before forcing sleep to come while lying on a hard earthen floor.

That is what drew Samson Moore, a 17-year-old from Perrinton, Mich., a town of just 400 people. While his friends are drawn into the virtual worlds of phones and video games, he says he wanted a hands-on experience with history, which he discovered a passion for in the eighth grade. The roughly $2,000 he spent on his Union outfit and gunpowder is an investment for his mind, not unlike a school trip abroad to visit historic sites. You feel closer to the actual soldier who fought, he says.

Civil War buffs have always represented one of the more innocuous forms of weekend hobbyist, but now, even those dressed in uniform feel tension after the violence in Charlottesville.

Between programs on Saturday you can overhear reenactors grumbling about the current headlines, all reviving bad feelings about the Civil War: the violence that has broken out surrounding the removal of Confederate statues and the co-opting of the war by neo-Nazis. Right now people seem pretty skittish about anything having to do with the Civil War. I suppose things will calm down over time, but I dont know if over time is one month from now or five years from now, because I cant tell where its going, says Melvin Ely, a Civil War scholar from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Some reenactors worry that their hobby will be targeted by both sides. They resent white supremacists for attaching themselves to the war to advocate hate as well as the liberal forces for assuming they are bigots because their focus is primarily on battles and weaponry. Its really sad. Its almost like the countrys divided again, says Michael Lechenet, 66, a reenactor since 1972 from Dowagiac, Mich.



The Confederacy suffered one death on the battleground in a mock battle in as they charged forward over a weekend of Civil War memories and reenactments in Three Oaks, Mich. (Mark Guarino)

Lorena Morgan, 16, of South Bend, Ind., has participated in reenactments with her parents since she was 5 but admits that it is dying out because people are against it and want it to end. She says it wont be worth carrying forward as an adult because she doesnt want to deal with the pushback from friends. Im scared at how much judgment is out there, she says.

One reason reenactors suddenly feel vulnerable is how the general interpretation of the war has slowly changed from the time the war ended in 1865 to the late 20th century. Says Ely: There was a widespread understanding in this country that the Civil War was just an unfortunate spat between both sides, that both sides meant well, and, in the end, the two belonged together and should and could respect one another. And that understanding downplayed the centrality of slavery to the Civil War, it downplayed anything having to do with Reconstruction, and it downplayed the rolling back of black civil rights in the 20th century. Basically it was a white fantasy entertained by Northerners and Southerners alike who were over all of that.

Black reenactors are, in fact, a proud segment of the reenactment community as they represent the roughly 200,000 black soldiers who fought for the Union during the final two years of the war. As for those portraying Confederate soldiers and generals, they say they choose to focus on facts only and steer clear of interpretation.

Paul Wood, 70, of Wheaton, Ill., is one of only seven men in the U.S. who actively portray Robert E. Lee at Civil War reenactments and other history events. (Mark Guarino)

Wood, 70, of Wheaton, Ill., is one of seven Robert E. Lees active across the country. Retired from his job as a sales manager, he portrays Lee at events in schools, libraries and reenactments across seven states at least 18 times a year. He says that everything he does is based on years of book research and that his primary objective is education, not creating arguments. They were human beings, he says of figures like Lee. They werent gods.

At this reenactment, located in a quaint tourist town in Michigans Harbor Country, nearly two hours from Chicago, the Gray soldiers double the Blue. Reenactors say they often switch roles, but when they march across the train tracks to an open field, and a cannon blast announces the open strains of battle, it is the Union that falls dead 20 minutes later. Afterward, the captains from both sides end their trash talking, shake off their battle scars and walk to the sidelines of townspeople in folding chairs to answer questions. They make clear that the Union soldiers in their battle represented just a small detail and that likely 70,000 more would be just beyond the field waiting to attack as the Confederacy inched toward them.

Bob Fragala, 53, who portrays the Confederate captain, admits that its much more fun to play the underdog. Any true American knows theres a true rebel in all of us, he says. At his 57-acre horse farm in Mooresville, Mich., he has built an entire Civil War village that he opens to the public for reenactments. He adds that giving Confederate soldiers life on the field serves their story, which he says is usually absent in the classroom. Anyone can say how well the Union did, but with the Southern stuff, you have to dig. These are the stories that should also be told, he says.

With the Civil War still being fought on social media, in newspaper op-eds and in the streets, some see reenactments as a way to, if not reconcile century-old divisions, at least create fellowship between both sides. Its a good way for descendants of the Blue and the Gray to break bread and understand the war in a historical context. Theyre learning American history and the war was the crucible of American history, says Ben Jones, a former Democratic congressman from Georgia and Dukes of Hazzard actor who is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group advocating to keep the monuments intact.

Yet even Jones admits that the reenactments will probably go away one day, like the monuments that are toppling this summer.

In fact, officials in Manassas, Va., canceled this weekends Civil War reenactment, explaining in a statement that recent events have ignited passions in this country surrounding the Civil War and the symbols representing it. . . . The city does not wish to further exacerbate the situation.

Were learning about our past when we have reenactments and if you can do that in a benign way of camaraderie rather than in a place of sanctimony, then we can proceed. But were in a crisis right now, Jones says.

Indeed, it is camaraderie that Woods Lee feels as he speaks of his April 1865 surrender to Ulysses S. Grant in Appomattox, Va. Figuring he would be hanged, Lee says he is taken aback when Grant tells him his soldiers can keep their horses and return home. The most gracious thing I ever heard, he says. I thanked him.


Christopher K. Morgan, the new executive artistic director of Dance Place, in the Hyman M. Perlo Studio. (Willis Bretz for The Washington Post)

On one of his first days as the new executive artistic director of Dance Place, Christopher K. Morgan is hearing about the stress that can overwhelm a dedicated staff strung out on overtime.

Its an issue common to nonprofits. Morgan gets it: As a choreographer trying to keep his own dance company afloat for the past several years, he knows the strain of too much work and too few bodies to do it. At a morning staff meeting at the dance studio and performance venue in Brookland, Dance Place Financial Director Emily Crews looks at Morgan closely as she suggests ways to ward it off.

How does he feel about monitoring time sheets for evidence of employee burnout?

You can totally read it in someones energy, Morgan says, and everyone in the room nods, because intuitive dance folks have their own ways of checking in with one another, and its not through paperwork.

Morgan, 42, is tall and slender with a clean-shaven head and a round, boyish face that bears an expression of perpetual delight. He seems buoyantly at ease while navigating his tricky new territory. He was hired to take over from two beloved, dynamic women  co-directors Carla Perlo and Deborah Riley  who built Dance Place from the ground up. (Perlo founded it in 1980.) They will retire at the end of this month, but until then theyre quietly helping Morgan mountaineer his learning curve.

Given what he has to absorb about Dance Places 37-year history as the heart of the areas contemporary dance scene, with after-school programs, summer camps, daily classes and weekend performances by local, national and international troupes, Morgan doesnt have big changes in mind. He says he embraces Dance Places core values of welcome, respect and inclusivity and is committed to continuing the really diverse array of programming.

But he does have one important new goal. He knows what fellow dance artists need most, and hes keen to provide it. Its gloriously simple but a bear to find: open space, big enough to move around in.

A choreographer cant create and rehearse a dance around a kitchen table or in a conference room or vacant office. She needs a dance studio, which is expensive to rent and often booked with Zumba classes until late at night. In a government city with hardly any industry  meaning no empty warehouses to be reclaimed by artists  the lack of creative space is a crushing problem for the dance community.

So in his first weeks at Dance Place, Morgan is zeroing in on how to make his studios available to local choreographers. Hed like to develop space grants.

In essence, he wants to re-create the conditions that led to his own success.

I was so welcomed in Washington, he says over a late lunch after the meetings finally ceased for the day. I had the gift of space and time. What Ive been able to accomplish would not have been possible without that support.

Morgan is talking about the help he got to flourish as a choreographer after his rather late start in concert dance. The son of two ex-Marines and native Hawaiians, Morgan grew up learning Polynesian dances as a child in Costa Mesa, Calif. He fell in love with contemporary dance while at the University of California at Irvine. He started moonlighting with a San Diego dance company, and they offered him a job. He dropped out of school to take it.

But first, he had to sell his radical new plan to his dad, a barber. Wait  is that the reason for the hyper-short hair? Morgan laughs and runs a hand over his head.

It could be a little subliminal, he says, grinning.

In 1998, Morgan moved to Washington to join Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Two years later, he left for New York, where he danced with the veteran experimentalist David Gordon. He also met his husband there, fellow dancer Kyle Lang, whos now an opera director.

The couple live in North Bethesda, after weathering a long-distance relationship when Morgan returned to Washington as the resident choreographer of the now-defunct CityDance Ensemble. That was when he blossomed as an artist, he says. He had studios, dancers and all the resources he needed to create. It was so heavenly that in 2011, he mustered the courage to start his own troupe, Christopher K. Morgan & Artists. Hell still run it while in the new job; he has a standing rehearsal built into his schedule, and his company class on Mondays will be open to the public.

Morgan introduces himself to a group of young men who routinely visit Dance Place. (Willis Bretz for The Washington Post)

For the past 12 years, Morgan has also directed the Dance Omi International Dance Collective, a summer choreographers residency in Ghent, N.Y. But heading a year-round institution like Dance Place, with its $1.8 million annual budget and more than 30 staff and interns, is a big step up. And that means meetings  lots of meetings.

On this recent rainy day, morning meetings stretch into the afternoon. So many decisions! Such as: Which app to buy for ringing up T-shirts on a tablet, along with class fees and donations made in the lobby? A debate ensues. Morgan, wearing a gray button-down shirt, black jeans and an understated silver necklace, listens intently and says nothing. When folks start repeating themselves, he sums up the options and double-checks: Did I miss anyone who has a real vested interest in how credit-card payments are collected here?

After a slew of other matters, he turns to space grants. Dance Place has always hosted resident companies. But Morgan wants to offer free studio space to individual artists, either for short-term projects, such as creating a work for the annual VelocityDC Dance Festival, or for a longer run, maybe even with office space thrown in so a choreographer could meet with potential donors somewhere classier than a Starbucks.

This is just the idea stage, he tells the staff, just before the meeting breaks up. Id love your feedback.

Later, Morgan explains why hes so keen on offering rehearsal space.

He wants to retain local artists, pointing to the longtime dancer-choreographers Gesel Mason and Helanius Wilkins as recent losses. (Both took jobs at the University of Colorado at Boulder.)

I want to see how Dance Place can create enough opportunity for these artists to stay, Morgan says, by looking at the longer arc of a choreographers career and giving them an incentive to stay in the area.

Space to create new work is needed even more nowadays since its rare for small, local companies to go on tour. This means theyre performing over and over for the same audience, which is more likely to get excited about premieres than last years repertoire.

Theres so much pressure to keep generating new works, Morgan laments. It leads to artist fatigue.

Hes tapped into whats important, says Douglas Yeuell, executive director of the Atlas Performing Arts Center. He calls Morgan a lovely human being, with a very pleasant, nice way about him and a good pick.

Its great that someone from this community ascended to that position, Yeuell says. Weve always been challenged in this region with retaining great dancers and great companies. Its hard to attract dancers who can devote one hundred percent of their life to this art. They have to work all day, dance all night and get up tomorrow and do it again. . . . We should make it a better place for great art to happen.

Part of Morgans appearance of calm is that he seems eminently thorough and organized. Maybe its his upbringing by Marines. At meetings, every agenda item is addressed. He takes notes. For years, he says, he has kept notebooks for every rehearsal, scribbling comments on spacing, on angles of the knee, on music.

If I wish anything for him, says Liz Lerman, the Dance Exchange founder and his former boss, I wish for his growing comfort with chaos, because theres chaos ahead.

The dance world is shifting, and its great to have new leadership, she continues, speaking from her home in Arizona. (She teaches at Arizona State University.) Dance Place is going to need to change. I hope he feels he has enough support to make changes and people wont hang on too much to the past.

Morgan stands with his predecessors, Dance Place founders Carla Perlo, left, and Deborah Riley in the main theater at Dance Place. (Willis Bretz for The Washington Post)

Morgan agrees that changes are needed to keep up with audience interests and to continue building excitement about the art form. For one thing, he says, audiences crave more intimacy from live performance.

People want more experiences that are not just sitting in a chair, he says. Theres a desire for something thats more interactive and personal. The proscenium stage doesnt really offer that. Were seeing an uptick in immersive performances and using nontraditional spaces. It speaks to this desire for audiences and artists to connect differently.

We, as a field, have work to do to keep up with that, he continues. Especially at Dance Place, presenting 40-plus works a year, and that space has to be reconfigured for each artist. He speaks enthusiastically about the Minneapolis group BodyCartography Project, performing at Dance Place on Sept. 16-17. Theyve asked for seats to be removed so theres greater floor space, because their shows will include audience participation and a dance party.

But Morgan, guided by his dancers intuition, swings back to the issue to which he relates most closely: local choreographers and their creative needs, and what he can give them.

Im so grateful to this community for what its done for me, he says. I want to make sure were doing that for other artists.


Winemaker Jonathan Wheeler, left, and general manager Kerry Woolard taste Trump wines at the winery's tasting room near Charlottesville. Says Woolard: I think we deserve the credit. (Dave McIntyre/For The Washington Post)

For the record, Trump Winery in Virginia is not one of the biggest wineries in the country, as the president recently claimed. At about 42,000 cases produced each year, it is squarely in the small category of wineries producing under 50,000, according to Wines & Vines magazine.

That places Trump Winery in the top 21 percent. There are 65 large wineries producing more than 500,000 cases a year, 263 in the medium category of 50,000 to 499,999, and about 1,600 in the small category of 5,000 to 49,999 cases. Nearly 7,300 wineries produce less than 5,000 cases.

With 210 acres planted to vines, Trump Winery can say it is Virginias largest vineyard. Barboursville is a close second, at 185 acres. But Chateau Morrisette and Williamsburg Winery each produce about 60,000 cases a year, according to the Virginia Wine Marketing Office, making them the largest in the Old Dominion.

Also for the record: The wines are pretty good. Since Donald Trump purchased the former Kluge Estate winery in a bankruptcy auction in 2011 and installed his son Eric as president, the Trump regime has invested in refurbishing the vineyards, purchasing new farm equipment and constructing a new facility for sparkling wine production. It has paid off. Sparkling wines were good under Kluge Estate, but the table wines were uneven. The current releases of Trump wines show improvement.

[Trump promotes his Charlottesville winery]

Quality may be overshadowed by politics, however. I visited the winery Aug. 11 to meet with general manager Kerry Woolard and winemaker Jonathan Wheeler. It was a typical sunny Friday at a Virginia winery, as a small but steady stream of visitors came and went through the modest tasting room. That evening, white supremacists and neo-Nazis held their torchlight parade on the University of Virginia campus, and the next days demonstrations over a Confederate statue turned deadly. By Tuesday afternoon, the furor over the presidents response to the violence engulfed the winery after Trump boasted, I know Charlottesville very well . . . . I own one of the largest wineries in the United States, in Charlottesville.

There was an immediate flurry of reactions, debunking Trumps boast of the winerys size. Even Patricia Kluge, who founded the winery and then lost it in bankruptcy, chimed in to tell Town & Country, The wine is not good anymore.



Trump brand wine on display in Las Vegas last year. (Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

Despite its name, Trump Winery typically tries to distance itself from politics. (Though Woolard, the Virginia wine veteran hired as general manager in 2012, gave a speech at last years Republican convention.) There is no political merchandise for sale at the vineyard, no Make America Great Again hats, no photos of the president  just some framed magazine articles featuring Eric Trump and his stewardship of the winery. With the change of ownership in 2011, there was even a disclaimer on the winery website that the company belonged to Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing and was unaffiliated with the Trump Organization. The winery has dropped that pretense now, though recent news reports found the disclaimer archived on the website. The winerys terms of service page is clear that you are doing business with the Trump Organization, and theres a link to Trump Winery on the website for Mar-a-Lago, the Trump resort in Florida. Winery emails are run through Trump Organization servers.

While sales have increased in recent years, Woolard would like to attribute success to the winerys improvements rather than a Trump political bounce.

I think we deserve the credit, she says, noting that the reinvestment in the vineyards was paying off at about the same time Donald Trump declared his candidacy. The wines have done well in contests, where judges dont know which wines they are tasting. Trump sparkling wines won the Monticello Cup for best Charlottesville-area wine in 2014 and 2015, and the 2016 sauvignon blanc recently won a double gold medal in the San Francisco International Wine Competition.

The sparkling wines were good under Kluge Estate, and the Trumps benefited from purchasing three vintages (2008-2010) that aged on their lees during the bankruptcy. Longer aging makes for richer, more complex sparkling wine. Trump Winery was able to sell those vintages under its own label while its own production benefited from longer aging. The wines I tasted on my recent visit were a 2010 Blanc de Blancs, rich and opulent from an unusually ripe vintage, a 2012 rose and a 2009 reserve. All were made by Wheeler, who was hired by Patricia Kluge in 2006 to oversee the sparkling wine program.

Wheeler took over the still wine production in 2013. His current releases include a delicious 2016 rose made from merlot and pinot noir, that medal-winning sauvignon blanc (made richer by blending in some semillon), a modestly oaky chardonnay and a fleshy viognier.

Trump Winery is taking a big risk, however. It still had 30 acres of grapes hanging on the vines in 2015 when heavy rains hit in early October. To make up for lost product, it will be introducing wines labeled as American, made from out-of-state grapes. This is a quandary many wineries face when Mother Nature doesnt cooperate, but it might foster a reputation for using out-of-state grapes even in better years. Such a well-capitalized winery could have chosen to take the financial hit to protect its reputation.

And when your reputation  like it or not  is filtered through politics and your critics focus on your name rather than your product, even good wine can taste a little sour.


White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders pauses to listen to a reporters question during the daily news briefing at the White House on Aug. 24. (Carolyn Kaster/AP)

Its a stock response of every White House press secretary whos either caught off guard or is trying to dodge a sticky question. When a reporter asks a tough question during a briefing, the reply from the lectern is often a punt: Ill get back to you on that.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, President Trumps press secretary, invoked some version of IGBTYOT 10 times on Thursday , which may be a record for a single briefing, if records for such things were kept. Among other topics, she vowed to get back to reporters about after they asked questions: foreign aid to Egypt, the presidents ban on transgender members of the military, the arrest of a Russian dissident, the possibility of a presidential pardon for former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio, the job status of the Internal Revenue Service commissioner and the White Houses reaction to federal approval of Amazon.coms acquisition of Whole Foods Market.

Dont hold your breath waiting for her to follow up.

White House reporters say its unusual for Sanders, or her predecessors, to make good on a promise to get back to them with an answer. They tend to regard the get-back-to-you line the way a creditor reacts to being told the check is in the mail: Theyll believe it when they see it.

Bloomberg News reporter Margaret Talev, for example, asked Sanders this month about a report that the Air Force intended to purchase two Boeing 747s once used by a bankrupt Russian airline as a cheaper alternative to building a new Air Force One.

Can you verify the accuracy of the story? Talev said. Do you know if thats correct?

Sanders said she would check and reply later. Talev never heard back.

During the same briefing, CBS News reporter Chip Reid asked the press secretary if it would be appropriate for the president to apologize for telling police officers to be rough with suspects, a comment that police officials and others had criticized. Sanders replied that she would let him know if or when she knew.

She hasnt, Reid said.

I dont cover the White House on a regular basis, so I wasnt sure what to expect, he said. But as I was leaving the briefing room that day, a few people who cover the White House full time told me not to expect her to get back to me. So I wasnt surprised that she did not.

At a briefing in mid-July, Fox News Radio reporter Jon Decker asked Sanders if the president viewed Russia as a friend, a partner, an ally or an adversary? Decker had asked a variation of the question two days earlier. Another reporter asked a similar question the day after that. Neither had gotten an answer. On the third try, Sanders still didnt have a response, but vowed, I do assure you I will certainly work to make sure I get that answer to you.

More than a month later, there hasnt been an answer.

John Gizzi of Newsmax got the Ill-get-back-to-you treatment from Sanders in July when he asked her if Trump was willing to negotiate with Republicans in Congress about changes to Social Security and Medicare. Weeks later, Gizzi still hasnt gotten an RSVP from Sanders. He blames himself, in part, for not pursuing or pressing [her] harder.

On the other hand, Gizzi did get a follow-up response from Sanders when he inquired about the U.S. delegation to former German chancellor Helmut Kohls funeral. Sanders delivered the details at a briefing in June. I was impressed, he said.

Gizzi rates Sanders as above average in following up on his questions, the same Lake Wobegon-ish mark he would give most of the nine press secretaries he has dealt with in covering the White House. But none can be perfect and reply every time, because there arent enough hours in the day, he said.

In fact, given the many questions any White House faces, its unlikely that a press secretary could have all the answers right at his or her fingertips. So the get-back-to-you formulation makes sense as a hedge against speaking prematurely or without a full command of the facts.

But reporters suspect that it can also be a convenient way to avoid talking about an issue that might embarrass the president, particularly in front of a roomful of journalists and a bank of live TV cameras.

Asked about her record of replying, Sanders said in an email that she tries to respond to as many questions as fully as I can at each briefing. I have also on several occasions followed up with reporters and answered their questions after the briefing when I can.

Asked in a subsequent email if she avoids inconvenient questions by declining to follow up, Sanders didnt follow up with an answer.
THE DISTRICT

Police nab 19-year-old suspected in series of NW burglaries

Metropolitan Police arrested a 19-year-old on Friday night in connection with a series of brazen overnight home burglaries in Northwest Washington this summer.

David Anthony Rice, 19, of Northwest was charged with several counts of burglary after officials say he broke into six homes within a three-block radius between July 27 and Aug. 5  in most cases while the home was occupied, D.C. police said.

Rice allegedly burglarized residences on Lamont, Warder and Kenyon Streets and Sherman Avenue in Northwest Washington on consecutive nights during the overnight hours, taking property from inside, officials said.

 Arelis Hernandez

MARYLAND

Police charge aggressive driver with attempted murder

A Virginia man was charged with attempted murder Friday after police say he fired three rounds at a motorist in Maryland as she drove home from work. She wasnt injured, but her car was damaged by at least one gunshot, authorities said.

Maryland State Police said the shooting occurred after the suspect  driving a Chrysler Sebring  tailgated her car, aggressively passed her, pulled in front of her, slowed down, allowed her to pass, and then got behind her again. Police officials identified the suspect as Jonathan Paul Boykin, 30, of S. Kings Highway in Fairfax County. He was being held in jail there, Maryland officials said.

The alleged incident unfolded Tuesday evening  in the southbound lanes of Route 4 between Suitland Parkway and Woodyard Road in Prince Georges County. The woman was able to drive her car home, where she called police.

Maryland State Police investigators developed Boykin as a suspect, and early Friday morning arrested him at his home. They say they found several illegal firearms at the home.

 Dan Morse
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 08:14:13|Editor: ying

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has begun food distributions to flood victims in Terai region of Nepal.

Issuing a statement on Friday, the WFP Nepal office informed that food distributions are going on as the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has warned of more floods in coming days in the low lying areas of the country.

The floods triggered by incessant rainfall since the second week of August took the lives of more than 120 people in Terai districts while displaced thousands of people. As per the government statistics, the tragedy has affected 1.7 million people, with nearly 461,000 of them displaced from their homes and in desperate need of assistance.

According to the statement, almost half a million people in impacted areas are currently food insecure, and 300,000 people have very little access to food and are urgently in need of food assistance.

WFP said it would work along with the government of Nepal and its partners to provide 200 metric tons of fortified food to 19,500 pregnant women and nursing mothers and about 27,700 children aged between six and 23 months, across 13 flood affected districts of Terai region.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, right center, greets people at the conclusion of a ground breaking event for a "Short-Term Family Housing" facility in Washington, DC. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

On a hot summer morning, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser stood on a sidewalk in Northwest Washington to promote her administrations war on rats, an effort she said exemplified the basics of our government operations and her teams incredible contributions.

One . . . two . . . three . . . rat-free! the mayor said, smiling for a photo.

Over the years, D.C. mayors have defined their reigns through ambitious initiatives, whether it was Marion Barrys summer jobs program, Anthony Williamss repairs to the citys finances or Adrian Fentys public education reforms.

On the brink of her reelection campaign, Bowser, 45, resists any such shorthand definition. Instead, the citys seventh mayor views herself as the balanced manager of an ever-safer and more prosperous city, untainted by the dramas that engulfed her predecessors, including the incumbent she ousted, Vincent C. Gray.

Her tenure has not been without embarrassment  charges of cronyism, campaign finance violations and contract steering have cropped up  but little seems to have captivated a public largely fixated on the citys main political ringmaster, President Trump.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser stands on the field before a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Washington Nationals, Saturday, July 29, 2017, in Washington. (Mark Tenally/AP)

A June Washington Post poll showed 67 percent of District residents approve of Bowser, though only 20 percent voiced strong support. Her political prowess seemed especially tenuous after three of the four D.C. Council members she backed in last years election lost their seats.

[Mayor Bowser is broadly popular as election nears]

Yet, in a city known for rejecting incumbents after a single term, including the two men who preceded her, Bowser is well-positioned to become the Districts first mayor in 15 years to win reelection next year.

Shes not exciting, but in some ways weve had enough excitement in District government, said Tony Bullock, Williamss former press secretary. Shes a calming influence, shes businesslike, and shes not prone to off-the-wall comments.

Yet Bowsers measured approach can repel those seeking an impassioned leader to wrangle with Washingtons challenges, including soaring costs that have created two cities  one for the rich, another for the poor.

Its hard to be enthusiastic about someone who isnt enthusiastic, said China Dickerson, executive director of DC Young Democrats. Its apparent to me that shes a Democrat and shes progressive, but Im not sure what issue she champions.

A centerpiece of Bowsers agenda is replacing D.C. General, the Districts primary shelter for homeless families, with a citywide network of six smaller facilities, a plan the D.C. Council eviscerated before approving a modified version.

At a July groundbreaking in Petworth for one of those new shelters, Bowser appeared to wipe away tears after invoking Relisha Rudd, the homeless youngster whose 2014 disappearance from D.C. General spurred calls for its closure.

The moment was unusual for a mayor who rarely allows herself to seem vulnerable in public.

That little baby gets to me, Bowser explained later, as her security detail whisked her to city hall in her black, city-issued SUV.

[Before she went missing, Relisha longed to escape D.C. General]

The mayor spoke during an expansive interview in which she trumpeted accomplishments, answered criticism and weighed her political prospects. Studiously guarded, she also revealed details about her private life, including a long-term boyfriend she had at the time, a man whom she had named to a District commission and who has what can only be described as a unique flair for invention.

Bowser said her political strength is rooted in her appeal to a broad spectrum of constituencies. Advocates may want to attack us for being pro-development, she said, but cant square that against her determination to overhaul homeless services.

They cant put their finger on me, the mayor said, her smile back in place.

Lacking No Confidence

In her city hall office, the mayor keeps an orderly desk, which is adorned with several framed photos, including one of her and former mayor Fenty, a testimonial to the allegiance she still feels to her political mentor despite his mixed reputation among many District voters.

Nearby was a magazine entitled Easy Home Makeovers and a copy of Confidence: How Winning Streaks & Losing Streaks Begin & End.

A self-help book may seem unnecessary for a politician who has never lost a campaign, but Bowser said the book adds to my toolbox for how to approach situations.

Ive always been confident, she said. I dont lack confidence. You think I lack confidence?

After nearly three years as mayor and a decade in public office, she said she still encounters skeptics.

They always underestimate me  young, female and black. Well, Im not as young as I used to be. Sometimes, she said, I think some people think I cant string a sentence or something, so theyre surprised.

Bowser displayed no self-doubt during a spate of summer appearances, stressing balanced budgets, a declining unemployment rate and devoting $100 million annually to affordable housing.

At a meeting of the Ward 4 Democrats, she fielded a query about her aides lapses in judgment, an apparent reference to the former schools chancellor placing children of Bowser appointees into coveted public schools, allowing them to bypass the school lottery. A second embarrassment was a D.C. Council members investigation alleging that her aides showed favoritism toward a top political donor.

[Bowser administration favored top donor in contracting]

Anybody know what season were in? the mayor asked the audience. Its called silly season. . . . The period right before an election. You all know things get dredged up. She asked voters to trust my judgment.

Christopher Alexander, 44, a database engineer in the audience, said he was taken with the mayors presentation even if I couldnt tell you two or three accomplishments or point to anything really impressive. At the same time, it seems like theres no big trouble.

Across town, Sandra Seegars, a Ward 8 activist, said she had expected Bowser to be an uppity reincarnation of Fenty, who alienated African Americans by appearing to cater to affluent Washingtonians and by rarely showing up in predominately black neighborhoods on the citys east side.

But Bowser won over Seegars with her plan to open neighborhood homeless shelters, including in affluent Ward 3, and by closing a deal for a Washington Wizards practice facility in Ward 8.

The message is: Im trying to treat everyone equally. Im trying to spread the wealth and poverty,  Seegars said.

The mayors supporters describe Bowser as personable, citing invitations to informal Sunday teas at her home for LGBT leaders, small-business owners and other groups, where she can be found cleaning up amid the festivities.

It was great to see the mayor walking around picking up after people, recalled Philip Pannell, an activist who has been a guest.

Facing Criticism

The mayors detractors say shes reaping the benefits of a booming economy and is devoid of original initiatives. They mock her teams constant branding  the rat initiative was accompanied by a #BackToBasics hashtag on social media.

D.C. government is on automatic pilot, said Dorothy Brizill, an activist. She is largely implementing policies and plans developed by her predecessors.

Activists fault Bowser for not fully funding the citys long-term plan to end homelessness or reducing the waiting list of 40,000 families seeking rent vouchers. They say shes too close to developers, citing her original plan to lease homeless shelter space from builders who were her campaign donors.

She wants to develop every inch of the city with high-end condos and with the bare minimum of affordable housing, said Parisa Norouzi of Empower DC, a housing advocacy group. Norouzi dismissed Bowsers annual pledge of $100 million for low-cost housing as insufficient.

You read the headlines and you think this mayor is the most progressive mayor youve heard of, but you have to do your homework  the housing isnt really affordable, Norouzi said. If she really wanted to lead, shed say $200 million for affordable housing and at least 50 percent would be for the lowest income.

Bowser and the council have an often fractious relationship, laid bare last year when the mayor cursed out council Chairman Phil Mendelson after he accused her of obfuscation and misinformation during negotiations over replacing D.C. General.

Council members revised her plan to require that the new shelters be constructed on public property. Mendelson, in an interview, declined to revisit their clash but said Bowser undermines her effectiveness when she picks fights with council members.

The mayor also faced criticism over FreshPAC, a political action committee her operatives created and were forced to shut down amid criticism. Several donors accompanied Bowser on a trip to China, triggering complaints she was fostering a pay-to-play culture that has long shrouded D.C. politics.

Given the position that the mayor took when she was on the council around government ethics and campaign finance . . . Im surprised she has not exhibited stronger leadership in that area, said D.C. Attorney General Karl A. Racine, a possible Bowser challenger.

Bowser said her decisions are driven by the citys best interests  not political allies  and no evidence exists to the contrary.

Wont be able to find it, she said.

Asked about the 2018 race, the mayor wondered aloud about who would challenge her.

She expressed no concern about a rematch with Gray, saying,  Maybe he doesnt want another round with Muriel Bowser.

Gray declined to comment.

Getting Personal

One aspect of her mayoralty that Bowser is still adjusting to is curiosity about her personal life.

People always want to know more, she said before describing a daily routine that includes going to sleep at 10 p.m. sharp and awakening at 5 a.m., when she reads Twitter and does household chores. In her down time, she said she enjoys HGTV and magazines with headlines like 21 Ways to Tame Your Closet. A favorite restaurant is RPM, an Italian eatery she described as sexy and where she drinks Manhattans and eats spicy crab.

The mayor, who has never married, reluctantly identified her boyfriend as Jason Turner, 49, a former Parks Department official under Fenty, who is a divorced father of two. He escorted her to a 2016 White House state dinner.

Turner earned a measure of fame in 2010 with his then-spouse, Stacie, on the reality television show Real Housewives of DC. During one episode, he boasted about his patented invention  the Penile Volumetric Measuring Device, which quantifies the size of the male sex organ.

In the application for the patent, which Turner got in 2006, the inventor lamented the remarkable lack of convenient and accurate methods for measuring the penis. His patent expired in 2015 because of nonpayment of fees, a U.S. Patent and Trademark official said.

Turner, who did not return calls, and his former wife hosted at least one fundraiser for Bowser before their 2012 separation. The mayor said she and Turner had been involved for a number of years, beginning before she became mayor, but declined to elaborate.

Lets move on, she said.

Around the time of the July interview, Bowser appointed Turner to an unpaid seat on the Commission on Climate Change and Resiliency, an eight-member panel established to assess the impacts of the changing climate.

On Friday, John Falcicchio, Bowsers chief of staff, said Turners interest in environmental issues and his background in facilities management qualified him. Falcicchio also said the nature of the relationship between the mayor and Turner had changed since his appointment.

To the best of my understanding, theyre not together anymore, he said.
Correction: Earlier versions of this article gave an incorrect first name for Gary Collins. The article has been corrected.

ANNAPOLIS, MD - AUGUST 16: Two women take pictures in front of the statue of US Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney that sits in front of the Maryland State House, on August 16, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Gov. Larry Hogan (R) won office in heavily Democratic Maryland three years ago by avoiding social issues and campaigning on a platform of cutting taxes and regulations and increasing jobs.

So when he waded into the nations culture wars this month, the blowback was fierce.

Members of his conservative base immediately lashed out at him, denouncing his decision to support the removal of the statue of former Supreme Court chief justice Roger B. Taney from the State House grounds in Annapolis.

More than two out of three of the nearly 700 phone calls and emails the governors office has received about the issue were from people opposed to moving the memorial to Taney, who defended slavery and was the author of the Dred Scott decision.

Hundreds more angry comments were posted to the governors Facebook page.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan outside the Maryland State House on the final day of the state's legislative session in Annapolis, Md. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Some people called him names. Many vowed to never vote for him again. And others, like Susan Walker Burnett DeHetre, 69, a retiree who lives in Charles County, did both.

Sorry Mr. Gov. I really dont care anymore about what you like or dont like, DeHetre wrote in response to Hogans Facebook post about watching Tuesdays solar eclipse. As far as Im concerned you are like the cowardly lion. What is wrong with you? I supported you all the way. After the middle of the night removal of history, Im done with you.

Analysts said the onslaught  which included vitriol from supporters of President Trump who also are upset that Hogan did not support efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act or make attempts to loosen gun-control laws  will have little impact on Hogans bid to become the first two-term Republican governor in nearly 60 years.

Thats because Hogan, whose approval ratings are among the highest of any governor in the nation, also draws considerable support from independents and registered Democrats, who outnumber registered Republicans in the state 2 to 1.

These are folks who are angry and who are venting now, said Todd Eberly, a political-science professor at St. Marys College. But people vote their pocketbooks, they vote the economy. They dont vote statues.

As a moderate Republican who is focused on jobs and the economy, Hogan is the GOPs best chance to keep power in Maryland, Eberly said.

Paul Ellington, a former executive director of the state Republican Party who now works as a GOP consultant, said he also thinks that voters will judge Hogan on his overall performance in 2018, when a crowded field of Democrats will be competing to run against him. Ellington described the outrage aimed at Hogan as a blip coming from a vocal minority of his Republican base.

This is kind of an interfamily squabble, Ellington said. And much like families, once you hit the door, youre in unity.

Last week, the governor weighed in on what Red Maryland, a conservative blog, called an effort by the left to change the state flag, which represents both the Union and Confederate sides of the Civil War.

In a Facebook post, Hogan said rest assured that it will never be changed as long as Im governor.

Top Democrats said there is no plan to change the flag.

Meanwhile, Gary Collins, who served as a Trump delegate in 2016, said he and many others are hoping that Hogan is challenged in the primary by a Republican who supports repealing the Affordable Care Act and keeping statues like Taneys in place.

The governor has absolutely turned his back on his base, he said. He needs to come back to the center and stop playing in the left sandbox.

For years, Hogan, like many Maryland elected officials from both parties, supported keeping the Taney statue on the capitol grounds, citing the former justices outsize role in and contributions to many aspects of state and federal government.

But the governor said he changed his mind after watching neo-Nazis and white nationalists rally in support of the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville. One counterprotester was killed when a vehicle allegedly driven by a rallygoer slammed into her, and dozens of others were injured.

Hogan said he became concerned that the Taney statue, like statues of Lee and Stonewall Jackson, could become a focal point for racism and violence.

Not all the reaction about the removal of the statue has been negative. Between Aug. 16 and Aug. 24, 196 people contacted the governors office to say they agreed that the statue should come down.

Will Zerhouni, an attorney and Baltimore entrepreneur, thanked Hogan on his Facebook page.

As Lincoln said, Let us have faith that right makes might and, in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it,  wrote the libertarian-leaning Hogan supporter and Howard County resident. Your political courage and leadership honor that principle of decency articulated by President Lincoln . . . Keep up the great work!

And while many GOP politicians in the state have stayed silent about Hogans decision, at least one influential Republican has praised it.

House Minority Whip Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County), who drafted legislation to remove the Taney statue two years ago at the request of a constituent, said she was proud of Hogan.

Szeliga, who ran for the U.S. Senate last year and lost to Democrat Chris Van Hollen, posted her approval on her own Facebook page shortly after Hogan announced his decision.

I think all citizens across our state need to do is read the Dred Scott decision for themselves, Szeliga wrote, explaining that she had done exactly that after hearing from her constituent. [Taney] said that black people were merchandise and property and should be trafficked like merchandise and property. . . . That decision precluded him from being on our State House grounds.
A District man on Friday admitted in court to kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he saw as she walked in downtown Washington in May.

Saul Castillo, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree abuse in an attack early May 7. Prosecutors say Castillo did not know the woman who he noticed near Lafayette Square as she seemed to be stumbling on a sidewalk.

When he talked to her, prosecutors said, she said she was trying to go home. They said he hailed a cab and took her to his apartment complex in the 1700 block of Seventh Street NW, prosecutors say.

In the building, she tried to fight him off, but he sexually assaulted her in a staircase, prosecutors said. They said the area was monitored by surveillance cameras.

Castillo is schedule to be sentenced on Nov. 3 by D.C. Superior Court Judge Judith Bartnoff. Upon completing his sentence, Castillo will face deportation to Mexico, authorities said.
GERMANTOWN, MD - Sarah Singer (holding a crucifix) from Gaithersburg, MD winces as she was listening to a speaker give details about what a late-term abortion entails. A memorial, prayer vigil, and a press conference was held by various anti-abortion groups in February 2013 after the death of a 29 year-old woman who apparently died from abortion complications at Germantown Reproductive Health Services . Photo by Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post (Michael S. Williamson/THE WASHINGTON POST)

A Maryland abortion clinic, one of only a few that provides late-term abortions to women in the United States, plans to close its doors and is under contract to be purchased by an antiabortion group that has worked for many years to shut it down, according to an official with the coalition that has plans to buy it.

If the sale goes through this fall, the new owners of the Germantown clinic will soon be owned by the Maryland Coalition for Life, a grass-roots organization that has staged regular protests at the clinic and, in 2011, opened up a crisis pregnancy center across the parking lot to counsel women against choosing abortion.

Its a miracle. You fight for something for seven years, and all of a sudden its handed to you, said Dennis Donnelly, media director for the coalition. He said that a donor came forward this summer, and the group raised additional funds to make an offer to buy out the owners of the facility.

The clinic  Germantown Reproductive Health Services  has been operating for more than 20 years, but it became a central target for antiabortion activists nationwide when LeRoy Carhart, a Nebraska doctor who performs late-term abortions, came to work there in late 2010.

The owners of the property declined to comment for the story, under an attorneys advice. The Washington Post is not publishing their names due to their privacy concerns. They also own an abortion clinic in Prince Georges County that does not provide late-term procedures. The fate of that clinic is unclear.

Three other members of the Maryland Coalition for Life did not respond to interview requests, and one who is closely involved with the deal declined to comment.

Carhart issued a statement Thursday that said the clinic will continue to provide care for patients until were forced to close our doors.

I am doing everything in my power to keep my practice open, and I am considering options looking toward the future, he said. Its heartbreaking that anyone would want to take health care away from women and families by targeting our clinic.

[Neb. doctor who performs abortions in Md. talks about security concerns, future of clinic]

Local abortion rights activists said that Carhart had assured them Thursday that he would continue to provide late-term abortions at a new clinic he was in the process of opening somewhere in the region.

I have spoken to Dr. Carhart and he is in the process of trying to get his facility operating, said Diana Philip, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland. It will be the same clinic staff and they are hoping not to have any interruption in providing this service.

The new clinic could be operating this fall, she said.

Carhart is one of a few physicians in the country who offers abortions in the later stages of pregnancy, usually defined as beyond 26 weeks after a womans last menstrual period. Many states have banned surgical abortions after 20 weeks, and not many doctors have experience with the technique.

Advocates for abortion rights say there is an unmet demand for late-term abortions, particularly from women who learn late in their pregnancies about fetal abnormalities and sometimes from women, who are young or living in stressful circumstances and do not find out they are pregnant until late.

The Germantown clinic was one of three facilities where the procedure was regularly performed, Philip said, with the others in Boulder and Albuquerque.

The Maryland clinic has drawn patients from a huge portion of the country. Without it, youre talking about people in the eastern United States traveling to Colorado and New Mexico, Philip said.

Carhart, a retired Air Force surgeon, began providing late-term abortions at his clinic near Omaha in 2009 after George Tiller, a mentor who performed the procedures, was assassinated while attending church in Wichita.

Carhart, now 75, began commuting long-distance to Maryland to work at the Germantown clinic after Nebraska made it illegal to perform most abortions beyond 20 weeks.

Protests were organized as soon as he arrived. Picketers were a regular presence near the clinic. They launched letter-writing campaigns and candlelight vigils.

Some activists picketed outside the Montgomery County middle school attended by the daughter of one of the clinics landlords during back-to-school night, waving a large banner that showed the owners photo, name, phone number and the words Please STOP the Child Killing.

A few months after Carhart arrived, the coalition opened a crisis pregnancy center across the parking lot from the clinic to counsel women to choose alternatives to abortion. As part of the coalitions Kick Out Carhart campaign, the organization has attempted to document the number of women who came and go each day. The website also has posted pictures of ambulances outside the facility.

In 2013, a 29-year-old woman died after having a late-term abortion at the clinic. The case garnered national attention from antiabortion activists and intensified calls to close it down. Maryland health officials who investigated the case ultimately found no deficiencies in her care.

Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said the clinics closure represents a hard-won victory, after years of protests against Carhart. We were there the first day the dreadful Mr. Carhart showed up. And we are delighted to see him leave, Newman said.

He said the closure is another example in a long line of clinics that have been shuttered because we forced them out of business. Newman said the Wichita headquarters of the antiabortion organization he works for is located in a former abortion clinic that was put up for sale after it fell behind in rent.

Since 2012, 145 independent abortion clinics  nearly a third  have closed, according to a report released this week by the Abortion Care Network, an association of abortion providers that are not affiliated with doctors offices, hospitals or Planned Parenthood.

[Abortion falls to lowest level since Roe v. Wade]

The closures have coincided with a wave of strict new laws favored by antiabortion politicians, but thats not the only reason the clinics are being shuttered. Even in blue states, clinics are struggling to keep afloat as physicians retire and as they struggle to make ends meet.

The U.S. abortion rate in 2014 fell to the lowest level since Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationally, according to a report published in January by the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.

Sandhya Somashekhar contributed to this report.
Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin, 28, right, of Congregation Beth Israel marches with other clergy the day of the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville on Aug. 12, 2017. (Hannah Pearce)

As a Jewish musician sang a prayer for healing, Beth Epstein started to cry.

She didnt realize how broken she felt until now.

Two weeks ago, neo-Nazis marched past her synagogue on Shabbat chanting Sieg Heil while on their way to a white supremacist rally at Emancipation Park, one block away.

Epstein, 51, remembers looking out the window from the room she was now sitting in at Congregation Beth Israel and glimpsing a swastika. Later that day, 32-year-old Heather Heyer would be killed when a man with ties to the neo-Nazi movement allegedly plowed his car into a crowd. Two state troopers who had been monitoring the demonstrations via helicopter would also die that day.

[One dead as car strikes crowds amid protests of white nationalist gathering in Charlottesville; two police die in helicopter crash]

Congregation Beth Israel is the sole synagogue in Charlottesville, and although the sounds and sights of bigotry and hatred that stirred fear in worshipers as they prayed that day remain fresh, the community is now focused on moving forward.

More than 250 people  many more than the usual Shabbat congregation at the Reform synagogue  showed up Friday night to draw inspiration and comfort from prayer and from music performed by artists who journeyed there from around the country.

My general feeling is that the Jewish community will come back stronger from this threat just like America will, said Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer, a member of the synagogue who attended the service.

The white supremacists and neo-Nazis who marched in the town Aug. 12 had chanted threats aimed directly at Jews: Blood and Soil! and Jews will not replace us! They held signs reading the Goyim know, a slur referring to non-Jewish people, and the Jewish media is going down.

The synagogue had felt that day that continuing to hold weekly services was important, but leaders took certain precautions, said synagogue President Alan Zimmerman. Services started an hour early, and leaders of the congregation moved Torahs, including a Holocaust scroll they knew was irreplaceable, to a congregants home for safekeeping.

As the ralliers raged, Zimmerman stood outside the synagogue with an armed security guard hired because Zimmerman was concerned for the safety of his congregants praying inside, he said. Men wearing fatigues and armed with semiautomatic rifles passed by, Zimmerman said, and he recalled hearing one shout: Theres the synagogue.

I had no choice but to be out there, Zimmerman said. Im not suggesting I could have done anything, affected anything, but there was no other place that I could be at that moment.

Zimmerman felt close to crying, he said, as he later told the roughly 40 people gathered in the synagogue that it would be best for them to leave through the back door after services and to travel in groups.

Signer said he had requested a police car and an officer at the synagogue that day, but the department was unable to meet the request, the mayor said. There has been intense scrutiny over what many have criticized as an inadequate police response to the eruptions of violence throughout that day.

[Police in Charlottesville accused of slow response to violent demonstrations]

I am very frustrated and have called for accountability for those failures here, Signer said. City Manager Maurice Jones countered in an Aug. 17 statement that police were stationed within just a few blocks of the synagogue that day.

As worshipers attended services, Rabbi Rachel Schmelkin of Congregation Beth Israel stood on the steps of the First United Methodist Church gazing out at the chanting ralliers, as she sought to drown out the hate with music. Wearing her prayer shawl and carrying a guitar, she played more than 20 songs with themes of love and kindness. Despite the outward displays of hate, Schmelkin said she was reassured by the other clergy supporting her, including Rabbi Tom Gutherz, also of Congregation Beth Israel, who was attending services that day, and the broader Jewish community. We arent alone, she recalled thinking.

Two weeks on, she said, Im now thinking of How do we heal? How do we start to heal as a Jewish community? 

Schmelkin, Zimmerman and Signer were in the congregation Friday evening enjoying prayer, songs and poems of hope. The artists had traveled to the service in Charlottesville from Los Angeles, New York City, Cleveland and Chicago to help the community with a gift of music.

Our reaction to violence and our reaction to hatred is that we sing louder and we make better music and we just, we throw more love at it,  said Los Angeles musician Julie Silver, paraphrasing remarks from another Jewish musician, Leonard Bernstein.

Good and evil exist in the world, she said. We just have to make sure that our good shines, and thats the best we can do.

Although Jews are always aware that anti-Semitism exists, the brazen chants from that weekend seemed to have brought that threat to the forefront of the their collective conscience across the country, said Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism.

In the days after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, the anti-Defamation League tracked instances of anti-Semitism, including a man urinating at a Philadelphia synagogue, a swastika drawn on a California high school campus and a bomb threat written on dorm walls at Washington State University.

[Teen tackled by bystanders after vandalizing Boston Holocaust memorial]

What Charlottesville did was really shake our community to realize its not simply a historical memory or a small thing, Jacobs said. People woke up, as this is something we need to be paying attention to.

Wendy Tanson traveled from Chapel Hill, N.C., with her husband, James Falek, on Friday to participate in the musical service and reflect on what happened. Recent threats to Jewish communities nationwide, such as vandalism at the Boston Holocaust memorial, have shown Tanson, 54, that what happened in Charlottesville can happen anywhere.

This synagogue specifically was threatened in a profound way two weeks ago, in a way that shouldnt happen in 2017, Tanson said. We felt it was important to be here and stand up and be counted.

The events of Aug. 12 have reverberated for others who attended the healing service Friday.

Dana Mich, 30, said she has been thinking a lot about her grandfather, who survived the Holocaust. Jan Dorman, 60, said that during walks on the downtown mall, she pictures the violence she saw on the news vs. what she knows about the city shes lived in for decades. Sara Rimm-Kaufman, 47, recalled waking up in the middle of the night before the Friday service, worrying that the synagogue would be a target for anti-Semitic acts this Shabbat.

After a formal prayer service, Silver led the congregation in songs of hope. People stood up, linked hands, smiled and danced around the room, and Silver thought: We are a resilient people.

We have a strong, vibrant Jewish community here, said longtime congregant Fred Epstein, 50.

His wife, Beth Epstein, agreed. Although she was brought to tears earlier in the service, she joined in the dancing by the end. I hope it continues, she said. Its really special.
The director of the MetroAccess paratransit service no longer works at Metro  a departure that comes amid a probe launched this year by the agencys new inspector general into reports of racial and sexual harassment.

Omari June, a 10-year veteran of Metro, was accused in a 2015 lawsuit of making offensive and threatening remarks to a woman whom he supervised. The woman who alleged harassment was fired months after complaining about her treatment, according to the lawsuit she later filed.

That lawsuit and complaints from other individuals about Metros handling of the allegations prompted an investigation by Metros newly appointed inspector general, Geoffrey Cherrington.

A Metro spokesman declined to confirm June is no longer working for Metro, or to respond to a report from WTOP that the top-level manager had been terminated for wrongdoing.

We do not comment on personnel matters, spokesman Richard L. Jordan said.

June could not immediately be reached for comment. An email to his Metro account was returned with a message reading: Please be advised that this individual is no longer a WMATA employee.

[A woman who alleged harassment at Metro was fired. Now, theres an internal inquiry into its handling of the case.]

Metro denied the harassment allegations against June when the lawsuit was filed in April 2015, and said internal investigators were not able to find anyone to corroborate the womans story. The employee, Minkyung Kim, was fired in April 2014. June kept his job.

The lawsuit was settled out of court last year. While details of the settlement have not been made public, court documents indicate Metro was to make payments to Kim.

The nature of her accusations were detailed in a July article in The Washington Post. The suit alleged June often talked about sex in the workplace and bragged about the size of his genitalia. At one point, he simulated a sex act with a water bottle, it said. Another time, he assigned Kim weekend homework to figure out what color her skin was and report back the next Monday, at which point he followed up, the lawsuit said.

June also sent sexually suggestive photos and videos to Kim, the suit alleged.

According to the complaint, Kim attempted to bring the incidents to her immediate supervisor, but that supervisor responded, Im sorry  I cant control him. Later, the suit said, Kim was falsely accused of insubordination and being too direct in her tone after she persisted in her complaining.

In the lawsuit, Kim alleged Metro had conducted a sham investigation.

An attorney for Kim declined to comment on Friday.

Cherrington, who opened an investigation into the alleged racial and sexual harassment after individuals outraged over the agencys response to the allegations, also declined to comment Friday.

The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689 released a statement Friday saying it is unacceptable for any Metro worker to endure sexual harassment in the workplace.

If the complaint is true, the statement said, it is also unfortunate that the allegations of a two-year old complaint were only verified recently.

Jack Evans, chairman of the Metro board, said Friday he could not speak specifically about any personnel issues, but said broadly he believes the new inspector general is achieving his mandate of rooting out wrongdoing within Metro.

The board hired a new inspector general, and weve charged the IG with doing the most thorough job he can in every aspect of Metro  personnel, contracts, overtime, everything, Evans said.

This kind of stuff  its only the beginning. There are going to be lots more things brought to light, Evans said. Everybody who has been taking advantage of Metro  theyre going to have to pay.

MetroAccess has also struggled with service problems in recent years, with some passengers left stranded, waiting for a pickup for hours, and others reporting spending entire afternoons on circuitous routes on the paratransit vans.

[How problems with MetroAccess have left D.C.s most vulnerable commuters stranded]
Jonathan Lubecky, a Marine Corps and Army veteran, returned from a deployment to Iraq with severe PTSD. His participation in a study of MDMA, the drug commonly known as ecstasy, proved life-saving. (Travis Dove/For The Washington Post)

For Jon Lubecky, the scars on his wrists are a reminder of the years he spent in mental purgatory.

He returned from an Army deployment in Iraq a broken man. He heard mortar shells and helicopters where there were none. He couldnt sleep and drank until he passed out. He got every treatment offered by Veterans Affairs for post-traumatic stress disorder. But they didnt stop him from trying to kill himself  five times.

Finally, he signed up for an experimental therapy and was given a little green capsule. The anguish stopped.

Inside that pill was the compound MDMA, better known by dealers and partygoers as ecstasy. That street drug is emerging as the most promising tool in years for the militarys escalating PTSD epidemic.

The MDMA program was created by a small group of psychedelic researchers who had toiled for years in the face of ridicule, funding shortages and skepticism. But the results have been so positive that this month the Food and Drug Administration deemed it a breakthrough therapy  setting it on a fast track for review and potential approval.

A dose of MDMA in the office of South Carolina psychiatrist Michael Mithoefer, who has studied its use as a treatment for PTSD. (Travis Dove/For The Washington Post)

The prospect of a government-sanctioned psychedelic drug has generated both excitement and concern. And it has opened the door to scientists studying new uses for other illegal psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin (commonly known as magic mushrooms).

Were in this odd situation where one of the most promising therapies also happens to be a Schedule 1 substance banned by the [Drug Enforcement Administration], said retired Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, who until 2010 was the highest-ranking psychiatrist in the U.S. Army.

Because of the stigma attached to psychedelics since the trippy 1960s, many military and government leaders still hesitate to embrace them. Some scientists are also wary of the nonprofit spearheading ecstasy therapy, a group with the stated goal of making the banned drugs part of mainstream culture.

But the scope and severity of PTSD makes it all irrelevant, said Sutton, who now works as New York Citys commissioner of veteran services. If this is something that could really save lives, we need to run and not walk toward it. We need to follow the data.

PTSD has been a problem for the military for decades, but Americas recent wars have pushed it to epidemic-level heights. Experts estimate that between 11 and 20 percent of soldiers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD.

The affliction is typically triggered after experiencing or witnessing violence, including assault and abuse. It has ravaged lives and broken up marriages. It often leaves its victims in sudden panic and prevents them from dealing with the original trauma.

And that last symptom is what makes PTSD particularly hard to overcome with traditional talk therapy. Because patients cant talk about and process the trauma, experts say, it lingers like a poison in their mind.

Rick Doblin founded a nonprofit advocating research into the therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs. (Nirvan Mullick)

Only two drugs are approved for treating PTSD: Zoloft and Paxil. Both have proved largely ineffective when it comes to veterans, whose cases are especially difficult to resolve because of their prolonged or repeated exposure to combat.

If youre a combat veteran with multiple tours of duty, the chance of a good response to these drugs is 1 in 3, maybe lower, said John Krystal, chairman of psychiatry at Yale University and a director at the VAs National Center for PTSD. Thats why theres so much frustration and interest in finding something that works better.

Ecstasy has long been a favorite at trance parties and raves because of its unique ability to flood users with intense feelings of euphoria. But as a byproduct, it also reduces fear and imbues users with a deep sense of love and acceptance of themselves and others  the perfect conditions for trauma therapy.

By giving doses of MDMA at the beginning of three, eight-hour therapy sessions, researchers say they have helped chronic PTSD patients process and move past their traumas.

In clinical trials with 107 patients closely monitored by the FDA, 61 percent reported major reductions in symptoms  to the point where they no longer fit the criteria for PTSD. Follow-up studies a year later found 67 percent no longer had PTSD.

If you were to design the perfect drug to treat PTSD, MDMA would be it, said Rick Doblin, who three decades ago founded the California nonprofit behind the clinical trials.

It is no accident that the group  the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)  chose PTSD as its argument for ending the governments ban on psychedelics.

We wanted to help a population that would automatically win public sympathy, he said. No ones going to argue against the need to help them.

Doblin, now 63, talks openly about his own history with drugs. He began tripping on LSD as a rebellious, long-haired college freshman in the 1970s. He says it helped him see the world and himself in new ways. He wanted to become a therapist and use psychedelics to help others achieve similar insights, but he couldnt because LSD was already banned.

The flaw of the early psychedelic movement was that they made it countercultural, a revolution, he said. Culture is dominant. Culture is always going to win.

For a decade, he worked in construction until he came across MDMA for the first time. When the DEA moved to criminalize it in 1984, Doblin created MAPS and sued the agency. The lawsuit failed, and Doblin realized that psychedelics were perceived as too fringe to win public support.

To succeed, he decided, both he and the issue had to go mainstream.

Doblin talked his way into the public policy PhD program at Harvard University and learned to navigate the federal bureaucracy. He shaved off his mustache, cut his shaggy hair and learned to dress up.

I used to laugh about how simple it was, he said. You put on a suit, and suddenly everyone thinks youre fine.

The external switch reflected an internal one as well. Instead of fighting government officials, he began plotting to win them over, especially those at the FDA.

And the key, he realized, was science.

Before the FDA would even talk about clinical trials for MDMA, the agency needed proof it wasnt dangerous. Previous studies suggesting its neurotoxicity had been limited to rats. So in 1986, Doblin scraped together money to buy monkeys for those same researchers, who found the risks to be much less at human-equivalent doses than previously thought.

The next step was investigating MDMAs effects on people. Doblin again raised money to fly psychedelic users he had befriended to Stanford University and Johns Hopkins University for spinal taps. The studies were approved by review boards at both institutions. Doblin also participated, undergoing two spinal taps.

In the two decades that followed, Doblin and MAPS inched toward progress.

The nonprofit grew from a one-man band to a staff of 25 with headquarters in Santa Cruz. It tapped into the scene in Silicon Valley  where many tech entrepreneurs have used psychedelics to spark creativity. (Steve Jobs famously praised LSD as one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.)

MAPS received a $5.5 million bequest from the founder of a software company. The hipster soap company Dr. Bronners pledged $5 million. A professional poker player who attributed his wins to microdosing on LSD gave $25,000. Recently, an anonymous $21,000 bitcoin donation came in.

Much of that money funded small-scale clinical trials, which laid the groundwork for the last remaining hurdle: Large-scale phase 3 trials that will begin next year, involving 200 to 300 patients in 14 locations.

If those future trials yield similar results, the FDA could approve the MDMA treatment for PTSD as soon as 2021, according to Doblin.

Yet his dream extends beyond that. He envisions a future where psychedelic treatment centers are in every city  places people can visit for enhanced couples therapy, spiritual experiences and personal growth. He believes psychedelics can help address the countrys biggest problems, including homelessness, war and global warming.

These drugs are a tool that can make people more compassionate, tolerant, more connected with other humans and the planet itself, he said.

That kind of talk makes many in the medical community nervous.

Its hard to measure the exact dangers of ecstasy. Because it is not used as widely as marijuana or cocaine, for example, fewer statistics are available on overdoses or injuries. In 2011, a public health monitoring system identified 22,498 emergency department visits nationwide related to ecstasy.

MDMA researchers point out that one key difference between MDMA and street ecstasy (along with another variant called molly) is the street versions often contain other harmful drugs, experts say. Sometimes the pills dont even contain MDMA.

But even in its purest clinical form, MDMA can pose risks. At high doses, it can cause the body to overheat. It can cause anxiety and increase the stress hormone cortisol. Chronic use can also cause memory impairment.

I think its a dangerous substance, said Andrew Parrott, a psychology professor at Swansea University in Wales who spent years researching the drugs harmful effects. He worries that FDA approval for the treatment of PTSD could lead many in the public to believe ecstasy is safe for recreational use.

Other experts, however, have become increasingly intrigued by its promising results.

Anytime you have an organization that is advocating for drugs that are illegal, it marginalizes them in the research field. MAPS still isnt seen as mainstream. But its possible they have a point here, said Krystal, the Yale psychiatrist, who has not been involved with the groups research. I cant think of a single medication that doesnt carry some side effect. The question here is whether the benefits outweigh the risk.

For Lubecky, the drug cant be approved fast enough.

The Marine Corps and Army veteran recalls coming home from Iraq in 2006 to discover his wife had left him, sold his motorcycle and taken his dog. That, coupled with the trauma of what he had seen at war, sent him over the edge.

On Christmas Eve, he put the muzzle of his Beretta to his temple and pulled the trigger. The gun malfunctioned, he said, but that microsecond after the hammer fell is when I finally felt at peace because I knew the pain would finally be over.

One incident in Iraq in particular tormented him  a shot he took while protecting his unit. It was a situation where the right thing to do was the immoral thing, he said, declining to describe it in detail. Youre looking through a scope at another human being, and you do one thing and suddenly they dont exist anymore.

For years he told no one about it. He would panic even thinking about it.

After he was accepted into the MDMA clinical trial in South Carolina, he found himself on a futon with two counselors on either side as the effects of the drug sank in.

I was in such a comfortable place, recalled Lubecky, 40, who now works in Charleston as a political consultant. I didnt even realize I was finally talking about it, admitting it for the first time to anybody.

Since then, he said, he has learned to accept what happened in Iraq. And the guilt he now struggles with is the fact he got chosen over others for the clinical trial.

I was the 26th veteran chosen for a 26-person study, he said. I have friends who are suffering every day like I was. But they cant do it because its illegal. This could save their lives.

Read more:

Onetime party drug hailed as miracle for treating severe depression

Key ingredient in magic mushrooms eased cancer patients fear of death
Of the Eastern Montana communities that saw lightning Thursday night from thunderstorms in the region, it was Rosebud County that was dealt the worst hand.

"It's pretty safe to say that Rosebud County saw anywhere from 600 to 800 lightning strikes yesterday evening," said Shawn Palmquist, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Billings. "So, not to say that other areas didn't see lightning. It was just most intense over Rosebud."

Accompanying the lightning were winds of up to 40 mph, which likely helped fan the numerous fires that took hold overnight amid fire fuels already primed for ignition by prolonged regional drought.

From 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., scattered thunderstorms lingered over Rosebud County, dropping an estimated tenth of an inch or less of rain, Palmquist said. "It's just been so hot and dry, these thunderstorms weren't producing much rainfall," he said.

In a county roughly 5,000 square miles, resources began to run thin as firefighters scrambled to fires spread throughout the county, said Rosebud County Sheriff Allen Fulton.

"With a county of our size, I believe even Miles City came over and helped us with the fire on the interstate, a cottonwood tree struck by lightning," he said. "It was contained to that tree, but we were out of pumper trucks, or people to drive them."

By Friday evening, a total of eight fires were listed for Rosebud County on the Miles City Interagency Dispatch website, ranging in size from the .1-acre Thurlow-Rosebud fire to the 3,254-acre 1026 wildfire.

The lightning-caused 1026 fire, burning 32 miles southwest of Miles City, was estimated at 218 acres in a Friday morning fire information email sent out by the Miles City Interagency Dispatch Center, suggesting the fire may have grown more than 3,000 acres Friday. A morning posting from the Rosebud County Sheriff's Office Facebook page described the 1026 fire "in the Wild Horse subdivision," as being "the primary focus," among the three larger fires and a cottonwood tree that had continued to burn overnight.

Lightning-caused fires were also reported in Prairie County and Powder River County, including the Sagebrush Draw fire burning 18 miles south of Glendive and estimated by Friday morning to be burning on 800 acres of Bureau of Land Management land.

Also called the Cherry Creek fire, the 1026 fire managed to jump containment lines Friday afternoon. "They had some wind activity, and then, they call it spotting over, where embers are getting over the line," Fulton said.

The fire began to burn toward the Wild Horse subdivision, a mix of structures used as full time homes and seasonal cabins, Fulton said, prompting himself and a deputy to alert people that evacuations could be possible.

Burning in rolling hills and pine trees, Fulton said the "rough terrain," made it difficult at times to fight the fire.

With help from aircraft including slurry bombers and helicopters, conditions improved on the fire Friday night and some of the county fire tenders and pumper trucks, which Fulton said had been out since Thursday night, were allowed to return home.

The fire may have gotten as close as half a mile from one structure, Fulton said.

The second-largest fire in Rosebud County by Friday was the 1,247-acre Mitchell fire burning 18 miles southeast of Forsyth. That fire was "mostly out," by early Friday afternoon and engines were continuing to patrol it, according to another posting on the Rosebud County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.

Fires were also reported in Garfield County. The 308-acre West fire burning 28 miles south of Jordan was reported contained close to 1 a.m. on Friday, according to the Miles City Interagency Dispatch Center website. Located 20 miles west of Jordan on private land, the Edwards fire in Garfield County was estimated at 1,052 acres Friday, with federal and county fire fighting resources on scene.

More scattered thunderstorms were possible Friday night in Eastern Montana, but they were expected to be less active than those seen Thursday night, Palmquist said. Going into the weekend, high pressure will continue to build over the Northern Rockies region, leading to increasingly hot and dry conditions, Palmquist said.

"We are forecasting high temperatures into the 80s for most places tomorrow (Saturday), into the 90s by Sunday, Monday and Tuesday as well," Palmquist said. "To give you an idea, the average high for Billings this time of year should be right around 83 degrees. So by like Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, we're forecasting temps almost 10 degrees above normal."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 08:26:49|Editor: ying

A vendor pulls a sheep for sale at a livestock market set up for the upcoming Eid al-Adha festival in Cairo, Egypt, on Aug. 25, 2017. Muslims across the world are preparing to celebrate the annual festival of Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
SOMALIA

10 civilians killed in U.S.-backed raid

Ten civilians, including three children, were killed in a raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia, a deputy governor said Friday as officials displayed victims bodies in the capital. The U.S. military confirmed that it supported a Somali operation in the area and said it would look into the allegations.

The farmers were killed one by one after soldiers stormed the farm in Barire village early Friday, the deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nur Mohamed, told reporters in Mogadishu.

Somalias Information Ministry noted civilian casualties in a security operation after at first denying allegations that the people had been killed.

The U.S. Africa Command confirmed that U.S. forces were supporting the Somalia National Army while it conducted an operation in the area. It gave no details about the operation.

 Associated Press

BELGIUM

Man shot in Brussels after attack on soldiers

A man was shot in the center of Brussels on Friday evening after attacking two soldiers with a knife, Brussels prosecutors said.

The man was critically wounded but was alive and in a hospital, they said. The soldiers were lightly wounded in the attack, one in the face and the other in a hand.

With the identity that we currently have, it is a 30-year-old man who is not known for terrorist activities, a spokeswoman for the prosecution service said.

In addition to regular police, Brusselss streets are being patrolled by soldiers because of a heightened security threat level after militant attacks in Paris and the Belgian capital in 2015 and 2016.

In June, troops killed a suspected suicide bomber in Brusselss central train station but there were no other casualties, in what authorities treated as a terrorist incident.

 Reuters

BURMA

71 die in attacks on police, border posts

Ethnic Rohingya militants in western Burma launched overnight attacks on more than two dozen police and border outposts, leaving 12 security personnel and 59 Rohingya dead, the government said Friday, in a dramatic escalation of fighting in the troubled region.

The office of the countrys leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said military and border police responded to the attacks by launching clearance operations. Burma is also known as Myanmar.

During the attacks, police fought off groups of as many as 100 Rohingya attackers armed with guns, machetes and homemade grenades.

A militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, claimed the attacks on more than 25 sites, saying they were

in defense of Rohingya communities that had been brutalized by government forces.

 Associated Press

Iraqi military finds gravesites of ISIS victims: Iraqi military investigators said they have found two mass graves near a former Islamic State prison outside Mosul that contain the bodies of 500 Islamic State victims. The Media Cell Security Investigation team said in a statement that one grave near Badoush Prison held 470 bodies. A second grave contained 30 victims. The Islamic State has scattered mass graves across Iraq and Syria, and authorities were continuing their search.

Man with knife detained outside Buckingham Palace:

A man armed with a knife was detained outside Londons Buckingham Palace, and two police officers were injured while arresting him, police said. The man was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and assault on police. Authorities said it was too early to say whether the incident was terrorism-related.

Melting glacier yields remains of dead hikers: Italian mountain rescue crews have recovered the remains of two  or possibly three  hikers on a glacier on Mont Blancs southern face, likely dating from the 1980s or 1990s, officials said. The remains were discovered this week by a hiker who was searching for artifacts from decades-old crashes of two Air India flights, one in 1966 that killed more than 100 people and another in 1950 with nearly 50 fatalities, said Alpine rescue commander Delfino Viglione. We have many missing people in that area, Viglione said. We dont go in search of them, but they are pointed out to us by hikers and climbers.

 From news services
Artist and activist Bree Newsome says that, like the rise of the Ku Klux Klan after the Reconstruction era, we're seeing a "peak moment" in racist backlash to the first black president. (Gillian Brockell,Kate Woodsome,Jesse Mesner-Hage/The Washington Post)

Artist and activist Bree Newsome says that, like the rise of the Ku Klux Klan after the Reconstruction era, we're seeing a "peak moment" in racist backlash to the first black president. (Gillian Brockell,Kate Woodsome,Jesse Mesner-Hage/The Washington Post)

The Senates only black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina, offered President Trump some useful post-Charlottesville advice. Asked what Trump should have said instead of boosting the very fine people among the participants in the white-supremacist rally, Scott said Trump should use the opportunity to become better educated and acquainted with the living history of so many folks . . . who have gone through a very painful part of the history of this country, so that when he acts, when he responds and when he speaks, hes not reading the words but rather would be reflecting a better understanding and appreciation of Americas painful past.

Failing a showing of personal recognition of the countrys bitter racial history and still- nagging racial sores, Scott said, It will be hard for [Trump] to regain that moral authority.

Trump chose to ignore Scotts words.

Instead of sitting down with people who have endured the pain of racism and bigotry, the president jetted off to a Phoenix campaign rally where he, in more than an hour of unconstrained musings, delivered to adoring fans a deceitfully abridged version of what he had earlier said about the hate-spewing, violent white supremacists on the streets of Charlottesville.

Artist and activist Bree Newsome, who rose to national fame when she removed the Confederate flag from the capitol building in Columbia, S.C., says the debate about Confederate monuments is really about justifying systemic racism. (Gillian Brockell,Kate Woodsome,Jesse Mesner-Hage/The Washington Post)

Trump hears from, listens to and is in sympathy with a part of America that does not wish blacks, Jews and people of color well.

I hear from them, too, most recently after my Aug. 12 blog post criticizing Trump and his defense of the very fine people among the chanting anti-Semites and racists.

Tim Celmer wrote in an Aug. 13 email at 1:23 a.m., I just wanted to tell you white people have had enough!!!! . . . The pushback will be unimaginable!!! Just the beginning and we all know who is armed and more intelligent so . . . I would be very concerned if your [sic] a person of color. Just saying.

Celmer is just a sample of what comes through the airwaves in Trumps defense.

I consider Celmers allusion to armed white people a veiled threat mixed with bluff. But not his reference to white people hav[ing] had enough. That is reality. For pushback , look no further than Trumps draconian budget cuts and deviant policies that reverse course on voting rights and programs that help the most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged. Thats the political face of had enough.

With all due respect, Scott, sit down and talk with Trump about what?

The president whines about our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments, and he suggests that the rest of us should be in anguish over the eviction of Robert E. Lee monuments.

Lee, commander of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and hailed by revisionists as being antislavery, wrote in an 1856 letter to his wife:

I think [slavery] however a greater evil to the white than to the black race, & while my feelings are strongly enlisted in behalf of the latter, my sympathies are more strong for the former. The blacks are immeasurably better off here than in Africa, morally, socially & physically. The painful discipline they are undergoing [read: slavery] is necessary for their instruction as a race, & I hope will prepare & lead them to better things. How long their subjugation may be necessary is known & ordered by a wise Merciful Providence.

I do not despair for a nanosecond over Lees removal from the public square anywhere.

I do, however, think of a monument to our history that virtually sits at Trumps doorstep.

He should walk out the White Houses northwest gate onto Pennsylvania Avenue, proceed west for five blocks to 21st Street, turn right and walk two blocks to Thaddeus Stevens School .

Stevens, now worn out and closed, is a shrine to achievement against adversity, a legacy from an era of slavery that secessionist generals Lee and Stonewall Jackson fought to preserve. Were there no slavery, there would have been no institution in which white people had the right to buy and own black people. There would have been no Civil War, no black refugees entering the District of Columbia, no emancipation camps, no need for a publicly funded school  the first of its kind in the District  for black children. There would have been no Thaddeus Stevens School built in 1868.

Thanks to D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), Stevens School will soon reopen and resume its mission of educating children, including infants and toddlers.

Every member of the King family  my siblings and late parents  attended racially segregated Stevens. We learned to read from books handed down from white schools. We were taught about a D.C. legal and social system in which rights and privileges were based on skin color. We lived to see the legal end to that oppression.

Now comes Trump: a president who lionizes shrines to a disgraceful and dark past of which he obviously has little understanding and appreciation  contrary to the perspective of Scott and millions of us with families and forbearers who have endured the pain.

Read more from Colbert Kings archive.
Two women take photographs in front of the statue of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney in Annapolis. The statue was removed on Aug. 18. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Kathleen Parkers Aug. 23 op-ed, A cosmic antidote to narcissism, was delightfully refreshing  until it wasnt. So, marauders topple historical monuments to placate contemporary anxieties? Really? Its only a recent angst we feel when a statue of Roger B. Taney reminds us that in 1857 the Supreme Court chief justice declared black people so far inferior that they had no rights which the white man was bound to respect? When the South erected monuments to rebel soldiers who took up arms against the United States with the rise of Jim Crow laws as warnings for free black people to stay in their place? And I thought it was not marauders but popularly elected officials  the beacons of representative democracies such as the mayors of Baltimore and New Orleans and the city council members of Charlottesville  who moved Confederate monuments. Yes, the solar eclipse brought us relief, but not from revisionist history.

Richard Roberts, Washington

Regarding the Aug. 24 Metro article Defense of Taney leads to a call for censure:

While one may not agree with Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr.s (D-Calvert) reasoning concerning late U.S. Supreme Court chief justice Roger B. Taney, Mr. Miller was peacefully expressing his views. But Sen. C. Anthony Muses (D-Prince Georges) proposal to censure Mr. Miller for expressing his views was wrong. While Mr. Muse certainly has the right to express his disagreement, his suggestion for censure of Mr. Millers right of expression was fascist. Mr. Muse should apologize for what I hope was a lapse in judgment.

Stephen Rodgers, Fairfax
Regarding Margaret Sullivans Aug. 21 Style column, To fight bigotry and hate speech, dont muzzle it:

It was refreshing to see Ms. Sullivan address the overarching issue brought to the fore by the Charlottesville confrontation. The media and politicians have focused on the despicable nature and message of the white supremacists while ignoring the bigger issue of free speech.

In 1972, upon returning from service in Vietnam, I was a military recruiter in California where I was regularly verbally and physically assaulted in college campus free speech areas. The protesters asserted that I did not deserve free speech, much less deserve to live. The same sentiment seems pervasive today among both the far left and far right.

Ms. Sullivan suggested that we need to allow vile speech by some in order to preserve the right to free speech by all. Once certain groups are deemed unworthy of free speech, then the rest of us will need to worry about when we will be deemed unworthy. What happened to the philosophy attributed to Voltaire : While I disapprove of what you say, I will defend to the death your right to say it?

James Cullen, Fairfax
Joan Vannorsdall is a candidate for the Alleghany County, Va., Board of Supervisors.

It took six weeks of walking the streets of Clifton Forge, Va., (population 3,884) this spring to gather enough registered-voter signatures for my run for a seat on the Alleghany County Board of Supervisors. As many days as not, it rained. As many doors that opened stayed shut. That was probably just as well, because a fair number of those doors restrained ferocious-sounding dogs.

Are you a Republican or Democrat? I was asked repeatedly.

This position is nonpartisan, I said. Democrat or Republican, it doesnt matter.

What matters is that I want fair representation for this small Appalachian town close to the West Virginia border. What matters is that I am a retired teacher looking for a way to work with people with whom I often dont agree, while respecting everyones best interests. What matters is that I am willing to serve.

But what mattered most the moment I handed in my petitions was the 25-page Statement of Economic Interests form the registrar handed me in return, which required me to lay bare my slender and transparent financial soul. I bit my tongue and went home to begin the second leg of my election odyssey.

The Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Councils form is designed to give the public access to the financial lives of candidates for public office. According to an Advisory Council attorney in Richmond, the disclosure form is benign. It serves as a reminder to you, the candidate, of any financial conflicts of interest you may have.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, anyone who wants to can see it. But we revised the disclosure rules, so we will redact your address and phone number, he said.

But my name  who I am  thats still apparent, I pressed. Along with my annual income and debts.

Of course.

And then (metaphorically speaking) I went for broke.

So let me get this straight. I live in a country whose president refuses to release his tax returns so that his 326 million constituents can get a clear understanding of his net worth, debts and worldwide financial involvements. But a retired schoolteacher in Appalachia running for her county board of supervisors has to complete a 25-page form revealing every asset and every liability over $5,000 to her 1,500-constituent district? Whats fair about that?

Dead silence. And then: Lets just say that we hold to higher standards in Virginia. Good luck.

It appeared the conversation was over. I would have to forge on through the nine schedules of required information alone.

Offices, directorships, employment. Personal debts. Securities. Business interests and rental properties. Real estate. Payments for talks, meetings and conferences. Gifts. Payments for representations and other services generally. Real estate contracts with governmental agencies.

By the time I finished, I felt very poor  and very public. For me, what you see is what you get.

Unlike President Trump, whose 92-page Office of Government Ethics Form 278e suggests in opaque and tangled numbers a man of vast net worth, income, liabilities and financial interests.

When asked why he refused to clarify his finances by releasing his tax returns, as every president for the past 40 years has done, Trump famously said, The only one that cares is the press. . . . Its not a big deal.

Let me make one thing clear: To this law-abiding, middle-class candidate for a small Appalachian government board, it is a big deal.

I turned in my financials, such as they are, in late May. And if anyone asks me, Ill be glad to share my tax returns.

Trump should do at least as much.
Regarding the Aug. 24 front-page article Trump-Congress conflict escalates:

President Trump threatened to shut down the government if Congresss spending bill does not include funding for a wall on our southern border. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said, Obviously no one wants a government shutdown, but if [Senate Minority Leader] Charles E. Schumer thinks its more important to hold up a bill that does what the American people elected their government to do, then lets have that debate.

Leaving aside the notion that some people might welcome a government shutdown, lets consider what Mr. Trump promised. He promised not just a wall but also that Mexico would pay for it. Now that the Mexican government has stated clearly that it will not provide funds for Mr. Trumps folly, Mr. Trump wants to stick U.S. taxpayers with the bill. As is well known (except, apparently, to Mr. Trump), the majority of voters did not support him, and a strong majority of citizens do not support the wall. So, sure, Mr. Jordan, lets have that debate. Whatever its supposed to be about.

Howard Bass, Arlington

President Trump threatened to shut down the government if next years federal budget does not include money to build the wall between the United States and Mexico. The question is: Which government will he shut down? All through his presidential campaign, Mr. Trump made it clear that Mexico would pay for the wall. Does Mr. Trump intend to shut down the Mexican government?

Malin Moench, Falls Church
P.J. Crowley is former assistant secretary of state and author of Red Line: American Foreign Policy in a Time of Fractured Politics and Failing States.

For the most part, President Trumps speech laying out his strategy in Afghanistan earlier this week focused on policy and not politics, reaffirming Americas interest in preventing that country from again becoming a haven for terrorists. Despite his instincts to withdraw all remaining forces, a step that President Barack Obama also contemplated, Trump likewise decided the troops would remain.

But foreign policy is not immune to domestic politics. The president, in a gesture to his base, did fall back to a campaign pledge at one point in the speech:

We are a partner and a friend, but we will not dictate to the Afghan people how to live or how to govern their own complex society, Trump said. We are not nation-building again. We are killing terrorists.

Nation-building has become something of a lightning rod in foreign policy for both parties. Obama often said that nation-building begins at home. There is not a great rhetorical distance from that narrative to Make America Great Again.

In reality, nation-building is the only strategy that is likely to produce the elusive exit from Afghanistan that American leaders have sought since 2001. The clearest path to success  even if it takes far longer than anticipated  is continuing to build the capabilities of the Afghan government.

Trump spoke of an integrated strategy in his speech, but there is no development surge included in that plan. In fact, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the Trump administration, which has advocated deep cuts in the budgets of the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, will actually spend less in Afghanistan going forward.

Instead, Trump spoke only of a military victory, signaling (without specifically announcing) a modest increase in troop levels and more aggressive rules of engagement. This renewed commitment sends the right signal. U.S. forces will still be there when his presidency ends.

But Trump has oversimplified the mission as killing more terrorists. The United States and its NATO allies have been doing that for 16 years, expecting battlefield success to generate a political settlement. All corners turned have led to stalemate, and no viable negotiations are in sight.

The actual U.S. exit strategy is not the defeat of the Taliban and its allies; it is the formation of an Afghan government strong enough to defend itself from insurgent groups and meddling neighbors. This is something Afghanistan, supported by the United States, would have to achieve through political negotiations  should they ever get off the ground.

It remains unclear whether the Taliban wants to negotiate. As such, creating leverage on the Taliban to negotiate is vital. Trump rightly called out Pakistan for playing a duplicitous role in Afghanistan and called on India to take on a greater role in the conflict. But while Trump threatened to withhold aid to Pakistan, again quite appropriately, Pakistan could retaliate by halting the resupply of U.S. forces through its ports. Meanwhile, increased Indian influence would likely generate counterproductive impulses from Pakistan as well.

Afghanistan has been called The Great Game for good reason. Russia and Iran have a stake as well. They played a constructive role in Afghanistan in 2001. They arent now. Trumps regional approach is unlikely to gain traction if key neighbors are excluded from the process. (Who knew foreign policy could be so complicated?)

If the president truly wants to win, the Afghan government needs to be able to retake territory from the Taliban, hold it and govern it adequately; develop a more modern culture whereby Afghanistan invests in all its people, not half; build an economy based on legitimate enterprise, not narcotics; and connect Afghanistan to the rest of the region, making the country more sovereign and less the subject of geopolitical games.

Whatever you want to call it, its nation-building. This is not about charity. Its about strategy. If the days of nation-building in Afghanistan are over, then the president lacks a path to success in Afghanistan.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 09:24:29|Editor: Mengjie

Wang Wenchao, Zhang Xin, Zhang Na, Wang Junfeng, Liu Qingsong, Liu Jing, Lin Wenchu and Ren Tao (L to R) pose at the Hefei institutes of Physical Science of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CASHIPS) in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 17, 2017. The CASHIPS, together with more than ten other research institutes, is located on a peninsula in northwest of Hefei. Thousands of scientific and technologic researchers work on the peninsula, which is called "science island". Wang Junfeng, postdoctoral fellow of Harvard University Medical School and a researcher of CAS hundred talents program, returned from the United States and started his research on the "science island". In the following years, Wang Wenchao, Zhang Xin, Zhang Na, Liu Qingsong, Liu Jing, Lin Wenchu and Ren Tao, seven others postdoctoral fellows of Harvard University Medical School, chose the same way. The eight postdoctoral fellows, whose hometowns are not in Anhui, knew each other in Harvard University. The "science island" in Hefei is a better place for their scientific research. (Xinhua/Guo Chen)

HEFEI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- When Wang Junfeng, a Chinese post-doctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School, told his wife in 2009 that they would give up the life they had built in America to move to a small island in east China, she had no idea what he was talking about.

They have now lived on the island for eight years and Wang has built quite an impressive research career there.

Located on the outskirts of Hefei, capital of Anhui Province, the island, home to more than 10 research institutes and 1,000 top researchers like Wang, has been dubbed "Science Island."

Seven of Wang's fellow Chinese researchers at Harvard decided to follow him. Having now been settled on the island for years, they said it is an ideal place for them to quietly carry out their research.

OVERSEAS PARADISE NO MORE

In the 1990s and early 21st century, many Chinese college students flocked to developed countries like the United States to pursue further studies and professions with the help of more advanced research equipment.

Wang Wenchao and Zhang Xin were among them. The couple, who now live and work on Science Island, obtained doctoral degrees on medicine in the U.S. in 2008 after graduating from China's prestigious Peking University.

They then pursued post-doctoral studies at Harvard where they met several other Chinese fellows, including Wang Junfeng.

"Life went on quietly, smoothly, but uneventfully," said Zhang. "Boston was like heaven to our children, but we adults felt something was missing. We were lonely."

Lin Wenchu, another member of the group, said, "It was nice to work abroad, but my long-term dream was always to have my own laboratory where I could do independent research."

When the financial crisis hit the United States hard in 2008 it only aggravated their anxieties. "I couldn't see any promising career outlook," said Wang Wenchao. "Plus, there has always been a glass ceiling for us as foreigners."

OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND IN CHINA

In the past two decades or so, as China's economy blossomed, the country has attached more importance to science and technology, making it an increasingly attractive base for researchers.

Construction began on Science Island in 2008, as one of the major national science projects supported by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Wang Junfeng, who studied high magnetic fields in his doctoral degree, was attracted to the island because advanced experimental equipment on steady high magnetic fields was to be built there. It would make China the fifth country in the world to have such equipment.

"It was a brand-new platform," Wang said, recalling how the project leader convinced him to join the team. "There are boundless possibilities as long as you dare to think and act."

Liu Qingsong, another one of the eight Harvard returnees, said he began to realize the opportunities emerging in China from promotional campaigns staged at overseas universities by Chinese officials, which were intended to attract overseas Chinese talent to return home.

"I felt a warm welcome and received generous offers from Chinese research institutes when I led a 10-strong delegation of Chinese overseas students from America to visit China in 2010," said Liu.

HARD WORK REWARDED

Although they had to start again, almost from scratch, on the island, the researchers have achieved scientific breakthroughs over the years.

In five years, they have built the world's largest high throughput cell selection bank based on cancer kinase targets and a complete research system on tumor medicines with the help of the high magnetic field equipment.

"Our facilities have reached the highest level in the world," said Zhang Na, one of the researchers, adding that China has already caught up with developed countries in terms of research facilities thanks to continuous high level input in the past decade.

Kuang Guangli, leader of the project, said the team has already made an impact on the international academic circle and that the members have made even greater academic achievements here than they did in Harvard.

"They show a good team spirit and are very innovative," Kuang said.
Regarding the Aug. 13 Metro article For D.C. anarchists, chaos as protest:

I suppose protests and violence make better copy than ideas, which is why anarchists appear in The Post only when they cause some measure of havoc. Readers might be surprised to learn that most anarchists have opposed violence. Two of historys most famous anarchists, Leo Tolstoy and Mohandas Gandhi, were pacifists. William Godwin, the first person to espouse anarchism, taught that it must come about peacefully, through the moral improvement of all classes, capitalist and worker alike. Josiah Warren, Americas first anarchist, abhorred violence and thus opposed both slavery and the Civil War. The United States most famous anarchist, Benjamin Tucker, repeatedly condemned violence no matter its source, governments or other anarchists. Another American anarchist, Ammon Hennacy, so opposed violence that he suffered incarceration as a conscientious objector, and he worked as a day laborer in the 1940s and 1950s to prevent the U.S. government from withholding taxes from his wages to pay for war.

Anarchism has had its apostles of violence, as have Republicans, Democrats, monarchists and socialists. But in the main, anarchism has espoused and practiced peace.

Jack High, Manassas
Jeffrey Herbst is president and chief executive of the Newseum. He is a member of the Adas Israel Congregation in the District.

President Barack Obama established a tradition of having a conference call with thousands of rabbis around the time of the Jewish High Holidays to consult with them and convey his best wishes. But that tradition is under peril: Four organizations representing rabbis in the Reform, Reconstructionist and Conservative movements announced Wednesday that they will not participate in this years call with President Trump.

They cite Trumps reactions to violence in Charlottesville for their decision, describing the presidents statements on the incident as so lacking in moral leadership and empathy for the victims of racial and religious hatred.

The rabbis are right to be outraged by the presidents statements, not least because the neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan members and white supremacists who marched in Charlottesville made anti-Semitic chants so prominent at the incident. But the rabbis are wrong not to talk with the president, especially in this season of repentance and introspection.

We Americans engage with people we find abhorrent all the time, and rabbis encourage us to do so. I do not know of many religious leaders in these dominations who would counsel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to negotiate with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, despite the incessant incitement by the Palestinian leadership to kill Jews in Israel and the large payments they make to families of terrorists who succeed in their vile deeds. Similarly, few among this group urged Obama not to negotiate with the Iranian leadership about nuclear proliferation, despite the long-standing commitment of Tehran to the physical destruction of the Jewish state.

The conference call would have been an excellent opportunity for the rabbis to explain to Trump their correct belief that responsibility for the violence that occurred in Charlottesville, including the death of Heather Heyer, does not lie with many sides but with one side. Jews are repeatedly told that we are obligated to speak truth to power. Refusing to take a call is the very opposite: It may make the appearance of seizing the moral high ground, but it does not contribute to the difficult conversations that might lead to change.

If a conversation failed to alter Trumps attitudes and behavior, it is always possible to consider refraining from participation in the conference call next year. Now, it will be very hard to reestablish this useful tradition.

Far be it for me to instruct the rabbis about our traditions. But it seems that the Exodus story, in which God repeatedly tells Moses to talk to Pharaoh about letting his people go despite Mosess deep skepticism that anything will come of it, is an important message about the real and symbolic importance of engagement.

In recent times, there are few more notable moments of speaking truth to power than Elie Wiesels confrontation with President Ronald Reagan in 1985. Wiesel had come to the White House to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, but in a dramatic moment during the ceremony, he criticized Reagan for his scheduled visit later that year at a cemetery in Bitburg, Germany, where Nazi stormtroopers were buried. Wiesel could have avoided the controversy altogether and boycotted the event. But had he done so, we would not be celebrating his moment of courage today.

More generally, the decision not to talk with the president reflects an increasing tendency in our society to refuse to participate in civic discourse and instead simply boycott and condemn. There is no reason to believe that these actions, however dramatic in the short-term, will help improve our democratic discourse, which is so lacking in the empathy and peace that the rabbis rightly demand. Only engagement, however painful, will change minds.
PRESIDENT TRUMPS address on Afghanistan this week hailed U.S. troops as brave defenders and those who gave their lives as a special class of heroes whose selflessness, courage and resolve is unmatched in human history. He vowed we will always win and pledged that U.S. service members will have the necessary tools and rules of engagement to make this strategy work, and work effectively and work quickly. But Mr. Trump said nothing about the thousands of Afghans who have risked their lives to help U.S. and allied troops over the past decade and a half, in vital support roles such as interpreters. Not even a thank-you.

This neglect is unfortunate. Now that Mr. Trump has decided, by his own account, not to pull out of Afghanistan, and to increase the level of U.S. troops in the country for the foreseeable future, the United States must fully reward those who risk their lives to serve troops on the battlefield. A special immigrant visa program established by Congress has functioned erratically. If Mr. Trump is really serious about building up Afghan capabilities to resist the Taliban and about giving soldiers the tools they need, then he and Congress should once and for all provide enough special immigrant visas and timely processing for those Afghans who can qualify, and their families.

The interpreters, translators and support workers in Afghanistan have been indispensable to the long war, as returning U.S. service members often attest. In matters routine and life-threatening, they are the militarys link to the Afghan people, a channel that is essential if any strategy is to succeed. They not only expose themselves to combat but also face danger when they go home and are often targeted by the Taliban. The war could not be fought without them.

The promise of a new life in the United States is a worthy one for those who help U.S. troops, but realizing the dream has been difficult. As of March 31, about 14,000 applicants were pending at one of the various stages of the process, according to the State Departments most recent public report. When it appeared the number of visas was running out in February and March, a key step in the process, the interview, was temporarily suspended, leaving many of these applicants to wait still longer. Congress rushed to approve another 2,500 visas, but that is still not enough for all those who have applied and may apply as U.S. deployments continue in the years to come. The Senate version of the fiscal 2018 defense bill includes an additional 4,000 visas for Afghan interpreters and support personnel. Simply out of decency, the House-Senate conference should adopt it.

The Afghans who serve with U.S. troops are also brave defenders, and they should not be neglected. Those who pass the strict vetting process should be rewarded with dignity and gratitude from the United States.
Regarding the Aug. 24 Retropolis column, Who saved Monticello? A Jewish family [Metro]:

I suspect that most Americans would be surprised, and some shocked, to learn that the Confederate battle flag was designed so as not to offend Jewish people living in the South. The diagonal cross of St. Andrew (the Scottish Saltire) was chosen rather than the universally recognized symbol of Christianity, the upright cross of St. George. It is especially ironic to see anti-Semites proudly waving a banner while ignorant of the reason behind its distinctive pattern.

Lance J. Burton, Washington
One of more than 100,000 archaeological sites in the Bears Ears National Monument. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

John Podesta, the chair of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign, served as counselor to President Barack Obama and chief of staff to President Bill Clinton.

One way the American people get a glimpse into how American presidents see who we are as a nation  and, importantly, who they want us to be  is how they act as stewards of our countrys vast natural resources.

President Theodore Roosevelt preserved the Grand Canyon because in the rugged chasms carved by the Colorado River, he saw a landscape that echoed and nourished the wild character of a growing nation.

In creating the largest marine protected area in the world at the time  Papahanaumokuakea in the northwest Hawaiian Islands  President George W. Bush spoke of a moral call to conservation and a duty to be good stewards of the Almightys creation.

But where earlier presidents have shown respect for our past and commitment to our future, President Trump is displaying a stinginess of mind, a hollowness of spirit and a contempt for future generations.

Trump lashed out at communities  including Baltimore and Charlottesville  that have decided to remove 20th-century monuments erected to glorify the Confederacy, monuments that white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan and neo-Nazis are fighting with deadly force to preserve.

Sad to see the history and culture of our great country being ripped apart with the removal of our beautiful statues and monuments, Trump wrote on Twitter.

But this week, the president made clear that history and culture worth protecting do not include the archeological sites that are sacred to Native Americans, the mountains where Geronimo and Billy the Kid took refuge, or the ocean canyons and coral reefs that are haunted by sharks and shipwrecks.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke recommended Thursday that Trump scale back national monuments. Because the process has been mostly secretive, we do not know all the details. But based on reports of people briefed on the recommendations we know that, egged on by Trump, Zinke is proposing getting rid of large portions of national monuments in Utah and Oregon, and likely in California,New Mexico and in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

The administration is also pushing to allow logging in a national monument in Maine and commercial fishing in marine protected areas.

Trump and Zinke are pursuing the largest-ever elimination of protected areas in U.S. history and, in so doing, breaking the American promise that national parks, wilderness areas and national monuments are to be permanently protected for future generations.

It is hard to overstate the damage the Trump administrations attack on national monuments would cause to cultural artifacts and to the local economies that depend on these protected public lands.

My wife and I visited the Bears Ears National Monument in Utah in July andsaw some of the estimated 100,000 archaeological sites that are etched in a landscape that is sacred ground to Native American tribes, including the Navajo, Zuni, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Hopi nations. Zinke reportedly wants nearly 90 percent of the Bears Ears National Monument to be eliminated, which amounts to removing protections of an area nearly the size of Delaware. This will put sacred sites at renewed risk of grave-robbing, looting, and destruction by drilling and mining activities.

Business owners in Las Cruces, N.M., are bracing for an economic hit if sections of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument are closed and visitors turn to other destinations for their hunting, fishing and hiking adventures. They are not alone  Taos, N.M.; Escalante, Utah; Ashland, Ore.; and communities across the West also stand to lose an edge in a fast-growing outdoor recreation economy that is now valued at $887 billion per year.

A handful of Utah politicians, right-wing militias (remember Cliven Bundy?) and the fossil fuel industry are surely cheering this assault on public lands. But in selling out our natural heritage, the administration is also ignoring more than 2.8 million public comments sent to the Interior Department, including the views of traditionally conservative hunters and anglers in the West.

Ultimately, these decisions are about more than just who is for and who is against; at their core they reflect our moral commitment to our children and their children. No previous president has thought it wise to chop up a national monument so that a few oil and gas companies can make a quick buck.

Imagine Ronald Reagan withdrawing protections for Natural Bridges in Utah. Or Bill Clinton selling off the Muir Woods. The very idea that a president would get rid of protections for places that unite and define us as a nation is simply un-American.

But evidently not in Trumps eyes.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, conservationist John Muir said, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.

The dissonance between his unprecedented attack on national monuments and his full-throated defense of Confederate statues is telling us too much about Trumps soullessness and his chilling vision of who we are as a country.
I was in Warsaw on Nov. 17, 1989, the day that the city decided to take down its statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky. Given that Dzerzhinsky, a Polish aristocrat and dedicated Bolshevik, was best known as the founder of the organization that became the Soviet KGB, and given that hundreds of thousands of Poles were murdered or deported by the Soviet KGB, this was a popular decision. Crowds converged on the scene and cheered loudly as a crane removed the figure from its base.

Why had it lasted so long if it was so unpopular? The statue was a symbol of Soviet domination, and while the Soviet-backed communist regime ruled the country, from 1945 to 1989, nobody dared remove it. Even after a non-communist government was finally elected in June 1989, it took some time before anybody thought about the statue. So why Nov. 17? Perhaps it was because eight days earlier, on Nov. 9, East Germans walked for the first time through the Berlin Wall. People felt that a historic moment had arrived. Change was in the air. Walls were falling, statues were toppling, and Warsaw wanted to participate in this symbolic revolution too.

A year later I was in Lviv, in western Ukraine, when that city decided to remove its Vladimir Lenin statue  another symbol of Soviet domination, bloody dictatorship, terror and famine. The cause of that decision was, once again, genuine political change. It was September 1990: Restrictions on politics and press had just been lifted, the debate about Ukrainian independence had just begun, and suddenly nobody was afraid of the Soviet state anymore. A crowd in the small town of Chervonograd had demolished its Lenin statue and Lviv followed suit; these things were viral, even back when there was no social media .

The removal of the Lenin statue was important not because it was political theater, but because it reflected real change, at least for some. In the space where the Lenin statue had stood, a lovely square in front of the opera house, people gathered to debate. Some felt afraid; others felt, as President Trump now says he does, that old statues were part of history and shouldnt be removed. Nostalgia for the autocratic system that Lenin represented was still strong, and indeed many monuments to him remained all across Ukraine  at least until another wave of political change, sparked by a street revolution and a foreign invasion, inspired another wave of removals. Just this month, 26 years after the U.S.S.R. ceased to exist, the Ukrainian government announced that it had finally removed every single remaining Lenin statue, all 1,320 of them.

I thought of both of these moments a few days ago, when I read the words of the writer Vann R. Newkirk II in the Atlantic about his childhood in North Carolina: For most of my life I didnt know Confederate statues could come down. Nor did he know  I didnt know either  that the statues to Confederate generals and soldiers in the American South were erected not in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War but decades later, as a part of the imposition of Jim Crow. To anyone with experience of 1989-1990 in Europe, his earlier assumption that the statues were a hateful but an immutable part of the landscape seems familiar; so does his delight to discover, in 2017, that they can be removed.

But there is another parallel. Polish and Ukrainian statues came down as the result of a revolutionary moment, a sudden break in the political situation. In the United States in 2017, we are living through what feels to many like a similar, though not entirely analogous, revolutionary moment. The election of Trump, the first American president in decades to use unapologetically racist language  starting with his insidious slur that Barack Obama was not American, moving on to his reference to Mexican rapists and continuing with his refusal to condemn neo-Nazis  has smashed the ordinary rhythms of American political life. Suddenly, in Trumps America, a statue honoring a Confederate leader looks like not just a boring monument to the distant past but a living political statement about the present.

As Ive said, these movements have always been viral; there will be plenty of copycats, and some of them will be silly or self-serving, especially those organized by students who imagine that changing a buildings name changes something real. But the movement to topple Confederate statues is precisely the opposite: People want to change the statues because they want to resist something real  a real threat, which may be accompanied by real violence. As long as Trump is in office, the movements against Confederate monuments, from the public and from public officials, will continue. I hope they have the same success as protesters in Warsaw and Lviv did.

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Deputy assistant to President Trump Sebastian Gorka is taking on an increasingly visible role in the White House. (Sarah Parnass,Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

Deputy assistant to President Trump Sebastian Gorka is taking on an increasingly visible role in the White House. (Sarah Parnass,Amber Ferguson/The Washington Post)

Sebastian Gorka, a controversial White House staffer who served as a fiery spokesman for President Trump on national security matters, abruptly left the administration on Friday as his nationalist faction was being silenced, four people briefed on Gorkas exit confirmed.

Gorka, a deputy assistant to the president, is a close ally of former chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, who departed the White House last week. Together they saw their roles as enabling and promoting the presidents combative populism and revolutionary impulses.

Although Trump enjoyed watching his cable television appearances, in which he performed like a pit bull and taunted many news anchors for peddling what he and the president deemed fake news, Gorka had run afoul of many of his colleagues, including some on the National Security Council who considered him a fringe figure.

Officials said it was widely known that White House chief of staff, John F. Kelly, who has been restructuring the West Wing to stem infighting and chaos within the staff, was eager for Gorka to depart the administration.

While Gorka publicly released a resignation letter expressing his displeasure with the changes that he felt left his faction silenced, two White House officials insisted Gorka did not resign but rather was forced out. A third White House official said the writing was on the wall that Kelly wanted Gorka to leave.

White House deputy assistant to the president Sebastian Gorka speaks at the Republican National Lawyers Association on May 5, 2017, in Washington. (Mark Wilson)

Gorkas departure spells the end of the Bannon era inside the White House, though he indicated he intended to be a potent force outside the administration.

Gorka previously worked at Breitbart News alongside Bannon, who rejoined the conservative news organization last week as executive chairman vowing to wage war against anyone  including West Wing officials  who stand in the way of Trumps nationalist agenda.

[For a Trump adviser, an odyssey from the fringes of Washington to the center of power]

Gorka did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday evening. The Federalist, which first reported Gorkas departure, published what it says was Gorkas resignation letter to Trump. Someone close to Gorka confirmed the letters authenticity to The Washington Post.

It was unclear whether Gorka shared his letter with anyone besides The Federalist. One White House official said that Gorka spoke with Kelly on Friday to discuss his exit and asked to visit Trump in person on Monday to hand him a departure letter, but was not granted that permission.

It is clear to me that forces that do not support the [Make America Great Again] promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House, he wrote. As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the Peoples House.

Gorka cited Trumps speech Monday night announcing a new strategy for the war in Afghanistan.

The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost, Gorka wrote.

He added, Just as worrying, when discussing our future actions in the region, the speech listed operational objectives without ever defining the strategic victory conditions we are fighting for. This omission should seriously disturb any national security professional, and any American who is unsatisfied with the last 16 years of disastrous policy decisions which have led to thousands of Americans killed and trillions of taxpayer dollars spent in ways that have not brought security or victory.

Born in England to Hungarian parents, Gorka, 46, is known for his hard-line stands on Islam and his past involvement in right-wing Hungarian politics.

He was recruited into the White House as a senior member of the Strategic Initiatives Group, an internal think tank that was to report to Bannon and Jared Kushner, the presidents son-in-law and senior adviser. But the group quickly disbanded, leaving Gorka without a clear portfolio.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joseph Arpaio gestures to the crowd while delivering a speech at the Republican National Convention on July 21, 2016, in Cleveland. (John Moore)

As Joseph Arpaios federal case headed toward trial this past spring, President Trump wanted to act to help the former Arizona county sheriff who had become a campaign-trail companion and a partner in their crusade against illegal immigration.

The president asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions whether it would be possible for the government to drop the criminal case against Arpaio, but was advised that would be inappropriate, according to three people with knowledge of the conversation.

After talking with Sessions, Trump decided to let the case go to trial, and if Arpaio was convicted, he could grant clemency.

So the president waited, all the while planning to issue a pardon if Arpaio was found in contempt of court for defying a federal judges order to stop detaining people merely because he suspected them of being undocumented immigrants. Trump was, in the words of one associate, gung-ho about it.

We knew the president wanted to do this for some time now and had worked to prepare for whenever the moment may come, said one White House official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the action.

President Trump pardoned former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio Aug. 25. Heres what you need to know. (Patrick Martin,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Responding to questions about Trumps conversation with Sessions, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said, Its only natural the president would have a discussion with administration lawyers about legal matters. This case would be no different.

The Justice Department declined to comment.

Trumps Friday-evening decision to issue his first pardon for Arpaio was the culmination of a five-year political friendship with roots in the birther movement to undermine President Barack Obama. In an extraordinary exercise of presidential power, Trump bypassed the traditional review process to ensure that Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt of court, would face no time in prison.

[Read Trumps pardon of former Arizona county sheriff Arpaio]

Trumps pardon, issued without consulting the Justice Department, raised a storm of protest over the weekend, including from some fellow Republicans, and threatens to become a stain on the presidents legacy. His effort to see if the case could be dropped showed a troubling disregard for the traditional wall between the White House and the Justice Department, and taken together with similar actions could undermine respect for the rule of law, experts said.

Arpaio faced up to six months in prison and was due to be sentenced in October. During his 23 years as Maricopa County sheriff, Arpaio was a lightning rod, in part because of his aggressive crackdown on illegal immigrants. He also was accused of racial profiling, failure to investigate sex crimes, poor treatment of prisoners and other instances of police misconduct.

To Trump, however, Arpaio is an American hero  a man who enlisted in the military at 18 after the outbreak of the Korean War, worked as a beat cop in Washington and Las Vegas and as a special agent investigating drug crimes around the world, then was elected sheriff in the epicenter of the nations roiling immigration debate.

Joe Arpaio's illegal-immigration crackdown made him a polarizing figure and an early ally of President Trump. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

Arpaios age weighed on Trump, some of his confidants said. The 71-year-old president could not stomach seeing an 85-year-old he admired as a law-and-order icon wasting away in a jail cell.

Trumps spring inquiry about intervening in Arpaios case is consistent with his alleged attempts to influence the federal investigation of Michael Flynn, the former national security adviser. Trump also made separate appeals in March to Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats and National Security Agency Director Michael S. Rogers to publicly deny the existence of any evidence of collusion between the Russians and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election.

[Trump pardons former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio]

Trumps pardon of Arpaio was his backhand way of doing what he wanted to do at the front end, said Robert Bauer, a former White House counsel in the Obama administration. He just wanted to kill the prosecution off. He couldnt do it the one way, so he ended up doing it the other way. This is just another vivid demonstration of how far removed from an appropriate exercise of the pardon power this was.

Presidents can set law enforcement priorities, but they are expected to steer clear of involvement in specific cases to avoid the perception of politicizing the impartial administration of justice.

Trump backed off the Arpaio case after being advised it would be inappropriate, but that he even tried is beyond the pale, said Chiraag Bains, a former senior counsel in the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division.

Bains said he believes Trump has a sense that the chief executive controls everything in the executive branch, including the exercise of criminal power. And that is just not the way the system is set up.

Trump and Arpaio became brothers in arms five years ago. As they saw it, the two provocateurs  one a celebrity real estate developer, the other a polarizing sheriff  were pursuing justice in the form of supposed evidence that Obamas birth certificate was fraudulent.

As caretakers of the false birther conspiracy, Trump and Arpaio relentlessly probed Obamas birth in Hawaii and nurtured a lie to damage the legitimacy of the nations first African American president.

There was no collusion, Arpaio said in an interview Saturday. I started my birth certificate investigation around the same time he did his.

[Trump admits Obama was born in U.S. but falsely blames Clinton for rumors]

The Manhattan mogul sent Arpaio a fan letter and flattered him on social media. Congratulations to @RealSheriffJoe on his successful Cold Case Posse investigation which claims @BarackObamas birth certificate is fake, Trump tweeted in 2012.

Three years later, in July 2015, when Trump swooped into Arpaios hometown of Phoenix for the first mega-rally of his upstart presidential campaign, the sheriff returned the favor by testifying on stage to the silent majority that Trump had begun to awaken.

Backstage at that rally, Arpaio recalled, the two men talked about their shared birthday  June 14, which is Flag Day. Their friendship blossomed and Arpaio became a fan favorite at Trump rallies. I had a gut feeling that he was going to win, Arpaio said.

Even as Trump went on to win last November, however, Arpaio lost his reelection  and that was the least of his troubles.

Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against Arpaio last October. Trump was paying attention to the case and he called Arpaio to check in on him around Thanksgiving, according to the former sheriff. Thats when Arpaio told the president-elect that his wife, Ava, had cancer.

On July 31, Arpaio was convicted by a judge, as opposed to a jury. Arpaio and his lawyer, Mark Goldman, said they did not contact Trump during this period, nor ask anyone in the administration for a pardon.

I didnt ask for the pardon, Arpaio said. He wanted to do it because I think he understood what I was going through.

Inside the West Wing, the pardon process was set in motion. Senior policy adviser Stephen Miller, who had gotten to know Arpaio through their work on immigration policy during the campaign, advocated internally for the pardon, as did chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

The White House Counsels Office had quietly begun preparing the paperwork and communications staffers had started drawing up talking points when Trump foreshadowed his intentions Aug. 15 by retweeting a Fox News story reporting that the president was seriously considering pardoning Arpaio.

Around the same time, Arpaio received a call from the White House Counsels Office asking whether he would accept a pardon if one were issued. He told the presidential lawyer that he would, according to Goldman.

[As Trump ranted and rambled in Phoenix, his crowd slowly thinned]

The drumbeat culminated Tuesday when Trump returned to the Phoenix Convention Center  the site of the July 2015 rally  for a Make America Great Again campaign event.

As Air Force One rumbled toward Arizona, Sanders tried to douse speculation by telling reporters that the president would have no discussion and no action pertaining to Arpaio at the rally.

Arpaio said he was eager to attend the rally and visit with the president backstage, but decided, I didnt want to cause any harm or riots, so I stayed away, which really hurt me.

When Arpaio heard Sanders say Trump would not talk about a pardon, he said he turned to his wife and told her, Dont believe anything you hear because I know how he is.

Sure enough, Trump bellowed from the stage, Im just curious: Do the people in this room like Sheriff Joe?

The crowd burst into applause.

Was Sheriff Joe convicted for doing his job? Trump asked.

More applause.

He should have had a jury, but you know what? Ill make a prediction, the president said. I wont do it tonight, because I dont want to cause any controversy. . . But Sheriff Joe can feel good.

Arpaio and his legal team did not feel very good the next night, when they read a CBS News report that Trump was being advised not to pardon Arpaio until after his sentencing.

Goldman wrote a two-page letter to White House Counsel Donald F. McGahn II, sent on Friday morning, saying, Hopefully this is more fake news, and telling McGahn that a delay until after sentencing would place Sheriff Arpaio in an untenable and unprecedented position.

[Read a letter from Arpaios lawyer to White House Counsel McGahn]

Without a pardon, Goldman said, Arpaio could be sentenced, handcuffed, given a perp walk and incarcerated and left to languish in federal custody.

McGahn did not immediately reply, but a few hours later, at about 6:30 p.m. D.C. time, another lawyer in his office called Goldmans co-counsel to double-check that Arpaio would accept a pardon. A few minutes later, an email arrived from the White House with a single page attachment: an Executive Grant of Clemency for Arpaio signed by Trump in his thick, black script, complete with a golden Justice Department seal.

Goldman printed out three copies of the document and drove out to Arpaios home in Fountain Hills, a suburb of Phoenix, where the former sheriff was getting ready to take his wife to dinner at Arrivederci, an Italian restaurant, to celebrate Avas 86th birthday.

Of course, his first question was, Is this a fake document?  Goldman recalled. We know the sheriff has looked into fake documents.

The Arpaios still went out for their spaghetti dinner. As of Saturday, Arpaio had not heard from Trump personally, but said if the president were to call he would advise him to take a lesson from his Arizona adventures.

If they can do it to me, they can do it to anybody, including the president of the United States, Arpaio said. Alluding to the Russia probe, he said, Hes been under a lot of fire right now, him and his family, and Ive been through the fire quite a while.
President Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday as he prepares to head to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Soon after, the White House would make a series of controversial announcements. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

As a monster hurricane not seen on American shores in over a decade bore down on Texas on Friday night, a tsunami of news out of Washington was also on its way.

President Trump, in the space of four hours, made official a ban on transgender people serving in the military, pardoned a controversial sheriff accused of racial profiling and parted ways with polarizing aide and conservative media darling Sebastian Gorka.

The announcements were made in the evening hours as the nation focused on Hurricane Harvey, which threatened catastrophic damage to areas along the Gulf Coast, giving new meaning to the Friday night news dump strategy that has long been a staple for Washington politicians looking to bury controversial decisions.

It was very risky, because if the hurricane is as bad as the experts were predicting, then hes opening himself up to a lot of potential criticism, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist and former aide to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). But very little that Trump does surprises me any longer. Hes proven to be very unpredictable and to not act within the norms of other politicians.

Like most aspects of Trumps presidency, the perceived news dump enraged his detractors and buoyed his most ardent supporters, while leaving open the question of how it will be received by voters who dont fit neatly into either camp.

President Trump pardoned former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio Aug. 25. Heres what you need to know. (Patrick Martin,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

Some Republicans said the timing of the announcements reflected the current state of the White House  new Chief of Staff John F. Kelly trying to instill more order even as the president remains the most disruptive force.

One Republican close to the White House said Kelly appeared to be trying to quietly clean up Trumps policy move on transgender troops, which had been left in limbo for weeks after the president announced his decision on Twitter to the surprise of the military and with no formal plan ready to be released. While the policy was formally released Friday, it did not provide certainty on the most pressing question: the fate of transgender people currently serving. The presidential memorandum left it to the Pentagon to commission a report on how to deal with the service members fate, keeping open the possibility they may be permitted to remain on active duty.

Gorkas ouster had been expected for weeks following Kellys hiring, especially after the departure of his ally, former White House chief strategist Stephen K. Bannon, despite Trumps fondness for Gorkas willingness to go on television and criticize the media. Gorkas credentials as a counterterrorism expert have long been in question, and he was criticized inside and outside the White House for having no concrete responsibilities beyond serving as a surrogate for Trump on the airwaves. But the move was still expected to draw criticism from Trumps allies, who view it as the death knell for the populist wing in the White House, making the leak of the news late Friday advantageous for the administration.

Kelly was probably aware there was little he could do to stop Trump from pardoning Arpaio despite  and perhaps because of  the likely backlash.

Kelly is really strong right now, said the Republican close to the White House. He gives his best advice, but he wasnt going to stop the Sheriff Joe thing. Everything else was textbook what a really good chief of staff would do: dump a whole bunch of stuff when theres a hurricane coming.

Democrats and activist groups saw a cynical motive and play, and accused Trump of using a natural disaster as cover for unpalatable moves that were aimed mostly at rousing his base and that sent clear messages to the LGBT community and Hispanic Americans that he condoned discrimination.

As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a courts order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nations Armed Forces, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) posted on Twitter. So sad, so weak.

The Arpaio pardon, which Trump foreshadowed at a raucous rally in Phoenix days earlier, was aimed squarely at satisfying his base by rewarding a political loyalist on an issue, illegal immigration, that was central to Trumps political appeal.

The President brought justice to a situation where the Obama administration had attempted to destroy a political opponent, said Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.). Sheriff Joe Arpaio made many enemies in the judicial system, the media and the left because he enforced laws that the federal government ignored. He did right by the law even as the political consequences continued to mount.

But among legal experts, the pardon raised disturbing questions about Trumps willingness to flout long-standing tradition and Department of Justice procedures in a way that undermined the judicial system, said University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias.

Certainly the pardon seemed principally political and without much thought about the history of that or the procedures used, Tobias said. Its a bigger piece of Trumps contempt for the judiciary. Every federal judge in the country knows you cant have those orders violated, otherwise the federal court system wont work. So thats very disturbing.

The White Houses balancing act was evident in the presidents own social media feed. Hours after the Arpaio pardon was announced, Trump tweeted confirmation that the federal government had approved a disaster declaration for Texas. Fifteen minutes later, he congratulated Arpaio.

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Trump said. He kept Arizona safe!

Some Republicans, including Arizonas two Republican senators, who have both recently been in Trumps crosshairs, questioned the decision to circumvent the judicial process. Arpaio was scheduled to be sentenced in October after being convicted of defying a court order to end the practice of detaining people merely on suspicion of their immigration status.

Sen. John McCain decried the message Trump sent by pardoning Arpaio, who had been accused of continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status.

The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions, McCain added.

As Trumps approval ratings have fallen to historic lows, however, most analysts expect him to continue making moves that will please his base even if they draw criticism from others.

The president has great political instincts. He can read the temperature of the public better than almost anyone else, Conant said. He is very well aware that his base is shrinking, and in a way, that explains almost everything hes done over the last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 13:24:58|Editor: ying

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YANGON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of civilians and local administrative staff have been evacuated to military and border police stations in Myanmar's Rakhine state as terrorist attacks escalated, official media reported Saturday.

Local residents from Khamaungseik, Tanugpyo Letwe and Myinlut villages were transferred to military battalions and border police stations.

Security personnel are currently carrying out area clearance operations as civilians are being evacuated to safer places.

Extremist terrorists launched renewed attacks on 30 police outposts in northern Rakhine in the early hours on Friday, killing 12 security personnel and one immigration officer.

About 150 extremists also attempted to break into a military base.

The renewed terrorist attacks coincided with the release of the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State.
Special counsel Robert Mueller, pictured in June, departs after a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election and a possible connection to the Trump campaign in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Lawyers for special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, who is investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election, have issued subpoenas to several prominent Washington lobbying firms as the probe examines the finances of two former Trump campaign advisers, according to people with knowledge of the requests.

The subpoenas asked the firms to answer questions and provide records regarding their interactions with the consulting firms led by Michael Flynn, a former national security adviser to President Trump, and Paul Manafort, former chairman of the Trump presidential campaign, these people said.

The requests suggest that Muellers investigators are looking closely at Manafort and Flynn, both of whom face possible legal jeopardy for allegedly failing to disclose that foreign governments or parties may have been the beneficiaries of their consulting and lobbying work, as they seek potential links between Trumps campaign and the Kremlin.

A spokesman for Manafort declined to comment, while a lawyer for Flynn did not respond.

President Trump routinely expresses his dissatisfaction with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Here's a look at just how much control he has over the probe, and what Congress is trying to do about it. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

Two of the subpoenas were issued to Mercury Public Affairs and SGR LLC, according to people familiar with the requests. A handful of other lobbying firms that did similar work have also received subpoenas from Muellers office in recent days, those individuals said.

A lawyer for SGR LLC confirmed the company received a subpoena. Representatives of Mercury declined to comment, but people close to the company confirmed they also received requests from Muellers team.

The investigators asked Mercury for information about their public relations work at Manaforts behest for a Brussels-based organization called the European Centre for a Modern Ukraine, which pushed for improved relations between Ukraine and European countries. The Brussels group primarily advanced the interests of a Russia-friendly Ukrainian political party that had been a client of Manaforts before he joined the Trump campaign.

Mercury, which has prominent Republicans among its senior partners, had worked on the Ukraine lobbying project with the Podesta group, led by Anthony Podesta, brother of John Podesta, who led Hillary Clintons presidential campaign.

Podesta principal Mark Tavlarides declined Friday evening to comment on whether his firm had been contacted by Muellers team.

The firms involved with the Ukraine project did not initially register as foreign agents at the time, citing legal analyses that indicated they were not required to do so because they were working for a nonprofit and not a foreign political party or government. But in recent months, the Podesta Group and Mercury have filed retroactively, acknowledging that the Ukrainian political party benefited from their efforts.

Mike McKeon, a partner at Mercury, declined to comment on or confirm that his firm received a subpoena. But he said the company took care in asking the Centre about its finances and consulting with lawyers about its duties to file.

Before we accepted this assignment in 2014, we went through our own due diligence to determine the proper disclosure required under federal law, he said.

Some of the subpoenas were first reported Friday evening by NBC News.

Investigators have sought information from SGR in relation to work Flynn did for a Dutch company with ties to Turkish President Recep Erdogan, according to people familiar with the request. Flynns company, the Flynn Intel Group, hired SGR to help handle public affairs work on that contract.

The Flynn Intel Group initially described the project to SGR as promoting a good business climate in Turkey, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Later, under pressure, Flynn filed formal reports indicating that the contract focused on a public affairs campaign to raise concern in the United States about Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in exile in Pennsylvania. Erdogans government blamed Gulen for a failed coup against him and wanted to persuade the United States to extradite Gulen to Turkey. Flynn also acknowledged in his retroactive filings this spring that he had secretly met with two top ministers to Erdogan, including Erdogans son-in-law, two months before the election, where they had discussed Gulens extradition.

Eric Lewis, a lawyer for SGR LLC, confirmed that the lobby firm received a subpoena.

SGR received a request several months ago to be a witness (through a customary witness subpoena that I voluntarily accepted) and provided documents and background regarding its brief project as a subcontractor with Flynn Intel Group, which is fully detailed in public filings, he said.

Devlin Barrett, Rosalind S. Helderman and Alice Crites contributed to this report.
It looked just like a campaign launch, from the line winding around the Fellowship Chapel Church, to the tailgaters giving away hot dogs, to the 2,000 voters who eventually packed inside.

But when Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt) and Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) arrived, there were no waving signs. They were there to kick off the push for universal health care, with legislation queued up for September, and no expectation that the Republican-controlled Congress would pass it.

Every major country in the world, theyve already got it, said Conyers.

More and more people agree with us, said Sanders.



As Washington prepares for a month of spending deadlines, and as Republicans and business groups try to shift the conversation to tax reform, Sanders is trying to drive a discussion about single-payer health care  a debate that he admits would last for years before any legislative action.

The campaign will put the Senates only democratic socialist in a unique position. Republicans have already begun attacking Democrats over government-run health care, daring them to endorse Sanderss plan. On the left, activists inspired by Sanderss 2016 presidential bid intend to browbeat Democrats who dont back Sanderss and Conyerss legislation.

[Centrist Democrats begin pushing back against Bernie Sanders, liberal wing]

In an interview after his three-state Midwestern tour, Sanders said he was formulating an inside/outside strategy, attracting as much support as possible from his colleagues while expecting most of them to recoil. It would be up to activists to make single-payer politically possible for the holdouts.

In the meantime, as the chair of the Senate Democrats political outreach, he would continue to support colleagues in tough races, even if they rejected his bill.

Is this a litmus test? No, you have to look at where candidates are on many issues, said Sanders. But youre seeing more and more movement toward Medicare for All. When the people are saying we need health care for everyone, as more and more Americans come on board, it will become politically possible.

Republicans, looking hungrily at a 2018 Senate map where 10 incumbent Democrats will compete in states won by Trump, were hoping for a litmus test. But in just two states, West Virginia and North Dakota, are incumbents being challenged by progressives in primaries. Neither challenger is being backed by Sanders.

Still, as Sanders wove through Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, local conservatives mocked those states Democratic senators, even those who didnt appear with Sanders.

When Sanders stumped in Ohios Scioto County, one of the places that had seen a tight presidential race in 2012 but delivered a landslide for Donald Trump in 2016, Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken pointed out that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) had frequently supported the idea of single-payer health care. (Brown did not appear at the event, though former governor Ted Strickland sat in the front row.)

The only place Bernie Sanders socialist sales pitch will be welcomed today is in Senator Sherrod Browns office, said Timken in a statement. Scioto County voters rejected socialized health care and the job destroying economic policies of Sanders and Brown last year by overwhelmingly electing President Trump.

In Web ads, Republicans and the Congressional Leadership Fund super PAC spent July and August attacking vulnerable-seeming Democrats on single-payer, frequently using the image of Sanders or Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to argue that Trump-state Democrats had become extremists.

Sanders, who chose his Midwest event sites carefully, sees Republicans getting over their skis. In national polling, hes frequently viewed more favorably than either the president or the Democratic Party itself. Last week, in polls of the three Midwestern states won by Trump, NBC found Sanderss favorable rating at 58 percent in Michigan, 53 percent in Wisconsin, and 51 percent in Pennsylvania. In each state, the presidents approval rating had tumbled below 40 percent.

On the merits of Medicare for All itself, Sanders said that the landscape had changed as a result of the seven-month debate over repealing the Affordable Care Act: The concept of universal health care had grown more popular, while the market-based Republican replacements were undone, in large part, because of the unpopularity of reducing Medicaid rolls.

People are saying the ACA did some good things, and the Republicans wanted to throw 22 million people off of it, Sanders said. Thats an absurd idea to most people.

But single-payer was not going to start with clear partisan support. Sanders intends to release a single-payer bill in the Senate, a companion to Conyerss House Resolution 676, in the weeks after Labor Day.

[In a swing district, a Democrat runs on (eventual) single-payer health care]

Sanders does not expect a majority of his Senate colleagues to endorse it, as a majority of House Democrats had in backing Conyerss bill. And he admits it would take work, perhaps years of it, to reframe single-payer health care as an aggregate cost-saver, instead of an expensive entitlement in any debate.

The pay-for is going to be a separate piece of legislation, said Sanders. It will not be radically different from the proposal we introduced during the presidential campaign. It will exempt lower income people from making any payments at all. But people in the average middle class family, when they recognize they dont have to pay for private insurance anymore, are going to save tremendously.

Meanwhile, Sanderss rejection of the litmus test hinted at where Democrats, pressured by their base, would be allowed to go. Few of the most vulnerable 2018 Democrats are expected to get behind his bill, but progressive groups have talked increasingly about Medicare for All becoming a do-or-die position.

Our view is that within the Democratic Party, this is fast-emerging as a litmus test, said Ben Tulchin, the pollster for Sanderss 2016 campaign, in an August interview with Politico.

Sanders, however, is allowing his colleagues plenty of room to maneuver  so long as they come out for expanding health insurance. He complimented Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who last week rolled out a proposal to allow anyone to buy into Medicaid if their states allowed it.

Brian is doing good work, said Sanders. I think we need to have short-term solutions to the health-care crisis, while working toward Medicare for All. I would hope we could get some support for making more people eligible for Medicaid. We need to substantially lower the prices for prescription drugs. Id favor a public option, right now, and were working on that in the [Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions] Committee.

The midterms will be one test; the 2020 presidential race will be another. Sanders, who has not ruled out a second presidential bid, suggested that whatever happened in 2018, it would be difficult  if advocates kept working at it  for any 2020 Democrats to back down from single-payer.

Could people run? Sure, Sanders said. Do I think they can win without supporting single-payer? Im skeptical. Among the people who consider themselves progressive, who vote in the primaries, theres clearly movement toward Medicare for All.

Read more at PowerPost
HANOI  Citizens of Vietnam have developed an unusual national pastime: Across the country and on social networks, people trade suspicions that their government is secretly giving in to an aggressive China. And lately, there has been plenty of fuel for their rumors.

Some blame a visibly diminished U.S. presence for giving Beijing an opportunity to act behind the scenes. Many blame officials in Hanoi for putting economic cooperation or alleged communist solidarity above questions of national pride. Last month, when a valuable project overseen by the Spanish company Repsol was suspended without explanation, both theories abounded.

Is Trump weak, so therefore China is getting stronger? Maybe, said Dung Nguyen, a small-business owner in Hanoi who often deals with foreign countries, including China. People even worry in the future we could have another war with China. Its all very scary.

But with Vietnams closed political system keeping diplomatic machinations a secret, most people  even experts, by their own admission  simply dont know whats happening, providing the perfect atmosphere for wild speculation.

We dont really know whats going on, Nguyen said. Now that everyone is online, weve realized that our [state] media wasnt telling the whole truth, but we dont have access to that whole truth, either.

Domestically, China is one of the most sensitive issues for Vietnams otherwise stable communist government. Much of the countrys small dissident community attacks the Communist Party on this issue, and perceived weakness regarding Beijing is often seen as its most vulnerable point  more so than calls for democracy, expanded human rights or even the need to maintain economic growth.

Vietnam is a pillar of opposition to Beijing  at least in public view. Of the ten countries in the ASEAN trade bloc of Southeast Asian nations, which has drifted in a pro-China direction since President Trump took office, Vietnam is the last member openly pushing for a tougher stance on Chinas expansion in the South China Sea  called the East Sea in Vietnam. Though many countries express private concerns, Hanoi is now publicly isolated on the issue of using international law to push back against China.

At an ASEAN forum in Manila in early August, not long after news broke of the drilling-project suspension, Vietnam reaffirmed its public opposition to Beijing. The United States, meanwhile, played an obviously reduced role, said Richard Javad Heydarian, an assistant professor of political science at Manilas De La Salle University.

For those in the region opposing Chinese expansion, Heydarian said, Trump has not been very helpful. We have seen a dramatic collapse in confidence in American leadership in Asia. Tillerson didnt look like he was representing the superpower [at the forum]. He looked more like the representative of a second-tier power, and everyone here knows he is besieged at home.

Vietnam and China have a centuries-long history of strife, which has continued well into the modern era. Though China did support North Vietnam in its war against the United States, the last war Vietnam fought was with its large neighbor to the north, when China invaded in 1979. Vietnams battle-hardened troops surprising Beijing by pushing Chinese forces back, and sporadic clashes continued until a formal peace in 1990.

Vietnams fierce rivalry with China often exceeds any lingering resentment against the United States, which is now seen as a crucial counterweight to Beijings ambitions.

Yet the suspending of the Repsol drilling project has provided wary Vietnamese with a reason to believe their government is capitulating behind the scenes. Neither the Spanish company nor the Vietnamese government has offered an explanation for suspending offshore activities.

There are so many rumors swirling around Repsol, as there always are when it comes to China and Vietnam. But there doesnt appear to be any reason to do what they did other than pressure from Beijing, said a prominent member of the international business community who frequently interacts with officials representing the three countries involved, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to publicly speak about political matters.

If Vietnam did privately back down, he said, it has not been left with much choice since President Trump took office. The U.S. really left Vietnam at the altar when it canceled TPP. What are they supposed to do? he asked, referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the trade deal that included Vietnam and explicitly excluded China. Trump had slammed the deal as a job-killer during the presidential campaign, and he withdrew from the pact just days after taking office.

Another theory is China threatened military action if Vietnam did not capitulate. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte  not always a reliable narrator  has said Chinese President Xi Jinping mentioned the possibility to him, lending some credibility to the theory. But experts point out war would be disastrous for Chinas strategy of convincing neighbors to view Beijing as a font of benevolent stability.

Or the move might simply have been a tactical maneuver by Vietnam. I think perhaps this is just a short-term withdrawal, as they are waiting for a less difficult geopolitical moment, said Hoang Viet, a professor of maritime law at Ho Chi Minh City University of Law. But this is a very sensitive issue. Its sacred for Vietnamese people, but the government absolutely does not want to make Beijing angry.

Meanwhile, along the dreary coast of the South China Sea, rapid construction continues unabated. Vietnams economy is growing at a steady clip, something often seen as a prerequisite for maintaining support for the Communist Party. And that imperative, more than the rivalry with Beijing, may be more important to Hanoi in the end.

Maybe China is just too big. All we can really do is deal with them as sensitively as possible, muses Le Dinh Toan, an intellectual property researcher passing through Hanoi. Maybe we have to accept we are lesser.

Read more:

Vietnam and Americas surprising turn from foes to friends

How Chinas fishermen are fighting a covert war in the South China Sea

Trump TPP move seen as win for China, but Beijing isnt celebrating

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
For months, Gen. John W. Nicholson Jr. made the case for an expanded U.S. military commitment to Afghanistan, telling skeptics that the faltering Afghan war was an urgent matter of American security, that the struggling Afghan government was a reliable partner, and that its defense forces just needed more time and U.S. support to become self-sufficient.

Last week, the top U.S. military commander in Afghanistan finally got his wish.

President Trump, who once advocated abandoning Afghanistan and in recent months questioned the fundamental premises of Americas costly 16-year military involvement here, has now publicly committed himself to a strategy that hews closely to the military plan Nicholson and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani hammered out in dozens of meetings this spring and summer.

Now, the burden will be on Nicholson, 61, a boyish-looking four-star general who has spent more time in Afghanistan than any other senior commander, to deliver on what many observers say may be an impossible mission. Its aim is to help Afghan forces turn around a stalemated conflict with the aid of a few thousand extra advisory troops  something his predecessors failed to do with more than 100,000 combat troops at the wars peak.

[A win in Afghanistan includes peace talks with the Taliban, say U.S. officials in Kabul]

Trump and Nicholson do not know each other, and the general said last week that he communicates with administration officials through the military chain of command, meaning his boss at the U.S. Central Command in Tampa. At one White House meeting to discuss Afghan policy, Trump reportedly threatened to fire the popular Nicholson out of frustration at the stumbling war effort, stunning his aides.

In an interview at his headquarters here Friday, Nicholson declined to discuss that episode, and he referred to Trumps speech on Afghanistan several times rather than answer questions directly. Asked whether he now believes the president supports him, Nicholson paused, smiled and answered, Yes. Asked to elaborate, he smiled again and shook his head.

If he has any doubts about his mission here, the congenial but cautious West Pointer has buried them beneath a can-do persona and a glass-half-full approach to every problem. He exudes confidence in Ghani and his determination to reform the Afghan security forces, which have been weakened by corruption and nepotistic leadership. He heaps praise on the Afghan special operations forces, which will be doubled in size and trained by U.S. and NATO advisers under the new military plan.

And he is relentlessly on message about connecting the dots among the ongoing fight against Afghan insurgents; the dangers of terrorism radiating from an unstable, Taliban-plagued Afghanistan; and the American interests at stake in making sure this impoverished Muslim nation does not again become a redoubt for international Islamist militias such as al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

As a soldier, the concern I have is about terrorism emanating from this area, Nicholson said in the interview, echoing Trumps speech last Monday on Afghan strategy. The requirement to keep pressure on these terror groups to prevent another attack on our homeland . . . fundamentally, that is why we are here.

Americans, he added, need to be concerned about the Islamic State emerging from this region. The Taliban enable them to exist, and if the Taliban were to return, they would flourish. A return to Taliban rule, he said, would mean another threat to our homeland.

There is also another, more personal, aspect to Nicholsons commitment: an evident empathy for Afghans and their struggles, developed through four tours of duty totaling five years of immersion in the conflict  from early optimistic days of sipping tea with tribal elders and inaugurating village projects to later struggles with military setbacks and growing Afghan resentment of the foreign military presence.

[How Afghanistan is ramping up its fight against corruption  especially among the countrys elite]

I believe in the Afghan people, he said. Since his first assignment here in 2006, he continued, I came to have great respect and affection for the Afghan people, who have endured an incredible amount of hardship for the last four decades, yet still in spite of all that are incredibly pious, hard-working, hospitable and truly want a better life for their children.

That attachment deepened during one of the worst crises of the U.S. combat mission, when an airstrike on a Doctors Without Borders hospital killed 42 people in 2015 during a chaotic battle with Taliban forces in the northern city of Kunduz. Several months later, when Nicholson assumed command of the U.S. reduced advisory mission, a U.S. military report came out acknowledging that a series of errors had led to the tragedy. Nicholson immediately apologized to the nation, then flew to Kunduz with his wife and met with families of the victims.

It was a very emotional and personal event, he said. Afghans dont want to see a return of Taliban rule, and they genuinely appreciate our help. So when we make a mistake, it is the right thing to do to reach out to them. The gesture also had a strategic aspect. In this culture, when you make a mistake and make a genuine apology, Nicholson said, it is almost always accepted, and you are able to move on in the relationship. . . . That needs to happen in this long war.

Lately, Nicholson said, he has spent a lot of time consulting with Afghans of all political stripes and affiliations, seeking support and common cause at a time of domestic political turmoil and uncertainty about U.S. intentions, especially with the post of U.S. ambassador vacant since last winter. As a matter of course, he works with senior army, police and intelligence officials.

[In Afghanistan, Trumps speech brings relief to some. To others, it means more war, destruction.]

But the Afghan closest to Nicholson is Ghani, a no-nonsense technocrat who is often criticized by Afghans as autocratic and remote. The general, who meets with Ghani several times a week, called him a very willing and capable partner who is pursuing rigorous reforms across the government and the security sector, where corruption and poor leadership have been major impediments to the war effort.

Nicholson particularly praised Ghani for replacing a number of senior army and police officials with others who were more qualified and not tainted by corruption. Nicholson pointed to the removal of two army commanders in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, one of whom was convicted of keeping money for soldiers food and using combat troops as personal guards. Their replacements, he said, have fundamentally changed the environment . . . were already seeing a difference on the battlefield.

The general declined to discuss Pakistans role in the Afghan conflict, although for months he publicly argued in Congress and elsewhere that Pakistan was harboring Taliban fighters and that the U.S. government should pressure Pakistan to stop. In the interview, he was far more circumspect, referring vaguely to the problem of external enablement of insurgencies but stating that relations under the new U.S. strategy will be managed from Washington to Islamabad.

Nicholson was much more loquacious about the challenges on his own turf, with a ready list of achievements he hopes the expanded U.S. role in Afghanistan will produce. They include the defeat of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the reduction of foreign support to the insurgents, the increased capacity of the Afghan security forces, and the marginalization of the Taliban insurgents until they must either die or reconcile. Reconciliation will be complicated, he acknowledged, but this conversation needs to begin.

Read more

Trump announces new strategy for Afghanistan that calls for a troop increase

Sultry pop singer upstages Afghan Independence Day celebration

Afghan president is under siege as violence, joblessness persist

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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Two victims of what is thought to have been an acid attack have water poured on their heads by a firemen - on the side of the road in Bethnal Green. on July 25. (Creighton/LNP/REX/Shutterstock/AP)

Jabed Hussain said he was really lucky. The delivery driver was one of the latest victims in an alarming surge of acid attacks in Britain.

He was still trembling when he said, But they didnt get my face. They didnt ruin me.

Attacks by people throwing acid at their victims has tripled in the past three years in Britain, stoking fears that almost anyone can be the victim  from a moped rider to the city banker or politician.

The alarming rise comes amid a clampdown on weapons and fears of a frightening new crime fad involving teenage motorbike thieves using corrosive substances, in part because they are relatively easy to obtain.

Hussain, 30, was riding his three-wheel scooter, stopped at a traffic light in East London earlier this month, when he felt what he thought was water, doused on him by a pair of faceless teenagers in wraparound helmets, mounted on a motorbike beside him.

Then I started to feel the burning, and I knew instantly what it was, Hussain said. Because this is what we are all fearing.

He ripped off his helmet and began clawing at his clothing. His assailants stole his bike and sped away, as Hussain begged passing motorists for help.

I must have looked like a mad man, Hussain said. Nobody would roll down their windows for me.

[After attack near mosques, British Muslims fear they may be targeted]

The United Kingdom is a safe country, but the spike in acid attacks is clearly unnerving  when a possible assailant is anyone with a bottle of bleach, ammonia or drain cleaner.

Because it is not like seeing a gun or a knife, said Rachel Kearton, Assistant Chief Constable of the Suffolk Police, the National Police Chief Councils top investigator on corrosive attacks.

Because the intent is to maim and disfigure, Kearton said.

According to the London Metropolitan Police and regional police chiefs, there were more than 700 acid attacks last year, double the number in 2015.

Kearton told The Washington Post it appears likely acid attack numbers will increase by another 50 percent this year.

Police chiefs say there isnt a single motive behind the attacks, but acknowledge gangs and robberies seem to be playing a part. Some of the attackers are only teenagers  of those whose ages are known, 21 percent under the age of 18. The most common corrosive liquids are bleach, ammonia and acid.

According to leaders in Londons City Hall, many recent acid attacks are connected to violent and aggressive organized scooter theft. In a recent statement, they said this is particularly frightening for people who ride scooters in London.

Scooter drivers have staged a number of protests to highlight their concerns about being doused with acid in attempted bike robberies.

Police, victims and the gang members agree  there is just something terrifying about being splashed with acid.

[After an attacker targeted Muslims in Londons Finsbury Park, a local imam may have saved his life]

Late last year, a London business executive named Gina Miller took the British government to court to decide if it could trigger Brexit, Britains withdrawal from the European Union, without parliamentary approval.

Since then, Miller said shes been living in fear someone will attack her.

I have been getting threats of having acid thrown in my face for months and months now. When I see someone walk toward me on the street with a bottle of water or something, I just freak out, she told Verdict magazine.

My life has completely changed, she said.

Ohid Ahmed, a councilor from Jabed Hussains East London neighborhood, said while acid was certainly the latest weapon of choice for assailants, there was something deeper going on.

If you want to steal a moped, you can steal a moped, he said. The criminal can use a hammer, a knife or his fists, he said. But throwing acid is a hate crime, Ahmed said.

You are seeking to destroy your victim, he said.

Some places are taking extra precautions. Earlier this month, officials in some court buildings began asking anyone entering a court with a water bottle  visitors, judges, lawyers  to take a  sip test to prove their liquid isnt acid.

Britain is near the top, or the top of the pack globally, when it comes to reported attacks, said Jaf Shah, executive director of Acid Survivors Trust International, a London-based nonprofit. He said other countries, including India, likely have far more attacks, but they remain unreported.

The U.K. is unusual in that so many of the attacks are against men. In many other countries, women and girls are disproportionately impacted with spurned men or jilted suitors dousing former wives or girlfriends in the hope of disfiguring them for life.

By contrast, Shah said, two-thirds of the victims in the U.K. are men. Campaigners say the rise in attacks could be linked to a clampdown on weapons.

In 2015, a two strikes rule was introduced so those convicted of carrying a knife for the second time received a mandatory six-month prison sentence.

Shah said for some gang members its possible acid is becoming the weapon of choice because its now seen as a safe crime to commit because you cant be charged for carrying acid, only charged if police can prove intent.

To be sure, the number of acid attacks in the U.K. is dwarfed by gun and knife crime statistics.

[After attack on London Muslims by a clean-shaven white man, British newspapers are accused of double standard]

But the increase is still alarming, and the British government is reviewing its guidelines to see if police and prosecutors have the powers they need and if new restrictions will be placed on retailers who sell corrosive liquids.

We have seen acid used in cases of gang violence, drug trafficking, domestic abuse and so-called honour-based violence, the Home Secretary Amber Rudd wrote in the Sunday Times. We can and will improve our response, she wrote.

Stephen Timms, a lawmaker for the opposition Labour Party, has called on the government to introduce harsher punishment for the possession of corrosive liquids.

It should be a criminal offense to carry acid around on the streets in the same way that it is already in the U.K. a criminal offense to carry a knife, he said.

In Britain, it is illegal to carry a knife without a good reason.

Timmss constituency in east London has some of the highest levels of acid attacks in the country. An attack in June on two Muslim cousins sparked panic in the local community, he said. Jameel Muhktar and Resham Khan were celebrating Khans 21st birthday in east London on the day their worlds turned upside down. They were stopped at traffic lights when a man knocked on their car window and hurled acid at them.

After that attack, Timms said, people starting asking themselves, especially women, was it safe to walk down the street without someone throwing acid over you?

Writing from her hospital bed, Khan has won many admirers on social media for chronicling the highs and lows of her recovery.

My plans are in pieces; my pain is unbearable, and I write this letter in hospital whilst I patiently wait for the return of my face, she wrote in one blog entry calling on lawmakers and retailers to make a number of changes.

I cant dwell on the past but what I can do is help build a better future, one without attacks like these, she said.

Read more

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Sad, but a happy sad: Londoners fret about four years without Big Ben

Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai to study at Oxford

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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President Trump pardoned former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio Aug. 25. Heres what you need to know. (Patrick Martin,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

President Trump pardoned former Maricopa County, Ariz., sheriff Joe Arpaio Aug. 25. Heres what you need to know. (Patrick Martin,Victoria Walker/The Washington Post)

President Trump on Friday pardoned former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio  a move that keeps one of his staunchest political allies out of jail and will likely cheer his conservative base, which supports both mens hard-line views on illegal immigration.

The unusual pardon  coming less than a month after Arpaio was convicted, and before his planned October sentencing  will further anger the presidents critics and is likely to worsen the presidents already tense relationship with the judicial branch, which he has repeatedly criticized.

A pardon is perhaps the only way to make Arpaio  a longtime county sheriff who gained national fame and notoriety for his aggressive pursuit of undocumented immigrants  a more polarizing figure than he already is.

The decision on Arpaio is the latest chapter in a line of historically controversial pardons granted by presidents  rare but not unprecedented uses of power that draw fire for being politically or personally motivated. Legal experts have compared an Arpaio pardon to the one President George H.W. Bush granted to former defense secretary Caspar Weinberger in 1992 over the Iran-contra affair, or the one President Clinton granted to fugitive financier Marc Rich in 2001.

[Pardon for Arpaio would be rare but not unprecedented act]

In this Dec. 18, 2013, photo, then-Maricopa County (Ariz.) Sheriff Joe Arpaio speaks at a news conference in Phoenix. President Trump has pardoned the former sheriff following his conviction for criminal contempt of court for intentionally disobeying a judges order in an immigration case. (Ross D. Franklin/AP)

But Arpaios pardon  the first of the Trump presidency  is a rarity among rarities. In recent decades, presidents have tended to issue controversial pardons at the end of their terms, not the beginning. The move raises questions about how often the president might pardon other political figures  and for what types of offenses.

In a statement announcing the pardon, Trump made no mention of Arpaios offense  criminal contempt of court  but praised his past military service.

Arpaios life and career, which began at the age of 18 when he enlisted in the military after the outbreak of the Korean War, exemplify selfless public service, Trump said. Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his lifes work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon, the statement continued.

Arpaios lawyer, Jack Wilenchik, said simply: Justice has been done.

In a tweet, Arpaio thanked the president for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!

Arpaio told the Associated Press that he appreciates the presidents action and will always stand by him. He said he will speak more about the matter next week.

Joe Arpaio's illegal-immigration crackdown made him a polarizing figure and an early ally of President Trump. (Meg Kelly/The Washington Post)

The sheriffs critics spent years trying to stop the police practices that Arpaio sanctioned and that they charge were discriminatory and abusive; in recent weeks, they had vociferously objected to the pardon that Trump repeatedly hinted was coming.

A deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union called the pardon a presidential endorsement of racism.

Trump has chosen lawlessness over justice, division over unity, hurt over healing, said Cecillia Wang, the ACLU official. Once again, the president has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of color and have been struck down by the courts.

The president traveled this week to Phoenix, where he suggested at a rally that he was on the verge of pardoning Arpaio, but said he would not do it that night because it would be controversial.

Earlier this month, the president told Fox News he was seriously considering a pardon for Arpaio, who was convicted last month of criminal contempt for ignoring a federal judges order to stop detaining people because he merely suspected them of being undocumented immigrants.

Trump called Arpaio a great American patriot who had done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. . . . He has protected people from crimes and saved lives. He doesnt deserve to be treated this way.

[Joe Arpaios record on illegal immigration]

Trumps pardon came late on a Friday night, at a time when much of the country was focused on a Category 4 hurricane bearing down on Texas.

The reaction among advocates and Democrats was swift.

President Trump is a coward. He waited until a Friday evening, as a hurricane hits, to pardon a racist ex-sheriff, said Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), who represents Phoenix. Trump should at least have the decency to explain to the American public why he is undermining our justice system.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) also accused the president of using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a courts order.

Normally, pardon applications are submitted to the Justice Department, where they are scrutinized over a period of months before recommendations are made to the White House. Some applicants wait years to find out whether they will receive pardons or clemency.

Arpaios pardon came much faster, and it was not subject to a Justice Department review, according to officials.

Arpaios sentencing was scheduled for Oct. 5, and he had faced up to six months in prison.

Vanita Gupta, chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said the president has yet again damaged himself, the rule of law, and our country tonight. This pardon sends a dangerous message that a law enforcement officer who abused his position of power and defied a court order can simply be excused by a president who himself clearly does not respect the rule of law.

Arpaios lawyer has maintained that the prosecution of Arpaio was a political vendetta against a foe of the Obama administration and that therefore the political act of a pardon was a fair and just way to end the case.

Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., has long been an advocate for Trump and spoke in support of him at the Republican National Convention in July 2016. The men seem to have the same views on illegal immigrants and the use of harsh tactics against criminals or suspected criminals. Arpaio is well known in part for forcing his inmates to wear pink underwear and sleep outdoors in his Tent City Jail.

The legal saga surrounding Arpaio dates back years. In 2011, as part of a lawsuit, the then-sheriff was enjoined by U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow from detaining people he thought to be illegal immigrants, when they were not charged with any other crime. Prosecutors alleged that Arpaio continued to do so, and last year, the Justice Department decided to pursue a criminal contempt-of-court case against him.

Critics said that his policy of detaining people on mere suspicion was racist and illegal, and that his refusal to honor a courts order to stop was brazen. Arpaios lawyers argued that the judges order enjoining their clients conduct was not clear, and they suggested that Arpaio was merely doing what others do routinely: turning over those in the country illegally to the U.S. Border Patrol.
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 13:40:01|Editor: ying

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PARIS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron spent 26,000 euros (30,000 U.S. dollars) -- almost equal to the French people's average annual disposable income -- on makeup services in his first three months in office, reports said.

In France, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is 29,759 dollars a year, according to data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The Elysee Palace paid a makeup artist once for 10,000 euros (11,000 dollars) and then again for 16,000 euros (19,000 dollars), for doing up the president for public appearances, a Washington Post report quoted French magazine Le Point as saying.

A spokesman for the Elysee Palace announced on French television that the budget "will be reduced significantly," the report said.

Still, Macron spends "more or less" the same on makeup as his two predecessors did, it said, adding that Francois Hollande spent slightly more per quarter, while Nicolas Sarkozy spent slightly less.

Macron's approval rating dropped to 36 percent, a record low after the French president's first 100 days in office, according to a latest Ifop poll.
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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Be assured, fans: This new-to-Winnipeg touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webbers lavish musical The Phantom of the Opera has all the elements of the original production. Theres the fabulous, 17-piece orchestra-powered music, still fluctuating between the classical operatic and electric guitar-infused rock; the substantial costumes by the late Maria Bjornson; and, of course, that dazzling, perilous chandelier.

However, this production has also been tweaked with a revamped set design by Paul Brown that retains the gothic richness of past productions, but does so with more compact moving parts that emphasize the constrictions of its enclosed spaces: the opera house backstage, the Phantoms lair, even the managers office. So many characters here are trapped by their circumstances, and this redesign suggests enclosure more than big, empty grandeur (although the production still accomodates widescreen-style spectacle, as in the second act opener Masquerade).

The drama itself is much the same, with some subtle shifts of focus. Heres the ingenue Christine Daae (Eva Tavares) working at the corps de ballet of Pariss Opera Populaire, but being surreptitiously schooled in singing by the unseen Angel of Music, a tutor promised to her by her dying father.

MATTHEW MURPHY PHOTO Derrick Davis is an especially strong Phantom and Eva Tavares holds her ground dramatically, both by virtue of her voice and an intense presence.

That angel is more of a demon to the new owners of the venue, demanding a monthly salary and threatening its star soprano, the vain diva Carlotta (Trista Moldovan, formidable of voice and comic timing). When Carlotta exits in a huff, Chistine is recruited to take her lead role, which suits the plans of the mysterious, self-styled Opera Ghost (Derrick Davis), the phantom who lives beneath the opera in a subterranean lair.

Christines career ascendency also captures the notice of the opera houses patron, Raoul (a stalwart Jordan Craig), the Vicomte de Chagny. A childhood friend of Christines, Raoul proceeds to launch a full courtship press on Christine, much to the Phantoms possessive displeasure.

Prior to this musical, adaptations of the 1910 book by Gaston Leroux have tended to fall squarely in the horror movie genre. Webber, who wrote the music and cowrote the book with Richard Stilgoe, refashioned it as a Gothic romance with decidedly dark, sadomasochistic undertones.

When you think about it, the Phantoms signature seduction song Music of the Night could serve as the love theme from Fifty Shades of Grey. Perhaps the crazy success of that whipped-up potboiler may explain why kink gets more of an accent here than the Electra complex issues raised in past productions.

Its acted, as it should be, with a sense of heightened melodrama. In the title role, Derrick Davis is an especially strong Phantom, not just because of that clear, beautiful singing voice but because one senses a full, emotional commitment with never a hint of irony.

Relatively new to the role (in terms of a touring production), Canadian coloratura Eva Tavares looks tiny of stature next to Davis, but she holds her ground dramatically, both by virtue of her voice and an intense presence. The role demands that she be an object of desire for her two suitors, but by the second act, she credibly emerges as a self-possessed woman intent on taking charge of her own desires.

randall.king@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @FreepKing

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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Manitoba could face hundreds more African asylum seekers crossing from the United States as that country winds down a temporary-stay program. Its unclear whether Ottawa is doing anything to stem the flow.

Canada is presented as the best way out of this complicated situation, Abdullah Kiatamba, executive director of African Immigrant Services  a Minnesota-based non-profit organization  said.

Since 1990, the U.S. has granted temporary protected status (TPS) to citizens of countries people cant return to due to war, pandemic or natural disasters. In recent years, the U.S. has offered citizens of 13 countries short-term work permits and shielded them  unless they have criminal convictions  from deportation due to problems in their home countries.

JOHN WOODS / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Migrants cross into Canada from the United States by walking down a rail line in the early hours of Feb. 26, 2017, near the town of Emerson, Man. Canadian officials are concerned that the U.S. will end a special visa waiver for Somalis and Liberians that Minnesota groups say could cause Manitoba to face an influx of African asylum seekers next fall.

But the U.S. seems to be winding that program down.

Meanwhile, thousands of people are crossing irregularly into Canada. They avoid border stations that can send them back to the U.S. and instead wander into Canada through fields  something that would be normally be illegal, but is allowed under international law for people claiming asylum.

In May, the U.S. announced it would strip Haiti from its TPS list in January 2018, with the county stabilizing since its disastrous 2010 earthquake. Since then, more than 7,000 Haitians have crossed into Quebec.

Also in May, the U.S. removed Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone from its TPS list, saying all three West African countries saw a decline in the Ebola virus. Roughly 5,000 people were eligible when those countries joined the list in 2014, including students, tourists and workers whose visas expired, as well as people with failed asylum claims.

Kiatamba said between 200 and 500 of them are still in Minnesota, struggling to plan for their future.

Meanwhile, citizens of Liberia who arrived in the U.S. earlier have been protected under a separate American safeguard since 2007. But the deferred enforced departure, due to the countrys political instability, is set to expire in March 2018. Kiatamba believes more than 10,000 people will be affected.

A good number of people have said that Canada is one option, perhaps the best option, Kiatamba said, adding he knows about 10 people who have crossed into Manitoba.

He said theyve read mixed things online about how to immigrate to Canada or claim asylum, and that many aim to work in factories or nursing homes. They will be an asset to the Canadian society; they wont be a drain or a liability.

He said while Ebola is no longer spreading, West Africas been economically devastated by the disease, leaving people with nothing to return to and no fewer paths toward U.S. citizenship at a time of rising anti-immigrant rhetoric. They dont look at the humanity of people; they see us as a threat, said Kiatamba.

Manitoba groups serving immigrants say theyve encountered mostly people from Somalia and Ghana crossing near Emerson. While Ghana has not been part of the TPS list, Kiatamba said hes heard from Ghanaians intending to reach Canada.

While citizens of Somalia have had a roughly 55 per cent acceptance rate in Canadian refugee hearings, less than half of those seeking asylum from the four West African countries have succeeded.

In Minneapolis, the director of the Somali Education and Social Advocacy Council says the majority of Somalis in the U.S. arrived through programs that grant permanent residency, so few would care about a TPS.

That doesnt mean you wont see a rush of people crossing into Canada from the Somali community, said Abdirizak Bihi, noting, however, those without clear immigration status might get the idea of going to Canada.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services say it will announce whether Somalia continues to meet the statutory conditions for TPS at least 60 days before its Sept. 17, 2018, deadline. Spokeswoman Sharon Scheidhauer said the government looks at each TPS country individually.

Bihi, who hosts radio and television shows for Somalis in Minnesota, said hes not heard of any Canadian government messaging about the countrys asylum system. Ottawa did not respond to Thursday questions about whether it is trying to dissuade people from crossing.

In February, some Somalis in Minneapolis told the Free Press they were considering a move to Canada amid rising anti-immigrant sentiment, with even those on track to gain U.S. citizenship fretting over their future.

Abdikheir Ahmed, director of Immigration Partnership Winnipeg, said media coverage itself could drive Somalis in the U.S. towards Canada, especially with reports of increased deportations.

As soon as this information gets out, then youll likely see people rushing for a place of safety, he said, adding the public should remember Canada has a rigorous system for determining who gets asylum.

When you look at the pressure of refugees on countries, what we see across our border is miniscule, he said. We should not look at ways that deter genuine refugees from seeking protection.

Earlier this week, Reuters news service reported unnamed government sources said the Liberals are worried about an onslaught of Central Americans claiming asylum next fall if the U.S. drops them off the TPS list.

The report did not say which provinces the government would expect people to enter and claim asylum. It claimed Ottawa is particularly worried about an uptick in arrivals a year before the 2019 federal election.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The bright orange sign is the first thing you notice as you approach the Pelican Nest restaurant in Grand Rapids.

Its hard to miss, given the prominent placement on the front door of the popular diner and VLT lounge in this community of about 280, located on the northwestern shore of Lake Winnipeg about 430 kilometres from Winnipeg.

Is it a heads-up about new hours? An alert about employment opportunities?

Band councils cant rule by decree. A band council resolution is a record of a decision made of a duly convened meeting of the band council. In and of itself, its not law, its not an order. The decision isnt enforceable unless theres some law that can be applied.  Winnipeg lawyer Michael Paluk

Not quite.

Barred Out List reads the title in black, bold type. Underneath are the names of eight local citizens. Four of them have the word Life after their names. Three say Until Further Notice. The last one is marked Indefinitely.

Theyre not allowed on the premises at all, Monica, the manager, tells the Free Press. She asks that her full name not be published for fear of potential reprisal from angry locals.

The only problem is, sometimes I dont remember what they look like, but we all work together. Its punishment for them because theres nowhere to go. Were pretty much the only restaurant around. They cant gamble. They cant do nothing.

One by one, we go through the names with Monica. She explains, to the best of her memory, what each person did to earn their place on the list.

He was bugging people all the time, bothering people, swearing. So we cant have him around, she says of one of the until further notice names.

He tried to steal money from the gas bar. I think hes in jail now, she says of another.

He tried to rob the gas bar. Hes a no-good guy, Monica says of one of the lifers.

I really dont remember what he did, but it wasnt very good, otherwise he wouldnt be for life, she explains of another.

Monica has been running the restaurant, which is owned by the Misipawistik Cree Nation, for the past eight years. The band chief and council have the final say about who makes the list, and whether they come off it, she says.

A few names have been removed, and a few new ones have been added, in recent years. Not all are former customers  a handful are former employees.

Weve had people five times on that list. They never learn, she says.

This isnt about bad table manners. Complaining about the food or service, or even walking out without paying, wont get someone barred.

No, the people on the list have done something criminal, regardless of whether they were charged or convicted. However, this isnt a court order being enforced, but rather a civil one.

And in a medieval sort of way, it strikes at the core of who we are.

If you look at the history of humans and society, youll see the exclusion of others from spaces or places or some kind of geographic region is pretty common, says Lorne Neudorf, a Manitoba-born law professor who recently moved to Australia from British Columbia to accept a teaching position.

He has studied the issue for years. His interest was piqued when former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford vowed to banish anyone convicted of a gun crime from continuing to live in the city. It never came to fruition. But the tough talk generated plenty of buzz.

Religious communities have long practised shunning or ex-communicating others, he says.

Private clubs and gyms do it as well.

The idea of excluding others is something we all do to a certain degree. If you have a home and lock your doors, youre excluding others to a certain degree, Neudorf says.

I think our whole society in many ways is really premised on this idea of who are you and are you in the right place. This is like an extension of that.

As a private property or business owner, you have every right to exclude someone  as long as youre not violating their basic human rights by discriminating against a particular class of individuals or a group that may be protected by law, he says.

So in the case of the Grand Rapids restaurant, it can control who is allowed to enter. And while this example is the first of its kind hes heard of, Neudorf likens it to businesses that have posted the names of people who post bad cheques in an attempt to shame them.

The Pelican Nest may be somewhat unique in its approach, but several Indigenous communities in Manitoba, and across Canada, have been issuing banishment orders for decades.

Band council resolutions have been the source of much controversy, and even legal challenges.

Winnipeg lawyer Michael Paluk was involved in a landmark legal challenge in 2001 on behalf of a Norway House man kicked out of that northern community after being charged with possession of marijuana.

Norway House Cree Nation had passed a band council resolution adopting a no-tolerance approach towards drug and alcohol use aimed squarely at the man, Tron Gamblin.

Paluk appealed to the Federal Court, which ruled the band didnt have the legal authority to banish Gamblin.

The whole point of that case was to show band councils cant rule by decree. A band council resolution is a record of a decision made of a duly convened meeting of the band council. In and of itself, its not law, its not an order, Paluk says. The decision isnt enforceable unless theres some law that can be applied.

Despite that court victory 16 years ago, Paluk says such orders continue to be passed and enforced by communities  typically against people who have no ability to hire a lawyer and challenge them.

Unfortunately, I dont think that (2001) decision had much of an impact, Paluk says. I dont think very many people challenge it. I dont think its something, for example, that Legal Aid would cover. I think its just become part of the accepted paradigm.

Paluk no longer works in criminal law, focusing most of his efforts on child protection issues. He questions what would happen if a person banished from a community decided to ignore it.

What should happen? Should police come down and put them in handcuffs and drive them to the end of the reserve and tell them not to come back? he asks.

The person wouldnt be violating any law and therefore, there should be no grounds for arrest or enforcement, he says.

The Free Press put in multiple interview requests to the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak asking for details about the number of band council resolutions passed each year in the province and how they are being enforced.

They did not respond.

Although rare, there are a handful of examples of extreme court-ordered banishments within the criminal justice system.

Earlier this summer, a Newfoundland case made national headlines after a man was kicked out of the province for a year as part of a unique sentence.

Gordie Bishop was exiled following the latest in a long line of convictions for dragging a police officer with a vehicle. His punishment includes a year of probation, which ordered him to move to another province. Bishop told the court he was headed to Alberta, which was met with plenty of anger from those out west.

Closer to home, Manitoba provincial court Judge Marva Smith once banished a domestic abuser from Winnipeg for a year as part of his sentence. He was given 16 months behind bars, followed by a probation order that required him to find a new home after his release.

Smith said at the time she wanted to try to break a seemingly endless cycle of domestic violence by forcing the man into a change of scenery.

Something more than the traditional no-contact order is required, she said in suggesting Brandon or Thompson might be nice places to plant roots. She said the provincial economy was robust and the man should be able to secure a job wherever he settles.

Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press The banishment of a man from Norway House after he was charged with marijuana possession became a landmark legal case in 2001.

On a smaller scale, Canadian courts issue forms of banishment on a daily basis.

Orders to stay away from victims and witnesses, abstain from drugs and alcohol, not attend parks, playgrounds and pools and even avoid certain businesses and neighbourhoods within a community or city are routine in bail and probation orders.

They are typically aimed at protecting the integrity of a case, providing comfort to a victim and trying to push an offender towards rehabilitation.

Ray Wyant, a veteran Manitoba provincial court judge, says hes not a big fan of heavily restrictive or broad sweeping orders that seem destined to fail. He uses examples of a chronic solvent abuser who frequents a certain area and is ordered to stay away or a sex-trade worker forced out of the neighbourhood where she typically works.

The argument is all this really does is push the problem to another area, but it doesnt really solve the issue, he says. They can just set people up for failure and ignore the problem. I think a lot of judges, its fair to say, see those orders as quite inappropriate.

Wyant says the Liquor Control Act used to have a legal provision where judges could banish someone from attending a dry reserve if they had been caught with liquor in the community.

Thats long since been repealed, he says. However, there are provisions under the Petty Trespass Act for a person or business to seek a court order barring someone  with the consequences for breaching being an arrest and charge.

Wyant says the type of banishment orders typically passed by First Nations communities, or the one in effect at the Pelican Nest restaurant, have no force of law.

As for booting someone out of a city or province?

I think an argument could be made it is unconstitutional, Wyant says. What youre doing is sending your problem somewhere else.

Neudorf agrees that a First Nations community giving someone a one-way ticket out without any basis in law is legally dicey but appreciates the reason behind it.

These are often done to try and protect the community and also encourage the person to rehabilitate themselves and maybe change the life pattern theyre stuck in, he says.

Extreme banishment cases such as Bishops in Newfoundland and the Manitoba domestic case are rare and may not pass inspection if challenged in a higher court, he says.

A judge has to think very, very carefully. It requires exceptional facts to justify large-scale banishment, Neudorf says. But judges do, on occasion, remove offenders from communities. It is a tool in the tool kit.

And for a restaurant in Grand Rapids, it has proven to be an effective tool at maintaining law and order while people chow down on eggs and toast.

They wont be back, Monica says of those on her banned list.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @mikeoncrime

WAYNE GLOWACKI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Judge Ray Wyant says First Nations banishments often lack the force of law.
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A sex offender who was caught taking photos of children at a beach while he was on bail for child-luring offences told a judge Friday he likely wouldnt have reoffended if his case hadnt taken so long to get through the court.

David Thomas Pearson, in his mid-30s, was sentenced Friday to five years and nine months in prison on eight criminal charges, including six counts of luring (for posing as a teenage boy online) and requesting nude photos from young girls.

The Winnipeg man was out on bail after pleading guilty to a 2011 luring charge for communicating with a 15-year-old Las Vegas girl he met online while pretending to be a 16-year-old boy named Ethan. He pleaded guilty to that offence in January 2015, but wasnt sentenced until May 2016, when he received a two-year sentence.

In the meantime, in violation of his bail conditions, Pearson purchased a laptop and smartphone and continued to pose as Ethan on an instant-messaging app called Kik and asked girls to send him nude photos.

The illicit online communications only came to light after a concerned parent noticed Pearson taking cellphone photos of children at Nutimik Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park in August 2015. RCMP investigators seized his devices, finding zoomed-in photos of childrens genitals while they were playing on the beach, court heard.

Police couldnt access Pearsons password-protected Samsung smartphone, but while it was in police possession, messages from young girls kept popping up. Police later found Pearson had been communicating with at least six girls in the United States between the ages of 13 and 16, from 2013 until his arrest in 2015. Some of the girls believed Ethan was their online boyfriend, and four had sent him intimate images.

In a victim-impact statement read Friday by Crown prosecutor Debbie Buors, one of the girls said she dropped out of school after the incident and had to stop going to counselling because it became too expensive.

It made me feel less of myself and that I am just an object, she wrote.

Pearson said hearing the victim-impact statement was beneficial for him. If hed heard it sooner, he suggested to the judge, he may have learned from his wrongs.

I can say before this all occurred, I wasnt aware of how the victims would be impacted by my actions, he told provincial court Judge Tim Killeen.

Pearson said he was charged with the first luring offence in 2011 and waited 4 1/2 years for a resolution, culminating in his guilty plea.

If his case had been handled quicker, he said, I probably wouldnt be here before you today, because I wouldve been incarcerated and I wouldve had the opportunity to reflect on what I have done as being negative, hearing the victim-impact statements and learned from my wrongs at that point in time.

Pearson has about four years and eight months left to serve, after being given credit for the time hes already spent in custody. He will be required to register as a sex offender for life.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The organization that runs The Forks has put out a call for local businesses and entrepreneurs with an interest in setting up shop at the proposed Railside mixed-use development planned for the north end of the popular downtown site.

The Forks Renewal Corp. issued an expression of interest on Friday, with a deadline of Sept. 29 for the first intake of applicants. However, the corporation will keep the expression of interest open beyond that date to build up an inventory of interested parties.

Were trying to get a sense of whats out there and who might want to be a tenant in this innovative mixed-use neighbourhood, said Paul Jordan, CEO of The Forks North Portage. Its really to create a database so that when the time comes, we can match up potential main-floor tenants with projects as they come on stream.

SUBMITTED An artists rendering of the proposed development of Railside land at The Forks.

Jordan said Forks officials expect proposals for everything from galleries to gyms and daycares to boutiques.

We want to complement the offering that is already at The Forks, he added.

He noted its unusual for The Forks to be the party lining up potential main-floor tenants for the development. Usually, thats the job of developers.

But, since that main-floor activation and access is so important to us and to visitors at The Forks, we are effectively going to help curate that space.

While the expression of interest is designed to solicit any and all concepts, The Forks Renewal Corp. said the emphasis will be on attracting the best in locally owned and independent businesses, including but not limited to, retail, food and beverage, community uses, recreation and fitness, offices and neighbourhood conveniences.

The Railside at The Forks development is based on a 20-year vision to transform a number of surface parking lots at the north end of the site into a dynamic mixed-used neighbourhood that will include a large public promenade, housing and retail and commercial components. The corporation noted citizen and stakeholder input has been central to the planning process thus far. It said it remains committed to ensuring a high degree of transparency and to engaging the public in a meaningful way as plans for the Railside land evolve.

It said ongoing dialogue on all aspects of the project is encouraged at http://wfp.to/fgW.

murray.mcneill@freepress.mb.ca
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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Police Service cant say whether a 28-year veteran officer will face disciplinary action for giving unbelievable testimony in court to support his friend.

The services professional standards unit is aware of the case involving officer Kevin Pawl, police spokesman Const. Rob Carver confirmed Friday, adding the service is unable to comment on whether there is an investigation.

We do not initiate investigations based on news reports. In a court situation, if an officers conduct is concerning, the Crowns office will contact the WPS (usually via the professional standards unit) and indicate their concerns, based on either Criminal Code issues or regulations, Carver wrote in an email to the Free Press.

John Woods / Winnipeg Free Press Files

He said the professional standards unit, which is responsible for looking into allegations of officer misconduct, was aware of the case not as a result of a Crowns office notification.

Pawl testified in March on behalf of his mechanic, a longtime friend who has since been convicted of child-pornography charges. His testimony supported the accuseds story about how a folder of naked photos of children came to be in his garage.

Pawl told court about a conversation he had with a now-deceased colleague who had said the accused mentioned finding the photos in a used car he bought at auction as far back as 10 years ago.

Manitoba Court of Queens Bench Justice Sadie Bond found it simply unbelievable he would recall what he described as a brief, routine conversation in detail a decade later.

In her decision Thursday convicting the accused on two counts of possession of child pornography, she questioned Pawls credibility because he didnt report his involvement in the case to his supervisors.

There is nothing to say that a police officer cannot or should not testify on behalf of an accused person. Indeed, if he has relevant evidence to give, then he should. But to do so in a serious case where possession of child pornography is alleged without bringing it to the attention of his supervisor or the investigators seems improbable unless you want to keep your involvement quiet. For all these reasons, I do not accept Officer Pawls evidence, she said.

The judges finding a Winnipeg Police Service officer gave unbelievable testimony to support a friend should trigger an assessment about whether criminal charges should be laid, a former deputy attorney general of Manitoba says.

Bruce MacFarlane, who also previously worked as a federal prosecutor and is currently a law professor at the University of Manitoba, said the case is serious enough to warrant further investigation.

A finding like this concerning a police officer is extremely serious and should be referred to the Crown for an assessment on whether charges should be laid, he said.

This is a police officer who is there to enforce the law and will commonly be asked to go to court to testify in a wide variety of cases. Any finding that the officers evidence was unreliable or not truthful is extremely serious because it could bring into question other cases that the officer testified in.

But just because a judge doesnt accept someones evidence doesnt mean perjury charges should be laid, MacFarlane said.

Judges regularly have to assess credibility, and theres a difference in law between truthfulness and reliability of evidence.

Judges have to make those decisions daily, and often theres a he said, she said scenario and you cant assume that perjury charges should be laid in every instance, MacFarlane said.

Perjury charges are extremely rare in Canada, and theyre difficult to prove, he said, because they require evidence to show not only the person was lying, but they were doing it deliberately to mislead the court.

I think that society as a whole is looking at the role of the police in the enforcement of the law and I think thats healthy. I think its healthy for the police service and its healthy for society. This case is a good example where there should be a pretty close examination of what occurred, and if its appropriate, to refer to the Crown, MacFarlane said.

At the time of his testimony during the accuseds trial, Pawl was working in photo enforcement for the traffic division and had been a Winnipeg Police Service officer for 28 years.

He described the accused  who cant be identified as a result of a publication ban meant to protect the identities of his former foster children  as my mechanic and my go-to guy. He said he had been bringing his car to him for repair since 1991.

In his testimony, Pawl recalled a conversation with WPS officer Peter OKane, who died in 2012. Pawl said the conversation happened in a Public Safety Building locker room in 2007 or 2008, when he was working in the child-abuse unit. He said OKane told him the accused had mentioned finding the photos of children in his car.

He told me about these naked pictures and, being in child abuse, I asked him, You know, do you know that these are He interrupted me and he said, Theyre not adults. He says, Theyre kids in various states of undress, Pawl said. And I asked him if there was any sexual acts and he said no. And I asked him if he had the pictures and he said that he gave them back to (the accused) and (the accused) put them back in the car.

Pawl said he told OKane he should have seized the photos and reported them to the RCMP, who had jurisdiction to investigate the accused in West St. Paul. He said he understood OKane would look after it.

OKane never reported the incident to the RCMP, court heard.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @thatkatiemay
Opinion

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This article was published 26/08/2017 (1905 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The torchlit march by armed white supremacists recently in Charlottesville, Va., continues to generate debate about how hate groups should be regulated. Amid growing public pressure following the march, internet companies rushed to remove from their platforms websites espousing violent hate speech.

GoDaddy terminated its domain services to neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, as did Google. Cloudflare, a company that protects websites from online attacks, also banned the hate website from its platform. Russia ordered the site barred from being hosted in the country.

My research and my book Chokepoints: Global Private Regulation on the Internet demonstrate that many internet companies already remove content and ban users voluntarily  that is, in the absence of legislation or any judicial processes. Major intermediaries including Google, PayPal, GoDaddy, Twitter and Facebook voluntarily police their platforms for child sexual abuse content, extremism and the illicit trade in counterfeit goods.

Vice News Tonight / The Associated Press Files Events such as the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. have generated debate over how hate groups should be governed.

Many people understandably applaud these efforts to stamp out hate speech and other objectionable content. However, internet companies efforts as de facto regulators of speech raises serious questions: How should online content be regulated? By whom?

I do not support white supremacists and I am not arguing against some policing of such speech. Rather, I am saying that we need to consider seriously how to regulate online content as the next case may not be as clear-cut.

There are significant problems with relying upon powerful companies to police the internet because their enforcement practices are troublingly opaque and prone to arbitrary interpretation.

Disturbing precedent

In a sobering contrast to the cheering of internet companies for their public opposition to the Daily Stormer, Cloudflares CEO Matthew Prince offered a nuanced, cautionary perspective, warning that withdrawing services from hate groups in response to public pressure sets a troubling precedent in policing online speech.

In a blog post explaining Cloudflares actions against the Daily Stormer, Prince argued that the company considers due process a more important principle than freedom of speech. Due process, he said, means that you should be able to know the rules a system will follow if you participate in that system. This statement aptly captures the inherent problems with intermediaries working as de facto regulators of content and online behaviour.

Earlier this year, Shopify employees and hundreds of thousands of people urged and petitioned the online commerce platform to stop hosting far-right Breitbart Medias internet store. Reinstated executive chairman Stephen Bannon calls Breitbart the platform for the alt-right. The so-called alt-right  a term popularized by Richard Bertrand Spencer  covers a mix of white supremacist, separatist, neo-Nazi, fascist, racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and populist conservative ideologies.

Shopify CEO Tobias Lutke said he was defending free speech as the Ottawa company continued to host Breitbarts online store under threat of employees resigning. After public pressure and a grassroots campaign dubbed #DeleteShopify led to scrutiny that revealed more questionable business, Shopify was forced to adopt an Acceptable use policy.

The contrasting examples of The Daily Stormer and its deletion by internet companies, and Shopifys steadfast support for Breitbart, demonstrate extremes of a dilemma that only promises to intensify.

Arbitrary policies, regulation

Internet intermediaries have the potential to be powerful regulators on a wide variety of issues because they can act swiftly and without court orders. Importantly, they have latitude to censor any content or ban users under their terms-of-service agreements.

PayPal reserves the right to terminate its services to users for any reason and at any time, language that is echoed in most intermediaries service agreements. The capacity for arbitrary regulation is thus baked into intermediaries internal rules.

Prince cautioned that Cloudflares action against the Daily Stormer sets a precedent for intermediaries to police speech without court orders requiring them to do so.

These intermediaries often act at the behest of governments that prefer companies to be the public (but largely unaccountable) face of internet regulation. But those firms are generally ill-equipped to distinguish legality from illegality, causing wrongful takedowns and mistakenly targeting lawful behaviour.

Equally problematic: intermediaries enforcement processes are often opaque as their content moderators arbitrarily interpret their complex, fast-changing internal rules. These problems are compounded by intermediaries growing use of automated tools to identify and remove problematic content on their platforms.

There is also the concern of so-called mission creep when rules first enacted against child abuse or terrorism  noteworthy catalysts for enforcement action  are later applied to other distinctly less-harmful issues, such as the unauthorized downloading of copyrighted content.

Dystopian future is here

Regulatory efforts commonly expand from censoring violent hate speech to other speech that may be considered controversial by some, such as that of Black Lives Matter. As well, governments worldwide regularly pressure intermediaries to censor and track critics and political opponents.

When major intermediaries become go-to regulators responsible for policing content on behalf of governments or in response to high-profile protests, their already considerable power increases. U.S.-based internet companies already dominate many industry sectors, including search, advertising, domain registration, payment and social media. Cloudflares Prince rightly warned that by depending on a few giant networks, a small number of companies will largely determine what can and cannot be online.

This dystopian future is already here.

The takedown of the Daily Stormer undoubtedly makes the world a better place. But do we really want companies like Facebook and Twitter to decide  independently, arbitrarily and secretly  what content we can access and share?

Given these seemingly intractable problems, what can we do? First, we should avoid governing on the basis of protests or media pressure. Instead, we need a clear set of rules to enable intermediaries to respond consistently, transparently and with respect for due process, as Prince recommended.

Governments should clarify the nature of and, importantly, the limitations of intermediaries regulatory responsibilities. Finally, we must stop governing in response to specific crises  so-called fake news, terrorism and hate groups  and instead think critically about how we can and should govern the internet.

Natasha Tusikov is an assistant professor of criminology in York Universitys department of social science.

This article was originally published at TheConversation.ca.
A new report gives a revealing snapshot, through statistics on the largest school system in the US, of the growing poverty and inequality in New York City.

The study, issued last week by the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness (ICPH) and following up on earlier reports, starkly illustrates how, four years after current New York mayor Bill de Blasio ran on the campaign slogan a tale of two cities, that term applies to the US financial and cultural capital more than ever before.

The total of homeless students, defined by the report as those living in shelters or doubled up with friends and family, but also including some living in motels and even a few in family cars, is approximately 100,000, more than 9 percent of the total in the citys public schools for the 2015-2016 school year. When the numbers who are not currently homeless but have experienced homelessness in the past six years are included, the total rises to 140,000. The report points out that this is equal to the population of Syracuse, the fourth-largest city in New York State.

One of the most significant numbers in the study is that for the increase in student homelessness since 201133 percent. This period overlaps almost exactly with the years of the most recent stock market boom, after the financial crash of 2008. During this same period, the construction of luxury and ultra-luxury high rises in Manhattan has continued without pause.

The typical homeless student, according to the report, transfers schools at least twice during the school year; misses 88 days of school, or almost half of the school year; has twice the risk of suspension or being left back a grade; and has half the proficiency scores on 5th grade tests of math and English as his or her fellow students.

The 9.3 percent homelessness rate in the public schools compares to 6.6 percent in charters, the privately run but publicly funded schools that are not legally obliged to take in all students. In addition, amidst continuing luxury construction and gentrification, a growing number of students attend exclusive private schools.

The percentage of students who were homeless ranged from a low of 2.5 percent in Bayside, in eastern Queens, to a high of 20 percent in the Highbridge-Concourse school district, in the west Bronx. Other school districts with high rates of homelessness included Central Harlem; East Tremont, in the Bronx; and Brownsville, in Brooklyn.

A further index of the ongoing and deepening economic crisis is the fact that the percentage of students who were homeless increased in every single school district in the city, including the wealthier ones. In Flushing, Queens, as well as the outer borough of Staten Island, the jump was greatest, more than 39 percent over the period studied.

The results of homelessness were predictable. Twenty-two percent of homeless students transferred schools in the middle of the school year, twice the rate for other students. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 20 days of school or more, was seen in 34 percent of homeless students, compared to 20 percent for other students. For elementary school students, the most vulnerable to instability in school, the comparison was 31 percent to 14 percent in the 2015-2016 school year.

The impact of homelessness on dropout and graduation rates was also noted. Even though the city has made strenuous efforts and had some success in reducing dropout rates and increasing graduation rates in recent years, homeless students dropped out of school at more than twice the rate of students who were not homeless (17 percent vs. 8 percent). Homeless students graduated at a 46 percent rate, compared to 74 percent for other students.

There are some effects of homelessness that cannot be quantified, but emerge in the form of emotional problems and later in more serious depression and other social ills. Families are forced to choose between having their children make two-hour trips to school or having them make the often-difficult and disorienting switch to new schools, where they have no friends and know no teachers. The report quotes one former school principal:

Every six months, its like youre in a new family. Its so destabilizing. One of the biggest problems is that the next housing assignment is not in the same community  if youre going from Rockaway to Staten Island to the Bronx, any kid would really lose it. We would lose it if our home moved every six months and the people we know and trust werent available to us.  It takes several months to gain the trust of a student and to figure out what kind of learning support they need, to put a program in place. By January youre feeling the flow and have figured out what triggers a tantrum or causes the child to run away. Just as you start to figure it all out, the kids are gone.

A social worker explained: One middle school student [age 13] said that traveling from the Bronx to school in Brooklyn caused him to go from an A average in English to a 67 percent due to being late. His younger brother [age 8] really struggled to get up in time to get on the train for school, and he would often fall asleep in class. Last year, his teacher became concerned that he might have a sleep disorder because he was constantly nodding off. He missed out on a lot of valuable classroom instruction and he was moved to a special education classroom.

Another social worker reports, We have a really high population of students that are in temporary housing. I think a lot of students in temporary housing get lost in the cracks, because they are not always seen as homelessbut they are. They are doubled up or constantly moving around from home to home. They might not have adequate furniture or a desk where they are living. Or if Mom gets in a fight with her cousin, they could be out. Its a lot of anxiety and stress for the kids. That comes out in all sorts of ways, behaviorally and academically.

The citys unemployment rate for July was reported as 4.7 percent. The rate has dropped in half since the year or two following the 2008 crash. The persistence and even growth of student homelessness over this same period reflects the deepening impact of the crisis on the working poor and on families with growing children in particular. The jobless rate reflects in part a growing number of workers who have stopped looking for minimum-wage jobs.

There are many families who are simply unable to find apartments at rents they can afford while working at such jobs, which have proliferated in recent years. Even the recently enacted state legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next several years will make hardly any dent in the crisis, under conditions where affordable apartments, which should take no more than one-third of a workers wage, continue to disappear.

De Blasios promise of 200,000 affordable apartments to be created over the next decade, even if it were carried out, is a cruel joke for the hundreds of thousands, including 100,000 students in the public schools, who live either in shelters or doubled up under intolerable conditions today.

Reformist advocates, including the Institute for Children, Poverty and Homelessness, have absolutely no reforms to offer or even to meekly propose. The ICPH report closes with some policy considerations for schools and city authorities, including such pathetic suggestions as learning from collaborations between schools and shelters and understanding the specific challenges of students in shelter who may be traveling long distances to attend school.

This amounts to managing homelessness, which is taken as permanent and inevitable, rather than eliminating or even reducing it. This is where de Blasios worthless promises have led. He and all other Democratic Party politicians represent a system that has nothing to offer, except gentrification and the ever-widening chasm between the super-rich and their upper middle class backers on the one hand and the vast working class majority on the other. Only the independent political struggle of the working class, armed with a socialist program, can tackle the desperate social crisis reflected in student homelessness.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 13:55:03|Editor: ying

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TUNIS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Tunisia has seen improvement in the security situation this year, which has greatly helped the tourism rebound, a senior official told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Leila Tekaia, manager of public relations and communication of Tunisian National Tourism Office (ONTT), said Tunisia has confidence in its current security situation.

"Everything is truly under perfect control now. Efforts have been made in recruiting security agencies, as well as in training and supervising them. Cameras with 24-hour surveillance have been set in tourist resorts, even in the outside archeological sites," she added.

With a history of 3,000 years, Tunisia is rich in tourism resources. However, tourism in the North African country was damaged by three bloody attacks in 2015 which left more than 70 people killed, most of them foreigners.

Some European countries issued warnings for their citizens against traveling to Tunisia.

The attacks caused a heavy blow to Tunisia's tourism sector, which accounted for nearly 7 percent of its GDP before 2015.

After years of confrontations against terrorists, the security situation in Tunisia has improved, and helps attract more foreign tourists this year.

Tunisian military and security institutions have made great efforts to ensure the safety of tourism destinations across the country, Tekaia said.

In the first seven months this year, the number of foreign tourists in Tunisia has reached 3.5 million, up nearly 30 percent compared with the same period of 2016, according to the ONTT.

Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Britain have lifted travel restrictions on Tunisia this year, as the security situation is improved.

It is estimated that the number of European tourists in Tunisia will reach 2 million this year, a 30-percent increase year on year, Tekaia said.

"The environment now is so secure and the security also comes from our Tunisian people. We love festivities, and we love going out with our families and friends, such as enjoying the restaurants and cafes," she said.

"The Tunisian people themselves are also the best way of securing tourists' stay and making them feel safe in our country," she added.
Africa

Kenyan nurses continue their national strike beyond 11 weeks

Kenyas nurses have been out on strike for 11 weeks, with some being paid their wages while others are not. Kenyan public sector workers expect to get their wages paid while on official strike.

Further negotiations are dependent on the reconstituting of the Council of Governors, which is not to take place until September. A new line-up of governors is being selected after the August 8 general election, with several new faces taking their seats.

The nurses continue to strike over a signed collective bargaining agreement, which the previous governors of the 47 states, and the Salary and Remunerations Committee (SRC), continue to refuse to implement.

They are now confronting a regrading process by the SRC where the nurses have been initially categorised as semi-skilled with the participation of the Kenyan National Union of Nurses.

Kenyan tea workers strike for a new wage agreement halted by court order

A strike by Kenyan tea plantation workers has been halted by the Employment and Labour Court order until September 21. Kenyan Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) officials have put off the strike in respect of court procedures.

The strike notice was issued July 31 to take place on August 14 against planters such as Unilever Tea Kenya Limited, James Finlay Ltd, the Kenya Tea Growers Association and Eastern Produce Kenya Ltd.

The tea conglomerates are refusing wage negotiations with around 100,000 tea workers, while the unions have attempted to compel them to go through the courts.

KPAWU is complaining the workers pay and conditions have not changed for four years and want to open negotiations on a belated 2016-17 collective bargaining agreement, to succeed the 2012 CBA.

The union is asking for a 100 percent pay increase and improvements in housing allowances.

Sudanese education workers suspend strike

Sudanese education workers carried out a strike from Thursday last week to Monday this week over education grants. The grants, referred to by education workers as bonuses, are owed to them from June.

A worker speaking to Radio Dabanga said if the education authority does not pay the bonus, an open-ended strike could follow.

The strike took place in a number of schools in West Kordofan state, although workers in several other states are also affected by the non-payment. The promised grant payment from the government was for the end of Ramadan on June 15.

The Union of Education Workers set a deadline of August 31 for the government to pay up, or a further two-day strike would be carried out starting September 10.

Swaziland university staff strike over right to demonstrate

Swaziland university staff at the Southern Africa Nazarene University (SANU) struck for a final day Tuesday after being locked out of their camp compound.

The strike was in response to the lockout, which had the effect of denying them the right to demonstrate at or near their workplace.

The academic staff union, the Swaziland Health Institutions and Allied Workers Union, said that university management has no right to lock them out, and that their action was illegal.

When the strike ended, the union took its grievances to court.

Workers strike at South Africas Reserve Bank over medical subscriptions

Workers responsible for producing banknotes at South Africas Reserve Banks subsidiary are striking to protest unpaid medical subsidies and for a wage claim.

Employees from the South African Banknote Company marched and demonstrated at the Reserve Bank demanding the bank meets its obligations in funding the workforces medical subsidy.

A spokesman for the SASBO union said medical aid was a condition of employment at the company and the company had promised for five years to pay the whole medical aid cover, but continue to pay only half.

The company is offering a 6.6 percent pay offer while workers are demanding 8.8 percent and insisting that the bank addresses the question of unequal pay paid for equal work.

The Reserve Bank said last week that it had enough bank notes to keep it going for a month.

Staff protest at Nigerian university hospital over unpaid wages

This week staff at the Nigerian University Hospital in Imo State picketed the administration entrance in protest over unpaid and half-paid wages.

The 300 demonstrators were organised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) that consists of the Association of Resident Doctors, the Medical and Dental Consultants of Nigeria, the National Association Nurses and Midwives, the Medical Health Workers Union of Nigeria and the National Union of Allied Professionals.

Salaries have been reduced for the last 18 months by 30 percent, it is claimed, without union agreement. Wages have gone unpaid since the end of April.

This persists at the same time as management is paying itself three months salary in advance. According to the JAC chairman, workers have to carry out child delivery by torchlight.

Nurses ordered back to work at Moi Teaching Hospital Kenya

Nurses struck at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Nairobi, Kenya, last Friday. They were sent back to work immediately after the courts threatened to jail and fine the union secretary general.

The Kenyan National Union of Nurses (KNUT) was striking to demand the implementation of their agreed collective bargaining agreement.

The MTRH nurses came out on strike on May 24, but a court order declared the action illegal and they were instructed to return by May 30. The union, until last Friday, had refused to return to work and now the court order is being imposed.

Union secretary general, Seth Panyako, the recently defeated candidate for state governor in the August 8 elections, is taking advice from his lawyer and has sent the nurses back to work to avoid a N200.000 (US$550) fine or six-month jail sentence.

The MTRH strike is separate from the Kenyan nurses national strike as the MTRH is treated as an independent parastatal.

Europe

UK rail union to ballot members over extending DOO dispute to Greater Anglia

Train conductors employed by Greater Anglia are to be balloted, with a view to industrial action, over the private rail franchises intention to impose DOO (driver only operated) trains.

Conductors, who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers union (RMT) and train divers have been battling rail franchises Merseyrail, Northern and Southern, in some cases for over a year, on a region by region basis.

DOO, which already operates on a third of UK trains, has the aim of eliminating the role of the conductor, threatening 6,000 jobs, and compromising passenger safety.

In response to Greater Anglias attempts to claim conductors jobs would be safe, RMT general Secretary Mick Cash said, The union remains available for further talks around the crucial issue of the guard guarantee.

Wigan refuse workers vote to strike over proposed shift pattern changes

Refuse workers employed by Wigan Council in North West England are to strike next Thursday, followed by a six-day overtime ban, to protest shift pattern changes as part of a 2 million cuts package.

From September 25 bin collections will change from a two to three-week rota. The Unison union says the council has plans to introduce 11-hour shifts from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., without notice. Workers will also be expected to do Christmas shifts that are normally worked by volunteers.

Staff have already been hit by job losses and a four-day working week.

Refuse collectors do a job that is already very demanding physically. An 11-hour shift spent continually walking, working outdoors in all weathers, is physically exhausting and detrimental to health.

Ford workers in Wales vote for industrial action

Workers have voted 52.1 percent in favour of strike action against the feared closure of Fords car plant in Bridgend, Wales.

In March, workers balloted by 71.9 percent to strike in defence of jobs, with 1,160 jobs at risk according to the Unite union.

Last September, the American car giant said it intended to reduce the level of investment from a planned 181 million to 100 million. Production of its new generation of petrol engines made in Bridgend is also to be halved.

The Unite union have approached the company to seek a resolution to this situation.

Unite sell out refuse workers strike in Birmingham

Refuse workers in Birmingham, England face clearing a rubbish backlog after the Unite union called off a two-month-long strike after negotiating a sell-out deal with the council.

The council is seeking to restructure the refuse collection service, threatening the loss of around 120 jobs and pay cuts of up to 5,000.

While the jobs of grade three workers, responsible for safety at the back of refuse vehicles, will not be immediately at risk, the union has agreed to a five-day working week to replace the current four-day week.

Unite suspends British Airways cabin crew strike

The Unite union have called off the long-running dispute by cabin crew at British Airways.

Writing to British Airways boss Alex Cruz, Unites general secretary Len McCluskey said the following: You will be aware that we have not issued any further notice for strike action, which will currently end on 30 August.

This is in order to create a pause for peace so that our respective teams can get around the table with a view to securing a mutually accepted resolution to the current dispute.

The workers are fighting poverty wages, and punitive sanctions imposed on about 1,400 colleagues involved in previous industrial action.

UK: Pilots at Thomas Cook Airlines vote for strike action

Pilots at UK holiday firm Thomas Cook voted by 80 percent to strike in pursuit of a pay increase of 10.7 percent. The company has offered just 1.5 percent, on top of an annual increment of 1.8 percent.

Workers are also asking to fly business class when travelling between connecting flights.

Four hundred out of the 560 Thomas Cook pilots are members of Balpa (British Airline Pilots Association).

UK Offshore catering workers reject pay offer

Catering workers in the UK oil offshore industry have rejected another pay offer by their employers, the same one the workers, who are employed by firms who are in the Caterers Offshore Trade Association (COTA), turned down in February.

The association, comprising the Aramark, Compass, Sodexo, Entier and Trinity companies, made a pay offer, but subsequently withdrew it saying the oil industry cannot afford it.

Workers voted by 74 percent to strike after a previous wage agreement in 2015 was reneged on and the February offer was withdrawn. While the associations employees have not had a rise for two years, other workers in the industry have seen an increase.

Construction workers, who are members of Unite, GMB and the RMT, are also being balloted on industrial action in connection with their terms and conditions.

Theatre staff strike Warrington Hospital in England over pay and patient safety

Theatre staff at Warrington hospital in the town in North West England struck last Friday and on Monday morning. More action is planned as part of a four-year dispute with the Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

The Trust wants to impose new rotas, which will mean reduced numbers of staff working night duty and weekends, as well as pay cuts. Fewer operations will be carried out as a consequence.

Cineworld staff to ballot for industrial action against threatened job losses

Siptu trade union members at the Cineworld Complex on Parnell street, Dublin, are to ballot for strike action over redundancies. Employers intend to restructure supervisory and management positions, which will result in job losses.

A Siptu spokesman said the ballot for industrial action was due to the management attempt to implement compulsory redundancies without consultation with the workers union.

Disabled Romanian workers demonstrate

Disabled Romanian workers demonstrated on Tuesday in the countrys capital, Bucharest, against a decree that will put them out of work. Around 200 workers demonstrated with slogans declaring, We want to work, not beg.

The government of Prime Minister Mihai Tudose has passed a law removing the responsibility of companies with less than 50 workers to employ workers who are disabled.

Railway workers on hunger strike in Georgia

A Georgian railway worker was hospitalised a day after declaring he would go on hunger strike on August 16, in response to being relocated.

Two railway workers protested at the relocation as they were not to be reimbursed for travelling costs or given living away allowances.

Several other rail workers joined the dispute and around 50 supporters joined a demonstration outside Georgia Railways in the countys capital, Tbilisi.

The presidents parliamentary secretary has offered to mediate.

Middle East

Egyptian textile workers end strike

Textile workers at the Egyptian Spinning and Weaving Company in Mahalla city, Gharbiya, went back to work August 20 with the union saying it will hold off on further negotiations.

Six thousand textile workers came out August 5, followed by a further 10,000, demanding improved wages and benefits and the payment of delayed bonuses, plus promotions and a share of company profits.

The minister of the Public Business Sector said the minimum wage would be implemented and bonuses would be paid to workers according to the law.

In regards to workers demands, he said that discussions had taken place with the company management. The union promised that the workforce would work to recover company losses suffered due to the strike.
On August 22, police shot and killed Kiwi Herring, a black transgender woman with three children, ages 4, 7 and 8.

At about 8:00 a.m., police responded to calls about a stabbing. According to police, officers at the scene discovered an unidentified victim with severe lacerations to his face, arms and torso. The victim identified the suspect who stabbed him and told police the suspect was next door.

According to St. Louis Police Chief Larry OToole, when officers encountered Herring she took a kitchen knife and slashed at the officers, slicing the one officer on the arm. The officer and his partner both opened fire on Herring, striking her several times.

The injured officer was treated at a local hospital and released. Herring was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police also arrested Herrings 28-year-old spouse. According to police, she had some involvement in the assault of the first stabbing victim.

We dont know why those charges have been filed, said Crevonda Nance, Herrings sister-in-law. Were trying to get a lawyer.

Herrings relatives blame excessive force by law enforcement and a homophobic neighbor for her death. Kiwi was harassed and executed and its a horrible feeling.

The neighbor was homophobic and made fun of her, Nance said. We couldnt understand why he was so angry and why he cared about Kiwis sexual orientation.

Dozens of relatives and friends gathered on the streets outside Herrings apartment Tuesday night for a candlelight vigil. Later, a group of about 50 people reportedly protested in the streets, joined by Nance. She and the others questioned whether police had targeted the correct aggressor in the dispute.

Three protesters suffered minor injuries when they were struck by a vehicle attempting to drive through the demonstration. The driver, Mark Colao, 59, has been charged with a felony of resisting arrest, and lesser charges of careless and imprudent driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

The incident came approximately two weeks after a car was driven into a crowd of protesters demonstrating against a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Tuesday's shooting was the sixth fatal officer-involved shooting in St. Louis since May.

 On May 10, Robin White was shot and killed by an officer after pointing a gun at police.

 On May 26, Jamie Robinson threatened to harm police and commit suicide and was fatally shot by an officer during an exchange of gunfire at his home.

 On June 7, SWAT officers shot and killed Isaiah M. Hammett, who police said opened fire on them with an AK-47 as they tried to execute a search warrant at a home.

 On June 13, an off-duty officer fatally shot a man, Chazz Brown, attempting to rob a gas station after the officer identified himself to the man as police and the man shot at him.

 On July 20, Isiah O. Perkins, who fled from a stolen vehicle being pursued by police, was fatally shot by an officer after he pointed a gun at police.

Nationally, at least 792 people have been killed by police so far this year, according to a tally kept by killedbypolice.net. Fifteen police killings were recorded in the five days between Monday August 21 and Friday August 25, averaging three killings every day.

On Monday, there were two unrelated police shootings in Wisconsin. As is typical in most cases of police violence, few details have emerged and only the police version of events has been publicized.

Tyler Whitmer, a 22-year-old Marine, was shot and killed by a Kewaunee County sheriffs deputy in the Town of Franklin. Police officials claimed that Whitmer, who was a white man, had been threatening people with a knife before the sheriffs arrived and gunned him down. Police are withholding dash-cam video of the incident.

Across the state, in Pardeeville, Columbia County, Sheriffs officers killed 64-year-old Thomas Selje while responding to a call of a domestic incident. According to police officials, Selje opened fire on the deputies forcing them to shoot back, striking him dead.
Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast late Friday night bringing a combination of heavy rain, life-threatening storm surges, flooding and strong winds. The National Weather Service in Houston warned that the storm could leave swaths of Southern Texas uninhabitable for weeks or months.

The storm was a Category Two hurricane Friday morning, but was bumped up a level to Category Three by the afternoon, and a Category Four by evening when it made landfall. At approximately 10 PM local time, Harvey made landfall near Rock Port, Texas, just 30 miles northeast of Corpus Christi, the heart of Texas oil refining industry with a metro area population of nearly 450,000.

President Donald Trump signed an order declaring Texas a disaster area shortly after the storm made landfall, opening up federal resources to assist with the response to damage from the high winds and rain.

Meteorologists are predicting as much as 35 inches, or nearly 89 centimeters, of rain. To put this figure in perspective, the expected rain amounts to nearly an entire years worth for these coastal Gulf cities. Life-threatening storm surge waters are expected to reach anywhere from 6 to 12 feet above ground level. Catastrophic flooding and 100-plus mile per hour winds are expected in many areas.

Storm preparations began for much of the Texas coast starting on Wednesday with warnings issued to people and businesses in the areas expected to be hit the hardest. The Coast Guard announced Thursday it would be sending shallow-depth vessels to Texas and Louisiana that are capable of responding in flooded urban areas, and also ordered a nearly total closure of ports in Houston, Texas City, Galveston, Freeport and Corpus Christi.

While most preparations are going forward more or less as usual, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs Border Protection (CBP) have strayed from previous hurricane protocol by keeping its immigration checkpoints in Texas open in spite of the storm. Were not going to impede anybody getting out of here, but at the same time were a law enforcement agency, so we still have to conduct our duties, said CBP official Roberto Rodriguez.

During Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Isaac in 2012 ICE and CBP temporarily suspended enforcement measures during evacuations which could compel many families of immigrants to risk their lives staying behind instead of evacuating for fear of deportation.

As of Friday, governors had declared a State of Emergency in 30 counties in Texas and statewide for Louisiana. Texas officials announced mandatory evacuations for seven coastal counties: Calhoun County, San Patricio County, Refugio County, Brazoria County, Jackson County, Victoria County and Matagorda County. In four of those countries, officials warned those who chose to stay behind that their rescue could not be guaranteed. Voluntary evacuations have been issued for residents in other areas. At least eight million people total are under hurricane warnings for the storm.

Louisiana could also get 10 to 15 inches of rain. Flood warnings are in effect for Louisiana and northern Mexico. The storm poses a more acute threat in the city of New Orleans which has a drainage system teetering on the edge of collapse. Last week a storm which brought ten inches of rainfall within three hours led to hundreds of homes, businesses and automobiles being flooded out in low-lying neighborhoods.

With more rain and thunderstorms expected through the weekend and a drainage system that is now barely functional, the city is bracing for a potential repeat of last weeks flooding, which itself followed severe flooding in late July. Louisianas Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, has declared a state of emergency for New Orleans lasting through the end of the month and into September.

Harvey is the first major hurricane to hit the US in twelve years. Meteorologists are comparing it to Hurricane Bret, which hit Texas on August 22, 1999 in Kenedy County, just south of Corpus Christi. Central Kenedy County received more than 15 inches of rain over two days during the storm, doing about $88 million in damage in 2017 figures. Four people died in the storm.

Most of the local politicians have gone through the typical protocol for dealing with such disasters. For his part, President Trump confirmed on Twitter that he had spoken with the governors of Texas and Louisiana, saying his administration is closely monitoring the storm and will assist as needed. In another tweet, the president said he had been briefed by officials from the Department of Homeland Security and FEMA as well as other top members of his cabinet.

All proclamations from the White House to assist communities in the aftermath of natural disasters ring hollow since the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 which serves as the most horrific example of natural disasters turned man-made disasters in recent memory. The fallout caused by the complete incompetence and callous indifference of the political establishment in the aftermath of the storm killed at least 1,800 people across five states. One million people were displaced from their homes and forced to move to cities throughout the region.
For more than two years after Columbia University erupted in protest in the spring of 1968, U.S. college campuses were the scene of many violent demonstrations, building occupations, police busts and temporary campus closings. Now, recent events in Charlottesville, Va., suggest that the nation appears to be on the verge of a new era of protest, this time on our streets and in the parks of major cities. Though nearly 50 years have passed, the pattern that emerged in 1968-70 could be the template for what we are about to witness over the next few years.

All around the nation in 1968-70, college students were becoming more and more hostile to the war in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. A huge earlier protest, at Berkeley in 1964-5, dealt with campus regulations, but by 1968 student hostility focused on the war. Gradually students shifted their hostility to symbols of the war on campus, such as research institutes doing work for the Department of Defense and ROTC programs. The most militant studentsnever more than a small minorityjoined the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and sharply escalated these protests. ROTC buildings at various campusincluding Kent State and Harvardwere set afire. And beginning at Columbia, students took the equally disruptive step of occupying administration buildings and rifling their files. In the spring of 1969, I saw this happen at Harvard.

The occupations never commanded the support of a majority of the student body. At Harvard, the occupation had not even been voted for by the majority of the SDS chapter. But the occupations triggered a response from school authorities, who summoned the police (and on some campuses, the National Guard) to remove the occupiers. They often did so violently. That, invariably, turned the bulk of the student bodywho felt that the SDS was on the morally right side of the great issues of the day, even if they disagreed with their tacticsagainst the administration. Broader protests often led to the shutdown of universities for days or weeks.

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The events in Charlottesville illustrate how something similar might happen today, as the response to the actions of relatively small militant groups draws in a wider section of the population.

The sparking incident in Charlottesvillethe removal of Confederate monumentsis not new. It was months ago that Mayor Landrieu of New Orleans made the case for their removal by explaining that there is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it, and declaring frankly that the Confederates were on the wrong side of history and of humanity. (Personally, though an appeal to history is sometimes used to argue for keeping them, as a historian I believe that the removal is long overdue.) But these monuments are still an emotional issue for both right-wing extremist groups and a broader group of white southerners as well.

Extremist groups, including the KKK, gathered in Charlottesville to oppose the removal of Lees statue from the park. In responsecriticallyliberals of all kinds decided to demonstrate as well. An initially non-violent battle for the control of Charlottesvilles streets led to fighting between the two groups of demonstrators, and the Charlottesville government canceled the right-wing march. But the counterdemonstration continued and a car took the life of Heather Heyer. The man charged as the driver has been described by a former teacher as an admirer of Adolf Hitler. President Trumps response to the incident created a huge controversy, and his statements in support of keeping Confederate monuments standing can only encourage more marches by right wing groups.

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Marches and countermarches, some of them related to other Confederate monuments but many not, are now being planned all over the country. The possibilities for outbreaks of considerably worse violence are endless, and the marches cannot be stopped without declaring some sort of state of emergency, locally, or even nationally. Meanwhile, new controversies are sure to erupt over attempts to bring rioters to justice. Just as in the past, protests and counterprotests can escalate each other.

The experience of the late 1960s does not hold out much hope for how this cycle might end.

Two things stopped the university protests then: many universities essentially joined the protests, and the war faded from view. In the spring of 1970, after Nixon invaded Cambodia and four students were killed by National Guardsmen at Kent State, college administrations joined the side of the protesters, pre-emptively shutting down their institutions, canceling their exams and telling their students to use the time to protest against the war. But by the next year the U.S. combat role in Vietnam was almost over and draft calls were down. There were no serious campus protests when Nixon escalated the air war again in May 1972.

This time, however, the protests are not about a policy that might be modified or abandoned. Even if all of the statues are removed, we will still be divided by conflicting views of our identities as Americansviews that also divide our two major political parties. We might resolve this crisis by uniting in some great common enterprise to accomplish a critical task, as we did in the era of Franklin Roosevelt. On Wednesday, President Trump appealed to unity at a speech in Reno, Nev., but it is not easy to imagine what that task that might produce such a result might be  especially when, just the night before, he had rallied his supporters by attacking his opponents, and when he remains focused on a highly controversial wall.

We apparently lack the elements that brought the cycle of protest to an end in the 1970s. Barring unforeseen events, we may simply have to wait for our current conflict to burn itself out, leaving the quest for unity to a new generation.

Historians explain how the past informs the present

David Kaiser, a historian, has taught at Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, Williams College, and the Naval War College. He is the author of seven books, including, most recently, No End Save Victory: How FDR Led the Nation into War. He lives in Watertown, Mass.
Danielle Macdonald in Patti Cake$. (Fox Searchlight)

Patti Cake$ is the type of film that can live or die on its lead performance. It follows Patti Dombrowksi, a white, overweight bartender from downtrodden New Jersey who dreams of being hip-hops Next Big Thing. The wannabe star, who goes by Killa P, is no parody. Youve gotta believe in her, root for her, and most importantly, buy into her.

Luckily for writer-director Geremy Jasper, he found Danielle Macdonald  a now-26-year-old Australian who barely knew a lick about the genre and was completely nonmusical when the filmmaker fell in love with her for the part in 2014.

Macdonald is nothing like Dombrowksi in real life, all the more reason her revelatory turn in the Sundance hit, which recalls similar rap-centric underdog tales like 8 Mile and Hustle and Flow, should be applauded. Its also why youre guaranteed to see more of the actress in the coming years, like in the comedy Dumplin, which shes currently filming alongside Jennifer Aniston.

Here are $even things we learned about the Patti Cake$ star over a recent lunch in Los Angeles.

As mentioned above, shes Australian. This bears repeating because if Patti Cake$ is your introduction to Macdonald, which it likely is, youd never know it. The Sydney native absolutely nails the blue-collar northern Jersey accent of Bergen County, and her natural brogue has been surprising viewers since the film bowed. During an audience Q&A following the Sundance premiere, I was so nervous, and I got asked a question and I started talking, and all of the sudden there were whispers throughout, like really loud whispers, Macdonald recalled. I was worried I did something wrong. And then Geremy, our director, was like, Theyre realizing youre Australian. And I was like, Oh yeah, that.'

Shes the first one in her family to go into showbiz. Macdonalds father works in shipping, and her mother is an accountant. None of my family is in the industry, she said. But I watched movies like an insane person when I was a child. I used to make my dad stop at the video store every time we drove past it, and you had to drive past the video store to get to our house. Though she was already competing in swimming, water polo, and gymnastics, she caught the acting bug in eighth grade and started taking classes. Then I had to decide between gymnastics and acting and I was like well, Im not trying to be a gymnast,' she said. By 10th grade she had made up her mind that she wanted to be an actor.

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Danielle Macdonald at the premiere of Patti Cake$. (Getty Images)

She came to Hollywood young but lost her first gig. Macdonald had an agent in Australia for three years during high school but couldnt book any auditions. I just didnt fit the mold there, she said. So she, along with a group of other aspiring Aussie actors, attended a casting workshop in Los Angeles. She soon landed her first stateside audition  for the ABC Family drama Huge  and booked the role. It was a major high  followed by a major low: Macdonald couldnt take the job because she couldnt secure a travel visa in time. Looking back, though, in a way I am glad because its a little too easy to kind of come out at a young age and have a guaranteed 10 episodes, she said. Its different coming out here and trying and failing. And I think you have to try and fail a little bit because you learn how badly you want it.

Her first credit came in a short directed by Rachel Weisz. Three months after losing out on Huge, she landed a part as a grocery store cashier in a short called The Thief, directed by the Oscar-winning actress Weisz and starring Joel Edgerton and Rosemarie DeWitt. I was kind of freaking out, because I had never done this, she said of professional acting. What if I just moved halfway across the world and I dont even like it? And then I went on set and had one of the best days of my life. So I realized Im doing this forever. Gigs in the TV hit Glee (she played Girl No. 1 in the 2011 episode Born This Way), the Clark Gregg-directed comedy Trust Me, and the Diane Lane-Elizabeth Banks thriller Every Secret Thing soon followed, not to mention one-off appearances on shows like Pretty Little Liars, 2 Broke Girls, and American Horror Story.

Watch the PBNJ music video from Patti Cake$:

Macdonald was involved in Patti Cake$s development from the beginning. Jasper was selected to participate in the 2014 Sundance Directors Lab, where filmmakers are given the opportunity to finesse their scripts alongside industry professionals. The young filmmakers are permitted to bring three actors with them to Utah to workshop the projects, and Jasper tapped Macdonald as well as costars Bridget Everett (a comedian best known for Inside Amy Schumer) and Siddharth Dhananjay (a parody rapper discovered by Jasper on Worldstarhiphop). All three would end up in the film (with Everett playing Pattis mom, Barb, and Dhananjay playing her best friend, Jheri), which Macdonald believes is a first for the Sundance labs.

She got the Robert Redford bump. Jasper and Macdonald gelled during the Sundance lab after she learned and performed three rap songs hed written, an impressive feat given her lack of musical background. But it was still unknown whether the film would secure financing, especially with an unknown lead. Macdonald pictured the role going to a more established actor: Just generally any name that could fit the role. There arent a ton of them, but you can kind of imagine, she said, which had us imagining Macdonalds countrywoman Rebel Wilson. But I was really lucky because [Sundance Film Festival creator] Robert Redford was at the labs and he told Geremy afterwards, You have to cast her.'

She listened to loads of rappers while prepping  just not Iggy Azalea. To prep for the rhyme-dropping role of Patti Dombrowksi, Macdonald learned the lyrics and practiced the intonations of hip-hop musicians like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, Big Pun, and Action Bronson. And I did Kendrick Lamar, which was just stupid for me to even attempt, she said, laughing. Macdonald said shes often asked if she studied Ozs most famous emcee, Iggy Azalea. She was the one that I never listened to, the actress admitted. Because shes Australian and I didnt want to hear someone rapping like that  I needed to stay far away from that just in case.

Patti Cake$ is now in select theaters. Watch the trailer:





Read more on Yahoo Movies:
A suicide bomber and gunmen disguised in police uniforms attacked a Shiite mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul Friday, killing at least 14.

It comes just one day after the top U.S. military commander in the country vowed to crush the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and urged the Taliban to join peace talks.

Reuters reported the suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate of a mosque in the in the north of the city as other attackers stormed the building. The mosque was packed with worshippers for Friday prayers. At least two policemen were killed and eight wounded in the blast and ensuing fighting, the Afghan Ministry of Interior said.

Read More: As Trump Announces Troop Surge, Here Are Six Blunders the U.S. has Made in Afghanistan

Witnesses at the scene said the assailants threw grenades. Police officials said a suicide bomber detonated himself at the gate.

Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, ISIS has regularly targeted Afghanistans Shiite Hazara minority importing its tactics of stoking sectarian violence as it has done in Iraq and Syria.

The assault comes less than 24 hours after Donald Trumps top military commander in Afghanistan vowed to expunge ISIS and al-Qaeda from the country. Speaking in Kabul following a surge in troops numbers announced by the president Tuesday, General John Nicholson also told reporters the Taliban could not expect a military victory in the country.

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REUTERS/ Omar Sobhani

The Taliban cannot win on the battlefield, its time for them to join the peace process, he said. We will not fail in Afghanistan, our national security depends on that as well.

The United States has fought its longest ever war against the Taliban in Afghanistan since the 2001 invasion. The group also launched an attack in the hours following Nicholsons speech.

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The Associated Press reported the Taliban have attacked a security outpost in southern Kandahar province, the insurgents former heartland, killing four members of the Afghan Army. The assault was repulsed by the security forces with the help of the Afghan Air Force.

After months of high-level meetings the Trump administration has indicated that the expansion of the military campaign will see an additional 4,000 U.S. troops deployed alongside the approximately 8,000 already in the country. In his speech outlining the surge, Trump railed against an exit from Afghanistan, despite criticizing Barack Obama for failing to take the U.S. out of the country.

Trump said more troops were required to close spaces that allow extremist groups to thrive.

"The consequences of a rapid exit are both predictable and unacceptable," he said. "A hasty withdrawal would create a vacuum that terrorists, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, would instantly fill."

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A Georgia woman who was prohibited from boarding an American Airlines flight Wednesday because of her oxygen tank claimed she was unable to get home. Betty Lewis told local news that she was stuck in St. Louis after the airline refused to let her get on her flight and went as far as to suggest she spend hundreds of dollars on a different tank that she cannot afford.

Lewis told Fox-affiliate KTVI that she was able to board a United Airlines flight Aug. 10 from Atlanta to Chicago but was unable to continue to get back home after attempting to board on American Airlines. The news station identified Lewis as oxygen tank dependent.

They told me that I could not take it on with me! Lewis said. That I could not board the plane with oxygen on. Im like, you got to be kidding me.

Reached for comment by International Business Times, the airline said that the type of oxygen tank that Lewis uses is not permitted on flights, as per Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.

This type of oxygen tank is not permitted on any commercial aircraft under federal regulations. This is not an airline policy, but set by the FAA, an American Airlines representative told IBT. She did not fly to St. Louis on American  so I cant speak to why she was permitted to fly with the oxygen.

The airline did not provide any other details to IBT about how the incident was handled.

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Photo: RHONA WISE/AFP/Getty Images

KTVI said it reached out to United Airlines about why Lewis had been able to board a flight if her oxygen tank fell outside of FAA regulations and was reportedly forwarded to the carriers policy.

Lewis was in St. Louis after traveling by car from Chicago to visit her aunt, she said. She was scheduled to fly home from St. Louis Lambert International Airport before her plans were foiled. American Airlines provided her with hotel accommodations for the evening, and she was told to return Thursday to make other flight arrangements. However, Lewis was told upon returning that she should purchase a tank that can cost up to $400.

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Lewis said that she cant afford a flight with another carrier, and it was not clear Friday whether she had been able to get home.

American Airlines has made headlines in recent weeks for several other incidents. The airline is presently facing a lawsuit by from a woman who claims one of the carriers flight attendants deliberately destroyed her wedding dress. In a separate incident, a man was served what he described as the worst meal Ive ever been offered in a premium cabin after ordering a lobster roll. The airline later told IBT the meal was not up to its standards and issued an apology.

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A now-extinct dwarf dolphin whose name means "weaponless-snouted strange face" may have once used its toothless mouth to suck up fish and squid, a new study finds.

The finding suggests that modern dolphinsand whales developed bizarre forms of feeding within only a few million years after they evolved, the researchers said.

Divers hunting for shark teeth found the skull fossil of a dolphin at the bottom of the Wando River near Charleston, South Carolina. Based on the layers of sandy limestone in which the bone was discovered, the scientists determined that the fossil is about 28 million to 30 million years old. [Deep Divers: A Gallery of Dolphins]

The size of the fossil suggests that this extinct dolphin was a dwarf species. It may have measured up to about 4 feet (1.2 meters) long and weighed 100 lbs. (45 kilograms), said study lead author Robert Boessenecker, a vertebrate paleontologist at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Back when this dwarf dolphin lived, it shared the sea with scallops, barnacles and coral, as well as sharks, bony-toothed birds, swordfish that reached up to about 30 feet (9 m) long, and a wide variety of whales and dolphins, "including giant predatory 'shark-toothed dolphins,'" Boessenecker said. This newfound species "would have been an easy target" for many of these sharks, dolphins and whales, he added.

The researchers named the extinct dolphin species Inermorostrum xenops; "Inermorostrum" means "weaponless snout" in Latin, and "xenops" means "strange face" in Greek.

The dwarf dolphin's name refers to its short, toothless snout. It has the shortest jawbone of any known living or extinct cetacean, the group that includes dolphins and whales, the researchers said.

The scientists suggested that I. xenops likely adapted to feed via suction, just as many other suction-feeding cetaceans, such as tusked narwhals, did. "Inermorostrum must have fed on predominantly soft-bodied prey items," Boessenecker said. "Perhaps fish small enough to swallow, as well as soft-bodied invertebrates  squid, octopus, sea cucumbers. These sorts of critters would have been easily suctioned up off the seabed."

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Enlarged holes in the snout of the skull suggest that this dwarf dolphin may have had large, fleshy lips, or perhaps whiskers. These features may have helped it root for food in the seafloor, the researchers said.

The last common ancestor of modern cetaceansevolved about 36 million years ago and was likely a long-snouted, toothed predator, according to the study researchers. The fact that this highly specialized, toothless dwarf species evolved within only about 5 million years of the origin of modern cetaceans "is astounding," Boessenecker said.

I. xenopsis the sixth known example of toothlessness in cetaceans and only the 11th known case of toothlessness in mammals, the researchers said. The fact that such a specialized form of feeding originated early in cetacean evolution suggests that "dolphins have a long history of being adaptable and experimenting with new behaviors," Boessenecker said.

In the future, Boessenecker will analyze other whale and dolphin fossils from South Carolina. "Many more strange and fantastical species await naming and illumination," he said.

The scientists detailed their findings online Aug. 23 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

Originally published on Live Science.

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By Jake Spring BRASILIA (Reuters) - President Michel Temer defended his opening of a vast Amazon area to mining, responding to criticism from lawmakers, environmental groups and supermodel Gisele Bundchen that it threatened the world's largest rainforest. Earlier this week, Temer abolished the National Reserve of Copper and Associates (Renca) that had protected roughly 17,800 square miles (46,000 square km), an area larger than Denmark, from mining since 1984. The reserve in northern Amapa and Para is thought to be rich in copper, gold, iron ore and other minerals. Preserving the rainforest is seen as vital to countering climate change, given the Amazon's role in soaking up carbon emissions, environmentalists say. If mining is allowed to go forward, it could cause the biggest ever legally sanctioned destruction of the Amazon, Randolfe Rodrigues, a senator from Amapa state, told Reuters. Temer's office issued a statement late Thursday saying these concerns were overstated and allowing legal mining there would help combat illegal exploration. "Renca is not a paradise, as some would wrongly like to make it appear," the statement said. "Today, unfortunately, the territories of the original Renca are subject to the degradation caused by illegal gold miners, which besides plundering national wealth, are destroying nature and polluting waterways with mercury." Rodrigues, of the opposition Rede party led by former presidential candidate and environment minister Marina Silva, has proposed a measure in the Senate to block the president's decree. He hopes to rally public support for the measure and plans to file public interest lawsuits with federal courts in Amapa and Para states to block the decree from being executed. Renca was established by decree, making it difficult to argue Temer abolishing the area by decree was unconstitutional, said Izabella Pardinho, an environmental lawyer at Bichara Advogados based in Rio de Janeiro. Other legal grounds could support a case in the public interest, she said. "Shame! They are auctioning our Amazon! We cannot destroy protected areas for private interests," Bundchen wrote in a tweet. In June, Temer said in a tweet to Bundchen he would veto a measure to separately reduce protections of a different national forest after she criticized the move. He later supported a compromise to reduce the protected area by a lesser amount than originally proposed. Temer's office said any mining would need to comply with strict federal licensing requirements that provide environmental protection. The abolition of Renca does not lift other protections for native vegetation, nature conservation areas and indigenous land in the area. According to a 2010 government report, 69 percent of the Renca area in Amapa state is subject to other protections. Merely allowing mining near protected areas could generate conflict and put them under threat, WWF and Greenpeace said in statements. "The measure will accelerate the arrival of infrastructure and people for mining activities in areas of native forest, reproducing in the region the same lack of governance that permits the advance of deforestation and land grabs (elsewhere) in the Amazon," Greenpeace said. (Reporting by Jake Spring; Editing by Andrew Hay)
Photo taken on Aug. 26, 2017 shows the mosque which was attacked by militants at the site of an attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of an attack at a mosque on Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan has risen to 13 while 38 others were wounded, Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

Among the killed, 10 were worshippers and three were police personnel, while 30 civilians and eight policemen were injured during the clashes, Danish said in a statement.

The attack came when two suicide bombers stormed a Shiite mosque during Friday prayers at around midday in the northern area of Kabul.

According to Danish, some 107 worshippers were rescued by special operation police forces.

The counter-attack and rescue operation ended late Friday.

The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
Brussels (AFP) - Islamic State jihadists on Saturday claimed the knife attack against patrolling soldiers a day before in Brussels, an assault that came just hours before a sword-wielding assailant wounded police outside London's Buckingham Palace.

The knifeman in Brussels, who hurt a soldier on Friday in what authorities said was an "attempted terrorist murder", was shot dead, while police in London overpowered a man who injured three unarmed officers outside the royal residence with a four-foot (1.2-metre) blade.

The 26-year-old man in the London violence has been arrested under the Terrorism Act, which allows for 14 days of pre-charge detention, and is being held at a police station in the British capital.

The two attacks come as much of Europe is on high alert following a string of deadly assaults over the past two years -- most of which have been claimed by jihadists.

Last week, Spain was hit by twin vehicle attacks which left 15 dead, and two people were killed in a stabbing spree in Finland.

Belgian prosecutors said the attacker yelled "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) during the assault before being shot by a soldier in the centre of city, which has been on high alert since last year's carnage at the airport and on the metro.

"The perpetrator of the stabbing operation in Brussels is one of the soldiers of the Islamic State," the jihadist organisation's propaganda outlet Amaq said.

One of the soldiers was slightly hurt in the attack which Brussels Mayor Philippe Close said had been carried out by a "lone individual".

Overnight, police raided the suspect's home in Bruges, northwest Belgium.

- 'Four-foot sword' -

During the attack near the Grand Place in central Brussels at 8:00 pm (1800 GMT), the man rushed at several soldiers from behind and struck them with a knife, prompting one of them to open fire.

"The man was hit and died shortly afterwards in hospital from his wounds," the prosecutors' statement said. As well as the knife, police found a replica gun and two copies of the Koran on him.

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The assailant was a Belgian national of Somali origin who was born in 1987, authorities confirmed. He arrived in the country in 2004 and was granted Belgian nationality in 2015.

Although not known for any terror-related activities, he had an assault and battery charge on his record from February, the statement said.

Less than two hours later, a man drove his car at a police van outside Buckingham Palace.

The attacker "repeatedly shouted Allahu akbar", reached for a four-foot sword and had to be incapacitated with CS gas, police said in a statement on Saturday.

Three officers were slightly injured in the incident.

No members of the royal family were in the residence at the time of the attack.

The man's identity has not been disclosed but police said he was from Luton, a city 30 miles (50 kilometres) north of London.

"Officers from the Counter Terrorism Command are now investigating and searches are being carried out in the Luton area today," the police said in a statement.

"We believe the man was acting alone and we are not looking for other suspects at this stage."

With much of Europe on edge over the attacks, many of them low-tech assaults using knives or vehicles as weapons, thousands of people took to the streets of Barcelona on Saturday in a defiant march under the slogan "No tinc por" -- Catalan for "I'm not afraid".

- 'Soldier bleeding' -

The Brussels attack happened on a boulevard near the Grand Place central square, one of the "sensitive" areas of the capital where armed soldiers are on patrol because of the terror threat.

"I heard yelling and straight away two shots," a witness called Yohan told AFP. He did not wish to give his surname.

As he approached, he said he saw "a soldier bleeding from his hand and a man on the ground," who had a beard and was wearing a hood.

Soldiers have been deployed at railway stations and landmark buildings in the Belgian capital since the November 2015 attacks on Paris, when investigators found the assailants had a clear link with Brussels.

Patrols have been stepped up since suicide bombers struck Zaventem Airport and the Maalbeek metro station in March 2016, killing 32 people and wounding hundreds.

The carnage in Paris, which left 130 people dead and hundreds wounded, was claimed by the Islamic State group, which also said it was behind the bombings in Brussels.

In June, a man who tried to bomb a Brussels Central train station was shot dead by a soldier.

In Britain, 35 people have been killed in three jihadist attacks in London and Manchester since March.

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The man arrested outside Buckingham Palace drove at police before lunging for a 4ft sword and repeatedly shouting Allahu Akbar.

The 26-year-old man from Luton was wrestled to the ground by unarmed police who had to use CS gas to incapacitate him.

During the struggle three officers were injured, two of whom suffered minor cuts to their hands and required treatment in hospital before being discharged.

Heavy police presence outside Buckingham Palace on Friday evening Credit: Twitter

The three policemen were praised for their bravery and speed in containing the situation.

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, tweeted: I want to thank the officers who acted quickly and bravely to protect the public last night, demonstrating the dedication and professionalism of our police.

The attack happened shortly after 8.30pm on Friday when The Mall, Constitution Hill and Birdcage Walk, the roads running through St Jamess Park and Green Park towards the palace, were still full of tourists.

The motorist was said to have driven a Toyota Prius at a police van on a restricted part of road directly opposite the palace.

The car pulled up abruptly in front of the van and as officers emerged he grabbed into the passenger footwell and produced a 4ft sword.

The police eventually overcame the man who had been alone in the car. Passersby said they saw the motorist, who may have been driving on the wrong side of the road at one point, being restrained by officers on the ground. Some said he appeared to have a machete.

Commander Dean Haydon, of the Mets counter-terrorism branch, said: A blue Toyota Prius deliberately drove at a marked police vehicle and stopped in front of it.

"Uniformed officers then confronted the driver of the vehicle and during that confrontation the driver reached for a four-foot sword that was in the passenger footwell.

"CS gas was used as part of the arrest and during the struggle the individual repeatedly shouted the words Allahu Akbar."

He praised the bravery and professionalism of the officers, adding that: Their vigilance, courage and the swiftness of their response demonstrates how our officers are protecting the public.

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Buckingham Palace on Saturday morning Credit: Paul Grover for the Telegraph

Officers are on scene at the Mall o/s Buckingham Palace. A man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH and assault on police  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 25, 2017

The man was being held at a London station under the Terrorism Act and on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. Police searches were being carried out at properties connected to him in the Luton area of Bedfordshire.

It was not clear whether the vehicle belonged to him, or whether he had travelled directly from his hometown to London. CCTV was also being analysed to see whether there was any suggestion he earlier had scouted out the area.

There was speculation last night that the suspect may have been a private hire taxi driver. Cabs, both traditional black cabs and private hire cars, are one of the few commercial vehicles allowed to work along the roads leading to the palace.

The Prius model is particularly popular with minicab drivers because it costs less to run and can get an exemption on the citys Congestion Charge.

Mr Haydon said officers believe the man was acting alone and no one else was being sought by police. He added he could not speculate at this stage what the man was planning to do.

He urged the public to remain particularly vigilant during the Bank Holiday weekend when so many public events are being held. The threat from terrorism in the UK remains severe.

Luton has been linked to problems with Islamic extremism over recent years. Khalid Masood, also known as Adrian Elms, who killed five people during his attack in March on Westminster Bridge earlier this year had lived at two addresses in the town. In February, a gang were jailed for trying to persuade people to travel to Syria to join Islamic State.

Buckingham palace in lockdown. Man with a sword attacker an officer. #londonattackpic.twitter.com/N8N0bBre4F  Leonardo Paoli (@leonardo_paoli) August 25, 2017

10:18PM

Suspect was 'wrestled from a car', PA reports

One witness described seeing the man wrestled from a car by police having apparently driven his vehicle towards them.

Kiana Williamson told the Press Association: "We turned up and there was one police van and one car, there was also a civilian's car that had veered towards the police car.

"They were trying to get the man out of the car, shouting, more police were arriving on to the scene and the man was fighting back.

"I saw one injured policeman with an injury to his arm although it didn't look severe.

"He was being tended to by another officer.

"The man had been restrained and looked almost unconscious by the side of the road.

"I didn't see the car driving but the car had been left at the side of the road and an eye witness had said that he had driven towards the police car."

The whole encounter lasted around one minute, she added.

9:25PM

Two officers injured

Two police officers suffered minor injuries during the course of detaining the man  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 25, 2017

9:24PM

Man arrested on suspicion of GBH

Officers are on scene at the Mall o/s Buckingham Palace. A man has been arrested on suspicion of GBH and assault on police  Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 25, 2017

9:18PM

There is a heavy police presence outside the palace
Badush (Iraq) (AFP) - Badush camp, set up for civilians who escaped the Tal Afar battle between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State group, stands almost empty but for a handful of displaced residents, doctors and guards.

The rows of tents erected for the displaced from the northern Iraqi city remain virtually empty.

Iraqi authorities and aid groups set up the camp, 150 kilometres (95 miles) southeast of Tal Afar, to host those displaced from the last major battle in the northern province of Nineveh.

Army, police and units of the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition launched an offensive on August 20 to seize the city, having ousted IS from Iraq's second city Mosul in July.

On the sixth day of the operation, Iraqi forces announced Saturday the recapture of central Tal Afar and its historic Ottoman-era citadel, placing them on the verge of fully retaking one of the last IS strongholds in the country.

General Jabar Mustafa Hassun, from a committee dealing with the displaced, said civilians had been arriving at the camp -- but that was before the launch of the battle.

Tal Afar had 200,000 residents before the jihadist group seized it in July.

In the weeks prior to the offensive on Tal Afar, up to 90,000 people were still in the city 70 kilometres west of Mosul, according to Hassun.

The United Nations said this week that around 30,000 civilians were still trapped in the fighting.

Hassun said that "10 days ago, 4,000 to 6,000 civilians were arriving each day in the camps", but that number had fallen to "150 or 200 a day, sometimes just 50".

The displaced from Tal Afar apparently left in different directions, some of them arriving in Badush but then passing through and carrying on to other camps.

He estimated only around 160 families are left in Tal Afar, most of them the families of IS fighters.

During the fight for Mosul, the outflow of displaced people far exceeded predictions by aid groups, unlike in the case of Tal Afar which has seen no such mass exodus.

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Issa Hassan, 72, was seated in a tent held erect by four poles, sheltering from the blistering sun.

The white-bearded man said he arrived this week from Al-Khan, a village near Tal Afar where he had taken refuge two years ago.

"I originally come from the Al-Jazeera district of Tal Afar," said Hassan, who had sent his four wives ahead of him to a camp near Mosul before selling his herd of goats and heading off.

A doctor at the camp, Omar Amer of an NGO called Dary, said he had spent the past two weeks at the camp.

"At first, we had families arriving, about 150 people each day," some of them suffering from malnutrition and others with injuries from explosions," he said.

"The number has gone down. We hear that other displaced people are on their way... We're ready, we're waiting."
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Carnival Corp said on Friday that three of its cruise ships are unable to return to the Port of Galveston, Texas, which is closed ahead of Hurricane Harvey. Two of the ships, the Carnival Freedom and the Carnival Valor, will head for New Orleans where they will pick up fresh supplies. Passengers will have the option of disembarking there, but Carnival advised them to not do so and said the ships will return to Galveston as soon as feasible. A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said. The next scheduled cruises on all three ships will be shortened and customers will receive refunds, the company said. "We will continue to remain in close contact with port officials regarding their plans to re-open once the storm has passed," spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta said. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
BEIJING (Reuters) - No amount of interference or shadowing of its aircraft will stop the Chinese air force from carrying out long-range drills, the defense ministry said, announcing another round of exercises of the type that have unnerved neighbouring Taiwan and Japan. The air force carried out further long-range exercises on Thursday, the ministry said, without giving details of where they happened. Japan said it was concerned about bombers flying close to its territory. Such "normal" drills accord with international law and practices and are part of an "ordinary need" to raise combat abilities and strengthen the military, it added. "No matter what obstructions are encountered, the Chinese air force will carry on as before; no matter who flies with us, the Chinese air force will fly a lot and as normal!" the ministry added, citing an air force spokesman. China has been increasingly asserting itself in territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. It is also worried about self-ruled Taiwan, claimed by China as its own and run by a government Beijing fears is intent on independence. Japan's government said six Chinese bombers flying from the East China Sea on Thursday passed close to its islands on route to the Pacific Ocean. It was the first time we have recorded Chinese military aircraft flying this route," Minister of Defence Itsunori Onodera said during a regular press briefing on Friday. "We expressed our concern through diplomatic channels," he added. Drills over the past few months have mostly focused on flying near Taiwan and by Japan's southern island chain to the north of Taiwan. Taiwan's military said earlier this month it was on a high state of alert following three straight days of drills by the Chinese air force near it. Beijing has never ruled out the use of force to bring proudly democratic Taiwan under its control, and has warned that any moves towards formal independence could prompt an armed response. Taiwan is well armed with mostly U.S. weaponry, but has been pressing Washington to sell it more high-tech equipment to better deter China. China is in the midst of an ambitious military modernization program that includes building aircraft carriers and developing stealth fighters to give it the ability to project power far from its shores. Separately, the official Xinhua news agency said on Friday that Chinese warships had carried out live fire drills in the western part of the Indian Ocean, though it did not say where exactly. Chinese warships frequently pass through the Indian Ocean on their way to anti-piracy patrols in the waters off Somalia and Yemen. India, with which China has a festering border dispute, has expressed concern about Chinese military activity in the Indian Ocean. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard in BEIJING; additional reporting by Nobuhiro Kubo in TOKYO; Editing by Michael Perry and Nick Macfie)
By Dan Whitcomb

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A free-speech rally planned for San Francisco this weekend that local leaders had urged residents to boycott as dangerous and "white supremacist" was canceled on Friday by organizers who said that those comments had drawn extremists and made it unsafe.

The planned gathering by Patriot Prayer had been the centerpiece of a weekend of protests in the Bay Area that had raised concern among San Francisco police and elected officials two weeks after right-wing activists, including neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, fought with anti-racism protesters in the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia.

A woman was killed at that "Unite the Right" rally when a man thought to have neo-Nazi sympathies drove his car into a crowd of counter-protesters. Nineteen other people were injured.

Last weekend, 33 people were arrested in Boston as tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets to protest a "free speech" rally featuring far-right speakers.

Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson has vehemently denied that his group is extremist or white nationalist, saying that he is not even white and does not align himself with any party or cause.

"The rhetoric from Nancy Pelosi, Mayor Lee, the media, all these people are saying we're white supremacists and its bringing in tons of extremists and it just seems like a huge set up," Gibson said in a Facebook Live broadcast. "So we're going to take the opportunity not to fall into that trap."

Gibson said he would hold a press conference in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon to further explain his decision.

San Francisco city officials including Mayor Ed Lee had lobbied the National Park Service to deny a permit for Patriot Prayer to hold its event at Crissy Field, which is under federal control as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

When that permit was granted on Wednesday, Lee told residents of San Francisco to essentially boycott the rally.

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"I ask our public and our residents of the San Francisco Bay Area to honor our request to not dignify people who are coming in here under the guise of patriot and prayer words to really preach violence and hatred," Lee told a press conference.

The mayor urged locals to instead attend city-hosted events on Friday and Saturday that he said would focus on "inclusion, compassion and love rather than hate."

U.S. House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, in a written statement, slammed the Patriot Prayer gathering as a dangerous "white supremacist rally."

Left-wing counter-protesters, meanwhile, were planning a march to Crissy Field, where police were concerned a confrontation could erupt. San Francisco-based artist and designer Terrence Ryan, known professionally as Tuffy Tuffington, put out a call on Facebook for canine owners to litter the field beginning on Friday with dog poop ahead of the Patriot Prayer event.

The nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, does not classify Patriot Prayer as a hate group and reported on its website that Gibson denounced white supremacists and "neo-Nazis" at a rally in Seattle earlier this month.

On Sunday, conservative activists planned a so-called "No to Marxism" rally in nearby Berkeley, an event that left-wing groups were also expected to protest. However, city of Berkeley officials on Thursday denied that group's request for a rally permit.

(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Additional reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; editing by Diane Craft and Cynthia Osterman)
WASHINGTON  Sebastian Gorka, a controversial adviser to President Donald Trump, is leaving the White House after months of criticism about his ties to far-right foreign political groups and his description of Islam as an inherently violent religion.

The Federalist published a copy of his resignation letter Friday. But after the letter was made public, a White House official implied that Gorka was forced to step down. Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House, the official said late Friday.

In the letter, Gorka appears to allude to the recent departure of several of his allies in the White House, most notably Trumps former chief strategist, Steve Bannon.

[G]iven recent events, it is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House, Gorka wrote in the letter obtained by the Federalist. As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the Peoples House.

Gorka singled out Trumps recently announced Afghanistan policy for criticism. He was particularly concerned that Trumps speech did not include the phrases radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism, he wrote in the letter.

Gorkas official title at the White House was deputy assistant to the president, but it was never clear what his actual duties entailed. He regularly appeared on television as a vociferous defender of Trumps national security agenda and worldview. But he reportedly wasnt able to get security clearance that would have allowed him to sit in on the most high-level national security meetings or read classified information.

Gorka was closely aligned with Bannon, who left the administration earlier this month. Bannon has since returned to the far-right media outlet Breitbart News, which Gorka wrote for before joining the administration.

Like Bannon, Gorka expressed a dark view of Islam. The FBI used to employ Gorka to teach courses on terrorism, but the Daily Beast reported that the agency stopped working with him after he told students that all Muslims adhere to Sharia law and will eventually be radicalized.

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Regrettably, outside of yourself, the individuals who most embodied and represented the policies that will Make America Great Again, have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. This was made patently obvious as I read the text of your speech on Afghanistan this week, Gorka continued in his resignation letter. The fact that those who drafted and approved the speech removed any mention of Radical Islam or radical Islamic terrorism proves that a crucial element of your presidential campaign has been lost.

Before joining the White House, Gorka was an obscure far-right fringe character. He promoted himself as an authority on counterterrorism, but national security experts mocked his credentials and refuted his characterization of Islam as a path toward violent radicalism. Most terrorism experts and academic say terrorists become radicalized through a combination of factors  poverty, poor governance, lack of opportunity, foreign intervention and religious ideology, for example  but Gorka argues that Islam is the driving force. He does not speak Arabic and has spent little time in the Middle East.

Gorka joined the Trump campaign in 2015 as a paid adviser. Since then, he has celebrated Trumps frequent warnings about the threat of radical Islamic terrorism and accused the Obama administration of being hamstrung by political correctness. When Trump won the election last year, Gorka told Fox News that the alpha males are back.

Sebastian Gorka participates in a discussion during the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 24. (Photo: Alex Wong via Getty Images)

Gorka wore a medal signifying membership in the Vitezi Rend, a Hungarian group that collaborated with the Nazis in World War II, when he attended Trumps inaugural ball in January, LobeLog reported. Members of the group told the Forward that Gorka is a member of the Vitezi Rend, but Gorka has said the medal belonged to his father and that he wears it in memory of his fathers anti-communist efforts in Hungary.

The Vitezi Rend debacle prompted reporters to dive into Gorkas past. Gorka, who was born in Britain to Hungarian parents, founded a political party in Hungary in 2007. The partys members were politicians who had previously belonged to Jobbik, a party that has espoused anti-immigration, anti-Semitic and homophobic positions, the Forward reported. Gorka expressed support for an anti-Semitic Hungarian militia called the Magyar Garda in August 2007, the Forward found. The European Court of Human Rights accused the group of working to create an essentially racist legal order.

People who worked with Gorka at the National Defense University and Marine Corps University over the past decade say they dont recall him making negative comments about Jewish people. But some remember Gorka hinting at an anti-Islam worldview. He once told David Ucko, who worked at the NDU at the time, that devout Muslims are more inclined to celebrate violence than Christian because the religion was founded by a warrior, Ucko told HuffPost.

Talk of Gorka stepping down began as early as May, after news reports surfaced that detailed his ties to Nazi sympathizers and far-right Hungarian political groups. But Trump and Bannon personally intervened to save his job, the Daily Beast reported. In the following weeks, national security adviser H.R. McMaster pushed out several White House staffers who shared Gorkas extremist ideology.

But even as Gorkas like-minded allies left the White House, he appeared on television, offering bombastic defenses of his boss and berating the media for criticizing the president. When Trump failed to condemn the bombing of a mosque in Minnesota, Gorka suggested the incident could be a false flag attack perpetrated by the presidents political opponents. When Trump went off script and warned of fire and fury against North Korea, Gorka praised the presidents show of strength  even as the secretary of state and secretary of defense took a more restrained approach. Days before a deadly white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Gorka reprimanded the media for reporting on the violent extremism threat posed by white nationalists.

Nick Visser contributed to this report.

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The Blue Room

The State Dining Room (during a May 13, 2016, dinner)

North facade of the White House

South Lawn of the White House.

The East Room

The China Room

The Diplomatic Reception Room

The Green Room

Room with portraits of first ladies

Presidential portraits inside the White House

The Red Room

Library

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(Photo: NICHOLAS KAMM via Getty Images)

Right now, as East Texas grapples with wind damage and catastrophic flooding from an unpredictable storm that may last for days, there is something we know for sure: When its over, the people of the Gulf Coast will pick up the pieces amid the destruction. Lives may be devastated and some things will be lost forever, but rebuilding is what they will do.

It brought me back, once again, to Masha Gessens Autocracy: Rules for Survival, as Donald Trump rampaged on democracy further on Friday night under cover of intense media coverage of the hurricane. Gessen, a Russian immigrant who lived and worked as a journalist in Vladimir Putins Russia, had written the rules in The New York Review of Books shortly after the 2016 election. Ive re-read them many times. This time her last rule stuck out first as I re-read:

Rule #6: Remember the future. Nothing lasts forever. Donald Trump certainly will not, and Trumpism, to the extent that it is centered on Trumps persona, will not either. Failure to imagine the future may have lost the Democrats this election.

Its in moments such as Friday night, when Trump showed his complete contempt for civil society and safeguarding rights in his pardoning notorious former sheriff Joe Arpaio and signing an order banning new transgender military members, that we must imagine that future  and stay focused on beating him and Trumpism no matter how daunting it seems right now. Friday night showed us, however, that before that future happens, the present is only going to get much worse.

Trumps Arpaio pardon, coming after Trump has only been in office for little over seven months, without a Department of Justice review and of someone who violated constitutional protections, is unprecedented. Its the action of a much more angry, much more fearful Trump trying to get us used to the idea of pardons  many, many pardons  which almost always come in the last weeks of a presidents term and certainly not in the first year.

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Trump has been becoming more unhinged as the weeks go on, and more accurately, as the Russia collusion investigation continues to close in. Almost all of his conflicts with prominent Republicans have been about his perception that theyre not loyal and not protecting him from truths about him and Russia  from former FBI Director James Comey and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senators Bob Corker and Thom Tillis.

Trump is so impulsive and reckless that its hard to ever pinpoint one reason for an action and its timing. The reportedly forced exit Friday night of the Nazi group-affiliated White House aide Sebastian Gorka was overshadowed by the pardon, as well as by the hurricane, and its hard not to believe this wasnt all a coincidence. Gorka, who wrote a strong resignation letter (which made it seem as if he left on his own rather than that he was fired), basically called Trump a sellout to the nationalistic base, something the White House would want to eclipse with news the base would applaud. But the pardon also appears to be Trumps attempt to normalize pardons of people for offensive criminal activity because he likely envisions himself engaging in a lot of them.

And yet, all weve heard from some quarters of the media in recent days is how much John Kelly, a retired Marine general, is bringing some sort of discipline to the Trump presidency as the new White House chief of staff. But discipline in the service of fascism is not a good thing. Its actually the last thing we need.

And the truth is, the White House  and Trump  are as chaotic as ever. This particular media narrative brings me back to Gessens Rule #2: Do not be taken in by small signs of normality. We actually saw a Washington Post reporter, Philip Rucker, breathlessly chirp on Twitter after Trumps speech on Afghanistan last Monday that, Tonight is a new President Trump  simply because Trump read from a teleprompter and sounded like a vaguely normal politician. How many times has this happened? The next night Trump gave perhaps the ugliest, angriest, most reckless speech of his presidency in Phoenix.

Gessens Rule #3 comes into play here: Institutions will not save you. Weve watched much of the fourth estate go from enabling Trump during the primaries and the general election campaign with a lot of free, uncritical and sensational coverage, to taking him on in fits and starts throughout his presidency, only to fall victim time and again to those false signs of normality just when you think theyre finally on the right track.

I think back to much of the media  and in particular Maggie Habermans New York Times piece which pegged Trump as having more accepting views on gay issues than other Republicans  making Trump out to be a supporter of the LGBTQ community during the campaign simply because he claimed it in vague terms (with no mention of actual rights hed secure) and verbalized the initialism, LGBTQ.

But Trump was very clear, and certainly not vague, when he spoke to evangelicals and promised them hed turn back marriage equality via the Supreme Court  and Neil Gorsuch, his pick, is doing just that  and would push their agenda to take America back to a time before queer equality.

Trumps callous banning of transgender Americans from the military  signing the order during the hurricane as he scampered off to Camp David  and his Justice Departments attempt to keep gay, lesbian and bisexual people from being protected under federal civil rights statutes, showed that LGBTQ activists were right about Trump. But too many journalists  which included that same Phillip Rucker of the Washington Post  just didnt want to believe what he was actually saying to evangelicals because he was, as Haberman had couched it, from New York and knew many gay people, either socially or in business.

That brings us to Gessens Rule #1:

Believe the autocrat. He means what he says. Whenever you find yourself thinking, or hear others claiming, that he is exaggerating, that is our innate tendency to reach for a rationalization.

Were over seven months into this presidency and theres still this idea out there that Trump doesnt really believe what he says, wont really do the most destructive things hes threatened and is going to be contained by those around him  whether they be generals or New Yorkers, either in his family or among former Goldman Sachs executives. Even after Trump pulled out of the Paris climate accord and after he equated white supremacists and neo-Nazis to those fighting against hate  fine people on both sides  theres an idea among some in the media that Trumps economic advisor Gary Cohn almost resigning, but thinking it better to stay close to Trump, is a good thing.

But the former Goldman Sachs executive, who more so seems to be staying only because he has his sights on becoming Federal Reserve chairman (and may have screwed himself by speaking out against Trump, including being overheard at a restaurant), is not going to temper or contain Trump, just as no one else, including his own daughter, can. Kelly, if anything, is only enabling Trump to engage in his brutality in a more efficient way.

Similarly, the dismissal of people who aligned with Trump on his racist, nationalistic views, like Stephen Bannon and Gorka, means nothing. They didnt make Trump temporarily racist because they were there. He was a racist long before he knew them, and they were brought into his fold because of like-minded views.

And that takes us to Gessens Rule #4:

Be outraged. If you follow Rule #1 and believe what the autocrat-elect is saying, you will not be surprised. But in the face of the impulse to normalize, it is essential to maintain ones capacity for shock. This will lead people to call you unreasonable and hysterical, and to accuse you of overreacting. It is no fun to be the only hysterical person in the room. Prepare yourself.

Thats why we must keep boldly and loudly speaking up, and why we cant fall victim to either burning out or accepting any of this as remotely normal, as promoted by those who delude themselves into thinking things could stabilize or by the GOP and Trump supporters who ludicrously try to get us to acquiesce.

Trumps response to Charlottesville, the Phoenix speech, the transgender ban, the Arpaio pardon and the other more extreme actions by Trump in the past two weeks must be a wake-up call that things are going to get really, really bad, and that Trump will never be restrained.

What will save us is doubling down on organizing, protesting in the streets and fighting at the ballot box, and remaining fiercely outraged.



Follow Michelangelo Signorile on Twitter: www.twitter.com/msignorile

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 14:40:11|Editor: ying

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SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired three short-range projectiles into its eastern waters, Seoul's military said Saturday.

The DPRK launched several unidentified short-range projectiles into the sea off the country's northeast region from an area near Gitdaeryong in Gangwon province at about 6:49 a.m. local time (2149 GMT Friday), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Gangwon province borders South Korea's northeastern region.

The JCS said the projectiles flew about 250 km, but what the projectiles are was not immediately known. It said the military authorities of South Korea and the United States were jointly analyzing the test-firings.

According to Yonhap news agency report citing an unknown source, a total of three projectiles were test-launched.

The first and third projectiles traveled 200 km, and the second one exploded in the air immediately after taking off.

The test-firings were immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in who ordered the convening of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting of the presidential Blue House.

Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor to President Moon, chaired the meeting for about an hour earlier in the day.
Quito (AFP) - Ecuador's congress on Friday voted unanimously to allow a criminal inquiry against Vice President Jorge Glas in the sweeping corruption scandal around the Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht.

With 128 of the 137 deputies present and voting, the National Assembly withdrew Glas's immunity in order to allow prosecutors to open a corruption inquiry. No formal charges have yet been brought against him.

Assembly president Jose Serrano said the legislature's decision would give Glas "the opportunity to defend himself before the law and no longer against the media or political lynching."

Serrano emphasized his confidence in Glas, saying, "We trust in the innocence of people -- in this case the vice president -- so long as there is no proof of any specific responsibility."

Glas, who was minister of strategic sectors before becoming vice president in 2013, has denied any link to the Odebrecht scandal, though his uncle, Ricardo Rivera, has been arrested for his alleged participation in the affair.

Nine other Ecuadorans have been arrested in connection with the Odebrecht matter, including a former minister of electricity, Alecksey Mosquera.

The Odebrecht scandal has shaken the political establishment across Latin America, with the construction giant charged with paying hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal bribes to politicians to gain lucrative contracts.
The Daily Beast

NBCOn the first Saturday Night Live episode after each of the past two presidential elections, Dave Chappelle served as host and used the opportunity to share his thoughts about the state of American politics. The comedian returned for a third time this week after the midterms, but this time something was different.It was Chappelles first time hosting SNL since he came under fire for a slew of transphobic jokes in his latest Netflix special The Closer. And before he even took the stage at Studi
WASHINGTON  An ethics watchdog group is investigating whether Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife, actress Louise Linton, planned a government trip to view the solar eclipse on Monday, the same trip on which Linton created controversy after flaunting the couples extravagant lifestyle on social media.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) on Wednesday filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain records concerning authorization for and the costs of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchins use of a government plane to travel to Lexington, Kentucky, on Monday, August 21, accompanied by his wife Louise Linton.

That day, Mnuchin appeared at an event with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Louisville, and then traveled to Fort Knox to tour the famed U.S. Army gold depository.

Thanks to all who attended the #TaxReform discussion w/ @SenateMajLdr hosted by @GLIchamber. Small Businesses are the job creators of #USA. pic.twitter.com/jsyp7kt7pt  Steven Mnuchin (@stevenmnuchin1) August 21, 2017

Citing a report from the Louisville Courier-Journal, which noted that Mnuchin and Linton also went there to view the eclipse, CREW alleges that the couple may have planned the trip around the eclipse and used the government plane for personal purposes.

At a time of expected deep cuts to the federal budget, the taxpayers have a significant interest in learning the extent to which Secretary Mnuchin has used government planes for travel in lieu of commercial planes, and the justification for that use, the group said in explaining the FOIA request.

We just FOIA'd all records for Mnuchin & Louise Linton's trip to KY on a gov't plane. There's more to this story & we're going to find it. pic.twitter.com/3wsMdveuUI  Citizens for Ethics (@CREWcrew) August 23, 2017

The trip sparked widespread controversy after Linton posted a picture on Instagram of her exiting the Air Force plane the couple used for the trip, touting the brand names of her designer clothing. After a woman named Jennifer Miller posted a critical comment about the post, Linton defended the couples luxurious lifestyle by posting a lengthy comment full of classist attacks against Miller.

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Linton later deleted the photo and made her Instagram account private, before issuing an apology for the incident.

In addition to Mondays trip, CREW requested all other records of Mnuchins use of a government plane as Treasury secretary.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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President Donald Trump seems to like the view from a firetruck made by Wisconsin-based Pierce Manufacturing as Vice President Mike Pence stands by during "Made in America" week.

Trump gives the thumbs-up from the firetruck cab.

Trump admires a wheel loader made by Caterpillar.

Trump grips a Marucci baseball bat.

Trump models a Stetson cowboy hat.

Trump checks out a boat made by Hinckley Yachts.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Kim Jong Un has taken his personal protection to a new level. Japanese media reported Friday that the North Korean dictator, who already only travels at night out of fear of attack, has linked up with 10 former KGB agents to avoid assassination.

A source told the Asahi Shimbun that Kim reached out to the ex-members of the Russian secret intelligence agency in February. They came to Pyongyang as military advisers to give advice to Kims guards on how to handle threatsincluding those that may come from the U.S. The outlet also speculated that the former KGB agents may be helping the North Korean government weed out spies there.

Related: Is North Koreas Kim Jong Un a better leader than Trump?

North Korea is showing great interest in defending against assassination carried out by U.S.-made state-of-the-art weapons, the source told the Asahi, according to a translation from United Press International. The former spies from the Soviet security agency were asked to carry out military education and training needed in detecting and pre-emptively suppressing acts of terror.

Kim has been paranoid about assassination for a while. In June, South Korean National Intelligence services revealed that the supreme leader had begun using different cars to move around. Hes also cut down on his number of public appearances, according to the Korea Herald.

Kim has accused South Korea of attempting to kill him as part of a desired leadership change. The U.S. Pacific Command, however, tweeted in April, We want to bring Kim Jong Un to his senses, not to his knees. In May, Pyongyang said it would mercilessly wipe out terrorists planning to kill the leader.

Meanwhile, its been speculated Kim has been involved in another assassination-related news story: that of a relative.

The Nikkei Asian Review reported this week that Jang Song Thaek, Kims uncle, had tried to organize a coup with China back in 2012 to put Kim Jong Nam in power. Jang was executed in 2013 after being convicted of treason. Kim Jong Nam was murdered earlier this year when two women put a poison on his face, causing some to hypothesize that the North Korean dictator ordered the killing.

Related Articles
President Donald Trumps former ethics chief, who resigned last month because of disagreements with the White House over ethics policies, blasted the presidents decision on Friday to pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Vile!! began Walter Shaub, the former director of the Office of Government Ethics, on a Twitter thread. What POTUS says exemplifies selfless public service is: dehumanizing inmates, racial profiling, and gleefully defying a court order.

Shaub tweeted that the pardon was a harbinger of worse to come.

This pardon also departs from procedural norms. And as an affirmative act by POTUS, it reveals an emboldening, he tweeted.

Trumps controversial move came late on a Friday night as the country was preparing for a deadly hurricane off the coast of Texas. Former Maricopa County Sheriff Arpaio, who once proclaimed himself Americas toughest sheriff, was convicted last month of criminal contempt for violating a 2011 order that forbade the sheriff and his office from detaining individuals solely because of their legal status.

Vile!! What POTUS says "exemplifies selfless public service" is: dehumanizing inmates, racial profiling, and gleefully defying a court order  Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 26, 2017

Every one of you WH staffers owns this disgusting unamerican racist pro-authoritarian gesture forever like it was tattooed on your forehead.  Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 26, 2017

This pardon also departs from procedural norms. And as an affirmative act by POTUS, it reveals an emboldening. A harbinger of worse to come.  Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) August 26, 2017

But Shaub was hardly alone in his outrage, as other current and former public officials also condemned Trumps pardon.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton released a statement saying that the Arpaios tactics terrorized Latino families because of their skin color.

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A number of members of Congress posted similar sentiments of disappointment on social media. Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), a Republican critic of the president, expressed his wish that Trump would honor the judicial process and let it take its course.

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America Ferrera Did Not Mince Her Words At The Women's March

The day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, women across the country and world marched for women's rights and other human rights. America Ferrera spoke in front of marchers in Washington, D.C., and gave a rousing speech.



Its been a heart-wrenching time to be a woman and an immigrant in this country  a platform of hate and division assumed power yesterday. But the president is not America. ... We are America, she said.

Latinas Fought For Their Rights At The Womens March

Latinas marched alongside thousands of other women across the country on Jan. 21. They joined demonstrations to advocate for women's rights as well as immigrant rights, with some writing "nopal-itics around my ovaries" on their arms and hoisting signs that read "No human being is illegal."

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Vowed To Protect Dreamers

Hours after Trump's inauguration, Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Ca.) and other Hispanic lawmakers met with reporters to say they would fight "at every turn" to protect thousands of young undocumented immigrants from deportation under the new administration.



We are here today on the day of inauguration to send a very clear message to our president: The CHC is going to stand up and fight for the rights of the Hispanic community, Sanchez said. The president of the United States has made it abundantly clear, including in his speech today, that he is openly hostile to immigrants, particularly immigrants of Mexican ancestry.

Parents emigrated from DR in the 60's, him an auto worker for GM, her a seamstress in factories. Raised 3 proud Americans #ImAlreadyHome pic.twitter.com/5ZbV439ivn  Jennifer (@bebedelaluna) January 27, 2017

A Latina Teen Countered Anti-Immigrant Sentiment With Her Own Weekly List

When Valeria Alvarado found out Trump had asked that a weekly list of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants be published, she knew it would "unfairly define a community of over 11 million people by the actions of a few."



That's when the 19-year-old Villanova University student decided to create "We, Too, Are America" and share positive and inspiring immigrant stories on Facebook to counter Trump's list.

Immigrants Tested If The U.S. Could Handle A Day Without Them

Restaurants, activists and immigrants across the country gave the United States a taste of what life without immigrants would be like during a national strike in February. Many stayed home from work or school to show solidarity, and gathered in support of immigrants everywhere. High-profile restaurants and restaurateurs, like Spanish-born chef Jose Andres, also closed their doors in solidarity.



We really didnt expect all these absences, one Austin teacher, who said only four of her 26 students showed up, told HuffPost. We were prepared for some, but we never imagined that it would be this big.



Sandra Cisneros Called Trump's Immigration Directives 'Barbaric'

The Chicana author spoke to Univision about the Trump administration's immigration policies and the uptick in ICE raids across the country. Cisneros said the president was "a man who behaves like a 15-year-old" and denounced the separation of families.



I think one of the most horrible things weve seen is the possibility of losing your family, a member of your family, she told Univision in reference to deportations.



I think the destruction of families is something barbaric we havent seen since the time of concentration camps, she added. I think its a savage thing.

Gael Garcia Bernal Denounced Trump's Border Wall At The Oscars

Gael Garcia Bernal took the Oscar stage to present the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, but before revealing the winner, the Mexican actor took a moment to publicly denounce Trump's proposed border wall.



Flesh and blood actors are migrant workers; we travel all over the world, we build families, we construct stories, we build life that cannot be divided, Garcia Bernal said. As a Mexican, as a Latin American, as a migrant worker, as a human being, Im against any form of wall that wants to separate us."

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Paris (AFP) - France faces its poorest wine harvest since 1945 after an unusually mild March and frosty April, experts said Friday, although a hot summer promises to deliver top vintages.

"At harvests everywhere, in places where we thought there would be a little less, there's a lot less," said Jerome Despey, the head of a governmental wine advisory board.

This year's harvest will be "the smallest since 1945," Despey told a news conference.

The agriculture ministry said output was expected to total 37.2 million hectolitres, 18 percent less than 2016 and 17 percent below the average over the past five years.

The 2016 harvest was already one of the poorest in 30 years.

Despey said the ministry figures were based on assessments made early this month before the start of the harvests, which have now begun in the southeast, about two weeks earlier than usual.

Despey, who is also secretary general of France's biggest farmers union FNSEA, told AFP last week he expected a 40 percent drop in output in the prime wine-growing region of Bordeaux, the country's largest.

Vineyards in northeastern Alsace, which produces mainly white wines, were also hard hit.

The new drop in production is "mainly attributable to the severe spring frost that affected all the wine-growing regions to varying degrees at a sensitive time for the vine," the agriculture ministry said.

The bitter cold struck twice within a week in April, ravaging the fragile shoots and buds that had emerged prematurely following mild temperatures in March.

To combat the frost, nervous winemakers in Bordeaux set fires in oil drums, then positioned them carefully between the rows of budding grapevines. Giant fans were also deployed to battle the cold, damp air settling on the plants.

Some losses are also anticipated in the Burgundy region, where the grapes have been repeatedly hit by hail in recent years.

- Quality, if not quantity -

Vineyards in the south, Beaujolais and the Rhone valley suffered an exceptionally dry summer that will further depress yields, the agriculture ministry said.

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One advantage of drought is that it reduces the impact of diseases on the vines.

The maturity and good health of the grapes point to a "year 2017 that will stand out for quality, happily," Despey said.

In the five years to 2016, hail knocked out as much as half of Burgundy's harvest, according to the Global Wine Risk Index.

The index covers 110,000 wineries in 131 countries producing about 26 billion litres every year.

Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Hungary also suffered frost this year that could claim 30 percent -- up to 60 percent in some parts -- of the harvest in those countries.

Wine, which is one of France's top exports, is "a highly vulnerable industry," said researcher James Daniell of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany.

About 10 percent of wine production is lost to natural hazards every year at an estimated loss of $10 billion, he said.

At the prestigious Vinexpo wine fair in Bordeaux in June, winemakers brainstormed over how to mitigate challenges to their livelihood posed by climate change.

Producers have found that global warming can cause grapes to ripen earlier, which changes their sugar and acid levels, leading to lower-quality wines with higher alcohol content.

Some are using low-tech approaches to delay harvesting times and increase soil moisture, experimenting with pruning later or using grape varieties that take longer to ripen, thrive in warmer climes or are resistant to drought.

But these grapes are not yet ready to be turned into great wines, experts say.
Berlin (AFP) - Germany on Friday banned the country's main online platform for far-left activists and militants, seven weeks after anticapitalist protesters rioted during a G20 summit in Hamburg.

The site, linksunten-indymedia.org, has allowed anonymous users to, for example, announce demonstrations or blockades of neo-Nazi rallies, but also to celebrate violence against police or to share instructions on making molotov cocktails.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said "operating the website from now on is a criminal offence" after police had served the order in the morning and the website went offline.

De Maiziere has warned repeatedly that police and security services must crack down on far-left and anarchist groups just as they do against far-right organisations.

The ban of the site, and a search of premises in the western university city of Freiburg near the French border, comes a month before national elections in which Chancellor Angela Merkel will seek a fourth term.

Police searched five separate locations and confiscated knives, batons and slingshots, but no arrests were made.

Germany's domestic security service says in its annual report that the website launched in 2009 has become the main platform on which militant far-left groups posted claims of responsibility for acts of vandalism and violence.

It was also a major platform for activists who organised rallies, protests and blockades during the Group of 20 summit hosted by the northern port city of Hamburg in early July.

The global summit that brought together US President Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping and other leaders was marred by mass protests, sit-in blockades and street clashes where anarchist mobs battled riot police, torched cars and looted shops.
A Republican senator has threatened to block the Trump administrations choice to lead U.S. diplomacy in Africa, citing a disagreement over the status of the Western Sahara region in Morocco, sources familiar with the matter told Foreign Policy.

The administration had planned to nominate J. Peter Pham, an academic and author, as the next assistant secretary for African affairs at the State Department. But it has yet to announce the decision due to objections from Sen. James Inhofe of Oklahoma, who wants to see the administration take a tougher stance on the status of the disputed territory in Morocco.

More than seven months have passed since Trump was sworn as president, and his administration has failed to fill numerous senior positions at the State Department and across the executive branch due to disorganization, infighting over who should get key posts, and delaying tactics by Democratic lawmakers. But, in this case, a lone Republican lawmaker is delaying a nomination that would otherwise enjoy broad bipartisan support in the Senate.

With no assistant secretary for Africa in place, and key ambassadorships still empty in South Africa and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, critics say the administration is rudderless when it comes to setting policy on a range of issues that affect the continent. The White House this month finally appointed a senior director for Africa on the National Security Council  Cyril Sartor of the CIA  after several months of vacancy in the post.

The administration in July postponed a decision on whether to permanently lift sanctions on Sudan. Current and former U.S. officials and Africa experts blamed the delay on the White Houses failure to appoint officials to senior positions handling Africa policy. The State Department rejected the criticism, saying more time was needed to fully assess the issue.

With so many Africa positions empty, one congressional staffer said the administration risks being caught off guard by a severe humanitarian or security crisis, particularly in Congo, where tensions are escalating.

Story continues

Were not diplomatically prepared if that place blows, said the Senate aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Administration officials are holding discussions with Inhofe to try to resolve the dispute, but its not clear if the Oklahoma senator is ready to withdraw his objections, congressional aides said.

Its also unclear precisely what Inhofe is demanding from the administration or whether he is promoting an alternative to the administrations nominee.

Inhofes office declined to comment, saying it does not discuss nominations before they are announced. And the Trump administration did not respond to requests for comment.

Inhofe, best known for his outspoken rejection of climate change science, has long championed the cause of Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony on the northwestern coast of Africa that was annexed by Morocco in 1975. A U.N.-brokered truce in 1991 ended fighting between an insurgency and the Moroccan government, but a promised referendum on independence has never taken place.

The people of the Western Sahara have languished in desert camps for more than 30 years as the conflict has gone unresolved, Inhofe said in 2010. I have visited the camps and have seen with my own eyes that their story is one of determination, persistence, and hope that one day they will enjoy the basic rights all humans deserve  the right to life and to self-determination.

Inhofe and several other lawmakers have urged Morocco to hold a referendum on independence and want to see the United States push for a vote. Over the years, the United States, which values Moroccos cooperation on other fronts, has chosen not to press for a plebiscite or to recognize Western Saharas government and instead has favored more autonomy for the region.

The Moroccan government has spent millions of dollars over the past decade lobbying in Washington against independence for Western Sahara. Representatives of the region have also sought to present their case to lawmakers, but their lobbying expenditures have paled in comparison, as FP has previously reported.

Despite Inhofes focus on the issue, the assistant secretary for African affairs does not oversee policymaking for Morocco, which falls under the State Departments Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

Pham, currently director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council, has devoted his career to studying African issues. He served as an advisor on Sen. John McCains 2008 presidential campaign and Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential bid. AllAfrica first reported that Pham, a Republican, was a top choice for the assistant secretary job.

Despite his Republican roots and his hard-nosed views on security questions, Pham has forged contacts and friendships with other Africa experts across the political spectrum, including human rights activist John Prendergast, who worked in the Clinton administration and is a founder of the Enough Project, which works to end genocide in Africa and elsewhere.

Prendergast said he believed Pham was well-equipped for the job and that he would not be hampered by never having served in the State Department.

Peter has deep Africa experience and would be able to hit the ground running if confirmed, Prendergast told FP. He has had good relationships with many of our best diplomats, so the experience factor will be less of an issue than with someone coming out of the blue.

If confirmed, Pham would be one of the highest-ranking Vietnamese-Americans ever to serve in the federal government.

FPs Elias Groll contributed to this report.

Photo credit: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/Getty Images
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's first lady, Grace Mugabe, on Friday made her first public appearance since leaving South Africa where she was charged with assault. The wife of 93-year-old Robert Mugabe, a potential successor to the president, was granted diplomatic immunity and left South Africa on Sunday. But South Africa's opposition is challenging the international relations minister's decision to give her immunity - a move that could in theory affect any future plans to travel to the country. The Mugabes attended a farming fair in Harare, where Grace was seen smiling and talking with exhibitors. She made no public comment. Harare has made no official comment on the assault case and requests for comment from Zimbabwean government officials have gone unanswered. Twenty-year-old model Gabriella Engels accused Grace Mugabe of whipping her with an electric extension cable as she waited with two friends in a luxury hotel suite to meet one of the Mugabes' adult sons. South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party has asked the Constitutional Court for permission to argue its case that Grace Mugabe's diplomatic immunity be declared unconstitutional. "Grace Mugabe is not a member of the Zimbabwean government and she was in South Africa on personal business," the party's federal executive chairman, James Selfe, said. "There is nothing in either South African or international law which renders her deserving of diplomatic immunity." Selfe said the party hoped that if the immunity is lifted Mugabe would have to surrender herself to South African state prosecutors or be extradited to face the charges. If not she could be declared persona non grata, prohibited from visiting South Africa. Advocacy group Afriforum has given legal backing to the alleged victim, Engels, and is working on the case with Gerrie Nel - the prosecutor who secured a murder conviction against Olympic and Paralympic runner Oscar Pistorius. (Reporting by Kuda Chideme; Writing by James Macharia; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said dramatic flooding became his primary concern after Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm Saturday.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for parts of the Houston metropolitan area near the Brazos River, which could experience a record crest.

A specialist at the National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening flooding after a multi-day rainfall disaster.

Two storm-related deaths have been confirmed since Harvey made landfall on Friday.

VICTORIA, Texas  After Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday, meteorologists issued warnings about the potential for catastrophic and life-threatening flooding, as many areas between San Antonio and Houston are expected to get massive amounts of rainfall.

Meteorologist Ryan Maue said 20 trillion gallons of water could fall on Texas in the next week. Michael Lowry of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research said that more than 60,000 square miles are under high or moderate risk for excessive rainfall through Sunday morning. At least two storm-related deaths have been confirmed, and imminent floods mean many more Texans could face danger in the next week.

During a press conference Saturday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said dramatic flooding was his primary worry about the tropical storm, which barely moved throughout Saturday evening.

Our biggest concern is between 20 and 30 more inches of rain in areas ranging from Corpus Christi over to Houston, Abbott said. We want to do everything we possibly can to keep people out of rising water.

On Saturday, flooding caused the death of one motorist in Houston, according to Gary Norman, spokesman for the citys emergency operations center. He told the AP late Saturday that the person, identified as a woman, had been driving along flooded streets when she got out of her vehicle in high water. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed.

Earlier Saturday, C. J. Wax, the mayor of Rockport in Aransas County, confirmed the death of a man who died while trapped in his burning house, unable to be reached by rescuers during the height of the hurricane. Wax said at least 12 other people sustained injuries.

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Rockport, where the storm made landfall Friday night, appears to be the hardest-hit area so far. The town of 10,000 is about 30 miles north of Corpus Christi, and has reported major damage to homes and businesses. Officials there told The Weather Channel that the loss of cellular coverage was hindering rescue work.

A man walks through floods waters after surveying his property, which was hit by Hurricane Harvey in Rockport, Texas. (Photo: Adrees Latif / Reuters)

The rain came down hard Saturday afternoon, and while the wind remained strong, it was nothing like Friday nights, which brought down trees and electric poles. Along a stretch of road just south of Victoria, 30 miles from the coast, most of the buildings were boarded up and evacuated.

The wind and rain made travel conditions through Victoria hazardous Saturday. The city had widespread power outages, with most of the stop lights in the area not working throughout the day. The Texas National Guard was assessing the damage in the area Saturday afternoon.

Debris and power lines covered many of the streets. Several huge trees, pulled up by their roots, had fallen on top of houses and across roads, making some of them impassable. The majority of broken windows were in large buildings. Storm-wise residents had boarded up their windows and taped their plate glass.

As of Saturday afternoon, there appeared to be no major flooding in Victoria, though some low-lying streets were under water. Natural gas could be smelled in some areas, suggesting some lines had been broken.

No gas stations, stores or restaurants in Victoria appeared to be open. Despite the damage, lots of people were driving around the area Saturday afternoon.

Folks along the Brazos River pack up their belongings as the river is expected to rise and flood homes in the next few days #Harvey2017 pic.twitter.com/aLi5Y57uPv  Karen Warren (@karenwarrenHC) August 26, 2017

About an hour and a half away in Rosenberg, a city in the Houston metropolitan area, mandatory evacuations were ordered after forecasts predicted a record crest of the Brazos River, which could lead to major flooding.

The massive, slow-moving storm dumped almost 15 inches of rain in some parts of Texas, and is expected to stay over the state for up to eight days.

Abbott said Saturday a disaster declaration has been issued for 50 of Texas 254 counties.

The National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for Houston Saturday. (Photo: Reuters Staff / Reuters)

There was a tornado watch in effect in parts of the state  and reports of a potential tornado strike in Katy, just outside of Houston.

The National Weather Service began issuing flash flood warnings for Houston Saturday morning. The National Hurricane Center warned that the coast should expect 15 to 30 inches of rain, but possibly as much as 40 inches in some areas. Houston, the countrys fourth most populous city, is included in the high-end of those rainfall projections.

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Overnight, the @AransasPassPD posted video of their harbor master building being blown apart by #HurricaneHarvey. pic.twitter.com/9G9CS2ncUN  KCEN News (@KCENNews) August 26, 2017

This prolonged pattern continues to favor rounds after rounds after rounds of very heavy rainfall that will lead to catastrophic and life-threatening flooding, warned the National Weather Services Houston/Galveston division in a message Saturday morning.

The threat from storm surge waters is also ongoing, with surges of 6 to 12 feet above ground level projected along the coast between Port Aransas and Port OConnor.

The Electric Reliability Council of Texas said more than 300,000 people were without power at one point Saturday.

Rainfall totals continue to increase with #Harvey. Totals as of 8 AM CDT Remember, this is a multi-day event...marathon not a sprint. pic.twitter.com/yhf7rmwd6J  NWS (@NWS) August 26, 2017

On the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County, the Crystal Beach Volunteer Fire Department said the powerful winds fanned flames engulfing a beach house.

WATCH: Winds of Hurricane Harvey spread flames on a beach house on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas.



(via Crystal Beach Volunteer Fire Department) pic.twitter.com/Lcyc4SQBhq  NBC News (@NBCNews) August 26, 2017

President Donald Trump, who faced criticism from some for using the storm to his political advantage, tweeted that he was continuing to monitor it Saturday.

See more storm updates from overnight Friday.

This article has been updated with new details, including updates on fatalities, damage, the downgrading of the storm and the latest weather forecasts.

Related...

Here's How To Help The Victims Of Hurricane Harvey

Photos Show Devastation Left Behind From Hurricane Harvey

Hurricane Harvey: Delve Inside The Eye Of The Storm

Harvey Spawns Tornadoes That Devastate Homes Outside Houston

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Steve Culver cries with his dog Otis as he talks about what he said was the, 'most terrifying event in his life,' when Hurricane Harvey blew in and destroyed most of his home while he and his wife took shelter there on in Rockport.

Ofelia Castro leads her grandchildren across a flooded street as they continue an hours long trek from their flooded house in the Edgewood area of South Houston to a relatives apartment miles away.

Aaron Tobias who said he lost everything stands in what is left of his home in Rockport. Mr. Tobias said he was able to get his wife and kids out before the storm arrived but he stayed there and rode it out.

Damaged boats in a multi-level storage facility are seen in Rockport.

People gather supplies out of destroyed homes to take back to a shelter near City-By-The Sea, Texas.

A destroyed laundromat is seen in Rockport.

A destroyed apartment complex is seen on Aug. 26, 2017, after Hurricane Harvey passed through Rockport, Texas.

Donna Raney is helped out of the window by Lee Guerrero and Daisy Graham in Rockport.

Valerie Brown walks through a flooded area after leaving her apartment in Rockport.

Charlie Company of the 4th Assault Amphibious Battalion, Marine Forces Reserve arrive at the Central Mall in Port Arthur, TX on Thursday night after running rescue missions in the hardest hit areas of town throughout the day.

A Rockport firefighter goes door to door on a search and rescue mission as he looks for people who may need help.

Rescue personnel help Hersey Kirk as she is airlifted into a rescue helicopter.

Jacque McKay walks through the apartment complex where she lives in Rockport.

A damaged home is seen after Hurricane Harvey in Rockport.

Damage is seen to a shopping center in Victoria, north and farther inland than Rockport.

Damage is seen at a business near Rockport

A damaged mobile home in Victoria.

Damage to a hotel in Victoria.

A business is damaged in Victoria.

A light plane sits upside done at Rockport Airport.

A sunken boat at Rockport Harbor.

Destroyed houses in Rockport.

Light medium tactical vehicle's (LMTV) make their way through floodwaters near Bridge City in Texas.

A car lies abandoned in Rockport.

A police officer checks for survivors among destroyed houses in Rockport.

A gas station in Victoria.

Damage to homes is seen near Rockport

A sign on a Holiday Inn hotel in Victoria.

Just got out of Rockport; no cell service there; catastrophic damage; homes, businesses destroyed. #hurricaneharvey pic.twitter.com/CJKPJOhEHZ  Jeremy Schwartz (@JinATX) August 26, 2017

First light reveals heavy damage in Rockport, TX. #hurricaneharvey. pic.twitter.com/a9vVRn9iJS  Jeff Gammons (@StormVisuals) August 26, 2017

A burnt-out house that caught fire after Hurricane Harvey hit Corpus Christi.

A house suffers roof damage in Corpus Christi.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 14:50:16|Editor: Liangyu

An Indian army trooper stands guard near the site of an ongoing gunfight after militants stormed police lines at Pulwama, about 28 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 26, 2017. A policeman and two paramilitary troopers of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed Saturday in an ongoing militant attack on police lines in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. During the initial assault a policeman and three CRPF personnel were wounded. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A policeman and two paramilitary troopers of India's Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed Saturday in an ongoing militant attack on police lines in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

During the initial assault a policeman and three CRPF personnel were wounded.

The gunmen believed to be fidayeen (suicide attackers) militants indiscriminately used gunfire and grenades, while making their entry inside the district police lines premises at Pulwama, about 28 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"A police constable and two CRPF personnel were killed today after militants stormed district police lines here and have taken position inside two buildings," a police official told Xinhua. "Heavy firing is going on between the two sides."

According to police officials, three militants are believed to have entered the police lines and occupied two buildings.

"From the building they are targeting army and police positions," the policeman said.

A police official said they have evacuated several people from the adjacent buildings in the police lines.

Reports said one of the building caught fire during the standoff.

A guerrilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989. However, of late Indian policemen too have been trained to fight them.

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.
Yingluck Shinawatra departed the Thai political scene with a dramatic flourish befitting her roller-coaster six-year journey from political novice to premier -- finally falling victim to the army-backed establishment who loathe her family.

According to a senior source in her Pheu Thai party, the 50-year-old ex-premier fled Thailand a few days before the Supreme Court was set to rule whether she was guilty of criminal negligence over a rice subsidy scheme that lavished cash on the Shinawatras' political base.

Her Houdini act, following a cryptic Facebook post late on Thursday, stunned her supporters and media alike who drew a blank on the whereabouts of Thailand's most recognisable politician.

Propelled to power in July 2011 by her family's electoral base in the poor north and northeast, Yingluck was pilloried by foes as a political lightweight armed with little more than a winning smile and a hotline to her elder brother Thaksin Shinawatra -- who once referred to her as his "clone".

But she stepped out of his shadow, displaying a unexpected resilience as protesters besieged her home and opponents clobbered her with a raft of court cases.

"I think that she learned very fast and adapted herself very well... she is very determined to do her duty," Chaturon Chaisang, a veteran politician and former cabinet minister in her toppled government told AFP earlier this week.

"But she might not have understood what was going to happen to her... that she would become the victim of a political game."

The former businesswoman drew hordes of supporters whenever she toured her electoral heartlands, taking endless selfies and being showered with red roses.

- Tears and smiles -

Her campaigning strategy -- dubbed fighting with smiles -- and her propensity to shed tears in public forged an image far removed from that of the stern junta generals who ousted her from office in a 2014 coup.

In private she wielded authority among her party and entourage, in a country where deference is expected towards wealth and power.

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Her weakness was her elder brother Thaksin, whose deep networks hoisted her to power despite his long absence from Thailand.

The billionaire telecoms tycoon has lived in self-imposed exile since 2008 to avoid jail in Thailand for corruption convictions.

He was ousted as prime minister by an army coup in 2006, which opened a seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his supporters and enemies.

Yingluck's premiership was scuttled in 2014 by a court ruling over a technicality.

Weeks later the army shunted aside the rump of her administration.

For her first two years in office, the outlook seemed very different.

The photogenic former businesswoman charmed many of her critics and for a period maintained the peace across Thailand's bitter political divide.

She reached out to the military and worked to appease political opponents within Thailand's Bangkok-based establishment, which loathes Thaksin and wants to curb the Shinawatras' 13-year influence on Thai politics.

But the shaky truce collapsed in November 2013 after a failed bid to pass an amnesty bill which would have enabled Thaksin's return.

The move outraged government opponents who flooded the streets for months-long protests marked by violence that left dozens dead and hundreds wounded.

Yingluck became the focus of caustic -- and often explicitly sexist -- tirades by protest leaders.

But the mother-of-one refused to joust with her detractors and held off on a violent crackdown.

She took a leaf out of Thaksin's playbook, launching lavish welfare schemes aimed at the rural poor, including the rice subsidy programme.

The bungled scheme became a lightning rod for anger among protesters and also saw her fall under the glare of anti-graft officials, who are still mulling whether to convict her for negligence -- a charge which carries up to 10 years in prison and a life ban from politics.

Yingluck, who graduated in political science before earning a master's degree in business administration in the United States, spent much of her career working in her brother's empire.

Rising from trainee status, she eventually became president of the mobile telephone unit of Shin Corp., the telecoms giant founded by Thaksin that was at the centre of a tax scandal in 2006.
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Houston will receive two to three feet of additional rain in the coming days, Mayor Sylvester Turner warned residents on Saturday as the most powerful storm to hit Texas in more than 50 years moved inland. "This is serious," Turner said in a televised interview as Hurricane Harvey turned into a tropical storm that was expected to linger over the mid-Texas coast. "It is important that people stay off the roads." Turner said the city, the fourth most populous in the United States, is prepared for what he described as a "major water event." Houston has received about 16 inches (40 cm) of rain as a result of Harvey while neighboring Corpus Christi has seen about 20 inches. Areas between the two cities could see another 20 to 30 inches of rain, Texas Governor Greg Abbott said at a news conference in Austin, the state capital, earlier on Saturday. The region is facing the prospect of catastrophic flooding from the torrential rains. Power outages have affected over a quarter million customers in the state and gas stations in Houston have been struggling to keep up with motorists' demands. Four refineries in South Texas have shut down, disrupting gasoline supplies and pushing prices higher. In addition, about 25 percent of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico's oil production was offline as of midday on Saturday, according the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. One person is reported to have died in a house fire during the storm. (Reporting by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Gary McWilliams and Paul Simao)
The forensic investigator tasked with determining whether a newfound set of human remains belonged to Natalee Holloway confirmed Thursday hed made headway in the testing. Jason Kolowski, the former Forensic Laboratory Director of the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, said the DNA belonged to a single person.

They are human, Kolowski told Oxygen.com. And they are of Caucasian, European descent.

Natalee, who went missing in 2005, was Caucasian and of European descent. The 18-year-old was officially declared dead in 2012, but her body was never found. An investigation undertaken by Natalees father, Dave Holloway, and private investigator TJ Ward, uncovered the new human remains at an undisclosed location in Aruba.

11351322_1015149885170155_5837889918805724298_n (1)

Photo: Facebook/Natalee Holloway Resource Center

We are in the dark as to whether these remains are male or female, genetically, Kolowski told Oxygen.

The gender would be confirmed sometime in September, Kolowski said. The testing was taking longer than is typical due to the nature of the DNA: the bone fragments contained mitochondrial DNA instead of the more commonly found nuclear DNA. When testing was completed, Kolowski said, he was confident hed have a definitive answer as to whether they belonged to Natalee.

The Holloways took it upon themselves to continue searching for Natalee after they felt unsatisfied with the investigation by Aruban authorities. Her father, appearing in an episode of Nightline this week, said officials on the island took their eyes off the last three people who were known to be with Natalee. Dave Holloway was referring to the three men with whom Natalee was spotted getting into a car with on the last night she was ever seen. All the men were questioned but ultimately released for a lack of evidence. One of them, a Dutch man named Joran van der Sloot, remained the primary suspect in the case.

Aruban authorities officially closed the case in 2008.

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Little did they know, they werent just looking for a kidnapper or killer, they were up against the whole Aruban government, Nancy Grace said on Nightline this week.

Natalees father called the newfound human remains the most credible lead Ive seen in the last 12 years. The Holloways, however, are once again up against Aruban authorities. Aruban Public Prosecutor Dorean Kardol disputed the claim that human remains were found recently on the island.

During an investigation by police in the area indicated by Mr. Holloway, we found remains, Kardol told HuffPost last week. But they were found to be from animals.

Related Articles
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement is moving detainees who are being held in facilities in Hurricane Harveys path, ahead of the potentially historic storm thats barreling toward Texas.

Those currently being held at the Port Isabel Detention Center, located 30 miles east of Brownsville in Los Fresnos, Texas, are being transferred to facilities away from the storms impact area.

Officials at Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection released a joint statement on Friday indicating that laws will not be suspended in light of the storm, but they will ease up on non-criminal immigration operations at evacuation sites or shelters in the impacted areas.

The Departments law enforcement components will be at the ready to help anyone in need of assistance. In evacuation or response, we are committed to making sure that we can assist local authorities quickly, safely, and efficiently, the joint statement reads. Routine non-criminal immigration enforcement operations will not be conducted at evacuation sites, or assistance centers such as shelters or food banks.

The statement continues, the laws will not be suspended, and we will be vigilant against any effort by criminals to exploit disruptions caused by the storm.

The statement posted on the Customs and Border Protection website does not explicitly mention checkpoints, which the agency said would remain open in a statement reported on by the Texas Tribune. Border Patrol checkpoints will not be closed unless there is a danger to the safety of the traveling public and our agents, the sstatement to the Tribune reads. Border Patrol resources, including personnel and transportation, will be deployed on an as needed basis to augment the efforts and capabilities of local-response authorities.

That statement prompted a strong response from the American Civil Liberties Union, which called it a disgusting move.

The Border Patrol should never keep checkpoints open during any natural disasters in the United States, said Lorella Praeli, American Civil Liberties Union director of immigration policy and campaigns. Everyone, no matter the color of their skin or background, is worth saving.

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A question to Customs and Border Protection officials about the status of checkpoints during the hurricane was not immediately answered.

The joint statement in regard to Hurricane Harvey differs slightly from a 2016 statement from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection that was issued ahead of Hurricane Matthew. Then, the agencies were far more explicit about enforcement activities, including those at checkpoints and what to do with individuals held in state and local custody.

There will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to Matthew, including the use of checkpoints for immigration enforcement purposes in impacted areas during an evacuation, the 2016 statement reads.
By Brendan Pierson

(Reuters) - New York state prosecutors on Friday charged radical Jamaican Muslim cleric Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal with seeking to recruit people to join Islamic State.

El-Faisal, 53, was arrested the same day in Jamaica, and New York authorities will seek to have him extradited to face charges in Manhattan Supreme Court, according to a U.S. law enforcement source.

El-Faisal, born Trevor William Forrest in St. James, Jamaica, was previously convicted in the United Kingdom in 2003 of soliciting murder and imprisoned. He was deported to Jamaica in 2007 after being released.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Friday that el-Faisal used lectures, a website and videos to incite followers to join Islamic State, which is designated a terrorist organization by U.S. authorities.

"A charismatic leader, the defendants rhetoric has been cited by several convicted or suspected terrorists in New York, London, and beyond," Vance said in a statement.

Friday's indictment follows a year-long investigation by the New York Police Department's intelligence bureau and the Manhattan District Attorneys offices counter-terrorism program, according to the announcement from Vance's office.

Prosecutors said that beginning in December 2016, el-Faisal began communicating remotely from Jamaica with an undercover NYPD officer. He urged the officer to view Islamic State propaganda materials online, and offered to help him travel to the Middle East to fight for the organization, prosecutors said.

NYPD members ultimately did travel to the Middle East, and once they arrived, el-Faisal put them in touch with a contact in Raqqa, Syria, according to prosecutors.

El-Faisal is charged with soliciting or providing support for an act of terrorism. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan will impose additional sanctions against North Korea following the reclusive country's repeated missile launches and unresolved abduction issue, its top government spokesman said on Friday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters that Japan would freeze the assets of six more organizations and two more individuals linked to North Korea. He said they included four Chinese entities and one Chinese individual and two Namibian entities. In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying expressed "strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition" to the Japanese sanctions. The United States on Tuesday imposed new North Korea-related sanctions, targeting Chinese and Russian firms and individuals for supporting Pyongyang's weapons programs, including a Namibia-based subsidiary of a Chinese company and a North Korean entity operating in Namibia. Asked what message Japan was sending with the additional sanctions, Suga said is it was important to observe the UNSC resolutions. "It is extremely important to exert pressure in this form while acting in concert with the United States and South Korea," he said. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered more solid-fuel rocket engines, state media reported on Wednesday, as he pursues nuclear and missile programs amid a standoff with Washington. Responding to Japan's latest steps, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Beijing opposed any unilateral sanctions outside the United Nations Security Council framework, especially those targeting Chinese entities and people. Japan's actions "gravely harm China's interests and judicial sovereignty, and create new political obstacles to improving China-Japan relations", Hua told a daily news briefing. "China demands that Japan immediately ceases with the relevant mistaken methods. If Japan remains obstinately on this course, it must bear the consequences." China has signed up for increasingly tough UN sanctions against North Korea, and promised to fully and effectively enforce them. But China has been angered by unilateral sanctions placed against Chinese companies and individuals by the United States in particular, saying only China has the right to target those in the country who may illegally be aiding Pyongyang. (Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Hitoshi Ishida; Additional reporting by Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim & Simon Cameron-Moore)
Donald Trump has pardoned a controversial Arizona sheriff: AP

Veteran senator John McCain has led criticism of Donald Trumps decision to pardon the controversial former sheriff Joe Arpaio, saying it undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law.

The long-serving Arizona senator joined a chorus of condemnation of the move, announced as Texas battened down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Harvey.

Mr Arpaio, 85, ignored a 2011 court ruling that blocked him from racially profiling Latino residents and was convicted of contempt of court less than a month ago, leaving him facing potential time behind bars.

He had gained notoriety for backing Mr Trumps birther campaign and for his massive roundups of suspected illegal immigrants. At Maricopa County jail he reinstated chain gangs and banned coffee, salt and pepper.

Mr Trump said Mr Arpaio was an American patriot who kept Arizona safe!.

But his longtime critic, Mr McCain, said: No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold.

Mr Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judges orders.

The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

Cecillia Wang, a lawyer who helped press the racial profiling case against Mr Arpaio, called the pardon a presidential endorsement of racism.

Mr Trump has acted in support of illegal, failed immigration enforcement practices that target people of colour and have been struck down by the courts, she said.

Her view was echoed by former Democratic presidential candiate Senator Bernie Sanders, who said the pardon has again made clear [Mr Trump] will use the powers of the presidency to defend racism and discrimination.

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And Hilarie Bass, president of the American Bar Association, said: Pardoning a law enforcement officer who has disobeyed the courts and violated the rights of people he has sworn to protect undercuts judicial authority and the publics faith in our legal system.

Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Convention, said the President had given a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nations most notorious agent of racism and bigotry. The decision to issue the pardon as a dangerous hurricane was bearing down on Texas was not presidential, he added.

Enrique Acevedo, a news anchor for the popular Spanish-language channel Univision, tweeted: This is all you need to know about Trumps promise of law and order: He fired James Comey and pardoned Joe Arpaio.

Jeff Flake, Arizonas other Republican senator, said on Twitter that I would have preferred that the President honour the judicial process and let it take its course. Mr Arpaio was due to be sentenced in October and faced up to six months in prison.

Both Mr Flake and Mr McCain have been public targets of Mr Trumps anger; Mr Flake for his outspoken criticism of the President, and Mr McCain for his July vote against the repeal of Obamacare  a legislative win Mr Trump desperately needed.

On Twitter, the Phoenix New Times recounted a string of stories that chronicled Mr Arpaios 24-year reign.

It said: By 2015, his fondness for racial profiling had cost the county more [than] $44m. On top of, you know, ruining lives.

Oh, and one time he staged an assassination attempt against himself? That was weird.

Additional reporting by agencies
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) harshly criticized President Donald Trump for pardoning Joe Arpaio, the former Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff who was found guilty of criminal contempt after illegally targeting Latinos.

Trumps pardon Friday of Arpaio, who was found to have willfully violated a 2011 court order barring him from detaining individuals based solely on suspicion about their legal status, was the first of his presidency.

McCain issued a statement after Trumps announcement, saying it undermined the presidents professed respect for the rule of law.

No one is above the law and the individuals entrusted with the privilege of being sworn law officers should always seek to be beyond reproach in their commitment to fairly enforcing the laws they swore to uphold, McCain said in the statement. Mr. Arpaio was found guilty of criminal contempt for continuing to illegally profile Latinos living in Arizona based on their perceived immigration status in violation of a judges orders. The President has the authority to make this pardon, but doing so at this time undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions.

Arpaio supported Trump during the presidential campaign last year and both men have promoted the lie that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. The White House defended the pardon by saying the 85-year-old Arpaio had history working in law enforcement.

McCain cast the decisive vote last month to block a Republican effort in the Senate to try and repeal the Affordable Care Act, dealing a devastating defeat to Trump and his own party. In 2015, Trump suggested McCain, who was a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War, wasnt really a war hero.

Related Coverage

Trump Pardons Former Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Who Illegally Targeted Latinos

Also on HuffPost

Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher spoke out onstage as host of the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards on Jan. 29, 2017. His remarks came just two days after President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring citizens of seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States for three months.



"Everyone in airports that belong in my America! You are part of the fabric of who we are, and we we love you and we welcome you."

Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Julia Louis-Dreyfus during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards spoke out about how she was "horrified" by the immigrant ban, being the child of an immigrant herself.



"I am American patriot. I love this country and because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes. And this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American."

Alyssa Milano

Alyssa Milano took to Twitter to support her friends.



"My best friend Alaa Mohammad Khaled is Muslim His parents were Palestinian refugees His brother is DJ Khaled RefugeesWelcome"

Taylor Schilling

Taylor Schilling with the cast of "Orange is the New Black" during the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.



"We stand up here representing a diverse group of people, representing generations of families who have sought a better life here, We know that it's going to be up to us and all of you to keep telling stories. What united us is stronger than the forces that seek to divide us."

Kerry Washington

Kerry Washington wears a safety pin during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.



"Ill be wearing one of these tonight. On my arm. To show solidarity. We will not stop fighting for our safety & the safety of our fellow citizens and human beings. Actors are activists, no matter what, because we embody the worth and humanity of all people."

George Takei

George Takei posted on Twitter, sharing an article that made people think about the immigration ban. He wrote, "I hope we're all paying attention."

Dev Patel

Dev Patel stopped on the red carpet to speak out during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.



"I've just flown in from India and to fly into what was a nightmare, to realize that this is actually happening right now in the world, in a country where I live, it's heartbreaking. The first thought that came in my head was just thousands of children and mothers and young fathers that have turned up to these shores with hope, and they're being swatted away. It's just so divisive and negative and wrong. It's scary, it's really scary."

Seth Rogen

Seth Rogen took to Twitter sharing where a protest was being held.

Sophia Bush

Sophia Bush took to Twitter in support of human rights.



She later tweeted, Bravo to the courts. At least some folks in charge adhere to the Constitution. #NoHate #NoFear #RefugeesAreWelcomeHere.

Sarah Paulson

Sarah Paulson addressed the ban during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.



I would like to make plea for everyone, if they can, any money they have to spare please donate to the ACLU to protect the rights and liberties of people across this country.

David Harbour

David Harbour addresses the ban while accepting an award for "Stranger Things" during the SAG Awards.



"Now, as we act in the continuing narrative of 'Stranger Things,' we 1983 Midwesterners will repel bullies, we will shelter freaks and outcasts, those who have no home. We will get past the lies, we will hunt monsters. And when we are at a loss amidst the hypocrisy and the casual violence of certain individuals and institutions. We will, as per Chief Jim Hopper, punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the weak, the disenfranchised and the marginalized!"

Mark Ruffalo

Mark Ruffalo shared on social media what he really thought about the immigration ban.

Mahershala Ali

Mahershala Ali during the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.



"When we get caught up in the minutiae and the details that make us all different, I think there's two ways of seeing that. There's the opportunity to see the texture of that person, the characteristics that make them unique, and then there's an opportunity to go to war about it and say that this person is different from me, I don't like you, let's battle."

Miley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus shared a multicolored image about standing alongside immigrants in the United States.

Michael Moore

Michael Moore took to Twitter in outrage.



"To our Muslim neighbors in the world: I & tens of millions of others are so very sorry. The majority of Americans did not vote 4 this man."

Emma Stone

Emma Stone also addressed the ban during the SAG Awards.



We have to speak up. Staying silent only helps the oppressor, not the victim. Right now I hope that people seeing things that are being done that are unconstitutional and inhumane would say something."

Lily Allen

Singer Lily Allen took to social media to express her opinion about the immigration ban, calling it "a heinous act."

Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne

Simon Helberg and Jocelyn Towne brought a sign to the 23rd annual Screen Actors Guild Awards.

Mira Sorvino

In February 2017, an appeals court decided against Donald Trump's proposed travel ban.



Actress Mira Sorvino tweeted after court ruling, saying, Thank God!!And TY to all the judges, and lawyers and citizens who protested! This is our America! #nomuslimban #lovenothatemakesamericagreat.

Albert Brooks

After the appeals court ruling, Albert Brooks tweeted: Looks like the appeals court is not getting that Ivanka Trump gift basket.

Denzel Washington

Denzel Washington is seen backstage at the SAG Awards.



I think we as Americans better learn to unite, We need to put our elected officials feet to the fire and demand that they work together or they wont get back into office."

Rob Reiner

Rob Reiner took to Twitter after the Immigration Ban became public.

Kumail Nanjiani

"Silicon Valley's" Kumail Nanjiani tweeted: "As someone who was born in Pakistan I can tell you coming into America is VERY difficult. A #Muslimban accomplishes nothing but hate."

Emmy Rossum

Emmy Rossum shared on Twitter, "Refugees are FLEEING TERROR. They are not terrorists. #muslimban."

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 15:25:33|Editor: Liangyu

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DOHA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Qatar has decided to close the Chadian embassy in Doha, giving diplomats and staff 72 hours to leave the country, Qatar's state news agency (QNA) reported Friday.

Qatari Foreign Ministry has expressed its rejection and denunciation of reasons concerning Chad's closure of Qatari embassy in Ndjamena, QNA reported.

The move came just 24 hours after Chad announced it was closing Qatar's embassy in Ndjamena and giving diplomats 10 days to leave Chad, accusing Doha of seeking to destabilize the country.

Qatar has rejected the allegations as baseless, said ambassador Ahmed bin Saeed Al Rumaihi, director of the Information Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He noted that the timing of Chad's decision clearly shows that the move comes within the campaign of political blackmail against Qatar with the intention of joining the siege countries for very well-known reasons.

Chad, Mauritania and Senegal all recalled their ambassadors from Qatar in June.

They acted after the Saudi-led countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting Islamist extremists, a charge the tiny rich country strongly denies.

Meanwhile, Senegal announced this week it had reappointed its envoy to Doha, in a bid to encourage a peaceful resolution to the feud.
By Wa Lone and Shoon Naing YANGON (Reuters) - Muslim militants in Myanmar staged a coordinated attack on 30 police posts and an army base in Rakhine state on Friday, and at least 59 of the insurgents and 12 members of the security forces were killed, the army and government said. The fighting - still going on in some areas - marked a major escalation in a simmering conflict in the northwestern state since last October, when similar attacks prompted a big military sweep beset by allegations of serious human rights abuses. The Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), a group previously known as Harakah al-Yaqin, which instigated the October attacks, claimed responsibility for the early morning offensive, and warned of more. The treatment of approximately 1.1 million Muslim Rohingya has emerged as majority Buddhist Myanmar's most contentious human rights issue as it makes a transition from decades of harsh military rule. It now appears to have spawned a potent insurgency which has grown in size, observers say. They worry that the attacks - much larger and better organized than those in October - will spark an even more aggressive army response and trigger communal clashes between Muslims and Buddhist ethnic Rakhines. A news team affiliated with the office of national leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said that one soldier, one immigration officer, 10 policemen and 59 insurgents had been killed in the fighting. "In the early morning at 1 a.m., the extremist Bengali insurgents started their attack on the police post ... with the man-made bombs and small weapons," said the army in a separate statement, referring to the Rohingya by a derogatory term implying they are interlopers from Bangladesh. The militants also used sticks and swords and destroyed bridges with explosives, the army said. The Rohingya are denied citizenship and are seen by many in Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, despite claiming roots in the region that go back centuries, with communities marginalized and occasionally subjected to communal violence. FIRE AND FEAR The military counter-offensive in October resulted in some 87,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh, where they joined many others who have fled from Myanmar over the past 25 years. The United Nations said Myanmar's security forces likely committed crimes against humanity in the offensive that began in October. On Friday, the United Nations condemned the militant attacks and called for all parties to refrain from violence. The United States also condemned the attacks on security forces and it warned the government against indiscriminate reprisals. "As government and security forces act to prevent further violence and bring those responsible for the attacks to justice, we expect them to do so in a way that is consistent with the rule of law, protects and respects human rights and fundamental freedoms, demonstrates transparency, and avoids inflaming a tense situation," the U.S. State Department said in a statement. The military said about 150 Rohingya attacked an army base in Taung Bazar village in Buthidaung township. Among the police posts attacked was a station in the majority-Rakhine village of Kyauk Pandu, 40 km (24 miles) south of the major town of Maungdaw. Police officer Kyaw Win Tun said the insurgents burned down the post and police had been called to gather at a main station. Residents were fearful as darkness approached. "We heard that a lot of Muslim villagers are grouping together, they will make more attacks on us when the sun goes down," said Maung Maung Chay, a Rakhine villager from the hamlet. The attack took place hours after a panel led by the former U.N. chief Kofi Annan advised the government on long-term solutions for the violence-riven state. Annan condemned the violence on Friday, saying "no cause can justify such brutality and senseless killing". 'RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES' Military sources told Reuters they estimated 1,000 insurgents took part in the offensive and it encompassed both Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships - a much wider area compared with October. The leader of ARSA, Ata Ullah, has said hundreds of young Rohingya have joined the group, which says it is waging a legitimate defence against the army and for human rights. "We have been taking our defensive actions against the Burmese marauding forces in more than 25 different places across the region. More soon!" the group said on Twitter. Chris Lewa of the Rohingya monitoring group, the Arakan Project, said a major concern was what happened to some 700 Rohingya villagers trapped inside their section of Zay Di Pyin village which had been surrounded by Rakhine vigilantes armed with sticks and swords. "We are running for our lives," said one of the Zay Di Pyin's Rohingya villagers reached by telephone, adding that houses had been set on fire. The government said the village had been burned down but blamed the fire on the Rohingya. Amid rising tension over the past few weeks, more than 1,000 new refugees have fled to Bangladesh, where border guards on Friday pushed back 146 people trying to flee the violence. Mohammed Shafi, who lives in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, said his cousin in Myanmar had told him of the trouble. "The military is everywhere. People are crying, mourning the dead," Shafi said. "Things are turning real bad. It's scary." (Additional Krishna N. Das in DHAKA, Yimou Lee in YANGON, Nurul Islam in COX'S BAZAR, Ruma Paul in DHAKA; Writing by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's army said on Saturday it had detained an Islamic State suspect accused of planning attacks against its troops. The man was sent by Islamic State operatives in Syria to assassinate a senior Lebanese army officer. He had been surveiling the soldier's home, the military statement said. "He also worked on securing the necessary weapons and explosives to execute this operation," as well as bomb attacks against the army and villages in north Lebanon, it said. Authorities arrested the suspect, a Lebanese national, in the northern village of Wadi Khaled at the border with Syria, a security source said. In recent years, some attacks in Lebanon have been linked to Islamic State, which controls territory in neighboring Syria and a shrinking enclave on the common border. Still, the country has mostly escaped the violence unleashed by the six-year Syrian war, where Lebanon's Shi'ite Hezbollah fights alongside President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Lebanese army said the man it detained took orders from Islamic State in the Syrian city of Raqqa, which the militants had used as a base before losing ground there to U.S.-backed militias. The suspect has also been in touch with militants in the Islamic State enclave among the barren mountains straddling the Syrian-Lebanese frontier. Since last week, Lebanon's army has been waging an offensive on its side of the border against the Islamic State pocket near the town of Ras Baalbeck in the northeast. (Reporting by Ellen Francis Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
On Aug. 25, 1967  exactly 50 years ago this Friday  a man was killed whose dismissive TIME death notice began by declaring that he had been a failure at just about everything he tried. That man, George Lincoln Rockwell, was newsworthy only as the founder of the anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic group he called the American Nazi Party, later known as the National Socialist White Peoples Party, a risible handful of strutting, beswastikaed bullyboys, the magazine said.

Rockwell had been shot at a laundromat by a disgruntled former party official. Given that his followers numbers were so low, estimated to be between 20 and a few hundred by TIME back then, that might have been the end of the shameful but isolated episode that was his life.

But, at a time when the scourge of Nazi ideology has returned to American headlines  with far-right demonstrators in Charlottesville, Va., chanting Nazi slogans and carrying Nazi flags at a violent clash earlier this month  its clear that the story of Rockwell and his ilk didnt end when he did, a half-century ago.

Nor was Rockwell the first of his kind. As TIME explained as early as 1938, the influence of Nazi ideas in the U.S. could be traced all the way back to the early 1920s, before Hitler rose to power. In 1923 the Teutonia Society, patterned vaguely on Klan principles, was the biggest of a dozen or so similar groups whose members gave aid to the National Socialist Party in Germany throughout the late 20s, the magazine noted. In 1933 these groups were merged as Friends of New Germany, run by Heinz Spanknobel, a Nazi party member. Herr Spanknobel, indicted by a New York Federal Grand Jury for failing to register as the agent of a foreign nation, speedily fled to Nazi Germany. In 1934 a Congressional Committee investigated the Friends of New Germany, found it for all practical purposes the American section of the Nazi party. The Friends changed this name to Amerikadeutscher Volksbund in 1936, resumed functioning under the leadership of a sleek, pompous, garrulous ex-chemist named Fritz Kuhn whose offices in Manhattan are decorated by portraits of Franklin Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler.

And, as Jon Meacham reminded readers in last weeks issue of the magazine, the isolationist instinct in the lead-up to World War II extended to outright Nazi sympathy in some cases. But Rockwell, who founded his group in 1958  when support of Nazi Germany was no longer a viable issue  played a part in changing what that sympathy looked like.

Frederick J. Simonelli, who wrote a 1999 book on Rockwell, argued that, Rockwell and the group he founded merit study because Rockwell laid the foundation for what he called the White Power movement in the United States. Simonelli further argued that virtually all of the diverse organizations within contemporary right-wing, white supremacist U.S. politics are somehow descended from his American Nazi Party/National Socialist White Peoples Party, which was notable for how it focused not on support of a foreign regime but on applying that regimes ideas to a homegrown concept of American whiteness.

By 1977, ten years after Rockwells death, TIME estimated that  in addition to several other neo-Nazi groups operational at the time  there were a total of 400 members in the National Socialist White Peoples Party. While it was politically impotent and dwindling in numbers, the article noted, its potential for stirring hatred and creating violence remains high.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

And yet the continuing history of Nazi ideas in American culture is not only a history of how small groups of people loudly trumpeting hate can have a disproportionate impact on the nation. Its also a history of how the reaction to those people can, in the best cases, move the nation forward in the right direction.

In one potent example from that same year, 1977, another splinter group made headlines in Illinois and nationwide for what happened when they tried to hold a demonstration. A man named Frank Collin, later described by TIME as a swaggering bullyboy who likes to dress up in a Nazi uniform, spout totalitarian dogma and howl racial slurs, had been previously involved with the American Nazi Party but had later founded his own group in Chicago, which he called the National Socialist Party of America. Collin had, faced with the high insurance cost of holding a demonstration in Chicago proper, sent letters to a variety of suburbs saying that his group wanted to hold a rally. Though most towns had simply tossed away his request, the village of Skokie, Ill., had decided that its high population of Holocaust survivors meant that a firm negative response was required.

Simply because theyd gotten a response, the neo-Nazis decided they had a First Amendment case and they went to the ACLU of Illinois, says Philippa Strum, a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and author of When the Nazis Came to Skokie. [The ACLU] decided that this was a case of the government of Skokie deciding based on the content of the speech who should be able to speak publicly, so they decided to take the case.

Ultimately, the Supreme Court decided that the Nazi group could not be stopped from demonstrating in Skokie. That victory for the ACLU cost the group tens of thousands of members, who found the organizations support of this particular speech a bridge too far, and there never was an Nazi march in Skokie  the small rally in question ended up being moved to Chicago, in part due to the promise of counterprotests in the suburb. (Skokie became the home of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center; Frank Collin later went to prison for sexually abusing minors.)

But Strum says the ramifications of the case are still felt.

Once the case was handed down there was a really firm statement that groups, no matter how heinous their thinking, had a right to demonstrate, Strum tells TIME. You can certainly see a direct line from the decision in Skokie to the way we look at the First Amendment today.

The idea that the government shouldnt be able to determine who speaks in the public arena based on the content of that speech is, she says, so much taken for granted today that I think you can say its a basic part of the American ethos, though it can still be difficult to agree with in practice when that speech is antithetical to American values.

These days, the matter is not limited to government decisions, as corporations such as Facebook and Twitter confront the question as it relates to the public speech made through their platforms. What were going to do about those private corporations, honestly I dont know, Strum says. Many people who are working in the area of the First Amendment are trying to wrestle with that right now.

Even so, and perhaps even more importantly, she tells TIME that Skokie remains an example of what a proper American response to such speech  no matter the platform  can look like. The reaction of the citizens of Skokie is, she says, what should happen. Its that same instinct, she says, that was on display last weekend in Boston when thousands rallied against racism.

Though the Constitution prevents the government from stopping speech based on its content, that right and its fellows come with what she sees as a responsibility for citizens to stay involved. The village of Skokie couldnt keep the Nazis out using ordinances and injunctions, but its citizens could  and did  speak up to say that they would not allow those Nazi ideas to go unchallenged.

What happened was that average citizens were inspired to come out and take part in the democratic process in a really important way, which is to say Im going to say what I think of kinds of speech, and Im going to show that Im in effect, with my body, speaking on the other side, she says. I think thats the way democracy ought to work.
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis says Washington does not believe Moscow when it claims Russia does not want to change Europes borders through violence.

Despite Russia's denials, we know they are seeking to redraw international borders by force, undermining the sovereign and free nations of Europe, Mattis said during his visit to Ukraine on Thursday.

Russia has sent troops to territories in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova despite protests from the national governments of all three countries.

It has annexed Crimea, in Ukraine, and now regards it as legally part of Russia, while also backing an armed insurgency in Ukraines east. Moscow also has officially incorporated Moldovas Transnistria and Georgias Abkhazia and South Ossetia in its military chain of command but regards them as independent republics.

In all cases besides eastern Ukraine, Russia has argued that its action is only to support the desire of local populations to split from their national governments. But the countries to which each of those regions legally belong consider what Moscow often dubs "Russian peacekeeping missions" to be occupation forces.

Mattis said he was considering bolstering Ukraine in its ability to fend off Russia and strengthen the Washington-Kiev relationship.

On the defensive lethal weapons, we are actively reviewing it; I will go back now having seen the current situation and be able to inform the secretary of state and the president in very specific terms what I recommend for the direction ahead, Mattis said.

A deal to supply Ukraine with lethal aid is not official, but should such a deal be drafted, it would be a step further than the previous U.S. administration was willing to go in supporting Ukraines new pro-Western government.

Defensive weapons are not provocative unless you are an aggressor, and clearly Ukraine is not an aggressor, since it is their own territory where the fighting is happening, Mattis said, tackling the criticism leveled by Russia at such plans in the past.

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Boris Gryzlov, Russias main negotiator in the Ukraine peace talks and former head of Vladimir Putins United Russia party, contradicted Mattiss claims by saying that the ambition to attain lethal weapons will be seen as a very bad and threatening signal" by Russian-backed fighters, RFE reported.

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First lady Melania Trump tweeted words of support on Friday morning to those who may be impacted by Hurricane Harvey this weekend -- which some are deeming the first major crisis of President Trump's presidency.

"For those living near the path of # HurricaneHarvey stay safe!" Melania tweeted on Friday morning. "Thoughts & prayers of an entire country are with you."

For those living near the path of #HurricaneHarvey stay safe! Thoughts & prayers of an entire country are with you.  Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) August 25, 2017

Hurricane Harvey intensified to a Category 2 storm on Friday morning, and will be the first hurricane with such power to hit Texas since 2008.

RELATED: Melania Trump in her White House role



As first lady, Melania Trump has carefully chosen when to use her own voice and social media presence to speak out on global and national issues. Her last tweet before today's post came earlier this week, when she thanked Chelsea Clinton for standing up for the president and first lady's 11-year-old son, Barron.

From the national opioid epidemic to the violence of Charlottesville, Melania Trump has spoken out on a number of issues since her husband became president -- and the first lady will soon make an announcement regarding her official agenda.

"The First Lady continues to be thoughtful about her initiatives, and we look forward to announcing something in the coming weeks, spokesperson Stephanie Grisham recently told RealClearPolitics. "As for details of that 'something,' it is safe to say that Mrs. Trump is very focused on the health and well-being of children."
The transgender community was dealt a devastating, if anticipated, blow by President Donald Trump Friday when it was announced hed signed a memo banning trans men or women from enlisting in the military.

The move comes scarcely a month after Trump surprised his administration and the Pentagon when he announced his plan to ban trans service members via several jaw-dropping tweets. Fridays announcement was, of course, the latest in a series of devastating setbacks trans people have experienced under the Trump administration. However, those service members will receive a warm welcome this weekend at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.

The network has sent transgender members of the U.S. military an open invitation to attend the VMAs on Sunday, NBC reports. We would be honored if they could attend, MTV President Chris McCarthy said in a statement cited by NBC, Rolling Stone and a number of other media outlets. Any patriot who is putting their own life at risk to fight for our freedom and stands for equality is a hero at MTV, and to young people everywhere.

Trans soldiers praised the move as an incredible opportunity, INTO reported. Most of the people who project an anti-trans attitude is because they dont see, know, or come into contact with anyone they know who is transgender, Kimberly Morris, who served in the Marine Corps for 20 years, said. Were not monsters, lunatics, or pedophiles. Were dedicated, hard-working, patriotic Americans.

Brynn Tannehill, a veteran who served in the Navy for 17 years, said the invite sends a clear and unambiguous message that we will not allow discrimination against trans people.

The gesture recalls Lady Gagas 2010 VMAs appearance, when the pop diva attended the ceremony with four queer soldiers who had been discharged or asked to leave the military because of the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy.

Fortunately, these trans service members will be in good company. Sundays starry lineup includes Pink, Miley Cyrus and host Katy Perry  all of whom have been outspoken LGBTQ rights advocates.

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 15:25:34|Editor: Liangyu

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SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) test-fired three short-range projectiles into its eastern waters amid the ongoing South Korea-U.S. war game, Seoul's military said Saturday.

The DPRK launched several unidentified short-range projectiles into the East Sea off the country's northeast region from an area near Gitdaeryong in Gangwon province at about 6:49 a.m. local time (2149 GMT Friday), according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The Gangwon province borders South Korea's northeastern region.

The JCS said the projectiles flew about 250 km, but what the projectiles are was not known immediately.

It said the military authorities of South Korea and the United States were jointly analyzing the test-launches.

According to Yonhap news agency report citing an unknown source, a total of three projectiles were test-launched.

The first and third ones traveled around 250 km, and the second one exploded in the air immediately after taking off.

The test-firings came as the combined forces of South Korea and the United States kicked off their joint annual war game, codenamed Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), on Monday. The war game would last until next Thursday.

The computerized command post military exercise has been denounced by the DPRK as a rehearsal for northward invasion. The scale of this year's war game was smaller than last year's.

The war game was the first large-scale South Korea-U.S. military drill after the DPRK's tests in July of what it called an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), called Hwasong-14.

Tensions de-escalated on the Korean Peninsula as Pyongyang and Washington stopped trading belligerent rhetoric.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang of "fire and fury," and the DPRK warned Washington that it could fire intermediate-range ballistic missiles targeting the waters off the U.S. island of Guam in the Pacific.

The DPRK delayed its missile strike plan to see what the U.S. would do next, and Trump praised it as a "wise and well-reasoned" decision.

The DPRK test-firings were immediately reported to South Korean President Moon Jae-in who ordered the convening of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting of the presidential Blue House.

Chung Eui-yong, top national security advisor to President Moon, chaired the meeting for about an hour earlier in the day.

Senior presidential press secretary Yoon Young-chan told a press briefing that the DPRK projectiles were estimated to have been improved 300-mm multiple rocket launchers, saying the exact details were under study by the military.
An independent commission chaired by former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan made its final recommendations to Myanmars government Thursday on easing ethnic and religious unrest in the countrys western Rakhine state. The report, titled Towards a Peaceful, Fair and Prosperous Future for the People of Rakhine, comes amid renewed fears of violence among the Muslim Rohingya and Rakhine Buddhist communities.

The election of Aung San Suu Kyis party The National League for Democracy (NLD) in late 2015 was widely heralded as a boon for democracy in a country oppressed by decades of military dictatorship. But the Nobel laureates tenure as state counselor has been marred by deadly strife in the countrys west.

Following an attack on police outposts by suspected Rohingya militants in October, the Myanmar military launched counter-terrorism operations in Rakhine states northern town of Maungdaw. The crackdown led to allegations that the army had committed atrocities against the estimated 1.1 million Rohingya population, a stateless minority that has suffered decades of persecution. After tens of thousands of Rohingya fled into neighboring Bangladesh, bringing with them reports of rape and extra judicial killings at the hands of the Myanmar military, U.N. Special Rapporteur Yanghee Lee warned that the government may be trying to expel the Rohingya population from the country altogether.

Read more: One Year On, Aung San Suu Kyi Struggles to Unite a Fractured Myanmar

On Aug. 12, the military dispatched hundreds more troops to the state to bolster counterinsurgency efforts there, prompting thousands more people to flee across the border. U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman, Ed Royce, issued a statement Monday saying the troop presence creates the potential for serious human rights abuses.

The administration must make it clear that for U.S.-Burma relations to improve, Burma must protect the human rights of all its people, he said.

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The below recommendations by the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, which was set up by Suu Kyi, are derived from the most comprehensive, international study there to date. The Commission urges concerted action by the government and all sectors of society, otherwise we risk the return of another cycle of violence and radicalization, which will further deepen the chronic poverty that afflicts Rakhine State, Annan said in a statement.

Socio-economic development

Rakhine state is among the poorest in the country, with high rates of malnutrition and poor access to clean drinking water and sanitation. The Commission recommends the government invest heavily in infrastructure such as roads, electricity, drinking water and internet access to help lift both communities out of poverty. It also calls for local communities increased participation in decision-making on issues relating to development.

Create a path to citizenship for the Rohingya

Despite living in the country for generations, Myanmars 1982 citizenship law classifies the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, making them the largest stateless group of people in the world. The Rakhine Commission calls for an acceleration of the ongoing citizenship verification process and greater clarity over the rights of people whose application for citizenship is not accepted.

Longer term, the Commission urges Myanmar to review the citizenship law. It suggests bringing it into line with international standards, re-examining the current linkage between citizenship and ethnicity, and considering provisions to allow for the possibility of acquiring citizenship by naturalization. The committee also recommends greater political representation for ethnic minority groups, stateless and displaced communities.

Enhance freedom of movement

More than 100,000 mostly Rohingya Muslims still live in squalid encampments for those displaced by communal conflict in the state five years ago. Conditions are unsanitary and there is little to no access to healthcare, education or employment. The Commission recommends closing all displacement camps and, in the interim, ensure dignified living conditions.

Read more: Five Years On, Myanmars Rohingya Displacement Camps Are Feeling Ever More Permanent

While the movement of both Buddhists and Muslims is restricted in Rakhine, Muslims and especially the displaced are disproportionately affected. The Commission calls on the government to ensure freedom of movement for all people irrespective of religion, ethnicity, or citizenship status.

Instigate a calibrated approach to security

Myanmar has principally relied on security forces to counter the threat posed from potential radicalization. But violent crackdowns have led to more than 70,000 people fleeing the state into neighboring Bangladesh, where they have reported extrajudicial killings, gang rape, and the murder of infants at the hands of the military.

Read more: Rohingya Villagers Bear Witness to a Brutal Crackdown in Myanmar

The Commission calls for a calibrated response that combines political, developmental, security and human rights approaches that address the root causes of violence and reduce inter-communal tensions. Such measures include streamlining policing units into one agency, providing improved training for security forces in human rights, civilian protection and languages and diversifying its forces to include women and ethnic minorities.

Dialogue between communities

Talks between all communities in the state should be fostered and activities that help create an environment for such dialogue should be initiated by the government, the Commission reports. This could take the form of joint vocational training, cultural events and building communal youth centers.

Ensure the recommendations are actually implemented

The Myanmar governments response to reports of human rights abuses in Rakhine has been severely criticized for falling short. Suu Kyi has denied that there is ethnic cleansing in the state, her government blocked journalists from the north of Rakhine, and in March she rejected the U.N.s proposal to send an international fact-finding mission to the country to investigate abuses.

But Suu Kyi has expressed confidence in Kofi Annans Commission to heal the wounds of our people. In its final point, the Commission calls for the government to appoint a minister tasked with coordinating policy on Rakhine state and implement its directives.

Now that she has the report in her hands, the world will be watching to see if she will follow through on its recommendations.
Warsaw (AFP) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Friday urged the Kremlin to comply with rules on transparency as it gears up for huge military exercises along the alliance's eastern flank next month.

The drill, named Zapad 2017 ("West"), has stoked fresh alarm in NATO-members Poland and the Baltic states as a more assertive Russia pushes back against what it sees as the alliance's unjustified expansion into eastern Europe.

"I call on Russia to ensure compliance with its obligations under the OSCE Vienna Document, because predictability, transparency is especially important when we have increased military activity along our borders," Stoltenberg told reporters in Warsaw at a joint press conference with Poland's right-wing Prime Minister Beata Szydlo.

The Vienna Document requires all sides to provide advance information about exercises and allow observer teams so as to avoid any dangerous misunderstandings.

The NATO chief had much stronger words for Moscow on Thursday in Italy when he said that "the aggressive behaviour of Russia has undermined stability and security in Europe."

He vowed on Friday that the alliance would "be watching very closely as this (Zapad) exercise takes place next month" in Belarus, which borders alliance members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Under Vienna Document provisions, manoeuvres involving more than 13,000 troops must be notified in advance and be open to observers.

Belarus has said Zapad 2017 involves 12,700 troops, just under the limit, but Lithuania and other critics claim there could be as many as 100,000.

- 'Centre of gravity' -

According to NATO, Belarus has invited military liaison missions to attend a special visitors day on its territory, with two alliance experts due to go along.

Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency reported this week that the Belarusian defence ministry had invited "observers from seven countries, namely Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, and Norway ... to this (Zapad 2017) event."

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Russia has dismissed concerns over the exercises, with Russian Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin telling the Rossiya 24 news channel that "I do not see any reason to be afraid. Everything, as usual, will be open and friendly."

Stoltenberg was due to visit later Friday a US-led NATO battalion based in the northeastern Polish town of Orzysz.

The multinational unit is one of four deployed by NATO this spring to Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in order to reassure its easternmost allies unsettled by Russia's frequent military exercises near the region in the wake of its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

General Ben Hodges, commander of US ground forces in Europe, said last week that "Poland has become for the United States Army the centre of gravity for everything that we're doing in terms of deterrence" regarding Russia.

Aside from leading the NATO force in Orzysz, the US Army set up a new European headquarters in Poland in May to command some 6,000 of its troops deployed in NATO and Pentagon operations across the alliance's eastern flank since the beginning of the year.
By Lidia Kelly and Agnieszka Barteczko WARSAW (Reuters) - NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the alliance would closely watch Russian military exercises in western Russia and Belarus next month, urging Moscow to be transparent about the drills. The maneuvers, the largest in years, with tanks, naval and air units operating in and around the Baltic and North Sea, have raised NATO's concern that the official number of troops participating might be understated. "We are going to be watching very closely the course of these exercises," Stoltenberg told reporters after meeting Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on a visit to check on the deployment of the U.S.-led alliance's forces in the country's east. "All countries have the right to exercises of their armed forces, but the countries should also respect the obligation to be transparent." Russia has said that 13,000 troops will participate in the Sept. 14-20 drills, which under an international agreement is the limit for not requiring the presence of external observers. Western estimates have put the number of troops involved much higher. The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday the drills were purely defensive and concerns about troop numbers were "inflated hype of an artificial nature" in Western media. "We would like to emphasize that it is precisely these actions which lead to increased military tension in Europe," the ministry said in a statement. Stoltenberg will meet with Polish, Turkish and Romanian foreign ministers later on Friday before visiting NATO troops in Poland's Orzysz, about 57 km (35 miles) south of Russias Baltic Sea enclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow has stationed nuclear-capable missiles and an S-400 air missile defense system. "(The NATO deployment) is a clear signal that an attack on one ally is an attack on the whole alliance," Stoltenberg said. "The matter here is to prevent conflicts and not to provoke them." (Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs in Moscow; Writing by Lidia Kelly; Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Police in Fargo, North Dakota, found a healthy, 2-day-old newborn alive on Thursday, five days after an eight-months pregnant woman vanished, PEOPLE confirms.

The pregnant woman, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, 22, of Fargo, is still missing, Fargo Police Chief David Todd said in a Thursday update on Facebook.

We do not have information that tells us where Savanna Greywind is, the chief said.

At this point in time, we are not able to confirm if the newborn is Savanna Greywinds child or not, he said.

According to local news outlets, the infant was found in the same apartment building where LaFontaine-Greywind lives  and where she was last seen before she vanished on Saturday, her family told TV station WDAY.

Police returned to the apartment building after a babys cries were heard in an upstairs apartment police had previously searched, TV station WDAZ reports.

The baby found at the apartment was taken to the hospital by authorities.

The startling revelation came as Chief Todd said officers had two suspects in custody in connection with the womans disappearance.

We have two people detained, he said. The investigation is proceeding.

On Wednesday, Todd said investigators were able to gather enough information to obtain a search warrant, which they executed the following day.

When we conducted the search warrant at the suspects residence, we discovered an infant that appears to be a newborn, Todd said.

LaFontaine-Greywind is described as 5-foot-4, with long brown hair, green eyes and tattoos on her right leg and foot. She was wearing a pink shirt, shorts, and Nike slip-on sandals before she vanished.

She is a certified nursing assistant at Eventide Fargo, a local senior citizens residence.

A Familys Horror

The familys ordeal began on Saturday, when a woman living in a third-floor apartment knocked on the door of the LaFontaine-Greywind familys basement apartment and asked if she would model a dress she was sewing so she could pin it, offering to pay her $20 for doing so, the Forum News Service reports.

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The family didnt know the woman well, according to the outlet. After saying she would go to help, LaFontaine-Greywind left the apartment but never returned, reportedly leaving her car and wallet behind.

When the young womans mother, Norberta LaFontaine-Greywind, when to check on her daughter upstairs, she was told she had left, according to one local report.

I immediately knew something was wrong because [my daughters] car is here, Norberta told the Forum News Service. Shes eight-months pregnant. Her feet were swollen so she wouldnt have taken up walking like that. There was pizza here that she hadnt eaten. She would not just leave that ladys apartment and go somewhere.

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According to the Forum News Service, the last time Savannas mother heard from her was when her daughter texted to let her know that she was going upstairs to help the neighbor.

We didnt think too much about it, her mother said.

Savanna also texted her boyfriend, Ashton Matheny, around the same time. We were joking around, he reportedly told local TV station WDAY.

The upstairs neighbors apartment has since been searched three times by police, according to the Forum News Service.

A second-floor neighbor in the familys apartment building said that he and a roommate heard sustained noise in the bathroom above their apartment on Saturday afternoon, according to the Pioneer.

We were getting ready to leave [and] we heard a banging in the bathtub for about 15 or 20 minutes, about 1:30 or 2 p.m., he said.

Then he heard the shower turn on: It seemed kind of odd.

Excited to Be a Mom

Savanna and Matheny are expecting a daughter in late September, the Forum News Service reports, and she is very excited about becoming a mom, her mother said.

Matheny said he and Savanna were about to move into a new apartment, which they had prepared for the babys arrival. Now he is spending his days searching for his missing girlfriend.

Its unlike her to just up and disappear like that without telling anything, he told WDAY. I dont think that she would do that.

I dont understand why she would leave without her wallet, her car keys, her car, Matheny said.

Fargo police and Savannas family did not immediately respond to calls for comment on Thursday.
Nicole Kidman at the 2017 NGV Gala (Photo: Getty Images).

Nicole Kidman, currently starring in the critically-acclaimed Top of the Lake: China Girl, stunned on yet another red carpet. The ageless beauty walked the red carpet at the National Gallery of Victoria at the Dior Gala Ball held in conjunction with The House of Dior exhibition in Melbourne, Australia.

The stunner opted for a stunning pale grey and muted pink gown featuring cascades of sheer layers, a black belt cinching her waist and dainty, super-sheer straps.

Nicole Kidman looked stunning at the NGV Gala at NGV International on August 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Getty Images).

Her hair was pulled back in a half-up half-down style, with cascading waves. Her makeup was soft and simple, echoing the dress with touches of rose and pink. She finished the look with dangling silver earrings and a silver bauble on her wrist.

Kidmans history with the brand goes all the way back to her marriage to Tom Cruise, when she cemented her place as fashion royalty in chartreuse John Galliano for Christian Dior at the Oscars, over 20 years ago in 1997.

Other stars attended to celebrate the iconic house, including model Winnie Harlow, who looked gala-ready in a midnight-blue dress with a sheer, embroidered overlay. She styled the gown with a black leather beret and a black choker.

Winnie Harlow at the NGV Gala at NGV International on August 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Getty Images).

Actor Elizabeth Olsen also opted for midnight blue, with a more casually styled tie-neck blouse (left open) and a long, high-slit skirt.

Elizabeth Olsen arriving at the NGV Gala at NGV International on August 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia (Photo: Getty Images).

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty

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Barcelona (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people marched through the heart of Barcelona on Saturday in a defiant display of unity against terrorism, joined by Spain's King Felipe VI -- who nonetheless was the target of jeers by Catalan separatists.

The municipal police said in a Twitter post that half a million people participated in the march to commemorate last week's deadly vehicle rampage, though the figures were not confirmed by other sources.

People who tended the victims of the attack were given pride of place at the front of the procession behind a large white- and-black banner that read "No tinc por" -- Catalan for "I'm not afraid".

They included uniformed police officers, doctors in their white coats, firefighters wearing their helmets and residents and shop owners who rushed to help after a van struck people on the Las Ramblas boulevard, as well as taxi drivers who transported people free.

"There were very difficult moments," said Montse Rovira, the city hall's head of social emergencies, who helped people who were lost or who could not find their loved ones.

"No to Islamophobia" and "The best response: Peace" were among the signs on display.

Marchers carried red, yellow and white flowers -- the colours of Barcelona -- as they made their way along the city's main boulevard, the Paseo de Gracia.

Many also waved the red-and-yellow Catalan flag, marked with a white star, a reminder of the simmering tensions between Spain's central government and the regional separatist government of Catalonia.

- 'Out' -

The Mediterranean city has been in mourning after a driver ploughed into crowds on Las Ramblas on August 17, followed hours later by a car attack in the seaside resort town of Cambrils.

Fifteen were killed in the carnage, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy had called on Spaniards to turn out in force to show their "love" and solidarity with Catalonia.

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King Felipe VI marched alongside Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy and representatives of all of Spain's major political parties behind the first ranks.

He is the first Spanish sovereign to take part in a demonstration since the monarchy was re-established in 1975 after the death of dictator General Francisco Franco.

But both the king and Rajoy were jeered as they arrived at the march by Catalan separatists, who reject the monarchy and hope to set up an independent republic.

Some protesters whistled and shouted "Out" at the king. He was also loudly heckled when his image appeared on giant TV screens set up along the march route.

The king and other representatives of the Spanish state were accused by some demonstrators of hypocrisy for joining the march against terror, as they have backed arms sales to countries like Saudi Arabia which some experts blame for spawning jihadists.

"The solution to the problem of terrorism is not more metallic walls or more police, but cutting financing to the Islamic State groups," said Josep-Anton Montfort, a 64-year-old retired translator, referring to the group that claimed responsibility for the attacks.

- Tearful unity -

Saray Gomez, an 18-year-old who works at a flower stall right next to where the van ended its murderous rampage, said it was important "to give a message of unity and peace."

"And it's important to distinguish between Islam and jihadists, because Muslims are the first to be affected."

Many people wiped away tears while listening to two cellists played "Cant dels ocells" (Song of the birds), a traditional Catalan melody, at the Plaza de Catalunya near the Ramblas at the end of the march.

It was famously played by the cellist Pau (Pablo) Casals, an outspoken opponent of the Franco regime, at the White House in 1961.

Small rallies called at the last minute were also held in cities around Spain, including Madrid, Valencia, Vigo and Ripoll, which was home to most of the suspected terrorists involved in the attacks.

In a speech delivered between sobs at the rally in Ripoll and broadcast by Catalan television, Hafida Oukabir, the sister of one of the attackers who was shot dead by police, urged people to "reject the Islamist message", calling it "a perverse ideology that has no reason or explanation."
President Trump pardoned former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio of a criminal conviction Friday night, choosing the moment Hurricane Harvey was making landfall for an action that sent waves of outrage through the Hispanic, civil liberties and legal communities.

At a rally in Phoenix earlier this week, Trump had teased the possibility of a pardon for the notorious Arpaio, an early and outspoken supporter of Trumps presidential campaign, whod been convicted of criminal contempt last month for failing to obey a federal judges order to stop targeting Latinos on the basis of their suspected immigration status.

Still, the Friday night pardon brought surprise and outrage from many elected officials, civil rights advocates and, especially, Latino-Americans, who viewed Trumps announcement as a clear endorsement of Arpaios unlawful crusade against undocumented immigrants.

Being undocumented or DACAmented in the US at this moment is really an act of psychological resistance. Cycle between fear & survival mode.  Erika Andiola (@ErikaAndiola) August 26, 2017

Trump's pardon of #Arpaio sent a clear message to the immigrant and Latinx community. We will not forget it.  Nat'l Imm Law Center (@NILC_org) August 26, 2017

Our community is stronger that the white supremacy on full display in Trumps pardon of Arpaio  Puente Arizona (@PuenteAZ) August 26, 2017

Trump's Arpaio pardon another example of just how morally bankrupt Trump is. What a national embarrassment they both are. #failedPOTUS  Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) August 26, 2017

Arpaio abused power, harassed & profiled Latinos, & defied courts when ordered to stop. Trump's pardon condones & places him above the law.  Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) August 26, 2017

Regarding the Arpaio pardon, I would have preferred that the President honor the judicial process and let it take its course.  Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 26, 2017

.@POTUS's pardon of Joe Arpaio, who illegally profiled Latinos, undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law https://t.co/2FckGtwQ2m  John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) August 26, 2017

President Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio is a presidential endorsement of racism. https://t.co/czMtATWWDn  ACLU National (@ACLU) August 26, 2017

Sheriff Joe #Arpaio is the #BullConnor of this century. By #pardoning him, #Trump has proven, again, he has no regard for people of color. pic.twitter.com/mXAdMQVwSJ  Jasmine Tyler (@jazzyjtyler) August 26, 2017

Matched, perhaps, only by Trump in his insatiable desire for media attention, Americas self-described toughest sheriff is best known for his crusade against illegal immigration, which went beyond constitutional bounds. He was also the perpetrator of controversial publicity stunts, such as raiding a suspected cockfighting ring by sending a tank to crash the suspects home, killing his dog in the processon television, with actor Steven Seagal tagging along for the ratings. He was an early convert to birtherism and after setting up a unit to look into it, announced his finding that President Obamas birth certificate was a forgery.

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But for immigrants and Latino residents of Maricopa County and throughout the country, Arpaios tenure as sheriff amounted to a 24-year reign of terror, during which he repeatedly ignored federal court orders to halt his departments illegal and unconstitutional practices. The resulting lawsuits cost taxpayers nearly $70 million during his last eight years in office alone.

Thank you @realdonaldtrump for seeing my conviction for what it is: a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department!  Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) August 26, 2017

Arpaio thanked the president for the pardon in a tweet that sounded almost as if written by Trump himself, referring to his conviction as a a political witch hunt by holdovers in the Obama justice department. But the 85-year-olds long history of legal troubles and accusations of racial bias began long before anyone had ever heard of Barack Obama.

Alleged Discrimination at the DEA

According to a 2012 profile of Arpaio by Rolling Stone, one year before his retirement from the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1982, Arpaio was sued for race and gender discrimination by Laura Garcia, a female investigator at the DEAs Phoenix office. Though Garcia dropped the suit after switching jobs, she told Rolling Stone that Arpaio actively discriminated against Hispanic agents at the DEA.

Hes not upholding the law as sheriff, Garcia told the magazine in 2012. Hes just harassing and doing what hes always wanted to do to Hispanics.

Tent City: A Concentration Camp

Among Arpaios most notorious ventures since he was first elected sheriff of Maricopa County in 1992 was the creation of Tent City: an un-air-conditioned outdoor jail housing inmates in old Army surplus tents, which Arpaio himself once described as a concentration camp.

Arpaio with inmates of the Tent City outdoor jail in Phoenix, June 23, 2012. (Photo: Matt York/AP)

As if it wasnt enough to endure the oppressive Arizona heat from inside the canvas confines of Tent Citywhere temperatures climbed as high as 145 degrees one summerArpaio famously forced Tent Citys inmates, all of whom had been convicted of low-level, non-violent crimes such as DUIs, to wear pink underwear under their black and white striped uniforms and put them to work on chain gangs, digging up weeds and burying bodies at a nearby cemetery.

Arpaio proudly promotedand campaigned onthe harsh policies imposed at Tent City, even offering group tours of his internationally famous outdoor jail. He claimed to save taxpayers money by serving inmates only two meals a day, restricting access to things like cigarettes, coffee, even salt and pepper, and charging for visits to the jails nurse. However, Arpaios cost-cutting tactics were described as inhumane by human rights advocates and resulted in a number of costly legal battles over alleged injuries, deaths, and other abuses against inmates at Tent City and other county jails. Under Arpaios leadership, Maricopa County jails lost their federal health accreditation for failing to meet national standards for inmate care.

In 2008, a federal judge deemed that the unsanitary conditions, insufficient food, medical care, and lack of supervision at Maricopa County jails violated the constitutional rights of pre-trial detainees.

Six years later, the same judge ruled that the county had failed to comply with orders to improve medical and mental health services at the jails.

Prosecuting Political Opponents

Outside his jails, Arpaio earned a reputation for abusing his power to target his political opponents, such as former Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, who became the subject of a child molestation investigation (which ultimately resulted in no charges) after he criticized Arpaios raids on illegal immigrants. A wrongful arrest lawsuit by Maricopa County Supervisor and Arpaio critic Don Stapley cost the county $3.5 million in settlement fees.

In 2010, a superior court judge found that Arpaio misused the power of his office to target members of the [county board of supervisors] for criminal investigation. Two years earlier, a federal grand jury had launched a probe, along with an FBI investigation, of alleged criminal abuses of power by Arpaio, but the investigation was closed in 2012 without charges.

Questionable Campaign Tactics

In 2012 Arpaios reelection campaign committee was fined for election law violations.

Less than a decade earlier, a Maricopa County jury acquitted a young man named Jimmy Saville whod been arrested in 1999 for attempting to kill Arpaio with a car bomb, finding that Arpaio had orchestrated the assassination attempt as a publicity stunt. The sheriffs office previously denied any wrongdoing, but in 2008 the county reportedly paid Saville more than $1 million to settle an entrapment and wrongful arrest lawsuit.

Racial Profiling and Discriminatory Policing

More than anyone else, the primary target of Arpaios unlawful law enforcement tactics were Latino immigrants and citizens. For years, as hundreds of sex crimes, including child molestation cases, went uninvestigated, Arpaio regularly dispatched both sheriffs deputies and members of volunteer posses to conduct immigration raids on Hispanic neighborhoods and worksites suspected of employing undocumented workers, resulting in hundreds of arrests that the U.S. Justice Departments Civil Rights Division ultimately deemed unconstitutional in 2015.

Maricopa County sheriffs deputies check the shoes of a suspect arrested during a crime suppression sweep in Phoenix on Thursday, July 29, 2010.(Photo: Ross D. Franklin/AP)

The Department of Justice and a federal court judge also both found that, under Arpaios leadership, Maricopa County sheriffs deputies regularly engaged in racial profiling and unlawful traffic stops targeting Latino drivers. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security revoked Maricopa Countys authorization to identify and detain suspected undocumented immigrants under the federal 287(g) program, citing the departments discriminatory policing practices.

Discrimination undermines law enforcement and erodes the public trust, then-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement announcing the departments decision to cut ties with Maricopa County. DHS will not be a party to such practices.

That same year, U.S. District Court Judge G. Murray Snow issued a temporary injunction, followed by a permanent court order in 2013, requiring Arpaio to stop detaining people without reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing other than their perceived immigration status.

Last month, another federal court judge ruled that Arpaio had willfully violated Snows order, finding him in criminal contempt of court. The 85-year-old Arpaio, who was unseated in an election last fall, was facing a maximum sentence of six months in jail plus a fine when he received his presidential pardon Friday.

True to form, Arpaio celebrated his near-brush with justice with an appearance on Sean Hannitys Fox News show and several tweets to thank his supporters  and to ask them for donations to his legal defense fund.

..how they can con't to help, a donation to my Legal fund go directly to paying off legal fees from this fight https://t.co/wM6SDLLxEN  Joe Arpaio (@RealSheriffJoe) August 26, 2017

(Cover tile photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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President Trump seems enthralled by his possession of the pardon power, and now he has in mind Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, as the first object of his beneficence. He entertained his Phoenix political rally with the suggestion Arpaio merited a pardon; he hinted that he would grant one. Arpaio was, the President declared, convicted for doing his job. The news the following day included a report that the White House had prepared pardon papers. Should Trump follow through, it would be a fateful step for this presidency. While he has rejoiced over the complete scope of the pardon power, he might not know or fully appreciate the risks of his enthusiasm. One hopes that the White House Counsel, among others, sets him straight.

Any president considering a pardon in the normal course would solicit and make publicly available the recommendation of the Department of Justice. The Department, however  and here we are speaking specifically of Trumps Department  secured the very conviction for criminal contempt that would be the subject of the pardon. Now, a president can ignore the departmental recommendation: The power is his, of course, and not the Attorney Generals. But presidents are sensitive to the Departments recommendations, and for good reason. The pardon power sits uneasily with the belief that ours is a government of laws, not of men, and the DOJs participation is one check on the abuse of this extraordinary authority. In answering the call for public accountability President Trump would have every incentive to involve and obtain the support of the Department. His failure to do so, or his proceeding over the Departments objections, would ring a loud alarm.

It is very difficult to imagine that Attorney General Sessions would recommend a pardon of a law enforcement officer convicted of willfully and openly flouting a federal court order. And Mr. Sessionss disinclination to give his boss cover would be all the greater in a case involving racial profiling, defiance of constitutional limits on local law enforcement, unprofessional conduct over an extended period of years, and to this day, the prospective pardon recipients refusal to accept responsibility for his acts.

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The White House Counsel preparing the pardon papers would also need to labor hard, and would inevitably fail, to bring this potential grant within the accepted norms for the grant of pardons. Among the more conventional considerations: the case is fresh, and with Arpaios lawyers readying the appeal of a decision issued in July, the president would be intervening in the middle of a legal proceeding yet to run its course. If Trump just jumps in and by executive fiat ends the matter, a pardon will have every appearance of being direct interference in the administration of justice. In his capacity as the Chief Executive, the President has already had exceptional difficulty grasping and respecting the independent and impartial operation of federal law enforcement. With this act, Mr. Trump dramatically escalates the assault on these limits.

Then there is the large and more basic question of the purpose behind a grant. It does make a difference why a president grants a pardon. It is an act for which he or she is accountable under the Constitution: As Justice Holmes stated almost a century ago in Biddle v. Perovich, the pardon power is part of the constitutional scheme, to be exercised in the advancement of the public welfare. Or as Alexander Hamilton argued it in Federalist No, 74, it is a benign prerogative in the interests of the tranquility of the commonwealth. Like all of a presidents actions, its use is subject to the overall commitments entailed in his oath of office. Hamilton assured his Federalist readers that the individual occupying the Office of the President could be trusted to act on this extraordinary authority with a sense of responsibility marked by scrupulousness and caution, prudence and good sense, and circumspection.

In the case at hand, Trump would be pardoning a political ally who quite deliberately brought his legal problems on himself  and did so as a law enforcement officer. The President has already made a political issue, indeed a political spectacle, of this  perhaps to placate his restive, angry Bannonite critics. There is no better evidence than his decision to feature the possible pardon at a political rally. When Trump asked, Do people in this room like Sheriff Joe, he was quite explicit about the very defined political audience for the pardon  the people in this room. He paid little heed to the seriousness of the matter in declaring that Sheriff Joe was convicted for doing his job. That, of course, was not the reason that Arpaio was convicted, and it is beneath the dignity of the countrys Chief Executive to yet again demean and ridicule a court in this fashion. On this occasion, he is also scorning the judiciary for a ruling in a case brought by his own prosecutors.

The papers now being put together in the White House will surely apply a few cosmetic touches to the pardon if Trump proceeds with it. It will do its best to supply a counterfeit version of scrupulousness, prudence, and sense of responsibility. But it will be too late.

If the President does pardon Arpaio, he may do so in the belief that it will be all political gain and no cost. He will be wrong. An act of this kind cannot fail to affect Mueller and his team as they investigate obstruction of justice and evaluate evidence bearing on the Presidents motives and respect for law. Trump will have added more telling detail to the picture prosecutors are piecing together of how he operates. Congress may now or in the future also have occasion to conduct its own inquiry.

And while the president may well get away with the specific act of pardoning Arpaio, this action will not be without effect on future calls for impeachment. Unlike a pardon of himself, family members, or aides in the Russia matter, pardoning Arpaio would probably not result in the immediate demand for an impeachment inquiry. If, however, impeachment pressure increases, or a formal impeachment inquiry is launched on the basis of Russian collusion, obstruction, or on other grounds, an Arpaio pardon in the background will be highly damaging to the Presidents position. It will immeasurably strengthen the hand of those arguing that Donald Trump does not have the requisite respect for the rule of law, or an understanding of the meaning of his constitutional oath, to be entrusted with the presidency.

Photo credit: SCOTT OLSON/Getty Images
The best of times for Powerball winner Mavis Wanczyk comes just months after a terrible tragedy struck her family.

Read: Meet America's Newest Millionaire: Woman Wins $758M Powerball Jackpot After Mix-Up

Police say her ex-husband and father of her two children was killed by an alleged drunk driver at a bus stop in Amherst, Mass., in November.

William Wanczyck, 55, was a retired firefighter. He and Mavis divorced in 2012.

Peter Sheremeta, 20, of Belchertown was arrested in connection with Wanczyk's death and was arraigned in June on charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide while under the influence of alcohol and other counts. He has pleaded not guilty.

Now, with her historic win, Mavis Wanczyk is able to offer herself and her children a life they never could have imagined previously.

At the local diner in Chicopee, her historic win was all anyone could talk about.

God bless them," said one diner patron. "They are going to have a lot of trouble."

Others offered advice, like, I hope they do the right thing with it and are very careful, and, She should hide.

Many past lotto winners have rushed into buying fancy cars and houses and generally mismanaged their riches, sometimes leaving them with nothing.

Now that the 53-year-old from Massachusetts has become one of the richest women in America overnight, how does she make sure she doesn't blow it all?

Read: Upgrade! Canceled Flight Leads Man to Buy Winning $1 Million Lotto Ticket



Trish Regan, who hosts The Intelligence Report on the Fox Business network, told Inside Edition the money could last for "generations" if the lotto winner is "smart about it."



She advises to "think about what you want to be invested in," adding that anyone who ran into that much money would be wise to put it in the stock market, bonds and in real estate.

"There is a variety of things you can be putting your money in," she added. "The most important thing is diversification  so that money grows and that money lasts."

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Wanczyk won $758.7 million but is taking the lump sum, which brings her winnings to $336 million after taxes.

With wise counsel, she'll hopefully remain on the rich list next year.

Watch: Store Owner Who Sold Winning Lottery Ticket Gets $1 Million, 6 Months After Lung Disease Diagnosis

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President Donald Trump on Friday granted a pardon to former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the White House said, giving a legal reprieve to a controversial figure beloved by conservative immigration hard-liners but loathed by immigrant rights groups.

The pardon is sure to inflame critics of Arpaio, who built a national following for his harsh crackdown on immigrants during his long tenure as a sheriff in Arizona. Arpaio was convicted earlier this year of criminal contempt for willfully violating a federal judges 2011 order to stop racially profiling in immigration roundups.

Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eight-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon, the White House said in a statement.

There was widespread speculation Trump would announce a pardon for Arpaio during a rally in Phoenix earlier this week. Trump didnt do so at the time, but hinted that he still would.

Ill make a prediction: I think hes going to be just fine, Trump said of Arpaio then.
More than 120,000 people entered four of Wyoming's state parks during eclipse weekend, setting records and far exceeding expectations.

About 45,000 people visited Glendo State Park between Aug. 18 and Monday, the day of the eclipse, said Domenic Bravo, Wyoming State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails administrator. That number doesn't include the hundreds or even thousands of people who pulled off the interstate near the park or stayed in the town of Glendo.

An average August for Glendo State Park typically records about 39,000 visitors. The town of Glendo itself has a population of 203.

More surprising for Bravo was the nearly 40,000 visitors who went to Boysen State Park, a long reservoir nestled halfway between Casper and Lander. The closest town to Boysen is Shoshoni, population 644.

Usually only about 16,000 people go to Boysen in an average August.

"It was pretty amazing," Bravo said. "Ive done many events throughout my career in Nevada and here, and it was an amazing thing."

The parks had very few issues, and many visitors "left the park cleaner than they found it," he said.

Guernsey State Park, an off-the-beaten-path hideaway near the small towns of Guernsey and Hartville, experienced a surge of 31,693 people. The four days of visitation is about triple what the park usually receives in a month.

Even Sinks Canyon State Park near Lander, which was on the edge of the path of totality, had a jump in traffic. About 1,600 people went through the one-room visitors center on Monday alone.

"Weve been planning this for two years," Bravo said. "Our volunteers were absolutely amazing. Our volunteers helped us and tripled our staff. We wouldnt be able to do without them."

In the northwest corner of the state, traffic increased in Grand Teton National Park by about 40 percent compared with the last two years during Monday's eclipse, the park reported Friday.

For the first time in the park's history, all backcountry permits were issued for three straight days leading up to the eclipse. Park campgrounds were near capacity, and the park bookstores had record-setting sales.

Park officials spent two years working with other agencies and businesses in Teton County to prepare for the influx of visitors. They expected Monday to be the busiest day in the park's history.

Early estimates show Wyoming's population of about 585,000 may have almost tripled during the eclipse. The path of totality -- when the moon passed directly over the sun -- ranged from Wyoming's northwestern corner to the southeastern one, providing many viewing options.

Many agencies and businesses working in tourism hoped the eclipse would not only provide a boost in revenue for the weekend, but also generate return visitors.

While state parks doesn't have money from park fees tallied quite yet, Bravo does believe those state parks near totality will continue to see more users.

"We will be thoughtful how we do marketing around it," he said. "I was working Guernsey and there were bottlenecks and people saying we didnt realize the park existed. They realized the amazing venues we have up here and loved the customer service and will come back and enjoy them again."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 15:40:39|Editor: Liangyu

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CARACAS, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Friday called for an "emergency meeting" with U.S. buyers of the country's crude oil amid new sanctions imposed by the United States.

"I am calling on all U.S. companies we sell oil to to attend an emergency meeting, given the situation created by the decree," Maduro said in televised statements.

The new sanctions, signed on Friday, will prohibit dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company.

The financial sanctions did not mention cutting off U.S. imports of Venezuelan oil, which could be critical to Venezuela's economy as well as U.S. oil refiners.

This was the latest round of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on the South American country after Venezuela held elections for the National Constituent Assembly at the end of July.
DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's attorney general said Turkey has detained five suspects in connection with the hacking of Qatar's state news agency in May. The hacking helped precipitate the diplomatic rift that has since opened up between Qatar and some of its powerful Arab neighbors. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar in June over comments briefly posted on the Qatar News Agency attributed to its ruler in which he allegedly praised their arch-foe Iran. Qatar said Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani did not make the statements and that hackers had posted a false story on QNA. In comments published by QNA on Saturday, Qatar's Attorney General Ali Bin Fetais al-Marri said the suspects were being interrogated, without specifying their nationalities or any other details. "Our friends in Turkey answered us a short time ago. Five people were detained and they are being investigated. Qatari prosecutors are working with Turkish authorities to follow this case," he was quoted as saying by Qatari media. Marri has said Qatar has evidence that the hack was linked to countries that have severed ties with Doha for allegedly supporting Islamist militant groups and advancing the agenda of their arch-rival Iran in the region - charges Doha denies. The dispute has defied mediation attempts by the United States and Kuwait. (Writing by Stephen Kalin Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) seems to be plotting a potential 2020 challenge to President Donald Trump, with Axios reporting Friday that he could team up with Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) to launch a cross-party independent presidential campaign.

Kasich has repeatedly distanced himself from Trump since losing to him in the 2016 GOP primary, and he has floated a potential 2020 challenge to the president in an attempt to appeal to the sort of Never Trump Republicans in his mold who have increasingly criticized the president as being not quite one of them  as former U.S. Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.) did in a Washington Post editorial this week.

Hickenloopers presence on the ticket would seem to give the prospective bid moderate credibility. Kasich has in the past supported a pathway to legal status (though not citizenship) for undocumented immigrants, and he notably expanded Medicaid under Obamacare in Ohio. He and Hickenlooper now want to add job creation to their bipartisan agenda, according to Axios.

Democrats, however, dont appear sold: One strategist told Axios that the plan sounds like a No Labels fantasy, but moderate Dems would hate it.

They are right to be skeptical. Aside from his apparent friendship with Hickenlooper, theres little evidence that Kasich is actually moderate in any realistic sense of the word. Instead, his governorship of Ohio and his ill-fated 2016 presidential bid make it abundantly clear that Kasich is a standard conservative Republican who looks moderate thanks only to Trumps unique ability to drastically lower our standards for what qualifies as moderation.

As governor, for instance, Kasich targeted unions and their workers, and he cut voting access in a way that disproportionately affected African Americans. He has repeatedly attempted to defund Planned Parenthood, and he made doing so a national goal during his presidential campaign. Kasich has campaigned for a federal balanced budget amendment, a conservative policy goal that  while economically unsound and unnecessary  would force deep cuts to federal poverty and assistance programs and hamstring the governments ability to combat economic downturns. He favors using block grants for social assistance programs, which would give more control over spending to the states, and supports cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

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Ohio Gov. John Kasich may have sounded moderate during the 2016 GOP primary, but his record suggests otherwise. (Photo: Bryan Woolston/Reuters)

Kasich said during the campaign that he would seek a one-year moratorium on new federal regulations, and he proposed reductions in the size and scope of federal agencies such as the Transportation and Education departments. Like Trump, he supports expanded defense spending and called for a pause on the acceptance of Syrian refugees.

As Ohios governor, Kasich attempted to cut the states capital gains tax rate and eliminated its estate tax. He later slashed top income tax rates while raising sales and other more regressive taxes  an approach that resulted in a tax increase for the bottom 40 percent of Ohios taxpayers, according to a think tank in the state.

Kasich, as a candidate, criticized the GOPs history of fantasy tax plans. And yet, he also called for broad tax cuts that would reduce the top marginal rate from 39 percent to 28 percent, would eliminate the estate tax, and slash the capital gains tax rate to 15 percent  all of which amount to massive tax cuts for the wealthy. He favors lowering tax rates on repatriated foreign profits and cutting the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 25 percent.

If all that looks like House Speaker Paul Ryans (R-Wis.) dream approach to tax and budget policy, it sounds like it too: Kasich, in his campaign platform, refers to the estate tax as the death tax and says his cuts are aimed not at the rich but at job creators.

A lot of those policies are in line with what Trump has talked about, but Kasich has also tried to distance himself from the president. Like many of his fellow Republicans, Kasich criticized the president for refusing to condemn white supremacists after they rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia. He has also said that Black Lives Matter, especially now, acknowledged that some African Americans feel as if the system is working against them, and supported some criminal justice reforms. And though Kasich has supported repealing most of Obamacares key elements, Kasich opposed Trump and Senate Republicans version of a replacement bill.

Kasich also differs from Trump stylistically: He has called the coarseness of Trumps Twitter-based rhetoric on any number of issues unacceptable and unfortunate.

But opposing white supremacy is not the standard for political centrism. And a preference for moderation in rhetoric does not make a politician moderate.

The latter merely points to the main source of discomfort among Republicans like Danforth with their partys current standard-bearer. They dont so much oppose his core policy preferences as they dislike his approach toward achieving them.

Kasich may differ at points with his party and the president. But if he challenges Trump in 2020, it wont be evidence of a resurgent political center taking on the right as much as a battle between two Republicans who share largely similar views on the broad strokes of GOP orthodoxy. That Kasich doesnt talk like Trump  and that hes preliminarily attached himself to a Democrat to appeal to the sort of No Labels-loving Washington elites who swoon for moderates  shouldnt obscure that.

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(Reuters) - Special Counsel Robert Mueller is examining what role, if any former national security adviser Mike Flynn may have had in an effort to obtain Hillary Clinton's emails from Russian hackers, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Efforts to seek out the hackers who stole emails of former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was led by Republican activist Peter Smith, the Journal said. Mueller was appointed special counsel to determine whether there was collusion between President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and Moscow. Flynn resigned in February after revelations that he had discussed U.S. sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice President Mike Pence about the conversations. Representatives from the White House and Mueller's office could not immediately be reached for comment. (Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers have flown a rare mission around the Korean peninsula at the same time as the United States and South Korea conduct joint military exercises that have infuriated Pyongyang. Russia, which has said it is strongly against any unilateral U.S. military action on the peninsula, said Tupolev-95MS bombers, code named "Bears" by NATO, had flown over the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea and the East China Sea, prompting Japan and Seoul to scramble jets to escort them. The flight, which also included planes with advanced intelligence gathering capabilities, was over international waters and was announced by the Russian Defence Ministry on the same day as Moscow complained about the U.S.-South Korean war games. "The U.S. and South Korea holding yet more large-scale military and naval exercises does not help reduce tensions on the Korean peninsula," Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry, told a news briefing in Moscow. "We urge all sides to exercise maximum caution. Given the arms build-up in the region, any rash move or even an unintended incident could spark a military conflict." In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying did not comment specifically on the Russian mission when asked, reiterating China hoped all sides could quickly return to talks and appropriately and peacefully resolve the situation. The United States and South Korea began the long-planned joint military exercises on Monday, heightening tensions with Pyongyang which called the drills a "reckless" step towards nuclear conflict. Some military experts regard the hulking Russian turboprop bombers which made the flight near the Korean peninsula as a relic of the Cold War. But Russia has upgraded the aircraft since the Soviet fall and, since 2007, has used the planes to back its diplomacy with shows of force and to probe other countries' airspaces. Moscow said the bombers had been accompanied by Sukhoi-35S fighter jets and A-50 early warning and control aircraft. The A-50s, the Russian equivalent of the Boeing E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft, are designed to track aerial and ground targets at a long range, among other capabilities. TENSIONS Moscow did not say how many aircraft had taken part or when the mission had taken place. "Our long-range aviation pilots, according to an established plan, regularly carry out flights over neutral waters over the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Black Sea and the Pacific Ocean from their bases and from tactical airfields," the defense ministry said in the same statement. It said the TU-95MS bombers were refueled in mid-air during the mission, and that during parts of the route they had been escorted by South Korean and Japanese military jets. Russia, which shares a border with North Korea, has repeatedly voiced concerns about rising tensions on the Korean peninsula caused by Pyongyang's nuclear missile program, and has also complained about possible plans by Japan to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system on its soil. Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Zakharova said on Thursday that if Tokyo did go ahead and opt to deploy such a system it would be disproportional to the North Korean missile threat and could upset wider strategic stability in the region. Japan has at least twice before this year been forced to scramble its jets to intercept Russian aircraft. The daily Izvestia newspaper reported in October last year that Russia was close to finishing setting up a new division of heavy bombers to patrol "the Japan-Guam-Hawaiian Islands triangle". (Additional reporting by Dmitry Solovyov, and Michael Martina in BEIIJING; Editing by Ralph Boulton)
Marcellus Williams was supposed to die twice by now. On Tuesday, the 48-year-old on death row in Missouri was scheduled to be executed but received his second reprieve in a controversial case thats the most current illustration of the justice systems skepticism of scientific evidence.

In 2001, he was convicted of the 1998 murder of journalist Lisha Gayle in St. Louis and was sent to prison. But DNA evidence in the case was never analyzed  it was only gathered after his attorneys successfully appealed to the state Supreme Court. In 2015, the court ordered that a DNA analysis of the murder weapon, a butcher knife, be conducted. That was his first reprieve.

On August 15, the court, after reviewing the DNA evidence it asked for, seemingly chose to ignore that it pointed to another unknown man and not Williams. The court simply didnt find science as valuable as the testimony against Williams by informants.

Based on the other, non-DNA evidence in this case, our office is confident in Marcellus Williams guilt and plans to move forward, Loree Anne Paradise, a deputy chief of staff for Missouris Attorney General, told the New York Times after the decision.

Reacting to the decision, his attorney, Kent Gipson, was incredulous:

We petitioned the court to look at the new evidence on August 14, and less than 24 hours later they decided based on the court files that the execution should go ahead anyway, he told Al Jazeera. This is unprecedented.

Williams in a prison photo

But hours before he was scheduled to die on Tuesday, Williams received his second reprieve. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens  no doubt feeling pressure from protests in Missouri and on social media  issued a last-minute stay of execution. The governor called for a special inquiry board, comprised of retired state judges, to take another look at the evidence.

While the governor didnt mention DNA, it was there between the lines. The board would assess the credibility and weight of all evidence, Greitens said.

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Journalist Lisha Gayle was murdered in 1998, but DNA evidence on the murder weapon doesn't point to the man convicted.

Williams now awaits that boards ruling. But his harrowing, confusing experience on death row isnt a result of flawed forensic DNA analysis, says Boise state biologist and Idaho Innocence Project head Greg Hampikian, Ph.D. Rather, it reflects the troubling degree to which the justice system discounts scientific evidence. That lack of trust isnt entirely unfounded  DNA testing is by no means perfect  but, as Hampikian tells Inverse, the fact is, DNA is still the best thing going.

Hampikian says that the DNA gathered from the murder weapon in 2015 is solid.

Interpreting a DNA sample accurately comes down to the odds that any one person could be identified from the data. Its fairly intuitive: If DNA from too many individuals is present, the odds of picking the right suspect are low. But the butcher knife carried only one persons DNA, as well as victim Lisha Gayles blood. In addition, the state Supreme Court had both hair from the crime scene and Gayles fingernails examined in laboratories. The fingernails produced no data, but the blood and the hairs, he says, all excluded Marcellus Williams.

Not even Hampikian, who has advocated for the innocence of the incarcerated since the 1990s, can say what Greitens inquiry council will do differently during its reappraisal of the existing evidence. The hope is that well have real experts re-evaluate here, he says, though its clear the problem is more insidious than a mere misappraisal.

Were going to trust the snitch testimony thats already been judged, Hampikian wonders. Were going to order a test, and then ignore it, and then execute a guy  thats going to be justice from now on?

To Hampikian, the inquiry board reflects the skepticism of science that pervades America, as persistent as issues like climate change denial.

Its a fact that science and data is controlling our lives in an unprecedented manner right now  I get the desire to see other forms of inquiry  but they should be well-established forms of inquiry, and they should be done along with science, Hampikian says.

The board commissioned by Greitens has not been given a public deadline.

The stakes are high, Hampikian says, as the case could set a sort of precedent: The really troubling, disturbing part is, if this had been accepted, that would be an incredibly terrible precedent for DNA all over the country.

In the meantime, Williams life hangs in the balance.

Photos via St. Louis Post-Dispatch file photo, Flickr / jurvetson

Written by Yasmin Tayag

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WASHINGTON  Sebastian Gorka, the British-born deputy assistant to President Trump whose unsmiling, dark-bearded visage and plummy English accent made frequent appearances on political talk shows, left his post late Friday. The conservative website the Federalist reported on Friday that Gorka resigned with a scathing letter accusing forces in the White House of working against Trumps agenda. However, a White House official told Yahoo News that Gorka did not leave of his own accord.

Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House, the official said.

According to the Washington Examiners Sarah Westwood, Gorka said it was disappointing that the White House said he was fired, because I resigned.

A source with knowledge of the situation said Gorka did indeed resign  but only after being informed on Friday by White House chief of staff John Kelly that his security clearance had been revoked, which would have made it impossible for him to continue in his White House job. Gorka was on vacation at the time and due to return on Monday. Instead, after hearing from Kelly, he submitted his resignation.

Gorka, who did not respond to multiple requests for comment from Yahoo News, was a controversial and curious figure in the White House. He styled himself as Dr. Sebastian Gorka (he had a doctorate in political science from a Hungarian university) and described himself as a national security expert and intelligence analyst. However, experts in the field questioned his credentials. Gorka frequently appeared on television to defend the Trump administration, but his actual responsibilities within the West Wing were unclear. He had ties to anti-Semitic groups in Hungary, from which his parents had fled after the failed 1956 uprising against the Soviet-backed regime.

Gorkas departure comes during a turbulent period for the White House that has seen several top staffers leave, including former chief strategist Steve Bannon. Many of the changes have come after John Kelly, a former Marine general, was installed as White House chief of staff last month. Kelly, who was previously Trumps secretary of Homeland Security, has been tasked with instilling order in the administration. The ex-general reportedly immediately focused on Bannon as a source of internal disputes and leaks.

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Bannon was widely seen as Gorkas patron. Prior to joining the White House, Gorka worked as an editor at Bannons Breitbart News. Gorkas affiliation with the site and his inflammatory commentaries about Muslims earned him a reputation as an alt-right voice in Trumps White House. In the wake of his departure, Bannon returned to Breitbart, where he hopes to take on the administrations enemies and guide Trumps agenda from the outside. Gorkas alleged resignation letter published by the Federalist expressed a similar desire.

It is clear to me that forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendant within the White House, Gorka wrote. As a result, the best and most effective way I can support you, Mr. President, is from outside the Peoples House.

As news of his departure broke, Gorka edited the biography on his Twitter page to remove his White House affiliation. He also changed his picture on the site from one that showed him with Trumps son, Eric, to a shot of him standing alone with a taut grin.

#NewProfilePic, Gorka wrote.

Update, Aug. 25, 2017, 11:19 p.m.: This story was updated with additional details of Gorkas departure.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Updated | Earlier this week, a fire blazed through about 40 acres of Montana grassland. For about an hour, the flames burned across the dry landscape in the northern part of the state, about 155 miles south of the Canadian border. The cause was a mystery until a volunteer firefighter finally found the crisped culprit. When she found the burned body of a hawk clutching a snake, she knew shed found the spark.

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Kyra Vanisko

Said firefighter, Kyra Vanisko, of the Black Eagle Volunteer Fire Department, was "mopping up hot spots" in the scorched grassland when she found the hawk by a power pole. ""We had been chasing that 40-acre grass fire for a while," Vanisko told Newsweek. "We had no idea what caused the fire, so finding the cause by accident was a pleasant surprise."

How exactly did the hungry hawk start the conflagration? The catalyst, explains EarthTouchNews, was power lines. Birds sitting on these lines dont get electrocuted, because they arent connected to the ground. Same goes for squirrels or other small animals that use power lines as a byway. But touch two lines at a time and the animals become electrocuted.

Some birds do have a wingspan wide enough to touch two power lines at once. But thats not what happened in Montana. The problem there was that the bird was holding some very wriggly prey: a snake, to be specific. The burned reptile was found still clutched by the talons of the dead hawk.

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Kyra Vanisko

Dave Lee, acting assistant chief with the Black Eagle Fire Department, said he was fairly certain that this predator-and-prey duo was responsible for the fire. A dead hawk was found burned, and it had contacted the power lines, said Lee. Both the snake and the bird had been electrocuted, indicating that both had touched the charged lines.

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Sparks from the electrocuted animals falling to the ground were enough to kindle a fire in this parched landscape. Thankfully everyone (except for the hawk and snake) is okay, Vanisko said on Facebook. She was not able to identify the species of the hawk. Hes a crispy critter, she told the Great Falls Tribune. According to EarthTouchNews, the firefighters caught some flack for not rescuing the hawk and snake. But, says Vanisko, they were already very dead.

The Montana blaze wasnt the first to be started by a snake-toting raptor. In 2015, fire rescue workers in San Diego reported that the same pairing had started a fire in La Jolla, California. Power outages from animals shocked by power lines are also not uncommon. Vanisko has seen a fire started by a magpie, and several in the same area caused by squirrels.

This most recent wildfire stood out not only because of its unusual cause but because of the challenge it posed to Vanisko and her fellow volunteers. "This particular fire kicked our butts because of the location," she says. Hills and coulees made extinguishing it difficult, as did the fact that it was in an old city landfill with burning trash underneath the soil.

The event and resulting photographs also brought some much-needed joy to the firefighting team. Four days earlier, the chief of the volunteer department died. "This goofy picture provided a bit of comic relief when we needed it," says Vanisko.

This story has been updated with additional information about the fire from Kyra Vanisko.

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By Tsvetelia Tsolova and Pawel Sobczak VARNA, Bulgaria/WARSAW (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday Poland was isolating itself within the European Union and Polish citizens "deserve better" than a government at odds with the bloc's democratic values and economic reform plans. Macron said Warsaw, where a nationalist, eurosceptic government took office in 2015, was moving in the opposite direction to Europe on numerous issues and would not be able to dictate the path of Europe's future. Poland rejected the accusations, saying Macron was inexperienced and arrogant. "Europe is a region created on the basis of values, a relationship with democracy and public freedoms which Poland is today in conflict with," Macron said in Bulgaria on the third leg of a trip to central and eastern Europe to generate support for his vision of a Europe that better protects its citizens. He described Poland's refusal to change its stance on a revision of the EU's directive on "posted" workers - cheap labor from eastern countries posted temporarily to more affluent western countries - as a mistake. Macron has said the practice leads to unfair competition. "In no way will the decision by a country that has decided to isolate itself in the workings of Europe jeopardize the finding of an ambitious compromise," he said. In a scathing attack that could drag relations between western EU powers and the European Commission in Brussels on one side and Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS) government on the other to a new low, he said the Polish people deserved better. "Poland is not defining Europe's future today and nor will it define the Europe of tomorrow," Macron said at a joint press conference with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in the Black Sea resort city of Varna. In response, Poland's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said Macron, 39, a former investment banker elected in May as France's youngest president, lacked political experience and accused him of undermining the EU. "I advise the president that he should be more conciliatory ... Perhaps his arrogant comments are a result of a lack of (political) experience," Szydlo said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "I advise the president that he should focus on the affairs of his own country. Perhaps he may be able to achieve the same economic results and the same level of security for (French) citizens as those guaranteed by Poland." Her comments were an indirect reference to her government's insistence that it will not accept migrants from the Middle East, despite pressure from Brussels, because it believes they pose a threat to national security. France has been hit hard by deadly Islamist militant attacks in recent years. The Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement it had urgently summoned the French charge d'affaires to express "the Polish government's indignation about the arrogant words" of Macron. It quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Marek Magierowski as saying Poland "expects that France will abandon language that is divisive and which damages the unity of the EU". DEEPENING FEUD Relations between Szydlo's Law and Justice (PiS) party and the French government deteriorated soon after it won election in late 2015. In October 2016, Poland abruptly canceled a nearly $4 billion military procurement deal with Airbus. Macron's election deepened the rift, with the French globalization advocate fanning worries in Warsaw that his vision of a "multi-speed" Europe would undermine Polish influence within the European Union. French officials have expressed concerns about Poland, and Hungary, drifting towards authoritarianism and said Macron would also make a defense of the rule of law and democratic principles one of the priorities of his mandate on the European stage. On his three-day tour Macron sought backing for his plans to tighten EU rules on the employment abroad of labor from low-pay nations. Poland strongly opposes this initiative. While "posted" workers comprise less than 1 percent of the EU work force, it is a political hot potato that has exacerbated the divide between the bloc's poor east and rich west for years. Macron managed to enlist the broad support of Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the lukewarm backing of Romania, all countries which fear being sidelined in a multi-speed EU, whereas Poland and Hungary remain defiant of what they see as an out-of-touch EU elite based in Brussels and Western capitals. Poland is at loggerheads with the European Commission, the Brussels-based EU executive, over issues ranging from its refusal to accept EU migrant relocation quotas to the ruling conservatives' tightening grip on the judiciary and media. Macron shunned both Poland and Hungary on his trip through the region. He said he wanted Bulgaria - like Poland, Hungary, Romania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia a former communist state that joined the EU much later than western counterparts - to be at the negotiating table on European integration. On the posted worker rules, Bulgaria's Radev said the EU needed to balance the interests of countries in the rich west and the poor east. "It is important that changes are made in a way that unites rather than divides Europe," he said. Current EU rules allow workers to be posted from low-salary countries to other EU states on contracts that must guarantee the host country's minimum wage, but under which taxes and social charges are paid in the home nation. Poland and Hungary say increased restrictions on such contracts would flout the principles of the European single market and cost hundreds of thousands of jobs. (Additional reporting by Lidia Kelly in Warsaw, Michel Rose and Sudip Kar-Gupta in Paris; writing by Richard Lough; editing by Mark Heinrich)
DOUALA, Cameroon (Reuters) - Suspected Boko Haram militants sprayed a village in remote Cameroon with automatic fire, killing 15 people and kidnapping eight others in an overnight raid near the Nigerian border, several officials said on Friday. The attackers burned down around 30 houses in Gakara village, just outside the town of Kolofata, which has been a frequent target of suicide bombings by the Islamist group. A government source on the ground said that 15 people had been killed, all shot dead except one who was burned alive, while another 30 had suffered bullet wounds. The mayor of Kolofata and a senior military source confirmed that an attack had taken place but did not know the death toll. Boko Haram attacks have killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 2.7 million during the group's eight-year insurgency to carve out an Islamic caliphate in the Lake Chad region. "The attack happened around midnight. The Boko Haram assailants arrived. They set 32 houses on fire ... killed, pillaged, and traumatized the population," said a district official, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak. Many people fled the village for a camp near Kolofata that houses thousands displaced by Boko Haram violence, he said. (Reporting by Josiane Kouagheu; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 15:45:43|Editor: Lu Hui

Chinese Minister of Culture Luo Shugang (L) poses for photos with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Yoshimasa Hayashi (C) and Do Jong-whan in Kyoto, Japan, on Aug. 26, 2017. Culture ministers of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) exchanged views on further enhancing practical cooperation in cultural areas at the ninth China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting held here Saturday. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

KYOTO, Japan, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Culture ministers of China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) exchanged views on further enhancing practical cooperation in cultural areas at the ninth China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting held here Saturday.

Chinese Minister of Culture Luo Shugang and his Japanese and South Korean counterparts Yoshimasa Hayashi and Do Jong-whan, attended the meeting.

At the meeting, the three sides went over the progress made since their eighth meeting held in Jeju, ROK last year, and exchanged views on further enhancing practical cooperation.

A joint declaration was adopted at the meeting, which further clarified the key areas and projects of trilateral cultural cooperation and made clear that the 10th China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting will be held in China in 2018.

Cultural ministers of the three countries also attended cultural events in Kyoto.

The meeting also designated China's Harbin, ROK's Busan Metropolitan City and Japan's Kanazawa as Culture Cities of East Asia 2018.

Lau Kong-wah, secretary for home affairs of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, attended the meeting as a member of the Chinese delegation.

The China-Japan-ROK Cultural Ministers' Meeting is one of the 21 ministerial meeting mechanisms between China, Japan and the ROK.

It is an important dialogue and consultation mechanism for planning cultural communication and cooperation between the three countries.
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Pracha Hariraksapitak BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has fled to Dubai, senior members of her party said on Saturday, a day after she failed to show up for a negligence ruling in which she faced up to 10 years in prison. Puea Thai Party sources said Yingluck left Thailand last week and flew via Singapore to Dubai where her brother, former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who lives in self-imposed exile to avoid a 2008 jail sentence for corruption, has a home. "We heard that she went to Cambodia and then Singapore from where she flew to Dubai. She has arrived safely and is there now," said a senior member of the Puea Thai Party who declined to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Deputy national police chief General Srivara Rangsibrahmanakul said police had no record of Yingluck, 50, leaving the country and were following developments closely. A Reuters reporter was stopped by security at the exclusive Emirates Hills community in Dubai, where Thaksin has a home. A Thaksin spokesperson in Dubai did not respond to attempts by Reuters to contact Thaksin. Police estimate that up to 3,000 supporters had gathered outside the court in Bangkok on Friday where Yingluck was due to hear a verdict in a negligence trial against her involving a rice buying policy of her administration. But Yingluck did not show up at the appointed hour and the court quickly issued a statement saying she had cited an ear problem as the reason for her no-show. The court rejected the excuse and moved the verdict reading to September 27. It later issued an arrest warrant for Yingluck. Immigration police said they would arrest Yingluck on the spot if she is found. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam said the government "should not comment" on Yingluck's case and her whereabouts. "It's a matter for police to proceed with the arrest warrant," Wissanu told reporters, adding that her whereabouts "will be clear soon". National police spokesman Dechnarong Suticharnbancha said on Saturday police were still investigating reports that Yingluck had either fled to Singapore or Dubai and said police had no new information on the matter. Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for the junta or National Council for Peace and Order, said there had been no security meeting to address Yingluck's disappearance. "You must understand that the border is long  What we know about Yingluck's escape is only what is being reported by the media," he added. NOT SURPRISED Overthrown in 2014, Yingluck had faced up to 10 years in prison if found guilty. Her former commerce minister was jailed in a related case for 42 years on Friday. Political parties led or backed by the Shinawatras have dominated Thai politics, winning every general election since 2001. The Shinawatras have been accused of corruption and nepotism by the Bangkok-based establishment who loath Thaksin. The family command huge support in the poorer, rural north and northeast. The rice buying scheme, a flagship policy of Yingluck's administration, proved popular with rural voters but the military government says it incurred $8 billion in losses. Yingluck pleaded innocent to the charges against her and said she was the victim of political persecution. The military government has used sweeping powers to silence critics, including supporters of the Shinawatras, since 2014. The mood in the northeast, a Shinawatra stronghold, was somber on Saturday. Leaders of the red-shirt United Front For Democracy there said they weren't surprised Yingluck fled. "Most people I know feel glad that Yingluck has left the country," said one red shirt leader, who declined to be named for safety reasons. "For now there will be less activity from the red shirts because of military suppression." (Additional reporting by Panu Wongcha-um in KHON KAEN and William Maclean in DUBAI; Editing by Michael Perry and Stephen Coates)
HOUSTON (Reuters) - Cruise ships carrying thousands of passengers were stranded in the Gulf on Friday as Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm, came ashore in the middle of the Texas coast, closing the Port of Galveston. Carnival Corp said that three of its ships were unable to return Galveston as scheduled and that two of them would be forced to divert instead to New Orleans, where they would pick up fresh supplies. The cruise line said passengers could get off those two ships in New Orleans but advised against that in a statement posted on its Facebook page. "Given the severity and projected path of the storm along with potential challenges guests may encounter attempting to travel back to Galveston independently, we are strongly encouraging them to remain on board as we intend to return the ships to Galveston as soon as feasible," Carnival said . A third ship, the Carnival Breeze, will extend its stay in Cozumel, Mexico, and begin sailing back to Galveston this weekend, the company said. The next scheduled cruises on all three ships will be shortened and customers will receive refunds, the company said. "We will continue to remain in close contact with port officials regarding their plans to re-open once the storm has passed," spokeswoman Christine de la Huerta said. Royal Caribbean International said that its Liberty of the Seas cruise ship had departed Cozumel, Mexico on time on Friday and was still scheduled to return to Galveston on Sunday. "However, we will return to Galveston only when it is safe to do so," Royal Caribbean spokesman Owen Torres said. The port's interim director, Peter Simons, told the Houston Chronicle newspaper that officials there were still trying to determine if ships could safely return on Sunday. "We're working with the cruise lines, the Coast Guard and the pilots to see what can be done to bring the cruise ships in as quickly but as safely as possible," Simons told the paper. The Chronicle reported that a total of 1.73 million passengers left on cruises in 2016 from the port at Galveston, where an expanded cruise terminal opened last year. (Reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Los Angeles; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Sandra Maler)
Lome (AFP) - Togo's capital was in security lockdown Friday with large numbers of police deployed and many businesses shuttered after opposition parties called for strikes marking the weekend deaths of two anti-government protesters.

The protest, dubbed "Togo Mort" or "Dead Togo" by the opposition coalition, comes against a backdrop of soaring political tensions as the government resists pressure to change the constitution to limit the power of President Faure Gnassingbe.

Two people were killed -- one after suffering a gunshot wound -- at weekend protests against Gnassingbe's rule in Sokode, 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Lome.

Sixty-six people were arrested following the violence, according to the justice ministry.

Opposition leaders gathered in a church in Lome for a mass in memory of those who died.

"Only a mass mobilisation will enable us to end the regime," Jean-Pierre Fabre, the president of Togo's main opposition National Alliance for Change party, told AFP.

Marketplaces in Lome were officially open, but most traders had stayed away despite a government appeal for people to resist opposition "intimidation" ahead of the strike.

The majority of civil servants appeared to have gone to work and banks remained open.

Togo's opposition parties have called for more protest marches to be held on August 30 and 31 to intensify demands for a raft of pro-democracy constitutional reforms.

The president's Unir party announced on Thursday that it would stage its own counter demonstrations on August 29, 30 and 31.

- 'Keep up the pressure' -

The opposition coalition celebrated the apparent success of its strike action.

"We're very pleased because our appeal for a day of contemplation and prayer was largely followed in Lome and in certain other towns across the country," said Eric Dupuy, a spokesman for Cap 2015, a coalition of five opposition parties.

"The Togolese people have had enough and have understood our message."

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Gnassingbe, who succeeded his father Gnassingbe Eyadema who ruled Togo with an iron grip for 38 years, was elected with army support in 2005 before being reelected in 2010 and 2015 in fiercely contested polls.

"Traffic flowed freely and there was a slowdown in commercial activity on Friday linked to the campaign of terror, intimidation and threats by the organisers of this 'Dead Togo' day," government minister Gilbert Bawara said in a statement, adding that some traders had stayed away for fear of attack.

There were no disturbances or notable staff absences in the public sector, he added.

"Now is the time for political reform, especially term limits to one day allow someone else to lead the country," said Maurice Ehouili, a motorcycle taxi driver.

"This time we are determined to keep up the pressure on the authorities to make them reform. I'm ready to march every day until we secure reform."

Togo's opposition want the country's constitution, which was changed in 2002, to be updated to reintroduce presidential term limits of a maximum of 10 years.

They also want elections changed so that they feature two rounds of voting instead of just one.
Presidential pardon of controversial Arizona lawman, convicted for defying judges order to stop racially profiling Latinos, decried as endorsing racism



Joe Arpaio at a rally during Donald Trumps presidential campaign in Phoenix, Arizona. Photograph: Nancy Wiechec/Reuters

Donald Trump on Friday pardoned former sheriff Joe Arpaio, the hardline Arizona lawman who was convicted of contempt of court in July for defying a judges order to stop racially profiling Latinos.

Trump signaled his intention to grant the pardon at a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday, when he suggested Arpaio was convicted for doing his job.

Arpaios life and career exemplify selfless public service, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Saunders said in a statement on Friday night, adding: After more than 50 years of admirable service to our nation, he is worthy candidate for a presidential pardon.

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe! Trump later wrote on Twitter, as a major hurricane made landfall in Texas and after signing a controversial directive on transgender people in the military.

In an interview with the Arizona Republic, Arpaio hinted at a return to politics.

I told my wife that I was through with politics, he said. But now Ive decided Im not through with politics because of whats happening. I didnt ask for a pardon. It has nothing to do with a pardon. Ive been saying this for the last couple of months. Ive got a lot to offer.

In Arpaios 24-year tenure as sheriff of Maricopa county, he gained notoriety for detaining hundreds of undocumented immigrants in a Tent City jail and forcing them to wear pink underwear. The sheriff courted controversy and media attention  calling his own jail a concentration camp, serving inmates just two meals a day and selling replica pink underwear to the public  as he became a national figurehead for the virulent xenophobia Trump embraced in his presidential campaign.

In November, amid a surge in Latino voters, the then 84-year-old lost his bid for a seventh term.

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In an interview with Fox News Sean Hannity on Friday, Arpaio joked that he would have fared better in federal prison than in the jails he once operated: Its federal; I could play bocce and [have] three meals a day.

Arpaio also said he would hold a news conference next week to discuss the abuse of politics in the judicial process, and blamed the news media for trying to destroy me all these years.

Arpaios conviction stems from his 2011 refusal to comply with a judges order to cease traffic stops that targeted Latino drivers. Arpaio continued for nearly a year and a half. Federal prosecutors charged him with misdemeanor contempt of court in 2016. Arpaio had been scheduled to be sentenced in October and faced up to six months in jail.

Trump said on Tuesday he was waiting to issue the pardon because he did not want to cause any controversy.

On Friday night, both Republican senators from Arizona criticized the pardon. John McCain said Trumps action undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law. Jeff Flake said: I would have preferred that the president honor the judicial process and let it take its course.

The American Civil Liberties Union tweeted: By pardoning Joe Arpaio, Donald Trump has sent another disturbing signal to an emboldened white nationalist movement that this White House supports racism and bigotry.

Joe Arpaio and Donald Trump together in Iowa. Trump called him an American patriot after issuing the pardon. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP

The ACLU represented Latino residents of Maricopa county in the lawsuit that resulted in Arpaios contempt conviction. In a statement, ACLU deputy legal director Cecilia Wang called the pardon a presidential endorsement of racism.

Maria Castro, a community organizer with Puente Arizona, a group that was central to the campaign against Arpaio, said of Trump: Weve been calling him a white supremacist and now hes showing the rest of the country what we already knew.

The people who actually deserve this pardon are the people who were in Tent City and who had to endure the 120-degree summer heat and who were victims of [Arpaios] rage.

Though the US constitution empowers the president to grant pardons, constitutional scholars have been sharply critical of the idea of pardoning Arpaio for defying a federal judges order to cease engaging in unconstitutional behavior. Such a pardon would be an assault on the federal judiciary, the constitution and the rule of law itself, Harvard law professor Noah Feldman wrote for Bloomberg.

Hilarie Bass, president of the American Bar Association, said in a statement: Pardoning a law enforcement officer who has disobeyed the courts and violated the rights of people he has sworn to protect undercuts judicial authority and the publics faith in our legal system.



Trumps behavior has frequently raised concerns about his respect for the judiciary  a coequal branch of government with the executive. During his campaign, Trump said a federal judge of Mexican heritage was incapable of ruling fairly over a case involving Trump University. He also repeatedly lambasted judges who ruled against his travel ban.

The reaction among Arizona lawmakers was sharply divided. Republican congressman Paul Gosar welcomed the pardon, saying it reflects the very reason we voted President Trump into the Oval Office, to uphold the rule of law. But Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton, who accused Trump of stoking racial tensions with his Phoenix rally, called the pardon a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community.

Congressman Ruben Gallego, a Democrat, said on Twitter he was not surprised by the pardon: Racists always back up racists.

In another controversial move on Friday, Trump approved a directive that prohibited transgender people from enlisting in the armed forces but stopped short of instructing the Pentagon to remove trans individuals already in the military. The directive jeopardizes the futures of thousands of trans service members, dozens of whom advocacy groups have already mobilized for possible lawsuits.

Molly Redden contributed additional reporting
President Donald Trumps administration parted ways with yet another staffer this week.

Politico reported Thursday that Andy Hemming resigned from his position as the White House communications teams director of rapid response on Monday.

The 31-year-old former Republican National Committee staffer, who was profiled by Politicos Annie Karni this month, was responsible for finding positive mainstream media news stories about the Trump administration and recirculating those reports to key reporters and talking heads. Hemmings goal was to ultimately create more mainstream coverage about positive moments for the Trump administration on the very networks the president routinely bashes and refers to as fake news, according to Karnis piece.

Every presidential administration has staffers dedicated to monitoring the press and pushing out stories related to favorable moments. But Trumps relationship with the press and responses to news coverage is unprecedented. For instance, Vice News reported this month that the president receives a folder filled with positive news about himself twice a day  a report previous presidents apparently did not receive.

Hemmings role in the administration was a bizarre one, considering his boss regularly picks public feuds with journalists and mainstream news outlets he was required to target with positive stories.

Just this week, Trump spent a considerable amount of time trashing the media during his campaign rally in Phoenix a rant that resulted in the crowd chanting CNN sucks.

Hemming has not publicly commented on his exit, but a White House source told CNN that the decision to part ways was mutual.

The departure is the latest in a summer filled with staff shake-ups. In July, press secretary Sean Spicer resigned just before communications director Anthony Scaramucci was hired. Then Reince Priebus left his position as White House chief of staff, days before Scaramucci was shown to the door. Last week, Steve Bannon stepped down as White House chief strategist.

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Meanwhile, several Trump administration advisers have parted ways with the president over his controversial response to a violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month.

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I just had this image of alt-right people stomping around in the poop, says the organizer of an unusual protest ahead of Saturdays Patriot Prayer rally

San Franciscos Crissy Field, the site of the rightwing rally. Dog owners are said to be stockpiling excrement to carpet the field. Photograph: Eric Risberg/AP

When a group of far-right activists come to San Francisco to hold a rally this Saturday, they will be met by peace activists offering them flowers to wear in their hair.

Also, dog shit. Lots and lots of dog shit.

Hundreds of San Franciscans plan to prepare Crissy Field, the picturesque beach in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge where rightwing protest group Patriot Prayer will gather, with a generous carpeting of excrement.

I just had this image of alt-right people stomping around in the poop, Tuffy Tuffington said of the epiphany he had while walking Bob and Chuck, his two Patterdale terriers, and trying to think of the best way to respond to rightwing extremists in the wake of Charlottesville. It seemed like a little bit of civil disobedience where we didnt have to engage with them face to face.

Tuffington, a 45-year-old artist and designer, created a Facebook event page based on the concept, and the dog owners of San Francisco responded in droves. Many have declared their intention to stockpile their shitpiles for days in advance, then deliver them in bags for the site. (The group is also planning to reconvene on Sunday to clean up the mess and hug each other.)

What happened in Charlottesville on 12 August?

White nationalists gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, to protest against a plan to remove a statue of Robert E. Lee, the Confederacys top general in the American civil war.

Demonstrators chanted racist statements, carried antisemitic placards and held torches during the Unite the Right rally, which was organised by white nationalist Jason Kessler.

The march was met by anti-fascist demonstrators, and some skirmishes broke out before James Fields, 20, allegedly ploughed a car into a group of counter-demonstrators.

Civil rights activist Heather Heyer, 32, died and others were injured. Fields has been charged with murder.

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The presence of Patriot Prayer, whose free speech events in the Pacific north-west have frequently sparked violent street battles, in notoriously liberal San Francisco has city authorities on edge. Elected officials unsuccessfully pressured the National Park Service to deny the group a permit, and the police department is planning to deploy every available officer.

But for many San Franciscans, an unwelcome visit from members of the alt-right is an opportunity to fight back in the spirit of the city by the bay  with flower power, drag queens, a little creativity, and an assist from the animal kingdom.

Shannon Bolt, a behavior scientist who works at Crissy Field, intends to confront Patriot Prayer in the spirit of the Summer of Love. As white supremacists and neo-Nazis gather in our midst, well tune into the love frequency again and meet their hatred with flowers for their hair, she wrote in a Facebook event description.

If security forces keep the protest and counter-protest separate, Bolt told the Guardian, We will have to offer our Flowers Against Fascism to them symbolically.

There will also be contingents of clowns, kayakers, cars, and kids  all hoping to use their particular strengths (humor, seaworthiness, the ability to monopolize parking spaces, and cuteness, respectively) to thumb their noses at hate.

You have a significant number of people who would like to go and punch Nazis, and then you have people who think they should be entirely ignored, said veteran labor and LGBTQ rights activist Cleve Jones. In between you have all sorts of creative and crazy ideas. I kind of like that.

Who coined the term 'alt-right'?

The white supremacist Richard Spencer devised the term in 2010. He has described the movement as "identity politics for white Americans and for Europeans around the world".

What does it stand for?

The movement supports extreme rightwing ideologies, including white nationalism  used interchangeably with white supremacism  and antisemitism. It positions itself broadly against egalitarianism, democracy, universalism and multiculturalism.

Some "alt-right" supporters have argued that their hardline, extremist positions are not truly meant, but are a way to disrupt conventional and accepted thinking. Memes, irony and ambiguity are sometimes used in an attempt to wrongfoot critics.

How does the 'alt-right' relate to the Trump administration?

The Trump administration includes figures who are associated with the "alt-right", including the former Breitbart News executive chairman Steve Bannon, now the White House chief strategist. Many of Trump's policy positions have won favour with the movement.

Jones is working with local drag queen Juanita More to host a rally and march for equality beginning at Harvey Milk Plaza in the citys Castro district. Theres this desire to create fear, he said of media coverage showing torch-wielding racists spewing hateful chants. With these kinds of creative actions, we dispel fear. We say were going to fight you and were going to have a ball doing it and were going to laugh and love each other.

Jones is also taking inspiration from the German town of Wunsiedel, where residents have responded to an annual neo-Nazi march by sponsoring an involuntary walkathon that raises funds for anti-extremist causes.

He is raising money for ten local organizations that reflect the diversity of San Francisco, including the Transgender Law Center, Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund, and Muslim Advocates. A similar Wunsiedel-inspired effort has been launched by Jewish Bar Association of San Francisco, which has raised more than $100,000 for the the Southern Poverty Law Center under the banner Adopt-a-Nazi.

When the dust has settled and the smoke has cleared, Jones said, I hope that the appearance of rightwing extremists in San Francisco will raise a significant amount of money for the people they seek to harm.
Twitter users are calling out President Donald Trump for announcing a raft of controversial measures on Friday night, just before Hurricane Harvey struck Texas.

Hundreds of tweeters have accused Trump of using the life-threatening weather event, which has seen tens of thousands of people fleeing the Gulf Coast, as a political cover to deflect attention away from his actions.

Late Friday, Trump signed a memo which bans transgender individuals from newly enlisting in the military and pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona who was convicted after illegally targeting Latinos and has a history of racist actions, via Twitter:

I am pleased to inform you that I have just granted a full Pardon to 85 year old American patriot Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He kept Arizona safe!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 26, 2017

Sebastian Gorka, one of the Trumps most controversial advisers, also quit the White House.

Each of those political developments would usually lead news bulletins, and so tweeters were keen to ensure that they werent forgotten about because of the devastating Category 4 storm.

Heres a sampling of the reactions so far:

So Trump pardoned racist convicted criminal Joe Arpaio and signed a transgender military ban, with a monster hurricane as cover... pic.twitter.com/RPwREqDIeW  Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) August 26, 2017

Trump just pardoned Joe Arpaio during a Category 4 Hurricane. This guy is such an awful freaking human being. pic.twitter.com/9jcm1bDK8W  Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 26, 2017

Make no mistake Trump is using category 4 hurricane Harvey as a political cover to pardon the incredibly racist Joe Arpaio #hurricaneharvey  matt (@mrm_matt) August 26, 2017

You'd think a Cat 4 hurricane would be the ideal Friday night cover for a dubious pardon -- but it actually only amplifies it. Just watch.  Jonathan Wald (@jonathanwald) August 26, 2017

A fucking hurricane is devastating half of Texas and trump is pardoning Joe Arpaio and banning trans people from the military. god damn him  Supership79 (@supership79) August 26, 2017

So Trump, in a rare, RARE moment of political slyness, pardons Sheriff Joe Arpaio while everyone is distracted with Hurricane Harvey.  Eric Shaffer (@LordShaffy) August 26, 2017

Donald Trump just pardoned racist Joe Arpaio. During a devestating hurricane. #Harvey2017 pic.twitter.com/pn6AkU9Tkg  Diane N. Sevenay (@Diane_7A) August 26, 2017

Two distractions: NKorea fires misiles, Hurricane Harvey hits texas. Trump pardons Joe Arpaio. Coincidence?  Julia Vargas M (@JuliasNotes) August 26, 2017

Obviously Trump didn't like being outshined by Hurricane Harvey so he pardoned Joe Arpaio to bring the spotlight back on himself.  Lo Storm (@cailinroiceada) August 26, 2017

President Trump being despicable even as Texas prepares for a Category 4 Hurricane. Not surprising. #JoeArpaio #TransMilitaryBan  Garen Kosoyan (@GarenKosoyan) August 26, 2017

Only a scum like Trump would use the devastation of a Category 4 hurricane to slyly pardon Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  Simar (@sahluwal) August 26, 2017

Trump is so proud of his pardon of Joe Arpaio he does it as a Friday night news dump in the midst of Cat4 hurricane making landfall. #coward  Ron Asher (@rmasher2) August 26, 2017

Hours before a Category 4 hurricane hits US soil, Trump signs an order barring transgender people from the military and pardons Joe Arpaio.  Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 26, 2017

Trump orders the Pentagon to reverse transgender policy & pardons Joe Arpaio after 6 p.m. on a Friday as a hurricane approaches the U.S.  Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 26, 2017

Everyone's focused on a hurricane, so Trump...



- Banned trans people from military

- Pardoned Joe Arpaio

- Ended DACA?



I miss anything?  Parker Molloy (@ParkerMolloy) August 26, 2017

Trump pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio at all, let alone during a Category 4 hurricane, is the exact opposite of how to unify this country.  Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) August 26, 2017

Unreal. As nation focuses on massive Texas Cat-4 hurricane, Trump pardons Joe Arpaio, convicted of criminal contempt for RACIAL PROFILING. pic.twitter.com/xh5sdlHl3d  Jacob Soboroff (@jacobsoboroff) August 26, 2017

Related Coverage

Story continues

Twitter Loses It Over Donald Trump's 'Off The Rails' Arizona Rally

German Magazine Cover Depicts Donald Trump Doing Nazi Salute

Trevor Noah Breaks Down Donald Trump's Multiple Personalities

Harvey Lowered To Category 1 Storm, But 'Catastrophic Flooding' To Come

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - A retired U.S. Social Security Administration judge was sentenced to four years in prison on Friday for what prosecutors said was his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain $550 million in federal disability payments for thousands of people.

David Daugherty, 81, a retired administrative law judge, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves in Lexington, Kentucky, after pleading guilty in May to two counts of receiving illegal gratuities, the U.S. Justice Department said.

Daugherty was also ordered to pay over $93 million in restitution, the Justice Department said.

Patrick Nash, his lawyer, said Daugherty had agreed at the time of his plea that a four-year sentence would be appropriate. "It was the sentence we expected to receive," he said.

Daugherty, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was charged in April 2016 along with two other men, including a Kentucky attorney who advertised his services through the website MrSocialSecurity.com and who is now considered a fugitive.

Prosecutors said Daugherty was an administrative law judge for more than two decades at the Social Security hearing office in Huntington, West Virginia, where he made decisions on disability claims.

From 2004 to 2011, Daugherty accepted over $609,000 in cash payments from Social Security disability lawyer Eric Conn of Pikeville, Kentucky, prosecutors said. They said the payments were for awarding benefits to claimants the attorney represented in 3,149 cases.

Daugherty would seek out cases Conn had pending with the Huntington office, tell him what medical evidence to submit and then award benefits to Conn's clients without holding hearings, the prosecutors said.

They said the scheme resulted in Conn's earning at least $7.1 million in fees from the agency and caused the government to be obligated to pay more than $550 million in lifetime benefits to claimants.

Conn pleaded guilty in March to one count of theft of government money and one count of payment of gratuities. Conn subsequently fled in June and remains a fugitive. He was sentenced in absentia in July to 12 years in prison.

Alfred Adkins, a psychologist in Kentucky who prosecutors said performed medical evaluations for Conn, was convicted of conspiracy, mail fraud and wire fraud charges by a federal jury in June. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22.

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Leslie Adler and Tom Brown)
Myanmar security forces fired mortars and machine guns at terrified Rohingya villagers fleeing northern Rakhine State for Bangladesh on Saturday, according to an AFP reporter and a border official at the scene, as clashes which have killed scores continued for a second day.

The fighting, concentrated around remote border villages, is between suspected Rohingya militants and Myanmar security forces, but is increasingly sweeping in civilians -- from the Muslim minority as well as local Buddhists and Hindus.

Rakhine State has become a crucible of religious hatred focused on the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority, who are reviled and perceived as illegal immigrants in Buddhist-majority Myanmar.

Violence has left at least 92 dead since Friday, according to an official toll, and forced thousands of Rohingya to flee towards Bangladesh.

But authorities there have refused to let most of them in, with thousands of people, mainly women and children, stranded along the "zero line" border zone.

On Saturday an AFP reporter at Bangladesh's Ghumdhum border post counted over a dozen mortar shells and countless machine gun rounds fired by Myanmar security forces in nearby hills onto a large group of Rohingya desperately trying to cross.

It was not immediately clear if any were hit, but civilians scattered to evade the barrage.

"They have fired on civilians, mostly women and children, hiding in the hills near the zero line," Border Guard Bangladesh's (BGB) station chief Manzurul Hassan Khan confirmed.

"They fired machine guns and mortar shells suddenly, targeting the civilians. They have not consulted with the BGB," he added.

Unwanted by Myanmar, the Rohingya are unwelcome in Bangladesh, which already hosts tens of thousands of refugees from the Muslim minority who live in squalid conditions in the Cox's Bazar area.

In desperate scenes, many of the Rohingya displaced on Friday have been left without shelter in no-man's land between the two countries, or forced to return to villages enveloped by clashes between militants and security forces.

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Hundreds did make it across the porous border early Saturday when border patrols were relaxed due to heavy rains, an AFP reporter witnessed, with some swimming across the Naf river which separates the two countries.

Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned Myanmar's charge d'affaires and expressed "serious concern" at the possibility of a large-scale influx of Rohingyas following the latest violence.

- 'No security' -

The current flare-up came after a Myanmar government-commissioned report led by former UN chief Kofi Annan into the roots of the Rakhine troubles.

It urged Myanmar's government to swiftly find a pathway to citizenship for the roughly one million-strong Rohingya minority and ease suffocating restrictions on work and travel.

Violence erupted early on Friday as scores of men purportedly from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), ambushed Myanmar police posts.

Using knives, some guns and homemade explosives they killed at least a dozen security forces.

The fightback has seen at least 77 Rohingya militants killed, according to the office of Myanmar's de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi -- the highest declared single day toll since ARSA emerged as a force last year.

The group says it is fighting to protect the Rohingya from abuses by Myanmar security forces and the majority-Buddhist Rakhine community who they accuse of trying to push them out.

Attacks on police posts last October sparked a wave of deadly "clearance operations" by Myanmar's army and forced some 87,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.

The UN believes that military crackdown may have amounted to ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya.

The army denies the allegations, which included civilian killings and mass rape.

On Saturday residents of outlying villages fled to the town of Maungdaw, only to be greeted with more violence there.

Ethnic Rakhine Buddhists armed themselves with knives and sticks as tension soared in a town that has repeatedly been the epicentre of religious violence since 2012.

With panic spreading, scores of Hindu villagers also fled to Maungdaw after rumours that they too were a target for the militants.

"There is no security in the villages," Buthon, a Hindu man in Maungdaw told AFP.

The government has declared ARSA a terrorist organisation.

Myanmar says the group is headed by Rohingya jihadists who were trained abroad but it is unclear how large the network is and they appear to be using homespun weapons in addition to guns seized during their raids.

burs-apj/eb/rb
A New York man killed his wife and teen daughter before taking his own life in his home on Friday morning, reports said.

Steven Dym, 56, who was a wealthy property manager, was found dead in his Pound Ridge home along with his wife, Loretta Dym, 50, and their 18-year-old daughter Caroline by the familys housekeeper, reports said.

Read: Killer Who Was Granted Parole in 1995 'Jenny Jones Show' Murder Walks Free

Steven Dym reportedly gunned down his wife and daughter with a 12-gauge shotgun before killing himself, the New York Post reported.

State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra said police were ready to identify how all three were killed, reports said.

Steven Dym was the head of Gabriel Management in Queens, a company started by his father. The couples daughter was set to attend her senior year at Sacred Heart Greenwich in Connecticut.

The family also has a 20-year-old son, William, who was away at the University of Southern California at the time of the murders.

Investigators were at the scene collecting evidence and interviewing neighbors and relatives after the murders, according to Becerra.

Read: Murdered Woman's Fitbit Tracker Helps Investigators Build Case Against Husband

This wasnt the first instance of violence in the family, however.

In 1992, Dyms mother attacked her husband Lawrence Dym with a hatchet handle in his bed as he slept in the same house, USA Today reported.

Lawrence Dym survived, and his wife, who was reportedly under stress at the time for a medical condition, was hospitalized for a psychiatric evaluation, according to reports.

Watch: Teens Charged With Murder After Killing Man Who Responded to Craigslist Ad: Cops

Related Articles:
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 16:15:50|Editor: An

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TAIYUAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Abdul Aleem Baig from Pakistan gave himself the Chinese name Yang Guang (Sunshine), which describes his mood when he runs his leather jacket business in China.

On Saturday morning, his booth at the Shanxi Cultural Industries Fair in the northern Chinese city of Taiyuan was crowded with buyers trying on clothes or bargaining with him.

Abdul, 28, first came to China five years ago, following his older brother who was doing well in the business. So far, he has been to similar fairs in more than 40 cities and spends 20 days a month in the country.

He is among many foreign merchants seeking their fortune in China through expos, which are more flexible and cheaper than opening stores.

According to a report issued by the Ministry of Commerce in June, the scale of Chinese expos remains the largest in 2016, with more than 5,500 fairs staged that year.

"Leather jackets from Pakistan are world-renowned. Muslims eat lots of lamb, so we have lots of sheepskin, and many Chinese makers came to Pakistan for that," Abdul said.

He said a long leather jacket made in Pakistan at his booth would be sold for 2,500 yuan (376 U.S. dollars) while a Chinese-made counterpart of the same quality would be priced at 8,000 to 10,000 yuan.

In China, Abdul makes twice as much compared with in his hometown. "In Pakistan the competition is cut-throat, since leather jackets are everywhere," he said.

Jay Kay from Myanmar made 500,000 yuan a year from his jade business in China. He came to China seven years ago and attends more than 30 expos across the country each year.

"Selling jade is not hard in China. It has so many people who love jade," the 28-year-old said in fluent Chinese, adding that he stays in China for 10 months a year.

Pema Lama took part in 15 fairs during the past two years in China. Trading Buddhist items, such as Thangka painting, he earns 150,000 yuan a year, almost the same with his income in Nepal.

However, his choice to go to China was not just about money.

"I wanted to have my own business, and I did it. I could only work for others in Nepal," he said. "I wish I had come here earlier."

The 45-year-old has also been to India and Italy.

"But the business in China is the best. I don't know why," he said.

David from Mali, who sells tambourines at the Taiyuan expo, said he did exceptionally brisk business at biennial expos in the cities of Kunming and Lanzhou, since "people had waited a long time and desire foreign goods."

"China is very open and friendly; expos are a good example," he said.
Photo credit: USAF photo by Staff Sgt. Roidan Carlson

From Popular Mechanics

The U.S. Air Force yesterday awarded two $900 million contracts to Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to develop a new, nuclear-armed cruise missile. The Long Range Stand Off Weapon, or LRSO, is meant to modernize the offensive punch of American bombers, keeping even older planes such as the B-52 relevant. Critics, however, argue that as older nuclear cruise missiles age out they should not be replaced, as they increase the likelihood of a misunderstanding that could lead to nuclear war.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said about LRSO, ""This weapon will modernize the air-based leg of the nuclear triad. Deterrence works if our adversaries know that we can hold at risk things they value. This weapon will enhance our ability to do so, and we must modernize it cost-effectively." "

The United States Air Force will buy 1,000 LRSOs, which will equip the B-52H Stratofortress, B-2A Spirit, and forthcoming B-21 Raider bombers. (The B-1B bomber has been designed a conventional-only bomber.) The Air Force believes the LRSO is critical to keeping the old, lumbering, non-stealthy B-52H in the country's nuclear arsenal. The B-52H currently operates the AGM-86B cruise missile in the nuclear role, while the B-2A carries only B61 free-fall nuclear bombs. The B-21 Raider, when it comes to fruition many years from now, will probably carry everything.

Photo credit: U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Aaron D. Allmon II

The justification for nuclear cruise missiles is that in the event of a nuclear war, bombers can launch them toward distant targets without getting too close to enemy air defenses. A stealthy bomber armed with LRSOs could use them to punch its way through enemy defenses, nuking fixed anti-air missile, radar, and command-and-control sites in its path before striking the final, main target. Non-stealthy bombers such as the B-52H could stand off at a distance and kick in the door for stealthy bombers (but would be unable to accompany the B-2A and B-21 into hostile enemy territory).

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On the other hand, people including former Secretary of Defense William Perry charge that nuclear-tipped cruise missiles make accidental nuclear war more likely. (His new op-ed in the Washington Post is called, "Mr. President, Kill the New Cruise Missile.") They say that non-nuclear cruise missiles, which have been used since the 1991 Persian Gulf War, are now a regular part of conventional warfare. Here's a video of Russian nuclear-capable bombers launching Kh-101 cruise missiles (which also have nuclear variants) against targets in Syria:

The existence of nuclear cruise missiles ups the stakes in a conventional war, as an adversary observing a flight of cruise missiles on his radar screens does not know whether he is about to get hit with conventional or nuclear weapons. If the adversary assumes the worst case scenario, he may believe he should launch his own nuclear weapons in response, inadvertently starting a nuclear conflict.

As reported in FlightGlobal, the $1.8 billion dollar contracts will cover the technology development phase of the missile through 2022. Between now and 2022, the two defense contractors will start nailing down the technologies necessary to bring the missile to life, demonstrate critical technology in prototypes, and complete preliminary design. (For a PowerPoint-friendly, layman-unfriendly, brain-melting guide to the defense acquisition process, see here.)

Read more at FlightGlobal

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On Wednesday, alt-right group Patriot Prayer got its permit for a weekend rally on federal land inside San Francisco. It was issued despite strong opposition from Mayor Ed Lee and city officials, state lawmakers and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi.

This hate group circumvented the city and state because it chose a location on federal land -- a situation of concern to every community that doesn't want a Charlottesville on its doorstep. And because we don't have a choice, we're getting ready. That doesn't just mean counterprotests, but our entire police force will be on guard -- and because we're a city of technophiles and hackers, citizens will be paying particular attention to our phones and networks.

Like every city in America, we don't want out-of-control dudes with tiki torches cosplaying Nazi Trump or murdering people with their cars. We especially don't want to be making a "safe space" for Patriot Prayer, the same organization that nursed the Portland hate-crime murderer. To top it off, The San Francisco Examiner reported that militia group Oath Keepers said it'll be at the rally too, which is planned for Saturday, August 26, at Crissy Field in San Francisco.

During the Wednesday press conference at City Hall, Mayor Lee, Supervisor London Breed and SFPD Chief William Scott explained the permit's tight restrictions for Saturday. Along with no firearms (and a long list of other things) the police chief said tech like drones and large cameras won't be allowed either.

This means everyone will be using their phones for everything, stretching cell-tower networks to their limit. If you're nearby, expect your phone to constantly be looking for signal and, in turn, for that to run your battery down fast. Data will be slow, if not brought to a shuddering standstill. If you're attending, plan to communicate with friends via text message (preferably an encrypted-text app like Signal) because DMs probably won't work.

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Featured Patriot Prayer guests are telling their "warriors" to "suit up and boot" for a fight in San Francisco. They should probably care more about the security of their phones than the insecurity of their nationalist masculinity, though.

In case they haven't noticed, hackers have declared "open season" on Patriot Prayer-style enthusiasts: Getting confrontational MAGAs all in one spot with phones in hand is a hacker's dream come true.

The same goes for the authorities. Police and law enforcement will absolutely be monitoring social media and intercepting traffic for threats, changes in plans, and anything they can use to find crime. Police can target specific areas with tools like Media Sonar that simultaneously monitor posts on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Vine, Periscope and Flickr, among others.

In addition, authorities are more frequently using fake base stations, also called "IMSI catchers" or "stingrays" to track the activities and locations of citizens at protests and to intercept their communications. They're used by police and the federal government in the U.S. for what's called "lawful surveillance." The "lawful" part is up for debate, according to digital-civil-liberties groups. In countries outside the U.S., this practice has been commonplace for quite some time.

Basically, if you're going to any of the weekend's events in San Francisco, or any other city for that matter, prep your phone for being in a crowd, being surveilled, and in case things get weird.

Android, iPhone, Blackberry ... whichever phone you have, there are a few things you'll want to do to it before you go anywhere near neighborhoods that might have a rally, march or protest coming by. What matters most is that you know how to best use the phone you have, and find out any limitations in function, form or in securing your privacy before you use it.

It might feel like our phones are being used against us, but our devices are where we find power and leverage as citizens -- so leaving them at home is never an option.

Device security 101

Activate a device password

Turn on encryption

Install and use a secure (encrypted) messaging service

Install and use a VPN

Keep your device and apps updated

Ultra-cautious Android users will want to check out apps like SnoopSnitch. This app collects and analyzes mobile radio data to make you aware of your mobile-network security. It warns about threats like fake base stations (the above-mentioned IMSI catchers), user tracking and other red flags like unexpected over-the-air updates.

You can counteract data collection, malicious hacking, potential government spying and stalkers by following a few best practices. Turn off Bluetooth and don't let your phone join open Wi-Fi networks: This will prevent a significant number of hacking attacks. Put your phone in "airplane" mode until you need to use it, both to reduce your surveillance risks from fake cell towers and to save your battery.

Log out of all nonessential accounts and apps when you go to any event like a march or protest. This will also reduce your surveillance risks and any risk you'll face if you get hacked. Essential apps to stay logged-into are the ones you use to share the event (and media associated with it) and communicate with your group. Use encrypted apps, like Threema, Signal or even WhatsApp for this.

You may hear people telling you to get or use a "burner" phone for the protests; this is a phone you use when you leave your actual phone at home, and you can make it as anonymous as you like. If you want to learn more in detail and find technical instructions for everything described in this article, like burner phones, I talk about it in extensive detail in How to Be a Digital Revolutionary.

Keep your phone PIN or password protected in case it falls into someone else's hands. Avoid using the fingerprint unlock for your phone too: It's legally less protected than your password or PIN. Also, your finger can be used to unlock the phone without your consent, and authorities have been reported doing this. To this end, the timing of San Francisco's Nazi invasion is good for those who have access to a certain new Apple feature. This week news hit of what people are calling the iPhone's "cop button."

An iOS 11 trick, currently in beta, allows the user to quickly disable the fingerprint-passcode-entry feature Touch ID when the power button is pressed five times in quick succession. An option to dial 911 pops up on the screen, but Touch ID is disabled unless the user enters her passcode (which is harder for law enforcement to oblige you to do).

To get your phone ready for action

Back up your address book and all files.

Activate "Find my phone" (or Prey)

Sign out of every app you won't be using.

Make sure your password is on.

You should definitely do a quick inventory of the apps you use for taking photos, recording video, posting status updates and communicating with your community. Make sure they're easy to access. Some phones will let you assign a key or make a shortcut for taking photos or video; set that up so you're always ready.

Lastly, put a few files on your phone that you can access without having to use WiFi. Make one a map of the areas you'll be in. Consider including a file of emergency contacts, like your family, an attorney or a legal hotline. On the ACLU's Know Your Rights page, you'll find a variety of docs that list your rights in different situations. These are great because it's hard to focus when you're under stress. Examples of things you may want to keep with you include "Demonstrations and Protests," "If You're Stopped by Police," "Photographers" and "LGBT High School Students."

As a lifelong San Francisco resident, I can tell you that Patriot Prayer has no clue who they're dealing with. Like many, the only San Francisco they know is that of an outsider; one who thinks that only recently transplanted techie jerks live here. That's partly true, but it's not actually who we are. Even if idiot techies who've flocked to carpet-bag on our shores are too ignorant of history to spot the hypocrisy of "free speech" Nazi Facebook groups, we San Franciscans can see their bullshit coming from a galaxy away.

US-LGBT-PRIDE-PARADE

My city is a place that knows the deadliness of fascist rhetoric and ideals like theirs. The first diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma occurred here on April 9, 1981; San Franciscans then lived through the horror of an entire population nearly eradicated by AIDS that was hastened by Republican neglect comparable to Hurricane Katrina. Unlike Trump and his extremist Nazi followers, we have triumphed over genuine discrimination and life-threatening adversity, and we have the brains to think through the egregiously harmful eventualities of their childish, selfish and hypocritical worldviews.

We are a colorful, tough city of fighters and survivors. Our capacity for love and acceptance is as fierce and immovable as our strength and resilience to fight for what's right: These things are immutable to us. Our city is not only diverse, it is considered a "gay mecca" -- a place where people of all genders and orientations are welcome, and we will tear down the sky to protect you.

So, you know. Patriot Prayer's little nudge-nudge-wink "we're not violent" hypocrisy "free speech" roadshow will come here and get their little kicks, then move on to the next town that doesn't want them. In the meantime, everyone please secure your devices and do be safe while Reddit is in town.

Images: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office / AP Photo (Stingray); AFP/Getty Images (SF Mayor Ed Lee)
Photo credit: Getty

From Popular Mechanics

ExxonMobil's deliberate attempts to sow doubt on the reality and urgency of climate change and their donations to front groups to disseminate false information about climate change have been public knowledge for a long time, now.

Investigativereports in 2015 revealed that Exxon had its own scientists doing its own climate modeling as far back as the 1970s: science and modeling that was not only accurate, but that was being used to plan for the company's future.

Now, a peer-reviewed study published August 23 has confirmed that what Exxon was saying internally about climate change was quantitatively very different from their public statements. Specifically, researchers Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskesfound that at least 80 percent of the internal documents and peer-reviewed publications they studied from between 1977 and 2014 were consistent with the state of the science  acknowledging that climate change is real and caused by humans, and identifying "reasonable uncertainties" that any climate scientist would agree with at the time. Yet over 80 percent of Exxon's editorial-style paid advertisements over the same period specifically focused on uncertainty and doubt, the study found.

The stark contrast between internally discussing cutting-edge climate research while externally conducting a climate disinformation campaign is enough to blow many minds. What was going on at Exxon?

I have a unique perspective  because I was there.

From 1995 to 1997, Exxon provided partial financial support for my master's thesis, which focused on methane chemistry and emissions. I spent several weeks in 1996 as an intern at their Annandale research lab in New Jersey and years working on the collaborative research that resulted in three of the published studies referenced in Supran and Oreskes' new analysis.

Climate research at Exxon

A scientist is a scientist no matter where we work, and my Exxon colleagues were no exception. Thoughtful, cautious and in full agreement with the scientific consensus on climate  these are characteristics any scientist would be proud to own.

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Did Exxon have an agenda for our research? Of course  it's not a charity. Their research and development was targeted, and in my case, it was targeted at something that would raise no red flags in climate policy circles: quantifying the benefits of methane reduction.

Methane is a waste product released by coal mining and natural gas leaks; wastewater treatment plants; farting cows, sheep, goats and anything else that chews its cud; decaying organic trash in garbage dumps; giant termite mounds in Africa; and even, in vanishingly small amounts, our own lactose-intolerant family members.

On a molecule-by-molecule basis, methane absorbs about 35 times more of the Earth's heat than carbon dioxide. Methane has a much shorter lifetime than carbon dioxide gas, and we produce a lot less of it, so there's no escaping the fact that carbon has to go. But if our concern is how fast the Earth is warming, we can get a big bang for our buck by cutting methane emissions as soon as possible, while continuing to wean ourselves off carbon-based fuels long-term.

For the gas and oil industry, reducing methane emissions means saving energy. So it's no surprise that, during my research, I didn't experience any heavy-handed guidance or interference with my results. No one asked to review my code or suggested ways to "adjust" my findings. The only requirement was that a journal article with an Exxon co-author pass an internal review before it could be submitted for peer review, a policy similar to that of many federal agencies.

Did I know what else they were up to at the time? I couldn't even imagine it.

Fresh out of Canada, I was unaware that there were people who didn't accept climate science  so unaware, in fact, that it was nearly half a year before I realized I'd married one  let alone that Exxon was funding a disinformation campaign at the very same time it was supporting my research on the most expedient ways to reduce the impact of humans on climate.

Yet Exxon's choices have contributed directly to the situation we are in today, a situation that in many ways seems unreal: one where many elected representatives oppose climate action, while China leads the U.S. in wind energy, solar power, economic investment in clean energy and even the existence of a national cap and trade policy similar to the ill-fated Waxman-Markey bill of 2009.

Personal decisions

This latest study underscores why many are calling on Exxon to be held responsible for knowingly misleading the public on such a critical issue. For scientists and academics, though, it may fuel another, different, yet similarly moral debate.

Are we willing to accept financial support that is offered as a sop to the public conscience?

The concept of tendering literal payment for sin is nothing new. From the indulgences of the Middle Ages to the criticisms some have leveled at carbon offsets today, we humans have always sought to stave off the consequences of our actions and ease our conscience with good deeds, particularly of the financial kind. Today, many industry groups follow this familiar path: supporting science denial with the left hand, while giving to cutting-edge research and science with the right.

The Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford University conducts fundamental research on efficient and clean energy technologies  with Exxon as a founding sponsor. Philanthropist and political donor David Koch gave an unprecedented US$35 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 2015, after which three dozen scientists called on the museum to cut ties with him for funding lobbying groups that "misrepresent" climate science. Shell underwrote the London Science Museum's "Atmosphere" program and then used its leverage to muddy the waters on what scientists know about climate.

It may be easy to point a finger at others, but when it happens to us, the choice might not seem so clear. Which is most important  the benefit of the research and education, or the rejection of tainted funds?

The appropriate response to morally tainted offerings is an ancient question. In the book of Corinthians, the apostle Paul responds to a query on what to do with food that has been sacrificed to idols  eat or reject?

His response illustrates the complexity of this issue. Food is food, he says  and by the same token, we might say money is money today. Both food and money, though, can imply alliance or acceptance. And if it affects others, a more discerning response may be needed.

What are we as academics to do? In this open and transparent new publishing world of ours, declaration of financial supporters is both important and necessary. Some would argue that a funder, however loose and distant the ties, casts a shadow over the resulting research. Others would respond that the funds can be used for good. Which carries the greatest weight?

After two decades in the trenches of climate science, I'm no longer the ingenue I was. I'm all too aware, now, of those who dismiss climate science as a "liberal hoax." Every day, they attack me on Facebook, vilify me on Twitter and even send the occasional hand-typed letter - which begs appreciation of the artistry, if not the contents. So now, if Exxon came calling, what would I do?

There's no one right answer to this question. Speaking for myself, I might ask them to give those funds to politicians who endorse sensible climate policy  and cut their funding to those who don't. Or I admire one colleague's practical response: to use a Koch-funded honorarium to purchase a lifetime membership in the Sierra Club.

Despite the fact that there's no easy answer, it's a question that's being posed to more and more of us every day, and we cannot straddle the fence any longer. As academics and scientists, we have some tough choices to make; and only by recognizing the broader implications of these choices are we able to make these decisions with our eyes wide open, rather than half shut.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article here.

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This file picture taken on July 09, 2017 shows employees at an e-commerce site's offices in the Iranian capital Tehran (AFP Photo/ATTA KENARE) (AFP/File)

Tehran (AFP) - Iranians were joined by two ministers Saturday in protesting after Apple removed popular apps from its store, a move the American company says was made to comply with US sanctions.

"Today, respecting consumers' rights is a basic principle which Apple has not followed," Information and Communication Technology Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi tweeted, promising to "legally pursue" the case.

"IT should be used for making human life better and comfortable not a tool for discrimination between countries," he wrote.

Jahromi said later Saturday on Instagram that he and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif were working together to address the issue.

The hashtag #StopRemovingIranianApps has been trending on Iranian social media for several days, after Apple removed at least 10 of the country's most popular apps from its online store.

Those now missing include Amazon-style shopping apps Digikala and Bamilo, ride-hailing apps Snapp and Tap30, discount store Takhfifan and a brunch delivery service called Delion.

"We are unable to include your app on the App Store," a message sent to some of those companies reportedly said.

"Under the US sanctions regulations, the App Store cannot host, distribute, or do business with apps or developers connected to certain US embargoed countries."

The United States lifted some sanctions on Iran, particularly in the aviation sector, under a 2015 nuclear deal that saw Tehran limit its atomic programme.

But American individuals and companies are still barred from doing any business with Iranians because of much older and non-nuclear related sanctions on the Islamic republic.

- 'On the right track' -

"There are removed apps which did not have financial transactions, and due to sanctions, some of them were registered in countries other than Iran too," Azari Jahromi tweeted.

"The US does not sanction our weak points. They sanction our points of strength... This should make us country officials support this field," he said in a video published on the government's website.

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"The recent action by the US shows we are on the right track... because they fear us and are removing these (apps)".

Some Iranian apps in the same category of those that have been removed are still available on the app store.

Iran's youthful and well-connected population own some 40 million smart phones, six million of them iPhones, the government-owned Iran Daily newspaper reported.

"Apple has not provided any clear answers to our messages," the daily on Saturday quoted Mehdi Taghizadeh, vice chairman at Delion, as saying.

More than 4,500 Iranian netizens have signed an online petition urging Apple chief executive Tim Cook "to recognise our rights as Apple customers".

"I've always been an Apple user, but despite preferring them... I'm now going to switch to Android," a user going by the name Xerexes wrote on Twitter.

"Technology is best when it brings people together. We shouldn't limit or keep others from using and developing it!" tweeted Ferial Govashiri, who used to work as a personal assistant to former US president Barack Obama and is now at Netflix.

Owners of devices that run on Android can still download Iranian apps from the online store for Google, also an American company, but they are still unable to use paid apps in the country.
In a taupe-walled exam room at the Womens Community Clinic in San Francisco, lead clinician Lisa Mihaly plucks a small laminated card from a cabinet. Tethered to the card are three T-shaped IUDs, or intrauterine devicesforms of birth control that are, as the name implies, inserted into a womans uterus to prevent pregnancy for up to 12 years. Mihaly points to each device like friends in a group photo: Paragard, with its thin bands of copper coiled around a white plastic trunk and two arms at attention; Mirena, the first hormonal IUD available in the US; and Skyla, an IUD designed for women who have never had children. But theres one option missing, Mihaly says: a newer model called Liletta.

Liletta, which arrived in the clinics inventory this summer, is a small device that manufacturers hope will make a big difference. Public clinics pay a wholesale price of $336 to $400 for each of the IUDs on Mihalys card. Add in doctors visits for placement and the total cost can exceed $1,000. Liletta's manufacturer hopes to see a wholesale price for public clinics as low as $50.

Price point matters, possibly more than ever before. Under the Affordable Care Act, women rarely pay full price for an IUD because of provisions requiring insurers to fully cover at least one option from each of the 18 FDA-approved birth control methods. But when Donald Trump took office on a promise to repeal the ACA, IUD insertion rates soared as women sought long-term contraceptive solutions.

Though the ACA is safe for now, The Wall Street Journal reported in August that the Trump administration is planning to roll back the birth control requirement, allowing employers to demur based on religious or moral objections. And affordable, accessible birth control will always be a public health concern. In April, Trump signed a law giving states more freedom to restrict their spending of federal money from the Title X program, which supports the clinics that care for women with Medicaid, or no insurance at all, at lower cost.

Politics and pricing aside, the IUD has experienced something of a revival in the United States. For years a negative narrative dogged the devicesin the 1980s, the Dalkon Shield caused infections and even deaths. But new, safe models, including Paragard and Mirena, made it to market and the mainstream. Since 2002, the number of American women using IUDs has roughly doubled every four years. But it remains low, internationally speakingjust 8 percent of reproductive-age American women use an IUD, compared to 20 percent of Belgians and nearly 70 percent of South Koreansbut the trend continues upward.

And why not? The IUD is among the most effective contraceptives, preventing pregnancy in 99 percent of women who use it over the course of a year. The levonorgestrel in hormonal IUDs stops ovulation or thins the uterine lining, so eggs are less likely to implant, and the physical presence of a foreign object often thickens cervical mucus enough to stop sperm. Plus, theyre inserted once and last for years. Theres no room for error. You cant forget to take it, or forget to get the resupplies, says Cynthia Harper, a reproductive health researcher at UCSF. Just set it and forget it.

While many women have now heard of IUDs, few know about Lilettapartly because it's produced by Medicines360, a San Francisco nonprofit edging into a product category long dominated by Bayer, the pharmaceutical giant that makes three of the four hormonal IUDs available in the US. When Mirena received FDA approval in 2000, there wasnt a single other hormonal IUD available in the US. It remained the only option until 2013, when Bayer released Skyla, a model specific for nulliparous women. And in 2016a year after Lilleta earned FDA approvalthe company released its third hormonal IUD, Kyleena.

Bayers IUDs netted the company $900 million in the US in 2016, and theyve been among the companys 15 best-selling drugs for the past decade. It's a big businessand it doesnt look like that will change anytime soon.

Bayer has created a suite of IUDs that target women with different birth control needs: Skyla has a three-year lifetime and lower hormone levels, while Mirena and Kyleena are approved for five-year use with slightly higher doses of hormones. And Skyla and Kyleenas smaller size is aimed at women who havent had children.

The differences arent strictly clinical, though. The timing of Bayers product releases also allowed the company to keep its own patent-protected devices on the market. Drug patents typically last 20 years from the day a company files its application. With IUDs specifically, which bundle a drug (the body of the IUD) with a device (the inserter a doctor uses to place it), there are two ways to restart the patent clock: bring a new IUD through clinical trials or design a new inserter.

So in 2010, Bayer put two new IUDsthen experimental LCS16 and LCS12, now Skyla and Kyleenainto a clinical trial in Europe, North America, and South America. The company could have run each trial for five years so the new offerings would match Mirenas efficacy, but it finalized Skylas data at three, releasing it in 2013, before Mirenas patent ran out in 2015. Kyleena stayed in the same trial for two more years, receiving FDA approval in 2016.

Bayer has made other moves to maintain its market dominance. In 2014, the year before Mirenas first patent expired, the FDA established guidelines for studies to approve a generic form of the device, as it does for many drugs. The agency later withdrew the guidelines, but proposed spending up to $250,000 in grant money for researchers to find ways to evaluate drug equivalence of generic versions of Mirena. In response, Bayer submitted a citizen petition to the FDA, a 10-page statement urging the agency to require that proposed generics undergo comprehensive clinical testing rather than lab experiments to prove equivalence. The company submitted the petition one day before Mirenas patent expiration date.

Citizen petitions allow ordinary people to have input on health policy, but drug companies have historically employed them to discourage generic drug production, says Michael Carrier, an intellectual property lawyer at Rutgers Law School. The petitions are all carefully consideredsafety concerns are nothing to ignorebut the FDA ultimately denies many of the requests that large companies submit. If it really were about safety, Carrier says, then why is the company waiting until the very end?

Bayers petition mentions that the company has been waiting patiently for the FDA to update the guidelines for testing generic forms of the Mirena IUD, and the long timeline has led them to submit a citizen petition. The FDA hasnt issued a final response to Bayers citizen petition, and the agency keeps any inquiries about making a generic product confidential. Bayer did not respond to questions by press time.

Like Mirena, Liletta doesnt have patent protection on its IUD body. And Liletta is closely modeled after the Mirena, although technically its not a generic. Its a hybrid new drug, different enough from Mirena to stand on its own but similar enough to simplify the clinical trials that earned it FDA approval.

Lilettas IUD body was developed in the late 1990s, when Mirena was first approved in Europe. Jean Michel Foidart, an ob-gyn at the University of Liege, in Belgium, loved the concept of the hormonal IUD, but not the cost. The IUD itself is just a tiny piece of plastic, less than a tenth of a gram of hormones, and two small strings for removal. So Foidart figured he and his lab could create a much cheaper alternative. They mimicked Mirenas T-shape and dosed their model with the same hormone, levonorgestrel. An equally effective IUD with a lower price, he hoped, would provide better access to effective birth control.

There appeared to be a need for better and more reliable contraception in the US. In the mid 2000s, American women were largely relying on less-effective birth control methods, says Harper, the health researcher. Half of US pregnancies were unplanned. So in 2009, an anonymous donorsince identified as the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, which Warren Buffett runs in honor of his late wifefunneled $70 million to Medicines360 to get a lower-cost IUD available in the US.

It was an ambitious undertaking for the tiny company. In 2009, the entire team of Medicines360 consisted of Victoria Hale and then COO Ahvie Herskowitz. They licensed Foidarts IUD for distribution in the US and the developing world, changed the name from Levosert to the more marketable Liletta, and inworked with the pharmaceutical company Watson (which has since become a part of Allergan) for manufacturing.

Having a deep-pocketed benefactor gave Hale and her team the freedom to spend time and money on development. Andrea Olariu, who Medicines360 brought on as VP of clinical affairs in 2011, first called clinicians to understand where they needed helpprofessors at medical schools, MDs, and nurse practitioners. The final version of Liletta, they hoped, would be more affordable, and a better product too.

No one they spoke to raised many complaints about the IUDs. Instead, their feedback focused on insertion. To insert an IUD, a doctor or a nurse uses a wandlike gadget to guide it. A small tube at one end holds a flattened device, so when a nurse threads the tube into the cervix, then nudges the IUD upward, it unfolds into the uterus. The procedure takes just a few minutes, but speed doesnt mean precision. Clinicians found it hard to tell whether an IUD had fully exited an inserter, and complained that straight, rigid guiding tubes didnt accommodate the diverse geometries of uteruses. So Olariu worked alongside an engineer, Robert Deckman, to design and test 10 or so inserter prototypes. The finished product is about a foot long, with a thin handle at one end and the floppy tube that contains the IUD at the other. It makes like a little dome, says Jessica Grossman, who took over as Medicines360s CEO in 2015, so when you insert it into the cervix it doesn't cause trauma, and then you deploy the IUD in the uterus by pulling down on this, she says, pressing a small slider down with her thumb. The IUD exits the insertion tube with an audible clickso a nurse, who cant see whats happening, knows insertion took place.

With a finalized device in hand, Medicines360 was ready for the trickiest part of its process: clinical trials.

In 2009, Olariu cast a wide net as she began to enroll patients in Lilettas phase 3 safety trial. In 2000, Mirena was approved based on data from Finland and Sweden, and she hoped to include a wider range of patients in Medicines360s trial in America. Our goal was, as much as we could, to mirror the US population, Olariu says.

They extended their age range to include women between 16 and 45, rather than the typical 18 to 35 demographic of contraceptive studies, to recruit more women who had never given birth. And by enrolling 2,000 women from 27 cities around the country, their enrollment reflected the US census pretty closely. Roughly a quarter of participants were overweight or obese women, who often are excluded from these trials as researchers are uncertain of how weight might affect response to hormones.

Liletta received FDA approval for three-year use in February 2015, two months after Bayer submitted its citizen petition to require stringent testing for any generic versions of Mirena. The unresolved petition never caused Liletta any trouble, as its a unique drugthe Liletta IUD releases a slightly different amount of hormone per day (18.6 micrograms to Mirenas 20), and has a custom-designed inserter.

In rolling clinical trials, Liletta has now been approved for four years of contraception, and Medicines360 will submit their data for five-year approval soon. More than 600 clinics stock Liletta, and in two years theyve provided nearly a hundred thousand patients with IUDs, Grossman says. The difference with Liletta is that its much cheaper than the other IUDs, says Kristyn Brandi, an ob-gyn from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

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With more options becoming available, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists maintains that IUDs are one of many good birth control options. There are clearly differences between hormonal and copper IUDs, and even some differences in lower and higher doses of levonorgestrel. But smaller sizing, one of the marketing points for Bayers latest releases, might not make as much of a difference for the majority of women. Some women like the idea that a smaller IUD might be less painful on insertion, but in general all the IUDs are well tolerated, Brandi says.

Lilettas approval might open a faster, easier, and cheaper route to an IUD, particularly for women who are uninsured, as many of the patients who Lisa Mihaly sees are. But the women sitting in the Womens Community Clinic waiting room, like other women around the country, might still lean toward the other options. Say your sister has Mirena, and your best friend uses Skyla, and you see an ad for Kyleena as youre flipping through a magazine while you wait. Its going to be hard to opt for the unfamiliar Liletta. And Medicines360s nonprofit budget doesnt provide for an advertising campaign like the one Bayer once used to offer a free yoga class alongside Break Up With The Pill messaging at Canadian universities.

Since Lilettas initial approval in 2015, Mihaly still hasnt had a patient ask directly for a Liletta IUD. But the devices are in stock, and shes trained to place one as soon as someone is interested. I'm excited that Liletta exists, and that there's another option, she says, because we have, really when you think about it, so few.
Passersby were likely alarmed on Wednesday when they spotted this silver BMW covered in rubble in Seoul, South Korea. Fire and smoke billowed from the open windows as firefighters rushed around trying to put out the flames. It looked like a terrorist attack, but it's actually just a drill for one.

The scene Xinhua News Agency photographer Lee Sang-ho captured on August 23 is just one of the many anti-terrorism drills held in cities like Seoul and Goyang this week. Soldiers, firefighters and other law enforcement in full tactical gear respond to fake chemical attacks, bombings, and hostage situations. They rappel out of helicopters, inspect subway cars, confront armed terrorists and evacuate the wounded. Some drills take place in public  authorities requiring civilians to rush out of their offices or hurry into underground bunkers as sirens scream.

It's associated with Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercises, a sprawling 10-day event that's taken place since 1976. The joint military operation brings together 50,000 South Korean troops, 17,500 US troops and members of the United Nations Command. While many of the details are kept secret, it does include "state-of-the-art wargaming computer simulations" according to the US government.

It's all an effort to prep the country for an attack from North Korea, who considers the drills a provocation to war. For South Koreans, being prepared is a way of life.
Photo credit: NASA, JPL-Caltech

From Popular Mechanics

A new explanation of the "alien megastructure" KIC 8462852, otherwise known as Tabby's Star, has come forward: It could be an orbiting Saturn-like planet, with similarities including a full-bodied ring system.

That may not be the answer some, like the Russian billionaire teaming up with Berkeley to study the star, were hoping to hear, given the rampant speculation that Tabby's Star has bred. When Tabetha Boyajian, then of Yale University, discovered the object in 2015, she and her group weren't quite sure what to make of it. It seemed to flicker and dim in ways that science couldn't readily explain. The most popular explanation, if not the most scientifically accepted, was that it was a Dyson sphere built by aliens.

In a new paper, researchers at the University of Antioquia in Colombia suggest something far more common-a ringed planet like is orbiting very close to the star. This type of planet, at that distance from a star, would dim the star's light in an irregular way during a transit. The rings would block some of the light, the planet would block out more, and then the rings would block out some light again. The rings would change slightly each go around, explaining the irregularity.

While testing out the model, the research team, led by Mario Sucerquia, noticed that a Saturn-style planet that close to a star would be feeling the immense tug of gravity. Ring structures are typically kept in place by what are called "shepherd moons," or moons on either side of the rings that keep them in gravitational alignment. A star's massive pull would shake this up, creating what Sucerquia and his team call a "wobbly" ring system, thus increasing the irregularity to an even greater degree.

The idea is far from definitive. Some suggest that even a wobbly ring system would still provide too much consistency for what has happened at Tabby's Star. "To my knowledge, there has not yet been a claim of quasiperiodic or periodic dimming in Tabby's star, as one would expect with something linked to material orbiting that star," Keivan Stassun at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, tells New Scientist.

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Sucerquia admits that there could be other explanations, like a moon breaking apart. But he defends the work, saying that the point is "to show the community that there are mechanisms that can alter the light curves. These changes can be generated by the dynamics of the moons or the rings, and the changes in these systems can occur in such short scales as to be detected in just a few years."

Source: New Scientist

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Photo credit: SpaceX

From Popular Mechanics

Update 3:05 p.m.: SpaceX successfully launched the Formasat-5 imaging satellite to orbit for Taiwan's National Space Organization. The satellite achieved a clean orbital insertion, the Falcon 9 landed successfully on an autonomous drone ship in the Pacific Ocean, and SpaceX chalks up another one: 12 launches this year, 15 total first stage landings. You can rewatch the launch and landing below.

Original Post:

It's a foggy day at Vandenberg Air Force Base on California's Pacific coast, but launch conditions are still 90 percent favorable for SpaceX to launch its twelfth Falcon 9 rocket of 2017. If successful, the launch will put SpaceX ahead of Russia for number of launches this year. The Falcon 9 is fueled and on the pad, ready to loft the Formosat-5 Earth-observing satellite from Space Launch Complex 4 East at Vandenberg to a low-Earth orbit and then return to Earth for a first stage landing on a drone ship in the Pacific. Formosat-5 is the first satellite designed and built entirely in Taiwan, a milestone for the county's budding space program.

A 44-minute launch window opens at 2:50 p.m. EDT. The livestream of the launch below should begin 15 to 20 minutes before the launch window opens.

Just 10 days ago, SpaceX successfully launched a resupply mission to the International Space Station, and in June the company launched two Falcon 9 rockets in two days to carry satellites to orbit. The California spaceflight company is planning at least three more launches in September and hopes to carry the momentum through the rest of the year. The accelerated launch manifest is intended to help SpaceX get out ahead of its long backlog of customers who have purchased rides on the Falcon 9.

However, Wired reports that SpaceX is losing millions on today's launch. The Formosat-5 launch deal was struck in 2010, and SpaceX planned to use a single-engine Falcon 1e to launch the light satellite, only 1,047 pounds. But SpaceX scrapped the Falcon 1e program in 2011 to focus on new iterations of the Falcon 9, and following multiple delays and mishaps, the Formosat-5 mission was continually pushed back. Now SpaceX has to honor the $23 million deal by launching the satellite on a Falcon 9, which usually costs customers about $62 million. SpaceX was planning to launch small satellites for Earth-imaging company Planet along with Formosat-5 to make up the difference, but the Falcon 9 explosion on the pad in September 2016 forced Planet to launch on Indian rockets instead, leaving Formosat-5 to fly alone.

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So SpaceX might be taking a hit on this one, but the launch still puts the company on track to launch as many as 20 rockets this year. If it keeps landing and relaunching those Falcon 9 first stages, as well as reusing Dragon cargo spacecraft, Elon Musk's Space Exploration Technologies Corporation shouldn't have any trouble continuing to fly customers to orbit.

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Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 16:25:21|Editor: An

Photo taken on Aug. 25, 2017 shows the lighting at the Haicang Bridge in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. Landscape lighting of four cross-sea bridges and an undersea tunnel linking Xiamen Island and the mainland in Fujian Province were lit up to greet the upcoming BRICS summit. (Xinhua/Song Weiwei)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 16:50:57|Editor: Liangyu

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TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the recent deadly terrorist attack on a Shiite Mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul, official IRNA news agency reported.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi expressed sympathy with the Afghan people, government, and families of the victims.

By the attacks, the terrorists have targeted unity and solidarity of the Afghan nation, Qasemi said, urging Afghan nation and government to keep vigilance against terrorists and their intentions.

At least 40 were killed while 90 others were wounded at the mosque on Friday in Kabul.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 17:11:03|Editor: An

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TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that any move of the United States to exert pressure on the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over Iran's 2015 nuclear deal is a violation of the accord, local media reported on Saturday.

"We are sure that the IAEA is aware of regulations on its behavior as an international body and will not let its independence and status be undermined by the U.S. pressures," Zarif was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said that the IAEA has the support of the United States to use all the authorities to monitor Iran's nuclear program.

The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog has true experts and professionals and has a very strong verification program in Iran. However, the agency is not allowed to see the whole picture of Tehran's nuclear program, Haley told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

Iran has publicly declared that they will not allow access to military sites. But the international agreement in 2015 makes no distinction between military and non-military sites, said Haley after she returned from a trip to the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

Iran's permanent mission to the IAEA also said in a statement that the objectives and the results of Haley's trip to Vienna "contradict" the nuclear deal and UNSC Resolution 2231.

The statement said that Iran is abiding by its duties and responsibilities in dealing with the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, IAEA Safeguard Agreements, nuclear deal as well as additional protocol and under no circumstances let misuse of these rules and regulations for ill-wishing political means of a specific country and reserve the rights to remind all parties to remain committed to their pledges with regards to JCPOA.

Iran expects the IAEA head and its inspectors to perform their tasks regarding the nuclear deal with professionalism and honesty, the statement said.

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister wrote to IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano and European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warning that Haley's visit is meant to violate the nuclear agreement.

"This visit with its announced purpose, is not in conformity with several provisions of the JCPOA (or the nuclear deal) and the UNSC Resolution 2231 which deal with the role of the agency and the necessity of upholding its independence and protecting the sensitive information that comes to its knowledge."

After years of tension with the West, Iran struck a deal with the five world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in July 2015 on a comprehensive deal, under which Iran agreed to limit its uranium-enrichment activities in return for the lifting of western and international sanctions.

The IAEA is responsible for the verification of Iran's compliance with the agreement through regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities.

The international agreement is facing serious threats of collapse as tensions mounted between Washington and Tehran recently.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who during his election campaign had called the Iranian nuclear deal a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated," approved new sanctions on Tehran this month for its missile program.

Iran accused Washington of breaching the 2015 agreement. But Washington argued that they were not related to the nuclear deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that his country could pull out of the deal should Washington impose any new sanctions. Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi warned Tuesday that his country could resume production of highly enriched uranium within five days if the 2015 deal is revoked.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 17:16:04|Editor: Yang Yi

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Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli meets with Sudan's First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh in Khartoum, Sudan, Aug. 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Gao jie)

KHARTOUM, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Sudan's First Vice-President and Prime Minister Bakri Hassan Saleh here Friday, with both sides pledging to deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Zhang said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than five decades ago, China and Sudan have been good friends and partners that have always supported each other.

In the next phase, the two sides should implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, and further promote the development of the China-Sudan strategic partnership, Zhang said.

He pointed out that the two sides should further enhance political mutual trust, and support each other on issues of core interest and major concern.

Both parties should deepen pragmatic cooperation, and consolidate and promote cooperation on oil, capacity and infrastructure, Zhang said.

The two countries should also cooperate more in terms of people-to-people exchanges and culture, and strengthen cooperation in fields such as education, health care and tourism.

For his part, Saleh said that in 2015, the two heads of state decided to promote bilateral relations to the Sudan-China strategic partnership, an unprecedented high level.

The Sudanese side thanks China for its unselfish support, and Sudan will always support China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, Saleh said.

He expressed willingness to work with the Chinese side to implement the consensus and agreements already reached, so as to better serve the Sudanese and Chinese people.

The two leaders also witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation agreements, including jointly implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Chinese vice premier is on a four-nation visit to Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Namibia from Aug. 21 to 29. Sudan is his third stop.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 17:41:09|Editor: An

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- An passenger plane travelling from Qatar to Indonesia was on Saturday diverted to an airport in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad after one of its crew members collapsed mid-air, an aviation official said.

"The plane belonging to Qatar Airways (flight number QR 964), with 240 passengers on board, took off from Qatari capital Doha for the Indonesian island of Bali and was mid-air when the crew member suddenly fell ill and collapsed on board," he said.

"The flight pilot immediately contacted the air traffic controllers at Hyderabad airport and was given the permission to land. As soon as the flight touched down, the crew member was first rushed to the airport's medical facility and then to a private hospital," the official added.

Local media reports quoted doctors at the private hospital as saying that the crew member's condition is stable. "The crew member was brought to the hospital and is in the intensive care unit, but out of danger," a doctor said.

The flight has again taken off for Bali from Hyderabad airport, the aviation official said. "The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the country's civil aviation regulator, will soon be informed about the unscheduled diversion of the flight," he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 18:26:21|Editor: Liangyu

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MOGADISHU, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Somali and U.S. governments have launched investigations into the death of civilians during a joint security operation on a farm in southern Somalia early on Friday.

In separate statements, the U.S. Africa Command (Africom) and the Somali government admitted there were civilian casualties in the operation conducted near Bariire in Lower Shabelle.

"We are aware of the civilian casualty allegations near Bariire, Somalia. We take any allegations of civilian casualties seriously, and per standard, we are conducting an assessment into the situation to determine the facts on the ground," Africom said in a statement issued on Friday night.

Africom, which has in the past conducted counter-terrorism airstrikes against the terror group in Somalia, confirmed that the Somali National Army was conducting an operation in the area with U.S. forces in a supporting role.

"U.S. forces are in Somalia at the request of the government of Somalia and are committed to helping Somali forces neutralize Al-Shabaab and bring stability to the region," it said.

The statement comes after the Somalia military said eight Al-Shabaab militants were killed during the joint security operation.

The military said the SNA carried out an operation against a farm in Bariire with known Al-Shabaab presence.

"Al-Shabaab started shooting at SNA forces after our soldiers entered the farm," SNA General Sheegow (20th Brigade Commander) said.

"The individuals shooting at the SNA soldiers were Al-Shabaab fighters; they were not farmers. We talked to the farmers in the area and instructed them to put their weapons in their homes to avoid confusion."

However, the government later clarified that it appeared there were different security operations that took place in the area that resulted in the death of civilians.

"We also understand that there are civilian casualties in which the government is investigating to find out the truth about this. We urge Somali people to cooperate fully with the government on this matter," said ministry of information said.

Local reports said at least 10 civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed during the raid by foreign and Somali forces on a farm in southern Somalia.

The deputy governor of Lower Shabelle region, Ali Nur Mohamed, said the farmers were killed "one by one" after soldiers stormed the farm in Bariire village early Friday.

The militants have recently increased their attacks against Africa Union and Somali forces especially in Mogadishu and southern Somalia, which have seen a surge of attacks that resulted in the loss of several strategic towns although the militants mainly held those towns briefly.

The AMISOM and Somali forces backed by U.S. military have also increased airstrikes in southern Somalia in the recent past, resulting in the killing of several militants and some defections.
Photo taken on Feb. 22, 2017 shows elephants at the Tsavo West National Park, near Voi, Kenya. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo)

NAIROBI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's wildlife agency has launched a new partnership with local conservation lobby, Space for Giants, to enhance speedy prosecution of criminals involved in slaughter of iconic mammals for their trophies.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said Friday the partnership will involve increasing the number of highly skilled lawyers charged with prosecution of organized criminal gangs involved in illegal trade in wildlife products.

Acting KWS Director General Julius Kimani hailed the new initiative to strengthen the capacity of Para-legal officers to prosecute wildlife crimes.

"While we have put in place policies, mechanisms and structures to deal with the menace of poaching and illegal trade in wildlife products, our efforts will not succeed unless we join hands with stakeholders in tackling these challenges," Kimani said.

He added that strategic collaboration with key partners in surveillance, prosecution and law enforcement has led to a drastic reduction in wildlife crimes in Kenya.

"Our collective effort is the surest way to deal with perpetrators of wildlife crime. We have started witnessing the fruits of new wildlife act in confronting poaching of rhinos and elephants," said Kimani.

Under the new partnership with Space for Giants, KWS will create a specialized prosecution unit comprising 12 lawyers who will benefit from skills upgrade to enhance their capacity to prosecute individuals accused of poaching.

Kimani said a critical pool of highly trained prosecutors with a refined grasp of wildlife laws is key to containing the menace of poaching that pose serious threat to survival of giant mammals.

The Space for Giants on its part will provide extensive training to KWS legal and forensic experts in a bid to boost apprehension and prosecution of criminals involved in illegal trafficking of wildlife products.

Max Graham, the CEO of Space for Giants, underscored the critical role of a well equipped prosecution unit at KWS to reenergize war on poaching.

"A ranger in the field should not have to experience the frustration of confronting a wildlife criminal they arrested a week earlier walking free again because of a failed prosecution. This is a critical step up in the battle against illegal wildlife trade," Graham said.
Wyoming sent its new statewide education plan to the federal government recently, outlining several long-term academic goals for the state's schools, including an 88 percent high school graduation rate and higher proficiency levels for students.

The plan -- which sets benchmarks for the next 15 years -- is a requirement of the Every Student Succeeds Act, the replacement for No Child Left Behind. It sets standards for student and school achievement and includes provisions to help those that fall short of the goals.

Generally, the new law gives states more control over their own education systems, state Superintendent Jillian Balow has said, and it avoids punishing underachieving schools.

"Our charge is clear: school needs to be relevant for all students, and we can do better than we did under No Child Left Behind," she said in a department press release.

The deadline for states to submit their the plans is Sept. 18. The U.S. Department of Education has 120 days to "conduct a peer review, evaluate the plan and offer feedback," according to the press release.

In addition to the graduation rate, the plan calls for:

59 percent of third- through eighth-graders to be proficient or better in math;

65 percent of third- through eighth-graders to be proficient or better in reading;

46 percent of high school students to be proficient or better in math;

39 percent of high school students to be proficient or better in reading.

The benchmarks are not a statewide average, officials have said. Schools have 15 years to hit the targets, with incremental goals along the way.

The plan also identifies four indicators for elementary and middle school achievement, and five for high school. They include achievement on the statewide assessment, graduation rate, English language proficiency and post-secondary readiness.

The plan is ambitious: The statewide graduation rate is now less than 80 percent, and Wyoming's third- through eighth-graders have not hit the 59 percent proficiency level in math for at least three years, according to department data.

In Natrona County, the graduation rate is 74 percent, and most students fall below the proficiency levels targeted in the plan.

"This signifies the official end to No Child Left Behind. The shift from compliance and success for some students ... to responsibility and success for all students through a well-rounded education ... will not happen overnight," Balow wrote in a memo sent to superintendents recently.

Officials hope the 15-year timeline gives schools enough time to meet the goals. State aid will be available for those that struggle. For instance, schools with a graduation rate below 67 percent will "participate in state-led supports such as data reviews, assessment literacy training, professional learning communities, and implementation of Multi-Tiered System of Support," according to the department.

The 73-page ESSA plan also includes information on how the department will use federal funds.

The department gathered data from listening sessions, town halls and public meetings throughout the drafting process. Gov. Matt Mead also had 30 days to review the plan and signed off on it in a letter dated Aug. 17.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 18:51:30|Editor: Liangyu

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BAGHDAD, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants on Saturday liberated most of the city of Tal Afar as they recaptured eight neighborhoods during the day, including the old citadel of Tal Afar in central the city, the Iraq military said.

The Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces liberated the neighborhood of al-Qal'a and its old Tal Afar Citadel, which is a ruined Ottoman fortress, located in the center of the city and raised the Iraqi flags over some of the buildings, Lt. Gen. Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The CTS forces also freed the orchards area in southern Tal Afar, the statement said.

The army's 9th Armored Division and the paramilitary Hashd Shaabi units recaptured al-Urouba al-Thaniyah neighborhood and nearby Bowari area and raised the Iraqi flag over the area, Yarallah said.

The soldiers and the paramilitary fighters also freed the neighborhoods of al-Salam and Hassan Kowi in central the city, Yarallah added.

In a separate statement, the troops freed eight villages and Sheikh Ibrahim mountain and the nearby Zambar mountain range in southeast of Tal Afar.

Earlier in the day, Yarallah said that the troops liberated three more neighborhoods from IS militants.

The latest advance of the security forces brought the number of neighborhoods liberated from IS group in Tal Afar to 24 neighborhoods out of 28, while the troops still have to liberate several neighborhoods in the northern part of Tal Afar and the town of Ayadhiyah, some 11 km north of Tal Afar and the surrounding villages.

On Aug. 20, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, also the commander-in-chief of Iraqi forces, declared the start of an operation to retake control of Tal Afar and nearby areas from IS militants.

Tal Afar, some 70 km west of Mosul, is the last IS redoubt in the province of Nineveh.

The United Nation's International Organization for Migration estimates that some 10,000 to 40,000 people are still living in Tal Afar and surrounding areas.

Earlier, the army's Maj. Gen. Najim al-Jubouri, commander of Nineveh's Operations Command, told reporters that he estimated there were between 1,500 and 2,000 IS militants left in Tal Afar.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 18:56:33|Editor: Liangyu

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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Malay Language is losing its grip in Brunei, with only 50.5 percent of the public in the sultanate communicate in Malay Language at home, finding of a recent study conducted by Brunei's Language and Literature Bureau (DBP) showed.

Only 31.5 percent of Bruneians use Malay Language to speak with friends and 38.8 percent converse in the country's official language at workplace, local media reported on Saturday, quoting the study's findings.

The study also showed a drastic drop in the use of Malay Language among secondary school students. Only 48.6 percent of them use it at home while 38.8 percent communicate with friends in Malay language and 43.7 percent speak it at school.

However, the survey also indicated that 82.2 percent of primary school students communicate in Malay Language at home. Malay Language is the favorite of 80.3 percent of them when conversing with friends while 62.1 percent speak it at school.

"The findings show primary students are still utilizing Malay Language. However at the secondary level, its usage has dropped, and at the community level, less people are using the Malay Language," said Hajah Sariani, acting deputy director of DBP.

The survey, carried out from November 2016 to May 2017, involved respondents from more than 1,000 primary students, some 1,600 secondary school and college students and 500 members of the public.

The study aimed to find out the level of Malay Language usage among citizens of the country.

Overall, Sariani said, the use of Malay Language is disappointing because many people are using a "Rojak" language, a mix of Malay and English languages.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 19:21:39|Editor: Liangyu

Experts from the Chinese Red Cross foreign aid medical team carry out screening for children with congenial heart disease (CHD) at a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2017. A Chinese Red Cross foreign aid medical team has carried out screening for the children with CHD in Afghan capital of Kabul to register eligible kids for providing them with medical treatment. (Xinhua/Dai He)

KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Red Cross foreign aid medical team has carried out screening for the children with congenial heart disease (CHD) in Afghan capital of Kabul to register eligible kids for providing them with medical treatment.

It was the latest in China's aid to the war-torn country.

The team marked the launch of a practical start of "Angels Tour -- Belt and Road Humanitarian Rescue Afghanistan Action for Children with Severe Diseases" in an Afghan private hospital, Kabul Royal Hospital, Sun Shuopeng, head of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) project, told Xinhua Saturday morning.

Under the initiative, the Chinese Red Cross will take CHD children who are screened in accordance with surgical indications in batches to China to receive free surgical treatment.

"We've already organized 50 children suffering congenital heart disease (CHD) to do the check and in cooperation with Chinese medical institutions, Chinese experts, the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the Chinese embassy to send some of them to China for treatment first," said Sun.

The program is expected to provide free medical treatment for around 100 children suffering from CHD at the first phase in Afghanistan, Sun said.

The figure provided by the Afghan Red Crescent Society indicates that nearly 7,000 Afghan children with congenital heart disease are waiting for treatment with urgent humanitarian needs.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 19:26:41|Editor: Liangyu

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VALLETTA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- DBRS Ratings Limited (DBRS) has affirmed Malta's credit rating at A while upgrading the trend on the ratings to positive, announced Maltese government on Saturday.

This comes weeks after credit rating upgrades by Standard and Poor's and Fitch.

DBRS declares the rating is supported by Malta's Eurozone membership, its solid external position, a favorable public debt structure, and the robust financial position of households.

"Following a fiscal consolidation process since 2013, Malta's fiscal outturns came in better than expected in 2016. Both the headline and the structural deficits turned into surpluses, and the government debt ratio, already 12 percentage points lower than its 2011 peak, fell below 60 percent of GDP," stated DBRS.

DBRS attributes the improvement in public finances to "strong revenues as well as moderation in expenditure, and supported by a strengthened fiscal framework".

At the same time, it warns that Malta's contingent liabilities remain a source of vulnerability, and its economy is exposed to external shocks and pressures from the rising age-related costs, which, if unaddressed, could pose a concern for pensions.

"Four years ago, we had promised to work on upgrading Malta's credit rating which would make our country more attractive to foreign investors. In contrast with the past deteriorating state of public finances with ballooning deficit and debt ratios, we directed our efforts to addressing such issues, bringing about an upgrade to Malta's rating, and hence honouring our promise," said Malta's Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 19:36:44|Editor: An

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BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a message of condolences to his Brazilian counterpart Michel Temer over two recent boat accidents causing heavy casualties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 19:51:47|Editor: An

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BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a message of condolences to his Brazilian counterpart Michel Temer over two recent boat accidents causing heavy casualties.

In the message, Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, expressed deep mourning for the victims of the tragedies, and offered deep condolences to the families of the dead and injured.

Two boats capsized separately on Wednesday and Thursday in different parts of Brazil, killing 39 people in total.
Men stand together at a temporary refugee protest camp at the Central railway station in Helsinki, Finland on March 10, 2017. Asylum seekers protest against the Finnish goverment's deportation policy. (AFP PHOTO/Lehtikuva/Vesa Moilanen)

HELSINKI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Asylum seekers of Islamic background have increasingly switched to Christianity in Finland, officials have said.

Kari Kiesilainen, a head of section at the Ministry of Justice, told national broadcaster Yle this week that the number of converts has come as a surprise.

He did not give exact figures, but said the situation caused delays in application assessment as often an oral hearing may have to be arranged in the administrative courts.

This year Finnish authorities have rejected more applications than they accepted. Some 2,692 applications led to a status for "international protection", whereas 2,847 were rejected. The rejected applicants can either leave the country or file a complaint to the administrative courts, otherwise they are subject to forced deportation.

Yle reported that a change of religion has been mostly claimed when the first application is dismissed and the applicant files a complaint.

Some political leaders have suggested this week that the processing time should be shortened in order to accelerate the departure of those dismissed. But Kiesilainen said the situation related to religious conversion makes it impossible to speed up the process of complaints.

Especially in recent weeks, the authorities have to take into consideration the change of religion when doing the assessments, as a convert could face serious risks if sent back to his or her country of departure.

Now, the question is, what are the real motives of the converts? Do they really want to get rid of their old religion or just want to increase the chances of staying?

While the civil servants are to shoulder the responsibility to figure out the reality, specialists from the national Evangelic Lutheran Church believe the new converts often take a personal risk in their decision and have usually considered their options carefully.

Marja Laihia, a specialist for immigrant services at the Central Administration of the Finnish Evangelic Lutheran Church, reminded that refugees arrive in an environment of religious freedom, which is new to them.

Talking to Xinhua, she said arrivals have mostly lived in countries were Islam is enforced, either by the state or at least by the extended families. "Now they are in a country where they can choose on their own," she said.

A wave of refugees joining the church runs counter to the general trend in Finland. The Lutheran church has been losing members of late. In the early 1980s well over 90 percent of Finns were in the church, but now the figure is close to 70 percent.

Virpi Koivisto, a chaplain at the Hyvinkaa parish, north of Helsinki, told Xinhua she has got the impression that asylum seekers want to get rid of the religion of their old country.

"But they do not take the decision on light grounds as they run the risk of a conflict with the local expatriate communities and fellow asylum seekers," she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 20:11:53|Editor: Liangyu

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Photo taken on Aug. 26, 2017 shows the mosque which was attacked by militants in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Aug. 26, 2017. The death toll of the mosque attack on Friday has risen to 40 while 90 people were wounded, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission said on Saturday. (Xinhua/Rahmat Alizadah)

KABUL, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 40 people were killed and 90 others wounded in a terror attack against a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul on Friday, raising fear among Afghans, particularly the Shiite Muslim in the country.

The attack came when two suicide bombers stormed Imam-ul-Zaman mosque during Friday prayers at around midday.

"The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) strongly condemns the attack on Imam-ul-Zaman Mosque in Kabul city, which resulted in killing of 40 and wounding of 90 innocent civilians and expresses serious concern about increasing of attacks on civilians and sacred religious places," the AIHRC statement read.

Friday's attack was the sixth attack against Shiite mosques this year, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

"This latest in a series of attacks targeting members of the Shi'a (Shiite) community at worship has no possible justification," Toby Lanzer, UN Secretary-General's Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and acting head of UNAMA was quoted in a statement issued Saturday.

"Such attacks directed at the congregations and places of worship are serious violations of international law that may amount to war crimes."

Several women and children were among the killed and injured. At least one assailant detonated his suicide jacket severely damaging the two-storey building.

"International humanitarian law prohibits deliberate attacks against civilians and civilian property, including places of worship, and also places a specific obligation on parties to enable religious personnel to carry out their work," the UNAMA statement added.

Four of the attacks occurred in western Herat province and the other two in Kabul and the Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for all of the attacks, including Friday deadly incident.

The latest attack came as the Afghan public were in the view that the frequent attacks on Shiite would not lead to sectarian strife between Sunni and Shiite communities.

"It is a source of concern for all Afghans; the latest attack has raised fears among Afghan Shiite and the Sunni sectarian as well. However, it is clear that people of Afghanistan are united and the enemies of Islam are failing to switch sectarian stifle among communities here," a Shiite Muslim, who declined to be named told Xinhua earlier Saturday.

In an unusual practice, people dug graves for Friday's victims in the mosque's yard in Qala-e-Najarha locality of Kabul, dominated mostly by Sunni Muslims, to pay respect for the victims and show their anger over frequent assaults against worshippers.

"It is an assault against all Afghan Muslims, but the perpetrators must be brought to the justice," religious scholar Nazim told local media Tolo News.

The government must take measures to stop the killings of worshippers and attacking of holy places at an earliest time, Nazim said.

The Afghan human rights commission statement noted that "attack on sacred places and mosques are an atrocious, inhumane and illegal action contrary to all orders of sacred religion of Islam, international humanitarian laws and our national laws."

It also called on government and security forces to make all efforts for security of sacred places and safety of the citizens, the statement added.

The Afghan civilians continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts as more than 1,660 civilians were killed and over 3,580 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year, according to UNAMA.

More than 26,500 civilians have died and about 49,000 have been injured as a result of armed conflicts in Afghanistan since January 2009 when the mission began tracking civilian casualties, the mission figures showed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 20:31:56|Editor: An

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BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- China produced less rice in the first harvest period of the year compared to 2016 due to decreases in planting area and yield, official data showed.

The country produced 31.74 million tonnes of "early rice," planted in spring and harvested in early summer. This was a decrease of more than 1 million tonnes, or 3.2 percent from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

China's early rice planting area for the year stood at 5.46 million hectares, 2.8 percent less than last year, and yield per hectare edged down 0.4 percent to 5.81 tonnes.

NBS statistician Hou Rui said the falling planting area was due to a lack of rural labor, improved agricultural structure and crop rotation. He said the decline of the yield per hectare was mainly due to meteorological disasters.

Early rice is mainly planted in eight central and southern provincial regions: Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong and Guangxi.

Rice is a staple food in China, and its total grain output consists of three parts -- early rice, summer grain and autumn production. Autumn grain crops, which include corn and middle- and late-season rice, account for the bulk of the grain production.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 20:36:57|Editor: Yang Yi

Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2017 shows the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark in Djibouti. The Peace Ark arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday and was expected to carry out a nine-day medical service in Djibouti. It will then travel to Sierra Leone, Gabon, Tanzania and other countries to provide free medical and humanitarian services. (Xinhua/Wang Shoubao)

DJIBOUTI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Having sailed nearly 10,000 miles from China, the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark has arrived in Djibouti, and is now providing free medical services to local people, when the temperature can reach 40 degree Celsius.

Mahammad Hassan Abadid, 42, a worker at the old port of Djibouti, was in the cardiovascular department on the second floor. Muhammad worried that he had diabetes, due to obesity.

Muhammad said he was touched by the warm and professional services of the Chinese doctors.

"As Djibouti's medical conditions are lagging behind, Djibouti is in great need of services such as these provided by Chinese hospital ships," Muhammad said with a smile.

At the door of the dental clinic on the second floor of the Peace Ark, more than a dozen Djiboutians and Chinese working in Djibouti are waiting for treatment. One of them was Idriss Zbrattim Moussa, suffering from toothache for over five months.

He had been reluctant to seek treatment because of the high treatment cost in Djibouti. With the arrival of Peace Ark and Chinese doctors, however, Moussa's tooth problem was finally solved.

Wang Jin, who has been working in Djibouti for about four years at a Chinese-funded enterprise, is often troubled by stomach pain.

"I did not expect that today I am able to come to the Peace Ark of such a close distance, I was attended by the Chinese doctors, and I felt warm," Wang said.

Muhammad and Wang are among the many people who have received services at the Peace Ark.

In the years between 2010 and 2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people have received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.

The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.

The Peace Ark arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday and was expected to carry out a nine-day medical service in Djibouti. It will then travel to Sierra Leone, Gabon, Tanzania and other countries to provide free medical and humanitarian services.
Billings is a great city located in a great setting and happens to be inhabited by a great group of industrious and optimistic people. We have the largest, most diverse economy and the largest workforce in a multistate region. We are located at a critical hub of transportation links of highways and railroads which fired our quick growth and gave us the name,  Magic City. Billings is a city of commerce with a vibrant and growing hospitality, live music and performance sector. We are a welcoming city where an enterprising family from elsewhere can come to settle, build a business and make a life. We have a lot to be proud of and nothing to be ashamed of.

But instead of gratitude for the assets we have, too many community leaders lately have been focusing only on the things they wish to change, including the nature of our community. Some support the NDO which I oppose as being an issue that divides us. There are fervently held beliefs on both sides and the live and let live credo needs to be universally applied. Some are boosting a new sales tax, under the name of local option authority that could cost the typical Billings household from $140 to $280 a year in exchange for a paltry $40 in property tax relief (SB331). Not a good deal. But my desire for taxpayers to recognize real property tax relief earned me a C from the Billings Chamber while I have a lifetime rating of 94 of 100 from the Montana Chamber for my consistent support of pro-jobs policies in the legislature. Go figure.

So, the question was asked, what is your vision for Billings and how would you achieve it over the next four years. I think the driver should be not necessarily what my vision is, but what the communitys vision is. The council needs to listen more to all voices in the community and I think a proposed charter change to give us smaller single member wards would permit better door to door campaigns by candidates for the council. We will be able to listen better.

My goal is to improve public safety. We have many neighborhoods where vehicles are necessarily parked at the curb and I have heard worries about theft and damage from many residents. It is shocking that Billings has the tenth highest rate of vehicle theft per capita in the country right now. We need to work on changing that. We need to work with our police to form a special victims unit so that crimes of sexual assault can be better investigated and prosecuted. And we need help from our federal authorities to attack the methamphetamine pipeline on our interstate highway so that this scourge is brought under control.

The Inner Belt Loop can be built with existing funds. But it should be coupled with a thoughtful rebuild of Zimmerman Trail that would mitigate the impact on homeowners along the trail. And the bike trail system should become the responsibility of the Parks and Recreation Department so that it is no longer treated as an orphan project and can be finished with use of existing funds.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 20:52:01|Editor: Liangyu

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ANKARA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- An alleged "commander" of Islamic State (IS) has been arrested in Turkey's Eskisehir on Saturday, local media reported.

The 41-year-old Iraqi man, identified only by the initials as C.E.T., was arrested after being apprehended in a police raid on a hotel, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

The suspect reportedly had been in prison in Iraq over a plot to assassinate the country's former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Over 300 people have lost their lives in IS terrorist attacks in Turkey, and anti-IS investigations are undertaken across the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 20:52:02|Editor: An

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BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese publications have drawn much attention from overseas publishers during the ongoing Beijing International Book Fair, with many rights deals already being signed.

The Beijing International Book Fair is now in its 24th year. More than 2,500 exhibitors from 89 countries and regions are taking part in the fair, with overseas exhibitors accounting for 58 percent.

Around 40,000 books from over 300 major Chinese publishers are on display for overseas publishers and libraries. At the fair last year and the year before, the number of copyright trade agreements signed between Chinese and foreign companies exceeded 4,000 each year.

At this year's fair, Chinese publishers are continuing their efforts to market their books both in paper and digital form.

"Keywords to understand China: the Belt and Road Initiative," published by New World Press, has secured deals to publish in eight different languages.

The English version of Chinese novelist Jia Pingwa's "Happy Dreams" will be published by Amazon both in paper and digital.

"We hope to introduce more wonderful Chinese books to more foreign readers, building a bridge connecting Chinese and Western cultures," said Bruce Aitken, general manager of Amazon Reading China.

Tsinghua University Press agreed to cooperate with Royal Collions Publishing Group, working on the English translation of a series of cartoon books to introduce Chinese tales to children around the world.

The book fair is being held at the New China International Exhibition Center from Aug. 23 to 27.
An undated handout image released by EDF Energy in London on July 28, 2016, shows a computer generated image (CGI) of the French energy producer's proposed two nuclear reactors, Hinkley Point C (HPC), at their Hinkley Point power plant in south-west England. (AFP PHOTO/EDF ENGERY/HayesDavidson)

LONDON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese company which takes one third of stakes in the French-led Hinkley Point C project in Britain expects a new China-led nuclear power plant to get approval from the British government.

Robert Davies, Chief Operating Officer of the General Nuclear International, a UK subsidiary of China's Shenzhen-based General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN), told Xinhua Friday that he is "very confident" with the China-developed third-generation HPR1000 nuclear reactor getting through the ongoing government assessment.

"We finished the first stage of the four stages in Generic Design Assessment (GDA) and we are about to start the second," he said. "So by the end of this year we will be about 25 percent through."

The British nuclear regulator has begun the GDA for the HPR1000 nuclear technology that is proposed for the new nuclear power station at Bradwell in Essex.

Davies said the company hopes the HPR1000 to have gone through the GDA in four and a half years' time.

Zheng Dongshan, CEO of General Nuclear International, told Xinhua that the second stage of GDA is expected to start in November as the assessment process is "in general going well".

"The Chinese-developed nuclear technology's installation in the Western developed countries such as Britain is a symbol of China transforming 'from big to strong' in its nuclear power development," Zheng said.

CGN is China's largest nuclear power plant operator and world's largest nuclear power plant constructor. Countries including Thailand, Indonesia, Kenya, Czech Republic and Malaysia have developed strong interest in CGN's third-generation nuclear power technology.

Mao Qing, CGN's Chief Technical Officer in Britain, said the China-developed third-generation nuclear reactor, is both mature and economically-efficient.

Responding to media reports that the Hinkley Point C project is over budget and a year behind schedule, senior officials with the Chinese nuclear power plant builder all shrugged off the concerns.

"Since the project is still in the preliminary stage, it is still too early to say that there will be an extra investment and delay," Zheng said.

Davies said even though there is "a little bit of learning and settling down", the project is "doing extremely well" and "in full gear".

The veteran nuclear expert told Xinhua that China's nuclear technology is top-notch worldwide.

"China is leading because it is building," Davis said. "The only way to bring cost-effective nuclear to a country is by building fleets of reactors."

Britain has closed some 25 percent of all its power station since 2010 as the country is going through a process trying to decarbonize its economy.

"It needs to have new generation assets which give cost-effective, low-carbon energy with security supply," Davies said. "China is bringing stability, experience to help these projects to be successful."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 21:17:07|Editor: Liangyu

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TBILISI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The massive forest fire that broke out a week ago in the Borjomi Gorge in Georgia has been extinguished, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Saturday.

Kvirikashvili said in Borjomi that a special headquarters that was set up to handle the fire remains in the gorge to monitor developments.

"Separate fire zones may still occur. Therefore special staff will continue working," the prime minister told local media.

Meanwhile, Kvirikashvili thanked all the people joining the fight "to save the wealth and beauty of our amazing forest."

According to the government, thousands of people have been engaged in the firefighting operation that started last Sunday, including 1,500 firefighters, rescuers and rangers as well as 1,000 soldiers from the Eastern Command of the Georgian Armed Forces.

Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the fire, which has damaged over 100 hectares of forest.
Chinese Navy hospital ship Peace Ark arrives in the Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the United States, on June 29, 2016. (Xinhua/Eugene Tanner)

DJIBOUTI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Having sailed nearly 10,000 miles from China, the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark has arrived in Djibouti, and is now providing free medical services to local people, when the temperature can reach 40 degree Celsius.

Mahammad Hassan Abadid, 42, a worker at the old port of Djibouti, was in the cardiovascular department on the second floor. Muhammad worried that he had diabetes, due to obesity.

Muhammad said he was touched by the warm and professional services of the Chinese doctors.

"As Djibouti's medical conditions are lagging behind, Djibouti is in great need of services such as these provided by Chinese hospital ships," Muhammad said with a smile.

At the door of the dental clinic on the second floor of the Peace Ark, more than a dozen Djiboutians and Chinese working in Djibouti are waiting for treatment. One of them was Idriss Zbrattim Moussa, suffering from toothache for over five months.

He had been reluctant to seek treatment because of the high treatment cost in Djibouti. With the arrival of Peace Ark and Chinese doctors, however, Moussa's tooth problem was finally solved.

Wang Jin, who has been working in Djibouti for about four years at a Chinese-funded enterprise, is often troubled by stomach pain.

"I did not expect that today I am able to come to the Peace Ark of such a close distance, I was attended by the Chinese doctors, and I felt warm," Wang said.

Muhammad and Wang are among the many people who have received services at the Peace Ark.

In the years between 2010 and 2015, the Peace Ark paid visits to Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania. A total of 29 countries and regions, and 120,000 people have received free on-board medical and humanitarian services.

The Peace Ark is 178 meters long, with a total area of 4,000 square meters. It has eight operation rooms, seven health care offices and 300 beds. A total of 115 health care workers are on board, mostly from the Naval Medical University, of which 60 percent have senior titles.

The Peace Ark arrived in Djibouti on Wednesday and was expected to carry out a nine-day medical service in Djibouti. It will then travel to Sierra Leone, Gabon, Tanzania and other countries to provide free medical and humanitarian services.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 22:41:18|Editor: An

A man visits exhibition of Iran during the 24th Beijing International Book Fair, in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 26, 2017. As the main guest country of the 24th Beijing International Book Fair, Iran held an exhibition themed "The Colorful Dream on Silk Road", providing people an access to artworks with Iranian characteristics. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)
Customers select imported wine at a market in Pinghu in Jiaxing City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Aug. 15, 2017. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

BAKU, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijan intends to increase wine exports to China, Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) said on its website Friday.

The issue of expanding cooperation between Azerbaijan and China in the area of wine trade was discussed at a meeting participated by local winemakers and the trade representative of Azerbaijan in China Teymur Nadiroglu, according to AZPROMO.

During the meeting, the trade representative pointed out that as a wine-producing country, Azerbaijan has a significant potential to increase wine supplies to China.

China's wine import has been showing rapid growth in both volume and value since 2015. China's import market is dominated by French wine, which has a 40 percent market share. Other top performers are Australia, Chile, Spain, Italy and the United States, according to Nadiroglu.

With a growing taste for imported wines, the potential for a third-tier, medium-priced market is emerging and is set to grow as demand increases in China, the participants concluded.

Last year, Azerbaijani local companies concluded an agreement with the Chinese side on export of 500,000 bottles of wine to China.

They believed that besides wine, energy, especially alternative sources, tourism and agriculture are major prospects for economic cooperation between the two countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 21:37:11|Editor: Liangyu

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NAIROBI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan manufacturers on Saturday warned of possible job losses following the move by the government to ban plastic bags use which is set to come into effect on Monday.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) also clarified that the industrialists have never been against the intent of the ban, which is to clean up the country, towards improving the quality of life for all Kenyans.

"We have only differed on the manner of its execution, which did not take into account adequate stakeholder consultation," KAM said in a statement issued in Nairobi a day after the High Court upheld ban on plastic bags.

The industrialists have argued that the ban, if implemented, would lead to loss of over 420,000 jobs and revenues to firms and the government.

"The shutdown of many factories will also mean immediate termination of workers with no send-off packages and no alternatives provided," they argued.

The government in a gazette notice published in March imposed a ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging from Aug. 28.

The move, the third attempt in a decade, saw Kenya join other environmentally conscious countries in the war on the use of plastics.

The ban also means that citizens may empty their garbage and re-use the same bags over and over again, posing a health and sanitation risk.

The industrialists said it is crucial that all stakeholders are engaged to develop measures that allow the country to set up alternatives for a smooth transition from plastic bags to help attain the goal for a clean environment.

They said the six-month period was hardly enough notice for a country whose entire industry and population depends on these bags for packaging.

"We are hopeful that during the hearing of the case, the Courts will recognize the laws in the country and the Constitution, that any regulation-making authorities should undertake appropriate consultation and impact assessment before issuing a policy directive --especially if the directive is likely to have direct or substantial effect on business and on the lives of citizens," KAM said.

The ministry has banned the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging.

The ban targeted carrier bags with handles, with or without gussets, or flat bags without handles and with or without gussets.

The manufacturers said they had developed and presented a waste management solution to the ministry of environment and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) that has the potential to manage the country's waste an in the process create more jobs for the people of Kenya.

"We implore the Ministry to look at executing this proposal owing to its potential to create sustainable economic growth," said the industrialists.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 21:52:17|Editor: Liangyu

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TIRANA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Albanian coastal city of Durres hosted Saturday an informal meeting between the Prime Ministers of Western Balkans countries and European Union (EU) commissioner for enlargement Johannes Hahn.

During the meeting, Prime Ministers of Albania's Edi Rama, Macedonia's Zoran Zaev, Montenegro's Dusko Markovic, Serbia's Ana Brnabic and Kosovo's Isa Mustafa voiced support to the promotion of regional initiatives aimed at boosting cooperation.

More concretely, the leaders discussed about the economic project that was agreed during Trieste Summit held in July in Italy.

The project foresees the creation of a regional economic zone aimed at facilitating trade relations and economic cooperation between the regional countries.

After the PMs' closed-door meeting, Rama and Hahn held a joint press conference where they both praised the good will of the region's leaders to take cooperation to another level.

Rama announced the drafting of a working plan which defined the areas where the countries needed to work to step up their efforts in liberalizing market and getting closer to EU.

He noted that the economic project had full support of all countries while he praised the support given by the World Bank and other important international financial institutions.

Rama also said that the meeting would serve as a strategic reflection to make the region more attractive for foreign investments and more competitive.

On his part, Hahn said EU noted progress in Albania, and highlighted that EU supported initiatives which in the end served the best interest of citizens and their welfare.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 21:52:18|Editor: Liangyu

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HAVANA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cuba on Saturday rejected new economic and financial sanctions imposed on Venezuela by U.S. President Donald Trump, as tensions between Caracas and Washington continue to grow.

Havana condemns these new "unilateral and arbitrary" measures against Venezuela, deputy foreign minister Abelardo Moreno said in a statement.

"Cuba rejects these unjust and illegal sanctions which violate international law against Venezuela and the government led by President Nicolas Maduro," said the statement.

The statement, published on the foreign ministry website, added that it's "imperative" to defend the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a peace zone signed by all heads of state of the region in 2014.

"Our continent can't forget its own history, we must defend the principles and commitment of that declaration," added the statement.

Venezuela is Cuba's main political ally in the region and its second largest trading partner as Havana receives around 100,000 barrels of oil daily from the former in exchange for medical doctors and other advisers.

The new sanctions, signed Friday by Trump, will prohibit dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company.

The financial sanctions did not mention cutting off U.S. imports of Venezuelan oil, which could be critical to Caracas' economy as well as U.S. oil refiners.

This was the latest round of sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Venezuela after the latter held elections to elect the National Constituent Assembly at the end of July. Washington blacklisted Maduro on July 31, one day after the elections.
Amid the noise over Americas health care debate, Montanas Community Health Centers keep their eye on meeting the health care needs of our communities.

Yesterday, we saw Joe, whose house burned to the ground. He is living out of his camping trailer. He came in for his blood pressure and diabetic check and the staff asked him about his housing situation. He was able to take a shower and do laundry at the Health Center. His blood pressure and diabetes are stable. Joe likes his Health Center because they know him and help him meet his health needs.

Covering the state, Community Health Centers deliver high-quality, cost effective, medical, dental and behavioral health care to more than 106,000 Montanans. With the mission of ensuring access to care for the most vulnerable populations, Community Health Centers care for everyone regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status. Anyone can become a patient of a Community Health Center.

Holistic patient care

Community Health Centers focus on the patient by getting them the care they need. CHCs are leading a new delivery model of health care that is focused on a team-based approach. We call this the Patient Centered Medical Home, which works to improve patient outcomes while lowering the cost of care. Treating the whole patient is not only a smart use of our health care dollars, but much better for patients.

Patient-centered means looking at other things that matter in a persons life like housing, food, employment, and transportation. If your housing is not safe or you dont have heat, youre going to have a hard time managing your diabetes. For Joe, the ability to shower and have clean clothing probably helped his diabetes as much as seeing his health care provider.

Patient centered flows over into the structure of the governance of the CHC. At least 51 percent of each Health Centers board of directors is made up of folks who get care at the Health Center, allowing them to be community minded to meet the unique needs of their neighbors.

$134M saved in 2016

Health Centers want to provide the best care in a cost-effective way. If you can help people manage their health needs and stay healthy, it saves money. Independent analysis shows that Montanas Community Health Centers saved the state $77 million by lowering the costs of care for Medicaid patients in 2016. They also contributed $134 million in savings to the overall health care system.

Each Health Center is staffed by top-notch providers in the medical, dental and behavioral health fields. They provide jobs in communities and help to stimulate the local economy. Last year, CHCs in Montana contributed more than $5 million in state and local tax revenues and $18 million in federal tax revenues.

Community Health Centers wouldnt exist without the support and vision of leaders who put Montanans first and politics aside. For more than 50 years, Health Centers have saved countless lives, reduced and prevented chronic disease and provided patients with more affordable options for care. CHCs do this by knowing the patients, just like Joe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 22:02:20|Editor: An

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JUBA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government has awarded scholarships to at least 240 South Sudanese students to study undergraduate and postgraduate programs at various Chinese universities.

Li Xiangfeng, charge d'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in South Sudan, said Saturday the scholarships are offered in a wide range of disciplines including medicine, economics, agriculture and international relations.

The envoy said the program is part of China's contribution to the development of South Sudan through supporting economic and human resource development.

Li remarked that human resource development programs in China will boost the knowledge needs of the People of South Sudan and the results will be social and economic development.

He revealed that Beijing has offered at least 4,100 scholarships and short-term training programs for South Sudanese since the birth of the world's youngest nation in 2011.

"I would like to appeal to our scholars to come back to South Sudan for a stronger state building of their nation and a better livelihood of the people," the envoy said.

"Furthermore, you are also ambassadors of South Sudan to China. We hope you would come back with not only knowledge and expertise, but also sincere friendship between our two nations and people," he added.

Yien Oral Lam, Minister of Higher Education, thanked the Chinese government for its willingness to help South Sudan, adding that South Sudan would continue to cooperate with the people of China because of their continued commitment to help the people of South Sudan.

"I appreciate our level of interaction with the people of China not only in the field of education, politics and economic development, but we want to continue with our social and cultural interaction with the Chinese people," Lam said.

Luka Monoja, representative of the South Sudan-China Friendship Association, said the scholarships would strengthen people to people relations and also boost bilateral ties between the two governments.

He urged the students to utilize the opportunity to learn China's history of how it transformed from a developing country into the world's second biggest economy, and apply it in the development of the war-torn East African country.

"We hope that your going to China will bring new skills and knowledge that will benefit you and our country that needs a lot of things to be improved," Monoja said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 22:21:57|Editor: An

Tourists watch a traditional Chinese wedding performance at a cultural festival held at the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 26, 2017. Visitors can experience various traditional activities during the festival. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 22:07:22|Editor: Liangyu

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ANKARA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Saturday criticized the Turkish government of staging a "civilian coup" after the failed coup attempt on July 15 last year.

"We want a fair Turkey," said Kemal Kikicdaroglu, leader of the CHP, accusing the ruling party of stirring up a "civilian coup" as thousands of people had been dismissed or arrested amid the state of emergency the government had issued.

The CHP is holding a five-day "Justice Congress" in the western province of Canakkale, where hundreds of speakers discuss current justice record of the country.

The CHP has previously carried out protests after one of its lawmakers was sentenced to 25 years in jail on charges of revealing footage of Turkey's military trucks carrying arms to Syria.
Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2017 shows plastic bag for sale in Nairobi, capital of Kenya. Kenya announced a ban on the use of plastic bags in March, giving manufacturers a six-month grace period as the order takes effect on Aug. 28. (Xinhua/John Okoyo)

NAIROBI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan manufacturers on Saturday warned of possible job losses following the move by the government to ban plastic bags use which is set to come into effect on Monday.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) also clarified that the industrialists have never been against the intent of the ban, which is to clean up the country, towards improving the quality of life for all Kenyans.

"We have only differed on the manner of its execution, which did not take into account adequate stakeholder consultation," KAM said in a statement issued in Nairobi a day after the High Court upheld ban on plastic bags.

The industrialists have argued that the ban, if implemented, would lead to loss of over 420,000 jobs and revenues to firms and the government.

"The shutdown of many factories will also mean immediate termination of workers with no send-off packages and no alternatives provided," they argued.

The government in a gazette notice published in March imposed a ban on the use, manufacture and importation of plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging from Aug. 28.

The move, the third attempt in a decade, saw Kenya join other environmentally conscious countries in the war on the use of plastics.

The ban also means that citizens may empty their garbage and re-use the same bags over and over again, posing a health and sanitation risk.

The industrialists said it is crucial that all stakeholders are engaged to develop measures that allow the country to set up alternatives for a smooth transition from plastic bags to help attain the goal for a clean environment.

They said the six-month period was hardly enough notice for a country whose entire industry and population depends on these bags for packaging.

"We are hopeful that during the hearing of the case, the Courts will recognize the laws in the country and the Constitution, that any regulation-making authorities should undertake appropriate consultation and impact assessment before issuing a policy directive --especially if the directive is likely to have direct or substantial effect on business and on the lives of citizens," KAM said.

The ministry has banned the use, manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging.

The ban targeted carrier bags with handles, with or without gussets, or flat bags without handles and with or without gussets.

The manufacturers said they had developed and presented a waste management solution to the ministry of environment and National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) that has the potential to manage the country's waste an in the process create more jobs for the people of Kenya.

"We implore the Ministry to look at executing this proposal owing to its potential to create sustainable economic growth," said the industrialists.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 22:22:26|Editor: Liangyu

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CAIRO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has signed three deals with two U.S. companies on oil drilling in the Western Desert of the Arab country, the Egyptian Oil Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

The three deals signed with Apache and Merlon Oil Corporations are worth about 80 million U.S. dollars including the digging of 17 wells for oil exploration in Egypt's Western Desert, said the statement.

"The strategy of the Ministry of Petroleum aims to attract further foreign investments in the field of oil and gas exploration to make use of the oil and gas potentials in several areas of the country," said Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek al-Molla.

Located in North Africa and enjoying massive oil and gas potentials, Egypt attracted several international firms for oil exploration over the past years.

Italy's oil giant Eni said earlier in August that it intended to pump investments of 3.5 billion U.S. dollars into Egypt in 2018, representing half of the company's annual investments.

The Italian company, which has been operating in Egypt for over 60 years, announced in August 2015 the discovery of the largest gas field in the Egyptian offshore of the Mediterranean Sea.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan blows a watchmen whistle during a ceremony in Istanbul, Turkey, August 25, 2017. (Reuters Photo)

ANKARA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) on Saturday criticized the Turkish government of staging a "civilian coup" after the failed coup attempt on July 15 last year.

"We want a fair Turkey," said Kemal Kikicdaroglu, leader of the CHP, accusing the ruling party of stirring up a "civilian coup" as thousands of people had been dismissed or arrested amid the state of emergency the government had issued.

The CHP is holding a five-day "Justice Congress" in the western province of Canakkale, where hundreds of speakers discuss current justice record of the country.

The CHP has previously carried out protests after one of its lawmakers was sentenced to 25 years in jail on charges of revealing footage of Turkey's military trucks carrying arms to Syria.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:12:40|Editor: Zhou Xin

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CAIRO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt condemned on Saturday the suicide bomb attack on a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan's capital Kabul that killed at least 40 people, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The attack took place when two suicide bombers stormed Imam-e-Zaman Mosque in northern Kabul during Friday's prayers. The Islamic State (IS) regional militant group claimed responsibility for the bombing.

"Egypt stresses solidarity with the Afghan government and people against terrorism that targets security and stability across the world," said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's statement.

Egypt has been suffering a rising wave of anti-government terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers, in addition to dozens from the Coptic minority, since the military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

A Sinai-based group loyal to the IS also claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in Egypt, while the post-Morsi administration declared "a war against terrorism" led by former army chief and current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:12:41|Editor: Yang Yi

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BEIJING, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Beijing's food safety watchdog has begun a two-week sanitation inspection of the city's restaurants.

This came after two Beijing branches of a popular hotpot chain was exposed to have operated in unhygienic conditions. Videos taken by hidden cameras showed rats infested the kitchen, a dishwasher was caked with oily food residue, and a worker tried to fix sewage clog with a soup ladle.

The Sichuan Province-based Haidilao hot pot has admitted its management faults in a frank public statement issued Friday, apologizing for the scandal.

In recent years, Haidilao took major Chinese cities by storm by its signature spicy Sichuanese hot pot and excellent service. According to its website, Haidilao is operating in about 60 Chinese cities and has expanded to Los Angeles, Singapore, Seoul, and Tokyo,

Beijing Food and Drug Administration said the inspection will target both restaurant chains and canteen suppliers. Business licenses, dishwashers, sanitation equipment, measures to keep off pests and diseases are the focus of the inspection.

The watchdog said it has also ordered Haidilao to open its kitchens to the public in a month and report the overhaul measures. The chain's sanitation ratings will be downgraded.

Haidilao, meanwhile, promised to ensure all its restaurants both in China and abroad maintain good sanitation standards.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:27:44|Editor: Zhou Xin

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LONDON, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- British police on Saturday opened a counterterrorism investigation after three officers were injured arresting a man with a 1.2-meter-long sword outside London's Buckingham Palace late Friday.

Counterterror police are questioning the 26-year-old suspect, who drove a car in front of a police van in a restricted area near Queen Elizabeth's official residence, police said in a statement.

The man reached for the sword after the unarmed officers approached the car and challenged him, police said, adding that the man repeatedly shouted "Allahu Akbar," meaning in Arabic "God is great."

The officers sustained slight cuts in a struggle to detain the man, who took the sword from the front passenger foot-well of his car, the police said.

Police said two of the officers were taken to a hospital for treatment and were later discharged. No members of the public at the scene are believed to have had any interaction with the arrested man.

The suspect was taken to a London hospital for treatment of minor injuries, police said, and he was being questioned at a central London police station.

It is too early to say what the man was planning to do, said Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Metropolitan Counter Terrorism Command.

No members of the British royal family were in Buckingham Palace at the time of Friday's incident, a palace spokeswoman said.

The incident came as police across Europe are on high alert following a spate of terrorist attacks this year. In the Britain alone, three attacks claimed the lives of dozens of people, while police in Spain are probing a suspected terrorist network after twin assaults in the northeastern region of the country earlier this month.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:27:45|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DOHA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has arrested five people in connection with the alleged hack of Doha's state news agency, an incident which sparked the current Gulf political crisis, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on Saturday.

The arrests were announced by Qatar's most senior legal figure, Attorney General Ali bin Fetais al-Marri.

"Five people were arrested and they are being investigated. The prosecutors in Qatar are working with the Turkish authorities to follow the case," he said in comments published by the Qatar News Agency (QNA).

The alleged hack of the QNA website took place on May 24, attributing explosive political remarks to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The remarks covered sensitive regional political subjects such as Iran, Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Israel and the United States.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates severed ties with Qatar over its ties to Shiite Iran and support for Sunni Islamist extremist groups.

Qatar denies the charges and said Sheikh Tamim did not make the statements, but that the website was hacked.

Doha called in the FBI to help with the hacking investigation and has accused the UAE of being behind the cyber-attack. The UAE has denied the claims.
 

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Workers in America struggled to organize for over 50 years. Wages were miserable, most families lived in squalor, and workers died at jobs. Read a bit of Butte, history. The 1935 Wagner Act changed that, allowing unions the right to organize and to level the playing field with big business.

Studies show unionization also has the collateral effect of boosting wages and benefits even for those in non-union jobs. Sadly, big business has been chipping away at unions for years. In 1980, 39 percent of our workforce was unionized, today its less than 10 percent. With labors decline, the percentage of national income going to wages has now fallen dramatically. Its going back to the corporate bottom line. Its clear that the recent hollowing out of the American middle class, directly follows the decline of unions. RTW legislation is just another tool utilized by big business to further crush labor. It might sound good, but it leaves deleterious effects in its wake. It should be called the Right to Work for Less. We certainly dont want it here in Montana!
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:47:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ISLAMABAD, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Several suspects were arrested and a heavy cache of arms and ammunition were recovered by Pakistani security forces during last four days in an ongoing operation in different areas in the country's southwest province of Balochistan, local media reported on Saturday.

The intelligence based search and hunt operation in the province is part of the ongoing Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was launched by the Pakistani army in support of local law enforcement agencies to de-weaponize the society and to eliminate the hidden terrorist sleeper cells across the country on Feb. 22 this year after a series of lethal terrorist attacks.

During the last four days, Frontier Corps conducted intensive operations in areas of Summany, Kleri Dhal, Dera Bugti, Dashat and also in the provincial capital of Quetta after secret agencies alarmed that terrorists are knitting their new networks and are regrouping in different areas in Balochistan.

Local media quoted security officials as saying that the operation has successfully foiled some major terrorist activities and saved precious lives.

During these operations, several suspects were apprehended, a heavy cache of arms and ammunition, including automatic guns, explosives, improvised explosive devices, grenades, rockets, detonators, and communication equipment, were recovered from terrorist hideouts, the reports said.
Yemeni women carry pictures of relatives killed in airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition in the Yemeni capital Sanaa on August 23, 2017. (AFP Photo)

RIYADH, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Saudi-led Arab military coalition on Saturday admitted responsibility for an airstrike in the Yemeni capital that killed 14 civilians, describing it as a "technical mistake," Saudi Press Agency reported.

The coalition said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency that after a review of the strike investigators found "that a technical mistake was behind the accident."

Witnesses and medics in Sanaa said children were among 14 people killed in Friday's airstrike that toppled residential blocks in Sanaa, the latest in a wave of deadly raids blamed on the Saudi-led coalition.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:52:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DHAKA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has condemned the attacks on Myanmar forces and expressed concern at the loss of innocent lives in those clashes that occurred following recent deployment of forces in the neighboring country's Rathedaung-Buthidaung areas.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement Saturday that Bangladesh has taken note of renewed clashes after the attacks on the Myanmar Border Guard Police posts in the Rakhine state on Friday.

The Charge d'affaires of Myanmar Embassy in Dhaka met the Secretary (Asia & Pacific) of the Foreign Ministry Mahbub Uz Zaman on Saturday afternoon to discuss the evolving situation in the Rakhine State, said the statement.

Recalling the influx of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh due to similar military operations in the aftermath of terrorist attacks on Oct. 9, 2016 that resulted in about 85,000 civilians crossing over to Bangladesh, Zaman informed that thousands of unarmed civilians including women, children and elderly people from the Rakhine state have assembled on the border in an attempt to enter Bangladesh.

Zaman expressed serious concern at the possibility of the recurrence of such a situation as Bangladesh already hosts about 400,000 Myanmar nationals, said the statement.

Following its policy of "zero tolerance" towards violent extremism and terrorism, Bangladesh assured Myanmar of continued cooperation in dealing with these challenges, according to the statement.

"Bangladesh also pointed out that the terrorist attacks and clashes occurred at a time when the Rakhine Advisory Commission, popularly known as Kofi Annan Commission, made recommendations towards a durable solution for the Rakhine state," said the statement.

The secretary (Asia & Pacific) also emphasized on addressing the underlying root cause of the protracted problem through a comprehensive and inclusive approach, said the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-26 23:57:57|Editor: Zhou Xin

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PARIS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- France will provide a total of 430 million euros (512.7 U.S. dollars) in loan to Iraq in 2017, the French foreign ministry announced in a press release on Saturday.

"France will accompany the stabilization and reconstruction of Iraq to achieve a lasting peace that reconciles all the components of the Iraqi society," the release said.

The loan will facilitate the war-torn country's effort to obtain international financial programs, which are essential for its reconstruction phase, it added.

The ministry also hailed the victory of the Iraqi army in Mosul against the Islamic State (IS) in the press release.

"The battle against IS must continue in order to free the remaining parts of Iraq, including Tal Afar, Hawija and Anbar," it said.

French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and defence minister Florence Parly kicked off a visit to Iraq on Friday evening.

"This visit also gives a new impetus to the relationship between our two countries in all fields," including "political dialogue, economic relations and cooperative actions," said the release.
File photo taken on July 26, 2017 shows that people attend a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals from serving in any capacity in the U.S. military, in Times Square, New York City, the United States. (REUTERS Photo)

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memo that effectively bans transgender individuals from joining armed forces.

The memo requires Secretary of Defense James Mattis to determine in the coming months how to handle those already enlisted, based on criteria, including military effectiveness, budgetary concerns, and law.

Trump's directive gives the Department of Defense six months to formulate an implementation plan set to go into effect on March 23, 2018. The policy also applies to the Department of Homeland Security that houses the Coast Guard.

It also orders a stop of government funding for sex-reassignment surgeries for active personnel unless the process is already underway.

The move, which came a month after Trump tweeted that he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the U.S. military in any capacity, reversed a policy started under his predecessor Barack Obama.

The previous administration had failed to identify a sufficient basis to terminate what was then a long-standing policy on transgender troops, according to the memo.

The Trump order was praised by social conservatives, while it drew criticism from civil rights groups.

Last month, Trump tweeted that the government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.

The 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," he said then.

A ban on transgender people serving openly in the military ended last year, but a year-long review was put in place to allow the Pentagon to figure out how to bring in new transgender recruits into the military.

Trump's late July announcement came after Mattis delayed the implementation of the new plan on the eve of the one-year deadline for the military to upgrade medical standards for transgender service members.

Mattis said late in June that the Pentagon needs more time to assess whether the new policy would affect the ability of the U.S. military to defend the country.

A Pentagon-commissioned study in 2016 showed that there are an estimated 1,320 to 6,630 transgender service members in the U.S. military.

It concluded that allowing them to serve openly would have a minimal impact on the readiness and health care costs of the 1.3-million-member U.S. military force.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 00:43:07|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KATHMANDU, Aug. 26 (Xinhuha) -- The Chinese government on Saturday granted university-level scholarships to over 100 Nepali students for their higher education in China for the 2017-2018 academic year.

In a special ceremony in capital city Kathmandu, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal presented the scholarships to the recipients amid the presence of their family members.

The awarded students will study bachelors, masters, and doctor's degrees in different Chinese universities in the faculties like civil engineering, medicine, business, telecommunication and international relations, among others.

Speaking at the awarding ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Yu Hong said China has been providing the highest number of scholarships and exchange programs to Nepali students.

''This year, the Chinese government has increased the number of scholarships to Nepali students. After completing their studies, the Nepali students can be experts on their respective fields and can contribute to the development of their nation,'' Yu said

As of 2016, there were 5,160 Nepali students who have studied in prestigious universities across China on scholarships supported by the Chinese government.

Dr Sarbottam Shresha, a former student in a Chinese university and now Chairman of Arniko Society said on the same occasion "Chinese universities have professional teachers, well facilities and high quality education. Nepali students can learn a lot in China and utilize the knowledge in their own nation."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 01:38:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HELSINKI, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- A predominantly right wing demonstration "against terrorism" and a parallel counter event "against fascism and fundamentalism" went without major incidents in Helsinki on Saturday.

The police detained two persons on account of opposing the police. From the start, the police separated the two sides wide apart that made only verbal exchanges possible.

Following the speeches outside the Kamppi shopping mall in central Helsinki, the "anti-terrorism" demonstrators walked in procession to the official residence of Prime Minister Juha Sipila in Meilahti.

They lit handles at the gates of the residence in memory of the victims of the stabbings in Turku a week ago. The violence left two dead and eight others wounded.

In social media and also in statements by political leaders, opinions in Finland have been split as to what measures should be taken.

Plans to accelerate the legislation process for stricter security laws has yet received unanimous political support in the Nordic country.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 01:53:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's military intelligence department arrested on Saturday a suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) who had planned an assassination of a senior army officer.

Lebanese army said in a communique that Hassan Hamad al-Hassan, the suspected terrorist, had planned to target a senior officer in the army via a sniper or by means of an explosive device.

Al-Hassan was also commissioned by his cell in al-Raqqa to prepare the necessary explosives to carry out suicide bombings on Lebanese army facilities and centers, as well as several northern villages.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 02:08:24|Editor: Mengjie

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by Xinhua writer Guo Shuang

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- "USC. The only place in America that can unveil a statue as the centerpiece of a 700 million-dollar project and manage to misspell Shakespeare," an official student-run account of University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), @uclatheden, wryly tweeted.

The University of Southern California (USC) unveiled last week a new statue of Hecuba, queen of Troy, mentioned in Shakespeare's Hamlet. The statue, with a quote from Hamlet, is supposed to be the centerpiece of the USC's 700 million U.S. dollars new "Village" project.

But the 20-foot new statue of Greek mythological queen has left some students scratching their heads.

The sculpture, created by sculptor Christopher Slatoff, featured excerpt attributed to "Shakespear's Hamlet", which was noticeably missing a final "e" in the dramatist's last name.

The common spelling of the world's most famous playwright's name is "Shakespeare". Many visitors to the university also noticed the curious spelling. "Did the sculptor make a mistake?" a viewer was muttering.

Despite some criticism, USC is standing by the strange spelling, saying that the spelling is intentional, because of the way the statue looks.

"To E, or not to E, that is the question," USC quipped in a statement. "Over the centuries his surname has been spelled 20 different ways. USC chose an older spelling because of the ancient feel of the statue, even though it is not the most common form," the university said.

American Shakespearean and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Stephen Greenblatt told Xinhua in an email that "the university's explanation is correct."

"Shakespeare's name was spelled in a variety of ways - in general, spelling in English was not regularized until well after his lifetime," the Harvard University professor said.

Did the Bard spell his name Shakespeare or Shakespear?

"The spelling 'Shakespeare' was standardized by custom about 80 years ago. One of the most distinguished Shakespeare scholars of the early 20th century, George Lyman Kittredge, used the spelling 'Shakespeare,' and there were other spellings before World War II," Roland Greene, a scholar of the early modern literature and of poetry and poetics from the 16th century to the present, told Xinhua.

"Nowadays it's uncommon to see nonstandard spellings but there's nothing wrong with them unless they make it obscure to whom they refer," the Stanford professor said in an email.

Slatoff's latest work towers over the Central Piazza in the middle of USC Village. The 12-foot-tall sculpture stands atop an 8-foot base that depicts six women of African, Asian, Caucasian, Latina, Native American and Eastern Mediterranean descent.

The excerpt, found on its base, reads:

"'And all for nothing, for Hecuba!

what's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,

That he should weep for her'

"Those intent on correcting might rather ask why there is no question mark at the end of the quote," said Ivan Lupic, a professor specializes in Shakespeare and early modern English literature. "We all know how we spell William's name today. That is not the question. However, artists should be allowed to spell as they please."

"To question or not to question, that is the question," he emailed to Xinhua.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 02:18:28|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BISHKEK, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev signed a decrees on Saturday, appointing the new government prime minister and the cabinet members, which was approved by the parliament on Friday.

On Friday, during an extraordinary session of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan, the lawmakers approved Chief of the President's Office Sapar Isakov to be the new prime minister. His program and Cabinet members have also been approved.

"President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev signed a decree on appointing Sapar Isakov the Prime Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic," the Kyrgyz presidential press service reported.

Forty-year-old Isakov is the youngest Prime Minister ever in Kyrgyzstan history.

Isakov has been working as chief of the President's Office since last March. Before that, he was the chief of the foreign policy department of the President's Office.

The government of Sooronbay Jeenbekov, who was nominated to run for presidency from the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan (SDPK), resigned as prime minister on Tuesday to participate in the presidential elections scheduled for Oct. 15.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 02:38:31|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian army and allied fighters have taken control of 2,000 square km of desert areas following recent battles with the Islamic State (IS), a military source told Xinhua Saturday.

The Syrian forces and allied Iranian-backed fighters wrested control over the areas between the city of Al Sukhnah and Al Shear in the remote eastern countryside of Homs Province in central Syria on Saturday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

The military forces are combing the area for explosives left by IS militants.

It is the latest progress in a string of operations the Syrian army and allied fighters have launched in the Syrian desert.

On Thursday, the Syrian army laid full siege on the IS in the desert.

The ongoing military operations in the Syrian desert aim to reach the key Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria near Iraq, as part of the military will to break the IS siege to the city and reach the besieged civilians and soldiers inside.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 03:28:37|Editor: ZD

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TEHRAN, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Iranian officials have urged the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) not to give in to the pressures from the United States pertaining to Iran's international nuclear deal reached in 2015.

The Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that any move of the United States to exert pressure on the IAEA over Iran's nuclear deal is a violation of the accord, local media reported on Saturday.

"We are sure that the IAEA is aware of regulations on its behavior as an international body and will not let its independence and status be undermined by the U.S. pressures," Zarif was quoted as saying.

On Friday, Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said that the IAEA has the support of the United States to use all the authorities to monitor Iran's nuclear program.

The Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog has true experts and professionals and has a very strong verification program in Iran. However, the agency is not allowed to see the whole picture of Tehran's nuclear program, Haley told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

Iran has publicly declared that they will not allow access to military sites. But the international agreement in 2015 makes no distinction between military and non-military sites, said Haley after she returned from a trip to the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.

On Saturday, Alireza Rahimi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of Iran's Parliament, said that U.S. pressure on the IAEA for Iran's nuclear activities is an "unconventional intervention" in the international body's affairs, Tehran Times daily reported.

The Islamic republic has informed the agency of its activities in full transparency and within the framework of the Additional Protocol, and all the visits to Iran's nuclear facilities have been within the framework of the Protocol, Rahimi was quoted as saying.

"In this regard, Iran has not committed any breach of the regulations of the agency and has made necessary cooperation beyond the agency's expectations," Rahimi said.

The Iranian security official said that, however, visits to Iran's military sites would not be available to the IAEA since the so-called Possible Military Dimensions (PMD) file of Iran has already closed.

Iran's permanent mission to the IAEA also said in a statement that the objectives and the results of Haley's trip to Vienna "contradict" the nuclear deal and UNSC Resolution 2231.

The statement said that Iran is abiding by its duties and responsibilities in dealing with the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, IAEA Safeguard Agreements, nuclear deal as well as additional protocol, and under no circumstances let misuse of these rules and regulations for ill-wishing political means of a specific country and reserve the rights to remind all parties to remain committed to their pledges with regards to JCPOA.

Iran expects the IAEA head and its inspectors to perform their tasks regarding the nuclear deal with professionalism and honesty, the statement said.

On Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister wrote to IAEA Chief Yukiya Amano and European foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini warning that Haley's visit is meant to violate the nuclear agreement.

"This visit, with its announced purpose, is not in conformity with several provisions of the JCPOA (or the nuclear deal) and the UNSC Resolution 2231 which deal with the role of the agency and the necessity of upholding its independence and protecting the sensitive information that comes to its knowledge," he said.

After years of tension with the West, Iran struck a deal with the five world powers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States in July 2015 on a comprehensive deal, under which Iran agreed to limit its uranium-enrichment activities in return for the lifting of western and international sanctions.

The IAEA is responsible for the verification of Iran's compliance with the agreement through regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities.

The international agreement is facing serious threats of collapse as tensions mounted between Washington and Tehran recently.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who during his election campaign had called the Iranian nuclear deal a "disaster" and "the worst deal ever negotiated," approved new sanctions on Tehran this month for its missile program.

Iran accused Washington of breaching the 2015 agreement. But Washington argued that they were not related to the nuclear deal.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned that his country could pull out of the deal should Washington impose any new sanctions. Iran's atomic chief Ali Akbar Salehi warned Tuesday that his country could resume production of highly enriched uranium within five days if the 2015 deal is revoked.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 04:53:55|Editor: ZD

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People hold signs reading "We are not afraid" in a demonstration against terrorism in Barcelona, Spain, Aug. 26, 2017. (Xinhua/Lino De Vallier)

BARCELONA, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona on Saturday against terrorism under the motto "No tinc por" (I am not afraid), after the attacks in Spain that killed 15 people and injured more than 100 others.

Placards of "I am not afraid", "We want peace, not arm sales", "The best answer is peace", "Their wars, our death" were showed by more than 500,000 people through the streets of Barcelona, according to local police.

The demonstration started at 6:00 p.m. local time (1600 GTM) at Jardinets de Gracia, was planned to go through the famous street Passeig de Gracia and finish at Placa Catalunya, the square just before the Ramblas, the iconic street where the first attack took place in which a van killed 13 people and injured over 100.

At Placa Catalunya, Catalan actress Rosa Maria Sarda and Miriam Hatibi, spokeswoman for Ibn Battuta foundation, made a joint speech. They said they were proud of the rapid response of emergency services and citizens that show solidarity, adding that love wins above hate.

"We are millions of people refusing violence and defending coexistence in Manchester and in Nairobi, in Paris and in Bagdad, in Brussels and New York, in Berlin and in Kabul", Sarda said.

In Ripoll where the 12-people cell behind the attacks were allegedly formed, a demonstration against terrorism was also held at the same time as in Barcelona. Hafida Oukabir, sister of Moussa Oukabir (one of the five men shot dead after stabbing pedestrians in Cambrils) and Driss Oukabir (arrested) made an emotional speech, saying that "we have to work together so that this will not happen again", adding that "we have to be self-critical and change many things".

On Friday, another demonstration was also held in Cambrils where a woman was killed and five people were injured, with the participation of more than 16,000 people, according to local police.

Barcelona's demonstration was led by members of the civil society, emergency and health services, regional and national police as well as people who helped those affected by the attacks. They were followed by the families' victims.

Spanish King Felipe VI, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, as well as Catalan authorities such as the president of the regional government Carles Puigdemont, were also attending the demonstration.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-27 05:23:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CHICAGO, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) grains futures closed mixed over the trade week which ended Aug. 25, as fund selling and the professional crop tour weighed on grains prices.

The most active corn contract for December delivery dropped 12.25 cents weekly, or 3.35 percent, to 3.535 dollars per bushel. September wheat delivery fell 7.25 cents weekly, or 1.64 percent, to 4.3525 dollars per bushel. November soybeans rose 6.75 cents weekly, or 0.72 percent, to 9.445 dollars per bushel.

Corn futures set new contract low, mostly amid a lack of fresh demand news and unexciting reports from Farm Journal's Crop Tour implemented this week.

Analysts maintain that the most probable U.S. corn yield lies within a range of 165-166 bushels per acre, which still will strip 300-400 million bushels of supply from the U.S. balance sheet.

U.S. export demand will be lacking in 2017, but there are signs of growth in bio-fuel demand. And amid a collapse in Brazilian cash prices, traders doubt acreage expansion there will be very robust in 2018.

Wheat futures also fell to new contract lows as Russia's wheat crop estimate continued to get bigger, and the trade fiercely debates Russia's ability to export more than 29-31 million tons. Part of this will hinge upon the severity of winter weather, but analysts suggest that without abandoning corn and barley exports altogether, Russia's export capacity is indeed roughly 30-31 million tonnes.

Russian production, which will stay robust for years to come, will simply spill into end stocks without massive investment in infrastructure. The market has digested the boost in major exporter stocks and use. Moving forward, a supportive outlook is advised and a demand-led recovery is anticipated this autumn.

Amid current world fob spreads, the U.S. market is well positioned to exceed the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s export forecast by 75-100 million bushels.

This along with a fall of another 20-40 million bushels of U.S. spring wheat due to a 1-1.4 million acre rise in abandonment would drop U.S. 2017/18 wheat stocks closer to 800-850 million bushels. The sharp fall in the U.S. dollar will reduce seeding globally and the market is starting to more closely focus on Australian weather.

It was a firm, but quieter week of trade in the soybean market that left prices moderately higher at Friday's close. Strong new crop sales, along with the U.S. Commerce Department's ruling against Argentine and Indonesian biodiesel imports were supportive.

And the Farm Journal Crop Tour that had the market's attention. Based on crop samples collected across the corn belt states, the tour estimated a national soybean yield of 48.5 bushels per acre, down 0.9 bushel from the USDA's August forecast. On average, the Tour's yield projection has been within 0.6 bushel per acre of USDA's September crop report.

Analysts note that collective pod counts were the lowest since 2013 and that to achieve a 48.5 bushels per acre yield requires another year of high pod weights, which is doubtful. Moreover, August will be the 7th or 8th coolest since 1895, which is likely to harm the soyoil yield, further tightening U.S. soyoil supplies.
3 guns found, 3 suspects held

Police said shortly before lunch yesterday, they received information that a strange car was seen in the Piparo area with three men acting suspiciously.

Sgt. Ramlogan and Cpl. Richardson of the Princes Town Police Station responded and saw the car driving slowly through the area.

The driver of the car, according to the police, began to speed in an attempt to elude them. A chase ensued. As the car came to a stop, the driver allegedly pulled out a gun and was immediately shot by one of the officers in his left foot.

He escaped in nearby bushes with a loaded gun. Police arrested the other two suspects, ages 63 and 56.

Upon searching the vehicle they found the three guns, a ski mask and a quantity of ammunition.

The vehicle was impounded for tracing. Police later received a call that a man was seen bleeding at the side of the road. They returned and took him to hospital where he remains warded under police guard. When questioned by police he allegedly gave three different names. He was later recognised by police as a wanted man who was being sought in connection with shootings, robberies and rape. Supt Zamsheed Mohammed commended Ramlogan and Richardson.
Magistrate blanks request of accused to observe Eid al-Adha

Attorney Mario Merrit told Cedeno, on behalf of accused Rajaee Ali, his brothers Ishmael Ali and Hamid Ali and eight others, while the observance was not acknowledged as an official holiday in the Islamic calendar, it was an auspicious occasion usually observed through prayer.

Cedeno said she was not minded to accede to the request.

I have already dealt with this issue in the past, Cedeno said.

Im not going to entertain any queries about prayer. This is a court of law and as far as I can see, September 1 is a working day. Also charged with murdering Seetahal on May 4, 2014 in Woodbrook are Devaughn Cummings, Ricardo Stewart, Earl Richards, Stephan Cummings, Kevin Parkinson, Leston Gonzales, Roger Boucher and Gareth Wiseman.

As the inquiry continued yesterday, defence and State attorneys argued over the admissibility of video footage as evidence using a laptop or other similar devices.

Merritt continued his objection to the use of video evidence without confirmation from State attorney George Busby that the device used for the viewing was fully functional.

However, Busby contended his position had not changed from last weeks hearing when he asserted there were no reasonable grounds to dismiss the evidence provided by the State.

Your worship, he (Merritt) needs to show the court that at the material time, the computer the witness used was non-functional or the evidence was in any way inaccurate.

In other words, he needs to show that there are no reasonable grounds to indicate that the witness statement was inaccurate, he said.

Merritt responded by saying it was the responsibility of the prosecution to provide the court with evidence of the laptop being functional.

However, the footage obtained from security cameras in and around the Ma Pau casino in Woodbrook was shown by the prosecution to the court.

During the latter half of yesterdays proceedings, several accused expressed their discontent and restlessness at the slow pace of the inquiry.

Merritt expressed his dissatisfaction with the unwillingness of prosecutors to provide copies of their summary of evidence.

However, State attorney Gilbert Peterson SC hit back at Merritt by saying the defence was not entitled to view the detailed summary. Busby later agreed to provide Merritt with the documents by Friday.
Jail for stealing cellphone

In passing sentence on Donnie James, Magistrate Alicia Chankar scolded him for selling the stolen phone.

I know times are hard and people are struggling, but that in no way means you can take something that is not yours. James pleaded guilty to stealing the Samsung J7 valued at $2,000 from Daniel Johnson on Tuesday in the parking lot of Jings Supermarket at Southern Main Road, Marabella.

Prosecutor PC Cleyon Seedan said, Johnson parked his car and went into the supermarket at about 6.30pm. He returned about 15 minutes later and discovered his phone missing from the front passenger seat.

A report was made to the Marabella Police Station and PC Ramlal conducted investigations. The court heard police viewed surveillance footage provided by the supermarket. On Thursday police arrested James who admitted to stealing the phone.

Unrepresented by an attorney yesterday, he told Chankar he sold the phone to get cash to make a down payment on a place to rent. The unemployed man said he is on welfare but did not get his cheque on time. He said he has a disability which renders him unable to work.

Last year on March 11, a San Fernando magistrate had sentenced him to serve two years in prison with hard labour for marijuana possession.

Six days earlier, another magistrate reprimanded and discharged him for stealing clothing off a clothesline.
Brother in court for murdering brother

Avalon Thompson, a labourer of Lachoos Road, Penal, appeared before Magistrate Ava Vandenberg-Bailey in the Siparia First Magistrates Court to answer to the charges. It is alleged that on August 15 he chopped to death 27-year-old Paul Mark Teeluck at the familys home. His mother Dhanrajayia Thompson was wounded when she allegedly intervened.

She was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery.

The charges were laid by Cpl Sunil Ramoutar of the Homicide Region Three. The case was adjourned to September 21.
HOUSES FOR HUNDREDS

This was announced by Housing Minister Randall Mitchell during a media tour yesterday of five under-construction HDC developments along Trinidads East-West Corridor.

On or before the end of the year, we will have approximately 360 units that will be added to the housing stock. Throughout the country, we should have about 700 on or before the end of the year that will be added. This will include, by the end of September, 44 apartments in Building A of the Vieux Fort Housing Development in St James. Another 78 keys are expected to be given out by December, when 36 single family units and 42 townhouse units at the Real Spring Housing Development in Valsayn are scheduled to be completed.

These are phase one units in two of five HDC housing developments for which the total construction cost is approximately $1.2 billion. After visiting Vieux Fort and Real Spring, the media was then taken to see Bon Air North in Lopinot/Bon Air, Trestrail Lands in DAbadie and River Runs Through in Arima.

Its $140 million for Vieux Fort in St James. Real Spring Housing Development (in Valsayn) is $114 million. For this development; Bon Air North, $398 million.

Trestrail Lands (in DAbadie); those 100 units as well as the townhouse units, that is $564 million, I believe, and for River Runs Through (in Arima), the contract price was around $48 million, Mitchell said.

In total, these five housing developments would cost about $1.2 billion. In all, the ministry has 23 active construction sites, which Mitchell estimated would add about 4,500 units to the overall housing stock by 2020 at an estimated total cost of $2.4 billion.

Asked what sort of dent these 4,500 units would make on the HDCs waiting list, the minister replied, Not a significant dent because there are 170,000 persons on the database. He noted however that the five sites toured yesterday form part of the ministrys accelerated housing programme, which is just one programme under our overall housing policy.

There are some other initiatives were bringing forward under the Ministry of Housing; you will hear about it (and) our squatter regularisation programme...in the (upcoming) budget presentation. The ministry is doing construction at each development in phases so that as units in phase one are completed, they can be given out to applications to the HDC.

Whether units are sold, occupied on a rent-to-own basis or simply rented out, Mitchell said money coming in from the occupancy of phase one of these developments will go towards financing the remaining phases.

We have prioritised a lot of our developments. So for example, in Vieux Fort, weve done it on a phase by phase basis and the money coming in from Victoria Keys (in Diego Martin) would be used as collateral to entering into a loan to fund the completion of Vieux Fort on a phase by phase basis. With respect to Real Spring, (that) will also be completed on a phase by phase basis. In fact, the contractor has funded the first phase and the monies that we will get from the allocations of those first 78 units, as well as other monies coming in from our mortgage conversions, we will fund the additional phases. Mitchell also shared that in terms of Bon Air North, at the end of first phase, we will have 92 units; both townhouse units and apartments which will be done on or before the end of the year, and we will go onto the other phase. Of course, with respect to the economic climate, the way we fund our housing construction programme is partly through Government sources as well as through our mortgage conversion programme. Regarding the speeded up delivery of completed homes, Mitchell told reporters the ministry and the HDC had realised that over the last years, there was some time lag between the delivery and allocation, and during that time, there was vandalism, theft.

Of course, we also realised that, that is a cost burden to the HDC, so we need to allocate them and of course, the home seeker, who really desperately needs shelter, we have them first and foremost in our development plans. Asked about the money HDC owes contractors, Mitchell said, right now, about TT $700 million for the 23 sites currently under construction. An HDC official noted that as contractors are paid, new invoices are certified, so as we go down (in whats owed), we go back up. Meanwhile the Housing Minister was keen to point out the higher quality of work being done at River Runs Through in Arima, thanks to a 22-point Quality Assurance Plan that he came up with in conjunction with HDC Chairman, Newman George and HDC Managing Director, Brent Lyons.

In the past, one contractor would have been given, say, a $1 billion contract to do 700 units and they would just do the units and when they are finished, then you would discover all the problems.

Now, construction is done via a protocol. So before you do your foundation, the project managers must sign off. After you put up your block walls, the project managers must come and sign off and before you get paid as well, all these things must be signed off and quality checked.

So that is what makes it different and Im sure you can see the difference in quality with our townhouses and our single family units here, Mitchell declared with a smile.
Cuffie: CNMG was not commercially successful

This was revealed by the Minister of Public Administration and Communications, Maxie Cuffie, who said Cabinet took the decision at its weekly meeting at the Diplomatic Centre in St. Anns on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference yesterday at the NALIS Building in Port-of-Spain to give further details on Cabinets decision, Cuffie said, based on a media survey conducted in 2014, CTV had five to six per cent market shares and radio stations 91.1 Talk City and 99.1 Next FM both had less than one per cent audience. He said, Commercial revenue had fluctuated between 30 and 33 million over the years 2011 to 2015.

Operational costs had steadily increased. A major element has been starting cost that ranged from 18.1 million in 2011 to 26.3 million in 2015. He added that the media houses expenses have increased every year from TT $44 million in 2011 to TT $56 million in 2015. As a result, subventions have also increased from ten million in 2012 to 23 million in 2015, he said.

Cuffie lamented that CNMG never achieved commercial success neither success in growing its market shares.

The one bright spot, according to Cuffie, was radio station Sweet 100 FM, which maintained market shares and was very competitive in the radio market. He said Sweet 100 FM will not be interfered with and will continue operations.

Though 99.1 FM and 91.1. FM will be shut down, they, as well as CNMG property, will not be sold.

He said the basis of reverting to TTT as a public service medium is the fact that there was a great attachment to the brand TTT; an attachment that was never achieved by the brand CNMG. He said, There was always a problem with the name CNMG, people never bought into it, and the consultations proved that. He said TT is devoted to fulfilling the mandate of allowing filming, editing and broadcasting of local content, government information and news. Though TTT will have a bias towards local content, Cuffie said there would be need for foreign content to have some kind of appeal, but there is interest in TT citizens to see local content from local producers. He also said the programming on TTT will promote diversity, local and Caribbean history and will fill the gap left by other commercial producers in the market. He said TTT is still on the books and had the brand identity that was able to translate the public service medium objective. He said the reversion back to TTT will foster growth in the local creative sector.

In a press release yesterday, the Filmmakers Collaborative of Trinidad and Tobago (FILMCO), said they welcome the announcement to revive TTT and such an initiative will boost our sense of national identity and pride, create intellectual and creative capital and social awareness. Former Head of News and Current Affairs at TTT, Jones P Madeira, said TTT was more than a brand and it represented a golden era in broadcasting.

He added that TTT was a success because of the good people and dedicated professionals that were a part of it. He said the reviving of TTT sounds good as a philosophy but he is unsure if it will resonate with current generations. Asked whether the forthcoming version of TTT can match up to its senior, Madeira said it can if they are willing to put in the investment.
10-week series explores faith

Bismarck Baptist Church, 2211 LaForest Ave., hosts a 10-week series in exploring the Christian faith through Alpha.

The interactive sessions, including a video and small group discussions, are held each Wednesday beginning Sept. 13 in the Java Room of the church. A free dinner begins each session at 6:30 p.m. Alpha runs alongside AWANA, a program for children age 3 to sixth grade, and end at 8 p.m.

For more information, call 701-751-0246 or go to www.bb.church.

Water Is Life series continues Sunday

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Church, 818 E. Divide Ave., in Bismarck, proceeds with its Water Is Life series as speaker Tom Disselhorst presents on "Hidden Assumptions of U.S. Relations with Native Nations."

This service, facilitated by Ronya Hoblit, will be an opportunity to deepen spiritual and practical commitments to racial justice as congregants are asked to consider three important things North Dakotans need to know about the history of the country's relations with Native nations and how those aspects played themselves out in the past year.

Disselhorst is an attorney, historian, musician, peace and justice advocate and longtime member of the church, which meets each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Church launches Sept. 10

Inspire Family Fellowship is anticipating about 200 people at its Sunday and Wednesday services, which will be led by Pastor Randy Upgren. The new church's launch date is 10 a.m. Sept. 10 at Bismarck High School's Knaak Center, 800 N. Eighth St. in Bismarck.

Inspire Family Fellowship was born with a vision to reach struggling and seeking people in the Bismarck and Mandan area with the story of Jesus Christ. It is the church's goal to provide worship experiences that the whole family can relate to, grow from and enjoy.

In addition an Inspire Rally, to be held at the North Dakota Heritage Center, 612 E. Boulevard Ave. in Bismarck, will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 13. Pizza will be offered and a worship service begins at 7 p.m.

Send faith briefs to kimberly.wynn@bismarcktribune.com.
Marabella South celebrates top students

While, to some, the results may not be unusual, the school has been labelled a problem school over the years because of the behaviour of some students.

Many of the students at the school come from depressed areas in and around Marabella.

School principal Sheldon Jodha was clearly elated at his students success, The hard work of students and teachers combined, ensured the academic success of six of our students at the CSE C exams this year, he said.

Jada Clarke, 17, and Venessa Bobb, 18, each secured seven ones and one Caribbean Vocational qualification (CVQ) in their exams.

Clarke obtained six distinctions while Bobb captured five.

Their outstanding performances were followed by: Kerdesha Barclay, 17, Elizabeth Cooper, 17, Renee Smith, 17, and Samantha Gangapersad, 16, who obtained passes in all their subjects.

These young ladies were part of the third and final group of girls under the Ministry of Education Single Gender Initiative.

Under this initiative, Jodha said, The pass rates at exams significantly increased and the MOE should reinstate this programme to ensure higher success rates. The initiative was introduced in 2010 by the ministry to convert 20 co-educational schools to single sex with hopes of increasing academic performances.

Jodha believed Marabella South Secondarys performance this year was a testament to the fact the project was working along with administrative changes that were implemented.

Jodha said the new school policies ensured that teachers were prepared and attended classes regularly.

There were also incentive programmes for students such as prizes for the top performers at the end of each term for academic success and achievements in other areas. To make the students feel appreciated at school, Jodha said the school distributed tokens on Valentines Day, Universal Childrens Day and Christmas.

Clarke, an aspiring actuary as well as the schools highest achiever stated, I am proud to say I am a Marabella South student.

My advice to incoming students is to always ask for assistance and it takes long hours, hard work and sacrifices to get the result you desire. Smith, whose next step is to pursue a certificate in criminology, advised, It does not matter what school you pass for. It depends on how you work. And through prayer and determination you can achieve all your goals in life. The six students expressed heartfelt thanks to their teachers Ms Doughty, Mr Ramsagar and Ms Ramlogan. They placed emphasis on the excellent support system that their teachers provided, as well as their parents.
Police say Sangre Grande teens were not kidnapped

However two men ages 48 and 39, believed to be relatives of the teens, remained in police custody yesterday after it was found the kidnapping report made by the men was false. The men are expected to be charged with wasteful employment of the police.

Yesterday the Police Service issued a press release to describe the teens kidnapping as false and added that an investigation was being carried out by officers of the Eastern Division.

Police said, The resources of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit were activated around 5 am on Thursday after a report of three persons being kidnapped and a subsequent report made by relatives at around 10 am on Thursday. The report indicated Deo Lutchman, his son 16-year-old Darryl Lutchman and his nephew 14-year-old Brandon Sam, all of Oropouche Road, Sangre Grande, were kidnapped by armed men and bundled into a white Tiida vehicle, while hunting at Non Pareil Road, Sangre Grande, at about 8 pm on Wednesday.

Deo Lutchman was subsequently released on Thursday August 24, 2017, and a ransom demand of $350,000 made, for the safe return of the teenagers.

Officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Sangre Grande CID under Inspector Ken Lutchman are continuing investigations.

Yesterday relatives of the two teenagers found wandering in Penal said that the incident was domestic related and an attempt to extort money from relatives of the teens.
DNA samples taken from relatives of woman burnt to death

The samples taken from Aleena Babwah and Surendra Harrylal would confirm via Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing if the charred unrecognisable remains is that of Harrylal.

Harrylal, 26, her common- law husband Michael Applewaithe, 35, and another male were believed to have been tied up and the house set ablaze. At about 8 am, a villager in a car was alerted to the tragedy when she saw Harrylals four year old son wandering barefoot along the roadway.

The villager said the boy appeared to be traumatised. The crying child told the woman his mother was burnt in a fire and is in heaven.

The villager, who knew the boy, drove to the familys home and saw the house burnt to the ground.

The house is located miles off the Carlsen Field Road in a forested area and there are no houses in close proximity to the structure.

Members of the Police and Fire Services were contacted and when they arrived, police said a trail of blood was found near the ruins. Investigators are working on the theory that the occupants were killed and their bodies set on fire in the house. Residents said they had seen smoke earlier that day but many assumed it may have been a bush fire in the area.

Yesterday Harrylals step father Errol Babwah told Newsday was still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

We know it is Michelle. This is really hard and I dont know if we will ever be able to get over this. My step daughter did not deserve this. Police are asking members of the public to assist them with any information they may have with respect to the unidentified person believed to be an adult male. Homicide Region Three members are investigating.
Mouttet is a professional

BSG vice president Andrew Purdey made this disclosure to Newsday yesterday. In making this disclosure, Purdey said he was very impressed with the interaction he had with Mouttet and the team which is supporting the former TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce president.

He is a professional, Purdey said.

Purdey said he met with Mouttet over the last two days and provided Mouttet with all the information that BSG has regarding the procurement of the vessels. He (Mouttet) got it already, Purdey added.

He said the meeting with Mouttet and his team was very productive and positive. Purdey said BSG was pleased to be able to cooperate fully with Mouttet and provide a full lay of the land on the vessels procurement, from its perspective.

Purdey also said he and BSG are available to answer any other questions which Mouttet may have. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley appointed Mouttet on August 15 as sole investigator into the circumstances surrounding the procurement of the Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2 and the entering into the charter party agreement for these vessels.

Mouttet is to submit a report to Rowley in 30 days time. Mouttet is being supported by the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs in the conduct of his investigation.

At a news conference at the Magdalena Grand Hotel on Monday, the Prime Minister slammed attempts by the Opposition and other people to demonise Mouttet. He said all this would achieve is that if a citizen is asked in the future to either serve on the board of any State agency or conduct any investigation on the States behalf, they will think twice before they serve. Rowley said something crooked may have happened in the procurement process for the Ocean Flower 2.

Purdey has insisted there was no crookedness on BSGs part in the charter party agreements for the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2. The contracts were above board, Purdey said. On Thursday, Port Authority chairman Alison Lewis said the Authority met with Mouttet. Lewis said the Authority is providing Mouttet with documents which he requested.

Purdey also said he is willing to appear before the Land and Physical Infrastructure joint select committee (JSC) to present BSGs perspective on this issue. The JSC will hold public hearing on the domestic seabridge on September 4 at Tower D of the Port of Spain International Waterfront Centre and at the Victor B Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough on September 6. Both hearings begin at 1 pm.

The Integrity Commission is also conducting an investigation into this matter.
Leptospirosis survivor cautions citizens

Twenty-five-year-old Venesh Boodram, from Granville in south Trinidad is thanking God for sparing his life. He said in an instant his whole life changed when he was diagnosed with Leptospirosis. My life as I knew it just slipped before my eyes all because of rat poisoning,  he said tearfully According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Leptospirosis is an infection in rodents and other wild and domesticated species. Rodents are implicated most often in human cases. The infection in man is contracted through skin abrasions and the mucosa of the nose, mouth and eyes. Exposure through water contaminated by urine from infected animals is the most common route of infection.

Human-to-human transmission is rare. It is caused by bacteria of the genus Leptospira.

In humans, it can cause a wide range of symptoms, some of which may be mistaken for other diseases. Some infected persons, however, may have no symptoms at all. Without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis (inflammation of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord), liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death.

Speaking with Newsday recently , Boodram said he wanted his experience to be a wake-up call to all citizens that you should never take life for granted. The young construction worker recalled that he went for a swim in pond in his village with some friends on July 16 . I just went out to lime with my friends and have a good time  he said. The next morning he fell ill. It felt like a normal virus, I was taking Panadol, it was only when I started to cough up blood that I went to the health centre. According to Boodram, he was told he was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) and awoke seven days after.

I am thankful to the Lord that I opened my eyes to see another day. he said.

Lecturer Anaesthetics and Intensive Care, Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, UWI and consultant in intensive care, Dr Keevan Singh ,explained that severe leptospirosis, also known as Weils disease, can cause kidney failure and bleeding in the lungs. The mortality rate for this condition is very high. These patients are usually admitted to the ICU, placed on mechanical ventilation and in most cases would need some form of dialysis (kidney support) as well as treatment for the underlying condition which may have already started. When asked about the survival rate from leptospirosis, Singh said that this usually depends on the age and the underlying condition.

He stated that older patients will generally not do as well as a young person and if the underlying condition is curable, the outcome is usually good.Generally, the more organs affected by the disease condition (e.g heart, lungs, kidney, brain, liver) the worse the outcome - this is referred to as multi-organ failure. When asked what are some challenges for recovering patients from the Intensive Care Unit, Singh said,  Even if a patient survives and is discharged from the ICU, there are still many challenges to face. Most ICU patients will be extremely weak, a condition referred to as ICU acquired weakness, this means they will need help with most of their basic activities.Singh also explained that in most cases leptospirosis is mild and uneventful.

Boodram expressed thanks to all the doctors and nurses at the SFGH, who helped him recover from this illness. In a final message to citizens, he said, This has been a very traumatic experience for me , I am still recovering. My family ,friends and villagers have supported me a lot, I would like to tell everyone to be very careful about where you go and what you eat.
NCRHA launches new clinics

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh welcomed this initiative because the growing impact of NCDs on the economy and society is expected to intensify as the population gets older.

Deyalsingh said these projects have already resulted in the screening of more than 5,000 people by doctors. He said the addition of these clinics, will significantly extend this reach even more into our communities where more work is needed. NCRHA chairman Steve De Las said the Authority has been networking with religious organisations and other institutions to provide on site screening. De Las said the NCRHAs In Touch outreach programme, takes the service home to critical patients. NCRHA general manager (primary care services) Dr Abdul Hamid said these clinics make it easier for doctors to spend more time with their patients, as they will be closer to the communities that they serve. Hamid said over time, the clinic at the EW MSC will be able to focus on tertiary level critically-ill patients who can receive more specialised attention from doctors.

The new clinics will simultaneously reduce the volume of patients being treated at the EW MSCs clinic. The World Health Organisation said NCDs accounted for 80 per cent of deaths in TT in 2014. The schedule for the clinics are as follows- St Joseph Enhanced Centre, Mondays, 8 am to noon; Chaguanas District Health Facility, Tuesdays, 8 am to noon and Arima District Facility, 8 am to noon.
Property tax evaluators receive certificates

He said 17 people were also trained as supervisors who will coordinate the field collection effort and vet the information.

Because one of the things we dont want to do is to have errors with the data, so that part of that is to ensure that we have the most accurate, reliable data that we can because you are dealing with peoples most important investment, which is land and property. Ramlal said every effort will be made to ensure the information is reliable and correctly documented.

He urged the graduates to resist temptation and protect their good name when they go into the field to gather information.

Ramlal said homeowners might attempt to persuade them to falsify the value of their properties so that they will attract less tax, but they must resist any temptation to do so.
Ministry wants to meet with CXC

He said this yesterday after meeting with principals of all secondary schools in Trinidad. A meeting with teachers and principals in Tobago is to be scheduled.

He said, The meeting was called to address the concerns expressed by principals with respect to the fiasco of the late release of results. Garcia said schools had been encountering various issues with CXC over the past few months.

He added that the intention of the ministry was not to degrade the regional body, however, It is our responsibility to ensure that the integrity of the examination is maintained and we must ensure that the public confidence in the body is regained. We are going to make a request with officials of CXC to visit Trinidad and Tobago so they can give us a first-hand view of the causes of the difficulties we have been experiencing, Garcia said.

He added that their visit could reassure all stakeholders that the regional body was taking the necessary actions to ensure the same problems did not occur in the future.

Garcia said the problems stated by principals were to be relayed to CXC so that it could work with the ministry to avoid similar occurrences in the future.

He added that principals were happy to be given the opportunity to voice their concerns.

As the practising professionals in the field, we wanted to dialogue with them and use their advice as we move forward in our pursuit of delivering quality education. Chief Education Officer Harrilal Seecharan said, Some issues principals highlighted were the lateness of results; concerns about the e-marking process; recruitment of markers for that process and the monitoring of quality assurance; issues related to proposed online testing and the readiness of schools for online testing. He added that timely communication from CXC to schools was also a concern and one principal believed that multiple choice questions should be more readily available.

Seecharan said the ministry also took the opportunity to address other issues as the opening of the school term nears. Matters involving increasing the efficiency of the school feeding and the school transport programmes as well as promoting discipline in schools were discussed.
Morocco and Spain maintain close counterterrorism cooperation that includes the reform of the religious sphere and discourse as a key lever in fighting extremist ideologies, said the Spokesperson for the Moroccan government Mustapha El Khalfi.

Speaking following the weekly government meeting held Thursday, El Khalfi said that Morocco spares no effort to bring help to Spain as it leads investigations in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks that hit Catalonia.

Investigations are underway, he said, adding that pro-active measures have been taken to identify all those involved in such terrorist attacks, he said, noting the trans-border character of terrorism.

He said Moroccan-Spanish security cooperation stands as a model in the region as the two countries have led several successful joint operations against terrorist groups.

Terrorist ideology is continuously developing its plots taking advantage of the internet as a recruitment centre, El Khalfi noted.

In this respect, he stressed the need for international cooperation that takes into account the multi-dimensional character of counter-terrorism.

Moroccan authorities have arrested two people in Nador and Oujda, suspected of links to the perpetrators of the van attack that killed 13 people in the Spanish city of Barcelona.

Following these arrests, a team of Moroccan experts flew to Mardrid to offer support to Spanish investigators, part of Moroccan-Spanish cooperation against terrorism and organized crime.
Trump has giveth, and Trump could taketh away, in Alabamas GOP Senate contest, to the chagrin of incumbent Luther Strange. Photo: Zach Gibson - Pool/Getty Images; Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call

In an Alabama U.S. Senate primary that began as a fierce competition to see which of three leading candidates could pose as the most worshipful supporter of Donald Trump, the president may soon boast the dubious accomplishment of having stabbed two of them in the back.

Before the first round of the primary on August 15 to choose a successor to Jeff Sessions, Congressman Mo Brooks staked his candidacy to a claim that he was entirely loyal to Trump, while appointed incumbent Luther Strange had eyes only for Mitch McConnell. He even made Trumps demand for an end to the legislative filibuster the centerpiece of his campaign. Then, out of the blue, Trump (expected by everyone in Alabama to remain neutral) endorsed Strange and basically handed an anvil to poor ol Mo, who finished a disappointing third.

Strange joyfully embraced his most wonderful president more than ever, hoping Trumps very high levels of popularity would drag him across the finish line in a runoff against Roy Moore, who finished first on August 15 and seemed to have a big lead in the first post-primary polls.

But now, Trump is having second thoughts about his choice for Alabama, or so the Washington Post is hearing:

President Trump is considering backing away from Sen. Luther Strange in a heated Republican primary runoff in Alabama, according to multiple Republicans close to the White House, underscoring the deteriorating relationship between the president and the Senate GOP.

Yikes! Is nothing sacred? Apparently not when Trump is looking for a way to impress upon Mitch McConnell (who has supplied most of the money for Stranges campaign) the costs involved in displeasing the White House.

Trump did not signal a desire this week to formally withdraw his endorsement of Strange, the Republicans said. But he is considering being less engaged than in the first round of voting earlier this month, when he tweeted his support and recorded a robo-call for the senator, they said  potentially turning the contest into yet another example of the frayed relationship between Trump and McConnell.

With over a month left to go in the runoff race, Trumps silence on Stranges account could shout pretty loudly, even if Trump doesnt take back his endorsement. Having latched himself to Trumps mast in order to navigate the storms of criticism and having endured as the senator appointed by disgraced former Governor Robert Bentley under suspicious circumstances, Big Luther could find himself lost on the shoals of a campaign gone terribly wrong. You know, sort of like Mo Brooks.

Fortunately for Roy Moore, his profile among Alabama conservatives doesnt depend on any mere mortals endorsement, given the shockingly widespread belief that hes the candidate of the angry Old Testament God he is determined to put in charge of Americas future. Indeed, the judges nationally renowned reputation as a grim theocrat is both his greatest strength and weakness. Even if Donald Trump abandons Strange, the Alabama business community might help Mitch McConnell give Strange a financial boost out of fear that perceptions of the state as a forward-looking place hospitable to corporations who just want to make profits without much in the way of taxes or regulations could take a hit from Senator Roy Moore hurling thunderbolts at heathens and sodomites every other day.

But whatever happens, future Republican candidates should pay close attention: Dont trust Donald Trumps flattery too much. He is most definitely a politician with wandering eyes.
Satellite image of Tropical Storm Harvey on Saturday afternoon. Photo: NOAA

The Latest

 This post was last updated on Saturday night. For Sundays post about the subsequent flooding in the Houston area, go here.

 Hurricane Harvey was downgraded to a tropical storm on Saturday afternoon, with sustained winds of 70 mph or less accompanied by an enormous amount of rainfall. Harvey has weakened considerably since making landfall on Friday night as a Category 4 storm, but has done extensive damage along the Gulf Coast, primarily between Galveston and Corpus Christi, posing a significant danger for Texas residents. As of early Saturday night, the storm was positioned almost entirely inland, while moving very slowly to the east-northeast.

 The primary concern now is flooding from the massive amounts of rain the storm will continue to produce as it stalls and hovers over the state. That rainfall is expected to continue for days, producing what the National Weather Service expects to be catastrophic and life-threatening flooding. The tropical-storm conditions could persist in the region through Wednesday.

Dr. Jeff Masters warned on Saturday: An extremely serious situation with few if any close parallels in modern U.S. hurricane history is taking shape over the southeast third of Texas.

 At least one person is dead, with 14 people injured and nine missing on account of the storm  and thats all in one coastal town, Rockport, where Harvey made landfall north of Corpus Christi.

 Several tornadoes have been reported on Saturday in the affected region, along with multiple tornado warnings in both southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana.

 A combination of mandatory and voluntary evacuations have been ordered for areas most at risk from the flooding, including the evacuation of some 4,500 inmates from three Texas prisons near a flood-prone river.

 Twenty-five percent of the Gulfs oil production was offline as of Saturday, and gas prices are expected to rise across the country as a result of various storm-related shutdowns within the industry.

 Harvey is the first Category 4 hurricane to strike the U.S. since 2004, and the first major hurricane to hit since 2005.

Harveys projected path as of late Saturday afternoon. Photo: National Weather Service

The Forecast and Flood Risk

The danger moving into Saturday night and beyond, as meteorologists have repeatedly warned over the past few days, is water. The latest forecasts predict that Harvey will hover across southeast Texas for as many as five days and continue to dump water on the state for much of that time, meaning the regions coast, rivers, streams, creeks, and bayous are all at high risk of flooding.

Updated rainfall totals from WPC for the next 7 days. Think of #Harvey's intense rain as a marathon, not a sprint #houwx #glswx #bcswx #txwx pic.twitter.com/Ynf9RiBIl1  NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) August 26, 2017

As Weather Underground meteorologist Bob Henson pointed out on Saturday:

There is virtually no precedent for such a slow-moving system maintaining at least tropical storm strength along the Texas coast for five days. Whether or not Harvey maintains tropical storm strength will depend in large part on how close its center drifts to the coast. Regardless of its status, Harveys slow movement and huge amounts of moisture will lead to enormous rainfall and will likely produce vast areas of flooding.

Walked outside of the hotel just now in @CityofGalveston to this monsoon. Wow it's coming down. @TheSanLuisGalv #khou11 pic.twitter.com/4ple7u0a5A  Josh Chapin (@JoshChapinABC11) August 26, 2017

Henson explained that the multi-day onshore flow and storm surge coupled with extreme inland rainfall would push enormous amounts of water from several directions leading to widespread and potentially historic flooding early next week southeast of Houston and elsewhere. The storm is not expected to depart the area until Thursday and may retain tropical-storm strength through Wednesday. By the time Harvey finally moves away, it may have deposited more than three feet of rain on some areas  and all of that water has to go somewhere. Bensons colleague Weather Underground founder Dr. Jeff Masters laid out the stakes even more bluntly on Saturday afternoon after revisiting the latest data:

Regardless of Harveys ultimate track, there is very little doubt that Texas is in for one of the worst rainfall and flood events in its history. The resulting rainfall is very likely to produce widespread, devastating, and potentially catastrophic flooding. The situation in Houston is particularly concerning, given that citys vast size and population and its well-known vulnerability to flooding.

In other words, it is a matter of when, not if, major or possibly record flooding begins to occur in parts of southeast Texas. And the rainfall may not be even continuous, but come in waves, and some areas that get less rain may still be in danger thanks to the accumulation of precipitation upstream. According to the National Weather Service, 49 river locations in the region are expected to experience major flood conditions.

Major river flooding is forecast for many locations across Texas due to heavy #Harvey rains. NEVER drive or walk through flood waters! pic.twitter.com/fvaKbv088z  National Weather Service (@NWS) August 26, 2017

And if Houston gets the rain its predicted to get, or more, overnight on Saturday, its problems will likely begin on Sunday morning.

Buffalo Bayou, the main river that goes through downtown Houston, is now expected to reach record flood stage due to #Harvey's rainfall. pic.twitter.com/xZtzp1d1tD  Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) August 26, 2017

The Tornadoes

There is also a continued risk of tornadoes generated by the storm, both in Texas and southwestern Louisiana. Multiple tornado warnings were issued on Friday and Saturday, and several tornadoes were reported to have touched down in Texas on Saturday, including some in a very populated county northwest of Houston.

The National Weather Service says there may have been as many as 12 tornadoes in the area in the last 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/g1qdSu1WHD  David Tillman (@TillmanWeather) August 26, 2017

Big time damage in Katy, tornado came rolling through destroying Boat & RV Storage, Trailer World off Katy Freeway #HurricaneHarvey pic.twitter.com/WIdwIYPXuO  Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) August 26, 2017

The Damage So Far

Packing 130 mph winds, Harvey caused extensive destruction along the coast after it made landfall on Friday night. Authorities have not yet been able to estimate the dollar amount of the damage, but it will likely be substantial. In addition to the damage done to buildings, vehicles, boats, and trees, the storm also knocked out power for more than 300,000 people.

At least one person is dead, with 14 people injured and nine missing, according to authorities  all in Rockport, Texas.

Donna Raney makes her way out of the wreckage of her home after Hurricane Harvey destroyed her apartment in Rockport, Texas. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Rockport Among the Hardest Hit

The coastal town of Rockport took a devastating direct hit from the storm. Many homes, businesses, and municipal buildings were completely destroyed in and around Rockport, and as of Saturday afternoon, authorities were still searching for possible victims there since about half of the towns 10,000 residents chose not to evacuate. So far, the only confirmed death from the storm was in Rockport, and rescue teams have been going door-to-door to check on residents. Those efforts, as well as the towns overall efforts to recover, have been hampered by flooding, debris, and a lack of cell-phone service. Some images of Rockports devastation are below:

A Rockport condominium complex reduced to rubble by Hurricane Harvey and more of our latest photos from Texas https://t.co/oX16oWXg0r pic.twitter.com/fAKudRZEJp  Reuters Pictures (@reuterspictures) August 26, 2017

Major flooding is blocking business 35 south of Rockport, TX. Search and rescue teams combing through rubble @breakingweather #Harvey pic.twitter.com/R2Kh95gI0s  Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) August 26, 2017

First pic is a gym at Rockport Fulton High. Second is the First Baptist Church in Rockport. Devastating damage. #harvey pic.twitter.com/ghNqCrXrYO  Leslie Aguilar (@LeslieKCTV5) August 26, 2017

Other towns between Galveston and Corpus Christi were also damaged by the storm, though some  particularly near Corpus Christi  got hit harder than others. The regions major cities seemed to escape Harveys landfall without suffering significant damage. In the meantime, the full extent of the damage remains unknown, especially considering the difficulty emergency crews have had getting to and through the affected areas.

Major devastation in Holiday Beach, TX just north of Rockport, TX worst yet we have seen from #Harvey @breakingweather pic.twitter.com/vZ9tBhyz2p  Reed Timmer (@ReedTimmerAccu) August 26, 2017

Two of our reporters made it into Port Aransas. Here's their report on the devastation #HurricaneHarvey left behind. https://t.co/C2dnU1wF0x pic.twitter.com/Qp6w0X83Wr  Lauren McGaughy (@lmcgaughy) August 26, 2017

Oil-and-Gas Industry

Roughly 25 percent of the Gulfs oil production was offline as of Saturday on account of Harvey, as many industry businesses suspended their operations ahead of the storm. Fifteen percent of the regions oil platforms were evacuated, as were half of the drilling rigs in the Gulf; at least three refineries and two petrochemical plants also shut down in advance.

Its not clear how much of the oil-and-gas infrastructure may have been damaged by the storm, but the speed at which the facilities reopen will depend on the availability of power and the extent of any flooding. The Associated Press estimates that gas prices in the U.S. could go up by five to 25 cents as a result of the shutdowns.

The Response

President Trump signed a disaster declaration on Friday night at the request of Texas governor Greg Abbott, granting the state additional federal resources. The White House said on Saturday that he also conducted a video conference from Camp David with relevant agencies, like FEMA, and stressed to them that the preservation of lives should be their priority.

On Saturday, Governor Abbot gave a press conference in which he warned residents that flooding continued to be the greatest looming danger and that search-and-rescue efforts were the governments primary focus. Abbott said he had made emergency-disaster declarations for 50 counties in the state and activated hundreds of military service members. State agencies are also working to deliver supplies to areas in need, and numerous charities have set up shelter spaces in southeast Texas.

While residents of places like Corpus Christi have been told they can return to their homes, elsewhere, mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders have been issued near where floodwaters are expected to rise. Those evacuations even include some 4,500 inmates from three prisons next to the Brazos River near Rosharon. Many road closures have also been ordered in an attempt to prevent drivers from getting near the floodwaters.

This developing news story has been updated throughout.
FARGO  The last thing Brooke Lynn Crews put on the public portion of her Facebook page are the words: When you truly stop caring what the (expletive) anyone thinks of you, you will reach a whole new level of freedom.

That was on New Years Eve, and only one friend commented.

Starting on Friday, many more people commented, but they were calling Crews names and wishing her a long stay in prison. Several wondered whether she had children of her own.

Crews, 38, was arrested the day before along with her boyfriend, William Henry Hoehn, 32, for their alleged involvement in the disappearance of a pregnant neighbor, Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, 22. Police found a newborn baby in Crews and Hoehns apartment who they believe is LaFontaine-Greywinds, but the mother was nowhere to be found.

In Bradenton, Fla., Aaron Edwards, who had a child with Crews 22 years ago, said he was shocked to learn from his daughter that her mother had been accused of such a crime. To him, she was not particularly dangerous but irresponsible, not having been involved with their daughters upbringing for the past 19 years and not paying child support.

He said his daughter is in touch with three other siblings who have been similarly ignored by Crews, and he knows Crews has at least three more children. It just seemed like she was more into doing her partying, do her own thing and not have to have anything holding her back. And she wanted to go off and do what she wanted to.

Hoehn has at least two children of his own, one of whom he physically abused in 2011 when the boy was a baby, according to court records.

The Forum tried to contact the mothers of Hoehns children and others who knew Crews but was unsuccessful.

Mother of seven

When Edwards knew her, Crews was a 15-year-old from Bradenton named Brooke Doolin, and she had already been a mother for a few years, he said. He was 18 then, and she told him she was 18 also, he said, but he found out the truth when he took her to see the doctor while she was pregnant with their daughter.

She stuck around a couple of years but eventually left him to be with someone else, he said. He hasnt heard from her for 19 years, and their daughter has only had contact with her over Facebook for a few months about seven years ago, he said.

From what Crews told him, she seemed to have had a rootless childhood bouncing in and out of foster care, though she never used that to justify her behavior, he said. She had a powerful temper, he said, but wasnt violent except for their last fight over bills when she threatened him with a hammer.

Court records from Florida, Minnesota and North Dakota show Crews has had children by at least five men. Two of the men, including Edwards, and her eldest child, whos now in her mid-20s, sued her for child support.

Edwards said the courts lost track of her for a while because she didnt seem to have a permanent address. He said she paid a total of about $600 in child support.

She seemed to have settled down a few years ago after giving birth to her youngest children, now 12 and 14, and marrying their father, Carl Crews of Perham, Minn. Court records show they divorced in 2008, and there was a dispute over her paying child support in 2015 when the court noted she was voluntarily unemployed.

A babys fractured skull

Crews started dating Hoehn around 2014, and it seemed to have been a stormy relationship, according to court records.

In May 2016, not long after they moved into the apartment they were living in until their arrest, police reported they had a fight that led to Hoehn throwing her into the bathtub. He pleaded guilty to simple assault and was ordered by the court to have no contact with Crews.

Police came to their apartment again six months later after hearing of a disturbance there and found Hoehn with Crews. He pleaded guilty to violating a no-contact order.

Hoehn, too, seemed to have had a difficult upbringing.

In 2001, a few weeks after he turned 16, he sued his father Dean and mother Carolyn Johnson for a few thousand dollars in child support, according to court records. He was living in Fargo then, while his father lived in Larimore, North Dakota, and his mother in Kingsville, Texas.

Three years later when he was 18, he would be sued for child support himself by Ryananne Hunsberger, a Philadelphia woman. Their child is now 13. Six years later, he became a father again when he was with Angela Nelson, a Grand Forks woman.

In 2011, when the younger of his two children was a baby, Hoehn brought him to a Grand Forks hospital where doctors found fractures in his skull near his right ear. Law enforcement officials determined the fractures couldnt have been caused by an accident or medical condition and charged Hoehn with child abuse. The boy, who is now 6, wasnt expected at the time to have long-term health consequences.

Hoehn pleaded guilty in 2012 just before a jury trial was to begin.

He was sentenced to one year in the Grand Forks County jail with about two-thirds of that time suspended and was placed on two years of probation. A no-contact order between Hoehn and his son was lifted in June 2012.

On the public portion of Hoehns Facebook page, one of the most recent postings is a video captioned: So hows 2017 going so far? In the video, a boy at an indoor playground jumps off a platform onto some flexible webbing high above the ground only to plunge through all of the webbing into the darkness below.
Arpaio received a get-out-of-jail-free card. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Days before Donald Trump was sworn in as president, the Supreme Court heard the very last case of the Obama administration  a civil-rights dispute over whether high-ranking federal officials can be held accountable for violating peoples constitutional rights. Justice Stephen Breyer, an institutional pragmatist, seemed to seize on the case to portend the heavy lift that awaited the justice system in the years ahead: Theres no blank check, even for the president, he said during the hearing. And if theres no blank check, that means sometimes they can go too far. And if they have gone too far, it is our job to say that.

The tragedy of Trumps full pardon of disgraced Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio is that theres nothing anyone can do to check it. Certainly not the courts: The pardon is not only unconditional and irrevocable, but also an affront to judicial authority writ large  part and parcel of the presidents ongoing feud with federal judges who dont rule as hed like.

The reason Arpaios reprieve is a slap in the face to the courts is that the crime originated in the courts. U.S. District Judge Murray Snow  a deeply conservative George W. Bush appointee who for years oversaw a civil case accusing the sheriff of trampling on Latinos constitutional rights  held him in contempt of court for doing precisely the thing he was being sued over. Snow had had it with Arpaios recalcitrance: He and his cronies have demonstrated a persistent disregard for the orders of the Court, as well as an intention to violate and manipulate the laws and policies regulating their conduct, he wrote in a contempt order last year.

Arpaios trail of racist lawlessness is endless. But this was the first time that his disregard for the rule of law rose to the level of a criminal offense  Snow found his violations serious enough under federal law that he felt a referral to the Department of Justice was necessary. And once all was said and done, it was Trumps own Justice Department that prosecuted Arpaio and scored a conviction against him before a different judge just last month. The evidence was conclusive: Because the Court finds that Defendant willfully violated an order of the court, it finds Defendant guilty of criminal contempt.

None of that matters now. Trumps pardon short-circuits the entire process: Arpaio hadnt even been sentenced yet. The pardon effectively disrupts the work of career DOJ lawyers who were preparing for the sentencing phase; of court officers who were readying a pre-sentence report to guide the sentencing judge; of Arpaios own lawyers, who just last week filed court papers seeking to quash Arpaios conviction; of the judge who was due to sentence the sheriff in October. The wheels of justice ground to a halt simply because the nations chief executive said so. As with other matters that are still within the purview of prosecutors, like Bob Muellers inquiry into whether the president obstructed justice in the Russia probe, Trump is once again inserting himself in criminal proceedings that are yet to run their course. As one former White House counsel put it in Lawfare, a pardon will have every appearance of being direct interference in the administration of justice.

Trump may very well believe that Arpaio was adjudged a convicted criminal simply for doing his job, as he told a cheerful crowd in Phoenix earlier this week. The two share a bond over rounding up bad hombres, after all, and then some. But no law-enforcement officers job description includes a carte blanche to violate constitutional rights, let alone flout court orders to stop doing so. On its own terms, the pardon flies in the face of Trumps purported law-and-order presidency.

Maybe Trump meant for the pardon to be interpreted as a reward for Arpaios faithful surrogacy during the presidential campaign. Maybe its a presidential show of gratitude for being the only ally with the guts to not give up on the birther crusade against President Obama. Or maybe Trump is simply being Trump  playing to his base by pardoning the unpardonable just because he can, and because it would drive the other side mad. We polled the race stuff and it didnt matter, Stephen Bannon infamously told Joshua Green. More red meat for the red-hat crowd.

No one knows what other clemency initiatives Trump has in store for what remains of his presidency, and this one in particular, egregious though it may be, will not result in impeachment. But its a harbinger of whats to come for a president and an administration that will soon be forced to reckon more and more with another lawman who will be sure to treat every interference  and preemptive pardon  as the obstruction that it is. No blank checks there.
This undated picture released by North Koreas official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on April 26, 2017 shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attending the combined fire demonstration of the Korean Peoples Army in celebration of its 85th founding anniversary. Photo: STR/AFP/Getty Images

North Korea reportedly fired three short-range ballistic missiles Saturday, its first weapons test since the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to impose harsh new sanctions against the country earlier this month.

The U.S. military officials confirmed the launches from Kittaeryong, on North Koreas eastern coast, but indicated those tests may have faced some setbacks. The first and third missiles at 11:49 a.m. and 12:19 p.m. failed in flight, Commander David Benham, a spokesperson for U.S. Pacific Command, said in a statement. The second missile launch at 12:07 p.m. appears to have blown up almost immediately. South Korean military officials said the missiles flew 155 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns latest provocation comes weeks after tensions between Pyongyang and Washington reached a fever pitch. President Donald Trump and Kim have traded threats over the past month, with Trump promising to rain fire and fury down on North Korea and Kim threatening to blast missiles toward Guam. This ballistic-missile test  North Koreas 12th this year  further dampens hope for any diplomatic solution to North Koreas nuclear-weapons program. The tough U.N. sanctions  supported by China and Russia  were intended to help nudge Kim closer to the negotiating table, but instead, he has again defied the international community.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.
Near the scene of Fridays attack in Brussels. Photo: Aurore Belot/Getty

Less than two weeks after 15 people were killed in a pair of terrorist attacks in Spain, two separate but seemingly unrelated incidents of suspected terrorism took place minutes apart in European capitals on Friday night.

In central Brussels around 8:20 p.m., a knife-wielding attacker stabbed a police officer in the hand and injured another before police shot him. He later died in hospital. The countrys federal-prosecutors office said the suspect, 30, was shouting Allahu Akbar as he stabbed the officer. He was Somali by origin, and became a Belgian citizen in 2015; he had not previously been linked to any terrorist activity.

On Saturday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the stabbing.

At almost the same time in London, a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace after brandishing a four-foot sword and also repeatedly chanting Allahu Akbar. Three police officers sustained minor injuries as they arrested the man, a 26-year-old from the town of Luton. Police said they were treating the incident as suspected terrorism. The man had driven into a restricted area near the palace, and reached for his sword when unarmed officers approached. Police are looking into the suspects mental-health history; as The Guardian notes, at least two incidents initially thought to have been terror-motivated knife attacks  one at Leytonstone tube station in December 2015 and the other in Russell Square in August 2016  were later determined to be more driven by the attackers mental health problems.

Brussels has long been seen as a hotbed of Islamic extremism. Belgium is the Western country with the highest per-capita flow of fighters to ISIS in Syria. In March 2016, bombers detonated explosives at Brussels Airport and at a Metro station in the city, killing 32 civilians and putting the city on lockdown. The ISIS-linked perpetrators of that attack were linked to the November 2015 attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people. In June, police killed a Moroccan man who was attempting to detonate explosives at the citys central train station.

The U.K., meanwhile, has seen several high-profile incidents of terrorism this year. In May, Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, killing 22. And in London, there have been three incidences of murder-by-vehicle: In March, 52-year-old Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminister Bridge, killing four before being shot by police. In June, three attackers ran over pedestrians on London Bridge before jumping out and stabbing to death eight people before police shot them. Later that month, 47-year-old Darren Osborne ran over worshippers at a Finsbury Park mosque, killing one, in an apparent attack against Muslims.

This post has been updated to include ISISs claim of responsibility.
Arpaio. Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

As a Category 4 hurricane bore down on Texas, President Trump announced he would pardon exArizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, a prominent supporter of the president, who is one of the most divisive figures on immigration in the country.

Trump had all but confirmed he would make the move at a raucous rally in Phoenix Wednesday night, but held off until Friday. This is the first time Trump has used his pardoning power; the Department of Justice reportedly had no knowledge of it, with Trump seemingly circumventing the apparatus in place for such decisions.

In a statement, Trump said that Arpaios life and career exemplify selfless public service, and that he protected the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration during his time as a law-enforcement official.

Arpaio, 85, became a national figure for his harsh treatment of criminals and undocumented immigrants during his 24-year run as county sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix. He ran a tent city for prisoners he proudly called a concentration camp, in which he held pretrial detainees in unbearably hot conditions and put prisoners in solitary confinement because they couldnt speak English, among many other abuses of power.

Joe Arpaio literally tortured pre-trial detainees with extreme heat and humiliation tactics because they were Latino https://t.co/d7ZQBGGXOC  Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) August 26, 2017

Arpaio lost his reelection bid for a seventh term last year. He was convicted for criminal contempt in July for ignoring a judges years-old order to stop detaining Latinos he merely suspected of being undocumented immigrants, with no other reason for arrest.

Arpaio has been a prominent backer of President Trump for years; the two bonded over their shared fervor for the conspiracy theory that President Obama was not born in the United States.

On Friday evening, he tweeted his thanks to President Trump, in typical pugnacious form.
The heat is on Manafort. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Robert Muellers probe into Russian electoral interference continues to ramp up. On Friday, NBC News reported that the exFBI head and special counsel had issued subpoenas seeking testimony from multiple public-relations executives tied to exTrump campaign head Paul Manafort. This is the first time Mueller has sought grand-jury testimony for his investigation; its also another piece of bad news for Manafort, who more than ever appears to be an essential figure in the ongoing inquiry.

Before running Donald Trumps presidential campaign last year, Manafort worked for a pro-Russia Ukrainian political party led by Viktor Yanukovych, who was eventually driven out by a popular revolt. Manafort promoted Kremlin-friendly interests through sophisticated public-relations campaigns, but did not register as a foreign agent until earlier this year. A criminal investigation into Manaforts foreign activity, which stretches back many years, was underway even before the 2016 election.

The specific lobbying effort Mueller is looking into involves an effort to gain Ukraine entry into the European Union. But NBC reports that Mueller is trying to piece together a larger picture, which includes Manaforts offshore banking transactions, his tax compliance and his real estate dealings.

We think they are trying to figure out, was this a legitimate project? one executive told NBC.

Manafort was in the room during the now-infamous June 9, 2016 meeting in which top Trump campaign officials met with a Russian lawyer who claimed to have dirt on Hillary Clinton.

Last month, Manaforts house in Virginia was raided by the FBI in a clear sign that his role in Trumps campaign would be central to Muellers investigation. Fridays revelations are another sign of that focus.

Later on Friday, the Washington Post reported that Mueller had also issued subpoenas to SGR LLC, a consulting firm that had done business with exnational security advisor Michael Flynn. Investigators were seeking information about a Dutch company Flynn worked with that had ties to Turkish president Recep Erdogan; Flynn had hired SGR to help manage the account. Flynns ties to Turkey and Erdogan have come under close scrutiny since the presidential election.

Separately, The Wall Street Journal reported that Mueller is looking into what role Flynn, who was forced out of the Trump administration in February, may have played in soliciting Hillary Clintons hacked emails during the campaign.

President Trump has been furious about the ongoing investigation. He has reportedly fumed to multiple GOP senators in recent weeks that Republican allies in Congress are not doing more to shield him from it.

This article has been updated to reflect the subpoenas involving Flynn.
Gorka is going to need a new backdrop. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Controversial Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka has been forced from his role as a deputy assistant to the president, White House officials confirmed on Friday. According to his bridge-burning resignation letter, which he or someone close to him passed to the Federalist, Gorka decided to leave because forces that do not support the MAGA promise are  for now  ascendent within the White House, and those in the administration who did want to Make America Great Again have been internally countered, systematically removed, or undermined in recent months. Gorka had worked under former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, and his departure or termination was widely expected following Bannons ouster.

White House officials denied Gorkas version of his departure. Yahoo News reported that he only resigned after White House Chief of Staff John Kelly revoked Gorkas security clearance while he was on vacation; and a source told the New York Times that Kelly telegraphed his lack of interest in keeping Mr. Gorka during internal discussions over the last week.

Gorka claimed in his resignation letter that he wanted to leave because, after observing recent changes at the White House, he realized that he could best serve President Trump as an outsider. But it remains unclear what Gorka actually did as an insider. The 46-year-old called himself an internationally recognized authority on issues of national security, irregular warfare, terrorism and democratization, but that supposed expertise was widely questioned within the national-security community, and even his former Ph.D. adviser recently commented that, while Gorka was knowledgeable about terrorism, his level of expertise does not match the level where he stands in the White House.

That level didnt include a spot on the National Security Council, and its not at all clear that he served in any other official capacity, either. CNN reported last week that, when asked, the White House refused to answer questions on what exactly Gorka does, whether he advises anyone, and whether he holds the security clearance needed to sit in on meetings involving terrorism.

Gorka, whose fringe criticism of Islam as an inherently violent religion is pretty much the definition of Islamophobia, also released a bestselling book last year called Defeating Jihad: The Winnable War. But critics have pointed out that Gorka does not speak Arabic, has not lived, worked, or even spent much time in the Middle East, and has extremely limited foreign policy or intelligence credentials. Instead, Gorkas primary experience seems to have been as a professor, questionable scholar, and right-wing media personality. Prior to joining the Trump campaign, Gorka worked as an international news editor at Breitbart under Bannon, and has been a regular pundit on television over the past few years.

On top of all that, Gorka, an American citizen who was born in the U.K. to Hungarian parents, had supported Hungarian ultra-nationalists and was reported to be a member of Hungarys far-right, Nazi-linked Vitezi Rend party. Gorka has denied that charge, but he wore a medal to President Trumps inauguration that was linked to the group (which he said he did in memory of his fathers persecution under Hungarys former communist regime). Gorka was also one of the Trump-linked officials who has repeatedly downplayed the threat of right-wing extremism in the U.S., including the risk posed by white-supremacist hate groups like the ones who rallied in Charlottesville, Virginia, two weeks ago.

But while Gorkas contributions to the White House remain a mystery, he did reportedly make President Trump very happy as a combative surrogate for the administration on television. Gorka frequently used his media appearances to deride the media, and had a Trump-like tendency to make questionable or downright incendiary claims  like his suggestion that the recent bombing of a Minnesota mosque may have been a false-flag incident perpetrated by the left.

WH Deputy Assistant to President Trump @SebGorka attacks the media in contentious exchange with @andersoncooper https://t.co/CbyGcCWsLd  Anderson Cooper 360 (@AC360) July 13, 2017

In the end, however, the substantial coverage of Gorkas often wild remarks probably made him seem more important than he ever really was inside the White House. And assuming he continues to make bombastic Trump-pleasing appearances on television, it may be as though he never left.
Protesting Trumps proposed transgender military ban in July. Photo: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will bar transgender people from joining the military, CBS News reported. The directive, which the president first announced in a series of unexpected tweets last month, reverses the Obama administrations 2016 proposal to allow transgender people to openly serve in the armed forces.

Trump, however, is still leaving a fair amount of discretion to his generals  specifically Secretary of Defense James Mattis. According to the New York Times, Mattis will have the final say over whether openly transgender people who are active-duty soldiers may remain in uniform. That is not a guarantee that current transgender service members will be exempt from the ban  just that the Department of Defense will make the final call. The White House has directed the Pentagon to consider military effectiveness and lethality, unitary cohesion, budgetary constraints, applicable law, and all factors that may be relevant to make its final decision on the status of transgender individuals. Defense will have six months to submit a policy recommendation to Trump, with the deadline set for March 23, 2018.

The White Houses memo will also reportedly preclude the military from paying for sex-reassignment surgeries, though transgender soldiers now in treatment are exempt, says NPR.

A White House official said the decision was based on national security considerations, though it likely has more to do with a congressional budget fight.

Former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter announced that transgender people could join the military last year, and the policy was supposed to go into effect on July 1. But Mattis pushed back the start date another six months ahead of that deadline, and in between, Trump issued his Twitter directive.

Trumps initial tweets reportedly blindsided the joint chiefs of staff, and Mattis apparently only had a one-day heads-up. The Times reported that, while Mattis hadnt advocated for the Obama era policy, he also appeared to accept the change  as did much of the military brass. Which means its unclear what will happen next for transgender men and women currently in uniform  though, at the very least, Trumps order will likely be immediately challenged in court.
I don't have one but I'm thinking of starting one

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I want that vinyl. Boys better release it in the US too.

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I have a fairly small collection but I def want that pink vinyl

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they better release it in the States too (as well as other parts of the world so everyone has a chance tbh).



mte. UK ONTD'ers like...buy it for mehhh and i'll pay you for everything and shipping tbhhh.they better release it in the States too (as well as other parts of the world so everyone has a chance tbh).

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after getting these 3 singles I'm pretty excited for the rest of the album, wonderful wonderful is so good

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yes, i love vinyl!

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i looooooove pink vinyl, its so pretty!!!!!



i wish they would release sams town on vinyl but not a picture disc like what they have out rn :(

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Okay, I've loved every single song they've released more than the last. I honestly need this album now.

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I've had Wonderful Wonderful on repeat since yesterday. I'm so shook. I don't know how I'm gonna survive hearing the perfection that will be this album.

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pink? harry styles is shook

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King in Pink, Brandon Flowers , is back to save rock music.



very much like his debut album and the Top 50 of the Billboard 200. bye Harold.



the original Yves Saint Laurent wearin', is back to save rock music.very much like his debut album and the Top 50 of the Billboard 200. bye Harold.

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I can't wait to see them in January. :)

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the man is still my favorite but i am still uber excited for this album and seeing them live!!!!!



also gov ball gif all my feels



and as for vinyl i wish i could afford it :( i go to concerts a lot so i spend my money on that instead

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Ok I was not expecting that, that was fucking good I want the album now!





So right now my vinyl collection is at five records but you gotta start somewhere! The first one was Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto (yes drag me) but my most prized one is Daft Punk's Alive 2017, I just need more money to get all the records I want.

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Pre-ordered the album. Can't wait, love Wonderful Wonderful. And The Man is a good driving song.

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FARGO -- Family and friends of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind, frustrated by the lack of results in the search for her and the time it took to find the baby believed to be hers, launched their own search on Friday while Fargo Police asked for the publics help in looking for the 22-year-old woman not seen in a week.

Meanwhile, Cass County States Attorney Birch Burdick said Friday afternoon that formal charges against the two people arrested in connection with the kidnapping, Brooke Lynn Crews and William Henry Hoehn, will not be filed until next week.

More than 100 people, including members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians and the Belcourt Fire Department, turned out Friday afternoon at Trollwood Park in north Fargo to search it and the surrounding neighborhood for LaFontaine-Greywind. Her mother is a member of the Turtle Mountain Tribe.

Were not going to sit and wait, said Tarita Silk, LaFontaine-Greywinds aunt, who helped organize the search. Fargo Police dont want us to do anything. We sat for five days. The baby was sitting upstairs. That was just too much. We need to go find Savanna.

LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared last Saturday after being asked to help a fellow tenant of her apartment complex fit a dress being sewn, her family said.

Fargo Police Chief David Todd said at a Friday press conference the investigation had to move carefully so those responsible did not harm the pregnant woman or her baby. He reiterated that an extraordinary amount of manpower and tools were devoted to the case from the beginning.

Todd said police have combed the area around her apartment complex. The Fargo Fire Department on Friday continued its daily rescue boat searches of the Red River from the North Dam.

Searches of the area and river, however, appear to have produced no information about LaFontaine-Greywinds whereabouts.

When asked whether those searches had revealed any clues about her location, Todd said, Not that I know of. But those searches are continuing. Now were asking for the publics help.

Seeking publics help

Todd called on the public throughout the city to check their property, buildings, garages, outbuildings for any sign of entry or any sign of someone having been there.

He asked landlords to check vacant apartments for any sign of entry or use. He also requested people look through dumpsters for suspicious materials. A call for the publics help was posted on the Fargo Police website.

Police also asked the public to contact them if they saw a brown 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee four-door with Minnesota license plates 876 EPR anytime between last Saturday afternoon, Aug. 19, and Thursday.

Residents of the apartment building where the woman disappeared say the vehicle belonged to Hoehn. Police towed the vehicle from the building parking lot on Thursday. The vehicle is pictured on the Fargo Police Department Facebook page.

Fargo Police on Friday were also following up on information learned in hours-long searches of the apartment building on Thursday and early Friday, as well as searches of electronic devices. Fargo Police investigators and representatives of the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation were at the apartment complex well into the night.

Todd said police are targeting searches to other areas based on information gathered.

We have the right people

Chief Todd also provided greater detail Friday about the investigation that enabled police to find the newborn baby and arrest the two suspects on Thursday.

Until Wednesday, he said, we had not yet established a criminal nexus to this case that would allow us to obtain warrants for a residence and electronic devices. We were running constant surveillance and investigating several different theories regarding Savanna being held against her will and/or her child being induced or removed and possibly alive.

Rumors that police were prompted to act by a report of someone hearing a baby cry is false, Todd said.

Police entered the third-floor apartment of Crews and Hoehn by force and found Crews with the baby. Crews was arrested and taken away in a patrol car. Hoehn was arrested in a traffic stop in an undisclosed location. The baby Crews had with her was taken by ambulance to Sanford Childrens Hospital, where it was checked over and is doing fine. Social services is now caring for the child.

The two suspects confirmed to police that the baby belonged to LaFontaine-Greywind.

The interviews were cooperative up to that point, Todd said. He said the suspects refused to provide any information on LaFontaine-Greywinds whereabouts or whether she is alive.

Todd said there are no other suspects in the case.

We have the right people, he said.

When asked why three previous searches of the apartment where Crews and the baby were found did not yield more useful information or the baby, Chief Todd said those searches were simple visual searches conducted without search warrants and with consent of the occupants.

There is the possibility that the infant was not in the apartment, he said. It may have been moved to a different location.
I still like it. It's catchy af. But I hope a new song comes soon.

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no, it's not. at least i don't feel that way.



i don't care about taylor either way but there is nothing catching about the song

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i disagree

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There really isn't. It's bad.

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I don't think it's catchy either. I listened to it and couldn't remember what it sounded like 20 minutes later.

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ia. it reminds me of too many other songs for it to be catchy and just makes me think of them instead idk

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it's extremely catchy

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Then listen to I'm too sexy by right said Fred instead

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neither of those reviews were written by white men tho taylegend

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"goes hard in the club" ?? this??



lmao girl plz

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seniors bingo night isnt a club

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In what club are they playing this song

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what type of clubs do you hang out in?!

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this

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Oop

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P much

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lmao accurate

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bloop

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LOL this!

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nailed it.





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lmao true

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you got it!

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Lol yep

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The whole title evokes the words of an abuser... Having had a friend just get out of an abusive relationship, I'm not about this song based on title alone.

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i've been saying this for YEARS and used to get dogpiled on here for ~misogyny and that i'm jealous??



like no. fucking no. ever since i first saw her smug ass face on ellen talking about driving by some boy's house obsessively, i knew she was transparent af.

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I just wanted a fun boy-crazy pop song from her since the charts are so trash atm and this really wasn't it. But that Taylor's dead apparently?

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I assume this era is like Miley trying to be ~whateverthatwas, and when it stops making $$ the regression might begin lol.

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I don't think the whole album will be like this... her lead singles are always bad and sound different from the rest of the album

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This^ I can't at everyone being all dramatic and saying "omg this era is so bad!" Like we've heard one song, the rest of the album isn't going to be identical. Chill for a minute.

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nah she'll still write kidzbop lyrics about her mediocre relationships but now she'll do it from the perspective of some kind of weird enchantress who men can't help but fall in love with (eg, this is what you came for) rather than a relatable gal-next-door. she's so predictable.

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she's a privileged white woman who has never been held accountable for all the dumb shit she says and does. she needs to grow the fuck up and stop playing the victim.



also her song is fucking awful.



Edited at 2017-08-26 01:57 pm (UTC)

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All her songs are awful and she can't sing to save her rich privileged life. And yet mediocrity sells.

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Does she say dumb stuff? I think her controversies are about her actions or inactions (condeming Trump/talking on current issues) then actual dumb things she says. She's become too savvy for that lol.

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She's almost fucking 28 and still behaves like someone 10 years younger. I cannot with her.

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Critics usually are pretty receptive to what she puts out right?

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Yes, this might be a shift, but I honestly didn't check the sources. There are always sites and critics willing to bash her stuff, but the popular ones generally don't.

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buzzfeed used to worship her and they have done nothing but trash her, and its all shit talk on the comments as well which is usually a pretty good indication of that the GP/normies think

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Critics really loved the 1989 era iirc, so this is a pretty different reception for her.



Edited at 2017-08-26 02:19 pm (UTC)

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i mean, OP only linked 3 reviews. it's entirely possible there's like 100 other positive reviews out there. unfortunately i don't care enough to google.

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yeah. idk how she couldn't have foreseen the negative reaction to this obviously less than mediocre

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ontd, post some actual good revenge songs.



remember how big of a deal this video was?





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I loved this song. What goes around is also a really great song by JT.

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fuck you, joey gladstone





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my fave because it's so sad too





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True legend Freddie Mercury showing us how to write a vindictive song straight-on and going for the jugular. "Insane should be put inside / You're a sewer rat decaying in a cesspool of pride / Should be made unemployed / Then make yourself null and void"

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My favorite song to listen to when I'm REALLY mad at someone:





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Ani DiFranco's Untouchable Face is always my angry jam

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The ultimate passive aggressive revenge song:







"You fondle my trigger then you blame my gun"

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Hit Em Up, of course



Get gone-Fiona Apple



I Ain't Got Time-Tyler the creator



Idk if these are revenge per se but def "fuck you" songs, my fave genre, lol

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This song holds up pretty well.

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this song still goes

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my god the DRAMATICS stemming from this video tho with the brit lookalike

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What kind of message is she trying to send in that shot of her in front of black and brown men? It doesn't make sense and it's so blatant.

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i think her message is: 'these are my backup dancers in this video'

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lmao

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lol

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LMFAO

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lmao thank u

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Its so hard to ignore the weird racial shit that goes on with her.

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would you prefer it to be all white men cause there would have been a problem with that as well

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is this self-parody? go back to tumblr.

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her message is "please like me gay ppl"

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To me it's just weird how strong of a Formation rip it is when that was soooooooo controversial amongst racists, and then for Breitbart to praise her, for neo-nazis to call her their Aryan princess, for her to denounce none of that, for her to not even have spoken out against Trump, and then she does her own version of Formation? It's very, very wtf to me. Is she trying to say something? I read an article about the neo-nazi love for her the other day and it said that they say her music has been secretly "red-pilling" the masses and she's a secret Nazi, which I thought was fucking nuts! But this is the first thing I've seen where I can legitimately see why they'd think she's low key giving a nod to 'em. I don't even know.

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Do you think she'll win a Grammy with this?

She completely changed her music after not winning any Grammy with "Red"

I wonder what will happen if she doesn't win any with reputation



Look What You Made Me Do is meh I hope the album is better

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I can't believe Red was so panned bc honestly it's the closest to good music she's ever released.

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It wasn't panned tho, it's one of her most critically acclaimed albums. I honestly can't believe it's the one that didn't win an grammy, literally no one expected 1989 to since it was such a pure pop album and the grammys don't award those very often anymore. 1989 beating out anything much less TPAB was........... that will go down in history LOL.

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red is her only album i genuinely like and listen to. "starlight" is a great song.

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Well... she was against Daft Punk...

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The grammys is obsessed with her lol So I think she could win some for this album and I haven't even heard it yet. Girl won pop VOCAL for 1989 lol



But this song is selling even better than SIO was too so, who even knows.

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I actually agree with how the difference of simply titling it "Look What I Did" versus "Look What You Made Me Do" would have shown even a little growth. She always has to be pushed into doing these things by these "bad" guys. Just fucking own it.

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The build-up before the first chorus is decent, then it goes downhill with the chorus, then the verse afterwards with "drama drama" is just straight up awful

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Agreed. The parts I like (i.e., the verses) I really, really like, but the parts I don't (the chorus and the bridge) I really, really don't.

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mte. I was expecting it to go off after the build-up in the verse and then I was like... wut?

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Yeah I think it starts off great, has an awful chorus, and then the "drama, drama" part sounds Avril's pop career. It can be very irritating.



With that said, I've listened 20 plus times and can't wait for 11/10.

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watch trumplor swift call this fake news



she shouldve gone back to country and the 'not ready to make nice' route to win more folks over



Edited at 2017-08-26 01:57 pm (UTC)

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oh that would have been cool

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That would have actually been a really cool move. The whole vibe of "Taking the Long Way" would have been a great fit for her.

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god I'm already tired of hearing about her. all I've seen the past 2 days is people that claim to not care about her going on and on and on about this song and how it offends them. if you don't care about something why spend the time and energy talking about it constantly? people are dragging her for things like releasing the album on the anniversary of kanye's mother's death and copying beyonce in a music video we've seen 5 whole seconds of.... if you're going to drag her, drag her for the things she's actually done that she deserves to be called out for. the reaching at this point is just embarrassing

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we love to anti-stan sis

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it isn't that bad on here, twitter and tumblr are exhausting to be on right now

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it's ridiculous lmao

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Taylor brings out the extra on both sides of the love-hate spectrum, even on ontd.

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Because some of us are bored and someone needs to keep complaining about the Republican Queen of White Mediocrity so the world stays balanced. Or something like that.

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People can be OTT about hating her. She is just pulling the same victim act she always has done and people are feeding right into what she wants by criticizing her over the smallest things.

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Binge watching not really allowed: Each library system has placed a limit on the maximum number of movies a cardholder can watch in a month.



Well, that's fucking dumb and a good way to limit exposure to these international movies and documentaries.

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The limit can be from 3 - 20 movies depending on the library, idk that sounds like a lot to me. but i don't really watch a lot of movies anymore, less than 10 per month.

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it's a free service being offered and having 5-10 free movies to watch is better than none. plus, it gives the service more incentive to participate since if people like the platform they'll be able to sign up to watch more content. should they be offering everyone complete, 100% access and have to fold over because nobody signs up for the actual thing? of course not. that's what would actually be dumb.



you aren't entitled to them offering their whole library to you for free. just be grateful it's even an option at all, ffs.

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dumb but good? choose one, sis.



and it's a library, how limiting people to spend 13 hours bine watching shows inside is dumb?

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please donate to your local library's Friends group

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i just got into filmstruck. it's a nice alternative/companion to netflix.

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oh snap. my library doesn't have it but I am alumni for my university which does have it. OOooOooooooOOo.

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Awesome! Yeah my library has it too. I just saw it advertised there recently and coming across the tweet today reminded me to sign up with my library card!

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FML the university doesn't allow alumni or community members to access Kanopy. BITCHESSSS.

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I finally got a roku and i'm pleasantly surprised at all the free movie and tv options. i really only checked out the horror sections of the apps, but there is a lot of stuff. I was going to watch a horror anthology called Creature Feature that came out last year but ONTD has distracted me, lol.

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I love my Roku but I've barely checked out stations. I usually use YouTube or Netflix but I do love the nasa channel for launches

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Which one did you get? I've been toying with the idea of getting one.

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We got the cheapest one lol it's the Roku premier. I've only had it for like a day now LOL but I am really liking it. So much nicer to watch Netflix on my TV than my laptop!

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As soon I get a new tv/monitor, i'm getting a roku. I have a chromecast but is very limited

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I appreciate this.

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Netflix can't afford to buy the rights to good movies when they stay making quality art like 13 Reasons Why and Gaga 5'2" 

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Lots of ppl pay for Criterion collection movies tho lol.

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Very inaccurate comment, tbh.

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right? lol. i totally want to watch something from luakitzustan.

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Oh my old college has access to it... let me go see what they got.

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I just started my grad school program for information and library science! My future librarian self is so excited by any library news! :)



This is like hoopla but strictly for film? And lesser known ones? I know the limit seems..ahem..limiting but hoopla has a 5 check out limit a month and I personally think it's enough. I never reach it. But I also love holding physical copies.

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Congrats :) Librarians rock!

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How exciting! When I was a kid we went to DC and when my dad asked me what I wanted to see I said the Library of Congress. I was quite sad that it wasn't the biggest, bestest library in the world.

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It's one of them!

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I just started my LIS program on Monday! I'm already subscribed to so many newsletters regarding library news. I'm a bit ridiculous!

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Congratulations! I got my MLIS in 2012 and I'm a school media specialist. Do you know what you want to do?



If you ever have any questions, feel free to ask!

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congrats. Being a Librarian is one of the most rewarding things in the world

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Yay, congrats!! I wish I'd had the discipline to pursue that. Lol, please consider my tiny ass company if you ever order docs from your future job



And yes, Kanopy is strictly for films. My job's collection is on there, and because I have to talk to a lot of college librarians, I know that a lot of universities are subscribed to the service. I also hear about Films On Demand, Hoopla, and Alexander St Press

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This is such a nice thing. I love documentaries and I've been looking for some international stuff so I'll probably try this.

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I used this the other day to watch The Watermelon Woman. Pretty useful! (I am actually at the library rn, as it happens.)

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oh cool my university has this!! thanks for making this post op!

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My local library is run like a coffeehouse/daycare meaning it's too fucking loud. It was annoying when I was trying to find a place that had free Wi-Fi to study for the GRE.

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Oooo! I hope my library gets it. It sounds similar to hoopla in the checkout policy and somewhat movie content.



I'm still bitter we changed from Overdrive to axis360.

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The cooperation between Norway and Poland in the energy sector has recently taken very tangible shape. In 2016, Poland decided to launch the Northern Gate projecta set of gas interconnections aiming to link the Polish gas market with gas deposits on the Norwegian Continental Shelf. With that decision, Poland wants to diversify away from Russia to mitigate energy security and political risks connected with the high level of dependence on one supplier. But in terms of Polish-Norwegian cooperation, the question of security of gas supply that Poland wants to address is accompanied by the question of the security of gas demand, a key concern for gas producers such as Norway. Hence, cooperation in the gas sector examined from those two perspectives may actually bring benefits for both countries and promises of win-win cooperation.

EU Setting the Scene for Diversification

At present, 69 percent of the natural gas consumed in the EU must be imported. Yet, gas import dependence is to increase to 86 percent in 2050 as the gap between consumption and declining internal production is widening. Hence, the EU must address the question of from where to import additional volumes of gas. In 2015, two external suppliersRussia and Norwayaccounted for 74.8 percent of those imports.[2] But a quick glance at the list of main suppliers of gas to the bloc[3] reveals that with the main exception of Norway, this list is populated by actors who do not necessarily share EU norms and values.[4] Russia is the most important supplier of gas to the EU, but also the most important challenge for the EUs energy policy in particular and foreign and security policy in general terms. Russias actions in Ukraine have broken basic legal and political principles that have formed the foundations of the peaceful development of Europe since the end of the Cold War. Consequently, Europes trust in Russia as a strategic partner has greatly diminished.[5] This has had a huge impact on the EUs thinking on energy security,[6] with this question on the top of the European energy agenda.

At the same time, considering the overdependence of Central Europe on Russia, the issue of diversification is at the core of the EU debate. The need to address questions related to security of supply was also one of the key factors behind the recent establishment of the Energy Union, a new institutional framework that is to make EU energy policy more coherent and effective. At the same time, the necessity to lessen the gas dependence on Russia highlights the importance of Norwaythe second biggest gas exporter economically integrated with the EU.[7] Here, it should be underlined that although Norway is not a full-fledged member of the EU, the energy policy of the country is carried out within the EU institutional and regulatory framework because Norway is part of the European Economic Area (EEA) structures and plays by the rules set by the EU.[8]

What Can Norway Do and How Will It Be Able to Diversify Its Gas Markets?

Norway, which over the past two decades has gained the position of a strategic and stable supplier of gas to the EU, may help the bloc and its Member States address some of the security of supply-related concerns. Norway is interested in retaining or even strengthening its position on the EU gas market because of the increasing role of gas in the countrys energy exports. In 2002, revenues generated by gas exports from Norway represented only 24 percent of those from petroleum exports, but this share has recently increased to more than 60 percent. Norwegian experts see, however, stagnating demand for gas in Europe, especially in the power-generation sector, and the possible impact of the implementation of EU climate policy as it pertains to fossil fuels in the EU energy mix as the main challenges to the role of gas. According to the EUs own estimates, by 2050, the share of gas in the EU energy mix will be slightly higher than in 2015,[9] but some other studies argue that demand for gas by European members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) area will be lower in two specific analysed years, 2020 and 2040, than in 2013. This may indeed cause some problems for current and future gas suppliers to Europe.[10] Today, almost 100 percent of Norways export of gas reaches the EU market and the country is highly dependent on revenues coming from this sector and trade.[11] Of that, 42.3 percent of gas exported through the well-developed pipeline system reaches the EU market in Germanybut some of this gas is shipped further down the line through German pipelines to other customers; 24.5 percent is exported directly to the UK; 15.1 percent to France; 12.3 percent to Belgium; 0.4 percent to Denmark; and the rest, 5.3 percent, is marketed as LNG. Between 2000 and 2015, Norways export of gas and oil generated on average 54 billion (NOK 510 billion) in revenue per year, or 870 billion (NOK 8.164 trillion) in total, and represented on average 47 percent of the countrys export revenues. This clearly illustrates that Norway has a very strong economic incentive to remain one of the key external energy suppliers to the EU. This is also an indication of Norways interest in other opportunities in the EU market, namely in Central Europe.

Related: Tesla Successfully Raises Funds As Cash Bleed Continues

The most important feature in the context of Norways energy cooperation with the EU is that Norway has been a member of the EEA since 1994 and has been following almost all the rules, including those on energy, set by the EU.[12] Additionally, Norway has followed the policy of setting aside most of its revenues in the Norwegian Pensions Fund Global, which has made the country an important capital player in Europe and globally.[13] Norway is also an ally through NATO of all its major energy customers in Europe. This adds value to relations with Norway in a situation when energy and gas dependence on Russia are viewed not only as an energy security challenge but also increasingly as a hard security issue. In addition, Norways energy system has some specific features that make it a highly attractive energy partner to an EU focused on the development of a greener economy. The country has a unique energy mix dominated by hydropower, which, when used as electricity storage, can help stabilise power grids in Europe while its gas supplies serve several purposes. On the one hand, these supplies can help the EU stabilise its energy market in more general terms,[14] but, on the other hand, they can reduce the dependency of some European gas customers most exposed to Russian gas supplies, which are bound with a relatively high level of political risk. Generally, the EU and Norway have a common interest in maintaining stable trade and see, therefore, their energy cooperation as a win-win situation.[15]

However, the EU exerts twofold pressure on Norway. First, it develops rules influencing policies in the sphere of liberalisation, competition, and climate that Norway must follow as the member of the EEA framework. Second, the EU aims to become a low-carbon economy, and this may create the risk of shrinking demand for Norwegian gas. Hence, Norway must find how to best adapt to the changing EU regulatory framework and market conditions and how to make its fossil fuels relevant when they are increasingly viewed rather as a challenge than a long-term solution to the EUs energy problem.

As for Norways aims of diversification, the country embarked on a cautious policy and extended its gas supplies to Central and Eastern Europe as early as 1996, when it took from Gazprom about 30 percent of the Czech gas market. Over the past couple of years, Norway has started supplying gas to Lithuania and Ukraine, and is now conducting serious talks on gas supplies to Poland and via Poland to other regional customers in Central and Eastern Europe. What may, however, pose a long-term challenge to Norways continued role as an even more important external supplier of gas to the EU is the expected stabilisation and then fall in gas production caused by the depletion of the Norwegian gas fields. According to Norwegian own estimates, the production of gas is about to plateau and may start declining in the next decade[16] right when the EU will need more gas from external suppliers to compensate for falling domestic production.[17] It is therefore important to be aware of the uncertainty in the long term of the Norwegian gas resource when political relations with Russia are still strongly influenced by what is read by many as Russias revisionist policy. This question is especially vital to those energy importers, including Poland, who today are strongly dependent on supplies from Russia. Their plans for the diversification of energy supplies should therefore be based on a multi-variant scenarios approach in which additional gas supplies from Norway are only one of the possible energy mix features.

What Can and Should Poland Do to Diversify Its Energy Supplies?

Poland is the seventh biggest gas consumer in the European Union with yearly consumption of 16.5 bcm (2015). While being the greatest consumer of gas in Central and Eastern Europe, Polands consumption is much smaller than the top EU gas users: Germany (80 bcm), United Kingdom (72 bcm), and Italy (66 bcm).[18] Gas is used by industry (50 percent), for residential purposes (36 percent), and in energy production (11 percent) and transport (3 percent).[19] Less than one third of the gas comes from internal production while the rest is imported mainly from Russia. The long-term contract between Polish incumbent gas supplier, Polskie Gornictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo (PGNiG), and Russian gas exporter OAO Gazprom/OOO Gazprom export, signed in 1996, includes yearly gas deliveries of up to 10.2 bcm. Overall, gas accounts for 16 percent of final energy consumption in Poland but only for 3 percent of electricity generation.

Yet, energy security, and security of supply in the gas sector in particular, has always been a top concern of Polands energy policy. To address this problem, Poland has embarked on a policy of the diversification of gas supplies and transport routes. Only since 2011, Poland has the capability to receive gas from EU countries via interconnectors with the Czech Republic (0.5 bcm import capacity) and with Germany in Lasow (1.5 bcm). In 2015, the country imported 1.2 bcm from that direction. The major game-changer in importing non-Russian gas is the LNG terminal in ?winouj?cie, operational since late 2015. The terminal has been up and running, with more than a third of its receiving capacity (5 bcm) utilised. Gas is delivered under a long-term contract with Qatar (until 2035) or bought on the spot market. The first technical cargo of gas to ?winouj?cie came from Norway, which later also sent smaller volumes, and in June 2017, Poland received the first supply of LNG from the U.S. As competition among LNG exporters interested in entering the Polish market intensifies, that may improve the countrys negotiating position in its dealings with both current and future suppliers of this fuel.

At the same time, Poland, along with its neighbours, mainly within the framework of EU projects of common interest, is planning the construction of new gas interconnectors with the Czech Republic and Slovakia (both scheduled for 2019), Lithuania (2021) andas part of the Northern Gatewith Denmark (2022). A new gas pipeline to Ukraine is also under consideration. As the region has distinct potential for investments in gas infrastructure, the Three Seas Initiative launched in 2016 by the presidents of Croatia and Poland, and embracing 12 countries, may help address investment and diversification needs.[20]

Related: Falling Chinese Demand May Be OPECs Biggest Dilemma

Although Poland has already achieved some of its gas diversification goals, the idea to build a gas interconnector between Poland and Norway is expected to bring further and unconditional opportunities to strengthen the formers resilience to economic and political external pressure from a dominant supplier. Hence, the concept of the Northern Gate (also known as Baltic Pipe)a gas pipeline to Denmark, extension of the Danish internal grid, and another pipeline from Denmark to Norwayis currently at the centre of Polish-Norwegian cooperation. As the whole project is designed to bring in 10 bcm of Norwegian gas, it is expected to serve other markets in Central and Eastern Europe. It means that Northern Gate should also bring marketing opportunities for Norwegian gas beyond Poland.

Why Northern Gate?

The rationale behind the project is both infrastructural and market related. The new gas pipeline would give Poland stability and firmer control of energy supplies (while the LNG terminal gives above all flexibility in terms of gas quantities, prices, and origins). New supplies of gas would allow incentivised market development in Poland and create opportunities to open new trading opportunities in the region.

The idea to connect the Polish gas grid indirectlyvia Denmarkto the gas deposits in Norway has been part of Polish energy policy for many years. There were two attempts at the project, first in 2001 and again in 2006. They did not materialise for various political and economic reasons. Currently, the situation in the Polish gas sector is ripe for discussing the project seriously. There are three main reasons for that: Poland is genuinely interested in diversifying away from Russian gas; Poland is present on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and the country might become a gateway for supplying gas farther to the south and/or east.

As for limiting dependence on Russian gas, this is an indisputable priority of Polands energy strategy. The Yamal contract with Gazprom will expire in December 2022, but the decision whether to extend it must be taken by 2019. The current government is clear-cut about the contracts destinyit will not be prolonged. The announcement should be interpreted against the backdrop of wider changes in the European gas market such as the growing role of gas hubs, hence shorter trading and spot supply availability or changes regarding gas prices (oil-indexed pricing losing share to the advantage of gas-on-gas pricing). This is not in line with the old-fashioned and inflexible provisions in the contract between PGNiG and Gazprom, which the European Commission found to be an abuse of position on the latters side. Hence, the timing of the Northern Gate project is highly coordinated to the termination of the long-term contract for Russian supplies. In that context, the Norwegian gas supplied to Poland via the planned Northern Gate is meant to substitute for eastern gas and supplement supplies via the LNG terminal.

Polish energy companies are already on the Norwegian Continental Shelf (NCS), with PGNiG starting activity there in 2007. The company acquired shares in the Skarv field (production started in 2013), and in 2014, increased its presence by taking over shares in four other fields. Currently, PGNiG has 17 exploration licenses and plans to further increase its Norwegian assets. This situation has three consequences when it comes to Polish-Norwegian cooperation. First, the idea this time to build an interconnection between the Norwegian Continental Shelf and Poland means a connection to Norwegian assets owned by, among others, the Polish companies PGNiG and Lotos. Second, those companies have gained a good track record of cooperation with their Norwegian counterparts (Norway has strict rules for awarding licenses and controlling licensees). Third, PGNiGs role and significance on the NCS is to increase because of its plans to more than double its assets and documented reserves abroad, mainly in Norway. The business plan presented by the company aims to increase production in Norway to 2.5 bcm per year. The importance of Polish companies operating on the NCS also will increase because of structural changes on the NCS, such as the ongoing withdrawal of some major European and American companies that see new opportunities elsewhere and the emergence of new, smaller actors on the NCS that see the Norwegian assets and regulatory framework as still attractive.

Finally, the idea to open up the Northern Corridor is as much about Poland as about regional cooperation. Having learnt the lessons of the gas crises of 2006 and 2009, Poland gradually, yet consequently has pursued its policy of diversification and thus ensuring alternative supplies throughout the region. Having opened first interconnectors with EU countries, further plans are even more ambitiousPolands import capacity will almost double (once Baltic Pipe is in place) and export capacity also will be enhanced significantly in the southern and eastern directions. The planned construction of interconnectors and reverse capacity is intended to make the whole internal EU gas market more flexible and responsive to future energy crises. Similar developments have been pursued in Central Europe, the Baltic States, and in Ukraine. This will bring new trading and transit opportunities within the region. Physical integration via the North-South Gas Corridor[21] has become a flagship project both for the EU and for the states that decided to strengthen regional cooperation through the Three Seas Initiative. The EC forecasts that gas demand in those countries will increase by 14 percent from 2015 to 2030, with the biggest growth in Poland, Slovenia, Latvia, and Austria.[22] The increased capacity will meet the rising needs of the region.

Conclusions

Norway remains an important political and energy partner of the EU. It has been building this position for years and shares basic values with its European partners. It does not treat the gas trade as a potential political pressure instrument against the EU and is therefore a predictable partner. This is particularly important for countries aiming to replace supplies from Russia, namely Poland and other countries in the region.

Polands experiences with Russiareinforced by its actions in Ukraine and some other countriesshow that the link between supplier and buyer can be constant rough-and-tumble rather than ordinary business. Yet, in the case of the relations between Poland and Norway, there is potential for genuinely win-win cooperation. As noted above, Norway has already entered the Polish market and its interest in maintaining or even strengthening its position as a gas supplier to the EU means the Northern Gate project seems to meet the purely economic goals of Norway. Poland and other Central European markets, with infrastructure soon in place and potential for growth in gas consumption, need to increase their security of supply, which Norway can deliver, increasing at the same time its own security of demand. In many aspects, gas from Norway is regarded as a European assetgeographical proximity allows for direct deliveries and its membership of the single market translates into playing by the same, EU rules.

Since 2008, the Baltic Pipenow part of the broader Northern Gate projecthas been discussed within the framework of the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan, set up by the European Commission and aiming to eliminate energy islands within the Baltic Sea region. Baltic Pipe has since ranked very high on the list of projects due to its potential impact on energy security. The completion of Baltic Pipe and the Northern Gate project is supported by an EU that sees it as an important step in building a more flexible internal European and regional gas market.

Since both potential partnersPoland and Norwayare looking for alternatives in security of supply for one and security of demand for the other, the potential for the convergence of economic interests is apparent here.

By The Polish Institute of International Affairs

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The economy of Brazil has been struggling lately. Weighed down by the collapse in oil prices, and a massive corruption scandal  which this week saw the former CEO of state oil company Petrobras formally indicted.

But Brazils government is striking back. Announcing Wednesday a sweeping slate of asset sales  that may open up some of the biggest opportunities the country has ever seen in energy and mining.

Brazils legislators put forward a list of 57 major state infrastructure assets that will be put up for privatization. Giving investors access to these strategic sectors for the first time ever.

Many of these are transport-related  including ports, highways and even airports. But the list also includes power transmission infrastructure across the country.

In fact, the government is putting the majority of its electrical grid up for sale. Announcing it will sell some or all of its 51% holding in state electric firm Electrobras, by as early as mid-2018.

Buyers worldwide are apparently already lining up to capture this major opportunity. With reports suggesting that Indias Sterlite Power Grid has readied a plan to invest a stunning $1 billion yearly in Brazils electricity infrastructure.

And its not just energy where things are opening up.

Brazils lawmakers also announced a plan to open 46,000 square kilometers of new area for mining exploration and development. With the swath of land covering parts of Para and Amapa states, in the north-central part of the country. Related: Libyas Biggest Oil Field Shut Down As Tensions Rise

Thats a big opportunity given that Para state hosts major known deposits of gold and other metals  including the famed Serra Pelada gold-platinum deposit that was the site of one of the greatest gold rushes of modern times.

All of which suggests crisis is equaling opportunity here. Watch for more details on specific assets going up sale, and to see who will snap up these strategic assets.

Heres to dramatic solutions,

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Recent reports highlight the steady deepening of relations between the UAE and Kazakhstan across several strategic sectors, most notably the energy sector. Both are resource rich states looking to attract foreign investment; moreover, they also share closed off power structures whereby political control is centralised into the hands of a few key individuals. In the period ahead, Western entities should watch the rise of Kazakh companies in the UAE economy as Emirati stakeholders may afford them informal in-roads to the domestic economies of Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Backdrop to Courtship



On the 7th of June 2017, the United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, penned an open letter in The Astana Times where he spoke of 25 years of friendship and diplomacy between his country and Kazakhstan.

Although not an immediately obvious relationship, it appears that there are several noteworthy avenues of cooperation between Astana and Abu Dhabi. With more than 200 Emirati companies operating in Kazakhstan, commercial linkages also accompany the cordial political relations that have garnered steady momentum since 1992.

The two agreed to new visa exemption rules in January 2017, coming into force in May, which no longer require Kazakh passport holders to arrange visas prior to arriving in the UAE if staying for a 30-day tourist visit. This gives Kazakh citizens the same entitlements to remain in the Emirates as those enjoyed by the British and Americans, in what is likely a major coup for the Foreign Affairs Ministry in Astana.

Executive travel between both countries in the energy sector is likely to have driven forward this development and signals a willingness on both sides to strengthen ties forged in the petroleum industry.

Longevity in the upper echelons of power in both of these countries means that, although bilateral ties have existed for a quarter of a century, only Kazakhstans Nursultan Nazarbayev and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed from the UAEs corner, have overseen them. The then-Emir of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan, brokered ties with Nazarbayev following the establishment of Kazakhstan in the wake of the Soviet collapse, although his son Khalifa increasingly assumed responsibility for Presidential affairs throughout the 1990s.

As such, political continuity has ensured stable, if not slightly underwhelming, relations. That said, various recent agreements are indicative of the UAEs modus operandi, which is based on diversifying its economy and broadening its sphere of influence  with both countries on track to share and collaborate on strategic initiatives.

Time and Energy



At the same time as the visa-free travel announcement, it transpired that the UAEs Mubadala Development Company is set to construct a multi-billion-dollar chemical complex in Kazakhstans Atyrau region. This follows on from news at the start of the year that bilateral investments would indeed extend to the energy and mining sectors among other fields such as infrastructure, logistics, agriculture, and food security.

In fact, energy investments between Kazakh-UAE actors are a noteworthy theme given the natural resources at both nations disposal. Supporting this, Reuters reported in October 2008 that Mubadala signed an agreement with KazMunaiGas for a 24.5 percent stake in an offshore field in the Caspian Sea. In November 2008, the Al Falah Fund was launched in Kazakhstan, whereby the UAE committed to funding projects in priority sectors such as Energy, Power, Food Production, Infrastructure, Natural Resources and Real Estate.

Of course, this compounds a lingering worry that increased UAE-Kazakh relations in terms of energy sector development may run to the detriment of Western actors ambitions in the Gulf country. To some extent, this took place in 2014 when the 75-year concession agreement between Abu Dhabis political elite and four big Western oil companies (ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, and BP) expired.

With only Total immediately renegotiating a 10 percent stake in ADCO, several new Asian companies moved into the fold, eating into the IOCs long-standing market share in this sector. As it transpired, China National Petroleum Company acquired 8 percent, Inpex Corporation of Japan received 5 percent, GS Energy of South Korea has 3 percent, and CEFC China Energy Company Limited secured a 4 percent interest in the Emirates onshore oil giant.

Related: Elon Musk: Killer Robots Bigger Threat Than Nuclear North Korea

A pivot towards Asian energy companies ultimately proved to be in the interests of ADNOCs Emirati stakeholders, with the largest consumers of Emirati oil coming from East Asia. In fact, it took BP almost two years to get back into the fold, perhaps as a message that the UAE is no longer beholden to the established Western oil giants nor are these companies necessarily at the front of the queue when it comes to exploring joint ventures.

The real question then becomes to what extent Central Asian companies could increase their standing in this fields at the expense of age-old players across the UAE economy. Should a regional market for Emirati resources emerge, then Western entities may wish to take note and enact long term plans.

The Expo-Factor



A timely overlapping interest between these nations, and one which ticks these two boxes, is their hosting of arguably one of the worlds biggest commercial events  The Expo.

Astana is currently two-thirds of the way through playing host to the 2017 Expo, where the UAE is an active participant. The Emirates pavilion in Astana was opened on the 10th of June by Sultan Al Jaber, a Minister of State from Abu Dhabi, and Emirates Group Chairman, Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, from Dubai. The former is explored in greater detail below and the latter is one of Dubais notable power players, coming from the Emirates royal family  the Al Maktoum.

Furthermore, he is a member of the Executive Council of Dubai and one of five directors at the Investment Corporation of Dubai. This gives him a strong political and economic position and is the perfect example of a commercially exposed royal in the Gulf. These two could leverage the position of Kazakh energy companies who sign up to attend the Expo 2020, which makes being in the know now so crucial to understanding the business deals that may actually unfold during the event.

Related: Goldman Sachs Warns Of Global Oil Demand Peak

Dubai won the right to host Expo 2020 on the 27th of November 2013, and sees the project as its chance to further bolster its reputation as a commercial hub in the Middle East and North Africa. With Abu Dhabi acting as the countrys resource rich money-maker, energy sector activity should be expected as a feature of the Expo 2020.

As such, Dubai will be hoping that its partners and allies overseas help create a fruitful event with booming commercial activity. As the Emirates inches closer and closer to Vision 2021, it will see the Expo as a defining moment helping reach its competitive knowledge economy.

For its part, Kazakhstan became the first country to commit to participating in Dubais scheduled event, as relations appear to have crystallised over the past few years. Open sources indicate that there may have been more impetus to foster cooperation from both sides over the past 6-7 years than at any previous point. Kazakh entities, and Central Asian companies more generally, may represent an opportunity for the UAE to move away from its reliance upon Western actors and South-East Asian labour, and towards a new type of actor.

Political Elites at the Table



Owing to his professional remit, Sultan Al Jaber is thought to sit at the intersection between UAE-Kazakh relations. The vast majority of open source coverage of UAE-Kazakh relations stresses cooperation in the energy sector, both renewables and oil and gas, which brings Jaber in due to his position as CEO of Masdar; the UAEs flagship clean energy company.

As a matter of fact, Jaber is hugely influential within the UAE and his rise began with the Chairmanship of the National Media Council (NMC) in 2005. He then won promotion to the Cabinet in March 2013 and his directorships in various public companies continue to give him leverage across a whole host of domestic sectors vis-a-vis foreign investors.

Jabers other key Chairmanships are at Sky News Arabia, the Abu Dhabi Ports Company (Kizad), and the Zayed Future Energy Prize. The crown jewel in his portfolio, however, undoubtedly came during his elevation to CEO at ADNOC in February 2016. Coupled with his position as the head of Masdar, his influence over energy strategy is second to none and foreign investors should expect him to be heavily involved in any initiatives explored with Kazakhstan.

It is unclear if Sultan Al Jaber is related to the UAEs ambassador to Kazakhstan, Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, as no sources explicitly make this familial connection. However, the same last name and other features suggest there is a blood kinship connection. If true, this would potentially give the Al Jaber family a heightened exposure to the Kazakh economy, and pave the way for additional in-roads for any of their privately held entities.

Furthermore, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed is also party to the majority of meetings concerning relations with Kazakhstan, giving him an important role in their enhancement. Mansour is a full brother of Mohammed bin Zayed (Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and regent for the low-profile Sheikh Khalifa) who is entrusted with a number of high level affairs.

Notably, he is Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister for Presidential Affairs, meaning he is employed as a key conduit between outside actors and Emirati figureheads such as MbZ and Mohammed bin Rashid of Dubai. Interestingly, Mansour is married to the daughter of Mohammed bin Rashid, making him the only member of the Bani Fatima  the five sons of Sheikh Zayed largely in control of the Emirates  to have direct familial connections to the Al Maktoum.

Is the Future Set to Change?

It is the case that foreign investors may have neglected the slow burning Kazakh-UAE relations. Although partners for 25 years, there has been very little high-profile news pertaining to the joint ventures of these two states.

However, there is great potential for cooperation and a willingness from both to deepen their ties. If the number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) that have been signed by Abdullah bin Zayed and Kairat Abdrakhmanov  his Kazakh counterpart  are followed through on, then established investors can expect major collaborations to follow.

By Shadow Governance Intel

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President Trump just signed an executive order deepening the sanctions on Venezuela, confirming the rumors of a ban on trading in Venezuelan debt that sent VENZ/PDVSA bonds tumbling.

(Click to enlarge)

As we noted previously, on Tuesday evening, the WSJ reported that the U.S. government is considering "restricting trades in Venezuelan debt as it seeks to punish President Nicolas Maduro for undermining the countrys democracy" and that "the unprecedented move would temporarily ban U.S.-regulated financial institutions from buying and selling dollar-denominated bonds issued by the Republic of Venezuela and state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela SA, according to a person who was briefed on the proposal."

One option being considered is banning the trading in just some papers issued by the state oil company to limit its access to external funds, said a third person.

Related: Billions In Oil Deals Shield Iran From U.S. Sanctions



The ban would be the first step against the Venezuelan financial system since Mr. Trump promised swift economic action against Mr. Maduro for installing a parallel parliament staffed with loyalists earlier this month.

The sanctions ban dealing in any new debt (or equity) issue by PDVSA and all Venezuelan government debt.

From Treasury:

All transactions related to, provision of financing for, and other dealings in the following by a United States person or within the United States are prohibited:

(i) new debt with a maturity of greater than 90 days of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA);

(ii) new debt with a maturity of greater than 30 days, or new equity, of the Government of Venezuela, other than debt of PDVSA covered by subsection (a)(i) of this section;

(iii) bonds issued by the Government of Venezuela prior to the effective date of this order;

(iv) dividend payments or other distributions of profits to the Government of Venezuela from any entity owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by the Government of Venezuela.

Statement by the Press Secretary on New Financial Sanctions on Venezuela

President Donald J. Trump has signed an Executive Order imposing strong, new financial sanctions on the dictatorship in Venezuela.



The Maduro dictatorship continues to deprive the Venezuelan people of food and medicine, imprison the democratically-elected opposition, and violently suppress freedom of speech. The regime's decision to create an illegitimate Constituent Assembly and most recently to have that body usurp the powers of the democratically-elected National Assemblyrepresents a fundamental break in Venezuela's legitimate constitutional order.



In an effort to preserve itself, the Madura dictatorship rewards and enriches corrupt officials in the government's security apparatus by burdening future generations of Venezuelans with massively expensive debts. Maduro's economic mismanagement and rampant plundering of his nation's assets have taken Venezuela ever closer to default. His officials are now resorting to opaque financing schemes and liquidating the country's assets at fire sale prices.



As Vice President Mike Pence has said, in Venezuela, "we're seeing the tragedy of tyranny play out before our eyes." No free people has ever chosen to walk the path from prosperity to poverty. No free people has ever chosen to turn what was once, and should still be, one of South America's richest nations into its poorest and most corrupt.

and most corrupt.



We will not stand by as Venezuela crumbles. The President's new action prohibits dealings in new debt and equity issued by the government of Venezuela and its state oil company. It also prohibits dealings in certain existing bonds owned by the Venezuelan public sector, as well as dividend payments to the government of Venezuela.



To mitigate harm to the American and Venezuelan people, the Treasury Department is issuing general licenses that allow for transactions that would otherwise be prohibited by the Executive Order. These include provisions allowing for a 30-day wind-down period; financing for most commercial trade, including the export and import of petroleum; transactions only involving Citgo; dealings in select existing Venezuelan debts; and the financing for humanitarian goods to Venezuela.



These measures are carefully calibrated to deny the Maduro dictatorship a critical source of financing to maintain its illegitimate rule, protect the United States financial system from complicity in Venezuela's corruption and in the impoverishment of the Venezuelan people, and allow for humanitarian assistance.



The United States is not alone in condemning the Maduro regime. Through the Lima Declaration of August 8, our friends and partners in the region refused to recognize the illegitimate Constituent Assembly or the laws it adopts. The new United States financial sanctions support this regional posture of economically isolating the Madura dictatorship.



The United States reiterates our call that Venezuela restore democracy, hold free and fair elections, release all political prisoners immediately and unconditionally, and end the repression of the Venezuelan people. We continue to stand with the people of Venezuela during these trying times.

Of course, this will just add fuel to Maduro's fire talk about America waging economic war against the Latin American nation (as opposed to the utter collapse of the country being due to decades of Bernie Sanders-style socialism).

Related: Oil Prices Rise As Texas Braces For Hurricane Harvey Landfall

As we noted previously, Maduro is afraid what would happen to PDVSA assets once the country defaults (not to mention to the army's support of his regime, which has been solid as long as the money keeps flowing):

Most analysts and investors believe that this is because the government wants to keep the oil flowing. PDVSA is responsible for half of Venezuelas fiscal income and some 90% of its exports, according to Standard & Poors. For some analysts, Venezuelas fear is that a debt default would push investors to try to seize PDVSAs foreign assets.



Mr. Dehn has another theory over what is behind that fear: that PDVSAs so-called joint venture partners, such as Russias Rosneft and China, would pull lines of credit if the country defaulted. That would starve it of working capital and prevent it from producing oil.



If he stops [servicing the debt]oil production will stop. The government will fall, said Mr. Dehn.

The decision to block trading of Venezuela bonds could well be the tipping point that forces creditors to finally give up on the Caracas regime, leading to a prompt default and the fall of Maduro, in the process Washington will once again have succeeded in toppling a foreign regime, this time without firing a single shot.

By Zerohedge.com

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Qatar has remained defiant throughout its unprecedented summer diplomatic crisis with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states which have brought immense pressure to bear on the tiny gas and oil rich monarchy through a complete economic and diplomatic blockade imposed by its neighbors. However, on Thursday it unveiled a stunning geopolitical realignment when it announced the restoration of diplomatic relations with Iran in a move that is arguably its greatest act of defiance yet.

The Qatari foreign ministry announced early Thursday that "the state of Qatar expressed its aspiration to strengthen bilateral relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran in all fields" and reportedly informed Iran by phone of plans to return the Qatari ambassador to Tehran for the first time since it broke relations in 2016.

The move is significant because the chief accusation leveled against Qatar by its former GCC allies, especially Saudi Arabia, is of growing too close to Iran while sponsoring and funding terrorism. For the Sunni gulf states "funding terrorism" is more often a euphemism meaning links to Iran and Shia movements in the Gulf. Ironically, there is ample evidence demonstrating that both sides of the current Gulf schism have in truth funded terror groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS, especially in Syria. But Qatar's announcement sends an audacious and daring message essentially signaling that the country remains unbowed by Saudi pressure, and that the severe economic sanctions designed to bring Qatar to its knees may result in a geopolitical backfiring and new regional order with Iran standing to benefit.

On June 5 Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt cut ties with Qatar in a dramatic move that resulted in a near total blockade of the small country which encompassed air, land, and sea. Even commercial airline flight paths were diverted mid-air at the time, causing multiple major regional carriers to cancel future flights to Doha's Hamad International Airport. Aggressive economic sanctions followed, including food blockages - most of which had previously been supplied by land via Saudi Arabia.

While energy-rich Qatar has the highest per capita income in the world, its residents have faced a summer of empty supermarkets and long lines to get basic staples. Reports of extreme and creative ways Qataris have attempted to get around the blockade include an ongoing plan to fly thousands of dairy cows on Qatar Airways jets into the country.

Qatari companies were expelled from Saudi Arabia, as well as individuals from diplomats (who were given 48 hours to leave) and farmers. While stock prices immediately slumped and imports plunged (by 37.9 percent in June compared with May), the government's plan to make up the difference in rising costs through subsidies has made life bearable - and Qatar actually appears to be weathering the storm.

The nation's oil and gas sector, which accounts for more than half of the country's GDP, is what is carrying the country through. Analysts have consistently characterized Qatar's oil and gas as vulnerable yet largely "unaffected" throughout the crisis - this partly because exports to Japan, China, India, and South Korea account for nearly three quarters of its total exports and have remained untouched by the boycott. The UAE, though, firmly on the Saudi side of the spat, relies on sourcing 30% of its energy needs from Qatar to keep the lights on, and a major gas pipeline connecting the two countries has kept pumping all summer. Related: Kurdish Independence Could Deal A Major Blow To Oil Markets

Fresh financial data out today confirms that Qatar is set to persist through the crisis while avoiding collapse, with some sectors remaining surprisingly strong. No doubt its leaders are keenly aware of this and emboldened in their shots fired across the Saudi bow as they restore diplomatic relations with Iran. Qatar's former adversary across the Persian Gulf has throughout the summer shipped food supplies into the blockaded country, as well as allowed Qatari flights increased use of Iranian airspace in largely symbolic acts aimed at poking the Saudis. But it's Qatar's shared massive natural gas field with Iran - with the South Pars Field owned by Tehran and the North Field owned by Doha - that has been the biggest stabilizing lifeline of the crisis. Though Thursday's figures show that:

Qatar is still far from restoring its imports to normal. Imports recovered by only 6.3 percent month-on-month to 6.24 billion riyals ($1.71 billion) in July; they were 35.0 percent below their level in July 2016.

Much of the disruption appears to be to big-ticket items. Imports of aircraft parts were down 40.5 percent from a year ago at 292 million riyals in July. The diplomatic crisis has deprived Qatar Airways of two of its biggest markets, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

But as analysts have consistently predicted:

Thursday's trade figures suggested the sanctions are not affecting Qatar's natural gas exports - July exports of petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons rose 7.8 percent from a year ago - and are no longer slowing other exports much.

As a result, Qatar's trade surplus expanded 78.1 percent from a year earlier to 11.91 billion riyals in July, although it edged down 4.8 percent from the previous month.

And though prices on basic staples continue to rise (for example food and drink prices rose 4.2 percent in July from June), even this may stabilize.

Analysts think the sanctions damage should ease in coming months as new shipping routes are developed. Qatar Navigation launched a direct Qatar-Turkey service this week after starting a container service to Kuwait last week. Additionally, construction of a food processing and storage facility at Qatar's Hamad Port received $440 million of bank financing.

The so-called "13 demands" presented by the quartet of Arab countries sanctioning Qatar on June 23 have unsurprisingly remained unfulfilled while today's announcement further signals Qatar's willingness to forge alternate permanent ties away from the GCC alliance which has defined much of short history as a young nation-state. The announced willingness to form fresh ties with Iran comes just days after Saudi Arabia began somewhat bizarrely and aggressively promoting an exiled Qatari royal family member and prominent businessman, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali Al-Thani, whose family was forced out in 1972. The Saudis would like nothing more than be in a position to hand pick their choice for the Qatari throne and reduce Qatar to a vassal state.

From the Saudi and GCC perspective, the list of pre-conditions for lifting the embargo remain in effect, and include (according to India's English news site The Wire):

o Close down Al Jazeera television network and all its affiliates, plus other Qatar-funded news outlets

o Close a military base operated by Turkey

o Expel all citizens of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain currently in Qatar

o Hand over all individuals wanted by those four countries for terrorism

o Stop funding any extremist entities that are designated as terrorist groups by the US

o Provide detailed information about opposition figures Qatar has funded

o Shut down diplomatic posts in Iran

o Expel members of Irans elite Revolutionary Guard

o Conduct trade and commerce with Iran only in conformity with US sanctions Related: When Can We Expect An Oil Price Breakout?

And yet surprisingly it appears Qatar is increasingly in the geopolitical driver's seat, having called the bluff of the more powerful GCC states led by Saudi Arabia and backed by Saudi allies like the U.S. and even Israel. For now, it appears tiny Qatar is defying the odds, and its potential to successfully navigate the current economic and diplomatic full-frontal assault has huge repercussions for the entire region. As accurately predicted by a comprehensive report by Middle East scholar Mouin Rabbani produced earlier this summer:

The big winners so far are Iran, Syria, and their Lebanese ally Hizballah, who cannot but be delighted by the audible cracks in the alliance ranged against Damascus and Tehran and that may well spell the end of the GCC. Iran and Hizballah will additionally hope that Hamas has finally learned the lesson that no ally of the United States can be a true friend of the Palestinians.

Turkey has also, yet again, demonstrated that in todays Middle East, it has a role to play in every crisis and that others ignore Ankaras interests whether in the Gulf, Syria, or Iraqat their peril. On the flip side, there are growing noises within Riyadh and Abu Dhabi that the campaign should expand to include Turkeywhich has recently been claiming that the UAE is implicated in the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan.

Will we all look back on this moment when future historians trace the end of the GCC? Did the Saudis finally overreach in their anti-Iran fanaticism to become the authors of their own demise? The surprising emergent Iran-Qatar alliance is sure to at least be the start of a new regional order where the Saudis can no longer dictate terms no matter how many Western powers stand at their side.

By Zerohedge.com

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Samsung is preparing to launch the Galaxy Note 8 in India and in order to distance it from the flagship series. Samsung has reduced the price on the 128GB/6GB RAM variant of Galaxy S8+.

The price cut has, however, made both variants priced too close to each other. The previous price of the device was Rs 70,900 which has been brought down to Rs 65,900 in comparison to Rs 64,900, the price tag on the 64GB/4GB variant.

Samsung launched the Note 8 globally in an event in New York on Wednesday. The device has been priced at $930 in the US and is expected to launch in India with a much heavier price tag. Despite last years' Note 7 debacle, Samsung managed to retain the enthusiasm of potential buyers. Over that, the device is priced much higher than any other Samsung smartphone ever launched.

Last years' Note 7 was priced above $800 and even this year's Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ have been priced below $900, while the new Note 8 starts at $930. The new Samsung will go on sale globally on September and is expected to arrive in India on the same date with an exclusive partnership with Amazon India.

Meanwhile, numerous reports suggest that Apple iPhone 8 might overtake Samsung Note 8 in terms of price, with a price tag of $1000 or more. This can place the Note 8 in a relatively comfortable zone in the premium segment. Analyst's have also predicted that this high price tag might lead to lower demand in iPhones this year.

Also Read: Apple might lose premium segment fight to Samsung: Analyst



Here are the highlights of Samsung's Galaxy Note 8:

Infinity Display: The Galaxy Note 8 comes with a monsterous screen of 6.3 inches but it still manages to cram that in a relatively small footprint, thanks to Samsung's Infinity Display. The display is of the same size as Galaxy S8+ and also has the same resolution. However, the Note 8 is slightly less curved than the Galaxy S8+ to accommodate more writing space.

Samsung has managed to reduce the bezels surrounding the display even more in comparison to the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+. The display follows an aspect ratio of 18.5:9 with a resolution of 2960x1440 pixels.

S Pen: In the age of gigantic smartphones, what makes a Note phone more Note-worthy than others? The S Pen. Last year, after the Note 7 fiasco, there were speculations that Samsung might scrap the entire Note line-up. However, the South Korean tech giant claimed that Note 7 enthusiasts love the S Pen and it functionality.

This year Samsung added a few more features specific to the S Pen. Paired with the large screen and wider Infinity Display, the prospects of the S Pen have grown manifold. Equipped with a finer tip and higher pressure sensitivity, it can now be used to create anything from fine art pieces to day-to-day tasks.

The S Pen now comes with Live Message feature which allows you can animate anything you write or draw, including scribble on photos. These animations can also be messaged for personalised touch.

The Screen Off memo feature has been improved too, allowing users to write for 100 pages without switching on the screen and edit text with double tap. Now entire texts can be translated from one language to another by moving the S Pen over them.

Dual-lens Camera: The biggest differentiator between the Galaxy S8+ and the Note 8 is the dual-lens setup on the latter. This is the first time Samsung boarded the dual-lens band wagon and the expectations are high. Considering that Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ went neck to neck with any dual camera setup in the industry, Galaxy Note 8 stands a greater chance of blowing the competition out of water.

Galaxy Note 8 also has the first dual-camera system to feature Optical Image Stabilisation in both camera units, making low-light photography feel like a breeze. Other than OIS, the camera module comes with dual pixel sensor for better photos in low light conditions.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 also comes with a feature called Live Focus which allows the user to decide how prominently the subject stands out by the adjusting the background blur levels, before or after the picture is taken.

Bixby: Samsung's own Bixby seems to be growing up to be a mature AI assistant. The demonstration of Bixby ranged from placing calls to clicking food pictures without the need to touch the screen. The dedicated Bixby button on the device gives us an idea of how important this new software is to Samsung. Samsung claims that Bixby can identify fluent languages without any trouble.

Bixby will soon allow users to play music on Spotify, courtesy a partnership between Samsung and the digital music service. Samsung promised more exciting news in its Developers' Conference in October.

Samsung DeX: Samsung DeX evolved into a better feature with lower boot times and additional features.The company is making efforts to create an ecosystem of utility and game applications, by partnering with their respective creators, specifically optimised for use on desktop, and form a seamless interface.
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...
QUEENSBURY  A New York City man who sold crack cocaine twice last spring in Queensbury has been sentenced to 6 years in state prison.

Craig A. Webster, 33, pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance in connection with March sales of crack in the parking lot of Wal-Mart on Quaker Ridge Road.

The sales were to an undercover police officer or informant during a Warren County Sheriff's Office investigation.

Webster, who has at least one prior felony conviction, was sentenced by Warren County Judge John Hall to 6 years in prison to be followed by 3 years on parole.
In most cases, our editorial board approaches issues rationally and without emotion. That approach has served us well.

But our board members at this weeks meeting were especially outraged over the fact two Warren County employees have been paid their full salaries for five years without doing a day of honest labor.

We believe many Warren County taxpayers are equally incensed.

The case involves two employees at the Warren County jail who were injured during scuffles with prisoners. One hurt a knee, the other suffered a shoulder injury.

The problem stems from a disagreement over their employment status between the state and county.

The county believes the pair should be granted disability retirements. That would force the state to pick up the tab  three-quarters of their salary  and allow the county to replace them with employees who can actually work.

But the New York State and Local Retirement System is balking. It believes the officers injuries are not severe enough for a disability pension, so that leaves the county on the hook for their salaries and short on staffing.

That has led to legal wrangling between the county and the state that could leave Warren County taxpayers on the hook for as much as $20,000 in legal bills.

We imagine your blood pressure just spiked, because it did for our board.

Our initial reaction was one of anger, and within minutes of beginning our discussion, we came up with several simple common-sense solutions to put the employees back to work and give taxpayers a return on their dollar:

The employees could be retrained to be dispatchers.

They could be transferred to the Sheriffs Office to help front line officers with paperwork.

They could do security around the Municipal Center.

Or maybe an entirely new position could be invented that at least would provide a service to county taxpayers.

There must be something these folks could do to earn their salaries. After all, there are plenty of people in wheelchairs who put in an honest 40-hour work week.

But the reality is often much more complicated than common-sense solutions.

Sheriff York said he had looked at all options. The workers were only qualified for certain duties and anything involving physical labor was not permitted because of their injuries.

County lawyers say their hands are tied because of union contracts and civil service rules.

We also learned this has been a problem at other jails, including Albany County where nearly a dozen employees are in a similar position with the state battling counties over who should pick up the tab.

That didnt make us feel any better.

If that is the case, we ask our state senators  Betty Little and Kathy Marchione  to immediately take up this issue and get it fixed, along with Assembly members Dan Stec and Carrier Woerner.

If this problem is widespread, it could be costing taxpayers millions of dollars a year.

That is unacceptable.
Editor:

My 86-year-old husband, who has Lewy body Dementia, was admitted to Warren Center in January after a brief stay at Glens Falls Hospital. What a blessing! He was denied admission to Tri-County Nursing Home in North Creek, which is 16 miles from our home in Indian Lake, because he needed 24/7 total care and TCNH did not have enough staff to provide his needs. I am thankful that WC was willing to accept the challenge.

It took a while to adjust to Bob's new "home." He became a resident in March. I will admit that there were problems, but each of my concerns as Bob's advocate were respectfully addressed by the WC staff. I have been able to observe "up close" the various departments and staff at WC. The total staff of this health care facility is a "community" of professionals who are dedicated to provide comfort and safety to those committed to their care. Any problems that I have experienced have been addressed courteously, solutions attempted and accomplished.

The greatest problem I experience at WC is lack of CTA staff. However, they are trying to improve and recently "imported" CTAs from Louisiana. CTAs are the backbone of patient care  up close and personal. Warren Center CTAs are "professional" in every sense of the word. They are skillful, thoughtful, kind, perceptive, sympathetic, understanding and helpful. The new CTAs are truly welcome! The present excellent nursing staff deserve appreciation for assisting with orientation and working well with their new team members.

The WC Family Council is a valuable asset to WC. Family members of residents need to be encouraged to attend their meetings and also assist in the care of their loved ones, helping to make good things happen at WC.

There are many "Stars" at WC.

June McKenney, Indian Lake
MOORHEAD, Minn.  The sound of drums symbolizing a mothers heartbeat and the scent of burning sage were soaked in while uplifting prayers were made for Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind  a daughter and mother now among the multitude of missing indigenous women.

She is one of a thousand missing women in Turtle Island, said Denise Lajimodiere, a professor at North Dakota State University, referring to an American Indian term for North America.

In her hands, she cradled a conch shell with smoldering sage leaves inside to cleanse more than 100 people gathered at Minnesota State University Moorhead on Friday, Aug. 25.

That afternoon in the center of campus a somber crowd came together to pray for 22-year-old LaFontaine-Greywind who went missing Saturday, Aug. 19. She was eight months pregnant, and while its believed her baby girl, Haisley Jo, is alive and healthy, the mother is still missing.

Merlin Deegan, of the White Earth Indian Reservation, smoked a peace pipe before addressing the crowd. He said everyone there knew the circumstances of why they were there, and he could feel it, a lot of heaviness in our hearts.

Theres a lot of pain, he said.

Although LaFontaine-Greywind did not attend MSUM, Dr. Donna Brown, chief diversity officer at MSUM, said the universitys American Indian Student Association felt compelled to host the gathering because its a tragedy and its a native woman, and often times they are not recognized as they should be.

Indigenous women are disproportionately murdered or missing, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. In some counties, the rate of murder against indigenous women is 10 times the national average, the department reported.

Despite the LaFontaine-Greywind case now being national news, Brown said she spoke with people on campus that day who had not yet heard about it, so she felt it was important to raise awareness for this case and address this larger issue affecting indigenous women.

What today is really about is hope and the power of prayer, she said. What today is not about is criticizing law enforcement. Its not about speculation and what couldve happened.

MSUM President Anne Blackhurst spoke of forces larger than ourselves forming powerful connections and their prayers as a collective will make a difference.

Bill Craft, president of neighboring Concordia College, referred to LaFontaine-Greywind as a daughter of this community, a mother of this community, and offered his thoughts and prayers to the family.

NDSU also hosted a prayer gathering Friday at the same time as MSUM.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, a prayer walk will take place for LaFontaine-Greywind. Hosted by the North Dakota Human Rights Coalition and sponsored by the Fargo Native American Commission, the walk will start at 2 p.m. in Oak Grove Park. Walkers will head to the Veterans Memorial Bridge for a 3 p.m. ceremony.

Those participating in Saturdays prayer walk are asked to wear red in honor of indigenous women who are missing and murdered.
Since first learning the clarinet as a child, Steve Stoltenberg has had the music in him, and his life's work has helped pass that on to generations of other musicians.

Busy now with a new school band instrument rental season, the owner of Northwest Music quietly marked the 45th anniversary of his Davenport store. "I opened around August 20, I can't quite remember,'' said Stoltenberg, who considers the whole month to be his anniversary.

The store at 1411 Washington St., where he has operated 43 of his 45 years, is a full-line music store. "Band, orchestra, drums, amps, guitars, pianos and organs, I have it all. And if I don't have it, I can get it,'' he said.

Stoltenberg, 67, who remains a one-man shop, got into the business strictly as a repair shop after graduating from a music repair program at Western Iowa Tech Community College, Sioux City. He opened the business on Locust Street, but soon expanded into the instrument rental business and bought his current location  a former Nesbitt pop bottling operation.

Stoltenberg said his is the last of the area's small family-run music stores. "When I started in the business, there were six full-line music stores and all family-run. So I did repairs for a lot of those stores."

When not repairing instruments or outfitting a new generation of band students and local band members, he keeps busy playing his clarinet in community bands in Durant, Iowa, and Orion, Illinois, as well as the CASI New Horizons Band.

Northwest Music can be reached at 563-322-2746.

StorageHub opens temp-controlled facility



A longtime family business in Rock Island now is emerging with a new life as StorageHub, the first temperature-controlled self-storage facility in Rock Island.

The 230-unit StorageHub is located at 2820 Blackhawk Road in the building that long housed Herman's Inc., a wholesale distributor and manufacturer. Scott Stroud said the company  launched 70 years ago by his grandfather, Herman Segal  closed last year.

"This is an excellent location and an outstanding opportunity for the Herman's Inc. family to develop a new business that continues to serve the local community," said Stroud, StorageHub's planning and operations director. "Instead of leaving the building, we decided to make it an asset."

Stroud said it marks the first StorageHub, but the goal is to expand the brand throughout the Quad-City region. The venture is owned by the Stroud and Segal families.

With 40,000 square feet of rentable storage, the retrofitted facility offers a drive-up access point, loading and unloading bay, state-of-the-art security and a retail office stocked with packaging supplies. It also features energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, wi-fi access, video surveillance, electronic access security systems, keypad access, among other amenities.

"Our biggest challenge was to transform the former Herman's Inc. building, built in 1953, into a modern storage facility," Stroud said. He thanked the efforts of Russell, American Bank & Trust, the city of Rock Island and others.

Herman's Inc. traces its history to 1946 when it provided hosiery and underwear to customers across the country. It later began distributed and produced embellishments, corporate apparel and other promotional items before becoming a global distributor and manufacturer of corporate apparel and collegiate licensed goods, Stroud said.

StorageHub can be reached at 309-788-9568.

CRST increases new truck drivers' pay



Faced with an industry shortage of qualified truck drivers, CRST Expedited Inc. rolled out a pay increase for its new student drivers.

CRST Expedited, with Quad-City operations, announced a 15 percent pay increase effective last Monday for new contract student drivers receiving CDL training through the company-sponsored program. Many drivers train at CRST's North American Training Academy in Cedar Rapids.

The largest operating company of Cedar Rapids-based CRST International Inc., CRST Expedited assisted 3,740 new drivers in joining the transportation industry last year. The company employs 22 people at its Eldridge facility.

"Our student drivers are a critical part of our team," said Cameron Holzer, CRST Expedited president. "Ensuring they are successful in starting out their professional driving career is a top priority to us."

One of the nation's largest privately-held transportation companies, CRST employs more than 8,000 and projects 2017 annual revenues of $1.3 billion.
Caked in mud and covered with bug bites, a shivering group of six friends from the Quad-Cities huddled together in the dark this past Sunday, stranded in the woods of northeast Iowa.

The leisurely float they planned down the Yellow River had gone haywire.

Wearing swimsuits and carrying snacks, water and inner tubes, the women embarked on their outing about 11 a.m., thinking they had only three hours to travel.

Several hours passed, however, and they had not yet reached their endpoint.

"We just thought our second car was a lot closer," said Wendy Saathoff, a 37-year-old mother of two, who manages the taproom at Great River Brewery in Davenport.

The river levels also were lower than they expected, which slowed their journey.

"It's a little embarrassing," she said, noting this was not their first trip in the wilderness. "We've all floated before, kayaked before and backpacked before; it just takes one mistake for something like this to turn into a pretty bad situation."

Finally, they decided to ditch their rafts and hike toward Great River Road. After tearing through thick brush full of stinging nettle for 2 hours, they hopped back in the river.

As three of the women swam ahead, Saathoff and two others jumped back on shore to escape the cold water.

Just before dusk, one of them had managed to climb atop a bluff, where she found a sliver of cellphone service to call for help.

The Allamakee County Sheriffs Office received the call at 7 p.m. and requested backup from other agencies to assist in a search-and-rescue mission near Effigy Mounds National Monument, according to a news release.

Upon arrival, the Decorah Fire Department deployed a drone. Thanks to the aircrafts thermal imaging camera, it was able to locate three of the women within 10 minutes.

After pinpointing their location, volunteer firefighter and quadcopter pilot Zach Kerndt attached a radio transmitter to the aircraft and delivered it to the group.

It felt like we were in a movie, said Saathoff, whose trio received the communication device. It was just surreal.

Using the radio, Saathoff said they informed authorities that their three other friends were downriver from them.

It creates a means of communication, Kerndt said, referring to the drone. We were able to tell them that there was help coming.

Aboard utility terrain vehicles, first responders with Harpers Ferry Fire and Rescue picked up both groups of women and transported them to safety around 11:30 p.m.

Saathoff, whose hands had turned purple, said she and two others were treated for hypothermia.

Without the drone, Kerndt said, "It wouldve been really hard to find them."

"In years to come, I could see almost every fire department having one," he said. "It gives you another view on things that you don't normally get to see."

Having survived this nightmarish adventure, Saathoff said they will be better prepared for their next trek on the Yellow River.

"We're absolutely going back," she said. "We're not going to be scared."

She mentioned plans to kayak and camp along the waterway someday.

"That place is gorgeous," she said.
Legislators representing the Illinois Quad-Cities are, at best, cautious about a compromise proposal that could pave the way for schools to receive funding from the state.

One lawmaker, however, is downright pessimistic.

State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, told the Quad-City Times Editorial Board on Friday that "it would be hard" to support the compromise that Democratic and Republican leaders in both the House and Senate reached Thursday.

Details of the plan haven't been released, but some information has become public. McCombie said she's been told the new bill contains virtually all the spending that was contained in the original bill, Senate Bill 1, that Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed, calling it a bailout for Chicago schools.

McCombie also objected to the amount of money the bill would send to Chicago, arguing that it meant less money for the schools in her House district.

The new bill reportedly includes $75 million that would go to tax credits for people who donate to scholarships for private school students, and that also draws McCombie's ire. She said that simply will add to Illinois' budget problems.

"I won't vote for new programs or mandates," she said.

Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, said Friday he didnt have enough details on the agreement among leadership to render a decision on whether he supports it. Halpin said he intends to circle back with superintendents and other stakeholders within his district after seeing the full text of the bill, which could be as early as Sunday.

State Sen. Neil Anderson, R-Andalusia, had much the same reaction Friday. He said he was waiting for a call from his Republican leadership to learn details of the plan, but he hopes there can be a compromise that all parties can live with.

"For me, the first SB 1 was not in the best interests of my district," Anderson said.

On Thursday, Senate President John Cullerton, House Speaker Michael Madigan, Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady and House Republican Leader Jim Durkin announced they had reached a compromise agreement on school funding but details still had to be worked out. They are scheduled to meet again Sunday, before the House meets Monday, possibly to vote on the bill.

On Thursday, Rauner praised the deal, but Friday, he took a different tone. He again said there's too much money for Chicago, and he will try to fix problems with "subsequent legislation."

He says he likes other parts of the deal, including a more equitable way to dispense money and a proposed program to provide tax credits for those who donate to private school scholarships.

The Republican spoke Friday at a Marion Chamber of Commerce event.

The budget lawmakers approved last month requires a new formula for schools to get money this year.

(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
FARGO  Fargo police have brought in special placenta-sniffing dogs from Minneapolis to aid in the search for clues in the disappearance of Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind and discovery of a newborn baby believe to belong to her.

The specially-trained K-9 team began searching on Friday and continued on Saturday. Fargo police Chief David Todd would not reveal where they have been searching.

Fargo police reported on Saturday that they have searched 35 locations with connections to the suspects in the case, and others based on GPS information, but none of the searches found anything. Police on Friday searched a cornfield and grove of trees near Dilworth, Minn., responding to information gathered in interviews and searches.

Asked if the expansion of the investigation to another state would make the case a federal matter and might prompt the FBI to join the investigation, Todd said, Not until we find something. He said the FBI is assisting Fargo policy in technical ways, but that the Fargo Police Department remains the lead law enforcement agency on the case.

Detectives also collected surveillance video taken about the time LaFontaine-Greywind disappeared from several businesses in Fargo and are going through that video.

Fargo police said the department has received many calls on its tipline about the LaFontaine-Greywind case and that detectives are following up on all information provided.

Police continue to encourage the public to check all areas of their properties for any possible information that may relate to the case. Anyone with information should call the Fargo Police tipline at (701) 235-7335.
The Trump administration is exploring new approaches for easing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that build on talks with a budding Sunni Arab coalition of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan.

Jared Kushner, the White House senior adviser and presidential son-in-law, visited the leaders of all four countries during his Middle East trip this week. He was accompanied by special envoy Jason Greenblatt and deputy national security adviser Dina Powell. The group came away hopeful that the new generation of Arab leaders is a potential "game-changer," said a senior administration official.

Prince Khaled bin Salman, the Saudi ambassador to Washington, gave an upbeat account of the talks with Kushner. He said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his older brother, "is optimistic in light of the commitment of Donald Trump to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians." He said this week's visit "cemented Saudi and other Arab officials' respect" for Kushner and his team, who organized Trump's visit to the kingdom in May.

A first step in the new Palestinian strategy involves Gaza, which under Hamas has been Israel's most implacable adversary. The moderate Sunni coalition has tried to pull Hamas closer to Egypt and the UAE, and increase Hamas' distance from Qatar, which for years has been a major financial backer.

The goal is to broker a reunification of Gaza with the Palestinian Authority, under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas, so that a united PA could represent all Palestinians. This would be a key step toward resuming broader negotiations.

The Trump administration seems to envision an "outside-in" strategy for breaking the Palestinian-Israeli stalemate. The U.S., it's hoped, could eventually bring together Israelis and leaders of the major Arab states for a peace conference. Trump's unusually close relations with both Israel and the Gulf Arabs are part of this strategy.

The Gaza opening by the moderate Arabs is an unlikely offshoot of their bitter feud with Qatar, Turkey and other nations that support the Muslim Brotherhood militants who have long dominated Hamas.

Mohammed Dahlan, a Gazan Palestinian now living in the UAE, has been the key intermediary. He has traveled to Gaza and organized UAE-financed humanitarian assistance there, working in collaboration with Yahya al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas inside Gaza. The plan is to provide economic and social support, through Egypt and with Israel's blessing, that can weaken the hard-liners' control.

"We both realized it's time to find a way out" in Gaza, Dahlan told The Associated Press last month after meeting with Sinwar, who was a childhood friend.

Dahlan's aid to Gaza is said to include about $15 million a month in food and social assistance for families, plus an unspecified additional amount for electricity and water, an Arab official told me. Israel has allowed fuel and other shipments to pass from Egypt through the border crossing at Rafah, signaling tacit support.

Dahlan and his Emirati backers have bigger plans. He told the AP that the UAE has pledged to finance a $100 million electricity plant, to be built on the Egyptian side of the border, to help power Gaza. Although Dahlan is a long-time rival of Abbas, U.S. officials insist they don't want to undermine the PA leader.

Beyond the machinations in Gaza is a larger vision for restarting a Palestinian peace process drawing on the alliance of moderate Sunni leaders. Jordan's King Abdullah and Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi already have extensive, friendly relations with Israel. Mohammed bin Zayed, the military leader of the UAE, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed don't have formal ambassadorial contacts with Israel. But they share a common enemy in Iran.

MBS, as the Saudi crown prince is known, has made some brash moves that have caused him trouble, including the war in Yemen. But he's willing to take risks on the reform side, too, including challenging the kingdom's religious establishment. Prince Khaled, the Saudi ambassador, said that MBS believes resolution of the Palestinian problem and peace with Israel "is crucial for the future of the Middle East."

"This young, dynamic leadership presents opportunities that may not have existed before," argues Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE ambassador to Washington. The White House clearly shares that view.

When it comes to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, 50 years of peacemaking history sadly warns us that a new initiative probably won't work. And Trump's domestic problems weaken his ability to deliver on Kushner's advance work. But it must be said: The opportunities for trade, investment and security cooperation between Israel and the Arabs have never been greater.
For Diane Gartner Hillman, the new reality of being Jewish in Charlottesville sank in when she had to leave Congregation Beth Israel through the back door.

On any other Saturday, worshippers at the city's lone synagogue would have left through the front and walked without fear to their cars, parked near the statue of Gen. Robert E. Lee in Emancipation Park.

But now, men wearing white shirts and khaki pants and other white supremacists carrying semi-automatic rifles were streaming past their sanctuary, taunting Beth Israel with phony Brooklyn accents and mocking Yiddish expressions, such "oy gevalt."

"We were in a different world than where we had been previously," Hillman, 69, said Friday, as a stream of people entered the synagogue, now guarded by three police officers out front and several more in the park. "We just don't know where things are going to go from here."

The presence of hundreds of white nationalists and the loss of three lives last weekend have members of the synagogue confronting new levels of anxiety and resolve. Anti-Semitic vitriol and violence has been on the rise in the United States, according to the Anti-Defamation League and other organizations that monitor hate groups. But the dynamic in Charlottesville showed an intensity of bigotry rarely seen out in the open.

Writing for the website of the Union of Reform Judaism, Beth Israel President Alan Zimmerman said Nazi websites had called for the temple to be burned.

"Fortunately, it was just talk - but we had already deemed such an attack within the realm of possibilities, taking the precautionary step of removing our Torahs, including a Holocaust scroll, from the premises," he wrote.

Beth Israel hired an armed security guard for the first time last Saturday, and plans to increase security, according to the congregation's Facebook page. One Beth Israel member was "injured by the terrorist who used his car as a weapon, but is recovering at a local medical center and is expected to do so fully," that post said.

As much as the show of hatred increased fears, it also boosted a sense of community in this normally quiet college town.

Cale Jaffe, a University of Virginia law professor, watched as the white nationalists marched past with guns, helmets and body armor, "explicitly with the intent of intimidation and to create violence," and for the first time, felt anxious about walking into his synagogue, he said.

"But it has crystalized for me why it's so important to push through that anxiety and step inside the sanctuary," said Jaffe, 44. "It made it clear that's a place I need to be."

And many people in Charlottesville who aren't Jewish have come to Beth Israel to show their solidarity, Jaffe said. "What gives me hope going forward is knowing so many people in the larger Charlottesville community feel that way and are there with us."
Speaker at First Baptist in Deadwood

Rev. Arthur J. Campbell will be the Sunday morning worship service guest speaker at First Baptist Church of the Northern Hills, in Deadwood, Sept. 3, at 9:30 a.m.

Rev. Campbell is joining with the congregation in the celebration of the historic 100th anniversary of the laying of the church's cornerstone.

Rev. Campbell grew up and received his ordination in this church in June 1974 when both the Lead and Deadwood Baptist churches were merging.

In 43 years he has served seven American Baptist Churches. He and his wife, Karen, are semi-retired and live in Topeka, Kan.

Rev. Campbell's grandparents, Arthur and Laura Welf, and Alvah and Karin Campbell, were long-standing members of both the Deadwood and Lead Baptist Churches and were undoubtedly present at the ceremonious laying of the original cornerstone in September 1917. All are welcome to attend.

New South Dakota Catholic Conference director

Christopher Motz has been named the first Executive Director of the South Dakota Catholic Conference. The conference will serve as the official voice of the bishops in the state and talk about issues of public policy.

Motz is originally from Sioux Falls and graduated from Iowa State University and University of St. Thomas School of Law.

Pope Francis inspires Iowa church to use solar energy

Church leaders in central Iowa are turning to solar power for their buildings in an effort to aid the environment and save money.

The Des Moines Register reports that the St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Norwalk has more than 200 solar panels which the Rev. John Ludwig says saves them about $2,000 a year.

Church member Terry Dvorak founded Red Lion Renewables, a solar development firm. Dvorak gathered investors who contributed about $200,000 to purchase the panels.

The company then sells the energy generated to the church at a low rate.

Bishop Robert Pates says Pope Francis' campaign combating climate change inspired the move toward solar.

Leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines say the church is just the first in a larger scale solar energy initiative.

Pakistani police arrest Christian youth on blasphemy charges

Pakistani police say a Christian youth was arrested on blasphemy charges after he allegedly desecrated the Quran, Islam's holy book, in eastern Punjab province.

Police chief Pervez Iqbal says the teen, about 18 years of age, was seized by a mob on Aug. 12 near the town of Wazirabad. The mob wanted to "punish" him for blasphemy.

Iqbal said on Monday that the police acted swiftly and probably saved the youth from being lynched. He says the man is now awaiting trial.

Earlier this year, a student was lynched in northwestern Pakistan for blasphemy. The charge was later proven baseless.

Under Pakistan's blasphemy laws, anyone accused of insulting God, Islam or the Quran can be sentenced to death. Rights activist say the law is often misused to settle personal disputes.
PIERRE, S.D.  Attorney General Marty Jackley announced today that South Dakota has agreed in principle to join the United States and other States to settle allegations against Mylan Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mylan Specialty L.P. (collectively Mylan).

"We will continue to preserve the integrity of the Medicaid program," Jackley said. This settlement agreement helps ensure that Medicaid can continue providing critical health services to those most in need.

The settlement will resolve allegations that Mylan knowingly underpaid rebates owed to the Medicaid program for the drugs EpiPen and EpiPen Jr. (EpiPen) dispensed to Medicaid beneficiaries. Under the settlement, Mylan will pay $465 million to the United States and the States. The States will share $213,936,000 of the total settlement.

The total portion of the settlement amount recovered by South Dakota is $456,397.56, of which $234,689.47 will be retained by the federal government as the federal Medicaid share. The remaining $221,708.09 will go to the state general fund to offset alleged Medicaid damages in this case.

Specifically, this settlement resolves allegations that from July 29, 2010 to March 31, 2017, Mylan submitted false statements to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that incorrectly classified EpiPen as a noninnovator multiple source drug, as opposed to a single source or innovator multiple source drug, as those terms are defined in the Rebate Statute and Rebate Agreement. Mylan also did not report a Best Price to CMS for EpiPen, as that term is defined in the Rebate Statute and Agreement, which it was required to do for all single source and innovator multiple source drugs. As a result, Mylan allegedly submitted or caused to be submitted false statements to CMS and/or the States relating to EpiPen for Medicaid rebate purposes, and underpaid its EpiPen rebates to the State Medicaid Programs.

A National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units (NAMFCU) Team participated in the settlement negotiations with Mylan on behalf of the states and included representatives from the Offices of the Attorneys General for the states of California, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Washington, and the Commonwealths of Massachusetts and Virginia.

The South Dakota Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the South Dakota Department of Social Services assisted in recovering the settlement money.

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KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. | The Air Force announced Aug. 21 the award of two Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction contracts for its Ground Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile weapon system program. Contracts were awarded to Boeing Company, Huntsville, Alabama, and Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, Redondo Beach, California.

The GBSD is the weapon system replacement for the aging LGM-30 Minuteman III ICBM.

We are moving forward with modernization of the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad, said Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson. Our missiles were built in the 1970s. Things just wear out, and it becomes more expensive to maintain them than to replace them. We need to cost-effectively modernize.

The Minuteman III first became operational in the early 1970s. While certain components and subsystems have been upgraded over the years, most of the fundamental infrastructure in use today is the original equipment supporting more than 50 years of continuous operation.

"Airmen must always be ready in this no-fail mission," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein. "As others have stated, the only thing more expensive than deterrence is fighting a war. The Minuteman III is 45 years old. It is time to upgrade."

The aging Minuteman III system will continue to face increasingly significant operational and sustainment challenges until replaced.

The Minuteman III is the enduring ground-based leg of our nuclear triad. However, it is an aging platform and requires major investments to maintain its reliability and effectiveness, said Gen. Robin Rand, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. GBSD is the most cost-effective ICBM replacement strategy, leveraging existing infrastructure while also implementing mature, modern technologies and more efficient operations, maintenance and security concepts.

For the GBSD acquisition effort, the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center is focused on developing and delivering an integrated GBSD weapon system, including launch and command-and-control segments. The weapons developers will pursue a modular systems architecture, which will encourage continued competition across the lifecycle of the program. Additionally, a modular system will make the GBSD weapon system responsive to the challenges posed by the pace of technological change and new threat environments.

The new GBSD weapon system will meet the combatant commanders current requirements, while having the adaptability to affordably address changing technology and emerging threats through 2075, said Maj. Gen. Scott Jansson, AFNWC commander and the Air Force program executive officer for strategic systems.

Two contracts, valued at no more than $359 million each, were awarded after a full and open competition. The companies selected were determined to provide the best overall value to the warfighter and taxpayers based on the source selections evaluation factors. The period of performance for each TMRR contract is approximately 36 months.

I am proud of the hard work, professionalism and dedication of the GBSD program office members. We would not have gotten here without them, said Col. Heath Collins, GBSD program manager for AFNWC. Over the last year, we have executed a thorough and fair source selection while also putting in place the tools, infrastructure and analytic capability to execute the GBSD program. We are ready, excited and honored to begin working with our industry partners to develop and deliver an affordable, low-risk ICBM replacement, guaranteeing uninterrupted nuclear deterrence capabilities for the nation.

The GBSD program office is part of AFNWCs ICBM Systems Directorate at Hill AFB, Utah. The center is responsible for synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command in direct support of AFGSC.

Headquartered at Kirtland AFB, the center has about 1,100 personnel assigned to 17 locations worldwide, including at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts; Hill AFB, Utah; Eglin AFB, Florida; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; and at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
EDGEMONT - Edgemont School Board Vice President Susan Humiston was recently elected to the Associated School Boards of South Dakotas Board of Directors.

Humiston was elected to represent the Associations Western Region member districts in the 265 and under enrollment category. Her four-year term began this month as the ASBSD Board of Directors met for their August meeting prior to the ASBSD-SASD Convention in Sioux Falls last week.

A daycare operator, Humiston has made it her lifes work raising children and is currently serving her 27th year on the Edgemont School Board, a stretch that has included four years as School Board President, many years as Vice President and service on the Edgemont Childrens Center board and Black Hill Special Services board.

Humiston has served two stints on the ASBSD Board of Directors totaling 20 years and during that time she has performed ASBSD President duties twice (2001-02 and 2010-11). She has served as her local districts Legislative Action Network Member and represented the Edgemont Board at Delegate Assembly. Humiston has also served on the Associated School Boards Protective Trust Board.

Susan is a veteran school board member and ASBSD Board of Director member, ASBSD Executive Director Wade Pogany said. Her experience is invaluable and ASBSD, and school boards statewide, are fortunate to have her serving in this role.

The 18-member ASBSD Board of Directors is made up of local school board members elected from four geographic regions (Central, Northeast, Southeast and Western) and five enrollment size categories (265 and under, 266-699, 700-1,399, 1,400-9,999 and 10,000 and above).

ASBSD is a private, non-profit association representing more than 850 South Dakota school board members, the 149 school districts they govern and the students they serve. Our vision is leadership to achieve excellence for South Dakota public education through a mission of partnering, advocating and leading.
While arguing with his girlfriend in November, a Kyle man held a knife against his 2-month-old son's neck and stomach.

On Friday, Matthew Harold Iron Sr., 33, pleaded guilty in federal court to felony child abuse and neglect. He admitted mistreating his son during the incident at a residence in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservations Potato Creek Housing complex.

Oglala Sioux tribal police, who responded to a call about the argument, saw Iron holding a large butcher-style knife to the neck and stomach area of the child, according to Irons statement of facts in the case.

He made numerous threats to kill the baby and repeatedly placed the knife against the child, the two-page statement reads. Police had described Iron as appearing intoxicated.

The standoff apparently ended about 45 minutes after police began talking to Iron, asking him to put the knife down and surrender.

Iron told authorities he was aware of what he was doing. His actions constituted mistreatment, reflected a lack of proper parental care and threatened the boy with substantial harm, according to the statement that accompanied Irons plea agreement with prosecutors.

At the Friday hearing in Rapid City federal court, when Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann asked Iron if the information in his statement was correct, he said, I just want to take responsibility and move on.

But he added that during the incident, he made no attempt to cause the baby serious bodily injury.

Felony child abuse and neglect carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years and up to three years of supervised release.

Iron is detained at the Pennington County Jail while awaiting sentencing.
Pheasant hunters this fall could be cursing the lack of rain this spring and summer. South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks released its annual pheasant brood survey on Friday, and the numbers were not good.

The survey saw a 45 percent decrease in the pheasant index number compared with last year.

The statewide pheasants per mile index in 2017 is 1.68, down from last years index of 3.05. This year's index is the second-lowest number in nearly 40 years. In 2013, the index dipped to 1.5 pheasants per mile; but in the past 10 years, the index has reached as high as 8.6 pheasants per mile.

From late July through mid-August, the GF&P surveys 110 thirty-mile routes across the pheasant range and counts the number of birds they see to calculate the index. That number isn't meant to reflect the total population, but instead gives state officials a trend line of the population.

Over the past 10 years, that line has been trending down.

While this news is disappointing, it is not unexpected, Kelly Hepler, GF&P department secretary, said in a release. "The difficult winter weather and subsequent drought conditions in various parts of the state will result in hunters having to work harder at trying to take home their daily limit.

"Even with these conditions, the pheasant hunting opportunities in South Dakota continue to be the best in the country."

During droughts, pheasant nesting conditions are significantly degraded because of reduced cover and reduction in insects for chicks to feed on, according to Hepler.

As the drought wore on across the state, the federal government  after pleas from South Dakota's senators and representative  opened up some Conservation Reserve Program land to haying or grazing for ranchers to field their cattle. That same program land serves as valuable nesting ground for pheasants.

Weather conditions and available habitat are key factors contributing to pheasant numbers. We have to remember that over 80 percent of South Dakota experienced some level of drought by mid-July," Hepler said.

In western South Dakota, the pheasant per mile index is down 44 percent compared with last year and 47 percent from the 10-year average.

The hardest hit area was in Sisseton. The index there saw a 67 percent decrease compared with last year.

The Mitchell area fared the best in this year's index, but still had a 32 percent decrease compared with last year and is down 48 percent from the 10-year average.

In some spots across the state, money from visiting pheasant hunters is paramount to the economy. According to a 2015 report, the GF&P said nearly 85,000 nonresident pheasant hunters spent more than $140 million in South Dakota that year.

South Dakotas traditional statewide pheasant hunting season this year opens Oct. 21 and runs through Jan. 7.
PIERRE | The state's new Board of Certified Professional Midwives met for the first time Friday.

Susan Sporrer, an official from the state Health Department, covered some basic processes for the five members during the 35-minute teleconference. Sporrer said they could select an executive secretary at a future meeting.

The possible candidate who was in consideration decided the additional workload was more than that person wanted to handle, she said.

The board can start work on setting rules and choosing leadership when the members meet in person Oct. 12, according to Sporrer. I think April or May of 2018 is the soonest they (rules) are going to be done, she said.

The board members can expect four or five meetings over the next year and then plan on about two meetings per year after that, according to Sporrer.

She referred to Debbie Pease of Centerville as the reason they were on the conference call. Pease is the citizen member of the board. Pease, who has eight daughters, said she became involved in the midwifery movement after the home birth of her fourth child.

Pease said she was elected president of South Dakota Birth Matters in 2007 and started work as its legislative lobbyist in 2009.

The Legislatures approval this year made South Dakota the 32nd state to allow midwives.

The new law requires that midwives obtain state licenses in South Dakota. The licensing process would be part of the rules the board assembles.
iStock/Thinkstock(CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas) -- Flight crews in Texas spent around 18 hours Thursday and Friday evacuating 10 medically-fragile newborns out of the path of Hurricane Harvey.



The babies, all of whom were born in the last few weeks, were evacuated out of Driscoll Children's Hospital in Corpus Christi, which is directly in the path of what is expected to be the worst hurricane to hit Texas in nearly two decades.



The 10 newborns, who were in Driscoll's neonatal intensive care unit, were flown on specially-designed planes to a Fort Worth airport, then transported by ambulance to Cook Childrens Hospital in the city, a hospital spokeswoman told ABC News.



The babies, the last of whom arrived early this morning, are now under the care of doctors and nurses at Cook Children's. They will stay at the hospital until officials deem it safe for them to return home to Corpus Christi, according to the spokeswoman, Winifred King.



Our NICU department has 106 units so we had available room, said King. We had to call in more staff but they were happy to do it.

Hurricane Harvey was predicted by the National Weather Service early this morning to hit the Texas coast around midnight on Friday. All seven counties on the Texas coast have ordered mandatory evacuations of tens of thousands of residents.

The first of 10 critically ill babies from @dchstx has arrived and is in transport w/ our team to our #NICU as #HurricaneHarvey intensifies. pic.twitter.com/jjhri72Mui  Cook Children's (@CookChildrens) August 24, 2017

Another North Texas hospital, Childrens Health Dallas, partnered with Cook Childrens and Driscoll Childrens to fly the babies to safety. Cook Childrens calls their specially-outfitted planes for children the Teddy Bear Transport.



The babies parents were not able to travel with them on the approximately one-hour flight due to the equipment  including IVs, breathing tubes and ventilators -- needed to travel with the babies on the small planes. The parents, most of whom were driving to Fort Worth, are expected to arrive on Friday, according to King.



Once the parents arrive in Fort Worth, they will be able to stay in their childrens hospital rooms or at a Ronald McDonald House on the hospitals campus.



The partnership between Cook Childrens and Driscoll Childrens hospitals came via a direct call from the CEO of Driscoll to the CEO of Children's, King said.



This was a real collaborative situation and were just glad that those kids are here and were able to take care of them, she said. "The primary goal is to have those children where they need to be and safe."

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
SAN DIEGO | The motto of the United States is no longer "e pluribus unum." Sadly, it's become: "Hey! I was wronged. Get my lawyer on the phone!"

Or, recently, south of the Mason-Dixon line: "Let's grab clubs and tiki torches and go make trouble."

America has become a nation of victims. The same people who, a decade ago, might have scoffed at the idea that others were being victimized by societal norms, generational poverty and institutional racism have now themselves joined the pity party and donned the cloak of victimhood. Nursing a grudge is not just for minorities anymore.

Conservative white males have gotten in on the act, as they rail against globalization, corporate greed, immigration, political correctness, the anti-Confederate statue lobby, affirmative action, and the man in the moon.

Those who for years shrugged off the notion that there was lingering racial and ethnic discrimination against Latinos and African-Americans now insist that there is rampant "reverse discrimination" against white people.

As they often do, politicians make the situation worse by giving people easy outs. And these days, as always, many people are glad to have excuses for their failures, setbacks and shortcomings. The bad guys are the banks, the rich, the corporations, the immigrants, the global market.

Victim anthems have been penned by Bruce Springsteen who, in concert, has introduced his haunting ballad "Youngstown"  about the battered town in Northeast Ohio  as a story about "losing everything even when you work hard and play by the rules."

A couple of generations ago, Americans survived tough times by hustling, believing in themselves and working harder. Today, this is the pep talk for the downtrodden: "Lost your job? The culprit is a racial quota or greedy boss or foreign worker. You're a victim."

That's a major takeaway from recent horrible events in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Hundreds of young white men who, intoxicated by a cocktail of entitlement and white privilege, expected to be running the country by now, instead feel as if the country is running over them. They worry that a society that pushes diversity, espouses liberalism, and worships at the altar of political correctness doesn't have any room for them. And the last thing they want to do is look in the mirror and take responsibility for their own lives.

So they picked up torches, and marched, and shouted: "You will not replace us. Jews will not replace us."

This rank bigotry and anti-Semitism made other people feel victimized because they somehow thought they had a right to go through life without ever being offended by anything. The offended staged counterprotests, which made the original protesters feel victimized as if their right to free speech were being violated. And so on.

The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave is now the Land of the Aggrieved and the Home of the Picked On.

This transformation is much more important than the question that captivates the attention of the left and the media (as if there were a difference at this point). Do we have a white supremacist in the White House?

A lot of my Latino and African-American friends are convinced we do. But I think they're wrong. What do they know? Some of them said the same thing about every Republican president since Ronald Reagan while turning a blind eye to outright racists in the Democratic Party. Also, Donald Trump has been in the public eye for more than 30 years  donating money to civil rights groups, posing for pictures with Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, and supporting Democrats. I personally never heard anyone say he was a racist or white supremacist until he became a Republican. That smells fishy.

Besides, Trump's presidency has an expiration date. In a few years, we'll wake up from this national nightmare.

It's the culture of victimhood that Americans should really be worried about. It wasn't just Trump, white supremacists, the media, local police, and activists on the militant left who emerged from the Charlottesville fiasco with their reputations sullied. The American spirit also took a terrible beating.

When did the greatest country on Earth stop being a place where people  with nothing but hunger for a second chance  could come to work hard and build a new life? When did it become a place where everyone pushes their own set of grievances?

As an American, none of this makes sense. I thought we were made from heartier stock.
Good news for all fishermen in western Montana was received a few days ago when the hoot own restrictions were lifted on the Bitterroot and some of the surrounding rivers and streams.

We can now fish again anytime during the day and at some of our favorite fishing holes in the afternoons and evenings. Water temperatures have dropped slightly but the water temperatures remain in the 60s on at the Darby station during the evenings. The fish are still going to be lethargic when caught, so the recommendations to release the fish as quickly as possible are still in play.

The most interesting story to me this week came from the Seattle area when it was discovered that a feeding pen for Atlantic salmon broke. It is estimated that about 5,000 farm-raised fish broke out of the pen, after the tides loosened a holding pin for the net on the ocean floor and allowed the fish to escape into the ocean. There are some concerns that these farm-raised salmon will mingle with the wild fish and that some diseases might come from the penned fish that could affect the wild population.

Officials in Washington State are encouraging the public to fish for these salmon and retrieve as many as possible from the waters. No licenses are required and the fishermen can keep as many as they can catch. Most of the fish are about 10 pounds each.

The farms raising these fish are in the Juan de Fuca straits that line the open ocean with the Puget Sound. I have had the opportunity to cross the straits several times while traveling between Washington and Canada, and believe me, it is a pretty rough part of the ocean. I wonder how safe these other farms might be with the extreme tides happening in the straits and the winds that occur along with the tide changes.

A bigger question to me is what are Atlantic salmon farms doing in the Pacific Ocean? Atlantic salmon are native to the Atlantic Ocean and have their own spawning seasons in the East Coast rivers of the United States and Canada.

Fishing the Bitterroot has begun to pick up as the weather begins to cool at the beginning of the fall season. I have seen a few leaves in the river and this usually signals the beginning of changing seasons and some of the better fishing before winter.

The smoke in the Bitterroot Valley sometimes acts like cloud cover and allows the fish to leave their hideouts along the bank and venture in the middle of the river to feed as needed. Since the days are not very clear the fish are willing to move out because they think that predators from above cant see them. Little do they know that fishermen are aware of this phenomenon and are able to be there with their BWO patterns and tease the fish into taking our bait.

Good Fishing!

Bill Bean
The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame inducted two people from Ravalli County into its ranks this year.

Father Antonio Ravalli S.J. of Stevensville and Jack Keith Ward of Hamilton were welcomed into the tenth class. Inductees are nominated by the general public and honored for their contributions to the history and culture of Montana. Since the initial round in 2008, 310 people have inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.

Our volunteer trustees around Montana vote on nominations that come from the district in which they reside, said Jeff Bolstad, Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center president. It gives the local communities a strong voice in who will represent them in the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame.

"The Hall of Fame exists to honor those who have made an impact in their part of the state and represent Montanas authentic heritage for future generations.

The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame honors up to 20 people from 12 different districts around the state. Ward was the director of the 11th district, which encompasses Ravalli County.

Ward said he was surprised to be honored with the induction and didnt know anything about it until recently.

Im very proud of it. Not too many people get their name on that list, Ward said. Generally its dead people, but they pick a few people alive every once and awhile and I guess Im one of them.

Ward worked as a veterinarian for more than 59 years and served as president of the Montana Veterinary Association for seven years. He said he was particularly proud of his work on weak calf syndrome, which he studied for 25 years.

Ravalli was ordained to the priesthood in 1843, and quickly volunteered to come to North America in the Rocky Mountain region. Ravalli planned, designed and decorated the St. Marys Mission, in present day Stevensville, which was completed in 1866. His cabin was built next door to the chapel in 1869.

The chapel was enlarged in 1879, to twice its original size. St. Marys Chapel stands today as a legacy to Ravallis design and artistic skills. Ravalli County takes its name from Father Ravalli.

The Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame & Western Heritage Center will honor the inductees during the annual Circle the Wagons gathering Feb. 2-3, 2018, in Great Falls at the Best Western Heritage Inn.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - The 126-year-old Hazeltine Mansion is looking grand once again and Rae and David Green are eager to put it to use as an addiction treatment center for men.

The wood paneling and doors are gleaming again. The leaded glass windows are once again air-tight. The old plaster has been repaired and the stone foundations are tuck-pointed on the 126-year-old mansion at 221 John Street NE.

Located on a hillside on the edge of downtown Grand Rapids, the worn-out property went through a year-long renovation and restoration project aimed at bringing new life to a historic mansion that has served a variety of social service functions over the years.

Now that they are in the final stages of reconstruction, the Greens are preparing to open "The Sanford House at John Street for Men," a companion to the "Sanford House at Cherry Street for Women," an addiction center they opened in 2014 at 540 Cherry Street SE.

As a residential treatment center, the three-story mansion on John Street will have beds for 20 clients and staffers who will be on location 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

But there's no clinical setting to greet the clientele who will reside at the mansion for short-term treatment. The atmosphere is homey and warm thanks to the restored millwork, warm fireplaces and gathering areas that promote interaction.

"When we walked into John Street, with all the carved wood and fireplaces with hunting tiles, it seemed like a man's house. We knew it was the right place immediately," said Sanford House founder and CEO Rae Green.

"Our whole philosophy is about creating a homelike atmosphere. There's nothing medical about it," said Marilyn Spiller, executive director of marketing.

Standing three stories tall, the gray shake-style home with massive river rock foundations was originally built for Dr. Charles M. Hazeltine in 1891. Hazeltine, a successful business owner and banker, made the house a center of Grand Rapids' high society.

As U.S. Consul to Milan in the 1890s, Hazeltine hosted dances in the third floor ball room. He threw a lavish fairy tale wedding on the lawn when his daughter, Fannie, married a German count in 1908.

In the 1920s, it became the Elmcrest Home for Working Women, a project sponsored by Federation of Women's Adult Bible Classes. For 44 years, up to 31 young women lived in the home, created as an alternative housing solution for low-paid working women.

From 1972 until 1980, the house served as The Bridge, a shelter for runaway teenagers. In 1980, the property was sold to Steven Reiley, who operated an instrument repair business, Guarnari House, in the basement and rented several apartments in the big house.

The Greens, who bought the house for $433,500 last year, have restored the house to modern standards while preserving most of the original millwork on the main floor. The mandatory fire suppression system remains largely hidden to preserve the homey setting.

Most of the walls were repaired and repainted and most of the wood surfaces were cleaned and clear-coated. But the remodelers took care to preserve a wallpapered panel of the Notre Dame cathedral that they believe was original to the house.

Each of the home's 88 windows - which include an estimated 1,000 panes of glass - have been rebuilt using the original wood frames. The furniture, mostly built by local manufacturers, reflects the building's 19th century roots.

Alec Green, who is transitioning from project manager to house manager, said they took care to preserve and restore the house without destroying its 126-year-old patina.

The broad front door with leaded artglass leads into a chandeliered entrance hall where the wood paneling and grand staircase greet visitors. A library at the front of the house now serves as the office for Alec Green while the two parlors will be used as group therapy rooms.

In the front parlor, a fireplace with glazed tiles depicting a hunting scene has been cleaned and restored. The original wooden window sills have been cleaned and clear-coated.

In the dining room, a Tiffany-era stained glass window has been restored along with a pair of built-in china cabinets with bowed glass doors. A kitchenette has been added to offer snacks and round-the-clock coffee for residents.

Though the kitchen has been updated, it retains the subway tile and flooring of the original house. The brick hearth over the stove was retained and will be updated with a modern air handling system.

At the top of the staircase, five bedrooms face a gathering area and lounge with a fireplace. Most of the bedrooms have a pair of single beds with community bathrooms located next door.

Also on the second floor, a sunroom over the porte cochere has been converted into a family gathering room that offers privacy shades when needed.

On the third floor, the ballroom has been restored for large gatherings and social activities. The wood paneled turret room with windows overlooking the downtown has been designated as a smaller gathering room.

The basement has been updated and brightened to include a laundry and workout room for residents and an office area for staff.

Outdoors, landscapers have planted 108 arbor vitae to enhance the privacy. The cobblestone driveways will be restored next spring.

This is one in a series of articles we have published about High-End Homes in West Michigan. Here are similar articles we have published recently:
America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance!
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, August 26: Boko Haram extremists killed at least 27 people by shooting them and slitting their throats as they attacked several villages in northern Nigeria's Borno state in the past week, residents said.

Such deadly attacks in recent months have pressured Nigeria's government to increase its efforts against a homegrown Islamic extremist group it last year declared to be "crushed."

Boko Haram fighters entered villages in the Nganzai area on Wednesday, slitting throats and using guns to kill at least 15 people while injuring two others, said Modu Jialta, a member of a local self-defense group. The attackers also burned homes.

Residents weren't able to get to the bodies for burial until Friday, Jialta said.

Suspected Boko Haram fighters also attacked in the Guzamala local council area on Wednesday, killing 12 people and injuring at least four, said Mai Abatcha Monguno, the commander of the council's citizen defense forces.

Northern Borno state is the birthplace and stronghold of Boko Haram. Bunu Bukar, secretary of the hunters' association there, said more government support and better equipment is needed to combat the extremists.

Boko Haram's eight-year insurgency has displaced millions in Nigeria and neighboring countries and killed more than 20,000 people.

In a speech to the nation on Monday, President Muhammadu Buhari vowed to "reinforce and reinvigorate the fight" against Boko Haram, which he accused of "attempting a new series of attacks on soft targets."
Guwahati : The pro-talk ULFA leaders on Friday had threatened to take up arms again if the state government wouldn't take appropriate measures to protect indigenous people of Assam.

The statement came from the pro-talk ULFA leaders after another Silapathar like situation created in the middle Assam's town Nagaon.

According to the reports, a surrendered ULFA was allegedly assaulted and severely wounded him by a gang of youths including a BJP leader of a particular community inside a commercial establishment in the middle Assam's town Nagaon few days back.

Following the incident, Nagaon police had arrested the wounded person and his three associates after the proprietor the shop filing an FIR against them for a dacoity attempt.

Protest against the incident, several organizations on Friday had organized a protest rally and demanded the district administration and state government to arrest the culprits immediately.

Pro-talk ULFA leader Arobinda Rajkhowa said that, the present state government is totally failed to protect indigenous people of Assam and the recent Nagaon incident proved it again.

'If the state government wouldn't take appropriate measures to protect our people, we will take up arms again,' Arobinda Rajkhowa said.

The pro-talk ULFA leaders also demanded to release the surrendered ULFA members immediately and to arrest the culprits behind the incident.

Meanwhile, ULFA General Secretary Anup Chetia alleged that, the role of Nagaon police was questionable and an Additional SP of the middle Assam district had assaulted a surrendered ULFA Moon Bora inside the commercial establishment after the gang of youths injured him severely.

Meanwhile, tension still prevails in Nagaon and several organizations and local people demanded district police to arrest all culprits behind the incident.

The organizations also alleged that, those persons had assaulted the surrendered ULFA member inside the commercial establishment, they are members of BJP and RSS and very close with Union minister of state for railway Rajen Gohain.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kathmandu, Nepal: Bibeksheel Sajha Party has on Saturday organized a protest program against the decision of Tribhuvan University (TU) to grant affiliation to Kathmandu National Medical College.

The protest program was organized at Maitighar Mandala naming the program as bell protest.

The protesters had chanted slogans against the TU authorities, government and the party leaders for not paying heeds to scarp scrap of the affiliation given to the Kathmandu National Medical College (KNMC).
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Mozambican authorities stirred concern at the opening of the ministerial meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on the Development of Africa (TICAD).

Mozambicans violated all applicable norms of protocol when they wanted to impose Thursday evening, the presence of a delegation of the pseudo-Sahrawi republic SADR to the preparatory meeting of senior officials. The meeting was ultimately cancelled.

The Sahrawi entity, which has no international legitimacy, was not invited to the Africa-Japan meeting, placed under the aegis of the United Nations, which does not recognize the ghostly SADR.

Invited delegations, including the Japanese, witnessed a surrealist domestic scene, triggered by the host countrys security and protocol services that battered Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and his accompanying delegation.

They prevented the Moroccan delegation members from entering the conference hall, even though they showed their badges and accreditations.

Even members of the Japanese embassy who were trying to calm down the horde of Mozambican security agents were brutalized.

More seriously, the meeting local supervisors had the nerve to circumvent the access procedures. They sneaked the Polisario torturers through a backdoor and seated them on seats reserved for the delegation of Mozambique.

On the sidelines of the TICAD follow-up meeting, Japans Foreign Minister, Kano Taro, held talks with Moroccos Foreign Minister, Nasser Bourita, in Maputo this Friday and expressed to him his deep regrets following the attempt by Mozambique authorities to impose the participation of the Polisario delegation.

He expressed astonishment at the Mozambican authorities maneuvers to give Polisario officials access to the TICAD meeting through backdoors. He deplored that invited delegations, including members of the Japanese embassy, were mistreated by Mozambican authorities.

He also promised that such incidents will not happen again at the next TICAD Ministerial meeting and TICAD Summit to convene in Japan.

In preparation of the Maputo meeting, the Japanese Foreign Ministry addressed last May a letter to the Chairperson of the African Unions Commission, reiterating that Japan does not recognize Western Sahara as a state, either explicitly or tacitly.

The letter, dated May 30 and signed by Ambassador Takeshi Osuga Director General of African Affairs at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, explained that as Japan does not recognize the Polisario, the separatist entity has never been invited to past TICAD meetings.
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A flag whips through the wind and rain outside the Emergency Operations Center at the Guadalupe County Courthouse on Saturday morning as Hurricane Harvey gets going in Seguin.
 As he had hinted, Prez Trump decides to make his first use of the clemency power a pardon for Joe Arpaio | Main | Will deadly protests impact high-profile sentencing in India? Should they? 

August 26, 2017

Split en banc Eleventh Circuit concludes Florida felony battery is "crime of violence" under FSG

A remarkable amount of energy and (digital?) link has been spent assessing and reviewing what criminal history counts or does not count as a crime of violence under various provisions of federal sentencing law. That amount grew that much more on Friday with the release of an 67-page en banc ruling by the Eleventh Circuit in US v. Vail-Bailon, No. 15-10351 (11th Cir. Aug. 25, 2017) (available here). This opening paragraph by the majority provides the basics:

This appeal requires us to decide whether Florida felony battery is a crime of violence under the Sentencing Guidelines. Defendant Eddy Wilmer Vail-Bailon was convicted in 2014 of illegally reentering the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C.  1326(a) and (b)(1), after having been deported following a conviction for felony battery under Florida Statute  784.041. Based on Vail-Bailons felony battery conviction, the district court imposed a sentencing enhancement that applies when a defendant has been deported after committing a crime of violence as defined by the applicable Guidelines provision. Vail-Bailon appealed his sentence, arguing that a Florida felony battery conviction does not qualify as a crime of violence. A divided panel of this Court agreed with Vail-Bailon, and vacated his sentence. See United States v. Vail-Bailon, 838 F.3d 1091 (11th Cir. 2016), rehg en banc granted, opinion vacated (11th Cir. Nov. 21, 2016). Our full Court granted the Governments petition to rehear the case en banc, and we now hold that Florida felony battery does categorically qualify as a crime of violence under  2L1.2 of the Guidelines. Thus, we affirm and reinstate Vail-Bailons sentence.

The majority thereafter needs 30 pages to explain its "crime of violence" conclusions, and the dissenters need more than 30 to explain why they think the majority got this wrong. The lead dissent gets started this way:

If, while walking down the street, you tap a jogger on the shoulder and the tap startles him, causing him to trip, hit his head, and suffer a concussion, have you committed a violent act? Most would say no. But if you punch the jogger and the punch causes him to fall, hit his head, and suffer a concussion, you have undoubtedly committed a violent act. The difference between a non-violent and violent act, then, is the degree of force used.

August 26, 2017 at 05:22 PM | Permalink

Comments

In the dissent scenario, the force resulting in a concussion was from the unforeseen intervening causes of startle and of tripping. The tapping battery is not a crime, but a tort.

It is ironic. The tort may result in the loss of $millions for traumatic brain injury care. The crime, battery, of intentionally punching someone in the face, may result in a ticket. Since most violent criminals are judgement proof, the public has to pay for most of the cost of their crime.

This illustrates that the criminal law a sick joke, and a horrific prank on our nation.

Posted by: David Behar | Aug 26, 2017 6:04:03 PM

You can think I'm crazy but I've been come convinced that leaving it up to federal courts to determine whether a state crime falls within the definition of a federal crime violates the nondelgation principle laid down in J. W. Hampton, Jr., & Co. v. United States and Mistretta v. United States. The problem is that the definition of a crime of violence is not a policy choice at all, it is a definition. What state crimes fall under the federal definition of a crime of violence? Congress doesn't say. It delegates that authority to the judiciary. This is not the case like taxes where Congress decides what taxes are owed and the IRS determines who owns them, here the judiciary is being tasked with determining what the tax rates are in the first place and then determining who owns them. Congress can't delegate the definitions of words in a statute to the judiciary.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 26, 2017 6:40:09 PM



Daniel. Does this help?

18 U.S. Code  16 - Crime of violence defined

The term crime of violence means

(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or

(b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.

In over 100 decisions, the US Supreme Court has ruled that the meaning of a word is its dictionary definition. So, if any of the words in the above seem confusing, check its meaning in the dictionary.

So, if you ask, what is this "substantial" you Americans say, substantial means, a lot, not a little.



Posted by: David Behar | Aug 27, 2017 12:43:13 AM

@David

Your response proves my point. First, one cannot apply the ordinary meaning canon of construction because the term of "crime of violence" is a term of legal art that does not meet its ordinary meaning, otherwise Congress would not have gone to the trouble to "define" it in terms of the statute. So this leaves us with the question of what the term actually means if we cannot rely on its ordinary meaning. Second, Congress has defined a crime of violence to be any crime that involves physical force. But which state crimes involves physical force? Congress doesn't say. It delegates that determination to the courts. It is this delegation that I find problematic. Why? Because which state crimes are crimes of violence cannot an be determined by the "ordinary meaning" of the state statute, it requires an act of legal interpretation. It is my view that Congress cannot delegate an act of legal interpretation to the judiciary. Note that I am not saying that the judiciary cannot engage in legal interpretation, it can, it is simply that Congress itself cannot delegate that task by statute.

It is useful to take a step back look at the big picture. We think of Congress as the policy making body. But what is policy? And how does an act of policy making differ from the act of legal interpretation of that policy? One answer to that question has been that Congress defines the policy at a general level and then leaves it to the other branches to fill in the details. I'd argue, however, that when Congress defines a policy at too high a level of generality it amounts to a delegation of its policy making authority. Because if it didn't Congress could pass a law that said in totality, "the executive can do whatever it likes" and such a law would pass Constitutional muster. I don't think that right. I think Congress has to define policy at a level of specificity that people can tell what the policy is. And a policy that says a crime of violence is a crime that involves physical force is not a definition at all, it is an delegation of policy making authority to the courts under the guise of providing a definition.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 27, 2017 12:13:21 PM

Are you asking Congress to put in a draft of the law, the two acts described in the dissent? Then, should Congress make a policy decision on every unwanted touching resulting in any harm whatsoever, ever recorded in history?

Tell me if I am understanding your point.

If I am, help is on the way.

I already discussed the Google super computer that beat the best Go player. Chess has 37 possible moves every move. Computers beat the best humans long ago. I thought that computing power would cover all professions. Now, Go has a billion possible moves. The human Go player said, the computer came up with a move no human could have.

That means an algorithm written by a legislature could cover all past acts, billions of them, get upgraded yearly with any unrecorded acts that year. So that the time of the Congress is not taken up deciding on every new act of battery that year, an algorithm could be written to judge every new battery, and to modify the algorithm of battery.

Hey, lawyers, get with it, you morons. Artificial intelligence. But, first try ditching the 13th Century, you morons.

Posted by: David Behar | Aug 27, 2017 10:28:57 PM

"Are you asking Congress to put in a draft of the law, the two acts described in the dissent?"

No. I'm saying that there is a level of generality that is too general. Where that line is I think reasonable people can disagree on but IMO a "crime of violence" meets my test and is therefore unconstitutional. Note that this level of generality test is a different argument than the "void for vagueness" argument recently rejected by SCOTUS in Beckles.

As for justice by computer algorithm that is not a new idea. However, in my view that would turn Congress from a policy making body into a rule making body, I recognize that some people think that would be a wonderful development but I would not.

Posted by: Daniel | Aug 28, 2017 11:17:39 AM

Daniel. Having trouble understanding. Draft a brief law that is clear policy, but not rule making about every specific situation that has ever happened. Make it easy for the cab driver on the jury to decide if an act was a violent one.

Posted by: David Behar | Aug 28, 2017 11:38:31 AM

Daniel,

If it were only "crime of violence" I might agree, but the operative definition is the language David Behar quoted:The term crime of violence means

(a) an offense that has as an element the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person or property of another, or

(b) any other offense that is a felony and that, by its nature, involves a substantial risk that physical force against the person or property of another may be used in the course of committing the offense.

If you are going to argue that something is too vague you need to argue against the provided definition, not the term employed in the statute to refer to that definition.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Aug 28, 2017 2:34:33 PM

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UGH. Joey Gibson, the highly erratic organizer behind the planned Patriot Prayer rally at Crissy Field tomorrow, has just announced via Facebook that the event is canceled due to safety concerns. Instead he said there will be a "news conference" in Alamo Square at 2 p.m. Saturday  in which he and other activists will get to exchange the photo op backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge with the Painted Ladies and the skyline instead.

In a live video posted at 3 p.m. alongside three other of the event's organizers, Gibson said, "After several conversations with the police and understanding the situation of what's going on, we've decided that tomorrow really seems like a setup... The mayor, Nancy Pelosi, the media. All these people are saying we're white supremacists, and it's bringing in all these extremists... So we're going to take the opportunity to not fall into that trap. We're not going to have a rally at Crissy Field. [Instead] We're going to have a news conference in Alamo Park... to talk about the rhetoric in San Francisco."

This talk about extremists being inspired to attend because of rhetoric from local politicians, Nancy Pelosi, and the media is of course false  Gibson's events are indeed attended by white nationalists, even if he disowns their views, and their presence was well documented at a rally he staged several weeks ago in Portland.

He and his co-organizers likely have not secured any kind of permission or permit for hosting this impromptu news conference tomorrow, so we shouldn't count on it actually happening either, but he subsequently posted to Facebook, "We are asking the city to keep us safe. We are all excited for Berkeley!!"

Will the memo get out to all these "extremists" who have now planned their weekends around these two events? We'll see!

A huge rally and counter-protest is nonetheless going to happen in Civic Center tomorrow afternoon, as are, probably, many of these other planned demonstrations.

And this gives the alt-right, and whatever Gibson and his cohort call themselves this week, a chance to conserve their strength for the Sunday rally in Berkeley, which does not have a permit.

Meanwhile, the SFPD and the GGNRA has been bending over backwards planning for the crowds tomorrow, and somebody owes them some money.

Update: State Sen. Scott Wiener has issued a statement saying the Alamo Square news conference "cannot be allowed to happen."

Previously: Park Service Issues Final Permit For 'Patriot Prayer' Rally


Kyle "Based Stickman" Chapman was remanded to custody Friday by a judge in the felony case stemming from his appearing to wield a leaded stick at a March 4 alt-right rally in Berkeley. As KQED reports, he was arraigned in an Alameda County court on a charge of felony possession of a billy club and ordered to be held on $135,000 bail. As reported earlier, Chapman has two previous felony convictions on his record, and therefore could face stiffer sentencing if convicted again.

An attorney working on his behalf has previously said that Chapman is "severely mentally ill."

Chapman has previously said on social media that the charges against him are "trumped up" and "bogus."

NBC Bay Area reports that Chapman posted bail Friday night and one condition of his bail is that he must remain 300 yards away from any rally that occurs in Berkeley on Sunday.

Chapman, a resident of Daly City, has been hailed as a hero on the alt-right and turned into a meme because of the helmet, mask, stick, and American flag shield he appeared with at the March rally in Berkeley.

Also on Friday, the Daily Californian reported that Chapman had partnered last month with Berkeley rally organizer Amber Gwen Cummings to sell autographed sticks and shields for $50 and $250 respectively.

Chapman can be heard in the video below, posted July 12, discussing the "war against whites in Western society," referring to the "three battles" in Berkeley, and saying that the only way the country will be saved is if "patriots" are willing to do physical battle in the streets and risk their lives.

Previously: Alt-Right Figure 'Based Stickman' Faces Felony Charge, Three Strikes Stemming From Berkeley Rally
After scheduling an impromptu "news conference" for 2 p.m. Saturday to replace the canceled Patriot Prayer rally in Crissy Field, organizer Joey Gibson was thwarted by the SFPD and Rec & Parks Saturday morning when they fenced off all four sides of the park and are refusing to allow any conferences or rallies to occur there. As the Chronicle reports, hundreds of counter-protesters had already shown up on the sidewalks beside the park by 10:30 a.m., and park rangers were announcing through bullhorns that everyone needed to leave.

Update: As of 11:30 a.m., streets have been blocked off on all sides of Alamo Square and marchers are working their way up Fillmore and Divisadero, but are being kept away from the park itself. Only residents of the neighborhood are being permitted within a block of the park.

Gibson spoke to KRON 4 Saturday and said that he believed people would still be showing up to Crissy Field, but "on their own," and he would not be leading any rally there or elsewhere.

He further said that he would be having an indoor news conference at a location TBA at 2 p.m., and that he planned to be around to "talk to people and the press" at various locations in the city. I feel like everythings kind of out of my control right now, he said.





Gibson has consistently appeared not to understand that by attempting to organize a rally at all in a liberal enclave like San Francisco, regardless of how he defines his amorphous but conservative/libertarian views, he is only inviting a showdown between far-right zealots and left-wing activists, and potentially creating a dangerous situation for everyone. Throughout the past two weeks he has tried to make clear that his is not a white supremacist group, and that he is mostly "anti-antifa" and pro "free speech," however this has mostly fallen on deaf ears given that a rally titled "Unite the Right" became an excuse for a show of force, and a waving of weapons, by militia groups and extremists, ultimately costing one woman her life.

Like Amber Gwen Cummings, a planned speaker at the Patriot Prayer event and the organizer of a similar rally tomorrow in Berkeley, while saying they espouse a philosophy of non-violence, he has appeared at rallies with a holstered weapon and has created situations in the past in Portland and Seattle where violence occurs between activists on either side  and another planned speaker, Kyle Chapman, has said in public speeches that he believes the country will only be saved by patriots willing to do physical battle in the streets, and risk their lives.

It was further revealed Friday that Cummings had partnered with Chapman in July to sell signed sticks and shields for $50 each.

Counter-demonstrations are still occurring today in Dolores Park, Civic Center, the Castro, and possibly Crissy Field.

And the Berkeley rally may still be happening in some form, although Cummings dramatically told the Chronicle Friday night, "It will be me alone attending, no one else please. In the event I am hurt or killed attending this rally, I ask you to please not retaliate on each other as a result of my injuries. Let my life be the last one lost."

Previously: Patriot Prayer Cancels SF Rally, Citing Safety; Plans Alamo Square 'Press Conference' Instead
"We deeply regret the loss of tens of lives in the boat accidents in Para and Bahia," two states in the north of the country, President Michel Temer said on Twitter.

Regional authorities in north-central Para state said 21 people were confirmed dead so far after a boat sank on the Xingu river late on Tuesday.

That vessel, the Capitan Ribeiro, had 49 people on board, 23 of whom were rescued.

Emergency teams were still searching for five more, the department said in a statement.

Separately, the navy said 18 people died when a ferry sank early Thursday off the northeastern state of Bahia.

Naval commander Flavio Almeida lowered the death toll in that accident from an earlier count of 22.

That boat reportedly had at least 120 people on board. Almeida said at least 21 of them had been rescued by official means, but he added that many more were believed to have been picked up by civilian vessels.

The boat was running the short route from the island of Itaparica across the bay to the city of Salvador, capital of Bahia state, when it went down in a storm.

"It was raining... a wave came and the boat turned over. There were a lot of people" on board, one survivor, Edvaldo Santos de Almeida, told top news website G1.

The naval commander said scores of military personnel were working on rescue efforts at the site.

The state government declared three days of mourning.

"I have been personally following this difficult operation from an early stage and all measures have been taken immediately," said Bahia governor Rui Costa.

Search for survivors

In the incident in Para, in a northern Amazon region, survivors told local media that the boat got caught in a rainstorm.

The vessel had left the port of Santarem bound for Vitoria de Xingu. The regional public safety department said 21 people were confirmed to have died in that sinking, including two children.

Rescuers were searching for others missing in the Xingu river.

"Its a hard-to-access area," Colonel Augusto Lima, from the Para firefighters service, was quoted as saying on Wednesday by the newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo.

The victims who were rescued got out by swimming, Globo news reported, saying the boat went down about 500m from the riverbank.

Ferries, fishing vessels and big commercial ships ply the Amazon waterways as one of the main forms of transport in a region with relatively few roads.

Some 1,160 people have been killed in accidents on rivers in the Amazon since 1981, according to Folha, source from Vietnamnews.
BAYFIELD, Wis. | Daniel O'Kane could have gone to the moon or climbed to the top of Mount Everest. But those things have been done by people before.

Instead, the 36-year-old Sioux City native, who works as a bartender in St. Paul, Minnesota, managed to think up something that no person has ever done before, as far as he knows: a human-powered, no-motorboat-reinforcement swimming-and-paddleboarding tour of the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior.

And in July and early August, he did just that.

O'Kane and his safety partner on the trip, Paul Voge of Duluth, Minnesota, left Little Sand Bay on July 16, heading toward Sand Island. Voge paddled in a kayak alongside O'Kane, fulfilling the no-motorboats requirement.

They estimated the adventure would take about 24 to 28 days. In the end, it took them a mere 18 days, 1 hour and 12 minutes to traverse the lump-shaped group of islands between the northern coast of Wisconsin and the southern coast of Minnesota.

Chilly waters

Early on in the trip, things weren't going very well. The water temperature was an uncomfortably frigid 52 degrees.

"It just got really cold, really fast," O'Kane said.

During the chilly time, the pair did have to have friends kayak out to them with more food provisions.

"The first three days actually were really stormy, really bad, we got caught in squalls," he said.

Over the following two weeks, however, the weather was nicer and the water warmer, and the pair were able to move on ahead of schedule.

Had it been cold the entire time, O'Kane said the trip would have been more perilous.

"I would have still done it, but it would have taken me longer, and it would have been at a much greater risk," he said.

Of course, even when the storms, squalls and cold weather calmed down, the adventure wasn't all sunshine and rainbows.

"Six hours to eight hours of sustained effort, every day, was like some weird, screwed-up triathlon," he said. That, and homesickness and water temperatures, were wearying.

But he never seriously entertained the notion of quitting.

"I wasn't going to go home, I was going to stay out there as long as it took," he said.

Logistical concerns

The whole affair took about a year to plan, O'Kane said. He had to obtain special permission from the National Park Service, which oversees the Apostle Islands, to be out there that long.

"You're only supposed to be at a national park for 14 days before you have to leave, I told them it was unlikely that I could finish in that time period," he said. "We went back and forth a little bit, and they finally gave me their blessing."

It wasn't possible to stop at all 22 of the Apostle Islands, because two of them, Gull and Eagle Islands, are bird sanctuaries.

Not all of O'Kane's traveling took place in the water. He did some hiking on the islands, because at times that was a more practical way to get to the right side of an island and proceed.

Food had to be packed for the trip, and O'Kane packed only vegan menu items. It might seem that this would complicate things, but he said it made things simpler.

"It gives you a little bit of a limited scope so it's one less thing to worry about," O'Kane said. "As long as it's hot, and it's wrapped in a tortilla and there's hot sauce, I can do dehydrated black bean or pinto bean burritos every day and not get sick of it."

"When we got really sick of it, we alternated with vegan Ramen noodles. We put peanut butter on basically everything," he said.

Friends and family of O'Kane were a bit concerned about the extremeness of this journey. So he offered something to settle their fears.

"I bought this GPS device, that when I turned it on, sent up a signal every 10 minutes," he said. "They could see in real time where I was."

His sister, Kristen Eilders of Sioux City, said that she and the rest of the family were, indeed, concerned.

"Lake Superior is a dangerous world in its own, I mean you never know what the weather's going to be like, how high the waves are going to be," Eilders said. "And the fact that we weren't able to have communication with him for the duration of this, was extremely nerve-racking."

Voge and O'Kane did bring cellphones on the trip, but they were only able to get a cell signal once, on Devil's Island.

"I needed somebody to get me shoe goo, to repair my broken wetsuit," he said. "The only time we were able to get a signal."

Swimming lessons

Today, O'Kane said, he is a passionate swimmer. This wasn't always so.

When he was in high school in Sioux City, O'Kane said he "took lessons like everybody did," but that he wasn't too concerned with swimming then.

"I was able to do a dog paddle and a really ugly front crawl for 25 yards if my life depended on it," he said. It wasn't until his late 20s, when he decided that he should quit smoking, that he took up swimming.

O'Kane didn't take on this challenge because he would be the first person to do so, nor for the fame and glory -- though he did become a minor celebrity on local television stations and newspapers.

"The record part isn't as important," O'Kane said. "It's just to do it, is what I wanted to do."

At some point in the future, Eilders has a hunch her brother will try something like this again.

"I think he will probably try to find something else challenging for him, whether it be swimming to Alcatraz in shark-infested water, or crossing the English Channel," Eilders said. "Both things that he has brought up in the past."

And, indeed, O'Kane tacitly confirmed his sister's prediction.

"I'm sure there's something else out there, I don't know what it is; right now I'm just kind of digging the fact that I did this," O'Kane said.
SIOUX CITY | Reflecting on his 37 years of duty, Sioux City Police Chief Doug Young will unpin his badge with no regrets.

"I've had a fulfilling career from the bottom to the top," said Young, who retires Thursday. Sioux City Police Capt. Rex Mueller has been selected as the new chief.

Young, 61, joined the Sioux City Police Department in April 1980 after attending the University of South Dakota. He was elevated to his current post in spring 2009 after serving 28 years on the Sioux City force, succeeding Joe Frisbie, who retired.

"This is really the only job I've had ... ," Young said. "Its been a good run. Its nothing that I would have ever envisioned. All I have ever wanted to do is be a police officer."

Young gives credit for his aspirations to be in law enforcement to his childhood neighborhood.

"When I was raised in Elk Point (South Dakota), I had the sheriff of Union County live right behind me and then when he retired, the new sheriff lived across the street from me, Young laughed in his nearly cleared-out office. So I had a lot of influence from them. And I lived a block from the courthouse and I just realized law enforcement is what I wanted to do."

The job isn't just about catching "bad guys," he said. Sioux City's chief leads a 125-officer and 25-civilian employee department with an annual budget of about $19 million.

During his tenure, Young said he is most proud of how the department has expanded its community policing outreach and how that has positively affected the relationship between citizens and officers.

I have enjoyed every minute of this job," he said. "What I am going to miss, is the people, obviously, that I have been working with, not only within the department but in city government and the citizens. I am going to miss a lot of that stuff."

A difficult part of the job entails managing crises within the agency and making sure his employees have the necessary tools needed to be successful in providing public safety. He added dealing with the day-to-day crime itself also takes a toll.

Ive seen a lot of things. I was a pretty naive kid when I came here. Ive seen the good (and) bad in people. And it has been eye opening," he said. "But I realize there is a need for law enforcement and good law enforcement. That is really what has kept me here."

A moment he calls the toughest in his career was the crash-landing of Flight 232 on July 18, 1989, at Sioux Gateway Airport. Of the 296 people aboard the United Airlines jumbo jet, 184 survived as a result of the heroic efforts of the cockpit crew and first respondents on the ground.

"I was there and witnessed the whole thing. I was one of the first responding officers there on the runway," he recalled. "... We went out where the wheel actually collapsed and just witnessed the whole thing ... That's ingrained and that's in my mind forever."

To get through tough times, he advises, stepping back and thinking about the purpose of the job.

You got to put things in perspective. Sometimes it is hard not to get emotionally involved in your investigation but for your self-preservation, you got to keep things in perspective and do your job," he said. "You got to, or you will tear yourself up. Itll eat you from the inside out.

Young is grateful for the extra help getting through those difficult times.

Ive had a great family life even through some trials and tribulations of law enforcement. Its a tough job and it is tough on the family, so it takes a pretty tough spouse to be there through all of that stuff," he said of his wife LeaAnn. Aug. 16 marked their 37th wedding anniversary. They have two sons who are both getting married in the coming months.

"I'm still going to be busy, even if I'm not working," said Young, who is also an avid fisherman.

Mueller was approved by the City Council Monday to succeed Young, who said there will be a seamless transition, since Mueller, who oversees the department's Uniformed Services Bureau, has been fully involved in all of the agencies workings. Mueller, 45, who is believed to be Sioux City's youngest police chief, joined the force in 1996.

Ive known Rex Mueller his whole career. Even as a young officer I had the opportunity to see him in action at work and he became a leader," Young said of the Sioux City native. "I began to see his creativity and thinking and I knew that he would be a very good candidate for police chief if he so desired. I am very confident he will do a very good job for the department and this community."
SIOUX CITY | Jurors will resume deliberations Monday morning in Melvin Spencer's trial for the attempted murder of a Woodbury County Sheriff's Deputy.

The jury began deliberations about 4 p.m. Friday after hearing closing arguments. The panel was sent home two hours later without reaching a verdict. They will resume talks 9 a.m. Monday.

If found guilty, Spencer could face a 25-year prison sentence.

Spencer, 25, of Sioux City, pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted murder after exchanging gunfire with Deputy Mike Lenz on February 26.

Spencer is accused of leading Lenz on a vehicle pursuit that ended as Spencer turned off of 225th Street south of Sioux City and got stuck in a ditch at a dead end on Allison Avenue. Spencer then leaned out the driver's side window and exchanged gunfire with Lenz, authorities said.

Lenz was not injured, but at least five rounds struck his patrol vehicle.

Spencer fled on foot and was arrested three hours later.

A male passenger in Spencer's vehicle was struck by the gunfire and received non-life-threatening injuries.

Brittney Hood, 27, of Sioux City, pleaded guilty in April to misdemeanor charges of eluding and interference with official acts and was sentenced to 90 days in jail and fined $250. She was initially driving the car involved in the pursuit, which began when she sped away from a traffic stop. Hood later stopped the car and fled on foot before she was apprehended in a field.
DES MOINES | Many of Iowas biggest cities may be putting out the fuse on fireworks, but that is not stopping sellers from making big plans for next year.

Although some fireworks retailers are exercising caution as Sioux City and other cities rethink allowing home fireworks displays under a new state law, others said that will not dissuade them from making big plans for next Fourth of July.

Were definitely going to continue our expansion plan into Iowa, said Vince Bellino, who manages the Nebraska-based Bellino Fireworks, which opened stands in Sioux City and other western Iowa cities this year.

Iowa this year legalized home fireworks displays, lifting a ban that had been on the books for nearly 80 years. The ban was implemented in 1939, shortly after fireworks-sparked blazes caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage in the Northwest Iowa towns of Remsen and Spencer.

But the new law also permitted local governments to develop their own fireworks regulations. After this summers Fourth of July holiday, many residents in some of Iowas biggest cities complained about the noise caused by their neighbors shooting off fireworks. The backlash was significant enough to lead multiple Iowa cities to consider reducing the time residents can display fireworks or reinstituting the ban altogether.

Sioux Citys council has been debating the issue for months after receiving a barrage of complaints from homeowners upset with fireworks being discharged late at night and too close to their residences. The debate reached such a fevered pitch that the council briefly considered a citywide referendum on the future of fireworks in the city before city legal staff advised state law would not permit such a vote. While no formal ordinance has been made, all council members have gone on record cutting the current 10-day window of legal fireworks discharge down to two or three days surrounding Independence Day.

Other large Iowa cities advanced similar, if not more restrictive measures:

 Davenport and Cedar Rapids reinstituted home fireworks bans. Davenport wasted no time, deciding to reinstitute its ban on July 5. Now Davenport, Bettendorf and Scott County are discussing a revised policy to limit the use of fireworks. The Cedar Rapids council just this week voted to ban home fireworks in the city.

 The Cedar Falls council has gone back and forth on the issue and most recently sent it back to committee for further study. Waterloos council also is debating the issue; its latest proposal is to allow home fireworks displays only on July 4.

 Mason City shortened its home fireworks display window to July 3 and July 4. Clear Lake instituted a ban before this years Fourth of July holiday.

 Des Moines, the states largest city, limited fireworks displays to six hours on July 4.

Despite those restrictions in the states most populous areas, and potentially more to come, many fireworks retailers say they are making even bigger plans for 2018.

Bellino said his company sold from 45 locations across the state this year, and he plans to expand next year. He said he hopes to have 100 locations in Iowa in 2018.

I think there was some excitement around year one, and I still think theres plenty of room for growth in year two, Bellino said. Definitely, theres still some room to grow for year two.

The potential for a dwindling time frame for fireworks in Iowas biggest cities also won't hamper the plans for Mitchell, Iowa-based Flashing Thunder Fireworks, according to Katie Mostek, one of the companys owners.

It really doesnt change anything for us, Mostek said.

Mostek said that even though Iowas biggest cities are restricting fireworks displays, many smaller cities and rural areas are allowing fireworks.

And Flashing Thunder sells to many out-of-state customers as well, she said.

Theres still a lot of people from a lot of towns that are still allowing the shooting of fireworks, Mostek said. Im confident were still going to have a lot of sales. ...

Sales went pretty well, I think, for the first year. And well be better prepared to do even better.

Zach Terhark, with Urbandale-based Iowa Fireworks Co., said this year went well but the company is being cautious before deciding how to proceed next year. He said the company, which had 21 locations in Iowa this year, is watching with interest as the various cities hash out their plans for 2018.

Were still kind of in the planning stages of what next year is going to look like for us, and a lot of that does come down to what cities are going to try to continue changing the rules as far as allowing sales and allowing use, Terhark said. Its definitely something were paying close attention to, and well do our best to plan accordingly.

The state does not have an estimate for the fiscal impact of fireworks sales this year under the new law.

A spokeswoman said the revenue department tracks sales tax collected from various types of personal property, but not fireworks specifically.

And Dan Wood, an inspector with the state fire marshals office, said the office initially attempted to track figures for fireworks sales, but the task proved too difficult for a variety of reasons.

The states nonpartisan fiscal estimating agency estimated fireworks sales revenue in Iowa would be $17.8 million in fiscal year 2017 (July 2016 through June 2017) and $24.8 million in fiscal 2018 (July 2017 through June 2018).

The agency estimated that would yield $1.1 million in state sales tax revenue for fiscal 2017 and $1.5 million for fiscal 2018.

The fire marshals office did report taking in $238,400 in licensing fees for fireworks retailers this year.

Wood said the fire marshals office was not budgeted extra funding to add staff to oversee the new fireworks law, and he does not expect the office to be able to hire more staff in time for next year, either.

Wood said he does not know whether a potential drop in license fees would hamper the fire marshals offices ability to oversee the fireworks law.

Were asked to license people, and were asked to do inspections. We can only really do what were asked to do, Wood said. I dont know the financial impact until we do it.

Even without additional staff, Wood said he expects the office will operate more smoothly next year. He said the time crunch  the bill was signed into law just three weeks before retailers were allowed to begin selling  complicated matters this year.

Now the fire marshals office has a bit less than four months to prepare for the next legal home fireworks display period  over the Christmas and New Years holidays  and nine months to get ready for the next Fourth of July holiday.

Retailers similarly expect smoother sailing next summer.

It was kind of last minute thrown together by the state, Mostek said. I think it should go better next year because well be able to get our permits earlier, well know what the state fire marshal is looking for. ... Itll be better because well be able to be more prepared.
The field appears to have settled on seven Democrats seeking to become the partys nominee for Iowa governor in 2018.

And those seven Democratic candidates are honing their message to voters nine months out from the party's primary.

Each appeared in Des Moines this week at a meeting of one of the states largest union groups, the Independent Federation of Labor. The candidates were asked topical questions, but also had the opportunity to give opening and closing comments. It was during those 3-minute windows that candidates were free to make their pitch to a group of voters who are likely to be motivated and mobilized in 2018.

Obviously issues central to organized labor were prominent in the discussion. It should surprise no one that the new collective bargaining law --- passed by the Republican-led Iowa Legislature and signed by then-Gov. Terry Branstad --- was addressed (and opposed, of course) by all seven Democratic candidates.

But the candidates also used their time to make their cases more generally.

John Norris and Andy McGuire, for example, talked about the need for Democrats to recoup voters lost in rural portions of the state. Thats an issue Democrats are talking about across the Midwest, and its a critical issue for Iowa Democrats if they are to win a statewide race for governor in 2018.

McGuire said while traveling across the state as chairwoman of the Iowa Democratic Party, she observed that many people feel left behind. And Norris touted his farm roots.

I am from rural Iowa, said Norris, who was raised on his family farm in Montgomery County. I understand rural Iowa. I am passionate about it.

Fred Hubbell pitched himself, as he has throughout his campaign, as the candidate with rich experience in both the public and private sectors. Hubbell was chairman of Younkers and president of Equitable of Iowa, and also served on state boards overseeing economic development and renewable energy.

Like many other candidates, he criticized the incentive package --- a combination of state and local incentives --- awarded to Apple for the new data center it plans to build in suburban Des Moines. Hubbell said he could have negotiated a better deal for the state.

I have training and experience to do that, he said.

Cathy Glasson has carved out her niche in the field as the bold, progressive candidate. She uses the phrase often on the stump and did so again this week when speaking to the labor group.

Nate Boulton was on quasi-home turf in addressing the labor group. Boulton, who has been endorsed by 23 labor organizations across the state, received a standing ovation when he was introduced. So naturally the bulk of Boultons comments were on labor-related issues.

If all seven Democrats remain in the field, each candidates message will be critical to help himself or herself separate from the crowd. Already voters can get a sense of the lanes the candidates are picking to travel the primary trail.

Reynolds, Boulton win straw poll

Kim Reynolds and Nate Boulton were the most popular choices among those who cast votes --- and kernels --- at the Iowa State Fair.

Reynolds, the successor incumbent Republican governor, and Boulton, a Democratic state senator, garnered the most votes in a pair of straw polls conducted throughout the State Fair: by the Iowa Secretary of State office and by Des Moines TV station WHO-TV.

In the Secretary of States poll, which was also available online, Reynolds got 77 percent of the votes cast for Republican candidates. Cedar Rapids mayor Ron Corbett was a distant second at 12 percent.

Boulton got 38 percent of the votes in the Democratic field. Fred Hubbell was second with 17 percent.

At WHO-TVs Cast Your Kernel booth, voters placed a corn kernel into jars labeled with the candidate they support. The field was not separated by party.

Reynolds received the most kernels, snaring 51 percent of the overall vote. Boulton was second, and tops among Democrats, with 22 percent.

No other candidate reached 10 percent.

This all means, of course, absolutely nothing. But its a fun Iowa State Fair tradition.

Although, for what its worth, the winners of the 2015 Cast Your Kernel polls were Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
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.
Anyone who is old enough to remember the sensation of shock and sadness caused by the deaths of music icons Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison in the early 1970s is well-aware of the history of substance abuse and its connection to rock and roll. Still, that didnt make the passing of Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse or Prince, years later, any less difficult to bear.

This is especially true when it comes to Whitney Houston, whose history of drug addiction, including overdoses and denials, was public knowledge. Her 2012 death at age 48, which some might say was not unexpected, left an unfillable gap in the world of popular music. The documentary Whitney: Can I Be Me (Showtime), co-directed by Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal, combines interviews with archival personal and performance footage to flesh out Houstons life story, warts and all.

Can I be me was said to be Whitneys favorite phrase, but according to the doc, she unfortunately never got to be herself. Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1963, and raised in Newark and E. Orange, Whitney sang in church under the direction and guidance of mother Cissy, who was also a gifted performer. But if there was ever an example of religion as a drug, the opiate of the masses, it was exemplified in Cissys fierce religion. Right under her nose, her children, including Whitneys brothers Gary and Michael were getting high from an early age. As it turns out, drug abuse was tolerated, but homosexuality wasnt.

Its on the topic homosexuality that Whitney: Can I Be Me diverges from anything which preceded it by not sugar-coating the issue of Houstons sexuality. Houston, who met Robyn Crawford in 1979, considered her to be her closest confidant, and Robyn became instrumental in her career decisions. The pair were roommates for a time, which led to rumors about the two. One interview subject states that lesbians are not talked about in the black community, while another says that if Houston was an emerging artist today, being queer wouldnt have been an issue. When Robyn was forced out of the picture, during Houstons tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown, drugs became a crutch for Whitney. Even Brown thought that Whitney would still be alive if Robyn had been accepted into the Houston family. As one interviewee boldly claims, Houston died from a broken heart, not drugs.

Of course, Whitney: Can I Be Me also focuses on her meteoric rise. Malleable Whitney was a perfect vehicle for record exec Clive Davis foolproof vision to create a pop icon. She didnt disappoint, beginning with the massive sales of her debut album which went on to win several awards, launching her career into the stratosphere. There is a great deal of focus on Whitneys last successful world tour in 1999 which would become a turning point for her, as we watched her slow and painful decline.

Interview subjects include Houstons mother and brothers, childhood friends, her bodyguard, musical director, band members, backing vocalists, modeling agent, drug counselor and several Arista records staff members. As music docs go, Whitney: Can I Be Me is from the same family tree as Oscar-winner Amy. Its a welcome distraction from the dismal and unnecessary stage musical adaptation of The Bodyguard, currently making the rounds in theaters across the country. Rating: B+

Whitney: Can I Be Me airs on Showtime on Aug. 25, 2017.
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




A NOAA tide gauge at Port Lavaca, Texas, recently measured a water level of 6.6 feet above Mean Higher High Water.



An automated mesonet rain gauge near Victoria, Texas, is reporting a 24 h precipitation total of 16.43 inches.

From the deniosphere







Anthony Watts' predictions about Hurricane Harvey and climate change

Some predictable headlines that youll likely see:

Harveys rainfall was made worse due to climate change/global warming

Harveys flooding was made worse due to climate change/global warming

Harveys storm surge was made worse due to climate change/global warming

Harveys maximum sustained winds were made worse due to climate change/global warming

Harvey spawned more tornadoes due to climate change/global warming

More storms like Harvey are in our future due to climate change/global warming

The average temperature for most of the Gulf was 86 degrees, said Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado.



That makes it almost the hottest spot on the planet for sea surface temperatures, Trenberth said. Its an area thats ripe for vigorous development to occur....



...Since the 1980s when high-quality satellite observations became available, scientists have seen an increase in the intensity, frequency, and duration of Atlantic hurricanes, along with the number of Category 4 and 5 storms, according to the 2014 National Climate Assessment.



The reason warmer oceans fuel stronger hurricanes is pretty easy to understand, University of Texas climate scientist Kerry Cook said.



Hurricanes are fueled by the condensation of water in the atmosphere that evaporated from the surface, she said. If the surface temperature is warmer, it increases the evaporation rate.



Scientists even have figured out how much more evaporation to expect.



For every nearly 2 degrees of average sea surface temperature warming, evaporation increases 7 percent, Cook said. The concept relies on a well-known physics principle called the Clausius-Clapeyron relation, she said.

Anthony fingers a denier as an alarmist

Some recent (real) headlines about Hurricane Harvey





Landfall "drought" in the USA is broken

In Anthony's second article he was making out that the USA is all that matters for global climate. His headline was "Its over  4324 day major hurricane drought ends as Harvey makes landfall at Cat 4". To put this in perspective it pays to consider a couple of things.

The USA is not the whole world and in any case, even though storms may not have remained as major hurricanes when they made landfall, there have been some devastating hurricanes that caused havoc when they finally reached land in the USA. As

So, yes, by strict definition, the nation is experiencing a record-breaking major-hurricane drought.



But the criteria for what makes a major hurricane is impossibly restrictive. It is tied to a single hazard, wind, and ignores impacts from water, which causes the lions share of fatalities and damage in most hurricanes....



...Consider, in the 11 years since Wilma, two of the three most costly storms in U.S. history occurred: Sandy in 2012, and Hurricane Ike in 2008  neither of which was classified as major....



...Just last month, the rain from Hurricane Matthew flooded around 100,000 structures in North Carolina, and damage is expected to be in the billions of dollars. This storm was just a Category 1 at landfall and thus not a major storm. Unlike the reckless people on denier blogs, mainstream media is more concerned with reporting what's happening now, at the beginning of the unfolding disaster. Responsible journalists are not trying to play games with the people of Texas. They are more concerned about reporting what is happening so that people will act on facts. Disinformers are more concerned about point-scoring than they are about the lives and well-being of the people affected by the hurricane, rain, storm surge and floods.In Anthony's second article he was making out that the USA is all that matters for global climate. His headline was "". To put this in perspective it pays to consider a couple of things.The USA is not the whole world and in any case, even though storms may not have remained as major hurricanes when they made landfall, there have been some devastating hurricanes that caused havoc when they finally reached land in the USA. As Jason Samenow wrote last October at the Washington Post:



The Heartland Institute rolls out a bunch of fake experts

There's more. The Heartland Institute pulled together a rabble of climate disinformers and offered their lies to the media (archived There's more. The Heartland Institute pulled together a rabble of climate disinformers and offered their lies to the media (archived here ). I cannot imagine any responsible journos taking them up on their offer.





The Heartland Institute doesn't "believe" the hurricane forecasts from the world's best weather agencies. (I see that Anthony Watts doesn't agree with them on that point, because he copied and pasted heaps of forecasts, which are of course, derived from models.) The Heartland press release stated

Hurricanes, like the other mechanisms, cannot usefully be modeled, even with the largest and most sophisticated climate models used by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.













From the WUWT comments

caused by global warming. It's affected by global warming for sure, but caused by it? That's not the way to look at a weather event. There would be no way to tell as far as I know. One might as well claim that a recent sunshower was caused by global warming, or a cloud in the sky (or a cloudless sky) was caused by global warming.



Thankfully not everyone at WUWT thinks that Harvey is being hyped. ristvan.

August 25, 2017 at 4:09 pm

If the Hurricane Hunter planes say is now Cat 3, probably is. If it stalls like Joe Bastardi at WeatherBell and increasingly the NHC says, is NOT good. This could become another Katrina flooding disaster. Spun many ways. But no matter how spun, still a genuine disaster. Lets hope the vulnerable have evacuated.

ptolemy2 thinks Harvey is much ado about nothing. At a guess, he's a he and he doesn't live anywhere near the Texas Gulf Coast.

August 25, 2017 at 1:25 pm

The dystopians are getting desperate for bad news. I thought that only category 5 was noteworthy. Now category 3 is already being hyped. Itll fizzle, then they will make the most of some wet ground and cardboard boxes bouncing along the street, with hair flapping melodramatically. Maybe some drowned earthworms will underline that we need to act now!

A C Osborn, like many others, can't live without a good conspiracy theory:

August 25, 2017 at 10:42 am

I think that they may be hyping the sustained wind speed as they usually do.

It will be interesting to see what the actual ground based measurements are.

NuSchool Earth showing about 125kph, not 175Kph.

I wonder if the quote is for top of the Hurricane satellite measurements.

Matt Bergin is another one of Anthony's authoritarian-style conspiracy nutters:

August 25, 2017 at 2:34 pm

I going to be checking the offshore buoys for the real wind speed. I do not trust the NOAA to tell the truth.

Dubya Gee mistakes the name of a website with the category given to Harvey. Is it the first time he's visited

August 25, 2017 at 2:56 pm

I just visited the Weather Underground website, and they are calling Harvey a CAT 6, most dangerous since 47 years ago. Wasnt that before Global Warming? Masters is really trying to scare people.

nicholas tesdorf couldn't lie straight in bed. Australia's ABC did not market this as the largest ever.

August 25, 2017 at 3:48 pm

MSM/ABC in Australia is already marketing this as the largest hurricane to ever hit Texas and will leave huge areas of Texas uninhabitable. Soon it will be touted as the biggest in recorded history and category 6 at least. It is all exactly as they predicted and it is all Trumps fault for leaving the Paris agreement. Send money now Ho Hum. Now the dismal WUWT-ers believe Anthony's predictions have already happened. They are, as you know, a pack of utter nutters. No reputable report that I've read has stated or even hinted that Hurricane Harvey wasby global warming. It'sby global warming for sure, but caused by it? That's not the way to look at a weather event. There would be no way to tell as far as I know. One might as well claim that a recent sunshower was caused by global warming, or a cloud in the sky (or a cloudless sky) wasby global warming.Thankfully not everyone at WUWT thinks that Harvey is being hyped. who is a climate science disinformer , wrote:thinks Harvey is much ado about nothing. At a guess, he's a he and he doesn't live anywhere near the Texas Gulf Coast., like many others, can't live without a good conspiracy theory:is another one of Anthony's authoritarian-style conspiracy nutters:mistakes the name of a website with the category given to Harvey. Is it the first time he's visited Category 6 at Wunderground.com couldn't lie straight in bed. Australia's ABC did not market this as the largest ever. Twelve years is not "ever"











This image of Hurricane Harvey from NOAA and GOES shows water vapour is, in parts, almost off the scale.The recent 5:00 am CDT statement from the National Hurricane Center includes these tidbits:It's wrong to regard climate science deniers as being harmless idiots. It's not enough for them to deny, lie and play down the dangers of climate change. Not acting on climate change will cause a lot of death and destruction and ruin the livelihoods of many. It will also threaten world food supplies in future.As can be seen today, climate science deniers are a threat to people in the here and now. In the last day or so, prominent climate disinformers have been playing down the dangers of Hurricane Harvey. Their motive seems to be, as always, because they want people to reject the fact and risks of climate change. Why they would want to downplay an immediate risk for ideology is unfathomable. Anthony Watts has written two articles about Hurricane Harvey so far. I use the word "written" very loosely. It doesn't mean he authored much original content himself. His first article (archived here ) has the headline: "". It comprises copies and pastes of information from weather agencies though, as usual, Anthony neither credits these agencies nor provides links to the originals. It's not until you get to the tail end of his copy and paste bonanza that you find any original content. That's where you find out what Anthony thinks about Hurricane Harvey and the dire predictions. He doesn't want any speculation about the impact on Harvey of climate change yet that part of his article is all about climate change.Anthony has his own predictions. His predictions have been woefully inaccurate so far although this one may be better, in time. Thing is, he is so determined that none of his readers recognise the link between hot seas and global warming and hurricanes that he's writing about the link between climate change and hurricanes. He wrote It's too early tothe difference global warming made in thisweather event, given that it's still in progress. Best to wait until after the rain and flooding and tornadoes have happened and have ceased, then the experts can do their analyses and assessments based on observations. Just the same, all weather is affected by climate change. In this case the warm seas fueled Harvey. An article by Brendan Gibbons in the San Antonio Express News stated:Undoubtedly if the sea temperature in the gulf had been cooler and there was no global warming, Hurricane Harvey may not have emerged when it did. If a hurricane had emerged under cooler climatic conditions, Harvey would have behaved differently to what is happening right now. (It might have been worse, or not as bad, depending on the hypothetical weather situation in that particular part of a cooler world.)Back to Anthony Watts' article . Way down the bottom of his copies and pastes of warnings about the disaster, Anthony decided to put up a list of what he referred to as "alarmist headlines". Interestingly, the headlines weren't all from normal outlets. One of his "alarmist headlines" was from a denier blog . Of the four headlines, two made no mention of climate change or global warming. One mentioned global warming. The other, which was the denier blog was the only one with the words "climate change" - "". The article didn't contain one bit of evidence supporting his headline. At best, it had a tweet about how the warmer water (due to climate change) could make Harvey worse. (He provided nothing to support his implied headline claim that Harvey wouldn't have emerged if not for climate change.)It will take a while to see if Anthony's predictions come to pass. Meanwhile, here are some real headlines from different media sources:
A 36-year-old Hood to Coast runner was arrested Saturday morning after allegedly stealing a pickup truck and driving into a group of runners resting in a field near Birkenfeld, Oregon.

According to the Columbia County Sheriffs office, David Jon Blackmon, of Bend, Ore., stole a pickup truck belonging to a port-a-potty company servicing its units at Exchange 24.

The pickup didnt get far, however.

Witnesses said Blackmon then drove the stolen pickup through a nearby field where runners were resting. Three of the resting runners were able to jump out of the way. One of the runners, Cynthia Gillespie of Canby, Ore., was not and was run over, the sheriffs office said. Gillespie was dragged a short distance before the truck stopped, coming to rest on her leg.

The original driver of the vehicle chased the truck down and confronted Blackmon, the sheriffs office said. Blackmon then reportedly fled, running into some nearby woods.

Oregon State Police responded to assist sheriffs office deputies, as did a K9 from the Beaverton Police Department. The K9 found Blackmon in the woods nearby and held him there.

Once Blackmon was identified by the trucks assigned driver, he was arrested and taken to the Columbia County Jail on charges of second-degree assault, reckless driving, reckless endangering, driving while revoked, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle, and possession of a stolen vehicle.

Gillespie was taken to Oregon Health & Science University hospital, where she was treated and later released with only minor injuries.

The incident remains under investigation.


I always keep a thank you note ready before the big day and result, it matters very little on which end of the stick I am on the next day as it doesnt change the effort or joy experienced during the journey. The yardstick for me has always been in the attempt instead of the result or reward. I wasnt prepared for this, but here we gomy last few words on Anando Brahma which I would never be able to speak front up and say it out loud.





Thank you to everyone who has loved it, thank you to everyone who hasnt too. Thank you for allowing me the chance of showcasing my story. I did all I could and promise to do better with more effort put in. To all those who sent me messages and to all those who didnt, but went on to say such kind words about the film to others, thank you.





I am still coming to terms with the fact that I can write comedy, more than anyone else, it surprised me. I honestly have no clue of how horror works, let along horror comedy. In fact, I hate horror comedy; I do not believe it to be a natural genre to me. But, I am curious to explore the theme of darkness through my belief and experiences.





As much as I wanted to tell this story, the story wanted to find a voice to tell too and Im glad and grateful it found me.





Its been a decade since I set out to make films, its been a long road, broken, lost and beaten at every attempt. Despite it all, I hung onto it; but not to prove a point to anyone or even myself. I care little about the great tale I get to tell my grandchildren. For me, its all about taking my story and the journey to the grave.





The best moment though was when I received a call from the principal of my school and my maths teacher who said he was proud of me and loved the movie. It means a lot to me as I had never received a pat on my back in school. I wanted to tell him, Sir, I just cant get my head around maths, I probably never will. I wish we had story telling in school rather than science or maths, its not my mistake if I wasnt made for it. To my Telugu sir, even in his wildest dream he wouldnt have imagined me writing Telugu dialogues (I cant write anything beyond my name). He couldnt have foreseen that Google Translate would come to my rescue someday. I really hope he watches this movie.





But if theres one person I wished would watch this movie it would be my dad, he called it quits a little early. I didnt quit dad, I didnt want to let you down. Im sure you wouldve been proud of me. I hold the rare and proud feat of studying class one twice, courtesy of my dad. He used to ask me not to hurry and take it slow, that its alright and Ill get there sooner or later. He was right; I did take it slow and still got through school, college, work, and now filmmaking.





This is for you DAD.





This is for all of us, the ones who cant afford to fail but cant succeed.





To the ungifted and untalented lot,

To all of us who love what we do and are yet not very good at it,

To all of us who cant get anything conventional, especially math, right the first, second or third time.





We might not have been blessed with talent of intelligence, but by default, nature gifts or compensates us with a little more perseverance (the irony of having to Google that spelling). We have been given the grit to survive and endure more pain and failure more than the gifted and smart ones.





I want to tell you all  If I can, anyone can mate





Just hang on there for another day, another minutea moment longer than you think you can.





If you cant run, walk. If you cant walk, crawl. If you cant crawl either, just breathe.





Just breathe and trust me you will be fine. Trust the universe and itll never let you down, it cant let itself down.





Mahi V Raghav

(Anando brahma  Director)
US won't pull back from South China Sea ops

AFP, Washington :

An American general insisted Friday the United States would not pull back from operations in the disputed South China Sea to combat Beijing's territorial claims despite a series of accidents involving US warships.

General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, Pacific Air Forces commander, said the American military still had "credibility... all over the world" despite the incidents, which have raised concerns that the US armed forces are overstretched in Asia.

In the latest incident, the USS John S. McCain collided with a tanker off Singapore early Monday, tearing a huge hole in the vessel's hull and leaving two sailors dead and eight missing.

It was the fourth accident involving an American warship in the Pacific this year, two of them fatal.

The McCain had been heading to the city-state after conducting a "freedom of navigation" mission-sailing close to a contested island in the South China Sea in a show of strength to challenge Beijing's territorial claims.

The US has been carrying out a growing number of such operations in recent years as China increasingly asserts its claims to almost the entire sea, despite partial counter-claims from some Asian neighbours.

"There is no setback to those (freedom of navigation) operations following these incidents," O'Shaughnessy told reporters during a visit to the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

"We stand firm that we are going to sail and fly anywhere where international rules allow. We will continue to do that.

"Every day, we have operations within the South China Sea and areas surrounding it."

He added that the latest collision should not eclipse the work of the US military as a whole.

"I don't think that we should let one incident overshadow the great capability that the United States of America brings across all services," he said.

Still, the incidents have provided a propaganda windfall to US rivals like China, with the foreign ministry in Beijing voicing concerns American warships posed a "security threat" to civilian vessels in the South China Sea.

Monday's accident was the second involving an American destroyer in two months after the USS Fitzgerald collided with a cargo ship off Japan in June, killing seven sailors.

A multinational search operation at sea for the missing sailors on the McCain was called off Thursday, with divers now focusing on flooded compartments in the warship.

The remains of a second sailor were recovered from the ship late Thursday and identified as Dustin Louis Doyon, the US Navy said.




Venezuela kicks off war games in warning to Trump

Venezuelan troops in different fatigues and carrying various weapons attend a press conference given by Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino Lopez.

AFP, Caracas :

Venezuela kicks off two days of military drills on Saturday in response to US President Donald Trump's threat of military action and newly announced sanctions on the crisis-stricken nation.

Trump warned on August 11 that the United States was mulling a range of options against Venezuela, "including a possible military option if necessary".

His Vice President Mike Pence later played down the threat, insisting that Washington was prioritising a diplomatic solution and economic sanctions.

National security adviser HR McMaster followed suit, saying "no military actions are anticipated in the near future".

But tension only surged again when the White House made good on the sanctions threat on Friday, unveiling its first-ever sanctions to target Venezuela as a whole, rather than just Maduro and his inner circle.

The measures ban trade in new bonds issued by the Venezuelan government or its cash-cow oil company, PDVSA.

That could choke off access to New York debt markets and substantially raise the likelihood of Venezuela being forced into default.

Venezuela called the measures the "worst aggression" yet.

"We will protect our people and the people of the republic, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, are going to stand up," said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza.

Trump's threat of military force has bolstered Maduro's oft-repeated claim that Washington is plotting to topple him and wants to grab control of Venezuela's oil-the largest proven reserves in the world.

Maduro is under international pressure over his handling of an economic and political crisis.

The socialist president is resisting opposition calls for early elections to replace him.

The center right-led opposition and international powers including the US say he is turning Venezuela into a dictatorship.

Maduro's opponents accuse military police and pro-Maduro militia of beating and killing anti-government protesters.

Protest clashes have left 125 people dead so far this year, according to prosecutors.

Maduro says the violence and the economic crisis are a US-backed conspiracy.

Maduro, the political heir to the late Hugo Chavez, has managed to hang onto power through it all, despite food shortages and social upheaval.

His grip is largely thanks to the support of the military, which holds vast powers in his government, including over food distribution.

The opposition has repeatedly called on the army to abandon Maduro-so far to no avail.

He has only faced low-level dissent, such as from the two rebel officers who staged a raid on an army base this month.

On Thursday, the president issued a stern warning to the armed forces not to break ranks.

"We must be clear, especially for the youth in the military, that we must close ranks within the homeland-that this is no time for any fissures and that those with doubts should leave the armed forces immediately," he said in a speech to the top military brass.

"You are with Trump and the imperialists, or you are with the Bolivarian national armed forces and the homeland," he added. "Never before has Venezuela been threatened in such a way."

Maduro's critics accuse him of coopting the military with top cabinet posts, as well as hijacking state institutions, such as by installing a new constituent assembly packed with loyalists.




RAJSHAHI: Secretary Saidur Rahamn donating Tk 1 lakh to late journalist Nazu\'s family at Rajshahi Press Club on Wednesday.
All learning styles are not created equal

Joanna Hughes :

Success in school relies on many things. One aspect many new college students may underestimate when first starting out? Their individual learning styles. The truth is that all learning styles are not created equal: We each learn, absorb and master information differently. The more you know about how you learn, the more prepared you'll be to seek out classes, professors, programs, and schools which best suit your unique preferences.

About Learning Styles

According to an article published in the Current Health Sciences Journal, the term learning style "refers to the fact that each person has a different way of accumulating knowledge." This concept was first proposed in the 1970s, with a number of different models emerging to represent the way researchers believe human beings learn.

It's important to note that while learning styles may indeed reflect individual preferences for how information is received, there's no conclusive evidence indicating that identifying a person's preferred learning style impacts outcomes. Still, many schools assess learning styles to help teachers and students alike better understand the process.

Understanding Learning Styles

Proposed by Fleming and Mills in 1992, the VARK model is one of the most commonly accepted classifications of learning styles. It comprises four modalities, including the following:

1. Visual (V)

Do you feel like you learn better through graphics? If so, you may be a visual learner. This mode includes the depiction of information via "maps, spider diagrams, charts, graphs, flow charts, labeled diagrams, and all the symbolic arrows, circles, hierarchies and other devices, that people use to represent what could have been presented in words."

Visual learning methods typically include patterns, shapes, designs and whitespace, but do not include pictures, photographs, videos, movies or even PowerPoint presentations. While words in boxes may be preferable for different types of learners, visual learners prefer that information be conveyed via diagrams, meaningful symbols, and other graphic formats.

For visual learners, seeking out courses which incorporate lots of visuals is a great start. Drawing visuals of problems; using graphing calculators; and developing your own visual aids, such as cognitive maps and charts, can further enrich your learning experience.

2. Aural/Auditory (A)

Do you feel like you take in information better when you hear it spoken aloud or say it out loud to yourself? If so, you may be an aural/auditory learner. According to VARK-Learn's definition, individuals in this category learn best from "lectures, group discussion, radio, email, using mobile phones, speaking, web-chat and talking things through."

Also included in this learning mode? Email-because it is often conveyed and received "chat-style." Aural/auditory learners also prefer sorting out their thoughts and questions aloud-often repeating what they've heard aloud in their own words.

If you fall into the aural/auditory learning mode category, recommended study strategies include attending lectures; reading textbook information aloud; recording text materials as well as lectures; and choosing classes with opportunities for oral discussion.

3. Read/Write 

Are you all about words? Do you remember what you read better than what you hear? If so, you likely have a preference for the read/write learning modality. One of the most popular modes of learning for teachers and students, this category comprises "text-based input and output," such as reading and writing assignments, essays, reports and manuals. Commonly relied on resources for read/write learners include dictionaries, quotations, the internet, PowerPoint, and lists.

Study strategies for students who prefer this learning style include reading textbooks; taking good notes; and choosing courses which focus on writing assignments.

4. Kinesthetic (K)

Do you learn best by doing? If so, your preference may be the increasingly prevalent kinesthetic model, which prioritizes the use of experience and practice over concepts and theory. According to VARK-Learn, "people who prefer this mode are connected to reality, either through concrete personal experiences, examples, practice or simulation." This active, tactile approach includes everything from demonstrations and simulations to videos and movies. Case studies, applications and practice (either real or simulated) are also preferred kinesthetic learning methods.

Kinesthetic learning can be particularly valuable to STEM students, according to edutopia, because it helps them breach mental barriers, accept different approaches to information, and ultimately assume a more "receptive state required for learning."

Manipulative study strategies work well for kinesthetic learners, including writing, making visuals and models, using your fingers, and preparing index cards. Furthermore, incorporating movement while studying-from chewing gum to tapping your pencil-can help support focus and attention.

One last thing to keep in mind? Learning styles aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, research indicates that many students amalgamate a mix of learning styles. Even better? There's no proof that a single learning style or combination of learning styles is more effective or less effective than another. Rather, it's all about what works best for you.

(Joanna worked in higher education administration for many years at a leading research institution before becoming a full-time freelance writer. She lives in the beautiful White Mountains region of New Hampshire with her family).
Studying English Language and Literature

Alyssa Walker :

Besides it being the only field in the UK to beat the gender pay gap by a large margin, the benefits of studying English run deep. Let's take a closer look at some obvious-and not so obvious-reasons that learning English is important.

The Obvious Reasons

1. It's one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world.

After Chinese and Spanish, English is the third most commonly spoken language, with over 300 million speakers.

20 percent of the population can read, speak, or understand at least some English.

It's also the most widely learned second language.

It's the official language of the US, the UK, Australia, Canda, Ireland, New Zealand, and is generally spoken and understood in parts of the Caribbean, Africa, and South Asia.

It is also the co-official language of the United Nations, the European Union, and the Olympic Committee.

2. It improves your job prospects.

As the language of science, aviation, hospitality, technology, and tourism, knowing even a little bit of English can help you get a job at a global company.

Not only that, but it can also open doors for internships and career paths you may have not considered before.

Research suggests that knowing English-in addition to at least one other language-makes you a better decision maker with the capacity to deal with multiple tasks at once. What employer doesn't find that attractive?

The Less Obvious Reasons

1. It's the language of the internet.

50 percent of internet content is in English. If you know English, you have access to information that may not otherwise be available.

Chinese, the world's most spoken language, comprises only 2.1 percent o the internet, and Spanish, the second most common language makes up just 4.8 percent of the internet. Hindi, the world's fourth most common language after English, makes up only 0.1 percent of the internet.

Though translation tools help, they don't accommodate the sheer quantity of English content.

Access to English means greater access to the internet-and that means greater access to the world.

2. It's the language of science.

If you want to learn, speak, read, or write in the world of science, English is your key.

Pharmacists, engineers, and doctors typically take their coursework in English, regardless of where they're studying-and medical schools around the globe require a knowledge of English.

How did English become the language of science? It's a long story mired in history, but you should have some idea. After World War I, three were two significant scientific communities: one German, and one a combination of English and French. German lost favor, and in early 20th century US history, most people spoke English-and coincidentally that's where scientific publishing was happening, too.

3. It allows you to study language and culture.

Language and culture are forever linked-and a background in English will immerse you in both. You'll have a better sense of people who live in predominantly English-speaking countries by knowing the language.

You'll learn nuance, tone, body language, facial expression and intent by having an idea of how English works.

As with any language, insight into a culture allows you to communicate more effectively and more naturally with the people in it.

Read a lot, talk a lot, and listen the most-you'll have a clear sense of the English language and how to communicate.

4. You'll never get bored.

There's so much to learn and so much to read. English literature is so diverse that there's no one way to pigeon-hole it. By knowing English, you can open an entire world of perspectives.

From Romanticism and the Victorians to Modernism and the development of Science Fiction, you'll have enough to keep you busy for a lifetime. We haven't even discussed poetry and drama.

A world awaits you.

Why should you learn English? It's one of the most prevalent languages in the world and you're bound to encounter it. It's interesting if you're willing to delve into it-and it will only enrich your experience as a human being.



(Alyssa Walker is a freelance writer, educator, and nonprofit consultant. She lives in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with her family).
What are pathway and foundation programs?

Elizabeth Koprowski :

Foundation programs began in the UK as a way to prepare students for the rigors of certain degree programs, but they're now found in countries all over the world. Foundation programs, also known as pathway programs or preparatory years, aim to give incoming undergraduate students the skills and experiences they'll need to succeed at university. Here's why a foundation program could be a vital part of your international experience.

1. Help Fill the Gaps

When you apply to a university abroad, you'll need to submit your school records to the admissions board. Some countries, or universities, have higher standards than others , while some higher education systems require that students achieve specific academic benchmarks before entering university. Remember that curricula, length of education, and testing standards vary from country to country. Foundation courses are designed to help you complete the necessary requirements for matriculation in your host country. Whether you need to take additional mathematics classes or bring your language skills up to the next level, a foundation course will offer you the chance to fill in the gaps in your education. Most foundation courses include standard classes that all students complete, as well as specialized electives for specific studies.

2. Designed for International Students

While some foundation or pathway programs are open to domestic students who want extra preparation before beginning their undergraduate studies, most prep programs are created with international students in mind. It's no surprise that most foundation programs are found in English-language countries like the US, UK, Australia, and Canada and language-acquisition is often a priority in these courses. But prep programs also help to integrate students from abroad. They give students a chance to acclimate to their host country and often include cultural instruction alongside standard subjects like reading, math, and science.

3. Apply to Many Studies

Most foundation programs include a set curriculum aimed at giving all students a comprehensive basis for university studies, but they also include degree-specific classes that apply to the science, mathematics, humanities, medical studies, and business. Not only can you focus your prep program on your desired degree, the skills you'll acquire during the course will apply to university studies in general and will help you succeed in your studies. Foundation programs often include tutorials in things like study skills, time management, research training, and communication. So whether you're acquiring these skills for the first time, or honing them after years of practice, a foundation course will set you on a solid path for university success.

4. Only Take a Year

Yes, you've probably just finished years of secondary school and are anxious to begin your university studies. While you may not relish the idea of delaying your degree, for international students the benefits of a prep program can far outweigh the extra time. Consider that foundation programs are just that - a solid foundation - and a year of study now could be the key to completing your degree on-time...or at all. And for students improving, or learning, a second language one year is just the right amount of time to gain proficiency.

5. Offer Study Abroad Advantages

Besides giving international students a year to become familiar with their host-country before starting university, foundation courses have the added benefit of allowing students from abroad to gain access to a variety of opportunities that will aid and advance their studies. During your prep year you can visit universities throughout your host-country and decide which school is right for you. You'll also have a chance to explore funding options like scholarships and grants, and can attend admissions fairs and events at your top schools. This can increase your chances of admission, and will also make it easier to decide between schools.

6. Many Options

Though foundation programs started in the UK, and many programs are based in English-language countries, the format has become popular throughout the world. This means that students who want to study abroad, but prefer a non-English program have a variety of opportunities. Take Germany for example. The Western European country has become a popular destination for international students. It's universities are highly ranked, and the country is very open to international students. To top it off, German universities are free for both international and domestic students, which make them a smart choice for budget-conscious students from abroad. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recommends that international students consider "Studienkolleg" or foundation courses before enrolling in German universities. These programs are open to students who have already been accepted to a degree course, to those who plan to apply, or to those who need to obtain higher qualifications before applying. German foundation courses, like many around the world include degree-specific course, as well as language instruction though some German proficiency is required.



(Elizabeth Koprowski is an American writer and travel historian. She has worked in the higher education system with international students both in Europe and in the USA).
Vietnam, Turkey agree to boost trade ties

Xinhua, Hanoi :

Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim discussed measures to promote trade and investment partnership between the two countries during their talks here on Wednesday.

The two prime ministers stressed their determination to raise two-way trade to 4 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 through boosting trade and investment promotion activities, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The Turkish prime minister suggested that the two sides consider cooperation possibilities in the defense industry. The Vietnamese prime minister proposed that Turkey recognize Vietnam's market economy soon, and asked that Turkey remove a number of taxes and fees on Vietnamese products such as footwear, fiber, belts, air conditioners and cell phones.

The two sides agreed to work closely to enhance cooperation in transport, especially aviation and maritime affiliation, science-technology, culture-education, security-defense and people-to-people diplomacy.

On political ties, the two sides agreed to strengthen delegation exchange and encourage the cooperation between their ministries, sectors, localities and friendship organizations.

The two sides also shared concern on rising terrorism and affirmed their support for regional and international efforts in anti-terrorism.
President Donald J. Trump today pardoned the lawless racist and former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio. He was found guilty of criminal contempt in a case about racial profiling. Of course he was Trump's first pardon.

"He ran and won a campaign to become Sheriff of Maricopa County," the statement from the White House reads in part.

"Throughout his time as Sheriff, Arpaio continued his life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration. Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now eighty-five years old, and after more than fifty years of admirable service to our Nation, he is worthy candidate for a Presidential pardon."

From CNN:
Suniel Shetty to play a role in A Gentlemen?

Suniel Shetty, who was last seen in 2 Chehre in 2015, has been absent for quite a while from the big screen. Audiences have surely missed his presence. But now, one can say the wait is over.

We caught a sight of Suniel Shetty in the trailer of A Gentlemen, although there was no clarity of his role in the movie. But now it has been confirmed that Suniel Shetty, will be seen playing a fierce, rebellious role in the movie.

A source revealed, "Suniel will be seen playing his age for a part of the film, dressed in suave formals, with a well-groomed beard and mustache. He then ages seven years, his hair turning salt-and-pepper. The story spans a decade with all the characters aging through the cat-and-mouse chase." On the other hand, lead actor Sidharth Malhotra, who will be playing a double role in the movie couldn't stop gushing about working with Suniel. He said, "He's one of the nicest guys to work within the industry. He's really fit for his age." The director of A Gentlemen - Raj Nidimoru said, "We really wanted Suniel. He hadn't done a film for quite a while. He was r excited when he read the script and said, 'This is the kind of script I'd like to be a part of'.


'Khaleda should be implicated in grenade attack case'



Awami League (AL) Publicity and Publication Affairs Secretary Dr Hasan Mahmud on Saturday demanded inclusion of the names of BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, party leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and

Rizvi Ahmed as accused in 21st August grenade attack case. "As a sitting prime minister at that time Begum khaleda Zia could not avert the liability of the attack.... Similarly the names of BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf and Rizvi Ahmed should include in the case as accused," he said.

Hasan Mahmud made the demand while addressing as chief gust a discussion on the 21 August, 2004 grenade attack case. Swadhinata Parishad organized the discussion at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the city in memory of people died in the attack. Organization President Chittaranjan Das presided over the programme.

The AL leader criticized BNP leaders Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain and Rizvi Ahmed for their recent statements supporting the grenade attackers. He also castigated BNP founder Ziaur Rahman and the present party chief Begum Khaleda Zia for being agents of the Pakistani intelligence agency-ISI. Former State Minister for Home Affairs Advocate Shamsul Huq Tuku, former member of Al central executive committee Professor Shamsul Huq, AL leader

Bolram Poddar and Sangskritik Jote General Secretary Arun Sarkar Rana also spoke.
2 youths jailed for stalking schoolgirls

UNB, Brahmanbaria :

The mobile court on Friday sentenced two youngmen to two months jail for stalking two schoolgirls in Nabinagar upazila.

The convicted youths are - Faisal Ahmed Topu, 22, son of late Abdur Rahim, a resident of Uttar Para area, and Musa, 25, son of Helal Miah, a resident of Gangkul Hati village of adjoining Bhairab upazila of Kishoreganj district.

The mobile court sources said that the young men used to stalk two schoolgirls for long.

Later, the guardians of the girls complained to police station.

Accordingly, police arrested Faisal in front of local girls' school and Musa from Jalla area in the afternoon while they were stalking the girls.

Later, they were produced before the mobile court led by Moushumi Bain Hira, executive magistrate and also assistant commissioner (land) of Nabinagar upazila which sentenced them to two months of jail to each.
Monitoring dev works in disguise

UNB, Chuadanga :

Corruption in Bangladesh is said to be an all-pervasive menace. The country's Anti-Corruption Commission itself finds it hard to deal with the graft.

As corruption goes on everywhere, particularly in development works, Chuadanga Municipality Mayor Obaidur Rahman Chowdhury Jipu has come up with his own idea to fight against the menace- monitoring development works in disguise.

The mayor was recently found roaming around the streets in his municipality areas-sometimes in the guise of a labourer, sometimes as a rickshaw-puller and sometimes as a construction worker or a farmer.

Kamrul Haque, a construction worker who was working at Mahila College para of the municipality, said the disguised mayor was working with them wearing torn clothes and lungi, hiding his face with a cap and gamchha on Monday morning.

About an hour later, they recognised the mayor, he added.

Another worker of Hajarhati village said the mayor worked for long hours with them in disguise, and carried sand and stones on his head with them.

Asked why he was doing this, Mayor Jipu said he disguised himself and visited the sites to keep his eyes on the contractors of the latest development projects of the municipality so that no irregularities or corruption can take place.

After its upgradation to Grade I, Chuadanga Municipality has got many big development projects which are now under

implementation. The development works under the project of UGP-3 include road construction, development of drainage system and installation of streetlights in its nine wards, the mayor added.

Claiming himself as a servant of the people, Obaidur Rahman said, there will be zero tolerance to any irregularities in the development projects here.

The mayor's idea of counteracting corruption in a different way has been highly praised by locals and his disguised activities have gone viral in the internet.

Terming it as an exemplary step, Abdul Gaffar, a resident of Chuadanga Municipality said, other public representatives can also follow him in countering corruption across the country allegedly by contractors.

Chuadanga unit general secretary of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujon) Prof Mahabul Islam Selim said this is definitely a good example of sincere effort to establish good governance if is not a show-off.
5000 Rohingyas stranded at borders

Myanmar envoy summoned to lodge strong protest

FRESH INFLUX: A group of Rohingya women and children takes shelter at Kutupalong Refugee Camp in Ukhia under Cox\'s Bazar district after fleeing from escalating violence in Myanmar\'s western state of Rakhine.

Special Correspondent :

Some 5,000 Rohingya Muslims have reportedly been stranded at border points fleeing from a fresh military crackdown in Rakhine State to Bangladesh.

They had been halted at the border with Bangladesh, officials said.

"About 1,000 Rohingya arrived at the Naf river separating Myanmar and Bangladesh and got stranded there," Mohammad Ali Hossain, Deputy Commissioner of Cox's Bazar district told media on Saturday.

He added, "Thousands more remained stranded at border points. They were trying to enter, but no one will be allowed."

Border Guard Police (BGP) of Myanmar on Saturday opened fired on a group of stranded Rohingya at the Zero Points of Bangladesh-Myanmar border.

The incident took place at the Thumbru border point of Nikhanchori in Bandarban, said Lt Col Manjurul Ahsan Khan, Commander of 34 Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) Battalion.

"We have lodged strong protest against their action," he added.

Bangladeshi border security forces on Saturday morning sent back over 70 Rohingyas to Myanmar after intercepting them on Naf River.

In the last few days, they have sent back more than 500 Rohingya Muslims who tried to sneak into Bangladesh through various border points.

BGB and Coast have already stepped up patrols to try to stem the tide of refugees crossing the border amid fresh violence in Rakhine, the home to more than a million Rohingya, a Muslim minority group of Myanmar's Buddhist majority.

At least 100 people including dozens of security forces were killed on Friday as fresh fighting has erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine State.

The violence has forced the Rohingya Muslims to cross into Bangladesh from Myanmar for safe shelter.

A similar violence erupted in last October when Myanmar authorities launched a "bloody crackdown" on Rohingya Muslims in a so called ethnic cleansing prompting the minority community to cross into Bangladesh en mass fleeing from their lands. Many of those interviewed by media told horrific stories of gang rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar security forces.

Myanmar authorities denied allegations of abuse but banned foreign journalists and independent investigators from accessing the area.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry on Saturday summoned Myanmar envoy in Dhaka and lodged a strong protest over the recent happenings, including the fresh entry of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh.

Bangladesh reportedly lodged a strong protest also for tagging a word 'Bengali' with the recent attack in Rakhine State and encouraging fresh entry of Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh, a Diplomatic source said.

It also expressed concerns over a renewed crisis as more Rohingyas, fleeing persecution, were crossing into Bangladesh.
Food security at stake

THE government's desperate moves to import food grains from abroad; particularly rice from some East Asian countries shows the big supply shortfall in the government stock. Bangladesh has a total supply shortfall of 12 lakh tonnes as per the government estimates. The US Department of Agriculture however estimates the shorfall at 15 lakh tonnes to highlight a situation of utter lack of food security as the rice market is heating up with escalated price. It emerged at a time when the government was boasting with claims of food self-sufficiency of the country and even exported certain quantity to Sri Lanka.



The sudden shortfall in the government stock, which was reported as low as 1.9 lakh tonnes in last May, was in fact unimaginable given the track records of past two decades level of stock. Rice production in Bangladesh witnessed a breakthrough with manifold rise in productivity in the meantime to give us a sense of complacence that the nation's basic food security is now ensured from domestic production. But growth in agricultural sector suffered severely over the past and the food crisis apparently resulted from it.



Many wonder why the government was not maintaining enough buffer stock to avoid emergency situation like the one we witness now. Even early this year it sold rice from government godowns under a politically tailored programme at huge subsidized price meant for ultra-poor families. Most of such deliveries were however misused by partymen as they grabbed the stock and sold it to black market. Now the government is running abroad to buy rice at huge cost to create the minimum national stock to ensure food security. It is not clearly understood why the government has neglected to maintain the minimum buffer stock for national food security at crisis time.



Rice price has meanwhile soared in the local market with the disclosure that the government has no stock to make market intervention. Fine rice now sells at Tk 60 per kg which sold at Tk 45 two to three months back. Coarse rice now sells at Tk 40 to 45 as common people's affordability has come under severe stress. The situation has been exacerbated by failure to make procurement of Aman rice early this year due largely for non-cooperation of millers to buy for the government and supply government silos at fixed price. Many millers are also lawmakers from the ruling party and reportedly wanted higher price to put procurement of Aman crop to failure. Meanwhile large-scale failure of Boro crops in flash floods in May this year has further worsened the situation.



Many believe that the huge rice import may bring the opportunity to government leaders to make huge fortune. Big buying means big corruptions as the money will come from government exchequer. We advise vigilance against such practice.
Top seed Bautista Agut returns to Winston-Salem final

AFP, Miami :

Roberto Bautista Agut gets another shot at the Winston-Salem ATP title, booking his second finals berth in as many years on Friday with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Jan-Lennard Struff.

The top-seeded Spaniard will meet Damir Dzumhur on Saturday after the Bosnian rallied for a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory over Briton Kyle Edmund to reach his first ATP final.

Bautista Agut, who fell to fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta in last year's Winston-Salem final, made just nine unforced errors, calmly recovering after an early break in the second set to seal the win in one hour and 13 minutes.

He showed imagination as well as consistency, keeping match-point alive with a shot between his legs from the baseline before racing forward to hit the match-winner off a drop shot.

"I'm happy to be in the final again," Bautista Agut, ranked 15th in the world, said. "It's going to be tough, but I'm ready."

Dzumhur, ranked 67th, got off to a slow start against Edmund as fatigue caught up with him.

He arrived in Winston-Salem on Monday after reaching the final of a lower-level Challenger tournament in the Dominican Republic at the weekend.

"I was a little bit tired," Dzumhur said of his listless first set. "In second set I tried to hold my serve and I broke him in a game when he was 40-15 up, and in that moment everything changed.
Huge inflow of cattle from India, Myanmar

Badrul Ahsan :

A huge amount of cattle influx from India and Myanmar may surpass the local demand for the sacrificial animal in the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.

Experts and market researchers said the resumption of cattle export by India now turn a boon to the local consumers, although the influx may hit the local cattle rearing farmers hard.

Researchers feared a possible shortage of about 30 percent or 20 lakh of cattle during Eid but the recent inflow of cattle from India and Myanmar has led them to give a second thought on the availability of sacrificial animal.

Nearly 80 lakh cattle are slaughtered annually in Bangladesh, of which almost 50 percent are slaughtered during Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival for the Muslims. This year the demand for cattle may reach 40 lakh during the festival, according to the Department of Livestock and Services (DLS).

Khondaker G Moazzem, additional research director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue who has recently done a research on the informal cattle trade between India and Bangladesh, said he was thinking that many people would change their purchase plans to cushion the effect of high prices but recent inflow of cattle from the neighbouring countries might change the scenario.

"We were thinking many will go for the shared norm of sacrifice in the coming Eid. Some will opt for goats while some will refrain from sacrificing any animal at all. But present news of huge inflow of cattle from India and Nepal may change the situation," he said.

According to our district correspondents at Nilphamari, Kurigram, Pabna and some other border areas, thousands of cattle, mostly cows and buffaloes, are coming from India to Bangladesh every day which remained halted for the last couple of years due to a ban on exports, imposed by the Indian government showing religious sensation.

"Border hats are full of Indian cattle. Customs officials and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) personnel are passing busy time to manage the huge inflow," said Ekramul Haque Samrat, the Kurigram correspondent.

Kurigram Customs Inspector Ashraful Islam said 35,147 Indian cattle have passed the corridors at Dharla Bridge point and Roumari point in the district this month. When a consignment of illegally imported Indian cattle is seized by the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the customs department officials take Tk 500 each to clear the way for the traders to take those to local markets.

Besides, our Cox's Bazar correspondent also reported the same situation saying they have seen an increased number of cattle being imported from Myanmar through Teknaf border.

The cows are being imported through formal channel using corridor in Teknaf that increased income for the customs authority.

"If the present scenario of cattle import from Myanmar continues, then income from the cattle import of Tecknuf customs house will jump manyfold," Md Junaid, Cox's Bazar correspondent said.

However, though consumers see the inflow as a blessing, cattle rearing farmers and government officials see it as a shock for its local production.

"Though it is a need for the time, but the inflow will discourage the local farmers. Local farmers have already started giving more concentration on domestic production. If the inflow floods the market then local production may face hurdle," Ajay Kumar Roy, Director General of Department of Livestock Services (DLS) told the newsmen.

"If the present inflow of cattle continues, the flow of cattle may surpass the local demand as a huge amount of cattle remained stuck in India for the last couple of years due to export ban," he added.
Tanners worried at uncertainty over purchase, preservation of raw-hide

Staff Reporter :

The leaders of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association on Saturday expressed anxiety over uncertainty of collecting, purchase and preservation of raw hides this time due to the dilapidated condition of the roads towards the leather-based new industrial hub at Savar.

"There is a huge uncertainty over collection, purchase and preservation of raw-hides due to the broken roads towards the leather-based industrial hub at Savar," Mahiuddin Ahmed Mahin, the association chairman, told a press briefing at its office at Dhanmondi in the capital city.

He said the roads from Hemayetpur Bazar to the leather industrial zone in Savar become impassable for transports as those are in a sorry state.

The roads might become more risky during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha for the trucks loaded with rawhides to ply, he feared.

"It is a must to mix salts with raw-hides within six hours. If it is not possible due to serious conditions of the roads, the raw-hides may be damaged. If any rawhide loaded truck fall in any accident on those broken roads it must create acute public sufferings," Mahin said.

"The retailers brought rawhides to Hazaribagh every year. But from this year the administration prohibited entering of rawhides in Hazaribagh. In this situation, it will be tough to bring rawhides to Savar through those impassable roads," said the leather sector body chief.

He also said, "Tanners must be careful to preserve the rawhides of the sacrificial cattle collected during the Eid-ul-Azha."

The BFLLFEA leader warned against the possible price hike of salt during the Eid-ul-Azha.

"One sack of salt weighing 75 Kg sold at Tk 400-Tk 500 round the year. But during the Eid-ul-Azha the businessmen hike the price by Tk 1100- Tk 1200. As a result, many raw-hides were rotten last year due to exorbitant prices of salts. The government should keep eyes on the matter," he suggested.
Biman to operate 8 more hajj flights

Staff Reporter :

Biman Bangladesh Airlines got additional eight slots on Saturday to operate hajj flights till August 28 to send the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia who could not leave Dhaka for flight cancellations.

According to Hajj office at Askona in the city, some 1,15,730 Bangladeshi pilgrims till date have reached Makkah for performing the holy Hajj. Among 1,26,247 pilgrims who received visa, Biman has carried 60,099 pilgrims and Saudi Airlines 55,631.

Still, 10,517 pilgrims waiting to be carried to Makkah and tension is growing up among them.

Some 951 passports were not submitted for visa by the agencies and more than 300 pilgrims were trapped at the Hajj office in the city due to fraudulency of agencies though they had paid adequate fees for performing Hajj this year.

Those pilgrims on Saturday afternoon staged agitation in front of the Hajj camp at Askona in the city demanding proper action against the defaulted agency owners and guarantee of performing Hajj.

President of standing committee member of Religious Affairs Ministry Bajlul Haque Haroon addressed the issue and said general diaries have been filed against the agencies which failed to arrange hajj

flights with the concerned police stations.

"If those agencies do not confirm the flight of pilgrims within two days cases against them will be filed," he warned.

Hajj pilgrims showed agitation against the agencies namely Madina Air International Aviation, Al Balak, Sanjid Travel, Eco Travel among 64 defaulted hajj agencies which have been alleged for fraudulency and mismanagement.

Hajj pilgrims have placed specific complaints of fraudulency and mismanagement against those hajj agencies to the officials of Hajj Office at Askona and demanded immediate solution from the concerned authorities.


Entertainment / Celebrity

by Staff reporter

SOCIAL media has been buzzing after Olinda Chapel and Mukoko hit-maker Tytan, announced that they were engaged, with many people congratulating the couple.Olinda and Tytan, who are currently in the United Kingdom, have been showing off their love on Facebook through live broadcasts and even declaring that they are working hard at having babies together.With this in mind when the announcement was posted on Wednesday morning on Olinda's Facebook page, it looked like their love stars had aligned. While others were congratulating the two, others were quick to point out that their announcement was too early for Olinda following the tumultuous divorce with rapper Stunner this year.The debate raged on for three hours and the couple seemingly watched gleefully as their followers debated and congratulated their union.After that, Olinda informed her followers that it was all a ploy by the two to see who would be happy for them in the event they decided to marry."After this morning's fun, Tytan and I are not engaged. It's just fun to know who's for you or who is not. My apologies for all those that caught feelings and all . . . Because kune vabatwa batwa (there are people who were getting jealous). . ." posted Olinda.However, Olinda's actions show that she is hinting to Tytan that she is impatiently waiting for him to pop the question.Earlier this week, Olinda shared a wedding decor video on her Facebook page by Strictly Weddings showing a gorgeous floral decorated venue on the shores of a beach, with the caption: "Lungi Dlodlo my file please." Dlodlo is the founder of VIP hosting, a prominent wedding planning and events management company in Harare. Those who have called on the services of the company say it keeps records of their clients when they plan for a wedding, hence why Olinda was asking for her file from Dlodlo.Dlodlo seemed to confirm that there was indeed a file for Olinda's wedding as she replied saying she had noted the request and congratulated the couple."Filed and sealed my boss. I really can't wait for this. So excited for both of you."If it comes to fruition, the union with Tytan will be Olinda's third marriage on the trot.
Entertainment / Events

by Stephen Jakes

The United States Embassy is proud to support the participation of Hollywood lighting designer, gaffer and cinematographer Christian Epps at this year's Zimbabwe International Film Festival (ZIFF) and the International Images Film Festival. Epps will conduct workshops in line with the Festival's theme, "The Business of Film."The Embassy will showcase the film Hidden Figures on Wednesday, August 30th at 7:00 pm at ZIFFHUB as part of the festival."We are delighted to have Christian Epps visit Zimbabwe," said David McGuire, Public Affairs Officer at the United States Embassy. "We hope the interaction with local film makers and producers will bring to the fore new trends and tools in lighting design and film making as well as provide a spark to the great relationship the United States has with the local arts industry." McGuire said Epps will reach out to film makers in Harare and Chitungwiza, and is eager to witness the work of amazing Zimbabwean film makers.Epps has worked as a lighting designer for more than 20 years, covering everything from major motion pictures and broadcast television to live theater, dance, music videos and special events. He has worked with notable directors such as Spike Lee, Hype Williams, and Nick Castle. In addition, Epps has contributed his design work to notable artists including Michael Jackson, P. Diddy, Biggy Smalls, R. Kelly, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Branford Marsalis, Me'Shell N'degeocello, TLC, The Indigo Girls, and Boyz II Men, among others. His recent projects include Selma and the award winning Sundance movie, Ain't Them Bodies Saints. Epps' work has been seen across the United States and in the Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, and of late has become a regular fixture in Africa  especially Nigeria (Nollywood, TV & concert), South Africa, Rwanda, Senegal and Zimbabwe.During the festivals Epps will present seminars covering technical presentations on lighting and a variety of other film-making skills while establishing links and co-productions as he has with other African countries and organizations. He will give a project management workshop including a session on practical film production process management, and conduct a basic film making workshop at Young Africa Skills Center in Chitungwiza.
MAKANDA  Carbondale resident Amber Hewette was recently named a recipient of the Illinois Department of Natural Resources 2017 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award for her service in Giant City State Park.

In 2006, Hewette assisted in the development of the Bluebird Trail program at Giant City, an initiative spearheaded by then-site interpreter Jenny Skufca. The program was intended to bolster the parks declining populations of eastern bluebirds.

That was the main focus, to give them someplace to nest, because previously they would be nesting in orchards, but as you probably well know, habitat is being overtaken by development in many places. What was previously an orchard now has maybe 100 homes on it, Hewette said.

For the past 11 years, Hewette has helped manage the five trails and 60 bluebird boxes. She and several other volunteers visit their assigned nest boxes every seven to 10 days to clean the boxes and take down data on eggs or fledglings in the nests.

I heard the phrase citizen scientist a few years ago. Thats exactly what all of the volunteers are that are monitoring the nest boxes, Hewette said.

Since the program began, Giant City has fledged 2,718 bluebirds.

The bluebird nesting season, which begins in March, is just about wrapping up; almost all the nest boxes are now empty.

Predators pose a constant threat, Hewette said. Early on, the park installed predator guards to keep raccoons and snakes out of the boxes, but theyre not always effective.

Weve had some of the monitors actually open the nest box door, and theres a snake coiled up in the nest that has just devoured all the eggs, Hewette said.

Other cavity-nesting birds  chickadees, wrens and tree swallows  tend to use the boxes. Bats, too, frequently take up residence in them. Volunteers dont disturb those species, but the bluebirds biggest adversary is perhaps the house sparrow, a non-native species introduced to the area in the mid-19th century. House sparrows will harass and kill adult bluebirds and destroy their eggs. Because they arent protected under state or federal law, volunteers can remove their nests from the boxes.

Hewette also serves on the board of the Friends of Giant City. The organization sells merchandise at the Giant City Visitors Center; proceeds go to the parks educational programs.

I like really everything about the park, but I have to say, one of the biggest things is the people.  Without them, that park would not be what it is, Hewette said.

Other recipients of the award include nine individuals and two groups: Beverly Mansfield of Lisbon; Gloria and John Robinson of Marshall; David Bruce Smith of Broadwell; Marlene and Jim Street of Vandalia; William L. Weedman of Springfield; Wendy and Ken Wilbur of Normal; Izaak Walton League of Geneseo; and Friends of Johnson-Sauk Trail of Kewanee.
MARION  A day after praising a tentative deal in Illinois' school funding fight, Gov. Bruce Rauner is giving it mixed reviews.

Bipartisan legislative leaders say they've outlined an agreement to fund schools, but details are being worked out.

On Thursday, Rauner applauded leaders' efforts on "historic" funding reform. But, on Friday, he said there's still too much money for Chicago and he'll try to fix problems with "subsequent legislation."

He said he likes other parts of the deal, including a more equitable way to dispense money and a proposed program to provide tax credits for those who donate to private school scholarships.

The Republican spoke Friday at a Marion Chamber of Commerce event.

The budget lawmakers approved last month requires a new formula for schools to get money this year.

Also Friday, Rauner was busy, signing and vetoing a number of other bills:

Minimum wage hike: Rauner vetoed a plan to increase Illinois' minimum wage to $15 over five years.

The state's minimum wage is $8.25. The proposal would raise it incrementally until 2022. The plan also includes a tax credit for some small businesses.

Proponents have said it's the best chance to raise wages and improve living conditions for many Illinoisans. Opponents include business groups who say it'll have an adverse impact on job creators.

In his veto message issued Friday, Rauner said Illinois needs comprehensive solutions to grow the economy and jobs.

He's previously said he'd support a minimum wage increase in conjunction with other regulatory changes.

One bill sponsor, Rep. Will Guzzardi of Chicago, says he'll seek an override of Rauner's veto. The legislation is SB81.

Workers comp plan: Rauner also vetoed a workers compensation measure that requires insurance companies to get state approval for the rates they chart. He said it doesn't go far enough and doesn't address competitive disadvantages that are resulting from the disappearance of jobs in the manufacturing sector. In his veto message he says the plan doesn't represent "real reform"

Rauner has pushed for workers compensation changes since he took office in 2015.

Democrats had said that the measure addressed some of Rauner's demands and the plan showed that they're willing to take up some of the governor's agenda.

The legislation is HB2525.

Gender-ID change: Rauner signed a plan making it easier for transgender people to change the gender listed on their birth certificates.

The new law allows transgender individuals to change their gender designation with authorization from a medical professional confirming they have undergone medically appropriate treatment. Current law requires proof of a surgical operation.

Proponents say it'll treat transgender people with dignity by implementing the same standards used for driver's licenses, passports and in several other states. Advocates have also argued the updated standards help protect transgender people who don't want or cannot afford surgery from discrimination.

However, some Republicans argued that the current law permitting a change following surgery goes far enough. The bill is HB1785.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

A TOP Bulawayo lawyer, Russell Dzete, has been arrested on fresh fraud charges after he allegedly ganged up with two accomplices and defrauded an unsuspecting home seeker of more than $13 000.Dzete (34) of Athlone Flats in the city centre appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya on Thursday facing fraud charges.He was remanded out of custody on his own cognisance to September 7.Dzete, who was employed at Marondedze, Mukuku and Partners Law firm in Bulawayo which has since been placed under curatorship, allegedly connived with Austin Moyo and Cavan Maibvise to defraud the complainant of her money.Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said sometime in November 2015, Dzete connived with Moyo and Maibvise who is still at large to defraud unsuspecting home seekers of their money.The court heard that Maibvise placed an advertisement in a local newspaper indicating that he was selling a residential stand in Bulawayo's Selbourne Park suburb.The house belonged to one Nhlanhla Sibanda.Ms Noria Kairezi who was looking for a residential stand saw the advert and contacted Maibvise. The two agreed to meet so that Ms Kairezi could view the stand."The complainant was satisfied with the size of the stand and she agreed to buy it upon being assured by Maibvise that the transaction would be handled by lawyers," said Mr Dlodlo.Dzete allegedly teamed up with Moyo and Maibvise and they produced a fake identity document with particulars of Sibanda, the owner of the stand.On December 2 in 2015, Maibvise invited Ms Kairezi to come to Dzete's offices to finalise the sale of the property.Upon her arrival, the complainant was taken into an office where she was introduced to Moyo who purported to be Sibanda."The accused reassured the complainant that all the papers were in order and she was satisfied with Dzete's explanation on the strength that he was a lawyer," said Mr Dlodlo.Ms Kairezi agreed to buy the stand for $13 340 and Dzete drafted an agreement of sale which the complainant and her husband signed.After buying the stand, Ms Kairezi sought to develop the stand. Dzete drafted a special power of attorney under the name of the dubious Sibanda and it wassigned by Moyo and handed over to the complainant."Sometime in March 2016 on an unknown date, the complainant proceeded to occupy the residential stand and developed it to the tune of $9 500," said Mr Dlodlo.On May 6 last year, Sibanda's employee visited the stand and observed new developments. He immediately notified his employer. When Ms Kairezi met Sibanda she discovered that she had been duped. She engaged Dzete in a bid to recover her money. The court heard that Dzete drafted an agreement undertaking to refund the complainant her money. Dzete failed to honour the agreement resulting in the complainant making a report leading to Dzete's arrest. Ms Kairezi was prejudiced of a total amount of $22 840.In another matter before the courts, Dzete allegedly ganged up with Moyo, Maibvise and one Joseph Masose Mugavazi and they forged title deeds which they used to sell a house in Suburbs residential area for $50 500 without the owners' knowledge.The offence came to light when the owner of the property noticed that his house was being renovated and a report was made to the police leading to the trio's arrest. In 2015, another prominent lawyer with the now defunct Cheda and Partners Law firm in Bulawayo, Mlamuli Ncube and three accomplices, allegedly forged powers of attorney and used them to sell two houses in the leafy suburbs of Burnside and Fortunes Gate for $75 000.Ncube is now on the run after committing a series of fraud cases.Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said the Government is worried about the increase in bogus and unscrupulous lawyers who are defrauding the public.The VP, who oversees the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, said the Government had noted the worrying reports of people who have lost money and property to unruly lawyers.
News / Local

by Staff Reporter

MDC president Professor Welshman Ncube has dismissed Alliance for the People's Agenda leader Dr Nkosana Moyo as an idealist and a day dreamer who does not understand Zimbabwean politics.Prof Ncube said opposition parties under the MDC Alliance made the right choice in selecting Mr Morgan Tsvangirai as their presidential candidate.Prof Moyo's comments came a day after Dr Moyo said the purported coalition was an insult to Zimbabweans as people should be allowed to choose their leaders.In an interview yesterday, Prof Ncube said Dr Moyo was a political novice. He said history had taught them that a divided opposition cannot unseat Zanu-PF from power.Prof Ncube said except for Dr Moyo and his party, all the opposition parties were in agreement that a coalition is necessary."We have been in this thing for nearly two decades now. We have interacted with people at the grass roots levels since the formation of MDC and before that in civil society. I can tell you the public sentiment among the people who I interact with and that public sentiment is clear," said Prof Ncube."That is the public sentiment, others are free to dream or construct an alternative reality or as Trump (US president Donald) people put it, alternative fact.Those are alternative facts, they are not the reality on the ground."He said Dr Moyo and his party would plunge into mourning after the elections if they go it alone."No one in opposition politics can stand up and say they are in principle opposed to a coalition save for the Nkosana example. Those are the people who just entered politics and with the greatest respect to them, they don't understand the dynamics of our politics and what happens on the ground. And for that reason mark my words there will be a lot of tears on the day the election results are announced in 2018," Prof Ncube said."And you can come back ask me that question when there are tears because they don't understand the people in this country and don't understand politics.There will be gnashing of teeth in 2018. The real politicians who have experience on what has happened in the last two decades will tell you on the imperatives of working together."Prof Ncube said Mr Tsvangirai was the most suitable candidate to lead the MDC Alliance as he has the numbers in his camp. "In my respectful view, if we had reservations about Tsvangirai's ability, Tsvangirai's suitability, we would not have agreed for him to be our presidential candidate. Among the seven parties that are in the MDC Alliance, we have agreed that he is the one we are putting forward as our candidate," he said."We are doing that because we are confident that having regards to all the factors we think relevant, he is the best person to put forward at this particular time. He is the best person because of the support base that he has, he is the best person because of the experience that he has, best person because he has the capacity to hold all of us."In my respectful opinion as the MDC president I think we have made the right choice in this regard."
By Trend





The reason for better Uzbek-Kyrgyz trade relations is Uzbekistans new president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, said Bruce Pannier, a Central Asia expert.

His administrations foreign policy, especially towards immediate neighbors in Central Asia, is a drastic departure from his predecessor Islam Karimov, Pannier told Trend.

The expert recalled that Mirziyoyev during his first days as Uzbek leader said that he would seek to improve ties with all neighbor countries.

Uzbek-Kyrgyz ties were very bad in the last years of Karimovs presidency. Their common border, more than 1,300 kilometers, was almost entirely closed, Pannier said.

Since Mirziyoyev took over, officials from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have been meeting regularly to discuss the border, he noted.

Moreover, flights between the two countries are being increased and there is a chance that railway connections will be opened again soon.

Pannier further noted that Mirziyoyevs policy is about more than friendship.

Uzbekistan is located in the center of Central Asia, a location that makes it a natural hub for trade in the region. Uzbekistan has not been a trade hub because of Karimovs policies, but Mirziyoyev is trying to change this for economic reasons, he said.

Tashkent could make a good amount of money from transit fees for goods being carried by road and rail through Uzbekistan to other Central Asian states, says the expert.

Commenting on possible restoration of the unified energy system in Central Asia, Pannier said that Mirziyoyevs focus on regional issues could give the idea the impetus it needs to move forward.

A central energy grid from the Soviet era was already in place in Central Asia until 2009 when Uzbekistan unilaterally withdrew from it, he said.

In theory, it should be relatively easy to restore the system although it does date
By Trend





President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my most sincere congratulations to you and to all the people of your country on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Moldova  Independence Day, said President Aliyev in his letter.

I believe that friendship and cooperation between Azerbaijan and Moldova will continue developing and expanding in the best interests of our nations, noted the president.

I wish you the best of health, success in your activities and the friendly people of Moldova peace and prosperity, said the head of state.
News / National

by Staff Reporter

ALLIANCE for the People's Agenda president Dr Nkosana Moyo has said the opposition parties' touted coalition was misguided and an insult to Zimbabweans.Speaking in Bulawayo yesterday where he met his party's structures, Dr Moyo said the coalition founders imply that the electorate is incapable of choosing their preferred leaders in the political pool.He said Zimbabweans should not be limited in selecting their leaders.His sentiments come at a time when other opposition parties are having sleepless nights as they are failing to agree on terms for the coalition.The opposition has agreed that forming a coalition is the only way to remove Zanu-PF from power.Dr Moyo said just a like a woman is free to choose a husband of her choice, Zimbabweans should be given an opportunity to choose their leader.He described as baseless the argument by opposition parties that contesting as separate entities would result in splitting of votes."Others are coming saying are we not splitting the vote, form an alliance with Morgan (Tsvangirai MDC-T president) and so on and so on," he said, picking a woman in the crowd to illustrate his point."When you chose your boyfriend did you say other guys who were pursuing you should eliminate themselves? They didn't but you chose one right. So the issue of saying coalition, as if Zimbabweans are not smart enough to choose I think is an insult to all of us, it's an insult. Because we are implying that we shouldn't have a choice, that choice should be eliminated up front so that when we go to vote there is only be one person remaining," said Dr Moyo."So a coalition is a completely misguided argument, I believe even my uneducated mother can choose from the choices available the president who can move us from the prevailing problem. My mother knows that so we don't need a coalition for that."He said he was the right candidate to contest in next year's presidential election saying he was a successful economist and understood the financial sector.Despite concerns by his party supporters that the party was viewed as an elitist organisation, only penetrating social media platforms, Dr Moyo said it was not his duty to be on the ground campaigning.He said he would not be holding political rallies neither would he be distributing printed T-shirts to his supporters."Why would I as a leader choose to identify people so that they can be beaten up? That's not what I'm after, I'm after votes and I know people who are in Zanu-PF and MDC are going to vote for us but they are not going to vote for us because of T-shirts. I don't believe in T-shirts because it's completely unnecessary. What we want is for you to mobilise people to go and vote," said Dr Moyo.He said his party supporters should be the ones spreading information about his party to their relatives in rural areas.
By Trend





Turkey will launch its first domestic submarine called Piri Reis in late 2018, the countrys media reported, on August 26.

According to the information, construction of the submarine started in October of 2015.

Turkey plans to build six more submarines until 2025, the report noted.

The cost of the project is not reported.
By Trend





Nobody can know for sure what the consequences of Washington-Tehran growing tensions would be as US President Donald Trump has been fairly unpredictable and full of surprises, a US academic, author, historian, and international relations scholar said while commenting on the possibility of US declaring Irans non-compliance with the JCPOA, aka the nuclear deal.

It now seems quite possible, if not likely, that he will declare Iran non-compliant in the near future, Robert English, an associate professor of International Foreign Policy and Defense Analysis at the University of Southern California, told Trend.

However, the expert believes that this could be very problematic, and complicate the US relations with many countries unnecessarily.

European allies will not follow along, and so it will cause a Transatlantic rift. On top of disagreements over policy toward Russia is a dispute over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which could become yet another source of serious friction, he said.

Taken altogether, Trump could be poised to alienate the allies he needs globally, just as he seems to alienate the allies he needs in the US Senate domestically, according to the expert.

His style is proving to be a very aggressive, 'undiplomatic' and that could backfire on the US, he added.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council  the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia  plus Germany signed the nuclear deal on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it on January 16, 2016.

The agreement limits Irans nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all nuclear-related bans against the Islamic Republic.

The US Congress requires the administrations certification (every 90 days) of Irans compliance with the nuclear deal. Trumps administration has already declared Iran in compliance, as required by law, twice during his tenure.

Nonetheless, Trumps remarks forecasting that the US would declare Iran non-compliant when the next review is due in September, have cast shadow over the future of the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the world powers.
Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the international financial centre in Abu Dhabi, has launched the first of its kind Foundations regime in support of more effective structures for wealth preservation and wealth management.



The ADGM Foundations regime provides a strategic platform for financial planning and structuring, serving as an alternative to trusts and corporate vehicles.



For the first time in the UAE, the local, private and corporate community can now efficiently and locally deploy these structures for a variety of services, including family succession planning, tax planning, asset protection, wealth management and corporate structuring, without relying on foreign regimes and practices. The regime and offerings are operational with immediate effect today (August 16).



A strategic global solution that supports multi-generational wealth management and preservation



Foundations, like trusts, are utilized for a variety of purposes including wealth management, planning and preservation and are a suitable vehicle for wealth management across generations. Unlike trusts, however, Foundations are incorporated as a legal entity with their own distinct attributes and legal personality. In this respect, foundations are similar to companies but without shareholders. Private Banks have positively endorsed to the opportunity to use Foundations in ADGM as a core component of their structuring for clients without having to continue to rely on vehicles from outside the region.



ADGMs Foundations regime supplements its existing suite of products and services available to families. To date, the ADGM platform has been widely used by local families for structuring business interests, holding companies and Special Purpose Vehicles for holding a wide range of assets, as well as setting up family offices. ADGM is also an attractive setting for an ever growing community of highly regarded professional advisory firms and extensive experts in family wealth management.



ADGM will continue to evolve its offering to support local and international families and High-Net-Worth-Individuals to efficiently manage their business and investment interests for several generations to come.



Global clients with interests in Abu Dhabi and the region can also utilise the ADGM Foundations regime and ADGMs offering as an IFC to efficiently address their assets and wealth management needs.



ADGM has been working closely with local and international stakeholders and market panel of experts to understand their needs and develop a Foundations regime that addresses the unique requirements of families and asset owners in Abu Dhabi, regionally and globally, said Dhaher Bin Dhaher Al Mheiri, chief executive officer, Registration Authority of ADGM.



The new foundations regime, together with the existing world-class legislative and regulatory framework, adds to ADGMs extensive corporate and legal structure offerings. This is part of ADGMs ongoing commitment to enhance its ecosystem and serve the needs of its stakeholders by introducing innovative and efficient business solutions.



The newly enacted Foundations Regulations follow international best practice and ensure an appropriate balance between preserving client confidentiality and maintaining high standards of transparency under the ADGMs internationally recognised legislative environment.  TradeArabia News Service
The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) will be hosting the visit of a delegation from the Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ) as part of the emirates move to attract more Brazilian investments into the UAE.



The delegation is set to deliver a presentation showcasing potential investment opportunities in RAK to Brazilian business owners during a breakfast meeting to be organized by the ABCC on August 29 in Sao Paulo.



RAKEZ, the organization in charge of RAK's investment authority and free trade zones, will be throwing the spotlight on the many benefits and advantages to be gained from investing in the UAE.



RAKEZ offers key access to large markets, attractive tax incentives, 100 per cent ownership, modern infrastructure, transparent government processes and wide access to a large variety of product suppliers and service providers.



Dr Michel Alaby, secretary general and CEO, ABCC, said: We are very excited to host the visit of the delegation from RAKEZ. Brazilian investors have expressed key interest in exploring business opportunities in the UAE, especially across its different emirates. RAK proves to be a very strategic location for Brazilian companies--offering the option of using the free zone as a hub to serve the Gulf market, as well as those of Pakistan, India, Iran and the former Soviet republics.



RAKEZ oversees three industrial parks, as well as zones for foreign trade businesses to operate from, services, consulting firms, educational organizations and media companies.



The hub is currently home to some 13,000 companies from 100 different countries and active in over 50 industries. In 2014, representatives from the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone held a similar presentation in Sao Paulo, which shared that there were 25 Brazilian companies in the emirate at that time.



Aside from the ABCC hosted meeting in Sao Paulo, the RAKEZ delegation will also be delivering a presentation to members of the Federation of Industries of the State of Minas Gerais (FIEMG) in Belo Horizonte. The group will be joined by Alaby, who will deliver a lecture on how to negotiate with Arab countries.  TradeArabia News Service
Adnoc is undertaking the development of the gas field.Image for illustration only.

KBR has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) services contract by OMV Offshore Abu Dhabi on behalf of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) for the management of the front-end engineering design (Feed) phase of the Hail and Ghasha Development project in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

KBR will also perform PMC services for the detailed engineering phase of the project under a contract awarded by Occidental of Abu Dhabi, which is jointly managing the project with OMV Offshore Abu Dhabi on behalf of Adnoc.

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide project management consultancy services and this work is expected to be performed over 24 months.

Adnoc is undertaking the development of the Hail and Ghasha Gas Field in line with its objective to deliver a more sustainable and economic gas supply by implementing a fully integrated gas masterplan that increases productivity, performance and delivery.

The Hail and Ghasha Project, one of the largest sour gas fields projects that Adnoc is developing, is forecast to produce about 1 billion cu ft of sour gas per day.

The infrastructure requirements for the Hail and Ghasha Project include a minimum of 11 offshore artificial islands to be designed and constructed.

"KBR is very pleased to be awarded this important project in support of Abu Dhabi's Gas Infrastructure Improvement Plan," said Jay Ibrahim, KBR president, EMEA. "We look forward to the opportunity to re-establish ourselves amongst the UAE's top project management consultants as we continue to build on KBR's long and successful history within the Adnoc group of companies."

"This contract demonstrates KBR's ability to establish strong local partnerships as well as our global oil and gas capabilities for greenfield project developments in any location across the globe," Ibrahim continued.

Revenue associated with this project was undisclosed and will be booked into backlog of unfilled orders for KBR's E&C Business Segment in the second half of 2017, the company said. - TradeArabia News Service
Invest Group Overseas (IGO), a Dubai-based developer, has launched its mega residential development IGO 101, while committing to invest more than Dh2 billion ($544 million) in projects, leading up to 2020.



With construction to begin in December 2017, IGO 101 is scheduled for completion in Q4 2020.



With an investment of Dh500 million ($136 million), the 195-m-tall residential tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) will include G+39 floors.



As a privately-held creator of community-style developments, IGO is committed to delivering end-user focused products within committed time frames, at prime locations in the citys most prominent areas, the company said.



Dr Anas A Kozbari, managing partner and CEO of IGO, said: IGO has been a part of the UAEs story of growth and expansion for well over a decade, and we firmly believe that the growth trend is poised to continue. Testament to the vision of the leadership, Dubai is not just a city, its a brand, and we look forward to adding further value for citizens and residents through our upcoming projects, beginning with the launch of IGO 101.



Kozbari added: Aimed at creating residential solutions tailored for the end-user, IGO 101, JLTs newest landmark, will redefine the affordable luxury segment. We intend to increase the inventory and plug a much-desired gap in the market for premium homes at affordable prices. As a timely and strategic development, IGO 101 will enable Invest Group Overseas to build on our legacy of shaping real estate products that offer good return on investment, while setting new benchmarks for the industry at large.



In line with best-in-class quality codes that are a hallmark of every IGO project, IGO 101 will provide a suite of lifestyle and functionality services for discerning residents and investors, the company said.



Located in Cluster K of JLT, near Sheikh Zayed Road, in proximity to Dubai Marina and Al Maktoum International Airport, IGO 101 will comprise 449 one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. Each well-appointed apartment will boast high quality finishes, and feature a lounge, dining area, modern kitchen, and secluded bedrooms with attached bathrooms. Larger units will also include a powder room and laundry closet as well as a maids room.



Residents can enjoy a host of upscale facilities, such as a first-class gym with showers and saunas, a health club and squash court, outdoor swimming pools  including one for adults, a kids pool, jacuzzi and sundeck with loungers overlooking the lake below, a kids play area, as well as retail, food and beverage outlets.



IGO has a portfolio of premium projects across Dubai to its credit, including the Polo Residences and the Polo Townhouses in Meydan. - TradeArabia News Service


Emirates Glass, a subsidiary of Dubai Investments and one of the largest processors of flat architectural glass in the region, has announced winning mega projects worth Dh100 million ($27.2million) across the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.



Emirates Glass announced that it is executing more than Dh50 million ($13.6 million) worth of contracts in the GCC countries and has also won contracts for a number of projects across Asia.



The new project wins include high-performance, energy-saving, reflective coated glass products for the Ministries Complex in Kuwait, the first-ever greenhouse being constructed in Dubai named as The Quran Park, the Enterprise Command and Control Centre  EC3 of Roads & Transport Authority, Dubai and ITCC Tower and Maad Tower in Saudi Arabia.



Within the UAE, the company has also won glass contracts for Akoya Villas, Nad Al Sheba Villas, Dubai Hills Villas, Oud Al Mateena Villas, 1017 Yas West, Al Yaher, Tiara United Tower, Suites in the Skai, Hathboor Tower, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Adnoc Complex, Manazil Terhab Hotel, Ajman City Center and other developments.



Rizwanulla Khan, executive president at Emirates Glass, said: The prestigious projects for Emirates Glass are a testimony to the growth potential of its high-quality, energy-efficient products. The company has an excellent portfolio of projects in the Gulf region and beyond, which has cemented its credibility as a trusted supplier of glass products in the region and overseas.



He added: The surging demand for EGLs eco-friendly glass further reinforces the growing commitment towards sustainable development and green building principles. With such quality products, Emirates Glass is aggressively aiming at increased market share in existing and new geographies. The companys performance reflects how sustainability guides the decisions it makes every day.



The objective of Emirates Glass is to not only provide the full range of high-performance large glass panels, but also guarantee the highest quality standards available in the glass world, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
TP-Link Technologies, a global provider of SOHO, SMB networking products and wireless LAN solutions, has announced that it has signed a distribution agreement with Ethos Technologies for the UAE and Oman.



In terms of the agreement, Ethos Technologies will supply channel partners in the UAE and Oman with TP-Links entire SMB product range and services, said a statement from the company.



According to the vendor which manufactures a broad range of products to the consumer, SOHO and SMB markets, including wireless solution, ADSL, routers, switches, IP cameras, powerline adapters, print servers, media converters and network adapters, the partnership with Ethos Technologies is aimed at helping it to strengthen its footprint in the SMB segment in the two GCC countries, it said.



Denny Liang, vice president at TP-Link Middle East and Africa, said: Partnering with Ethos Technologies, one of the specialised value-added distributors in the region serving the SMB segment will open up new opportunities and reinforce the companys SMB networking products to channel partners in the UAE and Oman.



The SMB business for us has very good potential to grow in the two countries. We decided to partner with Ethos Technologies because of its great track record in serving the SMB sector, he added.



We are confident that the partnership with Ethos Technologies for the UAE and Oman is a great fit because the company will help us unlock opportunities with systems integrators serving the SMB market, he stated.



Liang continued: We are aiming to grow its SMB offerings in the UAE and Oman, and increase the reach to serve more small businesses in the two countries and across the region.



In Ethos Technologies, we have a niche VAD that understands the market very well and is keen to grow its profile in the SMB space with us, he revealed.



Imtiaz Ghani, general manager, Ethos Technologies, said as an emerging specialist VAD offering channel partners with leading technologies around datacentre, networking, security and cloud, the company was looking for a brand that would complement its existing offerings and eager to grow its share in the market.



We have partnered with TP-Link because we were looking for a vendor that has a strong brand, solid channel visibility, reach and commitment in the SMB market, he said.



Ghani added that TP-Link selected Ethos Technologies because of the companys niche approach to value-added distribution and a solid network of systems integrators that serve the SMB and enterprise segment.



He continued: We will be distributing the full range of TP-Link SMB solutions and we are confident that together we will develop the market in the two countries.



He added that in selecting Ethos Technologies as the distributor in the UAE and Oman market, TP-Link is reaffirming its commitment to working and developing the SMB business in the two countries with a distribution partner thats keen to grow fast.



Both TP-Link and we want to grow the SMB business, Ghani said. The alliance between us will help systems integrator and solution provider partners to enjoy the benefits of products and solutions from a global networking vendor that are backed by high end services from a trusted local distribution partner.



Ethos Technologies is wholly owned and managed by veterans in the Middle East, India and Pakistan IT distribution market with over 40 years of collective experience with leading technologies around datacenter, networking, security and cloud.



Ethos Technologies not only offers traditional box-moving services, but is actively involved with its reseller partners to provide a complete holistic approach to channel management. With its core team of skilled personnel, Ethos is able to offer competent pre-sales knowhow coupled with aggressive commercial terms, to provide a truly complete solution, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
The Mopria Alliance, a global non-profit membership organization with focus on mobile printing, has provided core printing technology to deliver intuitive mobile printing in the new Android 8.0 Oreo operating system.



This contribution is the result of ongoing collaboration with the Google Android team via the Android Open Source Project and the Mopria Alliance.



Android 8.0 Oreos new Default Print Service features core technology from the Mopria Print Service, immediately delivering mobile printing convenience in the Operating System. With Mopria technology at the core of the Android 8.0 Oreo Default Print Service, users no longer need to download a mobile printing service and printer discovery is automatic, allowing easy mobile printing to more than 100 million Mopria certified printers from any Android 8.0 Oreo device.



Mobile printing should be intuitive and ubiquitous, whether youre at home, in the office, or on the go, said Greg Kuziej, chairman of the Board at the Mopria Alliance. Thanks to Mopria technology, Google and the Android Open Source Project, were delivering easy mobile printing to Android users.



Since its launch, the Mopria Print Service has enabled printing on Android (4.4 or later) smartphones and tablets to Mopria certified printers. Mopria allows users to easily print photos, web pages and documents when their mobile devices are connected to Mopria certified printers through a wireless network. Supported print settings include features such as colour, number of copies, duplex, paper size, page print range, media type and orientation.



In the four years since the establishment of the Mopria Alliance by founders Canon, HP, Samsung and Xerox, the non-profit membership organization has grown to 20 members representing the worldwide printer business. In addition to the founding companies, the Mopria Alliance today includes Adobe, Konica Minolta, Qualcomm, Lexmark, Kyocera, Toshiba, Brother, Epson, Fuji Xerox, NEC, Pantum, Ricoh, YSoft, Sharp, Dell and Primax.

While the Mopria Alliance will continue its efforts to make mobile printing easy, it will also expand its focus to standardizing cloud printing and scanning. Its goal is to make these solutions more accessible and intuitive for both consumer and business users.  TradeArabia News Service
Middle East travellers are depending on their smartphone to plan their holidays this summer with 40 per cent of GCC travellers using the internet as their first stop, according to research from Huawei, a global smartphone manufacturer.



Holidays-goers in the summer will spend up to a staggering 26 hours a week on their smartphone, predicts Honor, a leading smartphone e-brand in the region.



Where once the camera was the most important travel accessory, nine in ten people in the UAE now believe their smartphone is more essential, demonstrating how important a consumers device is as part of their lifestyle.



Chris Sun Baigong, vice president Huawei Honor Middle East CBG, said: The fact that holiday-makers will spend up to half of their week on their smartphones even surprised us. What doesnt surprise us however, is how important smartphones are as an extension of peoples lifestyles.



Research from Huawei Honor suggests that there is a significant difference in smartphone behaviour between UAE and Saudi Arabia holiday-makers. It highlighted that people in Saudi mostly use their smartphones for gaming and making calls when on holiday, however taking photos was still the number one in terms of usage.



At Huawei Honor everything we do is for the benefit of the end-user, whether it is specs, camera or appearance, we take note of what they actually want and use on a daily basis, Sun Baigong continued.



This is why this summer we have partnered with cleartrip to giveaway all Honor users vouchers worth up to Dh100 ($27.2) just by registering on store.hiHonor.com/ae/website. We know how important the smartphone camera is to our end-users, which is why our devices are geared towards taking great shots on the go  meaning there is literally no excuse for a bad photo. In fact, our upcoming smartphone launch will really showcase this in abundance so watch this space, he added.  TradeArabia News Service


News / National

by Simbarashe Sithole

Many commercial sex workers in Guruve growth point are alleged to have resorted to toilet sex, in Chivavaya night club and Dendere night club respectively, evading arrest from the police.Sex workers who spoke to Bulawayo24.com said toilet sex is more safer than bush sex since the police do not visit them."We prefer doing our short time business in Chivavaya and Dendere disused ladies toilets."The place is more safer because the police do not visit that place and chances are very rare for clients to treat you roughly."The business is also done very fast since it is done whilst standing hence we give each other chances charging a minimum of $2 to $5 depending on appearance of a client, revealed the source.Apparently this news crew visited the toilets and found a lot of used condoms, human stool and a strong odour.However, members of the police in Guruve confirmed the incident but are reluctant to act since most of them are reported to be clients."We know of the incident but the problem is everyone knows that is what sex workers do."Most of us when we came here in Guruve the places were just used in such a manner so no one is willing to act."
Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa, Kuwaits idyllic resort, has appointed Savino Leone as general manager of Kuwaits idyllic resort.



Leone, a French national, joins the Jumeirah Group after his position as general manager of InterContinental Osaka, in Japan. Prior to this, he worked as the general manager of Crowne Plaza Doha  The Business Park, Qatar, for four years where he led the pre-opening team.



With a focus on exceeding guest expectations and instilling a culture of service excellence, Leones expertise of over 20 years in the luxury hospitality spans Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Leone held the role of several senior management positions in InterContinental properties, such as resident manager of InterContinental Doha, executive assistant of food and beverage in Cairo, as well food and beverage manager in London and assistant food and beverage manager in Dubai. His passion for local knowledge and different cultures has helped him achieve recognition for supporting diversity and his empowering approach to leading, educating, inspiring, and engaging his team.



In his new role, Leone will be responsible for running the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa which offers 316 rooms & suites, 79 residential suites, Royal Suite, 12 private luxurious villas, Talise Spa, and 7 unique restaurants.



The luxury resort is situated in the secluded area of Messilah along the shores of the Arabian Gulf, with easy access to Kuwaits Central Business District, airport, and major attractions. - TradeArabia News Service


Abu Dhabis Bab Al Qasr Hotel has appointed Vartan Zakarian as its new front office manager.



Zakarians previous hospitality experience includes roles with Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Aspen, Four Seasons Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon and Oryx Rotana in Doha, Qatar.



Zakarian arrived in the UAE in 2011, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic professional during his time managing the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Rosewood Hotel, The H Dubai, and The St Regis Dubai, a statement said.



Specialized in luxury hospitality marketing and business administration, Zakarian will play a key role in representing the Bab Al Qasr Hotel brand across the Middle Eastern region. Joining the team at Bab Al Qasr Hotel, Zakarian will be responsible for managing the front office operations, actively managing guest satisfaction and customer care, overseeing aspects encompassing strategic planning, brand activation and overseeing the efficiency of internal communications.



Murshed Al Shamsi, Bab Al Qasr Hotels director of Protocol said: It is with great pleasure that we welcome Vartan to the team. Guest satisfaction, seamless operations and innovation have always been a fundamental core focus of our brand, and I am confident that his expertise will drive and enhance Bab Al Qasrs success in Abu Dhabis competitive hospitality market.  TradeArabia News Service


Dogs walked, barked, wore costumes and performed tricks at Washington Park Saturday.

Besides many canines, two hedgehogs also made an appearance and a rat poked its nose out of a toy helicopter for the judges at Pet Fest.

The annual free event dating back to 1970 gives people a chance to showcase their pets, Casper recreation manager Carolyn Griffith said. Its organized by the Casper Recreation Division and Community Recreation Foundation as one of 14 free family events the foundation funds a year, she added.

Sisters Sophia, 15, and Anastasia ONeill, 11, dont have dogs of their own, so they brought the closest thing. They arrived with their grandparents two Jack Russell terriers.

Sophia saw the sign for the event at the Rec Center while she was working.

I have to go, shed thought. I have to dress up the dogs.

So Duke arrived in a taco costume and Prince as a teddy bear. They didnt seem to mind the costumes, and Prince barked in excitement about all the other dogs.

One Chihuahua/terrier mix made an entrance dressed as President Trump. The idea came to Jacqueline Judd and she couldnt think of anything else, she said. So she attached a piece of a blonde, wavy wig to a tiny hat for Meeko and slipped him into a dog-costume suit.

Haydin Miles, 9, and her family didnt bring any pets. But she was happy to watch and pet others animals.

I came to see the animals, because I like animals, Haydin said.

Her favorite animals are puppies, and she pet most of the dogs in the park for the event, she said.

She also liked watching the contests, and the most entertaining was the costume array, especially seeing a hedgehog in a turtle shell, she said. Dogs costumes included a dinosaur, an astronaut and a shark. Dogs of various sizes and breeds included bull dogs, mixes, Maltese terriers and a St. Bernard/standard poodle mix.

The fastest dog at Pet Fest was a rescued greyhound, even though Emma Louise tied with a dachshund in the first of two runs in a timed race. Despite being known for their speed, greyhounds also are affectionate couch potatoes and travel well, Emmas owner, Linda Jarrett said.

Prizes were given for categories including tricks, costumes, smallest critter, the largest, fluffiest dog and even a prize for most prickly  to a hedgehog named Princess Penelope Pricklepants.

Anastasia and Sophia took home a gift certificate to Taco Johns as a prize and some freebies including dog toys from the vendor booths. They looked forward to telling their grandparents about the Pet Fest and their success at the Park that afternoon.

The best part, Anastasia said, was everyone surrounding the dogs to pet them.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Aug. 26 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.
PHOENIX  A new statewide survey shows more than half of Arizonans dont want to remove a monument to Confederate soldiers now located across from the Capitol.

The poll of 400 likely 2018 voters done for HighGround, a political consulting firm, found 51.5 percent said the memorial should definitely be allowed to remain. Another 10.3 percent said it probably should be kept in its current location.

On the other side of the equation, 26.3 percent said it definitely should be removed, with 6 percent saying it probably should go.

HighGround CEO Chuck Coughlin said what makes the numbers surprising is that monument supporters cant simply be written off as Trump supporters.

He said that close to 6 out of every 10 people who identified themselves as independent or not affiliated with either major party apparently have no problem with the memorial. Yet Coughlin noted that just 33 percent of that group approve of the job being done by the president.

The results come amid the dust-up, both nationally and locally, about how appropriate it is to have monuments to the Confederacy or those who fought for it on public grounds.

It also comes as state Rep. Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, is leading an effort to remove not just that monument in Wesley Bolin Plaza but also other similar markers and memorials on state property.

But action on all of them could depend on the political will of the Legislature, which has sway over the one across from the Capitol, as well as Gov. Doug Ducey whose agencies control the property where the others are located. What they decide could be swayed by what they see as public sentiment, with Ducey already having staked out the position that removing any of them would hide our history.

Coughlin, a long-time political adviser to Republican interests, said its not a simple question of history.

While there was a Civil War skirmish fought near Picacho Peak, where one of the monuments is located, the others lack that same history. In fact, the one at the Capitol was not placed there until 1961, marking not only the anniversary of the start of the war but also as the civil rights movement was gaining steam.

I think context matters, Bolding said. He said the results might be different if people understood not only when the memorial went in but also why.

The monument was put there in 1961, right in the middle of the civil rights movement, not to honor Confederate soldiers but as a way to really use that symbol to let African-Americans to know they should not have equal rights, to sort of bring back all of what the Confederacy stood for during its time, he said.

Coughlin agreed.

I have no doubt that it was built for very political purposes at the time that it was built, he said, erected to make a political statement. But thats just half of the issue.

And I have no doubt today that the driving urge to remove it is also driven by similar political purposes, he said. And Coughlin said all that needs to be part of the discussion about its fate and that of similar monuments.

Even less clear is who has the authority to remove the monument.

Gubernatorial press aide Daniel Scarpinato said theres statutory language that allows the Legislative Mall Commission to relocate existing monuments. He said  and Bolding agrees  that would seem to allow that panel to relocate it off the mall entirely, perhaps to a museum.

But Bolding conceded that law is unclear, meaning the fate of the memorial may still require action by lawmakers when they reconvene in January.
Valley fever infects more than 13,000 people annually in Arizona and California and kills more than 100. Yet the two states spend less on public awareness about the disease in one year than the Bakersfield City School District spends on lunch milk for a month and less than Pima Countys Parks and Recreation Department spent on janitorial supplies in 2016.

Government-funded awareness campaigns can transform public behavior and lead to different approaches by doctors and nurses. When it comes to valley fever, though, state and local agencies in both states have historically struggled with support for one of the most important aspects of combatting the disease: warning the public of its existence.

Since the beginning of 2011, valley fever  which is caused by breathing in coccidioidal fungal spores that get swept into the air  has infected more than 75,000 people in California and Arizona, the two regions with the highest number of cases. California experienced a valley fever epidemic last year and a wet winter signals that 2017 could be worse.

Instead of funding more valley fever awareness work, the California Department of Public Health this year has routed awareness funding to more high-profile diseases, like the zika virus, for which there have been fewer than 20 diagnoses in California this year, and sexually transmitted diseases. The state budget for valley fever awareness: zero.

California also has not provided valley fever awareness funding to county public health agencies in at least three decades. Arizona, the other state where valley fever is widespread, hasnt done much better.

It is a disease that is not respected and not funded, said Pat White, who founded Arizona Victims of Valley Fever in Sun City West near Phoenix more than a decade ago. People come here for a convention, they go home, get sick and they dont know why.

Under former Gov. Janet Napolitano, Arizonas valley fever program received $300,000 in state money in 2007. The money went into an education video, an enhanced surveillance project and research at the University of Arizonas Valley Fever Center for Excellence.

The surveillance identified costs of the disease as well as trends in duration and severity of illness and delays in diagnosis. It remains the largest population-based assessment of the effects of valley fever.

But with the onset of the recession, state valley fever funding disappeared in 2008. The Arizona Department of Health Services has relied on grants for its valley fever activities since 2010 and now operates on a $96,868 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant for surveillance and education. Since losing its state money, the programs budget has never exceeded $100,000 per year.

The recession came and we lost almost every single line item in the agency, including valley fever, said Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

New research focus but no funds for awareness

The situation looked ripe for change after the first national symposium on valley fever. U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, hosted the event in 2013, shortly after a yearlong reporting project on valley fever by the Center for Health Journalism Collaborative, called Just One Breath, put the issue on the map. The symposium brought together leading physicians, politicians and public health officials, including the directors of the National Institutes of Health and the CDC. And it promised to finally bring needed resources and attention to the disease.

Everything in public health is a competing priority, said Kirt Emery, a recently retired Kern County, California, epidemiologist who has spent much of his career focused on valley fever. Ive seen great changes since that symposium at the national level.

McCarthys symposium was integral in securing $5 million for a clinical trial that launched last fall of fluconazole, a drug that has been used to treat valley fever off-label for years. The CDC also began investigating cocci cases far from traditionally endemic regions after the symposium.

The University of Arizona recently secured a $2.27 million, four-year federal grant from the National Institutes of Health to build a genetic profile of the people who get extremely ill from valley fever.

The symposium also resulted in the creation of the Congressional Valley Fever task force, aimed at improving awareness, reducing the risk of misdiagnoses and finding a viable cure.

It took a handful of us, a lot of phones called and being really annoying because of some of the bureaucracy, but weve kicked loose some money, weve kicked loose some priority. Were making progress, said Republican Rep. David Schweikert of Scottsdale, a task force co-chair.

Yet those positive results on a federal level havent translated into public health information for communities.

There has been no broad public awareness campaign in California with highway billboards or posters in stores, as there have been for drunken driving or the annual flu vaccine. No public service announcements run on television or radio.

Instead, most valley fever campaigns rely on that mainstay of low-budget outreach: the pamphlet.

Launching efforts on a shoestring budget

California Public Health Department officials acknowledge the lack of funding, but say they have done their part by making available fact sheets, posters, brochures and educational materials on the agency website and sharing materials on social media and in professional newsletters.

But those sometimes obscure publications are likely not seen by people who are most vulnerable to the disease  those who work outdoors, especially in construction, farm labor and other jobs that bring them into contact with dirt and dust.

To address these risks, the state says it has worked with CalFIRE to educate wildland firefighters on the dangers of cocci while battling blazes in endemic regions and consulted with the High Speed Rail Authority on best practices for construction of the multi-billion-dollar bullet train that will cut through high-risk areas.

Arizona has also settled for a low-cost awareness effort, putting several public service announcements on its website with the same message: Cough? Fever? Exhausted? Ask your doctor to test you for valley fever.

Thats way too passive, said Madalene Milano, a partner at GMMB, an international communications firm behind the successful Click it or Ticket campaign to increase seatbelt use. The sad thing is, a lot of times people will do a brochure or poster, or do a very static campaign, and thats not how people live their lives now.

Without special state funds, counties that are hardest hit have done their best to fill in the gap.

In Arizona, more than 50 libraries in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties have distributed valley fever educational brochures in English and Spanish. And public service video announcements ran for 27 days in Phoenix- and Tucson-area Harkins Theatres in 2014.

Such efforts are worthwhile, though they work better when sustained, said Dr. John Galgiani, director of the UAs valley fever center. With more funding, public health officials could increase outreach efforts to doctors, pay for regular public service announcements on radio and TV and put up billboards along major highways, he said.

McCarthy said resources would be best spent in creating online awareness efforts. The greatest place we can go is social media, he said.

But online efforts have languished. It wasnt until this month that the Congressional Valley Fever Task Force, founded in 2013, launched a website. And its Twitter and Facebook pages have fewer than 30 posts in two years.
Millions of Americans made the trek to the narrow strip of land across the United States where the moon completely blocked the light of the sun during Mondays total solar eclipse.

Among those who soaked in the brief darkness of totality were students from Cienega High Schools astronomy club who took part in a citizen scientist experiment to capture images of the suns elusive corona.

The corona is the suns incredibly hot plasma atmosphere that generates the solar wind. The corona is usually hidden by the blinding light of our star, making it difficult for astronomers to untangle its mysteries.

The best time to view the corona is during a total solar eclipse. In a single location, though, the most time that the corona can be seen is during the frustratingly short 2 minutes and 20 seconds of totality, which isnt enough for a deep understanding of the corona and solar winds that it produces.

To tackle this problem, Matt Penn, National Solar Observatory astronomer, coordinated a nationwide citizen scientist experiment, called the Citizen CATE  Continental-America Telescopic Eclipse  Experiment.

Citizen scientists from 27 universities, 22 high schools and 19 other groups participated in a transcontinental network, including students from Cienega who traveled to Pawnee City, Nebraska.

On the day of the eclipse, 68 telescopes captured images of the corona along the 2,500-mile-long path of totality. Solar astronomers will stitch together the images into a 90-minute movie to study the speeds of the inner corona.

The eclipse was the only opportunity for this kind of detailed science because the part of the corona nearest the suns surface is too hard to see with current sun-blocking methods.

When studying the sun, astronomers use occulting disks in telescopes to drown out the light from the sun, but this only works so well. The moon however, is the best occulting disk.

Understanding the corona, which generates solar wind, will allow scientists to confirm their theories about how it works and refine their models of the sun and solar wind based on this information.

The solar wind is ejected from the sun and interacts with the Earths magnetic field, which has consequences for our electrical grid. Typically, power companies can accommodate incoming current from the sun. But particularly large solar storms can overload the electrical grid and cause widespread power outages. If power companies can predict these events, then they can mitigate the damage that they might cause.

Think about hurricanes. If you had 20 minutes of warning for hurricanes, youre not going to be able to evacuate very many people, but if you have a week or a day, you can do a lot more, Penn said.

Fantastic response

So far, 56 project sites successfully collected data from Mondays eclipse. One had instrumentation problems, 5 were blocked by clouds and the results from seven sites are still unknown. Penn only expected to have data from about 30 sites, so hes over the moon about the outcome.

The best published work is from three sites, so I thought, if we can do a factor of 10 better, with 30, thatd be fantastic, Penn said.

Penn estimates it will be about two months before the final movie is stitched together. So far, he has a 10-minute clip up on the citizencate.org website. In the clip, thin, faint, white tendrils of the corona worm their way out from the sun.

Any published research results from this data will include the Cienega High students names as well as any other citizen scientists who contributed.

Miracle for Students

Cienega students met with Penn for more than a year to perfect the process so that things went smoothly on eclipse day. The plan was to set up a telescope, calibrate it and then when totality hit to simply allow the telescope to record for about two minutes as the corona shone.

They trained especially hard this summer, practicing camera alignment, calibration, taking the lens off and other techniques to get the best images possible.

We practiced once every two weeks at the start of the summer. The last month, we did it once or twice a week every day, said student Bruno Acevedo.

Unfortunately, weather was the only thing out of their control. On game day, they were disappointed to see clouds hanging in the sky.

Despite the gray skies, We got everything set up as much as we could right as the eclipse started, said student Brynn Brettell.

It started to rain.

We started to huddle around the telescope, she said. But their patience paid off and the clouds broke through. It was a miracle.

Jack Erickson, the teacher leading the Cienega astronomy club who accompanied them to Pawnee, said that it took them a third of the time as usual to set up the telescope.

Once all the excitement and anxiety over the rain passed and they activated the telescopes, they sat back and enjoyed the total eclipse.

The corona was a white heavenly glow of light, said student Bentley Bee. It brought awe to me.

Seeing the eclipse was the coolest thing Ive ever done, said Brettell. It makes me think I want to do astronomy in the future.

So whats next for the club? The students hope to be ambassadors to the OSIRIS-REx mission and maybe travel to the upcoming solar eclipses in South America.
News / National

by Staff reporter

FIRST Lady Grace Mugabe faces the risk of prosecution in spite of her diplomatic immunity, as South Africa's Foreign States Immunities Act of 87 of 1981 states that if "death or injury" is committed, criminal prosecution can be done, court papers show.AfriForum, on behalf of aggrieved South African model Gabriella Engels, filed a court application on Wednesday, where they said section 6(a) states no foreign person shall be immune to criminal charges if death or injury was caused to a South African national.In the court application, Grace was cited as the second respondent, while South Africa's Department for International Relations and Co-operation, which granted the Zimbabwean First Lady diplomatic immunity, is the first respondent."A foreign State [which includes the Head of State] shall not be immune from the jurisdiction of the courts of the republic in proceedings relating to, inter alia (among other things), the injury of any person caused by an act or omission in the republic," the court papers read."Any derivative immunity that may attach to the President of Zimbabwe would, in our contention, not contain immunity in conflict with section 6(a) of the Foreign States Immunities Act."If the minister intended such immunity, it would lack legality and be irrational."Section 2(2)(a) of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act 37 of 2001 states that immunity is stripped if the accused person, if convicted, could face five or more years in jail.The Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act 37 of 2001 enacts into South African law the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, which is widely used for most global diplomatic transactions."The purpose of the Vienna Convention is set out in the preamble, thereof:"One of the founding principles set out in the preamble is the realisation that the purpose of such privileges is not to benefit individuals, but to ensure the efficient performance of the functions of diplomatic missions representing States," the court papers read."In it, one of the founding principles is that the purposes of privileges and immunities are not to benefit individuals but to ensure the efficient performance of the functions of diplomatic missions as representing States'."When the alleged attack took place on August 13, at the Capital 20 West Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa, Grace was reportedly responding to calls to address her sons, Bellarmine Chatunga and Robert Jnr.Grace was given until October 19 to defend herself against the court application filed against her at the Pretoria High Court in South Africa.Service of papers to Grace will be done before September 19, 30 days before the proposed October date, to give her time to respond.AfriForum said the papers would be served at President Robert Mugabe's offices, as Zimbabwe's high commission in South Africa is not permitted by law to receive lawsuits and legal papers of that kind."Since service on the second respondent needs to be authorised by the court in a separate and preceding interlocutory application for substitued service and edictal citation, a date no later than September 19, 2017 is necessary for hearing of part A proceedings," the papers read.AfriForum said International Relations minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane had erred in granting Grace immunity.
The Pima County Attorneys Office has declined to prosecute a Tucson police officer on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and disorderly conduct in recklessly handling a weapon.

However, Officer Michael Sauber Jr. was fired Aug. 8 after being placed on paid leave by the Police Department as it conducted criminal and administrative investigations into the incident, said Sgt. Pete Dugan, a police spokesman.

Dugan said Sauber was fired for failure to meet and maintain standards.

Sauber, a probationary employee who was hired in April 2016, was arrested after reportedly pointing a handgun at his fathers chest on July 28.

There is insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a criminal offense was committed, wrote Tom Weaver, chief criminal deputy for the Pima County Attorneys Office, in an Aug. 22 letter to Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus.

According to investigative reports, Sauber, who was off duty, was in the front yard of his parents house. After other family members labored to push a truck up the driveway in front of the house, Michael Sauber Sr. jokingly stated his son always shows up after the work is done, an uncle of the younger Sauber told police.

In response, according to the uncle, the younger Sauber pulled a handgun from his waistband and pointed it at his fathers chest, while the father was about 2 feet away, Weaver recounted in his letter. Sauber Sr. then stated, Do I need to shove that up your ass? The younger Sauber then laughed as if it was a joke, according to the letter.

Sauber Jr. denied pointing the gun at his father, but did admit he pulled it out and displayed it. Saubers father denied any exchange and told investigators that his son pulled his gun out because he was jostled about, and claimed his son did not point it at anyone, Weavers letter states.

Other family members interviewed gave differing accounts, and none corroborated that the gun was pointed by Sauber Jr. at his father.

Its not clear that the suspect intended to place his father or anyone else in reasonable apprehension of physical injury. Nor is there sufficient evidence to establish beyond a reasonable doubt reckless handling or display of a deadly weapon with intent to disrupt the peace of a neighborhood, family or person, Weaver wrote in the letter.

Weaver wrote the decision not to issue charges is based not on the arrest standard of probable cause, but rather on our issuing standard, which is whether there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction at trial.

Michaels father vehemently denies the claim that a gun was ever pointed at him, said Michael Sauber Jr.s attorney, Michael Storie. In addition, his uncle, who was right next to them at the time and has military experience in handling guns, also said that was a ridiculous claim.
President Donald Trump spared former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio the prospect of serving jail time in granting the first pardon of his turbulent tenure, wiping away the lawman's recent federal conviction stemming from his immigration patrols that focused on Latinos.

The White House said 85-year-old Arpaio was a "worthy candidate" for the pardon, citing his "life's work of protecting the public from the scourges of crime and illegal immigration." Trump granted the pardon less than a month after a judge found Arpaio guilty of a misdemeanor contempt-of-court charge in a trial that was prosecuted by the president's own Justice Department.

"I appreciate what the president did," Arpaio told The Associated Press as he celebrated the news over an Italian restaurant meal and someone in his party ordered champagne. "I have to put it out there: Pardon, no pardon  I'll be with him as long as he's president."

The pardon drew a swift and harsh denunciation from an array of Latinos and political leaders, who said it amounted to presidential approval of racism by eliminating the conviction of a law officer who the courts said had used immigration patrols to racially profile Latinos. And it overturned what critics saw as a long-awaited comeuppance for a lawman who long escaped accountability for his use of headline-grabbing tactics as sheriff in Phoenix.

"Pardoning Joe Arpaio is a slap in the face to the people of Maricopa County, especially the Latino community and those he victimized as he systematically and illegally violated their civil rights," Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton said.

The White House announced the pardon late Friday as a powerful Category 4 hurricane threatened Texas with severe flooding and on the same day Trump fleshed out the details of his ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, another move that will cheer his conservative base. The decision followed the uproar that ensued after Trump assigned blame to "both sides" participating in race-fueled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, this month.

Trump has been plagued by poor job approval ratings, currently at 34 percent, the lowest mark ever for a president in his first year.

His decision on the former sheriff may also serve to energize supporters dispirited by the president's dismissal a week ago of chief strategist Steve Bannon, a favorite on the far right wing of the Republican Party.

GOP leaders were mixed in reacting to the pardon. Sen. John McCain criticized the move and said it undermines Trump's "claim for the respect of rule of law as Mr. Arpaio has shown no remorse for his actions." Republican Gov. Doug Ducey said Arpaio should be given credit for his crime-fighting efforts and allowed to "move on" and enjoy his retirement.

Arpaio earned a national reputation by taking aggressive action to arrest immigrants in the country illegally. But years of legal issues and related costs took a toll on his political power at home, and he was handily defeated by a Democrat in the 2016 election.

Here is a look at some of those legal issues over the years:

INVESTIGATING FOES

Arpaio has a reputation for investigating officials who cross him in legal or political disputes.

Maricopa County paid $8.7 million to settle lawsuits filed by county officials who claimed Arpaio had launched criminal investigations against them on trumped-up allegations.

The disputes centered on cuts to agency budgets, a plan to build a new court complex and other issues. Gary Donahoe  a judge who ruled against Arpaio  who in the end won a $1.2 million settlement, drew the sheriff's ire by disqualifying a prosecutor who was an Arpaio ally from an investigation into the construction of a court building in downtown Phoenix.

Donahoe and two county officials were charged with crimes but their cases were dismissed.

A federal grand jury conducted a nearly three-year investigation of Arpaio's office on criminal abuse-of-power allegations, specifically examining the investigative work of the sheriff's anti-public corruption squad.

But the federal investigation was closed in September 2012 without any charges being filed. He was re-elected two months later.

RACIAL PROFILING

Arpaio was convicted in July of misdemeanor contempt of court for disobeying a judge's order to stop his immigration patrols that targeted immigrants.

The conviction stems from a civil rights case in which Arpaio's officers were found to have racially profiled Latinos in his patrols.

Arpaio faced many other allegations of wrongdoing in the profiling case that didn't result in criminal charges.

He was accused of ordering some immigration patrols not based on reports of crime but rather on letters from Arizonans who complained about people with dark skin congregating in an area or speaking Spanish.

His office acknowledged throwing away or shredding some traffic-stop records during immigration patrols.

Traffic-stop videos that the sheriff's office had failed to turn over to opposing lawyers were discovered nearly two years after the trial concluded.

After some videos were discovered at the home of a sheriff's deputy who was charged in a drug case, the sheriff's office bungled a plan to gather the recordings from officers. That led the judge to voice concerns that some officers may have destroyed unflattering videos.

And Arpaio was accused of investigating the judge who ruled against him in the profiling case  an allegation the sheriff vigorously denied.

BOTCHED INVESTIGATIONS

Arpaio spent years trying to cultivate an image as a law enforcer who was tough on criminals.

But that reputation was undermined when his office failed to adequately investigate more than 400 sex-crimes cases, including dozens of child molestation reports, over a three-year period ending in 2007.

The sheriff, who dismissed the controversy about the botched cases as "old history," apologized in December 2011 for mishandling the cases, and his office has since said it moved to clear up the cases and taken steps to prevent the problem from happening again.

An internal review attributed the failures to understaffing and mismanagement, including hundreds of pieces of evidence intended for storage that were instead left in offices or taken home by detectives. A former supervisor says her investigators were pulled away from time to time to help with training efforts and Arpaio's immigrant-smuggling squad.

Officials agreed in 2015 to pay $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit that alleged Arpaio botched the investigation into the rape of a 13-year-old girl and failed to arrest the suspect who then went on to attack her again.

LEGAL COSTS

Maricopa County spent $141 million defending Arpaio against lawsuits.

That includes $54 million in the racial profiling case alone and $82 million in judgments, settlements and legal fees for the sheriff's office, covering issues such as lawsuits over deaths in his jails and the lawman's failed investigations of political enemies.

County officials said Arpaio has never had to pay judgments, settlement costs and legal fees in lawsuits directly connected to his official duties as sheriff.

___
Social Security is conservatively financed and managed. It has no borrowing authority and cannot spend itself into a deficit. To ensure that all benefits can be paid in full and on time, Social Securitys Board of Trustees reports to Congress annually, projecting the program's income and expenses over three-quarters of a century. That is a longer valuation period than private pensions or most other countries project for their counterpart programs.
During the 1950s, when I was a kid, there were stories about the KKK burning crosses and worse with the idea of intimidating, scaring and murdering people. I remember seeing picture of the hooded, robe wearing thugs and quickly formed an opinion of how terrible these people were back then. They were hiding behind the hood so that good people would not be able to identify their neighbors, business owners and politicians who were responsible for these heinous deeds.

Now today we have a similar group of people, throwing rocks, bottles and urine at the police who are doing their jobs to protect citizens who are lawfully attending events in many cities. I can only surmise that these cowardly antifa, leftist thugs who are wearing masks, sun glasses and hoodies for the same reason as the KKK back in the 1950's. They are ashamed to be recognized and fear being arrested for these same heinous and cowardly acts today toward our police and law abiding citizens. Cowards and criminals all.
I am dismayed to read of the copper mining bids sought by mining companies in the Ironwood Hills National Monument. I grew up in Morenci, Arizona, home of the world's largest open pit copper mine in the world. The ugly destruction of the environment's scars of that mine can be seen from space. It produces 900 million pounds of copper per year and has 3.2 billion tons of copper ore in reserve. All of the Arizona copper mines produce 60% of America's copper. We have the Rosemont mine standing in the wings to tear up the Santa Rita mountains. It is unconscionable to lay waste to protected land that is beautiful and unique for more copper. The current price of copper at $3.00 per pound is what is driving these mining bids as Australia and Chile are also huge copper producers -more than enough to meet the world's needs. I hope the environmentalists TRUMP the almighty dollar this time.
Check out the news you should not miss today, August 26

Politics

-- Vietnam and Myanmar issued Friday a joint statement on their comprehensive cooperative partnership on the occasion of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs August 24-26 state visit to Myanmar.

Society

-- An 80-year-old man with a sore back was diagnosed with "postmenopausal osteoporosis" by doctors at the Hong Linh City General Hospital in the north-central province of Ha Tinh.

-- A car was speeding on the National Highway No.12 passing the northern province of Lai Chau when it suddenly rushed into the reservoir of a local hydropower plant, killing two people aboard.

-- The Nguyen Huu Canh Street, infamous for its poor conditions, is expected to enter a major upgrade.

-- Five Vietnamese passengers were held by customs at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi for attempting to smuggle a total of 20kg of metal believed to be gold to Vietnam, shortly after arrival from Bangkok.

-- Heavy rains caused by typhoon left many districts in such northern provinces as Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang heavily flooded on Friday, blocking traffic and destroying local crops.

-- A 16-seater passenger bus was passing Tuy Hoa, the capital of the south-central province of Phu Yen on Friday when it suddenly caught fire. The driver managed let all of the passengers to leave the vehicle before it was burned to frames.

Business

-- The International Agriculture Trade Fair 2017 is scheduled to take place in Ho Chi Minh City from September 21 to 24 with the participation of over 200 domestic and international businesses, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced in Hanoi on Friday.

-- Vietnam Airlines will add 40 flights, or 8,000 extra seats, for seven high-demand domestic services between September 1 and 4 to meet rising demand as Vietnam celebrates its Independence Day on September 2.

Lifestyle

-- Any proposal to develop cable car systems inside the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in the north-central province of Quang Binh should be carefully vetted so as not to affect the UNESCO heritage site, Vietnams Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asserted at a meeting with local authorities on Friday.

Sports

-- Fifteen-year-old Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Huu Kim Son emerged as the biggest surprise during the sixth day of official competition at the 2017 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on Friday when he smashed the event's record to win the men's 400m individual medley gold medal, clocking 4:22.12.

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Opinion / Columnist

In 2013, President Robert Mugabe described Lindiwe Zulu, South Africa's special envoy to Zimbabwe, as an "idiotic, stupid woman" and "little streetwalker".It remains an unprecedented insult in international politics. Even the unstable US President Donald Trump hasn't tweet-vomited something like that about any ambassador in Washington. (Well, I don't mean to give him ideas.)Given the fact that Zulu, now the minister of small business development, was not representing her jacket, the insults hurled by Mugabe were directed at South Africa.The South African government did not respond in any meaningful way. Mugabe was not rebuked. Our government did not protect Zulu  and by extension our country. Mugabe won. We lost.Even if there were behind-the-scenes conversations that we do not know of, Mugabe's public conduct injured South Africa's international prestige.We heard from President Jacob Zuma later that Mugabe had apologised in a SADC meeting. He even professed love for Zulu. It seems Zuma didn't understand the mockery he was subjected to.The alleged apology was hollow because it was never communicated by the offender to the audience that heard him defame our country in the first place.Zulu's crime was to propose that Zimbabwe's elections be delayed. She is an outspoken politician. And whether or not one agrees with her politics is not the issue; as an envoy she deserved respect from the host head of state.Quick service delivery is exclusive to GraceFour years later, Mugabe's wife, Grace, comes to South Africa to mount a terror attack on young women. She leaves broken furniture, a miscarriage and a young woman nursing gaping head wounds.And what does the South African government do in response to this pure criminality? It stops police officers and prosecutors from arresting and prosecuting Grace. The constitutional duty of law enforcement agencies to do their work without fear, favour and prejudice gets suspended for the benefit of Grace.International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane quickly makes a law (as if she is Parliament), interprets the law (as if she is a court) and implements it (as an executing member of Cabinet). All of this was done so quickly.One wishes South Africans could benefit from this sense of urgency, ie. have a state capture inquiry appointed, Shaun Abrahams prosecute the corrupt, the social grants distribution crisis resolved, and thousands of awaiting trial detainees get their trial date. We would be a better country.But no. Quick service delivery is exclusive to Grace, whose husband, from whose status she allegedly derives diplomatic immunity, insulted South Africans. But Zulu enjoyed no diplomatic immunity from humiliation.Encouraging and tolerating violent crimeThis breaking of our domestic laws, the most fundamental of which is the Constitution that provides for equality before the law, is shameful. The ANC was in the forefront of the struggle for equality before the law when the apartheid government used executive discretions to circumvent justice. Today the ANC-led government is undermining the outcome of that struggle by invoking executive discretion to break the law.We are already a nation known for violent crimes. The government's response to Grace's behaviour suggests we have no interest in dealing with the scourge. We encourage and tolerate it.Nkoana-Mashabane has written to Parliament to explain the breaking of the law, as if the legislature has powers to condone it. Parliament has no such powers.If Parliament cared about the equal application of all the laws it passes (the essence of the rule of law), it would call for a full inquiry to hold the entire criminal justice cluster of ministers to account.Such an inquiry would give Parliament an opportunity to question Nkoana-Mashabane on her concept of "ubuntu diplomacy".In 2011, she published a scarcely coherent white paper, committing the government to the virtues of ubuntu in the execution of foreign policy. But in her letter to Parliament she doesn't say how letting Grace off the hook at the expense of the law and justice for the victim of crime constitutes ubuntu. How exactly?
An 80-year-old Vietnamese man had no idea he had reached the menopause until he visited a hospital in his hometown in the north-central province of Ha Tinh with a sore chest earlier this week.

At the General Hospital in Hong Linh Town, the elder, N.D.T., despite his old age, N.D.T works as a security guard for a local company in Hong Linh Town.

On Wednesday, feeling ache in his chest, the 80-year-old decided to get his health check at the towns general hospital, where he was diagnosed with having osteoporosis, or weak bones, due to menopause, meaning his menstrual periods had stopped permanently.

According to the mans account of the weird health check, after getting his X-ray, he was told that one of his ribs had fractured.

The man then brought his X-ray results to the hospitals pharmacy to have the medication prescribed.

At the pharmacy, Dr. Nguyen Viet Ha wrote in the prescription that the man has postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Nguyen Thai Lam, director of the hospital, responded to the incident by saying that the writing was copied from previous prescription without being modified appropriately.

It is unknown if the nurse or the doctor was at fault, Lam said.

However, the doctor has to bear responsibility for the wrong information as it was him who signed the prescription.

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Im pleased to see Asher Keddie has signalled she would be happy for Offspring to wrap this week at Season 7 because, with a few exceptions, I have been feeling much the same this year.

Losing key cast members, introducing new ones, and splitting up couple after couple. it all feels like we are stretching things too much.

But then there have been flashes of brilliance too, notably the recent still-born baby storyline. The romance with Harry (Alexander England) has been comforting, particularly as so many others in the Offspring universe have been falling apart at the seams.

Officially TEN says We love the show but it is too soon to have made a decision. Fair point. Most shows need to see the 28 Day Consolidated figures to assess a true performance, and given the networks current situation this is doubly understandable.

Im happy for the show to come to a natural close but I still feel seven series in that it is challenging and that the writing has really taken a big leap this year, Keddie told the Sunday Herald Sun.

There are different possibilities if we were to go again (eighth season) but I also feel like all the siblings in particular have gotten to quite a solid place in their emotional lives, Keddie said.

It is quite satisfying at the end. There is a lovely note of ambiguity.

Dramas have to evolve to survive, it comes with the territory to lose characters. When the show started Ninas ex-husband was blowing stuff up to get her attention. Then she met Dr Chris (Don Hany) before falling for Patrick (Matt Le Nevez) until THAT episode broke our hearts. Dalliances with Patrick Brammall & Dan Wyllie were hard to take, but Alexander England would make for a happy ending.

Also missed are Eddie Perfect, Lachy Hulme & Garry McDonald. Returning for 2 seasons after the show (and its creator) bid goodbye achieved what many thought impossible. Blessed with the Asher Keddie  Kat Stewart chemistry and a luminous ensemble, Offspring has proven the nay-sayers wrong.

But when we have storylines about Harrys desire to fix his fathers workplace, its probably time to take a final bow (sorry, I couldnt care less about that universe).

While TEN has another show with a young womans complicated love life (The Wrong Girl) and the equally Melbourne-based Sisters on the way, Offspring should not further dilute its brand. Its also incredibly important for networks (even those in precarious positions) to take risks on new work, new writers, new faces..

Now that Nina is pregnant and resigning from St. Francis, we have a natural exit. There is hope, resolve, and a sense of home, all buffeted by that messy Proudman family.

Offspring Season 7 finale airs 8:40pm Wednesday on TEN.
Help India!

New Delhi, (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that it has arrested meat exporter Moin Qureshi in connection with a money laundering case.

Qureshi was arrested on Friday night, an ED official said. He will be produced in court on Saturday.

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The ED had registered a case against Qureshi in 2016, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) for alleged illegal forex dealings and tax evasion.

Qureshi was being probed for allegedly remitting funds through hawala channels to Dubai, London and a few other destinations in Europe.
Help India!

TCN News

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New Delhi: Today Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) organized street demonstrations across the country, in all assembly constituencies and districts of 14 states condemning the heinous brutal lynchings of innocent Muslims and Dalits by the so called Gau-rakshaks.

The cow-vigilantism which has gained momentum since the BJP took over the reigns of power at the center and the Modis mere statements and silence of the state governments headed by BJP have only encouraged the cow-vigilantes to spread their terror with all impunity, said the press statement from SDPI.

Previously SDPI President A Sayeed had announced a national campaign between August 1 and August 25, 2017, on 1st of August at Jaipur. And since the day, the party leadership in 14 states have been organizing massive rallies, public meetings, get-togethers, corner meetings, poster pasting and flyer distribution.

SDPIs street demonstrations were organized with the slogan Come out of Home. The leadership of the party had scheduled massive human chains and street demonstration in all districts of all the states in which the party has a presence. The party cadres carried placards with the slogan peoples solidarity to resist and save the nation from becoming lynch Rashtra, on to the main streets of the taluks, towns, cities, and metros.

A Sayeed addressed the large gathering at the historic Jama Masjid in New Delhi. In his address, Sayeed urged Muslims and Dalits that their security is in their own hands and they must be conscious of it.

Sayeed said, Muslims and Dalits must perceive themselves that their security is now in their own hands. They have to come out with free hands and free mind to take over the mission of self-protection. Nobody else will come to protect them. They have to identify their leaders on the parameters of this struggle for saving life, rights, and dignity.

The states which witnessed SDPIs protest include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The party cadres visited door-to-door, organized corner meetings and exerted efforts to involve common people to raise voice against the atrocious panic spread in the society due to the terror dispersed widely by the cow-vigilantes, claimed the statement.

On the concluding day of the campaign, the party leadership submitted thousands of signatures over an online petition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) appealing the authority to direct the government to take measures to curb the dreadful cow vigilantism which is destroying our society.
Help India!

By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

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Nearly two years after the unrest, violence and subsequent curfew of October 2015, cities in UP are now set again to immerse the idols of gods in Ganga. Varanasi and other cities situated along Ganga are now looking towards Hindu Hriday Samrat and states chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the resolution of idol immersion.

Like every other state, Uttar Pradesh too had a tradition of immersing the idols of Durga and other deities in the river. But in 2014, Allahabad High Court ruled that immersion of idols should not be done in Ganga River across the state. The Court also gave a relaxation of one year to authorities and Puja committees to find an alternative to start immersing the idols from next season of festivals.

But the tussle between the Hindu hardliners and government started in 2015 when some groups again tried to immerse the idols in Ganga in September 2015 going against the courts order. And it became violent on October when a group of thousands started marching towards the famous Dashashwamedh Ghat for immersing an idol of Ganesha accompanied by Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, local politicians, MLAs and some of the major saints of the city.

That time, the administration successfully suppressed the protest by applying curfews in five police station zones. In the following period, things remained calm as Puja committees immersed their id0ls in the assigned ponds and lakes assigned by the administration.

But since Yogi Adityanath took oath as chief minister in March 2017, the Puja committees, saints and Hindutva groups have lifted their heads again for getting the permission to immerse the idols into the Ganga again.

Tilak Raj Mishra, president at Central Puja committee, has started moving a petition into the Allahabad high court. The purpose of this new petition is to ask the court to allow Puja Samitis to just dip their idols into Ganga river. Mishra explains, Honble court was of the view that Ganga should not be polluted. We honour that view.

But we are saying that let us just dip the idols into the Ganga for few seconds, then we will take it out. After the administration can do whatever it wants with the structure, said Mishra.

Mishra cites Hindu faith behind the use of Ganga water for idol immersion and has shown hope that with the Yogi in the state, things may ease. We request Yogi ji to intervene into this important matter as it is the question of faith of lakhs of Hindus of the state, he said.

Mishra has written a letter to Yogi Adityanath for an appointment for the same. One of the citys MLA and BJP leader Ravindra Jaiswal was actively involved in the mass agitation for Idol immersion. Jaiswal had also accused the then chief minister Akhilesh Yadav of ignoring the Hindu sentiments and rituals. Now with the BJP in the state, Jaiswal has moved into a planning state to resolve the matter.

The government and we are thinking of a way to not to pollute Ganga. And whatever our way will be, shall totally be in compliance with the courts order, said Jaiswal.

He added, However, it is also a fact that we must not hurt or disturb the Hindu rituals of ages.

Jaiswal holds a different view of keeping the Ganga free of pollutants. He proposes the idol making with Gangas silt and soil, and use of natural colours. He also proposes the construction of a scientific committee which will check the idol and its colours before allowing them to be installed and immersed in Ganga.

However, the Gangas flow and other pollution agents are the factors which should be taken into consideration. Prof BD Tripathi, Ganga expert and member of State Ganga River Basin Authority said, The argument is correct that idols made by Ganga soil and herbal colours will not harm the river even after full immersion of idols.

But before that authority should ensure the proper flow of Ganga. If a water body is stagnant, like right now, it will get polluted even with the bathing of the people, added Prof Tripathi.

But Prof Tripathi also stresses that courts order is for all kinds of idols, and believes that one should not move authoritatively against the court.

Prof Tripathi points towards the discharge of untreated industrial and domestic sewage into the Ganga. These should also be checked to ensure Gangas cleanliness.

Swami Avimukteshwaranand, a disciple of Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati, was beaten by the police in 2015 when he protested for idol immersion in Ganga. He has been one of the major faces of this movement which has come alive after Yogis appointment.

During assembly polls in 2017, Swami fielded two candidates labelling them as the Ganga candidates. It was retaliation against all political parties, especially Congress, that the candidates were fielded on the pretext of fighting for idol immersion in Ganga.

BJP sources are clueless of the direction in which the government or party will move regarding this issue. But as one source told us, Party is willing to do something in this direction, but it does not want to give any assurance right now. If it does and then cannot deliver the promise, then the situation will be even worse.

The administration is geared up again for the coming days of August and rest of the September when loads of Ganeshotsava and Durgapuja idols will be in limbo to be immersed in the holy Ganga water. But Hindu hopes are dying as Tilak Raj Mishra says, Yogi ji should prove if he is really Hindu Hriday Samrat or not?
Help India!

By Zafar Iqbal

Presiding over book releasing ceremony honoring Nuzaira Azam for her second novel, Anahita Ki Janam Basti, eminent scholar Professor Satyapal Anand said that the author has beautifully described the political events in Pakistan truthfully in her book. He emphasized that Nuzaira, who has a strong journalistic background, presented the factual accounts of the situation in fictional form. He opined that writings based on facts acquire a document status. Dr. Anand also traced the history of the word Anahita.

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A number of academic and literary associations of Metropolitan Washington area coordinated in this event at the Pohick Regional Library, Burk, Virginia on July 22, 2017. More than 120 Washington literati attended in spite of several competing functions in the town.

Dr. Moazzam Siddiqi, former in-charge of Language Service, Voice of America affectionately referred to as walking encyclopedia, commented that Nuzairas novel represents the time when she had established herself as a mature and respected journalist in Pakistan. He added that the novel is full of interesting and factual anecdotes representing the situation of that time.

Abulhasan Naghmi, a veteran broadcaster, said that Nuzaira was perhaps one of the pioneer female journalist in the field dominated by males. He praised Nuzairas perseverance that helped pave paths for other female aspiring journalists.

ObaidurRehman Siddiqui, a lawyer and prolific writer explored the connection between the heroine of the novel and the author.

Yusuf Rahat, a well-known poet, echoed the sentiments expressed by preceding speakers regarding Nuzairas frank and bold expressions of the then political situation in Pakistan.

Najmul Azam recollected the old times he spent with his sister, Nuzaira, and narrated personal accounts of the events they had witnessed together in Karachi and Islamabad.

Firoza Salahuddin drew audience attention by presenting her comments in a light mood. She also lamented the current declining interests in books. She said the books are sold on footpath, whereas shoes are kept in display cases in air conditioned rooms.

Zulekha Yusuf recited a poem by Ahmad Nadeem Qasmi on the problems faced by females in mans world. She appreciated dedication of the book by Nuzaira to her teacher and mentor, Dr. Zakariya Sajid of the Journalism Department of the University of Karachi.

On her turn, Nuzaira acknowledged the support she had received during the preparation of the book. She especially mentioned the guidance she received from Dr. Moazzam Siddiqui in deciding the title of the book. On public request, she recollected the events that led to the idea of putting together those incidents in a book form. Describing the political and social situation at that time, she recalled the hurdles female professional, including journalists, had to face. Such suffocating situation forced Anahitas determination to express her views to the public, she added. She felt a bit relieved that the situation was changing and expressed hopes for further improvement.

Coordinator of the event, Dr. Zafar Iqbal, started the program explaining the purpose of the assembly. The event was jointly sponsored by the various academic and literary associations. The office holders of these organizations that included the Aligarh Alumni Association of Metro Washington (Dr. Mohammad Akbar), the University of Karachi Alumni Association (Aquil Ahmad), Halqa-e-Arbab-e-Zauq (ObaidurRehman), the Society of Urdu Literature (Yasmin Naghmi), Urdu Academy of Maryland (Tahira Aziz) welcomed the audience on behalf of their organizations.

Dr. A. Abdullah, who is known the community as Sir Syed of Urdu culture in North America showed his remarkable skills as Master of Ceremony that included succinct introduction of speakers and keeping the program flow beautifully in the allotted time. The event concluded with the thanks to participating speakers and audience expressed by Dr. Zafar Iqbal.
Opinion / Columnist

Life has never been the same for the security guard ever since the formation and creation of the security industry's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which saw the birth of ZISEGU and PSWU as the unions representing guards.Instead of representing the guard there is so much infighting in the two Unions with PSWU having three factions with each faction having its own office and purporting to represent the guard. Zisegu is being led with an iron fist by the general secretary Mr Philemon Nhema who wield a lot of power to the extent of deciding who should get paid and who should not get paid.Despite the fact that guards are having their salaries deducted every month, Zisegu is struggling to pay its workers with only those in Harare being the ones getting their full salaries and that is only if you are the general secretary's ally. A trade union practicing unfair labour practices!As we speak there is no code of conduct for the security industry, leaving the guard at the mercy of the employer.The CBA expired in 2012 and as we speak the Unions have nothing legal that they can use to fight for the guard.Speaking of PSWU they don't have a certificate(a former member of the executive went to South Africa with the certificate a long time ago and has refused to avail it) and their constitution is yet to be approved(which means they don't have a constitution) , yet they say they are fighting for the guard when their standing is questionable. ZISEGU has all that is required, the problem is the general secretary who is still there in breach of the constitution and have failed to hold a congress and is paying his cronies to support him. The congress was supposed to have been held in October 2016 and since then the general secretary has given one excuse after another to justify his failure to hold a congress. ZISEGU is also not holding their AGMs and the general secretary appoints his auditors and has failed to avail a bank statement to the executive.There are also some cases were the union (ZISEGU) won cases on behalf of the guard and went on to lie to the guard that their case has been appealed and the general secretary went on to use proceeds that the guard would have won.There is absolutely zero representation of the guard by these unions and we call upon the relevant ministry to come to the help of the guard because some unrepentant employers are now trampling on the guard's rights knowing fully well that our unions are compromised.There are reports that some companies are now paying salaries of $150 which is less than the $214 basic salary for grade one A. Other guards are working more than four days and others have gone for months without receiving their full salaries whilst others have gone unpaid for many months. Ironically this practice is rife in companies owned by black Zimbabweans , some of them known for splashing cash and womanising whilst their employees are unpaid. All this is happening under the noses of PSWU and ZISEGU who are all concentrating on collecting money from the guard whilst ensuring that they become indispensable by by surrounding theirselves with their blue eyed boys whilst doing nothing for the guard. And to make matters worse ZISEGU is failing to pay its workers who are in branches outside Harare.We plead with the responsible minister to look into the two unions' operations to save the guard from further abuse. The only benefit we got from these Unions since 2011 is a 50c allowance for shoe polish and nothing more whilst those in leadership in the unions have gone from rags to riches with the guards' contributions which they are abusing.There is also the issue of unaccounted for donor funds amounting to $66250 which were given to ZISEGU to help guards, only the general secretary knows what that donation was used for but no guard benefited and ZISEGU's income and expenditure is not supported by relevant bank statement.This is a cry of help by a security guard, ZISEGU and PSWU have completely failed us.
The new White House Communication Director has found himself back in the headlines once again. This time Anthony Scaramucci didn't hold back his thoughts about some of the top members of the Donald Trump administration.

Scaramucci slams

It's been just a week since Anthony Scaramucci was named as the White House Director of Communications. The decision by Donald Trump sent instant shock-waves through Washington, starting with Sean Spicer finally stepping down and resigning as White House Press Secretary. Since that time, Scaramucci has been in the spotlight due to his controversial rhetoric, which includes accusing Chief of Staff Reince Preibus of leaking information from the White House to the media.

Following the lead of the former host of "The Apprentice," the new communications director is not holding back his opinions about what is going on in Washington, including taking hard shots at some of the top members of the administration. As reported by the New Yorker on July 27, Scaramucci was quick to let loose.

A conversation with Anthony Scaramucci... https://t.co/7TY64NfAWu  Ryan Lizza (@RyanLizza) July 27, 2017

During a phone conversation with Ryan Lizza of the New Yorker on Thursday, Anthony Scaramucci blasted both Chief Strategist Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Reince Preibus. "Ill get to the person who leaked that to you," Scaramucci said of previous information that made its way to the press, before turning his attention to Reince Priebus.

"Reince is a fu**ing paranoid schizophrenic, a paranoiac," he continued.

At this point, Anthony Scaramucci then went on to mock the Chief of Staff. "Let me leak the f**ing thing and see if I can c*ck-block these people the way I c*ck-blocked Scaramucci for six months,'" he said. The bad blood between both sides is more apparent now than ever before, as the private dirty laundry is being hung out to dry for the entire United States to see in public.

White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci slams Reince Priebus https://t.co/lns7y0RJxl pic.twitter.com/tAVM0eBEkO  Variety (@Variety) July 27, 2017

Scaramucci on Bannon

After metaphorically leaving Reince Preibus in a pool of his own blood, Anthony Scaramucci went after Steve Bannon. "I'm not Steve Bannon, Scaramucci went on to say, before claiming he wasn't trying to "suck my own c*ck." "I'm not trying to build my brand off the fu**ing strength of the President," he continued, while stating he was in the position to serve his country and nothing more.

Next up

Both Reince Priebus and Steve Bannon have reportedly been on the hot seat for some time as there have been various stories linking the two individuals to major dissension in the administration. With Donald Trump's approval rating hovering around just 35 percent in the latest round of polling, it's unknown what move will be made next. As of press time, the White House has not commented on the story.
Residents in a Connecticut town are becoming fearful to step out of their homes after a flock of Wild Turkeys went on the attack. The reason for the problem is simple  some of those residents had decided to feed the wild turkeys.

Connecticut locals feed wild turkeys, leading to aggression

Since locals started feeding them, the aggressive turkeys have been attacking mail carriers and joggers in both Newfield and Turn of River in the Stamford area for some time now. Relating to the mail carriers, who have been regularly targeted by the birds this summer, the post office sent out letters to residents of Turn of River, requesting them to stop feeding the wild turkeys.

These wild #turkeys are driving my dogs nuts!! 97 days until #thanksgiving!  pic.twitter.com/hjfAtZI9sF  Joe Spadea (@JoeSpadea) August 17, 2017

The Stamford Advocate quotes City Rep. Steven Kolenberg as saying he has received several complaints, mainly from older residents who are scared to leave their homes, as well as some local joggers who have been chased and attacked by the wild birds. However, Kolenberg went on to add that his main concern is for the Newfield Elementary School, which lies right in the center of the wild turkeys acquired territory.

Kolenberg said the main problem is with two male adult, or tom turkeys, hanging around in the Pepper Ridge Road area of town, who are occasionally accompanied by one or two female birds.

Readers should bear in mind these birds are not small  they can weigh up to 24 pounds and have a wingspan of approximately five feet.

Residents requested to stop feeding the wild turkeys

While saying this is one of the most unusual and strange complaints he has received from residents, he stressed that this doesnt make the situation any less serious.

He added that while the birds might look comical, wild turkeys are territorial, and if they are fed by the locals, they can become very aggressive.

Residents are afraid to leave their home as wild turkeys overrun the neighborhood https://t.co/sAqj3Nhw4D pic.twitter.com/j0NejRY8F3  NBC New York (@NBCNewYork) August 25, 2017

Calling the situation a public safety issue, Kolenberg added if the turkeys still come around despite not being fed, people need to make a stand and harass the birds, making it uncomfortable for the flock to hang around in the neighborhood.

Kolenberg on Thursday also called on Stamford Animal Control in an effort for them to try to capture the birds and remove them from the area.

Turkeys see humans as equals, leading to aggression

The New York Post quotes a Department of Energy and Environment Protection biologist as saying when the locals feed the wild turkeys, the birds then become habituated to them, seeing the humans as their equals. Michael Gregonis added that this is when the birds become dangerous and will tend to target children, the elderly and mail carriers.

Gregonis went on to explain the hierarchy of wild turkey flocks, where each bird has its own place, but they tend to fight among themselves. He added the reason they target mail carriers particularly is that they come each day in a regular routine.

As a necessary step to discourage them, Gregonis recommended locals to slowly walk away from the turkeys to avoid being attacked, rather than backing up or running away. Alternatively, they should try to make themselves appear aggressive and larger to deter the turkeys, who will then back down.

Connecticut is not alone in suffering problems with wildlife. As recently reported, rhesus macaques caused the Silver Springs State Park to be closed with up to 50 of the animals invading people's yards.
One of the more controversial names in the news in recent years has been former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. After being convicted of criminal contempt earlier this summer for allegedly racially profiling immigrants, Donald Trump has decided to let the sheriff off the hook.

Trump on Arpaio

When Donald Trump announced that he was running for president, he brought with him a certain level of controversy that was not seen before him. Trump's remarks about illegal immigrants from Mexico being "rapists" and "murderers" caused massive backlash, as the former host of "The Apprentice" widened the political divide in the country.

Since Trump's upset election win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton last November, the billionaire real estate mogul has found a way to ruffle even more feathers, causing his approval rating to drop to just 35 percent in the most recent round of polling. Fast forward to present day and it's been just four weeks since Trump supporter Joe Arpaio, former Arizona sheriff, was convicted by a federal judge of criminal contempt for disobeying federal orders in regards to detaining alleged illegal immigrants. Reported by the Associated Press on August 25, the president has decided to step in.

Trump pardons former sheriff Joe Arpaio following his conviction for disobeying a judge's order in immigration case. https://t.co/dN2RVZw7fz  The Associated Press (@AP) August 26, 2017

According to the Associated Press on Friday night, Donald Trump has made his decision to pardon Joe Arpaio on the night Hurricane Harvey is expected to hit Texas.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was grilled on the issue during a press briefing earlier this week, and noted that the president would make his decision when it was an "appropriate time."

Twitter reacts

As expected, Donald Trump's pardon of Joe Arpaio did not go over well with his critics on social media. "DT is so incredibly not racist he just pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is racist.

And technically, an 'Illegal,' comedian John Fugelsang tweeted out.

In the midst of a cat 4 hurricane, Trump has pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio and signed the military transgender ban.  Yashar Ali  (@yashar) August 26, 2017

DT is so incredibly not racist he just pardoned Sherrif Joe Arpaio, who is racist.

And technically, an "Illegal"https://t.co/qADKNZUz99  John Fugelsang (@JohnFugelsang) August 26, 2017

Trump is so proud of his pardon of Joe Arpaio he does it as a Friday night news dump in the midst of Cat4 hurricane making landfall. #coward  Ron Asher (@rmasher2) August 26, 2017

"Trump: There's a hurricane, it's Friday night, people are tired, perfect time for me to pardon Fmr Sheriff Joe Arpaio," Scott Dworkin wrote.

"Fmr. sheriff #JoeArpaio shows embarrassing contempt for rule of law by hiding behind disgraceful pardon by @POTUS to escape punishment," Xavier Becerra tweeted.

Trump used a hurricane as cover for his pardon of Fmr Sheriff Joe Arpaio. That's so messed upeven for Trump#HurricaneHarvey #ImpeachTrump  Scott Dworkin (@funder) August 26, 2017

Fmr. sheriff #JoeArpaio shows embarrassing contempt for rule of law by hiding behind disgraceful pardon by @POTUS to escape punishment  Xavier Becerra (@XavierBecerra) August 26, 2017

On Friday night in middle of hurricane, Trump issues controversial pardon of Joe Arpaio, protecting a political ally  Manu Raju (@mkraju) August 26, 2017

"Trump assault on democracy: Decides govt official not accountable to the law for violating constitutional rights!" Lawrence Krauss added.

"In the midst of a cat 4 hurricane, Trump has pardoned Sheriff Joe Arpaio and signed the military transgender ban," Yashar Ali noted. The negative attention continued as it was obvious that Donald Trump and his opponents were not going to get on the same page at anytime in the near future.
Sebastian Gorka is out. He was quietly one of the more controversial figures to roam free in the White House, a bastion of regular irresponsibility and problematic decision-making. There is some confusion as to whether or not he left on his own terms or whether the administration fired the national security aide. The method ultimately does not matter as much as the news of his demise in the government, though.

Goodbye Gorka

On Friday, the news broke that Gorka reportedly tendered his resignation. Later in the day, however, the White House claimed that he didn't resign, but was no longer part of the administration, implying that he was fired.

In a letter published in The Federalist, Gorka claimed that he was actually best suited to help the current administration by playing a role outside of it, echoing something ally Steve Bannon said recently after his own departure from the administration.

What exactly that means is unclear, but most departed figures from the White House end up in the media, in one capacity or another. Bannon, for instance, went back to Breitbart within hours of his dismissal from the administration. That's important in the case of Gorka, who was also a senior leader at the website before moving into a government role. The nationalist faction appears to be losing ground in the eyes of Donald Trump (or someone whispering in his ear), but they can still effectively play a part by propagating alt-right news.

Gorka's problems

Outside of his ties with Bannon, Gorka had a variety of problems that emerged almost as soon as he entered the White House. For starters, it was never real clear if he was qualified to be a talking head and aide on the issue of terrorism, which was considered his specialty during his time with the administration.

He was also seen as being hostile towards the Muslim faith - unsurprising considering his nationalism ties, but unhelpful in the current political climate.

His biggest issue, however, is slightly related to an issue that is dogging the White House seven months into Trump's presidency: foreign ties. For Gorka, it wasn't Russia - it was Hungary.

His ties to the far-right in that country has manifested in endorsing racist factions in the country, writing op-eds for an anti-Semitic newspaper, and supposedly swearing his allegiance to a problematic group in the nation. Those issues didn't stop him from getting his job, but now he is without one as an indirect result.
Afghanistan is Americas longest war and has been ongoing for 16 years, with victory nowhere in sight. Part of the blame must rest at the door of Obama, who publicly announced a phased withdrawal plan that gave the Taliban much-needed information to plan their campaign depending on the withdrawal timetable of U.S. troops. His decision to abruptly reduce the troop level from 100,000 to a mere 8000 emboldened the Taliban and allowed them to regroup. He was also guilty of taking no action against Pakistan, though he was aware that the rogue state was accepting U.S.

aid but supporting a faction of the Taliban which was fighting the U.S. Army.

Trump's speech

trump, in a major policy speech, reiterated the American resolve to stay and fight in Afghanistan and also accepted his generals suggestions for a troop increase. The exact number of troops to be introduced into Afghanistan has not been specified but it could be around 4000. This was the demand of General Nicholson the commander of US forces. Trump also singled out Pakistan and warned the nation that no longer would the USA excuse Pakistan and if it continued supporting terror groups, the USA would act. He emphasized that his aim was to win the war.

The President must be complimented for his speech and his decision not to retreat from Afghanistan.

He had earlier asked for the sacking of General Nicholson the army commander in Afghanistan but in his policy speech he made no mention of it. The exact timetable for the induction of the troops is secret and in line with the president's policy of not publicising such information.

Pakistan rattled

The Pakistan military establishment is rattled as the U.S.

could carry out punitive raids in Pakistan on camps and safe havens of the Taliban. As is well known, Pakistan gave safe refuge to Mullah Omar, the Taliban leader as well as the terrorist leader, Osama Bin Laden. This terrorist who had masterminded the attack of 9/11 was housed close to the Pak military officers Academy at Abbottabad, a mere 100 km from the capital.

Future

The Troop Surge coupled with a greater air effort and much-needed action against safe sanctuaries in Pakistan will have an effect on the military campaign. It also marks a new resolve to fight for victory in Afghanistan. In case the US enters the war against the Taliban and the ISIS in Afghanistan with resolve and determination, a positive result can be expected. The Afghan government of President Ghani is happy with the U.S. determination to fight to win in Afghanistan.
It would be suicidal for Australia to join in on the joint military exercises scheduled to start today, according to Pyongyang. This strong message was issued in response to Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's commitment of two dozen members of the Australian Defence Force participating in the planned USA and South Korean war exercises.

Australia should focus on peace rather than US nuclear war mongering

This is the gist of the statement issued from North Korea according to Australia's ABC news. Mr Turnbull cited North Korea's dismal human rights record and disregard for International Law as reasons for participation.

Australia is not usually involved in exercises in South Korea. We fought in the Korean War. Hmm@LouiseMensch https://t.co/CtoP1mEjoB  peter evans (@CORLEBRA777) August 21, 2017

USA can rely on Australia in the event that missiles are launched by North Korea

Last week ABC news reported that PM Turnbull assured the USA of their support in the event that Pyongyang launched a missile.

Two dozen members of the armed force are officially committed to the Military Exercises with South Korea. As recently as June 2017 the Australian Defence forces carried out their own military war games involving 30,000 troops. At the time there were concerns that such a large exercise may disturb China, now, it seems that Kim Jong-un is the one feeling disturbed.

Today's news roundup in Australia places Australians firmly in the sights of North Korean missiles.

Prime Minister Turnbull is citing a long-standing treaty with the USA as obligating Australia to be on standby in the event Pyongyang makes good on its recent threats but according to the Australian Foreign Minister, there is no obligation other than a consultative process.

Other politicians claim PM Turnbull has turned Australia into a target for Pyongyang. Julie Bishop, the Foreign Minister is appealing to China once again to apply more pressure on North Korea to defuse the rapidly mounting tensions in the region.

China has an agenda of its own to meet and is treading a fine line currently between aggravating the USA and not being hard enough on North Korea to encourage dialogue.

According to Australian New Daily reports, China is still supplying North Korea with all her oil. China is as uneasy about having the Americans on her doorstep as she is at having to walk the tightrope as chief negotiator around dialogue. Whatever the outcome, China needs to ensure its own interests and a nuclear war with one of its closest neighbors along a border over 1400kms long is a very uncomfortable place to be.
"Days Of Our Lives" spoilers for the week of July 31 through August 4 reveal that the drama in Salem will be at an all-time high. It seems that everyone will be dealing with some very serious issues, and Chad and Abigail will be at the center of the storyline. Celeb Dirty Laundry reports that "Chabby" fans will be thrilled this week as it seems "DOOL" is taking the first steps in putting the couple back together again.

The 'Chabby' reunion begins

After Abigail is hit by a car while trying to save Chad, she'll be rushed to the hospital in serious condition.

Abby's life will hang in the balance as Chad, JJ, and Jennifer stand by her side at the hospital. Abby will need life saving surgery and Chad will be beside himself with worry and guilt. Chad will finally fully confess his love to Abigail, and sadly, Gabi will be there to hear it all go down. "Days of our Lives" viewers will watch as Gabi will be heartbroken when she realizes that she and Chad can not be together, and that their relationship is likely over for good.

Chad wants to confess

Meanwhile, Chad will finally learn the truth about Abigail and Dario's marriage, and the real reason why she was planning to leave with him to enter the witness protection program. As many "DOOL" fans know, Dario tricked Abby into marrying him, and then blackmailed her by revealing that he had proof that Chad had killed Deimos Kiriakis.

When Chad learns that it may have been him that killed Deimos, he'll want to run to the Salem police and confess his alleged crime in order to have his friend Sonny cleared of the murder charges.

Steve learns the awful truth

All the while, Steve will finally find out what "Days of our Lives" viewers have known for weeks. Steve is now certain that it is his own son, Tripp, who has been sabotaging his wife Kayla's medical career.

Steve will be sure that it was Tripp who framed Kayla at work. However, Tripp's plan will seemingly backfire when Kayla will be reinstated at work, but Steve will known that he has a lot of drama ahead of him in his newly revealed family feud.

Love triangles and kidnapping

In other parts of Salem, Eric, Brady, and Nicole will continue their growing love triangle as Brady's jealousy level gets higher and higher.

Brady seemingly knows deep down that Eric and Nicole still have feelings for each other, and this entire situation will likely end badly for all three of them. Meanwhile, "Days of our Lives" fans will see Marlena get kidnapped as Hattie takes over her life in hopes of ruining Marlena's relationship with John Black and cozying up to Roman Brady.
Jenelle Evans is currently discussing a wedding date on "Teen Mom 2" as her boyfriend David Eason proposed to her a few episodes ago. Jenelle had a feeling that the proposal was coming, as the two had talked about spending the rest of their lives together and they just welcomed a baby girl in January. Even though Jenelle had hinted she was done having children, it sounds like her relationship with David may have changed her opinion about having kids. These days, Evans is trying to create a stable home for her three children and she's hoping to prove to a judge that she's ready to bring home Jace.

To create a steady home, Jenelle is planning a wedding. She's been wanting to get married for a long time since her marriage to Courtland Rogers didn't work out as she had expected. She ended up being addicted to heroin and she had to work hard to get sober again. But these days, it sounds like she's getting ready to settle down.

According to a new Instagram post, Jenelle Evans recently picked up her wedding dress. It sounds like she picked it up in New York, as she also posted about her son being fitted for his suit and them spending time in Central Park. It is quite possible that she could get married this weekend.

Trip to New York and fittings

She didn't reveal why the whole family traveled to New York, but it is possible that she's getting married there and they are taking the whole family on a trip so they can hang out together for a bit.

Maybe Jenelle Evans invited Jace with her to New York, so he could spend some time with them before they get married.

Since Jace went for a suit fitting and Jenelle has picked up her dress, it is quite possible that the wedding will take place this weekend or next weekend. She hasn't announced a date, as one can imagine that she wants to keep her wedding secret.

The last thing she wants is having fans and people there trying to ruin her special day.

Big city wedding?

It is possible that Jenelle Evans and David will get married in North Carolina, but it is also possible that they are doing a destination wedding. Maybe they have traveled to the big city to get married in New York, as they have been spending a few days there.

But given how Jenelle often likes to travel to warm destinations, it wouldn't be surprising if she got married in a beach wedding.

What do you think of Jenelle Evans' Instagram posts, where she hints that her wedding will take place soon? Are you surprised that she hasn't shared much with fans?
CAMEROUN :: What was Jeanette Marafa the name of: Political Prisoners and the Politics of Personal Self-Sacrifice in Cameroon

As we regret the passing of Mrs. Jeannette Marafa, wife of the famous Cameroonian political prisoner Marafa Hamidou Yaya, after having waged a long and terrible fight to free her husband. We naturally associate ourselves with the pain of Minister of State Marafa Hamidou Yaya, their three children, the whole family, relatives, and friends who witnessed his determination and human warmth even in the hours the darkest she must have crossed.

We need to pose here to reflect on what Jeanette Marafa was the name of. The Marafas was part of young African elite who could have chosen to take their multiple talents and competence overseas for a much better material and personal comfort. As Cameroonian patriots, they chose instead to go back to Cameroon and build their country at a time where the national bureaucracy, in the French former colonizer model, as a model of administrative competence and a democratic model of national integration and development. The Marafas are a real Cameroonian family both highly educated, multi-confessional linking both the south and the north of the country and a successful example of Cameroonian success.

The minister of state Marafas highly competence who was noted by international actors such as former US Ambassador to Cameroon and leaked on WikiLeaks began the engrenage of his downfall who led to trumped up charges of Intelligence with the illegal acquisition of a presidential airplane against the directives of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) who actually control Cameroonian finance. The fallout of that illegal acquisition become a godsend opportunity for the president of Cameroon, 84 years of age and in power since 1982, to purge highly qualified and competent bureaucrats such as Marafa Hamidou Yaya and the beginning of the end of any democratic alternance of power through the ballot box. The Minister of State Marafa, was quickly arrested and fed to the dogs for the perverse and sadistic enjoyment of a docile and pacified population.

The minister of state Marafa himself suffers from ill health that necessitates a medical evacuation to Europe but he is been confined to a Biyas regime dungeon for a slow death. One more reason, the Minister of State is a political prisoner is because his incarceration has not given ways to any sort of radical structural change and political transformation to fight corruption. Cameroon is still highly ranked as the most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International. The reason the minister of state Marafa is been tortured is because of political jealousy, resentment, and tribal prejudices and his sacrifice is, de facto, pointless, because it does not serve the common good, something that the minister of state, as a bona fide patriot, would be willing to endure if his sacrifice and the sacrifice of his beloved wife did.

This is important to discuss notion of personal self-sacrifice and the politics and emotion. American intellectual such as Martha Nussbaum, one of the world most respected and prolific philosopher, have explored the relationships between political emotions and social justice. Nussbaum argues that the cultivation of love and compassion create a context of imaginative possibilities, motivated engagement that make sacrifice for social activism and the greater good possible. The CL2P has written a lot about how commemoration rituals, public ceremonies, for example, can produce positive emotions and enthusiasm that make sacrifice for the common good possible. Self-sacrifice is what makes sacrilege impossible.

Martha Nussbaum has also noted how emotions such as chauvinism, anger, envy, resentment and jealousy are bad emotions that create hatred and division. Only personal self-sacrifice is at the core the necessary foundation of substantive changes and reform. Biyas autocratic regime has yet to demonstrate any capacity for self-sacrifice and the power a power to stir positive emotions and public imagination where each ordinary Cameroonians visualize himself as a change agent.

Jeanette Marafa is a legacy of love and fight for freedom and the wisdom that without love and personal self-sacrifice, nothing good will be achieved in Cameroon because of Biyas despotic regime.

The Commitee For The Release of Political Prisoners (CL2P)

http://www.cl2p.org
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. have joined hands to solve the mystery behind deaths of endangered North Atlantic right whales in Canadian and U.S. waters. On Friday, both agencies announced that they will jointly use their resources to find out the causes of these deaths. The agencies will also prepare a report to draft regulations that will help protect the vulnerable animal in future.

Only 500 North Atlantic right whales exist in the world

North Atlantic right whales are among the rarest marine mammals, and only about 500 of them now live in the whole world.

Animal experts have warned that the population of these animals is so small that even a single year of high mortality and poor reproduction could pose a big threat to the existence of this species.

This year, 13 right whales were found dead near U.S. and Canadian coastsmore than triple the annual average of 3.8 in the U.S. and Canada. Ten of the dead whales were found in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while two were found in the U.S. waters. Four whales were also found entangled in fishing gear, and two of them were successfully released. According to some experts ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear is most likely the primary reason behind these deaths, although there could be other reasons as well.

David Gouveia of NOAA said saving North Atlantic right whales is one of the most difficult conservation challenges for of NOAA and DFO.

Death of 13 right whales is an unusual event

According to the NOAA, the death of so many right whales is an unusual mortality event and a focused, expert investigation is needed to reveal the cause of these deaths.

Officials will now collect data related to each dead whale and also take into account factors such as habitat or environmental changes.

Officials said a budget for this investigation is not yet finalized, and the report may take some months to assemble.

Earlier this month, Ottawa authorities ordered big ships to slow down their speed before moving in the western Gulf of St.

Lawrence (from the Quebec north shore to north of Prince Edward Island). Vessels that are 20m. or more in length will move at speeds no more than 10 knots (about 19 km/h), and those not following orders may face a fine of up to $25,000. U.S. authorities have also imposed dynamic restrictions on ship speeds based on whale sightings. The government has also introduced gear modification rules to reduce fishing gear entanglement instances.
KABUL - A Chinese Red Cross foreign aid medical team has carried out screening for the children with congenial heart disease (CHD) in Afghan capital of Kabul to register eligible kids for providing them with medical treatment.

It was the latest in China's aid to the war-torn country.

The team marked the launch of a practical start of "Angels Tour -- Belt and Road Humanitarian Rescue Afghanistan Action for Children with Severe Diseases" in an Afghan private hospital, Kabul Royal Hospital, Sun Shuopeng, head of the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) project, told Xinhua Saturday morning.

Under the initiative, the Chinese Red Cross will take CHD children who are screened in accordance with surgical indications in batches to China to receive free surgical treatment.

"We've already organized 50 children suffering congenital heart disease (CHD) to do the check and in cooperation with Chinese medical institutions, Chinese experts, the Afghan Red Crescent Society and the Chinese embassy to send some of them to China for treatment first," said Sun.

The program is expected to provide free medical treatment for around 100 children suffering from CHD at the first phase in Afghanistan, Sun said.

The figure provided by the Afghan Red Crescent Society indicates that nearly 7,000 Afghan children with congenital heart disease are waiting for treatment with urgent humanitarian needs.
Hanoi, August 25 (VNA)  Vietnam and Myanmar issued a joint statement on their comprehensive cooperative partnership on the occasion of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs State visit to Myanmar from August 24 to 26.



The statement reads that at bilateral talks and meetings, Vietnamese and Myanmar leaders shared the view that the State visit by General Secretary Trong is a historic milestone in the two countries relations.



They expressed their delight at the rapid growth of the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation in recent years, agreeing to promote bilateral cooperation between the countries parties, parliaments, governments and people.



On the basis of the growing bilateral ties and new developments in the region and the world, the leaders agreed to establish a comprehensive cooperative partnership between Vietnam and Myanmar.



This partnership will intensify the countries five cooperation pillars, namely political relations; defence and security cooperation; economic cooperation; cultural and social cooperation, people-to-people exchange, and other fields of shared concern; and cooperation in the region and the world.



With the newly founded comprehensive cooperative partnership, the two sides agreed to enhance political ties through mutual visits and meetings at all levels.



They agreed to bolster government-to-government cooperation and make efforts to improve bilateral cooperation in economy, culture and science-technique. To strengthen the two economies connectivity, they pledged to prioritise cooperation in transport infrastructure and tourism while expanding connections in agriculture-forestry, telecommunications and banking.



The two sides were also unanimous in taking measures to improve the investment climate so as to encourage Vietnamese and Myanmar businesses to invest in each others markets. They agreed to step up investment and trade promotion and trade facilitation, thus raising bilateral trade to 1 billion USD as soon as possible.



Party General Secretary Trong affirmed that he will encourage Vietnamese firms to invest in potential areas in Myanmar such as energy, telecommunications and infrastructure.



President Htin Kyaw recognised the contribution by Vietnams investment projects in Myanmar to local socio-economic development, reiterating that he will create optimal conditions for and ensure interests of Vietnamese businesses in his country.



The two sides also concurred in fostering cooperation in information and communications technology and telecommunications.



The two leaders shared viewpoints on regional peace and security issues of mutual concern and vowed to boost bilateral security and defence cooperation through the sharing of information and experience, bringing into play existing cooperation mechanisms, and considering the establishment of defence policy dialogues and a joint working group between the two defence ministries.



They also applauded their countries effective implementation of the bilateral security dialogue mechanism, agreeing to reinforce cooperation in security, including working together to build and complete legal frameworks for joint activities in crime fight and justice.



They noted with satisfaction the two countries good coordination and cooperation at regional and international forums like ASEAN, the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.



General Secretary Trong appreciated Myanmars readiness to support Vietnams candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.



Both sides welcomed the continuation of cooperation in the management and sustainable and effective use of the Mekong Rivers water resource, which they said are important to Mekong countries, including Vietnam and Myanmar, as well as to the connectivity, community building, stability and development of ASEAN.



They repeated the commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, resolving disputes by peaceful means, not using force or threatening to use force, and complying with broadly recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.



They also reiterated their support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and soon finalisation of a code of conduct (COC) in the waters on the basis of the approved COC framework.

VNA/VNP
HCM CITY  APECs Committee on Trade and Investment (CTI) yesterday continued its two-day meeting in HCM City.

Marie Sherylyn D Aquia, chair of the CTI, told Viet Nam News: We continue to have discussions so we can have some very good deliverables for the November meeting. So we had a discussion on free trade facilitation in the Asia-Pacific. We also had discussions on trade facilitation.

APEC is very supportive of the WTO, so we are trying to have economies implement their commitment under the trade facilitation agreement. We had discussions on digital trade and also services -- which is a very important issue they are discussing in the CTI -- because services are an important component of our economies.

At the meeting, the CTI sub-committees and groups, including the sub-committees on standards and conformance and customs procedures, automative dialogue, intellectual property rights experts group, life sciences innovation forum, group on services and business mobility group, have been submitting reports on their activities.

Officials from the 21 member-economies also shared their points of view about regional economic integration, speaking about Bogor goals and the Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).

Next generation trade and investment issues were also discussed.

Talking about the Vietnamese initiatives during conferences and meetings, Aquia said: They are trying to come to an agreement on e-commerce facilitation; that is a good contribution from Viet Nam.

Julio Chan, APEC director, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism, Peru, said: We discussed many topics and many of them achieved important results. These will be soon submitted to SOM.

I highly appreciate Vietnamese initiatives as they will help create convenient conditions to promote trade and integration in APEC. The initiatives also contributed much to APECs long-term target of establishing FTAAP.

The CTI was established in 1993 with APEC leaders and ministers directing its work ad senior officials providing guidance.

The scope of its work was expanded and further clarified by the Osaka Action Agenda in 1995.

The CTI provides a forum for APECs 21 member economies to deliberate trade and policy issues. It works to reduce impediments to business activity in the areas outlined by the Osaka Action Agenda with the objective of helping APEC economies achieve free and open trade and investment. VNS
HA NOI  The Embassy of Denmark in Viet Nam yesterday launched a nationwide painting competition for primary school children themed I Draw Dreams.

Some 100 students of the Ngoc Lam primary school in Ha Nois Long Bien District took part in the contest at the launching ceremony held at the school.

The competition is part of the cultural exchange programme "Denmark in Your Eyes" an activity organised by the Viet Nam-Denmark Friendship Association (VIDAFA) and the Embassy of Denmark in Viet Nam to celebrate the two countries diplomatic relations..

The purpose of the competition is to create an opportunity for school children to have fun and develop their visual creative skills as well as expand their imagination through playing. The competition also helps strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding of culture between Denmark and Viet Nam, especially among the younger generation, said Ane Kirsten Andersen, cultural counsellor of the Embassy of Denmark.

Denmark has been providing support to art education in primary schools for the past 10 years. We are proud that our learner-centred teaching philosophy and approach have now been integrated into the national curriculum and applied in all primary schools in Viet Nam. This painting competition will be in some ways an opportunity for us to see how the new way of teaching art could influence our kids creativeness, said Christian Brix Moller, deputy head of the Mission of the Embassy of Denmark.

All primary school children from Viet Nam can join the competition by sending one painting of their dreams to the VIDAFAs office on the seventh floor, 105A Quan Thanh Street, Ba inh District, Ha Noi from August 25 to October 6.

The award ceremony for the competition will be held in November. Some prize winners will be awarded a Canon camera and a set of Lego toys.

The contest will encourage students to better discover Denmark through their research. Over the last few years, our school has applied new teaching methods in teaching and learning paintings thanks to the support of Danish experts. Our students can learn how to paint with new materials and draw following the rhythm of music. This encourages more interaction between students and helps them become more confident, said Nguyen Quynh Nga, arts teacher of the school.

Phan Nhu Anh, a 10 year-old student of the school, said she had saw images of Denmark online and wants to go there one day.

I see beautiful and big houses, lot of trees and flowers, she said while showing her painting featuring colourful Danish houses that she finished at the contests launch ceremony.

Last year during the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam-Denmark diplomatic relations, the first "Denmark in Your Eyes" competition was launched.  VNS
A NANG  As Viet Nam and Indian developed ties in the third century, Buddhist monks played a major role in cementing the relationship.

That was the conclusion of many speakers at a seminar in a Nang yesterday titled "The Joint Civilisational Heritage of Viet Nam and India". The event was held as part of the activities celebrating several important anniversaries in the Viet Nam-India relationship, said Parvathaneni Harish, ambassador of India to Viet Nam.

This year is the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Viet Nam, the 10th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership between India and Viet Nam, and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the India-ASEAN dialogue partnership.

Most Venerable Thich uc Thien, secretary general of the Viet Nam National Council Buddhist Sangha, gave a detailed explanation of Indian Buddhist monks influence in central Viet Nam.

He said Indian monks followed merchants on trading ships to dock along coastal areas in Viet Nam from the third century as Viet Nam developed sea navigation. These monks came to pray to protect the trading ships from risks in the sea, and they carried Buddhism into the country.

There are still many vestiges of the founding of the Buddhist religion along coastal areas of Viet Nam, Most Venerable Thich uc Thien said. Two pagodas  the Phat Tich Pagoda and the Dau Pagoda in the northern province of Bac Ninh  remain vestiges of the biggest Buddhism centre in Viet Nam.

The Phat Tich Pagoda was the site where Indian monks began missionary work, he said.

Ambassador Harish noted that the partnership between Viet Nam and India has only grown stronger since Indian monks first arrived hundreds of years ago. And research on cultural links has bolstered that partnership. Scholars have shown that cultural exchange originating long ago persists into the present.

This shared heritage is not only reflected in the monuments and sculpture of Buddhism and Hinduism from ancient Champa, but is also preserved in the daily life of the Cham people today, in particular their beliefs and their scripts, he added.

He said the seminar is focused on presenting research about the historic cultural links between India and Viet Nam; preserving the artifacts and remnants of this heritage; and increasing awareness of the need for the preservation and promotion of this shared civilisational heritage in the future.

He said a group of Indian and Vietnamese archaeologists are currently collaborating on an excavation in the My Son Sanctuary in Quang Nam Province. The joint excavation discovered an ancient road underground and some artifacts at My Son in April.

The archaeologists also discovered other valuable vestiges of the past, including two stone statues with a human body and a lions head and terracotta artifacts buried at the foot of the ancient towers. These artifacts may date back to the 11th or 12th century.

Vo Van Thang, director of the a Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture and chairman of the Viet Nam-India Friendship Association of a Nang city, said Indian culture had influenced in Viet Nams culture nearly 1,000 years ago via sea trading routes.

Similar architecture, vestiges in pagodas, and artifacts found in Cham towers in central Viet Nam show the links with India, Thang said.

Former Director General of the Archeological Survey of India, Dr Tewari said the Indian cultural influence may be seen in the towers with boat-shaped roofs.

Dr Tanveer Nasreen argues that these sculptural artifacts reflect the principles of art codified by ancient Indian texts. Nasreen said that the similarities found between Champa and Indian sculptures are the result of cultural contact on a significant intellectual level, not just superficial adaptations. VNS
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan (R) receives Director General of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Irina Bokova in Ha Noi yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Trong uc

HA NOI  With the motto of being a trust-worthy partner and a responsible member of the international community, Viet Nam will continue participating in UNESCOs work in the hope of making more contributions to the organisation, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said yesterday.

Hosting a reception for Director General of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Irina Bokova in Ha Noi, the NA leader noted with pleasure growing relations between Viet Nam and UNESCO in recent years, stating that many UNESCO projects were operating in Viet Nam, and the organisations support in knowledge, technique, management and finance have contributed to sustainable development in the country, she said.

The top legislator highlighted Viet Nams efforts in contributing to UNESCOs work, saying that the country was a member of the UNESCO Executive Board and the World Heritage Committee and running for the post of UNESCO General Director.

Lauding Bokovas success through two working terms, the NA Chairwoman spoke highly of her dedication to strengthening ties between Viet Nam and UNESCO.

For her part, Bokova said during her current Viet Nam visit, she held talks with authorities to seek measures to increase co-operation between Viet Nam and UNESCO, as well as ways to implement the memorandum of understanding between the two sides for 2016-20.

She also signed an agreement to establish two category 2 centres for mathematics and physics under UNESCOs sponsorship.

The UNESCO leader appreciated the Vietnamese top legislators detailing of Viet Nams socio-economic development, and the promotion of values of UNESCO-recognised cultural works. Gender equality of Viet Nam has also progressed with women holding many important positions in the government.

Earlier on Thursday, Chairman of Viet Nams National UNESCO Committee Le Hoai Trung expressed his hope for strengthened co-operation with Irina Bokova.

They agreed that bilateral relations have developed well and were lifted to a new height after the historic visit made by then Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France, in 2015.

To date, both Viet Nam and UNESCO have implemented many targets of their memorandum of understanding on co-operation effectively.

At the meeting, the two sides discussed co-operation potential and priority goals in education, culture, science, information and communications.

Trung, who is Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, emphasised the importance of UNESCO in implementing the 2030 sustainable development goals, adding that Viet Nam and the organisation could share ideas and experience to serve development.

Irina Bokova affirmed Viet Nam had made important contributions to the organisation and lauded the countrys role as a bridge between ASEAN and UNESCO.

On the same day, the UNESCO Director General visited Bai inh Pagoda in the northern province of Ninh Binh, which is located in the Trang An landscape complex  a UNESCO-recognised Cultural and Natural World Heritage site.

In a meeting with provincial leaders, she praised the localitys efforts to preserve and promote the heritage site.  VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services of Myanmar, Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

NAYPYIDAW  Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said yesterday that he wanted stronger defence co-operation with Myanmar during a reception for Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Services of Myanmar, Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw yesterday.

The Party chief, who is on a State visit to Myanmar, said the two nations were close neighbours in Southeast Asia and shared many similarities in history and cultural traditions as well as common interests. Their potential and strengths are also complementary, the Party leader said.

He noted that the Viet Nam-Myanmar relations have continuously been consolidated by the two nations leaders, particularly since the establishment of diplomatic ties in May, 1975.

General Secretary Trong lauded the co-operation between the two defence ministries and armies, particularly after the signing of the agreement on defence co-operation in 2011, saying that Sen Gen Min Aung Hlaings official visit to Viet Nam in March this year had opened up numerous avenues for bilateral co-operation in training, military medicine and the defence industry.

He expressed his hope that co-operation between the armies and military forces of the two countries would grow further, contributing actively and effectively to bilateral relations in line with the spirit of the Comprehensive Co-operative Partnership newly established during the ongoing visit.

For his part, Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing briefed General Secretary Trong on co-operation between the two nations armies and concurred with the Party leaders evaluation of defence ties between the two countries.

He affirmed that there was great potential and room for the two nations to bolster their co-operation, adding that the armed forces of Myanmar would work hard to raise bilateral defence relations to the level of the Comprehensive Co-operative Partnership.  VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) meets leaders of Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) in Yangon yesterday.  VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

YANGON  The Vietnamese Party and Government always attaches importance to developing and expanding friendship and multi-faceted cooperation with Myanmar, bilaterally, within ASEAN and at international forums, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said yesterday.

Meeting with leaders of Myanmars ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) in Yangon yesterday, the Vietnamese leader spoke highly of the important role and active contributions that NLD has made to the countrys recent achievements.

Trong, who is on a State visit to Myanmar, expressed his wish that the NLD continues to achieve greater success in promoting national reconciliation, developing the economy, and raising the countrys stature in the region and the world.

He expressed his pleasure at the development of co-operation and traditional friendship between the countries in recent years, especially since Myanmar has entered a new stage of development.

Noting that the Vietnamese and Myanmar leaders have lifted bilateral ties to the level of comprehensive co-operative partnership, the ruling parties on both sides to enhance co-operation and experience sharing, he said. This would boost development of both nations and meet peoples interests while promoting peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world, he said.

On behalf of the NLD leaders, Secretary of the NLD Central Executive Committee, Nyan Win, stressed the significance of the Vietnamese Party leaders visit to Myanmar, describing it as a support for the comprehensive national reform that the NLD-led Government of Myanmar is pushing for.

He said he highly valued the huge, historic achievements that the Vietnamese Party, State and people have attained over the three decades of reform, considering them precious experience for the NLD and the Myanmar Government.

Nyan Win said he hoped for increased exchange of information and experiences between the two ruling parties, and for stepped up co-ordination at multilateral forums.  VNS
Viet Nam and Myanmar issued a joint statement on the comprehensive cooperative partnership forged during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs State visit to Myanmar from August 24 to 26.  VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

HA NOI  Viet Nam and Myanmar issued a joint statement on the comprehensive cooperative partnership forged during Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trongs State visit to Myanmar from August 24 to 26.

The statement says that at bilateral talks and meetings, Vietnamese and Myanmar leaders shared the view that the State visit by General Secretary Trong is a historic milestone in the two countries relations.

They expressed their delight at the rapid growth of traditional friendship and multifaceted co-operation in recent years, and agreed to promote bilateral co-operation between the countries parties, parliaments, governments and peoples.

On the basis of the growing bilateral ties and new developments in the region and the world, the leaders agreed to establish a comprehensive cooperative partnership between Viet Nam and Myanmar.

This would strengthen the five co-operation pillars of bilateral ties: political relations; defence and security co-operation; economic co-operation; cultural and social co-operation, people-to-people exchange, and other fields of shared concern; and regional and international co-operation.

With the newly established comprehensive co-operative partnership, the two sides agreed to enhance political ties through mutual visits and meetings at all levels.

They agreed to bolster government-to-government co-operation and make efforts to improve bilateral co-operation in economy, culture and science and technology. To strengthen connectivity between the two economies, they pledged to prioritise co-operation in transport infrastructure and tourism while expanding links in agriculture and forestry, telecommunications and banking.

They also agreed on measures to improve the investment climate so as to encourage Vietnamese and Myanmar businesses to invest in each others markets. They agreed to step up investment and trade promotion and trade facilitation towards raising bilateral trade to US$1 billion as soon as possible.

Party General Secretary Trong affirmed that he would encourage Vietnamese firms to invest in potential areas in Myanmar such as energy, telecommunications and infrastructure.

President Htin Kyaw recognised the contribution by Viet Nams investment projects in Myanmar for local socio-economic development, and reiterated that his country would create optimal conditions to ensure interests of Vietnamese businesses in his country.

The two sides also agreed on fostering co-operation in information and communications technology and telecommunications.

The two leaders shared views on regional peace and security issues of mutual concern and vowed to boost bilateral security and defence co-operation through the sharing of information and experience, bringing into play existing co-operation mechanisms, and considering the establishment of defence policy dialogues and a joint working group between the two defence ministries.

They also applauded effective implementation of bilateral security dialogue mechanisms and agreed to reinforce security co-operation, including working together to build and complete legal frameworks for joint activities in fighting crime.

They noted with satisfaction good coordination and co-operation between the two countries at regional and international forums like ASEAN, the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement.

General Secretary Trong appreciated Myanmars readiness to support Viet Nams candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

Both sides welcomed the continuation of co-operation in the sustainable and effective use of the Mekong Rivers water resources, which they said was important to Mekong countries, including Viet Nam and Myanmar, as well as to the connectivity, community-building, stability and development of ASEAN.

They reiterated their commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security and stability in the region, to resolving disputes by peaceful means, not using force or threatening to use force, and complying with broadly recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They also reiterated their support for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the early finalisation of a code of conduct (COC) for the East Sea on the basis of the already approved framework.  VNS